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Claudio Ranieri will hope to kick off his reign as Fulham manager with a win against Southampton at the weekend.

The Cottagers are bottom of the Premier League following a slow start under Slavisa Jokanovic, and Ranieri is the man the Fulham board believe can steer them to safety. Fulham have been conceding goals at an alarming rate and solving their defensive issues will definitely be a priority for the former Leicester boss. Given the quality of Fulham’s squad, fans will be hopeful of improved performances under the Premier League winner.

The January transfer window is less than two months away, and Ranieri will be given his first opportunity to tailor the squad to his needs. In order to stop leaking goals, the ex-Chelsea boss should be targeting defensive reinforcements.

One man who he could lure to Craven Cottage is Manchester United veteran – Antonio Valencia. Valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt, the Ecuador international has been a key player for the Red Devils for a number of years after finding a home at right-back. However, the ex-Wigan man has made just four appearances in the Premier League so far and has less than one year remaining on his contract. The defender has also stated his intention to stay in England if United aren’t willing to extend his stay at the club.

Valencia has bags of Premier League and European experience which would prove vital in the long-term as Fulham bid for survival. His time with Wigan will also help the defender settle into life under Ranieri as fast as possible. The 33-year-old may be approaching the end of his career, but he still has a few years left at the highest level and bringing him to London wouldn’t break the bank.

Landing Valencia in January could prove to be a masterstroke from the former Inter Milan boss.

Fulham fans, thoughts?

It’s been an up and down season for West Ham so far this year. At times it looks as though they could push towards the top eight but at others, it looks as though they may also slide towards the bottom end of the table. 

Yesterday, Man City destroyed Manuel Pellegrini’s side 4-0 in a game where The Hammers didn’t really have a chance. West Ham currently sit 13th in the table, three points ahead of Newcastle in 14th – the two face each other next weekend.

Over the summer, West Ham were active in the transfer market and broke the club transfer record fee twice on Issa Diop and Felipe Anderson.

Anderson has been one of the best players at the club so far this season and in tandem with Marko Arnautovic, Pellegrini has a duo that can trouble any team.

According to The Sun, Man U are ready to bid £50 million for Arnautovic and if that is the case, Pellegrini must push through the deal as quickly as possible.

The Breakdown

On his day, Arnautovic is one of the best strikers in the league and has so far scored five goals in the league this season.

Losing him would be a huge blow for the side but it may also avoid some unneeded upheaval during the season. At this point in time, West Ham can ill afford to have a huge transfer saga derail their club and if Pellegrini is wise, he will sell the at times troublesome striker and reinvest it in a new signing in January.

Thoughts West Ham fans? 

According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, Everton are interested in a move for midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure. The Frenchman currently plays his football at fellow Premier League outfit Watford and has done so since leaving Rennes in 2016, with his masterful efforts in the heart of the Hornets midfield attracting interest around the English top-flight.

And Marco Silva’s Everton are the latest side to reportedly seek to sign the £13.5 million-rated star (as per Transfermarkt), and while a deal for the 25-year-old would likely delight many Evertonians, it could spell seriously bad news for current Toffees star Tom Davies.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, Watford’s Doucoure has proven to be one of the most effective central midfielders in the Premier League in the last two seasons, with the 25-year-old combining brilliance on the ball with tenacity off it to prove himself as a seriously good top-flight midfielder.

And with four assists already this time round for Javi Gracia’s men, adding to the seven goals and four assists he contributed last term, Doucoure is continuing to prove his worth and deliver the goods for the Hertfordshire-based outfit – it’s no surprise that Everton are reportedly keen on his services.

And that’s because there does appear to be something of an issue in the centre midfield ranks at Goodison Park, as although Andre Gomes appears to have made that spot his own alongside Idrissa Gueye, the other options at Silva’s disposal haven’t been inspiring confidence.

And one of those is 20-year-old Davies, who has come up through the youth ranks at Goodison Park and already has 78 first team appearances to his name, with some mightily impressive displays sandwiched among them to suggest that he is the future of the Merseyside club.

However, while he appeared 43 times in all competitions last season, he has seriously struggled for game time under Silva this time round with just six Premier League appearances to his name, none of which have come in their last five league matches.

Yes, he was indeed made captain by Silva for matches against Arsenal, Fulham, and Leicester City, but he has on the whole failed to prove his worth in that central midfield position – Gomes and Gueye look an infinitely better partnership.

Thus, Davies appears to be out of the first team picture even now let alone were Doucoure to make the move to Goodison Park – and while Gomes’ deal is only temporary until the end of the season, it’s still difficult to see Davies usurping the Watford man in the pecking order.

As such, while Everton fans will surely be thrilled were their side to land Doucoure, it could spell seriously bad news for current Toffees ace Davies and his future prospects at Goodison Park.

Everton fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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Rangers boss Steven Gerrard will have some tough selection decisions to make as the Scottish side come up against Rapid Vienna in their final group game of the Europa League, knowing that a win will put them through to the knockout stages.

