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West Brom have suffered a slight dip in form in recent weeks and have failed to win in their previous three Championship games – not the sort of form you want to be in when the league leaders are the next visitors to your home ground.

Leeds will visit the Hawthorns on Saturday off the back of their 2-1 win over Wigan last Sunday, and West Brom will have to be at their very best defensively to keep Kemar Roofe and co. quiet.

Because of the threat posed by Marcelo Bielsa’s hard-working, high-pressing Leeds side, Baggies boss Darren Moore should go with a mobile back three and keep summer-signing Kyle Bartley out of the side.

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The 27-year-old former Leeds man has struggled at times at the start of this season and a back three of Ahmed Hegazi, Craig Dawson and Manchester City loanee Tosin Adarabioyo – who all started in the loss to Hull – would give the Baggies their best chance of victory.

So, West Brom fans, who do you think should start at the back on Saturday? Have your say by voting in the poll below.

While Newcastle United are fresh off back-to-back wins against Watford and Bournemouth, it has still been a poor start to the season for the Magpies who failed to claim victory in any of their opening 10 games.

As a result, manager Rafael Benitez could now look to bolster his squad in the January transfer window with Porto’s Yacine Brahimi being touted as a possible target.

The Breakdown

El Gol Digital (HITC) reports Benitez is desperate to add the Algerian winger to his side in a move that could see Ayoze Perez lose his spot in the starting XI.

Since arriving at St. James’ Park from Tenerife back in 2014, Perez has proven to be one of Newcastle’s better signings in recent years, becoming an individual in the squad who Benitez has often looked to.

That being said, the 25-year-old has not been the most consistent of performers during his time on Tyneside. Replacing him with Brahimi could be a very astute move on Benitez’s behalf.

The £23.4m-rated (via Transfermarkt) Algeria international is a player who could bring much to this Newcastle side, even when he is not having one of his best games.

Brahimi’s ability to beat an opposition player and get into a dangerous area of the pitch means he is able to create a chance out of nothing, something which could be game changing for Newcastle.

By no means does the possible acquisition of Brahimi mean Benitez should get rid of Perez. But if it is a toss between the two, the Spaniard would be wise to lean in the Porto man’s direction.

Everton should abolish their planned interest for Manchester United centre-back Chris Smalling and instead invest in another United defender, Marcos Rojo.

The Daily Mail revealed last week that the Toffees are planning to snatch up Smalling at the end of the season when his contract at Old Trafford expires.

No reports have yet confirmed if the United ownership are planning to extend the England international’s stay at the club, with manager José Mourinho expected to receive the needed financial backing to sign new centre-backs in the looming January transfer market, leaving the door open for Everton to capitalise on the situation.

But not long after the report on Smalling appeared, the Metro confirmed that the Merseyside club is also considering a potential move for Rojo.

If the two centre-backs have to be compared on the basis of form, then Smalling would possibly get the nod due to Rojo not making a singular appearance for the United first-team this season, due to a knee injury.

And while the report indicates that the move for Rojo would be in Janaury, Silva should rather forget about signing Smalling completely, as the Argentinian has lots more to offer than the current first-team centre-back.

Rojo’s fitness will, of course, be the main concern on Silva and the Everton board’s minds, but if they can utilise him and provide him with regular game-time, then the 28-year-old could rejuvenate his career and lift the Toffees to a strong finish at the end of the season.

With on-loan defender Kurt Zouma possibly set to leave Goodison Park next season, the door would certainly open for Rojo to add long-term depth and competition for Michael Keane and Yerry Mina.

The former Sporting Lisbon player, who joined the Red Devils in 2014 after playing in the World Cup final, Rojo would be a stronger and more energetic addition than Smalling, who has had a quite turbulent season so far.

Rojo would also offer a great deal of composure and aggressiveness to the Everton back-four and will let his presence be felt on those around him.

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Liverpool outcast right-back Nathaniel Clyne is reportedly a January transfer target for the Reds’ Premier League rivals Cardiff City.

The England international was once a regular in the Merseyside outfit’s starting XI following his move from Southampton in 2015, but injuries have hampered him and he currently finds himself as the third-choice option behind Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez at Anfield.

A January exit – temporary or permanent – looks to be on the cards for the 27-year-old who Brendan Rodgers signed in 2015, and we at Football FanCast suggested that the full-back could once again be a target for the Northern Irishman given his potential future issues in that particular position.

Both Mikael Lustig and his back-up Cristian Gamboa are out of contract at the end of the current campaign, with no progress made in potentially extending those deals even if the former has said that he would like to stay.

Neither have been particularly impressive while they have been on the pitch although the Sweden international has certainly improved in recent weeks, so we at Football FanCast decided to ask Celtic fans to vote on our poll to see whether they felt that Clyne would be an upgrade on the 31-year-old Swede.

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As you can see from the results below, 40% believe that the Premier League man would not be better than Lustig, which is surprising in one way considering the quality he has shown previously, but understandable in another because he has hardly been seen in recent seasons thanks to injury problems.

It also suggests that those 40% would be happy to keep their long-serving player at Parkhead beyond next summer, which seemed unlikely just a few months ago when he was being widely criticised by his own supporters on Twitter.

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According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool academy star Bobby Duncan is being tracked by Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, among other Bundesliga teams, but the Reds must not allow him to leave the club.

What’s the story?

The Mail reports that Bundesliga clubs are looking for more signings from Premier League youth academies after the success of young English players such as Jadon Sancho, who left Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund in 2017, and Hoffenheim’s current Arsenal loanee Reiss Nelson.

They claim that Duncan, who is the cousin of Reds legend Steven Gerrard, is the next target and that he would be offered far more first-team action in Germany, as Sancho has seen at Dortmund.

Duncan, a prolific striker, only joined Liverpool from Manchester City during this summer transfer window though and Jurgen Klopp must ensure that he is not tempted to jump ship.

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First-team chances

It’s clear to see why the 17-year-old is attracting attention, so far this season he has netted 10 goals for Liverpool’s academy sides and he has five goals in 15 caps for the England U17 side.

Duncan has trained with Klopp’s first-team this season, but given his young age one would assume that he has not been considered for selection just yet.

With the reported interest though, Klopp should at least consider giving Duncan his debut at some point this season, especially if his form continues. In fact, behind Roberto Firmino and Daniel Sturridge, the Reds are limited in their striking options, with Dominic Solanke struggling for game time and Duncan’s fellow young talent Rhian Brewster out injured.

A cup game or late season league game could then be the perfect chance to offer Duncan some game time and convince him that there is a path to first-team football at Anfield if you are good enough, as Trent Alexander-Arnold is currently proving.

So, Liverpool fans, do you think Duncan should get his debut at some point this season or is he still too young? Have your say by voting in the poll below.

Bournemouth have made an encouraging start to the Premier League season despite losing three consecutive games.

The Cherries have been the surprise package of the new campaign, climbing up the table following a blistering start. Despite losing three games in a row, a finish in the European places may not be out the realms of possibility for Eddie Howe’s men if they can put a swift end to their recent slump over the festive period. The English tactician will be hoping to return to winning ways soon, but the fixtures do not get any easier over Christmas.

The January transfer window opens in less than a month giving Howe the opportunity to bolster his ranks.

One man who should be on his list of targets is Chelsea outcast – Victor Moses. Valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, the former Nigeria international reinvented himself under Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge and was a key player during the Blues’ title-winning season. Following Conte’s dismissal, Moses has struggled to earn a place in the first-team under Maurizio Sarri. The Italian suggested that the right wing-back does not feature in his plans and would be allowed to leave in the New Year.

Moses can operate right across the right flank making him a useful option for Howe to have at his disposal. Still only 27-years-old, the former Liverpool man has plenty of years remaining at the top level and could prove to be a useful rotational option as the Cherries look to secure European football. He is approaching the prime of his career and could be available at a great price.

This is a move that Howe should seriously consider when the window reopens.

Bournemouth fans, thoughts?

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Recent results haven’t been great for Chelsea. Defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves in the Premier League – either side of a win over rock-bottom Fulham – have brought the Blues’ fine start to the campaign to a shuddering halt.

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However, one bright spot in this period has been the form of Ruben Loftus-Cheek. When called upon, the 22-year-old has invariably delivered for Maurizio Sarri’s side. His well taken goal against Fulham was just reward for what had been an industrious and confident display from the bench. He also netted, and was one of the few Chelsea players to impress, against Wolves last time out.

Having started at Molineux, the 10-cap England international will feel as though he has done enough to retain his place in the first XI. With such a stern test in the form of Manchester City to contend with this weekend though, Sarri may revert to his tried and trusted line-up that does not include the midfielder.

What do you think, Chelsea fans, should Loftus-Cheek start against the Cityzens on Saturday?

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Manchester United are expected to name an interim boss to take over from Jose Mourinho before selecting the permanent replacement next summer, but should they skip that process and just hire Roberto Martinez?

Mourinho’s third-year curse has struck once again, as the Portuguese manager has left Manchester United, the club confirmed on Tuesday morning.

The Red Devils sit sixth in the table, 19 points off leaders Liverpool and closer to the relegation zone than to the top of the table.

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While plenty of fans were desperate for Mourinho to leave, there aren’t exactly a lot of options to take over from here, especially half way through a season.

This is why a move for Martinez makes sense, as the Belgium boss could start immediately and begin the quest to revamp the club, unlike many club managers who would be committed to finishing the season where they are.

The Spanish manager was poor in his final days at Everton, but his record with Belgium suggests he has what it takes to compete in a high-pressure job.

He has a whopping 73 per cent win rate in charge of the other Red Devils, and has also shown both for Everton and for Belgium that he knows how to get Romelu Lukaku firing.

The 45 year-old has also proven he can manage high-profile superstars, something the Belgium team is packed with, and most importantly of all every team he has managed have played free, attacking football, something Old Trafford is crying out for.

So, Manchester United fans, is it that crazy of an idea? Or could Martinez actually be the answer? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

Leeds United staged yet another dramatic late show on Boxing Day to consolidate their position at the top of the Championship table with a 3-2 victory over Blackburn Rovers. 

Kemar Roofe to the rescue. Just three days after Leeds’ top goalscorer volleyed home a left-footed winner at Villa Park, Roofe produced the goods once again by scoring an injury time brace to steal the points at Elland Road.

But even with Roofe’s goal scoring exploits still lighting up memories across Leeds from the average supporter through to Marcelo Bielsa himself there is discussion in the media regarding a potential January bid for a new striker.

Indeed, according to a recent report from Algerian news outlet DZ (via Yorkshire Evening Post), Leeds, Leicester, Lille and Marseille are all interested in Al Saad’s Baghdad Bounedjah – a player who the Whites were linked with in the summer.

The goal-hungry striker has been in electric form so far this season with an incredible return of 26 goals from 13 appearances, but a recent report regarding Andrea Radrizzani’s website, Eleven Sports, suggests they will be in no position to sign the reported €18 million-rated man in January.

According to The Guardian, Eleven Sports is facing closure after the streaming service failed to attract enough subscribers.

While Radrizzani’s struggle to launch the business will not directly affect Leeds’ promotion bid there is reason to suggest that his financial difficulty will limit him in the transfer market.

The Italian businessman has been reluctant to splash extortionate sums of money due to the financial implications of running a Championship club and, if Al Saad value him at €18 million, there is no chance he will be willing to meet that price, especially with the situation of Eleven Sports to take into consideration.

The 19-cap Algeria international has managed to score 78 goals in 57 games for Al Saad, but that record has to be taken with a huge pinch of salt considering the calibre of the opposition in Qatar’s top-flight.

Radrizzani has already forked out for Patrick Bamford this year and, considering Roofe’s exceptional form and Eleven Sports’ dire situation, it seems Leeds are destined to miss out on Bounedjah in January.

Leeds fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

West Ham United made it five wins from their last six Premier League matches with a 2-1 success at Southampton on Thursday night.

The Hammers suffered a 2-0 defeat to Watford at the London Stadium on December 22, but returned to winning ways at St Mary’s.

Felipe Anderson scored twice for West Ham, who have moved into ninth position in the Premier League table.

It was a positive night for the Hammers, but it would be fair to say that the club’s supporters were not pleased with the performance of Lucas Perez.

Perez joined West Ham from Arsenal during the summer, and the 30-year-old has only managed two Premier League goals this season.

Perez started through the middle for West Ham due to the absences of Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic, but the 5ft 11in Spaniard had a poor night as he missed one huge chance and failed to make an impact.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the West Ham fans can be seen below: