All posts by n8rngtd.top

[ad_pod ]

Leeds have won just three of their last nine games in all competitions, but the return of versatile defender Gaetano Berardi could solve several problems at once.

What’s the word?

The Whites had a terrific run through the difficult winter period, but have gone off the boil since Christmas, due mainly to injuries and suspensions.

Liam Cooper’s return coincided with Kalvin Phillips collecting a three-game ban, and Luke Ayling has been in really poor form since returning from his knee injury, as the club just cannot get its best players on the pitch and in form at the same time.

However, Marcelo Bielsa is set for a huge boost this week as Berardi returned to action on Monday, starting in the Under-23’s clash against Bolton.

If you told a Leeds fan last season that their promotion hopes would rest on the shoulders of Berardi they probably would have laughed you out of the room, but his presence in the first team will help Bielsa in more ways than one.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

On the chalkboard

When the 30 year-old does return, it could be very bad news for Ayling. Jansson and Cooper will presumably remain the first choice centre back pairing, and Berardi’s versatility means he can slot in on the right side.

Ayling has been looked a step off the pace since returning from injury himself, and some of his play with the ball at his feet has been truly shocking, while he also gave Swansea a pointless penalty last weekend.

While the tough-tackling Berardi’s return may be bad news for Ayling, it is most definitely good news for for players like Phillips and Jamie Shackleton, who can now focus entirely on doing their job in the midfield.

A chance to refresh the midfield

Phillips was forced to fill in at centre back over the winter, but having him back at full pelt in midfield makes all the difference, and with a solid back four behind him the youngster will only get even better.

Shackleton has also been asked to fill in at right-back at times this season, but will now be yet another option for Bielsa to rotate into the midfield if needs must, an area where depth is crucial in such a high-tempo system.

Berardi’s return gives Bielsa an extra option right across the defence, as well as a huge boost to the freshness and quality of a midfield that has run out of gas since the turn of the year.

The feisty 30 year-old is more important to the club now than he has ever been, and fans should be chomping at the bit to get him back in the side.

[ad_pod ]

Liverpool are reportedly on “red alert” over the possibility of signing Real Madrid superstar Isco.

What’s the story?

According to Calciomercato, both Liverpool and Juventus are hoping to sign Isco after the playmaker was left out of Real Madrid’s squad to face Barcelona on Wednesday.

The Champions League winners welcomed their arch-rivals to Madrid on Wednesday for the second leg of their Copa del Rey clash, but Isco was once again left out.

The 26 year-old hasn’t started a match since January 16, and has started just five La Liga matches in total this season.

The aforementioned report claims both Liverpool and Juventus have “been given hope” of signing the Spaniard and that “his future has never looked so much far away from Madrid”.

Coutinho replacement?

Valued at a whopping £67.5m by Transfermarkt, Isco’s production in front of goal this season has simply not been good enough, scoring just four times and even worse for the crafty playmaker assisting a goal only once.

That said, this is due mainly to a lack of structure in the Madrid side, a lack of consistent playing time for the ex-Malaga ace and some struggles with injuries as well (he has missed four games through Appendicitis and four games with back problems).

When fully fit and firing, Isco could be the perfect player to slot into that advanced position in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield, an area Liverpool have struggled to add creativity and goals to since Philippe Coutinho’s departure.

His dribbling, close control, vision and passing would all open up more space for the likes of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino to exploit, and the work horses in the Liverpool midfield can more than cover his defensive deficiencies.

If Isco is truly on the move this summer then he would be the perfect Coutinho replacement for the Reds.

[ad_pod ]

Southampton’s woes continued as two defensive lapses cost them in their 2-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, and big changes are needed when Saints host fellow relegation battlers Fulham at St Mary’s on Wednesday night.

On the chalkboard

Ralph Hasenhuttl chose to stick with the five-at-the-back system for the trip to north London, but within 17 minutes the visitors had a mountain to climb as they found themselves 2-0 behind, with a misunderstanding between Jack Stephens and goalkeeper Angus Gunn leading to the second.

The result left the south coast outfit in 18th position and one point from safety, and realistically they will know that they need to beat the struggling Cottagers in midweek – especially with fixtures against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur to follow.

With Danny Ings already out and Michael Obafemi seemingly suffering another hamstring issue on his comeback against the Gunners, Hasenhuttl doesn’t exactly have a plethora of attacking options ahead of the crucial clash.

What needs to happen?

Firstly, the Austrian manager needs to stick with what he did at the start of the second-half at the Emirates, by ditching Stephens and playing with a back four.

Southampton don’t need to play five in defence against a team they need to take the game to from the very first minute on Wednesday, and in truth the Saints boss should go with the his preferred 4-2-2-2 formation he has used at previous clubs.

One man who should be included in the starting line-up from the start is Josh Sims, even if he has only been named in the 18-man squad in the Premier League on two occasions this term following a less than successful loan spell with Reading.

With the 21-year-old scoring twice and assisting two more for the U23s in their 6-2 Premier League Cup win against Notts County on Friday, he deserves a chance to put a leaky Fulham defence under pressure from kick-off.

That would allow Nathan Redmond and Sims to play in the advanced positions out wide, with Shane Long, Charlie Austin and Sam Gallagher fighting it out for the two centre-forward spots.

It was no surprise when a loud cheer came from Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon when the final whistle went for the Merseyside Derby. But, it can’t be just a one-off, Marco Silva has to ensure his side reach that kind of level from now on. 

Indeed, the Toffees would have surprised many with their solid defending to keep title challengers and rivals Liverpool to a goalless draw and it was an excellent reason for Toffee supporters to be satisfied with a result again. Obviously, not true Evertonian is going to sit there and say they’re happy with the distinct lack of quality on show during the first-half, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Marco Silva’s men haven’t had the best of seasons and have been struggling to back good performances up with some consistency.

But, getting a positive result against the Reds should spark heaps of optimism in the Everton camp and it is the perfect opportunity for Silva and his players to get a couple of wins under their belt and finish the season in a strong position. Having praised the Goodison support for their voice during Sunday’s game, the Portuguese now needs to prove he’s worthy of their continued backing.

Everton are all but out of the run for a spot in next season’s Europa League and currently sit tenth in the Premier League.

They do, however, owe their fans a good conclusion of the season to show the amount of money spent on new recruits last summer was not a waste at all.

And, this coming weekend’s clash with Newcastle United at St James’s Park could be the perfect opportunity to play fluent and attacking football again. It is the ideal chance for Silva to let his players go out onto the pitch and play with absolute freedom.

The likes of Lucas Digne and Bernard have shown what a threat they can be going forward on the left flank and they could cause the Magpies a lot of problems on Saturday.

Everton still have a couple of difficult fixtures to look ahead to before the end of the season with matches against Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur still coming up.

It should, however, not put the team off and should rather motivate them to make a final hard push to show their quality and aspirations to the rest of the league.

Ultimately, their performance against Liverpool will count for nothing if they can’t raise their game, the recent upturn will mean next to nothing.

[ad_pod ]

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder’s rotation has been in full effect recently and saw Aston Villa loanee Scott Hogan secure his second successive start against Brentford on Tuesday night, but his substitution at half-time surely ensures once and for all that he has no future at Villa Park.

On the chalkboard

Well, the 26-year-old may well have been buoyed by the fact that Dean Smith arrived as Steve Bruce’s successor in 2018, given he enjoyed the best form of his career under the former Bees boss at Griffin Park previously, but it didn’t work out positively.

He had only played 90 minutes for the Blades prior to last weekend following his January loan move, but he doubled that total against Rotherham United before starting again for the visit of Brentford to Bramall Lane on Tuesday.

Being named on the team-sheet ahead of players like Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick was probably a tactic by Wilder to ensure that none of his strikers suffer burnout during the run-in, but it went badly for Hogan.

