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West Ham are suffering from inconsistency once again this season but it is a problem that could have been avoided with astute recruitment over the summer.

The addition of Sebastien Haller looks to be paying off already with the striker scoring four goals in eight league games, but there is a lack of strength in depth as a result of big spending on the German and Pablo Fornals, particularly in midfield.

West Ham were very dependent on Declan Rice and Mark Noble last term with Carlos Sanchez and Jack Wilshere missing for long spells, yet Pellegrini didn’t address the issue, and that has led to fan concern.

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As a result, there is a lack of competition for places in the middle of the park, and though Wilshere is fit and pushing for a place currently, his history dictates that he is not a player who can be relied upon.

That suggests a lack of long-term planning at the club, with the likes of Sanchez and Noble not getting any younger, but it could also have a negative effect this year, with a lack of effective options to come in to replace the first-choice midfielders should they experience a drop in form.

With that in mind, we asked our writers whether West Ham made a mistake by not strengthening their midfield in the transfer window. Here’s what they said.

Matt Dawson

“West Ham’s great start has been undone in rather remarkable fashion. From teetering on the edge of the top four to suffering a defeat against a far from competent Everton, Manuel Pellegrini’s men are struggling. Having signed Haller there is undoubted quality in attack but if there was one area you could criticise about the Hammers it would be their midfield.

“Pellegrini made a monumental mistake in not sufficiently strengthening that area of the pitch over the summer and even Pablo Fornals has found life a struggle. He was woeful versus the Toffees and his three unsuccessful touches tell a sorry story.

“I’d like to say Jack Wilshere could be a solution but he’s quite frankly far too injury prone to be relied upon. Mark Noble is getting on and beyond those options, they look stretched. They have Declan Rice among their ranks but rarely is he given too much support. January will be a pivotal time for them and if they’re not already out of the race already, failing to bolster their midfield ranks could have a big impact on their European ambitions.”

Vijievan Jeevathayalan

“When you look at the attacking midfield three that Manuel Pellegrini likes to employ behind Sebastien Haller, West Ham appear to have an abundance of riches. The Hammers have the likes of Andriy Yarmolenko, Felipe Anderson, Manuel Lanzini, Pablo Fornals, Robert Snodgrass and even Michail Antonio desperate to play in those offensive roles.

“The real problem however for the London side, is their lack of real quality from their deeper-lying midfield two. Both Declan Rice and Mark Noble offer defensive discipline and a tigerish attitude – they average 3.4 tackles and 1.1 tackles per game respectively. But are the duo capable of playing those incisive passes into the front players and breaking the lines?

“Pellegrini’s side desperately need creativity from further back, as evidenced by their 11 goals in nine league games, and it was a glaring error to not have signed someone who could dictate the tempo.”

Billy Meyers

“I think that the Hammers should definitely have looked to strengthen this area.

“I’m not sure if they got too excited in trying to make big-money additions such as Sebastien Haller and Pablo Fornals, but there were definitely players out there who they could’ve signed to sort the issue without breaking the bank – Crystal Palace reportedly got James McCarthy for under £1m, and he would’ve been a useful player for Manuel Pellegrini.

“Carlos Sanchez is getting on a bit at 33 years of age, and can’t seem to stay fit, whereas Mark Noble definitely needs to be replaced in a few years. I would be surprised if this area is one that doesn’t get looked at in January.”

Kealan Hughes

“It is surprising that Pellegrini didn’t add a centre-midfielder over the summer considering the lack of options he had last season.

“To make matters worse it is not a priority for him in January if reports are to believed, which suggests he must have a lot of faith in Rice and Noble.

“If he can get the attacking midfielders playing at the top of their game it shouldn’t be too much of a problem, but he is currently failing to do that and fans are disappointed with Manuel Lanzini and Felipe Anderson recently, which has contributed to poor results.”

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You wouldn’t necessarily know it looking at some of the reaction in recent weeks, but Arsenal have actually gone unbeaten in September.

They started with back-to-back 2-2 draws against Tottenham and Watford, before winning their next three games against Aston Villa, Eintracht Frankfurt and Nottingham Forest. The last two, in particular, were emphatic. In those two fixtures, the Gunners won 3-0 and 5-0 respectively.

Calum Chambers played a part in all three of the victories and has impressed at right-back. He has picked up a goal and three assists across those games.

His performances have led to him being named in Arsenal’s Player of the Month competition, and the club’s supporters have been voting in their droves. It seems as though the former Southampton man is a popular choice for the award too.

There have been a lot of comments on the Emirates outfit’s official Twitter page. You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform.

There’s a first for everything, and at Barcelona, fans gushing over Ernesto Valverde’s tactics and praising their manager is definitely a rare sight.

The Blaugrana coach is often under attack from many fans, who simply don’t want him at the club and are making their voices heard almost on a daily basis.

Indeed, Barca are currently fourth in La Liga, having won four, drawn one and lost two of their opening seven games. They are two points behind leaders Real Madrid.

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But every manager and every player usually has both supporters and haters, such is the way of football.

Still, Valverde will be very happy to see that, for once, he has many Barcelona fans on his side, praising him for his tactics and supporting his work following their 2-1 win over Inter Milan.

The Blaugrana manager made the right call by subbing in Arturo Vidal in the second half. The Chilean replaced Sergio Busquets and then assisted his side’s equaliser.

In many ways, that was the turning point of the match and it was all due to Valverde’s bold decision to take off a key player for a rather impactful sub.

After the clash, many of the fans were satisfied with those decisions and they made sure to post messages and replies on social media and Twitter.

You can see some of their comments down in the tweets below:

Wolves midfielder Romain Saiss has emerged as an injury doubt for his team’s Premier League clash against Chelsea on Saturday.

Birmingham Live reported that the 29-year-old withdrew from international duty with Morocco through injury, although no clarification was given as to the type of knock he has received.

Birmingham Live noted that the midfielder was not in his national team’s squad for their 1-1 draw against Burkina Faso on Friday and could also miss their clash against Niger this evening.

Saiss featured in all six of Wolves’ Europa League qualifying matches and started the last four, being given the full 90 minutes in each. [via TransferMarkt.co.uk]

However, game time in the Premier League has been harder to come by for the midfielder, with only one start and one substitute appearance encompassing 68 minutes of action. [via TransferMarkt.co.uk]

Fellow defensive midfielder Leander Dendoncker has started three of Wolves’ four league games so far this season and recovered from a knock he picked up on international duty with Belgium to take his place in the starting line-up for last night’s 4-0 win away to Scotland in Euro 2020 qualifying.

Saiss also had fewer Premier League starts than Dendoncker last season, with only 12 for the Morocco man compared to 17 for the Belgium international.

Saiss was one of Wolves’ most reliable ball winners in the air in 2018/19, with 3.2 successful aerial duels per game the highest in the squad when defenders are excluded. Dendoncker, who like Saiss is 6 ft 3 (1.88m), won 2.9 aerial duels per game. [via WhoScored.com]

The Morocco man recorded more interceptions per game last season than Dendoncker, with 1.4 to 1.2, but the Belgium midfielder won 2.8 tackles per game to Saiss’ 2.1. By way of comparison, Ruben Neves averaged 2.1 tackles and interceptions per game from defensive midfield, having made 34 Premier League starts in 2018/19. [via WhoScored.com]

In terms of using the ball, Dendoncker also comes out on top over Saiss for multiple metrics, with a better passing accuracy rate (79.4% to 77.1%) and more key passes per game (0.4 to 0.2). while both players scored twice for Wolves last season and once so far this term. [via WhoScored.com]

Statistically, Saiss is not far behind Dendoncker for several key metrics, but the Belgium man appears to have the upper hand on his defensive midfield colleague across the board.

Dendoncker’s recovery from his knock last week leaves him in line to start again on Saturday, even if Saiss manages to shake off the injury that curtailed his involvement for Morocco during the current international break.

However, if the 29-year-old is still out of action by Saturday, that would deprive Nuno Espirito Santo of one committed, ball-winning defensive midfield option for the visit of Chelsea to Molineux.

Wolves fans, how damaging would Saiss’ possible absence be if he fails to recover for the Chelsea game? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!

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Simon Mignolet has told The Daily Mail that he was frustrated in his final year at Liverpool due to a lack of game time, but fans have shown little sympathy for the goalkeeper.

The Belgian had been number one before Jurgen Klopp’s arrival, before losing his place to Loris Karius prior to the arrival of Alisson, who featured in all but two of Liverpool’s games in 2018/19.

