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There are seemingly big plans in place to get West Ham United to the next level under Manuel Pellegrini. 

Indeed, the Hammers board must be ready to give Manuel Pellegrini more authority on transfers, as the experienced Chilean surely wants a reform to make his side challenge with the giants of the league. He’s just too big a name not to.

West Ham are looking at some really big names and, according to reports from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), are ready to pounce on Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic. The World-Cup finalist’s been linked with a Premier League move for years, but it seems the Hammers are prepared to make a real move.

It would indeed be a dream move for West Ham fans, so David Gold and David Sullivan should get straight on it.

Perisic is a world-class winger, who despite having a relatively tame season, is still capable of fairly extraordinary things. He might’ve only scored 6 goals and assisted 3 so far in Serie A, but the Croatian’s terrific work on the ball and ability to create goals is second to none.

A ludicrously hard-working wide forward, he’d bring graft and guile to the London Stadium in equal measure.

However, to convince him to come to London, the Hammers need to show big ambitions. Perhaps fixing him up with a world-class striker (possibly (as per Sky Sports) Edin Dzeko), can make him happy, as it certainly would the fans.

Undoubtedly, the 30-year-old’s trickery on the ball, excellent crossing ability on either foot and clinical goal-scoring ability can cause devastating effects in the Premier League.

Just the thought of Perisic working in tandem with Felipe Anderson, Manuel Lanzini is enough to create sparks for West Ham fans. As a hard-nosed edge alongside their flair players, the former Dortmund ace would bring another level entirely.

Yes, he’s probably past his absolute best and, with all due respect, that’s why a team such as Manchester United haven’t splashed big cash on him, but he’d certainly be a statement for the Irons.

There’s a possibility to create a world-class attacking line for the Hammers, but depends on whether they’re ambitious enough to sign an elite talent like the lethal Croatian.

West Ham fans, would you be happy with Perisic’ potential arrival this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Liverpool travel to Newcastle this evening in another crucially important fixture for The Reds. Although the Premier League is out of their hands, they need a victory to keep the pressure on Manchester City. Nothing short of a win will do at this stage of the season. Newcastle, however, will be playing with freedom knowing they have secured another season of Premier League football. It makes for an intriguing affair.  

1996 HAS to come to mind.

Virgil van Dijk was, this week, named the PFA Player of the Year and deservedly so. Still, he will come up against a formidable opponent in Fabian Schar tonight, however. Now it would be ludicrous to claim Schar can justifiably rival van Dijk in terms of ability.

But who should be regarded as the better signing? That’s more of an interesting debate.

Let’s analyse it further below.

Virgil van Dijk

Let’s start with the Player of the Year, Virgil van Dijk. The Dutchman has been simply sensational since his £75m transfer from Southampton. Where Liverpool have long been devastating in attack, their defence was fragile before his arrival. and they have subsequently transformed into an incredibly solid unit and much of that must be attributed to van Dijk.

Liverpool have conceded just 20 goals in 36 league games this season, lower than anyone other team. Van Dijk has featured in all 36 games, scoring three and assisting two. He also has an impressive 17 clean sheets to his name. Perhaps equally noticeably, van Dijk has shone in the Champions League, where he has scored two goals in nine games.

The fee must be fully justified regardless of its weight.

TT Grade: A+ Fabian Schar

What a brilliant signing Schar has turned out to be. The defender was a £3m summer acquisition, a steal for the then 26-year-old.

The Swiss has made 22 league appearances for Newcastle in the league this season and has truly become a rock at the heart of the defence. The Magpies lie 13th in the table, but have conceded just 45 goals this season. To put this into perspective, this is less than Manchester United in 6th.

Additionally, of the 45 conceded, only 18 have come while Schar has been on the pitch.

Less importantly, but also impressively, Schar has also been given a goal of the month award, for his terrific effort against Burnley. It does seem that the defender really does have it all.

TT Grade: A+

Both defenders must take the top grade, but van Dijk marginally nicks this one. Although Schar has been a genuine bargain, van Dijk has simply been immense.

He’s arguably the best centre-back in the world and has completely solidified the Liverpool defence. Still, considering the gargantuan price difference, the Magpies can count themselves lucky.

What do you think Liverpool and Newcastle fans? Was Schar as important a signing as van Dijk? Or does the Dutchman’s quality put him ahead? 

For Portsmouth to have a successful Easter two things needed to happen. They had to win both their games, and teams around them had to drop points, and both happened.

Two 2-1 wins over Burton Albion and Coventry City and Sunderland dropping points against Peterborough have set Pompey up nicely for a chance at finishing the season inside an automatic promotion spot, with the south coast side two points off second place Barnsley with a game in hand.

As well as results going their way, the performances from Portsmouth over Easter were convincing for the fans. Pompey came from behind to win both games in the final 10 minutes, with the match against Burton being won with one of the final kicks of the game, and this mentality will be vital for the team heading into the final three matches of the season.

Had Pompey not managed six points from six over the Easter weekend, the league table would tell a different story for Portsmouth, but their ability to dig deep and turn games on their head in the dying moments has not only saved their season but has kept their incredible promotion goal alive.

With Sunderland up next in a match that could define Portsmouth’s promotion chances, going into that game off the back of two comeback wins will motivate Kenny Jackett’s side greatly, especially with the Black Cats stumbling yet again in the league at a crucial time.

Portsmouth fans, will Pompey secure an automatic promotion spot? Let us know!

The last thing Leeds needs as they chase automatic promotion are injuries. The club have confirmed centre-back Pontus Jansson will be out for three weeks, but Kalvin Phillips can be the man to slot in and guide the Whites towards the Premier League.

It’s fair to say Jansson’s been key to the position Leeds find themselves in now. They had a wobble against Sheffield United but their form across the season has put them in a good place to head for promotion and the 28-year-old has been solid throughout.

Kalvin Phillips has also been influential to the Whites form, playing 34 times in defensive midfield, which is one tough job in a Marcelo Bielsa team. He’s also played centre-back 12 times, with Leeds winning nine, drawing one and lost just two.

Both Jansson and Phillips have had to defend large spaces with their team dominating play in most games, and that’s much harder than being part of a compact unit. They’re now used to coming up against attacks playing to exploit this are are better at preventing danger than they have been all season.

This defensive responsibility handed to Phillips in both roles makes him the perfect man to fit into Jansson’s spot while he’s recovering. He’s been a constant in Bielsa’s side and knows the defence and its potential weaknesses better than any bit-part player that can be brought into the frame.

His technical ability will also help Leeds pass out of tight spaces and build up attacks from the back. He’s been praised numerous times by his manager this season, so it’s clear Bielsa sees potential in him defensively, so why not allow him to dictate play while sitting in the back line.

The manager’s philosophy, ideally, has defenders spreading the ball from left to right, pushed up near the halfway line. Having Phillips there could plug the gap but also provide the back line with more on-the-ball confidence to win promotion back to the Premier League.

Leeds fans, who do you think should replace Pontus Jansson at centre-back, and why? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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The Three Lions welcome the Czech Republic to Wembley on Friday evening under rather unprecedented circumstances. International breaks are routinely greeted with disdain and frustration, but the latest hiatus from club football has provided a cathartic relief from the predictable narrative surrounding the Premier League title race.

Instead, football fans can begin to look forward to their next dose of Lightning Seeds induced carnage when England kick off their qualifying campaign for Euro 2020; the first step towards another summer of international football mania on English soil could be made on Friday evening.

The visiting side are a nation with a rich footballing history but the current generation of talent leave plenty to be desired. Unlike England, the Czech Republic have won the European Championships in the past – albeit prior to the dissolution of Czechslovakia – when they beat West Germany via a penalty shootout in 1976. Any lingering dreams of emulating that glory are firmly in the realm of fantasy; merely qualifying for the tournament would represent an achievement in itself given the strength of their squad.

Ahead of the fixture, we’ve taken a look at the history behind the fixture, a head-to-head battle and some important selection decisions Gareth Southgate could be faced with.

What History Tells Us

The head-to-head record detailed above includes all England fixtures against both the Czech Republic and Czechoslovakia. Both nations have struggled to record victory over the Three Lions throughout history, with just two wins to boast and a notable disparity in the number of goals they have managed to accumulate.

Given the calibre of the players who are available to Southgate and the history behind the fixture, it’s fair to say that the hosts are strong favourites to kick off their qualifying campaign with a morale-boosting three points.

That the Czechs are 39 places below England in the FIFA rankings speaks volumes about their standing in international football right now. The current quality of Jaroslav Silhavy’s squad is a far cry from golden era which saw Milan Baros, Pavel Nedved, Tomas Rosicky, Jan Koller and Peter Cech all star at Euro 2004.

Key Battle

Patrik Schick is the proverbial rose amongst the thorny Czech squad. If anyone is likely to cause some damage in and around the penalty area this evening then it’s the AS Roma striker.

The 23-year-old has struggled to establish himself as a first-team regular in Serie A this season but his international form reads well for the visitors. In the UEFA Nations League group stage, Schick notched three goals and underlined his capabilities to operate as a target man by winning eight aerial duels.

In the opposite corner we have the undisputed heavyweight attacker in this battle, with Harry Kane likely to spearhead a scintillating front-three. A series of impressive performances in the Nations League group stage saw him thrive as a playmaking link to connect the midfield to the attack, but that did not prevent him from scoring the priceless winner against Croatia which enabled England to top the group and secure their place at the Nations League finals this summer.

The 25-year-old only recently returned to full fitness and question marks remain over whether he is match sharp, so it will be interesting to see if a fresh-legged Schick can outshine his opposite number this evening.

England Team News

Southgate will be missing plenty of key players for the opening of the qualifying campaign. John Stones, Jesse Lingard, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez and Harry Winks, who would all be considered probable starters, have all been ruled out through injury, while the likes of Luke Shaw, Fabian Delph, Ruben Loftus-Cheek also miss out. The lengthy list of absentees has forced Southgate to draft James Ward-Prowse and Callum Hudson-Odoi into the squad this week.

One of the most intriguing selection choices will revolve around Declan Rice, who has controversially opted to become an England international despite playing friendlies for the Republic of Ireland. West Ham’s lynchpin represents a fantastic option to deploy at the base of a three man midfield behind Tottenham’s Dele Alli and Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson, and on current form nobody is more deserving of that particular role.

Marcus Rashford trained separately from the rest of the England squad on Thursday and is a major doubt for the clash, and his absence could pave the way for the insatiable Jadon Sancho to step into the starting XI, but of course England’s main goal threat will be captain Kane.

Well that was eventful, wasn’t it? The Second City derby caught the headlines for all the wrong reasons, but Jack Grealish’s winner keeps Villa on a vein of form that could make them dark horses in the race for the play-off spots.

They’ve moved from 11thto eighth with the 1-0 win against their biggest rivals, and they now sit just four points behind sixth-placed Derby County. Since Grealish’s return against the Rams last weekend, Villa have looked a revitalised team geared up for a play-off fight, and it’s hard to see who can stop them.

It wasn’t a world-beating performance on Sunday, but it didn’t have to be. It’s a derby game where any win will do, and that’ll give the squad so much confidence going into the final few pressured months of the campaign. Dean Smith will know they need to continue the run and build up momentum because otherwise, it’ll be too late

Their next game comes away at Nottingham Forest who have won their last four home games, so that’ll certainly be tough, but there’s no better way to go into it than on the back of a derby victory. This momentum is vital in the race for the play-offs and games coming thick and fast means it’s ideal for a team to pick up pace.

A club Villa’s size needs promotion soon before it has to really downscale and become a more Championship-suited business, but that’s not acceptable at Villa Park. They have a major chance now to grab the league by the horns and put themselves in a position to fight for a spot in next season’s Premier League.

They’ve proved they’re capable of putting in performances to win high-pressure games against respected sides in the division, but now it’s time to add consistency and make the step towards the play-offs they know they’re capable of.

Villa fans, where do you think the club is capable of finishing in the Championship this season? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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Loads of Sheffield Wednesday fans have been giving their verdict on their dramatic draw with Rotherham, and they are unsurprisingly full of praise for debutant Dominic Iorfa.

Sheffield Wednesday played out an incredible draw with Rotherham on Saturday afternoon, as Steve Bruce’s side snatched an equaliser in the 100th minute.

The Owls actually took the lead in the first half courtesy of star man Fernando Forestieri, before Rotherham equalised through Jon Taylor.

The Millers then took the lead when Richie Towell bagged in the second half, and if truth be told Bruce’s side did not look like scoring.

A head injury to Jordan Thorniley forced the boss to introduce Iorfa for his debut though, and the former Wolves man levelled the scores ten minutes into stoppage time, after which Forestieri was shown a second yellow card for his celebrations.

The result keeps the Owls well clear of the relegation scrap and fans are delighted with the start Iorfa has made.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

According to Football Insider, Tottenham are “primed for talks” with Norwich starlet Max Aarons.

What’s the word?

The 20-year-old has enjoyed an impressive campaign in the top-flight with the Canaries, missing just two Premier League games all season.

And now, Football Insider claim Spurs have made the England U21 international their top target to help solve their problem position at right-back, and have “laid the groundwork for a summer deal”.

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The report adds that the north Londoners made “good progress” in trying to sign Aarons, before they took the decision to furlough the club’s non-playing staff, including those involved in the recruitment process. It further suggests that Spurs will resume talks when business goes back to normal.

Solution

At just 20, Aarons could represent both the future of Spurs and England for the next decade or so.

The level of experience that he is picking up whilst playing top-flight football with Norwich means the adaptation time shouldn’t be as long as someone who may come in from abroad.

The north London side have already been burned by turning to France for Serge Aurier, what with the Ivory Coast international’s tendency to put his foot in when unnecessary.

Rated at £18m by Transfermarkt, Aarons (as well as teammate and full-back partner Jamal Lewis) was lauded as “something special” by Sky Sports pundit Andy Hinchcliffe last year, who lauded the young defender for being the archetypal modern full-back.

Spurs could pull off a major coup by swooping for this rough diamond.

Meanwhile, here are three iconic Spurs goals fans will never forget.

According to WolvesBite, Wolverhampton Wanderers are still interested in Liverpool attacker Divock Origi.

The website claims that the former Championship winners actually enquired about the Belgium international last January but were unsuccessful.

It is allegedly ‘a possibility’ that Wolves could look to sign the 24-year-old before this month’s window closes, with WolvesBite claiming he’s still on the club’s radar.

As expected, the rumour has drawn the attention of the Liverpool supporters and many have urged their club to keep hold of him.

The above stance is not a view shared by everyone, though, with others open to the idea of the attacker leaving – albeit some wanting various Wolves players in return.

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

Origi has actually only scored three Premier League goals during the current campaign, but he has not started in England’s top flight since the 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford on October 20.

Despite Origi struggling for starts in the league this season, he has been involved in eight of Liverpool’s last nine top-flight outings and therefore it would be a surprise if he were allowed to leave in the middle of the campaign.

Meanwhile, a number of Liverpool fans have been reacting to a claim that their club have turned down a loan offer for another of their attackers.

Wilfried Zaha has been a man in demand in recent years as he continues to look likely to outgrow Crystal Palace but, as Chinese outfit Dalian Yifang offer the Ivorian £44m for his services, he could finally be on his way despite the club’s desperate efforts to keep him in South London.

The 26-year-old has become talismanic for the Eagles – until a recent 1-0 win over Leicester, they had lost their last twelve games without him – and his pace, combined with his unique dribbling style and ability to take on a man make him a weapon of a winger.

The lucrative offer from the East would see the former Manchester United man rake in three-times as much as he does at Palace but, if his aim is to develop and become even better, this would be a hugely detrimental move for his career – however, it could be just what Palace need to plug some big problem areas.

With the number 11 valued at £70m plus, the Selhurst Park outfit would surely receive a huge sum if they were to let their prized asset leave and this money could be redistributed in order to solve some major problems within the side – would Palace be better off by improving the overall strength of the team rather than relying on one special player?

For instance, Palace need a number 10 – Max Meyer is a quality creator but not a natural 10 – and a striker. Say if Hodgson and co. spend £20m on each, they immediately look much stronger before they even find a replacement winger.

What do you think, Palace fans? Should the club accept an astronomical offer for Zaha if it means they would spend the cash on balancing the team better? Let us know in the poll below…