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Manchester United have confirmed the departure of embattled boss Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese leaves Old Trafford with the Red Devils mired in sixth place, and already 19 points in the wake of league leaders Liverpool.

It’s the end of an era for United, and there’s likely to be plenty more change to come. Whenever the new manager comes in, whoever that may be, he’s almost certain to instigate an overhaul of this underperforming squad.

On the chalkboard

Mourinho’s tactics have been muddled this season, as he’s continually failed to land upon a system that suits his side or a best starting XI he can rely upon. All too often, the former boss reverted to investing his faith in ageing, declining stars such as Ashley Young, Nemanja Matic and Marouane Fellaini.

Who’s most to blame for Man Utd’s poor season? FFC’s James Jones has his say in the video below…

The next man in the dugout must be bold and take steps to drag the Red Devils into a new era. The likes of Young, Matic and Fellaini – who produce serviceable but tired, uninspiring football – must be let go and replaced with altogether more vibrant options.

The likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are stagnating players who offer no room for improvement and must also be usurped in this side. 

With their next appointment, United must finally achieve what they have so far failed to do since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement – have a plan.

Time for change

The current squad at Old Trafford is a hodgepodge of Ferguson leftovers and David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Mourinho signings. Each of the four aforementioned coaches are very different from one another, and prefer contrasting styles of football. This lack of consistency in managers has resulted in a lack of cohesion amongst the playing squad.

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That has to change now. The new man must be brought in with a clear vision, and the resources provided for it to be brought to fruition. Part of that process must also include the ousting of players who cannot thrive in the glare of this bright new dawn at Old Trafford.

A familiar theme has cropped up at Tottenham Hotspur this week in the shape of rumours linking Mauricio Pochettino with a move away from the club. 

Tottenham’s scintillating performance at the Nou Camp on Tuesday night has evoked fresh speculation regarding Pochettino’s future in north London.

Rumours linking him with a move to Real Madrid have cropped up at regular intervals throughout Pochettino’s time as Tottenham manager, but he was quick to address the latest set of reports infront of the British media (via The Guardian).

“Should he [Levy] be worried? No – [it’s] because he’s a worry man. That is different. He suffers. Because he’s jealous about me. He’s a very jealous person. Because of the rumours, eh?”

That Pochettino has approached the subject with such a brazenly tongue-in-cheek attitude is indicative of how sure he is of his desire to remain in the Spurs hotseat.

Pochettino later went on to undermine those who expect him to declare his commitment to Daniel Levy.

“It’s like when the sporting director or the president appears to say: ‘We trust in the manager.’ And the next game – lose and he is out. If you reassure [over] something, it’s because you are thinking in different [ways].”

It is a breath of fresh air to see a manager making light of such a tentative subject, and his verdict on the situation is bound to bring a smile to the faces of Spurs supporters, not only as a consequence of his apparent desire to stay in north London but also due to his infectious charm.

Pochettino cut an incredibly enigmatic figure during the early stages of his time at Southampton, communicating exclusively through the use of a translator and stubbornly refusing to speak in English until he was confident enough in his proficiency to answer as accurately as possible.

The attitude he observed towards his communication with the media provided a glimpse into his personality: he is a perfectionist who sets immensely high standards for himself.

Now, the Argentine is not quite commanding a perfect grasp of the English language, but the manner in which he expresses himself has endeared him to both Spurs supporters and the British media.

Take into account how his perfectionist tendencies translate into Tottenham’s performances and it’s clear to see why he is so universally popular. If the club are to step up another level and lift an elusive trophy in the coming years they will need Pochettino at the helm.

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His latest admission indicates that he is not taking reports seriously, and the manner in which he has brushed them off can only be beneficial for the atmosphere around the club.

With Pochettino in charge Tottenham are destined to enjoy an incredibly bright future.

Tottenham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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Good grief. The Tottenham Hotspur social media account is absolutely loving Moussa Sissoko at the moment, and the same can be said for the club’s fans.

There is no question that Sissoko has turned things around in London.

He has gone from a bit of a joke figure at Spurs to one of their most important players, and he will be in the XI that faces Arsenal this weekend.

Tottenham’s official Twitter account went a little bit mad with images of Sissoko on Friday, with three arriving in the space of a couple of hours.

The Spurs supporters were not complaining, however, with many jumping at the chance to lavish praise on the France international once again.

