All posts by n8rngtd.top

Liverpool got themselves right in the mix for a sixth Champions League title this week with a superb showing in Munich to move into the quarter finals of Europe’s premier competition.

The Reds, led by the ever impressive attacking trio of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, and Bobby Firmino, delivered a display which showed just why there are considered one of the best in the world at the moment, and manager Jurgen Klopp will now be desperate to land a trophy.

However, we here in the Tavern feel that a lack of January additions might be something the club look back on if they do end up with nothing in the trophy cabinet, and it’s something the Reds might well look to address come the summer.

And one man we feel would be a superb signing is former Southampton midfielder Dusan Tadic, who has been demonstrating form for Ajax which has got heads across the continent turning.

The 30-year-old, who often flattered to deceive during his time with the Saints, is showing the ability which plenty of coaches and scouts always knew he had in the locker, and a move to Liverpool would give him a chance to once again prove it at the highest level.

Tadic is a superb attacking midfield player, and unlike the rest of Liverpool’s famed attacking trio, is more focused on his technique and ability to prize defences open rather than raw pace and power.

Liverpool are going to need numbers to ensure they can continue to challenge on all fronts going forward, and the addition of someone like Tadic would be a fine piece of business for the club.

Reds fans, do you agree? Let us know in the comments!

Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium has been declared a ‘home’ by club legend Gary Mabbutt and could prove to be their staunchest fortress yet, dispelling any bedding concerns.

Gary Mabbutt’s reassurances will come as welcome news to Tottenham fans, who will have had every reason to be worried about their club’s prospective form, following a succession of notoriously laborious relocations suffered by other sides.

Mabbutt, who spent 16 years playing for Tottenham and made 611 appearances for the club, wrote for the Daily Mail: “From the moment I walked out on to the pitch it felt like home. I’ve been there every step of the way, from conception to completion and my big concern was always that it wouldn’t feel like the old place.

But this feels exactly like the old White Hart Lane. The closest seats are only five metres from the touchline and it’s built up steeply rather than a bowl.

Even when you’re high up you’re still right on top of the action. When you think back to our last season at White Hart Lane the record was fantastic. Every team expected to be beaten.”

Indeed, it goes without saying that clubs run a major risk when swapping historic grounds for the blanks canvases of modern mega stadiums – sacrificing sprit, memories, emotion, history and sentiment in favour of aesthetic and practical improvements.

You need only look at the tumultuous transition of West Ham United into the London Stadium to appreciate how long it takes players and fans to warm to their new surroundings to point conducive to success.

Likewise, Arsenal, who experienced their most prosperous years at Highbury, have been unable to replicate their domestic form since making the switch to the Emirates Stadium in 2006.

Obviously, avoiding a demise akin to that of their former rivals is paramount – and if the judgement of their former servicemen is anything to go by – they will achieve this and more.

We think we speak for everyone, including Spurs, when we say Wembley becoming a neutral arena again is welcome.

Tottenham fans, how impressed are you with the club’s new stadium? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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Given Ralph Hasenhuttl’s excellent track record with developing youth players – he has got the very best out of the likes of James Ward-Prowse and Jan Bednarek at St Mary’s Stadium – it is no wonder that Southampton were linked with a move for an impressive youngster in January.

Joakim Maehle, who the Saints were reportedly keen on two months ago, has spoken about the ‘concrete’ interest and it seems he’s hopeful the switch could still happen – he shouldn’t get too excited, though.

What did he say?

Despite his being only 21-years-old, Danish publication BT rate the Genk man as one of the best defenders in the Juniper Pro League and they have amassed comments he has made regarding his future:

“I don’t know if you can say I was clear or unclear [on moving to Southampton]. But it is certain that there was a lot of interest from Southampton. Hopefully there will be a chance, and then we will see what happens. “

Stay where you are, Joakim

Indeed, Southampton seemed in need of some reinforcement at right-back with Cedric Soares joining Inter Milan on loan with just five days of the January transfer window left but, now, they look to be okay.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

Yan Valery has been immense and has made the Saints faithful forget all about the Portuguese’s departure, so it would be pointless to rush to spend eight figures on another young full-back.

The Frenchman was recently awarded with a new deal which will keep him on the south coast until 2023 and he looks set to hold down the right of the Southampton defence for the foreseeable future.

If Maehle was getting his hopes up about Hasenhuttl and co reigniting their interest in the summer, then he may be in for a shock come the end of the season.

It has been a frustrating fourteen months for Gary Hooper at Sheffield Wednesday.

The forward has missed the last 60 league games for the Owls after suffering a serious knee injury last season against Nottingham Forest, an absence which incredibly saw him fail to make a single appearance during Jos Luhakey’s reign at the club.

After a lengthy period of rehabilitation, Hooper is expected to return to the squad for the Yorkshire-based outfit’s clash at Stoke City (according to quotes on the club’s Facebook channel via HITC) which could be great news for Steve Bruce who has experienced an outstanding start to his Hillsborough career since taking charge of his first game in February.

The Owls are currently on a ten game unbeaten run in the Championship and are just two points behind Aston Villa who currently occupy the final play-off position. A resurgence in form has allowed supporters to dream of a trip to Wembley Stadium in May but in order to achieve this, they will need to overcome tough fixtures against the likes of Leeds United and Norwich City in the coming weeks. Although it will be an almighty task to beat two of the best sides in the second tier this season, if Bruce can get Hooper firing again, there is no reason why they cannot cause a major shake-up in the automatic promotion race.

Before his injury, the 31-year-old forward was on course to record his best ever total of goals for the club since his £3m switch from Norwich in 2015 (via the 72), having scored on 10 occasions in 24 league games. If he can reach similar levels of performance upon his return for Wednesday, he may end up providing the boost needed for the club to reach the play-offs.

However, when you consider the length of his absence, there is no guarantee that Hooper will be able to replicate his previous performances and so Bruce will have to be patient with the former Celtic ace.

What do you think Owls fans? How big of a boost is it to have Hooper back from injury? Could he fire you to play-off glory? Get in touch below.

There’s a saying that fortune favours the brave.

Well, Liverpool definitely displayed the courage of champions by pushing Tottenham Hotspur until the last second, resulting in the fortunate last-minute goal to keep their title charge intact. What a relief, right Reds? Absolute scenes of the highest order.

However, if their recent narrows wins indicate anything, it’s that Jurgen Klopp is probably lacking a Plan B for his side. Indeed, his attacking system is being found out by certain teams and the decline in form for Mohamed Salah hasn’t helped things.

However, Klopp may be looking to add to making his attacking arsenal more unpredictable, and according to reports from French outlet L’Equipe (via Daily Mail), the Reds could go back for Nabil Fekir’s signing in the summer. After his transfer fluff left them red-faced last summer, it doesn’t look as if any interest on Merseyside has cooled. Indeed, Fekir’s impressive work for Olympique Lyonnais has seemingly made him really rather irresistible.

Indeed, the crazy thing is that the French side signed him from AS Saint-Priest for absolutely nothing back in 2011.

The World Cup-winning French wizard has scored 12 goals and assisted 7 in all competitions, pulling the strings in attack through his advanced role. He’s averaged 1.6 key passes, 3.1 shots per game (stats via WhoScored) in making the French side play some beautiful football.

Furthermore, Fekir’s movement, creativity, finishing’s all been top-notch, as he’s lit up Lyon’s attack with his vibrancy.

Wouldn’t that be nice, Kopites? A midfield to play through the lines rather than try to break through them, someone to create something out of nothing, to find that pass to make the supporters produce noises they didn’t know they could.

The dream.

Reportedly, he’s inclined to leave Lyon after reaching a gentleman’s agreement at the club. If Klopp wants to change his attacking system, possibly to a 4-2-3-1, Fekir could be the crown jewel towards running the show when things get difficult. Indeed, the French star’s versatility will work wonders with Sadio Mane and Mo Salah, making Liverpool even more lethal in attack and keeping the magic flowing at Anfield.

Liverpool fans, do you want the Reds to go back for Fekir in the summer? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

As the saying goes, nobody is bigger than the club, and especially if that club is Manchester United. Having agents hold the Red Devils to ransom must stop, so letting Ander Herrera leave sets the right precedent.

United opened a can of worms when they offered Alexis Sanchez a £500,000-a-week wage packet, because that gave agents other players’ agents licence to demand more if they felt their player contributed more.

They can’t reverse their decision to wreck their wage structure so they have to fix it in another way. That way is to tell each agent that if they don’t like they money their player’s on, the player can leave. Knowing that, players will either commit to the club or run off to PSG and become another mercenary.

Herrera is believed to have demanding £160,000-a-week from United and he’ll be paid £40,000 more at PSG, according to the Sun. The club clearly don’t feel he’s worth that much money, so it’s right they let him leave.

If they collapse under every demand, everyone will be after a pay rise.

Yes, he’s probably their best out-and-out midfielder, but United can attract more and they’ll be more committed to the club that Herrera clearly is. If he’s not willing to lower his demands for arguably the biggest club in the world then he shouldn’t be on the pitch anyway.

United have made their bed when it comes to blowing their wage structure out of the water, now they need to re-establish some authority and that starts with showing Herrera the door. Finally, Ed Woodward and the money men are looking as if they’ve got the club’s best interest at heart and they would make a big statement by standing firm.

United fans, how would you have reacted to Ander Herrera’s wage demands? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Charlton narrowed the gap between them and second-placed Sunderland with a massive 3-1 win over league leaders Luton Town at the weekend, with Lyle Taylor netting twice to take his tally for the season to 21 goals in all competitions.

The 29-year-old has capably filled the goalscoring void left by Karlan Grant’s January departure and with Igor Vetokele showing big signs of improvement, too, the Addicks have a strike partnership that can definitely still fire them into the top two with a handful of games remaining.

Taylor is one of the best hitmen in the league and, by breaking into 20 goals for the campaign, has joined an illustrious list at The Valley – a milestone which Charlton fans were keen to congratulate him for on Twitter this week.

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…

The five-cap Montserrat international has already done his bit in the Addicks’ promotion bid, there is no doubt, but lots of The Valley faithful were obviously keen for him to keep banging them in as the season’s climax nears…

It was always going to be a tall order for Steve Bruce to turn around Sheffield Wednesday’s fortunes after taking over the reigns at Hillsborough in January.

However, the 58-year-old’s impact on the Owls has seen them undergo a serious transformation in recent months as an eleven game unbeaten run put them in contention to launch a late bid for the play-offs.

Despite suffering a gut-wrenching defeat at the hands of Aston Villa on April 6th, the Yorkshire-based outfit bounced back with an impressive 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest which set up a showdown with promotion-chasing Leeds United last Saturday.

Although Keiren Westwood produced a magnificent display of goalkeeping at Elland Road, Bruce’s side were outclassed by their opponents who secured all three points following Jack Harrison’s crisp finish in the 65th minute. The result saw Wednesday drop to tenth in the standings and leaves them six points adrift of Bristol City who currently occupy the final play-off position in the Championship.

Whereas the gap is by no means insurmountable for the Owls, the fact that they may have to play their next two fixtures over the Easter weekend without Adam Reach presents a huge problem for Bruce. Arguably the club’s most influential attacking player this season, the 26-year-old suffered an Achilles injury against Leeds and is awaiting the results of a scan which will determine the severity of the issue (via the Yorkshire Post). If Reach is ruled out of Wednesday’s clashes with Norwich City and the Robins, it would be a huge blow for his side’s play-off hopes as his creativity will be sorely missed.

The winger has contributed to a total of 15 league goals this year which is four more than any other player at the club and so his absence could quite easily result in the Owls’ campaign being brought to a premature end unless someone else steps up in his absence.

What do you think Wednesday fans? How big of a blow would it be to lose Reach with just four games left to play this season? Who would you start in his place if he is ruled out of Friday’s game at Norwich? Let us know below.

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Aston Villa’s stunning Championship form continued on Monday as they recorded a 1-0 win over Millwall at Villa Park.

Safe in the playoffs, Villa have won their last 10 in the second tier and look well placed to earn a spot in the Premier League next season.

Some eyebrows were raised when Dean Smith’s side secured the services of Tyrone Mings on loan from Bournemouth in January.

However, the 6 ft 4 colossus has proved to be an inspired signing for the club.

And after impressing again against Millwall, a number of Villa fans have called on their side to secure a permanent deal for Mings.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

Villa are a huge football club, capable of attracting excellent players.

However, a whole new level of potential signings will be open up if the club manage to secure a spot in the top tier for the 2019-2020 campaign.

A selection of the Twitter reaction in relation to Mings’ future can be seen below:

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Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s battling performances at right-back for Crystal Palace have earned the 21-year-old plaudits and admirers all over Europe, although his displays have always been deemed not quite enough when it comes to recognition from the likes of Gareth Southgate’s England and now the PFA.

The defender narrowly missed out on a call-up to the last senior Three Lions squad, with Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold named instead, and now the latter has returned to take some shine off of Wan-Bissaka’s stellar season once again.

The Liverpool man has had a fantastic campaign, make no mistake, but his inclusion in the shortlist for the PFA Young Player of the Year award means there is no room for the Eagles’ tackling king. The omission has raised eyebrows but none are more bemused than Alan Shearer, who went so far as to claim Wan-Bissaka should actually be picking up this season’s award (BBC’s The Premier League Show via Football London):

“I think his improvement has been incredible. I think that the pressure a young player is under is hard enough anyway, but to go into a team and stand out when, for a lot of this season he has been playing in a relegation battle; when you put all of that together, for him to be the standout player in that team, and what they have had to go through, and for him to keep getting better and better, and offer so much to that team, I think he deserves it. I think he has been absolutely magnificent.”

High praise indeed from the BBC pundit and comments that should somewhat ease any frustration regarding the controversial omission on Wan-Bissaka’s part.

Which player with “no potential” has just been named Crystal Palace’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video below…

It seems unlikely that the number 29 will be bothered by his overlooking, though, and will continue to operate with outstanding consistency in the shadow of those performing arguably at a lower standard but for a top six club.