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Amid the inquest into Manchester City's recent slump, it has been revealed their approach in the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool left their opponents stunned.

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• City outclassed in Liverpool defeat
• Pep responds to 'getting sacked' chants
• Extended winless run to seven games

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool set the tone by making a roaring start to proceedings at Anfield, putting their fragile opponents under immediate pressure. And their dominance told in the 12th minute when Cody Gakpo converted Mohamed Salah's cross to make it 1-0. The Egyptian turned goal-scorer in the second half to complete the victory in what proved to be a comfortable afternoon for Arne Slot and his side.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Haaland frustrated City fans by appearing to joke with Salah during and after the game. This wasn't an isolated incident: according to , some Liverpool players were surprised by how relaxed their opponents appeared as the match progressed, with more of Pep Guardiola's men sharing a laugh with their rivals.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The defeat extended City's winless run in all competitions to seven matches, and it's clear there are issues within the club. claim a selection of first-team players even failed to impress in a nine-versus-nine training exercise against a group of teenagers from their elite development squad last week.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CITY?

  A City side without Phil Foden will attempt to stop the rot against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday evening.

Newcastle United midfielder Lewis Miley was handed a key role in the club’s first-team last season after various injury issues to key members of Eddie Howe’s squad.

Joelinton missed large parts of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign with a thigh issue, with the Brazilian missing over four months of the season before returning to full fitness in the final few outings.

Big-money signing Sandro Tonali only made eight league appearances after his 10-month suspension for breaking betting rules, but the Italian could return in the next couple of weeks.

That allowed 18-year-old Miley to make a total of 26 appearances in all competitions, scoring his first professional goal in the victory over Fulham at St James’ Park.

However, he could be replaced in Howe’s side this season by one player, with the Magpies previously linked with a move to sign the international star before the transfer window closes on August 30th.

Newcastle could land £68m talent this summer

After his stellar tournament for Turkey at Euro 2024 which saw him register three goal contributions, Arda Güler was linked with a move to Newcastle ahead of the upcoming campaign.

It was reported that the 19-year-old Real Madrid ace was the subject of a £68m offer from the Magpies – a deal that would’ve surpassed the fee paid for striker Alexander Isak back in the summer of 2022.

Whilst it’s undoubtedly a huge fee for such a young and inexperienced talent, he would provide a great deal of quality to the Magpies side, with his record of six goals in just ten LaLiga appearances an example of quality he possesses.

Given his latest cameo, it would be an exceptional piece of business, allowing Howe’s side to sign their own version of a player who has burst onto the European scene in recent years.

Why Guler could be Newcastle’s own Bellingham

Since 2020, Jude Bellingham has enjoyed a meteoric rise that has taken him from Championship side Birmingham City to Real Madrid, becoming a crucial player under Carlo Ancelotti at the Bernabeu.

He also starred for England at Euro 2024 this summer, scoring two goals as he helped his nation reach a second successive European Championship final – eventually falling to defeat to Spain.

The 21-year-old may have enjoyed a successful tournament but was unable to better the young Turkish star in numerous key areas for a midfielder – with FBref, ranking the duo as similar players based on their respective figures from the competition.

The “world-class” Guler, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, registered the same number of goals and assists despite featuring in two fewer matches, whilst also averaging more progressive passes per 90 – showcasing his ability to create opportunities for his teammates.

He also averaged more shot-creating actions whilst completing more of his attempted take-ons, handing Howe that attacking edge from a deep-lying position.

However, the youngster also beat his teammate defensively, making more tackles whilst also completing more interceptions – making him an excellent box-to-box option for the Magpies.

Whilst a deal may cost Howe and Co a huge sum, it certainly would be an excellent pickup, with the 19-year-old easily able to cement himself as a regular starter.

It’s a scary prospect looking at how impressive he’s been in the early stages of his career, potentially reaching the next level should he gain a move to the Premier League this summer. As Micah Richards claimed earlier this year, he's "going to be the next big thing".

Guler has the potential to be a pivotal part of the club’s hunt for a return to the Champions League, possibly able to be a key component to their project over the next decade and beyond.

Miley may have made his mark for the Magpies last season, but it is fair to say that Guler is just a class above.

The next Ben Arfa: Newcastle could land "world-class" £13m sensation

He would be a huge coup for the Magpies.

By
Ethan Lamb

Aug 14, 2024

Marcus Rashford stands accused of acting like a “baby” at Manchester United and has been warned that he could “end up like Jesse Lingard”.

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• Home-grown star struggling at Old Trafford
• Continues to see attitude called into question
• Warned he could head same way as Lingard

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Old Trafford academy graduate Rashford appeared to have got his career back on track when hitting a personal-best return of 30 goals in the 2022-23 campaign. He did, however, manage only eight efforts last season and has just seven to his name this term.

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  WHAT DEENEY SAID

  The 27-year-old forward is working on a lucrative contract, but is doing little to justify those terms and has seen former Premier League striker Troy Deeney tell of concerning attitude traits: “I was at the Arsenal game. When he came on, there was no point bringing him on. It was an embarrassment when he came on. Walking around, tried to hit a massive dive, kicked it off the pitch, and then when all the players went over to the fans to clap, he was stood at the back, he was first one off, and I just thought, you're a baby.

  “You're a baby. What is he, 27 now? Meant to be at the peak of your powers. Obviously the financials are taken care of now. Who are you as a person? What do you stand for? And my worry, genuine worry for Marcus is, when this is all said and done, that he's going to regret not maximising it because that's hard to live with. You know, for me personally, I had an okay career, I did really good. But from where I'm from, to where I got to, it's, I'm good with that. I squeezed every part of the orange, do you get what I mean?”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Quizzed on whether those around him should be shouldering some of the blame for Rashford’s dip, Deeney went on to say as he dragged another ex-United star that has suffered a humbling fall from grace into the discussion: “No, ultimately it all falls on him. And I'm just disappointed, because I think he could have been a world-beater. I genuinely do. I think he could have been someone that played for England on a regular basis. He could have scored loads of goals. He could have been an absolute shining star for Man United for many years and go down as a club legend.

  “And I think what's going to happen is he's going to tarnish that, and he's going to ultimately end up like someone like Jesse Lingard. That was like, what if? What if he had, you know, applied himself? I think he's lost interest with media as well.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

  Rashford’s contract is due to run until 2028, but Deeney added when asked what the future could hold for a man that is struggling to free himself from a professional rut: “Nastily, he would probably suit Spurs, because there is no expectation on Spurs. The players that go there, they're not expected to win the league, are they?”

Harry Kane is expected to be back in the Bayern Munich team when they take on RB Leipzig in their last game of 2024.

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• Kane missed four games with injury
• Back in training with Bayern on Tuesday
• May start against RB Leipzig this week

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  A thigh injury sustained in the draw against Borussia Dortmund at the end of November has kept the striker out of Bayern's last four matches in all competitions. He has been working his way back to full fitness and report he was back in training on Tuesday.

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  Kane is believed to be fit enough to take part in the Bundesliga clash at home against Leipzig on Friday, while Alphonso Davies may be available as he was back working with his team-mates after missing the recent games against Shakhtar and Mainz. Joao Palhinha and Serge Gnabry also completed training with the ball for the first time on Tuesday, reported.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Kane has netted 14 goals and set up five more in 12 Bundesliga appearances, which puts him a goal ahead of Bayer Leverkusen's Omar Marmoush in the German top-flight's top scorer chart.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KANE?

  Bayern suffered a 2-1 loss to Mainz at the weekend and Kane will be looking to fire them to victory as they round off the year with Friday's match.

Enzo Maresca has his first win, and Chelsea are up and running. The Blues defeated Swiss opponents Servette 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to land a healthy advantage at the midpoint of their two-legged Conference League play-off tie.

However, the Italian tactician cut an impassive face for much of the contest, for the Blues had struggled before Christopher Nkunku opened his account for the campaign shortly after the break, dispatching from the spot after drawing a foul from opposition keeper Jeremy Flick.

Chelsea are in a controlling position to step into the group stage proper, and we are in the maiden days of Maresca's reign, but more is needed following toothless displays from several forwards, with Mykhaylo Mudryk and Marc Guiu notably flattering to deceive.

How Chelsea's attack performed vs Servette

As Joao Felix watched from the stands, Maresca's on-pitch forwards foundered. Chelsea doubled their lead after 76 minutes when substitute Noni Madueke wheeled away from his man and struck home, played in with a surgical delivery from Enzo Fernandez.

The young winger will be desperate to cement a regular starting role under Maresca, and having impressed throughout pre-season he will be delighted with his contribution last night, overshadowing starter Mudryk on the alternate flank.

The Ukraine international has scored just seven goals over 59 appearances since joining from Shakhtar Donetsk in a jaw-dropping £89m deal in January 2023, and he shook no detractors against Servette.

Up front, Guiu, aged 18, comically missed an open goal, issuing three attempts to no success, but the £5m summer addition from Barcelona also worked his socks off and suggested that he has plenty yet to offer under Maresca's wing.

Such players know that they have much to prove this season, but they weren't at the bottom of the barrel on the European stage. No, Benoit Badiashile was handed a crucial opportunity to prove himself, and having failed to take it, will be sweating over his future.

Why Benoit Badiashile must never wear the shirt again

Badiashile was one of the torch-bearers at the start of the Todd Boehly era, signing the French defender from AS Monaco for £35m at the start of January last year.

Everyone knows that Chelsea have spent big this summer, though the outgoings have provided lucrative rewards too. Badiashile could be the next in line for a departure, with TEAMtalk reporting that he is surplus to requirements as Liverpool's Joe Gomez enters the radar.

Let's think of the Thursday night clash against Servette as something of an audition – a chance to showcase his skills under Maresca and prove to the head coach that his ball-playing faculty aligns with the Italian's vision.

That may be so: as per FBref, Badiashile ranks among the top 12% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 9% for passes attempted and the top 5% for shot-creating actions per 90.

Nice, but it was the 23-year-old's errant backpass that sent a frisson of fear through Stamford Bridge, skittering past Filip Jörgensen and even being said to have looked 'lackadaisical in possession sometimes' by football.london's Bobby Vincent, who marked him with a 4.5/10 match rating for his woes.

A pass success rate of 96% is nothing to be sniffed at and underscores the natural-born technical prowess at Badiashile's disposal.

But he doesn't look likely to displace Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Axel Disasi or Levi Colwill. Chuck Gomez into the mix, and perhaps it would be best to let him search for pastures new – with the transfer window set to slam shut in just one week.

For some of a Blues persuasion, the hope will be that Thursday night's encounter proves to be his last outing in a Chelsea shirt.

Instead of Osimhen: Chelsea plot hijack for Drogba-esque £50m striker

The Blues are ready to finish their summer spending with a flourish…

By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 22, 2024

Neymar continues to step up his recovery from another injury setback, with the Brazilian scoring goals again during training sessions at Al-Hilal.

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• Spent a year out with knee ligament damage
• Ruled out again two games into his return
• Hoping to reignite career after winter break

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  South American superstar Neymar spent more than 12 months on the sidelines after suffering knee ligament damage. He managed just two appearances following his long-awaited return from that setback before being ruled out again.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Saudi Pro League has now reached a winter break, with Al-Hilal not due to be back in action until facing Al-Ittihad in the King Cup of Champions quarter-finals on January 7. Neymar will be hoping that 2025 delivers a change in fortune for him.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  He is being put through his paces once more, which hints at him being available for the resumption of competitive action in the Middle East. The 32-year-old forward has been showing that he still knows his way to the back of the net, with an “easy” penalty being stroked into the bottom corner.

Rangers have begun talks to sign a defender that Mike Ashley once tried to sign for Newcastle United, according to a new report.

Pressure is very much on Philippe Clement and Rangers this season, as there is an expectation that the club puts up a stronger fight this time around when it comes to competing with arch rivals Celtic. The Gers fell away late last season, and to avoid a repeat of that, Clement and the Rangers board have been busy in the transfer market, making sure they have a squad good enough to compete on all fronts.

Club make contact to sign Rangers 21 y/o who Philippe Clement doesn't want

He is a player who can “unlock defences”.

By
Henry Jackson

Aug 28, 2024

Rangers transfer news

As the 11 p.m. deadline on Friday approaches, Rangers can safely say they have been busy, as they have so far added eight players to their squad. But given how well Celtic have started the new season, Rangers may still be in the market for one or two additions to give them the best chance of success.

