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Nigel Clough has backed Luton Town to win promotion from League One this season, per the Derby Telegraph.

Luton are five points clear of Barnsley at the top of the table, and the Burton Albion boss believes they are perfectly positioned to make the jump to the Championship.

What’s the word?

Clough’s Burton are currently 11th in the third-tier standings and lost 2-0 to the Hatters in December.

The Brewers boss was quizzed on who he believes will be promoted this season and insists that the two teams currently at the top of the tree will head into the Championship ahead of the 2019-20 season.

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Sunderland are third, four points behind Barnsley, while Portsmouth are a point further back, though they have not won any of their last seven fixtures.

Clough said, per the Derby Telegraph: “I think Portsmouth have hit a little bit of a wall, just at the moment.

“It’s better to do it now. In the last 13 games they are more than capable.

“They got a break with a penalty being missed against them (on Tuesday night).

“Sunderland are more than capable of going on a charge and scoring goals, but I think the best two are probably at the top at the moment, everybody else is trying to catch them.”

Luton’s to lose

Luton have gone 19 games unbeaten in League One and have taken six wins from their last six outings.

Indeed, their last defeat came in October, as they fell 3-2 to Barnsley. In total, they have lost four games all season.

Clough, then, is correct in his assertion that the best team are currently top of the league, and it will take something truly special for them to be knocked out of the automatic promotion places between now and May.

Barnsley are on a 13-game unbeaten run and could well become champions if they take advantage of any Luton slip but Sunderland, who have lost just two games this season, have drawn 14 times – dropping a total of 28 points.

They have to ensure that that habit is cut out if they are to head back to the Championship automatically at the first time of asking.

And that looks a tough task, with Luton and Barnsley seemingly safely ensconced in their current positions.

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Middlesbrough’s poor recent run of form has seen them fall completely out of contention for automatic promotion and now their play-off place is under threat as well.

Frustrations are mounting at the Riverside Stadium, and the club suffered another bitter disappointment when they let a lead slip against Preston North End last time out and ended up losing the game 2-1.

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

The club must arrest this slide and get back to winning ways soon if they’re to stand any chance of securing promotion back to the Premier League this season. Manager Tony Pulis believes he has diagnosed the cause of his side’s recent struggles.

What he said

Speaking in his recent press conference, as quoted by the club’s official site, the former Stoke City boss said: “We’ve just got to be more clinical. Right up until the final third, we’ve been as good as anyone this year. Defensively we’ve been great this year, we’ve just got to improve in the final third.”

Killer instinct needed

This is certainly true. Boro are well organised, generally tough to break down, and have solid foundations. However, they also lack cutting edge. None of their strikers have been clinical enough this season, with top-scorer Britt Assombalonga only having notched ten league strikes.

They’ll need far more firepower than that to make promotion a reality. Pulis must find a way to give his side something extra in the final third, and soon, otherwise this campaign will go down as a failure by the standards of a club of Boro’s stature.

Aston Villa’s play-off hopes were dealt another major blow on Saturday after suffering a 2-0 defeat to West Brom at Villa Park.

Having gone down by two goals before half-time already, it appeared that manager Dean Smith might have started planning for next season after handing teenager Jacob Ramsey his debut in the second-half.

The 17-year-old replaced Conor Hourihane in the 60th minute of the match and provided a solid cameo under the circumstances of the match.

Villa were throwing everything at West Brom towards the final stages of the match and the midfielder looked comfortable in the attacking position with some swift passing and good link-up play.

The defeat means Villa are currently tenth in the Championship but are level on points with Preston, Hull City and Swansea City, having played one more match than the Tigers and the Swans. It will require something truly special from Villa to turn their campaign around and make one final push for promotion.

The unlikelihood of that happening means the manager could start using youngsters like Ramsey more often now in order for such players to gain valuable experience and become comfortable with the pace of the league.

Ramsey has had a good season from a personal perspective and has been a key player in the u-18 and u-23 teams.

He’s been composed in front of goal and has shown the ability to find players in better positions on the pitch.

He was also clinical in the two matches he played in the FA Youth Cup against Swansea City and Reading, scoring a total of four goals.

Ramsey’s substitution came ahead of first-team players like Jonathan Kodjia, Albert Adomah and Anwar El Ghazi, who were all available on the bench.

