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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…

Home is where the heart is, as Elvis Presley once sang.

And according to Birmingham City boss Pep Clotet, that’s where the majority of points for his side will be as well.

The Blues have turned St Andrew’s into something of a fortress so far this season, taking 13 points from a possible 18 and only suffering one defeat.

Speaking after the Blackburn game, Clotet spoke about the club’s home form and how he sees it as the bedrock for his team this season.

“In this Championship you need to have balance and knowing that you are very strong at home allows you to experiment and take the away games as bonuses to try and go for the wins. Our home form is massive and it’s down to the fact that our players love to play in front of the fans.”

The use of the term ‘bonus’ just doesn’t sit right.

He does have a point to a certain extent.

At the end of the day, the majority of your fans are in front of you so you should feel a level of responsibility to perform in front of them.

On the other hand, it sounds as if he is relying heavily, perhaps too heavily, on the Blues gaining points this season at St Andrew’s and treating away games like an afterthought.

It comes across as a rather blasé attitude to proceedings and it paves the way for a bit of inconsistency throughout the season.

If the Blues go through a bad patch at home where they don’t pick up some wins, that might get compounded by bad away form which Clotet doesn’t seem to focus on. Consequently, it might set the stage for a downward spiral that they might not get out of.

After all, they’ve lost five of their seven outings on the road in 2019/20. It’s clearly a rugged issue.

Whilst Clotet might have his team performing above certain expectations so far this season, that doesn’t mean he can simply disregard a certain aspect of his job just to see his team over the line.

He needs to start being more ambitious if he is to impress the board and get rid of the title ‘caretaker head coach’.

He talks about balance in his message, but surely the balance should come from getting a team together that can perform equally as well away from St Andrew’s as they do at it.

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…

The signing of Andriy Yarmolenko is proving better and better with each passing game, and he has started to produce after being ruled out for almost the entirety of last season with an Achilles injury.

Over the last few years players such as Felipe Anderson, Manuel Lanzini and Dimitri Payet have grabbed most of the headlines, but the Hammers now appear to have another positive wide player, and if the former Borussia Dortmund player can maintain his early-season form then West Ham could be in for a successful season.

The Ukranian has scored three goals from his six Premier League games, but such is his form that he will likely keep Michail Antonio out of the starting line-up when he makes a return from injury.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

To make matters even better, West Ham only spent £17.5m on him in summer 2018, and given the current climate in which Declan Rice has an asking price of £100m, that can be considered a very good deal.

His form hasn’t gone unnoticed from pundits, too. Darren Bent’s comments to Football Insider show that he has particularly been impressed since the start of the season.

“I saw that Yarmolenko a few years back and I remember thinking: ‘Who is this guy? What a player he is.

“Since he’s been fit, he’s been good, his finish at the weekend was brilliant.”

– Darren Bent

Alongside Lanzini and Anderson, the trio playing behind Sebastien Haller offer West Ham significant threat and variety in attack, evidenced by the fact they have scored two or more goals in four league games so far.

Given their success in attack it is little surprise that the Hammers have lost just once this season, and having been criticised for many years for poor recruitment and not spending money, David Gold and David Sullivan deserve plaudits for their backing of Pellegrini.

It is positive to see the Ukraine international make such a positive return after so long out, and he seems to have adapted very well into the current West Ham set-up, taking up great positions in the box and acting as the perfect support for Haller, who so has the same record in front of goal.

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…

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has suggested to Suddeutsche Zeitung that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left the club to join Arsenal because of a desire for money.

What did he say?

The Gabon international spent four-and-a-half years with the Bundesliga outfit after joining from Saint-Etienne in 2013, and moved to the Gunners in January of 2018 for a fee of £55.4m, which at the time was a club-record sum.

Watch the Flying Pig tear into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jesse Lingard following Man Utd’s limp draw with Arsenal in the video below…

It appears that Watzke is still bitter over his departure, and has attacked his motives of moving to north London.

He told the German outlet: “Of course it is hard to keep a player in the face of such sums. Some go to clubs because of this money, where they have not played Champions League for years.

“[Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang, who plays great at Arsenal, will probably be warm-hearted when he looks at his bank account, but on Wednesdays will be saddened when he has to watch the Champions League on television.”

Deserves more respect

Why the 60-year-old has chosen now to share his displeasure with the striker’s exit is baffling. The 30-year-old left the Signal-Iduna Park 18 months ago, and Dortmund are aiming to win the Bundesliga title this term for the first time since 2012.

After triumphing just once in the last four league matches, perhaps that is something the club’s hierarchy should be concentrating on rather than an ex-player’s decision to leave.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Above all, though, Aubameyang deserves more respect. His form in the Ruhr region was quite simply scintillating.

In 213 games, he netted 141 goals, with him twice scoring 25 or over in the Bundesliga – don’t forget, they only play 34 games a season. Not only that, he helped fire the team to the German Cup in 2017 during a period where Bayern were arguably close to their best.

There is surely another reason why he felt it was time to move on, too. During the 2016/17 campaign, his last at the club, the Bavarians won the title by a huge 15 points, with Dortmund in third 18 points off the top.

Not that you can blame Aubameyang for that – he won the Bundesliga Golden Boot by bagging an astonishing 31 goals in 32 matches.

When Aubameyang left the following season in January, Dortmund were 19 points off their big rivals with only 20 matches played. Once again, the forward had impressed, scoring 13 in 16 in the league. The problem was that the side just weren’t competitive.

Granted, Arsenal haven’t exactly been much better, but they did make the Europa League final last term.

And anyway, it can’t be argued that the Premier League is not of a higher quality than its German counterpart. The players who play there receive big wages, yes, but it is bigger test of one’s ability than what the German top-flight can offer.

All in all, it is incredibly harsh to effectively call him a money-grabber, especially considering his performances for the club. It is likely that Watzke will not consider this to be his finest moment in hindsight.

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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…

Speaking to Leeds Live, Liam Cooper has spoken about the challenge of international football after he earned his debut for Scotland.

What’s he said?

Cooper was called up to Steve Clarke’s Scotland team for the first time for games against Russia and Belgium during the current international break.

The former defeated Spain at the 2018 World Cup whilst the latter are the number one ranked team in the world so it’s a rather harsh baptism of fire for the defender.

He was named in the starting XI against the Russians but despite going 1-0 up through John McGinn the Scots eventually succumbed to defeat.

Speaking after the game, he told Leeds Live:

“Championship football is fast and frenetic so I wouldn’t say the pace was different, but our mistakes get punished a lot more.

“We started well and got in about the Russians but after we scored the goal we sat off a bit. When you give good players time on the ball they’ll hurt you and we paid the price.

“For the second goal, we lost the ball in the middle of the park and were out of position when the ball was played in behind.”

Harsh lessons can make him even better

Having been named in the PFA Team of the Year for the Championship last term, Cooper has become a key man in the Leeds side and his call-up to the Scottish team was rather deserved.

International football throws up all sorts of challenges and that will again be the case when Scotland’s defence face off against players like Romelu Lukaku tonight.

For Cooper, that will be an altogether different test to the one that usually presents itself to him on a matchday at Leeds.

As the centre back says, mistakes are punished more regularly at a higher level but it’s that sort of experience and learning curve that can potentially make him a better player going forward.

Considering Leeds have aspirations of competing in the Premier League this could be key. If the 28-year-old can begin to fine-tune his game and learn from how forwards punish you, it would be hugely beneficial if they do go up.

Facing off against high-class strikers is a challenge but ultimately, that’s what he’d have to do in the Premier League if promotion is secured for Leeds this season.

There is the unwanted chance of injury whilst he’s away from the club but if it helps to make him better, it could be of great benefit to the Whites going forward.

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Brewster was one of many Premier League stars who attended the EA Sports launch event for the new game, and he’s continued his crusade to have his rating upgraded.

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The striker was vocal a few weeks ago when his stats were released, but he still wants things to be changed.

He jokingly claims that he’s had some serious words with the publisher about his Ultimate Team card, so it will be interesting to see if he gets an upgrade by the time winter rolls around, when the ratings are re-evaluated.

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Loads of Manchester United fans have been running the rule over their Friday night win at the Emirates, and they’re full of praise for Romelu Lukaku.