The 26-year-old was largely anonymous in the first half and despite the hosts going down to 10 men when his strike partner Gary Madine was sent off in the 35th minute, he was still pulled at half-time in place of David McGoldrick, who went on to find the net.

Who has been the Championship’s best player this season? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

What next for the striker?

He faces a battle to break back into the starting XI at Sheffield United, let alone at Villa.

The Republic of Ireland international was nowhere near to dislodging Jonathan Kodjia and Tammy Abraham if truth be told, and while the latter could return to Chelsea following the expiry of his own loan spell, it might not make too much difference to Hogan.

It is difficult to see him turning his career with the Midlands outfit given how badly his move has worked out so far, no matter what division they find themselves in next term.

[ad_pod ]

Arsenal fans have taken to Twitter in good spirits after it was revealed that Ajax’s Marc Overmars is their next target for the role of sporting director, after first-choice Monchi left his post with Roma to rejoin Sevilla.

The Spaniard was the Gunners’ primary target after the departure of Sven Mislintat, but having originally left Sevilla in order to join Roma, Monchi opted for a return to La Liga rather than a reunion with Unai Emery, a man who he helped win three Europa League titles.

Check out the video below for pure scenes at the North London Derby on Sunday…

45-year-old Overmars, who spent three years at Arsenal from 1997-2000, is currently Ajax’s director of football, a role that he is excelling in with the Dutch giants part of the Champions League quarter-finals while boasting some of the world’s best youngsters such as Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt in their ranks.

The director of football role is becoming a position of added significance in modern football, as clubs try to maintain a consistent approach to proceedings no matter who the manager in charge is.

Let’s see what the Arsenal supporters are saying about a move for Overmars on Twitter…

[ad_pod ]

Liam Palmer’s Sheffield Wednesday contract is due to run out at the end of the season, and just a few months ago not many Owls fans would have lost too much sleep if the 27-year-old left Hillsborough for nothing later this year given his below-par displays for a team treading water in the Championship.

However, their opinions may have changed in recent months – and in especially in recent weeks when he has shone out of position at left-back for the late play-off challengers – since Steve Bruce was appointed as manager.

The man who received a Scotland call-up last week has been completely transformed since the former Aston Villa boss was appointed as Jos Luhukay’s successor earlier in 2019, and has shown how powerful a mutual respect between player and manager can be.

The former Manchester United defender clearly believes in Palmer by trusting him in the left-back position, and the Worksop-born full-back hasn’t let either him or the Yorkshire outfit down.

His latest task at the weekend was to stop Blackburn Rovers star Bradley Dack – an extremely talented player at this level – and he did an admirable job.

While right-back Dominic Iorfa will get all of the plaudits after scoring and providing an assist, Palmer was just as important on the opposite flank – mainly from a defensive point of view.

The 27-year-old made three tackles, two interceptions and four clearances against Tony Mowbray’s men, while he also showed his strength in the air by winning three aerial duels.

He also attempted 14 long balls and was successful with seven of those, a tally higher than all of his outfield teammates put together managed.

The defender may not be the most talented player on the pitch, but he is willing to fight for the club and if he continues to put in displays like this one and the ones from previous weeks, it will be a no-brainer to extend his stay at Hillsborough in the summer.

Granit Xhaka has enjoyed arguably his best season at Arsenal so far, since moving to the club in 2016 but his recent comments that North London will not be his permanent home in the future might just start to rattle a few fans and the manager Unai Emery.

Speaking to Tagblatt, via the Daily Mail, the 26-year-old Xhaka hinted at moving on from the Gunners in the near future by saying ‘Arsenal does not have to be the last stop’ of his football career.

Emery and Xhaka have worked brilliantly together since the manager took over from Arsene Wenger last May and has been the key figure in the midfielder’s development as both a linkup player in the centre of the pitch and one of the club’s leaders.

