All posts by n8rngtd.top

The Blaugrana punished Blancos' defending in an embarrassing defeat for Carlo Ancelotti's side

Real Madrid were thrashed in a second straight Clasico, continuous woeful defending letting them down in a 5-2 battering at the hands of Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final. Los Blancos were consistently beaten on the counter attack, and conceded five goals within 50 minutes to make a truly horrible Clasico loss.

This was not a calm game. Nor was it cagey. Instead, from minute one, chaos unfolded. Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring, leading a well-orchestrated counter-attack before shifting the ball out of his feet and smashing it home. And that was as good as it got.

Lamine Yamal offered the Barca response, strolling into the right channel, cutting onto his stronger foot and finding the bottom corner. They added a second after 36 minutes, when Robert Lewandowski converted from the penalty spot. The Blaugrana's third came on the back of some tepid Madrid defending, Raphinha floating into acres of space and converting a free header. Balde made it four after another sloppy piece of play, an underhit pass from a corner giving Barca a clean break down the pitch, which ended with a calm side-footed finish into the bottom corner. Raphinha turned it into a drubbing early in the second half, twisting Aurelien Tchouameni inside out and wrong-footing Thibaut Courtois.

Things seemed poised to turn after an hour. Wojciech Szczesny was shown a straight red for scything Mbappe down outside the box. Rodrygo curled the ensuing free-kick into the top corner. But that was about it. Madrid couldn't create against a dogged 10-man Barca, and suffered a second straight forgettable derby defeat – while watching their arch-rivals lift a trophy at the end of it all.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from King Abdullah Sports City…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Thiabut Courtois (4/10):

  Made a nice save early. Could do nothing about any of the goals, really.

  Lucas Vazquez (3/10):

  Targeted from the first minute. Didn't track his man half of the time, and was torn apart by Raphinha for his 50 minutes on the pitch.

  Aurelien Tchouameni (4/10):

  Absolutely nowhere on the Barca third. Subbed after an hour.

  Antonio Rudiger (5/10):

  Uncharacteristically out of position as Yamal strolled in to equalise. Improved slightly but not particularly good.

  Ferland Mendy (5/10):

  Failed to contain Yamal – not that it's particularly easy. Didn't do much, if anything, going forward.

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  Midfield

  Federico Valverde (5/10):

  Poor for stretches. Overhit a few passes. A blunder led to the Barca fourth. Moved to right back, where he did mostly ok.

  Eduardo Camavinga (4/10):

  Should have been booked twice within the first 45 minutes, but got away with it. Hooked at the break – and smartly so.

  Jude Bellingham (4/10):

  Marked out of the game in the first half. Not much better in the second. Disappeared on the biggest stage, for once.

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  Attack

  Rodrygo (5/10):

  Dangerous on the ball, buried a lovely free kick, lacking in impact otherwise.

  Kylian Mbappe (6/10):

  Scored an outrageous goal, picked up a knock, got Szczesny sent off. The best of the attacking trio.

  Vinicius Jr (4/10):

  Barely involved before being subbed after 75 minutes. Could have easily been shown a second yellow.

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  Subs & Manager

  Dani Ceballos (6/10):

  Rarely misplaced a pass, but didn't offer much in the way of attacking inspiration.

  Raul Asencio (5/10):

  Replaced Vazquez, and couldn't do much worse.

  Luka Modric (5/10):

  Floated around, created some cute angles. Couldn't do it single-handedly though.

  Fran Garcia (6/10):

  Scampered up and down the left in a lively 15 minutes.

  Brahim Diaz (N/A):

  Barely touched the ball.

  Carlo Ancelotti (4/10):

  What a miserable evening. His Madrid side was taken apart for 50 minutes, and then looked void of ideas against 10 men. At least it came in a competition that doesn't matter much.

Over the last couple of years, Tottenham Hotspur have shifted their focus to recruiting younger talent to improve the first-team squad rather than signing players for an immediate upgrade but providing no sell-on fee.

The summer window of 2021/22 saw the arrival of new boss Nuno Espírito Santo, with the former Wolves Head Coach tasked with taking the club to the next level.

He was backed in the transfer market, with owner Daniel Levy splashing upwards of £80m on new talent to try and establish the Lilywhites as a consistent top-four Premier League side.

However, the Portuguese boss would only last four months at the helm, taking charge of just 17 games before leaving Spurs – achieving a win percentage of 53%.

Whilst his appointment was a disaster, he made the right call by bringing one player to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – especially considering the impact he’s made since his transfer.

Pape Sarr’s time at Tottenham Hotspur

Midfielder Pape Matar Sarr joined Tottenham in a roughly £15m deal from Ligue 1 side Metz back in August 2021, before moving back to the French side on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

However, he returned to the club ahead of the 2022/23 season, mainly operating as a squad player, making 14 appearances in all competitions – with 11 coming in the Premier League.

The arrival of Postecoglou at the start of 2023/24 saw a huge increase in first-team minutes for the Senegalese youngster, featuring in 34 league matches for a combined 2085 minutes – a near 10x increase from the season prior.

The “frightening” 21-year-old, as dubbed by talent scout Antonio Mango, has featured in all three league outings so far this campaign, starting against Newcastle United and Leicester City before coming on in the second half against Everton.

As a result of his excellent performances for the Aussie in the last two seasons, Sarr has seen his market value skyrocket – demonstrating the impact of the club’s new recruitment model.

Pape Sarr’s market value in 2024

Three years after his £15m move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Sarr has seen his value jump massively, with the midfielder having the potential to improve further given his tender age.

As per Transfermarkt, the Senegalese international is now valued at £38m – an increase of around 150% on the fee they paid for him three years ago.

His subsequent value is higher than that of Richarlison, who is now valued at £32m just a couple of years after his £60m move to North London.

His huge jump in value is a demonstration as to how successful the club’s recruitment can be, potentially handing them an edge in the hunt to once again secure Champions League football, as they look to develop talented prospects.

Postecoglou is a fantastic manager who can extract the best out of young talents, with Sarr one of the beneficiaries of his ability to work with up-and-coming stars, as evidenced by his soaring value.

This season is another great opportunity for the former Metz ace to build on his impressive season last time around, allowing him to gain more experience whilst also further increasing his market value.

The honeymoon period between the INEOS chief and supporters is well and truly over – but it's not too late to change course

If you want to see how much Sir Jim Ratcliffe's relationship with Manchester United supporters has deteriorated just one year into him buying a 27 percent stake in the club, contrast the polite reception he got when arriving at his first game at Old Trafford last year against Tottenham with the vitriolic treatment he received from a group of fans upon leaving Sunday's win at Fulham.

The subject of the expletive-laden tirade from the group was not the team's plummeting fortunes, even though they would have been well within their rights to complain about being 12th in the Premier League, on course for their worst season in 35 years or having a goal difference of minus four.

No, these supporters were fighting for their very right to be able to watch their team live and were taking aim at the man who is making that right a lot harder by pushing through extortionate ticket prices in the middle of the season and threatening to raise prices again next season. Chief among their complaints were the club making tickets for paid-up club members a minimum price of £66 ($82) and ending concessions for children and over-65s. Before the changes, which were introduced without any consultation, those tickets started at £40 ($50) for adults and £25 ($31) for children, increases of 65% and 164% respectively.

Ratcliffe, sitting in the back of a chauffeur-driven car in Fulham, had the luxury of closing the window and blocking out the noise from the livid fans. But he would do well to listen to legitimate concerns about the direction he is taking the club in…

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  Deepening divisions

  The fans who spotted Ratcliffe's car were not alone in voicing their disapproval over the way they have been treated by the INEOS regime. During the scrappy 1-0 win at Craven Cottage the away fans were heard chanting "£66 quid, taking the p**s". A spicier ditty, containing the words "Just like the Glazers, Jim Ratcliffe's a c**t" was also aired.

