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Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie believes his old club will be aiming to play in the Champions League in the near future.

While qualifying for the Europa League still looks like a possibility for the Villans this season, that final Champions League spot is probably out of reach, with quite a few teams standing between them and fourth place.

Going forward, though, Hendrie expects the club’s owners, Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris, to eventually demand Tuesday and Wednesday night football at Villa Park, a demand he can understand.

On Villa’s ambitions for the future, the retired Premier League footballer told FFC in an exclusive interview:

“Players have got to buy into what the club wants to do, you know, they’re not going to just jump straight into the Champions League. I’m pretty sure that will be one of the main targets for the football club [however] with the owners having such wealth.

“That will certainly be a key thing. Where they want to be at is that they’re playing in Europe because that’s where the club should be at.”

While this season may come too soon, Villa are at least on the right track to becoming a competitive side again.

Last season, Dean Smith’s side ran Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City close in the Carabao Cup final, narrowly losing out in a 2-1 defeat at Wembley. That, and their league position this term, gives reason to be optimistic.

Former Premier League midfielder Rob Lee has suggested that Anthony Martial does not have the correct attitude to be a starter for Manchester United.

Speaking exclusively to Football Fan Cast, he said that it appears that the Frenchman “can’t be bothered” to play for the Red Devils.

That lack of motivation, combined with his ever-decreasing output at Old Trafford, should see Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ed Woodward cut ties with the forward.

Martial initially burst onto the scene in his debut season following a big-money move from AS Monaco. He scored 17 goals during 2015/16 but since then has only bettered those numbers once.

He scored eight in 2016/17, 11 in 2017/18, 12 in 2018/19, with his highest-scoring season coming last term with a fantastic 23 in all competitions.

The Frenchman has not managed to keep that up though, with the current campaign looking like his worst with the Red Devils, having found the net just seven times so far.

That lack of importance to the Red Devils is highlighted when considering that Martial’s four league goals contribute to just 7% of the team’s total haul this season.

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That is easily bettered by the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani, whilst being equalled by midfielder Scott McTominay.

The lesser-played Daniel James and Paul Pogba are only just behind Martial, with the duo contributing just over 5% of the Red Devils’ goals.

For all of his promise and potential, Martial is really yet to really kick-on and establish himself as a star in the Premier League, mainly due to his inconsistencies.

That could be used as an argument to suggest that the £45m-rated Frenchman is the most disposable of United’s current striking options.

Couple that with his lack of attitude, and there are plenty of reasons as to why Woodward should consider cashing in on Martial sooner rather than later.

AND in more news, the Red Devils must avoid signing a Premier League stalwart this summer…

Liverpool take on Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night desperate to get back to winning ways in the Premier League

The Reds have endured a horrendous domestic run in recent weeks, losing six out of their last seven league matches.

However, they were able to regain some confidence after overcoming RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League.

Will Klopp be tempted to make any changes to his side for the trip to Molineux? Here’s the line-up we think he’ll select.

There could be as many as two changes from the German as he only slightly rotates in the Midlands.

The former Borussia Dortmund man appears to have settled on a regular back-line at Anfield due to the club’s lengthy injury list.

This means that Alisson is likely to be shielded by Andrew Robertson, Ozan Kabak, Nathaniel Phillips and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Meanwhile, changes could occur in midfield. Fabinho will remain in the starting line-up and in his preferred role just in front of the defence. £43.3m-rated Thiago Alcantara started on the bench against Fulham and was also withdrawn against Leipzig so might well be replaced by Curtis Jones.

Elsewhere, the ever-reliable Georginio Wijnaldum has not been out of a Premier League starting line-up since October and also started in the Champions League so could be deserving of a rest against Wolves, so Naby Keita starts in his place.

Liverpool’s attack should stay relatively constant, with Mo Salah and Sadio Mane starting after their goals in Europe. They will be supported by Diogo Jota who continues to deputise in the absence of Roberto Firmino.

AND in more news, take a look at why Liverpool need to prioritise Europe instead of the Premier League this season…

Lee Johnson is doing marvellous things with this Sunderland side. He has taken them to fourth in the League One table and is extracting the very best from the Mackems’ front line.

Aiden McGeady has recorded ten assists in just 16 outings for Johnson while Charlie Wyke has become the second top scorer in the entire division, although injuries are still wreaking havoc with the team.

