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Arsenal fans have ruled out the prospect of Arsene Wenger returning to the club as a technical director.

The club are continuing to search for the perfect appointment to the role after undergoing a number of setbacks.

Monchi, the well-regarded transfer specialist who was working at Roma, opted to snub a move to the Emirates in favour of a return to Spanish club Sevilla, where he had spent the majority of his career as a player.

Marc Overmars, the club’s former attacker, also headed off any speculation at the pass by signing a new contract at Ajax on Monday amid suggestions he could become the primary target.

The bad news led one supporter to float the idea on Twitter of Wenger, the club’s most successful ever manager who left the club at the end of last season, returning to the club in an upstairs role.

But other fans were quick to pile in to poo-poo the idea, having been scarred by the latter years of Wenger’s reign where the club mainly finished fourth.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

Manchester United continued their fine run under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a 3-2 win over Southampton this weekend.

A Romelu Lukaku double proved to be the difference between the sides in a hard fought game at Old Trafford, but it was United who got the three points and continued their run at a Champions League spot.

Of course, the summer is set to be a big one for United in terms of who they make their new manager and who the club go out and sign, but we here in the Tavern feel a few new addtions are a must for the club.

Signing the right calibre of star is hard at a club like United, but there are players out there who could be worth a punt, and one man we think would be a good signing for the Red Devils is Leicester City man Wilfred Ndidi.

The 22-year-old powerhouse has bags of ability and even more potential, and with United needing a bit of bite in the middle of the park, he could well be the ideal signing at Old Trafford.

Strong in the tackle and someone who gets about the pitch well, Ndidi would allow the likes of Paul Pogba to keep playing his expansive brand of football, something which all United fans are wanting to see more of going forward.

It’s a big step up moving to a club the size of United, but Ndidi has the ability, and with a bit of coaching and nurturing, he could well go on to be a superb signing for the club.

United fans, what do you think? Would you take Ndidi? Let us know in the comments!

Newcastle United will be desperate to climb even further away from the relegation zone, with consistency being the main focus from here on in until the end of the season.

Indeed, one thing that has been playing on fans’ minds in recent times is the lack of support that Salomon Rondon has received at the pinnacle of the attack, as he has had to fend for himself.

However, it appears as if the the Magpies have their sights set on a possible summer swoop as they’ve reportedly (as per Teamtalk) scouted Che Adams in recent times, and Birmingham City want £20 million for his services, while Newcastle will have to put together a package worth £16 million if they want to sign Rondon permanently.

So, Mike Ashley should set his sights on securing a double summer swoop that involves bringing Rondon to the club on a permanent deal and Che Adams as well for a potential combined £36 million.

Che Adams has established himself as one of the most dangerous forwards in the Championship this season, having scored an impressive 21 goals already. And, he has plenty of potential and bags of pace, which has been missing at the pinnacle of the attack for the Magpies in the current campaign.

Meanwhile, Rondon has been the standout performer at St James’ Park this season, with seven goals and three assists to his name up until this point, so he’s done more than enough to warrant a permanent switch.

Of course, Mike Ashley hasn’t really been known to splash too much cash over the years at St James’ Park, but it’s safe to say that this potential double raid is definitely needed as they’d be lost without Rondon and Che Adams’ pace and constant goal threat would work wonders.

What do you think Newcastle United fans?

أكد مرتضى منصور، رئيس الزملك، أن ناديه ينتظر قرار لجنة المسابقات بشأن عقوبة التونسي فرجاني ساسي، لاعب وسط الفريق، بعدما تعرض للطرد في مباراة الفريق الأخيرة أمام المصري البورسعيدي.

قام فرجاني ساسي بالتعدي على حكم مباراة الزمالك والمصري التي جمعت بينهما في الجولة الحادية والثلاثين من مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز، والتي انتهت بفوز الأبيض بهدف دون رد، ليقوم الحكم بطرده.

أقرأ ايضًا.. بالمستند | الزمالك يتقدم بشكوى للجنة الأولمبية ضد محمود الخطيب

أضاف مرتضى منصور خلال لقائه مع مسؤولي صفحات الزمالك بمواقع التواصل الاجتماعي اليوم: “ننتظر ما سيفعلونه مع فرجاني ساسي، بعد واقعة مباراة المصري الأخير، وأقول اعمل حاجة لأخرتك يا جنايني”.

تابع: “ساسي أخطأ في الواقعة واعتذرنا للحكم، ولكن اللاعب تعرض للضرب في العديد من الكرات بمباراة المصري”.

وواصل: “تحدثت مع رئيس النادي المصري بشأن بعض الجماهير التي قامت بإلقاء الزجاجات على الفريق، وهم لن يحضروا أي مباريات أخرى”.

اختتم: “أحذر عصام عبد المنعم وأقول له أنت لم تحترم شعب تونس الشقيق في تصريحاتك المستفزة ضد فرجاني”.

