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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Kevin Phillips, who made 149 appearances for Sunderland, believes Lee Johnson has just done a good job, rather than a great one so far on Wearside.

Johnson took over from Phil Parkinson midway through this season and has got Sunderland into a great position to mount a serious push for automatic promotion, as they find themselves two points behind Peterborough in second.

However, despite the mood on Wearside being the most positive it has been in years, Phillips is still coy over Sunderland’s current situation, stating that one injury to Charlie Wyke could totally curtail their season.

Speaking on the job Johnson has done since taking charge at Sunderland and when he will start to worry for Sunderland, Phillips told FFC:

“He’s done a good, but not great job, but certainly he’s done a good job.

“I think Lee technically is a very good coach and you can see that from their performance against Portsmouth [last week].

“They’ve been criticised in the past for not scoring enough goals but at the minute they’ve got one player scoring the goals in Charlie Wyke who is on fire. So, if he was to get injured, then I would become slightly concerned.

“He’s getting the best out of Aiden McGeady, which a lot of managers have tried to do but haven’t been able to. So, he’s obviously doing something right.”

Sunderland have not lost since February 9 when Shrewsbury Town came from 1-0 down to beat the Black Cats 2-1, they’re currently on a ten-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

The Black Cats broke their Wembley curse last weekend as they beat Tranmere Rovers 1-0 in the Papa John’s trophy.

This season has been far from straightforward for Wolves. A behind the scenes meeting was held last week in a bid to resolve their fortunes, something that magnifies the severity of their struggles.

Nuno Santo’s side have been way off the pace and after changing their formation in a bid to score more goals, it has had disastrous consequences.

The Old Gold have kept just two clean sheets in the league since October and their hopes of securing European football is now fading away.

That being said, they look revived in their last two matches. Evidently, that chat behind closed doors has worked wonders as they beat Arsenal and drew with Leicester.

Though, they will face an uphill task when they face Southampton in the FA Cup on Thursday evening. The Saints have shipped 12 goals in their last two outings so will be eager to bounce back and prove themselves once again.

So, how will Nuno’s team line-up at Molineux tonight?

In our predicted XI, we’re tipping the manager to make just two changes to his team. Considering their injuries and the fact they’re taking on Premier League opposition, you’d think Nuno will go pretty strong.

One of the changes is in goal where veteran 34-year-old John Ruddy – their ever-reliable cup stopper – comes into the side ahead of Rui Patricio.

Rayan Ait-Nouri and Marcal are injured so Ki-Jana Hoever fills in at left wing-back. Jonny returned from injury last time out but played just 45 minutes. Thus, we think he should be rested again after a fairly lengthy injury lay off. They need to protect him at all costs.

There are no changes beyond that with Willian Jose leading the line again. He is searching for his first Wolves strike since arriving on loan from Real Sociedad last month.

Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho have been among the goals lately so keep their places in midfield with Leander Dendoncker playing in defence once again.

AND in other news, Forget Jose: Wolves should’ve got 18-goal Mendes client instead, he’s an “entertainer”…

Fans of Aston Villa have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which relayed the ‘significant’ news that Jaden Philogene-Bidace has put pen to paper on a new deal with the club.

According to a statement on the club website, Philogene-Bidace has signed a new deal with Dean Smith’s side that will see him remain at Villa Park until the summer of 2024.

The 19-year-old forward, who is yet to make a senior appearance for Villa, is said to have highly impressed for the club’s U23 side this season, bagging five goals and providing two assists over his 11 appearances.

And, after the club relayed the news of the England U19 international’s new contract on Twitter, fans of Villa flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing delighted at the prospect of  Philogene-Bidace remaining at their club for the foreseeable future.

So, what exactly did these Aston Villa fans have to say in reaction to the news regarding Jaden Philogene-Bidace?

“Our club is doing all the right things. This kid is special.”

@hill_hilly18

“Fantastic news!! I love the approach our club is taking to promoting youth and building for our future!”

@jamesupnorth

“YESSSSSSSSS UTVVVVV.”

@Finleydb10

“Fantastic news! A lot of big clubs been sniffing round him, one to watch for sure.”

@TheWillRoss

“This is great news. Chukwuemeka next, hopefully.”

@SimonLRead

“Class news.”

@vill1874

“Outstanding. This club is amassing all the best young talent out there. Well done Jaden. Great choice.”

@EvoflashUK

“This is super, super news and shows the ambition and pull of the club – up the villa!!! Aaron Ramsey next!!”

@StephenArnold78

“Superb Jaden.”

@gazswain

“Excellent news. Future star! Massive statement on intent by Villa.”

@tonywoots69

“Incredible.”

@DOUGLASLUlZ

“This is significant. Congratulations.”

