Angers VS Lille – Match Preview

Kick Off: 8pm GMT, Sunday 23rd May, Stade Raymond Kopa, Ligue 1 Fixture

Last 5 Games:
  • Angers LLLWL
  • Lille DWWWD

Lille look to win their first Ligue 1 title since 2011 with a win against Angers on Sunday in their Ligue 1 clash.

The home team sit in 12th in the table on 44 points. Angers could finish as low as 17th or as high as 10th depending on the result on Sunday. Either way, Angers can’t get European football but also can’t be relegated from Ligue 1 this season.

In their last game they faced Marseille. They found themselves two goals down, but pulled it back to 2-2, with second half goals from Mathias Pereira Lage and Romain Thomas. Despite their fight back, an added time penalty from Arkadiusz Milik meant Marseille came away with three points.

Lille currently sit top of Ligue 1, one point ahead of French giants, PSG. It all goes down to the last game of the season, with a win guaranteeing the title, with any other result giving PSG the chance of pinching the title from Les Dogues.

Lille had the chance to secure the title in their last outing when they took on Saint-Etienne. Lille gave it everything they had to win the title before the last game, but they couldn’t break down St-Etienne’s defense, as they game came to an end at 0-0.

The teams met earlier in the season, with a result that Lille won’t be hoping for this Sunday. Angers struck twice within the first ten minutes, with both of the goals coming from Thomas.

Lille pulled one back just before half time thanks to Burak Yilmaz. Jonathan Bamba played it into the Turkish International. He was able to beat a few defenders and slot it into the corner. Lille couldn’t find the back of the net again, so Angers left the Stade Pierre-Mauroy with three crucial points.

This game has so much riding on it for Lille, as they look to end PSG’s run of dominance in the French league, but it will be no easy task, as Angers will try to ruin what could be a day of celebration for the Lille fans.

Key Players

Angelo Fulgini: The midfielder has been supported the team a lot with many goals and assists this season.

The Frenchmen has 6 goals and 4 assists to his name this season, being a major help in keeping Angers in Ligue 1 for the 2021/22 season.

Burak Yilmaz: The forward has been one of the best performers, not just for Lille this season, but in the French league.

The 35-year-old has 15 goals and 5 assists in 27 appearances for Lille this season. When Victor Osimhen left to join Napoli in the summer, many feared Yilmaz couldn’t live up to Osimhen’s performances, but Yilmaz has been great for Les Dogues this season.

“File:Stadium TFC LOSC mai2013 2.JPG” by Fantafluflu is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Loanee Watch: Arsenal

This season, Arsenal sent out some players to get more experience and hopefully make an impact for the Gunners next season.

Many players who left Arsenal on loan this season have played in top leagues at top teams across Europe.

Here is a look at three players and how their loan spell went after time away from the Emirates Stadium.

Joe Willock – Newcastle United

I think it’s fair to say that since Willock moved to St James Park in the winter window, he has been vital to Newcastle, and has picked up many points for the Magpies.

Willock has made 13 appearances at Newcastle, and has scored 7 goals for Steve Bruce’s team from midfield.

Almost of his goals have been crucial to Newcastle this season, with his goals securing draws or wins for the team from Tyneside, ensuring they have another year of Premier League football.

Willock has also set a record at Newcastle, becoming the youngest player in Premier League history to score in his six last games.

Newcastle boss, Steve Bruce hasn’t shied anyway from any talk bring Willock back to Newcastle next season on a permanent deal.

However, Mikel Arteta will be looking to see what the Englishman can offer the first team in the Pre Season. If he can’t impressive Arteta, Willock will most likely be on the move in the summer.

This season’s performances from Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have shown Arteta that the faith can be put into younger players, but the summer will tell if Willock can make an impact for Arsenal next season.

Matteo Guendouzi – Hertha Berlin

The Frenchmen joined Hertha in October and has be in the team when fit, being a key component for Die Alte Dame.

Guendouzi has only missed games due to injury and COVID 19, and has recently picked up a Metatarsal Fracture.

During his time in Germany, he has made 24 appearances for Hertha, scoring 2 goals, along with 3 assists to his name.

Overall, Hertha Berlin haven’t had a great season. They currently sit in 14th, just avoiding the drop zone.

The last time Guendouzi played for Arsenal was in a 2-1 defeat against Brighton in the 2019/20 season, and looks like that could have been his final game for the North London club.

It’s understood that Guendouzi will be asked to leave this summer, with the 22-year-old likely to pick up interest from across Europe.

French club Marseille have already displayed their interest in Guendouzi, as they look to bringing him back to the Ligue 1.

Marseille believe they have the finances to bring the midfielder to their club this summer.

When looking at the amount of midfielders at Arsenal already, and if Joe Willock is kept at the club next year, it’s hard to see a place for Guendouzi in Arsenal’s setup after this season.

William Saliba – OGC Nice

The Frenchmen is yet to play a game for Arsenal’s first team yet, spending this year at Nice.

Former boss, Unai Emery agreed a deal with St Etienne in the 2019/20 summer transfer window. He then went back on loan to St Etienne for the remainder of that season.

Since the Spaniard has come in as Arsenal’s manager, he hasn’t used Saliba since he’s been available to him, and has put faith in other players like David Luiz, Gabriel and Rob Holding due to their experience.

At the end of the winter window, Nice decided to take Saliba on loan for the remainder of the season.

When Nice signed the 20-year-old, at the time they sat in 13th in the table, since his arrival they have moved up to 9th in the league.

In 19 appearances for Nice, he has been able to keep 4 clean sheets and he has only been booked twice.

Saliba has been impressive at Nice, and it’s reported he’s impressed Arteta, who will be looking to make Saliba part of his squad next season, when Luiz leaves on a free at the end of the season.

Saliba has been able to show his quality twice now in the French league at two different clubs. Now he must translate that onto the pitch for Arsenal, who need to begin to build their defense if they look to be in the Champions League any time soon.

Other Loans

Arsenal also sent Lucas Torreira, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Sead Kolasinac and Konstantinos Mavropanos on loan this season, who all had mixed loan spells at their clubs.

Looking at the players who left Arsenal on loan this season, their are a few who could come back to the Emirates next season and help out the team, with the ones that don’t have a future at Arsenal adding to the funds of their summer transfer budget.

Arsenal must be wise this summer with their recruitment if they are to get back to where they want to be, and by giving chances to some of the players that had successful loan spells come help the future of the club.

“Emirates Stadium” by jpellgen (@1179_jp) is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Lincoln City VS Sunderland – Match Report

6pm GMT Kick Off, Sincil Bank, League One Playoff Semi Final First Leg

Tom Hopper and Brennan Johnson Give The Imps The Lead The Playoff Semi Final, As They Look Towards Wembley.

Two second half goals from Lincoln put them in pole position to take them to the League One playoff final.

Many questions before the game were about Lincoln City’s emergency signing. Alex Palmer picked up an injury ahead of the game, so Lincoln loaned in Josef Bursik from Stoke City.

It was the home team who had the first chance. A cross field ball was played to Anthony Scully, who took it down well. His shot had the power, but just too much height as it flew over the bar.

From a corner, Lincoln went close again. The ball was headed clear to Lewis Montsma who tried his luck from range. Lee Burge was behind the effort from the Dutchman.

Brennan Johnson came close to giving the home team the lead. He made a drive through the midfield towards the Sunderland’s defense. His shot was tipped onto the post by Burge. Then Scully fired a ball across the box shortly after, which Tom Hopper just couldn’t get on the end of.

Just before the break, Sunderland had their first really chance of the game when Lynden Gooch was able to turn his defender, and tried a curling effort, which was just wide of the target.

Once the second half kicked off, Sunderland were close to opening the scoreline, this time Jordon Jones tried his luck from range, which was tipped onto the bar by Bursik. Sunderland carried on the front foot, and hit the bar once again, this time from Bailey Wright’s header.

Moments later, Lincoln took the lead. After Jorge Grant’s shot was saved, he played a ball towards the back stick, Tom Hopper was able to pounce on the ball and poke it past Burge, scoring Lincoln’s 100th goal this season.

