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Middlesbrough brought their dismal losing run to an end last night, with a comfortable 2-0 win at struggling Bolton, largely down to a magnificent performance from 23-year-old Ashley Fletcher, who scored both Boro’ goals.

The youngster, who is valued at £2.7 million (by Transfermarkt), has now scored five of the Teessiders’ last seven goals, which is remarkable considering the run they have been on, during which they failed to score at all in four of their last seven games.

Fletcher’s progression has been curtailed, somewhat, by Tony Pulis, who has only used him sporadically, and not given him the extended run in the side Boro’ fans crave.

Speaking to the Teesside Gazette about Fletcher’s attitude and display, Pulis said: “I’ve been absolutely delighted and I mean delighted with him.

“He’s a great kid, he’s never dropped his head and never been a minute’s problem.

“These goals will do him the world of good.  He’s a young lad. He’s not as mature as he will be…I’m delighted.

But the manager has been criticised for his handling of the young player — something he says he has been “crucified” for.

“Again, you get crucified for not playing him Saturday,” Pulis commented.

“He’s a young lad still growing into his body. People say ‘he’s a young lad, he can run around all the time’. This is a different level and you have to play the level to understand the level.

“Today and Saturday are Fletch’s games. He’s got two goals tonight, hopefully he can carry it on for the Hull game.”

But his comments are bizarre, and make little, or no, sense.

He is intimating that he will play again on Saturday, but then — having also played last night — may be rested again. It is ridiculous!

It is not as though he is a fledgeling teenager who has just left school and started to play — he is 23-years-old.

He was on loan at Sunderland last season — playing in the same division — where he played the full 90 minutes in 12 of the 16 games he was involved in.

With Boro’ in a precarious position in the table, regarding any slim play-off hopes they cling on to, Fletcher’s current form means his should be the first name on the team-sheet.

Middlesbrough need to win games. To win games, they need to score goals — to do that, it seems, they must have Fletcher in their lineup, with him being the only player looking likely to score consistently.

There are plenty of players of his age or younger, playing for their clubs week in, week out, which renders Pulis’ logic as flawed.

It is yet another sign — were one needed — that one win over a doomed side, will not paper over the cracks of a string of mistakes made by the manager, and why he needs to go as soon as possible.

What do you think of the manager’s handling of Fletcher? Is he right to keep resting the player? Or should he be given a consistent run in the side? Let us know your thoughts…

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Leeds fans have taken to Twitter to thank Garry Monk after Birmingham City drew with Sheffield United to aid the Whites’ promotion chances.

Monk has been a hated figure at Elland Road since he resigned as manager of Leeds after the conclusion of the 2016/17 season having guided the Yorkshire club to seventh place in the league.

The Birmingham City boss has finally won over the United fanbase by giving them a helping hand towards a top two finish.

The Blues took points off of Sheffield United to put Leeds back in the driving seat in the race for automatic promotion.

Leeds fans have taken to Twitter to sing the praises of Monk after disparaging their former manager on social media for the past couple of years.

It seems that the supporters’ hatred for Monk has come to an end after Wednesday’s result at St Andrew’s has put Leeds’ destiny back in their own hands.

Here’s what Leeds fans had to say on Twitter…

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According to The Chronicle, Ayoze Perez has cast doubt over his Newcastle future following his superb hat-trick in the 3-1 win over Southampton on Saturday.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Chronicle have quoted the Spaniard in saying the following: “I can hear what is coming for me, what they offer for me, and that’s it; but it doesn’t mean I am going to leave 100 per cent at the end of the season. It is going to be a difficult decision. It depends on a lot of things.”

Perez’s stock has certainly increased since the turn of the year. The 25-year-old has netted seven Premier League goals in 2019, all of which have been crucial strikes in helping the Magpies stave off any relegation fears – his treble against the Saints mathematically secured survival.

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…

He is certainly one of the club’s best players, and it would be gutting for the St James’ Park faithful to see another fan favourite leave the club.

Could be crucial in keeping Rafa Benitez

Mike Ashley has previous in selling the Tynesiders’ best players when their stock is high.

He cashed in on Yohan Cabaye when Paris Saint-Germain came knocking, a decision which caused dressing room unrest at the club and led to some players questioning the club’s ambition.

Having signed Perez for just £1.5m from Tenerife as a 20-year-old, the Magpies could make a sweet profit on the forward.

At a time where Rafa Benitez is yet to commit his future to the club as he waits for further confirmation that Ashley will give him the type of funds that Everton and Wolves are spending, selling one of his best players from beneath him could be the tipping point.

Before Ashley does anything to ease Benitez’s fears that he won’t be backed in the market, he should ensure that Perez is happy at the club and reiterate to the Spaniard that he is going nowhere.

If he does the opposite and ends up selling him, it may be the last straw for the former Liverpool boss on Tyneside.

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Wolves fans on Twitter have disagreed with Nuno Espirito Santo’s team selection for the game against Brighton on Saturday and claimed Ruben Vinagre should have started ahead of Jonny Otto to provide more threat going forward.

