All posts by h716a5.icu

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On Sunday afternoon, Notts County officially announced that owner and chairman Alan Hardy has made the struggling League Two outfit available for purchase. 

Hardy cited a need to focus on his other business interests as the driving factor behind his decision to sell. As per the aforementioned report, Hardy stated that “my efforts to restore Notts County’s fortunes over the last two years mean my other businesses have had to take a back seat. They are now in need of my full attention.”

The Magpies are currently floundering at the foot of the table. Neal Ardley’s side are in desperate need of a boost, which many will hope can be provided by the arrival of a new owner. 

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Hardy took charge at Meadow Lane in January 2017, when the club were fighting for EFL survival. Since then, he has seen the club make the play-offs. However, they now once again find themselves mired in a desperate scrap to preserve their status as the oldest club in the Football League.

Following the announcement of Hardy’s decision to put the club up for sale, plenty of Notts County fans took to Twitter to voice their reactions…

Celtic have been relatively busy in the transfer market this month by bringing four new players to the club, but a recent report suggests they were priced out of a deal for a more experienced figurehead.

Brendan Rodgers has clearly placed plenty of emphasis on bringing young players into the club this month, with all four of his new signings aged between 18 and 21.

Timothy Weah and Oliver Burke, aged 18 and 21 respectively, are two talents who have been predicted to enjoy a big future in the game, but Celtic were targeting a talent who is eager to impress for a different reason entirely.

Indeed, according to a report from the Irish Independent, Crystal Palace are set to sign Everton’s James McCarthy on loan before Thursday’s deadline after Celtic dropped out of the race for his signature.

McCarthy supported Celtic as a boy and would naturally have been enticed by the prospect of playing at Celtic Park, but the report claims that the Bhoys were priced out of a deal due to his £50,000 per week wages.

For a fanbase who are hoping their club can make the next step by competing on the European stage, the fact Celtic were priced out of a deal for McCarthy will be both concerning and frustrating.

Naturally, the January window is a time in which finances are not clear cut and plenty of clubs struggle to sign new players with wage structures already maximised and little room for further investment, but the McCarthy situation serves as an acute reminder of how financially limited Celtic are in comparison with the clubs they are often pitted against in the Champions League.

McCarthy has spent a lengthy spell on the sideline following a gruesome leg break, but the form he has showcased down the years suggests he would have been an excellent addition to the squad and he will be desperate for a return to regular football as soon as possible.

The Ireland international’s approach is epitomised by his high-energy in the centre of the park, relentlessly harrying opponents and demanding the ball into his feet when his side are in possession.

His impact at Celtic Park would have given the club a valuable asset in their bid to cement their supremacy at the summit of Scottish football, and he’s a player Rodgers should return for in the summer if and when the club’s financial situation changes.

Celtic fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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Swansea City centre-back Mike van der Hoorn has been discussing his future with his contract at the Liberty Stadium due to expire this summer.

Aston Villa are plotting a move for Van der Hoorn – according to The Sun – and the defender has hinted that his future could be away from the Welsh club.

What did he say?

Van der Hoorn told Football Oranje:

“I’m just starting to number things up in my head about what I want to do. I have the option of a new contract, so it’s not really a free transfer [at the end of the season].

“The club has to decide if they want to activate that option. So, it’s up to them and we’re in talks over maybe a new contract.

“There’s a lot of things in my mind, but I just have to decide and I have to know what Swansea wants in the future and I have to know what I want. That’s how I’ll decide my future.”

The centre-back joined Swansea from Ajax in July 2016 and made 24 Premier League appearances for the Welsh outfit during the 2017-18 campaign.

This term, the defender has been an ever-present for the Swans, captaining the team on a number of occasions.

The 26-year-old, in truth, is too good for the Championship and it would not be a surprise to see a few Premier League clubs having a look at him.

Swansea’s January window was damaging even if they did keep hold of Daniel James and Leroy Fer, and they look to face a huge task to keep Van der Hoorn heading into next season.

What Van der Hoorn’s words really mean

Van der Hoorn’s comments will not exactly fill the Swansea fans with confidence.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

The Dutchman has not said either way whether he will sign a fresh deal, but he has admitted that he is considering his future.

The fact that there are “a lot of things” in the centre-back’s mind suggest that he is aware that clubs want to sign him for the 2019-2020 campaign.

It seems unlikely that Swansea will be able to secure a play-off spot this season as they struggle for consistency and a couple of poor results over the next couple of weeks could well see Van der Hoorn decide that his future is away from Wales.

All is not well at Everton.

Not only do they look to have lost all confidence under Marco Silva, but the bad form is apparently making some players rethink their future.

