All posts by h716a5.icu

Many fans of Aston Villa have been reacting to a post on Twitter which relayed a report regarding recent comments made by on-loan Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane.

Since making his loan move to Swansea City back in January, the Irishman has highly impressed in his 13 Championship appearances for Steve Cooper’s side, with the 30-year-old scoring five goals and providing one assist, as well as averaging a WhoScored match rating of 6.86, ranking him as the Swans’ 10th-best performer in the second tier.

In recent comments, as cited by Birmingham Live, Hourihane claimed that Swansea’s push for promotion is an “exciting” thing to be a part of, before going on to state that he knows what it is like to experience promotion to the top flight, as he achieved the feat with Villa back in 2019.

However, after Aston Villa News relayed the report on Twitter, questioning whether Villa fans would welcome Hourihane back to Villa Park this summer, many stated their belief that the £42,000-per-week midfielder’s time with Dean Smith’s side is up. That stance could be based on the 30-year-old making just four Premier League appearances this season before his loan move to south Wales.

So, what did these Aston Villa fans have to say in reaction to the tweet regarding Conor Hourihane?

“Loved his contribution during his time with us. I think, though, his days are done with Villa. Wish him all the success.”

@irvines02

“Nope, a summer recruitment drive will put an end to Hourihane’s Villa career.”

@Captain__C00k_

“Sad to say but no – a great player at Championship level but not in the Prem.”

@hilly53

“Nope, Championship player at best. Great for a goal or set-piece but overall not good or mobile enough for the Prem.”

@Seancallowbrady

“No. Has served us well but if we’re moving forward then it’s time to move on.”

@shang1308

“No, not good enough.”

@paulhughes2016

In other news: These Villa fans reacted as this ‘stupid’ club news emerged – find out more here!

Ben Jacobs has dropped a claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

As per a tweet from the sport journalist, BC Partners are no longer actively pursuing a purchase of Inter Milan, an investment that the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) have previously been linked with.

Adding to his update, Jacobs also tweeted that PIF still see no value in buying the Serie A club and ‘PIF are waiting’ to see whether the St. James’ Park faithful’s legal cases clear the way for them to buy the North East club instead.

Newcastle takeover hopes rely on PIF

If the original deal between Mike Ashley and the KSA consortium has any chance of coming back into fruition, then PIF need to be back at the table.

The fact that they have shown interest in buying Inter may worry a lot of the Toon Army, but Jacobs’ latest update should calm fans down a little.

It seems as if they would still be interested in reviving the deal if a path was made clear for them to come back, and that may be made if the results of the Magpies’ legal case is positive.

Nonetheless, NUFC supporters now face an anxious wait in finding out those results and subsequently what they mean in terms of the potential resurrection of the bid.

In other news, find out which Newcastle star has been slammed after a fresh development here!

Noel Whelan has criticised Ezgjan Alioski’s role in Sheffield United’s goal on Saturday, saying he was “nowhere to be seen”.

The Whites picked up another important three points at the weekend, seeing off the all-but-relegated Blades 2-1 at Elland Road.

Marcelo Bielsa’s men were comfortably the better side throughout the afternoon, but they found themselves level at half-time.

Ben Osborn’s strike just before the break allowed Chris Wilder’s team to make it 1-1, but there was some sloppy defending on show from Leeds.

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Whelan unhappy with Alioski’s contribution

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan was particularly critical of Alioski – Luke Ayling did get a mention, too – with the left-back culpable for the goal:

“There are lots of things you can talk about in terms of the goal we conceded. I think Alioski was out of position.

“Luke Ayling was out of position too but it could have been stopped by Alioski covering. He was nowhere to be seen.

“It’s these little fine margins and defensive details that a natural full-back would know. It’s a very soft goal and it shouldn’t have happened.

“You can’t allow that, for teams to get back into the game when you’ve been controlling it like that.”

Transfer Tavern take

The criticism is fair, with the Premier League such a competitive division – one where the smallest mistakes can be punished, where you have to make the most of being on top.

Fortunately, Leeds still ended up winning on Saturday, but the margin of their victory was far narrower than it should have been, up against a team who will be playing Championship football next season.

Alioski looks like he will be moving on this summer and moments like this won’t endear him to supporters in the final weeks of his time at the club.

In other news, one Leeds star has been linked with two foreign clubs ahead of a potential summer exit. Find out who it is here.

Former Rangers youngster Lewis MacLeod looked destined for an excellent career when he left Ibrox in 2015 but, after a disappointing few years, it appears as if the Gers sold him at the perfect time.

The midfielder impressed with Rangers in the lower leagues, contributing 16 goals and 15 assists for the Light Blues in just 76 appearances between 2012 and 2014.

He earned a move to Brentford as a result, with the Bees having earned a reputation for signing young players and developing them into top talents in recent seasons, although things didn’t work out for MacLeod at the London club.

Speaking ahead of his move, interim Rangers boss Kenny McDowall had this to say about the youngster: “It would be naturally a blow to see him go. He is a talented lad and he’s got the opportunity to move on, which looks like it may now be the case.

“It’s disappointing to lose him but that is football. You have got to move on. Lewis is one of our top players but it is also an opportunity for someone else to come into the team and stake a claim.”

In 43 first team appearances, MacLeod managed just four goals and six assists, with injury problems regularly keeping him out of the side. He joined Wigan Athletic on a free transfer in 2019 and spent just one season with the Latics, managing no goals or assists in 12 appearances.

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Last summer, he joined League One side Plymouth Argyle and unfortunately he is continuing to struggle at that level, with just one assist to his name in 14 appearances for the Pilgrims so far this season.

His impressive spell as a youngster at Rangers seems like a very long time ago now and you wonder whether he would have been better staying with the club and helping them return to the top flight, as it is clear that his time at Ibrox was the best spell of his career so far.

MacLeod is now 26 and. considering his less than stellar performances with Plymouth, unfortunately he may well find himself without a club again in the near future.

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Therefore, Rangers’ decision to sell MacLeod for as much as £1m in 2015 must be applauded, as his disappointing time with Brentford certainly suggests that they paid over the odds to sign him, whilst his current market value of £428,000 on Transfermarkt is the lowest in six years.

In other news… Gerrard should unleash rarely-seen Rangers gem at Ibrox next season, he’s a “manager’s dream”

Sunderland fans have been reacting to a tweet from the Black Cats’ official Twitter account ahead of their clash with Blackpool this weekend.

The Wearside outfit’s hopes of automatic promotion have been hit with an almighty blow in the last two games. Two defeats in a row means that they are now five points behind second-placed Peterborough with six games left to play (BBC), and may well need to go through the play-offs if they want to move up to the Championship. The 2-1 loss against Wigan, who are struggling at the wrong end of the table, will have particularly hurt Lee Johnson’s side.

Ahead of the game, the club’s official account on Twitter shared news about streaming passes for the upcoming clash against the Seasiders, which will kick off at 12.30 pm on Saturday. The tweet, though, was not met with joy from the club’s supporters given their recent struggles, and they took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Sunderland fans had to say below

“Give this one a miss… I’ve bought 2 this season and we’ve been beat both games, funnily enough it was the last two games”

Credit: @Bsw1995

“Couldn’t think of anything worse”

Credit: @AdamLowden10

“No thanks. I’ll be busy washing my hair.”

Credit: @Spmolnar1

“Nah you’re alright”

Credit: @GazJFisher

“No thanks. They’re horrible to watch and bring me nothing but frustration. Moyes, Jack Ross and Parkinson have well and truly sickened me to the point I cannot be bothered anymore”

Credit: @MrChimpsisback

“I’ll swerve this one in the hope I miss a Sunlun’ away win. Lee Johnson won’t want to be the first SAFC manager to lose three games in Division 3 in a row. (Never happened in our previous three seasons in this awful division)”

Credit: @lord_barrold

In other news, Kevin Phillips is delighted by this Kyril Louis-Dreyfus news.

Liverpool duo Curtis Jones and Divock Origi will miss the Reds’ vital Champions League clash with Real Madrid through injury.

Jurgen Klopp’s men face one of their biggest games of the season on Wednesday night, as Madrid make the trip to Anfield.

The Spanish giants won 3-1 in last week’s quarter-final first leg clash, on a night when Liverpool were hugely disappointing throughout.

Another special Anfield night in Europe is required, but this time, the Reds will have to do it without supporters roaring them on.

Jones and Origi out of Real Madrid clash

Liverpool’s injury problems may have been easing in recent weeks, apart from at centre-back, but they will have to make do without Jones and Origi at Anfield, according to the Mirror.

The news emerged on Tuesday that neither player was spotted in training at Kirkby, suggesting they will play no part in proceedings against Madrid.

Transfer Tavern take

Jones may not have started the first leg, but his creativity is a loss, with the 20-year-old capable of opening up defences with a moment of magic.

His tally of four goals for the season is more than any of Liverpool’s other midfielders, too, highlighting the guile he possesses in the final third. With some of the forwards struggling this term, losing a goal threat from midfield will certainly hurt.

Meanwhile, Origi’s ability to produce huge moments in Europe was evident against Barcelona and Tottenham in 2018/19, so his impact as a substitute could also be missed on the type of night when cult heroes such as Origi are born.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have bemoaned an update on the future of two Reds midfielders. Read more here.

Liverpool have been accused of lying to a fellow ‘big six’ Premier League club, in the latest big development regarding the founding of a European Super League.

In recent days, the footballing world has been rocked by talk of the breakaway league happening in the near future, with 12 clubs currently in the mix.

Sadly for many Reds fans, Liverpool are one of those, with Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham the other unpopular parties from England.

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Journalist provides major ESL update

According to political editor Alex Wickham on Twitter, one unnamed English club is now seriously considering pulling out of the proposal, however, accusing Liverpool and United of conning them.

It has led to a ‘major split’ in the camp, as the current situation threatens to get uglier by the day.

Transfer Tavern take

It is heartbreaking to see Liverpool emerge as one of the ringleaders behind his terrible idea, considering how much the club has renowned for its working class, down-to-earth values throughout history.

The hope is that the European Super League eventually doesn’t go through, but whatever happens, FSG have tarred their legacy forever and will never be forgiven by millions of Reds supporters around the world.

For a long time, FSG appeared to be saviours after the awful reign to Tom Hicks and George Gillett, but they now appear just as bad, or arguably even worse.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have blasted one Reds player, following the 1-1 draw with Leeds United. Read more here.

Everton have been dealt a potentially huge blow in their pursuit of Max Aarons after Daniel Farke questioned why the defender would leave Norwich City.

What’s the word?

Via quotes by The Pink Un, Farke has insisted that he can only see Aarons leaving Carrow Road at the end of the season to join one of Europe’s elite clubs after Norwich clinched their return to the Premier League.

Aarons has been heavily linked with a potential move to Everton this summer with Carlo Ancelotti on the hunt for his long-term Seamus Coleman successor, and is reportedly keen on a move to Goodison Park.

But a deal for the right-back is expected to cost any suitor around £30m, which the Toffees are reluctant to pay despite believing Aarons has the potential to deliver a similar impact to that seen from Ben Godfrey since he made the move from Norfolk in October.

Aarons has previously been linked with Manchester United and Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. FC Barcelona also explored a deal last year and agreed personal terms with the England U21 international, but Norwich blocked the loan transfer due to the lack of an obligation to buy.

Farke is adamant that it is those sort of clubs Aarons should be striving to join, otherwise it would be a mistake to leave Norwich where he is loved and trusted by staff, teammates and fans.

“If I walk in his shoes it makes no sense to travel to a different club where he might be able to earn a few more pounds,” the Canaries boss said. “In the end, it makes no sense to move to a club in Germany or Spain who play for position 10 in the table or right here a team in England playing for position 14.

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“My gut feeling is it makes no sense at his age to move somewhere where he is a backup. For me, he has the potential and quality to play for the best clubs in the world. Either a top club in England or a top-four club in Germany or Spain.”

Should Everton sign Norwich’s Aarons?

Farke’s comments will likely come as a huge blow to Everton amid their rumoured interest in Aarons, as the Norwich right-back will no doubt be considering the same topics as his head coach mentioned when he assesses his situation at the end of the season.

Aarons would be foolish not to consider whether he will be the starter or not at whichever side he plays for next term, and will be certain to have his choice of suitors with West Ham United the latest club to be linked with David Moyes planning for the Irons’ future.

