All posts by h716a5.icu

Harry Kane has won the first GIVEMESPORT Fans’ Player of the Month award of the season, picking up the Premier League gong for his performances throughout September and October.

The Tottenham star featured on a shortlist of six candidates that also included Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell, Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, Aston Villa talisman Jack Grealish, Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Newcastle goalkeeper Karl Darlow.

In a poll that registered over 25,000 votes, held across Snack Media’s range of websites and social media platforms, there was incredibly little to choose between the candidates as all six nominees picked up more than 4,000 votes each.

In fact, the final result was a tie between Kane, Calvert-Lewin and Salah, who all received exactly 4,370 votes. But there can only be one winner, and the Spurs assassin has been handed the award based on his superior returns across key performance metrics throughout the first seven matchdays of the 2020/21 Premier League season.

During this period, Kane amassed six goals and an incredible eight assists in the Premier League, making him responsible for two goal involvements per top-flight outing.

The final results of the GIVEMESPORT Fans’ Player of the Month vote were as follows…

= 1st. Harry Kane (17%)*

= 1st. Mohamed Salah (17%)

= 1st. Ben Chilwell (17%)

4th.  Jack Grealish (16.6%)

5th. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (16.5%)

6th. Karl Darlow (15.9%)

*Winner on performance metrics

Glasgow Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara has insisted he remains focused on his football, despite recent reports linking him with a move to the Premier League.

What’s the word?

According to The Herald, Steven Gerrard is looking to tie the 21-cap Finland international down to a long-term Rangers contract.

Kamara has been in fine form for the Gers this season, and he has attracted attention from Leeds United, whilst it is surely only a matter of time before the Light Blues start receiving offers from abroad when the transfer market reopens.

So, Rangers chief Ross Wilson must convince the 25-year-old to sign an extension before it’s too late.

Get it done Gers!

Once again, Kamara played a starring role as the Gers ground out a 1-win over Lech Poznan in the Europa League on Thursday night. In fact, it’s fair to say he has become such an integral part of Gerrard’s side ever since he arrived at Ibrox from Dundee for a fee reportedly worth £50,000.

Per SofaScore, the 25-year-old touched the ball 72 times against the Polish side, whilst he made two tackles, two interceptions, won five out of six duels overall (83%), and completed 53 out of 62 passes at a pass accuracy rating of 85%. If you look at his heatmap, you can see a hub of activity in the opposition half, particularly concentrated around the left flank, which implies that he is also a useful attacking threat.

Last season, the Finn made 19 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, whilst he played four games in the League Cup, including scoring the winner against Livingston, via Transfermarkt.

Once hailed as a “fantastic” dynamo who “has so much ability” by former Rangers star Neil Murray, Kamara has made 70 appearances for the Gers, scoring two goals and supplying three assists in all competitions so far, via Transfermarkt.

It’s no secret that Gerrard is a big admirer of the defensive midfielder, which is perhaps hardly surprising when you consider his work rate. In terms of numbers, his output is second to none, as he is averaging a higher pass accuracy percentage in the Scottish Premiership than both his teammates Ryan Jack and Steven Davis.

Indeed, Kamara has played a key role in the supply chain for the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Kemar Roofe and Jermain Defoe in recent weeks, although it’s something that often goes unnoticed, as he plays a similar role for his national team. Now, Wilson must reward him with an extension to his contract.

AND in other news, Gerrard’s big call: Glasgow Rangers must unleash Joe Aribo against Kilmarnock after Ianis Hagi struggles… 

Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard got what he wanted when Ross Wilson signed Bongani Zungu from French Ligue 2 side Amiens on an initial loan deal with an option to buy before the close of play on transfer deadline day.

What’s the word?

After impressing on his Premiership debut in the 8-0 victory over Hamilton Academical, Zungu showed his credentials once again with another strong performance earlier this week.

South Africa returned to winning ways after suffering a shock defeat to Zambia last month by beating Sao Tome and Principe 2-0. A goal from Percy Tau broke the deadlock after the break before the Rangers star came off the bench to secure the victory in the closing stages of the game with a well-timed header.

