All posts by n8rngtd.top

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Rangers goalkeeper Wes Foderingham has hinted at an exit from Ibrox in search of more game time, as he struggles to dislodge first choice Allan McGregor from the sticks.

What did he say?

The 28-year-old has made just four appearances so far this season, including the most recent game against St Johnstone in which he kept a clean sheet – he was, however, standing in for the suspended McGregor.

When asked about his future, the English stopper said: “I won’t put a timescale on it. I’ll look at all the options that are available to me and make decisions based on that.

“We will see where we are at the end of the season.”

Foderingham has already told boss Steven Gerrard that he needs more game time, although the former Liverpool captain has not given him any assurances that he will drop McGregor in order for him to play.

Do Rangers need to sign a new goalkeeper?

Aside from McGregor and Foderingham, Gerrard has just Jak Alnwick as his only other keeper, although the 25-year-old is currently out on loan at Scunthorpe.

Seeing as he is far from a young, up-and-coming keeper simply going out on loan to get some experience under his belt, one would assume that Alnwick could also potentially need to consider his future upon his return to Scotland.

Additionally, along with the fact that Foderingham has just a year left on his contract and is looking to leave, it shouldn’t be forgotten that first choice McGregor is 37-years-old and surely doesn’t have too many more years left in the game.

It is looking possible that the goalkeeping position at Ibrox could fast become a problematic area for Gerrard, and it would be wise for the Gers boss to consider a complete overhaul in between the sticks to amend this.

If Gerrard doesn’t solve this problem in the summer, then he and Rangers could be left in a real sticky situation in the transfer market before the start of next season, where he will be hoping to mount a real challenge for the title.

[ad_pod ]Newcastle United defender Florian Lejeune missed the first half of the 2018-19 season with a serious knee injury that he picked up last July.Initially it had been feared that the 27-year-old would miss the whole campaign.However, he returned for Newcastle’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea last month and has since not missed a single minute of league football.The centre-back has been key in helping the Magpies lose just one of their last five in the top flight, recording three wins in the process.According to WhoScored, Lejeune had a pass success rate of 89% against Huddersfield Town at the weekend, whilst he had three shots and won five headers.Check out the harsh words the Playmaker FC squad had to say about Wayne Rooney’s England career in the video belowIt would be fair to say that the Newcastle fans were pleased with his performance in the 2-0 win.And a number have taken to social media to lavish praise on the 2017 arrival from Eibar – a selection of which can be seen below:

Liverpool must move to bolster their options in defence when the transfer window opens in the summer.

After an injury crisis in the New Year, there were suggestions amongst certain sections of support that Jurgen Klopp would sign a defender in the January window. However, the German resisted the urge to panic buy a new defender and instead opted to use Fabinho in central defence. Injuries also allowed Ki-Jana Hoever to make his Liverpool debut after joining from Ajax – becoming the club’s youngest ever player to appear in the FA Cup.

With Joe Gomez picking up another long-term impact injury, both Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip has missed far too many games in the past few seasons to be reliable back up options. Liverpool can’t afford to lose Fabinho’s dynamism in the engine room and an injury to Virgil van Dijk could prove costly next season. Adding quality defensive reinforcements should be a priority for sporting director Michael Edwards.

One man the Liverpool hierarchy should be targeting is Fiorentina wonderkid – Nikola Milenkovic. Valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, the 21-year-old has developed into a key player for his side since joining from Partizan Belgrade in the summer of 2017. Milenkovic is enjoying a fine season in the Serie A and has been subject of interest (according to La Republica via the Sun) from Manchester United who were looking to add a quality defender to their ranks.

The youngster is an excellent defender whose versatility will no doubt appeal to Klopp. Comfortable at both centre back or right back, he will provide quality cover for a variety of positions. Calm and composed on the ball, Milenkovic would have no issues adapting to Liverpool’s system. Winning three aerial duels per game in Italy, the physicality of life in England shouldn’t faze the Serbia international.

Still improving and developing, the Reds should do whatever they can to lure him to Anfield.

Liverpool fans, thoughts?

Southampton have been one of the Premier Leagues under-achievers yet again this season.

Currently sitting 17th only two points above the relegation zone, Ralph Hasenhüttl must learn from previous managers mistakes and look to buy in the summer. For a while now, the Saints have been in desperate need for a major overhaul and, pending Premier League survival, the Austrian manager is surely the best man to trust with one of the most important summers in the club’s history.

So, with all that in mind, here’s a look at some possibilities.

Kevin Malcuit 

The 27-year-old right back could end up being the perfect replacement for Cedric, who left St. Mary’s for a move to Serie A. After Southampton were made to bring up some youth from their academy to fill the space they have looked shaky at the back which has led to them being in the position that they are in.

The French defender has been an on-off feature for Napoli this season, however when picked he is playing for the full 90 minutes.

With the lack of consecutive games, this could be the perfect opportunity for the Saints to swoop in and buy the experienced defender, in a bid to shore up their defence for next season.

Ollie Watkins 

Ollie Watkins has been one of Brentford’s key men this season in the Championship, chipping in with 9 goals and 7 assists in 28 appearances. Looking down at the wingers in the Southampton ranks none have compared to Watkins, which is a good indicator to the manager that they should try and pursue the 23-year-old in the summer.

If the Saints were to welcome Watkins into the side during the window, it could have a knock-on effect and really hit players like Nathan Redmond and Mohamed Elyounoussi to begin performing back to their best, which the manager and fans alike can only dream of having.

If Ralph Hasenhüttl can manage to bring in some of these new faces and sure up some areas in the field, there this is no doubt that Southampton can back to where they used to be and challenge in the top half of the table again.

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Angry West Ham United fans have taken to Twitter to vent their disdain at comments made by manager Manuel Pellegrini after the shambolic Premier League defeat at Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon.

The Hammers continued their recent run of poor away form at the Cardiff City Stadium by falling to their fifth away loss in the space of six matches in all competitions, with this defeat leaving a particularly bitter taste in the mouths of fans, coming against a bottom-three team.

Junior Holliet put the hosts ahead after just four minutes before Victor Camarasa doubled that lead the other side of half-time and the Irons never really recovered, only looking a danger when Declan Rice struck the post from range late on.

Reaction from supporters has ranged from critiques on the slow-starting nature of the performance and team selection to mocking of Pellegrini’s fairly obvious admission that the club’s away form is “unacceptable”.

Let’s take a look at how West Ham fans reacted to Pellegrini’s comments on Twitter…

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According to Teamtalk, Crystal Palace are among a host of Premier League clubs keeping tabs on Said Benrahma, who has been setting the Championship alight this season. Whether the Eagles can match Brentford’s whopping asking price is uncertain but the Algerian would certainly be an upgrade on one of Palace’s key men.

What’s the word?

Teamtalk understands that Palace are not alone in their interest in the 23-year-old, with fellow London outfits West Ham, Spurs and Arsenal all keeping a close eye on his progress in the second tier.

Despite having only arrived in England in the summer after completing the switch from Nice, the winger has looked like he’s been bursting down the flanks in the Championship for years and could be making yet another big step up at the end of the season.

With all the interest in their young star from the big hitters, the Bees are looking to really cash in – they have slapped a £30m price tag on the wide-man’s head and, while it might be difficult for Palace to stump up that fee, they would have a serial goal-getter on their hands if they could.

Ta-ta, Townsend

Andros Townsend has been in great form for the Eagles this season, with his performances even leading some to name him an outside bet for the England squad, although his numbers for the campaign pale in comparison to those of Benrahma.

Former Spurs man Townsend has chalked up four goals and as many assists in the league this season, while the in-demand Brentford ace has nine and 12 to his name, respectively.

For what is looking like being one of his best seasons in the top flight, Townsend’s numbers don’t quite stack up and, while he is capable of moments of utter magic, his end product still isn’t up to scratch.

Too often does the 27-year-old fire wide or over when he’s found in the box and that poor close-range finishing has surely cost his side at times this season.

Is the FA Cup distracting Crystal Palace fans from their EPL issues? Pla>yamker FC’s Sam thinks so in the video below…

Benrahma has no such troubles and while his eight-figure price tag would mean he arrives at Selhurst Park with big expectations, he would undoubtedly be an upgrade on Townsend if his form in the second tier can translate to the top flight.

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Liverpool attacker Xherdan Shaqiri has been forced to withdraw from the latest Switzerland squad due to a groin injury.

There is currently no indication how long the 27-year-old will be on the sidelines for, but Liverpool’s next game is against Tottenham Hotspur on March 31.

It seems that the attacker could be a doubt for the clash with Spurs, a prospect which has provoked plenty of reaction from the Lilywhites faithful on social media.

One fan account drew attention to the injury and plenty of fans responded by insisting that Shaqiri’s absence would not be that much of a big deal for the Reds.

That is perhaps a little harsh on the Swiss playmaker, however, as he has contributed six goals in 21 Premier League appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side this season.

There is no downplaying the importance of the clash between Liverpool and Tottenham at Anfield.

And the Spurs fans have been on social media reacting to Shaqiri’s injury blow:

European football is home to some of the world’s most piercing and dangerous attacking-trios playing on the biggest stages the sport has to offer.

It’s the superstars everyone looks out for – from Kylian Mbappe to Lionel Messi to Neymar to Cristiano Ronaldo – if they’re firing then the fans are happy, and so are their teammates.

But what European team across the continent’s top five divisions can boast the most dangerous of attacking trios? We’ve compiled a list of Europe’s top 20 most dangerous goalscoring attacks right now, and you’ll be surprised at who’s there, who isn’t and the player that have contributed…

20. Lille OSC: Pépé – Bamba – Leão (40 goals)

Lille have shot up the Ligue 1 table in 2018-19 – they trail only Paris St.-Germain in second-place with eight matches remaining in the campaign – with much of the French side’s success due to their powerful attacking trio.

Led by Pepe’s 20 goals in all competitions, along with scoring contributions from Bamba and Leao (12 and 8 goals respectively), the club has gone from a 17th-place finish in 2017-18 to title challengers.

Pepe, Bamba and Leao have contributed 40 goals between them in all competitions this season.

19. Getafe: Mata – Molina – Rodriguez (40 goals)

The Azulones are making a strong push for a top-four finish in 2018-19, and the club has gotten there in large part from the contribution of their top-three attackers.

Spanish forward Mata leads the way with 15 goals to his name and Molina and Rodriguez trail close behind with 13 and 12 goals respectively. As a result, Getafe boast one of Europe’s most balanced attacking trios.

Of the club’s 66 goals in all competitions, this trio has scored 40 of them.

18. Olympique Lyon: Dembélé – Fekir – Traoré (42 goals)

Dembele has not disappointed since his summer Deadline Day transfer, tallying 18 goals for the French side in his debut Liue 1 season.

Fekir’s 12 goals from midfield and Traore’s 11 from wide have been crucial and Lyon now sit third in the league chasing Champions League qualification.

The trio’s 42 goals combined in all competitions places them among the top attacking fronts in France, as well as all of Europe.

17. RB Leipzig: Poulsen – Werner – Augustin (43 goals)

Leipzig’s trio have accounted for nearly half of all of the club’s goal this campaign and the club now sit 3rd in the Bundesliga as the season enters its final stretch.

Werner (17 goals) has continued to carry a heavy scoring burden for the German side while Poulsen (18) has emerged as a crucial complement in the attack this campaign. Augustin, meanwhile, has remained a consistent contributor tallying eight goals thus far.

With 43 goals between them, this trio has asserted itself among Germany’s best attacks.

16. Manchester United: Lukaku – Pogba – Rashford (44 goals)

United’s roller coaster 2018-19 season has transformed into a massive turnaround at Old Trafford, and with it have some stellar scoring numbers from the club’s biggest names.

After scoring a pair of spot kicks against West Ham, Pogba leads the way with 16 tallies while Lukaku trails just behind with 15 goals to his name. And Rashford, hampered by Jose Mourinho in the early stages of the campaign, has consistently shown his attacking quality since the arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, possessing 13 goals in 39 appearances.

Together the trio have amassed a combined 44 goals, about 52 percent of Manchester United’s total goals on the season, while presenting an always dangerous attacking threat to opposing defences.

15. Arsenal: Aubameyang – Lacazette – Mkhitaryan (44 goals)

The Gunners have worked their way into the top-four race during Unai Emery’s first season with the club, and the Spanish manager has his attackers to thank for it.

Aubameyang, appearing in his first full campaign with the club, has contributed 23 goals in all competitions while Lacazette has performed well in his role as the second striker, netting 15 goals of his own.

Mkhitaryan and his six goals makeup the final piece of an Arsenal attacking trio that has turned dangerous this year.

The 44 goals in all competitions scored by the trio of ranks them No. 4 among Premier League clubs.

14. Hoffenheim: Kramaric – Joelinton – Belfodil (45 goals)

Forced to assume a larger bulk of the scoring duties this season, Kramaric has been exceptional in 2018-19, scoring a club-leading 20 goals in all competitions.

Providing offensive support elsewhere have been forwards Belfodil (14 goals) and Joelinton (11), each playing in their first full seasons with the club and making a strong mark with their performances so far.

While Hoffenheim sit mid-table, it has been a successful season for this trio of attackers who have chipped in with 45 goals between them.

13. Atalanta: Zapáta – Ilicic – Gómez (45 goals)

Zapata sits third in Serie A’s Golden Boot race and his 25 goals in all competitions lead the way for the side from Northern Italy, who are currently challenging for European qualification.

Ilicic has contributed 11 goals while Gomez has added nine of his own, and together the trio combine to make up what has been one of the most prolific attacks in all of Italy this season.

Together, Zapata, Ilicic and Gomez have 45 goals in all competitions between them this term.

12. Juventus: Ronaldo – Dybala – Mandzukic (45 goals)

This trio has relied heavily on Ronaldo this campaign. The five-time Champions League winner has netted 26 goals so far this term, while leading Juventus to the top of Serie A and into the Champions League quarter-final in his first year with the club. Dybala and Mandzukic, unsurprisingly, have taken on reduced roles to make way for Ronaldo’s arrival, but have scored ten and nine goals, respectively, during this campaign. 

As the 2018-19 season draws nearer and nearer to its close, this trio’s 45 goals have accounted for more than half of Juventus’ scoring in all competitions.

Newcastle are within touching distance — one victory in Rafa Benitez’s eyes — of Premier League safety. They should reach that goal with games to spare.

After finishing tenth last season, and managing to do a similarly spectacular job this year, it beggars belief that the club have not seen the light, and tied him down to a long-term deal.

Benitez, of course, shuns much of the plaudits, and is usually the first person to pay credit to the players, the back-room team around him, and the fans, for the Magpies’ success — or at least what warrants the term success at Newcastle under Mike Ashley!

But you cannot underestimate the amount of work the Spaniard has put in to transform Newcastle from the doldrums they were in when he took over.

He has gone from a squad that looked bereft of ideas, or being able to raise their game when required. A squad who had dates of paydays circled on their calendars, instead of those of big games coming up, to one of commitment and belief.

It is down to Rafa… no one else.

Speaking to the Newcastle Chronicle about the squad he inherited, he described why the scenario is different now to 2016.

He has reduced niggly injuries within the squad, thanks to his personal fitness regime, and that has played a significant role in the upturn of fortunes.

He said: “It’s not the same and I will tell you why. When we just arrived, we had 13 injuries, something that you couldn’t see.

“I remember that we had to play with [Vurnon] Anita as a left full-back, and after with [Jack] Colback, because we didn’t have a left full-back or a holding-midfielder.

“Now almost everybody is fit, and we have some players that now have some experience in the Premier League.”

But significantly, he added another reason why things are rosier on Tyneside now — because he has a team that “cares” about Newcastle United, and a group where “everybody is focused” on what needs to be done, week in, week out.

He said: “We lost very, very important players when we were relegated. You see they are now playing in the Premier League – [Andros] Townsend, [Moussa] Sissoko, [Daryl] Janmaat, [Georginio] Wijnaldum. They are good players.

“We lost something but, little by little, we were building something new. What do we have now? We have a team that we know, and everybody knows, that every player cares, and everybody is focused – all these things. So it is different.

“I am not saying it is better or worse, but it is different. Those players, they were very good players in the Premier League, but in an environment that was not ideal.”

It is Rafa at his pragmatic, diplomatic best. He will not come out and say it, but his words are there to be interpreted — he inherited a team of individuals who cared about themselves, not the football club.

But the biggest difference, is Benitez himself.

He has single-handedly made St James’ Park a better place. His tactics. His squad management. His relationship with the fans.

It is all down to him.

He has united a club around him, and brought hope back to legions of Geordies who turn up every other week and sing his name from the rafters.

How Mike Ashley has put himself in a position where he might lose him, is beyond the fathoms of every fan, player and pundit alike.

But it is not too late. He can still come to his senses, and realise that he should buy in to Rafa’s vision.

For the future of your football club, you must sign him up, Mike!

What do you think of Rafa’s transformation at Newcastle? Can you imagine what will happen if Rafa leaves? Join in the debate below…

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Tottenham Hotspur beat Crystal Palace in their first game at the new stadium on Wednesday.

On a momentous evening for the football club, goals from Son Heung-Min and Christian Eriksen ultimately proved decisive against Roy Hodgson’s men, and came about after a major tactical decision from manager Mauricio Pochettino.

On the chalkboard

Pochettino began the game with Son partnering Harry Kane up front.

The South Korea international has played in that position many times before but the fact remains that it very rarely works.

Son is always starved of space and service when alongside the England captain because of Kane’s desire to drop deep and dictate the play.

A pacey, direct winger, Son is better used when deployed on the flank as he has the freedom to run at defenders and affect the game in a manner more befitting to his playing style.

Nevertheless, Danny Rose, normally a left-back, started the game on the wing, with Ben Davies in a full-back role. Throughout the first half, it limited Spurs’ threat and allowed Palace to sit deep and pick off any attempted through balls or chipped passes over the top.

In the second half, however, Pochettino made a positive change and shifted Son to the flank.

And his goal came about as a direct result of him cutting inside from the right and firing an effort at goal. It found its way in after a heavy deflection but history, all of a sudden, was his – the first competitive goalscorer at the new stadium.

The switch also influenced the second goal. Without Son occupying the space on the left, Kane charged into the box and was perhaps fouled, but the ball broke to Christian Eriksen, who lashed home.

A handful

Son is, of course, a handful wherever he plays.

A genuinely superb forward, Son’s strengths lie in his versatility.

He is equally adept at playing on the flanks as he is through the middle but Pochettino has been faced with a tricky decision with the star since Kane’s return to fitness.

Son scored in every Premier League game that his team-mate missed but has not performed anywhere near as well as a central striker since his return.

Pochettino, then, appears to have finally found the solution; let Kane do his thing through the middle, with Son floating in off the flanks, weighing in with his own significant contribution.