Paper Round: Jack Wilshere to West Ham while Sam Allardyce cancels Christmas

Ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League meeting with West Ham on Wednesday, the same day’s Express reports that new manager David Moyes will be watching Jack Wilshere closely. Moyes is quoted by the paper as issuing the managerial equivalent of a “come and get me” plea to the 25-year-old, in saying: “Jack Wilshere would be someone we’d look at if he was available. I want to make sure we’re looking at players who’ve got time and can be at the club for a long period.”

Paper Round’s view: Wilshere – like many of his team-mates – is in the final year of his contract and widely expected to make tracks. Moyes' comments are hardly cryptic, and Wilshere would be better off at a different club, in the absence of league playing time at Arsenal.

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Meanwhile, the bulk of Wednesday’s back pages focus on “celebration-gate,” or, if you prefer, Jose Mourinho’s irritation at having lost the Manchester derby. The debate rumbled on as Mourinho accused City players of being classless and poorly educated, while Pep Guardiola hit back that if celebrating was wrong, he didn’t want to be right. Fortunately, Arsene Wenger was happy to lend his expertise to Mourinho, saying: “When I was in Japan I admired sumo. In sumo you never can tell who the guy who wins is. He doesn't show his happiness because of respect for his opponents and that shows how deep the culture is there for the respect for each other. Is it something you can copy [in the Premier League]? I don't think so because it's not part of our culture."

Paper Round’s view: Reading between the lines here, we’d say Wenger might think the whole culture of the Premier League is classless, and to be fair, he’s felt the wrath of it on more than one occasion. But look, it’s working for Mourinho again, who isn’t having to field uncomfortable questions about whether or not his team can realistically keep pace with their adversaries, City, over the rest of the season.

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The Sun reports on Wednesday that Hoffenheim talent Nadiem Amiri will be the target for a number of Premier League clubs. The 21-year-old is apparently being tracked by Manchester United, Arsenal and Spurs, with all three looking to woo the Germany under 21 star, reportedly ready to start bidding in the region of £20 million.

Paper Round’s view: The young midfielder shone in the U-21 world cup earlier this year and has been impressing in the Bundesliga this year with four goals. Though he has a couple of years of his contract yet to play out, Amiri could be on the move soon.

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Newly appointed Everton manager Sam Allardyce has cancelled his team’s festive celebrations, it has been revealed. Though having risen to 10th in the league after the arrival of Big Sam, the manager said his players had no cause for celebration and needed to focus on their festive fixtures. Bah Humbug.

Paper Round’s view: Rule number one about relegation fight club… No Christmas parties. Indeed, this is a tried and tested policy of struggling teams, because, let’s face it, it doesn’t look very good to those poor souls spending a fortune on coach trips on your behalf when you’re sitting on the wrong side of the table. But Everton aren’t, any more…

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