All posts by n8rngtd.top

According to La Voix du Nord, Glasgow Rangers have turned down a bid from Lille for Alfredo Morelos.

The Colombia international has been strongly linked with a move to Lille, and has even been said to have agreed personal terms with the Ligue 1 outfit.

No accord between the two clubs has yet been found, though, and this report states that the Gers have rejected a bid worth €15m (£13.5m) for their star striker – they say the Ibrox side are not satisfied with what has been put on the table.

This is a transfer saga that continues to rumble on and, with just under two months of the transfer window left, the speculation is unlikely to go away any time soon. Lille looked like a good option, but the imminent signing of Jonathan David, as well as their Financial Fair Play issues, means that Morelos’ future is now far from certain.

The Gers are said to be looking for £20m, and this offer from Les Dogues is nowhere near that sum. Following the 24-year-old’s brace against St. Mirren on Sunday, it doesn’t look like Morelos is pushing for a move, which does leave the Gers in a strong position. Even if Lille drop out, though, it is unlikely that there will be a lack of interest from other quarters between now and the first week in October.

Let us know what you think below!

Key Information about Cardiff City Stadium

The Cardiff City Stadium is one of the newest football grounds built in the United Kingdom. It was opened on 22 July 2009 for Welsh football club Cardiff City, as well as for the Welsh national football team.

After the Millennium Stadium, it is the second-largest stadium in Wales and it comprises four notable stands; the Canton Stand, the Ninian Stand, the Grange Stand, and The Grandstand. Following the expansion of the Ninian Stand in the summer of 2014, Cardiff City Stadium now officially holds an all-seated capacity of 33,280.

A history of Cardiff City Stadium

The ground first gained public approval after a meeting between former club owner Sam Hammam and then Cardiff Lord Mayow Russell Goodway at the start of 2002. Though, after many years of financial struggles and losses, construction on the ground did not commence until 2007 when the plans were altered to allow construction to begin as soon as possible, and to minimise costs, the club decided to reduce the proposed 30,000 capacity by 5,000 by removing three-quarters of the second tier of seating with plans to expand in the future possible. The Cardiff City Stadium was finally completed in May 2009, having missed the previous opening deadline of Christmas 2008.

The ground was unveiled as the Cardiff City Stadium earlier in March after Hammam agreed to sell the stadium’s naming rights to Swiss-based financiers Langston. Cardiff City Stadium officially opened to the football club on 22 July 2009 as it welcomed a pre-season friendly match against Celtic which ended in a 0-0 draw. The first Football League game was played on 8 August as Cardiff thrashed Scunthorpe United 4-0. Wales played their first international football match on 14 November 2009 which they triumphed against Scotland, 3-0.

In the summer of 2012, new Malaysian co-owner of Cardiff City Vincent Tan, set out plans to upgrade the stadium’s capacity by 8,000 seats with a £12m investment. The following year it was announced that the ground could be expanded up to 35,000 in time for the 2014-15 season.

Planning permission by the local council was granted in 2013 to add a second tier to the Ninian Stand which would increase the stadium’s capacity to 33,280, in addition to brand new commercial and hospitality facilities for around 1,500 people. On 1 June 2017, Cardiff City Stadium famously hosted the final of the 2016-17 UEFA Women’s Champions League. The record attendance for Cardiff City was set during a Premier League match against Liverpool in April 2019 – this was a massive 33,082.

Tickets to Watch Cardiff City at Cardiff City Stadium

General adult ticket prices start from just £17, with seniors (60+) from £13, 16-21s from £10, and juniors (under-16s) from just £7. Season tickets can be purchased for just £299 for adults and £79 for juniors. All tickets are available to purchase in person at the Cardiff City Stadium Ticket Office, over the phone, or online through the club site.

Related Links

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Cardiff City

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/tickets/ – Cardiff City Ticket Office

Liverpool will be offering Adam Lallana a ‘mini extension’ with the club which will see him eligible to play theÂremaining Premier League fixtures.

According to Paul Joyce, long-time serving veteran Lallana will be departing the club this summer after a troublesome career in red. However, despite his many injury problems, Jurgen Klopp sees the 32-year-old as a vital part of this Liverpool side.

The Englishman will pen a new deal, seeing him stay with the club long enough to feature in the remaining league games this season and ultimately share in Liverpool’s inevitable domestic success.

Lallana has been with the club for six years after Brendan Rodgers signed him from Southampton in 2014 (via BBC Sport). Since then, he has made 178 appearances for the Reds and has contributed 22 goals and 22 assists (via Transfermarkt).

Liverpool fans are in agreement that the midfielder should stay until the end of the season and believe he deserves to enjoy the title win as much as any other senior player given his efforts down the years, including this term where he has made 15 league appearances and scored one goal – a vital equaliser against Manchester United (Transfermarkt).

