Despite only being 22-years-old, Jack Harrison has already experienced a whirlwind of a career to date.
The winger moved to the United States as a teenager and emerged as one of the most promising talents in high school football. After one year of representing Wake Forest University in the Atlantic Coast Conference, he was drafted as the number one pick in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft in 2016 by Chicago Fire, before immediately being traded to New York City FC.
After two impressive seasons with the club, Harrison moved to Manchester City last year, spending the remainder of the 2017/18 campaign at Middlesborough. Now on loan at Leeds United, the England under-21 international has shown glimpses of his talent under Marcelo Bielsa with his latest appearance against Millwall particularly catching the eye of the club’s supporters.
With the Whites currently fighting it out with Norwich City and Sheffield United for automatic promotion in the Championship, Harrison has the opportunity to make a crucial impact in the final seven games. If he is able to demonstrate an improvement to his ability in the final-third, he could create an ultimatum for Bielsa to have to consider in the summer.
The winger clearly has the potential to develop into a player who could easily thrive in the top flight of English football and so if Leeds do secure promotion in May, they could consider permanently signing him at the end of the season. A move to Elland Road could benefit Harrison as he is unlikely to start for a City side who boast the likes of Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez in the positions that he currently occupies for the Whites.
Therefore, for the sake of his career, it may be a good idea to consider a switch to the Yorkshire-based outfit if Bielsa decides that he wants to keep him at the club. Leeds themselves – potentially missing out on Daniel James – would be picking up a real talent and one with a huge sell-on value, so it’s a deal that’d make sense, despite Noel Whelan criticising him earlier this season when speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, relayed by HITC.
What do you think Leeds fans? Should the club consider a permanent move for Harrison in the summer? Or should they focus on bringing in another player in his position? Let us know below.
Ahead of this weekend’s Championship fixtures, Sky Sports pundit David Prutton has given his assessment of Sheffield Wednesday’s clash with Aston Villa.
What’s he said?
Providing his thoughts to Sky Sports, Prutton made reference to how big the game will be for Steve Bruce as he takes on his former employers. It’s something that could serve as extra motivation for the Owls manager as the pundit backed him to claim a draw at Hillsborough on Saturday.
Here’s what the ex-player had to say:
“Steve Bruce will be right up for this, as he prepares to face Aston Villa for the first time since his departure from the club last year.
“Sheffield Wednesday have plenty more at stake as they are still within reach of the top six, but Villa are bang in form at the minute. I have a feeling, however, that the Owls will get a draw.”
Huge period for Wednesday
The Owls’ current run of form sees them on a remarkable 12 games without defeat, leaving Bruce unbeaten since he took charge. It’s a huge contrast to the run that saw the club fall away under Jos Luhukay.
However, despite their form, this match with Villa will be incredibly tight and you’d have to say Bruce would probably take a draw.
At some point the unbeaten streak will have to end though and that may happen very soon, regardless of the gaffer’s extra motivation against his old side, simply due to the upcoming fixtures.
Who would make a combined Sheffield XI? Ingood Nick makes his picks in the video below…
The Yorkshire club have three more massive games to follow after this, taking on Nottingham Forest, Leeds and Norwich, so a win this Saturday would be huge for confidence going into a make or break part of the season.
With seven games left to play, Wednesday sit in 11th and find themselves four points away from the play-offs. Bruce’s men certainly have everything to play for.
Loads of Celtic fans have been reacting to an update from Ryan Christie, who released a picture of his injury on social media.
Celtic stayed well on track for the historic treble treble at the weekend, cruising past Aberdeen 3-0 in the Scottish Cup semi-final.
They were given a helping hand by Derek McInnes side though, whose poor discipline meant they ended the match with nine men.
Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…
The first red card in particular was ludicrous, as Dominic Ball, who had already been booked, flew full speed into Christie, completely missing the ball and instead head-butting the Bhoys youngster square in the face.
Ball was of course shown another card, and from that moment on the result was never in doubt as James Forrest, Odsonne Edouard and Tom Rogic scored the three goals to take the Hoops to the final.
Christie has now released a picture on social media displaying the damage, and we won’t lie to you Ryan – it’s not a good look.
Loads of fans have been reacting to the 24 year-old’s update, which you can view here, while the club have also issued a statement on his condition.
We’ve collected some of the best Twitter reactions for you down below…
Football is the best sport in the world, and last night’s game against Manchester City and Tottenham encapsulated everything the beautiful game is all about.
Dramatic early goals, stunning equalisers from the underdogs, and new and emerging technologies shattering the dreams of what looked like a certain winner deep into injury-time, and yet people this morning will be waking up thinking the same thing, ‘how the hell are Spurs in a Champions League semi-final?’
Not many would have expected Mauricio Pochettino’s side to make to this stage of the competition, and with a final four match with Ajax coming up, there’s a genuine chance we can see Spurs in the Champions League final come May, and this is something that Arsenal fans can only dread about.
The prospect of Spurs in a cup final of any sorts is enough to make Arsenal fans annoyed, but a Champions League final, the only competition neither side has won, would tip Gooners over the edge, and it’s this obsession with their rivals that make this hatred between these two teams so unique.
Go to any Arsenal home game and no matter who the opposition are one of the first few chants you hear every match is the famous ‘What do we think of Tottenham?’ song.
This obsession to always demine Spurs and constantly bring up past glories and history is damaging Arsenal’s reputation as a club, and the hard reality is that fans don’t need to constantly mention their rival’s name at every game as it’s now a sign of jealousy.
Most football fans would never have expected to see Tottenham in a Champions League semi-final, let alone a final, but for Arsenal fans, it would be the ultimate embarrassment despite their own club having a good chance to finish above Spurs in the table and also seal European success on their own terms.
This jealousy of Spurs has to stop for the betterment of the club’s reputation, otherwise the tag of ‘obsessed fans’ will never go away.
Arsenal fans, should supporters stop focusing too much on Tottenham? Let us know!
Everton are looking to build a squad for the future, so they should already have their eye on their possible Cenk Tosun replacement, Bassala Sambou from the U23s.
The 21-year-old was brought to the club from Coventry in 2016 and this season he’s really come into his own for the Toffees’ youth team. He’s bagged 11 goals and two assists in 23 appearances for them, with two coming in the open-age Checkatrade trophy.
Cenk Tosun has scored and assisted just three each in the 27 times he’s appeared for the first team this season, and that’s nowhere near good enough for a club looking to break into the top six. He should go in summer and be replaced by Sambou.
Everton have to go out and spend money on wingers to provide their other forwards with opportunities after Theo Walcott and Richarlison just haven’t been up to scratch. Some would argue they need an out-and-out striker too, but why not give this youngster a chance.
It’s risk-free and the Everton faithful will have patience with the German, as all clubs do with players that come through the ranks.
If the decision pays off, it could save the club tens of millions in the long run which can be spent on other areas.
The club need to spend, but they also need to prove to their youth players that opportunities will arise if they play well enough in the U23s. Sambou should be the youngster to set that precedent, and who knows what may come of it?
Everton fans, do you think your team needs to buy an out-and-out striker or could Bassala Sambou be the man? Join the discussion by commenting below.
Every Arsenal fan knew the result was coming, but the performance was on a whole new level of embarrassing.
The 3-0 defeat to Leicester City marked yet another low point in Arsenal’s season, a game in which the Gunners had their lowest percentage of possession ever in a Premier League match and conceded the most shots on target in a single game out of any team in the division this season.
Arsenal are yet again bottling a top-four finish, which is impressive when the Gunners almost looked certain to claim a Champions League spot in the table with other teams competing for those illustrious positions slipping up as the north London side kept on winning, but things aren’t that simple in football.
Arsenal have slipped to fifth in the table two weeks since their away win against Watford, and although the club are still in the race for top-four with teams around them also failing to pick up wins in the remaining fixtures, you can’t help but think the Gunners won’t get over the finish line.
With two games remaining in the league in the form of Brighton at home and Burnley away, Unai Emery knows that six points from six is what the club will need to qualify for the Champions League, and if the Spaniard can execute that whilst also having more luck from other teams slipping up, it would be a masterstroke from the Gunners boss.
Not many Arsenal fans would have expected the team to be two points fourth place with two games remaining in the league, but if you were to tell them that at the start of the season they would take that position in a heartbeat, and Emery now needs to do what must be done to return the club back to the Champions League.
Arsenal fans, can Emery secure top-four this season? Let us know!
Norwich’s 2-1 home win over Blackburn Rovers last Saturday sealed their promotion to the Premier League, marking the Canaries’ return to England’s top tier after a desolate three years away.
As the full-time whistle blew at Carrow Road, the deafening cheers from the crowd just about summed up the relief felt from all Norwich fans, players, coaches and hierarchy alike. After two seasons of mediocrity in the Championship, the Canaries were finally returning to the promised land they so proudly called home back in 2016.
Under the management of German Daniel Farke, who became the first foreign head coach in the club’s history at the end of the 16/17 season, the Canaries have gone from strength to strength and adopted a fast-paced, possession-focused brand of football, reminiscent of the Dortmund II side Farke had managed previously.
Despite his first season ending in a disappointing 14th placed finish, Farke’s second has been nothing short of a miracle, with Norwich winning 26 of their 45 games and scoring a whopping 91 goals in the process.
Soccer Football – Premier League – Burnley v Wolverhampton Wanderers – Turf Moor, Burnley, Britain – March 30, 2019 Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo reacts after the match Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please conta
Such a success story paves similarities with the dominance shown by Wolves last term, as they earned promotion from the Championship at somewhat of a canter with four games to spare under Nuno Espirito Santo.
The Portuguese boss has since guided the team to an unbelievable first season in the England’s top division, surpassing all expectations by not only avoiding relegation but challenging for European football.
Before Santo’s appointment, Wanderers were tinkering on the edge of capitulation after a managerial merry-go-round almost ended in disaster with the club sat in the Championship’s relegation zone. Yet, under the 45-year-old’s stewardship, they have transformed into a competitive and credible Premier League outfit occupying 7th position amongst the Premier League’s big hitters.
Whilst reaching the European elite seems unlikely as they’re currently 12 points behind 5th placed Arsenal, Wolves can take much satisfaction from proving their doubters wrong.
Nuno Santo.
It is this resilience and determination that has embodied Wolves as a club, and are the characteristics Santo himself believes are vital in surviving the callous clutches of the Premier League.
Yet, as well as the bravery and brawn on the field, Wolves have shown bags of ambition off it, with Chinese owners Fosun committing huge sums to signing top-quality players since their 2016 takeover.
Amongst these additions are dynamic midfielders Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota. Investing in the midfield areas has paid dividends for Wanderers, as Neves and Jota have been involved in 46% of their 46 Premier League goals this season, scoring 13 and assisting 8 between them.
However, shrewd spending alone isn’t enough for Norwich to prosper in the top flight. This season, Wolves boss Santo has found the perfect tactical balance between creativity and conservativeness, stifling even the highest quality of opposition.
Wolves play with five at the back – this gives their midfield maestros the freedom to roam with extra width, whilst maintaining a solid defensive line.
Wing-backs Matt Doherty and Jonny, with 63 Premier League starts between them, play so high up the field that their challengers are put on the back foot whilst pressure is eased on their own defence.
Such a tactic imposed by Santo has contributed massively to Wolves’ newfound identity as a prudent yet dangerous outfit, and has been effective in preserving their own net as Wolves have conceded the 5th least goals this season, only bettered by Chelsea, Spurs, Man City and Liverpool.
This suggests a similar style of play, paired with quality investment in solid-minded players is the secret to success in England’s top tier, and is something that Norwich will need to emulate to some extent next term – a newfound steeliness to match the incredible attacking football Farke’s inspired at Carrow Road.
Yet, this all seemed a distant daydream for Norwich City two years ago – following their relegation from the top flight in 2016, the Canaries foiled any hopes of an immediate return after finishing 8th in the Championship the subsequent season.
However, it wasn’t long until Delia Smith was cutting the cake with their new boss Farke, and after Norwich’s rampant run to promotion this year suggesting they could replicate the top-tier success of their west Midlands counterparts, they may well be applying the icing very shortly.
Erik Lamela is in contention to play for Tottenham Hotspur against Ajax in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, per Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold.
The Argentina international has not played for the club since March, in the second leg of the Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund.
Indeed, he has completed 90 minutes in the Premier League just twice this term and has missed the last seven games with a hamstring injury.
However, there is said to be a hope that he can take his place on the bench as Spurs look to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Amsterdam.
Indeed, Mauricio Pochettino’s side are aware that they must win in the Netherlands to have any hope of playing in the final in Madrid, where they would surely meet Barcelona, who thumped Liverpool 3-0 in the other semi-final first leg.
Spurs fans, though, are less than enthused about the prospect of Lamela playing on Wednesday, with many taking to Twitter to either slam the forward or react with the sarcasm the social media site is known for.
According to The Telegraph, Leicester are interested in signing RB Leipzig winger Jean-Kevin Augustin. However, if they continued to pursue their interest they could be walking into another transfer blunder.
What’s the word?
Augustin has been highly touted ever since he was at PSG and as a result, was snapped up by RB Leipzig in 2017.
The crafty winger has three goals in 16 appearances in the Bundesliga this season and has shown a high level of potential despite his limited game time.
And his performances have now caught the eye of the Premier League with Leicester lining up a move, per The Telegraph.
However, they’ll face competition from Everton in a transfer that could cost £17.5m if the report is to be believed.
Leicester need to be careful
Leicester definitely need wide players in the transfer window. Both Demarai Gray and Mark Albrighton are far too inconsistent whilst Harvey Barnes is still a long way from realising his full potential.
The signing of Augustin to try and solve that issue would be questionable, though, and they could be at risk of replicating the awful signing of Fousseni Diabate.
Also a quick direct winger, he never really hit the ground running after arriving in January 2018. He failed to score a single goal and after making just one appearance this season was loaned out to Sivasspor in Turkey.
Both players are similar in style and although Augustin has already played in a high-class league, it’s clear these types of players don’t fit into Leicester’s way of playing.
In recent years they’ve operated with Jamie Vardy running into the channels with inside forwards occupying more central areas. Players like Diabate and Augustin don’t fit into this and as such, the Foxes would be making a considerable error by signing the 21-year-old.
As the club already have a young winger in Barnes, they should instead focus their attempts on finding a more experienced wide man ready to deal with the Premier League.
It’s rare you can say a player who has cost close to £50 million can be a bargain, but for Arsenal and Alexandre Lacazette, that’s been just the case.
The French striker joined the Gunners in 2017 from Lyon for a reported fee of £46.5 million and has since gone on to establish himself as one of the best strikers in the Premier League, named Arsenal’s Player of the Season as voted by the fans.
Indeed, 19 goals across all competitions this season in an otherwise thoroughly dysfunctional outfit is pretty good going.
Lacazette has also formed one of the best strike partnerships in Europe alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the duo fired Arsenal into the Europa League final, and the Frenchman has caught the eye of suitors.
Recently it was reported that Barcelona saw Lacazette as a potential target for the club if they were unable to sign Antoine Griezmann this summer, and now according to the Metro, Arsenal are willing to open contract talks with their number nine to sign the striker down to a new deal, and this will be massive for the club.
Lacazette has shown he is one of the top strikers in English football, being able to score a wide variety of goals as well as having an irreplaceable friendship and connection with Aubameyang, and tying the Frenchman down to a long-term deal will be some of the best business Arsenal do all summer.
Arsenal need improvements elsewhere on the pitch, but in Lacazette, the club have a player who can hold down the striker position for years to come.
Arsenal fans, will the club be able to tie Lacazette down to a new deal? Let us know!