According to a recent report from Corriere Fiorentino (via The Newcastle Chronicle), Newcastle United made a move for Marko Pjaca in the latter stages of the January transfer window. The 23-year-old currently plays his football at Italian outfit Fiorentina on loan from Serie A giants Juventus, although struggles for regular football seemingly attracted the interest of Magpies manager Rafa Benitez.

And that’s because a recent report from Corriere Fiorentino (via The Newcastle Chronicle) suggests that the North East giants sought a deal for the winger in the last knockings of the transfer window – a deal that, had they got done alongside that of Miguel Almiron, would have sent St James’ Park into raptures ahead of the rest of the season.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the addition of Paraguay international Almiron on Deadline Day was met with widespread delight by Newcastle supporters, what with owner Mike Ashley finally breaking the club’s long-standing transfer record to equip Benitez with a signing of pure quality.

And that’s because the 24-year-old had shone throughout his spell in Major League Soccer, bagging 22 goals and laying on 21 assists in just 70 appearances for Atlanta United, equating to a direct contribution every 136 minutes of action.

And with Newcastle somewhat struggling for that creative and forward-thinking number ten, what with Ayoze Perez a more defensive-minded attacker who doesn’t have that flair, it was a move that was needed to enable Benitez to take this Magpies team forward – it was a signing that both he and indeed the supporters so desperately needed.

Almiron’s addition itself was enough to supremely delight plenty of Newcastle fans, but had they also been able to lure the hugely talented Pjaca to the North East as well, it would have gone some way to sending St James’ Park into raptures.

The 23-year-old may have struggled for regular football on loan at Fiorentina this season with only eight Serie A starts to his name so far, just one of which has come since the start of December, but there is a reason that Juventus lured the winger away from Dinamo Zagreb back in 2016 – and that’s because he has got serious ability.

The Croatia international, who has been capped 23 times by his country already, shone in his homeland at Dinamo Zagreb with 28 goals and 13 assists in 91 appearances for the club, reaching double figures in both of his full seasons in the Croatian capital to underline his credentials in front of goal.

And he even earned 20 appearances for the Old Lady in his first season in Turin to suggest that he is very much in Massimiliano Allegri’s thoughts, although loan spells at Schalke and now Fiorentina suggests that he still has work to do to hone in his skills to thus become a regular at the Juventus Stadium.

Nonetheless, Pjaca is clearly an exciting player with much potential – and with Newcastle somewhat lacking in genuine flair down the flanks, it’s a deal that would have surely been well received by Magpies faithful.

In fact, that alongside the signing of Almiron would have gone some way to sending St James’ Park into raptures.

Newcastle fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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Manchester United fans have been slamming Ashley Young’s efforts to stop Leicester City, after the former England international was run ragged by the Foxes’ Ben Chilwell.

Young started Sunday’s affair as the right-back for the Red Devils, and received little help from Jesse Lingard in covering that side of the field, where Chilwell could regularly push forward and overlap.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Theo Ogden was at the Emirates on Friday to see Alexis Sanchez come back to haunt Arsenal. Check out Gunners’ fans reactions in the video below…

When Alexis Sanchez rotated with the attacking midfielder, the former Arsenal man offered no support to his defensive colleague either, meaning the five-cap England international had free-reign to create chances for Jamie Vardy and co. in the centre.

Altogether, Chilwell notched six of his side’s 23 crosses on Sunday, per WhoScored, which was far more than his United counterparts.

Many Red Devils fans took to Twitter to share their frustrations with Young’s defensive abilities after the game, while a load more expressed a desire for Chilwell to join the Old Trafford ranks in the summer…

Tottenham remain firmly in the Premier League title race with plenty of football still to be played.

Manchester City overtook Liverpool following their 2-0 win against Everton on Wednesday though the Reds have a game in hand. Spurs remain outsiders in the race but could still be in with a shout if their excellent form continues. Mauricio Pochettino’s men have scored plenty of late goals this season which could also prove to be crucial.

Nevertheless, the Lilywhites have still had an excellent campaign considering no players have been signed in two transfer windows. Pochettino should be handed transfer funds in the summer window and could look to welcome a host of new signings to Tottenham’s recently built stadium. Quality reinforcements could be just what they need to end their wait for a trophy.

One man Spurs could target is Fulham wonderkid – Ryan Sessegnon. Valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, the 18-year-old burst on the scene last season after graduating from the Cottagers youth academy. Sessegnon was a key player during their successful promotion campaign which brought interest from plenty of the Premier League elite.

Although the youngster hasn’t been at his best in the higher division, he remains one of the most talented young players in the country. Comfortable on the left wing or left back, Sessegnon would flourish under world-class management like Pochettino. The Englishman will be buoyed by the progress of Harry Kane and Dele Alli in recent years though Fulham will be unwilling to lose their prized asset.

However, with just 18 months remaining on his current deal at Craven Cottage, Claudio Ranieri could be powerless if Spurs submit a tempting offer.

Tottenham fans, thoughts?

[ad_pod ]Newcastle have been handed a huge boost ahead of the Monday night trip to Wolves next week, as Miguel Almiron could make his debut for the club.

What’s the word?

Newcastle had to take on Tottenham at Wembley this weekend without their record signing, as Almiron is yet to receive his work permit.

Ed Aarons of The GuardianÂclaims the player is all set to be granted said work permit though, and could even return to training as soon as Tuesday.

The Chronicle (16:17)Âhave followed up on Aarons’ report, claiming that the Paraguayan playmaker could even be fit to face Wolves on Monday night.

The MLS season ended in December, leaving many to expect an extended layoff for Almiron, but the report says the player has been keeping himself fit and was back training with his former club, Atlanta United, last month.

This gives the 24 year-old a great chance to get straight into the action, and he will of course be judged on how he fares in training this week.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

Change the system?

If the £21m man does feature on Monday, it could change how Benitez approaches the game tactically.

The Spaniard’s usual 5-4-1 formation doesn’t really have room for a dynamic number ten, and he may be better suited opting for a 4-2-3-1.

This would allow Matt Ritchie to return to his natural position on the wing, with Almiron playing in the hole behind Salomon Rondon while Sean Longstaff bosses the midfield alongside an all-action presence like Mo Diame or Isaac Hayden.

Almiron’s pace and movement will cause all sorts of problems for what is a relatively un-athletic Wolves midfield duo of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho, neither of whom are famed for their defensive abilities.

So, Newcastle fans, would you throw Almiron straight in if he is fit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below…

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Newcastle visit the Molineux Stadium to face Wolves on Monday and the Toon Army will be chomping at the bit to see record signing Miguel Almiron in action for the first time. BBC Sport pundit Mark Lawrenson thinks it could be a baptism of fire for Paraguayan though.

What did he say?

Discussing his predictions for this weekend’s round of Premier League action with actor Jamie Dornan and photo-journalist Paul Conroy, the former defender had this to say on Monday night’s match:

“Newcastle’s new signing Miguel Almiron should make his debut and I am looking forward to seeing how he gets on.

“I have seen lots of footage of him and he looks like a player but it will be an interesting night for him because the Premier League is very different to the MLS, and Wolves are a team in form.

“Of all the teams chasing seventh place, Nuno Espirito Santo’s team are definitely the most consistent in terms of performances, and I can see them getting a fourth-straight win on Monday.

The likes of Jermain Defoe and Clint Dempsey have crossed the Atlantic to ply their respective trades in the United States but very few go the other way – the step up in terms of quality is realistically more of a leap and, as Lawrenson says, it will be interesting to see how the Paraguayan fares on his first outing in black and white.

All-in for Almiron

As far as introductions to the Premier League come, an away-day at the Molineux Stadium is a pretty good one. The pyrotechnics, flags and thunderous chanting make for a fantastic, but intimidating atmosphere and Wolves will be hoping their recent form carries into this game.

Newcastle and Rafa Benitez appear to have discovered a winning formula though – or at least a formula that makes them very hard to beat – in their 5-4-1. However, 24-year-old Almiron may force Benitez into altering this slightly – there is no room for an attacking midfielder and if you pay a club-record fee for player, you surely want them in their preferred position.

Regardless of where the speedster is deployed, he will find his work cut out for him against a physical Wolves side that are going from strength to strength.

