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In a recent article by The Times, some of the publication’s top writers revealed who they think should be part of a ‘Premier League Team of the Decade’, a very difficult task when you take into account the vast amount of high-level performers England has seen in that time.

Whilst errors are a natural occurrence when it comes to difficult tasks, foolishness and utter ridiculousness shouldn’t be as commonly present.

There are a number of debatable inclusions in some of the XI’s. For example. why is Christian Eriksen in Oliver Kay’s team? Why is Ashley Cole in Gary Jacob’s side when he left Chelsea in 2014 having been in steady decline as a footballer?

Luis Suarez certainly had no qualms about celebrating against his former employers in the video below…

Whilst they are somewhat baffling, Alyson Rudd’s inclusion of Trent Alexander-Arnold is probably the worst pick.

Don’t get me wrong, the Liverpool right-back is a precocious talent who looks amongst the world’s best already at just 20-years-old, but to include him in a Premier League Team of the Decade is a ludicrous call.

He only made his first Premier League start just over two years ago in a 1-1 draw against Manchester United, and has made just 55 appearances in the competition in total – to put things more clearly, this is a Team of the Decade, and the youngster has played senior football for just 1/5th of that time.

In her colleague Matt Dickinson’s team, he wrote: ‘A basic rule was a minimum three seasons in the Premier League so, for example, Luis Suárez made it but Ederson did not.’ Why was that theme not prevalent throughout all of the writers’ picks?

To justify her XI as a whole, Rudd wrote: ‘I was certain Petr Cech would be in goal given his longevity and bravery but I am convinced that Ederson is the reason for City’s astonishing run of form and is every bit as integral to his team’s innate confidence as Virgil Van Dijk is for Liverpool.

‘Kompany steals the second centre back place for being there when it mattered. No full back has been as exciting as Robertson for a decade. I am aware that Lampard and Gerrard sound a bit dated but they carried on their magnificent influence well into this decade.

‘Kanté is the first player to be roundly assumed to do the work of two midfielders. No one liked playing against Didier Drogba while Salah and Sterling are the two most exciting attackers the Premier League has seen.’

The fact that Rudd hasn’t even touched upon why she included Alexander-Arnold in her team is particularly strange, given the boldness of the inclusion requires the most explanation.

When the end of his career rolls around in about a decade-and-a-half’s time, Alexander-Arnold will potentially be spoken about as one of the best right-backs the game has every seen if his first few years in football are anything to go by.

Right now, however, Rudd’s call to place him in a Team of the Decade is excessively premature and makes very little sense.

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Salomon Rondon’s time in England has been inconsistent. Signed from Zenit in 2015 after scoring an impressive 17 goals in all competitions for the Russian side, he struggled to hit the same heights.

It’s taken him until 2018/19 to find his best form in the Premier League and, under a manager in Rafa Benitez who knows how to get the best out of his players, he’s flourished.

Rondon’s time under Tony Pulis was in stark contrast. For the large majority of his spell at the Hawthorns, he was desperately poor. It felt like classic Pulis, lump the ball into a robust forward and hope for the best.

But with the Magpies, Benitez has discovered there is more to his game.

During the course of the current season, he found the net 11 times in the Premier League – his best tally in the top-flight since arriving.

As a result, he could be about to make a permanent move elsewhere. The Daily Mail reported last week that Wolves had opened discussions with West Brom over a potential transfer.

The report claims he has a £16.5m release clause which for a side lacking squad depth is a no-brainer.

Rondon would be an astute signing for Wolves. He’d solve two main problems, no less than in their inability to find a plan B.

The Venezuelan would certainly bring a different way of playing, but, after signing a striker for £30m only a matter of months ago, is it not sending out the wrong message?

Jimenez has been a revelation since signing for Wolves and his permanent signing this year was the reward for his magnificent performances in Nuno Santo’s side.

It’s highly unlikely Rondon and Jimenez could play together, but it could provide them with an interesting new way of playing, especially in away games where they’ve struggled.

Against teams who like to sit deep Wolves will need more physical players to play off. Their Mexican forward is strong but he also provides his team with technical ability.

Rondon doesn’t find the net as regularly, but his all-round game is arguably better than Wolves’ number nine.

The Albion striker made just ten key passes less than his potential future teammate, having played in six fewer games. However, the evidence is there of his ability to play in a passing team and his link up with Ayoze Perez in the North East quickly became one of the most devastating in the league.

It’s something he may be able to replicate at Molineux should he join, and given Jimenez can play in a two as he’s done with Diogo Jota, there could be a case for starting the pair of them.

Where Rondon is undeniably better is in the air. In 2018/19, he won 68 aerial duels. If any further evidence was needed of the physicality he can bring, there it is.

Jimenez was one of the main culprits in some of Wolves’ poorer performances towards the back end of the season. For the 28-year-old it was a season devoid of competition and he could really benefit from the arrival of a new centre forward this summer. Arguably, it could take him to the next level.

As Nuno’s men gear up for the Europa League, their squad will need to be deeper. Signing Rondon will increase competition and also allow the manager to try new things.

Wolves fans have been great value this season and now they’ve added another couple of belters to their arsenal of songs. Check them out in the video below…

If there was one criticism of him it would be the inability to adapt. Nuno has played a similar system right the way through his tenure with Wolves but if they are to bring in a forward of Rondon’s nature it could change things dramatically.

The good thing for Wolves is that they don’t need to spend a great deal this summer. Therefore, paying his release clause simply has to happen.

Not only will it solve their issues on the road and in terms of depth, it’ll also get even more out of one of their star men.

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been discussing the form and future of Dejan Lovren, but should the Croatian be replaced this summer?

Neil Jones of GOAL.com has released a detailed report on the future of several Reds stars, and Lovren is one of those under the microscope.

The World Cup finalist has lost his place first to Joe Gomez and then Joel Matip this season, effectively making him the fourth choice centre back at Anfield.

According to Jones, Lovren is not up for sale necessarily, but could be sold and replaced if the right offers comes in.

We asked our writers at Football FanCast if the Reds should indeed look to upgrade on the 29 year-old, here’s what they said…

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Harry Elnaugh

“The self-proclaimed ‘best centre-back in the world’ is a more than capable back-up for Joel Matip, who has been excellent in 18/19, although perhaps finding a player whom Matip can be deputy to is more important. Liverpool would have the Prem’s best back four by far and away if they sign another top defender to partner Van Dijk.”

Harry Sherlock

“Lovren is okay. That’s about it. He seems to have a fair amount of ego, though, and there are certainly better out there. It really depends on how much the Reds want to spend; a move for the likes of Matthijs De Ligt or Kalidou Koulibaly would do wonders for their backline. But, if they’re intending to keep their wallet in their pocket, keeping Lovren around makes sense. They just need to hope that Virgil van Dijk doesn’t get injured!”

Billy Meyers

“Lovren’s woeful performance at the Etihad in January ultimately cost Liverpool the title, and it is these small margins at the highest level that will come back to bite you if you allow mediocrity to settle into your side. Whilst his stock is still fairly high, Liverpool should cash in as soon as possible on the Croatian; they can easily find someone else to do what he does.”

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The Mirror reported last weekend that Arsenal are considering offering striker Danny Welbeck a new contract.

The former Manchester United star has been plagued by injury problems at the Emirates Stadium and has not played for the club in the Premier League since November.

Nevertheless, the report claims that the Gunners have been impressed with his rehabilitation and are considering handing him a new contract as Premier League clubs continue to circle.

West Ham United, Newcastle United and Everton are all touted as potential suitors.

But should Arsenal be giving a new contract to a player who has scored 32 goals in 126 games for the club? Football FanCast writers give their verdicts…

Luke Glanville

“For me, Arsenal shouldn’t even consider offering Danny Welbeck a new deal. Yes, on his day we all know the talent he has, but injuries have plagued his career and they’re not suddenly going to stop at the age of 28. A new deal for the Englishman would be a huge waste of money for Unai Emery’s Gunners and one they should steer well clear of. The north Londoners already have the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette in their ranks; thinking that Welbeck is needed would be brainless. If they do require a back-up forward, someone they can rely on should be chosen. In the nicest possible way, Welbeck’s time at the Emirates should be up.”

Billy Meyers

“Absolutely not. Arsenal already need to perform a daunting overhaul on a side simply not good enough to compete with England’s elite clubs and offering Danny Welbeck a new deal would be a huge risk. In truth, Unai Emery would be shooting himself in the foot with that call. The Englishman has also missed a large chunk of this season with a serious ankle injury, so it would perhaps be better to wait until Welbeck proves his fitness before offering him a new deal.”

Matt Dawson

“Arsenal need to sort out their wage structure but a new contract for Danny Welbeck must be at the height of their priorities. His early season form was fantastic and, given the lack of wide options at the club, he can still be a big asset to the Gunners. Their performances of late have lacked any directness and that’s exactly what Welbeck can bring. Yes, his end product is questionable but he’s the perfect squad player and simply has to be kept.”

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When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed Manchester United manager, many fans and pundits alike rejoiced.

Here, they claimed, was the true successor to Sir Alex Ferguson, the former striker done good, riding in to save the day after the poisonous reign of Jose Mourinho turned the club into also-rans.

A scarcely believable second-leg win over PSG in the Champions League sent them fawning. Rio Ferdinand, on BT Sport, told United to give Solskjaer the job on a permanent basis, and for him to be allowed to sign for as long as he wanted to. Henry Winter, perhaps the pre-eminent football journalist in this country, talked up the football, insisting that the “United of Solskjaer was the United of Ferguson”.

It is all coming crumbling down. Solskjaer was, per Ferdinand’s request, given the United job on a permanent basis on March 28th. Since then, United have beaten Watford and West Ham United, lost to Wolves in the Premier League – Solskjaer, while caretaker manager, saw his side beaten by Nuno Espirito Santo’s men in the FA Cup – and been outclassed by Barcelona in the Champions League. Then, on Sunday, the straw that broke the camel’s back: a 4-0 thumping at the hands of Everton.

Solskjaer came out afterwards and seemed to speak from the heart.

The BBC report that he said: “That performance is not good enough for a Manchester United team, from me to players, we let the fans down, we let the club down. That performance is difficult to describe because it is so bad.”

The fact of the matter is that Solskjaer has a very different idea of what a Manchester United performance should constitute than the rest of us. He is a Ferguson fanboy, at the end of the day, in thrall to the greatest manager the club has ever had. Of course, that is forgivable, he played under the man and won title after title with him, but it is not becoming of a good manager on his own terms. Reports have claimed that Ferguson offers advice on team selection and that Solskjaer won’t even park his car in the manager’s space at the training ground because he believes it belongs to the Scot.

Since Ferguson’s departure, though, United have lost games regularly. They have downed tools; they have been outrun, outfought and outthought. Sunday was the latest in a long line of poor results overseen first by David Moyes, then Louis van Gaal, Mourinho and now Solskjaer.

The first three, however, never invoked Ferguson quite so readily. In doing so, in being so reverent to the past, Solskjaer is inadvertently besmirching the legacy of a United legend.

Solskjaer said, upon his appointment, that Ferguson was his mentor. He told the club’s official website: “If you play at Man United, you play without fear and you play with courage.

“You go out there and express your skills. I’ve had the best [manager]. He [Sir Alex] just said ‘go out and express yourselves, take risks.’”

This is simplistic at best and naïve at worst. Compare the squad today with the side Ferguson took to the Premier League title in the 2012-13 season. The likes of Rafael Da Silva, Jonny Evans, Anders Lindegaard, Tom Cleverley, Shinji Kagawa and Alexander Buttner would all be nowhere near today’s XI. Conversely, such stars as Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw would all walk into the 12-13 XI and play enough to wear a winners’ medal around their neck.

Ferguson’s main strength, at the end of the day, was cohesion. Regardless of the amount of transfers the club made – the signing of Robin van Persie was a masterstroke not since seen at Old Trafford – Ferguson always knew how to build the very best team for every occasion. That season, United won the league by 12 points with a worse squad than they have now. This term, they are sixth, 24 points behind Liverpool.

The league has moved on, of course it has, and it would be remarkable to see a prime Ferguson take on the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp and see if he could still come out on top.

But we will never know. It is Solskjaer at the wheel, as the United fans so regularly sing, but he seems determined to constantly remind fans that Ferguson is also present as a backseat driver.

Indeed, it still feels as though this was an emotional appointment, driven by the desire to make fans happy.

It appears all the more illogical the more one looks at it, with Solskjaer regularly attempting to invoke a non-existent ‘United way’ that has not been a factor in results since Ferguson retired.

Consistently doing so will not do Solskjaer any favours.

In fact, it will only make his ultimate downfall even harder to swallow for a group of fans who need a manager to stand on his own two feet and help United back to theirs.

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A wave of Arsenal fans on Twitter think that their club shouldn’t sell on-loan defender Calum Chambers when he returns to the Emirates Stadium in the summer.

The former England international moved to Craven Cottage for the season in the summer 2018 transfer window, but hasn’t been able to prevent Fulham from sitting precariously in the Premier League bottom three with just seven matches left to play.

However, despite the Cottagers’ struggles, Chambers has stood out playing in both defence and midfield and he will be pleased for the game time he’s received in west London, making 24 league appearances in 2018/2019 so far.

This has prompted some Gunners to crave seeing the 24-year-old in red again, with one stating that they are “looking forward to seeing Chambers in an Arsenal shirt again next season.”

Which team is the dominant force in London right now? Playmaker FC’s Tom Skinner has a very unpopular opinion on the matter. Check it out in the video below…

He’s also impressed a selection of Arsenal supporters so much that they are not only making comparisons between him and current first-choice centre-back Shkodran Mustafi, they think he’s better than the German and would like to see him gone instead of Chambers when the transfer window arrives.

Below is our list of the best Tweets from fans of the North London club on the 6 ft utility man…

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Sean Longstaff’s incredible showings at the base of midfield have meant that Jonjo Shelvey has been relegated to the reserves recently but, rather than sitting back and sulking at his lack of minutes, the former Liverpool man has requested to play for the Under-23’s.

The 27-year-old featured against Fulham’s youth side on Friday and is therefore unlikely to be involved in the Magpies clash against West Ham on Saturday.

Prior to Longstaff’s emergence, 6-cap ace Shelvey’s skill set was unique in the Newcastle ranks but the former has impressed with his passing range, shooting and defensive solidity.

Have the new Newcastle home and away kits for next season accidentally been leaked? See for yourself in the video below…

Shelvey’s season has been wrought by injuries and he has only made 11 appearances, chalking up just one assist – Longstaff, meanwhile, has made eight appearances since his debut at the end of December and has got a goal and an assist to his name.

Former England international Shelvey might not be a fixture in Rafa Benitez’s starting XI anymore, but the St James’ Park faithful were impressed at his willingness to play his way back into the team, as they reacted on Twitter…

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Crystal Palace had a wonderful win at the weekend, putting four goals past Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

Jonny Evans registered for Leicester in the second half of the Premier League match, but the Eagles ran out 4-1 winners in the late kickoff.

It was a wonderful performance from the London club, with Michy Batshuayi scoring his first Palace goal and Wilfried Zaha hitting a double.

However, it was the display of central defender James Tomkins that really caught the attention of then club’s supporters during and indeed after the match.

According to WhoScored, Tomkins won four headers and had a pass success rate of 84% during his 90 minutes on the field.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

The 29-year-old has been quietly excellent for Palace in recent weeks and the club’s fans were very keen to draw attention to the Englishman on Saturday.

A selection of the Twitter reaction in relation to his display can be seen below:

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Southampton are currently on a training camp in Tenerife where manager Ralph Hasenhuttl is conducting one-on-one meetings with his players, and he has revealed via southamptonfc.com how those he has spoken to so far have reacted during the discussions.

What’s the word, then?

Well, following their 2-1 defeat against fellow strugglers Cardiff City at St Mary’s on Saturday, the Saints squad jetted off to the Canary Island for a mini-break where they can work on tactics in a somewhat warmer climate, as well as handing the Austrian boss a chance to speak individually to all of his players.

It had been reported previously that the 51-year-old intended to hold personal 20-minute sessions with his stars to talk about their positive and negative points – including showing them video footage from their performances – and now he has revealed how they responded with the meeting already underway.

Speaking to southamptonfc.com, he said: “I think they want to see what deficit they have still, and they also want to see what they make better now in their game.”

How useful will this feedback me?

It should be hugely beneficial.

Despite the reverse against the Bluebirds, the south coast outfit are visibly improved since Hasenhuttl replaced Mark Hughes at the helm in December, and they were unbeaten in the Premier League in 2019 prior to facing Neil Warnock’s side.

It can’t always be easier to get individual feedback across to players on the training pitch at home when you are preparing for games, so this break in Tenerife and work behind the scenes before they face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on February 24 could prove to be crucial in Southampton’s bid to avoid the drop.

Andrew Strauss has announced his retirement from professional cricket, ending a 10-year career at international level, the last three of which he was England’s Test captain. Alastair Cook, the one-day captain, will take on the Test job.His decision comes after a week of soul-searching during a family break following the 2-0 loss against South Africa which meant England lost the No. 1 Test ranking and also comes at a time when Kevin Pietersen’s exile from the team has dominated the agenda.Strauss played down the significance of the current Pietersen situation in his decision saying it “was not a factor at all” and retiring was on his mind before the series against South Africa started. He did, though, admit that his lack of runs had played a major part.Strauss’ decision ends a career that began in 1997, an international career that started in 2003 and captaincy reign that began early in 2009 in the wake of the Pietersen-Peter Moores fall out.”After much thought over the last few weeks, I have decided to step down as England Test captain and announce my retirement from all forms of cricket,” Strauss said. “It has clearly been a tough decision to make, but I believe that it is both in the best interests of the England cricket team and myself to step down at this stage.”There are too many people who have helped me on this incredible journey to mention them all by name, but I would like to thank all the Middlesex and England players I have played alongside, as well as the phenomenal coaches and support staff with whom I have been fortunate enough to work.”Particular mention has to go to Andy Flower and Duncan Fletcher in that regard. It would also be remiss of me not to thank Middlesex, the ECB and the PCA for their support and guidance over the years.”No one can play international cricket for any length of time without having an incredibly strong support network around them, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family for going through it all alongside me over the course of my England career.”I am extremely proud of everything I have achieved as a cricketer, and I have found myself very fortunate to play in an era when some of English cricket’s greatest moments have occurred. I have loved every minute of it. All that remains is for me to wish Andy, Alastair and the rest of the team the very best for the coming months. I will be an interested spectator.”Strauss, 35, played his 100th Test at Lord’s against South Africa and after the loss he said he still had “a lot of desire” but did not categorically declare his intention to continue leading the side. Strauss said at the time he was keen to take a break and then discuss the future with the coach Andy Flower.ESPNcricinfo were the first to suggest immediately after the Test that perhaps Strauss was considering resignation.The South African series was a difficult one for Strauss, who not only had to deal with the ongoing Pietersen saga but also his own struggle for runs – his best score during the three Tests was 37. Cook, who took on the ODI captaincy last year, will now step into the Test role and will start with the tour of India later this year.Cook said: “Andrew’s contribution to England cricket in recent years is evident to everyone who follows the sport but only those of us who have been lucky enough to share a dressing room with him are fully aware of his immense contribution to our success.”He has been a fantastic captain, has led from the front for three and a half years and is a true ambassador for the game. To have played 100 Tests for your country is a phenomenal achievement and I want to congratulate him on a superb career. I know this can’t have been an easy decision for him and everyone in the dressing room will be sad to see him go.”I’m very excited by this new challenge, it is a huge honour to be appointed Test captain and am very much looking forward to captaining the side in India this winter and beyond, but my immediate focus is on this current NatWest one-day series. Once the series is over I will turn my attention to the Test captaincy and building on the work Andrew has started.”David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said: “On behalf of the ECB and everyone involved in cricket I’d like to thank Andrew Strauss for his outstanding contribution to the game.”Andrew has been a highly successful captain and opening batsman for Middlesex and England, who will be remembered for leading the side to two Ashes victories and to the top of the Test rankings. He has shown tremendous integrity, dedication and commitment both on and off the field and under his leadership the side has grown immeasurably and reached new levels of professionalism.”Andrew’s calmness and authority when dealing with some of the most difficult moments in our sport in recent times should be applauded and I have no doubt that his contribution as an ambassador for the game will be recognised by anyone who has had an opportunity to spend time with him. His legacy within the game will be felt for many years to come and we now need to continue to build on the progress we have made under his leadership.”Strauss made his debut for England in 2004, scoring a century against New Zealand at Lord’s in a performance that was enough to push former captain Nasser Hussain into retirement, and his most recent Test against South Africa was his 100th Test. When talking recently to mark the occasion he spoke about his desire to continue but events of recent weeks, including the controversy surrounding Pietersen, appear to have changed his mind.As captain, Strauss led England to new heights, including back-to-back Ashes triumphs in 2009 and 2010-11 plus the No.1 Test ranking which they held for a year before losing the series against South Africa. That was the first home Test series England had lost under Strauss’ leadership and just the third of his entire stint.However, the runs had largely dried up for Strauss in recent years. The two hundreds he scored against West Indies earlier this season hinted that he could recapture some of his best form but reality hit home against South Africa when he scored 107 runs in six innings. Having started his time as captain with three hundreds against West Indies in 2009 he managed just four more. He will finish with 21 Test centuries, one behind the England record held by Geoff Boycott, Colin Cowdrey and Wally Hammond.In his 100 Tests Strauss has scored 7037 runs at 40.91 and in the 50 Tests he captained (which included four before being appointed fulltime captian, against Pakistan in 2006) he won 24 of them.Strauss is the third England captain to resign either during or after a series against a South Africa side led by Graeme Smith. Hussain stood down early in the 2003 series and Michael Vaughan ended his time as captain after South Africa won the 2008 series with victory at Edgbaston.