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Crystal Palace fans have angrily taken to Twitter after being knocked out of the FA Cup by Watford at the quarter-final stage, with an opportunity to play at Wembley lost after a spineless performance.

Roy Hodgson’s men were in poor form last week as they lost a huge game against arch-rivals Brighton on their own turf, and followed that lacklustre performance up with another gutless showing at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

The Eagles lost 2-1 thanks to goals from Etienne Capoue and Andre Gray, despite a well-taken Michy Batshuayi effort getting Palace level midway through the second half.

Naturally, the Palace fans are getting restless after watching their season peter out into nothing other than a boring fight against relegation. Additionally, the south London-based side also have the second worst home record in the league this season, which only adds to the supporters’ frustration.

The general feeling is that Palace are standing still and making no progress under Hodgson, and fans of the Eagles on Twitter want the 71-year-old gone…

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According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle United are ‘reluctant’ to spend more than £12m on Salomon Rondon in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

Rondon joined Newcastle on loan from West Bromwich Albion last summer, with Dwight Gayle moving in the opposite direction.

The Venezuela international is enjoying a fine season for the Magpies, finding the back of the net on nine occasions in the Premier League.

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle are keen to land the striker on a permanent deal, but do not want to spend more than £12m.

Rondon has a £16.5m release clause in his current deal with West Brom, which will expire at the end of the 2019-2020 campaign.

It seems difficult to believe that the Premier League club will potentially miss out on the South American over a difference of £4.5m, but that could well occur.

Should Newcastle hold firm?

No, pay the £16.5m. The simple fact of the matter is that Newcastle will not be able to sign a player of Rondon’s quality this summer for that price.

It is not exactly as if the forward is entering the final stages of his career. Indeed, he will not turn 30 until September and arguably has another three or four seasons left at the top level.

Rondon’s nine Premier League goals this season have helped the team, but his overall work rate has been clear for everyone to see and will have been much appreciated by the supporters.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

It is not difficult to understand why Newcastle are reluctant to meet the buy-out figure due to the fact that the striker’s deal with West Brom will expire next summer.

However, to potentially miss out on a move for Rondon over a relatively small figure would be poor business when considering the player’s quality.

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Jack Grealish continues to be linked with Tottenham Hotspur.

The Aston Villa star has returned from injury with a bang, scoring two goals in four games, including the winner in the Second City Derby against Birmingham City.

The Daily Mail claim that scouts are continuing to watch Grealish after Spurs failed to secure a transfer in the summer.

Sky Sports reported in August that a bid worth £25million had been tabled, though Villa were able to retain his services after a long-running transfer saga.

What are the experts saying, though? Take a look below!

Harry Redknapp – ex-Spurs boss

Redknapp had his say on Grealish via the Birmingham Mail, saying:

“I love Grealish. I think he’s a real talent, obviously. I love watching him play.

“I think he’s a kid who could play at the very top level.”

This is high praise indeed from a manager who has worked with the likes of Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart across his career.

Grealish is a silky playmaker with the ability to dribble past players and split defences in two with a killer ball.

His goal against Birmingham, a composed finish after a mazy run, was a prime example of the skill and ability possessed by the England Under-21 international.

Jamie Redknapp – Sky Sports pundit

Writing in his Daily Mail column after Grealish scored a sensational volley for Villa against Derby County, Redknapp said:

“There have been some brilliant volleys this season but the best two have both come at Villa Park. If you enjoyed John McGinn’s strike against Sheffield Wednesday in September, you will love Jack Grealish’s volley following a corner against Derby on Saturday.

“Had Grealish been fit for the whole season, I am in no doubt Villa would be in the play-offs. He is the best player outside the Premier League.”

Yet more phenomenal praise from a Redknapp.

The 23-year-old does make the game look remarkably easy and his goal against Derby was reminiscent of Paul Scholes’ strike against Villa for Manchester United.

That he can score that kind of goal, and inspire such a turnaround in Villa’s form since his return from injury, proves that Redknapp Jr may not be far off in his assertion that he is the best player in the Championship.

Dean Ashton – ex-player and pundit

Talking on Quest’s EFL highlights show, via the Birmingham Mail, Ashton passed judgement on Grealish’s performance in Villa’s 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest, saying:

“What he does is he dictates the tempo of the Aston Villa team and he draws players towards him which allows Conor Hourihane, who got a couple against Derby, and John McGinn, who was superb at Forest, real licence to get forward.