Despite having two years remaining on his contract, Mignolet said he was desperate to depart this summer, revealing that his patience with his manager had run out due to “giving everything”  but receiving “nothing in return.”

It is a natural response from a player who spent a year on the sidelines when he could have featured regularly for another side, but Liverpool fans aren’t ready to show too much empathy despite him making 204 appearances for the club, as they believe he would have played more if he was good enough.

The former Sunderland player joined Club Brugge over the summer for a reported £6.4m, and he has since kept six clean sheets in nine matches for his new team.

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Here is some of the reaction from Liverpool fans to Mignolet’s revelation.

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According to The Birmingham Mail, Aston Villa’s January window is far from over and the Midlands club will look to bring in three new faces before the end of the month. Newcastle’s Isaac Hayden is a target, while Chelsea’s Gary Cahill and Bournemouth’s Tyrone Mings are also on the radar – the latter duo could transform the Villans defence if Dean Smith can get them in.

On the chalkboard

The Birmingham Mail reports that the trio, who are all being targeted with the aim of establishing defensive security at Villa Park, will be moving to the Midlands if Smith gets his way, with Birkir Bjarnason also being allowed to leave should a suitable offer come in.

Villa lost out to Bournemouth in the battle for Brentford centre-back Chris Mepham’s signature earlier this month – the Welshman opted for the Cherries instead – but have identified other targets as they look to plug a defence that has leaked 46 goals already this campaign.

If they can get Mings and Cahill in, we could be seeing a completely new look come February and the Villans may finally start racking up the clean sheets.

How do they change the defence?

Villa have been lacking a leader in the backline since John Terry retired at the end of last season having guided them to a play-off final – the Chelsea legend’s presence has been sorely missed at the heart of defence – but the signing of old friend Cahill would help regiment the team immediately.

The 33-year-old might not fit the bill at Stamford Bridge, most likely due to a lack of technical ability, but he is arguably the best defender in the ranks in terms of clearing his lines and getting his body in the way – Villa simply need to do both of those more often and it’s clear to see how he would make a huge impact.

Mings, meanwhile, gives Smith the interesting option of switching to a five-at-the-back formation – the 6-foot-5 defender can play at both left-back and centre-back – and doing so could mean the ball hits the back of the Villa net much less frequently.

If Villa want to push for promotion via the coveted play-off spots, they need to sharpen up at the back – Tammy Abraham can’t fire them to glory if they let in as many goals at the other end – and maybe straying away from the 4-2-3-1 in favour of a 5-4-1, for instance, is the way forward.

However, this only seems possible if Cahill and Mings, in particular, are brought on board; the clock is ticking at Villa Park.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video above…

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Alex Iwobi has made a good start to life at Everton since making his transfer deadline day move to Goodison Park.

In his first three games for the Toffees, he has already scored two goals, which represents a third of his highest-season total of six achieved last year.

How do football vloggers afford to watch their team week in, week out? Find out in the video below…

Former Arsenal striker Nwankwo Kanu has been talking about the switch, and he clearly feels that the Gunners made a mistake in letting the Nigeria international move on to pastures new.

He has said he “couldn’t believe” that the deal went ahead in an interview with Goal.com.

Unsurprisingly, the Gunners fans have been reacting to the comments, and they appear to be torn.

Some have agreed with the 43-year-old that they should have held on to the winger, while others seem happy with the transfer.

They have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

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Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a fresh setback in their bid to bring John Souttar to Ibrox in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, which relayed a claim made by Hearts manager Robbie Neilson stating that it would take a “crazy bid” for his club to part ways with the centre-back this month.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side recently won the race to sign the 25-year-old on a pre-contract deal, beating the likes of Sheffield United and Blackburn to the defender’s signature for a free transfer at the end of the season, although it is reported that Ross Wilson is now weighing up an offer to bring the Scotland international to Glasgow in the current window.

However, in a recent statement, Hearts backed up their manager’s claim that they are firmly against letting Souttar leave Tynecastle in January, with the club announcing: “The club reiterates that John is an important member of the squad and will remain so until the end of the season unless a significant and satisfactory offer is made during the January transfer window.”

Van Bronckhorst will be fuming

Considering just how impressive Souttar has been for Hearts so far this season, in addition to the fact that Van Bronckhorst is currently experiencing issues in the heart of his defence – with Leon Balogun and Filip Helander out injured and Connor Goldson being free to discuss a move away from the club – the news that the Jam Tarts look set to play hardball over sanctioning the 25-year-old’s departure this month with have left the Dutchman fuming.

Indeed, over his 18 Premiership appearances in the current campaign, the £900k-rated defender has been in remarkable form, helping his side to keep five clean sheets, scoring three goals and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 1.1 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

The £3.1k-per-week centre-back has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making 1.5 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 4.4 clearances and 44.9 passes and winning 71% of his duels per match.

These returns have seen the Scotland defender average an astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.43, not only ranking him as Neilson’s best performer in the league, but also as the fifth-best player in the entire division.

As such, it is clear to see that bringing Souttar to Ibrox this month would undoubtedly provide Rangers’ chances of going on to secure a second Premiership title in two years with a considerable boost.

However, following the latest update from Tynecastle, it would appear as if Wilson has a lot of work to do if he is to get a deal over the line for the 25-year-old in the current window, while missing out on the centre-back in January would certainly come as a blow to Van Bronckhorst and his side.

In other news – Negotiations ongoing: Report delivers huge update on Rangers dud which will delight fans

An update has emerged on Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele, regarding Newcastle United’s interest in his services…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope and Simon Jones, the Magpies are discussing a potential deal to sign the forward before the end of the current window.

His contract at the Camp Nou expires in the summer and the Toon could snap him up now to hand Barcelona the chance to cash in on him before it is too late.

Shades of Ben Arfa & Ronaldo

Newcastle could find Hatem Ben Arfa 2.0 in Dembele as they are both players who love to dribble with the ball and take defenders out of the game with their fancy footwork and tricks.

The ex-Magpies attacker, who currently plays for Lille, has a career average of 4.1 key passes and dribbles per game and this shows his willingness to cause chaos in the final third with his dribbling and passing.

Dembele, meanwhile, has a career average of 4.0 in the same statistics. This shows that they have a similar play style and both produce moments of magic in matches for the fans to enjoy. Thus, the Newcastle supporters would surely love to see another left-footed Frenchman dribbling past players in the Premier League, even if they already have the right-footed Allan Saint-Maximin to enjoy.

Rennes sporting director Mikael Silvestre once compared him to a young version of a current Premier League attacker. He said: “I saw Cristiano Ronaldo arrive at the same age at Manchester United, and Ousmane has the same characteristics, which remind me of a young Cristiano.”

Barcelona legend and current PSG forward Lionel Messi also previously praised the winger, saying:

“On the pitch (Dembele) is a phenomenon and it depends on him (how good he becomes). He has all the opportunity in the world to do what he wants. He can be one of the best.

“On the other hand, he’s a young guy who is adapting to the city and the club. The less you speak about it, the better. It’s necessary to leave him so he can be calm.”

The £27m-rated gem has 31 goals and 23 assists in 129 matches for Barcelona, showing that he is capable of delivering in the final third at the top level. Couple this with his Ben Arfa and Ronaldo-like ability to create chances and beat opposition defenders with trickery and you have the makings of what could be an excellent signing for Newcastle.

AND in other news, Howe could find his own “Vidic” as NUFC plot move for £32m “extraordinary” colossus…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left buzzing over some transfer news on Jack Simpson.

As per The Daily Record, the Ibrox faithful could let him leave on loan once the January transfer window opens, with a number of clubs in the English Championship thought to be interested in his signature.

Simpson has barely featured at all over the past two seasons for the Teddy Bears, with just four games played in total over all competitions so far this term (central defenders that they have at their disposal, it may be a wise idea just to get him off of the wage bill.

Moreover, some of his performances this campaign have been far from flattering, and so an exit could be best for all parties.

Nonetheless, the money gained could then be used to help fund other signings for other priority positions in the winter market.

Rangers fans on Simpson transfer news

These supporters of the Light Blues were left buzzing as the transfer news on Simpson was shared across Twitter:

“I’ll drive him down south myself – Stevie G’s biggest mistake.”

Credit: @BobMacCallum1

“I’ll pay for him to leave”

Credit: @morvenatkinson9

“I’ll lock him in my boot and drive him.”

Credit: @Baldy_Barisic

“Happy Thursday x”

Credit: @paula2561

“Happy New Year”

Credit: @johnnywasajunky

“Start the engine”

Credit: @kennygrfc

In other news, find out what club update has Gers buzzing here!