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Nottingham Forest are in with a good chance of securing a play-off spot in the current campaign under Martin O’Neill if they manage to ensure consistency from here on in. 

The Midlands club are certainly light on numbers in defensive areas at this moment in time as injuries continue to inflict damage on their promotion push.

Indeed, O’Neill will be hoping that his potential January transfer window signings can help launch Nottingham Forest into the play-off places. Although, with there still being plenty of improvements to be had with time running out in the transfer window, he’ll need to get a move on.

With that in mind, this is the Nottingham Forest XI O’Neill should build, with any underlying injuries being thrown out of the window…

THE NOTTINGHAM FOREST XI O’NEILL SHOULD BUILD

Costel Pantilimon has been one of the most consistent performers in the side so far this season, with a number of quality performances already under his belt.

Jack Robinson, Michael Dawson and Tendayi Darikwa are all first-team members who have excelled this season.

But, Nottingham Forest have suffered a number of defensive injuries in the current campaign, which has left them exposed at the back in recent times. But, O’Neill managed to secure the services of Yohan Benalouane recently, so things are definitely looking up in that particular department with time still left to bring more players in.

Jack Colback has been outstanding for the Midlands club so far this season, but Adlene Guedioura hasn’t always been able to ensure consistency. Interestingly, Forest have reportedly (as per Grimsby Live) shown interest in Funso Ojo, a player who could quite easily slot right into the starting XI at the City Ground. He has the ability to intercept and consistently puts in great tackles in the middle of the park, so he could be a real asset.

Joe Lolley has been used to operating on the left-hand side for Forest this season but he could be a real danger through the middle, with the ability to find the back of the net from distance. Meanwhile, Matty Cash has come on leaps and bounds on the opposite flank.

Also, O’Neill is reportedly (as per Football Insider) interested in securing the services of James McClean. The pair know each other well from their time at Sunderland and on the international stage with the Republic of Ireland. Also, the winger could provide an extra attacking spark and valuable experience at the City Ground.

Lastly, Lewis Grabban has the pace and finishing ability to help fire Martin O’Neill’s side into the play-offs.

Nottingham Forest – Thoughts? 

Let us know down below!!!

Everton fans will be concerned with the future of Idrissa Gueye still unresolved on deadline day.

The Senegal international has been a pivotal player for the Blues since joining from Aston Villa back in 2016. Gueye has been ever-present at Goodison Park yet again enjoying a crucial role under Marco Silva. His performances have not gone unnoticed with French champions Paris St Germain aiming (via the Mirror’s transfer blog) to lure the dynamic midfielder to Parc de Princes.

Everton are reportedly unwilling to lose their influential star unless their large asking price is met. The Toffees would have limited time to source a replacement and could be forced to pay a premium themselves.

One man Silva could target is Leicester City lynchpin – Wilfred Ndidi. Valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, the Nigerian midfielder has been an instant hit in the Premier League since joining the club from Genk. Ndidi is improving with every season in England and has been tipped for a big move away from the King Power Stadium in the future.

The 22-year-old has been in fine form once again in the current campaign and has been a shining light in a poor season under Claude Puel. Ndidi’s arrival would easily replace the layer of protection that Gueye offered the Blues defence as he has averaged an impressive 3.2 tackles per game this season. Ndidi also reads the game expertly, completing 1.9 interceptions per 90 minutes in the league (WhoScored). Leicester would demand a large fee for their prized asset but Gueye’s sale should give the Toffees plenty of funds to tempt them into a sale.

The Nigeria international is still developing and would be a star midfielder on Merseyside for years to come.

Everton fans, thoughts?

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer drafted centre-back Phil Jones into his Manchester United starting XI on Saturday. The Red Devils’ fine form continued on the day with a 3-0 win over strugglers Fulham at Craven Cottage. 

A Paul Pogba brace and a fine strike from Anthony Martial was enough to earn all three points for the visitors, who remain unbeaten under Solskjaer. The Norwegian coach will also be pleased to have seen his side keep another clean sheet, which Jones played his part in preserving.

On top of that, the 26-year-old also registered an assist for Martial’s goal, and came close to scoring himself when his long-range effort provoked a smart stop from Sergio Rico.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

The 27-cap England international recently signed a new long-term contract at Old Trafford. His performance against the Cottagers may have gone some way to convincing fans that offering him new terms was a smart move on United’s part.

After the game against Fulham, plenty of United fans took to Twitter to applaud Jones’ contribution…

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The eulogisers were out in full force to lavish praise on a complete Tottenham Hotspur performance against Borussia Dortmund but, in the midst of the hype surrounding the likes of Son Heung-min and Jan Vertonghen, the excellent performance of Juan Foyth slipped under the radar.

The injury sustained by Danny Rose against Leicester City on Sunday forced Vertonghen to slot in at left-back, paving the way for Foyth to make his Champions League bow on the right side of a central defensive tio.

Mauricio Pochettino left his compatriot out of his squad for the group stages, but a series of impressive domestic performances and the sale of Mousa Dembele opened up a vacancy for a spot in the knockout stages.

And it’s safe to say this was a huge indicator of what’s to come from the budding 21-year-old prodigy. Without setting the world alight, Foyth was excellent throughout both defensively and in possession.

Foyth set the tone for his performance with just a few minutes on the clock when he calmly turned his opposite number and dribbled out of trouble before delivering the ball into Harry Winks’ feet, leaving Spurs hearts in mouths all the while.

It was the type of bravery which separates the good from the great ball-playing defenders, and there were certainly shades of Manchester City’s John Stones in the performance.

The mistakes Foyth has made already this season could easily have forced him to compromise his ball-playing principles and simply boot the ball into row Z, but he showcased a commitment to the philosophy which Pep Guardiola and Stones, valued at £54 million by Transfermarkt, will naturally admire.

During a period of time in which Stones was coming under huge pressure to play it safe rather than play out from the back after making a handful of errors, Guardiola jumped to his defence, per The Independent.

“John Stones has more personality than all of us here together in this room.

“More balls than everyone here. I like that. I love him. Under pressure, the people criticise him, so I am delighted to have John. With all his huge amount of mistakes. I love him. I love guys with this personality.”

That’s exactly what Foyth showed on his European bow: balls and personality.

Sure, his balls almost cost Spurs in the first-half when he was dispossessed on the edge of his own area, but his performance was verging on flawless aside from that one minor error.

The statistics read favourably for Foyth at full-time, with four interceptions – joint-highest with Vertonghen – two key passes and two dribbles illuminating his quality at both ends of the pitch.

A marauding run down the touchline in the first-half showcased his forward-thinking instinct and his composure to find a Spurs shirt in promising positions; it was just a shame that Christian Eriksen couldn’t prevent his strike from ballooning into the Wembley sky and harmlessly over the crossbar.

There are certainly parallels to be drawn between the respective styles of both Stones and Foyth.

Guardiola’s prodigy has blossomed into a key senior player and stamped out mistakes without changing his style, and on the evidence of the Argentine’s ballsy performance against Dortmund he looks well-equipped to follow a comparable path to the Premier League winner at Tottenham.

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Loads of Everton fans have been reflecting on one of the weirdest transfers in recent history, as Wednesday marked Eliaquim Mangala’s 28th birthday.

Everton have had real trouble transforming their defence in recent years, seemingly in a constant search for their next iconic back four as players like Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka reach the end of their time at the top level.

While the likes of Lucas Digne and Kurt Zouma are showing signs of being long-term Goodison favourites, the same could not be said for Mangala, who joined the Toffees on loan in January 2018.

The French international cost Manchester City a whopping £32m back in 2014, but has made just 57 league appearances for the Cityzens in nearly five years, with none of those coming this campaign.

His loan move to Everton was of course designed to help him re-gain form and fitness, and he did the complete opposite, injuring his knee in his debut against Crystal Palace.

He made just two league appearances for Everton, and now fails to even make the bench back at the Etihad.

Many fans have been discussing the defender, perhaps because his disastrous move sums up their transfer activity in recent years, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

West Ham United could receive a massive attacking injection should they secure the services of Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata in the summer.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, via HITC, Zapata could become available for a reported fee of around £43m.

The 27-year-old joined Atalanta on loan from Sampdoria last summer and could be open for a move to the Premier League should the Hammers offer him the correct amount of money.

Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio recently reported that West Ham were keen on pinning him down in the January transfer market but had a bid of £35m rejected.

Atalanta, though, want to cash in Zapata but first have to sign him on a permanent deal from Sampdoria before eventually selling him again. Indeed, the Hammers looked set to lose Marko Arnautovic in the January window but the Austrian international decided to stay put at the London Stadium, until the end of the season at least.

Should he, however, leave West Ham in the summer then the club will have a massive void to fill and the talent of Zapata should make him an obvious target.

Manuel Pellegrini’s first season in charge of the East London club hasn’t gone the way he would’ve hoped and will be eager to have a structured and organised squad for next season.

And the addition of a clinical striker like Zapata could fit his style of playing very well.

The Colombian international has been in devastating form in the Serie A this campaign and has a great record in front of goal.

21 Goals and six assists in all competitions have made him a lethal threat up-front in Italian football.

Playing alongside players like Felipe Anderson, Robert Snodgrass and Michail Antonio, Zapata could become quite a hit in the Premier League and might finally put West Ham in a position to challenge for a Europa League spot.

Crystal Palace will be desperate to secure a positive result against Watford tomorrow after suffering defeat at the hands of Manchester United at Selhurst Park last time out. 

The Eagles will be focused on climbing up the table and away from relegation trouble in the current campaign, with consistency being the main focus from here on in.

However, fans have been slightly worried about the future of one of the club’s current stars in recent times, as according to talkSport, Manchester United have identified Aaron Wan-Bissaka as a summer target.

The last thing that Palace would want is to lose the 21-year-old as he’s established himself as one of their standout performers in the current campaign, as well as one of England’s brightest talents. But, with Man United possibly willing to spend a large amount of money in the summer, perhaps Wan-Bissaka will end up being sold.

One man who Palace must target as his potential replacement is Chelsea’s Reece James, who has spent the current campaign on loan at Championship side Wigan Athletic.

Indeed, the youngster has come on leaps and bounds at the DW Stadium as one of the best full-backs in the Championship, and Palace have already been linked (as per The Sun) with a move for him.

James has all the ingredients to become a future star in the Premier League and he could definitely fill the potential void left by Wan-Bissaka as he’s been a constant danger down the right-hand side for Wigan this season, with his pace, skill, dribbling and crossing ability constantly causing problems for the opposition.

However, one slight worry will be whether Chelsea would actually let him go in the summer, as they may want to make use of him next season after being hit with a transfer ban recently.

Crystal Palace fans – Thoughts? 

Liverpool missed out on the chance to go top of the Premier League after a goalless draw with Merseyside neighbours Everton on Sunday.

The Reds would have been sitting top of the pile if they had beaten the Toffees at Goodison Park, but the draw sees Manchester City still top, one point clear of Jurgen Klopp’s outfit.

However, the Merseyside derby, which was far from a classic on the pitch, did throw up one moment of comedy gold after its conclusion.

Jurgen Klopp was not happy with just a point in a game they should have breezed through and not only did he blame it on Mohamed Salah’s poor finishing in his post match interview, but also the wind.

Speaking to Sky Sports after Sunday’s clash, Klopp said: “I know people don’t like when I say that but, the wind was coming from all directions and did not help any football.”

You’d expect this kind of excuse to be used by a Sunday League manager, but not one of England’s most decorated clubs.

Quite the character, this is not the first time Klopp has blamed the wind as the reason for a poor result. In fact, used the same excuse following Liverpool’s FA Cup exit against Wolves earlier this season.

The German is clearly not a stranger to unusual excuses, as he also accused Manchester City of growing their grass out deliberately in order to stop Liverpool’s fast flowing football in their 2-1 defeat at the Etihad earlier in the campaign.

Dry grass has also been a victim to Jurgen’s wrath when, in 2017, Liverpool failed to beat Southampton at Anfield. Klopp said after that result: “I know nobody wants to hear it, but I’m brave enough to say the grass was to dry.”

The worst of Klopp’s excuses came when he accused BT Sport of dictating the maximum amount of added time that the referee could issue at the end of their FA Cup defeat to West Brom in January 2018.

It could be argued that the Liverpool boss has a point when it comes to the wind and other factors that could cause results to go against the club but at the same, he should not be using them as excuses as often and as publicly as he has been.

However, with players being paid thousands of pounds a week to perform at the very pinnacle of the beautiful game, surely a bit of a wind should not affect their performances. After all, the opposition are playing in the same conditions.

All the silly excuses a side, could Liverpool be throwing away yet another chance of winning England’s most glamorous trophy.

The last time Liverpool come close to winning their first ever Premier League crown was in the 2013/14, when Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip at Anfield led to a 2-0 to Chelsea before they threw away a five point lead at the top of the league with just three games remaining, gifting the title to Manchester City instead.

With Klopp’s side showing early signs of a repeat of that monumental collapse five years ago, can Liverpool recover to finally secure their name on England’s top trophy? Will Klopp be sacked if they don’t? And what will his excuse be if that happens?

Excuses, slips and long grass aside, Liverpool and Manchester City are perfectly in place to ensure there is an exciting title race to come, which should go down to the wire.

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Leeds United returned to the top of the Championship table with a comfortable 3-0 win over strugglers Reading at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday.

Midfielder Mateusz Klich opened the scoring for the Whites, before a Pablo Hernandez brace sealed the points. 

One man who failed to get on the scoreboard, though, was the visitors’ No. 9 Patrick Bamford. Whilst he produced a delightful dummy to help set up Klich’s opener, the 6’1” striker missed a host of chances himself to add to his tally of six goals from 14 league outings so far this season.

Marcelo Bielsa will be desperately hoping that these spurned chances don’t knock the forward’s confidence too much, as with Kemar Roofe still sidelined with injury Bamford represents the Whites’ only available out-and-out first team centre-forward.

Who has been the Championship’s best player this season? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

Not only do Leeds need Bamford to be fit, but they need him to be in form too. Bielsa’s side face a huge clash with fellow promotion-chasers Sheffield United at Elland Road this weekend. The 25-year-old must take his chances against the Blades.

Many will be hoping that his toils against Reading only serve to fuel his determination to prove his quality on Saturday.

After the win over the Royals, plenty of Leeds fans took to Twitter to discuss what they saw from Bamford…

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Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Rennes winger Ismaila Sarr in recent months, and their fans finally got a chance to see him in the flesh during their 3-1 Europa League defeat against the Ligue 1 outfit on Thursday night.

On the chalkboard

The 21-year-old has the versatility to play on either wing but started on the right against the Gunners in the round of 16 tie, and he certainly caused plenty of issues for Nacho Monreal using his pace and dribbling ability.

Like opponent Alex Iwobi, who is much improved but still sometimes continues to put in inconsistent performances for the north London outfit despite being a first-team regular, the Senegal international found the net late on with a header to give the French club an advantage ahead of the second leg at the Emirates Stadium.

Sarr has scored 10 goals and provided nine assists in 37 appearances in all competitions for Rennes during the current campaign.

Better than Iwobi?

In a word, no.

And the award for most enthusiastic celebration of a goal scored in the last week goes to the fan in the video below…

There may well have been a debate as to whether the youngster would be an upgrade on the Nigeria international should he sign for Arsenal, but despite his goal and general threat you would have to say he wouldn’t be on this display.

He showed the same weaknesses we often see in the 22-year-old’s game, and highlighted that he doesn’t always have a good end product.

While he made two key passes in 90 minutes – Iwobi made one in 52 minutes before he was substituted off – he also suffered from bad control on 10 occasions, was dispossessed three times and made little contribution from a defensive point of view – something which is needed in the Premier League.

All in all, it was difficult to see how splashing out on the African attacker would solve any of the Gunners’ issues, and they would be better off developing the talented player they already have at their disposal instead.