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Ever since Jack Grealish came through the academy and developed into the star that he is today, Aston Villa have undoubtedly been searching for ‘the next big thing’.

And amid the news that Ross Barkley is set to miss the next couple of weeks with a hamstring injury picked up in the 2-1 defeat to Brighton at the weekend, there’s perhaps never been a bigger chance for a rising youngster to make his mark on Dean Smith’s first-team.

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans wrote: “If ever there’s a positive to take from such a setback it’s that 19-year-old Jacob Ramsey might force his way back into the squad. Ramsey has been the 19th man for the last few games and restricted to a watching brief followed by a warm-down with the unused substitutes at full-time.

“Villa are very much about producing their own players moving forward and there’s no greater talent coming through the ranks than Ramsey right now.”

As Evans says, Villa have got a long and illustrious history of giving chances to their young talent, but whether it’s because of the kind of cut-throat nature of the Premier League and the riches that come with it, that window of opportunity has slowly reduced over the past year or so.

After all, Smith’s side only just avoided relegation back to the Championship last season on the final day, and blooding the team with inexperienced academy talents may have seen them drop down.

But such has been Villa’s superb start to the new season – they currently lie in seventh place in the top-flight and only five points off the top with a game in hand – Smith will surely never have a better chance to give Ramsey the chance to impress.

Things have been going well for the Midlands club, and it’s when the team is performing like this, that makes it so much easier for younger players to bed in and actually show their potential.

It’s all set up for Smith to finally bring through their potential heir to Grealish.

After their title-winning season last time out, Liverpool will be looking at ensuring the Premier League title makes it’s way back to Anfield at the end of next season.

To do so, however, the club will likely have to make some important signings to add some real depth in quality to an already star-studded squad. So far, Jurgen Klopp has signed Greek left-back Kostas Tsimikas from Greek side Olympiacos for £11.7 million (BBC Sport) and will be wanting to carry on how they’ve started.

Liverpool have been linked with countless players already in the first few weeks that the window has been open, something that is expected for a team at the top and with a manager such as Klopp, who tends to attract some of the best players in the game.

Who would be suitable signings for the club though, and which players would make realistic additions to an already incredible squad?

Ismaila Sarr

The Senegalese starlet’s name is certainly one that the Liverpool faithful won’t forget – the 22-year-old scored twice in the Reds’ first defeat of the season back at the end of February and wowed the Anfield crowd with an incredible performance that day.

The club have reportedly made contact with Watford over a move for the player, who tallied up 5 goals and 4 assists last season. It is likely that Sarr would provide backup for both Sadio Mané and Mo Salah, which makes the reported £40 million that Watford have asked for a little bit of a stretch – only time will tell if this is a move Liverpool will make.

Aissa Mandi

The 28-year-old Algerian defender has been plying his trade at Spanish club Real Betis since 2016 – and is on the radar of many clubs this transfer window. Liverpool have been linked with a move for the player over the past two weeks, with the departure of Dejan Lovren to Zenit leaving a gap in the squad for cover at centre-back – it is likely that the Reds will make another defensive signing before the window is up.

Mandi has a moderate season at Betis last campaign, averaging 3 clearances, 1.3 interceptions, and 1.1 tackles per game, as well as 2.1 aerial duels won per game.

Klopp and the club are reportedly close to agreeing a £9 million transfer for Mandi according to beIN SPORTS, as well as agreeing on personal terms with the player.

Ozan Kabak

Turkish defender Ozan Kabak is another player that has been reportedly on Liverpool’s radar this summer – but Schalke 04 have valued him at £40 million, but he could go for less due to the club’s reported financial issues (via DailyMail).

The 20-year-old had a strong campaign last season, averaging 1.4 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 3.6 clearances, and 2.9 aerial duels won – and with Lovren’s departure, it has also been recently reported that Joel Matip has been linked with a move to PSG, meaning the Reds would only have two first-choice centre-backs left.

If this is true, then a move for Kabak would make even more sense for the club.

Ben White

Our third and final centre-back on the list, the 22-year-old has been linked with the club after an impressive season on-loan at Leeds United from parent club Brighton.

