All posts by h716a5.icu

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Liverpool announced via their official club website on Monday that defender Joe Gomez is to undergo surgery to aid his rehabilitation from the fractured leg he suffered against Burnley in December, and Reds fans have been quick to react on Twitter.

Liverpoolfc.com reported at the time of the initial diagnosis that the England international could be out for up to six weeks, but that deadline arrived and passed and now the club has confirmed the setback and new plan, although they also add in the most recent update that they still expect the 21-year-old to play again this season.

It means that the Merseyside outfit will carry on with Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren and Fabinho as their centre-back options in the coming weeks, although the former will be absent for the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie against Bayern Munich later this month through suspension.

Liverpool supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the setback for Gomez, and while one said “I’m actually going to cry”, another said the “man’s finished”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Mo Salah has been brutally mocked for his recent diving antics in a new video by 442oons. Check it out below…

January was a mixed month for Maurizio Sarri’s men at Chelsea.

The Blues lost to London rivals Arsenal at The Emirates and suffered their biggest  Premier League loss in over two decades as they went down 4-0 against Bournemouth at the end of the month. This saw them slip out of the Premier leagues top five and they now have a fight on their hands to secure Champions League football next season.

However, there were some positives to this month as they beat Spurs to progress to the League Cup final and they are still in the FA Cup.

It was also a very busy month in the transfer market with some new arrivals and departures, but here are their two biggest mistakes of the window:

Gonzalo Higuaín

Chelsea’s biggest deal of the window was the arrival of Gonzalo Higuaín on loan from Juventus (although he was on loan at AC Milan). This was a deal that also saw Alvaro Morata depart to Atletico Madrid.

The Argentinian was brought in to solve one of Chelsea’s perennial problems which is a lack of a striker. The Spaniard had underperformed in blue since arriving in 2017 and the club has largely had to rely on the brilliance of Eden Hazard this season to help them get through games.

The 31-year-old Higuaín has a proven track record, scoring over 20 goals in La Liga in three separate seasons with Real Madrid and having a brilliant season with Napoli in Serie A under Sarri, scoring 36 goals in 35 games.

However, there are huge question marks as to whether he has the fitness and work rate to thrive in the Premier League. In such a physical league, which is in stark contrast with the Italian or Spanish leagues, this may be a huge gamble from Chelsea and one which easily may not pay off.

Dealing with unwanted players

Sarri clearly has his favourites at Chelsea and that is understandable because all managers do. However, there are a number of high-quality players that are being left to rot on the bench or in the reserves at Chelsea currently.

The likes of Andreas Christensen, Davide Zappacosta and Danny Drinkwater have barely had a look in this season, with the latter not playing a single minute so far this campaign.

But there is no denying that all three of these would be a great asset to many other clubs in England and across Europe, particularly the Englishman. Chelsea could demand a reasonable price for Drinkwater because he is still 28 and English players are desirable in the Premier League.

It is unfair by the club to waste these players’ careers and will not help Sarri in his pursuit to get all of his squad on his side, something that he seems to be struggling to do at the moment.

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Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League credentials are firmly part of the ongoing title race narrative once again in light of a series of surprising results for both Liverpool and Manchester City.

What’s the word?

Football opinions are often destroyed and formed within the blinking of an eye; short-term thinking is at the core of popular opinion. When Harry Kane hobbled off the Wembley turf with only one leg to stand on in the aftermath of Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat against Manchester United, the writing had been plastered on the wall: their title ambitions were in tatters.

Fast-forward little over three weeks and a collection of surprise results later and Spurs are seemingly back in the race.

Question marks remain over Mauricio Pochettino’s pedigree after they crashed out of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup within the space of a few short days, but Jurgen Klopp’s assessment on their credentials suggests otherwise, as per Football.London.

“Tottenham have come from behind and had a very difficult situation until recently when they have done brilliantly winning games late with lots of injury problems,” he said after Liverpool’s 1-1 draw away at West Ham.

“They are 100 per cent in the race.”

Tottenham’s never-say-die attitude is telling

One of the most commonly accepted football truisms goes something like this: if you’re winning in the face of adversity – whether it be during an injury crisis or when performances are mediocre at best – then you are showcasing the mark of champions.

Tottenham have not been completely riddled by injuries of late from a quantitative perspective, but the fact they have been forced to operate without either Harry Kane or Dele Alli has placed them in an incredibly problematic situation.

However, despite the poor hand they have been drawn, Spurs have battled to a hat-trick of league victories in a manner which evokes feelings of genuine candidacy for the Premier League title.

That Pochettino has managed to install a winning mentality into his players and grind out late goals points towards the Argentine’s title-winning pedigree, and Klopp’s admission that they remain in the hunt suggests his peers recognise that as well.

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Harry Winks is the future of Tottenham Hotspur’s midfield.

The England international produced another display oozing with class and patience against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League Round of 16 as Mauricio Pochettino’s men won the first leg 3-0 and placed one foot firmly in the quarter-finals.

On the chalkboard

Of course, the plaudits will all go to Jan Vertonghen for his display on a glory glory night for Spurs.

Deployed at left wing-back, Vertonghen rampaged down the flank, provided a sublime assist for Son Heung-Min’s opening goal and scored the second himself. It was, perhaps, the best performance of his career.

Fernando Llorente added a third from a Christian Eriksen corner but the contribution of Winks should not go unnoticed.

Long heralded as a star of the future, Winks appears to have come of age before our eyes and he is still only 23.

He has been involved in all six of Spurs’ Champions League games so far this season – playing 90 minutes against Barcelona at Wembley and 83 in the Camp Nou – while he has also played 23 times in the Premier League. He has come to embody Pochettino’s ethos of promoting from within and he is a player around which Spurs can build a team.

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

Against Dortmund, he was a study in quiet effectiveness.

Per WhoScored, Winks touched the ball a total of 88 times and played 72 total passes, with a completion rate of 93%. He completed the one dribble he attempted and made four tackles, the joint-most of any player on the pitch along with midfield partner Moussa Sissoko, defender Davinson Sanchez and Dortmund left-back Abdou Diallo.

Winks also made two interceptions and generally kept his side ticking over. There is an art to recycling possession, to take the ball in and keep it moving, and every elite team needs a metronomic presence in the middle of the park.

Against Dortmund, Winks proved he is exactly that.

Only going to get better

Winks has a remarkably high ceiling.

Spurs fans who have watched him all season are well aware of the qualities he possesses. Winks has an exceptional eye for a pass, as well as a superb range of passing. He is clean and efficient in the tackle and, while he sometimes loses the ball, he more often than not wins it back.

There is a tenacious, dogged edge to some of his midfield work but it never compromises his team-mates and he is regularly there at the sharp end, probing, looking to unlock a defence.

There has not been a player like this at Spurs in quite some time. Since the departure of Luka Modric, Spurs have been looking for a player who can make them tick, quietly going about their business in a fashion that would be sorely missed if they were ever withdrawn from the XI.

Winks is that man. He may not be on the level of Modric – the Croatian, after all, inspired his country to the World Cup final and won the Ballon d’Or this year – but the 5 foot 10 midfielder is cut from the same playmaking cloth.

The England international’s future is very bright indeed. So, too, is that of Spurs’ midfield.

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Newcastle fans might have been cursing Martin Dubravka for his late blunder in their 1-1 draw with Wolves last time out – the ‘keeper lost out to Willy Boly in the air and the Frenchman nodded home from close range – but the Slovakian’s error was not enough to prevent him from being named North East Football Writers’ Player of the Year on Sunday.

The 30-year-old moved to St James’ Park on loan from Sparta Prague in January 2018 and a string of impressive performance saw him nail down a starting spot and a permanent switch in the summer, as Magpies chiefs moved quickly to ensure the stopper remained on Tyneside.

Having made 26 Premier League appearances for Newcastle this season, the custodian has looked a fantastic buy but a string of error-strewn showings have led to some negative reaction on social media, the Wolves clash being the latest of which.

Watch Wolves Fan TV react to their side’s dramatic 1-1 draw with Newcastle in the video below…

Dubravka had this to say on receiving the award:

“It’s amazing, I couldn’t believe it.

“I got the message that I won this trophy and I couldn’t believe that, because I spent an amazing year here, but it is the first year, you know.

“It is an honour for me to be part of this great history and I know that fantastic players won this trophy before me, so I am very pleased with that.”

Here’s how the Toon Army reacted on Twitter…

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Leeds fans aren’t happy with the latest from Marcelo Bielsa, as the boss expects to name an unchanged team for Friday’s showdown against West Brom.

Leeds suffered a big setback in their hunt for promotion on Tuesday night, losing their game in hand on the teams above them.

A win at QPR would have put the Whites back at the summit of the division, but the 1-0 defeat leaves Bielsa’s side toiling in third, two points behind leaders Norwich.

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

Bielsa held his pre-West Brom press conference on Thursday, and the boss said he will deploy the same XI that started the match against QPR, per The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Adam Pope.

This is a little surprising even despite the lack of quality options in reserve, as players like Tyler Roberts and Luke Ayling really struggled.

Patrick Bamford will be breathing a sigh of relief as well, as the 25 year-old was caught on his toes for a couple of half-chances.

Bielsa can do little wrong to Leeds fans, but they’re not happy with this decision, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

The chips were down for Unai Emery against Bate Borisov and in an attempt to break them, he decided to shake things up, introducing Mesut Ozil into the fray.

In only his second appearance in 2019, the Arsenal talisman proved his ability with a commendable performance in the final third.

Despite obviously not being completely fit for action after appearing for the first time in almost a month, the German’s majestic touch and clinical instincts in the final third were persisting. Right from the get-go, he created space for himself in the final third and always served as a viable option to pass to.

