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Manchester United brushed aside their 7-0 humiliation against Liverpool by taking charge of their Europa League last 16 first-leg clash against Real Betis, defeating the La Liga side 4-1 at Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag must be praised for bouncing back from their Anfield disappointment and the result certainly sets them up well for the second leg.

Before that, however, there is a Premier League tie against Southampton to negotiate and with the Saints fighting to retain their top-flight status, it could be a tricky tie for United.

There will likely be some changes for the match, with a few of the side underperforming against Betis and with the club still in three competitions, Ten Hag must rotate his squad.

One such player was Fred, and he should be ditched against the south coast side this afternoon.

Will Fred start for Manchester United against Southampton?

His performance against Betis wasn’t his finest in a United shirt. The Brazilian midfielder received a Sofascore rating of 6.4/10, which ranked him as the worst player on the pitch for the Red Devis on the night.

He completed just 26 passes, had one shot, failed with both his dribble attempts, and lost ten duels during the tie and it is a surprise United still won as convincingly as they did so while he was clearly a passenger in the middle of the park.

The dud hasn’t exactly displayed his true talent in the Premier League either this term as the Brazil international has struggled for form in the division.

The £120k-per-week player ranks outside the top ten when it comes to overall Sofascore rating in the league this season (11th) while the lightweight also ranks out with the top ten for accurate passes (15th), interceptions (11th), and shots on target per match (13th), which suggests that he has underperformed since ten Hag took charge.

Following his poor display against Leicester City – in which Gary Neville dubbed him “sloppy” during Sky’s live broadcast – last month, Manchester Evening News writer Samuel Luckhurst described it as “another nightmare” performance and it would be no surprise if the Dutchman drops him to the bench today.

Having just turned 30 at the start of the month, you have to wonder, how long does he have left at United if the midfielder continues to produce disappointing performances on a weekly basis?

Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier is ‘nowhere near the required level’ to bring the club success, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Dier struggling

The defender has already been criticised by pundits for his performances this season, with journalist Kevin Palmer slamming his very poor performance in the 2-2 draw against Brentford, claiming he’s ‘not good enough’ for a top six club.

Given that Cristian Romero has been injured for large parts of the season, Dier has been given a lot of game time by Antonio Conte, making 22 appearances in the Premier League, however he has left Taylor unimpressed…

The Latest: Criticised by Taylor

In an interview with GiveMeSport, the journalist name-checked a few Tottenham players who he has been disappointed by, and he reserved particularly scathing criticism for Dier, saying:

“Ben Davies, good squad player but he should not be a starter. Hugo Lloris, poor, while Eric Dier is just nowhere near the required level for what Spurs are trying to achieve.”

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The Verdict: Not good enough

Taylor also described the Englishman as ‘very poor’ back in January, and that is a probably a fair assessment, given the level of his performances so far this season, as he is one of two Spurs players to have made an error leading to a goal.

In fairness, there have been some improved signs recently, with the 29-year-old impressing in the 2-0 victory against West Ham United at the weekend, winning six of his seven aerial duels, the second-highest amount of any player.

That being said, the Hammers offered little in the way of attacking threat, and the £85k-per-week earner does not put in those types of performances on a regular enough basis, ranked by Sofascore as Spurs’ worst-performing outfield starter in the 4-1 defeat at Leicester City.

As such, Conte should look to bring in a new option at centre-back in the summer window, and The Daily Mail report that a dominant defender will be at the top of their wanted list this summer.

Fabrizio Romano has insisted that Chelsea tried to sign Sofyan Amrabat on loan in January.

The Lowdown: Todd Boehly not holding back

Chelsea were indeed the most active and lavish spenders during the January transfer window bringing in six players including Enzo Fernandez who cost them a British transfer record fee.

Graham Potter has only been in the job a few months but has seemingly got the trust of Chelsea’s new owners as they wouldn’t have handed him so much money to spend on players if they didn’t see him as the long-term answer to their woes.

The Blues moved in the market for high-profile players such as Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix but that seemingly wasn’t enough as they also wanted Morocco’s World Cup star Amrabat.

The Latest: Amrabat was of interest

As the deadline loomed large on Tuesday evening, Chelsea enquired about a loan bid and even held discussions with Fiorentina over Amrabat as Romano revealed on his YouTube channel.

