Declan Rice's controversial red card against Brighton has been explained by a VAR expert.
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Newcastle United have been given a potential boost following a piece of off-field news that has emerged regarding a "superb" player.
This summer promises to be a busy one at St James' Park, with new signings hopefully coming in to boost the squad while certain key players move on to pastures new.
In terms of possible additions, Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White has emerged as an option to come in, having stood out as one of his side's best players this season. Tottenham are also believed to be providing stiff competition, and the north Londoners could have the edge if they qualify for the Champions League.
Newcastle are also reportedly leading the race to sign highly rated Sporting CP centre-back Ousmane Diomande in the summer transfer window as Eddie Howe aims to strengthen his defence following long-term injuries to Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles.
Meanwhile, Juventus youngster Matias Soule is another possible target for the Magpies. Currently playing on loan at Frosinone this season, scoring 10 goals in 30 Serie A appearances, he has been compared to Lionel Messi in the past.
In terms of those who could leave Newcastle at the end of the season, the likes of Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson have all been linked with moves away in recent months, with the club no doubt desperate to keep hold of certain stars.
According to a fresh update from The Telegraph, Bruno Guimaraes has bought a new £4m home in Northumberland, hinting that he could be staying put at Newcastle this summer.
The report states that the Brazilian "has given the strongest indication yet that he intends to remain" at St James' moving forward, in what would act as a significant boost for the Magpies.
Bruno has to be seen as one of the most important figures for Newcastle to keep hold of, considering he is entering his peak years, unlike Trippier and Wilson, for example.
Granted, the 26-year-old hasn't necessarily had his best season in 2023/24, with Howe's side finding things tough in general, but he has still chipped in with four goals and six assists in the Premier League. Alan Shearer has lauded him, too, with the Magpies legend saying of him on Match of the Day last season:
“He was superb. The way he handles that ball under pressure and is able to ping that ball into the forward players, he’s so comfortable on the ball, particularly if you give him this amount of space. His weight of pass was superb and the way he controlled that midfield. They got into so many good areas because of his ability, he never looks flustered and [always] looks in control of the ball – he never panics."
Retaining Bruno's services could feel as important as any new signing this summer, and the hope is that he sees his future at Newcastle for as many years as possible.
"Genius" manager considering Newcastle move after offer presented by agent
He recently left his last position.
By
Tom Cunningham
Apr 20, 2024
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers arrived at the club last summer for a second stint in Glasgow after former boss Ange Postecoglou decided to move on.
The Australian head coach enjoyed a terrific two seasons at Parkhead, winning five trophies with the Scottish giants, and did some exceptional work in the transfer market.
He made use of his knowledge of Asian football to recruit the likes of Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi, among others, whilst also landing signings such as Jota and Alistair Johnston.
However, one slip-up the now-Tottenham boss made came when he decided to make use of the British market to bring in James McCarthy in the summer of 2021.
How much Celtic paid to sign James McCarthy
The Hoops swooped to sign the central midfielder on a free transfer ahead of the 2021/22 campaign after his contract with Crystal Palace had expired earlier that summer.
Celtic signed Joe Hart and McCarthy on the same day and Postecoglou described both players as "top-class" operators, although only one of them has gone on to prove that to be true.
The former England international shot-stopper has kept 61 clean sheets in 148 appearances for the club in all competitions, and was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year last season.
Appearances
16
Starts
10
Sofascore rating
6.66
Pass accuracy
76%
Duel success rate
51%
Goals + assists
0
McCarthy, as you can see in the table above, arrived at Parkhead off the back of an unimpressive season in the Premier League with Palace, with unremarkable statistics in and out of possession.
His poor form translated over to his time in Scotland and Celtic have been rinsed by the midfielder since his move to the club in 2021, with his wages going down the drain with little coming back in return.
How much James McCarthy is set to cost in wages
By the end of this season, the Hoops will have paid McCarthy roughly £2.18m in wages – £728k-per-season – on a weekly wage of £14k-per-week.
In that time, the 33-year-old veteran has only made 27 first-team appearances for the Scottish side, and has started just four Scottish Premiership games.
The former Ireland international was described as looking "lost" and not match "fit" by former Celtic man Frank McAvennie in October 2022, and that is reflected in his lack of action on the pitch – with two league outings and zero starts since the start of last season.
His £14k-per-week is more than Tomoki Iwata (£7.6k-per-week) earns at this moment in time, despite the Japanese midfielder emerging as a key player for Rodgers.
The 27-year-old ace has made 20 appearances for the club in all competitions this term and started nine league matches, which suggests that he is far more integral to the team than McCarthy, who has not played a minute of Premiership action during the current campaign.
Rodgers must now drop 2/10 Celtic star alongside McGregor
The Hoops boss should take the attacker out of the starting lineup against Hearts.
ByDan Emery Apr 29, 2024
Therefore, Celtic have been rinsed by the midfield dud, who has zero goals and zero assists in 12 league games for the club, as he has not contributed much on the pitch to justify the millions sent down the drain on his wages over the last three years.
With one year left on his current contract at Parkhead this summer, the Hoops may want to look to move him on for good to avoid paying him another £728k over the next 12 months.
Glasgow Rangers saw their Premiership title ambitions take a damaging hit on Wednesday evening at Dens Park.
The 0-0 draw against Dundee was the third attempt of the game finally being played following two prior postponements, but the Light Blues lacked any sort of intensity or hunger to make up for their woeful defeat to Ross County last weekend.
Philippe Clement’s men have come unstuck at the worst possible time as they now trail Celtic by three points after failing to win their game in hand against Dundee.
League duty takes a back seat for the Light Blues as a Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts awaits on Sunday. Lose that, however, and the campaign will be all but over.
There must be some sweeping changes ahead of the clash against Hearts, especially with some of the performances by the senior players in midweek, who let both the club and the manager down when it mattered most.
James Tavernier and John Lundstram were poor, yet it was Connor Goldson who endured yet another dismal performance at the heart of the defence.
The centre-back had featured in the previous two games which saw the Gers concede six goals and fail to win against both Celtic and Ross County, with his influence continuing to deteriorate.
Leon Balogun was ill for the clash against the Dens Park side, so Goldson was once again chosen in the starting XI by Clement. While a clean sheet was kept for the first time in the top flight since a 5-0 win over Hearts at the end of February, Goldson’s lack of intensity or desire was worrying.
|
Connor Goldson's stats vs Dundee |
|
|---|---|
|
Accurate passes |
53/69 |
|
Total duels (won) |
15 (13) |
|
Possession lost |
16 |
|
Touches |
77 |
|
Long balls (accurate) |
11 (6) |
|
Via Sofascore |
|
The Englishman may have won 13 of his 15 total contested duels during the match, but his distribution was poor yet again.
Not only did he complete just six of his 11 long ball attempts, but throughout the game, Goldson completed just 53 of his 69 passes – a success rate of just 77% – as he looked sloppy on the ball.
Indeed, the defender managed to lose possession 16 times and considering he took 77 touches in the 90 minutes, this works out as him losing the ball once every 4.8 touches, further evidence of another poor showing.
Journalist Lewis Anderson from Glasgow World gave him a rating of 5/10 for his display while stating that he looked ‘a tad shaky early on under pressure’ before claiming that Goldson ‘just doesn’t seem to be the player he was a few seasons ago at the moment’ – and it is hard to argue with any of that.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t just the 31-year-old who underperformed in Dundee on Wednesday evening, and it looks like Clement has a major job on his hands during the summer transfer window.
Thankfully, a few players are out of contract at the end of the season, which will see the club save around £90k-per-week on wages should all six depart Ibrox.
Kemar Roofe is one of the six and after his woeful showing against Dundee, he shouldn’t be near the starting XI again between now and the end of the campaign.
The striker has endured his fair share of injury issues at Rangers, not just this season, but across his entire four-year stint, which has limited his impact.
Prior to the Dundee match, Roofe had played just 22 times for the first team in 2023/24, with only eight of them starts, scoring twice in the process.
The 31-year-old has missed 25 matches due to recurring injuries, yet he is taking home a staggering £26k-per-week for his efforts.
Deployed from the first whistle in midweek, Roofe completed just eight passes, lost possession eight times and managed just one shot, which was off target.
He did succeed with 100% of his dribble attempts and ground duels, but in terms of trying to make things happen in the final third, he lacked any sort of urgency.
Hooked after 56 minutes, the centre-forward was given a dismal 2/10 rating by Glasgow World, with Anderson stating that he was ‘dreadful’ having managed just one touch in the opposition box during his spell on the pitch.
Any hopes of a late burst of inspiration to steer the Gers to another league title have certainly been dashed after his latest display, and he will be a free agent in a matter of weeks.
His four-season spell in Glasgow has seen the player make just 100 appearances, missing a grand total of 96 games through a succession of injury issues.
Roofe has scored 38 goals and grabbed seven assists since arriving at Ibrox in the summer of 2020, managing to impress when it mattered most.
Who could forget his extra-time winner against Braga during the Europa League quarter-final clash in 2022? Or his stunning goal from the halfway line against Standard Liege in the midst of a monsoon during his first season.
Even last term, when suffering from countless knocks, he still netted an extra-time winner to knock Aberdeen out of the League Cup and secure a final spot for the Gers.
These moments have been fleeting, however, with his impact in his final couple of seasons being hampered by a body that has just accumulated too much scar tissue.
On his day, Roofe was arguably the finest centre-forward Rangers could call upon. He was smart, could drop deep and play out wide if required, whilst also having the knack for scoring incredible goals.
With his contract expiring this summer, it is time for both Roofe and Rangers to part ways and, if he can get himself fit, there is no doubt he will find himself another club sooner rather than later.
Off the back of his showing against Dundee, however, Clement must avoid unleashing him again during the remaining matches, as he was non-existent at Dens Park.
It would be a shame if this is how things ended, but the Belgian coach must be ruthless if he wants to drag the Light Blues back into a title battle.
Clement must now ditch 5/10 man who may have cost Rangers the title
Rangers dropped more points in the Premiership title race
By
Ross Kilvington
Apr 18, 2024
Aston Villa have surpassed expectations this year in the Premier League, and even looked like title challengers at one point.
Unai Emery's side currently sit in the lofty heights of fourth, though in order for a Champions League place to be secured, they'll need to avoid injuries to key men and continue to maintain the gap between them and Spurs.
With that in mind, Football FanCast is here to keep you updated with the latest injury and suspension news ahead of Saturday's evening clash with Chelsea.
Latest Aston Villa injury news
Unai Emery has six squad members unavailable ahead of Chelsea's visit to Villa Park this weekend. The player to return to the squad will be Douglas Luiz, who has served his yellow-card suspension. Otherwise, the clash against the Blues comes too soon for Nicolo Zaniolo and Alex Moreno, who both have minor problems and could return next week.
Long-term absentees Jacob Ramsey, Tyrone Mings, Emiliano Buendia and Boubacar Kamara are all out until the start of next season at the earliest.
Nicolo Zaniolo
Unknown
April
Unknown
Alex Moreno
Calf injury
April
May
Jacob Ramsey
Foot injury
2nd March
Next season
Tyrone Mings
Knee Injury
12th August
Next season
Emi Buendia
Knee Injury
9th August
Next season
Boubacar Kamara
ACL rupture
11th February
September-October
Nicolo Zaniolo – unknown
Nicolo Zaniolo missed the midweek win over Bournemouth through injury, and while Emery was hopeful that the Italian wouldn't be on the treatment table for long, he will not be fit enough to take part this weekend.
Whether he is fit for next week's Europa Conference League semi-final first leg against Olympiacos remains to be seen, but he appears to be the Villa player closest to a first-team return.
Alex Moreno – calf
Alex Moreno has been out recently with a calf issue, with Unai Emery previously claiming that it would see him out for around 2-3 weeks. This weekend's game against Chelsea was unlikely to mark his comeback, but he could return in time for next week's clash away at Brighton, with the Europa Conference League semi-finals also coming up.
Jacob Ramsey – foot
Jacob Ramsey is set to be out for the remainder of the season after suffering a foot injury, with Emery confirming he will play no further part in the campaign earlier this month.
Tyrone Mings – knee
Tyrone Mings suffered a significant knee injury on the opening day of the season against Newcastle United, and Villa quickly confirmed that he would require surgery to resolve the issue.
The defender is making progress in his recovery, with a comment coming out of Aston Villa:
"When they are injured for a long time, it's the worst in football. It's more difficult for the player, as a person, when they are injured. We've had two injuries for a long time, for all the season, with Buendia and Mings."
He still hasn't made an Aston Villa squad, but he can't be far away now.
Emi Buendia – knee
Aston Villa confirmed that Argentine midfielder Emi Buendia had suffered a 'significant knee ligament injury' in training a day before the season started.
Similarly to Mings, he can't be too far away now, though there's been no timeline given by Emery, with him clearly not wanting to rush the midfielder back to action.
Boubacar Kamara – ACL
Boubacar Kamara last featured for Villa in their defeat to Manchester United, with it later confirmed that he had suffered an ACL rupture.
Emery has insisted that a likely return date won't be until September or October at the earliest.
Aston Villa latest suspensions
There are no suspensions for Aston Villa this weekend. Douglas Luiz missed the clashes against Arsenal and Bournemouth after picking up his 10th yellow card of the season. Luckily, it seems like Villa did not miss him after winning both matches, and they will have him available for selection against Chelsea this weekend.
Newcastle United have enjoyed another successful campaign in front of goal, with the club scoring the fourth-most goals in the Premier League so far this season.
However, it hasn't been enough to propel the Magpies back into the Champions League places for a second successive season, with injuries preventing the club from welcoming any of Europe's biggest clubs to St James' Park next term.
The defensive department has taken a battering during 2023/24, with Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles all missing large parts of the season, which has often resulted in a makeshift backline for Eddie Howe's side.
Newcastle's forward line has undoubtedly saved the Magpies from a disastrous campaign, with striker Alexander Isak single-handedly keeping the club within arm's length of a European spot.
The Swedish international has scored 20 times in 27 Premier League outings over the course of the season – a tally that has attracted interest from multiple sides across England's top division, namely Arsenal.
Howe certainly won't want to lose his talisman this summer, but if the club are forced to part ways with the 24-year-old, then PIF may well turn their attention to another Premier League forward, with the Magpies already keen on the attacker.
Newcastle enquire about 18-goal Premier League striker
According to GiveMeSport, the Magpies have already enquired about the availability of Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke ahead of the summer transfer window, after making contact with their fellow top-flight outfit.
The 26-year-old has bagged 18 goals in the Premier League this season, in an unexpected season for Andoni Iraola's side, which sees them occupy a place in the top half of the division.
His most impressive display undoubtedly came in the 3-2 win away at Nottingham Forest in December, with the former Liverpool youngster grabbing his first career hat-trick.
He's also managed to find the back of the net on three occasions against Howe's side during the current campaign, including a double in the meeting at the Vitality Stadium back in November.
Solanke is currently enjoying the best Premier League campaign of his career, with the striker expected to cost any potential buyer a pretty penny in the summer.
Football Insider have reported that the Cherries are set to slap a £50m price tag on the forward's head, with Solanke the perfect replacement for Isak should he leave Tyneside in the coming months.
Why Solanke would be the perfect Isak replacement
Whilst no Newcastle fan would want to lose Isak this summer, they would be in safe hands should they replace him with Solanke during the off-season.
The pair have both excelled in the league, despite being utilised in slightly different ways by their respective managers.
The Magpies forward has been given a free role to create carnage in attacking areas, whilst the Cherries attacker has been more of an out-and-out striker who's scored most of his goals within the 18-yard box.
They both average a similar number of shots per 90, with the pair only separated by 0.1. They've also been nuisances in the opposition penalty area, with Solanke averaging 5.7 touches, compared to Isak's 5.4.
However, the Englishman has dominated in the air in comparison to the Swede, winning 2.6 per 90 – a tally that is over two more than the current Newcastle striker who could only muster 0.3.
Solanke v Isak in the PL (23/24)
Statistics
Isak
Solanke
Shots
2.9
2.8
Touches in penalty area
5.4
5.7
Goals per shot on target
0.5
0.5
Aerials won
0.3
2.6
Stats via FBref
Whilst they operate in different ways, Solanke could potentially be the perfect alternative with his poaching instincts seeing him operate in and around the box rather than roaming freely like Isak.
With Anthony Gordon contributing with 11 assists this season, he could take the 26-year-old to the next level with his creativity in the final third playing into the hands of the striker should he move to Tyneside.
Having already plucked Callum Wilson from the Cherries in 2020, the Magpies could be set to raid the Vitality Stadium once again under PIF's watch.
Newcastle eyeing "prolific" £17m striker who's outscored Isak this season
This could be a welcome boost for Howe…
ByTom Cunningham Apr 17, 2024
There are fears from a selling club that Nottingham Forest have pulled off a sneaky piece of business in landing a discount for one of their summer signings should they wish to finalise the move.
Forest secure survival
Though not mathematically safe yet, Nottingham Forest have all but ensured their Premier League survival ahead of the final day. Facing already-relegated Burnley, Nuno Espirito Santo's side need just a point to be certain of survival, and even were Luton to win their game against Fulham and Forest to fall to defeat, it would require a 13 goal swing to have any impact on the final standings.