Tottenham Hotspur are also said to be interested, despite the sacking of Jose Mourinho, while AS Roma weighed up an approach in January for the 21-year-old who has been a fixture of Farke’s plans as Norwich sealed their immediate return to the top-flight.

Ancelotti would be gutted to miss out on Aarons to one of the Toffees’ various rival suitors by failing to offer him the first-choice position at Goodison Park ahead of Coleman next season, despite the 32-year-old proving he can still offer a lot with his recent performances.

What will be of comfort to the Italian is that Fabrizio Romano has claimed Everton are leading the race and hope to reach an agreement soon after holding advanced negotiations with Norwich, who are expected to keep to an agreement with Aarons that he will be sold.

The Canaries allegedly told Aarons – who Alex McLeish feels would be an “excellent” replacement for Coleman – that he could leave Carrow Road in 2021 if he stayed for the current season, it just remains to be seen if he still wishes to leave or join the Toffees.

AND in other news, Everton have been urged to sign a £30m star who “doesn’t have limits” despite Carlo Ancelotti’s concerns…

A number of Liverpool fans have been expressing their happiness at the news that Joel Matip has returned to the training pitch for the Reds.

Jurgen Klopp’s men have had a season to forget, with everything seemingly going wrong for them.

Having been tipped to defend their Premier League title, it now looks likely that Liverpool will even miss out on a top-four finish, which seemed unfathomable last summer.

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One of the biggest issues has been the Reds’ injury crisis at centre-back, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all out for long periods of time.

It has meant Nathaniel Phillips has had to come in and do a job – Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have played in defence, too – while Ozan Kabak arrived from Schalke in January.

On Wednesday, Matip returned to training, however, running again with his teammates for the first time since suffering ankle ligament damage back in January.

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Liverpool fans hail Matip’s return

Matip does not appear to be back in full contact action yet, but these Liverpool fans took to Twitter to express their delight at his sighting.

“Finally some good news”

Credit: @NeonPhantom69

“Top 4?”

Credit: @Artendahl

“Big Joel is back! Good to hear. At least some positive news”

Credit: @attrakta

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @JamesFarquhars8

“Great news”

Credit: @Dreamspirit10

“2nd best CB at the club. Can’t wait to see him back”

Credit: @Sunraged

In other news, a striker with an outstanding goalscoring record has reportedly turned down a move to Liverpool. Find out who it is here.

Newcastle are heading for a major transfer disaster by signing Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy in the summer.

What’s the story?

The Republic of Ireland international’s contract at Selhurst Park comes to an end following the conclusion of the Premier League season, and it seems that Steve Bruce is keen on bringing him to Tyneside this summer.

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle are back on the trail of the 30-year-old and are looking closely at a player who they have followed for a number of years.

Given his contract status, the Magpies would be able to sign him on a free transfer.

Fans will be fuming

Whilst the 30-year-old McCarthy does have plenty of top-flight experience in his time with Wigan, Everton and Crystal Palace (269 Premier League games to be exact), his record with injuries and age just doesn’t make this a sensible move whatsoever.

He has a history of significant hamstring injuries and has played just over 3,000 minutes in four years’ worth of Premier League football, and it’s difficult to see which player in the Newcastle midfield he would actually supplant or who he would supposedly be an upgrade upon.

Add to that his reported £50,000-a-week wages at Selhurst Park, and the chances are that the Magpies will be paying considerable money for a player who is heavily on the decline. They would have got an ageing midfielder, with injury troubles and on big money. Not exactly the greatest of combinations.

Indeed, speaking after a Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland, former Manchester United midfielder and outspoken pundit Eamon Dunphy slammed the Irishman for his display and his character, saying: “McCarthy is just a talking horse. Horses who are supposed to do great things on the gallops every morning but never produce it on the racecourse. This guy never produces a real performance for Ireland and he rarely produces it for Everton. He’s just no good.”

If Newcastle are to take any steps forward and avoid being dragged into relegation battles year upon year, signing players like McCarthy is not the way to go about it.

Numerous Magpies fans made their feelings clear about a potential move for the Irishman back in the summer of 2019 when links emerged at the time, and given that he is now even older, they surely would be just as livid now about him being signed.

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Bruce is headed for a major transfer nightmare if he signs McCarthy.

Meanwhile, this Newcastle flop dropped a disasterclass against Arsenal…