This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.
Wolves couldn’t make it a fourth successive win in all competitions as they endured a stalemate with Southampton at Molineux on Saturday.
Last time out, Nuno Santo’s men impressively snatched all three points from reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, but they failed to do the same here.
Although it wasn’t through a lack of trying as striker Raul Jimenez twice saw a goal chalked off through VAR.
There was also a return for Diogo Jota, who had missed the previous four outings through injury.
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Snapshot
He was introduced after his strike partner Jimenez slotted home the equalising penalty, just after the hour mark.
His appearance allowed Wolves to shape into a more natural 3-4-3 as he replaced Patrick Cutrone, who is primarily an out-and-out striker, and in doing so, he gave his fellow countryman a reminder on why it is a system he should continue to operate.
Off the Bench
Jota added fresh legs and a bit of pizzazz on the left-flank. With Matt Doherty also on the pitch, it meant that Adama Traore was pushed forward to operate as part of the three-man attack.
That’s quite a lethal front three.
The 5 foot 10 forward managed to record two successful dribbles, which was more than Cutrone and Jimenez combined and only one less than Traore, who played the entire 90 minutes, per WhoScored.
Wolves also took control of possession with him on the pitch, averaging 53.1%, so Nuno should look to operate this system more often.
The 3-4-3 formation allows the midfield to link to the attack more fluidly as the two wide forwards effectively operate in the half-spaces behind the striker.
This then enables a more coherent link between the midfield and attack – an issue that was hurting the west Midlands side early on in the season.
Jota returning also reminds Nuno that he should be starting alongside Jimenez, regardless of whether he plays 3-4-3 or 3-5-2, as the pair are a deadly duo having scored 22 together last term.
And in addition to that, Cutrone just hasn’t been taking his chances when given the opportunity.
Who is to blame for Spurs’ 7-2 defeat against Bayern Munich?
There’s certainly an inquest to be had after the London club suffered one of the most embarrassing defeats in Champions League history.
Do you point the finger at Pochettino? The shoddy midfield? Or the incompetent back line?
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If we’re being honest it’s probably a mixture of all of the above. However, ESPN’s Craig Burley has highlighted two players that he thinks were at fault on Tuesday evening.
The pundit gave a scathing review of Serge Aurier and Danny Rose’s performances against the German champions.
Burley points to their inability to adapt throughout the game to Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry’s movement and pace, saying that they should have worked out that they couldn’t push tight on the wingers throughout the game.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out like that for Spurs and Gnabry was allowed to score four goals on Tuesday evening.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
As the saying goes, it’s a marathon not a sprint. And for Manchester City, that’s exactly the mantra that should be running through their heads day-in and day-out. Liverpool’s flawless start to the current Premier League campaign has been nothing short of outstanding, considering they have played Arsenal and Chelsea already in their first eight games.
Pep Guardiola’s side meanwhile, appearing to be doing their best impression of Jekyll and Hyde. Able to smash Watford 8-0, and then fall 2-0 to a struggling Wolves. Chalk and cheese really. It all means the Citizens already find themselves eight points adrift of Liverpool in the race for the title, and after seeing how neck-and-neck things were last year, it doesn’t bode too well for a comeback.
Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…
But whilst the signs appear to be against them, City do have one thing the Reds do not. Experience. The know-how of grinding your way for the full 38 games, and digging out victories in the most difficult of times. Whilst Jurgen Klopp ended his own personal trophy hoodoo at Anfield by clinching the Champions League last season, their best efforts at winning their first league title in more than a couple of decades has fallen short.
Despite the departure of Vincent Kompany, City boast a squall full of talent who have played major roles in their back-to-back Premier League triumphs. Whether it’s players in the first-team like Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero, or less high-profile players like Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, the Etihad side are brimming with title-winning experience.
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It’s an intangible aspect of football that cannot be understated or overlooked. They have been around the proverbial block, and seen everything there is to see. Make no mistake about it, the pressure is truly on Liverpool, not City. Klopp’s men will have to contend with the idea of knowing this is their best shot at ending their Premier League drought, and that could prove to be a major burden on their shoulders.
Football is just as much about the mental aspect of the game, as it is to do with the feet. And City’s recent experiences gives them the upper hand over their rivals. In that age-old fable between the hare and the tortoise, it was the latter that came out on top. Slow and steady wins the race, and Guardiola’s side know that better than anyone else.
[ad_pod ]Daniel James can now add a Player of the Month award to an already impressive start to his Manchester United career.The 21-year-old’s three goals this term have somewhat saved the struggling Red Devils from total embarrassment – though only one, which came against Chelsea, resulted in a victory.Watch Manchester United live streams. With StreamFootball.tv Below
At a time when teams like Crystal Palace and Cardiff City are taking three points away from Old Trafford, fans desperately need someone or something to pin their hopes and dreams on. And it just so happens James could be that man.
