All posts by n8rngtd.top

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West Ham United are something of an odd team.

A nightmare to play against for the big boys, the Hammers have a soft underbelly that is all too regularly exposed by those outside of the top-six.

This season alone, the Irons have beaten Manchester United and Arsenal at home, and have taken points off Liverpool and Chelsea. They have also lost to Cardiff City, Burnley and drawn with Huddersfield Town, who are already relegated.

There appears to be a very easy explanation for this but it will surely infuriate fans: West Ham only turn up when they are in a marquee match on television.

The Hammers have a number of players who love to show their worth to the millions of fans who tune in around the world, the likes of Mark Noble, Felipe Anderson and Marko Arnautovic especially. Declan Rice, too, has excelled in games against the Gunners, where he scored the winner, and Liverpool when he ran the midfield. He has won two caps for England as a result of his performances but he has been just as guilty as his team-mates of abdicating responsibility against those in the bottom half.

This is a long-running puzzle for Hammers managers to solve. Upton Park was always fabled as the archetypal ‘tricky place to go’, and the London Stadium is fast gaining that reputation too.

But the club’s ambitions, as they are now, do not tally with the performances. The club, like any, want to win and they want to qualify for Europe. They still have a chance of reaching the Europa League via a seventh-placed finish but they still have Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur left to play before the end of the season.

That, however, may not prove too much of a problem, as the stats bear out. West Ham drew 0-0 with the Blues at Stamford Bridge and beat United 3-1 at the London Stadium. Spurs, the outlier, beat the Irons 1-0 away from home earlier this season.

Across the top-six teams, only Manchester City have done the double over Pellegrini’s men. Wolves, in seventh, have done it too, but the Achilles heel of West Ham has been those outside the top-10.

Indeed, the club have lost six games against teams currently in 10th and below – Bournemouth, twice, Brighton & Hove Albion, Burnley, Cardiff and Everton. In those games, the Hammers have scored once and conceded 11.

These fluctuations in form are paralysing their hopes of success; the Hammers have also beaten Everton, 3-1, Cardiff and Burnley, but could not achieve the double. So far, they have only done the double over one team – Newcastle.

With six games of the season remaining, West Ham also face Leicester, Southampton and Watford. Pellegrini’s men have already beaten the Saints once but lost 2-0 in the reverse to the Hornets and drew 1-1 with the Foxes.

They will need to complete another double if they are to have any chance of overhaul Wolves; it is perhaps not too much of a leap to suggest they are more likely to take six points from Arsenal than Southampton.

From next season, if Pellegrini’s men are to achieve their aims, they simply have to ally their big-game nous to their consistency. Otherwise, they may well be doomed to mid-table obscurity again in 2019-20.

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Luton Town fans have lavished praise on Jack Stacey after the defender won League One’s PFA Fans Player of the Month award for March.

The 23-year-old has been ever-present for Luton since sitting on the bench for the first game of the League One season, a 1-0 loss to Portsmouth.

Since that defeat, Luton have lost just three times and have been unbeaten since a 3-2 defeat to Barnsley in October.

Stacey has been integral to that run and was in particularly fine form in March.

The defender played a total of six times with Luton beating Rochdale, Bradford, Doncaster and Bristol Rovers and drawing with Plymouth Argyle and Gillingham.

Stacey scored against both Bradford and the Gills while laying on assists in the wins over Doncaster and Bristol.

And he has now been rewarded for those displays as Luton continue their seemingly inevitable march to their coronation as League One champions. The club are currently seven points clear of second-placed Sunderland.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below, with Luton fans praising their star’s contribution.

Five years after signing with Newcastle United, Ayoze Perez is finally fulfilling his potential in being a quality striker.

The Spaniard hit double digits in a season for the first time, after a stunning hat-trick against Southampton, looking like the club’s best goalscoring outlet since the days of Papiss Cisse, Demba Ba and potentially even Loic Remy if we’re feeling generous.

While it’s far too early to compare him with the Newcastle legends yet – despite the goalscoring company he finds himself in – even Alan Shearer would be impressed with his work up front. Despite basically operating from a right-wing role, in a 5-4-1 formation, the Spaniard proved his clinical ability down the middle to his manager. Indeed, he scored three different quality strikes, showcasing trickery, pace and finishing skills all in one packed performance.

Perez – somehow only valued at £9m by Transfermarkt – proved to be the complete package to light up St. James’ Park once again. However, the stunning performance proved he shouldn’t be retained to a wide role anymore. He just isn’t effective working through the wings, proved by his meagre two assists all season long.

The Spaniard is a cunning goal-scorer who has finally come off age at Tyneside. He should be working down the middle from now on, not being restricted to creating chances, putting in crosses or working to Salmon Rondon’s benefit.

Even if the Venezuelan leaves, Perez’s clinical work down the middle means he won’t be missed much. It can actually work in the Magpies’ favour, as the Spaniard can prove his goal-scoring prowess by getting more exposure leading their line and becoming the goal-machine Newcastle fans have craved for long.

Newcastle fans, are you impressed by Perez’s coming off age this season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Adama Traore may not be turning in amazing performances on the pitch, but off it, he’s managed to earn heartfelt praise from Wolves supporters.

The summer signing received a letter from an eight-year-old Wolves fan and as a result, he invited the youngster to have a tour of the training ground and to play football with him.

The video of the two meeting each other was met brilliantly well on Twitter by the Molineux faithful, with one fan going as far as saying it brought a tear to their eye.

Another supporter said it was brilliant, whilst claiming that the club was firmly heading in the right direction, something which of course is clear both on and off the pitch.

In Reid’s letter to Traore, he describes how when he’s older he wants to be like the former Barcelona man whilst comparing his hairstyle to the player. He then invites him to come and play Xbox with him and his friends.

It was a heartwarming video and it was a fantastic example of how footballers serve as role models for young children.

Here’s the best of the reaction…

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With reports suggesting Jack Grealish could leave Aston Villa for either one of Tottenham or Crystal Palace this summer, it’s likely there will be huge concerns about his possible departure.

Grealish has been a star under Dean Smith this term and he capped off his transformation in 2019 by making the PFA Championship Team of the Year.

However, despite Villa having the potential to be back in the Premier League next season, there’s a real chance their star man and brightest academy graduate for some time could leave.

But should the Villans really be too concerned? Arguably not, especially with the 17-year-old Jacob Ramsey rising through the ranks.

The attacking midfielder is the exact replacement the club will be searching for if Grealish does leave and with the player set to turn 18 before the start of next season, there’s plenty of reasons to be excited.

Ramsey possesses pace and tremendous technical ability. It’s the latter aspect that you can liken to Grealish the most. Both players can take a man on and change the game in an instant.

What’s scary about Ramsey, though, is that he has more goals in him that his elder teammate.

He’s been brilliant for the youth teams this season, destroying defences and finding the back of the net on ten occasions.

Four of those goals came in the FA Youth Cup in a run where he only played three matches. A further four have come in the U18 Premier League whilst the remaining two have been scored in Premier League 2.

Rushian Hepburn-Murphy and Callum O’Hare were both loaned out by Villa this season and as a result, it may not be a surprise to see Ramsey continue to develop elsewhere temporarily.

But how big an impact he does have next season could hinge on whether Villa get promoted. As the club gear up to possibly lose their best player, how they manage the development of one of their most talented youth products will be vital.

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Xherdan Shaqiri came off the Liverpool bench at St James’ Park on Saturday night to help his side record a 3-2 win over Newcastle United.

Jurgen Klopp’s side simply had to win to keep their title hopes alive, and it was Shaqiri’s late free kick which Divock Origi headed into the back of the net.

Shaqiri has played in 24 of Liverpool’s 37 Premier League matches this term – contributing six goals and three assists.

It would be wrong to call the 27-year-old a key player for the Merseyside giants, but he has certainly had his moments for the club this season.

And now a number of Liverpool fans have taken to social media to call for the attacker to be named in the starting XI against Barcelona on Tuesday night.

Klopp’s side will welcome the Spanish champions to Anfield for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final trailing 3-0 from the first leg at Camp Nou.

Are the media letting Jurgen Klopp off lightly for his lack of silverware? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

It is going to take some performance to turn things around on Merseyside, but a number of Liverpool fans believe that Shaqiri should be involved in some capacity, with Roberto Firmino ruled out of the second leg.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Leeds’ 3-2 loss to Ipswich on Sunday didn’t do their confidence any favours ahead of the playoff semi-final against Derby County next week.

The Whites’ visit to Portman Road signalled the return of Kemar Roofe, but he was quite clearly off the pace as he looked bereft of confidence and seemed to try too hard at times.

The forward has now gone 11 games without scoring. Unfortunately for Marcelo Bielsa, Patrick Bamford is suspended for the first leg of the playoff semis, meaning that the Argentine will have to persevere with his misfiring striker.

One positive is that the weaknesses in the Englishman’s game were highlighted by the numbers he put up. It is clear to see where he needs to improve ahead of the crucial matchup against the Rams.

The 26-year-old had seven shots during the match with only one of those being goalbound. Leeds’ top scorer was often snatching at chances, and he needs to show more composure against Derby.

He has averaged three shots per game this season. For him to shoot twice as many times as that and still not hit the back of the net shows that his striking instincts aren’t quite where they were earlier in the campaign.

The former West Brom man was also caught offside on two occasions. Roofe has often been praised for his movement and how that suits Bielsa’s style at Leeds, but he doesn’t seem to be up to speed following his injury.

The attacker lost the ball more times than any other player on Sunday, and his confidence was dented massively as he skied a penalty that could have put his side ahead.

The Whites’ top scorer looked lost out on the pitch at Portman Road, and there is clearly a lot to work on in training this week. Luckily Bielsa will be able to pinpoint where he is going wrong.

A lot of these issues are around the mental side of his game. His composure, positioning and decision-making seem to be a tad off, and that was hugely detrimental to his side on Sunday as he put in one of the worst performances of his Leeds career.

Derby will be a much tougher challenge than Ipswich and Roofe won’t get the chance to shoot as often as he did against the Tractor Boys. He has to be much more clinical with his finishing and make the right choices when he is on the ball. Otherwise, the Yorkshire club could be out of their playoff tie before the second leg even begins.

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So, it’s the big one this weekend. The domestic season-ender. The FA Cup final, no less.

Manchester City (unsurprisingly) are involved and will be looking to record a treble of trophies having already secured the Carabao Cup and the Premier League title.

In Watford’s case, Javi Gracia’s men will be looking to round off an encouraging campaign by lifting the FA Cup for the first time. If they do manage to pull off the unthinkable, then a place in the Europa League awaits them.

You may think this tie is a foregone conclusion given the Citizens’ immeasurable might compared to the Hornets’ inconsistencies – they ended their league season with a 4-1 defeat at home to West Ham.

Wolves Fan TV place the blame for Wolves’ FA Cup semi-final collapse on John Ruddy in the video below…

However, Gracia’s men have shown what they’re capable of this term, and they most certainly shouldn’t be written off, especially not in a cup final.

Ahead of the game we’ve taken a look at the factors which could shape the result, including the head-to-head record, a key midfield battle and predicted starting line-ups…

What History Tells Us

The head-to-head record between the two teams doesn’t make great reading for Watford supporters.

City can boast an impressive 17 wins to the Hornets’ six, whilst they have also scored considerably more goals with 54 in comparison to Watford’s 25.

Perhaps the most worrying statistics of them all for fans of Gracia’s side are the ones showing City’s vastly superior record in the FA Cup; the Citizens have been involved in 10 finals, winning five of them, in comparison to Watford’s single final, which they lost.

Key Battle

Raheem Sterling and Gerard Deulofeu are both players who can make the difference for their sides at Wembley this weekend, and the stats prove that.

The England international hit 17 goals and recorded 10 assists in the league this season, form that saw him named as the Football Writers’ Player of the Year, and he has finally started to step up for the national team. His comfort levels playing at Wembley could be a key factor.

In Deulofeu’s case, however, the Spaniard is finally starting to step up his end product and has been in blistering form in the second half of the campaign. The former Barcelona forward has 10 goals and 5 assists in the league, whilst it was his excellent double against Wolves in the semi-final that got his team into the final.

Both teams should try their hardest to get the ball to their respective danger-men if they want to have the best chance of winning this tie.

Ref in Focus

Kevin Friend will be the man making the decisions at Wembley this weekend, and he won’t take too much nonsense.

The 47-year-old has taken charge of the joint 5th most Premier League games this season with 27, handing out three red cards and 92 yellows in the process.

He ranks sixth out of all 18 Premier League refs in the yellow and red card rankings, whilst he is at the same position on the list for fouls per tackle.

In the grand scheme of things, Friend seems to be a measured official judging by the stats and one who should let the game flow, although he won’t be scared to dish out the cards if emotions spill overboard and tackles turn nasty.

Team News

Watford will be going into the FA Cup final with a lot of luck on their side regarding injuries.

No key first-team players will miss the tie, with only Sebastian Prodl and Domingos Quina absent for Gracia.

Fortunately for the Hornets, Jose Holebas saw the red card he picked up against West Ham rescinded, meaning he is free to play against City.

Gracia’s 4-2-2-2 system, which has proven to be very effective this season, will be at full strength and raring to go against Pep Guardiola’s back-to-back champions.

For City, they will be without the crocked Benjamin Mendy, meaning the ever dependable Oleksandr Zinchenko should keep his place at Wembley.

Crucially for Guardiola, Fernandinho is a doubt for the fixture. The Brazilian has been struggling with a knee injury but was able to train this week, so it remains to be seen whether he will start the game from the first whistle.

Aymeric Laporte and Kyle Walker will especially enjoy the wide Wembley turf on Saturday, where the latter will be tearing up and down the pitch all evening, whilst the Frenchman’s excellent long-range passing could prove pivotal.

If City win, they will become the first team to ever win the domestic treble in England.

Are Watford the most likely club to break the top 6 next season? The fans in the video below certainly agree the ‘W’ part of that statement is correct…

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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to slam Marcus Rashford, after the forward posted a tweet revealing the aspirations he and his teammates have for next season.

The England international scored 13 goals and recorded nine assists for the Red Devils across all competitions last term, although he has frustrated fans towards the end of the campaign with his dismal form.

One point separated City and Liverpool but twenty-five separated them from the rest! Fans discuss who could reduce the deficit next season in the video below?

Rashford is also pushing his luck by demanding £200,000-a-week in order to sign a new contract, as a result of the aforementioned reasons.

United fans have already seen apologetic posts from the likes of Jesse Lingard and Alexis Sanchez, as well as from a number of other players amidst the defeat-laden end to the season, and they seem to have had enough of the empty words.

The players seem far too content with simply tweeting about what they need to do, but not actually doing it, and the United fans on Twitter have aimed their frustrations at the 21-year-old after his post…

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.