White’s current market value is just under a mere £5 million, but Brighton have valued him at £50 million and want no less for the player according to Metro.

Last season, White averaged 1.6 tackles, 2.5 interceptions, 2.7 clearances, and 2.8 aerial duels won.

It is clear that Liverpool need strength in numbers in defense given Lovren’s departure and the aforementioned links with Matip to PSG – and White would bring great talent at a young age to learn from a player such as Virgil van Dijk.

Thiago Alcantara

The speculation between Thiago and Liverpool has been going on for months now after the Spanish midfielder reportedly admitted to wanting a move to the Merseyside club.

Thiago’s numbers for this season prove why he is one of the best midfielders in the world – with a 90.5% pass completion rate, averaging 1.9 tackles, 1.9 interceptions, as well as a 7.47/10 WhoScored match rating. According to sports journalist Fabrizio Romano, both Liverpool, and Thiago are keen to make the transfer happen, but it is the asking price that is causing issues, as Bayern are demanding £27 million for the player’s services, but Liverpool don’t want to spend that when they can sign him for free in just 5 months time.

Either way, a deal should be met as soon as possible, as the addition of Thiago would make Liverpool’s midfield one of the best in the world.

The absolute perfect start for Everton and Carlo Ancelotti to the new Premier League season.

The Toffees followed up their superb 1-0 win over Tottenham last weekend, with a comprehensive 5-2 victory over West Brom on Saturday afternoon, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin wreaking havoc with a hat-trick.

But whilst the striker has started the new campaign like a house on fire with four goals in the opening two league games, there was one man who arguably outshone him against West Brom: James Rodriguez.

How big of an Everton fan are you? Can you spot Mikel Arteta from Graham Stuart? This quiz will test your knowledge, try it if you’re brave enough…



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The Colombia international had an impressive Premier League debut against Spurs, but really showcased why he could be one of the signings of the season with a virtuouso performance on Saturday.

He scored his first goal in an Everton shirt with a trademark strike from outside the box, arrowing a left-footed effort into the bottom corner and past Sam Johnstone.

But aside from getting on the score-sheet, Rodriguez gave the Toffees that little bit extra in the final third, adding a much-needed cutting edge to their attacks.

Numerous times he looked to play more incisive passes into the likes of Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, and it was his lofted ball over the top that found the latter in the build-up to Everton’s fourth.

As per Sofascore, he had 73 touches over the course of the game, providing an impressive three key passes – a total only bettered by Lucas Digne.

And because of his willingness to take risks and try things, it was no surprise that Rodriguez actually lost possession 19 times. But crucially for Everton, there is a much more positive trade-off.

Whilst not all of Rodriguez’s passes or flicks may come off, he has the kind of creativity to unlock defences and make a key difference in games.

Even though Calvert-Lewin may take all the headlines for his hat-trick, it was Rodriguez who was the real hero for Ancelotti on Saturday.

Leeds United’s time in the Championship is over and they’ll be hoping they have seen the back of the competition for the foreseeable future.

Now it’s time to prepare for a first top-flight campaign in 16 years and to ensure their survival amongst the big dogs, recruitment must be spot on this summer.

The Yorkshire giants can’t follow the plights of Fulham, Norwich City and very nearly Aston Villa in recent seasons. An instant return would be disastrous.

One of the key areas that Marcelo Bielsa could be looking to improve is in attacking midfield – since the restart, the league winners have seemed ever so reliant on Pablo Hernandez and his mercurial talents.

The 35-year-old veteran has often come off the bench to swing matches in Leeds’ favour. A goal and assist versus Stoke City, the winner against Swansea and in recent starts, he’s provided two assists and another strike.

However, given his age, it’s wise to start planning ahead for when he may eventually bow out.

A potential replacement could be seen in the Canaries’ Emi Buendia, who the club have enquired about in recent weeks. But he could cost multi-millions with 90min suggesting a fee of around £25m for his services.

Though maybe United already have the perfect understudy and eventual heir to Hernandez’s throne already at the club. Recent performances certainly allude to that being the case.