@richallen10

In other news, these Villa fans are loving this crazy statistic – find out more here!

Southampton are continuing to be linked with a loan move for Manchester United defender Brandon Williams this month and if he were to join, it will surely prove to be the final nail in the coffin for Sam McQueen.

According to Sky Sports, Southampton are interested in signing the youngster on loan this month and he is keen to leave to get regular first-team football under his belt.

Back in 2018, Ole Gunnar-Solskjaer was full of praise for the defender’s performance against AZ Alkmaar, saying:

“The performance and debut of Brandon, fantastic. You can’t see any nerves, he’s so brave, the courage to take the ball and go forward. Great defending, very pleased, some big, big pluses today.”

If he were to sign, it could be bad news for McQueen. The Saints man unfortunately injured his cruciate ligament in 2018 and hasn’t made a senior appearance since, after one of the screws in his knee became infected.

The left-back looked to be destined for a bright future with the South Coast club, having made 29 first-team appearances during his time there and he also enjoyed loan spells with Southend United and Middlesbrough.

However, the injury looks to have all but ended his hopes of making it at Southampton and with his contract set to expire at the end of the current season, it seems very unlikely that he will be offered a new contract with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

The Saints are perhaps low on left-back options, with just Ryan Bertrand and 20-year-old Jake Vokins currently the only options available to the Austrian manager, so McQueen may still be holding out hope that he could make a return, with a report from The Athletic suggesting a few months ago that January could be a target for when he can have a ball at his feet again.

It seems unfortunate for the left-back therefore, that Southampton are showing heavy interest in Manchester United’s Williams this month, as if he were to join, it would surely prove to be the final nail in the coffin for McQueen, especially if Hasenhuttl saw enough from the 20-year-old to make his deal permanent in the summer.

Whilst the Southampton academy graduate may be something of a forgotten man amongst Saints supporters, he was included in their 25-man Premier League squad earlier this season, which suggests that the South Coast club are not desperate to see him cut adrift, despite his injury concerns.

Hopefully, if the signing of Williams does lead to McQueen leaving Southampton this summer, he can go on to have a successful career elsewhere.

And, in other news, Hasenhuttl handed devastating injury blow to 21 y/o with great potential ahead of FA Cup tie…

With just two wins from their last ten outings, Wolves are stuck in a diabolical rut.

Fears of relegation are suddenly looming for those at Molineux but with the transfer window open, they have an opportunity to turn their fortunes around.

What’s the word?

Last month, it was reported that Wolves were interested in signing Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard.

Claims stated that Jeff Shi’s club were willing to bid for the Frenchman, with a potential €20m (£18m) offer on the table.

However, new information has circulated suggesting that although the Scottish side have softened their stance on Edouard, it will take a much larger fee to secure his services.

Journalist Ignazio Genuardi said last week: “While no agreement could be reached for an extension, Celtic is gradually revising its requirements downwards for a possible departure of the former Parisian Edouard. Today, there is more talk of a price around €25-30m.”

In English money, that fee would equate to around £27m.

Sign him up

This would be phenomenal business from Wolves if they can find the cash to supplement a deal. Edouard is an exceptional talent and has become a genuine all-round goal scorer at Celtic.

Of course, the Scottish Premiership is a class below the Premier League but you only need to look at the way Kieran Tierney and Virgil van Dijk have stepped seamlessly into life in England following moves from Glasgow to see that players who succeed in Scotland can do well south of the border.

The latter has become a Premier League and Champions League winner while Tierney is among the best players in the Arsenal side in terms of chance creation this season.

Unlike those two players, however, Edouard is capable of scoring a bucket load of goals, something Wolves are missing in abundance. Since Raul Jimenez fractured his skull, Nuno’s team have scored three goals in one game just once.

They are clearly struggling without him and thus, the addition of a top-quality striker in January would go a long way to salvaging something from their season.

Edouard has scored 11 goals this term and registered a mighty haul of 28 strikes last season. Crucially, though, is his ability to bring others into play, just as Jimenez does.

In 2019/20, the 22-year-old picked up 19 assists for his troubles. He is the complete striker and can cause all sorts of problems for defenders.

His former coach Jean-Claude Giuntini once said: “He [Edouard] had the confidence and the obsession with scoring all great strikers need. He never doubts his qualities. But this behaviour can create panic – for the opposition defenders.”

It’s a rave review for the young forward who is currently making waves in Scotland. In the words of Frank McGarvey, he has “magic in his feet.”

Fabio Silva did score his first Wolves goal from open play on Saturday but despite his record-breaking move, he looks far from confident in front of goal.

Thus, with Jimenez out and the Old Gold requiring an instant injection of goals, Edouard could certainly save their season.

At present, they are 14th in the table. After two consecutive seasons finishing in the top half, that is not good enough. Shi needs to bring the youngster to Wolves.

AND in other news, Worse than Coady: Wolves star who made just 1 tackle all game betrayed Nuno…

On a recent episode of Fabrizio Romano’s ‘Here We Go’ podcast, the Italian journalist revealed that should Manchester City be keen on signing a new centre-back, they could target Villarreal defender Pau Torres.

The 23-year-old defender has also attracted interest from Manchester United recently and it seems as if his time with Unai Emery’s side could soon be coming to an end, but the Citizens arguably don’t need to sign him.

Torres reportedly has a release clause of €50 million (£45.06 million), so it would be an expensive deal for director of football Txiki Begiristain if he wanted to bring him in.

The Citizens already signed both Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake for big money during the summer transfer window, so they are not exactly short of defensive options.

Whilst John Stones might have been the man axed in order to accommodate a new centre-back such as Torres, the Englishman’s recent performances have demonstrated that he is more than capable as a starter in Guardiola’s side.

Signing the Spanish defender would, of course, add to the quality of squad depth at Manchester City which is never a bad thing but considering the impressive performances from City’s defence of late, which has seen them keep six clean sheets in their last eight games, they really don’t need to splash the cash on Torres in January or next summer.

In addition to this, Torres has no experience in the Premier League and has just 55 senior appearances to his name at Villarreal, so he could hardly be considered experienced and would therefore likely be signed as a player for the future, which could harm the development of young defenders such as Eric Garcia and Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

Torres’ performances in La Liga this season have seen him average a sold 6.78 rating, which is significantly less than the impressive 7.25 rating Stones has managed thus far.

[freshpress-quiz id=“562145″]

Therefore, City should keep faith in the options they already have and potentially save themselves £45 million on Torres.

And, in other news… Manchester City missed out on a big talent in 2018, touted to be one of the best in the world

Christmas is here and David Moyes’ West Ham United look set for a season challenging in the top-half of the Premier League table.

It was a very different picture a year ago, with the Hammers just four points above the drop zone and days away from firing Manuel Pellegrini after suffering a ninth loss in 12 games.

Moyes returned to the London Stadium to succeed the Chilean for a second stint at the helm on the cusp of New Years, and is enjoying a strong tenure with 13 wins after 37 matches across all competitions that has seen the 57-year-old offered a new contract.

There have been some highs and some lows along the way since Moyes stepped foot back in the dugout, with wins over Champions League sides and humbling defeats to lower-tier opposition.

So, to celebrate the Scot’s first year back in east London, can you remember these 10 huge events to have unfolded at West Ham United in 2020?

You’re an expert if you get them all…

After arriving from MLS side Atlanta United in January 2019 for a then club-record fee of £20m, Miguel Almiron was no doubt seen as the kind of signing that could really kick-start things at Newcastle.

It ended a 14-year run of Michael Owen being the club’s most expensive signing, and expectations surely soared through the roof because of that.

Fast forward less than two years later though, and Almiron has struggled to really hit the heights at St James’ Park. And on Sunday night in the Premier League against Wolves, the Paraguay international encapsulated his entire Newcastle career in one 90 minute performance.

The 26-year-old was his usual tireless self, putting in an incredible shift off the ball to make sure he didn’t let his team or manager down. His energy bunny impression was in full effect at Molineux, and it was unsurprising that his defensive numbers were through the roof.

As per Sofascore, he won a mammoth 11 of his 19 total duels, whilst he also made a team-high of seven tackles (three more than the players in second).

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/newcastle-united-daily-update-exclusive-news-transfers-premier-league” title=”Newcastle United daily update: Exclusives, News, Match Reaction and Transfers!”]

But like Jamie Carragher suggested on commentary for Sky Sports, that was all there to it from Almiron: endless running. The quality on the ball was virtually non-existent, providing just one key pass and accurate cross, whilst only managing 20 successful passes in total.

If you hadn’t been watching Premier League football for the past two years, and didn’t know what Almiron was as a player, you’d probably take a look at the stats and see him as a dominant centre-back, or even a full-back.

He just didn’t show anything going forward, and his most telling contributions were booting the ball clear from well inside his own half.

With just nine goals in 61 games since joining the club, Almiron has been nothing short of a disaster. For all the admirable hard work and endeavour, he sadly hasn’t offered much by way of end product.

Sunday’s display against Wolves pretty much summed it all up.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Steve Howey names Newcastle United’s best centre-back pairing…

West Brom’s hit-rate with strikers hasn’t always been the best and their chief Luke Dowling could be about to walk down an all too familiar path at the Hawthorns if latest reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Marca, reported Albion target Martin Braithwaite faces an uncertain future at Barcelona as he’s not particularly fancied by current boss Ronald Koeman, at least not like his predecessor, Quique Seitan.

As a result, the 29-year-old could join his former club Leganes on loan in January.

Just last week, the Baggies were linked with a move for the Dane by Spanish outlet Sport, who claim the Catalan giants would be willing to part ways from the expensive flop for just €15m (£13.5m).

Another striker nightmare?

Over the years, the Hawthorns has witnessed an array of dire forwards ranging from Brown Ideye to Victor Anchiebe whilst last summer’s double splash on Charlie Austin and Kenneth Zohore hardly paid dividends.

Neither player are part of Slaven Bilic’s Premier League plans and look every inch like a major mistake from Dowling.

Signing Braithwaite would surely hint at a similar fate. He couldn’t cut the mustard at Middlesbrough in the Championship and only finds himself at Barcelona as a move of pure desperation amidst an injury crisis last year.

Across two seasons at Boro, the 5 foot 10 frontman managed just nine goals in 40 appearances – even Austin has managed more than that for Albion, scoring 11 in just as many matches, per Transfermarkt.

Tony Pulis, who managed him in the north-east after a stint at West Brom, launched a scathing attack at Braithwaite, dubbing him “ungrateful,” he said:

“The biggest disappointment for me is he’s the highest-paid player I’ve ever worked with in the Championship.

“To show the disrespect he’s shown to this club by saying he’s not coming back, to Steve Gibson, who’s made him a multi-millionaire, let’s make no bones about it, the wages and what he’s earning are astonishing.

“For him to show Steve Gibson that disrespect, and the supporters and his fellow players, it’s just amazing. I’ve dealt with players all my life; some can make your hair curl – not mine. But for him to come out and say that, it just puts him up there as such an ungrateful person.”

In midweek, he bagged just his third goal for the La Liga outfit in the absence of Lionel Messi. Not that Dynamo Kyiv is any barometer for a player’s true ability.

Many in the west Midlands will not want to hear from Pulis but perhaps on this occasion, he should be listened to. Braithwaite is destined to be the next flop in line and must be avoided at all costs.

Don’t repeat your mistakes, Dowling.

AND in other news, Baggies honcho can make amends for Hegazi gaffe with swoop for 6 foot 6 leader…

Carlo Ancelotti is set for his first major test of the season as a potential injury to star forward Richarlison could derail Everton’s unbeaten start.

What’s the word?

Richarlison has been one of Everton’s standout players in the new campaign, with the Brazilian helping himself to four goals and two assists across all competitions – only Dominic Calvert-Lewin (eight goals, no assists) has been involved in more.

But in a cruel twist during the Toffees’ Carabao Cup rout of West Ham United on Wednesday night, Richarlison was forced off nursing what the Liverpool Echo suspect to be an ankle injury.

The 23-year-old appeared to be in real discomfort early in the second-half moments after striking the back of the net to restore Everton’s one-goal advantage, having tracked back to aid his teammates in preventing Ben Johnson from fashioning an instant reply.

Richarlison attempted to carry on deeper into the Round of 16 tie but fell back down in a heap within moments after failing to shrug the limp and was soon brought off for Alex Iwobi, sparking fears on Merseyside of a potential absence for the star forward.

Losing Richarlison for any lengthy period of time would deal Ancelotti his first major test of the campaign ahead of hosting Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, with the Italian potentially without a dangerous spearhead of his boisterous front line.

Everton have only faced one serious test in Tottenham Hotspur to date but went into the Premier League curtain-raiser with relatively low expectations, given the Blues had failed to win any of their trips to a top-six side since 2013.

No one like Richarlison

Ancelotti will be hopeful that Richarlison’s potential injury will be nothing to worry about as the Italian has no like-for-like replacement in line to fill the void the 23-year-old would leave behind.

Richarlison offers his side their most lethal option on the left-hand of the pitch with his drifting runs and relentless effort hard for any player to match, and hard for any defender to contain for a full 90 minutes.

That was certainly the case in Everton’s only real test of the term thus far against Tottenham, when the 19-cap winger recorded by far the most dribbles (11) with a 100% success rate and contributed seven shots, a key ball and five successful tackles, per WhoScored.

He again shone brightly against West Ham with three successful dribbles, three shots and one key ball while finding teammates with 92% of his 26 attempted passes before departing the action after 61-minutes.

Brighton may not be a level above the rest but with Liverpool around the corner on October 17 following the international break, Ancelotti will be hoping for positive news when it comes to Richarlison’s potential availability.

AND in other news, a long-time Everton star has emerged as a transfer option for a Premier League competitor.