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Loads of Crystal Palace fans on Twitter have been quick to react to some worrying comments by manager Roy Hodgson following the 6-2 pre-season defeat against Barnet on Tuesday.

The south London outfit actually led 2-0 against the National League outfit, but a team containing senior figures in Connor Wickham, Alexander Sorloth, Stephen Henderson and Jairo Riedewald were on the end of a big beating in the end.

Speaking post-match, as per Sky Sports, Hodgson admitted that the Eagles have “enormous problems at the back” with just a few weeks until the new Premier League season gets underway.

Watch Crystal Palace Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It would certainly be no surprise if they are in the market for a new right-back following the departure of Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Manchester United, while it also appears as though they have some big problems at centre-back too right now.

Palace supporters, who have shown their frustrations already at the club’s transfer approach during the summer transfer window, are rightly concerned by the former England boss’ words.

In the video below, find out which Chelsea academy prospect is reportedly being lined up to replace Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Crystal Palace…

One individual said it’s “not what you want to hear” with the 2019/20 campaign on the horizon, and they are completely right especially when you consider how badly they have started in recent years – they only took five and eight points respectively from their opening 12 top flight fixtures in 2017/18 and 2018/19.

Others were concerned that the problems could put Hodgson’s future at Selhurst Park into some jeopardy, with one saying “this is Roy’s equivalent of a Pulis and Allardyce walk away”, and you can understand why they might be worried with the former leaving just 48 hours before the season started in 2014.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Croatian media outlet Vecernji List, Birmingham City have seen a €7m (£6.2m) bid for Dinamo Zagreb midfielder and reported Leeds United target Ivan Sunjic accepted, and the Whites’ director of football Victor Orta is better off steering clear.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Daily Mail reported earlier this month that the Yorkshire club had earmarked the 22-year-old as a possible replacement for Kalvin Phillips, who was attracting interest from Premier League new boys Aston Villa.

Villa’s arch-rivals Birmingham were also linked in the same report, which said that they had submitted a £3.5m offer for the Croatian.

According to Vecernji List, the Blues are set to spend almost double that to bring Sunjic to St Andrew’s as former Leeds assistant Pep Clotet looks to strengthen his squad.

Leeds don’t need him

While The Daily Mail suggested that Leeds targeted the one-time Croatia international in case Phillips left, it remains unclear whether they would have been keen on a move anyway had the price been right – after all, the Yorkshire outfit didn’t have a strong replacement for the 23-year-old when he was absent, or had to slot into the centre of the defence in 2018/19.

However, with the Whites midfielder looking set to stay at Elland Road as things stand with no club yet willing to meet the reported £30m price tag on his head, the need for Sunjic simply isn’t there in the grand scheme of things.

United have more important priorities if they are to add to their summer business before the transfer window shuts on August 8, with a centre-back and a striker potentially looking to be their two remaining priorities.

As things stand Liam Cooper and Gaetano Berardi are the only experienced options for the former, with loanee Ben White having never played higher than League One level.

Meanwhile, attacker Kemar Roofe is set to be out for four weeks having picked up an injury during the pre-season tour of Australia.

Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…

If Leeds are going to splash some cash in the next fortnight, it should be on those two positions rather than for a defensive midfielder like Sunjic.

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علّق وليد صلاح الدين قائد الأهلي الأسبق على مباراة القلعة الحمراء المقبلة أمام الدحيل في منافسات كأس العالم للأندية.

الأهلي يلتقي الدحيل القطري بعد غدٍ الخميس في السابعة والنصف مساء بتوقيت القاهرة الثامنة والنصف مساء بتوقيت الدوحة.

وقال وليد صلاح الدين في تصريحات إذاعية عبر آثير “أون سبورت إف إم”: “مباراة الأهلي والدحيل المقبلة ستكون صعبة للغاية، والفريق القطري يمتلك عدد كبير من اللاعبين والنجوم المتميزين”.

وتابع: “أصعب ما في مباراة الفريقين أنها الأولى لهما بجانب وجود الجماهير وهو ما يشكل ضغط على لاعبي الأهلي وجهد مضاعف”.

وأردف: “وحلم وصول الأهلي إلى نصف النهائي وتخطي الدحيل ومواجهة البايرن مشروع للغاية لأنها تعد مناسبة لا تكرر كثيرًا”.

طالع | نعرفه جيدًا.. نوير يعلق على إمكانية مواجهة الأهلي في كأس العالم للأندية

واستطرد: “المشاركة في كأس العالم للأندية مكافأة كبيرة لحامل لقب دوري أبطال إفريقيا بجانب الجوائز المالية التي يحصل عليها الفريق المشارك ومواجهة الوحش الأوروبي الفائز كبايرن ميونخ”.

واختتم: “أعتقد أن نظام البطولة سيتغير ويتم السماح بمشاركة البطل عن قارة إفريقيا ووصيفه، وصعوبة النسخة الحالية في أنه تتيح لك إما الصعود لقبل النهائي أو الحلول في المراكز الأخيرة”.

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Lots of Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to react after Paul Pogba said that it could be a good time to leave the club.

The France international has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer, and cast further doubt over his United future by revealing that he could do with a new challenge.

Could United be in the hunt for an £85m blockbuster signing this summer? Check out the video below…

Pogba said: “I am thinking of this: To have a new challenge somewhere else… I think for me it could be a good time to have a new challenge.”

The United No.6 only moved back to Old Trafford three years ago in a world-record £89.3m move from Juventus, and has scored 24 goals in 89 league appearances for the club.

He has, however, been a source of trouble and has hogged the spotlight for the past year after an ongoing feud with Jose Mourinho and very turbulent runs of form under his successor, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Now, it seems as though Pogba has finally come out and said that he would like to leave the club, which has sparked a reaction from the United fans on Twitter…

[ad_pod ]According to the Liverpool Echo, Everton had been keeping tabs on River Plate midfielder Santiago Sosa, but have no plans to act on their interest as of yet.However, Argentinian outlet Ole have recently revealed that the move has been completed for a fee of €15m (£13.35m), although a work permit is still required.Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…Sosa was spotted by Marcel Brands and Under-23 scout Jamie Hoyland at the South America Under-20 Championships in Chile earlier this year, where the defensive midfielder was named in the Team of the Tournament.The Argentine’s work permit won’t be easy to sort out, but who is he and where would he fit in at Goodison Park if he did eventually arrive?

Who is he?

Sosa is a tough tackling defensive midfielder who has also been blessed with a good eye for a pass.

BBC South American football correspondent Tim Vickery profiled the player in his report of a number of South American football stars, having this to say on the 20-year-old.

“He’s playing at the moment for Argentina in the U20 World Cup in Poland. Sosa is a holding midfielder, better at picking a pass than the defensive side of his game.

“He’s got a little bit of old-fashioned swagger. In the old days in Argentina, that No 5 was the boss of the team, the man who played the vital first pass out of defence.

“But the thing with him is it’s so early. He’s only played a handful of games for River Plate, when they’ve fielded an under-strength side, so if Everton buy him now, to go straight into the first team would be a massive step up.

“He’s one for the long term and looks promising. He would worry me a little bit with his lack of pace for the defensive side of his duties, but he’s certainly an interesting player with the ball at his feet.”

Where would he fit in?

Given the fact the Morgan Schneiderlin made just 13 appearances for the Toffees last term despite being injury-free, Sosa would assumingly replace him at defensive midfield when the Frenchman eventually leaves the club.

The former Southampton man isn’t a Marco Silva favourite given his lack of appearances, so Sosa may be the man to wait in the wings behind Idrissa Gueye until he is needed – perhaps this is why the Merseysiders have moved to secure a deal without a work permit, as they aren’t planning on using him immediately.

In this system, we see Sosa line up as a No.5 in a defensive midfield position alongside the tenacious Gueye, where they would provide a stern midfield base for Gylfi Sigurdsson to venture forward and continue to get amongst the goals.

He would also be capable of screening the back four alone, allowing Gueye to push on if he wanted to or vice versa – this move would allow Everton to explore a number of different options.

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Manchester United fans have had a torrid season, but things could be a whole lot worse.

Diego Maradona has claimed in an exclusive FourFourTwo interview that he could sort out the problems at Old Trafford.

This is coming from a man who oversaw Argentina’s joint-worst ever result, a 6-1 loss to Bolivia in April 2009. Since then, his managerial efforts haven’t really paid off either. A 4-0 bashing against Germany in the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals followed and nowadays he’s managing Dorados in the Mexican second division.

What did he say?

Whilst Maradona continues life in Mexico with Dorados, he still obviously believes he can make it to the big time in management. That’s where these comments come in, as Maradona sensationally claimed:

“If Manchester [United] need a coach, I’m the man to do it.

“I know they sell lots of shirts around the world, but they need to win trophies, too. I can do that for them.”

It might sound like we’re writing Maradona off here, but if David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho have all failed and now Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is struggling, we can’t see any way in which the Argentine footballing icon can return United to their former glory.

