The race for Premier League participation is beginning to heat up with the first half of the Championship season (barring the playoffs) now gone.
For the first time this season, Brighton Hove Albion are leading the pack by two points after Newcastle United’s surprise one-nil loss to Sheffield Wednesday. The Seagulls are currently on a 15-game unbeaten run, with Chris Hughton doing a fantastic job so far.
That said, one of the most fascinating stories this term has been the impressive rise of Derby County, who only a few months back were languishing among the bottom sides in the league.
But following the surprising return of former boss Steve McClaren 17 months after being sacked, the Rams suddenly find themselves just one point off the playoffs – albeit still ten away from an automatic promotion slot.
Football FanCast take a look at three reasons why Derby will make it back to the big time for next season.
Steve McClaren
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Derby County started the season with Nigel Pearson in the hot seat. But after a run of just one win in his first nine league games, the former Leicester City boss was relieved of his duties. Steve McClaren was reappointed and tasked with the job of taking the Rams back to the status of old.
So far, the ex-Newcastle manager’s appointment has been a real blessing with the Rams going from strength to strength and taking 25 points from a possible 27 available. He has certainly brought stability and belief back into the side.
They are currently in 7th place, a point behind Sheffield Wednesday in the last play-off spot – an impressive achievement for McClaren, given the fact Derby were languishing in 20th when he took charge.
Home Form
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With the Rams failing to win any of Nigel Pearson’s five home games, losing three and scoring just once, it’s been a magnificent turnaround for Steve McClaren’s side – going on to win six of their last seven home games without conceding a single goal.
The achievement set a new club record of successive home clean sheets for the Rams. The likes of Richard Keogh and Alex Pearce have done a fantastic job so far and their partnership will surely get stronger and stronger with each passing game.
The home fans are happy and in good voice, with most of their praise going the way of the manager for his influence on the side.
Form of Key Players
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One of the reasons behind Derby’s progress so far has been the consistent form of key players.
The likes of Will Hughes and club record signing Bradley Johnson have impressed but Tom Ince has been the real star of the show with eight goals and three assists.
Johnson has also been impressive for the Rams, with a performance against former club Norwich his highlight so far. The 29-year-old scored the only goal in Derby’s one-nil win.
The balance in the squad looks fantastic at the moment and Steve McClaren will hope his players can use their quality to gain Premier League promotion come the end of the season.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has warned Barcelona that the club will not consider allowing their star player to join the Spanish giants, reports The Mirror.
What’s the latest?
Coutinho has arguably become Liverpool’s best player over the last few seasons, and with that, comes transfer speculation.
The Brazilian was in scintillating form this season, scoring six goals and providing five assists in all competitions before he was struck down with an ankle injury.
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The 24-year-old has been out of action for the past six weeks, but could make his return on Wednesday night in the first leg of Liverpool’s EFL Cup semi-final against Southampton at St Mary’s.
Throughout the season, Coutinho has been linked with a switch to Barcelona, but Klopp has insisted that the playmaker is not for sale. The German coach is quoted by The Mirror as saying:
“We never had any ideas or plans or any talks about him leaving, because he is our player – there are no other ideas, nothing has changed.
“Big clubs don’t think in this way unfortunately. It was not a big injury so there was no question of him not being the same player afterwards.
“It would be nice if big clubs forgot about a player completely because he’s been injured for five or six weeks. I’m not sure it’s like this though, but he is our player and that is it.”
Do Liverpool need to keep Coutinho?
In a word, yes. Not only that, they must do everything possible to make sure that the Brazilian is not lured away by the Catalan giants.
Liverpool had a similar problem a few years ago when Luis Suarez hit world-class form at Anfield, which prompted Barca to come calling.
The Reds managed to keep the Uruguayan for one more season before he left for Spain in the summer of 2014 to become one of Barcelona’s key attackers alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Arguably, Liverpool have the best attacking force seen at Anfield since Suarez graced the pitch, and with Klopp at the helm, the club are genuine title contenders.
To lose a player of Coutinho’s calibre would affect the Reds’ ability to challenge for future silverware, but the problem faced by Liverpool is that generally foreign stars, particularly those from South America, hold an ambition to play for Spain’s big two – Barcelona or Real Madrid.
At the moment, Coutinho seems content with life on Merseyside, but if the Reds crumble in their title bid or fail to finish in the top four this season, expect plenty of speculation over the playmaker’s future.
Manchester United are back on top in the financial stakes for the first time in 11 years, reveals theÂDeloitte Football Money League.The Premier League giants have overtaken Spanish heavyweights Barcelona and Real Madrid in the list after making a record revenue of £515.3m in the 2015-16 season.Twenty-four-time La Liga winners Barcelona and 11-time European champions Real Madrid both raked in £463.8m last season.Los Blancos held the top spot of the rich list for more than a decade, but they fall to third, with United moving ahead following a string of commercial deals.[ad_pod id=’now-tv’ align=’centre’]Sky SportsÂclaim that Deloitte calculates the figures by taking into account what each club makes through ticket and matchday sales, as well as broadcast rights and commercial partnerships.
Jose Mourinho’s side may be leading the way at the moment, but Dan Jones – partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte – expects the Red Devils to fall next year due to the club missing out on the financial benefits of competing in the Champions League, as well as the negative effects of Brexit.ÂHe said:
“[United will] face strong competition from FC Barcelona and Real Madrid to retain the top spot in next year’s edition, due to the lack of Champions League football, the weakening of the pound against the Euro and, over the longer term, as other clubs enter the commercial market demanding similar deals, using United as the precedent.”
Meanwhile, United’s Premier League rivals Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool all make the top 10, sitting fifth, seventh, eighth and ninth respectively.
Manchester City built upon their fine FA Cup win away to Crystal Palace last week with another excellent performance and result against West Ham United on Wednesday night at the London Stadium.It was a vital victory given that the teams above them all dropped points on Tuesday. The 4-0 victory is a massive boost to their chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next season.Goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus and David Silva put the Citizens well in control of the fixture before legendary midfielder Yaya Toure capped it all off with a penalty.The Ivorian midfielder is finally getting back to his best form for City and has now scored four goals in his last eight appearances.As this stat from Squawka shows, goalscoring is something he has done consistently in his time at the Etihad Stadium.
No other midfielder in the entire league has scored more since he moved to the club from from Barcelona in 2010. It’s an incredible contribution and highlights just how important he’s been to the club over the last seven years.
Can he now capture the best of his form and proper Guardiola’s side into the top 4? We wouldn’t bet against it.
What goes up, must come down – an old adage Leicester City fans are learning the hard way this season.
Although most Foxes supporters would more than happily accept the woes of the current campaign as a trade-off for the purely miraculous title-winning heroics of 2015/16, none will be exactly pleased to see their side plummet out of the Premier League – becoming the first reigning top flight champions to do so since Manchester City in the 1930s.
Indeed, the East Midlands outfit now find themselves just one place and one point above the relegation zone and after remaining fiercely loyal to his title winners for the vast majority of the season, a 2-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Swansea City last weekend forced manager Claudio Ranieri to admit changes now appear essential in the bid for survival.
But which Leicester heroes have become the biggest zeroes? Who’s still resting on last season’s laurels? Who’s no longer fit for purpose? Or, to put it another way, which Leicester title winners should Ranieri drop to turn his side’s form around?
We posed that exact question to Foxes supporters earlier this week in our exclusive poll – here’s a look at who made the top three.
3. Riyad Mahrez
As the most potent attacking influence in the Leicester starting XI last season, Riyad Mahrez’s failure to replicate his PFA Player of the Year winning form of 2015/16 has inevitably drawn criticism throughout the campaign. Unquestionably talented, the Algerian international just isn’t producing at the moment, without a goal since November and managing just three in the Premier League so far this season. Some claim Mahrez was a one-season wonder, others that his head was turned during the summer. Either way, he’s run out of chances with the Foxes faithful.
2. Robert Huth
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His heavy-handed approach at set pieces was instrumental in Leicester’s efforts last season, giving them a gritty reputation at corners and free kicks that benefited them hugely at both ends of the pitch. But Robert Huth walked into 2016/17 discovering a clampdown on such practices and the rest of his form has suffered as well, although losing the protection of N’Golo Kante just in front has also been a huge factor. Rather than superhuman, warrior-like performances, however, Huth is starting to show his age – the 32-year-old just isn’t up to speed and was absolutely ripped apart by Henrikh Mkhitaryan a few weekends ago.