Former United left-back Patrice Evra was the man charged with the duty of handing the youngster perhaps the only trophy he’ll get his hands on this season. Enjoy it while you can, Daniel.
And what would an awards ceremony be without an accompanying pep talk from fan favourite Evra and, of course, the Frenchman’s iconic catchphrase screamed into your face?
In today’s Everton roundup, we take a look at what news has been doing the rounds for the Toffees. There is a growing concern in the injury to Andre Gomes, Darren Bent believes Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal scoring record is a ‘big problem’, and the club are reading to join Arsenal in the race for Donyell Malen.
Concern over Gomes
Soccer Football – Premier League – Crystal Palace v Everton – Selhurst Park, London, Britain – August 10, 2019 Everton’s Andre Gomes reacts after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Dylan Martinez EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further det
Report: As reported by the Liverpool Echo, there is a worry at the club over the injury to Gomes. The 26-year-old has not played since picking up a rib injury in the victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. The ex-Barcelona man will miss the game against Manchester City on the weekend, with fears looming he may not be fit until after the international break.
Verdict: Unlike many other Premier League sides, Everton are quite alright in the injury department. However, the two in the physio room are both central midfielders; Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Gomes. This is a worry conceding it’s the visit of the champions next, but also because of the poor form from others in this position.
Tom Davies has played just 11 minutes of league action thus far, Morgan Schneiderlin received a 4/10 against Sheffield United, and Gylfi Sigurdsson has yet to threaten in front of goal after scoring 13 Premier League goals last year.
Gomes has had a topsy-turvy Everton career at times, but in general, the Portugal international has been a great signing for just £22m, and the Toffees will be hoping he is back sooner rather than later.
Bent rips into Calvert-Lewin
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Report: Speaking to Football Insider, former England international Bent was extremely critical of Everton forward Calvert-Lewin. He said: “I don’t quite understand, he had a tough (Under-21) European Championships, didn’t quite go to plan. It’s such night and day between him and Tammy Abraham at the moment because he was ahead of Abraham in the Euros.
“I think he’s (Abraham) scored more goals this season that Calvert-Lewin’s scored in any Premier League season. He might even score more goals now than Calvert-Lewin’s scored in total.
“Everton are in all sorts of disarray, they’re all over the place. (12 goals in 83 Premier League appearances) That there is a big problem, that is a massive stat. I like Calvert-Lewin, I think he’s a good player, works really hard, if you’re on his team, he’s one of those players you want but if you want someone to score you consistent Premier League goals, he’s not showing that.”
Verdict: Indeed, Abraham has scored more this season than Calvert-Lewin has in any other. The Everton forward bagged just six Premier League goals in 35 appearances last year, whilst the Chelsea forward netted seven in his first five games this season.
It is a worrying statistic for the former Sheffield United man, as he is now 22 and yet to establish himself at his own club.
As for the Toffees, they have put faith in their wide men for goals, with Bernard, Richarlison and Alex Iwobi all scoring for Marco Silva this season. These goals have been incredibly important, not just because of Calvert-Lewin’s poor form, but because Cenk Tosun has still yet to impress in Everton colours. The Turkey international has played just 35 minutes thus far after scoring only three times in 25 Premier League appearances last year.
Everton join Malen race
Report: As reported by the Daily Mail, Everton have joined the race for PSV Eindhoven star, Donyell Malen. It is believed the 20-year-old will cost a fee in the region of £50m, despite Arsenal initially selling him to the Dutch giants for just £500,000.
Verdict: The Toffees are lacking goals right now having scored only five times in the six games so far – the joint second lowest – and Malen could certainly be the answer to these concerns.
The forward has netted seven times in seven games in the Eredivisie and leads the way as the top scorer in the division, averaging a goal every 85 minutes. As alluded to, Calvert-Lewin and Tosun are yet to score this season, with the goals coming from the wide men, with Silva calling out for the man down the middle to pitch in on the goals.
Yes, Moise Kean could be the answer, but the Italian has not yet had a chance to prove his worth just yet. Furthermore, Malen has also scored in the Europa League for PSV and even bagged on his first call up to the Dutch national team in the European Championship qualifiers.
There is little doubting this man’s goal scoring ability, and Everton should seriously consider bringing him to Merseyside.
However, £50m is an almighty amount for a man who has only just broken onto the scene within the last 12 months.
According to The Mirror, Southampton are likely to bid again for Birmingham’s Che Adams, after having their first £8m bid rejected.
The Saints are clearly set on landing a new striker this month, and the 22-year-old Adams seems to be top of their list. That is no surprise given the fact that the forward has already amassed 14 goals and three assists in 28 Championship games this season.
