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Although football often celebrates the best in terms of achievements and performances, there’s always a place for the muppet in the game. Although not to be lauded, their antics deserve some recognition, even if infamy is all they can achieve. Here at FFC Towers we’ve complied five of the biggest idiots of the season, so have a look and vote below!

Mario Balotelli

Thanks to Liverpool fans for this year …. I m loading for next season. #beastA photo posted by Mario Balotelli🇮🇹🗿👪 (@mb459) on May 24, 2015 at 3:32pm PDT

More active on Instagram than in the 18-yard box, the much-slated Italian notched only one Premier League goal in his debut season at Anfield following his £16m move to Liverpool from AC Milan. Although the Reds have been far from free-scoring, ‘Balo’s’ contribution has been particularly poor, with the player, surprise, surprise, attracting more attention away from the pitch than on it…

Harry Redknapp

https://vine.co/v/OFM7uXzTWUg/embed/simple

Dodgy knees? More like dodgy management. The quick-talking gaffer ditched QPR over the winter when it became apparent that his squad was not capable of avoiding the drop. A ticking time bomb was passed on to Chris Ramsey, who was unable to prevent the Super Hoops from finishing in 20th place. Of course it wasn’t ‘Arry’s fault, though…

David Cameron

https://embed.theguardian.com/embed/video/politics/video/2015/apr/25/brain-fade-aston-villa-fan-david-cameron-confuses-his-team-for-west-ham-video

They both play in claret and blue, so it’s an easy mistake, right? Somehow Cameron’s Conservatives won the general election, even though the Prime Minister forgot which football team he supports… He claims to be in touch with the common man, but ol’ DC got himself in a right Eton mess as he turned his back on his ‘beloved’ Aston Villa for West Ham…

John Carver

https://vine.co/v/eZYq2KBWTxX/embed/simple

Newcastle may have steered clear of relegation on the final day of the season, but Carver’s… erm… contributions shouldn’t be forgotten. Alan Pardew got the significant majority of the points at St James’ Park prior to his January exit, which effectively kept the club up as their stand-in boss’ average would have left him with QPR and Burnley. Carver also claimed he’s the “best coach” around. Okay then, John!

That Preston ‘fan’

Stealing a football shirt from an eight-year-old boy to then attempt to sell it on Gumtree for £1,500 later that day is pretty low. But this Preston ‘fan’ did just that, wrestling Jermaine Beckford’s jersey – the striker had just scored a League One play-off winning hat-trick – from a CHILD. Nice one, Vickie Timbrell.

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Vote for your Premier League Muppet of the Season below…

The Best Current Soccer Players

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Manchester United boast one of the most successful academies throughout world football, with it’s alumni including Bobby Charlton, George Best, Paul Pogba and of course, the ever-fabled Class of 92 – who went onto such unprecedented greatness they’ve even got their own documentary.

Likewise, Louis van Gaal is a manager famed for his ability to spot young talents and nurture them to worldly levels. Over the years, he’s issued debuts to Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Thomas Muller, Toni Kroos and Clarence Seedorf to name just a few.

But with so many new arrivals at Manchester United last summer and as many expected during this transfer window, the Red Devils’ current crop of youngsters might find first team opportunities a little harder to come by next season.

So thank the transfer gods for the English loan system, which has propped up the Football League for years whilst giving young players vital exposure to senior football.

And it’s with that in mind Football Fancast have listed the FIVE youngsters United should send out on loan next term.

PADDY MCNAIR

Paddy McNair firmly surpassed expectations when thrown into the deep end by Louis van Gaal at the start of last season, helping the Red Devils claim four clean sheets from his 16 Premier League outings despite previously struggling to even make the academy’s starting Xi according to Phil Neville.

But with signing a new centre-back still a leading priority for Manchester United this summer, the 20 year-old defender might find first team opportunities a little harder to come by next season.

Furthermore, the Northern Ireland international received no prior exposure to senior level, so getting some more games and experience under his belt can do no harm.

Either a starting role at a Championship club or a cameo capacity for a lower table Premier League outfit is what McNair should be aiming for in terms of a loan move.

NICK POWELL

Having now served three campaigns at Old Trafford and undergone two loan spells of limited success away from the club, it’s sink or swim time for prodigious youngster Nick Powell.

Sir Alex Ferguson saw fit to splash out £6million on the striker-come-midfielder in summer 2012 following an impressive campaign at Crewe but he’s yet to prove truly worth the investment, managing just 6 first team outings for the Red Devils and a paltry three whilst on loan at Leicester City last season.

No doubt, the 21 year-old is a talented prospect but he only seems to be moving further away from the starting XI. With just a year remaining on his contract, only a successful loan stint at a Premier League club next season can likely turn his Red Devils career around.

That, however, is dependent on whether the England U21 survives the summer.

Andreas Pereira

Louis van Gaal clearly has high hopes U21 Player of the Year winner Andreas Pereira. He handed the Brazil U20 a Premier League debut against Tottenham in March and has since issued him a three year contract extension.

The 19 year-old, who reached the U20 World Cup final with Selecao last month, is clearly one of the brightest prospects currently in the Red Devils’ academy set-up.

But he seems more than ready to now test the waters at senior level. Although regular top flight football might be a little beyond him at this moment in time, a spell in the Championship or abroad could suit him perfectly.

Pereira’s father, however, has suggested he won’t be sent out on loan.

JESSE LINGARD

Louis van Gaal certainly seems fond of Jesse Lingard, issuing him a Premier League debut during his first competitive fixture as Manchester United boss at the start of last season.

The attacking midfielder was unfortunate enough, however, to be stretchered off injured after just a matter of minutes, which saw him instead spend the season on loan at Derby County after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

At 22 years of age, Lingard – although highly-rated – needs to be advancing at little quicker if he’s to become a long-term fixture at Old Trafford.

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He’s impressed during spells in the Football League before so he seems more than ready to test himself with a cameo role in the top flight.

And having emerged as one of the few success stories from the England U21s’ woeful European Championship campaign, there should be plenty of Premier League clubs interested in the Warrington-born youngster.

ADNAN JANUZAJ

For a player of such obvious talent and prior hype, winger Adnan Januzaj was in disappointing form last season, failing to record a single goal or assist in 850 minutes’ worth of Premier League football.

Admittedly, it was a tricky season at Old Trafford and the £59.8million arrival of Angel Di Maria last summer appeared to all but end his chances of being a starting Xi regular.

He’s a supremely talented kid, however, and at 20 years of age still has plenty of time to make up for his lack of progress last season. But the recent arrival of Memphis Depay and contract extension of Ashley Young have hardly improved his first team chances, so a loan move seems necessary to ensure the game time Januzaj needs.

The Belgium international seems more than comfortable at Premier League level and Everton have already expressed an interest, which seems like as good a home as any for the 5 foot 11 winger.

West Ham United picked up a much-needed point as they drew 1-1 with arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Thursday night, but Irons were left unhappy with Javier Hernandez’s performance.

David Moyes’ men only had a 48-hour break between their win against West Bromwich Albion at the London Stadium on Tuesday and this clash against Spurs, and the Scot decided to start Hernandez on his own up top in order to try and take at least a point.

However, the Mexico international was often left isolated in attack and was eventually replaced in the 65th minute by Andre Ayew with his team failing to have a single shot at goal.

That changed five minutes later though when Ayew held the ball up well – something Hernandez had failed to do – and Pedro Obiang eventually received the ball before firing an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

West Ham supporters were quick to have their say on Chicharito’s display via social media, and while one said “I’d be happy if I never saw Hernandez wear a West Ham shirt again”, another said the team is “so much better without Hernandez on the pitch”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Chelsea are reportedly keen to sign West Ham United striker and former Liverpool flop Andy Carroll during the January transfer window, and Reds fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.

According to reports in the Daily Mail, the Blues have made enquiries to bring the 28-year-old to Stamford Bridge on loan this month to provide cover and competition for Alvaro Morata over the course of the rest of the season, with Michy Batshuayi failing to impress Antonio Conte.

The centre-forward’s time with the Irons has been plagued by injury, and Liverpool certainly don’t have too many fond memories of the player they bought for £35m in 2011 either, as he went on to score just 11 goals in 58 appearances in all competitions across one-and-a-half seasons before joining the east London outfit.

Liverpool supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the latest story, and while one said “please let this happen”, another said it was “surely some twisted joke”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Reported Totteham Hotspur target James Maddison played for Norwich City in their FA Cup third round replay tie against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night, and Spurs fans have given the club the green light to sign the attacking midfielder.

The Evening Standard reported earlier this week that Spurs are considering a move to bring the highly-rated 21-year-old to Wembley before the transfer window slams shut, although they face competition from Liverpool and Manchester City and will have to pay £20m to do so with the Canaries already selling Alex Pritchard to Huddersfield Town for £11m this month.

The No 10 took his fine form this season – he has scored eight goals and provided a further eight assists in 30 appearances this term – into the clash against the Premier League holders, impressing before he scored his penalty in the shoot-out as the Championship club were beaten on spot-kicks.

Tottenham supporters were quick to have their say on his display via social media, and while one said the north London outfit “should definitely sign him”, another said he is “100% perfect for Spurs”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has no desire to hold contract talks with the club until after the January transfer window, according to The Telegraph.

What’s the word?

There is a sense of deja vu at St James’ Park as once again, questions have been raised over Benitez’s future due to a lack of transfer activity.

In the summer there were rumblings that the Spaniard was unhappy with the minimal spending on new players.

With the club now officially up for sale, there is confusion over how much money current owner Mike Ashley will provide for Benitez’s transfer kitty.

Only nine days remain before the window slams shut, which  means that the time is ticking for Newcastle to strengthen their side in the hope of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

According to The Telegraph, the North-East outfit are keen to extend Benitez’s contract, but the manager has decided not to discuss this matter with the club until the transfer window is over.

Should Newcastle be concerned?

At this moment, it makes perfect sense for the ex-Liverpool coach to prioritise getting new players over the line rather than his own future.

However, it needs to be said that the Spaniard’s future could be up in the air depending on how the season pans out.

Benitez still has 18 months left on his reported £6m-a-year deal, but if the Magpies suffer relegation, it would not be a huge surprise if he decided to walk.

There has always been a sense that Newcastle were incredibly lucky to land the manager in the first place.

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The 57-year-old has coached the likes of Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Real Madrid, and you feel that they would be no shortage of offers elsewhere if he decided to leave Newcastle.

The next couple of weeks could play a huge role in Benitez’s future at the club.

Southampton will look to build upon their first Premier League win since November when they host Liverpool at St Mary’s on Sunday.

The Saints had gone 12 top flight matches without a victory before they came from a goal down to beat West Bromwich Albion 3-2 at the Hawthorns last weekend – a result that moved them out of the relegation zone.

Manager Mauricio Pellegrino will be keen to pick up more points when they welcome Jurgen Klopp’s men to the south coast, with the Reds potentially having five former Southampton players in their squad in Sadio Mane, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Virgil van Dijk.

The Merseyside outfit have the top goalscorer in the English top flight in their ranks in Mo Salah, who scored twice in the 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield last weekend to take his tally to the season to a remarkable 21, while only Manchester City have bettered their total of 59 goals in 26 Premier League matches.

Pellegrino played a front four of Shane Long, Nathan Redmond, Dusan Tadic and Sofiane Boufal in his side’s 3-0 defeat against the Reds at Anfield in November, and he is unlikely to be so gung-ho this time around.

Here is how Southampton must line up against Liverpool on Sunday, ahead of Alex McCarthy in goal…

Defence

While Pellegrino will surely have been tempted to play with three central defenders and Ryan Bertand and Cedric as wing-backs at times this season, he has usually stuck with a back four and it would be a huge surprise if he made any changes to the quarter that started the win at West Brom.

Bertrand, Cedric, Wesley Hoedt and Jack Stephens all performed well, and despite the fact the latter lost Ahmed Hegazi for the Baggies’ opener, he made amends by scoring his third goal in his last three appearances at the other end.

Stephens and Hoedt need to be strong in the air against the familiar figure of Van Dijk from set-pieces, which is a part of their games that both have struggled with in recent times.

Midfield

Southampton fans have been left confused that Mario Lemina has only been used sparingly in recent weeks – and not at all in the 1-1 draw at home to Brighton – but he returned to the starting XI in place of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and made a huge impact.

The 24-year-old put in a man of the match display and rounded it off with a brilliant 25-yard strike, and he must be one of the first names on the team-sheet on Sunday.

With Liverpool coming to town Pellegrino could choose to line up with three central midfielders, and Hojbjerg could get the nod ahead of Tadic to give the hosts a little more defensive stability.

The Argentine boss could then have the option to switch between 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 systems depending on whether his team are defending or attacking, with Lemina showing at the Hawthorns that he can play a more advanced role if Oriol Romeu and Hojbjerg are sitting.

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Attack

It hasn’t been said too often during his Southampton career, but James Ward-Prowse is currently undroppable and like Lemina, he must be one of the first names on the team-sheet on Sunday.

The 23-year-old has been in outstanding form in 2018 and will start on the right-hand side, while Boufal deserves a spot on the opposite flank given the good link up he has with Ryan Bertrand on the left.

Pellegrino then has a decision to make up top as to whether new boy Guido Carrillo keeps his place in the team or he uses Shane Long to try and stretch the Liverpool defence, but you would expect him to keep the faith with the south coast outfit’s club-record buy.

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

On Thursday afternoon, Newcastle announced that defender Paul Dummett had signed a contract extension, keeping him at St James’ Park until 2022.

The defender, who is valued at £3.15 million by Transfermarkt, has been one of the most consistent performances on Tyneside this season and has established himself as a mainstay in Rafael Benitez’ team.

Dummett has been with his hometown club since the age of nine and is currently the only player in the first team squad that is a product of the Newcastle’s youth system.

The 26-year-old has played in over 120 league games for the Toon Army, who are currently occupying 13th place in the Premier League table. However, in his five years of first team action, Dummett is arguably in the middle of his most impressive campaign.

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Upon hearing the news that Dummett had signed a contract extension with their club, Newcastle fans took to Twitter to express their delight…

Celtic laboured to a draw at home to St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, failing to continue where they left off from Thursday’s impressive win over FC Zenit in the UEFA Europa League.

On a day that Brendan Rodgers rotated heavily, perhaps with one eye on Thursday’s return leg in Russia, Celtic were well below their best, struggling to create opportunities and taking none in a dismal 0-0 draw.

The fixture was an opportunity for players like Cristian Gamboa and Calvin Miller to impress, getting rare starts with established performers Mikael Lustig and Kieran Tierney rested.

It was 20-year-old Miller’s first start for the club since August and he struggled to cope with the occasion for the most part, looking well below the standards set by Tierney.

While important to remember he is still young and inexperienced, it will be difficult for him to play more regularly if he doesn’t take his opportunities.

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Celtic fans were disappointed with his performance, with some even already coming to a judgement that he isn’t good enough to make it at the club.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

According to Diario Gol, Manchester United will move for Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane at the end of the season.

What’s the story?

United boss Jose Mourinho is said to be desperate to sign a new centre-back this summer to play alongside Eric Bailly at the heart of the defence.

Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have both had their problems this season, whilst Victor Lindelof has struggled to justify his £30m price tag following a move from Benfica.

Mourinho is believed to be a keen admirer of Varane’s talents, with the United manager rating the France international as one of the best centre-backs in Europe.

According to Diario Gol, the 20-time English champions will press ahead with a move for Varane in this summer’s transfer window, and they are confident that a bid in the region of £54m would convince Real Madrid to sell.

That said, it is not entirely out of the question that Los Blancos would attempt to use United’s interest in Varane to finally secure a deal for David de Gea.

Is Varane the answer for United?

Jones and Smalling have had plenty of excellent games for United, but there remain question marks over their abilities to perform consistently at the highest level.

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When fit, Bailly is a certain starter for the Red Devils, but the likes of Lindelof and Marcos Rojo have not really convinced on a regular basis.

Varane has made more than 200 appearances for Real Madrid since a move from Lens in 2011, and it is understood that the defender had interest from United before eventually joining the Spanish giants.

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At 24, Varane is the perfect age to arrive at Old Trafford, and there is no question that he has the attributes to thrive in the Premier League.

Standing 6ft 3inches and boasting a stunning turn of speed, Varane is everything that United need at the heart of their defence, and the thought of the Frenchman lining up alongside Bailly is something that will surely excite the club’s supporters.

A lot would have to fall into place for this particular deal to occur, but it would be a stunning capture if United managed to pull it off.