1. Wes Morgan
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Well, you certainly wouldn’t have expected this at the same stage last season – Leicester fans voting for their captain since 2012, who went on to lift the Premier League trophy last summer, to be dropped from Ranieri’s starting XI. Much like centre-back partner Huth, however, Morgan’s inevitably failed to reproduce those man-possessed performances from last season and just hasn’t been able to keep up with the pace this term. Still clearly an important figure in the dressing room and throughout the club’s recent history, but with Leicester’s Premier League status in the balance, it appears the Foxes fans don’t have much time for sentiment.
As reported by Spanish outlet SPORT, Jose Mourinho is making big moves in his effort to sign Barcelona superstar Neymar this summer.
What’s the story?
All things going well this term, Manchester United could have UEFA Champions League football to look forward to next season. In order to be competitive again at that level Jose Mourinho will be in the market for some seriously quality reinforcements this summer.
SPORT say that one of the names on his radar is Neymar, and his interest is so great that he’s been phoning the Brazilian in order to convince him that his future lies at Old Trafford.
Citing sources close to Mourinho, the report says that the United boss reckons he’s the missing piece of his attacking puzzle.
What impact would he have?
With 95 goals in 172 Barcelona appearances, Neymar has proven himself to be one of the world’s best players at Barca over the last few years.
That’s a goal return that United would be mad to pass up if the opportunity to sign him arose. He provides assists too, notching up a massive 14 this season alone.
That’s the kind of form that can take a club to the next level and if Manchester United are genuinely in the market to buy him then it could usher in a new era of success at the club.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman warned striker Romelu Lukaku that he must honour his contract with the club on Thursday after the Belgian told the Toffees hierarchy that he wouldn’t be signing the new deal that is on the table.
It was a comment that was quick to be picked upon by fans of Koeman’s former team Southampton, who were quick to remind the Dutchman of what happened less than a year ago.
The 53-year-old reiterated time and time again during his stay at St Mary’s that he would see out his three-year contract with the club, but after being unhappy with the new deal that he was offered, he jumped ship to Everton a year early on a huge salary.
Supporters of the south coast outfit won’t forget that situation in a hurry, and many couldn’t believe what they were
reading from their former boss on Thursday when talking about the situation regarding Lukaku and his future.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter responses from Saints fans…
Leeds United fans have called on owner Andrea Radrizzani to purchase Elland Road after he described the stadium as the club’s “glorious home” on Twitter.
In January, the Italian businessman bought a 50% share in the Championship club, and plenty of the fans have the stadium issue at the top of their agenda.
Thirteen years ago when the Whites were in trouble financially, the club sold the ground for £8m, as well as numerous players in order to ease the strain.
A 25-year lease was agreed on the stadium, and to this day, the Championship outfit are still renting the structure.
When Massimo Cellino had majority control of the club, he claimed in 2014 that he intended to buy the stadium, but it never materialised.
Now that a new figure is in charge, the fans have been begging him to get the deal in motion, particularly now that the club have a strong chance of earning promotion to the Premier League.
Sky Sports pundit Phil Neville says Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has “carried” the team this season after he scored one and assisted another in their 3-0 win against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
The 35-year-old has now netted 17 Premier League goals this term and they have helped his side stay just four points behind fourth-placed Manchester City as they look to qualify for the Champions League.
His opener was typically brilliant as he held off Billy Jones on the edge of the penalty area, before swivelling and sending a curling effort into the far corner past the outstretched arms of Jordan Pickford.
Ibrahimovic then assisted substitute Marcus Rashford late on with a well-timed pass, and he has impressed former Red Devils star Neville.
Following the victory, he told Sky Sports: “He has carried them, he really has.
“The goals he has scored, his attitude on the pitch. Jose keeps rotating the team, but he never rotates Zlatan, who plays in every single minute of every single game.
“They will need him to keep scoring goals from now until the end of the season.”
The Swede has already influenced Jose Mourinho’s men to EFL Cup success after scoring twice in the final against Southampton in February, and he will be looking to help them progress to the next stage of the Europa League when they face Anderlecht in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
Saturday is the game that could make or break Tottenham’s season.
