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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to react after The Mirror reported that the club are ready to hijack Liverpool’s move for RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner.

The report states that Werner – who signed a new four-year contract with the Bundesliga side back in the summer – is in the Red Devils’ sights ahead of a January move as they prepare to beat rivals Liverpool to his signature.

When signing his new contract, a £27m release clause was reportedly included in the terms, which would make the 28-cap Germany international a bargain given his goalscoring prowess over the last few campaigns.

Werner already has 13 goals and six assists in just 15 appearances this season, having notched 19 goals and ten assists last term – the 23-year-old has 74 goals in 129 games for the Bundesliga side in total.

United believe that the promise of regular starts will convince Werner to choose them over European champions Liverpool, who boast a rich frontline consisting of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

Let’s take a look at how the United fans on Twitter reacted to the news…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Former Manchester City striker Paul Dickov has heaped the praise on Phil Foden following his performance against Atalanta in the Champions League.

What did he say?

Foden was starting a game for only the second time this season after he played 90 minutes against Preston North End in the Carabao Cup earlier in the season.

Fans were calling for the 19-year-old to start prior to the game, and their prayers were answered by Guardiola as he was named in the starting XI alongside Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne in midfield.

And the quality of his performance appears to have made a profound impact on City legend Dickov.

The Scot wrote on his Twitter: “Forget about the sending off, @PhilFoden absolutely magnificent tonight and showed everybody why he’s going nowhere on loan & @ManCity is the place to be”

Guardiola has to let him build

Foden, who is already valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, was in fantastic form against Atalanta and proved within his display that he deserves more minutes for the Premier League champions going forward.

The academy graduate scored in the last Champions League fixture against Dinamo Zagreb and matched that goal with an assist and four big chances created against the Italian side in the week. His performance was slightly marred by a late sending off, as he received two yellow cards inside six minutes of each. The first one was slightly harsh, although the second one was a clear foul on Marten de Roon.

Guardiola must, however, look past the sending off and remember his excellent performance, as Foden will need all the minutes he can get if he is going to build and become a regular for City.

There is then the issue City have with David Silva leaving at the end of the season. The Spaniard has enjoyed 10 sensational years at the Etihad and no doubt Guardiola will be already looking for his replacement.

However, the man to fill his boots could be Foden for the years to come, but it is hard to seem him being fit to do so as soon as next season given his lack of minutes of late.

With this in mind, it’s vital the former Barcelona coach gives him all the game time in the near future.

Some Charlton fans have taken to Twitter to react after spotting Chris Powell as part of the England coaching set-up.

The former Charlton and Huddersfield manager became part of Gareth Southgate’s staff at the start of September as part of the BAME programme, a move designed by the FA to “solve the challenge of under-representation”.

Powell managed the Addicks from 2011-2014, following a playing career that saw him make 214 appearances for the south Londoners.

The 50-year-old was appointed at The Valley in 2011 and went on to guide Charlton out of League One and into the Championship as champions, although he was later sacked by Roland Duchatelet just days after reportedly agreeing a new contract with the club.

After seeing their former boss on the bench for England as part of Southgate’s staff, a number of Charlton fans took to Twitter to react.

Let’s take a look at what some of the Addicks supporters said…

In our latest instalment of the Flashback series, we take a look back at a certain moment and look at how things might have changed those initial reactions.

Benjamin Stambouli may have had a dreadful time whilst at Tottenham Hotspur which lasted just 12 months, however there could be an argument that Mauricio Pochettino needs the player he sold in the middle of his defence more than ever now.

The centre-back originally arrived in north London back in 2014 for an undisclosed fee when Spurs acquired him from Montpellier, however 25 appearances later and he was on his way back to France when Paris Saint-Germain called for his services.

Fans at the time were impressed that Tottenham were able to make a profit on a player that has been dubbed by HITC Sport as Pochettino’s worst ever signing, whilst others were quite pleased to see him go at the time.

Here are just some of those initial reactions…

However, there could be a case that Tottenham need the player that Stambouli has since turned out to become after his terrible spell in north London.

Spurs appear to be in free-fall at the moment as they can’t keep the ball out of the back of their net, whilst Charlie Nicholas recently described centre-back pairing Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen one of the worst partnerships in the Premier League currently, despite having been the best at one point (per Sporting Life).

Indeed, the last clean sheet Spurs managed to keep was against Crystal Palace in September and the aforementioned duo’s futures are still in the air and have become a talking point for those in the capital.

However, Stambouli appears to have found his feet as the years have gone by as he now plays his football in the Bundesliga with Schalke 04 – although that story could have turned out differently because they had once transfer listed, per L’Equipe (via GFFN).

Since establishing himself in the German outfit as a key player, the 29-year-old has become a solid defensive figure and, perhaps, one Tottenham are in desperate need of now.

According to the figures released by WhoScored over the last three seasons in top-flight football, the French centre-back has managed to achieve averages of 3.4, 2.4 and 3.7 tackles; 2.3, 1.5 and 1.4 interceptions and 2.5, 2.9 and 2.9 clearances per game.

As mentioned, Alderweireld and Vertonghen have struggled this season, with both managing to achieve 1.5 and 1.8 tackles; 0.9 and 1.8 interceptions and 3.6 and four clearances in their appearances for Spurs.

Of course, it is difficult to see how well a player can develop, however it appears Stambouli may have become a player that Tottenham decided to part with a little too earlier than they, perhaps, should have.

Tottenham fans, what are your thoughts? Let us know by sharing them in the comments section below!

In today’s Leeds United roundup, we take a look at what headlines are doing the rounds for the Whites. Danny Murphy believes the club will lose Kalvin Phillips if they don’t return to the Premier League next season, manager Marcelo Bielsa discusses the striker debate, and reports suggest Mateusz Klich and Luke Ayling are set for new deals.

‘I’m surprised he’s still there’, says Murphy

Report: Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy worries that Leeds could lose star man Kalvin Phillips, should they fail to earn promotion. Murphy told talkSPORT on Monday: “I’m surprised he’s still there. I like him a lot. He’s a great passer, tenacious… If Leeds don’t go up this season, and I really hope they do for their sake, he will leave.”

Verdict: Phillips has been one of Leeds’ more consistent players in recent times averaging a performance rating of 6.98 on WhoScored last season. The 23-year-old has risen through the ranks with the Whites and after scoring on his home debut in 2015, Phillips has gone onto make 151 appearances already and subsequently attracted attention from other clubs, including Aston Villa.

This season, as Phillips continues to prove his importance, the Englishman has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.42. However, in relation to Murphy’s concerns, Football Insider reported that Phillips’ new deal includes a release clause that can be triggered if the club does not return to the Premier League.

Bielsa discusses Bamford and Nketiah partnership

Report: Bielsa has touched on the dilemma of playing both Patrick Bamford and Eddie Nketiah, telling reporters: “I think that your question is linked with the presence of Nketiah and Bamford together because maybe we can be more efficient with those two players in the team, two goalscorers are in better condition to take advantage of 10 chances.

“My answer is, if we play with two goalscorers, maybe we take Forshaw, Klich or Shackleton out, I think that one centre forward without two midfielders behind him is going to worsen the building of the attack.

“So if you have two centre forwards in a team that doesn’t create a lot of chances, you cannot take advantage of the resource that you have.”

Verdict: Nketiah has yet to start a Championship game for Leeds since joining on loan from Arsenal, but his two goals in just 89 minutes of play have certainly put forth a strong argument that he should start. However, it would be tough for Bielsa to drop Bamford based on the fact he has four goals in eight games and is the league’s joint-second top scorer, therefore forcing the Argentine to drop someone else.

It could also be a risky decision to leave out a midfielder, with Adam Forshaw averaging a performance rating of 6.83, Klich scoring 7.03 and Phillips boasting 7.42. So, although Nketiah clearly has the goalscoring touch, to sacrifice a consistent midfielder could spark defensive worries due to less bodies being in the engine room, and reduce their ability to actually get the ball to the centre-forwards.

Klich & Ayling expected to sign new deals

Report: As reported by Leeds Live, both Luke Ayling and Klich are ‘expected’ to sign new deals ‘imminently’. The club expects Polish international Klich to sign a long-term deal, whilst Ayling will follow shortly after.

Verdict: As the Whites continue to lead the way at the top of the Championship table, it is essential that Bielsa gets certain players wrapped up in their march for the Premier League. Currently, Ayling is on the verge of a return from injury after playing 42 times for the club in all competitions last year, scoring twice and assisting six times.

However, Stuart Dallas has turned in some excellent performances at right-back in Ayling’s absence, scoring a 7.13 rating thus far. But, with games coming thick and fast in the Championship, tying down players in such a frantic league is important for squad depth.

As for Klich, the Pole has played every game this season and has bagged a goal and an assist thus far, but his current contract is due to expire at the end of the campaign. It make sense, then, that Leeds are looking to secure his stay at the club for beyond the summer.

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This article is part of Football Fancast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.

Constantly loaning out a player who quite obviously has no chance of ever making the first-team is perhaps one of the most annoying things in club football.

In Crystal Palace’s case, that man is Ryan Inniss.

For a player to have been sent out on loan ten times in recent years, you would expect them to be a young, up-and-coming prospect who the club are looking to develop, right?

Not with Inniss.

The centre-back is 24 years of age, and surely has no chance of ever getting into Roy Hodgson’s first-team with the likes of Gary Cahill, Mamadou Sakho, James Tomkins and Martin Kelly ahead of him in the pecking order.

What makes the situation so much worse, however, is the fact that Inniss is a walking disciplinary nightmare.

He was jailed last year after admitting to hitting a man over the head with a bottle in Beckenham’s Time nightclub, an incident which delayed his Southend United debut.

After that disgusting moment, club chairman Steve Parish said that the academy graduate was on his ‘last chance’ to get himself back on track.

However, after a recent alleged incident, Parish’s patience is surely about to run out.

Inniss is currently out on loan at Newport County, where his most recent outing was a 5-4 defeat to West Ham’s Under-21 side in an EFL Trophy game.

The 6 foot 5 defender received a red card in that game for allegedly biting an opponent, which could see him set for a lengthy ban – Luiz Suarez was banned for 10 games after biting Branislav Ivanovic in 2013.

Newport boss Michael Flynn said: “Their player said he got bitten, so I’ll have a look at that and find out what happened. If he has, it’s inexcusable and I won’t be fighting his corner.”

Of course, as of now the incident is purely an allegation, so we have to give Inniss the benefit of the doubt.

However, if he is found to be guilty of biting an opponent, then that is quite simply unacceptable and one would assume that Parish will no longer defend his player after another moment of sheer lunacy.

Inniss simply isn’t worth the trouble, and Parish would be well within his rights to cut ties with the 24-year-old.

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ذكرت تقارير صحفية أن زلاتان إبراهيموفيتش، نجم ميلان الإيطالي سيعود مجددًا إلى المنتخب السويدي.

أنهى اللاعب البالغ من العمر 39 عامًا مسيرته الدولية في عام 2016، ولكن وفقًا لـ “fotbolldirekt.se” السويدية، فهو مستعد للعودة إلى منتخب بلاده.

ووفقًا للوكالة السويدية، فإن إبراهيموفيتش سيتلقى استدعاءً لمنتخب السويد خلال فترة التوقف الدولية المقبلة في مارس الجاري، عندما يواجه فريق يان أندرسون، كوسوفو وجورجيا وإستونيا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. إبراهيموفيتش: ليس لدي مشكلة مع لوكاكو!

وعلق أندرسون: “ليس لدي أي تعليقات، لكنني كنت أزور زلاتان في نوفمبر، وكانت نتيجة ذلك الاجتماع أننا سنواصل الحوار”.

وأضاف مدرب السويد: “عندما انفتح زلاتان للمباريات في المنتخب الوطني، شعرت أنه من الطبيعي والمهم أن نلتقي ونناقش الأمر في أقرب وقت ممكن، أنا سعيد لأننا تمكنا من الحصول على اجتماع بهذه السرعة”.

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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…

Mauricio Pochettino has to stop making excuses.

Tottenham Hotspur lost 1-0 to Newcastle United on Sunday in a display that effectively put their supporters through death by a thousand cuts.

Spurs had 79.8% possession in the game, per WhoScored, and had a total of 929 touches of the ball; they made 753 total passes compared to the Magpies’ 192. It was the Magpies who dominated the most important stat of all, though: they scored, Spurs didn’t.

Afterwards, Pochettino, who had decided against picking Christian Eriksen in attacking midfield and opted to start with Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks in central midfield, blamed the defeat on a lack of unity.

He said, per The Guardian: “The problem is during the week, not when the competition arrives. This type of situation happens in the Premier League. That is why you need to create a very good dynamic and strong team bonding and, at the moment, that situation in our group is still far, far away. The group is still unsettled and we need to find solutions.

“We didn’t play well and I’m very disappointed about our performance. We conceded a very cheap goal and then it was difficult. We created some chances but not enough. We should have played better, [with] more desire, more capacity, more aggression with the ball. To have 80% of possession is too much when you only have a few shot on target.”

That, quite frankly, is an abdication of his duty. Supporters deserve to hear answers from the manager of their club. Now, it must be said, he was not to blame for the injuries sustained by either Dele Alli or Tanguy Ndombele.

But he opted against picking Eriksen – he has said he wants a new challenge and one has to assume that this is some sort of show of strength from Pochettino – and he decided to play two midfielders who do not have a through ball in them.

He also picked Son Heung-min on the left flank, a player who thrives on the break, who needs space and time. Even the most casual observer of the Premier League would know he was not going to have his day against Newcastle.

The selection of Erik Lamela – probably motivated by form after his goal and assist against City – looked all the more naïve as soon as he decided to take three touches instead of one every time the ball came near his boot.

Lucas Moura also played and, well, for Lucas, read the Son paragraph again. The pair were never going to work together in tandem.

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Jan Vertonghen was also relegated to the bench, with Davinson Sanchez making a horrendous mistake that led to the Magpies’ only goal.

Pochettino did not know that Harry Kane was going to snatch at his chances but he did not help himself.

He appeared to let a petty feud get in the way of selecting his best attacking midfielder. He chose two wingers who had little to no chance of influencing a game against a resolute, deep-lying backline. And he left his best centre-back out too.

And then, afterwards, he decided against explaining himself, merely offering a few words of vague meaning that hint at a deeper problem.

Perhaps that problem comes from the fact that Pochettino holds everyone else to account before himself. If Spurs are to progress this season, that has to change.

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Loads of Crystal Palace fans on Twitter are fuming after Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge confirmed that the club wouldn’t be making a signing on deadline day having spoken to manager Roy Hodgson.

While the Eagles did sign Gary Cahill, James McCarthy and Victor Camarasa in the final week of the window, they failed to get the right-back and striker they desperately looked to need – especially following the departures of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Alexander Sorloth earlier in the window.

Now, Hodgson will have to go into the 2019/20 Premier League season with what he has got, with Joel Ward and Martin Kelly likely to be battling for the full-back role, and a reliance on Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham up top.

That is hardly an ideal scenario with sporting director Dougie Freedman and Steve Parish not managing to get any further deals over the line, and the Selhurst Park faithful are far from happy with the duo and the situation they now find themselves in.

While one individual simply said “Parish and Freedman out now”, another said “Championship next year lads”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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One of the best defenders in the world (according to himself), Dejan Lovren has been the subject of some intense transfer speculation in recent weeks.

Reports have suggested Serie A giants Milan are interested in securing his signature for next season, but in an update from Sky Sports, it is understood Liverpool are not looking to sell the centre-back.

Indeed, it claims that the Reds have not set an asking price for the 29-year-old and have yet to be approached by the Italian side.

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After hearing the news Lovren looks likely to stay at Anfield for the foreseeable future, fans of the Merseyside club took to Twitter to voice their opinion on the matter.

Many seemed rather welcoming of the news the Croatian would not be making an exit this summer and insisted that as a fourth choice option in central defence, he was as good as they come.

Some pointed out to his appearances in showpieces games like the World Cup and Champions League finals (2018) as evidence of his valuable experience at the highest level and questioned why he perhaps wasn’t rated as highly as others.

Check out some of the reaction of Liverpool fans below: