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A seven-figure transfer fee, a relegation to his name and now a surprise omission from Slaven Bilic’s matchday squad.

Things aren’t going to plan for Kieran Gibbs at West Brom.

The 31-year-old was sent off against Everton last month and despite being eligible to return against Burnley on Monday night, the Albion boss instead started Conor Townsend and named Dara O’Shea on the bench.

“It was selection. With Dara, we can cover both positions as a full-back. With Kieran, of course, he is a quality player and I expect him to prove in training like every other guy in the squad and only the performance in training will get players closer to the starting XI or the bench,” said Bilic after the 0-0 draw.

The Baggies recorded their first clean sheet of the season, so the veteran left-back may find it even more difficult to break back into the lineup, so perhaps there’s more to this than meets the eye.

Gibbs cost the Midlands outfit £7m back in the summer of 2017, which took Tony Pulis’ brash spending to a total of £38m following the arrivals of Jay Rodriguez, Ahmed Hegazi and Oliver Burke.

He is thought to also be on a whopping £55k-per-week contract, though fortunately that is set to expire at the current campaign.

It means West Brom have thrown around £16m down the drain to this day and that’ll increase by the time the season draws to a close in 2021.

During his three years at the Hawthorns, Gibbs has racked up 91 appearances but could only start 14 league matches during their promotion-winning run due to injuries and not being selected.

His latest snub could well be the last straw with Townsend and O’Shea both impressing Bilic in recent times.

That move by Pulis is certainly now looking like a catastrophically bad decision. In return for that £18m, Albion have received a relegation and a plethora of injuries.

AND in other news, West Brom lightweight who LOST possession 30 TIMES badly let Bilic down…

Key information about Hampden Park

Hampden Park was built in 1903 and is now the official home of the Scottish national team and also Queen’s Park FC who play their football down in League Two. The ground is located in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow in Scotland and is something of a Wembley for Scottish people.

Currently, Hampden Park has a capacity of 51,866 but that number has fluctuated dramatically over the years. It is also surrounded by a running track and has a pitch size of 105m x 70m with natural grass on the surface and undersoil heating installed.

The record attendance stands at an incredible 149,547 for the clash between Scotland and England from 17 April 1937.

A history of Hampden Park

Needless to say, Hampden Park is one of the most historic stadiums out there, host to many iconic moments, huge championships and even bigger clashes. The stadium was built in 1903 but historically speaking, there have been three Hampden Park grounds over the course of the years gone by.

Queen’s Park FC, the oldest club in Scotland, have played at the first Hampden Park since 1873 and have resided there for the following ten years. The second one opened in 1884 and was merely 150 yards away from the first one. It was around that time that Hampden Park first became the regular host of the Scottish Cup Final alongside the Celtic Park.

In the late 1890s, the club wanted to expand further and since the landlords refused to give them more land, they embarked on a search for a different area where they could erect the third stadium. After they finally secured the land from Henry Erskine Gordon, it took them three years to construct it – with the disaster at Ibrox happening in-between. which also influenced the changes made to the wooden terraces – and it was finally ready in 1903.

When it officially opened on 31 October, it was the biggest stadium in the world with a capacity in excess of 100,000, which would then be surpassed by Maracana in 1950. The first game played was between Queen’s Park FC and Celtic, with the home team winning 1-0.

There were, of course, numerous changes made to the ground over the years and in 1937, when they also constructed a new North Stand, they recorded their biggest attendance which stood at 149,547 for the international clash between Scotland and England. Around that time, Hampden Park would actually have an official capacity of 183,724 but that number was decreased to 150,000 during actual games.

Over the following years, Hampden Park would host many high-profile events, such as European Cup finals and the Cup Winners’ Cup final, but in the 1980s, questions were raised over its future. The ground needed a revamp so it finally got one with the works starting in 1991 and finishing in 1999, transforming it into an all-seater along the way.

Hampden Park hosted its first Champions League final in 2002 when Real Madrid beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 and five years later, in 2007, also the UEFA Cup final between Sevilla and Espanyol, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

Before the outbreak, it was also chosen as one of the venues for Euro 2020, which will now be moved to next year instead.

Tickets to watch Scotland at Hampden Park

All the tickets to watch Scotland play at Hampden Park can be found on the national team’s official website. Along the regular tickets, they also offer a membership which can grant you discounts. The membership for adults costs £50.