Indeed, according to reports (via AS), Richarlison is now looking towards a potential move away from the club.

Atletico Madrid are allegedly interested in the Brazilian, who’s had a topsy-turvy season with the Toffees so far. While he was excellent for Marco Silva’s team in their prolific first half, he’s been unable to stop their downfall since the New Year and has largely faded into the miserable background at Goodison Park.

The frustrations seem to be mounting on the Brazilian if such reports are to be believed, despite arriving in the summer for a huge amount of money.

Richarlison’s been Everton’s most potent attacking threat this season, having scored 10 goals from 25 appearances (stats via WhoScored). Despite having the reputation of being a winger, he slotted in as centre-forward really well for Silva’s side and proved his goal-scoring skills by finishing off chances effortlessly.

However, now goalless and winless in the last three matches, Richarlison seems to have lost his momentum. If things don’t improve quickly, he’ll surely push for a move away from Merseyside in the summer, dealing the club a huge blow in their ambitions to break into the top six.

Everton are in a bad place right now with a string of poor results and upsetting their best players is the last thing they want, making a mockery of the Farhad Moshiri project.

Losing a star like Richarlison could be a huge blow to their reputation. Not only will they be losing their best goal-scorer, but Everton will have to start from scratch in signing a suitable replacement and hoping he clicks as well as the Brazilian.

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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to laugh at Chelsea after the Blues were hit with a transfer ban, meaning that they will not be able to sign players in each of the next two windows.

The west-London based club have announced that they will appeal the decision, which will not affect outgoings or their women’s team, whilst they have also been fined £460,000.

Following the announcement of the decision, a number of rival fanbases – including Liverpool’s – have found a lot of humour in the situation.

Chelsea currently have a number of key players over the age of 30, such as Pedro, Willian, Olivier Giroud, David Luiz and Gonzalo Higuain amongst others, whilst the future of Eden Hazard is still up in the air – the Belgian also has just 18 months left on his contract.

Given their previous dominance in England, the Reds’ fans find the fact that Chelsea could be about to fall off their perch quite a funny one, and have taken to Twitter to react…

Manchester City’s Phil Foden scored twice as his team beat Newport County 4-1 in the FA Cup on Saturday and he shouldn’t be worried that he’s yet to make a Premier League start for the champions.

The Stockport-born City fan has made eight appearances in the league so far this season totalling 106 minutes, and most would say that’s simply not good enough for a youngster hoping to become one of Europe’s greatest players. However, last season he played less than 50 minutes of first-team league football, so there’s clearly a progression.

He’s still 18-years-old and for a player to be playing any Premier League minutes at that age is impressive and difficult to achieve. Now apply that thinking to Manchester City, who have one the most gifted squads in world football and it puts the difficulty of the task facing him into perspective.

Would he good enough to play first-team minutes for another Premier League club like David Brooks has done at Bournemouth? Yes. But that doesn’t mean he should leave City in search of instant game time. Foden wants to play at the highest level, and to learn how to get there, he needs to be surrounded by the highest quality players.

Game time is important and it’s a valid point that two of England’s top players Dele Alli and Harry Kane learned their trade in lower divisions, but at City if you get sent out on loan, you very rarely return. The gulf in quality is so much that playing in another team may not even reach the levels of City’s training ground sessions.

Pep Guardiola is arguably the best coach in the world and he’s repeatedly said he wants him to stay at the club. If you’re Phil Foden it’d be hard to turn around and request a move away from your boyhood club and a manager, particularly this manager, who has a plan for your future. If Guardiola didn’t believe in him, he’d have been sent out on loan, but he does and so Foden is right to trust his coach.

At the moment Foden’s doing the right thing. Taking his opportunities when they come and learning from some of the world’s best players while doing so. If he continues to trust Guardiola and perform to the ability the club believe he can, he will become a regular within the next few seasons.

Do you think Phil Foden should seek a loan move to get more game time?

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Tottenham Hotspur lost significant ground in the race for the Premier League title on Saturday afternoon after suffering a 2-1 defeat away at Burnley, but the ramifications of defeat could extend beyond their failure to collect three points.

Indeed, Pochettino’s reaction to defeat at Turf Moor made the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

The typically level-headed Argentine took to the pitch after the final whistle to voice his fury over the standard of Mike Dean’s officiating, and he could now face a touchline ban.

According to the Daily Mirror, the FA are highly likely to charge Pochettino with misconduct for his post-match rant, much to the dismay of plenty of supporters.

While some fans were willing to accept Pochettino was out of order, plenty of others slammed Dean for his role in winding up their manager and called for the experienced referee to also face retrospective punishment.

