All posts by z3u9t.icu

Sheffield Wednesday’s sensational run of results since Steve Bruce took charge has seen the Hillsborough club dreaming of a play-off spot that looked impossible at the turn of the year.

Unbeaten in 12 Championship games, the Owls have come from nowhere to become the team no one wants to face, as they continue their march towards the top six.

Bruce told the Sheffield Wednesday official website he has urged the players to “enjoy the roller-coaster” and challenged them to “grasp” the unexpected play-off opportunity.

He said: “I’ve said to the players, we’ll dust ourselves down now, digest what’s ahead of us and see where we can go.

“We have got some big games here to look forward to and let’s hope we can come out on top.

“Let’s enjoy the roller-coaster and grasp it if we possibly can.

“With eight games to go, we’re going to need to win six of them probably, can we do it? We’ll try.”

The Owls were 17th in the Championship when Bruce took over, and it is testament to the job he has done that they currently sit 10th — only two points off the final play-off position.

But it will not be easy for Wednesday, with the Championship promotion race being the most open and exciting tussle for years, and Bruce’s men must to go to third placed Leeds and leaders Norwich on consecutive weekends in April.

The manager gave credit to his players for their attitude and working “tirelessly” since he arrived, claiming that both they, and the backroom staff have all “bought into what we are trying to do”

Bruce said: “Fair play to the players who have bought into what we are trying to do and also my staff, the ones I’ve inherited and the ones I’ve brought with me.

“They’ve worked tirelessly to turn the situation around and we’ve now given ourselves a chance and if you ask most sensible people a couple of months ago, they would say we’re not capable.”

With confidence being sky-high at the club — both on and off the pitch — and the run they have put together, you would not bet against Wednesday fulfilling their play-off dream.

But with the automatic promotion race currently a three-way shoot-out, those two games at Leeds and Norwich are likely to prove the stumbling block, with the pair certain to still have everything to play for.

But it does beg the question: Just where might they be if Bruce had taken the role immediately after it was offered to him, without delaying it until February?

Of course, health comes first, but it could still be a question of what could have been.

What are your thoughts Wednesday fans? Will you make the play-offs? Do you wish Bruce had not delayed his start at the club? Let us know below…

West Ham United could be set to sell Jordan Hugill for a fee of £5million in the summer, per Claret and Hugh.

The striker joined the club in a £10m deal from Preston North End in January 2018 but the Irons are reportedly ready to cut their losses when the transfer window reopens.

What’s the word?

Hugill has played for the Hammers three times and has never featured for more than 10 minutes in a competitive game – an epic transfer flop if there ever was one.

Since moving to the London Stadium, he has been loaned to Middlesbrough, scoring seven goals in 34 games.

And Claret and Hugh claim that manager Tony Pulis does not particularly want to keep Hugill at the Riverside Stadium.

Nevertheless, the report states that, should Boro change their mind, the Premier League club would be willing to accept between £4m and £5m for a permanent switch.

The 26-year-old also struggled for goals at Preston, scoring 30 times in over 110 appearances for the Deepdale club.

A regretful incident

The deal for Hugill was a ridiculous one from the outset.

David Moyes secured the deal during his time at the London Stadium.

Hugill did not and does not appear ready to make a breakthrough in east London and is a prime example of a player who is adept at playing in the second-tier but not in the top-flight.

This summer, the Hammers should focus on promoting a player from the youth team, such as Toni Martinez, instead of taking such a punt.

Their transfer strategy has been scattergun in recent years and West Ham should ensure that they are more focused this time around.

Manuel Pellegrini cannot afford to be saddled with another flop from the beginning of next season.

Celtic are in an unusual position going into this weekend’s Old Firm clash, having lost the last game between the pair — their first defeat in the fixture since March 2012, a run of 15 games.

With one hand already on the title trophy — a win this weekend will see them have a 13 point lead with only 21 available — so beating Rangers is, in many ways, the only unfinished business remaining in the league this season.

Rangers have enjoyed their December victory for the last few weeks, and Celtic will be looking to set the record straight against the blue half of Glasgow on Sunday.

Revenge will be uppermost in the minds of Neil Lennon’s side, according to former Celtic striker, Charlie Nicholas, as they try to expel the hurt they feel from losing the last one.

He told Sky Sports: “This is a very special football match.

“Celtic are hurting after Rangers finally got that win over them but it was the manner of the win. Rangers looked like challengers then. Unfortunately for Rangers, that’s disappeared and it’s falling apart.

“Celtic will be hurting from the defeat. The way that Rangers celebrated after waiting so long to get a victory – I can understand that. But revenge is in the air. Celtic will want to cement this title. The gap and the merit is there, Celtic have earned the right to go and bully Rangers a little bit.”

Nicholas, no stranger to big derby matches, having played in both the Old Firm and North London varieties, believes that a win will “go a long way” towards Lennon being given the Celtic hot-seat on a permanent basis for a second time.

“They haven’t done spectacularly well but they’ve been winning games

“Neil [Lennon] is a bright guy – he won’t panic. People are jumping on his case for his over the top celebrations but why wouldn’t he react like that? He wants the Celtic job and this game on Sunday – if he wins it – will go a long way on him getting the job.”

