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Bruno Lage’s Wolverhampton Wanderers side went into Saturday afternoon’s West Midlands derby in much-improved form, as after losing their first three league games of the 2021/22 campaign, the 45-year-old’s Wolves side had picked up nine points from a possible 12 over their last four fixtures.

However, after Danny Ings opened the scoring for Aston Villa shortly after half-time and John McGinn doubled the home side’s lead on the 68-minute mark, it appeared as if Wolves’ fine run of form would be coming to an end at Villa Park.

The latter of these goals led to Lage making a double substitution with around 15 minutes to go, bringing on both Fabio Silva and Daniel Podence for Joao Moutinho and Fernando Marcal respectively – a decision which would change the game completely.

Just five passes made

With Francisco Trincao being ruled out of the game after falling ill while on international duty with Portugal, there was something of a pre-match debate as to who should come in to replace the Barcelona loanee in the Wolves starting XI – Adama Traore or Podence.

While Traore did light up the fixture on occasion due to his remarkable strength on the ball and dizzying dribbles – of which he completed six – it was undoubtedly the Portuguese’s introduction to the game which began to turn the tide for Wolves.

Indeed, despite the £22.5m-rated forward featuring for just 16 minutes, as well as making only five passes and touching the ball just 14 times, the 25-year-old nevertheless ended the game with one assist and one key pass to his name. He played an influential role in his side’s thrilling comeback, with late goals from Romain Saiss, Conor Coady and Ruben Neves securing a famous 3-2 win over Wolves’ West Midlands rivals.

As a result of his efforts, Podence earned a SofaScore match rating of 7.3 – with only Saiss and Neves receiving a higher score for Wolves on the day – while The Athletic journalist Tim Spiers claimed that the Portugal international’s introduction to the game finally saw Lage’s side showing signs of “intent” in the match.

While it is impossible to know whether or not Podence would have had the same impact if he had started ahead of Traore, it seems certain that the £60k-per-week winger will ultimately believe that his performance proved his manager wrong – a sentiment that we wouldn’t argue against.

In other news: “Huge” £51k-p/w Wolves target “able to leave” in January, he’d be a major coup for Shi

Dean Windass is confident that West Ham will sign Jesse Lingard before the transfer window closes later this month.

Lingard has been linked with a return to the London Stadium following his memorable loan spell during the second half of last season, with The Athletic claiming last month that he would cost £30m.

However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has previously said that Lingard is part of his plans for the current season despite the array of attacking players at his disposal.

Lingard featured heavily in pre-season, but a positive COVID-19 test saw him miss out on being involved in United’s opening-day victory over Leeds.

He was back in the frame at Southampton on Sunday – and made his first Premier League appearance for the Red Devils since the final day of the 2019-2020 campaign.

But Lingard played only the final five minutes, which suggests he’s some way down the pecking order, with both Edinson Cavani and Marcus Rashford to come back into the fold.

West Ham first-team coach Stuart Pearce recently told talkSPORT that West Ham are still interested in signing him, and Windass exclusively told FFC that he will return to east London:

“I think West Ham will do that. I just can’t see him being at Manchester United with Sancho coming in now, and you’ve still got Martial and Dan James.”

With just one Premier League win under their belt so far this season, there’s a big chance that Newcastle United’s new owners could dip into the January transfer market to try and give Toon manager Eddie Howe a boost to his squad by bringing some new faces in to turn their season around.

Looking ahead to next month, it seems as though PIF have their eye on bringing someone to St. James’ Park who a lot of Toon fans would recognise.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from AS, former Magpies midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum apparently wants to leave Paris Saint-Germain after just a few months at the club with a potential return to the Premier League on his mind.

The report also claims that Newcastle are the first team to show an interest in signing him from the French club.

Cabaye 2.0

During his time at the Tyneside club before moving to Liverpool, Wijnaldum made 40 appearances across all competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing five assists in the process.

Labelled as a “complete” player that is “unbeatable” on the pitch by Ryan Babel, Wijnaldum has started ten of the 20 games he’s appeared in for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, scoring three goals and providing one assist.

In terms of a potential return to Newcastle in January, this could be just what they need to get their season fully on track after only recently managing to secure their first league win of the season by bringing an experienced Premier League player with a knack for scoring goals into Howe’ side.

Even though he’s already played for Newcastle before, signing him again in January could see Wijnaldum become their next version of Yohan Cabaye, who they also signed from Ligue 1. Like the Dutchman, he also had a knack for scoring and providing goals from midfield by racking up 18 strikes and 14 assists in 93 appearances during his time with the Magpies.

With Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin scoring nine out of Newcastle’s 16 league goals between them this season, it would be good for Howe to have someone like Wijnaldum, who is currently valued at £27m according to Transfermarkt, in his squad that has the ability to carry the load in terms of goalscoring for the team.

Looking ahead to January, if PSG are willing to negotiate for a potential deal that would see Wijnaldum leave the club, then Newcastle and PIF should be doing everything they can to bring him back to St. James’ Park. He could just be their next Cabaye.

In other news: “We understand”: Craig Hope drops big NUFC transfer update that’ll delight fans…

Many Glasgow Rangers slammed the performance of Alfredo Morelos despite scoring in their 3-0 win at home to Dundee on Saturday afternoon.

In fairness, the Colombia international took his goal well, bulldozing his way through the visitors’ defence before slotting the ball into the net with his left foot.

However, some home fans were still frustrated by his overall performance, as he lost out on six of his duels and only scored once from his eight shots on goal in total (SofaScore).

He was also guilty of giving the ball away 13 times in the match, the joint-fifth most out of any of his teammates on the pitch (SofaScore), and hopefully the goal will give him confidence to perform better in their next fixture.

Rangers fans slam Morelos

These Gers fans slammed Morelos’ performance on Twitter, with one Light Blues supporter going as far as to claim that he was ‘awful’ today despite scoring:

“Morelos has had an absolute stinker here today!!! Awful”

Credit: @alston2_kev

“Morelos only tries in Europe, time for Alegria to step up to the 1st team”

Credit: @Giovani2021Ward

“No celebration when Rangers score from Morelos, body language is terrible. Still like a huffy child sometimes. His best has come and gone”

Credit: @AlanWyseDJ

“Morelos’ finishing is depressing.”

Credit: @Greg_1872

“Morelos’ body language is very lazy right now. Would hook him for Roofe at HT”

Credit: @rosscofaz

“Morelos is dreadful man”

Credit: @wullieboy78

In other news, find out whose display against Hibernian was slammed by some Gers fans

Leicester City are set to take on Premier League champions Manchester City at Wembley Stadium this evening in English football’s traditional curtain-raiser.

The Foxes will be aiming to secure just the second Community Shield crown in the club’s history, adding to their FA Cup success last season.

However, Brendan Rodgers will be without several key players for the trip to the capital, with the Northern Irishman ruling the likes of Nampalys Mendy, Jonny Evans, James Justin and Timothy Castagne out of action.

“Just the guys who haven’t been involved, the likes of Papy, Jonny, James Justin,” revealed the Leicester boss in yesterday’s press conference when asked about injury concerns.

“He’s come along well but is still a few months away. Timothy Castagne trained today. He was in his mask. He won’t be available, but he shouldn’t be too far away.”

They will join Wesley Fofana on the treatment table after the youngster suffered a suspected fractured fibula in a pre-season game against Villarreal.

With that in mind, this is how Football Fan Cast expects Rodgers to line his team up at Wembley, with two summer signings making their club debuts…

Leicester have made many changes to their first team squad in recent years, but one virtual ever-present has been Kasper Schmeichel between the sticks, and the dependable Dane is set to start for the Foxes once again against the Cityzens.

Ahead of Schmeichel, though, Rodgers will be forced to field a less familiar back four. Ryan Bertrand should make his debut at left-back, while Wilfried Ndidi could partner Caglar Soyuncu in the heart of defence due to an injury crisis.

Injuries to Justin and Castagne leave Ricardo Pereira as the club’s only natural right-back currently available, so the Portugal international is a guaranteed starter.

Ndidi’s possible move into the backline should open the door for Boubakary Soumare to make his first competitive start for the Midlands outfit following a £17m move from Lille.

The usually dependable duo of James Maddison and Youri Tielemans will make up the rest of the Leicester engine room, despite the pair being linked with moves away from the King Power Stadium in recent weeks.

In attack, the £18m-rated Kelechi Iheanacho may drop to the bench after starting Leicester’s last Premier League game of 2020/21, making room for the returning Harvey Barnes, Ayoze Perez and talisman Jamie Vardy to form a dynamic front three.

In other news… Rodgers must unleash “powerful” £17m gem vs Man City, he could be LCFC’s game-changer 

Dean Windass thinks that a centre-back will be one of David Moyes’ priorities this summer and said that James Tarkowski would be a solid addition.

Moyes marked his first full season back at the London Stadium by guiding the Hammers back into Europe following their best top-flight finish for 22 years.

However, besides Leicester, West Ham boasted the worst defensive record in the top-eight, and even conceded more goals than Brighton, who finished 16th.

Moyes currently has four centre-backs at his disposal, but Angelo Ogbonna is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract, whilst Paraguayan Fabian Balbuena will be released at the end of the month.

That leaves West Ham with just three central defenders, but according to Football Insider, Tarkowski would be keen on returning to London, five years after leaving Brentford for Burnley.

The Hammers were strongly linked with the 28-year-old, who Dyche described as “outstanding” after his debut for the Clarets, last summer but were unable to prise him away from Turf Moor. However, with now just one year remaining on his Clarets deal, Moyes could yet revisit his interest in the defender.

And Windass exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that it’s a deal that would suit both club and player:

“I think now with Moyesy signing his three-year deal, he was a centre-half, so that will be his first port of call. And he would be a good fit, Tarkowski.

“He got in the England squad and then came out of it, but it would be a bigger move for him financially.”

Taking to Twitter, South Korean reporter Sungmo Lee has shared what he knows in an injury update on Tottenham Hotspur superstar Son Heung-min.

The Lowdown: Son suffers knock…

After a torrid international break for Spurs, it is now time to return to Hotspur Way for damage control as both supporters and manager Nuno Espirito Santo pray for the best.

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Among the players to be shrouded by fitness concerns is superstar forward Son, who picked up niggling calf concerns in training for his country on Monday (Korean Football Association via Sky Sports).

Oliver Skipp, Ryan Sessegnon and Steven Bergwijn are other players who Spurs could be without for the Crystal Palace clash this Saturday depending on developments, while Giovani Lo Celso, Cristian Romero and Davinson Sanchez are training in Croatia following their South American fiascos (Dan Kilpatrick).

Lee has now shared an update on Son, and there could be a hint of good news for Tottenham.

The Latest: Lee shares Son update…

Taking to Twitter, the journalist has shared a three-word message from one of his sources despite there being no official update from the KFA on Son’s injury.

Indeed, in what could be a boost for Nuno and Tottenham, Lee has heard ‘it’s not serious’, but whether the 29-year-old can play against Crystal Palace this weekend is still a doubt.

The reporter added that Son looked ‘OK’ at the airport for his flight back to north London.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed…

Son’s injury not being a serious one would certainly come as a massive boost for Spurs and Nuno in particular.

The Portuguese head coach has started life brilliantly at Tottenham, enjoying a 100% winning run over his first three Premier League matches.

Nuno will want to continue that momentum and it’s safe to say that Spurs’ 2020/21 PFA Premier League Team of the Year member will be a huge part of it.

In other news: ‘Meetings with Tottenham’…Source close to ‘unstoppable’ player drops transfer reveal, find out more here.

Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing West Ham and England midfielder Declan Rice next summer, along with a number of their rivals.

The Lowdown: Rice impresses for club and country

The 22-year-old has emerged as an impressive midfielder in recent years, standing out as a key man for both the Hammers and the Three Lions.

Rice helped West Ham qualify for the Europa League last season, while he also reached the final of Euro 2020 with England, starting every game in the tournament.

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The Latest: Liverpool linked with move

According to 90min, Liverpool are keen on the idea of signing the Englishman next summer, at a point when Jurgen Klopp may be looking to freshen up his midfield.

Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are also reportedly interested, however, so the Reds could face a fight to sign Rice.

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The Verdict: Potentially overpriced?

While the £63million-rated Rice is a good young player – Chris Sutton hailed him as an ‘outstanding talent’ this week – whether or not he would justify a likely huge price tag is up for debate, considering he hasn’t yet shone at the very top level for an extended period.

Not only that, but in Fabinho, Liverpool already have someone who masters the No.6 role, so it is hard to see how the England man would fit into the team unless Klopp opts to use two out-and-out defensive midfielders.

It feels more likely that Rice will end up going to one of the other Premier League high-fliers, given their penchant for spending big sums of money on players compared to the Reds.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have reacted to rumoured Reds interest in another Premier League player. Read more here.

Liverpool must axe midfielder Marko Grujic this summer as Jurgen Klopp looks to rebuild a title-winning squad.

What’s the story?

According to German outlet Berliner Kurier, Klopp wants to get rid of the 25-year-old talent over the upcoming transfer window, opening the door to a permanent exit.

Grujic has been with the Reds since signing from Red Star Belgrade in January 2016. The Serbia international made just 16 appearances in all competitions, though, enjoying loan spells at Cardiff, Hertha Berlin and Porto.

Klopp surely buzzing

With Liverpool’s reign as Premier League champions last just a single season, their enigmatic German manager has already begun preparations to wrestle back the Anfield outfit’s crown.

Highly-rated centre-back Ibrahima Konate has already arrived on Merseyside in a £34 million deal. However, with key midfielder Gini Wijnaldum expected to depart imminently and attacking reinforcements required, the Reds may have to offload some fringe players before making any more moves.

Bit-part players such as Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi have already been linked with a move away, and now Grujic is expected to join the duo in walking out the exit door.

Two of the 6 ft 2 powerhouses’ previous clubs are reportedly interested in acquiring his services on a permanent basis.

Hertha Berlin and Porto are said to be keen on Gruijic, with Liverpool’s director of football Michael Edwards understood to have set an asking price of around £12m.

The German outfit wanted to buy the box-to-box midfielder last summer, but the report claims Liverpool refused to sell the Belgrade-born player. Twelve months on, though Liverpool have made Porto aware that Grujic is available after he made 39 appearances for the Dragons last season.

Any addition to Klopp’s transfer budget would be greatly welcomed by the 53-year-old tactician as he looks to bring the sport’s biggest stars to Liverpool on a limited budget.

The pandemic has affected every club’s finances, and many will find themselves having to generate money through player sales in order to secure their top targets.

Selling the likes of Grujic this summer will be a logical solution to the financial barriers Liverpool face, and this latest revelation will surely please the club’s supporters as they look for Klopp and Edwards to get the club back in the hunt for major honours.

And, in other news…Liverpool handed huge boost over “very promising” 34-goal gem as update emerges 

A big Newcastle United development has emerged over midfield gem Isaac Hayden…

What’s the latest?

The Magpies defensive midfielder has revealed that he is closing in on a return from the knee injury that has kept him out of action since December.

Hayden has not played a single Premier League match for the Toon since he suffered a blow in the 4-0 defeat to Manchester City at St. James’ Park and is now on the verge of overcoming his setback.

Although he will miss tonight’s clash with Crystal Palace and indeed the rest of the term, it’s encouraging that he’s training again.

He Tweeted: “Road to recovery nearly complete, forever smiling.”

Eddie Howe will be delighted

The Magpies head coach will surely be elated with this news as it means that the midfield enforcer will be fit heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

He will not be able to play in the remaining matches of the current season, as he is not on the club’s 25-man Premier League roster, but he will come back as an option next term.

After being left out of Howe’s squad in January, Hayden outlined his commitment to the club as he said:

“I am bitterly disappointed to have not been included in the 25-man squad for the second half of this season due to injury. Now is a time for me to reflect. I’ll be working harder than ever before to come back stronger, like I always do.

“I’ll be a supporter like everyone else and l’ll be supporting the lads and the staff as best I can for the rest of the season.”These comments show that he is desperate to remain involved at St. James’ Park and Howe will surely want to keep hold of such a positive character, as he can have an influence in the dressing room with the younger players.Hayden has buckets full of Premier League experience and can be a useful option to call upon next season, particularly with this update suggesting that he will be fit to get a full pre-season in.The ex-Arsenal man has played 118 times in the top-flight and 171 matches for the Toon in total. He can be a reliable, experienced, player for Howe to lean on when required and that is why the head coach will be buzzing with his return from injury, even if it does not have any bearing on the current campaign as they look to evade relegation to the Championship.

AND in other news, Howe can unearth his own Ginola in Newcastle’s rarely-seen 19 y/o “bright talent”…