Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Arsenal striker John Hartson has had his say on what the future holds for Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The pressure certainly appears to be building on the Argentine following a disastrous few weeks in which they have been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by a team in League Two, and beaten 7-2 by Bayern Munich on their own patch in the Champions League.
While the former Southampton boss has to take some of the flak when things don’t go right on the pitch, you can’t help but feel that the uncertainty over a number of key players’ futures is having an impact – something Harry Kane has hinted at in recent times.
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Hartson believes that Pochettino is still a popular manager among Europe’s elite clubs despite his failure to do one thing during his spell in north London, and foresees a scenario where he could choose to move on should one of those sides approach Spurs over his availability.
The Welshman said: “A club could come for Poch tomorrow. And all of a sudden, he thinks well, maybe I’m not appreciated at Spurs and I’m not getting the credit I deserve.
“He’s a very good manager and one of the superclubs could come in for him. But there is this feeling around the football fraternity that he needs to win a trophy.”
Given some of the calls from fans on Twitter for new managers such as Jose Mourinho and Julian Nagelsmann in recent weeks, Hartson may well have a point.
Those Tottenham supporters need to consider that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and perhaps they would be better off keeping the faith with the man who has brought them on leaps and bounds since his appointment in 2014.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.
West Brom have gone into the international break as the second tier’s top team as they sit aloft the Championship table after 11 matches.
The Baggies’ unbeaten run was put to an end by the hands of Leeds United up at Elland Road just last week, but they responded in fine fashion by defeating Cardiff City 4-2 days later.
It was quite the momentous occasion as the likes of Charlie Austin and Romaine Sawyers bagged their first goals in the blue and white stripes while the charismatic loan duo Grady Diangana and Matheus Pereira continued their impressive form with two outrageous long-range strikes.
All appears to be well at the Hawthorns under Slaven Bilic.
Meanwhile, over in Spain, things aren’t so joyful – even if the weather is substantially better than in the west Midlands.
Albion outcast Oliver Burke continues to live up to that ‘flop’ tag for his new loan club Alaves.
The 22-year-old has made just four appearances for the La Liga outfit, two of which being starts with the winger assisting just the one goal.
He cost the club £15m back in August 2017, and for that, the Baggies got one goal in 24 appearances, per Transfermarkt – so that is roughly £15m per finish – a damning return for the fee they paid.
Burke evidently wasn’t in Bilic’s plans as the Croatian wanted four new arrivals before deadline day, which he duly received, with the Scot being shipped out soon after.
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There appears to be no way back for the winger, especially after his latest performances in Spain – he is averaging just 0.3 key passes and 0.8 shots per game, which is incredibly poor for a wide player.
Transfermarkt currently values the one-time Bayern Munich man at just £6.75m, which is well below half what West Brom paid for him.
That means there’s next to no chance that they will be able to recoup any sort of substantial fee on him, unless he suddenly lights up the league with a hat-trick against Barcelona or a team of a similar profile.
He’s no Serge Gnabry either, so that makes it even more unlikely.
Lots of Southampton fans have taken to Twitter to discuss Jan Bednarek’s form, after WhoScored highlighted a particularly concerning statistic.The 23-year-old has committed more errors leading to goals that any other outfield player in Europe’s top five leagues this season, with the Poland international making three costly mistakes.
While that stat sounds like a worrying one, it hasn’t stopped Ralph Hasenhuttl starting the 6 foot 2 centre-back in all eight of the Saints’ Premier League games this term.
It also hasn’t led to Southampton fans below jumping on his back, quite the contrary in fact.
One supporter said that Bednarek’s style is a “joy to watch”, while another called him the best defender at the club.
However, another said that he gets away with it as he is the “best of a bad bunch”, whereas another feels confused as to why the youngster is exempt from criticism at times.
Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction…
Arsenal have been asked to pay the asking price of €100m (£86.3m) for RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano, according to The Athletic.
The question is, do the Gunners need him?
Unai Emery’s side have been linked with the Frenchman for the majority of the summer after having a £55m bid previously rejected. Despite this, Arsenal bolstered their defence with the addition of the 18-year-old Saint-Etienne centre back William Saliba, only for the Frenchman to return to Les Verts on a season-long loan.
So why are Arsenal trying to sign another centre back? Is he needed?
Here’s why Unai Emery already has his very own Dayot Upamecano at the club.
During the 2018/19 campaign and in the 16 games that he played, Saliba averaged two tackles per game and 2.7 clearances, along with an average of 1.8 interceptions and a passing accuracy of 85.6%. Saliba has received praise from some of the most iconic figures in Europe. Former Chelsea and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho described him as being exactly like Kurt Zouma, who has won the Premier League twice with the Blues. per RMC (via talkSPORT).
The Gunners were looking for a long-term replacement for the former skipper Laurent Koscielny and believe that Saliba is the answer. With Hector Bellerin injured, the 18-year-old also has the versatility to play in the right-back role which will come as a huge advantage in terms of Arsenal’s defensive squad depth.
As eye-catching as his statistics appear, it’s difficult to ignore what Upamecano has achieved in the past 12 months. However, they do not compare to Saliba in any way.
As a 19-year-old, the RB Leipzig centre back featured 15 times in the German Bundesliga and averaged 1.5 tackles, 2.2 interceptions, 1.1 fouls, 2.9 clearances and was shortlisted for the 2018 Golden Boy award last season. He achieved a passing accuracy of 82.5% which was not as high as his fellow countryman.
Unai Emery has to be given credit for snatching the 18-year-old away from the French-outfit for such a low price, considering the inflated rate suggested to them for Upamecano. With Saliba edging out the 20-year-old in almost every defensive area, Arsenal already have their very own Upamecano on their hands, without buying him.
As David Ornstein from The Athletic said, there does not appear to be any urgency in going after a centre half at this stage due to the options that the club already has. The club should follow their gut and wait for the arrival of Saliba next summer instead of paying millions for another defender.
Newcastle’s win over Manchester United has the potential to kickstart their season but they will first have to overcome a difficult trip to Chelsea, where they have only won once in the Premier League era.
One factor which could influence their chances of success is whether Steve Bruce decides to gamble on Matty Longstaff once again.
The youngster enjoyed a brilliant debut which culminated in the winner against United, and his captain Jamaal Lascelles backed him to play more often.
He said: “The hard work has recently paid off, he’s been thrown into the deep end like his brother. What you do know is that he is a young Geordie lad who is going to roll his sleeves up and play with his heart.
“Straight after the Leicester game we needed players to be like that, he was a prime example of what you can get from that.”
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However, he still only 19 and the United match was the only game he has played in the Premier League, and against an in-form side like Chelsea, who have scored 18 goals in eight league games, he could be found out.
A disappointing display could have the result of knocking his confidence, too, and Bruce may have to take that into consideration and think about the long-term.
So, with such factors at play, we asked our FFC writer’s for their views on whether Newcastle should stick with Longstaff or not, and here’s what they said.
Matt Dawson
“In the grand scheme of things, what else can really go wrong for Newcastle? Half the time Steve Bruce simply doesn’t have a clue, something that was seen with his substitution of Jetro Willems earlier in the season and their misunderstanding.
“Therefore, if you consider the bigger picture, working out whether to play someone Like Matty Longstaff is the last of their concerns and they should just go for it.
“As skipper Jamal Lascelles has stated, they need someone like him in the team because he rolls his sleeves up. The Magpies are lacking someone with grit and determination and they could really do with a young individual like Longstaff to provide a spark.
“His brother Sean provided a sense of expectation last season when he burst onto the scene under Rafa Benitez and Matty might well be able to replicate that after his goal and solitary key pass against United. It would be harsh to drop him this weekend.”
Soccer Football – Premier League – Newcastle United v Manchester United – St James’ Park, Newcastle, Britain – October 6, 2019 Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce celebrates with Matthew Longstaff after the match Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith 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
Lewis Blain
“Matty Longstaff may well have been the best player on the park against Manchester United, picking up WhoScored’s Man of the Match award, but the fact that Newcastle only managed to record one goal against a horribly out-of-sorts team speaks volumes.
