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James McClean has congratulated Charlton Athletic after they beat his former side Sunderland to secure promotion back to the Championship.

McClean, who played for Sunderland from 2011 to 2013 and made 70 appearances, is likely to infuriate Sunderland fans with this tweet.

The 30-year-old is known for winding fans up and this latest tweet, coming straight after the final – whistle, struck a nerve in the Sunderland fan base, leading to numerous tweets abusing him from their fans.

The Irishman left the Black Cats because he was receiving abuse from Sunderland fans after he decided not to wear a poppy.

With the relationship between club and play still relatively sour, he saw the devastating result on Sunday as the perfect opportunity to hit back at his former employers.

Sunderland fans can take their anger out on McClean, but the truth is their club failed in its task of getting promoted.

The most pressing concern for them is how they will move forward and put this disappointing season behind them.

McClean, meanwhile, will look forward to welcoming Charlton to Stoke as the Potters themselves look to move on from a poor season.

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Liverpool conquered Europe for the sixth time on Saturday, but Arsene Wenger has already identified one area the Reds can improve.

For many neutrals, the highlight of Saturday’s Champions League final was the coverage from beIN SPORTS, who scooped a wonderfully awkward pundit duo of Wenger and Jose Mourinho.

Before, in between and after the two halves of tense, turgid football, we were gifted to gems of comedy, insight and analysis from two of the greatest managers the world has ever seen.

And Wenger had some transfer advice for Jurgen Klopp, after Reds owner John W. Henry claimed they will invest again this summer to improve their bid for a Premier League title.

What did he say?

Speaking on beIN SPORTS, as reported by The Mirror, Wenger said: “They need to dominate European football to improve the technical level.

“But they might lose what is their strength at the moment – that solidarity, their fighting spirit. In our jobs, we know we need to improve a team but sometimes, by improving one aspect you destroy what makes you win.”

Does your club have a legend who is criminally overrated? Fans answer this tough question in the video below…

Bad news for Madrid heroes

Wenger has absolutely nailed it here, and his comments could be bad news for Madrid heroes like Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Gini Wijnaldum.

There’s no question the skipper and his second-in-command are excellent leaders and useful players, but for the Reds to dominate matches and seasons in the manner Wenger is talking about, they need players with more composure and ability on the ball in the middle third, such as Fabinho.

These players are work horses, but not overly gifted with the ball, and as Wenger says, the latter is a requirement for true domination. Wijnaldum meanwhile is excellent at dribbling in close areas, but poor at finding dangerous, incisive passes.

However, the Arsenal legend knows all about great teams crumbling from within, and also identified the need to keep the core of the squad together.

Klopp will certainly heed the warning about destroying what made the squad great in the first place, but with the midfield perhaps the one area in need of strengthening, the likes of Henderson and Milner should be very concerned if any more reinforcements arrive this summer.

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been running the rule over the Nations League semi-finals, and they’re delighted with one moment in particular from Virgil van Dijk.

After a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick swept Switzerland aside on Wednesday, England squared off against the Netherlands on Thursday evening to decide who will take on the Portuguese superstar in the final this weekend.

And despite the Three Lions taking an early lead thanks to a Marcus Rashford penalty, the Dutch fought back to take it in extra-time, winning 3-1 after a 1-1 scoreline saw the 90 minutes extended.

“The worst we’ve played all season” but “our most straightforward final since 2003” – a Liverpool fan reflects on the UCL final in the video below…

Plenty of talk has followed about England’s defending after John Stones had a calamitous evening, but Liverpool fans are more focused on van Dijk.

The PFA Player of the Year dropped yet another near-flawless performance, winning four aerial duels while also completing 94.7% of his passes (as per WhoScored).

Reds fans only care about one moment though, as their number four utterly destroyed Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling after the winger looked to have gotten away from him.

Take a look at the clip and some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Arsenal are looking to build on a decent first season under Unai Emery, where despite the club missing out on the top four, there were some encouraging signs.

Emery quickly managed to put his own stamp on proceedings at the Emirates and there is a hope amongst plenty of Gunners fans that with a bit of backing in the transfer market, Emery could well lead the club to some success in the coming season.

The Gunners have got a decent enough squad as it is, but they can be over reliant on a few of their top stars, especially the likes of Aubameyang and Lacazette, whose goals have proved invaluable for the club in the last 12 months.

This weekend then has seen Arsenal linked with a move for young French striker Alexis Claude-Maurice, and while he might not be a world class striker just yet, we here in the Tavern feel he’d be a shrewd acqisition.

