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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who made 561 appearances for Wolves, believes Conor Coady would be the best option for England if they were to play with three centre backs.

Gareth Southgate made a number of big cuts to his latest England squad which saw Trent Alexander-Arnold, Michael Keane and Patrick Bamford all omitted from the final squad before the Euros this summer.

Keane, whose agent hit out at the decision to leave him out, had been included in a number of Southgate’s previous squads when he perhaps not playing as good as he has been this season for Everton, which has seen him achieve a 6.90 WhoScored rating, compared to Coady’s 6.51.

Speaking on how Coady is so good in a three at the back formation why he thinks the Wolves captain has been selected, Bull told FFC:

“You get in the England squad because of merit and what you’ve done for your club and Conor Coady has been a stalwart for Wolves.

“If England play with three at the back, then Coady’s the most sensible one to put there, however if we play with four at the back then he might get found out.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/exclusive-andreas-sondergaard-wolves-premier-league” title=”Exclusive! Andreas Sondergaard talks all things Wolves”]

“Why don’t we take both Keane and Coady then it gives you the option to play four or three at the back.”

Coady has been a late bloomer on the international scene, having only made three appearances for the Three Lions, however, he did get his first-ever England goal before his first Premier League goals for Wolves.

Despite being called up to the squad for the last squad and getting a goal against Montenegro, Keane will know he has a fight on his hands to earn a seat on the plane this summer.

In recent comments made on the West Ham Way Podcast (Patreon), ExWHUemployee claimed West Ham United are interested in a summer swoop for Tammy Abraham.

According to the West Ham insider, Abraham has emerged as a target for the Hammers this summer, with the 23-year-old said to have ‘fallen out of favour’ at Stamford Bridge in recent weeks.

ExWHUemployee also revealed, following recent contract discussions between the club and the £58k per week England international, Chelsea are not prepared to match the centre-forward’s wage demands in the negotiations that could see a renewal to his current deal, which expires in the summer of 2023 – potentially opening the door to the sale of the player this summer.

The Hammers insider claims Abraham is on a list of five or so forwards who Moyes ‘likes’ as we begin to look forward to the summer window.

Transfer Tavern Take

Having enjoyed an impressive start to the season, scoring six goals and providing one assist over his first 14 Premier League appearances this term, the £36 million-rated Abraham has seen his playing time become more limited in recent weeks, as well as his goals drying up – having not scored in the league since the turn of the year.

And, with the sale of Sebastien Haller in January leaving David Moyes with just one recognised centre-forward in his first-team squad, as well as the fact that ExWHUemployee claims Abraham ‘fits the criteria’ of striker that the West Ham boss likes, it would indeed appear that all signs point to the Hammers making a move for the Chelsea man this summer.

In other West Ham United news, many fans wanted this Premier League ace after a contract claim – find out more here!

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Southampton striker Kevin Phillips has described Danny Ings’ recent injury as a “huge blow” for the Saints.

Despite an injury-hit campaign, Ings is Southampton’s top goalscorer this campaign, but suffered another major setback at Sheffield United last weekend.

Just 13 minutes into Saints’ win at Bramall Lane, the England frontman sustained a muscle problem and is now facing around four weeks on the sidelines.

Ings missed almost the whole of November following a knee injury and also spent the best-part of January out injured.

It means that the former Liverpool striker won’t be available for Southampton’s crucial Premier League meeting with Brighton on Sunday and is expected to miss their FA Cup quarter-final with Bournemouth the following week and home game with Burnley at the beginning of April.

Since Ings’ injury, Che Adams has stepped up to the plate by scoring Saints’ second against the Blades before netting a consolation in their defeat at Man City.

But despite Adams’ impressive form, Phillips was in no mood to underplay the loss of Ings. He told Football FanCast:

“Losing Danny Ings for a few weeks is a huge blow for Southampton”.

Whilst it’s obviously a considerable blow for Southampton, beating Sheffield United was a massive result for them, especially following Fulham’s surprise victory at Anfield later in the day.

Saints head into the weekend just seven points above the relegation-zone, but with Fulham hosting Manchester City, beating Brighton on Sunday will surely but secure Southampton’s Premier League status.

With Pablo Hernandez’s time winding down at Elland Road, it would be no surprise to see Leeds United drawing up plans behind the scenes to try and find the little Spaniard’s successor.

Marcelo Bielsa has only used him sparingly this season in the Premier League, in part no doubt to the recognition that at 35, he just isn’t in peak physical condition.

It’s why reports in recent days of the Whites’ links to Swansea City’s Yan Dhanda makes a lot of sense, with the 22-year-old still a burgeoning talent and has shown flashes of potential.

But if Victor Orta and the rest of the transfer committee at Elland Road were making a ruthless decision, then Dhanda just hasn’t proven to be the man to take Leeds forward.

This season, he’s managed just one goal and two assists in 14 games in all competitions, with his average match rating as per Whoscored of 6.54 ranking him 18th in the entire Swansea squad – only three players who have actually started a game for the Swans have a lower rating.

After signing him from Valencia in the summer, Bielsa has opted to go with Rodrigo as the man to support Patrick Bamford, playing in a slightly withdrawn role but with the licence to make runs forward and try and get in and amongst the goals.

And it’s safe to say that things haven’t quite panned out for him just yet, but with three goals in the Premier League, he’s shown glimpses that he can do it at the very highest level unlike Dhanda, who has struggled even at a level below.

Even in his side’s 1-0 victory over Leeds back in August 2019, Dhanda was absolutely mauled by Kalvin Phillips, finishing with a 6.1 match rating – the second-worst of any Swansea player.

Phillips came out with the highest of any player on the pitch, and it’s no surprise when you see just how much he dominated Swansea’s attacking midfielder. He won an incredible 14 of his 18 duels, and made a ridiculous nine tackles, both of which were game-highs.

Dhanda, on the other hand, made just six successful passes, lost seven of his 11 duels and conceded possession on 13 separate occasions. The 22-year-old just couldn’t cope with the pace and intensity of Leeds’ play, and you can only feel that he would encounter similar problems at Premier League level.

It’s a move they desperately need to avoid.

Meanwhile, Leeds must desperately sell this flop…

Despite the scoreline of the game, Alex Iwobi let Carlo Ancelotti down as Everton beat Leeds United 2-1 on Wednesday night.

The Nigerian continued his run of opening the action for the Toffees from the right-flank at Elland Road, having established himself in the role over the festive period in the absence of James Rodriguez whilst the Colombian was sidelined with a calf injury.

Iwobi had impressed greatly from the right-wing during Everton’s 2-1 victory over Wolves last month by providing much of the Blues’ creativity and forward threat, but he was unable to replicate his Molineux exploits in West Yorkshire.

Iwobi initially looked powerful whilst enjoying pockets of space in Leeds territory as Everton controlled much of the early stages, keeping his head up to offer an attacking outlet.

Yet, the more the game wore on, the less involved Iwobi found himself, and ultimately he left Mason Holgate woefully exposed at right-back during a dogged defensive period in the second half, which saw Robin Olsen turn in an inspired display between the sticks to keep the Toffees ahead.

Holgate had been caught out by the Whites when his failed clearance ultimately led to Raphinha pulling one back for the hosts, with his precise strike halving the deficit created by goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Raphinha offering Leeds a route back into the game turned the tide in Leeds’ favour as it triggered a heavy flow of traffic only heading in one way – toward Olsen’s net – that on another day, could easily have seen Everton let a two-goal lead only result in a point.

Iwobi rarely played his part in thwarting Leeds’ efforts and he was fortunate to stay on the field until the 87th-minute when Ancelotti opted to replace the £23m-rated forward to hand Deadline Day arrival Joshua King his Toffees debut.

Iwobi was one of only two outfield Everton players who started at Elland Road to fail at registering a single tackle attempted, along with Sigurdsson. But unlike the goalscoring Iceland international, the former Arsenal attacker also failed to record an interception, per WhoScored.

It marks the third-straight Premier League fixture in which Iwobi has failed to register a single tackle, interception or clearance, while also committing his first foul since Everton’s 2-1 win at Wolves on January 12.

The 24-year-old has averaged at least 1.4 tackles attempted a game in the top-flight this term, and further lagged behind his usual standards with only one successful dribble from two attempts having boasted a 70.8% success rate this season for 1.7 from 2.4 attempts.

Iwobi further registered his only shot of the game in the final minutes of the first half, and offered his only key pass just after the half-hour mark. Goalkeeper Olsen also played a higher total number of passes (32) than the Nigerian (23).

Given Everton’s dominant first half and the volume of defending the Toffees were later forced into, Ancelotti will have expected to see far more from Iwobi at Elland Road at both ends of the pitch.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti faces a continued problem in a £9m man after Everton’s January transfer failings…

Some Manchester United fans have been left slamming the display of Scott McTominay despite their 2-1 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League.

The defensive midfield player did not have the best of games for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team despite his side clinching a crucial three points at Old Trafford that moved them level with the reigning champions and current league leaders in Liverpool at the top of the table.

The Scotland international was deemed the worst player on the pitch by Sofascore with a 6.1 overall rating, as he lost out on no fewer than 11 0f his duels in the clash, and also failed to make a single tackle, all while losing possession of the ball 13 times (Sofascore).

Manchester United fan reaction to McTominay display

These Red Devils slammed his performance on Twitter, with a couple of supporters even going as far to say as the 24 year-old was ‘awful’:

“McTominay 2 … Was he even on the pitch?”

Credit: @iamMichael_Iyke

“Glory Glory Man United! Bailly was super, Rashford was selfish, Pogba was magnificent and McTominay was abysmal. To the glory of God, @ManUtd is levelled at the summit. #MUNAVL”

Credit: @MajGenMoshood

#Fred & #McTominay have been awful today. #mufc_family #MUFC #GGMU #MUNAVL @ManUtd

Credit: @SkeemMC

“Fred and McTominay have not been great today one was subbed wouldn’t mind the other being subbed off as well we NEED BALL RETENTION!! #MUNAVL #MUFC”

Credit: @RocBoiJJ

“Also, it was a stupid foul from McTominay. Fred was coming over and the Villa player was going to be crowded out #MUNAVL”

Credit: @johnjbarry

“A sensible substitution. McTominay was absolutely awful today #MUFC #MUNAVL”

Credit: @UtdVira

In other news, find out which Fabrizio Romano transfer update has got these Man Utd fans excited here!

Crystal Palace are still interested in signing Ismaila Sarr from Watford, according to The Athletic.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent months revealed Roy Hodgson wanted to recruit Sarr in the summer as he sought to bolster his firepower before the start of this season, but Watford rebuffed a £25m bid from Palace chairman Steve Parish.

Now, The Athletic claim Watford are unwilling to listen to offers below £40m for the Senegal international, amid interest from the Eagles as well as Premier League giants Manchester United and Liverpool.

Sarr, who has won 32 caps for his country, has scored four times in 18 league appearances for the Championship club. His current contract runs until the summer of 2024.

Get it done, Eagles

Having missed out on one of Hodgson’s top targets in the summer, Parish can now make amends by bringing the Senegalese to Selhurst Park in the January transfer window.

It’s likely he will have to smash the club’s transfer record in order to do so, having signed Christian Benteke from Liverpool for £27m back in 2016.

The 22-year-old has excelled this season since his return from injury and the Hornets are in no rush to sell him as they have pinned their hopes on him firing them to promotion. But they could be tempted by a suitable bid to keep themselves financially afloat during the coronavirus crisis.

Liverpool legend John Barnes believes he is a “fantastic” beast, telling BonusCodeBets he would like to see Sarr reunite with his international teammate Sadio Mane at Anfield.

And with Andros Townsend – whose contract will run out at the end of this season – a reported target for West Brom last year, a swoop for Sarr could be the perfect long-term solution to their lack of depth on the right, especially considering Hodgson confirmed Jeffrey Schlupp faces up to three months out after suffering an injury during the win at home to Sheffield United.

If Parish plans to strengthen Hodgson’s squad to ensure Palace have enough firepower to stay above the relegation battle after Schlupp’s latest setback, he will need to look no further than Sarr, who should be his primary target.

AND in other news, Edgar Davids 2.0: Crystal Palace must avoid signing Ezequiel Schelotto at all costs…

After a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Atalanta in the Champions League in midweek, Jurgen Klopp must turn his attention back to the Premier League, as the Reds travel to Brighton and Hove Albion in Saturday’s early kick-off.

The German manager made a lot of changes for the Champions League tie, with the likes of Neco Williams, Divock Origi and Konstantinos Tsimikas handed rare starts but with very few players impressing in the defeat against the Italians, it is more than likely that none of those players will keep their place against the Seagulls.

The Reds were boosted by the news in midweek that Jordan Henderson has now returned to training after recovering from the knock that has kept him out of recent games, and we expect him to come straight back into the side for the game at the Amex.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Klopp to line his side up against Brighton on Saturday, with five changes in total…

The defence almost picks itself at the moment, with Fabinho and Joel Matip starting together at centre-back after their impressive performances against Leicester City in the last Premier League fixture.

Andy Robertson replaces Tsimikas at left-back, whilst the ever-reliable James Milner moves back to right-back after Williams’ poor display in midweek.

Henderson should add some much-needed leadership in the middle of the park, as that was something that was certainly missing against Gian Piero Gasperini’s side on Wednesday.

The “exceptional” Curtis Jones is perhaps unfortunate to miss out as he did well against Leicester City, but we feel Klopp will keep faith in the more experienced Georginio Wijnaldum for the game against Graham Potter’s side.

Unsurprisingly, the front four should consist of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota after the Egyptian winger returned from his brief absence in midweek.

Mane will be hoping to put in an improved performance to end his minor goal drought and Jota will be hoping that he can grab a Premier League away goal after scoring in four consecutive Premier League games at Anfield.

The Reds will need to put in a much better performance if they want to pick up three points against Brighton on Saturday, although they need just a point to move back to the top of the Premier League.

And in other news… Liverpool can sign their long-term Salah replacement in “incredible” in-demand 21 y/o

Any dilemma Jose Mourinho had over his attacking midfield options have surely been put to bed after Tottenham’s draw against Chelsea.

Spurs travelled to Stamford Bridge on Sunday to face off against their London rivals. A point was enough for the Lilywhites, who now reclaim their place atop of the Premier League table.

Whilst the Blues were sharp enough to nullify the threat of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, one man they didn’t account for was Tanguy Ndombele. Although he didn’t contribute to the attack in terms of key passes or shots on target, the Frenchman was a handful for the Chelsea backline.

The Ndombele debate

According to Sofascore, the Spurs No.28 won an impressive ten of his 13 attempted duels, completed a whopping six dribbles and drew in three fouls, proving just how much of a headache he was for Chelsea. He also did well to backtrack and help out with the defending. Ndombele contributed three interceptions, a block and a tackle.

Between the 23-year-old, Giovani Lo Celso and after Mourinho’s surprise inclusion of Dele Alli against Ludogorets, there’s been debate over who his first choice midfielder will be for the season. However, Ndombele has started the last four Spurs matches whilst others have been demoted to the bench.

With the red-hot form of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, Tottenham are well-stacked when it comes to scoring goals. However, with Ndombele’s modest yet promising count of one goal and one assist in the Premier League so far this season, Mourinho will be thankful he has options outside of the attacking duo.

If he continues the solid form he has shown so far this term, he will be an untouchable asset to Spurs in their title-challenging mission.

In other news, Steven Bergwijn was all but anonymous in Chelsea stalemate…

Tottenham Hotspur got a glimpse of what could have been on Thursday evening as former transfer target Jack Grealish put in a masterclass during a rare start for the England national team.

The summer of 2018 saw an intense saga develop as Spurs pursued the Aston Villa skipper with the cash-strapped Midlands outfit preparing for life in the Championship.

Sky Sports claimed that the now 25-year-old was in talks over a move throughout the summer whilst The Sun believe Villa were prepared to let Grealish go for just £6m.

They were in a race against time to pay off their debt to save the club from the prospect of administration but Daniel Levy held firm and believed he could get the star playmaker for £1m to £2m cheaper, a decision that soon turned out to be costly.

The Spurs chairman boarded the club’s flight to Los Angeles for their pre-season tour that summer but by the time he landed 11 hours later, billionaire duo Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens had saved the flailing Midlanders and subsequently upped the asking price to over £40m.

Grealish is thought to be worth in excess of £80m and that valuation was placeed upon him before he signed a lengthy contract extension last month, so he could be worth even more now.

And now he continues to show Levy exactly what a disaster his stubborn call was all those years ago.

The Villa dynamo was the Three Lions’ star man as they thrashed Wales 3-0 in a friendly – per Fotmob, Grealish recorded an 88% passing success rate, won four recoveries as well as 87.5% of his duels and enjoyed one key pass.

This has merely been a continuation of his red-hot form over the past 12 to 18 months.

He tore defending Premier League champions Liverpool apart at the weekend to make it three goals and three assists from just as many top-flight matches, which builds on his respectable 12 goal contributions last season, via WhoScored – 3.3 key passes and three shots per game for Villa is an absolute joke!

This form has led to high praise from Goal.com, who wrote: “He is an extraordinary talent; once-in-a-generation doesn’t go far enough. This is a player with the close control, first touch, and head-up vision of David Silva; the weaving dribbles and foul-drawing of Eden Hazard; the swaggering charisma and omnipresence that, to Villa fans at least, recalls George Best.”

Whilst in the past, ex-Villa striker Paul Merson has lauded Grealish as a “special player” adding: “He’s the best three or four-yard passer I’ve seen in the game for a long time.”

He has even been likened to Dele Alli by current boss Dean Smith. Oh, how badly Spurs have missed out here!

The north Londoners may have moved on with the likes of Giovani Lo Celso and Gareth Bale joining the club, but it can’t be denied, Grealish is a huge talent and one that should be playing in the Lilywhite strip in N17.

This may well not be the last time that Levy has to witness exactly why his tough-negotiating can sometimes do more bad than good for Tottenham Hotspur.

AND in other news, Jose Mourinho may have found his new Scott Parker in “talented” Spurs teen…