All posts by h716a5.icu

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Following a tweet from the EFL promoting the charity work of Aston Villa and Albert Adomah, Birmingham supporters have been left angry and incensed that there is bias against them.

In a bizarre thread on Twitter, rather than applauding the work being done by footballers in the community, fans of the Blues took the EFL to task feeling as though their own work hadn’t been recognised.

The St Andrews faithful focused their attention on the George Horsefield Foundation and some of the work the club had already been doing over the winter months, tagging a video of manager Garry Monk feeding homeless people in Birmingham.

They felt as though all their club’s work had been completely ignored, but the bemoaning of the EFL didn’t stop there.

One individual called the league officials priceless whilst another suggested that they were mean-minded in their approach.

Even if it was a tweet about their bitter rivals, it was a rather unjust attack from many supporters.

Here’s how they reacted.

The Blues have been inconsistent in their performances in the Premier League and that form looks like costing the club a place in the Champions League, while manager Sarri could also be left to pay by losing his job.

The summer ahead promises to be a massively tough on for Chelsea, with a transfer ban putting a spanner in the works of any potential plans to employ a new manager, while there are a host of their current players who are attracting interest from elsewhere.

That got us here in the Tavern thinking about the Blues going forward, and with that thought in mind, we took a look at TWO pressing issues Chelsea need resolve to ensure next season is a success…

The future of Eden Hazard

Whether he stays or goes, the Blues cannot simply allow the saga surrounding Hazard to continue.

The Belgian is their key man, there is no doubt about that, but the constant speculation surrounding him is affecting the rest of the club in general.

Hazard should either be sold on for a huge sum, or sign a new deal and knuckle down to get the club back where it needs to be.

Managerial merry-go-round

Chelsea have lived and died by their managerial decisions in recent times, with the club often opting to change coach at the drop of a hat.

The Blues need to make a decision and a quick one on the future of Sarri, and it’s time they decided whether they want to change their business model or continue as they are.

Any Newcastle fan who witnessed Fabian Schar’s clash of heads during the Georgia versus Switzerland game on Saturday will have been dismayed to see him lying on the ground with players from both sides rushing to his aid.

Even more remarkable was seeing him back on his feet after treatment and ready to resume playing.

Anyone who has played football will tell you it is an automatic response from a player to want to carry on.

But this is 2019, and such decisions should be, and usually are, taken out of a player’s hands and placed firmly in those of the medical staff.

The fact that he was allowed to carry on following the incident does not reflect well on the Swiss doctors, and if any long-term damage was sustained by the player, Newcastle United could quite rightly take action against them and the national team.

Concussion is something of a buzzword in modern sporting circles. It has been highlighted as something that should never be taken lightly and players’ well-being should never be put at risk with any injury to the head.

It was, frankly, shameful of the officials and medical staff to not withdraw Schar from the game immediately, given the apparent serious nature of the clash — regardless of the player’s insistence that he was okay.

BBC Sport report today that a brain injury charity, Headway, wants UEFA to investigate the decision to let the player stay on the pitch, rightly querying what it will take for football to take concussion seriously?

He has, subsequently, been withdrawn from the Swiss squad for their next game against Denmark this week, and it remains to be seen whether UEFA take any action regarding the incident.

The news will come as a relief to Newcastle and Rafa Benitez, and it is probably a good thing that the defender is ineligible for next Monday’s game at Arsenal through suspension anyway.

Toon fans were quick to take to react to news of the player’s withdrawal from the squad. Here are a selection of the comments:

It seems that being suspended for the game at Arsenal is a good thing for Schar, but what are your thoughts of the way his injury was dealt with by the officials. Newcastle fans? Let us know…

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Since defying most supporters’ expectations and opting to leave Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund in 2017, Jadon Sancho’s ascent to international acclaim has been sensational. Primarily, the 19-year-old has been a forerunner for young players, paving the way for youngsters disillusioned by insufficient senior involvement at Premier League clubs to seek regular participation in foreign divisions – notably, the Bundesliga.

Footballing motives aside, being exposed to a new country, new language and a new culture are likely to be of invaluable significance to these players, mostly as many are still in their adolescence. Such formative experiences can have a lasting impact on an individual’s persona and outlook.

Moreover, since opting to join Dortmund, Sancho’s decision has been utterly vindicated, and not many people would have anticipated the winger making such an immediate impact in the Bundesliga, one that has markedly impacted recent transfer dealings, crafting an alternative avenue for budding talents to fulfil their aspirations.

During his inaugural season with Dortmund, the first of his senior career, the Englishman amassed 12 appearances registering five-goal contributions (one scored, four assists). Having established the foundations to further his progression, Sancho has been firmly integrated into Dortmund’s first-team, a mutually beneficial decision for both club and player alike. In 26 league outings, the 19-year-old has contributed towards 23 goals (eight scored, 15 assists), thereby exhibiting maturity that outweighs his years, and becoming one of the league’s most talented players.

His decision has been vindicated further by his international involvement, his club form has been duly rewarded by Gareth Southgate, and the 19-year-old has already attained four international caps, registering two assists so far. In an era in which the topic of youth integration in football is arguably at its most salient, Sancho has almost single-handedly altered the perception and the subsequent evaluation of young players, especially in the Premier League.

The former Watford academy player is exceedingly talented and versatile, capable of playing impactfully on either wing. He’s regarded for his tremendous dribbling capabilities, and his eye for a pass, particularly ones that lead to meaningful chance creation. The 19-year-old is an enterprising player, who flaunts treasured technical ability and great skill. Given his rapid ascension to international renown, it’s unsurprising to see the proliferation of transfer speculation concerning the young winger’s future. Recently, Manchester United have been linked with a summer move for the Dortmund man.

Despite being level on points with Bayern Munich in their pursuit of the Bundesliga crown, Borussia Dortmund have an unfavourable record of retaining their best players. Seemingly, every player has his price. Thus notions of Sancho leaving the Westfalenstadion in the summer are not improbable. That said, are United truly the most appropriate fit for a player of his burgeoning promise?

Currently, United are blessed already with numerous options in attacking positions, and they’re still attempting to overcome the disappointment and the resulting financial burden of the Alexis Sanchez transfer. Moreover, while United’s status as one of the most successful and esteemed clubs in football history is undeniable, are they truly as alluring as previous years?

Manchester United have failed to win the Premier League for the previous six seasons, and the furthest that the Red Devils have progressed in the Champions League over the same period has been the quarter-final. If United are incapable of competing for the league title and are struggling in their endeavours to progress in the Champions League, then perhaps Jadon Sancho would be better served in resisting any United advances this summer.

A player of his immense quality and extensive potential is capable of arousing interest from the world’s best clubs. His progression has been equally startling and imposing, and the current signs indicate that his performances and output will continue to improve. Surely, it would be of greater interest to the Englishman to wait and examine potential interest from other giants of European football? Of course, Sancho could choose to remain in Germany, and continue with the club that have demonstrated the faith in his ability and provided him with the platform to showcase his quality.

Whatever the future holds for the Englishman, given his talent and scope for improvement, Sancho can reach the upper echelons of world football, and any hasty decisions regarding his future could impede his development. Plausibly, if his evolution continues in the same vein, he could represent any club that he desires. In the meantime, the hard work and perseverance must continue, to consolidate his status as the most exciting young player on the planet.

Things are certainly looking up at Aston Villa! Still, the in-form side must now improve their midfield in the summer, and Isaac Hayden would complete a midfield trio of creativity.

Hayden, John McGinn, and Conor Hourihane would make one great midfield. One good enough to really push for promotion, or even make a real good go of staying in the Premier League, should they be promoted through the play-offs this season.

Hayden has been linked to Villa by the Daily Mail after he made it clear he wants to leave Newcastle at the end of the season because the distance between the city and his family home in London is too far. He put in a transfer request last June, but it was rejected.

Birmingham is certainly more accessible for the 24-year-old, who’s made 20 appearances for the Magpies this season. A move would also make him one of Villa’s main men, which he’s not had the luxury of being at Newcastle despite his impressive performances.

Despite Villa being in the Championship, the club’s size means it won’t seem like a step down. They could even be in the Premier League next term, but without that things are still looking up, and Hayden should relish the challenge of bringing the Villans back to the Premier League.

The 24-year-old would be a great signing for the long term too. With Villa looking to re-establish themselves as a top-flight team, they need to buy players capable of keeping the side there for years to come.

