Why? For the second season running, Chelsea have started the campaign with no front of shirt sponsor. Those watching the Blues’ opening game of the season against Manchester City will have noticed Chelsea played the game with a clean, sponsor-free kit on the front of their shirt. 

The same thing happened in 2022/23. At the end of the 22/23 season, when Chelsea’s sponsorship deal with Three expired, the new owners decided not to sign a long-term front of shirt deal in the way clubs like Liverpool (Standard Chartered) or Manchester United (Snapdragon) have done for many years. Instead, Chelsea took the decision to sign a short-term, one year kit sponsorship deal with Infinite Athlete. 

Though Chelsea’s deal with Infinite Athlete is a seven-year deal involving offshoots of the Infinite Athlete brand, the front of shirt sponsorship part of the tie-up was only agreed for one season. 

According to SportsPro Media this was due to Chelsea’s failure to qualify for the Champions League in 2023. The feeling, reportedly, was that the club could attract a more lucrative shirt sponsorship deal if they could qualify for Europe’s premier club competition in 2023/24 under Mauricio Pochettino. A short term shirt deal would allow the club to qualify for the Champions League and then sign a longer-term, more financially attractive kit deal.

It didn’t quite work out that way.

Chelsea again failed to qualify for the Champions League last season, instead finishing sixth. A new front of shirt sponsor is pending, according to reports in The Athletic. But this has left Chelsea without a front of shirt sponsor for the second year in a row after their Champions League gamble backfired a second time.

Gamble or smart move?

Chelsea’s front of shirt sponsorship deal with Infinite Athlete brought in a reported £40 million in commercial revenue for one season – below the likes of Liverpool (£50m per season) or Manchester United (£47m per season) but level with or above clubs like Tottenham Hotspur (£40m per season), Newcastle United (£25m per season) or Aston Villa (£40m per season). 

Chelsea posted total revenues of £512.5 million in 2023, up 4% from £481.3m in 2022. The lack of a long-term front of shirt sponsor can be looked at in one of two ways: more shrewd outside the box thinking from Todd Boehly and the club’s new owners, similar to some of their accounting tricks and long-term structure of their playing contracts. Or it could be considered an awkward, bad look for a club to go two years running without a front of shirt sponsor on the opening day, opening the club up to accusations of a lack of professionalism.

Ultimately, your opinion on that may depend on your opinion of how Chelsea are being run as a football club in general. 

The post No Chelsea front of shirt sponsor: Smart play or reckless gamble? appeared first on Just Football.

Embed from Getty Images

The Paris Saint-Germain manager has been installed as the prime candidate to take over at United when Rangnick’s six-month spell comes to an end at the end of the season and is currently priced at 4/6 to become Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s permanent successor. 

Solskjaer was finally sacked after United lost at Watford following humblings by Manchester City and Liverpool in front of their own fans, and punters over 18 can use online promo codes to back the Argentine to be the next permanent United manager.

Rangnick is available at 4/1 to continue in the job past his interim posting, while Ajax boss Erik ten Hag is currently third favourite for the job at 9/2. Brendan Rodgers has moved out to 14/1 to make the switch from Leicester, and departing interim boss Michael Carrick is a 40/1 shot.

Rangnick got his Old Trafford reign off to a good start with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at the weekend, the first clean sheet United have kept at home in over 200 days

Pochettino has claimed he is happy at PSG, but reports suggest the French club may be open to let him leave at the end of the season.

“I am focused,” he said. “I am very focused on football. I am not a child, I spent my whole life playing football, and now in my 12th year being coach. We’re in a business that the rumours are there. I understand what is going on.

“This kind of thing cannot distract. Rumours are there, we need to live with that. We are so focused, giving 100 per cent to get our best from the club and the players. I am so happy at Paris Saint-Germain and we are focused to get the best results we can.

“What another club are doing is not my business. It was in the past when at Espanyol that I said my dream was to meet Sir Alex (Ferguson), anything I say now is going to be misunderstood and out of context.

“I was a PSG player. I love the club. I love the fans. We are fighting in Ligue 1 and the Champions League.

“My contract is to 2023. This season and one season more. I don’t say anything different. I am very happy at PSG. That is a fact.”

But despite his public declaration, former United right-back Gary Neville thinks Pochettino would jump at the chance of managing the Red Devils.

“I think Mauricio Pochettino – although he’d never say it – would leave to come to Man United on a five-year deal tomorrow,” Neville told Sky Sports.

“He’d look at that group of players, he’d look at the club and he’d realise he’d probably be able to achieve more than he wants at Man United in terms of a project.

“At PSG you are on season by season, ‘you’ve got to win the Champions League or you’re out’ – type of model. I don’t think that suits Pochettino. I think he would absolutely come to Man United on a five-year deal, with backing behind him.”

Absolutely they should wait. There’s been no one available in the last three or four weeks when this has come to a head that you could have given a three-and-a-half-year contract to.

“They have to make sure they get the next one right [even] if that means being patient for six months to wait for managers to become available at the end of the season.”

The post Mauricio Pochettino remains favourite for permanent Manchester United job appeared first on Just Football.

While Jamie Vardy is the shining light, going from non-league at Stocksbridge Park Steels to winning the Premier League title, FA Cup and playing for England, there are countless examples of players making that jump from non-league to pro. 

Nowadays, when it comes to scouting and recruitment, if your football club is not keeping a close eye on non-league then you are way behind the curve. All Football League clubs should be monitoring non-league for those next emerging gems, and indeed many of them now are as Covid-19 and budget cuts affect club’s finances. Finding the next unpolished gem simply makes business sense.

In 2017 I picked 7 non-league talents I thought would go on to play professional football. Six of these ended up making the jump, an 86% hit rate which I was quite proud of. Bear in mind this was before the days of easy video access via scouting platforms like Wyscout – you had to put in the hard yards and actually go out to games to find talent.

Nowadays it is a little easier and players can be monitored not only in-person but via video scouting platforms too. Finding non-league talents has been democratised, meaning more players are known earlier. That said, it still takes a good eye to be able to spot the ones that can go pro.

As a follow up to my 2017 piece, here are 10 players I feel can emerge in the 2021/22 season and make the grade in professional football. 

Best non-league talents – 10 to keep an eye on

For the purposes of this article I am choosing National League players age 23 or under ONLY. Reason being – In the time since the 2017 article I have since co-founded a consultancy, Future Global Sports, whose founding aim is to work with, nurture and help guide the best young talent at semi-pro level and help them find opportunities and pathways into the professional game.

During this time we have had great success in helping discover players like Sorba Thomas, Priestley Farquharson, Sam Barratt and others, and continue to work in this space with the next crop of exciting young players.

Long story short, we keep our knowledge of the best talents at non-league Step 2 and below in house now. If you would like to access that information or learn more about our work feel free to drop me an email privately: business@just-football.com, on Twitter @JFfutbol or check out our website Future Global Sports.

Jayden Harris (Aldershot Town)

Released by Fulham this summer, 21-year-old Jayden Harris is an exciting prospect you may well hear a lot about this season.

A combative player who can play in defence or midfield, Harris is different from many U23 academy players in that he is not afraid of the physical side of the game, and willingly makes tackles and defensive duels etc in midfield.

NEW SIGNING: We are delighted to announce that @FulhamFC midfielder @jaydenharris38 has committed to Aldershot Town for the next two years!

Click the link below for more details!

Welcome to the Shots Jayden!

#TheShots

— Aldershot Town FC (@OfficialShots) June 24, 2021

Harris adds bite and a threat when playing in central midfield areas but is also useful on the ball. He defends his box well from defensive set pieces e.g. corners and free-kicks and has a very committed, all-action style.

With a good physique, tall, long legs and the ability to play in multiple positions – he operated as a right-back, central midfielder and centre-back at Fulham, Harris is a player you can see enjoys the physical side of the game and embraces it. This should make him right at home in the hustle and bustle of National League football. 

Though he does have a tendency to make the odd foul or two on occasion, the youngster is one to keep an eye on.

Chances of making it pro? 8/10

Joel Senior (Altrincham FC)

At 22 years old Joel Senior is a player who can definitely make the step up above non-league level. The former Burnley youngster is a physically robust full-back who operates predominantly as a right-back but can also play on the left hand side.

Energetic and strong in the challenge, Senior times his tackles well and is very good at reading the game to make timely interceptions. Going forward he can also create chances with positive forward play, an accurate long ball and decent crossing ability. 

Despite his young age he already looks a seasoned campaigner at National League level, and while he may not be the quickest he can certainly get forward as an attacking outlet. 

Supporters’ Player of the Season
Young Player of the Season
Manager’s Player of the Season
Goal of the Season

@JoelSenior_ is an absolute star.

You can now watch our awards presentations here https://t.co/Th6LEYn9D3 pic.twitter.com/HPme9PSOFS

— Altrincham FC (@altrinchamfc) May 30, 2021

Chances of making it pro? 9/10

Kyle Hudlin (Solihull Moors)

Supposedly the tallest outfield professional footballer in Britain, young striker Kyle Hudlin is unlikely to be in non-league football much longer. 

Though his enormous, basketballer-like frame is what first catches the eye, it belies the striker’s deft ability and impressive penalty box presence. The 21-year-old sniffs out chances and has a good instinct for sensing where the ball will land, capitalising on any errors from defenders or keepers and intuitive enough to grab any opportunity to pounce. 

Cardiff City & Manchester City both interested in Britain's tallest outfield player, 6ft 9in striker Kyle Hudlin?

It's in the gossip https://t.co/0DwTDq5ycd pic.twitter.com/mUIZPXCJhz

— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) August 17, 2021

This time last year the forward didn’t even have a club. He was at Solihull United in step 7 of non-league football (English football’s 11th tier!) and went to trial at Solihull Moors in the National League in October after the season had already begun. He signed, scored 11 in 38 appearances, won the club’s Young Player of the Season award and Goal of the Season. A sign of just how quickly some players can step up when given a chance. 

At 6ft 9ins it is easy to see why big clubs are taking a look at Hudlin. You can launch the ball up to him and he is good at receiving the ball on his chest and playing others in, as well as being an adept finisher. His extraordinary goal away to Halifax Town last season will tell you that – Hudlin controls a long ball on his chest, turns and fires an outstanding effort past the keeper from outside the area.

The links with Championship clubs like West Bromwich Albion, Cardiff City and Middlesbrough have been there for a while, but the rumour that Premier League champions Manchester City are scouting him certainly raised eyebrows.  

Chances of making it pro? 8/10

Joe Sbarra (Solihull Moors)

Probably pushing it somewhat naming Joe Sbarra as a non-league talent – I have absolutely no idea what he is doing in non-league football given his ability – but a non-league footballer he currently is. 

The intelligent central midfielder has made nearly 50-odd appearances at Championship and League One level for Burton Albion, but dropped into the National League at Solihull after being released by the Brewers in 2020, penning a two-year deal at Damson Park.

Sbarra has noteworthy technique, can unlock tight midfields, is a tenacious hard worker and can also find the back of the net. Still only 22, he can push to much higher levels. 

𝟗𝟎+𝟑 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤…

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 @JoeSbarra1

#SMFC #YourSolihullYourClub pic.twitter.com/GBsWImn7c5

— Solihull Moors FC (@SolihullMoors) February 7, 2021

Chances of making it pro? 9/10

Ephron Mason-Clark (Barnet FC)

A product of Barnet FC’s fruitful academy, Ephron Mason-Clark appears to be something of a hidden gem in non-league football. Despite this, the youngster is approaching close to 150 appearances for the Bees – and is still only 21 years old. Mason-Clark has been around the block and still has room to develop.

With a tidy turn of pace, good balance, the ability to accelerate past players with ease and also put in accurate crosses and through balls, the attacking wide player is a versatile young prospect who can aim to push up the divisions. Is also an England ‘C’ international. 

