All posts by h716a5.icu

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Anthony Taylor has been appointed as the referee for Leeds United’s crucial playoff clash against Derby County next week.

Craig Pawson will take charge of the first leg, while Taylor will be the man in the middle for the return fixture.

Whites fans will be hoping that the 40-year-old can steer clear of any controversy this time around.

The official caused uproar amongst fans and staff when he refereed a Yorkshire derby in 2016 and supporters will be praying that there aren’t any conscientious decisions next Wednesday.

The incident

The referee caused a storm when officiating a Leeds game in 2016 and was the victim of a bitter rant by the then Whites manager Steve Evans.

He made a dodgy decision which cost the Yorkshire club a goal against Sheffield Wednesday three years ago, which incurred backlash from the man in the dugout that day.

Evans was furious with the decision to rule out Liam Cooper’s strike following Alex Mowatt’s 78th-minute free-kick.

The official had blown for a free-kick to be taken, but then called back play due to an incomplete substitution – Fernando Forestieri was still on the pitch – and after deliberation with his linesman, he ordered the set-piece to be retaken.

What was said?

The former Whites boss was far from pleased with Taylor’s ruling and went on a tirade, ripping into him for what he believed to be a poor decision:

“I’ve seen many times where the referee stops it for a substitution, someone’s taking for too long, and he restarts play, but I’ve never seen somebody going back to restart play again, ever.

“He’s a Premier League referee who’s stepped down to take a big derby – he should be with the under-nines on the park pitches on Monday.

“You cannot make a mistake of that magnitude in a game which means so much to both sets of supporters.”

By the letter of the law, Taylor made the right choice by calling back the free-kick. However, he shouldn’t have allowed it to be taken in the first place.

The FIFA-listed referee is one of the most respected referees in the country and for Evans to have suggested that he isn’t capable of performing at the top level is laughable.

Since that incident, he has gone on to be entrusted with officiating at an FA Cup final, and he was also in charge at Wembley for last season’s Championship playoff final between Fulham and Aston Villa.

[ad_pod ]After Leeds United failed to earn promotion to the Premier League on Wednesday night many questions were raised on what the future of the club would look like.Many believe that the Whites’ main priority should be to keep Marcelo Bielsa whatever the cost, but due to the Argentine’s tendency to leave jobs early supporters have been worrying.The man himself refused to be drawn into speculation about his future at the club, but many experts around Elland Road have had their say, including Yorkshire Evening Post writer Phil Hay.

What’s been said then?

With fans frenzied about the potential departure of Bielsa, Hay received a tweet asking him what he believes will happen regarding the former Marseille manager.

The Scot was inconclusive with his response and that could be a cause for concern amongst the fanbase.

He replied to someone asking if Bielsa will stay on Twitter by saying:

Indecisive

Hay has long been regarded as the journalist with the most insight at Leeds United, so for him to give such an indecisive answer should be worrying for the fans.

Bielsa clearly hasn’t made his mind up yet as to whether or not he wants to stay at the club. No concrete answer has been given anywhere, and the Argentine has refused to decisivley comment on his own future.

One thing is for sure, Andrea Radrizzani must do everything in his power to make sure he is still in the dugout at Elland Road next season.

It’s all been said before, but you really can’t underestimate the job the 63-year-old has done with this team.

Even though they have fallen short in the playoffs, Bielsa has to be considered the best manager United have had since their relegation in 2004.

If Hay doesn’t know what’s going to happen with the manager, then nobody does. The decision wholly lies with Bielsa, and one way or another he has a choice to make.

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Whether or not Jimmy Shan gets the permanent reins at the Hawthorns next season, there is no denying the tremendous job he’s done at West Brom.

Thrusted into a situation where the adored Darren Moore was sacked, he helped stabilise the club and nearly oversaw their instant promotion back to the Premier League.

Shan is guaranteed a role at the club next season and rightly so. His commitment and dedication to Albion cannot be questioned.

Given the players at his disposal and the red cards the Baggies received in the last couple of games, he didn’t have much to work with. However, one of the key parts of his philosophy backfired massively last Tuesday evening.

On the chalkboard

West Brom’s caretaker boss spent four years as the club’s U23 manager between 2014 and 2018, a role which enabled Albion to produce some fine youth players.

Their academy has been heralded for a while now, even if a number of their stars continue to depart. Shan’s strength therefore clearly lies with younger players and his philosophy of bringing through talented individuals is something the Baggies need to carry on implementing in the years to come.

However, it was this policy that came back to bite Shan and the team in their semi-final play-off defeat to Aston Villa.

The 40-year-old hasn’t got his team selections wrong on too many occasions but on Tuesday provided evidence that he can get things wrong.

The young players he chose to field in his squad simply didn’t cut it and when West Brom needed commitment and dedication late on, the likes of Jonathan Leko and Rekeem Harper didn’t provide that.

West Brom’s manager is often a brilliant decision maker when it comes to young players but on this occasion that was far from the case.

Harper’s attitude has been questionable for a while now as the 19-year-old is still yet to sign a new deal and this was all the evidence needed that he shouldn’t actually be given new terms.

Was Darren Moore’s sacking unfair? The Pl>ymaker FC squad name which Championship bosses should have gone instead in the video below…

Rather than opting for Harper and Leko, Sam Field and Kyle Edwards would have been far better bets. Field has shown evidence of fight this season whilst the latter has been impressive during the rare first-team opportunities he’s been afforded.

On this occasion, Shan got it wrong. But if one consolation can be taken from the defeat, it’s that they now know they can afford to get rid of Harper.

It has been a dramatic couple of weeks to be a Middlesbrough supporter, hasn’t it?

After missing out on a play-off spot on the final day of the season to Derby County, the Smoggies were consigned to yet another year in the Championship.

With Tony Pulis mainly to blame for the club’s failures during the 2018/19 campaign, it was hardly surprising when he decided not to extend his stay at the Riverside Stadium on Friday.

Although chairman Steve Gibson is now on the lookout for a new manager, regardless of who he brings in, it is clear that Boro should go all-out this summer to bring in one of the most exciting young talents in Belgium.

According to Football League World last week, the Smoggies are reportedly one of a number of clubs who are thought to be interested in signing Genk forward Mbwana Samatta.

A lethal finisher, the 26-year-old helped De Smurfen secure the Jupiler League title by firing in an impressive total of 23 league goals.

With Samatta’s pace and power seemingly making him the perfect fit for the Championship, the Tanzanian could be the answer to Boro’s attacking woes.

Having been over-reliant on Britt Assombalonga to deliver the goods over the past two years, by bringing in the £8.1m-rated forward (via Transfermarkt), there is no reason why the Smoggies cannot launch a sustained push for promotion to the Premier League next season.

However, with Cardiff City also keeping tabs on Samatta, Boro may have to act quickly if they are to avoid a bidding war this summer.

What do you think Smoggies fans? Should your club splash the clash to sign Samatta when the transfer window opens in July? Or is there another forward you would like to see Boro swoop for this summer? Let us know below.

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Filip Benkovic has admitted his future next season is uncertain, refusing to rule out a return to Celtic, as reported by The Scottish Sun.

What’s he said?

While there’s definitely been hits and misses when it comes to loans at Celtic it can’t be denied that it has allowed the club access to a quality of player that otherwise wouldn’t be at the club.

The £13m Benkovic definitely falls into that category, delighting supporters this season with solid defensive displays in the Hoops’ backline.

Due to return to parent club Leicester City this summer for assessment by Brendan Rodgers, the player has admitted this week he doesn’t know what his future holds.

He has loved his time at Celtic, which has culminated in being called up to the Croatian national team for the first time, something he reckons the club have played a instrumental role in.

As quoted by The Scottish Sun, he said:

“I honestly believe there are other players who are more deserving of a call-up than me, but I have been waiting for my chance for a while.

“I’ve had a really successful year at Celtic and I have to thank them for the positive things they have done for me this year which has led to the call-up.

“I can’t talk about what club I will be at next year because nothing is known yet and might not be for some time, probably only after all my international duties this summer.

“But all I can say is that I have really enjoyed my time at Celtic, I have had some great moments here, I have a successful season, enjoyed my football and I will never regret it.”

Clearly the door has been left open for a potential Glasgow return, but will the stars align for a deal to happen?

Do Celtic have a chance of signing him again?

Leicester boss Rodgers told The Daily Record earlier this month that if Benkovic goes out on loan again this summer then he’d want it to be to Celtic, so the chance of being part of the club’s nine-in-a-row push is strong.

Rodgers has four defenders already at the club and it’ll all be about what kind of impact the Croatian can make in pre-season.

On the Hoops side of things, the club seem keen on making a move for him, with the player himself revealing to The Scottish Sun he’s been told there is interest.

What if Celtic were to actually fail in their bid for the ‘treble treble’? A Celtic fan dicsusses in the video below…

How much do Celtic need him?

Having just lost first-pick defender Dedryck Boyata to Hertha Berlin, Celtic are in serious need of quality defensive additions in the upcoming transfer window and re-signing Benkovic would quickly make Hoops supporters forget all about the Belgian.

Benkovic, Jozo Simunovic and Kristoffer Ajer is a solid centre-back three that could do with another to provide back-up.

If Benkovic does not return, it’ll likely require serious investment from the club to replace his presence.

West Ham United might need a new striker or two ahead of the new campaign, however, that does not mean Manuel Pellegrini should give Jordan Hugill a chance in the first-team.

So many at the London Stadium had questioned his arrival in January 2018 when David Moyes splashed out £10million (BBC) on him, and to be fair to the lad, he hardly ever got a chance to show why that amount of money was spent on him.

Making just three appearances in the Premier League for a grand total of 22 minutes (we can get a lot done in that time, what about you?), it made the decision to buy him all the more confusing/bizarre/strange (insert whatever adjective you want here).

Now that his loan spell with Middlesbrough has finished (Teesside Live), his return to the Hammers should not be one that opens up a route for him within the first-team.

Many will likely be of the idea that Hugill is a Championship-level player at best and his stats would not disprove those thoughts.

The 26-year-old was good but nothing special for Preston North End before his big-money move to the capital, whilst his time at Middlesbrough was not exactly one to shout about from the mountains. Six goals in his 37 Championship appearances is hardly an exceptional record.

However, we are prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt as it must be hard to play as a forward under Tony Pulis and his negative methods.

Andy Carroll may be leaving the club at the end of his contract (club’s official website) whilst Lucas Perez looks all set to leave (Football.London), but Hugill certainly is not the answer and West Ham should be looking all they can do try and offload him as well this summer.

West Ham fans, what do you think? Should Hugill be given a chance or do you think the club should look to sell him this summer? Let us know below!

It was meant to be the night he wrote his name into Arsenal legend and finally won over the hearts of his harshest critics, but Mesut Ozil didn’t even turn up.

The divided number 10 yet again unimpressed in what was arguably Arsenal’s biggest game of the decade, vanishing the moment the whistle blew for kick-off to when he casually strolled off the pitch 77 minutes in for teenager Joe Willock, who did more in 13 minutes for Arsenal than what Ozil had managed over the course of a few weeks.

The German has had his worst season ever in north London, falling out of favour with Unai Emery and only putting in a whopping one good performance for the club this campaign, and if the final wasn’t a clear enough indication, Ozil has to leave Arsenal this summer.

Signed for £42.4 million, it will take a miracle for the club to move on Ozil this transfer window with his astronomical £350,000-a-week contract anchoring down Arsenal financially, but even if the Gunners were to sell the German and pay a portion of his wages, it will still be a risk worth taking.

The signing of Ozil was once heralded as a changing of the times at Arsenal, but nearly six years down the line, it has proven to be nothing but a step back for the club and a saga that has damaged the side’s long-term plans for a return to football’s elite.

Renewing with the Gunners was one of the worst moves the club have made in years, and now Emery faces the task of trying to shift off a player a who is now not good enough Arsenal.

Arsenal fans, should the club sell Ozil this summer? Let us know!

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Back in October, it was reported that Liverpool were willing to allow Divock Origi to leave the club if an offer exceeding £20m arrived for his services.

The Belgian international had made just three appearances before the winter transfer window, all of which were from the bench as he looked to have no real future at the club – his game time added up to a measly 83 minutes before the turn of the year.

Daniel Sturridge was the preferred option ahead of Origi, who had just spent the entirety of the 2017/18 campaign out on loan with Wolfsburg without making an impact, and things looked bleak for the former Lille striker at Anfield.

How did Mane score THAT goal against Bayern last week? Did he dazzle them with Firmino’s teeth? 442oons speculate in the video below…

If the Reds had received a suitable offer for the 24-year-old back in January, their season would have turned out vastly different.

For a start, the Premier League title race would’ve probably been over before the final day, as it was Origi’s late header away to Newcastle that allowed Liverpool to take it to the last game of the season.

However, that pales in comparison to how their Champions League campaign would’ve turned out.

After a crushing 3-0 defeat to Barcelona in the first leg of the semi-finals, Jurgen Klopp was without two of his main men in Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino for the second leg in which Liverpool needed to score four goals without reply to progress.

Origi came in to replace Firmino and netted almost immediately to spark Anfield into life, before his 79th-minute strike put the icing on the cake of a historic comeback.

In addition to that massive achievement, it was Origi who came good in the Champions League yet again with an 87th-minute goal in the final against Tottenham, which eased the nerves of a Spurs comeback and rubber-stamped the result.

This has been a record-breaking season for the Merseysiders as they secured a sixth major European Cup, but it may not have ended with silverware had their January plans come to fruition.

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According to an interview with Seyi Olofinjana in Express & Star, Wolves have come up with a cunning loan policy to benefit a number of their top academy prospects.

What’s the word?

Despite not boasting a large squad, Wolves had a number of players out on loan last season from both their senior side and U23s.

In the Premier League Wolves used just 21 players as they finished seventh in their first term back in the top-flight.

But despite a small squad, it appears the club are keen to loan their young stars out again next campaign.

However, there is an astute tactic in place to send them to leagues in specific countries around Europe.

Speaking to Express & Star, loans chief Olofinjana declared:

“Before now we have sent players out to League One or League Two sides, but the style of play doesn’t always suit the kinds of players we have, so we started looking outside the country. Now we’re looking at Slovakia, Poland and Belgium to give these boys an experience and to learn what it’s like to live outside of England.”

Intriguing approach

This is a fine sign of the work being done behind the scenes by Wolves after initial strides in this policy last season proved fruitful.

They sent Connor Ronan and Benny Ashley Seal to Slovakia and Portugal respectively, and both players are individuals who could now play a role in the first team after impressing abroad.

By recognising that the style of play in the third and fourth tier of English football doesn’t suit Wolves’ way of playing, it’s helping not only their best prospects prepare for a brighter future, but also the club as a whole.

In short, it could save the club millions in transfer windows to come.

Although Wolves have recently smashed their transfer record to sign Raul Jimenez for £30m, by preparing their players in the best way possible through loan deals, it may prevent the club from having to do as many deals of this magnitude again.

Gareth Bale to Wolves? Wolves Fan TV discuss how ambitious Nuno Espirito Santo will be this summer in the video below…

In recent years, young players from the English game have been making huge strides away from the Premier League. The most noticeable player to have done so is Jadon Sancho.

After reading Olofinjana’s comments, we may well see Wolves players having a similar impact around the continent next season.

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This is a remarkably important summer for Tottenham Hotspur.

Fresh from finishing fourth in the Premier League and reaching the Champions League final, a rebuild is needed under Mauricio Pochettino.

The Guardian have reported that the Spurs boss is currently in Barcelona, having told chairman Daniel Levy of the players he wishes to be signed this summer, as the club look to break their self-imposed transfer duck that stretches back to January 2018.

In that report, Lyon’s Tanguy Ndombele, Ajax’s Donny van de Beek, Nicolo Zaniolo of Roma and Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon are all touted as targets. Giovani Lo Celso, of Real Betis, has been linked separately.

One feels, then, that Pochettino is being ambitious and that, on one hand, is to be understood. Spurs reached the final of Europe’s elite club competition and actually outplayed Liverpool in Madrid, though they were blunt and unable to score. A 2-0 defeat was perhaps harsh but Jurgen Klopp’s men boasted superior firepower and used it effectively.

Yet, on the other hand, that was a potentially once-in-a-lifetime chance. Spurs have never before reached the Champions League final and their progression was not built on investment in the squad; VAR, a healthy dose of luck and Lucas Moura’s genuine brilliance all played their part. Spurs cannot now buy the best players in the world just because of one cup run.

And it has become apparent that Tottenham will need to break their transfer record this summer if they are to secure the players they want, perhaps twice over.

Ndombele, per a separate Guardian report, is valued at €75m (£66.9m). Lo Celso has a €100m (£89.2m) release clause. Fulham have even demanded £40m for Sessegnon.

That money isn’t necessarily readily available, particularly if Christian Eriksen ends up staying at the club. He had been linked with Real Madrid but they now appear likely to instead prioritise Paul Pogba of Manchester United and that could see Spurs lose out on around £100m.

Now, one thing that Spurs fans seem to love to do is bash Daniel Levy, especially when it comes to transfers. The club chooses to operate without a Director of Football and, as a result, it is the chairman who does the negotiating. He is the man at which the stones are thrown if deals don’t get done.

And yet, this summer, it will not be his fault. Examine the list again: Ndombele is one of the best midfielders in Europe; Van de Beek enjoyed a breakout year at Ajax and was a standout player in one of the best young teams the Champions League has ever seen; Zaniolo is 19 and Roma’s next great hope; Sessegnon is the jewel in Fulham’s crown.

It is all very well asking for these players but there is no guarantee. Ndombele, for example, has also been linked with the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United.

All four of those clubs have significantly better resources than a Tottenham side that have just opened a £1bn stadium.

It must be said that signing all four is unlikely. It is perhaps more logical to suggest that Pochettino has touted Van de Beek and Zaniolo as potential back-ups to Ndombele.

But this still feels incredibly risky and ambitious.

Spurs tend to operate best when they are working away from the marquee deals. Look at the likes of Dele Alli, Son Heung-Min and Toby Alderweireld. All three have played key roles in the club’s progression and yet they arrived from MK Dons, Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid respectively. The other main suitors for Alderweireld were Southampton.

Pochettino perhaps believes that Spurs have earned the right to work to a higher level now and he could well be right. Ndombele has expressed his openness to a move to the club.

But this is a list unlike any Levy has been handed before by Pochettino. He will surely do his best and he will surely attempt to bring in as many of the players Pochettino wants as he can.

Yet if he fails, all of the blame cannot be apportioned to the chairman. Pochettino may well have been too ambitious, and he will deserve an equal share of the flak if this summer goes wrong.