Leeds fans are absolutely delighted with left back Tom Pearce, after the academy product made his senior debut against Sheffield Wednesday.There hasn’t been much to cheer about at Elland Road since the turn of the year, and Paul Heckingbottom has had a miserable time since taking over. Still, he certainly can’t be criticised for not giving chances to young players, and he added Tom Pearce to that list on Saturday.Bailey Peacock-Farrell has impressed in goal since coming into the team in the 3-0 loss to Wolves, and Pearce looks like he could be next in line for a permanent place with the senior side.[ad_pod ]Left back has been a problem position for Leeds all season, and the January signing of Laurens De Bock has proved to be a bit of a disaster. Much like the goalkeeping situation, Heckingbottom turned to youth to fix the problem on Saturday, handing Pearce his debut.The youngster looked calm and composed on the ball, and could have even had an assist after he picked out Pablo Hernandez in the Wednesday box with a superb pass. There were some shaky touches here and there, but that can be expected of a 19 year-old making his debut in a snowstorm.Pearce was solid defensively, and had a calming presence on the back four. Leeds fans may be disappointed with the result, but they’ve been showing their affection for the youngster after his post match tweet.Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
Nottingham Forest announced on Thursday that defender Danny Fox has signed a new one-year contract with the club, extending his stay at the City Ground to the end of the 2018/19 season.
Fans are pleased to see him sign on for another year, on one condition – he doesn’t play left-back ever, ever again.
Fox has shown a big improvement in his game since Aitor Karanka came into the club, excelling at centre-back after showing poor form earlier this season in the left-back slot.
The Reds have kept five clean sheets in the last 10 matches Fox has featured in and while goals have been hard to come by recently, defensively there are signs of progress for the club ahead of next season.
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Can Karanka inspire them to a play-off spot next season? Will Fox play a major role?
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Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the contract extension on Thursday…
Everton fans are applauding the form of veteran defender Phil Jagielka after the 35 year-old helped keep a clean sheet against Liverpool.
Jagielka has made over 300 league appearances for Everton since his move from Sheffield United back in 2007, and fans are delighted with his return to the team.
The England international missed some time with injury after Christmas, and since his return the Toffees have kept two clean sheets in four games and picked up seven points.
Of course, the veteran centre back’s return coincided with the returns of Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines, so the improvement in the defensive displays isn’t just down to Jagielka, but his presence in the heart of defence has certainly helped.
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Most of all, his experience and composure seems to have made a positive impact on young defender Michael Keane, who has struggled at times this season.
Ashley Williams took plenty of flak from fans during his spell in the team, and it’s clear fans are much happier now “Jags” is back in the side.
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Fans have been discussing who is to thank for the improved defensive displays, and the overriding majority are opting for the former Sheffield United man.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
Not much has been able to dampen Liverpool fans’ spirits due to the team’s impressive form, which has led them to the semi-finals of the Champions League.
However, at the weekend, the Reds’ following came down with a thud when a 2-0 lead against West Bromwich Albion was thrown away at The Hawthorns.
Danny Ings and Mohamed Salah put the visitors ahead inside 71 minutes, but the team slipped up in the final 10 minutes by conceding goals from Jake Livermore and Salomon Rondon.
Many felt that the Baggies should have been down to 10 men following an off-the-ball incident involving Ings and Ahmed Hegazi.
In the first half, following a tussle between the pair, TV cameras picked up footage of the West Brom defender appearing to punch Ings’s chest while the striker was on the ground.
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The referee did not see the incident at the time, and an FA three-person panel reviewed the footage but could not unanimously agree that it was worthy of a red card.
As a result, Hegazi escaped punishment, which has left Liverpool fans feeling furious.
If Southampton weren’t struggling enough, some tension within the team has not risen to the surface.
The coastal club are in serious danger of dropping into the Championship as they sit four points from safety with four Premier League games left to play.
This weekend, the Saints have a crucial fixture against Bournemouth at St Mary’s, and there is one man who will definitely not be involved.
Sofiane Boufal has been ordered to stay with the Under-23 squad after having a bust-up on the training ground.
Manager Mark Hughes, who was appointed as Mauricio Pellegrino’s successor in March, has not played the Morocco international since March 31.
While speaking to reporters in a press conference, the Southampton coach revealed that Boufal has “acknowledged” his mistake and will need to rebuild “trust” with his teammates before being reintegrated back into the team.
