All posts by h716a5.icu

What a turnaround it has been for Granit Xhaka this season! He has drawn plenty of criticism for his performances by sections of the Arsenal faithful at times during his career at the Emirates Stadium, however, Unai Emery appears to have managed to get the best out of the midfielder.

However, it appears the Switzerland international may not see the Gunners as the club where he ends his career and seems to have left the door open about a potential departure in the future.

What’s the News?

Whilst on international duty, Xhaka was speaking in an interview with Swiss website Tagblatt and looked to suggest that he could look to leave Arsenal soon, claiming the Premier League side did not have to be the ‘last stop’.

“I’m very ambitious, I want to take the next step, Arsenal does not have to be the last stop,” he said.

The Verdict:

As mentioned, Xhaka appears to have turned things around at Arsenal this season and has become one of Emery’s most influential and key figures on the pitch.

A player that was once considered to be a liability at times, the 26-year-old know appears to be extremely solid and consistent in the side, whether he is playing in the midfield or further back, whilst he also appears to have been able to help the team attack at times as well.

Clearly, being given some responsibility as a leader by Emery at the beginning of the campaign appears to have helped with his game. Xhaka now looks extremely mature with his performances and looks to be at one with the Spanish manager’s tactics, something that he rarely was when he was playing for Arsene Wenger.

The level of the performances he has produced is certainly something that will have encouraged Arsenal and their fans, as he is looking as though he will continue to get better with each game that passes by, which makes the news that his future could be elsewhere all the more disappointing.

His comments obviously show that he is ambitious and shows that he has a desire to be winning things, however, it would appear that he does not believe he achieve that at the Gunners.

Arsenal are definitely on an upward trajectory at the moment under Emery and Xhaka will certainly play a key role as time continues to roll on, but, how long he decides he can stay at the Emirates Stadium for remains to be seen.

Arsenal fans, what do you make of Xhaka’s comments about going to the next step? Do you think he can achieve that if he were to remain at the club? Join in with the discussion below by sharing your thoughts with us.

A lot has happened since the 13th of October.

Manchester United have gone from laughing stock of the Premier League to underdogs for the Champions League under club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Zinedine Zidane returned to Real Madrid after Los Blancos were dumped out of Europe by Ajax, and Tottenham actually moved into their stadium after what seems like an eternity of waiting.

The 13th October is also the last time Luton Town lost a game of league football when the Hatters fell to a 3-2 defeat to Barnsley at Oakwood, sending the Tykes to third in the League One table and putting the London side 10th in the table.

Fast forward to now, and Luton are a beast the likes League One have not seen in years.

A 4-0 win against Doncaster Rovers on the weekend made it 28 games unbeaten for Mick Harford’s side and put Luton five points clear of second place Barnsley in the league table, and the Hatters are one of the favourites for automatic promotion to the Championship.

Successive promotions would cap-off a remarkable return to form for Luton, who were in non-league football as early as 2014, but for the fans the real question now is how far can this unbeaten run go on for?

28 games unbeaten is an extraordinary length to go in this era of the game, but Luton fans caught up in the fairytale must realise that one day this streak of no losing will eventually end, as most runs do.

That’s not to say the unbeaten run will signal the end of good times in Luton. If the club is able to secure promotion to the Championship 12 years away from the division it will be on the basis of the 28 games without losing.

This run has not only lifted spirits around the club and created a mythology for Luton fans that will live on for years to come, but it also raises the reputation of the Hatters around the country, meaning next season could see the team be surprise contenders in the Championship.

Luton fans, how long can this unbeaten run go on for?

This summer is all about one thing for Unai Emery, improving the defence.

With Rob Holding out until Christmas at the latest, Laurent Koscielny and Sokratis entering the twilight years of their careers and Shkodran Mustafi being as error-prone as ever this season, Arsenal are in drastic need of a boost in defence.

Names have been thrown about as to whom the Gunners can sign in the summer from Getafe’s Djene Dakonam to Roma’s Kostas Manolas, and the latest player to being brought up is Gremio defender Walter Kannemann.

According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal are interested in the Argentine centre-back who’s release clause is set at £10.2 million, and with the Gunners needing numbers at the back, the 28-year-old could be a steal at that price.

Kannemann, also known as ‘The Viking’, has attracted interest from more than just Arsenal, with the report stating that Independiente, Flamengo and Boca Juniors also interested in the experienced defender.

Arsenal has a good history of bringing in South American talent to the club with the likes of Gilberto Silva and Edu all being hits in north London following their continental moves, but in Kannemann, his age and lack of top-level experience might be too much of a risk for the Gunners.

Emery needs a defender that is young enough so they can develop more at the club, something teams are opting to do nowadays rather than signing the finished product, but also a defender who has already played at the highest of levels in Europe.

Kannemann only has three international caps for his native Argentina, and the highest level of club football the 28-year-old has ever reached is the Copa Libertadores for both Gremio and San Lorenzo, where he won the competition twice.

Signing a defender heading into his thirties that has never played in Europe is a risky move for Arsenal, and although Kannemann would be a steal at £10 million, the Gunners need to find a serious first-team player to solve their defensive problems this summer.

