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Some West Ham United fans have been angered on Twitter, following an official club tweet detailing David Moyes’ thoughts on a strong start to pre-season for the Hammers, after their trip to St Andrews [West Ham United FC Official].

Setting off for the 2021/22 season last weekend, the Londoners clawed back a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 away at newly promoted Scottish Premiership side Dundee [The Courier].

Before competitive football engulfs the Irons schedule, Moyes will take his side to Leyton Orient, Northampton Town, Reading, Celtic and Brentford as they get put through their paces ahead of the new campaign [West Ham United FC Official].

Speaking to media about their trip north of the border to media outlets, the Scot added: “We worked hard in St Andrews, but we’ve also tried to enjoy ourselves too because we’re off the back of a really good season,” [West Ham United FC Official].

Despite this positivity, many West Ham United diehards took to Twitter to voice their frustration about the lack of urgency surrounding multiple different facets of the club at present, mainly recruitment.

West Ham fans react:

Replying to the West Ham United Official Twitter account, here is what some supporters had to say regarding the news:

“#GSBOUT WORST RUN CLUB IN THE LEAGUE”

Credit; @danielmoore1987″enough with kits. New players!!”Credit: @IanCulleyMorga3″Sign some players then”Credit: @daviduaregod”Release kit”Credit: @UPT0NPARK”Absolutely no confidence or faith in you whatsoever, Mr Moyes, oh by the way, can you please remind me , how many trophies, league titles & European honours you have won , with the club’s you’ve managed!!!!!!”Credit: @chrisHa04548164″No players, no kits no hammer of the year? #GSBOUT”Credit: @LrLiamIn other news, a pundit tips West Ham to beat competition for a 106-goal hitman.

There was a time when Leeds United supporters spitefully shook their heads as the club’s recruitment team neglected important areas of the team in the transfer window.

That had never been truer than when someone like Pascal Struijk joined the Whites.

The Dutch defender didn’t receive a particularly warm welcome but he serves as a fine example for needing to be patient.

He has been crucial this season and in a campaign where the likes of Robin Koch and Liam Cooper have been injured, the emergence of the colossal Struijk has been timely.

But it’s at the other end of the pitch that we want to focus on for the time being where another timely breakthrough act has been discovered.

That falls in the form of Joe Gelhardt, a teenager who is very quickly becoming an important figure at Elland Road.

Star striker Patrick Bamford has featured only once since a bad ankle injury back in September as the previously irremovable object from Bielsa’s side was finally dethroned.

Dan James, Rodrigo, Tyler Roberts and Gelhardt have all been utilised at the top of the pitch in Bamford’s absence but of all of them, it’s the lad the Elland Road faithful know as ‘Joffy’ who has caught the eye the most.

Signed for just over £1m in August 2020, his value and estimations are growing rapidly.

It’s clear to see why, too. He already has 25 career goals across senior and youth level and has taken to Bielsa’s methods like a duck to water, winning a crucial penalty against Wolves and scoring against Chelsea in his limited opportunities this season.

His performances have subsequently earned rave reviews with Leeds Live reporter Bergen Cross who hailed the masterclass done in the transfer window by Victor Orta and co.

He said: “Gelhardt may well be the best bit of business the club has done in the last 20 years, if not ever, because he just looks absolutely outrageous, very, very good player.”

The youngster has been so impressive that he was described as a “human wrecking ball” by Bielsa.

The boss added: “I like him, he’s really exciting. He’s fast, he’s aggressive, he gets on the ball, he takes people on. Once he gets into the box, he loves it. That’s where he can do most of his damage.”

It’s clear that Gelhardt has a quite remarkable amount of potential and for that alone, it is a dream deal.

Combine Bielsa’s affection for the player with his growing importance and it’s hard to disagree with Cross’ bold statement.

He’s certainly someone that can loosen the burden on Bamford’s shoulders in the coming years.