Related links

https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/ – Official website of the Scottish FA

https://tickets.scottishfa.co.uk/PagesPublic/Home/home.aspx – Scottish FA Ticket Office

West Ham boss David Moyes may have just found West Ham their next Jermain Defoe as he plots a move for one of his former players.

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports, the Irons have an interest in Josh Maja who has impressed since joining Bordeaux in January 2019 from Moyes’ old club, Sunderland.

It’s claimed that the Ligue 1 outfit could look to sell the 21-year-old striker as their finances have been implicated by the global pandemic.

Scottish giants Rangers are also keen on Maja as a potential replacement for Alfredo Morelos.

The Sun have previously mooted a £10m fee for his signature, but it remains to be seen exactly how much he could command this summer.

Defoe 2.0

Moyes was the man to give Maja his debut at the Black Cats back in 2016 before he went on to bag 17 goals in 49 senior appearances for the club.

Interestingly, former Hammers legend Defoe became a bit of a mentor for the young Nigerian during their time together in the northeast, helping improve his finishing and how to become a better player overall.

There will undoubtedly be similarities between the two as a result.

“Jermain Defoe was probably one of my biggest admirers because I think he just liked the fact that I was good at finishing.”

Maja on Defoe.

This campaign, Maja bagged eight goals in 24 appearances, though he only played a total of 894 minutes via Transfermarkt, which makes it all that more impressive.

The young striker’s head coach at the Girondins, Paolo Sousa, claims that he’s a goalscorer with both “sharp and strong qualities” whilst Chris Coleman, the successor to Moyes’ successor at the Stadium of Light, believed Maja offered his side a “different threat”.

It would make perfect sense for the Hammers to pull the trigger on Maja, particularly with Sebastian Haller’s struggles this campaign, and if they get half the player Defoe was, then Moyes is onto a huge winner.

AND in other news, 17-goal target can bring excitement back to the London Stadium

Many Newcastle United fans have reacted to a claim on the prospective takeover in the North East as Simon Bird’s thoughts were shared on The Chronicle’s official Twitter page.

The Daily Mirror journalist was speaking on the Everything is Black and White podcast where various journalists each gave their thoughts on the proposed deal between Mike Ashley and the Saudi-led consortium.

When asked if the multi-million pound deposit means that the would-be owners are convinced that the bid will be approved, Bird replied (via ChronicleLive) with:

“It’s so far down the line, I don’t think the Premier League will block it,” amongst other comments.

Indeed, the buying side are still awaiting confirmation from the top flight as to whether they have fully passed the owner’s and director’s tests which would move the takeover a few steps closer to being completed.

However, whilst England’s highest division or the Tyneside club themselves are yet to make this official announcement, the deal still remains very much up in the air at this current moment in time.

These Magpies reacted to Bird’s claim, with some mixed responses. Some were excited at the claim, naturally, as it could mean a deal is closer to taking place. However, others weren’t as happy, indicating that they just want the takeover to be confirmed – perhaps a little anxious due to the fact that it has now dragged on for so long.

Geordies, what do you make of Bird’s claim? Comment below!

Liverpool returned toÂwinning ways on SundayÂafter putting two past a struggling Aston Villa at Anfield.

The Premier League champions bounced back to positive form following their 4-0 defeat to Manchester City. Goals from Sadio Mane and Curtis Jones secured a win against the Villains.

Alisson also had an impressive game and was rewarded a Man of the Match result by Sofascore for his commanding presence in goal.

However, one player who seems to have slipped under the radar despite a solid performance was Naby Keita. The Guinean supplied the assist for Mane’s opening goal, slicing a diagonal ball across the box to the lurking winger in front of the net.

The official Liverpool Twitter account has uploaded a video of Keita’s assist, showing a unique angle of his vision to set-up the opener.

As well as his impressive assist, Keita completed 100% of his attempted dribbles (2/2) and 50% successful long balls (3/6). He earned an overall Sofascore rating of 7.4, which is his best performance since February, when he earned a score of 7.6 against Norwich.

Keita has struggled for game time this season as a result of ongoing injuries. The 25-year-old has missed a total of 16 games in the 2019/20 campaign due to a series of injury problems (via Transfermarkt). Because of this, he has become something of a controversial figure amongst the Liverpool fanbase, with many arguing why he shouldn’t remain with the club.

It’s been a battle for Keita this season who has only managed five goal contributions so far, but with Liverpool already being crowned champions, he could be relied on to start the remaining games whilst others rest. A boost in confidence could be exactly what he needs to return to action next season fit and firing.

Do you think Naby Keita should be a first team regular? Have your say in the comments below!

After Wolverhampton Wanderers posted dug deep into the archives for another one of their ‘Goal of the Day’ specials, a number of the club’s faithful took it upon themselves to reply and leave their own memories about the moment on Twitter.

Derek Dougan’s headed goal against Manchester United in their 3-1 win at Old Trafford in 1972 (per YouTube) was selected and it was one many of the supporters clearly remember fondly.

Perhaps the club’s official website put it best when they described the former forward as one of the club’s most popular players to have ever pulled on the gold and black colours in their history.

Of course, Dougan proved to be a handful for defences and goalkeepers when playing for Wolves, as he managed to record an impressive 123 goals in 323 appearances and subsequently being labelled as one of the Old Gold’s talismanic strikers (per the club’s official website).

Upon seeing the goal, many of the Wolves faithful were left discussing a lot of different aspects in regards to the footage, with some reserving some special praise for their former star, whilst others left wondering how that ‘under-rated’ team would get on in the modern game.

Here are just some of their reactions…

Wolves fans, what are your memories of Dougan? Let us know below!

In an episode of The Football Show, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness discussed Liverpool’s current stance and what needs to be done in order to ensure they maintain winning ways.

The pair were in agreement that the Reds must strengthen their current squad if they are to continue to dominate. Former Liverpool player and manager Souness has identified Jurgen Klopp’s front three as the area that needs to be bolstered.

The 66-year-old reflected on his playing days with the club and revealed some tactics instilled by Anfield hero Bob Paisley. “When I became Liverpool manager I asked Ronnie Moran whether Bob Paisley was ever happy with his lot,” Souness explained. “And he said: ‘No. He would stand there after you’ve won the league or European Cup, and when you jogged past, he [Paisley] would say: “We’ve got to keep an eye on him, his legs have gone.

“I think it’s time for a change and we can do better in this position.”‘ So even when we were being super successful, he was still looking to replace players, and that is the way big clubs operate.”

Although potentially a harsh approach to take, the general idea of the way Paisley worked is something Klopp should consider in his side. The notion of replacing Liverpool’s world class players every year is ludicrous, however the German should be constantly monitoring and assessing who can be brought in to provide depth or replace those not performing to standard.

Liverpool’s front three for example only have one tried-and-tested back up option in the form of Divock Origi. Youngsters like Curtis Jones and Rhian Brewster aren’t ready to be thrown into the mix of a must-win Premier League or European clash. It takes just one lengthy injury to one of Liverpool’s forwards to land the team in very hot water.

The addition of Timo Werner – who is reportedly ready to join Anfield (via Sky Sports) – could ultimately transform Klopp’s attack. Whether he opts to play all four together or alternate between the 24-year-old and Roberto Firmino, Werner will help alleviate the huge pressure when it comes to goalscoring expectations.

Even bringing in more rotational players such as Marcus Thuram (linked by Express.de via Bleacher Report) and Milot Rashica (Bild via Liverpool ECHO) will strengthen this Liverpool side massively.

After securing their sixth European title and as they look to lift their first ever Premier League trophy, the Reds will want to keep pushing forward. Another league win will be a focal point and to ensure they have the best chance of doing so, Liverpool must provide their front three with as much support as possible and not allow their starting XI to become stagnant.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

West Bromwich Albion may currently be competing in the English second tier, but that hasn’t stopped them from ranking amongst the elite on one particular spectrum.

Slaven Bilic’s side are attempting to return to the promised land of the Premier League this season, and they appear to be right on track as they sit top of the table going into the third international break of the season.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Despite enduring a second year away from the glamour the top-flight can bring, the club are still one of the most efficient providers of talent for the England national team.

Albion rank tenth from a total of 143 clubs, both domestically and abroad, that have ever supplied the Three Lions.

Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool sit top with 78 and 74 apiece with the Baggies seeing 44 players earn a call-up.

