Tottenham Hotspur fans are incandescent after being told that season ticket holders will have to pay for their own ticket for the upcoming Champions League clash with Manchester City.
Spurs will host Pep Guardiola’s side in their new stadium on April 9th.
That game will be the first leg of a quarter-final tie after Spurs beat Borussia Dortmund 4-0 on aggregate in the last-16.
However, Spurs have announced that season ticket holders will have to buy their own ticket for the game.
The cheapest ticket for the game for an adult is £52, with the highest coming in at £98. The most expensive season ticket, of course, is £1,995, while the cheapest is £795.
And supporters have expressed genuine disbelief that their loyalty is not being rewarded by chairman Daniel Levy, and that they are instead being asked to buy their own seat for one of the most important games of the club’s season.
Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!
England take on the Czech Republic at Wembley in their first qualifier for Euro 2020 on Friday.
The two sides meet at a time when they are at differing ends of the international landscape.
England, of course, reached the semi-finals of the World Cup last summer, for the first time since 1990. The Czech Republic failed to qualify, finishing behind both Germany and Northern Ireland in qualification Group C.
They do have a hefty international pedigree, however, finishing second at Euro 1996 and reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2004, though those finishes have been the zenith of their run as an international team.
Friday’s encounter, then, promises to be an intriguing one. Football FanCast takes a look at where it could be won and lost…
The key battle – Kaderabek vs Sancho
Soccer Football – Bundesliga – Borussia Dortmund v Hertha BSC – Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany – October 27, 2018 Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho applauds fans as he is substituted REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler DFL regulations prohibit any use of photographs as image sequences and/or quasi-video
Jadon Sancho has been in electric form since his move to Borussia Dortmund. This season, he has scored eight goals in 26 Bundesliga appearances, while also laying on 15 assists.
He will come up against another Bundesliga star in Pavel Kaderabek at right-back. The Hoffenheim defender has been in excellent form this season, with his side currently ninth in the German top-flight.
Sancho will know his Czech counterpart well; they both scored when Dortmund and Hoffenheim played out a 3-3 draw earlier this season.
If the 18-year-old can find a way past Kaderabek consistently on Friday, England will have a trusted route to goal and that could well prove decisive.
The deciding factor – England’s defence
Can England maintain focus throughout the 90 minutes?
The Three Lions have kept one clean sheet since the World Cup, in a 0-0 UEFA Nations League draw with Croatia.
Even a thumping win over Spain, in which England took a 3-0 lead, saw the concession of two goals to La Roja.
If Southgate’s side, who also kept just one clean sheet in Russia, in the 2-0 quarter-final stroll against Sweden, can stop their backline from leaking, they should have enough up front to fire their way past the Czechs.
But that is no guarantee; England also conceded to Panama at the tournament. Yes, they were 6-0 up at the time, but it is a very real concern. The Three Lions simply have to stay tight at the back.
The impact subs – Callum Hudson-Odoi vs Matej Vydra
Hudson-Odoi is unlikely to usurp Raheem Sterling in the starting line-up but he has the ability to make a genuine impact off the bench.
His skilful dribbling and precision in the pass means he can hurt pretty much any team and he is primed for a go at international level.
He has worked his way into the Chelsea team and scored four goals in all competitions this season – he could make his international debut here and may well be the saviour if Southgate’s men need one.
As for the Czech Republic, Burnley striker Vydra is likely to be on the bench, with Patrick Schick set to start up front. He has scored just two goals all season and has not netted for his country since 2016.
Leeds United fans have been on social media revealing their delight at the news that Kemar Roofe is closing on a return to first-team action.
Roofe, who has scored 14 Championship goals this season, has been on the sidelines since the middle of last month with a knee problem.
In that time, the 26-year-old has missed six Championship fixtures, including the 1-0 home loss to Sheffield United last time out.
The 5 ft 10 ace has given no indication when he will be available for the Whites, but has revealed that he is in the ‘final stage’ of his recovery from the ligament problem.
As expected, the Leeds fans are absolutely delighted with the update.
Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…
Patrick Bamford has been in decent form in Roofe’s absence, but the return of their leading scorer entering a huge period of the campaign is very positive news for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Leeds fans have been hoping that their interest in Dan James will be reignited amidst reports from the BBC that contract talks with Swansea City have come to a standstill.
Leeds were on the verge of completing a deal for the midfielder on deadline day in January but Swansea caused the deal to fall through at the 11th hour.
James had even completed a medical at Elland Road ahead of the proposed loan move, which would have become permanent had Leeds been promoted to the Premier League.
