All posts by h716a5.icu

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James Ward-Prowse’s fantastic free-kick might not have been enough to take a point from Old Trafford earlier this month, but he followed that peach of a strike up with another against Spurs as Saints ran out shock 2-1 winners.

Scoring from a dead-ball situation with such consistency is no easy feat and, if the 24-year-old keeps banging them in from outside the box, then he could be set to smash a long-standing Southampton record.

St Mary’s legend Matt Le Tissier netted 12 free-kicks in his career on the south coast and, with four to the England man’s name already, the former striker thinks Ward-Prowse has the potential to smash his tally.

Here’s what the 50-year-old said:

“He [Ward-Prowse] definitely can [beat my record of 12 free-kicks], he’s so confident at the moment. It’s nice when you get a direct free-kick in a good position and you feel the excitement of the crowd, knowing it’s a great chance to score a goal.

“That’s the feeling I had at the peak of my career, feeling confident and the crowd sensing that. It gives you a real buzz and it’s the same now with Prowsey.

“It’s very much a confidence thing. Since Ralph [Hasenhuttl] took over he’s been outstanding. Certainly, in the last six to eight weeks he’s been man-of-the-match in most of the games I’ve watched him in.

“Ralph has obviously instilled a lot of belief in him and that makes a difference to a player.”

Indeed, the number 16 has been nothing short of sensational since Hasenhuttl took the helm in December, netting six goals in his last nine games, including three in his last three.

These stellar showings eventually paid off with Gareth Southgate calling on the local lad when injuries took their toll on the England squad for the upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers.

Having already won his first cap for the Three Lions, the 5-foot-8 midfielder will be hoping to get some more under his belt this month, although it’s in club competition where his chance to go down in the history books truly lies.

As Le Tissier says, confidence is clearly coursing through the free-kick wizard’s veins and he looks likely to score every time he’s stood over one.

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…

Having someone as deadly as he is from such situations is a massive boost to any team but particularly to one fighting relegation this season – Saints will need to take every opportunity they can if they are to get away from the drop zone as we near the end of the campaign and if Ward-Prowse continues to find the net he will a hero on the south coast.

With Hasenhuttl’s guidance, the 24-year-old could go on to become a club great and there is still a huge amount of room for development so we might not have even seen the best of ‘Prowsey’ yet.

[ad_pod ]Manchester United fans on Twitter are riled after Paul Pogba spoke of his admiration for Real Madrid in the media, saying that they are a ‘dream club for every player’.The France international has been at Old Trafford for three years now since returning to the club in 2016 for a then world-record fee of £89m, having been let go by the Red Devils in 2012 – Pogba ended up joining Juventus on a free transfer.Which “global superstar” has just been named Man Utd’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video above…Talk of the World Cup winner being unhappy in Manchester was rife towards the end of Jose Mourinho’s tenure in charge of the 20-time Premier League champions, and whilst he appears happier under the tutelage of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, that hasn’t stopped him flirting with the Spanish giants.Understandably, United fans aren’t too happy with the 26-year-old’s comments, especially at a time where it looks like the club is heading in the right direction under Solskjaer.Many have questioned his commitment to the cause, so let’s take a look at what some of the United fans on Twitter are saying about Pogba’s silly comments…

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Aston Villa supporters are over the moon that defender Axel Tuanzebe could be set for a third loan spell with the club next season.

This comes after a report in The Sun claimed that Manchester United would allow the youngster to renew his loan at the end of the current campaign.

Villa fans are ecstatic at the news but have suggested that, considering the time he’s now spent with the club, he may as well become a permanent signing.

Another individual had a more analytical approach, saying the defender had looked decent when he hadn’t been injured.

Tuanzebe hasn’t featured since December due to injury but the 21-year-old showed glimpses of his potential throughout the first half of the season.

The Englishman has played 22 games in all competitions this season after joining on loan in the summer.

He initially arrived at Villa Park in January 2018 but again injuries halted his development with the Midlands club.

The versatile defender’s contract at United runs out in the summer of 2020.

Here’s the best of the reaction from Villans supporters.

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Manchester City fans on Twitter are fuming after they witnessed a video showing what appeared to be an official celebrating Liverpool’s late winner against Tottenham.

The Reds regained their lead at the top of the Premier League table thanks to an own goal from Toby Alderweireld, after the ball bounced in off the Belgian following an error from Hugo Lloris.

442oons have charted the entire career of Man City’s main man Sergio Aguero through song in the hilarious video below…

Anfield obviously erupted, but cameras panning to the dugout in the hope of catching Jurgen Klopp’s reaction instead picked up what looked like a member of the referee’s officiating team smiling and pumping his fist, before appearing to shout “come on!”

