What an effort: Aston Villa fans loved Whelan’s performance against Bristol City

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Aston Villa made it eight straight Championship wins with a 2-1 success over Bristol City at the weekend.

And the Villa fans loved what they saw from Glenn Whelan on the afternoon.

The 35-year-old will see his contract expire this summer, but showed that he can still perform at Championship level with a fine display against the Robins.

According to Villa’s official Twitter account, the 5 ft 11 ace ‘made more recoveries than any other player on Saturday’, which was eight.

Meanwhile, WhoScored have the midfielder down as winning three aerial duels.

It has been some run of form from Villa in recent weeks and Dean Smith’s side are seemingly going to take some stopping in the playoffs.

Whelan has not always had the full support of the club’s fans this season, but many loved what they saw from the Dublin-born midfielder on Saturday afternoon.

A selection of the best Twitter reaction can be seen below:

تقارير: مانشستر سيتي يراقب ناجلسمان تحسبًا لرحيل جوارديولا

يحظى مدرب فريق لايبزيج الألماني، يوليان ناجلسمان باهتمام نادي مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي، في ظل الغموض الذي يكتنف مستقبل المدرب بيب جوارديولا، في ملعب الاتحاد.

ومن المقرر أن ينتهي العقد الحالي لـ جوارديولا مع مانشستر سيتي، في عام 2021.

ولم يتوصل بيب إلى أي اتفاق مع إدارة مانشستر سيتي، حتى الآن، بشأن تمديد إقامته في الفريق مما أدى إلى انتشار التكهنات حول مستقبله.

وحسب صحيفة “تليجراف” الإنجليزية، فإن ناجلسمان مدرب لايبزيج يحظى بقدر من الاهتمام لدى مسؤولي نادي مانشستر سيتي.

وأفادت أن مانشستر سيتي يراقب ناجلسمان في لايبزيج عن كثب، خاصة إذا قرر جوارديولا عدم تمديد عقده والرحيل بنهاية الموسم الحالي.

وسبق أن أثنى ناجلسمان على جوارديولا، واصفًا إياه بالنموذج الذي يُحتذى به.

وسطع نجم ناجلسمان مع لايبزيج، ليس في الدوري الألماني فقط بل في دوري أبطال أوروبا أيضًا، بعد قيادته الفريق الموسم الماضي إلى نصف نهائي البطولة حيث خسر أمام باريس سان جيرمان بثلاثية نظيفة.

Huddersfield Town fans back chairman on Twitter after big statement

[ad_pod ]Warm Huddersfield Town fans on Twitter have been drooling over the latest club announcement, a statement from well-liked chairman Dean Hoyle.Hoyle spoke after the Terriers’ relegation from the Premier League back to the Sky Bet Championship was confirmed with defeat at Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.As well as discussing the future and the way that the season has unfortunately panned out for the Yorkshire team, the 51-year-old addressed rumours about the future of new manager Jan Siewert.

He gave the German, who has failed in his almost-impossible task of keeping Town afloat, his full backing and reiterated that he believes Siewert is the right man to take the side forward.

The bulk of Huddersfield supporters were clearly delighted with the news and the way that Hoyle had addressed them so openly, with one calling him the “best chairman in football” and another joyfully putting “bring on next season.”

Check out those and the rest of the best reactive Tweets to the statement below…

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Moussa Sissoko needs to emulate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain if Spurs are to beat Manchester City

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Spurs face a tough task of playing Manchester City over two legs in the Champions League this month. If Tottenham are to have any success they need to look at what Liverpool did last season when they eliminated the Premier League champions from Europe’s top competition.

The Reds have been the only team to beat Pep Guardiola’s side on a regular basis since the Spaniard took charge and that can partly be attributed to the role of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s role

Deployed in central midfield, the England international never stopped running against City and was constantly harrying their back line, in turn creating chances for his team by forcing the opposition to give away possession in dangerous areas.

This was never more evident than in Liverpool’s win in the first leg; the Ox pressed their midfield and backline intently, forcing them into mistakes and misplaced passes which allowed his team to race into a 3-0 lead, the second goal coming courtesy of Chamberlain himself.

Check out the latest hilarious video by 442oons in the video below…

Sissoko’s duties

Moussa Sissoko needs to have studied this performance in preparation for the upcoming games in the Champions League. The Frenchman possesses the speed, physical presence and stamina to complete this role to a high standard and that is exactly what Spurs need to win on Tuesday night.