Bursik was called into action yet again. Aiden McGeady got the ball onto his right foot after beating a few of the Lincoln defenders. His shot was well saved before the ball was cleared.

Lincoln were able to double their lead 15 minutes caused by a mistake from Tom Flanagan and Burge. Burge took too long to clear the ball, Johnson applied the pressure on the keeper, who kicked it into the teenager, who slotted the ball into an empty net. Lincoln were able to hold on to their two goal lead, as they head to the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

This result means Sunderland must improve their performance on Saturday at the Stadium of Light. Lincoln were able to take their chances tonight, having a strong advantage before the second leg, which Sunderland must break if they are going to return to the Championship next season.

Man Of The Match: Liam Bridcutt

The former Sunderland player was the center piece for Lincoln, helping the team in both attack and defense.

He was the clog in the midfield which involved the whole team. He broke up many of the Sunderland chances, and helped create them for his side.

Blackpool VS Oxford United – Match Preview

Kick Off: 7:45pm GMT, Friday 21st May, Bloomfield Road, League One Playoff Semi Final 2nd Leg

Last 5 Games:
  • Blackpool WWWWW
  • Oxford United LWWWL

Oxford will have to overturn a three goal deficit if they are to make it to the playoff final, after a fantastic result on Tuesday saw Blackpool take a big step to Wembley.

Blackpool finished their season in 3rd, showing quality throughout the season. On the final day of the season, Blackpool beat Bristol Rovers 1-0 thanks to a second half goal from Ellis Simms. The Seasiders have been in great form heading into the playoffs, having only lost two in their last ten matches.

As for Oxford, they finished their season in 6th, finishing on the same points as Charlton, but edged the team from the capital on goal difference.

Karl Robinson needed his team to guarantee their playoffs position by beating Burton Albion on the final day of the season. They did that with a convincing 4-0 win, with Olamide Shodipo, Matty Taylor, Elliot Lee and Sam Winnall all getting on the scoresheet.

The 1st leg of this tie saw Critchley’s team take an impressive lead, winning 3-0 at the Kassam Stadium. In the first half, Blackpool took the lead through Oliver Turton, with Simms doubling Blackpool’s lead minutes later.

In the second half, matters were made worse for Oxford when Simms got his second of the game in the 74th minute, giving the Tangerines a great prospect of playing in the League One playoff final.

In the 1st leg, both teams had players forced off with injuries. Blackpool’s Luke Garbett came off injured just after the break, as was United’s Sam Winnall just before full time.

In the league, Blackpool got the better of Oxford. The first time they met this season, they drew 0-0 at Bloomfield Road, but at the Kassam Stadium, Blackpool took the three points. First half goals from Kenneth Dougall and Daniel Ballard were enough for the three points.

Key Players

Ellis Simms: The 20-year-old joined on loan from Everton in the summer, and has been a key player for Blackpool this season.

Simms is Blackpool’s 2nd highest scorer this season, and he scored two goals in the 1st leg to put Blackpool in a prime position to advance.

Matty Taylor: If Oxford are to turn the tie on it’s head, they will need to attack from the first minute, so Taylor will have to be on his game.

Taylor has scored 18 goals and has 5 assists this season. It’s a big ask for Oxford to get back in the tie, but Taylor can be their man to do it.

Newport County VS Forest Green Rovers – Match Report

8:15 GMT Kick Off, Rodney Parade, League Two Playoff Semi Final First Leg

Goals from Matthew Dolan and Lewis Collins give Newport the advantage, as they look towards the Playoff Final.

Newport take a two goal advantage into their next leg, with two well take goals from Dolan and Collins, either side of the break.

The action didn’t take long. Within the first 30 seconds, Padraig Amond took the ball down with his head in the box and fired his shot just over the bar.

Newport dominated much of the early possession, and came close to getting the opener through Lewis Collins got onto the end of Amond’s pass. His shot was saved by the feet of Luke McGee.

As the half went on, Forest Green grew into the game. Jayden Richardson tried to pick out either Aaron Collins or Scott Wagstaff, but it was well cleared by the Newport defense.

Newport took the lead thanks to a spectacular effort from Matthew Dolan. Josh Sheehan laid the ball off to Dolan on the edge of the box and his left footed strike gave McGee no chance, as it flew into the top corner.

Minutes later, Forest Green went close. They got themselves a free kick on the edge of the box. It was taken by Odin Bailey, his shot came off the top of the crossbar and went behind for a goal kick.

Newport were able to hold on to their lead, as they headed into the break.

At the beginning of the second half, Amond had another early half chance. He found himself running towards the Forest Green goal with two defenders on his back. Once again, he lacked the composure, and his attempt went well over the bar.

Then it was the away side with the chance. Wagstaff made a run off the defender and found space out wide. He tried to pull it back to Dominic Bernard who made a run just inside the box, but the ball bounced in front of him and he didn’t make any real contact with the ball.

However, it was Newport who were able to get themselves another goal to double their advantage. Aaron Lewis picked up a loose ball in midfield, and played the ball through the heart of the defense. Lewis Collins got onto the end of it and poked it past McGee.

Forest Green pushed to get one back. Bailey found himself one-on-one with Tom King after a ball from Aaron Collins played him in. King got out quick enough and saved Bailey’s shot which seemed certain to get Rovers back in the game.

Things nearly went from bad to worse for Forest Green as a poor clearance from McGee was picked up by Amond who tried to lob the keeper from distance. Luckily for McGee, Amond couldn’t get it under the bar.

Lewis should have finished off the game, as he made a brilliant run in-between the Rovers defense. He got onto the cross, but swept his shot wide of the target.

As the game went into injury time, a few chances fell to Nicky Maynard, but he couldn’t find the back of the net, but the Newport fans went home happy with a two goal advantage.

Newport head to Forest Green on Sunday with an all important lead. They had the majority of the chances in the game, and will be hoping this will be enough to see them off to Wembley.

As for Forest Green, when they return to The New Lawn, they will be hoping to see more action going towards the Newport goal, with their fans pushing them all the way.

Man of The Match: Aaron Lewis

The Welshmen was brilliant for Newport, being a key part of their success in both attack and defence.

He made many blocks in the first half, and also created many chances in the game. He was able to cap off his performance with an assist for Newport’s second goal.

Where Next For Harry Kane?

Yesterday, news broke that Tottenham forward Harry Kane has asked to leave Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer. The Englishman is yet to win a trophy in his career, and feels that a move elsewhere may bring him success.

Kane has continued to be the main talisman for Spurs for a number of years. This season, Kane has 22 goals and 13 assists in 33 games for the North London club. Despite his goals and assists, Spurs sit 6th in the league and it looks unlikely they will qualify for Champions League football next season.

In other competitions, they lost to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final back in April. They were also knocked out of the last 16 of the Europa League by Dinamo Zagreb and knocked out of the FA Cup by Everton in the fifth round.

Spurs are yet to decide who will be in charge of the club next season. After Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties, former Spurs player, Ryan Mason was brought in. It’s unsure whether he will be there come the 2021/22 season, or if a new face will be in the dugout.

With it looking like Kane wants out as soon as possible, one of the many problems which this move could face is who can afford Kane, and where will he want to be playing next season, but many clubs will have an interest in the 27-year-old.

Will Kane Move Abroad?

Many of the big European Giants would love to have Harry Kane at their club, with the amount of goals he could provide, bringing years of success to their club.

One big team which don’t necessarily need Kane is Real Madrid. Ever since Zinedine Zidane’s arrival at the Bernabeu, he has stuck with a 4-4-3 formation.

The last two seasons have shown that Madrid don’t need a striker, as Karim Benzema has been deadly for Los Blancos and has arguably been their best player since Ronaldo’s departure. Never say never for Kane moving to the Spanish capital, but it seems extremely unlikely.

Elsewhere in Spain, Barcelona have missed a valuable player in their team when Luis Suarez moved to Atletico Madrid in the summer, and Kane would be the perfect replacement. It’s even been reported that the Spanish giants are already showing interest in Kane.

However, Barcelona aren’t only showing interest in Harry Kane as a new striker to bring to the Camp Nou. Much of the transfer talk over the last 12 months has involved Lautaro Martinez or Erling Haaland heading to Catalonia. One player who seems likely to join Barca this summer is Memphis Depay. The 27-year-old contract runs out this summer at Lyon, and Ronald Koeman has worked with Depay when he was manager of the Dutch National team.

Moving to Germany, Bayern Munich will certainly have a look at the situation with Harry Kane over the summer. Current Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandoski has scored a phenomenal 40 goals in 28 league appearances for the Bavarians.

However, the Polish international turns 33 this August, and there have been murmurs that Bayern are looking to sell the striker, with some clubs looking to bring in the forward. Kane would be a fantastic replacement for Lewandoski, however, Bayern normally sign players from other Bundesliga clubs, with Dayot Upamecano joining the former Champions League winners this summer.

There are great talent forwards available in the Bundesliga such as Erling Haaland, Andre Silva, Sasa Kalajdzic and Silas Wamangituka, who have all had impressive campaigns. It will be difficult to know where Bayern Munich will look if they want a striker for next season.

It looks unlikely that Kane will move to Italy, with Inter and Juventus both having strikers at the club who are delivering, the only other real candidate is PSG. The French club have won every accolade possible in the last few years, but have to hope Lille lose on Sunday against Angers, if they are to retain the Ligue 1 title, and they just can’t seem to succeed in the Champions League.

Former Spurs boss, Mauricio Pochettino is the current manager of PSG, and the Argentinean has had a big impact on Kane’s career. It’s possible Kane could move to Paris in the summer, but if he does, one of either Neymar or Kylian Mbappe would be moving from Parc De Princes so PSG could afford Kane’s the move to PSG, while also giving Kane a place in the starting team.

Will Kane Stay In The Premier League

Kane might want to stay in England, and if he does there will still be many teams desperate to have him upfront at the start of next season, with Chelsea, Man City and Man Utd showing major interest.

A team which hasn’t reported any interest is Liverpool. The former Premier League Champions don’t look like they have any interest in the Englishman. Liverpool have lacked goals this season, with the majority coming from Mohamed Salah. The signing of Kane could still allow the familiar Liverpool front three a place in the starting team, with Roberto Firmino taking up a deeper role.

However, Jurgen Klopp has a certain style which he plays, which includes pressing from the front, which not many other teams use in world football. Kane might not suite that system the way Klopp would want. If Klopp feels like Kane is the right man, one of Liverpool’s front three would be on the move, as the finances involved in the Kane transfer would be too much without funds coming from a major sale.

Chelsea is one of the clubs which has shown key interest in Kane, and he would be a superior threat if he was at Chelsea, with players like Mason Mount, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and many others supplying Kane.

One reason Chelsea don’t look like the main candidate for Kane, is they only signed Timo Werner and Kai Havertz last summer, and Thomas Tuchel likes having both of them up top. They already had Tammy Abraham and Oliver Giroud at the club, and they would need to sell some of their attacking options before another could join the club. Chelsea have also been looking for a striker since Tuchel took charge, with news that Chelsea want to bring Lewandoski and Haaland to Stamford Bridge. Over the summer, Chelsea will have to decide who they believe will fits their team better.

Manchester United have faced a similar situation in the past when they signed Robin Van Persie from Arsenal in the 2012/13 season. Van Persie helped Man Utd lift the league title in that season thanks to his 26 goals in the league.

This would be a great addition to the Red Devils attacking threat, with Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani and others scoring goals to push them into 2nd in the league. However, just like many other clubs, United have shown interest in a lot of strikers over the last couple of months, and it will down to the decision on who they think is capable of winning them silverware next season.

The team that looks like the most ideal place for Harry Kane next season is Manchester City. Man City are this season’s Carabao Cup winners and Premier League Champions. They are also in contention of winning their first Champions League when they take on Chelsea at the end of May.

What opens the door for this move is Sergio Aguero will be leaving the Etihad this summer. Gabriel Jesus hasn’t really found form on the same level as Aguero since is arrival. With injuries, City have been without a striker, with their source of goals coming from midfield and off the wing.

If Pep Guardiola is able to sign Kane in the summer, it will take City to a level higher than they are currently on, as they would showcase dominance at every possible opportunity.

As the weeks and months progress, many will wonder where Kane will be playing next season. Time will tell if the Englishman stays at Spurs, moves abroad or joins a domestic rival.

“Harry Kane” by enviro warrior is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Barnsley VS Swansea City – Match Report

8:15pm GMT Kick Off, Oakwell Stadium, Championship Playoff Semi Final First Leg

Andre Ayew’s goal in the first half gives the Welsh side the advantage in their playoff Semi Final clash.

The opening of the game saw both teams try to set their own tempo in the game. Both sides looked to control the ball, but faced a great amount of pressure from the opposition.

However, neither team really had a great chance of getting an early goal.

Much of the early battles of this game were between Daryl Dike and the two Swansea center backs, Marc Guehi and Ben Cabango. With the center backs coming out on top early on.

The first chance of the game, resulted in a goal for Swansea. Andre Ayew made a run off the defender, dropped his shoulder to move onto his left foot, and his effort curled into the bottom corner, giving Barnsley keeper, Bradley Collins no chance.

Barnsley tried to hit back quickly, when Callum Styles tried to pick out Dike in the box, but Guehi is there once again to clear the danger.

Barnsley increased their attacking threat after Ayew’s opener. Romal Palmer floated a ball to the back stick, which Michal Helik headed goal bound. The effort lacked power, which Freddie Woodman claimed easily.

Callum Brittain should have drew the game level at the beginning of the second half, as a rebound fell to him. His shot forced Woodman into action, as he made fantastic reflex save.

Minutes later, Alex Mowatt goes close to pulling The Tykes level with an effort from range. His effort was deflected behind for a corner.

Barnsley began the second half extremely well, with great intensity. Barnsley had another chance from a Cauley Woodrow free kick. Woodman was able to deny them once again.

Barnsley had the majority of chances in the second half. Dike broke away from a corner, and tried to slot it into one of his team mates. The pass was able to get past the defender, but has too much on for his team mates.

Swansea found little chances but Jamal Lowe went close, Lowe was able to beat his man on the left wing, and attempted a similar shot to Ayew’s goal. His effort couldn’t stay down and went over the crossbar.

As time ticked on, Barnsley pushed for a leveler. The last chance came from a corner, which was flicked on by Carlton Morris, which bounced off the top of the bar.

This result means that Swansea are currently heading to the Playoff final. The game at the Liberty Stadium still has a lot riding on it with the affair still in the balance.

Barnsley controlled much of the second half, but just couldn’t break past the Swansea defense or goalkeeper. They will need to see that from the start on Saturday.

As for Swansea, they head into the game with the all important lead. It will be interesting to see if Steve Cooper tries to hold on to the one goal, or if he will push for more in the second leg.

Man Of The Match: Freddie Woodman

Woodman didn’t have a lot to do in the first half, but was called into action multiple times in the second half.

The 24-year-old made four saves, and made an extremely impressive save to deny Brittain early in the second half.

“Stand” by Yercombe is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Tranmere Rovers VS Morecambe – Match Preview

Kick Off: 6pm GMT, Thursday 20th May, Prenton Park, League Two Playoff Semi Final 1st Leg

Last 5 Games:
  • Tranmere Rovers DWWLD
  • Morecambe WWLWW

This game is the first leg in the Playoff Semi Final as Tranmere host Morecambe at Prenton Park, with both teams looking to give themselves an advantage as they try to climb into League One.

Tranmere finished 7th in the league, with a draw with Colchester on the final day guaranteeing their place in the Playoffs. They finished the season on 73 points, similar to Forest Green Rovers and Newport County, who also booked themselves a place in the playoffs.

Tranmere will see some changes before their game against The Shrimps. On May 11th, Tranmere announced that Keith Hill would relieved of his duties, with Ian Dawes and Andy Parkinson coming into replace Hill.

Tranmere have found success in this position before, winning the 2018/19 League Two playoffs, beating Newport County 1-0 at Wembley, thanks to a extra time winner from Connor Jennings.

For the away side, they beat Bradford City 2-0 on the last game of the season, and they came agonisingly close to gaining automatic promotion. They were only 1 point off Bolton, who claimed the last automatic place.

Morecambe have had an impressive season this year, and have hit back after finishing 22nd last season. This season, Derek Adams has been able to lift his players this season and bring them to new heights.

A playoff success would see Morecambe get to League One, for the first time in their history. The closest they have come before was in the 2009-10 season, when they reached the playoff’s, but lost in the Semi Finals to Dagenham & Redbridge.

When the teams met each other in the league this season, both games saw close encounters. In October, Morecambe took the three points, thanks to an Adam Phillips penalty.

In the reverse fixture, Tranmere got the points, when Kaiyne Woolery headed in the winner in the second half. With both games being tightly contested, will there be more of the same on Thursday?

Key Players

Liam Feeney: Feeney joined on loan from Blackpool in the summer, and has had a consistent season for Tranmere.

Feeney has scored 3 and assisted 8 this season, as he’s been a major threat for Tranmere this season. If Tranmere are able to create chances, it’s likely Feeney will be the man.

Carlos Mendes Gomes: Gomes has been crucial to Morecambe’s success this season, and was also recently voted Morecambe’s Supporters Player of the Season.

The winger has scored 15 goals, along with 3 assists in the league this season. He will be a major threat to Tranmere’s playoff hopes.

Prediction: Tranmere 2-2 Morecambe

Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay

”Now You’re Gonna Believe Us” By Andrew Robertson – Book Review

‘Now You’re Gonna Believe Us’ focuses on Liverpool’s title winning season, as they many faced ups and downs throughout the season. The book was released in September 2020

The book is wrote by Liverpool’s left back Andrew Robertson, as it dives into the challenges he’s faced through his life in football, including both club and international football. This is the first book he has wrote.

It begins looking at the team success, coming off the back of their Champions League win in 2019, beating Tottenham 2-0.

It’s followed by their other achievements in the season, as they won the Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup, before lifting the Premier League at the end of the season.

What Was The Book Like?

I like the way Robertson talks about his relationship with his team mates, both at club and international level.

He shows he has a great amount of respect for players like Jordan Henderson and James Milner, due to how much they have helped him with his game. He also spoke about Robert Snodgrass and how he has helped as well.

His mentality is also a key feature of this book. The joy he had of helping Scotland reach the Euros, but looking back at what he needed to do to help them. It was a similar situation with looking to win the Premier League title at Liverpool. He puts it into his own perspective, looking at what he needs to do to help the team.

One thing I really enjoyed about this book is it gave an insight into what the players go through, which the fans don’t really get to see. This features the most when he talks about the pre-season period.

It gives the audience the information on how the players prepare for the season or a big game. It’s a crucial part of any footballers life, which most people know little about.

The book contains a mixture of humour and serious tones through the book, which gives the audience a greater look at Robertson’s personality.

Andrew Robertson playing Real Madrid in the 2018 Champions League Final. He spoke about how this motivated him – “File:Liver-RM (10).jpg” by Антон Зайцев is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

I wished that there were more stories of how the players would prepare for games, especially the Champions League games, as they didn’t really have to much of a focus in this book.

I’d of also liked to see more short stories of life before Liverpool, whether that’s at a young age, or anecdotes during his time at Hull City and Dundee United, to show who had a great impact on him, and supported his development.

I’d of also liked to see some more on what it was like during the breakout of the pandemic. It would be interesting on how the players felt during the time, and also what they did to occupy their time.

Audience

This book is a great read for any Liverpool fans, taking a look back at their historic campaign. It’s also a good read for anyone who is interested in the mentality of footballers, and how they push themselves to succeed

Star Rating

4.5 stars out of 5

You can buy the book from here

“Books” by shutterhacks is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Champions League Semi Final Previews

Game 1 – Manchester City VS PSG

Kick Off: 8pm GMT, Tuesday 4th May, Etihad Stadium, Champions League Semi Final 2nd Leg

Last 5 Games:

  • Manchester City LWWW
  • PSG WWWL

Last Wednesday, Manchester City travelled to the Parc Des Princes, to face PSG in the 1st leg of the Champions League Semi Final.

Guardiola’s men took the advantage in the 1st leg when goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez cancelled out Marquinhos’ early opener.

Both teams had tough routes to where they are currently, but had played extremely well in the previous rounds.

Man City faced Borussia Monchengladbach in the Round of 16, and saw of the German opposition, winning 4-0 on aggregate.

City faced another German team in the quarter finals, this time they faced Borussia Dortmund. This time City won 4-2 over the two legs, with 20-year-old Phil Foden scoring two crucial goals.

As for PSG, they faced Barcelona in the Round of 16, where Kylian Mbappe scored 4 goals over the two legs, as they breezed past the Spanish Giants, winning 5-2 over the legs.

In the quarter final, they faced last seasons winners, Bayern Munich. They played Bayern in the final last season, and Bayern got the better of them. However, PSG got the better of them this time around, drawing 3-3, but advancing thanks to the away goals.

Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino have had there share of games against each other. In the 19 games against each other, Pep has won 11, Pochettino has won 3, with 5 resulting in a draw

Key Players

Riyad Mahrez: Mahrez has been key for Man City this season, delivering with many goals and assists to help his team be in their current position.

He was Man Of The Match in the Carabao Cup final the other week and has been great in the last few games.

Neymar: The Brazilian has been brilliant the last few weeks in the Champions League. He has come close to scoring some great goals, and has been a joy to watch on the ball.

Neymar has yet to win the Champions League since his move to France, this is a great chance for him to do so.

Prediction: Manchester City 1-1 PSG

Manchester City Players Training Ahead Of Their Clash Against PSG Last Week – Photo Supplied By Manchester City Media Gallery

Game 2 – Chelsea VS Real Madrid

Kick Off: 8pm GMT, Wednesday 5th May, Stamford Bridge, Champions League Semi Final 2nd Leg

Last 5 Games:

  • Chelsea WDWD
  • Real Madrid DWDD

Last week, the 1st leg of this tie ended in a 1-1 draw. Christian Pulisic scored an early goal for Chelsea, but half way through the first half Karim Benzema was able to get an equaliser for Los Blancos.

Similar to Man City and PSG, both of these teams faced obstacles on their route here. However, they were able to overcome them and get this far in the competition.

In the Round of 16, Chelsea faced Atletico Madrid. Many people expected Atletico to give Chelsea a hard challenge, but Chelsea were able to win 3-0 over the two games.

In the quarter finals, they played Portuguese team, Porto. Goals from Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell were enough to see them through, winning 2-1 in the tie.

As for Real Madrid, they faced Atalanta. A late winner by Ferland Mendy in the 1st leg, and a flurry of goals put them past Atalanta in the Round of 16.

In the quarter final, Real Madrid played Liverpool. An impressive 3-1 at home gave them the advantage. The second game finished 0-0 and Madrid moved into the Semi Final.

Thomas Tuchel has faced Zinedine Zidane 5 times in his managerial career. Tuchel has beat Zidane once, with the other results ending in a draw.

Key Players

Karim Benzema: The striker has been so important for Real Madrid since Ronaldo’s departure, and has got better every season.

He has been their vocal point for goals, and is one key factor for their success this season.

Mason Mount: Mount received a lot of criticism last season, but has been a solid attacking midfielder for the Blues this season.

He has popped up when needed with goals and assists, and has helped his team in the Champions League on a few occasions.

Prediction: Chelsea 1-0 Real Madrid

Real Madrid Celebrating Their Champions League Victory In 2014 – “Final Champions League 2014 Real Madrid – Atlético de Madrid” by El Coleccionista de Instantes is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

“File:Istanbul Atatürk Olympic Stadium 1.jpg” by Валерий Дед is licensed under CC BY 3.0