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Towards the end of last month, a number of West Ham United fans urged Manuel Pellegrini to select Nathan Holland due to his form for the club’s Under-23 side.

Pellegrini is yet to answer the call but not much has changed as the club’s supporters have once again demanded that the attacker is given some first-team action.

Holland’s record in the Premier League 2 this season is difficult to ignore.

Find out what happened when a world-record-holding freestyler attempting skills with the worst pair of boots available on eBay in the video below…

Indeed, the attacker has managed eight goals and four assists in 10 appearances for the club’s Under-23 side, including a brace against Swansea City Under-23s on Sunday.

West Ham posted a video of Holland finding the back of the net against the Welsh outfit, and it was not a surprise when the club’s fans took to social media in their numbers.

The Hammers suffered a disappointing 3-2 defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday.

And many of the supporters believe that Holland should be handed a first-team chance due to his excellent form in the early stages of the season.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton has slammed Miguel Almiron for his play-acting after the Paraguayan was shown a second yellow card for simulation while representing his country in a friendly with Serbia last week.

What’s he said?

Almiron was handed a role in midfield against Serbia by manager Eduardo Berizzo last Thursday, as Paraguay went in search of only their second win in any competition since before this summer’s Copa America.

Paraguay were held to two draws and two defeats at this summer’s competition, before being beaten by Japan and Jordan during the September international break.

Their run of results did not change against Serbia, either, and the 1-0 defeat was followed by a 1-1 draw with Slovakia on Sunday night – without Almiron in the squad.

Almiron was suspended for the friendly encounter with Slovakia after receiving two yellow cards against Serbia, the second of which came after referee Nejc Kajtazovic deemed the 25-year-old to have simulated contact 11 minutes after first showing the 22-cap ace a yellow card.

It was the second sending off of Almiron’s international career, and came in the fourth straight international game in which he has failed to score or assist a goal.

The Asuncion-born playmaker has not scored or assisted a goal in any of his 18 Newcastle outings to date, either, and former Blackburn Rovers striker Sutton has slated Almiron for his record and apparent diving.

Speaking on BBC 606 on Sunday, October 13, one-time England international Sutton said:

“Miguel Almiron has more dives than goals this season. He’s not scored. He goes top of the table [for dives]. You are better than that Almiron.

“What’s going on with players? What’s going on with [the] country? They’re not listening. You are better than that, Almiron! Let’s see goals, let’s see goals! Let’s not see dives! Let’s not see the simulation.”

Frustrations are well placed

Sutton’s frustrations with Almiron’s antics are very much well placed.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Despite arriving at Newcastle mid-way through the 2018/19 campaign, Almiron ended the term ninth for key passes among the United squad with 13 and tenth for shots with 19, per data collected by WhoScored, but none led to a goal.

His story in Black and White has continued this season, as well, with Almiron yet to score or assist, while he ranks 11th for key passes among the squad and 18th for passing accuracy.

His diving, of course, has grabbed headlines and Sutton is right; he needs to hit the goal trail soon, or his play acting will continue to be the centre of attention.

Liverpool fans believe that centre back Dejan Lovren should have been sold in the summer after an underwhelming performance during his side’s 4-1 victory against Genk on Wednesday.

The Croatia international filled in for the injured Joel Matip after he picked up a knock prior to the international break.

Lovren was linked to a move to the Italian side AC Milan for £25m. However, reports in Italy revealed that a stumbling block in the deal came about in relation to the player’s wage, resulting in Lovren staying on Merseyside for the time being.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

After losing his place to the Cameroonian defender, Lovren has done very little on the pitch to justify getting his place back as Matip and Virgil van Dijk continue to build a formidable defensive partnership.

Balls over the top during the Champions League tie flummoxed him on multiple occasions as his communication with van Dijk looked to break down on numerous occasions.

Fans were furious with the World Cup Finalist after his outing against the Belgian outfit. One supporter said that Liverpool should have accepted Milan’s bid in the summer, while another slammed the Croatian and called him “amateur”.

Here you will find some of the best responses from Liverpool fans:

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have taken to Twitter to slate Christian Eriksen for his display in the humiliating Carabao Cup penalty shoot-out defeat to Colchester United on Tuesday.

Spurs would have felt confident of overcoming their League Two opposition with the likes of Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Victor Wanyama and Lucas Moura in the starting XI, but instead they failed to find a breakthrough as the match ended 0-0, before they were beaten on spot-kicks.

Having come on in the 66th minute for Troy Parrott and not made a difference, Eriksen then missed the first penalty of the shoot-out, with Moura failing to convert another to condemn them to a 4-3 loss.

It was the latest disappointing performance from the 27-year-old Dane, who has reportedly rejected every contract he has been offered by Daniel Levy, according to Marca, as he waits on Real Madrid to firm up their interest.

Tottenham supporters on the popular social media platform certainly weren’t happy with the midfielder’s latest display, and while one said “in my eyes he isn’t worth anything anymore”, another was a little optimistic and believes “the way he is playing we will only get £60m for him”.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

With less than a year remaining on his contract and with the option of signing a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs in January, that looks way beyond what Spurs can expect.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, John Hartson has said Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would have been a good option for the Arsenal captaincy.

Last week, Unai Emery selected Granit Xhaka as the new leader of the dressing room following the departure of French centre-back Laurent Koscielny in the summer. Whilst he appears to be a popular candidate amongst the players – the majority are said to have voted for him in a secret ballot – the fans appear far from happy with the announcement, and have since voiced their displeasure.

The Switzerland international is one of the more senior players in the squad, so from that point of view, it makes sense. However, former Gunners striker Hartson believes that 30-year-old striker Aubameyang would have also made a fine skipper.

He explained: “The other one I thought who leads by example for me would be Aubameyang. People might question whether centre-forwards make great captains but Kane captain’s England and Shearer used to captain Newcastle.

“There have been occasions when forwards have captained teams.

“I say Aubameyang because I love his attitude. He chases lost causes, he works his socks off and he’s almost always in amongst the goals. That could be another option.”

The likelihood is, the Gabon international – valued at £63 million by Transfermarkt – would have been a far more popular choice amongst the Emirates Stadium faithful. Right now, he is easily the best player in the Arsenal squad, and his goal record sets him apart from a lot of forwards in world football. He already has eight in eight matches so far this term, which now takes him to 49 goals in 73 appearances for the Gunners.

But, as Hartson says, his influence on his teammates equates to more than just putting the ball in the back of the net. His puts himself on the line for his side and leads from the front. There are so many examples nowadays of players who don’t necessarily have huge vocal skills or personalities like Tony Adams or Roy Keane did in the past.

For example, Lionel Messi has the armband at Barcelona, and David Silva has just been given the same responsibility at Manchester City.

Players look up to those who prove themselves with their feet, rather than with their mouths. Aubameyang would demand respect, too. For now, though, Gunners fans must get behind Xhaka, no matter their personal opinion of the 27-year-old.

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Hugo Lloris was yet again guilty of a dereliction of duty for Tottenham Hotspur against Chelsea on Wednesday.

The Spurs captain has so regularly cost his side that it should come as little surprise that he did so again in a massive game.

On the chalkboard

Lloris is an experienced goalkeeper. He has won the World Cup with France and has been in the Premier League for seven years.

And yet he still does not seem to understand the pace of games like Wednesday’s derby.

The BBC statistics relating to the game show that Chelsea had one shot on target. Pedro scored it, after zipping past Toby Alderweireld, and firing through Lloris’ legs.

This has been a common flaw for the Frenchman. He is too regularly beaten at his near post and it was true again at Stamford Bridge.

And then came the meme-worthy own goal from Kieran Trippier. It perhaps wasn’t entirely Lloris’ fault. He was called to come and collect the ball by the right-back, who then passed it, inexplicably, into the net.

But it is yet another example of the 32-year-old’s poor communication. He does not appear to command his box with the same rigour that he used to.

When you are faced with one shot on target in a game, you are expected to save it. He didn’t, he was then involved in a huge mix-up with his right-back, and now Spurs are firmly out of the title race.

Drop him

The story surrounding the build-up to the game was whether Kepa Arrizabalaga would start for Chelsea after he refused to be substituted in the Carabao Cup final.

Willy Caballero came in and did well, though he did not have a save to make, such was the bluntness of Spurs’ attack.

Perhaps Mauricio Pochettino could do with enacting a similar strategy.

Lloris was not openly insubordinate as Kepa was, but his performances have been dodgy for too long.

Paulo Gazzaniga is a fine option on the bench and he should be given a chance.

As it is, Lloris is holding Spurs back, and the fact he is captain should not exempt him from some time out of the starting XI.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Garry Monk’s second game in charge of Sheffield Wednesday is a much tougher test this weekend, and that’s giving no disrespect to Huddersfield Town, who are tied-bottom having picked up just one point this season.

Fulham came out of the blocks early doors looking like they would be serious promotion contenders under former player Scott Parker winning three of their opening four games, but have since faltered to 11th in the table.

Wednesday host them at Hillsborough on Saturday, looking to continue Monk’s excellent start as Owls boss.

Just one point separates the two teams in the league, so how will the home side get the advantage in what should be a tightly contested affair?

On the Chalkboard

The one major weakness of the Cottagers is their ability in the air – they rank inside the bottom four in the Championship for aerial duels won per game at 17.1.

There is an argument that their style of football just simply isn’t about that considering they rank first for possession percentage in the league at 63.7%, so it’s clear Parker likes to play it on the deck – but when they face a physical side, they’ll still have to win their headers.

Wednesday, by comparison, are about mid-table in terms of winning these duels themselves though they have one man that can make it very difficult for the south-west London side.

Steven Fletcher has won 46 aerial duels this season at an average of 6.6 per game – that’s more than Fulham’s centre-back pairing combined as Alfie Mawson averages 4.4 and Tim Ream at 1.7 per match.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

There’s quite clearly a mismatch there.

Monk will also need someone to supply the 32-year-old, and that is likely to be fellow Scotsman Barry Bannan.

The playmaking midfielder has made 16 key passes this season at an average of 2.7 per game and he comes into this weekend having recorded his second assist in five matches.

Bannan is also averaging 4.2 long balls per game and has recorded at least one cross in five of his six appearances.

Therefore, if Bannan can use his vision to pick out the aerial presence of Fletcher, they could well come out with the victory.

In what turned out to be a nightmare Old Firm clash with potential season-defining ramifications, Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst will no doubt be scratching his head as to where it all went wrong for the Ibrox side.

The Gers looked completely outfoxed in the opening period against Celtic on Wednesday night, with the hosts’ pace and intensity seeming to catch the Gers by surprise: none more so perhaps than Borna Barisic.

The Croatian left-back has been well below his standards this season, with no goals and just three assists to his name in 26 appearances across all competitions – to put that into context, last year he had five goals and a whopping 14 assists.

Against the Hoops yesterday, Barisic just looked all at sea at having to deal with the constant movement of Liel Abada, and if one moment were to sum up his entire display then his reaction to the third goal told the whole story.

After Reo Hatate managed to swing in a cross from the by-line, Abada came storming in past Barisic to steer the ball home, with the Croatian left to slump to his haunches with his head in his hands – it was no surprise that Van Bronckhorst hauled him off at half-time.

And, writing in his post-match player ratings for The Daily Record, Andrew Newport gave him a measly three, saying: “Endured a 45-minute nightmare before van Bronckhorst showed mercy and took him off at the break. Will be seeing Abada running past him in his sleep for weeks.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Kenny Miller for BBC Sport’s live coverage of the game, who slammed: “Let me tell you: Borna Barisic has had such a bad half. On the ball, he’s sloppy. He’s got absolutely no idea where Liel Abada is. He’s got to be aware. That is absolutely schoolboy defending.”

Dubbed as being “punch-drunk” by BBC Scotland’s chief sports writer, Tom English, Barisic endured an absolute disaster at Celtic Park, and it’s left Van Bronckhorst in a very tough situation with the Gers’ momentum very much down the drain.

Given the full-back’s disastrous run of form over the course of this campaign, it’s high time the Gers manager finally makes the decision to drop him from his starting line-up and perhaps move Calvin Bassey into that role for the time being.

Taking him out of the firing line may just be the kind of breather and kick up the back-side that Barisic needs right now.

Meanwhile, this Rangers star let Gio down vs Celtic…

Manchester United are expecting Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Old Trafford in the summer, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Ronaldo’s return

The 37-year-old has enjoyed a fine individual first season back in Manchester following his move in the summer.

He has scored 18 goals and provided three assists in 33 appearances, with a hat-trick against Tottenham prior to the international break one of many Old Trafford highlights in recent months.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been a season to remember when it comes to major honours, and a worrying update has emerged on the forward ahead of the clash with Leicester City this evening.

The Latest: Source’s reveal

Football Insider shared a story regarding the Portuguese star after being informed by a source close to Old Trafford.

They claimed that the expectation from United chiefs is for Ronaldo to move on over the summer in a potential free transfer, with his second spell at the club ultimately a short one.

The Verdict: Pros and cons?

There has been a huge debate all season on whether or not Ronaldo’s return was a good decision by the club and whether or not he is now actually a big problem at the club, and it seems as if he could be on the move over the coming months.

The pros to an exit, as FI mentioned, would be freeing up the wage book, with Ronaldo thought to be on around £25m-a-year at Old Trafford.

However, the cons are clear to see. The Red Devils would be losing the greatest goal scorer of all time, and with options fairly limited with Edinson Cavani out of contract in the summer and Marcus Rashford possibly wanting out, it could be a major gamble.

In other news: ‘Led to believe…’ – Insider now drops major claim on Bruno and Ten Hag following Man Utd talks. 

Everton are once again on the hunt for a new permanent manager with Duncan Ferguson having to hold the fort on a temporary basis in his latest caretaker role after the sacking of Rafa Benitez.

Before even officially being appointed at Goodison Park, protests began from Toffees fans against the former Liverpool manager.

With just seven wins, four draws and 11 defeats in the 22 games he had in charge of Everton across all competitions with the latest being a disheartening 2-1 defeat against Dean Smith’s relegation battling Norwich City at Carrow Road, it’s safe to say that Benitez’s second spell of managing in Merseyside did not go too well, thus leaving Ferguson to pick up the pieces and steady the ship.

While Farhad Moshiri is on the lookout for a new permanent manager for his side, there has, unsurprisingly, been a significant number of names linked with the position.

One name that has been mentioned with the role that a lot of Premier League followers will be familiar with is AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho.

Despite having success managing in England in the past, mostly with Chelsea where he won three Premier League titles and one FA Cup across two spells in charge of the west London club as well as winning the Europa League with Manchester United, things haven’t always been smooth-sailing for the 58-year-old.

Having admitted to being “arrogant” during his early days of managing in England, there have been occasions where claims have emerged suggesting that he had lost the dressing room during his time at Tottenham and United.

Given the drama that Mourinho has been involved in during his previous spells at clubs in the Premier League, like having rocky relationships at United with the likes of Paul Pogba and Luke Shaw, he could end up being another version of Benitez; somebody who arrives with previous experience of managing in the Premier League and at top clubs, but ultimately dragging Everton towards the relegation zone and falling out with players, as the Spaniard did with Lucas Digne.

Also, in a recent poll run by Football FanCast, it seems as though 77% of voters think that Mourinho would not be a good appointment for Everton, further suggesting that the Toffees should be looking elsewhere for their new permanent manager instead of risking a potential disaster at the helm.

In other news: Moshiri must appoint “perfect” 46 y/o as next EFC manager, he’s miles better than Rafa – opinion