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Joelinton’s late miss at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday night proved costly as Newcastle United failed to secure all three points for the 19th time this season.

The Toon are now on the cusp of the Premier League relegation zone in 17th-place after three-straight winless affairs, having let a rare victory slip away after failing to bounce back again after Ruben Neves’ equaliser.

Newcastle had started the brighter of the two sides but they lost their way following injuries for Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin, who join top-scorer Callum Wilson and defenders Fabian Schar and Javier Manquillo in the treatment room.

United still had chances to seal only a third win in their last 15 top-flight games but were punished by Joelinton producing a costly miss in the dying stages.

The Brazilian had the better of Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio from 12-yards out after being found in an open pocket of space in the heart of the visitors’ box by Jacob Murphy, only for Romain Saiss to block his effort on the line and see the ball loop over the crossbar.

Joelinton’s strike marked one of three efforts taken on Saturday night, no Newcastle player took more, but failed to turn either home despite finding the target each time to remain on a single goal for the Premier League season, per WhoScored.

Bruce could only rue United’s number of missed chances to score against the Molineux natives, having seen the Magpies take 19 shots as a team but only find the net with one of seven on-target attempts.

“It’s the same story, if you create chances but don’t take them, in the Premier League you’ll get punished,” Bruce said, via quotes by Chronicle Live, following the 1-1 draw. “We’ve had three wonderful chances and then one with Joelinton with 10 minutes to go.”

Newcastle cannot afford to see chances like Joelinton’s go to waste given their peril at the bottom end of the Premier League table, with the Brazilian’s timid finishing only serving to hold United back in their quest for safety.

It was a much more productive performance from the £18m-rated flop, signed for a club-record £40m in 2018, who offered three shots and direct each on target, compared to his average 0.6 from 1.3 efforts per game in the top-flight this term, per WhoScored.

But with Wilson still out for the next three to four weeks, Bruce had to see Joelinton take up the burden and instead only witnessed the 24-year-old miss a huge chance to seal a much-needed win. His miss could have cost the Toon all three points too, had Martin Dubravka not been positioned well to deny Fabio Silva in stoppage-time.

Dubravka was done no favours by Isaac Hayden in the lead-up to Wolves’ equalising effort, as he failed to track Neves as he moved to meet Pedro Neto’s cross.

Yet the midfielder can be somewhat pardoned, given he was shifted to right-back following Emil Krafth’s injury but without receiving the instructions soon enough – much to the frustration of captain Jamaal Lascelles.

AND in other news, Newcastle have joined the race for a sought-after “real talent” capable of “outstanding” displays…

Leeds United have had a brilliant first season back in the Premier League.

The Whites are comfortably sitting in mid-table and have secured their safety ahead of the next campaign. Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani can, therefore, breathe a huge sigh of relief.

On the chalkboard

There have been plenty of positives to Leeds’ play this season. Raphinha has proven to be a vibrant addition while very few would have expected Patrick Bamford to score double figures and find the net with such regularity.

Yet, one of the huge negatives has been in midfield. Kalvin Phillips is as reliable as ever but when the England international doesn’t play, Leeds struggle.

Pascal Struijk has looked every bit a Premier League defender but when he’s operated in a defensive midfield role, he hasn’t looked the part.

Indeed, Struijk was dragged off at half time in Leeds’ FA Cup defeat to Crawley at the beginning of the year, failing to win a single ground duel. Then, against Brighton, the Dutchman surrendered possession 13 times and was 8% down on his average pass success rate.

Those areas are pretty fundamental when playing in a holding area but he has been found wanting too often. Noel Whelan has been one of Struijk’s critics when featuring in that part of the field, saying: “I think Struijk looks out of place, playing Kalvin’s role.”

It’s hard to argue against that point given the unfavourable aggregate scoreline of 15-6 when the youngster plays in midfield.

The solution

One easy way of ending the Struijk experiment would be to sign another midfielder. Lille general Boubakary Soumare has been linked with a move to Elland Road in recent months while French wonderkid Edouardo Camavinga has too.

The Yorkshire Evening Post revealed their interest in the midfielder at the start of the month, only for Phil Hay to laugh off claims that he could move to Yorkshire.

That being said, with the money Radrizzani and the 49ers possess, alongside the lure of Bielsa, it could be an attractive proposition for Camavinga.

Still only 18 years of age, the thought of the France international lining up alongside Phillips in the Leeds midfield is a mouth-watering prospect.