Does Newcastle’s infamous title collapse of 1996 mirror what is happening at Liverpool right now? The Magpie Channel discuss in the video below…

تحدث طارق يحيى المدير الفني المؤقت لفريق الكرة الأول بنادي الزمالك، عن مباراة الفارس الأبيض أمام طنطا التي أقيمت مساء اليوم على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

المباراة التي أقيمت على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي في اطار منافسات الجولة 29 من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز، وانتهت بفوز الزمالك بثلاثية مقابل هدف.

 بالفيديو | الزمالك يعمق جراح طنطا بثلاثية في الدوري

وقال يحيى في تصريحات بالمؤتمر الصحفي عقب اللقاء: “أحب أن أعتذر لجمهور الزمالك ومجلس إدارته عن مباراة أسوان، هزيمة كانت خارجة عن إرادتنا، وجدت 11 لاعبًا مصابًا، ودخلت المباراة على مسؤوليتي الشخصية بحازم إمام وكاسونجو وهما مصابان”.

وأضاف: “بعض الناس وجهوا لي اللوم لأنني لم أشركهما، ولكن كان صعبًا أن أبدأ بهما لأنها لم يكونا قدا تأهلا بالشكل الكافي”.

وتابع: “الأداء لم يكن سيئًا اليوم، اللاعبون مجهدون وهناك ضغط مباريات، وهذا أبلغته لإدارة النادي أن يكون هناك راحة من أسبوع لعشرة أيام قبل مباراة نصف النهائي يتخلل هذه الفترة مباراة ودية واحدة”.

وواصل: “أشرف بن شرقي وأحمد زيزو لعبا مباراة جيدة بـ50 أو 60% من مجهودهما ونطمئن على عبد الله جمعة، واتفقت مع بن شرقي على مشاركته لمدة نصف ساعة”.

وأردف: “أنا دوري الآن المحافظة على المركز الثاني وتجهيز اللاعبين العائدين من الإصابة والمقيدون إفريقيا حتى يكونوا على مستوى بدني وفني جيد ومؤهلين للعب في إفريقيا”.

وواصل: “دائمًا أؤكد أن الأهداف تأتي من كرات عرضية أو تسديدات ومتابعة، اجتهد مع اللاعبين على ذلك، تغيير الملعب والتصويب على المرمى والمتابعة، وأحاول استغلال أصحاب الرأسيات المتقنة”.

واستكمل: “لاعبو الزمالك كبار ومحترفين ودوليين، الجهد الفني ضروري والشق النفسي مهم أيضًا، واليوم كان نتيجة عمل جزء صغير مني والباقي لـ باتريس كارتيرون”.

واستطرد: “لا أعلم ماذا سيفعل المدرب الجديد مع اللاعبين لكن لاعبي الزمالك كبار ويجيدون التعامل والاستجابة بشكل كبير، ولابد أن نعذرهم لأن الوقت مضغوط جدا”.

واستكمل: “مباراة اليوم كان من المفترض أن تكون نتيجتها 5 أو 6 أهداف، لكن الأمر يعود للخبرات، أحمد عيد وكريم بامبو أتيحت لهم فرص وأضاعوها، ولكن هذه نقطة ايجابية لأننا نصل للمرمى، ولكن الأمر يعود للتوفيق اللاعبين أو عدم التركيز”.

وأتم طارق يحيى متحدثًا عن متابعة مباريات الرجاء المغربي: “أنا متابع للرجاء من فترة وليس لأنني مدربًا الان، أنا من القلائل الذين يفضلون مصلحة النادي عن المصلحة الشخصية”.

The long, hard road to re-establishing themselves in English football is slowly moving forward for Portsmouth. They’re still on course for a chance at returning to the Championship, but they’ll likely have to play the qualifiers to do so. Kenny Jackett’s side has shown enough heart and persistence to make sure they fight till the very last hurdle.

However, Portsmouth’s league-winning ambitions are slowly glimmering away. After being 10 points behind league leaders Luton Town, it seems very unlikely they can catch up to them. At one point, Pompey seemed favourite to win the League One, but poor form after the turn of the year doomed their dreams.

Ever since defeating Norwich City in the FA Cup, things have gone down for Jackett’s side. They are now winless in nine league games and knocked out of the FA Cup. The only competition they’re thriving at is the EFL Trophy, where they’ve progressed into the semi-finals and should take seriously.

Pompey face Bury on Tuesday night, the perfect fixture to end their disastrous run. They’ve drawn their last five games, despite being poised to win multiple times. Jackett needs to make sure his team find back their groove and pull off a strong win against Bury to progress into the EFL Trophy final.

While promotion to the EFL Championship is Portsmouth’s objective currently, they shouldn’t disregard the EFL trophy’s importance. Winning a trophy can validate a fairly successful season and bring joy to their loyal fans, who’ve been subjected to tough times in recent years.

Thoughts?

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Leeds United duo Kemar Roofe and Patrick Bamford both put in impressive displays in their side’s 2-1 win against Swansea City at Elland Road on Wednesday night, and teammate Mateusz Klich may well be the one to suffer if they maintain their form.

On the chalkboard

Well, manager Marcelo Bielsa has often preferred Roofe in the lone striker role this season – especially with Bamford absent for the majority of the campaign because of injury – but they have both started the Yorkshire outfit’s previous two Championship clashes.

The former Middlesbrough man was given the centre-forward role for the second successive fixture as they hosted the Swans, with Roofe starting in an advanced central midfield role behind him.

It is a similar one to the one that Klich has had for much of the season, with his most frequent partner Adam Forshaw arguably more defensively-minded.

The chosen duo certainly made an impact on Wednesday, having nine shots at goal between them according to WhoScored.

Is Klich in danger of losing his place?

He might well be, especially since he hasn’t been in the best form in recent months.

With Kalvin Phillips having the defensive midfield role wrapped up it will leave the likes of him, Roofe and Forshaw – when he returns from injury – fighting for the two spots ahead of him.

While it may have been deemed fine to deploy the Poland international and Leeds’ top goalscorer there for the visit of Graham Potter’s men, Bielsa may choose for a slightly more conservative line-up in the future – especially away from home given he has attacking players like Pablo Hernandez, Jack Harrison and Jack Clarke on the wings.

Should Roofe remain in midfield then the experienced manager may well favour Forshaw alongside him when he needs to be more defensive – something that could easily happen in what could be a nervous run-in for the Yorkshire club.

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John McGinn will be available for Aston Villa this weekend having served a two-game ban.

The suspension meant that the midfielder missed the 1-1 draw with Stoke City on February 23, in addition to last weekend’s 4-0 win over Derby County.

Villa boss Dean Smith has admitted that he has a selection dilemma when it comes to the clash with Birmingham City because his team were so impressive against Derby.

McGinn has been very, very good this season, though, contributing two goals and eight assists in the Championship since being signed under the reign of Steve Bruce back in the summer.

It seems unlikely that the Scot will be left on the bench against Birmingham, but Villa’s performance against Derby, in his absence, was excellent.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

The Villa fans have been on social media offering their views on the team selection.

And it would be fair to say that a number have mixed opinions.

Indeed, whilst some want McGinn to come back into the team, others feel that the midfielder should start on the bench:

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According to a report in The Liverpool Echo, Everton have no intention of selling West Bromwich Albion loanee Mason Holgate this summer, which will surely leave Baggies boss Darren Moore seriously frustrated.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 22-year-old joined the west Midlands outfit on a temporary basis until the end of the season during the January transfer window, and he has gone on to establish himself as a key player ever since.

The versatile defender has played the full 90 minutes in West Brom’s previous nine Championship fixtures, and he has picked up three assists from the right-back position.

However, any hopes of bringing him to The Hawthorns on a permanent deal at the end of the campaign have been quashed, with The Liverpool Echo reporting that Toffees manager Marco Silva is a big fan of the England U21 international.

Moore will be frustrated

He certainly will, with The Liverpool Echo saying that the club was keen to have Holgate in their side next term and beyond.

Given his lack of football at Goodison Park previously, the Baggies boss may have felt that he had a good opportunity to get the defender – especially if they do end up winning promotion to the Premier League – but that now appears to be off of the table once and for all.

It will certainly give the 22-year-old plenty of confidence that he can still have a big role to play under Silva in the future, and that should be enough to stop him from pushing for an exit elsewhere.