One supporter has commented on Joyce’s update saying ‘Klopp is too good’ as they laud the manager for his decision to see Lallana involved in the celebrations.

How do you feel about Lallana’s ‘mini contract extension’, Reds? Join the discussion in the comments below!

Mario Balotelli just didn’t seem to have what it takes to succeed at Liverpool.

The Italy international joined the Reds on the back of a spell at AC Milan in 2014, where he had managed 30 goals in 54 matches. It wasn’t his first spell in the Premier League, with him previously having spent time with Manchester City, and his performances back in his homeland indicated he may be ready to prove exactly why there was so much hype about him as a youngster.

However, it wasn’t to be at Anfield. He managed just four goals in 28 matches for the club, and he was out of the door on loan in August 2015, returning to Milan. By the time he rocked up again in Merseyside, Jurgen Klopp was the manager, and according to The Athletic, the 29-year-old was desperate to impress the new boss. However, the decision had already been made for him to depart permanently, and he joined Nice.

Twitter page Anfield Edition picked up on this latest report, and it is fair to say fans are unhappy with Klopp for moving him on without giving him a chance, one even said it was “very sad.”

Many took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments below.

Let us know what you think!

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…

The topic of Phil Foden’s development is a relentless sub-plot at Manchester City which isn’t going away anytime soon.

What’s the word?

Pep Guardiola’s team selection comes under scrutiny from hoards of Twitter experts who clearly know better than the most talented football manager of a generation, with Foden’s exclusion regularly depicted as some kind of moral injustice on the 18-year-old.

But there is clearly a more complicated situation to unpick than what the “experts” would lead you to believe.

Foden is, after all, just 18. He’s just about old enough to drive a car and legally purchase a pin, yet there are many who expect him to start regularly for one of the most successful football teams in recent history.

It’s a topic that divides neutral fans, frustrates City fans and ultimately points towards the level of potential the Stockport-born midfielder has.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Shaun Goater was asked about the Citizens’ plan to replace David Silva and what his exit could mean for Foden, and he appeared to suggest that there could be more frustration on the horizon for the neutrals.

“I think City will still look to get a quality player but Phil Foden will still get more minutes. My thinking and understanding from when I observe Pep is for players to come in and push the team, not be the same.

“I think that’s what is expected of Phil – to take the team to the next level. Whenever Phil has come on, he’s looked very confident, it looks as though he’s comfortable at this level.

“Everyone is saying he’s good enough so he should be in there. But I have this thought that Pep is asking a different question: can he take us to another level at this moment in time?”

Guardiola’s immense standards

The question of whether Foden can take the club to another level is an intriguing one. Clearly Guardiola is not willing to integrate youth merely to appease supporters. If he is going to include a player in his starting XI, they ought to have justified their place.

While the 18-year-old is clearly immensely talented and capable of holding his own at the top level, he is not going to seamlessly complete a transition into the senior squad if he isn’t going to offer an upgrade on the quality offered by the likes of Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Ilkay Gundogan.

The reality is that there are a finite number of places for Guardiola to fill from a pool of immensely gifted central-midfielders, and until the England youth international showcases a level of quality that transcends what the aforementioned quartet can offer, he will continue to fight for scraps of involvement.

The silver lining is that Guardiola’s firm stance should, theoretically, prove to be enormously beneficial to Foden’s long-term development.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Although Aston Villa’s start to the 2019/20 campaign has seen the newly-promoted side collect just three wins from their first 12 league games, the form of midfielder John McGinn is reportedly attracting the interest of Manchester United.

Since arriving from Hibernian in 2018, McGinn has played a crucial role for Dean Smith’s side, earning both the players and fans’ Player of the Year accolade in their promotion-winning season from the Championship.

Yet whilst the West Midlands outfit will have been pleased with the undeniable impact the Scotsman has had in transforming their domestic fortunes, this has sparked interest from 13-time Premier League champions Manchester United, according to reports from ESPN.

United had expressed an interest in McGinn during the summer transfer window, as reported by The Sun, but the Red Devils could test the resolve of Villa owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris with an offer in January.

If the bid matches the £50m fee that was touted in the summer, this would represent a considerable profit for Villa on the £2.7m they shelled out to Hibernian in January 2018, but selling such an important player in Smith’s squad would unquestionably undermine the ambitions that the billionaire duo have – and impact the club’s chances of top flight survival this season. 

With United having scored just 16 league goals so far this season – less than Burnley – a move for McGinn would provide attacking impetus to the club’s frontline, the 25-year-old having scored 10 goals whilst registering 11 assists since arriving at Villa Park, but in turn would take away from Villa’s. They’ve only netted once more than United in the top flight, and McGinn is their second-top scorer after summer signing Wesley. 

There can be no doubting that the Scotsman possesses the ability and talent to make it at a top-six club, but it is essential that McGinn is retained even if the offers appear tempting to the Villa hierarchy. Losing him mid-season will inevitably reduce the Birmingham outfit’s chances of survival.

Arsenal head into Sunday’s clash against Leicester City having won just four of their first 11 league fixtures, and Unai Emery will be faced with a number of key decisions for the game against the Foxes. 

The Gunners have been hit with the news that Dani Ceballos is set to be out with a hamstring injury, and Emery will have to juggle his midfield to cope with the Spaniard’s absence.

The north London side will come up against Brendan Rodgers’ side just two weeks after they equalled the Premier League record for a winning margin, and on the basis of current form, Rodgers’ side will be heavy favourites for the encounter at the King Power.

With pressure mounting on Emery and reports surfacing of the Spaniard having just one month to save his job, this is a crucial game and this is a potential XI that could line up in the 5.30 pm kick-off on Saturday.

Emery is likely to start the central defensive pairing of David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, whilst opting for the wing-backs of Kieran Tierney and Calum Chambers.

In Ceballos’ absence, Mesut Ozil could earn a start despite the ongoing distrust from his manager for him to deliver in certain types of games, with the 31-year-old likely to start alongside Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi.

Arsenal’s front three picks itself on the basis of Nicolas Pepe, Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s quality, and the Gunners attacking trio will be hoping to inflict damage on a Leicester backline who have conceded just eight league goals – the joint-lowest of any Premier League side so far this season.

This side sees as many as eight changes from the side that drew with Vitoria.

The pressure is really beginning to crank up on Unai Emery.Arsenal started the season quite well, winning their first two Premier League games of the season against Newcastle and Burnley, but they have now won just two of their last eight matches in the competition.They were even 2-0 up against Crystal Palace, but they contrived to draw 2-2, which is exactly what happened against Watford as well.Watch the moment Granit Xhaka’s Arsenal career may have come to an ugly end in the video below…The Granit Xhaka incident versus the Eagles will have done him no favours either and, as such, many Gunners fans want Emery out of the door as soon as possible.They have also been talking about who they want to replace him, and it seems Ajax boss Erik ten Hag is a popular choice. The 49-year-old led de Godenzonen to the Champions League semi-finals last term and also won the Eredivisie.The Emirates Stadium faithful have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts. You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Nicolas Pepe grabbed plenty of headlines against Sheffield United for all the wrong reasons.

The Arsenal winger, signed for a staggering £72m in the summer, missed a gilt-edged chance in the first-half, failing to connect properly with a cross from just a few yards out.

The Blades subsequently took the lead through Lys Mousset and held on to take all three points at Bramall Lane; Pepe’s miss, then, was intrinsic to the fabric of the game and to United’s victory.

However, the statistics of the game paint a rather different picture.

Pepe had a total of 72 touches throughout the game – one for every million pounds he set the Gunners back – and registered three shots on goal, with only one on target.

He also had five successful dribbles, the joint-highest of either team and recorded a passing accuracy of 89% from 35 passes.

He won two aerial duels, made five tackles and also registered one key pass.

This is a prime example of a player who actually turned in an effective, assiduous performance but made one major mistake, which is likely to colour perceptions of his display.

Pepe’s miss was, of course, execrable but he got on the ball and constantly looked to make something happen.

It is impressive that the Ivory Coast international did not hide following his difficult moment and continually attempted to beat his man and hit the back of the net.

That he failed, of course, is not ideal but one has to believe that, soon enough, the ball will hit the back of the net and Pepe will get the reward his display on Monday deserved.

Despite Newcastle’s many defensive frailties evident in their big losses to the likes of Norwich and Leicester City this season, Fabian Schar seemingly retains the support of supporters online.

The Swiss defender has been a mainstay in the Newcastle side for the past two seasons, even being linked to an array of top-flight clubs including Arsenal and Tottenham according to the Mirror.

Schar’s defensive ability is only complimented by his contribution going forward, with WhoScored.com outlining his five goals in two seasons for the Magpies – including being awarded an impressive seven Man of the Match awards in that time.

Although Steve Bruce’s men have leaked 13 goals already this season, Schar leads the way in terms of interceptions per game this season, so is clearly making an impact on Tyneside.

The 27-year-old, who is valued at £10.8 million (as per Transfermarkt), is also performing on the international front for his country, helping to spearhead a Euro 2020 qualification race where Switzerland are only four points off a top-two spot with a game in hand.

Understandably, some Newcastle fans have been praising the defender whilst debating over the best assets of the squad.