[ad_pod ]It was the 2013/14 season, and a 23-year-old Jordan Henderson was running the show in midfield on most weekends under Brendan Rodgers.The former Sunderland man, an academy graduate of Black Cats, had developed a bit of a reputation as a box-to-box midfielder during his time on Wearside, as well as in his early days at Anfield.Here was a player with evident bundles of energy, a real burgeoning midfield player who could pass the ball, cross it, and find the net from a very young age.Five goals and seven assists were what Henderson came out of the aforementioned 2013/14 season with, as he and Liverpool came within touching distance of a first Premier League title – it was telling that Henderson was suspended for the final three games of the run-in, when Rodgers’ men ultimately bottled it.Check out the latest hilarious video by 442oons in the video below…Rodgers was given the sack in October 2015, and in came Jurgen Klopp, a man who has done wonders for the football club so far ever since, but not so much for Henderson.The energetic player who was making an impact at both ends of the pitch had quickly turned into a stifled midfielder, one who didn’t really look to have a unique role in the team nor did he have a defining presence on the field as Klopp deployed him deeper.”Boring sideways passer”. “He offers nothing!” These were the types of cries that would find their way onto Liverpool fans’ and neutral fans’ Twitter accounts, or would be the topic of the post-match pub chat amongst supporters. What had happened to Henderson, someone who was rated as one of the best English talents in the country just a few years previous?

A natural No.8, Henderson now found himself stuck as a No.6 under the German. With the armband strapped around his bicep, was he going to kick up a fuss about it? Of course not. The England international simply got on with it for the sake of his team, sacrificing his reputation in the game as an exciting roaming midfielder, and instead picking up the label of a non-creative figure simply happy to keep the game ticking over.

A lack of a natural holding midfielder meant Henderson had to cover there with no other options available.

However, following the arrival of Fabinho, a natural defensive midfielder, Henderson has taken the opportunity to return back to his ways of old. A conversation with Klopp, in which he discussed his preference to play in a more advanced role, saw the 28-year-old thrust back into his former position from the bench against Southampton.

With the score at 1-1, Henderson got an assist and scored a goal to help his side to a 3-1 win, and immediately looked far more comfortable in the advanced role than he had whilst playing deeper for the last 18 months.

He was deployed there again in the 2-0 win over Porto in the Champions League quarter-finals, where he was instrumental in victory over the Portuguese side.

Following that game, Klopp even admitted to stifling his captain’s ability, and apologised. The former Borussia Dortmund boss said: “It was my fault that for one-and-a-half years he played as a No 6. Sorry for that! But we needed him there.”

Now approaching his 29th birthday, Henderson is regarded by many neutral fans as a bang average midfielder who offers very little, an opinion that may not change despite his obvious preference for the No.8 role.

Klopp may now have realised the errors of his ways after Henderson took it upon himself to chat with his boss, but could his entire career have been completely different had he been played in his favoured position?

We’ll never know, but the chances are that Henderson would be viewed very differently right now.

The race for automatic promotion in League One has seen supporters of the five clubs involved experience a roller-coaster of emotions this season.

Barnsley looked to be in a superb position to finish in the top-two alongside runaway leaders Luton Town last month yet by dropping points in their last two outings against Coventry City and Burton Albion, Daniel Stendel’s side have squandered their advantage over the likes of Sunderland, Portsmouth and Charlton Athletic.

Although the Black Cats failed to fully capitalise on the Tykes’ 2-1 defeat to the Brewers, their draw against the same opponent in mid-week was still good enough to see them to leapfrog their rivals in the standings. With Jack Ross’s side now holding a one-point lead over Barnsley and still having one more game to play between now and May, it is looking increasingly likely that the Yorkshire-based outfit may have to settle for the play-offs.

However, despite having a good recent relationship with the competition having achieved promotion via the final in 2016, the Tykes’ entire season could be shaped by the outcome of their clash with Fleetwood Town at Oakwell on Saturday. If they fail to secure a victory against the Cod Army, it could be disastrous for their hopes of making an immediate return to the Championship.

