All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Leeds’ Patrick Bamford could reignite his form this weekend

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Patrick Bamford hasn’t scored for nine league games now.

The striker must be feeling bereft of confidence after his latest goal drought, but it only takes one strike to reignite his form, and this weekend represents a great chance for the forward to get back amongst the goals.

QPR’s defending

While playing against the eighth-placed team in the Championship may represent a real challenge for Leeds United it shouldn’t be too hard for them to get amongst the goals.

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The London club have conceded more strikes than any other team in the Championship barring Barnsley.

While their attack may cause Leeds some problems, the Whites shouldn’t have any issues when it comes to creating chances and having attempts on goal.

Bamford’s chance

The chief complaint about Bamford is that he needs a bagful of opportunities before he eventually puts one in the net, fortunately, he’s likely to get those chances against the Rs.

We mastered the trick in the video below in 8 attempts… could you do better?

Indeed, QPR have allowed 14 shots on target in their last two league games, and with the number of chances Leeds create they should be able to pepper the goal with shots.

This really does represent an opportunity for Bamford to find the net and kick start a revival for his season. After all, he fashions as many as 3.2 shots on goal per game.

The former Middlesbrough striker is massively a form player, just look at the start of this season where he scored four in his first five league games. Since then he’s not found the net.

If he can hit the net with one of the shots he is inevitably going to get against QPR that could be the catalyst for a good goalscoring run heading into a season-defining portion of the Whites’ campaign.

Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa comes under fire following post-match comments

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Perhaps he could have chosen his words a little differently.

Speaking after the game, Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa spoke about how even though the scoreline might not reflect it, his side were the better team on the day:

“Each time we lose always I find few logical reasons to justify it. For me, it’s always a shame to explain why we lost. I think with 10 men we were better than them.”

Leeds fans were not having any of it, however.

They tore into the Argentinian for his comments, with many of them placing the blame for the defeat at his feet rather than that of the referee for sending off Gaetano Berardi in the first half.

One fan was annoyed with Bielsa’s excuses while he was also branded a lier by a further supporter. Another individual took issue with the possession-based game the Argentine insists on playing.

It’s been no secret that Leeds have struggled to put teams away this year either.

Even in victory, there have been occasions where they have multiple chances but only manage to get the one goal, such as the game against West Bromwich Albion, so these outbursts aren’t simply as a result of the loss to Millwall.

This sort of response has been coming for a long time, especially considering some of the angst he’s already taken in recent times.

Here’s what fans have been saying most recently.

Unsung Hero: Norwich City’s Kenny McLean continues to shine in midfield

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Norwich City earnt their first clean sheet of the season as they drew away to Bournemouth, with one player performing well at both ends for Daniel Farke’s side.

The point away at the Vitality Stadium was the Norfolk side’s first of the season, however, the club still sits in the bottom three (via BBC).

In a game of a decent number of shots, just three of them actually hit the target. The best chance for Norwich came in the second half when Aaron Ramsdale produced a fine stop to keep out Teemu Pukki.

Ibrahim Amadou proved a behemoth in defence for Farke’s side, clearing the ball 13 times out of the 33 Norwich managed in the game as he proved difficult to get past for Eddie Howe’s men.

Alex Tettey also put in a strong performance at both defensive midfield and centre-back as Ben Godfrey went off injured early on in the encounter. The midfielder showed his experience, having the third-highest pass completion rate for the Canaries.

However, it was Kenny McLean who was the man to fly under the radar for the Norfolk side, with the Scotland international a threat going forward and proving steady at the back.

The £2.25m-rated (per Transfermarkt) McLean had five of Norwich’s 10 shots at goal and won the most headers, made the second-most clearances and interceptions in an all-round midfield display (via WhoScored). His threat at both ends proved valiant as the club searched for their first clean sheet of the season.

The Pink Un agreed with these thoughts as they gave McLean a seven out of 10.

They said: “Skied over a late cutback from Todd Cantwell. Seemed to enjoy the extra insurance of having Alex Tettey alongside him. Could have no complaint at his booking.” (Source: Pink Un)

Norwich City fans, what did you make of McLean’s all-round performance? Let us know your thoughts!

