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Watch: 10 years of Arsenal flops…

Oh Arsenal, you do know how to make us all laugh.

Another defeat, another fan meltdown and more ‘Wenger Out’ banners than ever before – Arsenal’s season went from bad to worse at Selhurst Park on Monday night.

The 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace was abject and led to yet more anger from Gunners fans calling for their long-standing manager (the best in their entire history, don’t forget) to be sacked. They want change and they want it now.

What has led to the decline of Arsenal and Wenger is open to debate. Is it his signings? His tactics? His inability to no longer manage big personalities in the dressing room? Whatever it may be, Arsenal are now 6th in the Premier League and in serious danger of not finishing in the top four for the first time in the Frenchman’s tenure.

He has dropped some transfer clangers in the last decade, though, and many will say it’s such poor business in the transfer windows in recent season that have contributed most to the club’s awful 16/17 season so far.

We’ve taken a closer look at that in the video below…

28-goal Wilson has earned himself a pre-season chance at Liverpool

While Ben Woodburn and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been forcing themselves into Jurgen Klopp’s first-team plans, Harry Wilson continues to bash at the door. And with his 28th goal of the season nestling in the back of the net on the weekend, the noise he’s making is getting louder and louder, with the volume surely threatening to alert his German manager now.

A technically adept winger with a fierce left-foot, Wilson is certainly causing a stir behind the scenes and has been on the radar of fans of the club since his Wales debut at the age of 16 back in 2013. The Dragons’ decision to hand him a few minutes of action vs. Belgium appears to have been merely an exercise to ensure his international allegiance is with them for the future, but that in itself speaks for his quality as a footballer. However, he has just as many appearances for Liverpool (one) to his name so far, which is rather surprising given Klopp’s tendency to lean on youth. Indeed, Woodburn and Alexander-Arnold started against Stoke in Premier League action against Stoke recently, while Ovie Ejaria was a regular inclusion in matchday squads earlier this season. Wilson, the club’s U-23 captain, though, has had to content himself with an FA Cup outing away at Plymouth back in January.

Perhaps a victim of Liverpool’s lack of European football, Wilson may have been given more game time in another season. Alas, matches have been relatively few and far between for prospects and with Wilson down the queue given the emergences of Ejaria and Woodburn last summer and Alexander-Arnold’s long-talked-about talent, he’s had to wait patiently, with this summer likely to be defining for him. The aforementioned youngsters all featured and impressed during Klopp’s build-up to his first full season at the helm at Anfield and it would be a shock if Wilson is not given the chance to do the same in a few months’ time.

Now 20, he’s no longer a wonderkid, so it feels like this coming pre-season will be defining for Wilson. Although by no means on the scrapheap, the Wrexham-born attacker doesn’t have time on his side to the extend Woodburn does at a youthful 17 years of age, but he can take heart from Kevin Stewart’s emergence under Klopp, with the holding midfielder not getting his chance until he was 22. There is no concrete cut-off point for a footballer, yet it’s hard to see him establishing himself at Liverpool if his big break doesn’t come soon, with the talent already at the club likely to be added to before competitive action in 2017/18 kicks off, while other emerging players such as Rhian Brewster will continue to push behind him to populate a popular zone of the pitch.

Wilson does, however, have the talent. With a wicked left foot and the ability to drift inside, he seems well-suited to Klopp’s preferred 4-3-3 set-up. Injuries in recent weeks have shown too that there is a lack of depth and even with additions the added number of games Champions League or Europa League football will bring will afford more opportunities, especially during the early rounds of the domestic cups. A good pre-season, then, might get Wilson onto the fringes of Klopp’s plans and from there anything is possible – after all, who predicted Woodburn would be starting Premier League matches when he was in and out of the summer team of 2016?

Wilson’s 28 goals might be enough to earn himself a shot, but it’s this coming off-season that the hard work will really begin.

Caixinha changed his pre-match team talk against Celtic

As reported by STV, Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha has revealed he changed his pre-match team talk against Celtic, acting on advice given to him by his assistant.

What’s the story?

The Gers suffered yet another defeat to Brendan Rodgers’ men this season, the fourth time out of five meetings between the two this term.

Goals from Callum McGregor and Scott Sinclair sealed the deal for the Hoops in a 2-0 victory that puts them on the brink of a rare domestic treble of trophies.

In his post-match interview Caixinha revealed that he reconsidered the way he speak to his players before they took to the pitch after speaking to Helder Baptista.

As quoted by STV, Caixinha said:

Helder came to me just before the end of the warm-up and told me: ‘Please, in your pre-match speech, don’t be strong, don’t be so tough. They need to feel a little bit more freedom. He thought they were totally focused but not enjoying it. Maybe when you are not feeling that freedom, you don’t enjoy it and perform the way you need. So we were a little bit blocked. If you are blocked, even if you have the best organisation and ideas in the world, then you cannot perform.

Should the Ibrox boss added a bit more fire and passion to his team talk? Rangers looked well off the pace in the early stages, unable to to effectively close Celtic down or really get on the ball at all.

Perhaps if Caixinha had been ‘strong’ or ‘tough’ on his team before they took to the pitch then the players may have had a response suitable of the occasion.

Unfortunately it’ll have to go down as a lesson learned for the Rangers manager, who will get another shot at besting the Hoops next weekend when the two clubs go head-to-head for the sixth and final time this season.

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Chelsea fans urge manager to keep hold of key player

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has praised midfielder Cesc Fabregas after the Spaniard has recently been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference for the crucial game against Middlesbrough on Monday night, the Italian manager said the 30-year-old has enjoyed a “great season” and that he continues to be “decisive on the pitch.”

Conte has often favoured a central midfield partnership of PFA Player of the Year N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic in the Premier League this season, meaning Fabregas has often had to make an impact from the substitutes’ bench.

Despite a lack of first team starts the former Arsenal man has still contributed four goals and nine assists, which is reported to have attracted the interest of top flight rivals Liverpool and Manchester United, as well as Serie A giants AC Milan.

Chelsea supporters were quick to have their say on the comments from their boss via social media, and they are urging him to do everything he can to keep Fabregas at the club this summer.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Celtic fans react as Ryan Christie scores at Ibrox

Aberdeen are currently pitched in a battle with Rangers at Ibrox and thanks to Celtic loanee Ryan Christie they are on their way to a big result.

The Hoops star nodded home to make it 2-0 in the Light Blues’ last home game of the season, giving the Dons a huge chance to pick up an incredibly rare three points. Aberdeen haven’t won away to Rangers for 23 years, a streak that stretches back 46 matches.

They went ahead thanks to Graeme Shinnie and the Christie goal put them well on their way.

However, Martyn Waghorn clawed a goal back for the home side and at the time of writing the scoreline stands at 2-1.

Ryan Christie has performed well for Aberdeen since joining on loan in January, even winning the club’s Young Player Of The Year award. A goal at Ibrox won’t do his chances of breaking into the Celtic first team when he returns to the club any harm at all.

Hoops fans were of course delighted and they took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the goal…

Who do Tottenham fans want most, Ross Barkley or Wilfried Zaha?

For all the enthralling football, the plethora of young talent and money spent, Tottenham were still unable to clinch silverware of any kind this season, and instead were once again left playing second fiddle.

Even one final season at White Hart Lane was not enough to inspire Mauricio Pochettino’s men to glory.

One thing for sure is that they are not far off. Keep playing like they are, and more importantly keep hold of their key players, and it will only be a matter of time before Tottenham see themselves crowned champions of England.

In an effort to see that time come sooner rather than later, it is likely Spurs will be a busy club in this summer’s transfer window. With a taste for young English talent, two names on transfermarkt.com’s list of players linked with a move to Spurs this summer are Everton’s Ross Barkley and Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha.

Zaha has been instrumental for Crystal Palace, adding a final product to his already dazzling foot work out on the wing and was one of the key men behind Palace’s successful fight for Premier League survival.

Barkley, despite a slow start to the season, hasn’t been bad either. The Englishman has six goals and eight assists for the season and has been a pivotal figure in Everton’s rise up the Premier League table since the arrival of Ronald Koeman.

Both players would some additional attacking flair and threat in front of goal for Spurs as they look to go one further in the title race next season, but who do Spurs fans want signed most?

Have your say in the poll below…

In Focus: Tierney has potential to be a success at Old Trafford

As reported by The Daily Star, Manchester United are interested in signing Celtic’s star full-back Kieran Tierney this summer.

What’s the story?

After securing the signature of Victor Lindelof, Manchester United are probably just getting started with their summer recruitment as Jose Mourinho looks to build a team that can compete for the title next season.

One man said to be interesting the Portuguese is Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney. The Star reckon three United scouts checked in on Tierney’s progress during last week’s 2-2 draw between Scotland and England, with Mourinho now interested in the transfer due to his lack of faith with Luke Shaw.

The paper says that he is rated by Celtic at around £15m, well within the Red Devils’ resources.

Can they lure the boyhood Hoops fan away from Glasgow?

Good enough?

Kieran Tierney is far from the finished product but has shown enough potential at the highest level, both for club and country, that he can be a star for a big side down in the English Premier League.

His commitment to win matches is exceptional and he backs that up with talent, never fearful of making big challenges or surging forward with the ball at his feet.

His attacking style would go down a treat at Old Trafford but given he is just 20 years old, he still needs regular first team football to improve and unless United can offer that off the bat, he may be better off staying at Celtic for the foreseeable.

Leeds fans react as Radrizzani provides new manager update

New Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has provided an update on Twitter as the club’s search for a replacement for Garry Monk, who surprisingly resigned last month, continues.

The Italian confirmed that there are plans to speak to candidates this week, with a number of different managers being linked to the post in recent weeks, including Aitor Karanka and Claudio Ranieri.

The Yorkshire outfit will once again be hoping to be involved at the right end of the Championship table next season having narrowly missed out on a play-off position this, and Radrizzani and the fans will be well are that they need to make the right appointment.

Leeds supporters were quick to respond to their owner’s post and while many thanked him for his honesty and said they were fully behind him, others named the managers they do and don’t want.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Joe Garner left Rangers due to influx of Caixinha men

As quoted by the East Anglian Daily Times, former Rangers striker Joe Garner has lifted the lid on why he decided to leave the club and join Ipswich Town.

What’s the story?

Garner didn’t have the best of seasons in a Rangers shirt after a big move from Preston North End last summer, scoring just 10 goals in all competitions and never really turning it on in the big matches.

With Pedro Caixinha coming in and looking to put his own stamp on the squad, it seemed inevitable that Garner would leave and those thoughts have been backed up by the striker’s reasons for leaving.

As quoted by the East Anglian Daily Times, Garner said:

I could have stayed at Rangers but a lot of new staff came in, with a lot of new foreign players from Mexico and Portugal, and once I heard of the opportunity here, I could not turn it down. I spoke to a few clubs, but once I spoke to the gaffer, this is where I wanted to come.

It’s interesting to hear the 29-year-old say he had to chance to stay at Ibrox. Given the speed and quality of players coming into Rangers this summer, you’d not have fancied him to get into the team anytime soon should he have decided to stay.

The Caixinha revolution and influx of foreign stars has given the club a lift and though that’s Garner’s primary reason for leaving Rangers this summer, we wouldn’t expect fans to be too disappointed with the way things are going.

Newcastle United fans don’t want the club to sign Darren Randolph

According to reports on the Chronicle Live, Newcastle United are likely to be offered the chance to sign West Ham United goalkeeper Darren Randolph this summer if the Irons complete a loan deal for Manchester City stopper Joe Hart.

Magpies manager Rafa Benitez is openly looking for a new number one but having missed out on Willy Caballero to Chelsea and been frustrated in his attempts to sign Napoli’s Pepe Reina, he may well be running out of options.

The Irons are said to be on the verge of bringing Hart to the London Stadium and if they do, the Chronicle Live says the Tyneside outfit could be offered the opportunity to sign 30-year-old Randolph.

The Republic of Ireland international has made 29 Premier League appearances throughout his career, and was dropped by Slaven Bilic towards the end of last season having been promoted to first-choice earlier in the campaign.

Newcastle supporters were quick to have their say on the rumour via social media, and the majority wouldn’t back a move for Randolph as they feel it would be an “insult” to their current goalkeepers as he is no better than what they already have.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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