All posts by h716a5.icu

Does any Manchester United fan like Ed Woodward? He’s a tier down from Mike Ashley in the football villan league tables, but he’s getting there. Indeed, he now needs to forget about his massive ego and invest in the back four he must have thought was good enough last summer.

Jose Mourinho wanted more defensive signings last summer, with Harry Maguire and Toby Alderweireld being mentioned. So, Woodward must have thought he knew better than the three-time Premier League winner to block (as per ESPN via the Daily Express) any move in a power play that ultimately led to Mourinho’s sacking.

Mourinho knew it, the fans knew it and now finally it seems Ed Woodward might know it. United’s back line is not good enough to play open, expansive football and not concede goals by the bucket load. Even now the excitement is back at Old Trafford, the team still look at sea facing their own goal.

Woodward’s ego must be huge. To be a businessman, be gifted a job on the football side of the club and then think he knows more than Mourinho is criminal. He was wrong and he must swallow his pride and rectify his mistake or risk United remaining in Premier League purgatory.

Not challenging, but not being mid-table.

United need a commanding voice at the back. Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling aren’t bad centre-backs at all, but they both need a leader like a Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic to organise them. Some players aren’t natural leaders, and that’s okay, but it’s down to the people like Woodward to identify who can be that leader and sign him up.

This isn’t good enough for Manchester United, and the problem runs right through the club. Woodward needs to be placed back on the commercial side and a director of football needs to be appointed. This is arguably the biggest club in the world and it’s run so poorly it’s hard to believe.

Whoever the manager is next season, he needs to be backed with cash for defenders. Left-backs, right-backs, centre-backs, the lot. They need a complete reshuffle and only Woodward can commission that.

Manchester United fans, what is your ideal back line for next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

It’s no secret that Everton need a striker, right? They’ve never really replaced Romelu Lukaku and it’s cost them in front of goal, but Ante Rebic could be the man Everton fans have been waiting for.

The World Cup finalist has been linked to the club by Calciomercato and has scored eight goals in 20 appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga this season. He can be the target man needed to up the Toffees’ goal tally, and with the ability to play out on the left it gives Marco Silva the option to use him out there too.

Everton have a big project on their hands with a new stadium on the way and a manager that demands high-quality attacking football. This season has been hit and miss but there have been positive signs that the current squad just needs a few additions to make it one to challenge for a European place.

One of those positions is certainly a finisher because the forwards currently at Silva’s disposal just aren’t getting into the right areas quick enough. They have the wingers, like Bernard and Theo Walcott, to cause damage to defences but the end product is never good enough.

Rebic can be the man to link the wing play with the centre of the final third and get on the end of all heights of crosses to finish simple chances that Everton just aren’t taking at the moment. The Croatian’s movement would also create space for Gylfi Siggurson to slot through balls into his path.

The 25-year-old is valued at £31.5m (via Transfermarkt), so considering the importance of the position he could fill, it could turn out to be a bargain and even a summer signing that Evertonians will see as a turning point towards goal-scoring consistency.

Everton fans, who do you think your club should sign to play up front next season? Join the discussion by commenting below.

The season looked to be over when Nathan Jones departed Luton for Stoke City at the start of January.

Jones, who took over a struggling Luton at the start of 2016, was a revelation for the Hatters, taking the club from relegation candidates in League Two to the most prolific side in League One in just a matter of three years.

Which is why Luton fans feared the worst when it was announced the former Brighton and Yeovil player would be making the leap from League One to the Championship with Stoke City.

Currently second at the time of his departure, Luton fans were worried the club would slip into the mess that is mid-table of League One, but under Mick Harford, the exact opposite has happened.

The Hatters sit clear at the top of League One by five points and are currently on an incredible 28 game unbeaten run, and Harford’s side looks likely to be returning to the Championship after 12 years absent from the division.

The mood around the club under Hartford has been electric, and fans are confident the two time England international will be given the full-time job should promotion be confirmed in the final two months of the season, and it is vital the club hand him this position.

We have seen time and time again clubs fail to recognise the accomplishments of their managers and cast them aside for figures with higher reputations in the global game. We saw this with Birmingham City with Gary Rowett and Gianfranco Zola in 2016 and more recently with West Brom and Darren Moore.

It’s a bemusing trend that has puzzled Football league fans for some time, and Luton fans should be cautious that the same thing could well happen to Harford if a high-profile manager becomes available for appointment.

Football is a cut-throat industry where the most beloved and seemingly untouchable figures in the game have been and will be axed at the slightest blimp of poor performances and results, and although Harford looks safe for now, Hatters fans should prepare for the worst should Luton be promoted this season.

Sunderland go to Accrington tonight, for a crucial fixture in their quest to get out of League One with an automatic promotion place, and a win would take the Wearsiders into third spot in the table.

It will bring both club and fans back to earth, after playing at Wembley on Sunday, but with it should come a realisation that — with all due respect to Stanley — they do not want to be visiting grounds like this again next season.

Jack Ross knows that the Black Cats’ fate lies in their own hands, and nine wins from their last nine games will see them achieve their goal.

He openly admits that there is “probably no right answer” when it comes to the psychological aspect of having games in hand or points on the board.

Speaking ahead of the game, he said: “You can make an argument for both.

“I’ve been in both situations, both as a player and a manager, and at different times I would have given a different answer to that question depending on the position I was in.

“The truth is that there is probably no right answer.

“It’s just about trying to win every single game you have left between this point and the end of the season.

“If we win all nine of our remaining games then that would guarantee promotion and that’s what matters.”

A win for Ross’s side tonight would show they have brushed aside the disappointment of their Wembley defeat, and are fully focused on the main job at hand.

What Sunderland cannot afford is a defeat. Even a draw would leave them likely to be looking for favours, due to the number of stalemates they have had this season. Their goal difference is currently seven goals inferior to that of second-placed Barnsley.

So Sunderland cannot afford any further slip-ups, even in a season that has only seen them beaten twice, fans know they have not won enough games. Had they converted more single points into three, they would have been challenging Luton for the League One title.

Having played out 16 draws will ultimately be the reason they do not go up automatically, should they fall short, and questions would need to be asked about why they did not kill many of those games off.

It will all be irrelevant, of course, should they finish in the top two. But one thing Sunday’s Portsmouth loss proved, is that anything can happen in a one-off tie — and no player, manager or fan, will want to go through that nerve-wracking experience again in the play-off lottery.

What do you think the result will be at Accrington Stanley tonight? Has Jack Ross done enough this season to take your side up? Should he stay in charge if they don’t make it to the Championship? Let us know your opinion…

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Liverpool took a giant step towards the semi-finals of the Champions League when they beat FC Porto 2-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie at Anfield on Tuesday night.

First half goals from Naby Keita and Roberto Firmino set the hosts on their way, but they were unable to find any more goals to put the tie out of reach ahead of the return in Portugal next week.

Despite the win and the clean sheet, the Merseyside outfit didn’t have it all their own way and manager Jurgen Klopp should have two major concerns ahead of the visit of Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

The 20-year-old has certainly been one of Liverpool’s best performers throughout the current campaign, but some of his displays in recent weeks have been a cause for concern – including this one.

The England international was replaced by James Milner early in the second half at Southampton on Friday having struggled to deal with the combination between Nathan Redmond and Ryan Bertrand.

While he impressed from an attacking point of view against the Portuguese giants on Tuesday, he once again struggled at the other end of the pitch with the visitors clearly targeting the area of the pitch between Alexander-Arnold and Dejan Lovren.

Klopp must decide whether it is time to take the youngster out of the limelight with keeping clean sheets surely the priority right now, and given the fact he will come up against an in-form Eden Hazard on Sunday.

Defensive issues

Talking of keeping the opposition out, it was something Liverpool managed on Tuesday – but only thanks to the wasteful finishing of Moussa Marega.

The 27-year-old striker had a plethora of opportunities to find the net at Anfield, and Klopp’s men would have been thankful that he had an off-night in front of goal.

While it wasn’t an issue against Porto, if the Reds give those opportunities to a better striker in the Premier League or the Champions League in the future then they will no doubt be punished.

Having also flattered to deceive for Shane Long’s goal and subsequent miss-kick early on in proceedings on Friday, perhaps some extra defensive work is needed on the training ground prior to welcoming Chelsea to Anfield.

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Barnsley fans on Twitter have been calling for Joey Barton to be handed a prison sentence after he allegedly assaulted manager Daniel Stendel after the game on Saturday.

The Fleetwood boss apparently attacked Stendel in the tunnel after full-time at the weekend and was stopped from leaving Oakwell by police units.

Tykes fans have been calling for Barton to be locked up after the alleged attack which forced their manager to have emergency dental treatment.

This is not Barton’s first run-in with the law after he was sentenced to six months behind bars in 2008 for assault and he also faced disciplinary action for stubbing a cigarette out in another players eye whilst he was at Manchester City.

The controversial 36-year-old had seemingly turned a corner after foraying into management with Fleetwood Town this season but his latest violent attack has left his reputation in tatters once again.

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

Here’s what Barnsley fans have been saying on Twitter…

[ad_pod ]QPR picked up a valuable point on Wednesday night against a resolute Millwall side who find themselves in similar troubles to the R’s, and they will have been pleased to have registered a solid performance after the weekend’s horror show at Carrow Road.There was, for the first time in a long while, harmony amongst QPR fans on Twitter – perhaps because McClaren is no longer there to make a mockery of himself in post-match interviews – although that wasn’t the case prior to the game when Hoops fans were outraged by the omission of Bright Osayi-Samuel from the starting XI.

On the chalkboard

The winger is one of few players at Loftus Road with pace and power who can stretch a defence, so being left on the bench for the midweek clash was surprising, particularly considering that Matt Smith – a player who thrives on delivery into the box from the flanks – was given the nod.

John Eustace saw reason to bring Osayi-Samuel into the fray on the hour-mark – a move which was surely met with jubilation from the QPR faithful who were infuriated by his exclusion from the off – although his 29-minute cameo was disappointing, to say the least.

