All posts by h79snht.top

The crown jewel of the Scottish football calendar, the Celtic vs Rangers derby is one of the most iconic in world football, always attracting attention from fans around the world. If you thought the previous fixtures this season between the two sides meant a lot, then you haven’t seen anything yet.

This Sunday’s match at Hampden in the Scottish Cup semi-final has more at stake than usual. The Hoops are going for a famous treble of trophies and also an unbeaten domestic season. The Gers are aiming to stop their great rivals from achieving that feat and also to take a first step towards success in the Pedro Caixinha era at Ibrox.

Celtic have won three of the four fixtures so far this season, starting with a 5-1 thumping at Celtic Park. Since then the Gers have gradually fought their way back, first to a 1-0 defeat, then actually scoring against them in a 2-1 defeat at Ibrox before eventually holding them to a draw last month.

Is it Rangers’ time to finally pick up a massive derby victory against Brendan Rodgers’ team?

Celtic are still the favourites but here are three reasons why the Hoops can’t underestimate their city neighbours…

Unbeaten under Caixinha

Since Pedro Caixinha came into the Ibrox hot-seat there has definitely been a lift in optimism surrounding the Light Blues. Initially beating Hamilton before poor draws against Kilmarnock and Motherwell, the Gers are going into the game at Hampden off the back of two consecutive wins over Aberdeen and Partick Thistle.

In fact, their form over the last six matches in the Scottish Premiership is the same as Celtic’s with three wins and three draws each.

The Hoops have taken their foot off the pedal a little since wrapping up the title and although still undefeated, draws against Partick Thistle and Ross County have rung a few alarm bells ahead of the semi-final showdown.

Has the edge come off their game? Can the Gers replicate the draws of both those teams and force the game to the lottery of extra-time and penalties?

The draw at Celtic Park

Without a doubt, Rangers’ draw at Celtic Park will have been a massive confidence boost to the Gers squad who at some points this season must have wondered if they could ever best the Hoops.

It will have shaken the Celtic support a little too. Ultimately the game meant nothing but if the match at Hampden follows the same pattern as March’s fixture then progression to the final may be a little too close for comfort.

A draw across the 90 minutes would be enough to force the fixture into ‘anything can happen’ territory, as we saw last season when a dramatic extra-time culminated in a penalty shoot-out that Rangers fans will never forget.

The thumping of Aberdeen

Perhaps the biggest indicator Rangers are making progress under Pedro Caixinha was their recent thumping of Aberdeen at Pittodrie, a match that Derek McInnes’ side went into as hot favourites.

The Dons dominated most of the match but failed to take their chances and in the closing 20 minutes, the Gers showed a ruthless edge that has been missing for the majority of their season.

If Celtic turn up to Hampden slightly below par then Caixinha’s side could be well placed to rise above expectations again and turn the semi-final into quite the battle. The Light Blues are arguably at their best when they are underdogs and that’s certainly the case this weekend.

The hero of Pittodrie, Kenny Miller, always loves these occasions too and if he’s in the mood this Sunday then, frankly, anything can happen.

A number of Chelsea supporters have urged the club to make a summer swoop for Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe following his impressive performance against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

At just 18 years old, the Frenchman has become a prolific goalscorer for the Ligue 1 club, netting 21 times and providing five assists in 34 appearances in all competitions.

What is even more impressive is that he has managed to scored 12 goals in Ligue 1 and has only started 11 times in the division, with a further 11 appearances coming off the bench.

In Wednesday’s quarter-final first leg, which was rearranged for that day due to bomb explosions hitting Dortmund’s team bus the night before, Mbappe scored twice.

The teenager put in a man-of-the-match display as Monaco nabbed three away goals in a 3-2 triumph at the Westfalenstadion.

As expected, Mbappe has been linked to numerous big clubs, including Arsenal after manager Arsene Wenger likened him to Gunners great Thierry Henry.

After witnessing his performance in Germany, plenty of Chelsea fans believe that they should be making a move for the youngster.

Brighton have achieved promotion to the Premier League with time to spare, allowing Chris Hughton a few extra weeks to consider what his plans will be for the summer transfer window.

And according to The Telegraph, the Seagulls gaffer is already eyeing up one potential target in Liverpool youngster Kevin Stewart – who is currently sidelined through injury but has made 20 first-team appearances since Jurgen Klopp succeeded Brendan Rodgers as Anfield gaffer.

The German is seemingly keen on the industrious midfielder and The Telegraph claim he’s in no rush to sell. But already 23 years of age and having hardly excelled during his nine outings earlier this season, would he be a massive loss to the Merseyside outfit?

It’s claimed Liverpool value the former Tottenham Hotpsur youngster at £10million – a reflection of the £15million fee Bournemouth paid for Jordon Ibe. So, Reds fans, would you sell Stewart to Brighton  for £10million, should the club hold onto him or demand more? Let us know by voting below…

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]

Leeds United fans decided to rub salt into the wound after Fulham were beaten by Reading in the Championship playoff semi-finals.

The Whites failed to secure a spot in the top six in the regular season, and their place was taken by Fulham.

Plenty of Cottagers poked fun at Leeds for missing out on a playoff spot, but now the tables have turned.

Tom Cairney kept Fulham in the tie against Reading by scoring a 65th-minute equaliser in the first leg at Craven Cottage, but nor he nor any of his teammates could find the back of the net on Tuesday night.

Yann Kermorgant’s penalty was the only thing to separate the two sides on the night, and it was enough to send Reading into the playoff final.

As expected, the Leeds following flocked to Twitter to mock their rivals and add to their misery.

Either Jaap Stam’s side, Sheffield Wednesday or Huddersfield Town will join Newcastle United and Brighton in the Premier League.

As reported by The Express, Celtic striker Moussa Dembele remains a player chased by some of the biggest clubs in Europe with Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal and AC Milan all interested in signing him this summer.

What’s the story?

Moussa Dembele has been injured for most of the tail-end to Celtic’s season, but that doesn’t mean his profile has lowered, far from it.

The Express say that the likes of Chelsea still hold an interest in the striker, who is rated at £40m. However Italian giants AC Milan have also joined the fray, perhaps driving his potential transfer fee up even further.

After rebuffing interest from the Blues in January, it seems the Hoops will have deal with strong interest from Serie A this summer.

Plenty of improving to do

Moussa Dembele, who has just secured an unbeaten domestic treble with the Hoops, may have scored 32 goals this season but even the most die hard of Celtic fans would admit is he still not the finished product. Consistency can be a problem for the young Frenchman with a couple of fairly lengthy spells without a goal from open play throughout the season.

Key to his development is regular first team football and it’s perhaps something that Celtic are in a unique position to offer, at UEFA Champions League level.

A move to an elite side like Chelsea or Arsenal too soon could set him back, even if the short term gains financially would be massive.

Dembele has his eye on being one of the greatest strikers in Europe and at 20 years of age, he has plenty time to do that. Right now, Celtic is the best place for him to be.

The Premier League has become dominated by teams whose stars are mostly imports — Tottenham being the exception. While the price of English players skyrockets with the pressing need for home-grown talent, many teams seem to forget the ones already on their books.

Patrick Roberts moved to Manchester City from Fulham for £12.75million in 2015, a rather large fee for an 18-year old playing in the Championship, and has only made one league appearance for the Citizens thus far.

The English winger has spent the past season and a half at Celtic, where his 11 goals and 19 assists this term helped lead the Scottish treble winners to an undefeated league season. Roberts’ form has caught the eye of many Premier League clubs, but he is rumoured to be close to wrapping up a permanent transfer to Celtic.

But what about his current club?

The winger is definitely good enough to play for City and would fill the spot opened up if Nolito returns to Spain. Pep Guardiola has said that he wants to bring youth players into the first team and that he wants to create a City side with English players at the heart, but he seems to believe more in the transfer market than the club’s academy and loan network.

City fans will certainly not complain about signing players like Bernardo Silva, but the frustration regarding the club’s academy continues to mount. If a player like Patrick Roberts doesn’t have a chance to break into the team, especially after a fantastic loan spell, then what is the hope for the club’s other youngsters?

The winger has the potential to become an England international sooner rather than later and is at a stage in his development where playing time is key, so a move to Celtic makes some sense.

There is little doubt, however, that he could be a rotational player at City and to sell him now sends a poor message to English loan players. No matter how good you may perform on loan, your club may still prefer to buy a £40million import than give you a first team opportunity.

WIN! Take our survey below for a chance to win your favourite club’s new 17/18 home or away shirt…

England great Peter Shilton seems to be one football figure who did not balk at the £30m fee being attributed to Everton target Jordan Pickford.

According to the Guardian, Everton have agreed to pay Sunderland’s asking price of £30m, which includes add-ons, for goalkeeper Pickford, who had an impressive campaign despite the Black Cats’ relegation last season.

The publication claims that the 23-year-old shot-stopper underwent a medical on Wednesday after Everton sent representatives to Poland, where the player currently is for England Under-21 duty.

If the transfer goes through, Pickford will become only the third most expensive goalkeeper in history, behind Juventus star Gianluigi Buffon and Manchester City’s new arrival Ederson.

Shilton, who is regarded as one of England’s best ever goalkeepers, believes that Pickford is worth the huge figure.

The Liverpool Echo quotes the ex-Leicester City man as saying:

“This sort of money should be spent on goalkeepers. For someone like Jordan, who is young and has great potential, it does not seem a great fee. In the big scheme of things it is not a lot of money, considering how important the goalkeeping position is. It is second to a striker who scores 20 goals a season. You cannot have a really good side without a good goalkeeper.”

Pickford’s positive form for Sunderland last season saw him shortlisted for the PFA Young Player of the Year award, which was won by Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Alli for a second season running.

The young goalkeeper has played for the Black Cats for his entire career so far, but has been on loan six times since making his first-team debut in 2011.

According to reports in the Daily Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur are in discussions with defender Toby Alderweireld over a new contract and they are optimistic that the Belgian will put pen-to-paper.

The Belgian has been a huge success since joining the north London outfit from Atletico Madrid in 2015, and he has helped Spurs challenge for the Premier League title in consecutive seasons after forming a strong partnership with Jan Vertonghen at the heart of the defence.

Mauricio Pochettino is now keen to tie the 28-year-old down to a new deal, but The Times had reported last month that talks between the two parties had stalled because of a disagreement over an inclusion of a release clause in the contract.

Tottenham supporters were quick to have their say on the update regarding Alderweireld via social media, and they want the Belgium international to commit his future to the club in what some think would be the “most important deal” of the summer.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

According to an exclusive from The Sport Review, Liverpool have placed a £14.9million transfer bid for Lyon’s prodigious defender Emanuel Mammana.

The Reds are expected to bolster their defensive ranks ahead of next season after conceding the second-most goals of any side in the Premier League’s top six last term but have distanced themselves from Southampton’s star centre-back Virgil van Dijk after being accused of tapping him up.

WATCH THE LATEST 442OONS VIDEO BELOW…

Mammana, however, represents an interesting, cheaper and younger – albeit riskier – alternative to the Netherlands international.

Like Van Dijk, the three-cap Argentine’s ability on the ball really stands out, finishing last season with a whopping 91% passing accuracy and also completing one successful dribble almost every two appearances – demonstrating an ability to carry the ball into midfield.

But the 21-year-old is a talented defender as well, weighing in heavily with tackles, interceptions and clearances last term despite only making 16 starts in Ligue 1.

He seems like a good fit for the way Jurgen Klopp wants his side to play, building attacks from the back. So, Liverpool fans, are you backing your club’s swoop for Mammana? Let us know by voting below…

According to reports in the Mail on Sunday, Everton are lining up a £9m move for West Ham United centre-back Winston Reid as they look to find cover for the injured Ramiro Funes Mori.

Although the Toffees have Phil Jagielka, Ashley Williams and new boy Michael Keane as their available centre-halves, Ronald Koeman is looking for a fourth option after Funes Mori picked up a serious injury while playing for Argentina in March.

Everton’s official website confirmed earlier this month that the 26-year-old will be out for six to nine months, meaning he could miss the majority of next season.

Reid himself is currently working back to full fitness himself following a surgery on a shin problem, but the Mail on Sunday says that he is hoping to be ready for the start of the new campaign.

Everton supporters were quick to have their say on the rumour via social media, and they were divided with their opinions.

While some said that they would certainly take the New Zealand international, others don’t believe that they would get him for £9m, or that he would be willing to sit on the substitutes’ bench.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…