Category Uncategorized

[ad_pod ]

Arsenal supporters on Twitter have excitedly welcomed the news that Takuma Asano will return to the Emirates this summer after Hannover rejected their option to buy the forward.

Asano was signed by Arsene Wenger in the summer of 2016 but has yet to appear for the Gunners, instead spending three years on loan in the Bundesliga, two with Stuttgart and one with Hannover.

The Japanese international’s spell at Hannover never got off the ground as he made just 13 Bundesliga appearances without scoring a single goal.

Wenger described Asano as “a talented young striker and very much one for the future,” but he was never given an opportunity in England after his work permit was denied.

While it seems unlikely that the 24-year old will get a real chance under Unai Emery, the Gunners are in search of a replacement for Danny Welbeck and Arsenal fans on Twitter have claimed that Asano deserves a chance to establish himself in north London.

Check out the best of the reaction below!

[ad_pod ]

According to The Sun (May 2, page 56) Sheffield United have been told to cough up £7 million if they want to make the signing of Dean Henderson from Manchester United a permanent one.

Henderson has been incredible for the Blades this season. He has been a key contributor to his team having the best defence in the league, keeping more clean sheets than any other keeper in the Championship.

Price has been set

The Sun has reported that Man United have set a £7 million price tag on the stopper.

With David De Gea’s recent dip in form and rumours of a departure to Real Madrid constantly circulating, Henderson may opt to stay and fight for a spot at Old Trafford as he has proven himself to be a top class goalkeeper in the Championship.

He will most likely choose to return to Bramall Lane though if given the chance, due to the affinity he has with the club and their supporters. The 6 ft 2 stopper has become a fan favourite at the club very quickly due to his excellent performances and his presence on social media.

It didn’t take long for Henderson to fall in love with Sheffield United and it was evident on the pitch. The club’s YouTube channel started a series called ‘Deano cam’ where they captured the eccentric goalie’s passionate celebrations whenever the Blades scored.

Worth every penny

The £7 million price tag isn’t much for a top keeper in this day and age, but it would almost double Sheffield United’s current transfer record.

Chris Wilder may well have to break that record multiple times in the upcoming window if he is to stand a chance at keeping his team up.

There isn’t a better player to splurge the cash on than Henderson though. He is a reliable figure between the posts who has a great relationship with both the team and the fans.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he often received racist abuse after North London Derbies – Check out the video below…

He’s great at playing the ball out from the back and has incredible reflexes. A goalkeeper can make or break a season for a newly promoted club, and the Blades would be foolish to make anyone other than the 22-year-old their number one next year.

It has been a frustrating fourteen months for Gary Hooper at Sheffield Wednesday.

The forward has missed the last 60 league games for the Owls after suffering a serious knee injury last season against Nottingham Forest, an absence which incredibly saw him fail to make a single appearance during Jos Luhakey’s reign at the club.

After a lengthy period of rehabilitation, Hooper is expected to return to the squad for the Yorkshire-based outfit’s clash at Stoke City (according to quotes on the club’s Facebook channel via HITC) which could be great news for Steve Bruce who has experienced an outstanding start to his Hillsborough career since taking charge of his first game in February.

The Owls are currently on a ten game unbeaten run in the Championship and are just two points behind Aston Villa who currently occupy the final play-off position. A resurgence in form has allowed supporters to dream of a trip to Wembley Stadium in May but in order to achieve this, they will need to overcome tough fixtures against the likes of Leeds United and Norwich City in the coming weeks. Although it will be an almighty task to beat two of the best sides in the second tier this season, if Bruce can get Hooper firing again, there is no reason why they cannot cause a major shake-up in the automatic promotion race.

Before his injury, the 31-year-old forward was on course to record his best ever total of goals for the club since his £3m switch from Norwich in 2015 (via the 72), having scored on 10 occasions in 24 league games. If he can reach similar levels of performance upon his return for Wednesday, he may end up providing the boost needed for the club to reach the play-offs.

However, when you consider the length of his absence, there is no guarantee that Hooper will be able to replicate his previous performances and so Bruce will have to be patient with the former Celtic ace.

What do you think Owls fans? How big of a boost is it to have Hooper back from injury? Could he fire you to play-off glory? Get in touch below.

[ad_pod ]

DeAndre Yedlin is set to be deployed on the right-wing for his international side this week, so could this boost his stock at Newcastle United?

What’s the story?

Newcastle have put together a string of incredible home performances since the turn of the year, steering themselves away from relegation trouble in a manner very similar to last season.

The Magpies have won five home games on the bounce, and Yedlin has started in four of those five.

The speedy full back has been deployed at both right-back and wing-back under Rafael Benitez, and is now set for an even more advanced role for USA.

According to reports, the 25 year-old is expected to feature on the wing during USA’s friendlies against Ecuador and Chile.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

On the chalkboard

No one is for a moment suggesting that Benitez is suddenly going to utilise Yedlin as a regular winger, but his exploits for the national team could boost his Magpies career.

The American is perfect for that wing-back role in Benitez’s three-at-the-back system, but the speed and engine which allows him to bomb up and down the wing so effortlessly is often ruined by his lack of end product.

Playing on the wing for his country, even just for a few weeks, could give him the boost of confidence he needs to start arriving in the box at the right time to provide goals and assists, just as he did in the 2-1 defeat at the Etihad back in September.

With Benitez often known to switch between different systems, even changing to a back four during the recent win over Everton, having a player who can occupy three different positions down that right flank will be a huge boost.

In fact, when it comes to summer investment, it could save Benitez a lot of money. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Mike Ashley is not going to follow the Miguel Almiron signing with some mass spending spree, and Yedlin’s versatility will save money that can be better spent improving other parts of the squad.

Full-back is often pointed to on Tyneside as the position most in need of improvement, but could Yedlin step up to the plate with a bit of development in the final third? Newcastle fans, let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

After going an entire year without spending anything in the transfer market, the Lilywhites are set for a big summer. Rumours are already starting to flood in, and one of those, from The Daily Mail, claims that Mauricio Pochettino is looking to splash £70 million on Fiorentina’s young winger, Federico Chiesa.

The last player that was signed at Tottenham was another winger, the slightly older Lucas Moura. However, in his time at the club, Lucas has failed to really make his mark. The Brazilian’s directness and ability with the ball at his feet make him a good player on paper, but in practice, he hasn’t quite clicked. However, 21-year-old Chiesa would be an entirely different story.

The young Italian has scored 11 goals and registered eight assists in his 30 games in all competitions this season, and that kind of end product at an age where he can still be moulded by a manager like Mauricio Pochettino makes him the kind of player that the Lilywhites should be after. After years of being stung in the market, though, the fans have no faith in securing a £70 million player.

You can read the Lilywhites’ thoughts on the Chiesa links here:

The Lilywhites are already writing this one off and have no faith in bringing in anyone for £17 million, let alone £70 million.

Marcelo Bielsa suffered a huge blow to his Leeds United promotion hopes, with the news that influential centre-back Pontus Janss0n has been ruled out for at least three weeks with a knee injury.

The Swedish international picked up the injury during Saturday’s hugely disappointing defeat to rivals Sheffield United, who leapfrogged the Whites into second place in the table.

According to Sky Sports, Jansson has already been ruled out for the visit of Millwall, but the club are hopeful that he will be back for the following week’s trip to Birmingham.

The loss of such an important player is potentially devastating news for Bielsa, especially in such a tight race for the two automatic promotion spots.

His influence on the back line cannot be underestimated, and he is one of the main reasons that Leeds are sitting on the verge of a Premier League return.

With goal difference likely to be very significant, they will need a tight ship at the back in the remaining weeks, with Leeds already having a worse ratio that both Norwich and the Blades.

Fortunately, his absence should be minimised by the international break, and Jansson will remain in England for treatment, instead of linking up with his Swedish teammates.

The defender has made more than 70 appearances for the club since arriving from Torino in 2017, and Bielsa will be hoping his spell on the sidelines is short-lived.

What are your thoughts on the loss of Jansson? Would you be confident in whoever Bielsa brings him in to replace him? Let us know your thoughts…

[ad_pod ]

Loads of Leeds fans have been reacting to Tuesday night’s setback at Loftus Road, and they’re absolutely furious with the performance of Jack Harrison.

It was the same old story for Marcelo Bielsa’s side on Tuesday night, as they dominated possession but failed to create enough clear-cut chances to win the match.

Patrick Bamford looked a step off the pace in every department, Tyler Roberts was hugely disappointing and Izzy Brown touched the ball just once in his ten-minute cameo.

Perhaps worst of all though was Harrison, who completed just 62 per cent of his passes in the 1-0 defeat, the lowest such number of any Leeds player on the evening.

The 22 year-old has scored three times and added one assist since joining on loan from Manchester City last summer, and his lack of end product is surely now a huge concern for Bielsa.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans want the youngster axed from the starting XI for Friday’s clash against West Brom…

A stunning volley from Alan Shearer has been voted among the best Premier League goals of all time after a poll was put out by Sky Sports to recognise some of the top flight’s best strikes.

The other nominees are as follows; Andros Townsend for Crystal Palace against Manchester City, Paulo Di Canio for West Ham United against AFC Wimbledon, Glen Johnson for Portsmouth against Hull City, Eric Cantona for Manchester United against Sunderland, Pajtim Kasami for Fulham against Crystal Palace, Dietmar Hamann for Liverpool against Portsmouth, Thierry Henry for Arsenal against Manchester United, Matt Le Tissier for Southampton against Newcastle, David Beckham for Manchester United against AFC Wimbledon, Gareth Bale for Tottenham Hotspur against Stoke City, David Luiz for Chelsea against Fulham, Tony Yeboah for Leeds United against AFC Wimbledon, Matthew Lowton for Aston Villa against Stoke City, Robin Van Persie for Arsenal against Charlton Athletic, Juliano Belletti for Chelsea against Middlesbrough and Wayne Rooney for Manchester United against Manchester City.