However, seeing as Birmingham are standing strong at the moment, therefore causing Southampton to pay more, Ralph Hasenhüttl could turn his attention elsewhere. If so, here are two more options in the Championship that Southampton could look at:
Neal Maupay
Sitting in fourth in the Championship’s scoring charts with 16 goals, Brentford’s Neal Maupay is obviously a good option for The Saints. At 22 years of age, this is also a great investment for the south coast club.
However, what makes this such a good signing is that he also has six assists in the Championship so far this season. He has proven that he is also a creative force, which could prove hugely beneficial given the other strikers already at Southampton. If Maupay can work with them, there could be a huge amount of success at St Mary’s this season.
Finally, Maupay’s, and indeed Brentford’s form took a hit when manager Dean Smith left for Aston Villa earlier this season. Had the manager remained, the France under-21 international may have had more goals to his name.
Jarrod Bowen
As far as players go, there isn’t a huge amount that separates Jarrod Bowen from Adams. Both have 14 goals this season, both have three assists and both are 22. Furthermore, Hull and Birmingham are more or less in the same place in the Championship table.
However, what makes Bowen a slightly more attractive proposition is that he only has a year and a half left on his contract, whereas Adams has three and a half years, meaning The Saints may not need to spend as much.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
For the first time since successive wins over Cardiff and Bournemouth at the end of last season, Crystal Palace have recorded back-to-back Premier League successes once again with their recent victories over Manchester United and Aston Villa.
As a result of those wins and a point against Everton on the opening day, the south Londoners currently sit fourth in the Premier League and also have the best defensive record in the division having conceded just twice.
A number of players have shone in those games, such as Jordan Ayew and Cheikhou Kouyate, but despite the impressive six-point haul, there have been a few members of Roy Hodgson’s starting XI who must do more.
James McArthur
The Scot has been a mainstay in Hodgson’s XI since the former England manager was appointed as Frank de Boer’s replacement, but he must do more to keep that spot – especially with the addition of his former Wigan and Hamilton teammate James McCarthy and Victor Camarasa.
In the win over United, McArthur didn’t have a single shot, nor did he complete a dribble, nor did he create a key pass whilst also being dispossessed once – he also didn’t register a single tackle.
Against Villa, the 31-year-old missed a golden first-half chance to open to scoring, which could’ve been costly had Jordan Ayew not bailed him out with a second-half strike – McArthur also had four unsuccessful touches.
Wilfried Zaha
A surprise name on this list, but a player who has the undoubted ability to be doing more.
Zaha is yet to score a goal or record an assist so far this term, and just by watching the back-to-back wins, it’s easy to get frustrated at the Ivorian’s lack of impact.
The Palace No.11 had just one shot on target combined from the wins over United and Villa, whilst also completing just one key pass across both of those games.
The 26-year-old hasn’t been awful as such, but given his vast talent, he can definitely step up and do more.
West Bromwich Albion have learned the latest regarding the future of on-loan striker Jordan Hugill as they look to put together a promotion charge in the second half of the Championship campaign.
What’s the latest?
West Brom will maintain the services of Norwich City loanee Jordan Hugill for the remainder of the season after Canaries manager Dean Smith revealed that there is no recall option in the 29-year-old’s contract at The Hawthorns.
Speaking to the Eastern Daily Press, Smith said: “I don’t believe there is a recall option. I’ve spoken to Andy [Hughes], who’s our loans’ manager who keeps in touch with all the loan players. I’m going to be speaking to Jordan over the next 24 hours to see how he is finding it there.
“I don’t believe there’s a release clause but I’ll have a chat and see how he is.”
The Englishman was benched for the 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Brighton and then left out of the matchday squad entirely on Saturday as Albion were beaten 1-0 late on at QPR.
After the defeat in West London, Baggies boss Valerien Ismael stated: “Yes it was my decision,” when asked post-match about Hugill’s absence. “I spoke to him about the situation, he came to me. I think now for him it’s a new situation. We spoke openly about the situation.”
However, finding a new situation may not be as straightforward as hoped with the complications regarding Hugill’s recall possibilities.
Ismael will be furious
Naturally, both parties will want the best for Hugill with there still four-and-a-half months of the season to be played. However, it does appear that the 29-year-old’s spell in the West Midlands is up.
The Norwich striker has scored just once in 20 appearances during his loan spell with Ismael’s side and has recently fallen further down the pecking order with the West Brom manager reuniting with former Barnsley loanee Daryl Dike.
The 21-year-old scored nine goals in 22 appearances for the South Yorkshire side last term as they reached the Championship play-off semi-final. However, a permanent move didn’t materialise and the American returned to his parent club MLS outfit Orlando City.