This could indicate Smith’s plans to ease Ramsey into the first-team and let him show his worth in the final stages of the season.

أعلن الجهاز الفني للنادي الأهلي بقيادة رينيه فايلر، قائمة الفريق لمواجهة الترسانة، غداً الاربعاء في إطار بطولة كأس مصر.

ويلاقي الأهلي منافسه الترسانة على أرضية استاد الأهلي وي السلام ضمن منافسات دور الـ16 من المسابقة المحلية. قائمة الأهلي لمباراة الترسانة

حراسة المرمى: مصطفى شوبير وحمزة علاء.‏

خط الدفاع: ياسر إبراهيم ومحمد شكري ومحمود وحيد ومحمد هاني، أحمد فتحي.

خط الوسط: حمدي فتحي ومحمود كهربا وحسين الشحات وأليو ديانج ومحمد مجدي أفشة وجونيور أجايي وعربي بدر ومحمد فخري، جيرالدو.

خط الهجوم: مروان محسن وأليو بادجي.

طالع أيضًا.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة الأهلي والترسانة في كأس مصر

طالع | موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي والترسانة اليوم في كأس مصر

ويغيب عن قائمة الأهلي كل من محمود متولي للإصابة بقطع في الرباط الصليبي للركبة، وعلي لطفي رغم شفائه من فيروس كورونا بالفترة الماضية، ومحمد محمود لعدم الجاهزية، ومحمد الشناوي ووليد سليمان  للراحة، وصالح جمعة لوجهة نظر فنية.

بينما يغيب الثنائي أيمن أشرف وعمرو السولية بسبب الإيقاف، وعلي معلول بسبب حصوله على إجازة سلبية للسفر إلى تونس.

All is right with Manchester United again.

They’re playing winning football under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the majority of the squad motivated again under his watch. That being said, internal matters are seemingly in a complicated situation. Indeed, after tying Anthony Martial to a long-term contract, Ed Woodward is now looking into extending David De Gea’s stay at Old Trafford while the club’s hunt for a long-term manager rumbles on.

After the Red Devils triggered a one-year extension clause in the Spaniard’s contract until 2020, they’re now desperate to sign him to a long-term one. According to reports (via The Evening Standard), they’re prepared to hand him a mammoth £350,000-a-week contract, but the Spaniard is believed to want more.

Alexis Sanchez is currently United’s highest paid at around £400,000-a-week and the La Roja international is said to want a similar contract.

A no-brainer, right?

Well, not only would granting him that impact their balance sheet, it could also cause an uproar within the squad. While De Gea’s been their saviour many a time during the difficult, post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, United need to be wary of not dancing to his tunes. If they do, it could open up a whole can of worms.

Sergio Romero’s uprise in the cup competitions proves not only De Gea, but any talented goalkeeper can thrive at United’s world-class goalkeeping structure. While letting him leave would be a huge risk, paying him excessively will also pile external pressures on the Red Devils.

The Spaniard might’ve kept his 100th clean-sheet recently, but is taking advantage of his situation at United right now. United need to be cautious not to be conned into dancing to a player’s tune, regardless of how big he might be.

Ed Woodward has been taken for a ride by Sergio Ramos – who used United’s 2015 interest to manoeuvre a new deal at Real Madrid – during his stint in charge of footballing matters at Old Trafford, he must learn from his mistake or risk wasting even more money.

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Southampton’s pair of wonder goals weren’t enough to sink Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s resurgent Manchester United on Saturday but Ralph Hasenhuttl and co can feel aggrieved that they didn’t take all three points back to the south coast after two penalty shouts were waved away by Stuart Attwell.

The Austrian manager and his squad won’t have time to dwell on the result, though, with a visit from Spurs coming up this weekend. After the Saints came so close to upsetting the Red Devils, it would be difficult to pick them apart and argue that certain players don’t justify a start again Spurs.

However, that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Here are the two changes Hasenhuttl should make to the  starting XI this weekend.

Stuart Armstrong in for Charlie Austin

Charlie Austin was a passenger in the United clash, taking just one shot and winning one aerial duel – the striker was in the starting XI to provide bustling physicality and a decent end product, but he failed to produce either against the Red Devils, as he has on many occasions this season.

