All posts by z3u9t.icu

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Crystal Palace announced a loan deal for Lucas Perri on Thursday via their official website and, while many surely see the Brazilian as a squad player rather than an addition to the starting XI, his signing gives Roy Hodgson a golden opportunity to finally end the debate over who should be the Eagles’ number 1.

On the chalkboard

Perri makes the switch to Selhurst Park from Sao Paulo on a temporary basis and, in his six-month spell in red and blue, he will have to compete with Wayne Hennessey and summer signing Vicente Guaita for the gloves.

The latter surely edges out the former based on current form but both are sidelined with injury at the moment, leaving third choice ‘keeper and Palace legend Julian Speroni to deputise between the sticks.

While his performance against Liverpool may be one the Argentine hopes won’t count towards his statistics – Speroni was at fault for Mohamed Salah’s second – his first start this season made him the third different custodian to don the gloves for Palace in 2018/19; injuries have admittedly played their part, but that is still quite ridiculous.

If Perri gets in ahead of the 39-year-old, he would become the fourth. Palace’s defence are surely far from assured by Hodgson’s chopping and changing of goalkeepers and the manager must put all his eggs in his new signing’s basket for the good of the team.

Taking off the shackles

Mamadou Sakho and James Tomkins have formed a formidable partnership at the heart of defence but, with the uncertainty as to who will guard the net next time out, they would surely play with more confidence if it was made clear who the number one choice is.

What makes Perri the number one, though? Well, he’s only 22, so has plenty of room to grow and will get better playing regular minutes. His distribution is also far better than any of his competitors and that ability to start an attack quickly will be more beneficial in the coming weeks as Christian Benteke returns to the fold – his hold up play will mean most long balls are won by Palace.

If Hodgson can finally establish a back five he trusts, the 71-year-old may loosen the shackles on the rest of the outfield players, too, and with goals a rare commodity at SE25 this season, that can surely only mean more opportunities to score.

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

Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit for collecting the cream of young English footballers continues, with Mauricio Pochettino chasing Norwich City defender Max Aarons. According to reports (via the Mirror), Spurs are looking to snap up Aarons in the summer.

The 19-year-old’s been a revelation for the Canaries, playing a key role in their fight for the Championship title race. The pacy Aarons has been a thorn for Championship sides’, with his impressive ability to whizz past players, helping Norwich on the attack. Aarons has also shown a hunger for goal, often creeping into the box unpredictably to score two goals this season.

The Canaries’ youngster has assisted four times, displaying an impressive eye for creativity and commendable crossing ability for a youngster. The fact that he’s recorded an 81% passing accuracy so far proves how much he’s matured under Daniel Farke. A sound defender who rarely makes errors and doesn’t let anyone outpace or outwit him easily, Aarons ticks all the boxes for success.

However, a straight-up signing could create issues for the youngster. He won’t be able to get a starting spot ahead of Kieran Trippier or Serge Aurier and faces stiff competition from Kyle Walker-Peters. Still, the Trippier attracting a fair amount of criticism this season for his lacklustre displays since the World Cup, Aarons could be seen as his long-term replacement.

Aarons is already being touted as one of the best U-20 English defenders and become a cult hero at Norwich. Considering Alli and Trippier’s success, maybe taking a risk on another blooming young talent isn’t foolish after-all.

If they do, it could be curtains for Trippier.

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Loads of Leeds fans have been running the rule over Saturday’s dramatic draw at Middlesbrough, and they’re not too happy with the performance of Jack Harrison.

When Harrison and Izzy Brown joined last summer, Leeds fans were delighted to secure two “big six” talents for the season.

The pair have not had the desired impact though, as Brown is yet to play a Championship game due to injuries and Harrison has managed just two goals and one assist in 22 league appearances.

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Harrison was once again given the nod on Saturday as the Whites travelled to the Riverside Stadium to take on the league’s sternest defence, and the match went exactly how you’d expect it to, with the visitors dominating the ball but creating very little.

Lewis Wing then put Boro in front just after half time, and it wasn’t until the 110th minute that Kalvin Phillips popped up with the equaliser, after an issue for Jack Clarke caused a lengthy stoppage.

Harrison completed just 55 per cent of his passes in the match, and fans are absolutely crucifying the 22 year-old’s display.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react after watching Wayne Hennessey put in an uncomfortable performance against Doncaster in the FA Cup fifth round.

The Wales international, who was making a rare start having lost his place to summer arrival Vicente Guaita, looked nervous throughout.

Hennessey miscontrolled a pass from Scott Dann to give away a needless corner, and looked shaky with his passing and touch when having the ball played back to him.

