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Newcastle United should look to sign Wolves centre-back Conor Coady in January, according to former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Coady shines at Wolves

Coady has been a fantastic servant for Wolves, making 286 appearances for the club and fully deserving his role as captain.

The 28-year-old’s leadership has shone through at Molineux and he has been a model of consistency at the heart of the defence, both in the Championship and the Premier League.

The Latest: Captain tipped for January exit

With Newcastle receiving an influx of money after their recent takeover, however, they could be looking at signing various players in January.

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan claimed Coady would be an ideal addition to the Magpies’ squad:

“He’s a brilliant defender and consistency is what you will get from him.

“Newcastle have struggled defensively for a number of years now, so getting a defender like him into the spine of that side will be massive.

“That’s the first place I’d be looking. You have Wilson, Saint-Maximin and Almiron in the attack, so you have enough there but the frailties are at the back and at centre-half, for me.

“Conor Coady is a player you would be more than happy with at your football club. He’s got the leadership qualities, he’s an England international now and he is a very consistent performer for Wolves.”

The Verdict: Potential huge blow

Coady might not necessarily be the most athletically gifted footballer around, but he has a huge influence at Wolves, both on and off the pitch.

For that reason, the thought of losing him doesn’t bear thinking about, with the Englishman very much the heart of the squad and almost a second manager on the pitch.

It remains to be seen if Newcastle will make a bid, but Wolves should demand huge money if they do.

In other news, some Wolves fans love a tweet about a Premier League landmark. Read more here.

Newcastle clawed themselves out of the bottom three with an emphatic 3-1 win over Everton in the Premier League on Tuesday night.

Jamaal Lascelles’ own goal put the Toffees ahead in the match, but Mason Holgate returned the favour by putting the ball into his own net a minute later.

Goals from Ryan Fraser and Kieran Trippier then sealed the three points for the Magpies, with the latter scoring his first goal for the club.

Forget Trippier

Whilst Trippier was sensational again for Newcastle with his goal and his sublime set-piece delivery, huge credit must go to central midfielder Joe Willock.

FFC published an article in the build-up to the game highlighting his poor form this season and suggesting that he should be dropped to the team. However, this performance was the perfect response to our criticism of him and any critics from elsewhere as he put in an excellent showing on and off the ball.

Willock may have now kickstarted his career at St James’ Park on a permanent basis as he could soon become a fan favourite if he puts a string of displays together in the same vein as this season.

Off the ball, he was all over the pitch for Newcastle. As per SofaScore, he won a whopping 12 duels in his 89 minutes on the pitch, making one block, one interception and winning four tackles. One of those challenges resulted in Fraser’s goal, as Willock pinched the ball off Dele Alli just inside the Everton half – starting the move that ended in Allan Saint-Maximin’s cross falling to the Scot’s feet from close range.

This shows that he put immense effort in defensively, in terms of both his passive defending in a low blow and his aggressive pressing in the final third. Howe will surely be delighted with the tenacity he showed throughout the match and the bite he added to his game.

He also offered quality in possession. Via SofaScore, he completed an impressive five of his six attempted dribbles, losing the ball just nine times all match. This shows that he was reliable with the ball at his feet and was able to progress the play by taking it past opposition players effectively.

Therefore, the £80k-per-week gem’s overall performance was superb as he made an impact at both ends of the pitch. He can now kick on and have a strong end to the campaign by putting together a run of displays of the same quality in the weeks and months to come.

AND in other news, Keith Downie issues exciting NUFC transfer claim that’ll leave fans buzzing

Joe Wainman said Patrick Bamford’s new contract is a massive piece of business for Leeds.

Bamford, who scored a career-best 17 Premier League goals on the Whites’ return to the topflight last season, was out of contract next summer and had been linked with a surprise move to Tottenham.

However, following weeks of discussions, the striker finally committed his future to the Yorkshire giants by penning a new five-year deal with the Elland Road club.

