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Tim Spiers of The Athletic believes Wolves attacker Diogo Jota has not been himself, suggesting that he would rather play centrally than out wide.

Spiers was discussing the form of the 23-year-old on the Molineux View podcast (18/02/2020), where he gave some good insight into the player and the various roles he has played in during his time at Molineux.

“No, he’s not and he loves playing centrally,” Spiers said when it was put to him by Jacqui Oatley that Jota has not been himself this season. “That’s his preferred position. That’s where he’s done his best work for Wolves.

“I know he was on the left of a three in the Championship, but that’s a lower level for Diogo Jota. You’d expect him to play well anywhere in that league.”

With just three league goals to his name so far this term, Jota has certainly not been at his best. He is also yet to provide an assist and is averaging 2.7 unsuccessful touches per game (via WhoScored).

That is up from the 2.3 he made in the previous campaign, a campaign where he managed to score nine goals and create five. Would playing him in a more central position help him rediscover that level of form? It remains to be seen but, with Nuno Espirito Santo preferring a 3-4-3 formation this season, he will likely have to contend with being used on the left side of that three-man attack.

Wolves fans, how does Nuno get Jota firing again? Give us your suggestions in the comment section below!

The Athletic’s Southampton correspondent Carl Anka has named which player could be deemed as a reasonable target for the Saints this summer.

January has passed and Ralph Hasenhuttl brought just one new face to St Mary’s in Kyle Walker-Peters, who arrived at St Mary’s on a loan deal until the end of the season.

However, there has been little talk of any potential arrivals for the summer window.

Perhaps that is why one supporter asked Anka – entirely hypothetically – which Premier League player Southampton have a reasonable chance of capturing, and his answer was particularly intriguing.

What did he say?

When partaking in a Q&A session on Friday, Anka was asked: “Totally hypothetical – name a PL player that Saints could have a reasonable chance to sign in the summer, who you feel would be a good signing. Note: KWP doesn’t count.”

To which he replied: “Emiliano Buendía is like a discount Bernardo Silva and I think A LOT of teams are eyeing him up for when Norwich go down.”

Would be an excellent signing

The diminutive Argentine is enjoying a fantastic debut campaign in England’s top-flight, despite playing for a struggling side – Norwich find themselves bottom of the table on 18 points before their game against Liverpool kicked off this weekend.

Despite that, the 23-year-old has registered an impressive seven assists, the joint-second most in the Premier League behind Kevin De Bruyne and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Additionally, Buendia averages 3.5 dribbles per game and 2.8 key passes per game, proving to be a very effective top-flight performer despite his lack of experience at this level and also his lack of experience in football as a whole, such is his young age.

Calling Premier League experts ONLY: Which year were these top flight clubs formed?

On this basis, whoever gets the Norwich No.17 this summer has done well for themselves – if that club turns out to be Southampton, then they can pat themselves on the back.

In other news, Carl Anka has revealed the chances of a St Mary’s return for Adam Lallana…

Charlton Athletic’s 3-1 victory against Luton Town could turn out to be massive for the club, as they look to secure their Championship future.

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The result, secured via a Lyle Taylor brace and a goal from George Lapslie, means that the Addicks currently sit five points clear of the relegation zone.

However, there were plenty of impressive performers outside of the goalscorers, with Erhun Oztumer being deemed as one of those by fans.

He may not have completed any dribbles, but Oztumer was both efficient and effective with his passing throughout the game.

This is shown by the fact that he completed 86% of the passes that he attempted, while also making three key passes – with his ball setting up the strike that won the penalty for Taylor’s second.

Are you a Championship expert? How much did each of these big-money signings cost?

His performance earned plenty of praise from fans, with one claiming it was the 28-year-old’s “best game in a Charlton shirt”, while another referred to his showing as “class”.

There are some fans who have taken this performance as a sign that the midfielder should be starting with greater regularity.

Lee Bowyer has given Oztumer just nine league starts this term, bringing him off the bench on three occasions, in which time he has one assist to his name.

One fan has suggested “we are a better team when you start”, so they will be hoping to see him given another opportunity against Sheffield Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Bowyer has hinted at a change of strategy for Charlton…

Newcastle progressed to the FA Cup quarter-final on Tuesday and though they looked comfortable for large parts of their match against West Brom, some fans have still been debating the effectiveness of the midfield.

Steve Bruce decided to switch things up by playing an extra midfielder instead of five defenders, though the usual two-man pivot was still in place with Nabil Bentaleb and Sean Longstaff fulfilling those roles.

Many supporters were discussing who performed better out of the pair in response to a statement that neither performed to a high enough standard, though according to WhoScored there was a clear difference between the two.

Bentaleb achieved a rating of 7.7 compared to Longstaff’s 6.6, yet fans think the latter was the better of the two against the Baggies, and praised his all-round ability after the showing.

That may be a surprise angle to take considering the 22-year-old has underperformed this season, or at least hasn’t impressed in the same manner he did when he broke in to the first-team last season.

The recent criticism of his performances from fans is evidence of that, and indeed he still has a lot to do if he is to convince the fanbase that he is good enough to start regularly for the Magpies.

He is yet to win Bruce’s trust, too, with just 13 league starts to his name this campaign, and that is backed up by one supporter who suggests the midfielder is not good enough for top-flight football.

Is life under Ashley really that bad? Maybe this quiz will change your minds, Newcastle fans…

Meanwhile, Newcastle fans have been highlighting one man for praise after he showcased his true potential against the Baggies…

Danny Murphy has made a revelation about his ex-Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard while speaking on talkSPORT.

The former Fulham midfielder was discussing the Rangers boss’ comments following the Gers’ defeat to Hearts in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.

Gerrard said that he was unsure if his players had the same desire as he had to beat Hearts, and also plunged his own future in doubt by stating that he needs to “think” about where his side are at as a group.

Speaking on talkSPORT about his ex-teammate’s hard-hitting words, Murphy shed some light on Gerrard and the former England international’s character – his comments are definitely worth listening to given their history together in the game.

What did he say?

Murphy told talkSPORT: “I’d be absolutely amazed if he walked, gobsmacked. It’s not in him, it’s not the person I know. I don’t think there’s any chance of that at all, not even 1% really. I’ve read between the lines.”

Knows better than most

If anyone knows what Gerrard is like as a character, it’ll be Murphy – more than any of us sitting and analysing his comments, at least.

The talkSPORT pundit played for Liverpool from 1997 to 2004, whereas Gerrard was at Anfield from 1998 until 2015.

The pair spent six years alongside each other at Liverpool, so if Murphy thinks that the Rangers boss isn’t the type to walk out on the Scottish giants, then his words are definitely worth listening to.

Unless Rangers win the Europa League, Gerrard will become the first Rangers manager in 68 years to have gone two seasons without silverware at Ibrox – that stat is presumably enough to make anyone feel pressured into leaving.

A football legend: Can you get over 80% on this Gazza quiz? Find out now…

However, Murphy doesn’t seem to think there’s even a slither of a chance of his ex-teammate departing Rangers.

In other news, this Rangers star could ironically be starting to cost Gerrard his job…

In what was an impressive victory for RB Leipzig in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 clash against Tottenham, they did so without having one of their main men on the pitch: Dayot Upamecano.

The France international was suspended for the game, but is likely to return as Spurs travel to Germany looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the home leg.

The 21-year-old has proven himself to be an integral part of Julian Nagelsmann’s side this season, making 28 appearances across all competition. It is unsurprising therefore that the likes of Spurs and Arsenal are said to be interested in luring him away from Leipzig.

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Upamecano signed for the German outfit back in January 2017, arriving for a fee of £9m, as per Transfermarkt. It’s a rather significant date in hindsight, as just a a couple of weeks later, Spurs appointed their new chief scout, Steve Hitchen.

If the north London side are intent on bringing Upamecano in the summer, then it is now likely going to cost an extortionate amount of money to prise him away.

According to L’Equipe (via The Daily Mirror), though Upamecano’s release clause will be slashed if he does not sign a new deal at Leipzig, the figure will still be at a hefty £53m – significantly more than what the German team paid to sign him for in the first place.

And it could perhaps even be more devastating for Spurs if the centre-back puts in a superb performance in the second leg of their Champions League clash on Tuesday night.

The world will no doubt be watching, and the biggest sides will surely have their scouts in attendance, poring their eyes over the Frenchman. The better he plays, the more likely the demand for his signature will increase.

Upamecano could leave Hitchen ruing the fact Leipzig snapped up an absolute bargain, mere weeks before he arrived on the scene at Spurs.

There’s no guarantee that Hitchen would have spotted the star-in-the-making had he been appointed by Spurs before the defender moved to the Bundesliga outfit. However, the fact Hitchen’s arrival was confirmed so shortly after RB Salzburg’s sale naturally leaves a feeling of what might have been.

And a domineering display from the Frenchman could leave the Lilywhites backroom man wondering if he arrived in the right place at just the wrong time when the two sides go head-to-head tonight.

For any chief scout, there’s little glory in advising a club to sign a player who has already made a name for himself on the European stage and commanded interest from some of the world’s most prestigious outfits.

True achievement arrives when they identify an unproven talent available at a bargain price before watching them blossom into a world beater.

The recruitment team at Leipzig can boast that achievement having brought Upamecano to the club for a measly fee in 2017, and that feeling may well be reinforced by the time Tuesday’s last-sixteen encounter reaches its conclusion.

Meanwhile, Tottenham should worry about this RB Leipzig ace rather than Timo Werner.

It certainly hasn’t been the campaign that Dean Smith will have been hoping for.

The former Brentford manager had a big impact on the Villans when he made the switch from the Bees after 12 Championship matches last season. He won 20 out of 37 games in the division, taking the Midlands outfit to the Premier League via the play-offs.

Villa then prepared aggressively for the elite, spending over £100m in the summer as they looked to put a squad together to be competitive. However, they have failed to do anything of the sort in the top flight, instead dropping down to 19th in the table with just 10 fixtures left to save their top-tier status.

According to Football Insider, the Villa hierarchy may have already seen enough of Smith, and have lined up their replacement for him. They are reporting that John Terry could be the man to take over from the 48-year-old.

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You can certainly understand the thinking behind that potential decision from Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens. Terry, after all, has been Smith’s assistant manager this campaign, meaning that the players are at least familiar with him, and his immense success in the Premier League with Chelsea would surely mean he would demand respect from the players.

On the other hand, though, it could be a huge mistake from the owners. Terry may be a footballing legend, but he has proven nothing at a managerial level as of yet – this would be his first such job in the sport.

Parallels will be drawn with Frank Lampard, with whom Terry played at Chelsea for over a decade and who has had a good first campaign in the Premier League as manager of the Blues – they are fighting for the top four despite being hit with a transfer ban – but the difference between the 39-year-old and Lampard is that the latter got a year under his belt at Derby before making the move to Stamford Bridge. That, for a lot of people, wasn’t enough, but it was still better than nothing.

Also, Chelsea finished in third place last year and won the Europa League – you are talking about a side full of talent. Given Villa’s troubles this term, it is fair to assume that they do not have the same quality at their disposal. Smith may not be the man to take the team forward right now, but giving Terry the job would be to throw him to the sharks.

He may one day be the right man, but that time isn’t now. If they want to stay in the Premier League, someone with more experience is surely a must.

Meanwhile, this Villa star may not suit Smith’s system.

Tottenham Hotspur partially have Harry Redknapp to thank for the club’s ascendancy over the course of the past decade.

The iconic manager led the club to the League Cup final in 2009, which they lost on penalties to Manchester United, before he twice took Spurs into the top four in 2010 and 2012.

The 2011/12 season proved to be his last in charge of the club, but the legacy of his tenure lives on in north London. His squad was stacked with nostalgic figures and, for some fans, could even be considered the best of the Premier League era.

But how does Redknapp’s 11/12 side compare with the squad Jose Mourinho currently has at his disposal?

Well, with football temporarily on hold due to the global pandemic, it’s a perfect opportunity to reflect on Tottenham’s history and pit Redknapp against Mourinho.

Past vs Present. Redknapp vs Mourinho. Let’s take a look…

Key battles

A quick scan of the starting line-ups should have Mourinho fearing for the defensive solidity on which much of his footballing philosophy is built.

Gareth Bale vs Serge Aurier down the left hand side is a mismatch of epic proportions. Mr Liability vs Mr Golf Craving Speed Merchant. Taxi for Aurier. The Frenchman is capable of playing the occasional blinder, but history tells us 2012 Bale would have 2020 Aurier in a tangled and dumbfounded mess, incapable of living with the dynamism of his opposite number.

Equally, though, football hating Assou-Ekotto vs Steven Bergwijn offers Mourinho a glimmer of hope in this encounter.

In attack, Harry Kane would fancy his chances against Youness Kaboul while a rampant Emanuel Adebayor – getting the nod over Defoe by virtue of his outstanding return of 17 goals and 11 assists in 33 league games – would relish the opportunity to test Alderweireld’s ageing legs.

A fascinating midfield duel between Giovani Lo Celso and the devilish Luka Modric, finally, offers a true battle of ingenuity and battling spirit.

