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West Ham United need some respite from what has been a shocking start to 2024, with the chastening 6-0 home defeat against Arsenal leaving a pall of black smoke in east London.

It's a peculiar position; West Ham are outside of European contention in the Premier League only on goal difference, topped their Europa League group back in December and won the Europa Conference League last summer.

David Moyes is under fire and it would have been a bitter pill to swallow that it was Declan Rice, sold to Arsenal for £105m in the summer, who produced last weekend's talismanic performance at his old stomping ground.

It wouldn't be a bad move for Moyes to revisit his past success and promote a talented academy star to the first team, following in Rice's footsteps, with George Earthy producing some high-class performances this term.

West Ham's next Declan Rice

At the start of the 2023/24 campaign, homegrown talent Earthy penned a long-term contract with the Irons, clearly viewed by the club's powers that be as a future star in the first team.

A creative and attack-focused midfielder – who is also capable on the right flank – Earthy has been a prolific figure throughout his United youth career and has posted 37 goals and 25 assists across 102 matches, lauded for his "brilliant" displays by club insider ExWHUemployee.

This season, he has been in emphatic form, scoring nine goals and supplying six assists across 19 matches in all competitions and notably thriving in the EFL Trophy against senior opposition.

Indeed, as per Sofascore, the 19-year-old's three goal and one assist return from five matches in the EFL Trophy is an attractive tally but does not tell the full story of a remarkably rounded skill set, having completed 90% of his passes and averaged 1.4 goals and three ball recoveries per game.

He will definitely need to improve the defensive side of his game, making just 0.2 tackles and winning two duels each outing, but there is no questioning the thrilling quality woven into his core.

Indeed Rice was once at that stage, before going on to enjoy such glittering success rising through the ranks to the apex of Moyes' reign, completing 245 appearances, winning the club's past two Player of the Season awards and bringing riches – both monetarily and from a footballing standpoint – to the fore.

Having crashed out of the FA Cup against Championship outfit Bristol City last month and still seeking a maiden victory of the calendar year, Moyes needs to fashion some renewed positivity from somewhere and unleashing a talented academy member might be the perfect way to sway the fans back on his side.

Lucas Paqueta remains convalescent on the sidelines and will not return to action for several weeks, so a playmaker of Earthy's precocity could be the perfect tool to rekindle the feel-good factor that was so prominent at the London Stadium only a matter of months ago.

A significant update has emerged over the future of Rangers attacker Ianis Hagi, and it seems his fate at the end of this campaign has already been decided.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers are likely to have another busy summer once the season reaches its conclusion, with both incomings and outgoings expected at the club, in order to retain a freshness within the squad and shape it to the manager's liking.

Philippe Clement looks likely to add more firepower to his attack, which is perhaps why Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie has been linked with a move to Rangers, being seen as a good option to bring in on the cheap.

The 27-year-old will be available on a free transfer this summer, and while four goals in the Premier League for the Blades this season is nothing to write home about – he is playing for a struggling team, in fairness – he could thrive in the Scottish Premiership.

In terms of players leaving, there are some concerns that Todd Cantwell's head could be turned by a move to the Premier League, should interest in him emerge, but Rangers will be desperate to retain his services.

One player whose future also looks up in the air at the moment is Ianis Hagi, who was shipped out on loan to Alaves by Michael Beale last summer, having been deemed surplus to requirements.

New twist in Hagi's struggling season

According to Inigo Minon [via Ibrox News], Rangers attacker Hagi is set to leave Alaves rather than join permanently this summer after a poor season on loan, so his next move will be a return to Ibrox.

This isn't necessarily seen as a good thing, however, with the report stating that it was a "shock" that Beale loaned him out rather than selling him permanently in the first place, receiving a healthy transfer fee in the process.

Instead, Rangers now look set to have a player they don't want back in the squad this summer, and will likely end up losing him for free rather than extending his soon-to-be-expired contract, given his struggles in Spain, and injury issues in the past.

