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Loads of Leeds fans have been discussing the future of Jay-Roy Grot, after the young Dutchman received his first international call-up.

Grot was called up to the Netherlands Under-21 side last week, as the towering youngster has impressed during his loan spell in the Eredivisie.

After scoring just one goal in his first season at Leeds, a goal which ultimately proved pointless in a defeat against Sheffield Wednesday, the 20 year-old is re-finding his confidence on loan with VVV Venlo.

He has scored twice and added one assist so far this season, and there is certainly still a feeling that he has a lot more to offer.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”332312″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Fixture in Focus England v Croatia”]

The youngster never really got a chance to impress under Paul Heckingbottom, and there’s no question he has more potential than the calamitous Caleb Ekuban.

Marcelo Bielsa has transformed several of last season’s scapegoats since arriving at Elland Road, and a whopping 81 per cent of fans think he can do the same for Grot.

Mateusz Klich spent last season on loan in the Eredivisie before returning to Leeds this summer in the form of his life, and the poll results down below suggest fans think Grot can do the same…

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Arsenal and Spurs both recorded big wins at the weekend over Bournemouth and Chelsea respectively, and are now entering a busy week of fixtures that is finished off by what will surely be a heated contest between themselves.

On Tuesday the Premier League announced the match officials for the next round of fixtures and it’s safe to say Arsenal fans were less than pleased with what they saw.

Mike Dean has been appointed the man in the middle – a referee whose critics will tell you historically favours Spurs, particularly after a strange moment in 2015 in which the 50-year-old appeared to celebrate a Lilywhites goal versus Aston Villa.

Fans must not be so quick to write off the Gunners, though, as they are currently 18 games unbeaten in all competitions as of Sunday’s 2-1 triumph over Bournemouth and seem to have found a good balance under Unai Emery.

However, this good run of form did little to comfort the Emirates faithful on Twitter as they went into meltdown.

Playmaker FC’s Theo Ogden was at the Emirates to witness Arsenal’s qualification for the Europa League last 32. Check out his match diary in the video below…

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West Ham United do not have one of the biggest spending budgets in the Premier League, but they proved in the summer that they will recruit new talent if needed.

The January window can be a tough one to navigate through in terms of bringing in quality players, but the Hammers should be in the market.

At the moment, Marko Arnautovic is Manuel Pellegrini’s first-choice option to lead the line, but when the Austrian is unavailable, the remaining options are not as effective.

In July, Radio Galega reported that West Ham had launched a £27m bid for Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez, but they were unsuccessful in their attempts.

There has been no speculation that the club will revive their interest, but should they?

Gomez has been in decent form this season so far, scoring seven goals and creating four assists in 11 outings for Celta.

Check out the video below to see Playmaker FC’s American Soccer Fan give his take on all six ‘field goals’ in West Ham v Burnley…

The attacker’s contract does not expire until 2022, therefore a significant figure could be demanded, but should West Ham try again?

Let us know by voting below.

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Norwich should make a move for former Sunderland playmaker Wahbi Khazri to add some depth to their attacking options as they look to maintain their lead at the top of the Championship.

What’s the word, then? 

Well, the Canaries are currently leading the way in England’s second tier, although there is only a 10-point gap between them and ninth-placed Birmingham. Daniel Farke’s men are doing an outstanding job, and are unbeaten in their last eight league games with seven wins and a draw.

However, a Championship season is a long old slog, with 46 tough, heavily contested fixtures to play throughout the campaign. If the Norfolk-based side are to maintain their slender lead at the top and stay ahead of the chasing pack, they must get some reinforcements through the door in the January transfer window.

Playmaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

Farke currently has the outstanding Emiliano Buendia, up for the Championship Player of the Month award, at his disposal in the centre attacking midfield position, but they should get another body in to keep the Argentine on his toes.

Who should they get in? 

Norwich should definitely test the waters with a bid for Saint-Etienne star Khazri. The Tunisian forward can play either as a central striker, which would be good for the club should Nelson Oliveira depart in January, or as an attacking midfielder just in behind the striker.

He failed to set the world alight on a consistent basis during his time with the Black Cats, but there was definitely a player in there somewhere as he showed on more than one occasion.

At the moment, Khazri is one of the best performing players in Ligue 1 and looks to have taken his impressive World Cup form – in which he scored two goals and recorded two assists in three games – into the current campaign.

The 27-year-old has seven goals in 14 starts for the French side, and would provide an immediate boost for the Canaries as he shouldn’t need too much time to settle due to his past experiences in England.

Would you want to see Khazri at Carrow Road? Have your say down below…

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Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City fell to their first defeat of the season against Chelsea last time out, as goals from N’Golo Kante and David Luiz condemned them to a 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge.

The result allowed Liverpool to overtake the Cityzens at the top of the table. Pep Guardiola will be eager to see his side bounce back as soon as possible and will remain confident that his team have what it takes to go the distance again. However, there could be one flaw in his squad that prevents him from realising his grandest ambitions with this City team.

In an off-camera moment leaked online, BT Sports pundit and legendary former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand criticised City right-back Kyle Walker’s efforts in the build up to Chelsea’s first goal.

As Walker lost his man after being caught napping on the halfway line, and was unable to recover his position before the ball ended up in the back of the net, Ferdinand could be heard making the following comment…

There’s no doubt that Walker is a fine modern full-back. ‘Modern’ meaning attacking. Going forward, the 28-year-old is amongst the best in the world. His speed, aggression and passing ability make him a nightmare for opposition defenders.

As a defender himself, though, he is less spectacular. In that sense, Ferdinand is right about the former Spurs man. At every stage of his career, including at international level, Walker’s record has been punctuated by defensive errors and lapses in concentration.

That isn’t to say that Walker should be dropped by City or England, or even that the 44-cap man isn’t a fantastic player, but rather a warning that occasional mistakes must be expected if his inclusion is persisted with.

Playmaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he often received racist abuse after North London Derbies – Check out the video below…

Over the course of the season, the good of Walker far outweighs the bad. On one-off occasions though – the ‘highest level’ games that Ferdinand alluded to – Walker has the capacity to undermine his team’s chances with a costly mistake.

Away at Stamford Bridge is always a big game, and Walker was not able to maintain his focus throughout. A Champions League final – Guardiola’s ultimate aim for this City team – is a huge game, but the Spaniard has cultivated his side and way of playing so as to have no plan B.

Should City make it to the pinnacle of domestic game this season, fitness permitting, Guardiola will almost certainly start Walker. What’s more, Benjamin Mendy – a very similar player to Walker, who presents the same issues – would likely start on the other flank.

It may be that system and style of play, and reliance upon such gung-ho and cavalier defenders, that takes City so far, but at the final hurdle it could also be the cause of their fall.

Whether we like it or not, the world’s top footballers are some of the richest sportsmen in the world and their influence is huge.

Social media has been a big player in raising the profiles of the world’s best, especially in recent years, Instagram.

Not only can players use the social media platform to raise their profile by gaining new followers, they can make money from them.

Influencer marketing is a huge business and the guys at Ticketgum.com have worked out the earning potential of the top players in the world.

From merely posting a sponsored post, these players can earn more than average Joe earns in a year and in some cases ten years.

Warning this article will make you insanely jealous.

21. Ivan Rakitic – £26,415.76 per post

The Croatian had a brilliant World Cup and was influential in their journey to the final.

With a star-studded attacking line-up at Barcelona he is often the forgotten man, but with 12.8 million followers, he could make some serious cash from sponsored posts.

20. Robert Lewandowski – £28,634.13 per post

With 352 career goals, Lewandowski is one of the most prolific goalscorers in world football.

The Polish forward is prone to a sponsored post to his 13.8 million followers on the social media platform.

19. Thiago Silva – £30,430.04 per post

With over 14.7 million followers on Instagram the Brazilian could certainly use his popularity to reach a wide audience.

The PSG defender could set up a sponsored post and make enough to buy 79 season tickets for the French champions.

18. Luka Modric – £33,004.47

Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric has seen a huge rise in popularity this year, thanks to another Champions League win and guiding Croatia to the World Cup final in 2018.

With 16.3 million followers, his European reach would see him able to demand over £33,000 for a single sponsored post.

17. Gerard Pique – £34,922.11

If the Barcelona captain was asked to promote a product or brand to his followers, he too could ask for a huge paycheck.

With 16.8 million worldwide followers and a popstar girlfriend, Pique could demand £34,922.11 for any single promoted post.

Tottenham supporters have been in fine voice in the last few hours after seeing their side record a fourth successive Premier League victory on Sunday.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men went into their encounter with Everton off the back of beating Southampton, Leicester City, and Burnley in their previous three league games, and thus seeking a fourth straight win in the league for the second time this season, having done so between September and October. And Spurs managed to do just that in emphatic fashion at Goodison Park, as braces from Harry Kane and Son Heung-min alongside strikes from Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen inspired the visitors to a 6-2 success on Merseyside, leaving them in third place in the Premier League table at Christmas.

Thus, there have been many thrilled Tottenham fans up and down the country in recent times, several of whom are likely to be heaping praise on the exploits of messrs Kane and Son, who proved to be an absolute handful for the Everton backline on Sunday.

South Korea international Son was well managed by Pochettino upon return from the Asian Games at the start of the season, and Spurs are now reaping the rewards from the Argentine’s management given the 26-year-old has scored five goals in his last six league matches, while England international Kane continues to deliver by netting his tenth and 11th league goals on Sunday.

And while those two in particular caused Marco Silva’s men no end of problems at Goodison Park, it was the display of midfielder Harry Winks which suggested that he was indeed the real hero behind Spurs’ stunning victory on Sunday.

The England international has benefited greatly from the midfield issues at the North London club to become a regular under Pochettino this season, with Sunday his 15th appearance of the campaign, 11 of which have come in Tottenham’s last 12 league matches.

And they’ll be plenty more to follow if he maintains the level of performance seen on Sunday, as the 22-year-old did a stellar job on the ball in helping Spurs transition from defence into attack, and indeed off it in thwarting Everton’s advances through the middle of the pitch.

The Englishman, capped three times by his country in recent years, finished with the best pass success rate of anybody in a Tottenham shirt by completing an astonishing 63 of the 66 passes he attempted (as per WhoScored), while his tally of 77 touches was only bettered by Eriksen (84) and right back Kieran Trippier (103).

Thus, Winks was clearly heavily involved on the ball in helping Pochettino’s side move up the pitch, but he also did his fair share of work off it as well by winning all three of the aerial duels he contested, and succeeding with one of the three tackles he attempted as well.

Add in an interception and three blocks, and it’s clear just how vital the 22-year-old was in inspiring Spurs to all three points – he is slowly but surely becoming the main man in the heart of the Tottenham midfield which, with Mousa Dembele likely to leave in 2019, can only be good news for manager Pochettino.

As such, while it was the front men, specifically Kane and Son, who had a field-day in front of goal on Sunday, it was the efforts of £13.5 million-rated Winks (as per Transfermarkt) just behind them which means he was the real hero in Tottenham’s 14th Premier League win of the season at Goodison Park.

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

Loads of Liverpool fans have been giving their verdict on the poor goalscoring form of Roberto Firmino, as the Brazilian international has now gone six games without a goal for the third time this season.

There’s no question Liverpool are a far superior team now to the one that lost to Real Madrid in Kiev back in May.

The Reds have spent wisely in the transfer market, adding depth to the midfield and providing Virgil van Dijk with a goalkeeper deserving of his talents.

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

However, there have been some concerns that the attack isn’t quite clicking like it did last season, and most of those concerns are centred around Firmino.

The 27 year-old is the glue that holds Klopp’s system together, but he has just four Premier League goals to his name this season.

While he may not be popping up on the scoresheet though, fans are full of praise for his recent performances, lauding the versatile attacker as a “club legend” for his work ethic and link-up play.

Firmino was in real danger of becoming a huge flop under the Brendan Rodgers, but the arrival of Klopp has transformed his Anfield career, and the Twitter reactions down below make some pretty nice reading…

Rangers are reportedly closing in on a deal to bring Southampton midfielder Steven Davis back to Ibrox, and Celtic fans have been quick to react to the story on Twitter.

Steven Gerrard’s men are said to be keen to quickly conclude a deal for the Northern Ireland international, who has fallen completely out of favour with the Premier League club this term after six-and-a-half years on the south coast of England.

The Glasgow giants are only behind their Old Firm rivals on goal difference following their 1-0 win before the winter break, and Scottish Premiership title race is very much on as we head into 2019.

Celtic supporters took to social media to share their thoughts on the deal, and rather than laugh at their arch-enemies for bringing a 34-year-old to Ibrox to boost their title hopes, these fans were more concerned and troubled by the deal.

While one said “people laughing at Sevco going for Steven Davis know little about football”, another said “we are in big trouble here”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Check out Neymar’s controversial new haircut for 2019 and Xherdan Shaqiri as you’ve never seen him before in the video below…

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West Ham could be without summer signing Fabian Balbuena for an extended period, so should the Hammers make a loan move for Gary Cahill?

According to reports, Balbuena has suffered a setback in his recovery from the knee injury that kept him out of the games against Southampton, Burnley and Brighton.

While the extend of his setback won’t be clear until Manuel Pellegrini’s press conference on Thursday, fans are already worrying about the prospect of Angelo Ogbonna getting an extended run in the side.

American Soccer Fan is back! You should check out the video below but Southampton fans should look away now…

Issa Diop has been superb this season, but he has been helped massively by the commanding presence and leadership of Balbuena, something Ogbonna simply doesn’t offer.

One man who could offer exactly that though is Cahill, who is expected to leave Chelsea this month.

According to The Mirror, Chelsea are already lining up replacements for the 33 year-old, who has played just 21 minutes of Premier League action this season.

He may not be the defender he once was, but the 61-cap Englishman will be a huge help to Diop until Balbuena returns.

So, West Ham fans, would you back a loan move for Cahill? Let us know by voting in the poll below…