It seems that someone may have been eavesdropping on our conversation in the Tavern earlier, as just hours after suggesting that Newcastle United should cut their losses and recall Elias Sørensen from his disastrous loan spell at Blackpool, news has filtered through that the club have, this afternoon, done just that.
The Newcastle United official website confirmed that besides Sørensen, Jamie Sterry and Cal Roberts have also returned early from Crewe Alexandra and Colchester United respectively.
The short statement was posted on the website a short while ago, and advises that all three will be available to play for Ben Dawson’s U-23 side in the Premier League Cup game at Reading on Friday.
All three players were loaned out with a stipulation that they would receive a fair amount of playing time, but with Sørensen managing just 32 minutes on the pitch at Blackpool, along with Sterry making just one appearance at Crewe and Roberts achieving a meagre 3 as a substitute at Colchester, these requirements have simply not been met.
We think it is in the players’ best interests to be brought home, and it will remain to be seen whether any of them are offered to a National League side for some competitive playing time.
But there is no doubt that they are better off learning their trade on the pitch for the Magpies’ second string side that sitting on the sidelines elsewhere.
We also wonder why lower league clubs bring in young players on loan if they are just going to leave them twiddling their thumbs? Perhaps it is time for a revamp of the loan system with so many of them happening nowadays.
Are Newcastle right to recall their youngsters? Would you be reluctant to send as many young players out in future? Let us know what you think…
Matt Doherty’s 93rd-minute equaliser on the road at Shrewsbury sealed Wolves a draw on Saturday afternoon and put a cap on the thrilling FA Cup Fourth Round tie. It also set up a replay that Wolves simply don’t need.
Down 2-0 after 71 minutes against an opponent they never should have trailed to, Wolves clawed their way back with goals from the Raul Jimenez and later Doherty that kept their contention in the competition alive. For a side that’s shown resilience and a knack of fighting back into matches all season long, it was just another example of what Nuno Espirito Santo and his squad are capable of.
As impressive as Wolves’ comeback at New Meadow was though, and the importance the draw holds for keeping them in the domestic competition, it’s now put them in a compromising spot in the Premier League.
Headed into Tuesday’s meeting with West Ham at Molineux, Wolves are still in contention for Europa League qualification, assuming it will once again be lowered to seventh place. Behind Wolves though is a pack of clubs from 9th to 12th – Leicester, West Ham, Everton and Bournemouth – separated by just two points and poised to make the race for seventh as riveting as the title chase and relegation battle.
In the middle of the table from here on out, every point and every match will matter, and it’s why Wolves’ replay with Shrewsbury is a massive disadvantage for the side from the west Midlands.
The FA Cup replay is set to be played on February 5th, right in the middle of a four-match league stretch in which Wolves play three teams trailing them by a maximum of two points. Home for West Ham and away for Everton and Bournemouth over the next four top-flight match days, Wolves are set to jump into what might be their most important run of the season.
It’s a stretch that could catapult them upward or send the season into a spiral, and they’ll now be forced to run through it with the added challenge of an FA Cup match stuck in there as well.
When Wolves reach the replay on February 5th, it will be their third match in eight days. If they win and reach the Fifth Round, they’ll advance to play again midway through the month before what will likely be a crucial match in the seventh-place race at the Vitality Stadium. The road ahead for Wolves is not a pretty one.
Wolves’ upcoming stretch will be rigorous but not unprecedented; they very well may make it through unscathed. But Wolves have simply made things harder for themselves, and if they stumble in the league over the next month, they’ll regret Saturday’s draw and the subsequent replay that comes with it.
Well, it would be fair to say not too many Everton fans loved what they saw from Djibril Sidibe during Sunday’s Premier League clash with Arsenal.
According to WhoScored, the defender actually made five tackles and won two aerial duels, whilst his pass success rate was at 84%.
Did he play for Everton? Simple question but a lot tougher than you think…
Sidibe failed to get close to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for Arsenal’s third of the afternoon, though, and his performance has been slammed by a number of Everton supporters on social media.
Others have gone a step further and claimed that they do not want their club to pursue a permanent move for Sidibe at the end of the campaign.
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Indeed, the 18-time France international is only on loan at Goodison Park from Monaco, where he has made over 100 appearances since arriving from Lille.
It will be fascinating to see what happens with the full-back this summer, but his performance at the Emirates Stadium led to some of Everton fans insisting that they do not want him to arrive on a full-time deal.
Another supporter claimed that they would rather have Jonjoe Kenny, who is currently on loan at Schalke 04, as their first-choice right-back.
Meanwhile, a number of other Everton fans were not pleased with the performance of this player during the disappointing loss in London…
Wolves were once again mega impressive this weekend as they saw off Everton with relative ease to maintain their charge towards a top half finish in the Premier League.
Nuno Santo’s men were in superb form as they saw off the Toffees, and there is a big chance that if the club can continue to build as they have, then they might well prove to be a serious contender in the coming seasons.
Wolves play with a style and confidence which a lot of other sides in the Premier League simply cannot do, nor can many sides contain their efforts.
Santo has got his system, and has stuck to it, and he is reaping the rewards with some fine displays from his players, while he is also getting the best out of a host of summer signings who came into the club to improve their chances in the top flight.
The likes of Joao Moutinho and Raul Jimenez have settled in superbly, and we here in the Tavern think with a couple more quality players added to the ranks, we might well be talking about Wolves as genuine Champions League contenders in the coming seasons.
They clearly don’t have an issue attracting a top player, and with Ruben Neves already embedded in the middle of the park and continuing to improve, there’s no reason why the sky can’t be the limit for the Molineux club.
Of course, the Premier League is a strong league with mega rich clubs chucking money about, but Wolves might well opt to do that over the course of the next few years after not quite splashing as much cash as many thought this term.
Santo deserves bags of credit, and it would be just rewards to see Wolves rewarded with European football either this season, or in the not too distant future.
Wolves fans, do you agree? What sort of player do you need to ensure this happens? Let us know!
[ad_pod ]Norwich City fans have taken to Twitter to lambaste the Championship ‘Manager of the Month’ nominees, after it was revealed that their head coach Daniel Farke was nowhere to be seen on the shortlist for October’s run of games.The German boss guided the Canaries to four wins and a draw out of six games in October, a run which saw the club surge to the top of the table alongside Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds.Ahead of the former Borussia Dortmund reserves boss in the running for the award are Millwall’s Neil Harris, who guided the Lions to 10 points out of a possible 18 against tough opposition, Derby’s Frank Lampard, QPR’s Steve McClaren and Birmingham’s Garry Monk.[brid autoplay=”true” video=”328443″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch The Accy Show Arsenal Chelsea wins and EFL fourfold”]Whilst all of the aforementioned managers led their team to some excellent results, it is criminal for the exquisite run of form that Farke took his side on to go unnoticed in such a manner.Naturally, Norwich fans have wasted no time in letting their feelings be known…
West Ham United fans had an exciting summer by witnessing the club bring in nine new faces following Manuel Pellegrini’s appointment as manager.
The Chilean coach strengthened all areas of the pitch, but some problems still remain.
The East London outfit have lost their opening two Premier League matches, conceding six goals in the process.
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They were always going to be the underdogs heading to Anfield last weekend, but the Hammers failed to put up a fight as they were outclassed by Liverpool in a 4-0 loss.
On Saturday, Pellegrini hosted his first league match at the London Stadium, and it started off well as Marko Arnautovic struck from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute against Bournemouth.
However, the visitors turned it around thanks to goals from Callum Wilson and Steve Cook.
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West Ham were unable to get back into the fixture, and the defence came under intense scrutiny after the final whistle.
Summer signing Fabian Balbuena was partnered alongside Angelo Ogbonna in the centre of defence, while Pablo Zabaleta and Arthur Masuaku took the full-back spots.
The back line was easy to combat for the Cherries, which left some West Ham fans feeling frustrated.
The Celtic and Rangers rivalry in Scotland is rather lop-sided at the moment. With the Light Blues struggling to find consistency in the Scottish Premiership and the Hoops destroying all opponents in their path, it hasn’t been as competitive as it once was.
That’s what Celtic defender Mikael Lustig was pointing out this week when, as reported by The Daily Record, he said that the derbies between the two sides are not quite as fierce as they once were, due to Rangers being ‘nowhere near us now’.
From the reaction on Twitter, it appears most Hoops fans agree, pointing out that since Rangers’ liquidation event in 2012, the rivalry hasn’t been quite the same for them.
Of course, come derby day, the match-up is still produces one of the most passionate atmospheres around and it’s a fixture that consumes Scottish football in the days and weeks leading up to kick-off.
While the derby may not be as combative as it once was, it still gets everybody talking, including supporters of both teams.
Fans took to Twitter to discuss Lustig’s comments…
BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks has suggested Tottenham target Wilfried Zaha “takes a pause before considering White Hart Lane” this summer.
The in-form Crystal Palace winger scored one and assisted the other for Christian Benteke in the Eagles’ brilliant 2-1 win against Premier League leaders Chelsea on Saturday, to take his tally in the top flight this season to six goals and seven assists.
The performance at Stamford Bridge gave the 24-year-old a place in Crooks’ Premier League Team of the Week, but the former Spurs player has warned the Ivory Coast international about making the move to north London at the end of the season.
Zaha left Selhurst Park for Manchester United in 2013, but he made just four appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils before returning to the capital on a permanent basis in 2015.
Crooks told BBC Sport: “Another season at Crystal Palace under the tutelage of Allardyce may be more beneficial to his overall development.
“Spurs have enough Fancy Dans in their line-up without adding to them.
“Palace, on the other hand, are in desperate need of flair and exuberance in an otherwise functional, but effective outfit.”
The latest reports in The Guardian suggest that Mauricio Pochettino has been joined by London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea in the race to sign the forward – who has been offered a bumper new deal by Palace – but the chance of playing European football could be too good an opportunity for Zaha to turn down at this stage of his career.
Whilst lots of the talk in the wake of Brendan Rodgers taking charge at Celtic has been about what players he will bring to the club and what players he’ll get rid of, little has been said about the players who have the best chance of developing under him.
Ten players who appeared for the first team this season are aged 21 or younger with many more under 25. Rodgers is well known for coaching and managing youth. He spent years at Reading and Chelsea shaping their young players before bringing through youth in the first team at Swansea and Liverpool.
He can develop more established players too, Luis Suarez recently noting he wouldn’t be the same player he is today with out Rodgers. He didn’t meet the new Celtic boss until the age of 25.
The squad depth at the Bhoys is unparalleled in Scotland with lots of fringe players more than capable of performing to a high standard.
Let’s take a look at FIVE players who will surely benefit from his appointment…
Scott Allan
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Scott Allan’s move to Celtic last summer was a Scottish transfer saga lasting months. After winning the Scottish Championship Player of the Year award he was tipped with a move to Rangers, but Hibs wouldn’t sell to their divisional rivals.
Celtic eventually stumped up enough cash to make a switch to Glasgow happen and fans were eager to see him break into the first team.
Those first team opportunities were few and far between however. He only made three starts across the campaign. It became a running joke with Celtic fans as after every team announcement on Twitter they would bombard the official account with “Where’s Allan?” replies.
Known for his creativity, passing and attacking drives from midfield we’ll soon know if he’s good enough to make the grade at Celtic as Rodgers will likely see those attributes as key to his side.
Saidy Janko
Arriving on a free last summer after two years at Manchester United, Saidy Janko didn’t have the ideal first season at Celtic Park.
That was in no small part due to a serious knee injury that kept the young right-back out for seven months. He did manage 13 appearances in total across the campaign showing that when available he is a decent replacement for Mikael Lustig.
We know Rodgers likes an attacking full-back, both Angel Rangel and Glen Johnson used to that effect on the right hand side at Swansea and Liverpool.
With plenty of pace and the skill to go past men, Janko will undoubtedly feature more prominently this season should he keep injury free. It will give the established Lustig plenty of competition.
Ryan Christie
On the final day of the 2015/16 as the sun shone down on Celtic Park and everyone was preparing for a title party, Ryan Christie showed everyone just why he is tipped as a future Scotland international and key Celtic player.
Surging forward from midfield, he picked up on Tom Rogic’s clever ball and coolly slotted home. He was a constant thorn in Motherwell’s side, deployed on the day as a striker in an attacking front four.
With the ability to play in the pocket behind one or two strikers he could be in for a big season under a manager who has used the likes of Raheem Sterling and Gylfi Sigurdsson to great effect in that role in the past. At just 21 years old he’s at a prime age to soak up all the knowledge and wisdom Rodgers can impart.
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Patrick Roberts
Patrick Roberts is a good bet to become Scotland’s player of the year next season. On loan from Manchester City until summer 2017, the young winger is already ripping apart defences in the Scottish Premiership.
He’s scored 6 goals in 10 starts for the Hoops since joining in January and yet somehow manages to look like he is just scratching the surface of his potential.
Man City must be delighted Rodgers is now at the Bhoys to oversee his development over the next 12 months, the new manager knows what it takes to create Premier League ready players. For Celtic fans, it’s the impact Roberts could have in Europe under Rodgers that is cause for excitement.
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Kieran Tierney
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We singled out Kieran Tierney as potentially the next great Celtic player in our feature article earlier this week. Brendan Rodgers’ arrival through the doors at Celtic Park is surely a huge boost to those chances.
At just 18, he’s already a full Scottish internationalist, he’s already won awards and he’s already captured the hearts of the Celtic faithful.
In his second season it’s about managing those expectations and focusing on his game as oppositions players and teams wise up to his abilities. Rodgers has seen plenty of hyped up players come and go in his squads and is in a great position to guide the young Celt through the most important year of his young life to date.
Former Arsenal and England forward Jodie Taylor has announced her retirement after 21 years in the game.
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Taylor retires at 37
Made 51 appearances for England
Won Champions League with Lyon
WHAT HAPPENED?
At the age of 37, the forward has decided to call time on a career that saw her play in six countries and represent her country 51 times.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Taylor's senior career began at Tranmere Rovers in 2002 and took her to the United States, Canada, Australia, Sweden and France before she returned to England to join Arsenal this year.
She won trophies with Birmingham, Goteborg and Melbourne before helping Lyon to Champions League success in 2020.
The forward was also a World Cup finalist with England in 2015 and won the Euro 2017 Golden Boot before claiming the SheBelieves Cup two years later.
WHAT THEY SAID
"I am at peace with the decision to retire and it's my choice. I think [that] is really important. [It's] really fortunate that I'm in the position to make that decision for myself," she said.
"I think before I even stepped foot on the plane to go to Arsenal at the end of last season I kind of knew it was going to be my last stint playing.
"It's a club that I love so much and respect so much, and to have the opportunity to be back there and them to welcome me knowing it was going to be my last game, it's pretty special."
Taylor added: "I'm happy that the time has come now – it's the right time."
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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Taylor has not revealed what she will do after bringing an end to her playing career.