All posts by z3u9t.icu

Arsenal players have taken some time out from their footballing duties to play everybody’s (not literally everybody’s) favourite retro game, ‘Bop It!’

Bop It, Twist It and Pull It – everybody knows the game that seemed to have a place at just about everybody’s home back in the day, before iPhones and iPads dominated our playroom landscapes and compelled us to reminisce over the “good old days”.

With a trip up north to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United on the horizon, we dare say that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s coordination will have been somewhat sharpened by his Bop It! debut, and of course Calum Chambers and Rob Holding as well. Blades defenders beware.

Who do you think will come out on top?

It’s worth noting that the Gabon international is perhaps one of the happiest individuals we’ve ever come across when taking part in club organised entertainment such as this. Arsenal need to hold onto their man for the simple fact he makes everyone smile.

[ad_pod ]This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino produced an eye-catching response when a journalist asked him if he could manage Real Madrid in the future on Monday night, and his comments only further signal his heart just isn’t in it at Spurs anymore.

What did he say?

Speaking at the FIFA Best Awards, Pochettino told Edu Aguirre of El Chiringuito TV when questioned about whether he would be interested in a potential role at Real Madrid: “Maybe some year.”

The comments came on the back of a tough week for the north London outfit, who saw their two-goal advantage ruled out away at Olympiacos in the Champions League as they returned to England with one point instead of three, while Leicester City came from behind to beat them in the Premier League on Saturday.

Pochettino’s heart isn’t in it

It was just the latest sign that the 47-year-old isn’t happy at Tottenham, and who could blame him?

He had already thrown some doubt on his future immediately after the club’s Champions League defeat when asked whether he was staying, as he said: “It is not moment now to talk too much, as it can be interpreted in different ways.”

With Christian Eriksen wanting out and the contracts of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen due to expire next summer with no sign of extensions being agreed as things stand, the Argentine manager is in danger of losing three key players from the team he has been building ever since he was appointed in 2014.

In addition Danny Rose, Serge Aurier and Victor Wanyama all featured against Leicester despite the club reportedly wanting to offload them during the summer.

Something is clearly wrong and even the fans are beginning to question him following recent results, while Pochettino himself accused his players of failing to respect the game-plan against Olympiacos – the type of outburst you don’t often see from the former Southampton chief.

The Daily Mail has reported that he had to hold clear-the-air talks with Daniel Levy following a deterioration of their relationship during the summer, which won’t have helped.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Pochettino could easily have side-stepped the Real Madrid question on Monday, but the fact that he didn’t probably tells you all you need to know – The Mirror also recently reported that he would be the La Liga giants’ first-choice should they choose to axe Zinedine Zidane.

It could be a bumpy few days and weeks if the poor run of form continues then.

The Champions League is finally making a comeback to the Camp Nou.

Barcelona opened their European adventure with a draw at Signal Iduna Park with Borussia Dortmund and will surely be on the hunt for their first triumph in the competition.

But Inter are definitely not an easy opponent to face. The Nerazzurri are currently sitting top of the table in Serie A with six victories under their belts.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Antonio Conte’s men, however, also stumbled in their first Champions League clash, drawing at home to Slavia Prague. But that makes this match even more of a must-win for both sides.

The Blaugrana have been given some good news before the clash with the return of Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele and Ernesto Valverde might spring a surprise or two for their Italian guests.

With all of that being said, here’s the lineup we think Barcelona might deploy against Inter:

There are a couple of changes on the horizon for the Catalans.

Of course, Marc-Andre ter Stegen is definitely not one of those as the German will undoubtedly man the sticks on Wednesday night as he has throughout the 2019/20 campaign.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

The back four, however, will change only slightly. Jordi Alba is still out with an injury so Junior Firpo will be chosen as the team’s left-back. In the centre of the defence, Clement Lenglet and Gerard Pique are still standing strong but Nelson Semedo might once again be dropped in favour of Sergi Roberto.

That’s what happened against Getafe at the weekend and it seemed to work rather well so it’s fair to assume Valverde might stick to his guns and give the La Masia product another go against Inter.

The midfield is pretty much set in stone by now – Sergio Busquets as the team’s pivot and accompanied by Arthur Melo and Frenkie de Jong.

Despite both Messi and Dembele getting their medical clearances before the clash, it’s doubtful that Valverde will risk them from the very start. We might see them both at one point in the game but not from the get-go.

For that reason, a trio of Antoine Griezmann, Luis Suarez and Carles Perez should be picked to start the game.

Real Madrid have been extremely unlucky with injuries at the beginning of the 2019/20 La Liga season.

Los Blancos currently have a total of six players sidelined by injuries and luckily for them, the international break is coming up so all those players might have a bit more time on their hands to fully recover.

One of the sidelined stars, however, is also Marco Asensio, and judging by the latest social media activity of the fans, they just can’t wait for him to get back into action as soon as possible.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Real Madrid posted a recovery update on their official social media account and the fans immediately swarmed it with great messages, urging Asensio to return sooner and sending him their support.

It seems that the 23-year-old is a true fan-favourite at Real Madrid.

Below, you can see a collection of tweets and replies that suggest the fans can’t wait for his return to full fitness.

Check them out…

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Having signed from Ligue 1 side Amiens for a fee in the region of £5m, Emil Krafth has had to quickly adapt to the rigours of English football with Newcastle.

The Sweden international has been thrust into the spotlight due to regular right-back DeAndre Yedlin’s continued absence, and has featured in the past four games for the Magpies.

Against Liverpool on Saturday, the 25-year-old played as a wing-back for Steve Bruce’s side, but found the game difficult.

The defender completed just 58.3% of his passes, meaning he had the worst pass accuracy of any outfield player who started the game at Anfield.

The Swede also missed a glorious opportunity to score when he blazed over from close range, and the performance led Newcastle fans take to Twitter to share their thoughts about the club’s summer signing.

Many supporters of the Tyneside club insisted Krafth simply isn’t cut out for this level, and voiced their displeasure at his display.

Some Magpies fans even suggested he should be dropped for the next game, whilst one fan went so far as to demand he never play for the club again.

Check out some of the reaction of Newcastle fans below:

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Newcastle United fell to another demoralising defeat on Saturday, as they were beaten 2-0 by Watford in the FA Cup fourth round.

The Magpies are 17th in the Premier League and now have no chance of lifting silverware this season, while they have also yet to invest in the January transfer market.

On the chalkboard

Benitez picked a rotated XI against the Hornets, naming Joselu as his lone striker.

The 28-year-old has scored three goals this season, the last of which came in the FA Cup third round victory over Blackburn Rovers. His other two came in August, in defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.

Perhaps he was picked on the back of his display against Rovers, but there is little about Joselu that marks him out as a first-choice centre-forward.

Check out the video below for Emma Conybeare’s rundown of which clubs need what in the January transfer window…

Salomon Rondon is first-choice at St James’ Park, and he has netted six times already this season. Indeed, he did not play in the FA Cup and now will not get the chance.

Benitez could well be politicking, choosing to play games as he attempts to convince Mike Ashley, the club’s tight-fisted owner, to finally dip into the transfer market this month.

The Magpies have roundly failed to add to their squad and The Telegraph has reported that the former Liverpool boss will leave if Ashley does not sign two players before the deadline.

Desperate times call for desperate measures

If Benitez really did play politics with the FA Cup, supporters are sure to be furious.

Joselu is not, and has never been, a first-choice striker in English football.

During his spell with Stoke City, he scored just four goals in 27 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

Never has a stronger message been sent to a boardroom; playing the player so ill-suited to a role that Benitez may well have sent ten men out to face Watford.

And, yet again, Newcastle will not be winning any silverware this season.

