England have secured their place at the 2018 World Cup with a qualifier to spare, but judging by their performance against Slovenia last night the Three Lions will have to make drastic improvements to avoid another embarrassing exit from a major tournament.

Very few departments of the first team offer convincing World Cup credentials at this moment in time and even 73-cap goalkeeper Joe Hart endured a mixed evening, making a fine double-save in one instance (that actually proved to be offside) after committing a rash challenge that should have been ruled as a penalty for the visitors.

In fact, Hart’s status as England’s No.1 has been open to debate for some time, not least because there are some exciting alternatives nipping at his heels in the pecking order such as Everton’s summer signing Jordan Pickford.

The 6 foot 1 shot-stopper hasn’t enjoyed a spectacular start to his Toffees career but showed his potential at Sunderland last season and looks set to steadily grow into life with a big club at Goodison Park, especially now that Everton’s tricky run of fixtures is coming to an end.

So, Everton fans, do you think Pickford should be England’s first-choice goalkeeper at the World Cup next summer? Let us know by voting below…

According to the Liverpool Echo, Liverpool are one of a number of clubs interested in German midfielder Leon Goretzka.The 22-year-old is the talisman of his beloved Schalke, who are aware of interest from abroad. With his contract ending in the summer and Goretzka looking unlikely to re-sign, the club would likely consider any offers that came in January.Goretzka, who is valued at £20.7million by Transfermarkt, has played nearly 100 times for Schalke despite being just 22. The Bochum born midfielder has also played 12 times for Germany, scoring an impressive 6 goals in the process. Seen in Germany as a future captain, Goretzka offers real stability in the middle of the park.[ad_pod id=’leo-vegas’]With his stock rising rapidly, European clubs will soon come calling and, if rumours are to be believed, Liverpool are front runners to claim Goretzka’s signature.Upon hearing the news, Liverpool fans took to Twitter to express their delight at their clubs’ link to one of the most in-demand young players in Europe.

Liverpool got back to winning ways in the English Premier League on Saturday with a convincing 3-0 victory over Huddersfield at Anfield.

After a slow first half, the Reds found their groove in the second, blitzing their visitors with three goals from Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum.

While those were the goal heroes, the Liverpool team was full of excellent performers with the likes of Joe Gomez shining in defence and James Milner proving he is still one of the best midfielders around.

31-year-old Milner has found his midfield chances limited over the last 12 months, instead regularly filling in as the team’s left-back. However, performances like Saturday’s will do plenty to convince Jurgen Klopp that’s where he should play regularly.

Fans were impressed with his work-rate and desire to bring Liverpool up the pitch in attack, many crediting him as the team’s top performer on the afternoon.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

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Sheffield Wednesday supporters are not the happiest in the Championship in the moment following just one win in their last fur games.

Carlos Carvalhal has come under pressure after watching his side lost to Sheffield United, Birmingham City and Bolton Wanderers.

As it stands, the Owls are 12th in the league standings, four points adrift of the playoffs and eight behind the automatic promotion places.

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On Friday, the club announced via their official website that the home shirt commemorating the outfit’s 150th anniversary will be on sale from Monday, October 23.

Many football fans grow up collecting their favourite club’s shirts, but on this occasion, the majority have balked at the prices.

Adult tops have been priced at £49 each, while juniors cost £35 and those hoping to buy shirts for their infants will cost them £25 a pop.

Fans vented their fury at the club on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the Owls are preparing to take on Derby County at Pride Park on Saturday.

Jamaal Lascelles has scored twice in 11 Premier League appearances for Newcastle United during an impressive start to the 2017-18 campaign.

The club captain appeared in 43 of Newcastle’s 46 Championship matches last season, and has been an ever-present for the Magpies this term.

He turned 24 on Saturday, and as expected, Newcastle’s official Twitter account was on hand to wish the centre-back a happy birthday.

There are many that feel Lascelles was a touch unfortunate to miss out on a spot in the latest England squad after his impressive form in the early stages of the season, but it seems only a matter of time before he represents the Three Lions.

Captaining a Premier League team in your early 20s is a very impressive feat, and Lascelles has not been afraid to ruffle a few feathers during his time at Newcastle.

At 6ft 2inch, the former Nottingham Forest youngster, who is rated at £4.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, is a very powerful presence at the heart of the defence, that is for sure.

Manchester United managed to overcome an under-par performance to defeat Brighton & Hove Albion in the English Premier League on Saturday, winning 1-0 thanks to a cruel Lewis Dunk own goal.

Chris Hughton’s Seagulls held their own against the Red Devils at Old Trafford, looking well on their way to picking up a point before Ashley Young’s shot deflected off Dunk to curl into the net.

The win is a vital one for United if they’re to keep pace with Manchester City at the top of the league table. Jose Mourinho’s side have now moved to within five points of their city rivals, ahead of Sunday’s top-flight action.

Fans were delighted with the three points but not particularly enamoured with the performance, with the likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford coming under criticism for their lack of attacking creativity.

Supporters want to see more from Martial, who has the talent to rip teams like Brighton apart, but doesn’t seem to do it on a consistent basis.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his display on Saturday…

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have been vocal in their criticism of some players during their winless run, but Son Heung-min has seemingly escaped negative comments.

In contrast, the attacking player has been praised by the supporters for his attitude and performances on the pitch.

The North London outfit have not won any of their last four Premier League games; instead losing two and drawing the rest.

Son played in three of those fixtures and scored one goal, despite only competing a full 90 minutes in one game – a 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion.

Spurs’ title hopes appear to have been dashed as they currently sit in sixth place, 18 points adrift of leaders Manchester City.

The run has dampened spirits at the London club, who now may have to switch focus to a top-four challenge rather than a charge for the crown.

Son recently spoke to Tottenham’s in-house channel to discuss the difficult spell.

In response, fans tweeted their backing to the South Korea international.

Tottenham Hotspur’s season went from bad to worse against Manchester City on Saturday, losing 4-1 in the English Premier League, a result that leaves them a massive 21 points adrift of the league leaders.

They have now not won away to the so-called ‘big six’ in England in 10 matches and for a team that were hoping to compete for the league title this season, that kind of record is a bitter pill to swallow.

The home side dominated Spurs across the 90 minutes, giving them a football lesson and at times making them look like a very average side.

Supporters were devastated with the result and were particularly critical of their floundering defence, especially the ineffective Eric Dier.

The England international again looked less than stellar when playing as a centre-back, making a number of mistakes, and fans are calling for him to either play in midfield or not at all.

Is his time up as a defensive option in Mauricio Pochettino’s side?

Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

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Davinson Sanchez has been one of the World Cup’s standout performers this summer, and the Colombian was so good on Tuesday that Tottenham might not miss Toby Alderweireld after all.

There was plenty for Spurs fans to cheer on Tuesday night, as Harry Kane, Kieran Trippier and Eric Dier all fired home crucial penalties for England. Trippier in particular was one of the best players on the pitch.

Perhaps the performance fans should be most proud of though came from a yellow shirt, as Sanchez’s fantastic first season in North London culminated with a truly great centre back showing.

The 22 year-old was impressive through the season for Spurs, but his positioning can be suspect at times and he does have a tendency to lose concentration in vital moments. Because of this, plenty of fans have feared the worst about potentially losing the much more experienced, composed Alderweireld this summer.

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However, Sanchez’s performance on Tuesday had everything you could ever want from a centre back, showing all the pace and physicality he displayed all season with an added level of coolness and maturity. It was a coming of age performance if there ever was one.

Alongside the colossal Yerry Mina, Tottenham’s 22 year-old made 83 touches, helping Colombia establish some control in the match when it looked to be slipping away from them. His ball-playing ability developed fantastically at Ajax, and will help him fill the shoes of the extremely technically gifted Alderweireld.

He made a simply ridiculous 12 clearances, the most of anyone in the game, and actually won more aerial duels than the 6 ft 5 Mina with six. His block to deny Raheem Sterling in the first half was vital, and he needed every ounce of the nous he has picked up this season to avoid fouling Jesse Lingard in the box with the score at 1-0.

If that isn’t enough reasons for fans to be proud of their future star, he did not get involved with any of his side’s rather infuriating tactics, choosing instead to focus on doing everything he could to keep them in the game.

If Alderweireld does leave, especially to another team in the Premier League, then fans have every right to feel annoyed. However, they certainly should not fret about the hole he will leave in the team, as his replacement has been in North London for 12 months already.

Sanchez, valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, won’t be ready to replace the Belgian in one or two years – he’s ready right now.

So, Tottenham fans, how impressed were you by Sanchez’s performance? Who else impressed you on Tuesday night? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Italian reports claim Everton are nearing a deal for AC Milan midfielder Andrea Bertolacci, but fans are split on moving for the 27 year-old.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, the Toffees have already been in contact with Bertolacci’s agent over a potential move.

The report says a deal is close at around €6m (£5.3m), as the midfielder has just entered the last 12 months of his contract.

The five-cap Italian international joined the San Siro club in 2015, but failed to make a real impact and was loaned out to Genoa last season.

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He is a box-to-box midfielder, but defensive minded, averaging an impressive 2.6 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game in 33 league appearances for Genoa.

Marco Silva and Marcel Brands have a lot of work to do, and signing an experienced international for such a small fee could prove to be an absolute bargain.

Plenty of fans have their concerns about a player who can’t break into the Milan team though, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…