All posts by h716a5.icu

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There was a recent all-too-brief trend on Twitter that saw fans compile their perfect Premier League table and this is brought up now, after the event, because presently the Championship is topped by Leeds United and Norwich City, two clubs who featured prominently in these fantasy top flights and duked out a thrilling clash on Saturday.

Three more popular choices – Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, and QPR – are also currently in contention to return to the promised land which means that come August we might be three closer to having our dream twenty, a list that varies from person to person but really not to any great extent.

We pretty much all want Leeds back for example and this despite the club retaining a hated status across rival fan-bases even in extended exile. Forest too was included virtually across the board on Twitter and they are hardly the darlings of the over-forties nor a ‘big club’ in 2019.

Breaking down the reasoning behind these selections reveals four overriding factors shared by one and all. Firstly there is a club’s fan-base to consider; the bigger the better. Then its stature is important with history playing a big part too. Lastly – and perhaps most obviously – the popularity or unpopularity of the club in question is key and interestingly either extreme works. Clubs that prompt mild apathy have no place here. This is a dream Premier League remember.

You may have noticed that only three reasons have so far been given. Don’t worry, we’ll get to the fourth very soon but before we do let’s stay with Leeds United and compare them to, say, Huddersfield Town to illustrate how the other factors come to the fore.

The Terriers are undoubtedly a popular club, with a large number of us admiring how they’ve managed to established themselves among the elite in recent seasons. Alas, in this instance unpopularity trumps popularity and their Yorkshire rivals massively win out. This can best be explained by the posing of a simple question: Who would you rather your club face this weekend? Huddersfield or Leeds? Which fixture would elicit the most enthusiasm?

Most would surely plump for the Elland Road giants and not only for the passionate antagonism implied. Stature comes into it also, with Leeds possessing a greater standing than Huddersfield even if the latter boasts an illustrious and proud history of its own.

Rightly or wrongly, Leeds are regarded as being a ‘proper’ club with ‘proper’ fans. Huddersfield are too, only less so. So a fan-base scores highly and history does too but pales in importance to stature. Being widely disliked meanwhile only helps a club’s cause.

Yet all of this is nothing to nostalgia, the fourth and most meaningful criterion when compiling a perfect Premier League. Let’s be honest, that’s why Norwich are so prominent and I really do mean prominent: having ploughed through so many of these lists I can safely say that the Canaries featured in every single one.

Is their widespread inclusion due to their fan-base? Of course not: Norwich have a mainly localised set of supporters who are perfectly harmless and keep themselves to themselves when not barracking Ipswich. Is it their stature then? Again, that’s a definitive no. With all due respect the East Anglia club cede to most in this regard and the same goes for their historic achievements that amount to two League Cups.

What Norwich does have going for it however, crucially, is that they were one of the founding members of the new, shiny Premier League and what’s more they have yo-yoed up and down since 1992. This means they were likely involved at the highest echelon when the person who compiled each list was a child; when they would stay up to watch Match of the Day in their pyjamas and it would be a magical world. When, in short, football was so very special.

A vote for Norwich City then is a vote for pure nostalgia.

That certainly explains their presence below, in my own personal top twenty; an assortment of clubs so utopian I would happily scrap relegation and see them fight among themselves forever more.

Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham

The top six is sacrosanct and rightly so, with their huge supporter base and inherent grudges. Take away any of this sextet and the Premier League would be a little more rational and reasonable. Who wants that?

Everton 

Unlucky not to be grouped with the automatic six, the Toffees are top flight mainstays with a fan-base as chippy as they are loyal. A credit to the division.

Newcastle United

Never less than a soap opera Newcastle’s bestowment of entertainment doesn’t begin and end with their off-the-pitch travails. On it few clubs have given more classic games and unforgettable moments. Throw in their legion of fans too and it’s a no-brainer.

Portsmouth

A toss-up between Pompey and Southampton as sadly there’s no room for them both. The inhabitants of Fratton Park win out because – in the best possible sense – they are tremendously mad.

Aston Villa

The Holte End. Three or four captivating – and at times underachieving – sides since the early nineties. A central location that makes it manageable to get to no matter where you live. Villa are wasted in the Championship.

Norwich City

Third place finishers in the inaugural Premier League campaign the Canaries soon after mined the leagues below, only surfacing a handful of occasions since. Who can’t be enamoured however by their unerring ability to get thrashed out of sight by the big guns only to then show resilience the following week. Then there’s the kits which oscillate between gorgeous and minging.

