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French midfielder Alou Diarra has claimed that West Ham and Sam Allardyce have cheated him since his arrival at the club in the summer, as reported by Sky Sports.

The 31-year-old has claimed that he was never told that he would be a reserve and that Allardyce was only interested in working with ‘his own’ players.

Diarra is now set to spend the rest of the season on loan at Rennes but may get a frosty reception when he returns to East London in the summer.

A section of West Ham supporters were jeering the French international in his final appearance for the club away at Arsenal and sung “Alou Diarra, you’re wasting your time” in reference to previous comments he made about joining West Ham being a waste of time.

It seems his long term future may lie elsewhere but Diarra is adamant that he was unfairly treated by the club and that he was fed up of fighting for a first team place.

“The coach did not refuse my arrival, but he didn’t want it either. I was just one additional player,” Diarra told France Football.

“I never gave up, but in the end you get fed up of fighting for nothing.

“Should I have spoken to the coach before I signed? I wanted to but he was always at training.

“I was handed a three-year contract, but he (Allardyce) wanted to work with his own players that have followed him for years.

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“It is one of my worst memories because I have been cheated. I could not accept the situation any longer and went to meet with my representatives. They understood and I thank them.”

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Winger Adam Johnson has backed new Sunderland boss Paolo Di Canio to be a success at the Stadium of Light.

Di Canio replaced the axed Martin O’Neill on Sunday and has already set about placing his mark on the side by introducing a tough new training regime, as well as making changes to the squad’s nutritional intake and diet.

Former Manchester City winger Johnson insists the players are fully behind the new manager and is confident that Di Canio will prove to be a success at the Stadium of Light.

Johnson told SAFC TV: “To be fair, it has been a lot different. He (Di Canio) has come in and everything has been turned upside down so quickly and everyone is getting used to it. So far, so good.

“We are going to see him getting the best out of the lads. He demands your best and obviously we have got to work so hard.

“I think that’s probably what we need; everyone is excited and can’t wait to play.

“He is full of enthusiasm and energy. He just demands the best from his players.

“I think if you do well for him he’s going to be a great manager to play for.”

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Di Canio will take charge of his first Sunderland game on Sunday for the trip to Chelsea, with the Wearside outfit just one point clear of the drop zone ahead of this weekend’s fixtures.

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Fulham boss Martin Jol is ready for another summer of hard work as he prepares to strengthen his squad in the transfer market.

Jol’s men have claimed just one point from their last five fixtures after their third straight defeat at Goodison Park on Saturday and the manager is aware of the need to improve next season.

The Dutchman told reporters: “We will always find players like Mladen Petric or Hugo Rodallega.

“But, of course, it’s not easy. I think we had five new players in, so it’s not easy to settle.

“I’m satisfied we’ve got the points to be safe, although I’m a bit disappointed we couldn’t get more points in the last few weeks and gone even higher.”

Fulham were linked to Swansea City’s Wales and Great Britain full back Neil Taylor over the weekend. The 24-year-old has just made his first appearance since September after recovering from a bad ankle injury.

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Arsene Wenger says he needs to bring new players to Arsenal and has hinted a transfer spree could be on the cards.

The Gunners have now gone eight seasons without a trophy but following a strong end to the campaign that saw the club clinch Champions League football, optimism is high in the camp.

Wenger is looking to carry the momentum into next season but he also realises the squad needs new faces with a striker and central defender high on his wanted list.

Rumours have suggested Wenger could have as much as £70million to spend on new players and although the Frenchman is refusing to talk figures, he has hinted a spree could be on the cards.

“The last three months are a springboard for next season,” said Wenger. “We have to transfer that belief into the start of next season. We need stability and to strengthen. Is it spending a lot on one player or buying many players?

“We want additions but we want to keep the structure and spirit and quality of the team. Let’s not forget there are many clubs with big money and not enough talent to strengthen all the teams. But we will go out in a proactive way.”

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Liverpool are set to go head-to-head with local rivals Everton in the race for Wigan striker Arouna Kone, according to reports from The Metro.

The Ivorian was one of the Latics’ main stars last term, turning in a number of impressive displays to help them claim the FA Cup.