The manager wasted no time in naming Xhaka as one of his five captains for the season and the times the Swiss international donned the captain’s armband, he’s led his team with great pride and with example. We’re sure most Gooners reading this will agree, the former Borussia Monchengladbach man has really come into his own since the departure of Arsene Wenger, looking so much more disciplined in the engine room.

All that money wasn’t wasted then, right?

Indeed, Xhaka’s all-round play has been excellent this campaign and instrumental to the Gunners’ fine form with his defensive aptitude especially showing massive improvement compared to past seasons.

His discipline on the pitch has also been terrific after building somewhat of an ill-tempered reputation since his first season at the club, finally emerging as the holding midfielder the fans must have thought they were getting almost three years ago now.

For Arsenal to make further strides in the near future, both domestically and in Europe, a player like Xhaka will be of high value to the manager and he could be in a position to be a future club captain. Emery will, therefore, need to consult both the player and his directors about a possible new contract for Xhaka in order to keep him at the Emirates for a longer period of time.

Arsenal could be set to lose a few players in the coming summer market as the Emery project enters its second phase, Aaron Ramsey being the main example here, and Xhaka, who is valued at £45 million (by Transfermarkt), should definitely not be one of them.

Finally, Arsenal are starting to see the best of him.

Arsenal fans, do Xhaka’s comments scare you? How big a loss would he be? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

[ad_pod ]

It seems that the prestigious PFA Young Player of the Year award is a foregone conclusion. Most would find it impossible to see past Raheem Sterling after what he has achieved this season at both club and international level.

He is a worthy winner and few would argue with his credentials to scoop the award, but who else is in contention? Based on the premise that Sterling is the strong favourite, Football FanCast writers have been debating alternative candidates.

Some gushing words have been reserved for one of Sterling’s teammates, a recently transformed prospect and two of Liverpool’s most outstanding young players…

Billy Myers

“Aside from Sterling, Trent Alexander-Arnold has to be in the running for the PFA Young Player of the Year. The Liverpool academy graduate has emerged as one of the best right-backs in the league this season, and is up there with Europe’s best in terms of goal involvements – with six assists and a single strike to his name, the 20-year-old is a huge part of Jurgen Klopp’s system and is pivotal to the way in which the title hopefuls play.”

Harry Elnaugh

“A difficult one. Rice, of course, has been great and was called up to the England squad last week; Bernardo Silva has done the unthinkable in making Kevin de Bruyne dispensible; but Marcus Rashford has been a different beast under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and has to be runner-up for me.”

Ben Goodwin

“Where has the love gone for Joe Gomez? The Liverpool youngster has fallen completely out of the conversation due to his injury, but before Christmas he was arguably the most in-form centre back in the league, excluding Virgil van Dijk, who is incomparable. The 21 year-old will return soon, and he deserves to be in the conversation if he guides the best defence in the league to their first title in nearly three decades.”

James Beavis

“Bernardo Silva, without a doubt. The Portuguese player has been absolutely brilliant for Manchester City this season and I feel that his impact has sometimes gone under the radar with Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero often hogging the limelight. A wizard with the ball at his feet the 24-year-old has a huge future ahead of him at the Etihad, and it would be no surprise to me if he ultimately ends up matching teammate David Silva in terms of being one of the Premier League’s best.”

[ad_pod ]

According to football.london, via Claret & Hugh, West Ham United remain interested in a deal for Celta Vigo forward Maxi Gomez.

The Hammers were strongly linked with the Uruguay international during the January transfer window, but the striker ultimately remained in Spain.

It is widely thought that Gomez will leave Celta this summer, though, and according to football.london, West Ham’s director of football Mario Husillos is working on a deal for the 22-year-old ahead of the 2019-2020 campaign.

The London club’s fans have been on social media commenting on the rumours and it would be fair to say that not too many expect the deal to take place.

Gomez has scored 11 La Liga goals for Celta this term and is regarded as one of the best young forwards in world football.

It will certainly be interesting to see what happens with the South American this summer.

And a selection of the Twitter reaction from the West Ham fans can be seen below: