All posts by h79snht.top

West Brom went to the top of the Championship table on Saturday after beating Preston North End 3-2, and fans of the Baggies on Twitter were once again delighted with Dwight Gayle after he netted a brilliant free-kick to secure the three points.It was a quiet first-half at Deepdale as the teams went into the break at 0-0, but the game burst into life in the second period after Jay Rodriguez broke the deadlock just three minutes in.[brid autoplay=”true” video=”301458″ player=”12034″ title=”The Problem With Paul Pogba”]Preston’s Andrew Hughes then pulled one back, but Darren Moore’s in-form West Brom were back in the lead just two minutes later after a Ben Davies own goal. Then, with two minutes of normal time remaining Gayle whipped a fantastic long-range free-kick pastÂChris Maxwell in the Preston net for his sixth league goal of the season so far.Gayle is on loan from Newcastle after the clubs agreed a temporary swap deal in the summer, with Venezuelan striker Salomon Rondon going the other way. However it is clear at the moment that West Brom fans think they were on the right side of that deal. Check out some of the best tweets below.

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Aston Villa have struggled to find their feet so far this season and Steve Bruce has found himself under plenty of pressure as a result.

Speculation of a managerial change at Villa Park has been rife in recent days, with The Sun on Sunday (30/09, page 59) stating the club are considering making a move for Brentford manager Dean Smith.

Smith, a boyhood Villa fan, has guided Brentford to three consecutive mid-table finishes in the Championship and has earned praise for playing an attractive brand of football, which may appeal to supporters at Villa Park.

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However, the fact that he has no experience when it comes to winning promotion as a manager should be a major concern, and at the current time he perhaps isn’t the best fit for Villa’s needs if they want a Premier League return this term.

Do you agree Villa fans? Have your say in our poll below…

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As England prepare for the country’s upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, a look back to the last saw Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana pull out of the squad through injury.

Lallana suffered a groin strain that initially did not look too serious and the club’s immediate concern was the player missing the Wembley fixture with top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur. However, the midfielder is yet to return to action for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The Three Lions are currently preparing for the next batch of Nations League matches away to Croatia and Spain, while Lallana will be watching from home as he continues to get closer to a return.

Premier Injuries have the central midfielder pencilled in to return on October 20th, with Lallana given 50% chance of being available for selection.

Experience to England’s midfield

The exclusion of Lallana through injury left Gareth Southgate with a tough decision to make on who would make up his midfield for the games in Croatia and Spain.

Young players like Nathaniel Chalobah, Mason Mount and Harry Winks all made the cut in midfield, with Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho also making the squad amongst the forwards.

The presence of Lallana alongside Jordan Henderson and the sporadically involved Ross Barkley would have helped the young stars settle into the senior line-up and add experience come match day rather than playing a weaker side that holds future potential.

Naby Keïta yet to impress

While Lallana can help the national side with his experience, at club level he can step in with summer signing Naby Keïta yet to make a huge impression.

Keïta’s arrival on Merseyside was much awaited thanks to the Guinean’s performances in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig, but the player is yet to reach those levels under Klopp’s guidance.

In eight league games, outings in the Champions League and Carabao Cup, the central midfielder with an eye to venture forward is yet to register a goal or assist, seeing Klopp dip his £60million signing in and out of the team.

The return of Lallana will take some of the pressure off Keita to perform by taking some of the burden away from his shoulders and give another option to Klopp’s midfield and attack.

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According to a recent report from Sky Sports, Tottenham are keeping a close eye on Nathan Ake ahead of a possible move in the near future. The Netherlands international currently plays his football at Premier League side Bournemouth and has done so permanently since 2017, albeit he did enjoy a successful loan spell at the Vitality Stadium in the first half of the 2016/17 season before being recalled by parent club Chelsea.

Yet reports suggest that Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs are keeping tabs on the Dutchman as they seek to improve their centre back ranks given the futures of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are uncertain, and while Ake would likely be a good addition, the North Londoners should forget about him and instead seek to lure compatriot Matthijs de Ligt to the club.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, there can be little doubting that 23-year-old Ake has genuine pedigree at Premier League level having performed well for Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth in the last few years, appearing 60 times for the South Coast outfit to help them become an established top-flight side.

Yet there remain some question marks over the Cherries defensively given they shipped 61 goals in their 38 Premier League games last week, while Ake’s lack of experience on the European stage may well be of concern to manager Pochettino, especially given he would likely be signed as a possible first-choice for the 2019/20 campaign.

Yet there are fewer concerns about the capabilities of fellow defender de Ligt, who at the tender age of 19 has already played 76 times for Dutch giants Ajax, and in that time has proven why he is being so highly-rated by many around Europe.

The centre back came up through the ranks at the Eredivisie heavyweights and made his senior debut for the club back in 2016, from which he has since gone from strength to strength to become a regular in the side – in fact, he has been captaining Erik ten Hag’s side this term to underline his growing maturity.

And in helping Ajax to a second place finish in the Dutch top-flight last season, at the same time finishing as the division’s lowest conceders with 33 goals against in their 34 matches, it’s pretty clear that de Ligt is having a big influence on things at the Johan Cruyff Arena – there’s a reason Tottenham were keen on his services during the summer.

And if Pochettino is looking for someone with European experience, someone who has excelled at a European giant, and someone who could come in straight away and become a first-choice in his Tottenham backline, 19-year-old de Ligt is without doubt his man.

So while Bournemouth’s Ake is certainly someone who could have a bright future, and his arrival would help Spurs fulfil their home-grown quota, they should forget about him and instead seek to land one of the brightest young defenders in European football at present, namely Netherlands international de Ligt.

Tottenham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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Alexis Sanchez’s time at Manchester United has a strong sense of déjà vu surrounding it; Fernando Torres’ barren spell after his highly-publicised move to Chelsea seems to have reared its ugly head once again as a reincarnate in the Chilean’s body.

Just under 10 months ago, the Old Trafford faithful had been salivating at the prospect of their famed number 7 shirt having a new hero. In his last 53 Premier League games for Arsenal, Sanchez scored 31 goals and recorded 13 assists; everything looked set for the former Barcelona forward to be a hit with the Red Devils.

However, just as Torres looked set to become the prince of Stamford Bridge after a £50m to Liverpool, before ultimately becoming the dunce of it, Sanchez also looks a shell of himself after a significant move away.

Albeit a ‘free’ transfer, Sanchez’s move from the Emirates to Old Trafford included a significant financial package; the Chilean international earns £14m-per-year after tax.

The signs of this decline were there for all to see. Both Torres and Sanchez were signed in the winter transfer window of 2011 and 2018 respectively where, coincidentally, they both failed to hit the heights that we became accustomed to prior to their transfers.

Sanchez had scored just seven goals in 17 appearances in the six months prior to his move. Many excused that form as a way of the forward losing interest as he set his heart on leaving north London, but we now know that was not the case.

Similarly, prior to swapping Anfield for Stamford Bridge back in 2011, Torres was also out of sorts. The Spaniard had hit just nine goals in 22 appearances for the Reds before Chelsea broke the bank for his signature.

Both United and Chelsea ignored the signs, and both have been made to pay for their misjudgement.

Most worryingly of all for United fans is that Sanchez has until very recently still been starting, despite stinking out Old Trafford for almost a year now.

His constant inclusion in Jose Mourinho’s starting XI had been stunting the chances of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, players who are almost a decade younger than the 29-year-old Chilean and whose development is in severe need of game time.

Manchester United have always prided themselves on giving youth a chance, but Mourinho is throwing those morals down the drain by persisting with a player past his peak when untold potential is sat on the bench or being played out of position.

Whilst Sanchez is reportedly earning astronomical wages to do very little in a United shirt – he has scored just three league goals since arriving – those higher up at Old Trafford need to sit down and think about their number 7’s future at the club.

Following their promotion from the Championship, Wolves will certainly be pleased with both their performances and results in their first 10 games of the 2018/19 Premier League season.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men currently sit 10th in the table having taken 15 points since the campaign started back in August and could now be set be handed a massive boost when the new year arrives.

The Breakdown

With the transfer window opening in January, according to CalcioNapoli24 (via Football Italia), Wolves could move for Napoli midfielder Amadou Diawara in what would be another massive signing for the club.

Despite the departure of Jorginho to Chelsea in the summer, playing time has still been limited for Diawara, who could now leave the Stadio San Paolo and Serie A for just under £40m.

At that price, it would obviously be a very expensive deal for Wolves, but also one that has the potential to be well worth it.

With Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho in the middle of the park, central midfield is probably where Wolves are strongest. There is still room for improvement there, though, something which Diawara could help with with him being a completely different profile of midfielder compared to the two.

The Napoli man offers a combative presence in the centre with his tough tackling and would be a great option for Nuno in games against some of the more higher-calibre teams in the division.

In Leander Dendoncker, the Portuguese coach already has a similar player but has yet to utilise him for whatever reason.

