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Harry Redknapp claims modern players are to blame for West Ham United’s failings, per the Daily Star.

The Hammers have been in inconsistent form this season and sit ninth in the Premier League table, having won two and lost two of their last four outings.

What’s he said?

Redknapp believes that there is a lack of “love” for the club among modern players.

Indeed, he claims he does not know “half the players there anymore”, before veering perilously close to dangerous territory by claiming the club is filled with “foreign imports”.

Asked about why West Ham have been flattering to deceive, he told the Star: “It’s hard to put your finger on it, I don’t know. It’s a difficult one, I don’t know who the characters are, who the leaders are at the football clubs. It’s a changing world.

“I’ll be honest I don’t even know half the players there anymore [at West Ham]. They seem to have lots of foreign imports in and then go.

“[Mark] Noble’s the only one I really find I can relate to there, he’s a West Ham boy through and through. He’s a massive part of the club.

“It’s a changing world, I look back all them years ago when everybody at West Ham came from within four or five miles of the ground. It’s all local boys, all love the club, want to play for the club.

“Now players tend to go and drift off. It seems every time we get a real player, we get [Dimitri] Payet, he comes and then suddenly he wants to leave.”

Proper football man

Redknapp is perhaps the last bastion of proper football men.

His claim that West Ham’s squad is filled with foreign players who care little about the club should give you some idea about which way he voted in the Brexit referendum of 2016.

This is an old-fashioned belief that has precious little tethering to reality.

Manchester City, for example, had four main English players last season: Kyle Walker, John Stones, Raheem Sterling and Fabian Delph.

There were, by comparison, the same amount of Brazilian players. City picked up 100 points.

West Ham are not expecting to do that, of course, but Redknapp is merely disguising a lack of research behind a nationalistic ideal that no longer holds up in 2019.

Quite frankly, he’s wrong.

عبر المدرب المساعد لنادي جولدن أروز الجنوب إفريقي، ماندلا نكازي، عن سعادته الشديدة بالخطوة الكبيرة التي اتخذها مواطنه، بيتسو موسيماني، من أجل تدريب النادي الأهلي.

ووقع موسيماني على عقد لمدة موسمين مع الأهلي قبل أيام ليخلف رينيه فايلر، الذي فضل عدم استكمال عقده مع الفريق بسبب ظروف أسرية.

اقرأ أيضًا | محمد الدماطي: اختيار موسيماني مدربًا لـ الأهلي؟.. انظروا إلى لامبارد وبيرلو ولا يوجد نجاح مضمون

واصطحب بيتسو معه من صن داونز مدرب اللياقة البدنية، كابيلو رانجواجا، بالإضافة إلى محلل الأداء، موسي ماتالابا، ثم استقر على اسم المدرب العام بعد اعتذار رولاني موكوينا الذي فضل البقاء في صن داونز بضم، كافين جونسون، للطاقم الفني.

وتحدث نكازي عن تدريب موسيماني لفريق الأهلي، وقال في حواره مع صحيفة “كيك أوف”: “متحمس للغاية لتفوق البشرة السمراء في عالم التدريب، ما يحدث لبيتسو هو انعكاس لمدى إيماننا بكرة القدم لدينا في جنوب إفريقيا”.

وأضاف في النهاية: “أرفع قبعتي له، لقد انضم إلى أكبر فريق في مصر ومن الواضح أن جنوب إفريقيا يمكنها إخراج المزيد من المدربين الآن، إنه إنجاز عظيم لنا”.

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James Ward-Prowse’s fantastic free-kick might not have been enough to take a point from Old Trafford earlier this month, but he followed that peach of a strike up with another against Spurs as Saints ran out shock 2-1 winners.

Scoring from a dead-ball situation with such consistency is no easy feat and, if the 24-year-old keeps banging them in from outside the box, then he could be set to smash a long-standing Southampton record.

St Mary’s legend Matt Le Tissier netted 12 free-kicks in his career on the south coast and, with four to the England man’s name already, the former striker thinks Ward-Prowse has the potential to smash his tally.

Here’s what the 50-year-old said:

“He [Ward-Prowse] definitely can [beat my record of 12 free-kicks], he’s so confident at the moment. It’s nice when you get a direct free-kick in a good position and you feel the excitement of the crowd, knowing it’s a great chance to score a goal.

