All posts by n8rngtd.top

What a summer Spurs could have on their hands! After signing nobody last summer or in January, they’re being linked with players left, right and centre, but Nathan Ake is a name who should be at the top of their transfer wish list.

The Bournemouth centre-back has been a revelation since leaving the shadows of Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2017, and the Daily Star are linking him with Spurs. He’s strong in the air, level-headed, and positionally aware, and that’s just what Mauricio Pochettino could do with.

Toby Alderweireld has been excellent in the Spurs backline, allowing their talented attackers to push forward without having to worry too much about the counter-attack. All this when Spurs haven’t really had a stand-out, quality defensive midfielder to sit in front and protect him.

They certainly could still do with a defensive midfielder in summer, but what an addition Nathan Ake would be to tightening their defence against teams like Manchester City, against whom they consistently drop points. He could cost a fortune, but it’d be worth it for the silverware.

He’s only 24-years-old (valued at £25.2m by Transfermarkt these days), so he’s got another seven or eight years at the very top of his game. Alderweireld is 30, and while he’s still got a season or two left in his at this level, it’d be perfect to see Ake learn from the Belgian and take over his role and Spurs’ main man at the back.

Even if the former Atletico man departs in the summer, Ake would be a ready-made replacement.

He’ll be wanting first team football though, because he’s experienced enough time on the bench at Chelsea to last a lifetime. That’s another pull factor for Spurs because they haven’t got the squad depth his old club or other elite European sides have. He should go straight into the starting line-up, surely.

As Spurs move into their new stadium and look to push for silverware, Nathan Ake can be the man to ensure the new era at White Hart Lane is a successful one.

Spurs fans, who do you think your club should buy in the summer? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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A tremendous end to a tight contest between Nottingham Forest and Swansea last weekend eventually saw the former come out on top with a 2-1 victory.

Forest initially went a goal down with just 14 minutes left to play but Daryl Murphy found the net four minutes later. It was his 100th career league goal and after their official Twitter account revealed the stat, fans were quick to congratulate on him reaching the milestone.

One fan said he was proud to have him as part of the team whilst others noted how he always gave 100% for the side.

Murphy hasn’t been particularly popular at times this season but two supporters urged sections of the City Ground to stop booing him.

The 36-year-old will be hoping that his vital goal will do something to put himself back in certain fans good books.

In 27 appearances this term, the forward has scored six goals and claimed three assists.

Forest remain an outside bet to finish in the Championship play-offs this season. They currently sit in ninth place, two points off Derby in sixth. However, Bristol City in seventh have two games in hand over the Reds.

Here’s what Forest supporters have been saying about Murphy.

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According to UOL, via Sports Witness, the agent of Everton forward Richarlison has recently met with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who is a huge fan of the Brazil international.

What’s the word, then?

Well, this is a very interesting one.

The Liverpool Echo recently quoted Everton boss Marco Silva as saying that Richarlison would not be sold this summer amid reports of interest from AC Milan.

However, according to UOL, Richarlison’s agent, Renato Velasco, has recently met with Liverpool boss Klopp at his house.

The report goes on to claim that the Reds head coach is a huge fan of the 21-year-old, suggesting that a bid could arrive from Anfield.

It is some claim and it would also be some story if the South American did leave Everton for their bitter rivals in this summer’s transfer window.

UOL report that the Toffees do not want to sell Richarlison, but would consider an offer in excess of £70m for the player that they signed from Watford last summer.

Should Liverpool make a move?

There is no question that Richarlison is a talent.

The versatile attacker has struck 12 Premier League goals for Everton this term, which is a good record when considering that Silva’s side do not create bundles of chances.

Mo Salah has been brutally mocked for his recent diving antics in a new video by 442oons. Check it out below…

There is every reason to believe that the Brazilian will continue to improve, but paying in excess of £70m this summer would be bad business by Liverpool.

Indeed, if Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino all stay this summer then Richarlison would not even make the first XI next season.

And spending that sort of money on a player who has been erratic at times is not something that the Reds should consider in this summer’s transfer window.