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Everton fans greeted the final whistle at Goodison Park against Liverpool on Sunday with a guttural roar.

The two sides played out a 0-0 draw and the result means the Toffees remain tenth in the Premier League but the significance was in denying the Reds, who now sit second, one point behind champions Manchester City.

On the chalkboard

This is a remarkably tight title race and Liverpool could well be top next weekend, such is the unpredictability of the Premier League.

But the ashen-faced club legends, Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish, watching on from the stands, told the story – telling a thousand words. This felt remarkably significant.

City have not been top, having played the same amount of games as Liverpool, since early December, yet they now have the lead with nine games of the season remaining.

Liverpool, playing in a cauldron of noise, simply did not take their chances.

Per WhoScored, Liverpool made 475 passes to Everton’s 342, they had three more shots on goal, and they won more aerial duels. But this was a display that was typified by nervousness.

Mohamed Salah had two shots on goal and tested Jordan Pickford both times but 99% of Liverpool fans would have backed him to score both. As it were, they were relatively tame efforts. Yet again, the Egyptian let his side down on the biggest of occasions.

All in all, as the game appeared primed for a dramatic conclusion, Liverpool faded, ceding the advantage to the Toffees – indeed, it was the Reds who lost the ball the most, who made the most tackles and who completed the most clearances.

Bottled?

Liverpool have still only lost once this season, to City.

But they have drawn seven games to City’s two and it is starting to look all the more costly.

City play some tough games in the run-in – Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United stand out as the biggest banana skins – but they are now ahead, and they know how they cope with the pressure.

When faced with the prospect of a challenger breathing down their neck, City tend to hit the accelerator and roar away.

Whatever happens between now and May, Liverpool are relying on a slip from Pep Guardiola’s men.

History tells us that it’s unlikely and that the Reds may come to rue this derby.

نفى أحمد خيري لاعب الأهلي الأسبق، الأنباء المتداولة عن تعرضه وشقيقه لحادث سير مساء أمس السبت.

وانتشرت شائعات على مدار الساعات القليلة الماضية عن وفاة اللاعب وشقيقه بسبب حادث سير.

وقال أحمد خيري خلال مداخلة هاتفية ببرنامج “الماتش” المُذاع على قناة “صدى البلد”: “أنا بخير، كثيرون تحدثوا معي والحادث لا يخصني”.

طالع أيضًا.. سيزا: بيراميدز لم يتفاوض مع فايلر.. وملعب التتش بريء من إصابات لاعبي الأهلي

وأضاف: “شقيقة أحمد خيري لاعب كرة اليد بالنادي الأهلي هي من تعرضت للحادث، خالص التعازي له”.

It’s been one hell of a journey for Rangers, hasn’t it? Liquidation in 2012 then up from the third division to the Premiership in five seasons, but they’re yet to win a major trophy and the Scottish Cup would prove they’re truly back.

Since returning to the Scottish top division in 2016 they’ve reached the semi-finals of every League Cup and Scottish Cup they’ve played in, 5 in total. This year they’ve drawn Aberdeen in the quarter-finals and the replay is to be played next Tuesday at Ibrox, so it’ll be massive for the club and the fans alike.

Watching Celtic win the last seven Scottish Premierships, last two Scottish Cups and last three Scottish League Cups will have been a nightmare for the Gers, and Steven Gerrard will hope to end his club’s heartache this season to get the monkey off their backs. After the draw at Aberdeen on the weekend, his players will have the confidence they can win the tie and progress to the semi-finals.

Progression would not only mean a spot in the final four but confirm confidence that Rangers are moving in the right direction with Gerrard. They’ve finished third in each of their two seasons back in the top flight, but now sit second eight points above their Scottish Cup opponents who are third.

The gap between the top two that used to be clear before Rangers’ fall is now becoming closer again.

The distance between Celtic and the Gers is eight points too, so the gap is still there, but with Brendan Rodgers leaving it’s Rangers who appear to be the most organised team at the moment. All Gerrard and his team need to do now is add the Scottish Cup to their comeback climb and then next stop is the big one – the Scottish Premiership.

Rangers fans, would winning the Scottish Cup make this a good season? Do you think it can spark a more sustained title challenge next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

How do Spurs do it? Title contenders one week, and the next we see them fighting to stay in the top four. It has to take its toll on everyone at the club. Still, with the season almost over, all of Spurs’ fans will be glad that Mauricio Pochettino looks (as per the Daily Mail) like he will stay for next season. 

However, with the former Southampton coach looking content in north London, there is no doubt that he will have a few things he needs changing in order to try and finally get his hands on some silverware. Along with the new stadium FINALLY opening up in a couple of weeks, Pochettino will surely be hoping that next season he will have the correct backing to ensure it isn’t a first season calamity in the new ground.

For every Tottenham fan reading this, that’s the biggest fear, right? Not adapting to your new home.