“That’s the feeling I had at the peak of my career, feeling confident and the crowd sensing that. It gives you a real buzz and it’s the same now with Prowsey.

“It’s very much a confidence thing. Since Ralph [Hasenhuttl] took over he’s been outstanding. Certainly, in the last six to eight weeks he’s been man-of-the-match in most of the games I’ve watched him in.

“Ralph has obviously instilled a lot of belief in him and that makes a difference to a player.”

Indeed, the number 16 has been nothing short of sensational since Hasenhuttl took the helm in December, netting six goals in his last nine games, including three in his last three.

These stellar showings eventually paid off with Gareth Southgate calling on the local lad when injuries took their toll on the England squad for the upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers.

Having already won his first cap for the Three Lions, the 5-foot-8 midfielder will be hoping to get some more under his belt this month, although it’s in club competition where his chance to go down in the history books truly lies.

As Le Tissier says, confidence is clearly coursing through the free-kick wizard’s veins and he looks likely to score every time he’s stood over one.

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Having someone as deadly as he is from such situations is a massive boost to any team but particularly to one fighting relegation this season – Saints will need to take every opportunity they can if they are to get away from the drop zone as we near the end of the campaign and if Ward-Prowse continues to find the net he will a hero on the south coast.

With Hasenhuttl’s guidance, the 24-year-old could go on to become a club great and there is still a huge amount of room for development so we might not have even seen the best of ‘Prowsey’ yet.

[ad_pod ]BBC journalist Adam Blackmore has revealed via his official Twitter account that Southampton striker Michael Obafemi is back in training following a hamstring injury, but he won’t be available for the crucial Premier League clash against Cardiff City at St Mary’s this weekend.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 18-year-old looked as though he could be a key player under Ralph Hasenhuttl having featured against Manchester United and Huddersfield Town – scoring in the latter – but he then suffered a hamstring injury that has seen him miss their previous nine fixtures in all competitions.

Following an injury to Danny Ings that will keep the 26-year-old out for 2-3 weeks, as per southamptonfc.com, the Austrian manager really could do with having the Republic of Ireland international back available, but he will have to made do with Charlie Austin, Shane Long and Sam Gallagher against the Bluebirds.

When asked by a Saints fan if there was an update on the teenager, Blackmore replied: “Back in training but Saturday too soon”.

Have Southampton missed him?

They probably have, yes.

Obafemi showed the impact he can make in the win against Huddersfield with his pace and his finishing ability, and both traits are something that the south coast outfit have struggled with in recent weeks with the likes of Long and Austin not making the required contributions.

While Nathan Redmond has stepped up, Southampton and Hasenhuttl could really do with that extra threat in the attacking third for the upcoming Premier League games with Arsenal, Fulham and Manchester United, and Hasenhuttl will hope that he has the 18-year-old available again as soon as possible.

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After the opening hour on the second day of the Galle Test, Sri Lanka were 50 for 5 in their first innings, in response to New Zealand’s 221. Before the third day was done, the Test was finished, and Sri Lanka had won by ten wickets.”This is what winning Test matches is all about,” Mahela Jayawardene said after his team took a 1-0 lead in the series. “Winning tough moments and getting ourselves into a winning position under pressure.”It was a good Test match for the first two days. New Zealand fought really well with the new ball and put us under a lot of pressure. We managed to fight through that situation and get ourselves into a position where the first innings wouldn’t have mattered.”Through half-centuries from Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka bounced back from 50 for 5 and made 247, taking a slender first-innings lead. The Test had effectively become a one-innings contest.”We then had to play the last two innings well to win the Test match, and Rangana [Herath] and Nuwan [Kulasekara] bowled really well this morning to give us that opportunity,” Jayawardene said.New Zealand began the third day on 35 for 1 but collapsed against Kulasekara and Herath, who finished with 11 wickets in the match. They were dismissed for 118 and Sri Lanka’s openers achieved the target of 93 in the 19th over. Despite New Zealand’s capitulation, Jayawardene said they were “a fighting team”.”Their batsmen struggled purely because of some quality bowling,” he said. “Usually at Galle, the team that wins the toss and bats first holds the advantage and goes onto win the match. When we lost the toss, what we spoke about was to make sure that we kept the pressure on. The only thing we could do was to make sure we didn’t give them a good advantage after the first day.”Jayawardene said the Galle pitch was “a very good wicket, not one that will deteriorate much until the fourth and fifth day.””It still looked a very good wicket after the match,” Jayawardene said. “I thought Shaminda [Eranga] and Kule [Kulesekara] bowled really well up front, to take some early wickets and put their middle order under pressure, and Rangana came and bowled really well. When you lose the toss in these situations, you have to play safe and stay in control.”

By the end of the night, Matteo Guendouzi was the one who enjoyed the last laugh. The Frenchman was relentlessly booed by the Bournemouth crowd in Arsenal’s FA Cup fourth round clash, with his apparent theatrics and professional fouls drawing the ire.

His involvement in a touch-line altercation with Dan Gosling further incensed the home supporters, but to his credit, Guendouzi kept his composure, and helped inspire an impressive 2-1 victory for the Gunners.

As per Sofascore, he won a ridiculous 14 total duels, completed all five of his attempted dribbles, and made four tackles too. The former Lorient man also helped dictate the game for the north Londoners, enjoying 88 touches, and accurately delivering seven of his nine attempted long balls.

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And after seeing his tigerish performance, Arsenal fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the 20-year-old.

A couple of supporters of the north London side drew comparisons with former Arsenal players, with one fan referencing Patrick Vieira, and another comparing him to Cesc Fabregas.

Some fans discussed Guendouzi’s uncanny knack to find his way into the bad books of opposition supporters, with one supporter in particular claiming that the Frenchman would be more happy getting booed in an away game than scoring a hat-trick.

Whilst his impressive display may have come against a Bournemouth side who are currently languishing in 18th in the Premier League table, Guendouzi certainly showed Mikel Arteta what he is capable of.

Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka have appeared to be Arteta’s preferred choice in the two deep-lying midfield positions, with Guendouzi being an unused substitute on three occasions in the top-flight since the appointment of the new head coach.

Can you name all of these obscure Arsenal signings? Give it a go now!

But his statement-making performance against the Cherries on Monday night has given Arteta something to think about going forward.

Meanwhile, Arsenal fans have been left swooning over this attacker’s performance against Bournemouth.

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According to Sky Sports, Cardiff City are close to agreeing a club-record £18 million move for Nantes striker Emiliano Sala.

What’s the word?

The 28-year-old forward has been in fine form so far this season, racking up twelve goals and two assists in eighteen Ligue 1 appearances.

The Argentine would certainly be a brilliant addition to Neil Warnock’s squad, who lack an out and out goalscorer to lead the line effectively at Premier League level. Sala certainly has the potential to play that role for the Welsh outfit, and if he is able to translate his current form to English football, then he could fire Cardiff to top flight safety this season.

Check out Neymar’s controversial new haircut for 2019 and Xherdan Shaqiri as you’ve never seen him before in the video below…

However, before the Bluebirds can seal a deal for Sala’s signature, West Ham United ought to enter the race for his services.

Taking Arnautovic’s place

The Hammers are likely to lose Marko Arnautovic this month, as the Austrian has been linked with a £35 million switch to Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG, as reported by The Sun. The funds raised from the 29-year-old’s departure should be reinvested by Manuel Pellegrini into a replacement attacker.

Sala could take up Arnautovic’s position at the London Stadium. At 6’2”, Sala has a similar frame to Arnautovic’s, he also boasts plenty of physical strength and aerial prowess. He is also a lethal finisher and technically gifted enough to fit in with the likes of Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini.

As an affordable replacement for Arnautovic, Sala offers an excellent option for this January transfer window.

Tottenham supporters have been making a lot of noise in recent times after seeing their team make it four Premier League victories in a row at the weekend.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men went into their clash with London rivals West Ham on Saturday off the back of wins over Brighton, Huddersfield Town, and Cardiff City in their preceding three league games, and thus full of confidence ahead of their trip to the London Stadium. And the North Londoners emerged victorious from a tight encounter with Erik Lamela’s effort just before half time sealing a 1-0 win for Spurs, thus moving them up to fourth place in the Premier League table.

As such, there have been many delighted Tottenham fans up and down the country in recent times, several of whom have been heaping praise on goal-scorer and thus matchwinner Lamela, who has really proven his worth to Pochettino in the early phase of the season.

The Argentine bagged his fifth goal of the campaign in victory on Saturday, and while he has thus earned many plaudits for his exploits at the London Stadium, it was the display of Moussa Sissoko, who provided the assist for the winger’s header, which has gone unnoticed by many.

The France international has hardly enjoyed the best of times at Tottenham since his move from Newcastle United back in 2016, with just 87 appearances to his name, yet he was given the nod for the second successive time in the Premier League by Pochettino on Saturday, and he certainly repaid his manager’s faith with a mightily impressive display.

Not only was it his excellent delivery from the right which enabled Lamela to guide his header past Hammers goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, but Sissoko produced a brilliant all-round display in having 75 touches of the ball, only two players had more, while his 94% pass success rate underlined that he was efficient with the ball and sought to get Spurs moving up the field.

In fact, none of the Tottenham starters recorded a higher pass success rate than the 29-year-old, while no one successfully completed more dribbles than the Frenchman as well with four over the course of the 90 minutes, the same tally as matchwinner Lamela – clearly, Sissoko’s renewed confidence prompted a much-improved display.

Ultimately, the France international has endured a tough time since his move to Spurs two years ago, and good performances have been few and far between – yet Saturday’s was up there as one of his best in a Tottenham shirt.

And while in-form Lamela deserves plaudits for grabbing what turned out to be the winner, it was Sissoko’s pinpoint delivery from which he netted, while the Frenchman also carried a huge threat throughout his 89 minutes on the pitch to suggest that the £16.2 million-rated star (as per Transfermarkt) was their unsung hero at the London Stadium.

Tottenham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Manchester City surely remain favourites to lift the Premier League title next season.

Pep Guardiola’s side cruised to the trophy last season, finishing 19 points ahead of rivals Manchester United in second. City became the first side to break 100 points in the Premier League and also lifted the Carabao Cup. The Spaniard is aiming to become the first manager since 2009 to retain the Premier League title.

The former Barcelona boss is still adding to his squad despite the abundance of talent on offer at the Etihad. City moved quickly to secure the services of Riyad Mahrez, who made his debut in pre-season defeat against Borussia Dortmund, to strengthen his forward line. Guardiola also aimed to sign Jorginho who instead moved to Chelsea.

Instead, Guardiola should attempt to reunite with Bayern Munich maestro – Thiago Alcantara. Valued at £54m by Transfermarkt, the Spaniard has been linked with an exit after starting just 12 games in the Bundesliga last year. Despite Bayern’s insistence he won’t be sold, the arrival of Leon Goretzka from Schalke threatens his place in the line up even more.

Guardiola is a huge fan of the La Masia graduate and prioritised his signing during his time in Germany. He would slot seamlessly into the system in Manchester and would be an excellent long-term replacement for David Silva in the City midfield. At just 27-years-old, his best years are still to come.

Thiago’s arrival would lessen the creative burden on Kevin De Bruyne’s shoulders and add a world-class option in the engine room. Should the opportunity arise, Guardiola must not turn down the chance to work with Thiago again.

Manchester City fans, thoughts?

Earlier this week, The Sunderland Echo reported on Sunderland’s interest in Aston Villa striker Ross McCormack, with talks between the two clubs said to be ongoing.

At Championship level, the Scotland international can be a fantastic asset, boasting 119 goals in the second tier throughout spells with Cardiff City, Leeds United, Fulham and the Villans.

But it’s incredibly curious that McCormack has never managed to fire any of his sides to the top flight and now on the cusp of his 31st birthday, he may never conquer that challenge.

Likewise, last season showed the other side to McCormack; a dispute with Steve Bruce at Villa Park leading to an unsuccessful loan spell with Nottingham Forest.

Nonetheless, Sunderland need more firepower if they’re to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, so we asked Black Cats supporters earlier this week whether they’d back a swoop for the 13-cap international.

And according to our poll, the majority of Sunderland fans would, with 74% voting in McCormack’s favour. It remains unknown how much Sunderland would pay for McCormack or even if he’d join in a permanent transfer, but Transfermarkt value the Villa misfit at £8.1million.