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Sheffield Wednesday have been in phenomenal form recently with Steve Bruce steadying a ship that was heading through choppy waters under Jos Luhukay.

He’s guided them to 11th in the Championship, just three points outside the play-offs. But one of their best players, who has performed under Luhukay and Bruce has been Michael Hector. Fans were in agreement that he was their best player this season, reacting to a poll on Twitter as they were faced with a key decision.

A host of Wednesday supporters chose him as their best player in 2018/19 with one fan drooling over his displays, labelling him the Owls’ Franz Beckenbauer.

Another individual expressed that the club needed to sign him up, making reference to the fact that the defender is only on loan from Chelsea.

There were honourable mentions from some supporters for Steven Fletcher, Liam Palmer and Keiren Westwood.

The 26-year-old has been a rock for the Yorkshire club this term, playing 32 times whilst winning 3.7 aerial duels per game.

Here’s what the Hillsborough faithful have been saying about the Jamaican international.

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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to discuss Barcelona’s injury problems ahead of the Champions League quarter-final tie between the two teams.

The Red Devils welcome the Spanish champions to Old Trafford on the 10th April, before heading to the Camp Nou just six days later with a place in the semi-finals at stake as well as the fate of your William Hill bonus code for the tie.

Watch the video below to find out what Jesse Lingard is like off the pitch in the latest Match Of The Bae with Emma Conybeare…

Interestingly, however, Ernesto Valverde’s side could be without Luis Suarez for the first leg, after the Uruguay international sprained his ankle – they will definitely be without Ousmane Dembele, who tore his hamstring in the last 16 against Lyon.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men fought back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Paris Saint-Germain and make the quarter-finals, which they are set to be the underdogs in against Barcelona.

With the latest fitness update, however, United have been handed a lifeline.

The Red Devils’ fans on Twitter are obviously happy to hear the news, and have taken to Twitter to react with jubilation…

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According to Teamtalk, Crystal Palace are keen on signing Brentford prospect Said Benrahma, whose sensational form in the second tier this season has also attracted the interest from West Ham, Spurs, Arsenal, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund.

The Algerian, who many are tipping to be the next Riyad Mahrez, has chalked up nine goals and 11 assists in the Championship this campaign despite having only arrived from Nice in the summer – talk about hitting the ground running.

The Bees clearly know they have got a real talent on their hands and have slapped an eye-watering £30m price tag on their star man to either ward off interest or make a handsome profit.

The 23-year-old is certainly highly thought of by both Brentford and the aforementioned clubs, but what are the experts saying about him? Read on to find out.

Thomas Frank, Brentford boss

Brentford boss Thomas Frank obviously knows Benrahma well, here’s what he said after a big victory:

“When he plays like that, he is a joy to watch. He’s exciting every time he gets the ball because he can create something out of nothing. It is like magic and very few teams in this league have that.

“His finishing has got better and better but his assists are also incredible. His run and pass for Kamohelo Mokotjo made that the most beautiful goal of the day for me.

“He is growing more and more composed and when he runs at defences he is terrifying because he can go left or right. When players mark him he’ll pass the ball for another of our front three to do some damage.”

Frank waxed lyrical about the number 21 after a 5-1 thumping of Hull in February and with good reason – Benrahma netted a hat-trick and provided an assist to boot, with one of his strikes also winning him the Championship goal of the month award.

This was the first time in his short career at Griffin Park that the winger had netted more than once in a game and some hat-trick it was. Hopefully there are more to come.

Sam Saunders, ex-Brentford midfielder

Speaking to Sky Sports, ex-Brentford man Sam Saunders said:

“I trained with him and I know it’s a big shout but he is a little bit like Lionel Messi in the way he can run with the ball with pace.

“It just doesn’t leave his foot, it’s like it’s velcroed on.

Esteemed praise from the 35-year-old. Indeed, Benrahma’s ability to sprint full speed at helpless defenders yet somehow never lose control of the ball is unique and something you rarely see at the top level, let alone in the Championship.

This a technique which Lionel Messi has mastered and, while Benrahma will never be able to match the otherworldly exploits of the wonderful Argentine, it’s easy to understand why the parallel has been drawn.

Dean Ashton, ex-player and pundit

The Sky Sports pundit had this to say on the Championship sensation:

“He has been superb but I think we’d have to see him perform this well for longer to think he could do it for one of those clubs [Arsenal or Chelsea].

“But, certainly, you’d think for the bottom half Premier League sides he’s worth a look because he could be a real exciting option for them.”

Having been linked with some of the biggest teams in Europe, the prospect of making the jump from the English second tier to Champions League football is surely a daunting one for Benrahma.

However, the likes of James Maddison and David Brooks have proven this campaign that the step up to one of the lesser teams in the Premier League – Palace included – is far more straight-forward.

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Verdict

If Benrahma can bring even half the goal contributions he has provided at Brentford to Selhurst Park, he would be a huge hit and well worth the eight-figure price tag given his scope for future improvement.

With Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha holding down the wings at Palace, the Bees wide-man will have some task on his hands to get into the starting XI in the first place, let alone get 20-plus goal contributions in the top flight. The move would represent a huge amount of risk for the Eagles but their squad is ageing and he could become quite the player.

