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Manchester United are now officially done with their pre-season challenges in Australia.

After winning both of their pre-season matches in the Land Down Under, the Red Devils have set off for Singapore, where they will face Inter Milan on July 20th.

Still, seeing how they’ve spent a lot of time on the WACA Ground in Perth, the United squad just couldn’t resist playing some cricket and paying homage to England’s incredible World Cup-winning run earlier this summer.

The whole squad took part in it, and even Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was seen with a bat in his hands.

Jesse Lingard took to Instagram to share the video with the fans as the Red Devils switched sports for a short while.

This effectively represented Manchester United’s farewell to Australia and the great stadium that hosted them in their first pre-season games.

But the journey is far from being over and the Red Devils still have a way to go before the new Premier League season kicks off in early August.

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According to Le Foot, via Sports Witness, Aston Villa are interested in signing Nantes attacker Valentin Rongier in this summer’s transfer window.

The report is actually based around Lyon’s interest in Rongier but Villa – and Southampton – have also been mentioned when it comes to the 24-year-old.

The midfielder has just come off the back of a decent season for Nantes – scoring four times and contributing seven assists in 43 appearances in all competitions.

Rongier has a contract with his Ligue 1 side until the summer of 2022 but could be leaving ahead of the 2019-20 campaign in search of pastures new.

It is expected to be a fairly busy summer transfer window for Villa as they prepare for life back in the Premier League.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

And it would be fair to say that the club’s supporters are keen for their team to move for Rongier in this summer’s transfer window.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Manchester United are still in the hunt for Aaron Wan-Bissaka but fans don’t understand why the deal hasn’t been completed already.

The Daily Mail reported on Saturday that United officials have been locked in talks with Crystal Palace recently in an effort to secure a deal for the full-back.

Could United be in the hunt for an £85m blockbuster signing this summer? Check out the video below…

The paper reckon that the Old Trafford side are on the brink of concluding a £42.5m deal that will have significant add-ons attached.

Wan-Bissaka had a breakthrough year at Palace last season, making 35 Premier League appearances, impressing with his athletic and ambitious forward play as well as his robust defending – only Wilfred Ndidi and Idrissa Gueye made more successful tackles than him in the top flight in 2018/19.

With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hoping to usher in a new successful era at Old Trafford, the 21-year-old has the potential to breathe new life into the Red Devils’ play on the right flank.

Man United fans don’t understand why the transfer pursuit has turned into something of an extended saga, taking to Twitter this weekend to share their thoughts on the report…

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John Obi Mikel is not known for his goal-scoring but in Middlesbrough’s 2-1 win over Rotherham on Sunday he scored his first goal in English football for five years.

The goal itself was a fine left-footed strike from the penalty spot that flew into the roof of the net and the Nigerian captain looked to be sending his new team to the playoffs.

Sadly, however, Derby beat West Brom 3-1 which meant that they finished sixth and Boro seventh. In truth Boro made very hard work for themselves when they lost six in a row between March and April.

Form though picked up in recent weeks, winning five out of their last six, and Derby drawing with Swansea City in midweek gave the Teesiders hope that they would make the playoffs.

For a period of time they were finishing sixth, after Stefan Johansen had equalised for the Baggies at Pride Park, but Derby scored a quickfire double. They will now play Leeds in the playoffs.

Boro were disappointing for most of the season but Mikel proved to be an inspired signing as his vast experience and calmness on the ball steadied the midfield.

Middlesbrough fans may not want Tony Pulis to stay but they certainly want the 6 foot 2 midfielder to, with his contract due to expire at the end of the season.

One fan said “Don’t go John” whilst another added “Sign him up.”

See the best of the Boro fans’ reactions down below.

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Tottenham take on West Ham this weekend in a game which could have major implications for the hosts in terms of their top four ambitions.

Mauricio Pochettino comes into this game with one eye on Ajax in midweek, so his full focus may not be on the Hammers. With this in mind, the fact they take on a side with nothing to play for should be beneficial for the Lilywhites.

Spurs currently sit in third place and can take a major step to securing Champions League football this weekend. They’re three points above Chelsea in fourth and four above north London rivals Arsenal.

West Ham, on the other hand, sit in 11th place and come into this clash having failed to win any of their last four.

What history tells us

Tottenham are unbeaten in their last three matches against the Hammers so recent omens bode well for Pochettino and his side. West Ham have only beaten them twice in their last nine meetings.

The reverse fixture between the two this term saw Spurs win 1-0 back in October, with Erik Lamela’s header being the difference at the London Stadium.

West Ham’s last win over their London rivals came towards the back end of the 2016/17 season when Manuel Lanzini popped up to earn the Hammers all three points in another 1-0 between the two teams.

The Irons haven’t beaten Spurs at home since 2013. Two of the scorers on that day were Ricardo Vaz Te and Ravel Morrison who found the back of the net in a 3-0 victory. Winston Reid had earlier opened the scoring.

Key battle

Both players have been standouts for their respective clubs this season and Heung-Min Son can find himself pretty unfortunate not to have been named in the PFA Team of the Year.

The South Korean has had a stellar season in front of goal and has matched Harry Kane in terms of performance for much of the campaign.

Felipe Anderson has also been superb for West Ham. The Hammers were lacking in creativity when Dimitri Payet left but he’s been able to banish any memories supporters still had of the Frenchman.

The summer signing from Lazio has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water.

Ref in focus – Anthony Taylor

Anthony Taylor has cemented himself as one of the better referees in the Premier League but West Ham fans will have every reason to be fearful with the official witnessing just 17% of visiting teams win when he’s been in charge.

Taylor’s stats suggest there could be a number of stoppages as the referee sits quite high up in terms of the number of fouls per game and fouls per tackle he awards when compared to the Premier League’s other referees.

However, he hasn’t shown anyone a red card since December when he took charge of a Champions League fixture between Victoria Plzen and Roma.

Team news

Both teams come into this one with injury issues. The main one for Spurs is, of course, Kane. There will also be a significant gap left in midfield with Moussa Sissoko missing while Serge Aurier has been ruled out as well.

With Spurs’ Champions League game in mind, Kyle Walker-Peters could start at right-back whilst Eric Dier could feature in midfield amid doubts over the fitness of Harry Winks.

This type of fixture could be tailor-made for Fernando Llorente though, and he may take his place alongside Son in attack – leaving Lucas Moura rested for the Ajax clash.

West Ham will be sweating over the fitness of four players with Manuel Lanzini, Aaron Cresswell, Samir Nasri and Javier Hernandez all doubts.

There will be a significant void left in the Hammers team and as a result, they could be left relying on Michail Antonio again who shone against Leicester last weekend.

With Cresswell a doubt, Masuaku is set to continue at left-back, but we’re anticipating Ryan Fredericks will be brought in to try and combat Son’s sheer pace, while Issa Diop could be given the nod over Angelo Ogbonna to reinstate what has been West Ham’s only convincing centre-back partnership this season.

The visitors have struggled to find goals from their front men this term but the enigmatic Marko Arnautovic will likely keep his place. He usually turns up for the big games.

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Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor has claimed in the Daily Record ahead of the last Old Firm derby of the season on Sunday, that the corresponding 1-0 defeat at Ibrox back in December was the first time in two-and-a-half or three years that the Bhoys players didn’t turn up in a big game.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Scotland international has been speaking ahead of his side’s trip across Glasgow at the weekend, with both teams looking to put down an early statement ahead of next season with the title already tied up.

Former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers suffered his first derby defeat in 13 attempts on that day at the end of 2018, in what was a poor display by the visitors – they had goalkeeper Craig Gordon to thank for keeping the score down.

Controversial. Uncompromising. Leader. C’mon the Hoops’ Keith talks the future of Celtic’s evergreen captain Scott Brown in the video below…

McGregor has been speaking about that day, telling the Daily Record:

“I think the game at Ibrox was the one time in a two-and-a-half or three-year period when the boys didn’t turn up in a big match.”

How can his comments be interpreted?

Firstly, he appears to be backing up his teammates with many thinking this has been a below-par season for Celtic despite the fact that they remain on course for the treble-treble.

Secondly, his words suggest that the Bhoys aren’t used to failing to turn up on the big occasions, and that history isn’t going to repeat itself again at Ibrox on Sunday with the previous trip a one-off.

It will certainly be an interesting encounter given Rangers will be motivated and wanting to end their season on a high, while Neil Lennon’s men will be keen to prove why they are the deserved champions.

It is hard to call how things pan out on Sunday – and whether both sides can keep 11 men on the pitch – but you can bet your bottom dollar that the visitors won’t be anywhere near as bad as they were on that December afternoon last year.

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been running the rule over their win in Portugal, and they’re really not happy with the form of Georginio Wijnaldum.

Liverpool swept Porto aside on Wednesday night, cruising into the last four of the Champions League, where the Reds will face Barcelona.

It wasn’t all plain sailing for Jurgen Klopp’s side though, and in the first half it was only poor finishing from the hosts and safe goalkeeping from Alisson that kept the score at 0-0.

Sadio Mane then opened the scoring with a sucker punch at the other end, and Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Virgil van Dijk rounded out the 4-1 rout after the break.

Despite the second half cascade of goals and progression to the semi-final of the biggest club competition in the world, plenty of fans have found something to moan about.

Wijnaldum, who arrived from Newcastle in 2016, was one of the most crucial and perhaps underrated players in this Liverpool side not too long ago, but has lost his place due to the fantastic form of Naby Keita and Jordan Henderson.

The Dutchman got the nod at the Estadio do Dragao, and the Twitter reactions down below will tell you exactly what the Anfield faithful thought of his showing…

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Sheffield United forward David McGoldrick has said that he is desperate to help the Blades secure promotion to the Premier League for the 2019-2020 campaign.

McGoldrick arrived at Bramall Lane last summer after his contract with Ipswich Town had expired.

The 31-year-old has conceded that he became ‘a bit too comfortable at Ipswich’ due to the fact that the Tractor Boys were not pushing for promotion.

Now with Sheffield United, McGoldrick has scored an impressive 12 times in 37 appearances during the 2018-19 campaign.

And the six-time Republic of Ireland international has revealed how desperate he is to help Chris Wilder’s side secure promotion from the Championship this season.

East Anglian Daily Times quotes McGoldrick as saying:

“I believe I had lost my way a bit. I don’t think you realise it until you’re in that sort of situation. I maybe got a bit too comfortable at Ipswich, although I loved my time there.

“But we were mid-table every week and there was no big expectations to go out there and win every game, like there is at Sheffield United at the moment.

“I never wanted to stop playing football. I wanted to be back doing it every day and scoring goals. I want to get promoted with Sheffield United and keep going.”

Sheffield United have won each of their last three in the Championship, including a 1-0 victory over fellow automatic promotion challengers Leeds United last time out.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

The Blades are currently second in the table, four points off leaders Norwich City.

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Fernandinho made his return to action against Fulham on Saturday lunchtime and what perfect timing for Manchester City ahead of an intense run of fixtures in April. The Brazilian enforcer has been sidelined since the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea and his presence has been sorely missed.

Much has been made of the lack of reliable alternatives in the incredibly complicated midfield anchor role plays at City, and with the summer transfer window just months away Football FanCast writers have been discussing who Pep Guardiola should target to both ease the short term burden on his shoulders and eventually replace him in the starting XI.

Plenty of names have been touted in the media in recent months, and it seems our writers are divided on this one…

Harry Elnaugh

“I think Declan Rice can certainly play that role well. He is only 20 and so has plenty of room for growth – he is surely the next logical replacement now that Frenkie De Jong has agreed to join Barcelona. The West Ham man is very different in style to the aforementioned Dutchman, but is far more physical and his passing game is surprisingly solid. If Pep Guardiola can teach him the dark arts which have made Fernandinho such a lynchpin in the side then Rice will be a great buy.”

James Beavis

“For me it’s Tanguy Ndombele. The Lyon midfielder has it all and would be a better signing than Declan Rice. Not only does he have the strength and defensive abilities to play a defensively-minded role, but he is also an improvement on Fernandinho when it comes to distributing the ball because of the technical qualities he possesses. If Pep Guardiola wants a defensive midfielder who can dominate at the Etihad for years to come, he needs to open up the chequebook for the 22-year-old.”

Billy Myers

“Manchester City need someone strong in the tackle, extremely fit and also someone who is a composed, effective passer of the ball. For me, the Citizens’ dream Fernandinho replacement should be Declan Rice, a man 13 years younger than the Brazilian midfielder and a player who has an enormous ceiling for improvement – what is scary is that the England international is already one hell of a player. He will cost a fair bit, but he will also help improve the reigning Premier League champions’ homegrown quota.”

Ben Goodwin

“Lucas Torreira. Bit out of left-field this one, but linked names like Saul Niguez and Tanguy Ndombele would be a massive risk for Pep Guardiola, because no matter how well they perform in other leagues there is no guarantee it translates to the Premier League. Torreira meanwhile has excelled in his debut season with Arsenal, and from passing to tackling his stats right across the board are almost identical to Fernandinho’s. The Gunners won’t want to lose him, but they didn’t want to lose Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri or Bacary Sagna either. The champions should test Arsenal’s resolve with a big bid this summer.”

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Rangers moved into the transfer market to sign Glen Kamara from Dundee at the end of the January window, and it’s fair to say the new acquisition has made an instant impact at the club.

The 9-cap Finland international’s reputation has been snowballing since the moment he set foot in Glasgow, but his reputation culminated last night when he notched his first goal for the club.

Kamara was an outstanding performer at Ibrox in a domineering 4-0 win over his former club. He set the tone for a fine evening by bagging the opener after just four minutes with a well cushioned volley.

In the aftermath of proceedings, Kamara took to Twitter to galvanise the supporters during this rich vein of form and cited his delight at scoring his first goal for the club.

The supporters responded to the post with gushing admiration, with suggestions that he could become a future captain or club legend firmly a part of the discussion.

It may well be early days in his career but it appears that the 23-year-old is well on his way to establishing himself as a firm fan-favourite.

Here’s what the Gers faithful had to say in response to Kamara’s Twitter post…