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Crystal Palace will be feeling hopeful that they can enjoy a strong second half of the season. 

Whilst they’ve reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and made inroads to moving on up the Premier League table, Roy Hodgson can be happy with how his team have been performing in recent weeks.

The Eagles have far more attacking threat about them now with the loan signing of Michy Batshuayi, whilst their defence continues to prove stubborn and resistant on many occasions.

Crystal Palace, have the capabilities to achieve much more and that can be done by bringing in some new players during the summer transfer window.

Someone who could add even more strength and depth to the Eagles back-line is Huddersfield star Terence Kongolo.

Kongolo, (who is valued at £13.5 million on Transfermarkt) has proven to be a good player, especially when initially joining Huddersfield on-loan last season.

He proved to be a massive helping-hand in defence and was a large reason as to why they were able to again compete in the Premier League this season.

Having signed a permanent deal with the Terriers in the summer, Kongolo would have been hoping for more than two wins so far this season, something that leaves Huddersfield bottom of the league.

And whilst Crystal Palace have no guarantees of staying up this season, a move to Selhurst Park could potentially be a lot more prosperous for the former Dutch international, allowing him to show his best ability.

With the likes of Martin Kelly, Scott Dann and Joel Ward all able to be improved upon, Crystal Palace would do well to bolster their options with the capture of Terence Kongolo.

Do you agree… Let us know!

Andrew Dickson – a freelance sports journalist and producer for Rangers and Sky Sports – has offered his thoughts on Steven Gerrard’s comments regarding his future at Ibrox.

The ex-Liverpool player surrounded his own position at Rangers in doubt following the club’s Scottish Cup quarter-final defeat to Hearts on Saturday, saying that he would need to have a “real, serious” think following the loss.

The defeat to Hearts means that Gerrard will become the first Rangers manager in 68 years to go two successive seasons without winning any silverware, unless he wins the Europa League of course.

However, speaking before the Gers’ game against Hamilton on Wednesday, the former England international said that he is “all in” at Ibrox and committed himself to the Scottish giants.

Shortly after those quotes emerged, Dickson shared his thoughts on them, before also adding ways in which Rangers could improve going forward – you can see what the journalist wrote on Twitter below:

In other news, see what these Rangers fans have said about Steven Gerrard’s “disappointing”comments…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Last year’s Champions League run was magnificent from Liverpool.

They found themselves in a difficult group, being drawn alongside both Napoli and PSG. Their attempts to qualify for the next round took them to the sixth and final matchday, and they made it through thanks to a 1-0 victory against the Serie A side.

They then faced Bayern Munich – who they beat 3-1 on aggregate after a fantastic display in the Allianz Arena in the second leg – before easily dispatching Porto 6-1 over two matches in the quarter-finals. Next up, they faced La Liga giants Barcelona in their toughest test of the tournament.

In the first match at the Camp Nou, they were put to the sword by the Catalan club. Led by the ever-magnificent Lionel Messi – he bagged himself a brace, including a quite stunning free-kick – the Blaugrana won 3-0, and it looked as though they had booked their place in the final after just 90 minutes.

That looked even more certain when it was confirmed that Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino would miss the return match through injury. However, you discount the Reds at your peril. In an exhilarating game, Liverpool not only levelled things up, but passed their opponents by winning 4-0, sending Anfield into raptures. From the jaws of defeat, they had somehow snatched victory.

After the match, Klopp and the Liverpool players sang the club’s famous anthem, You’ll Never Walk Alone, in unison with, and in front of the Kop. It was a beautiful experience for all involved, and it has now even won the Great Coaching Moment of the Year award.

The Merseyside club then went on to win the trophy, beating Tottenham 2-0 in Madrid. Whilst that showpiece will live long in the memory, the match itself was something of an anti-climax. Klopp’s team scored early on, and then controlled the match until Divock Origi put the game beyond doubt in the final minutes. Arguably, that semi-final was better than the final.

That seems an incredibly thing to say considering the clash in Spain ended in a trophy, but just look at the way Liverpool came back against Barca, and the improvised actions of the 52-year-old boss after the match. It was no doubt one of the best comebacks in the competition’s history, and you could see after the match had ended just how much it meant to the players. Fabinho, the defensive midfielder, was even in tears as he faced the supporters.