By embarking on a bad run of form towards the crescendo of a season, it can be extremely difficult for a side to bounce back when they enter the play-offs. For Barnsley, the last thing that they want is to enter a two-legged clash with either Charlton, Portsmouth or Doncaster Rovers without any confidence as all three of those sides have experienced a resurgence in recent weeks.

Therefore, by beating Fleetwood convincingly later, the Tykes could build up some much-needed momentum for their remaining fixtures in League One.

What do you think Barnsley fans? Can your side still secure automatic promotion? Or do they now need to prepare for the lottery of the play-offs in May? Get in touch below.

You don’t really associate Arsenal with incredible freekicks, but Alexandre Lacazette’s winning goal proved another story.

The Frenchman’s first-half strike was all it took for Arsenal to seal passage to the Europa League semi-finals for the second year in a row, and with the tournament favourites now eliminated, the Gunners could well be on their way to a first piece of European silverware in over 20 years, and Lacazette will be key in this goal.

Lacazette has been one of Arsenal’s best players this season, shortlist for the club’s Player of the Season award, and his ability to turn up on the biggest of stages is what sets him apart from other members of the squad.

Arsenal managed to sign the striker for just £47.7 million back in 2017.

Aside from his goal, which will be what fans remember today, his overall performance was worthy of the man of the match award. Lacazette drove at the Napoli defenders all game and found it easy to find the space to create chances for himself and strike partner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who should have scored on more than one occasion.

If Arsenal are to return to the Champions League, where it be through finishing in the top four or by winning the Europa League, Lacazette will be one of the driving forces behind it, and his importance for the club is growing stronger and stronger as the games keep on rolling.

Arsenal fans, how many goals can Lacazette reach at the end of the season? Let us know!

What a weekend it was for Leeds United and their hopes of securing automatic promotion.

After Sheffield United conceded a last-gasp equaliser at Bramall Lane against Millwall, the Whites knew that they had a golden opportunity to extend the gap between them and their Yorkshire rivals.

In-front of a raucous crowd at Elland Road, Marcelo Bielsa’s side dominated possession of the ball but had to be patient against a stubborn Sheffield Wednesday who were looking to edge closer to the play-off positions in the Championship. After the Whites squandered a myriad of chances, they finally scored the all-important goal that as Jack Harrison converted a Pablo Hernandez cross to secure a vital victory.

With just four left to play this season, Leeds now not only have a three-point advantage over Chris Wilder’s Blades but are also back in contention for the league title following Norwich City’s unexpected draw on Sunday against Wigan Athletic.

Given the current situation that their club find themselves in, you would forgive Whites supporters for getting carried away yet for Bielsa, it is imperative that he keeps his players focused on the job in hand. Although the Argentine will be confident that his side can secure the ten points needed to guarantee automatic promotion, he will be wary of the challenges that are still to come.

Leeds host Wigan on Good Friday before facing a tricky trip to Brentford on Easter Monday with a defeat in either fixture potentially opening the door for the Blades to leapfrog them. If the Whites can replicate their two previous performances over the next three weeks, they should breeze towards a top-two finish yet by thinking too far ahead, they could end up losing out in what has been arguably their best campaign in the last fifteen years.

What do you think Leeds fans? How confident are you that your side now has what it takes to secure promotion in May? Are there any fixtures left in particular that worry you? Get in touch below.

كشفت تقارير كتالونية منذ قليل عن السبب الذي أدى إلى استبعاد، ليونيل ميسي، من التشكيل الأساسي للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشونة في مباراة ريال بيتيس.

ويستضيف برشلونة في تمام الساعة الخامسة والربع عصرًا منافسه الأندلسي ريال بيتيس في الجولة التاسعة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني على ملعب “كامب نو”.

ولكن المفاجأة جاءت في التشكيل الأساسي الذي أعلنه المدرب، رونالد كومان، للمباراة باستبعاد ميسي وبقاءه على مقاعد البدلاء مما أثار الجدل بين الجماهير خاصة وأن برشلونة لا يسير بشكل جيد في بطولة الدوري الإسباني. (طالع التشكيل)

ولكن أفادت شبكة “TV3” الكتالونية أن ميسي قد ظهر على مقاعد البدلاء اليوم بسبب إصابة بسيطة حيث يشعر ببعض الانزعاج في الكاحل.

الجدير بالذكر أن ميسي لم يتواجد على مقاعد البدلاء في برشلونة منذ أكثر من عام كامل أمام غرناطة في بطولة الدوري الإسباني في سبتمبر 2019.

Segundo @tv3cat, Messi tem dores no tornozelo e por isso começa no banco.

— Marcelo Bechler (@marcelobechler) November 7, 2020

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Arsenal have not enjoyed the best of seasons on the road.

As has been copiously covered, the Gunners have been beaten eight times away from home this season, while also drawing four times. They have won just six games.

This is a familiar problem for Emery, though, and a trawl back through his managerial career suggests that he has no idea whatsoever how to fix it.

In 2015-16, Emery was managing Sevilla. He took the club to Europa League glory and a seemingly respectable seventh-placed finish in La Liga.

However, he failed to win away from home at all in the Spanish top-flight.

It is a statistical quirk, some might say, but the difference between the club’s record at home and on the road is stark. That season, they played 19 games at home and won 14. They drew once and were beaten four times, by Atletico Madrid, Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad and Granada. They beat Real Madrid 3-2 at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan and Barcelona 2-1. The draw came against Deportivo La Coruna. They scored 38 goals and conceded just 21.

Sevilla away 2015-16

Wins: 0

Draws: 9

Losses: 10

Goals scored: 13

Goals conceded: 29

This speaks to a well-organised, well-drilled team who thrives on the big occasion; it is incredibly rare that both Real and Barca fall to the same team outside of the top three.

But away from home, Sevilla were nothing short of dreadful.

They recorded nine draws and were beaten 10 times. Real, the team they scalped at home, thumped them 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Barcelona won 2-1 at Camp Nou. Rayo Vallecano, Getafe and Levante were all relegated that season and all three drew with Emery’s men at home. Sporting Gijon, who stayed up by one point, won 2-1 at home in the run-in.

Indeed, in all competitions, Sevilla won on the road three times. They beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 away in the Europa League quarter-finals. Ironically, they then lost at home, by a 2-1 scoreline, but progressed on penalties. Their other two wins came in the Copa Del Rey against lower-league opposition, 3-0 successes over Mirandes in the Round of 32 and Logrones in the quarter-finals.

Arsenal, of course, have not quite been this bad this season but they have been far from impressive. They have won six times on the road but half of those victories have come against the bottom three; a 2-1 win over Huddersfield Town on April 9th was followed by a 5-1 success over Fulham in October and a 3-2 victory over Cardiff City in September. The other wins came against Newcastle United in September, AFC Bournemouth in November and Watford in April.

It has been a major problem and it has placed Arsenal’s participation in next season’s Champions League in serious peril. The club are currently fifth in the Premier League, two points behind Chelsea and four off Tottenham Hotspur in third.

They could, of course, win the Europa League and sneak in that way but to do that they will have to beat Valencia over two legs and then beat either Eintracht Frankfurt or old rivals Chelsea in the final.

Emery, as 2015-16 shows us, does have experience of lifting that trophy. When it comes to fixing his side’s away form, however, it does not appear as though he has the answer.

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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to discuss Jose Mourinho’s words on Scott McTominay from earlier in the season, and are in agreement that their former boss was spot on in his appraisal of the youngster.

McTominay’s emergence in the first-team has come amidst a terrible period for the club, and after the midfielder won the Player of the Month award for April, some cruelly suggested that it was merely down to the lack of quality at the club right now. Very harsh on the Scottish international, that.

Which “global superstar” has just been named Man Utd’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video above…

The 22-year-old has made 21 appearances for the Red Devils this season, and his passion and desire to play for the shirt has been a breath of fresh air in comparison to the more entitled players surrounding him, who appear to be playing for themselves instead.

After the 3-1 loss to West Ham this season, Mourinho said: “He is a special character.

“He is a special personality and a team in a negative moment needs this kind of mentality that Scott McTominay has.”