With that in mind, the addition of Diawara could just be what Nuno and Wolves need going forward.

Tottenham winger Erik Lamela netted his sixth goal of the season in all competitions as he opened the scoring in Spurs’ 3-2 win over Wolves on Saturday evening, and fans of the North London club on Twitter were buzzing with his recent form.

The 26-year-old has struggled at Tottenham since his big-money move from Roma in 2013, but this season he looks to finally be the player that all Lilywhites fans thought they had signed.

Against Wolves, Spurs started the game brilliantly and took a 2-0 lead into the break thanks to goals from Lamela and Lucas Moura, before Harry Kane looked to have made the result comfortable with his first league goal in five weeks.

However, with just over 20 minutes remaining, Lamela’s compatriot Juan Foyth fouled Raul Jimenez in the box and Ruben Neves dispatched the penalty. Wolves then had their tails up and were given another chance from the spot when Foyth this time pushed defender Jonny, allowing Jiminez to convert, but Spurs were to hold on.

Check out the best reaction to Lamela’s performance below.

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Leeds United fans have urged their club to spend in the January transfer window.

Head coach Marcelo Bielsa, speaking ahead of Saturday’s Championship clash with West Bromwich Albion, admitted that it would be difficult for Leeds to bring new players to the club in early 2019.

Indeed, in quotes carried by the Yorkshire Evening Post, Bielsa played down suggestions that the Whites would be active in the next window.

The Leeds fans have been reacting to Bielsa’s words on social media, and many are still hopeful that their club will improve the squad.

It is shaping up to be a fascinating race for the Championship title this season, and Leeds currently sit top of the division on 30 points, ahead of second-placed Norwich City on goal difference.

The Whites will travel to a West Brom side this weekend who will also have hopes of securing a return to the Premier League.

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A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Leeds fans, in relation to Bielsa’s quotes on transfers, can be seen below:

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According to Turkish site A Spor, Liverpool defender Joel Matip is a January transfer target for both Fenerbahce and Premier League side Fulham, but Jurgen Klopp should not offload the Cameroonian if a replacement isn’t in place.

This would seem to be the case too, as James Pearce recently wrote in the Liverpool Echo that Klopp has no intention of adding to his squad in the winter transfer window.

“If crazy things happen then maybe we have to think new but I don’t expect that,” Klopp said, according to the Echo.

“In the moment we have each position twice, three times and sometimes four times covered.”

However, if the Reds were to offload Matip in January they would be left with just Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk and Dejan Lovren as senior centre-backs. Clearly, the 27-year-old Cameroon international is behind those three in the pecking order at the Merseyside club, but Lovren and Gomez have both had frequent injury problems and Matip does at least provide cover.

The towering 6ft 5in centre-back has another two years left to run on his contract at Anfield after his free transfer from German side Schalke 04 in the summer of 2016. His lack of quality may mean he doesn’t see those years out, but getting rid mid-season could be a mistake if it would leave Liverpool short on defensive options.

So, Reds fans, would you like to see Matip sold in January or is it too risky? Have your say by voting in the poll below.

Check out Playmaker FC’s Joe Street’s unfiltered take on Wayne Rooney’s England legacy in the video below…

Newcastle United have started to stage a revival after producing a couple of fine results in recent weeks.

Rafa Benitez has seen his side start to lift away from the bottom three of the Premier League table with back-to-back wins against impressive Watford and AFC Bournemouth sides who have been performing rather well this season.

However, it is not just the results and the performances that have begun to improve for the Magpies, as it appears the Spaniard has given one man a fresh breath of life in recent times.

Mohamed Diame has been a key man for the Toon Army this season, having started every game in the Premier League so far.

The former Senegal international had admitted that he had found things extremely difficult over the last year, revealing to the Newcastle Chronicle that he felt it had been the “poorest” he had ever played.

There were doubts that he would remain a Newcastle player as speculation grew in January that he could be on the move, whilst many had got frustrated with the performances that he had been displaying.

However, Benitez appears to have revived the 31-year-old’s career at St. James’ Park and has given him a fresh lease of life.

The manager had decided to utilise Diame (valued at £4.5 million by Transfermarkt) as a central midfielder instead of in a number 10 role, a position he had featured heavily in during their 2016/17 campaign in the Championship.

Following that change and the genius of Benitez, the African midfielder has become a key and integral member of the squad as Newcastle look to build a run of results once again.

Diame will need to continue to be an important member of the team if Newcastle are going to replicate the second half of last season’s Premier League campaign that saw the Magpies comfortably escape the threat of relegation.

Newcastle fans – thoughts?