Sissoko must press high and run for the full 90 minutes in the same way his Liverpool counterpart did 12 months ago. He has to be a nuisance for City as they try to play out of the back, and find positive passes whenever he wins the ball.

It is easier said than done as the reigning Premier League champions are likely to have learnt from their mistakes last year and will have planned for this very scenario as soon as the draw was made.

As of this match though the only team who have found a way to beat Guardiola’s City on a consistent basis is Klopp’s outfit, and the role that Oxlade-Chamberlain played in those wins was vital.

Pochettino would be a fool not to attempt duplicating that role with Sissoko for these fixtures. The Frenchman has all the attributes required to shut down City in the same way the Liverpool star did this time last year and it would be a waste to not deploy him in the same manner.

Sign him up: West Brom fans react as James Shan shows off his football technique

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At the moment it appears as though James Shan can do no wrong. Having masterminded a 4-1 last weekend over Preston, the 40-year-old was then made West Brom manager until the end of the season.

And in the build-up to the busy Easter Bank Holiday fixtures, the Baggies boss was filmed in training taking part in his own crossbar challenge, striking a wonderful left-footed effort back off the upright.

It provoked quite the response from West Brom fans as one fan urged the club to now announce him as player-manager.

A further individual claimed he was after Chris Brunt’s spot who of course is renowned for his dead ball technique. Another was quick to compare Shan to the great Zinedine Zidane.

Unfortunately for Shan, his playing career never took off, initially spending a small period in Walsall’s youth academy. However, looking at the footage perhaps a club should have taken a gamble on him when he was younger.

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Either way, the Albion manager’s focus will now be firmly on getting them promoted with the club sitting in the play-offs.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

Rangers fans react as Stewart deal edges closer

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Loads of Rangers fans have been running the rule over their latest transfer target, as the Gers reportedly want to sign Aberdeen loanee Greg Stewart.

According to The Daily Record, Stewart’s move to Ibrox is “edging closer”, as the club have stepped up their pursuit of the forward in the last 24 hours.

Stewart, who has joined Aberdeen on loan in January, will be out of contract this summer, effectively making him a bargain regardless of what wages are on offer.

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The Birmingham ace has spent time with four different Scottish sides now, but has only managed to rack up 22 appearances in England since joining the Blues in 2016.

This, combined with the fact that he has not exactly been a sure-fire starter with the Dons this season, has got plenty of Gers fans turning their noses up at the prospect of bringing him to Glasgow.

However, the forward does possess that little bit of craft and guile that could help Steven Gerrard’s side unlock deep defences, something they have struggled with this season.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans are split on moving for Stewart…

Injury News: Spurs receive the Harry Kane update they were fearing

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Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Harry Kane will miss the second leg of Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League semi-final against Ajax, per Football.London.

What’s the word?

Kane sustained ankle ligament damage in Spurs’ quarter-final first leg tie against Manchester City and subsequently missed the decisive leg at the Etihad Stadium.

Spurs, of course, progressed thanks to a controversial 4-3 loss on the night, qualifying for the semi-final against Ajax.

Hopes among fans have been high that Kane may return before the end of the season but Pochettino, after some help from assistant Jesus Perez, confirmed on Monday that it is almost impossible for the England captain to play in the Netherlands.

Quoted by Football.London, Pochettino said: “He’s doing well. He’s working, starting to run a little bit inside.

“His rehab is so good but we cannot create any ideas that after we cannot maybe achieve.

“The most important thing is he’s good and in a good place, so focused and we see what happens, we assess him every day. We are happy but we will see.

“Is there chance he could play in the second leg?

“No chance Jesus? Jesus says no chance.”

Saving him for the final

Spurs may well be saving Kane for the unlikely eventuality that they are in the Champions League final.

They have to negotiate a tricky two-legged tie with the Dutch giants first; Ajax have already knocked out both Real Madrid and Juventus in this season’s competition.

Spurs are undoubtedly underdogs but rushing Kane back makes little sense if their eyes are on the bigger prize.

After all, they will surely need him if they take on either Liverpool or Barcelona in Madrid.

Their hopes of completing one of the most dramatic European triumphs may rest on it.