  Ratcliffe would not have taken kindly to such abusive language when he heard it in the stands or from the back of the car. So, it was a good thing that the Manchester United Supporters Trust, MUST, penned a considered letter addressed to the Manchester-born billionaire on Monday morning on the subject of ticketing policies.

  The MUST letter warned that raising prices would create a hostile atmosphere at Old Trafford which could further harm the team and ultimately damage the club as a business, while "poisoning the well" over the plans to build a new 100,000-seater stadium.

  "With the team struggling on the pitch and fan sentiment already at a low ebb, we all need to pull together to lift the team’s performance, not risk deepening divisions or creating further dissatisfaction," read the letter.

  MUST also warned that, with the team in such a dire state on the pitch, it was the worst possible time to hike prices.

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  Berrada's insulting letter

  MUST are not the only fan group to have had correspondence with United recently.

  The 1958 and Fan Coalition 1958 groups had previously written to CEO Omar Berrada on the issue of ticket prices and the response from the club's chief, who was headhunted from Manchester City, was truly astounding. The response merely paid lip service to the supporters' concerns over affordability and, worst of all, appeared to suggest that fans will have to foot the bill for the club's problems trying to comply with the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

  Berrada's letter read: "We are determined to ensure that our current fans can continue to afford to attend games and that tickets are accessible for future generations of fans. As previously communicated, we are however currently making a significant loss each year – totalling over £300 million ($370m) in the past three years.

  "This is not sustainable and if we do not act now we are in danger of failing to comply with PSR/FFP [financial fair play] requirements in future years and significantly impacting our ability to compete on the pitch. We do not expect fans to make up all the current shortfall – but we do need to look at our ticketing strategy to ensure we are charging the right amount, and offering the right discounts, across our products for our fans."

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  Museum of transfer blunders

  The £300m ($375m) loss is both shockingly high and yet unsurprising given how woeful the club's recruitment has been lately, both before Ratcliffe showed up and under the INEOS chief's stewardship. The club's transfer activity since 2022 has been a museum of costly blunders, none more so than paying £86m ($107m) for Antony, who has just departed for Real Betis on loan after contributing 12 goals plus three assists in 96 appearances.

  The Brazilian was also on astronomical wages of £200,000 ($250,000) per week, putting him among the top five earners at the club. Less than a year before United signed him, Antony was initially valued at just £25m ($31m) by United scouts. He was not exactly a star before he moved to the Premier League, scoring eight Eredivisie goals in his last season at Ajax, hardly prolific given the standard of the Dutch top flight.

  Antony was not the exception, though, or one bad egg. He has been merely part of an overall pattern of squandering money like it's going out of fashion. That same summer United splurged up to £70m ($87m) on Casemiro, who has not played since December 30 despite not being injured, and made him the club's top earner on £350,000 ($435,000) per week.

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  Where have the Glazers gone?

  The following year they paid up to £60m ($75m) to sign Mason Mount, who has been injured for the majority of his time at the club, making just nine Premier League starts. Then they paid up to £72m ($90m) for Rasmus Hojlund, who has scored two league goals this season, and £47m ($58m) for Andre Onana, who has made a laughable amount of serious errors in his one-and-a-half seasons.

  Ratcliffe, in fairness, was not at the club when those decisions were made. And it has been revealed that the billionaire was highly critical of the Casemiro deal when he went through the club's accounts. But the Glazer family, who still control 67.9% of voting rights and 48.9% of shares, were.

  The American family have not invested any money in the club since the club was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2012. Taking into account the £432m ($537m) in dividends the family have received while owning the club, they have invested a grand total of £45m ($56m) of their own money over the past 20 years. How about Ratcliffe and Berrada encourage the majority owners to contribute to "make up some of the current shortfall" rather than the fans who have supported the club through thick and thin?

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been another “blow” as one member of his squad deals with a hip problem, coming amid the Gunners’ mounting list of injuries.

Arsenal players out injured and unavailable for selection

The north Londoners are forced to contend without a few important players in the run-up to October and beyond. Their biggest loss – club captain and chief creator Martin Odegaard – isn’t expected to be back in action for a while after he was forced with ankle ligament damage in Norway’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League win over Austria earlier this month.

