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The sale of Scott Sinclair to Preston North End marked the end of a romanticised journey into Scottish football for the Bristol Rovers academy graduate.

Leaving with an iconic chant which will be immortalised on the Paradise terraces, a return of 62 goals in 167 games and three SPFL titles, Sinclair will be remembered as a genuine success story.

His failure to build on the form he displayed at Swansea City during the early stages of his Premier League career ultimately forced him north of the border, a decision others have also made in recent years.

Like Sinclair, Oliver Nthcam moved from Manchester City to Celtic, while last summer both Mohamed Elyounoussi and Fraser Forster joined the champions in search of the regular opportunities that eluded them at Southampton.

The former has been absent with injury in recent weeks but the form he showcased during the early stages of the season lends reason to believe he could become another Sinclair-esque success story.

Seven goals and six assists in 13 appearances across all competitions prove Neil Lennon has temporarily secured the services of a talented playmaker.

Discussion of whether he could become a permanent signing has already arisen in light of his electric form, with one fan asking Kieran Devlin, The Athletic’s Celtic correspondent, whether he believes Elyounoussi would be willing to take a wage cut to join the club.

According to Spotrac, the Norway international is currently earning a whopping £60,000 per week, which equates to roughly £3.1m per year. That may well be lower than Peter Lawwell’s reported £3.5m salary last season but there is no doubt the flying winger could be a significant drain on the club’s resources.

In response to the question, Devlin suggested Celtic may have to choose between Forster and Elyounoussi, who represents something of a pipe dream.

“I think Forster’s more likely to drop in wage than Elyounoussi – which I think, as highly as I rate him, might be a bit of a pipe dream. Might come to a point where Celtic have to decide on whether to splurge on Forster or Elyounoussi given the size of outlays they’ll likely command.”

Given Southampton paid £16m to sign him, his Champions League experience and a statistically tangible upsurge in form this season, it’s fair to assume he won’t be available for anything less than a premium price.

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That Devlin has suggested the potential move is an unrealistic ambition isn’t good news for the Hoops faithful, but Sinclair’s career proves that the home of the Scottish champions is a perfect environment for a failed Premier League player to reinvent themselves.

Perhaps that success story will resonate with Elyounoussi should an offer arrive come the end of the season.

Marcelo Bielsa introduced Liam Cooper for Helder Costa in the 76th minute of Leeds United’s Championship clash with Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday afternoon.

The substitution saw the Whites switch to a back three with their fit-again skipper slotting in alongside Ben White and Luke Ayling in defence.

However, the Yorkshire side could not find a late goal on the afternoon as they shared the points for a second successive match having drawn at Preston North End on Tuesday.

The club’s fans are already frustrated that their manager is not making more changes to his starting XI on a week-to-week basis.

And a number of the supporters were unhappy with the late alteration against Wednesday as Cooper replaced Costa.

Costa has actually been slammed by the fans for his form in recent weeks, but not too many could understand why a centre-back was introduced when their team were looking for a late goal at Hillsborough.

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A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Manchester United’s start to the new campaign got off to a thrilling start as they claimed all three points against Chelsea in dominating fashion.

They were superb going forward as they put four unanswered goals past the Blues to get off the mark with a superb win.

Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Dan James all got on the scoresheet but despite an impressive victory, there was still room for negativity.

Jesse Lingard appeared to be berated by supporters on Twitter for his display as he was targeted on social media.

One fan told him to improve whilst another said that he needed to stay out of the starting XI. A further individual stated that he was terrible, suggesting United wouldn’t win anything with him in the team.

The 26-year-old was also branded as bang average by one supporter as they claimed he was running around like a headless chicken.

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Lingard played 86 minutes against Chelsea on Sunday, finishing the game with a pass success rate of 88.5%, per WhoScored. He managed one key pass and three dribbles too.

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Here’s how United fans responded to his showing at the weekend.

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Manchester United might find themselves having to look for a David De Gea (linked with PSG by the Express) replacement this summer, but they may have already found him in Ajax’s Andre Onana.

The 23-year-old was sold by Barcelona in 2015 for £135,000 (as per Transfermarkt), but this season he’s shone at Ajax. There’s no way his team would have been so impressive without him and it seems like United know that too, according to the Daily Record.

Indeed, such a low transfer fee speaks to what a gem he is and, while he’s obviously worth far more than that now, it’s hard to imagine the stopper attracting the sort of fee the likes of Matias De Ligt and Frenkie De Jong will command.

The aforementioned report believes United have made attempts to sign the Cameroon international, but Ajax have rejected their offer so far. That’d be a harsh blow for the club, but they could up their bid to secure the man who could be the next hero at Old Trafford.

De Gea has achieved almost god-like status during these tough times since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. In the future, Onana could reach the same heights but by bringing United back to the forefront of English football, a platform they are struggling to get back to. In fact, at this point, anyone who helps the Red Devils recover would be a hero for years.

He’s looked very promising in the Champions League this season, proving he can cope with the pressure of playing on the big stage. He was particularly impressive against Spurs in the semi-final, making some outstanding saves, despite the dramatic loss.

Trained at two of Europe’s most historic clubs, the African certainly has the kind of footballing pedigree to fit in at the Theatre of Dreams.

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United need a clean sheet in more ways than one. A fresh start is needed for players right across the pitch, whether that be through transfers or a change in attitude. Bringing in Onana as a De Gea replacement would give United a new hero to get behind.

United fans, who do you want your club to sign if David De Gea leaves? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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Newcastle put in a phenomenal second half performance to beat Everton on Saturday, and it was thanks in no small part to the half-time introduction of Paul Dummett.

The Magpies looked somewhat shell-shocked when Everton raced out of the gates at St. James’ Park on Saturday, as the likes of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin effortlessly glided into the spaces between Newcastle’s centre backs and wing-backs.

The aforementioned pair both got themselves a first half goal, but Rafael Benitez switched things up at the interval, bringing on Dummett and switching to a back four.

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Not only was this a stroke of genius from Rafa, but it was also redemption for Dummett, who had previously fallen out of favour with the boss, making just 14 league starts this campaign.

The four-cap Welsh international is perhaps not as technically gifted as some of the other options in defence, but his introduction made a huge difference on Saturday.

The 27 year-old managed to earn a 7.18 rating on Whoscored.com, which is extremely uncommon for a player introduced from the bench, especially one who is not likely to get on the scoresheet.

He deserved that rating though, winning three aerial duels, two tackles and making four clearances.

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The versatile ace was calm in possession too, completing 80 per cent of his passes. To put that in perspective, none of DeAndre Yedlin, Fabian Schar or Florian Lejeune completed more than 65 per cent of their passes.

Dummett’s toughness in the tackle and composure on the ball helped the Magpies turn the game on its head, and the second half performance from both him and the team was so dominant that it may just tempt the gaffer into veering away from his usual five-at-the-back system.

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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According to Martin Keown, Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah might be struggling to replicate last season’s form in the early weeks of the 2018-19 campaign due to the shoulder injury that he picked up in the 2018 Champions League final.

Keown, in his column for the Daily Mail, has claimed that the shoulder dislocation Salah suffered in a tangle with Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos has made it difficult for the Egypt international to show his best form this term.

Salah was outstanding for Liverpool last season, with the attacker scoring 44 times in 52 appearances in all competitions.

The 26-year-old has netted twice in six appearances this term, but there is no question that his overall performances have been below the level of last season.

The Everton fans have been quick to react to an article from the Liverpool Echo, which carried the quotes from Keown.

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And as expected, the fans from the blue part of Merseyside have taken the chance to poke fun at the attacker for his struggles in the early weeks.

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A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Everton supporters can be seen below:

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Carlton Cole may not go down in the history books as one of England’s greatest strikers, but he will always hold a special place in the heart of West Ham United fans.

The forward spent nine years at the East London outfit across two spells and made a total of 293 appearances wearing claret and blue.

During his time at the club, Cole scored 41 Premier League goals before leaving the Hammers in 2015 to sign for Celtic.

The forward had a spell at Sacramento Republic and then Persib Bandung, but has now decided to call it a day at the age of 34.

In an interview with West Ham TV, Cole revealed that he is now focusing on mentoring young children that are hoping to break into football.

The former striker also issued a rallying cry to the supporters following the unsavoury scenes that marred the club’s last Premier League match.

A number of fans made their way onto the pitch during the team’s 3-0 defeat to Burnley at the London Stadium to protest against the club’s board.

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Cole’s decision to step away from the game has got plenty of West Ham supporters talking.

Comment from discussion Carlton Cole officially retires ⚒️.Comment from discussion Carlton Cole officially retires ⚒️.Comment from discussion Carlton Cole officially retires ⚒️.Comment from discussion Carlton Cole officially retires ⚒️.

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has failed to make a mark since his deadline-day move to Liverpool in August.

The England international looked for new beginnings after deciding to leave Arsenal following a five-year spell.

However, the 24-year-old has played just 86 minutes of action in the Premier League and Champions League.

Manager Jurgen Klopp has played the midfielder in nine games in all competitions, but only one of them included the player in the first XI, and that was in the Reds’ Carabao Cup defeat to Leicester City.

There were suggestions that Oxlade-Chamberlain would be handed a starting spot for this evening’s Champions League group match against Maribor, but once again, he has had to settle for a spot on the bench.

Instead, the midfield consists of Emre Can, Georginio Wijnaldum and  James Milner, who has been preferred to captain Jordan Henderson.

After the teams were announced in Slovenia, the fans tweeted their thoughts on the exclusion of Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is yet to be played in his preferred position of centre midfield.

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Also, Andrew Robertson’s absence from the squad was a talking point among the supporters.

Although Everton fans may have hoped for a top-four challenge this season, 2016/17 will most likely go down as a success, even though the Champions League has never truly been a realistic aim.

As the best of the rest, the Toffees sit comfortably in seventh place, with seven points separating them from West Brom in eighth, who themselves are marooned as the only side in the division with points in the 40s (44).

Barring some late drama, then, Everton will finish seventh, which could well grant them access to the Europa League, and all things considered, that’s not a bad outcome – especially as the six above have been relentless in their pace-setting this term.

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So, who has been the pick of the bunch at Goodison Park? Romelu Lukaku sits atop the league’s scoring chart with 21 strikes to his name, making him the standout candidate, but summer addition Idrissa Gueye has been excellent and Ross Barkley has shown flashes of brilliance. We have gathered who we believe to be the TEN best from Koeman’s squad below – all you have to do is vote for your Player of the Season…