Blown hot and cold: West Ham fans discuss Felipe Anderson’s first season at club

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Felipe Anderson believes that he is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, having scored 10 times for West Ham United.

The Hammers paid a club-record fee for Anderson in last summer’s transfer window, with the Brazilian arriving from Lazio.

Anderson has had plenty of positive moments for his English club, but it would also be fair to say that he has disappointed in patches.

And that was just the reaction of the West Ham fans when they read Anderson’s words on the club’s official website.

Indeed, whilst some were keen to pay tribute to the 26-year-old, others were keen to point out that the attacker has blown hot and cold for Manuel Pellegrini’s side this term.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Previously linked with Manchester United, it will certainly be interesting to see whether West Ham can keep the attacker on a long-term basis.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Our most reliable player: Cardiff fans praising Etheridge for heroic performance

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Cardiff City fans have been full of praise for Neil Etheridge’s heroic performance against Manchester City on Wednesday night.

The Filipino shot-stopper had a lot of work to do against the reigning champions as City peppered the goal with shots, registering 11 strikes on target.

Etheridge made two fantastic saves, stopping both a long-range strike from Phil Foden and a point blank header from Aymeric Laporte.

Though Cardiff lost 2-0 it could’ve been a lot more as City applied constant pressure to Cardiff’s backline.

The 6 foot 2 star’s heroics may prove important come the end of the season as Cardiff’s goal difference could be decisive in the battle against relegation.

Losing just 2-0 against a team that regularly hit five or more against lesser opposition at the Etihad is a respectable result and Etheridge is to thank for keeping the score down.

Cardiff fans took to Twitter during and after the match to sound their appreciation for the keeper.

Here’s what Cardiff fans had to say on Twitter…

Written in the stars! Leeds fans react as stunning comebacks go their way

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Loads of Leeds fans have been reacting to Saturday’s incredible action, as late comebacks in both theirs and Sheffield United’s game put them back into second place.

Leeds made things difficult for themselves against Millwall on Saturday afternoon, going behind twice to goals from Ben Thompson and Ben Marshall either side of a Pablo Hernandez strike.

The Whites didn’t give up though, and Luke Ayling equalised from close range before Hernandez fired in his second of the match with just ten minutes to spare.

And while Marcelo Bielsa’s side were pulling off a dramatic comeback, Chris Widler’s side were doing the opposite, blowing a lead at home to Bristol City.

The Blades went in front twice either side of Andreas Weimann’s first half strike, and the ex-Derby County ace completed his hat trick with goals in the 77th and 83rd minute, goals that effectively put Leeds back into the top two.

Meanwhile in the Premier League, Huddersfield’s loss at Crystal Palace saw them relegated, and Whites fans are in absolute heaven as Saturday’s stunning turn of events heaped misery on their Yorkshire rivals.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, after Phil Hay of The Yorkshire Evening Post shared the news from Bramall Lane…

Why are Football Derbies so Competitive?

Football derbies, where two local teams play against each other for a friendly or as part of a league, have the reputation of being some of the most competitive matches you will ever see. Derby matches can see anger on both the players and the fans’ parts, as well as some of the best football you will ever see. Even the World Cup is nowhere near the level of competitiveness the average derby match will produce. Let’s take a look at why derbies get their supporter’s blood pumping.

The Fans Are as Excited as the Players

When it comes to derby matches, the supporters probably have some sort of emotional investment in the match. A derby match is quite often played at their home stadium allowing them to tap into the fervour of matches which have been played previously. You don’t need to be a regular at a casino engaged in a game such as Champions Cup to bet that sitting in seats that have seen plenty of victories will help people feel excited about what they are about to witness.

The opposing team are also quite often disliked due to some reason similar to what we discussed above. Woe betide any player who steps onto the pitch having played for one side of a derby and then transferred to another; supporters will remember it and will consider the transfer to be a betrayal.

Factors like this whip the fans into a frenzy of name-calling and football shouts which further incentivises the players. If you are wanting to see some world-class football played, you only need to go to a derby match. The way the fans egg their favourite players on is something which you will only experience there.

It’s About More Than Football

Football rivalries are often born out of something which runs a lot deeper than football. Let’s take one of the most notorious football rivalries as an example; the Old Firm. The Old Firm is a rivalry between the Glaswegian teams of Celtic and Rangers, and it stems partly from sectarianism with Catholics traditionally supporting Celtic and Protestants usually rooting for Rangers.