Replays of the confrontation appeared to confirm that Dean said something to provoke Pochettino as he began to walk away from the situation, so it’s easy to sympathise with those supporters who have called for the referee to be banned.

Here’s what the Spurs fans had to say about Pochettino and Dean following reports claiming their manager could be hit with a touchline ban:

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According to the Independent, Real Madrid have made Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp their No.1 target in their hunt for a new manager, after Santiago Solari failed to take his chance to earn the role on a permanent basis.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Los Blancos have had one of the worst seasons in their recent history. They find themselves sat third in La Liga, a whole 12 points behind leaders Barcelona, and have also been knocked out of the Copa del Rey and the Champions League – amazingly, they find themselves with nothing to play for as they enter the final stage of the current campaign.

That is unacceptable by their standards, and since the sacking of Julen Lopetegui, stand-in boss Solari has done little to prove to Florentino Perez that he should be hired on a permanent basis.

Is Jurgen Klopp a “serial bottler”? The fan in the video below certainly thinks so…

As a result, the Champions League holders have identified Klopp, Max Allegri and Mauricio Pochettino for the position.

The worst possible fit

As we all know, the Reds boss is a passionate individual who enjoys managing clubs whose fans can create a raucous atmosphere and get behind the team, such as his former club Borussia Dortmund and of course, his current club Liverpool.

For Klopp to sign a contract with a club whose fans boo their own players, wave white handkerchiefs at the manager during a poor run of form, and simply demand to be entertained seems almost impossible, no matter how prestigious the club.

Additionally, the German has been backed to the hills at Anfield by the owners, who have allowed him to break the club’s transfer record numerous times on players such as Mohamed Salah, Naby Keita and Virgil van Dijk – given the progress made over the last few years, it seems unfathomable that Klopp would walk away from such a project.

Granit Xhaka has often been criticised by the Arsenal faithful for his short-tempered style of playing, which has come at a cost on a number of occasions in the past. Indeed, since his arrival in England back in 2016, no Gunners fan will need telling that the Swiss can often be a liability. 

Now, it is fair to say the Arsenal midfielder looks a completely different player this campaign and has been crucial to club’s turnaround under new manager Unai Emery. In fact, his performances this season mean the manager might be seeing something in Xhaka, which his predecessor, Arsene Wenger, clearly didn’t.

It could also explain why Emery named the Swiss international as one of his five captains just before the season got underway last year and performance-wise, Xhaka has relished the opportunity of playing with a bit more responsibility on his shoulders.

The 26-year-old has looked mature on the pitch this season and has been highly influential for setting up the team’s attack.

The addition of Lucas Torreira as the more defensive midfielder has also helped Xhaka’s cause of being more fluent in attack, while his link-up play with the Arsenal defenders, in order to take the ball forward, has been brilliant. Thus, he has been key to Emery’s tactics of playing the ball out from the back and has often been pushed to think and act under heaps of pressure to get the attack going.

And, yesterday’s performance against Manchester United at the Emirates was another excellent example of the massive strides he has made to improve his all-round game.

As a matter of fact, he has been superb in all the big Premier League matches for Arsenal, against the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and now United, which the Gunners all won at home.

From an Arsenal perspective, it should be really encouraging to see someone of Xhaka’s calibre getting better and better as the season progresses and it should also be exciting to see the success he sets out the achieve at the club in the coming years.

With Aaron Ramsey set to leave the club in the summer, the importance of having Xhaka at the heart of the team will be highly needed and could mean even more and greater responsibility for him next season.

Arsenal fans, just how impressed have you been by Xhaka? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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Everton fans on Twitter don’t know how to react to the latest news reported by their club on Wednesday, following Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad announcement.

Toffees learned that centre-back Michael Keane, a mainstay of the Three Lions set-up in recent times, had made the cut for 2020 UEFA European Championship qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Montenegro, alongside goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

It was the selection of the latter that made the most waves among the bemused fan base.

What they couldn’t understand was why Southgate had picked Pickford after a string of recent mistakes, and after the 25-year-old made a fool of himself at St James’ Park on Saturday.

The Sunderland academy product should have been sent off in giving away a first-half penalty that he then saved, winding up the Newcastle United faithful after making the stop, only to concede twice late on in a 3-2 defeat.

What a comeback by Newcastle against Everton on Saturday! Check out what the jubilant Geordies made of it all in the video below…

Clearly, Southgate wants to show the troubled shot-stopper loyalty after his heroics at the 2018 World Cup, but maybe he should pay more attention to his more recent club performances.

Some Evertonians have asked if Pickford could be left in Montenegro, while others have expressed their pure disbelief and listed other members of Marco Silva’s team that should have been picked, instead.

Check out our list of the best Tweets from confused Toffees supporters about the news, below…