All posts by n8rngtd.top

Manchester City are hitting the right form at the right time of the season as they look to usurp Liverpool at the top of the table.

Pep Guardiola’s men are playing some scintillating football, and smashed another four past Newport in the FA Cup today to keep that trophy hunt alive and well too.

However, the January window passed without much action for City, and we here in the Tavern feel the summer is going to be a big one for the club as they look to bring in some new faces.

There are a few positions which could do with adding too in he City squad, especially up front, where Sergio Aguero continues to bare the brunt of the goalscoring burden through the middle.

That’s why we think Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez might well be one of the long term answers available to City and Guardiola if they do indeed choose to make their move for a new forward in either this window or the next.

The 21-year-old only made his move to Europe in the summer, but has already shown enough to suggest he could go on to become a big hit at the right club.

Martinez has all the attributes to be a class act in his career, and the chance to come and work with the likes of Guardiola and Aguero while he is in his prime, might well prove to be a match made in heaven and a chance the player simply cannot turn down.

City fans, what do you think? Would this be a good long term signing? Let us know in the comments!

Leeds United now sit third in the Championship behind Norwich and Sheffield United, but they must focus on winning their own games rather than looking around them.

A weekend off from the title race has allowed their rivals to snatch a lead in matchday 33, where Norwich battered Bolton 4-0 away from home and Sheffield United beat Reading by the same scoreline. Points on the board are indeed better than a game in hand, so the pressure is on Leeds to make up for lost ground.

There are 16 games left for the top two and 17 left for Leeds, so although the title race can be declared as on, there’s still so much time left. The issue with Leeds is their inability to finish the chances they create, and the pressure of not being top of the tree won’t help the players to keep calm in front of goal.

If Leeds win all their remaining games, they’d win the league– simple as that. None of these three sides are invincible as we all know, but a vital trait of a champion team is putting in a solid run of wins as May draws nearer.

The style of football Leeds play is what many consider to be the best in the league, and if they can improve on how they play and forget about the teams around them, they won’t have an issue winning the league. Problems arise when a team is more concerned about what the other sides are doing, and how they’re playing to concentrate on their own game.

Look at Liverpool over the last few decades in the Premier League. Similarly to Leeds, they have high expectation from fans to win their division, and that, mixed with the pressure of the team below or on top of them winning, has been their downfall.

Having a game in hand is not easy physiologically because it feels like you’re playing catch-up, so the best thing Leeds can do is focus on winning each game is it comes, because that’s what would make them champions. While that sounds rather obvious, they must avoid an emotional collapse and take each game at a time, rather than imploding.

Forget the others, it must be all about Leeds United.

Which of the top three do you think is in a better position to win the Championship?

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Tyler Roberts for the injured Kemar Roofe will be the only change to the Leeds United XI for this weekend’s Championship clash with Bolton Wanderers.

Indeed, Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa named his team for the Bolton match on Thursday, revealing one change from the side that started the 2-1 win over Swansea City last time out.

Roofe’s knee injury will see the attacker miss out, which will mean a start for Roberts in the final third of the field.

Patrick Bamford will again lead the line, though, with Bielsa hopeful that the striker can score his third Championship goal of the campaign.

Pablo Hernandez and Jack Harrison will operate in the wide areas, with Ezgjan Alioski featuring at left-back and Kalvin Phillips holding the middle of the park.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

The Leeds fans have been on social media offering their views on the confirmation of the XI.

And a selection of their best reaction can be seen below:

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Despite largely struggling to displace Mark Hughes’ preferred central-midfield duo of Mario Lemina and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oriol Romeu has become a mainstay in the position under current Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The Spaniard once again started in the 2-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, and his performance perhaps wasn’t up to the standard that Saints fans have been used to from him previously.

The former Chelsea man is there to put pressure on the opposition and break up the play, as well as winning the ball back and generally protecting the backline – his role becomes even more important when the middle centre-back, Jack Stephens in recent weeks, brings the ball out of the defence.

Romeu certainly did his bit in terms of the former as he made two tackles and three interceptions, but his distribution from the 48 passes he had was a real negative – a success rate of less than 69% followed as the 27-year-old struggled when in possession.

Yes, the south coast outfit were largely under pressure against when of the better teams in the Premier League, but he should have been doing better.

Attentions turn to the huge clash against Fulham at St Mary’s on Wednesday when the hosts will be looking to pick up a crucial three points that could move them out of the relegation zone.

Hasenhuttl has preferred to stick with a five-at-the-back formation in recent times but the fact he switched to four at half-time against the Gunners proves that things may be changing, and sacrificing a centre-back could also lead to midfield changes.

The 51-year-old used the former system that some people would conceive as negative in the reverse against Cardiff City, using Romeu, James Ward-Prowse and Hojbjerg in the centre.

It wasn’t a tactic that worked and when you are trying to break down an opponent and a side that could come to St Mary’s for a draw, you don’t need those three players.

In fact, Ward-Prowse is showing the aggression in his game that is one of his Spanish teammate’s strengths, and he and Hojbjerg are good enough to do a job against Claudio Ranieri’s men alone, allowing Hasenhuttl to bring in another much-needed attacking player to the starting XI.

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Liverpool fans have been drooling over a goal scored by their Under-18 side in Wednesday’s 5-1 victory over Bury Under-18s in the quarter-final of the FA Youth Cup.

Paul Glatzel scored twice for the Reds, but had the opportunity to net a hat trick late on.

Indeed, the 18-year-old, who recently signed his first professional contract at Anfield, raced through on goal and looked likely to find the back of the net.

Instead, though, Glatzel slid a careful pass into 17-year-old Bobby Duncan, who simply could not miss.

It would be fair to say that there is a lot of excitement surrounding Liverpool’s Under-18 team, with Glatzel, Duncan & Co. continuing to impress.

Glatzel, in particular, has been in wonderful form in the Under-18 Premier League, whilst he has also found the back of the net in the Premier League 2 this season.

Upon watching the video on Liverpool’s official Twitter account, a number of the club’s supporters revealed their delight:

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Birmingham City will look to bounce back from second city derby day disappointment when they host Milwall at St Andrew’s on Wednesday night, and manager Garry Monk should take the opportunity to bring Isaac Vassell back into the starting XI.

On the chalkboard

The 25-year-old returned to action following a knee injury in January, but owing to the form of Lukas Jutkiewicz and Che Adams up top he has had to settle for a regular spot on the substitutes’ bench.

Following eight consecutive outings from there, he has been unused in the Blues’ previous two Championship fixtures – including the 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Two losses with no goals has handed Monk the ideal chance to make a change, and he needs to take it to try and get the Midlands club back on track in their bid for a top-six finish.

Who gets dropped?

It’s easy – Jutkiewicz.

Adams may have gone three league games without finding the net, but the SkyBet Championship Player of the Month for February is still the first name on the Birmingham team-sheet.

Therefore it must be his strike partner that drops out in favour of Vassell, and in truth it is probably a decision that is overdue.

Yes, he has had a good link-up with Adams, but no goals since the end of November given how many minutes he has played isn’t really acceptable for a centre-forward – even if he is playing the role of a foil.

As the fixtures pile up and fatigue increases, a home game against a struggling club just one point above the relegation zone gives Vassell the perfect chance to make a successful first start of the campaign.

After years of calamitous errors between the sticks, Arsenal thought it was problem solved after they signed Petr Cech from Chelsea back in 2015.

Cech, who is set to retire at the end of the season, however, failed to live up to expectations.

The Gunners now have Bernd Leno protecting their goal and following not the most convincing of starts to the campaign, the 27-year-old now looks at home, something which he has recently been talking about.

The Breakdown

“I think I’ve played a good season,” Leno was quoted as saying by the Telegraph after Arsenal’s 2-0 win against Manchester United over the weekend. “It is my first season and of course I need time to get a feeling and adapt to the league and my new team.

“Goalkeeper is a special position but now I think I am in a good moment, like the team, when you forget the Rennes game.”

As Leno alludes to, this period of the season has been a good one for the German who has impressed in recent weeks.

And looking at some of Leno’s performances, what has stood out most is how well he has dealt with danger when his defence has been nowhere in sight.

The Germany international is quick off his line, something he showed against Manchester United, dealing with through balls into space like a true sweeper keeper.

That, along with his shot-stopping and distribution, has made Leno arguably the No.1 Arsenal have long be looking for and a shrewd signing made under Unai Emery and Sven Mislintat.

Arsenal fans, have you been impressed with Leno this season? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

Everton are longing for the day where they see a league position like back in the David Moyes era, however in truth, since the Scot left, it has been hard for any manager to come in and have a real stamp of authority on the Toffees. 

Now with Marco Silva trying to emulate the old times, he should possibly look back to how it was done before. Still, it can be argued, that despite a drop in league position, Everton have still produced enough talent to give the support hope that another strong season will come soon enough, and Goodison Park will once again be rocking.

With most of the good in the past, there have been a couple of signings made in recent years that will certainly recapture that hope of a European spot once again.

Let’s take a look at a couple:

Idrissa Gana Gueye 

Starting his English career with Aston Villa. Idrissa Gueye went right under the radar along with the Villa side that got relegated. However, Everton saw the potential that just couldn’t go to waste in the Championship, signing the then 26-year-old for a relatively little fee.

Indeed, compared to the modern day, is nothing for a midfielder of his quality.

He has brought a certain physical edge to the Everton midfield, and is one of the league’s most underrated runners. So, Everton will have to do a lot to keep him from moving to a European giant.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin 

Calvert-Lewin has been in and out of the Everton side in recent years.

Still, this season and the last he has begun to blossom into the deadly attacker that all Evertonians had hoped he would. Scoring as well assisting across the top of the attack, the 21-year-old is beginning to prove that a move to the first-team isn’t too big for him.

Having signed when he was only a teenager, many wondered if he could actually cut it in the summit of English football. Well, now he’s providing the answers.

Everton and the England national team will certainly be liking the look of what could be the new main man of the future.

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The West Ham United fans have been on social media discussing a potential summer move for Lyon attacker Memphis Depay.

Memphis has previous experience of the Premier League, having turned out for Manchester United between 2015 and 2017.

It would be fair to say that it did not quite happen for the 25-year-old at Old Trafford, but he has been impressive since arriving in France.

Indeed, the Netherlands international has netted 35 times and registered 39 assists in 106 appearances for Lyon in all competitions.

There have been no suggestions of actual interest from West Ham, but when ExWHUemployee drew attention to the fact that the attacker had starred for his country, a number of the club’s supporters called for a summer deal.

Memphis might well feel that he has some unfinished business in England, and it would be a statement signing by the Hammers, that is for sure.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

As Josh Coulson headed in the second goal, a realisation hit Leyton Orient fans all around the New Bucks Head. The O’s were heading to Wembley.

A 2-1 win against AFC Telford United secured Orient passage to the final of the FA Trophy and booked their ticket to Wembley Stadium, their second appearance at the home of football in just under five years.

A cup final on the 19th May caps off what has so far been a brilliant season for Justin Edinburgh’s side. Orient currently sit top of the National League table on goal difference with Solihull Moors, but the O’s have two games in hand over their league rivals, putting them in the driver seat for promotion back into League Two.

The FA Trophy final against Fylde will be Orient’s first cup final since the London Challenge Cup in 1993, where a Ricky Otto hat-trick saw Orient clinch the trophy in extra-time after the O’s went 2-0 up and allowed opponents Barnet to come back into the game.

Of course, promotion back into the Football League is the main priority this season for Orient, but to clinch extra silverware at Wembley will signal a return to the glory days for the east London side.

It will signal the end of the days of embarrassment that the club has had to endure, the times were Orient was so poorly run that it became a laughing stock of the Football League.

Time in the National League has been a blessing in disguise for Orient, as ever since the start of their first season outside the Football League in 112 years the mood and atmosphere around the club has been ever improving and bringing the fans and club back together again.

The 19th May will be a special day for Orient fans as not only will they be returning to Wembley with hopefully a smile on their face, but it will be remembered as the day O’s fans look back on and say ‘the best is just beginning.’