All posts by n8rngtd.top

[ad_pod ]

Newcastle fans are absolutely fuming at Kevin Nolan after the former Magpie staunchly defended Mike Ashley, speaking on talkSPORT.

The Toon Army have been through it all this summer. The club have not made a single signing, have lost 53.5% of last season’s goal output with the departures of Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez, and worst of all no one even knows who the manager or owner will be come the first day of the season.

Of course, the current owner is not in a single Toon fan’s good books, but it appears he is in the good graces of Nolan.

“You can’t fault Mike,” the 37 year-old told talkSPORT. “I feel for the fans, and I feel for Mike as well.

“It’s crazy because being a player and knowing Mike and also being close to the fans, I feel torn because I know exactly how hard he is trying to give the Newcastle fans what they want.

“When he first went he had great intentions of putting Newcastle back on the map and obviously he’s lost that now and he wants to sell it, he wants to get out.

“But he’s still able to finance the club and make sure everything is running smoothly. You go up there and it’s a fantastic club and what he’s done within the ground is fantastic.”

Perhaps needless to say, the former Premier League star’s comments have not gone down too well.

Nolan scored 30 goals in 91 games in a Newcastle shirt, but fans are absolutely crucifying his verdict on Ashley.

One fan said he is “completely clueless”, while others wondered if he was applying to a job at St. James’ Park.

Either way, you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

[ad_pod ]

Rangers TV has released a mini-documentary following the 4-0 mauling of Marseille, and the supporters can’t get enough of it.

The Gers have produced a behind the scenes look at what goes on at Ibrox on match days, showing the players arriving, preparing and finally stepping out on to the pitch for their friendly victory over the Ligue 1 side.

Steven Gerrard’s men ran out as comfortable 4-0 winners over Andre Villas-Boas’ side, who were also beaten by Accrington Stanley last week. No, seriously, that’s not a joke.

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

A Daniel Candeias double as well as strikes from Jermain Defoe and Connor Goldson gave Gerrard’s men the impressive victory. The game was also notable for the return of Jamie Murphy after 11 months out with a knee injury.

The friendly victory came in between games against St. Joseph’s in the Europa League qualifiers. Rangers are well placed to go through to the second round having won 4-0 in Gibraltar.

These fans have taken to Twitter to display their admiration for the interesting documentary…

Lots of Sheffield United fans have taken to Twitter to praise youngster Marcus Dewhurst after he kept a clean sheet in his first senior appearance for the Blades in a 5-0 win over Chesterfield.

The 18-year-old recently made a name for himself as he was described as an ‘unlikely hero’ for England’s U18 side despite a penalty shoot-out defeat to Spain back in May, and continued that form as he kept The Spireites at bay.

It was a successful night all-round for Chris Wilder’s side as Billy Sharp scored a hat-trick and new signings Luke Freeman and Callum Robinson both found the back of the net.

The Blades are currently having a tricky time in finding a number one for the start of the season as Manchester United continue to delay the return of Dean Henderson as they want him to sign a new contract before he goes back out on loan.

And although the Yorkshire team have been linked with a move for Michael Verrips, plenty of supporters were impressed with the teenager’s ability in the pre-season friendly.

Here is just some of the reaction:

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Xherdan Shaqiri faces a big season at Liverpool.

The winger, signed from Stoke City last summer, made 30 appearances in all competitions as the Reds attempted to chase down Manchester City at the top of the Premier League and won the Champions League.

The £13m acquisition – bought after Stoke were relegated to the Championship – had 24 outings in the Premier League, where he scored six goals and registered three assists.

He also played four times in Europe and once each in the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.

His most telling contribution, of course, came in the scarcely believable 4-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League; he registered an assist in that game as the Reds booked their flight to Madrid, where they would win the trophy at Tottenham Hotspur’s expense.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Yet, to dig a little deeper is to see a player who was nothing more than a rotation option.

He had 11 starts in the top-flight and completed the 90 minutes just four times.

Now, of course, he is playing behind Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. Any player would find it difficult to make his way into the Reds’ starting XI.

But one has to ask if Shaqiri actually enjoyed any real influence when he was on the pitch outside of that Barcelona game.

Per Understat, he averaged 2.23 shots-per-90 and 1.72 key passes-per-90, meaning a pass leading to a shot.

His expected goals (xG) statistic was 4.06, meaning that he over-performed in front of goal and actually scored goals that he shouldn’t have.

His expected assists (xA) stat was 1.89; those he assisted were being superbly clinical when he passed them the ball.

Shaqiri averaged 0.35xG-per-90 and 0.16xA-per-90.

A good comparison here would be Divock Origi, the striker who has emerged as an excellent back-up to the fabled front three.

Again, per Understat, in 12 Premier League appearances – four were starts – he scored three goals and registered one assist.

He averaged 3.28 shots-per-90 and 0.76 key passes-per-90. He had an xG of 2.24, which he outperformed, and an xA of 0.19, again which he outperformed.

He averaged 0.57xG-per-90 and an xA-per-90 of 0.05.

Shaqiri, clearly, is a more useful distributor of the ball but Origi is a more clinical option.

Both are forwards and the key for Liverpool is that their forwards can interchange with fluidity and swap positions. Salah scored 27 goals in all competitions, Mane scored 26 and Firmino scored 16. That’s a combined 69 goals.

If Shaqiri is to be kept around by manager Jurgen Klopp and if he is to make an impact next season, he simply must improve his output.

He is clearly a good forward; Liverpool would not have signed him had he not been thoroughly scouted and vetted.

But where Origi has taken his chances when he has come onto the pitch, one feels that Shaqiri has struggled with his consistency.

His statistics are not as good as they need to be and if he is to gain more minutes, he has to improve.

Otherwise, one feels that Liverpool will not hesitate to cash in next summer.

Without fans, football would be nothing. An old cliché, of course, but an important one. For decades, supporters have travelled all over the country to watch their beloved team, and in the modern era, that has not changed.

Whether it’s a cold, rainy night at Stoke or a sunny trip down to Bournemouth on the south-coast, fans continuously stick behind their side and cheer them on – well, most of them do.

There is no denying that some fan bases are better than others. From decibel levels to undeniable passion, there are different levels in each club – but what determines who is the best?

Check out our ranking for the fans of each Premier League team from worst to best…

20. Burnley

The Clarets can generate an atmosphere at Turf Moor, but only on the rarest of occasions. Burnley fans often struggle to fill the 22,546 capacity it holds and the empty seats reflect the lack of ambience around the ground.

When travelling on the road, Burnley regularly fail to sell out the 3,000 allocation most Premier League teams grant for away fans which demonstrates the lack of support from the Clarets. The fans that do travel have often been spotted sitting down – perhaps the opera would be a better fit.

19. Brighton & Hove Albion

The Seagulls were fortunate to remain in the Premier League for the 2019/20 campaign following last season’s disappointing performances, but the performances from the fans were equally as disappointing.

Although they consistently sold over 30,000 tickets for each game at the Amex Stadium, the wind was the most off-putting component of the trip for away teams.

The lack of support on the road from Brighton was reflected in their dire away form last season, picking up just three wins on their travels in the Premier League.

18. Southampton

This may just be me, but I cannot recall the Southampton faithful reciting any rendition other than ‘Oh when the Saints’. The lack of home attendance is sub-par to say the least; over 2,000 fans (0n average) were missing from each match at St Mary’s last season, and empty seats were not hard to spot.

The travelling support can be good, but more often than not struggle to break silence once play is started – although there hasn’t been much to shout about for the Saints fans recently.

17. Norwich City

The Canaries will be chirping their way into the 2019/20 campaign, but sustainability remains an issue. The average attendance at Carrow Road last season was 26,014, but their success is unlikely to be replicated this time around. Clappers automatically bring their rating down.

