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Arsenal fans on Twitter have been up in arms about Jermaine Jenas’ top four predictions.

The former England international has predicted his former club Tottenham will pip Arsenal to a Champions League spot and he also expects Manchester United to join them in Europe’s premiere competition next season.

Arsenal leapfrogged Spurs on Monday after beating Newcastle 2-0. Tottenham, on the other hand, are going through an awful run of form picking up just one point in their last five games.

Jenas believes Arsenal’s tough run of away games will cost them a spot in the top four highlighting clashes against Burnley, Crystal Palace, Watford and Everton as potential stumbling blocks.

“It’s as tough as it gets away from home for them, I would say, in terms of the places you’re going to and what they’re fighting for,” Jenas told premierleague.com.

“Burnley are going to be fighting all the way, [Crystal] Palace are still going to need wins; Watford are going to be past their FA Cup semi-final and will be right at it; Everton are back in form.

“It’s going to be tough for everyone, don’t get me wrong, but I think it’ll end up as Spurs and Manchester United in the top four.”

Gunners on Twitter can’t believe Jenas’ predictions and have vocalised their annoyance at the pundit’s views.

Many fans are attributing the prediction down to Jenas’ bias towards his former club and are doubting his credentials as a pundit.

Here’s what Arsenal fans have been saying on Twitter…

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According to Football Insider, a Bournemouth scout was in attendance for Stoke City’s 2-2 draw with Rotherham on Saturday as the Cherries look to step up their pursuit of England international Jack Butland.

After recent blunders from Asmir Begovic, Eddie Howe’s keenness on a new goalkeeper makes sense.

Could Butland be the final piece in the jigsaw for Bournemouth?

What’s the word?

Well, Football Insider understands that the Vitality Stadium outfit could be on the hunt for two goalkeepers this summer with the aforementioned Begovic falling out of favour and Artur Boruc, whose contract also runs out at the end of the campaign, not getting any younger.

Butland is expected to finally leave the bet365 Stadium this summer having surprisingly remained at the club after relegation to the Championship last season. The 26-year-old has been a regular fixture in the Potters lineup this term, playing all 42 league games and keeping 17 clean sheets.

Bournemouth will have to stump up the cash if they’re to get their man though – Stoke are set to demand a fee in the region of £15m for the number 1’s services, although it will certainly be worth it from a Cherries point of view.

The final piece of the jigsaw

Howe has gone to great lengths to lower the average age of his squad in recent seasons, with the likes of Jordon Ibe, Dominic Solanke, Nathan Ake and David Brooks recruited in the hope that they will be a big part of the Cherries’ future, as well as their present.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

The south coast outfit have youth in all areas of the pitch and look set to be a force in the Premier League for the foreseeable future, although one role isn’t quite locked down for the next decade: goalkeeper.

Begovic, 31 and Boruc, 39, won’t be able to guard the net forever so signing a young, quality goalkeeper would mean Bournemouth have pretty much all bases covered for the next five or six seasons, as long as they can keep all their young stars of course.

Butland is highly-rated and still has room to grow, so the move would make perfect sense, although Bournemouth surely won’t be the only suitors come the summer.

What do you think, Bournemouth fans, would you like to sign the custodian? Let us know in the comments below.

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Charlton emerged 2-0 victors over Gillingham at the weekend despite the notable absence of top-scorer Lyle Taylor, who has been on a sensational run of form in 2019, through injury.

With the number 9 sidelined, Josh Cullen and Joe Aribo stepped up to score for the Addicks. The former, whose strike was his first for the club, oozed confidence after the win as he looked forward to the promotion play-offs.

What did he say?

Well, speaking ahead of the highly-anticipated League One play-offs, in which Charlton do not yet know who they will be facing, the 23-year-old ace said:

“Whoever we get, we’re confident home and away that we can go and win games and we’ll be confident going into it. We’re looking forward to it.

“There’s no preference for who we play. When it comes to play-offs, it’s two games and whoever is the best team over those two games. We’re confident we will be the best team, whoever we play against, so whoever we get, bring them on.”

Confident Cullen

The West Ham loanee has been a fixture in the starting XI since signing for the SE7 outfit in the summer and has impressed with his industry and attitude, so much so that some fans are keen to keep him beyond the current campaign. After these comments, his popularity amongst The Valley faithful will only soar.

Check out what happened when two of Charlton’s best players faced-off in a game of ‘Splat’ in the video below…

Do not mistake the 5 ft 9 midfielder’s words as being cocky – Charlton have had to fight for every win this season amid difficult circumstances off the pitch and fully deserve to be where they are. Indeed, if they can carry this kind of form into the two most crucial games of their season then there is little doubt that they will be the team to beat.

As for the Addicks’ potential opponents, Cullen’s message should prove that they’ve got a real fight on their hands if they are to be promoted to the Championship.

دافع يورجن كلوب المدير الفني لنادي ليفربول الإنجليزي، عن الدولي المصري محمد صلاح نجم الفريق، بعد الانتقادات التي تعرض لها اللاعب بسبب ركلة الجزاء التي حصل عليها ضد وست هام.

وفاز ليفربول بثنائية مقابل هدف على وست هام، وسجل محمد صلاح هدف التعادل في تلك المباراة التي أقيمت السبت الماضي، بعدما سقط من تدخل موساكو مدافع الهامرز وحصل على ركلة جزاء.

طالع أيضًا.. كلوب يكشف حالة تياجو وكيتا وماتيب قبل مواجهة أتالانتا في دوري أبطال أوروبا

تلقى محمد صلاح انتقادات عديدة، حيث يرى البعض أنه يدعي التمثيل داخل منطقة الجزاء، من أجل الحصول على مخالفة، وخداع الحُكام.

يورجن كلوب في المؤتمر الخاص بمواجهة أتلانتا غدًا، رد قائلًا: “ليس لدي ما أقوله، لقد كانت مخالفة إلى حد كبير لكل من شاهدها”.

وأضاف: “صدق أو لا تصدق، لقد تحدثت مع صلاح صباح أمس، وسألته عن حالته، وأخبرني أنه تعرض لثلاث ضربات في المباراة، واحدة كانت في منطقة الجزاء، لكنه لم يسقط”.

واختتم: “لا نتحدث كثيرًا عن ركلات الجزاء التي لم نحصل عليها بعد يومين، ولكن مازال البعض يتحدث عن ركلة جزاء حصلنا عليها رغم أن المباراة كانت يوم السبت”.

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Over the course of the last few seasons, Declan Rice has emerged as one of English football’s most exciting young talents, his rise resulting in a place in Gareth Southgate’s most recent England squad.

There is no doubting the West Ham youngster’s potential, although there still remains a debate over whether his qualities are best served in defence or midfield. So, what does Rice need to do to silence the doubters and emerge as a world-class presence in the middle of the park? Football FanCast’s writers give their verdicts below…

James Beavis – Leadership

“At the moment, Rice is a player that is consistently producing 8/10 performances for West Ham United, sometimes almost under the radar. To become a world-class midfielder he needs to start being more of a leader on the pitch and impose himself on matches even more. He needs to be the star man every week instead of merely the reliable one doing his job at a high level. He can learn a lot from Mark Noble in that respect, and that can be the difference for the 20-year-old if he wants to make it to the very top.”

Ben Goodwin – Keep it up

“At just 20 with barely a full season of first team football under his belt, Rice has to do little more than what he is doing right now. The twice-capped ace is controlling matches for the Hammers, and the technical qualities of this young crop of English midfielders are a breath of fresh air. Stay fit, stay consistent, keep performing and keep learning and the world class tag will arrive in no time.”

Jack Saville – Distribution

“Rice has the well-rounded skill-set to rise into the world class bracket. He is remarkably excellent and consistent with his distribution considering he started his career in central defence, but if he can fine-tune that aspect of his game he could step further upfield into a box-to-box role. Modelling his game on a complete all-rounder like Fernandinho could transform him into one of the Premier League’s best.”

Christy Malyan – Goals

“Deep-lying midfielders are never going to be judged on goals but it’s becoming increasingly rare for those in the engine room to boast the height and aerial prowess of a centre-half, something Rice demonstrated with great effect during his previous stints in defence. As there will usually be at least two centre-backs on the pitch already when he plays, he should be the free man at set pieces or at the very least marked by someone who will struggle to match him in the air. That should result in plenty of goals and if he provides them while maintaining his usual standard of performance, he’ll be an exceptionally unique commodity.” 

The play-off race is coming onto the final straight, but Middlesbrough are still trying to round the bend, as they look winded, limp and beaten as the pack swarm past them left, right and centre.

Fans are rightly wanting action, and the only have two areas to look at when apportioning blame — the players, and the manager.