Not the Bright-est display

Despite being on the pitch for just under half an hour, the 21-year-old was dispossessed a game-high five times and also took two unsuccessful touches – pace is great and all but if you can’t get the ball under then it’s irrelevant, as the speedster showed in the latter stages of the game.

The QPR keeper was giving it large to Bolton fans at the weekend. Find out who had the last laugh in the video below…

Racing onto a through-ball, the 5 ft 9 ace had the opportunity to win it for his side but was denied by an onrushing Dave Martin. He certainly tried to make things happen but his performance most likely won’t be enough to warrant a start against Swansea this weekend.

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In his latest round of weekly Premier League predictions, outspoken Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has underestimated Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool ahead of their trip to Cardiff City.

What’s he said, then?

The Reds venture to Wales and the Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday afternoon to clash with Neil Warnock’s men, who look to be all but relegated down in 18th place despite an uplifting win at Brighton & Hove Albion in midweek.

Meanwhile, the in-form Merseysiders are fighting for something completely different at the opposite end of the table and they can keep their noses in front of Manchester City at the top with an expected three points.

Only predicting a 2-0 victory for Liverpool, here’s what Merson had to say on the encounter:

“This will be a battle for Liverpool, make no mistake about it. That was a huge football match for Cardiff to win the other night at Brighton, and they will now be fighting for every single minute. It didn’t look like they were going to get there, but they have done so well to get to this point. Liverpool, though, are on fire. They will take some stopping and just have too much quality for Cardiff. Should Cardiff score it will make things interesting, but I just cannot see it happening.”

Underestimating Liverpool, Merson is completely wrong again

It’s not that often Merson gets something right and on this occasion, he has indeed got it completely wrong again by underestimating Liverpool.

Check out the latest hilarious video by 442oons in the video below…

In midweek Klopp’s men annihilated a side far superior to the Bluebirds away from home to end up with an aggregate triumph of 6-1 in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final.

To not expect the Reds to do the same or even more damage to Cardiff and only predict a two-goal scalp considering the form both teams are in is foolish punditry. Despite the win over Brighton, a team who have been in abysmal form of late, Liverpool have more than enough quality to annihilate Neil Warnock’s side in Wales.

Everton have finally found a proven goalscorer! Danny Welbeck would give the Goodison faithful what they’ve been calling for ever since Romelu Lukaku left in 2017.

Cenk Tosun and Sandro Ramirez have simply not been good enough in since arriving in Merseyside and despite Richarlison looking like a world-beater at the start of the season, even he’s mostly quiet nowadays too. Indeed, Welbeck would make the Toffees forget those players existed if he came in during the summer.

The Mirror claimed on Friday Everton, West Ham and Newcastle are all interested in the 28-year-old ahead of the summer and Unai Emery wants to give him a new contract. Everton are right to be sniffing around because he’s a finisher and that’s exactly what they need.

His career has been interrupted by injuries over the last few years, but looking at his international record since 2011 proves he finishes chance better than most. He’s scored 16 goals in 42 appearances for England over that period.

His contract is due to run out in the summer and so he could be available on a free. That’d be ideal for Everton because it’d mean they can spend their money elsewhere and still secure the number nine they’ve desperately needed.

There’s no doubt Everton can reach Europe without a real finisher in their side. Welbeck can be the man to rack up 20 goals a season if he’s finally given that first-choice spot he’s never had since breaking through at Manchester United.

Everton fans, who do you think should start at your number nine next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Rangers are reportedly eyeing a move for Andre Gray, but is he the right man to possibly replace Alfredo Morelos?

What’s the story?

According to The Evening Times, Steven Gerrard is considering a loan approach for Gray, who has scored nine times for Watford this season.

The report continues that Jordan Jones, Jake Hastie and Greg Stewart are all expected to become Rangers players this summer, and that Gray is now a target as well.

The 27 year-old cost Watford £18m two years ago but has struggled to hit the back of the net consistently, which begs the question; why on Earth would Rangers want to sign him?

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

A dreadful signing

A recent report in The Express said Morelos is on “thin ice” after his red card in the Old Firm, so one would have to assume Gray is being targeted as a possible replacement for the Colombian.

However, the problem is that there is nothing in Gray’s past to suggest he can come anywhere close to the 29 goals Morelos has bagged this campaign.

Gray has struck 30 goals in a season once in his career, in the fifth tier of English football in 2013/14, and he did break the 20-goal barrier with 23 Championship strikes in the 2015/16 season, per Transfermarkt.

Since entering the top flight though, he has mustered ten, five and nine goals in the last three seasons, a truly woeful scoring record of just 24 league goals in three whole years..

There seems to be an assumption that any striker capable of scoring a few goals down south will be unstoppable in the SPFL, and Jermain Defoe has certainly looked comfortably since his move to Ibrox, but the difference is Defoe actually scored goals in the Premier League.

Gray has struggled to be anything more than an average top flight player, and given that he would likely want to become the highest-paid payer at Ibrox – he currently makes £70,000-a-week, per Sportrac – this is a move Gerrard and the Gers should steer well clear of.