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Declan Rice has emerged as West Ham United’s most coveted talent this season and his excellent display against Manchester United underlined his credentials to compete with the very best.

The Hammers may have lost the game but they were incredibly unfortunate to be on the wrong end of the result, something which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was happy to admit in his post-match interviews.

Rice, valued at £31.5 million by Transfermarkt, put in a dominant display to help combat the threat offered by United’s flair players but this was typical of a player who is rapidly becoming one of the hottest talents on the continent.

With his performance fresh in mind, plenty of the Red Devils faithful turned out in their numbers on Twitter to ask for one thing.

That was, of course, for United to sign the England international in the summer.

Indeed, the fans were completely blown away by his all-action performance, which saw him make four tackles, one interception and one clearance, per Whoscored.

But every passing fixture seems to send Rice’s stock soaring that little bit more and that could prove problematic for United if they decide to table a bid this summer.

Here’s what the fans had to say about his performance…

Sky Sports’ Paul Merson may often find himself the butt of fans’ jokes, but he speaks from the hip, and often the things he says resonate with fans, even if he does have his own unique style of punditry.

After talking up (as per Sky Sports) Crystal Palace’s chances in their last game — the first game for Spurs in their new stadium — claiming Roy Hodgson’s side are “one of the best counter-attacking sides about” when they are on their game, he decried their performance, when looking forward to the St James’ Park clash against Newcastle.

“I am disappointed with Palace. Out of all the teams at the bottom they are the disappointment because they should not be where they are.

“How do you go to Manchester City and win 3-2, when nobody beats City at home, and then be where you are in the league and go to Tottenham and get rinsed in midweek? It wasn’t even really a game.”

It is easy to understand why he is so disappointed. With the fast, skillful players they have in their squad, they seem perfectly suited to hit teams on the break and capitalise away from home.

In Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsed, they have players who can be devastating in any game, and punish sides who make any mistakes.

That they have found themselves scrapping it out in the Premier League nether regions again is puzzling, to say the least.

He was equally scathing about Newcastle’s performance on Monday Night Football at Arsenal, and suggested with the incredible backing they had in the Capital from their fans, they should have given it more of a go, in an attacking sense, than they did.

He said of Rafa Benitez’s side: “Newcastle had a load of fans come down to Arsenal on Monday and you were thinking ‘why don’t you have a go?’. I thought it was poor. They are better than that and have the ammunition to hurt teams.”

While he makes a valid point, Newcastle fans travel to away grounds — especially those of the top clubs — with an expectation of they formation and tactics Rafa will employ.

It has seen the minimise damage in most of these types of games, and his hope is always that they will stay in a game long enough that they can snatch a point in the final quarter of the match — and they were definitely in the game until the second goal went in at the Emirates.

But in a tight game to call, on paper, Merse thinks that home advantage will be what sways it tomorrow, but is not worried that either side are in danger of getting relegated.

“I think Newcastle win with home advantage, but both these teams should be safe because Cardiff won’t get enough points.”

He plumps for a 2-1 win for Rafa’s team, and you could not have argued, had he gone for the same result for the opposition, such has been the unpredictable, topsy-turvy season for both sides.

What are Your thoughts ahead of the game, Newcastle and Palace fans? Has Merse got this one right? Let us know below…

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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to reveal their desire to see Hakim Ziyech arrive at the club, after it was revealed that the Ajax attacker will be allowed to leave for just £25m due to a clause in his contract.

The Morocco international arrived from FC Twente back in 2016 for €11m, and has really put his name up in lights this season with some exquisite displays for the Dutch giants.

Mo Salah has been brutally mocked for his recent diving antics in a new video by 442oons. Check it out below…

Ziyech has played a pivotal role in Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-finals, scoring 19 goals and recording 20 assists across all competitions.

Liverpool are reportedly eyeing a move for the 26-year-old after news emerged of the clause in his contract, and many fans are seemingly in favour of him arriving at Anfield given his achievements so far in the current campaign.

Manchester United and Manchester City, as well as Arsenal, are also said to be keeping tabs on the situation, but lets see how the Liverpool fans on Twitter reacted to the news…

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Arsenal travel to Vicarage Road this evening to face a Watford side who have been buoyed by their recent FA Cup semi-final victory over Wolves.

The Hornets build a strong case as the best side outside of the top-six this season and they will surely pose a huge threat to the visiting Gunners this evening.

With a trip to Naples scheduled this week, Unai Emery is facing a selection dilemma ahead of the fixture and it will be intriguing to see how Arsenal line up.

The Spaniard’s team selections have been incredibly difficult to predict this season and the looming Europa League tie adds an extra element of mystery to his selection.

However, we’ve put together a potential XI that Emery could opt for this evening.

This line-up includes five changes from the Thursday night victory over Napoli, with Mustafi taking his place in the side in place of the suspended Sokratis.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang keeps his place in attack with Alexandre Lacazette rested for the trip to Italy.

Bernd Leno, Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkitaryan also take their place in the starting XI as Emery looks to maximise his resources during a gruelling run of fixtures.

[ad_pod ]Football.London’s Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has called on Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli to step up and prove that they belong at this level in the Champions League semi-final first leg clash against Ajax on Tuesday.

What’s the situation?

Well, the north London outfit welcome the Eredivisie giants to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium looking to take an advantage ahead of the second leg in Amsterdam, but they will be without the injured Harry Kane and the suspended Son Heung-Min.

As a result there will be a bigger onus on both Eriksen’s and Alli’s shoulders to deliver for Mauricio Pochettino’s men, whether it be in terms of goals or assists.

Gold tweeted on Tuesday: “Massive night for Spurs and Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli in particular. Those two have the ability to sparkle on any stage and if they can bring their A game tonight then that should make all the difference for Spurs going forward. Time to show this is their level.”

Is he right?

He certainly is.

West Ham ruined Arsenal’s unbeaten record at the Emirates in 2007 and history repeated itself at the weekend. Spurs fans don’t take it well in the video below…

Neither player has been at their best this season in terms of consistent form, but they are two stars their teammates will be looking at to make a difference against Ajax.

Tottenham may not have such a great chance of reaching the Champions League final again, and they must take the opportunity rather than bottling it – something we have seen from them on many occasions previously.

In addition, Eriksen and Alli are two players that are yet to prove themselves at the very highest level by helping Spurs win trophies – now is their ideal chance to be an influential part of a team to do exactly that.

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Everton fans on Twitter are fuming with Ronald Koeman, after the former Toffees boss posted a tweet congratulating Virgil van Dijk and Gini Wijnaldum following Liverpool’s progression into the Champions League semi-finals.

Whilst, to some people, it would seem as if the Netherlands national team manager was merely sending his congratulations to a couple of his players, the Everton supporters are livid with their former boss for celebrating their rivals’ success.

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

Additionally, the fact that Ajax, a team heavily filled with a number of Dutch internationals, also progressed into the semi-finals and Koeman didn’t send any of their players his best wishes, adds to their case that he was simply trying to wind his former fanbase up by congratulating two Liverpool stars.

The 56-year-old has previous in this department. The former Southampton boss once tweeted a picture of his Christmas tree, decorated with red tinsel, whilst managing the Toffees, which led to fury from the Everton fans – he eventually tweeted another picture of a tree without red decor.

Now that Koeman has antagonised the Everton fans on Twitter once again, they have wasted no time in reacting…

علّق المدرب الألماني هانز فليك المدير الفني لنادي بايرن ميونخ، على انتصار فريقه على بوروسيا دورتموند في البونسلدليجا.

بايرن حسم الكلاسيكو الألماني، بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين أمام بوروسيا، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما مساء اليوم السبت، على ملعب “سيجنال إيدونا بارك”، ضمن لقاءات الجولة السابعة (طالع تقرير المباراة). شاهد اهداف مباراة بايرن ميونخ وبوروسيا دورتموند

وقال فليك في تصريحات عقب نهاية المباراة: “المباراة كان جيدة بشكل مُثير، لقد كان هُناك الكثير من الجودة على أرض الملعب”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فليك يُعلق على إصابة كيميش “القوية” في مباراة بايرن ميونخ ودورتموند

وأضاف: “لقد أتيحت الكثير من الفرص للتسجيل لنا ولـ بوروسيا دورتموند، ولكن نحن كنا أكثر إصرارًا قليلًا، وكنا أكثر كفاءة أمام المرمى”.

وواصل: “هذا الفوز مُستحقًا بالنسبة لنا، لقد واجهنا فريق جيد، ودورتموند أصبح خطيرًا للغاية”.

وأتم تصريحاته قائلًا: “علينا أنّ نلعب بصبر قليلًا، دورتموند استفادوا من بعض أخطاءنا، والآن علينا تصحيح هذه الأخطاء”.

Making the move to Real Madrid, no matter how good you are, invites a tonne of pressure on how well you perform for the Spanish giants.

We have seen the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema thrive for Los Blancos whereas Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez have faltered in the Spanish capital, and for Dani Ceballos, the youngster falls into the latter.

Since making the move from Real Betis to Madrid for a reported £14.5 million the 22-year-old midfielder has found it hard to find a permanent place in the starting XI and could be on the way out of the club after just two years at Real, and West Ham are interested.

According to the Express, Manuel Pellegrini has opened talks with Madrid over the signing of Ceballos, who could leave for just £20 million, and pulling off such a deal would be a steal for West Ham.

Although game time has been limited at Real Madrid, Ceballos is still a player who could make an impact and impress at a top-division side, and having been likened to Cesc Fabregas in the past, the Spanish international would be a welcome signing for the Hammers.

As well as being an overall quality signing for the club, Ceballos would add much-needed creativity to the Irons, who have been heavily reliant on Felipe Anderson this season. With the Spanish playmaker in the side, though, the burden will be lessened for the Brazilian winger.

Ceballos would be a coup for West Ham if they are able to pull off the signing, and the Spaniard would bring something new to the team that have needed a new dynamic for the past few seasons. If David Gold and Sullivan splash the cash, that is.

West Ham fans, would Ceballos be a good signing? Let us know!

Giving youngsters a chance hasn’t gone too badly for Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs, has it? Indeed, they should make some big-name signings in the summer but promote Jack Roles in time for next season.

The Cypriot midfielder has raised eyebrows in the Spurs under-23s side, scoring eight goals and assisting six this campaign. Pochettino is looking to build a dynasty at the new stadium and what better way to ensure that happens than bringing through youngsters.

Despite the one billion pound outlay for the ground, there’s no doubt Daniel Levy is reluctant to spend more money than he feels he has to. This could work in Roles’ favour, because, now he’ll have heard about the 20-year-old, he may not feel the need to spend much on his position.

He’s got lots of competition for the attacking midfield slots as it is, but Pochettino should bring him into the first team squad next season and test him in the cups to see what he’s made of. He could just come into a league of his own.

The Spurs fans will have more patience with him than they would a big-name, big-money signing and that’ll make it easier for him to be eased into the team. He can learn so much from the likes of Christian Eriksen and Son, just as Phil Foden is doing under Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva at Manchester City.

The lad’s clearly got bags of potential and now all he needs is the club to believe in him. The new stadium would erupt hearing one of their youth players make it through, so why not give him the chance to prove himself on the big stage.

Spurs fans, who would you sign in summer to challenge the likes of Eriksen? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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2016 League Cup final: Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-1 on penalties. “Bottler.”

2016 Europa League final: Liverpool 1-3 Sevilla. “Fraud.”

2018 Champions League final: Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool. “What’s he won?”

What has Jurgen Klopp won?

Jurgen Klopp has won the heart of a city who were starved of hope, starved of belief.

Jurgen Klopp has achieved the most unfathomable of results, the types of scorelines that you wouldn’t have allowed yourself to believe were possible.

Luis Suarez certainly had no qualms about celebrating against his former employers in the video below…

Mentality can take you a long way in football. It can also set you back an equally long way. Losing a cup final, let alone three of them, should have immeasurable consequences; only a master motivator can pick his side up to go again. And again. And again.

Klopp is that, and more.

His belief, his passion, his uniting of the players and the supporters; ask any supporter of the five-time Champions League winners if they would rather have won a Carabao Cup, or enjoyed the comeback wins over Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, and they’ll say the latter.

Just look at Jose Mourinho and Manchester United. It really isn’t about trophies, at all.

One Carabao Cup, one Europa League title, one Community Shield. Great. The whole place is in disarray and the fans have never hated the players or the club more – they have even started a campaign against their own team on Twitter.

Tottenham fans will tell you the same. They’ll laugh in your face if you say that Mauricio Pochettino needs a Carabao Cup to cement his position as one of the best coaches in the world, and will also tell you that the night in Amsterdam they’ve just experienced is worth more than 100 Carabao Cup successes.

Football is about longevity. Football is about creating memories that will go down in the club’s history and stay with you for a lifetime – how many United fans can even discuss Mourinho’s legacy as positive despite collecting three pieces of silverware?

One of Pochettino or Klopp will be on the losing side in the Champions League final, and one will undoubtedly be called a bottlejob. A fraud. All of those things.

What have they won? A place in the memories and heart of each and every one of their club’s supporters.

Is that worth more than a trophy? Probably.