All posts by n8rngtd.top

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If you told a Wolves fan at the start of the season they’d be in with a realistic chance of securing European football in their first season back in the Premier League they would have probably laughed in your face.

However, that is the now a realistic aim for the club, who can qualify for the Europa League if they win the FA Cup. Another route into Europe would be by finishing seventh and hoping Manchester City win the FA Cup instead.

Reacting to what the permutations are on Twitter, supporters shared mixed opinions, as some sceptics are not overly enthused by the prospect of a season in Europe.

One individual claimed three summer qualifying rounds could wreck their season whilst another said they’d rather have a few more years in the Premier League to establish themselves before securing qualification.

But one fan was excited by the pulling power the club could have if they were competing in Europe.

At the moment, Nuno Santo’s men are flying high in the table, sitting seventh after being promoted last term.

It has been a magnificent season which has seen them earn plaudits aplenty and, of course, reach the semi-finals of a major domestic trophy.

Here’s the best of the discussion concerning the prospect of qualifying for Europe…

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Everton fans have taken to Twitter to defend Jordan Pickford, after the goalkeeper was involved in a brawl outside of a pub.

Videos online emerged of the England No.1 caught in the midst of a scuffle, although another video has shown the Sunderland academy graduate merely out enjoying himself and taking pictures with fans, only for a few individuals to throw insults and slurs towards him.

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

Whilst a professional football player should conduct himself better than Pickford has in allowing himself to be wound up by the taunts, it is unfair on the 25-year-old to be subjected to this kind of stuff whilst he is simply spending time with friends and engaging with fans.

Whilst some Everton fans have called on him to be more professional, the majority of Everton supporters have defended their keeper after the incident.

Let’s see what the Toffees fanbase on Twitter have been saying about the situation…

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Tottenham scraped past Manchester City in dramatic fashion on Tuesday night, but how can they cope in the second leg if Harry Kane’s injury is as bad as first feared?

On the chalkboard

Mauricio Pochettino and the Lilywhites made it two wins from two in the new stadium on Tuesday, capitalising on some bizarre selections from Pep Guardiola as Son Heung-min scored the only goal in a 1-0 win.

The Spaniard left Kevin De Bruyne and Leroy Sane on the bench until the final moments of the match, and while Pochettino outthought the City boss on the sidelines, his players outfought the men from Manchester on the pitch.

No one fought harder than Kane, who was the subject of targeted fouling by the Cityzens throughout the evening, and he eventually paid the price when he appeared to roll his ankle in a challenge with Fabian Delph.

So what can Pochettino and his side do if their talisman misses the next leg? Here are three things they could try…

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

The straight swap

The first and most likely solution may also be the least inspiring if truth be told; setting up in an almost identical fashion at the Etihad Stadium but with Fernando Llorente up front.

Llorente would give the team a focal point to hold the ball up and escape pressure, but kicking long balls at a target man seems extremely desperate for a side that have just shown they can go toe to toe with England’s best.

However, if City commit their full-backs too high and too often then Llorente could be a crucial presence, as his flicks down to the wings for the likes of Son and Dele Alli to sprint on to could be what finds that all-important away goal.

The diamond

The second option is another formation Pochettino is familiar with – the 4-4-2 diamond, but with an extra injection of pace up front.

In fact, this system may actually be more effective without Kane if the boss decides his side should play on the counter-attack, as a strike force of Lucas Moura and Son would surely find a way through as City commit more and more numbers forward in the second leg. Don’t forget Lucas has already produced one epic striker showing in Manchester this season.

This would leave Harry Winks dictating play from the base of midfield, with Moussa Sissoko and Christian Eriksen presumably the men doing the dirty work either side of him. Alli of course, with his endless industry and knack of producing moments of magic, would play in the number ten role.

The false nine

Finally, and what is without a doubt the most intriguing possibility, Pochettino could take a page out of Jurgen Klopp’s book and use Alli in the Roberto Firmino role.

The Brazilian plays as a centre forward for Liverpool but is dubbed the “false nine” due to his tendency to drop into midfield, link-up play and leave space for his wingers to exploit, something Kane already does often but not quite to the same degree.

If there’s anyone in world football that comes close to replicating Firmino’s unique combination of versatility, durability, work ethic, flair and of course goals, it may just be Alli, and the 22 year-old would afford space to speedsters Lucas and Son to counter-attack by pulling the centre backs out of position.

So, Tottenham fans, what do you think should be the strategy if Kane is ruled out? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

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According to O Jogo, Liverpool would be interested in signing Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, who has shone in patches during the Molineux outfit’s return season in the Premier League.

But the Portugal international could set them back a staggering £110million according to reports from September and Liverpool already have a wealth of options in central midfield, few of whom – much like Neves – offer a consistent supply of creativity and goals.

