Category Uncategorized

[ad_pod ]

Manchester United fans will disagree with outspoken Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson on his prophecy for the upcoming Premier League clash with Manchester City and they’d be right to.

What’s he predicted, then?

An out-of-sorts Red Devils play host to the in-form Citizens at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening knowing that a win for their bitter rivals and visitors will put the title in their hands.

But there will be double motivation for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men aside from bragging rights as three points against Pep Guardiola’s side would boost their hopes of making a late dash back into the top four.

Predicting a 4-0 trouncing in City’s favour, here’s what Merson had to say ahead of the match:

“I think the league will be won here as I expect Manchester City to win easily.

“Manchester United are just not very good. It was embarrassing against Everton and the players should be ashamed of themselves.

“They need to work hard this week, which will not be enough, but it is the least they can do. To lose the way they did against Everton was mindblowing. They should be honoured to play for that club and they embarrassed it.”

That’s pure sensationalist, Merse

Predicting such a one-sided affair for this Manchester derby is pure sensationalist from Merson as it’s clear he’s just trying to wind up the United faithful.

Yes, there is a gulf-in-class between the two teams in terms of quality and form at the moment, but the Red Devils are going to put up more of a fight in front of their own fans at “The Theatre of Dreams” than that.

Home advantage is going to be key in this match-up and what happened on Sunday will only work in the favour of United, meaning their players will have a new determination to make it up to supporters and prevail in the big derby.

Just look at what happened when pundits would have predicted something similar from this fixture little over a year ago.

Virgil Van Dijk has picked up much of Liverpool’s praise this season, with the defender leading the way alongside Raheem Sterling for the Premier League Player of the Season award. But a player that perhaps deserves more recognition is Sadio Mane. 

This isn’t to say that Mane isn’t showered with praise – he is. However, he arguably is placed below the likes of Sterling and Eden Hazard as the best wingers in the league. The forward’s form in, especially in the last two seasons, suggests otherwise, however.

Mane arrived from Southampton in 2016 in a deal reportedly worth £34m and has continued to go from strength to strength ever since. Under the management of Jurgen Klopp, Mane has emerged as one of the most deadly wingers in world football. It’s well documented that Mane has pace and power in abundance, but it’s his guile and array of skills that make him so devastating.

During his time in the Premier League, Mane has scored 39 with his right foot, 18 with his left and five headers. Impressively diverse figures. Additionally, these are not just simple goals, Mane has proven he can score from all angles and at crucial moments.

This season has seen the Senegalese forward produce his best returns, claiming 18 league goals with three games remaining. A noticeable stat, however, is that he only has one league assist to his name this season. Perhaps this shows a change in mentality for Mane, who must now be recognised as one of, if not the most influential forward at the club.

Perhaps the most impressive statistic Mane boasts, is that out of any player with a minimum of ten goals, Mane holds the best goals per minute ratio in Champions League knockout stage history. It highlights just how important the winger has been in Liverpool’s Champions League campaigns both this season and last.

Throughout his Liverpool career, there have always been players that have taken the headlines as the star man. Whether this is Coutinho, Van Dijk or Salah, he has never been given the full credit he deserves. With Salah going through a run of poor form in the midsection of this season, it could be argued Mane has been Liverpool’s most important forward.

Liverpool signed £75m Van Dijk with the belief they were acquiring one of the best centre-backs in world football. They surely weren’t aware of quite how good Mane would have become, however. £34m is a bargain in today’s market, especially for a player that would now be worth so much more. He must go down as one of the best signings in Liverpool’s recent history.

Liverpool fans – is Mane a better signing than Salah or Van Dijk? Comment below. 

[ad_pod ]

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is on course to resume first-team training with the Reds next week.

What’s the latest?

Klopp told Liverpool’s official website:

“I spoke to him a second ago; Ox is positive, we are all positive. It was a little setback, it was not more, but it was a setback. That’s how it is.

“You don’t want to be overly sensitive after a period like this because they train a lot – training is always like this, it’s like stress for the body. You feel something, but you don’t want to mention everything because it [can be] DOMS [delayed onset muscle soreness].

“It was the case with him, it was a little bit more than DOMS, but not really [serious]. We are careful of course, he is working, he is doing a lot and I think will be in training in a week again. Then he will be fine.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain has not played for Liverpool’s first team since suffering a severe knee injury against Roma in the Champions League last April.

The midfielder made his return for the club’s Under-23 side against Derby County Under-23s earlier this month, but only lasted 40 minutes after feeling his hamstring.

The 25-year-old has not been in first-team training since, but Klopp has insisted that everyone is ‘positive’ when it comes to the former Southampton youngster.

What does it all mean?

Well, Liverpool need to be very, very careful with the central midfielder.

There is absolutely no question that Oxlade-Chamberlain’s knee will be in a good place following months and months of rehab work, but other muscles will have naturally suffered.

It is not too much of a surprise that he incurred a muscular problem on his first competitive outing, but the former Arsenal ace needs to be properly managed in the coming weeks.

Liverpool, and indeed their fans, will be desperate for Oxlade-Chamberlain to play a role between now and the end of the campaign.

However, his long-term welfare must be put first and it will be very interesting to see when Klopp decides to reintroduce the Englishman into the first team.

After disappointing results against Everton and Manchester United in March, victories over Bayern Munich and Fulham in the last week have lifted spirits amongst Liverpool fans.

Sadio Mane continued his spectacular form on Sunday by scoring his eleventh goal in as many games whilst a late penalty from James Milner ensured that the Reds would move above his former side Manchester City in the Premier League standings, albeit having played a game more than Pep Guardiola’s side.

However, Mohamed Salah missed the opportunity to get back amongst the goals against the worst defensive team in the top flight.

Despite having several good chances to get on the scoresheet at Craven Cottage, the 26-year-old looked devoid of any confidence whilst on the ball which will have concerned boss Jurgen Klopp.

Since moving to Anfield from Roma for a fee thought to be in the region of £34.3m (via Sky Sports), Salah has been sensational for Liverpool, scoring 49 goals in 66 Premier League appearances.

A quick start to this season by the Egyptian saw him reach the mark of 17 goals in February during a 3-0 win against AFC Bournemouth. Yet since the victory over the Cherries, Salah has failed to find the back of the net in seven games in all competitions. His lack of involvement during these fixtures can also be highlighted by the fact that he has only registered one assist for his team-mates.

Considering the drop-off in form being demonstrated by Salah in recent weeks, Klopp should really consider benching him for their crucial clash with Tottenham Hotspur on March 31st in order to avoid the winger disturbing his side’s attacking flow.

Xherdan Shaqiri could be brought in as a direct replacement whilst Divock Origi would offer the former Borussia Dortmund boss with more of a direct threat against Spurs. With the title race heating up between the Reds and City, now is the time for Klopp to be ruthless in his decision-making by proving that no-one at Anfield is exempt from being dropped, not even Salah.

What do think Liverpool fans? Should Salah be dropped by Klopp? Who would you bring in to replace the Egyptian, Shaqiri or Origi? Let us know below…

[ad_pod ]

Lots of Newcastle fans have been reacting to Monday’s biggest story, as Rafael Benitez has been named as one of three candidates to take over at Leicester.

Leicester surprised few by sacking Claude Puel on Sunday morning, and they are already lining up the Frenchman’s replacement.

According to Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett, Benitez is among the leading candidates to take over at the King Power Stadium, alongside Roberto Martinez and Brendan Rodgers.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

The Foxes lost 4-1 at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday evening, and the manager appeared to have lost the players well before then.

Benitez meanwhile has led a Newcastle resurgence since the turn of the year, upsetting Manchester City before picking up crucial wins against Cardiff and Huddersfiled.

The Spaniard is always a huge source of speculation though, due of course to his frosty relationship with club owner Mike Ashley.

Benitez has a 42 per cent win ratio on Tyneside, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

The question on many English and Irish fans over the weeks was, who would Declan Rice choose to play for?

After playing for the Republic of Ireland in recent years, he had a big decision to make. Now, the West Ham midfielder has opted to play for England, where he was born rather than continue with Ireland.

