West Ham fans want Pellegrini out after Wolves horror show

Loads of West Ham fans have been giving their verdict on the 1-0 defeat to Wolves, and they’re already starting to lose patience with Manuel Pellegrini.

It’s not the type of record he would have wanted to break, but Pellergini is now the first West Ham manager to lose his first four Premier League games since Avram Grant.

The Chilean’s arrival brought a new sense of optimism at the club, and the owners did their part by backing him in the transfer market.

It was some of the old guard that started out against Wolves though, as both Michail Antonio and Robert Snodgrass had poor performances while new signing Andriy Yarmolenko was left on the bench.

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The Hammers were sluggish and wasteful in possession, created very few chances, and looked vulnerable to counter attacks as they have done in every match so far.

Adama Traore’s late goal gave the visitors all three points, and the Hammers now travel to undefeated Everton before a home clash with red hot Chelsea.

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Fans are fearing the worst already, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Pontus Jansson reveals why he rejected chance to leave

Leeds United managed to offload a number of their fringe players this summer as Marcelo Bielsa drastically changed his new side, however, they could have lost one of their key men as well.

According to a report by Fotbollskanalen, Pontus Jansson has revealed that he came very close to leaving the Elland Road outfit to join FC Krasnodar in Russia.

The Sweden international has stated that he had weighed up the possibilities of a move across Europe after being told that he would have had a huge contract to replace fellow countryman Andreas Granqvist.

However, he also admitted that he could not quit on Leeds and believed the new project under Bielsa, as well as becoming a father again, outweighed any chance of him leaving Yorkshire.

“It just did not feel right,” he told Fotbollskanalen.

“I’ll be a daddy in a month so I weighed it up. Clearly there was a lot of money and it would have secured my future, but the sporting project with Leeds and (Marcelo) Bielsa and this outweighed it. But it was not an easy decision. Krasnodar really wanted to replace Granqvist with me. It was really close, I thought about it, but I did not feel right.

“I wanted to finish with Leeds. I had a heavy season with the team last year and I did not want to finish my love like that.”

The Verdict:

Leeds will be delighted that Jansson had decided to turn down a big-money deal to Russia and remain with them for the Championship season.

The Swede has been crucial to their efforts over the past couple of years and is clearly a favourite with the fans at Elland Road.

The sporting reason that Jansson cited with Leeds looks to have paid off for him with Bielsa already appearing to have an impact on the side and has already taken them to the top of the Championship table as they head into the international break.

Leeds fans – thoughts?

Revealed: 58% of Liverpool fans want Rabiot signing

Loads of Liverpool fans have been discussing the reported interest in Adrien Rabiot, but fans are split on which midfielder they should sign.

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According to ESPN, Liverpool have made contact with the mother and agent of PSG star Rabiot.

The 23 year-old has rejected multiple contract offers from the French champions, and his current deal with expire next summer.

The report from ESPN even claims that Jürgen Klopp has personally contacted the player, as the Reds boss seeks to make his midfield as lethal as his attack.

While getting Rabiot on a free signing would be a bargain, Klopp might be better served swooping for Red Bull Salzburg wonderkid Amadou Haidara, as he fits the profile of a Klopp midfielder much more than Rabiot.

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Haidara has been linked in the past with a move to replace Naby Keita in Leipzig, and his mixture of athleticism, tenacity, technique and vision would fit right in with Liverpool’s developing midfield.

Fans are split on which one they should move for, as the slight majority opted for the more experienced Rabiot, and you can find the full poll results down below…

Ajax set huge £62.3m asking price for Spurs target De Jong

Tottenham Hotspur will have to splash a whopping €80m (£62.3m) on Frenkie De Jong to convince Ajax into a sale, according to Mundo Deportivo.

What’s the word?

Mauricio Pochettino failed to add a single new face to his Tottenham squad in the summer transfer window but appears to be ready to rectify that error in January, as his side continue to be linked with midfield additions.

Ajax’s highly-rated Netherlands international Frenkie De Jong is reported to be in Pochettino’s sights but Spurs will have to pay an astronomical fee to bring the 21-year-old to the Premier League as Mundo Deportivo states Ajax are seeking a fee of €80m (£62.3m) for his services.

Such a fee would see Tottenham smash their club-record fee, which currently stands at the £36m fee paid for Davinson Sanchez according to TransferMarkt, and may not be possible to offer due to the financial implications of their imminent stadium move.

One to avoid?

Frenkie De Jong’s reputation across Europe and the fact Pochettino boasts an incredible record of getting the very best out of young talents is certainly enough to excite Spurs fans but there is a number of reasons why a swoop should be avoided.

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Firstly, Tottenham simply cannot afford to splash so much on one player, particularly due to their stadium move, and would be better off breaking those numbers up into smaller deals to bolster the squad in other areas.

Secondly, a host of top-sides across Europe, including Barcelona, are also said to be monitoring the Ajax academy graduate and the Eredivisie side will be keen for a bidding war to develop in order to drive up the midfielder’s price-tag.

Finally, Spurs could get better players for that sort of price and should only part with a sum that high if it is for a player who would immediately bolster Pochettino’s starting XI.

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West Ham have no desire to sell in January

West Ham are not looking to sell players in January despite spending over £100m in the summer window, according to Claret & Hugh.

What’s the word?

Manuel Pellegrini’s tenure at West Ham started with a vast spending spree that saw the likes of Lukasz Fabianski, Issa Diop, Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson arrive for a total of over £100m but the Hammers do not need to balance the books.

Claret & Hugh states that West Ham’s plan was to have at least two strong options in each position and, as such, there is currently nobody that remains in the squad that the Hammers are looking to offload in the New Year.

That means exits for the likes of Javier Hernandez, Andy Carroll, Michail Antonio and Pedro Obiang appear to be off the cards, although this could be impacted by Pellegrini’s own activity in January.

Who could go?

While the report states that there is no new names on the list of players West Ham want to offload, it specifically points out that both Jordan Hugill and Edimilson Fernandes could still depart as their loan deals include first refusal clauses.

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Hugill returned to the Championship to join promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough and has so far made three appearances for the club, failing to find the net, while Fernandes has featured twice in Serie A for Fiorentina.

Both players are deemed to be surplus to requirements but permanent exits in January are still unlikely as their loan deals run until the end of the season.

Could this change?

Yes, certainly. Pellegrini is likely to dip into the market once again to freshen up his squad in January and, assuming the focus of having two strong players in each position is kept to, then it’s likely any new arrivals will lead to departures.

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Rotation has already been crucial to Pellegrini’s side in the early stages of the season though, as WhoScored data shows all the fit senior players in the squad have played at least once so far in the Premier League.

Whether that remains to be the case in the coming months though remains to be seen as West Ham may settle into a more established XI if they can build a run of form, having ended their winless streak against Everton last time out.

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Revealed: 56% of Everton fans would welcome the signing of Cahill

Gary Cahill’s Chelsea contract expires at the end of this season, and the former England international has already stated that if he doesn’t get more game time at Stamford Bridge soon then he could leave as early as January, as reported by the BBC.

The Blues’ club captain has been a loyal servant to the West London club, but now finds himself behind the likes of David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger in the pecking order. At 32 years of age though, the centre-back still believes he has something to offer as a first team regular in the top flight.

The Premier League veteran is valued at £13.5 million by Transfermarkt, but could be available for less than that come the winter transfer window. 

One side who would be wise to act fast to secure Cahill’s services are Everton. With Kurt Zouma’s loan deal set to expire at the end of the season and Phil Jagielka way past his best, the Toffees could soon be in need of an authoritative, experienced defender. Landing Cahill in January would certainly save Marco Silva a job in the summer.

Everton fans, however, are somewhat divided on the issue. When we asked if they’d like to see Cahill arrive at Goodison Park, only 56% said yes. See the full results below.

Revealed: Celtic fans split on who should start at right wing against RB Salzburg

The Celtic fans that answered our recent poll were completely split on who should start on the right wing for the Bhoys in their Europa League away trip to Red Bull Salzburg in Austria on Thursday.

James Forrest started the weekend’s game against Aberdeen in the position, but he was largely ineffective as the Hoops struggled to break down their opposition for the first hour. Eventually it was a sublime piece of skill from Scott Sinclair that broke the deadlock and ended up being the winner.

The 29-year-old, who has been much criticised by Celtic fans so far this season, pounced on Leigh Griffith’s poor touch to brilliantly backheel the ball past Dons keeper Joe Lewis and give boss Brendan Rodgers a new dilemma.

Exactly half of the Celtic fans that responded to our poll now want Sinclair to start the Europa League group game in what is quite a change in fortunes for the Englishman from just a couple of weeks ago. Check out the full results of the poll below.

Crystal Palace suffer third defeat at home without scoring, fans react on Twitter

Crystal Palace might not be in quite a poor position as they were this time last season, but their problems on the pitch are similar.

The Eagles have failed to find the net in all of their four home games this season, picking up just one point at Selhurst Park. This points to the lack of a recognised goalscorer beyond the talismanic Wilfried Zaha.

In the absence of Belgian striker Christian Benteke, Zaha partnered loanee Jordan Ayew up top against Wolves, who have exceeded expectations so far on their return to the Premier League, but to little effect.

Even when Benteke returns from injury, Palace fans will expect Roy Hodgson and the recruitment team to delve into the market in January for a striker, as the big Belgian has failed to deliver on numerous occasions, having already missed four big chances already this season.

Palace came close through substitute Max Meyer and Jeffrey Schlupp, but both were denied in quick succession by a brilliant double save from Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio to keep his team ahead.

Palace fans may be asking for change but for Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo, change seems to be the last thing on his mind as he once again named the same starting eleven that he has every week this season.

Crystal Palace fans react to the Eagles’ woes in front of goal below.

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Stan Collymore thinks that Aaron Ramsey should push for a move to Wolves

Following the withdrawal of Aaron Ramsey’s tabled contract at Arsenal, Stan Collymore writes in his column for The Mirror that a shock move to Wolves would suit him over staying at his current club.

What’s the story?

Ramsey’s made made 242 Premier League appearances for the Gunners since arriving from Cardiff as a youngster, scoring 37 goals, and Transfermarkt now value him at £40.2million, although his transfer fee will be zero if he runs down his contract. Previously, Arsenal had been trying to tie down the Welshman to fresh terms but it seems that they have deemed his salary demands too high.

Wolves, having won the Championship in 2017/18, are comfortably in the top ten and as of Saturday’s win over Palace, six games unbeaten. Former Liverpool man Collymore believes that Ramsey would be a good fit for Wolves, and vice versa.

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Would it be a good move for both parties?

There is no doubt that Ramsey has both the technical ability and work rate to flourish in the middle of the park under Nuno Espirito Santo. It would be another marquee signing and a statement of intent from Wolves that they want to establish themselves as a top half side. However, if Ramsey’s contract demands are too high for Arsenal, they are surely too high for Wolves as well.

With that kind of salary, you would be expecting a player to would walk into the starting lineup, but Portuguese duo Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves have majorly impressed in the middle of the park this season. Furthermore, Santo has shown reluctance to rotate his players or change formation, but to accommodate Ramsey he would most likely have to move away from his proven 3-4-3.

If Wolves could meet Ramsey’s wage demands, then he would probably be the signing of the summer, but it isn’t a necessary one for the Molineux outfit.

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Lazio identify Arsenal ace Aaron Ramsey as ‘dream’ signing

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Italian side Lazio are the latest club to express an interest in Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey, Calcio Mercato reports.

What’s the word?

Major changes are taking place at Arsenal under Unai Emery, who is set to approve a major departure in 2019 as Aaron Ramsey rapidly approaches the end of his contract after the Gunners withdrew their offer of an extension.

While it remains to be seen whether Arsenal cash-in during the January transfer window or allow the Wales international to leave for nothing next summer, a host of clubs in the Premier League and Europe have entered the running.

According to Calcio Mercato, the latest side to express an interest in the 27-year-old is Serie A outfit Lazio after they identified the former Cardiff City man as a ‘dream’ addition.

Could this benefit Arsenal?

The Gunners would be handed a bonus by seeing Ramsey snub the advances of their Premier League rivals to move abroad but Unai Emery could use Lazio’s interest to his advantage by offering his services in the January window.

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Rather than get a fee for Ramsey’s services, which Lazio would be unlikely to pay as they could land his signature for nothing at the summer, Arsenal should use the Wales ace as makeweight to bring Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to the Emirates Stadium.

The Serbia international was widely linked with a move to the Premier League in the summer but his agent revealed earlier this month he wanted to stay for at least one more year to help Lazio with their push for Champions League football.

While persuading Milinkovic-Savic to move will not be easy, offering him a regular starting spot and handing Lazio Ramsey in return could suit all parties.

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