Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish has opened up on what it’s like being the skipper of his boyhood club and his thoughts on signing a new five-year deal at Villa Park.
The 25-year-old was instrumental at the weekend as Dean Smith’s side thumped Premier League champions Liverpool 7-2, scoring twice and providing three assists during the 90 minutes in a sensational result at Villa Park.
Sunday’s game capped off what has been a wonderful few months for Grealish, having recently signed a new contract with Villa and being selected to play for England once again after making his Three Lions debut last month.
The club have also made moves in the transfer market, bringing in Chelsea’s Ross Barkley on loan until the end of the season to add strength in depth to the midfield.
Despite this, Grealish told Standard Sport that he doesn’t think about pressure at Villa negatively. “I think it’s a good thing to have and there is only one reason why you would have a lot of pressure on yourself,” he said.
“I always put a lot of pressure on myself to perform. Me being the captain, the local lad at Villa, there is a fair bit on me. This is all I’ve wanted to do my whole life.”
Grealish went on to talk about what he felt was best for him at this stage of his career, saying: “Staying at Villa was the best thing for me. I’ve had a lot of pressure. It is something that I thrive off and I enjoy.”
These comments could really please Villa fans. Grealish is not just another player in the first team that will come and go in a few years – he evidently adores this football club.
Being called up to play for the national team is the least that the Villa skipper deserves. The fact that he chose to stay in the Midlands, having been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, is enough to delight the Villa Park faithful. This is the icing on the cake.
Villa head into the international break in an extraordinarily healthy position – unbeaten in the Premier League with a 100% record, beating last season’s champions and with their captain signing a new deal.
It’s a good time to be a Villa fan. With a long journey ahead of them this season, it will be interesting to see whether they can keep this up until May.
Villa fans, what are your thoughts on what Jack Grealish said? Join the conversation by commenting below…
This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.
Six years ago, the world seemed to be Jon Flanagan’s oyster. At the age of just 21, he had been a regular feature in a Liverpool team that came agonisingly close to winning the Premier League, with one Merseyside derby performance leading Reds captain Steven Gerrard to describe him as “our star man by a country mile” that day.
His stellar 2013/14 season saw him given a full England debut a few weeks later and he was even on standby for their World Cup squad that year. He was dubbed “the Scouse Cafu” by the Anfield faithful and the legendary Brazil right-back even paid him a visit (as per The Athletic).
However, a serious knee operation wrote him off for all of the following season and he never managed to reclaim a regular place at Liverpool, with loan spells at Bolton and Burnley also yielding little joy. His arrest for assault in December 2017 was another setback to his career, although Gerrard offered him a lifeline at Glasgow Rangers six months later after the defender was released by the Reds.
There was no fairytale revival for Flanagan at Ibrox, though. He made only 16 Premiership appearances in his first season in Scotland, with statistics from their Europa League run showing how his performance levels had dipped since his 2013/14 peak.
In the Light Blues’ 2018/19 European campaign, he posted match averages of 2.3 tackles, two clearances, 0.3 key passes and 0.5 successful dribbles, with a passing success rate of 76.8%. In his standout season at Liverpool, the corresponding match averages were 3.4 tackles, 3.3 clearances, 0.6 key passes and 0.7 successful dribbles, while he had an 83.7% passing accuracy rate. [via WhoScored]
Flanagan’s fortunes didn’t improve in his second season at Ibrox, managing a paltry nine appearances and none in the Europa League proper. Unable to dislodge full-backs Borna Barisic and James Tavernier, the club took the decision to release him along with five other players last month. Tellingly, a number of ‘Gers fans celebrated the news that the 27-year-old was being let go by the club.
The ex-Liverpool defender leaves Ibrox with no goals and only one assist in 39 appearances, while he admitted in a recent interview with The Athletic that he is “worried” about what comes next for him in his career now that he is a free agent. Having failed to revive his career under former team-mate Gerrard in Glasgow, one must wonder how many more shots at redemption Flanagan will get.
‘Gers fans, how big of a letdown did Flanagan prove to be at Ibrox? Comment below with your views!
It’s fair to say that the jury is still out on Tanguy Ndombele at Tottenham.
The Frenchman has endured a roller-coaster ride since arriving in north London from Lyon last summer, with injuries restricting him to just 29 appearances across all competitions.
And with Spurs boss Jose Mourinho not shy in criticising his sub-standard performances in public, there have been reports in recent months that Ndombele could even be heading for the exit door just a season after joining.
Now, Serie A giants Inter are the latest team to be linked with a swoop for the midfielder, with Corriere dello Sport (via Calcio Mercato) claiming that Spurs would be open to a swap deal if they could land either Milan Skriniar or Marcelo Brozovic.
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And if the Lilywhites could lure the latter to north London, then they could have the kind of creative maestro to run things in the middle of the park.
Rated at £43.2m by Transfermarkt, Brozovic has been mostly used in a more defensive-minded role for Inter, but has still managed to score three goals and provide five assists.
The Croatian can dictate the tempo of the game, and is at his best when controlling the action. As per Whoscored, he has averaged a whopping 65.1 passes per game in Serie A, at an extraordinary passing accuracy of 89.8%. This is a player who Mourinho can rely on to keep things ticking over, and find the likes of Heung-min Son and Harry Kane in more advanced areas.