AND in other news, Leeds can finally replace Hernandez with 17 G/A “grafter” who “Bielsa quietly admires”…

Leeds United are willing to sell centre-back Robin Koch this summer, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Koch’s poor form

The German was described as ‘horrible’ to watch by Beren Cross in the opening day defeat to Manchester United, and things haven’t got much better for him in the eight months since.

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The 25-year-old has failed to nail down a regular starting spot under both Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch, making just 11 league starts. As per WhoScored, Koch has been the worst-rated senior performer this season with an average match rating of 6.32/10.

He has also missed 38 games with various injuries and illnesses since arriving from Freiburg in a £13m deal in 2020, and it looks as if Marsch and Victor Orta may have had enough of the defender.

The Latest: Elland Road source reveal

Football Insider shared a story regarding Koch after being informed by a source close to Leeds.

They claimed that the Yorkshire club would be willing to listen to offers for the centre-back as they plot a defensive overhaul. The report even adds that an offer between £10m and £11m would be enough for Leeds, who would be making a small loss on the 25-year-old in that case.

The Verdict: Defensive overhaul needed…

Should Leeds remain in the Premier League over the coming weeks, you’d expect that a big summer overhaul is required, with a number of incomings to bolster the small squad that Marsch took over.

The Whites have let in a league-high 68 goals in just 31 games, making it clear to see that they could benefit from a defensive shake-up over the coming months.

Koch has been outperformed by Liam Cooper, Pascal Struijk and Diego Llorente this season, and following links to FC Koln’s Timo Hubers in recent days, it looks as if Koch could be the man to make way.

In other news: Leeds and Marsch handed early injury boost as ‘strong’ player may now return v Watford  

After a rather uninspiring start to the season, October saw Southampton turn their fortunes around in the Premier League, winning two out of the four league games they played, the first of which being their first win of the campaign against Leeds United.

One player that played a significant part in Southampton’s success in October, particularly in their two victories where they managed to keep two clean sheets in the process was defender Valentino Livramento.

The right-back played every minute of league action for the Saints last month, showing just how valuable he is to Ralph Hasenhuttl, despite only joining the south coast club back in the previous summer transfer window.

During October, Livramento managed to rack up a total of 13 tackles in the league, more than fellow Saints defender Jan Bednarek, highlighting Livramento’s impressive defensive capabilities.

In addition to this, the 19-year-old also managed to grab his first goal of the season in their 2-2 draw against Burnley as well as racking up four key passes, proving that, as well as being a reliable defender, Livramento also has some attacking prowess in him, which makes him a very well-rounded player for the Saints.

According to SofaScore, the only Premier League game in October where Livramento earned himself a lower overall match rating of 7.0 was in their 3-1 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, showing how fairly consistent he is with his performances and why he could be considered as Hasenhuttl’s hero for the month.

As well as his impressive performances in October, Livramento’s entire start to the season with Southampton has grabbed the attention of England manager Gareth Southgate who recently said the Saints defender has had an “excellent” campaign with the club so far.

Moving forward, with the full-back having to pull out of international duty earlier this week with an injury, Hasenhuttl and everyone else at Southampton will definitely be hoping that the youngster will be able to play in their next Premier League game against Norwich City and replicate the same sort of performance he put in during their previous league game against Aston Villa where he earned himself an overall match rating of 7.5/10 from SofaScore, making him their joint-highest rated player on the day.

In other news: Forget JWP: “Nasty” Saints beast who’s made 24 tackles has been Ralph’s secret weapon – opinion

Italian icon Paolo Di Canio lasted less than a year at the Stadium of Light as he endured a rough time on Wearside in 2013.

He left Football League outfit Swindon in February 2013 and joined the Black Cats in March. The former West Ham maestro led the Mackems to 17th place in the Premier League in the final seven matches of the 2012/13 campaign, winning two of those games.

Di Canio was then given the opportunity to add to his Sunderland squad in the summer of 2013 and one player he wanted to bring to the club was his fellow countryman Lorenzo Insigne.

Fabio Andreotti, his agent at the time, confirmed that the Black Cats were interested in a deal to sign the Napoli forward. He said: “The Sunderland rumour is true. But Lorenzo wants to stay here, even if it means earning less money.

“His renewal? We just want justice, Napoli still haven’t contacted us, we are waiting for them.

“We have clear ideas and he wants to stay. However, there have been clubs with enough courage to ask Napoli about his asking price.”

At the time, Insigne was valued by Transfermarkt at £9.9m. He ended up staying at Napoli as Di Canio was unable to do enough to tempt him into making the move to Wearside, and his form for the Azzurri over the years has been sublime, making his compatriot’s failure a big blunder.

Jurgen Klopp once dubbed the phenomenon “outstanding” and the player’s statistics back up that praise. In 428 matches for Napoli, he has scored 119 goals and provided 93 assists – including 26 goals and 18 assists in two Serie A campaigns between 2016/17 and 2017/18.

In December 2018, Transfermarkt valued him at a whopping £67.5m. This perfectly illustrates how much he kicked on over the years since Sunderland’s interest and shows the level of player the club missed out upon as they failed to convince him to make the switch to the Stadium of Light.

After failing to land the winger, Di Canio lost four of the first five games of the 2013/14 Premier League campaign and was swiftly relieved of his duties with the club sat at the bottom of the table.

Insigne was one that got away from Sunderland and for the Italian boss, whose blunder played a part in him ultimately losing his job. Who knows what would have happened with Di Canio at the Stadium of Light had he been able to sign Insigne to bolster his squad…

AND in other news, Speakman must avoid embarrassing Sunderland error over “sublime” gem who “can change a game”…

Even though Liverpool have in the past signed some of their current players for substantial transfer fees such as Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Naby Keita, Diogo Jota and Fabinho among others, we feel there is one player at the club currently residing in Jurgen Klopp’s squad who may have gone under the radar in recent years that we feel FSG should get a lot of praise for securing – Joel Matip.

The Cameroonian joined Liverpool in the summer of 2016 on a free transfer from German side Schalke 04 after the Merseyside club secured a deal for him the previous February.

Since then, the 30-year-old has made 133 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, scoring six goals and providing three assists along the way.

So far this season, Matip has played the full 90 minutes in all but one of Liverpool’s Premier League games and has been ever-present in their three Champions League games, cementing himself as a vital figure for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

Shortly after arriving at Anfield in the summer of 2016, Transfermarkt had his market value listed as £16.2m, before shooting up to £36m in December 2019, highlighting a significant impact since his arrival.

At this moment in time, Matip’s market value has fallen back to £16.2m, but we feel this has more to do with him reaching the age of 30 rather than anything to do with his playing time or his quality on the pitch, especially with Klopp calling him an “unbelievable” player in terms of what he can do.

Despite this drop in market value, we feel that it should not take away from how great a signing the defender has been for the Reds considering that FSG managed to get him on a free transfer and what he has since delivered for them on the pitch.

Moving forward, while his market value may not be likely to go back up towards where it was back in 2019, we think Matip has what it takes to continue impressing for the Reds this season and beyond if injuries don’t impact his playing time as they have done in the past.

In other news – Imagine him & Salah: FSG must seal Liverpool move for “incredible” £45m-rated machine

An update has emerged on VVV-Venlo striker Georgios Giakoumakis, regarding Celtic’s pursuit of the forward.

What’s the talk?

According to The Daily Record, Celtic have agreed a £2.1m (€2.5m) fee with Dutch side VVV-Venlo for the transfer of centre-forward Georgios Giakoumakis.

The report claims that the Greek striker will now discuss personal terms with the club, having travelled to Germany to speak with Werder Bremen earlier on Wednesday.

Ange will be buzzing

Ange Postecoglou will be buzzing with this news as it means that Celtic are closing in on an exciting signing. Agreeing the fee with Venlo is a huge step towards bringing him to the club, but they now need to convince him that a transfer to Scotland is more beneficial to him at this point in his career than playing in the second division in Germany with Bremen.

The Greek international scored 26 times in 30 games for Venlo in the Eredivisie, averaging a stunning WhoScored rating of 7.30. He also won an impressive four aerial battles per game and provided one key pass every other match, showing that he had more to his game than just goals.

This means that Celtic could be getting a player who is able to score goals consistently and hold the ball up to link the play throughout matches. Postecoglou would surely love to have a player with these qualities as the old adage states – goals win you games, Giakoumakis produces them like a machine.

Football Oranje founder and editor Michael Bell labeled him as ‘deadly’ and said that he would be a shrewd buy for the Hoops. He told 67HailHail:

“Giakoumakis is a presence up front who is good in the air but also has a strong right foot. He is a handful for the backline and is always full of running. Giakoumakis took a lot of shots for VVV last season and scored a varied range of goals. He is a great penalty taker and deadly from close range.

“However, this is all based on one season for VVV, who relied fully on the Greek forward and built their side around him.

“The big question mark around him is whether he can do it for a side challenging at the top of the table.

“To be honest I am surprised that he hasn’t been snapped up yet. Feyenoord were linked for a while but that seems to have gone cold. I think he would be a good signing for Celtic or Werder [Bremen].”

Therefore, the 6ft 1 goal machine could be an excellent addition to Postecoglou’s squad, if he is able to make the transition from scoring goals in the Netherlands to doing it in Scotland. For a price of £2.1m, it is worth the gamble for the Hoops.

AND in other news, 100% duels lost: Celtic disaster who made just 3 passes embarrassed Ange vs AZ…

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard will keep faith with Ashley Young against Liverpool rather than restoring Matt Targett to the line-up, Ashley Preece has predicted. 

The lowdown

Young has started five Premier League games after returning to Villa Park from Inter Milan, including the last three.

He’s been used as a left midfielder and central midfielder but slotted in at left-back against Leicester City to cover for a sidelined Matt Targett.

Targett was missing after sustaining a head injury in the clash with Manchester City.

But Gerrard says the £15.3million-rated Englishman is ‘ready to go’ ahead of Saturday’s trip to Anfield, having taken a full part in training this week.

The new boss’ predecessor Dean Smith hailed Targett as a ‘standout’ player in the Villa ranks.

The latest

Revealing his predicted XI for Birmingham Live, Preece wrote that the Young was part of a back four that ‘performed superbly’ against Leicester and is ‘expected’ to start once again.

Targett, he says, is set to be named amongst the substitutes.

Elsewhere, Preece reckons John McGinn, Marvelous Nakamba and Douglas Luiz will start in midfield, with Jacob Ramsey, Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Buendia forming the frontline.

The verdict

How good was Young against Leicester? Well he couldn’t match the SofaScore rating of opposite full-back Matty Cash or two-goal centre-half Ezri Konsa (both 8.2), but he did still pick up a solid 7.0.

The 36-year-old impressively won seven of the 10 ground duels he contested and also recorded two clearances and one block, showing good defensive instincts and bite in the tackle.

Gerrard may hope that he can offer more offensively when called upon – he didn’t create a chance against the Foxes and only managed one cross – but that’s a tough ask against title-chasing Liverpool, where that solidity at the back will be crucial.

In other news, Villa have been offered this UCL star.

West Ham are likely to spend big on a new striker in the January transfer window, according to former England striker Kevin Phillips.

The Lowdown: Slight dip for Hammers

David Moyes’ side have enjoyed a superb start to the season, sitting fourth in the Premier League and reaching the last 16 of the Europa League. However, the Hammers have lost back-to-back league games since the international break, suffering defeats away to Wolves and Manchester City.

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This mini-slump needs to come to an end at home to Brighton on Wednesday if the Irons are to avoid slipping out of the top four and scuppering their chances of bettering last season’s sixth-placed finish.

The Latest: Phillips tips new striker to come in

It could be that fresh blood is required to take the team forward in January, as the fixtures come thick and fast and squad depth is tested, especially with European commitments in the early months of 2022 as well.

Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips tipped West Ham to sign a big-money striker in order to ease the burden on sole centre-forward Michail Antonio. He said:

“They need to invest in a striker in January. I know there will be plenty of people who argue they don’t need to because they have done very well considering but they haven’t got any backup for [Michail] Antonio.

“When it gets to the second part of the season, the weather changes and the games come thick and fast. Players pick up knows after playing so many games.

“It would be sensible to look at that area to bring someone in. Sign someone who will push and cover for Antonio.

“I know Kretinsky has said there won’t be lots of spending but I’m sure there will be money available. If David Moyes goes and says, ‘I’ve identified a player who can come in and challenge in that area.’ Then the club will back him.

“Why wouldn’t they considering what he has done and where they are? They could potentially finish in the Champions League spots.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if they went out and splashed £20-25million to bring in competition for that area.”

The Verdict: Would be a wise decision

It could be a grave error if another striker doesn’t come in at West Ham during the January window, potentially costing the Hammers dearly both domestically and in Europe.

As Phillips has said, it is unfair to rely too much on Antonio, who has had injury problems in the past and is now 31 years of age. The Jamaican’s form has also tailed off significantly since a sublime start to the season.

Basel striker Arthur Cabral is someone who has been linked with a move to east London and he could be perfect, offering Moyes an extra option who’s young and in red-hot form, having scored 14 Swiss Super League goals already this season.

In other news, West Ham have been linked with signing a Premier League player in January. Find out who it is here.

Carlton Palmer has offered his thoughts on how much he thinks Aston Villa wiould need to pay for James Ward-Prowse…

What’s the talk?

Palmer has suggested that it will take an offer of up to £40m from Aston Villa to land Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse this summer.

He told Transfer Tavern:

“I think an offer of £35million or £40million will get him out of Southampton but they will have to pay over the odds for players because people know they have this money. That’s unfortunate.

“Ideally, Aston Villa would have liked to have done their business before the offer for Grealish.”

Villa captain Jack Grealish is poised to sign for Manchester City and The Daily Mail have named the Saints skipper, Ward-Prowse, as one of the club’s targets to strengthen the squad.

Better than Luiz

Johan Lange must seal a deal for Ward-Prowse if the figures Palmer mentioned are accurate, as he could be a sublime addition to Dean Smith’s squad. He is a proven Premier League performer and someone who could arrive and hit the ground running, rather than a signing from abroad who could need time to settle.

Douglas Luiz and John McGinn were Villa’s preferred central midfield partnership and Lange could improve upon the former by adding the England international to the team before the end of the window.

Defensively, Ward-Prowse was slightly more active than the Brazilian. The Saints man averaged 4.5 tackles, interceptions and clearances per game, whilst Luiz averaged 4.0 per game. In terms of ball recoveries and ground duel success rate, the £40m-rated man also came out on top.

Offensively, there was not even a competition between the pair. With the caveat that he played an extra five matches, Ward-Prowse managed 311 more forward passes, 41 more chances created, eight more goals and five more assists whilst also completing a higher percentage of his passes – per Squawka.

At the end of last season, Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl hailed Ward-Prowse as “outstanding” and pointed out that he will be important to the long-term future of the club.

The Austrian told the Daily Echo: “It’s not surprising for me, a player who played every minute this season is unbelievable.

“His physicality and his performances are outstanding. That’s our captain on the pitch and he is on the way that he is a very important player for this club for the long-term, I think.”

These comments from Hasenhuttl and the aforementioned statistics suggest that the £75k-per-week beast could be an upgrade on Luiz, as he has shown that he is better defensively and offensively than the ex-Manchester City man whilst playing in the same division.

If Palmer’s estimated fee is correct, Villa should stump it up and get the England international to Villa Park.

AND in other news, Villa preparing bid for “magical” 21y/o wing wizard, he’d excite the fans…