Arsenal planning move for £52m star as Arteta personally targets goalscorer

The north Londoners didn’t sign a striker this summer.

By
Emilio Galantini

Sep 25, 2024

Odegaard is set to be sidelined for weeks, according to Arteta and reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, who elaborates by sharing the club’s concern for their star player.

“They are, obviously (concerned),” said Romano. “He’s a crucial player. He’s the captain. He’s a fantastic player. So, obviously, they know this injury is a problem for them.

“But at the same time, they hope it’s not super long. So, in this moment, in terms of medical staff, they are doing their best to have Martin back as soon as possible. For sure, we will have to be patient. It’s not something imminent. It will take weeks before we see Odegaard back to action.

“What they always mention to me is that they absolutely want Martin to return when he’s 100% fit. They can’t accept a new injury for Martin Odegaard later in the season, when they’re going to compete, they hope, for all the main titles.

“So Arsenal absolutely want Martin to take his time to return when he’s 100% fit. And this is going to be the mission of the staff, for sure.”

Meanwhile, summer signing Mikel Merino won’t return for weeks either, having fractured his shoulder during his first ever training session at London Colney – in what was a real stroke of bad luck following a collision with Gabriel Magalhaes

Left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko is out with a calf injury too – which forced the Ukranian to sit out of their trio of blockbuster clashes against Tottenham, Atalanta and Man City – and it appears they may have another long-term absentee.

Tommy Setford out injured in another "blow" for Arsenal

As per Standard Sport, young summer signing from Ajax – goalkeeper Tommy Setford – is also sidelined. Setford has suffered a hip injury at Arsenal, which was described as a “blow” for Arteta, and it is unclear just how long the 18-year-old will be out for. Jurrien Timber’s former teammate at Ajax, who has earned caps for England at academy level, possesses a growing reputation and has been described as a “big talent”.

“We welcome Tommy to Arsenal. He is a young goalkeeper with big potential and we look forward to supporting his development in the coming years,” said academy manager Per Mertesacker after his arrival from the Netherlands.

“The first step on Tommy’s development pathway with us will be to integrate into our under-21s academy group and train regularly with our first team goalkeeping group.”

Leeds United took another step towards the top two places in the Championship with a convincing 3-0 win over Coventry City at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Whites have now recorded successive wins without conceding a goal, having beaten Cardiff City 2-0 in their previous match, and are one point behind Blackburn Rovers in second place.

Daniel Farke is looking to plot a promotion to the Premier League for the third time in his career, having won the division twice with Norwich City, after his side failed to get out of the second tier last season.

The West Yorkshire outfit finished third in the Championship, just behind Ipswich Town and Leicester City, and went on to lose 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley in May.

That was in their first year back in the league after they were relegated from the Premier League in the 2022/23 campaign, under Sam Allardyce, who had arrived in the dugout after Javi Gracia and Jesse Marsch were both dismissed.

That relegation from the top-flight came after a number of pieces of poor recruitment by former sporting director Victor Orta but things could have gone differently for him, had he signed the centre-back Leeds reportedly wanted before they landed Diego Llorente.

Diego Llorente's Leeds career

In the summer of 2020, the Whites reportedly splashed out a fee of around £18m to sign the Spanish central defender from Real Sociedad to bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s backline.

At the age of 27, Leeds ended up signing an experienced centre-back who did not have much room left to develop and grow in value during his time at Elland Road.

His first season with the club was disrupted by multiple injuries. The former LaLiga ace missed 23 matches in all competitions for club and country with groin and hamstring issues, which limited his involvement on the pitch for Bielsa.

He only made 15 appearances in the Premier League in the 2020/21 campaign, winning 57% of his defensive duels, as Leeds avoided relegation back to the Championship.

Llorente did avoid any major injury blows in his second season at Elland Road, however, as the Spanish defender went on to play 28 games in the division under Bielsa and Marsch.

