All posts by n8rngtd.top

[ad_pod ]

We’ve all had an opinion that has aged terribly, but Simon Johnson of the Evening Standard’s take on Virgil van Dijk signing for Liverpool will take some beating.

As we all know, the Dutch international arrived at Anfield in a record-breaking £75m deal from Southampton back in December 2017, after a six-month long transfer saga.

Eventually, Jurgen Klopp got his man despite being reported by the Saints over an illegal approach to nab the former Celtic man from their clutches, and whilst almost everyone was convinced that Van Dijk would be an excellent acquisition, Johnson wasn’t as sure.

Are the media letting Jurgen Klopp off lightly for his lack of silverware? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

Instead of commenting on what Liverpool would be getting for their money, Johnson went on to compare the 27-year-old to Chelsea youngster Andreas Christensen – in fact, he said that the young Dane was a better player than Liverpool’s new No.4.

At the time, Christensen was a regular feature in the Blues team under Antonio Conte, and was putting in some impressive performance in fairness to Johnson – however, he wasn’t anywhere near the level of Van Dijk.

Since then, the 23-year-old and Van Dijk have embarked on contrasting journeys. Christensen has found himself out of Maurizio Sarri’s starting eleven in favour of David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger, whilst Liverpool’s colossus has risen to become arguably the best defender in world football right now.

Klopp’s man mountain has completely transformed their defence from a soft touch into Europe’s sturdiest backline, whilst also finding the time to notch four goals and two assists to boot.

In stark contrast, Christensen has managed just four Premier League starts for the west Londoners this season, and looks to have made little progress in the year-and-a-half since Johnson’s bold claim.

If anything, Johnson’s rash statement proves that you should probably wait a little bit longer than the day of someone’s arrival to make such a bold assumption.

Manchester United are set for a massive summer this time round following a miserable performance against Everton this weekend.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was visibly shaken by his side’s showing at Goodison Park on Sunday, and he will no doubt now be keen to address thoses issues he has seen in his squad come the summer.

The board are expected to back the Norwegian with some big money, and if reports in the media are to believed, there could well be some big change in personnel at Old Trafford.

This weekend has seen plenty of talk here in the Tavern, but with reports emerging that PSG striker Edinson Cavani is still unsure on his future with the French giants, we think that United need to act now and ensure they sign the experienced striker.

The 32-year-old might not be a young player who many United fans are calling for the club to sign, but you can never have enough top level experience in your team, and Cavani might well prove to be a shrewd capture for the Red Devils.

His record in Europe at both Napoli and PSG is superb, and he would surely relish the chance of making an impact over the in the Premier League.

With Romelu Lukaku struggling and his future looking uncertain, Cavani would be the perfect sort of signing for United. His work-rate as well as his goals make him the ideal sort of player to come into the club at a difficult time, and he is exactly the sort of character needed for Solskjaer.

[ad_pod ]

Rangers finally asserted their dominance over Aberdeen on Sunday, and it will provide a huge boost for the squad going into next season.

Even though Sunday’s 2-0 win at Ibrox keeps the title dream alive for another week, every Ger knows it is only a matter of time before Celtic wrap up yet another league title.

Of course, Steven Gerrard would not have expected to win everything in his first season, and the Gers are still rebuilding.

One thing that has plagued them all season is Derek McInnes’ Aberdeen side, who had won three and drawn two of the previous six encounters between the two this season.

The Dons have been the bane of Gerrard’s existence this term, but not anymore.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

On the chalkboard

Rangers didn’t just beat Aberdeen on Sunday; they battered them.

Gerrard’s side were first to every ball, won everything in the air, played quicker with the ball and worked harder off it. Quite simply, the Dons were no match for a Gers side in full flight.

James Tavernier scored both goals from the spot courtesy of two fouls on Nikola Katic, but with 66% of the possession, 16 shots to four and seven corners to one (BBC), the hosts could have scored four or five on another day.

Gerrard and his side already know they can beat Celtic, and it’s been Aberdeen that have really given them the most hassle head-to-head this season.

That said, to end the campaign with an utterly dominant showing against McInnes’ side should provide an immense confidence boost going into next season, perhaps leading the players to believe they truly can go all the way this time.

Alfredo Morelos is a liability and needs to be sold this summer. It’d be annoying for the club and fans to see his talent wasted, but his hefty transfer fee would allow Rangers to strengthen in so many areas.

The Colombian hot-head has racked up three red cards and nine yellows so far this season. He’s let the team down on too many occasions and his talent won’t make up for that. 17 goals and eight assists in the Scottish Premiership is impressive, but he just can’t be trusted.

Gerrard needs discipline in his squad and that’s been lacking at times this season. The old-firm derby proved that for millions to see. He also needs to add quality all over the pitch and the sale of Morelos could solve both those issues.

Despite being rated at just £2.7m on Transfermarkt, the fact he signed a new contract in March means it’d take a large fee for any club to take him off Rangers’ hands. They could spread that money across the squad and improve it significantly. Indeed, Eldesmarque believe Real Betis are interested in the 22-year-old.

If they want to challenge Celtic for the league and cups next season it won’t be good enough to sign a couple of cheap, young players and hope they develop into stars. They’ve tried that this season. It worked to a degree, but it ultimately failed to secure them a trophy.

The sale of Morelos would give them a chance to deepen their squad and fill it with players who don’t have the childish mentality Morelos has proved he’s got. It’d be a tough decision for director of football Mark Allen to sell him, but it’d be the right one.

Rangers fans, who would you bring in if Mark Allen sold Alfredo Morelos? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Rangers fans have complete faith in Steven Gerrard to fire them back to their past glories sooner or later, and to do so work needs to be done in the summer transfer window. Goals have come freely for the Gers, but adding Lawrence Shankland, the Ayr United man with a combined 42 goals and assists, is an absolute must as they aim for title number 55.

Shankland is just 23-years-old and is local to Glasgow having been born in the famous footballing city. This season in the Scottish Championship, the Scottish U21 international has bagged an unprecedented 34 goals and has eight assists to match too, and now with Ayr United not prepared to stand in his way as his contract expires this summer the Ibrox faithful could benefit and sign him up on a free.

It looks like Shankland (linked with the Light Blues by the Daily Star in March) will be plying his trade in the Scottish Premier League next season even if Ayr United aren’t. The Honest Men finished 4th in their first season back in the second tier of Scottish football setting up a play-off clash with Inverness, of which they lost the first-leg 3-1 at home last night. It won’t have been pleasant for Shankland to lose that clash, but with a summer move ahead he shouldn’t worry too much.

The hard graft and work has already been done by the 23-year-old and it would be no surprise if finds himself starring for Rangers in Europe and in the biggest domestic clashes next season. Ibrox would welcome a young Glaswegian goalscoring with open arms, and if he can continue his hot run of form that he’s found over the last two seasons, scoring a combined 50 league goals for Ayr, then he’ll be a hit.

It could force a couple of Steven Gerrard’s options that he has now out of the side, but with Alfredo Morelos’ discipline proving to be a tricky issue and Kyle Lafferty’s lack of game time and goals, having the partnership of Shankland and Defoe next season could be key.

That duo could also work wonders for the youngster as working with the prolific Defoe could be so beneficial in his development.

Rangers fans, do you want to see Lawrence Shankland at Ibrox? Comment below!

Heading to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland was always going to be difficult for Portsmouth, but Pompey should count themselves lucky it was only 1-0.

The south coast side were dominated by the Black Cats from the first minute to the last as Sunderland drew first blood in the first-leg of the League One play-off semi-final with a 1-0 win, which was even more impressive when you take into account the hosts were down to 10-men for most of the second-half, and now Portsmouth face a big uphill battle.

Promotion is an absolute must for the club this season if they are to retain onto key players who have been courted with moves away, and for Portsmouth making it back into the Championship will be a massive step in the right direction for a club with dreams of returning to the Premier League.

The return leg at Fratton Park will be Portsmouth’s biggest game of the season, and one man could be the difference between a second Wembley appearance this year or another campaign in League One, Omar Bogle.

The striker has been impressive for Portsmouth this season since joining on loan this January from Cardiff City, scoring five in 14 appearances, and with Kenny Jackett likely to change things up on Tuesday night, Bogle could have a big part to play in getting Pompey into the Championship.

Bogle, who is valued at £450,000 on Transfermarkt, has always made an impact on the pitch either by scoring or by playing a part in the build-up, and the striker’s impact could be the difference between Portsmouth being promoted or spending another season wasting time in League One.

Portsmouth fans, will Bogle have an impact in the second-leg? Let us know!

[ad_pod ]

Hull City are still waiting to hear back from Nigel Adkins regarding a new contract at the club. With his current deal expiring in just over a month, the Tigers still don’t know if the former Southampton boss will be in the dugout at the start of next season.

The 54-year-old has done a stellar job at the KCOM Stadium this season, guiding the Yorkshire club to a 13th-place finish after a rocky start.

Want him to stay

There’s no doubt that the higher-ups at Hull would want Adkins to stay on with the club next season.

He has been presented a new deal by his current employers, and there seems to be no reason for him to not take them up on their offer.

Management can be a tough place to find a new job at times, so it seems strange that Adkins almost seems willing to let his contract run down.

Reasons to leave

Unfortunately for the Tigers, Adkins has a number of reasons why he would want to get away from the club before next season.

Their talisman Jarrod Bowen seems to be on his way out with Premier League sides often linked with the dynamic winger.

The 22-year-old netted 22 goals for Adkins’ side this season, and if he leaves it may be inevitable that they take a backwards step next term.

The manager’s stock may be the highest it will possibly be as Hull boss, and if he gets out now, he may find himself in a much better job in the near future.

There are also murmurs of a takeover at Hull, bringing about uncertainty for the manager next season. Adkins was sacked as Reading boss after a takeover in 2015 so he may want to jump before he is pushed this time around.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

Perhaps the boss has caught wind of the impending takeover and believes it will bring about an era of instability at the club. If that is the case it and Adkins doesn’t sign on the dotted line, then Hull fans should be worried.

[ad_pod ]

Spanish side Alaves are interested in signing Celtic defender Jozo Simunovic, according to The Scottish Sun.

What’s the story?

The Croatian centre-back has had his ups and downs at the Hoops over the year and this season has found himself both on the fringes of Brendan Rodgers’ first-team squad and a crucial part of Neil Lennon’s side.

The paper say that the La Liga outfit are keen on adding him to their squad this summer and could make a move with a £4m bid.

The interest comes with Celtic struggling for numbers at centre-back right now.

Dedryck Boyata has signed a contract with Hertha Berlin, while Filip Benkovic is due to head back to parent club Leicester City.

The seven-figure fee for Simunovic may prove tempting for the Hoops but they can’t think about selling him given the current situation.

Why so important?

The jury may be out on the defender’s long-term future at Celtic Park but the club simply don’t have enough time to sign the defensive bodies required to navigate this summer’s difficult European qualifiers.

If Simunovic left it would mean just Kristoffer Ajer and Marvin Compper remained at the club and the latter has shown no sign of being capable for selection.

A lack of forward planning has left the Hoops already behind when it comes to being well stocked in defence and selling Simunovic without replacements ready to step in would be a crazy move that shouldn’t even be considered.

[ad_pod ]

The date is 22 September 2018. The venue is Villa Park and Sheffield Wednesday’s Daniel Pudil has just headed the ball away from what he thinks is impending danger.

Standing 25-yards from goal is John McGinn. Just take it and down and work another opening would have been the rational thought.

But McGinn isn’t rational. The Scot unleashes a remarkable volley on his left foot into the top corner and the Villa faithful erupt. The rest, they say, is history.

That was the 24-year-old’s first goal in the famous claret and blue strip and it’s highly unlikely he’ll ever score a better one in his entire career.

After arriving from Hibernian last summer, the midfielder has been a revelation. In many ways, he’s been even better than Jack Grealish.

The latter was named in the Team of the Year, but arguably his midfield partner would have been more deserving.

Steve Bruce was the man to bring him to the Midlands and, as a result, the Villa fans still owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to their former manager.

He didn’t get too much right during the first half of the season. The fact he played an out of sorts Mile Jedinak at centre-half proved his thinking was off the mark.

However, what he did get spot on, was the decision to bring McGinn to the Championship.

Looking back at it, it seems a masterstroke, especially given the injury that Grealish picked up midway through the campaign.

Therefore, without the former Hibs man, it’s unlikely Villa would be on the verge of securing a place in the Premier League.

On Monday they take on Derby at Wembley in the play-off final. It’s a game which needs no introduction. The result means everything for both clubs and their midfield general will again be crucial.

McGinn’s quality this season indicates he can make the step up to the Premier League. He has too much quality not to, and if Villa win, he’ll have the platform to finally show what he can do at the highest level.

In total, Villa’s number seven has found himself involved in 15 goals this term, playing a crucial role both in terms of finding the net himself and laying on chances for his teammates.

But what is arguably most impressive, barring his creativity and attacking nous, is his energy.

McGinn is an absolute engine in midfield and this compliments Grealish to perfection. Villa’s skipper has a tendency to get caught forward but the former is able to cover the ground in midfield with great tenacity.

His 14 yellow cards this term shows his willingness to get stuck in but his poor disciplinary record is nothing to be concerned about, even if there were fears a possible 15th booking would keep him out of the play-offs.

“Fair play nonsense!” – Watch one fan’s astonishing defence of Leeds’ controversial goal against Villa on Sunday in the video below…

When assessing what you want from a midfielder, McGinn has it all. Even with Bruce now gone, he’s left a lasting impact that could still prove telling in the club’s promotion charge.

Dean Smith has done a wonderful job since being appointed and will rightfully take the plaudits if Villa secure victory on bank holiday Monday.

Yet, in amongst that, there should still be light applause for Bruce. Without one of his signings Villa would have been a lot worse off.

Keeping Keiren Westwood at Sheffield Wednesday is a must, right?

The veteran goalkeeper showed everyone that he still had what it takes to be a top-class number one in the Championship when he was re-established to the side following Steve Bruce’s arrival as manager – Jos Luhukay, what were you playing at?!

His, like so many of his team-mates, deal with the club is set to expire this summer and there had been doubts about whether the Owls would be able to come to an agreement with him about extending his stay.

And, according to Alan Nixon, it seems that he may be about to put pen-to-paper over a new deal and it seems he could be ready to commit his future for a couple of years, as is Liam Palmer as well.

The Sun journalist took to Twitter to share the news, stating: “Very positive signs about a deal for Westwood and Palmer. Word is agreed to give both a couple of years.”

Indeed, keeping Westwood at Hillsborough would be a huge deal that will have the Wednesdaynites celebrating, however, it could also be the biggest one they complete all summer.

It would not be a surprise if Bruce was able to recruit a couple of players to try and strengthen his side for his first full season in charge, however, keeping the Republic of Ireland international in between the sticks is vitally important.

Westwood, despite his age, still has plenty left to offer the club and if his performances in the last four months or so were anything to go by, then he will definitely have a role to play next season and could finally help them get to the play-offs, or maybe even go one better.

Sheffield Wednesday fans, how big do you think getting a deal done for Westwood will be for the club’s future? Do you think it could be the best piece of business the club could do this summer? Let us know below!