All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Rangers eased through to the Scottish Cup fourth round on Sunday with a comfortable 4-0 win against Cove Rangers but there was a cause of concern for some Rangers fans after Steven Gerrard left Jack Simpson out at Ibrox.

With Filip Helander having featured twice for Sweden during the international break, Sunday’s game seemed the ideal time for Gerrard to hand Simpson his first start for Rangers following his January move.

However, the 40-year-old manager stuck with his tried and tested partnership of Helander and Connor Goldson, leaving Simpson on the bench despite taking a 4-0 lead into half-time.

The 24-year-old centre-back was initially going to join Rangers on a pre-contract deal ahead of next season but was brought to Ibrox ahead of schedule in the winter transfer window.

However, he has made just two substitute appearances totalling 35 minutes since then and after being left out against significantly inferior opposition in Cove Rangers, you worry that Gerrard might have already written him off.

Upon his arrival, Simpson’s former youth coach Tim Davies waxed lyrical about his ability to The Scottish Sun, he said: “He can play in a back three, in a two or as a holding midfielder. Jack is excellent on the ball. He’s also left-footed and so many managers crave that as he offers balance.”

Of course, Simpson was always going to struggle to break into Rangers’ defence this season, when you consider that the Gers have conceded just 10 goals in the top-flight so far this season, with the likes of Goldson, Helander and Leon Balogun all impressing at the back.

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However, with Helander being linked with a move away in recent weeks, whilst Balogun’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, you would have thought that Sunday’s game against Cove Rangers would have presented an ideal opportunity for Gerrard to test Simpson out in his side, and see whether he has what it takes to step up next season.

The Light Blues also have Nikola Katic and George Edmundson to return this summer, with the Croatian edging closer to full fitness after his season-long injury, whilst the Englishman will be hoping to push on at Ibrox after a loan spell at Derby County.

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Therefore, there is already a lot of competition at centre-back in Gerrard’s side and unless Simpson can start to show a lot more training, which you feel is the only reason why he would have been omitted against Cove on Sunday, you worry that his time at Ibrox may well already be cut short.

And, in other news… Wilson should sanction Rangers summer swoop for 20 y/o gem dubbed “one of the most talented”

Plenty have been calling for Tottenham Hotspur to appoint Marcelo Bielsa as Jose Mourinho’s successor this week…

What’s the word?

The ‘Special One’ was sacked after 17 months at the helm, with former midfielder Ryan Mason taking the reins until the end of the season, when Daniel Levy will look to appoint a permanent replacement.

Several names have been linked with the vacant role, ranging from mooted number one target Julian Naglesmann to Brendan Rodgers and even Athletic Bilbao’s Marcelino, but it is Bielsa’s name which is on the lips of many.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Dean Windass claimed the Leeds United boss “would be the one on the lips of Daniel Levy” and he’s not the only one thinking this.

Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara stoked the fire even more when he told talkSPORT: “I think he’d be absolutely brilliant and the fans would love him. If you can try and prise him away form there it’d be unbelievable.”

Meanwhile, according to Tony Cascarino in his column for The Times, Bielsa “could regenerate Tottenham”.

Could ruin Kane

The 65-year-old is a very intriguing option to consider, but there must be a few question marks over whether or not he’s actually the right fit for Levy and Tottenham.

He has exceeded expectations at Elland Road and has delivered a strong maiden season back in the Premier League, especially as he’s largely been deploying what is the bulk of his Championship title-winning squad.

They sit tied on points with Arsenal in 10th place and have won away to Manchester City and Leicester, who occupy two of the top three spots.

Mauricio Pochettino is a huge admirer of his, having played under him at Newell’s Old Boys. “For me, he’s a person I will always admire,” revealed the former Spurs manager. “He’s a genius. A person with charisma and a personality very different from us normal coaches, and that’s what makes him special.”

However, the bulk of this success has come down to the 65-year-old’s philosophy – a relentless press, the mantra of putting the side before self, and working on the method before the result.

