Former West Ham United striker Dean Ashton believes that the board should go easy on manager Slaven Bilic.

The Croatian, who was under pressure at times last season, has not overseen the best start to the current campaign.

The Hammers have lost all three of their Premier League matches, conceding 10 goals in the process.

In two of the outings, Bilic’s men failed to get on the scoresheet, and so far the team have only netted twice, both were scored by Javier Hernandez.

The former Manchester United striker moved to the London Stadium during an exciting summer for the club as they also recruited Pablo Zabaleta, Joe Hart and Marko Arnautovic.

However, the positive results are yet to come, which has led to suggestions that Bilic’s time could be up.

According to The Telegraph, the 48-year-old has four games to turn the club’s fortunes around or risked getting sacked.

After the international break, West Ham will return to their home of the London Stadium, which was used earlier this month to stage the World Athletics Championships.

Ashton, who played for the Hammers between 2006 and 2009, believes that Bilic, who comes to the end of his contract next summer, has been unlucky with injuries to the team.

The former striker told talkSPORT:

“I don’t think that’s fair. When you bring in new signings you’ve got to be given time to bed them in, and that means more than six or seven games.

“They do look very poor defensively, and their organisation has also been very poor – [Bilic] switches from a four to a three quite regularly as if he’s not quite sure about his starting line-up at the back.

“But once he gets his injured players back – Manuel Lanzini, Michail Antonio and Andy Carroll will make a huge difference to the starting XI. He should be given a little bit more time.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp delivered some bad news on Tuesday with regards to Nathaniel Clyne’s fitness.

The 26-year-old has not played since mid-July when he came on as a substitute in a pre-season friendly against Tranmere Rovers.

A back injury has been the reason for his absence, but a timeline for recovery remains uncertain.

Questions were raised when Clyne was not included in Liverpool’s Champions League squad, which suggests that the right-back will be on the sidelines until the New Year.

Klopp attempted to clarify the confusion surrounding the England international’s absence, and it looks like a frustrating road to recovery for the former Southampton man.

The German coach told the club’s official website:

“Nathaniel is working hard on his rehab and we have kept a close eye on his progress, but the reality is we are looking at some time still before he is back and available for selection. I am told it will be longer than just a couple of weeks, so we will continue to monitor and assess.

“It is pretty certain he’ll not be available for the majority of the Champions League group matches. If we are fortunate enough to still be in UEFA competition in the New Year he could be added to the squad then.

“The medical guys are pleased with how he is responding and Nathaniel has shown a really strong attitude, given he is not someone who is used to being out injured.

The right-back duty has been juggled between Joe Gomez and academy product Trent Alexander-Arnold, both of whom have looked steady in the role.

It seems that the vacancy will continue to be up for grabs for some time while Clyne works on his rehabilitation.

After Klopp gave some insight into the situation, Liverpool fans delivered their thoughts on Twitter.

When Stoke snapped up Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting this summer, the rest of the Premier League hardly batted an eye. Rather tellingly, the Potters signed the 45-cap Cameroon international on a free transfer in August, meaning no pre-contract agreement was in place, suggesting he wasn’t Mark Hughes’ first choice of centre-forward during the summer.

But the African attacker may have already etched his name into Stoke folklore after producing one of the performances of his career against Manchester United on Saturday. After three solid if unspectacular early outings in the Premier League, Choupo-Moting truly came to life against the Red Devils, scoring twice to seal an impressive point for the Potters.

That was by no means the 6 foot 3 forward’s only significant contribution, however, in what was a phenomenal all-round display from the former Schalke man. Tellingly of how many problems he caused United’s backline, he produced the most efforts at goal, completed the most dribbles and won the most aerial duels of any Stoke player.

But more than simply wreaking havoc in the final third, Choupo-Moting also ranked first throughout both teams for successful tackles, highlighting how he made a huge impact out of possession as well.

It’s still incredibly early days in Choupo-Moting’s Premier League career but considering how far he slipped under the radar and that didn’t cost Stoke a penny in transfer fees, he’s already making a decent case for himself as one of the top flight’s signing of the summer.

Arsenal picked up a vital three points on Sunday, keeping pace with the teams above them in the English Premier League with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Emirates Stadium.

On the 21st anniversary of Arsene Wenger’s arrival at the club, the Gunners delivered the kind of routine win that Arsenal fans have grown accustomed to in those years.

Nacho Monreal and Alex Iwobi were the unlikely goalscorers that provided victory, neither had netted prior this season prior to today’s fixture.

Getting a goal was especially important for Iwobi, who Arsenal fans are desperate to see emerge into an attacking talent that can be relied upon when players like Mesut Ozil are missing.

The Nigerian international hasn’t had the best of starts to the 2017/18 season but this goal should do him the world of good and give him the confidence to shine in the weeks to come.

Gunners supporters were certainly delighted with his showing and took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

As reported by The Daily Mirror, Arsenal are interested in signing Manchester United star Anthony Martial.

What’s the story?

With Alexis Sanchez’s contract at the club running out at the end of the season and no sign of his situation at the Emirates being resolved, Arsenal fans are growing anxious they will be left without a prolific goalscoring threat should he leave.

It seems the club are already planning ahead though. The Daily Mirror reckon the Gunners are plotting a stunning move for Manchester United man Martial as that direct Sanchez replacement.

The United forward, who the paper say joined the club for £58m, isn’t exactly first choice under Jose Mourinho and that’s left Arsene Wenger hopefully he might be eager to make the switch south, according to the report.

Massive threat

Despite often limited to substitute appearances and starts in cup competitions, Anthony Martial has still managed to forge a prolific path at Manchester United, scoring goals and setting up assists with the regularity that could make him a success at Arsenal.

In 100 appearances for the Red Devils, he’s scored 30 goals and assists 23 more, which isn’t a bad return at all for a player still just 21 years of age.

He may not be quite at the level of Alexis Sanchez, but his ability to play wide or through the middle mirrors the Chilean and his goal contribution isn’t too dissimilar either.

His potential is limitless and with the guidance of Arsene Wenger and the responsibility of being Arsenal’s main man should Sanchez leave, that potential could be realised at the Emirates.

Newcastle United were beaten 1-0 on the road for the third time in the Premier League this season when they lost against Burnley at Turf Moor on Monday night, with Ayoze Perez partly at fault for Jeff Hendrick’s goal after he lost possession.

The Spaniard has started all 10 of the Magpies’ top flight fixtures in the No 10 position this season, but he has picked up just one goal and one assist in that time, and his disappointing showing against the Clarets may have proven to be the final straw for some of the Toon faithful, who want to see more from a player featuring in that role behind the lone striker.

Rafa Benitez has substituted the 24-year-old off in the last three matches to suggest that he isn’t completely satisfied, but the former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss doesn’t exactly have a wealth of options to choose from if he wants to drop him from the starting XI.

However, midfielder Jonjo Shelvey could prove to be an inspired choice in that role given the attributes that he has and the form he has shown at times already this term.

Here are three reasons he should replace Perez in the No 10 position…

Creative ability

With 15 assists in 69 appearances in all competitions for Newcastle and 18 in 96 for Swansea City previously – most from a deep midfield position – it is clear to see that Shelvey has the ability to create good chances for his teammates.

The 25-year-old has a brilliant range of passing – as he showed with the defence-splitting ball he played for Joselu’s goal against Newcastle earlier in the season –and his quality in possession and the fact that he can play perfectly-weighted passes should mean that he is more effective in the No 10 role than someone like Perez.

Physical attributes

You can come up against some big defensive midfielders when you play in the No 10 role in the Premier League – think Victor Wanyama or Nemanja Matic for example – and while someone like Perez can easily get bullied, you wouldn’t see it fazing someone like Shelvey.

The 25-year-old isn’t afraid of a battle and is relatively tall and strong, while he also has the ability and confidence to beat his opponents having successfully completed all three of the take-ons he has attempted in seven top flight appearances this season.

Central midfield competition

While Perez doesn’t have too much competition in the No 10 role, it is a different story for Rafa Benitez when it comes to his central midfield options.

At the current time Shelvey, Isaac Hayden, Mikel Merino and even Mo Diame are competing for a spot in the middle of the park, with two missing out in the preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.

Howver, playing the likes of Hayden and Merino – who have both proven they are worthy starts and impressive performers already this term – together would allow Benitez to play Shelvey in a more advanced role in place of an out of form Perez without having to worry about the impact it could have on the team defensively.

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

Newcastle United suffered their third 1-0 defeat on the road in the Premier League this season as they were beaten by Burnley at Turf Moor on Monday night, and Magpies fans weren’t impressed with Ayoze Perez’s performance.

The Spaniard once again started in the number 10 position despite only having one goal and one assist in his previous nine top flight appearances, but he failed to make an impact from an attacking point of view before being replaced by Isaac Hayden 14 minutes from the end.

His substitution actually came just two minutes after Jeff Hendrick had given the Clarets the lead, with Perez partly to blame having lost the ball further up the pitch as Rafa Benitez’s men added to their previous 1-0 losses against Huddersfield Town and Brighton and Hove Albion this term.

Newcastle supporters were quick to have their say on the 24-year-old’s performance via social media, and while some said he is “consistently dreadful”, others believe he “should never start”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Everton’s horror show of a season continued on Thursday night, as a below-par side capitulated away to Lyon, losing 3-0 and crashing out of Europe in traumatic fashion.

It will be a long way back from here for David Unsworth’s side, and also for whoever may take over from him if he isn’t handed the job on a long-term basis. Europe is gone, the League Cup is gone, and even the top half of the Premier League now looks quite a long way away.

And as if to underline the toothlessness of Everton so far this season, last night’s side against the Ligue 1 team saw caretaker manager Unsworth opt to play a side without a recognised striker, as record-signing Gylfi Sigurdsson was given a starting berth in the most advanced role.

That has, since Romelu Lukaku left the club, been the obvious weakness in a team who have struggled all season. Not having a recognised striker is more than just about having someone to finish off moves, it’s also about having a player to lead the line, make intelligent runs, and generally be in a position to take a pass.

That was made abundantly clear by Gylfi Sigurdsson’s nightmare of a performance at the Groupama Stadium on Thursday night.

The Icelandic international touched the ball a paltry 34 times all night as he struggled to find the right kind of spaces while leading the line, and was unable to drop deep into the areas he usually patrols behind the striker.

That is also borne out in Sigurdsson’s passing stats. And although he didn’t have a terrible completion rate – 85%, better than all but four Everton starters – he only attempted attempted 20 passes in total, completing 17. Indeed, his 20 pass haul is exactly the same number as Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes, showing just how bad things got for Everton on Thursday night.

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And when it came to actually attempting to score goals, things weren’t much better for Sigurdsson. On a night where he managed just two shots in the whole game, only two found their way on target.

It’s harsh to single Sigurdsson out too much given he was playing in an unfamiliar role on a night when his team were humiliated away from home, but what it does highlight is that the Icelandic international is not the answer to Everton’s striker problem – something they saw coming and did nothing about.

In the end, what his performance serves to highlight is not that Sigurdsson isn’t performing well for his new club, but that Everton made a huge recruitment blunder in the summer which has necessitated playing an attacking midfielder up front in a big European tie.

And that, more than anything else, is why they find themselves out of Europe in November and in the Premier League’s bottom three.

According to reports in The Sun on Sunday, Republic of Ireland boss Martin O’Neill is at the top of Everton’s three-man shortlist to be their new manager.

What’s the word, then?

Well, after admitting defeat in their pursuit of Watford’s Marco Silva, The Sun on Sunday says that O’Neill is top of a three-man shortlist to succeed Ronald Koeman almost five weeks after the Dutchman was sacked.

The Sun on Sunday says that former West Bromwich Albion chief Tony Pulis and caretaker boss David Unsworth are also in the running, but the latter’s hopes of being given the role on a full-time basis may be dead following the 5-1 and 4-1 defeats to Atalanta and Southampton over the course of the last few days.

The report says that while O’Neill is majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri’s first-choice option, the 65-year-old is likely to want a long-term deal instead of just filling in for the rest of the season.

Why does Moshiri want O’Neill?

Well, the experienced Irishman will probably be seen as something of a safe option for Everton as they look to avoid being involved in a relegation battle in the latter stages of this season.

The 65-year-old enjoyed good spells with Leicester City, Celtic and Aston Villa before a more underwhelming spell with Sunderland, and he has managed the Republic of Ireland since 2013, winning 18 of 46 matches he has been in charge of.

However, he failed to lead them to the 2018 World Cup as Denmark beat them 5-1 on aggregate earlier this month.

Would he be a good appointment?

It’s difficult to say.

The fact that O’Neill wasn’t particularly successful in his last club management role with the Black Cats would be a worry, as is the fact that he hasn’t been a Premier League boss for almost five years.

The 65-year-old also showed his tactical naivety in the 5-1 defeat against Denmark, with his team selection in the second leg of the play-off fixture completely wrong.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho revealed at his pre-match press conference that Phil Jones is available for Sunday’s Manchester derby with Manchester City.

Jones has been absent for the Red Devils since picking up an injury on England duty last month – missing the team’s last four matches in all competitions.

The 25-year-old has been declared fit for the top-of-the-table clash at Old Trafford, although fellow centre-back Eric Bailly is still on the sidelines for the Red Devils.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will also return to the squad after sitting out United’s last two matches as he recovers from a serious knee problem.

Marouane Fellaini is also in contention to feature for the home side, although Mourinho claimed that the Belgian would needed to be assessed on Saturday to determine whether he is fit enough to play a part against Pep Guardiola’s side.

Nemanja Matic will also start despite carrying a slight muscular problem, but Paul Pogba is suspended and Michael Carrick still absent, meaning that Ander Herrera is expected to start in the middle of the park.

The same front three that featured against Arsenal – Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial and Romelu Lukaku – are expected to take to the field this weekend.

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