Manuel Pellegrini will be hoping the Hammers can kick on in their remaining fixtures to secure a place in Europe at the end of the season.

West Ham have been much improved under the Chilean’s leadership but their form has been inconsistent. Only Fulham have kept fewer clean sheets than the London side who have kept out their opponents only four times in 25 league games so far. Pellegrini will hope his side can iron out their issues and string together a solid run of form during the run in.

Finishing in Europe would provide extra funds to strengthen his squad when the transfer window reopens in the summer. West Ham would also be able to attract a much higher calibre of player and would be an attractive option to any player looking to further their career.

One man Pellegrini should be keeping a close eye on with a view to a summer move is Brentford winger – Said Benrahma. Valued at just £1.35m by Transfermarkt, the former Algeria international is a new arrival at the Bees having signed from Nice back in July. Benrahma has made an instant impact at his new side, becoming a crucial player at Griffin Park.

The 23-year-old has netted five goals in all competitions as well as registering an impressive 12 assists for his team-mates. Benrahma is capable of playing right across the forward line making him a useful option for Pellegrini to have at his disposal. With bags of tricks and excellent dribbling ability, the former Angers man would be a nightmare for Premier League defenders.

Still developing and improving, this signing could prove to be a wonderful addition to the Hammers squad.

West Ham fans, thoughts?

When the news broke this week that Carlo Ancelotti had been sacked by Napoli, despite guiding them to the Champions League knockout stages the very same evening, it took less than a nanosecond before numerous sites and social media were linking the veteran Italian coach with the vacancies at Arsenal and Everton.

This was a wholly expected development, of course, given Ancelotti’s track record that has seen him compile a managerial C.V. that only the very elite can equal. In nearly a quarter of a century in the dug-out he has won league titles across four different countries, a feat that is unique and deserving of significant acclaim. He is one of only three managers to win the Champions League a trio of times. He is a perpetual collector of high achievements and even in his final game the 60-year-old added another to the list with Napoli’s progress meaning he is only the second coach to steer six different sides through the Champions League group stages.

Add a cabinet stuffed with other honours into the mix along with a compendium of well-organised, marvellous football teams – not to mention his fluency in English and proven Premier League credentials – and its little wonder that the Gunners and Toffees are reportedly keen to secure his prestigious services. Indeed, they would be crazy to at least not place him under serious consideration.

That, however, is not to say that he is the ideal man for either club. Perhaps he is not even the right man and at Everton in particular that is absolutely the case.

It is always something of a disservice to typecast any manager’s careers into neat tropes and that is especially true of the cosmopolitan and erudite Ancelotti. Even so, when seeking consistent traits that run throughout his long time as a coach two come strongly to the fore, as relevant in Milan as they are in Madrid; from Parma to Paris.

Firstly, the former midfielder manages as he used to play – with a minimum of fuss and pragmatism always trumping unnecessary dramatics. This lends itself to a calm working environment in which his players thrive and more so has led to Ancelotti often being credited – correctly – as one of the best man-managers around. His is a friendly approach and in motivational terms that usually means all carrot and very little stick. We will return to this shortly.

The second constant in Ancelotti’s distinguished employment is that typically he has inherited fantastic sides a touch under the weather. Early into his vocation he took on the reins at Parma, the club where it all began for him as a player in the mid-seventies and here – twenty years later – the Emilians were enjoying a golden era that had them challenging for the Scudetto on an annual basis. It was a high point still fondly recalled in Romagna, a time of Buffon and Cannavaro, Zola and Chiesa. Ancelotti took charge of a sumptuously talented side that had finished a disappointing fifth the previous campaign and in his first season guided them to second.

Juventus came next, with Zidane, Davids and all and then the gloriously gilded Milan set-up of the 2000s where the names roll easily off the tongue. Maldini. Nesta. Pirlo. Kaka. Shevchenko.

At Chelsea the savviest of operators inherited a successful squad jaded by Jose Mourinho’s demands and put his arm around each of them before repeating the trick at Real Madrid. In between these largely triumphant stints there were two years at PSG where he was heavily bankrolled to the tune of bringing in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Motta and Thiago Silva to an average league in his first full window.

Later there was a season at Bayern Munich – succeeding Pep Guardiola – and latterly came Napoli and a pattern emerges from all of this which is undeniable.https://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x7n0hnm

For while not wishing to diminish the undoubted nous of Carlo Ancelotti – one such example is that it was he who first reimagined Andreas Pirlo as a deep-lying creator – by and large he is a top-end restorer, not a rebuilder. He takes on great teams and makes them great again.

Everton are currently a very long way from being deemed great. Conversely they are a squad in dire need of remodelling and this despite some copious spending in recent years. They are ill-balanced and sorely lacking in genuine quality, as their present league standing starkly illustrates.

If that places doubt on Ancelotti’s suitability we return to his practice of getting the players on-side and content.

Within the fierce confines of Goodison Park it is not a softly-softly approach that is required, as was proven so bombastically last week as Duncan Ferguson roared passionately from the touchlines, demanding unremitting commitment from his players as they out-played Chelsea in a highly entertaining 3-1 win.

An arm around the shoulder doesn’t cut it at Goodison whereas a kick up the backside does and though Evertonains might take umbrage with the following assessment, they have typically shone brightest under sergeant major types such as David Moyes. Ancelotti, though, doesn’t do intensity.

Furthermore, as difficult as it may be for the club’s hierarchy to admit, they are currently a full pay-grade below what Ancelotti does so well. He is a man for the finishing touches.

Everton, you feel, must start all over again.

It seems that Burnley are desperate to keep their young prodigy, Dwight McNeil, at the club.

And if the words of his current boss, Sean Dyche, are anything to go by, they know they are fighting a losing battle. After all, the 20-year-old has been linked with a move to Manchester United and the Clarets won’t really stand a chance in that bout.

He said, as per The Sun’s quotes:

“Look, we know Dwight is a player who will certainly go beyond us – but in a positive way. We don’t remotely want to lose good players. But eventually some players will outgrow the club in the sense of a bigger club coming along and buying them because of their skill set.”

McNeil has impressed at Turf Moor since he broke into the senior squad and is one of those emerging talents that could take the stage by storm in the not so distant future.

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The Red Devils already have young players in their forward line such as Daniel James and Marcus Rashford but adding another big talent would do no harm.

But who exactly is McNeil and what makes him so special?

To answer that question, we sought the opinions of those who know him best…

Sean Dyche, Burnley manager

Not many know McNeil better than his current manager, who’s never shied away from showering the youngster with all sorts of praise.

Last season, after Burnley fell to a ravaging Liverpool, the gaffer was still happy with his player’s performance, stating that he has a chance to become one of the best in the future.

Here’s what he said in the post-match press conference, as quoted by Sportskeeda:

“That young man’s got a massive chance of being a top, top player in my opinion.

“He continues to grow. Every time I wonder whether I should leave him out, I think, ‘No, keep the boy playing’. It’s good for him and it’s good for us.

“If he keeps his head down and keeps working like he is doing, he’s got a massive future.”

Mike Rigg, Burnley’s technical director

Rigg is also well-informed when it comes to the development of McNeil and the emergence from his cocoon.

When talking to Training Ground Guru, the technical director heaped praise on the youngster, calling him an “amazing success” and also emphasising how he shows the strength of their academy.

Here’s what he said in full:

“Youth development is about getting players through to your first team, and Dwight has shown the way our club should be doing that. With Dwight having been such an amazing success this year and how he has been developed, that shows what makes this Academy so important.”

Jon Pepper, Burnley academy manager

Pepper has seen McNeil develop into the young player he is today and definitely knows where all the talent and skill has come from, despite arriving at the club a couple of years after the player’s emergence.

He praised the 20-year-old for his hard work and his perseverance, even stating that he could be a role model for the next generation of Burnley youngsters.

Here’s what he said for Training Ground Guru:

“I don’t think he particularly loved the education, but he got his head down, worked hard and exceeded his target grades, all at the same time as he was training with the first team.

“He was in and around the senior side and could have thought, ‘I don’t need to do this,’ but he completed his BTEC programme as part of his scholarship.

“He’s a good role model for the younger lads on and off the pitch and shows you can achieve big things by getting your head down, working hard and listening to the right people.”

Verdict

McNeil really does sounds like a talent capable of going all the way, if he’s properly groomed and managed.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seems to enjoy having younger, high-potential players in the squad and the current Burnley starlet definitely fits the bill.

Mikel Arteta will likely be left full of frustration following his first home match in charge of Arsenal, as familiar problems reared their ugly head to leave the Gunners with just one win from their last 15 matches.

Arsenal started brightly and opened the scoring, but they failed to make their early pressure pay and always looked vulnerable at 1-0, with mistakes from two individual players costing them the points.

First Bernd Leno failed to clear a cross which allowed Jorginho to pounce, and his compatriot Shkodran Mustafi made a multitude of errors as Chelsea broke away for Tammy Abraham to find a late winner.

The centre-back is no stranger to letting his side down and he has often been criticised as a result. Supporters were quick to lament him again as they feel he could have done a lot more to prevent the England striker scoring.

Some of the comments about the German are perhaps a little harsh considering he played well for large parts of the game, though given their desperation for a win it is understandable that they feel so frustrated with him.

However, Mustafi wasn’t solely responsible for costing his side the points or even the second goal, as the team was far too open late on in the match, with Bukayo Saka also nowhere to be seen when the Blues came forward.

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Despite that, many supporters are fed up with Mustafi and have seen one mistake too many from the 27-year-old, who has unsurprisingly been left out of the team on several occasions this season.

Some are keen for him to be moved on from the club, and considering Calum Chambers may be out injured for a while it may be wise for the club to add a defender in January.

Saka may have a lot to learn but Arteta has the skills to improve players, and possibly bring out the best in him.

One of Unai Emery’s first signings when he took over in the summer of 2018, Matteo Guendouzi played a major role in the Arsenal first-team in his debut campaign at the Emirates.

Despite arriving from French Ligue 2 side Lorient, the midfielder grew into an important figure for Emery, helping the Gunners to the Europa League final. He made a mammoth 48 appearances across all competitions last season, playing a whopping 3,040 minutes of football.

In the short spell that Mikel Arteta has been in charge for however, Guendouzi has slipped under the radar, starting just the once against Chelsea before the clash against Leeds United on Monday night. And with a chance to impress his new boss, the Frenchman duly delivered.

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As per Sofascore, the starlet won an incredible 15 duels out of his total of 23, made five tackles and had an impressive 87% pass accuracy – all three of those stats were the team’s highest of players who started the game.

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And after seeing his display, Arsenal fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their midfielder, with a few urging people to give him time and show a bit of patience for his “talent” and “potential”.

A couple of fans hoped Arteta’s arrival would see Guendouzi really kick on in his development, with one supporter in particular suggesting the greater organisation could do wonders for his game.

Another couple of fans praised his heart and commitment to the cause, with one supporter lauding him for never wanting to hide.

Still only 20-years-old, Guendouzi has plenty of room to grow, and it is easy to forget that this season represents only his second in English football’s top-flight. The Frenchman has had to adapt quickly to things at the Emirates, and amidst all the turmoil of Emery’s reign, he is arguably been one of the cornerstones of the side. But with Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka appearing to be the favouring midfield pivot for Arteta, he now has some work to do to make his way back into the first-team.

Meanwhile, Arsenal fans react to this man’s disappointing showing against Leeds United in the FA Cup.

Speaking after Manchester United’s draw with Wolves in the FA Cup, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer singled out Sergio Romero for significant praise after his assured display.

What did he say?

The Red Devils will entertain Nuno Espirito Santo’s men in a replay at Old Trafford after they could only draw 0-0 in their third round clash at Molineux on late Saturday afternoon.

Whilst United’s attack misfired in miserable fashion – they couldn’t register a single shot on target in the entire 90 minutes – Romero delivered a far more commanding display at the other end, making two saves (both of them being from inside the box).

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And speaking after the game, Solskjaer admitted that Romero’s performances have increased the pressure on first-choice goalkeeper David de Gea. When asked if the 6 foot 4 man could replace the Spaniard, he said (as quoted by The Manchester Evening News): “Yes. He was brilliant again, he normally is. Top professional, top human being. And the goalkeeping situation is great because you have competition.

“We have two of the best keepers in the world and it’s great for me, and we want that in every single position. We want competition and Sergio (only) put one foot wrong today when he gave a corner kick. But he was brilliant.”

Knocking on the door

Make no mistake about it, the longer Romero continues to do his job without any real hiccups, Solskjaer will have a major conundrum on his hands. De Gea’s form over the past couple of seasons has been up-and-down to say the least, committing four errors that led directly to goals last season.

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This season has also seen him make high-profile clangers, with the one away at Watford a particularly disastrous moment for the former Atletico Madrid man. Whilst Solskjaer was effusive in his praise of Romero himself, the fact he reiterated that it increases the competition for the number one spot, is a warning to De Gea that he will need to up his game. Otherwise he could find himself out of the team for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, Manchester United fans react to transfer interest in this Premier League midfielder who has outscored many of their first-team stars.

Tottenham Hotspur booked their spot in the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 2-1 win over Middlesbrough on Tuesday night.

Giovani Lo Celso and Erik Lamela scored the goals for the Premier League side, who needed a replay to advance having played out a draw with the Championship outfit at the Riverside Stadium earlier this month.

Ryan Sessegnon again played the full 90 minutes at left-back, with the 19-year-old now settling into life at the club.

The former Fulham youngster has now featured in five of Tottenham’s last six matches in all competitions, and the Spurs fans were pleased with what they saw from him during the clash with Jonathan Woodgate’s side.

Other supporters, though, looked beyond Sessegnon’s performance against Boro and discussed the teenager’s contribution as a whole since making his debut.

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One fan even claimed that he could become the new Gareth Bale, who went from a left-back to a left-sided attacker before leaving for Real Madrid.

Sessegnon will now be hoping to make his sixth Premier League appearance of the season when Jose Mourinho’s side continue their league campaign away to an in-form Watford on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, a number of Tottenham fans have been reacting to a report linking one of their defenders with a move away from the club.

West Ham United youngster Martin Samuelsen has been sold to Hull City for an undisclosed fee, as reported by the club’s official channels.

That is certainly not a move to be ashamed of, but there will have been so much more expected of the fresh-faced Norwegian when he first arrived at West Ham in 2015.

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Some of the replies to the Hammers’ announcement of the move back in 2015 certainly indicates that.

Even now, there were plenty of fans who were furious about his departure with blame being put on the board, suggesting that his talent has been wasted.

However, if we peel back the hype and get to the centre of the issue, it becomes clear that Samuelsen simply hasn’t shown enough to deserve chances at West Ham.

He came straight into the team, playing 31 minutes in the first leg of a Europa League qualifying tie against Maltese side Birkirkara.

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His only other appearance was a one-minute cameo in the return leg, which ended with victory being secured via a penalty shootout.

Since then, he has had loan spells with Peterborough United, Blackburn Rovers and VVV-Venlo. The latest temporary move saw him return to Norway, turning out for FK Haugesund.

During his time with the Eliteserien side, Samuelsen made 28 appearances in total, scoring 10 goals and assisting another four.

It is a decent return, but when considering the lesser standard of the league, it is far from a breathtaking one that would make David Moyes stand up and take notice of him.

The rest of his loan spells, meanwhile, produced just five goals and three assists in 58 appearances.

The reality is that despite there having been plenty of hype around the now-22-year-old, he hasn’t truly stood out enough at any stage to force a manager’s hand.

With that in mind, it was difficult to see him making his way into the first-team, meaning it is for the best that he is allowed to move on.

Meanwhile, one January transfer decision is a damning indictment on Mario Husillos.

According to a new report from Football Insider, AC Milan could line up a shock bid for Nottingham Forest’s 22-year-old ace Matty Cash in an attempt to sign him in the ongoing transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

It seems that the Italian giants have turned their attention to the young player following the injury to their own regular right-back, Davie Calabria, and are in need of some reinforcements.

Football Insider also claim that they are, with that in mind, plotting a late swoop for Cash after being impressed by his recent performances.

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Even though it may be a surprise for a club of Milan’s stature to scout the Championship for possible purchases, the 22-year-old has been one of the best in his position, as the same source explains.

And besides, with the Rossoneri far from a European force they once were, this reported deal suddenly doesn’t sound as shocking as perhaps it is at first glance.

Verdict

Young Cash has been a huge presence for Nottingham Forest in the ongoing 2019/20 campaign.

The 22-year-player ace has already tallied 29 games across all competitions, even netting two goals and providing four assists in the process.

But more importantly, he’s started 25 out of 27 games in the Championship, which just proves how much of an important piece of the puzzle he is for Sabri Lamouchi and co.

Taking him away could, therefore, prove to be easier said than done but if the Rossoneri can come in with a hefty sum, it may test Forest’s resolve.

From the looks of things, a deal would make for a rather good piece of business.

Meanwhile, one of Inter Milan’s players is reportedly on the radar of three big Premier League clubs…

According to a recent report from Cadena SER, Manchester United have been scouting Valencia’s Maxi Gomez this season and were present when he notched a brace against Barcelona last Saturday.

What’s the word, then?

The same source states that Man United already have a list of players they want to see at Old Trafford come next season and Valencia’s young striker is among them.

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Importantly, the young Uruguayan forward was at the heart Valencia’s thrilling win over the Catalonian giants, banging in both of those goals to sink the title chasers and give their new coach his first taste of defeat. All of that while United’s scouts watched from the stands, as the same source states.

As Cadena SER explain, however, the 23-year-old was brought in for €14.5m (£12.2m) with Santi Mina going the other way, and the player has a termination clause of €140m (£118.3m) with a contract until 30 June 2024.

Verdict

With nine goals and three assists in his first 25 games for Valencia, Gomez is slowly but surely showing his worth to the Los Che.

But at 23 years of age, he is still far from the finished product and yet, already a big part of Albert Celades’ jigsaw that he’s currently building at the Mestalla.

Needless to say, losing him would be a big hit for the Bats and Valencia should do their best to keep the young centre-forward at the club as long as they can.

Of course, performances like the one against Barcelona do prove that he is on the right path to becoming a star for the future, and teams like United are bound to come knocking.

But if Valencia truly want to compete with the best, they will have to put their foot down and make sure they have the best in their squad.

With Gomez having a termination clause in his contract, this makes things a bit more complicated but, at the very least, Valencia know they can get a decent compensation for him.

Elsewhere, one Manchester United teenager might be on Sunderland’s radar as we speak…