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Nottingham Forest manager Martin O’Neill handed goalkeeper Luke Steele his first Championship start since February 2018 against Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night, and Reds fans delivered their verdict on the 6 ft 2 player both during the game and post-match.

The 34-year-old was given an opportunity by the former Republic of Ireland boss with Costel Pantilimon dropping to the substitutes’ bench, and it looked as though it was going to prove to be an inspired decision following an impressive first half where he pulled off one fantastic save.

However, just two minutes after half-time he was caught horribly out of position by Marco Matias who found the net from 35 yards, with the visitors to Hillsborough going on to be beaten 3-0 in Yorkshire.

With their faint play-off hopes fading, Forest supporters took to Twitter to have their say on their stopper’s display, and the majority weren’t pleased with him.

Unsurprisingly Matias’ strike was a popular talking point, and while one simply said “wow” – presumably having seen the goal – another said “Luke Steele didn’t see that coming”.

Here is just a selection of the reaction…

Can Manchester City complete an unprecedented quadruple? With anyone apart from Pep Guardiola in-charge, that ambition would have been met by sceptics but City really do have a great chance of achieving the unthinkable this season.

With a potential transfer ban (via the Times) soon to gather over the Etihad, it’s lucky enough that Manchester City already have a brilliant squad and they could survive easily without the need to sign anyone.

Obviously, they are a club that loves to spend but whilst their squad already contains a host of world-class players, they can sustain a trophy hunt no matter how long they’re banned for. Although it may not seem that way initially, Manchester City may find it beneficial not to sign anyone, instead giving the young players a real chance to make substantial progress in the first-team.

One player who’s been around the main squad over the last two seasons now is Phil Foden and he could be one of many that benefits from Man City signing no more players.

Foden, (who is valued at £22.5 million on Transfermarkt) is one of the brightest talents, not only at Manchester City, not only in England, but the world.

His on-the-ball technique and tight control has allowed him to fit right in with Pep Guardiola’s side and the young Englishman is set to enjoy a terrific career in football.

His implementation within the first-team has been slow so far due to the endless amounts of quality City already have in his role.

With the transfer ban potentially soon to come in though, it at least will stop others getting ahead of him in the pecking order.

At just 18, Phil Foden appears ready to take a more prominent role within the first-team and giving him the opportunity could prove to be a great thing for all involved.

Manchester City fans, how highly do you rate Phil Foden? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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Chris Solly celebrated 10 years as a Charlton player on Sunday, with a number of old faces returning to enjoy the milestone with the defender.

The 28-year-old has already made an incredible 292 appearances for the London outfit and will surely be hoping to make it 300 by the end of the current campaign. Winning promotion to the Championship would be the icing on the cake.

The Addicks enter the international break seven games unbeaten after their stalemate with Bristol Rovers last weekend and will hope that they can pick that form up when they return to domestic action at the end of March.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

Solly has made 33 league appearances this campaign, scoring one goal in the process, and is well on his way to becoming a Charlton legend – this status will be all but confirmed if he helps the club clinch promotion via the playoffs.

Here’s what the Charlton faithful had to say about Solly’s achievement on Twitter, with many demanding a testimonial match…

يرى جوردان أمافي مدافع مارسيليا، أنه كان في إمكانهم تفادي الهدف الذي سجله المصري أحمد حسن كوكا، لصالح أولمبياكوس، في مباراتهما اليوم ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وتلاقى الفريقان في الجولة الأولى من دور مجموعات البطولة، في معقل الفريق اليوناني.

وتمكن أحمد حسن كوكا من تسجيل هدف فوز أولمبياكوس، وذلك في الدقيقة 91. هدف كوكا القاتل أمام مارسيليا

وقال أمافي، في تصريحات نشرها الموقع الرسمي للبطولة: “لقد اعتدنا على الاحتفاظ بصلابتنا حتى في نهاية المباراة عندما يكون الأمر صعبًا”.

وأضاف: “اليوم، من كرة خسرتها في منطقتي، سارت بسرعة، هكذا هو دوري أبطال أوروبا”.

وواصل: “كان بإمكاننا تفادي الهدف (هدف كوكا) لكننا للأسف خسرنا المباراة”.

هدد مرتضى منصور بعدم خوض الزمالك مباراة نهائي بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا حال تأهله، إذا أقيمت في موعدها المحدد سلفًا بالسادس من نوفمبر المقبل.

وكان مرتضى منصور قد رحب في وقت سابق بطلب منافسه الرجاء البيضاوي المغربي بتأجيل مباراة إياب نصف نهائي البطولة القارية.

وترددت أنباء بشأن موافقة الاتحاد الافريقي لكرة القدم “الكاف” على طلب الرجاء، لتتأجل المباراة إلى يوم 31 من أكتوبر الجاري، فيما تقام موقعة النهائي في موعدها.

طالع | وزارة الصحة المغربية تمنع سفر الرجاء إلى القاهرة لمواجهة الزمالك

وقال منصور في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “الزمالك”: “حتى الآن لم يصدر أي قرار رسمي بشأن مباراة الزمالك والرجاء”.

وأضاف: “إذا تحدد السادس من نوفمبر موعدًا لمباراة النهائي، فليبحثوا عن من سيشارك في المباراة (أنا مخي صعيدي)”.

وأتم: “لقد سعيت لحل مشكلة الرجاء وتعاونت مع الكاف، لا تصدر لي أزمة”.

وأردف: “أقول لكبار المسؤولين في الكاف اذا كنت ستؤجل مباراة إياب نصف النهائي أسبوع، فعليك أن تؤجل النهائي أسبوع”. واختتم: “مستعدون لمواجهة الرجاء في أي وقت، سواء غدًا أو بعد أسبوع، وسننتصر لأنني تاجر السعادة الذي يأتي بالبطولات”. 

يُذكر أن منافسي الزمالك والرجاء، وهما الأهلي والوداد في دور نصف النهائي سيخوضان مباراة الإياب مساء غدٍ الجمعة على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي، بعد أن فاز المارد الأحمر بهدفين دون رد ذهابًا. 

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Reliable West Ham United insider ExWHUemployee has called on Twitter for young winger Nathan Holland to be given an opportunity following a brilliant individual goal for the U23s against Derby County on Monday, and Irons fans agree with him.

The 20-year-old has been in decent form but hasn’t made a single first-team appearance this term, despite the trip to Manchester United on Saturday being the third time he’d been on the substitutes’ bench during the current campaign.

Manuel Lanzini played out wide at Old Trafford but was taken off with a groin injury, which may leave Manuel Pellegrini with only Felipe Anderson, Michail Antonio and Grady Diangana to pick from on the flank for the visit of Leicester City to the London Stadium at the weekend.

Diangana in particular has had plenty of opportunities this season but has often struggled to deliver.

ExWHUemployee clearly believes that it is time for another youngster in Holland to get his chance in the starting XI in the coming weeks, and the following Hammers supporters think he’s on to something.

While one said “chuck him in for the last few games of the season”, another said “he’s exactly what we need at the moment”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Speaking to the BBC’s FA Cup semi-final highlights programme on BBC 1 at 11pm on Sunday night, Martin Keown gave his verdict on Wolves’ extra time defeat to Watford at Wembley, picking out some of the key points from their loss.

What did he say?

Keown first touched on two major reasons for why Wolves lost the game, assessing that Nuno Santo didn’t do enough to get Ruben Neves involved after he was closely monitored by Roberto Pereyra whilst also criticising their wing-backs. Talking to the BBC, he said:

“It was interesting because Wolves didn’t seem to worry about that Pereyra situation. They weren’t getting their wing-backs forward in quite the same way that they normally do. To go 2-0 up at that point, I think that’s when the mistakes were made.”

The mistake the former Arsenal man picked up on was to bring on Ryan Bennett for Neves with four minutes of regulation time to go. He also focused on Conor Coady’s involvement in Gerard Deulofeu’s winning goal.

“If you saw, Bennett was standing on the sideline there at 2-1 for an age and perhaps it was the wrong player to come on at that particular time. All credit to Watford because they showed the quality, Coady gets a bit drawn to the ball and there’s no substitute for pace. Deulofeu’s pace there for that goal was truly outstanding.”

Is he right?

The BBC pundit’s view of the game is absolutely spot on and highlights some of the major flaws in Santo’s management. His substitutes late on in the game invited pressure on the Wolves backline and provided evidence of the lack of plan B they possess.

Matt Doherty may have scored the opening goal of the game but his threat was largely nullified, the same can be said for the opposite wing-back, Jonny.

Taking Neves off, meanwhile, was probably the worst thing they could have done. Although the Portuguese international didn’t have the greatest of games his calming presence would have been particularly beneficial in the closing moments.

With the game then going to extra time after Troy Deeney’s penalty, Wolves didn’t have enough attacking threat on the pitch to win the tie themselves.

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Rangers look all set to secure the free signing of Jake Hastie, but where would the winger actually fit at Ibrox?

What’s the story?

According to Football Insider, Rangers have agreed to sign Hastie when his contract expires this summer.

The report states that the youngster will pen a four-year deal worth £15,000-a-week including bonuses at Ibrox.

Hastie has bagged ten goals and seven assists in all competitions for Motherwell this season.

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

Kris Boyd was right

There is no question that Hastie has talent, coming on leaps and bounds since he struggled on loan at Alloa Athletic, managing just three goals in 23 games there.

The young attacker can play through the middle or on the wing, where his directness and power causes all sorts of problems. His end product is only going to get better as he gets older too.

However, with Jordan Jones set to arrive at Ibrox this summer, and Eros Grezda, Jamie Murphy, Glenn Middleton and Ryan Kent already at the club (although the latter is only on loan), Steven Gerrard is going to have far too many wingers on his hands, particularly on the left side, where Hastie made 26 of his 31 starts this campaign.

Kris Boyd alluded to this exact problem recently, insisting that Director of Football Mark Allen was letting Gerrard down with his ridiculous scattergun approach in the transfer market.

There’s no question that Hastie is a young player with a lot of natural talent and a lot of room to grow, but how can he grow behind four, possibly even five left wingers?

Boyd’s scathing review on the Rangers DoF, which you can read in full here, was absolutely spot on, and this move for Hastie proves it like never before.

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Leeds United teenager Ryan Edmondson produced a match-winning display as the club’s U23 side won the Professional Development League North with two matches to spare on Monday night, and Whites fans were quick to have their say on the striker.

Despite his tender years, the attacker made his debut for the first team last season as a substitute and has also made one outing in the Championship this term for the Yorkshire club.

The 17-year-old’s main job has been starring for the U23s though, and his brace in the 2-0 win against Colchester on Monday took his tally for the current campaign to 14 goals at that level.

With Kemar Roofe injured in recent weeks it is perhaps a surprise that Edmondson hasn’t had more of a look in when it comes to the first-team matchday squad, and one fan certainly suggested that to be true with a tongue-in-cheek comment of “wish Leeds had a striker like this”.

That is in relation to the fact that Patrick Bamford perhaps hasn’t been as clinical as he could have been in Roofe’s absence, and many others have championed the youngster’s case to be more involved.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Manchester City prodigy Phil Foden has revealed that he has lost a bit of fitness due to his lack of playing time under Pep Guardiola this season.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the teenager is one of England’s brightest prospects along with Jadon Sancho and Callum Hudson-Odoi, both of whom won the England Under-17 World Cup with Foden a few years ago.

However, whilst the Borussia Dortmund winger and the Chelsea star were running rings around the Czech Republic for Gareth Southgate’s senior Three Lions side, Foden was playing for Aidy Boothroyd’s Under-21’s – talent wise, the 18-year-old could easily play for the senior side, but a lack of game time at City seems to be hindering him.

442oons have charted the entire career of Man City’s main man Sergio Aguero through song in the hilarious video below…

Guardiola has afforded the City academy graduate just seven starts in the cup competitions, and none in the Premier League – Foden has still managed to score six goals.

Speaking after the recent 1-1 draw with Poland, the Under-21 playmaker said: “It’s just good to get out there and play football. I am still young, 18 years of age, so to get minutes was good for me. I lost quite a bit of fitness but it’s coming back slowly. That was due to not playing.”

Those last 18 words are not what City fans will want to be hearing.

Foden added: “I have been trying to do extra after training but it’s nothing like playing a game, it’s totally different. Hopefully I can get it back.”

He must force a move or risk getting left behind

Both Hudson-Odoi and Sancho are also 18, like Foden, and both are making serious movements in the game right now.

The former has seen bids in the region of £30m from Bayern Munich for his services be made, whilst Sancho is being linked with an £100m summer move to Manchester United.

Foden has all the potential in the world and could quite easily be replicating the wing duo’s achievements right now, but he is being held back at City by all of the world-class talent ahead of him in the team now – it was hard enough to have Bernardo Silva and David Silva ahead of him, before Guardiola bought £60m Riyad Mahrez to the club.

For Foden to say that his fitness is waning as a result of his time sat on the bench is sad, and if anything, reinforces the fact that he must leave the Etihad Stadium – Hudson-Odoi handed in a transfer request back in January having not played as much as he would’ve liked, whilst Sancho ensured he left City for Dortmund as soon as possible.

It is now up to Foden to show the same strong mindedness in order to carve his own path.