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Crystal Palace host West Ham this weekend at Selhurst Park and will be hoping they can burst the Hammers’ post-Liverpool bubble – the east London side were excellent on Monday as they held the Reds to a draw.

Defensive injuries, though, have meant Roy Hodgson will be forced into making some adjustments to the side that were 2-0 victors over Fulham last week. Although one key stat concerning their opponents on Saturday should make the former England boss’ selection decision far easier.

On the chalkboard

James Tomkins, who has formed a stoic partnership with Mamadou Sakho at the heart of defence, has been ruled unlikely to play this weekend by Hodgson.

Fortunately, the Eagles boss has sufficient defensive cover to provide a natural replacement for Tomkins in Martin Kelly – the former Liverpool man was called upon for the Leicester clash in December and excelled, despite cutting an uncertain figure in previous seasons.

However, his 71-year-old manager should take a gamble by going with his fourth-choice centre-back if it means he can exploit a little-known Irons weakness.

Dangerous Dann

West Ham splashed the cash in the summer as Manuel Pellegrini took the helm in a bit to rebrand the team; the signings of Felipe Anderson and Issa Diop have been impressive but the latter, a £22m signing from Toulouse, has been unable to plug all the deficiencies in defence.

Surprisingly, the London Stadium outfit are level with Everton, who have conceded the most goals from set-pieces this season, on expected goals (xGA) from set-pieces, with 4.6%.

Palace should look to trouble their opponents in that aspect by flooding the box with big men. Christian Benteke’s availability will be crucial, but starting Scott Dann will significantly boost their chances of capitalising on a dead-ball situation.

The 31-year-old is an excellent header of the ball and has scored some vital goals for Palace over the years, although he hasn’t made a start in the Premier League this season. Hodgson should take a gamble by starting the former Blackburn man, even if he may be more vulnerable when West Ham look to use their pace on the counter.

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

Graham Roberts believes that Mauricio Pochettino remains the best candidate for the Tottenham job.

The Argentine was sacked and replaced by Jose Mourinho in November 2019, but with Spurs now in need of a manager, reports believe that Pochettino is on Daniel Levy’s radar.

He recently secured his second major trophy with PSG following their Coupe de France final victory over Monaco, but his failure to win the Ligue 1 title has raised serious questions over his future.

Tottenham have been linked with several names following the departure of Mourinho last month ahead of the Carabao Cup final, but Levy is trying to convince Pochettino to make a sensational return just 18 months after he was sacked.

Pochettino was a favourite with the Spurs faithful having turned the club into top four regulars before guiding the north London outfit to their first Champions League final in his final full season.

Asked whether the Tottenham chairman’s ego could get in the way of him approaching Pochettino about a return to the club, Roberts exclusively told Football FanCast:

“Everybody knows he’s got it wrong, so he’s not owning up to anything.

“Why not just say, who is the best person for this football club? Pochettino is your answer.”

Manchester United have been linked with a move for Raphael Varane, and the Real Madrid defender could prove to be Rio Ferdinand’s long-awaited heir if he joins the English giants this summer.

According to Tribal Football, the Red Devils are preparing an opening offer for the 28-year-old centre-back after reports revealed the France international is unlikely to put pen to paper on a new contract with Los Blancos.

Varane’s current deal is set to expire in 2022, meaning the £63m-rated ace could be available for a cut-price fee ahead of the upcoming transfer window, hence why he is attracting the attention of some of the continent’s top clubs.

The 6 ft 2 powerhouse has played a pivotal part in Madrid’s success both domestically and in European competition since arriving at the Bernabeu back in 2011.

During his 10-year stay in the Spanish capital, Varane has collected four Champions League crowns, three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and four Club World Cup trophies, but it appears as though he’s ready to start a new chapter in his illustrious career.

Despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side making clear progress this season, having reached the Europa League final and second place in the Premier League table, their defensive fragilities have often been exposed throughout the current campaign.

A pacey partner for Harry Maguire is often outlined as one of the Old Trafford outfit’s biggest priorities by pundits, and it’s an attribute that has been absent from several United centre-halves since Ferdinand’s exit.

The retired England defender was renowned for his ability with the ball at his feet and his incredible turn of pace, two key features that Varane has also built his game around.

WhoScored list passing as a key strength in both Ferdinand and Varane’s game, and the physical similarities are also clear for all to see, with both men boasting tall, strong and lean frames.