It is not Joselu’s fault, of course; he has been told to do a job and continues to try to do his best, but he finds himself at the centre of an apparent power play.

It remains to be seen if that will pay off and whether we will see any new faces arrive at St James’ Park in the next few days.

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Dele Alli is back for Tottenham Hotspur.

Town criers should be announcing this news as loudly as they possibly can up and down the Tottenham High Road, such is its importance to Spurs’ chances of winning the upcoming North London derby.

Mauricio Pochettino has endured a difficult start to the season, with the club losing to Newcastle United and, really, stealing a point from Manchester City in a smash and grab raid that almost put the Hatton Garden robbers to shame.

Against Arsenal, Spurs will need all the help they can get. Versus Newcastle, it was clear there was an imagination barrier, an inability to play through their low block, and they were eventually reduced to just passing the ball sideways repeatedly before lobbing in a hopeful cross that was easily dealt with.

It must be said that Arsenal won’t play that way; they’ll attempt to get on the ball, move it properly, look to attack. And that’s where Alli comes in.

In the first three games of the campaign, something has been amiss with Harry Kane and it was never clearer than against the Magpies.

He had one shot on goal, per WhoScored, and dropped too deep all too regularly.

If he continues in such a vein against Arsenal, Alli can dart into the spaces that he vacates, occupying the Gunners’ defence.

The England midfielder has a strong record against the Gunners, having scored three goals and registered two assists against them in eight games, including a lavish chip at the Emirates in the League Cup last season.

Spurs won that game 2-0, but they have not won at the home of their rivals in the league since 2010.

If they are to break that hoodoo, they will need Alli and Kane to dovetail as effectively as they did in that cup game.

To revisit the goal is to see what each can bring; Kane dropped deep and curled a pass into Alli’s path, around 25 yards from goal. He brought it down and then chipped it over Petr Cech, before celebrating wildly in front of the away end.

Arsenal have a remarkably strong attack at this point and the main thing it comprises is pace: Nicolas Pepe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette are all quick across the ground.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

But their defence is shaky; David Luiz was awful against Liverpool at Anfield and showed that he can be dragged out of position by clever movement and slick interplay.

Alli does exactly that and offers the opportunity for Spurs to actually let Kane roam, instead of attempting to implore him to stay in the box.

The two can link and, when Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura are potentially added to the equation, Spurs’ attack looks all the fiercer.

Christian Eriksen’s inclusion, of course, remains in doubt after he was benched against Newcastle.

But it is Alli’s inclusion that should grab the headlines.

He is the secret ingredient to transforming a Spurs forward line that looked all too static this past weekend, and he could be key to bringing the best out of Kane and finally breaking that lengthy Emirates hex.

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With only one new player signed during the current January transfer window in the shape of Hayao Kawabe, it seems as though Wolves are not looking and letting that deal be their only piece of transfer business this month.

What’s the news?

Speaking on a live Sky Sports programme, presenter Rob Wotton revealed that Wolves are interested in signing AS Monaco centre-back Benoit Badiashile this month.

“Wolves and Newcastle both interested in the Monaco centre-back, Benoit Badiashile. The 20-year-old Monaco academy graduate is among a number of options in this position both clubs are looking at,” he said.

As a product of Monaco’s youth system, the 20-year-old has already made a total of 105 senior appearances for the club, chipping in with three goals and three assists in the process, showing how highly rated he must be there given his fairly young age.

Fans buzzing

In the four Europa League games that he’s played in for Monaco this season, Badiashile’s performances in those games have earned him an impressive overall rating of 7.36/10 according to WhoScored, comfortably making him the highest-rated player in the competition for Monaco, showing how capable he is of playing in a top European competition.

With his young age and vast experience, it’s easy to see why Wolves would be interested in signing a player such as Badiashile as he could potentially be a long-term player for them for many years to come.

Given how two of Wolves’ current centre-backs Romain Saiss (31) and Willy Boly (30) are two of the club’s five oldest players in their squad, it’s easy to see why the Old Gold would be looking at bringing in a young defender like Badiashile to freshen up their team at the back, an idea which would surely leave plenty of supporters buzzing.

Taking into account how Wolves manager Bruno Lage has come out and said that signing a centre-back is the club’s priority at the moment with Saiss away on international duty and Boly out injured, Badiashile could be just what the team needs at this moment in time.

That said, with recent reports from France claiming that Wolves have already had a bid for the Monaco defender rejected, it could prove to be quite difficult or expensive to secure Badiashile’s signature this month.

If a deal for the young defender isn’t viable for the Old Gold, they should turn their attention to some other potential candidates that could do a job for them at centre-back that may not cost so much.

However, the very idea that they’re targeting someone of the youngster’s quality should be music to the ears of fans at Molineux.

In other news: Journalist drops behind-the-scenes January update that’ll have Wolves fans sweating – opinion 

Celtic have been handed a late injury boost ahead of their upcoming Premiership clash.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claim that, despite being brought off with a knock in the 2-1 win over Alloa Athletic last weekend, Liel Abada looks set to play a part in the Bhoys’ fixture against Hearts this evening.

The report goes on to reveal that the 20-year-old has been included in Ange Postecoglou’s provisional squad for the trip to Tynecastle, as well as stating: “Liel Abada should be available despite limping off against Alloa.”

Ange will be elated

Considering just how impressive Abada has been since his £3.4m move to Parkhead last summer, the news that winger will be available for selection in an otherwise depleted Celtic squad is sure to have left Postecoglou elated.

Indeed, over his 20 Premiership appearances this season, the £4.05m-rated forward has been in remarkable form for the Bhoys, having already scored six goals, registered three assists and created a whopping 11 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.7 shots and making 1.9 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £15k-per-week Israel international average a SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as the Hoops’ joint 11th-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football – of the players who remain a part of Postecoglou’s first-team squad.

As such, the winger’s availability for what is certain to be a challenging test against third-placed Hearts will undoubtedly provide Celtic’s chances of leaving Edinburgh with all three points with a substantial boost – with a victory against Robbie Neilson’s men very much being necessary if the Bhoys are to stand a chance of keeping pace in the title race before the Old Firm clash on February 2.

In other news: Celtic suffer yet another big blow as transfer update emerges that’ll have fans gutted

Rangers youngster Josh McPake is set to return to Ibrox from his loan spell at Morecambe, ahead of a temporary January exit elsewhere.

The Lowdown: McPake on loan at Morecambe

The 20-year-old moved to Morecambe in the summer transfer window but he has been limited to just five League One appearances, with only three starts coming his way.

The hope was that McPake would pick up some much-needed playing time there but it looks increasingly as though he could be a peripheral figure.

A current report suggests it could be all change for the winger ahead of the upcoming January window.

The Latest: Another temporary move on the cards

According to Football Insider, a Rangers source has confirmed that the club are set to recall McPake from Morecambe, prior to loaning him out elsewhere next month.

Oldham Athletic and Hartlepool United are mentioned as possible suitors for the youngster, who was described as ‘fantastic’ by former Morton manager David Hopkin.

The Verdict: Invaluable experience

It is vital that McPake continues to get minutes away from Rangers, so this is a decision that makes perfect sense.

The hope is that the young wide man has a bright future at Ibrox but he may need to prove that he’s got what it takes during these current loan spells – another 6 months struggling to make an impact at the senior level could seriously damage his chances.

Competition for places is always likely to be strong under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, but an eye-catching second half to the season could make him part of the manager’s plans in 2022/23.

Four goals in 23 appearances in League Two is proof that McPake can shine at a good level – now it’s about making another step up.

In other news, three Rangers players struggled against Rangers. Find out who they are here.