It promises to be an exciting game at Celtic Park on Sunday. The added ingredient of Rangers having won the previous meeting will ramp the atmosphere up, and is likely to spice things up on the pitch too, if it needed anything extra anyway.

Celtic will go into the game as odds-on favourites, and rightly so.

Rangers still have to cast a cautious eye behind them, while Celtic’s dominant position atop the table means they will be playing with less pressure looming over them than Steven Gerrard’s team.

Three points will see the title retained for Celtic — realistically, even if not mathematically — and that incentive, along with the revenge factor will lead to a comfortbale win for Lennon and Co.

What are your thoughts ahead of the Old Firm game this weekend, Celtic fans? Do you see any way your team can slip up? Let us know below…

It has been a roller-coaster of a year for Steve Bruce hasn’t it?

The 58-year-old started the campaign in charge of Aston Villa with many expecting the Midlands-based outfit to be challenging for automatic promotion after narrowly missing out on promotion to the Premier League last season. However, a poor run of results for Bruce’s side culminated in him being dismisses as manager in October with Dean Smith taking over for the Lions.

After spending three months away from football, the former Hull City boss was appointed by Sheffield Wednesday and was tasked with turning the club’s season around. Since taking charge of his first game in February, the Owls have yet to lose a game and are now within four points of the play-off position despite being 11th in the Championship standings.

With seven games left to play, Wednesday know that if they avoid any slip-ups and embark on a stunning run of form, they could sneak into the top-six. However, a defeat on Saturday against Bruce’s former side could bring a premature end to their dreams of a return to Wembley Stadium after three years away.

In what is a game that could end up defining their season, it is important that the Owls do not get caught up in all the emotion at Hillsborough and instead keep their cool. Indeed, Bruce will want nothing more than to get revenge on the team who gave him his marching orders earlier this season but he will know that his side will have to be on top form in order to prevail at the weekend.

It could be argued that Villa, who are currently just inside the play-off positions, will have more pressure on them to succeed than Wednesday whose hopes of finishing in the top-six are still somewhat of a long-shot. If this is the case, Bruce’s side should use their underdog status to their advantage by channelling the confidence they have gained over the past two months to secure yet another promising result.

What do you think Owls fans? Is it important that your players keep their cool at the weekend? How much of an improvement have you seen since Bruce took over in February? Get in touch below.

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According to The Sun, Everton are considering selling number one goalkeeper Jordan Pickford at the end of the 2018-19 campaign.

What’s the word, then?

Pickford joined Everton from Sunderland in July 2017 and has made 81 appearances for the Merseyside outfit in all competitions.

The 25-year-old was one of England’s star players en route to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, but his form for Everton this season has been inconsistent at absolute best.

Meanwhile, a recent video published on social media showed Pickford seemingly engaging in an altercation outside a Sunderland pub, which has angered head coach Marco Silva.

According to The Sun, Pickford is now facing a fight to save his future at the club with Everton considering selling the Englishman in this summer’s transfer window, valuing him at £50m.

Meanwhile, The Mirror have claimed that Manchester United could move for the stopper if they lose David de Gea at the end of the 2018-19 campaign.

Should Everton get rid of Pickford?

The 6 foot 1 shot-stopper deserves huge credit for his performances at the 2018 World Cup, whilst he has had a number of fine games for Everton.

A lot of the goalkeeper’s work for the Toffees has been erratic, though, and if a club – potentially Man United – comes up with a big-money offer this summer then there is no question that the Merseyside club should take it.

Indeed, Pickford has only kept 23 clean sheets in his 81 appearances for Everton, whilst he has managed just 11 Premier League shutouts this term, featuring in every minute of the Toffees’ top flight campaign.

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With time, the 17-cap international might become one of the best goalkeepers in Europe, but if an offer of anywhere near £50m were to arrive this summer then Everton should jump at the chance to cash in.

To be honest, it is unlikely that the Man United fans would be too enthused with the idea of Pickford replacing De Gea between the sticks.

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Loads of Celtic fans have been giving their verdict on the latest  managerial candidate to do the rumour rounds – Belgium boss Roberto Martinez.

Celtic fans are riding a rollercoaster of emotions as they hunt for a new manager, as it seems like every day there is a different name in the mix.

Marco Rose has been confirmed as the new Borussia Mönchengladbach boss so that rules the 42 year-old out of the Parkhead gig, and Andre Villas-Boas does not seem like the right fit either, despite fans yearning for him on Twitter.

Callum McGregor said this week he hopes Neil Lennon keeps the job if they win the treble, but Martinez now appears to be the favourite to take over.

As reported by Celtic Bible, the Spaniard is the odds-on favourite to replace Lennon, with Paddy Power slashing odds down to 4/11 at time of writing.

It should be noted that “next manager” odds tend to fluctuate with even the most tenuous rumour, but that hasn’t stopped Celtic fans spreading the rumours like wildfire.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans are split on the Belgium boss…

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Loads of Celtic fans have been reacting to a tweet from the club, as the Bhoys wished Kristoffer Ajer a happy 21st birthday.

