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If you are a Norwich fan, this season must be one of pure frustration.

There have been good performances, like beating Manchester United, and taking points off both Liverpool, But it has been a typical Norwich in the Premier League term, where good performances such as loosing narrowly 5-4 to Liverpool, as well as 2-2 to West Ham, have put them at risk of relegation yet again.

The Canaries currently sit in 17th, one point off safety, and in real danger of living up to their yoyo club status. For many, Norwich were lucky to beat a good Middlesbrough team in the play-off final last season, and as a lot of people predicted are struggling to beat the drop.

Although Norwich are yet to drop into the relegation zone, Newcastle and Sunderland spent well in the January transfer window in an attempt to buy their way to safety. Norwich are winless in eight matches, and if they do not improve their slide could take them further down to the bottom.

With the Norfolk side set to face four of the top five between now and the end of the season, tough times are ahead. They face table toppers Leicester City next, which could either prove to be yet another disappointing loss but also a chance to grab an unexpected, yet very important win for the Canaries.

Luckily for Norwich they still have to face their relegation rivals: Swansea, Sunderland and Newcastle. These matches come within 14 days of each other, with a meeting with Crystal Palace wedged in between.

Matches against Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Watford and possibly Manchester United are unlikely to see the Canaries get all three points. This means that,for the other games, they will need to be clinical, they will need to take full advantage of the matches to get all three points. If they don’t, then they will seriously struggle to stay up.

When you look at their past results, they have struggled against their relegation rivals, being comfortably beaten 3-0 by Bournemouth and  6-2 by a very inconsistent Newcastle. Since then they have shut up shop, being defensively sound and not conceding stupid goals (bar the Liverpool result).

But they do have experience in their ranks. Timm Klose looks to be a very good signing, as does the capture of Steven Naismith from Everton. Add that in with other talents like Redmond, Jarvis, Brady, Howson, Hoolahan and Bamford, and Norwich do appear to have a good enough side to stay in the Premier League.

It will very much be a case of taking advantage of opportunites, and if they don’t they could see themselves back in the Championship.

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Welcome to another edition of Forecasting Bad Fixtures, in which we look at which teams you should avoid picking players for our Fantasy Premier League team this week in preparation for the upcoming games.

We have already showcased the teams you SHOULD consider buying from here, so if you missed that check it out as well.

Diving straight in, the most important information for managers this week is the high number of blanks, with Arsenal’s win over Hull City in the FA Cup making no less than 10 Premier League teams missing out in Gameweek 30.

There will certainly be managers now planning ahead, as after this week’s blanks there will be an announcement on which teams will play in a Double Gameweek, making our ‘chips’ all the more relevant.

So without further ado, here are the three teams you should avoid bringing in players from this week.

Bournemouth

Bournemouth were one of the clubs expected to be relegated at the beginning of the season, but the Cherries have picked up some important points the past week with wins over Southampton and Newcastle as well as a draw against Watford.

This has seen Eddie Howes’ men rise to 14th on the table, with the likes of Charlie Daniels (4.9) and Matt Ritchie (5.3) earning some points for their managers.

However, after their game against Swansea this weekend, the fixtures toughen up with Tottenham (Away), Man City (Home), Liverpool (Home), and Chelsea (Home) on the horizon, with a breather against Aston Villa (Away) sandwiched in during Gameweek 33.

Southampton

Southampton were on a good run with six clean sheets in succession, but that all ended in the past three gameweeks, and Saints manager Ronald Koeman will be unhappy that his side were unable to beat Bournemouth and Sunderland.

Sadly for the Saints, the fixture list toughens up with Stoke (Away), Liverpool (Home), and Leicester City (Away) in their next three, making it difficult to find any suitable Fantasy Premier League assets.

Their previous unbreakable defence which consisted the likes of Fraser Forster (5.1) and Virgil van Dijk (5.7) will now be brought into question, while the attack has been quite inconsistent this term. It would be best to avoid any Southampton stars unless they hit a run of form.

Aston Villa

What else do I have to say about the Premier League dwellers, with Aston Villa rock-bottom with just 16 points and seemingly heading towards the Championship at the end of the season.

Sadly for Remi Garde, his men will face another set of difficult games in their next three, with Tottenham (Home), Swansea (Away), and Chelsea (Home) coming up next.

With the club having no other choices but to win their matches, expect Villa to attack their opponents and then get efficiently hit back on the counter. Basically means any team playing Villa in the coming weeks should definitely be considered instead.

Aston Villa have had an absolute shocker this season.

The Villa faithful have been let down time and time again both on and off the pitch, and that has resulted in two key board members resigning, one being former Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King.

And following their resignation, Gabriel Agbonlahor was pictured partying in the wake of Villa’s relegation – sealed with a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United. The striker was already on fitness watch and banned from games for two weeks, so these images did little to help his cause with the Villa fans, who have been swift, and justified, in their criticism.

Villa’s stars have been shocking and the attitude shown by a certain handful has been particularly worse than others. The surprising thing for the suffering supporters has been watching some of their bigger, more experienced names make rookie errors with the media, and with their general attitude.

From kicking chewing gum around on the side of pitch to that infamous ‘pocket tweet’, Villa’s season has been plagued with off-the-pitch blunders committed by senior stars, who should be setting a better example to the young players coming through, especially during tough times like these.

But nothing summed up Villa’s plight that Joleon Lescott’s interview after the Manchester United game. The former Manchester City man is used to winning titles and fighting for the Champions League, but his words were truly shocking, and many a football fan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Throughout the season we have given reasons for people to jump on us. It’s part of football, we have to take that on the chin. It’s a tough time at the minute. But at the back of our minds is next season to get promoted. I’m here for as long as Aston Villa want me.”

“It’s about results so regardless of how we played in patches today we are relegated … But now it’s confirmed maybe it’s a weight off the shoulders and we can give these fans what they deserve, some performances.”

If this doesn’t summarise the direction the club is heading, I don’t know what does. For a senior player who claims to be a Villa fan to speak in this way is a complete and utter joke and the supporters have every right to be angry at what is happening.

If it’s easy for the players to take relegation to the second division with one of the worst Premier League records ever ‘on the chin’ then that makes it okay, does it?

It really is one of those moments when you don’t know whether to laugh or thump your head aggressively on the table. Villa face a tough season in the Championship next year, and if these off-the-field troubles aren’t resolved, it could get worse in B6.

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Every new manager arrives at their new club with a sense of excitement, hoping that this job will be their best and most successful.

So when Jurgen Klopp arrived at Anfield with an impressive Bundesliga record, it was difficult to be sceptical about whether or not he’d be able to bring that success to the forefront of one of England’s most successful and well-supported clubs.

To start with, he was and still is an absolute hoot. Many agree that he is one of the most likeable men in football and that is difficult to contest. The Liverpool team he inherited wasn’t the strongest by any stretch of the imagination but there is still a big sense of expectation amongst Reds’ supporters. Whilst they may not expect to run away with the Premier League season after season, some silverware is always nice and Jurgen Klopp is the man that needs to provide that.

But after Liverpool’s capitulation in the Europa League final against Sevilla on Wednesday, Jurgen Klopp was the first man to stand up and take the blame. Liverpool were a little unfortunate in the final with a couple of key decisions going against them when they really needed some luck, it was their defending that let the Spaniards canter to victory in the end.

The result means there will be no European football on offer at Anfield next season, with the winners of the Europa League guaranteed a place in the Champions League. It would have been excellent if the Reds had taken the crown- it would be another notch on the bedpost, and they would boast the right to play in the best competition in Europe whilst rivals Manchester United had to settle for second best.

It is a bitter blow to Jurgen Klopp’s long-term vision at Anfield and I’m sure he would have wanted that lure of European football when it came to the transfer window this summer, too.

We’ve heard so many stories about the German this year, from his interaction with the fans to his humorous press interviews, but you must wonder how long this will be tolerated amongst the most die-hard of Liverpool supporters. An enthusiastic and absorbing manager is always great, but Klopp needs to bring definitive success to Anfield in order for his spell to be considered a successful one – it’s the trophies that count.

Worse still, he has no European football to offer potential signings and he could only bring an eighth place finish in this year’s Premier League. Yes, the squad he inherited was poor, but there was little ground-breaking across the entirety of his first eight months or so in charge. This summer will be a massive test for the German and we will see just how much the owners believe in his long-term vision.

He needs to improve his squad vastly but who he brings in this summer will define the rest of his spell on Merseyside. Get it right and he could be there a long time. Get it wrong however and those smiles could quickly be exhausted by supporters that still expect a certain level of quality.

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It looks as if the Football Association’s search for a new England manager will have to be wider than first thought with the news that early favourite Gareth Southgate has declared he is not interested in the job.

Many felt that the ex-England International would be the next man into the hot-seat after Roy Hodgson’s departure on Monday night, but we now know that is not going to be the case.

When the list of early favourites was published and Southgate was at the top of what must be said was a very uninspiring list, it didn’t really fill England fans with hope, as many felt the former centre-back would just be the ‘yes man’ that the FA would demand.

So if it isn’t to be Southgate at the England helm, then who will be the man to get the job? Some bookmakers now have Alan Pardew as favourite to take over, but for me he is far too streaky as a manager, as Newcastle and Crystal Palace fans will attest.

For Eddie Howe this opportunity has come around far too early, maybe even a decade too soon. He certainly has the hallmarks to be a future England boss but just not yet.

Does the removal of Southgate from the race now open the door for Sam Allardyce? He has long since said that British coaches don’t get a chance at the highest level and what better way to end talk of this by giving him the England job? Allardyce would have to live by the sword of his comments. Failure in the role would almost prove a point, but success could then open the floodgates for other English coaches.

Will The FA decide to opt for a foreign man at the helm? There has been a lot of clamour for Arsene Wenger, but he will not be available for the job for at least another 12 months. Can England afford to wait that long?

Perhaps England could muddle through the first few qualification games with a series of interim managers, but this isn’t an episode of ‘Have I Got News For You’, this is a place at the 2018 World Cup at stake.

Does Wenger also run the risk of making his Arsenal job untenable? What if a deal was in place and Arsenal had another season of perceived underperforming, the knives would really be out for the Frenchman then.

They could opt for his compatriot Laurent Blanc as he won’t have the complications of bring tied to a club. Yes he may have won a litany of trophies at Paris Saint-Germain, ye, not to discredit him, any coach worth their salt could win Ligue 1 with that squad.

If punditry was an interview then Slaven Bilic would have already been appointed by now. Unfortunately for England both he and his West Ham employers have said that the former Croatia manager is not interested. Is there any way to change his mind?

The race for the England job has lost the bookies’ favourite, but if anything it has now blown the field wide open. It’s going to be a very interesting few weeks before we find out who is the winner.

This article was submitted via our Write For Us feature. Think you can do better? Submit your own article via the link below, and give yourself the chance of winning monthly cash prizes…

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With the news that Steve Bruce has resigned as Hull City manager on Friday it has left their preparations for this upcoming season in the Premier League in the worst possible shape, and the question is who will be the man to come in and steady the ship?

The club could almost not have been left in a worse state with there now only being 13 fit players on the books. Players seem to be dropping like flies and the news that Michael Dawson is now ruled out for three months would have been met with a collective sigh by Hull fans.

You get the feeling that for Bruce it was England or bust. I’m not saying the injury crisis was the sole reason as to why he left, but it certainly magnified that he was not backed in the transfer market to get reinforcements.

That added to the backdrop of rumours of the sale of the club and you can begin to understand why Bruce was heading for the exit door one way or another. Getting the England job would have been the perfect way for him to depart, but now that exit is not so glamorous.

Speaking of glamorous, it’s not quite a word you would describe with this new managerial vacancy. Whoever takes over will inherit a threadbare squad and one beset by backroom turmoil, so whoever comes in is certainly going to have his work cut out.

The big question is who is that man going to be?. The bookmakers have former Everton manager Roberto Martinez pegged down as the early favourite. He certainly comes with a lot of Premier League experience and more importantly that of working with sides at the lower end of the table such was his time at Wigan Athletic.

That said his stock isn’t at a particular high after his sacking from Everton at the tail end of last season. Once again a Martinez side showed defensive weaknesses and it was those weaknesses at the back which ultimately did for Wigan after many great escapes. If the Spaniard was to take the job you do have to wonder if he would have finally learned from all those previous mistakes.

If it’s not to be Martinez then former England manager Steve McClaren is another name touted, for McClaren the next job he takes is going to be very important as he’s had a number of failures now and you would imagine that one more spell in charge that doesn’t live up to expectations and he will be somewhat of a busted flush.

After that the reading doesn’t look all that inspiring if you were a Hull fan. The contenders have a very Manchester United flavour with names such as Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane and Mike Phelan being linked with carrying on the Manchester-Hull connection. Whether that happens or not though remains to be seen.

Another man in the frame is Neil Warnock. He decided not to renew his contract at Rotherham after keeping up last season and at his age you do have to wonder if he has the appetite for another season and ultimately another relegation battle.

So the smart money would be on Martinez taking over from Steve Bruce, it wouldn’t be the worst appointment in the world but if you are a Hull fan then you would have every right in thinking that this season is going to be a very long one.

This article was submitted via our Write For Us feature. Think you can do better? Submit your own article via the link below, and give yourself the chance of winning monthly cash prizes…

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Football’s worst kept secret and perhaps the dullest, drawn out saga of the summer maybe set to reach a conclusion very shortly to everyone’s relief.

A figure of £112m, which has been reported by various outlets, has been rightly derided by many, including ex-United players, as the French midfielder looks likely to return to a club that let him go for nothing years ago.

A lot has changed in the life of Paul Pogba since then and the player is about to find a media circus upon him in, wanted or not.

There are many United fans who will be delighted the French midfielder looks set to be turning out at Old Trafford, whilst others will argue that this transfer shows just how much common sense has disappeared from the transfer market.

We look at both sides of the argument in what is certain to be the most high profile move of the summer…

PROS

Potential: There can be no doubting that the 23-year-old has the ability to go on and become one of the worlds top players, and seems ideally built for the unique demands of The Premier League. A return of 16 assists and 10 goals in 49 appearances for Juventus last season, demonstrates the leggy midfielders ability to find the net and create. Any of the top teams in Europe would take Pogba in their squad and for a player that seems like he’s still finding his best position, the signs look good.

Positions: Central and left side midfield were the two positions that Pogba occupied in his time in Turin, with much distinction. Under Massimo Allegri, he played in both a holding and advanced role at different times, based on the requirements if the team. Such versatility will surely be an asset to Mourinho, who will set-up based in the requirements of each game.

Commercial value: Make no mistake, United’s commercial machine will go into overdrive to make Pogba a superstar. Shirt sales, ads, endorsement deals will all be a feature if this deal as The Old Trafford club look to get the best value for money out the deal. Mino Raiola must be sweating at the thought.

CONS

The Fee: It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out this one. Whilst Pogba is immensely talented a total fee of £112 Million all-in seems nigh on impossible to justify. Looking at the most expensive transfers to date – Higuain, Bale, Ronaldo – the one thing all this players guaranteed was goals by the bucketload. Pogba could even be utilised by Mourinho in a holding role, so a 20-goal season isn’t beckoning. Even the most die-hard United fans won’t argue with this point.

Not United’s Main Concern: Most Red Devils were asleep by half-time as they became used to the monotony of a 0-0 half time score under Van Gaal. ‘Attack,Attack,Attack’ they cried, desperate to see a creative player light up their afternoon. If we’re shopping for French midfielders then surely Dmitri Payet should have been the first port of call to fill that role? For all his talents, eye of the needle passes and beating defenders doesn’t really appear on Pogba’s resume.

Unproven In Premier League: A charge that could be levelled at many a player whose gone on to become a resounding success. None the less, Fergie believed it was worth the risk letting the player walk out of Carrington and it’s been in a lower standard Serie A that Pogba has made a name. There’s a temptation to mention cold nights in Staffordshire, but that would just be lazy.

If United win the league, all this will be forgotten as no club could argue they’ve bought it as home grown quotas continue to decline. An unsuccessful season and opposition fans will revel in the ‘How Much’ questions.

This article was submitted via our Write For Us feature. Think you can do better? Submit your own article via the link below, and give yourself the chance of winning monthly cash prizes…

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Joe Hart became the first English keeper to sign for a Serie A club since the inception of the league as he signed a year long loan deal with Torino on transfer Deadline Day.

The move came after Hart was isolated by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City at the beginning of the Premier League season, being chosen behind last season’s No.2 Willy Caballero – and his position in the new manager’s plans became blatant after Guardiola began talks with Barcelona keeper Claudio Bravo over a move to the Etihad.

Bravo joined, and hence the path for Hart was clear; leave in search of first team football. Once knowledge had spread of his availability, a host of Premier League and European clubs came calling for England’s No.1 as they looked to find themselves a Deadline Day bargain.

It was Italy the 29-year-old opted for, with the Englishman now set to make his debut for the club away to Atlanta this coming Sunday.

We think letting go of Hart was a disaster move for Pep, for more reasons than you could imagine. Here are five…

A signal of intent

To come into a club and specifically isolate one the clubs most solid figures of the past decade or so is a big and bold move.

And to say it was based on his performances at Euro 2016 is absurd, as Raheem Sterling would have received the same treatment too.

Such a brash move suggests Guardiola is ruthless with who he wants and does not want at the club, and that is not a healthy environment to be in for both the big figures, youngsters or even the staff at the club.

A City legend

Hart will go down in the Manchester City history books and he was the ‘keeper that guided them through their golden era of Premier League success after so long without tasting it.

Adored by the fans, his exit will not sit well with many, and we shouldn’t be surprised if Pep is to know about it come the first game at the Etihad since his departure.

Caballero? Really?

Before Caballero basically single handedly won City the League Cup last year by saving three penalties in the shoot-out at Wembley, the sight of the veteran keeper was the stuff of nightmares for many City fans.

Caballero conceded no less than 11 goals in his first three appearances against Premier League opposition and was hence utilised more not than often for the remainder of the season.

Bravo

As mentioned, former Malaga man Caballero had a tad bit of trouble adapting to the Premier League, which does not bode well for new man Claudio Bravo, who also made the switch from La Liga to the Premier League.

Having played in one league for so long, the swap can be a difficult one, so Bravo will undoubtedly need time to adjust, which leaves Pep with two relatively un-seasoned Premier League keepers.

Where’s the Future?

Caballero is 34, and Bravo is 33. That is a whole five and four years older than 29-year-old Joe Hart, so where does the future of Manchester City’s number one lie?

Neither of the aforementioned are likely to be able to lead the line for years to come, and if Joe Hart goes on to improve from playing abroad, as many expect him too, who will say he wont to come back to City with Guardiola in charge given the appalling way he was treated this summer?

It’s almost time to lock in your FPL team for game week 8 but, if you’re like me, there are still some huge decision to be made.

Does Zlatan Ibrahimovic stay or does he go? Should I gamble on captaining Aguero given his record in GW8 over the years? Is it worth taking a gamble on an inform Christian Benteke?

It’s Benteke who actually got me thinking earlier in the week. The striker banged in a hat-trick for Belgium and has three goals in his last four Premier League fixtures for Palace. Surely he’s worth a punt, perhaps even a replacement for the misfiring and very expensive Zlatan?

I took that conversation on to our weekly slot on FanTV earlier this week to discuss why bringing Benteke in is worth considering, and I compared him with Zlatan and Aguero, the two most sought after strikers on the game…

I also touched upon the importance of looking at average points per 90 minutes, as this is where real value can be had when making your transfers.

Instead of just trying to crowbar big names or seemingly high scoring form players in your team just because everyone else is doing it, sometimes it’s worth looking about for some value in the players who aren’t owned by many other FPL teams, but still return a good points per 90 average.

And you can’t get better value at the moment than Juan Mata…

As you can see, he is only owned by 2.5% of FPL teams but he’s still averaging just under seven points per 90 minutes. That’s really, really good value!

So what the video below to listen to my weekly fantasy football tips on FanTV. Want to have your say? Then make sure you comment below…

Aston Villa have enjoyed a fine rise under Steve Bruce, standing unbeaten in his five matches in charge, and the fans are looking forward to a push towards promotion moving forward.

A lot of work still needs to be done though, as Villa currently sit five points behind Leeds United in sixth-placed, and in such a competitive league clubs need all the help they can get- and Villa fans are debating whether that statement applies to Joey Barton.

Sky Sources reported yesterday that the former England international has agreed a mutual termination to his contract with Rangers, which would make Barton available on a free transfer, leading Villa fans to discuss the possibility of his signature.

Barton, a controversial figure, helped Burnley earn promotion to the Premier League last season and is reportedly on Steve Bruce’s radar but many Villa fans aren’t too happy to see the 34-year-old linked with a move to Villa Park.