WHU: Fans react to footage of Lingard

Fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the Hammers’ relayed footage of Jesse Lingard in action for the club.

Since making his loan move to West Ham from Manchester United back in January, Lingard has proven something of a revelation for David Moyes’ side, with the 28-year-old scoring five goals and providing two assists over his seven Premier League appearances for the Hammers, as well as averaging a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.34 – ranking him as the club’s best performer in the top flight.

In recognition of his fine form for the side, West Ham posted footage of the England international’s highlights for the club thus far on Twitter, accompanied by the attacking midfielder’s impressive statistics.

And, in reaction to the footage, fans of West Ham flocked to have their say on the matter, with many begging the club’s board to make Lingard’s loan deal a permanent move in the upcoming summer transfer window.

So, what exactly did these West Ham United fans have to say in reaction to the footage of Jesse Lingard?

“Been involved in 8 goals in 7 games! Mad!”

@Josephsimon007

“Sign him permanently lads.”

@WestHamViews_

“Class, class and more class as a player and as a man in how he treats others.”

@IronessWest

“Sign him permanently.”

@whulucas_

“Jesse please please please pleeease sign da ting.”

@WHUBanter

“Incredible.”

@_ghzst

In other news: This pundit dropped a claim on GSB’s £82k-p/w West Ham summer target – find out more here!

Diogo Dalot exclusive: Man Utd’s in-form defender on living up to Jose Mourinho’s bold claim, English fans loving his slide tackles & INEOS’ impact at Old Trafford

The right-back speaks to GOAL about his role in Erik ten Hag's side's stunning revival and his desire to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford

Diogo Dalot grew up supporting Porto, so naturally Jose Mourinho always held a special place in his heart. The Manchester United right-back was only five years old when Mourinho led his boyhood club to win the Champions League, just two months on from his iconic knee slide celebration at Old Trafford after knocking the Red Devils out.

Fourteen years after that unforgettable triumph and having just broken into the Porto team himself, Dalot got the call to go and play for 'The Special One' at United in the summer of 2018. And despite the fact he had only made seven senior appearances, Mourinho gave the then-19-year-old the mother of all endorsements by calling him "the best full-back in Europe in his age group".

"It brought me more responsibility," Dalot tells GOAL in an exclusive interview. "Coming from Mourinho, a legend of the game, makes it even more special. The relationship that we had was something good for me, to have a manager that supported me like he did. Those words brought me more responsibility and I'm trying to fulfil that in my career."

It might not have been the smoothest of rides, but Dalot is now well on his way to fulfilling Mourinho's prophecy. Mourinho was sacked by United just six months after Dalot's arrival and the full-back went out on loan to AC Milan two years later. When he returned, United had signed Aaron Wan-Bissaka for £50 million ($63m), putting another obstacle in between Dalot and a regular starting berth.

But now the Portugal international is demonstrating the potential Mourinhho saw in him, locking down his place as Ten Hag's first choice right-back and playing a key role in the club's resurgence during the second half of the season.

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    Crunching tackles

    Dalot has been at the forefront of United's revival in 2024, with the Red Devils winning six out of seven matches in all competitions while remaining unbeaten. He has started in every match since the turn of the year, scoring a magnificent curler against Wigan in the FA Cup and providing assists against Newport and Aston Villa. His sumptuous first-time cross at Villa Park allowed Scott McTominay to head home an 86th-minute winner which galvanised United's hopes of finishing in the top four and returning to the Champions League next season.

    He has also honed the defensive side of his game, delighting United fans with his thunderous slide tackles, such as when he chased down Jarrod Bowen in the recent 3-0 win over West Ham.

    “It was really quick, I just tried to reach him as fast as I could because I knew he was in a good position to score. I was fortunate enough to win the tackle and get the ball,” Dalot recalls, smiling at the enthusiasm in England for full-blooded slide tackles.

    “Yes, more than in other countries. The grass helps, it's good for sliding tackles and for moves like that. Obviously the fans loved it, they always get a little bit more excited when you do something like that.”

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    Need for speed

    The tackle on Bowen and the thrilling sprint back that made it possible also exhibited Dalot’s searing pace. According to he has recorded the fastest top speed of any United player in the Premier League this season.

    That is why he is excited to have signed with PUMA this week and to wear the ULTRA, described as the world’s fastest football boot. “Speed is massively important in the modern game, especially in my position, where everything is high intensity, really high speed over distances, so I'm happy that the Ultra will help me to get even more speed,” he says.

    Dalot joins a legendary line of players to have worn PUMA boots in the past, including Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona and Portugal icon Eusebio. The current crop of Puma players includes Antoine Griezmann, Neymar, Jack Grealish and Dalot’s United team-mate Antony.

    “That's one of the reasons why I joined them, the amount of players that they represented in the past and in the present. It's a brand that's growing even more, so I'm really excited to make this partnership with them," he adds.

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    Step forward

    Dalot readily admits he is in the form of his life, but he will not be truly satisfied until United are back where their fans believe they should be. It has been a testing season for the Red Devils, who lost nine of their first 18 matches and suffered a surprise early exit from the Champions League.

    "Probably it's my best time individually, but it doesn't fulfil that spot on my goals because collectively I want to be good and I want the team to be successful. So when we combine that, I think I'll be even happier," he says.

    United are definitely on the way back to the top and the arrival of minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team has helped lift the mood around the club, their arrival coinciding with the upturn in results. Dalot, however, knows there is still a long way to go.

    And he does not mean to get back to the standards United set under Ten Hag last season, when they finished third, reached the FA Cup final and won the Carabao Cup. He means United getting their hands back on the Premier League title, which they used to win routinely when Dalot was growing up.

    "Last season we had a good year, we finished well with the trophy, fighting for the FA Cup and being in the Champions League spots. It's not an aim for the club, but it's a step forward," he says. "This season, hopefully we can finish with one trophy and be in the Champions League, that would be also a step forward in my opinion when we didn't start the way we wanted."

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    'Mentality we need'

    "The standard will always be fighting for the Premier League, the Champions League and all the trophies that we are in. So I think we can be in the right direction to go there. The club hasn't won the Premier League in a lot of years. Eleven years. So the fans have been waiting a long time.

    "This is now, we have to win now. For them it doesn't matter if we won the Carabao Cup last season, in the next one we just have to win two trophies, win the Premier League. Every year you start the Premier League with expectations that you can win it.

    "This is the type of mentality that we need in the club. It's the normal standard for the club. It's up to us as players, as a club, as staff to show it and to do it on the pitch."

’Nothing but love’ – Christian Pulisic sends message to AC Milan ‘family’ as USMNT talisman receives death threats by Lazio fans following fiery Serie A victory

Christian Pulisic says he feels "nothing but love" to AC Milan after receiving death threats from Lazio fans following Friday's fiery Serie A victory.

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  • Pulisic got two Lazio players sent off
  • Milan snatched a 1-0 victory
  • USMNT forward sends love to Rossoneri family
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    WHAT HAPPENED?

    Noah Okafor might have won the match for Milan but it was Pulisic who was responsible for getting two of the three players sent off on Friday evening that opened up spaces in defence. The American midfielder's clash with Luca Pellegrini resulted in the Roma star's dismissal, while a late altercation with Matteo Guendouzi saw the former Arsenal man receive his marching orders as well.

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  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Following the game, Pulisic received death threats and vile messages from Lazio supporters, prompting concerns about the player's safety. However, the USMNT player has kept his composure and sent out a message of "love" for his teammates and the fans amid a difficult situation.

  • WHAT PULISIC SAID

    In an Instagram post, Pulisic said: "Nothing but love for this squad and the entire Rossoneri family ❤️🖤"

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    WHAT NEXT?

    Pulisic has been in inspirational form in Serie A with seven goals and six assists in 25 appearances. He will now look to perform in the same vein in the Europa League when the Rossoneri welcome Czech club Slavia Pragu, to San Siro for the first leg of the last-16 tie on Thursday.

VIDEO: Chelsea's Mauricio Pochettino becomes latest manager to hang out with Salt Bae after embarrassing Mikel Arteta moment ahead of Carabao Cup final showdown with Liverpool

Chelsea's Mauricio Pochettino was spotted hanging out with Salt Bae ahead of the Carabao Cup final showdown with Liverpool.

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  • Pochettino met with Salt Bae
  • Hailed his preparations at Nusr-Et
  • The chef wished him luck for Sunday's final
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    WHAT HAPPENED?

    The Turkish chef became infamous during the 2022 World Cup final for his attempts to hold the trophy and his interference with the celebrations of the Argentina team. Despite facing criticism from football fans following that incident, Pochettino didn't shy away from visiting the celebrity chef's restaurant Nusr-Et.

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  • WHAT POCHETTINO SAID

    Pochettino lavished praise on the restaurant and said: "Everything is perfect. The best restaurant."

    Salt Bae asked: "Sunday?"

    Pochettino was a bit surprised with that and said: "We will see. It will be tough but we will try."

    Salt Bae then wished him luck for the upcoming Carabao Cup final and the pair embraced each other.

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  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Earlier in January, Arsenal's manager, Mikel Arteta, had also paid a visit to Salt Bae's restaurant. However, Arteta's encounter with the chef didn't go down well with the fans, and he faced ridicule on social media after a video surfaced of him being fed steak by Salt Bae.

Chelsea would be silly to allow the sale of this classy 30-year-old attacking star

Chelsea’s season has been quite the ride already, with the Blues starting the season like a house on fire, before petering out somewhat in recent times.

