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Fans of Southampton have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which Saints relayed their statement regarding the now-collapsing proposal of a European Super League.

In a statement posted on the club website, Southampton confirmed that they are in “complete opposition” to any plans for a breakaway league, and that club shares the feeling of its supporters in that the proposals involving the so-called big six sides were “borne from a position of greed” as well as “fear of true competition.”

The club also claimed that it will do “everything in its power” to prevent the plans from becoming reality, alongside the Premier League, the British government and the governing bodies of European and world football.

However, after Southampton shared their statement on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing furious at the timing of Saints’ tweet, as the statement came a number of hours after it was already rumoured that Chelsea had pulled out of the ESL, and not long before all six Premier League sides had completely withdrawn.

By contrast, the likes of Everton and West Ham had shared their disgust at the ESL idea much earlier on Tuesday, drawing massive praise.

So, what exactly did these Southampton fans have to say in reaction to the club’s statement?

“Shambolic that it took so long.”

@_supersaints

“Being the last club to issue a statement on this is not something to be proud of lads.”

@BristolSaints

“So, in the end, we published this *less than an hour* before the English clubs announced they were leaving anyway.”

@lucyhighnett

“Bit late lads.”

@europasaintsfc

“See we are as gutless off the pitch as we are on it at the moment. Basically wait for it to fall then strong condemnation. Shambles.”

@SFC_BazChez

“Issue a statement after the idea is in the bin already. Well done lads.”

@andrewhal20

In other news: Reports from Germany reveal interest in key Southampton man; claim 15% chance of summer exit – find out more here!

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Everton were beaten 1-0 by Watford on Saturday afternoon, and the Goodison faithful can’t quite believe what Marco Silva said after the match.

Silva’s Everton went on a superb run of form in October and November, beating Fulham, Leicester City and Crystal Palace before a hard-earned draw at Chelsea.

Things have gone off the deep end quickly since the last second heartbreak at Anfield though, and the latest performance at Vicarage Road was absolutely woeful.

Check out Neymar’s controversial new haircut for 2019 and Xherdan Shaqiri as you’ve never seen him before in the video below…

The Toffees mustered just four shots on target on Saturday as Andre Gray’s second half goal was enough to give the Hornets all three points, and once the score was 1-0 Silva’s side looked dead and buried.

This lack of fight and passion has perhaps infuriated the fans more than the actual results themselves, and they can’t believe Silva’s verdict on the match.

“We created enough chances to achieve a different result today,” the boss claimed, per Phil Kirkbride of The Liverpool Echo.

Needless to say, fans don’t exactly agree with the gaffer’s judgement on this one, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, look away now Marco…

It appears that Sheffield Wednesday have their sights set on bringing a new striker to Hillsborough Stadium this summer…

What’s the word?

According to The72, the Owls are eyeing a move for Rochdale striker Stephen Humphrys ahead of the upcoming transfer window, though they face competition from a host of other EFL clubs.

Championship rivals Blackburn, Preston, Bristol City, Stoke and Nottingham Forest are all in the race and it is thought that all six are ‘very interest and likely to make a move’ in the summer.

It remains to be seen how much the 23-year-old forward would cost as he will still have a year to run on his contract at Spotland come to the end of the season.

Rhodes replacement

Regardless of the division the Owls find themselves in next season, it is likely to be ‘all change’ at Hillsborough under Moore as several players are out of contract, including their only senior striker, Jordan Rhodes.

The 31-year-old is on the verge of becoming the Championship’s all-time record goalscorer and has interest from elsewhere in the division, but recently remained tight-lipped on his future. He told YorkshireLive:

“That’s for the powers-to-be,” Rhodes said. “It’s out of my control.”

Humphrys is a physical threat at a little over 6-foot and would seem primed for the next step-up having impressed immensely at the League One strugglers. His proven record in the division also makes for great appeal should Wednesday go down this campaign.

The former Fulham graduate has provided nine goals and four assists in 25 league appearances, as per Transfermarkt. Even despite the Dale sitting precariously at the foot of the table.

As per WhoScored figures, Humphrys ranks second at Spotland for average rating for the season (7.09) and has fired off a whopping 3.6 shots per game, of which 1.8 come from inside the penalty area – very much like the goal-poaching Rhodes.

Earlier this year, journalist and Rochdale fansite owner Chris Fitzgerald lauded the 23-year-old as being “a different level.”

If the Owls are to finally move on from the long-serving Scotsman this summer, then they should look no further than Humphrys.

AND in other news, Forgotten Sheffield Wednesday man with “great ability” fires huge message to Moore…

As the end of the season approaches, the inevitable rumours surrounding Paul Pogba’s future at Manchester United could resurface.

The Frenchman has long been linked with a second departure from Old Trafford, and with his contract set to expire next summer, it looks more likely than ever that the Red Devils may have to cash in on the former Juventus man this year.

According to The Telegraph, “discussions” have taken place over his future but a concrete extension has not been offered by the club.

Ed Woodward must make it his priority to secure Pogba to a new deal at Old Trafford.

The Frenchman has been questioned for his consistency with the Red Devils but his talent has never been in doubt. In 193 appearances for the club, he has scored 37 goals and notched 36 assists.

Despite the criticism he has received, these statistics are very similar to the eye-catching numbers he accumulated in his time in Italy.

His season has been disrupted through injury but the midfielder keeps sending stark reminders over his pivotal role in the Red Devils setup, having scored winning goals against Burnley and Fulham in the Premier League.

He also came off the bench against AC Milan on Thursday, with his goal being enough to guide the team through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League.

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Even manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been left enamoured, stating that Pogba can “do everything”. Such quotes would imply that he is the type of player United would fear to lose, especially on a free transfer.

Should the Old Trafford hierarchy not see a place in the squad for Pogba, and indeed if the Frenchman wishes to leave, they simply cannot let him run down his contract.

Rated at £54m by Transfermarkt, United would surely wish to recoup the majority of the reported £89m they spent to bring him back to Old Trafford.

That would simply not be possible should his contract expire, seeing United miss out on a huge fee for the 28-year-old.

Whether the Red Devils would prefer Pogba to stay at the club or not remains to be seen. The rumours surrounding his next employers also remain elementary but Woodward simply cannot let his contract continue to run down either way.

AND in more news, take a closer look at Pogba’s inspirational performance at the San Siro on Thursday night…

Plenty of Aston Villa supporters have praised Matt Targett on social media for his performance against Crystal Palace on Sunday lunchtime.

Dean Smith made four changes from the side which drew 0-0 with Everton on Thursday evening, with Ahmed Elmohamady, Kourtney Hause, Jacob Ramsey and Ollie Watkins coming in for Matty Cash, Tyrone Mings, Ross Barkley and Keinan Davis respectively.

Targett kept up his record of starting in every league game this season, and his display at Selhurst Park impressed a number of Villa fans. The 25-year-old has missed just 15 minutes of top-flight action this season and was a part of a changed Villa defence alongside Elmohamady, Hause and Ezri Konsa.

The left-back was coming up against Palace winger Andros Townsend in the capital and completed a number of accurate long balls against Roy Hodgson’s side, posing a considerable threat with some neat deliveries.

Villa fans praise Targett

Here is what these Villa supporters had to say about Targett, with one fan describing one of his passes as ‘outrageous’.

“Targett is absolutely class man, could be player of the season for us tbh”

Credit: @GreaseSZNN

“Targett is quality right now. Definitely should be in the conversation in terms of getting a England call up.”

Credit: @will_avfc

“Another brilliant ball from Targett”

Credit: @VillaTil1Die

“Matt Targett what a player this season most improved player in the league by a country mile”

Credit: @__ryannpaul

“That is an outrageous pass from Matt Targett in to Watkins”

Credit: @JonahB90

“Wow Targett has come on leaps and bounds really send some great balls up to AEG”

Credit: @Noelmurray19

In other news: Villa keen on in-demand 22-year-old, could replace £32,000-a-week man, find out more here. 

Rangers take on their Old Firm rivals at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup fourth round on Sunday, and Steven Gerrard should consider handing a start to Scott Wright.

The 23-year-old was surprisingly left on the bench for the 2-1 win against Hibernian last time out, despite being one of the star performers in the 4-0 win against Cove Rangers the previous week.

Wright has looked very bright in his cameo appearances for Rangers since joining from Aberdeen in February, most notably in the Europa League win against Royal Antwerp, where a late run earned Gerrard’s side a penalty.

He was handed his first start for the club in the win against League One side Cove Rangers in the last round and impressed with his performance, but he failed to appear in last weekend’s win over Hibs at Ibrox.

Former Rangers boss Alex McLeish has suggested that Gerrard may well have been saving him for the cup tie at Ibrox this weekend, so perhaps we will see him make a rare appearance.

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Wright impressed against the Hoops earlier in the season with Aberdeen as he came off the bench to great effect in their 3-3 draw at Pittodrie. Derek McInnes was full of praise for him after that game, saying: “When he came on, what a reaction. He (Wright) was terrific.

“I gave him a special mention in the dressing room there because I don’t think we could’ve got the result without him. That shows how important he is and he needs to feel that importance.”

The 23-year-old robbed Shane Duffy of the ball for Aberdeen’s late equaliser, and whilst the on-loan Brighton man hasn’t featured since February, Wright will be hoping to cause the Hoops’ defenders similar problems in a Rangers shirt.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

Although Wright is arguably yet to start a game as big as this in his career, the Old Firm derby represents the ideal opportunity for Gerrard to test his January signing and see what he is really made of ahead of next season, when hopefully he will be much more of a first team regular at Ibrox.

In other news… Gerrard could be set for huge Rangers boost with “special talent” who is “made of iron”

Are we finally reaching some sort of verdict in Celtic’s hunt to replace Neil Lennon? Rather amazingly, that could be the case.

It has now been two months to the day since the Northern Irishman departed the scene, but the Bhoys still only have a temporary manager in charge.

What’s the word?

Celtic have been after two very different men so far – Roy Keane and Eddie Howe.

However, after some dramatic words from Hoops pundit Frank McAvennie, they may have to focus on the former, with Howe apparently not so keen on the job as it first appeared.

The 43-year-old was in advanced discussions but a number of issues have since plagued negotiations. As a result, it would be a surprise if he did end up in the Parkhead dugout next term.

Speaking to Football Insider, a man with well-placed contacts shared a vital opinion on the matter.

McAvennie commented: “I’m hoping he’s not given up because he’d be great. I know he’s not won trophies but he has a chance to do that and raise his profile up here.

“He did so well at Bournemouth, taking them from the fourth division right through to the Premier League. I don’t know what’s going on but in my opinion, he doesn’t want it any more. If he did then he’d be here.”

Desmond should be fuming

It has now been 24 days since news emerged that Celtic were in advanced talks with Howe and, since that moment, he has only crept further and further away from them.

There have been a number of setbacks in that time, with the likes of Brighton and Crystal Palace both monitoring his situation, while the manager’s agent hasn’t played a particularly good role in this from a Hoops perspective either.

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Howe’s representative revealed that the 43-year-old didn’t want to return to management until the summer before a claim came to light from the same source that they were trying to convince him he could still get a job in the Premier League.

There have also been issues relating to his backroom staff, namely Richard Hughes. Celtic are trying to tie down the landmark appointment of a director of football but, despite having a deal 90% completed for Fergal Harkin, it was suggested that Howe wanted Hughes instead.

There have also been other backroom requests from the former Bournemouth boss which sources suggest the Bhoys have refused as well.

With all that in mind, to hear that Howe now doesn’t want the job is news which should leave the club’s majority shareholder Dermot Desmond enraged.

AND in other news, Forget Harkin: Celtic could find their new Van Dijk by appointing title-winning 39 y/o…

David Moyes should adhere to Frank McAvennie’s advice after he backed Said Benrahma as the surprise answer to West Ham United’s Declan Rice woes.

The Hammers confirmed earlier this week that Rice sustained a lateral knee ligament injury while representing England during the March international break.

He now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines, which reports have suggested could be as long as four to six weeks providing surgery is not required.

Rice having to have his knee operated on could see the 22-year-old be ruled out for the rest of the season, which would jeopardise his place in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad for this summer’s European Championships.

Moyes opted to recall Mark Noble against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night for only the Irons captain’s fifth Premier League start of the term, but McAvennie fears his former side having to rely on the 33-year-old long-term.

“To play Noble for six weeks could set us back, no disrespect to him, but he’s just not got the energy or the legs that the younger guys have,” McAvennie exclusively told FootballFanCast.

“David has got to find energy in the middle. If Rice is caught out and [Tomas] Soucek is up beside him, the two of them have got energy to get back, but Noble can’t.

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“But if [Ben] Johnson or whoever he wants to put in – Benrahma, and may have to play him a bit deeper, but he’s still got the energy to get up and down. [Jesse] Lingard, I don’t think he’ll bring him that far back.

“It’s a strange one and it’s going to be a headache for David Moyes.”

Monday’s 3-2 win over Wolves was the first Premier League game that Rice has sat out since May 2019, with the £60,000-per-week star opening West Ham’s previous 68 consecutive fixtures.

Noble fared reasonably well in the holding midfield role beside Soucek by keeping things simple, with his leadership the key factor behind his performance having offered a calm head whilst Nuno Espirito Santo’s side threatened a three-goal comeback.

But the Molineux outfit have struggled for consistent form all season and now sit 14th in table, while Sunday’s clash with top-four rivals Leicester City will be expected to cause West Ham a much tougher test in the fight for Champions League qualification.

Moyes could look to weather the inevitable storm by adhering to McAvennie’s advice, and unleashing Benrahma in the engine room beside Soucek and Noble despite the Algerian never playing deeper than an attacking midfield role throughout his career.

The Hammers boss has previously praised Benrahma – who fell to the bench at Molineux and has not started back-to-back Premier League games since February 6 – for his defensive work rate, as his contributions had caught Moyes by surprise.

“I’ve had a bit of a laugh with him [Benrahma] because I’m saying to him: ‘I didn’t realise I’d signed a really hard-working midfield player who runs and closes down, and does all the defensive duties,’” Moyes said, via quotes by The Guardian, in February.

“I said: ‘I thought we got someone for assists and goal making.’ They’re the bits which I think he’s probably needed to improve. The other part has been excellent. I want team players here – I don’t want individuals – but Said’s been great for the team.”

Moyes can now look to unleash Benrahma’s defensive capabilities to their full potential by fielding the 25-year-old in a deeper role at home to Leicester on Sunday, and see if he can be the answer to West Ham’s Rice headache.

AND in other news, West Ham land major boost in race to sign “complete” £11m-rated target for free…

Leicester City will be subjected to a severe test of their top four credentials this weekend as they face Manchester City.

The Foxes host Pep Guardiola’s table-toppers at the King Power Stadium on Saturday evening, with a victory potentially going a long way to Leicester securing a place in the Champions League.

What changes could Brendan Rodgers make from the 3-1 FA Cup success over Manchester United before the international break?

All of the Foxes’ internationals came through the recent break unscathed so there won’t be any enforced changes at the weekend, but there could be a couple made for tactical reasons.

The defence should stay the same, with goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel closely guarded by a back three of Wesley Fofana, Jonny Evans and Caglar Soyuncu.

Meanwhile, there is likely to be one change at wing-back. Rodgers has revealed that £27m-rated Portuguese defender Ricardo Pereira is fit to return, so he could replace Marc Albrighton on the right. Timothy Castagne should remain on the left.

Wilfred Ndidi and Youri Tielemans have dovetailed expertly in recent weeks so it is difficult to see that pairing disrupted for this match.

Another alteration is likely to occur slightly further forwards, where James Maddison can also return to the fray having missed the last four Premier League games. The former Norwich City man could replace Ayoze Perez in the number 10 position.

Elsewhere, the forward line should remain the same despite both Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy being in completely contrasting form.

The Nigerian was recently named Premier League Player of the Month for March after five goals in just three matches, whilst Vardy has only scored once in the league since Christmas. He will surely be hoping to get back on the goal trail following his hat-trick in the victory at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season.

AND in more news, take a look at which striker signing Leicester should prioritise in the summer…

Plenty of Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to the news that former striker Dado Prso has bought a Senegalese football club.

Prso is somewhat of a cult hero at Ibrox, with some fans even dubbing him a “legend”. The forward spent three years with the club between 2004 and 2007 and scored plenty of goals as he helped the Gers win one Premiership title and one Scottish League Cup. That would actually prove to be the final stop of his career before he hung up his boots.

Now aged 46, it seems he is ready to get back into football, but perhaps not in the way many will have expected. The former Croatia international has purchased a Senegalese football club called Demba Diop, who are currently competing in the country’s second tier.

The news was shared on Twitter by @CroatianNews, and unsurprisingly it attracted plenty of attention from Rangers supporters. These fans took to social media to share their thoughts on the matter.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Prso news below

“There’s my Football Manager 22 save sorted”

Credit: @big_ashy5

“Where can I buy a top?”

Credit: @stephmcd90

“Given he is my fave player of all time, I am now a fan of Demba Diop!! Mon the Diop”

Credit: @JHQLoyal

“@RangersFC get on the phone to Dado and let’s add this team to our club partners”

Credit: @cuibonoconfuto

“The guy is a legend”

Credit: @douglasjamesgr2

“Announce partnership @RangersFC”

Credit: @SpeckyRSC

In other news, Rangers could move for this man as a potential replacement for Filip Helander.