This means a lot of work is put into training, such as his ‘murderball’ sessions which Leeds’ top scorer Patrick Bamford recently described as “about ten times harder than a [Premier League] game.”

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It’s also claimed that Bielsa’s teams suffer from burnout in the final thirds of the season due to built-up fatigue because his high-intensity system places such serious physical demands on the players.

Ultimately, this may well spell serious trouble for Harry Kane, who suffered another ankle injury this week.

In 2019, BT Sport presenter Gary Lineker expressed his fears over the England skipper in an interview with Goal. He said: “It is always a worry when you get a recurring injury and there is clearly a little weakness in there,” adding: “The more you do it, the more you worry the weakness will become a problem.”

Given Bielsa’s ruthless training sessions, let alone his intense pressing from the front in matches, you’d have to have major concerns over the 27-year-old talisman if the Argentine replaces Mourinho.

Spurs rely heavily on the goalscoring and creative exploits of Kane; he has accounted for 60.7% of their 54 league goals this term through either scoring or setting them up.

There’s one other factor which should put Bielsa down the pecking order, as his Leeds side has often suffered from profligacy. Despite winning the Championship last term, the Whites ranked amongst the five worst teams for goal conversion at just 12.5%.

That hasn’t really risen in the Premier League, with Leeds only converting 8.1% of their 614 shots at goal, as per Transfermarkt. In some games they find the net three, four, even five times, but in others they draw a serious blank despite creating so many chances – Kane could well suffer as a result of that, too.

If Levy listens to the aforementioned calls, then he would risk ruining his superstar striker. As good as Bielsa is, he just isn’t the right man to replace Mourinho in N17.

AND in other news, Levy would be appointing Mourinho 2.0 in “stubborn” 62 y/o flop…

David Moyes will surely be buzzing for the return of Pablo Fornals after the international break, with the West Ham United midfielder expected to overcome his injury.

That’s according to Claret & Hugh, who claim that Fornals will be available for the Irons’ trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers on April 5th.

The Spanish maestro missed his side’s defeat to Manchester United and the 3-3 draw with Arsenal this month due to a groin issue sustained in the build-up to kick-off at Old Trafford, forcing Moyes to make a late change to his line-up.

Fornals was expected to make a quick return from the minor injury but failed to be passed fit for the Gunners’ visit to the London Stadium, despite Moyes confirming that the 25-year-old had been showing signs of improvement.

“We’ve got just about everybody the same [as against Manchester United],” Moyes said last Friday. “Pablo Fornals is improving, and, on the injury front, Angelo Ogbonna is closing in and getting much closer to fitness but he’s a wee bit away.”

Fornals had enjoyed a solid run in the West Ham side before being sent to the treatment room, with the £16m-rated playmaker opening three-straight Premier League games after being given just six minutes of action in the previous three combined.

The arrival of Jesse Lingard in January played a key role in Fornals’ falling to the side, with the Manchester United loanee taking over the Spaniard’s place in the XI at Aston Villa and instantly establishing himself with a debut double.

It was somewhat a surprise when Moyes opted to recall Fornals for last month’s London derby win over Tottenham Hotspur, but the two-time international justified his start with a lively showing.

Fornals again displayed his endless energy and ever-present drive to prove a handful against Manchester City the following week, before producing one of West Ham’s star performances at home to Leeds United to help the Hammers midfield establish a foothold.

Moyes will surely be buzzing to have Fornals back fit for West Ham’s trip to Wolves after the international break, so that he can once again unleash the ball of energy that the former Villarreal talent almost always promises to be.

The Irons boss has previously praised the £67,000-per-week playmaker for his energy and impact on the pitch, noting ahead of October’s trip to reigning Premier League champions Liverpool:

“Pablo has done really well. He’s a really likeable boy and works really hard for the team. We’re always demanding more from him because we want assists and goals for him, and he’s been doing that. His energy and enthusiasm is incredible.

“We have the makings of a young group of players who are doing well and giving us energy and we want to keep on doing that.”

Fornals went on to score at Anfield for his second of the Premier League season after finding the back of the net against Leicester City, in a match in which he also provided his second assist of the campaign.

But goals and assists dried up for the 25-year-old after the Merseyside defeat, making it no surprise that he lost out to Lingard. Yet Fornals was seemingly back on track before his injury with an assist against Tottenham to end a 14-game run with no contribution to the scoring. Moyes will be very happy to have him back to face Wolves.

AND in other news, a West Ham ace who joined at the “perfect moment” has seen his market value of crash by £16.5m…

Aside from a 1-0 win against Liverpool in early January, Southampton’s Premier League form in 2021 has been nothing short of abysmal.

Whilst the FA Cup run has been a positive for Ralph Hasenhuttl, one point from a possible 24 in the Premier League is truly awful, although much of the Austrian’s problems seem to be down to injuries to key players.

Kyle Walker-Peters, in particular, has been heavily missed in recent fixtures, especially as the Saints failed to bring in any defensive reinforcements during the winter transfer window, meaning the Austrian has been forced to deploy centre-back Jan Bednarek there in recent fixtures.

Hasenhuttl has also lost the likes of Ibrahima Diallo and Theo Walcott to injuries, whilst key defensive-midfielder Oriol Romeu is out for the rest of the season after limping off in the 3-0 defeat against Leeds United recently.

Southampton’s Achilles’ heel since the turn of the year has been clear to see for supporters. After positive first-half displays, the Saints’ weaknesses in defence are too easily figured out by opposition managers, and they are unable to match the level they often produce in the opening 45.

The 3-0 defeat at Elland Road is a clear example of where Hasenhuttl’s side are far from good enough in the second half. After a fairly even first half, Marcelo Bielsa’s side tore through the Saints defence time and time again in the second period, with the South Coast club perhaps lucky to only lose by three.

The home defeat against Wolves saw the Saints lead 1-0 at half-time thanks to a superb Ings goal but again, the second-half was one-way traffic in the way of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, who deserved to win the game, regardless of the controversial nature of Ruben Neves’ penalty for the equaliser.

Considering Southampton currently sit 14th in the Premier League table, just eight points clear of a Fulham side who are starting to perform under Scott Parker, Hasenhuttl must fix this glaring issue of woeful second-half performances otherwise he risks his side being dragged into a relegation battle.

AND, in other news… Saints’ latest injury setback may force Hasenhuttl into an unwanted risk 

Dominic Calvert-Lewin produced an invisible performance as Everton lost 2-0 at Chelsea on Monday night to set back their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

The Toffees had the chance to move fourth in the Premier League standings with a win at Stamford Bridge, but instead trail the Blues by four points and West Ham United by two.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men continue to hold a game in hand over Thomas Tuchel’s side, as do the Irons who beat Leeds 2-0 later on Monday, but the Italian tactician reluctantly admitted that Everton are “not at the same level” as the south-west London outfit.

Calvert-Lewin found the gulf in class out the hard way, with the forward who ranks fourth in the Premier League Golden Boot race with 13 goals left an isolated figure often starved of possession.

Rarely were Everton able to find their top-scorer outside of lumping the ball long in hope of the 23-year-old winning a flick-on, which was particularly evident inside the Chelsea box.

Of Calvert-Lewin’s mere 17 touches – the least by any player who started for either side – only one was registered inside Edouard Mendy’s penalty area, with eight coming near to the right-hand touchline on the halfway line, per WhoScored.

The £100,000-per-week frontman’s sole touch inside the hosts’ area also marked his only shot of the night, when Calvert-Lewin sent an effort wide of Mendy’s goal in just the 25th minute.

Only once in the remaining time did Calvert-Lewin ever get on the ball within touching distance of Chelsea’s well-guarded box, while never creating a single goalscoring opportunity for an Everton player.

Monday’s affair marked the fourth-straight appearance that Calvert-Lewin has now failed to score, a period in which he has taken just five shots – the same haul as he achieved in last month’s 2-1 win at Leeds alone.

Calvert-Lewin’s four-game drought has also returned just two key balls, each of which were offered in last Thursday’s 1-0 win away to West Bromwich Albion when he completed 71% of his 31 total passes compared a sloppy 55.6% of nine played against Chelsea.

Even second-half substitutes Joshua King (6) and Bernard (8) played a higher number of accurate passes than Calvert-Lewin (5) on Monday night, despite the pair not being introduced until the 70th and 76th minutes while the England international played the full 90.

Even still, Calvert-Lewin was awarded the same match rating as Richarlison by the Liverpool Echo, who scored both at six out of 10, as the former was combative in leading the line while the latter was top-draw defensively but could not click in the final-third.

Yet Richarlison was significantly superior to Calvert-Lewin, as the Brazilian completed 12 of his 18 attempted passes for one of Everton’s five key passes at Stamford Bridge, while recording twice as many touches (35) as his strike partner.

The former Watford winger also dragged the Toffees’ up the pitch with two successful dribbles from two – the only visiting player to complete more than one.

His game was not perfect, but Richarlison made a difference, while Calvert-Lewin was often invisible as Everton’s hope of Champions League football took a major dent.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti can delight an unsettled Everton ace with a summer swoop for his £13.5m-rated ex-teammate…

Manchester City have been linked with a move for Romelu Lukaku in recent months, as they look to add a world-class striker to their ranks ahead of next season, but it seems as if the Citizens’ hopes of signing the Belgian international have suffered a blow, after it was reported that Inter are not willing to sell him this summer.

According to reports from Italy, Inter won’t sell the 27-year-old striker this summer despite the interest being shown in him by both Manchester City and Barcelona.

Pep Guardiola’s side are clearly in the market for a new frontman, especially if Sergio Aguero departs on the expiry of his contract at the end of the season, and after Borussia Dortmund’s astronomical asking price for Erling Haaland was revealed recently, Lukaku perhaps could have re-emerged as a potential option for City this summer.

The former Chelsea and Manchester United man has been in phenomenal form for Inter so far this season, with 19 goals and eight assists to his name in just 26 Serie A appearances, resulting in a superb 7.56 average rating.

The Belgian striker has seen his value soar during his time in Italy, as he is now rated at £81 million by Transfermarkt, after leaving United for £74 million in 2019.

Guardiola is a big fan of the striker, despite his indifferent form during his time at United, and was full of praise for him in 2018, saying:

“He’s fast, going to the channels, he helps to keep the ball and helps to make the movement for the other guys. He’s top. He’s a world-class player.”

Lukaku certainly would have added a physical presence up front for Man City, which is something they have lacked in recent seasons, so it is undoubtedly a blow for Guardiola’s side that Inter seemingly won’t allow him to leave this summer when you consider his superb record since joining Antonio Conte’s side.

And, in other news… Pep could be set for huge Man City boost with “incredible” £90m-rated gem

After arriving from French giants Lyon in the summer, it’s fair to say Bertrand Traore hasn’t exactly set the Premier League alight with Aston Villa.

The Burkina Faso international had made a slow start to life at Villa Park, with no goals in the top-flight until December 20 when he netted against West Brom.

But since then, he’s shown real signs of finally finding his feet for Dean Smith’s side, bagging four goals in his last six games, including one against Newcastle in a 2-0 win on Saturday night.

The 25-year-old looked in the mood all game, and his confidence told when he scored with his weaker right foot. All night he looked to make things happen, with Magpies left-back Jamal Lewis having his work cut out trying to stop him.

Traore sent in three crosses and cracked off two shots on goal, almost double the amount of shots he’s taken on average in the Premier League this season (1.1). The former Lyon man also provided one key passes on the night too, again higher than his season average thus far.

