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Since West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini put Declan Rice in his three-man midfield, the versatile player has shone.

The 19-year-old has made impressive progress over the last couple of seasons after graduating from the academy in 2017.

Rice has started the last four Premier League matches, and during that spell the club have won twice, drawn one and lost another in the Premier League.

Everything appears to be working out for him on the pitch, but behind the scenes there is a continued dispute regarding his contract situation.

Rice’s current deal expires at the end of the season, and at the moment it does not look as though he is any closer to agreeing fresh terms.

According to club insider @ExWHUemployee via Claret & Hugh the teenager is expected to reject a new offer of £21,000-a-week that could potentially reach £40,000 in bonuses.

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The report claims that Rice would be accept £30,000-per-week in a five-year contract but at the moment an agreement has not been reached.

On Reddit, some West Ham fans posted their thoughts on the situation.

Comment from discussion “Believed Rice will not accept new offer” – Ex.Comment from discussion “Believed Rice will not accept new offer” – Ex.Comment from discussion “Believed Rice will not accept new offer” – Ex.Comment from discussion “Believed Rice will not accept new offer” – Ex.Comment from discussion “Believed Rice will not accept new offer” – Ex.Comment from discussion “Believed Rice will not accept new offer” – Ex.Comment from discussion “Believed Rice will not accept new offer” – Ex.Comment from discussion “Believed Rice will not accept new offer” – Ex.

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Leeds United have enjoyed a thrilling campaign in the Championship so far with the form of Marcelo Bielsa’s side seeing the Peacocks established amongst the favourites for promotion.

The Yorkshire side have suffered from injury issues in attack though, with Kemar Roofe and Patrick Bamford both spending time on the sidelines, but the performances of Tyler Roberts have provided inspiration.

Roberts continued his impressive form on international duty for Wales on Tuesday evening as Ryan Giggs’ side secured a narrow 1-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland, which guarantees a spot in Pot 2 of the draw for the qualifying stages for Euro 2020.

While the 19-year-old was not on the scoresheet, his performance on the flanks impressed many onlookers and some fans took to social media to praise the performance of the Leeds youngster as he completed 90 minutes for his nation.

We have gathered some of the best reactions below.

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On Wednesday night, Liverpool fans were watching their team comfortably overcome Champions League opponents Red Star Belgrade 4-0 at Anfield.It was the first time this season that Jurgen Klopp’s side have looked close to their scintillating best.Elsewhere that night another Liverpool player was impressing for his loan club in the Championship.Harry Wilson, who joined the Reds’ academy in 2005, moved to Derby County on a season-long loan in the summer.Since making the move, the 21-year-old winger has scored three goals in all competitions, and the most recent was struck in midweek.The young starlet netted from distance in Derby’s 4-1 victory over promotion contenders West Bromwich Albion.

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Wilson has already proven that he can cause damage from free kicks, but this time he scored a decent goal from open play.

On Reddit, some Liverpool fans praised the winger, who strikes an uncanny resemblance to the club’s former striker Fernando Torres.

Comment from discussion Harry Wilson nice goal vs West Brom.Comment from discussion Harry Wilson nice goal vs West Brom.Comment from discussion Harry Wilson nice goal vs West Brom.Comment from discussion Harry Wilson nice goal vs West Brom.Comment from discussion Harry Wilson nice goal vs West Brom.Comment from discussion Harry Wilson nice goal vs West Brom.Comment from discussion Harry Wilson nice goal vs West Brom.Comment from discussion Harry Wilson nice goal vs West Brom.Comment from discussion Harry Wilson nice goal vs West Brom.Comment from discussion Harry Wilson nice goal vs West Brom.Comment from discussion Harry Wilson nice goal vs West Brom.Comment from discussion Harry Wilson nice goal vs West Brom.Comment from discussion Harry Wilson nice goal vs West Brom.

Arsenal have had a tremendous start to the season, and it seems to be only getting better. The Gunners have gone from strength to strength over the last few months, and Unai Emery will undoubtedly be seeking Premier League glory come May.

Fortunately, they could be about to be handed a boost in that regard, with defender Laurent Koscielny returning to training. He’s been out for months and missed the World Cup over the summer, but he’s recently returned to action at Arsenal’s training base.

This is huge for the Gunners, and it could prove to be a real difference maker.

After all, if Arsenal have looked leaky anywhere, it’s been at the back. They’vee improved in recent weeks, but Arsenal have struggled when playing the bigger teams over the last few months, and that’s cause for concern.

Between Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis, Rob Holding, and others, it’s fair to say that it’s a weaker part of the Arsenal squad. Koscielny, who has been one of Arsenal’s most consistent players over the years, would serve to improve that.

Not to mention, he’s also a leader. He’s one of the few Arsenal players to have lasted year after year, and he’s maintained his quality throughout. Not just on the field, but his presence back in the changing room every week will be huge for the Gunners, and when looking to reach that upper echelon, that’s so important.

Koscielny is a top player, and Arsenal have missed him. His return could be the buoyancy aid needed to really take Arsenal to the next level, and thereafter, Man City and Liverpool will be the targets.

Thoughts?

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Loads of Manchester United fans have been reacting to the win at Bournemouth, and it’s fair to say they aren’t too happy with Chris Smalling.

Jose Mourinho’s side grabbed three points by the skin of their teeth on Saturday, beating Bournemouth 2-1 courtesy of a late winner from Marcus Rashford.

The youngster grabbed the winning goal in stoppage time after Callum Wilson and Anthony Martial had exchanged first half strikes, but it’s Smalling that fans are all talking about.

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The towering centre back had a spree of good performances towards the end of last season, but none of the Red Devils’ defenders have covered themselves in glory so far this campaign.

Wilson’s opening goal came from the second phase of a set piece, something that will certainly infuriate Mourinho, and fans are bashing Smalling’s part in the defensive calamity.

The boss himself said the defence was “a disaster”, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

[ad_pod ]In what is undoubtedly the most hotly anticipated fixture of the upcoming Premier League weekend, Manchester United travel the short distance to the Etihad Stadium to take on neighbours and fierce rivals Manchester City.The unbeaten home side, and reigning title holders, are the heavy favourites heading into the game. However, cliche though it may be, form tends to go out of the window in such derbies, as the Red Devils proved with their remarkable comeback win in this fixture last season.Jose Mourinho will be out to spoil the Cityzens’ party once more but many City fans are equally worried about the influence referee Anthony Taylor may have on the outcome of the match.Â[brid autoplay=”true” video=”328443″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch The Accy Show Arsenal Chelsea wins and EFL fourfold”]Although he’s a fan of non-league Altrincham, plenty of the Etihad faithful are concerned that the 40-year-old maybe biased towards United. Registered to the Cheshire FA, and born in Wythenshawe – a United fanbase stronghold – Taylor certainly has local ties, as reported by The Telegraph.Plenty of City fans on Twitter have also voiced their dismay with the decision to appoint Taylor for his first Manchester derby…

However, Taylor’s stats so far this season suggest that Pep Guardiola’s side have little to worry about.Â

In terms of fouls per game, Taylor averages just 23.09 – which sees him rank 7th out of the 17 top flight officials to have taken charge of a game so far during this campaign. What’s more, in terms of fouls per tackle, Taylor averages 0.69 – ranking him 8th. These well balanced figures suggest that Taylor is capable of maintaining a free flowing game, but won’t let the tempers flare in the derby either. Such an approach ought to suit City’s fast-paced style.

With maintaining order in mind – always foremost in any referee’s thoughts ahead of officiating a derby such as this – it is vital that Taylor is firm but fair. He has shown 40 yellow cards so far this season, at an average rate of 3.64 per game. This figure sees him rank 5th out of the 17, and also suggests that, again, he takes a very measured approach in dealing out bookings.Â

Likewise, in terms of penalties awarded, Taylor ranks 10th out of 17 with an average of just 0.27 spot kicks given per game. These middle of the road figures indicate that any extreme measures taken by Taylor this Sunday, that favour one side or the other, would be very uncharacteristic.Â

One stat that does appear to favour City, though, is Taylor’s 82% home team win bias. If that win bias is a rule of thumb to go by, then City fans are likely to be heading home from the Etihad on Sunday in far better spirits about Taylor’s involvement than they currently find themselves in.

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Manchester derbies are the type of games that require someone to step up and seize proceedings and, over the years, this fixture has blessed us with scenes that will be talked about forever.

In the past, an 18-year-old Marcus Rashford has been that player – scoring on just his eighth start for Manchester United to win in 2016; Mario Balotelli prompted both outrage and applause for Manchester City with his infamous ‘Why Always Me’ celebration as he opened the scoring in 2011; Wayne Rooney scored that bicycle kick eight months earlier… the list goes on and on.

These sparkling moments of individual inspiration are what have characterised these clashes over the years but, as the tide decisively begins to shift between the two Manchester factions, it was a team-effort that wrote the headlines.

Pep Guardiola’s City machine is made up of many interchangeable cogs that, such is the fluidity and precision of their football, can be deployed just about anywhere on the pitch without looking out of place – it is this which allowed the Cityzens to thread a 44-pass move together to kill off the Red Devils in the last ten minutes of the game on Sunday.

It’s a tall order to pick a standout in a side that both operates so effectively as a unit and boasts so much individual talent, but Bernardo Silva has more than capably filled the boots of the injured Kevin De Bruyne and has arguably been the Sky Blues’ most consistent performer this campaign as they (somehow) continue to build on the record-breaking form of last season.

The former Monaco man has been shifted inside to complete a midfield three and, since, you could be forgiven for forgetting that there is a certain ginger magician who fills that spot usually.

While quickly forming an impressive partnership with David Silva, the 24-year-old is providing a defensive security which his Spanish namesake does not, completing 1.3 tackles per game and 0.9 clearances to the 32-year-old’s 0.8 and 0.3, respectively (WhoScored).

As Guardiola’s system allows the two midfielders ahead of his regista to roam freely, the £54m man has the license to wander into advanced areas and his excellent positioning and vision have allowed him to chalk up three goals and three assists in the league so far.

This excellent output at both ends of the pitch makes him as close to expendable as is possible with the wealth of stars vying for starting spots so expect Leroy Sane to suffer when De Bruyne returns to the fore.

The German has seen his minutes reduced due to the arrival of Riyad Mahrez and the mind-boggling logistics behind Pep’s reluctance to start him with full-back Benjamin Mendy; as both are left-footed, the concern is that their respective movements and runs will be be too similar and that they will only get in each-other’s way as they attempt to unpick their opposition.

Raheem Sterling has benefitted greatly from being swapped over to the left as he now has the option to cut inside onto his favoured right foot, as is the objective for the left-footed Mahrez, who has taken up Sterling’s role on the right.

With De Bruyne expected to be fully match fit for the trip to Chelsea on 8th December, he will likely slot back into the midfield three and push Bernardo Silva further afield to his natural right-winger slot.

Pep seemingly doesn’t rate Sane on the right as he does Mahrez, so the PFA Young Player of the Year may slip further down the pecking order if the relationship between he and Mendy cannot be worked around – the pair have played together only twice all season.

It would be a great shame to see the 22-year-old starved of minutes for such a technical reason that is far out of his control, but there seems to be no other conclusion come the Christmas period if Silva keeps up this form.

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Mauricio Pochettino has relied on Harry Kane at the spearhead of his attack in seasons gone by, but with little by way of quality back-up for Tottenham’s talisman there is a suggestion that he will suffer from burnout. 

Kane has been forced to refine his game during his career thus far, as the dynamic sprints which once enabled him to burst beyond defenders have slowly started to elude him. The diminishing importance of his physical ability has not equated to a diminishing goal scoring return, but one does get the feeling that his form is somewhat unsustainable if he is not provided with genuine support.

Fernando Llorente and Vincent Janssen are clearly not Tottenham standard, and that leaves Pochettino with just Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura to chose from at centre-forward. Both of whom are natural wingers by trade and do not represent long-term solutions to cover Kane in the event of a serious injury, so Pochettino should be scouting the market for a new centre-forward in the coming months.

Ideally, Tottenham should be looking towards a player who can offer something genuinely different in attack, and one talent who matches that description is Napoli’s Arkadisuz Milik. Napoli signed Milik from Ajax in 2016 for a fee of £28.8 million, and he has scored 18 goals from 53 appearances since he set foot in Naples.

Now, that record is not particularly groundbreaking, but it must be considered that Milik is a centre-forward who is at his most effective when linking up with his fellow attackers, and his set of characteristics would allow the likes of Son, Lucas and Dele Alli to thrive in the final-third.

Milik, 24, is still establishing himself at the top level and he undoubtedly has another level to reach. His performance in the Champions League against Liverpool in September proved that he possesses a big-game mentality, as his hold-up play was vital in allowing Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne to run riot in Liverpool’s defensive third.

Tottenham ultimately need to sign an alternative to Kane, whether that be in January or next summer, and Milik is exactly the type of player who Pochettino should be targeting.

Tottenham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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Kalvin Phillips has not missed a single Championship match for Leeds United this season, turning out in all 17 of their fixtures during the 2018-19 campaign.

The 22-year-old has largely operated in central midfield, but has twice played centre-back in recent weeks due to the team’s defensive problems.

Phillips has already made more than 100 Championship appearances for Leeds, and recently gave an interview where he declared his feelings towards the club.

Indeed, Phillips revealed that he is delighted to turn out for the Whites, who have ambitions of returning to the Premier League for the 2019-2020 campaign.

The Leeds fans have been responding to the midfielder’s comments on social media, and there were a number who paid tribute to the 5ft 8in ace.

Playmaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

There were also those, however, who believe that Phillips could depart Elland Road when the January transfer window opens for business.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the club’s supporters can be seen below:

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Throughout Mauricio Pochettino’s time in charge of Tottenham, Christian Eriksen has been one of the first names on the team sheet.

But with Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura performing so well this season, the Spurs gaffer has a difficult decision to make for Chelsea’s trip to Wembley this Saturday – needing to narrow down six potential starters in attacking midfield to just three.

So, should the Danish international be included as part of the trio supporting Harry Kane? Football FanCast look at the arguments for and against…

The Case Against Starting Eriksen

Something just isn’t quite right with the 26-year-old at the moment. There was the whole debacle with the Danish FA at the start of the campaign over commercial rights, which was subsequently followed by a mysterious abdominal injury that the Denmark manager suggested could be a chronic issue.

That allegation was swiftly denied but it took a long time – six games – for the attacking midfielder to return to the fold and his overall form has been a long way off what it was in previous seasons. This term he’s averaged just two shots, 1.4 key passes and 0.1 dribbles per match; last season, those returns finished up as 2.6, 2.6 and 0.8 respectively.

It’s since been claimed Eriksen is a target for Real Madrid, no doubt linked with the fact his contract expires at the end of next season, but it can only be speculated whether the ultimate problem is a turned head.

In any case, if Pochettino forgets about quality on paper and focuses on current form, Eriksen is a long way down the list right now – behind Moura, Lamela and arguably even Moussa Sissoko – and in terms of Saturday’s game, he’s arguably not the best-suited candidate for his usual No.10 role anyway. Ideally, Tottenham need someone physical who will put pressure on Chelsea’s key orchestrator, Jorginho.

The Case For Starting Eriksen

While Eriksen may not be able to hassle Jorginho and catch him out in possession in the same manner we saw from Everton’s attacking players before the international break, there’s always more than one way to skin a cat and the Danish playmaker’s ability to keep Tottenham on the ball could be equally if not more effective than winning it off the Italian in dangerous areas.

Chelsea have become a possession-based team under Maurizio Sarri but if Tottenham dominate the ball instead, something Eriksen would be pivotal to, they’d force Saturday’s opponents into playing a less familiar, less favoured game. The longer they do that, the more chances they’ll have to put Chelsea’s backline under pressure.

If you haven’t seen Patrice Evra’s bizarre new Instagram post then you need to check out the video below…

The other key factor working in Eriksen’s favour that defies this season’s form is his impressive track record when facing the Blues. Despite beating Chelsea just thrice throughout his Spurs career and only once before the turn of 2017, the former Ajax man has bagged two goals and five assists in 11 outings versus the West Londoners.

That includes an unforgettable wonder-strike from the last time these two sides met in the Premier League – Tottenham’s 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge last season.

So, Spurs fans, would you include Eriksen in this weekend’s starting XI or boldly leave the Danish playmaker on the sidelines?