It’s fair to say that Manchester United have been brilliant over the last few months but they need to continue that form in order to cement a top-four spot this season. Frankly, there’s nothing like a good winger to come in and light up Old Trafford, is there? 

To say it has been a rollercoaster ride for all involved with the club this season would be an understatement and, considering at one point under Jose Mourinho they were ready to write the season off completely, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has done well to restore the faith around Old Trafford.

It hasn’t been easy to do but with a number of massive victories and superb turnaround’s, the team are now looking to consider themselves as one of the best in England, once again.

With the hope for this season being that they can get into the top four and qualify for the Champions League, Man United must also consider what they will do in the summer in a bid to improve next season.

Another winger would be a sensible move but links with Jadon Sancho and Callum Hudson-Odoi should be ignored. Surely, either one of those two would be ludicrously expensive and United need to focus on a number of positions, so focusing on a previously reported target (from TMW via talkSPORT) makes so much more sense.

Indeed, Leon Bailey would definitely be an inspired choice.

Bailey, (who is valued at £31.5 million on Transfermarkt) is a winger with exceptional quality that is hoping to progress into being one of the world’s best.

At the age of 21, Bailey has the world at his feet and his footballing ability is one of the highest quality.

He was described as a “real weapon” by former Bayer Leverkusen manager Heiko Herrlich (as per i News), so it’s clear to see that he’s very highly-rated in the final third and could pose a real threat in England.

The youngster has again been impressive in-front of goal this season, scoring five times whilst setting-up a further five goals as well. For his constant efforts to be effective in-front of goal, Manchester United would probably be one of many interested teams who look at Leon Bailey as a genuine option for their team going forward.

With options ranging from Rashford to Martial, Sanchez to Bailey, United will be blessed with some of the most influential wingers around. So good, even Romelu Lukaku would struggle not to score.

We joke, of course, but just imagine that front line…

Do you agree that Leon Bailey could make a difference at Old Trafford… Let us know!

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Andy Carroll is to leave West Ham on a free transfer after his season was ended with injury according to The Chronicle, and Toon fans have reacted to the news.

Carroll who is now 30, has had a career plighted by injury and it is thought he is considering a fresh start in the MLS.

The former Liverpool man could however, end up staying in East London because the Hammers have an option to extend his contract by two years.

The Geordie, who left Newcastle for a club-record £35 million in 2011 has consistently been linked with a return to Tyneside, which has often caused mixed reaction within the Newcastle fan-base.

He has made 102 appearances for West Ham scoring 26 goals since he signed permanently for the club back in June 2013.

His record for the Magpies was better making 80 appearances and scoring 31 goals, but some Toon fans certainly do not want him back at the club if the thoughts of the following fans are anything to go by.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans on Twitter are ecstatic after a club announcement was made regarding their first game at the New White Hart Lane against Crystal Palace on Wednesday 3 April.

Spurs supporters learned that the historic match will kick off at 7:45pm and be preceded by an Opening Ceremony that will take place around 30 minutes before the London derby gets underway.

The news increased an already high excitement level among the fan-base about the new stadium, which will be tested out for the first time by an U18 Premier League clash and Tottenham Legends encounter later in March.

It came after the club revealed on Monday the Eagles would be the first visitors to the site nine months after it was originally scheduled to open in September 2018.

Some fans simply replied to the announcement with a “can’t wait” comment, while others used GIFs to display their unbridled joy at the “beautiful news.”

Here’s our list of the most delight-filled reactions from Lilywhites on Twitter…

The West Brom manager search seems no closer to being resolved than it did last week, and is becoming a fiasco that smacks of poor foresight and hasty decisions by chief executive Mark Jenkins.

We have said on more than one occasion, that sacking a manager at this late stage of a season — in which your club is still in touching distance of the Premier League — with no plan B is baffling.

Slavisa Jokanovic and Alex Neil are the two names that have been bandied around in most circles, with caretaker boss James Shan being considered as an interim appointment until the summer.

But a new name was mentioned by a handful of fans yesterday, and if they could lure him to the club, he could be the right person to take the Baggies forward.

Graham Potter was appointed as manager at Swansea City last summer, having been in charge at Swedish side Östersunds FK for seven years prior to that, and has done a steady job at the Welsh club.

When Swansea were relegated from the Premier League, most of their first team squad left, or were released, in a bid to manage the budget for a spell in the Championship, and the job Potter has done, under difficult circumstances, is better than it would appear on paper.

With a raft of incoming signings being from the bargain basement, he has built a squad aimed at consolidating their position, and he has succeeded in that, with relegation not looking likely.

His side pushed star-studded Manchester City to the limits in their recent FA Cup quarter-final, losing only to a dubious penalty and a missed offside decision.

With a growing reputation in England, it would be an intriguing appointment by West Brom, and it would be interesting to see how he would do with a bigger budget to work with.

As a player, Potter had something of a journeyman’s career, which included a spell at the Hawthorns, and being just 43-years-old he has the potential to become a long-term appointment — something that Albion fans are desperate to see, with the chopping and changing in recent seasons not helping anyone.

We think that Potter would be an inspired choice for West Brom, and although his name has not been mentioned in the local media outlets, clearly Baggies fans have their heads screwed on, and know what they want.

What do you think about the West Brom manager situation? Do you think someone like Graham Potter has all the attributes to take your club forward in years to come? Let us know below…

أكد محمود فتح الله المدرب العام بالجهاز الفني لفريق الكرة الأول بنادي بيراميدز، جاهزية اللاعبين لمواجهة حوريا كوناكري الغيني في نصف نهائي بطولة الكونفدرالية.

ويستعد بيراميدز لمواجهة حوريا كوناكري في موقعة من مباراة واحدة، لحسم بطاقة الصعود لنهائي البطولة القارية ومواجهة نهضة بركان المغربي.

طالع | كاف يعلن حكم مباراة بيراميدز وحوريا الغيني في نصف نهائي كأس الكونفدرالية

وقال فتح الله في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “أون تايم سبورتس”: “كل الأمور تسير على ما يرام، واللاعبين في حالة تركيز حتى نعود من المغرب بالكأس”.

وأضاف: “عبد الله السعيد وباقي اللاعبين جاهزين، وهذه من المرات القليلة التي يشهد الفريق تواجد الجميع”.

وأردف: “عبد الله السعيد ونبيل عماد دونجا تعرضا لكدمة طفيفة، وجاهزان وباقي اللاعبين أيضًا”.

وواصل: “فريق حوريا جيد ولديه لاعبين محترمين، ونحن من بداية البطولة هدفنا التتويج”.

وأتم: “نحاول حل أزمة الإجهاد البدني بسبب ضغط المباريات الفترة الماضية، ولكن نمتلك لاعبين رجال يشعرون بالمسؤولية، وهذا شئ يجعلنا مطمئنين كجهاز فني ومسؤولين”.

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Manchester City crashed out of the Champions League despite beating Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night, but it could have all been so different had manager Pep Guardiola brought Leroy Sane on to the pitch earlier.

The hosts had the result they needed to advance when Sergio Aguero made it 4-2 on the night with just over half-an-hour to play, but it was at that point that the Spanish boss made a mistake.

Instead of trying to go for the goal that would have put the tie out of sight, he instead brought on Fernandinho for David Silva four minutes later.

You can understand his thinking in many ways to try and bring some calm to what was a completely crazy encounter, and he perhaps could have got away with it as long as he brought Sane on to the pitch shortly afterwards.

Instead, they were pegged back on aggregate when Fernando Llorente in the 73rd minute, but even then Guardiola waited another 11 minutes before bringing the Germany international on for Benjamin Mendy.

Are Man City better than Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’? Fans discuss in the video below…

The 23-year-old had little time to make an impact and get at what was a tired Tottenham backline, and the night was to end in disappointment for the Cityzens when Raheem Sterling’s last-gasp goal was ruled out by VAR.

While he deserves so many plaudits for the impact he has made during his time on the blue side of Manchester, the former Barcelona boss cost his side here by being too negative.

Had he introduced Sane 15 minutes earlier it would have given Mauricio Pochettino’s men an extra attacking threat to deal with, and that would have been vital to their tie and seen them progress to a semi-final shoot-out with Ajax.

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Watford are a side with a stark history of staging dramatic comebacks to triumph in the face of adversity, but even the most optimistic of fans would have been struggling to see a way back for their side at 2-0 down on Sunday.

Wolves were largely fancied by the British media in the pre-match buildup, with their convincing giant-killing of Manchester United in the quarter-final lending reason to believe that a place in the final was beckoning.

But the impact of Gerard Deulofeu from the substitutes bench saw the Hornets stage a historic comeback at Wembley to book their place in the final against Manchester City next month.

The diminutive Spaniard dominated the post-match headlines after scoring a sensational goal to half the deficit before landing the decisive knockout blow in extra-time.

It was the type of cameo performance which naturally evokes interest from journalists and pundits worldwide and, with that in mind, Football FanCast have rounded up a selection of the reaction to the 25-year-old’s deadly impact on the big stage…

Simon Burnton – The Guardian

Simon Burnton of The Guardian drew comparisons with Deulofeu’s first strike of the game and the subtle yet exquisitely intricate motion of a spin bowler.

Just like fans of Australian cricket ritually re-watch videos of bamboozling Shane Warne googlies, Deulofeu’s strike will be replayed by nostalgic Watford fans for decades to come – bowling Gerard!

‘Deulofeu’s first goal, 13 minutes after coming on, was an act of defiance and a thing of beauty, the Spaniard collecting the ball in the area after Romain Saïss headed down a José Holebas long throw, looking up, assessing his options, deciding none of them amounted to much and then flicking his ankle like a cricketing spinner turns his wrist to impart dip and curl on the ball and transform a situation from which little seemed possible into a large stride towards glory.’

Ron Walker – Sky Sports

Sky Sports’ Ron Walker raised a valid point regarding a facet of Deulofeu’s performance which slightly went under the radar within the media storm surrounding his goal scoring exploits.

The former Barcelona prodigy was not only scintillating in the final-third but also a solid defensive pawn.

His devilish charisma in the attacking phase was supplemented with a tireless work-rate and desire to preserve Watford’s defensive shape.

‘The winning goal was meat and drink compared to that strike and while it is unfortunate the substitute had to return to the bench after injuring himself towards the end of extra-time, it summed up his short afternoon that he was hurt tracking back to cut out Ruben Vinagre’s run.’

Phil McNulty – BBC Sport

BBC’s chief football writer, Phil McNulty, left readers with no uncertainty in how highly he regarded the game-changing impact provided by Deulofeu.

The player who once played alongside Lionel Messi in Catalonia was afforded praise of the highest esteem.

McNulty suggested the world’s most gifted footballer of all time would have been watching on with fond admiration when the ball was caressed into John Ruddy’s goal.

‘This maverick 25-year-old, a player of undoubted talent but unfulfilled potential at Barcelona, Everton, Sevilla and AC Milan, chose what looked like Watford’s losing cause to produce a cameo performance as substitute that will write his name into Vicarage Road folklore.

‘Lionel Messi would have appreciated the stroke of genius from his former Nou Camp team-mate that put Watford back in the game after 79 minutes, an astonishing instinctive flick from the angle of the penalty area that sent the ball arcing over Wolves keeper John Ruddy into the top corner.’

The Verdict

The genius behind Deulofeu’s display lay within Gracia’s pre-match decision to omit him from the starting XI. It takes genuine cojones (credit Troy Deeney) to drop a player of his calibre for a high-magnitude fixture, but it was one which ultimately gave Watford’s match-winner the motivation to do something truly special on the big stage.

Not only was this an act of defiance against Wolves’ dream of reaching the final of the FA Cup, this was a rebellion against Gracia’s selection; a reminder to his manager that for however cold he might blow on a Tuesday night against Fulham he can equally blow hot on a Sunday afternoon at the home of English football.

It has been quite a decade for John Stones’ career.

From representing Barnsley in the Championship to starting a World Cup semi-final for his country in 2018, the defender’s rise to prominence has been nothing short of spectacular.

The England international was signed as a child by the Tykes in 2001 and became one of the club’s stand-out players in the youth system as he climbed through the ranks at Oakwell. After signing his first contract at Barnsley, Stones made his first senior appearance aged just 18 in a 4-0 home defeat against Reading before making an instant impact in his full-debut for the club in a League Cup tie the following season. With Barnsley facing Rochdale, he headed in an equaliser for his hometown-club and helped them prevail in extra time, avoiding what would have a shock upset in the competition.

His good performances in the cup competitions for the Tykes allowed Stones to establish himself as a key player for the Tykes during the first-half of the 2012/13 campaign as he made 26 appearances, catching the eye of then-Everton boss David Moyes. Having been impressed by the defender’s performances in the Championship, the Scotsman decided to sign him for the Toffees in January 2013.

After several months spent watching from the sidelines at Goodison Park, Stones was finally given the opportunity to play regularly in the 2013/14 season by Moyes’ replacement Roberto Martinez who encouraged him to develop his ball-playing skills. Three successful years saw the former Barnsley man grow into a promising young central defender at Everton as he made 95 appearances for the club in all competitions.

