All posts by h716a5.icu

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale will be eyeing a summer rebuild at the Ibrox side, especially after yesterday’s Scottish Cup display.

For large portions of the match, the Gers matched Celtic and created chance after chance, yet their woeful finishing skills and ability to make big errors at the worst times meant they were the architects of their own downfall.

Next season could see a total overhaul of the first-team squad, especially with seven players potentially leaving due to their contracts expiring, among them are Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos.

Beale already looks as though he is trying to start his business early as the Englishman is set to reignite interest in Swansea City winger Morgan Whittaker having had a bid of £1.8m rejected during the January transfer window.

Could Morgan Whittaker join Rangers?

According to the Daily Record, Beale is eyeing up another move to lure Whittaker to Scotland and the youngster is keen on leaving the Championship for Ibrox.

Along with the players who are out of contract, the 42-year-old will also be looking at shipping out a few players in order to raise precious funds during the off-season and Scott Wright could well be one to go.

The winger has barely made an impact this season, registering just two assists across 32 matches, and he hasn’t even started a game since Beale took over back in November, suggesting he doesn’t trust him to perform from the start.

Making a move for Whittaker would be the ideal licence to ditch Wright with the 22-year-old possessing bags of potential, especially judging by his early season form for Plymouth Argyle, where he netted nine goals and grabbed seven assists.

During his spell in League One, he averaged 3.1 shots per game while creating seven big chances and 1.3 key passes each match.

These stats are much better than Wright’s this season, with the Gers winger taking just 0.5 shots and 0.4 key passes per game while creating only one big chance. Although League One is clearly a lower level than the Premiership, the signs look positive that Whittaker could make an impact.

It’s evident that a move away from Swansea is on the cards this summer as the 6 foot 3 gem has had to rely on appearances from the bench since being recalled in January and a fresh start looks necessary.

Beale has praised Whittaker in the past, dubbing him “excellent” while Jobi McAnuff lauded him as “fantastic” and if an offer is accepted, the Light Blues may well land themselves a real star in the making.

Scottish champions Celtic have moved a step closer toward the title following the recent round of weekend fixtures, with the Parkhead outfit now just one game away from securing their second successive league crown.

Despite having endured a rare slip-up after recording a 1-1 draw at home to Motherwell on Saturday, Ange Postecoglou's side were given an almighty boost following the woes of rivals Rangers a day later, with the Light Blues suffering a 2-0 defeat away to Aberdeen.

That surprise loss at Pittodrie has ensured that the Gers are now 13 points adrift of the rampant Hoops with just five games left to play, with clinching the title now just a matter of when and not if for those at Paradise.

The Bhoys seemingly have one of their own to thank for nudging them to within touching distance of wrapping up the league, with out-on-loan defender Liam Scales having netted a remarkable, long-range effort for the Dons against Michael Beale's men on Sunday.

That freakish – and somewhat fluky effort – will no doubt have endeared the Irishman to his parent club, with it perhaps not out of the question that the former Shamrock Rovers man could go on to play a part for the Old Firm giants next season.

How is Liam Scales getting on at Aberdeen?

Having been restricted to just 13 appearances across all fronts for Celtic last season after signing on a £500k deal in the summer of 2021, Scales was snapped up by Aberdeen prior to the start of the current campaign, subsequently going on to thrive in his temporary home.

Hailed as a "quality player" by former boss Jim Goodwin, the Dublin native has notably kept 11 clean sheets in just 27 Scottish Premiership games this season, scoring once and providing two assists in that time.

The versatile centre-back's defensive prowess has been showcased by the fact that he has averaged 1.7 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game in that time, boasting a better record than even the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers (0.5, 1.1) and Carl Starfelt (0.9, 1.3) for those same two metrics, respectively.

Although at 24 it may appear that the £5k-per-week man's chance has already come and gone at Celtic Park, the in-form asset can look to the previous journey of ex-Hoops star Ryan Christie as a source of inspiration, with the Scotland international having also flourished on loan at Aberdeen, before eventually establishing himself in Glasgow.

The current Bournemouth ace was snapped up by the Old Firm giants from Inverness Caledonian Thistle back in 2015, although would spend the first half of the 2015/16 season back on loan at his former employers, before featuring just ten times in the league over the next 12 months.

That lack of action sparked a temporary move to Pittodrie in January 2017, with the gifted playmaker proving his undoubted talent in that 18-month loan spell, bagging 33 goal involvements in just 57 games across all fronts.

Having proved his worth elsewhere, Christie returned to Parkhead at the start of the 2018/19 campaign and went on to firmly establish himself in the side, ultimately racking up 85 goals and assists in just 151 games prior to his £2.5m exit back in 2021.

There may be a potential for Scales to enjoy a similar route and force his way into Postecoglou's thinking next term, with the 6 foot 2 titan – who has been lauded as an "athletic defender" by the Celtic boss – having certainly already made his mark in Scottish football this season.

Rangers have told centre-back Filip Helander that he is surplus to requirements and free to find a new club in the summer, according to a recent report from Football Insider.

Which players could leave Rangers this summer?

There are a number of first-team players out of contract in the summer, with the likes of Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Jack currently set to leave the Gers, should fresh terms not be offered in the coming weeks.

Helander's contract is also set to expire, with journalist Jonny McFarlane recently claiming it's an "extremely sad situation" that the centre-back is poised to leave the club, as despite being limited in possession of the ball, he is a "brilliant defender".

However, the Rangers hierarchy now appear to have made their minds up, with Football Insider reporting the 29-year-old has been told he is free to find a new club in the summer transfer window.

The report adds that his £15k-per-week deal will not be extended, having failed to cement a regular place in the starting XI due to injury issues, which have plagued him during his time at Ibrox.

Former manager Steven Gerrard is said to have rated the Sweden international highly, and he was even keen to take him to Aston Villa when he first took charge in November 2021, but his time in Glasgow now seems to be coming to an end.

Should Rangers let Helander leave?

It is a real shame the former Bologna man has been affected by injuries throughout his time at Ibrox, missing a total of 110 games due to foot and knee issues, as when he has been able to hold down a place in the team, he has often been very impressive.

Rangers fans will remember the Malmo-born defender fondly for his performances in the title-winning 2020-21 season, during which he made 21 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, averaging a 7.10 Sofascore match rating.

That said, the Light Blues are coping just fine without Helander, conceding just 32 league goals this season, and they are well-stocked at centre-back, with the likes of Connor Goldson and John Souttar tied down until the summer of 2026.

Overall, Michael Beale is making the right decision by allowing Helander to seek pastures new at the end of the season, as it is far too much of a risk to hand out a new contract to a player with such a poor injury record.

Referee David Coote and his VAR team may have made a big mistake in the most recent Arsenal draw after missing a Declan Rice handball.

What's the latest on VAR and Arsenal?

The Gunners were unable to hold on to a two-goal lead for the second time in as many games as they drew 2-2 with West Ham United on Sunday.

Indeed, Mikel Arteta saw his side score twice inside the first ten minutes through Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard only to then concede two in the remainder of the game.

First, Said Benrahma netted a penalty to change the atmosphere at the London Stadium, before Jarrod Bowen netted an equaliser shortly after Bukayo Saka missed a penalty.

However, if we go back to the first goal scored by West Ham, it appears Rice uses his hand to win the ball off Thomas Partey in the build-up to the goal.

Indeed, as seen in this footage, and this image, there is plenty of evidence online to suggest VAR could have denied the goal.

Did Rice use his hand against Arsenal?

Arsenal midfielder Partey was too relaxed when picking up the ball on the edge of his box and Rice did well to close him down. The ball then quickly fell to Lucas Paqueta who was fouled and so referee Coote pointed to the spot.

However, as the image above shows, West Ham certainly wouldn't have won the ball back in such a way without the use of Rices' hand.

VAR did check the incident but deemed that it wasn't enough to overturn the penalty decision – a call that will no doubt have Arsenal fans feeling pretty exasperated.

Journalist Jack Holmes slammed Partey for his "looseness" on the ball during the passage of play but did point out that it "probably" was "a handball" from the West Ham midfielder.

These two dropped points will no doubt be hugely disappointing for the Gunners, as their lead at the top of the table over Manchester City has now diminished to just four points.

When speaking to BBC Sport after the match, Arteta didn't blame the handball but rather slammed his team for being sloppy, saying: "We started incredibly well, dominated the game, dominated the pitch, and scored two beautiful goals. After that, we made a huge mistake; not to continue playing, to score the third and the fourth.

"We started keeping the ball and giving sloppy passes away. We allowed them [West Ham] transition moments, and did not dominate the direct play. And then it's game on. If you concede the goals that we conceded, the first one and the second one, and on top of that you don't score a penalty, in this league you are in big trouble."