“McGinn was superb and that licence he’s been given is because Grealish is happy just to sit for a lot of the game and dictate the play.”

Grealish may be exactly what Spurs need.

The fact that he can keep the ball and keep his side ticking over, while also having a penchant for the spectacular, makes him a potential replacement for Christian Eriksen.

Indeed, the Dane continues to be linked with his own transfer and the Villa star would be a relatively cheap, but high-quality, replacement.

Verdict

Grealish has been lighting up the Championship and is exactly the type of player who would appeal to manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Capable with both feet, an excellent dribbler, a goalscorer and a creator, Grealish ticks every single box, particularly if Eriksen does depart.

Spurs should rekindle their interest in the summer and follow the advice laid out by the above pundits; the Villa star is more than ready to make the step up.

Liverpool won’t accept anything less than silverware at this point in the current campaign as they’ve defied expectations in the Premier League and they’re heading towards possible success in Europe.

The Reds will be hoping that the international break doesn’t bring about any bad news as an injury to one of Jurgen Klopp’s main men could ruin their silverware chances. Indeed, with a number of key fixtures coming up in the Premier League once it returns, it’s important that the players keep fit and ensure consistency on the field.

Despite their dominance at times in the current campaign it looks as if the German is already looking at potential summer signings, as according to FC Inter (via HITC), Liverpool are interested in Fiorentina’s Federico Chiesa.

Although,FSG will reportedly (as per Corriere dello Sport) (via HITC) have to pay £86 million to bring him to Anfield in the summer transfer window, which would be sure to fill Anfield with excitement.

The 21-year-old has made a name for himself over in Italy this season, producing 12 goals and eight assists up until this point in all competitions. The Reds already have the likes of Mohamed Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri operating on the right-hand side of the attack, so it comes as some surprise that they’re looking at another winger.

Indeed, the Italy international has all the ingredients to become a future superstar with the ability to glide past defenders, pick defence-splitting passes and he can finish emphatically. So, Anfield can expect plenty of fireworks if he rocks up at Anfield as he’s already making shockwaves in the football world at the start of his career.

Nevertheless, the Reds can bag themselves one of the most exciting talents in European football if they’re willing to pay the price in the summer. Indeed, after failing to spend a single penny back in the January transfer window, FSG now have the opportunity to make a huge statement by potentially splashing a whopping £86 million on one player.

Liverpool fans, would you want to see Chiesa at Anfield? Join the discussion by commenting down below!

There’s a small group of players that seem destined to remain at Liverpool for years to come, and one of them is Sadio Mane,

The Senegalese international has flourished into one of the Reds’ best players since joining the club in 2016, and his improving form has caught the eye of one of Europe’s biggest clubs, Real Madrid.

According to El Confidencial via the Daily Mail, Mane is a ‘luxury target’ for Los Blancos who are set for one of their biggest summer transfer windows in years as Zinedine Zidane aims to rebuild Real Madrid after one of their poorest seasons this century.

The lure of Madrid will be tempting to Mane, but for Liverpool, it will have to be close to a world-record bid if the club will even think about selling their attacking star to the team that crushed their hearts in the Champions League last season.

Mane is simply too important for Liverpool to let go of for a colossal sum of money. What the former Southampton winger offers to the team is something that can’t be replaced in terms of what he brings and his relationship with attacking teammates Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

As well as what he offers, Mane is a player who genuinely loves Liverpool and has stated he hopes to become a legend of the club one day in the future.

Real Madrid might have the allure and financial muscle to bring in Mane this summer, but it will be idiotic of Liverpool to allow one of their most important players walk for financial gain.

Liverpool fans, who could replace Mane should he leave? Let us know!

أحرز كينجسلي كومان، الهدف الرابع لفريقه بايرن ميونخ، أمام أتلتيكو مدريد، في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وجاء هدف كومان في الدقيقة 72 من عمر المباراة، لتصبح النتيجة (4-0) لصالح بايرن ميونخ.

وسجل كومان هدف بايرن ميونخ الأول ثم أضاف جورتيسكا وتوليسو الهدفين الثاني والثالث.

ويحل أتلتيكو مدريد ضيفًا على بايرن ميونخ في الجولة الأولى لدور مجموعات دوري أبطال أوروبا. شاهد هدف كومان الثاني

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Sunderland fans have been reacting on Twitter to a bizarre story involving some sausages, their manager and a selection of players ahead of the Checkatrade Trophy final on Sunday.

