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Newcastle fans have taken to Twitter to react after The Chronicle revealed that talks are underway over the signing of Benfica defensive midfielder Andreas Samaris, who would join the club on loan if a deal were to materialise.

The 29-year-old is a player of some pedigree, having played for the Greek national team for many years now, and would be a welcome addition to a squad in desperate need of fresh faces to give them a boost in their battle for survival. Samaris is an excellent passer of the ball and poses a threat from set pieces.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

The Tynesiders have until 11pm on Thursday to wrap up some deals that they desperately need, as well as ones that would ensure that their Spanish boss remains at the club having grown tired at Mike Ashley’s reluctance to back him in the market, as per The Daily Mail.

Let’s see how the club’s fans reacted to the news on Twitter…

اعترف المدرب البرتغالي جوزيه مورينيو، المدير الفني لنادي توتنهام هوتسبير، أنه فريقه لم يقدم أداءً جيدًا أمام شكينديا بالدوري الأوروبي.

وكان توتنهام قد انتصر على شكينديا بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما مساء الخميس، بالجولة الثالثة من التصفيات المؤهلة لدور مجموعات اليوروباليج (طالع تقرير المباراة).

وقال مورينيو في المؤتمر الصحفي عقب نهاية المباراة: “لم نلعب بشكل رائع لكننا أنجزنا المهمة، في الشوط الأول لم نسجّل ثم أعطيناهم مساحة للعب”.

أقرأ أيضًا.. مورينيو: جو هارت اكتشف شيئا مضحكًا في المرمى قبل مباراة شكينديا!

وأضاف: “بعد التغييرات التي أجريناها، أحب أنّ أرى اللاعبين يدخلون ويحدثون تأثيرًا، واللاعبين الذين شاركوا في الشوط الثاني أحدثوا فرقًا”.

وأتم تصريحاته قائلًا: “لقد بدأتا بقوة وكنا نعتقد أننا سنقتل المباراة لكننا لم نفعل، لقد قدموا مباراة صعبة وشعرنا بالخوف بعد تعادلهم، ثم بعد ذلك هاجمنا بشكل جيد”.

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Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan has caused quite a stir with his latest comments, claiming Aston Villa are still the biggest club in the Midlands.

Aston Villa have fallen away from the promotion chasers in recent weeks, as the defensive vulnerabilities in Dean Smith’s side have come back to haunt them time and time again.

The Villans are one of only eight teams in the league to have conceded over 50 goals so far this season, and five of those eight make up the division’s bottom five.

Despite sitting eight points adrift of the play-off places though, former Palace man Jordan is tipping Villa to return to the Premier League within two years, and some of his comments will really rile the club’s rivals.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

What’s he said?

“I am a major advocate for Aston Villa being the biggest club in the Midlands,” he said on TalkSPORT on Wednesday.

“You have to put Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest above Leicester and Wolves. Both of these clubs have won the European Cup.

“If you are talking about the real dynamics of what defines a club then Aston Villa are the biggest club in the Midlands by a country mile.

“If you put Aston Villa back in the Premier League, which is likely to happen some time in the next two years in my view, then we will see whether it’s Wolves or Leicester or in fact a rejuvenated Aston Villa which will be the biggest club in the Midlands.”

Has he got a point?

It’s hard to argue for Villa right now in terms of recent achievements, as Leicester have pulled off arguably the greatest league campaign of all time while Wolves have blown the Championship away in their charge up the ranks.

Both of the Villa Park outfit’s rivals now sit comfortably in the top flight, while the likes Nottingham Forest and West Brom are much better placed for a play-off push this season than Smith’s side.

That said, it would certainly be interesting to see how the dynamic develops if Villa do go up in the near future, as Jordan’s comments on the size, history and support of the club are spot on.

The ex-Palace man’s comments will have Villa’s rivals fuming, but it’s now up to Smith and his squad to prove him right.

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It’s been far from easy going at St. Mary’s this season. While Ralph Hasenhuttl has certainly inspired an uplift in overall performance since taking the reigns from Mark Hughes, Southampton are still only two points clear of the relegation zone.

Collectively, Saints have struggled, but there have been some individual success stories throughout 2018/19. Below, Football FanCast’s expert writers debate who has been Southampton’s most improved player this season…

James Beavis – Nathan Redmond

“The attacker scored one goal – which didn’t come until May – and provided three assists in 31 Premier League appearances last season as his confidence was clearly at an all-time low. However, this term he has gone from someone on the periphery in matches to arguably the club’s most important player – especially in the final third.

“Even though the goals and assists didn’t flow earlier in the campaign, the 24-year-old was frightening defenders and his hard work during the summer has paid off. He has begun to find the net on a regular basis under Hasenhuttl, and his versatility and his tirelesss performances mean he is a vital cog of the team – if Southampton lose him to injury now they would go down.”

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Jack Saville – Jan Bednarek

“It’s impossible to separate this question from the arrival of Hasenhuttl. A collection of individuals have markedly improved under his watch, but one player stands out for me: Jan Bednarek. It’s an absolute mystery how Mark Hughes failed to recognise his talent when it was staring him in the face and, at just 22 years old, Southampton have a huge prospect on their hands.”

Billy Meyers – James Ward-Prowse

“It’s certainly a difficult one, as a number of players have improved under Hasenhuttl compared to a period of stagnation under Hughes, but one player has been markedly improved above all; James Ward-Prowse.

“The English midfielder has been an impressive Premier League performer for the Saints over the years, but without any real substance in the shape of goals or assists – now, however, he sits on five league goals this term, which is already a personal best for him.”

Christy Malyan – Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

“For a long time, it wasn’t quite clear why Southampton had invested so much faith in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, but amid this season of almost unrelenting disappointment he’s stood out as a player eager to take games by the scruff of the neck.

“Sometimes, perhaps a little too much; a goal combined with a red card against Manchester City was poignantly telling. But the stats don’t lie – Hojbjerg’s made more appearances, scored more goals and laid on more assists this season than in any of his previous Premier League campaigns.”

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Jermain Defoe has hit the ground running at Rangers and scored his second league goal for the club in their 4-0 win over St Mirren on Saturday afternoon.

The 36-year-old took to social media in the aftermath of the match and it was not a surprise to see so many Gers fans respond with messages of praise.

The 5ft 7in ace failed to score for Bournemouth in the first half of the season, but was always likely to hit the back of the net upon his arrival at Ibrox.

Rangers have now won their last two in the Scottish Premiership without conceding, but they are still six points behind leaders and reigning champions Celtic.

Next up for Steven Gerrard’s side is a huge clash away to Aberdeen on Wednesday night, and Defoe will be hoping to continue his impressive start to life at Ibrox.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Rangers supporters in relation to the striker’s start to life at the club can be seen below:

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Jurgen Klopp could be set to overhaul his Liverpool squad when the summer transfer window reopens in the summer.

The German has built an extremely strong team at the top and bottom of the field after a window of lavish spending last summer. Klopp opted to keep his chequebook closed during the January transfer window as he believes in the ability of his current players. However, the ex-Borussia Dortmund manager will add to his squad when the window reopens in the summer.

While Liverpool may not make any huge additions like the signing of Virgil van Dijk, there is plenty of work to be done. Players such as Daniel Sturridge, Alberto Moreno and Divock Origi are all extremely likely to leave the club in the near future. The injury-prone Adam Lallana, who has made just four Premier League starts in two seasons, could also be shipped out.

To replace him, Klopp should make a move for Leicester City maestro – James Maddison. Valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, the 22-year-old was one of Europe’s hottest properties in the summer after a sensational season with Norwich in the Championship. The Foxes won the race for his signature, paying £22m to prise him from the Canaries.

Maddison hasn’t been fazed by the increase in competition and has thrived in the Premier League. The Englishman has been the creative force for his team under Claude Puel, netting five goals and registering four assists for his team-mates this season. The number ten could provide Liverpool with the spark they have been lacking at times throughout the season, Maddison has averaged an incredible 2.7 key passes per game, and his arrival would allow Mohamed Salah to move to his favoured right-wing position in the 4-2-3-1 formation (WhoScored).

Prising him from the King Power could prove difficult, but the allure of Anfield could be too much for the youngster.

Liverpool fans, thoughts?

Manchester City have been linked with Aaron Wan-Bissaka according to the Sun, and he would be perfect for Guardiola’s champions.

The 21-year-old has been a revelation at right-back for Crystal Palace this season, demonstrating his high work rate and quality at both ends of his flank. The youngster has all the traits of a typical Guardiola full back. Fast, high energy, good delivery and calm on the ball.

City have Danilo and Kyle Walker down that side at the moment and neither have impressed massively. Walker, of course, played a large part in City’s title triumph last season, but his passing is often wayward and his final ball into the box, is poor. Danilo is just simply inconsistent.

Full-backs are key in Guardiola’s system because they either tuck inside, flooding the midfield and creating space for the wingers, or, when used as wing backs, fly down the touchline and pepper balls into the box to set up tap-ins.

Benjamin Mendy is a prime example of the perfect full-back for these tactics, but annoyingly for City, he’s been injured for most of the one and a half seasons he’s been at the Etihad Stadium. Wan-Bissaka could be the man to carry out those duties on the opposite side, causing havoc for opposition fullbacks and even central midfielders.

Being so young is also a major positive for Guardiola who is looking to set City up an era of dominance in England and on the continent. Younger players are far easier to mould to a system than more developed players who some could say are stuck in their ways. The fact he’s English also helps City meet the home-grown quota for Champions League and Premier League squad sizes.

If City can land Wan-Bissaka in the summer, it would be a great investment for the future and also provide Guardiola with a right-back capable of carrying out Guardiola’s plans better than Kyle Walker is doing.

Do you think Wan-Bissaka should join City?

A new setback struck Leeds United last week as it emerged Kemar Roofe picked up a knee injury during their 2-1 win over Swansea City.

The Whites will now miss their main man for their next few weeks, which could be a problem, considering how tight the Championship title race is getting.

While Leeds face relegation contenders Bolton Wanderers at home next and won’t miss Roofe much, the games following it are the real headaches. While youngsters Jamie Shackleton and Jordan Stevens are primed to make an impact for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, creating the sort of impact Roofe does will be extremely difficult.

Roofe’s not only been their goal-scoring hero, but also the drive for allowing Bielsa’s attractive style to come into effect. He’s scored 14 goals for them this season(stats via Transfermarkt), always popping up with key goals to win them matches. With games against promotional rivals, West Bromwich Albion and Bristol City on the horizon, Roofe’s lack of presence can be telling.

While Bielsa is clever enough to shuffle around his options to make up his absence, it’ll be difficult for anyone to replicate Roofe’s influence in games. Leeds can now only hope Roofe can work with the medical staff and recover from his nagging issues soon.

As Leeds United head into the final stretch, they’ll need their impactful attacking midfielder to be fully raring to go. If Roofe’s injury issues end up causing a long lay-off, Leeds’ chances of winning the Championship will hit a major roadblock.

West Ham need to maintain their consistency if they consider themselves to have any chance of obtaining seventh place this season.

With the Hammers right in the mix with several other teams, there hasn’t been a season where so many sides have all been challenging for Europe.

Manuel Pellegrini has put together a good group of players who he must believe have the capabilities to finish higher than just mid-table, he wants them to strive for more.

There is still a chance of that this season but, with the ability to strengthen over the summer once more, West Ham could be a far stronger side should Pellegrini again get the players he desires.

A right-back is cropping up to be a position of need for the Hammers and Lyon’s Kenny Tete could be the man to fill that role for them.

Tete, (who is valued at £7.2 million on Transfermarkt) has found regular game-time hard to come by this season, something that could change with a move to the Premier League and to West Ham.

With 14 appearances this season, the 23-year-old has been replaced at right-back and is used on a rotation basis.

Whether he is used at right-back, centre-back or left-back where he can also play is up to Manuel Pellegrini’s choosing but Kenny Tete could do a stern job for West Ham in a number of different roles.

The former Holland international has shown his quality by being capped by his country an impressive 12 times and with regular appearances for West Ham, a recall could be in-line.

If game time is what he is after, West Ham are a club looking to improve and he could be part of how they would do it.

Do you agree… Let us know!

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Aston Villa are right in the hunt for a play-off place in the Championship this season and they may have received an injury boost just at the right time with Henri Lansbury returning to full training at the beginning of the week.

Birmingham Live reported that he was back on Monday afternoon before Villa confirmed the news via their Twitter account.

However, despite his imminent return to first team action, some Villa supporters have used the opportunity to take a dig at the midfielder’s injury history, rather than looking forward to him getting back on the pitch.

The Mirror understands that Lansbury is on £40,000 and given he’s barely played, he hasn’t exactly warranted that figure. As a result, a certain supporter took the opportunity to claim he owes the club for the last couple of years.

The former Nottingham Forest man appeared as a substitute in the Second City derby back in November when Villa beat Birmingham in the Championship, only to hobble off just eight minutes later with a hamstring issue.

It’s an injury problem that certain segments of Villa supporters have now used against the 28-year-old who hasn’t shown his true promise after arriving in 2017.

Lansbury has played only three times in all competitions this season, making just one start, which came in Villa’s Carabao Cup defeat to Burton back in August. The Arsenal academy graduate has struggled with injury all season, making as few as two substitute appearances since.

Injury setbacks have been a theme of Lansbury’s spell with the Midlands club, with the midfielder featuring in just ten league games last campaign too.

Here’s what the Villa Park faithful had to say.