The former Wolves goalkeeper also parried a few shots that looked easier to smother, and whilst he did manage to keep a clean sheet, he made his own job harder than it needed to be at times.

Perhaps it was the uneven surface at the Keepmoat Stadium that caused these issues, but after seeing him make a number of errors in the past, Crystal Palace fans on Twitter didn’t have much sympathy for a man they don’t like seeing in between the sticks…

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been reacting to some comments from Jordan Henderson, as the skipper said the Reds are going all out to win both the Premier League and Champions League.

Liverpool are in their best position in years to end their title drought, currently sitting level on points with Manchester City having played one game less than the champions.

Jurgen Klopp’s squad is the deepest it has been since his arrival, but there have still been question marks about the lack of quality back-up options in some positions, most notably in defence.

Perhaps because of the defensive injury crisis, there have been plenty of talks of ditching one competition to focus on the other, but Henderson has absolutely no time for that.

“If we had to choose (PL or CL), we’d choose both,” said the skipper, as reported by GOAL.com’s Neil Jones.

The 28 year-old has been a divisive figure since taking the armband at Anfield, as one the one hand he is one of the most versatile, professional and passionate players at the club, but one the other hand he is not Steven Gerrard.

Fans are all uniting on this one though, praising the skipper for his faith in the side, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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According to The Daily Echo, Southampton midfielder Stuart Armstrong is in line to be available for the Premier League clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday having missed the loss against Cardiff City earlier this month.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 26-year-old has been a regular in the side since Ralph Hasenhuttl was appointed as Saints boss at the beginning of December, but he missed out on the squad for the first time against the Bluebirds because of a minor calf strain, as per The Daily Echo.

However, The Daily Echo report that the Scotland international took part in the warm weather training camp in Tenerife and having seemingly come through that unscathed, he could be in line to make his return to the starting XI against the Gunners.

The south coast outfit are certainly in need of a positive result given that the reverse against Neil Warnock’s men at St Mary’s before their trip to the Canary Island saw them slip back into the relegation zone.

Will he start?

It may well depend on what formation and tactics Hasenhuttl decides to go with.

The form and emergence of James Ward-Prowse in recent weeks has certainly meant that competition for places in the middle of the pitch is stronger than ever, and if the Austrian goes for a more conservative approach in north London then it could mean Armstrong has to settle for spot on the substitutes’ bench.

That said, if the 51-year-old fancies taking the game to the hosts and tries to take advantage of a defence that has looked leaky at times this term, then the former Celtic man is someone who can make an impact in the final third from the beginning.

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Everton’s struggles are no secret and have been well documented in recent months. After a bright start to the campaign under Marco Silva, the Toffees have just five wins from their last 15 Premier League games.

There are also some issues emerging in terms of first-team personnel, with first-choice right-back Seamus Coleman performing well out-of-sorts this season, whilst Bernard and Theo Walcott have failed to inspire out on the wings.

Examining the main problem areas

Clearly, the only issues in the team are found in the wide areas. Coleman has been dropped on numerous occasions this season for the less-experienced Jonjoe Kenny, as a result of his below-par performances that have had fans suggesting that he is beginning to decline.

In the wide attacking areas, Theo Walcott has been distinctly average this season, and it could be argued that he has already exited his prime years as a footballer – the 29-year-old has just three goals and two assists in 28 league appearances this season.

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On the opposite flank, Bernard has impressed in spells and is always a tricky customer to deal with, but his end product is fairly poor and he could easily be considered expendable in this Everton team – the Brazilian has a mere three assists to show for his efforts in the league.

What can Silva do about it?

Well, the Toffees are fairly strong through the core, and have a number of players who perform well through the middle of the field, so a 3-5-2 formation could suit the players quite well.

Everton are well stocked in the centre-back department, with Michael Keane, Kurt Zouma and Yerry Mina all competing for the two centre-half positions, so playing all of them together would keep them happy and allow Lucas Digne – who enjoys getting forward – less defensive responsibility out in a left wing-back role.

Idrissa Gueye and Andre Gomes can be part of a two-man defensive midfield, with Gylfi Sigurdsson sat ahead of them in an attacking midfield role – Dominic Calvert-Lewin can be deployed on the right of midfield where his pace would stretch defences and allow the Icelandic international more space.

Up top, Richarlison should be partnered with Ademola Lookman, who hasn’t seen near enough game time this season – he has been afforded just six starts in all competitions.

If Everton utilise the personnel in their squad correctly for the last nine games, they could have an enjoyable end to the season.

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According to The Mirror, Manchester United are set to confirm the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on a permanent basis, after the interim boss oversaw a remarkable upturn in results since taking the reigns at Old Trafford.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Norwegian has already confirmed that his contract with former club Molde has been torn up, leaving him all set to manage the Red Devils beyond the current campaign.