“United still have the same defensive troubles as last season – Eni Aluko alluded to it being an issue of ‘lacking leadership’, and it’s hard to disagree, epitomised by the inexperienced Axel Tuanzebe partnering Harry Maguire.
“Coming up against Chelsea will offer a different test, one that maybe will require a more experienced head such as Jonjo Shelvey. He likes a goal against them too having netted this scorcher as his first for Liverpool back in 2012. The Blues’ midfield will offer up so much more flair and guile – you only have to look at Mason Mount’s breakthrough and the trophies Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovavic have won to see that.”
Billy Meyers “I think there’s absolutely no danger in playing him against Chelsea.“Longstaff was arguably the star of the show against Manchester United on his Premier League debut, and while you might argue that the Red Devils aren’t a fearsome side right now, the Newcastle academy graduate had no right to play as well as he did considering how inexperienced he is – even if he put the same level of performance in against a side such as Watford, it would still have been one to be proud of.“As mentioned, I can’t see any reason to drop him. He doesn’t appear to be the type of character to become cocky or complacent, and with his brother quite literally alongside him in the team, it feels as if Longstaff is in the perfect environment to keep playing and learning with no negative consequences.” Kealan Hughes
“Although Longstaff has had the international break to recover from the drama of the United match, playing in a such a big environment such as Stamford Bridge may be a step too far at the current time, and not the game for him.
“Considering the Blues’ goalscoring record, Bruce will likely set-up in a defensive manner akin to the displays against Liverpool and Spurs, and he will therefore need each of his players to show discipline and concentration in order to keep things tight at the back.
“As a result, Newcastle would be better suited playing with a more experienced figure such as Jonjo Shelvey, as he will provide the composure and know-how in periods when the visitors are under pressure.”
Arsenal have been calling for Mesut Ozil after the club lost to Sheffield United in the Premier League last night.
The Gunners lost 1-0 thanks to a goal from Lys Mousset midway through the first half. Arsenal created very little in front of goal with the best chance falling to Nicolas Pepe, who failed to convert from close range.
In all the Gunners had nine shots at goal, however, only three of them were on target with none in the final 18 minutes (via WhoScored).
Last night wasn’t the only game the side have failed to create chances in. The game at home to Bournemouth prior to the recent international break saw Arsenal create just one shot on target from open play.
Ozil has been frozen out by manager Unai Emery this season, only starting two of the club’s 12 games in all competitions.
Former Arsenal man Paul Merson expressed his shock at the 31-year-old’s omission from the line-up, saying he should be starting (via Daily Star).
Fans took to Twitter to ask for the reintroduction of Ozil after last night’s game.
Here is a selection of tweets from the north London faithful:
Arsenal fans, would you reintroduce Ozil into the starting lineup? Let us know your thoughts!
According to The Athletic reporter Gregg Evans, Aston Villa want to sign a winger in the January transfer window.
Evans, who was speaking on The Villa View Podcast, also claimed that the club had been heavily scouting Villarreal this season as they consider their options.
All things considered, it has been a decent start to the 2019/20 campaign for Villa, who currently sit 15th in the Premier League table with 11 points.
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Dean Smith’s side have won three, drawn two and lost five of their 10 matches thus far, including a 3-0 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.
Villa, like a number of clubs, will already be thinking about the January transfer window.
Find out what happened when a world-record-holding freestyler attempting skills with the worst pair of boots available on eBay in the video below…
According to Evans, a new winger rather than a striker will be targeted by Smith’s team in the middle of the season.
And a number of Villa supporters have been on social media reacting to the journalist’s claim, a selection of which can be seen below:
Wolverhampton Wanderers were knocked out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening after defeat at the hands of their local rivals.
Nuno Santo named 11 changes to the side that drew with Newcastle United at the weekend with him primarily opting for a youthful-looking squad barring the likes of Patrick Cutrone, Ryan Bennett, and John Ruddy.
Aston Villa came out on top with a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Anwar El Ghazi and Ahmed Elmohamady while it was the Italian striker who got on the scoresheet for the visitors.
