All posts by z3u9t.icu

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Watford progressed to the FA Cup semi-finals last weekend at the expense of Crystal Palace, who left Vicarage Road with their wings clipped. The Eagles were far from poor and did their best without the crucial Wilfried Zaha, although individuals error once again cost them, as they did against Brighton a week earlier.

Most of Roy Hodgson’s men could return to South London feeling that they’d done their part, but Cheikhou Kouyate’s numbers make truly horrific reading.

On the chalkboard

Having signed from West Ham for just £9.6m in the summer – the only addition made by the Eagles that came at a cost – the big number 8 was seen as quite the bargain buy but, like the free additions who came through the door with him, he has struggled for game-time at Selhurst Park.

The clash with the Hornets presented the midfielder with a chance to prove that he should start more games, with Zaha and Patrick van Aanholt’s absences forcing Hodgson into some big changes, but he wasted it.

Cheikh this out

The 55-cap international, playing alongside Luka Milivojevic at the base of midfield, was surely expected to bring some added steel in the middle of the park and prevent the driving runs of Abdoulaye Doucoure, although he completed 0 tackles and 0 interceptions in 90 minutes – poor.

If he cannot aid his team in defence for one game, you’d at least expect that maybe he was a little more attack-focused against Watford, although 0 shots and 0 key passes prove otherwise. It would seem that his only contributions, aside from some solid, all-round passing, were the 2 fouls.

Is the FA Cup distracting Crystal Palace fans from their EPL issues? Pla>yamker FC’s Sam thinks so in the video below…

Palace will need the powerful 29-year-old to be at his best when they host Huddersfield at the end of the month – if he even starts, that is – as the Terriers will surely look to stop the Eagles playing their football and instead turn the tie into a war of attrition.

Marc McNulty will run out for Hibs at Livingston’s Tony Macaroni Arena on Friday, and will look back to where things started to take off for him, after probably wondering at one time if he would ever play professionally at all.

The centre-forward has been brilliant for Hibs since his loan move from Reading in January, scoring six goals in just seven league games.

It is quite ironic that he will be in the visitors dressing room for the game, having been let go by the Edinburgh side as a 16-year-old, and Livingston being the side that took a chance on him.

Now a full Scotland international, he is proof-positive that never giving up, and having self-belief in times of adversity, truly is a trait worth clinging on to.

It was current Cowdenbeath manager, Gary Bollan, who saw something in McNulty, and he recalled to the Edinburgh News: “Marc had been released by Hibs and, when he was even younger, Celtic.

“It’s credit to him because he never gave up, he had belief in his own ability and is enjoying the rewards by playing at the level he is now.

“It’s fantastic for other kids, who, at an early stage get a knock in football, can see the confidence Marc had to build himself back up.”

It was thanks to Bollan that he got his chance in the Livingston senior team, having shown signs of what he can do for the youth side.

“When he came to Livingston, we saw in training he had the ability to score goals. He’d been doing well in the Under-19s so he was due a wee chance for the first team.”

From there, and thanks to his patience, he gradually became a regular scorer for Livingston, which saw him catch the eye south of the border, eventually earning him a move to Sheffield United, and now getting international recognition with Scotland.

His story is one of inspiration for youngsters all over the country who may be thinking of giving up because they have been overlooked by professional clubs.

It is testament to the old adage of work hard, and stay positive.

That is exactly what McNulty did, and if you are in a similar position, you never know… your Gary Bollan may be just around the corner.

What do you think of your loan signing Hibs fans? Would you like to see him stay longer? Let us know…

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Leeds fans can’t believe what they are reading after Neil Harris suggested the club get away with things on a regular basis following the missile incident on Saturday.

Harris implied that the Leeds fans fall foul of EFL rules on a regular basis but for some reason avoid punishment, saying “Is it common at Leeds? Do they get away with it? I don’t know.

“Various players get hit by coins, bottles and lighters. It is not acceptable in football grounds. Messages are sent out asking fans not to do it. Everybody has got a duty of care to stop that happening across the nation. It’s going to take a serious incident for it to happen and that’s not what we want to see.”

Leeds have already been given two sanctions by footballing authorities this season with a £200,000 fine for spying on Derby County training sessions, and an additional £5,000 fine for a touchline altercation when the side met Bolton.

Fans were particularly peeved at the comment implying Leeds are allowed to get away with things more than other clubs, after their hefty fine surrounding ‘spygate’ which technically didn’t break any rules.

On the whole Leeds fans were bemused by Harris’ quotes after the weekend as the general consensus at Elland Road is that the club are hard done by rather than treated lightly.

Here’s what Leeds fans had to say on Twitter…

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Things are a bit sticky at Everton in terms of their centre-back situation right now.

Marco Silva has will have just Michael Keane and Yerry Mina as recognised senior centre-backs in the summer. Kurt Zouma will be returning to Chelsea, and it is unlikely that he will be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge judging by Andreas Christensen’s recent revelation.

Additionally, Phil Jagielka contract is set to expire in the summer, and it seems unlikely that the Toffees will offer the 36-year-old a new contract given the fact he has made just three appearances this season.

You could argue that Mason Holgate will be returning from his loan spell, but he appears to be favoured at right-back rather than in the centre of defence.

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…

In that respect, the Merseysiders should put their £6m investment made back in 2017 to good use.

Everton signed then 17-year-old Lewis Gibson from fellow Premier League side Newcastle for the aforementioned fee, beating off competition from England’s top clubs for the England Under-17 World Cup winner.

He is yet to make an appearance for the first team, but he has been in outstanding form for David Unsworth’s Under-23 side – he was even made captain despite being just 17 years of age.

Back in April of last year, Unsworth said on the teenager: “Lewis Gibson has been outstanding.

“He’s got better and better and better and he’s a natural born leader and he’s been captain for the last couple of games.”

To spend such a large sum on a player as young as Gibson was an extremely bold move, and one that is looking to be an inspired decision judging by his performances.

However, for that sum to be justified, he needs first-team football, and what better time to give it to him other than amidst this tiny crisis in the centre of defence?

He clearly looks like a star of the future. Everton’s track record of promoting young players from the academy – Wayne Rooney, Jack Rodwell, and Ross Barkley spring to mind – suggest that Gibson can become a valued member of the first team; he is a player that appears to be outgrowing the youth ranks, and is in need of that next step.

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Loads of Celtic fans have been running the rule over Wednesday’s action, and they’ve got loads to say about the performance of Olivier Ntcham.

Celtic brushed St Mirren aside at The Simple Digital Arena on Wednesday night, as Tim Weah and Ryan Christie scored the goals to take the Bhoys another step closer to the title.

Weah opened the scoring early when he headed one in off the crossbar, pouncing on the scraps from a missed Oliver Burke chance.

Ntcham then missed a penalty, but it didn’t cost his side as substitute Christie popped up with a late goal to secure the win.

Fans are a little split over the performance of Ntcham, with some saying the Frenchman just needs time after returning from a long injury struggle while others continue to slate him.

Check out the video below to see how Brazil fans reacted to being asked how Cristiano Ronaldo would perform for them in a hilarious prank by Pl>ymaker FC…

The 23 year-old, who has missed the last ten league games with a knee injury, was constantly berated by fans earlier this campaign for his shocking form.

His performance on Wednesday was certainly improved, but it looks like he’s still got some way to go to win the fans over.

Have a look at the Twitter reactions down below…

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Brighton’s Anthony Knockaert has won the Carling Goal of the Month for his strike against rivals Crystal Palace, who are perhaps right to be bitter about the Frenchman’s success.

The M23 derby – although you won’t hear it called that by either set of fans – between the Eagles and the Seagulls is one of the most confusing yet bitter rivalries in the game, a statement proved by Knockaert’s dodgy challenge on Luka Milivojevic just seconds into their March clash.

The former Leicester man slid studs-up into the Palace captain, who was caught in an area no man wants to be. Knockaert perhaps only evaded a red card because the referee barely had time to drop his whistle before it happened and so the winger remained on the pitch to score a worldie in the 74th minute.

Many football fans dread the transfer window. The Pl>ymaker FC squad name who they’re worried about losing this summer in the video below…

Cutting in on his left, the diminutive wide-man hit a perfect curling strike into the top right corner, leaving Palace ‘keeper Vicente Guaita absolutely no chance – a strike which has been recognised in award form.

Here’s what the Selhurst Park faithful, who feel he shouldn’t have even been on the pitch, had to say about it…

West Ham United fans will be disappointed with today’s result as their side were denied all three points by a late Harvey Barnes strike at the London Stadium.

The Hammers showed fight and spirit today but yet again they weren’t able to secure the right result, which has been a real problem for them in recent times as they’ve failed to win in their last four top-flight games.

