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Each week on Football FanCast we will be celebrating those special breed who lit up the Premier League with their unique brand of utter genius. This time out we pay homage to a wing wizard so good they named him twice.

There are a hundred different reasons to take exception to Sam Allardyce’s patented brand of nullifying football that admittedly grinds out results when it works but sends us to sleep regardless.

Right up there on the list is the undeniable fact that ultra-pragmatic fare designed to deconstruct is so out of kilter with the modern norm that sees little magicians performing their tricks in midfield and full-backs bombing forward at every opportunity: Premier League clubs now all have fantastic fortunes that enable them to showcase the very best of themselves. They have the means – and possibly too the obligation – to entertain.

That Allardyce recoils at such aspirations is frustrating and on occasion repellent and that disgust can be squared by a large amount for those of us who still fondly recall his Bolton Wanderers side of the early to mid 2000s. Because that team certainly had an ambition to entertain. That team was ace.

In an era where sensible soccer wasn’t so frowned upon the arch-contrarian Allardyce dared to create an eleven forged on the continental defending of Ivan Campo and Fernando Hierro; that released Ricardo Gardner down the flanks, usually set free by the imagination of Stelios Giannakopoulos or the ever-artful Gary Speed.

And ahead of them all positionally and in every conceivable sense frolicked the wonderful, spirit-lifting, so-good-they-named-him-twice Jay-Jay Okocha.

For all of his endeavour and mileage the silken Nigerian was so not the big gaffer’s type that in later years he would surely be banished to the sub’s bench, kept there only for late emergencies. Yet here, before a spell-bound Reebok Stadium, Okocha was placed centre stage and more so encouraged to ad-lib to his heart’s content. And Okocha ad-libbed a lot.

The remarkable playmaker from Enugu State played as if the frenetic environs of top flight football was a kickabout in the park, thinking nothing of exhibiting skills and trickery that made the old feel young and a raucous crowd turn into an audience. His audience.

His fleet of foot was matched by a breath-taking speed of thought and when an abundance of talent is thrown into that mix it meant defenders were frankly petrified at the prospects of facing him one on one. Guess and commit and he had the ability make the very best look stupid. Wait and he was gone.

His securement on a free transfer from PSG – where Okocha had mentored a young Ronaldinho – a matter of weeks after the 2002 World Cup was a major coup for Bolton and Allardyce too as he sought to establish the little-fancied club as one that competed for European places rather than fend off the drop on an annual basis. And it is fair to say in hindsight that the move was a big success.

Okocha remains loved in Greater Manchester to this day and not just for the numerous moments of pure magic that light up YouTube. It’s because he was a formative figure in Bolton’s greatest period for many a generation as the Trotters finished inside the top ten for four consecutive seasons. They also reached the 2004 Carling Cup final, narrowly losing to Middlesbrough.

In the semi-final first leg against Aston Villa a flight to the African Cup of Nations was postponed in order that Okocha played. He was integral to Wanderers. Without him their chances of a dream trip to the Millennium Stadium was essentially halved.

Two minutes in and the incomparable wizard put his side ahead with a clever free-kick. Watching it back now it unnerves because the flight of the ball goes around the wall at thigh level. Yet there is no discernible curve. And there is no gap. It is Okocha 1, Physics 0.

Villa for their part wobbled, shaken by the early concession and to make matters considerably worse the flying winger was brilliant that night, at the heart of everything good about a Bolton side thoroughly in the ascendency. Inside the opening half an hour they were three goals up without reply. With ten minutes to go Villa had reduced the deficit to two.

Then came the second waving of the wand. Again a free-kick. Again with the right boot. Only this time the spell was cast wide on the left with everyone in attendance understandably expecting a floating cross.

Instead Okocha walloped it. There is no other word to describe it. He walloped it and the ball whizzed and dipped and swerved and popped to the shops for a loaf of bread all in a matter of nanoseconds and when its motion was stopped by the net the Villa keeper dived more out of instinct than expectation. “Simply awesome,” was how the commentator coined it. And it was. He was. Twice-over.

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Aston Villa youngster Mitchell Clark has stated he is hoping to make an impression on new boss Dean Smith when he returns from his loan, he told the Stoke Sentinel. 

What’s the word?

It is all change at Villa Park after the appointment of Dean Smith this week, who replaced Steve Bruce after a woeful start to the campaign which has left Aston Villa with just one win from their last 11 matches across all competitions.

Smith will need to spark a swift revival at the club to get their promotion hopes back on track and he could hand chances to fringe players within the squad, which could see 19-year-old Mitchell Clark earn an opportunity in the side.

Currently on loan at Port Vale, Clark’s contract with Villa expires at the end of the season but he told the Stoke Sentinel that he still sees his long-term future at Villa Park and is keen on proving himself to Smith.

What was said?

“At the minute I am at Port Vale so I am trying to keep my focus on Vale and, whenever the time comes when I go back to Villa, hopefully I can be in the manager’s view.

“I know Villa are watching me while I am playing for Vale. I just have to make sure I keep playing well and keep performing for Vale and try to help them get three points every week.”

Should he sign a new deal?

Teenager Clark has been an important member of Port Vale’s squad in League Two this season, playing the entirety of the club’s league matches this season and displaying his versatility in the process by featuring at right-back, left-back and as a winger on both sides.

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That versatility could be a useful asset to Dean Smith’s Aston Villa moving forward, although he may have his best chance of regular football if he can knuckle down a regular position and impress in those performances.

With his contract with Villa due to expire at the end of the season, Clark is playing for his future but the club needs to hand him a new deal as he has the potential to be a useful asset in the future – even if he does not immediately get chances when he returns.

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Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has stated he does not regret his quiet summer transfer window, quoted by The Telegraph.

What’s the word?

Eyebrows were raised in the summer by Mauricio Pochettino’s reluctance to take advantage of the transfer window, with Tottenham failing to sign a single player during the close-season period and attracting headlines for the wrong reasons.

While Spurs have enjoyed their best-ever start to a Premier League season, winning six of eight matches, two consecutive defeats at the start of their Champions League campaign have left the club’s European ambitions at risk of going up in smoke.

However, despite the lack of consistency between results domestically and on the continent, Pochettino is quoted by The Telegraph as insisting he does not regret his actions and is happy with his squad.

What was said?

“We are always trying to improve our squad because football is dynamic. But if you cannot achieve what you need or want, [making signings] because you need to make happy people or act like all the clubs, I think that is not common sense.

“We showed that we do not care. If we don’t need the players who are available to sign then why are we going to sign? That is the point.

“I was happy and am happy with the squad that I have, we have no regrets. When we started the season with three games that we won and we were top of the table people were talking in a different way, ‘Oh how clever are Tottenham because they keep all the squad from last season’.

“After we lost some games [it] started to make a big impact in the perception. But I need to remind everyone that is our best start after eight games.”

Is he right?

The vast differences between Tottenham’s displays in the Premier League and in the Champions League are evidence of a lack of depth in the squad, which is where Mauricio Pochettino should have improved his ranks in the summer.

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Spurs’ first-choice XI is up there with some of the best in the Premier League but while the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and even arch-rivals Arsenal can chop and change their line-up, they do not have the same luxury.

The Argentine’s comments certainly won’t convince the club’s fans that their future is bright, as there was clearly players out there in the summer that would have improved the squad, if they had been willing to spend the money.

According to a recent report from The Sunday Mirror (via The Daily Record), Leicester City are one side keeping tabs on defender David Bates. The 22-year-old currently plays his football at Bundesliga 2 outfit Hamburg having made the move there from Scottish giants Rangers during the summer, with the centre back certainly producing the goods in the early phase of his career in Germany.

And Claude Puel’s Leicester are one side reportedly keen on the £810,000-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt) as they seek further defensive reinforcements, but given the amount of options already at the Frenchman’s disposal in that area of the pitch, Foxes interest in Bates makes absolutely no sense at all.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, Puel set about strengthening his Leicester rearguard during the summer given the departure of centre back Robert Huth, while the interest surrounding Harry Maguire’s future suggested that he was another who could have left the King Power Stadium.

He didn’t, but Puel continued to add to his defensive options in luring Jonny Evans away from relegated West Brom, while the young duo of Filip Benkovic and Caglar Soyuncu also made the move to the Midlands outfit – add in captain Wes Morgan as well as Christian Fuchs, who can also play centre back, and Leicester are very well catered for in that department.

Yes, the likes of Morgan and Fuchs may well be entering the twilight of their careers, and Evans will turn 31 in January, but messrs Benkovic and Soyuncu are 21 and 22 years of age respectively to suggest that Puel wasn’t just thinking about the present, but also the future – and retaining Maguire is also a nod to both.

Thus, it’s difficult to see why the Leicester boss would be interested in another centre back given the vast array of options already at his disposal – Benkovic may well be on loan at Celtic, but he is sure to become part of Puel’s plans in the coming years.

Yes, Bates deserves credit for starting life in Hamburg well in helping the club keep four clean sheets in his eight Bundesliga 2 appearances, and he could well become an accomplished Premier League defender in time – but those opportunities don’t appear overly likely at Leicester.

In fact, such are the plethora of options currently available to Puel in the centre back ranks, their reported interest in the former Rangers defender makes absolutely no sense at all.

Leicester fans… what do you think? Let us know!

According to a recent report from The Sunday Mirror (via The Birmingham Mail), Leeds United forward Kemar Roofe is attracting interest from sides in the Premier League. The 25-year-old made the move to Elland Road back in 2016 but struggled in his first season at the Yorkshire giants, yet the last 12 months has seen the Englishman become one of the hottest properties outside of the top-flight.

And reports suggest that Crystal Palace, Southampton, and Wolves are keen on the striker ahead of the January transfer window, but given just how integral he has been to Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds so far this term, selling the £3.15 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt) come the New Year would leave their promotion hopes in tatters.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the Whites’ 2-1 win at Wigan Athletic on Saturday saw them ascend to top spot in the Championship after 16 games of the season to suggest that they are very much in promotion contention – and few have played as big a part in their excellent start than striker Roofe.

The 25-year-old was one of just two players, alongside Pierre-Michel Lasogga, to reach double figures for Leeds last term, which itself underlined his importance, yet this term he has taken it up another level in bagging seven goals and laying on two assists in ten league appearances, all goals of which have come in positive results for Bielsa’s men.

And his significance to this Leeds side was perhaps highlighted most pertinently during his spell out of the team through injury, as Roofe missed six league games between September and October, in which time Bielsa’s team won just two and suffered their first defeat of the campaign at home to Garry Monk’s Birmingham City.

And while young striker Tyler Roberts did a decent job of deputising for the Englishman during that spell, Roofe’s return has been very timely indeed given he has netted in each of the last three Championship games in which he has started in the centre forward role.

Thus, it’s clear just how integral the 25-year-old is to this Leeds team, which is why any promotion challenge from Bielsa’s men is likely to be spearheaded by the Englishman – selling in January is unthinkable and would represent a seriously unwise move by the club’s hierarchy.

Leeds have twice in the last two years got into position to win promotion at this stage of the season, and on both occasions they have fallen short as the campaign wore on – yet things seems different this time under Bielsa.

But if the Whites are serious about maintaining their challenge until the end of the season, and thus returning to the Premier League, they have to get through January unscathed – selling their best players would completely derail their promotion bid.

And there is little doubting that Roofe falls into that category.

Leeds fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Arsene Wenger’s reign as Arsenal manager came to end last season and in his wake, Unai Emery took over the club to try and get the club back in the Champions League after missing out on Europe’s top-flight competition for a second year in a row. 

Last year was arguably the worst season for Arsenal in recent memory as they lost in the EFL Cup Final, were beaten by Atletico Madrid in the Europa League semi-final and finished sixth in the table.

Last summer was the start of a huge rebuild at the club. As well as Emery’sintroduction, Arsenal brought in five new players to strengthen the squad and arguably the best of the five has been Uruguayan midfield battler, Lucas Torreira.

The diminutive midfielder has so far proven to be a shrewd piece of business and recently he spoke of how starstruck he was by Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette.

The Breakdown

Signed for £27 million over the summer, Torreira’s defensive awareness, presence and ability to break up the opposition’s attacks, has been a welcome addition to a side that has struggled to replace Gilberto Silva.

Going forward, Arsenal have arguably one of the best front threes in the league. Moreover, in Lacazette, The Gunners have one of the most complete strikers in the league and one that has been in superb form this season.

While he may often be the club’s scapegoat, on his day, Ozil is one of the best players in the world and he seems to be showing signs of better form under Emery.

After so many years of terrible performances, having those two attacking players shows that better times might be ahead for Arsenal.

Thoughts Arsenal fans?

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Everton recorded a 4-0 win over Kenyan side Gor Mahia in the SportPesa Cup final on Tuesday night.

Ademola Lookman, Kieran Dowell, Nathan Broadhead and Oumar Niasse were on the scoresheet for the Premier League side in the mid-season friendly.

It was a special night for a certain Yerry Mina, with the Colombia international making his first start for Everton following a summer move from Barcelona.

Mina has thus far been kept back after arriving at Goodison Park with an injury, but came on as a late substitute against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League at the weekend, before playing from the start on Tuesday night.

The Everton fans have been on social media reacting to the performance of the former Barcelona ace, and it would be fair to say that not everyone is in agreement.

Indeed, one fan feels that the 24-year-old might struggle to come to terms with the pace of the English game.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Tottenham Hotspur’s need for centre-back Nicolo Barella might be bigger than they think and should act accordingly if they were to avoid losing out on him.

Barella has been heavily linked with a move away from Cagliari with North London enemies Arsenal also interested in strengthening their defence by offering him a deal at the Emirates.

But now it has been reported that Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli is also keen on securing his signature. According to Calcio Mercato, via Talk Sport, the Serie A challengers are confident they could wrap up a deal in January, but are wary of the offer that Spurs might put before the 21-year-old.

Barella has been a star for his boyhood club this season and has donned the captain’s armband on three occasions already. He’s also started in every single match the Italian outfit has played since August, while he has only once not completed the full 90 minutes.

Those are impressive numbers given his young age and the responsibility he’s already been given shows he could be the ideal fit for a move to the Premier League.

Mauricio Pochettino should however put pressure on his ownership to outbid the Gunners and Napoli for Barella’s services as it is expected that the manager will receive the necessary financial backing in the upcoming transfer market.

Jan Vertonghen’s hamstring injury has led to young Juan Foyth rising to the occasion and although the Argentinian has been impressive in Vertonghen’s absence, the two penalties he conceded at Wolverhampton Wanderers a fortnight ago showed his lack of experience in pressure moments.

And, with Toby Alderweireld’s future still remaining unclear, Barella would come as a handy addition for the second part of the season where Spurs would need to be composed and organised if they were to finish in the top four and compete in Europe.

Whether that’ll be in the Champions League or Europa League remains to be seen, but Pochettino would need depth in his squad, and especially at the back if Spurs were to pose a real threat to opposition clubs.

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Everton fans were split on Nikola Vlasic’s display against England on Sunday, but could the young Croatian be Gylfi Sigurdsson’s successor at Goodison?

The Chalkboard

Vlasic was one of a number of failed signings shipped away from Merseyside this summer, as Marco Silva and Marcel Brands attempted to overhaul the Toffees’ squad.

While other loaned out stars like Ashley Williams and Yannick Bolasie clearly have no future at the club, could there be a place for Vlasic?

Sigurdsson has been sensational this season, but he will turn 30 at the beginning of next season, and Vlasic’s display as a number ten on Sunday suggests he could have a future in that position.

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Blame Ron and Sam?

The 20 year-old was stuck out on the wing by Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce, but he has excelled at CSKA Moscow playing as a central midfielder.

His work rate, excellent vision and quick feet have set the Russian Premier League alight. He has five goals and two assists in all competitions, driving forward from midfield in a manner similar to a young Ross Barkley.

His versatility and durability is typical of this generation of Croatian central midfielders, and it’s starting to look like a huge mistake from both Koeman and Big Sam to see him solely as a winger.

Sigurdsson’s successor?

Vlasic was deployed slightly further forward than he has been playing for CSKA Moscow on Sunday, and he assisted Croatia’s only goal as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at Wembley.

The Everton starlet put in a really well-rounded display despite the defeat though, providing one assist and two key passes, completing two dribbles and also winning three tackles.

Silva and Brands definitely would have liked what they saw at Wembley, as the youngster ran Barkley ragged at times.

So, Everton fans, were you impressed by Vlasic? Does he deserve a proper chance under Silva? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been reacting to Jurgen Klopp’s team selection for Wednesday’s huge clash in Paris, and they aren’t happy with the inclusion of Jordan Henderson.

Liverpool take on PSG on tonight in what is sure to be one of the matches of the group stage, but fans aren’t feeling too confident as Henderson has kept his place despite his shocking display at Watford.

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The Reds know three points in Paris will put them through to the next round, and they have plenty of reasons to be confident after dominating the French champions in the return fixture at Anfield.

PSG showed exactly how dangerous they can be though, scoring twice on swift counter attacks despite being on the back foot for the entirety of the match.

That is perhaps why Klopp has elected for a pretty conservative midfield with Henderson alongside James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum, but it’s not going down to well with fans.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, look away now Jordan…