All posts by n8rngtd.top

[ad_pod ]For the first time in a long while, the Leeds United fanbase don’t have anything to complain about.The club sit third in the league, and they’ve just signed three important players to new deals.Stuart Dallas, Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper have all agreed to new contracts that will keep them at the Elland Road outfit for the foreseeable future.Club captain Cooper took to Twitter after signing his new contract.

The Scotland international posted exactly the type of tweet you’d want to see from your skipper.

He said that he’s proud to be staying with Leeds, but he immediately switched his focus back to the task at hand as he said that he wants to continue working towards the ultimate goal.

Presumably, the ultimate goal is promotion to the Premier League, and the Whites are in a fantastic position to go on and achieve that this season as they’ve started the season brilliantly, losing just once in their opening six matches.

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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…

Not many will prosper from this upcoming international break more than Real Madrid and Barcelona. Both the giants of La Liga have been plagued with various injuries at the start of the new campaign and both will most likely, for precisely that reason, have welcomed the break with open arms.

Another similarity between the two is also in the personnel who have been sidelined. Barcelona are still waiting for the full return of Lionel Messi and Real Madrid are eager to see their new Galactico, Eden Hazard, in action. Both teams need their superstar attackers this weekend.

Los Blancos have a tricky match ahead as they will face Levante, and Zinedine Zidane will have to ease his Belgian superstar back into action. This might pose him a slight headache as the Frenchman will definitely be eager to get some good results going, considering that they have racked up only one win in three games so far, but he also has to be careful not to play his cards too carelessly.

Integrating Hazard into the squad seems rather easy at first. Of course he’s going to start. After all, being Real Madrid’s second-highest transfer ever means that he was brought in to strengthen the starting 11 and give the team a much-needed boost, not be a squad player.

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However, Zidane has admitted that he cannot simply throw the Belgian in after his time out injured, saying: “Regarding Hazard, we have to go little by little. He has been injured for three weeks. He was back training this week. We have to go carefully with him.”

But the boss also said he is “ready”, and we expect the newest Galactico to start on the left, with Karim Benzema up front and Gareth Bale on the opposite side.

On paper and in theory, this does seem like the best course of action and a formation that should get the best of their rather star-studded attacking trident.

But the coach’s responsibility doesn’t really end there. Hazard bagged a lot of goals for Chelsea with a total of 110, along with 92 assists in 352 games. This means that he’s very prolific in front of goal but he often slots into that creator role as well.

Of course, Real Madrid had a world-class goal-scorer, rather than a mixture of both, occupy that position on the left for many years in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo, so this will be a big change. Hazard has some huge shoes to fill, and maybe he’s not even meant to become the “next Ronaldo” at all. But that part is for Zidane to decide.

One way or the other, we’ll most likely find out once he steps out on the pitch against Levante.

One thing is certain – the former Chelsea man will be heavily relied upon to solve the side’s over-reliance on certain methods, methods that haven’t yielded enough goals as of late.

But it is also important that no matter what happens once he’s out there and doing his thing, he is given time to integrate properly and gel with the rest of the team. And that’s another thing Zidane may want to keep an eye on. He must have patience.

By the looks of things, some fun times await the Frenchman and his Galacticos. How will they react? We’ll get our answers on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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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…

Ian Holloway has been busy speaking to the media about his QPR days once again, and this time, he has some choice words for another ex-R’s boss in Steve McClaren.

The former England manager was sacked from his post at the London-based club after a run of just one win in 15 Championship games last season, lasting less than a year in charge – his tenure also involved a 7-1 defeat to West Brom.

It was McClaren who replaced Holloway in the QPR dugout just eight days after the former Blackpool and Crystal Palace boss was sacked, and the 56-year-old doesn’t seem to be a huge fan of his successor…

What did he say?

Holloway told The Sack Race: “I had a year of my contract remaining, which I fully wanted to see out but the club decided to dispense off my services.

“They honoured everything that they needed to honour with me so I’ve not got an axe to grind with anybody. The only person I don’t like in it amongst it all is Steve McClaren.

“I don’t like him, I never will, and part of me – I’m going to be horrible here – is glad it didn’t work out for him.

“I’ve got no other problem with anybody else, I just don’t like Steve McClaren, and those reasons are private.

“If a Chairman ever rang me and said that they wanted to talk to me about becoming their manager, they’d have to have a vacant chair. The difficult thing for a manager is you can’t ask for a job until it becomes available, but when the job becomes available some people have already been through the back door!”

Shares the same views as many QPR fans

While Holloway says that his reasons for disliking the 58-year-old former England boss are “private”, the last paragraph coupled with the speedy appointment of McClaren suggests he isn’t too happy with the manner in which he was replaced.

His dislike of McClaren comes after these QPR supporters also expressed their unhappiness with the former Newcastle manager back at the start of his Loftus Road reign.

One fan told him to “leave now, pack a bag and forget this ever happened” whilst another asked how he keeps getting jobs.

Another selection of fans highlighted by Newcastle fan-site The Mag shows just how disliked McClaren is at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

It does seem as if McClaren isn’t a well-liked figure among those who hold QPR close to them, whether it’s a former manager in Holloway or indeed the fan base.

For the fans, it’s potentially due to the fact that he oversaw their worst loss in over 31 years, as well as the club’s worst-ever start to a season – having existed since 1882, that takes some doing.

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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…

Speaking to Sky Sports, Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has insisted he is “happy” with his performances last season.

What did he say?

The Spain international had a below-par campaign by his standards last term, making four errors that directly led to goals in the Premier League – a figure that is more than his five previous seasons put together.

Despite the apparent drop in form, De Gea remained bullish about his displays, and suggested people spend too much time focusing on the closing stages of the campaign.

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He said: “I think people, when they look back on last season, they are thinking about the last few months. If you focus on the season as a whole and, in particular, the first seven months of that season I was quite happy with my form.

“You can say the contract is there in the background – it’s not even in the back of your mind – that’s put to one side. The day-to-day training, going out on the pitch, that’s what you’re focusing on – and helping the team, of course. Talking about the odd mistake, form can come and go with any player, but you are more under the microscope when you’re a goalkeeper. It’s not easy to keep up very high standards.”

Do your talking on the pitch

Having signed a bumper new deal after a campaign that objectively speaking was one of the worst in his United career, De Gea must be rubbing his hands with glee. The Spaniard remains the Red Devils’ undisputed number one, and the lack of competition undoubtedly had an effect on his performances last year.

This season, the 28-year-old cost his side a point by letting in a soft winning goal from Crystal Palace’s Patrick van Aanholt at Old Trafford. What the goalkeeper needs to do – particularly after putting pen to paper on a mammoth new contract – is simply do his talking on the pitch.

The fact he wasn’t able to acknowledge his poor displays last season is concerning. Is it a case of egotism? Blind belief? Whatever the case, De Gea needs to put up or shut up for United this year.

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West Ham United fans are hopeful that Lukasz Fabianski recovers quickly after being forced off against Bournemouth on Saturday.

The goalkeeper pulled up after taking a goal kick and was substituted in the 34th minute, to be replaced by Roberto.

Fabianski had already conceded prior to his sub, with Joshua King cancelling out Andriy Yarmolenko’s 10th-minute opener. Callum Wilson scored past his replacement, only for Aaron Cresswell to equalise in the 74th minute and earn his side a point.

The 34-year-old has been manager Manuel Pellegrini’s undisputed first-choice in east London, playing in every game of the Premier League season thus far, while also featuring in all 38 games of the top-flight campaign in 2018/19.

Ominously for the Irons, Roberto, his replacement on Saturday, conceded four in midweek as they lost 4-0 to Oxford United in the Carabao Cup.

As such, fans are hoping – and some even praying – the former Swansea City stopper makes a quick recovery.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

According to Phil Hay of The Athletic, the FA are investigating an “issue of discrimination” following last Saturday’s game between Leeds and Charlton.

The unsavoury incident, said to be involving Kiko Casilla, has since been detailed by the Addicks themselves, although they fail to mention who it is that’s been accused in their statement.

Charlton state that the allegation was reported to referee John Brooks during the encounter.

If Casilla is indeed involved then it’s impossible to defend him for his actions and a host of Leeds supporters feel the same way.

They berated the Spaniard on social media as a result, with one saying he needed to get out of the door if he had been racist.

A fellow supporter claimed they didn’t think he could have any more mistakes left in him. The 32-year-old was also branded a pure liability. How he might have played against West Brom last night was also referenced.

Casilla has started every single one of Leeds’ matches this season but this report might well have a large impact on how his season now pans out.

Here’s what Leeds fans have been saying about him on Twitter.

There are some players you just couldn’t envisage playing for certain clubs.

For example, Gary Neville would never play for Liverpool and Steven Gerrard would never play for Manchester United, you get the idea.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

For Aston Villa supporters an example of this would be imagining Gabriel Agbonlahor in a Birmingham City kit.