The former Burnley and QPR man has yet to net in 2019 and has taken just two shots in his last three games – poor performances that forced Hasenhuttl to drag him off the pitch just after the hour against Fulham and then United.

Especially in the absence of Danny Ings through injury, Austin is currently the only recognised striker option up front and he hasn’t performed at all. Nathan Redmond should replace the number 9 up front, with Stuart Armstrong coming in as part of the midfield three.

The former Celtic man’s work-rate and creative abilities will be essential in both establishing more control in the midfield and providing service to Redmond, respectively.

Last time the 26-year-old was afforded an extended run in the starting XI, he hit a rich vein of goal scoring form and took his tally to 4 in all-competitions for the season, but he has amassed just 182 minutes of football in his last five appearances and has been unable to string starts together.

Hasenhuttl should throw him in against Spurs. He can do no worse than Austin did and his tracking back will undoubtedly be crucial.

Jack Stephens in for Maya Yoshida

While none of the Southampton back-three covered themselves in glory against the Red Devils, Maya Yoshida’s defensive performance was far removed from the dominant showings he produced in the stalemate with Chelsea and then the win over Fulham.

The 30-year-old failed to complete a tackle, while Jannik Vestergaard and Jan Bednarek completed 3 and 2, respectively. Bringing in Stephens also gives Hasenhuttl the option of playing out from the back where possible – the number 5 is adept at bringing the ball forward, despite being slightly error-prone on occasion.

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Prior to his horror showing in the loss against Arsenal, the 25-year-old had been a solid figure in the Saints defence and should be given a chance to redeem himself this weekend.

Having someone who can bring the ball out and fizz it into one of the midfielders will boost Southampton’s chances of catching their opponent on the counter – and that could be crucial against another top six opponent in Spurs.

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Celtic have been rocked by the news that Brendan Rodgers has joined Leicester City, but the profound disappointment surrounding his departure may only represent the first step towards another colossal setback.

Rodgers has left Celtic midway through a season in which a potential treble-treble was on the cards, with the notorious bright lights of Leicester proving too irresistible to ignore.

The Bhoys faithful are, understandably, distraught. Not only is this a blow in terms of their ambitions both short and long-term, it has provided an acute reminder of the club’s subordination to Premier League clubs and the futility of their imperious dominance in Scotland.

Celtic are a huge club, make no mistake about it, but an explicit lack of genuine competition is holding them back and that can be seen when they are faced with a proper challenge in Europe. Ultimately, the most coveted cogs in the machine will grow tired of this trend and will be cherry-picked by clubs across the continent who can offer a higher standard of football.

Moussa Dembele has already flown the nest, Rodgers has now followed in his footsteps and, with the departure signalling the end of an era, Kieran Tierney could be the next man to walk through the exit door.

The 21-year-old is adored by the Paradise faithful and represents a textbook emblem of the qualities which the vociferous fan base demand from their heroes. His heart is etched onto his sleeve, his playing style rampant and marauding, his promise exceptional.

Reports in recent years have tipped Tierney to join Manchester United, but Leicester will have to be regarded as an incredibly plausible destination for him following recent events.

Rodgers has history in this context: he signed the focal-point of his midfield at Swansea, Joe Allen, in his first summer transfer window in charge of Liverpool.

But the substance to this potential future transfer plot also lies within Ben Chilwell’s future. Leicester’s first-choice left-back has enjoyed an excellent season with the club, and his performances have commanded interest from Manchester City, as per ESPN.

Left-back has been a problematic area for City during the past eighteen months, with Benjamin Mendy consistently sidelined and Fabian Delph’s own injury problems forcing Oleksander Zinchenko, Aymeric Laporte and Danilo – an attacking midfielder, central defender and right-back by trade – to share the responsibility of deputising at full-back.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

And City are unlikely to be the only interested party. English, 22 and phenomenally talented, Chilwell ticks plenty of boxes for the Premier League’s top-six.

It will take some doing for Rodgers to convince the Man City target to stay at the club long-term, and he should be firmly aware of that after taking the reigns at the King Power Stadium.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Chilwell’s departure automatically implies that Tierney will become the Foxes’ number one target to replace the England international, but his association with Rodgers suggests he will be a name at the heart of the transfer discussion.

Rodgers could ultimately come back to haunt Celtic by inflicting another colossal setback on the club in the shape of a move for the 12-cap Scotland international.

The most pertinent question is, perhaps, would Rodgers be willing to abandon his allegiance to the Hoops in a bid to prise a genuine hero away from Glasgow?

The meteoric rise of Jadon Sancho in the Bundesliga has set a precedent for young players wanting to move abroad, and Liverpool fans should be very concerned upon learning that one of their own prodigies is the subject of interest from German outfit Schalke.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Schalke are looking to make Anfield youngster Taiwo Awoniyi their answer to rival Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, who transferred from Manchester City in 2017.

The Nigerian forward has been in sensational form since joining Belgian side Mouscron on loan, netting six goals and providing two assists in just seven appearances.

Apparently, Schalke have already approached Liverpool about securing the 21-year-old’s services in the summer.

Whether a deal is done remains to be seen. The Reds will be well aware of other interest from other parties, and will surely prefer sending the player out on another loan spell rather than on a permanent deal, so they can monitor his progress and have access to his obvious talents in the future.

That said, fans have reason to be anxious. No player enjoys the uncertainty of successive loan spells nor do they appreciate what they have come to symbolise: a clubs unwillingness to commit, but absolute readiness to deprive a player of their immediate future.

Both parties will be aware of Sancho’s success and both will be keen on ensuring they get the best deal.

For Liverpool, this means ensuring they are backed-up financially. A buy-back clause will likely be inserted into any future deal, much like Manchester City’s who, if they match the offer, get first refusal (as per Manchester Evening News) making it harder for other clubs to sign the player should he come good.

On the other hand, Awoniyi will just want a chance at first-team action.

Liverpool fans, do you think letting Awoniyi go now would be a huge mistake? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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Tottenham Hotspur’s fanbase on Twitter can’t make their mind up after the latest rumours linking key playmaker Christian Eriksen with a move away from north London in the summer transfer window.

Calciomercato have reported that Italian giants Juventus are ready to rival Real Madrid in landing the Dane’s signature at the end of the season, despite Spurs being hopeful that their star man will sign a contract extension and stay at the new White Hart Lane.

This has caused a great deal of division among the supporters of the club and there are strong arguments on all sides, with some even questioning whether his form is good enough for a move of this stature.

On one hand, one fan wanted to “get him sold if he won’t sign a new contract,” while another proclaimed that “selling Eriksen would be stupid”. The argument that the Denmark man hasn’t played well enough in recent times to draw this kind of interest, meanwhile, has also  been flying around on Twitter.

Check out some of the best reactive Tweets to the rumour from Lilywhites fans, below…

Newcastle’s decision to bring in a loan manager in a bid to help bring on the young players graduating through the academy is long overdue, and is something that rival Premier League clubs have been doing for some time now.

The disastrous loans spells for Elias Sørensen, Jamie Sterry and Cal Roberts — resulting in all three of them being recalled yesterday due to lack of playing time — highlights the urgency of bringing in a specialist who can liaise between Rafa and clubs interested in borrowing the youngsters.

The Magpies have acted quickly to prevent a repeat of the trios’ dreadful experience, and will give Rafa one less problem to deal with on a day to day basis.

The impending arrival of the “Loan Player Coordinator”, as reported in the Newcastle Chronicle, along with two other key roles behind the scenes, is could save the club millions if it helps to develop more youth players into first team contenders.

More importantly, this must be seen as the clearest indication yet that Mike Ashley is willing to give Rafa the things he has been pleading for, in order to commit his long-term future to the club.

Revamping the academy — along with a written guarantee of a budget for each transfer window — was one of the main sticking points for Benitez, and heeding his warnings on the need to do so will have much more sway with the Spaniard than the promise of a marquee signing which was rumoured earlier in the week.

The stand-off between the club and manager has been in place for months, and these recent developments surely suggest that it is Ashley who has blinked first.

Fans, who are desperate for positive news regarding their manager’s situation, will be hoping so, and if the club are serious about trusting Rafa, then a new contract could be signed sooner, rather than later.

We think the signs coming out of the club in dribs and drabs are means for optimism for Toon fans, and that a happy ending me be in touching distance.

What do you think Newcastle fans? Are you feeling more confident that Rafa will stay? Let us know below…