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Having seen their game against Newcastle postponed last week, Aston Villa finally make their return to Premier League action when they travel to Wolves for the Saturday lunch-time kick-off.

Dean Smith’s side have had to stew on back-to-back defeats for the past couple of weeks, and will no doubt be itching to put things straight. Villa have got a couple of games in hand on the sides above them in the table, and a win against Wolves would go a long way to regaining the impressive momentum they had built up in the early weeks of the season.

Below is a look at just how Villa might line up for the clash on Saturday.

As has been the case all season, Smith is likely to stick to a tried-and-trusted back-line of Emiliano Martinez in goal, and the likes of Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Matt Targett in front of him.

Douglas Luiz and John McGinn are also likely to retain their places in midfield, but with Ross Barkley still not back to full fitness after picking up a hamstring injury in the game against Brighton, Conor Hourihane may finally come out of the shadows to play, armed with his “weapon” of dangerous set-pieces.

That could see talisman Jack Grealish keep his place on the left, whilst Smith may also want to tread cautiously over Trezeguet’s fitness given the Egyptian’s injury trouble in recent weeks – that could see summer signing Bertrand Traore start on the right.

And up top, Ollie Watkins will look to keep up his excellent start to life at Villa Park.

Predicted XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Luiz, McGinn; Traore, Hourihane, Grealish; Watkins.

Things don’t seem to be going right at Fulham at the moment.

Yes, they had an exciting transfer deadline day, bringing in the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tosin Adarabioyo and Joachim Andersen, but they’re still bottom of the league and yet to pick up a single point.

Of course, there are plenty of people to blame for this, the current players and the manager haven’t done their bit as of yet, but one man who certainly deserves some criticism is Tony Khan.

The Director of Football has been slammed in the press, with Jamie Carragher calling him a clown, and Scott Parker questioning his social media usage, but one thing that has somehow slipped everybody’s attention is how he’s blatantly ignored his own words and broken his own transfer vow.

Indeed, earlier this summer Khan spoke in an interview with the Times, and this was around the time Ryan Sessegnon was being linked with a loan move back to Craven Cottage.

Khan shot down this rumour, while also adding that he doesn’t want to fall into the trap of developing other people’s players by loaning them in when they’re not getting a game.

“I am not interested. Ryan already played for us in the Premier League and he didn’t do enough to keep us in there. We get two [Premier League] loans and I can’t be in the business of developing other people’s players when they don’t have time to play them,” He said.

Not wanting to develop other people’s players sounds like a fair approach, after all, his main focus should be Fulham’s long-term future, not aiding other clubs’ players in their development.

However, Fulham’s transfer business directly contradicts everything he said back in August.

It started well enough, signing an experienced outcast in Mario Lemina on loan with an obligation to buy if Fulham stay up, then Alphonse Areola, a Champions League regular who would add a lot to the squad followed.

Ola Aina then came in with an option to buy, but then Khan started to renege on his words.

Ademola Lookman, RB Leipzig’s 22-year-old winger who started just one league game last term, came in with no option to buy, and his arrival was followed up by Chelsea fringe player Loftus-Cheek and Lyon’s out of favour record signing Andersen, both aged 24, joining on loans with no purchase options.

What are these signings if not loans that help develop other team’s players when they don’t have time to play them?

Yes, all of the above players will add something to Fulham’s first-team, but Khan didn’t want to do this type of business at the start of the summer, and now the core of his XI may be made up of that exact profile of signing.

U-turns happen in football, and personally, we believe Lookman, Loftus-Cheek and Andersen to be good signings, but Khan is just leaving himself open to criticism by spouting these empty words and going back on his plans just a couple of months later.

Unfortunately, it makes it look as though he’s making it up as he goes along.

All attention shifted to next season as soon as the curtains closed on the 2019/2020 football season. Right now, both football fans and managers are back to the drawing board. Clubs want to improve their performance where they went wrong. Fans, on the other hand, are eager to see what managers will do. Ole Gunner Solskjaer finished the season in style after securing the third position for Manchester United. The Red Devils beat Leicester City 2-0 to return to the top.

As exciting as last season was, it revealed cracks in the team’s formation that Ole must address. The summer transfer window presented an opportune moment to acquire players with specific skills to strengthen United’s line up in the next season.

Solskjaer is quite tactful in his approach to the game. Some of the players that he wanted to sign are Jadon Sancho, Adrien Rabiot, Jack Grealish, and Jan Oblack. Here is list of United players who will form the line-up in the next season.

Goalkeeper

David De Gea once was impenetrable. However, David did not show his best this season. He made a few errors, some of which were quite costly to the team. Some sceptics think that the 29-year-old is slowly edging out of his prime performance. But this is not so. Since De Gea is United’s number one goalkeeper, everyone expects him to come back better in the next season.

Luckily, De Gea is not the only capable goalkeeper that Manchester has. Sergio Romeo is equally talented. He too can help Manchester overcome any adversary. Similarly, Dean Henderson is a masterful goalkeeper. He is set to comeback from Sheffield united where he is on a loan spell.

Defence

United don’t need any help in its defence. The defenders proved their worth in the last season with outstanding performances. Maguire played well, alongside Williams and Wan-Bissaka. Add Tuanzebe to the mix, and you get an impenetrable defence. Unfortunately, Tuanzebe was out of action for most of last season due to injury. However, come next season, he shall have fully recovered.

These four defenders are a nightmare for any striker. Their tackles are perfect, and they hardly make mistakes. Plus, they can pass the ball even when under immense pressure. These are qualities that make other managers envy the Red Devils.

Midfield

The midfield is one of the essential places to fill in a football match. A weak midfield means that the ball quickly reaches the defence, thus tiring them early. Also, a weak midfield makes it hard for strikers to score any goals. The midfield transitions the ball from the home post to the opponent’s goal post.

Such a high-pressure position requires players who are skilful, agile, fast, and accurate passing. With the likes of Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and new addition Donny van de Beek United’s midfield is sealed. Come next season, the trio can play together with Pogba in the deep centre.

The Attack

The attack should be the icing on the cake. Goal scoring is the most important part of any  match. Ole understands this and is set to give United a spectacular attack force. Unfortunately, Jadon Sancho did not come to Old Trafford in the summer transfer window.

Still, Marcus Rashford is also an excellent striker and will probably score more goals in the season. Similarly, Antony Marshal is a skilful striker who creates unique angles and baffles goalkeepers and defenders. Odion Ighalo is also a force to reckon with due to his strike force. He skilfully evades tackles from defenders before shooting.

While playing together, Rashford can take the left-wing while Martial drives the ball on the right. Ighalo is skilled enough to be between them. If you fancy them to win, you can bet here and cash in on this winning line-up.

The Formation

Next season, Ole can opt to go with the ever-reliable 4-4-3 formation. This formation ensures that the midfield is well covered and the defence has no leakages. The three strikers launch attacks from all sides, thus creating mayhem for their rivals. The 4-4-3 formation is an all-time favourite that compensates for any injuries or red cards.

Bottom Line

The Red Devils seem unstoppable with this line up. With the tactful guidance of Solskjaer, Manchester United could hardly lose any games. The glory of Man United can be restored. All that we can do is wait to see how everything plays out.

أعلن نادي مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي، في بيان رسمي قبل قليل، طبيعة إصابة لاعبه الإسباني فيران توريس، والتي تعرض لها أثناء فترة التوقف الدولي.

وتعرض توريس للإصابة أثناء المشاركة مع المنتخب الإسباني في منافسات دوري الأمم الأوروبية، والتي توج بها المنتخب الفرنسي.

ووفقًا للموقع الرسمي لمانشستر سيتي، يعاني فيران توريس الذي سجل هدفين في فوز إسبانيا في نصف نهائي دوري الأمم الأوروبية الأوروبية على إيطاليا وبدأ أيضًا نهائي البطولة ضد فرنسا، لكسر بسيط في القدم، وعاد منذ ذلك الحين إلى مانشستر لإجراء الاختبارات وسيستمر مراقبته.

لم يعلن مانشستر سيتي عن مدة الغياب المتوقعة، لكن تقارير الصحف تؤكد أن فيران توريس سيغيب لمدة تتراوح من أربعة إلى ستة أسابيع.

وبالتالي وفقًا لهذه التقارير لن يتمكن فيران توريس من المشاركة في الديربي أمام مانشستر يونايتد، والجولة التالية من كأس كاراباو، ومباريات دوري أبطال أوروبا ضد كلوب بروج على أرضه وخارجه، وكذلك باريس سان جيرمان.

Ferran Torres injury update ⬇️

Download 👉 https://t.co/hquZ2Stav3 #ManCity

— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 14, 2021

According to Goal journalist Charles Watts, Everton are interested in signing Stade de Reims defender Axel Disasi.

What’s the word?

Disasi has been heavily linked with a move to Everton’s Premier League rivals Arsenal in recent months, but it appears the Toffees have now set their sights on the 22-year-old too.

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…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Speaking during a Q&A on Youtube, Watts said: “Axel Disasi, another young French defender, probably available from Stade de Reims for about €13m (£11.8m). Attracting a lot of interest from England, Southampton have been looking at him, Everton, Wolves and also a lots of interest from abroad.”

Imagine him and Mina

At 6 foot 3, Disasi is as imposing as they come, and his performances in Ligue 1 for Reims has been nothing short of exemplary. Despite only being 22, he has been a mainstay of the French side’s defence, averaging 1.2 tackles and one interception per game in the league.

His former coach at Paris FC, Jean-Luc Vasseur waxed lyrical about his abilities, saying: “I realised quickly that he had great potential. I have rarely seen such serenity in such a young player. In addition to his athleticism, his great quality is his intelligence. He quickly understands.”

That key point Vasseur makes about Disasi’s reading of the game is exactly why Everton must surely fend off their rivals for his signature. Having him alongside the equally as dominant Yerry Mina at the back, could see the making of a formidable back-line at Goodison Park.

Mina can be his usual aggressive self – he has won an impressive 64% of his duels this season in the Premier League – whilst Disasi can be the more refined defender, intercepting passes before using his technical ability to keep things moving – he has averaged 55.3 passes at an accuracy of 84.6%.

It’s a combination that has all the hallmarks of being particularly strong for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, and why getting a deal over the line may be a game-changer.

Newcastle United ace Freddie Woodman has been tipped to possibly replace Fraser Forster at Celtic as Neil Lennon spoke to Sky Sports News about how a deal has not yet been agreed with Southampton to retain the English goalkeeper in the Scottish Premiership at Celtic Park.

As per The Chronicle, Woodman is thought to be on the shortlist of the Scottish giants in the upcoming summer transfer window if a deal with Forster is not agreed.

The 23-year old has a year left on his current contract after signing an extension last summer, but his future at the Tyneside club may be in doubt as Steve Bruce already has Martin Dubravka and Karl Darlow to call upon in the goalkeeping position, as well as Mark Gillespie joining up from Motherwell after the departure of Rob Elliot.

Woodman has been enjoying a fine 2019/20 season on loan at Swansea City so far, keeping a relatively impressive 12 clean sheets in 41 games in the EFL Championship, according to Transfermarkt.

The Englishman has helped the Welsh team to 8th place in the table on 60 points, just four off of the play-off spots with five matches still left to play (via BBC).

However, with the number of goalkeepers already at the Magpies at the moment, there may not be a place for Woodman at St. James’ Park and thus he may have to move elsewhere if he wants to achieve more regular first-team football.

With the departure of Forster, he may be asked to step in by Lennon as they look to chase an 11th consecutive title.

Geordies, would you let Woodman leave? Comment below!

Many Everton fans have joined in a debate on social media after @thetoffees_com asked them to name the worst player that has played for the club.

Carlo Ancelotti will embark on his first summer transfer window with Everton in the coming months, and that could see a number of underperformers leave the club.

Marco Silva’s time at Goodison Park saw the Toffees struggle for consistency, and Ancelotti has managed to bring some improvement to the club, sitting 12th in the Premier League table as things stand.

With the former AC Milan and Real Madrid manager now in charge, fans of the club can be expectant that improvement will follow, given his excellent coaching career and countless honours.

The current postponement of football due to the recent pandemic has seen football fans engage via social media on certain topics, and with changes expected this summer at the club, fans have now opted to take a look at some of the players they deem as ‘the worst’ to play for the club.

Countless names were mentioned in the debate with defender Cuco Martina’s name being one of those, however, fans did also defend the Dutchman.

Reacting to a tweet via fan account @thetoffees_com, fans responded with various names:

Toffees fans, who do you think the worst player to pull on an Everton jersey is? Let us know your thoughts below…

Mohamed Salah is widely considered to be one of the best players in the world.In summer 2017, the Egyptian returned to England for a second spell the Premier League with Liverpool, adapting his game to suit Jurgen Klopp’s high-intensity management style. After his underwhelming stint at Chelsea in 2014/15, the winger had a number of doubters on his case ahead of the new campaign.To say he proved them wrong would be an understatement.

Salah took the Premier League by storm, contributing to six goals (four goals, two assists) in his first six games. In November, the Egyptian scored seven goals in four games, leading to his first PFA Fans’ Player of the Month award.

He continued to deliver for The Reds, registering five goals and three assists in seven games in a jam-packed December, again picking up the Fans’ Player of the Month award.

His efforts helped keep Liverpool in the driving seat for a top four finish and ultimately a place in the following season’s Champions League. Salah finished the 2017/18 Premier League campaign with a record-breaking 32 goals – the most by any player for a 38-game season – and subsequently received the Golden Boot.

The individual awards did not stop there, with Salah being named the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year, as well as the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year, the Football Supporters’ Federation Payer of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season.

Put your knowledge to the test with this ultimate PFA Bristol Street Motors Fans’ Player of the Month quiz.

Newcastle have been without some key performers at the back this season but those who have come in to replace them have stepped up to the plate in remarkable fashion.

Steve Bruce could have been forgiven for fearing the worst after Jamaal Lascelles was ruled out until January 2020 a few weeks ago and though they lost the following game against Aston Villa they have bounced back empathically.

Federico Fernandez has played a big part in that, as the Argentine has barely put a foot wrong and has conducted himself with composure at the back, which is much-needed with the captain’s absence.

He is working very well alongside Ciaran Clark and fans are beginning to recognise their importance, though perhaps the credit ought to be directed at Bruce for his organisation and motivation of the players.

Regardless, Fernandez is a worthy target of praise considering he has averaged 6.9 clearances per league game this term and kept Lys Mousset quiet against Sheffield United.

Fernandez has worked hard to get into the position he’s in but he may need to work even harder if he is to maintain his place in the team, as Newcastle have several other capable centre-backs who will challenge his place once they are fully fit.

He has proved to Bruce that he can be relied upon though and he is key to Newcastle’s defensive style, as they invite a lot of pressure and balls into the box, which he is capable of dealing with if you look at his clearances stat.

The 30-year-old has now swayed the thinking of some Magpies’ fans too as they doubted him when he first joined, only to become one of their better and more important defenders.

Newcastle fans also took time to praise another star performer after the Sheffield United match, here is what they have had to say.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Federico Valverde is Real Madrid’s revelation of the season. The 21-year-old midfielder has suddenly become a crucial part of their squad but the latest triumph over Eibar uncovered one other aspect of his game that could take him to the next level.

On the chalkboard

By all standards, Real Madrid’s victory over Eibar this last weekend was a true statement clash.

Zinedine Zidane’s men steamrolled their opposition, forcing four goals into their net in the process and tallying important three points for their campaign.

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Valverde was once again part of that victorious squad, as he was so many times before. The Galacticos are not really the same team with and without the young midfielder, as we have already discussed on a previous occasion.

But against Eibar, the 21-year-old rattled the inside of the opposition’s net with a brilliant strike from around the edge of the box.

For all of his qualities, this was something we didn’t know he possessed. But if he can make that part of his arsenal, the sky could be the limit.

The missing ingredient

That goal was Valverde’s first one while donning the royal white shirt of Real Madrid, but they will be hoping it’s not nearly the last.

So far, the young midfielder has 35 games for the club under his belt and can also boast one assist as well.

But even though he has been mostly remarkable in everything else, considering the team’s results with him in the squad, shooting has never truly been a part of his repertoire.

In the 2019/20 La Liga season, Valverde registered 0.9 shots on average according to WhoScored, and for that reason it doesn’t really come as a surprise that he doesn’t score much, or at all.

Back in 2018/19, that figure was even lower with 0.4 shots per game but also suggests a certain growth that shouldn’t be disregarded.

Similarly, his expected goals output for that season was just 0.23 and it rose to 1.02 in the 2019/20 – again, a clear improvement is visible and it could indicate Valverde is getting more audacious in the final third.

At the moment, that seems to be the only real flaw of his player profile and if he can iron it out in the not so distant future, Real Madrid could be having a potentially complete midfielder on their hands.

That would be an incredible thing for Los Blancos.