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Loads of Leeds fans have been reacting to a rather stunning development in the Daniel James saga, as his agent has publicly chastised Swansea’s handling of the deal.

Leeds looked all set to finally secure the signature fans have been waiting for late on Thursday night, but their deadline day dreams quickly turned to the stuff of nightmares.

James was all set to join the Whites having passed his medical on Thursday afternoon, with the deal expected to be a loan until the end of the season, when Leeds would then make the move permanent if they secure promotion.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

The move was called off at the last second though, and reports have since claimed that there were disagreements over the structure of the deal.

James, 21, is presumably gutted after spending the whole day at Elland Road waiting for the deal to go through, and his agent has spoken out against the Swans.

“Swansea made no attempt to keep the player and at the first sign of money they couldn’t show him the door quickly enough,” David Manasseh told The Telegraph.

“It is very disappointing but the player is philosophical about it.”

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans have plenty to say about what is fast becoming a truly bizarre transfer saga…

[ad_pod ]Liverpool’s 22-year-old winger Ryan Kent suffered a pair of bitterly disappointing loan spells in the 2017/18 season, but he has put past failures behind him and used the learning curve to thrive at Rangers.Steven Gerrard’s obvious connection with Liverpool facilitated the arrival of a handful of players from Merseyside in the summer.Ovie Ejaria’s spell was unsuccessful and he has since moved on to a new challenge at Reading, but Kent has developed into a fine player at Ibrox and is beginning to become a darling of the Gers faithful.The dynamic wide man was heavily involved in Rangers’ two opening goals in their 4-2 win at Aberdeen on Wednesday night, and the enormity of his impact has prompted supporters to beg for one thing: a permanent summer transfer.

Players of Kent’s quality are exactly what Gerrard needs to ensure Rangers end Celtic’s supremacy in the SPFL, so it’s no surprise that the fans are so intent on concluding a summer transfer.

If the reaction to his latest performance is anything to by, it’s fair to say Dave King would send the fans into hysteria by reaching an agreement with Liverpool over a permanent switch.

Here’s a selection of the reaction to Kent’s performance on Wednesday night:

Liverpool’s season looks like going right down to the wire as they seek a first Premier League title.

The Reds have been superb in the main this term and Jurgen Klopp deserves a big chunk of credit for turning the Anfield club into contenders.

However, the January window passed them by without the addition of any new faces, and it could well be something which costs the club this season and into next.

The summer gives them the chance to act though, and we here in the Tavern feel that a new number nine might be the order of the day to take some of the pressure off of Roberto Firmino.

The Brazilian has been superb, but Liverpool sometimes lack that other option.

With that, we’ve looked at TWO strikers who Liverpool should be looking to sign come the summer…

Callum Wilson

The Bournemouth man has been in fine form once more in the Premier League, and a move to one of the big boys looks nailed on.

The former Coventry man has massively impressed with his speed, finishing, and movement at the top of the pitch.

Wilson would add yet another dimension to the Liverpool attack, and his signing would send a statement of intent to the rest of the league.

Timo Werner

The German has been in fine form for a number of seasons now and a move away from RB Leipzig is looking inevitable.

The young forward would no doubt see the link with fellow countryman Jurgen Klopp as a temptation of sorts, and he’d slot in well at Anfield.

Full of energy and excellent in front of goal, the impressive Werner would be a superb piece of business for the Reds if they could pull it off.

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Steven Gerrard has a handful of injury concerns to ponder over ahead of Rangers’ clash with St Johnstone at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon, and his problems at centre-forward could pave the way for an unlikely appearance.

What’s the word?

Alfredo Morelos is suspended this weekend after being given his marching orders against Aberdeen last time out. On paper, Gerrard is well equipped to deal with his absence, but concerns over Kyle Lafferty and Jermain Defoe could leave him desperately short of options at centre-forward.

Ahead of the game, Gerrard confirmed that both of the aforementioned forwards are doubts, per Rangers’ official website, and he has held back 17-year-old Dapo Mebude from international duty in case he finds himself without his three main senior options.

While the Rangers boss will naturally be concerned by a potential mini injury crisis, his glowing verdict on Mebude suggests he has the ability to make the step up.

“I think he’s got a huge future, huge potential. He’s probably not ready to be thrown into the deep end just yet but I think he would certainly be ready for a cameo.

“He’s come into training and not looked out of place on numerous occasions now. I think the players have taken to him, but there is no doubt about it, he’ll play for Rangers at some point.”

Gerrard’s revelation is telling about Mebude’s potential

That Mebude has managed to enjoy himself in senior training and cope at that standard is telling about his promise.

Of course, he has a long way to go at just 17-years-of-age, but the fact Gerrard believes he’s ready for a cameo suggests it might not be too long before he’s ready to make a permanent step up into the senior squad.

The weekend clash could provide Mebude with a chance to showcase his talent off the substitutes bench in the event Lafferty and Defoe are ruled out, and it will be highly intriguing to see how he performs if he does indeed make his senior debut.

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Manchester United host Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday in a clash that is more hyped than the Carabao Cup final it precedes and both clubs will be hoping to claim three all-important points.

The Red Devils’ exceptional run of form might have hit a stumbling block in their 2-0 loss to PSG in the Champions League last week, but they got right back on track with a comfortable victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup 5th round.

Jurgen Klopp’s side meanwhile, will be looking to produce a far more clinical performance than the one they put in on Tuesday – the Reds’ lacklustre finishing meant Bayern Munich left Anfield with a truly undeserved clean sheet.

Regardless of the bitterness between the two long-time rivals, the clash is of enormous importance to both in the Premier League – United will be aiming to leave fifth placed Arsenal in the dust while Liverpool can go top of the standings.

This week’s expert fans, the TT’s United apologist Alex Rigby and Football League World assistant editor and Liverpool nut George Dagless, offer their predictions ahead of the Super Sunday battle…

If you’re Jurgen Klopp, who partners Virgil van Dijk in defence out of Fabinho and Joel Matip? 

George: “I’d not be surprised if Fabinho actually played there because he looks a decent centre-half but, by virtue of me thinking he’s going to be in midfield, Matip starts.

“Van Dijk is the leader and Matip benefits from that, I think together they are a decent enough partnership and I’ve no issues with them going in together – nor do I if the Brazilian ended up alongside our number 4.”

Alex: “It’s a tough one because Fabinho has been performing very, very well in defence. But I’d have to say Matip. The big man is decent enough to partner alongside the league’s best centre-back and make it work – despite it being a less than ideal situation. 

“Fabinho’s services will be needed in midfield as well. He performed excellently in the reverse fixture and there’s every chance he’ll be the man set up to nullify Paul Pogba.”

Indeed, former Monaco man Fabinho has impressed at the heart of defence in Dejan Lovren and Joe Gomez’s stead despite being a holding midfielder by trade. Deputising for the suspended van Dijk against Bayern, the 25-year-old cut a composed figure and the timing of his tackling was exemplary.

While he may grow to be a better option at centre-half than Matip, the Reds will sorely miss Fabinho’s physical presence at the base of midfield if he does continue in defence against United. As Alex says, he will be instrumental if the Anfield outfit are to shut down the increasingly influential Pogba.

United’s victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup saw Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku deployed up front, with Juan Mata as the No.10. Is this the best trio?

Alex: “Yes and no. What United did at Chelsea was remarkable and every player had their part to play. However, there were glaring signs that Lukaku doesn’t really suit United’s new style of play under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He’s no way near gifted enough technically, I think everyone can see that.

“The club now rely on rapid transitions from defence to attack, much like the old days under Sir Alex Ferguson, and if you’ve got Lukaku ballooning his touch into row-z it doesn’t really work. 

“Mata on the other hand looks far better in the central role compared to when he plays right-wing. Clearly, Solskjaer has realised far quicker than Jose Mourinho that Mata’s lack of pace really doesn’t suit the position.”

George: “I don’t think it is with the way Solskjaer likes to play.

“Mata is a fantastic footballer and does well against us invariably so he might feature but all fit United probably aren’t going to use him as much under the Norwegian.

“He wants pace and directness and for me their best three are Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard. Obviously, Martial and Lingard face late fitness calls but could be available and I’d say that’s their best attack.”

It has become apparent in Solskjaer’s short reign that strikers of Lukaku’s mould don’t exactly fit perfectly into the Norwegian’s system.

Instead, the sight of Rashford on the shoulder and running in behind to latch onto a Pogba pass and slot home has become a regular one – the England international’s mobility makes him far more suited to Solskjaer’s style than Lukaku but that hasn’t stopped the ‘Baby-faced Assassin’ from fitting the former Everton man into his side.

Is this Liverpool’s biggest test of the season so far considering the nervy performance against Bayern on Tuesday and United’s resurgence? 

George: “No. But it’s up there, as it is any season when it’s United.

“I’d say the game at the Etihad was bigger this season – which obviously didn’t go well – and the home game against Napoli given what was riding on it – and that did go well.

“I think the Bayern result could have been far worse – if you can’t win at home in Europe don’t concede – and so I don’t think that places any more onus on us winning this one.

“It’s Manchester United against Liverpool, anyway, this is one you’ll always be up for.”

Alex: “Manchester United and Tottenham stand in the way of the one trophy Liverpool truly care about – the Premier League. It’s been nearly 30 years since they last won the title, far longer than their relatively recent Champions League success.

“It’ll be a test of bottle and skill on Sunday, and the biggest one yet, no doubt.”

Aside from a much-improved defence, the major improvement Klopp’s side has made is that they have learned how to win at all costs – see clashes against Brighton and Crystal Palace, where the Reds had to dig deep to grind out a result.

Unfortunately, that ruthlessness was lacking in their stalemate with the Bundesliga champions on Tuesday, with many players guilty of missing glorious chances to give the Reds the lead – Sadio Mane screwed wide his side’s best chance of the game as the ball fell to him in the box.

A loss to United this weekend could be disastrous for Liverpool psychologically, if not in terms of their title hopes. While it has to be said the Red Devils are a far improved team since the two sides last met, the Reds will surely accept nothing other than a win.

This game will be far more of an even contest than the 3-1 Liverpool win in December, where the Reds were dominant in midfield. Can United match or better them in the middle of the park this time?  

Alex: “Liverpool’s midfield isn’t better than Manchester United’s, especially when you have Pogba dropping in there to perform some wizardry. 

“Of course, they certainly had the edge on them back in December but how much of that was down to players giving up on the manager?
“You’ve got to say that the way United are pressing now isn’t much different from Klopp’s style, and the players they have in their lineup should have the technical edge on the day. Ander Herrera relishes these types of games and he’s playing incredibly at the moment. Will be the difference on the day.”
George: “They have a better chance but they’re still not as mobile.
“Paul Pogba is obviously the big difference – Liverpool don’t have a midfielder like him in terms of the goals and assists he can bring from the middle of the park and so the Reds must keep him quiet.

“Is he still disciplined in the biggest games, though? He was shown up against PSG and so he is far from infallible.
“Herrera and Nemanja Matic look to be the sitting two and they are good at what they do but players can run off them – and the likes of Gini Wijnaldum breaking lines should hopefully cause them issues.”

World Cup winner Pogba has chalked up eight goals and five assists since Solskjaer’s United revolution began and is finally looking like the player the Old Trafford outfit were expecting to get when they spent big to bring him back from Juventus.
It hasn’t been a perfectly smooth ride for the Frenchman since Mourinho’s departure, though – the 25-year-old was sent off against PSG and, in losing his temper, could cost his side again if Liverpool don’t give him the time on the ball he craves.
The Reds will likely swarm the number 6’s every touch and limit his influence on the game to the best of their ability. While the rest of the team have undergone huge transformations too, it seems that if you can stop Pogba you can more or less stop United.
Mixed fortunes for English sides in the Champions League so how far off are they from dominating Europe’s top table? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…
Finally, what are your score predictions? 
Alex: “3-2 United.”
George: “My heart says we spark into life and outclass them, 2-0. Head says 1-1.”

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp may have something of a striker conundrum should Roberto Firmino be ruled out with the issue that saw him substituted off against Manchester United after half-an-hour on Sunday, but there might be one surprise solution.

On the chalkboard

The Reds have crucial fixtures against Watford and Everton this week as they look to keep their Premier League title hopes alive and kicking, but they could easily be without their Brazilian talisman.

Klopp of course could call on Daniel Sturridge – as he did on Sunday – or Divock Origi to fill the centre-forward role, or the German boss could choose to use Mo Salah through the middle – something he has done when he has preferred a 4-2-3-1 system.

However, one left-field option could be to use Sadio Mane there, in the hope of aiding the Senegal international’s personal development.

Make him less selfish

While the 26-year-old is clearly a great attacker who provides a huge threat for his team in the final third, there have been examples on more than one occasion this term where he has been too selfish.

It is a trait that perhaps could have been attributed to Firmino prior to him being used through the middle too, but since he moved to the centre-forward role he has clearly become much more of a team player and taken the responsibility on his shoulders.

The South American star has excelled when it comes to holding the ball and bringing his teammates into play, and basically giving Mane and Salah more time and space to thrive.

It is certainly an unselfish role that the Brazilian is playing, and Mane could learn a thing or two by taking on the same one – with last season’s top goalscorer and Xherdan Shaqiri available they wouldn’t lose quality on the wings either.

The dirty side of football was on full display as Celtic progressed into the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup for yet another year. Indeed, it’s been a dark few weeks in the Scottish game of late, with a worrying trend of off-field incidents rearing their ugly heads. 

In what was a comfortable win for Neil Lennon’s side last weekend upon his return to Easter Road, the game was marred with controversy, which has become all too prevalent.

The Hibernian fans obviously agitated at another loss to the Scottish giants, displayed their rowdy side by throwing coins and bottles at the Celtic players. Scott Sinclair nearly got struck with a glass bottle, which could’ve caused serious damage if it had hit him.

While their manager Paul Heckingbottom strongly condemned the incidents, Celtic have clearly incurred a new kind of hatred.

