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West Ham United face Sheffield United on Friday night, as they hope to get away from the relegation zone.

David Moyes has had a successful start to life back as the Hammers manager, winning both of his games in charge against AFC Bournemouth and Gillingham, scoring six goals and keeping two clean sheets.

He will be hoping to continue that record at Bramall Lane with another victory, and may make some alterations to his team in order to ensure that happens.

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With that in mind, FFC has predicted the lineup that Moyes may field against the Blades, including three changes from the Gillingham win.

West Ham could keep the same main defensive unit to the one that kept a clean sheet, meaning that Lukasz Fabianski, Issa Diop, Fabian Balbuena and Angelo Ogbonna all remain in the team.

Declan Rice is the main holding midfielder in this XI, keeping his place in the side after being praised by both sets of fans following the win against Gillingham.

Did he really play for us?! No West Ham fan has managed to name all of these obscure Irons signings….

With Ryan Fredericks injured, Pablo Zabaleta is expected to come in on the right side of the defence in his absence.

There will be a dilemma on the left, as Aaron Cresswell has returned to training. However, due to the fact that the Englishman has not long returned, as well as Arthur Masuaku putting in an impressive performance against Gillingham, winning seven tackles, the latter may keep his place.

Pablo Fornals and Mark Noble both come into the team, with Robert Snodgrass and Manuel Lanzini coming out. The departing pair may feel harshly done-by, but Fornals has shown more of a prolific streak than the Argentinian.

Meanwhile, Noble also deserves a place after his performance against AFC Bournemouth.

Felipe Anderson should be given the chance to build on the confidence gained from his goal against the Cherries, partnering Sebastien Haller as a striker.

Meanwhile, West Ham fans fumed over ExWHUemployee’s update on the club’s midfield transfer situation.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Garry Monk has made it clear that he would like to sign a striker this month following the devastating injury blow to top goalscorer Steven Fletcher.

What’s he said?

The Owls will be without the services of the 32-year-old for the next eight to ten weeks after being stretchered off in the FA Cup victory against Brighton two weeks ago.

Since the turn of the year, the south Yorkshire side have been linked to several targets, mostly in the loan market with Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah and Crystal Palace’s Connor Wickham the two names frequently cropping up.

Monk was asked about his transfer plans following their 2-0 victory over local rivals Leeds United at the weekend, to which he replied:

“We are looking at all types. They have to fit into the group that we have already got.

“With Fletch out, we need some strength and dynamism in the attacking areas.“We are working on it but there is nothing concrete at the moment.”

Contradiction

Between Nketiah and Wickham, the latter seems the “most likely” to join Wednesday this month, according to The Sun’s Alan Nixon.

It raises question marks over whether or not he would be the right man to fill the void left behind by Fletcher.

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Monk wants a player with ‘strength and dynamism’ but Wickham’s plagued injury history and time at Palace would suggest he’s far from being what the Owls chief desires.

In four years at Selhurst Park, the 26-year-old has only managed 48 matches, in which he has bagged 11 goals and five assists, per Transfermarkt.

Fletcher has more goals this season alone.

Wednesday’s veteran frontman is also a huge target man threat in attack, winning 6.4 aerial duels on average and recording 2.8 per game, via WhoScored.

Call yourself a Premier League expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

In the Premier League for the south London outfit, Wickham is again far from matching this. He’s managed just 1.05 shots per game and is averaging 1.9 aerial duels won each match over the course of his Palace career.

Therefore, signing him this month would slightly go against Monk’s latest comments as there’s nothing to suggest that the injury-savaged striker possesses strength and dynamism.

And in other news, Sheffield Wednesday have been dealt a significant blow in their pursuit of this Premier League man…

Mauricio Pochettino has hinted that he will manage in either La Liga or the Premier League when he returns to work, per Sky Sports.

What’s he said?

The Argentine has been out of work since his sacking by Tottenham Hotspur in November.

Speaking at the launch of a La Liga TV channel, Pochettino was asked about his future, having previously been linked with the jobs at both Arsenal and Barcelona.

He said: “For me, I was so lucky to start my career as a manager at Espanyol in Barcelona and then to come to the Premier League to learn a different language and culture and I am a better person today.

The big fat Tottenham quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Spurs?

“I have more knowledge and had a great experience. The Premier League is the Premier League.

“Football was born here in England but I think La Liga has amazing football and amazing coaches.

“England and Spain are the two best leagues in the world.”

Spurs fans dreading it

Spurs fans will surely be genuinely dreading the possibility of Pochettino standing in a Premier League technical area again.

The Argentine was in charge for over five years and oversaw two title challenges as well as a run to the Champions League final.

There was widespread panic among the Spurs fanbase when he was linked with Arsenal – a job he claimed he would have been “open” to – and he is unlikely to settle for a job in mid-table.

As such, if he is to stay in England, he will surely be taking over a direct rival of his former employers, perhaps with revenge on his mind.

Spurs fans will surely be hoping he heads to Spain.

Meanwhile, another club have joined Inter Milan in the race for Christian Eriksen!

The Athletic journalist Charlie Eccleshare has suggested that Tottenham Hotspur losing Mousa Dembele was a “monumental blow”, during a Q&A.

What did he say?

Speaking after Spurs’ 0-0 draw against Watford, fans were discussing the Belgium international following his sale to Guangzhou Evergrande in January 2019.

With it being a year since his departure, Spurs supporters were suggesting that he still hasn’t been fully replaced, with a lack of planning meaning the void left by the now-32-year-old is more obvious than it needed to be.

In response to the chat about Dembele, Eccleshare said:

“He was physically gone by the end, but Dembele’s departure has been a monumental blow. He was absolutely pivotal to the way the team played at their best.”

A massive loss

During his time with Spurs, Dembele made a total of 249 appearances for the club between 2012 and January of last year.

With that in mind, it is understandable that his influence is difficult to replace, which adds onto the point of the move being such a hard one to deal with – even if it can be argued that it was necessary after he missed 22 games of the 2018/19 season through injury.

However, this feeling of loss will likely have been added to by Tanguy Ndombele’s inability to truly make his presence felt this term.

So far, the Frenchman has managed 14 starts and six substitute appearances across the Premier League and Champions League, getting one goal and two assists.

The big fat Tottenham quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Spurs?

In the league, he has averaged 1.5 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 0.3 clearances and 0.2 blocks per game, which is a decent contribution, though it doesn’t give the idea of an indomitable presence in the middle of the pitch.

He has been effective with the ball at his feet though, averaging 2 dribbles and 0.7 key passes, while also being fouled 1.4 times per game.

The statistics indicate that there is potential for the 23-year-old to step up into that role, which is something the club will need him to do if they are to fully recover from the blow of losing Dembele.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans slammed one man for their disappointing performance against Watford.

According to Greek publication Sport24, Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in acquiring the services of 24-year-old winger, Daniel Podence, who is currently plying his trade at Olympiacos.

Not only that, but they claim the English outfit have reportedly tabled a €30m (£25m) offer to land their man in the January transfer window as a means to reinforce their forward line.

Podence made quite the impression back when he scored against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League earlier this season as his team managed to claim a point in a 2-2 draw in Greece.

Call yourself a Wolves expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

But who exactly is this 24-year-old Portuguese forward and what exactly could he bring to Wolves?

Let’s see what the media have said about him…

Birmingham Mail

Birmingham Mail were among the first sites to do a comprehensive scout report on Podence, analysing his style of play, strengths and weakness, and they also assessed his compatibility with Nuno Espirito Santo’s system.

They described him as an extremely speedy player who can slot basically anywhere in the front line, praising his versatility.

Here’s what they said in full in their report:

“Nuno’s love for versatile players is no secret and Podence fits that bill. The 24-year-old is expected to provide competition out wide for Adama Traore, Pedro Neto and Diogo Jota, but he’s also capable of playing centrally if Nuno uses a 3-5-2 formation.

“Podence has plenty of speed, which is a requirement to make the grade on Wolves’ flanks, and those who’ve watched him regularly suggest he has ‘great technique, with good crossing and shooting ability’.”