Much harder than you’d think… Can you name Liverpool’s top scorers for each of these 25 seasons?

Sure, winning the trophy was great, but even that couldn’t top that night against Messi and Co. It may even live longer in the memory than the actual final match itself.

In other news, one on-loan Liverpool man is struggling to impress.

Newcastle United have started to stage a revival after producing a couple of fine results in recent weeks.

Rafa Benitez has seen his side start to lift away from the bottom three of the Premier League table with back-to-back wins against impressive Watford and AFC Bournemouth sides who have been performing rather well this season.

However, it is not just the results and the performances that have begun to improve for the Magpies, as it appears the Spaniard has given one man a fresh breath of life in recent times.

Mohamed Diame has been a key man for the Toon Army this season, having started every game in the Premier League so far.

The former Senegal international had admitted that he had found things extremely difficult over the last year, revealing to the Newcastle Chronicle that he felt it had been the “poorest” he had ever played.

There were doubts that he would remain a Newcastle player as speculation grew in January that he could be on the move, whilst many had got frustrated with the performances that he had been displaying.

However, Benitez appears to have revived the 31-year-old’s career at St. James’ Park and has given him a fresh lease of life.

The manager had decided to utilise Diame (valued at £4.5 million by Transfermarkt) as a central midfielder instead of in a number 10 role, a position he had featured heavily in during their 2016/17 campaign in the Championship.

Following that change and the genius of Benitez, the African midfielder has become a key and integral member of the squad as Newcastle look to build a run of results once again.

Diame will need to continue to be an important member of the team if Newcastle are going to replicate the second half of last season’s Premier League campaign that saw the Magpies comfortably escape the threat of relegation.

Newcastle fans – thoughts?

According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are interested in signing centre-back Scott McKenna from Scottish Premiership rivals from Aberdeen. 

Aberdeen will want to slap on a fairly hefty asking price for their ace, but Brendan Rodgers should make it clear that Celtic will meet whatever they are asking, in order to avoid being very scarce when it comes to defenders in September.

The Bhoys are going through somewhat of a defensive crisis at the moment. Star man Dedryck Boyata has been unavailable due to injury so far this season, and could well be on his way out of the club.  In his absence, the Celtic defence has looked very suspect, with much of the defence coming under heavy criticism following losses to Hearts and AEK Athens, even from their own players.

That is why 21-year-old Scotland international McKenna (valued at £1.13m on Transfermarkt.co.uk) will be such a solid signing for The Hoops. He is currently carrying an injury that may leave him out for a few weeks, but he nonetheless should be signed before the window closes.

The Aberdeen man is the sort of no-nonsense defender that would come in handy at Celtic Park, due to Celtic’s fairly feeble current outfit. Fans may criticise McKenna that he does not fit into Rodgers’ style of play, and that he is not a particularly great passer of the ball, but the Celtic boss will equally relish a defender who is dependable.

A defender that simply defends almost seems outdated, but he could be invaluable at the moment. Plus, at the age of 21, McKenna is in no way the finished article, and could develop to become a great in green and white.

Celtic have had a fairly dismal summer so far, and with the end of the window fast approaching Celtic must make their move to avoid further disappointment.

Tottenham Hotspur picked up their first English Premier League victory at Wembley Stadium on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Bournemouth.

Spurs had previously played three league matches at the national stadium and despite sparkling away form, they hadn’t yet picked up maximum points at their temporary home.

Christian Eriksen was the hero of the afternoon, netting from 18 yards just minutes into the second half after combining with Son Heung-min.

It wasn’t a particularly fantastic performance from Mauricio Pochettino’s men but ahead of UEFA Champions League action against Real Madrid and a massive clash at home to Liverpool next week, it’s a perfect three points.

Fans picked out Dele Alli as one of the poorer performers in the starting eleven.

The 21-year-old just didn’t get things right in the final third, missing chances and over complicating his play. So far this term he isn’t quite hitting the standards he set last season and fans are growing impatient.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his performance…

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Arsenal showed a resilience that has been lacking for the majority of the season on Sunday, coming from behind to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

Sergio Aguero’s opener had threatened to pile the misery on Arsene Wenger and his side but an equaliser from Nacho Monreal was followed up by an extra-time winner from, who else, Alexis Sanchez to set-up a May showdown with Chelsea.

It means that in a dramatic and acrimonious season, the Gunners may end up with major honours under Wenger once again.

One man in particular has been receiving praise for his unlikely performance; Nacho Monreal. Having been roasted initially by Aguero for City’s opener, he rallied and made amends shortly after, sparking the comeback that has left Arsenal fans so jubilant.

The 31 year old has had a tough season at times but his vital contribution has come at the perfect time for the North London side.

Supporters took to Twitter to pay tribute to his performance and his importance to Arsenal in general…

According to the Telegraph, Spanish striker Nolito is set to become Pep Guardiola’s latest signing for Manchester City.

The Celta Vigo forward is reportedly the subject of a £13.8 million move to the Etihad as the former Bayern Munich manager begins, arguably, his toughest job to date.

Guardiola was appointed at the club with the tasks of regaining the Premier League crown as well as establishing City in Europe – something they haven’t managed to do as yet.

The man who swept all before him in the Bundesliga after arguably assembling one of the greatest club sides ever to grace the game at Barcelona now needs to answer any remaining critics that he may have had it easy thus far and turn City into one of the biggest clubs around.

He’s already started to reshape the team with Ilkay Gundogan and now with Nolito coming in he’s really starting to make his mark.

He’ll be judged on his signings of course, but we at FootballFanCast think Nolito could be the best of the bunch, here are FIVE reasons why…

He’s in his prime

At 29-years-old the Spaniard is in his best years as a forward and this could be key to Guardiola’s initial success. Instead of buying players with potential in his first season that could backfire if they flop, Nolito should guarantee performances at his best level from the off. There’s a sense around the club that any potential detractors are eager to see Pep fail straight away and so by bringing in players ready to perform instantly, this chance decreases.

He’s Spanish

Guardiola is the leading pioneer of the passing game. His Barcelona style will no doubt be coached with the Citizens and so it makes sense to bring in players that already know how to cherish the ball. Nolito is a key part of the Spanish national set up and so of course knows how to keep hold of possession and this factor, combined with being the same nationality as his potential new coach, will serve to help City adopt Guardiola’s tactics quickly.

Relatively cheap

At £13.8m Nolito commands a fee not normally associated with the modern Man City approach. Since the club’s takeover in the previous decade a number of high profile, high cost players have been brought in to varying degrees of success – for every Sergio Aguero there is a Robinho. The cut price fee though for the Celta Vigo man negates any issue with him not performing, and also alleviates any pressure a bigger fee would have placed on the player.

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Goals

Despite being primarily used on the left side of the attack, the Spaniard had an impressive goal record last season. Last term he scored 12 goals in 27 La Liga games for his club, as Celta Vigo became one of the stories of the Spanish season. Then when you consider the goal return of Raheem Sterling in the same position last season – six in 23 Premier League appearances – you see a player that would improve significantly on what the Sky Blues have currently.

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Creative force

As well as the goals Nolito will bring to the club, it’s the chances he lays on that’ll make him a hit with the Etihad crowd. Nolito provided seven assists last season in La Liga. Again compared to Sterling the Englishman only provided two in his first year at the club in the league. Evidently Guardiola has highlighted the left side of City’s attack as a weakness, underlined by Sterling looking devoid of confidence, and he clearly feels Nolito would be able to offer far more down that side.

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Manchester United's Premier League meeting with Burnley kicks off at an unusually late time on Saturday.

Article continues below

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Article continues below

• United face Burnley
• Kick-off moved to later in the day
• New rules behind change

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Saturday's match at Turf Moor kicks off at 8pm local time on Saturday, which is unusually late. There was no 12.30pm match on Saturday, with other matches starting at the usual 3pm slot and then Brentford's match against Everton going on at 5.30pm.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It is rare for Premier League games to start later than 5.30pm on Saturdays, but United's clash at Burnley has been moved because of new rules surrounding the Champions League.

  Many coaches have complained about the lack of recovery time for players after playing midweek matches and the new rules have been brought in to address the issue.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The new regulations mean that clubs who were in Champions League action at 8pm on a Wednesday cannot play in the 12.30pm kick-off the following Saturday. As a result, the Burnley vs United match was moved to later on Saturday.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  After the weekend's clash, United will face Crystal Palace in the league on Tuesday.

Diego Simeone conducted an Atletico Madrid masterclass to escape the Santiago Bernabeu with a point in a 1-1 draw.

These performances have been missing for Atletico Madrid. Too often, veteran manager Diego Simeone's signature suffocating style has failed to produce the traditional results that led him to be the join-most experienced manager in club history.

But on Saturday, his tactics were executed to perfection in a 1-1 draw.

Real Madrid had few clear opportunities, with Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior mostly quieted. Atleti enjoyed the odd promising burst forward, particularly over the opening 45 minutes.

The Rojiblancos kept it tight for the remainder of the game, staying in it even after substituted midfielder Angel Correa was sent off under controversial circumstances. They were rewarded for their defensive grit and grabbed a crucial goal at the other end.

Antoine Griezmann whipped in a great cross, which Jose Gimenez guided into the far corner, giving Atleti a 1-0 lead with 12 minutes remaining.

But Real Madrid got a moment of magic from an unlikely source to salvage a point, as 18-year-old Alvaro Rodriguez nodded a header home in his second La Liga appearance.

Still, this one was all about a vintage showing from a manager who showed he can still inspire a perfect big-game performance all on his own terms.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Santiago Bernabeu…

• WINNER: Diego Simeone

  It felt like the good old days. Simeone engineered a masterclass here, a performance that evoked memories of the Atleti of 2013. The Argentine manager started the game without a recognised striker, packed his midfield with four strong-minded players, and swarmed Real's attacking trio every time they touched the ball.

  The gamesmanship was here, too.

  Atleti took ages to take free kicks, went down with the slightest of touches and had a player sent off, just for good measure. Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema barely had a sniff, and Atleti were just dangerous enough on the counter to make things interesting. Job done.

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  LOSER: Real Madrid's midfield

  Although Diego Simeone changed his formation, Atleti still squeeze the centre of the pitch with four physical midfielders. Real Madrid's best counter to that was always going to be moving the ball quickly and exploiting what few spaces they were offered.

  Their midfield, though, was lethargic. While they didn't lack fight, the creativity necessary to carve out opportunities simply wasn't there. Toni Kroos wasn't quick enough. Dani Ceballos lacked any spark. And Fede Valverde, the brightest of the three, never found the final ball.

  Real Madrid seemed to miss Luka Modric, who was only fit enough to play the last 30 minutes after putting in a shift against Liverpool in the Champions League midweek. When he came on, things looked better. But Los Blancos needed what he offered for a full 90.

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  WINNER: Alvaro Rodriguez

  Not a bad way to mark his second La Liga appearance.

  Alvaro was thrown on in the 77th minute, as a speculative late heave from Ancelotti. And it worked out for the Real manager, as Alvaro marked his second La Liga showing with a well-taken header to the far post. His goal did little in the scope of the title race; Real still needed three points here.

  But that a backup striker managed to find the net is a clear sign of encouragement for Ancelotti. Los Blancos have often looked lost when Benzema isn't in the team, and have pined for a reserve no. 9. It remains to be seen if Alvaro can be a reliable goalscorer. Still, the fact that he popped up with a goal off the bench is massively encouraging.

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  LOSER: Carlo Ancelotti

  Things were less agreeable in the other dugout. This was far from Ancelotti's finest hour. Real Madrid went from their best performance of the season to their worst in the span of five days. Ancelotti's side were all energy on Tuesday, picking Liverpool apart with ease after falling into a 2-0 hole. Here, they were entirely lacking in that zip.

  While Ancelotti doesn't necessarily need to change anything, he perhaps could have prepared tactically for the kind of game Simeone was going to play. At this point, there are no surprises in Atleti's setup or style. And coming off an intense Champions League fixture, Real were always going to have a difficult time. It's on their manager to try something in order to make things easier. He simply didn't.