14 goals last season is not to be sniffed at for a club like Lorient, and while it was in the French second tier, Claude-Maurice should not be overlooked as someone who can come into the club and make a difference.

Too many times we see a club relying on their star men, meaning there is no adequate replacements within the squad should those players be missing.

At just 21-years-old, Claude-Maurice would have ample time to hone his craft and improve, while working with the likes of fellow Frenchman Lacazette can only improve the youngster further.

As long as the Gunners don’t go overpaying for the striker, then this could well prove to be a shrewd investment for the club as they seek to improve the depth of thei squad over the summer.

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Crystal Palace’s striking woes are well documented and well in need of addressing this summer, with the departure of loanee Michy Batshuayi and the poor form of all other options at the Eagles’ disposal meaning that the cash must be splashed if the club are to avoid another relegation battle.

Belgian Batshuayi proved a solid signing for the SE25 outfit after joining on a temporary basis in January, scoring six goals in 921 minutes across all competitions last season, although it seems unlikely that he will be allowed to return next term given Chelsea’s transfer ban troubles.

Signing a top goalscorer remains a priority for Roy Hodgson and Co unless one of their underperforming hitmen can step up in style in 2019/20 and some Palace fans are hoping that they may yet see Christian Benteke regain his impressive 2016/17 form.

Which player with “no potential” has just been named Crystal Palace’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video below…

The towering forward notched 17 times for the Red and Blue Army under Alan Pardew and then Sam Allardyce but injuries, changes of system and lack of confidence have seen the 28-year-old score just four goals in all competitions since – a truly awful return for any striker.

These Palace fans on Twitter, though, would love for the 34-cap Belgium international to live up to his £27m price tag – you can check out the best of the reaction below…

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Christian Eriksen’s future remains up in the air at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Denmark international outlined his own intention to depart the club earlier this month, amid links with Spanish giants Real Madrid.

However, it appears that the trail is beginning to run cold; Marca claim that Real are instead set to focus their attention on attempting to acquire Paul Pogba from Manchester United.

Eriksen, of course, is something of a low-cost alternative to the Frenchman. The Daily Telegraph report that chairman Daniel Levy is keen to receive at least £80m from clubs outside of the Premier League, while he wants £130m from those in England.

Juventus have also been credited with an interest but they too are interested in Pogba and it appears that Eriksen’s future is intrinsically linked with that of the France international.

If he ultimately stays at the club – it feels possible, and no report has yet claimed that Spurs are in a rush to sell – Mauricio Pochettino faces something of a headache next season.

The club have been linked with Real Betis star Giovani Lo Celso and Sporting’s Bruno Fernandes and, while the link with the former appears predicated on the idea of the Dane leaving, there is a chance that an attacking midfielder could be recruited even if Eriksen stays.

How, then, does he become the game-changing playmaker extraordinaire that Spurs need?

One feels that deploying him as a support striker, particularly if Harry Kane remains without much support, could see him unshackled.

He scored eight goals and laid on 12 assists in the Premier League in 2018/19 but he all too rarely affected the biggest games. He did not score against a single member of the top six, but he has the ability to.

He averaged 2.4 shots per game in 2018/19. Having made 35 appearances, that equates to 84 shots in total and a goal from every 10.5 shots. That can also be improved.

Should Spurs sell Kieran Trippier? Check out the for and against in the video below…

Pushing Eriksen forward, behind Kane, who averages a goal from every 5.9 shots, could give the Dane the jolt of electricity his game needs.

As it is, he is all too regularly deployed on the flank or deeper in midfield, to make way for Dele Alli.

Alli, by comparison, averages a goal from every eight shots and that is largely because of the fact he is allowed the opportunity to play on Kane’s shoulder.

Eriksen is one of the best in the business at popping up in little pockets of space unbeknownst to opposing defenders, so could definitely try his hand in the Alli role.

If he does stay at the club, moving him forward makes sense; it will offer him the chance to grow and develop as a player, rather than regressing deeper in the side as he did last season.

If he can enjoy another productive campaign next term, scoring goals and registering assists, perhaps next summer would see clubs expressing their interest again.

And maybe then, they’ll follow up on it.

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Everton fans aren’t impressed by Marcel Brands’ latest target, as the director of football is reportedly pursuing Lyon winger Bertrand Traore.

According to Football Insider, the Toffees are eyeing a move for Traore, which they will pursue after they wrap up a deal for Andre Gomes.

The outlet claimed last week that a deal for Gomes is close, and they now say Brands will turn his attentions to Traore once the deal for the Barcelona man is wrapped up.

The Lyon youngster, who came through the youth academies at Auxerre and Chelsea before joining the Ligue 1 outfit, scored 11 times last season in all competitions.

He has excellent pace, dribbling and movement, and is capable of playing right the way across the front three, even as a false nine.

However, the Toffees fans on Twitter have not taken too kindly to the rumours, perhaps seeing Traore as a cheap alternative to other winger targets.

Indeed, the report claims a £25m bid is being readied by Brands, a fee that is hardly filling fans with confidence he is a future star and not just another flop.

Take a look at the best of the Twitter reactions down below…

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It’s official – Marcus Rashford has penned a new Manchester United contract that will keep him at the club until at least June 2023.

The talented 21-year-old is the product of the Red Devils’ academy and has been one of their own since he was seven years old. So far he’s made 170 appearances for club and 32 caps for his country.

Of course, as soon as this new deal was made public and Rashford posted it on his

/BzX-ztVHnat/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram, teammates, friends and other stars flooded his comment section congratulating him and wishing him all the best.

The ex-players and legends were actually among the first ones there as Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand and ex-Gunner Ian Wright shared their messages for the youngster.

Other players were also there wishing him all the best and supporting the Red Devil at the start of a new and exciting chapter.

In 170 appearances for Manchester United, he managed to score 45 goals and assist a further 26.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Liverpool have reignited their interest in Iranian striker Sardar Zamoun.

Russian publication SovSport report that Liverpool scouts were in attendance for the Russian Super Cup to watch Azmoun play for Zenit Saint Petersburg, who scored twice in a 3-2 defeat against Lokomotiv Moscow.

The 24-year-old striker, once dubbed as ‘The Iranian Messi’ by the Metro in 2016 following rumours about a move to Everton, was crucial to Zenit’s Russian Premier League title win last season as the former Rostov attacker hit 13 goals and assisted another six in the league.

Azmoun is a player that is no stranger to Liverpool. Indeed, speaking to the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar via Four Four Two in 2017 the attacker admitted that he was in talks with the Merseyside club that January, however, he turned down a move to the Premier League giants due to a lack of first-team opportunities.

The attacker said: “There were talks of Liverpool having expressed an interest in me during the past winter transfer window. However, I did not feel the time to move was right. I would have ended up playing a few games and then spent a great deal of time on the bench as Liverpool were only looking to fill a void for a particular part of their season.”

It proved to be the right decision from Azmoun, as a couple of years later the striker earned a move to Zenit for a reported £10.5 million (as per Reuters) to play regularly (made 12 league appearances following his winter transfer) and win the Russian league title. Indeed, when you compare the Iranian with Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi from last season from stats from WhoScored, it is understandable as to why he might be of interest.

Azmoun averaged more shots per game at 3.3 than both Sturridge and Origi, who managed only 1 and 1.1 in the league. The Zenit striker also averaged more dribbles per game at 0.7 to the Merseyside duo’s 0.3 and 0.5.

With Jurgen Klopp eyeing quality on the bench as per Goal this summer, Azmoun would be an improvement over the German’s options last season when it comes to testing the goalkeeper, and given the club’s previous links with the player, it is seemingly a deal that could really help the Reds.

Liverpool fans, would Azmoun be a good signing? Let us know!

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Lots of Sunderland fans have been giving their verdict on some comments from Jack Ross, who wants the club to focus on using their youth talent rather than always looking for new signings.

What a weekend for the Black Cats. The club announced the signing of former Coventry City defender Jordan Willis, much to the delight of fans.

That wasn’t even their most important signing of the weekend though, as Aiden McGeady committed his future to the club, signing a new deal that will keep him on Wearside until the summer of 2021.

And now, Ross has encouraged the young talent at the club to force their way into his plans during pre-season.

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“I’ve been pleased with them and there were a number of the younger players playing on Thursday,” he said.

“It’s good for them to be a part of it and I think we saw last season if you take Josh (Maja) and Denver (Hume) as an example of it that there’s an opportunity to force your way into the reckoning.

“Like Ethan (Robson) and Elliot (Embleton), they are players we have produced ourselves and we should embrace that rather than being obsessed by recruiting from elsewhere.

“They need that opportunity which hopefully I will be able to give them, but they also need to prove they are capable of taking it and then producing time after time which comes with the demands of playing for this club.”

Plenty of the Black Cats faithful have been delivering their verdict on the gaffer’s philosophy of pushing through young talent, and most of them are delighted to hear the club’s prospects will be given a fair chance.

However, others are wondering if the club is simply too “skint” to make any major signings, while one doesn’t believe the boss after his failure to use youth last season.

Either way, you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…