So, should Liverpool swoop for Neves at the campaign’s end? Football FanCast’s writers give their verdicts below…

Billy Meyers

“I think Neves is just what Liverpool are missing in the midfield. Admittedly, they have a lot of options already, but the Portuguese midfielder is a general in the middle of the park and a man capable of dictating things from deep. He is also used to hitting long-range passes to speedy attackers at Wolves, so he wouldn’t need much time to adapt at Anfield as Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane would make life easy for him.”

James Beavis

“Liverpool already have a plethora of midfielders who are decent defensively – Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Naby Keita – but don’t offer enough going forward, and Neves hardly breaks that mould. Yes, he is capable of getting up and down the pitch, dictating the play from deep and scoring the odd brilliant goal, but he hasn’t shown that he has that creative brain in the centre that the Reds are crying out for next season. In truth, he’s no better than Wijnaldum. Maybe in another year’s time a move could happen, but he isn’t ready yet.”

Ben Goodwin

“With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain coming back, Jurgen Klopp now has two options in each of this 3 midfield positions. The “6” can be occupied by Henderson or Fabinho, both of whom can also fill the box-to-box role usually occupied by Wijnaldum or Milner, while Oxwlade-Chamberlain will return to compete with Keita for the most advanced midfield spot. There is simply no room for a big money signing who will expect to play week in week out.”

Jack Saville

“I can’t see why Klopp would be interested in a move for Neves. Liverpool’s squad is stacked with quality options in central midfield and Neves’ influence has diminished as the season has developed. The early season hype was thoroughly justified but he has been overshadowed by the brilliance of Joao Moutinho. That in itself is enough to suggest Neves could damage his career by trying to play his way into an incredibly competitive midfield unit – just look at Keita.”

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West Brom were able to cement their place in the play-offs with a 3-2 win over Hull on Good Friday. They didn’t do it in the most convincing of ways but it was yet another win for James Shan.

Kieran Gibbs and Dwight Gayle were among the stand out players but Baggies supporters had bones to pick with youngster Rekeem Harper.

The 19-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and in February was apparently one step closer to signing a new deal according to the Express & Star.

However, as the season drags on it’s looking increasingly likely he may not be at the club next term.

As a result of that and his poor performance on Friday, one fan on Twitter claimed he didn’t care if he left. A further tweeter said he shouldn’t play again until he’s sorted his head out.

Meanwhile, other comments saw one supporter say that Harper didn’t look interested, suggesting Kyle Edwards had done more.

The 6 ft midfielder has featured in 13 Championship games this season and has claimed one assist. However, in matches against Bristol City and now against Hull, he’s looked disappointing.

Here’s what Albion fans have been saying about the player.

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Arsenal fans have taken to Twitter to slam Shkodran Mustafi, after the centre-back put in a woeful performance as Crystal Palace snatched a shock 3-2 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

The German international (and World Cup winner, somehow) was particularly culpable for the Eagles’ second goal, after a mix-up between him and Bernd Leno allowed Wilfried Zaha to nip in and tuck the ball home.

The North London Derby of 2008 may never be matched for drama. Lewis from Norwich City Central explains why it’s his all time favourite derby in the video below…

Mustafi always seems to be at fault for everything that goes wrong in the Gunners’ backline, and the fans appear to have had enough of the former Everton man’s incompetence at the back.

Whilst most of Unai Emery’s side didn’t turn up against Roy Hodgson’s men, special hatred has been reserved for the 27-year-old, who is perhaps the most disliked member of the entire squad amongst the Arsenal fanbase.

Having missed out on the chance to take advantage of Manchester United’s loss to Everton earlier in the day, let’s take a look at how the clearly frustrated Arsenal fans on Twitter reacted to Mustafi’s performance…

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Blamed. Criticised. Some fans even want him to be sold after it. David de Gea came in for some torrential criticism after Leroy Sane’s goal settled the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

The German’s strike was right at De Gea, but the Spaniard couldn’t keep it out and instead diverted it into the back of his own net.

After his error inside the Camp Nou against Barcelona, and his ineffectiveness as Everton thrashed the Red Devils by four goals to nil, the finger is being pointed at a man who has set such high standards for himself over the years, that any dip in form is met with shock and surprise.

Who would win out of Man Utd’s treble winners and Man City today? Fans discuss in the video below…

However, Sane’s goal was not his fault.

Instead, the blame should lie at the feet of Matteo Darmian.

Why on earth did one of the Premier League’s best wide players have the entirety of Old Trafford to himself from the moment he received the ball to when he put it in the back of the net?

Darmian had already made a mistake before Raheem Sterling released the former Schalke man in on goal. The Italian international was nowhere to be seen, instead hiding behind his centre-back – quite literally – before not even looking interested in closing the shot down.

Sergio Aguero had made a run across goal to free up some space for Sane, but it was a movement that Chris Smalling had covered – the Italian international didn’t need to track the Argentine as well whilst Smalling was doing likewise.

To make matters worse, as I briefly touched on beforehand, when Darmian had realised the error of his ways, he didn’t even make a desperate attempt to block the shot, which is the bare minimum expected from a player who has messed up.