After all, this is a player highly thought of in France and deemed the next big thing. He’s been compared to N’Golo Kante and been given consistent high appraisals. Former Rennes academy boss Landry Chauvin once told Bleacher Report (via Planet Football):

“He has this simplicity that brings the ball to life. He touches the ball as much as anyone else, but sparingly. He doesn’t need to carry it. He passes the ball, he makes himself available; he passes, he makes himself available.”

Assess the stats and you can envisage what a midfield pairing of Camavinga and Phillips would look like. The teenager has amassed 2.7 tackles per game this term, a tally which coincidentally amounts to the same number as Leeds’ ever-improving midfielder.

With those two in the middle of the park, they’d have the potential to break up even the highest quality of teams when they try to attack.

Rated at £45m, it would be a hugely expensive deal. That being said, if a chance arises, they must secure his signature. Camavinga is too good to ignore.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Meslier: Leeds gem who made just 10 passes is becoming a huge issue…

At long last, Wolves have signed a new striker. Willian Jose is the name on supporters’ lips with the Brazilian arriving on loan from Real Sociedad.

However, it would appear that Jeff Shi isn’t quite done in the transfer market yet.

What’s the word?

Football Insider reported back in November that Wolves were keeping tabs on Peterborough winger Siriki Dembele.

However, there has now been an update on the future of the impressive 24-year-old forward.

According to the same publication, Nottingham Forest have made a loan to buy bid for Dembele who has reportedly put in a transfer request to leave Posh.

FI go on to reiterate Wolves’ interest in the player, also stating that Celtic, Fulham and Crystal Palace are all in pursuit.

Shades of Sako

Wolves fans won’t want to be reminded of their spell in League One back in 2013/14, but one player they will probably remember fondly is Bakary Sako.

At that level of the English football pyramid, the forward was close to unstoppable, proving to be a valuable asset as the Old Gold tried to climb back through the leagues.

Sako netted 12 goals in 40 outings, also providing 15 assists for his teammates. It was a mesmeric campaign from the Malian who proved equally devastating at Championship level.

The attacker netted 15 times and picked up a further ten assists for his troubles, putting in performances that terrified defenders. During the 2014/15 term, he produced 2.9 shots per game, 1.5 key passes a match and also 2.8 dribbles over the same metric.

But why does this hold any relevance in the present day? Well, Dembele has been producing similar performances at the same level for Peterborough.

The Wolves target, who like Sako can play on the wing or up front, has been nothing short of exceptional over the last two seasons. Speaking about the Posh striker last year, his manager Darren Ferguson said: “The boy has been absolutely outstanding since realising he can play as a central striker.”

Indeed, Dembele has scored six goals and provided seven assists this season. That adds to the six strikes and nine assists he amassed in 2019/20.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-wolves-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Wolves news”]

Though, to compare him more closely to Sako, we can analyse the more detailed stats. The fearsome Peterborough man has managed fewer shots than the former Wolves flanker – two per game – but his creativity and ability to beat a man is better.

Dembele has delivered 1.8 key passes a match while his dazzling capabilities have led to an eye-catching three dribbles per game.

It remains to be seen what Dembele could do at a higher level but those attributes certainly demonstrate that he’d bring an awful lot to Wolves.

Nuno Santo has regularly developed talent from the lower leagues and you only need to look at the likes of Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota to understand how you can rise up the leagues with Wolves before thriving in the Premier League.

With Wolves struggling and lacking goals with Raul Jimenez out injured, signing another forward on top of Willian Jose certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea.

AND in other news, Wolves could find their dream Traore successor by landing “extremely quick” 31-cap ace…

When Steven Gerrard confirmed five players had been removed from the Rangers squad after a Covid breach, there was a collective groan from most supporters.

Rangers are flying right now with the 54-time Scottish champions four wins away from claiming the club’s first league title in a decade.

After finishing second for the second time in as many seasons, there was a sense that the club would have to be brave and daring in the transfer market last summer.

And the Gers did not disappoint, signing the likes of Calvin Bassey, Leon Balogun, Jermain Defoe, Cedric Itten, Jon McLaughlin, Kemar Roofe and Bongani Zungu, before bringing in Nnamdi Ofoborh, Jack Simpson and Scott Wright in the latest transfer window.

With Gerrard’s side 15 points clear of Celtic, the club should be brimming with a sense of belief, yet they have been brought crashing back down to earth after two of the aforementioned players breached coronavirus protocols.

Another one was Nathan Patterson, who has been a fringe player for the Gers this season and was briefly linked with a loan move away from Ibrox in January.

Patterson has shown glimpses of his quality during his limited time with the first team since breaking through the academy ranks.

He played 66′ minutes against Lech Poznan in the Europa League and followed that up with 22′ minutes against Ross County in the Scottish Premiership.

And although he has since been relegated to the fringes of Gerrard’s squad this season, his temporary absence will still leave Rangers short at right-back.

James Tavernier is the club’s only other recognised player in that position and at 29, is arguably Gerrard’s most trusted lieutenant, having started every Premiership game so far this season with 11 goals and 10 assists to show for his 29 starts.

Unfortunately for Gerrard, however, Tavernier was forced off in the first half of the 4-3 win over Antwerp and this has posed some awkward questions for Ross Wilson and co, as it has left the right flank looking rather vulnerable. Patterson could still prove to be a fine player, but Rangers clearly need reinforcements in the summer.

And so it is baffling that they didn’t bolster an area where they evidently lack depth, as they failed to add a single player in this position. Beyond Tavernier, Rangers currently do not have another reliable right-back near the peak of their game. Now they will have to cling to the hope that he hasn’t suffered a long-term injury or at the very least one that will have a significant impact on his performance levels between now and the end of the season.

AND in other Rangers news, Rangers receive James Tavernier injury boost before Antwerp Europa League clash…

MatériaMais Notícias

Antes mesmo do clássico entre Corinthians e São Paulo começar, relatos de briga entre torcidas já surgiram. Segundo a Rádio Band News FM, torcedores de ambos os clubes entraram em confronto no acesso à Rodovia Dom Pedro I, antes do pedágio de Itatiba, interior de São Paulo.

Em uma de suas redes sociais, a rádio divulgou um vídeo de uma ouvinte que mostra torcedores do Corinthians correndo e carros voltando de marcha ré para fugir do foco da confusão. Dois ônibus foram depredados.

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Ainda de acordo com a Band News FM, há relatos de briga de torcidas no fim da Rodovia Raposo Tavares, na chegada a São Paulo, e no Terminal Pirituba, na Avenida Raimundo Pereira de Magalhães. Não há informação de feridos até o momento.

Tottenham Hotspur are currently top of the Premier League table and even though it is early days, they have to be considered genuine title contenders having lost just once thus far.And Jose Mourinho has Harry Kane and Heung-min Son’s form largely to thank for their impressive start to the season. The prolific and red-hot duo combined again to down arch-rivals Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.18 of the 23 goals scored by the north Londoners in the English top-flight have come from that very attacking partnership – in total, Kane has scored eight goals and assisted ten more while Son has found the net ten times and has also provided three assists, per WhoScored.But for all of their dominance and writing of the headlines, it is Mourinho’s defence that has gone under the radar, particularly the performances of Eric Dier.It’s now five clean sheets in their last six Premier League outings, which includes matches against the Gunners, Chelsea and even Manchester City.What a turn around it has been for the English colossus…

Despair under Pochettino

The 26-year-old looked certain to be heading for a career crossroad under former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino – no one knew whether he was best suited as a defensive midfielder or as a centre-back, which often meant others were selected over him.

Before the Argentine was sacked, Dier had played just two full 90-minute matches from 12 outings in the early days of the 2019/20 season.

Speaking to The Athletic about his potential position change, Dier said:

“I went to see him, it was more about my position and where I was playing. We had spoken for many years about me gradually making that transition back to centre-back. For the last three years we’d had many conversations on it. And it was me saying to him: for me, it was now. And if it wasn’t for him, we’d have to find another solution.”

Well, Dier was used just once as a centre-back by Pochettino after that conversation. Clearly, the ex-Spurs chief never truly fancied him in the role as in the previous two seasons, the 6 foot 2 powerhouse made just four appearances as a central defender.

Revival under Mourinho

Now you only have to look at him under Mourinho to see the incredible shift in talent. He has started all but one of the Premier League matches at centre-back with Spurs currently ranking as the top-flight’s best defence having only leaked nine goals.

In the summer, Dier signed a new contract, citing the ‘Special One’ as the major factor and it’s hardly a surprise – you can see the £85k-per-week star really enjoying his football these days.

“For me, that was the biggest part of wanting to stay at Tottenham and sign the new deal – it was purely footballing. I was really happy that Mourinho would give me the opportunity to play centre-back again and to prove myself there. I’m really excited,” Dier told GQ magazine.

In the Premier League, Dier is averaging 5.7 clearances (third-best in the division), 2.9 aerial duels won, over 60 passes at an accuracy of 84.4% per game, via WhoScored.

No other top-flight player has managed more headed clearances (37) either.

It’s no wonder pundits have been quick to praise his form this season.

Ex-Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas dubbed Dier “sensational” after defeating City whilst Gary Neville told Sky Sports (via football.london) at the weekend: “He’s got pace, he’s a good leader, a good character, he’s good on the ball and he’s defending really well.”

The €30m-rated (£27m) centre-back rightly deserves just as much praise as Messrs Kane and Son, even more so if they pull off the unthinkable, after all… defence wins you championships.

AND in other news, Worse than Bergwijn: Levy heading for huge Spurs howler over £10.8m-rated “big talent”…

Glasgow Rangers have a pretty stacked squad after a hefty summer spending spree, but if there’s one position Steven Gerrard still needs to fill, it’s a goalscoring, box-to-box midfielder.

What was the story?

Reports in recent times revealed that Rangers were interested in signing Lewis Ferguson from Scottish Premiership rivals Aberdeen after Gerrard had identified the former Hamilton Academical academy product as one of his top targets in the summer.

In the end, the Gers signed Bongani Zungu from Amiens on an initial loan deal on transfer deadline day instead. However, Glen Kamara’s future remains uncertain amid interest in the midfielder from Premier League clubs like Leeds United and Newcastle United and European giants such as Borussia Dortmund and Monaco, whilst Steven Davis’ contract is set to expire in 2021, with Gerrard remaining coy over talks of a potential extension.

Coupled with the fact that Scott Arfield also isn’t getting any younger, there may soon come a point where Rangers will have to rejuvenate their aging midfield – they have the second oldest squad in the Scottish Premiership. So, Ross Wilson must return for Ferguson in the near future.

Gerrard’s dream

Gerrard knows a thing or two about being a hardworking box-to-box player, as he carved out a career by playing as a central midfielder, featuring as a second striker, holding midfielder, an attacking midfielder, right back and right winger on several occasions as well – you get the idea.

Whilst we aren’t for one minute suggesting that Ferguson is anywhere near as good as Gerrard right now, as there is still room for improvement in terms of the diversity of his passing, he has been one of the best players for Aberdeen over the past couple of years.

Like Gerrard, the 21-year-old, who is the nephew of Rangers legend Barry Ferguson, prefers to play with his right foot. He has scored 8 goals and supplied 2 assists in the Scottish Premiership this season so far, whilst he is averaging 2.2 shots, 1.8 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 1.2 clearances per game, via WhoScored. In contrast, even Kamara is managing fewer than one tackle, one interception and one clearance per league game, as per WhoScored.

Ferguson famously scored an overhead kick to take the Europa League qualifier against Burnley at Turf Moor to extra time. Whilst his efforts were ultimately in vain, Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes heaped praise on the youngster for his performance, saying he will “only get better.”

Granted, Gerrard isn’t short of options, as he has generally opted for a combination of Kamara, Davis, Scott Arfield, Ryan Jack and Joe Aribo in the middle of the pitch so far this term, whilst Zungu is yet to make his first-team debut for the Ibrox outfit, although he is in contention to start against Hamilton on Sunday afternoon. However, as we all know, that could all change in a matter of months when the transfer market opens again.

Ferguson won’t come cheap, as he is currently contracted until 2024 at Pittodrie, whilst the Dons are keen to keep a hold of him for as long as they can. One thing’s for sure, he’d be a perfect option for Gerrard if the chance to sign him arises once again.

AND in other news, Bassey & Balogun start, no Helander: Glasgow Rangers Predicted XI vs Hamilton…

Former Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder Deco has said that Leeds United’s summer signing Raphinha is one of a kind.

The Brazilian attacker arrived at Elland Road as a European deadline day signing, costing the Premier League club £16.72m from Ligue 1 side Rennes.

A move which took Leeds’ summer spending close to the £100m mark, it saw the 22-year-old added to the Whites’ attacking options, which include the likes of Helder Costa, Jack Harrison and emerging young talent Ian Poveda.

Having only played 15 minutes since his arrival in Yorkshire, Raphinha is already gaining praise from a number of key football men with two-time Champions League winner Deco now giving his thoughts on the winger’s potential.

What has Deco said about Raphinha?

“Raphinha is a warrior boy, with a difficult history, he won everything on the wrist and still wins, because he still has a long career ahead of him,” the ex-Portugal midfielder told UOL.

“It is not easy for a player to transfer practically four times in an interval of two years, all because of his quality. Although we have many extremes in Brazilian football, I do not believe that there is another southpaw with his characteristics.”

Prior to his Leeds move, Raphinha had moved from his native Brazil and had no fewer than three different clubs including Vitoria Guimaraes, Sporting Lisbon and Rennes.

Will Raphinha make an impact at Leeds?

Under the management and guidance of Marcelo Bielsa, the 23-year-old arguably has the best chance to make an impact in English football and Europe.

Leeds have started the Premier League season in fine form, and whilst Jack Harrison and Helder Costa continue to hold down the wide positions, chances are expected to come to allow Raphinha to potentially make an impact.

For now, the youngster has to be patient, but Deco’s comments hint at the scale of his potential.

READ MORE: One Leeds player was a ‘breath of fresh air’ after his display against Aston Villa

Chelsea have made it their mission to bring in another high-profile striker in this transfer window. 

According to Football Insider, Frank Lampard wants to add another marquee singing to his roster and another talented centre-forward to compete for a place in the team.

The report claims that, with the backing of the Chelsea board and Roman Abramovich, Lampard really wants to kit out his squad ahead of next season. He has already secured the signings of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, who cost a combined £90m.

ESPN reported that Chelsea have a further £120m to spend this summer, which will help the Blues to strengthen several areas of concern.

Lampard has identified his defence as the main priority, with hopes to replace goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who hasn’t done enough to prove himself to the manager this season. It now seems that the Stamford Bridge legend is looking to ensure he has one of the best attacking units, if not the best, in the Premier League.

Chelsea have acknowledged that they need to bridge the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City. In order to do so, the Blues must field an attack that any opposing team will fear and it seems that this is exactly what Lampard is trying to do.

The report hasn’t mentioned a specific new target, but with big money potential transfer Kai Havertz also on the radar, it’s likely that the club want to spend big. However, this could be a problem for Werner, who may have joined Chelsea with the idea of becoming the main focus up front.

If Lampard brings in another high-calibre centre-forward, the German may have some serious competition on his hand, especially with the 42-year-old’s ruthless nature this season in his regular chopping and changing of the starting lineup. As such, Werner may be snubbed in favour of the potential new signing on more than one occasion.

Do you think Chelsea should sign another striker this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

West Ham United could move quickly on from Grady Diangana with a dip into the transfer market and one name has been linked with a move to the London Stadium this week…

What’s the word?

According to A Bola (via Sport Witness), the Hammers are one of three Premier League clubs chasing Sporting Lisbon winger Jovane Cabral this summer.

It’s claimed that West Ham have been following the 22-year-old since last season, although the Portuguese outfit are yet to receive any concrete offers for their attacking star.

They are believed to want around €20m (£18m) for his services with Tottenham Hotspur and newly-promoted Fulham also in the race.

Diangana alternative

On Wednesday, news broke that the Irons hierarchy had accepted a bid of £18m from West Brom for their loan sensation Diangana, meaning the Hammers are going to lose out on one of their own exciting talents.

However, Cabral wouldn’t be a bad replacement whatsoever.

Per WhoScored, the Portuguese wizard provided six goals and two assists in just 19 appearances, averaging 2.9 shots, 2.1 dribbles and 1.2 key passes per game.

It means Cabral manages more attempts at goal than any other Hammers player, including Michail Antonio and Seb Haller so clearly he’d be a nice threat to have in east London.

He has been likened to one-time Irons target Gelson Martins and dubbed as a “wing sensation” by PortuGOAL whilst Manchester United’s January addition Bruno Fernandes has been a bit of a mentor for him even since swapping Portugual for Old Trafford.

“I didn’t teach him anything. What he did in the game is down to his quality, his ability. In my opinion, he did not have a great game because I know Jovane’s quality and I think he can give more,” said Fernandes to Canal 11 (via InsideFutbol).

David Moyes couldn’t do much wrong if he manages to clinch Cabral as a direct successor to the departing Diangana.

AND in other news, Hammers plotting shock transfer for the ‘German Messi’…