All posts by n8rngtd.top

It has been quite a turnaround in fortunes for Sheffield Wednesday over the last three months, hasn’t it Owls fans?

After appointing Steve Bruce as manager in January, the club have gone from strength to strength in the Championship and are still in with a glimmer of a chance reaching the play-offs in May with five games left to play.

However, their progress under the 58-year-old should be measured by their performances in their next two fixtures against Leeds United and Norwich City who are both fighting for automatic promotion to the Premier League. By entering these two clashes as underdogs, it wouldn’t be surprising if Wednesday are able to produce a shock which has a knock-on effect on the race for the top two.

Victories over both of these sides would illustrate that even if the Owls miss out on a top-six finish at the end of the season, they will be in great shape to launch a serious bid for promotion next year.

However, if they suffer consecutive defeats, the hype surrounding Bruce’s arrival may die down a little which is by no means a bad thing as it could identify key areas where the club need to improve in the transfer window.

The fact that they have only lost once in their first thirteen outings under the guidance of the former Hull City manager suggests that they are clearly on the right path and so by giving him the chance to bring in his own players in the summer, Wednesday could set themselves up to achieve success over the coming seasons.

On an individual basis, Bruce will be wanting to illustrate that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level and so by creating positive headlines against the likes of Norwich and Leeds, he will be sending a clear message out to his detractors.

What do you think Owls fans? Will the next two fixtures show just how far your side has come since the arrival of Bruce? Are there any areas in particular that the club need to strengthen in the summer? Let us know below.

[ad_pod ]

Tottenham Hotspur fans love what Moussa Sissoko posted on his Instagram stories on Sunday, via Last Word on Spurs on Twitter.

The France international took time out during the Bank Holiday Weekend to watch Arsenal play Crystal Palace.

The Gunners, of course, were beaten 3-2 by the Eagles, ensuring that Spurs stayed in third-place in the Premier League, despite their 1-0 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday.

And Sissoko, who has enjoyed a new lease of life under manager Mauricio Pochettino this season, took to Instagram afterwards to celebrate the Eagles’ victory, writing “yes” with a flexed arm emoji.

And Spurs fans have been quick to praise the midfielder for truly understanding the rivalry between the two clubs.

Following the result at the Emirates, it has been confirmed that Tottenham will finish in the top four if they can win their remaining four matches of the campaign – against Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday and then West Ham, Bournemouth and Everton.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

[ad_pod ]

According to The Mirror, Ryan Fraser is ready to quit Bournemouth this summer and pursue a move to a top six club after negotiations on a new contract ended.

What’s the word, then?

Ryan Fraser’s contract is due to expire in the summer of 2020, meaning he could leave for free and enter negotiations with other clubs from January next year.

It was thought the winger would hold out for another 12 months to make his move, but the latest reports suggest he is prepared to leave the club this summer as the player ended talks over a new deal.

Arsenal are reportedly one of Fraser’s admirers, who has so far registered seven goals and 13 assists in this Premier League campaign.

The Bournemouth star has reportedly attracted the attention of Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea as well, with his assists tally matching that of Eden Hazard and surpassing Christian Eriksen and Raheem Sterling.

Kolasinac to suffer

Arsenal’s long pursuit for a winger under Unai Emery could finally come to an end in the form of a swoop for Fraser. He predominantly operates on the left-hand side of the pitch, a position currently occupied by Alex Iwobi. However, there’s another Arsenal player in particular who could suffer from this signing.

Sead Kolasinac has been one of Arsenal’s players of the season, especially when he’s operated as a left wing-back. He possesses immense power, a cultured first touch and plenty of vision and execution in his end product to make him one of the most dangerous attacking threats at the club, if not in the league.

However, when Emery has chosen to field a four-at-the-back system, playing with full-backs instead of wing-backs, Nacho Monreal tends to be preferred to the ex-Schalke man.

Emery has been guilty of regularly switching his formations in an attempt to fix the lack of productivity Arsenal have from out wide. He’s played a 3-5-2 to allow his side to attack down the wings more effectively than they would if Iwobi and Henkrikh Mkhitaryan were to start.

One fan is happy (but very confused) after Wolves beat Arsenal in the video below…

With the arrival of the Bournemouth winger, the left hand-side may be the first issue solved this summer for the Spanish coach as he looks to revert to his preferred four-at-the-back system in time for next season. But that in turn would harm Kolasinac’s chances of getting into the lineup as Arsenal’s wing-back.

The stats suggest that Monreal does fair a lot better at left-back than Kolasinac, but doesn’t boast his attacking prowess either. The Spanish left-back has registered more tackles, interceptions, headed clearances and duels won over the Bosnian but Kolasinac’s numbers going forward are incredibly impressive, with five assists to Monreal’s three, more big chances created per game, more crosses and a better crossing accuracy than the Spaniard.

Signing a winger, whether it be Fraser or someone else, will surely damage Kolasinac’s chances of starting for Arsenal unless he can adapt himself to the left-back role more naturally and find a defensive discipline that he’s so far lacked in his time in North London.

Leeds United have had their fair share of troubles with the goalkeeping position this season, haven’t they Whites fans?

Having began the year with Jamal Blackman and Bailey Peacock-Farrell as his two main shot-stoppers, Marcelo Bielsa must have been fairly confident that they could provide the necessary levels of performance required to help the club sustain a push for promotion.

However, whereas the former was forced to return to his parent club Chelsea after breaking his leg in November, the latter’s tendency to make mistakes eventually culminated in his Argentine manager taking decisive action in the January transfer window by signing Kiko Casilla from Real Madrid.

Since making his debut for Leeds in a 2-1 victory over Rotherham United, the 32-year-old has been fairly impressive for his new side, keeping five clean sheets in 16 games.

Yet it could be argued that a lack of competition from Peackock-Farrell may be holding back Casilla somewhat as he knows that unless he makes a catastrophic blunder, he will almost certainly be the first name on Bielsa’s team sheet.

Therefore, in order to keep the Spaniard honest next season, the Whites must consider re-igniting their interest in Emiliano Martinez in the summer, a player who they were linked with earlier this year (via the Daily Mail).

With the Argentine keeper’s loan deal with Reading set to expire at the end of the month, reports in the Sun suggest that he is ready to leave Arsenal due to a lack of first-team opportunities at the Emirates.

A commanding presence in goal, Martinez has been one of the main reasons for why the Royals have managed to avoid relegation to the third tier this season.

If the Gunners do indeed put him up for sale when the transfer window reopens in July, Bielsa must do all he can to convince the 26-year-old to relocate to West Yorkshire as he has all the qualities needed to succeed at a higher level.

What do you think Leeds fans? Should Bielsa consider swooping for Martinez in the summer? Or are there other areas that the Argentine needs to prioritise? Let us know below.

[ad_pod ]Leeds United fans on Twitter aren’t happy after a stat emerged highlighting how wasteful they have been in front of goal in recent weeks.The tweet stated “Since Patrick Bamford’s second goal vs Preston, #lufc have found the net with three out of 112 shots at goal. That’s a conversion rate of 2.7%.â€The conversion rate of 2.7% from their last 112 shots was good enough to be the worst return in the league.This stat has a heavy correlation between Leeds’ downturn in form as they have now picked up just one point in their previous three games, a run which saw their automatic promotion hopes dashed.Fans blamed poor finishing for their recent run whilst one fan wasn’t too disheartened by the figures sarcastically stating: “That’s good. It can only get better.â€On the whole, it was obvious that supporters were frustrated by their team’s effectiveness in front of goal as the Whites have scored just once in their last three games, and even that goal came in controversial circumstances.Marcelo Bielsa’s men will certainly have to buck up their ideas if they are to gain promotion to the Premier League through the playoffs.

Here’s what Leeds fans have been saying on Twitter…

There’s bad then there’s Huddersfield Town’s Giorgos Donis.

As football fans are time is typically split between deciding who was the best ever player to grace our eyes and who was the worst. We could argue to the end of the earth about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (the Argentine is one hundred per cent the better player) or Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, with the odd mention of Paul Scholes – although everyone knows, “they play very different roles!” (*cry*).

While player partisanship is rife when ranking these footballing magicians, it is a little less so when debating who is the worst. No one disputes the intricacies of a rubbish touch or the inability to put the ball into the back of the net, for example. Being absolutely shocking at football is a universal language we can all identify and understand; if you’re bad, then you’re bad, and that’s that.

Which brings us to Huddersfield Town’s Giorgos Donis – the man fans nicknamed “the Donkey”.

The Donkey and the Terriers. Sounds a bit like a rejected Aesop Fable idea, doesn’t it? Or a really bad pub.

The one-million pound Steve Bruce recruit has apparently been labelled as the club’s worst ever player by Football Writer and Sky Sports News host Jeff Stelling, who travelled the country calling at every club along the way and collated opinions from hundreds of fans along the way.

So why was he so bad? Well, why does cat poo smell so foul? What does pain feel like? How does taste, taste? Certain things can’t really be explained, despite seeming so utterly simple. Donis was one of them. You had to experience him first hand, take it all in and process the information over the duration of 90 minutes (which he only completed four times) to truly understand why. And even then, it is like trying to explain the complexities of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity to a six-year-old.

Huddersfield fans, is Giorgos Donis your worst ever player? Let us know in the comments below!

When the news broke that Manchester United were close to signing Swansea City winger Daniel James, the footballing world was a little bit more than confused.

United have not made a signing of this kind for some time, with the last time the club bringing in a player from the English lower divisions being Nick Powell from Crewe Alexandre in 2014, and although the deal is yet to be confirmed by the club, the Manchester giants remain in pole position for the Welsh international.

But United aren’t the only ones interested in James, and according to talkSPORT host Jim White via TeamTalk, Liverpool are looking into bringing the England-born attacker to Anfield this summer as well as other teams in the top-six.

The Reds also have the advantage in signing the promising winger, with James being a Liverpool supporter, and if the attacker is to make the move to the Premier League runners-up, Jurgen Klopp could have a superstar on their hands.

James, who has been likened to PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe, has already proven this season with the Swans that he is an exceptional talent, making the Championship look easy with his trickery and dribbling and already looking ready to make the jump to the Premier League, and under Klopp, the Welsh international could become something special.

We have seen time and time again the Liverpool boss take a raw and exciting talent and transform them into world-beaters from Mohamed Salah at Liverpool to Marco Reus at Borussia Dortmund, and with James, Klopp will have another chance to show off his magic.

The race for James’ signature will be an interesting one this summer, but if the winger is to make the move to Liverpool, Klopp could have a new Anfield superstar on his hands.

Liverpool fans, would you take James as a summer signing? Let us know!

Jack Harrison’s future at Leeds is uncertain, so the club need to go out and look for a replacement. Well, they may have found him in Portsmouth’s Jamal Lowe.

The Daily Star believe Leeds are hoping to bring the 24-year-old to Elland Road this summer after his club’s promotion hopes were crushed by Sunderland. Indeed, the right winger has played 45 times this season in League One, dragging his team to the play-offs.

He’s scored an impressive 17 goals and made nine assists in all competitions, so he’d no doubt make Leeds a more dangerous threat next season. At their worst, the Whites have been slow in the build-up at times this season, but he’d change that around quickly.

The Yorkshire giants are never going to be the most defensively stable side considering the attacking style Bielsa uses, so they must take their chances when they come to make sure they out-score their opposition. Lowe’s form proves he’d put his chances away.

Harrison might not return to Elland Road next season, but he’s only got four goals and three assists in 37 games. Yes, he’s been influential in other ways, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if he didn’t come back. Lowe, meanwhile, would make the fans forget Harrison.

Leeds can’t afford to slide backwards after this season. They need to either keep their best players and improve them, or quickly replace anyone who’s leaving with more exciting talent.

Leeds fans, who do you think should replace Jack Harrison if he doesn’t return next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

The pain of today’s play-off defeat will linger for a long time. We know that, and we’re not going to pretend otherwise. Two Wembley defeats and a 5th placed finish this season have been incredibly tough to stomach for the Black Cats, but here we are. The Mackems now need to look forward, and they need to keep Ross on-board as they look forward.

Jack Ross may come in for a lot of stick over the next couple of days as the Sunderland supporters come to terms with the fact that they’ll be travelling to face Lincoln, Tranmere, MK Dons and Bury away next season, but the Scottish gaffer is the man for the job. Just because his side has been unable to convert their chances at Wembley this season doesn’t mean he’s not fit for the job.

When Stewart Donald sits down with the board and looks ahead to the 2019/20 season he simply cannot afford to try and go it in the new season without Ross in charge. The entire club has been in transition this season and considering how close they’ve come to making a swift return to the Championship, now they’ve got one more year of experience and another two transfer windows to prepare, promotion is much more likely.

It won’t be easy to go into next season and until next May there will be a lot of heartache and regret about today from the Black Cats. Those that stayed in Sunderland and watched the game on TV and those who made the 540-mile roundtrip from the Northeast to the capital will struggle next season in the third tier again, but no rash moves can be made just yet.

Sunderland fans, do you agree? Let us know by commenting below!

It is going to be one of their busiest and, arguably, one of Luton Town’s most important summer transfer windows in recent memory.

Graeme Jones will have his work cut out for him at Kenilworth Road next season as he will have to try and keep the Hatters in the Championship.

Mick Harford and Nathan Jones certainly impressed with what they had available to them in League One, however, England’s second tier will represent an entirely different challenge for the Bedfordshire outfit.

A number of the Luton players made a name for themselves with their performances on the pitch, however, arguably none more so than James Justin.

The versatile defender had an exceptional campaign for the Hatters and was capped off by being named in the Sky Bet League One Team of the Season after a string of impressive performances, as well as being nominated for the EFL Young Player of the Year award.

Naturally, those displays have earned the 21-year-0ld recognition from a number of Premier League outfits this summer and is thought to have attracted bids for his services.

According to Football Insider, Leicester City, Southampton, Crystal Palace and recently-relegated Fulham have joined Aston Villa in the race for Justin after the Championship play-off winners allegedly tabled a bid for him worth around £7.5million.

And, as hard as it might be to see him leave Kenilworth Road this summer, Luton must seriously consider cashing in him.

The defender has just 12 months left on his contract which can be a dangerous position to be in, whilst that amount of money could help the club with their recruitment plans.

£7.5m may not seem a lot in today’s transfer market, however, there is no doubt that figure can still help the Hatters strengthen significantly and give them a chance of being competitive (or more so) in their first year of Championship football.

It is always a good idea to keep the core of the squad when winning promotion and continue to build on it, however, accepting an offer of that sum, Luton could consider it a potential blessing in disguise.

Luton fans, what do you think the club should do? Do you think the club could benefit from receiving a large figure for Justin? Let us know below!