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece gave him the second highest match rating of any Villa player with eight, saying: “Smith kept faith with ‘Berto’ who started his seventh-straight match now. Traore looked lively from the get-go and came up trumps with his fourth goal in his last six with a cool-as-you-like side-footed finish with his weaker right foot after 42 minutes.

“Gave Jamal Lewis problems as Cash looked to work with him whenever he could. Starting to become the £17 million player Villa signed in the summer. Oozed quality and had end product to boot. A real trickster.”

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans further claimed that “he’s turning into a big player now”, and that will be music to the ears of Smith, who no doubt would have been desperately hoping that Traore could sprinkle that extra bit of magic at the top end of the pitch.

Whilst Watkins may grab the headlines for finally breaking his goal-scoring duck – he hadn’t scored in his last nine league games – it was arguably Traore who stole the show for Villa.

Meanwhile, Villa must land this Scandinavian starlet…

Celtic were linked to a move for Utrecht superstar Gyrano Kerk during the summer and talks have recently resurfaced amid a crisis at Parkhead. A question mark hangs over the future of Neil Lennon as the club’s manager after a run of poor performances this season.

The Hoops haven’t registered a single win in their last five matches, which is an alarming return for the reigning champions of the Scottish league. They are out of the Europa League having banked just one point in the group stages and they currently sit second in the Premiership table, with a 13-point gap between them and leaders Rangers.

Both Lennon’s attack and defence has been questionable through this season and there isn’t one quick-fix answer that can solve it. But if the Hoops don’t explore their options in the January window then they will just be shooting themselves in the foot going into the new year.

Kerk could be ideal Celtic signing

One man Peter Lawwell and Nick Hammond must look into is their summer target Kerk. At the moment, Celtic don’t have a recognised right-winger on their senior roster and the Netherlands international could fill a huge gap in Lennon’s squad.

Mohamed Elyounoussi has been a revelation signing, even if he is only at the club on temporary basis. His loan move from Southampton has been a huge success as he is leading the way as Celtic’s top scorer for the season, ahead of Odsonne Edouard (via BBC Sport).

The latter has been linked to a move away from Celtic Park, which could cause further problems for the Glaswegians. Although, club veteran Leigh Griffiths is on-hand to replace the Frenchman if he leaves, but he will need support on the wings.

Signing £5.8million-rated Kerk potentially wouldn’t cost Lawwell too much and it would seriously improve the quality of Celtic’s attack. He has received a lot of attention recently, whether that’s been from interested clubs or professionals impressed with his form. Indeed, fellow Dutchman Robin van Persie recently stated that Kerk “has everything” as a player, which is a huge compliment for the 25-year-old.

It’s a move that Celtic must seriously consider if Lawwell wants to claw his club out of a major hole after this season.

In other news, Why Neil Lennon must unleash Mikey Johnston vs Lille…

Liverpool have reportedly turned their attention towards signing Juventus centre-back Merih Demiral in the January transfer window, as they look to solve their current injury crisis in defence.

What’s the word?

According to Turkish news outlet Fanatik, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City are all interested in signing the Juventus defender this month.

It is suggested that the 22-year-old is keen to be playing regular football ahead of the European Championships with Turkey this summer, something which he is not currently getting under Andrea Pirlo with the Serie A side, as he has made just nine appearances in all competitions this season.

Bad news for Phillips?

If Liverpool were to sign the defender, who joined the Old Lady for €18 million (£16.5m) in 2019, this month it could be bad news for Nathaniel Phillips. It seems unlikely that the 23-year-old would be offered an extension to his contract that is set to expire at the end of this season, despite him stepping up this season in the absence of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.

With the likes of Joel Matip also set to return soon, whilst Rhys Williams and Billy Koumetio may both be knocking on the door of the first-team squad again next season, it seems likely that Phillips would quickly become surplus to requirements once Liverpool’s usual starters are back fit.

