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The West Bromwich Albion team that earned promotion to the Premier League in the 2007-08 season had a devastating attack.

The team, let by Tony Mowbray, scored a total of 88 goals to help send the Baggies to the elite division of English football.

Roman Bednar, Kevin Phillips, Ishmail Miller, Craig Beattie and Luke Moore all contributed to the goal tally.

Fast-forward 10 years and West Brom find themselves with another potent attack.

Dwight Gayle, Jay Rodriguez and Harvey Barnes have formed a prolific trio, and the team overall have racked up a tally of 37 goals after 17 Championship fixtures.

After a disappointing winless run, Darren Moore’s team recently overcame Leeds United 4-1 at The Hawthorns, which put them up to fifth in the table, five points adrift of current leaders Norwich City.

In an interview with The Telegraph, James Morrison suggested that the current team is in as good a state attacking-wise as they were a decade ago.

We asked you if that assessment was correct, and a large majority of fans believe that Moore has the better team.

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Arsenal academy product Ainsley Maitland-Niles is a football manager’s dream as he is able to operate effectively across a number of positions and is happy to do whatever job is required of him by the team. 

However, for the sake of the 21-year-old’s own development, he must nail down a position at the Emirates Stadium soon.

On the chalkboard

Tactical versatility is a positive trait for a player to possess, however, being too positionally malleable can have a detrimental effect upon a young player’s progression.

The failure to nail down a single position leads to players being fielded all over the park. Rather than becoming specialists in a specific role, they become reliable back-ups for a number of positions, this in turn restricts them to only being a stand-in option.

The Playmaker FC squad decided to wind-up some unsuspecting Brazil fans at the Emirates on Saturday night. Watch the hilarious results in the video below…

The Gunners have seen the effects of this before, notably in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s stagnation at the club. Upon his switch to Liverpool, where he was given a consistent position that he was regularly deployed in and trusted to make his own, he quickly blossomed. 

One of Unai Emery’s tasks as Arsenal manager is to ensure the same fate of stalled development does not befall Maitland-Niles.

A man for the middle

The England under-21 international has served admirably, given his relative inexperience, as a utility player for the Gunners. So far he has featured in midfield, at full-back, and even in the forward line. However, his passing ability, physical stamina, composure in possession and defensive diligence make him ideally suited to playing as a central midfielder.

Emery must dedicate a place in his midfield contingent to Maitland-Niles and avoid becoming reliant upon the youngster as just a useful utility option, as doing so will likely prevent him from ever reaching his full potential in his preferred position.

In future years, should Maitland-Niles emerge as a top-class midfielder, the club will be grateful for not having overly-exploited his versatility.

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Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has been handed yet another injury blow as Henri Lansbury was hauled off against Birmingham City. The gaffer may have some good news, too, as John McGinn nears a return, maybe against Nottingham Forest, per reports in the Birmingham Mail.

What’s the word?

McGinn has been sidelined with a calf strain that forced the Scotsman to withdraw from international duty earlier in the month.

Smith has now claimed the 24-year-old was desperate to feature in Sunday’s derby win, but decided to preserve his ace for the upcoming tests instead.

“I’m hopeful that John will be back for Wednesday [Nottingham Forest], but I don’t know yet,” Smith said.

“He’s got a little bit of William Wallace about him and wanted to play today, but I couldn’t risk losing him and him being out for another couple of games.”

Playmaker 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…

One player who may be joining Birkir Bjarnason in the medical room is Lansbury, however.

The 28-year-old was making his Championship season-debut, and first outing since Smith replaced Steve Bruce, but played for just eight minutes on Sunday.

Speaking on the former-Forest star, Smith added: “He got brought down and felt his hamstring. He went to recover but couldn’t continue.

“I’m hopeful that it isn’t too bad and we got him off quickly enough to avoid any further damage.”

A welcome boost for Smith

Before McGinn’s calf strain, he had been Smith’s go-to in central midfield and featured for the 47-year-old more than any other in his position.

Across the season as a whole, the 5 foot 10 Glasgow-born ace still leads the way for Villa regarding tackles attempted and completed, passes blocked and long key passes.

The 13-cap international’s return will be a welcome boost for a side now on the cusp of the Play-Off positions and can draw level on points with their next guests, as Forest sits in seventh, three points and three goals to the good.

West Ham United supporters had their reservations when David Gold and David Sullivan sanctioned a £9.2 million deal to sign Jordan Hugill from Preston North End. 

The Hammers were far from the potent attacking threat which David Moyes wanted them to be, but signs of progress with Marko Arnautovic in attack provided sufficient reason to suggest that a mid-season panic buy was far from necessary.

But that did not deter the club from entering the market for a new player as they welcomed Hugill to east London following his decent start to the season, relatively speaking.

Hugill had scored eight goals in 27 Championship fixtures when he made the switch, averaging at less than a goal every three games.

That is hardly the sort of prolific return you would expect from a player making the step up to the top-flight, and his lack of quality showed in his distinct lack of involvement.

An underwhelming opening convinced West Ham to send him out on loan to Middlesbrough in the summer, with the option to sign him permanently for £6 million included as part of the deal, according to Bristol Live.

If Middlesbrough eventually decide to trigger that clause West Ham will make a loss of £3.2 million on a striker who made just three first-team appearances last season.

If that does indeed prove to be the case it will be a fitting case of I told you so for the supporters who heavily criticised the deal in January.

With only three goals from 12 championship appearances at Boro and competition from the likes of Britt Assombalonga and Rudy Gestede restricting him to just seven starts, the Hammers might count themselves lucky if the promotion-chasing side are even willing to part with the quoted figure.

Lesson learned for Gold and Sullivan: don’t sign Championship players unless you are absolutely convinced they have the ability to genuinely make a difference at the top level.

Their decision was undoubtedly a huge mistake, and they will feel the full effect of it when they inevitably make a loss on their initial investment.

West Ham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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Liverpool will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing display in their 2-1 Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital on Wednesday night when they host Everton in the latest edition of the Merseyside derby on Sunday.

The Reds failed to get going in the first half at Parc des Princes and quickly found themselves 2-0 behind, and they were unable to turn things around even after James Milner converted from the penalty spot before the half-time whistle.

The 32-year-old was part of a midfield trio alongside Georginio Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson against Thomas Tuchel’s men, but with all three struggling Jurgen Klopp needs to have a major re-think in the centre of the park for the visit of the Toffees.

On the chalkboard

Well, the German manager’s job has already been made slightly easier ahead of the clash against Liverpool’s bitter neighbours with Henderson suspended following his red card in the 3-0 win against Watford at Vicarage Road last weekend.

That leaves the 51-year-old with Wijnaldum, Milner, Fabinho, Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri to select from in the midfield if he sticks with a 4-3-3 formation, and both the starters in Paris are surely in big danger of losing their places.

Keita, Fabinho and Shaqiri have all been pushing for starts in recent weeks, but whether Klopp is brave enough to have a complete overhaul in such an important fixture remains to be seen.

Haven’t seen Paul Pogba’s latest strange photoshoot? You need to check out the video below…

Change of formation

Klopp chose to go with his favoured 4-3-3 system on Wednesday, but he could choose to revert to the 4-2-3-1 formation he lined up with against the Hornets previously, so he can get four attacking players on the field and take the game to the Toffees.

That system would also match up to the one that Marco Silva’s men prefer, and would leave Milner, Wijnaldum, Keita and Fabinho fighting it out for the two holding spots.

In our mind and following their displays against PSG, there is only one decision to make and it is one that doesn’t see Klopp’s trusted duo make the starting XI with the 2018 summer additions more than capable of doing the job.

Aston Villa have been vastly improved under Dean Smith’s tutelage but the club will need to make at least one January signing to give themselves the best possible chance of securing promotion. 

An unbeaten run of five matches, consisting of four wins and three clean sheets, has put Villa on the cusp of breaking into the playoff places.

Villa’s most recent 3-0 win over Middlesbrough, a side managed by Tony Pulis, who is famed for his ability to build an unbreakable defence, was indicative of their credentials to return to the top-flight this season.

But there is a suggestion that Villa’s goalkeeper, Orjan Nyland, is lacking the quality to help the club achieve their ultimate aim.

There is no question that Nyland represents a downgrade on last season’s stopper, Sam Johnstone, but Villa do not have to settle for second best when a fantastic goalkeeper is available.

Indeed, according to a recent report from the Daily Mirror, Smith has identified Burnley’s Tom Heaton as a potential January signing, and Sean Dyche will not stand in his way if the Villans can strike a deal.

With Dyche giving the green light over Heaton’s departure, Villa have a glorious opportunity to complete a game-changing transfer.

Heaton has found himself on the periphery at Turf Moor since he suffered a shoulder injury at the beginning of last season, with Nick Pope and now Joe Hart both deputising in excellent form.

His demise at Burnley has arrived as a result of untimely circumstances more than anything else, and his history in the Premier League proves that he possesses the quality to thrive in the Championship.

The 32-year-old would undoubtedly represent a huge upgrade on Nyland, and his calming influence between the sticks could represent the difference between promotion and another season in second tier football.

With 3 England caps to his name and a wealth of Premier League experience, Heaton should be at the top of Smith’s shortlist ahead of the winter window.

Aston Villa fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

According to a recent report from Sky Sports, Mason Holgate could be set for a move away come the New Year. The 22-year-old defender currently plays his football at Premier League outfit Everton and has done so since the summer of 2015, although struggles for regular game time under Marco Silva this season has called his future at the club into question.

And reports suggest that the Toffees are willing to sanction his temporary departure in January in a bid for first team football, which should be of keen interest to Rangers manager Steven Gerrard, as Holgate’s arrival would no doubt aid in his side’s quest to stay above Celtic in the Scottish Premiership table.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the Gers are very much in title contention under the stewardship of the Liverpool legend this season, with their narrow 1-0 success over Hamilton on Sunday moving them back to the summit of the division given Celtic’s surprise 2-0 defeat at Hibernian.

