All posts by h716a5.icu

[ad_pod ]

Davide Somma joined Leeds United from San Jose Earthquakes in 2009.

The South African only made 38 appearances for the Whites, however, as he struggled to bounce back from the serious knee injury he suffered in July 2011.

Somma, who managed 13 goals for the Whites in all competitions, left Elland Road on a free transfer in 2013.

Now 33, the striker has not actually officially announced his retirement, but is currently doing some coaching for Long Island United.

There is a general feeling that Somma could have been a very, very good player for Leeds had the injury curse not struck.

The Championship club’s fans clearly still have a high opinion of the South African too, and one supporter has even claimed that Marcelo Bielsa should look to bring the forward back to the club.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

It seems very unlikely that will happen, but the Leeds fans have a special place in their hearts for the 6 ft 3 ace:

[ad_pod ]

J’Neil Bennett is destined to be the answer to countless pub quiz questions over the next decade and beyond.

The Tottenham Under-18 winger scored the first goal at the club’s new stadium, against Southampton, in front of a crowd of over 25,000 at the weekend.

As the curtain rose on a piece of genuine architectural brilliance, Bennett and his teenage team-mates were not overawed by the occasion.

A former academy kid at QPR, Bennett scored the first goal, a peach, as he cut in from the left flank and curled a fine strike beyond the opposition goalkeeper.

A chant soon rang out, a familiar refrain: “J’Neil Bennett, he’s one of our own”.

Regardless of his future and how his Spurs career pans out, he has etched his name forever in the club’s folklore. He has that most unique piece of history, it will never be taken away from him and it will never be repeated.

But who exactly is the teenager that scored the goal befitting of a glorious stadium opening?

Born just six miles from the stadium, Bennett began his career in west London, playing for QPR.

But a switch to Spurs has seen him show some genuine talent and there is evidence that he could well become a first-team player in time.

During his time with the Under-18s, he has been prolific, playing predominantly on the left flank.

This season alone, he has scored seven goals in 10 games, including the brilliant strike against the Saints.

He has been capped twice by England at Under-18 level and has also played for Spurs at Under-19 and Under-23 level.

Quite clearly, Bennett is highly-rated in north London and the hope is that he could one day make the step into Pochettino’s starting XI.

Indeed, he is also adept at playing through the middle as a centre-forward and did just that in the second game of the Under-18 season, scoring a hat-trick in a 5-1 thumping of Swansea.

Spurs’ Under-18 side are currently second in the Premier League U18 South but have yet to lose a game – they have won 15 and drawn two. They are just one point behind Arsenal and have a game in hand.

With Bennett in the team, they could well win some prestigious silverware this term and cap an unbeaten season.

And even if they do, it won’t be Bennett’s most remarkable achievement of the season.

[ad_pod ]

According to Tutto Mercato, Everton are interested in a move for Roma forward Patrik Schick, who has reportedly been made available for just €24m by the Italian side.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Czech Republic international used to be one of the most highly-rated young forwards in Europe having slammed in 13 goals in 35 appearances for Sampdoria at a young age.

His form there earned him a huge €42m move to Roma, a club-record fee for them, although it is safe to say that things haven’t exactly gone to plan for the 23-year-old.

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…

Since arriving in Rome, Schick has found the back of the net just eight times in 53 appearances, ultimately proving to be a big-money flop for the Serie A side and a player definitely not worth such a huge sum of money.

However, as aforesaid, he is just 23 years of age; with time on his side, he could still fulfil his huge potential.

Completely unfair on Dominic Calvert-Lewin

One man who has worked tirelessly for the Toffees this season, and is visibly improving with every passing game, is Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The Toffees academy graduate has scored six league goals this season – double that of Schick – whilst also recording an assist in just 13 starts.

His overall game is coming on nicely, although reports linking Everton with a move for Edin Dzeko, Jean-Kevin Augustin and now Schick suggest that they are attempting to push the England Under-21 star further down the pecking order – that is simply unfair given his obvious improvement and good work for the team this season.

At just 22 years of age, Calvert-Lewin should be being nurtured and focused on, and not looking to be replaced by a player in Schick who is just one year older than him and not even guaranteed to deliver better numbers.

[ad_pod ]

Celtic are expected to make quite a few changes to the squad this summer, but there’s one man who will be going absolutely nowhere.

While things have certainly become more secure since the turn of the year, Celtic’s defensive woes looked sure to be the weakness that may eventually allow Rangers to creep back into the title race earlier on in the season.

Dedryck Boyata can be wonderful one week and invisible the next (quite literally in Athens), Jozo Simunovic clearly has ability but is yet to put it all together on the pitch, while Jack Hendry may just be a lost cause.

Kristoffer Ajer however, has gotten better and better as the season has gone on, and John Hartson is delighted by his progress.

What did he say?

Writing in his column for The Evening Times, Hartson said: “I was always a fan of Kristoffer Ajer who had his best game for Celtic on Sunday.

“He took a really sore one in the face in the first-half and, take it from a man who knows, getting a boot right there is not nice.

“Ajer got up, shrugged off the pain and went on to play a massive role in the win.

“I like the way he plays out from the back. He reads the game a lot better and has improved in the air.

“It was good to see him taking on more responsibility when Celtic went down to ten after Dedryck Boyata went off.”

Ready for more responsibility?

Hartson has got it spot on. Ajer has always showed glimpses of his tremendous ability and composure on the ball, but it is the physical and mental side of the game he often struggled with.

On Sunday, in arguably football’s most intense derby, the young Norwegian looked like he had been there and done it all before a thousand times over, constantly mopping up with relative ease.

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…

As Hartson notes, the pressure on him was even greater once Boyata went off injured, and the 20 year-old took it all in stride.

If Ajer can add the type of physically imposing presence and commanding leadership that he showed on Sunday to the already-impressive ball skills he possesses, then the Bhoys are going to have one hell of a player on their hands.

In fact, fans have often worried about the lack of leadership in defence if Boyata goes, but Ajer may even be ready to step into that leadership role immediately on Sunday’s evidence, especially if he keeps getting votes of confidence like the one from Hartson.

Everton have finally reached their capabilities under Marco Silva and those fans are loving it. Seventh place looks to again be a real possibility and optimism has quickly restored itself around Goodison Park. Thank the high heavens for that, right? 

With a string of fine results, Everton have re-established themselves as European contenders, something that will please Marco Silva after a troubling start to his tenure. Indeed, you Everton fans can safely admit that they did have concerns about the Portuguese boss but finally having turned things around, Silva must continue to be entrusted by all.

Obviously, this upcoming transfer window is yet again another opportunity for Everton to try and strengthen their side but their first bit of business may be slightly easier than some. Despite a number of teams now pledging their interest, Everton’s first job this summer is to sign Andre Gomes on a permanent deal, after he’s produced a number of show-stopping performances this season.

Gomes, (who is valued at £25.2 million on Transfermarkt) has shown exactly why Barcelona invested so heavily in him, with so many classy performances in the heart of midfield.

At times, the 25-year-old looks miles ahead of his opponents as he effortlessly strolls around the pitch like it’s his own.

That kind of player is extremely hard to find and Everton must do everything to try and keep hold of him – amid reported interest over the course of the campaign – now they’ve seen how good their midfield could be.

Marco Silva – like you supporters reading this – is surely very keen on making his stay permanent and although Barcelona can now drive up the price because of his performances, Everton must consider who would prove to be better value for money.

Now in his prime years, enjoying some terrific football and looking at home in the blue of Everton, it definitely makes sense that he remains at Goodison Park, right?

Die-hard Everton fans, do you agree Andre Gomes must be signed? Join the discussion by commenting below…

[ad_pod ]Manchester City eventually cruised to another easy three points on Sunday at Crystal Palace’s expense despite Luka Milivojevic’s clever, late free-kick setting up a tense last ten minutes.Of few positives to be taken from a Palace point of view, the performance of Christian Benteke was, surprisingly, one.The big Belgian has come under fire this season for his ineptitude in front of goal but did his utmost to hold up play and make things happen for the Eagles, including an acrobatic attempt at goal that wasn’t quite struck cleanly enough to trouble Ederson.It’s possible that the former Aston Villa man’s Selhurst Park nightmare could be brought to a premature end this summer and in light of a solid showing up front, some Palace fans have taken to Twitter to debate the 28-year-old’s future in red and blue.There’s some exciting changes happening at Crystal Palace next summer. Find out what in the video below…You can find the best of the reaction below, with some still hopeful that he can resurrect his sensational form of the 2016/17 season…

Everton are surely preparing big changes ahead of this summer window which could see the departures and arrivals of many stars. 

Some may call moves like that dramatic but seeing as the Toffees can’t quite reach that seventh place, more money needs to be supplied to Marco Silva in order to make that dream a reality.

A number of positions are in desperate need of restoration but unlike last season, no attention needs to be placed on new centre-backs. In a bid to save money to focus on other positions, Everton could do far worse than giving Lewis Gibson a shot in the first-team, as back-up for Michael Keane and Yerry Mina.

Gibson’s stock is growing fast in the game, considering that it cost Everton around £990k (via Transfermarkt) to bring him to Goodison Park from Newcastle in the first place.

Indeed, because young players are going for huge sums of money these days, Everton may consider themselves lucky to have acquired such a talent at a reasonable price, given how he has played this season.

As a young 18-year-old, Gibson is equipped with all the modern day attributes for a centre-back. He is an astute passer of the ball, reads the game well and looks confident in his own ability all the time an ideal replacement for Kurt Zouma, should he be impossible to sign permanently following Chelsea’s transfer plan.

In his nine Premier League 2 appearances this season, Lewis Gibson has, in turn, provided seven clean-sheets, which is far from a coincidence. It’s most definitely understandable that Gibson has been and is still on the radar of Marco Silva, so don’t loan him out, give him a run-out in the first team.

Would you be prepared to give Lewis Gibson a first-team shot next season… Join the discussion and let us know!

Where many feared the worst for Newcastle this season, manager Rafael Benitez has steered them to safety after two successive wins. Indeed, Premier League football will once again light up St. James’ Park next season, but they need to make changes to their squad to bring about success.

However, it’s also of fundamental importance that they hold on to their better players. To that end, Ayoze Perez showed against Southampton the quality that he possesses.

In a team largely centred around defence, Perez has 10 league goals to his name. In reality, this is a pretty impressive return for a striker in a team struggling for goals. Newcastle have scored 35 goals this season, the 5th worst in the league. They aren’t known for creating an abundance of chances either. Perez has scored his 10 goals in only 41 shots – less than half the number Salah has produced. Place some better players around the forward, he will continue to shine.

Worryingly, for Newcastle fans, it has emerged that the forward ‘is a wanted man’ back in Spain. He said in The Mirror: “In the summer, there are going to be options.”

“That means I have done ­something well. I’ll be up for hearing what is coming, but it doesn’t mean I am going to leave 100 per cent at the end of the season,” he added.

The attacking trio of Perez, Solomon Rondon and Miguel Almiron has proved highly successful for Newcastle this season and as stated, they must hold on to players of this calibre if they are to progress.

But Perez is perhaps the player they will find the most challenging to keep hold of. The talented Spaniard, who now sits in Newcastle’s top ten all-time Premier League goalscorers, arrived at the club in 2014, aged just 20-years-old. He cost Newcastle just £1.5m and represents one of the biggest bargains in their recent history.

Perhaps his late spell of form will be a reminder of his quality to Newcastle fans – who earlier in the season booed him minutes before netting the winner against Watford

Should Perez opt to leave the club it will certainly be for a fee much larger than they initially paid. For the fans, however, they will hope that it won’t come to that.

Newcastle fans – is it critical that Perez stays? Is he one of your biggest bargains in recent history?

The arrival of Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United last summer was always going to cause a stir in the Championship.

By employing the former Chile and Argentina national coach, Andrea Radrizzani knew that he would be bringing a maverick to Elland Road who would create headlines both on, and off the pitch.

A fast start to the season combined with a clear transformation in playing style saw the Whites set the second tier alight yet the controversy surrounding the revelations that Bielsa had sent staff to spy on other clubs left a bad taste in the mouth of many of his opposing managers.

Although Leeds would eventually be fined £200,000 by the FA in February after admitting their guilt (via the Independent), the Yorkshire-based outfit did not let it impact their push for promotion. However, with expectancy rising amongst their supporters in recent weeks, the pressure has ultimately got to Bielsa’s side which has been extremely beneficial for Sheffield United.

Whereas his Argentine counterpart has been a constant presence in the news, Chris Wilder has gone about his business quietly at Bramall Lane this season as a lack of focus on his side has aided their push for a top-two finish.

Underdogs for the majority of the season, the Blades have produced several stunning displays of football in the second tier which have not received the attention that they deserved. This trend continued on Easter Monday as United’s 3-0 victory at Hull City was overshadowed by Leeds’ shock defeat to Brentford which left their automatic promotion hopes in tatters.

Although Wilder will be making sure that his players focus on the job in hand in their remaining two fixtures this season, it would undoubtedly bring a smile to his face if he is able to overcome the man who was supposedly destined to bring Premier League football back to West Yorkshire.

What do you think United fans? Has the media attention surrounding Leeds helped your club go under the radar this season? Are you confident that Wilder can finish off the job over the next two fixtures? Let us know below.

Manchester United look set for one of their most important summers in recent history, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer embarks on a squad rebuild of sorts.

Big names are expected to come and go at Old Trafford, as the likes of Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Juan Mata all face uncertain futures, while the club are also thought to be keen to spend big to bring in the right talent to enhance the quality of the squad.

One of those names who has been mentioned is Benfica starlet Joao Felix, with the 19-year-old bursting onto the scene this season to huge effect over in Portugal.

Felix has only had his first season at top level competition this year, but he already looks the part – much like  a certain Cristiano Ronaldo showed United all those years ago in a pre-season friendly in Lisbon.

Sometimes a player comes along who you simply cannot afford to pass up on, and Joao Felix falls right into this category for United.

The teenager is a class act, and his 13 goals this season from attacking midfield show just what a talent he is and could be in the future.

With the United squad in such need of rebuilding, Felix is exactly the sort of player the club need to be targeting if they are indeed eyeing up the foreign market. His speed with the ball, ability to find the back of the net and creative spark are all things which would fit in well with the core of United’s squad, and you can see a big partnership developing between Felix and Marcus Rashford.

At such an important time for the club, money should not be an object, and United must do all they can to snap up the forward ahead of their European rivals.