Instead, the former Torino man simply watched Sane draw back his deadly left foot, before rifling a shot towards the target – to be frank, it was pathetic from Darmian, and was deserving of Roy Keane’s scathing assessment following the final whistle.

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According to Belgian media outlet Le Soir, Southampton are ready to offer €23.5m (£20m) to sign Standard Liege attacker Moussa Djenepo, and they may well have found their next Sadio Mane in the process.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Le Soir report that Saints are eyeing up the 20-year-old, with the story suggesting that talks between the two clubs over a potential move may even have already taken place last week.

Le Soir say that rumours previously suggested the south coast outfit were interested in Wolfsburg’s Victor Osimhen, but the fact that he is looking likely to join French side Lille means that Southampton have turned their attentions elsewhere – to Djenepo presumably.

The Mali international has enjoyed an impressive season for the Belgian outfit, scoring 11 times and providing a further six assists in 38 appearances in all competitions.

Would he be a good signing?

He is far from the finished article, but then neither was Mane when Saints signed him from Red Bull Salzburg in 2014.

What is clear is that Djenepo is a great dribbler, can score and can create.

The fact that he has those statistics at 20 years of age is certainly impressive, as is the fact that he only moved to Europe from his home country in 2017.

The reported interest in the youngster suggests Southampton are ready to raid the smaller European leagues for talented individuals – as they did with Mane previously – and the African attacker certainly looks to have bundles of potential.

Like the Liverpool ace, Djenepo primarily features on the left wing but is capable of playing anywhere across the front three, which is sure to be an attractive trait for Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Has Jack Stephens unfarily been made a scapegoat at Southampton? The Ugly Inside discusses in the video below…

The Premier League strugglers have long been looking for an attacker who can cause chaos and make the same impact in the final third that Mane did, and in the Standard Liege man they may just have found him.

West Ham have enjoyed a strong end to the season in what, on the whole, has been promising first campaign under Manuel Pellegrini. That’s what we’ve got to keep telling ourselves, right? Things are going to get better under the Chilean, they just have to. 

A top-half finish remains in sight with victory over Watford but West Ham’s main priority over the last few months, some would say, hasn’t been on the football. Instead, Pellegrini has likely been planning a busy summer transfer window, a period of time that could see West Ham really strengthen and become a genuine seventh place contender.

Already a number of names have been floated about and fans without a doubt are growing with excitement. Strap in guys, the proverbial silly season is going to kick off.

One name who is all-too-familiar to the West Ham faithful by now is Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez and he is still reportedly (as per Football.London earlier this week) one of their main targets for the summer. Gomez, who was signed for £3.6 million back in 2017 (as per Transfermarkt), has been strongly linked with a move to the London Stadium ever since the drama unfolded with Marko Arnautovic in January.

With it being thought that Arnautovic was leaving, Gomez was dubbed as the perfect replacement, though neither moves transpired.

Now in a dramatic turn of events, the Austrian looks to be staying at West Ham, whilst Maxi Gomez could still be joining as well, presenting easily one of the best front-lines outside of the top six. Imagine that, Irons. A strike force to truly be reckoned with.

The 22-year-old has helped Celta Vigo claw themselves away from the relegation zone with 13 goals and five assists this season And with West Ham facing the possibility of losing Andy Carroll amongst others, the Uruguayan forward would be a welcome addition.

Just a complete refresh of an area in the squad that’s been allowed to get far too stale would be nice.

How Manuel Pellegrini works out the best way to utilise Maxi Gomez and Marko Arnautovic is up to him but it sure makes for a mouth-watering proposition for the fans.

Do you agree Maxi Gomez could be that influential for West Ham? If not, why not? Let us know!

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Real Madrid are concerned by the prospect of Tottenham Hotspur winning the Champions League as they attempt to sign Christian Eriksen this summer, per AS.

What’s the word?

The Denmark international has long been a target of the Spanish giants.

But AS report that the Spanish giants are worried that Spurs could beat Liverpool in the Champions League final, having qualified after an unforgettable victory over Ajax on Wednesday, and suddenly ramp up their asking price.

Madrid, AS claim, believe they will have to pay a maximum of €70million (£60.5m) to secure Eriksen’s signature, though Spurs have thus far demanded €100m (£86m).

But a victory over the Reds, Madrid believe, would complicate matters and, despite reaching a verbal agreement with the Denmark international over a transfer, the club are said to be worried about the prospect of Eriksen extending his current contract.

His deal expires in 2020 and if no extension is agreed, he will be available on a free transfer at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season.

Ambitions fulfilled

The best players want to win the biggest trophies.

There has long been a debate over whether Tottenham can reach the next level and keep their stars happy.

A win in the Champions League final, with Spurs crowned European champions, would do just that.

It remains to be seen if Eriksen, however, would view it as a swansong or a reason to stay.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will surely hope for the latter, particularly if Spurs want to go one step further and attempt to win the Premier League.