All posts by h716a5.icu

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Wolves supporters have shown a strong display of support in favour of goalkeeper John Ruddy as he prepares to start this weekend.

A picture of Ruddy in training emerged on Twitter as fans reacted eagerly to seeing him in focus before Nuno Santo confirmed via Tim Spiers that he’d be starting against Manchester United in the FA Cup this weekend.

The 6 foot 4 stopper has been Wolves’ cup keeper this term, playing twice in the Carabao Cup and four times in the FA Cup to date. His performances in those matches have clearly done enough to excite supporters who are keen to see him do well.

The Molineux faithful have given the ‘keeper their full backing, suggesting he means business and looks ready for war. Encouragement has also been issued by some followers of the Midlands club.

Elsewhere there was some more analytical reaction to his return. One individual claimed he could still be the team’s first choice ‘keeper which after starting on 45 occasions in the Championship last season is an understandable assumption.

Although Rui Patricio has since become the main man behind the defence in Nuno’s side, one tweet suggested that they’d be far more confident seeing the ex-Norwich man in goal.

Ruddy’s sole appearance in the Premier League this campaign came at the beginning of the month when Wolves beat Cardiff.

Here’s what supporters have been saying about him.

It’s all going downhill for Nottingham Forest at the moment and the playoffs seem a world away. Indeed, if they’re to get back inside the top six Lewis Grabban needs to find his fitness and finishing boots again.

Without them, Forest won’t be going anywhere.

They sit 11th in the Championship, but only three points off Aston Villa in 6th. The sheer number of teams battling for the final two playoff spots means nobody can afford to slip up because at least one of those teams will capitalise on the mistake. Frustratingly, Forest can’t get a run of form together if their main man isn’t firing.

He’s scored 15 goals this season and is by far the club’s top scorer, but he’s been injured since the end of February and it’s shown. They’ve only won one in the last four, and the 1-1 draw away to rock-bottom Ipswich before the international break proved all you need to know.

It’s believed he could be back in action after the break, and it’s just the boost Forest need to build some momentum for the final eight games of the season. If they can start scoring again, it’ll kill games off early and prevent sides they should be beating from growing in confidence.

It’s not all plain sailing from here though. Even when Grabban was fit he only scored one in his last 12. That’s not acceptable for their main man, but perhaps recovering from the injury will give him a new lease of life.

Forest could certainly do with one.

It’s make or break in the next few games. They can either gather momentum or collapse and be dropped from the playoff pack.

One thing’s certain, Lewis Grabban, who is valued at £4.05 million (by Transfermarkt),  will play a huge role in deciding which path the club go down.

Forest fans, where do you think you’ll finish this season? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic has revealed that he wants to stay with Hertha Berlin for another one or two years to continue his development.

Grujic signed a new contract with Liverpool last summer before joining Hertha on a season-long loan.

The 22-year-old has scored three times in 16 Bundesliga appearances this term and is seemingly very happy in Germany.

It is currently unclear what plans Liverpool have for the midfielder, who moved to Anfield from Red Star Belgrade in 2016.

Grujic has, thus far, been unable to secure a first-team spot on Merseyside, but the fact that he recently penned a new long-term deal with the Reds suggests that the English club rate him very highly indeed.

The Liverpool fans have been on social media offering their views on the eight-time Serbia international and it would be fair to say that there are a lot of mixed opinions.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

The imminent real return of Jack Clarke couldn’t have come at a better time for Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds United given the tight run-in they will have before the season ends in May. 

Obviously, Clarke missed more than a month’s action due to health complications after he was substituted at halftime during the Whites’ match with Middlesbrough early in February. And, given how influential and resilient he’s been the whole season, prior to the health issue, Bielsa and Leeds fans would’ve been very happy to see him back on the pitch in the club’s previous two matches.

The 18-year-old got a little more than ten minutes against Sheffield United just before the international break, but on Saturday the manager brought him on in place of defender Pontus Jansson in the 67th minute of the match against Millwall.

The pressure Leeds applied in those final 20 minutes of the match was relentless and Clarke looked lively and keen to move forward with the ball as he has done so often this season for Leeds. His ability to run at opposition defenders with speed and skill has been brilliant and he is also an excellent passer of the ball.

The decision to bring him on in place of a defender was definitely due to the fact that the Whites were 2-1 behind at that stage. That’s the kind of ambitious thinking required at this stage of what could be Leeds’ most famous campaign in modern history, throwing caution to the wind.

But, wave after wave of Leeds attack eventually took its toll on the Millwall defenders with Luke Ayling and Pablo Hernandez scoring, much to the delight of the fans at Elland Road.

Bielsa, though, will have to be careful in how he uses Clarke for the remainder of the season.

The winger has, however, been very influential coming off the bench this season and it could be the perfect way to get him back into the thick of things for the remaining matches.

Leeds will need every bit of firepower they can get to earn promotion to the Premier League for next season and having an energetic young player like Clarke on their bench to make a proper impact will definitely increase their chances of playing top-flight football again.

It’s time to get excited.

Leeds fans, how big of a role do you think Jack Clarke will play in the final few games of the season? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

Leeds United were uncharacteristically poor at the weekend against Birmingham City.

Indeed, The Whites did create a number of good chances at St Andrew’s and dominated possession throughout yet they let themselves massively in defence. Although they only conceded once in Saturday’s defeat, on another day they would have let in three or four as the Blues saw a number of chances saved by the impressive Kiko Casilla.

As a result of their slip-up, Marcelo Bielsa’s side were leapfrogged by Sheffield United in the Championship standings after their promotion rivals secured a vital victory at Preston North End. With Norwich City pulling seven points clear at the top of the table, it is now a two-horse race for second place in the second tier.

Importantly for Leeds, they will not have too much time to dwell on their defeat at Birmingham as they head to Preston on Tuesday where they will be aiming to replicate the Blades’ result from the weekend. If the Whites do make a welcome return to form at Deepdale, they will be able to put the pressure back on Chris Wilder’s side who do not play until Wednesday.

Bielsa will undoubtedly be looking for a reaction from his side in midweek and may bring in the likes of Jack Clarke and Keemar Roofe in order to secure all three points. The latter of the two players made a return from injury as a substitute against the Blues and may replace Patrick Bamford who was way below par on Saturday.

Although the Lilywhites will undoubtedly pose a considerable threat to Leeds, they will not be entering the clash with a lot of confidence having lost their last two in the Championship. Nevertheless, it is paramount that the Whites treat their opponents with the utmost respect as they know that any more slip-ups in the coming weeks could end up killing off their hopes for automatic promotion in May.

What do you think Leeds fans? Is it good that your side has a chance to bounce back from Saturday’s defeat almost immediately in midweek? Or would they have benefited from an entire week on the training ground? Let us know below.

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Tottenham fans are fuming at Erik Lamela, as the winger is set to miss out on Tuesday’s epic Champions League showdown against Manchester City.

According to Football.London’s Alasdair Gold, Lamela was one of three players who did not train with the group ahead of Tuesday’s clash.

Serge Aurier is missing for personal reasons, while Eric Dier is struggling with a hip problem.

For Lamela, it is his hamstring this time, as the Argentine international just cannot get fit for any extended period of time.

Already this season, the 27 year-old has missed games due to personal reasons, a lower leg injury and several other knocks and strains, and fans are getting fed up of seeing him on the pitch for one game before going back to the treatment table for the next six.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

Mauricio Pochettino will need every tool at his disposal to take down Pep Guardiola’s centurions on Tuesday, and while there is no confirmation that Lamela is officially out of the match, fans have pretty much already given up on the Argentine.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, look away now Erik…

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Leeds fans on Twitter are hoping that Sheffield Wednesday will give them an easy game on Saturday in order to swing the promotion race in Leeds’ favour.

The Whites are embroiled in a promotion race with Wednesday’s bitter rivals Sheffield United and some Leeds fans are hoping that the Owls do their best to deny the Blades a place in the Premier League by rolling over for Leeds.

Certain fans on Twitter have been wishing that Wednesday field a weakened side to give Leeds a greater chance of being promoted.

But one person who doesn’t believe Leeds will be getting any help is Tyler Roberts. The midfielder doesn’t think that Wednesday will come into this game without a win in mind, saying: “They’ve got their own targets to get into the playoffs and will be coming to win. It’s going to be a good game, and we’re going into it with a lot of positivity.”

The Owls still have an outside shot at a top six finish but Leeds fans are hoping that their rivalry with Sheffield United overrides that and they let Marcelo Bielsa’s side run riot on Saturday.

Here’s what Leeds fans had to say on Twitter…

Celtic were at the centre of controversy last August when star striker Moussa Dembele was announced as a Lyon player in a Scottish record deal worth £19.7m

Upon his arrival from Fulham, the Frenchman established himself as a key player for Celtic, scoring an impressive 26 league goals in 55 appearances. The 2016-17 season was particularly fruitful for the attacker, who scored 17 goals in a single campaign – not bad for a free signing.

Dembele was controversially allowed to leave for Lyon in the summer, a move that divided opinion among the Celtic faithful. He has since continued his prolific form, scoring 17 goals in all competitions in his debut campaign.

Here’s how the Celtic fans reacted to the news of his departure:

It certainly appears that the Celtic fans were less than happy in Dembele’s departure. Although he was indeed injury prone, the attacker’s departure must have had a negative impact on the quality of the squad. But he was never going to stay forever. In recuperating nearly £20m in his exit, Celtic arguably did well. However, where they really excelled was placing a 10% sell on clause as part of his transfer (according to The Sun).

In a more recent development, The Mirror have recently reported that both Manchester United and Arsenal are keeping a keen eye out for the young attacker who is still only 22 years of age. Having continued to play so well, the potential incoming could be another welcome addition to the Celtic transfer kitty.

Another added bonus that starts to make this transfer entirely positive for Celtic. They have continued to dominate domestically since the Frenchman’s departure. They have already all but wrapped up the league and have reached the Scottish Cup final in the process. The departure clearly hasn’t hit them as hard as once feared – but who knew the rewards would continue to come in?

Celtic fans – what are your thoughts now? Are you still happy that he left despite continuing to perform so well?

After reaching a historic ten wins in a row, Aston Villa are safely considered the favourites to gain promotion via the play-offs right now. To be fair, it’s very hard to argue against them. 

Whether that is adding unnecessary pressure or not will soon be clear but Dean Smith and his team have completely changed themselves, from a team who seemingly had lost all hope of getting into the play-offs this season to one of the most exciting teams in the country.

Having improved defensively and in attack, everything seems to be coming together at just the right time for Aston Villa, allowing them to this time make it all the way back into the top flight. Though before next season begins, the Villans are sure to have a lot of business to conduct, especially if Jack Grealish gets a move elsewhere.

Grealish, (who is valued at £18 million on Transfermarkt) has recently found himself in the Championship team of the season, something that is a testament to his quality and all-round performances this season.

Aston Villa know full well what he brings to their team and it wouldn’t be a huge statement to say that keeping him would be their best business over the summer. He’s that good. What a truly wonderful player he is.

The 23-year-old has battled through a period of injury and overcome inconsistency to be a reliable provider for Villa, going on to score six goals himself, whilst setting another six goals up as well. Understandably with such form, he has become a player of interest for a number of other teams with Crystal Palace linked in the Daily Mail, something Aston Villa will have to battle against during the summer.

Whether they gain promotion or not, Jack Grealish would continue to be their main man in either division, hence why he must be kept at Villa Park at all costs. If he leaves, the whole project could suffer.

Villa fans, do you think Grealish would stay, even in the Championship? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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Back in January 2011, Manchester United were flying under Sir Alex Ferguson, and went on to lift yet another Premier League trophy at the end of the campaign.

You can, in that respect, forgive those associated with the Red Devils for feeling confident in their work, but Ryan Giggs made a remark that is looking particularly foolish in the modern day.

Who would win out of Man Utd’s treble winners and Man City today? Fans discuss in the video below…

What did he say?

Before an FA Cup fixture with Liverpool, Giggs said: “Our manager is not always looking just for this season. He buys players with a view to the future, which he’s done more and more over the last few years.

“Now we’ve got the next batch, the likes of Javier Hernandez, Rafael and Fabio Da Silva, Gabriel Obertan and Chris Smalling, all young players who will hopefully get better over the next few years.

“The manager is experienced enough to know that we’ll be challenging for the league this season and long after that because of the nucleus of the squad we have, as well as adding fresh blood, which gives everyone a lift.”

Hardly lived up to expectations

Giggs didn’t exactly hit the nail on the head with his words, especially the part in which he says the likes of Javier Hernandez, Rafael and Fabio Da Silva, Gabriel Obertan and Chris Smalling will be the future of the club.

Only one of those players remains at the club eight years on from Giggs’ comments – Smalling – and even he is hardly playing like a man worthy of being in a title-contending team.

Fabio spent time with Cardiff and Middlesbrough before joining French club Nantes, whilst his twin brother Rafael joined another Ligue 1 side in Lyon.

Hernandez was frozen out by Louis van Gaal and left Old Trafford to join Bayer Leverkusen, before winding up back in England again with West Ham.

Perhaps the most embarrassing name out of all the players Giggs tipped to maintain United’s success was Obertan. The Frenchman was a laughing stock during his time in Manchester, and failed to do anything of note during spells at Newcastle and Wigan.

The 30-year-old now plays for Erzurumspor in the Turkish Super Lig – it is extremely safe to say that he hasn’t lived up to Giggs’ expectations.

Almost immediately after Ferguson left the club, everything seemed to collapse at Old Trafford.

David Moyes led the reigning champions to seventh place in his first season at the club, and the likes of Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho have also struggled to restore United back to their ways of old.

Perhaps Giggs’ confidence in the structure of the club was slightly misplaced…