[ad_pod ]Portsmouth fans have been sharing their best memories of Matthew Taylor after the club legend announced his retirement on his official Twitter account.Taylor played for Pompey between 2002 and 2008, scoring a number of sensational goals and helping the club win promotion to the Premier League.Upon leaving the club, he joined Bolton Wanderers, where he spent three years before embarking on something of a nomadic ending to his career.Spells with West Ham United, Burnley and Northampton Town followed prior to a move to Swindon Town, where he will see out his playing days.A versatile player with the ability to play at left-back, left midfield or in the centre of the pitch, Taylor has made 32 appearances in all competitions this season, with Swindon currently 13th in League Two.
He will retire upon the expiration of his contract this summer and Pompey fans have been quick to reminisce about some of Taylor’s best moments at Fratton Park.
Indeed, the 37-year-old represented Portsmouth 192 times, more than any other club in his career.
Take a look at some of the best reaction on Twitter below!
It has been claimed by Spanish media outlet AS that Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has decided he wants to leave Old Trafford in the summer transfer window.
What’s the word, then?
The France international has told his agent, the controversial Mino Raiola, and he’s already started the search for a new club for his client with suggestions that Real Madrid and Juventus could be on the table, per the original report.
The news will send shockwaves throughout the footballing world after the mass speculation over the player’s future faded away following the departure of Jose Mourinho from the Red Devils.
Seemingly happy under interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Pogba, in his third season at Man United, has scored 14 goals and notched 11 assists in all competitions in 2018/2019, a large portion of them coming since December, but now he is reportedly seeking a new challenge.
United must do everything in their power to stop this
There can be little doubt what United must do if these rumours are to be believed, everything in their power to stop Pogba from leaving.
The 26-year-old has been the poster boy of the Solskjaer revival as the Red Devils have defied the odds to work their way back into the Premier League top five.
The Norwegian already looks set to be installed as the permanent boss at Old Trafford and it will feel like all of his hard work has been undone if this departure occurs.
Pogba has been absolutely pivotal to the turnaround in fortunes and one can certainly question whether it would have happened to such a degree in the first place, without him.
At 26, he should be approaching the prime years of his career and losing him to a big European rival at this stage would be simply unforgivable, and Solskjaer ultimately needs to prove his worth for the second time by keeping the World Cup winner at Old Trafford.
Assuming the speculation about the caretaker manager is true the club can get back where they used to be soon, challenging for Premier League titles on a regular basis. However, it simply can’t and won’t happen if Pogba is not a red beyond the summer.
Loads of Everton fans have been running the rule over what was a pretty comfortable victory against West Ham, and they’re full of praise for Bernard.
We may not have known it then, but West Ham’s victory at Goodison earlier this season was a perfect indicator of the problems Marco Silva’s system presents at Everton.
The Toffees’ defensive woes have since been well documented, but they turned it around in East London on Saturday evening with a complete professional performance.
Kurt Zouma scored from a corner after just five minutes, and Bernard doubled the lead after half an hour when he poked home from close range.
Silva’s side probably could have scored six or seven if not for some super saves from Lukasz Fabianski, and Bernard in particular was making things tick in attack.
The crafty little Brazilian registered two shots, two key passes and three dribbles, and worked tirelessly throughout, leading the press from the front.
You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, as the bargain swoop to sign the free agent last summer is looking like a stroke of genius from the club…
Another day, another Tottenham Hotspur academy product. The likes of Harry Kane, Harry Winks, Oliver Skipp and Kyle Walker-Peters have all starred this season, and the Lilywhites are desperate for Marcus Edwards to do similar next season. The 20-year-old is currently on-loan at Excelsior in the Eredivisie, and his Spurs future is up in the air.
Seeing as the weekend just gone had very little in the way of action or talking points for Tottenham Hotspur fans, Football.london’s Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold decided to do a Spurs Q&A to give the fans their fix, and one question that came in surrounded the future of Edwards. Back in summer 2016, the youngster impressed Mauricio Pochettino during pre-season, but nothing has come of him yet.
After that summer, Pochettino made the grave mistake of comparing Marcus Edwards to Lionel Messi and to this day the young midfielder has been unable to shake the comparison. It seems to have hindered him a lot more than it’s helped him, and attitude issues have apparently held him back too. However, the fans are desperate for him to come good and would be more than happy to give him another chance next season when he returns from his loan.
You can read the Lilywhites’ thoughts on Marcus Edwards’ future here:
The Lilywhites are desperate for Edwards to make it at Spurs and will hope the 20-year-old can prove himself to Poch upon his return in the summer.
Everyone who follows English football loves the FA Cup, and even more so people love an underdog story.
From Lincoln City knocking out Burnley to Hereford United forcing a replay and winning the second game against Newcastle, the magic of the Cup is something all football fans can get behind and believe in, and for Leyton Orient fans, it’s something they have experienced.
A moment in time – Leyton Orient, 1978
For most of the 1970s, Orient were an unremarkable side. Mid-table in the Second Division and not looking like a team that could go up or go down, it was all rather dull for the east London side, until the 1977/78 edition of the FA Cup began.
Prior to 1978, the furthest Orient had gone in the historic competition was the quarter-finals in the 1953/54 and 1971/72 seasons, and after the east London side were forced into replay in the third round against Norwich City, it was looking like the cup run was going to be another underwhelming endeavour.
However, a 1-0 win at Carrow Road put Orient into the next round, where they won comfortably against Blackburn Rovers 3-1. Drawn against Chelsea in the fifth round, it looked like the end of the road was coming, but yet again the east London side defied the odds.
Another replay saw Orient win 2-1 at Stamford Bridge and send the Division Two team into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 1972. Yet another round that went into a replay, this time against Middlesbrough, and yet again the east London side coming out as winners set the club up for the first ever semi-final in the competition, where they would face Division One giant’s Arsenal.
Held at Stamford Bridge, the venue for Orient’s giant-killing already that season, Jimmy Bloomfield’s side were yet again heading into this game the underdogs, the story of their FA Cup run. However 20 minutes into the match, it became quickly apparent that the O’s had gone as far as they could.
A four-minute brace from strike Malcolm Macdonald put Orient 2-0 down going into halftime before Graham Rix rounded off the result for the Gunners.
It was a heart-breaking end to one of the most surprising cup runs that decade, and it still remains the furthest Orient have gone in the FA Cup.
Orient fans, will the club ever get as far as the semi-finals of the FA Cup again? Let us know!
Charlton’s 1-0 win over Wycombe meant that the Addicks are now ten games unbeaten and are enjoying spectacular form at the perfect time, with just five games to go and automatic promotion now a real possibility.
When you get to this stage in the season, the manner in which you win games is irrelevant – all that matters is getting points and Charlton have largely been ploughing through their opposition in recent weeks without taking their foot off the gas.
Tuesday night’s clash at Adams Park was different though, with each and every man forced to fight for every ball, as Wycombe looked hell bent on ending both Charlton’s excellent run and their own terrible form.
Fortunately, though, defender Jason Pearce took his chance like a striker and gave Lee Bowyer’s side a brilliant win – the Charlton boss was full of praise for the 6 ft 1 hero after the game, comparing him to the king of the jungle:
“That game was made for Jason Pearce.
“Yesterday when I decided to change it, I said to the staff that this was a game made for the likes of him, (Darren) Pratley and (George) Lapslie. They love battles and they had to be at it for 90-plus minutes.
“Pearcey defended like a lion and then popped up with the goal as well – it was a great ball from Josh Cullen. Everyone was outstanding tonight. Everybody.”
Bowyer made four smart changes to the side which was victorious over Plymouth Argyle last time out and his swaps proved effective, with the aforementioned trio battling away relentlessly in their respective areas of the pitch.
Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!
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Next up for the Addicks is their biggest test of the calendar year – a trip to league leaders Luton. A win would go a long way towards their automatic promotion ambitions.
Despite Dave King’s admirable optimism, Rangers are a long way from ‘becoming a dominant force in Scottish football again’.
It seems a little silly to suggest that a club is a mile off being dominant again when they sit in second place, but here we are doing just that.
Gers chief Dave King recently released an open letter to Rangers fans in which he claimed that it had been ‘extremely gratifying’ to have ‘witnessed the progress that has been made over the last year’ (as per The Scottish Sun). He also maintained that the squad is ‘significantly strong than in recent season’ and that Gerrard will be backed in the coming transfer market.
But how true is that?
Yes, we admit – Rangers have been considerably better this year than in previous campaigns. But improving on two third place finishes should never have been a difficult task. Especially for a club of Rangers’ stature. They dwarf the rest of the league in terms of resources available and influence, after all.
And of course, European success is great. The run in the Europa league was a thing to behold, proper fairy-tale stuff. But if you asked any Rangers fan to choose between beating FK UFA or Celtic, the answer would be the same every single time.
To truly dominate, as King eludes to, they need to emulate the success of Celtic. They must be on for the treble treble, they need to play every team off the park with relative ease AND continue their form in Europe at the same time – to at least get one over on their bitter rivals.
Until then, all else is obsolete.
Rangers fans, do you think Dave King is right, are you really that close to dominating?
Loads of Manchester United fans have been reacting to the latest transfer report, as Thomas Meunier is now on the list of right back targets.
According to The Independent, the Red Devils are eyeing Meunier as a cut-price replacement for Antonio Valencia.
The club are certain to pursue a right-back this summer, and Meunier would add an experienced option alongside the improving Diogo Dalot.
A report from The Mirror claims Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Kieran Trippier are also potential candidates to take over the coveted no. 2 position.
