Celtic: Neil Lennon reliant on Old Firm derby to land the job full-time

D-Day is almost upon Neil Lennon and Celtic.

In his biggest challenge since the change of guard, he aims to prove himself worthy of the job by derailing the Hoops closest title challengers and eternal rivals.

It’s also his biggest opportunity to prove himself to the Bhoys faithful. Since his hurried arrival, Lennon hasn’t really had Celtic dancing to his tunes like Brendan Rodgers did earlier this season, despite a fairly good run of results. Indeed, the Hoops haven’t been anywhere near as dominant as before, only scoring three goals in his three league games in charge, largely flattering to deceive.

Rotating players, benching some important ones, Lennon’s made radical decisions to no end. However, all can change in the Old Firm Derby. Having lost their last one in December, Celtic must be desperate for revenge, with a win all but ending the Gers’ season in March. Obviously, Lennon himself is no newcomer to the game, he knows the magnitude of the fixture and also will fully realise just how much his stock can rise up if Celtic are to put on a special showing.

With Parkhead watching, Lennon could win back the fans’ love and trust with a fiery display against Rangers. While Steven Gerrard’s side are themselves hell-bent on breaking their rivals dominance, they also come into the game, not in the best of form. If Lennon makes a few adjustments to his system and motivates his boys to get revenge, a spectacle could unfold.

A memorable derby win can be solid proof of Lennon being the best man for the job. If he gets goals galore and fans roaring again at Celtic Park, he’ll take a step closer towards making his reign permanent.

Celtic fans, would you accept Lennon as a permanent manager with a dominant derby win? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

Aston Villa: John McGinn can carry the club to a shock promotion

Another game, another win for Aston Villa. They’re the in-form team in the Championship at the moment, and John McGinn has the quality to take them all the way to the Premier League.

He’s played 34 times for the Villans this season, playing over two thousand minutes, but he’s still running the show in the centre of the park and the opposition can’t deal with him. This is their fifth win on the bounce, and lots of praise should be heaped on his influence.

Dean Smith’s side have been tearing up the league since Jack Grealish returned to the starting line-up against Derby in early March. He’s had a massive impact going forward, but he wouldn’t have that licence to be creative if McGinn wasn’t doing all the hard work behind him.

There were worries Villa would be stopped in their tracks, with the international break ending their momentum, but it’s done anything but that. It looks like it’s given them the rest from the promotion push they needed.

Keep this up and they’ll make the play-offs, no doubt.

McGinn’s consistency has been incredible. He’s played 90 minutes in 16 of the Villans’ last 20 games, and two of those he missed were through suspension. He’s been the mainstay in this side, and to have his calming influence in the play-offs will benefit the team no end.

The pressure is mounting as the wins keep coming. The victory over Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday was anything but relaxed and the players know the expectation from the terraces means things will only get nervier.

With McGinn there though, he can steer the ship back to the Premier League.

Villa fans, where do you think your club will finish this season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

The Chalkboard: Raheem Sterling can be the heir to Sergio Aguero’s throne

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Raheem Sterling is rapidly developing into a world-class talent, and one who is quickly broadening his tactical horizons under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

Having started his footballing career as an out-and-out winger who enjoyed cutting inside, the 24-year-old has now matured into an excellent forward who can comfortably play anywhere across the frontline – Sterling has been deployed as a left forward, a right forward and a centre forward on numerous occasions already this season.

What is particularly telling is that, no matter which position he is deployed in, the former Liverpool man consistently delivers.

442oons have charted the entire career of Man City’s main man Sergio Aguero through song in the hilarious video below…

In his 40 appearances this season for the Citizens, the England international has hit a stunning 19 goals and recorded 16 assists. To add to that, his statistics for the Three Lions in the current campaign show a return of six goals in five starts.

Together, that equates to a quite staggering haul of 25 goals and 16 assists, numbers that some of Europe’s most elite players would rightfully be proud of.

His striking compatriot at the Etihad Stadium, Sergio Aguero, is a man heralded by all associated with the club – the Argentine’s tally of 227 goals in 329 appearances makes him Man City’s all-time top goalscorer.