With that in mind, we are going to take a look at a couple of requests the 47-year-old could make in order to bring some real success to the club.

Stop the wage cap completely

One of, if not the biggest, way that Spurs have managed to save so much money in recent years has been due to the fact that they have had a wage cap, meaning no player can earn little more than £100,000 a week (as reported by the Evening Standard in 2017).

As much as this has been a positive for the Lillywhites, it has also been their doom, with players from all across the world earning a lot more than that (would be nice, wouldn’t it?) there really is no surprise that there haven’t been many incomings in recent times.

Only recently has Daniel Levy began to allow more money to go into wages, with stand out star Harry Kane, and a few more earning over the capped price. Going forward, Pochettino and Spurs fans alike will be hoping that the cap can be completely abolished in order to help signing a higher calibre of player.

Transfers, Transfers, Transfers 

No doubt one of the biggest wishes Pochettino and any Tottenham fan would have over the upcoming summer window. Over a year since a new face walked into the club, it really has to be time we see some money spent to bring in a new player. Indeed, we can only imagine how big the wish list has become, watching other teams in the league spending money like it’s going out of fashion.

Should Pochettino make these demands, it could be a very strong and exciting season for Spurs. New players, new stadium, new challenges.

Is next season the season we see silverware head to North London once again? With these demands, it could well be.

Pontus Jansson’s injury appears to have come at a fortunate time for Leeds United, given the international break which is set to commence with Euro 2020 qualifiers this week.

Leeds United confirmed on Monday morning that Jansson had to withdraw from the Swedish squad due to a knee injury he suffered against Sheffield United on Saturday and will begin rehab at the club this week. Indeed, the 28-year-old is expected to be sidelined for no more than three weeks, meaning he won’t miss a lot of Championship action given the international break.

Manager Marcelo Bielsa would be a relieved man after Jansson was forced to play both striker and goalkeeper against the Blades on Saturday, while carrying the knee injury. Jansson was unable to be substituted for treatment, because the Whites had used all of their allowed three bench players and he was forced to move to striker due to his inability to move freely.

The former Torino player than had to go in-goal after Kiko Casilla was red carded in stoppage time, certainly making it an eventful day at Elland Road.

Fortunately, Jansson only had to see out the game for a short period of time before the final whistle blew.

The international break now gives the defender – who everyone will agree is beyond crucial on his day – a good period to make a proper recovery before the club’s next match against Millwall at the end of the month.

But, Jansson could still be busy with his rehab that stage and his Argentine coach will be hoping he could be ready for the trip to Birmingham City early in April. The loss against Sheffield United have seen Leeds slip to third on the Championship table and given how good and consistent Jansson has been this season, Bielsa would need him back as soon as possible if Leeds were to secure automatic qualification to the Premier League next season.

Norwich City currently occupy first spot on the league table with a four-point gap over Sheffield and don’t look likely to give their place as leaders away.

Leeds need all the boosts they can get at this point and, strangely, an injury to one of their best players at the right time might actually be a good thing.

Leeds United fans, how likely is it you think you’ll be going up? If not, why not? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Miguel Almiron is already proving his worth to Newcastle United.

Signed from Atlanta United for a club-record £20million fee in January, the diminutive playmaker has shown that he has already adapted to the rigours of the Premier League in his first three outings.

On the chalkboard

There was some understandable scepticism surrounding the question of whether the slight Almiron could hack it in the Premier League after he put pen to paper for the Magpies.

Indeed, they had just broken a transfer record that had stood since 2005, when they signed Michael Owen from Real Madrid.

But Almiron’s form has been exemplary since his debut, with him having played twice as a starter and once as a substitute.

Indeed, per WhoScored, Almiron averages three key passes per game.

Now, while he has a smaller sample size than the majority of other players in the competition due to his January signing, that is higher than the likes of Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Tottenham Hotspur’s Christian Eriksen.

He has yet to score a goal or register an assist but he is involved in every move Newcastle put together, usually pulling the strings and making the pass before the final ball.

This is evidenced by the fact that he rarely dribbles opponents – he has an average dribble rate of 0.3 per game – and instead looks for a pass.

His completion rate in that regard is 85.3% from an average of 20.7 passes per game.

Newcastle had previously lacked an incisive attacking midfielder with the ability to pick a defensive lock but Almiron doesn’t even need to do that, as he has seemingly come armed with the keys.

A sound investment

It seems crazy to think that £20m is not considered a lot of money.

But, in football, it’s a relative pittance in this transfer market and Newcastle appear to have got the bang for their buck.

Almiron is quick, skilful, excellent on the ball and also a truly brilliant creator of chances.

Newcastle have not had that kind of player since Yohan Cabaye left for PSG and Almiron may well provide the spark the Magpies need to keep climbing the table.

Rafael Benitez’s men are now closer to 10th than 18th after their 2-0 win over Burnley and, with the Paraguay international in the team, they are only likely to keep climbing.