It has been reported in recent days that Rangers could be looking into a deal to sign Pyramids FC winger Ibrahim Adel, who has just impressed with his national team Egypt in the Olympic Games. The Scottish side are said to be very keen on the player, and they would be willing to spend as much as £5 million to sign the winger, but they do face competition from the likes of Ipswich Town and Leicester City.

As well as looking at Adel, Rangers were also said to be interested in a possible deal for Troyes defender Jackson Porozo, who spent last season on loan at Turkish side Kasimpasa. The report states that the Gers made contact with the French side over a possible deal, but it wasn’t a situation that was ongoing, with the demands “not suitable” for Rangers, and the defender instead joined Leganes.

Therefore, Rangers are still in the market for a new defender, and it appears as though their search has taken them to a player who was once wanted by former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, who of course held a rather unpopular 8.92% stake at Ibrox too between the years of 2014 and 2017.

Rangers in talks to sign Philippe Clement target

According to French outlet L’Equipe, Rangers are in talks to sign Hoffenheim defender Stanley N'Soki. The report states that the defender could well leave the German side in this transfer window, with a loan move being looked at.

N’Soki is contracted to the Bundesliga side until the summer of 2027, and Clement, who managed the defender at Brugge, would personally like to bring the central defender to Ibrox in what remains of this transfer window.

The report states that talks have begun and have been ongoing in recent hours, as Rangers look to strengthen their defensive line. Rangers fans might not be aware of N’Soki, but he has appeared on the radar of Newcastle United before, as in 2018 Ashley made a bid worth £10 million to sign N’Soki for the Magpies, but in the end the deal failed to materialise. However, a few years on, and he could now be heading for that move to the UK.

Chelsea have been handed a blow as one of their summer signings has picked up an injury in training that will keep him sidelined until November at the earliest, it has been revealed.

Chelsea make indifferent start to Premier League

So far, Enzo Maresca's Premier League debut campaign has got off to a mixed start. The Blues fell to a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on the opening day of the season but fought well and came away from the game with plenty of praise.

126 touches, 106 passes: 7/10 Chelsea star was as good as Palmer vs Palace

Chelsea would have felt frustrated at the final whistle with their draw against Crystal Palace.

By
Kelan Sarson

Sep 1, 2024

They then showed a glimpse of their potential as they thrashed Wolves 6-2 the following week, but stumbled to a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in their most recent Premier League outing and struggled past Swiss side Servette FC in the Conference League qualifiers, losing the second leg of the tie but heading through on aggregate courtesy of a crucial goal from Christopher Nkunku.

Their early season form has left them sitting in 11th place, five points off top spot in the Premier League as they head into the international break, which should act as a natural pre-season for those left at the club after more wholesale changes this summer.

But now they have been hit with the news that they will be without one of their summer additions for the next two months at the very least.

Chelsea man picks up injury in training

That comes as young talent Omari Kellyman is now set for yet another spell on the sidelines after he picked up an injury in training. Kellyman, who has just two Premier League appearances to his name, completed a £19m transfer to Stamford Bridge this summer, with Ian Maatsen joining Aston Villa in a seperate deal as both sides battled financial fair play regulations.

But he is yet to make his senior debut for the Blues – the 18-year-old arrived carrying a knock, and then trained with the U21s as he looked to return to match fitness.

He featured for the U21 side against both Tottenham and Everton, but was not a part of the squad for their clash with Middlesbrough over the weekend. Now, he has revealed that the reason for this is that he has picked up another long-term injury. Taking to Instagram, Kellyman wrote: "Gutted to have suffered another long hamstring injury. Part of the game but I'll be back stronger."

The injury in question is set to keep him sidelined until November at the earliest, according to BBC sport journalist Nizaar Kinsella.

Though not expected to become a first team regular at Stamford Bridge this season, Kellyman's injury woes will come as a major frustration to both him and the club with regards to his delevopment, with the teenager having set them back a substantial fee and unavailability meaning that he cannot leave on loan or be integrated into the first team under Maresca.

He is not alone on the treatment table in west London though; Reece James is also sidelined, while Romeo Lavia and Malo Gusto are both nursing injuries, though the pair could return after the international break.

The Red Devils' impressive display demonstrated the coach's qualities, but also made a mockery of the club's decision to not hire him last summer

Rumours of Manchester United's demise, it turns out, have been greatly exaggerated. Yes, the Red Devils are 12 points off the Premier League's top five and only seven points from the relegation zone. But they turned up at the home of runaway leaders Liverpool and earned a 2-2 draw while coming agonisingly close to snatching all three points.

Many United fans were keeping their fingers crossed that Sunday's game at Anfield would be postponed due to heavy snow given their shambolic recent results and Liverpool's imperious form. But when the game kicked off, their team did not freeze.

Ruben Amorim's side nullified Arne Slot's in the first half, took a deserved lead with Lisandro Martinez's thunderous strike and then overcame conceding twice in the space of seven minutes to equalise through Amad Diallo, before Harry Maguire spurned a dream opportunity to grab the winner deep in added time.

The defender's horrendous miss, however, should not cast a downer on what was a hugely impressive performance from United, one which vindicated their decision to appoint Amorim, who was also one of Liverpool's top candidates before they opted for Slot.

The Portuguese coach had lost six of his first 11 games in charge, but due to fixture congestion had only four training sessions with his whole squad available. For this one, though, he had a whole six days to prepare, and he put it to good use as his side finally looked like they knew what they wanted to do and how to do it.

The performance and result, however, further underlined the fact that United should have appointed Amorim back in the summer rather than keep Erik ten Hag in charge. Had Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his fellow executives been more ruthless and got the Portuguese on board for pre-season, then he would have had months to get his ideas across to his players rather than the smattering of sessions he has had to implement his methods.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Anfield…

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  WINNER: Ruben Amorim

  Amorim was in serious danger of becoming the first United manager since Dave Sexton in 1979 to preside over four league defeats in a row, but he demonstrated he does know what he's doing and that he can make something of this team if given the right support and amount of time.

  The coach sent a message to his players before the game as he declared the squad was "starving for leaders" and put the onus on them to show some character. They did just that. The coach, however, also deserves credit for his gameplan. His side prevented Liverpool from playing to their strengths by disrupting them in midfield and they counter-attacked in numbers rather than flying forward in isolation.

  The performance was another demonstration that the coach can hold his own against a top side after beating Manchester City with both Sporting CP and United already this season. The real test will come next week at Arsenal after another clear week on the training ground to "sell his idea" to his players.

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  LOSER: Trent Alexander-Arnold

  Trent Alexander-Arnold has been dominating the headlines amid reports that Real Madrid want to sign him now after making a £20 million bid this week, and it looked as if the Spanish giants' interest in him had gone to his head as he was all over the place on Sunday. Alexander-Arnold has never been the best defender, but he couldn't even do the basics right as United ran amok down his right-hand side, fashioning two key chances in the first half.

  He also had an absolute horror show when United took the lead, gifting the ball to Lisandro Martinez in the first place, failing to pressure Bruno Fernandes and then losing track of the Argentine before he smashed in off the bar. Alexander-Arnold offered very little in attack either as he barely troubled Martinez or Diogo Dalot. But his defending was the main concern, and Madrid's top brass would have been understandably concerned while they were watching from the Spanish capital.

  "There’s talk about him going to Real Madrid, but the way he’s defending he’ll be going to Tranmere Rovers after this," said Roy Keane in a typically cutting but not unfair assessment of Alexander-Arnold's performance on . "We talk about how brilliant Trent is going forward, but Trent’s defending today, my goodness… It’s like schoolboy stuff. "

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  WINNER: Lisandro Martinez

  Martinez, AKA 'The Butcher', had been serving up hugely disappointing cuts of late, but he sharpened his knives for the biggest game of all and delivered a complete performance. The World Cup-winning Argentine appeared to be one of the players Amorim was referring to when he urged senior players to step up and show more leadership, but this was the type of performance United fans wanted to see and which they grew accustomed to seeing in his brilliant debut campaign.

  Martinez showed steel and aggression in defence to shut Liverpool down in his area while he also played on the front foot, unleashing attacks with his passes from deep and pushing up into the final third. His goal encapsulated everything fans love about him: hunger to win the ball back, intelligent movement in possession and then an unstoppable finish, topped off with a furiously passionate celebration.

  The defender then took responsibility for the team's recent woeful results but vowed that performances like the one at Anfield had to become the norm. He said: "If you saw the last few games, it was poor. It's true and we accept that. Today we played really well and we have to believe. Football really is mental. We changed our mindset. The belief, the confidence and I saw everyone secure today. With confidence in every duel, with the pass, defending."

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  LOSER: Matthijs de Ligt & Harry Maguire

  While Martinez had one of his best games in a United shirt, his two defensive partners, De Ligt and Maguire, would have left the game feeling glum, albeit for very different reasons.

  De Ligt was the weak link in the back-three and made two judgement calls which were pivotal to both of Liverpool's goals. His first mistake was to dive in on Cody Gakpo, which allowed for his international team-mate to dribble across the box and open up a far better shooting angle than if he had been shown outside. The forward still deserves credit for his trickery and his wonderful strike, but De Ligt had made things much easier for him. The defender also showed a lack of focus when he threw his hand into the air as he tried to challenge Mac Allister, giving the VAR team little choice but to advise referee Michael Oliver to review the play and award a penalty. De Ligt thus looked furious with himself when he left the pitch to be replaced by Leny Yoro.

  So too did Maguire, who had been excellent throughout the game but then bungled a glorious chance to give United their first win at Anfield in nine years. pundit Daniel Sturridge criticised Joshua Zirkzee's quality of ball, but Keane was right to declare that Maguire should have buried the chance rather than spoon it over the bar.

West Bromwich Albion could well have a new potent goalscoring hero in the form of Josh Maja, who has started this Championship season like a man possessed.

Only fit to make 12 appearances for Carlos Corberan's Baggies in the league last season, with just a paltry goal to show for his efforts, the former Sunderland youngster has now managed to register four goals from four league games to help his side sit pretty in second spot.

As much as West Brom are now showing the benefits of exercising patience with Maja, they didn't quite have the same levels of perseverance with this former attacker when he was starting out as a raw youngster, who has since gone on to become a goalscoring menace away from the Hawthorns.

Chris Wood's time at West Brom

Chris Wood, who is now a household name to Premier League fans with Nottingham Forest among the many other top-flight clubs he's lined up for, might now be forgotten about as ever being a ex-West Brom player, having only gone on to make 27 appearances for the West Midlands side.

The 74-time New Zealand international wasn't exactly a hit for the Baggies either, only managing to find the back of the net three times during his short stay with the club.

But, with a promising six assists also managed across these games, West Brom would cash in on their unpolished gem in 2012 when Leicester City bid £1.25m for the centre-forward's services.

Wood had shone on loan at the King Power Stadium before making that move to the Foxes permanent, and would become known as a serious threat in front of goal for many other clubs past Leicester, with the 32-year-old still excelling at Forest today even as his career begins to naturally wind down.

Wood's career since West Brom

It hasn't been all smooth sailing for Wood since departing the Baggies as a young striker still keen to make a name for himself, however, with failed moves to the likes of Newcastle United sticking out from his career resume, as the Magpies won his coveted services for £25m in 2022.

He would only go on to score a weak five goals from 39 appearances at St James' Park, as the pressure of his bumper price tag proved too weighty, before going on to rebuild his somewhat tainted career at the City Ground.

Wood has found his goalscoring powers again since relocating to Forest, with an impressive 15 goals registered last campaign helping his relegation-threatened side stave off the drop, whilst two goals have already come his way during the infancy of the new season.

It's not as if Newcastle gambled and splurged that £25m back in 2022 for the sake of it either, with a combined 97 strikes finding the back of the net from the towering 6 foot 3 goal machine when he lined up for both Burnley and Leeds United, before his flop move to Tyneside came to fruition.

West Brom must really regret, with hindsight now on their side, not giving the Auckland-born striker more opportunities in the Baggies' first team, with Wood only given one chance in the Premier League to impress during the 2010/11 campaign when he was still on the roster at the club.

In the here and now, the 32-year-old would also really suit the system Corberan likes his team to play under, as the likes of Tom Fellows and Mikey Johnston would have a field day twisting and turning their markers down the flanks, before attempting to find the imposing figure of Wood ready to pounce.

The on-fire Forest number 11 will just aim to continue seeing out his playing days in style, as the Championship promotion hopefuls curse their bad luck over discarding Wood too soon.

Signed for £15m: West Brom flop has seen his stock crash to below £1m

West Bromwich Albion fans have tried their best to forget about this flop.

By
Kelan Sarson

Sep 10, 2024