However, despite the Toffees’ historical stature, Stones knew that in order to achieve modern day success, he needed to move on and so when Manchester City came calling, he made his choice to leave. Thanks to a £47.5m deal being agreed between the two Premier League clubs, Barnsley received a healthy sum of £6.79m (according to the Guardian) due to their agreement to include a 15% sell-on clause when they sold him to Everton.

Since joining City, Stones’ career has gone from strength to strength as he was won three major trophies with the club including a record-breaking Premier League triumph last season. On an individual note, the 24-year-old has developed into one of England’s best defenders under the guidance of the masterful Pep Guardiola.

Now a mainstay for his country when fit, Stones scored twice in last year’s World Cup and played an integral role in helping his country reach the semi-final of the competitions, their best result in a major competition in 22 years.

With City now fighting to complete an historic quadruple, the defender could be on course to be remembered as being a key cog in one of football’s all-time greatest sides.

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According to Football Insider, Leeds United will hold contract talks with star midfielder Kalvin Phillips at the end of the season, and convincing him to sign a new and improved extension would be their most important deal of the summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 23-year-old’s current contract at Elland Road is due to expire at the conclusion of the 2020/2021 campaign, and while discussions between the two parties were underway at the beginning of the season, Football Insider say they were put on the backburner at the beginning of 2019.

Now the same source reveals that the Yorkshire outfit will wait until May at the very earliest to try and tie one of their key players down, with Premier League clubs beginning to circle.

The Whites may be waiting to see which division they find themselves in before making their offer, and that is probably a sensible decision given the Championship situation they currently find themselves in.

Best deal of the summer

Whether Leeds go up or remain in England’s second tier, ensuring Phillips commits his future to them will be their most important achievement in the close season.

The 23-year-old has come on leaps and bounds under the leadership of Marcelo Bielsa, and is absolutely perfect for the defensive midfield role in a side managed by the Argentine.

As well as that, the midfielder is also capable of filling in well at centre-back too, and has generally been such a vital cog for the promotion hopefuls in his 34 Championship outings so far this term.

When he has been absent in midfield – whether he has been in the backline or unavailable – the Yorkshire club haven’t looked the same, and in that respect Phillips is a crucial player they can’t afford to risk losing.

Midfield creativity has been a continuous issue that Liverpool have struggled to solve ever since the departure of Philippe Coutinho in January 2018.

The arrival of Naby Keita last summer promised so much yet has delivered so little whilst the prolonged absences of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Adam Lallana due to injury have not helped whatsoever.

Yet despite just nine of the Reds’ 84 goals coming from midfielders, the club still find themselves in a great position to win the Premier League this season whilst they will also fancy their chances of reaching a second consecutive Champions League final in May.

Such is the strength of both their vibrant forward line and their domineering defence, Liverpool may still achieve one of their two goals at the end of the campaign but to guarantee longevity in success, they must sign a creative talent.

According to Italian website tuttomercatoweb, the Reds could be about to swoop for Juventus play-maker Paulo Dybala in the summer. An undeniably talented player, many supporters may see the Argentine as the perfect signing for Jurgen Klopp’s style of football.

However, when you look at his stats for the current season, Dybala may not be the saviour that Liverpool need to cure their midfield problems. Having only scored four goals in Serie A during the 2018/19 campaign, the former Palermo star is on course for his worst return in six years whilst his record of six assists is far from impressive.

Although his presence in the Argentina national team has been sporadic to say least, when he has been given the chance to represent his country he quite simply hasn’t delivered, scoring just one in eighteen appearances.

Furthermore, having spent the vast majority of his career in Italy, Dybala may suffer from the same issues that his compatriot Angel Di Maria had to deal with when playing in England. The winger’s big money move to Manchester United from Real Madrid was a failure from start to finish as he failed to adapt to the pace and power of the Premier League. In a dismal campaign, Di Maria scored just four goals in 32 appearances before being sold to PSG a year after joining the Red Devils in 2015.

If Liverpool are to convince Dybala to move to Anfield, they will more than likely have to pay a fee which could break the British transfer record, especially when you consider the player’s glowing Serie A reputation. This therefore would undoubtedly be a huge risk for Klopp to take as if it backfires, it would cause the German a great deal of embarrassment and maybe alter the club’s transfer policy in the future.

What do you think Liverpool fans? Should your club sign Dybala in the summer? Or should Klopp look elsewhere for a creative midfielder? Let us know below.