With teams being unable to stop the Hoops despite Brendan Rodgers upping and leaving, fans have started to try and intimidate them into losing their composure. While Celtic did really well to maintain themselves and see off the game, the Scottish FA needs to take definite steps towards stopping this harassment.

Be it better checking for possible throwable objects or restricting certain things among the fans, they need to make sure to give Celtic more protection in the field. The teams need to put in more security in the stands to stop such antics from happening again, as the next time it could cause serious injuries to players.

Frustration and hatred are mixed together to create a dangerous kind of mutiny among rival fans towards Celtic. As the Hoops march towards another treble, the Scottish FA needs to make sure something drastic doesn’t do injustice to their brilliant work.

Celtic fans, do you feel the Scottish FA should protect the players better? Join the discussion by commenting below.  

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Bournemouth returned to winning ways on Saturday as they emerged 2-0 victors over Huddersfield, with goals from Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson enough to sink Jan Siewert’s side.

The former was full of praise for the latter, who was making his long-awaited comeback from injury, even saying that the former Coventry striker makes the rest of the team play better individually.

Here’s what Scotland international Fraser had to say via The Bournemouth Daily Echo:

“When you get your important players back, it makes the team feel a bit better. It gives you a bit of encouragement and spark again.

“Cal didn’t look like he had been out for seven weeks. He makes everyone around him better and that’s the kind of player you want in your team.”

The 27-year-old had been out since January with a knee problem and the Cherries have sorely missed him – February saw Eddie Howe’s side endure a woeful run of form in which they lost three out of four games.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

Wilson has chalked up 11 goals – of which his strike against the Terriers was most recent – and seven assists this season and Fraser is certainly right in that the speedster transforms the side when he’s in it.

The pair, plus David Brooks and Josh King, have the makings of a top-half strike-force and, if the south coast outfit are to finish in single digits this season, Wilson’s fitness will be crucial.

Marcelo Bielsa continues to make Leeds fans dream as promotion to the Premier League is very much in their sights, which is hard to believe when you consider the position they found themselves in under the likes of Paul Heckingbottom and Thomas Christiansen last season.

Interestingly, Leeds United fans are now fully aware of Samu Saiz’s intentions as he reportedly wants to move to another club in Spain if Getafe opt against signing him permanently, so a summer replacement could be required.

And, much to the delight of supporters, it appears as if the Whites already have their sights set on a possible replacement for the Spaniard, as according to talkSPORT, Leeds United are interested in QPR’s Luke Freeman but any potential deal could depend on whether Bielsa’s side secure promotion to the Premier League.

Leeds can kill two birds with one stone by bringing Freeman to the club as he could easily replace Saiz at the heart of the attack, with his pace, creativity and finishing ability making him a very similar player. Also, the Englishman has been a constant threat in the final third having produced nine goals and six assists in all competitions and could provide that extra bit of quality that would be required to unlock some of England’s best defences in the top-flight.

Many fans have been pleasantly surprised by Tyler Roberts’ performances in recent times, but Luke Freeman is naturally creative and deserves a step up. Although, the QPR star upset Leeds fans towards the end of last month as he dented their promotion hopes slightly by netting the winner at Loftus Road.

Leeds United fans, do you think Luke Freeman could do a job at Elland Road if you get promoted? 

Not even the most optimistic of Sheffield United supporters w0uld have believed at the start of the season that their side would be within touching distance of automatic promotion with just eight games to play.

Yet, after their dramatic victory at Elland Road on Saturday against Leeds United, the Blades have put themselves in a fabulous position in the Championship table.

Currently second and one point ahead of the Whites, Chris Wilder’s side are now in control of their fate and know that a continuation of their recent form will all but guarantee Premier League football next season.

However, in order to achieve this goal, the former Oxford United boss will have to sacrifice the experiment of playing central defender Chris Basham in the heart of midfield.

Although the 30-year-old was responsible for the winner at the weekend, his inclusion in an unfamiliar role affected the usual attacking prowess which has propelled United into the promotion hunt this season.

With the Blades facing Bristol City, Birmingham City and Preston North End over the course of the next month, Wilder will know that he needs more creativity in his midfield to ensure that the club’s momentum continues and therefore either Kieran Dowell or Mark Duffy should return to the starting eleven in place of Basham.

Also, it is extremely unlikely that United will surrender as much of the ball in any of their remaining fixtures compared to their approach against Leeds and so there will be more of an emphasis of controlling the tempo rather than setting up to counter-attack.

A return to defence for Basham could suit United as he fits the unique mold of a centre-back who can provide an attacking threat However, with both Martin Cranie and Jack O’Connell producing brilliant displays at the weekend, it may prove to be difficult for him to force himself back into his favoured position.

What do you think Blades fans? Is Basham good enough to keep his position in central midfield? Or should he return to his usual role in defence to accommodate Duffy or Dowell? Let us know below.