Swansea City manager Bob Bradley is preparing to deal with the threat of former Swans players Wilfried Bony and Joe Allen this weekend, but the American is demanding more goals at the other end of the pitch from his charges.

The south-Wales outfit are second from bottom in the Premier League heading into this weekend’s matches, having scored just eight goals in nine matches – only Middlesbrough and bottom-side Sunderland have managed less.

And Bradley, who joined the club earlier this month to replace the sacked Francesco Guidolin, is under no illusion that is exactly where his side need to improve ahead of their trip to Stoke.

“I am certainly hopeful that we have the players with enough talent to turn them into big goalscorers for our team,” said the American.

“Borja [González] was an important signing for the club, although is still adjusting to life in a new club and a new league.

“Fernando Llorente has had a bit of an injury so we have not been able to get everything out of him since I came in, but I am hoping we have two dangerous forwards there.

“I also understand we have to get goals from different people and when you look in all directions, there is room for improvement.

“Look at Mo Barrow. We will all feel we are making progress with him when we see him adding more goals.

“Gylfi [Sigurdsson] has shown he can score goals, and Ki Sung-Yueng has scored goals in the past. We are trying to raise the level across the board.”

Ronald Koeman is confident his Everton players have the mental capability to turn around their poor run of form which has seen them winless in five.

Everton won four of their first five Premier League games but since a 2-0 EFL Cup defeat to Norwich in September they’ve picked up just two points.

The Dutch manager though appears far from concerned about the blip in their campaign and accepts a dip in form is all part of a long Premier League season.

“I think we need to turn it around but it happens in football. I’m prepared to get in tough times and also prepared for how we started the season, because that’s football,” he said.

(Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)

“I hate losing, and that mentality has to be shared by everybody, but no team will go through the season without having tasted defeat and we are no different.

“You get in difficult times, in tough times and then really you need to support each other.

“That’s important. If everything goes well it’s easy to come into the team, it’s easy to play but now really we need the personalities to turn it around and I think we have enough personalities in the team.

“We have really experienced players, we have young players and, in terms of age, I think we have a good balance in the squad.”

The news of Tony Pulis’ one-year contract extension has split West Bromwich Albion fans down the middle but skipper Darren Fletcher is firmly on his manager’s side.

The Welshman’s contract was due to expire at the end of the season and questions over his future intensified when a Chinese investment group bought the club last month.

His style of football, which can be described as favouring solidity rather than adventure, has drawn criticism from some sections of the Baggies support.

 (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Fletcher is well aware that West Brom are still far off the ideal but believes that their journey has only just started under Pulis.

“It’s important for the whole club, the manager is probably the most important part for that continuity and for us to know that he’s here for another year is great,” said the former Manchester United midfielder

“We would hate to go into the second half of the season not knowing what was happening with the manager’s contract and who is going to be manager for the start of next season as well as signing players in January – all of these things.

“Players want to come to a club who knows the manager is going to be there and the manager wants them, so it’s the consistency and building on the great work he has done.

“He keeps telling us we’re a long way from where he wants to be but he sees the progression and we’re certainly getting there.”

Leicester City’s Shinji Okazaki has said his side must function as a team if they are to end Tottenham Hotspur’s unbeaten start in the Premier League at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Spurs, just one point adrift of top spot, will be looking to maintain pressure on the league’s form teams but face a tough task as the Foxes arrive after back-to-back home victories.

The Japanese striker is aware of Tottenham’s threat and knows exactly what is required his side against Mauricio Pochettino’s men in North London.

Okazaki said: “Against Tottenham it will be difficult, they are strong like Manchester United and Chelsea so we have to play together.

“We need to show good organisation, make sure our defence is tight and show good concentration for 90 minutes. This is the way we must play against Tottenham.”

(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

“Tottenham are strong. They are a young team and have great individuals too. They always have a high level of performance.”

Spurs pushed the Foxes all the way for the league title last term and the positive memories are still fresh in Okazaki’s mind.

“We have positive experiences of playing at White Hart Lane, we didn’t lose (in the league) to them last season, but lost in the FA Cup,” he added.

“In the other games we drew and won, so we have positive experiences.”

Harry Maguire opened his account for Hull City with a goal on Tuesday in their EFL Cup win over Bristol City and the defender hopes it is the first of many.

Maguire headed home from a narrow angle as the Tigers secured their spot in the quarter-finals with a 2-1 win at Ashton Gate.

The former Sheffield United defender has been at Hull since 2014 and is delighted to have finally got on the scoresheet.

“I’m pleased to be off the mark and hopefully I can chip in with a few more because I used to be quite prolific!” he said.

“It was a great ball in from Ryan Mason and it was just a case of trying to guide the ball in the right direction and thankfully I did that.”

Victory puts the Tigers into the last eight where they will face Newcastle United but the focus remains on Premier League survival.

And the 23-year-old hopes their cup run can carry momentum back to the everyday business of the league.

(Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images)

“We knew we needed a positive performance and a positive result against Bristol City and we got them,” he added.

“Hopefully that can be the start of the bit of momentum that we need to take into the Premier League. We just needed to get that win under our belts.

“We played really well for the first 60 minutes on Tuesday night and there aren’t many sides that go to Bristol City and get a win.

“The main objective for us is the league, though, and we want to stay in the Premier League for as long as we can.”

Geoff Cameron may not be one of the most glamorous players in the Premier League but Mark Hughes has made a real point of highlighting the American’s importance to Stoke City this week.

Cameron has been at Stoke since 2012 but has spent the majority of his time at the bet365 Stadium playing at either full back or centre half.

The 31-year-old’s versatility has often counted against him but the former Houston Dynamo man has started the last five matches in his favoured central midfield role.

And Hughes is hopeful Cameron can recover from a knee injury in time for Monday night’s televised game with Swansea City.

(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

“Geoff has been excellent and we are hopeful he will get over the knock to the knee that he’s had,” Hughes said.

“He’s a little bit sore as we speak but I have to say he’s come in and been asked to do a different role again to good effect when sometimes his versatility goes against him.

“He’s perhaps a little bit underestimated, not so much within the group, but probably from outside the immediate team. We appreciate the importance and the flexibility he gives us.

“He’s gone into a central midfield role and hasn’t restricted himself to being a defensive minded players, he’s gone forward to good effect as well and he gives us that athleticism and that ability to break things up when the opposition come at us.

“He also offers plenty on and off the ball and his work ethic has really helped us.”

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew admits his players must learn to maintain their focus better as they look turn around their fortunes on the pitch.

The Eagles have not tasted the winning feeling in three games and shipped three goals against Premier League champions Leicester City last time out.

They have also endured a tough time in attack with just two goals in that time and find themselves 11^th in the table ahead of Saturday afternoon’s home clash with Liverpool.

That match represents marksman Christian Benteke’s first clash against his former employers and Pardew is hoping the chance to prove a point against his old club will fire up the Belgium striker to deliver the goods.

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

“When you’ve not had the opportunity you think you deserve, it’s natural to be up for this game,” said Pardew.

“Christian is playing with a smile on his face. Every player wants to play, especially great players like him.

“Clean sheets are a concern for all managers. We need a little more concentration to get us over the line.

“It was unusual for us to concede three at Leicester, we’re normally in with a shout. We just need to score more goals – we had 23 shots.”

Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has praised team-mate Joe Gomez’s mental strength during a lengthy injury lay-off and has backed him to be a top player at the club.

Gomez, 19, returned to the club’s Melwood training ground earlier this month to a round of applause after a year of rehabilitation for an anterior cruciate ligament problem.

And Lovren believes after such a tough year he can now push and establish himself under manager Jurgen Klopp.

“It was a really tough year for him,” he said.

Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

“I was looking at him every day throughout the year he couldn’t play. He showed so much strength – his mentality was blowing me away.

“He was always positive about everything. He was definitely disappointed but he never stopped believing. It was so good to see him back on the pitch.”

Gomez made an impressive start to his career at Liverpool after signing from Charlton Athletic last summer and centre-back Lovren insists Gomez is a real threat to the current defenders in Klopp’s squad.

“I remember when we played with him last year – the first three games he played, he was amazing. He had an amazing start,” he said.

“This guy is so strong, he’s just 19. He is unbelievable. He can be a top player.”

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to win the title this year and should not be written off despite their dramatic implosion at the end of last season, according to former defender Ledley King.

Spurs blew a two-goal lead at Chelsea last year to gift the title to Leicester City and their form did not recover as they slumped behind bitter rivals Arsenal into third in the Premier League.

However, this season Mauricio Pochettino’s men have been very impressive and sit just a point off top, leading King to believe they can last the pace this time around.

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“Everyone wanted to see how Spurs would bounce back after the end of last season and I think they’ve shown they are a team that have to be taken seriously as title contenders,” he said.

“I’ve been very impressed with them so far this season.

“Even when the team haven’t played to their best they’ve still managed to find a way to get a result and that’s what you need to do if you want to be a team that tries to win the league.”

Andrew Surman missed his first ever game in the Premier League for Bournemouth last weekend and the midfielder admits he is itching to make up for it.

An illness picked up during the week forced him out of the 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

The Cherries are now unbeaten in their last four and have only lost once in their last seven outings.

Next up is a trip to Middlesbrough and 30-year-old South African Surman is confident he will bounce back this weekend if he can replace Dan Gosling who stepped in admirably in his place.

“I was gutted at the time and I still am to be fair. But that’s football, it takes a lot to stop me from getting on the pitch but I just didn’t have enough energy,” he said.

“I suffered from a bug from Friday and it was really frustrating. Having said that, Goso [Dan Gosling] came in and had a great game.

(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

“It was a great performance. I know it was a draw but it’s a very very tough team to play against so to come away with a point and play that well was incredible. I think we showed that ugly side of our game as well.

“We can get about teams and it is promising for the future.”