Villa fans, who do you think your club should sign this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Crystal Palace will be without defensive lynchpin James Tomkins for the remainder of the campaign after the former West Ham man suffered a groin injury in the win over Newcastle last time out – an update that the Palace fans had a lot to say about on Twitter.

Besides the attacking brilliance of Wilfried Zaha the Eagles often rely heavily on their defence, of which Tomkins and Mamadou Sakho, who is also unavailable for the rest of the season, are the heart of.

Despite his impressive showings this term, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has not been doing it all by himself and the aforementioned pair’s dependability at the back has made the Selhurst Park outfit one of the most difficult teams to break down in the league.

There’s some exciting changes happening at Crystal Palace next summer. Find out what in the video below…

The burden now falls on Scott Dann, Martin Kelly and perhaps Sam Woods to fill the void between Wan-Bissaka and Patrick van Aanholt for the remaining five games.

Here’s what the Eagles fans had to say about Tomkins’ injury on Twitter…

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Manchester United have it all to do against Barcelona inside the Camp Nou this evening.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men find themselves trailing by a goal to nil after a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford in the first leg, courtesy of an own goal by Luke Shaw – the England left-back is suspended for the game against the Spanish champions.

As a result, Solskjaer will need to replace the former Southampton full-back, although Marcos Rojo’s stint on the left of defence against West Ham at the weekend did little to strengthen the Argentine’s claim for another start.

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

The Red Devils will need to go on the attack from the off against Ernesto Valverde’s side, as they need two goals to progress into the semi-finals in normal time having conceded an away goal to the Catalans at Old Trafford.

With that in mind, Solskjaer needs to pick an attack-minded eleven, although one that will be secure enough not to concede another, which would all but end their hopes of progressing.

Whilst that is easier said than done, we’ve put together a potential XI that Solskjaer could opt for this evening…

This line-up sees Ashley Young come in at left-back to replace Shaw, with Diogo Dalot slotting in at right-back to cover the former Aston Villa man’s swap over to the other side of defence.

Ahead of the backline, Scott McTominay, who performed so well in the first leg, is reinstated into the starting lineup after being rested against West Ham, whilst Fred, who has been playing well of late, comes in alongside him. Overall then, that’s four changes from the starting XI that beat West Ham on Saturday.

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Leeds United fans on Twitter are missing Samu Saiz, with certain sections of the fanbase calling for his return to Elland Road.

The Spaniard was a crucial figure in Yorkshire during his first season at the club scoring five league goals and setting up a further eight but homesickness saw him return to his native Spain for a loan spell with Getafe.

Leeds fans are now desperate for that loan spell to end with certain sections asking if it is possible to recall the influential attacking midfielder for the playoffs – it is not by the way.

Marcelo Bielsa can’t bring Saiz back for the playoffs but that hasn’t stopped Leeds fans from yearning for some actual creativity in the middle of the park as they continue to struggle against deep blocks.

Saiz will be back at the beginning of next season for Leeds and he may still end up being a key player for the Yorkshire club if they fail in their quest for promotion this season.

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

[ad_pod ]Tottenham Hotspur fans on Twitter have been showing love for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp after his comments on their team this week, with the North Londoners sitting a place and 18 points below his side in the Premier League table.

Speaking to DAZN Germany, as reported and quoted in English by Mirror Football, the German admitted that Spurs are one of six clubs he enjoys watching in his free time.

Amongst those are Manchester City, who he’ll need to be watching anyway because of the title race, and Barcelona, who everyone loves to watch, as well as his former clubs Borussia Dortmund and Mainz.

And supporters in the comments of the above post seemed delighted about the surprising comments, with one calling Klopp one of their own despite him being a rival manager and another stating how much he’s “always liked” the 51-year-old.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he often received racist abuse after North London Derbies – Check out the video below…

Check out the best Tottenham reactive Tweets to the quotes, below…

Moura’s rallying message was clearly designed to keep spirits high amongst his following supporters, expressing his belief that Tottenham still have a genuine chance of progressing.

The Brazil international has already made a huge impact in a handful of high-profile fixtures this season and he may need to produce the goods once again to help his side progress.

It’s a tall order for the north London outfit but while the players still harbour hope there is a genuine chance of winning in Amsterdam and booking a place in Madrid.