This decision incurred different reactions from the two sets of supporters. England fans are, naturally, delighted to get such a hard-working, vibrant midfielder, while Ireland fans were left disappointed. Rice has been making waves in the Premier League, having put on some memorable performances for the Hammers this season.

Sensing his rise in popularity, Rice caved into the demands of his home fans to pledge his alliance with England. However, he could’ve gotten better assurances over playing time with Ireland. Mick McCarthy had even insisted that he would build his team around Rice in the future, a big compliment for him as the former Ipswich boss looks to make his side far more competitive than in recent years.

While he would’ve been a natural selection for Ireland, breaking into the England team isn’t going to be easy. With the likes of Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard having consolidated themselves as regulars and youngsters like Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Harry Winks coming up, it’ll be difficult for him to break in soon.

Rice has the potential to become a regular for England and solidify their midfield with his tough-tackling demeanour. However, he’s opted to take the high-road to success, ignoring the immediate, relatively smaller stardom the Irish presented him.

هنأ محمد عبد السلام رئيس نادي مصر المقاصة، منافسه الأهلي على التتويج بلقب الدوري المصري الممتاز موضحًا موقفه من إقامة ممر شرفي في مباراة الفريقين غدًا.

ومن المقرر أن يلعب الأهلي ضد مصر المقاصة على أرضية استاد القاهرة ضمن منافسات الجولة 28 من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وتُوج الأهلي رسميًا بالدوري للمرة 42 في تاريخه فور خسارة الزمالك أمام أسوان في المباراة التي أقيمت اليوم.

وقال محمد عبد السلام خلال مداخلة هاتفية ببرنامج “نمبر وان” المذاع على قناة “النهار”: “يسعدني أن نقيم ممرًا شرفيًا للأهلي وأبارك له على التتويج بالدوري مبكرا، لكن لابد أن أستأذن من اللجنة الطبية أولا”.

وأضاف: “بالتأكيد هذا شيء يسعدنا ولنا الشرف أن نكون حرس شرف لبطل الدوري”.

وواصل: “لا يوجد جديد متعلق باللاعب محمد إبراهيم ولم يأت لنا عروض رسمية وكله كلام من وكلاء وبعض الناس من النادي الأهلي، لكن لا يوجد رغبة جدية منه أو من بيراميدز في ضمه”.

وعن العروض الخارجية للاعب رد رئيس المقاصة: “قيل إنه سيتم إرسال عروض رسمية من الإمارات والسعودية ولكن لم يصل حتى الآن أي شيء مكتوب يمكننا التحدث عنه”.

واختتم معلقًا عما يتردد عن بيع محمد إبراهيم مقابل 2 مليون دولار: “هذا الرقم تم تداوله عبر السوشيال ميديا لكن نحن لم نعلن رقم وسنفعل ذلك عند فتح باب التفاوض”.

Liverpool have enjoyed a fabulous season.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table, a staggering 25 points clear of second-placed Manchester City.

While they have been eliminated from the Champions League, their domestic campaign has been nothing short of brilliant; they have lost just once all season.

It seems easy, then, to pick a Team of the Season for the Reds, but WhoScored’s average ratings tell a rather different story.

In goal, of course, we have Alisson Becker, the Brazilian stopper who has been in excellent form for the club this campaign. He has 20 appearances to his name, has never been on the losing side in 2019/20, and has even registered an assist.

In defence, we have a five-man backline.

Trent Alexander-Arnold starts at right-back, having starred throughout the campaign. He has an average rating of 7.3, having laid on 12 assists in the league.

There are three central defenders, and at least one of these names may surprise you. Virgil van Dijk is a shoo-in with his average rating of 7.4, and his magisterial defensive style. He completes a staggering 4.7 clearances per game, too.

The other two, though, may be a surprise. Joel Matip earns his spot with a rating of 7.33 – the fourth-highest in the squad – while he is partnered with Dejan Lovren. The Croatia international has made nine appearances but has an average rating of 7.14, beating out Joe Gomez.

Can you name the result these iconic Liverpool images belong to? Give it a go now…

At left-back, naturally, it’s Andrew Robertson. He has a rating of 7.12, has scored once and provided seven assists this season.

A two-man midfield pivot sees Jordan Henderson – captain fantastic, rating of 7.2 – partner Naby Keita. The latter may come as a shock, but he has an average rating of 7 from nine overall appearances, and outstrips the likes of Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum.

In case you were wondering why this is a 5-2-3 formation, it’s an obvious answer: Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mane.

It’s actually Mane who has the highest rating of the three – and of the squad – with 7.5, after scoring 14 goals and registering seven assists.

Salah lags just behind with 7.45 after 16 goals and six assists and Firmino is actually behind van Dijk, Matip, and Alexander-Arnold; he has a rating of 7.26, following eight goals and seven assists.

Whatever you may think of this XI, one can’t deny that it is formidable.

Meanwhile, Kenny Dalglish made a nightmare signing!

Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to recall Glenn Murray’s phenomenal 2012/13 Championship campaign, in which he netted 30 goals to fire the Eagles to promotion.

The man who signed for the south Londoners from arch-rivals Brighton enjoyed a stunning season that term, with the mesmeric wing duo of Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie either side of him in what was a truly enjoyable attacking trio to watch.

The Palace supporters in question were discussing their former No.17 after the EFL’s official Twitter account posted a tweet asking if Murray was the best EFL striker of the 2010s – the 36-year-old definitely has a strong case.

Aside from his 30 Championship goals for Palace in that 2012/13 season, Murray also scored eight goals in 18 appearances while on loan at Reading in the second tier, before going on to score 23 Championship goals for Brighton while helping the Seagulls achieve promotion in the 2016/17 campaign.

In total, the experienced poacher managed to grab 67 goals in 143 Championship appearances this decade, which is some feat – his huge contribution in two successful promotion campaigns also shouldn’t go unnoticed.

However, aside from the EFL’s question, a number of Palace fans have simply been discussing their former marksman, with a range of responses on display.

This fan named Cal said that the south Londoners would “easily” be playing Europa League football if they still had a striker like Murray, which is a pretty bold statement to say the least – however, his 25 Premier League goals for Brighton across recent campaigns suggests he can perform at the top level.

Elsewhere, another supporter named Kieran said that doesn’t want a bad word said about Murray, while also listing the forward’s achievements in a red and blue shirt such as his extra-time winner over Manchester United in the League Cup and his multiple goals against rivals Brighton, who are brandished as “the seaweed” in this tweet.

Meanwhile, these two fans swooned over Murray’s finishing ability.

Ryan said that the 36-year-old is the “best inside the box finisher” he’s ever seen, whereas another fan named Samuel highlighted the variety of goals scored by Murray that season – just by watching the EFL’s tweet, you can see that the forward really did have “the lot that season”.

Additionally, Paul went on to say that he would have Murray back at Selhurst Park tomorrow, stating that it was a mistake to sell him.

Lastly, this fan named James kept his response short and sweet when calling Murray an “absolute machine”.

In other news, this Crystal Palace target did little to ease concerns over his Premier League capabilities with another questionable performance…

Usually when you hear about football fans being shocked, angered, frustrated and all the rest of it with a decision in a football match it’s something to do with the referee. However, in this case, The Gers were fuming with Scott Arfield’s decision to launch himself into Hearts’ ‘keeper, Zdeněk Zlámal, a horror challenge that saw him taking an early bath during Rangers 2-1 win at Hearts.

It was one of those decisions that simply cannot be argued. Rangers have had a fair few red cards this season and whilst a lot of them have been questionable refereeing decisions, there can be absolutely no slating the man in the middle for showing Arfield red. Unfortunately, the Bluenoses have absolutely no arguments to their midfielder’s dismissal and it will be up to Steven Gerrard to lay into the 30-year-old for his stupidity.

Next up for Rangers is a huge clash against Aberdeen on Wednesday evening and it will be one that will have to go into without Arfield as he serves his suspension. It will certainly be tough to get through the tough Ibrox clash against The Dandies without the Canadian international but it’s still a winnable tie that they’ll be desperate to get a win from, as they aim to keep their spot at the top of the Scottish Premier League.

You can read the Gers’ thoughts on Arfield’s stupid challenge here:

The Bluenoses were fuming with Arfield and will hope he learns his lesson as he suffers his ban.