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Southampton boosted their chances of preserving their Premier League status for at least another year as they beat Bournemouth 2-1 at St Mary’s on Saturday.

The south coast outfit came into the clash with their local neighbours four points from safety with just four fixtures remaining, and with just one win in their last 21 top flight matches and no league victory on their own patch since November.

However, Mark Hughes’ men got over the line against the Cherries to take themselves to within one point of safety ahead of another huge encounter against Everton at Goodison Park next weekend.

Should they stay up, big changes are expected at the south coast this summer with vice-chairman Les Reed, whom the St Mary’s faithful on Twitter want out, and chairman Ralph Krueger potentially departing, while Hughes currently only has a contract until the end of the campaign.

Many of the first-team players may also look to move on at the end of the season to pastures new, in what could be yet another huge overhaul of the playing staff for Saints.

Here are three Southampton players that will surely leave this summer, even if the club avoids relegation…

Even though the England international was showing signs of decline under Claude Puel last season, the club obviously only saw it as a blip as they handed him a new five-year contract during the summer.

While the 30-year-old started the campaign during the sticks, he continued to struggle for form and was dropped in place of Alex McCarthy following a 5-2 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Boxing Day, not playing a single minute since then.

It seems that the club doesn’t see a future for him at St Mary’s and the player will be feeling the same way, and you would expect another Premier League club to take him this summer.

The England international has been one of Southampton’s best and most consistent performers over the course of the last four seasons, and when many other players have chosen to leave, the former Chelsea man has remained at St Mary’s.

While the stand-in Saints captain certainly hasn’t been at his best this term – like many of his teammates – he will still be a target for many of the top Premier League teams this summer down to the fact that he is left-footed and proven at this level, and it would certainly be a surprise if he isn’t one of the first out of the door in the summer if the south coast outfit do survive.

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Following a brilliant start to his Southampton career, Gabbiadini has suffered something of a nightmare over the course of the last 12 months.

The Italy international is devoid of any confidence right now, and has struggled to even get on the pitch in 2018 under Mauricio Pellegrino and then Mark Hughes.

It was something of a surprise that he didn’t return to Italy during the January transfer window, and it seems certain that he will finally be on his way this summer, whatever the outcome of the south coast outfit’s season is.

Do you agree, Saints fans? Let us know below.

There’s a slight twist to the hype surrounding West Ham’s fixture list this season.

While fans of other clubs were eagerly waiting to find out who they were playing on the opening day of the season, Hammers fans will have been scrolling down to the bottom of the fixture list to see who they face on the final day of the season.

That’s because it’s their final season at the Boleyn Ground, and it’ll be Swansea City who will officially be the last team to play the Hammers in east London before they move to the Olympic Stadium.

New Hammers boss Slaven Bilic faces a difficult first test as West Ham travel to Arsenal on the opening day of the campaign, while his first Premier League game at Upton Park will be against last season’s Great Escapees Leicester City.

West Ham fans will claim their biggest game of any season is playing Tottenham at home, and they’ll have to wait until March 1 for that one, while Premier League champions Chelsea will visit Upton Park for the last time on October 24. West Ham’s trip to White Hart Lane – Hammers’ fans favourite away day of the campaign – falls on November 21.

After an emotional farewell to the Boleyn Ground, West Hamm will then travel to Stoke City for their final game of the season. Depending on how Bilic’s side get on over the course of the season, they could be fighting for either a spot in the top eight or their Premier League safety – or perhaps yet another mid-table finish, which Hammers fans will undoubtedly be pleased with.

Saturday 8th August 2015 – Arsenal v West Ham

Saturday 24th October 2015 – West Ham v Chelsea

Saturday 21 November 2015 – Tottenham v West Ham

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Tuesday 1st March 2016 – West Ham v Tottenham

Saturday 7th May 2016 – West Ham v Swansea City

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Chris Brunt and Goran Popov have been ruled out of West Brom’s clash with lowly Wigan at the Hawthorns on Saturday.

Baggies skipper Brunt will miss his second successive game after picking up a knee injury in the 1-1 home draw against Newcastle a fortnight ago, while Popov is missing with the calf problem he picked up ahead of last week’s 3-1 win at Southampton.

And, while they will definitely not feature against Latics they have an outside chance of lining up against Manchester City on Tuesday evening.

Boss Steve Clarke will be boosted by the fitness of James Morrison despite him limping off at St Mary’s with 12 minutes remaining because of a slight groin injury.

Defender Craig Dawson is back at the club following a successful loan spell with Championship promotion-hopefuls Bolton Wanderers and Youssouf Mulumbu is also available for selection again after completing a three-game ban.

However, Marc-Antoine Fortune, who was sent off at Southampton last weekend, will serve the first match of his three-game suspension.

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Leeds fans have finally got some good news to look forward to, as Paul Heckingbottom confirmed Luke Ayling is back in training.

Plenty of things have gone wrong at Elland Road this season, but one of the overriding problems at the club has been injuries.

Players like Tyler Roberts and Aapo Halme were signed in January despite already having injury concerns, and at this point it’s easier to ask which Leeds players haven’t been injured this season than which ones have.

Luke Ayling’s ankle injury was a huge blow to the season, and the side has looked much worse defensively without the 26 year-old.

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Matthew Pennington filled in at right back last weekend against Barnsley, and Stuart Dallas hasn’t exactly impressed in his short stint at the back before that.

Ayling’s return will be a huge boost for Heckingbottom’s side going into next season, as it is no coincidence his injury coincided with the total loss of form after Christmas.

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With nothing really left to play for, it is probably unlikely that he’ll play too much before the end of the season, but nonetheless fans are excited about the return of the right back.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

With the season slowly drawing to a close as just seven match-days remain, it’s time to consider what some Premier League clubs will be up to in the transfer market this summer.

And the first port of call, in Football FanCast’s opinion at least, should always be to raid those unfortunate clubs who just have plummeted out of the top flight; firstly for players they can no longer afford to keep and secondly for players who’ve indisputably proven themselves to be too good for the English second tier.

With just seven points separating Leicester City at rock-bottom and Sunderland in 15th – or perhaps more importantly, just three points separating the Black Cats and a 19th-placed Burnley – there’s plenty of relegation-bound stars on offer at the moment.

And knowing how West Ham like to maintain their ever-shrewdness in the transfer market, we’ve listed FIVE lads the East Londoners should target this summer if their respective clubs fail to beat the drop.

SEB LARSSON

For a side of such renowned dominance in the air, West Ham’s set piece return isn’t as almighty as one might expect this season.

They rank sixth in the Premier League with eleven goals, but a squad blessed with aerial combatants such as Diafra Sakho, Andy Carroll, James Tomkins, James Collins, Winston Reid and Alex Song – to name just a few – could probably be doing a little better.

A set piece specialist is in order. And thus, I point the Hammers in the direction of Sunderland’s Seb Larsson, Sweden’s answer to David Beckham.

The 29 year-old isn’t the goalscoring midfielder once was, netting only five times since the seven goals of his debut Stadium of Light campaign in 2011/12, but he’s still a real threat from dead ball situations – especially when providing – and after so many years in the Premier League is far too experienced to surrender himself to the Championship.

His tenacious spirit and industriousness only further suit the Hammers’ style of play. But with two years remaining on his current contract, the Black Cats are by no means obliged to sell this summer.

Kieran Trippier

Amid reports of Liverpool targeting Hammers loanee Carl Jenkinson, the East Londoners may find themselves requiring a new right-back this summer should they fail to land the Arsenal youngster permanently.

One relegation-inspired alternative comes in the form of Burnley’s Kieran Trippier – a lesser famed but equally important part of the Turf Moor outfit’s safety bid alongside sought-after striker Danny Ings.

He won consecutive slots in the PFA Championship Team of the Year in the two seasons preceding Burnley’s top flight ascension last summer and during the 2013/14 campaign amassed the most assists of any player in the division – an impressive 14 – even bettering Hammers summer signing Aaron Cresswell.

This year, the 24 year-old has continued to impress as one of Burnley’s predominant outlets going forward and an ever-present member of their starting Xi, claiming four assists in 31 appearances. Likewise, his average of 1.7 chances created per match is the highest rate of any player within Sean Dyche’s squad.

In my opinion, Tripper has proved himself more suited to the top flight than most Burnley players this year – but even if they do go down, Burnley will be reluctant to sell.

RON VLAAR

With Winston Reid set to depart on a free transfer and James Collins now the wrong side of 30, some fresh blood is needed at the heart of the Hammers’ defence this summer – and the club could certainly do a lot worse than bosman-bound centre-back Ron Vlaar.

Concrete Ron might not be quite as formidable as his humorous moniker suggests, but he’s proved himself to be of Premier League standard during his three campaigns at Aston Villa, serving as club captain for the majority of that time, and demonstrated his potential to play at an even higher level last summer – reaching the World Cup semi-finals with the Netherlands.

He’s a brutish and basic defender, but that fits perfectly into the Hammers’ functional style. Likewise, he’ll be leaving Villa Park on a free transfer this summer, having already rejected several contract offers from the Birmingham club.

Whether West Ham find themselves eclipsed in their pursuit of the Dutch international, however, remains to be seen – he’s been linked with moves to Manchester United and Spurs this summer, to name a few of his tabloid-mooted suitors.

MATT PHILLIPS

West Ham have lacked genuine wide options this season, with Stewart Downing proving far more effective in central attacking roles and Matt Jarvis showing only further regression.

And although Matt Phillips spent his first few months in the Premier League rather anonymously, he’s been in fantastic form over the last few weeks, notching up two goals and seven assists in his last eight appearances – including that absolute stunner against Crystal Palace a few weeks ago.

That makes the 24 year-old the Premier League’s top creator for 2015 and suggests, given a bit more game time, he could become a decent wide-man at top flight level.

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QPR’s wage bill is so large they’ll have to downsize should they plummet into the Championship this season, and with just two years remaining on his current contract the Scotland international is a strong candidate for an inevitable cash-in.

His incredible form during the campaign’s final run-in, however, will have undoubtedly caught the eye of several Premier League clubs.

ESTEBAN CAMBIASSO

In an otherwise Championship-standard Leicester City side, Esteban Cambiasso’s quality and experience has stood out a country mile.

The former Argentina midfielder is the Foxes’ second-top scorer with four from 23 Premier League appearances this term whilst averaging 2 tackles, 2.1 interceptions and 1.1 chances created per match.

Now at the ripe old age of 34, the former Inter Milan star – who won five Serie A titles and the 2010 Champions League during his time at the San Siro – doesn’t offer the Hammers much in the way of longevity, or for that matter, stamina in the middle of the park.

But consider the positive impact a Champions League-standard midfielder like Alex Song has had on West Ham this season; Cambiasso, although perhaps not quite at that level anymore, has the potential to do the same.

Furthermore, his contract’s up in the summer and Leicester almost certainly won’t bother renewing if they go down. He’s clearly a short-term signing, but on a free transfer could prove to be a very astute addition to the squad for next season.

Last season, Arsene Wenger was able to rely on Robin van Persie in order to form a late charge on the top four in the Premier League. This season, the Arsenal manager may be holding another ace up his sleeve – except we won’t really know how influential it is until sometime in May.

That’s the erratic nature of football –or is it fun? Being able to make a bold decision one week which swings the entire season in your favour when the game looked up. But Arsenal has needed to go back to basics when all hope seemed lost. The traditional Arsenal we’ve known under Wenger has been done away with and a defensive game has been adopted.

It’s a sad state when it’s come to this: a club who have long been considered the most attractive football team in England having to resort to a ‘back-to-basics’ approach. But Wenger should receive plenty of praise for having the ability to once again potentially turn this whole thing around. Well maybe not quite unwavering admiration. After all, this is Wenger’s team that he’s assembled. These are players who were identified as good enough for his brand of football by a group of scouts under his watch. For all the attention to detail and the meticulous building of this football club under Wenger, I fail to believe that his scouts haven’t been drilled in properly identifying players who are good enough for Arsenal.

It’s been far too long since Arsenal have played that free-flowing football that was once described as “from another planet” by van Persie. It’s been too long since a sustained period of time in a campaign was built on the theme of irresistible football and a style of play that genuinely was stunning.

In truth, it wasn’t too long ago. The last time Arsenal had a fantastic football approach to their game was the 2010-11 season, where one of the highlights of the campaign saw a commentator describe the team’s winning goal as a “Barcelona goal from Arsenal,” when they defeated Pep Guardiola’s side at the Emirates.

But the swing in approach and quality has been too quick and too severe. Wenger made a late dip into the transfer market for a group of players who really weren’t suited to his ideals of the game. You have to ask sometimes whether the manager is consciously buying pieces to a puzzle or if he’s just snapping up what’s available at a decent price.

When Arsenal made the call to Everton and eventually sealed the signing of Mikel Arteta, did Wenger really intend for the Spaniard to play as the team’s holding midfielder? Surely not. Surely most were right on the money when it was assumed that Arteta was the replacement for Cesc Fabregas, albeit one who was nowhere near the same class in terms of quality and ability.

So if Arsenal’s last two games – two 2-0 wins away at Bayern and Swansea – are a conscious effort to turn things around, why has it come so late?

Wasn’t it fairly obvious that there were not enough players in this team to play the style of football that was most recently executed by those headed by Fabregas? Santi Cazorla and Arteta, and then only some way into this season did Jack Wilshere appear. It wasn’t enough and the tactical approach – if we’re going to call it that – wasn’t suitable to what was on offer. You then go back to the question that has been asked countless times: is Wenger making the most of what he has at his disposal?

But this different approach has been a long time coming. Players like Aaron Ramsey and Carl Jenkinson are far better at getting ‘stuck in’ and rolling up their sleeves than they are at imitating Barcelona or Ajax. Sure, Ramsey could become one of those players in the future, but with a whole team and club down on confidence, the only option Wenger had was to take a far more basic approach.

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I don’t believe all of Arsenal’s good defensive work over the past two games has solely been linked to the absence of Thomas Vermaelen. Per Mertesacker stated over the weekend that the team were analysing their defensive performance against Tottenham with a view to improving. Mertesacker, notably, is a defender who stays deep and denies the opposition space in behind. Recent performances completely fly in the face of those who have said the German is one of the worst defenders in the league. The point is, even the very best will be made to look like amateurs if they’re used in the wrong system.

Now, it’s very difficult to know what exactly goes on inside the walls of London Colney, and most of what is said by outsiders is largely speculation. But when have you ever heard of Wenger instructing his coaches and players to go over the tapes of recent performances with the intention of eradicating mistakes? The Arsenal manager always seems to be about sending his team out to win at their own game first, rather than countering the threat of the opposition. If Wenger really is taking this on board, then it couldn’t come soon enough.

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Everton fans are all saying the same thing about the latest comments on Cenk Tosun – that being a good finisher doesn’t matter if you never get any chances.

While the mood around Goodison Park right now is pretty pessimistic, fans are certainly excited about the arrival and form of Cenk Tosun.

The Turkish striker moved to Merseyside in January, and has now scored four times in six games after a difficult bedding in period.

Fans are desperate to see some more attacking football from their Toffees, and the arrival of Tosun has certainly played its part in a couple of vital wins.

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Still, fans are fed up with Sam Allardyce and his rather negative brand of football, and they aren’t happy with Duncan Ferguson’s comments on the Turkish striker.

“He’s a finisher. I’ve worked with players before…and he’s a finisher. You know, in the main, if he gets a chance, he’ll stick it in,” the former Toffees’ front man said.

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While Ferguson is somewhat exempt from criticism, fans certainly aren’t holding back on their side’s style of play, pointing out that the “finisher” needs more chances to try and finish.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

When Tony Pulis left Stoke City, it looked as the Potters would go into a bit of a decline. The progress that Stoke had made under Pulis was grinding to a halt, and the club were managing only mid-table finishes.

Pulis, of course, did a wonderful job in the Potteries, guiding Stoke into Europe for the first time since 1974-75 after losing to Manchester City in an FA Cup final.

His physical approach was lambasted in some quarters, or even just labelled as a throwback to a quaint English footballing past. Critics jokingly established a benchmark for silky footballers who play short passes and show off tricky feet, well – they’re only good players if they can do it on a cold, rainy night in Stoke.

But Stoke’s decline post-Pulis never happened. In fact, Stoke have been progressing further under Mark Hughes, they’ve been doing away with the long-ball tag, and they’ve been doing all of this on the quiet.

Last season was Hughes’s first since taking over at the club, and he guided his team to its best Premier league finish of 9th. More importantly, though, he managed to transform the team’s playing style from one of directness and physicality to a more subtle and sophisticated approach.

Pulis’s reign wasn’t all about long-ball of course, and they did play some nice football at times. But no longer do Stoke resemble a rugby team at all.

Although there has been even more progress under Hughes, it must be remembered how big a service Tony Pulis did for the club. He got them to the ‘promised land’ of the Premier League and kept them there, building a squad that worked well together and made the Britannia Stadium a fortress. But in some respect, Pulis did the club just as big a favour by quitting while ahead. He seemed to have taken the group about as far as he could have done and the league positions show that, hovering around 13th or 14th place.

Mark Hughes has come in, and he isn’t a manager who is happy to just fight against relegation – he is there to create real progress. And under his stewardship, Stoke have shown that.

They finished 9th last term, and sit 8th in the table so far this time around, and although they still look some way off the European pace, Stoke continue to improve and impress.

The Staffordshire club still possess the work ethic and solidity that Pulis instilled into his side. Players like Glen Whelan, Jon Walters, and Ryan Shawcross are still there and still bring that to the team, but the added flair of Victor Moses and Bojan Krkic has brought the team to a new level.

Bojan especially was on great form at the start of this season, before he injured his cruciate ligament, forcing him out for the rest of the season. Even if he does play again this term, he probably won’t be totally up to speed.

But this just means that he’ll feel like a new signing for the club if he can get back up and firing again when he comes back.

His signing shows the ambition of the club. He is a former Barcelona ‘wonderkid’ of course, and eyebrows were raised when he signed for the club. But before his injury he actually fitted right in – illustrating Hughes’s intention to play passing football, not the long ball, physical game that Stoke have been chastised for in the past.

If the club can maintain their current league position, and finish 8th this season, that would be even further progress for a club on the up. And getting Bojan back for the start of next term will help them push on further if he can stay fit. But they’ll need to strengthen further still if they are to unseat one of the current top seven and climb further up the ladder.

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Stoke are quietly becoming one of England’s best clubs, and people don’t even seem to be noticing them. Their progress has been steady rather than spectacular in recent seasons, but that’s no bad thing. They have become a team with a solid base to build its more elegant football on top of, but the weight of expectation doesn’t weigh too heavily on the Britannia.

This season is full of positives for the quietly progressing Stoke, and full of hope that they can progress further. But if nothing else comes of this season, at least Stoke proved that Bojan is a good player – he can indeed do it on a cold, rainy night in Stoke!

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The relegation battle in the Premier League is far from over, just yet, but there is the strong inclination that West Ham have done enough to be safe from danger.

Sam Allardyce’s contract at West Ham is set to expire in the summer though. David Gold and Sullivan have insisted that they will sit down and discuss new terms in May but does the former Bolton and Blackburn boss deserve better? Or is this a rouse to move the 58 year old on?

A spiral of uncertainty now swirls around Upton Park as Allardyce has insisted he wants to thrash out new terms as soon as West Ham are mathematically safe. You can hardly blame him considering the nature of his departures from football club’s in the past.

Should Gold and Sullivan make the situation more comfortable for all involved and sign Allardyce to a new contract as soon as possible? If Big Sam is to remain at the helm surely he will need to make plans for the development of the team going into next season for the transfer window, long before May.

At this moment I want to point back to the 10 point pledge the West Ham owners made to the fans in May 2010 going into the 2010/11 season. It was as a signal for how they planned to lead the club the success.

The first point on this list was to appoint the right manager. The season after this checklist was made West Ham were relegated and the Allardyce reign began. He achieved promotion at the first attempt and now looks intent on achieving survival in his first Premier League campaign for the Irons. If this is not the qualities of the right manager for the job then it is difficult to quantify what is.

They went onto mention in this pledge that they would listen to the supporters too. Whilst you will never see all the West Ham supporters advocate the methods of Allardyce they would surely be in agreement Premier League football is a priority. It is useless playing pretty football next season if they are to get relegated to the Championship.

The eighth point of the plan is the one which may draw contention as it was to make football enjoyable for people to come and watch. This is where the Ownership at Upton Park seemingly have a get out of jail free card to dispense of Allardyce’s services using this as an excuse. Would that be acceptable? Definitely not.

It appears to be quickly forgotten at times that Premier League football is a results business. Arsenal have regularly played eye catching football yet still disappoint their supporters. Swansea would not be lavished with praise for their style of play, in the manner they have been this season, if they had not achieved Capital One Cup glory. The Gold and Sullivan partnership may want to be careful what they wish for in their handling of their current boss. The grass is not always greener.

If there is any hesitation as to whether they should be handing their man a new contract they want to read their own words they wrote in 2010 at the end of their 10 point pledge.

“We are here for the long term and our goals will evolve as we progress. We are proud to be here and will never stop working for you.

“All of us share the same hopes and dreams. It is not just about aiming for cup finals or derby victories but about feeling part of something together and all pulling in the same direction.”

If Allardyce is for the long term this may be a worry, but surely for now they have to, as they state above, progress. There may be a leader in the future in the mould of Di Canio who can deliver the glamour football required but for now stability is essential.

West Ham should have enough this season to survive but achieving the same feat two seasons running would be a greater achievement. There may be plans for the Olympic Stadium and continued development in various aspects but ensuring consolidation on the pitch is what remains most important.

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If fanciful thoughts have suddenly struck Gold and Sullivan to try and quietly relinquish the duties of Allardyce then the Hammers may be the latest club to be struck with the curse of sacking him too soon.

Whilst Allardyce is by no means entitled to contract security in the nature Pardew was awarded at Newcastle, it is time for the sensible decision to be taken at Upton Park.

If the plan does though suddenly evolve and a new man is handed the reins to lead West Ham into battle then you wonder whether there really is a plan in East London after all.

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Sam Northeast’s marathon run without dismissal comes to an end as Derbyshire edge opening day

ECB Reporters Network12-Apr-2024A career-best bowling performance from Alex Thomson led the way for Derbyshire on the first day of the Vitality County Championship match against Glamorgan in Cardiff. Glamorgan managed 237 all out as Thomson claimed seven wickets to justify Derbyshire’s decision to put Glamorgan into bat on a sunny day.Glamorgan’s top scorer was Kiran Carlson who made 74 but regular wickets throughout the day meant that the highest partnership that the home side managed was 60.Derbyshire faced 16 overs before the close to finish on 46 for 1 with Luis Reece the one man to go. It will be Derbyshire who are the happier of the two sides but there is enough in this pitch to suggest that this could be a tight contest.Having been put into bat by Derbyshire, Glamorgan looked reasonably settled in the opening overs. That changed when New Zealand international Blair Tickner entered the attack. He got appreciable movement through the air and off the seam and he had Billy Root caught behind for 23 with his fourth delivery.That brought Sam Northeast to the crease. As a man who had scored 521 runs in first class cricket since his last dismissal, and fresh from his record-breaking 355 not out at Lord’s last week, he was the wicket Derbyshire would have most prized. It was Tickner who delivered once again, with a ball that seamed back into Northeast and crashed into his stumps when he was on just 11.A 60-run partnership between Kiran Carlson and Zain-ul-Hassan brought Glamorgan back into the game post the lunch interval. Zain had played some lovely drives straight down the ground on his way to 35 and was looking increasingly comfortable against the aging Kookaburra ball, but a nicely flighted delivery from Thomson saw him advance down the pitch past the ball and he was well stumped by Brooke Guest.Carlson was the fourth man to go, squared up by a ball from Thomson that trapped him lbw for his second score in the seventies in as many innings this season.As the Glamorgan innings progressed spin became more of a threat with Thomson bowling with real intelligence to both keep things tight and claim wickets. He induced a flashy drive from Colin Ingram that was caught in the covers and had Chris Cooke brilliantly taken at leg slip by David Lloyd who was captaining Derbyshire against his former county.Thomson continued to cause issues for the Glamorgan batting line-up, dismissing the hard-hitting Dan Douthwaite for 23 when he claimed a low catch off his own bowling. He then made it past the attempted sweep shot of James Harris to bowl him for just 4.It was Thomson who finished off the Glamorgan innings when Mason Crane missed an attempted hoick over long-on and was bowled for 13. Thomson bowled unchanged for 25 overs from the River Taff End with his bowling contributing to a Glamorgan collapse of five wickets for 36 runs.Thomson’s 7 for 65 goes past his previous career best of 6 for 138 which he secured against Hampshire for Cardiff MCCU in 2016. It was also the best return for a Derbyshire spinner since Geoff Miller’s 8 for 70 against Leicestershire in 1982.