All posts by n8rngtd.top

[ad_pod ]

Leeds United fans on Twitter have made it clear that they don’t want the club to sign Ryan Woods if he is joining to replace Kalvin Phillips.

Many users on the social media platform were full of praise for the Stoke City midfielder’s ability, but they weren’t too keen on the idea of him replacing their star man, who has been offered a new contract according to Phil Hay.

Reputable journalist Alan Nixon stated on Sunday that the Whites are keeping tabs on the former Brentford man in case Aston Villa sign their 23-year-old however.

Phillips has been linked with an exit all summer long with Norwich, Bournemouth and Villa all linked. The Midlands club seem to be the most likely to secure his signature at this point though.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for both Phillips and Woods, but if the Whites line up with the 25-year-old in place of their current holding midfielder then fans won’t be happy.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

I always rated Woods. Think he is a quality player but please, not at the expense of our Kalv. Why not just have both…? #lufc

— Neil (@OooahhBerardi) July 7, 2019

[ad_pod ]

Leeds United fans on Twitter were blown away by Helder Costa’s debut goal against Guiseley on Thursday evening.

The Championship outfit were 1-0 down to the non-league side before the Portuguese trickster produced a moment of magic to level the scores.

The 25-year-old picked up the ball out wide with his back to goal, before turning and dribbling into the box and sliding the ball home from an acute angle.

Fans were amazed as Costa produced a fantastic strike in his very first outing in a white shirt.

The winger joined Leeds on a season-long loan last month which will be made permanent next summer for a reported fee of £15m, and if he continues producing moments like this he will be worth every penny.

The Wolves loanee certainly has the quality to be a key player for the Yorkshire outfit this season, and this goal could be a sign of things to come.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

[ad_pod ]

It seems like yesterday that last season came to close, but for the 24 clubs in the Championship the new campaign is less than two weeks away. If the second-tier managers aren’t close to getting their squads ready, it is about time they got a move on. Today’s Championship transfer roundup includes Leeds’ pursuit of an 18-year-old, West Brom’s interest in a Sporting Lisbon winger and Fulham’s signing of a Premier League forward.

Leeds impressed by Valentim

Leeds have already done well during this transfer window, with the capture of Wolves’ Helder Costa on a loan deal being their best bit of business so far. However, there is still some work to be done, it seems, with the defence a priority following the departure of Pontus Jansson to Brentford. The Whites have been scouting Stade Reims’ Enzo Valentim according to Football Insider, and the recruitment team has been “blown away” by the centre-back. Marcelo Bielsa and co are keeping tabs on the 18-year-old as they line up a bid for him.

West Brom eye Pereira

Portugal has been a happy hunting ground for West Brom so far this summer, with Benfica’s Filip Krovinovic signing for the Baggies on a loan deal. And they are now returning to the country in their attempts to sign Sporting Lisbon’s Matheus Pereira. It was originally reported last week (Record via Birmingham Live) that Slaven Bilic and co were eyeing the 23-year-old. Sunday’s print edition of Record (via Sport Witness) reported that there could be a development soon in regards to the Midlands club’s pursuit of the winger, but Schalke 04 are also looking at taking him to Gelsenkirchen.

Fulham loan Knockaert from Brighton

Fulham will have been disappointed at getting relegated last season, especially having spent so much last summer as they prepared for their first campaign back in the Premier League. Whilst this transfer window will not be as busy, they are still hoping to bring in some quality to boost their promotion push. They had already signed one top-tier winger in Ivan Cavaleiro, and now they have added another in Anthony Knockaert. Like Cavaleiro, the 27-year-old has joined the Cottagers on a season-long loan. Fulham also have the option of a permanent deal should they wish to keep the Brighton man beyond the end of the current campaign.

[ad_pod ]

According to The Mirror journalist David Anderson on Twitter, reports linking Brentford midfielder Romaine Sawyers with a move to Leeds United are wide of the mark, and plenty of Whites fans have been quick to react on Twitter.

Football Insider said earlier this month that the Yorkshire outfit were ready to compete with Scottish giants Celtic for the signature of the Bees star, who has since been the subject of a £2.2m offer from West Bromwich Albion.

A separate Football Insider report said on Monday that United were ready to make one last push to win the race for the 27-year-old, who contributed seven assists in 46 appearances for the west London last term having played in both a central and advanced midfield role.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Anderson’s recent tweet suggests Marcelo Bielsa’s men don’t hold an interest in the St Kitts & Nevis international at all though, which makes sense given the options they currently have in that position – Kalvin Phillips, Adam Forshaw, Jamie Shackleton and Mateusz Klich among others.

Leeds supporters have taken to social media to have their say on Anderson’s update, and it’s fair to say they were feeling pretty negative.

Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…

Many decided to take aim at the hierarchy and suggested that they are just a selling club, while others didn’t seem surprised at all with some believing they won’t make another signing before the Championship window slams shut on August 8.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Matteo Darmian could be set for a shock move to Barcelona after the Catalan giants were said to have put the Italian on a list of targets for left-back, according to ESPN.

[ad_pod ]

Darmian is said to be a low-cost alternative to first-choice targets Junior Firpo, Philipp Max and David Alaba.

David Alaba was the club’s first-choice target, but Bayern Munich are refusing to discuss terms with the club.

It is thought manager Ernesto Valverde wants a new left-back signed before the club flies out for their pre-season tour of Miami next Monday.

A move for Darmian wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world after he made just seven appearances last season, despite the club’s struggles in defence as they conceded a club-record 54 goals in the Premier League.

However, a move would seem strange from Manchester United’s perspective especially with the lack of out-and-out left-back cover for Luke Shaw. Ashley Young remains at the club after signing a new contract last season, but he is predominantly a right-footed player, despite having played left-back in the last few seasons.

Despite just playing seven games all of last season, and a move away looking likely after being left out of the squad for the Kristiansund friendly, Manchester United should do all they can to retain the services of the 29-year-old.

There is a real lack of depth in an already weak defence, and with the club doing all it can to bring in Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes in the remaining week or so of the window, there seems little time to focus on buying a replacement left-back if Darmian leaves.

With regards to Young, he showed last season that he couldn’t even perform well in his natural right-back position, so to trust him as a backup left-back could go horribly wrong. Young was one of the players singled out during the club’s hammering at the hands of Barcelona in the Champions League.

Unless Manchester United can get a replacement in for Darmian, who has played at left-back 55 times in his career (via Transfermarkt), he is still needed by the club, who should do all they can to retain his services.

Manchester United fans, should the club keep hold of Darmian? Join the discussion by commenting below!

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Kyle Lafferty has told The Daily Record that he was released from Rangers as a result of his sloppy standards in training.

What’s he said?

Lafferty has broken his silence for the first time since being released by Rangers last month, detailing his exit and blaming only himself. The Northern Irish striker was only signed by Steven Gerrard in August last season but he left by mutual consent after a disappointing season back at the club he supports.

The 31-year-old scored just six times in his 30 appearances last season as he played a supporting role to Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe. Having taken a pay-cut to join the club for a second time it looked like he was willing to do whatever it takes to make a success of his spell at the club.

Yet, he admits he only blames his poor attitude, stating: “He [Gerrard] watched me every day in training and I will be the first to hold my hand up and admit I’m not the best trainer. When I joined Rangers from Hearts last summer I took a pay cut and planned to finish my career there.”

The right move from Gerrard

With Lafferty revealing he took a pay-cut from his time at Hearts to be reunited with his old side last summer, he would unlikely have been on a massive wage at Ibrox. Gerrard could’ve kept him at the club knowing he wouldn’t be sapping vast sums out of the Gers resources every week, and that Lafferty has shown his faith in the club by lowering his earnings.

Yet, the Light Blues boss was aware of Lafferty’s lack of application in training and decided to move him on. The ex-Liverpool captain wouldn’t have been blamed for keeping an experienced goalscorer around the club, but he saw a problem and dealt with it swiftly.

In moving on a handy yet problematic squad player, Gerrard has shown a ruthless edge that can be hard to develop as a young manager still coming to grips with the transition from teammate to manager.

It sends a message to the rest of the Gers squad too – it doesn’t matter how good you are or how many goals you’ve scored, the gaffer will expect the type of effort that he gave week in week out during his playing days, and to not give it is basically asking to be axed, given Lafferty’s admission.

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

Despite winning their opening Premier League game of the season 3-1 against Aston Villa, some of the post-match talk about Tottenham has revolved around Jan Vertonghen’s absence.

The Belgium international was not named in Mauricio Pochettino’s 18-man squad for the clash, and the Spurs boss later claimed the decision was purely tactical.

Now, The Times journalist Gary Jacob has revealed Vertonghen was actually dropped because of his “fitness levels and pre-season”.

Indeed, The Daily Mail add Pochettino has no issues in leaving high-profile players out if they don’t meet the necessary standards, and that Vertonghen is “working hard to get back up to speed”.

After hearing the reported update on why the 32-year-old was missing, Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their opinion on the matter.

Many supporters of the north London side threw their backing behind Pochettino’s stance and insisted poor fitness is a “very good reason” to drop someone.

Indeed, some fans simply hailed the Argentine for sticking to his principles and being “fair to everyone” in the squad.

Check out some of the reaction of Spurs fans below:

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Wow. Just when you thought Romelu Lukaku’s transfer saga was finally over, out comes an explosive podcast with some hard-hitting accusations.

The Belgium international was the subject of intense speculation throughout the summer about a possible move away from Old Trafford, and in the end secured a transfer to Serie A giants Inter on deadline day.

But speaking on NBA star Josh Hart’s LightHarted with Josh Hart Podcast, Lukaku delivered a stinging criticism of the way the Red Devils handled the process of his departure. The Belgian remarked he didn’t feel “protected” by the club when rumours were floating around that he could be set for a summer exit, and decided it was simply “better” for him to leave.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Whilst the 26-year-old’s comments are likely to have cynics suggesting it is simply ‘sour grapes’, it remains difficult to overlook the potential ramifications of it all. It may just be one man airing his dirty laundry after being shunted away by his former employers. But such is the power of social media and the tight-knit community of footballers, Lukaku has emphatically tainted United with a brush that could leave lasting stains.

Who would want to join a club that appears not to care about their players’ welfares? They might be multi-million pound footballers earning a shed-load of money each week, but ultimately they are still human beings. They feel part of a family and want to feel loved – as cliché and cringe-worthy as that sounds. Instead, United took the coward’s way by refusing to clear up the situation, hoping the Belgian would just take the hint.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

Whilst the Red Devils may have gotten what they wanted, players around the world are undoubtedly going to be hearing about what Lukaku has to say. Would a 19-year-old Jadon Sancho now genuinely feel his best interests will be protected by those at United when they have clearly failed to do so with another high-profile star?

Transfer targets and agents alike will use Lukaku’s podcast as a source of reference when potentially deciding over a move to United. So whilst Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side may feel like they have won the battle, the Belgian’s revelations could well see the Red Devils end up losing the war.

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Mauricio Pochettino reportedly rejected the chance to swap Christian Eriksen for Paulo Dybala this summer.

What’s the story?

According to The Daily Mail, the Spurs boss was hopeful that Eriksen would extend his contract in north London, and thus chose him over the Juventus superstar.

The boss is now worried that Eriksen will leave for free in 2020 though, with Juve and Barcelona the front-runners.

Dybala was the subject of much speculation towards the end of the transfer window, but the report claims Pochettino refused to enter negotiations with the Turin outfit over a swap deal.

While it may seem a big mistake to keep a player running down his contract and reject the chance to sign a 25 year-old often compared to Lionel Messi, there could be a very good method behind the boss’ madness.

Self-sabotage

Spurs have plenty of goals in the side. Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura all know how to stick the ball in the back of the net.

We saw against Aston Villa and Manchester City that finishing chances is not Tottenham’s problem, creating them is. None of those players are creators, and neither is Dybala.

His playmaking numbers over the last three Serie A seasons are very revealing, as he averaged 1.9, 1.6 and 1.7 key passes per game, while managing just 0.9, 0.8 and 0.9 successful crosses per game.

Eriksen meanwhile has averaged 3.1, 2.6 and 2.1 key passes per game over the last three seasons, while also mustering 1.5, 1.4 and 0.9 crosses.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 27 year-old’s introduction against Villa upped the tempo and incisiveness of Pochettino’s side’s attacks, and as good as Dybala is, he simply can’t offer the kind of game-changing creativity the Dane is capable of.

Considering how blunt the attacks before Eriksen’s entrance against Villa were, Pochettino would be shooting himself in the foot by swapping his best creator for another goalscorer.

While in the long-term it may make more financial sense to do the swap deal, the club’s hopes of securing a trophy this season would suffer if they made the switch, as more and more performances like the one against Villa would end in drab draws.

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

Tottenham Hotspur fans are confident of progressing from their Champions League group after their opponents were revealed on Thursday.

Spurs will face Bayern Munich, Olympiacos and Red Star Belgrade in Group B in what has to be considered an easier group than the one from which they progressed last season.

Indeed, in 2018/19, Spurs came out of a group featuring Barcelona, Inter Milan and PSV Eindhoven, going on to reach the final of the competition, where they were beaten by Liverpool.

Of course, Spurs are one of four English sides in this year’s competition and, while their draw was maybe not as kind as Manchester City’s – they face Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo Zagreb and Atalanta – it could perhaps be seen as equivalent to Chelsea’s, with Frank Lampard’s men set to take on last season’s semi-finalists Ajax, Valencia and LOSC Lille.

Liverpool were drawn against Napoli, RB Salzburg and Genk.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Spurs fans are in buoyant mood, though, having avoided the group of death scenario that has been thrown up in Group F: Barcelona will play Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and Slavia Prague.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

[ad_pod ]