Norwich will find success away from home hard to come by but their return to Premier League action should help in generating the numbers to travel, with attractions such as Old Trafford much more appealing to that of Rotherham’s New York Stadium.

16. Sheffield United

Despite their ability to generate an intimidating atmosphere at Bramall Lane, the lack of attendance last season means I simply cannot rank them highly. The Blades’ average home attendance last season was 26,175, a staggering 6,000 lower than the capacity of their ground.

Although those figures will inevitably rise following their promotion to the Premier League, the question remains by how much. Their away fans will have to prove their worth in the big league to convince me of a higher ranking than this.

15. Aston Villa

A similar story to the aforementioned Sheffield United. With Villa Park capable of holding 42,785 supporters, an average attendance of 36,029 last season was very disappointing. However, the Villa faithful are capable of generating an atmosphere, which we could see next season in the Premier League.

Away from home, the Villans travel in reasonable numbers, and should replicate that in the Premier League.

14. Leicester City

Another team who embraced the clappers lifestyle – something I strongly disagree with. If you need cardboard to generate an atmosphere, you cannot score highly in the rankings. Despite the magic of the King Power Stadium during the 2015/16 season where the Foxes were crowned champions, the fans have displayed little noise since.

The travelling support brings Leicester down in the rankings, also. Failure to sell out away tickets coupled with the majority of those who do travel opting to remain seated means the Foxes cannot score highly at all.

13. AFC Bournemouth

The Cherries obtain the lowest ground capacity in the league with the Vitality Stadium capable of holding 11,329 people. However, they can produce some excellent moments at home – wins against Chelsea and Spurs last season demonstrated the atmosphere they can create.

However, their away support is poor and fail to travel in numbers consistently. They can be vocal compared to the lower ranked sides in this article, but overall, disappointing.

12. Watford

The Hornets endured a successful 2018/19 campaign, reaching the F.A Cup Final and finishing a respectable 11th. However, they regularly failed to sell out their home matches at Vicarage Road, which reflected in the lack of atmosphere.

On the road, they sometimes find difficulties in selling the 3,000 allocation, and if they are not winning, the fans are often mute.

11. Arsenal

They may not have clappers for their home fans, but there aren’t many around to give them to in the first place. The Emirates is often rifled with empty seats and the lack of ambience is alarming for a top-six club. The ironic chant of ‘Is this the Emirates’ derives from the silence from the home fans, often compared to a library.

However, the travelling support is good, I must say. Despite not always being the most vocal, the Gunners consistently sell out their away allocation – if they could find a way to vocalise and spark life into their home matches, they would produce a higher ranking.

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking to The Daily Mirror, former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas has revealed Arsenal’s front two of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will fire the Gunners into the top four next season.

What did he say?

The north London side’s strike pair struck up a fine relationship both on and off the pitch, and provided the bulk of the goals last season.

Now, Jenas has compared the duo to Liverpool’s much-vaunted front-three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, and claimed the Lacazette-Aubameyang partnership could see the Gunners return to the Champions League.

[ad_pod ]

He said: “Emery has the best front two in the league in Aubameyang and Lacazette. The front three at Liverpool are a machine but in terms of front twos, old school style of play, they are as good as it gets. They have that chemistry like Firmino, Mane and Salah. When it really happens, it happens. I think that is what will get them into the top four.

“But they won’t go toe to toe with the Liverpool attack yet, but if they deliver on a weekly basis, maybe in the future. If you look at the defensive structure at Liverpool, that midfield and defence, it allows Liverpool’s front three far more freedom that Arsenal’s.

“There is no doubt they are an attacking force, they proved that last year with the amount of goals they scored, they just leak a lot of goals. If they fix that they will definitely finish top four.”

Emery’s toughest job

After the signing of Lille winger Nicolas Pepe for a club-record fee, there is no doubting that Unai Emery’s job of trying to juggle all of his attacking weapons just got that much harder. The Gunners boss ended the campaign with Lacazette and Aubameyang starting up front together, but pre-season has seen more of a return to his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.

As Jenas suggests, Arsenal simply don’t have the defensive solidity that Liverpool possess, and are far more reliant on their forwards to track back and help out. But if the side’s big-money strikers can gel and adapt to Emery’s new style of play, then there will certainly be a great chance that the Gunners can take advantage of another closely-fought race for the top four.

[ad_pod ]

Pundit Davie Provan believes that Celtic are in a weaker position now than they were last season, something that hasn’t gone down well with their supporters.

The former Celts star has claimed in his column in The Scottish Sun that the club are worse off now, under Neil Lennon, than they were with Brendan Rodgers in charge 12 months ago.

“Celtic are currently weaker than they were last season,” he said.

His reason for this damning statement is the transfer business of his former side.

Provan states that losing Kieran Tierney, Mikael Lustig and Filip Benkovic and replacing them with Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo, Hatem Abd Elhamed and Christopher Jullien has weakened the Hoops.

It does seem a peculiar time to have a dig at the club though, with Lennon starting his first full season back in charge absolutely on fire.

The Bhoys have won six of their seven competitive games this campaign, drawing the other, so fans are probably right to have a go at the legendary but perhaps misguided Provan, who won four league titles with the club during his playing days.

Take a look at some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

One of Aston Villa’s playoff heroes has earned himself a new deal.

Ahmed Elmohamady has signed a one-year extension at the club, keeping him in the claret and blue until the end of next season.

The 31-year-old has been at the club since the summer of 2017 and provided the crucial assist for Anwar El Ghazi’s opener in the playoff final against Derby County.

He has made 89 appearances for the club, including both their opening two Premier League matches this season – keeping Frederic Guilbert out of the team.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The news has sparked a debate on Twitter with some fans torn over Elmohamady’s extended stay at Villa Park.

One supporter labelled it as a ‘good bit of business’ as he is pretty consistent, works hard and provides a fair few of assists which was backed up by another who claimed it was ‘fully deserved.’

However, not all was positive as a further fan said he didn’t understand why, whilst one member of the Villa faithful blasted him for being a bang average player in the Premier League, calling the club ‘pathetic.’

Here’s the best of the reaction:

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

Despite only having a reported £45m budget for this summer, Arsenal were still able to smash their transfer record with the signing of Nicolas Pepe from Lille.

The Ivory Coast international cost the Gunners £72m, beating the previous highest fee paid for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

However, despite that, the 24-year-old is yet to start for Unai Emery’s team. Instead, he came off the bench in the season opener against Newcastle last Sunday. He played just 19 minutes in the end, and received a 6.08 WhoScored rating for his efforts.

Could Gabriel Martinelli become Arsenal’s star striker in the not too distant future? Deluded Gooner thinks so in the video below…

The club’s supporters had pushed for him to start that match at St. James Park, but they didn’t get their wish. Once again, they have asked for him to receive his starting debut for this week’s fixture at home against Burnley.

They have taken to Twitter to share their desire to see Pepe feature in the starting XI. You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

Tottenham Hotspur fans have rubbished claims from talkSPORT that Mauricio Pochettino could walk away after this weekend’s north London derby against Arsenal.

Adrian Durham claimed on Thursday that he had heard “rumours” suggesting that Pochettino could manage Tottenham for the last time this weekend, regardless of the result.

And fans were quick to disparage the remarks on Twitter.

Indeed, Pochettino signed a new five-year contract in 2018 that is reported to be worth £8.5m-per-year.

If he were to resign this season, he would be walking away from over £40m.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Not only that, but the Argentine guided Spurs to their first-ever Champions League final last season and then oversaw a transfer spend that included the club-record acquisition of Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon, as well as the loan of Giovani Lo Celso and the purchases of young prospects Ryan Sessegnon and Jack Clarke.

Take a look at the best of the indignant reaction on Twitter below!

[ad_pod ]