A journalist has claimed that Chris Wilder could end up going to Newcastle United to replace Steve Bruce after recent reports linking him with the job.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Alan Biggs, who has been a football reporter for Sky, the Sheffield Star and the Daily Telegraph, claimed when asked about the former Sheffield United boss: “I do see either West Brom or Newcastle”, adding that the St. James’ Park faithful “investigated the possibility” of hiring him back in 2019.
Newcastle should not overlook Wilder
The North East club should certainly not overlook the possibility of hiring Wilder as their new coach if Bruce were to leave.
Even though the Blades have struggled at the foot of the table in the Premier League so far in the 2020/21 term, which subsequently led to the Yorkshireman leaving, his success in the previous season should still be greatly admired, having guided them to a pretty impressive ninth-placed finish having just been promoted up from the EFL Championship.
Nonetheless, Wilder is experienced in the top flight as well as in the lower divisions, so it could well be an inspired appointment even if the Tyneside club were to find themselves relegated at the end of the campaign.
With tensions certainly rising at the Magpies, there are few better candidates to choose from.
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In other news, find out what inside claim Liam Kennedy has dropped on takeover talk at NUFC here!
Aston Villa should target a move for Ademola Lookman in this summer’s transfer window amid Lee Hendrie’s claim.
What’s the story?
The England U21 international is currently on loan at fellow Premier League side Fulham, where he has produced some impressive displays for a side battling to avoid relegation back to the Championship this season – he’s managed four goals and four assists in 27 top-flight games.
Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Fulham would have to pay around £15m to make his move from RB Leipzig a permanent one, and ex-Villa man Hendrie has urged his former side to throw their hat into the ring.
Speaking exclusively to FFC, Hendrie said: “Lookman stands out for me. He’d be one that I would… I know bigger clubs would be looking at him, but he’d be the sort of calibre of player that I’d be looking at trying to get at the club because he’s creative and got that attacking threat.”
Better than Trezeguet
With his eight total goal contributions in the Premier League this season, the 23-year-old Lookman has already shown him to be comfortably better than Trezeguet when it comes to his end product – the Egyptian has yet to find the back of the net this campaign, and has only managed one assist in the top-flight.
The versatile Fulham winger also betters Trezeguet in all the key in-game metrics, averaging far more shots, key passes and dribbles per game than the Egyptian, really showcasing how much of a massive influence he has been for Scott Parker’s side this season.
Lookman of course burst onto the scene with Charlton before making a high-profile switch to Everton, and England international Michael Keane has raved about the former Toffees gem previously.
He said: “He has got everything. He is the most skilful player at the club along with Bernard. He can go both ways and he can score goals and he is young so he is only going to get better. If he can get consistency every time and keep learning, he will be a great player.”
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Given Hendrie’s wish for Villa to target a move for Lookman, Dean Smith should be going to the club’s hierarchy and putting the winger’s name forward.
48 long years of hurt are finally over for Sunderland. It might not have been the long-awaited promotion or a competition as prestigious as the FA Cup, but their Wembley hoodoo is over.
The Mackems have regularly lost on their travels to this part of London but on Sunday, they laid their problems to rest with a 1-0 win over Tranmere.
Everything at the Stadium of Light feels a lot more positive now. The Black Cats look in a good place to be promoted and they’ve now won their first trophy since 1973.
With Lee Johnson and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus at the helm, they appear to have finally struck up a recipe for success. Under Phil Parkinson and Stewart Donald, that never looked like happening.
Key to their revival has been Aiden McGeady, a player who capped off a remarkable turnaround on Sunday afternoon.
McGeady was the scorer of two goals when they lost the 2019 final to Portsmouth and he came up trumps again this weekend. On this occasion, his influential performance inspired a memorable victory.
However, if it wasn’t for Johnson, he probably would not have been in the XI on Sunday. The Irishman was alienated from the entire senior squad when Parkinson was at the helm.
McGeady was snapped at McDonald’s with Chris Maguire after a defeat in December 2019 and as a result, was transfer-listed by the club. He moved to Charlton on loan and then after returning to the north-east in the summer, didn’t get any minutes.