However, he could not steer them clear of relegation, and, as a result, is said to be keen to move on.

Roberto Martinez was said to be hopeful of tempting the 29-year-old to follow him to Goodison Park, but the Spaniard will have to fend off interest from Merseyside rivals Liverpool.

The Reds are said to be in the market for attacking reinforcements this summer, with the future of star striker Luis Suarez far from certain.

Brendan Rodgers is thought to see Kone as an ideal candidate to add another dimension to his front-line, and is keen to press ahead with a cut-price move.

The Wigan star is said to have a £6.5m release clause in his contract, a figure that the Anfield giants could easily match.

Liverpool are reportedly close to completing a move for Celta Vigo striker Iago Aspas, but Rodgers is still keen on Kone due to his knowledge of the English top flight.

Liverpool fans, is Arouna Kone the man you want? Or should Brendan Rodgers be looking at bigger names?

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West Ham avoided a second round scare to cement their place in the next stage of the Capital One Cup at the expense of League 2 Cheltenham. The Robins made it difficult for West Ham throughout the first half, with early chances from Sam Deering and Matt Richards unable to penetrate Adrian’s goal.

But West Ham’s Premier League experience showed as they scored either side of half-time, a nightmare for an opposition manager. Ricardo Vaz Te gave the London side the lead just three minutes before half-time, scoring directly from a free-kick to the despair of Mark Yates.

The former Cheltenham player was then fuming when just 40 seconds into the second half, former Manchester United youngster Ravel Morrison wrong-footed the Robins defence to curl in a second for the Irons. Morrison was later named Man of the Match, and his performance sparked a flurry of complimentary tweets from Hammers’ fans, all looking forward to the future with the 20-year-old at the club. However, it seems Morrison may have watched Ashley Young too much in training during his time at United, after he was booked for simulation.

Cheltenham did manage to give the Hammers a scare after Spanish debutant Adrian hit a language barrier with James Tomkins, leading to the keeper bringing down Sam Deering. Richards stepped up to score the penalty, but he and his teammates were unable to find an equaliser later in the match.

Sam Allardyce will be pleased that his side got through, but may be concerned by his their poor finishing. The hosts had 17 attempts, but only seven of which were on target. And he wasn’t the only one unhappy with the Hammers’ shooting. @hannahbaglee tweeted: “I can’t believe I got smacked in the face with a football, West Ham players need better aim.”

Hammers assistant coach Neil McDonald spoke to the press after the match, and suggested that Morrison would be in contention for West Ham’s Premier League match against Stoke on Saturday: “I think he has shone tonight and has tried to knock on the manager’s door with a good performance and another goal. He’s continued what he did in pre-season, scoring goals from midfield, which is great. He’s shown what he can do and now has to wait for his chance when the manager picks him in the Barclays Premier League.”

West Ham will find out who they will face in the next round of the competition on Wednesday evening.

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Was it relief for West Ham fans? Who do you want in the next round?

Share your thoughts below!

Let’s be humorous about this. Mike Dean put in a Man of the Match performance in the game between Tottenham and Chelsea. We went away talking about Fernando Torres, Jan Vertonghen, a little of the friendship, or lack therefore, between Jose Mourinho and Andre Villas-Boas, but referee Mike Dean stole the show.

Now let’s be serious. This isn’t the first time that many would have been discussing Dean’s performance, and not in the way you normally debate a decision made by a referee. It gets a little bit sickening when those on the front line try to defend and even justify the performances of referees – and it’s made even more infuriating by the protection offered to match officials. No interviews whatsoever is far more damning than may be intended.

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But what can we take from this? It’s yet another trigger-happy performance by a referee who couldn’t wait to make a decisive decision in a big game. Anyone could have seen that Torres didn’t actually touch Vertonghen, but rather the sending off was the culmination of previous altercations and was viewed by the official as the opportune moment to leave his mark on a game.

Some have said that Mike Dean managed the whole game well, but again that just smacks of justification for bias match officiating and an outcome that isn’t always in the hands of players or managers.

Torres may have been walking that fine line and could have eventually got himself sent off. Or he could have just kept poking and dancing dangerously around the fire without actually burning himself. Is that against the laws of the game?

But Dean is a figure who has previous. His actions towards Arsene Wenger at Old Trafford were despicable at best. What if that had been Alex Ferguson? Not a chance; Dean would have been hounded out of the Premier League for good. The striking image of that game of course is Wenger being sent to the non-existent stands at Old Trafford, and for what? Kicking a water bottle?

Andy Dunn has been one of the writers to defend Dean and refs in general. Yes, referees do get a lot of stick after games, but not because everyone is bored and in desperate search of an easy target. It’s largely because the majority are incompetent. And if they manage to stray away from the boundaries of incompetence, they fail to mask their unquestionable bias. It’s fortunate that corruption is so alien to the modern game in England.

Is Mike Dean capable of not making it all about him?

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Arsenal hope to sign Juventus forward Mirko Vucinic on loan until the end of the season, according to the Telegraph.

The Gunners are eager to add a new striker this month to strengthen their pursuit of the Premier League table, and Arsene Wenger looks to have turned his attentions to the 30-year-old, after growing frustrated in his pursuit of Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata.

Juventus are willing to let Vucinic leave, but would prefer to agree a permanent transfer. Arsenal have been quoted a price of £8.2million for the Serbian forward, although they would much prefer to take him on loan.

Vucinic is keen to leave the Turin giants, after finding first team opportunities limited this season, following the summer arrivals of Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente.

Two goals from Santi Cazorla ensured Wenger’s side held onto top spot in the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Fulham at the Emirates on Saturday.

And Wenger remained tight lipped over the prospect of bringing in new players following the win, going as far to say he was not ‘especially interested’ in Vucinic.

“We are looking at potential possibilities for us to get somebody in.” On whether a meeting was planned, he said: “Some people have visual capacities that I don’t have.” He added: “We are not on any special case. I would love to announce you something special.”

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Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge says that although he is “gutted” to have missed out on the Premier League title to Manchester City on the last day of the season he and his team are ready to challenge once again next term.

The Reds rose from a seventh place finish in 2012/13 to take the race for English football’s top prize to the final game of the campaign, in what was an astonishing 10 months on Merseyside.

Liverpool did all they could in fixture 38 by beating Newcastle at home, yet the scoreline they craved from West Ham at City – a win – did not come.

As a result the Reds are still waiting for a first title in 24 years – and a first in the Premier League era – but Sturridge says that despite the felling of anguish, the club are ready to bounce back and go again after a fine season:

“I know we will be contenders again next season,” he is quoted by the Liverpool Echo.

“We will take the positives from this season and learn from the negatives.

“Next season will be a big year for us and we’re looking forward to that already.

“I think this squad is unbelievable. We’ve done really well and I fully expect us to push on again next season.

“This experience will stand us in good stead for next season. I believe we will challenge. I am sure the manager will buy players who he believes can push us on to the next level.

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“With whoever comes in together with the great players we already have here, I am sure we will do well next season.”

Sturridge himself took his league goals tally to 21 with an effort against Newcastle, and will feature for England at the World Cup this summer.

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Manchester United will not sign Toni Kroos in the summer, according to Goal.com

The Red Devils had been linked to bring the German midfielder to the Premier League, but Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has ruled out a summer deal: “Toni Kroos is sure to play in a Bayern Munich shirt next year as well,” said the former Bayern star, now chairman.

United have been heavily linked with Kroos, who failed to squash rumours about a move to Old Trafford earlier this month: “I have noticed that a lot has been written about it. There’s nothing new. No decision has been made. There’s no agreement,” Kroos said earlier in March.

“That will stay that way until the summer, then a decision will be made. It’s no secret the Premier League is an interesting league.”

David Moyes is expected to go on a summer spending spree as he looks to stop United’s decline down the Premier League table. The current champions are 7th, 27 points adrift of league leaders Liverpool. And with growing pressure on Moyes’ shoulders, the scot is preparing to bring in star names ahead of next season.

But it seems that Kroos will not be one of those moving to Old Trafford, with the Champions League holders eager to keep the midfielder. Bayern and United face each other in the Champions League on Tuesday.

For your chance to WIN two tickets to Everton vs Manchester United on Sunday April 20 AND a copy of FIFA14, simply comment below with your score prediction for the game…

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