Solskjaer has navigated his troops to a phenomenal run of just one defeat in 17 games since taking over from Jose Mourinho towards the end of December, and the recent comeback victory against Paris Saint-Germain appears to have convinced United chiefs that he is the man to take them forward.

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The former Cardiff manager will reportedly see his wages rise to a whopping £7.5m-a-year, compared to the £400k-a-year he was taking home whilst with Molde – however, Solskjaer will be earning exactly half of the wage that Mourinho picked up whilst at Old Trafford.

A complete masterstroke 

Everything about this news is good for United. In terms of finances, morale, and results, the appointment of Solskjaer is fantastic news for everyone associated with the club.

As mentioned in the aforementioned article, the 46-year-old is happy to earn significantly less than Mourinho due to his love for the club and desire to take the reigns on a permanent basis, which will leave United officials beaming as they have saved a huge amount of cash and come out sunny side up in doing so.

Additionally, key players such as Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba will love the news, seeing as Solskjaer was manager of the Under-23 side during their time in the youth ranks and oversaw a crucial stage of their development – it was the Norwegian that gave Lingard his debut in the reserves.

While Lingard has been held back by injuries, Pogba has looked like arguably the best midfielder in Europe since Solskjaer looked the helm, bagging nine goals and eight assists in 19 appearances. Reports suggesting he will be working with the interim boss on a permanent basis will surely fill him with confidence of sustaining this current level of form.

It’s nearly that time again Celtic fans, nearly time to lift that Premiership trophy yet again. Eight in a row, how good does that sound? Indeed, Neil Lennon is looking to have what is an unexpected reunion with the Scottish trophy, though he’ll know more than anyone that there’s still work to be done. 

Lennon started the year planning his holidays, but since Brendan Rodgers took an unexpected U-turn on the Hoops, the club legend once again finds himself back in the driving seat at Celtic Park and looking to bring yet another title to his cabinet. Comfortable at the top of the tree, it’s not as if the Bhoys are playing blistering football, and the ex-Hibs coach will be looking to make his mark ahead of the club’s managerial search this summer.

So, with an away trip Dundee up next later today, we take a look at how Lennon can improve from the 0-0 draw last week.

Drop Ewan Henderson 

After featuring in the 0-0 draw with Aberdeen, only his third appearance for the first team in the league, it may be time for someone who has a bit more about them to really push Celtic over that line.

Despite grabbing an assist in his first appearance, it has been made clear to see that a step up to the first team may have been too soon for the 18-year-old, who should be blooded in once everything is wrapped up.

While not looking ready yet, the Scottish international has certainly shown why fans should be excited and look forward to what this young talent can bring next season. Don’t burn him, Neil.

Start Odsonne Edouard 

Showing exactly why fans should be excited about him, scoring 12 goals and grabbing 5 assists in 24 Premiership games, the 21-year-old forward has certainly had a season to remember.

Indeed, the last game Edouard played against Dundee resulted in a 0-5 away win, bagging himself a goal and an assist during the game, proving that he knows how to haunt their defence. Feed the Frenchman and he will score, making it an easy end of season for the Bhoys.

What a missed opportunity that was! Manchester United had the chance to reach an FA Cup semi-final where only Manchester City looked a threat, but they blew it and it proves how right United are not give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the job just yet.

The attacking football has been exciting. It’s fast, it’s dynamic and it does what Jose Mourinho failed to do in his tenure, get the most out of their wealth of forward-facing talent. However, when they lose the ball, the whole United side looks at sea and that’s down to Solskjaer’s careless nature.

There’s a reason he didn’t succeed at Cardiff, and that’s because they weren’t organised enough to deal with playing against teams who had more of the ball and were better than them, which was probably every team in the Premier League at the time. This weakness is shown less at United because they’re on the front foot in most games, but it rears its head on occasions.

Wolves are confident on their home turf, and it showed in their ability to retain the ball and attack with intent. That will have been encouraged by their knowledge that Solskjaer’s side are there for the taking if you go at them. PSG at Old Trafford and Arsenal last week proved this.

It’s clear United need investment at the back in the summer. Jose Mourinho obviously knew it, and that seems to be the reason why he didn’t feel he could attack with the freedom the current manager is doing. If he did, then United would struggle to defend the large spaces they leave at the back, just as they did against Wolves.

Mourinho would most probably have won that game on Saturday, and it once again shows that United must be cautious not to make a romantic appointment and bide their time to see if the Norweigan wises up defensively between now and the end of the season.

Man United fans, do you think the Wolves defeat was Solskjaer’s fault or his players’? Join the discussion by commenting below…