Revealed: 73% of Manchester United fans want Martial to start over Sanchez against Spurs

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Manchester United travel to Wembley Stadium to take on Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The Red Devils will arrive in good form and full of confidence having enjoyed a 100% start to life under interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. However, the clash with Mauricio Pochettino’s impressive Spurs side represents the first big test of the Norwegian’s reign at Old Trafford.

Which Man Utd got fed by Salt Bae this week? Check out the video below to find out…

In order stand any chance of overcoming their north London opponents, Solskjaer has to get his team selection right. One particular area of interest will be who takes up the left-wing berth in his starting XI.

Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez are the two most likely candidates for this role, but it is the Frenchman who is the most deserving on the basis of his form this season. Sanchez, meanwhile, has not shown his best since his January 2018 arrival from Arsenal. 

The United fans’ patience with the Chilean may be wearing thin, as our poll suggests. Of those who took part, 73% voted for the 23-year-old Martial to start over Sanchez. See the full results below.

Possible Hernández departure could plunge West Ham into crisis

According to Spanish outlet Marca, West Ham striker Javier Hernández has agreed terms with La Liga outfit Valencia. 

The Mexican had been rumoured to be leaving the London Stadium for a long time, but those rumours had died down after his game time increased during Marko Arnautović’s spell on the sidelines. Obviously, that was not enough to entice him to stay in east London.

West Ham fans will be terrified to look at the news at the moment, as there is a seemingly unending list of players that are rumoured to be leaving them. Lucas Pérez could well be leaving The Hammers this January, in search of more regular football, with La Liga outfit Real Betis looking like a potential destination. While manager Manuel Pellegrini would want to keep hold of the Spaniard, seeing as he was only bought in the summer, he would probably be willing to let him go providing he has his other options.

However, with Marko Arnautović’s departure to China looking very likely, as well as Hernández’s departure, West Ham’s season could be taking a dramatic turn for the worse. For a club that boasted an impressive squad at the beginning of the summer after a lot of spending, they could be down to the bare bones come the end of January, which will be a worry to the club.

The Hammers could potentially be left with only Pérez and Andy Carroll should they fail to sign anyone else, which will not please a lot of fans. West Ham’s season could be falling apart very quickly.

Dharmesh Sheth reveals a potential reason behind Sven Mislintat’s departure from Arsenal

Arsenal’s decision to bring Sven Mistlinat to the club at the end of 2017 was widely regarded as a major coup for the club, but after 14 months in north London he will depart in February.

Arsenal are well accustomed to high-profile departures in every sense. A list of sensational stars who have left the club, including the likes of Samir Nasri, Robin Van Persie and now Aaron Ramsey, reads longer than most supporters would care to remember.

Despite the fact Mislintat is a seldom seen figure and something of an enigmatic figure, his departure can be added to that ever increasing list.

Boasting the nickname ‘diamond eye’, Mislintat was viewed as a pivotal figure in Arsenal’s development and long-term transfer strategy, and his February departure has arrived as a bolt out the blue.

There are plenty of theories regarding exactly what has forced him out the exit door, and Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth has hinted that Arsenal’s refusal to consider him for an elevated role within the club’s hierarchy was a pertinent factor at work.

Indeed, while speaking to Sky Sports Transfer Talk podcast, Sheth revealed that former Arsenal midfielders Edu and Marc Overmars were both considered for a director of football role before Mislintat, despite the fact neither candidate is currently working at the club.

“I was told last week that the former Arsenal midfielder Edu had been offered the role.

“He is currently doing that job for that Brazil national team – there’s also talk about the former Arsenal winger Marc Overmars.

“But, it looks like Mistlinant may have been looking at that role himself and since this restructure it was obvious he wasn’t going to get that role – probably another reason why he thought my time’s up here.”

With Overmars currently working as director of football at Ajax and Edu working within the same role for the Brazil national side, it is easy to understand why other options were considered for the role before Mislintat.

Perhaps Arsenal didn’t want to rock the boat and alter the structure too dramatically, especially considering the great work Mislintat has already done in his role as head of recruitment, but that refusal to accommodate his ambition to step up into a director of football position may well come back to haunt them.

His ability to lure both Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi to the club last summer, a pair of Europe’s most promising central midfield players, underlined his credentials as one of the most eagle-eyed talent spotters in Europe.

His departure will see Arsenal lose a pivotal cog in their hierarchy, but it will also lend a fellow European rival the opportunity to profit from their inability to convince their most important figureheads to remain at the Emirates, and that could well come back to haunt them in the coming years.

Arsenal fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Newcastle fans are delighted after misfiring striker Joselu picks up an injury

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Newcastle fans have taken to Twitter in delight after it was revealed by the club’s official Twitter account that Joselu would miss the game against Manchester City through injury, as he joins a total of six first-team members in the treatment room.

The former Real Madrid attacker hurt his ankle during the recent FA Cup fourth round loss to Watford following a heavy tackle, and now joins Karl Darlow, Mohamed Diame, Ki Sung-yueng, Jonjo Shelvey and Paul Dummett on the Magpies’ injury list.

Whilst you would normally expect a fanbase to be gutted about losing a first-team member to injury, fans of the Tyneside-based club have rejoiced after the 28-year-old picked up the knock, as he isn’t a fan favourite to say the least.

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The Spanish striker has scored just three goals this season, but it is his supposed lack of mobility and work rate that has alienated the St James’ Park faithful.

Let’s take a look at how the Magpies’ supporters reacted on Twitter…

Rangers fans react to Mark Warburton’s controversial comments

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Former Rangers manager Mark Warburton has incurred the wrath of many Gers fans after his recent comments about the ambitions to land a league title at the first time of asking after returning to the Scottish top flight.

In a big interview with The Evening Times, Warburton has revealed he got the shock of his life when he walked out at Ibrox on the first day of the 2016/17 season to see a sign declaring ‘Going For 55’.

“Talk about the right message to supporters but one which lights a blue touch paper,” he said. “It should’ve been ‘Rangers are Back’ or ‘Welcome Back’ or ‘Bluenoses are Back’. Don’t put ‘Going for 55’. We still would have sold season tickets.”

Unsurprisingly, many Rangers have taken issue with his comments.

After a bright start to his time at Ibrox, Warburton left the club in acrimonious circumstances in February 2017. He has been out of work since being sacked by Nottingham Forest in December last year.

And following his comments about the first game back in the top flight at Ibrox, it would be fair to say not too many Gers fans are missing him. Here’s a look at how they reacted to his comments on social media…

Winks the future of Tottenham’s midfield after another classy showing

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Harry Winks is the future of Tottenham Hotspur’s midfield.

The England international produced another display oozing with class and patience against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League Round of 16 as Mauricio Pochettino’s men won the first leg 3-0 and placed one foot firmly in the quarter-finals.

On the chalkboard

Of course, the plaudits will all go to Jan Vertonghen for his display on a glory glory night for Spurs.

Deployed at left wing-back, Vertonghen rampaged down the flank, provided a sublime assist for Son Heung-Min’s opening goal and scored the second himself. It was, perhaps, the best performance of his career.

Fernando Llorente added a third from a Christian Eriksen corner but the contribution of Winks should not go unnoticed.

Long heralded as a star of the future, Winks appears to have come of age before our eyes and he is still only 23.

He has been involved in all six of Spurs’ Champions League games so far this season – playing 90 minutes against Barcelona at Wembley and 83 in the Camp Nou – while he has also played 23 times in the Premier League. He has come to embody Pochettino’s ethos of promoting from within and he is a player around which Spurs can build a team.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Against Dortmund, he was a study in quiet effectiveness.

Per WhoScored, Winks touched the ball a total of 88 times and played 72 total passes, with a completion rate of 93%. He completed the one dribble he attempted and made four tackles, the joint-most of any player on the pitch along with midfield partner Moussa Sissoko, defender Davinson Sanchez and Dortmund left-back Abdou Diallo.

Winks also made two interceptions and generally kept his side ticking over. There is an art to recycling possession, to take the ball in and keep it moving, and every elite team needs a metronomic presence in the middle of the park.

Against Dortmund, Winks proved he is exactly that.

Only going to get better

Winks has a remarkably high ceiling.

Spurs fans who have watched him all season are well aware of the qualities he possesses. Winks has an exceptional eye for a pass, as well as a superb range of passing. He is clean and efficient in the tackle and, while he sometimes loses the ball, he more often than not wins it back.

There is a tenacious, dogged edge to some of his midfield work but it never compromises his team-mates and he is regularly there at the sharp end, probing, looking to unlock a defence.

There has not been a player like this at Spurs in quite some time. Since the departure of Luka Modric, Spurs have been looking for a player who can make them tick, quietly going about their business in a fashion that would be sorely missed if they were ever withdrawn from the XI.

Winks is that man. He may not be on the level of Modric – the Croatian, after all, inspired his country to the World Cup final and won the Ballon d’Or this year – but the 5 foot 10 midfielder is cut from the same playmaking cloth.

The England international’s future is very bright indeed. So, too, is that of Spurs’ midfield.

Southampton fans disappointed with tactics employed in Cardiff defeat

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Southampton have slipped into the relegation zone.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team fell to a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Cardiff City on Saturday, as Neil Warnock’s men escaped from the drop zone.

As a result, Saints have dropped to 18th, level on points with 17th-placed Newcastle United but with a worse goal difference.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Rafael Benitez’s men play on Monday night, against Wolves, and could pull clear of the bottom three with a win.

Saints can perhaps count themselves unfortunate, such were the circumstances surrounding the defeat.

Sol Bamba opened the scoring at St Mary’s but Jack Stephens equalised in the first minute of injury time. Nevertheless, the Bluebirds refused to give up and Kenneth Zohore gave the Welsh side all three points in the 93rd minute.

Southampton fans, as such, were left fuming, and many have criticised the tactics employed by manager Ralph Hasenhuttl – he employed a back-five on Saturday – as they lost their first league game of the year.

Here’s a look at how Southampton fans reacted to the defeat on Twitter…

Borussia Dortmund could be a better place for Erling Haaland’s development than Man United

Erling Braut Haaland doesn’t really need much of an introduction anymore.The 19-year-old striker has already set the whole footballing stage ablaze with his performances, both in the domestic league and in Europe, battling some of the best teams in the world.At the very moment, he has a tally of 28 goals in just 22 games played across all competitions in 2019/20, and not to mention that he has netted eight in just six Champions League clashes.

Needless to say, the reported interest from many different clubs, the likes of Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund is not really a surprising turn of events. Journalist Fabrizio Romano claims four major clubs, including the above duo, have already tabled bids…

If he continues to improve like this, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that he’ll be even more spoiled for choice when the times comes to leave RB Salzburg, and the way he’s heading forward, that time might well arrive pretty soon.

But which club should he choose? Between Dortmund and Man United, the answer might be a surprising one.

While the sheer prospect of having such a talent at Old Trafford would no doubt be a rather exciting one, it feels like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer already has plenty of young starlets emerging onto the scene. Of course, Marcus Rashford leads the line with ten Premier League goals to his name and would most likely still remain their main gunman up front.

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Despite him actually being deployed on the left as well as down the centre in 2019/20, as per Transfermarkt’s database, Haaland could still be battling with the Englishman for a spot in the team.

The same can be said for Anthony Martial, who has also been Solskjaer’s pick for the centre-forward role in the ongoing campaign. And we also mustn’t forget the emergence of Mason Greenwood since the 18-year-old talent has already tallied 13 Premier League appearances with two goals to show for them.

With all of them taken into account, it feels like Haaland’s road towards an undisputed starting position – regardless of his undeniable quality – might be a rocky one, to say the least.

The Red Devils also have to take into account that the 6 ft 4 Norwegian star’s potential introduction could also put some of their current talents’ progress on hold, if he were to take their spot almost right from the bat.

There are many variables and angles to be dissected here, perhaps too many for a teenager who wants to rise to superstardom as quickly as possible.

At Dortmund, there’s a more straightforward story.

The only clear out and out striker for the team is Paco Alcacer but the former Barcelona man has been struggling with injuries in the current season so Lucien Favre has been made to patch up the squad by playing the likes of Marco Reus and Mario Gotze up front.

If Haaland is looking for more regular game time and an easier path to the starting XI – as Romano suggests – Dortmund just might be the answer to that question.

Seeing how he’s a young, up and coming player who needs to play in order to develop, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say the Bundesliga may appeal to him just a bit more.

It’s also, theoretically at least, a smaller jump than to the Premier League, Europe’s most competitive top flight. The old adage of walking before running certainly comes to mind.

Who Haaland chooses – and let’s not discount him staying with Salzburg for the time being – remains to be seen. But as things stand, Dortmund looks to be the better option, even if that does mean snubbing an arguably bigger club in United.

Meanwhile, many Spurs fans were absolutely delighted with an update on one of their big transfer targets…

Sheffield Wednesday must keep Jordan Rhodes in the shop window

Sheffield Wednesday head into the festive period firmly in playoff contention and irrespective of results this afternoon, they’ll still be in the hunt following tomorrow’s fixture with Bristol City.

The Owls then face Stoke City on Boxing Day before a run of home games against Cardiff City and Hull City. The City four-peat it seems.

So far during Garry Monk’s reign this season, the south Yorkshiremen have lost just three matches, all by a solitary goal.

And it appears as if the landscape is starting to change under his stewardship, which would certainly make a change as several players still remain at the club from previous seasons.

The club have been linked to a number of strikers in January, including Lyle Taylor, Rhian Brewster and Jonson Clarke-Harris, so it seems likely that some sort of exit in the department soon follows.

One man that could be in doubt is Jordan Rhodes, even after his recent heroics. Wednesday have a win-win situation with him if Monk plays his cards right.

The 29-year-old has been at the club for several years now, and despite being forced out on loan last season, he’s finally managed to play a string of matches in the blue and white stripes.

Three, in fact, leading to him being lauded as ‘brilliant’ by skipper Tom Lees. There’s no way you can drop a man that has just scored a hattrick, but that’s a good thing.

It means the club-record signing is put in the shop window ahead of January. The Sun journalist Alan Nixon did claim that he was heading towards an exit in order to balance the books, but his latest showing changes things somewhat.

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His performances over the next trio of games could lead to a club coming in for him next month, which will help the rebuild job that Monk has on his hands.

Rhodes’ contract expires at the end of the season too.

If a club doesn’t choose to gamble on him, then that’s just as good as the Owls will continue to call on his goalscoring exploits as their promotion push rumbles on.

And in other Hillsborough news, this man’s future at Sheffield Wednesday looks bleak amidst January transfer reports…

Leeds’ Marcelo Bielsa should hand Robbie Gotts a debut on Monday

Leeds United’s season has been centred around their chances of getting promoted to the Premier League.

Unfortunately, the Whites have been in poor form in the league lately, winning one of their last five, but luckily, they have some respite coming up as they travel to the Emirates to face Arsenal in the FA Cup.

Undoubtedly, the recent fixture congestion will have left some players in need of a rest, and that may mean that some rarely-seen players get a chance to shine against the Gunners.

Rotation needed

Leeds’ small squad alongside their big ambitions has meant that they’ve not had much of a chance to rotate this season.

It may be a shame to some, but promotion is so much more important than a cup run, so Bielsa should be thinking of switching things up against the London club in order to preserve the fitness of some of his more important players.

Of course, a win against Arsenal would be celebrated, but within the wider context of United’s season, this result is rather insignificant.

Time for Gotts

One area where Leeds may be desperate to rotate is within their midfield.

Mateusz Klich rarely gets a break as he’s started every single league game for the Whites since Bielsa took charge, and Stuart Dallas has also started every outing this season.

Adam Forshaw is still out injured and while Tyler Roberts was initially available for Leeds’ game against Preston, he missed out on the matchday squad due to not being 100 per cent against West Brom.

Therefore, Bielsa should cave in and give Robbie Gotts the platform to show what he can do.

The 20-year-old has received high praise from both his manager and Adam Forshaw in recent times, and Bielsa has previously said he feels guilty about not being able to hand the youngster a chance.

This match has relatively low stakes while it also represents a chance for him to prove himself against high-level opposition.

The Argentine won’t get a better opportunity to finally give him a senior run out, and it’s a chance he should be taking.

In other news, Leeds fans have been raving about one man’s performance against West Brom.

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