However, not many will have known that the Blues attempted to poach the striker from their closest rivals when he was just 16.

Indeed, the former England striker posted on his Instagram story to inform his followers that Birmingham City once wanted to sign him.

It’s clear to see that by Agbonlahor’s choice of emoji he was dead against the transfer, as he hints that the thought of a move to St Andrew’s makes him sick – yet another reason for the Villa Park faithful to adore him.

Instead, his career took a slightly different path as he led the line for the Villans for over a decade, scoring five goals in seven appearances against the team that wanted to sign him as a teenager.

Loads of Liverpool fans are calling for the Reds to sign “Bobby 2.0” Kai Havertz, after the 20 year-old scored in Germany’s 2-2 draw with Argentina on Wednesday.

There aren’t many flaws in Jurgen Klopp’s squad at the moment – the Reds have won a club-record 17 straight Premier League games.

If there is one area of concern though it is the lack of goals and assists from midfield, and Havertz could well be the man to fix that.

The Bayer Leverkusen ace was linked with a number of big clubs this summer, including Liverpool, and even spoke about the exit rumours, saying: “We will see what happens next summer.”

Havertz is a versatile player typically deployed as an attacking midfielder or second striker, and one Reds fan even compared him to Roberto Firmino earlier this week.

After his first international goal on Wednesday evening, even more fans have joined the ‘get Havertz to Liverpool’ hype train, with one saying Klopp would make him “untouchable” while another named him a “special talent”.

Take a look at some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

According to Dutch media outlet NOS, and rather out of the blue, Tottenham Hotspur have re-signed goalkeeper Michel Vorm on a deal until the end of the season, and Spurs fans have been quick to react to the surprise update on Twitter.

The 35-year-old left the north London outfit during the summer following the expiry of his contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and seemingly having been deemed not good enough to get a new deal, but NOS report that the club have now brought him back to the English capital.

The update comes on the back of first-choice stopper Hugo Lloris being ruled out until 2020 having dislocated his elbow during the 3-0 defeat against Brighton and Hove Albion before the international break, which left Paulo Gazzaniga and Alfie Whiteman as the club’s most senior options in that position.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Dutchman made 47 appearances for Spurs before his departure just a few months ago, according to Transfermarkt, conceding 47 goals and keeping 17 clean sheets.

Tottenham supporters have taken to social media to give their thoughts on the reported transfer move, and while one said “no way”, another simply said “the state of this club”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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…

Former Aston Villa striker Tony Cascarino has tipped Jack Grealish for big things after his impressive showing over the weekend.

What’s he said?

Dean Smith’s side continued from where they left off before the international break by defeating Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 at Villa Park.

The three points lifts them into 11th in the Premier League, just four points from a top-five berth – depending on the result of Arsenal versus Sheffield United on Monday evening.

Aston Villa’s summer signings’ performances so far this season are rated in the video below…

The Seagulls took the lead in the 21st minute thanks to an Adam Webster header before Grealish equalised on the stroke of half-time, meeting Frederic Guilbert’s cross.

Villa’s skipper then turned provider late on as he set left-back Matt Targett through on goal to bag a euphoric 94th-minute winner.

Cascarino, speaking on talkSPORT’s Weekend Sports Breakfast, said:

“He put in a captain’s display and was terrific. He was ultimately the difference between the two teams.

“Are Villa going to challenge the football elite in this country? What they’ve got is a very young side, is very energetic and have someone who is now ready to play Champions League football in Jack Grealish.

“Do Aston Villa want to keep him because if they can do that, then you build around Jack.

“He is a player who has to be playing at the highest level and I feel he is showing he has the heart to do it.”

Worrying words

Those are certainly six words that could worry much of the Villa faithful: ‘ready to play Champions League football.‘

Not because they won’t be able to get there themselves eventually, but because the window of opportunity for a young player in this modern era is so small.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The club’s CEO Christian Purslow will surely have that sort of vision in his long-term thoughts, but it’s not that attainable after just one season back in the top-flight.

Wolves last season proved to be a small exception to the rule, but they could only manage seventh place and a spot in the Europa League, which is probably more realistic for the west Midlands club given how the usual suspects are expected to keep their place on Europe’s elite stage.

Arsenal epitomised that with their run of 19 successive Champions League campaigns.

This would mean that Grealish may have to look elsewhere – as he very nearly did last summer with Tottenham Hotspur – if Cascarino’s words were to become true.

Playing for one of the teams on that sort of level would almost certainly bolster his England claims too, so it makes sense, no matter how heartbreaking it would be for supporters in B6.