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Lots of Arsenal fans have taken to Twitter to call Robin van Persie out for lying about the manner in which he left the club.

The Dutchman – now a pundit on BT Sport – left the Gunners back in 2012 to join Manchester United in a £24m move, and went on to win the Premier League title at Old Trafford.

He claims that the north Londoners never offered him a new deal when speaking to Jake Humphrey before the Gunners took on Burnley, forcing him to make a decision about leaving the Emirates.

However, a month before his move to United, van Persie claimed that he would not be signing a new contract with Arsenal, whilst Arsene Wenger revealed that he wanted to keep the forward ‘at all costs’ – someone isn’t telling the truth here, it seems.

After watching him reveal his side of why he left the club, loads of Arsenal fans on Twitter believe that their former No.10 is lying through his teeth.

Let’s see what the supporters on Twitter have been saying about his comments…

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Premier League strugglers Watford are considering the future of manager Javi Gracia after a woeful start to the Premier League season.

The Hornets have lost all three of their opening fixtures and look in real trouble under the stewardship of Gracia, despite him enjoying a decent enough campaign last time out as he guided his side to an 11th-place finish.

And now the Daily Mail is reporting that Gracia might be on his last legs at Vicarage Road, with the board already reportedly looking at replacing him.

The 49-year-old has done a decent job for Watford, guiding them to the FA Cup Final last season.

However, Saturday’s home defeat to West Ham put a further nail in the coffin for Gracia, who could now struggle to keep his job it seems with the Premier League side.

Gracia has won 24 of his 64 games in charge of the Hornets, but has also suffered 29 losses in that same period of time, highlighting the inconsistency he finds within his squad in terms of getting regular wins on the board.

This is typical of the Premier League and you get the impression it’s a ticking time bomb already at Vicarage Road.

Gracia has done perfectly fine given the squad he has and the club should really look at some of the money spent on big name signings who have offered very little to the cause.

Sacking Gracia just months on from getting to a cup final and recording a decent league finish would be massively harsh on the Spaniard.

Watford fans, should the club sack Gracia? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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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…

Former Manchester City and England defender Danny Mills has raved about Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-min, per Football Insider.

What’s he said?

The South Korea international played a major role in Spurs’ 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the weekend, providing a constant threat on the break with his pace and trickery.

He won the penalty from which Harry Kane scored his side’s second goal but Mills believes that the 27-year-old, who netted 20 goals in all competitions last season, remains “underrated”.

He said: “He’s a fabulous player, I think he’s massively underrated.

“His quality, his ability, his discipline and his work rate are absolutely exceptional, he very rarely lets you down in any way, shape or form.

“Yes, all players miss chances and have off moments but overall, the way that he plays – his energy and enthusiasm – his effort for the team is incredible.”

A phenomenal asset

Spurs’ attack would not be the same without Son.

A brilliantly multi-faceted player, the attacker is capable of scoring all types of goals, as well as taking on players, beating them, while also winning it back on a regular basis.

He adds pace and dynamism on the left flank and is also capable of playing through the middle, particularly if Kane is absent.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Mills is right to draw attention to the fact that he is not seen as one of the elite talents in the Premier League.

The fact is though; he should be.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Football Insider reports that Neil Lennon has reached out with the proverbial olive branch in an attempt to heal the rift between himself and Scott Sinclair. But with the winger’s contract due to expire at the end of this season is he merely attempting to put a plaster on a broken leg?

Blaze of glory

Sinclair arrived at Celtic in a blaze of glory, playing a key role in securing a domestic treble and an unbeaten, invincible league campaign. With twenty five goals and eleven assists in fifty games, Sinclair had proved to be a great signing for Brendan Rodgers.

But this season there have been questions as to why Sinclair has found himself so far out of the picture that youngster Lewis Morgan has been starting ahead of him. Why has a player with sixty goals in three seasons had his playing time reduced to just fifty six minutes in the first thirteen games?

Sinclair had his contract extended by a year in the summer despite falling out of favour at the end of last season. This prevented him leaving on a free transfer during a summer in which he was linked with Sunderland, Derby and Preston.

Recently though the Celtic winger has posted a video of himself training alone at Lennoxtown, as reported by The Daily Record, and appears keen to re-kindle his career at the Parkhead club.

Sinclair is on £30,000 a week and as one of Celtic’s highest earners – having him warm the bench (or a seat in the stand) isn’t a great use of resources. Lennon is now reportedly willing to meet Sinclair to move the situation forward, although it remains to be seen whether any common ground can be found.

Watch Celtic Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The elephant in the room

There is no doubt that, if given the chance, Sinclair can contribute to this Celtic team – his statistics over the last three seasons prove this – and it makes far more sense to have him inside the tent rather than out of it looking in.

But clear-the-air talks won’t truly address the elephant in the room; the ongoing uncertainty over Sinclair’s future. That appears to be one of the core factors behind his absence this season and simply bringing him back into the fold won’t change that. The fact of the matter is that his contract will expire, under its current terms, at the end of the campaign.