The 29-year-old really has turned it around following a poor start to his career at the club, and the winner against Arsenal this weekend would top it all off.

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A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Loads of Leeds fans have been reacting to some comments from Marcelo Bielsa, as the gaffer heaped praise on super-sub Samuel Saiz.

Leeds fans were all calling for Saiz to start against Reading after he picked up another assist this weekend, and those calls are only getting louder after Bielsa praised the Spaniard.

Saiz has come off the bench in his last three appearances, picking up assists in two of those.

The 27 year-old is unbelievably talented, but has been subject to controversy in the past, including a ban for spitting at an opponent earlier this year.

The boss has clearly decided he is best utilised coming off the bench against tired legs, but his latest comments have left fans wondering why he can’t get a start.

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“I think Saiz is the most skilled player in our team and he has skills that few players have,” Bielsa said. “I’m not talking about only our team. I’m talking about football in general.

“Samu is very useful to our team. Either he plays 20 minutes, half-an-hour or the whole game. I have the obligation to take into account the whole team.”

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The crafty playmaker has four Championship assists so far this campaign, and having both him and Pablo Hernandez on the pitch must be terrifying for opposition defenders.

Loads of fans have been reacting to the boss’ comments, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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Tottenham Hotspur host Chelsea at Wembley Stadium this weekend. Mauricio Pochettino’s side will be looking to keep their own good run of form going by ending the Blues’ unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign.

Maurizio Sarri’s team pose a stern test to the north Londoners though, and Pochettino will have to get his team selections spot on to keep Eden Hazard and Co. at bay.

Playmaker FC’s Theo Ogden was at Wembley to witness Spurs’ dramatic second half comeback against PSV. Watch the drama unfold in the video below…

The midfield battle will be key on Saturday, but Spurs face a big challenge in holding their own in the middle of the park against the likes of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho. Pochettino, for his part, has plenty of options to choose from, with Harry Winks, Eric Dier, Victor Wanyama, Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli all available to make up Spurs’ midfield contingent.

Sissoko’s recent form makes him deserving of another start. The 29-year-old has been impressive in recent weeks, though, is not popular amongst the Spurs faithful given his generally poor return on investment since joining the club in 2016. 

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The Frenchman’s initial struggles at the club following his move from Newcastle have not been forgotten and he is yet to fully repair his reputation with the Tottenham faithful.

Of the Spurs fans who took part in our recent poll, many stated they’d be ‘fine’ with the decision for Sissoko to start against Chelsea. However, only 19% said they’d be ‘pleased’ with it and another 19% admitted they’d either be ‘gutted’ or ‘annoyed’. See the full results below.

According to a recent report from The Liverpool Echo, striker Divock Origi could be set for a move away from Liverpool come the New Year. The Belgium international made the move to Anfield back in 2014 after beginning his senior career in France with top-flight side Lille, although a distinct lack of first team football under Jurgen Klopp this season has called his future at the club into question.

And reports suggest that Turkish giants Galatasaray are eyeing up a January move for the 23-year-old, a move that Origi simply must seek to make with it looking like time is up on his relatively mediocre Liverpool career.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the striker made the move to Merseyside under the stewardship of Brendan Rodgers little over four years ago, only to then rejoin Lille on loan for the 2014/15 season in a bid to stake a claim for regular football at Anfield the campaign after.

And with ten goals in the 2015/16 season, it looked like Origi was set for big things at Liverpool, with the 23-year-old then increasing that tally by one the season after in Klopp’s first full campaign in charge to help the Reds return to the Premier League’s top four.

Yet that is as good as it has got for the Belgian ace given he has mustered just 11 minutes of first team action so far this season, and with the Reds well-stocked in the attacking department following the resurgence in form of Daniel Sturridge, it doesn’t look like Origi is going to add many more appearances to his tally.

In the front three of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, and Mohamed Salah, Klopp possesses one of the strongest frontlines in European football, what with the trio bagging in excess of 90 goals in all competitions last season, and already netting 19 between them this time round.

And with England international Sturridge improving greatly over the summer to become a key part of things this term, having already scored four goals in all competitions, Origi has fallen even further down the pecking order, and seemingly out of contention altogether – it’s surely time for a move for the better of his career.

Ultimately, while the 23-year-old has shown glimpses of promise during his time at Anfield, it has on the whole been an underwhelming stint from the striker given the amount of potential he has – it has turned out to be a mediocre signing from former boss Rodgers.

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And with Galatasaray reportedly keen on the forward, time does appear to be up on Origi’s Liverpool career, with a January move without doubt in his best interests, and indeed those of the Reds.

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

Romelu Lukaku has struggled to keep all Manchester United fans onside this season due to his failings in front of goal.

The striker has only scored four times in 14 appearances in all competitions, and he has not found the back of the net for United since mid-September.

The 25-year-old remains Jose Mourinho’s main forward, but his availability for next weekend’s Premier League clash against Crystal Palace is uncertain.

The Belgium national team confirmed this weekend that Lukaku has withdrawn from their squad due to a hamstring problem.

The injury has prevented him from playing a single minute for his country during the international break.

United fans have been giving their reactions to the news on Twitter, and some have even made a joke at Lukaku’s expense.

A few suggested that the team would not be affected given how anonymous he has been in recent fixtures.

The Red Devils have struggled to make an impact in the league this season as they currently sit seven points adrift of fourth and 12 behind leaders Manchester City.

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Mourinho will be frustrated by the news given that Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba and Victor Lindelof also have injury problems.

Check out Playmaker FC’s Joe Street’s unfiltered take on Wayne Rooney’s England legacy in the video below…

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Yerry Mina was an exciting addition to the Everton squad in the summer, but he has spent the majority of the campaign on the sidelines.

The defender moved to Goodison Park from Barcelona, but injury has delayed his progress.

For most of the season so far, manager Marco Silva has opted for a centre-back partnership of Michael Keane and Kurt Zouma.

On Sunday, the Portuguese coach brought Mina into the first XI as Zouma is not permitted to play against his parent club Chelsea, who sent the defender to Everton on a season-long loan arrangement.

Mina put in a positive display at Stamford Bridge as he helped Everton restrict the Blues to a goalless draw.

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Silva now has the international break to mull over his options, but some fans have already begun discussing whether now is the time for Mina to overtake Zouma permanently.

Everton’s first match after the international break will be a home match against Cardiff City on November 24.

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Everton fans will rarely pass up an opportunity to poke fun at Liverpool.

This season there has not been much to mock with regards to Liverpool’s results as they remain in the hunt for the Premier League title race.

However, on Tuesday night, Jurgen Klopp’s side were beaten 2-0 by Red Star Belgrade – a result that nobody saw coming.

The Merseyside outfit earned a 4-0 win over the same team at Anfield a couple of weeks ago, but Liverpool struggled in Serbia.

The players were lacklustre in attack, and even the defence, which has been solid this season, made a handful of errors.

The visiting side conceded both goals in the first half and they failed to get themselves back into the game despite having most of the possession.

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At the same time back on Merseyside, Liverpool’s rivals Everton were winning the Sport Pesa Trophy in the form of a 4-0 win over African champions Gor Mahia.

The random fixture was a bizarre one, but some fans used their win as a way to rub salt into the wounds of Liverpool.

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According to Calciomercato, Arsenal are considering launching a move to sign Ajax left-back Nicolas Tagliafico.

What’s the word?

Tagliafico joined Ajax in January 2018 and immediately became a fixture in the first team for the Eredivisie club for the second half of the Dutch domestic campaign. His form in Holland earned the 26-year-old inclusion Argentina’s 23-man World Cup squad that travelled to Russia.

The defender has certainly impressed since his switch to Europe and now looks to be attracting the attention of big clubs in major leagues. In January, there could well be a race for Tagliafico’s signature with the player currently valued at £14.4 million by Transfermarkt.

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Considering Transfermarkt only considered him to be worth £5.4 million upon arrival in Amsterdam, it is quite remarkable how quickly the Argentine has improved his reputation. 

Arsenal would certainly be wise to swoop for Tagliafico now before it’s too late.

The perfect Monreal replacement 

At 32 years of age Nacho Monreal, the Gunners’ current first-choice left-back, must soon be replaced at the Emirates Stadium. Before long, the Spaniard will become unable to cope with the demands of playing in the Premier League week in week out.

Monreal’s back up, Sead Kolasinac, has failed to impress since his arrival in north London and may well be moved on by Unai Emery.

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Tagliafico represents the ideal target to come in and take up Monreal’s berth for Arsenal. As both an affordable and top quality option, experienced but still with many of his best years ahead of him, the Argentine fits the bill of what the Gunners are looking for perfectly.

What do you think, Arsenal fans – should the Gunners launch a move to land Tagliafico?