All posts by n8rngtd.top

A number of Liverpool supporters are happy with the news that Nat Phillips is set to start the Reds’ upcoming Carabao Cup clash against Norwich City.

Jurgen Klopp’s side continued their impressive start to the season on Saturday afternoon, beating Crystal Palace 3-0 at Anfield in the Premier League. It means Liverpool have dropped just two points and conceded only once in their opening five league matches, suggesting that a title challenge is on the cards.

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Attention switches to Carabao Cup commitments on Tuesday evening, however, as the Reds make the trip to Carrow Road to face Norwich, where they won 3-0 at the start of the league season just over a month ago.

Klopp is expected to make a number of changes for the game, and according to The Athletic’s James Pearce [via Anfield Edition on Twitter], Phillips will make his first start of the season against the Canaries.

The 24-year-old had a prolonged spell in the first team in 2020/21, a defensive injury crisis helping to propel him into the side, and he repaid Klopp’s faith with some tremendous performances.

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Liverpool fans react to Phillips claim

These Liverpool fans on Twitter reacted positively to the update from Pearce, with the centre-back something of a cult hero after his efforts last season.

“Nat Phillips szn has started. We move”

Credit: @drivelikejesu

“PHILDINI IS BACK”

Credit: @Twoguaps

“I’m actually excited about it”

Credit: @quarterluke

“Norwich won’t know what hit them”

Credit: @LangatGodwin_LG

“Bolton Maldini”

Credit: @schkuba

“He deserves to play few games at least. He was so good for us last season”

Credit: @ajithf808

In other news, some Liverpool fans are worried after an injury update emerged. Read more here.

Valerien Ismael hasn’t yet found his best line-up at West Brom, according to Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell, speaking to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Baggies lose form

The Baggies made a flying start to their Championship season, picking up 13 points from their opening five matches and looking every bit title hopefuls.

West Brom’s form has stalled in recent weeks, however, with three draws in a row against Millwall, Derby County and Preston proving to be frustrating.

The Latest: Campbell concerned over ‘problem’

Admittedly, Ismael’s side are still third the table, but speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit and former Arsenal and Everton striker Campbell claimed a lack of a fixed starting lineup is proving to be problematic:

“Here is the crazy thing about football. The likes of [Jordan] Hugill, [Callum] Robinson, [Karlan] Grant, and [Matt] Phillips they are all good players but it is about finding the right balance. That is the key now for Ismael and this West Brom side.

“You can have the embarrassment of riches but it is about finding the right balance. Ismael needs to work out his best team and he needs to do it quickly.

“From mid-October onwards you need to know and be playing your best team. You have got to know your best team and I think the problem is, Ismael still does not know what his best team is now.”

The Verdict: He makes a good point

Campbell is correct in his assessment, with too many changes being made by Ismael and a lack of rhythm on show because of it.

Granted, it is important to rotate throughout the season, in order to retain freshness in the players, but it is difficult to know what West Brom’s best team is currently.

The hope is that that will change in the coming weeks, starting with Friday night’s visit of QPR, which could be a test of their promotion credentials given the R’s will be full of confidence after their Carabao Cup victory against Premier League Everton.

In other news, some West Brom fans have been reacting to a journalist’s tweet. Read more here.

Responding to reports of unrest from Spurs players over Nuno Espirito Santo’s management, Alasdair Gold has dropped his own claim in a football.london Q&A.

The Lowdown: Spurs players unsettled under Nuno?

As per The Independent, just a few months into his reign, some Spurs players appear unhappy with life under Nuno despite an originally brilliant start to the season.

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After picking up the Premier League Manager of the Month award for August, Tottenham have slumped to three defeats in their last three league games by sizeable margins to a plethora of their London rivals.

As such, journalist Miguel Delaney has now revealed that those close to the Spurs squad aren’t impressed – with one quote claiming him to be “some of the worst of Mourinho without the medals”.

The Latest: Gold drops claim…

Responding to these reports when asked by a Spurs fan if Nuno has already lost the dressing room, Gold pleaded to be ‘wary’ of players or agents moaning about coaches.

“I’m so wary of players or agents moaning about managers,” he explained in a football.london Q&A.

“It’s a worrying theme, particularly at Tottenham, and Pochettino, Mourinho, Mason and now Nuno have all had sniping behind the scenes, presumably from those who aren’t playing.

“At some point, we have to look at the players and why the ‘go to’ option is to moan about the manager. How many managers do the club have to go through before the players are happy? Perhaps it says more about them than those brought in to manage them.”

The Verdict: Reoccurring problem…

As explained by Gold, the issue of unrested Spurs players has become a reoccurring theme and one suffered by a plethora of managers since Pochettino left the club in 2019.

Certain sections of the Lilywhites squad must now take blame in what is looking more and more like a toxic environment at Hotspur Way.

The fickle nature of football could mean the mood surrounding Spurs and Nuno could change in a matter of weeks depending on results and if his playing style notably improves.

However, as it stands, it appears the 47-year-old is the latest in a long line of managerial scapegoats.

In other news: Talks ongoing: N17 source leaks Spurs development as news emerges on ‘priority’ for Levy, find out more here.

Many Everton fans have been left buzzing over some news involving their retail partner Fanatics.

As per the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, they have now opened the Merseyside club’s first official store in Northern Ireland, which will feature an extensive range of official Toffees apparel, replica kit, headwear, fashion accessories, sporting goods, toys and souvenirs.

The store will also feature a personalisation service from November onwards, allowing Blues supporters to have their replica kits customised.

It is great news that the club are now expanding their stores into other countries, as they will be able to generate more revenue from selling off their merchandise and may also gain a few more followers in Northern Ireland.

These are all steps required to grow a club into a global brand, something which is necessary to thrive in modern football.

Everton fans on Fanatics news

These EFC fans were left buzzing as the news of the new store in Northern Ireland was shared on Twitter, with one Evertonian even going as far as to claim that it is ‘brilliant news’:

“This is brilliant news, so many boss Irish Blues I know”

Credit: @BlueNoseMikeM

“Can’t wait to visit it!!”

Credit: @LESCOLE10

“Brilliant”

Credit: @johnh6358

“Great news!”

Credit: @ToffeeRon

“This is a good move. Hopefully one day @everton will establish an official store in one of the major South East Asia cities.”

Credit: @ric_wee

“Great to see the Toffees having a store open in Belfast”

Credit: @Tyronemck

In other news, find out what club post has Toffees raging here!

An update has emerged on Newcastle’s new ownership, regarding their plans for the structure behind the scenes at the club… 

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle’s new owners, PIF, have contacted club legends Alan Shearer and Kevin Keegan with a view to employing them in ambassadorial roles.

The report claims that they also want to move Shearer’s statute closer to the ground as it is currently situated near some old public toilets near St. James’ Park.

Fans would love it

PIF could pull off a blinder in the early part of their time in England by bringing Shearer and Keegan in as ambassadors at the club.

They are both revered on Tyneside for what they achieved during their respective times at St. James’ Park and getting them involved could bring a feel-good factor for the supporters, which they would undoubtedly love.

The legendary Magpies duo both enjoyed superb spells with Newcastle throughout their respective careers and PIF handing them roles within their new structure at St. James’ Park could help them to make sure they do not lose touch with the fans along the way.

Keegan led Newcastle to two top-three finishes and one sixth-placed finish in his three seasons as manager of the club in the ’90s in the Premier League, whilst the club sat fourth when he left 21 games into his fourth year. He also later came back to manage the club in the 2000s, ending his managerial career with the Magpies in the 2008/09 campaign.

The less said about Shearer’s time as manager the better, but his playing career was simply phenomenal.

With 206 goals in 405 matches for Newcastle and being the top-scorer in Magpies history, the striker is a bonified club legend who fans could love to see being involved.

This shows that they both know what it takes to be successful at Newcastle and their experience and knowledge could be extremely useful to PIF when it comes to making major decisions further down the line.

They could also create a link between the owners and the fans, which is why the supporters may love this swift call by PIF to bring two legends in – something Mike Ashley failed to do.

AND in other news, Craig Hope drops fresh £8m Newcastle manager claim that’ll surely delight supporters…

Adama Traore could start for Wolves in their Premier League clash with Aston Villa this weekend, according to journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Wolves head to Villa

Bruno Lage’s side are back in action on Saturday afternoon, following the latest international break.

Wolves make the trip to Villa Park for an eagerly-anticipated clash, looking to build on consecutive league victories against Southampton and Newcastle United.

The Latest: Traore tipped to start

It remains to be seen who will make it into Lage’s starting lineup for the game, but someone who thinks Traore could start is The Express & Star‘s Hatfield.

Speaking to Give Me Sport, he talked up the Spaniard’s chance of featuring prominently against Villa:

“It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Adama Traore starting.

“Of course, Villa know what he’s all about. They’ve seen him first hand although a lot of the coaching staff and players won’t have been there when he was there.”

The Verdict: Game-changing player

Traore didn’t start in either of the wins over Saints and Newcastle, so it is logical to keep him on the substitutes’ bench again this weekend.

The 25-year-old may not always be the most consistent player in terms of end product – he hasn’t scored or assisted in the league yet this season – but his frightening pace can be a potent weapon when legs are tiring.

Introducing Traore in the second half on Saturday could be the more effective option, despite Hatfield’s prediction, as Wolves look to make it three wins on the bounce.

In other news, some Wolves fans have been blown away by a Tim Spiers update. Read more here.

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a significant boost regarding the fitness of Grady Diangana.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Birmingham Live, Valerien Ismael revealed that, after being left out of the Baggies squad for the 1-0 win over Birmingham City on Friday evening, the winger had suffered a slight hamstring strain.

However, the Frenchman went on to state that he expects the 23-year-old to be available for Albion’s trip to Swansea City on Wednesday evening.

Speaking about the condition of Diangana, Ismael said: “Grady has a hamstring issue, not too bad. It’s a small issue, we didn’t want to take any risks for this game. My expectation is that he will come back for the next game against Swansea.”

Ismael will be buzzing

While Diangana has not exactly been in the best form of his career this season, being yet to score a goal and providing just one assist over his 11 Championship appearances, the winger nevertheless proved during West Brom’s last promotion-winning campaign that he is a player who possesses the ability to fire the Baggies back to the Premier League.

Indeed, over his 30 Championship appearances in 2019/20, the £9m-rated man scored eight goals, registered six assists and created eight big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.6 shots and making 1.4 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player who Lee Hendrie dubbed a “magnificent” talent earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.06, ranking the £36k-per-week winger as West Brom’s third-best performer in the league that season.

As such, Diangana is clearly a player with the ability to win any particular match in an instant, and, with the former England U21 international looking to be available for Wednesday’s clash with Swansea, Ismael will certainly be hoping for the winger to do so at the Liberty Stadium – an outcome that would leave both the 46-year-old manager and fans of the club buzzing.

In other news: Signed for £750k, now worth £1.8m: West Brom struck gold on “amazing” £14k-p/w dynamo

Crystal Palace are among the Premier League sides ‘keeping tabs’ on Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson, according to Football League World. 

The lowdown

Johnson, who’s predominantly been deployed as a central attacking midfielder, has been directly involved in six goals (scoring and assisting three each) in 14 Championships starts for Forest this season (via WhoScored).

Sports journalist Josh Bunting has hailed him as the ‘shining light’ in a side that’s amassed only 18 points so far, while the Press Association’s Phil Blanche says he ‘looks destined’ for the Premier League.

According to talent scout Jacek Kulig, he has a similar style of play to Leicester City’s Harvey Barnes.

Johnson’s contract is up at the end of next season, and for now he’s valued at just £360,000 by Transfermarkt.

The latest

Palace are said to be admirers of Johnson, along with local rivals Brighton and Hove Albion and fellow top-flight outfits such as Newcastle United, Everton and Southampton.

Forest boss Steve Cooper is apparently involved in the club’s attempts to tie the Welshman down to a new contract and ward off that interest.

The verdict

It seems the sharks are beginning to circle around The City Ground amid the uncertainty over Johnson’s future. Palace aren’t the only side sensing an opportunity.

Johnson would be another exciting Championship arrival in South London, following in the footsteps of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise in terms of young attacking talent at Patrick Vieira’s disposal.

If he’s being compared to Harvey Barnes, then you’d think he could easily move from his central berth out to a wide role in Vieira’s 4-3-3.

In other news, fans react to this Nathan Ferguson post. 

Flocking to Twitter, many West Bromwich Albion fans have slammed striker Callum Robinson for his display against Middlesborough on Saturday.

Valerien Ismael’s men, looking to keep chase with the automatic promotion pack, are eyeing a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking after their relegation last season.

They currently sit third in the Championship table and are well in contention to climb back into England’s top flight, but an inconsistent run of results since the beginning of October has hindered them somewhat.

Victories over Bristol City, Birmingham City and Hull City have been marred by defeats to Swansea, Stoke and Fulham since last month and West Brom may need to start performing on a more consistent basis to truly fight till the end.

During their contest against Boro at The Hawthorns this afternoon, one man who certainly didn’t help in that regard was Robinson – with Ismael replacing him at half time due to his ineffective display.

According to SofaScore, the Republic of Ireland international managed zero shots on or off target and lost 100 per cent of his aerial duels against the visitors.

As well as this, he only found a teammate with 43 per cent of his passes – by far the lowest in the XI – leaving little wonder why fans weren’t too pleased with his display.

Find all of their verdicts down from Twitter down below.

West Brom fans slam Robinson…

“Robinson is not a centre forward. Never will be. Awful first touch. Lost possession far to many times and far to weak for the goal. Hugill has to start every game until we get a new striker in January. Liability.”

Credit: @BradPoole31

“When can we discuss how poor he’s been for weeks?”

Credit: @danstanna

“The praise got to his head he has been non existent since.”

Credit: @1toowatch

“Where’s the Robinson that scored 5 in 2 games for Ireland?? He’s doing nothing for us”

Credit: @JDWBA2

“No shots, Robinson given the ball away every time he’s had it, Townsend SHOULD NOT be playing in a back 3 and we look devoid of ideas. It’s simply awful stuff.”

Credit: @369ell

“I don’t think we have a player in worse form than Robinson tbh”

Credit: @dannyw_92

Following on from their impressive 4-1 win over Aston Villa last weekend and their latest Europa League game on Thursday against KRC Genk, West Ham United have a big Premier League clash against Liverpool on Sunday to see if they can continue their good run of form, having won their three previous league games.

In terms of who David Moyes could select to start the game against the Merseysiders on Sunday, one player who we feel should be in the starting XI is Said Benrahma.

Why Benrahma must start

Despite drawing 2-2 against Genk in midweek, the Algerian not only scored both of West Ham’s goals on the night, he also managed to complete 38 of his 41 passes (including three key passes), whilst making one accurate cross and playing one accurate long ball. That highlighted his range of passing abilities, which could make him a nuisance for Liverpool’s defence to handle if they allow him time on the ball.

Additionally, Benrahma also completed seven of his nine dribble attempts and won 12 of his 15 ground duels, showing how confident and dangerous he is on the ball and how useful he can be at winning it back for his team, which would make him a difficult prospect for Liverpool.

Overall, his performance in Belgium earned the 26-year-old an excellent match rating of 9.5/10 from SofaScore, as well as being called “unplayable” by former West Ham player Joe Cole, which is why we think Moyes should have no issue in including Benrahma in his starting XI to face Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The 26-year-old – who is currently valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt – has appeared in all of West Ham’s Premier League games so far this season, scoring three goals and providing three assists along the way, proving himself a reliable and useful attacking option for the Hammers.

Additionally, the Algeria international has averaged 2.9 shots at goal and 1.4 key passes per game in the Premier League, showing that he certainly is one of West Ham’s most dangerous attacking outlets.

Looking ahead to the Liverpool game, we think that Benrahma’s inclusion in the starting XI would give West Ham a great chance of securing a positive result and potentially hand the Reds  their first league defeat of the season whilst pushing the Irons further up the table.

In other news – Forget Soucek: West Ham lightweight who lost possession 21 times badly let Moyes down v Genk