The Bees were buzzing after Ephron Mason-Clark put @BarnetFC ahead versus @OfficialShots last season pic.twitter.com/qQ8OZmHqFa

— The National League (@TheVanaramaNL) September 18, 2020

Chances of making it pro? 8/10

Josh Walker (Dagenham and Redbridge)

A very smart signing by Dagenham and Redbridge, Josh Walker seems like a bit of an underrated player at this level and I was surprised not to see him snapped up by an EFL club this summer.

Walker scored 12 goals in 56 appearances for Barnet FC, but the former Fulham youngster never really thrived at the Bees due to the turbulent nature of the club during his time there. Save for a brief period under our one-time podcast guest Darren Currie who seemed to get the best out of him. 

The former Fulham academy player has pace, bright movement, can beat a man 1v1 and knows how to finish off both feet. I like him and think if he stays injury free he can move up the ladder. 

Chances of making it pro? 8/10

Ben House (Eastleigh FC)

The House always wins would be the obvious pun here but let me try and avoid it. Released by Reading FC, striker Ben House has shown resilience and determination to turn around his career and make a name for himself as one of the most talented forwards in non-league football.

 The 22-year-old can operate as a target man-type striker but does also have a deceptive amount of pace on him. He presses and harasses opposing defenders. After leaving Reading he had spells at Swindon Town and Dagenham and Redbridge before a permanent move to Eastleigh FC. 

11 goals in 46 appearances at National League level and a number of bustling performances have caught the attention of clubs both in the Football League and north of the border – House has duel English and Scottish heritage. Given the speculation it was somewhat surprising no teams came in for him this summer. It appears House will domesticate himself back at Eastleigh for another year after signing a new contract. 

Monthly Awards | Vanarama National League

Manager of the Month: Gary Johnson (Torquay United)

Player of the Month: Ben House (Eastleigh)

Volunteer of the Month: Graham Keble (Dagenham & Redbridge)

https://t.co/ydrqK2NUmE pic.twitter.com/5FGTN5M0IT

— The National League (@TheVanaramaNL) November 9, 2020

Chances of making it pro? 8/10

Emile Acquah (Maidenhead United)

A striker who seems to have been written off by Southend United, both club and fans alike judging by some of the comments made when he left at the end of the 2020/21 season, but a player I have always liked whenever I have seen him play.

Emile Acquah came through Southend United’s academy, a tall, physical forward who can get on the end of crosses, offers strength and presence in the box and can shrug off defenders. As an U18 he had plenty of interest from other clubs but this seemed to dissipate. Southend’s problems over the past few years are also well documented, with back-to-back relegations.

Acquah was not retained after relegation so the 21-year-old was snapped up by Maidenhead United. Personally I think he can score goals at this level, he is still learning the game and I think under Alan Devonshire he can learn, win back some confidence in a new environment and kick on. 

Chances of making it pro? 7/10

Tommy Block (Woking FC)

There was a huge amount of excitement around Tommy Block when he was a teenager at Bognor Regis Town, playing senior men’s football at the tender age of 17. Scouts flocked to watch the youngster marauding in midfield and his physique was that of a man even then. 

Block eventually joined Scottish Premiership outfit Hibernian in 2019, but it never really worked out and he failed to make a single first team competitive appearance for the club before moving back down south to Woking FC.

Now 21, Block gives off Scott McTominay vibes – he is tall, tenacious, committed, hard-working, physically robust and can play a bit too, either in defence or midfield. He can kick on and move up the divisions again. 

Chances of making it pro? 8/10

Sebastian Revan (Grimsby Town)

This one is cheating somewhat so we will count him as a bonus player only but I have to mention Sebastian Revan who I feel has the potential to be a really good player. He is in the National League for 2021/22, so he is included.

On loan at recently-relegated Grimsby Town from Aston Villa, Revan is an exciting left-back who is part of a really promising crop of young talents emerging at Villa Park. 

Revan is an attacking left-back who is left footed, has good pace and is defensively alert for someone so young. The 18-year-old offers good delivery on his left foot crossing and is fleet of foot and quick enough to cover ground both ways. He is also capable of taking attacking free-kicks around the box looking to whip shots or crosses in and looks to have a very high ceiling.

How he adapts to the rigours of National League football will be intriguing. Can also play as a left-sided centre-back. 

All the best at Grimsby, @SebRevan!

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 28, 2021

Chances of making it pro? 8/10

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The post 10 Non-League talents who can make it big in 2021/22 appeared first on Just Football.

In an interview with Gary Neville posted before the UEFA European Championships Kane voiced his desire to win trophies, saying he didn’t want to end his career with “regrets”. The 27-year-old will be one of the most coveted players on the market, particularly after the way he has led the line at Euro 2020. However, the striker’s future remains unclear.

Embed from Getty Images

No matter what happens in the final of Euro 2020 the Harry Kane transfer saga is set to be one of the stories of the summer. Top betting sites such as Novibet have odds available on Kane’s next club, or indeed, if he’s to remain at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They have a host of markets on site including potential summer transfers for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba and others.

Let’s take a look at three possible destinations for Harry Kane were he to leave Spurs…

Manchester City – 9/10 (1.90)

After winning the Premier League, the Carabao Cup and reaching the UEFA Champions League final, Manchester City certainly offer the opportunity to win trophies. Pep Guardiola’s team are one of the few teams in the world who could afford Kane, and his goal scoring talents would further enhance City’s trophy-winning potential.

It’s understandable that they’re the favourites to secure Kane’s services before the window closes on September 1st, especially with Sergio Aguero calling time on his Manchester City career. Kane even hinted at a potential move to the blue half of the city, saying it would be a dream to play alongside Kevin De Bruyne.

Stay at Tottenham – Evens (2.0)

Given Kane has three years left to run on his contract at Spurs, there is no guarantee that his desire to leave will facilitate a move. He is the club’s prize asset and with 30 goals and 17 assists in 2020/21 it’s obvious that Tottenham will want to hold onto their star man for as long as possible.

Daniel Levy is a notoriously tough negotiator and with Kane’s market value in excess of £100 million at a time when the pandemic has hit club finances hard, the England captain could end up staying in north London for another season.

Manchester United – 7/2 (4.50)

Manchester United are another club with the financial muscle to consider tabling a bid for Kane this summer. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men finished second in the Premier League last term and a clinical striker who has scored 166 goals in just 242 league games could elevate them to the very top level once more. Especially with the likes of Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes providing ammunition.

The Red Devils haven’t won as many trophies as their rivals in recent seasons but as one of the biggest football clubs on the planet they are potentially only a couple of signings away from a return to the glory days.

Chelsea – 11/2 (6.50)

Another interesting contender could be Chelsea. They’ve spent big in the last year but with Timo Werner failing to hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge there could yet be an opening for another forward to join the ranks. As with the other leading teams, Chelsea have the financial power to be able to pay a fee in excess of £100 million.

Having just won the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel, the opportunity to join a team with a proven record of domestic and European success could appeal to Kane’s ambition. Leaving Spurs for their big rivals Chelsea however would be a very controversial move.

Betting on other clubs is available too, including PSG (12/1), Real Madrid (20/1) and Barcelona (33/1).

Where do you think Harry Kane will go this summer? Or will he stay at Spurs? Follow Just Football on Twitter for more news, opinion and analysis.

The post Where next for England’s golden boy Harry Kane? appeared first on Just Football.

Just Football understands that Fontes will leave the FA Cup winners in July to join the Italian giants after being appointed to the role of Chief Scout at Roma, where he will work under new manager Jose Mourinho.

Fontes joined Leicester in 2016 and has developed a growing reputation within the game. He played an important role in identifying numerous key signings made by Leicester over the past five years including the signings of James Maddison, Caglar Soyuncu and Ricardo Pereira. He also had a major input into player recruitment and strategy at the club.

Leicester City have enjoyed unprecedented success in the past five years, winning the Premier League title for the first time in their history in 2016 before following that up with their first ever FA Cup triumph in May.

Central to this success has been a smart recruitment strategy that has seen the club identify and recruit several players who would go on to be central figures in their success. Leicester have won admiration for their ability to identify talent, sell at a major profit and then replace outgoing players with new high quality players that fit the system.

Fontes’ work at the Foxes has not gone unnoticed. This has attracted the attention of AS Roma, who have now moved to lure Leicester’s senior scout to the Italian capital. At Roma Fontes will work as the Chief Scout with a remit to rejuvenate the club’s recruitment in Serie A and push them to new heights.

Leicester are thought to be disappointed to lose Fontes, particularly ahead of such an important transfer window for the club. The Foxes finished fifth in the Premier League this season, narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification by one point.

Roma meanwhile finished seventh in Serie A and will look to narrow what was a 29-point gap to champions Internazionale at the top.

Follow Just Football on Twitter for more news, opinion and analysis.

SEE ALSO: How Brexit will change player recruitment in English football completely

The post Leicester City senior scout to leave the Foxes for AS Roma appeared first on Just Football.

Alexander joins football consultant and host Jonathan Fadugba to preview the tournament as we discuss Alexander’s scouting process, how he got into scouting and his role as UK scout at a top Eredivisie club in the Netherlands. We then pick our 25 Top Young Players to Watch at the U21 Euros and take a detailed look at three of the tournament favourites – France, England and the Netherlands.

Key players to watch include: Callum Hudson-Odoi, Amine Gouiri, Noni Madueke, Teun Koopmeiners, Gianluca Scamacca, Riqui Puig, Ridle Baku, Oliver Skipp, Myron Boadu, Alban Lafont, Eduardo Camavinga and many others.

Podcast itinerary: Part 1 – 03:03 – “How I made it in football scouting” – 11:55 – U21 Euro Tournament Structure – 13:50 – 25 Players to Watch at the U21 Euros – Part 2 – 1:09.08 – France: From Alban Lafont to Amine Gouiri – 1:23:30 – England: Three Lions, their PL2 evolution and how to know when a player is ready – 1:37:22 – Netherlands: Scouting Sven Botman, brilliant Boadu and a classy squad.

Subscribe to the podcast and hit us up on Twitter or Instagram @JustFootball.

Click below to listen via the embedded player:

Or listen on Spotify or iTunes.

The post Hudson-Odoi, Boadu, Koopmeiners… Scouting the UEFA Under-21 European Championship appeared first on Just Football.

What is changing is whose decade of dominance is coming to an end. Since the 2011/12 season, Celtic have won all nine league titles, five Scottish Cups, and five Scottish League Cups. 

Celtic’s aim this season was to win their tenth league title in a row. Celtic and Rangers have both won nine titles in a row in their respective histories, but neither have managed ten. This season was a chance for Celtic to one-up their rivals and get their hands on the coveted crowning achievement. However, they failed.

Talking to Stevie and John, hosts of Glasgow is Green, the official podcast for SB Nation’s Celtic site, The Jersey Doesn’t Shrink, showed how much fans expected the win. 

“Celtic were in an excellent position to achieve ten in a row, or so we thought at least,” the duo tell Just Football.

The dream officially died on March 7th, when Celtic drew a must-win game against Dundee United, handing Rangers their 55th league title. 

We Are Rangers

We Are Champions#Champion55 pic.twitter.com/UjiBguexfe

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) March 7, 2021

So, where did it go wrong?

Lennon runs out of steam

Football is a results-based industry. If results don’t come then owners will usually make changes. Often, that first change is a managerial one.

Lennon has been a familiar face at Celtic Park since 2000, when he first signed for the club. Funnily enough, his first season saw him become a part of the team that denied Rangers their tenth league title in a row. 

Lennon instantly became a beloved player at Celtic, with his technical ability and dynamism in midfield as well as his aggression and passion. In a seven-year playing career at Celtic he won eleven trophies and captained the club in his final two years. 

After a robust playing career he retired and became manager in 2010, winning five trophies before leaving to manage in the Championship.

Five years later he returned, replacing Brendan Rodgers. His first two seasons back reinstilled the love the fans had for him during his playing career, with the unparalleled third ‘treble treble’ (the club’s third domestic treble) in 2018/19 and similar success in 2019/20. 