Jamie Shackleton has been deployed in a similar role during the final two games of the season and he’s managed to score twice whilst recording three tackles, four shots and no worse than a 83.3% passing accuracy. In fact, during the Derby game, the 20-year-old enjoyed an impressive 93.1%, via WhoScored.

These are key attributes that the Spanish wizard possesses himself and even when you delve into Bielsa’s praise of the young maestro, you get the feeling that he could one day be Hernandez’s successor.

“He can attack by surprise, he defends well and when he moves he has explosive movements. With these kind of movements, he can surprise his opponent and he looks for space at the right time”

Neil McCann has drawn parallels between Glasgow Rangers’ James Tavernier and Borna Barisic and Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson.

The ‘Gers were in action on Wednesday night as they faced St Johnstone at Ibrox, and the two full-backs played a big role – Barisic scored and provided an assist, whilst Tavernier also impressed with a 7.8 SofaScore rating. This follows on from their form last season, when they managed 29 assists between them – no ‘Gers player created as many goals as either of the pair.

As such, former ‘Gers player McCann has compared their importance to the Reds’ full-back duo. He told Rangers TV (via Inside Futbol):

“We are always talking about the best team in England just now, winning the Champions League last year.

“Their two full-backs are so important to them when they are getting into the high areas, Trent Alexander-Arnold and of course our own Andy Robertson.

“So when you are getting in there, you are always judged on your product and your end product in the final third.

“Those two boys [Barisic and Tavernier] generally come up with quality.“

Alexander-Arnold and Robertson are arguably the best in their respective positions at the moment. They have helped to revolutionise the full-back role and they have tallied a mammoth 56 assists between them in the past two campaigns. Valued at £99m and £57.6m respectively by Transfermarkt, they have been huge players for Jurgen Klopp.

Of course, no-one is saying that Barisic and Tavernier are in that class, but they do have a similar importance to the ‘Gers – if Steven Gerrard wants to win a first piece of silverware at Ibrox, he will need to hope those two players continue to shine throughout the season.

‘Gers fans, is McCann’s comparison a fair one? Let us know what you think by commenting below!

Having perhaps rather fortunately edged out Eintracht Frankfurt to top spot in their Europa League group on the final match-day, Arsenal would have been hoping for a kind draw for the first knockout round of the competition.

And when Greek side Olympiacos came out, there may have been a few Gunners licking their lips at the prospect of facing them. After all, the north London side’s bitter rivals Tottenham registered a pretty emphatic 4-2 win over them in the Champions League group stages just last month.

But whilst on the face of it, it looks like a relatively straightforward tie, Arsenal have encountered some major difficulties against Olympiacos in years gone by. Indeed, their record against them makes for surprising reading. In the eight times they have met each other in recent history, both sides have picked up four victories apiece, with six of the total games being won by the home side.

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Olympiacos and their home stadium is one of those testing atmospheres in European football, and it won’t be an easy feat for the Gunners to head over there to get a positive result. Finishing top of their group means Arsenal do have the advantage of playing the second leg at the Emirates, and that could well prove to be the defining factor in terms of who actually progresses.

The north Londoners have already shown that their away form remains an Achilles heel for them, with notable defeats this season to the likes of Liverpool, Leicester and Sheffield United. Whilst the Europa League is the second-tier competition in respect to the glitz and glamour of the Champions League, the Gunners must not and cannot afford to under-estimate their opponents.

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Arsenal Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

Indeed, the fact remains Olympiacos were in the Champions League this season, and Arsenal won’t. Taking an attitude into that game of thinking the side are better and becoming complacent about it could be their downfall. It’s something they desperately need to guard against.

Meanwhile, Arsenal fans have slammed this star after his anonymous display against Manchester City last weekend.

A fresh article linking midfielder Jesse Lingard with an exit from Old Trafford has excited many Manchester United fans this week.

Chief football writer at the Independent, Miguel Delaney, claims the 27-year-old could be allowed to leave the Red Devils this summer and he already has his eye on a move to Italy following the success of his former teammates.

The likes of Romelu Lukaku, Chris Smalling, Ashley Young and Alexis Sanchez have all swapped the Premier League for Serie A in the past 12 months – and Lingard could be next.

Popular fan page @utdreport ran a story which has only stoked the fire even more, suggesting reasons to why the Englishman is ‘likely’ to end his 20-year association with his boyhood club.

And several supporters are thrilled with the news…

It’s even led to some fans suggesting that it could mean there will be potential incoming this summer with Wolves’ Raul Jimenez being mentioned despite playing in a different position.

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

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The club have also been mooted heavily with the likes of Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho and Aston Villa skipper Jack Grealish.

Some members of the Old Trafford faithful even suggested that some of the other players in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad should follow him out the door ahead of next season, including Andreas Pereira, who was one name that cropped up.

AND in other news, Man Utd fans react to key Odion Ighalo update…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

The fact that Liverpool midfielder Fabinho had to be substituted off in the 19th minute against Napoli and then was pictured wearing a protective boot post-match isn’t a good sign, and if his injury proves to be serious then manager Jurgen Klopp could choose to lean on a man with only three starts to his name this season – Adam Lallana.

The former Southampton midfielder has unsurprisingly found his game-time limited so far in 2019/20, with the Reds unstoppable in the Premier League, although a little shaky in the Champions League.

Nevertheless, the 31-year-old has only featured for 304 minutes in total, with 180 of those coming in the Carabao Cup victories against the MK Dons and Arsenal.

His only other start came in the Premier League against Aston Villa earlier this month, when he played in a defensive midfield role at Villa Park alongside Georginio Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson, with Fabinho on the bench.

It’s fair to say that Klopp didn’t sound too hopeful when describing the Brazil international’s issue following the 1-1 draw with the Serie A giants, and should he be ruled out then the former Borussia Dortmund boss may be forced to lean on Lallana again.

He shouldn’t have an issue doing that either, even if we are approaching a crucial – and heavily congested – December and festive period for the Reds.

Klopp admitted back in the summer that he saw the No.6 role as one the 31-year-old could play, but that it must be a “very dominant game” for Liverpool.

Looking at the fixture list and given the Merseyside outfit’s top flight performances and results so far this season, upcoming home matches against Brighton and Hove Albion, Everton and Watford will certainly come under that category, while the trips to Bournemouth and Villa –again – arguably would, too.

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Given how successful Fabinho has been in that position – 2.5 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.1 key passes per game in the Premier League, as per WhoScored, is testament to that – which has allowed Jordan Henderson to enjoy a slightly more advanced role, he would be no doubt be a huge, huge miss if his injury proves to be serious.

But Klopp has shown he isn’t afraid to place his trust in Lallana, and he may be forced to lean on him again if the worst happens.

In other Liverpool news, fans have been gushing over a Napoli player after Wednesday, and it isn’t Koulibaly or Mertens…

They’re not calling it fatal fortnight but they probably should be. November 19th 2019 will go down as a watershed day not only in Tottenham Hotspur’s history but also in the Premier League’s. 

It was a Tuesday evening and, for those millions who haven’t yet grasped the concept of a finite reality, people settled in to feast their eyes upon a 60 minute political debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn – or, in other words, people willingly agreed to stare into the abyss and ponder over the realisation that the only explanation for the UK’s political fiasco is that we are mere subordinates living in a simulated reality.  

The debate took place at Media City in Salford, but back in the capital a tectonic plate shifted. Mauricio Pochettino, a man who had stolen the hearts of Spurs fans and neutrals alike during a dramatic stint in north London, was sacked just before the debate kicked off and the news spread like wildfire on social media, leaving fans questioning the soul of modern day football and the distinct lack of loyalty within it.

Before the public had even had time to digest such a stunning decision, Jose Mourinho was back in a Premier League hotseat by Wednesday morning, quips prepared, rehearsed and perfected ahead of the official relaunch of Jose 2.0 – otherwise known as The Humble One. 

In the blinking of an eye Daniel Levy had epitomised the extent of his ruthlessness and sent out a message to the Premier League’s boardroom schmucks. That’s right, the men in suits who make all the decisions and blame the managers when it turns out their transfer policy, which would leave plenty to be desired on football manager, has actually produced nothing  close to resembling a well-oiled football team.