Coach Molefi Ntseki replaced Kamohelo Mokotjo with Zungu in the second half and he made an immediate impact, popping up in possession and marshalling the midfield. He then put the game to bed by heading home a corner kick from Keagan Dolly. Imbued with new belief, Bafana Bafana bounced back with what turned out to be a comfortable 2-0 win in the end.

Watch out Arfield!

Zungu has recently returned from a self-isolation period and has already been able to hit the ground running for his new club and for his country, having made his first-team debut after replacing Ryan Jack at half-time in the win at home against Hamilton.

Let’s face it, Rangers are blessed with a wealth of midfield options consisting of Scott Arfield, Joe Aribo, Steven Davis, Glen Kamara and Ryan Jack,  but if there’s one underlying weakness, it’s that Gerrard has lacked a genuine goal-scoring, box-to-box midfielder who can put the pressure on the opposition for some time. At least, that’s until Zungu arrived at Ibrox.

Only Arfield and Aribo have managed to score more than once in all competitions so far this season and the goals from the midfield have once again started to dry up, as Arfield has only scored one goal in the past six games, whilst Aribo has been shifted to the right-wing in recent weeks.

Once lauded as a “special” player by Vitoria de Guimaraes sporting director Flavio Meireles, Zungu played 21 games in Ligue 1 last season, whilst he made one clearance and more than one tackle per game, via WhoScored. Ultimately, it came to nothing, but the well-rounded, all-action powerhouse did enough to pique the Gers’ interest.

By comparison, Arfield only managed fewer than one clearance per game in the Scottish Premiership last term, as per WhoScored.

Steven Davis and Ryan Jack have performed admirably in recent weeks, so the 32-year-old may find himself nervously looking over his shoulder as the South African continues to stake a claim for a place in the starting line-up in the not too distant future. Zungu has scored 14 goals and supplied 9 assists in all competitions in his club career so far and Gers fans will be hoping he will be able to find the back of the net after the international break.

AND in other news, Rangers handed huge boost after Steven Davis returns to Northern Ireland training…

Leeds United were linked with every man and his dog during the summer transfer window, well, at least that’s what it felt like as even the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani were rumoured to be on their way to Elland Road.

But there is one realistic name that the Yorkshire giants must reconsider going into January as the door has seemingly opened for them to strike this time around.

According to West London Sport, Queens Park Rangers’ contract talks with attacking midfielder Bright Osayi-Samuel continue to stall, and now their manager Mark Warburton has warned that he isn’t afraid to offer an ultimatum if he does not sign an extension soon.

The 22-year-old saw a £5m move to Belgian outfit Club Brugge fall through early in the summer and as a result, he remained at Loftus Road, where he has continued to display his impressive exploits.

Osayi-Samuel has contributed to four goals in 13 starts in the Championship so far this term while also averaging 3,4 dribbles, 1.5 shots and 1.3 key passes per game when playing anywhere in behind the striker, via WhoScored.

It means he’s well on track to surpass last season’s tally of five goals and eight assists, and his averages for all three facets have improved from 2019/20 too.

You’d have to imagine that Warburton’s ultimatum is said through gritted teeth as the former Brentford manager knows all too well just how good the Nigerian-born Englishman is.

He has previously lauded Osayi-Samuel as a “real handful” who has “sheer pace that terrifies defenders,” which is why Leeds should be all over him again after AllNigeriaSoccer linked the Yorkshiremen with interest back in May this year.

Given that Pablo Hernandez is out of the side right now having not featured in any of their last three Premier League outings, while he has only started two of ten matches, per Transfermarkt.

“He’s going to be a real star of the future. He’s not just got speed, he’s got that end product. He can cross, get assists and can score,” once said Steve McLaren too.

The Rs sensation is out of contract in the summer, so with some forward planning, he won’t even cost Andrea Radrizzani a penny. Not bad when you’re looking for someone suitable to take the reigns from the Spanish veteran.

AND in other news, Leeds must steer well clear of £60k-p/w “monster” in January…

As soon as he came on, you just knew Folarin Balogun was going to make his mark.

The 19-year-old once again stepped on to the pitch for Arsenal as a second-half substitute, this time replacing Eddie Nketiah in the Gunners’ Europa League clash against Dundalk.

The teenager made his presence felt from the off, showing incredible touch and strength to link up the play, and he got himself an assist when he saw Joe Willock fire home from his set-up.

And then came the moment that Arsenal fans probably knew was coming, coming in off the left flank and bending one into the bottom corner from Nicolas Pepe’s pass.

With Balogun’s contract coming to an end next summer, there is of course a big concern about what the future holds for him, but Mikel Arteta moved to play down those fears.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Arteta said: “Well, we’re having some discussions with the player he knows we want to retain him at the club. We know that the length of his contract at the moment is an issue, but we’re trying to resolve it in the best possible way. We want him to stay he said to me he wants to stay at the club, so hopefully we can reach an agreement and extend his contract.”

But the only way Arteta can truly convince Balogun that his long-term future still lies at Arsenal, is by playing him in the more meaningful games.

It’s all well and good playing him in the Europa League when Arsenal are playing against far inferior opponents and have cake-walked their group. It’s another to give him significant minutes in the competitions that matter the most, like the Premier League.

And it seemed like a lot of Arsenal fans agreed on just how talented Balogun really is.

With Gabriel Martinelli still slowly working his way back to fitness after considerable time away through injury, Balogun surely deserves the chance to play in the Premier League.

According to The Athletic’s Gregg Evans, Aston Villa won’t be pursuing a move for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard in the January transfer window.

Johan Lange won’t pay up

Reports over the summer suggested that the Frenchman was a potential target for Dean Smith’s side, with Celtic boss Neil Lennon admitting that he was hopeful he would stay at Parkhead.

In the end, Edouard stayed put, and Evans now claims that Villa won’t be reigniting their interest in the centre-forward when the January transfer window opens in just over a week’s time.

Although it’s claimed that Villa will look to be proactive, they “are not expected to spend the sort of money that would be required to sign” Edouard, and that’s a major mistake from Johan Lange.

Smith must be fuming

Given the incredible start Villa have enjoyed to the Premier League season, Smith will surely feel he’s done more than enough to see the club’s owners and sporting director to release some of the club’s transfer warchest.

The Midlands club currently find themselves in ninth place, but were they to win both their games in hand on those sides above them in the table, would be just three points off leaders Liverpool.

Ollie Watkins has proven to be a masterstroke of a signing since his arrival from Brentford, bagging eight goals in 15 games. And whilst the Englishman has led the line superbly, bringing in Edouard in January would strengthen Villa’s firepower up top no end.

He’s fired in nine goals in 19 matches for Celtic, and the man described as a “special talent” would significantly boost Villa’s chances of breaking up the Premier League’s big six and finishing in a European place this season.

If it comes to the end of the season, and Villa miss out because they didn’t strengthen up front, then Smith would understandably be furious with those in charge at the club.

Meanwhile, Villa must desperately sell this £40k-p/w flop, Dean Smith has “seen enough”.

David Sullivan must sanction a West Ham United swoop for rumoured Arsenal and Manchester United target Abdallah Sima of Slavia Prague.

What’s the word?

According to Claret and Hugh, the Gunners and Red Devils have emerged as two potential rival suitors for Sima ahead of the January transfer window following his tremendous form this season, with Moyes hinting after the defeat to Chelsea that he would like his next Marko Arnautovic.

Sima has struck home 14 goals and penned two assists across all competitions, with the 19-year-old repaying head coach Jindrich Trpisovsky’s faith following his graduation from the Cervenobili’s academy in September.

Sima had only joined Slavia Prague’s youth ranks from Czech second-tier side FC MAS Taborsko in the summer, but could now be on the move again with his breakout form alerting a number of top European sides to his potential.

West Ham have been monitoring the Senegalese forward’s situation following their success in deals for former Cervenobili right-back Vladimir Coufal and midfielder Tomas Soucek, feeling there is value to be had in the Fortuna Liga.

Slavia Prague are likely to cash-in on Sima after rejecting offers worth €10m (£9m) but not until next summer, while the presence of Coufal and Soucek at the London Stadium could aid the Irons’ position.

Should West Ham sign him?

Sima’s career trajectory is clearly on the up having taken to first-team football with Slavia Prague without a second thought, with goals to his name in the Fortuna Liga and Europe League already.

Ligue 1 outfit OGC Nice fell victim to Sima’s potential twice in the Group Stage, having seen the 6 ft 2 teenage talent, who is of a similar stature to the 6 ft 4 Arnautovic, net his side’s second go-ahead effort in a 3-2 win at the Sinobo Stadium before rounding out the scoring in a 3-1 victory at the Allianz Riviera last month.

Slavia Prague’s rivals Sparta Prague were also beaten twice by the youngster in a 3-0 loss, with Sima shrugging off the occasion as he once again displayed his comfortability playing on the right-wing as well as at centre-forward.

His sudden emergence as a goalscoring maestro has got Soucek excited, too, with the Hammers’ midfield machine waxing lyrical over the 19-year-old recently.

“I’m excited about him. His goals are very much similar to what I’ve been scoring. I’m glad that such a player was found, but it’s not just about that. He shows one-on-one qualities, finishing, just a typical winger,” Soucek told CT Sport.

“I have to say that the guys or the media around West Ham know about him. I would only be happy if another player from Slavia came, but it is still far away. He’s still a young player and he has to prove it. But a lot of people know about him and notice him. Only good for him.”

AND in other news, David Moyes can discover his ideal West Ham titan in a 12-goal star “everyone loves”.

Following Glasgow Rangers’ crunch Old Firm clash with Celtic on Saturday afternoon, Steven Gerrard’s side have been dealt a huge injury blow.

What’s the news?

Despite gaining the upper hand over their arch rivals in the title race, Gerrard would have every right to be concerned after Kemar Roofe was substituted at half-time after appearing to pick up a knock.

The Ibrox boss then told Rangers TV, as quoted by The Daily Record: “It was on our minds to make a change in the first 45 because we weren’t happy with the front three.

“But a stroke of luck, not in terms of the injury because Kemar (Roofe) has got a niggle in his quad, we’ll have to assess that and hope he gets back fit, but it actually played into my hands in terms of getting Ianis on the pitch who I thought was outstanding in the second half.”

It was revealed shortly before the second Old Firm derby of the season that Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack had been ruled out of the clash with Celtic due to injury.

Likely impact?

Roofe has been an ever-present in Gerrard’s side ever since he first arrived at Ibrox from Anderlecht in the summer, with the Jamaican striker having started 12 of his 15 appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season – he also scored a memorable goal from inside his own half against Standard Liege in the Europa League.

Speaking at the start of this season, former Dundee and Leeds United defender Barry Douglas was effusive in his praise for his former teammate, saying: “He’s a good guy to be around and a very humble lad too, which, going into a club that size, is a massive attribute.

“Roofe’s very grounded so all the ingredients are there for him to do well.

“He’s a great acquisition for Rangers, and I think he’ll be successful there because he knows where the back of the net is.”

Roofe has been in prolific form since the start of the season, providing 12 goals and 2 assists in 21 appearances across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

With a trip to Aberdeen next on the agenda, there’s no doubt his presence will be sorely missed ahead of a huge game against their Premiership rivals, after he got himself on the scoresheet during the 4-0 win at home to the Dons last time out.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson must sanction Rangers move for Sheffield United star John Lundstram as a Davis alternative…

RC Lens defender Loic Bade has become the latest centre-back to be linked with Liverpool this month, and the Frenchman could be the man to solve a key issue in Jurgen Klopp’s defence.

What’s the word?

According to Le10 Sport, the 20-year-old is attracting interest from major European clubs after impressing in his debut season in Ligue 1, with Liverpool ‘carefully watching’ his progress with RC Lens.

AC Milan are also credited with an interest in the youngster, with the report suggesting that if he maintains his current form, he could certainly be one to keep an eye on next summer.

The solution to Klopp’s defensive issues?

Jurgen Klopp is currently desperately short of centre-back options at Liverpool, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all currently sidelined.

The German manager has been forced to select Fabinho at centre-back for much of the season, with youngsters Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams often the ones to partner him at the heart of the Reds’ defence.

Unfortunately for Klopp, this represents a real issue, as none of these players are blessed with the pace of Gomez or Van Dijk, which is having a real impact on the way Liverpool defend and attack.

The Reds are now vulnerable to balls over the top, meaning they can’t push as high up as they could usually, which allows opposition sides more space in the attacking third.

The absence of Van Dijk and Gomez’s intricate passing is also having an effect on their attacking play, as normally the duo could push up the pitch and find either Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane with a long ball out to the wings, or help to break the opposition down with a pass that could break their midfield lines.

Therefore, signing someone such as Bade could help to solve this issue, as the 20-year-old is perhaps quicker than the likes of Williams and Phillips and has shown himself to be adept on the ball in his time with RC Lens.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has suggested that his strengths include pace, tackling, heading, positioning, passing, technique and anticipation.

This certainly suggests that he is a similar player to Van Dijk, with the Dutch international having established himself as one of the world’s best during his time with the Reds, due to his ability to dominate the opposition with his aerial presence, strength and calmness on the ball.

Bade may only be 20-years-old and inexperienced but if Michael Edwards can bring him to Liverpool this month, he could solve a key issue in Klopp’s defence for the rest of the season, whilst also being an excellent long-term prospect for the Reds.

With Transfermarkt valuing him at just £5.4 million, he could also be a relatively cheap option for the Reds in the current transfer window, so they should definitely consider bringing him to Anfield.

And, in other news… LFC transfer target who played 7 key passes on Saturday showed he’s worth his £90m value

Tottenham Hotspur are one of the teams pondering a move for Norwich City midfielder Todd Cantwell, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Football League World sources have claimed that Spurs are monitoring the 22-year-old playmaker ahead of a potential swoop this summer, while Premier League rivals Leicester City have also been named as possible suitors.

It’s thought that the Canaries are bracing themselves for bids over a number of their key stars, including Cantwell, though the north London outfit are wanting to avoid a bidding war over the England U21 international.

The Championship outfit do not want to sell either, but their hand may be forced should they fail to secure an instant return back to the top-flight.

Dele Alli 2.0?

Spurs are going to see first-hand how Cantwell performs over the next few months as they will also be looking at the progress of their on-loan midfielder, Oliver Skipp.

They have also had success in finding gems from the lower echelons of the Football League, more recently Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham, who has been touted for big things one day and of course, Dele Alli, who they prised from MK Dons for only £5m some six years ago.

Interestingly, Cantwell has been likened to the 24-year-old attacking midfielder after being dubbed the ‘East Anglian Alli’ by the Sportsman, who wrote: ‘There is also an element of Dele Alli to the way Cantwell plays, with the Norwich City man often breaking beyond the central striker.’

Perhaps a move for the Canaries’ talisman means they could seal their next Alli, especially as he’s been linked with an exit to Paris Saint-Germain in recent weeks, so his likely void will need to be fulfilled at some point.

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Cantwell’s former coach Gary Cockaday noticed his ability from a young age, he told The Athletic: “He did things every week that were just special. It was God-given. No one taught it.”

Indeed, the midfielder impressed in his first shot at the big time, even despite Norwich being relegated.

He recorded six goals and two assists from 37 appearances, and ranked joint-second for shots per game (1.1), behind only striker Teemu Pukki. He also did a lot off the ball, managing an average of 1.4 tackles per game, via WhoScored.

Cantwell even gave one of Spurs’ current players the run around that campaign. Despite the defeat, the Norwich sensation had the better of Matt Doherty in their game at Wolves. He was absolutely terrorised.

Per SofaScore, the Englishman was Daniel Farke’s second-best player (7.2 rating) and aside from beating the right wing-back to score, he also won five duels, made three tackles and had 55 touches. By comparison, the Irishman (6.6) managed to pick up a yellow card and won only 45% of his duels.

In the Championship this term, he has continued that remarkable form, ranking as the Canaries’ third-best player with a WhoScored rating of 7.04 – only bettered by Emi Buendia and Grant Hanley, who have both started double the number of games.

Four goal contributions in 11 starts are noble returns thus far and given he’s only 22, he looks primed to improve on that going forward.

Also dubbed one of the “most gifted” in the academy set-up from an early age by Darren Huckerby, the £15.3m-rated gem would evidently be a fine addition and a like-for-like heir to Alli.

It remains to be seen how much a young talent like Cantwell would command; reports in the summer suggested Norwich had an asking price in the region of £25m, which in this day and age is probably fair for an English diamond.

If Daniel Levy can afford to this summer, he’d be a wise man to sanction this move.

AND in other news, Why Jose Mourinho would LOVE reported Spurs target Mikkel Damgaard…