The winger earned his first outing of the 2020/21 campaign during Johnson’s opening match in charge. Since then, the pair haven’t looked back.
Only George Honeyman (12) has more assists (11) than McGeady in League One this season and he was at his creative best during the EFL Trophy final win on Sunday. He supplied the game’s only goal with a mouth-watering assist.
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The 34-year-old picked up the ball just inside Tranmere’s half before taking several defenders out of the game with a sensational pass. Gooch ran onto it and then fired home with immense composure.
McGeady was the beating heart of Sunderland’s win, as he supplied a considerable eight key passes at Wembley. For context, that’s substantially more than his season average of 2.1 key passes per match.
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He was a constant thorn in the Tranmere defence as McGeady also recorded four dribbles, the joint-highest number of any player on the field.
Perhaps most impressive, though, was his desire and energy. For someone in the twilight of his career, it would have been easy for McGeady to fade as the game went on. He didn’t however, ensuring he ran himself into the ground to get Sunderland up the pitch in the dying embers.
McGeady was the outcast at the start of the season but he is now the undoubted star of this Sunderland team. His turn around, like Sunderland’s in recent months, has been superb.
AND in other news, Worse than McFadzean: SAFC liability who won just 14.2% of his duels let Johnson down…
It would be fair to surmise that Jesse Lingard’s recent loan move to Manchester United has been pivotal in his career.
The Red Devils midfielder moved to West Ham United in the January transfer window in an effort to revive his stuttering career.
Having not made a single Premier League appearance for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2020/21, though, he has enjoyed an instant impact in the capital, bagging four goals and providing two assists.
Former Manchester United manager and current Irons boss David Moyes has hailed the 28-year-old’s “quality” due to his exciting performances for his adoptive employers.
Despite the terms of his loan deal ruling him out for the teams’ meeting on Sunday night, Lingard could fire a stark reminder to Solskjaer about his importance to not only West Ham but also to the Red Devils.
Since the £9m-rated winger arrived in London, the Hammers have only lost one match, with Lingard’s goals alone being worth four points already. Without him, Moyes’ men would more than likely not be in contention for the top four.
In fact, since Lingard arrived, the Hammers’ goalscoring rate has increased from 1.6 per game to 1.8.
It is that form which has triggered reminders of Lingard’s thrilling 2017/18 season under Jose Mourinho. Throughout that campaign, he was a key performer as the Red Devils finished second in the table, scoring eight goals and providing six assists in the process.
His goals throughout the campaign were actually worth seven points to the Red Devils. Without Lingard, they would have finished as low as fourth.
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In not lining up for the opposition, Lingard could actually show Solskjaer that he is deserving of a first team place at United should his teammates struggle to create opportunities to score, such has been his impact on the Hammers.
He could find it tough to break in once again once he returns to Old Trafford, but his form could convince Solskjaer that the Red Devils were slightly too quick to jettison him.
In more news, a swoop for AS Roma’s Mancini could see a current Red Devils star thrive…
Many Everton fans have been left to slam the display of Andre Gomes despite their 1-0 away win at West Brom in the Premier League on Thursday evening.
Richarlison ended up getting the only goal of the game midway through the second half to give the Goodison Park faithful all three points and thus help them climb up the table.
However, although there were some very good performances for the Merseyside club, Gomes flattered to deceive several members of the Toffees faithful.
The central midfield player lost out on nine of his duels in the match, the most lost out of any of his teammates, as he also lost possession of the ball no fewer than on 16 separate occasions, the joint-second highest of any Blues player (Sofascore). Losing your battles and giving the ball away relentlessly is hardly a good combination for a midfield player.
Everton fan reaction to Gomes display
These EFC supporters slammed his performance on Twitter, with one fan even going as far as to say that the former FC Barcelona man is ‘dreadful’:
“Why is Andre Gomes even here, he was literally one of our worst players today. Allan should have been the fourth scout for MOTM #efc. Up the Toffees as we march on to top 4 glory #everton”
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Credit: @gersonselema
“Another solid if unspectacular victory for #EFC. Both achieved with fair few injuries. Thought Gomes and Iwobi very poor today. Defensively we are sound though. Bit of quality from Sigurdsson and into Top 4! #COYB”Credit: @D_Button”Another ugly win but we will take it. Siggy showed why he can’t be dropped at the moment, especially when James is out. Great finish from Richarlison. Negatives were an appalling first half and the performances of Gomes and Bernard in particular who shouldn’t play again. #efc”Credit: @sicurrie”Gomes has stunk the place out today, but we squeak the win #EFC”Credit: @ItsJohnThomson”Gomes, Bernard and Iwobi are dreadful FACT #EFC”Credit: @MrGriff1878″Gomes & Iwobi are doing my head in! #efc”Credit: @boycey1978In other news, find out what Carlo Ancelotti comments on one star’s future has left Everton fans buzzing here!
Many Crystal Palace fans are fuming with the performance of Jairo Riedewald during the London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday night.
The south London club lost 4-1 to Jose Mourinho’s side, but it looked to be an even game at half-time with the score at 1-1. Riedewald was in a midfield duo with Luka Milivojevic but just didn’t seem to settle as he picked up a 6.2 rating from SofaScore. The Dutchman had 40 touches, failed to complete a single dribble and picked up a yellow card. He also came out second best in six of his eight ground duels and lost possession nine times.
When you are playing a side which has potent scorers like Harry Kane, you cannot afford to have such a poor performance like Riedewald had. With the Eagles up against West Bromwich Albion next week, the players need to step up so that they do not drop points against the relegation battlers and get pulled back into the survival scrap themselves.
These Palace fans on Twitter were critical of the 24-year-old’s performance, which one supporter described as “awful”.
Here is how Palace fans discussed Riedewald:
“Poor mistakes by PVA, Luka & Jairo have cost us today.”
Credit: @SomePalaceGuy
“Jairo is not the future at CM he’s not good enough imo.”
Credit: @Georgiecpfc
“Oh Jairo is playing, hadn’t noticed him again”
Credit: @PKA_1979
“Jairo has been awful since coming into the team. We need a new core in defence and midfield”
Credit: @cormacFarrell
“Riedewald has been the weak link throughout. How does he keep being started!?! Also, should not have subbed Eze or Townsend. Take Luka out instead!”
Credit: @altaybasaran
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“Not the game for Wilf’s return to be honest. Really need to get an influential box to box CM in the summer because I don’t think Luka or Riedewald are the answer”
Credit: @Olimite
In other news, many Palace fans reacted to this transfer update!
According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur, and by extension Daniel Levy, have no plans to offer Bournemouth loanee Cameron Carter-Vickers a new deal in the summer – with the door ‘set to close’ on his career in north London at the end of the season.
Indeed, as per this report, the USA international’s contract expires at the end of this season – and Levy is set to green light his exit with or without a transfer offer.
Levy set to green light Tottenham exit
There is apparently no new deal on the table for Carter-Vickers despite a resurgence at Bournemouth in the Championship, coming as his sixth loan spell in England’s second tier.
Regardless of how he finishes this season, Tottenham are reportedly set to let him go and put an end to his 12-year stay at the club.
Carter-Vickers made his senior debut for Spurs half a decade ago at 18-years-old but now looks set to part company with Tottenham – but whether this is as a free agent or in a permanent transfer remains to be seen.
Transfer Tavern take
Spurs supporters may be wondering what might have been with the defender who displayed early signs of promise.
Former club fan favourite Jan Vertonghen once heralded his fellow centre-back in an interview with ESPN, calling Carter-Vickers an ‘absolute beast’ and a ‘real defender’ in 2016.
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What awaits for him after Spurs is yet to be determined, but according to this report, Levy will green light his summer departure.
In other news: Tottenham transfer admission lifts lid on failed Levy coup with Pochettino, find out more here.
When Sunderland face Fleetwood on Tuesday evening, they will do so full of confidence.
They swatted fellow promotion hopefuls Doncaster to one side in recent weeks, and their win over Burton demonstrated that the Mackems truly have the wind in their sails.
On the chalkboard
Lee Johnson won’t want to make too many changes to the side that beat the Brewers so comfortably at the weekend.
However, if he is thinking of making a change, then he must drop one specific player to the bench again. That happens to be Southampton loanee Jake Vokins.
The left-back has had a pretty torrid start to life at the Stadium of Light and to date, his temporary spell has been a difficult one. Roker Report said it was hard to picture many worse Sunderland debuts after the 2-2 draw with MK Dons and he’s looked unconvincing ever since.
He was at fault for the second goal during the defeat to Shrewsbury and misplaced a succession of passes in the win over Burton.
It eventually saw him hauled off in the second period in place of a man who simply has to start on Tuesday night.
The solution
The answer to their woes with Vokins lay at the feet of another loanee; Jordan Jones.
The winger has only played six times and started twice since his move south of the border from Rangers, but he’s caught the eye in his minimal time on the pitch.
He was hailed for his efforts by supporters after his cameo off the bench last time out and as his fitness grows game by game, he could become a force to be reckoned with.
Jones was only on the field for 23 minutes against Burton but managed three key passes – the second-highest number of anyone in a Black Cats jersey. On top of that, he finished the clash with a pass success rate of 100%.
You only need to heed words from Glasgow Live reporter Mark McDougall to understand what he can offer: “In all honesty, he should stroll League One if his attitude is right when he goes down there. He’s two-footed so can go inside or outside and has pace to burn.”
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The journalist added: “He can be a joy to watch when he’s on his game because of how direct and tricky he is.”
Johnson has already extracted similar qualities from Aiden McGeady in recent weeks so it’s exciting to see what he could do with Jones.
He needs to be unleashed on Fleetwood, not just because of his individual attributes, but because Vokins is struggling down the left.
AND in other news, 1 goal in 15 games: SAFC ace who left Parkinson fuming has been a passenger for months…
West Ham United may already have their Sebastien Haller heir in academy striker Mipo Odubeko after the Under 23s star scored a brace against Southampton on Friday.
The Irons have been scouring the transfer market across Europe all month after the unexpected departure of Haller, with the decision to cash-in on the Ivory Coast international leaving Michail Antonio as boss David Moyes’ only recognised senior striker.
Talks are said to be ongoing with RB Leipzig over a loan deal for Hwang Hee-Chan, but West Ham are sweating over the move collapsing amid rival interest from 1.FSV Mainz 05.
The interest in the South Korea international comes after they failed to reach agreements with Stade de Reims for Boulaye Dia or Sevilla for Youssef En-Nesyri among a plethora of other names, with Josh King now said to be their top target according to talkSPORT, although he’d reportedly cost £10m according to The Athletic’s Wolves correspondent Tim Spiers.
But Moyes may not have to fear failing to secure a centre-forward in the winter market given Odubeko’s impressive return to action, having scored twice to push West Ham’s U23s into a controlling lead over Southampton on Friday night in what was his first Premier League 2 outing of the season.
The 18-year-old broke the deadlock with a simple finish after Oladapo Afolayan unselfishly squared the ball and soon doubled his account again from close range, before also assisting Dan Chesters midway through the second half to round out the scoring.
Odubeko had sustained a serious hamstring injury last term that, as well as the coronavirus situation, saw the forward sit out much of the past six months, making only one EFL Trophy appearance before earning his senior debut in the FA Cup at Stockport earlier this month.
Moyes has since named the former Republic of Ireland U17 international on the bench for two Premier League fixtures and, while he is yet to introduce Odubeko to the action, has declared that he and West Ham have “big hopes” for what he can achieve in east London.
Moyes has been tipped to look fondly on Odubeko if West Ham fail to sign a new striker this month, with the Irons boss thought to be keen on seeing what the teen star can offer the first-team after his impressive developments since joining the club in October 2019.
The Scot has even noted that opportunities will be there for Odubeko, adding “we will try and bring him along and [use] him at the right time,” and there should be few concerns that the youngster can prove beneficial having clearly not lost his touch despite months out of the game.
Odubeko knew where to be to cause Southampton problems on Friday, and showed true poacher’s instincts to tap home his second when Allan Tchapchet’s clearance fell invitingly into his path.
He now has five goals in three U23s games to his name after scoring nine in seven for the U18s, and it surely will not be long before Odubeko has a senior goal to his name. Especially given all the attributes Bernard Byrne, who was Odubeko’s head coach for St Joseph’s, rallied off while describing the “special” talent to The Athletic:
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“He’s the reason why people will go to football games. He’s fast, dynamic, strong, he can score all sorts of goals and he’s good in the air. He’s a proper centre-forward. He’s a player that West Ham fans will be excited about.”
GSB could save millions here then by using Odubeko and Michail Antonio as their striker options across the remainder of the campaign.
AND in other news, West Ham eye late loan for teen gem who “makes the game look easy”…
Steve Bruce could bin DeAndre Yedlin before the January transfer window closes if Newcastle United sign anyone on loan.
What’s the word?
According to Chronicle Live, Yedlin’s Tyneside future is up in the air ahead of Monday’s Deadline Day as United eye late reinforcements for Bruce’s side.
Newcastle named a complete 25-man squad for the Premier League season last summer and are yet to offload any of those in the winter market, leaving no space for potential arrivals.
Yedlin would serve as a prime candidate to depart if suitable offers are received in the coming days, with the United States international now inside the final six-months of his £30,000-per-week contract and yet to be offered a new deal.
The 27-year-old has spoken on his frustrations at the lack of clarity on his situation, having seen United chiefs fail to make any contact with the defender or his agent.
“Obviously, with my situation, currently I have six-months left on my contract. It has been a bit frustrating because me and my agent have had no communication with Newcastle at all about what their plans are for me, if I can go or if they want me to stay,” he told CBS Sports HQ.
Yedlin has also had visa issues rule him out of Newcastle’s last two Premier League games after his previous work permit expired, which may yet play a role in United’s decision over whether or not to retain the £4.5m-rated titan.
Should Newcastle get rid of Yedlin?
If Newcastle are to strengthen Bruce’s squad before Monday’s deadline passes, the Toon will have to make a tough decision on at least one of his current players and the indicators point to Yedlin being the most at risk.
Yedlin has emerged as a potential target for sides in Turkey and America this month, with reports suggesting the defender – whom Rafa Benitez once said about “I love this player” – has been offered a Major League Soccer return and a move to Super Lig giants Galatasaray.
His preference may be to remain at St. James’ Park and sign a new contract, yet that option may never be one Yedlin can explore as his form – despite being the star of the show against Fulham and Liverpool – would suggest he may not be a huge loss, if one at all, now that Javier Manquillo has returned from Covid.
Among the four players Bruce has fielded at right-back more than once in Premier League fixtures this season, Yedlin’s efforts have only returned marginally superior results to those of Emil Krafth and Jacob Murphy in some regards but often trails those of Manquillo.
Bruce sees Manquillo win the highest number of successful tackles (2.3) and with the second-most attempts (2.7) per 90 – Yedlin offers 1.8 from 3.0 – while Krafth is first for clearances, as he keeps things simple to protect Karl Darlow’s goal with 3.5 a game to Yedlin (2.6), Manquillo (1.5) and Murphy (0.5), per WhoScored.
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Murphy tops the charts for interceptions (1.5) to Yedlin (1.4), Krafth (1.3) and Manquillo (0.7), and looks to drive play forward when on the ball far more often than his positional rivals with the 25-year-old making 3.5 successful runs from 5.5 attempts to Krafth (0.3/0.5), Yedlin (0.2/0.4) and Manquillo (0/1).
Murphy matches his drive with quality at the top of the pitch, as well, to deliver 0.8 accurate crosses from 3.1 deliveries a game to Manquillo (0.8/3.3), Krafth (0.3/2.8) and Yedlin (0.2/2.6). It also helps the £3m-rated maestro to create more goalscoring opportunities with 0.8 key balls to Manquillo (0.7), Yedlin (0.6) and Krafth (0.5).
So, if Bruce was to lose Yedlin in the final days of the January transfer window, it may not be a blow for Newcastle to endure, so long as United first meet the one condition needed for his exit. Signing a player who will improve a squad winless in 11 games across all competitions.
AND in other news, Newcastle have landed a huge boost in their pursuit of a £4m-rated beast…