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West Ham would have been going into this season with optimism and hope with the squad that Manuel Pellegrini had built during the summer transfer window – two marquis signings in the likes of Sebastian Haller and Pablo Fornals showed a real intent for the Hammers to begin their climb of the Premier League table.

As this season showed us, nothing is guaranteed, and with the sacking of Manuel Pellegrini in December after a string of poor results, it was only a matter of time before the Claret and Blue outfit found themselves looking down the barrel of a loaded gun – heading straight for the Championship.

The appointment of David Moyes just a few days later didn’t seem to do much to steady the ship at first, but after a few positive results, the club was safe from relegation by five points.

Here, we take a look at West Ham’s season – the good, the bad, and the downright disastrous…

Player of the Season – Declan Rice

The 21-year-old has become an ever-steady presence in West Ham’s starting lineup – having played every minute in the league this season.

Alongside Mark Noble, he is slowly becoming Mr. West Ham, and he has hardly put a foot wrong in the league this season, averaging a 7.01 WhoScored rating overall.

Goal of the Season – Declan Rice vs Watford, Jul 17th ’20

The kid’s done it again. This goal was an absolute cracker, not just the technique and quality, but also the importance – with Watford looking to keep their own distance from the relegation zone, being level on points with the Hammers prior to the game.

The win was huge for the club, taking them six points clear of the drop with two games still to play – and the goal from Rice was magnificent.

After receiving the ball from Mark Noble on towards the left, just outside of the Watford box, he shifts the ball onto his stronger right foot and unleashes an expert strike, wrapping his foot around the ball and placing it in the far right side netting, leaving Ben Foster in no man’s land – a truly wonderful goal.

Breakthrough Player – Jarrod Bowen

Firstly, I understand he isn’t technically a breakthrough player – the club signed him in January after a great first half of the season with Hull City in the Championship, but Bowen is only 23 and has hit the ground running since signing for the Hammers, and with a lack of youngsters being given a chance at the club this season – Bowen takes the ticket.

With a goal and four assists in his first 13 games for West Ham, the fans will be looking forward to next season and seeing Bowen flourish at the London Stadium.

Flop of the Season – Albian Ajeti

You’d be forgiven if you’d of forgotten that West Ham had signed Ajeti from Basel in August 2019 – the Swiss striker has only played nine league games for the club this season, all of which came from the bench in which he failed to make an impact at all.

With current links for a move away from the London club, it would be wise for West Ham and Ajeti to part ways, as his time at the club shall easily be forgotten by the fans and David Moyes, with the player not even managing a single goal for the Hammers.

Defining Moment – Pellegrini Out, Moyes In

It was expected that the West Ham board would want to part ways with the Chilean after a very poor start to the season, and post Christmas time was exactly that, with Pellegrini leaving the Hammers in December 2019.

Fast forward just two days later, and former boss David Moyes was brought back in an attempt to salvage anything he could from an already disastrous season.

Luckily for Gold and Sullivan, the decision worked – and the Scotsman was able to save the club from relegation for a second time, and will more than likely be given the chance to build on that for the upcoming season in September.

Signing of the Season – Tomas Soucek

The Czech midfielder signed for the club in January for an initial loan fee of just over £4million – but the club was quick to make this a permanent deal, given the positive and influential start that Soucek has made at West Ham, signing him just days after their Premier League status was confirmed.

The 6ft3 midfielder scored in West Ham’s 3-2 win over Chelsea, as well as a great header in that all-important game against Watford on the 17th July – overall Soucek has been a fantastic inclusion for the squad, and a great signing from David Moyes,

Hit Expectations? – NO

Sadly for West Ham fans and the club alike – this would not have been the type of season they envisioned at the start of the campaign. The aim for the squad that Pellegrini had built would have been at least a top-half finish, and maybe even a push for a spot in next season’s Europa League – but with all being said there have been positives to take from this season.

Declan Rice looks effervescent in becoming West Ham’s next captain, and Michail Antonio found great form after the restart.

All in all, it is time for the Hammers to put this season behind them, and attempt to look forward to the start of the Premier League again come September, with hopes of a more positive season ahead.

According to La Voix du Nord, Glasgow Rangers have turned down a bid from Lille for Alfredo Morelos.

The Colombia international has been strongly linked with a move to Lille, and has even been said to have agreed personal terms with the Ligue 1 outfit.

No accord between the two clubs has yet been found, though, and this report states that the Gers have rejected a bid worth €15m (£13.5m) for their star striker – they say the Ibrox side are not satisfied with what has been put on the table.

This is a transfer saga that continues to rumble on and, with just under two months of the transfer window left, the speculation is unlikely to go away any time soon. Lille looked like a good option, but the imminent signing of Jonathan David, as well as their Financial Fair Play issues, means that Morelos’ future is now far from certain.

The Gers are said to be looking for £20m, and this offer from Les Dogues is nowhere near that sum. Following the 24-year-old’s brace against St. Mirren on Sunday, it doesn’t look like Morelos is pushing for a move, which does leave the Gers in a strong position. Even if Lille drop out, though, it is unlikely that there will be a lack of interest from other quarters between now and the first week in October.

Let us know what you think below!

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. And yet again this season for Leeds, Pablo Hernandez stepped up when his side needed it the most.After coming on at the break for Tyler Roberts, the Spaniard struck a late winner in the Whites’ clash away at Swansea on Sunday afternoon, handing Marcelo Bielsa’s side all three points.

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Hernandez, formerly of Swansea of course, rescued Leeds from a potentially damaging draw in the race for automatic promotion from the Championship this season.

And after the full-time whistle went, The Athletic journalist Phil Hay took to Twitter to share his reactions about the midfield genius, and made the huge claim that there is “no-one to touch him at Leeds since the club went down in 2004”.

After hearing what Hay had to say, Leeds fans took to the replies section to give their seal of approval.

Some Leeds fans urged the club to simply build a statue of him at Elland Road.

Another couple of fans insisted that Hernandez will already go down as a club legend, with one supporter in particular even putting in the same bracket as the late, great Jack Charlton and Billy Bremner et al.

Despite being 35, Hernandez just continues to defy all logic, and rolls back the years.

He may not last a full 90 minutes anymore, and recent weeks has seen Bielsa use him off the bench, but there can be no questioning his ability and influence whilst on the pitch.

With eight goals and seven assists this season in the Championship, Hernandez has come up with some big moments. But perhaps none as big as the last-gasp winner against Swansea, and it’s no surprise so many Leeds fans are absolutely in love with the midfield maestro.

Juan Foyth’s agent has suggested the Tottenham ace will make a decision on his future when the Premier League season finishes. 

Foyth has featured just twice for Jose Mourinho since the Portuguese replaced Mauricio Pochettino as Spurs boss last November. The Argentine, who was once considered a Mauricio Pochettino prodigy, has fallen out of favour with his successor.

Earlier this month, El Dia claimed that his representatives are considering offers from a number of clubs amid interest from Barcelona, Leeds and a couple of Serie A teams.

His agent Claudio Curti has now provided an update on his client’s future in north London, via Passione Inter, as per Sport Witness. Curti told the Italian outlet: “We are currently waiting for the season to be completed. Then we’ll talk to the club [Tottenham] to evaluate the best solution for Juan.”

The versatile defender, who can play at centre-back or on the right flank, has struggled for game-time this season.

Indeed, he has only played seven times up until now, including four appearances in the Premier League, and finds himself below his teammates Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld in the pecking order.

While Foyth has largely failed to convince Mourinho so far, he is still an experienced professional and Marcelo Bielsa has contacted Pochettino to discuss the Argentina international.

The defender’s compatriot has a history of developing young talent as he has transformed Leeds by giving players like Kalvin Phillips a chance to prove themselves.

Recent reports have implied that he is on his way out the door despite suffering a knee injury, and this may benefit Mourinho in the end. Even if Bielsa can’t convert Foyth into a top-class defender, the Portuguese may be able to recoup some funds if the club attach an option-to-buy as part of the deal.

Tottenham fans, do you think Juan Foyth should move to Elland Road? Let us know in the comments below!

Newcastle United fans have been eagerly awaiting news that their prospective takeover has been complete pretty much every day for the past month, and it appears as if it has moved a little closer this week.

According to Football Insider, the Premier League are set to sign off the deal after their forensic investigation into allegations of illegal streaming and piracy found no evidence to support the claims.

It’s firmly in the hands of the top-flight who are conducting the owners and directors test on Amanda Staveley’s Saudi Arabian-backed consortium.

Supporters have been reacting to the news on social media after popular Twitter account @NUFC360 relayed the information.

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It appears as if plenty are bored by the process whilst others are starting to get even more excited as they head towards a fresh new era at the northeast club.

Here’s how they have reacted to this latest update…

AND in other news, Newcastle fans react to STUNNING report on potential manager target…

Newcastle United’s takeover continues to drag on, although it is thought that this week could prove pivotal in any official confirmation.The Athletic’s George Caulkin has added fuel to the fire with a fresh claim. He suggests that there will be a deadline in the contract for the transferal of funds once the Premier League ratifies the deal.In response to a fan on Twitter, he said the following:

It could mean that even if the PL sanction the takeover, there is still a hurdle or two to overcome, especially when approximately £300m is going to change hands – which isn’t helped by the country’s lockdown strategy preventing face-to-face negotiations.

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Should the above situation occur smoothly, then the Magpies will be void of Mike Ashley and thus operating under a new era at the club.

AND in other news,ÂLee Ryder delivers major Newcastle update on St James’ Park

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Sheffield Wednesday sank to a fourth straight game without victory, but it was always going to be a hard task to follow up recent developments off the field.

Even more so when coming up against the league leaders, West Bromwich Albion.

The Owls succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at the Hawthorns on Saturday afternoon and, once again, were left rueing a late goal against them as they looked sure to be returning to south Yorkshire with at least a point.

It comes just days after the club were charged by the EFL for financial misconduct with them staring down the barrel of a hefty points deduction at the very least.

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In three straight matches now, Wednesday have seen results slip from their grasp, starting with Blackburn Rovers’ come-from-behind victory before Swansea City snagged a point at the death before the international break.

Time and time again, it appears that it is down to individual mistakes. After the game, manager Garry Monk said: “We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing and cut out silly mistakes. It’s nothing to do with tactics or anything like that. But, unfortunately, we’re human beings, sometimes we make mistakes.”

But this problem continues to arise as those who make such errors are given the very platform to do it again, and again, and… again.

This is epitomised by goalkeeper Keiren Westwood, whose rush of blood to the head led to him scything down Matheus Pereira inside the penalty area, just weeks after his awful clanger against the Swans.

Liam Palmer also saw red for a reckless yet needless challenge soon after to halt any chance of salvaging a point back in their favour.

The 40-year-old has also added: “We’ve talked about it, we’ve discussed it, we’ve trained it, we’ve shown it, that’s all you can do.”

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However, this is where he is wrong. Monk needs to be gutsy and show some mettle to drop those that have consistently let him down in recent weeks.

Then they will truly know that their place is up for grabs, and they’ll hopefully learn from it, rather than sitting back with the safety net of knowing they’ll be starting the next game regardless of whether they hoof the ball into their own net or not.

Time to be bold, Garry.

In other news… one Wednesday regular shouldn’t face the axe after he ran the show against the league leaders.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Although Aston Villa’s start to the 2019/20 campaign has seen the newly-promoted side collect just three wins from their first 12 league games, the form of midfielder John McGinn is reportedly attracting the interest of Manchester United.

Since arriving from Hibernian in 2018, McGinn has played a crucial role for Dean Smith’s side, earning both the players and fans’ Player of the Year accolade in their promotion-winning season from the Championship.

Yet whilst the West Midlands outfit will have been pleased with the undeniable impact the Scotsman has had in transforming their domestic fortunes, this has sparked interest from 13-time Premier League champions Manchester United, according to reports from ESPN.

United had expressed an interest in McGinn during the summer transfer window, as reported by The Sun, but the Red Devils could test the resolve of Villa owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris with an offer in January.

If the bid matches the £50m fee that was touted in the summer, this would represent a considerable profit for Villa on the £2.7m they shelled out to Hibernian in January 2018, but selling such an important player in Smith’s squad would unquestionably undermine the ambitions that the billionaire duo have – and impact the club’s chances of top flight survival this season. 

With United having scored just 16 league goals so far this season – less than Burnley – a move for McGinn would provide attacking impetus to the club’s frontline, the 25-year-old having scored 10 goals whilst registering 11 assists since arriving at Villa Park, but in turn would take away from Villa’s. They’ve only netted once more than United in the top flight, and McGinn is their second-top scorer after summer signing Wesley. 

There can be no doubting that the Scotsman possesses the ability and talent to make it at a top-six club, but it is essential that McGinn is retained even if the offers appear tempting to the Villa hierarchy. Losing him mid-season will inevitably reduce the Birmingham outfit’s chances of survival.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

It’s fair to say that Helder Costa hasn’t had the best start to life at Leeds United.

Indeed, the winger arrived with high expectations after joining on loan from Wolves in a deal that will become permanent for around £15m next summer.

However, he’s been unable to live up to the standard required, failing to score and assisting just once since he joined the Elland Road outfit.

One of the most influential journalists covering Leeds United believes that he knows why Costa isn’t performing all that well.

What’s been said then?

Phil Hay hosted a Q&A session with The Athletic after the Whites’ 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers.

Understandably, many supporters asked what the journalist thought of Costa’s performance, and he gave two very similar responses.

“He had a decent second half and he’s coming good little by little – still not as good as a £16m winger should be but I’ll say it again, he doesn’t always have the space he needs to play in. That’s his strength.” Hay responded to the first question.

The writer then answered another query in a similar manner.

“I said on the last post-match Q&A that I haven’t been hugely impressed with him but he’s constrained by the way Leeds are playing. He needs space to run into and when he gets it, he’s very difficult to deal with.”

One dimensional

This isn’t anything new.

Marcelo Bielsa has previously said that his tactics aren’t suited to Costa’s pace and power, and now Hay is saying the same thing.

It’s all well and good being a fast dribbler who can beat a man, but you need to have a plan B for when that isn’t an option, and despite playing in 16 league games for his new club, Costa doesn’t seem to have another weapon in his arsenal.

These types of quotes paint Costa to be a rather one-dimensional player, and that’s a worrying reality for the fanbase.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was eventually dropped from the starting XI. After all, Pablo Hernandez is waiting in the wings again.

Charlton fans have taken to Twitter to criticise Naby Sarr’s 45-minute display against Preston on Sunday.

The 26-year-old centre-back – who was recently called up to the Senegal squad for the first time – was substituted at half time by Lee Bowyer after a torrid 45 minutes in which he seemed to do very little right.

Sarr committed one foul and also had one successful touch, both of which came in the same passage of play – a loose touch allowed Daniel Johnson to nip in, where the Senegalese defender was forced to foul the 8-goal forward before he could capitalise.

Charlton’s No.23 also failed to make a single tackle, interception, clearance or block throughout his 45 minutes on the pitch, and completed just 63% of his 27 passes before being hauled off for Jonathan Leko.

One fan said that his every touch was a “nightmare”, while another supporter said that the ball was like a hot potato whenever it went near Sarr’s feet.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction from the displeased Charlton fans…