As you can see in the table above, the former Real Sociedad star endured a dreadful start to the 2022/23 campaign under Marsch in the first half of the season.

He made more errors that directly led to goals for the opposition than clean sheets won in his eight appearances, which led to a loan move to Roma during the second half of the season – as Leeds were relegated from the division.

Llorente spent 18 months on loan with the Italian giants before Real Betis swooped to sign him for a reported fee of £2.5m this summer – a significant loss on the £18m Leeds paid for him.

Whilst the Whites made a huge loss on the Spanish flop, things could have been so different for the club if they had landed Josko Gvardiol instead.

Leeds United's pursuit of Josko Gvardiol

Following on from the promotion from the Championship under Bielsa in the 2019/20 campaign, Orta looked to bolster the squad with a host of new signings.

The likes of Raphinha and Robin Koch arrived, alongside Llorente, but the West Yorkshire outfit were also reportedly eyeing up a deal for Gvardiol that summer.

At the start of September in 2020, Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that Leeds were close to reaching an agreement with Dinamo Zagreb to sign the versatile central defender.

The Daily Mail then went as far as to say that the club were ‘set to sign’ the 18-year-old starlet from the Croatian outfit for a fee of around £17.6m.

Unfortunately, however, the Whites were unable to get a deal over the line for the centre-back and he went on to sign for RB Leipzig in Germany a year later instead.

Gvardiol later revealed, in an interview with The Athletic, that Leeds sent representatives to map out a plan for him at Elland Road but he decided that it was not the right time for him to make the move to the Premier League, which is why he joined Leipzig instead.

Josko Gvardiol's current market value

The left-footed star, who was described as the “Haaland of defenders” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is one that got away for Leeds because his value has soared since Orta attempted to sign him for less than £18m in 2020.

In the summer of 2023, Premier League champions Manchester City swooped to sign the versatile star for a reported fee of £77.6m, after an impressive time in Germany with Leipzig.

The central defender, who has operated in an inverted left-back role for the Cityzens, made huge progress during his spell in the Bundesliga, as shown by his rise in value from almost £18m to £77.6m.

This shows that Leeds missed out on potentially making a huge profit on Gvardiol, as they could have brought him in and helped the youngster to develop into a significant asset – as Leipzig did.

The Croatia international played 87 matches in two seasons with the German outfit. This shows that they offered the youngster plenty of opportunities to shine and thrive, which then allowed him to catch the eye of Manchester City ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Pep Guardiola has since used him in 51 matches in all competitions since the start of last season, including in all six Premier League matches this term, which shows that the Spanish head coach trusts the 22-year-old ace.

As you can see in the table above, Gvardiol enjoyed an impressive debut season in the English top-flight for City, scoring four goals in 28 matches and winning the majority of his physical duels.

It is a huge shame that the defender ultimately decided not to sign for Leeds for £17.6m as he has turned into an elite defender, whilst their alternative signing – Llorente – plummeted in value during his time in England.

£12m wasted: Farke must sell Leeds man who earns more than Gnonto

The Whites loanee must be ditched from the squad in one of the next two transfer windows.

1

By
Dan Emery

Sep 25, 2024

Marcus Rashford is targeting Champions League glory at Aston Villa as the Manchester United loanee believes he can still "decide games".

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• Rashford eyeing European success at Villa
• Believes he can revive best form under Emery
• The Midlands club will pay 75 per cent of Rashford’s wages

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Manchester United forward, who found himself out of favour under Ruben Amorim, has now completed a loan switch to Villa Park, marking the end of his struggles at Old Trafford. Rashford will spend the remainder of the 2024-25 season with Unai Emery’s squad, with Villa having the option to make the transfer permanent for £40 million ($49m) in the summer.

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  WHAT RASHFORD SAID

  Villa finished eighth in the Champions League league phase standings, which has helped them secure a direct ticket to the round of 16. Rashford is thrilled to be returning to Europe’s top-tier club competition and believes Villa have the ambition and firepower to go far.

  "Being back in the Champions League is hugely exciting," he told the club media. "It’s the biggest competition for a club to be involved in, and they’re always great nights. We want to get as far as we can, and if we don’t aim to win it, then we’re never going to win it. I’m sure it will be a great experience for me playing for Villa in the Champions League."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite a challenging spell at United, Rashford remains confident in his ability to impact games.

  "I know I can hurt teams and, when I’m at my best, decide football games," he asserted. "That will be my only goal, to help the team win more games, more points and hopefully create history. I’ve played a fair amount of games in the Champions League so I feel like I’m experienced and know how to handle those situations. It’s my first time playing for another team but it’s been excitement rather than being scared. It’s an ambitious time for this club and a great opportunity for me to help them keep pushing forward."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Throughout the January transfer window, Rashford was heavily linked with a move away from Manchester United, with AC Milan and Barcelona both showing interest. However, despite the possibility of moving abroad, he ultimately decided to remain in England, opting to join Villa’s ambitious project under Emery. Although Aston Villa did not pay a loan fee for Rashford, they have agreed to cover at least 75 per cent of his £325,000-per-week wages. This figure could increase to 90 per cent if certain performance-related bonuses are met, making it a significant financial commitment from the Midlands club.

A cut-price move for an “exceptional” Newcastle United target could be on the cards in the January transfer window, in a more marquee deal than the recent links to Wout Faes and Nikola Milenkovic.

Newcastle eyeing £75m double deal

Eddie Howe has found his centre-back options decimated in recent months, with serious injuries to Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles leaving him horribly lacking in that area of the pitch, especially with little business done there in the summer, barring the signing of the versatile Lloyd Kelly.

Key additions are required at the heart of Newcastle’s defence moving forward, and they have been linked with a sensational £75m double swoop for Faes and Milenkovic. The duo are currently plying their trade at Leicester City and Nottingham Forest respectively, but could relish the opportunity to move to a bigger club.

The Premier League pair are seen as potential long-term replacements for current Magpies defenders Fabian Schar and Dan Burn, both of whom are in their final year at St James’ Park. It remains to be seen if either will be handed extensions, but the fact that they are now 32 years of age suggests that could be unlikely.

Should neither Faes nor Milenkovic move to Newcastle, they will surely turn to other options instead, whether that be in January or next summer, and it looks as though they could now be set to revisit a former target.

Newcastle "considering" cut-price January signing

According to The Northern Echo‘s Wilson on X, Newcastle are “considering” going back in for Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi in January, even eyeing him on the cheap, with his report saying a “cut-price deal” is the aim.

Guehi still feels like the most exciting centre-back option for the Magpies, especially if they now believe they can sign him for cheaper than what Palace were demanding in the summer. The 24-year-old impressed so much for England at Euro 2024, proving to be one of their standout players after filling in for the injured Harry Maguire throughout the tournament.

Former Three Lions star Joe Hart said of him: “Huge shoutout to Marc Guehi. I thought he was exceptional. He really stepped in and was really calm on the ball. I thought Guehi allowed John Stones to play his game. The more Marc plays, the better that [centre-back] partnership will get.”

Guehi certainly hasn’t expressed a willingness to now remain at Palace for years to come, suggesting that a move to Newcastle may still appeal to him, and given his age and profile, Paul Mitchell should do all he can to acquire the England international’s signature.

Newcastle eyeing £75m Premier League duo to possibly replace Schar and Burn

They are new targets for the Magpies.

By
Henry Jackson

Oct 14, 2024

Granted, the Eagles have struggled this season and the defender arguably hasn’t been at his absolute best, but he has discussed a “tough” summer without much of a pre-season, so there should be no concerns from Newcastle about him being a flash in the pan.

"Egyptian King" Omar Marmoush was hailed as better than three Premier League rivals after his hat-trick against Newcastle on Saturday.

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• Marmoush scores hat-trick v Newcastle
• Beats Salah, Saka and Rashford to the feat
• Social media reacts to his goals

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Marmoush netted three goals in the first half at the Etihad Stadium. Netting a hat-trick in just his third Premier League appearance means he did so quicker than rivals Mohamed Salah, Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford.

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• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  His display sent City fans crazy, with @EmbraceSane posting on X: "All Hail the Egyptian King, OMAR MARMOUSH!"

  @__oluwadarey posted: "Marmoush PL hattrick before Rashford".

  Marmoush also impressed @_owenpage, who wrote: "That half of football from Marmoush has shown exactly what Man City have missed this season. Someone else who is clinical in front of goal when teams try and mark Haaland out of the game. But it’s not just his hat trick, it’s his movement off of Haaland to find the space itself."

  @foot_y10FCB posted: "In a match where I turned in to watch the strikers, Marmoush has caught my eye. First time watching him, he acquires similar position like Raphinha. It was reported Raphinha will be targeted by City but idk why tho, with Marmoush it looks they've got their man. Proper baller."

  @arowolo_g said: "Marmoush first half hat trick is crazy."

  The forward also caught the eye of @ConnorHolden00 who posted: "The power of a direct and persistent runner. Omar Marmoush exactly what so many clubs need right now."

  @hangitinthelouv added: "Imagine scoring your first goal for your clerb at home and then making it a hatty in the same game within 32 minutes, Marmoush you rock my world."

  "Omar Marmoush has been in the premier league for a few weeks and got a PL hatrick before Bukayo Saka and Rashford," wrote @DxBruyne17.

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Marmoush was part of a major January recruitment drive for City, arriving from Eintracht Frankfurt for €70 million (£59m/$73m). The striker had not netted in his first four appearances in all competitions for the club but has impressed with his performances, finally netting on Saturday.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MARMOUSH AND MAN CITY?

  City's 2024-25 title hopes may be over but Marmoush looks set to star for the club for several seasons to come. The forward is already in illustrious company in scoring a Premier League hat-trick so quickly and a strike partnership with Erling Haaland could prove to be the envy of the rest of the division.

Pep Guardiola was in stitches as Neil Warnock told him about a prank he played on former Chelsea and Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho.

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• Guardiola and Warnock filmed an interview
• Warnock remembered prank he played on Mourinho
• City boss found the story hilarious

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The pair were filming an interview for Sky Sports when Warnock told Guardiola about the time he asked his Crystal Palace team to pour cold water all over the dressing room that Mourinho's Chelsea were about to visit. Guardiola was in hysterics at the story.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• WHAT WARNOCK SAID ABOUT THE PRANK

  Warnock said: "When I was at Crystal Palace, I remember the two coaches pulling up and I said, 'Chuck a bucket of cold water on their dressing room floor'. Can you imagine all the staff coming in and they're looking at the floor? He came into my little office at Crystal Palace, did Jose, for a cup of tea and he never said anything. Can you imagine all them multi-millionaires, they'll have their feet wet and they'll be moaning."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Earlier this week, Guardiola spoke glowingly about Warnock, who has made a name for himself as a legendary EFL manager for over 40 years. Guardiola said: "Neil, like Sam Allardyce, like Mr (Harry) Redknapp, have been legends in this country, have made English football a better place for sure. I admire them a lot for the contribution they have made in world football for different perspectives, different ways."

David Moyes parted ways with West Ham United this summer after two spells at the club between 2017-2024. In this time, Moyes took charge of 261 games for the Hammers, averaging 1.53 points per match in his second spell, and a slightly worse 1.19 points per game in his first spell.

In the 2022/23 season, Moyes led his side to a historic UEFA Conference League final, beating Fiorentina 2-1 and winning the competition, something that will go down in folklore for both himself and the club.

However, after finishing ninth in the Premier League in 2023/24, missing out on European football, conceding 74 goals and losing 14 games, the Hammers decided to look elsewhere in an attempt to rebrand their style of play and move forwards.

Julen Lopetegui's start at West Ham

Since taking the reins, Julen Lopetegui has struggled to shape his West Ham side into his ideal structure. After eight Premier League games, the Hammers sit 15th in the league, winning two, drawing two, and losing four times. They have also conceded 15 goals, only scoring 11.

