All posts by h716a5.icu

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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to react after Andy Robertson picked up a yellow card in the final stages of the 3-1 win over Bayern Munich, ruling him out of the quarter-final first leg.

The Scotsman was a yellow card away from a one-match ban going into the game at the Allianz Arena, and looked like he was going to avoid a booking as the final whistle drew ever closer.

Are the media letting Jurgen Klopp off lightly for his lack of silverware? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

However, a foul in the 91st minute means that the former Hull man will have to sit out the next round.

With only Alberto Moreno and utility man James Milner as backup, one would assume that Jurgen Klopp won’t be too happy with Robertson’s game management skills.

Given the quality of the teams left in the competition, the 25-year-old’s absence could be costly for the Reds.

Let’s see what the Liverpool supporters are saying about the incident on Twitter…

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Bristol Live have added fuel to the fire of Rangers’ interest in Tomas Kalas, so should the Gers swoop for the 25 year-old this summer?

What’s the story?

Both Rangers and Celtic want to sign Kalas this summer. That was according to The Daily Record earlier this month, who claimed the two Glasgow giants were leading the race for his signature.

Now, Bristol Live have published a collection of comments on Kalas’ future from both the player and his manager, and once again reinforced that Rangers are linked with him.

The Chelsea defender, who has spent time on loan with Vitesse, FC Koln, Middlesbrough, Fulham and now Bristol City, is out of contract this summer, meaning Steven Gerrard and the Gers can swoop in and secure a bargain solution to one of their biggest problems.

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

Bad memories

Gerrard may not be Kalas’ biggest fan if truth be told. The 18-cap Czech Republic international made his Premier League debut for Chelsea in a game that the gaffer will never forget, as Liverpool fell to a 2-0 defeat that effectively ended their title hopes back in 2014.

The versatile defender was superb in that game, drawing loads of plaudits for his surprising debut after he was drafted in to replace the injured John Terry.

Per Whoscored, Kalas completed 80 per cent of his passes that day, which was the highest of any Chelsea starter, and also made a whopping nine clearances.

Without his calmness on the ball, helping Chelsea establish more and more control as the game went on, then Gerrard may just have the one medal he is missing from his playing career.

Perfect for Goldson

While the gaffer won’t have fond memories of it, it is this ball-playing ability that makes Kalas the perfect signing to partner Connor Goldson.

The need to find a new partner for the ex-Brighton ace has become increasingly apparent throughout the season, and Goldson’s physical dominance and leadership will combine perfectly with Kalas’ reading of the game and composure on the ball.

If Kalas is really looking for regular playing time at a club he can call his home, as his comments suggest, then Gerrard should do everything in his power to convince him to join up with Goldson.

Steven Gerrard will be without his electrifying winger Ryan Kent, who is valued at £1.58 million (by Transfermarkt), as he looks to build on a disappointing first season in management.

According to the Daily Record, Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is already preparing for life without the on-loan Liverpool winger next term, having been priced out of the battle to keep his signature.

Sources have implied that Liverpool are ready to sell the player on a permanent basis after an incredibly successful first year in senior football, with a number of clubs in England said to be interested.

Indeed, thanks to a price tag between £8 million and £10 million, teams in the Premier League and below are just about the only buyers who can afford his Kent’s services – a situation we are sure Gerrard will feel slightly aggrieved with given his fundamental part in developing the player.

The Liverpool winger’s stock rose exponentially following his Man of the Match performance against Celtic last December, and there is every chance he could add more value to his name when the two title contenders meet again at the end of the month.

The Daily Record’s source echoed our sentiment: “Ryan is having to come to terms with the fact that this will probably be his only season at Rangers.

“Unfortunately for Steven Gerrard and Rangers, they have been the victims of their own success after all they have done for the lad.

“As a result, there is now very little chance of them being able to match the kind of transfer fee other clubs will be willing to shell out for him, either in the lower end of the Premier League or in the English championship.”

Rangers fans, how much will you miss Ryan Kent? Let us know in the comments below…

Losing the EFL Trophy Final was a huge disappointment for Sunderland, but one that they cannot linger over, with the more important task of league points on the line tomorrow.

In many ways, the EFL Trophy run was something of a sideshow to the main event, and if you ask any player or fan, not a single one would have taken a win on Sunday over promotion to the Championship.

It is always upsetting to lose a final, and more so when you have a hand on it one minute, and losing on penalties the next. But Grant Leadbitter has adopted the right attitude, and every Sunderland player needs to copy it.

Speaking to the Shields Gazette after the game, he said: “We wanted to win, of course we did. We were in a competition and we wanted to win it, we didn’t and that is the reality of the situation.

“I won’t look back on anything. All we can think about now is Wednesday night, I will look forward to that and we all should.”

And he is exactly right.

The focus is, and has always been, getting out of League One. Forget Wembley. Forget penalty shoot-outs. Forget everything else. Winning at Accrington should have been the priority last week, and it must be the priority now.

Automatic promotion is in Sunderland’s hands now. Barnsley dropped two points on Saturday, which helped the Black Cats promotion bid, without them even playing.

Six points behind second with three games in hand, for a team that has only lost twice in the league all season, it is a task well within their capabilities.

Yes, it is always nice to have the points on the board, but it can often help focus the mind, knowing you have a target to aim for.

The one thing Sunderland must do, is turn draws into wins — both at home and away.

Points are like gold-dust at the business end of the season, and a point lost, is another team’s gain.

Which is why none of the players should have Sunday’s defeat on their minds anymore, a mindset Leadbitter has clearly adopted.

“We had a think about the game in the first few hours after the defeat at Wembley, we will know that we could have won it, but we didn’t. We have to move on and Wednesday night is really important for this football club.

“We have nine games to go and it is in our hands. We don’t want to lose any more football games.

“We have to make sure there is no hangover and we have the players and quality within the squad to make sure there is no hangover.

There is still a long way to go this season, I keep saying this. But we know it is in our own hands and we have to make sure there is no hangover, it’s that simple.”

All of Jack Ross’ players need to have the same approach. If they can channel the disappointment into motivation in the league games, then Sunday will turn out to be the best, worst feeling for both the club and fans.

Promotion will make the season a great one, but losing an EFL Trophy final does not make it a bad one.

Wednesday’s game at Accrington will say a lot about Sunderland’s players and their desire. It is up to them to show what the red and white stripes mean to them.

Were you at Wembley on Sunday? What were your feelings after the game? Had you always thought the league games were more important than Sunday’s final? Let us know below...

It might have been a clean sheet, but there was still some humour in Shkodran Mustafi’s performance last night.

From passing the ball right to Salomon Rondon outside the area in the first-half to turning into Lionel Messi, beating half the Newcastle defence, and then lumping the ball into south London, it was another weird day in the office for Mustafi.

Arsenal’s most frustrating player has been great entertainment to watch for neutrals, but if the club is to progress and be considered title contenders next season, they must make sure the German defender is sold this summer.

Although Mustafi could be a good backup option, it is apparent from the close to three years he has spent in the Premier League that he simply isn’t cut for top-flight football in England.

It’s crazy to think that the former Valencia man is the most expensive defensive signing in the history at the club when Rob Holding, who cost Arsenal £2 million and was signed in the same window, has not only performed better than Mustafi since joining the north London side but has developed greatly since moving.

Mustafi, meanwhile, has only regressed during his time in north London. And fans forget that the German started his tenure at the club in flying fashion, leading Arsenal to a 15 game unbeaten run in all competitions before injury took him out for three weeks in which the club lost twice during his absence.

Since then, we have only seen the Mustafi we all know and love. Comical errors, bemusing passes and tackles, and a sign of £35 million down the drain for Arsenal.

If Emery doesn’t offload the former Valencia defender this summer, the transfer window can already be written off as a big fat fail for the club who are better off without Mustafi.

Arsenal fans, what should the club do with Mustafi this summer? Let us know!

Dean Smith’s Aston Villa recorded their sixth consecutive victory on Saturday, coming from behind at Hillsborough to beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-1. Wow, this late run for promotion to the Premier League really has legs, doesn’t it?

But, the tide of the match could’ve been much different had Steven Fletcher converted his penalty kick in the 57th minute. Villa shot-stopper, Jed Steer, proved just why he is such a valuable player for the Villans as he saved Fletcher’s shot to keep the scores level at that stage of the match.

The saved penalty presented Villa with a golden opportunity to walk away with the spoils and they did exactly that thanks to goals by Albert Adomah and Tammy Abraham.

Steer’s pivotal moment though can be seen as a game-changing one and his importance in the Birmingham club’s brilliant recent form should not be underestimated.

Of course, Abraham has been simply sensational this season but Steer is slowly becoming more important.

Since returning from a loan spell at Charlton Athletic at the beginning of the year, Steer has worked hard to earn his place in Smith’s team and had to sit a few games on the bench before getting his shot in the starting lineup.

Despite Villa playing excellent attacking football in their unbeaten run, their defence has also shown loads of improvement, which Steer has had a massive hand in. Individually, he has also looked very comfortable and organised in-goal, making a number of crucial and important saves to give his teammates the upper-hand in those matches.

If Villa were to secure a spot in the Championship play-offs and incredibly manage to earn promotion to the Premier League then a lot of credit will have to go to the contribution the 26-year-old keeper has made in such a short period of time.

Aston Villa fans, just how impressed have you been by Jed Steer? What a gem! Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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Loads of Newcastle fans have been reacting to the latest transfer news, as the Magpies are reportedly planning to swoop for Ryan Fraser.

According to The Daily Record, Newcastle will battle Arsenal to sign Fraser this summer.

The Scottish international, capped six times by his country, is about to enter the last year of his contract, meaning Bournemouth risk losing him for free if they do not cash in this summer.

According to the aforementioned report, Arsenal are plotting a £20m bid for the winger while the Magpies take a different approach, hoping to use Matt Ritchie as “bait” in a player-plus-cash deal.

Fans don’t seem too convinced though, and it’s not hard to see why. Fraser has been sensational for the Cherries this campaign, grabbing seven goals and 11 assists in all competitions, but he is nowhere nears as versatile as Ritchie, who regularly helps his manager by filling in at left back.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where it’s safe to say the Toon Army are taking a rather cynical approach to this one…

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The managerial circus at West Brom looks as though it’s finally been put to bed. That’s for the time being anyway.

On Tuesday the club confirmed that James Shan would be given the reins until the end of the season, putting weeks of uncertainty behind them.

The West Brom board had been under pressure to deliver a new appointment as soon as possible after Darren Moore’s dismissal and, as the weeks went by, it looked all the more like they never really had a plan in place.

It may be that the board choose to go with Shan long term but that will probably depend on whether they get promoted. However, here are some potential consequences if the 40-year-old was given an extended stay at the Hawthorns.

Greater faith in youth

It’s clear where Shan’s experience lies – in youth coaching. As a result, making the step up to a team on the verge of the Premier League is considerable. But his prior experience in this area could massively benefit West Brom if he was to stay next season.

An increasing theme at the club has seen their best youth players leave. A key one that springs to mind is Izzy Brown. With Shan at the helm, we’ve already seen the likes of Rekeem Harper and Kyle Edwards get more game time and this might be something that convinces their best youth prospects to hang around longer.

The caretaker boss is excellent at developing young talents and his long term appointment would lead to West Brom’s youth academy flourishing, especially Harper and Edwards.

Harper is out of contract at the end of the season and with supporters likely sweating over his future, Shan’s appointment may convince him to sign a new deal.

Three back revival

Earlier in the season under Moore, the Baggies regularly played with a three-man defence. It was a system that was met with mixed results but in the one game Shan has decided to deploy the same formation it’s brought about one of the club’s most convincing performances.

Last weekend they demolished Preston whilst operating with three men in defence and a two-man attack, so it looks as though that would be the way forward if Shan stayed.

Jay Rodriguez and Dwight Gayle have been better when partnered together and, although the latter isn’t likely to be around next season, it’s a system that would work should either Salomon Rondon remain at the club or another striker walks through the door.

Shan’s inexperience holds team back

Are West Brom going to learn their lesson? Moore was initially a huge hit at the Hawthorns but having never managed a team before it did seem questionable.

Therefore, similar questions would have to be asked if Shan was appointed on a full-time basis at the end of the season.

West Brom’s ambition is clearly to get back in the Premier League but the club may actually suffer considering Shan’s relative inexperience at first-team level.

With players like Chris Brunt still holding a huge influence in the dressing room, it could be another managerial decision that comes back to bite the Baggies’ owners if he was given an extended chance.

Aston Villa fans must be loving life at this moment in time as their side continue to dominate proceedings in the Championship, with a play-off spot now secured. 

The Villans’ rise in form can be put down to a number of players, including the likes of Tammy Abraham, John McGinn, Jack Grealish and Tyrone Mings. All of the players listed above should arguably be playing in the Premier League and still could next season, so securing promotion will be vital.

Steve Bruce may not be adored by fans at Aston Villa but one thing they can’t ignore is the fact he secured the services of John McGinn for just £2.59 million (as per Transfermarkt).

It’s safe to say that signing the Scotsman has proved to be a genius decision as he’s already left his mark on proceedings in the Championship in what is his first season at the club. He’s produced six goals and 10 assists in the current campaign, which is quite astonishing when you consider the fact he operates in the middle of midfield.

McGinn has already repaid the Villans’ for the fee they paid back in the summer transfer window and he could still go on to attract a big fee if the Midlands club were to ever sell him in the future.

But, right now, he’s absolutely priceless at Villa Park. His passing ability in the middle of midfield has worked wonders up until this point, as well as his forward runs to help support Tammy Abraham. Also, he’s a great player to have in the defensive third as he adopts a dogged approach and always gives his all when tracking back.

He’s the kind of player who could fit into any side and do a quality job, so Aston Villa will forever be thankful for Bruce’s decision to bring him to Villa Park back in the summer.

Aston Villa fans, surely McGinn has to be one of the signings of the summer? Join in with the discussion by commenting down below!

While they managed to avoid a scare by prevailing at Cardiff, Liverpool’s victory came at a slight cost.

Indeed, their influential midfielder Fabinho had to be taken off after suffering a knock, meaning that Jurgen Klopp will miss his midfield general for possibly a game or two now, if the protocol for head injuries is indeed followed correctly.

However, this potential setback can actually be a silver lining for experienced veteran, James Milner.

Surely, he’ll now regain his place deep in midfield and gain responsibility for keeping the intensity fired up.

The only player in the squad to actually have won the Premier League, Milner boasts the winning mentality others don’t have. He can be the influential figure to keep them from crumbling, while his diligent work in midfield means he can boss around the teams to come and also create chances on the go.

He’s already scored 5, assisted 5 in the Premier League (via Transfermarkt), but his overall work-rate is what makes him Jurgen Klopp’s most important player. Despite his age, Milner often works the hardest into winning back possession, stopping attacks and getting the ball forward.

The 33-year-old needs to utilize his experience and allow Liverpool to operate with similar velocity as they did with Fabinho’s involvement. It’s time for Milner’s versatility to shine and the hunger for a 3rd Premier League title will make him play an influential role in this thrilling final stretch.

All of a sudden, he’s looking like the club’s most important player during this run in.

Liverpool fans, do you think Milner can make up for Fabinho’s absence in coming games? Join the discussion by commenting below…