Perhaps he had confirmed those suspicions of supporters who strongly believe that loyalty in football is already verging on an archaic concept, but there was a business logic behind the decision and it clearly set a precedent for the rest of the division.

Prior to the Argentine’s dismissal only one manager had been sacked in England’s top-flight, which isn’t bad going for a characteristically trigger-happy division. Javi Gracia left Watford after just four games of the season following a 20 month spell in which he managed to take the Hornets to the FA Cup Final.

The domestic cup run, which ended in a 6-0 final defeat to Manchester City just four months prior to his dismissal, clearly counted for nothing when the decision was made, but if there’s anything Watford do represent it’s anything resembling an antonym of loyalty or patience. Business as usual at Vicarage Road.

The Pochettino decision, though, prompted the beginning of a 16 day period of time (let’s call it a fortnight for sake of well-intended sensationalism and drama) which saw three more managers dismissed. Unai Emery was the first to go on November 29th. Quique Sanchez Flores – Gracia’s successor – followed the Spaniard into unemployment two days later before the final execution was completed on the evening of December 5th with Marco Silva’s dismissal.

All of the aforementioned managers, to a degree, had it coming and there is a web of clear reasoning behind the decisions made by each of their respective former employers. But it is intriguing to note that these three sackings arrived almost immediately after Poch was sent on his way. 

Everyone is always comparing themselves to their peers and football is no different. If Tottenham are bold enough to sack a man as widely loved and revered as Pochettino, why should Farhad Moshiri or Stan Kroenke have an issue dismissing Silva or Emery? What possible justification could they have had to show patience in a profession so markedly devoid of it? The tone was set and the dominoes fell accordingly, leaving Pochettino as a contender for two new jobs quicker than he could become a martyr at his former club. 

Tottenham’s motto suggests To Dare is to Do. Regardless of whether Spurs fans agreed with Levy’s decisions, there can be no doubting he stayed true to the club’s core message when pertinent questions were asked about the direction the club was moving in.

He acted when most would have persisted, hoping and praying that something would change, that things could be different. It’s a calculated dare that’s paying off right now and, given Mourinho’s return of four wins from six games at the helm, the early prognosis suggests the enigmatic businessman is as shrewd as they come in his niche field of work.

Regardless of the short or long-term merits of the decision, though, fatal fortnight proved revealed Levy’s wider influence in the Premier League.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

After enjoying an impressive beginning to the campaign that saw them start the match-day weekend in the top-half of the Premier League table, Crystal Palace fell to a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Snapshot

As many would have expected, Roy Hodgson’s side were set up to try and soak up the pressure before hitting the Blues on the counter-attack. Unfortunately for the Eagles, whilst they held out for the first-half, they couldn’t stop the west London side from breaching their defence just after the break.

A fine flick from Willian set Tammy Abraham free inside the box, and the centre-forward buried the opportunity to give Chelsea the lead. The goal seemed to give Frank Lampard’s men the confidence in their search for a second, and former Borussia Dortmund man Christian Pulisic duly obliged with just over ten minutes remaining. In a game where they mustered just one shot on target in the entire game, Hodgson desperately needed someone like Christian Benteke to bring a focal point to their attack.

Off the bench

At 6 foot 3, the 28-year-old has always been an intimidating presence up front. He has an incredible career average of winning 6.9 aerial duels per game, and against Chelsea, his side could really have done with that. Palace averaged just 40% possession at Stamford Bridge, and whilst Jordan Ayew battled admirably at the top of the pitch – he earned two free-kicks and won eight duels – he was starved of service.

Bringing someone like Benteke on to partner him, or even replace him, would have brought the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend into the game. Whenever Chelsea pressed, the Palace defence could simply go back-to-front instead of trying to play through the lines, and that would have helped get them a much-needed foot-hold in the contest. Instead, Hodgson chose to bring on Jeffrey Schlupp and James McCarthy despite the side needing goals. It was a major in-game insight that the experienced boss completely missed.