West Bromwich Albion are eyeing a possible move for Motherwell teenager Max Johnston and scouted the player over the weekend, The Scottish Sun reports.

What’s the latest on West Brom and Johnston?

Johnston is just 19 years of age and is primarily a right-back who can also turn out as a right-midfielder or central midfielder if required. He is out of contract at the end of the season and shares the same agency as Baggies winger Matt Phillips.

The Motherwell teenager has seen his Transfermarkt valuation rise from €25,000 (£22k) to a career-high €400,000 (£351k) in recent years and spent the last few seasons out on loan with Queen of the South and Cove Rangers. Johnston has received a chance at Fir Park during the current campaign, though, making 13 appearances in all competitions, contributing to three goals.

The Scottish Sun shared an update regarding Johnston in the last 48 hours, where West Brom received a mention. It was claimed that the Baggies were one of four Championship sides to send club officials to watch the player in action ahead of a possible summer move.

The report says that Johnston impressed in a 3-1 win for Motherwell at Hibernian, with Blackburn Rovers, Luton Town and Norwich City also sending scouts to watch the player, who looks increasingly unlikely to sign a new contract with his current employers.

Could this be one to watch for West Brom?

A Baggies representative would’ve made a 600-mile round trip to watch Johnston in action, and a potential move seems like it could be one to keep an eye on heading into the summer.

Picking up the teenager’s services in a cut-price deal could prove to be a shrewd move given his contract situation, especially with Johnston now featuring regularly for Motherwell and even scoring on his Scotland U21 debut earlier in the campaign.

He seems to have plenty of interest from a number of Championship sides, with Cardiff City also making checks back in February, and should he arrive at The Hawthorns, he could rival the likes of Darnell Furlong and Taylor Gardner-Hickman on the right-hand side under Carlos Corberan.

With the Baggies still within an outside chance of making the play-offs, it remains to be seen which division they will be playing in next season, but it is at least promising to see that plans are very much in action ahead of what could be a key summer for the club either way.

Chelsea have been interested in signing Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the Georgian's potential arrival at Stamford Bridge could see Todd Boehly admit his mistake with Mykhailo Mudryk.

Could Chelsea sign Kvaratskhelia?

Gazzetta dello Sport claimed at the back end of February that the runaway Serie A leaders were willing to double the wages of the winger in an attempt to batter away interest from willing suitors elsewhere, with Chelsea believed to be interested over the last few months.

The Blues could clearly do with additional firepower despite their £550m spending spree as they have just 29 goals in 28 top-flight fixtures to date after another blank against Aston Villa this weekend.

Kvaratskhelia won't be cheap, though, as his side are believed to want around €100m (£88m) to surrender one of the most exciting young talents in world football.

Indeed, the 22-year-old has been instrumental in Luciano Spalletti's side's incredible performances in both Serie A and the Champions League this season with Journalist Mina Rzouki notably predicting early on in the Georgia international's stay in Naples that he was destined for big things.

She wrote: "Kvaratskhelia is a phenomenon. This kid is so special. I know it’s just Napoli’s second game, but he is bossing everything."

The youngster has nearly matched Chelsea's goal tally with his individual goal contributions for Napoli, boasting a remarkable 14 goals and 14 assists in all competitions so far this term, which has helped him to a superb 7.64 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the Italian top flight.

For context, the top performer in Potter's squad according to WhoScored is Enzo Fernandez with a 7.07 average rating, while Kai Havertz is comfortably the top scorer at Stamford Bridge with a measly seven strikes in 27 Premier League appearances.

However, the German's contributions this season look good in comparison to Mudryk's, with the Ukrainian hauled off early again in yesterday's 2-0 defeat by Villa, with his tame finish when one-on-one with Emiliano Martinez perhaps a microcosm of his Chelsea career thus far.

The 22-year-old may only be young and adjusting to a new league but the reality is that Chelsea paid £88.5m for him and for that sort of money, you would expect an instant impact, as seen with Fernandez.

In seven Premier League appearances, he has mustered no goals and one assist, averaging a woeful 6.21 average rating from WhoScored which incredibly ranks him as the 30th-best performer at Stamford Bridge so far this campaign.

It might be too early to write Mudryk off completely, but it seems fair to suggest that Boehly made a mistake in spending so much on him.

Therefore, he could replace him entirely with another £88m signing in Kvaratskhelia, who has already proven himself to be a top player in a major European league with Napoli.

Insider Dean Jones has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur should "fold the club" if they can't win a trophy with possible next manager Julian Nagelsmann.

What's the latest on Julian Nagelsmann to Spurs?

It looks as though the 35-year-old could potentially be the next man to take charge of Spurs after being sacked from his position at Bayern Munich and replaced by Thomas Tuchel this week – who had also been named as a manager target for Tottenham.

Indeed, with Antonio Conte looking set to leave north London in the near future, Nagelsmann has already been touted as the club's next manager.

If that were to happen, it would have meant the likes of Harry Redknapp, Andre Villas-Boas, Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, and the Italian would have all failed to end the club's trophy drought.

While talking on the Chasing Green Arrows podcast, Jones claimed that if Nagelsmann continues this unwanted tradition, then Spurs may as well "fold".

The journalist said: “If Nagelsmann takes it and he can't win anything even then, you might as well fold the club.

"Because it turns out that Poch and Mourinho and Conte and Nagelsmann, if none of them managed to bring a trophy into the club, then yeah, it's time for AFC Tottenham and we start all over again."

Would Nagelsmann be any better than Conte at Spurs?

What could be exciting about the possible arrival of Nagelsmann, is the fact that despite being just 35 years of age, he has already won three pieces of silverware as a senior manager (all with Bayern Munich).

Still, it's not as though the likes of Conte and Mourinho hadn't won plenty before they arrived at Tottenham, only to fall short of their main goal in north London.

And so, there's every chance that Nagelsmann could join the club but find it impossible to do any better than his predecessors but maybe Spurs fans aren't too worried about trophies right now.

After all, a lot of supporters have been critical of the style of football under the Italian with the first half of matches being so bad at times this season, that, as per The Athletic, it’s a running joke that fans may as well only turn up after half-time.

And so, if Nagelsmann – who also often plays with a back three like Conte – could come in and at least bring some excitement on the football pitch, perhaps that would be enough in the short term.

Manchester United secured their second visit to Wembley in just one season, as Erik ten Hag’s men squeezed past a resolute Fulham who went into complete meltdown as they closed in on victory.

Despite boasting more of the ball and far more shots than their visitors, it was the Cottagers who stole the lead through Aleksandar Mitrovic as he powered home a left-footed strike to send the away fans into raptures.

With about 15 minutes left to play, it seemed as though they might record a famous FA Cup victory to continue their impressive season, but a moment of madness saw Willian first sent off for a ‘professional handball’ before the Serbian goalscorer was dismissed for contesting the decision and then manager Marco Silva was also given his marching orders.

Bruno Fernandes would convert a penalty just three minutes later before Marcel Sabitzer all but confirmed their place in the semi-finals with his strike.

In just five minutes this matchup was completely flipped, but the Red Devils were lucky that Silva’s side went into such a meltdown.

That said, it wasn’t all in the home side’s favour, as midfielder Scott McTominay would find out. Indeed, the Scot disappointed in the centre of the park before his substitution.

Who was Man United’s worst player?

Having been handed one of few starts this campaign, it was expected that the 26-year-old would perform as if his place in the squad depended on it. With the absence of Casemiro, it was particularly important that he step up, not only to benefit the team but to convince Ten Hag that he could be far more than a squad player.

However, his partnership with goalscorer Sabitzer unsurprisingly marked a huge gulf in class from what the Manchester club have become accustomed to of late, with journalist Chris McKenna noting how they were “struggling to deal with” the visitors.

This was outlined through McTominay’s 29 touches all game, of which goalkeeper David De Gea recorded more (31). He struggled to gain a foothold in the engine room and losing this battle was exactly what afforded Fulham the respect they needed to go on and take the lead.

Billed as a defensive-minded asset, he even lacked in this department where he recorded zero tackles, interceptions or blocks all game (via Sofascore). This was paired with just an 84% pass accuracy too.

With his future in doubt, as the quality around him only grows, the midfield dud failed in his big opportunity to stake his claim and prove his worth. Instead, he only solidified himself as someone who should be sold as soon as Ten Hag gets the chance.

It’s clear that the Scotland international simply cannot be trusted and as the club’s quality begins to grow, casualties will be found. McTominay will likely be chief among them.

