[ad_pod ]

Southampton’s excellent performances of late finally translated into a result as they came back from one down to win 2-1 against Spurs at the weekend, with James Ward-Prowse netting for a third consecutive game to ensure all three points remained on the south coast.

The 24-year-old’s stellar showing – and free-kick – earned him a spot in Garth Crooks’ team of the week, with the BBC Sport pundit making a bold claim that his recent performances should make him at least a possibility for Gareth Southgate’s England squad:

“It’s about time England manager Gareth Southgate introduced James Ward-Prowse into the England squad to add to the single cap he won in 2017.

“His performances against Tottenham and Manchester United in recent weeks are proof enough that the lad is ready.

“His work rate is phenomenal and his ability to take free-kicks is a tremendous asset”

Indeed, the Saints academy graduate has been in fantastic form in recent weeks and if the St Mary’s Stadium outfit evade the drop, he will have surely have been instrumental.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

Ward-Prowse’s skill-set is unique and perhaps one that the Three Lions don’t yet have – sure, Kieran Trippier can take a free-kick and Jordan Henderson’s engine will ensure he always has a place in Southgate’s considerations, but Ward-Prowse offers both and more in one package.

Whether or not the number 16 would fit into the 3-4-1-2 that Southgate found success with in the summer or not is unclear but he would certainly add a different dimension to the team. Crooks may be spot on with this assessment.

تحدث هيكتور بيليرين مدافع آرسنال، عن هزيمة فريقه أمام ليفربول بثلاثية في الجولة الثالثة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وقال بيليرين لشبكة “سكاي سبورتس”: “أعتقد أنه مع الفرص التي كنا نصنعها شعرت أن لدينا فرصة في التعادل أو الفوز بالمباراة”.

وأضاف: “عندما تأتي إلى ليفربول على أرضه عليك أن تسجل فرصك وألا ترتكب الأخطاء مثل التي ارتكبناها”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أرتيتا: لا يمكن الضغط على ليفربول في وجود فان دايك ومحمد صلاح

وأكد الإسباني: “ارتكبنا أخطاء في الأهداف التي دخلت مرمانا، وفرصنا لم تدخل شباكهم”.

وأتم: “كنا أكثر فاعلية في المباريات الأخرى التي لعبناها ضدهم، قدمنا معركة جيدة لكننا محبطون، ونتحسن كل يوم”.

[ad_pod ]

West Ham fans are urging Manuel Pellegrini to do the unthinkable after Saturday’s match, hoping the boss will keep Fabian Balbuena out of the team even once the Paraguayan international is fully fit.

West Ham continued their impressive run of form in Saturday’s late kick-off, beating a red-hot Newcastle side 2-0 without any real difficulty at the London Stadium.

The Magpies travelled to east London with four wins from their last six league games, but Declan Rice opened the scoring with a thumping header from a Robert Snodgrass corner.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals what Lasagne-Gate was really like for Tottenham’s food-poisoned stars – Check out the video below…

Mark Noble then doubled the lead from the spot after Florian Lejeune clumsily brought down Javier Hernandez, but it was the Hammers’ defensive duo that were the stars of the show.

Ogbonna, starting once again alongside Issa Diop in Balbuena’s absence, took loads of criticism earlier this season, but has consistently performed well since that horror show against Wolves.

He was dominant against the physical threat of Salomon Rondon, recording four tackles, three interceptions, three clearances, two blocks and also winning four aerial duels, per Whoscored.

Fans now want Pellegrini to keep Balbuena out of the team even once he is fully fit, something that would have been truly unthinkable just a few weeks ago, given how well Balbuena performed before his injury.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

[ad_pod ]

Leeds were out of action last weekend with wins for Sheffield United and Norwich City seeing them slump down to third in the Championship table, but the flow of news and reaction surrounding the Yorkshire club remains consistent as always. Here’s a quick rundown of the biggest Leeds stories from the last few days…

Roofe injury blow

The biggest and most piece of significant news doing the rounds right now – Leeds United confirmed on Monday that star striker Kemar Roofe will face ‘a period on the sidelines’ after suffering damage to his knee ligaments in the recent win over Swansea City. Whites fans were fretting over the front-man’s fitness before the injury was confirmed by the club, so one can only imagine what state they’re in right now. As their top scorer in the Championship this season, his absence is inevitably a massive blow to Leeds’ title hopes after dropping down to third – especially with games against fellow promotion hopefuls West Brom and Sheffield United on the horizon.

Odour pens new deal

Exciting young talent has been a recurring theme of Marcelo Bielsa’s time at the club and there appears to be another one in the pipeline at Elland Road in the form of Clarke Odour. The Yorkshire outfit confirmed on Sunday that the winger had penned a new deal and although it is due to expire at the end of next season, Leeds have the option of extending it by a further year. Of course, Odour isn’t quite making waves at first-team level in the same way as Jack Clarke, but Leeds fans on Twitter were very pleased to hear he’d agreed new terms.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

Leeds fans impressed by Daniel James display

This transfer saga just won’t go away after Leeds came so close to signing Daniel James in January. With his contract winding down and Swansea’s interest in keeping their top players bemusingly limited, there’s a collective feeling James will end up at Elland Road in the summer – perhaps, by that point, to take on the challenge of Premier League football. Inevitably, Leeds fans have taken a vested interest in his performances since Deadline Day and were in awe of his FA Cup performance against Brentford on Sunday, charging from his own box to theirs before blasting past the goalkeeper. Whites supporters took to Twitter after the performance to lavish praise to the youngster’s stunning display – click here for full coverage of their reactions.

أكد جورجينو فينالدوم لاعب وسط ليفربول الإنجليزي، على أن فريقه يسعى دائمًا للتطور وتقديم أفضل ما لديه للحفاظ على المستوى الذي وصل له خلال الموسمين الماضيين.

ليفربول بدأ الدوري الإنجليزي بطريقة رائعة، بعدما حصل على الـ9 نقاط في أول 3 جولات، العلامة الكاملة.

طالع أيضًا.. تريزيجيه عن مباراة ليفربول وأستون فيلا: يوم مميز في مصر.. وسأتحدث مع صلاح

وقال الهولندي للموقع الرسمي لـ ليفربول: “نحن مجموعة معًا لفترة طويلة، الجميع يعرف بعضهم البعض، وهذا في الأساس يقودنا للفوز بكل شيء”.

وأضاف: “الشيء الوحيد الذي فعلناه أننا أصبحنا أبطالًا، لذلك أنت تريد تقديم المزيد والفوز بالألقاب مرة أخرى، وربما يكون الوضع الآن أكثر صعوبة”.

وأكمل: “نوعية كرة القدم التي نلعبها جيدة للغاية، الظروف تجعلنا نتعامل مع جميع الأمور الصعبة، والمواقف التي نمر بها، ونحاول تقديم أفضل ما لدينا”.

وعن مواجهة أستون فيلا مساء غدًا الأحد: “آمل أن نتمكن من فعل نفس الشيء في مباراة أستون فيلا، قبل الذهاب للمشاركة مع المنتخب الوطني”.

ليفربول تواجد في المجموعة الرابعة بـ دوري أبطال أوروبا مع أياكس الهولندي وأتلانتا الإيطالي، وميتلاند الدنماركي.

وعلق فينالدوم: “متحمس لمواجهة أياكس، لأنه فريق هولندي وأنا أعرفه جيدًا، وأعرف عددا من اللاعبين هناك، وألعب معهم في المنتخب الوطني، ومن الجيد للغاية اللعب ضدهم”.

وواصل: “فريق أياكس يستحق الاحترام، مع كرة القدم الرائعة التي يلعبونها، يستحقون احترامنا وسنظهر لهم احترامنا من خلال منحنا 100% أمامهم وجميع الفرق الأخرى”.

واختتم: “هذا ما يستحقونه تمامًا، كما قلت، لما قدموه في العامين السابقين، وخلال الفترة القليلة الماضية أيضًا”.

Brendan Rodgers was announced as Leicester City manager on Tuesday, and the fact he’s left treble-chasing Celtic goes some way to prove the Scottish top division is a ‘pub league’.

The news came as a shock to most, particularly as it was expected the Scotsman would stay at Celtic Park until the end of the season to try and win his third straight SPL title. Instead, he’s decided to jump ship and climb aboard a mid-table Premier League side with no chance of silverware this season. It seems strange, but that highlights the attraction of England’s top flight.

Yes, Leicester won the title in 2015/16, but the chances of doing something similar again is almost impossible, so he’s not here to win lots of trophies. It’s clear he wants to become one of the best managers in the world and be back at a club like Liverpool where he nearly won the title in 2013/14.

He surely sees this move as a step up from the SPL and as a rung higher on the ladder to returning to one of Europe’s great clubs. After all, it was his impressive stint at Swansea City that brought him to Anfield in the first place. He was sacked in the 2014/15 season and strangely Premier League clubs avoided him like the plague, so he headed to Scotland.

The SPL may indeed be the victim of its own perception, because there are some great games being played across the division, but if big clubs don’t see it being good enough for someone to prove themselves capable of managing or playing for them, it’s irrelevant. The ‘it’s only Scotland’ put-down is clearly something top Premier League sides believe in.

Celtics fans may not agree leaving their club would be a step in the right direction but it’s clear to everyone else that it’s the only way Rodgers can make his way back to where he’s capable of managing – at the top.

How do you think Brendan Rodgers will fare as Leicester manager?

[ad_pod ]

Spurs host Arsenal on Saturday where they will be hoping to make a big improvement on performance standards having lost to both Burnley and Chelsea in their last two games, but it seems they may have to take on their bitter rivals without Jan Vertonghen and Harry Winks.

The pair have been two of Spurs’ most consistent players this season but both are doubts for the north London derby due to injuries and will be assessed ahead of the 12:30pm kick-off.

Winks has been the Lilywhites’ breakout star of the 18/19 season and the 23-year-old has filled the void left by Moussa Dembele capably, while Vertonghen has been typically solid at the heart of defence or at left-wing-back – see his man of the match performance versus Dortmund.

Who have been the biggest title race bottlers? Liverpool? Spurs? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

The duo may join Dele Alli (late stages of rehab) and Eric Dier (rebuilding fitness after illness) on the sidelines and Spurs fans on Twitter were, once again, cursing their luck ahead of the highly-anticipated clash…

[ad_pod ]

Brighton did the double on Crystal Palace as they succeeded their 3-1 victory in December with a 2-1 win at Selhurst Park on Saturday, with Luka Milivojevic’s second-half equaliser negated by a Anthony Knockaert wondergoal.

The home loss was the Eagles’ eighth of the season and it meant that Roy Hodgson’s side have now won just once in their last seven games at SE25 – a record that simply cannot continue if Palace are to end year after year of relegation battles.

What has Hodgson said about it?

The former England boss has conceded that this terrible return is an issue but declined to take responsibility for the record – he may, instead, have pointed the finger at the fans. Here’s what the 71-year-old had to say:

“It [Palace’s poor record at home this season] could be down to expectations, I guess.

“That might be weighing on players, there’s no doubt that expectation will weigh on people. We do our best to prevent that from happening but we don’t play in a vacuum.

“We play in a world where things are written and said. The players feel pressure to do things.”

Is Palace’s biggest strength their weakness?

Indeed, Selhurst Park is widely regarded as one of the most vocal stadiums in the Premier League and, while Palace fans surely feel that the atmosphere is a huge boost to their beloved team, Hodgson has indicated that perhaps it is becoming their downfall.