In fact the only consistent thing about them is a stoic insistence on playing decent football regardless of manager. That will do for me.

Fulham

One of the most beautiful grounds in the world and a strong contender for the most likeable London club.

West Ham United

Entrenched in local pride the Hammers are the very definition of a ‘proper’ club. Also score bonus points for so often taking great delight in bloodying the nose of the establishment.

Brighton and Hove Albion

You can’t have a vibrant and absorbing Premier League without a south coast derby and once again the Saints narrowly miss out. This time it’s by virtue of location, with an away day – or more accurately an away weekend – to Brighton always a highlight on the calendar.

Leeds United

On spying *cough* my rival colours a supporter outside Elland Road recently drenched me in expletives despite being old enough to be my great-great-granddad. Never change Leeds, and hurry back. We’ve missed you.

Coventry City

Residents of the top division for 35 consecutive years the Sky Blues deserve to be here on merit. That’s before we get to the fans and the despicable treatment they’ve endured courtesy of owners you wouldn’t wish on a worst enemy. The Coventry faithful warrant inclusion. They’ve earned it the hard way.

Nottingham Forest

The traditionalists’ choice and let’s face it there is always room for sentiment when it involves a two-time European Cup winner.

Bristol City

Admittedly a left-field pick but why waste the unique opportunity of creating a brand new Premier league model without finally giving the south-west the big club it justifies?

QPR

A compact, electrifying ground that evokes an elaborate Subbuteo set-up plus a compendium of flawed but occasionally brilliant sides. That equals full membership. Additionally, any side supported by Nick Cave and Pete Doherty is hard to omit.

Sheffield Wednesday

Ace fans who turn up en masse no matter the division. The Owls have also graced us with some fantastic ballers, particularly in the Chris Waddle era. A welcome addition.

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Tottenham Hotspur agreed a deadline day deal to send Georges-Kevin N’Koudou on loan to Monaco, leaving the club rather thin in the left midfield position.

Son Heung-Min is clearly the club’s undisputed first-choice in the position but, behind him, there may be cause for alarm, such is the dearth of options behind him.

On the chalkboard

It has to be said that N’Koudou was hardly Tottenham’s best player.

But the Frenchman, signed from Marseille in 2016, showed in a brief cameo against Fulham in the Premier League that he can be a match-altering presence. Introduced off the bench, N’Koudou provided the cross for Harry Winks’ injury-time winner.

A full game against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup followed and was far less productive, as Spurs were shockingly beaten 2-0 at Selhurst Park.

That may well have coloured Mauricio Pochettino’s thinking when signing off on the deal but there is a risk that Son, who has only just returned from the Asian Cup, could well be burned out if he is tasked with playing every game between now and the end of the season.

Eriksen the answer?

Of course, when everyone is fit, the forward line boasts Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Son and Christian Eriksen.

It works because of its fluidity, the interchanging of positions regularly bamboozling opposition defenders.

Without Kane and Alli, though, there has been a creativity vacuum, with Eriksen asked to play in a deeper, less effective role.

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

And it may well be that he is needed on the left flank in the coming months, particularly when Son is given a rest.

That would allow Eriksen to change games from the flank and, while he does not possess the searing pace or trickery of Son, he could routinely cut inside and split defences from the side of the pitch, just as he usually does in the middle.

Pochettino also has the option of moving Danny Rose or Ben Davies into a wing-back position, but the idea of Eriksen on the flank does nothing to compromise Spurs’ defensive shape.

Whatever happens, it is clear that Son will need a rest, sooner rather than later.

Manchester United continued their fine form under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as they dismantled Fulham this weekend.

A brace from Paul Pogba and a fine solo goal from Anthony Martial put the icing on the cake for the Red Devils, who moved into the top four and stayed there with Chelsea failing to win at Man City.

For Soslkjaer, he must be delighted to see his players putting in such performances, and we here in the Tavern have been particularly impressed by two particular players during the Norwegian’s time in charge.

Those two players at pacey front-men Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, who have been nothing short of superb since the departure of Jose Mourinho.

The speedsters have been getting in and amongst the goals, with Rashford in particular hitting top form in front of goal and making the starting striking spot his own ahead of Romelu Lukaku.

Martial to his credit has been superb too when selected, and his goal yesterday was a timely reminder of the quality he possesses when he chooses to turn it on.