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Arsenal fans on Twitter have been offering Unai Emery some pre-match advice as they call for the quartet of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey all to start Thursday’s match against Napoli.

Arsenal’s key players have been rotated often this season with the four rarely appearing on the pitch all at the same time.

The fanbase have been calling for Arsenal to field their strongest 11 for their crucial Europa League tie against Napoli and they believe that these four players all have to be selected.

The Gunners have often opted to field a second string squad in Europe this season, with youngsters such as Joe Willock, Emile Smith-Rowe and Eddie Nketiah all getting starts in the competition.

With a tough quarter-final draw against Napoli and the prospect of qualifying for next season’s Champions League if they win the trophy, Arsenal fans have been hoping that Emery starts all four players in a bold attacking move.

Here’s what Arsenal fans have had to say on Twitter…

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According to Football Insider, Adrian is set to leave West Ham United this summer.

The 32-year-old will see his contract with the Hammers expire at the end of the season and the report has claimed that the capital outfit have no plans to offer an extension.

Adrian has been with West Ham since 2013, making 150 appearances for the club in all competitions, keeping 43 clean sheets in the process.

The 6 foot 3 stopper has only made five appearances this term, though, with Lukasz Fabianski very much the club’s number one during the 2018-19 campaign.

Adrian has not actually been the team’s undisputed first choice since the 2015-16 campaign, when he made 32 Premier League appearances.

It is not too much of a surprise that the Spaniard is looking to move on.

The West Ham fans have been on social media offering their views on the report.

And a selection of their Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Wolves are starting to become one of the biggest enigmas in the Premier League. Strong and willing throughout three-quarters of the season, they’ve now hit a real stumbling block.

And if anything summed up their recent slump it was Nuno Santo storming out of a press conference after being questioned about the club’s away form.

It’s now five matches in a row on the road that the Midlands club have failed to win and after a Wembley defeat, things are going from bad to worse.

If their team’s overall form is a concern then the recent performances of Liverpool target Ruben Neves should be too. Considering his ability and the first impression he made in the opening months of the Premier League season, it’s strange to see him doing badly.

The quality is clearly there and at the age of 22, there is plenty more to come from the Portuguese. However, he’s starting to show why he may not be as indispensable as originally imagined.

Neves was marked out of the game against Watford in the FA Cup semi-final and was then dragged off after 69 minutes of Wolves’ defeat to Southampton last Saturday.

The defence was particularly poor with Romain Saiss run ragged by Nathan Redmond. Willy Boly was meanwhile constantly outdone by the clever movement of Danny Ings and Shane Long, too.

However, in the middle of the park, Neves looked very out of sorts which continues along with a trend of a number of poor showings in recent weeks.

His pass success was still solid but his poor afternoon was capped off by being dispossessed twice. It was hugely uncharacteristic for a player who usually keeps the ball so well. It was a lightweight display evident in the fact he was dribbled past on more than one occasion, whilst a lack of key passes will be of huge concern too.

Wolves Fan TV place the blame for Wolves’ FA Cup semi-final collapse on John Ruddy in the video below…

Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho appear to be outperforming him at the minute and even in defeat that was all too clear.

At the moment, Wolves may actually benefit from moving the player on whilst his stock is high.

It’s no real secret that West Ham are largely dependent on the majestic Felipe Anderson to turn up with the goods and win them matches these days.

The Brazilian’s being forced to do everything in the final third, from creating to scoring goals.

Manuel Pellegrini can’t really trust upon those he currently has to be a big influence in the final third either. So it’s no surprise he’s looking to bring in influential figures in the summer and according to reports from CalcioMercato, he’s eyeing Hoffenheim’s Kerem Demirbay. The 25-year-old’s been a key figure in Julian Nagelsmann’s exciting German side, helping them play some stunning attacking football in the Bundesliga.

He’s acted as their creative lynchpin, who works extremely hard to create goals for his side. Demirbay’s scored 4 goals and assisted 9 this season, while also averaging 3 key passes and 2 dribbles per game (stats via WhoScored) to become Hoffenheim’s attacking engine.