It’s easy to forget Ajer is so young such is the quality and maturity of his recent performances, but not long ago the defender may have been heading towards the scrapheap.

After the Bhoys were knocked out of the Champions League, all of Brendan Rodgers’ centre back options were in fans’ bad books, but they have gradually redeemed themselves throughout the season.

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Dedryck Boyata was superb until his injury while Jozo Simunovic put in one of his best ever Celtic performances last weekend.

No one has impressed more than Ajer though, who is finally starting to fulfil the potential that convinced the club to sign him as a teenager back in 2016.

The now 21 year-old has made 39 appearances in all competitions this season, adding one goal and one assist, and his composure playing the ball out from defence is a breathe of fresh air.

After the club tweeted a birthday message to the young Norwegian international on Wednesday, fans were quick to heap praise on their rising star.

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

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Barry Ferguson does not expect Steven Gerrard to spend big this summer, but claims the Rangers boss will be very busy in the transfer market.

What’s the word?

This summer is absolutely crucial for Rangers. After Gerrard brought in a whopping 15 new signings last year, the boss should know by now who is capable of taking the club forward and who is not.

Signings like Borna Barisic, Eros Grezda, and Gareth McAuley have been pretty disastrous, but the likes of Connor Goldson and Ryan Kent have been huge hits.

Looking ahead to this summer, Ferguson gave his verdict to PLZ Soccer on what the gaffer needs: “The Rangers squad does need investment. There has certainly been steps going forward. He’s made some good signings, some signings not so good but that’s football.

“I think it’s a big summer for the manager, and he needs funds. I don’t think he will get tens of millions, but I do think they’ll back him. Dave King has already said he would. If they identify a player, Rangers will try to sign him.”

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Change of plan

Ferguson is absolutely right to assume the club will be active in the market again, but it should be a different strategy to their last big overhaul.

The scattergun approach of last summer worked when there were several issues in the squad that needed addressing, but this year we should see a more focused effort on a few specific positions.

Instead of spending £1m to £2m on nobodies like Grezda and Barisic, Gerrard would be better served just signing a few players at key positions like centre back, left back and right wing, but spending more on each individual arrival.

Ferguson’s belief that Dave King will actually back the gaffer should be music to fans’ ears, but they cannot afford another hit and miss summer.

It is now or never for Middlesbrough and their hopes of securing a play-off place in the Championship.

Tony Pulis’ side are currently seventh in the league standings but are level of points with Derby County and know that if they can win their final two matches against Reading and Rotherham United, they may be able to extend their season past the 46-game mark.

Although the Smoggies will be confident of securing maximum points against a pair of teams who are both at threat of being relegated to the third tier, it is inevitable that one player, in particular, will have to be at his very best over the next week.

By far the most influential character at the Riverside Stadium, Darren Randolph has been nothing short of sensational for Middlesbrough this season with his outstanding level of consistency earning him a deserved place in the Professional Footballers’ Association’s Championship Team of the Year (via Sky Sports).

The Republic of Ireland international has kept a remarkable total of 19 clean sheets in 44 appearances for his side this season which has only been bettered by Sheffield United’s Dean Henderson (20).

However, whereas the Blades ‘keeper has played in a side boasting the likes of Billy Sharp, David McGoldrick and Oliver Norwood, it could be argued that Randolph is the most important player for Middlesbrough as, without him, they would be nowhere the play-off places.

Therefore, given the impact that the 31-year-old has made since joining from West Ham United in 2017, it is imperative that Pulis does everything in his power to keep him at the club next season.

Despite being contracted until 2021, the £4.05m-rated shot-stopper (via Transfermarkt) could be the subject of considerable interest in the summer due to his stunning performances for Middlesbrough and may have his head turned if his side miss out on the play-offs.

With the Smoggies’ future heavily reliant on whether Randolph stays at the club, it may be beneficial for Pulis to deter interest from elsewhere by offering him an extension to his current deal at the end of the season.

What do you think Smoggies fans? How important is it to keep Randolph at the Riverside in the summer? Would you still be in play-off contention without his contributions? Let us know below.

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Youri Tielemans has been fantastic for Leicester since arriving on loan from Monaco in January. He started life under Claude Puel superbly, but now he’s taken himself to another level with Brendan Rodgers at the helm.

There has been speculation over the Belgian’s future with Arsenal and Tottenham being revealed to be in the race to sign him this summer, according to The Daily Star.

However, after comments made by Gary Neville claiming the Foxes would struggle to hold onto the player, Leicester supporters have taken aim at the former Manchester United man. They were responding to a thread on Twitter after an article on the Leicester Mercury website.

One fan asked what the situation had to do with the Sky Pundit, whilst another told the former Man United man to not be such a misery.

A further supporter went as far as saying the pundit’s views were dinosaur thinking, slamming the remarks made by the ex-player on television last Sunday.

Tielemans has been a revelation since setting foot in the Midlands, scoring three goals and assisting a further four.

Here’s the best of the reaction.