All posts by n8rngtd.top

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Playoff football often comes down to who wants it more. Talent and form can go out the window, and in the end the winners are usually the side who are more motivated to get the result.

Marcelo Bielsa has been presented with the ultimate opportunity to drive his team to victory by calling upon the club’s history of adversity.

Leeds’ history

The Whites are arguably a club with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. They believe everyone is against them and that is often evident on the terraces at Elland Road.

When their team falls behind it isn’t long before the crowd begins chanting “The football league’s corrupt”, and after a while, you will hear cries of “We are champions, champions of Europe.”

This dates back to the 1975 European Cup final where Bayern Munich beat them in controversial circumstances.

Leeds love to feel hated as if the world is against them, and that has been the attitude there for over 40 years.

Around the club, there is a train of thought that the Football League and Sky want to keep them in the Championship forever due to the fact they are the biggest team outside the Premier League.

That paranoia fuels the sdie and makes them desperate to get out of this division, and Bielsa has been presented with a golden opportunity to rile up his squad.

Bielsa’s chance.

Time after time this season the narrative that the Football League are against Leeds has grown.

Heading into the playoffs, there are several factors that play into this conspiracy. Patrick Bamford’s ban, Tom Lawrence not being banned, Conor Hourihane escaping punishment, and to top it all off they’re coming up against Derby County, the victims of spygate.

The Whites were fined £200,000 for that  despite not breaking any rules, adding fuel to the fire for fans who feel that their club are victims of a plot designed by the EFL.

Bielsa can point towards all these factors in his team talk and get his players motivated to overcome the adversity they have faced this season.

The players have a chance to steer the club back into the Premier League after 15 years in the dark and change the status quo around Elland Road.

Bielsa needs to sell this as the one time nobody can hold Leeds United back, because they are just too good on the pitch.

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Eric Dier may not be good enough for Tottenham Hotspur anymore.

The defensive midfielder started the final game of the season against Everton and scored the first goal in a 2-2 draw as the club brought down the curtain on a rather mixed Premier League season.

Indeed, the club finished fourth but lost 13 times- the same amount as seventh-placed Wolves.

And the form of Dier this term, despite his goal-scoring denouement, will surely worry manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Per WhoScored, he has made a total of 20 appearances for Spurs in the Premier League this season – 18 starts and two substitute cameos – with a total of 1,510 minutes clocked on the pitch.

Defensively, he makes 1.3 tackles per game but he also conceded 1.2 fouls per 90 minutes. He makes 2.1 clearances, 1.1 interceptions and 0.6 blocks per game. This is a player who was previously a central defender and has now been moulded into a defensive midfielder but his statistics suggest that this is a player who struggles to truly impact the game when the opposition are attacking.

He is remarkably slow and is a less mobile option than the likes of Harry Winks – injured for the majority of the campaign – or Moussa Sissoko, who is now undisputedly Spurs’ best midfield player.

Dier, amazingly, was reportedly admired by Jose Mourinho and became the subject of a massive bid from Manchester United in 2017.

Per The Guardian, the club wanted to pay £50million to secure the midfielder as they looked to bolster their ranks. They were also prepared to double his wages.

Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman, stood firm, keeping a player who they surely hoped would improve.

And yet, offensively, Dier is even worse. He has scored three Premier League goals this season, with one coming in the fractious North London derby defeat to Arsenal, but he averages 0.4 key passes per game, 0.1 dribbles and 0.5 shots per game. In other words, he may as well not touch the ball past the halfway line.

He also has an average pass completion rate of 84.9%, which, at the highest level, is middling at best.

This is a player who has represented his country at the World Cup and was a key member of Gareth Southgate’s England squad in Russia. But this season has been nothing short of a disaster.

Spurs are in a Champions League final, yes, but Dier has not played much part in the campaign; he played 90 minutes in the defeat to Inter Milan in the group stages and the draw with PSV Eindhoven but, since, he has either made cameo appearances, been injured, or sat on the bench.

It is difficult to see any club including Dier on their shortlist for the summer, United included, even if their recruitment process has been hopelessly muddled in recent years. There is absolutely no chance of anyone paying £50m for him anymore.

This summer, Spurs will surely undergo a rebuilding process as Mauricio Pochettino attempts to ensure that the club are perennial Champions League finalist contenders instead of being a one-off underdog story.

And a key part of the upcoming transfer window will lie in identifying who should be allowed to leave the club; Dier has to be the first player pushed out the door.

Levy, though, will wonder what might have been and the money he could have received for the midfielder will surely haunt him in hindsight.

The £50 million that was once on his table for Dier now looks like a glaring missed opportunity.

Dedryck Boyata’s time at Celtic is very quickly coming to an end. Over the weekend it was confirmed that the Belgian will be leaving Parkhead and joining Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin as his Celtic contract ends. The one game he has left is the Scottish Cup final as he aims to become a treble-treble winner, although his replacement is already at the club.

The Bhoys have already been given the good news that Brendan Rodgers will re-loan them Filip Benkovic from Leicester City. Bringing the Croatian defender back to the club next season will go a long way to helping them get over the loss of Dedryck Boyata, although considering Benkovic was the man partnering up Boyata he can’t be his replacement. That’s where Jozo Siumonovic comes in.

The 24-year-old Croatian defender is one that the Bhoys will be desperate to get behind at Celtic Park, and even though the Bhoys will be keen to get a new defender in regardless of having Benkovic and Simunovic, it will likely be the two young Croatians who are set to star at the heart of their defence. Neil Lennon, if he gets the job, won’t hesitate to throw the pair in, and any other manager should do the same.

This season has seen Jozo Simunovic step up massively when he’s played, and even if the Croatian may not be the man that Boyata has been over the last few years at the Parkhead club, he can write his own future as a Celtic centre-back. In this case, Simunovic has already started doing so, and he was the man who provided the magic moment, as Celtic’s #5 scoring on the 67th minute during the Billy McNeill’s tribute game.

That will be enough to enter the young central defender in the history books of the famous Glasgow club, and should he be the man to fill the void left by Boyata whilst a young central defender comes in as the backup then he will be a fitting replacement for the departing defender. His performances as of late have been impressive, and the Bhoys have no issues with seeing him step up from the start of next season.

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There’s been a few selection shocks for the upcoming international friendlies due to take place at the end of the season.

Alexandre Lacazette has been excluded from the France squad along with Manchester City’s treble-winning Aymeric Laporte, James Maddison has missed out on a place in the England squad to the inconsistent and injury-plagued Jesse Lingard, and in happier news Santi Cazorla has made his long awaited return to the Spanish squad after four years away – a joy for anyone who follows football.

Whilst it’s the news about Cazorla that has caused the most delight, it’s actually the news about Lacazette, Laporte and Maddison that is most interesting.

The reasons for the Arsenal striker’s exclusion from the squad are probably applicable to all, but it’s only right to dissect exactly why a forward who’s played so wonderfully for his club hasn’t been given the chance to thrive for his country, especially as it’s coming at the expense of footballers in decline who haven’t enjoyed the same form as the Gunners no. 9 – such as Olivier Giroud.

It’s important to remember that the managers in question here, Didier Deschamps and Gareth Southgate, have enjoyed incredibly successful spells in their jobs at two nations who had lost their dominance and identity in international football for a very long time. Deschamps won the World Cup last summer, and it’s vital to understand how he did it in order to appreciate why Lacazette still hasn’t forced his way into the squad.

The France boss found a winning formula that he believed in, persisted with over Euro 2016 and then watched his plan come to fruition in Russia 2018, a devised approach that earned the French that golden globe trophy. In an era where one or two months of good form is rewarded with two or three international caps, Deschamps and Southgate are bucking that trend. It’s no longer enough to just be a good player, or to play out of your skin for a few weeks. To earn a call-up for these nations, you need to not only be better than your competition but also be good enough to penetrate your way past the years of preparation, team-bonding and trust that’s been built by these managers for their players.

Lacazette is a better player than Giroud, no one could possibly dispute that, but that’s not enough these days. And to be honest, this approach is admirable. For years international squads lost their values and it felt anyone could earn a call-up, but these two managers are pioneering a change in attitude for what it means to play for your country – quite frankly it’s incredibly refreshing.

Giroud has spent years working with Deschamps, executing his instructions selflessly and perfectly, and it’s delivered success on a global scale. It’s only right that this is rewarded and built on further.

Jesse Lingard has had a poor season by his standards and has been totally outshone by Premier League debutant Maddison. However once again, that’s not enough. Southgate has preached that his squads will include leaders to make up a core element of his side, with every player understanding their role precisely, and the Leicester player’s exclusion is the clearest example of this yet.

As long as the door is not firmly shut on these players, there seems nothing wrong with making the squad harder to break into. It’s a fine balancing act though, because Joachim Low arguably went too far the other way as he omitted Leroy Sane from Germany’s World Cup squad filled with the same ageing names from Brazil 2014. The side were a tired, worn out group that struggled immensely in Russia. So, everything in moderation.

Lacazette is a phenomenal player, in fact he’s probably under-rated by those who don’t watch Arsenal regularly. However, Deschamps’ approach can only be respected, as he’s making the France squad his own. He’s not just pooling together a group of the best players he can, he’s considering very carefully who matches his footballing philosophy and building a group of specially selected players to make the best team he can. This can only be great for international football, and what it means to play for your country.

Whichever way you look at it, Rangers need to bring in another 20-goal-a-season forward to partner Alfredo Morelos but Pavol Safranko certainly isn’t that man. Indeed, they could have dodged a bullet if they pull out of the race.

The Daily Record (28/05, p47), via HITC, have reported the Gers board have ruled out bringing the Slovakian to Scotland. Frankly, that’s one of the best moves they’ll make all summer because he’s just not good enough to take Rangers to the title.

He’s scored 12 in 33 appearances on loan at Dundee United this season, which isn’t too shabby, but it’s not the numbers that the Gers are looking for. Simply put, they’ll need to add a significant goal threat if they’re to challenge Celtic next season.

The 24-year-old would need to be scoring around 10 more per-season to be considered to play under the lights of Ibrox. Anything less and bringing him in would be a step sideways in the title race, and the Gers can’t afford to do that next season.

There’s huge pressure on Steven Gerrard to deliver the first major trophy since their return to the top division, and if he doesn’t have the squad he needs to compete, he’s got no chance of succeeding and might as well find himself another job.

They’ve dodged a huge bullet if the board decide not to invest in the £300,000-rated striker. It leaves a space in the squad for a more prolific talent that could fire the Gers all the way to the Scottish Premiership title.

Rangers fans, who do you think your club needs to buy this summer to win the league next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Tottenham, surely, are looking to build a team capable of challenging for the Premier League title for the next 10 years. We’re simply at that stage of this project now. So, to that end, if they can sign Ryan Sessegnon then they’ll be one step closer.

The Fulham left-back has been a revelation over the last two seasons and Football Insider claimed earlier this week that Spurs want to wrap up his arrival before the Champions League Final. Unlikely right now considering its tomorrow, but who can blame them considering the quality and potential he possesses?

Still just 19-years-old and has played 35 times for his club this season. Yes, some of the excitement from last season has died somewhat but they’re pretty good stuff for such a young talent. Despite Fulham’s relegation, he’s proved he can take the pressure of playing in the Premier League and that’s a great sign he could fill Spurs’ left-back position for a decade.

He’s rated at £31.5m on Transfermarkt so he won’t be cheap, but the long-term potential of the player means even that sum would be a bargain. Think about the premiums placed on young, talented and English players, after all.

Fast, strong and has lots of attacking intent, and that’s exactly what the Spurs fans and manager want from their full-backs. Simply put, he’d excite the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and provide the final ball to create assists galore at the highest level.

The Lilywhites have an opportunity to tie down the left-back position for the next decade. By bringing Sessegnon in, they’ll have established stability and quality they haven’t seen down the left since Gareth Bale left.

Spurs fans, who do you think your club should buy this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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It’s official.

Daniel Sturridge will be leaving Liverpool after a six-and-a-half year stay at Anfield, where he has arguably enjoyed the prime years of his career.

After showing flashes of his potential with Chelsea, the England international’s career really took off at Anfield, where he managed to score an impressive 68 goals in 160 appearances, finding the back of the net every 2.4 games on average.

His partnership with Luis Suarez in the 2013/14 season, where Sturridge managed to hit 22 goals in 29 league games as the Reds came within touching distance of the title, was arguably his best campaign as a professional footballer.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

Sadly, injury problems stopped the 29-year-old recording an even more prolific strike rate, although his time as a Liverpool player did end romantically with a Champions League trophy – his second after winning it with Chelsea.

There have been a fair few, but let’s take a look at a handful of Sturridge’s best moments in a Liverpool shirt…

[snack_break title=”Scoring just eight minutes into his debut against Mansfield in the FA Cup”]

Sturridge found the back of the net just minutes into his first ever appearance for Liverpool, netting a well-taken effort against Mansfield in the FA Cup. Not a bad way to start things off.