Indeed, finally, the German can be that missing link between midfield and attack, creating chances through the middle.

Demirbay’s style not only benefits someone like Anderson, but will allow the Brazilian some freedom. He could look towards getting into goal-scoring positions more often knowing someone like the German is behind him to supply defence-splitting passes.

That’s a mouth-watering prospect, Anderson off the leash.

Demirbay’s incisive passing, attacking flair and powerful shooting ability makes him the attacking midfielder the Hammers have missed for a long time. He could be the hard-working, creative advanced midfielder they’ve missed since Dimitri Payet’s departure to light up their attack with his menacing work going forward.

West Ham fans, would you be pleased with Demirbay’s potential addition? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Tottenham Hotspur fans on Twitter have been reacting to comments made by Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek about their UEFA Champions League semi-final tie.

The 22-year-old, in the run-up to the two teams clashing in the final four of Europe’s premier club competition, admitted his admiration for Mauricio Pochettino’s men and suggested that they are the favourites to progress to the final.

But supporters are seeing his comments as more than just respect for the opposition, articulating that it’s a call by the promising talent to be signed by Daniel Levy and expressing their own desires to see the player plying his trade in north London in the near future, alongside teammates Kasper Dolberg and David Neres.

The trio are key to the Dutch giants’ hopes of overcoming the Lilywhites and booking their place in the Champions League final, having helped them to defeat Juventus in the quarter-finals to set up a clash with Tottenham who saw off Manchester City.

Here’s the best Spurs replies to the quotation…

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According to the Daily Mail, Darren Moore has pulled out of the race to be the new Queens Park Rangers manager leaving the club’s options open according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon on Twitter, and QPR fans have been quick to react.

The R’s have been without a permanent boss since they sacked Steve McClaren on April 1, and Moore was one of the early frontrunners to replace the former England chief.

However, the Daily Mail report that while informal discussions were held between the two parties, the 45-year-old has decided to pursue other opportunities.

On the back of the news, Nixon has suggested that the west London outfit will now target another out-of-work individual, or wait for someone still in a job.

Of course things could be clearer in that regard once the season is over, with supporters touting Lee Bowyer and Kenny Jackett – of Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth respectively – as potential targets, with one and perhaps both of those managers missing out on promotion as they are set to compete in the play-offs.

Another individual clearly wasn’t disappointed by the update, simply saying “don’t mind that”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Brendan Rodgers hasn’t done a lot wrong since walking through the doors at the King Power, and until Vincent Kompany came out of nowhere with one of the most remarkable goals in Premier League history, he’d got things spot on against Manchester City.

As they have been under Rodgers, Leicester were resolute and threatening. For large periods they even looked better than City.

The confidence they’d picked up from a win over Arsenal was clear to see and an unchanged line-up made sense. It caused the Gunners numerous problems and they were arguably unfortunate not to have taken a result away from the Etihad.

However, there was one change Rodgers could have made that may have bettered their chances of taking all three points.

On the chalkboard

The decision to play James Maddison out on the left flank against Arsenal two weekend’s ago worked to devastating effect. The former Norwich man has usually operated behind the striker but he was superb in a wider role, causing Ainsley Maitland-Niles all sorts of problems.

He was dragged all over the place by the canny nature of the 22-year-old and where the Foxes exposed one weakness there, they could have done the same against City last Monday night.

With Oleksandr Zinchenko playing at left-back, a position he is still yet to fully convince in, Leicester could have exploited City in a similar way to Arsenal.

Mark Albrighton doesn’t possess the same flair and guile that Maddison does, and as a result, Zinchenko had a relatively quiet evening against the Foxes’ right midfielder.

Against a defender as good as Kyle Walker, he was never going to have the same sort of game he did in their 3-0 win over Unai Emery’s side.

Therefore, perhaps if Rodgers had swapped the pair over, Leicester’s chances of winning on Monday would have increased. An overload of Maddison and Ricardo Pereira, who had a terrific game himself, would have surely been overwhelming for the Ukrainian.

Instead, the Foxes were left to face another season without European football as their defeat meant they could no longer catch Wolves in seventh.