This season, however, it started to crumble. Lennon’s tactical knowledge has always been under scrutiny – he’s much more known for his ability to motivate and inspire his players, as well as his development of youngsters.

However, it’s clear that his strengths started to dwindle when long spells of poor results led to failure to qualify for the Champions League group stage, early elimination in the Europa League, fumbling in the second round of the League Cup and overall poor league performances. 

Celtic Football Club today announced that Neil Lennon has resigned from his position as Football Manager with immediate effect.

We thank Neil sincerely for all he has done for the club and we wish him every success going forward.

— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) February 24, 2021

“[Lennon] did have us playing extremely well in early 2020, albeit against teams we really should have been beating,” said Stevie and John.

“Last season, the major failures such as exiting the Champions League… and the self-inflicted mess that was Copenhagen in the Europa League were signs that Lennon was self-destructing once more and hadn’t learned from the previous mistakes that haunted him.”

The second Old Firm loss of the season in early January was the final straw for most fans. Eventually, he left the club in late February, leaving them 18 points behind Rangers in the title race. 

“He saw the shutdown as ‘time off’ instead of preparing the team the best he could in challenging times. Rangers used that time to plan out how they would play next season. We were awarded a title over ZOOM and seemed to spend more time laughing about that than being productive with the team behind the scenes.” 

It would be unfair to solely blame Lennon, though. Individual performances all across the pitch have been poor, and signings that aren’t good enough for the club to compete have left them in their current situation. 

Scenes at Ibrox as Rangers and Gerrard celebrate winning their first league title in years pic.twitter.com/WFuMVMSl6H

— 433 (@433) March 7, 2021

Celtic’s current affairs seem to match the club’s major slump in the early nineties. For the past decade, Celtic have dominated, with a stronghold on the league that few teams – Rangers aside – can muster. One need only look at the two rivals’ number of league titles won – Rangers are 55-time champions and Celtic have won it 51 times – to see the dominance. In third is Aberdeen, who have won the league four times. 

For Celtic, the only real time they were not a dominant force in Scotland was in the nineties. Financial strife during this era led to a slump so bad it reached the point where they weren’t even the second-best team behind Rangers anymore. In 1991, finishing third behind Aberdeen was seen as an accomplishment, after Celtic finished fifth in 1990 with just ten wins in the 36-game season. 

It wasn’t until 1996 that Celtic finally emerged from this dark period to return to the top two of the table, finishing behind Rangers in successive seasons before finally winning their 36th league title in 1998. 

Manager merry-go-round

Prior to 1991 Celtic had only ever had seven managers in its history, going all the way back to the club’s inception in 1887. Yet the club seemed to have a revolving door in the manager’s office in the nineties, going from seven managers in 103 years to seven more in a decade. 

The worry for Celtic fans is that this season could mark the beginning of a repeat of what happened in the nineties. While the financial issues aren’t as extreme one wonders why Neil Lennon wasn’t backed by the board, especially when they hired him permanently. 

Steven Gerrard, who was unveiled as Rangers’ new manager back in 2018, was granted around £24.5 million to spend on new players. While it seemed that Lennon had that same financial backing, with the Celtic board giving him £31 million to work with, the club in the meantime has sold upwards of around £40 million to compensate for these signings. These signings have not made a good enough impact. 

Who the board decide to hire as Celtic’s next permanent manager will say a lot about where the club are heading.

While Lennon is a Celtic legend, it became clear towards the end of his tenure that he was struggling badly, and the club were clearly prolonging his sacking. With John Kennedy now caretaker manager until the end of the season it’ll be interesting to see if they decide to hire Kennedy on a permanent basis like they did with Lennon or look for someone more experienced. 

“Horrendous feeling”

For Celtic fans, not retaining the league was, of course, heartbreaking, but losing out to Rangers, say Stevie and John, was “crushingly upsetting” and a “horrendous feeling.”

The Old Firm is a rivalry rooted in social and political hostilities. Since their formation, both clubs’ identities have been polar opposites, with Celtic fans predominantly identifying as socialists in an Irish Republicanism and Rangers fans identifying as conservatives in a Northern Irish Unionism.

Celtic will need to bounce back but it may not happen anytime soon. The club’s long-standing chief executive Peter Lawell is also set to depart at the end of the season after 17 years in charge, having overseen 29 trophies during his tenure. Celtic fans are aware that a total rebuild is now necessary, and could take some time.

“It’s been depressing the way it’s crumbled in front of us,” say Stevie and John. “We saw it all coming, but the powers that be at the club have just ignored it.”

“[Rangers have] a settled squad, a winners mentality and Champions League income to bolster them.”

“The rivalry has always been intense, but this year has hammered home just how important it will be to regain our dominance in Glasgow once more and not ever be complacent again while in a position of strength.”

Follow us @Just Football on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram for more football news, analysis and opinion.

Words: Yara El-Shaboury | Main image credit: Celtic FC on Twitter

The post Celtic ‘spent more time laughing than preparing’ as rivals Rangers conquer nine-in-a-row run appeared first on Just Football.

As City made it seven Champions League clean sheets in a row, Foden put in another typical performance that will surely put his name at the centre of Gareth Southgate’s plans for the Euros in June.

The midfielder was always available to receive a pass, carried the ball brilliantly and turned slow defensive possession into fast attacking play on multiple occasions throughout the game. His assist to Gundogan summed up his night, as he received the ball on the turn in the centre of the pitch, drove at the Gladbach defence at speed and weighted a perfect pass into his midfield partner, who made it 2-0. 

Another big performance. Quarters here we come! pic.twitter.com/0cFPg2ZNTK

— Phil Foden (@PhilFoden) March 16, 2021

Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema made history against Atalanta, becoming only the fifth player in Champions League history to score seventy goals. The Frenchman combined his masterful skill of dropping into holes, linking the midfield with the attack and creating chances for others with his more recent role of being the main goal scoring threat in a three at the back Madrid side when in possession.

His attacking partner Vinicius Junior also had a great game, but lacked the end product needed to compliment his ability to dribble past four or five defenders at ease.

Karim Benzema joins exclusive Champions League goalscoring club

Details as @Benzema makes competition history #UCL

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 16, 2021

Joshua Kimmich

The tie was never in doubt after Bayern’s first leg showing in Italy, but that didn’t stop them from putting in another controlling and dominant performance tonight. As he so often is, Kimmich was at the heart of this win as the glue in midfield, making a game high four key passes and two interceptions.

He dictated play from deep and played a number of line breaking passes, with the pick of the bunch being the pre assist that took six Lazio players out of the game for Choupo-Moting’s goal.

Hakim Ziyech

Another very impressive defensive performance from Tuchel’s Chelsea earned them a deserved place in the quarter finals, making it just two goals conceded in thirteen games under their new manager. The three big attacking signings who have received a lot of criticism this season all linked up for the opening goal, with a quick counter that opened up an Atletico side that aren’t really used to committing a lot of men forward in attack.

Havertz Werner Ziyech = #UCL pic.twitter.com/qDuLyEZE45

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 17, 2021

A first goal at Stamford Bridge for the Moroccan and a comfortable ninety minutes for Chelsea will give Tuchel some more confidence in the attacking options he has, as they now look to a favourable run of fixtures in the league.

The post Phil Foden and the Star Names of the Champions League last 16, week 2 appeared first on Just Football.

Gareth Bale, Tottenham Hotspur

Gareth Bale’s performance against Burnley last Sunday felt like the first time he truly justified Daniel Levy’s decision to bring him in on an expensive one-year loan, as the winger scored two and assisted one in Spurs’ dominant 4-0 win over Burnley.

𝗜𝗡 𝗙𝗢𝗖𝗨𝗦 @GarethBale11's brilliant display against Burnley #THFC #COYS pic.twitter.com/2dT6xnNd80

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 2, 2021

The Welshman’s man of the match performance highlighted the ability that he undeniably still has, as he drifted inside from the right wing and offered an overload against Burnley’s two central midfielders every time Spurs went forward.

Bale’s movement off the ball and ruthless finishing earned him his two goals, but perhaps most impressive was the passing range that Heung-min Son, Harry Kane and Bale displayed throughout the match, coming into central areas of the pitch and finding each other with 30+ yard passes on a regular basis.

This may be the match that shows Jose Mourinho and Spurs fans the ability their beloved winger still has, and should allow Bale to build on the four starts he’s now had in the Premier League this season.

Nicolas Pepe, Arsenal

With four goals in his last seve Premier League starts and a fantastic performance in Arsenal’s 3-1 win away to Leicester, Nicolas Pepe is making a case to be a consistent starter in Arsenal’s ever changing front four.

Pepe’s ability to run at defenders with the ball and continuously beat his man was something that Leicester and Luke Thomas struggled to deal with at the King Power, proven by the left-back being booked and substituted at half time. Ricardo Pereira was tasked with dealing with the winger for the second half.

By then Pepe was already in the mood having won the free kick and penalty for Arsenal’s earlier goals, as he rounded off a fluid counter attack with a tap in.

There is no doubt that the Ivorian works better with Cedric as opposed to Hector Bellerin, as the unselfish overlaps provided by the full-back occupied Leicester’s defence and give Pepe the space to drive into central areas.

Dancing around players and after goals.

That’s the Nicolas Pépé we know and love pic.twitter.com/McYkBuzo0c

— Arsenal Editor (@Arsenal_Editor) February 28, 2021

Richarlison, Everton

With so much focus on surprise package stories like West Ham and Aston Villa this season you may be surprised to see Everton now five points off Manchester United in second with a game in hand over the top four.

#EFC starts.
Scoring in 4⃣ games in a row.
6⃣ in his last 6⃣.

@richarlison97 pic.twitter.com/kXwWFkmr9o

— Everton (@Everton) March 4, 2021

Richarlison has scored in each of Everton’s last four games, scoring the deciding goal in vital 1-0 wins over Southampton and West Bromich Albion this week. Playing as a left sided striker and making runs in and around Calvert-Lewin has given the Brazillian attacking freedom and a good supply of chances, and whether it be Rodriguez or Sigurdsson playing just behind, their first thought when receiving the ball is to look for the run of Richarlison with a neat through ball.

Barring the occasional slip up, Everton under Carlo Ancelotti are playing good football and grinding out results against teams that they’ve struggled against in the past. With 14 points out of a possible 24 from the traditional ‘Big Six’ so far, they’ve proved that they are in contention for a Champions League spot and are 7/2 to finish in the top seven according to UK online sportsbook, Mansion Bet.

A big test awaits them as they travel to Stamford bridge on Monday with the opportunity to move into the top four.

N’Golo Kante, Chelsea

“It’s always HIM!” was the shout by a frustrated Bruno Fernandes, as N’Golo Kante dispossessed the Portuguese midfielder time and time again throughout the 0-0 draw between Chelsea and Manchester United.

For what feels like the thousandth time, the Frenchman recorded a game high number of tackles (7) and game high number of interceptions (4), committing no fouls in the process of stifling a United attack that is so often dangerous and clinical away from home.

Since Thomas Tuchel took charge he has mainly preferred a midfield duo of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic with the safety of a back three behind them, but the ball winning ability of Kante provides the German with a nice dilemma when picking his midfield partnership and has surely convinced him that Kante should keep his place in the team. A superb performance in the 1-0 at Anfield also left Tuchel raving.

Marvelous Nakamba, Aston Villa

Largely going under the radar this season with only four starts, the midfielder was integral in breaking down and winning the ball back against a usually free scoring Leeds side in Villa’s 1-0 win at Elland Road last Saturday.

Recording a game high number of interceptions (5) and continuing Villa’s run of not conceding this season (375 minutes) while Marvelous Nakamba has been on the pitch, the Zimbabwean is starting to cement himself as a fans favourite that offers a more robust style of play than the other options currently at the club.

The style of play Nakamba offers gave more freedom to players like Jacob Ramsey and John McGinn in front of him, and should earn him a place at the base of Villa’s midfield in the tougher matches as they still dream of reaching the European places with 14 games to go.

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The post Richarlison, Gareth Bale, Kante… Names of the Premier League, week 26 + 27 appeared first on Just Football.

You think Bruno Fernandes is going to perform well or Jadon Sancho is going to get a big move? Through the Football Index platform you can now buy or sell shares in footballers based on how you think they will perform over a period of time and profit from their success.

Thousands of new customers join the Football Index platform every year, building a portfolio, buying and selling, and making money from their knowledge. The company was established in 2015 and has gone on to be a big player in the sports / gaming world. In 2019/20 the company reportedly paid out over £10 million in dividends.

The platform can seem opaque to some, almost too good to be true if you check some of the accounts on Twitter singing its praises. But today sees the launch of ‘How to Make Money on Football Index’ a comprehensive guide written by a writer known as The Index Chef, who has spent two years on Football Index documenting his experiences of the market and the strategies that can help you make money.

The book looks at key principles and strategies to teach you how to build a portfolio, how to buy and sell shares in a player, how to win dividends, both from performances and media dividends, how to spot undervalued players, how to trade in the young talents market and much more.

Profit from your football knowledge

The book gives an excellent introduction to Football Index that is a must for any beginner, while also forming a very handy guide with hints and tips on strategy that can be applied by even those who are already on the platform.

Chapters such as “How to Find Undervalued Players” demonstrate the Chef’s knowledge both of football and the platform and are light and engaging while showing you the best way to maximise profit on Football Index.

The Index Chef, called so to retain a degree of anonymity, is a professional who has worked within football, and so uses his experience to apply it to the platform and pass on knowledge of his own success. As such there are many interesting insights not only about Football Index but also about the media, trading principles, buy low sell high strategies to make money on Football Index and more.

Cashing out a bunch of Nayef Aguerds this morning for over a 100% profit, plus dividends.

He has been one of my favourite holds. #footballindex pic.twitter.com/krKnuHPb4w

— The Index Chef (@theindexchef) February 12, 2021

If you are thinking of getting into Football Index or are already on it but can’t get your head around it, we would definitely recommend you grab a copy of ‘How to Make Money on Football Index’.

The link to read more and buy is here and with a retail price of less than two shares of the most expensive player on Football Index (currently Joshua Kimmich at £6.97) it will certainly provide value for anybody looking to take Football Index seriously. You can also follow the Index Chef on Twitter here.

Remember, you must be over 18 to play and the platform at the moment is only available in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Gamble responsibly.

The post Buy Bruno Fernandes, Sell Mo Salah? – How To Make Money on Football Index appeared first on Just Football.

The Premier League is currently full of star-studded players approaching the end of their current deals and clubs have a huge decision on their hands. Do they cash in on their assets in January, swallow their pride and pay the players what they are demanding or risk losing the player for nothing this summer?

The clock is ticking with final decisions to be made, and here is a list of 24 out of contract Premier League players set to be free agents this summer. Who should your club sign?

Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool)

One of the top central midfielders in the Premier League, perhaps even the world. Georginio Wijnaldum goes about his business like a silent assassin, you don’t notice him much until he either pops up with a goal or is not starting and you wonder where he is.

Links with Bayern Munich, and FC Barcelona to link up with fellow countryman Ronald Koeman, highlight just how good a player the 30-year-old is. Wijnaldum has certainly come a long way since his relegation with Newcastle United and if he can’t agree terms at Anfield he seems set for a big summer move away.

How we feeling today Reds? pic.twitter.com/dxBBvLKIxA

— Gini Wijnaldum (@GWijnaldum) July 23, 2020

Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)

Manchester City’s all-time top scorer hasn’t scored a Premier League goal since January 21st 2020 and has been hampered with a knee injury for months. However, it is still difficult to imagine Manchester City without Aguero.

Aguero gave City fans perhaps their most famous and memorable moment ever with his last-minute title winner against QPR. With 256 goals in all competitions since joining in 2011 Aguero may have passed his peak but City could do much worse than giving him at least another season at the Etihad.

If not, a move to Serie A or MLS may be on the cards for the Argentine.

Edinson Cavani (Manchester United)

Edinson Cavani has proved himself a deadly weapon at Manchester United, especially from the bench. The Uruguayan has been a talisman whenever called upon and has shown that, at 33, he still has a lot to offer.

Cavani has done little wrong (on the pitch) to warrant not getting at least another 12 months at Old Trafford where he could do what Zlatan Ibrahimovic did winning multiple trophies and being a figurehead for the younger players to learn from. In the meantime, after a spell of good form Manchester United’s odds to win the title are shortening.

Eric Garcia (Manchester City)

One of the longest drawn-out sagas may be set for a conclusion with Eric Garcia’s contract set to expire at Manchester City. He has reportedly agreed personal terms with Barcelona, according to The Guardian.

Still just 20 years old, his minutes have been limited this season through the partnership of John Stones and Ruben Dias. Garcia may be able to settle when he’s home in Catalonia and we could see a great ball-playing centre-back. Barcelona have missed someone of that calibre for a while now.

Demarai Gray (Leicester City)

Leicester City seemed to have struck gold when they signed Demarai Gray as a promising 20-year old. However, after just 108 minutes of senior football this season and just 18 in the Premier League it seems his fate is sealed.

Brendan Rodgers has been open in the media about Gray’s future lying away from the King Power Stadium. The winger has managed just 10 goals since 2016 and a fresh start seems necessary to revitalise his career. A move away in January seems likely as the Foxes want to cash in on the 24-year-old with Southampton, West Bromwich Albion, Everton and Olympique Marseille the favourites to land Gray.

Romain Saiss (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Romain Saiss has come through a difficult period where he was replaced by Max Kilman but has proven his worth at both ends of the pitch with two goals in 12 games this campaign.

Saiss was part of the Wolverhampton Wanderers side which won promotion from the Championship and has been a stalwart alongside Conor Coady. At 30 years old he has a lot still to offer and seems likely to end up with a new deal but would certainly not be short of suitors in England or abroad if he was to leave the Midlands.

Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace)

The latest full-back off the Crystal Palace production line is Tyrick Mitchell who kept Patrick Van Aanholt out the side before an injury disrupted his season.

He’s performed above expectations this season, if not to Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s level. However, he’s a comfortable defender and doesn’t seem eager for a move away so this would be a surprise if Mitchell was allowed to walk away in the summer. Rumours are abound that he has privately agreed on a new deal.

Olivier Giroud (Chelsea)

Olivier Giroud seemed set for another season as a backup striker under Frank Lampard but it’s been the complete opposite. Giroud has managed nine goals in 16 appearances including five in four games in the Champions League.

Giroud is not short of suitors in the Premier League, Serie A and Ligue 1. He needs game time to ensure he gets a spot in France’s Euro 2020 squad this summer. The Frenchman can lead any line and play in numerous formations so it will be interesting where he ends up in the summer after proving he still has plenty to offer this campaign.

Le Fameux « Club des 100 »
#FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/zMN1S7o2i1

— Olivier Giroud (@_OlivierGiroud_) October 8, 2020

Juan Mata (Manchester United)

Juan Mata has said he still wants to play on for a few more years and he could follow a similar path to David Silva. He’s been a treat to watch since he arrived in the Premier League back in 2011.

Having been used sporadically this campaign (10 appearances) and mainly as a mature head amongst a relatively young Manchester United squad, it could be a great end to his career if he returned to Valencia in the summer, back where he made his name.

Patrick van Aanholt (Crystal Palace)

Patrick van Aanholt is a player who divides opinions as he thrives going forwards but has been suspect in his final third. The Dutchman has so far refused and turned down Crystal palace’s contract offers.

It seems likely he won’t sign a new deal and will happily walk away a free man at the end of the campaign. We could see him go to the Eredivise which is a very attacking league and would suit his style of play and even play as a winger.

Vicente Guaita (Crystal Palace)

The third Crystal Palace player in this list which is a worrying sign, considering their manager is also out of contract at the end fo the season along with 15+ players. Vicente Guaita has been an under-appreciated keeper outside of Selhurst Park during his entire spell in England.

The Eagles are currently in negotiations with the Spaniard to tie him down to a new deal and he seems at home in south London so it may only be a matter of time before he puts pen to paper.

Danny Welbeck (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Danny Welbeck has only just got settled on the South coast but he is almost at the end of the journey. Despite playing just nine games he is already their joint-third top scorer with three goals.

He offers more than just goals as well and if he’s not on high wages Brighton & Hove Albion could do a lot worse than offering the former Arsenal and Manchester United striker a new deal. It all depends if he can stay fit for the rest of the season after his stint at Watford was overshadowed by injuries.

Thiago Silva (Chelsea)

A leader both on and off the pitch and the fact Thiago Silva has been learning English signals Lampard wants him around for at least another campaign, even if it’s to be a figurehead in the dressing room.

A world-class player when at PSG, his best days are now behind him but  Silva is still organising and performing better than most other centre-backs at Chelsea.

Lukas Fabianski (West Ham United)

Since joining the Hammers in 2018 following Swansea City’s relegation he has been one of the most consistent performers between the sticks. Now entering the twilight of his career West Ham United may look towards the future.

An undoubtedly top keeper who would slot into many teams across Europe and will be happy with what he’s done during his Premier League career. Fabianski is a natural shot-stopper who still has a few years left in him, maybe in a less intense league and could see his final years out in MLS or somewhere similar.

Ryan Bertrand (Southampton)

Ryan Bertrand is Southampton’s captain and should probably have more than his 19 caps for England considering the standard he’s been at for several years now. He’s a leader but has also regressed in recent years with his age and pace not as suitable to the Saints’ pressing style.

Bertrand is a great player to have around and still a top full-back. You’d be pushed to find someone who could perform at Bertrands’ level as well as his commitment to the club. He is settled in Southampton and would be a bizarre move if he was to not sign a new deal.

Fernandinho (Manchester City)

A true master of the dark arts. Fernandinho appears to commit so many fouls without being booked and has provided much protection to a usually fragile Manchester City defence.

He’ll turn 36-years old in May and it seems time to depart the Etihad which has been his home since 2013, making 232 appearances. It seems fitting for the midfield general to ply his trade in Brazil as he sees out the latter years of his career. It’s a competitive league which would allow Fernandinho to showcase he still has what it takes to perform at a high intensity.

Embed from Getty Images

Max Meyer (free agent)

He arrived as one of the most exciting talents to come out of Germany. Now, he’s a free agent after failing to make the grade under Roy Hodgson.

Maximillian Meyer made just 46 appearances since joining Crystal Palace before his deal was mutually terminated. He seems destined for a move to Germany, potentially a return to Schalke 04. There’s no doubting Meyer has potential, he just hasn’t been given the chance or has not been able to adapt to the physical demands of the Premier League it seems.

Jacob Murphy (Newcastle United)

For a player that was not given a chance by many Newcastle United fans this season after a poor 2017/18 campaign, Jacob Murphy has been one of the Magpies’ standout players.

His versatility and ability to beat a man and deliver a good ball has impressed Steve Bruce. Still only 25 years old and a Newcastle fan, Murphy has proved he can perform in the Premier League and it would be a big shock on Tyneside if he was not offered a new deal.

John Lundstram (Sheffield United)

John Lundtsram has been refusing to sign a new contract at Sheffield United after his great campaign last season, however, after the festive period, his form dwindled.

However, he has been lucky to get regular starts during the last 12 months. He might be tempted to sign a new deal if the Blades still want him but also may see himself as a Premier League player now, something he won’t be if he stays with Sheffield United. Lundtarm could potentially fit in with Sean Dyche at Burnley, an industrial midfielder that gives his all.

Dwight Gayle (Newcastle United)

Dwight Gayle seems to be a player that needs a league between the Championship and the Premier League. He’s too good for the former, but not quite at the level of the latter.

Gayle has managed 11 goals in 59 Premier League games since joining Newcastle United. Now 30-years old and Callum Wilson the main man he could be set for a reunion with West Bromwich Albion as they look to avoid the drop this campaign. If they do go down, they’d have one of the bets Championship strikers of all time as he’s managed 23 in 33 for the Baggies during the 18/19 season and 23 in 26 for Newcastle during the 16/17 campaign.

David Luiz (Arsenal)

David Luiz started all but one game in the league last season and has started six out of eight this campaign. He’ll be 34-years old in April but has seemed to be a trusted part of Mikel Arteta’s plan this season.

If they want to keep him onside and playing well they may need to stump up at least another 12 months to keep Luiz at the Emirates. Arsenal will want fresher faces coming through, but to have a winner in your ranks like Luiz is something you can rarely buy.

https://twitter.com/DavidLuiz_4/status/1299786229173620736

Nathaniel Clyne (Crystal Palace)

Amazingly, this is the fifth Palace player on the list. Nathaniel Clyne has shown great strength to come back from injuries and setbacks and seems at home at Selhurst Park.

Still the better side of 30, Clyne would be a great player to get tied down to at least a 24-month deal considering the undoubted quality he still possesses. He also knows the league well and has the experience to help players such as Tyrcik Mitchell.

Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur)

A fall from grace would be putting it lightly for Danny Rose’s career. He failed to impress on loan at Newcastle last season and win a permanent deal. Therefore, he’s spent the first half of this campaign playing no football.

Rose seems set in stone that he will run down his contract at Tottenham Hotspur. Where he ends up next is anyone’s guess but he remains a left-back with ability and an England international.

DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United)

A strange sequence of events resulted in DeAndre Yedlin remaining on Tyneside. The defender wanted to leave, Newcastle were happy for him to leave and nothing materialised.

He’s somehow worked himself back into Steve Bruce’s plans and seems to be the first choice right-back. It may not be out of the question to see Yedlin remain on Tyneside for another year or two before moving onto his inevitable return to USA.

However, it does seem likely he will depart after five successful campaigns on Tyneside with Turkey or a lucrative designated player move to MLS on the cards.

Words: Aaron Hindhaugh

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The post Free transfers: 24 out of contract players your club could sign for free this summer appeared first on Just Football.

In this post let’s take a look at some of the key changes and how they will impact the game.

What are the new Brexit rules in a nutshell?

It’s a bit of a strange situation because while on the surface you might look at the principles of Brexit and think it would result in the restriction of foreign players coming to play in England, in effect the Football Association’s new regulations are almost like shaking up a snow globe and changing who qualifies to play in English football going forward and who does not. The criteria for qualification has been dramatically changed with repercussions on recruitment for all countries.

–The main headline: Under FIFA’s rules, the UK’s exit from the European Union will mean that, effective from January 1st 2021, clubs will no longer be able to sign players from overseas until they are 18. Currently, clubs within the EU can sign players from other EU countries from the age of 16 and so English clubs will no longer be able to act similarly. Cesc Fabregas, Hector Bellerin and others are good examples of players recruited before they turned 18 who would no longer be allowed to make such a move.

-In the Premier League, the number of overseas Under-21 players a club can sign will be limited to three in the January transfer window and six per season thereafter. According to the FA, ‘This enables the recruitment of the best players from around the world to train and play together with homegrown talent.’ Debatable, but you can see the argument.

-A new points based system has been launched which will require players to acquire a minimum 15 points on a scale of different criteria to gain a Governing Body Endorsement to play in the Premier League or EFL. This points system will apply to players if they don’t qualify for an automatic pass for a GBE. Automatic passes will be awarded based on international appearances and the number of minutes played for countries ranked in FIFA’s top 50.

-The points based system will now rank leagues according to different bands, with more points available for players the higher the Band of the league in which they play. So where previously, any EU player could come to England under free movement and sign for any Premier League or EFL club, from now on the league in which they are coming from will have a significant deciding factor on their eligibility for a GBE to play in England. The different Bands are as follows:

Band 1 = Europe’s big 5 leagues (Premier League, German Bundesliga, France Ligue 1, Spain La Liga, Italy Serie A)
Band 2 = Portugal, Dutch Eredivisie, Belgium, Turkey, English Championship
Band 3 = Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Scottish Premiership
Band 4 = Czech Republic, Croatia, Switzerland, Spain Segunda, Bundesliga II, Ukraine, Greece, Colombia, MLS, Austria, France Ligue 2
Band 5 = Serbia, Denmark, Poland, Slovenia, Chile, Uruguay, China
Band 6 = all other leagues

Example: A senior player (21 or over) who has played 25% of minutes in the Belgian top league during the time period required will accrue more points towards the 15 needed for a GBE than an equivalent player with the same minutes in the Danish league.

-While 15 is the qualification threshold, 10-14 points means a club can request an Exceptions Panel hearing to decide if a player will receive and endorsement (at a cost of £5,000+VAT).

-New rules around youth players (under 21) assign points based on appearance in youth internationals and youth international tournaments or qualifiers. The full criteria and number of points can be found on the FA website.

-Republic of Ireland = Ireland is currently a grey area awaiting clarification from FIFA due to the Common Travel Area (CTA) – an agreement between the Irish and British governments that pre-dates the European Union, and is thus not dependent on it. The CTA allows for the free movement of people between Ireland and Britain, and enshrines rights related to employment, healthcare, and education.

17 years ago today i made my debut as a professional @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/3BaovKZsaU

— Cesc Fàbregas Soler (@cesc4official) October 28, 2020

What does this mean in practice?

-No more Riyad Mahrez, Anthony Knockaerts or Brunos… Non-international players from nations outside the top 50 FIFA rankings will find it much harder if not impossible to get a GBE to play in England. This would have all but ruled out a player like Riyad Mahrez, for example, who moved to Leicester City in the Championship from Le Havre in France’s Ligue 2 in 2014. Brighton and Hove Albion’s popular player Bruno would be another example of a player who would not have qualified.

-Note: Today roughly 15% of the Championship is made of non-UK or Irish players. Players like Bryan Mbuemo and Saman Ghoddos at Brentford or Leo Ostigard at Coventry City may now not have qualified to play in England.

Example: Emiliano Buendia – Band 4 (signed from Getafe in Spain’s Segunda). If he played 100% of the team’s minutes this give him 6pts. If his club had won the league this gives an extra 3pts. If he had won some youth or international caps for Spain/Argentina during the registration period this would earn him a few extra points. Ultimately, though, today Buendia would have struggled to meet the 15 point threshold to get a GBE to sign for Norwich City.

-The new rules impact coaches as well as players. Managers from outside the UK will be similarly affected with new criteria for eligibility and tier and points based systems to take coaching or management roles.

Embed from Getty Images

What are the opportunities for clubs going forwards?

Clubs, directors, heads of recruitment and anybody working in football now will currently be poring through these new regulations, calculator in hand, to try and assess the various points criteria and opportunities that change will bring.

-There has been talk, for example, of partner clubs to circumvent some of the regulations, similar to how Manchester City and the City Football Group now operate with satellite clubs in different countries, e.g. Troyes in France or Lommel in Belgium. This is an avenue you imagine many clubs will now consider to allow them to still have access to top young players from abroad. Clubs will need to establish new alliances and relationships to adapt accordingly and stay ahead of the game.

-Given the elevation of the Copa Libertadores, South America’s equivalent to the UEFA Champions League, to a high level Band 1 Continental Competition, expect to see perhaps more focus on, scouting in and recruitment from South America from Premier League or even EFL clubs going forward. A player that has played in 90% of minutes in the Copa Libertadores during the period required would now receive 10 points towards a GBE, for example, which is a major step towards eligibility to play in England. Previously, non-EU player recruitment was a lot more difficult due to the work permit system.

-With the new Brexit rules, added to the salary caps in the Football League, the value of English academy talent is now sure to increase by a significant margin. At present, youth players under 21 do not count towards the salary cap. Add this to the new Brexit regulations that will inevitably restrict the talent pool available to EFL clubs, and you quickly realise that British academy players under 21 will now have real value. This could have big implications for Scottish football and Scottish young players also.

Summary

This is merely a brief overview of the new rules around Brexit that will impact English football and what changes to expect. It is a huge topic with a number of nuances and all sorts of detailed and comprehensive calculations required to determine player eligibility. Hopefully this piece gives a good overview and insight to the new regulations.

In my work as a football consultant I am part of a team that offers solutions, consultancy and guidance around Brexit for clubs, heads of recruitment, chairmen or directors looking to gain an inside track and an edge on the competition. If you are working in football and would like to learn more or work together, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @JFfutbol, via LinkedIn or click the following link to learn more and contact us.

Words: Jonathan Fadugba | Main image credit: Aksym Yemelyanov / Stock.Adobe.com

The post How the new Brexit regulations will change player recruitment in British football completely appeared first on Just Football.

The Manchester United star has made an indifferent start to the 2020/21 and has lost his place in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s lineup. Why is this? And how come he still gets in the France team?

In this latest episode on our Just Football YouTube channel we put together a detailed player analysis looking at every aspect of his game, what is going wrong, what he needs to do to get back to his best and what Manchester United need to do to help him get back to top form.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel for the best video data analysis you will find and let us know if you have a player suggestion or if you are interested in our services providing custom individual player analysis.

Enjoy the video and let us know on YouTube or below in the comments what you think!

The post How do Manchester United solve a problem like Paul Pogba? – JF Analytics Video Data Report appeared first on Just Football.

It has been confirmed that Liverpool sent their Scandinavian scout Mads Jörgensen to watch Bergmann Jóhannesson in the Swedish Allsvenskan game between IFK Norrköping and AIK, making the Reds the latest top European club to monitor the Icelandic starlet.

Manchester United sent scouts to watch the youngster a week earlier, in their game against Varberg BOIS, while Juventus are long-term admirers.

The youngster is a talented attacking midfielder who can also operate as a wide midfielder cutting inside or as a number 10. He has three goals and eight assists in his breakout season in Allsvenskan, making him one of the top creators in the league at just 17 years of age.

IFK Norrköping’s chief scout Stig Torbjörnsen has all but confirmed the rumours in a conversation with SportExpressen, admitting that several top clubs around Europe are circling around Bergmann Jóhannsesson:

“There has been great interest. It’s fun that we have many interesting players but it’s no secret that clubs are chasing Bergmann Johannesson.

“We have quite a lot of money and no need to sell, and Isak has a sensible agent and family who know what they want and when he should go so it’s no stress for us, it’s rolling on. When something comes up that is good for all parties, something may happen.”

Torbjörnsen admitted that Liverpool are one of the teams watching Bergmann Jóhannsesson, who was born in Sutton Coldfield and is eligible for England.

“Yes, you can name all ten best clubs in Europe. Everyone has been here for him, they are all curious. This is how the scouting world works that there is interest when such a young guy plays so well for such a long time. He has performed in the U21 national team and Norrköping has a history with young players. The situation is damn good. 

“Liverpool is one club, there are ten others as well. It is normal and fun for the association and Isak himself. A club with a lot of money may appear tomorrow or in six months. It is good that Isak is calm and has a good advisor and family. Norrköping has no stress, the important thing is that the decision is not hasty but right.”

Bergmann Jóhannsesson was named in June as one of the top 10 players to watch in Allsvenskan 2020 on the Nordic Football Podcast and has regularly been discussed on the show for his exploits during this breakthrough campaign.

Listen from 48 minutes in here for a discussion on the links to Manchester United, or check out the clip below from August for more information on the player and his potential.

TALENT: One of our Players in Focus this week is none other than @ifknorrkoping wonderkid Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson @JFfutbol has plenty of praise for the 17-year-old – subscribe to listen to the full episode!

Spotify: https://t.co/5GGgJIS6ip

Web: https://t.co/foBwN3tuWk pic.twitter.com/u8JfeQ0usr

— Nordic Football Pod (@nordicfootpod) August 22, 2020

Follow Just Football on Twitter or the Nordic Football Podcast for our weekly show on Scandinavian football which regularly highlights the top young players in the region.

The post Liverpool, Manchester United and Juventus turn up the heat in transfer chase for Icelandic starlet appeared first on Just Football.

Saeid started his career in Sweden, before moving to England to sign for West Bromwich Albion’s academy. He enjoyed a spell at Fulham as a youngster before returning home to Sweden, spending time in MLS in USA and Denmark. His current club, IK Sirius, are enjoying one of their best ever seasons this year in Sweden’s Allsvenskan.

The importance of self-belief

In a recent interview on the Nordic Football Podcast, Saeid spoke with Just Football editor Jonathan Fadugba about the mental side of the game and how important it is for young players looking for a career in football.

“It’s very big [the mental side of the game]. You can see the difference in a player like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the kind of elite mentality that he has. He wants more out of every player but he demands the most out of himself.

“People fail to see that part, they just see that he demands a lot from everyone else around him but they don’t realise that he demands so much from himself as well.”

“It’s very important to have the mental side,” Saeid told the Nordic Football Podcast, “because any time you have a weakness – especially if it’s on the mental side – you will struggle in a game. Because you will make so many mistakes in a game, everyone does.”

“[The key is] how do you deal with that mistake? Do you get back onto the horse and do it again? Or do you give up and say “I have failed, I don’t want to pass the ball anymore” or “I don’t want to shoot anymore” or “I don’t want to get in the box anymore because I’m afraid to miss?” So the mental aspect is very important.”

Rise in sports psychology

Saeid goes on to talk about how clubs increasingly value and try to help players unlock the mental side of their game:

“Just to show how important it is, when I was a youngster at West Brom everyone had a psychologist. At the time I didn’t understand why it was so important to have a psychologist. I do now after many years.

“The psychologist was asking me about all my mistakes, how do you take a penalty, what do you do before the penalty… and many things like that which had me questioning myself at the time.

“He had a difficult time talking to me because I wouldn’t let him in in a certain way because I was thinking it’s a bluff to have a psychologist. But I realise now it’s really not you know, it’s good to talk to someone about everything. He won’t judge you for the person that you are. So yes, the mental aspect is very important.”

That idea of self-belief and confidence in what you can do is something Saeid feels is important to any young player starting out in the game.

“At the end of the day you should first of all believe in yourself. Because if you don’t believe in yourself, who else will? You are your biggest critic, and you are your biggest fan, and you should always be.”

Saeid is someone who has fought to become an established player at the level he is at, and as an international footballer for Eritrea with experience at eight top level professional clubs under his belt, his wisdom is valuable.

NEW Podcast Alert!@siriusfotboll forward Mohammed Saied + The Secrets of IK Sirius Success

Our exclusive interview with @Msaeid8 is now live for Patreon subscribers.

Find out what makes #Allsvenskan's most fluid attacking side tick!

https://t.co/VKHqEUHGQb pic.twitter.com/Bvaw91clfn

— Nordic Football Pod (@nordicfootpod) October 15, 2020

His point about self-belief goes beyond football, and is something that is for all young people who are striving to achieve:

“You should always be training hard, you should always expect the best from yourself. But the big thing is to never give up. If you have a dream, go for it. It doesn’t matter if it is in school, in sport, anywhere. You should never give up your dream, you should always work hard for it.

“Nothing should be taken for granted, because you never know when it is going to be taken away from you. The things that you can control you should do the best out of it. That would be my biggest thing, if someone had told me that when I was younger I would have taken it and ran with it.”

Be single-minded and block out noise

On lacking belief as a young player:

“It’s not so much that I lacked belief, it’s more that I listened too much to certain coaches.

“For instance if I was a dribbler they would tell me to pass the ball, and then I passed the ball so much I lost my own game. So then if they would release me they would blame me and say “Oh you’re no different from any of the other guys we have, anyone can do the job that you do.” Do you know what I’m saying!

“So when I say believe in yourself it’s to believe in your quality and never let anyone change what you are. You should always try to get better, but never let someone take away the thing that made you love the game in the first place.”

This realisation, and lessons learnt with both time and age, will vary from player to player, as is natural in life:

“Not everyone develops when they are 11 years old. Some develop at later stages, 19, 20, 21, some 25 even, some break through when they are 25, so stay patient, work hard, and believe in yourself.”

Listen to the full podcast on iTunes, Spotify or web browser below to hear more from the experienced professional as Mohammed Saeid speaks in detail about his time at West Brom and Fulham, his time in America and Sweden, the keys to IK Sirius’ success, the best players in Allsvenskan, the differences between playing in front of crowds or no fans and how lockdown has helped IK Sirius develop into one of the best teams in Sweden in 2020.

Words: Robert Dearn | Main image credit: Allsvenskan.se

The post Mohammed Saeid: The keys to a football career – stay patient, work hard and believe in yourself appeared first on Just Football.

Name: Patson Daka
Date of Birth: October 9th 1998
Age: 21
Position: Striker / Wide Forward (left)
Nationality: Zambia

Despite losing the services of teenage sensation Erling Braut Haaland to Borussia Dortmund in the January transfer window RB Salzburg were able to win their seventh consecutive Austrian league title in 2020. One of the main contributor’s to this latest title success is has been Patson Daka, who has admirably stepped up to soften the blow of losing Haaland.

Daka’s total 2019/2020 haul of 27 goals and 12 assists from 45 appearances in all competitions has unsurprisingly caught the attention of clubs across Europe. As a result the Zambian striker is expected to follow the path of Erling Haaland, Naby Keita, Takumi Minamino and Sadio Mane in eventually leaving Austria for a higher-profile European league. His two goals against Liverpool during pre-season football at the weekend just past have also raised eyebrows as to his potential.

A great game against great opponents. Definitely the kind of test to help us prepare for the new season.#PD20#RBS#MakeJesusYourAim#12MANagement pic.twitter.com/AdDi1sSN62

— Patson Daka (@PatsonDaka20) August 26, 2020

Who is Patson Daka?

Born in the Zambian city of Chingola, Patson Daka provides an inspirational success story, going from the school playing fields in his native Zambia to now leading the attack at one of Europe’s most exciting teams.

Like Haaland, Daka grew up with the benefit of having a father who played professional football – in fact Daka’s earliest memories of football are watching his father Nathtali taking on opponents out wide. Nathtali’s sad passing during Patson’s youth has provided a main source of motivation in Patson’s own footballing journey:

“He didn’t have the opportunities I have today,” Daka told The Guardian. “I feel I have achieved the dream he had for me, to see me play at a high level and come to Europe, and create my own legacy. It drives me every time because, wherever he is today, he is proud of me.”

Like many footballers Daka’s journey in football carries an element of fortune. The youngster was taking exams at school when trials to represent the local province were being held. Persuaded by a friend, Daka went along and made an immediate impression:

“We went along and they were about to start. I knew one of the coaches and he told me to rush home for my training kit so I could be a part of it. I ran there and back. After playing for less then 10 minutes, they removed me from the pitch and said: ‘OK, wait for us here.’”

Less than 12 months after this trial Patson Daka was captaining Zambia at youth tournaments and even earned a call-up to the senior national team aged 16. Daka’s impressive performances as a teenager for Zambia in the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations in 2015 captured the attention of former Mali international Frederic Kanoute:

“I was then with Kafue Celtic FC and we started talking. That’s how we finally got to meet and that’s how he also gave me the opportunity to come to Europe,” said Daka to the BBC.

This meeting led Daka to Austria and eventually RB Salzburg after a loan spell at FC Liefering.

The moment you score a goal against @LFC vs. the moment you realise you're still not verified on Twitter … #RBSLFC pic.twitter.com/a0V0ciGWzU

— FC Red Bull Salzburg EN (@FCRBS_en) August 25, 2020

2017 proved to be a breakthrough for Patson Daka. The Zambian was a pivotal figure in RB Salzburg’s surprising UEFA Youth League success, scoring in the semi-final and final against FC Barcelona and Benfica respectively.

Internationally, Daka earned individual honours when named 2017 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations Best Player (a tournament won by Zambia with Daka winning top goalscorer), 2017 CAF Youth Player of the Year and 2017 CAF Most Promising Talent of the Year. The latter is a particularly prestigious award, previously won by the likes of Mohamed Salah and John Obi Mikel.

Strengths

Daka has mainly been used in a two-man attack in RB Salzburg’s preferred 4-2-2-2 formation. The forward has the speed to unsettle opposition defences, making direct runs with and without the ball into dangerous positions.

Daka’s timing of his runs is very impressive for his age, with the majority of his goals coming inside the penalty box. Another impressive feature of Daka’s finishing is his confidence using both feet. He is not heavily reliant on one foot to score his goals. He has the ability to get the ball out of his feet quickly and get shots on goal before the goalkeeper is in a set position.

Without the ball, Daka’s aggressive pressing enables RB Salzburg to force turnovers in dangerous positions. The willingness to work defensively for the benefit of the team is a big strength of Daka’s, setting the tone for his teammates to follow.

They said…

“He is a modern centre-forward, quick, capable of working hard and making the difference because he is skilful and has good movement,” said former Zambian national team head coach Herve Renard.

“I brought him to Lille on trial when he was 17, he had to wait for his chance and then unfortunately I was sacked in the meantime. He is truly one to make a note of because he is a very, very promising player.”

What next for Patson Daka?

Patson Daka is currently at the ideal club, playing regular minutes in the Austrian Bundesliga whilst also experiencing Champions League football.

The sale of Erling Haaland presents Daka with an opportunity to become a fundamental part of the team, something he has capitalised on so far in 2020.

The young forward has also benefitted playing under the tutelage of Jesse Marsch for a predominantly young RB Salzburg team. Dominik Szoboszlai, Enock Mwepu and Sekou Koita are just some of the other young talents at Salzburg catching the eye of major European clubs.

Daka’s style of play is similar to Timo Werner, who recently joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig. Given the close links between RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig, Daka could be viewed as an ideal replacement for Werner, with a move to the German Bundesliga a logical step in his continued development. Liverpool are also reportedly keen after seeing him score two against Virgil van Dijk and co in pre-season, as are Manchester United and Arsenal.

For now, Daka is safe in the knowledge that his performances are giving RB Salzburg a growing number of new fans in Zambia:

“Right now it’s really crazy in Zambia. Most of the time people ask ‘how can we get the jerseys?'”

A bright future awaits if he can take his excellent form into 2020/21.

Follow us @Just Football on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram for more football news, analysis and opinion.

SEE ALSO: Transfer targets – 11 Premier League players who could be on the market for your club to sign this summer

The post Patson Daka: The Zambian football prodigy being eyed by Manchester United and Liverpool appeared first on Just Football.

Ivan Toney stats 2019/2020

The 24-year-old was the top scorer in League One in 2019/2020 and is attracting the interest of several top level clubs both in England and Scotland. But where will his next destination be and what makes him such an exciting player? Similarly, in what areas can he improve to be even better?

In this episode we provide a statistical breakdown of the player, his career to date including spell at Newcastle United and on loan, his ability and potential and compare him to players like Odsonne Edouard and Patrick Bamford to answer the question: how do you know when a lower league player is ready to make the next step?

Enjoy this episode on Ivan Toney as we tell you everything you need to know about the player.

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The post Ivan Toney analysis: Rangers, Celtic & Brentford in for Peterborough hotshot striker but how good is he? appeared first on Just Football.

Due to the pandemic there is only a short seven-week break now between the end of this season and the new one commencing, and with several talents being either relegated or keen to pursue pastures new which Premier League transfers can we expect to see happen?

Here are 11 Premier League players who look likely to be on the move, possibly to join your club….

Premier League transfers: 11 players likely to be on the market

Emiliano Buendia (Norwich City)

The talisman in a Norwich City side that bravely fought relegation, you suspect it won’t be too long before another club snaps up Emiliano Buendia.