Arsenal fans, what defender do you want to see come to the club summer?

Manchester United’s bane this season has been their shambolic defending.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might’ve slightly improved their defensive strength during the early stages of his previously interim period, yet reality’s hit him hard after being handed the job permanently.

For the second time in as many weeks, the Red Devils fell to a disappointing defeat at Molineux. Granted, Wolves have been their “bogey team”, to whom they drop points to almost regularly, doing so in the midst of a crunch top-four battle was unexpected.

Clearly, the Red Devils started the game with a storm and should’ve scored three goals in the first half-hour. That must be the most frustrating thing for the fans reading this right now, the fact that they’ve looked good enough to win the game, only to have it thrown away.

Under Jose Mourinho, there was no hope to cling onto. Under Solskjaer, it simply slips through their fingers.

Their inability to seal the deal struck them hard, mostly due to individual errors. Wolves sensed their defensive instability and pounced on them, exposing the weakness of the inconsistent Chris Smalling and Ashley Young. If this defeat proved anything, it’s that United need to work on strengthening their defensive quickly.

In the summer, their top-most priority should be bringing in quality defenders. They have some on their radars in Raphael Varane and Kalidou Koulibaly (as per the Independent), along with Aaron Wan-Bissaka (talkSPORT), and unless multiple world-class defenders are brought in, the similar cycle of despair will continue. Smalling and comedy partner in crime Phil Jones are too error-prone and simply not good enough to challenge for a title.

Elsewhere, neither Ashley Young or the departing Antonio Valencia are absolutely not captaincy material.

If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is to take United back into the promised land, he needs to remove the liabilities constantly letting him down and Ed Woodward needs to replace them with big names. There’s the saying that defenders win titles and it’s one which couldn’t be more apt for the Red Devils in such troublesome times.

United fans, which defenders would you want to sign in the summer? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

Middlesbrough are currently on a slippery slope without any brakes, with no sign of their losing streak skidding to a halt and their play-off hopes sliding helplessly by them.

Tony Pulis has lost the confidence of the fans, and it is fast heading towards all out mutiny in the stands.

The one thing that can break the ice between the team and supporters, is wins.

Midfielder, Adam Clayton, is well aware of the frustrated, dissenting voices, and admits it is “not nice to listen to”, but adds that “they have every right” to show their anger.

But he asked for them to stick with the team when he spoke to the Hartlepool Mail before tonight’s crunch game against Bolton.

He said: “I understand that [fans’ unhappiness]. It’s not nice to listen to but supporters love the club and they feel the pain on a poor run like this and they have every right to show that they’re not happy.

“Fans just want to see their club do well. They want to come to the ground as see goals and see the team playing well.

“But there’s not one man in the squad who is not trying. Everyone is giving everything for the cause.

“If we can just get that win and find a spark then Middlesbrough can still be a force in this league and in the play-offs.

“That’s our jobs as players and I know the fans will stay with us if we deliver on that.”

What Boro’ need is a convincing win.

They need to give the fans something to banish memories of the last few weeks, and give them some crumb of hope to take into the final few games of the season.

Despite calls for Pulis to go, tonight is not the time to voice those opinions — not during the game anyway.

But one thing is certain, failure to win tonight — or even worse, a defeat — against a side whose players have not been getting paid and do not even know if they can fulfil all their fixtures through to the end of the season, will take the animosity from the stands to another level.

The fans do their part week after week, tonight, it is time for the manager and players to do their’s.

What are your thoughts ahead of tonight’s game Boro’ fans? Can you still turn your season back around? Let us know your thoughts…

It’s no secret that big changes are being lined up at Rangers this summer and although that could be unsettling for players, fans are excited at that prospect.

Steven Gerrard hasn’t enjoyed the best of seasons in his first-in-charge of the Light Blues but only improvements can be made from him, so long as he gets sufficient backing over the summer. New faces will be largely beneficial to Gerrard and his team, with each capable of bringing new ideas and talents to the team.

Whilst securing second spot in the league, it’s about time Rangers went one step further and beat Celtic to the title for the first time since 2011.

The services of a talented defender will have to be acquired in order to fulfil that ambition and reigniting their interest in Bournemouth’s Jack Simpson wouldn’t be a bad idea at all. Simpson, (who is valued at £450k on Transfermarkt) was a player of interest – according to the Sunday Mail via the Scottish Sun back in August – to Rangers last summer but after a deal failed to materialise, the two went their separate ways.

For Jack Simpson, it’s been yet another season of false hope with only six appearances to his name.

As a highly-rated 22-year-old, it goes without saying that he needs more time on the pitch than that. Why not offer him the chance to do that at one of the biggest clubs in Europe?

Indeed, with Joe Worrall returning to Nottingham Forest and Gareth McAuley out of contract, the need for a new defender at Ibrox is obvious and that is a role Jack Simpson can fulfil. Yes, it’s an ambitious move but that’s the thinking required to get the club back on the up.

A big money move for Hearts star John Souttar has been touted but why waste the money? Gerrard needs short-term success if he’s going to wholly convince during his time in Glasgow and cannot afford not to win a trophy. Save the money, get a loan in and work on strengthening the attack.