However, Aguero is nearing his 31st birthday and has previously stated his intention to return to former club Independiente when his contract expires.

Although it’s important to recognise that the Argentine has since signed a one-year extension, the fateful day of his departure will inevitably come around in the not too distant future.

City will find it incredibly hard to replace such a prolific forward when that day eventually arrives, but Guardiola’s replacement could already be under his nose.

Looking at Sterling’s record in front of goal this season, as well as last term in which he notched 23 goals and 17 assists, it is evident that he is always improving and is on course to get near, or even break, Aguero’s record tally in a sky blue shirt.

Pep Guardiola and the club’s officials needn’t fret when the former Atletico Madrid packs his bags and leaves Manchester; they have his replacement ready made in the form of their existing No.7.

Portsmouth: EFL Trophy win has caused a domino effect for Pompey in all the right ways

If Portsmouth are to end the season in an automatic promotion spot, they might have Coventry to thank for it.

Their incredible 5-4 win over Sunderland allowed Portsmouth to climb level on points with the Black Cats after their own 4-1 thumping of Rochdale on the weekend, and with both teams with a game in hand over second place Barnsley and two points off the Tykes, the EFL Trophy finalists both have an opportunity to snatch an automatic promotion spot.

And a lot has happened since that EFL Trophy final between the two teams. Portsmouth have ridden the success winning the cup gave them almost to maximum usage, winning both games since Wembley whereas Sunderland have stumbled, winning just two of their four games after the final.

With the two teams set to meet each other again in two weeks time, it’s likely that the victor of that match will stand the best chance of claiming second place should Barnsley continue to fall behind of Luton Town in the league table, and Portsmouth’s mentality going into that massive game has been nothing but perfect.

The mood around the club is still on a high from the EFL Trophy final that has only grown stronger with each passing league games. The fans and players have the belief that they can go all the way and cause a League One upset by overtaking Barnsley in the table, and with how things are going for Pompey, it’s a possibility.

The EFL Trophy final has caused a domino effect across League One that has seen Sunderland falter and Portsmouth continue to rise, and now there is a genuine chance that Kenny Jackett’s side can do the unthinkable and finish this season in second place.

Portsmouth fans, do Pompey have what it takes to seal second place? Let us know!

The Chalkboard: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to avoid a repeat of the FA Cup defeat to Wolves

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In Manchester United’s last meeting with Wolves, the Red Devils tasted defeat, succumbing to a 2-1 loss at Molineux.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men were excellent on the night, with Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez causing the United backline all sorts of trouble.

What did Solskjaer get wrong?

It may sound strange, but Solskjaer set his team up too high and too attack minded against Wolves last month, which was the beginning of the 20-time Premier League champions’ downfall in the Midlands.

Obviously, for a club as big as United, they are expected to take the game to any team they face and look to pin them back, deploying their centre-backs close to the halfway line and their full-backs deep in the opponent’s final third.

Which “global superstar” has just been named Man Utd’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video above…

This plan would work well against a team such as Burnley for example, a side lacking pace on the break, although against Wolves, it plays perfectly into Nuno’s hands.

With Jota and Adama Traore up top, in addition to Jimenez and his excellent hold-up ability, Wolves are one of the most dangerous counter-attacking teams in the league and have already put a number of the ‘top six’ to the sword this season.

Wolves have beaten Chelsea, Tottenham, United and Liverpool, and have also recorded draws against Arsenal and Manchester City by soaking up the pressure and hitting them on the break – Solskjaer must avoid falling into this trap.

How should he go about it?

Well, as we saw in Wolves’ last game against Burnley, and against a number of other bottom-half sides, they don’t like it when the space in behind is limited.

When teams sit deep, Wolves seem unable to break them down when the ball over the top is completely cut out.

It would be a hugely controversial tactical decision for Solskjaer to set his side up to sit deep and play Wolves at their own game – something they can easily manage with the pace of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Romelu Lukaku – especially if it backfired.

