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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Manuel Lanzini is struggling for form and his manager may need to drop him in order to get the best out of him in the long-term.

On the chalkboard

The Argentine was left out by Manuel Pellegrini for the trip to Bournemouth, but leaving him on the bench for a run of games could serve as a warning side to the midfielder that he needs to step his game up.

He has faced a difficult time of late with several injuries hindering his game time, but his return of zero goals and two assists in eight appearances this term is simply not good enough if West Ham are to challenge for the European qualification places.

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With Pablo Fornals also struggling to adjust, the Chilean may have a difficult decision to make, but one player he could call upon is Jack Wilshere, and his return to the first-team is what some fans have called for.

Some fans have been frustrated with the 25-year-old’s decline and therefore a change in personnel would be welcome, particularly as Lanzini often struggles against well-organised teams like Sheffield United – with no key passes against Crystal Palace a few weeks ago.

Sending a message

Felipe Anderson is another who has struggled for form of late, and if Pellegrini shows a ruthlessness by dropping Lanzini it would show others in the squad that they need to up their game if they want to play.

Wilshere, who has 175 minutes of top flight under his belt this term, is starting to prove his fitness at the London Stadium, and he deserves a chance to show what he can do without the responsibility of covering in defence – as he can play in front of Declan Rice and Mark Noble.

He averaged a pass accuracy of 90% in the eight games he played last year, and has averaged 4.2 passes to the final third from the four matches he has started this campaign, which indicates that he can help to put the Hammers on the front foot.

In a more advanced role he is likely to improve on those stats, and if he can provide better support for Sebastien Haller than his teammate has managed, West Ham should begin to move in the right direction once again.

If managed right, Lanzini’s exclusion should reinvigorate his determination to impress, and lead to better performances when he does return, which can only help to serve the club well.

West Ham face a tough challenge as Sheffield United visit on Saturday, but if Manuel Pellegrini the necessary changes to his team then they could return to winning ways.

The Blades have adjusted well to the Premier League and their 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Monday put them above the Hammers in the table.

Chris Wilder has organised his team very effectively and made them difficult to break down, as evidenced by their four clean sheets from nine games – the joint-most of any team in the league.

That could be a problem for the East London outfit, who have found the target just 11 times in nine games, and despite four goals in eight league games Haller’s lack of movement has been singled out by Pellegrini as a problem.

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Some fans feel that is harsh, blaming a lack of service and support for the German as the real reason behind their poor attack.

In particular, Lanzini has underwhelmed this term, with zero goals and just two assists, and therefore he should make way against the Blades, as he could be crowded out by the combination of their three centre-backs and the deep-lying centre-midfielders, such as Oli Norwood.

To counter that, here is how West Ham should line-up.

The inclusion of Jack Wilshere could surprise a few and please others in equal measure, as although he is yet to prove himself in West Ham colours on a regular basis, he could help breathe fresh life into the team.

Lanzini has disappointed some fans with his recent displays. Not only does he have just the one assist in the league, but he has failed to make a pass into the box in each of his last five league appearances, so it is little surprise that Pellegrini’s side haven’t been scoring.

By contrast, the England international should retain possession more efficiently, as well as providing that crucial support Haller relies upon, with an average of 4.2 passes to the final third from the four matches he has started this campaign.

The other decision which Pellegrini has to make is whether Aaron Cresswell comes back into the starting line-up, but if he is deemed fit enough to play – which he should be after training all week – then he should replace Arthur Masuaku.

The Congo international managed just a 5/10-rated performance against Everton as per Football London, with the opening goal coming down his side. By contrast, the former Ipswich man has scored two goals in four league games so far, though his manager will likely want more from him in regards to crosses and key passes, as he is yet to record any of either.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has stated that Bayern Munich manipulated his former player Serge Gnabry before he left the club.

What’s the word?

Gnabry, 24, was a former youth prospect in north London and has been remodelled into a key asset for the reigning Bundesliga champions.

Gunners’ fans were in awe of their former player as the German scored four goals past their hated neighbours Tottenham in the Champions League as Bayern triumphed 7-2. Gnabry later revealed that the club did not want to sell him.

Wenger, 70, suggested that the German-outfit manipulated Gnabry during his move to Werder Bremen in 2016.

Speaking to beIN Sports, Wenger said: “We tried to extend his contract for a very long time and I think that Bayern manipulated behind the scenes, that if he went to Bremen he would join Bayern after.

“He was always a very talented boy who lacked confidence in some stages, but we always thought we had a player who could achieve a lot. He came back from a very bad experience at West Brom where his confidence was destroyed. I tried to rebuild him because I believed in him.”

Salt in the wounds

For Arsenal supporters, Gnabry’s four-goal haul against Spurs was a bittersweet moment, as it was a case of what might have been.

Arsenal’s No. 44 at the time only played for the Gunners 18 times, scoring just once and spent a year playing in the Midlands in between.

After a bad stint at West Bromwich Albion on loan only playing three times, Wenger was unable to keep hold of the 24-year-old. He won the league and cup double last season.

Gnabry has scored 18 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern and after his sensational performance against Spurs, Gunners’ fans will be wishing he was still in north London.

Perhaps Wenger is right and Bayern did employ some questionable tactics; one thing is for sure, though, he is scoring goals for them instead of Arsenal.

Lots of Tottenham fans have taken to Twitter to react after A Bola reported that the north Londoners are continuing to keep an eye on Sporting midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

Fernandes was a transfer target for Spurs back in the summer, and the Portuguese giants rejected a huge £58m offer from Tottenham for the 25-year-old’s services due to the “difficult” structure of the deal.

The 16-cap Portugal international has already scored seven goals and recorded five assists in all competitions for Sporting this season, having previously amassed a stunning haul of 32 goals and 18 assists in the 2018/19 campaign.

A Bola now reports that the midfielder is still on Spurs’ radar, news that has sparked a lot of response from the Tottenham fans on Twitter.

One fan said that the goal scoring midfielder could have made a difference at the start of this season, while another said that he should be signed to replace Christian Eriksen – his contract expires in the summer – instead of Paulo Dybala, another reported summer target.

Let’s take a look at some of the Twitter reaction…

Charlton Athletic have started the 2019/20 Championship campaign in impressive form to rise to 10th in the table following their promotion-winning season from League One, and some of the club’s fanbase have been reacting to an international call-up for one of their star performers.

Conor Gallagher, 19, has been promoted to the England U21 squad ahead of games against Slovenia and Austria over the October international break.

The Addicks have acquired some decent Premier League talent on loan in recent years, including the likes of Josh Cullen, Ben Purrington and Krystian Bielik, and it appears Gallagher is simply the latest in a number of loanee success stories at the Valley.

The striker has scored four goals and registered one assist in 11 Championship appearances for Charlton this season.

Some fans have been responding to the news that their latest academy prospect is set to feature for Aidy Boothroyd’s side over the next fortnight.

Check out some of the best reactions to Gallagher’s call-up to the England U21 side below.

Some Liverpool supporters are delighted after Jurgen Klopp confirmed that Roberto Firmino is back in training after recovering from injury.

The Reds eased into the Carabao Cup fourth round on Tuesday evening, winning 3-0 away to Norwich City.

Takumi Minamino scored either side of half-time for Liverpool, while Divock Origi also found the net with a well-taken header after the break.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

Much has been made of the Reds’ lack of attacking squad depth, especially with Firmino sidelined since picking up a hamstring problem against Chelsea last month.

There has been a positive update in that respect, however, with Klopp confirming after the Norwich game [via Anfield Watch on Twitter] that the Brazilian is available again and training with his teammates, suggesting he could even face Brentford in west London on Saturday.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-3/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

Liverpool fans react to Firmino latest

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to react positively to what one supporter called ‘great news’.

“When you think about it, it’s actually like a new signing”

Credit: @DiogoSlotta

“YESSSS”

Credit: @krishdatwani

“Great news”

Credit: @cbreaddaily

“Good news”

Credit: @Bami_Mave

“Getting him ready for City! YNWA”

Credit: @_naturalred

“Back for City big advantage for us”

Credit: @Tim171093

In other news, one Liverpool player is thought to be attracting interest from abroad. Find out who it is here.

Phil Parkinson admits that Wrexham have lost their “killer instinct”, with it imperative that quality is rediscovered during another promotion bid.

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• Red Dragons struggling for consistency
• Slipped out of top three in League Two
• Confident winning formula can be found

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons were able to hold their nerve in the 2022-23 season when surging to a record-breaking National League title triumph. More of the same was expected 12 months on, with the support of Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney allowing a star-studded squad to be pieced together.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Parkinson has endured the first wobbles of his Wrexham reign in 2024, with the Red Dragons losing five of their last eight fixtures in all competitions – picking up just two wins along the way. They have slipped out of the top three in League Two once again, with the Welsh outfit unable to maintain the dominance that they have grown accustomed to enjoying.

• WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  Parkinson has told where his side is lacking at present, with a 1-0 defeat suffered at Gillingham last time out: “We did a lot of very good things but lacked that clinical edge in their box. We’ve got to rediscover that killer instinct. There were a couple of breakaways in the first half and other moments, but it’s the ruthless edge and the clinical nature of our game that was missing. You won’t get to dominate a game for 90 minutes. But when you have those periods, it’s important to get a goal and recently we haven’t done that as well as we previously have. We are passing when we should shoot and shooting when we should pass and I think we are maybe just a little bit desperate to find those key moments, but we will address that for our next game. Football is about taking those big moments, but we will stick together. Everyone must step up a little bit more.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Wrexham’s away form has been holding them back, with only five wins collected from 17 games on the road. In contrast, they boast the best home record in the division and will be looking forward to getting back to SToK Racecourse next weekend following another midweek trip to struggling Forest Green Rovers.

Wrexham could be punished after away fans threw "vapes and mini bottles of alcohol" onto the pitch during Saturday's 2-0 loss at Accrington Stanley.

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• Wrexham lose 2-0 at Accrington
• Away fans throw objects onto pitch
• Welsh side could face punishment

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons fell to a disappointing defeat at Wham Stadium on Saturday, ending the League Two side's 11-match unbeaten run in all competitions. But during the contest, some objects were thrown onto the pitch by Wrexham's away fans in the second half.

  After Accrington goalkeeper Jon McCracken went down after a coming together with Paul Mullin, he received treatment and some of the travelling supporters behind his goal – who felt aggrieved about some of the decisions that did not go their way, including Jordan Davies conceding a penalty – reacted angrily.

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• WHAT MILLS SAID

  According to Sky Sports, via former England defender and Soccer Saturday pundit Danny Mills, the fans threw "vapes and mini bottles of alcohol" onto the pitch, which led referee Neil Hair to remove the debris from the field. This delay led to more than 10 minutes of second-half stoppage time as Wrexham fell to a rare loss.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Off the back of these actions at Accrington, Wrexham could be punished. According to the 1991 Football Offences Act, the throwing of missiles onto the playing area or into the crowd can lead to a fine.

  After receiving so much good coverage for how Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's side have progressed over the past year or so, this would not be such a good look for the Welsh outfit.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  If Wrexham do not receive any punishment for these actions, they will prepare as normal for next Saturday's game at home to Morecambe in League Two.

Antonio Conte aimed a jibe at his former club Tottenham as he found it "really strange" while "celebrating" a fourth-place finish.

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• Conte took charge of Spurs in 2021
• Guided them to a fourth-place finish
• Described UCL qualification as a "miracle"

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  When Conte took over as head coach of Tottenham from Nuno Espirito Santo in November 2021, the team was languishing in ninth place in the league table. It was a bumpy ride for the Italian tactician yet he managed to guide them to a remarkable ascent to fourth place. However, despite securing Champions League qualification, Conte found it "really strange" to celebrate such an achievement, considering his high standards of success.

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• WHAT CONTE SAID

  Speaking to Conte said: "For me, to celebrate fourth place and a place in the Champions League was really strange. At the end of the final game against Norwich, I called my staff and said ‘pay attention, don’t be used to celebrating a Champions League place’. I was very clear. I said we did the maximum. From ninth to fourth place, with all the problems we faced, was a miracle. But we didn’t celebrate like it was a miracle because I am used to winning.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Conte's departure from Tottenham came after a series of critical remarks about the team's mentality and performance which included a dig at chairman Daniel Levy. However, the manager acknowledged the support lent to him by the club and especially Levy after he made a premature decision to return to coaching following an emergency surgery to remove his gallbladder.

  “It was an important period with the Champions League, the FA Cup and with the league,” said Conte. “I preferred to come back quickly, but then I understood it was really soon. It was Daniel Levy who pushed me to go home and recover again. After the AC Milan game, when we lost 1-0 in the San Siro, he told me to stay in Italy to recover well because he didn’t like the way I looked and Tottenham’s doctors didn’t want me to take the risk. The club supported me really well.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Tottenham are undergoing a slow rebuild under Ange Postecoglou. The North London outfit have achieved some semblance of consistency under the guidance of the Australian and remain unbeaten in the Premier League in 2024. They are currently in fourth place in the Premier League standings and will look to continue their surge when they host Wolves on Saturday.

Danny Cowley has provided an update on Ellis Harrison which explains why he did not move to Bolton Wanderers.

What’s the talk?

The Portsmouth manager has explained why the Trotters failed to secure a deal for the striker during the transfer window.

Bolton were reportedly keen on a move for the centre-forward, with Cowley now revealing that Harrison asked to stay at the south coast club on deadline day as he was not looking to seal an exit from Fratton Park despite transfer interest.

He told Hampshire Live: “I had a really good conversation with Ellis on the telephone [on Tuesday] evening. He explained his reasons. It is absolutely his prerogative to want to stay.

“We didn’t want to lose him. He’s in the last year of his contract. He is motivated, he knows that it is really important for him in his career after a difficult year last year that he plays regularly and he knows that he controls that and he owns that.

“We need to get him fit enough, so that when he penetrates, he can become a handful because he stretches the pitch. Defenders don’t like forwards that run in behind and then defenders get deeper, it then gives him the opportunity then to pin up and you can play in to him and up to him and then he can start to link the play.

“I think there had been some interest, he had spoken to clubs, but he still feels he has got unfinished business here.”

Frustration for Evatt

Ian Evatt will surely be frustrated by these comments from Cowley as it means that Harrison decided he would rather play a supporting role at Pompey instead of potentially coming to Bolton and being a key figure. If the Trotters’ interest in him was genuine, that means he snubbed the chance to make the move, which will be disappointing to Evatt as it suggests he did not do enough to convince the 27-year-old that it was the right decision.

As Cowley explained, there was interest in Harrison and he did speak to clubs about a transfer. If Bolton were one of those, that means they ultimately failed in their attempts to bring him to the northwest, rather than it being a case of Portsmouth refusing to sell him.

This is doubly frustrating for Evatt, as it becomes an issue with Bolton rather than Portsmouth. The 39-year-old may need to do more to ensure that players want to join the club and are desperate to make the move so that the Trotters do not encounter similar problems in the future. Whether that means improving the training facilities or putting together a better pitch to give to targets remains to be seen, though.

The £4.3k-per-week Portsmouth forward has played one minute of League One football this season and only started 11 matches last term. This highlights the backup role he plays within Cowley’s team and why his decision to remain there is particularly frustrating for Evatt, as he has decided to continue being a bit-part player at Fratton Park instead of joining Bolton.

AND in other news, 82% duels won: Bolton gem with 85 touches was unsung hero for Evatt against Port Vale…