After some United fans have been harsh on the academy graduate in recent weeks as a result of the club’s dire run of form, some of the club’s supporters on Twitter are now realising that the former Chelsea boss was right about McTominay and have changed their opinions on him…

It hasn’t been a particularly good time for Chelsea fans this season, but their mood could be about to get even worse. That’s because all signs are pointing towards Eden Hazard leaving the club this summer. With his contract set to expire at the end of next season, the Blues may have their hands tied, and that represents a huge failing on the part of the club.

Sure, you could argue that if Hazard wants to go then the club can’t stand in his way, but the reality is that Chelsea have failed to convince him that Chelsea is the best place for him to be – and the responsibility for that can only fall on the shoulders of the club.

However, despite the obvious failing, there is some light at the end of the tunnel that Hazard looks set to speed through. That’s because, from a monetary point of view, Chelsea are still going to be the big winners in this deal.

According to Transfer Markt, he was signed for £31.5 million from Lille, and that’s a bargain for a player of his quality. It is said that the Blues could sell him for as much as £100 million, and so that would represent a significant profit on the part of the club. They’d be selling him for over three times the price that they paid for him, and that’s clearly a good thing for the club. Sure, they could have got more if he had a longer contract, but that would have been a record fee two or three years ago – and the fact that he’s 28-years-old means that he wouldn’t fetch as much as someone like Neymar when he went to PSG (£199.8 million, as per Transfer Markt).

It goes beyond that, too, though. It’s easy to forget that now, but it’s fair to say that Eden Hazard has already repaid his transfer fee and more to the Blues with his performances on the field. The Belgian has been the club’s main man since he joined from Lille in 2012, and he’s helped them to a number of trophies in that time. At the end of the day, he’s stayed well beyond his original contract when he probably had offers to move on elsewhere.

If you asked most Chelsea fans, they’d be sad that Hazard is leaving – but few would stop him from departing, based on what he’s offered the club. He’s given the Blues everything, and if Real Madrid is his dream, he’s within his right to achieve it. All Chelsea can do is thank him for his service – and count their £100 million-plus with a smile on their face.

Chelsea fans – what do you think? How would you respond to a sale? Let us know below!

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When it comes to Southampton’s transfer business, most talk about the players who have departed St Mary’s rather than those who have arrived and perhaps Jordy Clasie is partly why.

The Dutchman crossed the channel to Southampton in 2015 and was billed as the midfielder to fill the void left by Morgan Schneiderlin, who made the switch to Manchester United in the same window, however it hasn’t gone quite that way for Clasie.

After two pretty mediocre years at Southampton, the 27-year-old was loaned out to Club Brugge and then returned to Feyenoord, who he is currently playing his football with, on a temporary basis last summer.

Why should Southampton be more like Dortmund? Find out in the video below…

With his future up in the air after a bust-up with manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Clasie will surely be hoping that he can resurrect his Southampton career upon returning to St Mary’s at the end of the current campaign. However, if he can’t play his way into Ralph Hasenhuttl’s good books, then these Southampton fans, who were elated by the deal at the time, will have changed their tune for good:

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Loads of Celtic fans have been reacting to a picture of Henrik Larsson on Twitter, as they reminisce about the 2003 UEFA Cup heartbreak.

Celtic are well on pace to secure a treble for the third year running this season, facing Hearts in the Scottish Cup final and needing just a few more wins to close out their eighth consecutive title.

Yet while domestic dominance has increased in recent years, the Bhoys’ European ventures have gotten worse, epitomised by their shocking exit this season.

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

The Hoops were dumped out of the Champions League by AEK Athens after an insipid performance, and fans are now looking back at a time where they were a serious European force.

The 2003 UEFA Cup final in Seville saw Porto beat the Bhoys 3-2 despite Larsson scoring twice, and Celtic Bible have shared a quote from the legendary Swede that reads: “I would have swapped a lot of what I achieved for Celtic just to win in Seville.”

The image accompanying the quote shows the goalscoring machine walking past the cup in agony, and it’s sent fans on Twitter right back to the heartbreak of that night.

Have a look at the best of the reaction down below…