Demiral would certainly come with high expectations, with Turkish football expert Emre Sarigul full of praise for the defender, saying:

“Demiral was a Vidic fan growing up and he is a similar stature to the former Manchester United man. The Turkish international towers above most players, is physical, strong in the air and surprisingly technical with the ball for such a big man. He is a natural leader and cool under pressure.”

This is glowing praise for the former Sassuolo man and judging by the description of Sarigul, he could be the ideal man to replace Van Dijk whilst the Dutchman recovers from his injury.

Certainly, we saw Liverpool’s defensive frailties exposed at times in the 1-0 defeat against Southampton on Monday night, with Jurgen Klopp fielding two defensive-midfielders at centre-back in Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, so signing a centre-back such as Demiral must surely be a priority for sporting director Michael Edwards this month.

And, in other news… Forget Trent: Klopp will be fuming with “world class” LFC star who made just 11 passes vs Southampton…

Matty Longstaff must step up for Steve Bruce following claims Newcastle United’s Deadline Day deal for Hamza Choudhury collapsed due to the Toon’s strained relationship with Watford.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Choudhury had agreed to join the Magpies on loan until the end of the season from Leicester City, but saw the move fall through at the eleventh hour due to the St. James’ Park outfit’s “dreadful” rapport with the Hornets.

Newcastle had made progress in their efforts to acquire Choudhury after the Foxes struck a deal with Watford for Nathaniel Chalobah to head to the King Power Stadium, though no moves could occur unless the Championship side also had a replacement on the way.

One target Watford had hoped to acquire is thought to have been Longstaff, however the Vicarage Road outfit saw their approach turned down by both Newcastle and the midfielder, per the Daily Mail.

The Magpies refused to part with Longstaff as his age means he does not occupy a squad slot in Bruce’s 25-man Premier League plans, and believe the 20-year-old can play a role in the second half of the season.

Longstaff has only started four top-flight fixtures this term and has not been seen on the field since United lost 3-0 at Arsenal on January 18, with Bruce opting to leave the Toon product on the bench four times before omitting him entirely against Southampton at the weekend.

Time to step up

Bruce has told Longstaff and his older brother, Sean, that they must be prepared to fight for their places in the Newcastle starting line-up after struggling to establish themselves in recent weeks and months.

“We have had too many disappointing performances (in general) as a team which has led to different changes,” Bruce said, via quotes by Chronicle Live. “Play well and the team picks itself.

“After Everton, the team stayed the same. They [the Longstaffs] have to roll up their sleeves and be prepared for competition for places, which is only natural.”

Matty Longstaff enjoyed a strong run in the side following a recall on Boxing Day to start four of United’s five top-flight fixtures, but struggled to prevent a run of defeats and draws to see his place come under increasing threat with the potential addition of Choudhury.

Yet the Leicester man’s move falling through left the door slightly ajar for Longstaff, who can now seize on that opportunity with both hands after Jeff Hendrick was shown two yellow cards in Saturday’s win over Southampton.

Bruce tasked Hendrick with anchoring the engine room after being forced to drop Isaac Hayden into the backline, only to be let down by the 29-year-old seeing red after a needless shirt pull on Takumi Minamino while already on a booking.

Choudhury would, arguably, have been in the central slot beside Jonjo Shelvey and Arsenal loanee Joe Willock if he had been signed, or would have at least been selected now that Hendrick is suspended.

Like Longstaff, Choudhury has struggled for game time this season – starting only three of five Premier League appearances – but has averaged more than double the number of successful tackles a game as the Toon product (1.4 to 0.6), per WhoScored.

Choudhury also offers more clearances (1.0 to 0.4) and a higher number of accurate passes a game (37.6 to 27.8), to suggest Bruce would have struggled to overlook the Foxes outcast for his ability to help protect the backline but also keep Newcastle on the ball.

Longstaff now has the chance to turn the picture in his favour, and must step up for Bruce when United visit top-four hopefuls Chelsea next time out.

AND in other news, a serious injury blow for Newcastle may allow a £25k-p/w outcast to earn himself a new contract…