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Supporters have been giving their verdicts on the situation via Reddit.
Comment from discussion Hughes confirms Sofiane Boufal training with Southampton U23s after bust-up.Comment from discussion Hughes confirms Sofiane Boufal training with Southampton U23s after bust-up.Comment from discussion Hughes confirms Sofiane Boufal training with Southampton U23s after bust-up.Comment from discussion Hughes confirms Sofiane Boufal training with Southampton U23s after bust-up.Comment from discussion Hughes confirms Sofiane Boufal training with Southampton U23s after bust-up.Comment from discussion Hughes confirms Sofiane Boufal training with Southampton U23s after bust-up.Comment from discussion Hughes confirms Sofiane Boufal training with Southampton U23s after bust-up.
Aston Villa will travel to Millwall this weekend for their final league match of the 2017-18 Championship season.
Steve Bruce’s side have already booked their spot in the Championship playoffs, however, as they look to secure a return to the Premier League.
Villa have enjoyed a strong campaign, but have just been unable to match Wolverhampton Wanderers and Cardiff City, who hold the top two positions.
Birkir Bjarnason has not always been in the Villa team this season, but the Iceland international has scored four times and registered three assists in 27 appearances, and has impressed the supporters with his form in 2018.
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The 29-year-old has been struggling with a calf problem, and that issue is expected to rule him out of the Millwall match this weekend.
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The Villa fans are not too concerned about his probable absence against Neil Harris’ side, however, with the majority simply wanting the midfielder to be available for the playoffs.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Gareth Bale reminded all his many potential summer suitors of his quality on Sunday by clinching a late equaliser in perhaps the most talent-demanding club fixture in the world, scoring Real Madrid’s second to prevent Barcelona a huge win in the latest El Clasico.
It’s not the first time the Welshman has scored a big goal for the club that look set to part with him this summer either – in fact, big goals have been a defining trait of much of his career in Spain and England.
And yet, sharing his lofty physique, his power, his greasy metrosexual haircut and his susceptibility to injuries, the former Tottenham star is for all intents and purposes the world’s most expensive Andy Carroll, one that Manchester United could end up paying £80million for, selling a promising young player in Anthony Martial in the process, to sign this summer according to April reports from Mirror Football.
Of course, injuries have been a huge factor in both of their careers. Since initially signing on loan in summer 2012, Carroll – who was made a club-record signing a year later – has missed more Premier League games, 115, than he’s featured in for West Ham, 113. Transfermarkt, meanwhile, provide one of the more conservative estimates of Bale’s injury history with Real Madrid – 14 serious injuries in total, amounting to 66 games missed. Tellingly, he’s made more than 30 league appearances during just one of his five campaigns in the Spanish capital.
Just as there’s no question how effective Carroll can be when he’s fit though – he’s actually averaged one goal or assist every 170 minutes he’s been on the pitch for the Hammers despite often lacking match sharpness – there’s no question Bale is one of the most talented attacking players in the world, one who has only improved his technique and deftness in tight spaces since moving to the Bernabeu, and one who would theoretically be the perfect final piece in United’s forward jigsaw by occupying the role on the right-hand side.
But Carroll’s lack of fitness has caused as many problems as its solved for West Ham down the years, because they’ve not been able to rely on him for extended periods. He clearly requires a direct brand of service to maximise his physicality, yet attempts to build the team around those demands only forced the Hammers to try and replicate the same effect with less talented front-men, the likes of Carlton Cole, Enner Valencia and Modibo Maiga.
“Andy is the type of player he has such a big impact on our game that I will never give up on Andy Especially now. I don’t know what it was like before, what were the reasons for his injuries and absence. On the other hand, it is definitely no good to have a player that you count on in the pre-season and you put his name first or second and then you can’t count on him.”
At the end of the 2016/17 season, Slaven Bilic begrudgingly told reporters that he could no longer rely on Carroll, a statement that highlighted how, at this point in his career, the England international is essentially a bonus player – someone you can’t plan for or build around, but hope will be available at certain points in the season just when he’s needed most. He’s like that 84-rated player you pick up in a gold pack on FIFA Ultimate Team, who doesn’t match your team’s chemistry or formation but stays in the squad because he’s fun to bring on from the bench every now and then.
And that’s what injury problems have turned Bale into as well, a top-class player who will only be available, at best, for around half the time – someone to take advantage of when fit, but not someone to plan around or base a game-plan on. You can’t build a team around someone who misses as many games as he starts and while the Wales international is a far less idiosyncratic forward than Carroll in terms of style, he leaves his managers facing essentially the same problems.
How can any gaffer in the world devise a game-plan around someone with a 50% chance of being unavailable, who’a season could end with one overcharged chase of a lost cause and subsequent calf strain? Such naivety only leads to disappointment and potential disaster.
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No doubt, Manchester United are one of the few clubs in the world who can afford that bonus player luxury. £80million wouldn’t even be a club-record transfer fee, so spending that sum on an entity as proven as Bale – even if they aren’t always fit – is hardly an improbable scenario. But that, in turn, would say a lot about the mentality at United; how much do they want to be a collective, compared to simply a collection of gifted players? Do they want to be a team like Manchester City, or the English manifestation of Real Madrid’s Galacticos?
Perhaps the overriding argument though, is that United can spend that money on someone else – someone younger, someone ever-present, someone truly reliable, someone who can become the heart of the team. Would you sign Bale this summer, Red Devils fans? Let us know by voting below…
Liverpool could make a surprise swoop for Barcelona star Luis Suarez this summer, according to Don Balon.
What’s the story?
Liverpool fans were heartbroken when Suarez left Anfield in the summer of 2014, but it was not a huge surprise.
Much like the January transfer of Philippe Coutinho, it became known early on that the Catalan giants were interested in swiping for the Reds’ star player.
Suarez’s two-and-a-half year stay on Merseyside did not pass by without its controversy as he was banned twice for biting and once for racial abuse.
With regards to his skill on the pitch, though, nothing came close as he scored 82 goals in 133 appearances.
Since moving to Barcelona, the Uruguayan has hit the back of the net 110 times in La Liga alone.
According to Don Balon, Barcelona are willing to sell Suarez in order to free up cash for Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann.
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The report adds that Liverpool are likely to be frontrunners for the 31-year-old’s signature, while Inter Milan are also interested.
How realistic is this deal?
There is no doubt that Suarez still holds a place in his heart for Liverpool, but he did have a fairly tumultuous relationship with the British press.
It is unclear whether the striker would be open to returning to Anfield, but if he did he would boost Jurgen Klopp’s already prolific attack even more.
Mohamed Salah is currently the star man at Liverpool and he surpassed Suarez’s best season of 31 goals by hitting 44 in all competitions.
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The Egyptian international can still add to his tally as he will compete in the Champions League final against Real Madrid on May 26 in Kiev.
Given how goal hungry the pair are, Liverpool would have a menacing attack, but Barcelona are not foolish and they will want a pretty penny for the hitman.
Transfermarkt value Suarez at around £76.5m, but the Catalan giants will require more than that to prise Griezmann away from Atletico.
Rangers supporters would love to see John Terry at Ibrox next season after he parted company with Aston Villa on Wednesday afternoon.
The player spent a season at Villa Park and was an integral part of their promotion bid, which ultimately ended at Wembley with defeat to Fulham in the play-off final.
Now 37 years of age, he doesn’t exactly have a long-term upside for the Light Blues, but could be the short-term problem solver they are after as Steven Gerrard looks to rebuild what was a terrible defence in 2017/18.
Rangers conceded more goals than any other team in the Scottish Premiership top six, which is something that needs fixed if they are to compete for silverware next season.
Do they have a chance of signing Terry? Perhaps, if they can work out the financial details of his wages, which will likely be expensive by Rangers’ standards.
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After he announced his Villa departure, Rangers fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on a potential move to Scotland…
Everton fans are absolutely loving the form of Cenk Tosun, after their new star striker grabbed a brace in Turkey’s 2-1 win over Iran.
Everton fans haven’t had much to cheer about this season, but the arrival and form of Cenk Tosun was certainly a silver lining.
The Turkish striker did struggle for form towards the end of the season, but through no fault of his own, as he barely got a sniff due to the negative brand of football instilled by Sam Allardyce.
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The 26 year-old still managed five Premier League goals with the Toffees though, after finding the net 14 times in the first half of the season with Besiktas.
The big striker scored a wonderful brace as his side warmed up for the World Cup with a 2-1 friendly win over Iran on Monday, and fans are heaping praise on their new front man.
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If the Toffees are to satisfy their fans with attacking football next season, one would have to think Tosun will flourish in a team creating more chances, and he showed exactly why on Monday night.
You can find some of the best Twitter reactions to Tosun’s brace below…