Thursday's football talking points: West Brom 'in tears' after Bournemouth defeat and Jordan Pickford to start for England

Manchester United to form women's team

Manchester United have announced plans to form a women's professional team.

United have long been criticised by prominent figures in the game for not having a women's team. They are the only Premier League men's side not to have a senior women's team.

But now United say they have submitted an application to the Football Association to join the second tier of the Women's Super League.

Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said: "We are pleased to announce that the club intends to establish its first ever professional women's team and has submitted an application to enter WSL2.

"The FA has provided excellent support through the process and we believe that launching a team in WSL2 would give many more of our graduates from the regional talent club the chance to establish themselves as first-team players.

"The Manchester United women's team must be built in the same image and with the same principles as the men's first team and offer academy players a clear route to top level football within the club."

The team would be based at the club's long-standing training centre, The Cliff.

West Brom players in tears after Bournemouth loss

Jonny Evans has revealed some West Brom players cried following the loss to Bournemouth, but denies relegation is a foregone conclusion and that their predicament is due to the ill-fated Barcelona trip.

The Baggies suffered a crushing 2-1 defeat to the Cherries on Saturday, having conceded twice in the final 13 minutes after Evans was forced off because of illness and injury, to leave Alan Pardew's side 10 points adrift of safety with only seven games remaining.

West Brom have now lost seven successive Premier League games and have won just once in the division since August, yet Evans maintains the squad have not accepted their fate is already sealed.

"I think there is hope," said the centre-back, who spoke at the launch of a collaborative project between the Irish Football Association, Ulster GAA and Ulster Rugby called Sport Uniting Communities.

To stay up in the Premier League (odds via Sky Bet)

• Swansea - 1/6
• West Ham - 1/3
• Southampton - 4/11
• Huddersfield - 4/7
• Stoke - 2/1
• West Brom - 33/1

"Even after the Bournemouth game there was real disappointment in the changing room. It's not like we have got to the point where we have accepted relegation.

"A lot of people have been writing us off. I understand with the position we are in it will be very difficult to get out of.

"There were a few tears after the game at the weekend because going into that game there was a lot of hope and optimism that we would get something from it and try to turn the season around even at this late stage. We were upset.

"We were ahead and then the game swung in the last 15 minutes and I think it has been the story of our season. It's hard to take sometimes.

"Mathematically, though, we still have hope and we keep going until it is mathematically not possible. We owe that to ourselves and the fans to do that. That's what we will continue to do that."

Jordan Pickford to start for England

Jordan Pickford is set to start for England in their friendly against the Netherlands on Friday night, according to the Guardian.

Uncertainty has surrounded Joe Hart's future with his country after a tough loan spell at West Ham.

Pickford, 24, has established himself as Everton's number one since making the switch from Sunderland last summer.

To start England's first World Cup game (odds via Sky Bet)

• Jordan Pickford - 10/11
• Jack Butland - 15/8
• Joe Hart - 7/2
• Nick Pope - 10/1

Pickford remains the favourite to start England's first World Cup game against Tunisia in Russia.

Jack Butland is also set to benefit from 'significant' game time over the friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy and could potentially start the clash at Wembley on Tuesday night.

Wilshere wants Arsenal future resolved before World Cup

Jack Wilshere would like his Arsenal future sorted before the World Cup and has revealed he was told he could leave by Arsene Wenger at the start of the season.

The 26-year-old found himself at a crossroads in his career last summer, having returned from Bournemouth after a promising loan spell that ended with yet another injury.

Struggling for fitness and game-time, Wilshere had not represented his country since the excruciating Euro 2016 last-16 exit to Iceland and was staring down the barrel at Arsenal.

A two-time FA Cup winner at a club he joined in 2001, the midfielder was told by manager Wenger that he could move on while cycling in the gym.

"It was an honest conversation," said Wilshere, whose current Arsenal contract expires this summer.

Jack Wilshere to sign for before September 3rd 2018 (odds via Sky Bet)

• Everton - 8/1
• Juventus - 10/1
• Bournemouth - 12/1
• AC Milan - 16/1
• West Ham - 20/1
• To stay at Arsenal - 4/6
• To leave Arsenal - 11/10

"We have known each other long enough where we can have that relationship where we are honest with each other.

"It was boiling up for a while because everybody knew I had a year left on my deal and I had been out on loan, got injured, and wasn't really in his plans.

"He said, 'I am going to be honest with you and at the moment we are not going to be offering you a contract, so if you can get a contract somewhere else, you can go'.

"Obviously I was not happy with that, but at the same time I was happy he was being honest.

"He gave me the opportunity with three or four weeks left in the transfer window, but I did not find anything that I wanted and at the same time I was not really fit, so I decided that I wanted to stay and build up my fitness.

"He also said at the same time that if I did stay I had an opportunity to fight for my place, and if I performed well in the Carabao Cup and Europa League, I had a chance."

In case you missed it...

Follow Sporting Life on social media - find us on Facebook here or tweet @SportingLife

Related football links

• Free football betting tips
• Live scores and in-play odds
• Latest football fixtures
• Football results
• Updated football tables
• Latest Paper Talk
• Sky Bet's football odds