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Speaking to the club’s official website, Alex Iwobi has hailed the influence that Carlo Ancelotti has had on his game.

What did he say?

The Nigeria international arrived last summer from Premier League rivals Arsenal, but has struggled to hit the ground running at his new club.

The 23-year-old has played just 21 times across all competitions this season, scoring two goals, with injuries playing a part in his more limited game-time – a hamstring problem suffered in a clash against his former side saw him miss the next six games in the Premier League.

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Now, Iwobi has praised Ancelotti for the work he has done on integrating him into his new system, and how he is continuously getting better under him.

He said: “It feels natural and I am comfortable in the system, it has been bringing the best from me in training. The way he (Ancelotti) tells me to come inside is helping my body position, so I receive the ball in a better place (on the field). It means my first touch takes me where I should go and I can come infield at the right time to be free and able to turn and play forward.

“He is helping me a lot and I am benefiting in training. I feel I am getting better every day with him.”

Future is bright

Valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt, Iwobi certainly has a battle on his hands when it comes to establishing himself as a key part of this Toffees team.

The likes of Richarlison, Bernard, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Moise Kean are predominantly left-wingers or previously played there, so there is no guarantee that Iwobi is going to be a regular starter at Goodison Park.

Did he play for Everton? Simple question but a lot tougher than you think…

But his comments about how Ancelotti has helped him to get better in the short time the Italian has been in charge of the club, bodes well for his long-term future on Merseyside. Ancelotti has worked with some superstar players in his long managerial career: the likes of Kaka, Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo to name but a few.

Iwobi will be learning from someone who has seen what it takes for players to get to the top level, and provide him with the kind of coaching that he would not have gotten under someone like Marco Silva. That is exactly why the Nigerian’s verdict on the club’s recently-appointed manager is so exciting.

Meanwhile, Everton’s swoop for this 21-goal starlet should spell the end for this Ronald Koeman signing. 

West Brom will be looking to not only extend their unbeaten run to a fifth straight game but also increase the gap they hold at the top of the Championship table on Saturday afternoon.

The Baggies face a tough trip to playoff hopefuls Bristol City having won three of their last four to hand them a four-point lead over Leeds United in second place.

Slaven Bilic has quite the selection dilemma considering the rich vein of form his side are in at the minute, but there’s an easy choice on who should lead the line at Ashton Gate come 3pm tomorrow.

On the Chalkboard

The Croatian boss has options aplenty in the striking department but has leant on Hal Robson-Kanu the most in recent matches.

However, despite his phenomenal work rate, the 30-year-old has very little in terms of goals to show for it – failing to find the net in his last six appearances.

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There’s a possibility he runs with one of Charlie Austin or Kenneth Zohore, who are both often consigned to the bench, but instead, he should call on a regular presence already in the starting lineup in Sheffield United loanee Callum Robinson.

The 24-year-old forward has been utilised at left-wing since joining late on in January, but his record against the Robins is remarkable, so much so that’ll compound opposition manager Lee Johnson to even further nightmares about him.

According to Between the Lines, Robinson has contributed with a goal or assist every 71 minutes against Bristol City in his career – that’s five goals and two assists in 496 minutes on the pitch.

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It is surely a no-brainer to push him forward when there has been fellow winter arrival Kamil Grosicki, and the long-serving Matty Phillips sat on the bench. One of these two can take up a spot out wide alongside Filip Krovinovic in the hole and Matheus Pereira on the other wing.

That’s one scary thought.

Bilic should only have one choice to make, and that’s dropping Robson-Kanu to allow City nemesis, Robinson, to continue to wreak havoc against one of his favourite teams to bag past.

And in other news, West Brom favourite makes an honest admission about his immediate future…

Duncan Castles talked on the Transfer Window Podcast and revealed that Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have ambitions to play in Spain and that Liverpool should look for their long-term replacements.

Needless to say, both Mane and Salah have been a huge part of this Liverpool side for years now and both wingers are exceptionally deadly in the final third. This season alone, the former has rattled the inside of the net 17 times across all competitions while the latter can boast 19 strikes to his name.

However, if Castles’ update is anything to go by, both players would still want to play in Spain and are even wanted by some of the top teams from that region. Here’s what he said on the Transfer Window Podcast (25/2/2020): “Liverpool have to look at the replacement strategy for Sadio Mane and Mo Salah who both have ambitions to play in Spain at some point in their career and are coveted by the biggest Spanish clubs.”

Even though Castles doesn’t mention any concrete names at this point, if we’re talking about the biggest clubs in La Liga, it’s pretty safe to assume that Barcelona and Real Madrid could be knocking on Liverpool’s door. Indeed, the Reds know only too well what it’s like when that happens, with the likes of Xabi Alonso, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho departing for either of the La Liga duo over the years.

Still, snatching both or even either of them away from Jurgen Klopp might be easier said than done even for the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid, given the fact the Reds are currently European and world champions, with the title of Premier League winners looking as it will also follow soon.

Liverpool fans, would you rather part with Mane or Salah if you had to let one go? Do you even think there’s a chance they leave the club? Let us know in the comments down below!

When Axel Tuanzebe was asked about the possibility of eventually becoming club captain by The Official Manchester United Podcast, he replied: “Yes, that is a target of mine, I wouldn’t say necessarily to be captain but just to be a leader for the team. Just someone that other teammates can turn to.”

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While he was coy about the idea of having the role permanently, he did speak of the joy felt when he was given the armband against Rochdale: “Yeah, that is something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I thanked the manager afterwards, because it was out of the blue, he didn’t have to do it. There were so many more senior players in that team who could have easily been the captain.

“But I think he recognised that I could use it a bit more. He just told me to keep going and hopefully there will be many more opportunities when I am captain.”

However, fans were very sceptical about the idea of the 22-year-old becoming United’s skipper.

There are some fans who simply think he can’t do it, whether that is to do with his own performances, or those who are ahead of him in the pecking order.

Harry Maguire is the man currently wearing the armband, with one fan seemingly feeling that Bruno Fernandes is next in line, as they said “tell him he’ll never get it off Bruno”.

Separating the fairweathers from real fans: How much can you remember about United’s treble season?

Another fan suggested it is a “good dream” to have, but Tuanzebe becoming captain is “never gonna happen”.

There are others who feel that he should be fully focused on his fitness, rather than allowing his mind to stray towards picking up the captaincy.

The 22-year-old has missed a total of 14 Premier League games through injury this season, while he was absent from the first-team for another as he played for the U23s.

With that in mind, one fan said “[you] need to actually stay fit to do that”, showing that they don’t have too much hope for him in this regard.

Meanwhile, Man United fans were left excited by news on star man.

Leeds United lined up a little differently to how we expected them to on Saturday.

Marcelo Bielsa claimed before the game that it would be the same squad that travelled to the KCOM to play Hull City, but by the time 2pm rolled around, there was no sign of Kalvin Phillips.

This saw Gaetano Berardi come into the starting XI, leaving a spot open on the bench.

Surely this was Ian Poveda’s chance to make the matchday squad after weeks and weeks of being left out, but it wasn’t to be.

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Bielsa actually went against his own word, he’s previously stated that he likes his bench to line up with two defenders, two midfielders and two attackers, but for some reason, he had four defenders on his bench against Huddersfield, and just one attacking player in the shape of Tyler Roberts.

Having two left-backs and two centre-backs on the bench seems a bit overkill, and it would have made the world of sense for Bielsa to have put Poveda in as an option to give himself a bit more attacking dynamism if it was needed.

Not only is snubbing the youngster a baffling decision, but it also sends out completely the wrong message to him, especially when he’s contradicting his own comments from a few weeks ago.

Imagine how Poveda is feeling right now, he’s joined a new club after ditching Man City due to reportedly becoming unhappy with only playing U23 football, and he’s still finding himself unable to make his breakthrough in senior football despite dropping down into the Championship.

The 20-year-old has every right to storm into Bielsa’s office on Monday and demand an explanation as to why he wasn’t put into the squad against Huddersfield. As an outsider looking in, it’s hard to get your head around it.

In other news, there could be one big casualty at Leeds if they go up.

West Ham have been disappointing to say the least so far this campaign.

The season started with so much promise – Sebastien Haller had been brought in for a club-record fee from Eintracht Frankfurt after scoring 20 goals and providing 12 assists in the previous season, whilst Declan Rice and Issa Diop stayed at the club despite plenty of interest from Manchester United in their services.

Although they lost the first game of the season 5-0 to Manchester City, that was their only defeat in their opening seven matches.

However, the positivity soon dwindled away, and they are now in a far from comfortable position. As it is, they are in 16th place in the Premier League table, level on points with 18th. Haller has managed just seven league goals to date, whilst Diop has failed to prevent the Hammers from becoming one of the worst defences in the top flight – they have conceded 50 goals already this season.

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There is some good news for David Moyes, though. On Tuesday, Andriy Yarmolenko played 90 minutes for the Irons’ U23 squad, against Derby County. The Ukraine international has struggled with injuries so far this campaign – he has missed 11 fixtures due to a muscle tear – but he now looks as though he is ready to return to first-team football in the near future.

In the nine starts he has managed in the Premier League when he has been fit, he has impressed, scoring three goals and providing one assist as well. Although he has managed just 0.4 successful dribbles per game, that has worked out at a success rate of 67%, which is not to be sniffed at.

At his best, the right-winger can terrorise opposition defences – in the Europa League in 2014/15, for example, he managed four goals and seven assists for Dynamo Kiev, whilst he has 37 goals in 86 caps for his country. Even this term, his strikes have been important – he scored the first goal in the 2-0 win against Manchester United, whilst the £115k-a-week wide man also bagged the opener in the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth.

So far, Moyes has not been able to put the 30-year-old to good use, but he will soon have that chance. With the Premier League to be suspended until April 3rd because of COVID-19, this should give Yarmolenko even more time to prepare for the physicality of the top flight. Moyes needs something to save his campaign – the former Borussia Dortmund man’s return could very well be it.

Meanwhile, West Ham must avoid a Glen Johnson situation with this man.

Last summer, Tanguy Ndombele was the young, up-and-coming French midfielder that Tottenham secured in a big-money deal. This time, it could well be Eduardo Camavinga.

According to Spanish publication Sport, the north London side are one of a number of sides keen to sign the 17-year-old starlet, with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool all supposedly in the race to secure his signature.

But for Spurs, it is perhaps just that more important to win the race for the Frenchman. Whilst Ndombele has endured a nightmare debut campaign at the club, Camavinga just seems like a far more perfect fit for Jose Mourinho.

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This season has seen Ndombele face the wrath of his Portuguese boss on multiple times, including the biggest tirade that came after the clash against Burnley in which the former Lyon man was hooked at half-time. Mourinho said: “In the first half we didn’t have a midfield. A player with his potential has to give us more than he is giving us, especially when you see how Lucas, Lo Celso and those players are playing. I was expecting more in the first half from him.”

Mourinho wouldn’t encounter those kinds of problems with Camavinga however. His manager at Rennes, Julien Stephan, remarked last year: “Eduardo has a lot of talent and qualities. He is someone on a human level who is very well built, intellectually, too. He keeps his feet on the ground but remains a very young player. He is a good student, it gives him a lot of thought on the field. He has a lot of maturity for a young player because he asks himself the right questions on the field, in relation to his position; what to do and what not to do, on his areas of improvement. His brain works very well.”

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Spurs discussion going on in the Vital Tottenham Forum! Click here to get involved!

And as well as his more mature attitude, Camavinga’s style of play also seems more naturally inclined for a Mourinho side. This season saw him average a remarkable 4.3 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game, evidence of him being a tireless ball-winning midfielder. Aside from perhaps Eric Dier, Spurs don’t really have that kind of dominant presence in the middle of the park who can break up opposition attacks.

Camavinga however does that with regularity, and coupled with his willingness to get his head down and work hard, seems like a far better for Mourinho and Spurs.

Meanwhile, Spurs can fill their Paul Mitchell void by hiring this man.

Aston Villa are interested in signing Galatasaray defender Christian Luyindama in the summer, via RTBF Sport, but fellow Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanders are also linked with the player, and it’s hard to imagine Villa being a more attractive proposition for the player if both sides are keen.