Rangers fans, are you still interested in Jack Simpson? If not, why not? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

There are very few clubs in English football whose supporters would react to an impending relegation in a similar fashion to those at Bradford City.

Despite the fact that the Bantams are expected to be playing in the fourth tier for the first time in six years, rather than turning their back on their side, fans have instead flocked to get their season tickets. According to the Telegraph and Argus, Gary Bowyer’s side have already sold 13,108 despite the new season still being four months away.

Although it is fair to point out the fact that the pricing of the ticket (£150) would have been one of the main reasons for the club’s fans to commit to the new campaign, it is overwhelmingly clear that Bradford now need to repay them for their loyalty.

In order to do this, Bowyer must be given the necessary funds to build his own squad of players when the transfer window opens in June. Since the 47-year-old’s arrival at Valley Parade last month, he has inherited a team which lacks quality in all areas and if he is not given the opportunity to address this in the summer, the likelihood of success next season will not be high whatsoever.

Relegation to League Two can typically go one of three ways if previous history is anything to go by. Whereas some sides thrive in the fourth tier and achieve immediate promotion, others have to rebuild over a number of years whilst the third scenario is one that Bradford will want to avoid at all costs.

Both Chesterfield and Leyton Orient both suffered terrible transitions when they went down in recent years which resulted in them falling out of the Football League altogether. Given the fact that the Bantams were a Premier League club just 18 years ago, it would be a disaster if they follow in the footsteps of the Spireites and the O’s.

Not only would it throw the club into financial difficulty but it would also test the resolve of their supporters who have backed them throughout the tough times and are in desperate need of some positivity next season.

What do you think Bradford fans? How important is it that Bowyer is given the sufficient funds to build in the summer? Are you concerned ahead of next season? Get in touch below.

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This week at West Brom has once again been dominated by manager talk. Alex Neil signed a new deal with Preston which the Baggies followed up by appointing James Shan until the end of the season.

Then on Thursday, the club confirmed the appointment of Steven Reid as a member of Shan’s coaching staff.

In the build-up to the announcement and following the confirmation, West Brom fans have been crying out for former striker Kevin Phillips to return.

West Brom have been planning to add two people to help Shan for the rest of the season and Baggies supporters seem to have a preference.

One fan said that all would be forgiven if they brought back the 45-year-old.

Another supporter claimed that adding Reid and Phillips to the coaching team would be quality additions.

Was Darren Moore’s sacking unfair? The Pl>ymaker FC squad name which Championship bosses should have gone instead in the video below…

Phillips played for the club for two seasons between 2006 and 2008, scoring 46 goals in 80 games. He also helped them to win the Championship in the 2007/08 season.

Here’s the best of the reaction from Twitter.

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Moussa Sissoko could be fit to play for Tottenham Hotspur against Ajax in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, per the club’s official website, to the delight of the club’s fans.

The France international has been integral to the hopes of Mauricio Pochettino’s side this season, having been transformed under the Argentine’s management.

Sissoko has played 39 times in all competitions but sustained a groin injury in the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City.

He subsequently missed the Premier League win over Brighton & Hove Albion as well as the defeat to West Ham United on Saturday.

But he will be assessed ahead of the clash with the Dutch giants and could be involved as Mauricio Pochettino’s side look to reach their first European final of the modern era.

And fans believe he has an integral role to play as Spurs look to achieve history against Ajax over two legs.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

There cannot be too many players in Middlesbrough’s illustrious history who can rival the impact that Stewart Downing has made during his 12-year association with the club.

The former England international burst onto the footballing scene as a teenager with the Smoggies and went on to help his side win their first ever major trophy in 2004 as they defeated Bolton Wanderers 2-1 in the League Cup before eventually leaving the Riverside Stadium five years later to join Aston Villa.

After spells at Liverpool and West Ham United, Downing moved back to North Yorkshire in 2015 and has since made over 150 appearances in all competitions for his boyhood club.

However, despite being worshipped by the club’s supporters for his contributions over the years, it may be time for Tony Pulis to bring in a replacement for the 34-year-old in the summer as he has been relatively ineffective this season.

With Boro being linked with a swoop for Celtic winger Scott Sinclair, (according to The Sun), it could be worth bringing in him, especially when you consider that he will be available for a cut-price fee in the summer despite the reigning Scottish champions opting to trigger a one year extension to his current deal on Thursday (via the Scottish Sun).

Since moving to the Hoops in 2016, the 30-year-old has arguably enjoyed the best spell of his career to date and has been extremely impressive this season, scoring 17 goals in all competitions whilst also providing six assists for his team-mates.

Having been part of a Celtic side who have dominated football in Scotland in recent years, the £3.6m-rated ace (via Transfermarkt) may be seeking a new challenge.

Therefore, regardless of what division they find themselves in next season, Boro should do all they can to convince him to move south of the border as he could provide the attacking threat that they have been missing this year.

What do you think Smoggies fans? Should Pulis try to secure the services of Sinclair in the summer? Or should he steer clear of the 30-year-old? Let us know below.