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Despite producing a battling, determined performance, Queens Park Rangers fell to a 1-0 defeat to Premier League side Watford at Loftus Road on Friday night. The defeat saw Steve McClaren’s Championship side eliminated from the FA Cup.

The hosts fought hard, but could find no response to Etienne Capoue’s first half strike. The closest the Rs came was when centre-back and club captain Toni Leistner slid in to meet a fizzing cross at the far post, but from only a few yards out the 28-year-old could not turn the ball into the unguarded net. 

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

It was a horrible miss, and one that the German defender won’t forget about in a hurry. The Hoops will feel that they did enough to deserve a goal, and a way back into the game, but Leistner could not apply the finishing touch at the vital moment.

Aside from the miss, Leistner contributed to an impressive and dogged defensive display. After the match, plenty of QPR fans took to Twitter to discuss the captain’s contribution against Watford…

Andre Green could become a key player for Aston Villa, should manager Dean Smith use him correctly and the first step towards that goal is to make him a regular starter.

Green returned from his loan spell at Portsmouth in January but missed two weeks worth of action due to a hamstring strain on his return.

He, however, made his first start again in Saturday’s defeat to West Brom at Villa Park and looked solid before he was replaced by Jonathan Kodjia with 20 minutes remaining.

The winger grabbed the headlines in the match against Sheffield United two weeks ago when he scored a stoppage-time equaliser after Villa had gone 3-0 down. Smith might find some consistency on the left-flank should he stick with Green for the remainder of the season.

The 20-year-old has shown in the past the potential he possesses and has a bright future ahead of him.

Getting more and more game-time at Villa would only do his game the world of good and under the guidance of Smith, he could develop into the prime attacker the club so drastically need.

Villa will have to do something truly special if they were to sneak into a playoff spot by the end of the season but, at the moment, Smith and the rest of his squad could start to look ahead to next season and explore the options they have.

Starting Green on a more regular basis will place a big amount of responsibility on his game and it could be exactly what he needs to excel as a bright young talent.

Villa travel to Stoke City on Saturday and Smith should consider giving Green a full 90 minutes to show his fitness and desire to attack with width against a Stoke team that has been vulnerable at the back the whole season.

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Aaron Ramsey turned in a dynamic midfield display as Arsenal beat Rennes 3-0 in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday.

The Gunners had lost the first leg 3-1 in France but turned the tie around in north London to progress to the quarter-finals.

On the chalkboard

Ramsey is leaving the Gunners in the summer to join Juventus.

A BBC report claims that the Wales international has signed a deal worth £400,000-per-week with the Italian giants and will subsequently join up with the likes of Paulo Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo in Turin.

His performance against Rennes, though, proved that he will be sorely missed in north London.

Per WhoScored,  Ramsey had one shot against the French side, two dribbles, won one aerial battle and also won two tackles. There can be no more complete performance from a central player.

Indeed, Ramsey also laid on three key passes and made one interception, showing that he can do pretty much anything in the centre of the pitch.

No other player at Arsenal boasts the dynamism of the Wales international.

Mesut Ozil is a flaky playmaker who regularly drifts in and out of games – he drifted out against Rennes – while Granit Xhaka is more of a destroyer in the centre of the pitch.

When Ramsey goes, there is no obvious replacement in the Gunners’ ranks; he will leave a sizeable hole.

A mistake of epic proportions

A Guardian report in October revealed that Ramsey thought he was set to sign a new deal with the Gunners.

However, that offer was rescinded, with Arsenal not willing to, according to the report, push the boat out for a midfield player, given their alternative options in the centre.

But the fact remains that there are so few players in the Premier League who offer the sharply defined attributes held by Ramsey, valued at £36 million by Transfermarkt.

He can defend well, he can attack at will and he keeps the ball well. What else must a midfielder do to be considered a success?

Ramsey may not be the best midfielder Arsenal have ever had but he is certainly the best they currently have at their disposal.

That he will be saying goodbye in the summer is a mistake of epic proportions for the north London club, who were given a stark reminder of his quality on Thursday.

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Loads of Sunderland fans have been reacting to yet another setback, as the Black Cats fell further behind the League One leaders this weekend.

After wins for both Luton Town and Barnsley on Saturday, Sunderland are now five points off the top two, as the Black Cats were forced to come from behind just to get a point on Friday night.

Jack Ross’s side have been in poor form recently, struggling to score more than one goal per game while also struggling to keep clean sheets – not a good combination.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

The boss opted for Jack Baldwin and Jimmy Dunne in the heart of defence on Friday against Accrington Stanley, and fans are not happy with the form of Baldwin, urging Ross to switch things up and start Tom Flanagan.

Baldwin has made multiple silly mistakes as the Black Cats have drawn a frankly ridiculous six of their last seven league games, and the 25 year-old does not seem to possess the ball skills required to play out from the back.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans are crucifying the 25 year-old and calling for Flanagan to take his place…

It’s about time Tottenham won a trophy, isn’t it? They’ve been there or thereabouts for a number of years now but their lacking squad depth has meant they haven’t won anything since the League Cup in 2008, so fans know they need to change that in the summer.

With Harry Kane playing as the lone striker in the most important games, it’s hard to attract a world-class centre-forward to play the cup games and the odd league minute. However, Patrick Cutrone is frustrated at AC Milan and a move to Spurs could be on the cards, according to Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb.

At just 21-years-old he established himself as Milan’s first choice striker, making 24 appearances and pushing out Gonzalo Higuaín. However, since the Rossoneri signed Krzysztof Piatek from Genoa in January he’s struggled for game time, not starting any of the last five matches. It’s reported he’s frustrated with his position and wants a move, which could be an ideal opportunity for Spurs to jump in with an offer in summer.

As we know, Daniel Levy isn’t one to splash the cash, but the report believes an offer of as little as around £30m could persuade the Rossoneri to let the talented youngster go. His age would mean Mauricio Pochettino would be able to mould him to his system, but he also may be more patient in waiting for his chance in the big games due to his inexperience.

However, with the reports he isn’t happy because of his lack of game time, it would certainly be a risk to bring him to London. Chances are he’ll be second choice. That is unless he proves he’s better than Harry Kane, which is highly unlikely given the Englishman’s form.

Therein lies the problem. This could be a golden transfer chance but Kane’s presence may block his path, taking us back to the issue of not being able to draft in a convincing second choice.

Tottenham fans, would you agree? Is it an impossible task to sign a back-up for Kane of real note? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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With a 3-0 lead by the 31st minute on Saturday, Portsmouth were in good shape to cruise to a comfortable victory over Southend United. However, the home side rallied to pull off a spectacular comeback and earn a point with a 3-3 scoreline. 

Pompey are now without a win in their last six matches in all competitions – a run which has seen their chances of automatic promotion out of League One suffer a real blow. Kenny Jackett’s side are now third in the table, five points behind second-placed Barnsley and eleven short of Luton Town in top spot.

Given this setback, there has been rising frustration amongst a section of the supporters at Fratton Park. The bad results have brought to light many issues that fans have with the industrial, pragmatic football that Jackett’s team play. 

In the wake of the weekend’s disappointing result, plenty of Pompey fans took to Twitter to debate Jackett’s future…

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Nottingham Forest manager Martin O’Neill has suggested that Lewis Grabban is unlikely to feature against Hull City on Saturday as his injury issue continues, and it has left the experienced boss in a Catch 22 situation.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Reds’ top goalscorer has missed the east Midlands outfit’s previous two Championship fixtures with an Achilles problem, and while they play-off hopefuls would clearly love to have him back in action now it may not be possible.

Speaking via The Nottingham Post, the 66-year-old said: “I think that will be too early for him now. He is making good progress and he has reacted well to the latest injection.

“He is feeling better within himself. You don’t want to step things up too quickly and end up having him miss another couple of games.

“Let’s make sure he is right, for a start. I think both he and the medical team will keep me guided on that one. I am entirely in their hands on that one.”

O’Neill in a Catch 22 situation

He really is.

With Daryl Murphy struggling in front of goal and loanee Leo Bonatini yet to make his mark at the City Ground following his January loan move, the Reds need Grabban back in action as soon as possible to boost their goal threat – they have netted just eight times in eight league games since O’Neill’s appointment.

While Forest and their manager need to think about the long term and not rush the 31-year-old back too quickly, they have a great chance of finishing in the top six right now and it must be tempting to throw him back into the fold, even if he isn’t quite 100% fit.

يشعر جوليون ليسكوت مدافع إنجلترا السابق ونجم مانشستر سيتي، أنّ المدرب الإسباني بيب جوارديولا المدير الفني للسكاي بلو، قد يُغادر وصيف الدوري الإنجليزي بنهاية عقده؛ مشيرًا إلى أنّ المُحتمل أيضًا أنّ تتم إقالته إذا لم يحقق نتائج إيجابية هذا الموسم.

جوارديولا لديه عقد في ملعب “الاتحاد” ينتهي بنهاية الموسم الجاري، في يونيو 2021.

