Many Wolves fans have been left to flock to an update on the future of Nuno Espirito Santo.
As per Correio da Manha (via Sport Witness), it is unlikely that the Portuguese boss will be next in line to become the new manager at Tottenham Hotspur after Ryan Mason was given an interim role.
In an interesting revelation, Nuno was reportedly going to take charge of Arsenal to replace Unai Emery before Mikel Arteta got the job instead.
Nonetheless, Jorge Mendes would likely stop him taking the job at Spurs if he was offered it at the end of the 2020/21 term, which has certainly caused some reaction among the Molineux faithful, with some wanting him to go given the poor season that they have had, while others would rather he stayed given what he has achieved with the Midlands club so far in his managerial career.
Wolves fans on Nuno update
These WWFC supporters flocked to the update after it was shared on Twitter:
“YOU’RE MEANT TO BE HELPING US JORGE”
Credit: @PlayA4231
“Nooo he’s meant to help us”
Credit: @tylerwwfc
“Says here Nuno was about to take the Arsenal job. Snake. More reasons to sack him”
Credit: @bestwolvesfan
“The hero becomes the villain”
Credit: @calwwfc19
“The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Excuse the pun!”
Credit: @peggyja95517835
“Thanks but Nuno won’t leave because, according to him, he has a contract.”
Credit: @Bloseph
In other news, find out what update on a potential Nuno replacement has been slammed by Wanderers here!
Former Premier League midfielder Rob Lee has suggested that Anthony Martial does not have the correct attitude to be a starter for Manchester United.
Speaking exclusively to Football Fan Cast, he said that it appears that the Frenchman “can’t be bothered” to play for the Red Devils.
That lack of motivation, combined with his ever-decreasing output at Old Trafford, should see Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ed Woodward cut ties with the forward.
Martial initially burst onto the scene in his debut season following a big-money move from AS Monaco. He scored 17 goals during 2015/16 but since then has only bettered those numbers once.
He scored eight in 2016/17, 11 in 2017/18, 12 in 2018/19, with his highest-scoring season coming last term with a fantastic 23 in all competitions.
The Frenchman has not managed to keep that up though, with the current campaign looking like his worst with the Red Devils, having found the net just seven times so far.
That lack of importance to the Red Devils is highlighted when considering that Martial’s four league goals contribute to just 7% of the team’s total haul this season.
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That is easily bettered by the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani, whilst being equalled by midfielder Scott McTominay.
The lesser-played Daniel James and Paul Pogba are only just behind Martial, with the duo contributing just over 5% of the Red Devils’ goals.
For all of his promise and potential, Martial is really yet to really kick-on and establish himself as a star in the Premier League, mainly due to his inconsistencies.
That could be used as an argument to suggest that the £45m-rated Frenchman is the most disposable of United’s current striking options.
Couple that with his lack of attitude, and there are plenty of reasons as to why Woodward should consider cashing in on Martial sooner rather than later.
AND in more news, the Red Devils must avoid signing a Premier League stalwart this summer…
Derby County take on their East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest in the Championship on Friday night, and with both sides still not completely safe from relegation, the match arguably has even more importance than usual.
Wayne Rooney’s side have impressed in recent fixtures, winning four of their last six games in the second tier, with their only defeats coming against promotion-chasing Bournemouth and Watford.
Forest, meanwhile, have seen their form improve under Chris Hughton, as they have also won four of their last six games in the Championship, with their only defeat coming against high-flying Swansea City.
Therefore, it should be an exciting game at Pride Park, and a win for The Rams will surely put an end to any worries about relegation to League One, and could potentially kick start a late push for the play-offs.
Here’s how Football FanCast expects Rooney to line his side up against Forest on Friday night, with two changes from the side that beat Huddersfield last time out…
After earning a rare clean sheet against the Terriers, David Marshall keeps his place in goal.
Rooney is perhaps likely to switch back to a four-at-the-back formation, having opted with a five-at-the-back in the first-half against Huddersfield, which means that Andre Wisdom could be the one to drop out, especially after George Edmundson’s goal last time out.
He will partner Matt Clarke, with Lee Buchanan and Nathan Byrne continuing at full-back.
Max Bird and Andrew Shinnie will continue their recent partnership in midfield, supported by Jason Knight in the attacking-midfield role.
There are two changes in attack, as Martyn Waghorn earns a start after his goal from the bench against Huddersfield, whilst Kamil Jozwiak comes in for Lee Gregory and starts on the left-wing.
They support Colin Kazim-Richards up front, in a game that could potentially define the rest of Derby’s season.
Kris Boyd believes Glasgow Rangers must offer new deals to Steven Davis and Allan McGregor to keep them at Ibrox beyond the end of the season.
Boyd makes contract claim
Both Davis and McGregor are over 35 and are set to be out of the contract at the end of this season (Transfermarkt).
Speaking to Sky Sports (via Glasgow Times), Boyd has urged the 55-time Scottish champions to offer new deals to the duo. He said:
“There are some players in there who are out of contract – Allan McGregor, Steven Davis – and it’s important, I think, the club get them tied down.
“They have been crucial to everything Rangers have done this season, along with a few others.
“But it’s very, very important that you don’t stand still and you come back to win things.
“The recruitment in the summer is massive, to take Rangers on and consolidate that level of performance – or up it – and go again next season.”
Experience
Given they are fast approaching the end of their careers, Steven Gerrard will not be able to rely on the duo to play every single week. However, they have both played important roles this season as the Gers have ended their 10-year wait for a major trophy and still have something to offer.
The Gers could well be competing in the Champions League next season – McGregor and Davis are two of the few players in the squad who have previously played in Europe’s premier club competition. The advice and guidance they can offer to their younger teammates is priceless. As Boyd says, Ross Wilson and co must make sure the pair are still at Ibrox next term.
In other news, some Rangers fans slam comments from this politician.
Leicester City could be in line to sign Cengiz Under on a permanent deal after Corriere dello Sport have reported that AS Roma ‘hope’ that they can sell him.
As per the news outlet, the East Midlands club exerted the option to take him on loan for the 2020/21 term for €3m, with the further option to buy for €23m, equating to a total of €26m (£22.3m) should they wish to sign him permanently.
However, the Italian publication also claim that it would be ‘difficult’ for Brendan Rodgers’ team to exert this option, although it has not been ruled out.
Leicester should not give up on Under
The Foxes should not give up on Under just yet, despite his rather tame return for them. The Turkey international has only managed to score a mere two goals and make a further three assists in 19 games in total over all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt), and would surely have been hoping for better numbers.
However, at just 23 years of age, the winger still has a lot of potential and is a more than feasible squad option for LCFC to have.
He has even earned the highest of praises from footballing legends Francesco Totti and Christian Vieri, which should not go unnoticed.
Nonetheless, Under is a player that Leicester should be considering signing on a permanent basis if they are not already thinking of doing.
In other news, find out what FA Cup news has left Foxes fuming here!
Tottenham Hotspur return to FA Cup action as they head to Championship strugglers Wycombe Wanderers for a fourth-round clash later this evening.
And Jose Mourinho will be left with some major calls to make over his squad – should he rest his key starters? or does he need to go for it?
Everton awaits the winner in the next round.
Spurs thrashed non-league outfit Marine in the last round and continued their good form with a draw at Fulham and then a 3-1 victory over Sheffield United last weekend.
It saw the Portuguese boss revert to a back-three for the first time since the Wolves encounter a month ago, but it’s not a system that should be deployed here, meaning at least one defender ought to be in the firing line.
On the Chalkboard
That man should be Ben Davies, who was utilised as a third centre-back instead of his more natural left-back position and despite the win, it can be argued that it simply didn’t pay dividends.
The 27-year-old Welsh international was graded as Spurs’ second-worst player (6.8) per SofaScore ratings and it’s easy to see why as he’s simply not suited to the role.
At just 5 foot 11, Davies is not suited to those physical aerial battles which will be a key attribute they will need to counter against Adebayo Akinfenwa, who has been described as “the beast.”
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Against the Blades, the £18m-rated defender won just two of his six aerial duels (33%) whilst overall form the campaign, Davies ranks tenth in the squad for average aerial duels won (1.2 per game), via WhoScored.
Akinfenwa, despite being 38 years of age, averages a whopping 9.5 aerials won per game in the Championship this season, the second-most of any player in the division.
That is exactly why Mourinho will have to either revert back to a flat back-four which sees two of Toby Alderweireld, Eric Dier and Joe Rodon start, or he will have to swap the diminutive Davies out for the Belgian colossus.
In addition to that, of any Spurs player to start eight or more games in the Premier League this term, Davies ranks second-worst for average rating (6.54), which only goes to show the level at which he’s underperforming, according to WhoScored figures.
Earlier in the season, former Leeds man Noel Whelan savaged Davies to Football Insider after a disasterclass against Liverpool, he said:
“That’s embarrassing for any senior pro, appalling, really, even against a side who dominate possession and pen you into your own half all the time. Ben Davies is a solid defender and you can see why Mourinho picks him, he does a decent job there. But, we know with full-backs these days, a huge part is contributing to the attacking play, bombing forward, overlapping and sending into crosses.”
As brutal as it would be, there just is no place for the £65k-per-week lightweight this evening as he shouldn’t be starting over the impressive Sergio Reguilon in his natural role let alone through the middle.
AND in other news, Spurs can finally end a 4-year headache by landing £20m “special player”…
Leeds United have a tough hurdle to clear this evening as they prepare to host Newcastle at Elland Road in their midweek Premier League fixture. The Whites are coming off the back of two frustrating defeats, one against Chelsea and the latest against West Ham.
Despite scoring in both matches, Leeds couldn’t do enough to take anything away from either outing. Tonight will be viewed as a must-win by Marcelo Bielsa and his men, but they will be missing several senior players from their roster.
Speaking to Football FanCast correspondent Tom Ward, Carlton Palmer discussed the news that Robin Koch will be sidelined for up to three months following a knee injury sustained against Everton.
“It’s always going to be a massive blow, ” the pundit said. “Any top player that gets injured for any club is going to create a problem.”
Joining Koch on Bielsa’s injury list is fellow centre-back and summer recruit Diego Llorente, who has made just one Premier League appearance for his new club (via Transfermarkt).
In the absence of the duo, Luke Ayling has been forced to step up and take on the centre-back role. Whilst he has been one of the Whites’ more impressive performers, his hard work isn’t being reflected in their recent results.
Whilst Bielsa will be pleasantly surprised to be ahead of Arsenal in the league table, they have a tough run ahead. After 16 years away from the Premier League, it would be crushing for fans if Leeds face relegation at the end of this season.
Palmer believes that there’s very little chance of the Championship winners facing the drop, but they must start banking more points. As it stands, Leeds are just six points outside the relegation zone. A poor run of form and some positive results from the likes of Fulham and West Brom could rapidly turn Bielsa’s dream season into a nightmare.
In other news, Radrizzani must move for free agent Danny Rose next summer…
Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to comments from Charlie Nicholas, who has said that this Gers side is “not fabulous”.
So far this campaign, the Ibrox outfit have been far and away the best team in Scotland. As it stands, they are currently 21 points clear at the top of the Premiership. Even if Celtic win all three of their games in hand, they will be 13 points behind with just 15 games to play. Not only that, they have lost just one game in all competitions, and topped their Europa League group as well.
However, despite that success, Nicholas has claimed that this Gers side is not all that, instead suggesting that it is Celtic’s fault they find themselves so far behind. As you can imagine, this did not go down well at all with the Gers supporters, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.
Let’s see what the fans had to say about Nicholas below
“Charlie who?”
Credit: @GreySteel93
“And topping their European group undefeated.”
Credit: @Cosmos_Rangers
“How have they gone backwards then? They win their 3 games in hand they’re within a point of last seasons tally after the same amount of games great piece of non bitter journalism.”
Liverpool went out with “a whimper” and were “disgraceful” as they lost 1-0 to Brighton at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Cundy not impressed
Those were the words of former Chelsea defender Jason Cundy, as he reacted to the Reds’ second home defeat in a row.
The Seagulls’ Steven Alzate scored the only goal of the game in the second half after Trent Alexander-Arnold got himself caught under the ball and Dan Burn headed across goal to provide the assist.
While Liverpool once again fielded a makeshift defence, it was at the other end of the field where their problems lied, having created just two big chances and one shot on target during the 90 minutes (Fotmob).
Speaking to talkSPORT, Cundy was furious with what he saw and did not sugarcoat his words while discussing the performance.
“That was pathetic from Liverpool tonight,” he said.
“They are up against a side, and credit to Brighton they are a good side, but that is the defending champions you just watched there.
“A whimper, disgraceful, shocking… and you know what? History may be repeating itself.”
Klopp managed to secure two Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund before he left his position, and Cundy related Liverpool’s current form to the German tactician’s final days in charge in North Rhine-Westphalia.
“You look at what Klopp did at Dortmund when their season imploded; in his final season all of a sudden it went to pot when they went on a run of two wins out of 16.
“This is something that has happened before to Klopp, in Germany. He demands so much, and his demands have been brilliant.
“But are we looking at a Liverpool side now that has just run out of gas? Because that is not the Klopp Liverpool that we have seen over the past three seasons. They went out with a whimper.
“Credit to Brighton, because they deserved it, but that was just shocking!”
Transfer Tavern Verdict
While it was a really poor performance from Liverpool, it’s fair to say there are elements about the display which were out of the manager’s control – namely injuries.
Let’s not forget, captain Jordan Henderson is being made to play as a centre-back, costing the Reds his usual energy in midfield, while the likes of Alisson, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota all missed the match as well.
Supporters will be feeling down in the dumps after that one, but it can all change again if they can beat Manchester City on Sunday. What a funny old game football can be.
In other news, Liverpool fans go after under-fire Klopp star once more after Brighton slip-up.
After back-to-back campaigns of coming painfully close and falling at the final hurdle, there was a feeling among Arsenal fans that it would be their year this season.
That feeling was only strengthened when Mikel Arteta's side picked up two wins from their first two games last month, but things went awry against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Early on in the second half, Declan Rice was given a controversial second yellow, and while the Gunners didn't lose, they did drop two points, and perhaps even worse than that, they'll be without their £105m man for the North London Derby on Sunday.
However, in even worse news, Martin Odegaard limped off the pitch in Norway's game against Austria last night, so it looks like he, too, will miss the game on Sunday.
Interestingly, the club once had a Premier League star on their books who would have been the perfect replacement for the Norwegian.
The latest on Odegaard
In the 67th minute of Norway's 2-1 victory over Austria last night, Odegaard was substituted for what has now been confirmed as an ankle injury.
Speaking after the game, Norway's team doctor, Ola Sand, revealed that the Arsenal captain had suffered a "small ankle sprain" and that the national team would wait and "see throughout the evening and [Tuesday] what happens next and what we will do about it."
The injury is yet another crushing blow for the Gunners, who will now likely be without their first-choice midfield three for the must-win game on Sunday due to Rice's aforementioned suspension and new signing Mikel Merino's freak accident in training last month.
That said, while Thomas Partey and Jorginho should be able to step into the fold for those two, albeit at a lower level, there simply isn't a natural replacement for the captain in the squad, and considering he racked up a seriously impressive haul of 22 goals and assists last season, that's a serious problem.
However, while it is of no help to Arteta today, the club once had a youngster on the books who has since developed into an international star and would've been the ideal replacement.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard
Why Eberechi Eze would be the ideal replacement
Yes, the former Arsenal youngster in question is Eberechi Eze, who was a part of the club's youth system between the ages of nine and 13, after which he was released for allegedly being too small.
Eberechi Eze celebrates for Crystal Palace
The Englishman then spent time in the youth systems of Fulham and Millwall before settling at Queens Park Rangers, where he made his senior debut in an FA Cup Third Round defeat to Blackburn Rovers on the seventh of January 2017.
After a short term loan spell with Wycombe Wanderers, the Greenwich-born gem finally made his way into the Hoops' first team and by the time he had left to join Crystal Palace for £20m in August 2020, he had racked up an impressive haul of 20 goals and 13 assists in 112 appearances.
Appearances
36
17
40
31
Goals
4
1
10
11
Assists
6
1
4
6
Goal Involvements per Match
0.27
0.11
0.35
0.54
However, while he impressed at Loftus Road, he exploded at Selhurst Park, and while he's battled with injuries, he has since become an incredibly sought-after player, with a tally of 28 goals and 17 assists in 128 games for the Eagles and a release clause worth £68m that is reportedly set to be active once more next summer.
The Gunners were loosely linked with the 26-year-old "superstar", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, over the summer, but nothing materialised. However, given Odegaard's recent injury, we are sure the club wish they had pursued him further, as his positional versatility could have been the answer to their current predicament.
For example, while the eight-capped Englishman has played all over the pitch during his career, his most played position – with 105 appearances there – is attacking midfield, and given his performances last season, in which he scored 11 goals and provided six assists, he undoubtedly could have helped carry the creative and attacking load in the Norwegian's absence.
However, Arsenal made their decision 13 years ago, and while Eze has gone on to become a serious talent, there is no telling what would have happened had he stayed in North London; moreover, there is always the chance the club will go back in for him next summer.
Arsenal let their Saka regen leave for £0, now he's outscoring Martinelli