All posts by h716a5.icu

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Guardian reporter Ewan Murray has accused Brendan Rodgers of promoting Scott Bain as part of a vanity project.

What’s the word?

Murray doesn’t disguise his support for Hearts with Bain taking over from former Tynecastle stopper since Celtic returned from their winter break in Dubai.

Gordon’s last first team appearance was in the 1-0 defeat at Ibrox and while he did pull off a number of outstanding saves, his distribution from the back was partly responsible for the chances created.

The GK situation

Shortly after taking over as Celtic manager Rodgers signed up Dorus de Vries but following a short run of games he picked up an injury in a 6-1 win over Kilmarnock, opening the door for Gordon’s return.

Despite conceding three goals to Manchester City in his first full appearance after being restored to the side Gordon retained his place and was awarded a new contract early in 2017.

Bain was preferred for Celtic’s Betfred Cup ties and after playing in the Scottish Cup against Airdrie he has retained his place for the last three SPFL matches.

Who do you think should be Celtic’s No.1? Let us know by commenting below…

Ralph Hassenhuttl failed to make a single signing during his first transfer window as Southampton manager.

The Austrian replaced Mark Hughes back in December and has improved the Saints’ fortunes since arriving at St. Marys. The January transfer window represented the first opportunity to tailor the Southampton squad to his liking. However, there were no new arrivals at the club despite Manolo Gabbiadini departing.

Should Hassenhuttl guide them to safety, the summer transfer window should be a completely different story. Many fringe players will leave the club handing the former RB Leipzig manager some valuable transfer funds to reinvest in his starting eleven.

One man he could look to sign without breaking the bank is Chelsea outcast – Gary Cahill. Valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, the former England international has been a mainstay in the Blues defence since joining from Bolton Wanderers back in 2012. However, under Maurizio Sarri, Cahill has found himself out of favour, playing just 21 minutes of Premier League football this season.

The 33-year-old was heavily linked (via Sky Sports) with a move away from Stamford Bridge in January but rejected moves to Juventus, Monaco and Fulham. Instead, Cahill will let his contract expire in the summer and choose to join a new club on a free. A defender with his experience could prove vital in the long-term as Southampton look to challenge at the right end of the table.

A two-time Premier League and one-time Champions League winner, securing the services of the former Aston Villa man would be an astute piece of business.

Southampton fans, thoughts? 

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Leeds United have been a side swamped with controversy in recent weeks with Spygate and the Daniel James saga, but it appears they might finally able to draw a line under Marcelo Bielsa’s opinion-dividing strategy in the imminent future.

Spygate has been a tempestuous and contentious issue at Elland Road ever since the lid was lifted on Bielsa’s tactic prior to Leeds’ clash with Derby County.

Emotions have varied and opinions have been split throughout the footballing world, but now that the dust has settled on the issue it appears an official EFL decision is set to be made.

The uniqueness of the situation has understandably evoked plenty of cause for scepticism, confusion and, amongst some supporters, a small touch of fear.

Will the EFL clamp down on Bielsa and Leeds with a points deduction, a hefty fine or simply let them off with a warning? It remains up in the air but Phil Hay revealed on Friday morning that the verdict is likely to become clear ‘within 24 hours’, as per Yorkshire Evening Post.

The delay in reaching a decision on the matter has prompted plenty of supporters to fear the worst, with a handful subtly and not so subtly implying that a points deduction could be in the offing.

The waiting game is undoubtedly creating a sense of paranoia amongst the supporters with promotion hanging in the balance, and they will be hoping to be put out of their misery with some positive news as soon as.

One does get the feeling, though, that a points deduction would ensure a place for Spygate at the core of the Leeds narrative in the final months of the season, while a lenient decision would finally bring closure to the matter.

Here’s what the fans have had to say as a conclusion to Spygate edges ever closer:

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Ajax attacker Hakim Ziyech scored his first Champions League goal in his side’s first leg last 16 defeat against Real Madrid in Amsterdam on Wednesday night, and his performance didn’t go unnoticed by Liverpool fans on Twitter.

The 25-year-old joined the Dutch giants in August 2016 and has made a huge impact for them, and he has scored 15 goals and provided a further 12 assists in 31 appearances in all competitions for them this term.

The Morocco international finally got off the mark in Europe’s elite club competition on Wednesday against the La Liga giants, and he probably should have had a brace given he missed a glorious opportunity earlier in the encounter.

Meanwhile, Liverpool sometimes seem to lack that creativity in the middle of the park when Jurgen Klopp lines up in a 4-3-3 formation with Philippe Coutinho still yet to be properly replaced, and the versatile Ziyech, who can play out wide or through the middle, certainly has the creative capability to play in a No.10 role for the Reds.

Supporters of the Merseyside outfit were quick to have their say on the African attacker’s latest performance via social media, and while one said “get him to Liverpool asap”, another said “Ziyech needs to be a red”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Jurgen Klopp has gotten quite inventive with his excuses this season. FFC’s James Jones think he has no one but himself to blame for Liverpol’s poor form in the video below…

Arsenal fell to a first-leg defeat in their round of 32 Europa League tie with BATE Borisov after they lost 1-0 at the Borisov Arena last Thursday.

Unai Emery will be confident his side can get the job done in the return leg — and has said as much (via Football.London) — but the recent humiliation that took place in Belarus remains something that could have so easily been avoidable had Mesut Ozil played.

Is this Arsenal team good enough to beat an outfit such as BATE without a player of Ozil’s ability on the pitch? Of course, even if Thursday’s showing suggests otherwise. It was just a bad day in the office which can happen to any team and at any point in a season.

However, having barely used Ozil of late, Emery had no valid reason to not give the German some minutes in that defeat with it having been the perfect opportunity for him to get time on the pitch and build a bit of momentum. Doing so could have completely changed the outcome.

It is hard to imagine Ozil with his astute playmaking skills not being able to carve open that BATE backline. It probably would have been enough for Arsenal to walk away with something be it the win or an away goal.

What is done is done but, going forward, Emery would be wise not to dismiss Ozil so easily. He is too much of a good player to be discarded like the way he has been with no suitable alternative anywhere in sight.

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Arsenal have been linked with a £40million move for Crystal Palace right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka this summer, according to The Sun.

The Gunners have reportedly identified the 21-year-old as a potential solution to their lack of depth at full-back.

Wan-Bissaka has enjoyed a sterling season under Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park, making 28 appearances in all competitions.

Unai Emery’s side have struggled with the right-back position thus far this season, with Hector Bellerin injured and 35-year-old Stephan Lichtsteiner struggling as backup.

Wan-Bissaka has been capped at Under-21 level by England but has yet to make his senior debut under Gareth Southgate.

Nevertheless, his form has attracted interest from a number of clubs, per the aforementioned report, including Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Everton.

But Gunners fans on Twitter are split on the idea of securing the youngster this summer, particularly with Bellerin soon set to make his comeback.

Look at the best of the reaction on social media below!

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Newcastle United fans have lavished praise on Sean Longstaff after his excellent display in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Burnley.

The 5 foot 11 midfielder scored his first Premier League goal against the Clarets after Fabian Schar’s screamer to give the Magpies all three points.

Longstaff subsequently took to Twitter on Wednesday to reminisce, posting a picture of him shooting at goal along with the caption: “What a night, big three points.”

Newcastle are now closer to 10th than 18th after their second win in a row, having also beaten Huddersfield Town, and face Manuel Pellegrini’s West Ham United this weekend.

Longstaff has made his first-team breakthrough under Rafael Benitez this season, playing 12 times in all competitions. Such has been his meteoric rise, he has also played 13 times for the Under-23s this season.

And, following his tweet, Newcastle fans have lavished praise on the 21-year-old, who is a local lad, having been born in North Shields.

Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

Suddenly, Timo Werner’s been caught up in the middle of a discreet transfer war.

Indeed, Both Bayern Munich and Liverpool are reportedly in the running for him according to the Mirror, but it’s the Bundesliga giants who seem to be ahead. Bayern have previously (via SportBILD) been said to be very close to signing the youngster and could even agree on a deal quickly.

Werner has reportedly been a prime target for Jurgen Klopp for quite some time now. Touted with a move to Anfield for a fairly long time – with BILD suggesting he was a target way back in January – potentially losing out on him would be a blow. With Liverpool in need of another quality striker, the clinical German would certainly add more flavour to their attack.

Knowing his ability to play in a fast-paced system, Werner’s fantastic link-up play means he could create a deadly partnership with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

He’s produced some inspired work in Leipzig over the years, gaining a lot of attention for his heroics. Werner’s already scored 11 goals in 21 appearances in the Bundesliga this league, with his fantastic movement, pace and finishing ability making him an ideal goal-scorer for an attack-minded side.

