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It was a difficult afternoon for West Ham United on Saturday, as they succumbed to a disappointing 3-2 defeat against Newcastle United at the London Stadium (via BBC Sport).

The Hammers were far from at their best against Steve Bruce’s side and went 3-0 down in the game before netting a couple of late consolation goals.

In an effort to try and get back into the game, Manuel Pellegrini decided to bring off Pablo Zabaleta after 72 minutes, replacing him with Ryan Fredericks (via @WestHam).

The Argentine had a poor game for the Hammers, two of his three long balls were inaccurate, both of his attempted crosses did not find a teammate and he also had one unsuccessful touch, ultimately finishing with a meagre WhoScored rating of just 5.96.

Zabaleta hasn’t been a regular this season; indeed this was only his second start in the league (Transfermarkt).

Most supporters cannot understand why Pellegrini has started the former Manchester City man instead of Fredericks in the last two games, and many of them suggested that when the manager did swap the two players in the second half that it was far too late as the damage was already done.

Here is how some Hammers fans reacted on Twitter when Zabaleta was brought off against Newcastle…

West Ham fans, should Ryan Fredericks be starting ahead of Pablo Zabaleta? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

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…

Paul Ince believes that the reported price of Declan Rice is ludicrous as he is far from the finished product.

What did he say?

The former England international is an admirer of the midfielder, but given he is only 20 Ince is fair to assume that it is too early to be speaking of prices such as £70m.

He also praised West Ham and the current set-up in place, indicating that it is a good environment for young players to prosper, whilst stating that a few more years of development in east London could really help his career.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Speaking on talkSPORT, as quoted by Football.London, Ince said:

“Stop quoting these ridiculous prices, it’s madness, it really is. In two or three years time, maybe, but he’s still got a lot to learn, he’s still got to grow, be a lot more powerful and get up and down the park quicker than he does.

“That will come as his body develops more but he’s still got to get himself in the box, got to score goals. That’s going to be worth £80-90m, so if he can learn that as he grows older, why not?

“I think he’s at the right club at West Ham, he’s playing week in, week out, which is important, and I think he’s got the right people around him, like Mark Noble, who has been there a long time, so he’ll learn a lot.”

Been there and done it

Rice could do a lot worse than to listen to and heed the advice of Ince, as he could follow in his footsteps if he makes the right decisions.

Like the current Hammers man, Ince came through the academy at West Ham and went on to make 72 appearances in three years, before he couldn’t resist the call of Manchester United.

That means he had more experience of being in and around the first team at the time of his move and likely was in a better frame of mind when deciding to move, as well as being older than Rice currently is.

The England international only has one full season under his belt playing in his current position of defensive midfield and though he has impressed and is improving, as shown in his interception and tackling stats – which he ranks fourth and third amongst Premier League midfielders – there are still areas to work on, as Ince points out.

Ince is, therefore, probably correct in his assessment that he could do with a few more years learning the trade from the likes of Noble, particularly as the Red Devils are currently in a slump in 12th place.

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

It may not be the most exotic name, but it could be just what Leeds have been looking for.

What’s the story?

According to a report in Le Buteur, Leeds are one of three teams that are chasing the signature of Algerian forward Baghdad Bounedjah.

The 27-year-old currently plays for Al-Sadd in the Qatari Stars League and boasts an impressive tally of 97 goals in 78 appearances for the side.

Whilst a record like that should always be taken with a pinch of salt because of the level of competition, you have to at least give him credit for knowing where the goal is.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The ultimate risk?

One of the main reasons that there hasn’t been much headway in negotiations is that Leeds, and the other clubs involved, seem rather hesitant on paying the asking price of €15m (£12.9m) for the player’s services.

It is always possible that the fee can be negotiated down but even at something slightly lower, it would pose a significant risk for Leeds to take. They showed their hand in how tight the purse strings are this summer by not paying a fee for any of their players this summer just gone.

With reports circulating that Eddie Nketiah could be recalled by Arsenal in the January transfer window, this move could very well be a case of killing two birds with one stone.

Marcelo Bielsa gets a player to backup or rotate with Patrick Bamford, and they don’t have to worry about a parent club breathing down their neck worried about a lack of minutes.

It’s well known that Leeds have had troubles this year when it comes to finding the back of the net, scoring just 15 goals from a total of 16.6 shots per game, via WhoScored.

As mentioned earlier, it’s not the most prestigious of leagues to be scoring in, but even if he produces at 50% the rate that he did in that league, Leeds could find the answer to their biggest problem this season.

The question is though, are they willing to fork out the money required to do so? Given the fee and the league he has been playing in, it would be a big risk.

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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… 

West Brom will be looking to continue one remarkable trend while trying to eradicate another on Saturday as they head to west London to face Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.

The Baggies are unbeaten so far this season – the only side in the Championship – as they sit fourth with four wins and four draws to their name.

However, they are yet to keep a clean sheet.

In fact, 15 of their 16 league points have been won from a losing position, per Transfermarkt, which means in 94% of their matches they have gone behind and still earned a result – and they somehow remain unbeaten doing so.

This is something that Football FanCast have previously outlined as a pressing concern.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

That unwanted record is probably one of the only things going against Slaven Bilic making it a perfect start as Albion boss, and that may not change this weekend as QPR are one place below the west Midlands club only on goal difference.

The Rs rank second for average goals per game at 3.25 with West Brom closely following behind at 3.13, so this game could be high-scoring. QPR have also conceded in 88% of their matches too.

With this in mind, if Bilic wants to pick up his first clean sheet of the campaign, the key battle could be between Semi Ajayi and Nahki Wells.

On the Chalkboard

Despite lacking a clean sheet, the 25-year-old has become an important figure in the heart of the defence for the Croatian.

At £1.5m, he’s been quite the steal, winning 3.8 aerial duels per game on average on top of making 2.9 clearances per match too.

This is one area where he can dominate the 5 foot 7 forward as his height will make a huge difference, even without considering that Wells has averaged just 0.2 successful aerial duels a game.

Though, he’s still scored five goals in just four starts which is an impressive return, clearly making him the most significant threat on Saturday. The 29-year-old is also averaging 2.6 shots per game.

Ajayi will need to be better in the tackle having made just 0.6 per game so far this season as the Bermudan is often dispossessed of the ball at an average of 1.5 times per match.

If West Brom want to start earning clean sheets, they’ll have to combat strikers like these as soon as possible.

There are a lot of concerns for Tottenham after their heavy defeat to Bayern Munich on Tuesday, but some fans noticed one worry which could lead to more defeats in future.

Namely, that is the fitness of new signing Tanguy Ndombele, who has otherwise had a good start to his career in north London, and impressed some with his performances and two goals in and one assist in five league matches.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Despite that, the visit of Bayern Munich showed a flaw in his game currently, and many fans noticed that he grew tired far too quickly, resulting in him struggling to keep up with the pace of the game.

One fan put that down to the fact that his career to date has been spent in France, where the game is slower and less intense – so now he is facing the task of building up his stamina in order to get up to speed.

Here is some of the reactions from fans who believe he tired far too quickly.

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Crystal Palace visit Leicester City this weekend and will be hoping they can make it a fourth consecutive win over the Foxes, although they will have to do it without Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Martin Kelly, who have been ruled out through injury.

The former has been the Eagles’ outstanding performer on the right hand side of defence and has garnered interest from a number of top clubs, including Premier League champions Manchester City.

Meanwhile, the latter has stepped in capably when required and has earned himself a new deal which will keep him at Selhurst Park until 2021.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Wan-Bissaka’s absence, in particular, will please Claude Puel and Leicester – the right-back has become one of the best in the league in his position and even outshone talisman Wilfried Zaha this season.

The Eagles have proved they can best the Foxes without their key men, though – the Ivory Coast international was suspended for the last meeting and the SE25 outfit still came out on top, keeping a third consecutive clean sheet against the 2015/16 champions.

Here’s how the Palace fans reacted on Twitter, with many surprised that 21-year-old Wan-Bissaka could even get injured – indeed, he has looked “immortal” since his breakthrough to the starting XI…

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Everton fans are showing support for Marco Silva despite their poor start to the season, choosing instead to blame the players for the predicament they’re in.

The Portuguese boss says it is time for his players “not to hide” and that has provoked a response backing up his statement, with some believing the players are in need of a call out.

Given there are players in the squad who cost in the region of £30m, £40m and even more, they would seem to have a point, though it is ultimately Silva’s responsibility to get the best out of them.

This season he has failed in that regard, with deficiencies in attack and defence reflected by their record of goals scored and conceded.

He has also failed to fix the key issue of conceding from set-pieces. The Toffees have already conceded three this term from set-pieces to add to their 20 last year, and if that problem persists then so will Everton’s habit of dropping points.

Despite that, there are some who continue to back Silva, suggesting that previous managers have failed with this set of players, and therefore it is not just the manager at fault.

Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Here are some fan reactions showing support for their manager.

Celtic recorded an eleventh straight victory over Motherwell to extend their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.

Ange Postecoglou’s side were in rampant form as they found the net four times to make it 19 games unbeaten, putting the pressure on their arch-rivals.

Liel Abada and Daizen Maeda scored either side of a Tom Rogic brace on what was his return to the starting XI and he announced his comeback in stunning fashion as he nonchalantly rifled home an effort from long range.

The Australian midfielder stayed on for the whole game and recorded the highest rating of any Bhoys player (8.7), as per SofaScore.

However, in a quickfire first half it was the presence of Israeli winger that caused all sorts of trouble for the home side.

“Celtic are creating so many opportunities through Abada – and that’s a huge problem from Motherwell. Total composure from the Hatate with the pass,” claimed former Hoops goalkeeper Pat Bonner to BBC Sportsround after the 20-year-old’s opener.

He may have lasted only 45 minutes but Postecoglou obviously wants him rested before their trip to Aberdeen in midweek and that goes to show just how important he is for this side.

From 36 touches, Abada laid on three key passes which resulted in the two goals after he had banged in the first effort. He also made 82% of his 17 passing attempts, via SofaScore.

It’s awfully telling that Celtic’s free-scoring nature quietened down when he was withdrawn at the break.

The Scottish Daily Express ranked Abada amongst the Hoops’ highest-performers, grading him a joint-best 10/10.

‘Looked lively again from the beginning and took up dangerous positions in the box, eventually making a darting run to knock in the opener from a Hatate pass. Influential in the third goal too teeing up Rogic perfectly,’ they wrote.

On that evidence, the £4.05m-rated dynamo absolutely ran the show in the short time he was on the pitch and the Australian head coach will be hoping that he can repeat such exploits on Wednesday evening.

AND in other news, Nicholson continuing Ange’s revolution as Celtic make bid for “graceful” 111 G/A beast…

Celtic have seen many players come through their youth academy and go on to become important first-team figures for the Hoops such as Calum McGregor, James Forrest and Anthony Ralston among others.

However, it seems as though the Parkhead club could be in danger of letting one future star slip through their hands in the coming months.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist and transfer insider Pete O’Rourke had this to say about the possibility of Hoops youngster Ben Doak leaving the club in the near future after being linked with a move to Premier League club Liverpool in recent weeks.

He said: “To see him possibly leave for a move down to Liverpool would come as a blow because I think Celtic did have high hopes for him in the future that he could become a regular in the first team.

“That’s why they were offering some minutes this season as well.”

Not good news for the Hoops

As O’Rourke mentioned, the teenager has played in two SPFL games for Ange Postecoglou’s side in this campaign, the first of which came back in January where he played 22 minutes against Dundee United which was then followed by a brief three-minute cameo in the Hoops’ 3-0 win over Rangers.

According to Bhoys Analytics on Twitter, Doak is a name that “Celtic fans should get familiar with” before naming him a “generational talent”, highlighting the buzz and excitement around the teenager.

Taking all of this into account, it seems as though the Parkhead club are very much in danger of seeing their young prospect follow in the footsteps of previous Celtic players to make the move to the Premier League. For instance, the likes of Victor Wanyama, Virgil van Dijk, Stuart Armstrong, Fraser Forster, Kieran Tierney, Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard have all departed.

Although Ange Postecolgou’s side are doing pretty well in the SPFL at the moment sitting at the top of the league table with 76 points on the board from 31 games played, losing Doak will definitely be a blow for them in the long term.

Should the youngster end up moving and making a name for himself on the big stage at Liverpool, it would not only dishearten a lot of Hoops supporters but would surely leave them gutted at the same time.

In other news: Daily Record drop big 11-word Celtic claim, unforgivable error could be inbound

Liverpool are willing to pay €40m (£33.3m) for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, according to a fresh transfer rumour which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Phillips on the move?

The 26-year-old has arguably been the standout player of the Marcelo Bielsa era at Elland Road, also becoming an important figure for England, winning their Player of the Year award in 2021.

Unsurprisingly, Phillips has been linked with a move away from Leeds numerous times in recent months as he potentially eyes up a fresh challenge.

The midfielder may believe that he belongs at a Champions League-playing club, and there is no sign that he will be signing a new Whites deal any time soon.

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The Latest: Liverpool keen on signing Phillips

According to El Nacional, Liverpool are interested in making a €40m (£33.3m) move for Phillips in the summer, with Leeds more keen for their star midfielder to move abroad.

Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are all mentioned as potential suitors in the report, although a move to Anfield is thought to possibly appeal to the player himself.

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The Verdict: Higher bid required

There is surely no chance that Leeds would allow Phillips to join a Premier League rival for just £33.3m, considering what a formidable footballer he has become in recent years, being hailed as ‘excellent’ by England manager Gareth Southgate.

His current Whites deal doesn’t expire until 2024 so there is no rush to sell him yet, with a far higher bid surely required to prise him away from his boyhood club.

Leeds fans may needs to mentally prepare for the prospect of Phillips leaving in the summer but only if the right offer comes along, one which would see the Whites to receive a huge amount of money that would duly be put towards signing a replacement of equal or better quality.

In other news, Phil Hay has revealed his happiness at one key Leeds update. Read more here.