The Argentinian is 23 and showed he is definitely good enough to play in the Premier League, but in a Norwich side that simply was not ready for this level his qualities were not matched by those of his teammates. This is demonstrated by the statistics, where his expected assists total of 6.96 puts him in the top 10 players in the league, and far outweighs his actual assist total of four. This suggests he was laying on chances for teammates who simply could not finish them.

Buendia’s dribbling, shot creating actions and number of passes into the box put him comfortably among the leading attacking midfielders in the division. He created 29 chances for Norwich in just one month, and you feel among better players he will get more recognition for his ability and obvious technical qualities.

Where he goes next and whether it’s staying in England or heading back to Spain remains to be seen, but he is definitely too good for the Championship.

https://twitter.com/Em10Buendia/status/1282393947072012290

Potential destinations: Everton, West Ham, Leeds United, Real Betis

SEE ALSO: “Norwich City was a very special time for me, I cried when I had to leave”

Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)

With the greatest respect to Crystal Palace, it really is time for Wilfried Zaha to leave Selhurst Park now.

The Ivorian trickster has an argument to be considered one of Palace’s greatest players of the modern era, and he is an icon among Palace fans who represents the club well, south London through and through.

But at times this season Zaha has looked like a man who needs to leave for his own sake, the magician who has stayed too long at a children’s house party and everyone is wondering what he’s still hanging around for.

Success and failure are both part of life … neither are permanent pic.twitter.com/kbsCrzPT76

— Wilfried Zaha (@wilfriedzaha) July 22, 2020

So often their best player by miles, there’s an argument Zaha hasn’t even been one of the club’s top two players this season, with Jordan Ayew and Vincent Guaita arguably outshining the man who has so often pulled a rabbit out of a hat for Palace fans.

Just four goals this season show the decline, his lowest total since 2015/16 and way below what he is capable of. He hit ten last season, and it’s clear his mind is no longer in it. He wants and perhaps deserves bigger things now. Personally, I feel he has too often looked frustrated and at times angry this season and wonder if off-field stuff on social media has affected him, the abuse and racism he has to face almost daily.

“[Wanting to leave has] obviously affected him,” said Roy Hodgson, “because his form in the last few weeks has really been quite poor considering what he is capable of doing.” It would be great to see him go to a top team abroad rather than a side in transition like Everton. For me he would be a perfect signing for Borussia Dortmund, who need more top quality senior players if they are to ever realistically challenge Bayern Munich.

Potential destinations: Arsenal, Everton, Leicester City, Borussia Dortmund

SEE ALSO: ARCHIVE – Misunderstood in Manchester but a King at Crystal Palace – The ballad of Wilfried Zaha

Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDHcUHCjRFJ/

It had to be Jack Grealish. When the time came for a hero it was Aston Villa‘s favourite son who stepped up on the final day of the season to keep his boyhood club in the Premier League. One more goal for West Ham and Villa would have gone down – and many Bournemouth fans will be bitterly disappointed that one particularly controversial goal that should have been allowed against Sheffield United has sent them down instead.

But this is about Grealish. A different breed of player, with his low-hanging socks, cheeky chappy personality and vibrant charisma, Grealish is a player you feel could be destined for big things. There have been times this season where Villa’s captain has looked like he was carrying the club on his shoulders – he admitted he hasn’t been 100% fit since the restart leading some to question the hype.

But on his day he is the one Villa player who looks truly top class and he has carried them at times this season. Hard to say if he is Manchester United quality yet but there is certainly something about him, and no doubt there will be plenty of rumours over the next few months. At 24 he has time on his side and may fancy one more season at Villa Park, which may also suit his long term development. That won’t stop the rumour mill, though.

Potential destinations: Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United

David Brooks (Bournemouth)

#OnThisDay in 2018, @DRBrooks15 became a Cherries player

How good has it been to see him back involved in recent weeks? #afcb pic.twitter.com/cx4pQXmW8x

— AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) July 1, 2020

A wonderful player to watch on his day, David Brooks‘ season was unfortunately interrupted by injuries this year, denying us the opportunity to watch a player who on his day is the closest thing I’ve seen to Ryan Giggs in terms of the delightful lightness on his feet when he runs with the ball.

Two ankle operations and eight months out of action might raise concerns for some clubs, but Brooks is a real talent, perhaps one of the most underrated, high potential players in the league. The former Sheffield United youngster is a classy dribbler, excellent on his left foot and creates chances. It’s questionable whether his body could even handle 46 games and the rigours of the Championship at this stage of his career, so Bournemouth should look to cash in on him.

Anyone taking the gamble will have themselves a potentially top player.

Potential destinations: Manchester United, Leicester City, Sheffield United, Everton, Wolves

Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)

A goal to seal Manchester United’s place in next season’s UEFA Champions League and a Premier League top three finish was a nice way to cap off a bit of a nightmare season for Jesse Lingard, who will probably not look back on 2019/2020 too fondly.

Reports on Sunday emerged on social media of fans that had placed bets on Lingard not scoring a goal all season, so given the amount of unwarranted stick he gets it seemed a fitting way for him to answer his critics, even if it was an easy tap-in caused by a Kasper Schmeichel howler late in Leicester City’s 2-0 defeat. Unlucky, haters.

Jumping into the Champions League like… pic.twitter.com/XB4x9Di90r

— Jesse Lingard (@JesseLingard) July 26, 2020

On a professional level Lingard has not been good enough for United this season, but empathy is needed when you bear in mind he has been through some highly challenging circumstances in his personal life off the field. For all the hate he gets – mainly just for the supposed crime of being a positive and bubbly personality on social media – Lingard was an important part of Gareth Southgate’s World Cup semi-final-reaching England squad, let’s not forget, and is a player who on his day has a lot of quality.

Lingard is at his best when utilised as a defensive winger, pressing opposing defenders with his energy, endless running and enthusiasm and then using his quick thinking to play in through passes or shots in and around the penalty area. For that reason it’s perhaps no surprise the best form of his United career looks to have come under Jose Mourinho. It seems Lingard’s days at Old Trafford could be numbered, particularly when you consider he signed with super agent Mino Raiola, who specialises in doing deals for his players.

I would like to see Lingard stay at Manchester United. He is a United fan through and through and his stamina and running will be much-needed in a packed and intense schedule next season. That said, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer no longer seems to count on him and the man who has scored a cup-winning goal in an FA Cup final for United could be on the way out.

Potential destinations: AC Milan, Internazionale, Leicester City, Wolves

Todd Cantwell (Norwich City)

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2aJKV4gO0G/

A breakout star if for nothing other than his cheeky dance move goal celebrations and highly self-confident tweets, Todd Cantwell is the subject of a lot of interest from Premier League clubs looking to snap him up from relegated Norwich.

Six goals and two assists in 37 appearances is not a bad return in his first season in England’s top flight, and the youngster has described it as a ‘dream’ to play for his local team in the Premier League. It would be surprising if he remained with them in the Championship though, with reports even suggesting Bayern Munich have kept tabs on him.

Potential destinations: Newcastle United, Leicester City, Everton, Southampton, Sheffield United, Bayern Munich

Josh King (Bournemouth)

Amidst all the fuss of Manchester United’s last minute January deadline day dash for a striker, which started with the pursuit of Josh King and ended in the loan signing of Odion Ighalo, it went slightly under the radar that, shortly afterwards, King changed his agent to once again sign up with Jim Solbakken.

Solbakken, of course, is a reputable Norwegian agent who also happens to be the long-standing representative and business partner of current United boss Solskjaer. A partnership that has come under scrutiny in the past. Regardless of the back story, this change of agent alone will raise speculation about King’s next move.

A former United academy graduate, King was said to be distraught that a deadline day back to Old Trafford failed to materialise and would certainly be eager to revive that old flame now Bournemouth have been relegated. With Ighalo’s deal only a loan the Red Devils will surely look to recruit a back-up striker at some point in the next six months. A basic case of 2 + 2 = 4?

Potential destinations: Manchester United, West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur

Nathan Ake (Bournemouth)

Devastated.. Love this club no matter what! Thank you for all the support this year and sorry we couldn’t make it in the end. pic.twitter.com/UAzadx4JPa

— Nathan Aké (@NathanAke) July 26, 2020

With a contract expiring in 2022 it is inevitable that Nathan Ake will leave Bournemouth soon, and definitely now the club’s relegation is confirmed.

Ake’s final act in a Bournemouth shirt summed him up, an outstanding last ditch block to stop an almost certain Jamie Vardy goal in the 4-1 win against Leicester that kept their slim hopes of survival alive. The Cherries were 1-0 down at the time, and at 2-0 down were basically relegated. Ake threw his body on the line brilliantly, injuring himself in the process, and it spoke volumes about his commitment, determination and quality in that Cherries backline.

A left-footed centre-back who played as a right-sided centre-half in Bournemouth’s back four, if reports are to be believed a £35 million deal with Manchester City is already rumoured to be in negotiations. Chelsea also are thought to be considering bringing the 25-year-old back to the club while Manchester United could use a reinforcement at centre-back, a more athletic player to challenge Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof.

Potential destinations: Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United

Ismaila Sarr (Watford)

Still a young player who at 22 is developing and learning in a new country, we saw enough from Ismaila Sarr in the Premier League this season to know he is too good for the Championship.

Watford‘s late season collapse has been alarming to witness, winning just two and losing seven of their final ten games of the season since beating Liverpool 3-0 a week before the league shutdown. Sarr made his name in that Liverpool game, providing arguably one of the most memorable moments of the season when he tore Jürgen Klopp’s side a new one to end their long unbeaten record.

Averaging 6.38 dribbles per 90 minutes (55% success rate), 0.9 shot assists per 90 and 4.46 crosses per 90, Sarr started slowly but developed into one of Watford’s most potent threats, a Senegalese right winger who is a strong, tenacious opponent that can turn defenders inside out when inspired.

Considered the ‘next Mane’ by many, let’s see which smart club looks to pick him up over the summer. Arsenal, Liverpool and others are thought to be keen.

Can someone lock Sarr in the ground and don’t let him out until we sign him

Just saying

— Clive (@clivepafc) July 26, 2020

SEE ALSO: ARCHIVE – Generation Next scout report: Ismaila Sarr – The young Senegalese talent taking Ligue 1 by storm

Potential destinations: Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool

Jamal Lewis (Norwich City)

The Luton-born Northern Ireland international has had a promising debut season in the Premier League, making 28 appearances.

Though one of Norwich City’s weaknesses in general was their overly-attacking full-backs, too often getting caught up field and leaving acres of space in behind for teams to attack into, this seems more of a managerial tactic and so it would be harsh to blame either Jamal Lewis or Max Aarons on the opposite side for obeying instructions (Norwich conceded the joint third highest total of goals from counter-attacks in the league).

Lewis is a 22-year-old left-back who fits the modern profile of an athletic full-back: he can run all day and get into opposition territory to support the team down the left. His goal against Leicester was an example of his technique and there have been whispers of interest from Liverpool as cover for Andrew Robertson.

He may be one that Norwich wish to keep for another year but has spoken of his ambition to play in the Champions League.

Potential destinations: Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Wolves

Lloyd Kelly (Bournemouth)

Fun story: I once watched a Bristol City under-23s game with a scout from Manchester United. That day, a young Lloyd Kelly was exceptional, the best player on the pitch quite comfortably, striding through the game in imperious fashion. I’ve kept tabs on his career ever since.

It was no surprise to me therefore when he soon broke into the first team, nor when a Premier League club picked him up. The England Under-21 international has had to be patient though, as long-term injuries denied him the chance to establish himself at  The Vitality Stadium.

A tall, imposing defender who can play left-back or in central defence, Kelly returned towards the end of the season. He may benefit from a season of regular football, whether in the Championship replacing Nathan Ake at Bournemouth or elsewhere. He is however good enough to progress in the top division, and recent reports link Liverpool – always intelligent in the transfer market – with a move for the 21-year-old.

Any smart Premier League club should be making enquiries to take him on a cut price deal.