Yes, Brendan Rodgers’ men do have a game in hand on their Old Firm rivals, but it’s clear that Rangers are going to be there or thereabouts in pursuit of their 55th top tier title – that’s only if they can improve defensively however in the second half of the season.

Their tally of 14 goals against in their 17 matches is by no means disastrous, but this weekend’s clean sheet was their first in the league since their 3-0 win over Livingston on November 24, and just their fifth of the campaign so far – in contrast, Celtic have shipped just ten goals and have nine clean sheets to their name.

And with only one of Rangers’ five clean sheets against teams currently sat in the top six, with the other four coming against the bottom three sides in the division, Gerrard may seek further defensive reinforcements in the New Year to help solidify that backline even more ahead of the second half of the season – Holgate’s arrival would do just that.

The 22-year-old may have struggled for regular football under Silva in recent times, but one mustn’t forget that he was a key part of the Toffees side at the start of the current season with appearances in each of their opening five Premier League games – in fact, he was arguably one of their better performers in those clashes.

Add that to previous seasons of experience in the English top-flight, alongside his versatility in being adept at centre back and indeed at right back, and Holgate’s arrival would give Gerrard plenty of options in his backline, be it competition for James Tavernier down the right-hand-side, or indeed another viable option in the heart of his defence.

Overall, Gerrard has done a sterling job since taking over at Ibrox during the summer, but with title number 55 a genuine possibility heading into 2019, he has to look to plug gaps in his squad in the January window – otherwise, Rodgers’ Celtic will exploit them.

And with it seeming that further reinforcements are needed at the back, alongside the fact that Holgate is likely to leave Everton in January, Gerrard’s men must make a move for the 22-year-old – a move which will help them mind the gap to Rodgers’ Celtic in the Scottish Premiership table.

Rangers and Celtic fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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Loads of Rangers fans have been reflecting on the weekend’s action and looking ahead to Boxing Day, and they’re really worried about the lack of quality in Steven Gerrard’s midfield.

Rangers climbed within one point of Celtic on Sunday, coming from behind to win at McDiarmid Park courtesy of an incredible display from Alfredo Morelos.

The Colombian international, who is now far and away the top scorer in the league with eleven goals, bagged the equaliser with 25 minutes to go after Matthew Kennedy had put the hosts in front on the stroke of half time.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below...

Morelos grabbed his second of the game with just minutes to spare thanks to an assist from James Tavernier, but there were some worrying signs for Gerrard despite the second half comeback.

The Gers were completely off the pace before the interval, and the absence of Ryan Jack in midfield was worryingly evident.

None of Lassana Coulibaly, Andy Halliday or Ross McCrorie came anywhere close to filling Jack’s shoes, and fans are really not happy with the midfield performance.

The Gers welcome Hibs to Ibrox on Wednesday before the epic showdown against Celtic at the weekend, but the Twitter reactions down below do not make pretty reading…

Everton fans were stunned by the incredible performance of Bernard at Burnley on Boxing Day, so much so that a whopping 68 per cent of polled fans want him to keep his place over Richarlison on Saturday.

There’s no question Richarlison is the signing of the summer for Marco Silva and Everton, although the ever-improving Lucas Digne may give him a run for his money.

The Brazilian international has nine Premier League goals this season, and his work rate and love for the shirt has endeared him to the Goodison faithful.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below...

However, the youngster was handed a rest for the trip to Burnley after a very quiet performance in the defeat to Tottenham, and Bernard proved that there is more than one Brazilian wing wizard at the club.

The 26 year-old absolutely tortured Matthew Lowton, provided two assists, and also won the most tackles of anyone on the pitch with four.

This level of industriousness combined with his vision and creativity means Silva simply cannot drop him for Saturday’s trip to Brighton, and 68 per cent fans have taken what was previously an unthinkable stance, picking Richarlison to start on the bench once again.

You can view the full poll results down below…

Crystal Palace fans have been voting, and a clear majority want Rangers goal machine Alfredo Morelos to answer their rally cry.

The Eagles are in dire need of a lethal striker at Selhurst Park, with Roy Hodgson’s side failing to find the net more than once a game on average.

Palace’s top goalscorer after 20 games is midfield ace Luka Milivojevic, having struck home five times – four of which have been penalties, including the decisive goal at Manchester City.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Injuries to Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham left Hodgson forced to deploy wingers Wilfried Zaha, Andros Townsend and Jordan Ayew as makeshift strikers, but the trio only have four goals between them when playing centrally.

Morelos, meanwhile, is firing the Gers towards a potential first Scottish Premiership title in eight years with 12 goals in 19 appearances, including eight in his last ten games for Steven Gerrard.

Gerrard has also recently noted that he will pick up the phone to any club wishing to discuss his forward’s signature, but added: “He’s going nowhere”.

Such a stance would make any Palace approach difficult, but a record offer could tempt the Rangers manager into changing his mind. Rangers’ current record sale was the departure of full-back Alan Hutton to Tottenham for £9m.

Asked if they would like Morelos at Selhurst Park in a recent Football FanCast poll, 61% of those who voted said yes to the 22-year-old leading the line.