All posts by h716a5.icu

[ad_pod ]

West Ham United fans on Twitter have been reacting after Declan Rice showed up for England duty bizarrely sporting a bag from the club shop.

Rice earned his first call-up last week having controversially switched international allegiance from the Republic of Ireland, much to the delight of West Ham supporters.

And it’s not the first time a Hammer has arrived for his first senior Three Lions camp with that exact bag, after the “trendsetter” Michail Antonio did the same in the summer of 2016.

The Claret & Blue Army have been quick to jump on this, with one eagle-eyed supporter noting that the two players were also wearing the same backpack upon their first arrival to St. George’s Park.

The conspiracy theorists among the fan-base believe that the club makes their players show up with the merchandise bag, with one supporter proclaiming it’s “almost as if the club makes them do it,” while another mused “he has got some merchandise for the Spurs players.”

Check out the best reactions from Hammers to the odd trend continuing with Rice, below…

Could Luton Town and Mick Harford do the unthinkable? Could they be about to win back-to-back promotions and be playing Championship football next season? Well, the League One table sure does make for some good reading.

The Hatters continue to pick up a number of impressive results as they have managed to build a five-point gap between them and Barnsley, and with just eight league matches to go, there must be a real sense that things are on the up for those connected to the Kenilworth Road outfit.

However, there must also be a cause for concern surrounding the Bedfordshire club, as results are not as good as they can be and standards do appear to have dropped slightly as the season starts to come to an end.

Yes, the club have really taken well to their debut season in League One this year, having gone on an unbeaten run of 25 matches (and still counting!), however, when taking a closer look, fans will know that they have dropped points along the way of their marvellous campaign.

In their last five matches, Luton have drawn three of those – with home fixtures against Coventry City and Gillingham and long-old away day at Plymouth Argyle. In the two clashes that were played at home, Harford’s side took the lead in both games (with the Gills going behind twice), which could be seen as four points dropped and a massive nine-point advantage at the top of the table.

Admittedly, it is always hard to be able to win every week. However, only Sunderland have lost fewer games than the Hatters this season, whilst Barnsley are the only side to have conceded fewer goals so far.

But, despite the position Luton currently find themselves in, they must start to wake up and start to see their games out, especially those at Kenilworth Road. Due to the nature of their current stadium, it can provide a rather intimate atmosphere and one that visiting teams will hardly ever enjoy when making the trip to Bedfordshire.

With just Doncaster Rovers, Blackpool, AFC Wimbledon and Oxford United left to play in front of their home crowd, they are arguably some of the hardest games still left to play as each team still has something to play for – whether it be promotion or to remain in League One for next season.

Things started well for Luton this season before what was the potentially damaging departure of Nathan Jones to Stoke City, however, the Hatters and Harford showed that they knew what they were doing and have managed to continue to push on with full steam ahead.

It would be a real shame if the next four matches at Kenilworth Road became an issue for the club and made their hopes of winning promotion to the Championship a little harder than it really has to be at this stage of the competition.

Luton fans, do you think the club will be able to take the wins from Kenilworth Road in their final four matches? Or do you think they will have to do all the hard work away from home? Join in with the discussion below by sharing your thoughts with us.

[ad_pod ]

In his column for The Stoke Sentinel, Manchester United legend Lou Macari has backed current Sheffield Wednesday manager Steve Bruce to deliver promotion at Hillsborough.

What did he say, then?

Following a dismal spell of form under previous boss Jos Luhukay which culminated in his sacking in December, Bruce came to the helm in Yorkshire.

He himself had been relieved of his duties at Villa Park and the appointment was not met with the utmost optimism by supporters, but a 10-game unbeaten run to kick-off his reign later and Wednesday are 10th in the Sky Bet Championship, just two points off the play-off spots.

According to The Stoke Sentinel, here’s what Macari had to say on Bruce and promotion ahead of the Owls’ key clash with his beloved Stoke City:

“Sheffield Wednesday have won five and drawn five of their last 10 games after a poor run which had seen them sack their manager.

“And it’s obviously no coincidence that this 10-match unbeaten run has come in the first 10 games under new boss Steve Bruce.

“There’s something about Brucie and the Championship and you wouldn’t rule out his chances of winning a fourth promotion to the Premier League after previously doing it with Birmingham (twice) and Hull.”

Absolutely spot on, Lou

Bruce is a manager who knows promotion like the back of his hand and his record of getting out of the Championship with different clubs as has been aforementioned by Macari.

You can already see the way that the veteran gaffer has changed the mentality at the club in the mere couple of months that he has been there so far.

Check out Playmaker FC’s Joe Street’s unfiltered take on Wayne Rooney’s England legacy in the video below…

Wednesday have gone from looking over their shoulders at possible relegation to looking up at a decent chance of promotion via the play-offs.

There’s nothing Bruce would love more than getting a team in the city where it all began for him as a manager back to where they belong in the Premier League and if it doesn’t happen this season, you wouldn’t bet against it in 2019/2020.

The news came to a shock to every Arsenal fan in the world, and months later it’s still hard to fathom how the club ended up making that decision.

Aaron Ramsey’s departure for Italian super giants Juventus was and still is something that was hard to accept for most Arsenal fans. Here, we have one of the best midfielders the club had had in the Premier League era leaving the Gunners in the prime of his career after the board retracted a contract offer for the Welshman.

Arsenal have a poor history when it comes to dealing with stars at the club, from allowing Robin van Persie to leave on the cheap to the countless amount of players making the move from north London to Manchester City, player negotiations have never been the Gunners’ strongest suit, and Ramsey’s departure might just be the worst case this decade.

Since the announcement that Ramsey will be heading the Turin, the 28-year-old midfielder has been one of the best players in the Arsenal team and a large reason why the club have stumbled their way into third place in the Premier League table, and it is bemusing what Emery or the Gunners board don’t see in the Welsh international.

The case of ‘he doesn’t fit in the team’ is a weak and lazy excuse from Arsenal fans who can understand why the decision was made not to renew Ramsey’s contract. If anything, the former Cardiff City player has been one of the players to thrive in Emery’s new system.

Starting as an eight or a 10 in the team always results in an increase of productivity and attacking threat from Arsenal, and his ability to score more than the average midfielder is what makes Ramsey so unique to the club.

The club have made some bad mistakes in the past, but allowing Ramsey to leave for free might just be up there as one of the worst Arsenal will ever make.

Should I stay or should I go?

That’s a question Rafa Benitez must be heavily pondering about right now after watching his Newcastle United side fall to back-to-back defeats in the Premier League.

The Spaniard’s done everything he can to save the Magpies from relegation and take them as far as possible. In order to extend his stay as their manager, he’s outlined some financial demands (quotes sourced by the Daily Express last week) to Mike Ashley for the summer transfer window.

Clearly, this is a story with so much still left in it but, as a Toon fan reading this, are you confident in the Sports Direct mogul? Probably not.

While Benitez’s departure would be truly gutting, sudden rumours of a club takeover can change it. Indeed, according to Dave Kitson (yes, we know) speaking on talkSPORT via the Chronicle, there are talks going on about Ashley selling the club before the end of the season. Apparently (well in Kitson’s world), the deal is close to being finalized and new owners can usher into St. James Park as soon as next month.

This would be news which will definitely gain Benitez’s attention. While Ashley might not curb to his demands, new ambitious owners should allow a squad overhaul, as unlikely as the claims might currently be. With new owners comes a flow of big money in the summer, which can allow the Spaniard to sign some big players to get the Magpies firing on all cylinders.

Perhaps it’s all a publicity stunt. We’ve certainly been here before with Team Ashley but even the mere talk of it surely makes any decision on his future a difficult personal one for Benitez. It’s the hope that kills you, after all.

If any owners are ambitious enough, they’ll definitely work alongside Benitez and allow him to make the team according to his vision. Benitez will definitely relish life at Newcastle if given complete authority over how to run things. Indeed, Tyneside would be such a buzzing hotbed of football again, surely even neutral supporters would want to see it happen.

If his demands are met, Newcastle fans can surely expect their world-class manager to remain for a long time.

Newcastle fans, are you excited by chances of a potential takeover? Join the discussion by commenting below…

[ad_pod ]

Manchester United fans have been busy heaping praise on Scott McTominay following the Champions League quarter-final tie against Barcelona at Old Trafford.

The Scottish midfielder’s inclusion in the starting eleven looked to be a recipe for disaster, as alongside Fred and Diogo Dalot, United’s midfield didn’t look anywhere near up to the standard of Barcelona’s, which contained Sergio Busquets, Arthur and Arturo Vidal.

Check out World of Lewis’ Man Utd v Barcelona matchday vlog in the video below…

However, the Red Devils academy graduate excelled against one of Europe’s best teams. McTominay more than held his own in midfield, winning three aerial duels, completing two dribbles and making two interceptions.

One moment, in which he bravely sold Vidal a dummy on the edge of his own area and left the Chilean on his backside, had the fans up off their seats in approval of his composure.

The 22-year-old’s performance represents a remarkable turnaround from his turbulent time under Jose Mourinho, which drew criticism from some of United’s fans.

Now, however, the youngster is receiving praise from almost every corner of the fanbase on Twitter after his Champions League masterclass…

It has been a tough season for Keinan Davis in terms of breaking into the Aston Villa starting line-up due to the frankly spectacular season Tammy Abraham is having, but the 21-year-old looks well poised for a big future at the club, if managed correctly.

Abraham’s future remains unclear and it will be an interesting summer with Villa clearly dependent on his services and Chelsea set to serve a potential transfer ban.

Should the Blues be denied of making any signings in the next two seasons, then they could be in need of Abraham, especially after the season he has had. That should open the door for Davis, who replaced Abraham over the weekend when Villa extended their unbeaten run to eight games following a 2-1 victory over Bristol City at Villa Park.

Davis, who joined Villa as a teenager back in 2016, made an immediate and effective impact in the 18 minutes he was on the pitch on Saturday, causing the Bristol City defenders a few problems with his quick and clever runs.

He was also brilliant in keeping hold of possession and drawing in defenders before making the next pass or trying the turn the Bristol defensive line. Davis has been named on the Villa bench for the majority of the time since Dean Smith took charge of the club at the end of last year and has made a couple of appearances in the Premier League 2.

Other than that, he’s only made one appearance for the Villans’ first team and that was against Middlesbrough last month when he had 15-minute spell on the left wing.

But, the small glimpses Villa fans had of him in these two encounters was enough to get them excited and should Abraham indeed return to Chelsea, then Davis will have a big and important void to fill.

If he continues to work hard and take the chances presented to him then there is no reason why he won’t become a great footballer.

Aston Villa fans, are you worried for life after Abraham? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

[ad_pod ]

Leeds missed a golden opportunity in the promotion race on Friday, and fans are absolutely furious with Pontus Jansson.

Leeds were beaten 2-1 by ten-man Wigan at Elland Road on Good Friday, despite being offered a seemingly infinite amount of chances to put the game to bed.

Cedric Kipre was sent off for a handball just 14 minutes into the match, and although Pablo Hernandez missed the penalty, Patrick Bamford opened the scoring just a few moments later.

Gavin Massey stunned the Whites though, scoring either side of the break to keep Marcelo Bielsa’s side in third, behind Sheffield United on goal difference.

And fans are furious with Jansson, who without Liam Cooper beside him looked a shadow of his former self.

The big Swedish international is a fan favourite due to his passion, fight and of course top notch Twitter game, but some of the Elland Road faithful suspect that “fight” is just a big show.

Others are just disappointed with his shocking display, and either way you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

When the Professional Footballers’ Association Team of the Year for the Championship was announced on Wednesday, it was no surprise whatsoever that the selection was dominated by automatic promotion challengers Norwich City and Leeds United.

Whereas the Canaries saw the likes of Jamal Lewis, Max Aarons and Teemu Pukki make the squad, Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites also saw three players rewarded for their contributions this season as Pontus Jansson, Liam Cooper and Pablo Hernandez were all included (via Sky Sports).

Although this is a significant achievement for Leeds, one of their stand-out performers has every right to be gutted about being snubbed for the rewards.

Having been utterly superb in a number of different positions for his side this year, it could be argued that Kalvin Phillips has been equally, if not more important than both Jansson and Cooper for the Whites.

The £6.3m-rated ace (via Transfermarkt) has been playing the best football of his career to date and could be destined for stardom over the coming years if he continues to develop as a player.

When the midfielder hasn’t featured for Bielsa’s side, they look like a completely different team with his absence from last Monday’s clash with Brentford resulting in Leeds losing 2-0 at Griffin Park.

Rather than dwelling on his failure to win the PFA award, Phillips could use the disappointment as motivation for the rest of the season. Although a top-two finish in the Championship is looking incredibly unlikely for the Whites, they could still secure a return to the top flight after 15 years away via the play-offs.

In order to achieve this, they will need Phillips to be at his very best in the knock-out competition as if he isn’t, all of Leeds’ hard-work this year could be undone in the most heartbreaking of circumstances.

What do you think Leeds fans? Are you shocked that Phillips wasn’t included in the PFA Team of the Year? How impressed have you been with the midfielder this season? Let us know below.

Spurs are set for a crucial summer this time around as the club look to bring in new faces to improve the playing squad after their move into the new stadium.

The time is now really for the club to kick on and finally put together a challenge for trophies, although they do still remain in the hunt for the Champions League despite being a goal down to Ajax following their first leg in mid-week.

Mauricio Pochettino is a man who deserves to be backed by his board, but as well as looking at bringing players in, Spurs also face a tough task in keeping some of their star names at the club following their impressive form in recent seasons.

One man who is wanted this summer by the big clubs is Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen, with Real Madrid looking to snap up Eriksen while Spurs will reportedly ask for a huge fee in the region of £128m if he is to be sold.

And we here at the Tavern feel that Daniel Levy and Pochettino are right to be demanding this sort of money for Eriksen, who has developed into one of the finest midfield talents in the world during his time in London.

Eriksen has that wow factor about him what allows to to score the spectacular and win games with moments of brilliance, and while there has been questions over his consistency and ability at world level, he remains a class act.

For Spurs to even consider selling Eriksen is a big call, and they are therefore right to demand such a massive sum for one of their key stars.

The question that will always arise when players like Eriksen are touted for moves is just who do you replace them with? The top players in world football cost the big bucks, and that’s exactly the sort of player Spurs would need to look at if they were to seek a replacement for the Dane.