Sunderland fans have pretty much given up on their side escaping relegation, and are now suggesting replacing the first team with schoolchildren.
Chris Coleman’s side fell to yet another home defeat on Saturday as Preston North End left Sunderland with just about the easiest three points they’ll ever get on their travels.
Chelsea loanee Jake Clarke-Salter was sent off for the Black Cats, and goals from Sean Maguire and Callum Robinson gave the visitors a comfortable 2-0 win.
Sunderland are still in with a shot of escaping the drop thanks to the form of teams around them, but fans don’t seem to be holding much hope of a revival.
The Black Cats travel to Derby after the international break before hosting Sheffield Wednesday, and fans have come up with an interesting suggestion to get some better performances.
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The club posted some pictures of Chris Coleman and his backroom staff visiting Ryhope Junior School on Tuesday, and let’s just say the fans don’t seem to think the kids will learn too much from it.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
Leeds fans have been mocking Pierre-Michel Lasogga after training pictures showed the German in good spirits despite his goal drought.
When Lasogga joined Leeds on loan last summer, fans must have thought they’d hit the jackpot. By the end of September, the big German had three goals and three assists, including an incredible opening day display against Burton Albion.
Following goals against Bristol City and Derby County in October, fans could look forward to the Christmas period safe in the knowledge they had a true goalscorer in their team.
A thigh injury kept the 26 year-old out for most of November though, and since then he has scored just five goals, and none of them have resulted in a win for Leeds.
Paul Heckingbottom has turned to Caleb Ekuban in recent weeks, something that hasn’t gone down particularly well with fans either. Still, fans are mercilessly mocking Lasogga after the club posted training pictures on Wednesday, mainly because of the use of the word “pace” in the tweet.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
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Chelsea will be doing some soul searching this week after losing their first top flight fixture to Tottenham at Stamford Bridge since 1990. Not only does the defeat represent how their London rivalry has balanced out in recent years, but it also essentially ends their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
The west Londoners actually started the match on the front foot, looking potent on the counter-attack and finding the net through Alvaro Morata. But Christian Eriksen’s superb effort from long range was a real turning point and it was Tottenham who moved into the ascendancy, eventually claiming a 3-1 win as Dele Alli scored twice in the second 45 minutes.
Earlier this week, we asked Chelsea fans to issue player ratings for each of the individuals involved in the defeat. Here’s a rundown of the three starters who disappointed them most vs Tottenham, picking up the lowest average ratings…
Victor Moses – 3.9: He provided the assist for Morata’s goal with a cross that perplexed Hugo Lloris but the Nigerian international overall failed to take advantage of the space he was allowed down the right flank, particularly in the first half when Tottenham’s build-up play became increasingly narrow. Gave the ball away for Eriksen’s goal and was eventually hauled off for Olivier Giroud in a late formation change from Antonio Conte.
Eden Hazard – 3.6: Still finished the match with six created chances to his name, but Eden Hazard’s impact was nonetheless minimal compared to his usual standards, failing to once test Lloris despite the Frenchman’s early error. The Belgian’s influence waned as the game went on and he struggled to provide that moment of magic Chelsea desperately needed in such an important game.
Cesc Fabregas – 2.9: It was an incredibly difficult outing for the former Arsenal captain who struggled to find room in a congested midfield and failed to provide adequate protection for the three central defenders behind him. Finished up with more tackles than created chances, which pretty much sums up how Fabregas never really found a way of utilising his greatest assets – his passing and vision – against the Lilywhites.
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Real Madrid are willing to sell Dani Ceballos to Liverpool as long as the Premier League club agree to a buy-back clause, according to Don Balon.
What’s the story?
Liverpool may be in the market for a midfielder this summer due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of Emre Can.
The Germany international will come to the end of his current contract this summer, and fans are not convinced that he will pen a new deal.
Manager Jurgen Klopp is believed to be targeting 21-year-old Ceballos as Can’s replacement, but according to reports in Spain, the club will only be able to sign the midfielder on one condition.
According to Don Balon, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has claimed that he will give the green light for a transfer as long as a buy-back clause is inserted in the agreement.
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This season, Ceballos, who moved to the Bernabeu from Real Betis last year, has started just two La Liga games.
Is Ceballos a good replacement for Can?
The midfielder has bags of talent in the middle of the park but he has been able to show it consistently due to a lack of minutes under Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.
In total, Ceballos has made 10 league appearances this season, but has played just 237 minutes of top-flight football.
Despite the limited game time, the Spaniard has still contributed with two goals.
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Ceballos’s age and the fact that he has not been given a regular run-out in Zidane’s team indicates that it may be risky throwing him into the deep end in the Premier League.
However, Klopp is the type of manager that young players love to learn from and he has a track record of giving youth a chance at the top level.
If an agreement can be made with Madrid, the Reds will snap up a potential gem for the future.
Manchester United booked their place in this season’s FA Cup final on Saturday by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Wembley, keeping their chances marking their campaign with silverware alive.
But the last time the Red Devils faced the Lilywhites, they suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat in which they could hardly match the north Londoners for energy and attacking verve.
So what was the difference this time and how did United end up coming out on top in their most important domestic fixture of the season so far? Football FanCast take a look at three things Jose Mourinho’s side crucially got right against Spurs on Saturday…
Transitioning between 4-3-3 and 4-2-2-2
Soccer Football – FA Cup Semi-Final – Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur – Wembley Stadium, London, Britain – April 21, 2018 Manchester United’s Alexis Sanchez scores their first goal REUTERS/David Klein
United lined up in a 4-3-3 formation on the team sheet but in actuality, it ended up being more of a 4-2-2-2 with Paul Pogba pushing up alongside Jesse Lingard in attacking midfield and Alexis Sanchez moving free of the wing to create a front two alongside Romelu Lukaku.
And the shrewdness of that transitional system really told after 24 minutes when the January signing headed home an equaliser; it was Pogba who drifted out wide to whip a beautiful cross into the Chile international, having moved from the left wing to make a late run into the box and attack the ball in a central area.
Getting the best out of Sanchez and Pogba while playing in the same starting XI has been one of Mourinho’s biggest headaches at Old Trafford this season, but the clever use of a system that shifted between two formations has offered a promising solution.
Pogba dominated Mousa Dembele
The last time Tottenham hosted United at Wembley the Red Devils went home with their tails between their legs, suffering a 2-0 defeat at the hands of their Big Six rivals. The midfield battle was crucial in that game and Pogba found himself subbed off with half an hour left to spare after being completely dominated by Mousa Dembele.
But on Saturday, fortunes reversed for United and Tottenham’s midfield powerhouses, this time the Belgium international finding himself hooked early after being overshadowed by the Frenchman.
It’s another key feature of United’s performance that was epitomised by the first goal – Pogba winning the ball off Dembele, who naively attempted to turn inside, before distributing it so accurately to Sanchez.
For all the talk of tactics and systems, key individual battles can have as big an impact on games and results. Getting the better of Dembele was crucial for United on Saturday and amid another season of divisive performances, it was a crucial display from Pogba too.
Keeping Spurs narrow in second half
Soccer Football – FA Cup Semi-Final – Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur – Wembley Stadium, London, Britain – April 21, 2018 Tottenham’s Dele Alli looks dejected at the end of the match REUTERS/Hannah McKay
If Tottenham have one long-standing flaw, it’s how their attacking play can become incredibly narrow at times, reducing to the rather one-dimensional approach of trying to play through the opposition in central areas.
Perhaps it owes as much to Mauricio Pochettino’s failure to change the game as any tactical instruction from Mourinho, but United nonetheless deserve credit for firstly how they contained Tottenham’s incredibly talented front four as they looked to pass through them in the second half, and secondly how they stopped the Lilywhites from stretching the backline.
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Indeed, Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Heung-min Son all ended up playing essentially within the width of the penalty area, which allowed Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera and the two centre-halves to clog up space with their power and industriousness.
In fact, one of the few occasions when United didn’t manage to keep Spurs’ forward play inward was early on for the first goal, when the ball was chipped down the touchline and Eriksen crossed it in for Alli to slide home from close range.
Pochettino should have done more to arrest how central Tottenham’s attacks became, especially on a pitch as large as Wembley’s, but United’s ability to counter-act that was another aspect of Mourinho’s game-plan that worked incredibly well.
Manchester City fans would have been delighted when Pep Guardiola became the club’s new manager almost two years ago.