Although Ferdinand left the 20-time English champions way back in 2014, the likes of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof have failed to adequately replace the United legend, but that poor record could be about to change with Varane’s potentially imminent arrival.

The 2018 World Cup winner earned praise from his current manager earlier in the campaign, as Zinedine Zidane hailed his compatriot’s leadership qualities, saying:

“He’s won a lot and shown his ability to be a leader, help others and show what he’s capable of doing out on the pitch.”

It could be United who benefits from Varane’s extensive array of impressive attributes from next season, though, and if Ed Woodward and Solskjaer have an opportunity to acquire the experienced defender, it’s an opportunity they can’t afford to miss out on.

And, in other news…former Red Devils’ star slams current United midfielder.

Liam Kennedy has dropped some insight from sources on a potential timescale for Mike Ashley’s latest Newcastle United takeover case.

The Lowdown: Ashley launches another legal case

As per the Shields Gazette, Ashley and the St James’ Park club have launched another legal case against the Premier League, this time accusing them of what they believe to be anti-competitive behaviour in their decision-making process on the proposed deal from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

This is separate to the other case that the chief executive of Sports Direct has held against the league over the failed takeover, which is pending an arbitration hearing.

The Latest: Potential timescale for case

Writing in his latest piece for the Shields Gazette, Kennedy has outlined that proceedings for the case could reach a court date in less than six months, depending on the outcome of an impending hearing, according to sources.

The legal representatives of Newcastle, along with those of the Premier League, will also take part in a case management conference to determine whether their case will be expedited, and this should happen within the next seven to 10 days.

The Verdict: Premier League under pressure

The Premier League have certainly been put under pressure by Ashley and the Tyneside club in what is now two legal cases being launched against them relating to the failed takeover bid.

Nonetheless, the results of both cases should be quite interesting to see and will surely give a clearer understanding over where the potential takeover of Newcastle United is heading.

In other news, find out what Lampard-likened ace is wanted by Newcastle!

Frank McAvennie has exclusively told Football FanCast that West Ham cannot afford another transfer window without signing a striker.

Following the departure of record signing Sebastien Haller to Ajax in January, the Hammers were left with just the injury-prone Michail Antonio as their only recognised senior striker at the club.

But whilst West Ham’s form has improved since Haller left, David Moyes’ team are currently paying the full price for not replacing him, with Antonio now set to miss most of the season with a hamstring problem sustained at Wolves.

Jarrod Bowen has stepped into the role admirably as his deputy, scoring twice and assisting another two since Antonio hobbled off at Molineux,  but with the prospect of European football at the London Stadium next season, McAvennie knows the importance of Moyes adding another striker to the Hammers’ ranks.

He told Football FanCast:

“They’re talking about Tammy Abraham – he’s Rice’s pal from what I gather. I think he would be [first-choice striker] unless Antonio was there. Sometimes you can play with two, people forget Antonio was a midfield player – he can go all over the place.

“I don’t think Antonio can last. Sometimes you’re playing two or three games a week now, and if they get into Europe it will be difficult.

“I would love someone to come in and give Antonio a rest. Give him a complete rest. In the summer he needs two months off to get his legs sorted.”

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that David Luiz won’t be at Arsenal next season.

The defender made the switch across London from Chelsea back in the summer of 2019, and has generally been a regular under Mikel Arteta, despite making a number of costly errors.

On the final day of last season, Luiz broke a league record when becoming the first player ever to concede five spot-kicks in a single Premier League campaign.

Luiz was also sent off twice, and after his red card at Wolves back in February, has now received three and given away six penalties in just 52 Premier League outings for the Gunners.

His contract expires this summer, with Arsenal not expected to offer him fresh terms, especially with the experienced defender having recently undergone knee surgery.

Windass told Football FanCast:

“Unreliable is the word, he’s always got that in his locker. I’d love to play against him. I did a podcast the other week and got asked ‘what did you do when playing against centre-halves?’. You’d always pick two centre-halves out and play on the weak one. I’m not slagging Martin Keown off, but I’d pull on to Martin and not Sol Campbell. 

“He’d be the first one that I would be pulling on every time. Saying ‘hit the diagonals to me and I’ll smash this lad all over’.

“No, not at all [surprised by Arsenal not offering him a new contract]. You won’t see him in the Premier League now.”

It’s easy to see why Nigel Adkins took the Charlton Athletic job.

The vastly-experienced 56-year-old has a proven track record in the lower leagues of English football and would’ve leapt at the opportunity to save them from their freefall.

He arguably made his name at Southampton, where he led the south coast outfit to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League, handing them a shot at the big time after a seven-year absence.

There are plenty of similarities between that Saints side and the Addicks now; former top-flight teams dwindling in the third tier, foreign owners prepared to stump up the cash to save the club, and a fanbase to fit a 27,000-seater stadium.

But could Adkins take inspiration from a side that won promotion a decade ago? He’s certainly well-equipped to…

On the Chalkboard

In Preston loanee Jayden Stockley, the Charlton manager could find his next Rickie Lambert – a powerful striker fit to lead the line at this level.

The 27-year-old talisman has very much had a comparable career to that of the Saints legend, prior to their arrivals at their respective clubs, both were well-travelled.

Lambert jumped from club to club in the lower leagues, playing for the likes of Blackpool, Macclesfield Town, Stockport County and Bristol Rovers before finding his feet at St Mary’s.

Stockley has played for 14 different clubs, thanks largely to boyhood club AFC Bournemouth shipping him out on loan every year.

Both stand at 6 foot 2, and are known for their target man ability. Indeed, WhoScored list the £810k-rated forward as a threat from set-pieces whilst a whopping 6.3 aerial duels won across League One and the Championship only reinforces that thinking.

No other Addicks star is managing to win as many battles in the air as Stockley (9.4). Speaking about his strength, former teammate Sean Maguire once said: “He’s a fantastic player. The guy can hold up a house. He’s strong and his hold-up play is one of the best I’ve played with.”

This sort of ability should see Stockley fit in a range of systems and tactics – two-up top? one-man? He should be able to do it all. Just like Lambert at the Saints.

Adkins could be onto a winner if he draws inspiration from his old side, and the five-goal loan star must be at the centre of it all up top.

AND in other news, Forget Famewo: Charlton ace who lost possession 21x vs AFCW has already badly let Adkins down…

After making his return from injury on Sunday night, it’s fair to say that Matty Cash didn’t enjoy the greatest of games in Aston Villa’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham.

The former Nottingham Forest star had been out of action for Dean Smith’s side for several games due to injury, with veteran defender Ahmed Elmohamady coming in for him.

After being named as an unnamed substitute last time out against Newcastle, Cash was given the nod to make his first appearance in a Villa shirt since his injury, but things just didn’t go to plan.

As well as being involved in the controversial decision to award Harry Kane a penalty in the second half, the right-back just seemed to lose his composure as the game wore on, perhaps more to do with his match fitness levels more than anything else.

As per Sofascore, he lost possession a whopping 29 times on the night, by far the most of any player on the pitch, and a telling sign of how he just couldn’t get his normal game going – his season average has seen him concede possession 14.4 times per match in the Premier League.

As well as his wastefulness on the ball, Cash also attempted no dribbles, provided no key passes and delivered no crosses either – offensively, the full-back was just a complete non-entity and couldn’t link up with Bertrand Traore at all.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for the Birmingham Mail, Ashley Preece admitted: “Back in for his first start since tweaking his hamstring at Brighton. Cash started brightly and was aggressive in the challenge against the likes of Lucas and Reguilon.

“However, his performance dipped off significantly in the second half and it was Cash’s clumsy challenge which put this fixture to bed as his trailing leg caught Kane in the box for the penalty. His aggressive nature and willingness for the cause were both welcome but, like most, he wasn’t on his usual game.”

With Elmohamady set to turn 34 later this year, and reports already indicating that Smith is preparing to let him go, there’s a real lack of genuine quality and competition to challenge Cash at right-back either when he’s out injured, or if he’s in bad form.

It’s exactly why the Villa boss will be worried about Cash’s display against Spurs, and will simply be hoping that it was a minor blip in what has otherwise been an impressive debut campaign at Villa Park for the former Forest full-back.

Meanwhile, this Villa man was woeful against Spurs…

Rekeem Harper is surely running out of time to prove his worth to West Brom as his struggles continue this season.

The 20-year-old is currently on loan to Championship outfit Birmingham City, where things aren’t going to plan and given it’s a division that the Baggies seem destined for, this could spell serious trouble.

Indeed, only a miracle will see Sam Allardyce save Albion from the brink of an instant return to the second flight as they remain nine points adrift of safety with only 12 games left to play.

If they do go down, then you’d imagine that a talented academy graduate like Harper could really stake a claim in being part of the first-team set-up finally, but he’s yet to be convincing during a poor stint at the Blues this term.

The young Baggies starlet ranks amongst their three worst performers since arriving in January, recording an average rating of 6.28 as per WhoScored – only former Hawthorns man Jonathan Leko (6.24) and Adam Clayton (6.16) have been poorer.

Harper has only started nine matches for the Midlands outfit since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, so evidently, he had not been fancied by Slaven Bilic nor Sam Allardyce.

That’s despite all the praise he’s received in the past.

Tony Pulis once compared the defensive midfielder to Patrick Vieira, claiming he’s a “talent” with “a lot of potential,” while Darren Moore has previously lauded him “fearless” and “energetic.”

Even Bilic dubbed Harper a “powerhouse.”

In seven appearances for the St Andrew’s side, the 6 foot 2 colossus has only managed 0.9 tackles per game and has evidently struggled in his battles, as he has committed 1.4 fouls per game, via WhoScored.

The former sees him rank 13th for players that have started four or more games for Birmingham, which just isn’t good enough for that anchorman-like presence. Similarly, Celta Vigo loanee Okay Yokuslu has been utilised to good effect for the Baggies, averaging 1.3 tackles and only 1.3 fouls each game.

Again, 13 other current Albion players are doing better than that.

Clearly, Harper has it all to do if he’s to have much of a long-term future at the Hawthorns. It’s been one massive nightmare, having once been linked with the likes of Liverpool and Juventus via the Mirror in summer 2019, now his career at struggling West Brom could be in jeopardy.

If the £12.5k-per-week gem continues to struggle during this loan spell, then he won’t be earning a spot in the squad next season in the Championship, let alone if they achieve the unthinkable and remain in the top-flight.

It’s now or never for the 20-year-old.

These upcoming months could be rather telling – is he the next Nathan Ferguson? or merely another Leko? Only time will tell.

AND in other news, Allardyce must offload £20k-p/w West Brom gem this summer, Sawyers once dubbed him “unbelievable”…

Marcel Brands should urge Carlo Ancelotti to tread cautiously amid rumoured plans to hand Joshua King a long-term contract at Everton.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Toffees will look to retain King beyond the initial six-month deal penned upon his arrival as a latch-ditch signing on Deadline Day last month.

Everton are claimed to have paid AFC Bournemouth £2m to take over the final stretch of his £45,000-per-week contract, as the Cherries sought to secure a nominal fee for a player who would otherwise have been a free agent in the summer.

King’s long-term future remains in doubt having only joined the Blues on a short-term deal, though the Merseyside outfit have long been claimed to have an option to retain the Norway international.

Retaining King could see Everton’s deal with Bournemouth rise to as much as £5m, and that is under consideration as he’s been impressing coaches – including Ancelotti – at Finch Farm.

King is yet to start a fixture or score for Everton, but has made five substitute outings and has featured for a total of 67 minutes over his Premier League appearances to date.

Should Everton retain King?

Having Ancelotti’s backing after leaving a favourable impression on the Italian tactician and his coaching staff will go a long way toward King securing a long-term future at Everton.

Ancelotti stated upon the forward’s arrival that he hoped the Blues would keep the 29-year-old beyond the end of the season, but noted that his time at Goodison Park was effectively a loan deal and a chance to impress after Cenk Tosun joined Besiktas in a temporary switch.

King, too, voiced hope of a long life in royal blue having enjoyed his first few weeks on Merseyside, even though chances to feature have been thin and far between.

“This squad and club are reaching and climbing and building something,” he said last month. “I am eager to prove myself and to try to give the boss a reason to pick me.

“I am focusing on working hard and trying to reach my top form as quickly as possible. Then we will see what happens in the summer. I am loving it and, of course, would love to stay but it has to be right for the club and for me.”

But as chances to feature have been so infrequent thus far, even while Ancelotti was without Everton’s top-scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin due to a hamstring injury, Brands should urge caution and not rush into tying King down with a long-term deal so soon.

The £10m-rated dynamo, who former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe lauded as the “complete package”, is yet to prove himself on the pitch, and it is there – rather than in training – where King must show that he deserves a long-term contract.

Currently, he is yet to bring much to the table when on the field and he needs to prove why he deserves to be retained by netting goals and/or providing assists in the coming months.

AND in other news, Everton are tracking a prolific 15-goal winger backed to reach another level…