Author Archives: Lubanzi Langa

WOW! WOW! WOW! What a game. What a tournament. Argentina have won the World Cup. Messi has won the World Cup. Sadly, France have lost. Argentina vs France was probably one of the greatest matches to watch. Players from both these teams should give themselves a pat on the back for playing such lovely football throughout the whole tournament.

**Firstly, what a game.**

As a neutral fan, the game certainly had me on the edge of my seat. It was a brilliant football match. One that will be talked about for many many years to come. From Argentina going into the second half with a 2-0 lead. Mbappe “single handedly” dealing with Argentina so the game could go to extra time. Then the dreaded penalties. This game was amazing. One must have surely thought that 90 minutes and extra time wouldn’t be enough to seperate those two sides. And just know that if it takes penalties to crown a World Cup winner, then those 120 minutes or more were the toughest.

**A legend at 24?**

Argentina might have won the World Cup, but that doesn’t mean we should forget Kylian Mbappe’s heroics, and what he’s achieved for France so far. One could supposedly say that he carried France till the very end. Mbappe, became the first player since 1966, to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. The only difference is that in 1966, when England’s Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick, England won the World Cup. That didn’t happen for France three days ago in Qatar. It really is hard to think about how a player can go on to score three goals and not win the World Cup. But, the Frenchman did go on to win the Golden Boot; making him the first Frenchman to win the award in 64 years. He ended the tournament with eight goals and two assists to his name. He still has a lot of football to play domestically and internationally. He still has a lot more goals to score and assists to provide. Some people have even gone as far as saying that he’s the mini G.O.A.T. All in all, there’s a lot more “Mbappe magic” we’re going to see in the next few years. I just hope that Argentina’s victory, doesn’t overshadow Mbappe’s performance throughout the final and the World Cup as a whole.

**The man of the moment**

Lionel Messi. 2022 Golden Boot winner. What a player he is. He was outstanding throughout the whole tournament (even though some people had their doubts). He was set to retire from international football after the World Cup, but he made a shock announcement right after winning the World Cup. He stated that he will not be retiring from international football anytime soon. Which begs the question: Would he have still retired if he hadn’t won the World Cup? We don’t know. But what we do know is that Messi is now a World Cup winner, and he is one of the best if not the best player in world football right now. Hopefully he doesn’t retire anytime soon because he still has a lot to offer.

Felicidades a Messi y Argentina!

What a World Cup! The teams were amazing. The fans were great. The results were unpredictable. I mean, what more could we have asked for?

It’s been a good few weeks in Qatar but sadly good things have to come to an end. The World Cup is sadly coming to an end and unfortunately this match will be Messi’s last dance on the international stage.

*And then they were two*

Well. The World Cup started with 32 teams and now we’re down to 2. France and Argentina. It really comes to no surprise that France and Argentina are the last two teams standing. I mean both teams came into this World Cup as favourites after all. People did have their doubts about Argentina reaching the final especially after their defeat to Saudi Arabia. But, they’ve made it to the final. France aka Les Bleus aim to become the first side since 1962 to win the World Cup for the second time in a row.

** Messi’s last world cup dance): **

Messi will retire from international football after the World Cup. Very sad): He’s scored 96 goals while also providing 53 assists in 171 appearances for Argentina. So it’s only fair to say that he’s had an amazing international football career. He will surely be remembered as a legend of the game and whether or not he wins the World Cup, it certainly has been a pleasure watching him play on the international stage. He has certainly made football worth watching.

**The Golden Boot race**

Well well well. Who will win the Golden Boot? It’s so tight this time around that I don’t even know myself! Messi tops the Golden Boot race standings with 5 goals and 3 assists to his name. He(Messi) is followed by Kylian Mbappe, who has scored the same amount of goals BUT the Frenchman has only 2 assists to his name. Very tight isn’t it? If it happens that Messi and Mbappe have the same number of goals then the number of assists will decide the Golden Boot winner. If it also happens that both players have the same number of goals and assists, then the Golden Boot will be awarded to the player, who has taken the fewest number of minutes to complete his tally of goals at the World Cup. So basically it’s a tight race and we’ll have to see.

**Whether or not Messi wins the World Cup, he should be considered the G.O.A.T.

Just saying.

It has been a really busy transfer window in Europe with the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham, Man City and Real Madrid getting down to business. However there are some fans that should be worried about there club’s lack of transfer activity so far. For example Manchester United. There is still plenty of time to do business though as the transfer window closes on the 1st of September 2022. But for now, let’s take a look at how busy the transfer window has been so far.

CLUB BY CLUB:

Liverpool

Liverpool have certainly been active during this year’s Summer transfer window having brought in Darwin Nunez, Calvin Ramsay and Fabio Carvalho. No more players are expected to join Liverpool this summer so one may say that Liverpool’s transfer business for this summer is DONE.

Next year might turn out to be Liverpool’s biggest year in the transfer market. Only because of one player. Jude Bellingham. The young and notorious Borussia Dortmund midfielder who recently turned 19 has continuously been linked with a move to Anfield. The Reds, have always seemingly been in a good position to sign Bellingham, but now it seems as if their faith and belief in signing Bellingham has ‘grown stronger’. The Reds reportedly believe they’re now leading the race to sign Jude Bellingham and this is due to Kalvin Phillips’ move to Manchester City. However it won’t be easy for the Reds to sign the England midfielder as Dortmund have put a hefty price tag on him. German outlet Sport Bild, reported that clubs will have to pay €120 million to acquire Bellingham’s services. Could Liverpool break the bank? We’ll have to wait and see folks.

Outgoing players

Neco Williams is edging closer to a Liverpool exit. The Wales international, is set to sign a contract with Nottingham Forest. Williams hadn’t been playing regularly for Liverpool so he is obviously seeking more game time. And since Liverpool have added a right back to the squad this summer; Trent Alexander-Arnold being Jurgen Klopp’s first choice right-back, Williams was going to face tough competition for the number 1 right-back spot. He did really well while on loan at Fulham last season and he probably deserved more game time. Which he didn’t get. So can he excel at Nottingham Forest next season? We’ll have to wait and see.

**Corner taken quickly… Origi!!**

The Liverpool legend recently joined AC Milan on a 4 year deal. This comes after his Liverpool contract expired at the end of June. The Belgium international left Anfield with a number of iconic goals to his name and he will forever be known as Liverpool’s super-sub. During his time at Anfield, he scored 45 goals in his 175 appearances for Liverpool. He also scored six Merseyside derby goals; and the one goal, that will be cherished by Liverpool fans is from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner taken quickly which sealed one of the greatest comebacks in football history. The super-sub will surely be missed and as Liverpool fans said on the last day of the 2021/22 PL season, “Football without Origi is nothing”.

Tottenham

Tottenham have certainly been the most busiest club in the Premier League when it comes to transfers. They’ve managed to sign Yves Bissouma, Fraser Foster, Ivan Perisic and Richarlison. The Spurs recently signed Richarlison for £60 million and that means he is now Tottenham’s fourth summer signing.

On Friday, Spurs confirmed their fifth signing, Clement Lenglet. Lenglet will be at Spurs on loan from Barcelona till June 2023.

**But Tottenham are not done yet**

Middlesbrough right-back Djed Spence is set to undergo a medical ahead of his proposed move to Tottenham. Spence who spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest, helped the then championship club secure promotion to the Premier League. According to The Athletic, Spence favours a move to North London rather than staying at Nottingham Forest. The prospect of playing Champions League football next season for Spurs is “thought to be a major attraction” for the 21 year old right back. So all in all Nottingham Forest have lost out on a brilliant player.

Outgoing Players:

Emerson Royal is set for a move to Spanish football giants Atletico Madrid. According to Football Insider, Atletico Madrid have submitted a bid for Emerson Royal. Spurs boss, Antonio Conte is reportedly open for the right-back to leave this summer after spending just a year at Spurs. It comes to no surprise that Atletico Madrid have made a move to sign a right-back; since Kieran Trippier left the club in January to join Newcastle United.

Manchester City

Just like their Premier League arch rivals Liverpool, Man City have signed a couple of players so far this summer. They’ve recently brought in Stefan Ortega from Arminia Bielefeld, Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund and Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United. Phillips recently joined the “Cityzens” on a 6 year deal; the fee is understood to be in the region of £45-50million. This is obviously a difficult pill for Leeds United fans to swallow but I feel as if they should be happy that he was once a Leeds United player. Man City have had their eyes set on Kalvin Phillips for quite a long time so it honestly comes to no surprise, that they’ve managed to sign him. Will he fit in perfectly at the Etihad? Only time will tell 😉

**The right move at the right time?**

No one knows what Pep Guardiola’s plans for Kalvin Phillips at Man City for next season are. But with City being involved in the Premier League, 22/23 FA Cup, the Carabao Cup and having qualified for next season’s Champions League, one would expect Pep to rotate his squad from time to time and this could work in Phillips’ favour. Phillips might have more game time, and this is important for him as he looks to book a spot in Gareth Southgate’s 26 man squad that will be heading to Qatar for the World Cup later this year. I mean the World Cup is just around the corner and Kalvin Phillips has enough time, from now till World Cup squad announcement day, to prove himself to Gareth Southgate after a very disappointing Nations League campaign in early June. Southgate needs players who he sees fit to take on other strong teams like France, Brazil, Belgium and Argentina who will definitely be standing in their way for World Cup glory. Hopefully Phillips gets enough game time at the Etihad to help him book his spot on that plane heading to Qatar.

**Like father like son**

Erling Haaland followed in his father’s footsteps by signing a 6 year deal with Manchester City. This follows the activation of his release clause which allowed the Norwegian to leave Borussia Dortmund this summer. There is no doubt that Haaland will be considered a Dortmund hero at just the tender age of 21. He is expected to hit the ground running in the Premier League; despite the increase in competitiveness. He scored 86 goals in just 89 appearances for Dortmund in all competitions. One may say that is golden boot worthy but he faces tough competition for the Golden Boot; such as Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min. He can only hope for no knee injury that would force him to retire like his father Alfie Haaland; and that he has a great season at the sky blue half of Manchester.

Will he be even better at City? ANSWER: Only God knows.

Arsenal

The Gunners should be satisfied with their transfer business so far. They’ve managed to sign four players so far, with more still expected. They’ve recently brought in Matt Turner from New England Revolution, Fabio Vieira from Porto, Marquinhos from Sao Paulo and Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City.

**From Manchester to North London**

Gabriel Jesus’ move to Arsenal from Manchester City comes after Erling Haaland recently joined the Citizens. Perhaps Jesus saw that Erling Haaland’s transfer, might ‘pose a threat’ to his football career. After all Jesus was seeking more game time and perhaps it was about high time he moved on. The 25 year old, could give Mikel Arteta’s side that ‘zing’ that they’ve been missing in the final third. The stats speak for themselves: 95 goals, 46 assists, 4 hat-tricks in just 236 appearances for Man City. He’s also received 56 caps and scored 19 goals for Brazil so far. WOW! City better hope Jesus does not come back to bite them next season.

Let’s just take a moment to forget about Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Mohamed Salah is the best player in the world right now. No matter how underrated he is, we have to accept that Mo Salah is on the verge of becoming the GOAT.

**OPINION**

The Liverpool forward has been exceptional from the start of the season. From assists to goals you name it he can do it. It is without a doubt that Mo Salah is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League. I mean the stats speak for themselves. With 25 goals and assists to date, 42 assists and 111 goals since he arrived at Liverpool, Mo Salah has proven that he is and can be a goal scoring machine. The no 11 joined Liverpool from Roma in 2017 and has since proven to be an incredible goal scorer and fan favourite.

**Talk about a fantastic season so far…**

The ‘Egyptian King’ has produced stellar performances in the Premier League and also in the Champions League so far this season. One moment that reminded us all who he[Mo Salah] is was the goal against Manchester City.[If you still don’t know anything about that goal then you are very, very, very far behind when it comes to knowing Mo Salah]. It wasn’t only that goal. It was goals against Watford, Chelsea and Man United that made us realize that he is indeed the best player in the world right now. The question is why did it take so long for the football community and the world as a whole to realize this fact? Is it because Liverpool haven’t won as many Premier League trophies as Man City in the past decade or so? Is it because he is not the football player who wants the whole world to know him by thinking highly of himself? I guess we’ll never know the answers to these three questions ):

** IT WOULD BE VERY UNFAIR TO COMPARE HIM TO RONALDO**

It’s not a case of it would be unfair. IT IS VERY UNFAIR TO COMPARE HIM TO RONALDO! Ronaldo does not have the skill and technicality that Salah has this season. Salah is way ahead of Ronaldo this season and this is not me comparing the two. IT’S THE STATS!!! With Ronaldo coming back to the Premier League, it has opened up a huge room for comparisons between the two strikers. To date, Mo Salah has the most goals in the Premier League with 16, most assists with 9 [tied with Trent Alexander-Arnold] and most shots with 80. Having been nominated for the FIFA 2021 Men’s best player of the year award, he does have a really good chance at winning. It will be really close though since Robert Lewandowski is in great form. If Mo Salah doesn’t win this award then FIFA have a bad selection panel.[Just saying]. Mo Salah is indeed the best player right now and is continuing to surpass the likes of Messi and Ronaldo. Once again it’s not me comparing. IT’S THE STATS!!!!!!

** Should have finished higher up? **

A lot of people still don’t get why Mo Salah didn’t finish higher than Ronaldo in the Ballon d’Or Rankings. Very strange isn’t it? The 2020/2021 season was obviously not an easy season for Liverpool and Mo Salah to get through. However Mo Salah has managed to make the 2021/2022 season his own. Messi hasn’t had a high flying start at PSG as we would expect him to. Ronaldo also hasn’t had the greatest season at Old Trafford just like everyone was expecting but Mo Salah, definitely has had one of his greatest seasons in a Liverpool shirt.[Not to forget when Liverpool won title]. Mo Salah has continued doing what he has done for a number of years ever since he joined Liverpool. It’s just that his work is sometimes or even most of the time not credited by the rest of the world. So he should have finished at about 4th place in the rankings rather than 7th place.

** Give him the contract!!!! **

Many Liverpool fans have made it clear that they want Mo Salah to stay at Liverpool for many many seasons to come. There is only one thing that is preventing Liverpool fans’ dream from coming true. THE CONTRACT! Liverpool’s manager, Jurgen Klopp has repeatedly said that talks between the club and Mo Salah have been ‘good’. It is still unclear if FSG are planning to extend Mo Salah’s contract anytime soon. He has spoken about how he wants to stay at Liverpool for as long as he possibly can. On the 23rd of December, Football 365 reported that Salah had reportedly requested a £500,000 a week to remain at Liverpool. Now Kevin Campbell [a football pundit], “The negotiations at Liverpool are taking too long.” He[Kevin Campbell] thinks that PSG may be looking to sign Mo Salah to replace Kylian Mbappe while speaking to Football Insider. His current contract expires in the summer of 2023 and Liverpool may be ‘desperate’ and racing against time to keep him at the club. The big question: Will Mo Salah’s wish be Liverpool’s command?

So the January Transfer Window is officially here and there has been speculation about a number of players who are looking to leave their clubs. Some clubs are prepared to go all out, to bring in the player or players that they want. Below are some players who are reportedly linked with a move in this transfer window.

1. Kylian Mbappe

The Frenchman was denied a move to Real Madrid by PSG in August. It was not until the final week of the Summer Transfer Window that Real Madrid, made a £154.4m bid for the starlet according to Sky Sports News. Mbappe had reportedly told PSG about his dream of playing for Real Madrid. Mbappe’s contract expires at the end of the 2021/2022 season which means that, he is a free agent as the January transfer window has opened. Real Madrid are most likely, going to sign Mbappe on a pre-contract this January even though he has ruled out a move to Real Madrid during this transfer window. Mbappe was speaking to CNN when he revealed that he is 100% sure he will finish this season with PSG. With many clubs around Europe monitoring his situation, it remains to be seen if Kylian Mbappe will indeed sign a pre-contract with Real Madrid or not. For now it does look like he is staying at PSG… FOR NOW.

2. Erling Haaland

The Borussia Dortmund star’s future at the Westfalenstadion is still unclear. His contract runs to 2024, but there is a release clause that allows him to leave for a fee of about 75 million Euros. Earlier in September, it was reported that Borussia Dortmund have reached a ‘verbal agreement’ to sell Erling Haaland. It is though still unclear if the Norwegian wants to leave Dortmund. A number of Premier League clubs such as Man United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City have been keeping their eyes on the 21 year old Norwegian. With the 21 year old being one of European Football’s hottest prospects, it is without a doubt that Borussia Dortmund will try their utmost best to keep him at the club. The question still stands: Will we see him ‘walk away’ from Dortmund?

3. Jude Bellingham

Even though the 18 year old England International does not look like he will be leaving Borussia Dortmund anytime soon, there are a number of clubs that are keeping an eye on him. These clubs are most notably in the English Premier League. Liverpool are amongst the Premier League clubs that are reportedly ‘leading the race’ for the 18 year old’s signature. However according to Sport Bild and German football journalist Christian Falk, “Jurgen Klopp has inhibitions about signing Dortmund players”. This is much to the disappointment of Liverpool fans. Borussia Dortmund have long term plans to keep him at the club. The 18 year old, signed a 5 year contract with the Bundensliga outfit in the summer of 2020 after he completed a £25m move from Birmingham City. He[Jude Bellingham], spoke out and said that he wants to “develop at Borussia Dortmund and give something back by winning titles”. Clearly the 18 year old is not going anywhere anytime soon. With the passion and love that he has for Borussia Dortmund, it does look like he will be at the Westfalenstadion for a very long time.

4. Anthony Martial

The Manchester United forward seems very unhappy at Old Trafford. On the 28th of December 2021, ESPN reported that Manchester United have rejected a loan offer made by Spanish club Sevilla. His manager Ralf Rangnick, has made it clear that Anthony Martial has asked to leave Old Trafford. According to Sky Sports News, Anthony Martial spoke to Ralf Rangnick about leaving Manchester United. The Frenchman has only managed to score 79 goals in 268 appearances for United since arriving in 2015 from Monaco. It is quite evident that the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo and the arrival of Jadon Sancho has dented Martial’s hopes of ever being in United’s starting line up. Will we see him leave Old Trafford this January?

5. Jesse Lingard

The 29 year old midfielder’s future at Old Trafford is still not clear. The 29 year old joined West Ham United on loan to the end of the 2020/2021 season where he was spectacular. He managed nine goals and six assists for the Hammers in that loan spell. During Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time at Old Trafford, Jesse Lingard played a few times internationally[For England] and sometimes barely made it into the starting 11. With Ralf Rangnick now in charge, it still does not look like there will be any change with regards to him getting game time. According to Sky Sports News, in November it was reported that he might leave on loan in January or on a free transfer in the Summer Transfer Window. Many people think that he has nothing left at United and that the former Red Devils’ manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s ‘plan’ did not work. It remains to be seen if West Ham United are willing to sign the England International or… For now the question stands: Will we see a permanent move or a loan move away from Old Trafford in this Window?

6. Kieran Trippier

Kieran Trippier has been linked with a move to the Magpies this January. According to Sky Sports, Newcastle United have submitted a formal bid to try and sign the Atletico Madrid defender. It is though still unclear if the England international wants to leave the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. Last season Atletico Madrid won the title and Kieran Trippier was named in the La Liga team of the year. If Newcastle still want to stay in the Premier League, they will have to bring in more players and not just Kieran Trippier. Being the richest club in the world has not helped Newcastle United so far this season. With a £300m price tag hovering around Newcastle United, it will be a do or die mission for them in this transfer window as they look to avoid relegation. The big question: Is a move to Newcastle United a smart one for Kieran Trippier?

7. Pierre Emerick Aubameyeng

The weeks and days leading up to 2022 have not been great for the Arsenal striker from a football point of view. After being banished from first team training, he was then stripped of the Arsenal captaincy. According to the Mirror, Barcelona and Juventus are keeping their eyes on Aubameyang. The Gabonese international went to visit his sick mother so that he could bring her to the UK for treatment. Arsenal gave him a timeframe in which he was supposed to go and return. Many people[including myself] think that the so called disciplinary breach is very embarrassing and unfair. The Arsenal striker has since been released early so that he can prepare for the AFCON. Question: Was it the right call by Arsenal and will we ever see Aubameyang in an Arsenal shirt ever again?