Agona Sport

Give Podence is currently playing his football over in Greece, it’s no surprise that their sites have actually done some scouting and analysis of their own.

Agona Sport profiled the player in 2018, highlighting some of his best traits and mentioning just two glaring weaknesses he possessed back then.

Here’s what they said in full:

“He’s a right-winger on paper, however versatility is a quality which Podence certainly boasts, capable of playing anywhere behind the main striker. Possessing a quick turn of pace, Podence is an expert at sprinting past his opponents with sharp moves, creating lots of opportunities in the process. He isn’t shy of attempting mazy runs, often making life difficult for defences and brilliant when 1-on-1.

“If we search for weaknesses in Podence’s game, he’s criticized for lacking physical strength and not scoring enough goals. In his entire club career, Podence has only registered 13 professional goals.”

Pedro Martins, Olympiacos manager

If someone knows a lot about Podence, his style of play and his best attributes, then it has to be his current Olympiacos manager Pedro Martins.

And interestingly enough, the now 49-year-old gaffer was actually full of praise for his winger, stating that he can certainly cause havoc between the opponent’s lines.

Apart from that, his free spirit is what actually makes him strong in those 1v1 duels.

Here’s what he said in full, as quoted by Portugoal:

“His free spirit makes him very strong in 1-v-1 situations, he creates imbalances on the flanks, he’s improved immensely when he comes infield, but he’s going to improve even more. But his ability to cause havoc out wide is his strongest point.”

Verdict

It seems that Podence clearly has a lot of qualities and quite a bit of skill to offer Nuno and his squad.

Going for the player, as the reports have suggested, seems to be a good move for Wolves.

Crystal Palace target Eberechi Eze is “very unlikely†to leave QPR in this transfer window, per The Independent journalist Tom Kershaw.Football Insider reported on Thursday that the Eagles were preparing a £15m bid for the attacking midfielder after appearing to miss out on the signing of Jarrod Bowen from Hull City.[ad_pod ]The Tigers man is instead poised to join West Ham United, per reports, despite interest from the Eagles.That led to suggestions that Eze could be brought in instead but Kershaw has put paid to those rumours, tweeting that he is instead set to stay at QPR.

Eze has made his mark in the Championship this season, making 29 appearances in the league and scoring 10 goals, while also providing six assists.

The 21-year-old has also been capped at U20 and U21 level by England but he will not be heading to the Premier League on transfer deadline day.

Premier League experts will get full marks: The ultimate quiz on top flight transfer flops…

It remains to be seen if Palace will find an alternative to Bowen prior to the deadline.

Meanwhile, Palace are encountering “complications” in their bid to sign one player!

According to The Sun, Newcastle United could move for Emmanuel Adebayor with the striker currently available on a free transfer.

Adebayor, who is also thought to be interesting Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion, left Turkish side Kayserispor in December 2019.

The 35-year-old is being linked with a return to the Premier League, where he has scored 97 goals in 242 appearances for Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Crystal Palace.

As expected, a number of Newcastle fans have taken to social media to offer their views on the speculation and not too many are best pleased.

A football legend: Can you get over 80% on this Gazza quiz? Find out now…

One fan, though, suggested that it would not be the worst idea in the world as Adebayor “used to score for fun” against the Magpies.

In fact, the forward won seven of his 10 matches against the club in all competitions, scoring eight times and providing seven assists in the process.

Another supporter, though, refused to even entertain the report, branding suggestions that the Magpies could move for Adebayor as “utterly daft”.

Meanwhile, a number of Newcastle fans have been offering their views on the latest developments surrounding a possible takeover at the club.

According to an update from the Premier League’s official website, referee Anthony Taylor has been appointed for Manchester United’s trip to Chelsea on 17th February – the side’s first game back after the new winter break – prompting some supporters to panic over the update. 

Taylor, who will be joined by assistants Gary Beswick and Liam Nunn, has dished out 13 fouls against United per game this season. Along with Everton (also 13), no other team has given away more fouls per game officiated by Taylor, as per WhoScored.com. However, in that time, he also hasn’t awarded a single penalty against the Red Devils or red card – but some supporters are still fearing the worst following his appointment.

The 41-year-old will also be assisted by fourth official Stuart Attwell as well as VAR duo Chris Kavanagh and Sian Massey-Ellis. His last United game, their 4-0 victory at home to Norwich City in mid-January, Taylor awarded a penalty to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

Regardless, these Red Devils supporters still aren’t keen on the Lancashire official taking charge – here’s what they had to say on Twitter.

What do you make of Anthony Taylor’s appointment? Join the discussion by commenting below…

West Brom’s season is back on the up after a succession of positive results in the Championship in the past two weeks, but Slaven Bilic’s recent team selection decisions has raised question marks over one player.

The Baggies have continued to run with Sheffield United loanee Callum Robinson on the left-wing whilst Kamil Grosicki made his debut at Millwall, providing an assist to the game-winning header from Dara O’Shea. Matheus Pereira had also returned from suspension.

As a result of their introductions, young winger Kyle Edwards has quickly slipped down the pecking order – almost overnight – at the Hawthorns.

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Just last month, The Athletic’s Steve Madeley revealed that the west Midlands were in ‘advanced talks’ with the 21-year-old over a new contract as his current deal is set to expire at the end of the season.

But given his recent exclusions from the matchday squad entirely, is it wise to continue pursuing his signature?

He could well be a player that can afford to lose, or at least wait on a little while longer.

There will be a return for injured West Ham starlet Grady Diangana at some stage too, and you’d imagine after 11 goal contributions this campaign, he’d walk straight back into the senior fold.

It means that Edwards is probably fifth choice at the club now, all because Bilic decided to bolster his wide options with two new wingers.

The Albion academy graduate has done very little to warrant a huge extension either – he’s managed just two goals and two assists across the Championship, FA Cup and EFL Cup, which has to rank amongst the fewest of all Bilic’s attacking options.

Whilst per WhoScored, the prospect is only averaging 1.5 dribbles and 1.1 shots per game, which is beaten by both Pereira and Diangana.

There have even been reports that the Baggies will try and secure Diangana long-term whether that be for another season on loan or as a permanent fixture.

Idiots Abroad: Do you know where these famous Brits are playing now?

If Edwards is to be offered a new contract, it must be with his game time in mind as the same happened in the summer with Rekeem Harper, and he’s only played 11 minutes in the Championship all year. A wasted talent.

Going on his recent omissions from the squad, it may be best off holding back offering him anything just yet.

While in other news, West Brom boss Slaven Bilic reveals insight into his game-winning tactics…

As much as the win would no doubt have pleased Marcelo Bielsa, the fact Leeds kept a clean sheet on Satuday would also have been something for the Argentine to smile about.

The Whites have not enjoyed a shut-out in any competition since they beat Hull 2-0 at Elland Road back on December 10, but finally ended that hoodoo against Bristol City.

And one man who was hugely responsible for that, was Liam Cooper.

As per Sofascore, the 28-year-old won a mammoth 13 of his total 15 duels, made three interceptions and clearances apiece, and finished with an overall match rating of 7.8.

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After seeing his display, Leeds fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on their centre-back’s commanding performance.

One fan in particular hailed Cooper for leading by example.

Another supporter meanwhile appeared to suggest that Cooper’s performances go under the radar whenever he turns in a top display, and lauded his “unreal” performance against Bristol City.

Make no mistake about it, if Bielsa’s side have any hopes of finishing in the top two and securing automatic promotion, then their defence will need to be rock-solid.

The fact they didn’t have a clean sheet for more than two months until this Saturday, would only have increased the pressure on the likes of Patrick Bamford up front. The forwards know they can’t rely on their defence to keep the opposition out, and that in turn affects their mindset in front of goal. A bit of a vicious cycle really.

Call yourself a Leeds expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

It’s why the shut-out will be just as welcome as the three points for everyone connected with the club.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has provided an update on the club’s proposed new training ground.