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If you told Kieran Dowell when he arrived at Sheffield United that he would become a left-wing-back he’d have probably laughed.

The youngster is an attacking midfielder by trade and although players breaking through have a tendency to claim they’ll play wherever for the team, this is a position where for obvious reasons he didn’t look comfortable.

The Everton man arrived in January on loan from the Premier League club but hasn’t shown too many signs of replicating the displays he turned in for Nottingham Forest last season.

Despite that, he’s still an incredibly exciting talent and after starring for England at the U20 World Cup in which they won in 2017, is one that’s been hotly tipped for a while.

Chris Wilder’s men won 1-0 with Dowell in their ranks last Saturday, but the experiment of playing him at left wing-back didn’t pay off as the 21-year-old was substituted after just 63 minutes.

KIERAN DOWELL (Preston vs Sheffield United)

33 touches

71% pass success

0 key passes

0 dribbles

0 tackles

Stats courtesy of WhoScored

After an injury to Jack O’Connell two weekends ago, Wilder was forced into bringing on Marvin Johnson to play in the left wing-back role against Bristol City after Enda Stevens was moved into the three-man defence.

It was a decision that proved disastrous for the Blades with the Yorkshire club losing 3-2 a fortnight ago, despite being in a winning position when Johnson came on.

So against Preston, the manager chose to go with Dowell and although they won it’s probably something he won’t opt for again.

Dowell’s pass completion rate wasn’t particularly amazing whilst he was ineffective going forward.

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One of the main qualities a wing back must possess are phenomenal attacking traits but he failed to provide the Blades with much in the final third, not completing a single dribble or key pass.

To get the best out of Dowell during the promotion run-in, he must play in a more advanced and central role.

[ad_pod ]According to Claret & Hugh, Jordan Hugill will be sent back to parent club West Ham United this summer as Middlesbrough have no intention of signing him permanently.Hugill – a 2018 arrival at West Ham – joined Boro on loan last summer.The 26-year-old has scored seven times in all competitions for the Riverside outfit this season, but according to Claret & Hugh, Boro boss Tony Pulis does not want to sign the Englishman on a permanent contract.The 6 foot frontman, who played over 100 times for Preston North End, made just three appearances for the Hammers in the second half of last season.It is difficult to imagine that there will be a first-team spot for the striker next term, but it remains to be seen what happens.Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals what Lasagne-Gate was really like for Tottenham’s food-poisoned stars – Check out the video below…For now, the West Ham fans have been on social media reacting to the update on Hugill’s future and a selection of their responses can be seen below:

تغنى طارق سليمان مدرب حراس المرمى السابق لفريق النادي الأهلي، بأداء حارس العرين الأحمر محمد الشناوي، بعد مواجهة الوداد البيضاوي المغربي.

وحقق الأهلي فوزًا على مضيفه الوداد البيضاوي المغربي، في المباراة التي أقيمت على ملعب محمد الخامس، في لقاء ذهاب الدور نصف النهائي ببطولة دوري أبطال افريقيا، بهدفين دون رد. 

طالع | مدرب الأهلي: سنقاتل أمام الوداد في العودة.. وتتبقى خطوتان

وقال سليمان في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “تن” عبر برنامج “البريمو”: “الأهلي في الشوط الثاني كان أفضل بكثير جدًا من الشوط الأول، وهذا بسبب تصدي محمد الشناوي لركلة الجزاء، فأصبحت المعنويات مرتفعة جدًا للأهلي، وهبطت معنويات الوداد المغربي”.

وأضاف: “مشاركة محمد الشناوي في المباراة كانت مهمة جدًا، ومنح ثقة كبيرة لـ لاعبي الأهلي”.

وأردف: “الاختبارات على الشناوي لم تكن كثيرة، ولكن ركلة الجزاء كانت نقطة التحول في المباراة وتعامل معها بشكل جيد، والعرضيات أيضًا، وكان هادئا جدًا طوال اللقاء”.

وواصل: “أعتبر محمد الشناوي من نجوم المباراة، لأن كرة واحدة غيرت مسار اللقاء بالكامل”.

وأتم: “الأهلي لم يحسم التأهل للنهائي، وهذا الكلام لا يوجد في كرة القدم، حتى لو النتيجة 3 أو 4 أهداف، يجب أن يكون هناك تركيز من الجهاز الفني واللاعبين”.

وكان محمد الشناوي حارس مرمى الأهلي قد نجح في التصدي لتسديدة أووك ومن بعدها المتابعة بالدقيقة 44، ليحمي عرينه من هدف التعديل.

Former Wednesday manager, Gary Megson, has praised the impact Steve Bruce has had at Hillsborough, but questions whether he will be given the tools to take the Owls forward in the months and years ahead.

Speaking to the Sheffield Star, the ex-Wednesday boss claimed the club are “still not geared for going forward” and “change has got to happen off the pitch” for the club to be successful.

He said: “There’s got to be a big change. It needed changing when I was here, and there’s no point bringing in a good manager and not letting him manage.

“So the change has not only got to happen on the pitch – that has already happened with Jos [Luhukav] leaving and Steve coming in.

“The change has got to happen off the pitch as well. I’m not on about money, but in terms of getting the structure right for the football club to go forward because it’s not.

This place is still not geared for going forward yet, but Steve will know that because of where he’s worked in the past.

“It needs a real good sweep through and in Steve they’ve got the right person to do it but if they don’t listen to him then there’s no point having him here.”

We think that the job Bruce has done has been nothing short of miraculous, and it would seem naive to assume a manager of his calibre did not have assurances regarding his input on the direction of the club going forward.

Megson’s comments are unhelpful, and at a time of such positivity at Wednesday, it is not likely to go down too well within the walls of the Hillsborough offices and boardroom.

With the club needing the board, manager, players and fans all pulling in the same direction, in light of their unforeseen play-off tilt, Megson’s intervention seems untimely in the extreme.

Although, he does go on to say that they have as good a chance to reach the play-offs as some of their rivals, so his comments regarding the general structure of the club may have been more clumsy than deliberate.

We have had our say Wednesday fans, now it’s your turn. What are your thoughts about Megson’s comments? Does the club need a behind-the-scenes overhaul? Let us know your opinion…

It has been an incredible three years to be a Sheffield United supporter hasn’t it?

The Blades’ appointment of Chris Wilder in 2016 turned out to be a masterstroke for the club as they stormed to the League One title at the end of that season before finishing in the top half of the Championship last year.

The 2018/19 campaign has seen them reach new heights as United are now within touching distance of a return to the top flight of English football after 12 years away.

Wilder’s side are currently second in the league standings and hold a one point-lead over Leeds United yet they are by no means guaranteed to achieve automatic promotion with the club facing eight season-defining fixtures.

To achieve their goal of Premier League football next season, they will need their players to avoid becoming complacent against sides who they realistically should be beating giving the nature of their performances this season.

One individual in particular could provide the spark needed for the Blades to get over the finishing line by finally proving his worth at the club. Kieran Dowell joined United on loan from Everton in January and was thought to be the solution to Wilder’s side’s occasional issues with providing creativity for the likes of Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick.

However, the midfielder has yet to show the consistency needed to succeed at Championship level despite clearly being a promising young player. His winning goal against West Bromwich Albion in February outlined just what he is capable of and if he can provide more moments like that in the coming weeks, it could make all the difference between automatic promotion and the lottery of the play-offs.

More importantly for Dowell, by demonstrating Premier League-level qualities in the Championship, he may finally be given a chance to play in the top-flight on a regular basis, whether it be with his parent club Everton or as part of the Blades’ squad next year.

What do you think Blades fans? Does Dowell hold the key to your promotion hopes? Should Wilder make a move for the 21-year-old in the summer? Get in touch below.

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Oliver Burke is currently on loan at Celtic, having joined the Scottish giants from West Bromwich Albion during the January transfer window.

The attacker only made three Championship appearances for the Baggies in the first half of the 2018-19 campaign and therefore it was not a surprise when he departed at the mid-point of the season.

For Celtic, the six-time Scotland international has managed four goals in 10 Scottish Premiership appearances since his arrival.

Just 22 years of age, Burke still has time to forge a successful career in the game.

It has not quite happened since arriving at West Brom in August 2017 and it is worth remembering that the Baggies paid £15m for his services.

That said, there are a selection of West Brom fans who still feel that Burke could have a career with the club.

Indeed, in response to a tweet from the Championship side on Sunday, many supporters took to social media to reveal their views on the attacker:

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Chris Sutton has absolutely blasted Steven Gerrard’s performance in his maiden managerial campaign.

The Hoops are in a fantastic position to secure their eighth consecutive league title and the Parkhead legend is not impressed by Gerrard’s first year at Ibrox.

Rangers dropped even more points on Saturday, with the Gers now needing nothing short of a miracle to eclipse their arch-rivals in the race for the title.

Gerrard and his side started the season well, impressing in their Europa League qualifying campaign in particular, but have faded badly since their Old Firm win over Celtic in December.

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What has he said?

Asked to rate Gerrard’s season out of ten before their match against Kilmarnock, Sutton told BT Sport: “Four.

“He’s at a big club. He doesn’t manage a mediocre Premier League English team. It’s about winning trophies and they’re not going to win any.”

What’s the verdict?

Sutton’s comments have proven to be quite controversial, with the rest of the BT Sport panel questioning his rating while others scored Gerrard’s first campaign in Glasgow as an eight out of ten.

Despite all the reaction around the comments though, it is actually quite difficult to disagree, as any season without silverware is considered a failure at Ibrox.

The gaffer has dropped countless points with drab draws, most recently at home to Kilmarnock in a match where the visitors had a ridiculous 61 per cent of the ball, per BBC’s stats.

The performance that ended their Scottish Cup hopes against Aberdeen was absolutely woeful, and if the boss can’t motivate them for a match that would have set up a semi-final against Celtic then when is he going to be able to motivate them?

Sutton’s comments are controversial, but they’re a lot closer to the truth than some may be willing to accept, and the Gers proved him right for all to see with their woeful display against Kilmarnock on Saturday.