This should offer up serious encouragement going forward as it goes to show that the Hawthorns can be a place where British talent can thrive, which is in no doubt aided by the phenomenal academy setup at the club.

West Brom are renowned for their development squads, which has seen the likes of Rekeem Harper, Kyle Edwards, and Nathan Ferguson all breakthrough into the first team in recent years.

These players have also started to gain international recognition, meaning one day they could go on to add to that total of 44, especially if the Baggies can win promotion this campaign.

The exploits of Ferguson (England U20s), Edwards (U20s) and Grady Diangana (U21s) should be the perfect motivation for those in the academy ranks to remain at the club while those from further afield that may get the opportunity to join the club can see that it may eventually pay dividends.

Gareth Barry has made the most England caps of any player in this West Brom side with 53 appearances.

Southampton fans have taken to Twitter to react following a social media post from the club’s official account, and it’s safe to say that they’re not too impressed with it.

The post in question is captioned “commitment levels 100” and shows Jan Bednarek sliding in to prevent Nicolas Pepe’s cross from finding Mesut Ozil at the back post, surely preventing what would’ve been an open goal for the German.

However, in truth, there isn’t much commitment on show, but more an abundance of haphazard defending, chaotic positioning and a stench of attacking over-commitment as Bednarek was the only man back for Southampton for most of the clip.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men really should’ve beaten the north Londoners on Saturday, although a late Alexandre Lacazette goal crushed Southampton hearts and made them rue their missed chances.

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One fan labelled the Twitter post as “embarrassing” whereas another supporter said that the social media team is “deluded”.

Let’s see how some more Southampton fans on Twitter felt about the post…

In other news, one Southampton man vindicated Hasenhuttl’s bold decision to start him against Arsenal…

Both Barcelona and Real Madrid enjoy a short break over the weekend after El Clasico was postponed to a later date.

But now, La Liga returns in mid-week as the Blaugrana will welcome Real Valladolid at the Camp Nou this Tuesday night.

Ernesto Valverde should have his troops well rested and ready to fire on all cylinders but since they are now playing catch-up, there should be no margin for error anymore.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The team is still facing a couple of injuries and suspensions that could force the coach into some decisions but overall, most of his big guns should be available come Tuesday night.

But taking everyone’s form and absences into consideration, here’s what we think Barcelona’s starting XI should look like against Real Valladolid, with Valverde making two changes from the team that beat Slavia Prague last time out.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been one of Barcelona’s standout performers throughout the ongoing season. Just recently, he was once again their hero in the game against Slavia Prague, tallying a total of eight saves on the night to preserve Blaugrana’s lead and secure the three points.

His position in the team is definitely not under threat.

The same can be said for the backline, although possibly for different reasons. Barcelona have been shaky in defence apart from Ter Stegen but Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet are currently two of their best options at the centre-back position, especially with Samuel Umtiti experiencing some fitness issues again.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

Sergi Roberto has received a knock in the last game and even if he makes it back, it’s unlikely Valverde will start him from the get-go, nor should he, and for that reason we’re putting Nelson Semedo there instead.

Jordi Alba has been sorely missed on the opposite side and his influence should give Barcelona that extra edge moving forward.

In the middle of the pitch, Arthur Melo and Frenkie de Jong are standard picks and by this point, they have already cemented their place in the lineup.

But the same can’t really be said for Sergio Busquets, who’s seemingly experiencing a dip in form or is just gradually getting past his prime. For that reason, and considering how he’s always been effective when called upon, Arturo Vidal should get the nod in front of the experienced Spaniard.

In that case, Vidal takes up a spot further up the pitch and De Jong drops deeper into the defensive-midfielder position.

Up front, Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann should remain in the lineup, the Argentine in his natural position on the right and the Frenchman as the team’s centre-forward instead of Luis Suarez.

The Uruguayan has been sub-par for the majority of the season and his form continues to be a problem for the team.

Ansu Fati, on the other hand, hasn’t seen any action since the game against Villarreal on matchday six.

He’s aching for some minutes and just by dropping Suarez and slotting the 16-year-old prodigy in the lineup instead of him, Barcelona have a win-win scenario – Suarez is rested until he regains his form and Fati can get a valuable chance to shine.

Considering that Ousmane Dembele is still serving his suspension, the youngster is the perfect choice in this situation.