Indeed, both clubs are in very different position in the Premier League. After all, Villa are 19th and have a very difficult relegation battle on their hands which sees only eight points separating the bottom six amid suggestions they were close to sacking Dean Smith before the Premier League’s suspension.

Meanwhile, Wolves are currently fighting for European qualification as they sit sixth in the Premier League and are only five points away from the last Champions League spot available. Furthermore, they are also in the Last 16 of the Europa League, with the side drawing 1-1 in their first leg away to Greek side Olympiacos, via Sky Sports.

They have also managed to attract players who were at clubs battling at the top of their domestic leagues when they made the move, similar to Luyindama. Ruben Neves came from Portuguese side Porto, whilst Joao Moutinho signed from Monaco, via Transfermarkt. Impressively for those in the Black County, both of those sides finished second in their campaigns, via BBC Sport, before the two midfielders decided to move.

If manager Nuno Espírito Santo is interested in the centre-back, who averages 4.4 aerial duels won per game, per WhoScored, (compared to Conor Coady’s 0.8) and Midland rivals Aston Villa are also wanting the player, then Wolves are the side who surely have nothing to fear and are in the better place to potentially sign the player.

Wolves fans, would you be happy with the signing? Comment below!

Leeds United takeover? Where have we heard this before? Plenty of supporters have been left discussing the latest news on social media with many getting a bit tired of such links.

According to 90min, the Paris Saint-Germain’s Qatari owners have been in talks with Whites chairman Andrea Radrizzani over a potential deal with QSI keen to bolster their armoury with the acquisition of an English club.

It’s claimed that despite having the opportunity to sign several other top-flight teams, it is the west Yorkshire outfit they desire most as they believe the club has enormous potential.

This, of course, isn’t the first time that there have been murmurs about a possible change in ownership as The Athletic’s Phil Hay has previously claimed that fans shouldn’t discount the San Franciso 49ers, minority shareholders at the club, from having an interest in gaining a controlling stake in the club.

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Just this week alone, the ever-reliable United scribe claimed Radrizzani is pumping in excess of £1m per month into the club to keep it afloat, and that’s not a sustainable plan going forward.

But for now, it remains to be seen if these fresh reports will come to fruition.

Here’s how supporters at Elland Road have been reacting…

AND in other news, Leeds can UPGRADE Ben White this summer…

According to The Evening Standard, Tottenham target Geoffrey Kondogbia could be available for around €30m (£26.3m) this summer.

What’s the word?

The Valencia midfielder has been linked with a move to the north London side in recent weeks, with Sky Sports reporting back in March that the club’s chief scout, Steve Hitchen, is a “long-term admirer” of the Frenchman.

Now, The Evening Standard claim that Kondogbia could leave for considerably less than originally expected, especially if Valencia fail to qualify for the Champions League next season (the Spanish side currently lie in seventh in the La Liga table).

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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The report adds that Valencia will listen to offers for any of their players, and that with them keen to make a profit on the €25m (£21.9m) they paid to sign Kondogbia from Inter, the midfielder could depart for around €30m.

Perfect chance

Kondogbia’s name has been linked with a move for Spurs for a number of seasons now, but the big stumbling block has been the midfielder’s substantial release clause, claimed to be around the €80m (£70.2m) mark.

But with the current situation surrounding the world impacting football too, Daniel Levy could have a perfect opportunity to sign a long-term target for the club at a fraction of the price it would have cost to bring him a couple of summers ago.

The 6 foot 2 ace is a midfield powerhouse who offers something completely different to the current crop of players who feature in the engine room at Spurs. Capable of being the enforcer in front of the back four (he averages 2.4 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per game in La Liga this season), he can also drive forward with surging runs (he has a career average of 1.4 dribbles per match).

Remind Spurs fans of anyone? Mousa Dembele of course was similar in the way he could go through the gears with his skill and power, and Kondogbia’s height and physicality can ensure that the Lilywhites finally get the heir to his throne, over a year after the Belgian’s departure.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans reminisce about this former star’s time in north London.