Shearer’s stunning volley against Everton in the Premier League back in 2002 levelled the score up at St James’ Park before Craig Bellamy scored a late winner after Kevin Campbell had given the Toffees a lead, according to the BBC. Joseph Yobo was also sent off shortly after Campbell struck which encouraged the momentum to shift to the Magpies.

According to the article by Sky Sports, Shearer says that this goal was his best in the top flight, and you can watch it over and over again here.

Members of the Toon Army can also vote for the ‘stunning volley’ via the Sky Sports website.

Shearer’s stunning strike was certainly a worthy inclusion in the list of nominees and it was undoubtedly one of the best goals he netted during his illustrious career.

Having netted a ridiculous 260 g0als in total in the Premier League (Transfermarkt), there were plenty to pick from but it comes as little surprise that it was his hit against the Toffees which made the cut given the technique involved.

Whether it is good enough to beat some of the other strikes on the list remains to be seen.

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Newcastle discussion going on in the Vital Newcastle Forum! Click here to get involved!

Footballers are known for their lavish lifestyles, fast cars, big trips to the casino and superhero status among fans.

To get to these privileges, they have had to sacrifice a lot of their childhood to train frequently, stay focused and eat healthily. They were the kids kicking a ball after dark with scraped knees rather than the ones playing video games each night.

Yet, there is a chance that video games may improve footballing participation and performance. Due to improved cognitive ability, and increased engagement at grassroots level, playing video games may actually benefit football. So, are those team FIFA sessions actually improving performance?

The Reputation of Video Games

Playing video games often has a bad reputation to cause violence, a sedentary lifestyle and obesity. In fact, the list of problems goes further than these issues to psychological, behavioural and emotional problems. Plus there is the issue of gambling in video games, which has led to ES Sports having concerns with FIFA’s In Game currency.

Earlier this year, China decided to impose restrictions on video gaming in an effort to reduce video game addiction in the country. Under 18s are not allowed to game between 10pm and 8am and they can only game for 90 mins on a weekday and three hours on a weekend.

China is not a huge footballing nation and their youth gaming culture is arguably the biggest in the world. If they were a footballing nation, this move may be a detrimental one. It has been found that video gaming does benefit the footballing community at a professional and grassroots level.

Video Games Benefiting the Pros

Nobody seems to question the speed at which professional football is now played. Cognitive speed is now one of the most important attributes of the game, along with pass accuracy, stamina, strength and the rest of it. This has led some professional teams to ask the question of how they can train cognitive speed – and the answer is video gaming.

Thinking Fast and Slow is a book by academic by Daniel Kahneman. It tells us of how our brain has two cognitive systems. One is quick and automated and the other is slow and not. It is the first system that footballers need to improve and by playing video games at high speeds that require us to automate decisions quickly. It is thought that they can improve the same automated decisions on the pitch.

Video Games for Grassroots Sport Engagement

The idea that video games could be the catalyst for an improved active lifestyle among children would sound far-fetched to researchers who have spent years proving that it leads to obesity and such. However, using video games as a model for coaching has been proven to improve engagement with football.

If coaches deliver sessions with the principles of gaming in mind, such as having a superpower where a player cannot be tackled for the first five seconds they have the ball (the “power” could be awarded to different players throughout the game), then it could improve engagement within real sport. This gamifying of football is a new idea – but could be revolutionary in childrens’ sport.

[ad_pod ]

Loads of Rangers fans have been giving their verdict on a possible target to improve the creativity in their midfield, and a whopping 92 per cent want to sign Kieran Dowell on loan.

Steven Gerrard was clearly keen to use the loan market this summer, bringing in Premier League youngsters with mostly successful results so far.

While much of the gaffer’s focus has obviously been on Liverpool players, he could do a lot worse than looking across Stanley Park, where Dowell is in desperate need of a loan move.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below...

The Everton youngster, who has scored twice in 12 appearances for England’s Under-21 side, scored ten goals and added five assists on loan with Nottingham Forest last season.

He can play anywhere across the attack or in midfield, but would be best as a number ten, playing just off of Alfredo Morelos, and this is exactly what the Gers have been missing.

The 21 year-old has had to settle for two League Cup appearances with the Toffees this season, but his work rate, vision and rocket of a left foot could be the last piece of the puzzle in Gerrard’s Rangers attack.

His loan spell at Forest means he has much more experience than Ovie Ejaria, and 92 per cent of fans want to bring the youngster in on loan. You can view the full poll results down below…