If reports are to be believed, this could be a defining game for the future of Slaven Bilic at West Brom.
The Telegraph’s John Percy claims that his position as manager will be under scrutiny should his Baggies side fail to put in a good display at the Hawthorns this lunchtime.
Standing in their way is the small ask of Jose Mourinho’s rampant Spurs side, they could well take sole possession of top spot in the Premier League with a win themselves, so there is a lot at stake.
Last time out, Albion were embarrassingly defeated by relegation rivals Fulham, but will the Croatian tinker his side? Here’s the XI we’re predicting…
There could be as many as four changes from the side that was defeated last Monday in southwest London.
The back five remains very much the same barring a change at right-back as young academy graduate Dara O’Shea replaces Darnell Furlong.
This Baggies side had leaked more goals than any other top-flight side going into the weekend, so the versatile Irishman shores up the backline a little more with Heung-min Son in town.
Albion skipper Jake Livermore, who earns £46k-per-week, has been withdrawn early in back-to-back outings, so perhaps Bilic drops him from the starting XI entirely this time around.
It gives a chance to Romaine Sawyers, who has not started a match since the 2-0 defeat to Southampton. He could partner Conor Gallagher with Matheus Pereira finally coming back to the no.10 role.
£10.8m-rated winger Grady Diangana’s performances on the left flank have been questionable since his permanent switch to the Midlands, he faces the axe along with Filip Krovinovic too.
Instead, the Croatian could turn to £7.2m-rated Callum Robinson and Matty Phillips on the wings to spark some sort of reaction.
Karlan Grant will continue to lead the line.
AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit tips 66 y/o to replace Slaven Bilic…
Fulham’s defensive woes this season have been there for all to see, but perhaps they wouldn’t have been in this mess if they’d have gotten one thing right over a decade ago.
The Whites were on the trail of one of the best young goalkeepers on the planet back in 2009 as they had 16-year-old Jan Oblak on trial, but for one reason or another, the Slovenian rejected the chance to sign for the London club.
Oblak instead opted to head back to his home country to continue his development with Olimpija Ljubljana, and Fulham have to be kicking themselves whenever they see him performing at the very highest level with Atletico Madrid these days.
Oblak is now rated as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, he has been ranked as the number one stopper on the planet by FourFourTwo and transfermarkt have him down as the most valuable goalie in the game right now, rating him as an £81m player.
It’s hard to believe that Fulham faced an impossible task in trying to ply him away from Olimpija back in 2009, and if they’d have thrown bigger wages at him they would have landed one of the biggest bargains in the club’s history.
Fulham have a history of great goalkeepers at the club, Edwin van Der Sar ranks amongst the greatest of all-time, while Mark Schwarzer was one of the most consistent stoppers of the Premier League era.
Alphonse Areola is the Cottagers’ current number one, and despite having the pedigree of being PSG’s first choice a few years ago, it’s impossible to argue that Oblak wouldn’t be the better option.
11 years have passed since Oblak had a trial at Fulham, and it must be incredibly painful for anyone involved with the club to look back on that and not be absolutely gutted that they couldn’t secure his signature.
Oblak is certainly the one that got away in recent times at Fulham.
The Whites’ Premier League campaign has got off to the worst possible start with four losses from their opening four games, and while incomings are absolutely vital for the Cottagers on Monday, one outgoing is equally as important.
Indeed, Jean-Michael Seri remains on Fulham’s books and with less than 24 hours remaining for the Whites to find him a new club, the clock is ticking.
To say that one of Fulham’s top priorities should be ditching a man who almost signed for Barcelona a few years ago sounds a bit strange on the surface, but if you’ve watched Seri since he came to Craven Cottage, you’d know exactly why he needs to go.
He’s reportedly on £65k-a-week, making him a huge financial drain, and he’s simply not good enough to forge a career in the Premier League, as shown by his shocking performance against Brentford in the Carabao Cup last week where he made a mistake leading to a goal and missed an absolute sitter against Championship opposition.