Wolves have often struggled against lower-end clubs this season with Huddersfield, Fulham and now Brighton all taking points off of the Midlands club.

This is in complete contrast to Wolves’ record against top six clubs where they typically thrive using a counter-attacking style.

Nuno’s side can look lost for ideas when going forward against a team that sits back and soaks up pressure and this was evident again as they failed to find the back of the net against Brighton at Molineux.

And fans have claimed that Vinagre, who has made just seven starts this season, should play more against weaker teams  due to the size of the attacking threat he poses. The Portuguese wing-back has been dangerous when deployed on the left side so far this season and Wolves fans want to see more of him.

Here’s what Wolves fans have been saying on Twitter after his omission on Saturday…

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

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Wolves have been a joy to watch in their first season back in the Premier League and they only emphasised that with a phenomenal 3-1 win over Arsenal last Wednesday night.

And it was a landmark win for the club as they beat the Gunners for the first time in 40 years, ending a run of 20 games without a victory against the north London side.

Supporters of Nuno Santo’s team were obviously delighted with the win but they are also ecstatic at finally ending their run of games without defeating their opposition on the night.

One fan claimed it was revenge for ‘that’ cup semi-final, making reference to when Arsenal beat them in the 1997/98 season in the FA Cup by a goal to nil.

Two supporters said they were just a year old the last time Wolves beat the Gunners whilst another recalled watching it with their dad.

Amazingly, the club’s elder fans have had to wait since 1979 for a win over Arsenal when on the 29th September, Wolves triumphed 3-2 in the old Division One.

A Wolves fan shares his most gutting moment of the last 10 years supporting the club in the video below…

Their win this time came courtesy of goals from Ruben Neves, Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota who were all phenomenal as the club reaffirmed their top seven hopes.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

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Noel Whelan has hinted in an interview with Football Insider that Leeds could make a move for Aston Villa’s Albert Adomah this summer.

What’s he said?

Adomah was one of the star’s of the Championship last season, scoring 14 goals and claiming a further five assists in 42 matches.

However, he’s struggled this term, finding the net on just four occasions – one of which was a rather farcical goal against the club he’s been linked with, Leeds.

Adomah was the lucky benefactor of Marcelo Bielsa allowing the Villans to score last weekend after their controversial opener when Jonathan Kodjia was down injured.

Leeds initially showed an interest in the winger last August, according to Birmingham Live. The same publication then reported that Villa had rejected bids from two Championship clubs for the player earlier this year.

But, pundit Whelan reckons Leeds still have an interest. Speaking to Football Insider he said:

“He’s really dangerous, like so many of the Villa players, and would certainly strengthen Leeds’ team. We’ve looked at him a few times and I wouldn’t be surprised if we look at him again, especially with his contract close to running out.

“Villa know this is their last chance to get a decent price for him and that could give Leeds and a few other clubs a chance. I’m a big fan of his. He scores and creates goals, he’s quick, direct, good feet, and hurts teams.”

Villa should relish seeing him leave

Adomah may have had a stunning campaign last term but at the age of 31, it’s clear he’s now past his peak. As such, Villa fans should be biting their hands off at a possible departure.

The wide man has been hugely inconsistent this season and if the club get promoted to the Premier League then they’ll need greater quality.

It’s true that he’s a dangerous player but he doesn’t show it on enough occasions to warrant a new contract. As such, the club should have no concerns about seeing him leave over the summer if Leeds followed up on their interest.

Given Adomah’s deal ends in 2020, then Dean Smith must be looking to cash in on him when the window opens. The player isn’t getting younger and this might represent the final chance to actually get a worthwhile fee.

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“Absolutely keep him.”

That was the response of Harvey Jones from the redandbluesite when asked whether or not Max Meyer should stay at Palace.

He believes that Meyer is “one of the better players in the team in terms of quality and we need players like Max to stay if are going to be a stable top-half team.”

Meyer joined Crystal Palace last summer for free from Schalke however, he has struggled to adapt to the pace of the Premier League and has only made 14 starts in the league all season.

Jones though believes that “when he has come off the bench he has looked class, some of the link-up play with Wilfred Zaha down the left has really changed the momentum in games.”

The German clearly is a very talented individual and, if Palace to have a successful season next year, they would be wise to keep him and possibly look to build the side around him.

See the video below to hear why Meyer should stay at Palace next season.

[pm-post-brid name=’two-footed-talk-should-crystal-palace-keep-max-meyer-this-summer’ affiliate=’www.footballfancast.com’]

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Wolves have done some fabulous recruitment in the last two years but they should now be at the point where they consider some of the younger players currently residing at the club.

This week, Birmingham Live claimed that Nuno Santo wanted to keep his squad size small again next season. However, they also claimed Wolves would be in the market for a centre half and a midfielder to bolster their ranks.

But what if they had players capable of saving the club millions this summer? Nuno has kept a settled squad throughout much of Wolves’ first season back in the top-flight and as such, any manoeuvrability in the transfer market is likely to upset that.

So with that in mind, the Portuguese manager needs to bring through one talent in particular; Cameron John.

The young centre-half has had an exceptional season for the U23 side as they went onto win Premier League 2 Division 2 under the guidance of Rob Edwards.

That side were extremely impressive and at the heart of the defence was John who made 20 appearances among a back three.

At 19 years of age, the defender is still incredibly raw but is certainly someone the club need to monitor closely over pre-season.

Last year the youngster was one of just six U23 players who travelled with the first team squad on their tour to Switzerland.

That’s a clear indication of just how highly they rate him. A further symbol of that is the fact they rejected a bid of £500,000 from a Championship club for his services this season.

As a result, the club must surely be thinking about giving him some first team minutes.

Earlier in the campaign, John was called into the squad to face Everton in February but didn’t actually get to feature. Despite not playing, it should still serve as good motivation.

A Wolves fan shares his most gutting moment of the last 10 years supporting the club in the video below…

His most impressive attribute is his athleticism, something that’s got him out of trouble on numerous occasions and could prove extremely valuable in a division like the Premier League.

For a defender, he’s blessed with tremendous pace and that’s something to certainly look out for should he make the grade at Wolves.

As the club aim to add depth in the coming months, they can look towards John to provide them with another body in defence. It might also save them some funds too.

Professional athletes in every walk of life spend hours and hours trying to hone their training techniques and methods in order to give themselves the optimum chance of delivering success when they take to the field or step up to the oche.

Their matchday preparation is particularly important, as being in the zone can be the difference between crumbling under the pressure of thousands of spectators or going on that mazy run through the opposition’s defence that leaves fans on their feet amazed at what they have just witnessed and with a story to tell their Grandchildren for years to come.

It is a case beyond sheer athleticism, as having the monkey on your back will drag you down into the depths of despair, and whatever you try with the ball at your feet or cue in hand will not break your way.

Preparing to deliver the results you know you are capable of often starts days before the event, and incorporates various aspects such as nutrition, hydration, and physical preparation – and Betway have recently put together an interesting graphic about the effects of pre-game routines having spoken in depth with sports psychologist Dan Abrahams.

Wayne Rooney once said during his return to Everton from Manchester United that he would employ visualisation techniques the day before a game, as he searched for that one per cent extra from within himself.

“I always like to picture the game the night before: I’ll ask the kit man what kit we’re wearing, so I can visualise it. It’s something I’ve always done, from when I was a young boy,” he said. “It helps to train your mind to situations that might happen the following day.

“I think about it as I’m lying in bed. What will I do if the ball gets crossed in the box this way? What movement will I have to make to get on the end of it? Just different things that might make you one per cent sharper.”

Cristiano Ronaldo is another who puts mental strength at the top of his attribute list, as a match-winning mindset is just as important as physical strength to the Juventus attacker.

“I set goals to train my mind as well as my body,” the Portuguese said ahead of last summer’s World Cup. “Mental strength is just as important as physical strength, and it helps me to achieve more on and off the pitch.

“I always make sure I have good music to listen to – it helps me get motivated and do my best. I like to listen to hip-hop and reggae.”

While some turn to music, others prefer to have a set routine in the hours before kick-off, where they go through their strict order of events so that they feel everything is in its place and how it should be.

DC United’s Rooney has never been a fan of that himself, but still has his own ways of dealing with the anticipation of getting down to business.

“Some players always do the same thing in the dressing room, while some like to do different things,” the former England international added. “I tend to go on the [exercise] bike for about 15-minutes, then I do some stretching, then relax. You see some players do exactly the same thing every week before every game, but I’m not like that. I’m not superstitious. I just try to stay focused and concentrate. I’m quite relaxed in the dressing room.

“I’ll have an energy drink in the dressing room 40-minutes before kick-off and then go out for the warm-up, which lasts about half an hour. About 10-minutes before the game starts, you’re back in the dressing room, you put your shirt on, shin pads on, and then go and kick-off.

“That hour’s all right, but the hour before that is worse, where you’re sitting round bored and you want the game to start. I just try and stay as relaxed as possible by doing something to take my mind off the game, like play a computer game – whatever works for you.”

Crystal Palace supporters have not always enjoyed what they have seen at Selhurst Park since Roy Hodgson’s appointment as manager back in 2017.

A coach whose approach to the game is a very cautious one, the south London club can be dull to watch at times under the 71-year-old.

As well as that, they often struggle in general when Wilfried Zaha is not playing, with the 26-year-old being the man who has bailed the team and his manager out of trouble time and again.

With Zaha eager to leave Selhurst Park this summer (Sky Sports), though, that is something the Eagles may no longer be able to rely on, which would put the spotlight firmly on Hodgson.

Is the former England boss really a good coach and tactician? Can he oversee a Crystal Palace rebuild and guide the Premier League outfit to results without their current talisman?

There are a lot of questions that Hodgson, who already has his doubters, will have to answer.

From his perspective, though, it does not have to be a negative thing. Ultimately, it is the ex-Liverpool manager’s chance to show his credentials as a coach and move Crystal Palace away from this image of being a one-man team.

Can he do it? Only time will tell, should Crystal Palace actually sell Zaha, of course.

Crystal Palace fans, is Hodgson the man to take the club forward? Join the discussion by commenting below.