Nonsense

What other word is there for this one? Solskjaer’s doing his best with a bad job and got some incredible results in his early days as the interim gaffer at Old Trafford. If Maradona was to usurp the Norwegian it would truly be the strangest and most baffling managerial appointment in history, which we all know Ed Woodward is capable of delivering.

It doesn’t help that the man behind the most infamous goal in history also came out to back his comments that he’d deliver trophies at United by claiming:

“Manchester United used to be my favourite English team for so long. So many great players and a great team under Alex Ferguson. But now I have to say Man City. I know you shouldn’t change like that but it’s because of Kun [Aguero]. We speak a lot and he plays in a very good team.”

So not only does Maradona believe he can turn the fortunes of the Old Trafford faithful around, but he also thinks he can do so as a supporter of Manchester City. He really is one of a kind.

Having scored 89 goals in the Premier League last season, one would presume the last thing Liverpool need to strengthen is their attack.

However, bitter draws which eventually cost them the title would suggest otherwise. Indeed, most of the days the Reds’ attacking trio had a quiet day, the team would drop points. It’s not exactly rocket science.

As a result, Jurgen Klopp is undertaking the ruthless approach which has seemingly worked wonders for Manchester City. That’s because he’s looking for proper attacking support for his fantastic trio as according to reports from the Sun has his eyes set on Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser.

The Scottish winger had a terrific season for Eddie Howe’s side, being lauded widely as one the best players outside the top six clubs. Obviously, he ran defences ragged with his tenacity in the final third, while his special link-up with Callum Wilson and excellent creativity brought success to the Cherries.

Just imagine that alongside a better quality of player. Perhaps he could even be considered a more dynamic Xherdan Shaqiri, someone to create something out of nothing in the manner in which Nabil Fekir was supposed to before his collapsed Anfield switch in 2018.

Clearly keen on a creative presence (they wouldn’t have tried to get Fekir otherwise) the former Aberdeen ace can basically be a cheaper option.

After all, the 25-year-old recorded 7 goals and 14 assists, just one less than Premier League’s “Best Playmaker” Eden Hazard. Fraser’s goals contributions were also just slightly far-off from Mo Salah and Sadio Mane’s, as he tore apart multiple teams much like the Reds’ terrorizing duo. Frankly, Fraser’s just the hard-working, clever player Klopp needs to widen his attacking scope, working in tandem with fellow Scotsman Andy Robertson on the left-hand side.

While he surely wouldn’t come for cheap, taking a gamble on him could prove sweet. Fraser can be rotated with Sadio Mane or play centrally for Liverpool, adding more power and energy to their attack. He’ll take to Klopp’s “heavy-metal style” perfectly and can act as the German’s ace in the hole to pack a stronger punch going forward.

Liverpool fans, do you think Fraser would be a good addition this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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The time is now for Aston Villa. After a long arduous season it now all boils down to the play-offs.

The Villans faltered under Steve Bruce but have thrived with Dean Smith at the helm, and they now find themselves just three matches away from a possible Premier League reunion.

Smith’s men come into these matches with arguably the best momentum, having recently won ten games on the spin. Despite their impressive run, though, recent records against West Brom suggest they could struggle in the semi-final.

This season the club drew 2-2 and lost 2-0 to Albion, whilst they also failed to beat them the last time the pair were in the Premier League.

However, Villa have a different threat now which is capable of helping them achieve a first victory over the Baggies since 2015.

On the chalkboard

The likes of Jack Grealish and John McGinn will likely prove pivotal for Villa in their play-off campaign but it is the full-backs, Ahmed Elmohamady and Neil Taylor, who can also be game-changers.

In the defeat against West Brom at Villa Park back in February, Elmohamady featured as a right midfielder whilst Taylor didn’t appear whatsoever. The full-backs on the day were Alan Hutton and Kortney Hause, but they weren’t exactly anything to rave about.

Since then, however, Taylor and Elmohamady have been exceptional in defence for Villa. They’ve developed remarkable consistency and should they start as expected on Saturday, will be as important as ever.

With them in the side, the Midlands club have looked far more solid, whilst their attacking play from that area of the pitch has also improved significantly.

With West Brom’s wing-backs pushing forward there could be space in behind for the Villa players to exploit this weekend. This represents another added benefit of Smith’s own wide players.

Elmohamady has made nine key passes across his previous three matches and if he and whoever is selected at right wing can double up on Kieran Gibbs, Villa will have a much better chance of going through. A similar effect can also be had on the left with Taylor.

Hutton rarely provides a creative threat but the added tenacity of his Egyptian teammate can prove highly beneficial.

Given their form and the more settled nature of Smith’s side since that loss, Villa have their best chance of beating West Brom all season.

When Paddy Kenny signed on a short-term loan deal for Sheffield United in 2002 as cover for Simon Tracey, not many of the club’s supporters would have predicted the impact that he would go on to have at Bramall Lane.

After delivering a number of impressive performances for the Blades, Neil Warnock brought him in on a permanent deal, a decision which proved to be a masterstroke by the manager.

An incredibly successful debut campaign at the club for the shot-stopper culminated in a Division One play-off final appearance against Wolverhampton Wanderers. With a return to the top-flight being the prize on offer, United ultimately fell woefully short at the Millenium Stadium as goals from Mark Kennedy, Nathan Blake and Kenny Miller gave their opponents a famous victory.

Although the year did indeed end in heartbreak, the fact that the club reached the semi-finals of both the FA Cup and the League Cup was an astonishing achievement when you consider that they were a second-tier side at the time.

After missing out on a top-six finish in the following campaign, the 2005/06 season proved to be a special one for the Blades and Kenny. Now fully established as the club’s first-choice keeper, the former Bury ace featured in every single one of his side’s fixtures as they secured promotion to the top flight by finishing second behind runaway leaders Reading.

Keen to prove himself at the highest level, Kenny was arguably one of the club’s best players in 2007 yet even his heroics were not enough to stop them from being relegated in controversial circumstances. With the Blades needing a win to avoid the drop against Wigan Athletic, they instead suffered a heartbreaking defeat at Bramall Lane which was compounded by West Ham United’s 1-0 victory at Manchester United.

Carlos Tevez, who was the scorer of the goal at Old Trafford, had been signed by the Irons illegally in January, a scandal which eventually forced the club to pay £20m over a number of seasons to the Blades in 2009 (via The Guardian).

United made a return to the play-off final two years after their relegation with Kenny keeping goal yet again. However, he was powerless to stop Burnley at Wembley Stadium as the Clarets secured a 1-0 victory.

Despite spending the majority of his career in South Yorkshire loved by the club’s fans, Kenny’s departure in 2010 to Queens Park Rangers was overshadowed by a failed drugs test that saw him receive a nine-month ban (via the Guardian).

With the Blades looking to replicate the promotion that they achieved during Kenny’s time this season, they may use the keeper’s previous escapades as inspiration over the next two weeks.

When the 40-year-old arrived at the club, nobody thought that he would be the man to lead them back into the Premier League which is extremely similar to when Chris Wilder was appointed in 2016. Yet with two games left to play between now and May, the United boss could be about to write another page in the side’s illustrious history.

With another dominant domestic display, Celtic have wrapped up all but the Scottish Cup, which is the next accolade on their agenda. With only two games to go in the best case scenario when it comes to that competition, you Bhoys must be living in absolute dreamland. 

Neil Lennon is the man tasked with achieving just that, with the potential for so much more than a trophy should he win.

Clearly, Celtic are desperate to reach the next level and whatever manager they deem fit to try and bring that to Paradise, fans will be right behind.

Success is second nature for this team but in order to continue that streak, importance will be on recruitment and who they deem will improve the team as a whole. It’s unknown as to whether Timothy Weah and Oliver Burke will be at Celtic Park after this season so the need for a striker yet again is of the utmost importance.

A player they once considered (as per the Chronicle back in January) before being beaten to his signature is Josh Maja and that is someone Peter Lawwell should contemplate moving for again.

Maja, (who is valued at £1.5 million on Transfermarkt) was regarded as one of the better League One strikers until he moved away from Sunderland in January. However, since his move to Bordeaux, the Englishman would have arguably hoped for a better transition into the team.

With only five appearances in Ligue 1 since January, it could be possible that Josh Maja will again be on the move this summer and Celtic could be one of many teams to appeal as a better option for him. Indeed, they should aim to rescue the youngster from his time in France, offering him the chance to develop like so many other young talents have in Glasgow.

A talent like this is too good to ignore. Perhaps he chose the wrong move at the wrong time but by making a quick move for the former Black Cat, the Hoops could hit a masterstroke.

His electric pace and incredible finishing ability would work wonders at Celtic, especially if he can rediscover the goalscoring form he displayed during his time at the Stadium of Light.

Maja was so impressive during his time in England so a loan move at least to Celtic could help him get back to his best and that can only a good thing for all involved.

Celtic fans, are you still keen on Josh Maja? If not, why not? Join the discussion by commenting below…