Sheffield Wednesday fans blast Adam Reach for poor performance

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

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Sheffield Wednesday hosted an unexpectedly strong Everton side in the third round of the Carabao Cup at Hillsborough last night.

After a poor start to the season in the Premier League, Toffees boss Marco Silva decided against making any wholesale changes by opting for just a handful of changes.

One of which was Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who scored a brace in his 100th appearance in a Blues shirt as the Premier League side came away with a 2-0 victory.

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Wednesday should be buoyed by the fact they limited their top-flight opposition to just two goals all game and even recorded more shots than them in the match.

That’s even with Garry Monk making as many as eight changes to the side that drew with Fulham in the Championship on Saturday.

One player that kept his place was Adam Reach though it appears his performance has drawn vast criticism amongst several of the Owls fanbase.

“Woeful” and “bang average” were just two phrases used to describe his showing with one fan calling him the worst player on the pitch by far.

While another supporter believes the 26-year-old should be dropped for this weekend’s game against Middlesbrough.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

Leicester City: Islam Slimani the only success story among Foxes’ exiled men

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

In our Loan Watch feature, the Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a selection of players from a particular club are doing whilst they are away from their home and provide a brief update regarding their progress.

We continue this section after a two-week break from our last Leicester update. The Foxes currently have Adrien Silva, Islam Slimani, Rachid Ghezzal, Fousseni Diabate and Andy King out on loan. Now, we shall be reviewing all of them over the past week apart from Ghezzal as he has not featured since joining Fiorentina on deadline day.Islam SlimaniLet’s start with the positives.In the past week, Slimani has played just the one game after sitting out their match on the weekend versus Stade Reims – a scoreless draw. However, he was back in the starting line-up against Nice and he was able to help them record their first league win of the campaign in a 3-1 win.WhoScored’s algorithm scored him a rating of 7.7 as he managed to chip in with an assist as well as five shots. So far he has played four league matches, scored three goals and created one; he leads the average rating scores on WhoScored for the squad with a rating of 7.93/10.Adrien SilvaUnlike Slimani, Adrien Silva featured in the two games for Monaco in the past week, though he only started one of them.The Portuguese defensive midfielder played 85 minutes in their 0-0 draw with Stade Reims, picking up a rating of 6.5 in the match as well as one yellow card. He seemingly had a decent game, boasting a respectable successful pass percentage of 86% as well as making 56 passes, according to WhoScored. Defensively, he only recorded one tackle out of an attempted two and was dribbled past once, so there is room for improvement.He only played two minutes in Monaco’s 3-1 win over Nice.It’s been a pretty indifferent start for Silva, with the player averaging 6.52 (WhoScored) from his first five matches – the 10th-highest in the Monaco squad.Fousseni DiabateStaying in France and Ligue 1, Fousseni Diabate has made one appearance in the last week and took to the field in Amiens’ loss to Bordeaux last night, playing 53 minutes in a 1-3 loss, where he managed just one dribble.The winger started Saturday’s match versus FC Metz at left-wing, playing 67 minutes in their 2-1 away win.WhoScored gave him a rating of 6.7 for the match, equating to a pretty average game for the recent loanee. The pacey winger could only record two dribbles out of an attempted four, so no doubt he will be looking to improve that for next week.It’s not been a good start, but it’s only been three games. He has an average rating of 6.31 in them – the 17th-highest in the Amiens squad (WhoScored).VerdictIt’s been a pretty underwhelming start for Leicester’s loanees.Slimani is obviously showing signs of the player that Leicester bought from Sporting Lisbon, however, Silva and Diabate have made pretty slow starts.It’s still early days for the loanees and they will still be adjusting both to their environments and the tactics, but they will want to start improving soon if they are going to catch the eye of their full-time employers.Foxes fans, miss any of these players? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Liverpool’s kind schedule could be their worst enemy in title race

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Liverpool’s 0-0 draw against Bayern Munich on Tuesday showed signs that their relatively free schedule compared to Manchester City could be their downfall in the Premier League title race.

The Reds no longer feature in the FA Cup and won’t be playing in the Carabao Cup Final on Sunday because they were knocked out in the early rounds after fielding weakened sides. This could be a masterstroke because, as City find out regularly, fixture congestions test the depth and fitness of your squad, and Liverpool simply don’t have enough depth to deal with it.

However, at times the best way to recover from poor form or continue good form is to play quickly after it, something Liverpool won’t be able to do when FA Cup weekends crop up or they’re out of the Champions League, which could be the case considering the prospect of having to win at Bayern Munich. Their prioritisation could come back to bite them.

Jurgen Klopp’s men were warm-weather training in Marbella for a week prior to the Bayern game and when it came to the final pass or shot on Tuesday night, it looked like they thought they were still there. Liverpool were lacking the cutting edge we saw early this season and last season, as they have since the year turned quite frankly.

Yes, it’s important that in a title run-in players have chance to rest before their next match, but a week’s rest may be too much and could be even more detrimental than playing every three or four days. This is certainly the case when the extra games City are playing involve teams of much less quality like Rotherham, Burton, Swansea and even Schalke in the Champions League.

If City get past Schalke, they could face a much tougher draw in the next round and that will certainly test their ability to play across three competitions, as it will be by then. Liverpool’s position in the Champions League is less assured, but those who would prioritise the Premier League over Europe should hope Liverpool remain in the competition.

Without playing regularly, Liverpool could become lethargic as it looked in and around the box on Tuesday, so their weapon of prioritisation could become their own worst enemy in the title race.

Do you think Liverpool staying in the Champions League would help or hinder their Premier League title chances?

Tottenham fans are frustrated with club’s latest injury update

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

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On Tuesday afternoon, Tottenham Hotspur’s official Twitter account posted an injury update ahead of the Champions League clash with Olympiacos.

Indeed, Spurs will open their Group B campaign with a fixture against the Greek outfit on Wednesday night.

Juan Foyth – pencilled in to play some football at right-back this term – remains unavailable for selection due to an ankle injury that he picked up during preparations for the 2019/20 campaign.

Giovani Lo Celso, meanwhile, is only in the ‘early stages of rehabilitation’ from the hip problem that he suffered whilst representing Argentina earlier this month.

What’s more, fellow new arrival Ryan Sessegnon is still on the sidelines after irritating a previous hamstring problem, which will be a slight concern for the club.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And as expected, a number of the Tottenham fans have taken to social media to express their frustration at the injury situation.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Newcastle United eyeing Napoli’s Victor Osimhen

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Newcastle United are keen on signing Napoli striker Victor Osimhen in this final week of the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), Eddie Howe’s side have got “concrete” interest in signing the Nigeria international, and that if a sizeable offer does come in for him, then Napoli owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, would be willing to come to the table.

It is added that a deal in January would be difficult to do, but if that can’t be done, then it could well be set up for the summer.

He’s better than Callum Wilson

While Callum Wilson has certainly shown why Newcastle were keen to bring him in from Bournemouth a couple of seasons ago, his injury troubles haven’t meant that he hasn’t been able to feature week-in and week-out for the Magpies.

In the form of Osimhen, Howe would be getting an elite goal-scorer who has proven himself at the highest level with Napoli, both in the Serie A and in European competition too.

This campaign has seen him score nine goals in just 16 games for the Italian giants, including bagging four in just three Europa League group stage games – a couple of those coming away from home against Leicester to rescue a point for his team.

And, as per Whoscored, Osimhen also appears to be a far more complete striker than Wilson, averaging far more shots, key passes and dribbles per game this campaign, while his average match rating comfortably trumps that of the English ace.

Even back when he had just signed for Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, he had made an immediate impression on his coaches, with then manager Andries Jonker saying: “He has great potential in him. He is ambitious, quick and highly unpredictable, he will be a star in the future if he maintains his focus.”

But perhaps the biggest indication of why Osimhen may be the perfect signing for Newcastle is the way former Manchester United star and Nigeria teammate Odion Ighalo talked about him.

He said: “He’s the future, he’s going to do so well in football. I love him, he’s down to earth, he’s hard working, he has a future and he has the mentality of a winner, that’s what I love about him. He has that lion’s heart. I love him, I just want him to keep working hard the way he’s doing, he’s going to break so many records in Europe and Nigeria.”

 

With the Magpies well and truly in the battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season, getting someone with the mentality of Osimhen will help immensely.

The £54m-rated star would be a very exciting signing for the Magpies, and one that would be a real upgrade even on someone like Wilson.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are keen on a deal for this Ligue 1 star…it’s not Bruno

Newcastle had shocker with Kevin Mbabu

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Former Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez enjoyed a successful spell at St. James’ Park as he re-established the club in the top-flight.

He led the team to the Championship title in his first full season in charge of the Magpies before finishing tenth and 13th in his two Premier League campaigns respectively.

However, it was not all sunshine and rainbows with the ex-Liverpool boss as he also made some mistakes along the way…

Shocker

One player the Spanish head coach had a shocker with was right-back Kevin Mbabu as he decided to sell the defender to BSC Young Boys for a fee Transfermarkt claim to be just £108k in the summer of 2017, having been on loan to the Swiss outfit for the 2016/17 campaign.

He had spent four years on Tyneside as a youngster and only made five senior appearances, with three coming in the Premier League, before Benitez decided to wield his axe.

The full-back admitted that his exit from the club spurred him on to achieve his success, telling The Athletic last year: “When I left Newcastle, I had it in my head that, ‘I’m going to prove them all wrong, to show them it was a mistake to let me go’. That’s what I’ve been trying to do this whole time.”

Since moving on from St. James’ Park, he has certainly proven Benitez wrong. He made 56 league appearances for Young Boys and provided two goals and nine assists from right-back – earning himself a move to Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg in 2019.

Mbabu has played 78 matches for the German side to date and chipped in with three goals and five assists, playing 62 matches in the top-flight.

At the time of writing (28/03/22), Transfermarkt values Mbabu at a whopping £10.8m. This is an almighty 9,900% increase and suggests that the Magpies missed out on millions of pounds because they sold him too early into his career as he has been able to fulfil his potential and make huge strides as a defender.

They allowed a Bundesliga-quality player valued at over £10m to leave for a little over £100k and supporters will surely look back on that deal and wonder what could have been. Benitez, therefore, had a shocker as he did not give the full-back enough chances to showcase his quality and then sanctioned his sale far too early, with Mbabu now proving that it was the wrong decision.

AND in other news, NUFC now plotting move for “one of the best ever”, just imagine him and Burn…

Wolves fans fume at Adama Traore latest

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

A number of Wolves supporters are frustrated after Bruno Lage claimed Adama Traore would stay put at the club beyond the January transfer window.

Traore has had a curious Wanderers career in many ways, sometimes threatening to produce brilliance but too often flattering to deceive.

At 25, the hope was that the winger would have pushed on by now, becoming a more complete all-round player, but he is yet to register a goal or an assist this season.

Traore has been constantly linked with a move away from Molineux this month, with Tottenham seemingly emerging as the front-runners to sign him.

Lage has played down the exit rumours, however, according to The Express & Star‘s Liam Keen [via Talking Wolves on Twitter], saying he expects the Spaniard to be a Wolves player for the rest of the season.

Wolves fans fume at Traore update

These Wanderers fans have reacted negatively to the news on Twitter, with one admitting they are ‘gutted’.

“Where’s the dislike button?”

Credit: @MiniPizza99

“This guy just can’t leave”

Credit: @Attifooty

“And then leave on a free? At least take the £15m”

Credit: @KieDowles

“The pain will never end”

Credit: @alfiemorgannn

“I’m actually gutted!!”

Credit: @Ben1988Harvey

“If he’s not going to sign a contract then we need to sell him now really”

Credit: @Cameron__b_

In other news, some Wolves fans are delighted at a fresh transfer update. Read more here.