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With an FA Cup fourth round tie against Brighton on the horizon, West Brom boss Darren Moore has an ideal opportunity to experiment with his lineup in the hope of finding an able replacement for the departed Harvey Barnes.

How big a loss will Barnes be?

Whilst the Baggies will undoubtedly want to progress in the competition, and should view the Seagulls as beatable opposition, Moore should take a few risks to see if he can find someone to replicate the talents of Barnes in that creative role supporting the strikers.

21-year-old Barnes, who was on loan from Leicester, was recalled by the Foxes (as per the BBC) thanks to his scintillating form at the Hawthorns. Barnes managed to score nine goals and record six assists in 26 Championship starts for the Midlands-based side as per Whoscored, which prompted boss Claude Puel to bring him back to the King Power Stadium and throw him in against Wolves for his first Premier League start.

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 below…

Whilst that is good news for Leicester and for Barnes, it is a big problem for West Brom who were surely hoping for the Englishman to stay and aid their push for promotion.

What can Moore do?

The Baggies boss should hand young forward Jonathan Leko a rare start for the trip to the Amex Stadium, having started him in the 1-0 win against Wigan in the earlier rounds of the FA Cup. The 19-year-old has only made one other start this season, coming in the Carabao Cup, but he will be hoping for more game time following Barnes’ departure.

Leko is predominantly a winger, but is a skilful player who has a good eye for a through ball and decent dribbling ability, which suggests that he could be an able performer in a central attacking midfield role too.

The teenager has featured in that position sporadically this season already (as seen on Transfermarkt), and the game against Chris Hughton’s men will give Moore a great chance to test out a 4-2-3-1 system with Leko in behind one of Dwight Gayle or Jay Rodriguez, having favoured a 4-3-3 system in recent weeks.

Moore has opted for a 3-4-1-2 system frequently this season, which would also be an option that deploys Leko in the no.10 role.

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Southampton confirmed the signing of defender Jannik Vestergaard from Borussia Monchengladbach on July 13, 2018.

The 26-year-old agreed a four-year deal at St Mary’s Stadium, and according to Sky Sports his signature cost the Saints £18million.

The 6’6” centre-back was signed to fill the sizeable hole left in the south coast club’s rearguard by the departure of Virgil van Dijk. Those are big shoes to fill at Southampton, but former Saints boss Mark Hughes and the club clearly considered Vestergaard to be up to that task.

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

Southampton’s new manager, Ralph Hasenhuttl, may need convincing that Vestergaard should be in his long-term plans, even though he will be familiar with the player from his time managing in Germany. However, so far at least, the 16-cap Denmark international has been a regular fixture in the Austrian’s starting XI.

Vestergaard has played every minute of all but one of the 51-year-old’s league matches in charge so far.

So far this season, the Dane has made 14 Premier League appearances, all as a starter. Across those matches, according to the stats available on WhoScored, he has averaged 1.9 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 7.4 clearances per game. Those numbers are all fairly impressive, and the number of successful clearances he averages per match is particularly eye-catching.

However, his pass accuracy rating of 77% isn’t spectacular, and he has looked awkward on the ball on a number of occasions this season. In an increasingly fast-paced and intense Premier League, Vestergaard must improve in possession if he is to become the ball-playing centre-back for Southampton that van Dijk was, and Hasenhuttl is likely to want.

According to a recent report from The Scottish Sun, Celtic could be without defender Filip Benkovic for the rest of the season due to injury. The centre back made the move to Parkhead back in the summer on loan from Premier League outfit Leicester City, and his impressive efforts in the heart of the Bhoys backline has seen him become a regular under manager Brendan Rodgers.

However, a recent report from The Scottish Sun suggests that the Croatia Under-21 international picked up a ‘leg problem’ in their 3-0 win over Hamilton in the Scottish Premiership at the weekend, a problem which reportedly (as per The Scottish Sun) could see him miss the rest of the season.

Thus, with Benkovic possibly out for the remainder of the campaign, Rodgers might well be on the lookout for a centre back in the last knockings of the transfer window, with veteran Everton defender Phil Jagielka potentially the man to fill the void left by the Croatian sensation.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, 21-year-old Benkovic has been something of a revelation since making the move north of the border back in the summer, with the centre back very much nailing down a place in Rodgers’ starting eleven such have been his high-level displays for the seven-times defending league champions.

The Croatian ace, capped seven times at Under-21 level by his country, has appeared in each of Celtic’s last 15 league matches and in that time has helped the club to a staggering nine clean sheets, while he also did his bit to help the Bhoys through their Europa League group, as well as win the Scottish League Cup back in November.

Clearly then, if a recent report from The Scottish Sun is indeed correct, losing Benkovic for the rest of the campaign would be a huge blow to Rodgers and his side, which is why delving into the transfer window for someone to fill that void is an absolute must – Jagielka well could be that man.

Yes, the Englishman may well be entering the latter stages of his career at the age of 36, but there is little doubting that he still retains the quality to do a job in the heart of the backline, having done so effectively for Everton and indeed England over the years.

The defender has appeared 380 times for the Toffees following his move from Sheffield United back in 2007, while in that time he has also earned 40 England caps to underline his status as one of the country’s best centre backs in the last decade or so.

Significantly, it was only last season in which the 36-year-old appeared 25 times for the Merseysiders in the Premier League as they finished ninth under Sam Allardyce, with this term the only one in which Jagielka has fallen down the pecking order – the arrivals of Kurt Zouma and Yerry Mina have forced that upon the Englishman.

Nonetheless, recent years have underlined that Jagielka remains a hugely adept centre back who also possesses a wealth of experience that would aid many a side in the UK, not least a Celtic team facing a title challenge this season as they go in search of an eighth successive league crown.

And with Benkovic reportedly (as per The Scottish Sun) set to miss the rest of the season through injury, Rodgers would be wise to launch a move for Jagielka, who could go some way to filling the void left by the 21-year-old.

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

Leeds United still find themselves in a commanding position at this moment in time, despite their recent result, so there’s all the more reason to be positive. 

The Whites will need to be at their best if they are to get the better of Middlesbrough on Saturday, with a win or a draw taking them to the top of the table until Norwich play their game.

However, the Yorkshire club’s recent defeat at the hands of Norwich City raised a few alarm bells at Elland Road, as they looked less than convincing in front of home support.

Marcelo Bielsa only decided to bring in Kiko Casilla back in the January transfer window as a late deal for Daniel James ended up collapsing. And, it’s safe to say that missing out on targets could come back to bite the Whites from here on in until the end of the season, with injuries possibly taking their toll.

One player who Leeds United were linked with was Fulham’s Stefan Johansen, who ended up joining West Brom.

Of course, it came as a big blow for supporters when Johansen joined the Baggies, but fans can still dream of what might have been had they gone the extra mile to secure his services.

Leeds currently have the likes of Mateusz Klich, Kalvin Phillips and Adam Forshaw in the middle of midfield, with Klich being the only player that really offers something moving forward. Johansen has the ability to make a huge impact in all areas of the field, which is something that’s very hard to find, so he would have been a valuable asset.

Johansen would have lightened the load on Pablo Hernandez’s shoulders by helping create in the final third, as well as producing goals, with experience of securing promotion last year. Samu Saiz was the attacking spark that really made Leeds tick when he was at his best, so it comes as some surprise that Bielsa didn’t go all out to sign Johansen.

It’s safe to say that the Norwegian, who is valued at £3.6 million (by Transfermarkt), would’ve brought Leeds’ Premier League dream one step closer, as his skill, dribbling and ability to pick a defence-splitting pass makes him almost impossible to defend against, with Kemar Roofe thriving off balls in behind the opposition’s defence.

Leeds United fans – thoughts on whether you should have signed Johansen?

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Crystal Palace fans were fuming at Roy Hodgson for not starting Max Meyer on Saturday, but the gaffer’s post-match comments suggest the fans may finally get their wish.

Palace racked up a frankly ridiculous 25 shots against West Ham, per BBC’s stats, but found the net just once with a deflected effort from Wilfried Zaha.

While some of this was down to Lukasz Fabianski’s brilliance, the main problem was just simply terrible finishing, and none worse than James McArthur.

The 32-cap Scottish international missed an absolute sitter when he had the option of squaring it to two teammates standing in front of an open goal, and the boss is clearly not happy.

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

What’s he said?

“If you don’t miss chances, and we took every chance we got, every game would end 10-8,” he told Sky Sports.

“But I was disappointed in them. I really did think with the James McArthur one and the Michy Batshuayi one we were definitely going to score.

“Other chances we created the goalkeeper (Fabianski) was very good.”

Is it finally Meyer time?

Well, it seems harsh to single out two players in a game where the Eagles wasted tons of chances, but McArthur took a remarkable five shots, finding the target just once.

The 31 year-old’s aforementioned miss from close range was a legitimate contender for miss of the season, and Hodgson is absolutely right to criticise him.

Meyer on the other hand replaced McArthur with 12 minutes remaining, and the German playmaker’s quality on the ball was instantly evident.

The 23 year-old made two key passes and drew one foul in his short cameo, and Hodgson may have no choice but to start him from here on out after McArthur’s nightmare day at the office.

Palace fans may soon get their wish.

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Sunderland failed to take advantage of another one of their games in-hand in the League One promotion race as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Blackpool at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night, and some Black Cats fans are turning on captain George Honeyman.

The Mackems skipper started in a central role but often seemed to drift out to the right, and he had little impact in the final third for Jack Ross’ men who had to rely on defender Jack Baldwin to rescue a point against the Seasiders in the 75th minute.

It was the Wearside outfit’s 13th league draw of the campaign and left them four points adrift of second-placed Barnsley with only one fixture in-hand remaining, and it is clear that something needs to change for them in attacking areas if they are to pick up more victories.

Whether dropping Honeyman from the starting XI will ensure that happens remains to be seen, but many Sunderland supporters have made their feelings on their 24-year-old leader perfectly clear.

While one said “every time George Honeyman plays, Sunderland are effectively playing with 10 men”, another said “Honeyman is rubbish and shouldn’t even be in the 18”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

According to a report in The Times (subscription needed), Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri kept throwing money at Carlo Ancelotti until he couldn’t say no to becoming Marco Silva’s successor.

The Telegraph have reported that the 60-year-old is set to be unveiled as the Merseyside outfit’s new manager before the end of the week, but The Times suggest that the Everton hierarchy didn’t have an easy task convincing the Italian to come to Goodison Park.

The report suggests that Arsenal was the three-times Champions League winner’s preference in England, but Moshiri kept offering him more and more financial incentive until he was given no choice but to take the hot-seat.

Watch Everton vs Burnley Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

It also says that estimations that the former Chelsea boss could be paid at least £10m per year, plus hefty bonuses, could be right on the money, excuse the pun.

But is this the right decision?

It is certainly a risk for Moshiri, considering he has invested a lot of the money in the squad since arriving at Everton, and they currently lie three points above the Premier League relegation zone.

However, there is no doubt that this is an audacious appointment for the Toffees, and given the experience he has at the very top level and in competing in European football, he looks to be someone who can make a massive impact at Goodison.

How much do you really know about the Farhad Moshiri era? Answer 25 simple questions below…

This appointment is going to cost the big bucks, and Moshiri must hope that the decision pays off.

In other Everton news, a report has detailed the two Toffees players Ancelotti plans to build his team around when he takes charge…

Sunderland may have succumbed to another disappointing result against Blackpool last time out but the return from injury of Lynden Gooch offers them rekindled hope.

On the chalkboard

There is no doubt that Phil Parkinson has struggled at Sunderland with just two wins from 13 games, and though that is partly due to an inability to get the best out of his players, he has also been hindered by injuries to certain individuals.

Charlie Wyke’s goal at the weekend on just his second start under Parkinson shows what the Black Cats’ boss has missed because of his injury, and now he could also be boosted by the return of Gooch.

The winger has timed his comeback well as he can straight into the team to fill the spot vacated by Aiden McGeady, whose Sunderland career appears to be over after Parkinson took the bold step to transfer list him last week despite boasting four goals and two assists in League One this season.

Chris Maguire fulfilled the left-wing spot against the Seasiders but he lacks the pace and dynamism to cause problems on the flank, and that is where Gooch can come in handy if he rediscovers his early season form.

Watch Sunderland Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Attacking threat

The main reason behind Sunderland’s struggles under Parkinson is their weakness going forward. Will Grigg and Marc McNulty’s horrendous form means the team have scored only 14 goals in 13 games under the former Bolton boss.

With no match this weekend he has time to work with the players in training and a chance to add new attacking strategies, and with Gooch back in the set-up he now has a variety of options available.

Whose Line Is It Anyway: Roy Keane, Graeme Souness or Adrian Durham?

Gooch’s energy on the wing has been sorely missed in recent weeks, but with him and Duncan Watmore on the opposite flank Sunderland would suddenly be blessed with quick and direct players.

That can help them get up the pitch and will allow them to pressure the opponent’s final third – Gooch has shown his ability to put defenders on the back foot with 1.2 successful dribbles per game this campaign.

The minutes he got against Blackpool were useful but he now has a period of rest until Boxing Day, and he should be raring to prove himself under his new manager in order to win his spot back.

He also has four goals this term, which makes him one of Sunderland’s highest scorers despite missing eight weeks out on the sidelines, and that demonstrates both his importance to the team and the possible impact he could make on his return.

Meanwhile, many Sunderland fans finally have a reason to be excited as a popular figure has joined the board.

The second David Moyes era is up and running with a bang at West Ham United.

The Scotsman took charge of the club for the first time on New Year’s Day following a period in which he was out of football management for nearly eighteen months.

His appointment was far from a popular one but the result on Wednesday is likely to have strengthened his standing among the London Stadium faithful.

A 4-0 victory was just reward for an exciting performance from the clinical hosts, and naturally a handful of individuals were showered with praise in the aftermath of proceedings.

One of those players was creative midfielder Pablo Fornals, who has established himself as a regular in the starting XI in recent weeks.

Fans on Twitter were eager to pay tribute to his performance and didn’t hold back with their glowing praise.

It’s not been a seamless transition into English football for Fornals since completing a £24m transfer in the summer but there is evidence to suggest he has turned a corner of late.

The Spaniard didn’t score or assist in his first 12 games for the club but after a period of acclimatisation he has scored one and assisted three in his last seven fixtures.

And this fan suggested that he has begun to find some form following a difficult opening to his career in east London.

Social media is a hub for hyperbole and one comment on the 23-year-old rather epitomised that trait.

An excited supporter suggested Fornals was showing shades of Andres Iniesta against the Cherries in a relatively tongue-in-cheek assessment of the Spanish playmaker.

“Wand of a left foot”… West Ham fans were absolutely ecstatic with one man’s display against Bournemouth…

According to the Transfer Window Podcast (28:55), Tottenham Hotspur could be ready to accelerate their interest in Borussia Dortmund striker Paco Alcacer following Harry Kane’s injury setback.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the England captain suffered a hamstring injury in the defeat against Southampton on New Year’s Day, which has now been confirmed by the club to be a tear.

While they haven’t put any timescale on how long he will be out for The Guardian believe he won’t return until March, which if true leaves Spurs in a bit of trouble.

Of course, they only have 17-year-old Troy Parrott as an out-and-out centre-forward right now, although the likes of Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura would be able to play there if needed.

The Transfer Window Podcast claims that Alcacer wants to leave Dortmund following the arrival of Erling Haaland from Red Ball Salzburg, as backed up by Sky Sports, and then he could be purchased for a fee of between €25-30m (£21.3-£25.6m), or potentially even for a fee of between €750,000-€1m (£640,000-£850,000), before then covering his wages.

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

Would he be a good signing?

It’s clear that Tottenham and Jose Mourinho need someone who will guarantee them goals over the course of the next couple of months in Kane’s absence, and the signs are that the Spaniard could fit the bill.

The 26-year-old currently has 26 goals in 47 appearances in all competitions for Dortmund, while he got 15 in 50 for Barcelona previously despite the majority of his outings coming from the substitutes’ bench.

Previously he got 43 in 124 for Valencia, so he clearly does know where the goal is if the service is there for him and he is confident.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Of course the main benefit for Spurs and Daniel Levy is that they could potentially sign the man who has 12 goals in 19 caps for his country on a loan deal, which if done right they wouldn’t have to sign the player permanently if he fails to impress, or if he isn’t happy to play second fiddle to Kane when he returns.

The good thing about Alcacer too is that while he prefers to play as a centre-forward as per the Transfer Window Podcast, he has also – albeit rarely – played out wide previously during his career so could perhaps fill those spots too if needed towards the end of the campaign.

This one makes sense, and it will be interesting to see if the north London outfit try and get a deal over the line.

In other Tottenham news, Spurs fans have reacted with horror following one transfer revelation involving Daniel Levy…