Many supporters at Molineux firmly believe their experienced goalkeeper was at fault for both strikes as he was making just his third appearance of the season.
One fan blasted the 33-year-old saying he needs to retire and start his gardening career, which echoed the thoughts of another, who believed Ruddy had ‘no future’ at Wolves.
‘Shambolic’ and ‘lacklustre’ were just two of the other words used to describe his performance at Villa Park.
A further member of the old gold faithful even claimed that the shot-stopper had let the young members of the starting XI down with his mistakes.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Phil Parkinson seems to be taking a defensive approach with Sunderland and it is the most appropriate course of action to take if he is to win promotion.
On the chalkboard
The former Bolton boss has quickly grown used to the inconsistent performances of this Sunderland team, and has two wins and two defeats from his four League One matches so far.
Though still struggling away from home, he has already improved the defence slightly with three goals conceded in four league games, and two clean sheets out of two at home.
Southend manager Sol Campbell spoke of the importance of home form in mounting a promotion push, following their defeat against the Black Cats. Parkinson has already overseen an upturn in form in that department, and if he can continue to make shrewd decisions like playing Luke O’Nien at right midfield, then the Black Cats could be on course for success.
O’Nien provided the defensive qualities that are expected from a right-back on Saturday but crucially added the winning goal, and with George Dobson also showing signs of improvement there is reason for optimism from a defensive standpoint.
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Platform for success
Despite an underwhelming attack which resulted in too many draws last term, Sunderland were equally disappointing in defence.
They may have only let in 47 goals in 46 league games, but they conceded a goal in 33 of those matches, and if they repeat such a record this campaign they will fail to pick up the number of wins required for promotion.
That was a primary reason behind their failures last season, and it is little surprise that the two sides who kept the most clean sheets finished in the promotion places.
Parkinson is taking the right approach in order to achieve the club’s aim. It was how he built success at Bolton in the 2016/17 season, with his Trotters side conceding only 36 goals in the league as they finished in second.
Sunderland have an international goalkeeper in Jon McLaughlin, and recruited two centre-backs over the summer, so there is no reason why they don’t have the base for promotion success.
Should they do so, their away form will likely improve and considering they are yet to lose at home in 2019/20, that would put them in with a great chance of getting back into the Championship.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Zinedine Zidane faced the press in his pre-match conference and was asked to comment on Leonardo’s statements regarding Kylian Mbappe. The Real Madrid coach made a bold response, insisting on his words that he said earlier and decided not to back down in this situation.
What did he say?
A couple of days ago, Zidane was asked about Mbappe in one of his press-conferences and back then, the French boss reminded everyone that the youngster’s dream was always to play for Real Madrid.
But it seems that that comment ruffled a couple of feathers over at Paris Saint-Germain, and Leonardo came out with a response accusing Zidane of trying to rattle the team with his remarks.
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Interestingly enough, even when confronted with those words, Zidane decided to insist on his own, stating that he can say whatever he wants and that he will continue to do so.
Here’s what he said in full:
“I’ve said nothing, just what the player said, that his dream was one day to play here. Everyone does what they want. I’ll not say anything else. I simply said what the player said one day, that his dream would be to wear the Real Madrid jersey. I say it again and I would say it every day. I have nothing more to say about Leonardo, I can say whatever I want.”
A transfer bound to happen?The Mbappe to Real Madrid stories are nothing particularly new.Every now and then, Los Blancos are linked with the teenage sensation, rated at £180m by Transfermarkt, and this is one of the transfers that just seem bound to happen at some point in the future.But hearing Zidane not only talk about it so openly, but also standing firm behind his words even when confronted by Mbappe’s current team, could suggest there is definitely a story behind this.Not to mention that Leonardo would not respond in a way that he did if he didn’t really feel threatened by Zidane’s own remark.Deep down, the folks over at Paris Saint-Germain could be afraid that Mbappe’s departure is somehow written in the stars and there’s nothing much they can do about it except delay the inevitable.The clock is ticking and Real Madrid may well be closer to getting their man with each passing second.Now so more than ever.