Considering Sinclair will therefore be allowed to sign pre-contract terms with clubs from abroad in January, or that Celtic may feel compelled to try and sell him then to avoid losing a talented player on a free transfer, the Englishman’s future already feels like it will be a recurring theme throughout the campaign. If that’s affected his playing time already this season, the problem could further grow.

Talks with Sinclair to smooth things over are all well and good, but how long will the effects actually last? Unless Celtic manage to tie the forward down to a new deal, there will be no clean resolution to the root of the problem. The Hoops are applying a quick fix to a long-term issue.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Steve Bruce has revealed Newcastle intend to strengthen in the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the word?

The Magpies have loosened the purse-strings over this calendar year, with the likes of Miguel Almiron and Joelinton arriving in consecutive transfer windows to club-record deals.

Now, Bruce has admitted the side still needs more additions to give it some extra quality, and pointed to both Almiron and Joelinton as examples of the kind of influences they could have.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He said, via The Chronicle: “It’s vitally important you look to get better. In the last week it was taking stock of what has happened in the past seven weeks. In the next week in January we will look with Steve Nickson with his crew to see where we can strengthen.

“At any club you feel you can strengthen. I think we are in a position like five or six (clubs) are looking for that real bit of quality to make you better. We’ve seen Joelinton and Almiron back in January that give you that little bit of quality at the top of the pitch, they can certainly help us.”

Mid-season boost

Make no mistake about it, making a signing in the January transfer window can act as a major boost for the entire club. Newcastle’s late addition of Almiron earlier this year for a club-record fee naturally raised the excitement levels, and a similar sort of move this time around can also have the same effect for Bruce’s side.

Since their disappointing defeat to Norwich, the Magpies have been somewhat more resilient, picking up a win against Tottenham and drawing against Watford. However, the age-old concern of where their goals will come from still remains.

Joelinton’s record last season at former side Hoffenheim was less than prolific with just 11 goals in 35 games, and Almiron’s goalless start to his Tyneside career is similarly worrying. If Bruce can convince Mike Ashley to dip his hands into his pockets, then Newcastle could be set for a late Christmas present.

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Some Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to aim their fire at experienced duo Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata, despite recording a 1-0 win over Leicester.

Matic and Mata, who are both 31 years of age, started against the Foxes with a number of key players out injured, although they did not last past the 70-minute mark.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer withdrew the Serbian in the 66th-minute, while taking Mata off just three minutes after that.

Matic had two unsuccessful touches and failed to record a single key pass against Brendan Rodgers’ side, whilst Mata had three unsuccessful touches and failed to make an impact in a centre-attacking midfield role.

With academy prospects such as Angel Gomes and James Garner waiting for opportunities in the aforementioned pair’s positions, some fans have singled out the ageing duo for criticism despite the 1-0 win.

Let’s take a look at what they’ve been saying about Matic and Mata on Twitter…

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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… 

Sheffield Wednesday have been through just about every footballing scenario you could imagine already this season – and we aren’t even a quarter of the way through yet.

Steve Bruce left them managerless just as pre-season was getting underway as he took the vacant reigns at Newcastle United which left Lee Bullen in caretaker charge for the third time in his career.

Under their former captain, they started the season brightly recording back-to-back victories over Reading and then Barnsley, but that rich vein of form wasn’t to last long as they hit a rough spell, losing three of their next four matches.

That ultimately resulted in the club’s chiefs making a move to appoint Garry Monk as the club’s permanent boss and his new side delivered in front of the TV cameras against Huddersfield last Sunday.

It was the first look at how the Owls will operate for the foreseeable future, but don’t take too much from it as Monk himself has said he will ‘adapt’ as the season goes on.

We did learn one thing though, as he said the following about Adam Reach: “I have already spoken with Adam. He will primarily be a wide player for us and it is where he is most effective.”

On the Chalkboard

With Kadeem Harris impressing the Hillsborough fanbase, it would seem that Magpies loanee Jacob Murphy is walking on a tight rope at the minute.

He’s underperformed so far this season, managing just one goal in six appearances and is yet to even record an assist.

Considering he’s averaging 2 shots per game it’s quite a poor return that he hasn’t found the net.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 24-year-old is also dispossessed at least once each match while 1.3 unsuccessful touches on average is certainly below par.

Since his debut, where he picked up an 8.33 rating and that goal, things just haven’t gone to plan, and his inconsistencies led to him being dragged off at half time against Preston North End.

As a consequence, he started the next match on the bench.

He was handed a start under Monk but he failed to impress recording a rating of just 6.48.

With the 40-year-old stating that Reach will be utilised as a winger, it means Murphy could well make way, and that could occur as early as this weekend as Sam Winnall’s winner against Huddersfield means he too is pushing for a starting spot.

Monk frequently used 4-4-2 at Birmingham last season, so the recent exploits of the striker leaves the manager with plenty to think about.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Expert Roundup feature, which provides three quotes from those in the know in order to illuminate fundamental strengths, weaknesses, quirks, stylistic comparisons and general observations of players, transfer targets and confirmed signings.