Chelsea’s recent fruitful passage was ended for the time being after Ellis Simms stepped up to the plate and provided Everton with a late hero, restoring parity in the dying embers of the Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge.

Sean Dyche’s Toffees were dogged and resilient in their defensive approach, keeping the home side at bay until after the break, when Joao Felix, who had been energetic in the first half, thumped in a driven strike past the hapless Toffees shot-stopper Jordan Pickford.

Everton restored parity after Abdoulaye Doucoure found the back of the home net as Stamford Bridge approached the final 20 minutes of the affair, before Kai Havertz coolly converted from the penalty spot – scoring for a third successive match – and secured what appeared to be a fourth consecutive victory for Graham Potter’s Blues.

Positivity dissipated when substitute striker Simms stole the limelight right before the death; Everton’s utility striker – recalled from EFL Championship outfit Sunderland in January – bypassed the west London team’s defence and scored his first Toffees goal after bullying centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly and silencing the home faithful.

Was Koulibaly at fault vs Everton?

Since signing for Chelsea for £33m in the summer, part of an affluent £600m overhaul under Todd Boehly’s ownership this season, Koulibaly has been a regular presence, though the colossus has not quite had the emphatic effect that was anticipated.

Making 26 appearances across all competitions, the 31-year-old has been branded “anxious” and “nervy” by Premier League legend Ian Wright, and now looks to have regressed after offering a discernible improvement over the past few weeks.

As per Sofascore, the Senegalese titan’s error against the Merseysiders was evidenced in his lowly match rating of 6.4, better only than Kepa Arrizabalaga’s in the Blues starting line-up, with the £72m Spanish shot-stopper making just one save all evening, indeed shipping in two goals and being chastised for “weak goalkeeping” by journalist Josh Bunting.

Taking 63 touches, Koulibaly picked up a yellow card and completed 85% of his passes, winning just two duels all evening and indeed being skinned by Simms in the final minutes, with Hogan Ephraim proclaiming him to have been “man handled” by the 22-year-old forward.

Journalist Patrick Boyland also remarked that Koulibaly had been left “on toast” by Simms, halting Chelsea’s revival and keeping the outfit 11 points behind fourth-placed London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Things are starting to come together at Stamford Bridge, but Dyche’s team issued a timely reminder that there is plenty of work still to be done in order to reach the desired level, and Koulibaly must improve if he wants to continue to play a part in the resurgence.

HLTCO podcaster Dan Cook was left far from impressed by Eberechi Eze’s performance during Crystal Palace’s derby defeat on Wednesday evening.

The Lowdown: Palace’s slump continues

After a bright start to the game against Brighton on Wednesday, which saw Crystal Palace squander two glorious chances via Odsonne Edouard and Michael Olise, they ultimately tasted defeat once again in the Premier League.

It was an all too familiar feeling for Palace and Patrick Vieira as they once again failed to pick up three points – something they’ve been unable to do throughout 2023 – but it could’ve been very different had the Palace boss not been pretty much forced into a half-time switch.

Vieira seemingly had no choice but to hook Cheick Doucoure after he somehow avoided picking up a second yellow card in the first half, which allowed Eze the chance to impact the game and get the Eagles a positive result, although he was far from being at a level of which to do so.

The Latest: Eze struggled to make an impact

Cook ripped into Eze on the HLTCO podcast after his shocking 45-minute cameo, which saw him fail to register a single shot in the second half (as per Sofascore).

He said: “Ebere Eze’s overall performance in the second half left a lot to be desired. He seemed ponderous in possession, he seemed loose with his touch and he didn’t really – for my money – look after the ball at all well, and it really did hamper us.”

The Verdict: Vieira needs to get more out of Eze

After bursting onto the Premier League stage back in 2020, it has been a rather steady decline for Eze, with a long-term injury likely playing a big part in that. However, he needs to step up his game to avoid having a relegation on his CV.

It wasn’t too long ago that Eze was being linked with a move to mega-rich Newcastle United – which shows the talent he possesses – so it’s now up to Vieira to unlock that talent once again, as Palace desperately need inspiration in the final third.

Palace haven’t scored a goal in any of their last four matches and have also failed to find the back of the net more than once in a game since December when they beat Bournemouth 2-0, so Vieira certainly needs to be getting the most out of his flair players such as Eze, Olise and Wilfried Zaha. Otherwise, it could be a bleak end to the season.