He said: (3:15) “We know Enzo was the big deal of deadline day but Chelsea also had a discussion with Fiorentina for Sofyan Amrabat. Yes, there was an exchange of information because Chelsea never made an official bid for Amrabat but they were asking Fiorentina for a potential loan deal for Sofyan Amrabat.”

The Verdict: Chelsea not here to mess about

When Todd Boehly took over from Roman Abramovich, many may well have questioned if Chelsea would be the same heavy spending side as they had been under the Russian owner, well those questions have been answered and then some.

Boehly has already splashed out over £500 million on transfers alone since he bought the club last year and with that amount of spending comes pressure on the manager, so Potter will know he can’t have Chelsea languishing in mid-table for much longer.

Despite having a squad littered with international calibre players, Chelsea have left themselves an uphill battle to finish in the top four as they’re chasing both Manchester United and Newcastle United who are 10 points ahead of them with just 18 games left to play in the league and if they don’t finish in the top four, some may ask if Amrabat was the missing piece Potter needed.

Wolves youngster Chem Campbell is reportedly on the verge of sealing a loan move to Wycombe Wanderers for the remainder of the season.

The Lowdown: Campbell’s lack of minutes

The 20-year-old midfielder is still very much an emerging talent at Molineux, so it is no surprise that a lack of playing time has come his way this season at senior level.

That said, Campbell has managed five cameo appearances in the Premier League, also enjoying a 100% pass completion rate in his one Carabao Cup showing.

With the January transfer window concluding tomorrow night, it looks as though the Welshman could be heading elsewhere.

The Latest: Wycombe move incoming?

According to Football Insider, Campbell is in ‘advanced talks’ with Wycombe over a loan move to the League One club.

They are thought to be putting the ‘finishing touches’ to a deal, beating a number of other clubs to the Wolves youngster’s services in the process.

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The Verdict: Good decision

This is a move which makes perfect sense for all parties, with Julen Lopetegui unlikely to be able to promise Campbell much game-time in the second half of the campaign, especially with a relegation battle on the cards.

Coach Jon Hunter-Barrett believes that the midfielder is on a ‘delightful journey’ at Wolves, which suggesting that the youngster could have a big future there, and playing regularly for Wycombe should only aid his development as they battle for promotion to the Championship.

The fact that the £5,400-per-week gem has won five caps for Wales’ under-17s is a further testament to his potential, and the hope is that he returns to Molineux this summer an even more rounded player.

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West Bromwich Albion are reportedly interested in signing Liverpool youngster Leighton Clarkson on loan this month, and the midfielder could form a superb partnership with Okay Yokuslu in Carlos Corberan’s side.

According to Football Insider, a number of Championship clubs including the Baggies, Reading and QPR are keen on signing the 21-year-old on loan this month after his impressive displays in Scotland with Aberdeen.

While Jim Goodwin’s side are understandably keen to keep him at Pittodrie for the remainder of the season, it is suggested that Liverpool could terminate his loan with the Dons in order to give him more experience in England.

Last season saw Clarkson join Blackburn Rovers on loan but he was limited to just seven appearances in the second tier before returning to Anfield in January, featuring in Premier League 2 fixtures for the remainder of the campaign.

However, his spell with Aberdeen has been far more fruitful, as he boasts five goals and two assists in 21 appearances, so it is easy to see why he is attracting Championship interest this month.

Klopp has certainly tipped the youngster for big things at Liverpool, likening him to Bayern Munich and Germany icon Phillip Lahm for his style of play.

The Reds manager said: “Leighton is one of the biggest talents in our club, he’s been there for ages. He’s a midfielder, a number six type, can play eight as well.

“He’s a very talented, good football-playing boy. In Germany there’s a famous player who played similar to him, you might have to go back a little bit longer, I don’t want to put pressure on the boy. But he reminds me a lot of him.”

A ball-playing midfielder such as Clarkson could work superbly alongside a physical ball-winner like Yokuslu as Corberan looks to continue the Baggies’ surge up the Championship table in the second half of the campaign.

The Turkish midfielder is ranked as West Brom’s joint-top performer in the Championship campaign according to WhoScored and has the best tackling average at Albion with 1.9 per game. However, his regular midfield partner Jayson Molumby scores far less impressively, ranking a lowly 17th in Corberan’s squad.

Clarkson not only averages more key passes (1.1 vs 0.4) and shots (one vs 0.8) per game than Molumby, but also more tackles (1.6 vs 1.2) and interceptions (0.6 vs 0.5) in 2022/23, which suggests that he could be a better partner for Yokuslu in the middle of the park than the Irishman.

Their contrasting playing styles and physiques could work wonders for Corberan for the remainder of the season, so the West Brom manager should definitely look at bringing the Liverpool youngster to The Hawthorns this month.

Chelsea right-back Reece James’ persistent injury issues are now a ‘problem’ for Graham Potter, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: James’ injury woes

James picked up a knee injury during a clash with AC Milan back in October, limping off the pitch, and he failed to recover from the issue in time to be selected by Gareth Southgate in his England World Cup squad.

That may have came as good news for Potter, as it gave the defender more to recover before the Premier League season restarted, however he suffered an immediate setback in his comeback game against AFC Bournemouth, and could now be out for another month.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

When Jones was asked by GIVEMESPORT whether the persistent injuries are now becoming a worry for the Blues, he said:

“Yeah, I think it’s a problem. Now, you could probably compare it to what Liverpool have just done.

“Luis Diaz suffering his injury led to Liverpool taking pretty immediate action and signing Cody Gakpo, and now Chelsea need to find their own version of this because the Reece James injury means they need to now take action and find a new version of James, basically.”

The Verdict: Concern for Potter

While Jones claims that Chelsea will now be need to find a ‘new version’ of the Englishman, in truth this is a very difficult task, given just how good he has been since breaking into the first team.

Not only is the Cobham youth product described as ‘defensively sound’ by journalist Okon Nya, but he also has lots to offer the Blues on the front foot, averaging 0.28 assists per 90 over the past year, in the 95th percentile compared to his positional peers.

A new right-back is definitely required, with back-up option Cesar Azpilicueta not able to provide nearly as much going forward, picking up 0 assists in the same timeframe, but it may be difficult to find someone at the same level as James.

Manchester City fans may have been concerned that the club didn’t possess a natural heir to Kyle Walker, but Rico Lewis’ performances this season show that he can be the ideal man to step up as the England international’s long-term replacement at the Etihad Stadium.

Walker, who joined from Tottenham Hotspur in 2017, has gone on to make 223 appearances for the Citizens, scoring six goals and contributing 17 assists.

His recovery pace has always been his strongest attribute, but with the right-back set to turn 33 next year, Pep Guardiola may already be thinking about who can replace Walker once he eventually leaves the Etihad.

Joao Cancelo, who has been moved over to left-back in recent campaigns, would perhaps be the most obvious replacement. However, his performances have been so impressive on the left flank that it would almost be a shame for Guardiola to feel a compulsion to revert him back to the other wing.

In Walker’s recent injury absence, the City manager has turned to 18-year-old Lewis, with the academy talent already boasting seven first-team appearances for his club, which includes a goal in the Champions League this season.

He was trusted to start in City’s first game back against Liverpool in midweek and produced another strong display as they progressed to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a 3-2 win against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The teenage defender earned a 6.5 rating from Sofascore, registering 90 touches of the ball and completing 62 passes, which shows that he is confident enough to demand the ball and doesn’t look out of place at all in a Guardiola team.

The former Barcelona boss was full of praise for Lewis following Thursday night’s victory, suggesting that the 18-year-old will be a “magnificent player” for City for the next decade.

Guardiola clearly believes in the young right-back and it seems as if there will be plenty more first-team opportunities for Lewis over the next couple of years, so if he continues to impress, there seems no reason why he can’t be the man to replace Walker in City’s first-team when the latter eventually moves on.

Wolves ‘have an agreement’ in place to complete the signing of Atletico Madrid attacker Matheus Cunha in January, according to reports from Spain.

The Lowdown: Cunha on the move?

The 23-year-old has struggled to become a key part of Diego Simeone’s plans at Atletico this season, invariably having to accept a squad role for the La Liga giants.

Cunha has only been handed two starts in the league in 2022/23, highlighting his lack of minutes, and it could be that a move away materialises in the near future.

His current Atletico deal doesn’t expire until 2026, although Wolves have been linked with signing him in the past.

The Latest: Wolves ‘have an agreement’ for Cunha

According to Cadena SER [via Sport Witness], Atletico ‘have an agreement’ with Wolves over the transfer of Cunha, with a January switch in the offing.

His current club accept that ‘he will leave’, and it looks as though the Old Gold are in pole position to get their man.

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The Verdict: Could be an inspired signing

Cunha could be a superb signing by Wolves at a time when attacking options are so sparse, due to Sasa Kalajdzic’s long-term injury and Raul Jimenez struggling for form and fitness.

The Brazilian is someone who has proven himself in a top European league, scoring 13 goals in 40 appearances for Hertha Berlin earlier in his career and also winning eight caps for his country.

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Julen Lopetegui’s reputation as an “elite” manager, in the words of Wolves chairman Jeff Shi, could play a pivotal role in Wolves acquiring Cunha’s services and he is someone whose natural ability could transform an attack lacking a spark too often.

West Ham United head into Thursday evening’s Europa Conference League meeting with FCSB safe in the knowledge that they have already sealed top spot in Group B, affording David Moyes the chance to field a rotated squad ahead of the Hammers’ meeting with Crystal Palace in the Premier League this weekend.

Indeed, the 59-year-old has left the likes of Declan Rice, Kurt Zouma, Jarrod Bowen, Tomas Soucek, Said Benrahma, Aaron Cresswell, Gianluca Scamacca and Michail Antonio at home for the trip to Romania, while a number of the club’s most promising youngsters are reported to have been taken along for the fixture at the Arena Națională this evening.

So, how many changes will the Scot make to the side that lined up in the 1-0 defeat against Manchester United last time out?

Here’s how we at Football FanCast think the Irons side could look, as well as the latest team and injury news…

With Moyes suggesting in his pre-match press conference that summer signing Nayef Aguerd could be handed a start as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury, while Maxwel Cornet, Lucas Paqueta and Lukasz Fabianski are all reported to miss out due to knocks, we predict the 59-year-old will make ten changes to the side that started at Old Trafford last weekend.

There are five fresh faces at the back, with European goalkeeper Alphonse Areola making it six starts from six in the competition, while Harrison Ashby, Aguerd, Angelo Ogbonna and 17-year-old debutant Regan Clayton come in at right, centre and left-back respectively.

In the middle of the park, “exciting talent” – in the words of Roshane Thomas – Conor Coventry partners 19-year-old Freddie Potts, while Flynn Downes starts in attacking midfield, with Manuel Lanzini and second debutant of the night, Kamarai Swyer, starting on the left and right flank.

There is a third senior debut awarded at centre-forward, with 18-year-old striker – who Manu Heredia dubbed a “pearl” – Divin Mubama being handed his first outing for the Hammers first-team after scoring an eye-catching 28 goals in the club’s youth set-up.

West Ham United could be an ideal club for Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez to join in the near future, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: West Ham linked with Alvarez

The 25-year-old is shining for the Eredivisie giants, proving to be a strong performer in front of the defence and starting all five of his team’s Champions League games so far this season.

Alvarez has been linked with a move to West Ham in recent days, with the Hammers’ recruitment team thought to be impressed by the Mexican.

Midfield is a key area for David Moyes to focus upon moving forward, and a fresh update further suggests that a move for the Ajax man could be on the cards.

The Latest: Jones talks up Alvarez to West Ham

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones admitted that West Ham and Alvarez could be a match made in heaven.

He stated:

“I don’t think anyone has been quite convinced yet that he could make the difference to them in terms of making Champions League football.

“So, finding one of those clubs just beneath that, someone like West Ham, can be perfect for him and might actually be a really good platform.”

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The Verdict: Potential Rice replacement?

With Declan Rice’s future at the London Stadium likely to be in doubt in 2023, amid recent reports that he has no intention of signing a new contract at West Ham, along with apparent interest from some of England’s Champions League participants, Alvarez could be a brilliant replacement for the Englishman.

His ability to excel in defensive midfield is undeniable, having averaged 2.8 clearances and 2.6 tackles per game in the Champions League in 2022/23, and he has also been hailed as a ‘winner’ by his coach  Alfred Schreuder.

In an ideal world, Rice would stay and Alvarez would come in as well, with the pair dovetailing with one another and creating strong competition for minutes. If not, signing the 25-year-old as a replacement for the Irons captain would be the next best thing.