Their poor form includes big losses to their London rivals, losing 3-0 to Chelsea at the London Stadium, and tasting a 4-1 defeat against Tottenham. When results like this are happening on the pitch, the fans need an identity and idea to get behind, but Lopetegui is currently struggling on that front too.

Widely seen as a 4-3-3, possession-based coach, Lopetegui was tasked with turning a team that averaged just 40.5% possession last season and conceded 74 goals, into a more controlled side, that could dictate the tempo against the opposition, and control large periods of matches.

So far, the Spaniard actually has managed to increase their possession average, currently sitting at 45.1% possession. Their passing accuracy has also increased slightly, going from 79.1% to 82.8%, something which is done by playing more short passes, slowing the tempo down at times, and being less direct (a very prominent feature of a Moyes side).

However, whilst certain metrics are slowly improving under Lopetegui when you look beneath the surface, the results are worse than they were under Moyes, and the current manager will be under pressure to continue to implement his style but also maintain a base level of results, that doesn’t continue to drag them into the bottom half of the table, and closer to the relegation zone.

If the 58-year-old cannot do both simultaneously, the Hammers could be forced into making a change just a few months into the season, and one name that has emerged is an ex-West Ham player, who made 154 appearances for the club, scoring six goals and providing four assists.

A potential option to replace Lopetegui

According to reports from The Express, one managerial option for West Ham could be Middlesbrough manager, and ex-Hammers player, Michael Carrick.

Tom Cleverly has praised Carrick, stating he “oozes class” in an interview, and this could be the exact modern manager type West Ham fans could get behind during this process.

The 43-year-old left West Ham back in 2004, joining London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, before he made his move to Manchester United, becoming a legend there. But now in his early managerial career, Carrick led Middlesbrough to eighth in the Championship last season, winning 20 games, drawing nine, and losing 17.

But it isn’t the English managers’ record that makes him an exciting option. Instead, it is the style he is implementing so early on in his career to great success, often setting up in a 4-2-3-1 on paper, but platforming his side in several ways, both in and out of possession, to achieve different things.

Much like many of the elite modern managers, the Boro boss’ team build up from goal kicks in a 4-2-4 formation, often with the nominal back four across the back, a double pivot in the middle, two high and wide wingers, and the striker + number ten centrally, forming that box shape with the two pivot players.

When they progress further up the pitch, Carrick’s team form that common 3-2-5 shape, which we are seeing many replicate in the modern game. One of the full-backs will be on the more attacking side, providing width, allowing the winger on that same side to drift inside, alongside the number ten, to create a line of four behind the striker to form that front five.

This means the other full-back stays slightly more disciplined, almost as a wide central defender, in order to keep three in that first line, with the double pivot staying in front of the back three, forming that 3-2-5 shape.

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How Carrick could revitalise Kudus

One man the former Irons star could get the best out of, is Mohammed Kudus, a player who has started this new campaign under Lopetegui in a much slower fashion than he did last season for Moyes.

In the 2023/24 campaign, Kudus netted 14 goals in 45 appearances, whilst this season, the 24-year-old has only netted twice in his first ten outings.

But if Carrick was to take over, the Ghanaian would have a slightly freer role, with the ability to drift centrally from the wing, getting himself into more areas to unleash that deadly left-footed strike of his, carry the ball into the box, and threaten the opposition in a variety of ways.

Allowing the 24-year-old to use that high volume of shooting, get in and around the box more often, and create chances for himself and others (shown by his 3.62 shot-creating actions per 90), it would not only get the best out of him but also many other forwards for his team.

Kudus is just one player Carrick’s appointment could get the best out of, and if Lopetegui is to be replaced, the West Ham board would definitely be looking at a brilliant option with plenty of potential.

West Ham must sack Lopetegui to appoint manager who's a "class act"

Lopetegui could be in trouble, and West Ham must appoint “class act” 4-3-3 head coach as a replacement.

By
Connor Holden

Oct 21, 2024