Seeing as the moment pushed their side back into second place, City fans were understandably livid at the man’s actions and instantly questioned why he was celebrating the goal, when he really should be a neutral in the grand scheme of things – if he is to be an official, that is, which is yet to be confirmed.

Let’s see what the Citizens supporters have been saying about the incident on Twitter…

Rangers manager, Steven Gerrard, has made no secret of the fact that he wants to build a squad that can push for the Premiership title next season, and that includes keeping his best players and making significant signings.

The problems of the past for the Ibrox club, however, mean a more frugal approach to transfer windows now, with Gerrard likely to suffer due to previous regimes’ lavish over-spending.

So if that is the case, and Gerrard is not afforded the budget he hopes for, he will have to perform a balancing act between keeping players, and generating extra funds, which will mean weighing up which players he will listen to offers for, and which he will keep at all costs.

It is not ideal for a side whose rivals have a monopoly on winning titles in recent years, and a fan-base at Ibrox desperate to wrestle the Glasgow power back in their direction.

So when talk appears, like today, of interest from the Premier League for one of his players, it will be up to Gerrard to decide if he is willing to sell, and if so, at what price.

The Daily Mail report that Scott Arfield — who has been impressive for Rangers since signing from Burnley in July — is attracting interest from Southampton.

If any interest is firmed up when the transfer window opens, and his budget is, as expected, not as vast as he would like, Gerrard will have a dilemma.

He would dearly love to keep the player, but a decent offer of over £3 million, for a player currently valued by Transfermarkt.co.uk at £2.25m, would represent a good amount for someone who will turn 31 in November.

For a player that has showed excellent form — scoring 11 goals, with seven assists from his 42 appearances for the Gers — it would surely have to be an offer north of that £3m mark to have Gerrard interested.

As long as any funds received were ploughed back into strengthening the team, with players like Greg Docherty and Glenn Middleton likely to be considered for the starting lineup next season, it may well be a deal that makes sense for Rangers in both a financial, and footballing, context.

The one thing Rangers must not do, though, is be seen as a feeder club for English sides, and they must not sell any of their stars on the cheap.

What do you think, Rangers fans? Would you cash in on Arfied for a decent fee? Who would you like Gerrard to bring to Ibrox this summer? Let us know your thoughts…

Rangers fans can see a return to their former glory is nearing, but they’ll never fulfil their potential if they refuse to pay up for players like Ryan Kent.

He’s had a great season for the Gers, playing 22 times, scoring and assisting six each, and Steven Gerrard has made it no secret he wants him to return to Ibrox next season. However, it doesn’t look like the club are willing to put their money where their mouth is.

Ahead of their game against Motherwell on Sunday, Gerrard said: “I think it would unlikely be a permanent move. The numbers being spoken about, I’m out” (quotes from the Scottish Sun). But why is he out? If he wants to build a dynasty at Rangers, he should be demanding the club pay the £12m being spoken about in the Sun.

He’s more confident of securing the winger on loan again, but what if Liverpool don’t want to loan him out next season? It appears Rangers would just roll over and then have to find another player, who would perhaps cost a similar amount and then acclimatise as Kent already has.

If the club really can’t afford to pay the required fee, and don’t get him back on loan, it’s just symbolic of how the club will never be able to compete with Celtic again under the current ownership structure. Gerrard’s moved the club forward, but there’s only so much he can do when the finances just aren’t there.

Signing players on loan is a good short-term solution to this issue, but it means Gerrard will find it hard to build up a team to consistently challenge for the title. How can they do that if their key players are disappearing back to their parent club or other sides every season?

Rangers fans, what do you think it will take to finally challenge for the Scottish Premiership again? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Most kids idolised Steven Gerrard back in the day, well unless you were a Manchester United fan. So it’s not particularly hard to argue that his reputation and link with Liverpool will mean he’ll attract the players to win Rangers their first Scottish Premiership since 2011.

The Scottish Sun are reporting Gerrard will travel to Liverpool to make a personal plea for his old club to loan him Ryan Kent again next season. It’s not the usual method for attracting players, but it’s one a manager like Steven Gerrard can use to their advantage at cash strapped clubs.

It’s said the winger’s got a £12m price tag, and that’s just unaffordable for Rangers this summer. Gerrard could get his way though, purely because of his connections at his old club and the fact he’s looked up to by the player himself. This is just one example but it’ll become a common theme.

Frankly, the Gers can only afford to use young, cheap talent at the moment, and Gerrard surely knows that, so the only way to bring trophies to Ibrox is by using his pulling power as an Anfield hero. Young players will look up to him and want to play for him and his contacts across the English game could always lend him a hand.

The ex-Liverpool captain has impressed in his first season at Ibrox, and now he’s proved he’s a capable manager, players will be itching to play under him and for such a big club. It was a gamble hiring him in the first place, but it’s one that will pay off eventually, if he gets his way in summer.

Phone calls and personal pleas might sound a tad desperate, but if it means Rangers get hold of the best young talent, it’ll also mean the club’s fans can finally enjoy some silverware again.

Rangers fans, who do you think Steven Gerrard should sign this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Rangers are reportedly set to swoop for Steven Davis on a permanent deal this summer.

What’s the story?

According to Football Insider, the Gers are confident of agreeing a deal for Davis.

The 108-cap Northern Ireland international joined the Ibrox outfit on loan in January, and while he has been far from perfect, the report claims the club is “keen” to turn his temporary stay into a fixed one.

He is reportedly on £12,000-a-week at Ibrox at the moment, and his Southampton contract is set to expire this summer.

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

Is he good enough?

The short answer is no. Davis is not the calibre of player Rangers require in order to catch up to Celtic.

The 34 year-old has provided no goals and just one assist in ten Premiership games this season, and was fading at Southampton long before arriving in Glasgow.

However, the fact that he will be free agent and thus not cost the Gers a hefty transfer fee does change things a little.

Even if the veteran midfielder doesn’t feature regularly or make much of an impact on the pitch, such a versatile and experienced player is good to have around the squad.

He has played five different midfield positions this season according to Transfermarkt, and this ability to fill different roles in the side will be extremely useful to Steven Gerrard as the boss looks to compete on four fronts next year.

Davis is not a marquee signing who will score double-digit goals and fire the Gers to a title. He is however a handy player to have in the squad with great leadership, experience and versatility.

On a free signing this one makes perfect sense for the Gers, buffing up the squad depth and saving money for other more important arrivals, like a centre back.

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Football is a sport encapsulated and defined by what ifs and hypothetical scenarios.

Questions concerning what might have happened under alternative circumstances run rife in the media, ranging from debates over individual fixtures to long-term themes concerning significant periods in the history of a club and how they could have been moulded differently.

Before Pep Guardiola moved to Manchester City, discussion over a potential move to Manchester United bubbled beneath the surface.

In 2015, the Daily Telegraph reported that, according to Sir Alex Ferguson’s book, it was Guardiola and not David Moyes who was his first choice to replace him in the manager’s hotseat.

With that in mind, Football FanCast have been discussing how the City boss would line-up for tonight’s Manchester derby if he was indeed sitting in the home dugout, and we’ve come up with a potential starting XI.

The major change to the system sees Alexis Sanchez step into the starting XI in place of Anthony Martial. While Sanchez doesn’t merit his place on current form, there is no doubt his career would have followed a dramatically different path under the Spaniard.

After all, the pair previously worked together at Barcelona and City’s well documented transfer pursuit of the Chilean suggests the widely revered manager is a huge fan.

And, considering the electric blend of defensive work-rate and frightening dynamism he can provide at full tilt, he would be a fantastic asset to have to tackle the title-chasing visitors.

The other major change would see Juan Mata slot into central midfield, where he would operate in a similar role to the one which David Silva is regularly deployed in.

The back five rather chooses itself, with Guardiola’s preference for younger, more energetic full-backs leaving Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia on the substitutes bench.

Nemanja Matic would operate in the Fernandinho/Busquets role to allow the full-backs, Paul Pogba and Mata to roam forward at will.

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West Brom starlet Jamie Soule has attracted the interest of Borussia Dortmund according to The Sun.

The news will come as quite the shock for the Baggies, who would be staring disaster in the face if he was to depart this summer.

What’s the word?

Soule is one of the best rising talents at Albion at the moment and was key in West Brom’s recent run to the FA Youth Cup semi-finals.

During the competition, he scored four in five games, which included strikes versus both Manchester City and Arsenal.

And it appears as though his performance against City has attracted the eyes of Dortmund, who are no strangers to discovering British talent after bringing Jadon Sancho to the Bundesliga.

The Sun claims that the German club were impressed with his display against City and, as a result, are planning a swoop for the 18-year-old striker.

A disaster for the Baggies

Having scored 14 goals across all competitions at youth level this season, Soule is clearly one to watch, especially with former development coach James Shan at the helm.

The Baggies have a habit of producing exceptional young talent and that’s been evident this term with the likes of Rekeem Harper, Kyle Edwards and Sam Field playing in the first team.

Soule might well be the next to make the leap from youth team football to senior level at the Hawthorns but not if Dortmund have anything to say about it.

In recent years, Albion have seen a number of their best young talents walk out the door and therefore it would be disastrous if they were to lose yet another fine prospect.

Izzy Brown remains the most high profile man to leave, whilst Tyler Roberts and Kemar Roofe are a further two players to have got away.

West Brom are also in danger of losing Harper this summer. The midfielder’s deal ends in the summer and to lose both him and Soule would be hugely concerning.