Crystal Palace: Fans react to home shirt update

Crystal Palace confirmed on Monday that stock for the 2021/22 Eagles home shirt will be arriving this week.

And a number of Selhurst Park supporters were quick to flock to the official news on social media.

Palace wore their home strip against Leicester City on Sunday, coming from two goals down to take a point thanks to second-half goals from Michael Olise and Jeffrey Schlupp.

There appears to have been a shortage of stock for fans to pick up a home shirt, with Palace providing an update in September regarding the delay.

However, that is now set to be resolved. Palace revealed on their official Twitter page that stock is arriving in-store this week and presumably sent out in the post for fans who pre-ordered the kit before October 3.

Palace fans react

This is what these Palace supporters had to say in reply to the official post, with many happy and one labelling it as ‘great news’.

“Finally I’ve been waiting months to get the home kit!”

Credit: @alex_westry

“Anyone excited”

Credit: @JoWillis28215

“Whayyyy finally”

Credit: @bradhcpfc

“Nice”

Credit: @englund_elias

“great news”

Credit: @busboy67

“Finally! Only ordered it at the start of august!!”

Credit: @JoeThompson95

In other news: ‘I was told’ – Sky Sports journalist makes huge claim about £18m-rated Crystal Palace gem. 

Rangnick must unleash Diogo Dalot v Norwich

Manchester United will be aiming to maintain their five-game unbeaten run in all competition when they travel to Carrow Road to take on Norwich City in their Premier League clash this evening.

Ralf Rangnick’s charges have steadied what appeared to be a fast-sinking ship in recent weeks, securing their place in the Champions League knockout stages before closing the gap to the Premier League’s top four to just three points.

The new interim manager may have only had a handful of training sessions and two matches to work with his team, but the outline of his desired style of play has been clear for all to see.

In his first game in charge against Crystal Palace, the Red Devils won back possession a grand total of 12 times in the final third of the pitch – a record number not only for this season but since Opta began recording such data.

That figure clearly highlights how Rangnick wants his team to press, and the coherent 4-2-2-2 formation also proved effective in stopping opposition counter-attacks, with United recording their first home clean sheet in the top flight since March.

Central to the Red Devils’ success in both aspects of their play has been the use of their full-backs.

In Rangnick’s preferred setup, both the left-back and right-back are required to play high and wide, providing the width and attacking intent down the flanks, allowing the wingers to become inside forwards and wreak havoc centrally.

Against Palace, Diogo Dalot did that to great effect. Throughout the 90 minutes, the Portugal defender put in three crosses, attempted two dribbles, completed one key pass and had a whopping 73 touches of the ball, as per SofaScore.

His performance finally showcased his true potential to the United faithful following a frustrating few months, but the signs of his quality were there for all to see.

Dalot excelled during a season-long loan as Italian giants AC Milan last term, making 34 appearances for Stefano Piolo’s side in all competitions, leading to the tactician claiming that the 22-year-old could become a “complete player” in the future.

The £9m-rated gem is now beginning to put in similar displays at his parent club, and with first-choice right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka potentially out injured, it could be Dalot’s time to shine.

After his promising showing against Palace and the blow of Wan-Bissaka’s fitness setback, Rangnick must unleash Dalot once again for the tricky test at Norwich, providing him with another opportunity to illustrate his credentials on the big stage.

In other news… Big blow: Man Utd suffer late selection setback ahead of this evening, Rangnick will be gutted

Tottenham: Conte forward plans take twist

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte may now be faced with a big transfer decision this summer as he sets his sights on a key summer signing.

The Lowdown: Conte set for meeting…

The Italian, as he seeks to build upon Spurs’ promising end to 2021/2022. will reportedly demand sufficient backing this summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Reliable journalist Matt Law of The Telegraph, sharing news in mid-week, claims that the former Chelsea boss is set to demand as many as six fresh faces in the next window.

The 52-year-old, according to Law’s information, has his sights on a reserve goalkeeper, centre-back, right wing-back, two midfielders and a forward.

Conte is also set for crunch talks over transfers with chairman Daniel Levy and managing director Fabio Paratici, but if he wants to seal the major signing of a forward, it is believed he will have a big decision to make – potentially involving Steven Bergwijn.

The Latest: Conte may have to sell Bergwijn…

As per The Telegraph, Tottenham’s homegrown quota presents a complication to Conte’s transfer plans, so much so that Law states he is ‘likely to need to offload’ one of Bergwijn or Lucas Moura if he wishes to seal the signing of an overseas forward.

Indeed, if the head coach wants to sign a back-up for star man Harry Kane, he may now have to part company with Lucas or Bergwijn – with Conte calling the latter man ‘important’.

