[ad_pod ]

Loads of Wolves fans have been reacting to a big update from the club, as Romain Saiss has signed a new contract at Molineux.

Saiss has penned a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2021, the club confirmed on Thursday.

The 28 year-old, who joined from French outfit Angers in 2016, was a crucial part of last season’s promotion campaign, and he has been no slouch this term either.

With Wolves sitting pretty in seventh place in the Premier League – perhaps what some may call “the best of the rest” – the 27-cap Morocco international has featured 13 times in the league, scoring twice, and also made five cup appearances.

Similarly to talisman Conor Coady, Saiss can play in various positions in midfield and defence, and his toughness, professionalism and versatility make him a very useful player to have around the squad.

Fans are delighted with the news, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

[ad_pod ]

Newcastle United fell to another demoralising defeat on Saturday, as they were beaten 2-0 by Watford in the FA Cup fourth round.

The Magpies are 17th in the Premier League and now have no chance of lifting silverware this season, while they have also yet to invest in the January transfer market.

On the chalkboard

Benitez picked a rotated XI against the Hornets, naming Joselu as his lone striker.

The 28-year-old has scored three goals this season, the last of which came in the FA Cup third round victory over Blackburn Rovers. His other two came in August, in defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.

Perhaps he was picked on the back of his display against Rovers, but there is little about Joselu that marks him out as a first-choice centre-forward.

Check out the video below for Emma Conybeare’s rundown of which clubs need what in the January transfer window…

Salomon Rondon is first-choice at St James’ Park, and he has netted six times already this season. Indeed, he did not play in the FA Cup and now will not get the chance.

Benitez could well be politicking, choosing to play games as he attempts to convince Mike Ashley, the club’s tight-fisted owner, to finally dip into the transfer market this month.

The Magpies have roundly failed to add to their squad and The Telegraph has reported that the former Liverpool boss will leave if Ashley does not sign two players before the deadline.

Desperate times call for desperate measures

If Benitez really did play politics with the FA Cup, supporters are sure to be furious.

Joselu is not, and has never been, a first-choice striker in English football.

During his spell with Stoke City, he scored just four goals in 27 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

Never has a stronger message been sent to a boardroom; playing the player so ill-suited to a role that Benitez may well have sent ten men out to face Watford.

And, yet again, Newcastle will not be winning any silverware this season.

It is not Joselu’s fault, of course; he has been told to do a job and continues to try to do his best, but he finds himself at the centre of an apparent power play.

It remains to be seen if that will pay off and whether we will see any new faces arrive at St James’ Park in the next few days.

[ad_pod ]

Everton marked a return to form with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Cardiff City on Tuesday. A well-taken brace for Gylfi Sigurdsson and a late Dominic Calvert-Lewin strike sealed the points for the Toffees against the Welsh outfit.

Marco Silva believes that this result can give his side some momentum heading into Sunday’s all-important Merseyside derby.

What he said

As quoted by The Mirror, Silva said: “I hope the Cardiff result can give us the boost we need and we all want to achieve a good result again on Sunday.”

Who have been the biggest title race bottlers? Liverpool? Spurs? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

Everton will be keen to secure a rare triumph over their bitter local rivals. Victory for Silva’s men at Goodison Park this weekend would also severely damage Liverpool’s title chances.

Mind games

Jurgen Klopp’s league-leaders head into this crunch encounter with so much on the line. If Manchester City beat Bournemouth on Saturday, and Liverpool then fail to win against Everton, then the Reds will fall behind the reigning champions in the Premier League title race.

The fact that Silva feels his side have received a boost going into this game must be a worry for Liverpool fans. The pressure is already hugely on the visitors, the last thing they need is for their rivals to be on a high heading into the game.

Silva will hope that his words have the effect of unnerving the undoubtedly already edgy visitors before the match. Certainly, from his perspective, guiding Everton to victory would make him an overnight hero to the Goodison faithful.

The January transfer window is now closed with Jurgen Klopp opting to not make a single signing at Liverpool.