The Chalkboard: Woodrow’s renewed purpose is key to Barnsley’s promotion charge

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In England there has been a tendency to overhype young players. Cauley Woodrow was once someone who received that treatment. The striker made his Luton debut just 12 days after his 16th birthday and three years later found himself making his Premier League bow for Fulham.

A series of loan spells followed but the now 24-year-old never really found a way to get his career off and running.

However, the 2018/19 season has proven to be different for the Hemel Hempstead-born player. He’s managed to find consistency, changing his game to become a key figure in the Daniel Stendel regime at Barnsley.

And after scoring against Coventry last weekend, he only proved his worth once more to the Tykes.

Key to promotion

In 29 matches this season, Woodrow has 15 goals, 12 of which have come in League One. Barnsley needed a goalscorer and after struggling to find the net on a regular basis in the Championship last season had to look elsewhere.

Step forward the former Fulham man. He initially signed on loan from the recently relegated Premier League club last summer, but his move to Oakwell was made permanent in January. Having a settled club has benefitted Woodrow considerably, who rather than potentially playing for a contract at the Cottagers has his sights firmly focused on his current team.

But this season looked as though it would be another typical one for the forward. He didn’t play until November 2018 because of injury but he’s bounced back in some style since.

Career turnaround

What is it about his game that’s changed? Well, he’s certainly benefitted from the confidence Stendel has in his players. He’s generated a fantastic atmosphere around the club and Woodrow is someone who has fed off of that tremendously.

Before finding the net against Coventry on Saturday, he’d gone four matches without scoring. In the past, he may have dwelled on that but a renewed attitude and sense of composure in front of goal is what has seen him stand out so often this term.

He’s become more resilient and most of all, at such a young age, a leader. Speaking to The Yorkshire Post in February after the Reds beat Wycombe, Stendel said: “He takes his responsibility and played very well. He is a leader in our team.”

With Barnsley being closely followed in the race for promotion by Portsmouth and Sunderland, they will need Woodrow’s renewed purpose and attitude more than ever.

Tottenham fans on Twitter blast ex-target Leicester City’s James Maddison

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Tottenham Hotspur fans on Twitter have been blasting ex-target James Maddison this weekend, as the England man starred in Leicester City’s Premier League victory over Arsenal.

The 22-year-old has enjoyed an impressive maiden English top-flight season with the Foxes, scoring seven goals and collecting seven assists in 34 appearances.

And now Spurs supporters, perhaps aggrieved that their club are yet to sign the attacking midfield talent and angry about his past of being an Arsenal fan, are slating him on social media.

Their arguments seem to centre around the quality of the player, how much they claim to not want him plying his trade at White Hart Lane anytime soon and the fact that he was a boyhood Gunners supporter.

One wrote “no better than anything we have,” whilst others commented about how much Maddison, valued at £27 million by Transfermarkt, reminds them of ex-Lilywhite David Bentley, how he’s a “poor man’s Aaron Ramsey”, they “can’t stand him” and “he’s a Gonner anyway.”

Check out the pick of their Tweets taking aim at the former Norwich City sensation, below…

Spurs have to do all they can to keep star man following Man United update: Opinion

Spurs are looking like they are set to make their new home a fortress to be reckoned with based on their performances there so far.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men have been putting on some displays for their home fans, and are on the brink of a place in the Champions League semi-finals if they can ensure they do the business in the return leg against Manchester City.

However, the summer looks set to once again be a big one for the club, with a host of their top stars being eyed up by some of Europe’s biggest and best clubs.

One man who could be on his way out if Manchester United get their way is midfielder Christian Eriksen, who could be set to be offered triple his wages if the Old Trafford club can convince Spurs to agree to the sale of the Denmark star.

We here in the Tavern though feel that Spurs need to be meeting any approaches for Eriksen with a resounding no if they are to continue to build and grow as a serious force in the Premier League.

Eriksen has been in superb form ever since he made the move into the English game, and he has really developed his craft to become one of the finest attacking midfield players in all of Europe.

If he was to move on to United, there is little doubt he would settle in nicely and improve things for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men, but it would be Spurs who would be left counting the cost of seeing one of their brightest and best talents being lost to a rival.

Some players are simply irreplaceable, and Eriksen falls right into this mould for Spurs given everything he offers to the cause.

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