All posts by n8rngtd.top

[ad_pod ]

Leeds had to score the latest goal in the club’s history to rescue a point on Saturday, and going into Wednesday’s clash against Swansea there is one major change required in the centre of the park.

Unsurprisingly, Leeds dominated the ball at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday, racking up 69 per cent of the possession.

The hosts took the lead through Lewis Wing though, and it wasn’t until the 101st minute that Leeds equalised, with Kalvin Phillips glancing in from close range after a header by Liam Cooper.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

Despite the scenes in stoppage time, it will be hugely concerning to Marcelo Bielsa that his side produced just four shots on target for all their control of the game, and it may be time for Mateusz Klich to get a rest.

The Polish international was nothing short of sensational in the first half of the season. After being cast out on loan in the last campaign, he grabbed five goals and five assists by the beginning of November to kick off his 2018-19 season with a bang and become an instant Elland Road favourite.

Since then though, the popular midfielder has scored just twice – a brace at Rotherham – and also provided one assist.

He was ineffectual in the match against Middlesbrough, touching the ball just 37 times, the third-least of any Leeds starter, and registering just one shot, which didn’t hit the target.

Klich is in the team to create and score goals, so failing to muster a single shot on target, successful dribble or key pass is a major concern. Put simply, the 28 year-old appears to be running out of gas having racked up nearly 3,000 minutes of football already this season.

It is perhaps unsurprising then that the Whites’ attacking production has fallen off since the turn of the year, as their best attacking midfielder is not performing to the level he was before.

Bielsa’s side welcome a Swansea side to Elland Road on Wednesday night that haven’t kept an away clean sheet in the league since November, but Klich should watch this one from the side-lines.

[ad_pod ]

West Brom continued their promotion push with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday with first half goals from Hal Robson-Kanu and Jay Rodriguez enough to secure the Baggies all three points. Given just four minutes, Stefan Johansen hardly had time to make his impact on the game, but he can finally make his mark against QPR next time out.

On the chalkboard

The Norwegian signed for the Midlands outfit in January having failed to hold down a starting spot with Fulham, despite being a key player in the Cottagers’ promotion last season, and has yet to really kick on in his new surroundings either.

Largely playing as box-to-box midfield player, the 28-year-old chalked up eight goals and as many assists for the Craven Cottage outfit but a big spending spree in the summer as Slavisa Jokanovic and co looked to maximise their chances of retaining Premier League status beyond the 18/19 season saw the likes of Jean-Michel Seri revamp the midfield.

A loan move to the Championship seemed the ideal move for the versatile midfielder, who was surely intended to add some much-needed creation to Darren Moore’s side. He has, however, looked average at best so far. Perhaps he can ignite his West Brom career on Tuesday night when they square off with QPR?

Better away from home

Of the 46-cap international’s eight goals for Fulham last campaign, five came away from home where the pressure of a home crowd is alleviated and so the trip to Loftus Road represents a fantastic opportunity for Johansen to show Moore and the fans what he is capable of.

There is no doubt that he has the quality to succeed in stripes and could prove to be a key player for the Baggies as we enter the final stretch of the Championship season, although he must get off the mark soon if he is to earn Premier League promotion for the second consecutive year.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

Tottenham surely know they need to make significant improvements to their team this summer, something that would only be possible if Daniel Levy stumps up some funds. 

As many will know, Tottenham have not spent a single penny in the last two transfer windows, instead opting to entrust their current options ahead of their thoroughly expensive stadium move.

There is no doubting their team right now because it’s full of top footballers but, if as a club, they want to make inroads into becoming proper title challengers, they need to add a lot more quality.

Quality will more often than not been a lot of money but Tottenham must pay these significant fees in a bid to improve their team.

As with most transfer windows, Tottenham have a number of players linked with a move away and once again Christian Eriksen is one of those.

If the worst case happens and he does leave the club, Sporting’s Bruno Fernandes would be the best player to replace him.

Fernandes, (who is valued at £27 million on Transfermarkt) is someone who could significantly bolster Tottenham’s creativity, especially if Christian Eriksen was to leave.

The Danish midfielder has been linked with both Real Madrid and Barcelona in the summer and that could leave Tottenham without their most creative player.

If, however, they manage to recruit Bruno Fernandes, all their worries could vanish. Once again, the 24-year-old has been immense out in Portugal and in his 39 appearances so far, the attacking-midfielder has scored 22 times as well as registering a further 11 assists.

With statistics like that, interest in Bruno Fernandes will be aplenty but Tottenham must race to the front of the cue – should Christian Eriksen leave.

Do you agree… Let us know!

[ad_pod ]

Arsenal are expected to make Emiliano Martinez their number two goalkeeper behind Bernd Leno for next season, after it was revealed by The Sun that they cannot afford to replace the veteran stopper after he leaves.

What’s the word, then?

It isn’t much of a secret that the Gunners don’t have a huge sum of cash to spend this summer – it has been reported that Unai Emery will have just £40m to spend if he does not achieve Champions League qualification.

As a result of that, it looks unlikely that the north London-based side will spend a large sum on replacing the retiring Cech, especially seeing as they splashed out almost £20m on German stopper Leno last summer.

Martinez has only ever made 14 appearances for Arsenal since arriving at the club back in 2012, and has been sent out on loan to six different clubs throughout his time in England – he is currently with Championship side Reading, who are in danger of relegation to League One.

Embarrassing for Arsenal

For a club of Arsenal’s size to be happy to embark on a season of football with Leno and Martinez as their only two goalkeepers is, quite frankly, embarrassing.

Given the fact that such a significant sum was spent on bringing Leno to the club, it is understandable why Emery is keen to make him the outright number one, but even then, the former Bayer Leverkusen stopper has been fairly error-prone this season.

Despite Leno’s recent run in between the sticks, Cech has still made 13 appearances this season, suggesting that Emery doesn’t have complete trust in Leno.

As for 26-year-old Martinez, there is no way that a player who has made such little impact since arriving, and had only limited influence on proceedings at other clubs whilst out on loan, should be rewarded with the understudy berth.

The Gunners even have David Ospina out on loan, who would be a significantly better option than Martinez to be Leno’s understudy – Arsenal’s current goalkeeping situation is a mess, and they will have no one else to blame other than themselves if it costs them next season.

[ad_pod ]

Crystal Palace are eyeing a £15m move to sign Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland, amid doubts over the future of Spanish keeper Vicente Guaita as reported by The Sun.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Guaita only arrived at the club in the summer after initially signing a pre-contract agreement back in January of last year, but the Eagles have some doubts over his long-term commitment to the club which could see him heading back to Spain.

Butland stayed loyal to the Potters despite their relegation to the Championship, but may not want to spend a second consecutive season outside of the top-flight with Stoke extremely unlikely to win promotion this season.

As a result, Palace, who have been keeping tabs on the situation, could swoop in to sign the England international who would be required to take a pay cut if he were to spend another season in the second tier.

A waste of money for Palace?

It has been reported as recently as January that the south London-based club have limited funds, and could only afford to bring Michy Batshuayi in on a loan deal whilst also signing little-known Brazilian keeper Lucas Perri on a temporary deal with an option to buy.

Along with Perri, who is yet to make an appearance but can be signed for what one would assume will be a minimal fee, Palace have Wales international Wayne Hennessey on their books, along with veteran glovesman Julian Speroni.

Hennessey started against Burnley last time out, and had been Roy Hodgson’s number one last season until Guaita’s arrival, so he is clearly trusted.

The fact that Palace have Hennessey, and will potentially have Perri makes any deal for 25-year-old Butland seem like a strange one, especially at such a huge cost. When you consider the problem up top, which is currently being covered up temporarily by Batshuayi’s brilliance, any decision to spend such a sum on a goalkeeper would be a baffling one.

[ad_pod ]

Before a ball has even been kicked, Manchester United have the edge over Arsenal with the appointment of Jon Moss as the referee according to the best odds comparison sites, in what is a crucial game in the race for the top-four.

Both teams come into this game in decent domestic form, although their fortunes were vastly contrasted after the midweek European fixtures – the Red Devils enjoyed a historic night in Paris, whilst the Gunners were embarrassed by Rennes.

We all love the Champions League theme tune but you’ve never heard it like this before! Check out the video below…

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has lost just one game out of 17 since taking the reigns at Old Trafford, a run of form which has seen United move a point clear of Unai Emery’s men.

It will be hard to split the two sides, especially seeing as they battled out a tense 2-2 draw in Manchester earlier in the season – having said that, Jose Mourinho was in charge back then, so it could be wholly different this time around.

Where the Portuguese boss was a hindrance to the 20-time Premier League champions, Moss should prove to be the opposite if you were to look at his statistics in the current campaign.

The 48-year-old has overseen four of the Red Devils’ league games this season, in which they’ve won won three and drawn one – they average 2.5 points per game with Moss in charge of proceedings.

In Arsenal’s case, when Moss is in control, the north London sides have won two of their three games, losing the other one.

However, it must be noted that, out of the five red cards he has brandished this season, one of those has been handed to United – he is not afraid to get his cards out against the league’s biggest sides. In that respect, both teams must be careful of overstepping the line in this historic fixture.

[ad_pod ]

A wave of Arsenal fans on Twitter think that their club shouldn’t sell on-loan defender Calum Chambers when he returns to the Emirates Stadium in the summer.

The former England international moved to Craven Cottage for the season in the summer 2018 transfer window, but hasn’t been able to prevent Fulham from sitting precariously in the Premier League bottom three with just seven matches left to play.

However, despite the Cottagers’ struggles, Chambers has stood out playing in both defence and midfield and he will be pleased for the game time he’s received in west London, making 24 league appearances in 2018/2019 so far.

This has prompted some Gunners to crave seeing the 24-year-old in red again, with one stating that they are “looking forward to seeing Chambers in an Arsenal shirt again next season.”

Which team is the dominant force in London right now? Playmaker FC’s Tom Skinner has a very unpopular opinion on the matter. Check it out in the video below…

He’s also impressed a selection of Arsenal supporters so much that they are not only making comparisons between him and current first-choice centre-back Shkodran Mustafi, they think he’s better than the German and would like to see him gone instead of Chambers when the transfer window arrives.

Below is our list of the best Tweets from fans of the North London club on the 6 ft utility man…

[ad_pod ]

According to a report in The Sheffield Star, Sheffield Wednesday loanee Josh Onomah has suffered yet another injury setback after dislocating his elbow in training on Friday, but these Owls fans don’t really seem that bothered.

An England Under-21 international who did well in a similar temporary spell with Aston Villa last season, there would have been high hopes that the Tottenham youngster could make a big impact at Hillsborough this term, but it just hasn’t happened with no goals and three assists thus far.

The 21-year-old has only appeared in 12 Championship games and the Wednesday faithful clearly haven’t been impressed with what they have seen from the midfielder, with three of those that replied when Star journalist Dom Howson tweeted the story suggesting the latest blow should see the club look into terminating the deal.

It is a shame in many ways that he looks set to lose his big chance to work under Steve Bruce, who admitted, via The Sheffield Star last week, that he is a “big admirer” of Onomah.

Many Sheffield Wednesday fans – and who can blame them – clearly aren’t convinced though with one saying they “would hardly call it a blow”, and if he requires surgery on his elbow then he may potentially already have made his last appearance in a blue and white shirt.

Here is just a selection of the reaction to Howson’s Twitter post…

Who would make a combined Sheffield XI? Ingood Nick makes his picks in the video below…

[ad_pod ]

Amid the era of Youtube highlight reels, FIFA ratings and ridiculous transfer fees, it’s incredibly easy for a player’s hype to spiral beyond all proportion, leaving reality in the rear-view mirror. And after a summer spending spree at West Ham, followed by notable improvement in performance, there’s an obvious danger in some of the stars at the London Stadium featuring a little too highly in our estimations.

So, Football FanCast’s writers have answered a curious question: Who is the most overrated player at West Ham? Check out their verdicts below…

James Beavis – Felipe Anderson

“It might be a controversial shout but he just doesn’t do enough for me given how much he cost West Ham in the summer. Yes, he has eight goals and four assists in 31 Premier League appearances in his debut season in England, but in his previous 12 top-flight outings he has produced just two assists. That simply isn’t good enough for a player of his quality given he started all of those games, and the fact he was taken off at half-time against Cardiff shows you all you need to know about how he is doing at the moment.”

Billy Meyers – Jack Wilshere

“Admittedly, the hype surrounding the England international has worn off over the years, but the fact that he is still as highly rated as he is – hence the Hammers’ decision to offer him a three-year contract – is baffling. Of course, he is a decent player, but his crippling injury problems should see his status reduced to that of merely a Premier League also-ran, unless he can prove his fitness.”

Jack Saville – Javier Hernandez

“He may not be the most widely praised or popular player at West Ham but the Little Pea has been stealing a living at the top level for years. The predatory instincts he offers are a useful weapon to have from the substitutes bench, but he doesn’t possess the complete skill set which strikers need to thrive in the Premier League. Pellegrini needs an upgrade to take the Hammers to the next level.”

Maddison? Wan-Bisakka? The Pl>ymaker FC squad name who they think were unfairly overlooked by Gareth Southgate for his latest England squad…

Christy Malyan – Mark Noble

“He’s not rated particularly highly but the point remains that if Mark Noble wasn’t West Ham through-and-through, he probably would be playing at a lower level. Relentless on his day and a clinical penalty taker, however those days have petered out somewhat in recent years and his passing has become increasingly passive. He’s great value and of course, every team needs players who embody the heart and sole of the club. But in terms of actual ability, sometimes it feels as though he’s being carried but those around him.”

[ad_pod ]

Luton Town boss Mick Harford has hailed the talents of Kazenga LuaLua after his goal-scoring display against Doncaster Rovers, per Dunstable Today.

The striker scored once and laid on an assist in the 4-0 thumping at Kenilworth Road as Luton continued their mammoth 26-game unbeaten run.

What’s the word?

LuaLua made his first start for the club since February at the weekend and was in electric form.

His goal, Luton’s third, came after a particularly eye-catching run and he was handed a standing ovation by the club’s fans when he left the pitch.

And Harford has hailed the 28-year-old, who moved to the club in September. He has scored three goals and provided seven assists in 23 games.

The Hatters boss said: “Kaz is magic in the final third and he creates all kinds of things.

“He’s a nuisance and I thought he had a great impact on the game.

“We’re absolutely thrilled for him, he’s been patient, he’s waited his time and he’s gone in there and I thought he was excellent.

“We’re just so happy for him as he’s such a super lad around the place. For him to get a goal, contribute the way he did, it’s brilliant, for us and for Kaz.”

Hitting form at just the right time

LuaLua is hitting form just as the run-in heats up.

Luton are, of course, on a 26-match unbeaten run but they are only five points clear of second-placed Barnsley and will need to pick up a fair few points from their final seven outings to guarantee promotion as champions.

LuaLua’s display against Doncaster suggests that he is ready, willing and able to change games and influence the remainder of the campaign.

That can only be good news as Luton look to win League One.