Bamford narrowly missed out on Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euro’s, but his excellent goalscoring exploits last season earned him his first Three Lions call-up for the World Cup qualifiers against Hungary, Andorra and Poland next month, joining Leeds teammate Kalvin Phillips in the squad.

Leeds have generally been quiet in the transfer window, making just a handful of additions, but Wainman recognises the importance of tying their main source of goals down long term.

He told Football FanCast:

“It protects an asset and it’s nice that he’s got a home and it will improve his game because he’s been all over the shop in his career.

“The fact that we’ve got him and he’s still doing bits, he got a couple of assists against Crewe and one against Everton. So, it’s massive that he’s signed a new deal.”

Southampton fans were livid with the performance of Mohamed Elyounoussi during the Saints’ 1-0 defeat to Wolves on Sunday.

Saints have not had the best start to the 2021/22 campaign at all. So far, they have won just one match during the 90 minutes in all competitions, an 8-0 victory over Newport County in the League Cup, and have drawn four and lost two of their six Premier League games to date (Sky Sports).

The latest match was a 1-0 loss to Wolves, who won the match thanks to a Raul Jimenez goal.

On the day, £10.8m-valued Elyounossi (Transfermarkt) did not put in a great display at all, losing possession a huge 23 times against the Old Gold (SofaScore), so it’s no surprise the supporters were not happy with what they saw from the Norway international.

He did bag a hat-trick against Newport, but he needs to do it regularly in the league, it seems, to win over the fans after a loan spell away.

Supporters took to social media platform in their droves to share their thoughts on the former Celtic loanee.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Elyounoussi below

“Elyounoussi has been absolutely terrible. How is he still on?”

Credit: @ImmortalMachine

“Elyounoussi has been absolutely horrendous today”

Credit: @IWSaint1

“Elyounoussi is disappointing in the midfield, He just passes the ball without seeing around and runs forward ,No Accuracy …He should have been taken off in place of Redmond”

Credit: @balumahendra_v

“Facts. Djenepo, Redmond, Elyounoussi so wasteful.”

Credit: @MizButNotPriv

“Well maybe he should try playing more than 1 up front and we may score a goal. Also constantly picking Redmond and Elyounoussi is just gifting the opposition a clean sheet. Both very very poor players when Tella is on the bench. Also, Long coming on, that’s abysmal!!”

Credit: @newington13

“That was garbage today. Adams and Armstrong get a lot of stick but having a player like Saint Maximan or Sarr, the likes our rivals have would make a huge difference to the amount of chances they get. Redmond and Elyounoussi is just a bag of nothing”

Credit: @EdBakerYes

In other news, Southampton fans react to this claim.

Sky Sports journalist Pete Graves has revealed that former AS Roma boss Paulo Fonseca is a contender for the now vacant Newcastle United manager’s job.

What’s the story?

The Magpies finally confirmed on mid-Wednesday morning that Steve Bruce had left the club via mutual consent, and Graves has indicated that Fonseca is in the frame to take over.

Writing on Twitter earlier this morning before news broke of Bruce’s departure, he said: “Should #nufc new owners decide to part ways with Steve Bruce, we understand former Porto, Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk manager Paulo Fonseca would be of significant interest. Latest on @SkySportsNews. Fonseca is currently out of work and came close to joining Tottenham in the summer.”

Fans should be excited

While Fonseca may not be the most recognisable name to English football fans, he’s certainly earned a reputation out in Europe as someone who’s a winner and is capable of creating teams who play exciting, attacking football.

At Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk, the 48-year-old won three successive league titles and three successive domestic cups, while his team at AS Roma saw him build the team into a genuine force in European competition.

“I’d put them with Atalanta and Sassuolo as the league’s entertainers,” claimed The Athletic’s James Horncastle, via Tifo Football, whilst Alex Stewart described his style as “exciting.”

And, despite their Europa League exit last season at the semi-final stage, Portuguese journalist Alex Goncalves still backed Fonseca to enjoy a big career, tweeting: “It’s a bad result for Paulo Fonseca today, a 6-2 defeat to Manchester United. His managerial CV is exceptional, & his managerial ability matches it, but his time at Roma may be coming to an end. A talented manager who plays stylish football likely to be available this summer.”

After the dreariness of Bruce-ball at St James’ Park, Fonseca’s arrival could lift spirits at St James’ Park, and his penchant for front-foot football is sure to excite Magpies fans.

Meanwhile, George Caulkin has dropped some behind-the-scenes insight on PIF…

An update has emerged on Everton target Jesse Lingard, regarding Manchester United’s valuation of the midfielder.

What’s the talk?

According to The Express, Manchester United are now willing to accept offers in the region of £20m for Everton transfer target Jesse Lingard.

The report claims that West Ham are interested in snapping him up on a permanent deal following his loan spell with the club, whilst the Toffees have been linked with a swoop for him this summer.

New Tim Cahill

Everton have reportedly told James Rodriguez that he is free to find a new club between now and the end of the window, which means that Lingard could be brought in as a direct replacement for the ex-Real Madrid man. It could be time to wave bye-bye to James and say hi to the England international, especially given this latest update.

With Lingard available to buy for £20m, Rafa Benitez and Marcel Brands must act on their interest and submit an offer for him. They could run the risk of West Ham, or another club in England or abroad, swooping in to snap him up if they do not move with urgency, which is why they must prepare a bid immediately.

Benitez could unearth Tim Cahill 2.0 with a deal for the attacking midfielder, as he is someone who is capable of chipping in with goals from behind the striker. The retired Australian scored six or more Premier League goals in six separate seasons for the Toffees, regularly providing a goal threat from midfield for the club over the course of a number of years – in total, he finished with an impressive haul of 68 goals in 278 games for the Merseyside club.

With Lingard, Everton could finally find the heir to his goalscoring throne. The 28-year-old spent the second-half of last season on loan to West Ham and proved to be an instant hit, with a stunning nine goals and five assists in 16 league appearances.

In his last 30+ appearances season for Manchester United, Lingard managed eight goals and six assists in the Premier League. This suggests that he has the quality to score and assist goals on a regular basis if given the game time to make an impact.

Red Devils legend Rio Ferdinand once hailed Lingard as an ‘intelligent’ footballer and claimed that he could play in any team. Ferdinand said on Five:

“I’ve argued with pundit after pundit, on-air, and off-air. He could play in any top team because he’s an intelligent footballer. He can play off one touch or two touch.

“He gets judged on his antics on social media. Some people, it rubs them up the wrong way, and they don’t like him because of it and a lot of the youngster generation love it.

“But if you’re looking at him as just a cold footballer, anyone who knows football surely has to see the kid has a talent.”

This shows how highly Ferdinand rates the midfielder and is another reason why Benitez must sanction a deal for Lingard in the coming days.

Dubbed as “special” by Stuart Pearce, if Everton can bring the Englishman through the door then they could have their new Tim Cahill…

AND in other news, Everton could sign major Doucoure upgrade in “very complete” £55k-p/w powerhouse…

Speaking to Football Insider, a Tottenham Hotspur source has shared some Saturday night exit news involving Matt Doherty.

The Lowdown: Conte overhaul begins?

Antonio Conte has been making his evaluations on the squad over the past few weeks as he assesses who should stay or leave north London in the winter window, as he candidly admitted to the press.

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There have already been a few names mentioned as possible departures in January, with the likes of Dele Alli, Giovani Lo Celso and Doherty all linked with a move away from N17.

Sharing the latest update on the Irish defender, a Lilywhites source has apparently lifted the lid on a weekend development.

The Latest: Conte and Spurs ‘will’ allow Dohery exit…

As per Football Insider, sharing news ‘on Saturday night’, Tottenham and Conte are now set to greenlight the Republic of Ireland international’s potential exit this month.

Indeed, Doherty ‘will be allowed’ to leave the club this winter, with Spurs allegedly open to either a loan move or permanent deal for the player.

The Verdict: Right call…

Since signing for Tottenham from Wolves in the summer of 2020, it’s safe to say things haven’t quite worked out for the former Molineux star in north London.

Making just 39 appearances in all competitions over a season and a half at Spurs, Doherty has never quite cemented his place in the first team under three separate managers in Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo or Conte.

His market value has also dropped by £8m since last year, so we advise Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy to find a buyer this month before that plummets any further.

Contracted until 2024, there is still time to cash in on the 29-year-old, and it’s safe to say that finding a buyer for Doherty should be one of Tottenham’s squad-trimming priorities this month.

In other news: ‘Absolute no-brainer’…Sky Sports pundit thrilled by ‘exciting’ transfer news out of Tottenham, find out more here.

Leeds United have picked up a bit of form at just the right time, and having picked up seven points from a possible nine, they head into tomorrow’s clash against Watford with a whole lot more confidence.

Jesse Marsch’s side picked up some much-needed victories over Norwich and Wolves before drawing 1-1 to Southampton at Elland Road last time out.

Their trip to Vicarage Road may prove to be a stern test given that Roy Hodgson’s men are currently battling for their lives in the Premier League relegation battle, and Marsch will have some big calls to make on his starting line-up.

One decision he might be compelled to make is dropping Diego Llorente.

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The Spain international has found himself in and out of the side in recent weeks and months, with niggling injuries disrupting him from really putting together a run of consistent games together.

After being forced off inside the first half against Wolves at Molineux in mid-March, Llorente made an immediate return against the Saints last weekend, but he looked off the pace and nervy on occasion.

As per Sofascore, while he made a team-high six tackles, he also committed the joint-most fouls, finding it difficult to balance being aggressive and playing on the edge, and sometimes losing his cool and composure. In fact, this season has seen him lose 80 duels in total in the Premier League, while winning only 97.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross gave him a five, saying: “Can be unconventional, but brilliant at times or just verging on calamity in the backline. Armando Broja gave him a difficult afternoon without dominating him.”

Those sentiments were echoed by The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth, who awarded him a six, before adding: “Brought an element of drama at times that felt unnecessary, some mixed moments of defending and in possession.”

Pascal Struijk was the man to find himself out of the team following the return of club captain Liam Cooper, and the Scot was partnered with Llorente in central defence.

While the Dutchman may have had a difficult time of late, at just 22 he remains a big part of the future of this Leeds team, and he would surely learn a lot more from playing rather than sitting on the bench.

Indeed, speaking earlier this year, Cooper himself said of Struijk: “Pascal has absolutely everything to be one of the best centre-backs out there, he really has. He’s unbelievable on the ball, he’s strong, good in the air. I always knew. We all know now. His improvement speaks for itself.”

Bringing the youngster into the line-up and having someone as experienced as Cooper alongside him should see him return to much better form, knowing that he has someone to fall back upon and organise the defence rather than feeling the pressure to do so himself.

Valued at £12m by CIES, Llorente should be dropped from the starting line-up against Watford, with Struijk coming back in to take his place and resume his fledgling partnership with Cooper.

AND in other news – Signed for £5m, now worth 700% more: Orta struck dream Leeds deal with “quality” 22 y/o

With Ralf Rangnick’s appointment as Manchester United’s new interim manager confirmed, a new era has begun at the Theatre of Dreams, and it’s one that could alter several ingrained perceptions.

Former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deserves a huge amount of credit for the good work he oversaw during his two-and-a-half-year reign, but there’s no doubt that a change was needed.

The Norwegian’s tenure had become sour in the final months of his reign as things began to unfold at unprecedented speed.

His preference for allowing individuals the freedom to express themselves and showcase their talent without the constraints of a set system could only take United so far and ultimately became exposed.

And Solskjaer’s style and lack of specific instructions also left certain players vulnerable and susceptible to criticism from frustrated onlookers.

While creative talents such as Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood thrived, less technically gifted stars such as Fred often looked like square pegs in round holes.

At times, it was hard to pinpoint what sort of player the Brazil international actually was.

Not physically imposing enough to be a true box-to-box player, not defensively astute enough to be a sole No.6 and lacking the imagination and ability to be an attack-minded playmaker.

However, the 28-year-old appears to have a certain set of skills that should make him the ideal fit for Rangnick’s famous Gegenpressing system, making his once mocked £52m price tag look like a dream deal for United.

Rangnick’s high-intensity, counter-pressing system revolves around winning the ball back high up the pitch, taking a shot within ten seconds of regaining possession and always attacking vertically.

It requires a set of players capable of carrying out the extensive physical workload placed upon them, but with the footballing IQ to match.

“Our idea is clear, it’s very, very similar to my coaching friend Jurgen Klopp,” Rangnick told the Coaches’ Voice YouTube channel (as relayed by inews). “Our Red Bull football is heavy metal, rock and roll, it’s not a slow waltz. We hate square passes, back passes, just having the ball ourselves doesn’t make sense.”

And when assessing Fred’s underlying numbers, it’s clear that the South American – who was once described as “outstanding” by MUTV pundit Ben Thornley – could turn into Rangnick’s main man during their time together in the red half of Manchester.

As per FBref.com, no player with over 270 minutes of top-flight action has bettered his total of 26.2 successful pressures per 90 this season, while he also ranks second for tackles won (2.23) and fourth for progressive passes (4.36).

With a new set of principles introduced for players to be judged on, Rangnick’s arrival could see Fred’s position in this United side transformed over the coming months, transforming his status as the much-maligned scapegoat into an undroppable pillar for the ‘Godfather of German coaching’ to build around.

And, in other news…MUFC can get rocking again with “absolutely exceptional” £33m gem who Rangnick loves

Frank McAvennie has declared it ‘inevitable’ that Everton will sack Rafael Benitez in the foreseeable future.

The lowdown

The 61-year-old only took over at Goodison Park in the summer, replacing Carlo Ancelotti after he left for Real Madrid. The Spaniard signed a two-year deal with the option for a third, agreeing an annual salary of £15m (via The Independent).

Everton started the season well, with their 3-1 victory over Burnley in mid-September taking them fourth in the table. However, they’ve only added six points to their tally in their seven matches since, and Sunday’s goalless draw with Tottenham Hotspur snapped a three-game losing streak.

The latest

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie said he can only see Benitez’s tenure ending one way, sensing that many Everton fans aren’t behind the former Liverpool boss.

He said: “They were never going to take to Rafa, it just wasn’t going to happen. The whole this is only going to end in tears and I’m not surprised at where they find themselves.”

McAvennie also said that Everton’s league-low £1.6m summer spending had made it very difficult for Benitez to take them into Europe, stating: “Everton spent nothing in the summer and they don’t have a squad that can challenge the likes of West Ham, never mind Liverpool.

“They have been terrible in recent weeks, from what I’ve seen anyway. Is Rafa ever going to win a trophy or get Everton into Europe? I don’t think so.

“I think it’s a matter of time before he goes, whether it’s deserved or not. It’s inevitable. It’s a big decision but they will be left with no choice soon.”

The verdict

McAvennie’s fears for Benitez aren’t without foundation, given that many Everton supporters were naturally opposed to his strong ties with arch-rivals Liverpool. Also, five Premier League managers have already lost their jobs this season – one of whom, like Benitez, was only appointed in the summer, namely Nuno Espirito Santo at Tottenham.

The 5-2 defeat against Watford last month was woeful, and the response against Wolves inadequate, but Everton’s struggles shouldn’t be overstated. They find themselves a reasonable 11th place in the table and are only two points off the top six.

The decision-makers at Goodison Park will also surely appreciate that Benitez has had to do without Dominic Calvert-Lewin, by far the Blues’ top scorer in 2020/21, and the impressive Abdoulaye Doucoure in recent weeks. Marcel Brands and co shouldn’t make an unnecessarily hasty decision on the Spaniard’s job unless things really fall to pieces for Everton over the winter months.

In other news, many Everton fans flocked to an image which surfaced from Sunday’s draw against Spurs.