All posts by n8rngtd.top

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Leeds United winger Jack Clarke looks set to miss out on a place in the squad to face Swansea City at Elland Road on Wednesday night as he remains under observation after falling ill on the substitutes’ bench during the 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday, and manager Marcelo Bielsa should bring Jordan Stevens back into the squad to replace him.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Clarke started on Teesside but was taken off at half-time, before he needed medical attention later on in the match – which led to the 11 minutes of injury-time that saw Kalvin Phillips eventually force an equaliser for the visitors.

The 18-year-old is likely to be left out for the visit of the Welsh club on Wednesday, but while Bielsa may have a few options to choose from when it comes to replacing him in the squad, he should opt for Stevens.

The midfielder, who is the same age as Clarke, made his debut for the Yorkshire outfit as a substitute in the 2-1 defeat against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium last month, while he was an unused substitute in the both the preceding and proceeding Championship fixtures.

Why should he be included?

The teenager wasn’t included in the 18 for the big games against Norwich City and Middlesbrough, but now Leeds are facing a club slightly lower down the table at home then it seems to be the perfect opportunity to introduce Stevens again.

Bielsa has proven this term – with Clarke especially – that he isn’t afraid to blood the youth if he feels they are good enough and can make a difference on the pitch, and he clearly rates the 18-year-old given he has already been in and around the first-team squad.

The Argentine manager now needs to make another big and brave call as his team look to get back to winning ways in their bid to win automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Bolton edged closer to the Championship drop zone with defeat at home to Preston on Saturday. Check out Thogden’s matchday vlog below…

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Portsmouth’s hopes of automatic promotion out of League One took another hit on Tuesday night as they slumped to a 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers at Fratton Park.

Kenny Jackett’s side have now failed to win any of their last five league fixtures, a run which has included four consecutive draws. 

Pompey went one goal down in the first half on Tuesday, when Tom Naylor fouled Jonson Clarke-Harris to concede a penalty. A second penalty could have given Rovers victory too, but Clarke-Harris failed to convert his second spot kick after Jamal Lowe pulled down James Clarke in the box.

The Rovers’ forward’s miss was a let off for Lowe who had an evening to forget. The 24-year-old winger has struggled to produce his best form in recent weeks and his toils continued on Tuesday.  The Englishman has had a fine campaign so far, racking up ten goals and six assists, as per Transfermarkt’s stats. However, he now looks like he could do with some time out of the firing line.

After the match, plenty of Portsmouth fans took to Twitter to criticise Lowe’s display…

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Marcelo Bielsa says Leeds United lost to QPR because of an injury sustained by Liam Cooper.

The Whites were beaten 1-0 on Tuesday evening, losing further ground on top two Norwich City and Sheffield United in the Championship, with Cooper suffering a head injury in the first half.

What’s the word?

Leeds enjoyed the majority of the possession in the opening 45 minutes at Loftus Road but were unable to find a way past goalkeeper Joe Lumley.

Cooper was forced to receive treatment for a head injury in the closing stages of the half, and Bielsa believes that his absence ultimately cost his side their rhythm.

Indeed, Luke Freeman scored the only goal of the game just four minutes after the interval.

Speaking to reporters, per Leeds-Live, he said: “We didn’t take advantage of the first half. In our best moment in the first half, we had Liam Cooper out so we couldn’t dominate as we had been doing.

“In the first half, apart from the first minutes, our team started to dominate the game and create danger until the last 10 minutes where Liam Cooper was absent we couldn’t keep dominating.

“The goal was arriving at maturity at that moment, but our project stopped with having Liam Cooper out. In the first five minutes, they had five good minutes, with energy at the beginning, and it was the same case at the beginning of the second half and they scored the goal.”

Most important player?

Bielsa’s words will be of little consolation to Leeds fans, who had hoped to see their side move top of the table.

But it will surely be a boost to Cooper, who has been praised to the moon by his manager.

Indeed, Bielsa’s words suggest that Cooper is held in the highest esteem by the club’s coaching staff and that he ultimately believes that the defender is the most important player in his squad.

The Argentine may well be right, with his enforced absence robbing Leeds of their territorial dominance, as well as their confidence.

QPR, after all, immediately smelled blood in the water, and took advantage.

Had he not been injured, Leeds may not have conceded, and they may not have lost ground in the title race.

Bielsa, ultimately, will be hoping and praying that Cooper does not suffer any more mid-game injuries between now and May as his side look to seal promotion.

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Tottenham fell out of the title race in a matter of days last week, but former Crystal Palace boss Ian Holloway may have gone a bit too far with his comments on Mauricio Pochettino.

It’s been a disastrous week for Spurs in the build-up to the north London derby, as they are now four points further behind leaders Liverpool than they already were.

If the Lilywhites had beaten Burnley then their destiny was techinally in their hands, as wins in all their other games (including at Anfield) would hand them the title.

Things went from bad to worse after the defeat to Burnley though with a lifeless loss at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, and Holloway has absolutely slammed Pochettino.

What’s he said?

Speaking on TalkSPORT, the 55 year-old was asked if Real Madrid would go for Pochettino.

He said: “Well they (Madrid) are used to winning things, and he hasn’t won anything yet.

“The best in the world they win those games (against Burnley and Chelsea), and he hasn’t won, and it must be getting to him now.

“At the end of the day, as a manager, you can produce the best players in the world and help them get through, but if you haven’t got any wins on your CV then you are not a good manager.”

Does he have a point?

Holloway did draw reference to Pochettino’s attitude towards trophies as well, and he was right to do so.

The charismatic Spurs boss can only get so far by babying his players and insisting that progress is more important than silverware, and he needs to go all the way while he has such a talented core group of players in their primes.

However, for Holloway to say that the Argentinian isn’t a good manager because he hasn’t put a Carabao Cup win on his resume is quite simply outrageous.

Like Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, Pochettino had a remarkable amount of work to do when he arrived at his club, and he has done it almost perfectly so far.

Whether or not the Lilywhites can grab some trophies under his leadership is yet to be seen, but Holloway has absolutely no right to disrespect the incredible job Pochettino has done so far in north London, even if he is incapable of taking the next step over that final hurdle known as success.

Coutinho was always going to a tough player to replace, and the calamitous flop of playmaker Naby Keita would attest to that; however, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is set to have another crack of the whip with unsettled Real Madrid player Isco the reported target – according to Tuttosport.

Isco is a quality player who has, for one reason or another, fallen out of favour at Real Madrid under new boss Santiago Solari.

With only five starts in La Liga this season, and a single league goal to his name, there has been scant opportunity for the playmaking maestro to prove his worth.

Not that he should need to.

Liverpool, on the other hand, are desperately missing the presence of a decent playmaker since they lost their disgruntled Brazilian to Barcelona a year ago.

But could that long wait be over?

We believe so. In fact, we would we would go as far to say the Spaniard is better than Coutinho – and here are two reasons why…

Technical ability

In terms of technical ability, Isco is one of the best in the world.

Coutinho is a gifted player, no doubt. But anyone who has seen Isco play will understand why he comes out on top in this sense.

The Madrid maestro is a magician on the ball; boasting a familiarity of its physics and movement is so defined you would not be surprised if you heard he sleeps, drives, walks and runs with it glued to his feet.

Then there is his passing. Isco’s constant awareness of his surroundings, daring and confident approach, and pinpoint accuracy makes him a nightmare for opposing players.

His style is very well-suited to quick attacking Spanish football – something we dare say Liverpool have adopted, with a slightly German influence, and mastered.

Winner

A simple one but very important given Liverpool’s circumstances.

Isco has won it all at Real Madrid – with four Champions League winning medals, one Spanish Cup, one Spanish Super Cup and one La Liga title to his name.

The closest Liverpool have been to that kind of success is playing on the same pitch as Real Madrid.

It is desperately obvious that they need a winner in their squad; someone who can settle the players with their collectiveness and experience of getting the job done under pressure

Isco is not a leader. Not in the traditional sense anyway.

Rather he is an example for others to follow. A player who operates with such confidence that conservative football does not cross his mind at any point; that flair and entertainment above all else is valued to help his team across the line.

Liverpool desperately need that now. They have lost their spark and daring ingenuity in the title race and the season still have a fair distance to go.

Coutinho offers a similar package but could not apply his skills when it really mattered.

Advantage Isco.

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Tim Sherwood has made the ridiculous assertion that Mauricio Pochettino is not working on a limited budget at Tottenham Hotspur, via TalkSport.

Spurs have not signed a player in the past two transfer windows, with their last acquisition being Lucas Moura from PSG in January of 2018.

What’s he said?

Sherwood, who managed Spurs in the 2013-14 season, leading them to a sixth-placed finish, has rubbished the idea that Pochettino is working within financial constraints in north London.

Pochettino has not signed a player, as mentioned, for over a year but has Spurs fighting for a Champions League place – they are currently third in the Premier League – and has also taken them into the quarter-finals of the European competition.

Sherwood, though, believes that the Argentine has been given plenty of backing as he has set about building his squad.

“I wouldn’t agree with ‘limited resources’,” Sherwood said.

“It’s obviously not the same as Man City’s resources, but who has that?

“He’s signed 20 (sic) players since he’s been at the club, so they’ve given him an opportunity to build a squad and he’s happy with the squad he’s got.

“If you ask me, ‘Would he want to leave?’ I’d say no. I think he’s happy with the squad he’s got.

“We’re comparing him with Liverpool and Man City which is wrong.”

A ridiculous comment

Spurs have tightened the purse strings in recent seasons and it is understandable.

The club are building a state-of-the-art stadium that will be moved into before the end of the season and have had to finance the project while also attempting to stay competitive on the pitch.

Spurs have, of course, spent money under Pochettino and have even broken their transfer record, signing Davinson Sanchez for a fee in excess of £40million.

But their net spend, over the last five years, is £43.4m (per transferleague).

To put that into context, that’s £246m less than Chelsea and £91m less than West Ham United. Spurs have a higher net spend than Cardiff City and Southampton. That’s it.

To claim that they are not working with limited resources is as laughable as Sherwood’s managerial reign at the club.

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West Ham United fans have been showing the love for ex-player Matthew Taylor on Tuesday as he announced his retirement from playing at the end of the season.

The 37-year-old took to Twitter early in the morning to tell the football world about the news and the reaction has been emotional, especially from Hammers.

Taylor enjoyed a significant part of his long and fruitful career in east London, first hooking up with then manager and close friend Sam Allardyce at Upton Park in summer 2011.

Later that season, he helped the club to first-time promotion back to the Premier League, notching an assist in the play-off final win over Blackpool.

It’s that massive assist that some supporters are reminiscing so fondly about in the wake of the news, as well as his general role in the successful 2011/2012 campaign and his famous left foot, with one also stating “Loved you at West Ham, good luck,” summing up the vibes.

Here’s the pick of the West Ham fan reaction Tweets to Taylor’s landmark Twitter post…

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Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa will have his fingers firmly crossed after reports that the Poland national team have been struck down by a flu outbreak that has affected eight players, with midfielder Mateusz Klich of course currently with the squad.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 28-year-old who has been such a favourite under the Argentine boss at Elland Road has been away representing his country during the international break, but head coach Jerzy Brzeczek admitted prior to the game against Latvia on Sunday that his side were struggling with illness.

In quotes as reported by Leeds Live, he said: “We have an epidemic in the team and the first to have problems ahead of the game with Austria was Arkadiusz Milik.

“Our medical staff are working quickly to ensure the virus doesn’t spread further. Jan Bednarek and Bartosz Bereszynski did not take part in today’s training session.

“The flu has hit eight players, including Piatek.”

Klich started and played 62 minutes of the 2-0 win against Latvia, before being replaced by Jakub Blaszczykowski.

The last thing Bielsa needs

This is a potential issue the 63-year-old could do without.

Already missing the likes of Kiko Casilla, Pontus Jansson and Kemar Roofe for the weekend visit of Millwall, he won’t want to lose anymore key players to illness as the Yorkshire club look to force their way back into the automatic promotion spots in the Championship.

Firstly, Bielsa must hope that Klich doesn’t contract the flu which has reportedly struck down so many of his international teammates, and if he does he will then have to pray that it doesn’t get passed on to any of the other Leeds players.

If there’s one player Arsenal fans all unanimously love, it’s Tomas Rosicky.

The Czech Republic icon spent 10 years in north London and is often regarded as one of the most talented players to play for Arsenal this decade. Dubbed ‘Little Mozart’ for his ability to dictate the midfield and bring out the best in those around him, Rosicky’s retirement in December 2017 was a sad day for those who watched him.

An underrated player plighted by injuries, Rosicky was a player who succeeded in north London in the grand scheme of things, winning two FA Cups and playing big roles in the path to both honours, yet every Arsenal fan knows that had it not been for those injuries, the Czech captain could have been something more.

This is a player who missed an entire season during the prime of his career, yet after his return, Rosicky came back better than ever. Although he was not the biggest goalscorer in the team, only scoring 28 goals in his Gunners career, the attacking midfielder was an influential part of the Arsenal squad.

Technically superb and unorthodox with his passing and shooting as he always preferred using the outside of his foot, Rosicky’s impact on and off the pitch was always felt. And during the big games, his presence was always significant.

Rosicky was instrumental in Arsenal’s first 5-2 win against Spurs in the 2011/12 season where the Gunners fought from 2-0 down the claim a massive win over their north London rivals, and two years later in the same fixture the Arsenal no. 7 scored one of the best goals in the history of the rivalry to seal another vital win against Spurs.

He was also involved in one of the best goals Arsenal have scored in the Premier League era, as the playmaker started and finished a vintage Gunners team goal in a 4-1 win against Sunderland.

With such a big impact on the team, it always felt like Rosicky could do more for Arsenal. Had he been luckier with injuries there is no question that the now 38-year-old would have been considered a modern-day legend of the club.

On his final game as an Arsenal player, he received a guard of honour from the Arsenal players and staff, who all wore Rosicky shirts to celebrate his legacy at the club.

Rosicky is still remembered fondly at the club. A player with all the talent in the world, and a conductor on and off the pitch.

Arsenal fans, what is your favourite memory of Rosicky?

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On Monday the four teams to play in the Premier League’s Asia Trophy in China during pre-season were announced with Wolves, West Ham, Manchester City and Newcastle all set to be involved.

The competition will take place in July but reacting to the news on Twitter, Wolves fans have been sharing mixed views.

Some individuals were looking forward to the prospect of a long distance away trip but there were more serious concerns for other fans, questioning where the club’s priorities lie.

One fan claimed it was unnecessary and could affect them going into the next season, with the potential of playing in Europe still a real possibility.

Wolves currently sit in seventh place in the Premier League so qualifying for the Europa League may be on the cards, through that channel, or via the FA Cup.

Others meanwhile sarcastically made reference to the ticketing system that had annoyed many fans when applying for FA Cup semi-final tickets.

The 2019 Asia Trophy will be its ninth instalment. Having been founded in 2003, it’s a competition that’s played every two years. The previous winners in 2017 were Liverpool.

Here’s the best of the reaction from the Molineux faithful.