West Ham United will look to bounce back from their 4-1 home defeat to Manchester City when they visit Leicester City in the Premier League this weekend.
The Hammers are currently 15th in the Premier League table – just three points clear of the bottom three.
Defeat to Leicester this weekend would leave David Moyes’ side extremely vulnerable ahead of their home match against Manchester United next week.
The West Ham fans have been discussing their preferred team for the clash with Leicester, and it would be fair to say that they want Moyes to make changes from the City clash.
Indeed, Josh Cullen is wanted as a midfield starter, with Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate dropping to the bench following their struggles at the weekend.
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The supporters also want Javier Hernandez to come into the XI despite suggestions that the Mexican has already decided to leave the club at the end of the season.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
The weekend was an emotional one for all those connected to Arsenal as the club played their final home game under the management of Arsene Wenger.The Frenchman will leave his role at the club this summer following a two-decade tenure, which included three Premier League title wins and seven FA Cup triumphs.The 68-year-old divided fans during the latter stages of his career, mainly due to the club’s failure to sustain a serious title challenge.All of the hatred has been out aside for the time being, though, as the Gunners bid farewell to their long-standing coach.[ad_pod ]Mohamed Elneny, who signed for Arsenal from Basel in 2016, was one of many players who paid tribute to Wenger and his success.On Saturday, the team gave their esteemed coach a guard of honour and marked the day fittingly with a 5-0 romp over Burnley.On Twitter, Elneny, who has impressed fans this season, posted his own tribute to Wenger on Twitter.
Arsenal fans reacted emotionally to the midfielder’s post.
Derby County hold a slender 1-0 advantage going into the second leg of their Championship play-off semi-final tie against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday night, and it remains to be seen whether manager Gary Rowett will choose to make changes to the XI that won on Friday night.
Cameron Jerome’s first-half header proved to be the difference between the two sides at the Pride Park Stadium, but the Rams may need a slightly different approach in west London to try and stop a rampant Cottagers attack who scored 79 goals in 46 league games this season.
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Matej Vydra lined up in something of an unfamiliar left wing-back role against Slavisa Jokanovic’s men, and he struggled to make too much of an impact there before he was replaced by Ikechi Anya in the 68th minute.
The Scot would certainly be a slightly more defensive selection in that position at the Cottage, and we decided to ask Derby fans to vote on our poll to see whether they would want to see Vydra dropped against Fulham, but 57% of said they wouldn’t.
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Those supporters obviously feel that the Czech Republic international still has a big part to play in this tie, as Rowett’s men look to reach the final held at Wembley later this month.
Divock Origi’s Liverpool career has been non-existent for the past few seasons as he has struggled to make it into the first team.
The Belgian international signed for the Merseyside outfit from Lille in 2014, but did not join up with the squad permanently until the following year.
Origi had chances to prove himself under former manager Brendan Rodgers at Anfield, but when Jurgen Klopp took over in October 2015, the opportunities began to dwindle.
With Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane lighting up the attack, the striker was sent on loan to Wolfsburg at the start of the season.
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The 23-year-old has had more joy in Germany, starting 22 Bundesliga matches and coming off the bench in a further nine.
During that time, Origi, who is valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, scored six goals and created two assists.
In Thursday night’s relegation playoff, the forward helped Wolfsburg to a 3-1 victory over Kiel by scoring and then setting up another.
Liverpool fans were particularly impressed with Origi’s skill when he held off two defenders before delivering a delightful through-ball Yunis Malli, who netted Wolfsburg’s third on the night.
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Manchester United have cooled their interest in Tottenham and England international left-back Danny Rose, according to the Sun.
What’s the story, then?
The report in the Sun claims that United, along with bitter rivals Manchester City have gone cold on the trail of the man who will travel to the World Cup this summer as part of Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
It goes on to say that could allow Everton to steal a march in the race for a man they claim the Toffees are prepared to pay £40m for this summer.
The report also claims that Juventus’ Alex Sandro, 27, is the left-back on the top of Mourinho’s summer shopping list, meaning Rose has slipped down the pecking order.
Rose showed a poor attitude
Rose threw Tottenham’s pre-season preparations into jeopardy with a bizarre rant about signings and investment in North London on the eve of the new campaign, which showed a selfishness that would not go down well with Mourinho.
He brazenly attempted to flirt with the Manchester clubs on that occasion and failed to rediscover the form that had made him an England regular, losing his spot to Ben Davies for the majority of the season.
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Inconsistent form and speaking out of turn that will not wash with the hardline Portuguese gaffer – in truth, it wouldn’t go down well with United fans either – and that is why Mourinho may be wise to give Rose the swerve in this transfer window.
According to Italian media outlet Calciomercato, Southampton striker Manolo Gabbiadini is likely to leave the club and return to Serie A this summer, with a report by La Gazzetta dello Sport, via Calciomercato, saying that he would cost in the region of €15m (around £13m) this summer.
While it would be no surprise to see the Italy international depart St Mary’s in some ways given that he found first-team starts hard to come by during the 2017/18 campaign under Mauricio Pellegrino and then Mark Hughes, in others it would be confusing after he hinted previously that he would be keen to stay in the Premier League after helping Saints, who face a huge battle to sign an attacker who was once a £170,000-a-week Manchester United target, preserve their top flight status with a crucial winning goal against fellow strugglers Swansea City last month.
So, how would cashing in on the Italian truly impact Saints? Football FanCast take a look at the potential consequences of a summer sale of the 26-year-old…
Club regrets
If Southampton do end up cashing in on Gabbiadini this summer they will surely always be left thinking, what if?
The 26-year-old made a huge impact when he first joined the club in January 2017 – and was unfortunate not to score a hat-trick for them in the League Cup final defeat against Manchester United – but there is surely a feeling that they haven’t seen or got the best out of a player with such clever movement and natural finishing ability.
The Italian joined the south coast outfit at a time when they have been less attacking and lacked quality in the final third than in previous seasons, and the Saints board will know that things could have been very different.
Quincy Promes finally signs
Southampton didn’t meet Spartak Moscow’s price tag for the highly-rated Netherlands international at the end of the January transfer window, and it remains to be seen whether they will return to sign the 26-year-old this summer.
It would certainly make sense given they only scored 37 goals in their 38 Premier League matches as they narrowly avoided the drop however, with the winger scoring 21 goals and providing a further 10 assists in the same number of games for the Russian club in the 2017/18 campaign.
The extra money they get from selling Gabbiadini could be enough for them to meet Spartak’s asking price for the attacker, who would surely be a big success at St Mary’s and in the English top flight in general.
Sam Gallagher gets his chance
The big centre-forward is still only 22 years of age, but having made his first-team debut for Southampton when Mauricio Pochettino was still in charge at St Mary’s, he will have been disappointed that he hasn’t kicked on since then.
The striker returns to the south coast this summer following a largely successful season-long loan spell with Championship club Birmingham City – for whom he scored seven goals in 34 appearances in all competitions – last term, and he will hope to stake his claim for a spot in the starting XI under Mark Hughes.
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Gabbiadini leaving would certainly help him that respect as it would be one less player to get ahead of in the pecking order, and with Guido Carrillo also frozen out by Hughes at the end of the 2017/18 campaign he may find himself directly competing with the likes of Charlie Austin and Shane Long.
So, Southampton fans, should your club sell Gabbiadini? Let us know by voting below…
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According to reports from The Daily Mail, Antoine Griezmann’s decision to sign a new contract with Atletico Madrid could soon result in Barcelona swooping for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen. Griezmann and the Danish playmaker are no means like-for-like players, but the theory is that the Nou Camp giants will now look to strengthen their midfield options instead with Eriksen and Bayern Munich’s Thiago Alcantara ‘under consideration’.
Tottenham would, of course, be incredibly reluctant to let the 78-cap international leave. Since arriving from Ajax, Eriksen’s established himself as a key part of Tottenham’s midfield and certainly during the course of last season, he appeared to really embrace the responsibility of being such an important player for Mauricio Pochettino.
But could there be unforeseen positives to letting Eriksen leave for Barcelona? We look at the potential consequences, both good and bad, of a deal taking place this summer…
Andre Gomes moves the other way
Soccer Football – Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg – FC Barcelona vs Chelsea – Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain – March 14, 2018 Barcelona’s Andre Gomes in action with Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta REUTERS/Albert Gea
Tottenham were linked with Andre Gomes back in April as a potential replacement for Mousa Dembele and the Belgium international’s future is still yet to be resolved with his current terms due to expire at the end of next season. The Portuguese midfielder has endured a difficult spell at the Nou Camp, even enduring jeers from his own fans, but he’s a talented playmaker and even if he can’t match Dembele’s physicality, he should give Tottenham a similar control of possession from deep midfield.
In some ways though, signing Gomes in return doesn’t really solve the biggest problem with Eriksen leaving this summer. More of a central midfielder by nature, he’s not exactly a like-for-like replacement – so some quality will be taken away from Tottenham’s attacking midfield berth.
Tottenham’s midfield loses its precision
Soccer Football – Premier League – Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur – Anfield, Liverpool, Britain – February 4, 2018 Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino celebrates with Christian Eriksen after the match Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Pl
The greatest gift Eriksen gives to this Tottenham side is undoubtedly his vision and precision with the ball. He’s the one player the Lilywhites turn to for that killer pass splitting the opposition defence or a thunderous strike from long range. There’s plenty of talent elsewhere in this Tottenham team and in the transfer market, but that aspect of Eriksen’s game is incredibly difficult to replace – there are few players in world football who can match him in terms of passing and shooting technique.
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That inevitably takes something away from this Tottenham team – Eriksen was the hub of culture the rest of the attack played around. But it also gives Pochettino a chance to change the emphasis of this side and address arguably it’s biggest offensive flaw, which brings us onto…
Moura gets his chance to shine
Soccer Football – Premier League – Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United – Wembley Stadium, London, Britain – January 31, 2018 Tottenham’s Lucas Moura is presented to the fans on the pitch at half time Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications
One of the key motivations for signing Lucas Moura in January laid in his ability to jink his way through opposition defences, which has been a real problem for Tottenham in recent seasons. While Dele Alli can arrive late in the box to score, Son Heung-min can stretch defences with pace and Eriksen can pick out the pair’s runs, Spurs’ attack under Pochettino has always seemed to lack that player capable of breaking through opposition defences with mazy dribbles. Tellingly, their most prolific forward for dribbles in the Premier League last season was Son with just 1.6 per match – whereas the highest rate in the whole division was Eden Hazard with 4.9.
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Moura though, arrests that problem and Eirksen’s departure will open up an obvious space in the team for him. His Spurs career thus far has mostly consisted of bench outings and cup games, purely because Tottenham’s attacking midfield berth is so competitive, but Eriksen will leave a big gap behind that the Brazilian can fill, bringing something a little different to the team.
So, Spurs fans, should your club cash on Eriksen this summer? Let us know by voting below…
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Trent Alexander-Arnold burst onto the scene last season as he made the right-back spot his own towards the end of Liverpool’s campaign.
The 19-year-old held his own in Champions League knockout matches against Manchester City, Roma and in the final against Real Madrid.
The Liverpool-born player’s form earned him a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the World Cup in Russia.
As for Nathaniel Clyne, it has been a different story as the 27-year-old spent the majority of the season on the sidelines with injury.
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In fact, the England right-back made just five appearances in all competitions and just two of those were Premier League starts.
In an interview with Goal.com, Clyne spoke of his desire to hit the ground running this season and make up for lost time.
If he impresses Jurgen Klopp then he could end up winning back his spot in the first XI, which could negatively affect Alexander-Arnold.
However, at times last season, the manager used the attack-minded full-back as a winger, so perhaps that indicates that the youngster’s future is further up the pitch.
Liverpool fans have been debating the situation on Reddit.
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Tottenham Hotspur were impressed by Ante Rebic’s performance in Croatia’s 3-0 World Cup win over Argentina and are lining up a bid, according to Bild, via the Express.
What’s the story, then?
Rebic hit the opener as Croatia stunned their South American opponents to top Group D and the report claims that has put him on Spurs’ radar as they look to make a renewed title bid next season.
The wideman currently plays his club football for Eintracht Frankfurt and the report says that the German outfit would sell for a fee of £26.3m, although World Cups have a habit of driving up transfer fees.
Danny Rose, Toby Alderweireld, Mousa Dembele and Moussa Sissoko are all players named in the report as potential departures from North London this summer, and the report suggests that the funds from their sales could, in part, buy Rebic.
Rebic didn’t actually do much vs Argentina
There is no doubting that Rebic took his goal exceptionally well but it was presented by a goalkeeping error from Willy Caballero, of Spurs’ London rivals Chelsea.
Aside from the goal, the winger was a peripheral figure in the match, struggling badly to get involved in general play, despite facing an Argentine defence which was shambolic in its organisation and approach to dealing with the Croatian frontline.
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That lack of involvement has to be a worry for Pochettino, especially given the dangers that have been encountered many times in the past with buying players solely on the back of a World Cup.
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Luke Ronchi blasted a half-century that delivered the second loss in four days for Victoria
Cricinfo staff05-Dec-2009Western Australia 5 for 279 (Voges 64, M Marsh 60, Ronchi 57*) beat Victoria 8 for 277 (White 60, McDonald 52) by 5 wickets
ScorecardLuke Ronchi arrived late to drive Western Australia home•Getty Images
Luke Ronchi blasted a half-century that delivered the second loss in four days for Victoria. After being defeated by Queensland on Wednesday, the Bushrangers went down in the final over in Bunbury when Ronchi lifted Darren Pattinson for six to long-on to take the hosts to a five-wicket triumph.The result was in doubt until Ronchi arrived to muscle his way to 57 from 35 deliveries, finishing the contest with three balls remaining. Adam Voges, with 64, and Mitchell Marsh (60) had set the platform before Ronchi arrived to make sure of the win that puts them back to third on the table.Cameron White’s 60 and Andrew McDonald’s 52 set up Victoria’s total after most of their main batsmen contributed. McDonald opened and gave his side a strong start, following Chris Rogers’ departure in the eighth over, with a run-a-ball half-century before Brad Hodge (42) and David Hussey (36) chipped in.The Bushrangers were guided through the second half by White, who had three sixes in his 80-ball occupation, and a late push came from Matthew Wade’s 19 from 10 deliveries. Ashley Noffke led the hosts with 3 for 43 on his return from an ankle problem while Brad Knowles was rewarded with two wickets.