The Verdict: Big decision…

Deciding which player out of Bergwijn or Lucas to sell could be a tough decision, especially considering both men have their merits as back-up stars.

The latter man enjoyed some brilliant outings for Spurs earlier in 2021/2022, coming as a real regular until the last couple of months, meanwhile the same can be said of Bergwijn.

Tottenham’s international winger most notably won an away game at Leicester single-handed, turning the 2-1 score line on it’s head with an added time brace and clinching a 3-2 victory for Conte at the King Power Stadium.

What separates them, we believe, is age as Lucas slowly enters the twilight phase of his career at 29-years-old, while Bergwijn still has plenty of years left at 24.

If Conte wants to sign a new striker, parting company with the Brazilian over Bergwijn could be his best bet.

Called a ‘big-game monster’ for ex-Spurs boss Jose Mourinho, Conte’s versatile attacker may well still have a part to play.

In other news: Tottenham in pole position to sign ‘unreal’ 6 foot 3 powerhouse for Conte, find out more here.

West Ham join race for DCL

West Ham United have reportedly joined the race to sign Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin with the Hammers in desperate need of reinforcements up front.

What’s the story?

According to The Sun, West Ham are looking to purchase the England striker after David Moyes was alerted that the Toffees may be forced to sell their prized asset to regain funds after years of over-spending.

However, the report suggests that the Hammers would have to pay their Premier League rivals £60m in order to lure the 24-year-old to east London, a fee that Moyes’ side wouldn’t be able to currently afford.

Although, if the price tag changes, the Irons will jump to the front of the queue in an attempt to sign the striker.

Calvert-Lewin’s season has been halted by a toe injury that has limited the Englishman to just six Premier League appearances this season, with the striker only recently returning from a three-month spell on the sidelines.

Despite his lay-off, the Evertonian is still one of England’s hottest talents and has the potential to evolve into a Premier League great.

West Ham must swoop for Calvert-Lewin

Granted, the price tag is steep, but Calvert-Lewin could prove to be exactly what West Ham are missing.

David Moyes has one senior striker in his squad in Michail Antonio, who has blown hot and cold this campaign. The Jamaica international has scored eight league goals this campaign, however, five of them came in the first six games of the Premier League season.

Those sorts of numbers aren’t reliable for a side aiming to secure Champions League qualification, particularly if the player in question is the only one of his position in the squad.

Moreover, should Antonio miss a run of games through injury or suspension before the end of the season, the Hammers would suddenly be faced with a major predicament.

Prior to Calvert-Lewin’s injury, the 24-year-old also started the 2021/22 campaign in red hot form, scoring in all three of the Toffees’ opening games.

The striker has played three full games since returning from injury, with fitness still being regained slowly, and is yet to score.

Last season really saw the Englishman, described as a “special talent” by a former youth coach, come of age. The striker netted 21 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions, scoring once every 157.8 minutes. Evidently, that is considerably better than Antonio who is rather less potent.

It also saw Calvert-Lewin make an impact on the international stage, scoring on his senior England debut in a 3-0 romp of Wales. The striker went on to receive another ten caps, appearing off of the bench at the European Championship twice.

Rated at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, £60m is arguably a steep price for the Hammers to pay. However, if they were to pay it and secure a top-four finish with the help of the striker, West Hams would believe the deal to be worth every single penny.

Meanwhile, West Ham target is made available for sale…

Leeds: Graham Smyth gives Raphinha update

Bayern Munich have not yet expressed an interest in signing Leeds United winger Raphinha in the January transfer window, according to journalist Graham Smyth.

The Lowdown: Bayern linked with Raphinha move

The Whites received a potential blow earlier in the week, with the Brazilian strongly linked with a January switch to Bayern after the European giants saw him as a strong option to sign.

Raphinha has surely been Leeds’ best player so far this season, scoring eight goals in 16 Premier League appearances, so the thought of losing him midway through the campaign is a worrying one.

Fortunately, a more positive update has now emerged regarding the 25-year-old’s future.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Smyth provides encouraging update

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Smyth, the rumour of an imminent move to Germany is wide of the mark, with Bayern ‘yet to make any interest known’ to Leeds regarding a potential transfer for the Brazilian.

It is stated that the Whites may need to sell players in January to generate funds for new signings, but it is also mentioned that selling Raphinha would ‘make next to no sense’.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-29/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Can’t afford to lose him

With key figures such as Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford both plagued by injury this season, Raphinha’s importance to Marcelo Bielsa’s side is going to be greater than ever throughout the rest of the campaign.

Leeds are threatening to become embroiled in a relegation fight in the Premier League, so allowing arguably their best player to leave would be asking for trouble.

It could be that Raphinha demands to move on at the end of the season, but for now, it makes complete sense for the Whites to ignore any other club’s advances and try to persuade the 25-year-old to commit to the Leeds cause for another few months at least, especially when they badly need him.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly still interested in signing one player. Find out who it is here.

West Brom hopeful of signing Stefan Johansen and Aboubakar Kamara in double deal

[ad_pod ]According to Bleacher Report Football Insider Dean Jones on his Twitter account, West Brom are hopeful of securing a double deal for Fulham pair Stefan Johansen and Aboubakar Kamara, who both look surplus to requirements at Craven Cottage following the Londoners’ huge summer spending spree.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Dean Jones of Bleacher Report states that the promotion-chasing Baggies are keen to wrap up a deal for Norwegian international midfielder Johansen, who played a huge role in helping Fulham win promotion via the play-offs last season.

The 28-year-old recorded eight goals and nine assists, as per Transfermarkt, as Slavisa Jokanovic’s Fulham impressed in the second tier last year, with Johansen a huge player in the engine room of the now-departed manager’s team.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

However, since the club spent almost £100m on new faces in the summer (as per the BBC), including huge competition for Johansen in Jean Michael Seri and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, the Norwegian has made just four league starts.

In Kamara’s case, he had been more involved under new boss Claudio Ranieri, scoring three goals in five league games, but his unbelievably poor disciplinary problems have led him to the exit door – he has even been arrested recently, as reported by The Daily Mail.

Would they be good signings for West Brom?

Undoubtedly so. Darren Moore could do with a few new faces this month having lost in-form Harvey Barnes back to his parent club Leicester, as reported by the BBC. The Midlands-based side have also lost Oliver Burke to Celtic on a loan deal (as per the BBC), whilst Bakary Sako looks set to move back to Crystal Palace (as reported by The Guardian’s Dominic Fifield).

The Fulham duo have fantastic Championship experience, and have the know-how of two players who have enjoyed a successful promotion campaign, so their input both on and off the field could be vital to Moore, who could do with some fresh impetus.

LFC’s best 3 players vs Atletico

Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip were all in impressive form on Tuesday as Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 in the Champions League.

The Reds travelled to Madrid for arguably the hardest game of their group and started fantastically as they went 2-0 up, before Los Rojiblancos pegged them back. Salah stepped up to bag the winner and a huge three points, and here we look at the Reds’ best players from a statistical point of view (via Sofascore).

Mohamed Salah

What else is there to say about Salah that hasn’t already been said? There have been suggestions recently that the Egypt international is the best player in the world (The Guardian), and his performance at the Wanda Metropolitano only boosted that claim.

Along with his two goals, he took 42 touches, completed 75 per cent of his attempted dribbles and provided one key pass, finishing as Sofascore’s man of the match with an 8.2 rating despite winning just three of his nine duels.

Virgil van Dijk

While Salah may be the best player in the world, van Dijk is arguably the best centre-half on the planet, at least according to Jurgen Klopp.

The Reds did concede twice on Tuesday, but that was hardly down to the display of the 30-year-old – making 83 touches, he won all of the five duels he took part in and also completed 93 per cent of his attempted passes.

Sofascore awarded him a 7.1 match score, with two clearances and three interceptions showing his defensive prowess.

Joel Matip

Matip has evolved into Klopp’s permanent first-choice partner for van Dijk, and he repaid that faith in Madrid, racking up a 7.0 rating from Sofascore as he got on the ball 84 times.

His 95 per cent passing accuracy was the joint-most of all outfield players to start the game, along with Fabinho, and he won all but one of his own eight duels.

The two clearances, interceptions and tackles he completed only consolidate his presence amongst the best performers for Klopp’s side.

In other news, Liverpool fans were not too happy with this former player’s comments.

Wolves fans on January transfer plans

Many Wolves fans have been left fuming over some news which has emerged involving their January transfer plans.

As per The Daily Mirror, the club have no plans to spend significantly in the upcoming transfer window, despite pleas from Bruno Lage to do so.

The Wolves manager wants to bring in at least three new faces, but Fosun are not likely to grant him any major funds.

That is because the owners want to make the club self-funding and are mindful of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.

Wolves do not have a particularly big squad and also have plenty of injuries, so it would be strange if Fosun do not dig deep into their pockets in order to help Lage, otherwise his squad could be depleted even further.

Wolves fans on transfer news

These Wanderers fans were left fuming as the news on their January transfer plans was shared by Talking Wolves on their Twitter page:

“#FosunOut”

Credit: @Gary_Poynton

“So short-sighted. Tell the fans one thing and do another”

Credit: @Ianph61

“Long may the pain continue”

Credit: @ChriWoodward

“We will be relegated next season if the squad is not improved in the next 2 windows. Heard it here first!”

Credit: @aimstocks2021

“Spend bottom half, get bottom half”

Credit: @Ashley19345299

“Really? Surely they won’t let him down again.”

Credit: @WolvesFirst

In other news, one Wolves player’s pre-Liverpool comments went down well with many supporters

Everton: Fans react to David Neres link

Everton are interested in Ajax winger David Neres, according to French outlet Jeunes Footeux. 

The Blues are rivalling fellow Premier League side Newcastle United and Ligue 1 outfit Lyon in the race for his signature. The latter view him as a potential upgrade on former Liverpool winger Xherdan Shaqiri, who has only managed one goal and two assists so far this season.

They may pursue Neres, who is valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, on loan with an option to buy.

Why might Everton want Neres?

Neres has only started three of Ajax’s 18 Eredivisie matches so far this season, and in that context, his return of five direct goal contributions (three goals, two assists) is actually quite good. He has also found the net in the Champions League, helping Ajax to a 4-2 victory over Sporting Lisbon in their final group stage match.

In the 2018/19 team which reached the semi-finals of the competition, Neres showed what he was capable of producing, scoring 12 goals and setting up 15 more.

Everton, Lyon and Newcastle may be confident that they can unlock those levels from the seven-cap Brazil international, who’s still just 24 years old.

Fan feed The Toffee Blues relayed the report, and here’s what these supporters had to say about the Brazilian “prince”, with one calling for national team colleague Richarlison to try and entice him to Goodison Park.

These Everton fans swoon over Neres link

“Agent Richarlison, have a word with him”

Credit: @CrazyCraven01

“This would be incredible”

Credit: @Everton_1234

“How have I seen people say no to this, he’d be one of our biggest goal threats instantly. Not saying a lot but still”

Credit: @BibahkV

“Yes”

Credit: @KryptoKing_5L

“Please”

Credit: @Shaunooo12

“One day you’ll be at Goodison my sweet prince”

Credit: @_adamefc_

In other news, many Everton fans were buzzing over this Serie A link

Ferdinand’s Leeds exit worth £132.5m today

Leeds United would’ve raked in a whopping £132.5m in today’s money, according to The Athletic.

This has been revealed in a new study conducted by football finance experts Kieran Maguire and Jason Laws, who have developed an inflation calculator which adjusts based on revenue increases in the English game over time.

In 2002, a pint of beer would’ve set you back around £2, but in 2022, you’d be lucky to spend less than £4. Similarly, a loaf of white bread cost around 50p two decades ago – now it exceeds the £1 mark.

But calculating football fees based on the country’s inflation (2.8% per year) isn’t enough as it doesn’t account for TV deals and other revenue streams – for example, the Premier League signed a new deal for 2022-25 worth £5.1bn for their domestic rights alone.

Ferdinand departed Elland Road for a world-record fee for a defender of £30m in July 2002, joining Manchester United, where he would go onto win six league titles and one Champions League, amongst other feats.

Using Maguire and Laws’ metrics, if the BT Sport pundit were sold in the modern day, the Yorkshire giants would’ve earned a whopping £132.5m, which would eclipse the current records for English and defensive transfers.

In the summer, Manchester City splashed a British-record £100m on Jack Grealish, whilst no defender across the globe has cost more than the £80m that the Red Devils paid for Harry Maguire in 2019.

Ferdinand’s departure was met with quite an uproar at the time, understandably so given that he joined one of the Whites’ biggest rivals at the time, following in the footsteps of Eric Cantona, about whom many at the Yorkshire club were still very bitter.

When the former England centre-back knew of interest from Sir Alex Ferguson – who would go onto laud him as “phenomenal” – and co, he sat in then-Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale’s office for six hours to thrash out an exit.

“At Leeds I went and sat in Mr. Ridsdale’s office and just sat there and waited for about five, six hours and said I’m not going until you sort out the deal for me to go to Man Utd,” he revealed to BT Sport (via The Mirror.

“I didn’t go public, I didn’t need to go. We got to a compromise, we got to a situation where he felt he was getting the right part of the deal and I got my opportunity to go to Man Utd.

“But I was adamant I wanted to go because that was the right time and the right move for me.”

United’s initial offer started at £22m for the towering colossus before Ridsdale managed to eke out a further £8m, which in the eyes of some around Elland Road was still not enough for such a crucial player.

There’s no doubt that his transfer to the red side of Manchester contributed to the undeniable furore which exits between the two bitter rivals but, upon reflection, it’s a deal which turned out to be worth its weight in gold.

AND in other news, Forget Raphinha: Marsch heading for big Leeds nightmare over £42m-rated “rare talent”…

Game
Register
Service
Bonus