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Interim Celtic manager Neil Lennon was on hand to watch the reserves smash Dundee 6-0 on Tuesday, and 17 year-old Armstrong Okoflex must have put himself in contention for a first team call-up.

With the senior side flying at the moment, Lennon took the time to watch Celtic’s reserves on Tuesday, and Vakoun Issouf Bayo grabbed his first goal for the Hoops.

While Bayo impressed with a goal and assist though, it was Okoflex who really stole the show, also pitching in with both a goal and an assist.

The 17 year-old, who joined the club from Arsenal last summer, is on a “rapid ascent” to Celtic’s first team according to The Boot Room, and Tuesday’s performance won’t have done him any harm.

Operating from the wing, the teenager terrorised the Dundee defence with his skill, speed and directness, all with Lennon watching on from the stands.

The Bhoys aren’t exactly stocked up on wingers with Leigh Griffiths still absent, so could Okoflex be the one to fill the 28 year-old’s void?

Celtic fans, let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

The January transfer window was kind and cruel at the same time for Newcastle United.

While the Magpies received an exciting talent like Miguel Almiron, they also brought in Antonio Barreca on loan from Monaco, a deal which is turning out to be a complete bust.

With Paul Dummett being Newcastle’s only option at left-back, they decided to sign Barreca on loan from the French side with an option to purchase permanently. The Italian left-back was a decent option during Monaco’s abysmal league campaign, leading to the deal as Benitez looked to fill a position that’d proved a problem on Tyneside for absolutely years.

However, what could’ve been a promising tale has now deteriorated into a bitter situation. Barreca’s only made a single appearance for the Magpies, that too after coming on after 86th minute in the late loss to Tottenham at Wembley. Since then, Matt Ritchie has largely been deployed as a wing-back, with either Christian Atsu or the aforementioned Dummet coming on.

In fact, Bentinez apparently doesn’t find him to be defensively stable enough and, according to reports from the Sun via talkSPORT, the Spaniard  “doesn’t rate” his talents.

As a result, Ritchie’s been drafted in the left wing-back role in Newcastle’s new and improved system. Yet, Barreca’s failures prove he might not have been Benitez’s top choice at all.

Despite breaking the club record with Almiron’s signing, Barreca’s failed addition proves Ashley and Benitez aren’t on the same page.

Tensions might soon be brewing because of the wastage of the Italian defender and further points at a difference of ambition within the club.

Newcastle fans, have you been disappointed with Barreca’s contribution? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

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Everton fans have taken to Twitter after it was revealed that the FA are to review the referee’s match report before deciding to take action against Marco Silva, but not to back their team’s boss.

No. Instead, some fans have been calling for the FA to ban Silva as they grow tired of his inability to win games for them. The former Hull and Watford boss confronted referee Lee Mason after full-time, following his side’s defeat to Newcastle at St James’ Park.

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 Toffees led 2-0, before being pegged back and ultimately losing 3-2, but Ayoze Perez’s winning goal was certainly a controversial one with a number of players in black and white appearing to be offside in the build up.

Everton have now lost six of their last eight Premier League games, and some fans appear to be losing patience with Silva as a result.

Let’s see how the Toffees supporters reacted the news of their side’s boss potentially facing FA action…

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Southampton head into the international break in high spirits after a sensational 2-1 win over Spurs last weekend, with two of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s young guns – Yan Valery and James Ward-Prowse – both netting in consecutive games.

The faith placed in the more youthful Saints cohort has been a big part of Hasenhuttl’s relative success since being appointed in December, with Josh Sims the latest player to benefit.

The 21-year-old, who had disappeared into obscurity despite bursting onto the scene two years ago, was excellent after coming off the bench against Tottenham and looked very dangerous.

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

Now, the boss has had his say on the attacker’s performance, lauding his aggression and decision-making – two things essential from each player if the Saints are to evade the drop.

With the aforementioned Valery and Ward-Prowse flourishing in the starting XI, could Sims become a regular starter in the coming weeks or perhaps next season?

The St Mary’s Stadium faithful certainly seem to think so, as they responded to Hasenhuttl’s comments on Twitter – you can find the best of the reaction plus what the Austrian said below…

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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Joe Gomez will return to full training after the international break in what is a huge boost for the club.

What’s the latest?

The Liverpool Echo quotes Klopp as saying:

“We all expect him to be back after the international break – in full training, and then we will see how long it takes.”

Gomez has been on the sidelines since fracturing his leg in Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Burnley at the start of December.

It had initially been feared that the England international could miss the remainder of the campaign, but Klopp has revealed that the defender will be back on the training field at the end of this month.

The 21-year-old had been very impressive for the Reds in the first half of the campaign, making 18 appearances in all competitions.

Virgil van Dijk has certainly stepped forward in Gomez’s absence, but Klopp will be relishing the chance to put his two best centre-backs on the field at the same time once again.

What’s next?

Liverpool’s next match is at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on March 31, but Gomez could easily miss that.

At this time, it is difficult to ascertain when Gomez will return as a lot depends on his rehab over the next couple of weeks, but he will certainly want to challenge for his previous first-team position.

Are the media letting Jurgen Klopp off lightly for his lack of silverware? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

But throw in the fact he’s still an incredibly young player, and that Liverpool are now approaching the most intense period of the season where every game is essentially a must-win (or at the very least must-not-lose), it wouldn’t be surprising for Klopp to err on the side of caution.

Aged 21, Gomez has a long career ahead of him. Nonetheless, just having the England international back in training will be a boost to the whole squad – for starters, it will keep Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren on their toes.

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Tottenham Hotspur will need a big performance from Dele Alli if they are to stand a chance of overcoming Liverpool in Sunday’s Premier League clash at Anfield.

On the chalkboard

Even if Tottenham had continued on their excellent run of form then they would have entered this weekend’s match as the underdogs against a very good Liverpool side.

Spurs have lost three of their last four in the Premier League to drop out of the title race, though, and now face a huge battle to just finish in the top four.

There is no question that the absence of Alli between the end of January and start of March harmed Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

The 22-year-old played 82 minutes of the 2-1 defeat at Southampton before the international break, however, and also appeared for England in their recent games against Czech Republic and Montenegro.

The attacker should be raring to go at Anfield this weekend having played just over an hour in each Three Lions game, and Tottenham will need the former MK Dons youngster to put in a strong performance.

How can Alli hurt Liverpool?

Operating off Harry Kane, Alli has an incredible knack of finding space in the final third of the field.

He has scored seven times in 26 appearances for Tottenham this term, which is impressive when considering that he has struggled with hamstring and thigh injuries.

Christian Eriksen has not been at his best in recent weeks either, but the international break was perfect for Alli to put more minutes in his legs.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

And the 35-time England international will look to drop into the spaces between Virgil van Dijk and Liverpool’s midfield three when Tottenham travel to Merseyside on Sunday afternoon.

There will be a lot of focus on Kane, but Alli has only lost one of his six Premier League appearances against Liverpool and the 6 ft 2 ace has the tools to really harm Jurgen Klopp’s side this weekend.

[ad_pod ]Declan Rice made his first England start on Monday as Gareth Southgate’s men thumped Montenegro 5-1 in a Euro 2020 qualifier in Podgorica.The West Ham United midfielder declared his international allegiance to the Three Lions earlier this year ahead of the Republic of Ireland, and made his debut last week as a substitute as they beat the Czech Republic 5-0.Against Montenegro, Southgate opted to pick Rice in his starting XI, rewarding a fine season for the Hammers youngster.The 20-year-old has made 32 appearances in all competitions for the Irons thus far this term, emerging as a key member of Manuel Pellegrini’s squad at the London Stadium.He scored his first goal in the 1-0 win over Arsenal and also turned in a heroic display against Liverpool in a 1-1 draw with the title-chasers.

Per WhoScored, Rice, who has also won three caps for Ireland in friendly matches, enjoyed a pass success rate of 96% from 71 total passes, won seven tackles and also made two interceptions.

And Irons fans were delighted with their man’s performance on Monday evening. Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

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Watford and Wolves meet at Wembley Stadium this weekend, where one’s dreams of an FA Cup final will be realised and the other’s dashed in heartbreaking fashion. Both sides got huge wins – over Fulham and Manchester United, respectively – under their belts in the midweek fixtures and will be heading into this weekend on a high.

The Hornets’ emphatic 4-1 win over the Cottagers has given Javi Gracia a big decision to make, though, with luxury in depth likely to mean one player undeservedly misses out.

What did Gracia say?

Well, speaking ahead of the highly-anticipated clash, the Spaniard said:

“All the time I have to take difficult decision. If you ask me about Andre Gray, it was the same after he scored important goals at home. He has always played well and I know he is a very important player for us. He is helping the team and I think he’s only focused on the way to help the team.

“For the next game, we’ll see what happens. I have to take difficult decisions. After his performance [on Tuesday], I have to think about that. I always try to choose the best option for the next game.

“When I choose the XI, I am always thinking what is the best for the team. But not only the 11 – it is difficult to put some out of the list when they deserve to stay. It is not easy but it is my job.”

Harsh either way

Indeed, former Burnley man Gray was excellent off the bench in the second half at Vicarage Road last time out, teeing up both Troy Deeney and Kiko Femenia – his sixth and seventh goal contributions of the campaign.

The 27-year-old looked a man possessed having entered the fray and was clearly keen to show Gracia that he should get the nod in the upcoming cup game – the speedster’s display has given the Hornets boss every football manager’s favourite dilemma.

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

Deeney surely cannot give way for such a big game so, if Gray is to start, then he must replace Gerard Deulofeu, who has been equally impressive up front; another option is that the former Barcelona man is shifted back out wide, although this would seem a waste considering he has netted seven goals and registered five assists playing mainly as a striker.

Whatever Gracia chooses to do in the end, he will be unable to avoid being extremely harsh on one of the two.

Saturday’s results in the Championship provided yet another twist in what is turning out to be a season to remember for fans of Leeds United, Norwich City and Sheffield United.

The Canaries kicked off proceedings by hammering Queens Park Rangers 4-0 at Carrow Road, a result which would have put their promotion rivals under a considerable amount of pressure heading into their clashes. Chris Wilder’s Blades responded with a fine victory of their own, beating play-off chasing Preston North End 1-0 yet Leeds were unable to back-up their win over Millwall last week as they succumbed to defeat at Birmingham City.

In what was a frustrating afternoon for the Whites, Marcelo Bielsa’s side were unable to break down their opponents despite dominating large periods of the game at St Andrew’s. This result allowed their Yorkshire rivals to leapfrog them in the league but more importantly allowed Norwich to move eight points clear of third-place in the standings.

With just six games left to play this season, the Canaries are almost certain to finish in the automatic promotion positions which leaves just one spot for either the Blades or Leeds to fill with West Bromwich Albion unlikely to make up the seven-point gap.

It can be argued that the Whites have a tougher run-in compared to Chris Wilder’s side as they still have to face a resurgent Aston Villa side who are battling it out with a host of other clubs to secure a play-off position.

However, United still have to host Nottingham Forest, a team which they lost to earlier on this season and is experiencing a solid end to the campaign under their new manager Martin O’Neill.

Even if both sides prevail in these particular fixtures, giving just how competitive the Championship is, they will have to be on top form against whoever they face in the next four weeks of action as any slip-up could prove costly.

What do you think Leeds fans? Is it now just a straight battle between your side and Sheffield United? How many points do you think Bielsa will need to accumulate in the final six fixtures? Let us know below.

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It’s no secret that Manchester United need to strengthen the right side of their squad both defensively and in midfield.

Antonio Valencia is well past his best and the Red Devils are lacking the presence of a natural right-winger, but the club are looking to rectify one aspect of that problem this summer according to The Sun.

United have reportedly dropped their interest in Aaron Wan-Bisska due to the promising form of Diogo Dalot and are instead looking to land Thomas Meunier.

PSG’s commanding right-back, who has provided seven assists this season, is the type of experienced player who fits the profile United are looking for.

With the report fresh in mind, Football FanCast writers have been discussing whether United should target the Belgium international or instead continue their pursuit of Crystal Palace’s breakthrough star.

Here’s what our writers have had to say about United’s interest in Meunier…

James Beavis

“Meunier may have the experience but Wan-Bissaka has already proven what a brilliant player he is in the Premier League, and therefore there is no risk in buying him. The 21-year-old is destined for the top and would be a Man United star for the next decade – the same can’t be said for Meunier. The Red Devils should be investing more in young British talent, and getting the Palace youngster would be the perfect start.”

Jack Saville

“From what I’ve seen of Meunier I have to say he is a phenomenal talent and a much better option for Manchester United than Wan-Bissaka. It’s rare to find a 6 ft 3 full-back who is so accomplished going forward and his ability to supplement his stark defensive work with penetrative overlapping runs is something which cannot be ignored. Wan-Bissaka is a huge prospect for the future but United have a young talent of their own in Dalot, so the Belgium international is the logical choice this summer.”

Matt Dawson

“At this stage in Wan Bissaka’s career I think Meunier would definitely be the better signing for United. Solskjaer needs players who are ready to make an impact straight away and the Belgian full-back would do exactly that. Wan Bissaka is extremely accomplished defensively and would improve their back-line but until he improves offensively he should stay with Palace. Meunier is also fantastic going forward but his experience of playing at the top level should benefit United.”

Harry Elnaugh

“This is a difficult one. Wan-Bissaka might have youth on his side but he hasn’t shown enough on the front foot for Palace this season despite being in a system which encourages the full-backs to get forward and cause damage. It depends what Solskjaer wants from his full-backs and, from what we’ve seen so far, he wants them to be as good going forward as they are in defence so Meunier may be the better option. Wan-Bissaka certainly has room to grow though and has already proved to be one of the best one-on-one defenders in Europe – there’s time for him to get better going forward.”