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Star players 

A throwback to the Redknapp era wouldn’t be complete without a notable mention of Rafael van der Vaart. The diminutive playmaker was a heroic figure on the White Hart Lane terraces, leaving fans in awe of his elusive movement and incisive passing on a consistent basis. There was something enigmatic and insatiably appealing about his style of play, and his left-footed moments of magic leave him as an immortal presence at the club.

Bale and Modric, meanwhile, speak for themselves. That they both joined Real Madrid attests to the level of star quality they injected into the club during a period of time in which they established themselves as a genuine top four contender.

From the current crop Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Son Heung-min stand out as the three biggest stars. When on song, collectively they are a menacing trio to be both feared and respected. Against Redknapp’s relatively weak back-five, the Spurs trio would fancy their chances of combining to goal scoring effect.

Final result

This would be a fascinating battle but Redknapp’s side at its pulsating best was difficult to live with. After all, they finished in fourth place during the 11/12 season and Mourinho’s side look set to fall short of Champions League football this time round, ending a run of four straight seasons in the top four for Spurs.

Tottenham’s three highest goal scorers in all competitions this season, Kane, Son and Alli, have contributed a total of 41 goals and 16 assists from 95 games, while the most prolific players in the 11/12 XI, Adebayor, Bale and van der Vaart, contributed 44 goals and 37 assists from 117 appearances.

Evidently, there is not a whole lot to split the two teams in terms of goal contributions from the most creative and deadly players, but it’s the individual battles which would decide the game. One would expect Bale to get the better of Aurier and Modric has the capacity to make Harry Winks look hopelessly mediocre in midfield.

As was so often the case with Spurs under Redknapp, if Ledley King can stay fit, the 11/12 XI should be able to edge the 19/20 outfit in a one-off 90 minute match.

Reports from Italy are claiming that Everton are amongst the clubs interested in signing AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

According to Gazzetta Dello Sport, Paris Saint-Germain and the Merseyside outfit are both interested in the 21-year-old shot-stopper. While they may have some big competition, the Toffees have successfully dealt with Donnarumma’s agent Mino Raiola in the past in signing the likes of Mosie Kean and have obviously persuaded a big name such as Carlo Ancelotti to join, such is their ambition.

Jordan Pickford has recently come under fire for his woes between the sticks, with some fans wanting him to be offloaded in the next transfer window. AC Milan are reportedly valuing Donnarumma at €20-25million (£18.2-22.8million) despite currently being worth £49.5million (via Transfermarkt).

A proven goalkeeper could be exactly what Everton need to make their 2020/21 campaign more successful and fans are shocked that the Italian would cost so little. One supporter has said they thought Donnarumma would cost ‘£100m’ while others are hoping he will replace Pickford.

What do you think, Blues? Should Everton swoop for Gianluigi Donnarumma?

Diego Godin has been linked with Tottenham Hotspur as part of Jose Mourinho’s transfer plan but his potential acquisition would be underwhelming.

The central defender has been limited to just struggled to convince under former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte. Apparently, his lack of game time has interested Mourinho in potentially making a move for that Inter Milan player in the summer transfer window, according to the Daily Mirror.

The article highlights that the Portuguese coach was also interested in signing the Uruguayan international during his time at Manchester United but a move never materialised. It seems as if the now Spurs manager is open to going in again for the centre-back.

Godin is vastly experienced, playing 531 matches in his club career over a long period of time for Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and now Inter Milan, and he also has 135 caps for Uruguay, where he is the team captain, as per Transfermarkt. He won three UEFA Super Cups, two Europa League wins, one La Liga, the Copa America, one Spanish Super Cup and a domestic title as well.

Still, he is 34 now and there is no guarantee that he will fix any defensive issues Mourinho has, given his poor time of it in Serie A. Perhaps the link is no surprise given Jose’s record of signing experienced players, though Godin could be a relatively underwhelming signing (going off what’s he done at San Siro) who, at 34, probably does not have much left in the tank.

After all, he is already down on every metric defensively aside from interceptions per league game from his last season in the Spanish capital (via WhoScored) and Spurs also have the emergence of Japhet Tanganga to boost their ranks in the back four.

Considering the fact Tottenham were so used to developing talents under previous boss Mauricio Pochettino, the idea of turning to a man not exactly pulling up trees on what is surely likely to be a short-term move considering where he is at in his career is fairly underwhelming.

As Mourinho should know himself, turning to big names with proven records while there are on the wane can prove risky, with his Chelsea side paying £800k per shot on goal after signing Radamel Falcao.

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