With Bayern calling (as previously reported by SportBILD), Werner will find it difficult to reject them as he gets a chance to stay in his home country and play for a European giant. Klopp needs to use his influence to convince him to move to Liverpool and give him better guarantees over his growth.

Before he signs any kind of agreement with the Bavarians, Liverpool should use their influence to swoon him away. Werner can not only be an exciting addition but can become a lethal goal-scorer akin to Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez upon arriving at the Premier League.

Liverpool fans, would you like Werner at your club next season? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

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Alex McLeish named his Scotland squad on Tuesday for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Kazakhstan and San Marino.

What’s the word?

Allan McGregor’s retirement from international football and a handful of absentees in forward positions added an extra layer of intrigue in the build-up to McLeish’s announcement.

With Steven Naismith, Steven Fletcher and Leigh Griffiths all absent, the uncapped Oliver Burke has been called up to the squad.

The Celtic loanee, who is valued at £9 million by Transfermarkt, has been called up along with Oliver McBurnie, Johnny Russel and Marc McNulty, as per The Scotsman.

Different option to McBurnie?

On current form it’s fair to say that McBurnie has built a strong case to start ahead of Burke in attack. Swansea City’s lethal hitman has bagged 16 goals in the Championship this season, with his poachers’ instinct inside the penalty area forming the foundation of his success.

All 16 of his goals have arrived inside the area and six have been inside the six-yard box, while his all-round hold-up play has also been a valuable weapon for Graham Potter to exploit.

Burke, however, is a completely different talent altogether. The 21-year-old has been deployed at centre-forward this season but he is far from a traditional front-man like McBurnie.

His instinct is to influence the game with his flair and direct style of dribbling, darting past opponents to create opportunities for himself rather than waiting for his teammates to feed him inside the penalty area.

There are benefits and caveats to the contrasting styles of McBurnie and Burke, but their differences will give the Scotland manager an ideal opportunity to experiment with his line-up during the international break.

The former RB Leipzig flop’s level of dynamism could be a valuable weapon for McLeish to exploit at centre-forward in a bid to unsettle the opposition.

While it has been a disappointing season in the Championship for Millwall, supporters have still had something to smile about this campaign with the south London club performing exceptionally well in the FA Cup.

After beating AFC Wimbledon 1-0 in the previous round, a quarter-final clash versus Brighton at The Den now awaits Neil Harris’ men with Lee Gregory likely to be the home side’s best chance of making it to Wembley.

As for the visitors, looking at his most recent display, Anthony Knockaert could be the player who proves to make the difference on the day from a Brighton perspective.

With that in mind, how do the two Millwall and Brighton attackers compare?

Lee Gregory

Currently Millwall’s leading goalscorer this term, Gregory is the man Harris will undoubtedly be pinning his hopes on.

Capable of playing up front alone or with a strike partner, the English centre-forward is an individual who is clearly rated highly by his manager – and not just for his goal-scoring exploits.

“It’s not just his goals, Lee has got a lot of other attributes,” Harris told News at Den back in 2015 when speaking about his striker.

“His closing down from the front, link-up play and the way he competes in the air against big centre halves are terrific.”

Based on that, Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy could be in for a difficult Sunday afternoon.

TT Grade: C+ Anthony Knockaert

Knockaert stole the show in Brighton’s recent 2-1 win over rivals Crystal Palace after he curled in a fantastic effort towards the end of the game to give Chris Hughton’s men all three points.

Since winning promotion to the Premier League with Brighton, it is perhaps something the Amex faithful have not seen enough of.

Nevertheless, that moment of brilliance from out of nowhere is what Knockaert is capable of, making him someone Millwall have to pay close attention to.

Once the tricky winger receives the ball on the right flank, he has the skill to beat his full-back on the inside with his left foot before getting a shot on goal or playing in a team-mate.

Much attention will be on Glenn Murray when Brighton take to the Den pitch, but it could so easily once again be the Anthony Knockaert show.

TT Grade: B- TT Verdict:

Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final encounter between Millwall and Brighton will be no walk in the park for the Premier League side.

The Lions have already beaten opposition from English football’s top flight in Everton with Gregory getting his name on the scoresheet in that victory.

That being said, Brighton have to be considered favourites for the tie, especially with a player like Knockaert in their ranks.