Should West Ham lose to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, it could be curtains for under-pressure manager David Moyes, but the Hammers might be relying on another side sacking their manager in their search for a potential replacement.

Graham Potter has failed to impress in his stint at Chelsea, despite Todd Boehly funding some eye-watering transfer deals in January and time could be running out for the former Brighton manager at Stamford Bridge, which West Ham will no doubt be keeping their eye on.

Could Potter replace Moyes at West Ham?

According to Claret and Hugh, West Ham would be one of the first clubs in for the 47-year-old should he face the sack at Chelsea, with his successes at Brighton, Swansea City and Ostersunds FK clearly still meaning that he is held in high regard by those in the Premier League.

The Hammers dropped into the relegation places last weekend after the defeat against Tottenham Hotspur but it seems as if Moyes’ successes last season are also playing a big part in his keeping the job at the London Stadium.

Chelsea legend John Terry will certainly have given his seal of approval when the Blues replaced Thomas Tuchel with Potter earlier in the season, as he tweeted in August, saying:

“How good is Graham Potter? I love how Brighton play and he has to be one of the best young managers around. Ticks every box for me.”

Could Potter keep West Ham away from relegation?

While Potter has struggled since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, he has managed 1.56 points per game in all competitions, while Moyes has mustered just 1.47 points per game, which is also skewed by his perfect record in the FA Cup and Europa Conference League.

A record of 0.87 points per game in the Premier League could be enough to get the Hammers relegated this season so hiring a forward-thinking, attack-minded coach such as Potter could be the catalyst in turning West Ham’s season around.

There is little doubt that the Hammers bolstered their squad with quality in the summer and in January and yet the performances compared to last season have been poor, which suggests that the blame lies with the manager.

Potter has shown what he can do at Brighton on a low budget, having spent just £140m over four transfer windows in a two-year period between 2019 and 2020 to finish no lower than 12th in that time.

With that record in mind, a change at the helm at the London Stadium could provide the necessary boost to keep the Hammers well away from relegation trouble this season.

Therefore, those at West Ham will surely be hoping that Potter gets the sack at Stamford Bridge, and it would not be a surprise to see the Hammers follow their London rivals should the 47-year-old become available as a potential replacement for Moyes.

Glasgow Rangers bounced back from their cup final disappointment by beating Kilmarnock 3-1 in the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox on Saturday.

Connor Goldson, James Tavernier and Fashion Sakala scored the goals to seal all three points for the Light Blues and there was a nice moment in stoppage time as central defender John Souttar made his long-awaited return to action.

The Scotland international missed a whopping 42 competitive matches with an ankle injury and came off the bench to replace Ben Davies in the final few minutes of the game.

It was only his second appearance for the club since joining on a free transfer from Hearts, and his first outing since Michael Beale arrived in Glasgow.

The Gers head coach has not had the chance to work with the defender for a significant period of time and the Englishman may look forward to doing so as the 26-year-old has the potential to be a terrific player for the club.

Could John Souttar replace Connor Goldson?

Goldson turns 31 this year and the Light Blues may have one eye on who could replace the £37k-per-week titan in the future. Souttar could step up and be that player if Beale is able to get the best out of him in the coming months and years.

The ex-Hearts star, who journalist Ewan Murray once hailed as “outstanding”, can bring a “presence” at the back – according to his teammate Ryan Jack – and his statistics from the 2021/22 Premiership season back that up.

Souttar averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.30 across 27 appearances in the division. The 26-year-old made two tackles and interceptions per game and won an impressive 71% of his individual duels, which shows that the gem consistently won the ball back for his side and was dominant in physical contests.

This season, Goldson has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.30 in 20 matches and has won 66% of his battles, whilst making 2.1 tackles and interceptions per match for the Light Blues.

These statistics suggest that there is not a great deal between the two players in terms of what they offer on the pitch when they are at their best, as both defensive machines are dominant, consistently impressive, centre-backs at Premiership level when they are in form.

Therefore, if Beale and the medical staff can keep Souttar fit, the ex-Hearts man could be the long-term successor to Goldson at Ibrox with his previous form in the Scottish top-flight suggesting he has the quality to be an excellent replacement for the Englishman.

Since their newly discovered riches came to the fore, it’s become far easier to rank Newcastle United’s best players. The Magpies have already undergone an impressive transition, going from the relegation battle to a battle for European football and a Carabao Cup final. 

Signings such as Bruno Guimarães proved to be an instant hit at St James’ Park, which always seemed likely to be the case as soon as Arsenal failed in their pursuit of the Brazilian midfielder. Meanwhile, the likes of Joelinton became reborn in one of the most unexpected transitions in Premier League history, with the struggling striker suddenly becoming an effective box-to-box midfielder.

With that said, we’ve had a go at ranking Newcastle United’s current best players.

10) Nick Pope

One of Newcastle’s best signings since the takeover, Pope has been integral to the way Newcastle have been able to rise up the league table.

It was telling that they were beaten by Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final after Pope was suspended, with Loris Karius forced to deputise.

Still, the England international has kept plenty of clean sheets this season and has been absolutely vital to the way Eddie Howe wants to play.

A superb piece of business.

9) Joe Willock

Joe Willock may not have been able to repeat the stunning goal scoring form of his original loan spell, but he still impressed at times last season, handing him a place in this list.

Of course, the former Arsenal man will be hoping for more consistency, but 29 Premier League appearances in the last campaign proves that Howe trusts him.

Indeed, he has stayed in the side even with Newcastle’s investment, making over 20 league appearances already.

8) Dan Burn 

The first of three January signings on this list, Dan Burn has proven to be a superb addition to the Newcastle side.

He has played a large part in their transition away from the relegation zone last season, making 16 appearances in all competitions.

The big defender may not have been the poster boy that some had dreamed of, but he was certainly the one that was needed at St James’ Park in January.

This season, he has even thrived at left wing-back.

7) Fabian Schär

Often overlooked, Fabian Schär adds calm to what was occasionally a storm within Newcastle’s backline last season.

And even as the Magpies keep on progressing, the defender should remain a mainstay.

He will be well aware of how important it is to remain consistent, as competition for places increases more and more.

This season, he has remained one of the first names on the team sheet.

6) Alexander Isak

Isak was snapped up as the poster boy of the newly-minted Newcastle. 

The club spent well over £50m to sign the Sweden international and he already looks to be the real deal.

Isak has scored three goals in seven games in the Premier League at the time of writing and we expect him to keep scoring goals.

Howe has a potential diamond on his hands; Isak is still only 23.

5) Joelinton 

If you told Premier League fans that Joelinton – the striker who looked destined to enter the flop pile – would become one of the most effective box-to-box midfielders in the country, then jaws would have dropped.

But here we are; here Joelinton is, and here Eddie Howe is, having implemented his masterpiece to perfection.

The Brazilian is now a fixture on the team-sheet, bringing his pace and power to bear in midfield duels.

It’s been an incredible tactical switch.

4) Callum Wilson 

Under Howe, Callum Wilson was always going to perform, even throughout a period of frustration stemming from injury.

The Englishman netted eight goals in 18 appearances last season, and has continued to score at a consistent rate, even with the signing of Isak.

This season, Wilson has seven league goals to his name already.

When fully fit, Wilson is a handful for most defenders.

3) Kieran Trippier 

As the first signing in Newcastle’s new era, Kieran Trippier had to perform.

And, in fairness to the fullback, he did exactly that, before an injury brought his season to an abrupt end. 

Back fit come August, the former Atletico Madrid man has played a crucial part in the Magpies’ lofty ambitions.

A shrewd signing, and one that has set the tone.

2) Bruno Guimarães

The Bruno Guimarães transfer perfectly sums up the difference between Newcastle a year ago vs now.

The attraction to the Magpies is sky-high nowadays, whether that be for money, or what that money could bring.

And Guimarães is a big part of that. At 24, the midfielder is entering his prime, too, and will play an increasingly important role at St James’ Park.

This season, he’s been vital to the way they’ve played, emerging as one of the best midfielders in the country.

1) Allan Saint-Maximin 

As tricky as ever, Allan Saint-Maximin remains, in our opinion, Newcastle United’s best player.

As he continues to enjoy extra quality around him, too, the Frenchman will only continue to thrive more and more.

And, with that improvement, we could see his end product sky-rocket in the coming Premier League season.

Thus far, he’s not actually been used as much by Eddie Howe, but he remains an unbelievable footballer, with one goal and three league assists to his name.

So, there you have it,  our current top 10 Newcastle players. Of course, that could dramatically change in a year or so, given how much is likely to change when it comes to personnel at St James’ Park across the next two transfer windows. 

Wolves take on Spurs on Saturday afternoon and Julen Lopetegui must consider unleashing Adama Traore, given his history against the north London side.

Why should Lopetegui unleash Traore?

Spurs arrive at Molineux low on confidence, having lost out 1-0 to Sheffield United in midweek, to seemingly bring an end to their trophy chances once again this season.

Antonio Conte’s side have looked susceptible defensively throughout the campaign, with the Italian manager selecting the ageing Ben Davies and Clement Lenglet on the left-hand side of his defence on a number of occasions recently.

Ivan Perisic has also struggled to have the impact many expected him to have as a left-wing-back, and he could also struggle defensively against the pace of someone like Traore.

The Spanish winger has struggled to replicate his performances from the 2019/20 Premier League campaign when he averaged a phenomenal 7.49 rating from WhoScored for his displays in the top flight.

He boasts just one goal and one assist so far this term, with a far-less-impressive 6.52 rating to his name, but there is no doubting the power and pace he could offer the Old Gold on the counter attack.

After a loan spell with Barcelona last season, Xavi was full of praise for the powerful wide man.

The Spaniard said: “Adama has matured a lot. And physically, he is a beast, a monster… In 1v1 situations, you cannot beat him. Adama is the perfect winger for me. I am convinced that he will be great for us.”

The 27-year-old, who earns £55k per week, certainly has a history of strong performances against Spurs, as a lot of Wolves fans will remember his sensational display in a 2-1 loss at Molineux in 2019, when the wizard constantly tormented Jan Vertonghen.

BBC Sport awarded him the man of the match award in their report, as he registered three shots on target and more crosses and successful duels than anyone else on the pitch – scoring Wolves’ only goal in the game as the forward punished their weak defending.

While Vertonghen is long gone, starting the speedy winger on Saturday could have a similar impact if he is left isolated against one of Lenglet, Perisic or Davies on the counterattack, which could prove decisive as Lopetegui’s side look to earn an important three points.

Therefore, the Spanish manager should hand Traore – who has created 0.8 chances per game this season – a rare start this weekend in the hope that the gem can rediscover the form he showed in the same fixture back in 2019.

Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos is expected to leave in the summer with the Colombian interested in a potential move to the Premier League.

How long does Morelos have left on his contract?

The 26-year-old is set to find himself as a free agent in the summer with his current deal at Ibrox set to expire at the end of the current campaign.

Morelos has now been playing his football in Scotland since 2017 after making the move to Rangers from the Finnish side HJK Helsinki.

The Colombian has endured some struggles in recent years at Ibrox, however, not finds himself back in the mix with Micahel Beale regularly using the 26-year-old.

And speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke has suggested the striker would be keen to make a move to England over the summer:

“Yeah, I think it’s getting closer and closer now to the end of his contract. We’re in this situation where maybe with just a few months left he was out of contract and he’s free to talk to foreign clubs right now on a pre-contract due to his contract situation.

“The player is keen to play at the highest level possible as well. He’d be really interested in the move to the Premier League if that was to be an option for him as well.”

How will Rangers replace Morelos?

Morelos had some issues over the course of his time at Rangers with the Colombian showing signs that he would be keen to move on from Ibrox.

However, the influence he has provided over the years cannot be ignored with the striker having played a huge role in their recent history.

The Colombian has now played 257 times for the Gers across all competitions and has provided a stunning return of 121 goals and 57 assists (via Transfermarkt).

And despite having only started 10 games in the Scottish Premiership this season, the striker has still been able to offer Rangers nine goals and five assists.

Although his game time has been inconsistent, Morelos is still Rangers’ third-highest goalscorer this term which will leave a big hole to be filled if he does leave in the summer.

Perhaps what will be equally as crushing is the fact if he does leave they will not see any money come in given he will be leaving as a free agent following the conclusion of his contract.

However, there may be a lot of things which Morelos’ departure could offer Rangers some relief from with the player consistently showing a lack of discipline throughout his time at Ibrox.

Beale does have the likes of Antonio Colak to potentially choose ahead of next season but the Englishman has shown he is more than willing to look south of the border to bolster his squad.

Chelsea ‘have not given up hope’ of signing Borussia Dortmund superstar Jude Bellingham this summer, according to journalist Jacob Steinberg.

The Lowdown: Bellingham a wanted man

The 19-year-old is one of world football’s most talked-about players currently, ahead of what is likely to be a ferocious auction for his signature this summer.

Bellingham is expected to leave Dortmund at the end of the season and Chelsea are one of several Premier League clubs who have been linked with signing him.

It is a saga that is continually being discussed and despite rumours of Liverpool edging closer it appears the Blues are far from out of the picture, following a new update.

The Latest: Chelsea still hopeful

According to The Guardian‘s Steinberg, Chelsea still believe they are in the mix to sign Bellingham during the summer window:

“Chelsea have not given up hope of landing the England international.”

The Verdict: Feels fairly unlikely

While this is encouraging in some ways, Chelsea do arguably feel like one of the outsiders to sign Bellingham, with Liverpool possibly the standout English club in the race.

Whoever acquires the 22-cap England international will certainly be getting a special talent, with even Roy Keane tipping him to be a ‘superstar’ in the game.

Granted, Bellingham didn’t affect the game too much on Tuesday, as Chelsea beat Dortmund 2-0 in the Champions League, but he could be sensational alongside Enzo Fernandez, in what would be an exciting new-look Blues midfield.

He has ten goals to his name this season, as well as one at the 2022 World Cup, while an average of 3.2 tackles per game in Qatar also outlines his defensive expertise.

Liverpool have suffered a humiliating defeat away from home in their Premier League clash with Bournemouth this afternoon and Jurgen Klopp will be scratching his head following the poor performance from his side after beating Manchester United 7-0 just six days ago.

The Reds have missed out on another opportunity to close the gap between themselves and the Champions League qualifying spots inside the top four and could drop into sixth depending on Newcastle United’s result against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.

The 1-0 defeat will be even more frustrating for the manager, team, and supporters when considering the fact that Liverpool dominated possession (69%), had more shots on target (6 v 2), more big chances created (4 v 2) and a higher rate of dribbles completed (67% v 48%).

In the first half, Liverpool got off to a seemingly good start and looked confident in the final third and had plenty of opportunities to hit the back of the net to no avail which ultimately led to key players quickly switching off in the back-line and cost the visitors dearly when Philip Billing found the back of the net to give Bournemouth the lead in the 28th minute.

When the second half resumed so did the Merseysiders’ failure to wake up from their lethargic slump but despite their poor efforts were gifted a golden opportunity to equalise when Adam Smith committed a handball foul inside the box.

Liverpool’s 22-goal top scorer this season, Mohammed Salah, stepped up to take on Neto from the penalty spot and completely misfired which was the final nail in the coffin of a massively disappointing display from Liverpool.

Indeed, there will be fingers pointed at a number of different players with the quality of individual performances from many on the floor, however, it was Harvey Elliott who found himself completely out of his depth after being selected by his manager to complete the midfield three in the starting line-up at the Vitality Stadium.

How did Harvey Elliott get on vs Bournemouth?

The 19-year-old midfielder has become a regular feature and a trusted component in Klopp’s system over the season so far and has been fearless coming up against some of the more difficult opponents over the past few months, however, the youngster struggled massively to hold back the pressure Bournemouth applied.

Over his 45-minute performance, the Liverpool ace – dubbed too “lightweight” by Liam Corcoran – was dribbled past four times, lost 100% of his duels combined, and failed in 100% of his cross attempts, as well as making no tackles, dribble attempts and key passes which led to the player being hooked at half-time by his German coach.

The Anfield Wrap writer Leanne Prescott took to Twitter to question Elliott’s selection alongside Stefan Bajcetic with the young pair being relied upon to make the impact needed to take all three points from the clash:

“Bajcetic & Elliott together felt like a risk of being outmuscled and that’s what we saw.”

Her comment was backed up by the statistics, as the Englishman did lose all of his physical contests, and the manager may be wondering – with the benefit of hindsight – whether or not it was the right call to select him.

With that being said, Klopp was let down badly by the central midfielder and the German head coach may now decide to leave the youngster out when it comes to naming his next XI.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison hit out at the club’s manager Antonio Conte following their Champions League elimination against AC Milan on Wednesday night.

The Lilywhites went into the game against the Serie A champions chasing a one-goal deficit from the first leg at the San Siro last month.

However, their efforts did not suggest this was a team who were targeting a spot in the quarter-finals of the competition as they mustered just two shots on Milan’s goal (via Sofascore).

And after the game, the Brazilian spoke about his lack of involvement in the game having only come on with 20 minutes remaining in the game.

This comes after his recent starts in their last two wins against Chelsea and West Ham United where he played the large majority of the games (via Transfermarkt).

Speaking to the Brazilian media after the game, Richarlison did not hold back in his assessment of his situation at Tottenham:

“This season is being sh*t. I was coming off two good wins against West Ham and Chelsea and suddenly he [Conte] puts me on the bench. I didn’t understand,†he said.

The quotes were relayed on Twitter by a Spurs fan account and you can see the best of the reactions below…

Glasgow Rangers chief Ross Wilson has had his fair share of transfer successes and gaffes over the years since becoming the club’s sporting director in 2019.

He has been responsible for bringing in flops such as Aaron Ramsey and Cedric Itten, although he also managed to secure the astute signings of John Lundstram and Malik Tillman, among others.

The former Southampton executive has had mixed success in the transfer market at Ibrox, but one piece of business that he did get bang-on was the deal to sign Antonio Colak from PAOK last summer.

Has Antonio Colak been a good signing for Rangers?

Wilson hit the jackpot by signing the Croatia international to bolster the Rangers squad, as the centre-forward has been a terrific addition for the Scottish giants.

Then-manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst hailed the transfer by saying of Colak: “He is a very experienced player who has played at high levels and scored a lot of goals for the teams he has played for.”

The striker was valued at £1.2m (€1.4m) by Football Transfers at the time of the move to Glasgow, and his performances at Ibrox have caused his value to skyrocket.

At the time of writing (27/02/2023), Football Transfers value the forward at £2.6m (€3m), which means that his price has soared by a whopping 114% in less than a full season. This shows that the dynamo has been in exceptional form since making the switch to Glasgow.

Colak, who journalist Josh Bunting claimed “has everything”, made a rapid start to life at the club and earned the Light Blues millions by playing a crucial role in the team qualifying for the group stage of the Champions League.

Rangers earned a guaranteed £13.2m by making it through to the group stage of the competition and the Croatian marksman scored winner in the second leg of the play-off against PSV to secure group stage qualification.

This means that Colak’s terrific finishing ability landed the Gers a huge payday, which you could argue made his signing a success irrespective of how the rest of his career at the club transpires. Nonetheless, the Croatian has gone on to be a great success in the Premiership, as he has plundered 11 goals in 15 Scottish top-flight starts this term.

Only four Rangers players have averaged a higher Sofascore rating than Colak’s 7.14, which suggests that the dynamo has been one of the team’s best performers over the campaign so far.

Therefore, Wilson struck gold by signing the 29-year-old last summer, as the attacker’s value has soared whilst delivering brilliant performances domestically and in Europe, alongside earning the club millions by scoring the goal to secure Champions League qualification.

West Ham United have been named as potential suitors for AC Milan striker Olivier Giroud in a recent report from The Sun.

The Lowdown: Ings impressing

The Hammers have already added a striker to their ranks recently, bringing in Danny Ings during the January transfer window, and the Englishman has started well, netting a brace in the 4-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

However, Gianluca Scamacca has not hit the ground running since arriving from Sassuolo in a £35.5m deal last summer, scoring just three times in 16 Premier League appearances, so David Moyes could look at new centre-forward options in the summer.

The Latest: Giroud available?

According to The Sun, Giroud is open to a move back to England, having previously played for Chelsea and Arsenal, with his contract in Milan currently set to expire at the end of the season.

The Frenchman is said to prefer a move to London, having been uninterested in joining Everton in January because of the distance from the capital, opening the door for a potential move to the London Stadium.

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Hailed as a ‘special player’ by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the striker poses a very impressive track record in English football, having scored 144 goals across all competitions during his time with Arsenal and Chelsea.

The 120-cap France international is now 36 years old, but he is still managing to perform at a very high level with AC Milan, netting seven goals and claiming four assists in 21 Serie A appearances so far this season, while he has also scored four times in the Champions League.

Given his age, Giroud will not be a long-term solution to West Ham’s goalscoring woes, with the Irons netting just 23 times in the current top-flight campaign. However, he would be a savvy signing on a short-term contract, and Moyes will know his qualities well, having wanted to sign him at West Ham during the 2019/20 season.