However, last weekend’s demolition of Huddersfield should have gone someway to improving things at Stamford Bridge.

Manager Mauro Sarri has already come under some pressure for the job he is doing, but the Italian will be hoping to see out the season and cement a Champions League spot, while he also has the chance of winning a trophy with the League Cup up for grabs in a one match shootout with Man City.

The summer is bound to be an interesting one too at the Bridge, and with January passing with little to shout home about other than the arrival of Gonzalo Higuain, it will be interesting to see if Chelsea can keep hold of star players like Eden Hazard and Willian.

It is however, the ability to keep the Brazilian that we think should be a priority for the Blues, with the 30-year-old a more important piece to the jigsaw than some might think in London.

Willian is integral at times to Chelsea and how they play, and while he might not always be the first name on the team sheet, he generally delivers when it matters.

There is not just his ability to take into account either, with his experience something which will be vital for the Blues if they are indeed to challenge for top honours in the coming seasons.

While all eyes will be on the future of Eden Hazard, Willian remains arguably just as important, and it’s vital in our opinion that Chelsea keep hold of the tricky Brazilian star.

Chelsea fans, what do you think? Will Willian go or will he be kept on? Let us know in the comments!

Mitchell was Palace’s unsung hero vs Villa

Crystal Palace came from behind to record a stunning victory over Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.

The Eagles’ usual suspects, Wilfried Zaha – who bagged the all-important equaliser – and Eberechi Eze – who assisted him, were at the centre of it all but an unsung hero may have emerged from the shadows with a masterclass to deliver Roy Hodgson’s second win since March.

That player being Tyrick Mitchell.

The 21-year-old defender clinched his first senior goal for the club, bagging the winner in the 84th minute. Mitchell was in the perfect place at the right time as he bundled home a fluffed cross from Eze.

But the young left-back delivered so much more than the winner on the day.

As per SofaScore, he was graded as Palace’s best performer, with a rating of 8.4 – by comparison, this was better than both Zaha (7.8) and Eze (7.4), so he certainly deserves just as many plaudits.

He was amongst Hodgson’s most influential players, recording 51 touches over the 90 minutes, and that resulted in superb contributions at either end of the pitch.

Defensively, he was industrious, registering four clearances, two blocks and one tackle whilst he also won 100% of his battles, both in the air and on the ground, meaning the threat on offer from Bertrand Traore, and then Anwar El Ghazi was nullified throughout.

Further up the pitch, Mitchell made two crosses, which would have delighted target man striker Christian Benteke. In fact, he bagged the first equaliser as a result of a great ball in from wide.

He also produced one key pass and one dribble, proving to be a nuisance to Villa’s defence and Ahmed Elmohamady, in particular.

Palace reporter Joe Doyle at football.london was equally glowing of his performance in their post-match column.

“Pushed higher up more often with Schlupp offering a level of protection on the occasions he could move forward. Played in a great ball for Benteke to get an equaliser after the half hour,” he wrote. “A good shift throughout, getting forward more and more, and was in the right place at the right time to grab the winner.”

Mitchell, who is valued at €10m (£9m), put in a stormer of a performance at Selhurst Park and was certainly an unsung hero for Hodgson.

AND in other news, Fresh twist emerges in Crystal Palace manager hunt, it’s great news for Eagles fans…

Pundit warns Celtic they must spend

Former Premier League midfielder Lee Hendrie has told The Transfer Tavern in an exclusive interview that Celtic must spend more than £15m this summer if they are to reclaim their Scottish Premiership title.

Last summer, as per Transfermarkt, the Glasgow club spent around £14m on signings and loans, bringing in the likes of Albian Ajeti from West Ham and Shane Duffy from Brighton.

It was an unsuccessful season, however, for the two recruits and Celtic’s other additions, with the Bhoys finishing second in the league and a whopping 25 points behind their fierce rivals.

And now Hendrie has warned that significant investment will be needed if it is to be another story next term.

Speaking exclusively to TT about what Celtic have to do this summer, the Sky Sports pundit said:

“I feel that they’re going to have to spend probably a lot more than 10 or £15m to start competing with the likes of Rangers.

“Celtic is in a rebuild structure, for me. It’s been proven this season that Rangers have really blew them out of the water. So your 10 and £15m is not going to cut it I don’t feel.

“They’re going to have to certainly recruit good loan players and certainly going to have to spend way over £15m if they’re going to compete with Rangers.”

It remains to be seen what sort of transfer budget Celtic’s new manager will have to work with. But after the campaign they have had, and with such an influential figure like Scott Brown leaving the club, reinforcements are needed.

WHU fans slam Diop vs Everton

Many West Ham United fans were far from happy with the performance of Issa Diop during their 1-0 defeat to Everton on Sunday.