Chelsea’s two recent slip-ups against Crystal Palace and Manchester United in the Premier League have blown the title race wide open, and Mauricio Pochettino’s side now sit a mere four points behind the league leaders with five games to go.
While Saturday’s fixture bares no influence directly on the league standings, the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley could prove to be the game that decides the location of the Premier League title.
The pendulum of momentum would surely swing in the direction of whoever comes out on top at the weekend, and Tottenham will be desperate to ensure it comes their way having won the last seven league games on the bounce.
An FA Cup final and the edge over the league leaders going into the final five games of the season? Any Spurs fan would have taken that in a heartbeat at the start of the season.
The Lilywhites will surely want to be at their best for the crucial clash this weekend, so here is how they are likely to line-up against the Blues…
GK – Hugo Lloris
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No other option. The Frenchman has been omnipresent between the sticks for Spurs this season. In the 28 Premier League games he has started and finished, Lloris has kept 13 clean sheets and been on the losing side just three times. While Michel Vorm has been the go to man for the FA Cup this season, Pochettino will look to the Frenchman for the big occasion.
RB – Kieren Trippier
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It is bemusing that Kieren Trippier does not start ahead of Kyle Walker. The little Englishman has been fantastic when called upon this season, providing a potent attacking threat down the threat just as Walker does but offering a higher degree of defensive stability to boot.
Trippier has only two less assists than Walker this season in under a quarter of the amount of starts. He has also started every FA Cup game this season, so fair is fair.
CB – Toby Alderweireld
The Belgian defender has again been formidable this season, and his partnership with fellow countryman Jan Vertonghen has blossomed into arguably the best defensive partnership in the Premier League.
Left out of the PFA Team of the Year, the 28-year-old is right to feel hard done by.
CB – Jan Vertonghen
Again, Vertonghen’s partnership with Toby Alderweireld has been one of the big reasons Tottenham find themselves in the position they are this season. All good teams are built upon the foundation of a good defence, and Spurs have just that with the Belgian duo at the heart of their back four.
LB – Ben Davies
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The absence of the excellent Danny Rose through injury since the middle of January has meant Welshman Ben Davies has had a good chunk of first team action for the first time in a while at White Hart Lane.
Davie’s performances, however, have not lived up to that of his team-mates and has struggled to make his mark. With Rose still out injured, a big performance against the Blues on Saturday could turn his season around.
CM – Victor Wanyama
An excellent addition to the Spurs squad over the summer, Wanyama has fulfilled the role of holding midfielder brilliantly and has looked like the man Tottenham were missing for much of last season.
Strong in the tackle and composed on the ball, the Kenyan is a master of breaking up the play and keeping the ball in possession.
CM – Moussa Dembele
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Moussa Dembele is without doubt the most criminally under-rated player in the top flight. Everton midfielder and England international Ross Barkley recently heaped praise upon the Belgian, saying he is ‘the toughest opponent he has ever faced.’
Dembele dictates play in a manner so elegant and fluent, he too often does not receive the praise he so deserves.
CAM – Christian Eriksen
Christian Eriksen has without a doubt had his best season in a Spurs shirt. The midfield maestro has added a much needed cutting edge to his already impressive play, amounting an astonishing 14 assists and 11 goals in all competitions for Spurs this season. One more goal will equal his best ever total of 2014/15 having played 15 less games.
CAM – Son Heung-min
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What a second half of the season the Korean has had. Son started the season brightly but had a slight dip in form over the Christmas period where he was struggling to find the net as regularly as he had been.
The versatile attacker has come into his own since the turn of the year and has now registered 19 goals in all competitions for the Lilywhites.
CAM – Dele Alli
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A real candidate for the PFA Young Player of the Year award, Alli is a true talent of world football and the best young player England has produced since Wayne Rooney.
Nearly every club in the worldwill be vying for his services over the summer with him having netted 20 times already this season. He single handedly dismantled Chelsea just after the new year when he scored two fantastic headers to give Spurs a 2-0 victory.
Another display like that at the weekend and Chelsea will be in trouble.
ST – Harry Kane
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Touted as a ‘one season wonder’, Harry Kane has defied all his critics by joining an elite league of players to score 20 or more goals in three consecutive Premier League seasons. The only other three in that heralded category are Alan Shearer, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Thierry Henry. Not bad company to be in.