Sunderland dragged themselves off the bottom of the Championship table and to within three points of safety with a 4-1 thumping of promotion-chasing Derby County on Good Friday.
Goals from George Honeyman, Ashley Fletcher, Aiden McGeady and captain John O’Shea breathed new life into the Black Cats’ survival bid and gave their fans a night to remember.
Gary Rowett’s Rams are dropping like a stone and questions have to be asked there but that should take nothing away from Chris Coleman’s side, who cast off the shackles and thrashed their hosts.
It was a night of so many positives for Coleman, who saw his January striking signing Fletcher net his first goal for the club and many Sunderland fans will be hoping that the result proves to be something of a turning point in their club’s season.
Not many of them saw a result like this on the cards – but they’re absolutely loving it nonetheless – and we’ve taken a closer look at the best of the reaction…
Manchester United fans will be looking for a reaction from their side when they travel to Bournemouth tomorrow night after the abject 1-0 home defeat to West Brom on Sunday.
The all-but-relegated Baggies were able to secure their Old Trafford win without coming under real pressure and Jose Mourinho has also realised that something has to change.
With the FA Cup semi-final clash with Tottenham looming on the horizon, Mourinho has revealed that he has already decided to drop some of his players after that putrid performance against Darren Moore’s side and that the match against Bournemouth represents an opportunity for those selected to force their way into his plans for Saturday.
Some might have expected this approach to go down well with United fans but many of them see it as Mourinho again diverting the focus away from himself and blaming the players again.
We’ve taken a closer look at some of the angry reaction to the comments made by Mourinho as he looks to win a second FA Cup to add to the one he won at Chelsea – by beating United – way back in 2007…
Our Manchester United fans here in the Transfer Tavern are wondering what has happened to their local hero Marcus Rashford in recent months, ever since the arrival of Alexis Sanchez – he’s had to be happy with a sub-role within the team.
The Englishman has been at Old Trafford for well over 12 years now, and many of our United fans in the bar feel like he’s not going to reach the heights for his childhood club if the minutes don’t start to pick back up.
This could be down to a lot of different things, Jose Mourinho has opted to use Sanchez on the left-hand side of the front three, a role in which Rashford was making his own, alongside the immoveable Lukaku upfront; there’s no real place for Rashford in the team at present. Many in the bar think that by making him switch to the right, it could bring something different to the team in terms of going forward, but reports say he’s not happy in that role.
With all that being said in recent months, the unhappiness and lack of game time are going hand-in-hand and with only grabbing eight minutes in the Manchester derby, seemingly being the final nail in Rashford’s recent decline. With reports of the England international not happy and wanting more first-team opportunities, it may be time for him to turn his back on his beloved club, and our landlord feels these TWO players should follow him out of the door…
Sergio Romero
The excellent backup ‘keeper has been a brilliant servant to the Red Devils over the years, despite largely playing second fiddle to undoubtedly the best ‘keeper in the world. With that in mind, it’s only a matter of time before the Argentine number one will have the thirst for regular first-team minutes, as playing in the odd cup game, should United still be in them, surely won’t be enough.
It’ll be hard to replace Romero, who is such a good stopper but his ambitions may lead him out of the Old Trafford door in the summer following the World Cup.
Daley Blind
The Dutchman is currently still out injured, which could signify the end of his United career as Mourinho seems to have settled on a more consistent starting eleven in recent times. Blind was one of Louis van Gaal’s signings and many in the bar remember him being touted as the possible long-term replacement for Micheal Carrick in the centre of the park when he arrived, although he hasn’t kicked on as first hoped.
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Indeed, he is now seen as more of a utility man in and around the back four.
Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has rejected a move to Liverpool in what was a proposed swap deal involving Mohamed Salah, according to Don Balon.
What’s the story?
A day does not seem to go by when the Wales international is not linked to a return to the Premier League.
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur tend to be the main clubs mentioned in the transfer gossip pages, but now Liverpool have emerged.
According to Don Balon, Real president Florentino Perez was keen on securing a deal that would see Salah move to the Bernabeu and Bale switch to Anfield.
However, the Welshman rejected the deal as he would only consider leaving Madrid for his former club Tottenham, where he spent six years before joining Los Blancos in 2013.
Would he even fit in at Liverpool?
Given that Bale was the most expensive footballer in the world not that long ago, it seems odd to suggest that he would not fit into a team.
However, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp likes his teams to press and close down opponents, which could prove to be an issue for Bale due to his injury problems.
This season alone, the 28-year-old has struggled with calf injuries and hamstring problems, which has limited the attacker to just 16 La Liga starts.
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In total, Bale has made 28 appearances in all competitions and has still managed to score 13 goals and produce four assists, but a deal would not be worth losing Salah for.
Despite an exciting season at Anfield under Jurgen Klopp, this summer’s transfer window is another chance for the club to improve, progress and attempt to build a side that is capable of consistently challenging for the English Premier League trophy.
Part of their strategy will be signing established talent from some of Europe’s best sides, but equally as important is securing the young talent of the future that can develop under Klopp and emerge as players capable of playing at the highest level.
Someone who fits into the latter category is Wolverhampton Wanderers stand-out and Portugal international Ruben Neves, who was the driving force behind their English Championship winning season.
The Reds have been linked with a move for him as recently as last month.
Rated at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, the Anfield side are more than capable of getting the deal done for the 21-year-old, but it’s always a risk signing players from the second-tier and Liverpool already have a quality midfield at their disposal.
Should they sign Ruben Neves?
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David Moyes is more than likely going to keep West Ham United in the Premier League this season, but the Scot’s long-term future at the club remains unclear.
Saturday’s victory at Leicester City was huge for West Ham ahead of Thursday’s clash with Manchester United, although the result has done little to change Moyes’ position with the club’s supporters.
Indeed, to put it bluntly, the majority of West Ham fans are not keen on the former Everton and Man United boss, and want a change to be made at the end of the season.
There is no question that a whole host of managers would be interested in taking the position, and there are a number in the Premier League that would fancy it as well.
The club’s fans have been discussing potential Moyes replacements, with Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe, Burnley’s Sean Dyche and Huddersfield Town’s David Wagner all drawing opinions on social media.
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It remains to be seen whether Moyes is handed a long-term contract by the West Ham board, but the supporters are already looking to a future without him.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Tottenham Hotspur fans in the Transfer Tavern will be looking for the club to improve their side this summer in the transfer window, however, one man being reported would be a surprise addition.
Mauricio Pochettino will be desperate to add to strength to his squad this summer as he looks for his Spurs side to be competitive across all-competitions.
The club expect to lose Toby Alderweireld to one of their rivals and the Argentine manager has been making plans for that potential eventuality, although one of the recent names to be linked with the club would come as a surprise to fans in the Tavern.
According to reports in ESPN, Spurs are targeting Ahmed Hegazi from West Bromwich Albion to help with their efforts. The Baggies defender is reportedly set to leave the club following their relegation, and Tottenham are tracking his movements along with West Ham United and Leicester City.
Landlord’s Verdict
The Spurs fans in the Tavern were hoping for a higher calibre centre-back to join the club in Alderweireld’s place, however, a handful of supporters believe he could do a good job for the team.
He was a standout performer for the Baggies despite their relegation, having started all of their Premier League matches and, with Tottenham looking for a player to replace Alderweireld, the Egypt international could prove to be a cost-effective signing.
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Liverpool and Manchester United do not exactly have the friendliest relationship, on the pitch and off it.
Most of the time, though, the players can see past it, but on this occasion, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain decided to subtly poke fun at United midfielder Marouane Fellaini.
Unfortunately for the Liverpool star, he will not be participating in England’s World Cup campaign in Russia due to an injury that he suffered while playing against Roma in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
One of his opponents on that day was Radja Nainggolan, who recently received some bad news about his international future.
The midfielder was not selected by manager Roberto Martinez as part of the Belgium squad for the World Cup.
The 30-year-old is experienced at international level having earned 30 caps for his country, but Martinez opted not to take him on the plane to Russia.
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The decision was met with confusion from most football fans, including Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was spotted by a Liverpool fan on Reddit ‘liking’ an Instagram post hitting out at the snub.
Not only was the social media post mocking Martinez’s call, it also poked fun at Fellaini, who despite putting in a mixed bag of performances this season, has been given the nod.
Love it when footballers are honest and like things like this, Oxlade-Chamberlain knows! from r/LiverpoolFC
As reported by The Scottish Sun, Rangers are interested in bringing West Ham United fan favourite James Collins to Ibrox this summer.
What’s the story?
Rangers were reported to have missed out on top transfer target Martin Skrtel earlier this week, with the two parties too far apart on the financial terms of a potential switch to Glasgow from Fenerbahce.
The defence is still a massive priority though and Steven Gerrard needs to bring in defensive reinforcements badly if his side are to compete for major honours next term.
One player that could be arriving at Ibrox is out-of-contract defender James Collins, according to The Scottish Sun.
The paper reckon that the player represents the experience and defensive strength that Gerrard is looking for in his backline.
Earning £35,000-a-week according to Spotrac.com, can they get a deal done to bring the 34-year-old to Glasgow?
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Would he be a good signing?
With close to 400 career appearances for West Ham, Aston Villa and Cardiff City, Collins has had a stellar career, much of which has been played at the top level.
A leader on and off the pitch, his commitment and passion for the Hammers made him a real fan favourite at the club and while it’s become increasingly clear he isn’t the defensive option they need, supporters were sad to see him leave the London Stadium.
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There are benefits he could bring to the set-up at Rangers, his experience being the obvious, but the Light Blues should really be trying to build for the future rather than paying big wages for a short-term signing.
The club should be looking at emerging defensive prospects rather than 34-year-olds and while his arrival would likely be welcomed by supporters, it’s the kind of pandering ‘big name’ signing that has got them into trouble over the past few seasons.
As reported by The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur are seeking to sign stars Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli up to new long-term contracts, after similar deals for Harry Kane and manager Mauricio Pochettino.
What’s the story?
The usual cycle at Spurs over the last couple of decades has seen them build talented sides only for them to then be broken up and their biggest stars sold.
There have been fears that could happen again with their current crop of players, but it’s clear they are ready to show supporters ambition after tying down their two biggest assets to new contracts.
The retention of both Mauricio Pochettino and Harry Kane is a massive signal of intent and it appears fans are in line to hear more good news this summer.
The Mirror say that the club will be securing Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen to new deals, already opening talks with the former months ago.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”252976″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch 21 things that will definitely happen at the World Cup”]
How important is keeping them?
After Harry Kane, Eriksen is arguably Spurs’ most important player, often performing when others don’t in Pochettino’s starting eleven.
His 14 goals and 11 assists last season demonstrate he has an attacking contribution that Tottenham simply can’t afford to lose if they’re to make progress in their ambitions to win major honours at home and abroad.
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Likewise Dele Alli is a supreme talent who is still improving his all-round game at the age of 22. Last season may have had ups and downs for the England international but his attacking contribution speaks for itself, with 14 goals and 17 assists in all competitions.
Keeping both could prove to be just as important as tying down Kane and with all three working under Pochettino, the club can truly achieve big things in the coming years, if they are complemented with the right incoming talent.