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”

Even when things are going well for Arsenal which, despite the #WengerOut tweets still doing the rounds, they’re; the Gunners are well on course for a second place finish in the Premier League and a FA Cup Final title which isn’t a bad season for anyone. However, you always feel that Arsene Wenger’s side are never too far away from total capitulation whether that be down to their defending, over reliance on certain players or, in this case, injuries.

Mathieu Debuchy joining Arsenal was seen as a sensible bit of business for Le Professeur in replacing one of the best right-backs in the league when Bacary Sagna went off to join Manchester City’s bench, however, the Frenchman has spent a couple of lengthy spells on the sidelines.

In fact, the former Newcastle United man is looking at another spell in the treatment room after Wenger revealed the player has suffered a hamstring strain.

Although the news will be gutting for the Gooners, it does look like they’ve got a huge talent in the making in Hector Bellerin.

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Naturally, though, the Arsenal faithful took to Twitter over Debuchy’s latest setback:

West Ham have finally appointed a new manager to take them into the 2015/16 season – and whilst the high profile likes of Unai Emery, Rafa Benitez and even Jurgen Klopp have seemingly turned down the role in rather obvious fashion recently – Slaven Bilic nonetheless represents an ambitiously fresh move from the Hammers hierarchy.

He might not be tried and tested across the best leagues in Europe, his emerging status as a manager may see him arrive as a somewhat unknown entity among some Premier League fans, but as the former Croatian national team boss knows what it’s all about to play for West Ham and feel connected with the Upton Park faithful – the new man in the dug-out will likely fare a great deal easier than Big Sam in the east end.

With the 2015/16 campaign fast approaching however, and the Hammers being enlisted into the early Europa League qualifiers for next season, David Sullivan and co. have a huge task on their hands this summer in sourcing some adequate new faces to improve the overall squad depth at West Ham.

Soon to be free agent and former Marseille hit-man, Andre-Pierre Gignac, has subsequently been heavily linked with a move to Slaven Bilic’s new outfit in the Premier League, and as the striker commands a fairly decent reputation in French football, such a prospect would surely delight most of the West Ham fans.

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Having said that though, football transfers can be a tricky business even at the best of times – so although Gignac certainly represents a promising outlet for any new team looking to pick up his services this summer – is the big French centre-forward actually needed at Upton Park ahead of the 2015/16 season?

With Andre-Pierre Gignac successfully recording over 20 league goals this campaign, it could well be argued that the Hammers would be mad to turn down such an impressive proposition. On his day, the powerful front-man not only proves capable of destroying certain defences in the air with his lofty stature, but he can also work surprisingly well with his feet and help his teammates link up effectively with one another in the final third.

The 29-year-old Frenchman – who has in-fact represented his national side on occasion – also has a certain prowess in the volley department, as well as in tight situations in and around the opposition’s penalty box.

As his manager this season, the eccentric Argentinean coach Marcelo Bielsa, was also heavily linked to the Hammers job this summer, it seemed Gignac’s potentially impending move to Upton Park was all but on the cards until Slaven Bilic was finally announced as the preferred choice. The striker is nonetheless still supposedly desired by the West Ham chairmen, who have reportedly cast their eye over the player’s talents throughout the past few seasons.

Even with all that in mind though, it still remains doubtful as to whether or not the Hammers actually require someone like Andre-Pierre Gignac going into the new season. For a centre-forward as physical and header-friendly as the one in question, it seems that this particular transfer could seemingly have had Sam Allardyce’s name written all over it.

West Ham played some of their best football last season with Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia in a two man strike partnership. When Big Sam reverted to playing his classic 4-5-1 formation towards the tail-end of the campaign, Allardyce’s side inevitably stopped performing and fell by the wayside, leaving strong question marks hanging over future formation decisions going into 2015/16.

Andre-Pierre Gignac would likely be used as a solitary centre-forward in this country – but as the player himself could certainly do the business with a recognised strike partner up top – there is actually no reason to suggest that West Ham couldn’t tweak traditional trends in their forward line next term. 2015/16 is going to be an interesting season for the Hammers after all, and some risks will inevitably have to be taken if Slaven Bilic’s new side are to prove successful.

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With Andy Carroll’s recent injury record seemingly speaking for itself, and the advent of Europa League football requiring a vastly extended squad size – Gignac’s potential move to Upton Park this summer should ultimately be welcomed by the Hammers faithful if it eventually takes place.

As the 29-year-old represents a good deal as a free agent, and because Bilic will need a whole manner of new faces to contend with as the 2015/16 season begins, the high scoring Marseille striker could prove fairly successful in the Premier League with all things considered – even if he admittedly comes across as an ‘Allardyce type’ player on first impressions.

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Leeds United have started their shake-up already and have a few key players in the pipeline of early signings this summer.

Uwe Rosler is in as the new manager and with the help of the board has already laid out his potential targets for the summer transfer window. The German manager is keen on bringing in a couple of experienced defenders and a striker who can help improve and compliment the young stars already making such a massive impact on the team.

According to reports, they are hoping to bring in Chris Baird, Alex Pearce and Jermaine Beckford, but realistically only one of these has the potential to be a signing for the Yorkshire club.

Premier League side West Bromwich Albion have announced that one of Leeds’ targets has been released. Northern Ireland international Chris Baird has left the club, despite playing over 20 games for the club this season. The 33-year-old would be a superb addition for the Elland Road club as he is an experienced and versatile defender. Leeds have a fabulous youth set-up but lack the experienced players needed to help guide them through the season.

Although it seems likely that he will sign, two other potential signings remain unlikely. It had been hoped that Reading defender Alex Pearce would be arriving at Elland Road as his contract expires over the summer, but it now seems that the Royals are planning to keep him despite handling his contract renewal poorly. The club decided to wait until they had survived in the Championship before handing out new deals to those who were out of a contract.

The other player Leeds were hoping to bring to the club is former employee Jermaine Beckford. The striker has been extremely influential in his current club’s rise to the Championship scoring a hat-trick for Preston at Wembley in the play-off final. The 31-year-old has refused to comment on his future at the Lilywhites and many believe that struggling Leeds could be the first on his list.

While the two defenders seemed logical choices, it seems highly unlikely that Beckford would decide to move after the support he has had from Preston.

Before heading to the North West club, the striker’s career had begun to stall but, under the influence of manager Simon Grayson, the Englishman has found his form again. Preston are certainly keen on keeping him and will want to tie him down permanently during the summer transfer window.

Beckford has been on loan at Preston since the beginning of the season but is about to be released by his parent club Bolton. Grayson told the press before the League One Play-Off at Wembley: “The one thing you’ll say about Jermaine is he loves being here.

“We like to think we’ve got the best out of him, he’s a happy lad, so let’s hope we can make a decision easier by getting into the Championship.”

Preston obviously succeeded in that plan and despite Leeds desperately trying to sign him, it seems highly unlikely he will chose to move anywhere else.

If they need a new striker at Elland Road then they better start looking elsewhere because this one will not be coming back.

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With Robin van Persie leaving and Javier Hernandez seemingly on his way out, talk is bouncing around the rumour pages of who Manchester United could be bringing in to compete with Wayne Rooney for the striking berth.

It seems as though Louis van Gaal is to opt for a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 in the coming season, meaning that any striker who arrives is likely to have to compete with Rooney rather than partner him in the 3-5-2 we saw for much of last season with Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie.

Top class strikers seem extremely hard to come by in the current market, but the draw of Manchester United means that no player is out of bounds. The current set of summer signings will make the pull of the club ever greater and the prospect of playing alongside Rooney, Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay and Juan Mata should attract any player.

Here are FIVE options for LvG…

Robert Lewandowski

Despite his success at Bayern, Lewandowski is likely to still be available at the right price to United.

His goal scoring record continues to impress, but the role of a centre forward still seems somewhat unnatural to a team managed by Pep Guardiola. The presence of Lewandowski would offer something different to that of Rooney and would act as a focal point for the great attacking midfield talent around the squad.

One issue would be attracting Lewandowski to a team where he is not guaranteed to start.

Karim Benzema

With the Benitez era beginning at Real, Benzema’s position could be under threat if the Spaniard is to use Cristiano Ronaldo in a number 9 role.

Benzema is one of the most underrated players in the world right now and continues to be overlooked for his contribution to the brilliance of Bale and Ronaldo. His link-up play with back to goal is exceptional and would be great at bringing the in runs beyond of his team-mates.

It will be a sharp expense if United are to target Real Madrid’s first choice striker, but he is probably the best option they have.

Charlie Austin

As the second highest scoring Englishman in the league last season, Austin has demonstrated his ability at the top level in a weak side.

There are, inevitably, risks of the QPR man being a one season wonder, but his style of play would offer an alternative to what Rooney or Depay could offer as the lone centre forward. Austin has risen from non-league football to this standard and United would be taking a considerable risk in securing his addition, but he is likely to be more comfortable as a back-up than other options.

His standing in the game to this point means Austin would be more willing to bide his time to get into the starting line-up.

Mauro Icardi

Inter’s Argentine striking star was the shining light in the Nerazzuri’s disappointing campaign last time around.

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Icardi has had his fair share of attitude problems throughout his career, but is beginning to pick up interest from some of the top sides around Europe. As one of an incredibly strong Argentine striking unit, opportunities are international level are hard to come by but Icardi has the potential to become one of the best in the world.

Much like Austin, the Internazionale man may be more willing to wait for his chances while he establishes his name at the club.

Edinson Cavani

Since arriving at PSG, Cavani has been largely playing second fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and would welcome the opportunity to play centrally more regularly elsewhere.

The move to Paris was clearly a money motivated one, but the Uruguayan probably expected more chances to play as centre forward than he has had so far. Unfortunately, Cavani has been largely utilised one the right-wing but he has still managed an impressive goal return.

His high work-rate and intense physical game should make the adaptation to the Premier League and easy one for Edinson.

While a huge point against Tottenham at Wembley on Thursday night has created some much-welcomed breathing space between West Ham and the relegation zone, David Moyes will hope the east London club can bring in some reinforcements this month to push the Hammers well clear of the scrap to avoid the drop.

And one player who appears to be in the Scot’s thoughts is Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen, with The Daily Mail recently claiming the Irons are prepared to pay £15million for the 40-cap Welshman’s services. Accordingly, we asked Hammers supporters whether they’d back a deal for the 27-year-old earlier this week and the response was a resounding yes, with 88% voting in Allen’s favour.

How plausible a deal for the 5 foot 6 midfielder actually is, however, remains to be seen. The Potters will be loathed to lose such an important player, especially one who has already bagged four assists this season, while they’re in the relegation zone.

How much would you pay to land Allen, West Ham fans? Let us know by commenting below…

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January can be a busy month for football clubs, particularly those in the Championship as they try to get their squads in shape for the remainder of the season.Leeds United, who are vying for a playoff spot, recruited a new talent in the form of Japan international Yosuke Ideguchi.The 21-year-old passed his medical on Tuesday before penning a four-and-a-half-year contract at Elland Road.Ideguchi has joined from J1 League club Gamba Osaka, but fans will not get the chance to see the midfielder in action any time soon as he has been loaned out to Spanish Segunda Division side Cultural Leonesa.Even though the supporters will have to wait to see what the youngster has on offer, Ideguchi has claimed that he will be a fighter on the pitch.

The move is extra special for Ideguchi as he has made history at the club by becoming the first ever Japanese player signed by Leeds.

There’s something typically Liverpool about beating the Premier League leaders one weekend, and then losing to the bottom-placed side eight days later. That’s exactly what Jurgen Klopp’s boys did last night, suffering a 1-0 loss to a revitalised Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium.

What makes the result all the more bemusing though, is how Klopp fielded arguably his strongest side. In fact, the only difference from the starting XI that ripped apart Manchester City at Anfield was the inclusion of club-record signing Virgil van Dijk, coming in for Dejan Lovren at centre-half.

Indeed, Klopp will feel some of Liverpool’s biggest talents – particularly Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane – let themselves down in south Wales by failing to truly make an impact on the match, while even van Dijk endured something of a mixed evening having played a hand in Swansea’s goal with a weak clearing header.

So, Liverpool fans, who were the Reds’ best and worst performers last night? Let us know below by giving each player involved an individual performance rating out of ten…

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Ademola Lookman burst onto the scene last season when he scored on his Premier League debut 10 days after signing for Everton from Charlton Athletic in January 2017.

Since then, though, the 20-year-old has failed to significantly push on having been restricted to just one Premier League start.

In total, the winger made 13 appearances in all competitions, but in 10 of those he came off the bench as a substitute.

Throughout the season, Everton have struggled with pace, particularly in wide areas.

While Lookman may not be the finished product yet, the England Under-20 World Cup winner possessed those qualities.

Despite this, on transfer deadline day, the former Charlton player joined Bundesliga club RB Leipzig on loan until the end of the season.

Only a few days ago, Everton manager Sam Allardyce told reporters that Lookman was going to stay at Goodison Park.

After the Toffees sealed a 2-1 victory over Leicester City on Wednesday evening, the manager revealed that the club tried to convince the attacker to stay put.

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It is safe to say, though, that the fans were not impressed by the transfer.

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In the modern game, managers can never feel that their jobs are safe due to the constant merry-go-round.David Moyes was appointed as Slaven Bilic’s successor at West Ham United in November, signing a deal until the end of the season.The Scotsman did not head to the London Stadium with the best pedigree due to his failed spells in charge of Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland.Since taking over, though, Moyes managed to win over some supporters thanks to a six-game unbeaten run in the Premier League across December and January.In recent weeks, though, results have not gone to plan and now the team are on a four-game winless run in all competitions.A report inÂThe TelegraphÂclaimed that the Hammers are already looking for replacements and will dismiss Moyes regardless of whether or not they retain their top-flight status.The East London outfit have decided to respond to these claims byÂreleasing a statementÂinsisting that no decision has been made on the manager’s long-term future.

“The club would like to place on record that it categorically refutes the claims made by the Daily Telegraph regarding manager David Moyes.

“There is absolutely no truth whatsoever to this story. As previously stated on a number of occasions, the club and David Moyes agreed a deal until the end of the 2017/18 season, at which point both parties will sit down and discuss the future.

“Until then, the Board and David Moyes will continue to work closely together with the Manager having full responsibility of footballing matters and the full support of the Board. Everyone’s sole focus is on trying to achieve results for West Ham United.”

Fans have since tweeted their thoughts on the situation.