All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Fans of Sunderland have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the Black Cats relayed footage of the club’s right-back, Luke O’Nien, in action against Peterborough United.

So far this season, O’Nien has been one of Lee Johnson’s stand out performers over his 30 League One appearances, with the 26-year-old scoring two goals, in addition to making an average of 1.3 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 2.7 clearances per game, as well as averaging a highly impressive WhoScored match rating of 7.07 – ranking him as Sunderland’s third-best performer in the third tier.

The defender once again impressed in the club’s recent 1-1 draw with Peterborough United, earning a WhoScored match rating of 7.33 and throwing his body on the line to make a crucial last-ditch block from a Jonson Clarke-Harris shot.

And, after Sunderland relayed footage of O’Nien’s heroic act of defending on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many heaping a considerable amount of praise on the right-back.

So, what exactly did these Sunderland fans have to say in reaction to the footage of Luke O’Nien?

“He’ll do anything for the badge, give him the contract he deserves.”

@15jgilmore

“Aw, what a lad, nothing phases him even putting himself on the line, and not for the first time. An absolute star.”

@juliesund

“His attitude is an absolute inspiration to all fans. The lad would do anything for the badge. Nice to see the lads with a bit of fight in them, it’s been a long time TBF.”

@bazza1804

“This lad is unreal puts his body on the line every game fast becoming Sunderland legend.”

@georgecoulthard

“Give him a 10-year contract, name a stand after him and give him a statue.”

@GaribaldiSAFC

“That man is immense and made of steel. Nothing gets past or through him. Please Luke stay and sign, you’re one of us now!”

@KarenHowes5

“Sensational.”

@_Daryl_01

In other news: Loads of Sunderland fans gushed as the club confirmed this ‘huge’ news – find out more here!

Tottenham Hotspur continue to feel the aftermath of the collapse of the European Super League this week, and fresh claims will deal another blow to ownership group ENIC and Daniel Levy.It was announced on Tuesday night that Spurs had pulled out of the ESL as the Premier League’s traditional top six dropped like flies following heavy backlash from fans, players, coaches and the media alike.In a statement released by the club, Levy claimed they “regret the anxiety and upset caused by the ESL proposal” before thanking supporters for their “considered opinion.”But now a fresh claim has emerged that contradicts that entirely, leaving the north London outfit exposed to further criticism.Originally, Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness) reported that UEFA had offered the English sides financial compensation to leave the controversial ESL project, and now El Chiringuito journalist Jose Alvarez has stoked the fire more.”The English clubs didn’t leave the Super League because of the fans, they did it for money,” he told the show’s Twitch channel.This could well open up a fresh can of worms in N17.Despite the club pulling out of the league earlier this week, the Hotspur faithful turned up to the stadium before their game with Southampton on Wednesday evening to protest against ENIC and Levy.”Shame on you Levy,” “Time to say goodbye,” and “ENIC out” were just some of the banners held up by Spurs’ seething fans, who have clearly had enough of how their club is being run.

Alvarez’s latest claim will do Joe Lewis and Levy no favours whatsoever.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville led the British media’s revolt in a passionate rant before news filtered through of Spurs’ withdrawal, as he called the teams involved a “disgrace” and beckoned for severe sanctions.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-manager-transfer-news-and-rumours” title=”Read this week’s latest Spurs manager news, transfer rumours and more!”]

“Deduct them all points tomorrow,” he said. “Put them at the bottom of the league and take the money off them. Seriously, we have got to stamp on this. It’s criminal. It’s a criminal act against football fans in this country, make no mistake about it.”

According to RMC journalist Mohamed Bouhafsi, the 12 rebel clubs will indeed face repercussions from UEFA.

He revealed on Wednesday: “UEFA says the 12 founding ESL clubs WILL face consequences, the first will be ‘they will live with shame’ with proper sanctions to come, the Vice President confirms. Several big clubs are asking the UEFA for sanctions for the 12.”

They’ll face shame, indeed, but if it turns out to be true that Levy and co pulled out due to the prospect of additional finances rather than for the backlash from supporters, then it’ll only be another hammer blow to the club’s already sinking reputation.

The scenes witnessed ahead of the game this week aren’t likely to be the first signs of mutiny, either. Especially if their hunt for their first trophy since 2008 continues to rumble on after Sunday’s Carabao Cup final.

Spurs fans have had enough, and quite rightly too.

AND in other news, Levy could hire Spurs’ dream Mourinho successor in trophy-laden 53 y/o winner…

David Moyes should look to discover his Mark Noble heir by unleashing West Ham United product Keenan Appiah-Forson next season.

Noble has committed to extending his time in claret and blue into an 18th and final term by recently signing a new one-year deal, that will see the curtain fall on his Irons career in the summer of 2022.

Mr West Ham’s farewell tour will provide Moyes with a piece of welcome depth in the engine room as the veteran is presently his only back-up to Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek, who have played every minute of regular time in the Premier League this season.

West Ham could look to bolster their numbers in the centre of the pitch with a revived approach for Matias Vecino in the summer, after reports surfaced in Italy last week that Inter Milan are looking to sell the former Irons target for between €8-10m (£7-8.5m).

Yet Moyes could look to save David Sullivan and the Irons board a few million pounds that can go toward the arrival of Sebastien Haller’s replacement, simply by unleashing Appiah-Forson and seeing what the 19-year-old has in his locker.

Many people at the Hammers academy expect the Englishman to go on and achieve big things at the London Stadium, with forward Kai Corbett one of several prospects to praise Appiah-Forson in the Academy Spotlight segment of West Ham’s matchday programme.

“He does so much work, the team wouldn’t be the same without him,” Corbett noted, via quotes by The Athletic, ahead of West Ham’s 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur last month.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-west-ham-news-and-views” title=” The latest West Ham news and views!”]

Jamal Baptiste, Dan Chesters and Bernardo Rosa are also noted to believe Appiah-Forson deserves much more recognition than he currently receives, while Terry Westley – West Ham’s Academy Manager between 2014-19 – has likened him to Chelsea star N’Golo Kante.

“I left when he was still a scholar, but I’ll never forget how committed Keenan was,” Westley told The Athletic. “He always listened and wanted to improve. I can tell he’s really enjoying himself and that’s what warmed the staff to him. You could always rely on him to do well.

“Keenan’s small but he’s such a tough boy. He’s similar to N’Golo Kante in terms of his work ethic because he’s so difficult to mark. Keenan has a lot of potential and it’s great that young players are getting an opportunity at West Ham under David Moyes. Keenan could be next.”

But while Westley suggests Appiah-Forson “could” be next, the talented teen should be next and given the chance to learn first-hand from Noble, Rice and Soucek while proving his potential to Moyes as the next chapter comes into focus at West Ham.

He is an established regular in Dmitri Halajko’s Under 23s with 12 appearances and three goals in the Premier League 2 this season from the deep-lying midfield role, and has already enjoyed his first taste of senior football.

Appiah-Forson was given an example of first-team action as West Ham beat Newport County in the EFL Trophy back in September 2019, and has gone on to feature in three further cup ties – including beating Portsmouth away to the League One side last November.

The next step for Appiah-Forson is either a loan move away to enjoy consistent first-team minutes or to make the step up to Moyes’ ranks, which should soon be on offer.

AND in other news, a West Ham winter target is set to be available for £17m this summer…

Many fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter which relayed an image of the Hammers’ Czech Republic duo Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal.

So far this season, both Soucek and Coufal have hugely impressed throughout West Ham’s assault on the top four of the Premier League table. Soucek has scored eight goals and averaged a WhoScored match rating of 7.36, while Coufal has provided his teammates with three assists and averaged a match rating of 6.97 – ranking the pair as the club’s second and fifth-best performers in the top flight respectively.

After West Ham relayed an image on Twitter of the ‘Czech-mates’ on the training ground, many fans of the club flocked to have their say on the “amazing” duo, with plenty heaping a considerable amount of praise on their performances for the club so far this season.

So, what exactly did these West Ham United fans have to say in reaction to the club’s post on Twitter?

“These two are like the proper old-time men of football – hard as nails and love playing the game. Salah take note.”

@Ricky87867277

“They’re amazing.”

@whugrace

“Oh I love them.”

@SamGadd_16

“Please never leave.”

@Ludders59

“I C O N S.”

@watsondara07

“Give them statues.”

@Tylerrjones16

“The goats themselves.”

@westhamwhu49

In other West Ham United news, many fans wanted this Premier League ace after a contract claim – find out more here!

Georginio Wijnaldum has suggested that Liverpool’s slump could be put down to the absence of fans.

The Reds have lost six consecutive home league games for the first time in their history and fallen from league leaders to European outsiders.

All five of their 2021 victories have come away from home, and you have to go back to 16 December for their last Anfield victory, which was against Tottenham (Transfermarkt).

Wijnaldum addressed the issue in the club’s pre-match press conference ahead of their Champions League round of 16 second leg meeting with RB Leipzig on Wednesday. Curiously, Liverpool may be glad that their ‘home leg’ of the tie will be settled at the Puskas Arena in Budapest rather than at Anfield.

“I believe the things happening to us now would not be happening if fans were in the stadium,” the Dutch midfielder said.

The Reds played three home games in front of a limited crowd of 2,000 while the city was in the second tier of pandemic restrictions, winning two and drawing one.

If permitted, they plan to welcome back 10,000 supporters for their final-day Premier League clash with Crystal Palace in what they hope will be a precursor to a normalised 2021/22 campaign (via The Athletic).

In the meantime, these Kopites weren’t too happy with Wijnaldum’s comments about their Anfield slump:

These Liverpool fans won’t give Wijnaldum an easy out

“Embarrassing excuse this”

Credit: @Ugo_nando99

“Can we please stop the excuses and just get on with it, please”

Credit: @TrentsDelivery

“Probably true but that’s the way it is this season, you have to deal with the hand you’re dealt. Stop with the excuses and just get on with it.”

Credit: @duvetcapeman

“Probably true but that doesn’t justify poor results or others out playing us every week”

Credit: @jaziz1989

“It’s like LFC is the only team that doesn’t have fans in the stadium”

Credit: @escandesco

“We are Liverpool Football Club!! no excuses please!!”

Credit: @matters_ho

“I’m not Gini hating at all, but I have wondered for a while whether his contract situation has had any effect on the team. There are a lot of contributing factors to how our season has played out”

Credit: @marksmith_84

In other news, many Liverpool fans call for this line-up change for Leipzig second leg.

Rangers have been linked with a move for IF Elfsborg centre-back Joseph Okumu recently and if the 23-year-old were to join Steven Gerrard’s side, it could prove to be the end of George Edmundson’s time at Ibrox.

According to Football Insider, Rangers are considering a move for the Kenyan international after it emerged that both Leicester City and Aston Villa were interested in signing Filip Helander ahead of next season.

The £1.08 million-rated defender has established himself as a regular in Sweden since joining from USA side Real Monarchs, having made 34 appearances in all competitions.

However, even if the young centre-back joins as the Swedish international’s replacement, you still worry that the added competition could bring an end to Edmundson’s Rangers career, especially after his underwhelming loan spell at Derby County this season.

After breaking lockdown restrictions in November, Gerrard sent the former Oldham Athletic man on loan to the Championship in January, although he has struggled to make much of an impression thus far, averaging a 6.7 rating across his six league appearances for Wayne Rooney’s side.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-rangers-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Since joining Rangers from Oldham in the summer of 2019, Edmundson has managed just 17 appearances for the Light Blues, in which he has contributed two goals and one assist.

Although he is just 23 and has plenty of time to develop, recent reports have suggested that Rangers have ‘internal doubts’ about him, so the potential arrival of Okumu could prove to be the catalyst for him leaving Ibrox.

Rangers already have the likes of Connor Goldson, Leon Balogun, Helander available at centre-back, whilst Nikola Katic should hopefully return from injury ahead of next season, which leaves little room for Edmundson in Gerrard’s squad, especially if Okumu makes the move to Ibrox too.

[freshpress-quiz id=“588789″]

Unless Edmundson can return to Rangers in the summer and seriously impress Gerrard, who was clearly not happy with him breaking restrictions, then you fear that his time at the club could come to an end.

And, in other news… Gerrard suffers potential blow with £10k-p/w “leader”, Wilson can’t be bullied

Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat to Liverpool earlier in the week only emphasised how far away Jose Mourinho’s squad are from truly contending for the title under his tenure.

The north Londoners struggled to create chances against Jurgen Klopp’s fifth-choice centre-back, Nat Phillips, and Jordan Henderson, who was playing out of position on his return from injury.

Aside from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s scorching solo goal, Spurs only had one other shot on target while across 90 minutes, Mourinho’s men mustered up just three attempts in total, via SofaScore.

Tanguy Ndombele has found himself in good form lately, scoring three goals in two matches prior to kick-off but he’s still not being the creative sort of influence like Christian Eriksen once was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Despite pulling off four successful dribbles, the Frenchman failed to convert his drives forward with any real substance, failing to contribute a single key pass to Harry Kane or Heung-min Son.

A frequent occurrence as the club-record signing is averaging only one key ball per 90 minutes, via WhoScored, which ranks him eighth in this Spurs squad.

Similarly, he sits seventh for progressive carries forward (95.9 yards per 90) behind both Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – who is a more defensive influence – and Giovani Lo Celso.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-spurs-news-and-transfer-rumours” title= Read this week’s latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more…”]

His inability to get forward in this sense could be one reason why he’s not having a great influence in the attack.

Which is why the need for a new signing, perhaps in the form of mooted target Nicolo Barella, is required as soon as possible.

Spurs are said to be interested in the emerging Italy sensation by Calciomercato, just 18 months after his €49m (£45m) switch to Inter Milan from Cagliari, where former boss Rolando Maran lauded him “extraordinary.”

The 23-year-old has proven to be one of Antonio Conte’s biggest threats this term, delivering two goals and five assists. He has also managed 1.5 key passes per 90 minutes, an increase on Ndombele’s returns, per WhoScored.

Barella is also averaging 151.1 progressive carries forward per 90 minutes, a whole 56 more yards than Ndombele in the Premier League this term, so it’s no wonder that he is able to be more of a creative presence for Inter, via FBRef.

Evidently, the 18-cap Italian international can bring Spurs something that their leading man cannot, so Levy must sanction a move for him as soon as possible.

The “warrior full of determination” could lower the burden on Kane and Son, who have contributed 24 goals and 17 assists between them compared to the four goal contributions from Ndombele.

Spurs need Barella more than ever.

AND in other news, this Spurs regular betrayed Jose Mourinho against Liverpool…

Following on from their ‘quadruple treble’ victory on Sunday, Celtic will be looking for nothing less than a win in the Premiership this afternoon. The Scottish Cup champions will host bottom of the table Ross County as they continue their mission of chasing down runaway league leaders Rangers.

It’s an extremely tall task considering Steven Gerrard and his men are now 16 points clear, but the Hoops can use their three games in-hand to pile on the pressure and maybe force some errors from their local rivals.

As they prepare to face the Staggies, Football FanCast has predicted how Celtic will line up this afternoon…

Since he keeps churning out impressive performances, it would be criminal not to start Conor Hazard today. The Hoops have not lost a single match since Lennon opted to replace Scott Bain and Vasilis Barkas with the rising talent. His solid efforts have all but guaranteed him a spot in the Celtic lineup for the foreseeable future.

Ismaila Soro and David Turnbull have also earned their spots in the team-sheet thanks to their hard work in the engine room. The latter especially has impressed the boss thanks to his impressive return of three goalscoring contributions in three appearances, as per Sofascore.

The summer signing will once again act as support to creative playmakers Mohamed Elyounoussi and Ryan Christie, who have both been key members of Lennon’s squad this season. However, the boss should change up his choice in the No.9 slot.

Leigh Griffiths played just 15 minutes in the Scottish Cup final, but that’s all he needed to have an impact on the match. The £1.8million-rated outcast found the back of the net to give Celtic the lead again before Hearts struck back to force penalties.

He may not be Lennon’s favourite player, but nothing can take away from the effort he puts into his performances. Griffiths deserves to start a match after all the work he has put in, especially since Odsonne Edouard has scored just two goals from open play in his last ten appearances for Celtic.

Griffiths could provide a fresh injection of energy up front for Lennon as he hopes for a miraculous turn of luck in their title chase.

In other news, Signing David Turnbull was a stroke of genius from Hammond…

When it comes to Leeds’ academy prospects, not a great deal of them secure regular first-team football.

Marcelo Bielsa is a wonderful coach but when assessing his team selection, he’s a rather stubborn man. Unless there are injuries, he rarely changes his team and thus, it’s usually the same collection of players we see in the starting XI.

Unfortunately for the Argentine, he has had to tinker this term. Injuries to Liam Cooper, Diego Llorente and Robin Koch have meant a makeshift defence often operating for Leeds.

Fikayo Tomori has reportedly tempted them in the transfer market but on Sunday they’ll need internal solutions, rather than external ones.

Luke Ayling and Pascal Struijk kept a clean sheet against Burnley but were picked apart by a free-flowing Tottenham team last weekend.

They’d unlikely have too many problems in the FA Cup against Crawley on Sunday, but given their inferior opposition, it would be an ideal time to utilise some fringe players.

One such individual is Charlie Cresswell. The 18-year-old centre-back has been forced to watch on from the sidelines this season and has only made one start – a Carabao Cup penalty shootout defeat to Hull City.

It was a game that Noel Whelan described the teenager as “exceptional” in, but that’s not the first time the pundit has waxed lyrical about Cresswell.

After the defender signed a new contract last year, he called him “fantastic,” before suggesting the youngster “is the future” of the football club.

It’s not hard to see why either. Cresswell is competent on the ball and during that clash against Hull, he was a pillar of solidity.

After the U23s struck seven goals past Fulham this term, Leeds Live typified the centre-back in their match ratings:

“His security on the ball was convincing, even indulging in a Cruyff turn inside his own defensive third to evade danger in the second half. Perhaps the best action of his during the game was the frequent interceptions he made. Cresswell read the play excellently, seizing on forward passes as Fulham looked to break, turning the visitors’ attacks into countering opportunities for the Whites.”

Although Premier League action is perhaps too soon for the talented young defender, an FA Cup clash with League Two opposition surely suits him perfectly.

It would be a shame if Bielsa doesn’t unleash him on Sunday afternoon – he needs to prove that he’s ready for more senior football.

AND in other news, Forget De Paul: Orta must seal Leeds swoop for “revelation” who lost possession 28x…

The football community was left shocked by West Ham’s Tomas Soucek and his red card during his side’s 0-0 draw against Fulham on Saturday evening.

Terry in disbelief

The Czech midfielder was sent off during the dying embers of the game at Craven Cottage after he was judged by referee Mike Dean to have maliciously elbowed Aleksandar Mitrovic in the face.

However, replays showed that the Serbian striker looked to have made a meal of the contact. Despite referring to VAR and a lengthy wait, Dean believed it was worthy of an instant dismissal.

In reaction to this, Terry, now a coach at Aston Villa, initially spoke about the incident on his Instagram story. He said: “Never a red card. There is no way he has meant that.”

Following on from his brief 12-word outlook, the former Chelsea captain then reacted to Danny Murphy’s post, who applauded what Jamie Redknapp said after the full-time whistle.

“Outrageous decision after watching it 20 times,” wrote Terry. “I see it once and knew 100% it was an accident.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

We have to agree with Terry completely. It was quite obviously an accident and we are not quite sure what Dean, or VAR official Lee Mason, saw that everyone else missed.

There is no aggression in his movement towards Mitrovic. To us, it looks like he is trying to get his body in front of his opposition number, rather than have his back to him.

That being said, referees do not take any accountability for their actions and offer no explanations for the calls they make. Until then, unfortunately, these decisions will continue week in, week out.

In other news, West Ham to take second bite of the cherry in pursuit of sign £35m-rated star.