For us here in the Tavern, we feel United need to build around the pair for years to come, and there can’t be many teams in the world who have two players with such quality, pace, and finishing ability among their front players.

United can be successful going forward with Martial and Rashford as the core of their plans, and there’s every reason to believe the trophies will flow with both players hitting their stride.

United fans, do you agree? Let us know in the comments!

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Swansea City face a tough trip to Leeds United on Wednesday, when they will have the chance to climb into the top half of the Championship table. The clash, though, gives Swans boss Graham Potter a tough call to make and, if he wants to get a result, he may have to take a huge risk when it comes to his team selection.

On the chalkboard

Having emerged victors of their game with Millwall on Saturday, Swansea will be hoping to build on that against Marcelo Bielsa’s men, while the Argentine, whose side have slipped to second in the standings after a string of poor results, will want to regain the lead at the top of the table.

The Swans’ clash with the Lions saw a return to the starting XI for Daniel James – the Welsh international looked set to join Leeds last month but a deal fell through at the final hurdle, with the winger stranded at Elland Road despite having taken all necessary steps to complete the move.

Will Potter risk starting the 20-year-old against the team he was so desperate to join last month?

A risk worth taking

The Liberty Stadium outfit are currently in some disarray – the high-profile departures of Jefferson Montero, Tom Carroll and Wilfried Bony in January, sanctioned by the club’s American owners, have resulted in chairman of 17 years Huw Jenkins stepping down.

Saturday’s match began with protests from the Swans faithful but their frowns were turned upside down as George Byers scored his first home goal in white.

James returned on the wing – where he has chalked up two goals and four assists in the league – but could easily be dropped to the bench next time out if Potter feels that his head isn’t in the right place.

Amidst the confusion and frustration in South Wales, though, Potter must show the fans a semblance of continuity by keeping the number 20 in the line-up.

Leaving him out would be an easy escape for Potter and so he must give James the chance on Wednesday, thereby proving his and the club’s strength during what is a testing period.

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

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Liverpool’s 0-0 draw with Bayern Munich on Tuesday may have downplayed the importance of Virgil van Dijk – the Dutchman was suspended for the clash – as Fabinho and Joel Matip stepped into defence capably and dealt with Robert Lewandowski well, but the former Southampton man is keen to etch his name in history at Anfield Stadium in the years to come.

Speaking to respected pundit Guillem Balague, van Dijk said that he is keen to be remembered as a legend of Liverpool and achieve amazing things with the historic club. Indeed, if he continues to have seasons as impressive as the one he is currently enjoying, the big centre-half has every chance of a mention in discussion of Reds greats.

Winning the Premier League or Champions League wouldn’t hurt, either, although Bayern Munich threw somewhat of a spanner in the works on Tuesday night as they held the Merseysiders to a 0-0 draw.

Does Newcastle’s infamous title collapse of 1996 mirror what is happening at Liverpool right now? The Magpie Channel discuss in the video below…

Having arrived at Liverpool in January 2018 after handing in a transfer request at Southampton, the 27-year-old has established himself as one of Europe’s top defenders and, if his aspirations are anything to go by, he could become the pride of Anfield Stadium in years to come.

Not all Liverpool fans were confident he would reach that status at the club, though, while others think he is already there. You can check out the best of the reaction on Twitter below…

Liverpool got themselves back to the summit of the Premier League yesterday as Man City won the League Cup at Wembley.

A point was enough for the Reds to snatch back top spot, but in a game against an injury ravaged Man United, it will be a result a lot involved with Liverpool will be disappointed in.

Three first half injuries to United players threatened to completely ruin the hosts plans, but it was an injury to Liverpool’s own Roberto Firmino which proved to be the most telling of the game as the Brazilian left the field after only half an hour of play.

It was a bitter blow to Jurgen Klopp and his team, and once again highlighted the lack of quality the Reds have in the central striking position.

Daniel Sturrridge failed to impose himself on the game and it once again looks like the decison by Klopp not to take to the transfer marke in January to add some more qualitty to the ranks could come back to haunt him.

Of course, it is just one result and in the grand scheme 0-0 at Old Trafford is not too bad a result, but it showed the flaws in the depth of the squad which could cost them the title.

Rivals Man City will be looking on with gentle smirks on their faces after seeing the result and performance, and in a title race what could go down to the wire, it looks like City are the ones coming into their own at the right stage of the season.

Manchester United are surely set to strengthen their squad heavily in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The Red Devils spent big last summer by bringing Fred and Diogo Dalot to the club. However, the Brazilian midfielder has struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford while the Portuguese is seen as a signing for the future despite some bright cameo appearances. After Jose Mourinho’s dismissal, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has completely revitalised the United squad.

Their excellent form under the Norwegian’s stewardship has drastically increased his chances of landing the job on a permanent basis in the summer. Regardless of who is in charge, they will likely be backed by a transfer war chest as United look to challenge for the title yet again. Their budget will be bolstered by a host of fringe players who could leave the club.

One man United could target is Benfica wonderkid – Joao Felix. Valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, the attacking midfielder has progressed through the club’s academy after being released by rivals Porto in 2015. Felix has blossomed into a vital first-team player and is enjoying his finest season to date in Liga NOS.

The 19-year-old has been in lethal form in front of goal, finding the back of the net nine times already this season. Felix has also been the creative force for his side, registering six assists for his team-mates. The Portugal U21 international possesses excellent technical ability and pace to cause defenders problems – his expert vision allows him to constantly carve open opposition back fours.

The youngster is improving with each passing game – signing him in the summer could prove to be a masterstroke.

Manchester United fans, thoughts?

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Tottenham and Arsenal played out an ill-tempered 1-1 draw at Wembley on Saturday.

Both sides were awarded a penalty in the north London derby at the national stadium, with Harry Kane converting from 12 yards and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang seeing his effort saved by Hugo Lloris.

Aaron Ramsey had opened the scoring for the Gunners prior to Kane’s equaliser, with Aubameyang’s miss coming in injury time.

Following that, Lucas Torreira was sent off for a challenge on Danny Rose that was deemed to be dangerous.

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino was subsequently pictured attempting to calm the Uruguay midfielder in the tunnel, as Torreira looked set to confront match officials to plead his case.

That the manager of Tottenham decided to intervene on the Arsenal’s midfielder’s behalf has caused some consternation on Twitter, with Spurs fans urging Pochettino not to act in such a manner again.

Indeed, many also believe that he may well have been warning Torreira against making another challenge of such a nature on one of his players.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below.

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Everton fans have taken to Twitter to slam Jordan Pickford, after the England international was in peculiar form away to Newcastle as the Toffees slipped to a 3-2 defeat.

Marco Silva’s men were already 1-0 up when the 6 foot 1 goalkeeper fumbled his attempt to claim, and dropped the ball at the feet of Salomon Rondon who he then proceeded to rugby-tackle to the ground to gift the Magpies a spot kick.

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

The former Sunderland stopper then saved Matt Ritchie’s effort with his feet before goading the home support, but that was not to be the only thing of note that Pickford did in the game.

Everton’s No.1 fumbled a long-range effort from Miguel Almiron late in the second half, spilling the ball at the feet of Ayoze Perez who tapped home gratefully before the Spaniard went on to grab the winner just a few minutes later.

Pickford’s errors and lack of calmness played a huge role in the Toffees throwing away a 2-0 lead, so let’s see what the Everton supporters are saying about the 25-year-old on Twitter…

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According to the Daily Mail, West Ham United are interested in signing Alaves centre-back Guillermo Maripan in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

Maripan is a 6ft 4in centre-back who has impressed for Alaves this season.

Indeed, the 24-year-old has scored twice in 22 La Liga appearances during the 2018-19 campaign, helping his Basque club into fifth position in the table.

According to the Daily Mail, West Ham ‘are showing interest’ in Maripan, but they will face competition from Roma for the powerful defender.

The Hammers have not exactly been water-tight defensively this season, conceding 46 times in their 31 Premier League games, including three against Huddersfield Town at the weekend.

And therefore it is not too much of a surprise that Manuel Pellegrini’s side are being linked with a swoop for a player who has been very impressive this term.

What would Maripan bring to West Ham?

West Ham are not exactly short of height in central defence, with last summer’s arrival Issa Diop also standing at 6ft 4in.

There has not really been a lot of consistency in Pellegrini’s back four this term, though, and that will need to change next season if they are to move forward.

Maripan’s height means that he is a force in both penalty boxes, but the 11-time Chile international is a ball-playing centre-back.

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

Indeed, what the South American lacks in speed, he more than makes up for in other areas of his game, including technical skills.

Roma will seemingly have something to say about Maripan’s future, but West Ham should certainly be looking to explore a possible deal for the colossus who would the perfect addition alongside Diop in the backline next term.