However, that is the trap that most of the Premier League’s top six have fallen into this season when playing Wolves – with a place in the top four yet to be secured, Solskjaer needs to be bold in order to get the three points.

Southampton fans discuss Jordy Clasie’s future on Twitter

[ad_pod ]The Independent reported on Monday that Southampton midfielder Jordy Clasie is unsure of his future after a touchline bust-up with Giovanni van Bronckhorst during his loan spell with Feyenoord, and Saints fans have been quick to discuss what could happen to him on Twitter.The south coast outfit brought the Dutchman to St Mary’s in an £8m deal in the summer of 2015, but he has never really made much of an impact and has spent time away on loan at Club Brugge and now the team he was initially signed from.The 27-year-old may well have been hoping to secure a permanent return to the Netherlands, but that is in doubt following his weekend altercation, as well as the fact that van Bronckhorst will be replaced by Jaap Stam in the summer, as per The Independent.Why should Southampton be more like Dortmund? Find out in the video below…Clasie only has one year remaining on his contract with Southampton, and if they want to recoup any of the money they paid for him four years ago then they will likely need to do it this summer – it appears as though his future lies directly on Ralph Hasenhuttl’s shoulders right now.Saints supporters have been having their say on the Netherlands international via social media, and while one simply believes “he doesn’t want to be at #saintsfc”, another said “I think he’d thrive under Ralph”.Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

كونتي: لوكاكو مثل الماس الصلب.. ولا تجعلوني أتحدث بشكل سيئ عن إريكسن!

أكد أنطونيو كونتي، المدير الفني لفريق إنتر ميلان الإيطالي أن روميلو لوكاكو لاعب مختلف، كما أظهر المدرب استيائه من الأسئلة عن كريستيان إريكسن. 

وفاز إنتر ميلان على جنوى بهدفين دون رد في منافسات الدوري الإيطالي، وتحدث كونتي لشبكة “سكاي سبورت إيطاليا”، عقب اللقاء.

طالع تقرير مباراة إنتر ميلان وجنوى وشاهد الأهداف 

وقال كونتي: “لقد سيطرنا على المباراة منذ البداية، وفي بعض الأحيان تتمكن من اختراق صفوف المنافس مبكرًا، وأحيانًا تستغرق بعض الوقت”.

وأضاف: “ضد بوروسيا مونشنجلادباخ (في دوري الأبطال)، تُظهر الإحصائيات أننا سمحنا بتسديدتين فقط على المرمى وأخرى كانت تمريرة في غير محلها، لم نسمح بالتسديدات على المرمى اليوم وحافظنا على شباكنا نظيفة”.

وأردف: “الفريق يدرك قوته وقد استخدمنا ذلك اليوم للعب بثقة، عندما تتلقى ثلاثة أهداف من ثلاث فرص، فهذا يعني أن الفريق لديه توازن، وهناك فقط بعض الأخطاء”.

وأكمل: “أنت تتحدث عن الأرقام، ولا بد لي من إجراء تحليل أكثر وضوحًا بشأن عدد الفرص التي نسمح بها بالفعل وهذا أكثر أهمية من الأهداف التي تم استقبالها”.

وعن لاعبه باستوني، أشاد كونتي: “باستوني عمل معنا الموسم الماضي، لذا فهو يعرف توقيت الحركات التي نحتاج إلى القيام بها بشكل منهجي، يستغرق الأمر بعض الوقت بالنسبة للقادمين الجدد مثل ألكسندر كولاروف”.

وواصل: “ودعونا لا ننسى، كان لدينا 10 أيام فقط من التدريب قبل الموسم، والعديد من اللاعبين الجدد، وفي الدفاع خاصة أن الأمر يستغرق بعض الوقت لممارسة التحركات”.

وأشاد أيضًا بلوكاكو: “روميلو لاعب مختلف عما كان عليه قبل عام، لطالما قلت في الماضي إنه كان مثل الماس الصلب الذي أردت العمل معه، إنه يعمل ويمكنك أن ترى الطريقة التي يستلم بها الكرة، والطريقة التي يتحرك بها، وكل شيء قد تحسن”.

وبسؤاله عن كريستيان إريكسن، رد كونتي غاضبًا: “أعتقد أنك تركز أكثر من اللازم على قضية إريكسن هذه، لقد كنت تؤكد عليه وتسأل عنه منذ يناير، إنه جزء من الفريق، مثل أي شخص آخر، يلعب إذا كان يستحق ذلك ولن يلعب إذا لم يكن يستحق”.

وأستطرد: “ترى خصائص كريستيان، أحاول الحصول على أفضل ما لديه، لكن لا أحب أن تحاول أن تجعلني أتحدث بشكل سيئ عن إريكسن بدلاً من مدح الآخرين، إنه معنا، هذه ليست مشكلة، لا مفر من أننا بحاجة إلى إيجاد الطريقة الصحيحة للحصول على أفضل النتائج منه”.

وأتم كونتي: “نحتاج أن نعمل معه، إنه يحاول، إنه يبذل كل شيء في وسعه، لكن لا يمكننا الاستمرار في التحليل والتأكيد على كيفية لعب إنتر عندما يكون إريكسن داخل الملعب أو خارجه”.

QPR urge fans to vote on future of Linford Christie Stadium; fans react

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QPR might have been sliding down the Championship standings in recent weeks but the club have major plans to upscale – they intend to move to a new 30,000-seater stadium as part of a big redevelopment.

Loftus Road has been home to the R’s since 1917 but they feel they have outgrown the current surroundings, with ambitions to relocate to the Linford Christie Stadium. They surely feel that the facilities at the third-smallest ground in the Championship are outdated and the stadium is rarely used for anything other than on match days.

QPR CEO Leo Hoos has said:

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

“If the club is to be sustainable we have to move and, as far as we can see, QPR’s involvement in the future of the Linford Christie Stadium is the only option that would keep us in W12 in the medium to long term.”

Therefore, the club are appealing to their fanbase to answer questions on an online consultation published by the Hammersmith and Fulham council.

Here’s what the QPR fans had to say as their beloved club asked for their help in a time of need, with some confused as to why it has taken so long for the move to happen, while others said their focuses should be elsewhere…

Rangers fans get the opportunity to question midfielder Ryan Kent

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Rangers fans had the opportunity to put their questions to midfielder Ryan Kent on Monday evening and not all of them were sensible ones.

The 22-year-old is currently on loan at Ibrox from Liverpool and it’s clear that a large portion of the fan base want him to make his move permanent at the end of the season.

And why not too? Kent has made an impressive 37 appearances in all competitions in his debut campaign in Scottish football, scoring six so far and providing an eye-catching nine assists.

When told that the loanee would be the next to appear in Rangers’ #OnTheSpot series, where supporters get to put questions to first-team players, the bulk of them revolved around the former England youth international’s future.

However, the others ranged from the weird to the wonderful and weren’t short of their fair share of creativity, that’s for sure.

One member of the Gers army comically asked if Kent had let Celtic defender Mikael Lustig out of his back pocket yet, while another asked how he likes his tea and one more went down a more musical route – “If you were a hip hop recording artist what would your rap name be?”

Check out our list of the best questions below…

Bring him back! Rangers fans react to excellent Middleton form

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Loads of Rangers fans have been reacting to yet more brilliance from Glenn Middleton, and they want the youngster back in the first team.

At the beginning of the season, Middleton looked poised for a dramatic breakthrough year, performing admirably in the Gers’ run in the Europa League.

The teenaged winger scored once and assisted once in European competition, and also provided two goals and three assists in Premiership action, per Transfermarkt.

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

His form fell off in December though, and due to the sensational showings of Ryan Kent on that left flank Middleton was demoted back to the reserves side by Steven Gerrard.

He has certainly made no bones about it though, instead making it his goal to dominate the lower quality on offer in reserve games.

The 19 year-old scored both goals as the Gers beat Celtic reserves 2-0 on Sunday, and he now has eight strikes in his last five games.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans can’t wait to see him back in the first team fold…

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