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West Brom picked up a pivotal first three points of the season on Saturday night as they won the battle of the Premier League’s bottom two at the Hawthorns.

The Baggies narrowly edged the end-to-end encounter with Sheffield United thanks to a first-half strike from Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher, who fired home from range through a crowded penalty area in the 13th minute.

In reality, the visitors could’ve been two goals to the good before the midfielder bagged his first goal for Albion with both John Fleck and George Baldock going close.

Slaven Bilic should maybe count his lucky stars as the Blades attempted five more shots throughout the 90 minutes and enjoyed the majority of the possession.

The Croatian deployed a three-at-the-back system with veteran Branislav Ivanovic holding forte through the middle but it was an off-night for the three-time Premier League winner.

A better team would have certainly punished his troublesome presence.

The 36-year-old won just one of his seven duels (14%) and failed to record a single tackle, interception or block. He was also dribbled past three times, had only 19 touches all game and was dealt the Baggies’ lowest rating of 6.1, as per SofaScore.

BirminghamLive’s Joseph Chapman emphasised his disappointing display in his post-match ratings, he said: “Had a nightmare at the beginning when McBurnie matched him in the air and then was too quick for him, drawing a card from ref Dean. As expected, Burke had him in knots in a foot race.”

Had the rock-bottom Blades had any real attacking threat, then on another day, Albion may have lost this one by a few due to the performance of their defence and in particular, Ivanovic.

It very nearly cost them that maiden victory.

As one of the most experienced players in this Baggies squad, sitting among the high-earners on £38k-per-week, you’d expect better but perhaps at 36, the pace and speed of the English top-flight is getting away from him.

West Brom still hold the joint-worst defensive record in the Premier League, so a new centre-back should be on the agenda this January.

AND in other news, Forget Gallagher: £30k-per-week sensation was the star of the show in maiden win…

Mega money deals are seldom heard of when it comes to Leeds United. Their current record signing is the £26million they paid for Rodrigo, who joined the club during the summer from Valencia. Still to this day, their sale of Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United for £30million is their most expensive departure, after the transfer broke the British record.

But these deals are few and far between, often the Whites are subject to lot of free transfers – both coming in and going out. One player particularly of note is Andy Lonergan, who has been subject to a lot of loan moves over his career. And despite being passed from pillar to post, Leeds would benefit from someone of his seniority this season.

Andy Lonergan’s fascinating career

The goalkeeper first joined the Yorkshire outfit in 2011 for a reported fee of £293,000. He spent just 12 months at Elland Road before being sold for a cut price of £288,000 to Fulham (via Transfermarkt). But Lonergan returned to Leeds in 2017 on a free transfer, signing under then manager Thomas Christiansen.

The 37-year-old made a total of 47 appearances for the Whites during his two separate stints. He has also enjoyed brief spells with the likes of Rochdale, Middlesbrough and Wolves. Although he has never really established himself at the clubs he has joined, his experience of the game would be a valuable asset to Leeds this season, who are currently struggling with 20-year-old Illan Meslier in between the sticks.

Lonergan joined Liverpool as an emergency back-up option to Alisson last summer and despite not making a single appearance, now boasts a Premier League title, Club World Cup and Super Cup.

He may not have played a part on the pitch, but he will have sat in on Jurgen Klopp’s team talks, participated in intense training sessions and shared the passion felt by the entire team as they closed in on their first ever Premier League title. This is experience than no money can buy and Lonergan could still play a part in this Leeds side. The veteran could pass on untold wisdom to the likes of Meslier and ensure the Whites cling onto their first season back in England’s top flight.

In other news, Bielsa must unleash Joe Gelhardt to bolster Leeds’ attack this season…

If you had told Newcastle fans before the start of the new Premier League season, that after five games, they would be sitting above Manchester United, and only behind Manchester City on goal difference, then they surely would have taken that.

And whilst the table seems to have a couple of things going in the Magpies’ favour, the damaging 4-1 defeat to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side on Saturday seems to have just exposed some painful truths for Steve Bruce.

Despite a relatively successful summer transfer window that saw the likes of Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser and Jamal Lewis arrive at St James’ Park, both the performances and results from Newcastle have left a lot to be desired.

They were very fortunate to pick up a point against Tottenham after a late VAR call, whilst they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by ten-man Brighton as well. But even with some good wins against the likes of West Ham and Burnley, there’s a very worrying trend about the way Bruce is getting his team to play.

As per the Premier League’s official stats, the Tyneside club have played the most amount of long balls this season with a total of 335. Had Joelinton or Andy Carroll been starting up front, that tactic may have been somewhat understandable, but Bruce has opted to field Wilson in the number nine role, whilst he has the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin and Ryan Fraser as pacy, wide options.

Trying to go route one with those types of players and expecting them to win headers or get to the loose ball just seems like a complete waste of their talents, and Bruce still hasn’t worked out a way of making the most out of Saint-Maximin other than just ‘give him the ball and see what he does’.

It was no surprise that in the game against United on Saturday, they managed just 36% of the possession, and only had seven shots to the visitors’ 28.

The Magpies’ summer signings and attacking options surely warrant a change in playing style, and none of this long ball approach. Instead, Bruce continues to make an unforgivable mistake with the way he sets his team out.

Chelsea are gearing up to face reigning Premier League champions Liverpool as they vie to snatch the title from their grasp this season.

The Blues have already got their campaign off to an ideal start after banking maximum points against Brighton on Monday night. A 3-1 win showcased the talents of goal scorers Jorginho, Reece James and Kurt Zouma. 

Their next assignment should make for a very exciting fixture. However, a lot of Chelsea fans don’t want to see Mason Mount involved in the starting lineup.

The club’s official Instagram accoun shared an image of Mount and new signing Ben Chilwell during a session at Cobham. Whilst some fans are thrilled to see the left-back in action, others are taking aim at the 21-year-old midfielder and are calling for him to be dropped.

/CFM4ad4sgda/

Mount earned a 6.9 Sofascore rating for his performance against Brighton. Despite making two key passes, he lost possession 11 times and was unable to register any shots on target. Indeed, the England international hasn’t been involved in any goalscoring opportunities for Chelsea’s last four fixtures.

With Kai Havertz now on the scene, some fans could be looking to see the German replace Mount in midfield. With Mateo Kovacic returning from suspension, it’s likely that Frank Lampard could opt to bench the underperforming midfielder for the visit of the champions to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Do you think Mason Mount should start against Liverpool? Have your say in the comments below…

Brandon Barker has been included in Glasgow Rangers’ UEFA A List for their clash against Galatasaray on Thursday in the Europa League play-off, with Andy Firth dropping out.

The 23-year-old was one of a number of players to pick up an injury against Dundee United along with Ryan Jack, Leon Balogun and Alfredo Morelos, and he has confirmed that he is back in full training.

He explained:

“Brandon Barker is the same, he trained yesterday for the first as well with no reaction.”

Now, Barker has been named on the UEFA A List for the clash, at the expense of 24-year-old third-choice keeper Firth.

This is positive news for Gerrard as he looks to keep his side in the competition. Whilst the Gers have enjoyed wins against both Lincoln Red Imps and Willem II, Galatasaray will present a whole different challenge – they were in the Champions League just last season, after all.

Barker has been somewhat of a scapegoat for supporters during his time at Ibrox – he made the move from Manchester City last season – but he appears to have worked his way back into the boss’ plans. After making just six league appearances last term, he has already started three matches this campaign. His injury came at an unfortunate time, and his lack of football recently may mean he is not included in the starting XI, but he could still prove to be an important player from the bench.

Let us know what you think below!

After yet another injury-hit campaign last season, Jack Wilshere will surely be hoping that he can finally enjoy a full season in the Premier League with West Ham.The former Arsenal starlet played just ten times across all competitions in the 2019/2020 campaign, and played just 35 minutes of football following the top-flight’s restart.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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Against Brentford in Saturday afternoon’s pre-season clash, Wilshere was given the chance to impress David Moyes from the off, lining up alongside Mark Noble in the middle of the park.

After seeing his performance against last season’s Championship play-off finalists, Hammers fans took to Twitter to share their reactions.

A couple of supporters urged the club to get rid of the midfielder, with one fan saying that he “offers absolutely nothing to our club”.

Another couple of Hammers fans even slammed Wilshere as being “anonymous” during the game.

Having barely done anything of note since joining the Hammers, it’s no surprise to see West Ham fans have little confidence that Wilshere can turn his career around at the London Stadium.

Tomas Soucek’s arrival has dropped him further down the pecking order, with the Czech Republic international actually scoring the match-winner against Brentford on Saturday.

It’s difficult to see how Wilshere gets back into the starting line-up.

Manchester United could make a ‘huge’ profit if Crystal Palace sell Wilfried Zaha this summer, according to reports. 

The 17-cap Ivory Coast international has told Palace that he wants to leave Selhurst Park following the conclusion of the campaign.

According to The Sun, Man United could earn a £17.5m windfall on their former winger in the transfer window. United chiefs Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ed Woodward may receive a boost to their transfer kitty which might help them sign Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in the process.

Eagles manager Roy Hodgson is ready to let him leave if the right offer arrives but his representatives are worried that Palace could scupper their plans as they are demanding at least £70m in the summer.

Zaha was angry after Palace chairman Steve Parish slapped an astonishing £100m price tag on his head to ward off any potential suitors last year.

Of course, everything hinges on whether or not the Eagles will be able to sell the 27-year-old in the summer, but United could increase their sizeable transfer kitty for practically no effort at all.

The Ivorian’s time at Old Trafford will forever be remembered as an unfortunate blemish on his career, although he may end up doing his old club a massive favour.

Zaha was the final signing made by Sir Alex Ferguson before he retired as Man United manager, originally moving to the Theatre of Dreams from Selhurst Park for £15m in January 2013. However, he was promptly loaned back to his boyhood club, helping Palace gain promotion to the Premier League.

He struggled for consistency under David Moyes, Ferguson’s successor, before being loaned out to Cardiff City in 2014, and finally returned to Palace on a permanent deal in 2015.

United shrewdly attached a sell-on clause in the contract which could benefit the club’s pursuit of Sancho several years later. The Red Devils seem to be at a standstill with Dortmund with both clubs roughly £20m apart on their respective valuations.

Woodward will likely use the extra cash generated by Zaha’s potential sale to get closer to the German giants’ valuation as a little goes a long way.

United fans, do you think Woodward will sign Sancho this summer? Let us know down below!

Defender Christian Burgess has been named Portsmouth’s Player of the Season as his move to Belgium edges closer.

Kenny Jackett’s side will meet Oxford United on Friday evening in the first of their two-legged League One play-off semi-final. A potential promotion to the Championship is very much a possibility for Pompey, but they will not have central defender and first team regular Burgess available for the 2020/2021 season.

Available to help his side during the play-offs, the 28-year-old, who moved to Fratton Park in 2015, will depart the club at the end of the season to join Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise.

Having made 32 appearances for the League One side this season, Burgess will be missed next term and it has now been confirmed that he has been named Portsmouth’s 2019/2020 Player of the Season.

Burgess received 69% of the votes from readers of both local newspapers The News and Sports Mail, whilst winger Ronan Curtis came second and Tom Naylor finished third (as per portsmouthfc.co.uk).

The Barking native has signed a deal with Les Unionistes until 2023 and will link up with fellow Englishman Anthony Bloom, who also owns Brighton and Hove Albion.

Burgess has had a superb final season with Portsmouth and it could get even better if he helps them seal promotion to the Championship.

If the 28-year-old can do that, he will at least get to sign off at Fratton Park in the best possible manner but it will be a shame that he would not then be a part of their team in the second tier.

How much will Portsmouth miss Burgess next season? Let us know in the comments section below…

The agent of Allan Saint-Maximin has given a rather worrying update on the future of the Newcastle United ace, as he has claimed that his client would like to play in the UEFA Champions League, according to Calcio Napoli 24.

As per the outlet, Kurtys Saint-Maximin, who is his brother as well as his agent, told the publication that he does not know where the future of the 23-year old lies but admitted that he would like to play in Europe’s elite competition.

Indeed, this could be worrying for members of the Toon faithful, as they are very unlikely to be able to offer him that for the next season at least given their current position in the Premier League table, and if the proposed takeover of the Tyneside club falls through, then Champions League football may well be a long way away.

In addition, other clubs who have qualified for the competition for the next campaign may well come in for Saint-Maximin given just how well he has performed so far in this term, and the possibility of playing in the Champions League may arguably be too much to turn down. Paris Saint Germain have already been reported as a potential destination, as have Arsenal (Le10Sport).

The Frenchman has arguably been very impressive so far in the top flight, scoring three goals and four assists in 22 games, while also creating eight big chances and averaging 4.6 successful dribbles and 1.3 key passes per match (via Sofascore).

The winger is surely going to attract some interest from big teams in the upcoming summer transfer window, and it will be up to the Magpies as to whether they can keep hold of him.

Geordies, will ASM stay beyond this season? Comment below!

In a Q&A session for The Chronicle, Mark Douglas has delivered a worrying update on Newcastle midfielder Matty Longstaff.

What did he say?

The Magpies starlet is approaching the end of his contract at St James’ Park, and recent reports have suggested that Serie A side Udinese have offered him a far more lucrative deal than the one initially offered by the Tyneside club.

Now, after being asked on what the latest is on Longstaff’s situation, Douglas admitted that the 20-year-old’s future now appears to hinge on whether the club’s proposed takeover goes through or not.

Think you’re a big Magpies fan? Can you name these former players by looking at their careers? Go on, give it a go…

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He said: “Nothing new after the latest reports this week. I’m not sure he will play again until it’s resolved – and I think only a takeover can really see this one properly resolved.”

Catch-22

Douglas’ update suggests that Newcastle are in a bit of catch-22 situation with Longstaff at the moment.

The Magpies are reportedly keen on tying him down to a fresh new deal and stave off any potential suitors, but with it now seemingly being dependent on the takeover going through, Newcastle are having to wait for one of the two dominoes to fall.

If the Saudi consortium’s takeover bid collapses over these coming days and weeks, then Newcastle could be hit with the double blow of having to stick with Mike Ashley and losing one of their talented, homegrown starlets.