This is, therefore, a hugely frustrating situation for the Scottish Premiership leaders, unless Clement suddenly sees Hagi as a key man ahead of next season, which feels unlikely. Granted, a tally of 16 goals and 21 assists in 99 appearances for Rangers is a fairly healthy return, and some fans wanted him back in January, but the team has moved on without him this season, with others such as Cantwell and Tom Lawrence now key men instead.

It is just another example of the bad decisions Beale made during his time as manager – thankfully, Clement has come in and done an expert job in cleaning up his mess – and the Englishman's recent struggles and sacking at Sunderland are further proof that he was the incorrect appointment at Ibrox.

The games Todd Cantwell could now miss for Rangers after hamstring injury

A significant fitness setback for the Gers.

ByHenry Jackson Feb 24, 2024

For Hagi, he will likely have to accept that he will return to Rangers at the end of the season before leaving on a free, as his time at the club goes out with a whimper.

New Zealand’s domestic T20 champions have brought in a high-profile name to marshal their title defence

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2019Mickey Arthur will coach Central Stags in New Zealand’s Super Smash T20 competition later this year.Arthur, who left his role as Pakistan coach following the World Cup, will officially take charge of defending champions the Stags on December 1 ahead of the first match on December 13.”I have always admired New Zealand cricket and to work in the system is going to be very exciting,” Arthur said. “This is a great opportunity for me and I can’t wait to help the Central Stags defend the title, but also, to contribute to an environment of excellence and enhance the skills of the cricketers.”Central Districts underwent a global search for a T20 head coach and chief executive Pete de Wet was delighted to get Arthur on board.”This is a significant day for CD cricket and for the Central Stags,” de Wet said. “Mickey is a world-class coach who most recently oversaw a Pakistan team now ranked No. 1 in the world in T20 cricket. With our talented group of players, we know that Mickey will positively impact our group.”With an ICC T20 World Cup on the horizon, this is a well-timed investment that we hope will see more Stags representing New Zealand in Australia next year.”Arthur will arrive in New Zealand in late November and spend a few days with the Central Districts squad as they play the Ford Trophy one-day competition.

Gareth Southgate has to make big changes to get the Three Lions firing in their final Group C game on Tuesday

England manager Gareth Southgate adopted a 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' approach to England's second game at Euro 2024 against Denmark, but 90 minutes later his side looked utterly kaput and quick fixes are now needed to put things right in their last Group C game against Slovenia.

The Three Lions may still be top of the group and almost certainly heading into the knockout stages, but their ragged performance against Denmark suggested they will not be going very far in Germany unless they drastically improve. And they will need to beat Slovenia to ensure they finish top of the pack and ensure what is likely to be a more favourable draw towards the latter stages.

Southgate fell into a familiar trap of cramming the best players in his squad on to the pitch without thinking of how they actually work together in Frankfurt, and now he must make big calls. That means dropping Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold while resting other key players who looked jaded after playing two games in quick succession.

GOAL picks the team Southgate should put out to ensure they finish the group strongly and to avoid an angry backlash from fans who are already voicing their frustrations…

GettyGK: Jordan Pickford

Pickford is one of few England players to have escaped criticism so far as he kept a clean sheet against Serbia while there was nothing he could do to stop Morten Hjulmand's rocket for Denmark.

AdvertisementGetty RB: Kyle Walker

Walker has been top-class so far in Germany, contributing to both of England's goals and limiting the damage at the back. He is also showing few signs of tiredness despite recently turning 34.

(C)Getty ImagesCB: Lewis Dunk

John Stones has been showing signs of tiredness in both matches and is due a rest. Brighton centre-back Dunk is good on the ball and is adept at baiting the press. Although he has not always performed at his best in an England shirt, he is due another chance to put things right.

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Getty CB: Marc Guehi

Guehi has had a very good tournament, looking solid in both matches, save for one moment when he lost the ball in a dangerous position against Denmark. He compensated with a perfectly-timed tackle and England will need his calm presence on the ball to ensure they navigate their way out of their final Group C game.

Former Everton scout backed Anthony Gordon to succeed at Anfield amid rumours of him leaving Newcastle this summer.

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Gordon backed to do well in Liverpool Merseyside giants showed interest in the winger Newcastle likely to sell the player this summer WHAT HAPPENED?

Gordon has been linked with a move away from St. James' Park this summer as Newcastle United are being reportedly forced to sell the youngster to comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules. The Telegraph reported last week that Liverpool were willing to buy the player and that he too was flattered by the English giants' interest.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Now former Everton scout Ian Duke, who watched the 23-year-old grow as a player from close quarters during his time at Goodison Park, has backed the England international to be successful if he decides to move to Anfield ahead of the 2024/25 season.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

Speaking to the Echo, Duke said, "Especially being a Liverpool fan, I’d love him to go there and kick the door down. I think he would improve again coming to Liverpool, playing with a batch of better players, confidence but I think he wants it, he’s a Liverpool fan – there’s nothing better than playing for your boyhood team."

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR ANTHONY GORDON?

The Newcastle winger is currently in Germany with the England squad at Euro 2024. He could be next seen in action on Wednesday as the Three Lions take on Netherlands in the semi-final in Dortmund.

It feels like everything that can go right is going right for Arsenal at the moment.

Mikel Arteta's side have look transformed since their festive period slump and look likely to score with every single attack.

From front to back, every player has dramatically improved over the last couple of months and perhaps none more than Kai Havertz.

However, there is a former Arsenal star who has been outperforming the German over the last couple of season, away from the spotlight.

How Kai Havertz has fared this season

The football world was abuzz with discussion in July when the Gunners paid Chelsea £65m to sign Havertz, with the move coming out of thin air and leaving fans and pundits alike rather confused.

The 24-year-old didn't have the best season with the Blues last year, scoring nine goals and registering just one assist in 47 appearances, so there was a lot of pressure on him coming into an Arsenal side looking to challenge for the league title.

Unfortunately, he didn't get off to the best of starts, scoring just one goal and registering one assist in his first 12 league games for the club. However, as he began to get used to the team, his output increased, and today, he has a reasonably impressive return of eight goals and three assists from 37 games for the club.

Position

Attacking Midfield

Central Midfield

Striker

Appearances

24

6

6

Goals

4

2

2

Assists

0

0

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.16

0.33

0.83

He has also been an incredibly useful player for Arteta, playing six games as the team's recognised striker, including in the victories against Liverpool and Manchester City.

It may have taken the former Bayer Leverkusen star some time to get up to speed in north London, but he's now firmly established himself in the team's best XI.

However, another German who used to wow the Emirates crowd has outperformed the former Chelsea man over the last two seasons.

How Lukas Podolski has fared in the last two years

Yes, former fan favourite and German international Lukas Podolski is still playing professional football, and still playing well at that.

The Gliwice-born dynamo joined the Gunners in the summer of 2012 for just £11m from FC Koln.

He would go on to enjoy a relatively successful spell at the club, scoring 31 goals and providing 18 assists in just 82 games before he joined Inter Milan on loan for the second half of the 2014/15 season, prior finally being sold to Turkish Süper Lig giants Galatasaray for just £2m in July 2015.

The following six seasons would see the "clinical" forward, as Arsène Wenger once described him, spend two years with the Turkish giants and three years with Japanese side Vissel Kobe before returning to Turkey to play for Antalyaspor in January 2020, where he would play for a year and a half.

Club

Galatasaray

Vissel Kobe

Antalyaspor

Górnik Zabrze

Appearances

75

60

47

80

Goals

34

17

7

20

Assists

18

12

5

18

Goal Involvements per Match

0.69

0.48

0.25

0.47

His most recent, and probably final, transfer was to Polish side Górnik Zabrze, where he is still dazzling to this day.

In fact, in his last two seasons, the 38-year-old has scored 11 goals and provided 14 assists in just 50 appearances, meaning he is averaging a goal involvement every other game, which is seriously impressive at his age and a better return than Havertz's 21 goal involvements over the same period.

Arsenal paid £7.3m per goal for a flop who earned more than Trossard does

The tricky star couldn’t recreate his magic in red and white.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 6, 2024

Ultimately, Podolski would obviously not be able to put up the numbers he has in Poland in the Premier League. However, it's great to see that a player of his calibre is still wowing the fans every week.

Bangladesh allrounder also draws attention to domestic pay structure and training facilities

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2019In a stinging retort to the BCB’s new rule that a legspinner must bowl four overs in every innings of the Bangladesh Premier League, Shakib Al Hasan has said that the T20 league cannot be expected to “make” players, while also drawing attention to the poor pay structure and training facilities in the country’s domestic set-up.Of late, the BCB has been stressing on the importance of legspin, so much so that it even fired two National Cricket League (NCL) coaches last week for not picking legspinners in their respective first-class teams.”I think that legspinners should bowl a lot of overs in first-class cricket to gain confidence and consistency,” Shakib told the Bengali daily . “The BPL is an international-standard competitive tournament where you will face scenarios that you are likely to face in international cricket. You share the dressing room with overseas cricketers. It is not the place to make a player.

“Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet should have a proper gym, running and indoor facilities. You cannot bat for more than 15 minutes in the Mirpur indoor facilities, it gets so hot”Shakib Al Hasan

“For so many years, we couldn’t select a legspinner for the senior team, but suddenly we made plans to include seven legspinners in the BPL. This decision does come as a bit of a surprise, but I would still say that the board has taken a decision that it thinks is good.”ESPNcricinfo understands that the order about including a legspinner – as well as a 140kph-plus pacer – in BPL XIs had come from the Bangladesh team management. At the time of announcing the rule, BCB director Mahbubul Anam had said: “BCB wants this BPL to be about improving Bangladesh’s cricketers in T20s, so we want to make sure that our batsmen and bowlers get enough opportunities [against quicks and legspinners].”Shakib also criticised the lack of increments in the salary of domestic cricketers, calling for better communication from the “decision-makers”. He also expressed dissatisfaction about the fact that the BPL is no longer a franchise-run event, which means player payments are expected to be lower than before. The cash-rich Dhaka Premier League (DPL), which for four decades had operated with players transferred from club to club in an open market, also now has heavy caps and a draft in place to help clubs cut player payments.”[First-class match fees] is very unacceptable,” Shakib said. “It is a very small amount for a cricketer to maintain the minimum standard of living in Bangladesh. Things are getting costlier. Government officers get increments every year, but we see that it is same for us every time. It even gets reduced. BPL and DPL are big examples of this.”I always get a feeling that cricketers in our country are being suppressed. This is not right. Everyone should have equal opportunity. A player should be left to earn what he feels he deserves. If the team doesn’t want to take the player at that payment, the player will deal with it. But to stop him from [freely naming his price] is not right.ALSO READ: Bangladesh’s first-class system struggles in a Test Championship world”If the decision-makers don’t think that they need to sit with us, then we don’t have much to do. I think that discussion with players or a group of players will help cricket’s development. But I am glad that they are focused on cricket development. Like, the concern shown towards fitness, although they could have announced it earlier. Papon (Nazmul Hassan, the BCB president) did say that fitness tests will become tougher but they will announce it earlier.”Shakib also drew attention to the indoor facilities in Mirpur, where batsmen struggle while training during the summer months due to the lack of air-conditioning.”Only focusing on the national team shouldn’t be the main job of the organisers. Places like Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet should have a proper gym, running and indoor facilities. You cannot bat for more than 15 minutes in the Mirpur indoor facilities, because it gets so hot. They haven’t installed ACs even after being told for ten years.”It is quite disappointing, especially when we see indoors in other countries that have clear lighting and ACs.”

Lara also urges the West Indies board to focus more on developing players for Test cricket

Vishal Dikshit in Mumbai17-Oct-2019Former West Indies captain and batting great Brian Lara believes appointing Kieron Pollard as the ODI and T20I captain is “a step in the right direction,” but he has urged Cricket West Indies to focus more on developing players for Test cricket.”He’s got some good experience,” Lara said of Pollard, who last played an ODI over three years ago, at the launch of a T20 tournament for retired players in Mumbai. “I also believe that a captain is as good as his team and the people who really support him. And I believe that he will get the support, that’s half of your job done.ALSO READ – Hayden Walsh Jr, Brandon King break into West Indies’ ODI, T20I squads”Practically, he has played cricket all around the world, he will understand what needs to be done. So it’s not a bad decision. If he’s committed to West Indies cricket for a long period of time, it’s a step in the right sort of direction and let’s see how it goes.”In Tests, the eighth-ranked West Indies recently lost 2-0 to India at home. They started the year in emphatic fashion by beating England 2-1 in Tests at home but against India in August, they were able to bowl out the visitors only twice in four innings and could not cross 250 even once in as many attempts.Brian Lara, Jonty Rhodes and Sachin Tendulkar at an event to promote the Road Safety World Series T20 cricket league•AFP”We came off about six months ago a win against England in the West Indies which was very promising,” Lara said. “So you expected the team to maybe follow on after that. But there was a lot of one-day cricket and different things happening over the last five-six months with almost the same players. So the attrition level is something the West Indies cricket board and the management will have to see if they can solve that because some of the cricketers are understanding the shorter version of the game but the longer version they’re missing some key elements.”I think first we’ve got to get back to playing good and competitive first-class cricket in the Caribbean where the guys spend time in the middle as batsmen, bowlers bowl long spells and see if we can work from there.

“If you listen to any other teams in the world or captains, they’re very wary of the West Indies. They never ever take us for granted, which is a good thing.”Brian Lara

“But I still believe that the talent on show for West Indies is very good and promising. Maybe the entire batting line-up is in their 20s, you just want to know that if they’re playing at the highest level that they are capable of performing well. I think learning the game at the international stage is not where you want to go.”West Indies’ next assignment is a full tour against Afghanistan in India where they will play three T20Is, three ODIs and a one-off-Test over a period of three weeks. A short gap after that they will feature in another three T20Is and three ODIs against India in India. Lara emphasised on the importance of adapting to conditions on their tour of India, where spin usually plays a vital role.”To be successful anywhere in the world you have to adapt very quickly,” he said. “If you’re playing in Australia, India, South Africa, West Indies…they’re all different conditions. First and foremost, everyone that plays international cricket has a certain level of skill and talent to play the game. How you approach with your mental strength is key, adaptation of the environment you’re in is key. Learning all these important things to be successful…to be a step ahead, not having any excuses. I think those things are key to making sure that you’re successful playing anywhere in the world.West Indies have been a much harder opposition to beat in the shortest format, ever since they won the T20 World Cup back in 2012. They are currently ranked ninth in the format but could pose a different challenge for oppositions in the format, banking on some of the CPL stars who have broken into the team recently. The next T20 World Cup is still over a year away and Lara said handling the talent coming through from T20s will be key for defending champions West Indies in the coming months.”It’s still quite a long way,” Lara said of the T20 World Cup to be played in Australia in October-November 2020. “Whatever tournament the West Indies are going to, they’ll never be favourites at this point in time…even when we won the two tournaments in the past. What we do have is the shorter version of the game. A lot of young players that are coming into the team, [Shimron] Hetmyer, [Nicholas] Pooran, they are very very good in the T20 version, in the limited-overs version of the game.”The talent is there, and I’ve always said in the past that the West Indies have some of the best talents in the world coming through. What we do with that talent, how we harness that talent is the most important part. I reckon that the next eight-ten months before the World Cup there will be a lot of planning. You may even see some new faces coming through. If you listen to any other teams in the world or captains, they’re very wary of the West Indies. They never ever take us for granted, which is a good thing. So hopefully we will make a good showing coming to the World Cup.”

Despite Erik ten Hag's proclamation that Manchester United are "consistent" as of late, in truth, they have been far from that this season.

The results have not always been a true reflection of the performance, with the opponent’s poor finishing often saving the Red Devils.

Nevertheless, United are still sixth in the Premier League, but they will face an uphill battle to earn Champions League football.

That said, the only positive that can be taken from this season is the development of youth and Ten Hag’s trust in handing the youngsters the opportunity to not just progress but become key players in the first team.

Kobbie Mainoo is a prime example of that, but there is a handful of inexperienced gems that could be relied upon to provide competition to some underperforming first-team players.

Antony’s 23/24 campaign in numbers

The fact that Man United once paid £82m for Antony doesn’t seem real, with the winger dramatically falling short of the expectations that are attached to a player of such a price tag.

After scoring on his first three Premier League starts, it seemed as though the Brazilian would become a fan favourite and lockdown the right-wing spot for years to come.

However, his decline over the last year has been catastrophic, which can be highlighted by his statistics across all competitions this season, but it has been his Premier League performances that have left plenty to be desired.

To sum up Antony’s season so far, in 21 league appearances, the 24-year-old has failed to register a single goal contribution, which simply isn’t good enough at this level.

The only goal of his dreary campaign came against lowly Newport County in the FA Cup at the start of 2024.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that he hasn’t made a league start since December, but Ten Hag does have a wildcard in his pocket that he can unleash instead of the former Ajax star.

Man Utd gem is quietly becoming Ten Hag's "best player" ahead of Garnacho

The star even thrived against Manchester City.

ByTom Lever Mar 6, 2024 Man Utd's teenage Antony replacement

Omari Forson is a player that Ten Hag seems to really believe in, with the 19-year-old forward being an "exceptional" talent, as per analyst StatmanDave.

The Dutch manager has played the attacker three times in the Premier League and has already handed him his first start.

This was against Fulham in the 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford recently, where he showed glimpses of quality via one big chance created, but he clearly lacked experience.

Despite that, Man United’s U21 player/coach Tom Huddlestone, was full of praise for the young English forward, stating:

“He reminds me of the way Bukayo Saka plays. He’s good with both feet and can finish very well, especially with his left foot.”

Premier League

3

0

1

Premier League 2

4

3

1

UEFA Youth League

2

2

1

EFL Trophy

2

2

0

Total

11

7

3

Forson’s statistics for the youth team this season also support Huddlestone’s quote, as he is clearly a reliable finisher who plays with a level of calmness and composure just like Saka.

The number 62 is also versatile and comfortable playing on either wing, just like Arsenal’s number 7, who originally featured on the left when he broke into the team and is now thriving as one of the best right-wingers in the league, scoring 13 Premier League goals this campaign already.

It’s quite obvious that Forson has a long way to go until he can be anywhere near the level of Saka, but he has already gone one better than Antony this season by picking up an assist in the league against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Former Everton defender John Heitinga has confirmed talks are ongoing to join Arne Slot's backroom staff at Liverpool.

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Liverpool building coaching staffFormer Everton defender wantedDutch influence felt under SlotWHAT HAPPENED?

Liverpool continue to hunt for staff to assist Slot in his debut season at Anfield and Heitinga is of interest to the Reds after earning top reviews early into his coaching career.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Heitinga spent five years as an Everton player between 2009 and 2014, making 140 appearances for the club. He later hung up his boots at Ajax, before embarking on a coaching career with the Amsterdam giants. Last season, he was a first-team coach under David Moyes at West Ham. The 40-year-old could become the latest appointment to Slot's staff after last month's announcement regarding arrivals of Sipke Hulshoff and Ruben Peeters from Feyenoord, as well as Fabian Otte from the USMNT. Aaron Briggs has also joined as an elite development coach.

WHAT JOHN HEITINGA SAID

Via , Heitinga said: "All I can say now is that I have been approached, and my agent Rob Jansen and I are in conversation."

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(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

Slot welcomed the first group of returning Liverpool players to pre-season training on Friday and is expected to put the squad, which will fill out as more names come off international duty, through its paces before 2024-25 begins. Summer friendlies begin on July 26 with a clash with Real Betis in Pittsburgh, followed by further tour games against Arsenal and Manchester United. A final friendly at Anfield on August 11 is against Sevilla.