[snack_break title=”Notching an exquisite double against Everton in the Merseyside derby (Ignore the other bloke)”]

The Englishman was at the top of his game when Everton travelled to Anfield in 2013/14, where Sturridge scored two excellent goals – he could’ve had a hat-trick if he hadn’t missed a late penalty!

[snack_break title=”Scoring a world-class chip vs West Brom to announce himself as a truly top-tier Premier League player”]

This was the strike that truly proved Sturridge was one of the league’s finest forwards and a player brimming with confidence. A shot didn’t even look on, but Liverpool’s No.15 found the top right corner with an audacious chip which worked perfectly.

[snack_break title=”Netting in the Europa League final with a delightful outside-of-the-boot curler”]

Sadly, this goal isn’t remembered as much as it should be after Liverpool lost 3-1. Despite the scoreline, Sturridge’s amazing curler with the outside of his boot was one of the finest goals you’ll see in a cup final.

[snack_break title=”Finally winning a trophy with Liverpool in his last ever game for the club”]

Sturridge’s excellent goalscoring form throughout his time at Liverpool was finally rewarded with silverware at the last possible opportunity. It was the second Champions League title he has won after picking up a medal for Chelsea’s win in 2012.

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s summer revamp is in full swing… at least if you believe the constant speculation regarding incomings and outgoings at Old Trafford. Today’s Manchester United transfer roundup includes Serie A interest in two of the club’s multi-million-pound signings, and a report on an England international United are pursuing.

Roma pursue Fred

According to il Romanista, AS Roma are interested in Brazilian midfielder Fred. The Red Devils paid £52m to Shakhtar Donetsk for the former Internacional player last year, but his first season in the Premier League has not gone to plan, and so the Italian side could offer him a way out. It coincides with the arrival of former Shakhtar boss Paulo Fonseca.

£90m no sweat for Maguire

Despite Leicester City now asking for £90m, United are still interested in Harry Maguire according to the Evening Standard. Whilst this is seen as a huge fee by the club’s hierarchy, Ed Woodward and co have not been put off by the Foxes’ demands. They’re hoping to agree a deal for less than £80m.

Lukaku and Inter agree terms

Inter Milan and Romelu Lukaku have agreed terms, according to Gazzetta Dello Sport journalist Nicolo Schira. The Belgian is Antonio Conte’s top target this summer, and Nerazzurri are prepared to offer €7.5m (£6.7m) a year to the former Everton striker, plus bonuses. United and Inter are still all talks over the transfer details, with United holding out for €70m (£62.4m) for the Belgian.

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New West Brom manager Slaven Bilic will be doing all he can to get his squad ready for the upcoming Championship season, so with that in mind, here is today’s Albion transfer roundup.

It includes a new deal offered to an up-and-coming star, the first signing of the window reportedly completed and an interest in a Premier League defender.

Barry offered three-year deal

According to Express and Star, West Brom have offered 16-year-old Louie Barry the equivalent of a three-year contract to keep him at the club. He has been offered a one-year scholarship and then a two-year professional contract when he turns 17. Barcelona are reportedly interested in the youngster.

Windsor is first signing

The Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard is reporting that West Brom have made their first signing of the season in Owen Windsor. The 17-year-old has reportedly joined on a three-year deal from non-league outfit Cirencester Town.

Jenkinson talks started

West Brom are in talks with Arsenal in regards to the signing of right-back Carl Jenkinson according to Sky Sports News. Jenkinson played just eight games for the Gunners last season and could leave in search of first-team football.

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The life of a professional footballer is no doubt one of hard work and commitment, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get some ace relaxation out of the deal as well.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s latest

/BzI20vTHqjw/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram snap might be all the proof you need for that.

Arsenal’s coveted forward shared a holiday image from the Bahamas and the view, alongside the beach and the sea, was simply incredible. So much so that it attracted the eyes of many other stars, including his teammate Alexandre Lacazette.

Just like the most of us, Lacazette was starstruck by the view Aubameyang had from his balcony and was quick to share his enthusiastic comment with his fellow Gunner.

There were others, both fans and superstars from other sports and regions who felt the same, to no one’s surprise.

Aubameyang has had a wonderful season with Arsenal, scoring 22 goals and assisting further five in 36 league games. Such a performance warrants the relaxation he is clearly very much enjoying.