Joe Soriano, Author at The Trivela Effect

The most obvious signing for Ruben Amorim at Manchester United isn’t Viktor Gyokeres

18Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, Premier League

The most obvious signing for Ruben Amorim at Manchester United isn’t Viktor Gyokeres

At this point, the most frequently linked transfer target to Manchester United is none other than new manager Ruben Amorim's biggest star at Sporting CP, striker Viktor Gyokeres. The 26-year-old was phenomenal in his previous two campaigns, including in the Championship with Coventry, but he's truly blossomed in 2024/25 with five goals in four Champions League fixtures and a whopping 16 goals in 11 league matches for Sporting. After a signature hat trick against Manchester City, Gyokeres is the hottest name on the transfer market in general, and Manchester United won't be the only big club in Europe eyeing the sharpshooting No. 9. However, Manchester United already signed a second striker this past summer in Joshua Zirkzee to pair with Rasmus Hojlund, and Marcus Rashford could be ...

Juventus might sacrifice the wrong man just to sign mediocre defensive help

18Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, Serie A

Juventus might sacrifice the wrong man just to sign mediocre defensive help

Juventus have found themselves in a bit of a predicament with two starting-caliber central defenders done for the season with ACL tears in former Defender of the Year Gleison Bremer and new addition Juan Cabal. The Bianconeri still have a few quality central defenders available in veteran Danilo, breakout star Federico Gatti, and an even better summer 2024 signing than Cabal in former AC Milan man Pierre Kalulu. Although those are three good defenders, Juventus could use a fourth man to solidify their depth for the remainder of the Serie A season, as the Bianconeri are among the handful of teams fighting for the title in the most wide open Scudetto battle in ages. As such, Juve are being linked with a host of possible defensive signings this January, but it also sounds like the Ol...

There’s another Real Madrid game-changer Carlo Ancelotti needs to stop forgetting about

18Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

There’s another Real Madrid game-changer Carlo Ancelotti needs to stop forgetting about

As Real Madrid prepare for their fixture following the November international matches, they are staring down a six-point deficit in the title race against Barcelona, and even though they have a game in hand, the gap actually feels wider than just six points. That's because Real Madrid were annihilated in their last matchup against Barcelona, falling 4-0 in El Clasico for the second time in Carlo Ancelotti's second reign, which has been more famous for its two Champions Leagues but is now in its biggest moment of crisis. Although Real Madrid bounced back from both the Clasico defeat and a 3-1 loss to AC Milan in the Champions League with a 4-0 victory over Osasuna, until Los Blancos comfortably win a big match, Carletto won't stop feeling the heat. The legendary manager has come un...

It looks like Erling Haaland is about to be off the table for Barcelona in 2025

18Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga, Premier League

It looks like Erling Haaland is about to be off the table for Barcelona in 2025

Manchester City superstar striker Erling Haaland hasn't received as much fanfare this season with the Citizens falling further behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race, but he's actually on pace for his best goal-scoring numbers of the season. The clear top dog in Manchester with Rodri injured, Haaland has scored 12 goals in 11 Premier League matches this season, putting him on pace to potentially flirt with a historic 40-goal season. Haaland already holds the Premier League record for most single-season goals after smashing home 36 with 8 assists in Man City's treble-winning 2022/23 campaign. Although the Norwegian sensation's all-around numbers have slipped in recent seasons, his displays in 2022/23 and then prior to that with Borussia Dortmund show that his all-around ...

There is only one way Viktor Gyokeres joins Ruben Amorim at Manchester United

17Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, Premier League

There is only one way Viktor Gyokeres joins Ruben Amorim at Manchester United

Ever since it was announced that Ruben Amorim would step in as Erik ten Hag's replacement at Manchester United, the transfer rumors linking Sporting CP's rising standouts to the Red Devils began. Sporting have one of the best young center back duos in European football between Ousmane Diomande and Goncalo Inacio, who have both regularly been linked to top Premier League clubs dating back to last year. However, after Manchester United brought in Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro at center back, there's been less focus on the defenders with the vast majority of the speculation focusing on striker Viktor Gyokeres. A breakout star in the 2023/24 season with 29 goals and 10 assists after quietly notching 21 goals with 12 assists for Coventry in the previous season, Gyokeres became one of ...

There is only one true dream transfer target for Barcelona

17Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

There is only one true dream transfer target for Barcelona

Barcelona already have the most fearsome attacking quartet in world football, as Hansi Flick has turned Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Dani Olmo into a multi-faceted machine capable of averaging well over three goals per game in any competition. Flick has brought Lewandowski back to his status as being world football's finest goal-scoring machine - sorry, Erling Haaland - and he has gotten much more out of Raphinha and Olmo than any manager who had ever coached either before. And Yamal? Well, he didn't really have to do anything with him, but it also feels like the teenage sensation has more freedom to be himself and pull the strings as a wide creator under the German manager. Despite the embarrassment of riches in the attack, Barcelona are still looking to make t...

A struggling Real Madrid star might be the best case for hiring Xabi Alonso

17Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

A struggling Real Madrid star might be the best case for hiring Xabi Alonso

Following the 4-0 loss to Barcelona and the 3-1 defeat to his former club AC Milan, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti received a great deal of pressure both internally and externally. It's familiar territory for the two-time Champions League winning coach at Real Madrid, and he'll readily recall being fired for no apparent reason - other than the nebulous, "a cycle has ended" reasoning from Florentino Perez - after his first successful stint at the club. But even though Real Madrid bounced back with a 4-0 win over Osasuna and have much bigger squad issues defensively than anything that has to do with Ancelotti, this time, the pressure feels different. Even when things were going swimmingly for Ancelotti last season, there was a constant backdrop of noise that 2025 would be the y...

The whole world will be talking about one Liverpool star soon enough

16Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, Premier League

The whole world will be talking about one Liverpool star soon enough

Liverpool are one of the two best teams in European football right now, having built up a rather commanding lead at the top of the Premier League table as they get prepared to exit the November international break. The Reds have not missed a beat without Jurgen Klopp. Far from it. In fact, as Klopp may have predicted when he noted that his time had come to move on so that the club could progress, Liverpool have looked significantly better under the tactical innovation of Arne Slot. He's proven that he is an elite coach in world football already, and for those fans who clamored for Xabi Alonso or Ruben Amorim, there are certainly no regrets about the Slot decision now. Slot deserves credit for helping several key players at Liverpool show their true levels, as the left winger duo o...

Juventus offered the wrong option from Manchester United to save their defensive injury crisis

16Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, Premier League, Serie A

Juventus offered the wrong option from Manchester United to save their defensive injury crisis

Juventus may sit sixth in the table, but they are just two points behind Serie A leaders Napoli in what has become the most wide open title race in the Italian top flight in ages. Defending champions Inter Milan are still seen as the de facto favorites after running away with the Scudetto last season by nearly 20 points, but Juventus are just as much in the hunt as the Nerazzurri to finally win the crown after going nearly five years without a title they used to be guaranteed to win every season for a decade. Juventus have improved their attack under new manager Thiago Motta, but their real calling card coming into the season was a steady defense bookended by the center back trio of Danilo, Federico Gatti, and, of course, former Serie A Defender of the Year Gleison Bremer. Injurie...

Roy Keane’s inane commentary on Alejandro Garnacho is the epitome of the problem

16Nov

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, Premier League

Roy Keane’s inane commentary on Alejandro Garnacho is the epitome of the problem

Manchester United attacker Alejandro Garnacho is one of the gems of the squad and someone whom incoming manager Ruben Amorim should undoubtedly want to build his team around. In Garnacho, Amad Diallo, and Rasmus Hojlund, there is a great deal of hope in the future at Old Trafford, and despite the fact that Man United are in the bottom half of the Premier League table after more disastrous coaching from Erik ten Hag, the witch is gone. Moreover, Garnacho and friends have given Manchester United fans plenty to be happy about this season, with the 20-year-old already providing seven goals and four assists in all competitions in just his second season as a regular starter at the club. Yet Garnacho hasn't felt welcomed by all sections of the fanbase, and while captain Bruno Fernandes d...