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Arsenal legend Bob Wilson has slammed journalist Piers Morgan for his constant criticism of Arsene Wenger, labelling the Gunners fan and former chat show host an ‘incredibly pompous individual’, reports the Independent.

Morgan has become well known for his tirades against the Arsenal boss on Twitter.

He was amongst a number of Arsenal fans to react furiously to Wednesday night’s Champions League defeat at home to Monaco.

The 3-1 loss is already being labelled as one of the worst performances since Wenger took over at the club in 1996, and means his side will have to score at least three goals in the return leg if they are to make it to the last eight of the Champions League for the first time in five years.

Wenger has taken plenty of criticism since the result, with Morgan once again calling for the Frenchman to be sacked.

But Gunners legend Wilson has defended Wenger, and launched his own attack on Arsenal’s most outspoken supporter.

“I would like to say this about Piers Morgan,” Wilson said.

“He claims to be an Arsenal fan, but if you’re a supporter of a club you have to be through thick, thin, laughter, smiles and tears. He has never been a proper fan.

“I see him on Twitter and he drives me mad. He’s an incredibly pompous individual and he has no understanding of what it is to be the manager of a football club. I can only tell you this about Arsene, and I am biased to a degree, but i’m not stupidly biased. You will not find any manager ever, more dedicated to doing his job than Arsene.

“With him it’s always about the man before the player and that’s very rare for a manager. His first concern is about you as an individual rather than you as a player. Always has been and always will be.

“He’s been there for a long time with incredible glory times, league titles, appeared in a Champions League and FA Cup finals. He’s changed the club totally.

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“Above all that thought he’s a really decent human being, who cares.”

Morgan responded with a series of tweets in which he claimed to be ‘hurt’ by Wilson’s comments.

“I love @Arsenal with a passion. Disagree me over players/manager etc. But NEVER doubt my devotion to the Club. That hurts. #afc”

Come the summer and every manager throughout the Premier League will be on the hunt for a bargain. The art of wheeler-dealing is by no means dead, and there’s a huge array of top-flight talent that will be available for cheap in the next transfer window. We may still be some way away from the end of the season, but it’s always good to find transfer targets as early as possible, and in order to help the likes of  Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal, Everton and Liverpool, as well as the teams lower down the table, who always have a tight hold on the purse strings, we’ve compiled a select XI of potential Summer Bargains.

Some are ageing veterans with a wealth of experience to their advantage, others are currently unsettled and need a new club to stop their careers from stalling, and a few are quite simply a cost-free investment.

Click on Brad Friedel to check out the Summer Bargains XI, all available at a knock down rate

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Arsenal extended their winning streak in all competitions to six on Sunday, defeating Southampton 3-2 in a dramatic encounter at the Emirates Stadium.

The weekend’s results mean the Gunners are now just three points behind fifth place Chelsea and if current form continues there’s every chance that Arsene Wenger’s outfit leapfrog last season’s champions.

With UEFA Europa League glory to play for too, although unlikely according to www.betting.org, by the end of May this season may not have been quite as terrible as it threatened to be just a couple of months ago.

Fans were pleased with the result against their relegation threatened visitors, offering particular praise to attack Alex Iwobi, who provided two assists, his first direct goal contribution since February.

Alongside Danny Welbeck, he was the unlikely driving force behind the victory, having received plenty of criticism from supporters over the last few weeks and months.

Can he now produce on a consistent basis?

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Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his performance…

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“We as fans of the club have endured three years of shame under Paul Lambert … We as fans believe that things will never change under Lambert, and are therefore calling for action.”

As this leading statement from an emerging ‘Remove Paul Lambert’ petition unceremoniously outlines, things aren’t going particularly well for Aston Villa and their increasingly under pressure boss in the 2014/15 Premier League campaign.

The Midlands based club currently sit 15th in the table just three points off the relegation zone, but perhaps even more alarmingly, with only 11 goals scored so for this season. That is a goal tally lower than any other team in the league which, with all due respect to Lambert and his desire to bring the glory days back to Villa Park, is simply not good enough for a team of the Villan’s stature.

In light of such a poor first half of the season, should the Villa Park faithful continue to demand more from their foundering side, or should they simply make do with what they have, and be grateful that they aren’t worse off?

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While staying in the Premier League would most likely be the minimum requirement for some Villa fans, their top-flight status has hardly improved under such lowly ambitions, and the fans therefore deserve better as a result. This is a club that is not only one of the first established major football teams across the land, but also has a history caked in silverware and strong traditions.

Both domestically and in Europe, Aston Villa have developed a reputation as an important club with an important heritage throughout the years. They famously remain one of the few teams never to be relegated from the Premier League, and while that may seem like somewhat of a throwaway comment in today’s game, the magnitude of that statement takes on new meaning when looked at from a historical perspective.

Yes – trophies and silverware have hardly been a common occurrence down at Villa Park in recent seasons, but this doesn’t mean that the fans aren’t aware of where their club could be, and where it actually is in reality.

Even within the current confines of the modern game, where teams who haven’t been taken over by obscenely rich investors can’t consistently compete at the very top, the lack of backing given by Villa chairman, Randy Lerner, during the summer transfer window seemed nothing short of silly. The likes of Joe Cole, Philippe Senderos and Aly Cissokho had all been moved on by Premier League clubs in the recent past for not making the grade, so the fact that they are now being paid by Aston Villa must have come as a shock for fans of Lambert’s struggling side.

Lerner’s apparent desire, yet inability to sell the club has also thrown a few spanners in the works. He may not be the most hated chairman in English football, but his current stance with the club has perhaps left Aston Villa in a transitional state that won’t be easy to rise out of.

Back to matters on the pitch however, and although Christian Benteke’s long-term injury certainly hasn’t helped Villa’s cause, 11 goals from 22 games is concerning to say the very least. The fans have a right to be angry at such a lowly statistic. Football is ultimately meant to be entertaining, and as Leicester City have scored almost double Villa’s total despite languishing at the foot of the table, the Villa park faithful must be wondering just what has gone so wrong this season.

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The team just don’t seem to be responding to Paul Lambert’s style, and with the club’s official October goal of the month competition having to be scrapped due a distinct lack of entries, it’s hard to know whether or not this club want to take the rest of the season by the scruff of the neck, or are just simply happy to plod along while aiming for mid-table obscurity.

Whatever becomes of Aston Villa’s fortunes in the next portion of the 2014/15 campaign, hopefully for the fans’ sake, something can drastically change at this increasingly stagnant club. More investment, more passion, and perhaps even a change in manager, may all be required if Villa are to truly return to the good old days, and really give their heritage the respect it deserves.

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Emmanuel Frimpong believes that he will not be embroiled in a relegation dogfight with Fulham after joining the club on loan from Arsenal.

The Cottagers have struggled of late, picking up just two wins in their last 15 Premier League games which has seen them fall into 14th position.

Only six points separate the West Londoners from the bottom three, a precarious position to be in ahead of the latter stages of the season.

Despite this, Frimpong feels that his new club will turn their form around and move clear of the drop zone:

“The lads are very calm, I think when you are in a position like Fulham are at the moment you need players to be calm and not to panic.” He is quoted by Sky Sports.

“Every team goes through a patch in the season when you’re not getting results.

“As long as the manager and the team know there are players that can perform and it is only a little slip, I think we will be fine.”

He believes that the amount of experience within the squad will be enough to steer them clear of danger:

“We have some experienced players in the changing room, obviously the captain Brede Hangeland, Damien Duff and Dimitar Berbatov.

“You have got some very experienced players and I don’t think we should start panicking yet.”

Since breaking into the Arsenal first-team set-up Frimpong has struggled for game time.

A series of injuries and competition for places saw him loaned out to both Charlton and Wolves in the last year.

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His time Fulham will only be temporary, but he insists that he is happy to be at Craven Cottage:

“It has been a very good start,

“It has been good training and the lads have been really welcoming to me so I am looking forward to my first game.”

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Seamus Coleman says he holds no grudges against Neil Taylor for the tackle that broke his leg last year, and he can’t wait to get back on the pitch for Ireland.

Republic of Ireland captain Seamus Coleman is expected to make his return to international action on Friday, and the flying full back says he’s wasted no time thinking about the tackle that cost him a year of his career.

“I haven’t even thought of Neil Taylor five times since the injury. He played a part in the tackle – and it wasn’t a great tackle. I was going for the ball, he was a bit high,” Coleman said.

Taylor, now playing for Aston Villa, was sent off in the 0-0 draw last March, but Coleman is only looking ahead to the future.

“If I hold any anger towards him, it won’t help me. Let him carry on with what he has to do and I’ll crack on myself.”

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The Irishman is a fan favourite at Goodison, and for good reason, dominating the right flank for the Blues since his remarkable £60,000 transfer to Everton in 2009. Coleman revealed that Taylor did contact him after the injury.

“He sent a message and that was fine with me, no problem. It’s a year ago now and I’ve got things to look forward to.

“The tackle will always be brought up, but I have to crack on with my thing now.”

Coleman is set to captain the Republic of Ireland team against Turkey on Friday night, and the 29 year-old can hardly contain his excitement.

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“I’m really looking forward to the game. Everyone knows what that Irish shirt means to me and I’m looking forward to getting back into it,” said Coleman.

Coleman has played five times for Everton since his return, and any minutes he gets for Ireland will only further his progress towards 100% fitness.

Everton fans, let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

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Click on the squabbling children to reveal all the social media LOLZ

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It took until his late-20s before the world woke up to the talents of Robin van Persie. Sure, it was always obvious that he was a magnificent footballer with skills that would see him waltz into any club side in Europe, but the Dutchman’s move to Manchester United has given him a platform, the full backing of a surrounding cast and the starring role in another potentially thrilling title race.

That’s not to be disrespectful to Arsenal and van Persie’s time in north London; I always maintained that Arsene Wenger never gave his most talented stars the means to properly accelerate towards silverware. Other issues played their part in what might be seen as a largely disappointing or slow Arsenal career—notably the injuries—but Arsenal fans only really saw the best of van Persie last season.

It didn’t stop them professing their admiration for the player, a striker who in their eyes was comfortably the best forward in England. Wayne Rooney had the status, the trophies, the year-on-year seasons that would end in May as oppose to sometime in November or at a stretch February, but van Persie was always the most gifted. Van Persie always had the silky skills to be a Galactico, the immeasurable talent to be a graduate from La Masia, the impact to be the very best and acknowledged as such if he were playing in any other generation.

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But the Premier League has always had figures to properly define various points in it’s young age. Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo. Van Persie is more than good enough to be spoken about as equally defining as each of those individuals. He’s a player who helps to draw audiences in the same way Lionel Messi does at Barcelona, he’s an absolute joy to watch, even if supporters of his former club struggle now to admit any interest in seeing him play.

But it’s not a discussion about van Persie the man and his choices in football, it’s a celebration of one of the world’s best players. He’s a footballer who has that golden touch, and one which was kept so long out of the limelight due to the frustration of his injuries.

Manchester United lost the league title on goal difference last season. It’s now theirs to lose this season, and van Persie is a player who will lead them to more successes in the near future. That’s the disappointment from Arsenal fans, but it’s what gives the Premier League as a whole a strong hand when battling the powers from abroad.

There’s nothing deceiving about the way van Persie plays the game, there’s no question that he is the finest player in English football today. It’s not about debates and rivalries. It’s not about trying to add worth to players who don’t really deserve it. How many more times will we see Twitter blow up because the footballing world has been stunned by another van Persie master class in front of goal? How much of a shame is it that he’s approaching 30 and who for some is just riding the momentum of last season?

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I don’t want to get into the idea that he deserves to be in a title race, because in some way that gives off a sense of entitlement. But van Persie is top of the league, top of the scoring chart and top of the mountain for good reason. If Manchester United play their cards right moving forward, he may not be knocked off that perch.

According to an exclusive report by the Star on Sunday, Manchester United are ready to offer Jesse Lingard a bumper new contract just 11 months after he signed his previous one.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Star on Sunday says that the 25-year-old has delighted manager Jose Mourinho with his performances this season, following an impressive goalscoring return.

Now, the Star on Sunday says that the Red Devils are looking to reward the England international, who is set to be named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Three Lions’ upcoming friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy later this month, with a new deal even though he only penned a four-year one to stay at Old Trafford in April 2017.

The report adds that Lingard’s wages could rise from £75,000-a-week to £100,000-a-week if a deal is agreed between all parties.

How has Lingard done this season?

He has been impressive, and received high praise from fans that he hasn’t been too popular with previously.

While he has only started one of their last three Premier League matches – he played two minutes as a substitute in the 2-1 win against Liverpool at Old Trafford on Saturday – he has made 37 appearances in total this term, netting 13 goals and providing a further five assists.

Eight of those goals have come in 26 top flight outings, where he has played a big part in helping the club cement their second-place position in the standings.

Are United right to hand him a new deal?

They certainly are.

In the modern day clubs reward players when they are hitting or exceeding their targets, and that is what Lingard has done this season.

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If he is producing the goods on the pitch consistently then he deserves a pay rise, especially as he is a home-grown player.

The 25-year-old is also versatile and the fact that he can feature in and cover a number of attacking positions already mean that he is a key player in the squad.

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Few were predicting anything from Southampton this season. A host of big names (including their captain and top scorer from the last four seasons) departed over the summer, but from the exodus, ecstasy has gripped the South Coast club. Some wise additions and good showings saw the Saints enter their tie with Manchester City in second spot, and although they lost, third place after 13 games is some going!

Some tricky ties are coming up for the Hampshire outfit, but we think these three factors make them genuine top four contenders.

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CLICK On St Mary’s TO REVEAL THE THREE

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Only conceded four goals at home all season

It’s quite bizarre to ready that Southampton have only conceded four goals at home all season! Yaya Toure’s driven effort was almost unstoppable, with the Ivorian’s goal following Charlie Austin’s for QPR at St Mary’s Stadium. With a solid base provided by the likes of Jose Fonte, Toby Alderweireld and Victor Wanyama, the Saints have enough to stem the flow of goals, unlike some rivals…

The Tadic and Pelle axis

Tadic and Pelle were not at their best this afternoon, but the pair have been excellent this season. Summer arrivals to replace Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert, the Italian and the Serbian have already notched a combined seven Premier League goals, while the latter has weighed in with six assists. Better than the men they’re filling in for…

Rivals all stuttering

It’s not wise to rely on other dropping points, but the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Spurs are all stuttering right now, easing the pressure on Southampton. With such a buffer over their rivals right now, the South Coast side can afford a few losses on the upcoming run of tricky fixtures. However, some fans are a bit negative…