Manchester United brushed Arsenal aside in the FA Cup on Friday night, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continued his perfect start to life in charge of the Red Devils.

The boss made some crucial changes to the side that has been ruthlessly dispatching teams in the Premier League though, introducing both Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to the starting XI.

Roberto Firmino has thrown a party themed around the colour of his teeth! Watch the video below to find out what we’re talking about…

The Chilean hotshot got things started early on, rounding Petr Cech and finding the net after a brilliant pass by Lukaku.

The Belgian international then doubled his assist tally when he put one on a plate for Jesse Lingard.

Arsenal fought back as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pulled one back from close range just before half time, but Anthony Martial’s second half strike wrapped up the 3-1 win.

While Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw and Sergio Romero were all superb, Lukaku is the one taking all the plaudits for his selfless display.

The powerful 25 year-old, who takes loads of stick for his quality on the ball, somehow looked more at home cutting in from the right wing with Sanchez operating in the central areas.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans are full of praise for one of the season’s most heavily-criticised players…

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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…

In a piece written by Graham Smyth of Yorkshire Evening Post, he has described that Leeds will feel content despite missing out on Ryan Kent this summer.

What’s he said?

Leeds’ business during the transfer window largely consisted of loan deals but for a while, they were in the market for Kent.

The former Liverpool man has now joined Rangers in a £7m deal but there was a lengthy saga that saw the possibility of him moving to Elland Road.

Leeds Live claimed the winger was the club’s outstanding option in July whilst Phil Hay backed up their interest in August.

YEP have since said he was a long-term target with the Yorkshire side even previously agreeing a fee with the Reds for his services according to The Mirror’s David Anderson.

A deal was never wrapped up as the Whites focused on Eddie Nketiah instead. As a result, Smyth says Leeds won’t be concerned. On the Kent situation, he wrote:

“He’s happy, Rangers are happy, Leeds are happy, Nketiah is happy and Leeds fans will be happy if the striker’s goals help send them back to the promised land.

“The early signs, Nketiah’s pace, power, movement and finishing ability suggest that the late change in tack might just help steer Leeds in the right direction.”

Leeds should be pleased

The deals concluded in recent months were perhaps rather bizarre, especially after selling players like Pontus Jansson and Kemar Roofe.

Instead of buying permanent replacements, loan players came in. One of which was Nketiah who so far is proving to be a better option than Kent.

One of the biggest concerns for Leeds was their lack of firepower. If they hadn’t brought in the Arsenal man they’d have been staring at a solitary first-team attacker in Patrick Bamford.

He can’t do everything on his own and thus deciding to turn their attentions to a striker rather than a winger was smart.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

For that reason alone, Leeds will be happy and if the 20-year-old continues as he’s started, they will remain content for a while.

Nketiah has three goals already this season despite not starting a Championship match and there is surely more to come.

To put it simply, Leeds would have been foolish if they didn’t focus their attention away from Kent and on a forward.

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Everton are having a nightmare of a season but Rafael Benitez has been trying to find opportunities to turn it around by getting thoroughly stuck into the winter transfer window.

In an attempt to win over the support of the fans and put Everton in a better position come the end of the season, a fourth January signing is rumoured to be on the horizon.

What’s the word?

Sky Sports journalist Pete O’Rourke has revealed that the Toffees manager could already be working on securing his fourth signing of the month, with a specific position in mind.

O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “They were looking to possibly bring in a new centre-back, and that’s what Rafa Benitez has got his heart set on, he thinks the defence needs sorting out.”

The club has already signed two defenders in January so far, with right back Nathan Patterson joining from Rangers and left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko signing from Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kiev.

Fans will be buzzing

If the performance against Norwich on Saturday afternoon is anything to go by, Everton are desperate for central defenders, after Michael Keane scored an own goal and put on a poor display throughout the game as the Toffees were defeated 2-1 at Carrow Road.

Some fans may be buzzing at the prospect of a potential new centre back at the club, given some of the scathing reactions to Saturday’s horror show in Norfolk.

As for the manager, he is treading on thin ice with many fans, and the signing of a quality centre-back could salvage whatever support he has left at the club, with the team 15th in the Premier League and just six points off the relegation zone.

Despite the desire and intention to turn the season around for Everton, Benitez may have managed his last game for the Toffees as reports suggested that he could be sacked by the club imminently after the embarrassing defeat on Saturday afternoon.

If the unpopular Spaniard can land a new centre-back as a parting gift at Goodison Park, it may well represent good news on the double for the Everton faithful.

In other news: One Everton flop may just cost Benitez his job

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa will again make a decision over his future at the end of the season, according to journalist David Anderson.

The Lowdown: Bielsa out of contract

The Argentine has been a game-changing figure at Elland Road since arriving in 2018, transforming the club’s fortunes and guiding them back into the Premier League after a 16-year absence, not to mention being hailed as a ‘genius’ by Mauricio Pochettino.

However, Bielsa has only been signing one-year deals in order to avoiding committing his long-term future to the club, so his current contract expires at the end of the season.

It remains to be seen if the 66-year-old will continue at the Yorkshire club, but Anderson has been discussing the matter.

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The Latest: Journalist expects Bielsa wait

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed that Bielsa will again wait until the summer to make a decision, having been in contact with people at Leeds. He outlined:

“I was chatting to people at the club saying, ‘What’s your feeling?’ (about Bielsa’s future). The thing about Bielsa is they do this cycle every year where, as you know, he operates on a 12-month rolling contract.

“He gets to the end of the season, and he says, ‘I don’t want to talk about the future until we get to the end of the season,’ then he’ll decide if he wants to stay, and usually by then you know if he wants to stay on.”

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The Verdict: Will he stay on?

The current campaign has been a struggle for Bielsa, with injuries affecting Leeds’ form and poor results coming their way, such as the 1-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United on Saturday, so it remains to be seen what his decision will be come the season’s end.

He may feel that he has taken the Whites as far as he can, running out of steam slightly after a consistently upward trajectory until now and potentially losing either Kalvin Phillips or Raphinha, or both for that matter.

On the flip side, another 12-month deal could be signed, which is sure to be the preferred choice of most Leeds fans, even if 2021/22 has been far from ideal.

In other news, a journalist is unsure over Leeds’ potential move for one player. Find out who it is here.

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham fans have erupted over an injury update from ExWHUemployee regarding Aaron Cresswell, with many shocked at the severity of the injury he has sustained.

The 32-year-old has proven to be a critical component of David Moyes’ side this season, having started all 13 games in which he has appeared. However, in the Hammers’ 2-1 loss to Manchester City a month ago, the left-back was substituted on the hour mark after slamming his back into the goalpost.

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It has not been made clear just how severe the injury is, with Moyes originally claiming that Cresswell was a doubt for the Irons’ following game, refusing to provide a return date. West Ham have won just one of the seven matches they have played in all competitions since that fateful afternoon at the Etihad Stadium.

Hammers fans react to Cresswell’s injury news

ExWHUemployee took to Twitter to provide fans with an injury update on the defender. He claimed that the player has chipped a bone in his back which is causing him a lot of pain, and that no recovery date has been given by either Cresswell himself or the club.

These Irons fans took to the replies on that tweet to provide the 32-year-old with their sympathies, as many were left gutted by the “horrific” news on the injury.

It leaves Arthur Masuaku as the squad’s only recognised left-back and comes at a time when some other defenders are also sidelined.

“Ouchie !!! Poor Cress”

Credit: @Els_ie

“Wow, didn’t expect it to be that bad.”

Credit: @AlexThomsonWHU

“that sounds pretty horrific”

Credit: @BoogersWestHam

“Hope he recovers well. Just sums up our luck. Best 4 defenders we’ve had in years all out for months at some point this year. Cress, Zouma, Ogbonna and Vlad”

Credit: @camwestham

“Yikes, that’s Cresswell out for the season then”

Credit: @Bielsalmighty

“This is such a blow. A new LB is massively needed, Masuaku can’t be our LB in a flat back four”

Credit: @antoni_dad

In other news – ‘I think’: Journalist drops claim on ‘special’ West Ham target tipped to become ‘world-class’