[ad_pod ]I don’t need to tell you much about the feud between Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho at Manchester United; just whack either of their names into Twitter or Google and hundreds of articles will appear on the topic.At a club that has a global reputation as significant as United’s, and for a player of Pogba’s unerring marketability, it was particularly foolish of Mourinho to pick a fight with a player that cost the club £89m, has over 6m Twitter followers and more than 30m on Instagram – the Frenchman’s commercial worth to a club obsessive over these exact qualities was always going to see him win his battle with the Portuguese boss.The 25-year-old wasted no time in reacting to his former boss’ sacking. Just 46 minutes after the Red Devils announced that the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss would be leaving, Pogba uploaded a picture along with the tagline ‘Caption this!’

You don’t need to be an expert in body language to see that the former Juventus star’s facial expression is one that says: “You really thought you could challenge me and win, huh?” Additionally, the fact that Pogba deleted this post soon after it was uploaded tells you all you need to know.

Off the pitch, the World Cup winner is eccentric to say the least. He is constantly mocking up new dance moves with teammates, ‘dabbing’ or what not, and just being overly loud in general.

Perhaps it was a generational thing why Mourinho visibly detested him so much, even calling him a ‘virus’, or maybe the 55-year-old is just becoming a grumpy old man who is just ‘Yer Da’ but just happens to be a huge figure in the footballing world.

On the pitch, however, there is no way that you can argue that a player who has won countless titles, numerous individual awards – including being named in the FIFA World XI for 2015 – and has so much swagger and confidence in general could perform so pitifully and uselessly unintentionally – his woeful performances under Mourinho could easily be argued as being an act of sabotage, and he now has what he wanted.

As the club’s record signing Pogba can now truly step up and show the world that it was in fact Mourinho who was holding him back, and he must replicate the brilliant performances he showed for his country in the summer as they won the 2018 World Cup for his club.

He has won the battle to be the alpha male at Old Trafford, but with no new challenger in sight, he must show that he can be a leader and an inspiration; if he still under performs in this post-Mourinho era, there aren’t many excuses left for a player thoroughly out-of-sorts.

Which big 6 club needs to do the most business in January? Check out what the Playmaker FC squad think in the video below…

[ad_pod ]Leeds United have been boosted by the news that Liam Cooper is back in training with the club following a knee problem.Cooper has missed Leeds’ last two Championship matches after picking up the injury during the clash with Sheffield United on December 1.The 27-year-old underwent knee surgery in Italy, but has returned to training sooner than expected, which is a huge boost to the Whites.It is extremely unlikely that Cooper will be able to face Aston Villa in the Championship this weekend, but the central defender could be in line to return to action during the festive period, despite initially being ruled out until 2019.The Leeds fans have been offering their views on Cooper’s return, with the club posting a video of the 6ft ace on the training field.And it would be fair to say that the majority are absolutely delighted.A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Playmaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

It’s absolutely no coincidence that supporters of both Manchester City and West Ham United hold Pablo Zabaleta in such high regard. 

The modern game is flooded with immensely talented footballers who are more concerned with their image and lacking the burning passion which supporters expect to see for their financial investment.

It can be difficult to watch a player shirk a 50-50 after you’ve spent the best part of £100 – and the rest – to go and watch your beloved side in action.

Pablo Zabaleta, however, is on the opposite end of the spectrum. During his prime the Argentine was one of the most effective overlapping full-backs in the division, despite his lack of pace and no-nonsense approach.

But above all it has always been Zabaleta’s old-fashioned approach, willingness to give absolutely everything for the side and patch himself up following a blood-stained head injury which have endeared him to the supporters.

The Hammers faithful will regretfully wave goodbye to Zabaleta at the end of the season when he will officially retire from football, but a recent report from Sky Sports suggests a similar character could be set to arrive at the London Stadium, namely Gary Medel.

According to the report, West Ham officials are set to travel to Turkey this week to advance negotiations over a January deal for Besiktas’ versatile midfielder.

It’s no coincidence that Boca Juniors, Sevilla and Inter Milan are all detailed on his impressive CV and, while supporters may have qualms over the signing due to his age and mixed spell with Cardiff City, he is exactly the type of player who could become a fan-favourite on the terraces at the London Stadium.

Like Zabaleta, Medel is a functional player who relishes a battle and embodies the spirit of a past-era which is rapidly diminishing in modern day football.

Sure, sometimes Medel’s enthusiasm for adopting an aggressive approach can spill overboard, but with the right guidance and discipline from Pellegrini he could become a shrewd addition to the squad,

West Ham are short of options in central midfield and Medel could add a further layer of combative spirit in a midfield anchor role to support Declan Rice.

Medel may not command widespread enthusiasm among the fanbase, but if Pellegrini can handle his hot-headed personality and translate it into colossal performances in-front of the back-four, his sceptics will end of hailing another Zabeleta-type figure by the end of the season.

West Ham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

According to the results of our recent poll, 64 per cent of Sunderland fans think that attacking midfielder Lynden Gooch is worth over £6m, with the majority believing that he should be valued between £6m-£9m.

The 23-year-old is an extremely gifted player and he has been in fine form so far this season for new manager Jack Ross. However, his current contract is set to expire at the end of this campaign and with him being such a valuable player the Black Cats will need to ensure they don’t lose him on the cheap in January, or perhaps worse, on a free transfer in the summer.

Gooch can play on either wing and would be an asset for most clubs in the English Football League, so Sunderland must tie him down to a new deal. Having come through the club’s academy, Gooch has now managed well over half-a-century of games for the first-team, and has also picked up four international caps for the USA.

In our poll, 31 per cent of fans felt that he should be worth between £6m-£9m, 22 per cent said between £9m-£12m and 11 per cent thought he should be valued at over £12m. Check out the full results below.

Everton winger Ademola Lookman made only his third start of the season on Saturday as Marco Silva’s men got over the line against a spirited Lincoln City team with a 2-1 victory to progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Lookman’s showing against the Imps, however, was a welcoming sight in what has been a tough few weeks for the Toffees.

Silva has struggled to get the best out of his wingers in recent matches with both Theo Walcott and Bernard underperforming in the Premier League.

On Saturday, though, the manager once again saw the raw talent and individual brilliance of the 21-year-old Lookman, who opened the scoring at Goodison Park in the 12th minute.

The former RB Leipzig man was lively on the ball and kept the Lincoln players guessing with his movement across the pitch, as well as his clever passes.

Lookman could easily have had a second goal before half-time with the score already 2-0 in favour of the home side, but his right-footed shot from the left edge of the box flew just wide of the target.

The attempt at goal, however, indicated how good Lookman’s movement was in the game. The Englishman, who started on the right-flank, drifted from side to side throughout the game to try and confuse the Lincoln defenders’ attempts to track him.

For Silva, this should be the brightest of indications yet this season that Lookman deserves another start in the Premier League to help lift Everton from their recent disasters.

Lookman has once been named in the starting lineup for a league match this season and that was at home to Newcastle United at the beginning of December.

But the poor results that followed after that draw has left Silva in a spot of bother with regards to selection.

Lookman would bring much-needed energy and pace to the Everton team when they host Bournemouth at Goodison Park on Sunday.

His presence would also compliment someone like Richarlison, who will surely most likely start at striker again against the Cherries.

Cutting back in-field from the right-wing will allow the Brazilian to make runs in behind the Bournemouth defence and Lookman will be able to direct play with his accurate passing.

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Jurgen Klopp says the biggest mistake of his career was failing to sign Sadio Mane for Borussia Dortmund.

The Liverpool boss is now enjoying working with the Senegal international at Anfield, but says he still regrets failing to take the winger to Signal Iduna Park.

What’s the word?

Klopp identified Mane as a key target when he was manager of Dortmund, and even went so far as to discuss a move with the then-Red Bull Salzburg star.

However, Klopp failed to follow through on the move, and he subsequently joined Southampton.

Mane would go on to score 25 goals in 75 appearances for the Saints, while also chipping in with 14 assists.

And Klopp says he still regrets his failure to rubber-stamp the deal.

“I have made a few mistakes in my life and one of my biggest mistakes ever was not taking Sadio when I was at Dortmund,” Klopp said, per Goal.

“We were together in an office and I spoke to him.

“Afterwards I wasn’t sure but that was really my fault!

“He’s an outstanding boy and life gave me a second chance to work with him and hopefully we can both use it.”

Klopp returned for Mane in 2016, securing his signing for a fee of £34million.

Nabil Fekir move reignited?

We often hear of managers expressing regret at failing to sign some of the biggest names in football.

Klopp missed out on signing Fekir from Lyon last summer when a deal looked almost done, and his regret at not signing Mane previously could mean that he reignites his interest in a player that he clearly admires and still plies his trade with the French either this month, or more likely in the summer.

Which big 6 club needs to do the most business in January? Check out what the Pl>ymaker FC squad think in the video below…

The German manager may know that this is his best chance to bring the 25-year-old to Anfield, as if he is allowed to join another big club then a move to Liverpool would be a lot less likely to happen.

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Leeds United’s Championship promotion bid will receive an incredible boost if they manage to pull off a deal for Real Madrid goalkeeper Kiko Casilla.

What’s the word, then?

Leeds are on the verge of sealing a deal for experienced stopper Casilla, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post.

The 32-year-old actually started his professional career with Real Madrid, but left in 2007 without making a first-team appearance.

The goalkeeper re-joined the Spanish giants from Espanyol in 2015, however, and has since appeared on 43 occasions in all competitions.

Casilla dropped to third choice at the Bernabeu when Thibaut Courtois arrived last summer though and has not been involved for the club this term.

Leeds are seemingly on the cusp of sealing Casilla’s signature, which will send a huge message to the rest of the Championship heading into a vital period.

Why is the deal so huge?

Leeds have been linked with a new goalkeeper for some time. Indeed, they lost on-loan Chelsea stopper Jamal Blackman to a broken leg in November and desperately need competition for Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Peacock-Farrell has been first choice all season, but the 22-year-old’s form has not always been terrific and a new stopper is a priority for the Whites.

Casilla was outstanding in the latter stages of his time with Espanyol and is a player with Champions League experience.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Casilla, who also made his Spain debut in 2014, will bring pedigree and knowhow to Leeds as they chase a return to the Premier League.

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, the deal will go through this week and the arrival of the 6ft 3in ace will certainly make Leeds the favourites to hold onto first position in the Championship table.

After QPR slumped to a humiliating 4-1 loss to Preston North End at the weekend, their fans must be desperate for some of their stars to return. 

The Rs are now without a win in their last four Championship games, highlighting the players that are in absentia currently, and surely giving manager Steve McClaren a picture of who his most important players are.

It is no coincidence that during QPR’s lean spell in the league, central midfielder Massimo Luongo has been aware with Australia in the Asian Cup. Likewise, Geoff Cameron has been out for almost two months now, and without those two, The Hoops look a shell of the team that rapidly climbed up the league table over the first half of the season. The club issued a statement last week saying that the American may feature before the end of the month, but that surely cannot come soon enough for either McClaren or the fans.

The defensive solidity of Cameron and Luongo allows players like Luke Freeman and Ebere Eze much more freedom in attack, and as a consequence, QPR’s performances are far more impressive. Josh Scowen and Jordan Cousins lack the composure that the Australian and American have, and are far less reliable.

QPR sit in 14th place in the Championship, in a mid-table battle that is very tight indeed. However, the top six are slowly pulling away from The Rs, as sixth place Derby are now seven points ahead. QPR just need to ride the storm until they see their midfield rocks return.

Rafael Benitez’s cries may finally be about to be answered with the arrivals of some fresh faces at Newcastle United seemingly imminent. 

Sky Sports reports the Tyneside club have agreed a club-record fee of around £20m with MLS side Atlanta United for attacking midfielder Miguel Almiron in a move that should delight Benitez.

And while it is, of course, better late than never, the Spaniard, alongside Newcastle supporters, will still be questioning why it has taken Mike Ashley so long to get the wheels moving in this transfer window.

By doing so, the Newcastle owner has not done himself any favours to say the least. He has now shown Benitez and everyone associated with the club his hand, a good one which everyone happened to know about anyway.

Benitez’s ultimatum (Telegraph), which has prompted Ashley into entering the transfer market, shows that doing such was always possible and that he opted against it because he simply did not want to and not because Newcastle do not have the funds — something no one would believe given the amount of money Premier League clubs are now reaping in.

Ultimately, the cat is now out of the bag for the whole of English football to see, not just the Newcastle faithful, with Benitez’s threat having firmly put the spotlight on what is currently going on at St. James’ Park. For Ashley, there is no longer anywhere to hide.

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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter in defensive fashion after West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini publicly called out their manager Jurgen Klopp, following the 1-1 draw between the two sides at the London Stadium on Monday night.

The Reds missed the opportunity to go even further ahead of Pellegrini’s former side Manchester City as a result of the draw, although they can probably count themselves lucky they didn’t lose as their goal should have been ruled out for offside.

Hammers boss Pellegrini, who appeared to still have his former side Malaga’s last gasp defeat to Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 Champions League quarter-final on his mind, was not happy with the decision.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

The Chilean said: “Klopp is used to winning with offside goals. He beat me against Malaga with a goal seven metres offside – so he cannot complain about anything.”

Naturally, Liverpool fans on Twitter have leapt to the defence of their beloved boss after the war of words…