This came after Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie revealed that Black Cats boss Jack Ross is planning to take some of his stars to a butcher’s in Sunderland.

Stirks Butchers in the city has been selling sausages inspired by the Scot and his stars, and they will visit the family-run establishment before vying for silverware against Portsmouth at the weekend.

Ross himself has had a sausage comprised of sweet chilli and Irn Bru created and some of his players have enjoyed the same honour.

Examples include captain George Honeyman and his Honeyman and mustard sausage, Will Grigg and his Will Grigg’s on fire sausage and Aiden McGeady and his McGeady Guinness and blackpudding sausage.

The story has been met by mixed reaction from the club’s fan base, some supporters are “horrified” while others seem amused.

You can check out the best of the reactions below…

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

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Liverpool have recently been linked with a potential move for Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski in this summer’s transfer window.

Lewandowski is enjoying another fine campaign for Bayern, finding the back of the net on 35 occasions in 39 appearances in all competitions.

Since arriving at the Allianz Arena from Borussia Dortmund in 2014, the striker has actually managed 186 goals in 234 appearances, which is a stunning record.

Lewandowski will turn 31 in August, but will certainly feel that he has another three or four years left in a top European league.

Liverpool have been credited with an interest in the Poland international.

However, it would be fair to say that the majority of the Merseyside club’s supporters are not interested in a swoop for the prolific forward.

Their reaction is a touch surprising, but a number have urged their team to look elsewhere in this summer’s transfer window.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Wolves’ three-man defence has been a key system deployed by Nuno Santo since he arrived at the club and the formation has served particularly well in the Premier League.

Conor Coady and Willy Boly have been superb as part of that defensive shape but the club have encountered a dilemma when it comes to Ryan Bennett.

What’s the problem?

Bennett was excellent during the Championship winning season but has sometimes struggled for consistency stepping up a level.

The central defender missed two matches through suspension recently for collecting ten yellow cards but returned to the starting XI against Manchester United. However, despite winning 2-1, his performance was one of the worst from a Wolves perspective and only flags up his consistency in 2018/19.

During the game, he won just one of his four aerial duels and completed a solitary tackle.

So how do you solve the problem? Starting Romain Saiss over him would be the perfect answer.

Nuno has played the Moroccan in central midfield and defence this term, but the 29-year-old has flourished as part of the back three.

Stopping Deeney

The Midlands club may have tasted defeat against Burnley last week but Saiss still performed admirably in place of Bennett at centre half. He won a remarkable 10 aerial duels and completed five tackles.

It was a brilliant display from the 6 ft 1 man who after recent events simply has to play against Watford.

The Hornets play an attractive brand of football under Javi Gracia but they still have the physical presence of Troy Deeney. His performances have been severely underrated this term but by playing someone with the aerial prowess that Saiss possesses they’ll stand a better chance of nullifying that particular threat.

Bennett has been a reliable figure in the past, but the Morocco international must now overtake him in the defensive pecking order.

Liverpool have been handed a huge boost in the title race with defender Virgil van Dijk expected to return for the Reds clash against Southampton on Friday night.

Needless to say, there is one player Liverpool cannot afford to lose at this stage in the season, and only one that fans would surely kiss goodbye to their title hopes in his absence, and that is Netherlands international Virgil van Dijk.

After an impressive game, summarised by an excellent piece of defending at the end of the contest to deny the onrushing lummox Moussa Sissoko and help Liverpool secure a dramatic 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, Van Dijk needed treatment on a supposed ankle injury. And Liverpool fans were surely thrown into meltdown when he appeared with an icepack strapped to his leg during post-match interviews.

Though the defender reassured supporters that nothing was wrong at the time, sometimes the wishful words of a player aren’t enough to convince the more pessimistic individuals.

All concerns have now happily been dispelled following the positive news that he has returned to training this week, with the Liverpool Echo posting an image of the Dutchman flying through the air as a temporary keeper (just in case there were any doubters).

Van Dijk is primed to continue his remarkable record of appearing in every single Premier League game this campaign – the first player, alongside Salah, to achieve this feat since Martin Skrtel in 2011.

Liverpool fans, just how important is Virgil van Dijk to your title hopes this season? Let us know in the comments below…