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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Albion skipper Jake Livermore, who earns £46k-per-week, has been withdrawn early in back-to-back outings, so perhaps Bilic drops him from the starting XI entirely this time around.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…

David Moyes’ rumoured plans to land further signings from the Czech Republic could see West Ham United unearth another dynamo in Sparta Prague striker Lukas Julis.

What’s the word?

According to Claret & Hugh, Moyes is planning to continue exploring the Czech Republic for potential signings after being impressed by how Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek have taken to the Premier League.

The Irons paid £19.1million to turn Soucek’s loan permanent this summer after a successful six-months in east London, in which the midfielder scored three times in the post-lockdown period and has since started all six Premier League fixtures this term.

Coufal latter followed Soucek’s path by joining the Hammers in the closing stages of the transfer window for £5.4m, and has gone on to earn three starts in three along with Moyes’ admiration.

“I thought Vladimir was brilliant [against Leicester City],” Moyes told West Ham’s official website. “The biggest thing about him is his experience, his knowledge. That was the reason we thought he would be helpful for us at this time.

“We saw someone who had played in a lot of big games – Champions League games – and who plays for his country. He also came really highly recommended from Tomas [Soucek], so that helped us make our minds up.”

Moyes now intends to explore the Czech Republic for a striker and a centre-half after missing out on former Slavia Prague ace Michal Frydrych, who joined Wisla Krakow for £750,000.

Antonio 2.0: Lukas Julis

In Moyes’ search for a new striker from the Fortuna Liga, the West Ham boss would be well advised to consider the division’s top-goalscorer Julis who has bagged six in six for Sparta Prague – two more than any other player in the Czech top-flight thus far.

Julis has scored in all but one of his appearances to date, as his efforts help to fire Sparta Prague to the top of the league after an unbeaten start.

His form continues a strong run in front of the goal from the tail end of last term, when the 25-year-old hit six in nine Liga fixtures while on a half-season loan with SK Sigma Olomouc before returning to the Generali Ceska Pojistovna Arena.

The former Czech Republic U21s international’s talents saw Julis lauded by Sigma Sporting Director Ladislav Minar upon his arrival, who told Denik: “Compared to our players, his mobility is a bit greater. The boys are not so typologically different, but we believe that a certain mobility will help us.”

Julis’ mobility at the top of the attack would be a welcome trait at the London Stadium, where Moyes lauds the input of Michail Antonio for the Englishman offers a fierce workrate the Scot does not feel he gets from Sebastien Haller.

But Antonio and Haller are the only senior strikers at West Ham presently, strengthening Moyes’ need for another offensive dynamo, and would be supported well by the £405,000-rated Julis if the Chrudim-born forward is targeted in 2021.

AND in other news, David Moyes needs a “terrific” West Ham man he expects “much more” from to step up now more than ever.

After looking so close to clinching a vital three points, Sunderland saw their hopes of a first win in four dashed in dramatic fashion by Doncaster on Saturday afternoon.

The Black Cats took the lead just before half-time thanks to an absolute scorcher from Grant Leadbitter, but were pegged back by a late goal by Fejiri Okenabirhie. 

With boss Phil Parkinson already under intense pressure following a dismal defeat to MK Dons last weekend, a win would have done him the world of good. And one man who massively let him down when he really needed him the most, was Charlie Wyke.

Cameo Clubs: Which obscure teams did these football legends play for?

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The striker had scored seven goals in 15 games this season, but was absolutely shocking in the League One clash on Saturday. As per Sofascore, he lost an incredible 13 of his 17 total duels and much of that was down to his inability to actually hold the ball up, particularly in the second-half.

Far often than not, his touch let him down or he was just bullied off it too easily, and it meant Sunderland just couldn’t keep a period of possession together to stop the Doncaster momentum.

And when his team needed an out ball, he was generally nowhere to be found, registering just 26 touches and only 14 passes in total. To put that into context, Sunderland goalkeeper Remi Matthews had far more touches and passes than him.

After seeing strike partner Will Grigg hooked for Saturday’s game after a shocking display against MK Dons last time out, Wyke may be fearing for his place after his own clanger.

West Brom could be looking to upgrade their engine room this January if emerging reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Baggies are eyeing up a winter swoop for Celtic powerhouse Olivier Ntcham having held an interest in signing him throughout the summer transfer window.

It is claimed that the 24-year-old Frenchman is one of several players that could potentially leave Parkhead to raise funds whilst Southampton are too keen on his signature.

With 18 months remaining on his current deal, Ntcham is valued at £12m by the Hoops hierarchy, though that price may drop by next month.

Livermore upgrade?

If Albion are wanting to bolster their midfield department on the cheap, then they should really look no further than Ntcham.

Despite not being a regular starter under Neil Lennon, the former Manchester City starlet has still impressed each time he’s on the pitch – in the Europa League alone, he has averaged 2.3 dribbles, 1.5 shots, 1.3 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and one key pass per game, via WhoScored.

This merely signals his industrious ability as a box-to-box monster, thoughts which are echoed by the Bhoys chief himself.

“Olivier Ntcham is an excellent player and it’s really up to him to keep that consistency. He’s a great trainer and already he’s made a significant start to the season.

“When he is in the mood, he’s fantastic. If we can just get that consistent level from him, we’ll have one hell of a player on our hands – as we already do,” Lennon told Celtic View (via 67hailhail).

Whilst ex-Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, the man who signed him originally, is also a massive fan of his talents, dubbing the Frenchman a “terrific talent” in 2018.

Such a move could signal the end for Jake Livermore, who hasn’t featured in any of the Baggies’ last two Premier League outings nor has he played the full 90 minutes since the middle of October, per Transfermarkt.

No player in the Premier League is recording more fouls (2.5 per game) than Livermore right now, and with an average rating of just 6.26, he ranks as the worst starter for Slaven Bilic.

Ntcham, who also delivered eight goals and four assists last season, would be the perfect upgrade, especially for a fee reduced from £12m. Luke Dowling should look to get this done.

AND in other news, West Brom dodged a £80k-per-week bullet in once “FEARLESS player”…

Southampton left the Emirates with just one point after drawing 1-1 with Arsenal on Wednesday night, but the Saints should be disappointed that they couldn’t make it three wins in a row.

Theo Walcott gave Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side the lead in the first half against his old club before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equalised shortly into the second half, with a goal that didn’t reflect the away side’s first-half dominance.

However, the South Coast club were handed a big chance to earn all three points when Gabriel was sent off for the home side, though they couldn’t find a winner.

One man who should be disappointed for Southampton is Danny Ings. The usually reliable striker struggled to have much impact on the game at the Emirates and was unable to add the finishing touch to Southampton’s attacks.

As per SofaScore, the former Liverpool man had just 30 touches of the ball during the 90 minutes, which was fewer than Southampton shot-stopper Alex McCarthy – who had 34.

Ings was unable to register a single shot on target at the Emirates and also completed just 14 passed in the game, suggesting that he was never really able to stamp his mark on the game.

Neither of the striker’s crosses were accurate, whilst he was able to win just four of his nine total duels, with the Arsenal defenders seemingly getting the better of the England international.

To compound a disappointing display, the 28-year-old also gave away possession on seven occasions, meaning he was wasteful with the ball on the few occasions he had it.

He badly let his manager down on the night, and had the Saints beast been at his usual best, then perhaps they’d have returned to the Solent with more than one point.

Earlier this year, Clinton Morrison was full of praise for the forward, saying:

“Yes, I would say Danny Ings is top-four quality, most definitely. The season he’s had at Southampton, if you put him in one of the teams at the top four, he’d easily score goals like that.”

However, it was evident that Ings was far from his best on Wednesday night and he will have to be better when the Saints face Manchester City in their next Premier League fixture on Saturday.

And, in other news… Southampton may have found their next Oxlade-Chamberlain in academy ace tipped for a big future

Southampton were unable to find a way past Fulham’s defence as they slipped to a 0-0 draw at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side could’ve moved back into the top four with a win in West London but were frustrated against the Cottagers, with Theo Walcott in particular disappointing.

As per SofaScore, the winger picked up a shocking 5.6 rating for his performance, which was comfortably the worst of any player on the pitch.

The 31-year-old, who joined on loan from Everton during the summer transfer window, struggled to have any influence on the game and was wasteful on the rare occasions he did receive the ball.

During the 90 minutes, Walcott touched the ball just 32 times, which was less than Southampton shot-stopper Alex McCarthy, who touched the ball 40 times.

The former Arsenal man was also able to complete just 8/12 passes during the game, resulting in a pass accuracy rate of 67%, emphasising that he struggled to get involved in the Saints build-up play.

Perhaps most frustratingly for Hasenhuttl, Walcott was successful in just one of his seven dribble attempts, with the Fulham defenders clearly getting the better of him during the 90 minutes.

The Englishman also came out second best when battling with the home team, as he was able to win just three of his 15 duels during the game, resulting in an overall success rate of just 20%, with the physical nature of the game clearly causing problems for the winger.

Despite his lack of touches, he was still able to lose possession on 20 occasions, which will surely anger Hasenhuttl, as this game represented a real opportunity to pick up three points.

Whilst it did seem that Walcott had won the game for the Saints when he finished from Che Adams’ cross late on, this was ruled out for offside, and it was the loanee’s only real contribution of note.

In Danny Ings’ absence, Walcott will have to produce much more effective displays in Southampton’s upcoming games if the South Coast club want to keep pressure on the top four.

And, in other news… Hasenhuttl drops big transfer hint ahead of January, could be Saints’ next KWP

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Hull City striker Dean Windass has urged Manchester United to let Paul Pogba leave the club.

Pogba is once again facing the same old questions about his future after his agent Mino Raiola claimed that his client’s career with the club is over.

Having made no secret of his desire to leave Old Trafford in the latter half of last season, only the French World Cup winner will know what comes next as United prepare for the winter transfer market to open in January.

The 27-year-old will now face the usual questions over his commitment to the club he first joined at the age of 16 and where he has won the Europa League and EFL Cup.

After Raiola’s latest outburst, Windass told Football FanCast editor James Beavis he believes that United should rid themselves of the French midfielder.

He told FFC:

“Pogba, for me, just let him go. Let him go. He’s a liability.

“He’s not a team player, it’s all about me. Get rid of him, get him out, get his agent out and let him go and play football somewhere else.”

Since Raiola’s comments, Pogba came off the bench during the defeat to RB Leipzig in the Champions League and he was named in the starting line-up to face Manchester City and Sheffield United.

However, he remained an unused substitute on the bench as the Red Devils ran riot over Leeds United on Sunday night, meaning that the France international’s future at Old Trafford remains uncertain amid links abroad to his former club Juventus, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

Raiola has made no secret of his desire to push for a move, though whatever Pogba truly thinks of the situation is another matter for another day.

However, given the fact that his contract will run out in 2022 and United have valued the Frenchman in excess of £150m in the past, whoever fancies taking a punt on Pogba faces an uphill task to do so in a period of such economic uncertainty.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Carlton Palmer drops big claim on Solskjaer’s future at Manchester United…

Outcast Everton striker Cenk Tosun has emerged as a target for Crystal Palace in the January transfer window, according to Fotomac.

What’s the word?

The 29-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Palace from Everton before his time at Selhurst Park came to a premature end after he suffered an injury during training.

Chances have continued to be few and far between for Tosun at Goodison Park and he is once again considered surplus to requirements by Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti.

It’s claimed Palace could face stiff competition from his former club Besiktas, which has surely handed Steve Parish the golden opportunity to pull the plug on what could turn out to be a rather expensive mistake.

Wouldn’t touch Tosun with a barge pole

He’s simply not worth the risk, to put it mildly, as the last thing Palace need to do right now is to bring in another misfiring centre-forward on colossal wages who could struggle to find the back of the net.

Despite scoring on his Eagles debut against Manchester City, Tosun just isn’t the answer to Palace’s problems at the top of the pitch. The £6m-rated Turkey international has secured himself a hefty payday at Goodison Park and the figures from his contract are actually quite astonishing when you consider his meagre record.

The Toffees forked out £27m to get their man in 2018, handing him a lucrative package worth £60,000-per-week to persuade him to spend the next step of his career in Merseyside.

But they should be put under intense scrutiny if you put his career under the microscope, as he has only scored ten goals in 54 games in the Premier League, which is a pretty poor return for a player who was once billed as “the best in Europe” by Sam Allardyce. Say no more.

Palace are still reeling from Parish’s terrible decision to sign Alexander Sorloth from FC Midtjylland, who turned out to be a complete and utter flop. But they are in danger of repeating a similar mistake if they actively pursue Tosun, as he has done very little to suggest that he could be the solution to their lack of goals.

With Christian Benteke starting to show signs he is undergoing a resurgence in form, there are other areas that require Dougie Freedman’s attention. His top priority should be buying a young centre-back to solve their ageing defence.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy the only positive from Wolves defeat…

Manchester United are back in action this evening, as they travel to take on Burnley in their first Premier League game since the 2-1 victory over Aston Villa.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side beat Watford 1-0 in the FA Cup on Saturday night, but it’s back to the top flight action today as the club legend chases a league title.

Solskjaer rang several changes for the home game against the Hornets, meaning some key players should be fully fit and firing on all cylinders.

With that in mind, here is Football Fancast’s prediction for this evening’s starting line-up, which sees Solskjaer make eight changes to the team that edged past Watford at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer faces some tough decisions as he looks for a big reaction from their workmanlike performance against Watford.

The Red Devils have some injury issues though so his side mostly picks itself for this one.

Eric Bailly joined Paul Pogba on the treatment table whilst Luke Shaw is also struggling.

It means Alex Telles is likely to keep his place in a back four consisting of him, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in front of veteran goalkeeper David de Gea.

Telles has been in such fine form in recent weeks and made an impact almost immediately against Watford in only his eleventh start of the season.

Fred and Scott McTominay will resume their burgeoning partnership in the midfield, with Bruno Fernandes joining them in the engine room.

Asking Pogba to play again may be a bit of a stretch too far, so switching Mason Greenwood back to the right and bringing Marcus Rashford in on the left could prove to be a tempting option, with Anthony Martial likely to lead the line.

AND in other news, Luke Shaw slammed by Carlton Palmer for decision-making during Man Utd’s defeat to Man City…

Steve Bruce could set Newcastle United back even further by selling Matt Ritchie to AFC Bournemouth amid plans to reshape the Toon this month.

What’s the word?

According to The Shields Gazette, Bruce is considering parting ways with at least one of his high-earning players ahead of the February 1 transfer deadline as he looks to freshen up his underperforming squad.

The Magpies are without a win in 10 games across all competitions after losing 2-0 at Aston Villa on Saturday night, while boasting just a single goal in 746 minutes of football after going four games without scoring.

Bruce is now said to be weighing up whether or not to cash-in on some of the members of his Premier League squad to free funds that will allow for at least one loan signing in the January transfer window, with United just seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Yet Bruce is keen to retain West Bromwich Albion target Andy Carroll and has considered offering new contracts to free-agents-to-be Dwight Gayle and Jacob Murphy ahead of their current deals expiring at the end of the season.

Ritchie is another who may spend the final week of the winter market with an uncertain future on Tyneside, following reports by The Sun that claimed Bournemouth were keen to re-sign the former Scotland international after his move to St. James’ Park in 2016.

The midfielder’s situation is also said to have been discussed during talks over Cherries coach Graeme Jones’ move to the Magpies, per Football Insider, as the Championship outfit failed to reach an agreement to re-sign Ritchie last summer when selling Callum Wilson to Newcastle.

U-turn needed

Bruce is absolutely right to consider parting ways with those he feels will not help Newcastle secure Premier League safety as he looks to freshen up the United squad, but should not contemplate including Ritchie in the list of players who could leave Tyneside this month.

Instead, Bruce should make a U-turn on his stance over Ritchie’s place in the starting line-up, with the 31-year-old only playing 16 minutes across the Toon’s last three top-flight fixtures and not starting at left-midfield since the Magpies last won a league match.

Just weeks after undergoing surgery for a shoulder injury, Ritchie returned to the starting XI at home to West Bromwich Albion last month and showed no fear with a string of crunching challenges to help toward a 2-1 victory.

Bruce will need players with the spirit Ritchie showed at St. James’ Park if he is to get Newcastle through their difficult patch, especially with top-scorer Wilson being questioned for his work rate in an abject display at Villa Park over the weekend.

No Newcastle player has been as creative as Ritchie when fielded in the top-flight, either, with the £45,000-per-week beast offering 1.6 key passes a game as one of only two United players to have carved out more than one goal scoring opportunity whenever they take to the pitch, per WhoScored.

He also offers a key pass every 30 minutes when fielded at left-midfield, a record 11 times better than that of Joelinton with the Brazilian creating only one opportunity for a Toon teammate to find the back of the net over his 335 minutes on the flank to date this term.

If Allan Saint-Maximin is unable to hit the ground running now that he has returned from a lengthy spell out after testing positive for Covid-19, Bruce will need Ritchie. But if the £8.5m-rated maestro is on the south coast, the Magpies boss will be the only one responsible for setting the St. James’ Park natives back.

AND in other news, Steve Bruce must axe an £8m-rated total dud holding Newcastle back…