Rather than trying to go for glory himself, he distributed possession really well from midfield to attack, allowing his wingers to run forward. Ozil created a few glaring chances, especially in the second half when his clever through-ball wasn’t capitalized well by Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.

The German gave a very disciplined performance, rarely losing possession and recording an 89% passing accuracy from more than 80 passes! He also attempted and succeeded two dribbles (stats via Fotmob), while his off the ball movement to drag away players was also glaring at multiple opportunities.

On another day, Ozil could’ve had a goal or assist. One of his shots swung closely over the post and he showed signs of his old self as the game progressed. If not anything, he proved to be ready to immerse back into Arsenal’s starting lineup to help them achieve the Europa League success.

With Bournemouth up tonight, Emery must allow the German to roam free if he’s going to keep his team in the race for Champions League qualification.

[ad_pod ]Sky Sports pundit Matt Le Tissier criticised Wolverhampton Wanderers heavily pre-match for making five changes for their Premier League clash against Cardiff City, but he has since backtracked and apologised on Twitter.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the west Midlands outfit were hosting the struggling Bluebirds – who are one of the teams battling Le Tissier’s former club Southampton in the top-flight relegation battle – but they rested a number of key players at the weekend and faced criticism from the 50-year-old on Soccer Saturday.

The decision was presumably made by manager Nuno Santo with the FA Cup quarter-final clash with Manchester United on March 16 in mind, as Rui Patricio, Ruben Neves and Matt Doherty were among those missing from the XI.

Wolves of course ran out 2-0 winners in the end and when questioned by a fan on social media, Le Tissier responded with an apology having suggested last season’s Championship champions were risking bringing the game into disrepute.

Was he right to criticise?

Yes and no.

Can Wolves lift the FA Cup for the first time since 1960? The fans in the video below certainly think so…

Firstly, he is a pundit and therefore he is entitled to give his view on a situation as that is what he is paid to do, and this was potentially a big one if the Molineux-based outfit had made those changes and then slipped up.

Then again, Santo is allowed to make any team selection that he wants to make and if he wants to prioritise fitness for an important FA Cup clash, then there is no shame in that.

If Le Tissier didn’t have that Southampton connection, you have to wonder whether he would have had such a strong opinion on the matter, although you do have to say fair play to him for addressing the situation.

It’s getting to the point with Jordan Pickford where the Toffees have had enough. The England #1 has made mistakes his bread and butter this season, and yesterday saw a lot of the travelling Everton fans at St James Park draw the line after yet another shocker from the young 25-year-old goalkeeper.

Even when you can get over the displays and complete idiocy from Pickford, the problem that a lot of the Toffees have with the goalkeeper is his arrogance. The shot-stopper who famously had the words ‘get the rave on’ printed onto his boots has gone a long time since anyone has been raving over his efforts, and if he carries on the way he’s been going then Marco Silva will have no choice but to drop him.

Before Pickford, Everton fans were desperately short in the goalkeeping department. The likes of Joel Robles and Maarten Stekelenburg were not up to the standard required at Goodison Park, and despite a great start to life last season in which Pickford became England’s number one, it now seems that the young shot-stopper has got some serious work to do to repair his reputation.

You can read the Toffees’ thoughts on Pickford here:

The Toffees are far from pleased with Pickford’s performances and are desperate for someone to talk some sense into their erratic shot-stopper.

What more does Aaron Wan-Bissaka have to do to earn Gareth Southgate’s attention?

The Crystal Palace right-back’s been among the Premier League’s breakout stars of the season, catching everyone’s attention with some solid performances.

Despite being the in-form Engish right-back in the league, he was served injustice by not being selected for the UEFA Euros qualifiers. That being said, this could only end up motivating the Palace star into picking up his performance-level even more. Ever since returning from injury, he’s been vital for keeping the goods coming for Roy Hodgson’s side.

The nature of Southgate’s England means there’s every chance he was on the radar and there’ little to no chance of the big club bias impacting his international future, as it has done in the past. Think Wilfried Zaha prior to his switching to the Ivory Coast.

Indeed, the wonderkid assisted Michy Batshuayi’s goal in the decimation of Burnley and was a bright spark in a sorrowful M23 derby loss. Bissaka made 3 tackles, 6 recoveries and 4 clearances (stats via Fotmob) as well as threatening with his crosses. That being said, him retaining solid form even after the injury lay-off itself is impressive.

Now Wan-Bissaka will aim to pick up his game even more and help the Eagles lodge their attempts for a top-half finish. Not only will he be aiming to improve his defending, but add more assists to his name by tapping into his creative side. The more hard he works, the more boons flurry through for Palace.

Roy Hodgson knows how to mould Bissaka into an England regular for the next decade. He just needs to tap into his potential and instil that hunger into Bissaka which could not only help his development but also boost Palace’s momentum going forward.

Palace fans, are you disappointed for Wan-Bissaka not being picked by England? Join the discussion by commenting below.