Watch the video below to find out what Jesse Lingard is like off the pitch in the latest Match Of The Bae with Emma Conybeare…
Meunier however will enter the final 12 months of his contract this summer, meaning the Red Devils could secure him for a relatively low fee.
The 27 year-old has started 17 Ligue 1 games this season in which he has scored three goals and provided three assists, and he also averages two tackles per game in the league this season.
Fans have given a mixed response to the news though, with some praising the Belgian and others hoping for a younger, pricier option.
Either way, you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
If you were to tell any Sheffield United supporter at the start of the season that their side would secure automatic promotion with one game left to play in the Championship, they would have understandably been a tad bemused.
However, with Chris Wilder leading a revolution at Bramall Lane, the Blades have been one of the stand-out sides in the second tier and are fully deserving of the recognition they are now receiving for clinching a top-two finish.
Whereas the likes of David McGoldrick and Billy Sharp have been incredibly impressive throughout the current campaign, it was Aston Villa loanee Scott Hogan who kicked off celebrations at Bramall Lane last week with a fantastic flick to give his side the lead against Ipswich Town.
Although the forward has experienced success at Championship level before, in order to try and persuade Wilder to sign him on a permanent deal, he must produce an eye-catching performance at the bet365 Stadium when United take on Stoke City on Sunday.
Having scored just two goals since joining the club in the January transfer window, it could be argued that the £4.5m-rated ace (via Transfermarkt) may not be good enough to make the step up to the Premier League next season. However, by proving that he can thrive in the club’s 3-5-2 system at the weekend, Hogan may provide an ultimatum for his manager to consider over the summer.
Even if he cannot persuade the Blades to commit to a move, the Republic of Ireland international could still put himself in the shop window by illustrating his wide array of talents against Stoke. By doing this, Hogan may be able to keep his career on track after a tough two years following his departure from Brentford in 2017.
What do you think United fans? Should Wilder consider making a permanent move for Hogan in the summer? If not, who should he target instead when the transfer window opens in July? Let us know below.
Neil Warnock has described this campaign as the best and worst season of his career. With only two league games remaining for Cardiff, the Bluebirds continue to fight to extend their Premier League status, however remote that chance now is. However, the Welsh side were forced to overcome unfathomable grief following the sudden death of their club-record signing, Emiliano Sala.
That alone had the ability to skew the team’s efforts to stay in the Premier League, but typically, and much to the credit of Warnock and his players, the club have unified and persisted with their endeavours to stay in the division in Sala’s memory. Regardless of whether the Bluebirds remain in the division or not, they deserve immense praise for their performances this season.
Cardiff placed 15th for the most money spent in the summer transfer window with £29m on additions most of whom were devoid of Premier League experience before moving to the Welsh capital. Contrastingly, the other promoted Championship sides had spent a combined total of £164m on summer recruits (£105m Fulham, £59m Wolves) – an indication of their lessened financial muscle and pulling power in the market.
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Despite being dwarfed by Fulham’s expenditure in the summer transfer window, Cardiff have performed admirably – attaining three more victories, and eight points more than the Whites. Also, without disrespecting the Cardiff players, or devaluing the endeavours of Warnock and his backroom staff, a glimpse of their team doesn’t give the impression of a Premier League outfit.
Victor Camarasa leads the internal scoring charts at Cardiff with five Premier League goals, while three players, two of whom are injured for the remainder of the season (Sol Bamba and Callum Paterson) have scored four goals. The Cardiff team is bereft of goals, averaging fewer than a goal a game, while almost conceding an average of two goals per game – yet they refuse to yield hope of remaining in the division.
The standard of officiating in the Premier League has been questioned numerously throughout the season and Cardiff in particular have felt the brunt of officials’ incompetence. Important, and wrong decisions went against the Bluebirds during significant games such as Chelsea (Cesar Azpilicueta’s goal), Burnley (Ben Mee’s handball) and Watford (failing to award a blatant penalty). Had these calls been made correctly, the Premier League table would alter markedly in its appearance – such marginal difference between triumph and defeat can severely thwart a team’s survival hopes.
Even if Cardiff fail to remain in their division, thanks to astute business in the transfer market and Warnock’s pragmatic strategy the Bluebirds have a core of players who’d seemingly excel in the Championship. Cardiff possesses a somewhat favourable concoction of power and pace, physicality and brawn, with the odd sparkle of technicality and flair.
As is often the case with Warnock’s teams, Cardiff are physically imposing and have proven capable to frustrate opposition with their almost unparalleled physicality and unapologetic insistence on playing direct football. The experiences that the Bluebirds have attained this term having been formative, and seemingly, Cardiff would be far better equipped to stage a return to England’s top-flight if relegation awaits them than last time.
Despite operating with limited financial resources and having faced unimaginable loss, Cardiff are still standing, and they continue to fight defiantly. For a team so devoid of top-flight experience it’s startling that safety is still a possible outcome for the Bluebirds, and if they prolong their Premier League status, it would be utterly miraculous.