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Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in world football, are currently without a full time manager after sacking Julen Lopetgui – the same Lopetgui who threw Spain under the bus going into this summer’s World Cup by announcing he was taking the Los Blancos job vacated by Zinedine Zidane without even telling the Spanish FA, who in turn wasted no time in sacking the coach as well even with the tournament just two days away.

Under the 52-year-old Spaniard, Madrid were humbled by fierce rivals FC Barcelona last Sunday in the latest El Clasico that saw Barca come out 5-1 winners at the Camp Nou thanks to a hat-trick by former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.

The defeat proved to be the final nail in the former goalkeeper’s Los Blancos coffin, leaving them slumped in ninth and seven points off top-of-the-table Barcelona after 10 games, winning just four times and also losing four.

It has since emerged that former Everton gaffer Roberto Martinez is now the favourite to take up the vacant position.

Currently Martinez is the Belgian national team head coach and has a contract until 2020 but is said to be in high demand in his native Spain after taking Belgium to third place at the 2018 World Cup.

These Everton fans, though, have certainly not forgotten the awful results they endured with the former Swansea boss at the helm of their club. Here’s a look at what Toffees fans are saying about Martinez getting the job…

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According to Sky Sports, Laurent Koscielny is back training with the rest of the Arsenal squad and could walk out in red and white – for the first time since suffering a serious leg injury in May’s Europa League semi-final against Athletico Madrid – after the international break.

Gunners boss Unai Emery said: “He (Koscielny) is close to being with us and also (playing) in the competition games but, at the moment, we are happy with him, he is feeling well. He is getting better every day and we are going to think after the internationals.”

Arsenal visit Bournemouth on November 25 in the Premier League before a Thursday night trip to Vorskla Poltava four days later, with the latter the likely return date as Emery aims to slowly reintroduce the French defender into the line-up.

Mustafi to suffer

Former Valencia man Shkodran Mustafi is likely to be the one that suffers the most from Koscielny’s return to action.

The German has been at fault this season on a few occasions, most notably giving away a silly penalty at Crystal Palace to allow the hosts to take the lead, but was back to his best during the draw with Liverpool at the weekend.

‘Inconsistent’ is the word that first comes to mind when discussing the 26-year-old and while Emery has had little choice but to continue to start him while Koscielny and Sokratis Papasthathopolous are both held back, once either and/or both are match fit, the defender’s security in the starting XI will undoubtedly come into question.

Rob Holding has been in fantastic form so it would be very harsh to drop the 23-year-old, and Mustafi needs to be on his toes in the coming weeks otherwise he could be warming the bench come December.

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Manchester United’s season continues to be an inconsistent one, with last weekend’s showing at rivals City highlighting the gap in quality between the two sides at the moment.

Jose Mourinho’s men look a long way from being anywhere near their cross-city rivals, and it’s going to be an important January transfer window and upcoming summer for the Red Devils if they are to bridge the gap in quality.

We here at the Tavern think a whole host of new signings are needed at Old Trafford, not least in terms of world class attacking midfield talent, where the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Ander Herrera, and Juan Mata continue to flatter to deceive.

With that in mind, we think that signing Real Madrid star Marco Asensio is a must for United in the near future.

A costly signing he might be, with Transfermarkt valuing him at some £81m, he is developing into a world class talent.

Asensio possesses the sort of explosive style of play that make him one of the most feared attacking midfielders on the planet on his day, and he has a left foot which is as good as any in world football.

While Madrid will be keen to keep hold of the 22-year-old, they are a club who can sometimes be open to selling in order to create space for the next Galactico, and we think United need to be on their toes and ready to swoop.

A cracking finisher, capable of setting up others, and with years ahead of him to get even better, Asensio would be a superb addition for the Red Devils.

United fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!

Liverpool supporters have been in fine voice throughout the current two-week break for internationals after seeing their team pick up a ninth Premier League win of the season last time out.

Jurgen Klopp’s men went into their clash with struggling Fulham off the back of drawing 1-1 with Arsenal in their preceding league encounter, a result which maintained their unbeaten start to the league campaign. And the Reds got back to winning ways at Anfield last time out as goals from Mohamed Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri sealed a routine 2-0 success for the Merseyside giants, thus keeping them just two points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City.

As such, there have been many happy Liverpudlians up and down the country in recent times, several of whom have taken to Twitter in recent times to call for manager Klopp to give right back Nathaniel Clyne another chance in the first team.

And with Trent Alexander-Arnold having not fired on all cylinders so far this season, and Joe Gomez playing too well at centre back to deputise down the right-hand-side, those Reds fans are spot on to call for Klopp to make the bold decision to play the Englishman in the coming weeks.

