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As it looks more certain that Burnley will be relegated next season, many of their key players have started to look for other clubs.

The Clarets’ right-back Kieran Trippier has been linked with Stoke and Southampton already this season, but it seems Liverpool are also now interested in joining in the fight for him.

The 24-year-old is likely to remain in the top flight after enjoying an excellent season for the Northern club and the Reds are confident of landing Trippier on the cheap, as they are keen to strengthen their defensive options over the summer. This is despite the Englishman only being one year into a three-year contract at Turf Moor.

Boss Brendan Rodgers has reportedly been linked with the Burnley defender, alongside fellow target Danny Ings. Current right-back Glen Johnson hasn’t agreed a new contract yet as they are in talks about his earnings, so Rodgers is keen to identify other options as soon as possible.

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Last year, Liverpool were accused of becoming the new Southampton after signing a number of players from Saint Mary’s, but many fans are hoping they don’t become the new Burnley after they have been linked with no fewer than four of the bottom club’s players.

Rodgers believes he has seen potential in Trippier, and he has been one of the shining lights for a club that has struggled in the highest tier of English football.

Despite Burnley being at the bottom of the League, Trippier’s stats are quite impressive. He has four assists this season and has been shown no red cards and only two yellows for the campaign. This is remarkable when you consider just how many attacks the Claret’s defensive has come under this season.

The club has let in 56 goals since August in the Premier League, but Trippier’s key passes has helped his team attack as well as showing excellent defending skills. One of Trippier’s key assets is his ability to be able to pass long balls with pinpoint precision. In Burnley’s recent game against West Ham he cut off 11 crosses and made eight clearances, which has started to become the ‘norm’ for the Burnley defender.

But if Johnson refuses to sign a new contract with Liverpool then Trippier is not neccessarily the right signing for the club. He has shown talent and a potential to grow as a player, but he is not ready to go on and play week in, week out at that level of football.

As a defender who is there to develop then he would be a great signing. Rodgers could really get the best out of the Englishman who started his career at Manchester City, but he still has a lot to learn and a long way to go before he is playing constant football for a club so far up the League as Liverpool.

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Rodgers needs to sort out his current but while Trippier is one for the future, he isn’t ready to compete at the level Liverpool want to reach.

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Swansea’s interest in Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku could scupper West Brom’s hopes of signing him for a second season-long loan spell.

The Blues striker has impressed while on loan with the Baggies this season but he will return to Stamford Bridge once the campaign is over when the next step of his development will be decided upon.

Baggies chief Steve Clarke has made no secret of his desire to have the 19-year-old Belgium international back at the Hawthorns next term following his impressive haul of 13 goals to date.

However, Swansea are now thought to be keen to get Lukaku on board for a busy campaign which will involve extra matches in the Europa League.

Swans boss Michael Laudrup is keen to draft in a new striker to take some of the pressure off Michu and Celta Vigo’s Iago Aspas is also on his list of targets.

The Swans would no doubt hold an advantage with regards to signing Lukaku given that they will be able to offer the teenager an opportunity to sample European football at the Liberty Stadium.

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The race for the Premier League Golden Boot has heated up between Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah.As it stands, there will be a straight shootout between the pair in the closing stages of the season, with Salah leading the way on 29 and Kane just on his opponent’s shoulder with 25.Manchester City hitman Sergio Aguero is not sitting too far behind with 21 goals to his name, but the Argentine has not scored in the top flight since February.Tottenham have added a bit of spice to the rivalry by launching an appeal to get Christian Eriksen’s winning goal against Stoke City switched to Harry Kane.https://video.footballfancast.com/video-2015/harry-kane-100.mp4The England international insisted that he got a touch on the ball before his teammate’s free kick hit the back of the net during Spurs’ 2-1 triumph last weekend, and the Premier League’s Goal Accreditation Appeals Panel has agreed.A statement from the league has confirmed that Tottenham’s appeal was successful, which means that Kane, who is hunting for a third successive Golden Boot, has closed the gap to four goals.Unsurprisingly, Liverpool fans were quick to mock Kane for an apparent desperation to add to his goal tally, and even Salah himself appeared baffled at the lengths that Spurs went to.

Kane has a slight edge heading into the run-in given that his team have six games left to play, while the Reds have one fewer, so with that in mind, will the 24-year-old pip Salah to the honour?

Let us know by voting below…

Louis van Gaal is a complex character. The Dutchman is considered to be one of the best managers to have every worked at the highest level, with a proven record in Spain, Germany and the Netherlands justifying just that and illustrating why Manchester United turned to him in their summer of need.

There have been stories – exposing himself in the Bayern Munich dressing room – that have done the rounds, but now MUTV have given us a glance behind the headlines to see the real LVG, and there are some excellent quotes and snippets to pick up from it.

From being a “flexible” lover to just what he demands from his players, it’s all here:

He’s a love machine…

“(I am very flexible) my wife knows this!” *shudders* Too much information, Louis.

Midfield tortoise…

“I was a slow player so I had to think very quickly,

“That’s why I developed a tactical level that suits me now as a trainer coach.”

Bad driver…

“It’s like somebody coming to England like Louis van Gaal who has to drive with the steering at the other side,

“You have to learn that. I could have forced many accidents but I was fortunate I didn’t do that. I was lucky but it was always going better so I don’t have to warn people in my neighbourhood!”

Yes, Louis… it’s just like that!

The road theme continues…

“He has a road map in front of you and he tells you which direction he wants you to go.” The words of Ronald de Boer.

Witness the fitness

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RVP: “To play for him you have to be really fit. What he asks from players is not what other coaches ask from other players.” No chance of signing Charlie Adam then!

He’s a playaaaaaaaa

“With men sometimes he is fighting but with ladies Louis van Gaal is playing the violin.” A friend from his time at Bayern Munich spills the beans.

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The door to his office is always open…

“He always says if you ever want to speak to him about anything you can” Said Wayne Rooney. “His door is always open. He’s 100 per cent serious (about that). You can speak to him about things other than football and he’s a really nice guy.”

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Party animal

“We had a party in the town (following a title victory). He is a party monster – it was the Louis van Gaal show.” A colleague during his time at Bayern.

No words… just vines!

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‘Strike while the iron is hot’ will be the message Paul Lambert relays to his Aston Villa squad this weekend. Three wins in four games has lifted Villa out of the relegation zone with the recent resurgence showing no signs of letting up at Stoke last week. Home form will be key to their survival as will keeping Christian Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor amongst the goals. The strike duo have scored in recent wins over Reading, QPR and Stoke and have provided a cutting edge Villa have lacked for much of the campaign. The possibility of ending Saturday six points clear of the bottom three is a very real one and would put Lambert’s in a commanding position with games against Manchester United and Chelsea looming large.

Fulham have managed just three wins on their travels all season and head to the Midlands wounded after being undone by Newcastle in injury time the previous Sunday. That was the Cottagers’ first defeat in five games with their impressive recent form lifting them to tenth in table and allowing them to see out the remainder of the season stress free. However, even with relegation all but out of the question, Jol is unlikely to leave anything to chance and will demand his side respond to last weeks defeat in the appropriate manner. To do that Fulham will need to break new Premier League ground and win at Villa Park for the first time as a top-flight club.

Team News

Aston Villa have Darren Bent and Ciaran Clake back in contention for the visit of Fulham but Chris Herd, Marc Albrighton (both foot) and defender Richard Dunne (groin) remain sidelined.

Fulham will assess midfielder Eyong Enoh before kick-off after he injured his ankle against Newcastle last Sunday. Steve Sidwell (suspension), Ashkan Dejagah (ankle) and Mahamadou Diarra (knee) are also unavailable to manager Martin Jol.

What the managers said…

“He is hot property. If you wanted to prise Christian away from here you would want a sizeable cheque, that is for sure. He has the potential to be fantastic. If you look at modern day figures then £25m is probably a good start. “He has only been here seven or eight months. I will wait until the end of the season and I will sit with people.” Paul Lambert says star striker Christian Benteke is worth more than £25m (BBC Sport)

“If you see Villa’s results, they have got quality. They have got Christian Benteke, Andreas Weimann, Gabriel Agbonlahor, even Darren Bent on the bench. People keep telling me that they are young but I think they changed their system as well. They’ve had some fantastic results – if you think about Liverpool away from home a couple of months ago, for example.” Martin Jol is wary of the threat Aston Villa pose (SkySports)

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Pre-Match Statistic: Aston Villa have conceded six goals from penalties this season – the most in the Premier League.

Prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 Fulham

Make your bets ahead of the showdown at Villa Park by clicking on the banner below

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According to Belgian outlet HLN, Newcastle are lining up a summer swoop for Gent winger Moses Simon.

What’s the story?

The Magpies were present to watch Simon in action when Nigeria played Serbia last week.

While many suspected the club were there purely to check in on Aleksandar Mitrović, the report claims they also had a presence at Nigeria’s friendly against Sweden.

Rafa Benitez is desperate to keep hold of Kenedy this summer, but Simon’s versatility could give extra options across the front three whether the Brazilian sticks around or not.

HLN claims the player is aware of Newcastle’s interest and is dreaming of a move to the Premier League.

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Good addition for Newcastle?

Valued at £4.5million by Transfermarkt, Simon is great with both feet, and can play anywhere across the front three, meaning Benitez could potentially partner the Nigerian international with the likes of Kenedy and Dwight Gayle.

His most appealing trait is his blistering pace, which coupled with his direct dribbling style has wowed spectators in Belgium this season.

The 22 year-old is still a little raw, and will need to improve his end product, though he has managed five goals and two assists in 20 league games this season.

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At just 22, there is still plenty of room for improvement for Simon, who has already earned 16 international caps for Nigeria. His contract will enter its last year this summer, meaning a move for the winger would not be a particularly pricey one.

While he is not going to transform the Magpies’ attack, Simon could be a great long-term signing and a versatile cog in Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle machine.

Newcastle fans, would you like to see a move for Simon this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Harry Redknapp has had an extensive managerial career spanning 32 years, though his recent departure from Queens Park Rangers for medical reasons has left many asking whether it is now over.

Redknapp has years of experience, from starting at Bournemouth to West Ham, Southampton, Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur then finally QPR though the 67-year old may have reached the end.

A cash-rich job in Dubai – less stressful than the rigours of the Premier League – has been recently rumoured to be a new opportunity for Redknapp and this certainly appears suited to his situation. Recent years have suggested this is a tiring man who is rapidly nearing the end of his career.

Redknapp’s spell at Queens Park Rangers can only be considered a failure overall, starting with the inability to keep the R’s in the Premier League after taking over in November 2012.

Though this was understandable as Redknapp inherited a mess of overpaid players faltering in the table with a discernible lack of team cohesion. However he must take responsibility for what followed.

In the Championship Redknapp led Rangers to promotion but in the most unconvincing fashion possible. In the Play-Off Final they were outclassed by an excellent Derby County side until a late Bobby Zamora strike secured an undeserving victory.

Considering that Rangers had a wage bill greater than La Liga champions Atletico Madrid, and a squad rife with Premier League experience, automatic promotion should have been a minimum expectation. They finished accumulatively 35 points behind fellow promoted sides Leicester City and Burnley, both holding far smaller budgets, particularly the Clarets.

A squad including Charlie Austin, Joey Barton, Richard Dunne, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Rob Green, Jermaine Jenas, Niko Kranjcar, Nedum Onuoha, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Bobby Zamora should not have needed the Play-Offs. Naturally the fact they did leads to questions over Redknapp and his managerial abilities.

Rangers said this season they would avoid making the same mistakes of their last Premier League stint but this has not appeared to happen.

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Summer signings Steven Caulker, Leroy Fer, Rio Ferdinand, Mauricio Isla, Sandro and Eduardo Vargas have largely failed despite huge investment.

The idea that Redknapp left due to not gaining the January transfer window backing that he wanted certainly has plenty of legs – resigning at 5:30am just after it shut is naturally suspicious.

Redknapp is known for his deadline day antics, most notably the brilliant Van Der Vaart signing from Real Madrid when at Spurs, but cut a frustrated figure as, understandably, Tony Fernandes refused to put more funds in.

No signings were made despite Redknapp apparently spending all day at the training ground. However, given the strength of their current squad in domestic and international experience who can blame Fernandes for saying work ‘with what you’ve got.’ This continued despite the income of £5m from selling Jordan Mutch to Crystal Palace, not trusting Redknapp to spend the money wisely.

Redknapp has no excuses for the dire situation in which he left the club, 19th in the Premier League and outclassed 3-0 at home against League One opposition Sheffield United in the FA Cup. Under the 67-year-old they lost 11 consecutive away games, a Premier League record.

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The wage bill and investment is one most managers surrounding QPR in the table could only dream of and Redknapp should take responsibility for his failure – QPR club are in an even worse situation than when took over more than two years back.

The 67 year-old now faces an uphill challenge in recovering from this failure, regaining his health and showing that his managerial style can work once again.

Though his achievement with Spurs in the 2010-2011 UEFA Champions League season will always be fondly remembered, Redknapp has been largely unsuccessful since. His recent record, and frustrated public demeanour suggests the managerial career might be over.

A return to a less stressful coaching or advisory role might well be the future for the 67 year-old.

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Liverpool is a football club in transition. With the appointment of Brendan Rodgers it has become clear that the squad needs to be built for the future, and although they are striving for a top four finish this season, it appears to be a less likely feat as every game passes by.

So how can the Reds return to the glory years? Perhaps not of the 1980’s, but at least a revival of recent times when Liverpool were considered to be one of the “Big Four” that had a grip of the Premier League and were in constant competition with each other for the league title.

Well, here are ten signings that may help that dream become a reality. Some are experienced footballers that could stop the rot at Anfield, others are smart business acquisitions, and a few are potential wonder-kids who could really make a difference in a few years.

Click on Keisuke Honda to check out the top ten signings that could change Liverpool’s fortunes

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There will still be time to make amends, but Saturday’s clash at the London Stadium feels like an all-or-nothing encounter for West Ham and Southampton.

A win will give them three vital points and a huge boost of confidence ahead of tricky final run-ins; a defeat will cement them at the very heart of the Premier League’s relegation battle with just a handful of games remaining.

So, ahead of what appears a season-defining fixture for both clubs, which manager faces the bigger injury problems, how will they look to set up their sides, and who enters the 3pm kickoff in better form? Here’s everything you need to know ahead of West Ham vs Southampton…

Form Guide

Recent form doesn’t make particularly positive reading for either side heading into the weekend. While Saints will feel somewhat more positive than West Ham, having lost just twice in their last six Premier League games and sealed a huge win over Wigan before the international break, there has been a mere two-point difference from their previous six results in the top flight. That is despite Liverpool being the only member of the big six either club has faced during that time.

In terms of clean sheets and goals scored too, the gap between the Hammers and Saints is once again marginal – they’ve picked up just one clean sheet apiece, while Southampton have netted one more than West Ham’s miserly six strikes. Scoring goals has been a real problem for both teams; although West Ham at least boast two players with two goals to their name, Southampton’s top scorer from the last six has been centre-back Jack Stephens. Accordingly, Saints fans will be desperate for Charlie Austin to return to the fold this weekend.

Team News

Having lost the last three games by conceding a staggering eleven goals, we’re predicting a real shakeup from David Moyes this Saturday – not least because he’ll have some key players absent through injury as well. Indeed, although there are only three changes in personnel from the starting XI that lost 3-0 to Burnley last time out, the structure of the team could drastically change from a dysfunctional 3-4-3 to a 4-2-3-1.

That should give West Ham more offensive threat with Javier Hernandez brought back into the team to lead the line, closely supported by three attacking players in Michail Antonio, Marko Arnautovic and Joao Mario. The other big talking point is who will start between the sticks. After failing to get on the pitch for England and committing a huge error against the Clarets before the international break, we’re tipping Adrian to come in for Joe Hart.

Having picked up a momentum-building 2-0 win over Wigan using 4-4-2, we’re expecting Mark Hughes to stick to the same system for a game that Southampton really need to win, once again addressing Saints’ shortage of goals this season by deploying two strikers with Manolo Gabbiadini tucking in just behind January signing Guido Carrillo.

In fact, the only predicted change from the starting XI at the DW Stadium is winger Nathan Redmond coming in for Sofiane Boufal. The Moroccan showed glimpses of his quality against the League One outfit but after an hour was replaced by the English attacker – who linked up with Cedric Soares to assist the Portuguese international for the late second goal.

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Of course, the big selection question rests on Charlie Austin, Saints’ top scorer this season who has been sorely missed in recent months. We reckon a starting berth will be just too much for him, but if he’s available Hughes will surely include the former QPR man in the matchday squad.

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When Louis van Gaal first presented Radamel Falcao as a Manchester United player at the beginning of the season, most within the footballing community expected the Red Devils to up their game from last year, and produce a successful campaign that saw the club return to their former glories.

Whilst such an achievement is still very  much possible for van Gaal this season, Manchester United are just nowhere near as formidable, exciting and as mentally strong as they were under Sir Alex Ferguson.

This summer’s ‘Galacticos’ inspired signings have hardly made the impact many would have expected, with Radamel Falcao taking the lion’s share of complaints among the new faces at Old Trafford this season. Since the Colombian has failed to make any meaningful impact at his new club, does Falcao have a future at United, or is it only a matter of time before he is shipped out?

Although he is only on loan from French outfit AS Monaco, Radamel Falcao’s reported wages and high profile status make him a player who was really meant to do the business for van Gaal. We all know what this former Atletico striker is capable of – he is quick on the turn, proficient at linking up play with the rest of his teammates, and has the ability to rise like a salmon in the air.

The United no. 9 is also famed for his goal-scoring capabilities and dangerous nature in the opposition’s third, both at club level and with the Colombian national side. Only through injury did Falcao miss out on the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where if he were present alongside James Rodriguez, Colombia really could have gone a lot further in the competition.

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Goal-scoring is not something that has come easy to the United hit-man this season however. Only three league goals recorded for the Red Devils this campaign is simply not good enough for a player as good as Falcao. Yes – injuries have certainly had their role to play in slowing down the progress of Manchester United’s latest star, but as he is playing alongside the likes of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Angel Di Maria and Juan Mata, Falcao really has failed to live up to initial expectation.

That said, Louis van Gaal would be mad to let the Colombian go this early into his United career. Now that the prized striker has had his adequate settling-in period in the Premier League, 2015 should spark the turning point in which Radamel Falcao really gets going. His form may have completely left him right now, but we all know that class is permanent, and Falcao’s class is simply undeniable even at this stage in his career.

There may be sensational talk of Gareth Bale quitting Madrid to come and play at Old Trafford, but seeing as these stories mostly circulate without any real foundation, United fans will likely have to approach this January transfer window with a degree of caution. They already have world renowned stars within their ranks, and even if they aren’t quite doing the business for van Gaal at the moment, it is simply only a matter of time before the likes of Radamel Falcao find their feet in the Premier League.

Seeing as both Chelsea and Manchester City have made steady progress in securing the league title in the first half of the season however, a period of months in which Manchester United have been anything but steady, perhaps Falcao’s chance to be a hero at Old Trafford may have already passed him by.

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If enough faith and trust is placed in the Colombian however, the footballing world will soon forget about Radamel Falcao’s brief dry spell in front of goal.

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