One player who should be dropped from the weekend’s draw with Dundee though is Jordan Rossiter, after the 21-year-old struggled on his return to the starting XI.

Rossiter only managed 57 minutes before being hooked by Gerrard on Sunday and replaced by Borna Barisic, as the Gers struggled to break down the ten men in front of them. The former Liverpool academy star has only made four appearances in all competitions so far this season having come back from a long-term calf injury.

Gerrard’s side travel to Austria for their game on Thursday sitting one point below their upcoming opposition in third place in group G, and Rossiter should be sacrificed for a more creative midfielder in order to give the Gers more of an attacking threat.

So, Rangers fans, should Jordan Rossiter be handed another chance to impress with a place in the starting lineup? Have your say by voting in the poll below.

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Crystal Palace’s goalscoring woes appear to be the crux of their struggles in the Premier League – they sit just three points above the drop zone – so surely a clinical striker will be the priority for Roy Hodgson and co come January. However, there is one other area in the Eagles squad that could do with an upgrade and that would be provided by the signing of Hertha Berlin’s Valentino Lazaro. Maybe this signing would mean millions don’t have to be spent on a new hitman.

Tiresome Townsend

While risking the outrage of the masses of Palace fans who are still raving about his wonder-strike against Burnley, it must be said that an alternative to Andros Townsend should be brought in as soon as possible in a bid to boost the Eagles’ creative potential.

The journeyman, now playing for his 12th career club, appears to have finally settled down and found a home at Selhurst Park but his predictability in cutting in and onto his left-foot suffocates the Palace attack and makes defending against them so much easier.

While he is capable of producing a moment of brilliance, as he did against the Clarets, more times than not that same strike hits Row Z and a winger who can offer another dimension could make the difference in Palace’s bid for survival.

What can Lazaro offer?

Lazaro’s direct approach and pin-point crossing should make him an extremely attractive prospect to the big heads at Selhurst, who have surely been trying to figure out a way to get the best out of their misfiring strikers – the current solution being to leave them out entirely and play Townsend and Wilfried Zaha up top.

Christian Benteke scored 17 goals in his debut season in red and blue but has bagged just three in 35 appearances since then and is now out of action until 2019 with a knee injury – bringing in Lazaro could be just the move Hodgson needs to make to get the big Belgian firing again when he returns to fitness.

The Austrian has chalked up two goals and three assists in the Bundesliga this season – impressive when you consider that he has not been given a regular position and has been deployed all across the midfield and at right-back in his 25 appearances in all competitions.

WhoScored lists both the 22-year-old’s crossing and key passes as ‘Very Strong’ – with the latter of which being 2.1 per game – and this should make great reading for header-merchant Benteke, who would surely love to see a creator of this ilk be brought in.

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West Ham made some huge signings over the summer, meaning that some get more attention than others. 

High profile transfers such as Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmalenko, Issa Diop and Fabián Balbuena have stolen the headlines so far amongst others.

However, one player that has perhaps not received as much praise as players such as Anderson is goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański. The Pole has been imperious this season between the sticks, and deserves a huge amount of credit.

He had just been voted the Swansea City Player of the Season before joining The Hammers in the summer, and carried this good form to the London Stadium. He has kept three clean sheets so far this season, and has made the second most saves in the league to date.

It is not very often that a goalkeeper receives the plaudits for a team’s success, but Fabiański is proving to be the rock at the back for West Ham that has carried them through some tough periods throughout this season. The club made a poor start to their Premier League campaign, losing their first four matches, but the Pole still made a good account of himself throughout that spell.

As West Ham worked through their rough patch, perhaps Fabiański ensured the got more points than they should have at times. Now that West Ham have climbed up the table to ninth place in the Premier League, the fans and players owe a huge amount to Fabiański and the effort that he has put in this season. He may have crept under the radar to an extent, but he has been wonderful this season.

West Ham recorded an impressive fifth win in their last six games to ensure they entered the top half of the table for the first time this season but, while Felipe Anderson stole the headlines with his game-winning, second brace in claret and blue, there was an unlikely hero in the Hammers ranks.

Michail Antonio has spent time at the pinnacle of Irons fans’ opinions but has, also, often been subject to heavy criticism, however he provided one of his best performances for the east London club in recent memory as he filled in for Pablo Zabaleta at right-back.

The former Nottingham Forest man’s utility remains an asset to West Ham regardless of his form and his ability to deputise up front, on the wing or in defence makes him a commodity as Manuel Pellegrini and co. work around a decimating injury crisis.

Playmaker in chief Manuel Lanzini missed his international side’s World Cup campaign due to an injury sustained in June and has been out of action since, with a return estimated to be in February; summer signings Andriy Yarmolenko, Jack Wilshire, Carlos Sanchez, Ryan Fredericks and Fabian Balbuena are all on the treatment table, too; while hitmen Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic both have thigh problems (all Premier Injuries).

The Argentine boss will surely be relieved that he didn’t offload the number 3o ahead of the start of the season – Crystal Palace’s summer striker search led them to Antonio but a deal never crossed the line – and his transformation from being on the fringe and ready to leave into one of the Hammers’ most crucial players is both unexpected and creditable to Pellegrini.

In a tightly contested clash with the Saints which exploded just after the halfway mark, the 28-year-old did well to neutralise the threat of Stuart Armstrong as he won 3 aerial duels, while also being instrumental on the front foot as he whipped in 2 crosses.

The Englishman has been previously mocked for often dribbling into blind alleys and losing the ball but caused mayhem down the right flank as he completed an incredible 8 dribbles – quadruple his previous best figure this season (2).

Anderson may have got the goals, but Antonio’s 100 touches show that much of his side’s creation and attacking threat was channelled through him and, in a game where the Irons were lacking many of their key men, that confidence to get on the ball and make things happen is crucial.

Finally, the speedster completed 2 key passes on the way to victory, owing to his natural instinct as a winger to create chances – while he may be out of position now and then, Antonio should be commended for his willingness to put a shift in wherever he is required to play. `

Equally, Pellegrini deserves enormous credit for making such small tactical, team-sheet tweaks to keep his side’s good run going and, while much was made of his near £100m spending spree, the Argentine’s strength is proving to be his effective management of the players who were already at the London Stadium when he arrived.

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According to The Daily Mail’s live transfer blog on Thursday (3:35pm), Nottingham Forest could launch a move to sign Portsmouth winger Jamal Lowe in this January transfer window.

Aitor Karanka invested heavily in attacking talent during this summer, bringing the likes of Lewis Grabban, El Arbi Hillel Soudani and Joao Carvalho to the City Ground. However, the Spanish coach appears keen to bolster his forward line further with the acquisition of Lowe.

The 24-year-old Pompey ace is certainly an attractive proposition. The wide man has been in blistering form for the League One table-toppers so far this season, having netted ten goals and registered four assists in twenty-six league outings.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday With Max was at the East Midlands Derby in December. Check out Forest and Derby fans thoughts on their respective managers in the video below…

Having worked his way up from the Southern League Premier Division, via the Isthmian League, National League system, and League Two, Lowe will be desperate to make the next step up to Championship football. 

Considering he’d likely come fairly cheap for the Reds too, the winger is worth a gamble on Forest’s part, and the fact that he can play on either wing means he could push Joe Lolley to be even better as he competes for a spot in the starting XI.

What do you think, Forest fans, should Karanka swoop for Lowe?

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Roma defender Kostas Manolas’ £30.5million release clause becomes active in the summer, according to the Daily Mirror, and Manchester United are reportedly interested in reinforcing their defence with the Greece defender. Liverpool, though, should not miss the chance to join the queue, as they look to bolster a weak backline.

What’s the word?

Manolas has emerged as one of the finest defenders in European football during his time at Roma.

The 27-year-old has a wealth of experience at the very highest level, and is able to both defend superbly and provide a cutting edge at the other end of the pitch, notably scoring in Roma’s dramatic Champions League triumph over Barcelona last season.

He is terrific in the air and also remarkably quick, qualities that would surely see him become an invaluable asset to any Premier League club.

If United are interested, Liverpool should be too.

Bolstering a thin backline

Virgil van Dijk has emerged as one of the finest defenders in world football since his move to Liverpool from Southampton, but he does not have many equals in the Reds squad.

Joe Gomez is an excellent young prospect, but he has yet to reach the level of the Dutchman.

Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip, furthermore, have been composed whenever fielded alongside Van Dijk, but neither of them have the ability to marshal a defence without him.

Manolas, though, is an accomplished defender, a leader, and his release clause makes him more than attainable for a club of Liverpool’s size and stature.

Of course, Van Dijk became the most expensive defender in world football when Liverpool secured his signature, and they should do everything possible to lure Manolas to Anfield and partner him up with the brilliant Dutchman.

FFC’s James Jones has identified the one thing that could cost Liverpool the title. Find out what it is in the video below…

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Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on the club’s supposed interest in Leeds’ starlet Jack Clarke, who has been the subject of interest from the Eagles as they look to improve their depth on the wings and upfront.

The south London side were knocked back by the Championship leaders after an initial enquiry regarding the 18-year-old’s availability, but were told that he was not for sale.

Tottenham and Bournemouth are the other clubs interested in the teenager’s services, with Marcelo Bielsa’s side valuing Clarke in excess of £10m despite having just 13 competitive appearances under his belt.

Palace are desperate for attacking reinforcements having seen just one striker score in the league this season in Jordan Ayew, whilst Connor Wickham and Christian Benteke struggle for form and fitness – wingers Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend have been playing as makeshift strikers, which was also weakened the wide positions.

Let’s take a look at how Palace fans reacted to the news…