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After a promising run in the FA Cup, Crystal Palace’s dream of silverware this season is over.

The Eagles were dumped out of England’s oldest football competition on the weekend by Watford as Andre Grey’s 79th-minute winner sealed Roy Hodgson’s fate in the FA Cup in a 2-1 loss.

It was a disappointing loss for the south London side, who fancied themselves as dark horses of the competition after knocking out Tottenham in the fourth round and making it to final of the FA Cup three years prior.

Ultimately, it was a fair result, but what would the consequences be if Palace were to win against Watford and make it to the semi-finals of the FA Cup?

Palace face tough tie against Wolves

In our reality, Watford were drawn with Wolves in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, so for argument’s sake, we will say Palace are drawn against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side as well.

Wolves have been the giant killers in the Cup this season, knocking out both Liverpool and Manchester United comfortably, making them outside favourites for FA Cup glory this season, and in the league as well the West Midlands-based club have been great against teams in the top-six.

Palace would go into this game at Wembley as the underdogs given their earlier result against Wolves this season, a 1-0 loss at Selhurst, and one of Nuno’s most impressive wins of the season was against Tottenham at their temporary home, a 3-1 win over the Christmas period.

However, with Palace having experience at this stage in the competition, Hodgson’s side will be confident of causing an upset and making their second FA Cup final in three years.

Hodgson keeps job, for now

Speaking of Hodgson, making it to a FA Cup semi-final would have kept the oldest manager in Premier League history in the job for at least another season.

Palace have had an underwhelming season despite the level of quality the Eagles have in the squad, and with the scars of Frank de Boer’s horrific managerial appointment more than healed over, the Palace board might be reluctant to replace Hodgson for an ambitious coach.

Hodgson could have strengthened his argument to be given another season to salvage more than a below midtable finish for Palace on the merit he made it to a FA Cup semi-final.

Crystal Palace fans, would a FA Cup semi-final appearance be a high-point this season?

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After going five months without a Championship start for Leeds United following injury issues, Gaetano Berardi has been back in contention in recent weeks and has spoken in depth to BBC broadcaster Adam Pope about his problems this season, with Whites fans quick to give their reaction after the well-known reporter posted a clip of the interview on Twitter.

The enigmatic Swiss player says he has had worse moments in his career and has no complaints after battling back from the long-term hamstring tendon injury he suffered in 2018.

Berardi has become a popular figure among the Elland Road faithful over the years because of his committed performances on the pitch and the fact that he comes across as something of a warrior for the club, as can be seen from the replies to Pope’s tweet.

Many of those who commented said that they love his attitude and his clear love for the team, while one wants him to start in what could be a feisty encounter against Millwall at the end of the month – something that is a real distinct possibility given Pontus Jansson has been ruled out for up to three weeks after an injury last weekend.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction from supporters…

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Loads of Newcastle fans have been reacting to some transfer news, as reports claim a move for summer target Joelinton could now be off the table.

According to The Sunday Mirror (24/3, page 70), Newcastle’s scouts are not convinced Joelinton is a worthwhile investment.

The report claims Hoffenheim will hold out for £40m for their Brazilian starlet.

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…

This would of course blow the record-breaking Miguel Almiron fee out of the water, and it appears as though there are doubts about doing so when the player in question has only just had his breakout season.

The 22 year-old is a versatile attacker capable of playing anywhere across the front three or even as a number ten, and has recorded 11 goals and nine assists in all competitions this season.

While this is better end product that any Newcastle player has mustered, it does not exactly reek of a player who is worth doubling the Almiron fee for.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where the overwhelming emotion is disappointment but not surprise…

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Watford face Wolves this weekend in the semi-finals of the FA Cup and they will be hoping to reproduce the standard of performance which saw them put four past now-relegated Fulham with ease on Tuesday night.

The mood at Vicarage Road is high and Abdoulaye Doucoure has taken time to praise fellow midweek goalscorer Troy Deeney for his impact both on and off the pitch this season, per Watfordfc.com:

“I love to play with [Deeney] because he gives a lot of energy to us, and the fans as well. He is a strong striker, and he has a lot of quality.

“Against him it is very hard to defend, because when he is in a good mood he can beat anyone. He can fight against everyone. He is very good this season and I am very happy to play with him.

“Troy is the perfect captain for this team. He can be very friendly with you or can be shouting at you if you do something wrong. But you can do it with him as well. He can accept it if you have a good reason and he’s a very good captain.”

Indeed, Deeney is unafraid to make his feelings known during a game, at the training ground or even in post-match interviews – to the astonishment of Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser – and this is why former Granada man Doucoure thinks he is the perfect candidate to both spearhead the Hornets attack and wear the armband.

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…

The 30-year-old has struck up a lethal partnership with Gerard Deulofeu this campaign and has chalked up nine goals and five assists in 29 appearances – his best return since 2016/17 when he bagged 10, with six games still to play.

Can he lead the Hornets to FA Cup glory this season?

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Loads of Sunderland fans have been reacting to tweet from the club, and the Black Cats faithful are desperate to see more of Dylan McGeouch.

Sunderland bounced back from their Wembley heartbreak in stunning fashion this week, sweeping Accrington Stanley aside with relative ease.

Denver Hume and Charlie Wyke drew all the plaudits while the goals went to Aiden McGeady, Will Grigg and Kazaiah Sterling, but McGeouch was no slouch either.

The 26 year-old, known for his clever passing and immense work rate, covered every blade of grass on Wednesday, or at least that’s what the club thinks.

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….

It hasn’t exactly been an easy first season on Wearside for the Scot though, managing just 26 appearances in all competitions, and falling behind Lee Cattermole and Grant Leadbitter in the midfield pecking order.

Fans are hoping that will change after his display on Wednesday, and they are all saying the same thing in response to the club’s tweet. Have a look at some of the best reactions down below…

Fabian Schar played in Newcastle’s 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday, in his first appearance since his horror head injury for Switzerland in Georgia.

He looked his usual self, after an enforced spell out for suspension allowed him to shake any concussion effects off.

But the player insisted that much of what was said and written about the incident was not true, and that he wants to draw a line in the sand now, and look forward.

According to the Daily Star, Schar said: “For me, I don’t care what has been said. People have written and said stuff but a lot of it is not true.

“There was too much polemic about this. It looked bad at the moment it happened but in the end I was fine and it was not too bad at all.

“I feel really good and it hasn’t affected me at all.

“I have no injury now so hopefully, we can stop talking about this.”

Of course, one of those angry voices was Newcastle legend Alan Shearer, who is an advocate of stronger regulations surrounding head injuries, having done a television documentary on the subject.

Shearer called the decision to let him play on for Switzerland “nonsensical” and called for independent doctors to examine players on the side of the pitch when head injuries occur.

But for Schar, the only focus he now has, is making sure Newcastle remain a Premier League side next season, and that means putting Saturday’s defeat behind them and looking ahead to the next game.

He said: “It’s always disappointing when you a lose a game, and especially when you lose it in the way we lost this one. We conceded a stupid penalty, and they scored from that. We had the better chances so it is frustrating.

“We know we have to score when we have chances, but then on the other side, we also knew how dangerous they are on the counter-attack.

“We had to find the balance. At the end they had two or three counter-attacks, but we did fairly well from our side, and that’s why the final result was such a disappointment.

“We need some more points to get safe, and we want to get them as fast as possible.

“We have to forget the game now and look forward.”

Whether the player felt obliged to support the medical staff of the Swiss national side, or not, concussion is too dangerous and important an issue to be brushed aside.

The player may well say he was fine to carry on, and suffered no effects, but that does not mean that the checks should not have been made first.

What player wouldn’t want to carry on when they feel like they can? It is a natural reaction for footballers. But he does not necessarily know what is best, or what effects he is actually suffering from.

The health and safety of a player is paramount, and must be the top priority, which is why calls for stricter guidelines and procedures, or independent bodies to assess players, must be implemented as soon as possible.

What do you think about Schar’s comments, Newcastle fans? Should he have been allowed to carry on after his injury? How crucial will he be to your side’s run-in after Florian Lejeune’s injury? Let us know below…

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Leeds fans on Twitter aren’t missing Samu Saiz as they believe Tyler Roberts has now surpassed him as a player.

Roberts has been moved into a midfield role in recent weeks and his performances have caught the eyes of the entire fanbase.

The Welshman has provided three assists when playing in a creative midfield capacity despite playing only 10 games in his deeper role.

These types of performances have led to fans believing that Roberts is a better player than Saiz.

Saiz scored five and set up seven goals for the Whites last season but homesickness saw him return to his native country on loan. He joined Getafe in January just half a season after being nominated for Leeds’ Player of the Season Award.

Despite enjoying a successful period at Elland Road, Saiz is now out of favour amongst the Elland Road faithful with Roberts now considered the better player.

Here’s what Leeds fans have been saying on Twitter…

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A lot of angry Sunderland fans have taken to Twitter following the 1-1 draw away to Peterborough, a game which left the near 4,000 travelling supporters feeling extremely frustrated.

The Black Cats managed to grab an 88th-minute opener from Max Power’s fine low drive, a strike which looked to have handed them three crucial points in their battle to break into the automatic promotion places.

Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…

However, a 91st-minute equaliser meant that they were left with just a point to show for their efforts, and a staggering 18th draw of the league campaign – no team has drawn more games.

With just three losses, no team has lost fewer games than Jack Ross’ men, although their inability to take all three points more often may see them end up in the play-offs rather than the automatic spots.

Whilst the situation as a whole must be infuriating for those Wearsiders, many of the fans on Twitter have pointed the finger at Ross, blaming him for the team’s failures this season…

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The PFA Championship Team of the Year included two Aston Villa players: Tammy Abraham, who has scored 25 league goals, and Jack Grealish, who has missed a large period of the season.

Who it didn’t include was the outstanding John McGinn, a decision which has left Villa fans bemused on Twitter.

Reacting to the news, fans were left questioning the selection with a host of supporters incredibly surprised.

One fan simply called it strange, whilst also bringing Tyrone Mings into the equation. However, considering he’s only been there for half of the season, it’s a bizarre suggestion, even if he’s been excellent. It’s also rather ironic given some comments about Grealish not playing all the time.

Other supporters chose to praise the Scottish midfielder, claiming he’d bossed the Championship this term and that he’d been the best player.

The 24-year-old has been near never present since arriving last summer, featuring in 39 league games.

In the process, he’s scored six goals and claimed nine assists in a superb first season in English football.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

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Leeds United journalist Phil Hay believes that the incident which occurred during the Aston Villa game will help the club in their push for promotion.

Despite the Whites failing to find a win for the third consecutive match Hay believes that Sunday may have reignited the fire in the belly of the squad before the playoffs.

What’s been said then?

The Yorkshire Evening Post writer appeared on the secondcaptains podcast this week to discuss the fallout of the game at Elland Road on Sunday.

The Scotsman commented that he believed that the Leeds squad were losing their edge in recent weeks which culminated in two losses over the Easter weekend.

Hay went on to say that the team needed a wake-up call and he believes that the incident during the Villa game was exactly what they needed:

“This was quite a handy situation for Leeds, they needed a shot in the arm from somewhere.

“They had a shocking Easter weekend which was very costly and ultimately fatal in terms of their chances of finishing second. The players looked flat over Easter, they looked nervous and I thought you could see the confidence draining out of them.

“I think it will help them that they’ve had a day where they’ve felt the fire again and felt the burn.

“I think it has pulled everybody together where they needed to find some impetus and some momentum again.”

Spot on

Phil Hay couldn’t be more right with his summary if he tried. His sentiments were also echoed by Sunday’s goalscorer Mateusz Klich who said:

“I think we needed to play like this.

“We need to be sharp, we need to play our style, we need to be aggressive. It’s all up to us and we’ve come so far. I hope we’re going to get through the playoffs.

“It (Sunday) was very important, not only for me but for the whole team. If you feel good on the pitch and play well and then you build confidence and play well in the next game.”

Leeds have always been a club who thrived off of the hate and vitriol of opposition fans and the media alike. They love to face a challenge and that may be partly the reason why they capitulated towards the end of the season when it seemed impossible for them to miss out on a spot in the top two.

The bust-up with Villa on Sunday will give them an added dimension and extra motivation heading into the playoffs, and that will be doubled if they come up against Dean Smith’s side at Wembley in May.