The Hammers’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time were damaged on Sunday thanks to a Dominic Calvert-Lewin strike. While it is not impossible for them to reach the group stage of Europe’s premier club competition, they face an uphill battle to get there – they are now five points behind Leicester City in fourth with just three games left (Sky Sports).

Diop, valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, started at the heart of the back four against the Toffees, and it is fair to say he wasn’t at his best. For example, he was dribbled past on two occasions (SofaScore) by an Everton team who seemed reluctant to attack, while he was partly at fault for the only goal of the game along with fellow defender Craig Dawson.

These Irons supporters were far from happy with what they saw from Diop, who one fan labelled a “liability”, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Diop

“I like Diop but he needs to remember he’s a centre back, he gets caught out far too high up the pitch time and time again. That’s coachable, Moyes needs to have a word and if he won’t listen don’t play him”

Credit: @TheLawless

“The amount of times he gets dragged out of position! They definitely studied that, in fact they definitely did as Calvert-Lewis confirmed. Exposed Dawson. Horrible defending.”

Credit: @RyanMac97158556

“They were both at fault for the goal. Diop out of position leading to Dawson being out paced. We need to bring in a next level CB in the summer.”

Credit: @Sam6WHU

“Diop & Dawson are average, need a 2nd CB with Og in the summer IMO, Dawson does improve with Og tbf but Diop for me is a liability as a CB, I reckon he’d be a good CDM,”

Credit: @rickwhufc

“Diop had another usual stinker. But Benrahma was shocking today. It seems Moyes’ criticism has got to his game negatively I think 8th is now more likely”

Credit: @westham_mo

“100% need to get rid of Diop…”

Credit: @Jsklen_face

In other news, West Ham fans want the club to sign this man.

Leicester must win Noni Madueke race

Leicester City are reportedly considering the signing of PSV Eindhoven wonderkid Noni Madueke this summer.

According to the Daily Mail, the Foxes have made an enquiry for the winger but face competition for the likes of AC Milan and RB Leipzig for his signature. However, the East Midlanders must ensure they get their first.

Put simply, Madueke is an extremely talented prospect. Arriving in the Netherlands from Tottenham in 2018, he has progressed through the club’s system to become a key player in the first team in Eindhoven.

The 2020/21 campaign has really seen him break through, having scored nine goals and notched eight assists in all competitions from the right flank.

It is form which has seen him draw comparisons to current Premier League starlet Phil Foden. Former England under-21 Manager Aidy Boothroyd said that whilst the young winger is lesser known than the Manchester City ace, he is a “little bit like” his compatriot.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leicester-city-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more-abraham-demrial-maddison-rodgers-mckennie” title=”Latest Leicester City news, transfer rumours and more…”]

Leicester could certainly use the talents of Madueke. Current right-winger Cengiz Under is set to depart the club in the summer following the expiry of his loan deal from Serie A giants AS Roma, leaving just the likes of Ayoze Perez and Marc Albrighton to claim the right-wing position.

The current Foxes duo have netted just four goals between them in all competitions this season, simply not enough for a team harbouring aspirations of challenging at the top end of the Premier League whilst also potentially playing Champions League football.

Rated at just £12.6m by Transfermarkt, the possible arrival of the PSV youngster would certainly be a deal the Foxes could afford.

Rodgers should follow through with Leicester’s reported interest and do all he can to bring Madueke to the King Power Stadium in the summer.

AND in more news, find out which Leicester star stunk out St Mary’s with an awful performance on Friday…

Wolves fans on Otasowie transfer update

Many Wolves fans have been left to slam a transfer update involving Owen Otasowie.

As per the Daily Telegraph, the defensive midfield player is wanted by Anderlecht, Nice and Wolfsburg on loan for the 2021/22 campaign, if he is allowed to leave Molineux on a short-term deal.

Otasowie has been a handy player to have for Nuno Espirito Santo, especially when the depth of his squad has been tested with injuries to the likes of Raul Jimenez and Pedro Neto this season.

The United States international has played in six games in the Premier League so far this term, grabbing himself one assist (Transfermarkt), and some WWFC supporters feel that the 20-year-old should stay at the Midlands club in order to continue his development.

Wolves fans on Otasowie transfer update

These Wanderers slammed the transfer update as it was shared on Twitter, with one fan even going as far as to claim that it was ‘pointless’:

“But no, this would be dreadful news”

Credit: @TonyWilde99

“Pointless unless he signs a new deal”

Credit: @FW90

“Just say NO!”

Credit: @MichaelPoulter3

“No, it’s easy, you simply play him”

Credit: @ConallJH_

“NOOOOOO he deserves to start for us sorry not sorry”

Credit: @CBeier3

“Nah play him”
Credit: @YasWWFC

In other news, find out what transfer update has left Wanderers fuming here!

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