It has been a dismal few days for Manchester United fans as they try to come to terms with the fact that they were knocked out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage.
After the draw was made, Jose Mourinho’s side were favourites to progress at the expense of Sevilla, but it was not to be.
It could be suggested that the goalless draw in the first leg in Spain was where it all went wrong for United, whose fans blasted the scoreline on social media.
The Red Devils failed to nab that all-important away goal and they were punished in the second leg as Sevilla ran out 2-1 winners.
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The lacklustre performance from Mourinho’s men has been roundly criticised, and now, the club’s only chance of winning silverware is by going all the way in the FA Cup.
The team will switch focus to the domestic competition this weekend when they take on Brighton in the quarter-finals.
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Extra pressure will be on the players’ shoulders due to the recent Champions League exit, and Matic has claimed that the team will ‘give everything’ to reach the semi-finals.
It seems, though, that the fans are not yet over Tuesday’s failure.
Jose Mourinho may have improved Manchester United’s league position and increased their potency in cup competitions, but not many would argue that he has done it in style, especially given the amount of money that he has spent.
The former Inter boss inherited a team that had become accustomed to sideways passing and slow build-up play under Louis van Gaal but has not returned United to anything close to the swashbuckling style the club’s fanbase demands.
That is a huge issue for Mourinho to overcome at Old Trafford and he was quizzed on the subject during the international break.
He appears to feel that his side is capable of attacking football, and used the recent 2-1 home wins over top four rivals Liverpool and Chelsea as evidence.
That has not gone down well with the Red Devils fans on Twitter and we’ve taken a closer look at some of the best reaction…
Aston Villa fans are not too happy with Steve Bruce’s pre-match comments before Monday’s huge clash with Reading.
Steve Bruce’s Villa enjoyed a superb run of form after Christmas, and after their 4-1 demolition of league leaders Wolves last month there were even hopes for a push towards automatic promotion.
Most fans are now resigned to settling for the playoffs though, after three disappointing results have left the Villans in fourth place, ten points behind Cardiff in second.
The humiliating home loss to QPR seemed to come out of the blue, and after a dull defeat to Bolton and a 0-0 draw with Hull, Bruce’s side now need a win just to keep them secure in a playoff place.
Reading are tonight’s visitors to Villa Park, and another defeat would risk Villa getting dragged into the dogfight for the final few playoff places. Bruce says it’s all up to them.
“I’m expecting a tough game. But it’s more about what we do. At the moment, we’re not playing well enough so we have to get that form back,”the manager said.
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The last thing Villa want is to get pulled down the playoff places and end up playing Slavisa Jokanovic’s red hot Fulham side in the first round, and fans have been annoyed by Bruce’s comments on their form.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
As reported by The Daily Mirror, West Ham United are ready to hand David Moyes a long-term contract this summer after initially being appointed to the end of the season in November.
What’s the story?
The Hammers are five points clear of the relegation zone with seven games remaining, holding a game in hand over four teams below them. That puts them in a very strong position and they should now have enough about them to escape the drop to the English Championship.
The Mirror report that Moyes’ work to keep them up is enough to convince the club that he should be the man to lead them forward next season, with decision makers at the London Stadium set to hand him a new contract.
Is he the right pick to help inspire the club to a more productive season next term?
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Should Moyes stay on?
It’s been a crazy season at West Ham United in 2017/18. The departure of Bilic, relegation battles, strange transfer business, disillusionment with the board, horror results and even pitch invasions have all added up to produce a toxic atmosphere at the club.
Moyes has battled through that to put the club on the brink of avoiding relegation and that has to be commended.
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His arrival has inspired form out of the likes of Marko Arnautovic, who was floundering before the Scot was appointed.
He deserves a summer transfer window and pre-season to bring a bit of stability to the club. Changing the manager again could just result in more tumultuous goings on.
Kyle Walker-Peters made a big impression at Tottenham Hotspur when he was handed his Premier League debut on the opening day of the season.
The right-back played the full 90 minutes of the team’s 2-0 victory over Newcastle United at St James’ Park, and massively impressed in the process.
Many Tottenham fans were excited about the 20-year-old’s potential after watching his debut, but since then, the youngster has struggled for game time.
Serge Aurier and Kieran Trippier have been standing in his way, and at the moment, according to football.london, Walker-Peters is on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
The local boy has featured just once more in the Premier League since his debut, and that was only an eight-minute cameo against Huddersfield Town.
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So far this season, the right-back has made eight appearances in all competitions, with half of them being in the FA Cup.
On Reddit, fans have been discussing what the future holds for Walker-Peters.
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According to reports in The Mirror, West Ham United have joined a whole host of their Premier League rivals in the race to sign West Bromwich Albion centre-back Jonny Evans, who earns £45,000-a-week according to The Sun and could be available for just £3m this summer.
What’s the word, then?
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Well, The Mirror says that the Baggies captain has a relegation release clause that means he would be available for just £3m if the west Midlands outfit are relegated, and considering they are eight points from safety with just three matches remaining it could be confirmed this weekend.
The Mirror says that the Irons, along with Everton, Newcastle United, Leicester City and Crystal Palace are also keen, while Arsenal and Manchester City have moved on to other targets having been keen on the Northern Ireland international during the January transfer window.
The report adds that the east London outfit have long-standing interest in Evans, and they are determined to bring at least one new central defender to the London Stadium this summer having seen Jose Fonte depart for the Chinese Super League in February.
How has Evans done this season?
It has been a difficult campaign for the defender and West Brom, and he has only tasted success twice with them in the top flight during the current campaign having missed the two wins they picked up in August.
The 30-year-old has still been one of the club’s reliable and consistent performers however, although he was also involved in the infamous Barcelona taxi incident when former boss Alan Pardew took his players on a mid-season training camp to Spain.
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Would he be a good signing for West Ham?
If Moyes is looking for a reliable centre-back with plenty of experience both in the Premier League and in European competition, then there will be few better options than Evans on the market this summer.
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The fact that he is available for just £3m means that it is a no-brainer for a club like the Irons to move for him, although the Scot must prove his expertise to the fans, who are unimpressed by his plan to play Declan Rice as a defensive midfielder, by bringing a younger centre-half in alongside him.
His low price tag means that they can spend more on another central defender that could be at the London Stadium for a number of years, and that may be the best plan of action for the club and Moyes.
Everton manager Sam Allardyce may have led the side to 14 points from the last 21 available to strengthen their hold on eighth position in the Premier League standings, but he still remains hugely unpopular with the majority of the Goodison Park faithful, who haven’t shied away from saying they want him gone on Twitter.
The 63-year-old has come under fire from supporters because of the team’s style of play and negative tactics on occasions, but the former England boss has certainly done the job that he was brought to Merseyside to do when they were struggling in November, lifting them away from danger.
His future remains unclear however with some reports suggesting he will go, while the man himself has hinted that he is set to stay following positive talks about the future with owner Farhad Moshiri.
While there has been much vitriol for Allardyce from the stands – and probably a few of the players who haven’t been getting in the starting XI on a regular basis, too – there will also be a few individuals that are enjoying playing under him and believe him remaining at Goodison Park would be the best thing for their Toffees careers.
Here are three Everton players that will be praying Allardyce stays this summer…
It has been a tough debut season for the centre-back at Goodison Park, who was perhaps affected by the big price tag on his head earlier in the campaign when he was struggling for form and confidence.
However, rather than casting him aside Allardyce chose to keep the faith with the 25-year-old in his backline, and the Toffees boss has been rewarded in recent weeks with the England international beginning to recapture the form that saw him called up for his national side in the first place.
The former Burnley defender will be confident that he will be a first-choice pick under Allardyce next term, which may not be the case if they bring in a manager who wants more than one new central defender – that could well be on the cards depending on the futures of Phil Jagielka, Ashley Williams and Ramiro Funes Mori.
The Frenchman has come under severe criticism from the Goodison Park faithful for some of his below-par displays at times this season, with Everton fans on Twitter categorically saying they wanted him gone back in March.
However, Allardyce stuck up for the 28-year-old when he was booed after coming on as a substitute, and he has kept faith with him in the middle of the park in recent weeks with his form gradually improving.
The 63-year-old boss obviously told Schneiderlin that he believed in him – which is important for any player to hear – and he is now being repaid by his displays on the pitch, and the midfielder would be more than happy for his manager to stay this summer so he can be a regular next term, too.
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The winger chose to leave Arsenal during the January transfer window as he went in search of regular starts and first-team minutes, and that is exactly what he has got at Goodison Park.
Walcott knows that he has a manager who believes in him – he picked him for the one match he was in charge of England for despite the fact he wasn’t playing too often for the Gunners at the time – and one that will give him attacking freedom.
The 29-year-old already has three goals and three assists in 13 appearances for the Merseyside outfit, and he will be hoping Allardyce stays so he can continue to produce those kinds of statistics.
Rafa Benitez has overseen Newcastle’s comfortable survival in their first season back in the Premier League but may quit the club in the summer, according to the Daily Mail.
The Spaniard is the main cause of hope at the north-east club and losing him would be a huge step back after some long overdue steady progress on Tyneside.
What’s the story, then?
The report states that Benitez wants more control over transfer activity at the club and no longer wants Mike Ashley’s right hand man Lee Charnley to sign off on all deals.
It also says that another, lesser concern is how much money will be available; the former Chelsea manager reportedly wants to be allowed to go on a £50m spending spree this summer.
That adds up to uncertainty that apparently means the game against the Blues could be Benitez’s final one at the helm.
Benitez is the most important figure at the club
It has been Benitez’s staggering initial decision to go to Newcastle, then to stick with them in the Championship and then to stay on despite continued underinvestment that has dragged the club back in the right direction after years of tumult on Ashley’s watch.
He is the most important figure at the club; inspiring players to come to the club, improving the current squad and bringing the fans back onside at a time when the playing staff and style are both limited.
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Losing Benitez over a disagreement would be a major step back for the Magpies, who are never far away from a crisis at the best of times.
West Ham United fans have been discussing potential new managers and signings they want this summer on Twitter, and they have all picked the same ones in the form of Rafa Benitez and Xherdan Shaqiri.
The London Stadium faithful have lost patience with David Moyes and want him gone when his contract expires after the final Premier League match of the season against Everton on Sunday, while the side from the capital also look to need new additions following another disappointing campaign.
Benitez may well be one of their top managerial targets after they nearly appointed him before and with his Newcastle United future far from secure, while Shaqiri looks likely to leave Stoke City following their relegation to the Championship.
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West Ham supporters took to social media to name the one manager and one new signing they want this summer, and they all named the 58-year-old and the £16.2m-rated attacker.
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According to Sky Sports, new Arsenal manager Unai Emery is ready to build his team around Aaron Ramsey and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang next season, and Gunners fans have been quick to say they fear for Mesut Ozil as a result.
The 5ft 11in tall Germany international is considered by many to be the north London outfit’s most important and most influential players, and he only signed a new £350,000-a-week deal earlier this year with his previous contract due to run out this summer.
The 29-year-old certainly didn’t enjoy his best season in terms of statistics as he scored five goals and provided a further 14 assists in 35 appearances in all competitions, and the Emirates Stadium faithful will be thinking that Emery may choose to start Ramsey ahead of him in the No.10 role in a 4-2-3-1 system if reports are to be believed.
Arsenal supporters, who think they already know the identity of Emery’s first signing, took to social media to discuss the Spanish boss and Ozil via social media, and while one said “Ozil is in for the shock of his life”, another said Emery “won’t put up with Ozil going missing as often as he does”.