وقال ليسكوت في تصريحات نقلتها شبكة “جول” العالمية في نسختها الإنجليزية: “سأتفاجأ إذا لم يظل جوارديولا مديرًا فنيًا لـ مانشستر سيتي بعد نهاية الموسم الجاري”.

وأضاف: “ربما يكون قرار بيب أكثر وليس النادي، ولكن أنا سأفاجأ تمامًا، إذا قرر النادي إقالته، بعد كل ما فعله”.

أقرأ أيضًا.. كاراجر: صفقة مانشستر سيتي الجديدة تضع مستقبل جوارديولا على المحك

وواصل: “لست متأكدًا أن بيب قد يكون مع مانشستر سيتي بعد نهاية موسم 2020/2021، ربما حقيقة أنه لم يوقع على عقد جديد حتى الآن؛ إشارة إلى أنه لن يكون موجودًا في الموسم الجديد”.

وأردف: “لست مُتأكدًا ما إذا كان سيبقى أو سيرحل، ولكن جوارديولا رفع سقف التوقعات للغاية في مانشستر سيتي، في رأيي عندما يغادر بيب، سواء ذلك كان في الموسم المُقبل أو بعد ثلاث سنوات، فإن الفوز لن يكون كافيًا لهذا النادي لأنهم معتادون على ذلك”.

وتابع: “مهما كان المدرب الجديد، سيكون الأمر صعبًا بالنسبة له، لقد رأينا ذلك عندما ذهب ديفيد مويس إلى مانشستر يونايتد، بعد اعتزال فيرجسون”.

وأتم تصريحاته بالحديث عن من يراه مُناسبًا لخلافة بيب قائلًا: “نحن نتحدث بشكل افتراضي، ولكن إذا كان مُتاحًا، أرى أنّ بوتشيتينو سيكون جيدًا لـ مانشستر سيتي، إنه مدرب كبير وأثبت ذلك، ولديه أسلوب لعب رائع”.

With back-to-back 0-0 draws following quite a considerable gap in matches, Liverpool aren’t producing the thrilling football they did before the New Year. 

Indeed, it’s the first time this season that Jurgen Klopp’s men have played consecutive goalless draws in all competitions, as that fiery chemistry of their attacking trio just isn’t there anymore.

It doesn’t seem like the hot-weather training in Marbella’s worked in Klopp’s favour in reinvigorating his side’s momentum. In comparison, they’ve looked quite lacking in the attacking front and not been as sleek as they were in the first half of the season.

So much so that, against Bayern Munich, the Reds created a plethora of chances in front of a buzzing Anfield, but only had two shots on target.

Liverpool were even more frustrating against an injury-ravaged Manchester United at Old Trafford. Even after watching their rivals suffer three injuries, Liverpool were shallow going forward, with Mohammed Salah having yet another forgettable outing against the Red Devils.

They looked too predictable and one-dimensional against United, keeping on moving through the right and relying on James Milner’s crossing, which was extremely ineffective. After losing Roberto Firmino, Liverpool lost the drive in attack and even though Sadio Mane ran at United’s defence, they couldn’t break their resolve.

The fact that Liverpool only had one shot on target, a weak shot from Daniel Sturridge, against United proves something’s wrong with their confidence. Maybe the pressure from Manchester City’s catching up to them, but Liverpool seems to have run out of ideas and options at the wrong time.

Manchester City have got a big few transfer windows ahead of them, as the club look set to see some of their elder statesmen so to speak come to the end of their peak.

City and manager Pep Guardiola have always been active and shrewd in the market in the main, and this summer gives them a chance to act once again.

The likes of Fernandinho, David Silva, Vincent Kompany, and Sergio Aguero are all players into their 30’s now, and it’s only natural for a club to look for continuity.

We here in the Tavern feel it might take one or two, maybe even more windows, for the club to fully replace that talent, but this summer could be a start.

With that, we’ve looked at TWO players who City should be looking to sign this summer…

Isco

A younger David Silva essentially, the Madrid man has not been the number one choice this season, making a move look likely come the summer.

Isco remains a class act though, and under Pep Guardiola, it’s easy to see him flourishing.

The chance to come and learn from Silva is also something which could appeal, and it would be no surprise to us to see City make their move for the Spaniard.

Tanguy Ndombele

The French midfielder is really coming on leaps and bounds, and as a direct replacement for Fernandinho, he would be a superb signing.

The Lyon man is growing by the game, and still very much in his infancy as a footballer, would have massive scope for development under Guardiola.

Tough tackling and full of energy, Ndombele would be a superb capture at the Etihad.