Potential destinations: Liverpool, Leicester City

Which Premier League transfers do you think will happen and which of the above 11 players would you like to see join your club? Let us know in the comments below or on social media.

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The post From Jesse Lingard to Jack Grealish: 11 Premier League transfers your club could go in for appeared first on Just Football.

Following on from the hiring earlier this month of Manuel Pellegrini as their new head coach, Los Verdiblancos confirmed that Cordón will join on a four-year contract until June 2024 as Real Betis look to rebuild and get back to challenging at the higher end of the table.

OFICIAL | Antonio Cordón, nuevo director general deportivo del #RealBetis

¡Bienvenido!

https://t.co/Yv3J3Q3EdP pic.twitter.com/WplJOpnQHl

— Real Betis Balompié (@RealBetis) July 24, 2020

As a sporting director Cordón has a successful record in the transfer market, known for his skills in being able to identify undervalued talent who can perform above expectation and then be sold on for a higher price. A hugely valuable asset for a club like Real Betis, sponsored by forex broker easyMarkets, who will look to regenerate their squad in the coming off-season to sign new players of the required quality to challenge.

Cordón and Pellegrini forged a successful partnership together at Villarreal over a decade ago and will be reunited for the first time since. The duo combined to create one of the most successful eras in the Yellow Submarines history in which the relatively small provincial club became a formidable force in European football, reaching the Champions League semi-finals with a team that included the likes of Juan Roman Riquelme and Marcos Senna.

Cordón joins Betis after leaving his position as the sporting director of the Ecuador Football Federation, a role he only took up in December 2019 but that was disrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He started his career as part of Villarreal’s scouting team in 2000, rising through the ranks to eventually become the club’s sporting director.

Antonio Cordon at Villarreal

During his time at the club he was key to the signings of players like Santi Cazorla, Diego Godin, Mateo Mussacchio, Giuseppe Rossi, Luciano Vietto, Gabriel Paulista, Antonio Valencia and others. Villarreal developed into one of Spain’s best teams and went from second tier football to the Champions League semi-finals in 2006 and a second place finish in La Liga in 2008.

In 2016, after 17 years at Villarreal he was appointed as sporting director at AS Monaco, who won the Ligue 1 title during his time at the club and reached the Champions League semi-finals. During his remit as sporting director there Monaco made €180 million Euros in the deal that saw Kylian Mbappé move to Paris Saint-Germain.

A year and a half later Cordón left Monaco and was appointed CEO of the Hope Group, overseeing their stable of four clubs – Parma, Tondela, Granada and Chongqing Lifan in Italy, Portugal, Spain and China. During his time there he helped see Granada win promotion to La Liga and Parma’s promotion to Serie A.

Real Betis have a number of promising talents and exciting players at the club – the likes of Nabil Fekir, Loren Morón and Diego Lainez. But with 17 defeats and 60 goals conceded their 2019/202o season left a lot to be desired and the team finished just five points above the relegation zone. Betis fans expect better.

It will be interesting to see how Cordón deals in the transfer market as he looks to find more underrated prospects to help propel Real Betis to bigger things. With a top manager like Manuel Pellegrini also now in charged the future looks bright in green and white.

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When the whistle blew on Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Villarreal to secure a first La Liga title in three years, the celebrations were about as surreal as could be expected.

The players donned t-shirts to mark Real’s 34th league title, threw their manager Zinedine Zidane up in the air and lifted the trophy in an explosion of ticker tape. But the effects of the pandemic meant there were no fans in the stands at their training ground Alfredo di Stéfano stadium, at their usual Santiago Bernabéu home which is under construction or at the Cibeles fountain where they usually mark these occasions.

Even so, it made perfect sense for Madrid to claim the trophy there given they turned their last 11 games of the season into training matches. They barely broke sweat as they went on a 10-game winning streak en route to the title, only broken by Sunday’s draw to Leganés when La Liga was already sealed. Zidane’s men didn’t hit top gear for a full 90 minutes because they didn’t have to, aided in part by Barcelona’s incompetence and marginal decisions going their way.

¡Algunas de las mejores fotos de la celebración!
¡ENHORABUENA CAMPEONES! #34Ligas | #RealFootball pic.twitter.com/wSJuPl3Cxp

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) July 17, 2020

Key to Real Madrid’s success is they became very hard to beat, as evidenced by the fact they didn’t go behind in any of their games following the restart. While naturally the entire squad and collective take both the credit and medals, Real Madrid’s success is also largely thanks to these four figures without whom the title win would not have been possible…

Benzema takes centre stage

If there is one man on the pitch who the title belongs to, it is Karim Benzema. This was the season where the striker who José Mourinho once labelled a ‘cat’ in reference to his lack of ability in front of goal wrote his name into Real Madrid folklore.

#HalaMadridYNadaMas #Nueve #MejorJugadorDeJunio pic.twitter.com/OxBOp88fYa

— Karim Benzema (@Benzema) July 18, 2020

He did that with 21 goals and eight assists, more than any Madrid player in either department. He became Madrid’s fifth highest goalscorer when he overtook the great Ferenc Puskas with his brace in the 3-0 win against Valencia. More importantly, his finishing compensated for the lack of output from Eden Hazard and Los Blancos’ other attackers.

But his two finest moments of the campaign, and perhaps of Real’s, showed he is worth so much more than those statistics. If his sumptuous goal of the season contender in the win over Valencia wasn’t enough, his instinctive back-heeled assist for Casemiro in a tough game at Espanyol was Benzema at his very best.

Benzema backheel-nutmeg-assist for Casimiro goal. As you do.pic.twitter.com/NnGptwUc4B

— Nick Harris (@sportingintel) June 28, 2020

His blasé response to a post-match question about his volley summed up how he sees the game differently to others.

“Pfff…,” he tried to explain to Madrid’s in-house media channel. “Everything goes really quickly, you know? It’s a cross from Marco [Asensio], I control it, the ball comes up nicely for me and then I shoot with my left and it goes in. It seems easy when I explain it.”

Even then, it was unusual to see Benzema steal the limelight with those two inspired contributions. Too often his intelligence in creating space for his teammates or laying the ball off at the right time has gone unappreciated in the Spanish capital when set against his scoring records. This was the first time since the 2011-12 season that he struck 20 or more goals in a single campaign.

Without Cristiano Ronaldo around to take the spotlight Benzema has stepped up to the plate. At long last, the Frenchman has the raw numbers to back up his importance to the team. Not that he ever really needed them; Madrid have never been happier with their cat in attack.

Courtois banishes Atlético memories

At the other end of the pitch something remarkable happened this season. Real Madrid became an excellent defensive unit and conceded a record low 25 goals.

Thibaut Courtois should take much of the credit for that measly goals against column, with 18 clean sheets. It has been some transformation for the Belgium no.1 who started the season being substituted at half-time to the soundtrack of boos in a Champions League group stage match against Club Brugge.

It cannot have been easy for the man who let in Sergio Ramos’ 93rd minute equaliser for Atlético Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final to establish himself at the Bernabéu – especially when a photo of the goal hangs on the walls of Madrid’s dressing room – but Courtois has done just that since that low point early in the campaign.

Enhorabuena a @thibautcourtois por lograr el trofeo Zamora!#RMLiga | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/iWbuh40cVA

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) July 20, 2020

The 28-year-old’s saves were crucial following the break in play, particularly as six of Madrid’s 10 wins were decided by one goal. It could have been a very different end to the season for Los Blancos had Courtois not diverted Rodrigo’s shot onto the post with his fingertips when the game against Valencia was goalless and Barça were still clear at the top of the table. That was one of many what-if moments where Courtois cleared up any doubts during that winning streak.

The turnaround was complete by the time he pulled off a brilliant double save in stoppage time against Villarreal, palming away an in-swinging cross and blocking Bruno Soriano’s follow-up with his legs. By then it didn’t matter anyway: Barça had lost 2-1 to Osasuna and Courtois was on his way to his first La Liga crown at Madrid as well as the Zamora trophy for the keeper with the lowest goals conceded-to-game ratio in the league.

Ramos steps up when it counts

Sergio Ramos tends to inspire strong feelings in those who aren’t Real Madrid fans. Opinion is divided between those who see Ramos’ sportsmanship as a necessary evil and those who feel his larger than life personality distracts from his lapses in defence.

This season even the Bernabéu faithful have been forced to contend with these questions as more and more errors have slipped into Ramos’ game. Madrid’s captain turned 34 in March and there are question marks as to whether he will finish his career with Los Blancos given their policy of only handing out one-year extensions to the squad’s veterans.

Once again, Ramos continued his habit of becoming indispensable when it matters most. Eleven back-to-back games to decide the title suited the centre-back with an eye for the big occasion perfectly.

Estoy muy orgulloso de este título. Porque a la victoria, en el fútbol y en la vida, se llega así: luchando juntos hasta el final. Mi recuerdo especial a todos nuestros aficionados fallecidos o que hayan perdido a seres queridos por el maldito virus. Va por vosotros.#HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/vyQeERTyDU

— Sergio Ramos (@SergioRamos) July 17, 2020

Ramos finishing the season as Madrid’s second top scorer is not normal, but then again he is not a normal defender. Six of his 11 goals were penalties slotted away effortlessly as Real marched to the title, many of them after marginal decisions went their way. His header against Leganés made him La Liga’s highest scoring defender and went some way to explaining why fans have overlooked his other unwanted record of 20 La Liga red cards.

Defensively he showed he is still an asset, too. His goalline clearance when Madrid were holding a shaky 2-1 lead at Granada was just as vital as any contribution and summed up this side’s best qualities. He will never please everybody, but there is nobody Real would rather have marshalling their defence at the sharp end of a season.

Zidane’s title

There are so many players who dragged Madrid to the brink of the title, but the man who is most responsible was not one of the 11 players who started against Villarreal.

This was Zinedine Zidane’s second La Liga title as a manager and there were plenty of similarities with his first in 2016-17. The intelligent use of a deep squad, the lack of any one set formation and Real somehow winning games out of nothing were elements of both wins. Local media dubbed the latter phenomenon ‘La flor de Zidane’ – Zidane’s flower.

ZINEDINE ZIDANE, REAL MADRID ROYALTY! #LaLigaSantander pic.twitter.com/dud2ZKH91r

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) July 16, 2020

And yet this was a far greater achievement for Zidane. This time there could be no accusations that his success was intertwined with Ronaldo’s brilliance as the Portuguese star was gone. Hazard scored one goal as he struggled with injuries in his first season at the Bernabéu and Benzema was the only forward who consistently delivered across the campaign.

Instead he made Madrid difficult to beat after a galling 7-3 defeat to Atlético Madrid in a New Jersey pre-season friendly. Marca called the result ‘A whitewash for the history books’ in a great example of the Spanish press jumping to hasty conclusions, but it changed Zidane’s mentality ahead of the new season.

Too often Zidane has been labelled a cheerleader for his policy of using almost every player in the squad in a bid to keep everyone happy, reflected in the 21 different scorers in La Liga. But many Madrid managers have inherited talented squads and failed to do anything apart from succumb to the will of the dressing room. Keeping the superstars motivated is an underrated quality in a Real Madrid head coach.

¡Zidane, 11 títulos como entrenador del @RealMadrid!#34Ligas | #RealFootball pic.twitter.com/zXZXJFDui8

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) July 17, 2020

As for questions over his lack of tactical knowledge, it is true that Zidane does not seem to have one preferred way to play. But what is good management if not reacting to the situations which arise on the pitch by adapting your tactics? The Frenchman is a far more sophisticated coach than many give him credit for.

Zidane was characteristically self-effacing in the interviews after the Villarreal game. “The players are the ones who have fought for this,” he said. “It’s true I’ve played my role but they are the ones who believe in what they are doing.” Zidane’s flower is alive and well and Real Madrid are champions.

SEE ALSO: ARCHIVE – Is Zinedine Zidane up there with the best managers in the world?

Words: Tomás Hill | Main image credit: Real Madrid official via Twitter

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