The Spaniard arrived at the Etihad Stadium with plenty of pedigree having won six league titles across spells in charge of Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Guardiola’s debut campaign as City boss was a transitional one, but his team came into their own this season as they blew away the opposition and sealed the Premier League title a month early.
As well as becoming English champions, the North-West outfit clinched the Carabao Cup and are continually breaking records.
With the summer transfer window just around the corner, rumours have been rumbling about potential incomings and outgoings.
A recent report in the Manchester Evening News claimed that Real Madrid are interested in four of City’s first-team players, including defender John Stones.
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However, following City’s 4-1 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday, Guardiola rubbished the notion of Stones leaving.
Rather than focus on the comment about Stones, the fans looked deeper into the manager’s remark about his own future.
Comment from discussion Pep: "I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester, but as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us.".Comment from discussion Pep: "I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester, but as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us.".Comment from discussion Pep: "I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester, but as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us.".Comment from discussion Pep: "I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester, but as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us.".Comment from discussion Pep: "I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester, but as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us.".Comment from discussion Pep: "I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester, but as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us.".Comment from discussion Pep: "I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester, but as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us.".
Middlesbrough face an uphill battle to keep their hopes of promotion to the English Premier League alive after suffering a 1-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa in the first leg of their play-off clash.
Tony Pulis’ side know that they now require a mammoth performance at Villa Park mid-week book their place in the play-off final at Wembley after a Mile Jedinak goal gave their visitors the advantage on Saturday.
It was a competitive match and Boro may feel they did enough to deserve a draw, but ultimately they could not take their chances and paid the price.
Fans were frustrated they couldn’t find a goal and had criticism for striker Britt Assombalonga in particular, who missed a chance or two to give them a vital foothold in the tie.
With 15 goals this season, last summer’s big signing hasn’t had the worst of campaigns, but supporters are now hoping that Pulis turns to Patrick Bamford on Tuesday night.
They took to Twitter to share their thoughts after Saturday’s result…
According to a report by German publication Bild, Southampton turned down the opportunity to sign Schalke midfielder Max Meyer for €10m (£8.8m).
What’s the word, then?
Well, the 22-year-old looks set to leave the Bundesliga outfit when his contract expires at the end of the season, and he has already been suspended by his club following an argument between his advisor and manager Christian Heidel over a bullying claim.
Bild says that the Germany international, who has 24 caps for his country, was offered to Saints, but they decided against bringing him to St Mary’s, as they continue their battle to stay in the Premier League when they face fellow strugglers Swansea City in a huge clash at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday night.
How has Meyer done this season?
It has been a tough campaign for the German, whose contract situation and stretched relationship with his manager look to have affected his performances on the pitch.
The 22-year-old has made 28 appearances in all competitions for the Bundesliga outfit this term – scoring one goal and providing a further assist – but he seems unlikely to play for them again following his suspension.
Despite primarily being a central midfielder, Meyer has spent much of the campaign playing a more defensive role for his side, and he will probably hope to play a little further forward when he does move on this summer.
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Why would Southampton reject the chance to sign him?
While it may seem confusing in many respects because of some of the top clubs Meyer has been linked with in the past and the fact he is clearly talented, it isn’t in other ways – with one potential reason being because they knew they could get him for free this summer.
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The south coast outfit don’t even know what division they’re going to be in next season, and they may well be targeting a different approach to transfers should they preserve their Premier League status.
The fact that the midfielder has fallen out with his club and been suspended certainly won’t have impressed a Saints outfit that are looking to restore some of the team spirit they seem to have lost in the last couple of years, and they certainly don’t want another Sofiane Boufal or Manolo Gabbiadini situation – the former has been banished to train on his own following an altercation with Mark Hughes, while the latter has gone missing when the going has got tough.
As per reports in the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United target Sergej Milinkovic-Savic will make a decision on his future this weekend.
Milinkovic-Savic, valued at £63million by Transfermarkt, currently plays for Lazio in Seria A.
The 23-year-old and his agent, former Chelsea player and fellow Serb Mateja Kezman, have been tight lipped about possible transfer destinations. But that is set to change.
This weekend the Serbian international will play his final club game of the season as Lazio take on Inter in a crucial game that could secure Champions League football for Lazio next season.
