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Nottingham Forest legend Kenny Burns has written in his Nottingham Post column that the club have one key advantage over Derby County ahead of their East Midlands derby next week.

Burns, who played for the club between 1977 and 1981, won the European Cup twice at the club, as well as the First Division league title, the European Super Cup and two League Cups.

What’s the word?

Forest face their arch-rivals on Monday, in what will be Martin O’Neill’s first derby as manager.

The clubs are currently seventh and eighth in the Championship, respectively, but Derby have two games in hand on Forest.

As a result, County face Millwall at Pride Park Stadium on Tuesday night, while Forest will not be in action this week.

And Burns believes that O’Neill’s men subsequently have the advantage over their bitter rivals, writing in the Nottingham Post: “It’s all about what Forest do on Monday; forget about them. There will be 11 battles going on all over the pitch, and how many we win will make the difference.

“Derby got hammered by Brighton in the FA Cup at the weekend, and they’ve got a game on Tuesday night, whereas we should be well rested after a week without playing.”

Indeed, Burns believes that Derby do not have the bottle to gain promotion and thinks Forest can win on Monday.

He added: “Overall, you have to say Frank Lampard has done well there,” he added. “But they will still choke when it comes to trying to get promotion. How many times have they been there or thereabouts and not gone up?

“Forest have got a good chance to put a dent in Derby’s chances of finishing in the top six – as well as help their own – if they can get the win.

“Derby have got some good players, like Harry Wilson, Mason Mount, Tom Lawrence… but they haven’t got a clue how to use them.

“We can beat them, no question about that, but we’ll have to wait and see how we do on the day.”

Rivals’ questionable form

Forest have not lost in their last three outings but they have drawn two of those, against West Bromwich Albion and Preston North End.

The latter was a dour goalless game, while Derby lost to Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup, drew with Ipswich Town and beat Hull City in their previous three games.

The pair, then, have not exactly been setting the world alight in the Championship and this is a key fixture as each team looks to climb the table.

Derby can build up some momentum by beating Millwall in midweek but Burns is right to claim that they may be tired when the one that the locals have all been waiting for comes around.

Form, it is said, goes out the window in these games and, often, so does fatigue, but both have been rudderless recently – this clash offers the perfect opportunity to get back on track.

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Leeds failed to capitalise on their game in hand as they slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat to QPR on Tuesday, with a goal from Luke Freeman enough to dent the Whites’ promotion push and ensure the Hoops avoided slumping to an eighth consecutive league defeat.

Tyler Roberts played slightly ahead of Mateusz Klich and Kalvin Phillips in midfield but failed to have an impact. It was his sloppy first-touch which enabled Massimo Luongo to drive a low cross into the box for Freeman, who duly squeezed the ball home in the early moments of the second half.

The 20-year-old enjoyed a brief stint in Marcelo Bielsa’s starting XI at the start of the season but has hardly had a look in in 2019, although he has started the last two games.

Tensions boiled over between Leeds and Bolton at the weekend and our man Thogden was on the scene. Check out the video below…

Leeds host fellow promotion hopefuls West Brom on Friday, where they will be hoping to bounce back with a win, although it’s safe to say that the Elland Road faithful won’t be too dismayed if the 4-cap Wales international isn’t included in the starting XI.

Here’s how some of the Whites faithful on Twitter reacted to Roberts’ latest performance…

Leicester City probably have one of the stronger squads outside of the Premier League top six, but up front they are severely lacking options.

Away from Jamie Vardy, Brendan Rodgers is not exactly blessed with goalscorers, explaining the ex-Celtic boss’ interest in Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson (Daily Mirror).

With that in mind, how do the two English No.9s compare?

Jamie Vardy

Vardy’s frustration with his former manager Claude Puel was there for everyone to see with the 32-year-old clearly unsatisfied with the manner in which his team had been playing under the Frenchman.

Even so, Vardy has still been able to reach the 10-goal mark this season in the Premier League, managing to score in games where he barely got a sniff of the ball.

Considering that, it is probably fair to say the inactive England international is one of the most clinical strikers in the division.

Against the goalkeeper, 1v1, there are few deadlier finishers playing in English football’s top flight right now.

With Vardy’s game built on pace and energy, though, it may only be a matter of time until the King Power faithful start to see a decline.

TT Grade: A- Callum Wilson

Albeit not as serious as previous seasons, the current campaign is another one where Wilson has not been able to escape injury.

When the 27-year-old has been fit enough to play for Bournemouth this term, though, he has proven to be such a dangerous threat up front, coming in for praise from individuals like Chelsea assistant coach Gianfranco Zola.

“Callum is doing well and is of interest not only for us but for many. He’s strong, fast, and he sees the goal,” the Premier League icon was quoted as saying by BBC Sport when speaking about the Blues’ interest in Wilson.

Like Vardy, he has 10 Premier League goals to his name, finishing off a lot of his chances like a real poacher.

Based on that, Bournemouth supporters can only wonder what sort of goalscorer the England international could have become if not for all those injuries. That being said, at 27, Wilson still has time to perhaps go up another level if he can stay fit and get proper runs together consistently.

TT Grade: B- TT Verdict:

With Vardy still fit and firing, it is not quite clear what role Wilson would have in Leicester’s squad should he join in the summer.

However, whether it is in an alternative or cover capacity, the Foxes could definitely do with Wilson coming in.

An injury to Vardy or extended run of poor form and Leicester could be in trouble with the options behind him such as Kelechi Iheanacho being unreliable in front of goal.

Both Birmingham City and Aston Villa have, unsurprisingly, been charged by the Football Association for failing to ensure that their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during Sunday’s Second City derby.

The charges relate to an incident following a poor challenge on Villa’s Jack Grealish, by City’s Maikel Kieftenbeld, which resulted in a melee involving a number of players from both teams.

BBC Sport report that both clubs have until Monday to respond to the charge.

The FA action was largely expected, and the fact that it may have perpetuated the disgraceful assault on Grealish by a City fan, meant the charge was somewhat inevitable.

It would be a surprise to hear that either club will contest the charge, which will more than likely result in a hefty fine.

Certainly the fracas set the tone for a feisty opening, and the FA are right to lay down the law on the rivals.

It is certainly not the example that players are expected to set for young fans, and their responsibilities as role-models need to be considered at all times.

Grealish, of course, went on to get the winning goal, and secure a precious three points in their push for a play-off spot.

Was the FA’s action correct? Should the club accept the charge and move on? Let us know what you think…

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What has happened to Tottenham Hotspur?

In a matter of weeks, Spurs have fallen headfirst out of the title race and been plunged into the deep end of a top-four battle.

After losses to both Burnley and Chelsea, Spurs somewhat steadied the ship with a 1-1 draw against Arsenal. However, on Saturday, with manager Mauricio Pochettino in the stands, serving the first of his two-game ban for an altercation with referee Mike Dean, the club fell to a 2-1 defeat to Southampton at St Mary’s.

Having taken the lead through Harry Kane, the back-four took leave of their senses to allow Yan Valery to equalise, before James Ward-Prowse smashed home a free-kick to give the relegation candidates all three points.

The result against Southampton will perhaps have hurt more than any other; Spurs were well on top in the first half and could have been out of sight at the interval. Instead, they went in with a goal advantage and seemed to conspire to throw it away through a combination of terrible decisions and poor game management.

Now they sit only a point ahead of Arsenal, three in front of Manchester United and four clear of Chelsea. There is a very real possibility that Tottenham could end the season in sixth.

This after challenging Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the table for so long.

The problem, and it is an unpopular one to point out, is the return of Kane.

Now, this is not to say that the England captain, the winner of the World Cup Golden Boot and perhaps Spurs’ best striker in a generation is by any means a harmful presence. Not at all.

But his return has coincided with a severe drop-off from Son Heung-min, who was playing some of the best football of his career when Kane was injured. Trusted as the focal point of the attack, the South Korea international scored in every Premier League game that Kane missed, helping his side to victories over Watford, Newcastle United and Leicester. He has not scored since the Englishman was restored to the line-up, nor has he provided an assist.

Christian Eriksen, too, appears to be in the midst of his once-a-season run of dismal form; he, too, was last involved in a goal when Kane was injured.

Perhaps, then, the problem is expectation.

Pochettino does not alter his formation all that much, his system tends to remain the same regardless of the personnel on the pitch. Kane has routinely been on the field when Son has enjoyed a fantastic performance, ditto Eriksen.

Yet their dips come at a time when they are not being relied upon to provide the spark. The problem with Kane is the inverse to that of many players: it is not that he isn’t good enough for the team, it’s that he’s actually too good.

Kane has come back in and scored against Burnley, Arsenal and Southampton. He is half-fit, that much is plain to see, but he continues to score goals at a terrifying rate of knots.

Those around him, then, are all too happy to sit back and watch. Perhaps it is not even deliberate, perhaps this is a subconscious attitude that even Son, Eriksen and others are not aware of.

But Tottenham do appear to have a team-wide inferiority complex. They believe, whether they want to or not, that Kane is their saviour, the player through which everything good must be funnelled.

This works more often than not; Kane has ridiculous scoring statistics and relishes big games. But this season, there has been a notable downshift from those around him since his return.

Eriksen and Son perhaps believe they no longer need to produce the goods with Kane in the team, so good is the striker.

The opposite, of course, is true. Kane cannot do it all on his own.

A trip to Anfield looms large on the horizon following the international break, which means a clash with a Liverpool team that boasts perhaps the most fluid and coherent front-three in England.

Pochettino has to solve the riddle and ensure that Son, Eriksen et al are reminded of their responsibilities. If they leave it all up to Kane, he runs the risk of burning himself out, and with that comes the likelihood of a slide down the table at the worst possible time.

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Jack Ross could make himself a Sunderland hero in the final months of the season with victory in the Checkatrade Trophy and a successful promotion bid, and he has made it clear that he will need to maximise his resources to see both jobs through.

What’s the word?

Sunderland look set to be boosted by the return of Bryan Oviedo and Chris Maguire during the crucial final weeks of the season.

Of his current injury problems Ross admitted that “Bryan is the one who’s closest”, per Northern Echo, but his broader assessment on the situation suggests that both Oviedo and Maguire will have key roles to play.

“I think they all understand they’re going to get opportunities between now and the end of the season because of the schedule we have.”

Following the EFL Trophy final, Ross will have nine games left to navigate to take the Black Cats back into the second tier. The dynamism from Maguire and the experience of Oviedo could be vital in achieving the club’s primary objective for the season.

Big roles to play for Maguire and Oviedo?

Sunderland’s schedule is looking hectic to say the least, with ten fixtures set to be played in the space of little more than a month.

That run starts at Wembley against Portsmouth in less than a fortnight’s time, and the relentless fixture list strongly suggests that Ross’ resources will be stretched at the end of a long season.

The former Everton man’s return will offer Ross the opportunity to rotate his full-backs, easing the physical burden which his absence would place on Reece James, while Maguire can ensure that Sunderland’s attacking unit remains fresh and unpredictable.

Duncan Watmore has unfortunately been ruled out for the season, but Ross’ latest admission suggests the players who are set to overcome their injury problems will be vital in the promotion race.

As things stand, Arsenal are surely set to release Denis Suarez back to Barcelona in the summer after failing to impress manager Unai Emery or making no real impact so far in his time in the Premier League. As per the terms of his loan agreement, the former Manchester City youngster will be making the trip back to the Camp Nou having achieved a whole lot of nothing in north London. 

To be honest Arsenal fans, he’s been even more invisible than Mesut Ozil in a big game.

Still, having played only 67 minutes in total in the league and 28 minutes in the Europa League it is a bit unfair from the club to say or suggest that he hasn’t pulled his weight – something he recently hit back on – or offered Arsenal anything yet to get excited about.

The Gunners completed a loan move for Suarez in January, with the option to buy him on a permanent deal in the summer and given the big names currently at Barcelona, it is hard to see him go back to the Spanish giants and claim a spot in the first-team. Arsenal, though, are a club who might actually benefit from his services in the long run and could still find him of high value should he be at the club for a full season.

It was also always going to be difficult for Emery to hand Suarez regular starts in order to prove himself to the manager given it’s a stage of the season where the Gunners can’t really afford to experiment with new players.

Emery has done an excellent job in getting Arsenal back into the top-four but still has a couple of big matches away from home to focus on before the end of the season, meaning it is highly unlikely that the manager would use those matches as an opportunity to start Suarez and let him complete a full 90 minutes.

The timing of Suarez having to show his worth to the manager has just been wrong, which makes it unfair of the club to say he hasn’t done enough to warrant a permanent contract at Arsenal.

Of course, sealing a permanent deal for the Spaniard could be seen as risky as he hasn’t exactly done that much of late but that can be put down to the lack of minutes he’s received on the field.

Although, whether Arsenal play in the Champions League next season or not, they should consider the future of the club and make him part of Emery’s plans to make Arsenal a powerhouse once again.

Arsenal fans, do you think Suarez has been treated harshly? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have been left disappointed after tickets for the club’s clash with Crystal Palace sold out almost immediately.

Spurs will face the Eagles in the first Premier League game at their new stadium, which opened on Sunday.

The first game held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as it is currently known, saw the club’s Under-18 side beat Southampton 3-1.

That was a test event and will be followed by another this weekend, with a team of Spurs legends taking on their Inter Milan counterparts.

Provided a safety certificate is granted – these test events are necessary to one being awarded – the first official top-flight game will come on Wednesday, April 3rd. A trip to Liverpool will come first at the end of this month.

It is unsurprising, then, that a host of Spurs fans attempted to buy tickets to be there for the clash against Roy Hodgson’s men.

But many were left disappointed after being placed in a queue, only to find that there were none left available.

And many took to Twitter to express their frustration. Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

Liverpool should jump at the opportunity to offload deadwood defender Dejan Lovren amid interest from Roma, Napoli and AC Milan all circling (as per the Mirror).

Despite a relatively prosperous summer at the World Cup, the Croatia international returned to Anfield a forgotten man – cast aside in favour of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Fabinho, a natural defensive midfielder.

Indeed, ambitious claims that he is ‘one of the best defenders in the world’ (via Sky Sports) have scant been supported this season.

Extended periods on the sideline may have hampered Lovren this term, we admit, but there is no way he can hide behind recent injuries when he is cross-examined for questionable performances in the past.

No, Lovren must face up to the fact that he is not considered among the elite, not even close. In fact, he sits quite comfortably in the ‘distinctly average’ category – alongside the rest of the defenders who have been, or are soon to be, forgotten by the Premier League.

And, it’s safe to say that fans at Anfield will be keen to forget about the Croatian as he’s done more harm than good at Liverpool, with his absence for most of this season resulting in the Reds challenging for the title.

Roma and Napoli are said to be interested in the player amid interest in their own defenders Kostas Manolas and Kalidou Koulibaly, respectively.

How exactly he is expected to replace the aforementioned remains to be seen, as two of the most highly rated defenders in Europe, but we sort of admire the unfounded faith clubs obviously have in him. Their scouts clearly see something the rest of the world do not.

Liverpool fans, is Lovren ‘one of the best in the world’ and how do you feel about selling him this summer? Let us know in the comments below…

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In England there has been a tendency to overhype young players. Cauley Woodrow was once someone who received that treatment. The striker made his Luton debut just 12 days after his 16th birthday and three years later found himself making his Premier League bow for Fulham.

A series of loan spells followed but the now 24-year-old never really found a way to get his career off and running.

However, the 2018/19 season has proven to be different for the Hemel Hempstead-born player. He’s managed to find consistency, changing his game to become a key figure in the Daniel Stendel regime at Barnsley.

And after scoring against Coventry last weekend, he only proved his worth once more to the Tykes.

Key to promotion

In 29 matches this season, Woodrow has 15 goals, 12 of which have come in League One. Barnsley needed a goalscorer and after struggling to find the net on a regular basis in the Championship last season had to look elsewhere.

Step forward the former Fulham man. He initially signed on loan from the recently relegated Premier League club last summer, but his move to Oakwell was made permanent in January. Having a settled club has benefitted Woodrow considerably, who rather than potentially playing for a contract at the Cottagers has his sights firmly focused on his current team.

But this season looked as though it would be another typical one for the forward. He didn’t play until November 2018 because of injury but he’s bounced back in some style since.

Career turnaround

What is it about his game that’s changed? Well, he’s certainly benefitted from the confidence Stendel has in his players. He’s generated a fantastic atmosphere around the club and Woodrow is someone who has fed off of that tremendously.

Before finding the net against Coventry on Saturday, he’d gone four matches without scoring. In the past, he may have dwelled on that but a renewed attitude and sense of composure in front of goal is what has seen him stand out so often this term.

He’s become more resilient and most of all, at such a young age, a leader. Speaking to The Yorkshire Post in February after the Reds beat Wycombe, Stendel said: “He takes his responsibility and played very well. He is a leader in our team.”

With Barnsley being closely followed in the race for promotion by Portsmouth and Sunderland, they will need Woodrow’s renewed purpose and attitude more than ever.