On the chalkboard

Every week seems to spring more bad news for Johnson in the injury department. Last weekend the casualty happened to be Grant Leadbitter. The experienced midfielder was introduced as a substitute in the draw with Crewe but hobbled off within a matter of minutes.

The stretcher was brought out for Leadbitter, who went down in enormous pain. The positive was that he eventually walked off the field of play but he had still sustained a dislocated shoulder, the second such injury of this variety after Luke O’Nien’s dislocation a few months ago.

He is now set for a number of weeks on the sidelines, which could open up other opportunities for players to step up and take on the mantle in the middle of the park.

The solution

Josh Scowen has started two successive games in the middle now, but with games coming up thick and fast, Johnson will have to use the very depths of his squad to get Sunderland over the line and promoted.

O’Nien has been playing as a makeshift centre-half with further injuries to Bailey Wright, Tom Flanagan and Jordan Willis.

As a result, he won’t be able to offer a solution in midfield. Instead, the manager should turn to Carl Winchester, someone that started against Swindon last time out.

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The midfielder signed in January from Forest Green Rovers but has been used sparingly since. Winchester has only started three matches and is yet to really see his career take off at the Stadium of Light.

That being said, he’s a player that Johnson and indeed managers throughout the EFL rate incredibly highly. The Black Cats boss took charge of the 27-year-old during his days at Oldham, where he waxed lyrical about his qualities.

“He’s been superb,” Johnson began. “He’s had a really good pre-season and I think he’s been Championship-class at least since the start of the season,” he concluded.

That was a number of years ago but the sentiment has remained. Mark Cooper commented last year: “He’s a top, top player and should be playing at a much higher level. He’s at least a seven and a half out of ten each week.

“He’s a Championship player and if I was a Championship manager, he’d be one of the first players I would take.”

Like Leadbitter, Winchester possesses the ability to gently keep things ticking over. His passing success rate is north of 85% while he’s strong in the tackle, producing two successful challenges per game for Forest Green this season.

With Sunderland’s options consistently dwindling, Johnson could do far worse than turning to the midfielder this weekend. He simply has to be unleashed in the starting XI during the run-in.

AND in other news, Move over Wyke: Sunderland should swoop for 57-cap gem who Moyes dubbed a “predator”…

Many Crystal Palace fans are buzzing to see academy prospect Luke Dreher back playing following a spell on the sidelines due to injury.

The club tweeted out some photos of him during the match, and he replied on Twitter saying: ‘Thanks to everyone who’s stuck by me. Amazing feeling being back’.

The player was given a first-team debut back on the last day of the 2018/19 season in a victory against AFC Bournemouth (Transfermarkt), however he has consistently struggled with injuries and therefore it was great for all associated with the club to see him return for the U23’s yesterday in the Premier League 2 match against Burnley.

To make his return even better, the Eagles side won thanks to a late winner and hopefully Dreher’s return will add some great quality for the young side for the rest of the season.

It is definitely needed as they currently third in the division, and will need to keep up the good form so that they can maintain their place in the play-offs.

Here is how Palace fans reacted after seeing the photos:

“Fingers crossed he can stay injury free and force his way back into the First XI”

Credit: @_eze25

“Baller”
Credit: @palacealfie

“As goods as he could be, he is constantly injured. Guess he fits the Palace profile perfectly”

Credit: @TtimeSTL

“So pleased”
Credit: @Liamb0117
“Congratulations. I’m sure it’s been a huge effort on your part to get back to where you are”
Credit: @CPFCChris19
“Well played Luke. Hope to see more of you soon”
Credit: @JJ_CPFC
“King”
Credit: @bazbrown123
In other Palace news, have a read of a bizarre statistic about the club which fans aren’t happy with here!

Within the last few days, it feels like every coach in the football realm has been linked with the vacant Celtic hot seat.

That, of course, is thanks to Neil Lennon. The Northern Irishman finally tore up his contract at Parkhead on Wednesday and left Glasgow behind. It has been a long time coming when you consider their diabolical campaign.

They are on the verge of surrendering their grasp of the SPFL, a title they’ve held for the last nine years. It will mark the end of an era, one which has brought more joy than failure.

Though, with so much success comes even harsher scrutiny when things go wrong; you only need ask Lennon what that’s like for an individual.

The Hoops’ hierarchy now have a massive job on their hands to find the right man. Could that be David Wagner? Quite possibly. It’s been revealed by Football Insider sources that the German is very keen on the idea of becoming Celtic’s new manager.

He has been out of a job since being sacked by Schalke in September last year and it looks as though the head coach’s role at Parkhead is attracting him. You can hardly blame him, either.

The culture surrounding Celtic would undeniably fit what Wagner looks for when considering a manager’s role. Speaking to the Bundesliga’s official website, the 49-year-old once said:

“Huddersfield is a very traditional club with regional roots – very close-knit, that’s where I found myself. I sense that emotion and openness that the people in Yorkshire have here. I think I fit more in a region or club that has that emotional bond and closeness.”

In many senses, Celtic epitomises that. They are a club rich in football history and you’ll struggle to find a set of supporters more demanding than the Green Brigade.

There is a strong togetherness at the Hoops and Wagner would fit right in based on that. Though, he could bring a more desirable style of play to Celtic than Lennon ever could.

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That’s because the German’s philosophy and methods are born out of the Ralf Rangnick school of hounding the opposition. He is another to be loosely linked with the hot seat in Glasgow and has led a football revolution, one that brought the idea of the Gegenpress into modern culture.

The Rangnick conveyer belt has harnessed the careers of such managers including Thomas Tuchel, Ralph Hasenhuttl and Jurgen Klopp – Wagner’s best friend.

The pair became incredibly close at Borussia Dortmund and since then, the Celtic linked coach has been keen to play in a similar way. Like Rangnick, he wants his team to press and win the ball back within a couple of seconds of losing it. He also plays attacking football, a style of play that will no doubt be eye-catching for the Celtic hierarchy.

Wagner detailed this when speaking to Bundesliga.com about his early days in coaching: “There are three main takeaways: the analytical approach of Ralf Rangnick, the human and emotional approach of Klopp and the style of football they both wanted to play – that’s what shaped me as a coach. It’s difficult with role models. Klopp’s success is exemplary, but very few achieve it.”

He used all of that to his advantage to do the unthinkable with Huddersfield Town. He got them promoted from the Championship to the Premier League and managed to guide them to a successive season in the English top-flight. It was a remarkable story, one Don Goodman noted was a “phenomenal thing” during Sky Sports’ match coverage of the Terriers a few years ago.

Wagner is still a relatively young coach but with plenty to prove, would be an exciting option for Celtic to consider.

AND in other news, 47 y/o eyed as surprise Neil Lennon successor, he could make £3m Celtic maestro a star …

Leeds United are enjoying a strong run of form in their returning Premier League campaign. Thanks to numerous solid performances and Marcelo Bielsa’s steady hand on the throttle, the Whites are in a more than respectable 10th place in the table, one point ahead of upcoming opposition Arsenal.

Victor Orta and co didn’t utilise their option to splurge in the January transfer window, but could have some surprises up their sleeve leading into the summer. The future of Jack Harrison still remains unknown, but Leeds have the opportunity to bring him to Elland Road permanently for a fee of £10million.

Phil Hay recently confirmed that the club officials are keen on activating this clause, but if something goes wrong with the deal, Harrison will depart the club in the summer upon the expiry of his loan contract.

This is very similar for the manager himself. Bielsa is into the last six months of his deal with Leeds and no talks as of yet have emerged regarding an extension. However, Hay has one again come up with the goods and has delivered some very telling comments regarding Bielsa’s future.

In the latest episode of The Phil Hay Show, he discusses the Argentine and his role at the club. The Athletic reporter revealed that Bielsa is happy where he is, despite only penning a one-year deal back in September.

For fans, this will be a delightful piece of news. The 65-year-old is hugely respected by the Leeds fanbase and is held in high regard after he took them back to the Premier League following 16 long years away. Whites supporters will not want to see their boss go anywhere any time soon.

Even Andrea Radrizzani recently expressed his desire to see Bielsa stay at the club. He clearly fits the club very well and his results so far have been admirable for a side fresh up from the Championship. The fans, players and club officials would no doubt be elated if Bielsa decided to commit his future to Leeds.

In other news, Raphinha footage shows Leeds struck gold on the transfer market…

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for a Serie A winger this week…

What’s the word?

According to Club Doria, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is keen on signing Sampdoria sensation Mikkel Damsgaard with the north London outfit expected to bid ‘at any moment.’

It comes after mooted interest from Premier League rivals West Ham United, who are said to have held a meeting with the 20-year-old attacker.

There are also claims that his impressive performances this season has attracted Italian giants Inter Milan and Juventus.

Earlier in the month, it was reported by Gazzetta dello Sport that his value had tripled to around €20m (£18m).

Another Bergwijn?

Indeed, the young Dane has been one of the Claudio Rainieri’s star performers since his 50m kroner (£4.5m) move from FC Nordsjælland in the summer as he ranks fifth for average rating (6.78) of any player to start at least ten times.

Damsgaard has contributed two goals and three assists in 18 appearances, per WhoScored.

Whilst no other player in the I Blucerchiati squad is averaging more than his three dribbles per 90 minutes. He successfully pulls these off at a rate of 62.5%, which means more often than not, he beats his man.

Another interesting attribute of the industrious wide man is his defensive and off-the-ball capabilities, which may well point towards why Mourinho may be so keen to sign him.

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He’s averaged the sixth-most tackles in this Sampdoria team, managing 2.4 per game, making him quite a hard man to bypass on the flank. A tackle success-rate of just over 50% highlights the sort of graft he’s able to put in to deny the opposition, via WhoScored.

We’ve seen this sort of player over in north London already with Steven Bergwijn. Whilst his goal returns have been poor – contributing only two assists in the Premier League all season – he offers Mourinho a lot defensively.

For example, no other Spurs winger is averaging more than the Dutchman’s 0.8 tackles per game, whilst his seasonal heat map shows he’s having more of an influence in his own half, meaning he’s tracking back and helping whoever is starting between Serge Aurier or Matt Doherty.

It is why the former PSV star regularly starts (eight times) over Lucas Moura (four starts) and Gareth Bale (one start) in the Premier League.

As seen above, via SofaScore, one of Bergwijn’s most intense positions is just before the halfway line.

As a further example, the following is his heatmap against Arsenal – he failed to score or assist, but was imperious towards them keeping a clean sheet as he was almost acting as a wing-back.

Indeed, SofaScore graded him an abysmal 6.4 but you bet Mourinho was still happy with his display as he managed two tackles, two clearances and one successful dribble – all similar characteristics to Damsgaard.

The versatile Sampdoria winger has also caught the eye of former Spurs midfielder Christian Eriksen – he told TV2 Sport earlier in the campaign:

“We talked together after the match. He praised me for the situation around my assist. He is a really nice person and really sweet to talk to. It was just nice that he wanted to talk to me after the match.”

That day, Damsgaard ghosted past two Inter Milan defenders before slotting Keita Balde’s second-half winner and again proved he could contribute at either end of the pitch as he won five duels and made one clearance, per SofaScore.

It’s no wonder that PL-winning boss Rainieri tipped him to have a “big future.”

As we’ve seen with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Bergwijn, Mourinho loves a relentless workhorse and the Danish starlet would bring that as well as an extra creative influence in the attack, as evident throughout this piece.

For just £18m, Daniel Levy could well secure Spurs another Bergwijn-like beast.

AND in other news, £27m-rated passenger who made ONLY eight passes badly let Mourinho down on Monday…

Reports earlier in the week by Sampiy10 claimed Everton are monitoring Christian Luyindama’s uncertain future at Galatasaray, but Marcel Brands would be barking up the entirely wrong tree by pursuing a January transfer of the DR Congo defender.

Everton are in the midst of a challenge for Champions League qualification under Carlo Ancelotti, having enjoyed their best start to a season since the 2013/14 campaign with 32 points after 17 games.

That season’s early efforts returned 34 points by the same stage of the campaign to sit level with Chelsea but in fifth on goal difference, and ultimately fell seven points shy of fourth-placed Arsenal after losing one in every three of their remaining 21 fixtures.

If this term is to end any different for Everton, Brands and Ancelotti ought to be utilising the winter market to strengthen the Italian’s squad with options who can prove the difference. However, Luyindama would more likely than not prove a wasted investment if signed.

Galatasaray are claimed to be open to parting company with Luyindama during the winter market amid claims of interest from Everton and Aston Villa, as the Turkish giants believe his departure will raise funds that can be put to better use elsewhere.

Yet the Turk Telekom Stadium natives will only sell for offers that exceed €10m (£9m), having seen head coach Fatih Terim utilise the 6 ft 3 titan in 65% of his starting line-ups, with Luyindama given opening roles in 11 of his 13 appearances in Super Lig fixtures ahead of Sunday’s derby with Besiktas.

Luyindama began the season as Terim’s first-choice option but lost his place in Cimbom’s backline after a 2-1 win at Sivasspor in November, which has helped Galatasaray to produce a title-chasing season with three points at Vodafone Park this weekend enough to move above their top-of-the-table rivals.

The likelihood of Luyindama moving to Goodison Park and improving Ancelotti’s defensive line would have to be questioned, especially in a season in which the Italian has a realistic chance of securing Everton’s return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2005/06 season.

Luyindama would not be arriving to offer any experience of playing for the best sides in Europe with his time at Galatasaray the highest level the 27-year-old has ever reached, while only ever making 15 outings on the international stage since making his DR Congo debut in 2017.

Yerry Mina may not have lasted long at FC Barcelona before departing the La Liga powerhouse in a £27m deal two-and-a-half years ago, playing just six times across all competitions, yet at least featured for the Camp Nou natives as they clinched the 2017/18 title.

He is now a firm fixture of Ancelotti’s backline, even though the Italian expects the occasional mistake from the 26-year-old, who has started 15 of Everton’s Premier League games, he would find himself hard done by to be displaced by Luyindama.

The Galatasaray man may be a colossus in the air with success in 3.6 duels a game in the Super Lig this term thanks to a 66% success rate, per SofaScore, enough to rank first at Goodison Park for the efforts of Everton’s current central defenders in Premier League games, but is not an unmovable force for opposition forwards.

Luyindama would rank last on the blue side of Stanley Park for successful tackles a game (0.6) if he were to bring his Super Lig performances to the Premier League, and would join Seamus Coleman as the only member of Ancelotti’s backline in having made errors that have led to opponents taking a shot.

Luyindama has also given away one penalty, which only Andre Gomes, Tom Davies and Ben Godfrey – when playing at left-back – have done to date in the English top-flight. Ancelotti further already has Godfrey, Mason Holgate and Michael Keane to contend with Mina for minutes after sanctioning a loan deal for Jarrad Branthwaite to join Blackburn Rovers for the rest of the season.

AND in other news, Everton have no reason not to sell a £7m outcast in the January transfer window.

Glasgow Rangers must give Leon Balogun a new contract as soon as possible.

Speaking after last Saturday’s Scottish Premiership win over Celtic, Steven Gerrard has made it clear he wants to retain the services of the Rangers defender, who has been in such fine form since he first arrived at Ibrox from Wigan Athletic in the summer.

The Light Blues boss said: “Leon is someone we want to keep hold of. He knows that, he is performing ever so well. He signed a contract with an option of an extension and we want him to be here beyond this season.”

Originally signed to provide injury cover for Nikola Katic, the Nigerian centre-back has been nothing short of a revelation since joining from the Latics on a free last year, even going so far as to supplant Filip Helander in the starting line-up.

Whilst Rangers have relied on several free-scoring players like James Tavernier, Kemar Roofe and Ryan Kent to steer them to the summit of the Scottish Premiership, it is the unsung heroes who should not go unnoticed for their contributions to the team’s title charge.

Take Balogun, for example. Under Gerrard, the 32-year-old has made 18 appearances across all competitions, scoring his debut goal for the Gers in the 4-0 victory over Aberdeen. But that’s not all, as he is currently averaging at least one tackle, one interception and one clearance per game in the Premiership, via WhoScored.

The Rangers manager struggled to contain his glee after Balogun put in a solid defensive shift against Lech Poznan in the Europa League to help his side earn their second straight win in Group D. He said: “He is an international player, he is very quick, he has got a fantastic profile, a profile that we like in that area, and he has come in and settled in really quickly and put in some real consistent performances.”

Ever the consummate professional, his importance to Gerrard’s Gers cannot be underestimated as he has become a colossal at the back. It does beg the question what would Gerrard do without him, but Rangers fans may not have to wait too long to find out, as his current deal will run out at the end of this season. Unless of course Ross Wilson gets his act together and offers him a new contract.

AND in other news, Rangers must secure Allan Campbell as a Scott Arfield alternative…