For £65k a week, you want a player who can make a huge impact, not a man who struggles against Championship players.
The Whites have had loan interest from both Galatasaray and Inter, but they’re prioritising a permanent sale rather than a loan move, but getting him off the books in any capacity is surely better than nothing at this point.
This could end up being more important than any centre-back deal that is concluded before the window closes, saving £65k-a-week on wages could give the Whites the financial power needed to bring their team up to the level needed to survive in this division.
Fingers crosses, Seri has at least one suitor lined up.
Former Arsenal star Charlie Nicholas has stated that Mikel Arteta must get rid of Mesut Ozil, Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi during the summer transfer window, in order to redevelop his defence.
Arsenal finished their Premier League campaign with a very disappointing 43 points behind champions Liverpool – ending up in eighth place. One main factor behind this terrible season was the Gunners’ defence. Arsenal conceding a disastrous 48 goals, which was the second-worst record out of all teams in the top half of the table. In addition to this, David Luiz conceded five penalties this season – a new Premier League record.
Throughout the campaign, Arteta switched between playing four and five at the back, with plenty of rotation of his defenders. Sokratis has become out of favour since the restart of the Premier League, and Mustafi has been injury-prone.
“This has been a tough test for Mikel Arteta, but I think Arsenal have realised they have got to go all out and sort the defence out,” Charlie Nicholas told Sky Sports.
Nicholas also believes that once the Gunners defence is sorted, they will start moving up the table and competing for the title. Though, in order for this to happen some of the older players need moving on so they can freshen up their decaying squad.
Despite this, Sokratis’ agent dismissed claims of the Greek leaving the Gunners and is adamant that the centre-back will stay and fight for his place.
Verdict
There is no doubt that Arsenal must sort out their defence ahead of next season, though it is a bit harsh saying that these three players specifically must leave the club.
Many Arsenal fans will disagree, but it is vital having experienced players in your squad and depth is needed to compete with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.
Portsmouth left-back Lee Brown has revealed he wants to repay the faith shown in him by the club after agreeing a new deal.
With the 2020/21 season fast approaching, Pompey manager Kenny Jackett will undoubtedly feel the pressure after missing out on promotion for a second consecutive season.
Looking to the transfer window to potentially improve his squad, he has already sealed a deal for Sean Raggett, who was on loan last season at Fratton Park from Norwich City.
Following on from that deal, Brown had his contract extended at the club, having made a total of 16 appearances in League One last season, scoring one goal in the process.
Left-back Brown, who is valued at £113,000, has now touched on his desire to pay back the club for the faith they have shown in him.
Quoted by The News, the 30-year-old said: ‘There was a bit of toing and froing and uncertainty about what I was doing and what the club was doing.
‘Look, it’s done now and that’s all behind us.
‘I’ve decided to stay and the club have decided to keep me, so I’m delighted to be here. Two years as well – there must’ve been a salary cap coming in!
‘I’m delighted and do I need to repay them for giving me a new deal? Of course I do.
‘I’ve been around long enough to know I’ve got to perform and produce some performances to give them something back. I’m fully aware of that.’
Portsmouth’s first official game of the 2020/21 season will come against Stevenage in the Carabao Cup on 5 September, which could offer Brown his first chance to justify the club’s faith in him.
Brown has been largely consistent for Pompey but Jackett may be eager to add more new faces to his squad.
After two near misses, the Portsmouth faithful will be eager to see them finally gain promotion this time around, and it’s encouraging that they have an experienced head in Brown (352 league appearances) who knows the club and is determined to see those wishes fulfilled.
Do you think Portsmouth can seal promotion to the Championship this time round? Let us know in the comments section below…
Darren Bent believes Tottenham ace Lucas Moura is at an all-time low following a drop in form since the nationwide lockdown.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Spurs striker insists Jose Mourinho has not given Moura the chance to prove himself on a consistent basis.
The Brazilian was left out of the squad altogether for the opening game against Manchester United, although he started the next three games, before being dropped to the bench when Spurs travelled to the South Coast to face Bournemouth.
Moura was famously dropped for the Champions League final by Mauricio Pochettino, despite scoring a hat-trick in the semi-final to send Spurs to Madrid, and Bent is convinced nothing much has changed under Pochettino’s successor.
Bent told Football Insider “it’s probably his confidence because listen, Lucas Moura, he’s got to be the unluckiest footballer that’s out there.
“I’ve seen him play exceptionally well, fantastically well, brilliant – as we spoke about last year, the Champions League final where he scores a hat-trick in the semi-final to get his team to the final and then gets dropped.
“I remember other big games, he scores a couple goals and then gets dropped. For Lucas Moura, I don’t think he’s been allowed to build up any real consistency at Spurs.
“He hasn’t looked the same player since he came back from lockdown, that’s maybe a little bit of rust, maybe he’s not sure with how the team’s playing.
“First and foremost, he’s not sure if he’s going to be playing this week or that week.”
It is hard to argue with Bent here, as Moura hasn’t scored since the 2-0 victory over Manchester City in February.
He has been unable to maintain the momentum, as Mourinho has a wealth of wide options to choose from, including Son Heung-min, Steven Bergwijn and Erik Lamela.
Competition for spaces on the wings is arguably hotter than it ever has been before, as Son is the club’s second-highest goalscorer this season.
Bergwijn always seems to turn up for big occasions, as he netted on his home debut against the Citizens, before striking against top four rivals Wolves and Manchester United.
Understandably, his confidence seems to be shot to pieces, as his form has taken a downturn in recent weeks.
He actually excelled against the Hammers, which was his first game back since the Premier League restart, but his performances have tailed off ever since.
Moura was a part of the side that slumped to a disappointing defeat at Sheffield United, and he was one of the main culprits, as he only completed 76% of his passes and wasted three crosses completely. To make matters worse, his only effort all game wasn’t even on target.
The future had seemed bright for Moura, but he now finds himself marginalised under Mourinho, and he will want to quickly make sure he doesn’t become a fringe player in the future.
Tottenham fans, should Mourinho give Moura another chance? Let us know down below!
A recent transfer report has divided Liverpool supporters on social media this week.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the Reds have submitted an offer for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele which is a loan that comes with an option to buy.
Many at Anfield believe this would be a superb move with some left drooling by the prospect of Jurgen Klopp working his magic on the Frenchman.
The 23-year-old previously broke through at Borussia Dortmund under the German boss, resulting in a big-money move, thought to be around £135.5m, to La Liga giants Barcelona.
This season, Dembele has played just nine times in all competitions due to an ongoing hamstring problem, which may give a reason to why he could potentially be available.
Can you spot your Xabi Alonso from your Bruno Cheyrou? This Liverpool quiz will have you questioning your knowledge…
However, several members of the Reds faithful have used this to suggest why he must be avoided this summer.
Some fans also hinted towards his attitude as a reason to why he’d be a bad addition at Liverpool.
As a result of his injuries and reported attitude problems, there were a couple of comparisons made to former Liverpool players such as Mario Ballotelli and Daniel Sturridge.
Many in Merseyside are desperate to see the addition of Timo Werner, and one supporter claims a move for Dembele would curtail their pursuit of the RB Leipzig talisman and that he could even be a replacement for Mo Salah – even though the 27-year-old is under contract until 2023.
It remains to be seen if this story has any legs whatsoever, but you’d imagine it would be very hard for any attacking player to break into the starting XI given the impressive form of Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in recent months.
AND in other news, Liverpool fans react to update on Timo Werner…
A recent transfer claim has sparked Everton fans into a frenzy on Twitter this week.
Speaking to Football Insider, Noel Whelan has tipped the Toffees to make a play for Manchester City centre-back John Stones amid reports linking him with a move to Newcastle United.
The ex-Leeds striker-turned-pundit claimed that the Magpies “would have a fight on their hands” over the Englishman with his former club keen on bringing him back to Goodison Park.
It’s clear to see that many would love to see it happen, too…
The 26-year-old hasn’t featured as regularly as he’d have liked this campaign due to injury, being restricted to just 20 appearances in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.
Stones left the Toffees for City in 2016 in a whopping £47.5m deal and has gone on to lift the Premier League twice as well as clinch a FA Cup trophy too.
How big of an Everton fan are you? Can you spot Mikel Arteta from Graham Stuart? This quiz will test your knowledge, try it if you’re brave enough…
Many in the blue end of Merseyside believe their former star is vastly superior to their current options, namely Michael Keane and Yerry Mina.
It remains to be seen if Stones is even available for transfer this summer – or what sort of fee he would command. Transfermarkt currently value him at £32.4m, which may be a stretch in the current financial climate given the consequences the pandemic is having on teams across the country.
Although that hasn’t stopped other members of the Goodison Park faithful from imagining the 6 foot 2 defender under Carlo Ancelotti.
A return to Everton could be exactly what Stones needs to get back on track, but for the time being, the England international is still appears to be in City’s plans.
AND in other news, Everton fans divided by links to Serie A powerhouse…
Liverpool have arguably been the best team in the country when it comes to recruitment over the last few years, as well as their success on the pitch domestically and on the continent.
Jurgen Klopp has been key to that, with almost all of his signings proving to be the result of long, detailed and well thought out scouting. From Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Virgil Van Dijk, with the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah in between, so many of his signings have been so impressive and made a huge impact on the Reds’ growth into Premier League powerhouses.
But it hasn’t always been like this, with previous managers not enjoying the same kind of success on the pitch and in the transfer market. The Reds’ transfer record pre-Klopp was not as consistent, and it’s fair to say Klopp will have been mortified if he’d have suffered the same recruitment woes.
Luckily he hasn’t, but others haven’t been so fortunate. So, here’s a look at Liverpool’s 20 worst signings of the Premier League era…
Sean Dundee
Valencia v Liverpool 3/11/98 UEFA Cup 2nd round 2nd leg
Pic : Action Images / Stuart Franklin
Liverpool’s Michael Owen & Sean Dundee celebrate Steve McManaman’s goal
Pictured above celebrating with Michael Owen, Sean Dundee was a true waste of money for Liverpool.
£2m may not seem like a lot of dough now at all but back in 1998 it was and all joint-managers at the time Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier would get for that lofty sum would be five appearances (all of them from the bench) and no goals from the centre-forward.
Charlie Adam
Despite that one cracking season in the Premier League for Blackpool, Charlie Adam was never good enough to represent a club like the Reds and he probably knew that as well.
That’s why the creative Scotland international lasted just the one campaign on Merseyside in what was a very strange time for Liverpool Football Club.
Christian Benteke
There are similarities between Adam and the next infamous member of this list, the man known as one of the attacking flops of all time at Anfield – Christian Benteke.
Then gaffer Brendan Rodgers splashed out an eye-watering £32.5m on the striker in the summer of 2015 and like both Adam and Dundee would last just the one term – ironically, Benteke left the North West with a record of ten goals in 42 matches, not too bad at all.
Alberto Aquilani
Mention the name Alberto Aquilani and most Kopites would offer a chuckle, this is certainly not the impression that the Italian would have wanted to leave when he arrived from Roma for £17m plus bonuses prior to the 2009/2010 season.
In truth, Xabi Alonso was always going to be a hard act to follow and that role always had the potential to be a poisoned chalice to whoever had to fulfill it, however, the woeful Aquilani made a special mess of it and it’s no small miracle that he managed to officially remain a Liverpool player for three years.
Milan Jovanovic
Famous for that hilarious video of his Reds best bits on YouTube, Milan Jovanovic turned up in the red half of Merseyside to a different manager to the one that signed him in 2010.
Roy Hodgson was hardly renowned for getting the best out of his players at Anfield and the Serbia midfielder is some example of that.
The balding winger is remembered at the Reds for the wrong reasons and 18 appearances after his signing he was shipped back to the league in which he tricked Rafa Benitez into thinking he was any good – the Belgian first division.
Christian Poulsen
Is that a picture of Dirk Kuyt?
No, if Christian Poulsen was even half as decent for Liverpool as the legendary Dutch frontman he wouldn’t be anywhere near this list.
Putting any ifs and buts aside, Roy Hodgson was probably right to identify the Dane’s quality, after all he is one of the rare few to have played in all five of Europe’s big five divisions, though by 2010 he was fast slowing down and his terrible only campaign in Anfield Road is best forgotten.
Tiago Ilori
All the big teams have done it; signing a youngster dubbed to be the next big thing in European, or even world football, only for them to flop massively.
Well, Tiago Ilori is the Reds’ anti-climactic starlet and they paid a fair amount of money for him in September 2013, a reported £7m for the then 20-year-old who would only ever represent the club three times.
Paul Konchesky
As you may have already noticed, the Reds made some stinkers of signings around the turn of the decade, but none of them quite as terrible as Paul Konchesky.
The left-back was Roy Hodgson’s main man at Fulham so he saw no reason why he couldn’t follow him to play the same role at Anfield, however, his spell was nothing short of a total disaster shrouded by his mum’s Facebook rant in which she branded Liverpool fans “scouse scum.”
Mario Balotelli
Sure Mario Balotelli’s mother never said anything bad about Kopites, but his football in Liverpool could hardly do the talking for him either.
The controversial character was alright at Manchester City and pretty impressive at the 2012 UEFA European Championships, however, Luis Suarez’s were big boots to fill at Anfield plus there was always the weight of his £15m+ price tag – he was set up to fail really and did.
Joe Cole
Liverpool’s decision to sign Joe Cole in the twilight of his career was a strange one and they got what they deserved for what was a poor bit of business.
The former England and Chelsea star may not have cost Roy Hodgson any actual money but his £130k-per-week salary was obscene for what the Reds actually got, a mere 42 matches, five goals and three assists, sub-standard for any attacking midfielder let alone Cole.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Mark Noble has sternly spoken about the mistakes West Ham United have been making in recent weeks, as reported by the club’s official channels.
What did he say?
West Ham are on a shocking run at the moment, having failed to win a single one of their last eight games in all competitions.
Mistakes have played a large part in this debacle, with Roberto being the main culprit, while Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena have also made telling errors in the last couple of weeks.
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Speaking to the club’s official channels, Noble has condemned the mistakes his teammates have been making: “I can give the same old clichéd, ‘Come on lads, we’ve got to do this’, rallying speech but the bottom line is that it is individual mistakes that are seriously hurting us.
“There was nothing in the game for more than half an hour last weekend until Spurs scored their first goal. Another followed quickly and it was an uphill battle from then on.
“Yes, we scored a couple of late goals to make the final scoreline 3-2 but the game was effectively ‘done’ by then and they had taken their foot off the gas.
“At the moment mistakes – individual errors – are ‘killing’ us. It’s hard enough winning points in the Premier League when everyone is playing at the top of their game, let alone a team which is lacking in confidence and making too many mistakes.”
Refreshing honesty
The bottom line is that the performances from West Ham have not been good enough during this run, so it is refreshing to see that Noble is calling his colleagues out.
Diop won’t be playing against Chelsea due to his suspension, but it will be interesting to see whether Roberto and Balbuena will be able to keep hold of their places considering how costly their errors have been.
Regardless of the current managerial situation, it is important that the team have leaders who are able to constructively call out their teammates in a way that should spur everyone on to produce better in a situation like this.
That is exactly what Noble has done, so the hope now will be that the players put in an improved performance against Chelsea.
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