Political motivations are also common. Real Madrid and Barcelona represent their own cities respectively, with Barcelona also stepping up to represent Catalonia while Madrid represents the rest of Spain. Tensions have been high between these states for a long time and football is just one place where they meet. With so much history and emotion hanging over teams when they face each other, it is little wonder why they bring their all when they step out onto the pitch.

The Beautiful Game

Football brings people together in ways we truly don’t understand. If you are searching for the perfect example of why people love football so much, just look at a derby match. The competitiveness which drives these matches is a spectacle that has to be beheld to be believed. See if any of your local teams have an upcoming derby match and tune in or buy a ticket to see the beautiful game played at its best!

بارتوميو: ميسي لم يجبرني على التفكير في الاستقالة.. ونتمنى اعتزاله في برشلونة

أكد رئيس نادي برشلونة جوسيب ماريا بارتوميو أنه لم يفكر على الإطلاق في تقديم استقالته من منصبه بسبب الأزمة التي اندلعت نتيجة موقف ليونيل ميسي ورغبته في الرحيل.

وكان ميسي قد أبلغ إدارة برشلونة برغبته في الرحيل عن النادي، خلال موسم الانتقالات الصيفي لهذا العام.

وأدى ذلك الأمر إلى إثارة حال من الجدل الشديد في برشلونة، وطالب البعض بارتوميو بتقديم الاستقالة، حيث رأوا أنه السبب في رغبة ميسي في الرحيل.

وقال بارتوميو، في مؤتمر نشرته صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية: “في حالة ليو، من الجيد أن تغضب لأنه ليس من الجيد قبول الهزائم، ونحن جميعًا غاضبون”.

وأضاف: “ولكن كان هناك موعدًا نهائيًا ليعلن ما إذا كان سيستمر أم لا، هو لم يفعل ذلك، وفي النهاية هو معنا الآن، وكلنا نريد أن يعتزل في برشلونة”.

وواصل: “لم يخطر ببالي أبدًا أن أستقيل بسبب قضية ميسي، المشروع ممتع للغاية مع الشباب والمحاربين القدامى مثل ميسي، وأعتقد أننا معه سنفوز بالألقاب هذا الموسم”.

Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette will be club’s most important player going into run-in

You don’t really associate Arsenal with incredible freekicks, but Alexandre Lacazette’s winning goal proved another story.

The Frenchman’s first-half strike was all it took for Arsenal to seal passage to the Europa League semi-finals for the second year in a row, and with the tournament favourites now eliminated, the Gunners could well be on their way to a first piece of European silverware in over 20 years, and Lacazette will be key in this goal.

Lacazette has been one of Arsenal’s best players this season, shortlist for the club’s Player of the Season award, and his ability to turn up on the biggest of stages is what sets him apart from other members of the squad.

Arsenal managed to sign the striker for just £47.7 million back in 2017.

Aside from his goal, which will be what fans remember today, his overall performance was worthy of the man of the match award. Lacazette drove at the Napoli defenders all game and found it easy to find the space to create chances for himself and strike partner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who should have scored on more than one occasion.

If Arsenal are to return to the Champions League, where it be through finishing in the top four or by winning the Europa League, Lacazette will be one of the driving forces behind it, and his importance for the club is growing stronger and stronger as the games keep on rolling.

Arsenal fans, how many goals can Lacazette reach at the end of the season? Let us know!

تعرف على معلق مباراة ليفربول ووست هام اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي

يلتقي ليفربول حامل لقب الدوري الإنجليزي مع خصمه وست هام في الجولة السابعة من البطولة، مساء اليوم السبت.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موعد والقنوات الناقلة لمباراة ليفربول ووست هام اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي

وتُقام المباراة في ملعب الأنفيلد، معقل كتيبة يورجن كلوب.

ويحتل ليفربول حاليًا المركز الثاني برصيد 13 نقطة، بينما يتواجد وست هام في المركز الثاني عشر برصيد 8 نقاط. معلق مباراة ليفربول ووست هام

سيكون علي محمد علي هو معلق تلك المباراة.

ويمكنك مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنا.

Liverpool: Jordan Henderson’s impact on the team is as strong as ever

Jordan Henderson might have been relegated to substitute at Liverpool this season, but his impact has never been larger.

His match-sealing goal against Southampton on Friday night put the Reds a step closer to Premier League glory, and his emotional celebration made the fans remember that their club captain is in it to win it this season.

Henderson might have been demoted to the bench due to the emergence of Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum establishing themselves as first-team midfielders, but Jurgen Klopp himself has claimed that his importance on the first-team is even stronger than ever.

The Liverpool manager even said after the 3-1 win that Henderson has done well in replacing legend Steven Gerrard at the club, saying, “The most difficult job in the last 500 years of football was to replace Steven Gerrard.

“In the mind of the people it was like if it’s not Stevie, then it’s not good enough, and he has dealt with that outstandingly well so he can be really proud. Now we have to think of the future and he is a very important part of our team.”

Henderson’s importance can be understandable when you look at his appearance stats in the league this season. The Liverpool skipper has only failed to come on the pitch once when he has been involved with the squad this campaign, starting 18 and coming on as sub 11 times.

Fans, for the remainder of the season at least, will want to see Henderson remain on the bench for players who bring more urgency and quality to the team, but in their captain they know they have a player who makes as big as an impact on the squad than anyone else, and that nobody in the club is as suited to wear the armband as the man who was picked to succeed Gerrard at the club.

Liverpool fans, has this been Henderson’s best season? Let us know!

Rangers simply must go back in for Karlan Ahearne-Grant

Alfredo Morelos’ sending off in the Old Firm derby has landed him in hot water with Steven Gerrard once again. If the manager’s patience finally runs out, he should swoop for Huddersfield’s Karlan Ahearne-Grant.

The Rangers forward signed a new deal just last month, but his hot head could be his downfall at Ibrox with pundits such as Charlie Nicholas and Andy Gray suggested he should be sold. Steven Gerrard is earning a no-nonsense reputation with regard to the media and now he must be looking to do the same with his players, so that means the club should plan ahead so they don’t rely on him too much.

Ahearne-Grant has impressed in the Premier League since arriving in January, and that’s despite his club already being relegated. He’s scored three goals in seven and a further 14 in 28 for Charlton between August and January, proving his worth at all levels of the footballing pyramid.

The Scottish Sun claimed back at the start of the year that the Gers were interested, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they still were considering their main striker is unreliable, not in front of goal, but with his discipline. Indeed, if Rangers are to challenge for the title next season they need a reliable, on-form marksman.

Ahearne-Grant can be that insurance policy if Morelos’ attitude doesn’t improve. If anything, it’d be less of a risk than having Morelos as their sole main man.

The 21-year-old has a bright future ahead of him and surely he’d relish the chance to be managed by Steven Gerrard and maybe even pick up some silverware and become a club legend way before he would do playing for a Championship side or Premier League relegation fodder.

Simply put, if Gerrard doesn’t have the trust in Morelos, he should sign Ahearne-Grant to give Rangers a better chance of sustaining a title challenge next season.

Rangers fans, how do you think Alfredo Morelos’ career at Rangers will pan out? Join the discussion by commenting below.

The Chalkboard: El Ghazi’s improved Villa form crucial but permanent move needs to be forgotten

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Aston Villa are on quite the run at the moment. The club made history at the weekend, stretching their record without dropping a point to ten matches as they secured a play-off place.

Dean Smith has done a phenomenal job with the club and after Villa’s financial troubles last summer, it’s been quite the turnaround for the Midlands side.

However, more recently there’s been a turnaround for Anwar El Ghazi too. The Lille loanee has been inconsistent since arriving in England but he’s now changing that and it’s something that may prove timely as the play-offs approach.

On the chalkboard

Aston Villa have looked tremendous going forward this season with the goals of Tammy Abraham playing a significant part in why they lie in fifth place in the table.

There’s also been goals and creativity in abundance from midfield. But a key issue for Smith going into the final month of the campaign will have been a lack of consistency from his wide players, especially after their narrow escape against Rotherham earlier in April.

El Ghazi played 45 minutes during that clash but failed to make an impact. In his last three matches, though, he’s shown tremendous form and is proving to be a valuable asset. He won the best rating out of everyone on the pitch during Villa’s win over Bristol City, per WhoScored, claiming an assist in the process.

The Dutchman then picked up another assist on Easter Monday, laying the ball on a plate for Jonathan Kodjia at the near post. He’s now got six for the season and his ability to create chances for his teammates is becoming a real thorn in opposition defences.

Don’t make it permanent

Despite his improved form, Villa need to forget about potentially making his loan stay permanent. Having played for Ajax, there is a huge unwanted trend the Villans could follow that sees similar individuals who have played in the Eredivisie fail to make it in the Premier League.

The likes of Luciano Narsingh, Ibrahim Affelay and Viktor Fischer spring to mind as players who simply failed to cut it in the top-flight.

El Ghazi isn’t Premier League ready and would likely suffer from the same misfortunes if Villa exercised their option to buy the player. Therefore, they must avoid it at all costs.

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