The Reds failed to move seven points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table after lumbering to a draw at home against Leicester. Although the Citizens have a difficult run of fixtures in the coming weeks, the title race looks set to go down to the wire. Nevertheless, Klopp believes in his current squad of players to end Liverpool’s 29 year wait for a league crown.

Having not spent in January, the German is surely again expected to strengthen his squad heavily when the window reopens in the summer. Klopp should have a significant budget available to him as well as funds generated through sales. One area the Reds should look to strengthen is their attack.

One man who could be a wonderful addition to the team is Napoli hitman – Arkadiusz Milik. Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, the 24-year-old has been a regular goal scorer in the Serie A since leaving Ajax in 2016. The Poland international remains a key player at the club after finally recovering from a long-term injury.

Milik has been quick to make up for lost time in the current campaign, flourishing under Carlo Ancelotti’s leadership. The forward has found the back of the net 11 times in just 13 Serie A starts this season highlighting his deadly finishing ability. Adding his attacking qualities to a forward line consisting of Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane would be devastating.

Milik excels at leading the line meaning he would slot seamlessly into Klopp’s favoured 4-2-3-1 formation – his arrival would also allow Salah to switch to his favoured right wing role.

Liverpool fans, thoughts?

[ad_pod ]

West Brom fans have taken to Twitter in frustrated fashion after they crashed out of the FA Cup after losing to Brighton, in a game where they perhaps should’ve seen out a win after taking the lead in the 77th minute through Kyle Bartley.

The Baggies struck first when the defender prodded home in strange fashion, as he was off the pitch before reaching his leg around Leon Balogun who appeared to switch off completely.

That mix-up seemed to spark the Seagulls into life, and Florin Andone struck in the 82nd minute to take the game into extra-time.

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…

Chris Hughton’s men then took advantage of the additional period, with Glenn Murray notching a double to send the visitors into the fifth round, whilst the Hawthorns faithful were left to question some of Moore’s decisions in a game where they were minutes from victory.

Let’s see how the Baggies supporters reacted on Twitter…

Liverpool’s game against arch rivals Manchester United could put them back on top of the table or set them on a path of self-destruction once again.

It’s 29 years since Liverpool last won the top division in English football, and don’t the players and fans know it. That and the fact they’ve never won the Premier League has been a stick used to beat the Reds with over the last two decades. Glory has been close on a number of occasions, but they’ve always faltered.

Particularly when looking back at 2013/14, the pressure from the terraces was immense from April onwards. The fans were singing ‘we’re going to win the league’, the team bus had a red guard of honour for every home game and Steven Gerrard made his famous ‘this does not slip now’ speech. Liverpool wrapped themselves in a frenzy of pressure, and it got to them.

This year the pressure is mounting already and it’s only February. Posts are being shared on Twitter asking fans to turn up to games early because ‘we’ve got a title to win’ and it won’t be long before the streets are lined with fans. The problem is, Liverpool have to beat United or their fans and players will quickly get the shakes, and they haven’t beaten United at Old Trafford since 2009.

City have dealt with the pressure before in 2011/12 and 2013/14 where hope seemed lost with less than ten games to spare but they finished strongly in both those seasons to hold their nerve and clinch the title. Last season was a breeze, this season won’t be, but they seem prepared for it.

In the big games since the turn of the year against Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, City have turned up and played without fear. However, Liverpool have looked wobbly and times, particularly against Brighton, Palace, Leicester and West Ham, teams they should be beating. The blue side of the title race have slipped up too, but they appear to have regained their stride.

City fans will cheer United on before their Carabao Cup Final against Chelsea because they know the game would mean more than just three points. It instils the ‘Liverpool are going to bottle it’ storyline inside the heads of the fans to a point where they overcompensate, become too passionate and then pile pressure on their own side.

Do you think Liverpool will beat United on Sunday?

[ad_pod ]

Steve Bruce will make his Hillsborough bow on Saturday afternoon when his Sheffield Wednesday side welcome Reading to South Yorkshire.

A new era is underway at Wednesday and the supporters will be hoping that Bruce can steer the ship in the right direction.

The Championship veteran has inherited a packed out squad, so one of his most pressing tasks will be to cherry-pick the players he believes are capable of taking Wednesday to the top-flight before offloading the deadwood in the summer.

Naturally, the supporters have already formed their own opinions about who should stay and who should go, and one man in particular has been identified as a potentially huge player in the future, namely Michael Hector.

The 6’4″ colossus, per Transfermarkt, has been a revelation since signing on a season-long loan deal from Chelsea.

The experienced enforcer has been a rock at the heart of defence, and his performances have forced the fans to call for a permanent deal.

His contract at Chelsea is due to expire in June 2020, so Maurizio Sarri may well be open to the possibility of selling him in the summer rather than losing him for nothing when his current deal expires.

Either way it’s fair to say the Wednesday fans are totally convinced by what they’ve seen from the 27-year-old  during his productive spell with the club so far.

Here’s what the Wednesday faithful have had to say about Michael Hector’s future:

حقق فريق الكرة بنادي أسوان فوزًا تاريخيًا على حساب الزمالك بهدف وحيد دون رد في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.

الزمالك واجه مع أسوان، على ملعب استاد القاهرة، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ28 من عمر المسابقة المحلية.

وسجل إبراهيم جلال لاعب أسوان هدف المباراة الوحيد في الدقيقة 47 من عمر المباراة . هدف فوز أسوان على الزمالك 

وبهذة النتيجة تأكد تتويج فريق الكرة بالنادي الأهلي بلقب الدوري العام المصري للمرة الـ42 في تاريخه بعد وصول الفارق بينه وبين الزمالك إلى 17 نقطة بجانب خصم 3 نقاط من الأبيض في نهاية الموسم بسبب الانسحاب من مواجهة الأهلي في الدور الأول.

الزمالك واصل المركز الثاني في ترتيب الدوري، برصيد 55 نقطة، وذلك من 16 انتصارًا و7 تعادلات و5 هزائم.

بينما ارتفع رصيد أسوان إلى 34 نقطة في المركز التاسع بجدول الدوري،  من 8 انتصارات و10 تعادلات، وهُزم في 10 مواجهات.

  أحداث المباراة

الحكم محمد معروف يطلق صفارة انطلاق اللقاء بين الزمالك وأسوان. بداية اللقاء 

1″ هيثم الفيل يسدد كرة خطيرة يتصدى لها محمود جنش ويحرم أسوان من فرصة هدف محقق. فرصة أسوان الخطيرة على مرمى الزمالك 

23″ التبديل الأول لأسوان بخروج محمد إسماعيل ونزول أحمد عامر.

 30″ مرور نصف ساعة من أحداث اللقاء دون أهداف وسيطرة متبادلة بين الفريقين.

 47″ جوووووووووووووول الهدف الأول لأسوان عن طريق ابراهيم جلال في مرمى الزمالك. هدف أسوان الأول في مرمى الزمالك 

 انتهاء الشوط الأول من المباراة بتقدم أسوان بهدف وحيد دون رد.

47″ فرصة خطيرة للزمالك بعد رأسية قوية من مصطفى محمد يتصدي لها مسعد عوض حارس اسوان.  رأسية مصطفى محمد الخطيرة 

56″ تبديل جديد في صفوف اسوان بنزول اوميد اوكري محل محمد المرسي.

60″ تغييران في صفوف الزمالك بنزول حازم إمام وعمر السعيد بدلًا من مصطفى فتحي و حسام اشرف.

64″ نزول فادي فريد وخروج ابراهيم جلال صاحب هدف اسوان.

68″ نشوب مشاجرة بين لاعبي الزمالك وأسوان  مشاجرة لاعبي الزمالك وأسوان 

73″ تبديل جديد للزمالك بنزول كاسونجو بدلا من احمد عيد. 

 79″انذار لمصطفى دويدار لاعب اسوان.

81″ إنذار لحازم إمام لاعب الزمالك بسبب الاعتراض على حكم المباراة.

84″ تبديل أخير في صفوف الزمالك بخروج اسامة فيصل ونزول كريم بامبو.

 85″ مسعود عوض يتألق في التصدي لفرصة خطيرة للزمالك  تألق مسعد عوض في التصدي لفرصة الزمالك

Manchester United’s 2-0 home defeat against Paris Saint Germain on Tuesday was a much-needed wake-up call for their boardroom.

Ten wins in 11 before the game and it seems like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is magic, here to save United from the boring football brought by Jose Mourinho. He’s now got them back into the top four which seemed an impossible task.

However, the results have merely papered over the cracks that lie in the heart of United’s defence and midfield. Sir Alex Ferguson failed to replace Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic and each manager since has failed too.

How Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have earned themselves new contracts is anyone’s guess, and the Red Devils have paid the price for Ed Woodward’s stubbornness in summer when he refused to capture top targets Toby Alderweireld or Harry Maguire. Everyone could tell United needed better defenders apart from the people at the club controlling the money.

Without a solid base to build from, United haven’t been able to commit enough men forward to create an exciting brand of football. Players who worry about the solidity of their defence are more likely to be cautious with their passing and movement when they have the ball, worried they might be susceptible to a counter-attack.

Solskjaer has injected belief into the players, and that cautiousness appears to have gone. That’s great against lesser teams because United’s defence is good enough to withstand their attacks, but against teams like PSG that confidence turns to carelessness.

For United to successfully play the football their fans long for, they must strengthen at the back this summer or risk jumping back on the managerial merry-go-round.

Indeed, it turns out Mourinho was right to complain all along.

Who do you think United should buy in summer?

رحب طارق يحيى المدير الفني المؤقت لنادي الزمالك، بتدريب الفريق حتى انتهاء منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وقاد طارق يحيى الزمالك في مباراتين خسر أولهما أمام أسوان بهدف، وانتصر في الثانية على طنطا بنتيجة 3-1.

وقال طارق يحيى خلال مداخلة هاتفية عبر قناة النهار ببرنامج أوضة اللبس: “لو طُلب مني أن أستمر حتى البطولة الإفريقية لحين قدوم المدرب الجديد فلن يوجد لدي أي مشكلة، فأنا أول من بدأ البطولة مع الفريق، وأمتلك الخبرات الإفريقية والحكمة للعمل مع اللاعبين”.

وأضاف: “الأمر في يد مجلس إدارة الزمالك وتحت أمرهم في أي شىء، والنادي له فضل علي، ولو طلبوا مني التواجد فن أرفض”.

وتابع: “الخبثاء يهاجموني لأنني أحب الزمالك وأخلص له، وراضي بأي منصب داخل النادي وأسعد به لأنه بيتي”.

وواصل: “الزمالك بإدارته وجماهيره ولاعبيه قادرين على الفوز بدوري أبطال إفريقيا، سواء كنت متواجدًا أم لا”.

طالع أيضًا.. مرتضى منصور يعلن توقيع عقوبة على لاعب الزمالك ويعتذر لنادي طنطا

واستأنف: “الزمالك هو الأفضل وإن شاء الله سنحقق اللقب، ولو حقق اللاعبون الموجودون حاليًا البطولة الإفريقية سيكونون قد فعلوا كل شىء للجماهير بعدما فازوا بالسوبرالمصري والإفريقي والكونفدرالية الإفريقية وحققوا المكسب على الأهلي في الدوري”.

وتابع: “ربنا يسامح من يقول إنني أقبل قيادة الزمالك كـ(سبوبة) لأني لا أجد عملًا”.

واستأنف: “حامل الراية في مباراة أسوان كان يقول للحكم معروف خلال المباراة في السماعة اللاعب رقم 5 في أسوان إنذار ثان وطرد، كررها 5 مرات ولكن لم يستجب له محمد معروف”.

وأتم: “بجانب الغيابات والإصابات وانتقاد الناس للتشكيل الذي كان اضطراريًا، لكننا خسرنا بفعل فاعل”.