Kezman explained that no transfer decision will be made until after that big game.
“The interest in Sergei is enormous,” Kezman said.
“But on Sunday Lazio will have to play the most important game of all and it makes no sense to talk about a transfer. Until the end of the season it is concentrated exclusively on Lazio”.
However reports in the Italian press have suggested that United are the frontrunners for the Serbian and supporters have been quick to react.
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Here are some of the best reactions to the news that the playmaker could be on his way to Old Trafford:
According to reports from London Evening Standard, Crystal Palace are open to cashing in on Christian Benteke this summer following a goal-shy campaign from the Belgian striker which has cost him a place in Roberto Martinez’s World Cup squad.
The south Londoners want to recoup some of their original investment in Benteke, who was signed from Liverpool two summers ago, and it’s claimed that the 27-year-old could consequently make a ‘lucrative’ move to the Chinese Super League – who have often shown a willingness to pay over the odds to bring well-known Premier League talents to their top flight.
So, are Palace right to try and move on their main centre-forward or could there be unforeseen ramifications? Football FanCast take a look at the potential consequences of Palace cashing in on Benteke this summer…
Palace can afford to keep Zaha
The Eagles aren’t exactly in desperate need of extra cash but getting a big fee for Benteke will ease some of the pressure to sell should they receive massive offers for Wilfried Zaha this summer as expected.
The Ivorian’s influence on Crystal Palace’s results is impossible to exaggerate; the South Londoners didn’t pick up a single point in the Premier League last season during the ten games their flying winger missed through injury; so keeping him at the club is far more important than Benteke.
The Guardian recently reported that Palace intend to offer their talismanic attacker a new deal and any funds generated from the sale of Benteke could be crucial in getting that deal over the line.
After all, Zaha is paid around £110k per week already and his agent will likely want a handsome signing on bonus – that extra money needs to come from somewhere and the Belgium international offers an added stream of cash at a crucial time.
Hodgson gets funds to move Palace closer to Parish’s vision
Roy Hodgson did a phenomenal job last season considering the position Palace were in when he took over from Frank de Boer, but the former England gaffer is still effectively working with players who were already at the club before he arrived.
The club will give him some form of transfer budget this summer regardless, but cashing in on Benteke should allow him the means to truly make his mark on this team from a tactical perspective – and perhaps even bring it a bit closer to the technical, entertaining style Steve Parish envisaged when he appointed the Dutchman.
Indeed, this Palace squad is clearly geared towards attacking in a very direct way and Hodgson’s often seen as a bit of a dinosaur. But in truth, that’s largely fallacy; Hodgson’s famous Fulham side was based as much around technical talent in midfield – players like Danny Murphy, Jimmy Bullard and Clint Dempsey – as it was pace and power.
That’s not to suggest the Palace gaffer comes from the same school of thought as de Boer, but he’s capable of reinvesting the money wisely enough to take the Eagles a few steps closer to it.
Eagles are left without a proven Premier League goalscorer
There’s little disputing how woeful Benteke’s form was last season, especially in goalscoring terms. But it shouldn’t be forgotten how consistent the Belgium international’s record has been elsewhere in the Premier League, averaging 0.37 goals per match during his time in the English top flight, just as it shouldn’t be forgotten how rare a commodity proven Premier League goalscorers really are.
In fact, last term was very much a rare blip on Benteke’s CV; all of his other Premier League campaigns have produced at least nine goals – the lowest return coming when he spent a season on the bench at Liverpool.
Plenty of Eagles fans will be glad to see the back of Benteke regardless of his modest goal tally last season – his lack of effort and work-rate has been a recurring source of frustration at Selhurst Park.
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But sometimes the devil you know is far better than the one you don’t, and with Alexander Sorloth and the injured Connor Wickham the only other senior strikers on the club’s books, Palace will find themselves in something of a precarious position should Benteke leave.
Some of the funds generated by selling Benteke will obviously go into sourcing a replacement, but the chances are that Palace will have to take a punt on someone without such a proven scoring record in the Premier League. For any club outside the top six, that inevitably represents a huge gamble that could go a long way to defining their season.
So, Palace fans, should your club cash in on Benteke? Let us know by voting below…
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