Leeds fans on Twitter have been hoping that the Yorkshire club will go back in for James in the summer and with no contract renewal on the horizon, the midfielder could be available for a cut-price fee.
The 21-year-old has scored twice and assisted four goals this season so far and Leeds fans are optimistic that the lack of a new deal could see him playing at Elland Road next season after he came within hours of joining the club in January.
Here’s a look at what Leeds fans have been saying on Twitter….
According to The Sun, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City want to buy Gremio and Brazil international striker Everton Soares in the summer transfer window.
What’s the word, then?
The report states that Italian giants AC Milan are the other main party interested but City have tracked the player since last year and held talks with his current side in recent days.
In addition, Everton is said to be available at around £45 million, half of skint Gremio’s original valuation of the 23-year-old and not much at all to have to pay for such a highly-rated footballer in today’s inflated market.
He is a young forward that can play virtually anywhere across the attack, has scored 32 times in 135 appearances as an academy product of his present team and has broken into the Brazil senior squad to earn three caps since September 2018.
Any Everton deal would allow City to be rid of Jesus
Any deal to bring Everton to the Etihad Stadium would allow Man City to be rid of an inflexible player – his fellow forward and countryman Gabriel Jesus.
The £63m-rated 22-year-old is a very one-dimensional player, only ever really being used by Guardiola as a central striker with his compatriot, yet to make his big European move, much more versatile.
It’s this trait which would mean Everton wouldn’t be solely stuck behind Sergio Aguero in Manchester, much like Jesus has been for most of his time with the club so far.
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At present, the silky attacker is being neglected by the system, one that has limited him to just six Premier League goals this season and a major loss of form due to periods of non-selection.
It would take a real world-beater to displace Aguero for the Cityzens and Jesus deserves better than to be second-choice, while Everton would get much more game time – his sole role wouldn’t be the club legend’s understudy as he could move around the attack.
There have been no recorded rumours of City’s number 33 leaving at all though, mainly due to him signing a new contract last summer.
If Guardiola really is being wise and making Everton his latest signing, those will surely soon start to begin.
Manchester United fans on Twitter have been playing down excitement about their club possibly signing young Benfica star Joao Felix, because of executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
The 19-year-old shone for the Portuguese team on Thursday night as they defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 4-2 in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, netting a stunning hat-trick.
After the game there was plenty of Twitter reaction from fans who want to see the teenager signed, seeing as Felix is a player that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have been previously linked with.
But not all supporters allowed themselves to get excited about the sensational display, a group were being realistic about their sides’ hope of capturing the former wonderkid.
This is down to the tendency of Woodward not to bother with young players, signing older ones and helping to retain a more senior squad core at Old Trafford.
His style has earned him the nickname “Deadwood” and these fans were not shy to use it when articulating why Man United won’t end up signing Felix.
Which “global superstar” has just been named Man Utd’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video above…
Check out the best Tweets from cynical supporters, below…
If there’s ever a contender for the weirdest, most baffling match of football in the history of the English game, then Leyton Orient and Droylsden might just take the crown.
Last-minute equalisers, four red cards, and six goals in extra-time all culminated into what could actually be one of the weirdest games in the history of English football, and it wasn’t even that long ago when it took place.
A moment in time – Leyton Orient vs Droylsden, 2010
The date, the 7th December 2010; the venue, Brisbane Road. Leyton Orient welcomed non-league side Droylsden to east London after the two sides were forced into a replay in the second round of the FA Cup after a 1-1 draw in the previous game. What was about to happen next was something nobody could have predicted.
For starters, the visitors took a surprise with only six minutes on the clock through Ciaran Kilheeney, and things only got better for the Manchester-based side when Orient were reduced to 10-men after an awful challenge, get used to this theme, from Terrell Forbes.
Droylsden quickly made it 2-0 after the restart, and it was starting to look like the O’s would be on the receiving end of an FA Cup upset, but things yet again took an unexpected turn.
Ben Chorley brought the deficit down to just one 13 minutes from time from the penalty spot, and then the visitors found themselves with a man down after Nathaniel Kerr was sent off with a straight red for a rash challenge, giving Orient the manpower and quality to bag an equalising goal one minute from time.
Already this game had the hallmarks to be an FA Cup classic, and extra-time took the match into a whole new tier entirely. Droylsden went down to nine men shortly after the full 90 minutes, allowing Orient to yet again take advantage and put themselves ahead… by six goals.
Yes, you read that correctly. Orient went on a madness and scored six goals in extra-time, with Jonathan Tehoue and Scott McGleish both hitting hat-tricks to seal an 8-2 win for the east London side after going 2-0 down and only taking the match to extra-time with a last-gasp equaliser.
Few games can compete with the ridiculousness Orient’s famous encounter with Droylsden conjured up, and it is likely such a feat will ever be matched again by a team in England.
West Ham United’s need for a new centre-forward was once again shown during Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City at the London Stadium.
The Chalkboard
Marko Arnautovic was given the nod through the middle against the Foxes, but it was a tough 78 minutes for the attacker, who has just not been the same player since being linked with a move to China during the summer transfer window.
It was actually Arnautovic’s replacement, Lucas Perez, who came off the bench to register West Ham’s second at the London Stadium.
Perez has also struggled since his arrival, though, and the same can be said for Javier Hernandez – missing against the Foxes due to injury.
Michail Antonio impressed through the middle against Manchester United last weekend, but it is difficult to say that the Englishman is a reliable and indeed long-term option in that area of the field, despite scoring against Brendan Rodgers’ side.
The Hammers could still finish seventh this season, but there is no question that bringing a new centre-forward to the club will have to be a priority this summer.
What type of forward do West Ham need?
Well, if Arnautovic could sort his act out then he would be the perfect attacker – big, strong and capable of making intelligent runs in the final third.
There is something wrong with the 30-year-old, though, and it seems probable that he could move on at the end of the campaign.
Andy Carroll is also unlikely to play for the club again, which is another indication of just how important signing a new forward has become ahead of the 2019-2020 season.
Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…
The capital outfit need an individual capable of scoring 15 Premier League goals next term, which is easier said than done, but is certainly possible for the right price.
Felipe Anderson is the team’s leading scorer in the Premier League this season with nine, but Manuel Pellegrini must ensure that is not the case next term.
Leeds United have had their fair share of injury problems this season, haven’t they Whites fans?
With the likes of Barry Douglas, Liam Cooper, Gaetano Berardi and Pontus Jansson all missing a considerable amount of game time over the past nine months, it is almost remarkable that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are still fighting for automatic promotion at this stage of the year.
Yet with two games left to play, the Whites still have an outside chance of usurping their Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United in the Championship standings.
Regardless of whether they secure a return to the Premier League or end up facing yet another year in the second tier, Bielsa will undoubtedly be targeting areas in which they need to improve upon in the summer.
Considering their issues with defensive injuries, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if they look to add players to cover this position. However, instead of splashing the cash when the transfer window opens in July, Leeds could give Lewie Coyle another opportunity to prove himself.
Currently on loan at Fleetwood Town, the 23-year-old is reportedly free to leave Elland Road in the summer with his parent club ready to listen to offers (according to Football Insider).
If Bielsa does not change his stance, he could lose a player who has been very impressive for the Trawlermen in League One throughout the 2018/19 campaign and is seemingly ready to make the step-up in level.
After the defender delivered a brilliant performance earlier on this season, Fleetwood boss Joey Barton heaped praise on the ace. In an interview with the Blackpool Gazette, the 36-year-old said: “Lewie Coyle – what a great player to have in your side because he competes anywhere you want him to.”
“I think you could play him in goal, and he would give absolutely everything. It is a privilege to have him in the building. He sets the tone for a lot of it.”
With Coyle expected to return to Elland Road following the Trawlermen’s final game of the year on May 4th, he could still play a role in the play-offs for his side if Leeds do indeed fail to secure automatic promotion from the Championship.
What do you think Whites fans? Should Coyle be given another chance to impress at Elland Road? Or should Bielsa cash-in on the defender in the summer? Let us know below.
Loads of Celtic fans have been reacting to the release of next season’s kit, and let’s just say it hasn’t gone down too well.
Celtic look almost certain to wrap up their eighth consecutive title this weekend, knowing just a point at Pittodrie will be enough to settle the season.
Rangers went on a terrible run of form in March and the Bhoys left their arch-rivals in the dust, as despite some pretty drab performances the results have not been affected by the departure of Brendan Rodgers.
Now with the title almost in their hands, the club is looking ahead to next season. They launched the new strip for the 2019/20 campaign this week, which you can see here.
Unfortunately, fans aren’t too happy with the style of the shirt, with some taking particular offence to the decision to break the hoops.
Perhaps the designers should have known better than to disrupt something that is so engrained in the club’s culture and image, they are called the Hoops after all, and just have a look at some of the fume below…