Indeed, one of the major problems for the Hammers this season has been at the pinnacle of the attack as they’ve not been able to find a consistent goal source, with the likes of Javier Hernandez, Michail Antonio, Lucas Perez and Andy Carroll failing to lead the line with any intent.

Although, Manuel Pellegrini may not need to look far to find a possible candidate to lead the line next season, as one of the players in the Under-23 side has impressed this season.

Xande Silva made a name for himself in the Under-23 ranks during the first half of the season as he produced seven goals in six Premier League 2 games. His fine form resulted in him joining up with the first-team in the Premier League and he made one top-flight appearances, as well as an FA Cup appearance.

It comes as some surprise that the Argentine hasn’t looked to use him more as he could offer a different dynamic at the pinnacle of the attack, and he’s shown he can be prolific this season. He looks to use his pace and strength to work himself into promising positions and then he has the ability to punish the opposition. Also, not many sides will have seen what the 22-year-old can do on the field, so using him next season could work wonders for the Hammers.

West Ham United fans, do you think Xande Silva deserves more minutes on the field? Join the discussion by commenting down below!

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Sheffield Wednesday fans on Twitter have been calling for Marco Matias to be released from the club at the end of the season.

The Portuguese forward’s contract is up this summer and supporters have been urging the Owls not to renew his deal.

This comes after an article written by Dom Howson in the Sheffield Star recommended that Matias was kept on at the club beyond his current deal.

Owls fans on Twitter were quick to disagree with Howson saying that Matias should be let go sooner rather than later.

The 29-year-old has scored six goals in 29 Championship appearances so far this season, but Wednesday fans seemingly no longer want him.

Steve Bruce’s side have been in fantastic form since the former Villa boss took charge at Hillsborough, but fans want to see the team changed up next season and Matias isn’t a part of their plans.

Here’s what Wednesday fans have been saying on Twitter…

Check out the video below to see how Brazil fans reacted to being asked how Cristiano Ronaldo would perform for them in a hilarious prank by Pl>ymaker FC…

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Sheffield United fans on Twitter are bewildered after the announcement of the PFA’s Championship Team of the Year.

Blades fans felt aggrieved because none of their defenders were involved in the team despite their club keeping the most clean sheets in the division, as well as conceding the least number of goals.

Fans of the Yorkshire club felt that at least one of John Egan, Dean Henderson, Jack O’Connell or Enda Stevens deserved a spot in the Team of the Year.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

It’s hard to argue against the points made by the United fans, Chris Wilder’s side have conceded just 39 goals all season whilst their star goalkeeper Henderson has kept a staggering 20 clean sheets.

In place of Henderson was Darren Randolph whilst Pontus Jansson, Liam Cooper, Max Aarons and Jamal Lewis got into the back four.

Wilder’s side did have two representatives in the team with Billy Sharp and Oliver Norwood earning spots in midfield and attack, but it is the lack of defenders in the team which has Blades talking on Twitter.

Here’s what Sheffield United fans have been saying on Twitter…

When Danny Loader gave Reading an early lead at the Riverside Stadium last Saturday, Middlesbrough supporters must have been fearing the worst as their play-off hopes were left hanging by a thread.

With sixth-place Derby County leading at Bristol City, Tony Pulis’ side simply had to respond or face falling three points behind their rivals with just one game left to play. Knowing what was at stake, the Smoggies quickly turned things around against the Royals as goals from Lewis Wing and Britt Assombalonga secured a vital victory for the hosts.

Although it will be fair to assume that the majority of those associated with Boro will be keeping a close eye on the outcome of the Rams’ clash with Swansea City on Tuesday, it is imperative that Pulis does not allow his players to lose focus on what they have to do next Saturday.

Despite clearly being the underdogs having played a game less than Derby, by avoiding any possible distractions, the Smoggies should be able to secure all three points against a Rotherham United side who have already been relegated to League One.

By winning their final game, Pulis’ side will put a considerable amount of pressure on their rivals who have a history of choking when it really matters in the Championship.

However, if Boro cannot overcome Derby in the league standings, it may result in serious questions being asked of their manager as they have been very underwhelming since the turn of the year with a run of six consecutive defeats between March and the beginning of April demonstrating just how much they have been struggling in recent months.

Having achieved promotion from the second tier with Stoke City in 2011, Pulis will still think that he is the right man for the job heading into next season yet with his contract running out in the summer (via the Northern Echo), there is a chance that he will be asked to step aside.

What do you think Boro fans? Are you confident that your side can still reach the play-offs in May? Should Pulis’ step aside if you miss out on a top-six finish? Let us know below.