Eagles captain Milivojevic has previously hailed the Selhurst Park faithful as the best, most supportive fans in the top flight, so it does seem strange that honcho Hodgson would point to that as a possible reason for their poor form at home.

The Croydon outfit have been a Premier League side for five years now and Palace fans, who have become accustomed to season after season of looking over their shoulder, surely don’t expect too much from their team.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

Sure, their squad, on paper, should probably be doing better than it is but Palace fans understand that it is never simple – each season since their promotion has been an emotional rollercoaster.

Hodgson has a wealth of experience under his belt and it’s baffling that he has been so foolish as to make such incendiary comments to a fanbase that are so immensely proud of their atmosphere and stadium.

It’s no secret that Everton need a striker, right? They’ve never really replaced Romelu Lukaku and it’s cost them in front of goal, but Ante Rebic could be the man Everton fans have been waiting for.

The World Cup finalist has been linked to the club by Calciomercato and has scored eight goals in 20 appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga this season. He can be the target man needed to up the Toffees’ goal tally, and with the ability to play out on the left it gives Marco Silva the option to use him out there too.

Everton have a big project on their hands with a new stadium on the way and a manager that demands high-quality attacking football. This season has been hit and miss but there have been positive signs that the current squad just needs a few additions to make it one to challenge for a European place.

One of those positions is certainly a finisher because the forwards currently at Silva’s disposal just aren’t getting into the right areas quick enough. They have the wingers, like Bernard and Theo Walcott, to cause damage to defences but the end product is never good enough.

Rebic can be the man to link the wing play with the centre of the final third and get on the end of all heights of crosses to finish simple chances that Everton just aren’t taking at the moment. The Croatian’s movement would also create space for Gylfi Siggurson to slot through balls into his path.

The 25-year-old is valued at £31.5m (via Transfermarkt), so considering the importance of the position he could fill, it could turn out to be a bargain and even a summer signing that Evertonians will see as a turning point towards goal-scoring consistency.

Everton fans, who do you think your club should sign to play up front next season? Join the discussion by commenting below.

[ad_pod ]

Leeds United left-back Ezgjan Alioski produced one of his finest performances of the season last time out against West Brom at Elland Road. The 27-year-old contributed a relentless, aggressive and determined display, and was rewarded for his efforts with a late goal.

Marcelo Bielsa will certainly be delighted by what he saw from the Macedonian. Alioski’s stamina, commitment and pressing ability were so good in fact that former Leeds and England defender Danny Mills has compared the Whites man with a Premier League star.

What he said

Speaking on the LS11 podcast, as quoted by HITC, Mills said of Alioski’s defensive contribution: “I think the way that Leeds play, on the front foot, especially at Elland Road, you can get away with it to a certain extent. If you get promoted, I’d be a little concerned with him in that position. Defensively, you probably need a bit more nous to deal with higher quality players week-in, week-out.”

Are fans being priced out of the Championship as well as the Premier League? The angry Bolton fan in the video below certainly believes so…

Mills continued, comparing Alioski’s situation with that of versatile veteran James Milner at Liverpool: “I think he’s done a great job at the moment. I think it has a shelf-life, a little bit like James Milner at Liverpool. He did brilliantly at left-back for a while, but it’s not really his position.”

Defending as required

Whilst Mills is congratulating Alioski on his efforts so far, he is warning Bielsa that playing the 25-cap Macedonia international at full-back will not be a long-term solution.

Alioski’s original position is in a more advanced role, and he certainly makes for an extremely attack-minded left-back. However, he should be given credit for only attacking when he can get away with it. He rarely commits beyond what he can recover should Leeds lose the ball. Fortunately, Alioski can recover his defensive position very quickly due to his pace and tireless engine.

It seems harsh from Mills to decide that Alioski couldn’t cope defensively at a higher level. All the Macedonian has demonstrated so far is that he is capable of defending just as much as he needs to, and that this doesn’t impede his ability to contribute in the final third.