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West Brom boss Darren Moore will be reasonably happy with his squad heading into the January transfer window, but there is one addition that the 44-year-old must make.

On the chalkboard

The Baggies are currently sitting in third place in the Championship after their impressive first half of the season, although they could have moved ahead of second placed Norwich if they had beaten Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

As it was, the West Midlands side needed a 95th minute equaliser to cancel out Atdhe Nuhiu’s early goal at the Hawthorns, and the tie proved that Moore must sign a new central defender if his side are to get promoted.

Nuhiu’s goal came from some shambolic West Brom defending, and Moore clearly cannot rely on his usually lethal attack to bail out his side in every game.

The main problem

It would seem that the biggest issue is currently summer signing Kyle Bartley. The 27-year-old started alongside Craig Dawson on Saturday and after the game West Brom fans on Twitter were slating him for his performance.

The 27-year-old joined the Baggies from Swansea in the last transfer window but his performances this season have been well below par.

He has now racked up 16 Championship appearances in this campaign, but a move for a replacement in January should be the priority for Moore as no player can be carried in such a competitive division.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”365933″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts West Ham’s Best Month Ever & A Premier League First”]

West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini did little to reassure fans who were worried about Marko Arnautovic’s future at the club, after the striker reacted poorly to being substituted in just the 19th-minute of the Hammers’ 2-0 win over Birmingham in the FA Cup.

What did he say?

When quizzed on what happened between himself and the Austrian international upon his withdrawal from the game, Pellegrini said: “He felt a pain in his back at the beginning. He wanted to continue after that, but it was not good to take a risk. He played 90 minutes on Wednesday, the previous game 65 minutes, so it was important for him to be replaced.”

However, the more telling aspect of the Chilean’s post-match quotes came after he was asked if Andy Carroll – who replaced Arnautovic in the match and scored his first goal since April – and the former Stoke hitman would be at the club come the end of January.

Pellegrini answered: “I don’t know what will happen but I think both players will stay here.” Hardly reassuring to say the least.

What do his words mean?

Well, one would assume that the former Manchester City manager wouldn’t needlessly stir the pot by plunging Arnautovic’s future into question, so there must be something going on behind the scenes.

His reasons for withdrawing his star man are understandable, but the ensuing rift between the pair would suggest that there are underlying issues at bay.

Why would Pellegrini want to get the fans on his back over nothing? If he was convinced of Arnautovic’s future, he most likely would’ve just said outright that he’s going nowhere, given his importance to the side.

“I don’t know what will happen”, smacks of a man who perhaps knew the answer to the question that was being asked, but did not want to give it as it would not have gone down well with the fans.

Whatever is going on, it won’t have filled the Hammers’ supporters with much confidence.

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Tottenham fans are sweating over their chances of silverware this season following the news that their talisman, Harry Kane, will be out of action until at least early March after damaging ankle ligaments in the 1-0 loss to Manchester United.

The 25-year-old is scheduled for a return to training at the beginning of March, but his absence will have a serious impact on Spurs’ chances of a trophy – Kane will miss vital cup games in all of the Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

The England international and World Cup Golden Boot winner will have to sit out both legs of the Champions League last 16 tie against Borussia Dortmund, the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea, and the FA Cup fourth round tie against Crystal Palace – he may also miss the Carabao Cup final if Spurs make it.

Naturally, Spurs fans are petrified about what the next few months behold…

Jurgen Klopp is normally a manager that gives his players the chance to prove their worth. Whilst many players in the Liverpool squad likely wouldn’t be there if the fans had their way, like Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum, the German has persisted with them, and Henderson and Wijnaldum have arguably been two of the Reds’ best performers this season. 

However, one man that Jurgen Klopp has not given a chance to is Lazar Markovic, and now, the club are reportedly, according to the Liverpool Echo, actively seeking offers to sell the disappointing winger.

There’s no doubt about it, Markovic has been below par at Anfield, but is there an argument to suggest that he’s deserved better at Liverpool. He hasn’t been a regular at the club for years, and his current role in the squad is largely still based off of one mixed season at Anfield.

When he has been given a Liverpool chance since, he certainly has given Jurgen Klopp something to think about. In particular, his performances across the summer pre-season period were good enough, and whilst he didn’t light any fires, he certainly played like a player that is more than capable of playing a back-up role at Anfield.

Is he ever going to reach the heights of Sadio Mane or Mo Salah? That seems unlikely, but how are Liverpool to know if he doesn’t have a chance to prove it? Selling him may make sense now, but it’s a decision that Liverpool could live to regret. It’s hard to believe, but he’s still just 24-years-old, and so he’s very much still a player that is developing.

If Liverpool sell him now, and if he’s able to make his pre-season form more prominent and work hard in training, there’s no doubting that he’s still got the potential to reach the heights that Liverpool expected of him when he first moved to Anfield.

Thoughts?

West Ham might fancy a busy transfer deadline day after securing the future of Marko Arnautovic.

Speculation has raged on all month long with the Austrian international subject to significant interest from China. An unnamed club were believed to have offered upwards of £35m for the former Stoke man and his future seemed unclear. However, the forward eventually committed his long-term future to the Hammers by penning a new contract.

Arnautovic’s renewal is massive for Manuel Pellegrini who is hoping for a late charge for Europe in his remaining fixtures. Adding some more quality to the squad could prove to be vital in bringing European nights to the London Stadium.

One man Pellegrini could target is Schalke utility man – Daniel Caligiuri. Valued at £6.75m by Transfermarkt, the Italian has been one of the most consistent performers in the Bundesliga during recent seasons. Once again, the 31-year-old has been in fine form for his side, he has been a shining light in a dismal Bundesliga campaign so far.

Caligiuri would prove to be a useful option for the former Manchester City boss to have at his disposal. The former Wolfsburg man is comfortable at right-back or right wing back as well as the right of midfield. The German-born winger has helped his side’s cause with two goals and four assists so far this season and would be the ideal long-term replacement for Pablo Zabaleta on the right flank.

Luring the versatile defender to London on deadline day could prove to be a wise move by the Hammers.

West Ham fans, thoughts?

Declan Rice has been a huge success story at West Ham since he was properly integrated into the team by David Moyes, but his rise to prominence arrived around about the same time when many might have predicted Reece Oxford to break through.

Indeed, Oxford was tipped to blossom into a fantastic talent at West Ham when he impressed on his Premier League debut against Arsenal in 2015, but more than three years later he finds himself on the fringes of the senior squad.

Rice, on the other hand, has usurped Oxford as the club’s most promising talent to rise through the ranks and established himself as a vital component under Manuel Pellegrini.

Oxford’s lack of opportunities this season have prompted a series of reports linking him with a move away from the London Stadium in January, but a recent report from Sky Sports suggests that the player has made a u-turn in a bid to fight for his place at the club.

“He [Oxford] is now prepared to see out his contract until 2021 because of the politics surrounding the player and the way he has been portrayed.”

Well, that’s a turn of events which few would have predicted, but Oxford’s desire to see out his contract perhaps suggests that Pellegrini has offered some kind of assurances over his long-term future.

Either way, the indication is that Oxford has the self-belief and professional attitude to make himself a success at the club, regardless of how he has been perceived of late. The 20-year-old clearly has the technical talent and physical attributes to establish himself at the heart of West Ham’s defensive unit, but he needs a genuine opportunity to showcase his ability.

Rice was handed the right level of opportunities under Moyes and he took the chances afforded to him, giving his manager no choice but to continue utilising him in the senior squad.

Now he finds himself as a crucial member of the squad and a genuine fan-favourite – an example which both Oxford and Pellegrini must follow to facilitate the emergence of another Rice-esque success story in east London.

At just 20-years-old, Oxford still has huge scope for improvement and should be regarded as a future mainstay in West Ham’s defensive unit, and the fact he has decided to snub a loan move suggests Pellegrini could yet be the man to galvanise his career and help him to follow in Rice’s footsteps.

West Ham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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It goes without saying that Liverpool are obviously one of the best teams in England, and their achievements in reaching the final of both the Europa League and the Champions League in recent years suggests that they can be considered as one of the best in Europe.

However, as their inability to win either of those finals shows, the Reds still have gaps in their teams that prevent them from clearing that final hurdle, and weaknesses that Europe’s current elite sides will look to target.

Where do their weaknesses lie?

Jurgen Klopp’s side have arguably one of the best attacking trios in world football, with Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah causing havoc for opposition defences for what seems like almost every week of the footballing calendar.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Their midfield isn’t too shabby either, with the ever impressive Gini Wijnaldum playing a starring role alongside Fabinho, whilst Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, James Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri can also be called upon.

So, you may think this next part is a strange statement given the fact that the Reds sit atop of the Premier League clean sheet table this season with 13 to their name – however, it is in defence that the Merseyside-based team are often let down.

What’s wrong with it and how can it be solved?

When everyone is fit, the backline is fairly solid. Virgil van Dijk is obviously the main man at the back, whilst Andrew Robertson is emerging as one of, if not the best left-back in Europe. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s position at right-back is uncontested for now, so it is van Dijk’s partner at centre-back in Joe Gomez that needs upgrading.

Since arriving at the club from Charlton back in 2015, the England international has missed 505 days out through injury, which is simply astonishing.

For a player as important as him, as seen by both Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren’s struggles to replace him this season, his injury problems are too frequent for Liverpool to be able to depend on him.

It may cost a lot, perhaps even more than the world-record £75m fee spent on van Dijk, but the Reds must ensure they land Napoli colossus Kalidou Koulibaly before any of their rivals pick him up.

The Senegalese international centre-back is an unerringly dominant presence at the back, but is immeasurably composed and effective on the ball – he has the lot, and Liverpool need to sign him even if it is the only purchase they make in the summer.

Rangers are six points behind rivals Celtic in the race for the Scottish Premiership despite defeating Aberdeen last week.

The Gers closed the gap over Christmas but Brendan Rodgers’ side have been in top gear during 2019. Catching their rivals will be extremely tough but there is plenty of football still to be played which will give Steven Gerrard’s side plenty of hope. The former Liverpool captain will be hoping to take advantage of Celtic’s participation in the Europa League during the run in.

Regardless of whether they lift the title or not, no one can deny that Gerrard has made a decent start to life in management at Ibrox. The majority of his signings have proven to be inspired additions, none more so than Liverpool’s Ryan Kent.

Valued at just £1.58m by Transfermarkt, the 22-year-old was sent to Scotland by Jurgen Klopp to link up with the Anfield legend after spending half of last season with Freiburg in the Bundesliga. Despite struggling in Germany, the youngster has finally found his feet in the SPFL. Kent has impressed greatly, netting five goals and registering three assists in just 16 league appearances.

When the transfer window reopens in the summer, Gerrard should be doing all he can to make his stay at Ibrox permanent. It’s unlikely that Kent will replace Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino in the Liverpool starting eleven with Xherdan Shaqiri providing cover on the bench. The Englishman needs regular football to aid his development meaning the Reds shouldn’t stand in his way of departing Merseyside.

Kent is still developing and improving – Rangers fans may have only seen a glimpse of what the winger is truly capable of.

Rangers fans, thoughts?

Before West Ham United faced Chelsea, Pablo Fornals had been seriously underwhelming in a claret and blue shirt.

The Spain international often looked scared when he had the ball at his feet and could usually be found playing the ball backwards, searching for the safe option, rather than trying to create.

That wariness was reflected by his returns in the final third, as the 23-year-old had failed to produce a single goal or assist in 12 Premier League appearances.

It was he who got the assist for the goal against Frank Lampard’s side though, when he received the ball from Felipe Anderson and laid it off to Aaron Cresswell, who did the rest.

During those celebrations, Fornals threw his arms up in the air and looked overjoyed, as if the burden of his drought had been lifted.

At the time, FFC displayed the opinion that this could provide the Spaniard with the boost he needed to go out and express himself – it seems as though that has been the case.

Watch Crystal Palace vs West Ham Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

He has looked far more confident on the ball, going forward with it at his feet and attempting to make things happen, rather than taking the safe option.

This has paid off for both him and the team, as the creative midfielder has registered three assists from his last four games, including the one against Chelsea.

The second of those came from a well-placed dinked cross into the box against Arsenal, allowing Angelo Ogbonna to get in ahead of Granit Xhaka and head home via a deflection.

With the whole team having been underwhelming during the 2-0 loss against Wolverhampton Wanderers, he was unable to make an impact.

However, he made up for that against Southampton, when his intelligent header set up Sebastien Haller, for what turned out to be the only goal of the game.

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

Fornals has definitely undergone a transformation in recent weeks, something that will be seriously encouraging for Manuel Pellegrini and West Ham.

In other news, FFC has suggested that one West Ham man was back to his best against Southampton.

Social media can be a treacherous place for a football club should they have been on the receiving end of a bad result, however there are certain ways of being able to avoid upsetting the fanbase. But, it appears Queen Park Rangers failed to do that with their latest post.

Fans would have already been angered by the embarrassing heavy 5-3 defeat to Barnsley on Saturday afternoon (BBC), but one particular tweet would have sent many of their angry emotions into overdrive.

Indeed, there may have been a sense of expectation and, perhaps a degree of confidence that Mark Warburton’s side would be able to overcome the Championship’s rock-bottom side, especially considering the west London outfit’s recent form – however, that appeared to go out the window almost immediately after the first whistle.

The trip to Yorkshire may not have been the easiest for fans to make or the quickest in the world to do, so some would have likely wanted to have been acknowledged for making that journey to support their club.

Although QPR did that, whoever runs their social media decided to use the phrase: ‘You lot”. It’s safe to say it did not go down too well with many, if anyone, on Twitter.

Here are just some of their reactions…

QPR fans, what did you make of the performance from the club? Let us know below!