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In a week that has been dominated by their move to the Olympic Stadium and the future of their manager its imperative that West Ham stay focused on the present. With manager Sam Allardyce confirming he will sign a new contract when Premier League survival is assured the message is clear. Despite four defeats in their last six Allardyce believes two wins from their remaining nine games will be enough to ensure the Hammers remain a top-flight club. Five home matches make up the bulk of their run-in starting with West Brom on Saturday and a win would put them well on the road to safety with Wigan, Newcastle and Reading all visiting Upton Park before the campaign is out.

The Baggies aren’t to be underestimated though as many clubs have found out already this season. Steve Clarke, formerly a number two at West Ham under Gianfranco Zola, has thrived in his debut season as a manager guiding the Midlands club to eighth. Qualifying for Europe is the objective now for Albion and can close in on the top-six with victory in east London. It would also see them reach their highest Premier League points total of 47 with seven games left to play.

Team News

Kevin Nolan (toe) and Joe Cole (hamstring) are fit to return for West Ham but fellow midfielder Mark Noble (shoulder) is out.

James Morrison (hamstring) is a major doubt for West Brom after he was forced to withdraw from the Scotland squad in midweek.

What the managers said…

“I don’t think we have to wait until we’re quite mathematically safe, with 38 points both parties would say that is enough this season. Hopefully we can get to 38 as quick as possible and hopefully get to 40 points if we can. It’s disappointing that we haven’t secured safety already with our concentration and sometimes lack of goals. It’s made us linger on this subject and we want to get it out of the way and look at next season” Sam Allardyce says he will sign a new deal at West Ham when safety is guaranteed (Daily Mail)

“We are professional, we want to finish as high as we can with as many points as we can. The next target for us is to get more points than we did in the last two seasons which is 47. If we win at the weekend we will equal that, and it will give us seven games to better it. For anyone to question our commitment or our desire to do well for the last eight games is wrong.” Steve Clarke is adamant West Brom have plenty to play for in the last two months of the season (Independent)

Pre-Match Statistic: West Brom will match their best-ever Premier League points total of 47 (set in 2010/11 and 2011/12) should they beat West Ham.

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Prediction: West Ham United 1-1 West Bromwich Albion

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Danny Welbeck endured a mixed afternoon as Arsenal beat Southampton 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday but he did end the game as the match-winner.

The England international, valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, netted two goals, including the late winner as the Gunners turned up the heat on Chelsea in the race for fifth by beating Mark Hughes’ struggling Saints.

However, he should really have been leaving the Emirates Stadium with the match ball but he missed a glaring opportunity with the scores level at 2-2 which looked as if it might prove costly at the time.

That was not to be the case as the former Manchester United forward made up for his earlier blunder by powering him a header with just minutes remaining, to cap a largely impressive afternoon only marred by that shocking miss.

He also set up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s equaliser after Shane Long had put the visitors 1-0 up in the first half and showed impressive all-round play coming in off the left flank.

He showed his strength in the air not just by nodding home the winning goal but by coming out on top in four aerial duels throughout the afternoon.

Meanwhile, his link-up play was also impressive with an 82 per cent passing accuracy which allowed Arsene Wenger’s men to build momentum as they roared forward in search of the win.

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Welbeck is right on the fringes of the England World Cup squad and more performances like this can’t do his chances of going to Russia with the Three Lions any harm at all.

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Arsene Wenger showed a lack of respect and took Monaco lightly according to the Ligue 1 side’s boss Leonardo Jardim, who has torn into the Frenchman following his side’s Champions League victory over Arsenal.

The Mediterranean outfit held on for an away goals win over their Premier League opponents last night, with the Londoners’ 2-0 triumph in the Stade Louis II not enough to overturn the 3-1 scoreline from the first leg.

After the game Wenger was critical of Monaco – whom he used to manage – claiming that Jardim’s side, who failed to register a shot on target in their home ground, did not deserve their spot in the last eight of the competition.

WANT MORE? >> Arsenal transfer news | Latest transfer news

And Jardim has hit back at his defeated opponent, claiming that he’s shown a lack of respect:

“It’s true in first leg when I wanted to shake a hand, Wenger didn’t thank me and shake my hand. So this time even though Monaco did everything for Arsenal, I decided not to thank him,” he is quoted by The Metro.

When asked if he felt Wenger had been disrespectful, the Monaco boss replied: “I think so and right now we’re celebrating and we think that Arsenal maybe didn’t show all the respect that they should have in the first leg.”

Arsenal were heavy favourites to overcome Monaco when drawn against the Principality side, who are only in their second season back in the top tier of French football.

The Red and Whites are also the lowest scoring team in the hat for the quarter-finals, and Jardim feels that Wenger was cocky and took victory against his side for granted:

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“Arsenal were very happy to play Monaco as we were supposed to be one of the weakest teams. All the teams in the last 16 wanted to play against Monaco. Maybe Arsenal thought they had qualified already.”

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Villa have done well over the years to maintain their ever-present Premier League status, especially considering they’ve endured a couple of difficult relegation battles in their history.

Last year proved tough watching at Villa Park though as they narrowly avoided the drop under Alex McLeish in what was possibly the worst season in the club’s history. This season hasn’t been much better and another relegation battle is before them.

Given the chance, Villa’s fans would probably name last year’s starting XI as the worst to ever take to the field wearing the claret and blue, but looking back over the years, some names stand out that would be enough to make everyone in the Holte End shed a little tear.

Here is the worst XI signings made by Villa during the Premier League era:

Click on Villa Park below to see the Aston Villa Worst Transfer XI

It has been two weeks since Manchester United last played – and qualified for the semi-finals of the FA Cup with an underwhelming 2-0 win against Brighton – and much of the news agenda since then has been dominated by Jose Mourinho’s approach.

He has come out swinging in the time since United’s Champions League defeat against Sevilla. It was an abject failure against a side with inferior resources and Mourinho was rightly criticised.

He has not reacted well and has taken aim at his own club’s fans, his players – namely Luke Shaw – and United’s history in an attempt to preserve his reputation and explain away the defeat.

Even making the last four of the FA Cup didn’t sate the Portuguese manager and there is little doubt that there is tension between himself and the Old Trafford fanbase right now.

For that reason, his team selection for Saturday afternoon’s match was always likely to grab more than its fair share of attention and the United fans are not happy at all. We’ve taken a closer look at the best of the reaction…

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In one the January transfer window’s most surprising twists thus far, Everton forward Samuel Eto’o looks set to leave Goodison Park this month for Serie A side Sampdoria.

The three-time Champions League winner only joined the Toffees on a free transfer from Chelsea in the summer, but has now passed a medical with the Italian outfit and is expected to complete a deal within the next few days.

Everton have struggled for form this season however so replacing the 33 year-old, who scored three Premier League goals for the Merseysiders, is now imperative. It’ll have to be done on a budget too – the Eto’o deal is reportedly worth just £1.5million.

With that in mind, we’ve listed FIVE cut-price replacements for the Cameroon legend.

EMMANUEL EMENIKE

Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike has been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur this month, but with the reports seemingly coming from his agent rather than north London, it’s likely the Toffees can muscle in on any potential deal.

Returns of 14 in 40 for the Turkish club and seven in 28 for the Nigerian national team may be rather ordinary, but the 27 year-old is blessed with all the pace, power and directness one could want in a Premier League striker.

A decent back-up to Romelu Lukaku, the tabloids claim the Super Eagles striker is available for around £8million this month, which should be just within Everton’s financial reach.

JONATHAN SORIANO

Once tipped to set La Liga ablaze during his prolific tenure with Espanyol B and Spain’s U21 squad, netting eight goals in just four appearances for La Rojita way back in 2005, Jonathan Soriano is a former prodigy that never quite made the grade at top level.

At the age of 29 however, the Spanish striker’s career is amid an intriguing renaissance, leaving Barcelona B in summer 2012 with 55 goals in 80 appearances and since going on to claim an incredible 112 goals in 126 outings for current club Red Bull Salzburg.

Currently enjoying the best form of his career – 30 goals in 30 appearances, including seven in the Europa League – the 5 foot 11 front-man, blessed with great technical ability and natural pedigree, could be worth a punt this month.

According to a summer report from Newcastle publication The Journal, the Austrian outfit could sell for as little as £2million.

MUNIR EL HADDADI

Barcelona youngster Gerard Deulofeu excelled on loan at Goodison Park last season, so why not launch a loan swoop for another member of the Catalan crop in Munir El Haddadi?

The 19 year-old stood in for suspended striker Luis Suarez at the start of the season and, despite only netting once in 16 outings for Barcelona’s first string, impressed in his cameo capacity, demonstrating his blend of pace, creativity and skill.

There’s already been plenty of speculation suggesting the 5 foot 9 forward could be farmed out this month, with The Express mooting Arsenal and Chelsea as potential loan destinations back in December.

Both clubs are relatively well endowed up front however and Everton can offer El Haddadi considerably more game-time. Head coach Luis Enrique, however, has recently announced his intentions to use the young striker on sparing occasions throughout the campaign.

ANTHONY MODESTE

You might remember Anthony Modeste from his brief spell at Blackburn Rovers, making five appearances in 2012 as the Ewood Park outfit plummeted out of the Premier League.

He failed to register a goal in England but has since gone on to prove his worth in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga, netting 15 times during a single campaign with Bastia and 14 times in 32 appearances amid an 18 month stay with Hoffenheim.

That includes four goals in just seven starts this year and, in addition to firepower, the 26 year-old offers a physically imposing 6 foot 1 frame that should serve him well in the Premiership – especially in Everton’s customary lone striker role.

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Modeste’s consistent form over the last few years has reportedly attracted attention from Swansea and West Ham this season according to the Daily Mail, but rated at just £5million, he should be within Everton’s budget too.

EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR

Perhaps not an obvious suggestion, considering Tottenham’s Emmanuel Adebayor has left virtually every club he’s played for in the Premier League on rather sour terms – particularly Arsenal and Manchester City – and looks set to leave White Hart Lane in a similar manner.

But the Togo international’s goal record has remained consistent throughout his career in England, with 96 in 225 top flight outings – including eleven goals last year- and in terms of physique and style, shares many traits with Everton’s first choice striker, Romelu Lukaku.

Furthermore, the Lilywhites will be pleased just to get Adebayor off the wage bill at this moment in time and would likely accept nominal offers for the 30 year-old.

Whether Everton, Spurs or in fact, anybody in the world, could convince the 6 foot 3 striker to walk away from his £100k per-week contract however, not set to expire until 2016, remains to be seen.

This was the kind of convincing win that Hartlepool United had been waiting for since last season.

A win that oozed confidence and purpose, a kind of victory that we haven’t seen from a Hartlepool side for several painful months.

It was a game that ticked a cliche’s statement. If you press the ball, you win the ball. Pools pressed from the front and disposed Portsmouth of the ball on quite a few occasions. If you pass the ball, you keep the ball. On the whole, when Pools passed the ball they kept it with a purpose of going forward. And, as the long suffering fans have been saying for months, if you play the kids, you will have a new lease of life. Indeed, there was a sense of urgency from a youthful Pools, a willingness to win.

James Poole, so stagnated in his performances for the entirety of 2012, was reinvigorated. He dazzled. He seized his opportunity at starting on the left of a three man attack and was in imperious form. His goal, to double Pools’ advantage at his re-start, will have gave the former Man City youngster a new dose of much needed belief. It was a cool, unerring finish that was capped with a kiss and a thanks to the stars.

There were equally impressive performances from Jono Franks on the opposite flank. Simon Walton, bar from a horrid ten minutes in the opening interval where he over hit passes at will, controlled midfield proceedings. He was capably backed up by the composed Ritchie Humphreys. At present, Humphreys is rolling back the years; he is revelling in his occupation as a sitting midfielder. Tucked in behind Poole, Evan Horwood turned in a man of the match performance. Whereas his defensive frailties often overshadow his attacking prowess, at Fratton Park Horwood dealt with fellow Hartlepool-born player Adam Reed with ease. It was testimony to Horwood that the vast majority of Pompey’s threats emanated from the left, Neil Austin territory. Going forward was where Horwood was at his best. His crossing and link up play was the source of much of Pools’ attacks.

Despite the positives, let’s not mask over the obvious dangers of extolling the marooned men. When the hosts did attack with pace the alarming gap between Peter Hartley and Sam Collins was unravelled. Thankfully, it wasn’t exposed, but against opponents of higher calibre the duo will be exploited. Neil Austin was pedestrian for much of the encounter and Pools still lack a goalscorer who would not just provide a finish to the crosses, but provide a presence. Even when Pools did attack so well down the flanks, there was still only one, sometimes two, men in the box. But then that didn’t matter when Pools seized their chances from set-pieces and one-on-ones.

Jack Baldwin opened the scoring with a header after a deep Horwood free kick. If it hadn’t been for the agility of netminder Scott Flinders, though, Baldwin’s goal could have been an equaliser or even a deficit-reducing strike.

Shaun Cooper first tested Flinders from distance before Dan Butler aimed a whistling shot at the top corner, only for Flinders to deny the strike. Flinders was keeping Pools in the game so early on, saving superbly with a pair of brilliant saves in quick succession to prevent first Darel Russell and second the nuisance David Connolly.

Baldwin, however, took advantage at his sight of goal and Pools worked hard to preserve their lead. Collins and teenage Baldwin both slid in to block the ball, Austin cleared frantically and Flinders was again in top form.

It wasn’t just 23rd placed Pompey crafting the chances. Poole coaxed numerous fouls out of his marksmen, Humphreys and Walton sprayed the ball round to push forward attacks, and both Walton and Horwood had chances from distance.

With only seconds on the clock in the second half, Pompey failed to nullify a blistering Pools attack, yet Franks’ centre was sent narrowly over by Poole. Minutes later Wyke flicked the ball on to Poole who scored to double the lead

This was now the test for Pools. So often this season they have succumbed to the pressure of leading, unable to do the basics of defending and allowing their opponents a simple route back into the game.

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Pompey came forward. Pools remained obdurate. A stubborn line of 9 refused to allow the marching blue calvary through. James Keene hit wide from 20 yards. Butler sent a fizzing ball across the box that was unmet. Eventually they were breached, via a cross from the left that evaded all in the box before Jed Wallace side-footed home. Fratton Park was aroused, the South Coast roar threatened to lift the Fratton End’s roof off its screws.

Pools suppressed Pompey, though, and sub Luke James added pace and pressure into the Pools attack. Wyke dashed forward with Poole to his right but went himself before the attack petered out. It needn’t have mattered, sub Greg Rutherford came on and settled the nerves with his first senior goal after slotting beyond Pompey keeper Eastwood.

18 games remain, another 12 victories like this would do just nicely.

You can find me on Twitter @cmbell310 for more Pool chat.

The race to be England goalkeeper for this summer’s World Cup is well and truly on but it looks as if it is Everton stopper Jordan Pickford who has his nose in front as it stands.

He got the nod for Friday’s 1-0 victory against the Netherlands, which saw England outclass a team who went on to beat European Champions Portugal 3-0 on their own patch three days later and didn’t disappoint.

It is thought that the former Sunderland man, valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, was preferred because of his superior distribution, which nudges him ahead of Jack Butland in the pecking order.

Arsenal are one Premier League team who insist on a passing philosophy and need a goalkeeper who is good with his feet. Petr Cech has had an outstanding career but there are signs that the limbs are starting to creak slightly.

The Gunners have to have one eye on Cech’s long-term successor and one option that has been mooted is utilising the club’s growing German connection to procure Bernt Leno from Bayer Leverkusen.

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Pickford could be another viable choice. Still only 24, he could be England’s established number one goalkeeper by the start of next season and has a bright future. So we’re asking you, should Pickford be Arsenal’s long-term glovesman? Let us know by voting in the poll below…

West Ham currently find themselves between a rock and a hard place regarding star centre-back Winston Reid.

The New Zealand skipper is yet to extend his current contract past the end of the season and according to Hammers owner David Sullivan, wants European football.

That could be with the Irons come the end of the campaign, who are currently in 6th place,  but the impetus on Sam Allardyce’s part is to sell in January rather than risk losing Reid for free in the summer.

Either way, some replacements for the 26 year-old need to be considered and just in case Big Sam is surprisingly short on ideas, here’s FIVE courtesy of Football FanCast…

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DAN BURN

The West Ham boss was largely dismissive about reports linking the East Londoners with Fulham’s Dan Burn during last week’s press conference:

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But measuring in at a whopping 6 foot 7, everything about the young centre-back screams Sam Allardyce.

Not to suggest height is the only thing Big Sam looks for in a transfer target and the technical side of Burn’s game still requires some work. But the 22 year-old’s an unstoppable force in the air and at his best when sticking to the basics – headers, tackles, clearances – which fits perfectly into the defensive mantra West Ham have adopted since 2011.

Here’s a look at his stats over the last few campaigns:

Some sources have mooted a £4million bid in the New Year, but Cottagers gaffer Kit Symons has made his feelings abundantly clear, recently telling reporters; “I want to keep Dan. He’s a big part of how we play and he’s been excellent since he’s come in – he’s one of our leaders.”

CURTIS DAVIES

Curtis Davies has been in consistently exemplary form since Hull City returned to the Premier League in summer 2013. Last season, he captained the Tigers to within minutes of winning the FA Cup against Arsenal and this year Whoscored.com rate him as the best centre-back in the Premier League, alongside partner Michael Dawson:

The 6 foot 2 defender has spent the vast majority of his career bobbing between English football’s top two tiers and now 29 years of age, appears to be finally hitting his footballing peak. Here’s a look at Davies’ stats over the last two campaigns:

Currently, there’s not much noise suggesting the former West Brom, Aston Villa and Birmingham centre-back would be interested in a move away from the KC Stadium.

But there will be just a year left on Davies’ contract come the summer, which could give the Hammers a way in.

RON VLAAR

Much like Winston Reid, Ron Vlaar’s contract is up at the end of the season and he’s resultantly been linked to some top Premier League clubs:

The Netherlands international’s domineering World Cup performances verged upon talismanic, helping Louis van Gaal’s side win the third-place playoff. Here are Vlaar’s highlights from Brazil 2014:

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He’s never quite matched that form during 63 Premier League outings for the Villains, but the World Cup displays demonstrated Vlaar’s potential to play at a much higher level.

Furthermore, it appears a Villa Park departure is now inevitable, with boss Paul Lambert claiming Vlaar’s agent gave him a ‘thanks, but no thanks’ in regards to a new contract.

As previously mentioned however, West Ham will have to fend off some strong competition for the 6 foot 2 centre-back’s signature.

Virgil van Dijk

Certainly not someone you’d describe as a traditional Sam Allardyce centre-back, but recent reports claim the Hammers could be in for Celtic star Virgil van Dijk:

The Dutch youngster’s developed at a sensational rate since joining the Scottish champions last summer, winning the Bhoys’ Player of the Year award last season, and it now seems inevitable that he’ll swap Celtic Park for the Premier League at some point in the near future.

Unlike West Ham’s current centre-back mould, the 23 year-old is famed for his front-front style, technical quality and potency from long range – take this free kick against Hibernian for example:

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But the Hammers have undergone a mini-revolution under Allardyce this season and in that regard, the former Oranje U21 fits the bill perfectly.

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Once again however, the £7million-rated defender has attracted some major suitors over the last eighteen months, including Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United.

Aleksandar Dragovic

Most likely the priciest defender on this list, West Ham reportedly sent scouts to watch Austria centre-back Aleksandar Dragovic in action during the international break:

The 23 year-old is best famed from his time at FC Basel, where he won three consecutive Super League titles and continually earned rave reviews before joining Dynamo Kiev in summer 2013. Here’s a look at some of his highlights for Bebbi:

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He followed that up with a Ukrainian Cup last year, but it’s believed the 6 foot 1 centre-back is growing increasingly concerned with the political and military unrest in Ukraine.

A winter move could resultantly be on the cards and the Hammers are known suitors. But they’ll have to act quickly to land Dragovic, with reports last week claiming Spartak Moscow have already tabled a £12million offer.

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Last week James Lawton wrote a piece in the Independent, entitled ‘What the NFL can teach the Premier League about financial fair play.’ Taking Arsenal’s letter to Richard Scudamore as a chance to reflect on the way other sports – namely the NFL – organise themselves to create a league based on fair play. Lawton hinted at how the Premier League could be a more level playing field, eulogising the unity seen in American Football.

I want to look at the notion of a draft system and consider whether it could be implemented and if it were, how it might play out over here.

The draft system is a recruitment process where the worst team in any given year is given the first pick of that year’s talented crop of college stars. The Super Bowl winners obviously have less of a recruitment need and are accordingly given the last pick. In this instance, the Premier League champions would pick last and the 20th placed team get a chance to sign up the next Wayne Rooney. If the worst team in the league can make the right choice, the potential for success is huge.

Firstly, the Premier League is not a closed league like the NFL, where 32 teams compete against one another each and every year. A closed league makes it easy to spread the wealth of talented nascent superstars coming through college level and onto the professional scene. I don’t have to tell anyone of the many falls from grace experienced by countless managers, players and fans after relegation from an open league, never to reach the top flight again. Although, the relegation rule renders a draft system a pretty difficult idea to bring about.

Lets look at Andrew Luck, drafted by last year’s worst team – Indianapolis Colts – with a win/loss record of 2-14. With Luck they managed to finish the 2012/13 regular season with a record of 11-5, qualifying for the postseason and a chance to compete for the Super Bowl. The same applies to the Washington Redskins and RGIII, another bad team who made the postseason after picking the second overall pick behind Luck. These guys could potentially dominate the league for years to come. Although, there are a few anomalies in the draft, like Mr-Ugg-himself-Tom-Brady who was the 199th overall pick in the 6th round of the 2000 draft. He’s kind of like the greatest quarterback of all time (discounting the fact that he lost in the AFC Championship on Sunday night to the Ravens). Some people get overlooked and drafting isn’t a key to success – it just helps to level the field.

But imagine the Premier League is a closed league, and that young players are recruited for college teams (managed by more than capable coaches) before being drafted to the Premier League according to league position. We’re not going to come up with a solution here and the results of this fantasy game won’t exactly result in hard-hitting evidence, but it’s fun to make believe now and then. So we walk through the wardrobe and are transported to the land of drafting and fairness. Lets imagine again that when Rooney was 21, and performing pretty amazingly I might add (he scored 20 goals in all competitions and United won the league), that at 21, Rooney was picked up by last place Derby in 2007/08. Plus, he was accompanied through the doors of Pride Park by a few other key players in the 2007/08 draft, players who might compliment him in the 2008/09 season (a season where Rooney and United won the league again, by the way). Think of the difference it would make on both Derby’s season and United’s. Lets not forget that Derby finished 18th in the Championship after relegation. I feel pretty confident in saying that Rooney could’ve helped them back into the top flight if the relegation rule was still in place. Otherwise in a closed league I’m sure Rooney would help Derby compete, and consequently help to attract better players who might be at the end of their contract. What would that mean for a team like Derby? If the same theory were to be applied throughout the league do you think things would be a little more competitive? Unfortunately, it’s not possible. Why would the Premier League’s top six or seven teams agree to send the country’s top talent to the worst team? And if the relegation rule is still in place in our crazy world of fairness, would they want to see the best players go to the Championship? They wouldn’t. We haven’t even factored in UEFA, a European footballing organization with regulatory powers over Europe –but you knew that. All of the top leagues around Europe would have to agree to a draft system, leaving a lot of empty trophy cabinets and perhaps even a few empty pockets. We haven’t even brought up the EU, with the freedom of movement for workers opening up the draft to a potentially bigger market. The issue gets muddied, politicized and a little more complex the deeper you get into it.

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The idea, as Lawton implies, is something that the NFL can teach us. His headline exaggerates things a little, but the implication is that we could learn from American sports. Simply put, this isn’t something that the NFL can teach us. Such drastic changes are unworkable, but it doesn’t stop a few people from paying homage to an American sport with impractical ideas. I can’t see Barcelona training up the best of the best at La Masia, only to give them up to Deportivo. We can only learn from North America on a commercial basis. But perhaps there’s another solution to make the game fairer. To start with, how about a salary cap to stop teams like Manchester City and Chelsea from stockpiling players to warm their benches. It’s a waste of talent with wider repercussions – both financially and competitively – for the rest of the teams. City wouldn’t be able to bench a player on £200,000 a week if there was a salary cap in place. Instead, you’d have to start using cheaper, younger players hungry for an opportunity.  Personally, I’d like to see a little more fairness – spreading the talent around – for teams and fans who deserve to enjoy good football and the glory attached to winning silverware.

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