Ultimately, the 27-year-old made the move to Anfield back in 2015 after seriously impressing on the South Coast with Southampton, what with Clyne following the likes of Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren the year before in swapping St Mary’s for Merseyside.

And it was proving to be an excellent decision by the defender given he appeared 52 times in all competitions in his first season at the club, with his high-level performances earning him seven England caps in 2015 to underline his rise.

And with 37 Premier League appearances the season after to help Klopp’s side return to the top four, Clyne was at the time one of the best right backs in the Premier League, and very much looked set for a bright future for both club and indeed country.

However, the 27-year-old suffered a back injury during pre-season last year which kept him out for the majority of the campaign, leaving the likes of Alexander-Arnold and Gomez, the former of which went to the World Cup with England, and the latter probably would have done but for injury, to move ahead of him in the pecking order.

And neither have relinquished their places in the right back pecking order given Clyne hasn’t made a matchday squad in the Premier League since their opening day win against West Ham – in fact, the only senior appearance he has made this term came in their Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea.

Nonetheless, while Alexander-Arnold produced the goods on international duty this week, he has hardly convinced at right back for Liverpool so far this term with several nervy displays, certainly defensively, to the point that Klopp dragged Gomez away from centre back to play right back against Manchester City back in October.

Thus, it seems plainly obvious that Clyne should get the chance to usurp a slightly out-of-form Alexander-Arnold at right back, especially with Gomez excelling alongside van Dijk at centre back – otherwise, his Liverpool career is surely at an end.

And while it would be something of a bold risk for Klopp to take given Clyne hasn’t started a Premier League game since May, one must remember just how impressive a right back the 27-year-old was prior to injury – he won’t have just become a bad player overnight.

Add in the fact that a full fit and firing Clyne would provide stern competition to Alexander-Arnold, thus forcing him to improve upon recent club displays, and it makes sense for Klopp to make the bold call to give £18 million-rated Clyne (as per Transfermarkt) a chance – failure to do so would all but bring his Reds career to a close.

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

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Southampton manager Mark Hughes confirmed in his pre-match Fulham press conference on Thursday that striker Danny Ings is a “big doubt” for his team’s crucial Premier League clash against their fellow strugglers at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

What’s the word, then?

Well, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to west London to face Claudio Ranieri’s men, the 55-year-old said:

“Danny is the big doubt at the moment.

“He’s only just got out on the grass so maybe tomorrow we might be able to integrate him into the group. As we stand at the moment, he has to be a doubt.”

The 26-year-old summer addition was forced off during the first-half of the 1-1 draw with Watford at St Mary’s last time out having picked up a knock during the warm-up, and it appears as though he still hasn’t recovered.

What will it mean for Hughes’ frontline?

The Welshman knows what an important game this is for both the south coast and himself – reports suggest he is likely to go if his team lose – and they he still has plenty of options to choose from even with Ings potentially missing out and Shane Long definitely absent.

Manolo Gabbiadini is one of those but having impressed and scored against the Hornets from a wide position, he may not be the best choice through the middle for the visitors.

Check out the video below to see how Brazil fans reacted to being asked how Cristiano Ronaldo would peform for them in a hilarious prank by Playmaker FC…

While Charlie Austin would be the most senior striker to step into the starting XI or the most likely to partner Ings should he have been avialable, if Hughes is looking for more of a like-for-like replacement for the Liverpool loanee then teenager Michael Obafemi could be the man to get the nod.

The 18-year-old has enjoyed a whirlwind few weeks having appeared as a substitute in Southampton’s previous two Premier League fixtures, before picking up his first Republic of Ireland cap during the international break.

West Ham United appear to be the latest Premier League side to have become interested in one of La Liga’s impressive defensive talents.

According to a report by Mundo Deportivo, via Sport Witness, the Hammers are one of a long line of top-flight clubs thought to be taking an interest in Diego Llorente.

The Real Sociedad enforcer has been impressing for the Basque outfit since joining from Real Madrid and has seen his recent form rewarded with an appearance in the Spain international setup.

The 25-year-old is thought to have already had a number of admirers recently, with the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United all thought to have watched him recently, with the Hammers having sent a scout to watch him in action prior to the international break.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side already have the likes of Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop performing well at the back, but could still look to Llorente to their ranks in the winter.

The Verdict:

Interest in Llorente is extremely high and West Ham will certainly be in a battle should they decide to try and sign him.

With both Diop and Balbuena seemingly excelling at the London Stadium, adding a player of the Spaniard’s ability would help to bolster their ranks and tighten the ship at the back that much more.

However, it remains to be seen if Real Sociedad will be pressured into selling their key defender this winter.

West Ham fans – thoughts?

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been heaping praise on Virgil van Dijk, as the Dutch international was named the PFA Player of the Month for November.

Liverpool continued to keep pace with Manchester City on Sunday, as the Reds left it late to beat Everton 1-0.

The dramatic late win was the seventeenth clean sheet the Reds have kept since van Dijk’s debut for the club, and the 27 year-old is the first centre back to win the award since 2013.

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Van Dijk, who wore the armband for the Merseyside derby with Jordan Henderson suspended, played three Premier League matches in November, conceding just one goal.

He could have scored a hat trick in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal, and his organisation and leadership at the back was crucial to the wins over Fulham and Watford.

Defenders very rarely win these awards, and this could be the perfect boost of confidence the Dutchman needs heading into the busy winter period.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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Both Liverpool and Manchester United find themselves with a bit of a sticky situation in defence for this Sunday’s huge game at Anfield, but who can exploit the situation better than the other?

What’s the word, then?

The Red Devils will be without Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo and Victor Lindelof for the trip to Merseyside, leaving them with just Eric Bailly and Phil Jones as their only two recognised senior centre-backs who will be fit for the game.

Worryingly, however, the pair have just seven starts between them in the Premier League this season and showed their rustiness in the Champions League on Wednesday night, as United crashed to a 2-1 defeat against Valencia. Both players looked clumsy and calamitous, with Jones at fault for what turned out to be the winning goal as he directed the ball into his own net.

As a result of this, Jurgen Klopp must adapt his tactics for the game in order to take full advantage of the predicament United find themselves in, and to get one over on Jose Mourinho.

What can Liverpool do to exploit the issues?

Despite their own injury crisis at the back, in which all of Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold are missing, the Reds are better equipped to deal with their defensive problems and so should focus on how they can hurt the opposition.

Klopp has slightly adapted his usual 4-3-3 formation this season into more of a 4-2-3-1 system, in which Mohamed Salah plays as a central striker with Roberto Firmino in behind him as an attacking midfielder or second striker.

Whilst that tactic is an effective one, as well as an easily interchangeable one mid-game should the situation require it, the former Borussia Dortmund boss should target Jones as a weak link and get his forwards to surround the shaky 26-year-old.

To do this, Klopp should reinstall Firmino as a centre-forward alongside Salah, as opposed to behind him, and get his wingers in Sadio Mane and Xherdan Shaqiri – in this case – to play as inverted forwards in a 4-2-2-2 shape.

You may be thinking that this would be overly attacking and leave Liverpool’s backline vulnerable. If Klopp starts Fabinho alongside Gini Wijnaldum at the base of the midfield, however, this would solidify the spine of the team and give the aforementioned attackers to freedom to penetrate.

If he does this, the pressure on the former Blackburn defender will be relentless, given that the Premier League leaders play their usual high-pressing system – this could well be the biggest embarrassment of Jones’ United career, and there have been a lot of them.

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Loads of Rangers fans have been giving their verdict on a possible target to improve the creativity in their midfield, and a whopping 92 per cent want to sign Kieran Dowell on loan.

Steven Gerrard was clearly keen to use the loan market this summer, bringing in Premier League youngsters with mostly successful results so far.

While much of the gaffer’s focus has obviously been on Liverpool players, he could do a lot worse than looking across Stanley Park, where Dowell is in desperate need of a loan move.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below...

The Everton youngster, who has scored twice in 12 appearances for England’s Under-21 side, scored ten goals and added five assists on loan with Nottingham Forest last season.

He can play anywhere across the attack or in midfield, but would be best as a number ten, playing just off of Alfredo Morelos, and this is exactly what the Gers have been missing.

The 21 year-old has had to settle for two League Cup appearances with the Toffees this season, but his work rate, vision and rocket of a left foot could be the last piece of the puzzle in Gerrard’s Rangers attack.

His loan spell at Forest means he has much more experience than Ovie Ejaria, and 92 per cent of fans want to bring the youngster in on loan. You can view the full poll results down below…

Loads of Liverpool fans have been eyeing up potential transfer targets for January, and they are all desperate to sign Timo Werner.

Liverpool fans went berserk when they were linked with Werner last week, and as January approaches they’re hoping the club will pull off one final master-stroke to push them towards their first Premier League title.

The Reds have gone from laughing stock to kings of the transfer market in the last few years, as sporting director Michael Edwards and manager Jurgen Klopp have lured some of Europe’s brightest talent to Anfield.

Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with 442oons – Check out the video below….

Werner would be an incredible signing, and with Bayern Munich chasing the 22 year-old it would show just how incredible the Reds’ transformation has been if they can pip the German giants to his signature.

The Red Bull Leipzig striker, who has scored 13 times in all competitions this season, is the youngest ever player to reach 150 Bundesliga appearances, and his pace, movement and finishing would add another electric element to Klopp’s attack.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…