Following the appointment of Unai Emery last year, one of the big questions surrounded whether he could tap into the club’s abundance of youth prospects. Without sounding too hyperbolic, the sheer number and, importantly, quality of talent coming through at Arsenal raises excited talk of an emerging ‘golden generation’.

There is a chance for the Gunners to head into the next few years with more than half of their first-team being built around players who have been developed in the academy system.

Names like Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, amongst others, have had their chances to shine under both Arsene Wenger and Emery, but one teenager who is quickly over-taking them all as the club’s most exciting prospect is Bukayo Saka.

The 18-year-old has really put himself on the big stage after scoring his first senior goal for the club away at last season’s Europa League semi-finalists Eintracht Frankfurt, before becoming the club’s third-youngest Premier League starter against Aston Villa just days later.

But according to these three men who know him better than most, this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what he can achieve.

Per Mertesacker – Head of Academy

Since transitioning from FA Cup-winning captain to the head of Arsenal’s academy, the big German has made his presence felt. At a time when modern footballers appear to be focusing on their off-the-pitch activities, the 34-year-old’s refreshingly old-school approach should pay dividends for some of Arsenal’s brightest prospects – not least of which Saka.

And based off his comments, he knows keeping the 18-year-old humble will be vital for his chances of making it to the top.

Freddie Ljungberg – First-team Coach

An Arsenal legend for his glorious time with the Invincibles, Ljungberg’s original spell as the manager of the U23s has made him an important figure in the Gunners’ back-room set-up. The Swede was promoted to the role of first-team coach earlier this year, and many of the club’s youngsters have publicly come out to hail his influence on smoothing the transition into the senior side. Saka, in particular, appeared to catch the eye of Ljungberg, and the latter has tipped him for big things.

Unai Emery – Manager

Undoubtedly the most important individual of the three, it will be up to Emery to ensure he makes the best out of the teenager’s considerable talent. Arsenal have already lost one talented youngster in Xavier Amaechi earlier this summer after the winger felt he couldn’t see a quick enough path into the first-team, and so the Gunners must prove they have learned their lesson.

Judging by what their Spanish boss has said, however, that should not be a concern.

Verdict

After scoring seven goals in the Bundesliga whilst on loan at Hoffenheim last season, naturally, the big talk at the Emirates was about how Nelson was going to steal the show. The England U21 international had built up valuable experience playing first-team football, and was learning under highly-rated manager Julian Nagelsmann. What the winger probably didn’t account for is Saka bursting ahead of him in the pecking order.

The latter rewarded Emery’s faith in the clash against Frankfurt, scoring a sublime long-range effort, before teeing up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the Gabon international’s customary goal. It was a performance brimming with huge potential, but his ability to handle the occasion and the raucous German atmosphere spoke volumes about the size of his potential; he may better placed than Nelson to embrace the pressure of playing in high-intensity games.

Against Villa, Saka was desperately unlucky to be the man the Gunners boss sacrificed in order to restore a sense of order following Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ sending off. The teenager looked lively in the 45 minutes he was on the pitch, and looked at home on the left-flank.

Nelson and Smith Rowe may have been seen as the torch-bearers of Arsenal’s crop of talented youngsters.

There can be no doubting now, however, that Saka has well and truly taken that mantle.

Tottenham Hotspur’s frustrating start to the 2019/20 season went from bad to worse as they were thrashed 7-2 on their own patch by Bayern Munich on Tuesday night.

A Champions League clash against the Bundesliga giants in their new stadium should have been an occasion to remember for the club, but it turned into a nightmare in the second half as the north London outfit collapsed and conceded three goals in five minutes in the latter stages of the contest.

While Jan Vertonghen started in defence, Christian Eriksen only had the chance to make a difference from the substitutes’ bench when he replaced Tanguy Ndombele – one of the only players on the night to receive any credit from Spurs supporters – in the 64th minute, but he failed to do so.

Both players looked dejected and had looks of anguish on their faces as they left the pitch at full-time, and you wonder whether the result could have an impact on their respective futures.

Vertonghen is reported to be in talks with Tottenham over a new contract with his current one due to expire next summer, although the north London outfit are seemingly unwilling to offer the 32-year-old more than a 12-month extension.

Meanwhile, Eriksen is in a similar boat to his Belgian teammate in terms of his deal expiring, but he appears determined to make his exit either in January or at the end of the season given he has rejected every offer he has had from Daniel Levy, as per Marca.

Some Charlton fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was confirmed that Sunderland had sacked their manager, Jack Ross.

Why does this concern Charlton, you might ask?

Well, it was the Black Cats who were defeated by the Addicks at Wembley back in May, as Lee Bowyer oversaw a League One playoff final win over Ross’ Sunderland side thanks to a last-minute winner from Patrick Bauer.

An own goal from Naby Sarr in the 5th minute – after Dillon Phillips had a nightmare moment – opened the scoring at Wembley, before Ben Purrington equalised with a good finish at the back post.

One fan paid a big thank you to Ross and Sunderland for handing him a memory that he’ll “never forget”, while another supporter on Twitter said that without Ross’ negative tactics at Wembley, he’d never have seen Charlton score their stoppage time winner.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction…