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Some Southampton fans on Twitter have reacted to the news that there has been a board reshuffle at the club.

Jisheng Gao, who is the majority shareholder of the club, has taken the position of chairman of the club and of the St Mary’s Football Group.

This comes following Ralph Krueger stepping down from the position after six years in the role.

The 59-year-old was originally employed by former owner Katharina Liebherr, who has re-joined the St Mary’s Football Group, but it is thought his influence on key decisions was limited when Gao took over.

Krueger guided the club through to the Premier League despite troubles back in 2014 when the former executive chairman Nicola Cortese and ex-boss Mauricio Pochettino both left.

Southampton’s new man Moussa Djenepo divides opinion amongst fans in the video below…

Vice chairman Martin Semmens is expected to conduct the day-to-day running of the club following the Canadian’s departure.

It was Semmens and Ross Wilson, who is the director of football at St Mary’s, who made the decision to replace Mark Hughes with Ralph Hasenhuttl last season.

Here is just a selection of the reaction from Saints supporters…

أعلن نادي وست هام يونايتد منذ قليل تعاقده مع اللاعب جيسي لينجارد من صفوف فريق مانشستر يونايتد في موسم الانتقالات الشتوي الحالي.

وارتبط لينجارد بخطوة الرحيل عن الشياطين الحمر بعدما أصبح خارج خطط المدرب أولي جونار سولشاير.

وأصدر وست هام بيانًا رسميًا منذ قليل أعلن من خلاله حصوله على خدمات لينجارد.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مدرب وست هام: مواجهة ليفربول؟ تحدِ صعب وفرصة جيدة لنا

وأفاد النادي في بيانه أن لينجارد وقع عقدًا مع الفريق على سبيل الإعارة حتى نهاية هذا الموسم.

وسبق لـ لينجارد اللعب تحت قيادة مدرب وست هام، ديفيد مويس، وذلك عندما كان الأخير مسؤولًا عن تدريب مانشستر يونايتد.

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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… 

Chris Wilder has just put pen to paper on a new three-year deal which will keep him at Sheffield United until at least 2022.

Now that he has been handed a new contract, the hierarchy at Bramall Lane must keep the faith in him for the duration of it.

Unbelievable job

Wilder has done an incredible job everywhere he has been.

He got Oxford United back into the Football League, before winning League Two with Northampton. Two promotions in three years with Sheffield United followed, and they are now gearing up for their first Premier League campaign in over a decade.

He won the LMA Manager of the Year award last season for the job he has done, and there is probably an argument to be made that he is the best manager the EFL has seen in the past decade.

Of course, we’ve seen other clubs rise up from League One to the Premier League rapidly. Nigel Adkins’ Southampton and Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth are both excellent examples.

But while Saints rose up the ranks very quickly, they did so with a squad full of ready-made stars. The likes of Adam Lallana and Morgan Schneiderlin were turning out for the Saints, while Bournemouth were backed by a billionaire owner.

Wilder’s Blades are a rag-tag group who found the best form of their careers under the management of the 51-year-old. Players such as David McGoldrick and Billy Sharp encapsulate this theory. The former was released by Ipswich just 12 months before winning Player of the Season at Sheffield United, and the latter recorded his best-ever goalscoring campaign in the Championship at the age of 33.

Must keep the faith

Southampton proved to be fine without Adkins as Mauricio Pochettino and then Ronald Koeman shone at St Mary’s.

However, it’s hard to argue against United’s squad being one of the weakest in the division and they’re already being tipped for relegation – if they do go down though, they must keep hold of Wilder at all costs.

The former Northampton boss is the man who sparked their rise through the leagues, and while the players deserve credit it’s hard to argue that this group would have been promotion contenders without him.

Fans of Norwich, Sheffield United and Ipswich name their club’s worst ever manager in the video below…

The Blades should take a page out of Burnley’s book. The Clarets kept Sean Dyche at the helm when they were relegated in 2015, and two years later he was guiding them to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League.

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According to Sky Sports, West Ham have had a £29m bid accepted by Celta Vigo for their powerful centre-forward Maxi Gomez, whilst Valencia have made the same offer which has also been accepted.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Hammers were keen on the Uruguayan back in January but did not want to meet his huge £43.3m release clause, which saw Gomez stay in La Liga for the rest of the season.

The 22-year-old hit 13 goals and recorded five assists for Celta Vigo last term, impressing in Spain’s top flight once again after hitting 18 goals the year before.

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…

The east Londoners are showing real intent with their transfer moves this summer, already swooping to sign Villarreal forward Pablo Fornals in a £24m deal, whilst they have also launched a £13m offer for Eibar midfielder Joan Jordan – it may turn out to be another busy summer for the Irons.

West Ham face an uphill battle to land Gomez

Gomez is quite obviously on the Hammers’ radar after extensive talks were held over him back in January, but they face a real battle to land a player they clearly want at the London Stadium and surely Valencia are the favourites at this point.

Valencia have submitted a similar £29m offer with add-ons, and they also have the pull factor of Champions League football to offer Gomez as well as a chance to stay in La Liga and closer to familiar surroundings.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side don’t even have Europa League football to offer the Uruguay international for next term, so it could prove to be a difficult deal to negotiate in terms of convincing Gomez to choose them over Valencia.

The ambition on show from West Ham is admirable and will definitely get the fans excited this summer, but they may have ventured too far this time in getting involved with Champions League clubs for multi-million pound signings.

Miguel Almiron is a top player who a lot of Newcastle fans were over the moon to see sign for them back in January for around the £20m mark, BBC. Now, though, it looks like Real Madrid want him a matter of months later according to an article from The Mirror.

At face value, the idea of losing their record signing just months after welcoming him to the club is not what the Magpies will want this summer, but the fact that they could be set to make £14m profit on a player who is yet to score a goal for them has to be positive.

The issue that the Newcastle fans may have is that with Rafa Benitez confirmed to be leaving, as per the Newcastle website, and little to get excited about at St James Park at the moment, losing a big player like Almiron would just be another negative, but that only depends on how the money gets reinvested.

When the South American ace signed for the club it was very clear that he was a marquee addition and now that Rafa is gone, what’s the point in holding onto a player who he specifically wanted when you could potentially make a massive profit by allowing him to leave and bolstering this summer’s transfer budget.

The need at Newcastle at the moment is for a proper #9, a winger, a central midfielder and full-backs. That’s only because Salomon Rondon, Kenedy and Mo Diame will leave this summer whilst full-back has been an issue all season. That’s a lot of players to sign and with Mike Ashley’s history of reluctant spending, taking in £35m for a player who cost them much less back in January would make plenty of sense.

Newcastle fans, what do you think of the Almiron rumours? Let us know and comment below!

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

As reported by Sky Sports, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has insisted that he is still planning on building the Manchester United side around Paul Pogba, amid speculation the midfielder could be leaving.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent weeks and months had suggested that Pogba could be on his way out of Old Trafford this summer after an up-and-down campaign. The France World Cup winner has seen his name linked with the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus, and his agent, Mino Raiola, confirmed the player’s desire to leave.

Could Paul Pogba be on his way out of Old Trafford? 442oons have put their unqiue spin on the matter in the video below…

However, Solskjaer has now suggested that the Frenchman continues to be a big part of his plans and revealed he could still be an important part of his line-up.

The United boss said: “Paul is a fantastic player, a fantastic human being and has always been a great professional. I’ve had a great relationship with him, I had him in the reserves a few years back.

“And I said (previously), ‘if he’s in your squad, you’d build your team around him’, and I haven’t changed that much since then, so I would say the same now.”

A risky game

Another tactical ploy to get him to stay? Solskjaer’s latest comments on his mercurial midfielder come on the back of him insisting in recent weeks that there is an “agenda” against his player and that he fully backs him.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Norwegian is seemingly adamant on retaining Pogba’s services beyond the end of the summer transfer window and the reported decision of Juventus to end their interest in the 26-year-old certainly strengthens United’s case.

But in being so unequivocally sure-fire in claiming he wants to “build” his side around Pogba, the room for anything but him wearing the Red Devils shirt come the beginning of the season is non-existent. In a sense, Solskjaer has backed United into a corner and selling him now after being so effusive in his praise of the Frenchman would be tantamount to a failure.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Aston Villa may have only just touched down in Minnesota for their pre-season tour, but there is one player who has already begun to put his name firmly in the hat for selection ahead of the new campaign.

Through the door have arrived seven new faces since the Villans achieved promotion back in May.

There have been a host of defensive incomings whilst three attacking players in Wesley, Anwar El Ghazi and Jota have also been snapped up.

The former was signed for a considerable £22m and on the fee alone, you’d expect him to walk into the team on the opening day of the season.

Of course, there is a long way to go before they face Tottenham and how individuals do in pre-season will likely determine Dean Smith’s side as they travel to north London.

However, Jonathan Kodjia, who after the arrival of Wesley was perhaps an outside bet to start, has shown signs he won’t be giving up lightly.

The Ivorian found himself behind Tammy Abraham in the pecking order last term, sometimes being deployed as a winger. Despite that, he found himself in good form towards the back end of the season, netting three in his last six outings for the Villans.

Yet it’s at the Africa Cup of Nations where he’s shown his true colours, providing evidence that he’ll be ready and raring to go in the Premier League.

His nation were dumped out of the tournament at the hands of Algeria last Thursday but his performance was particularly good, ensuring they conceded for the first time in the tournament.

As well as scoring in the quarter-finals last week, he found the net against South Africa whilst also laying on an assist against Mali.

Versus Algeria, he was particularly dynamic, completing two dribbles and also winning three aerial duels.

His physical presence was particularly important over the course of the competition, drawing two fouls from the opposition every 90 minutes.

And it’s these types of performances that Smith will need from him next season.

Whether that be on the right or as a central striker, his commitment last season was unquestionable and he’ll be exactly the type of squad player they need in the Premier League.

It feels unlikely he’ll be a regular starter but he’s done his absolute best this summer to prove he perhaps deserves to be.

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Celtic fans are not keen on signing versatile Middlesbrough man Paddy McNair this summer.

It was reported last week that the Hoops were keen on making a move for the player, said to be valued at around £5m, with manager Neil Lennon later confirming to reporters that there is an interest in signing him.

The 24-year-old played 23 times for Boro last season and can perform a variety of roles, able to play in midfield, the centre of defence and even at right-back.

Celtic fans aren’t happy about Arsenal’s bid for one of their key players…

A product of the Manchester United academy, the 24-cap Northern Ireland man could be an effective squad option for the Hoops, who require competent back-up in the positions McNair is comfortable with.

It’s certainly debatable whether McNair is a direct improvement on any of the players currently at Celtic though, considering he’s never really held down a regular starting role, and as a result supporters have their misgivings about making a move for the player.

These fans took to Twitter over the weekend to share their thoughts…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

February 25, 2016. The day Marcus Rashford announced himself as an Old Trafford hero. The striker scored twice on his first-team debut against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League, and then followed it up with another brace against Arsenal just three days later.

The then 18-year-old took his chance after things fell into place for him. Anthony Martial had damaged his hamstring in the warm-up against the Danish side and Rashford stepped up from the substitutes bench and never looked back.

One man who is creating equal excitement at Old Trafford is 17-year-old Mason Greenwood. The academy product has impressed at youth level with the Red Devils and had his first taste of the first-team set-up last season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. And if the Norwegian’s comments this summer are to be believed, Greenwood could be following in Rashford’s footsteps sooner rather than later.

Taking his chance

The striker, who can play out wide too just like Rashford, tore up the youth scene at United last season. As well as registering 15 goals in 13 U18 games, the starlet struck five in five in the UEFA Youth League – the academy equivalent of the Champions League.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

Such was the impression that Greenwood made in his appearances for the first-team, that Solskjaer insisted during his pre-season tour press conference that the youngster would be given plenty more chances next season.

He said: “For me, he’ll definitely get more game time. Everyone’s just enjoying watching him develop and grow, you know, because that step up from Academy football to men’s football can be difficult.

“Mason will definitely play more games. He has grown over the summer and I think his confidence has grown too after the Cardiff game, as he was our best player.”

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Like Rashford, the stars will undoubtedly have to align for Greenwood to be thrust into the spotlight. But things at the moment look incredibly promising for the teenager. Romelu Lukaku’s future is still very much up in the air and if the Belgian marksman were to depart, then the club would only really be left with Rashford as the side’s most senior striker.

It could potentially give Greenwood greater opportunities to star in the first-team and if Rashford continues to blow hot and cold like he did last season, then the 17-year-old could certainly go on to take advantage. All he needs to do is take inspiration from his teammate and strike partner to grab his opportunity when it comes.

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Manchester United are still in the hunt for Aaron Wan-Bissaka but fans don’t understand why the deal hasn’t been completed already.

The Daily Mail reported on Saturday that United officials have been locked in talks with Crystal Palace recently in an effort to secure a deal for the full-back.

Could United be in the hunt for an £85m blockbuster signing this summer? Check out the video below…

The paper reckon that the Old Trafford side are on the brink of concluding a £42.5m deal that will have significant add-ons attached.

Wan-Bissaka had a breakthrough year at Palace last season, making 35 Premier League appearances, impressing with his athletic and ambitious forward play as well as his robust defending – only Wilfred Ndidi and Idrissa Gueye made more successful tackles than him in the top flight in 2018/19.

With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hoping to usher in a new successful era at Old Trafford, the 21-year-old has the potential to breathe new life into the Red Devils’ play on the right flank.

Man United fans don’t understand why the transfer pursuit has turned into something of an extended saga, taking to Twitter this weekend to share their thoughts on the report…