Sunday proved to be a special day for Aston Villa as Steve Bruce’s side recorded a 2-0 win over their bitter rivals Birmingham City at Villa Park.
Not only was it an important win in terms of the bragging rights, the success saw Villa moved into second position in the Championship table.
Bruce’s side have now won each of their last seven league fixtures during a storming run of form, and they look well placed to secure a return to the Premier League this season.
One of those that particularly impressed on the afternoon was Ahmed Elmohamady, with the 30-year-old a constant threat down the right.
The defender joined Villa from Hull City last summer, and he has registered five assists in 29 Championship appearances during the 2017-18 campaign.
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Not much was made of Elmohamady’s switch to Villa Park last summer, but there is no question that he has been key in the team’s recent push up the table.
The Villa fans have been absolutely delighted with the Egyptian’s form, and a selection of the Twitter reaction can be found below:
The empire that Sir Alex built is crumbling; an ageing squad coupled with a misdirected approach to management has seen Manchester United toppled from their throne and condemned to the ignominy of Premier League mid-table mediocrity.
David Moyes may be the ‘Chosen One’ but of late he is proving himself to be the ‘Incompetent One’ as well.
The Scot was faced with the tallest of tasks when joining the Champions last summer, but to date his naïve approach has only done further harm to a club desperately in need of a rebuild. His acquisitions haven’t exactly helped things either; both Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata look to be ill-fitting parts in a creaking United machine. Moyes’ United side are neither resilient nor cavalier, they are unable to form a cohesive attacking unit while also being pretty susceptible at the back. It is hardly surprising therefore that the boo boys are out in force baying for his head.
Yet it isn’t just Moyes that ought to be battening down the hatches at United, a former great and club legend is also facing the wrath of supporters. Targeted for his appointment of Moyes, Ferguson is also the focus of an astonishing barrage of hatred.
This is the man that delivered them 38 trophies in 26 years, including 13 league titles and a couple of European Cup victories to boot. Arguably the greatest manager of all time and a living legend, surely he deserves a little more respect from the fans that he gave his life to?
Legendary status doesn’t make you untouchable. Whilst criticisms of a man that achieved so much seem a little tasteless, many of the grievances are actually justified.
United’s grip on the English game was fading alongside Sir Alex’s tenure, the final Premier League crown was won on borrowed time with an ageing squad readied for one last hurrah under their soon to be departing leader. There was no legacy at United, no real preparation for an era after Ferguson. This was a squad capable of one last great season held together by the aura and reputation of the great man himself.
Retirement planning for Ferguson focused on racehorses and red wine, not Manchester United.
The conspiracy theorists may argue that this was all a ploy by Ferguson to cement his era as the greatest of all; I’d like to think he is a little better than that personally. But clearly there was no great effort over the last few years to ensure this transition was a smooth one.
Should we just blame Sir Alex?
It would be harsh to lay all the blame on the great man himself. Clearly the board have a lot to answer for, allowing a club of such stature to fall so far in such little time is pitiful. But I didn’t expect any less from the Glazer’s, a family yet to really grasp what football means, what is needed for a club like Manchester United to thrive. You can accuse Moyes of being naïve but the United board are even worse for failing to realise the enormity of the task the club faced.
David Moyes’ managerial appointment isn’t the main issue at United, you would struggle to find a manager that would be able to succeed in such a short space of time with the resources he has had available to him. Fans may have wanted Mourinho or Guardiola, but really what would they have done so differently? Sure Moyes has made mistakes, but these aren’t actions alone that explain United’s dramatic fall from grace. The hand had already been dealt last summer and from then on in the task was largely a hopeless one.
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Criticising Ferguson seems ungracious and even a little conceited; but it shouldn’t be. The Scot left the club in the lurch last summer, and weighed upon his so called chosen son an unachievable and somewhat thankless task.
The issues at United go beyond David Moyes’ door and in some ways it is good that fans are starting to realise this.
Ferguson is far from infallible, and even his reputation shouldn’t deflect from the mess he left United in last summer.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has confessed that his team need to be more ruthless following their shock Premier League defeat to Norwich.
The Gunners face German opposition in the shape of Schalke during today’s Champions League encounter and will be looking to build on their two wins so far.
The Frenchman believes that if his players are to succeed they must follow the examples set by Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker and become ‘more German’.
Wenger hailed the pair as good professionals and likened their influence to that of former goalkeeper Jens Lehmann:
“The Germans are usually very professional and always ready to work hard,” Wenger is quoted as saying by The Express.
“We had good experiences with the German players we had before and they have a very strong team attitude.
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“They are qualities that are welcome at the top level. You need to bring it all to a team. Your talent is not enough.”
The North Londoners currently lead Group B with six points and know that victory against the Bundesliga team will give them a good chance of reaching the last 16.
West Ham are looking to re-sign Joao Mario from Internazionale on a permanent deal, according to trusted source ExWHUEmployee.
What’s the story?
Joao Mario joined West Ham on loan in January and went on to make 13 appearances for the Hammers, scoring twice and making one assist.
The 25-year-old impressed during his spell at the London Stadium and Inter have told West Ham they will accept £25million for the midfielder, according to the report.
ExWHUEmployee says that Pellegrini is weighing up the transfer but he could be a useful replacement for Manuel Lanzini who is set to be ruled out for the season with an injury.
Is he worth it?
While £25million is below the initial £37million buyout clause during his loan, it is still a hefty sum for West Ham to spend.
However, Mario did impress West Ham fans with his work rate last season, and having had a taster of the Premier League, you would expect him to press on and provide even more for the team.
He doesn’t offer the same attacking outlet as Lanzini but he would be a very useful addition to the team.
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It is worth remembering that he signed for Inter for £36million only two years ago and was considered one of the hottest prospects in Europe, so West Ham would be wise to snap him up if they can.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”253217″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch The FM18 Two Minute Challenge Pellegrini at West Ham”]
Everton plan to keep hold of young forward Shani Tarashaj rather than send him on loan for the rest of the season, according to the Liverpool Echo.
What’s the word?
The 22-year-old has been part of the Merseyside club since January 2016 when he joined from Swiss club Grasshoppers.
The forward has struggled to break into the first team at Goodison Park, which resulted in a loan deal with Eintracht Frankfurt at the start of the season.
Tarashaj, though, was forced to return to Everton early due to a knee injury.
The youngster has since returned to fitness, but according to the Liverpool Echo, the Toffees will not loan him out again for the remainder of the campaign.
Is this a good idea?
From the club’s point of view, it is always helpful to have a full squad to choose from, particularly in Everton’s situation given that they are on a seven-game winless run.
However, Tarashaj does not have the experience to be thrown into the fold and it seems unlikely that he would get many minutes anyway.
The Swiss player is going to struggle to compete with new signings Cenk Tosun and Theo Walcott.
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For all parties, it would have been beneficial for the young attacker to be loaned out in order to gain more first-team experience.
West Ham midfielder Ravel Morrison has an unusual clause in his current Hammers contract that could earn him up to £60,000 a week by the end of January, according to the Daily Telegraph.
A number of clubs have been watching the exciting England under-21 international who has shone for the struggling East London club this season, although big money bids may have to wait until the summer.
The clause in Morrison’s deal means that if West Ham receive a bid of £10million or more, the players’ wages will be quadrupled taking his earning to £60,000-a-week.
The Hammers owners were so keen to ensure the volatile star was happy that they bowed down to his demands, although even though would not have expected the 20 year old to impress in the way he has this season.
With the club struggling to find some funds to buy a striker or two in the January transfer window, a £10million bid may not be immediately dismissed although the players’ £18million release clause is a more likely scenario in the summer.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is monitoring the situation of Real Madrid attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil as the German is becoming out of favour at the Bernabeu, according to the Sunday Mirror.
The arrival of Luka Modric has forced Ozil further down the pecking order in the Spanish capital and Real gaffer Jose Mourinho has been forced to sit down with the German international to discuss his poor start to the new season.
Ozil is under contract until 2016, but he won’t want to become a second string player and so a move away from Madrid next summer may well be conceivable and Liverpool have been tracking Ozil since his Werder Bremen days.
Liverpool currently have another Madrid midfielder on loan and Nuri Sahin is starting to show his class on Merseyside, proving Mourinho’s decision to only let him out on loan a shrewd one.
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When Sahin returns to Los Blancos at the end of the season, it may well see the end of Ozil’s Real Madrid career and you can be sure that Rodgers and Liverpool will be interested.
Arsenal are one of a number of clubs interested in potentially signing Nice striker Mario Balotelli, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
What’s the word?
With Unai Emery at the helm, Arsenal fans will have to wait to see how his teams shape up for the coming season.
The Spaniard, who has the pressure of being the first Arsenal boss since Arsene Wenger walked away, is sure to be mulling over his transfer options.
La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Balotelli is an option for the North London outfit following his impressive season with Nice.
The controversial figure, who has previously played for Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League, enjoyed somewhat of a revival in the 2017-18 campaign by scoring 26 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions.
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Is Balotelli ready to come back to England?
The Italy international’s last foray into English football did not end well as he failed at Liverpool.
The 27-year-old was a shock arrival at the Merseyside outfit in 2014, but he only lasted a season before joining AC Milan on loan and then permanently at Nice in 2016.
There is no doubt that Balotelli has regained form, but there is certainly an element of risk involved with a transfer to Arsenal.
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Even though the striker’s discipline has been much better, there is always that concern.
Emery will want a good harmony in the group, and bringing in Balotelli has the potential to disrupt it.
On the other hand, given his current form, if a cheap deal can be agreed, then he is a good option to bring on off the bench.
According to The Mirror, Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin has emerged as a January target for West Ham United.
What’s the story?
It is no secret that West Ham are in the market for a new midfielder this month, and a number of names have been linked with moves to the London Stadium.
Stoke City’s Joe Allen and Newcastle United’s Jonjo Shelvey are among those that have been mentioned, but according to The Mirror, Coquelin is now in the frame.
The 26-year-old was not involved in Arsenal’s clash with Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon amid suggestions that he will be leaving the Emirates Stadium this month.
A number of clubs are believed to be in the hunt for a player that has struggled for regular action this season, but West Ham appear to be at the head of the queue.
Would he be a good signing for West Ham?
According to The Mirror, Arsenal would want £10m for Coquelin, which appears to be extremely fair when considering the state of the current market.
The midfielder has made over 100 Premier League appearances during his time with the Gunners, and appeared 39 times in all competitions during the 2017-18 campaign.
Coquelin has made 13 appearances in total this term, but has featured on just seven occasions in the Premier League after struggling to gain a regular spot in Arsene Wenger’s first XI.
West Ham are not exactly well stocked in the middle of the park, and the chance to sign a proven Premier League performer for £10m seems like a very good deal.
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The Hammers will not be the only club in the hunt when considering the price-tag, but they can offer Coquelin, who also has plenty of experience in Europe, the chance to remain in the English capital.
Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew hopes the club will attempt to sign more British players in the next transfer window, after claiming there are too many foreign players at St James’ Park, according to the Daily Mail.
Pardew is set to work with the Magpies’ controversial director of football Joe Kinnear in January to bring in new signings, and has claimed his relationship with the Irishman has improved.
“Joe has asked what I want, I’ve told him and it’s his job to get it out of Mike Ashley,” Pardew said.
“We need to look at British players because we’re starting to get filled up with perhaps too many foreigners.”
One English signing Newcastle missed out on in the summer was Tottenham winger Andros Townsend, who scored a stunning goal on his England debut against Montenegro on Friday night.
“We weren’t sure; I think that’s where everybody was at the start of the season,” he told Sky Sports when asked about the Townsend deal.
“You’re talking about a high level. We’ve got fantastic players at our football club and is he better than the ones we’ve got?
“I was a bit like “hmm, not sure”. I think (Andre Villas-Boas) was a little bit like that as well.
“But fair play to the lad, he’s come into Tottenham’s team and done terrific and now he’s made that extra step which is great for England and Spurs in particular.”
Pardew has also revealed that Kinnear has been more supportive of the work he is trying to do, while claiming club owner Mike Ashley gets ‘confused and upset’ by the game.
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“I didn’t know Joe at all. So far, you can only take someone as you find them and so far he’s been supportive,” he added.
“He [Mike Ashley] can’t understand the logic of how football works and it confuses him. I think it upsets him.”