Nottingham Forest hit gold selling £13m man who's not scored since May 2023
It’s safe to say the club made the right decision selling him…
ByEthan Lamb May 15, 2024
There is summer uncertainty ahead though at the City Ground, with pressure to meet financial fair play regulations once more and the threat of potentially being docked yet more points if they fail to, which could lead to some big sales.
Already some decisions have been made, with Giovanni Reyna's loan move not set to be made permanent and speculation surrounding the likes of Murillo and Morgan Gibbs-White, who may follow him out of the door.
With money tight in the Midlands this summer, every penny will count, and one club believe that Nottingham Forest have used an underhand technique to land a discount.
Montiel summer deal could still go ahead
That comes in the shape of Sevilla, who loaned Gonzalo Montiel to Nottingham Forest for the season. The Spanish outfit added an obligation to buy the player for 11m euros (£9.4m), which came into play if Montiel featured in 50% of their matches in the Premier League across the season.
Montiel in the Premier League 23/24
Games
13
Starts
7
Goals
0
Assists
2
Yellow Cards
5
But the 27-year-old has endured a tough campaign, and was benched by Steve Cooper. When Nuno Espirito Santo arrived, Montiel started four of his first five games in charge, before once more being consigned to the bench or left out of the squad entirely.
However, injury to Williams has seen him restored to the side for the final three games of the season, and local reports in Spain claim Sevilla believe that "a black hand may have pulled a string", in that they opted not to play him so as to avoid paying the transfer fee.
And with Montiel set to return to the south of Spain this summer, he will once again be on the market for around 4m euros (£3.4m), meaning that Forest would have secured a roughly £6m discount on the player were they to return for him ahead of the new season.
It as of yet unclear whether they will choose to do so, but Sevilla clearly feel that this is the plan they have set in motion, and it could be one that saves them some key funds this summer.
Cricket South Africa has terminated the contract of Clive Eksteen, its former head of sales and sponsor relations, after finding him guilty of “transgressions of a serious nature”. Eksteen was suspended in October last year, alongside then interim director of cricket Corrie van Zyl and COO Naasei Appiah and faced charges of dereliction of duty relating to unpaid commercial rights fees for players during the inaugural edition of the Mzansi Super League (MSL).Van Zyl has since been cleared and has returned to work at CSA, under new director of cricket Graeme Smith while both Eksteen and Appiah were found guilty of wrongdoing and appealed the outcome of their cases. Eksteen’s is now concluded, but Appiah’s appeal continues.That means CSA still has two ongoing cases from the seven it accumulated in 2019. Appiah and suspended CEO Thabang Moroe, who attempted to return to work this week, are both unresolved while Eksteen, financial manager Ziyanda Nkuta, procurement manager Lundi Maja, and administrator Dalene Nolan, have all been dismissed.Moroe’s case is the most high-profile with the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) claiming CSA’s board is deliberately delaying the matter and lack the will to move forward on it. CSA has denied this, citing its incomplete forensic audit as the reason Moroe’s disciplinary proceedings have not progressed. Moroe faces, among other charges, allegations of credit card misuse. There is no indication as to why Appiah’s case remains open.This was the second instance in which Eksteen was suspended from CSA, after previously becoming entangled in an episode of reputational damage. He was involved in the Sonny Bill Williams mask saga during Australia’s tour to South Africa and suspended in March but returned to work in May of that year. Eksteen’s role at CSA was particularly important in maintaining corporate relations, something the organisation is desperate to rebuild in the face of a financial crisis.At the end of April, CSA lost a major sponsor in Standard Bank, whom they have yet to replace while its other big backer, financial services company Momentum, had previously indicated they wouldn’t review their relationship with CSA if the current president, Chris Nenzani, remains in his role. Nenzani has served two terms as CSA’s president, the second of which was extended by a year, but he is set to step down in September. Both SACA and several sponsors lay the blame for the administrative upheaval the organisation has faced in recent months at Nenzani and the board’s door.
نجح ليفربول في تحقيق فوز ثمين أمام مانشستر سيتي بهدفين مقابل لا شئ، في إطار منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
وواجه ليفربول نظيره مانشستر سيتي، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، على ملعب “أنفيلد”.
اقرأ أيضاً.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي بعد هدف محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي
في الشوط الأول ومع الدقائق الأولى، منع أورتيجا حارس مرمى مانشستر سيتي فريقه من استقبال هدف مؤكد عن طريق كودي جاكبو.
وتمكن حارس الضيوف من إنقاذ مانشستر سيتي من جديد، من خلال تصديه لتسديدة دومينيك سوبوسلاي.
وحرم القائم مدافع ليفربول فان دايك، من التوقيع على أول أهداف المباراة من ضربة رأسية.
وبتمريرة حاسمة من محمد صلاح، افتتح كودي جاكبو أهداف المباراة بتسجيله الهدف الأول لـ ليفربول عند الدقيقة 12.
واستمرت محاولات الريدز على مرمى السيتيزن من خلال فرصتين مؤكدتين عن طريق كل من فان دايك وترينت ألكسندر أرنولد.
في الشوط الثاني، أهدر كودي جاكبو فرصة هدف مؤكد لكن ماتيوس نونيز حرمه من تسجيل الهدف الثاني بتدخل رائع.
وأهدر محمد صلاح انفرادا تاما أمام حارس مانشستر سيتي أورتيجا، مستغلاً خطاً فادحاً في دفاعات الخصم.
وتمكن محمد صلاح من تسجيل ثاني أهداف ليفربول من علامة الجزاء عند الدقيقة 78.
وبهذه النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد ليفربول إلى النقطة 34 في المركز الأول في ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بينما تجمد رصيد مانشستر سيتي عند النقطة 23 في المركز الخامس.
وقدم بطولات تغطية مباشرة لأحداث مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز من خلال هذا الرابط. اهداف مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي (2-0) الدوري الانجليزي
Wolverhampton Wanderers return to Premier League action this afternoon, taking on Crystal Palace at Molineux in what is their final home game of the season.
If the Old Gold win their final two games, they could snatch a top-half finish, yet it could depend on other teams' results whether this happens.
Regardless, Gary O’Neil has enjoyed a solid debut campaign in the Midlands as he will be aiming to take six points from six in the next two games, albeit while facing the frustration of having to pick a side without the likes of Pedro Neto and Craig Dawson due to injury.
Could there be a change or two in the starting XI? As several players performed poorly against Manchester City last weekend – including Boubacar Traore.
Why Boubacar Traore could be dropped against Crystal Palace
The promising starlet started the game in the heart of the midfield three, alongside Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes, yet failed to really assert his influence throughout the clash.
Indeed, he may have finished the game with a 92% pass success rate, yet the youngster failed to deliver a key pass or create a big chance when he did have the ball.
Additionally, Traore also lost possession four times, succeeded with just one dribble and was dribbled past once in what was a fairly underwhelming showing.
Accurate passes
35 (38)
Total duels (won)
7 (4)
Key passes
0
Dribble attempts (successful)
2 (1)
Possession lost
4
He was even given a match rating of just 4/10 in 90min for his display, and it looks as though he could drop back to the bench for the clash against Palace today.
Thankfully, O’Neil has the perfect replacement – Tommy Doyle.
Tommy Doyle’s statistics for Wolves this season
The youngster wasn’t in the squad for the 5-1 defeat to City due to being on loan from the Champions, but the Old Gold have made his move permanent ahead of next season, activating the option in his loan contract.
The Englishman has certainly enjoyed a fruitful loan spell in the Midlands, making 30 appearances across all competitions, scoring once during an FA Cup tie against Brentford.
Hailed as “fantastic” alongside Cole Palmer and Liam Delap by talent scout Jacek Kulig in 2021, Doyle failed to really make the grade at City, playing only seven times for the senior side.
A move to Wolves has certainly reinvigorated the midfielder, and he could turn out to be a shrewd investment, especially as they could cash in on him a few years down the line should Doyle utilise his talents.
Among his teammates, Doyle currently ranks seventh for accurate passes per game (32.3) in the top flight, along with ranking third for accurate long balls per game (3.1) and eighth for interceptions per game (0.5), showing his talents off across a range of metrics.
He is still only 22, which means the midfielder will continue to get better and better the more he plays in the Premier League.
City’s loss is Wolves’ gain as the £10k-per-week ace could turn out to be a superb piece of transfer business. The youngster will be well rested ahead of the Palace tie and this could see O’Neil unleash him in the starting XI in place of Traore.
Palace have been in solid form of late, securing a stunning 4-0 win over Manchester United in midweek. If Wolves want all three points, they will have to perform at their very best.
O'Neil could ditch Semedo to unleash "sensational" Wolves gem in 24/25
Wolves had a perfect replacement for Nelson Semedo who has shone out on loan
ByRoss Kilvington May 10, 2024