Now, the striker has finally made a permanent move to the Championship, following Ismael from Oakwell to The Hawthorns and signing a four-and-a-half deal with the West Midlands club.
If Hugill is no longer in Ismael’s plans, then West Brom and Norwich City will have to find a solution with the future of the Englishman in their best interest. Ideally, Norwich will recall the striker and send him on loan elsewhere, however, solving the predicament doesn’t appear to be that straightforward.
As a result, Albion are left with a player who clearly adds nothing to their side; an eventuality that won’t suit them at all in the back end of the campaign. Ismael will rightfully be frustrated as a result.
In other news: West Brom handed worrying transfer update that will have fans sweating
As per a report in The Daily Mirror’s print edition (28.01.21, pg. 58, via The 72), a transfer update has come out of Tottenham Hotspur involving West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
The Lowdown: Tottenham eye Johnstone move…
The Baggies ace will be a name familiar to Lilywhites supporters given he has been linked repeatedly before, with talkSPORT most recently claiming Spurs and transfer chief Fabio Paratici remain in contention for his signature.
Tottenham, joined by the likes of Southampton and West Ham, are consistently mentioned as interested clubs with Johnstone’s contract at the Hawthorns set to expire soon.
If West Brom are to make a profit, they must cash-in over the next two days or risk losing him for nothing at the end of 2021/2022.
Johnstone’s manager, Valerien Ismael, left him out of West Brom’s last squad to face Preston North End – citing it as a behind-the-scenes ‘issue’ and one which will remain ‘internal’ (Birmingham Live).
The Latest: Spurs ‘could make a last minute move’…
After this development, it is claimed by The Mirror (via The 72) that Spurs could now ‘make a last minute move’ to sign the 28-year-old before deadline.
The fellow usual suspects, West Ham and Southampton, are also mentioned as clubs who may make an eleventh hour bid.
The Verdict: Priority?
Signing Johnstone should, at the very most, be a priority for the summer window when he is a free agent – especially since Conte has four other priority positions to strengthen before January 31.
The Italian wants a right-wing-back, midfielder, left-sided central defender and a striker through the door at N17 but time is very much running out (Alasdair Gold).
Johnstone comes with merit, with the Three Lions ace even being called ‘unreal’ by former Premier League shot stopper Paddy Kenny for his form in the Midlands over this last year.
Meanwhile, Spurs favourite Glenn Hoddle raved about the 6 foot 3 powerhouse in a column for The Evening Standard – branding Johnstone ‘outstanding’.
Plaudits like these don’t come from nowhere, but with time ticking down, Conte must surely be looking at other targets first.
In other news: Spurs also preparing last gasp marquee bid to sign ‘special’ forward, find out more here.
Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United side went into Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Burnley knowing that three points would considerably increase their chances of remaining a top-flight side come the end of the current campaign – with the Whites sitting just five points above the Clarets in 18th place prior to kick-off.
And, thanks to a fortunate first-half strike by Jack Harrison, a second-half stunner from Stuart Dallas and a 92nd-minute header by Daniel James, Leeds would go on to secure the much-needed win against Sean Dyche’s side – with the match ending 3-1.
However, despite the positive result, there were nevertheless a couple of Bielsa’s players who will be hoping to put the fixture behind them as quickly as possible, with Raphinha and Tyler Roberts being two of the more notable disappointments on Sunday afternoon.
Although, it will undoubtedly be the latter of this duo who will be most frustrated with his display against Burnley, as the 22-year-old forward was incredibly ineffective over his 58 minutes on the pitch at Elland Road.
Roberts should’ve played his last game
Indeed, the £7.2m-rated man was once again fielded as Bielsa’s lone striker against Burnley, and the Wales international offered very little in the role, hitting the target with just one of his six shots and the opposition goal, completing a mere 11 passes and missing his one big chance – somehow steering a free header wide of the far post in the first half.
The £22k-per-week forward also lost both of his two duels – a failure rate of 100% – lost possession of the ball on four separate occasions and committed one foul – for which he was booked – before picking up an injury midway through the second half and being withdrawn by the Argentine coach.
These returns saw the 22-year-old receive an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.6, ranking him as Leeds’ joint-worst performer against the Clarets.
As such, with it being reported that Roberts could be on his way out of Elland Road in the January transfer window, albeit on a temporary basis, the Welshman’s display on Sunday – coupled with his poor performances over his 18 further Premier League appearances so far this season – lead us to believe that Bielsa should instead look to make the attacker’s move away from the club a permanent one this month.
It is looking more and more as if the youngster is simply not of the standard required for the Whites.
In other news: LUFC must avoid disaster on £22k-p/w gem who “transmits security”, MB would be furious