There is no way to change the players, at least until a new transfer window, so as much as they share the angst of the supporters, most of their fingers are pointing towards Tony Pulis.

But the Teesside Gazette report today that Steve Gibson is set to stand behind his beleaguered boss, and hope for a second-wind that will see them dip over the line ahead of their rivals.

But that is unlikely to appease the fans inside who were chanting for “Pulis out” last night, in what the Gazette called a “toxic” atmosphere.

Many neutral observers will say it is good to see a chairman or owner not hastily sack the manager on the back of a poor run. But they are not paying good money to witness a team going through the motions, but achieving little… or nothing, to be more exact.

They see a brand of football on display that is not attractive to watch when your team is winning. It is downright ugly when they are not.

But what is worse, even, than that, is seeing the players appearing to lack motivation, or an apparent inability to change the set-up effectively during a game when things are not working.

Gibson wants to stand by his man, but at what cost? Promotion seems a very long way off, suddenly, and where the club go after another campaign of failure, is anyone’s guess.

Debate rages on via social media. Woodgate is the name mentioned in the press, but fans are not enamoured at that prospect, but even he may be able to give the players an end of season boost, that Pulis does not seem capable of.

If they stick with the former Stoke and West Brom manager, the season looks to be effectively over anyway. So give someone a chance until the end of the season. What is the worst that can happen?

Whether it is Woodgate, or someone else, something needs to be done — if only to give the loyal supporters a tiny shred of hope and belief.

If something is not done, and things do not improve, fans may look towards the director’s box for the next target of their fury.

What are your thoughts about Gibson’s apparent decision to keep Pulis in place, at least until the end of the season? Let us know what you think about it… 

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Many Liverpool fans on Twitter think they know manager Jurgen Klopp’s next move ahead of the final three games of the Premier League season.

They believe that the German gaffer will go full strength for clashes with Huddersfield Town, Newcastle United and Wolves regardless of the outcome of Manchester United vs Manchester City, despite the fact the Reds still potentially have three more encounters to face in the Champions League.

Their bold opinions were aired after a fan account asked them if the clash between the Red Devils and the Cityzens will have any bearing on Klopp’s team selection for the last three league matches.

If Pep Guardiola’s men slip up at Old Trafford, the Premier League title will be in the hands of the Merseysiders and all they’ll have to do is beat three inferior teams to lift the trophy for the first time.

However, should the sky Blues take three points from their bitter rivals on Wednesday night, they’ll be left with the same ultimatum from their season-closing trio.

Check out the pick of the reactive Tweets from the Anfield faithful tipping Klopp to go all out, below…

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Sunderland moved back into the automatic promotion places on Tuesday, but fans are fuming at referee Scott Oldham who they feel cost them the chance to go further clear of Barnsley.

The Black Cats’ fate is well and truly back in their hands, as they moved back above Barnsley with just six games left to play, while the Tykes have just five matches remaining.

Jack Ross’ side could be even further out in front though, as a resurgent Burton Albion side nicked a point from the Stadium of Light on Tuesday.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

Tom Flanagan put the Brewers in front when he stabbed into his own net, but Jack Baldwin levelled things up from a Grant Leadbitter corner.

Charlie Wyke missed a couple of good chances and Leadbitter struck the woodwork late on, but it is referee Oldham who is drawing the ire of the Wearside faithful.

The standard of refereeing in the lower leagues makes the Premier League’s worst look like the world’s best if truth be told, and Oldham was no exception on Wednesday night.

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

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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.

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Wolves have lacked strength in depth this season but, when faced with the question of whether their fans would be happy with the club signing Huddersfield’s Aaron Mooy, they were particularly unhappy.

Nuno Espirito Santo has a particularly good midfield at his disposal, but Mooy, a proven Premier League man, would be a fine squad player to add over the summer.

However, a host of supporters didn’t seem too pleased with the potential of signing him when a debate unfolded on Twitter.

The response from fans saw them largely argue against signing the midfielder. One supporter sarcastically claimed it would ruin the brand, hinting he wouldn’t fit in with the look of the Portuguese players.

A further fan said that Mooy wasn’t good enough for Wolves and another commented that the club had moved on from players of his level.

Mooy starred for the Terriers last season, scoring four goals and claiming three assists in 36 Premier League matches. This term has been more difficult, though, with the £12.6m-rated man, per Transfermarkt, struggling with injury.

Here’s what supporters have been saying about the prospect of signing Mooy this summer…