And judging by the kinds of comments that his managers at both club and international have said about him, and it’s clear to see why Daniel Levy should be prioritising him this summer.
Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic declared: “He is very important to us in the game, he is very calm and his technique is perfect. Through him we can easily get out of the opponent’s pressing”. And Inter boss Luciano Spalletti hailed: “Brozovic is one who has a compass in the foot, knows football, has clean passages and find the free man”.
Both Dalic and Spalletti paint a picture of just how much of a technician Brozovic is, and it’s exactly why Spurs and Levy should forget about Ndombele, and bring the Croatian in to north London.
Footage posted by Lisbon Lion on Twitter has got a lot of Celtic fans anticipating the prospect of returning to Celtic Park.
The video shows Paradise under the lights, with a great pre-match light show before kick-off as thousands of fans inside the stadium sing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. It is a great clip to highlight the Hoops’ home support at its finest and it gave one Celtic fan “goosebumps” when watching it.
With fans across the globe not being able to watch their team play as football is currently postponed, it is videos like these that get supporters eager for a return to action. The Celts will likely be even more excited than most to return to their ground as there will surely be a celebration to savour as they were awarded their ninth Premiership title in a row this week by the SPFL, via STVnews.
As well as winning the title, it means that they will advance to the qualifiers of the Champions League, a competition in which they hope to reach the group stage this time after dropping into the Europa League this campaign, per Transfermarkt.
Here is what these Celtic fans had to say after seeing the video:
Celtic fans, is your ground one of the best in Europe? Comment below with your views!
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho hasn’t had it easy since he arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spurs stars Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Steven Bergwijn and Moussa Sissoko all succumbed to injury, although they have now made a full recovery.
However, Dele Alli and Japhet Tanganga have been ruled out of the upcoming Premier League clash with Manchester United. Furthermore, Troy Parrott has been sidelined for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to have his appendix removed following signs of appendicitis.
To add insult to injury, Mourinho has suffered another setback, as reports have emerged that Juan Foyth has injured his right knee in training. According to TNT Sports, as relayed by Sport Witness, the Lilywhites are looking into whether or not he will need to have an operation.
Foyth has been widely tipped to be on his way out the door, as South American media are reporting that he will join Leeds United on loan next season.
The Argentine, who was once recognised as Mauricio Pochettino’s prodigy, has now fallen out of favour with Pochettino’s successor. He has appeared just twice under Mourinho in the Premier League all season, as his teammates Toby Alderweireld and Davinson Sanchez are above him in the pecking order.
Although it is unlikely that Foyth is a part of Mourinho’s future plans, as the Portuguese has reportedly grown tired of his silly mistakes, this is will be a bitter blow for the Spurs boss.
Due to the economic uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 crisis, he is well aware that he will be strapped for cash in the summer and consequently have to sign free agents and organise swap deals, as well as selling some of his squad.
Leeds have been monitoring Foyth for a while and they are ready to make a move for him when the transfer market opens. With that being said, it remains to be seen if Foyth’s injury will ward off their interest in the defender.
Tottenham fans, could Mourinho’s problems at Spurs get any worse? Let us know in the comments below!
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes has signed a new contract at the club, per their official website, despite being linked with Tottenham Hotspur throughout the summer.
What’s the word?
Spurs were heavily linked with a move for the Portugal international in the most recent transfer window as they attempted to bolster their squad.
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A bid was tabled for Fernandes, worth €45m (£38.4m) plus €20m (£17m) in add-ons if Spurs won the Premier League, per an official statement from Sporting president Frederico Varandas, via Metro.
He has now committed his future to the club, with The Mirror reporting that his release clause has increased from an original £65m to £85m.
No room for negotiation
Spurs are unlikely to be able to persuade Sporting to do business at £38.4m here.
The add-ons weren’t deemed realistic by the Portuguese club and perhaps rightly so; Spurs currently lie 20 points off leaders Liverpool.
One has to believe, then, that the chance to bring Fernandes in has gone.
They did sign Giovani Lo Celso from Real Betis on an initial loan deal, but Fernandes has the power to be a genuine goalscoring threat from midfield unlike any other member of the squad.
He has already scored nine goals and registered six assists this term.
Now, though, Sporting have all the leverage and, if they wish to sell him, can merely point to the clause; chairman Daniel Levy should let this one lie instead of breaking the club’s transfer record.
Meanwhile, Spurs fans have laid into one star for his performance in midweek.
Chelsea assistant manager Jody Morris has made an eye-catching claim about former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez on Twitter after BBC Sport trio Gary Lineker, Ian Wright and Alan Shearer debated their 10 best Premier League strikers of all time.The show was broadcast on Saturday night with Morris clearly tuning in, with Thierry Henry, Shearer and Sergio Aguero discussed in the main about being the top three in a debate which included other names such as Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.Frank Lampard’s number two tweeted that he believed the former to be the best the division has seen since its inaugural season in 1992, before receiving a tweet from a fan who said they believed it should be Suarez.
The 41-year-old said he would agree if the Uruguay international stayed for longer than the two-and-a-half years he did, saying “I loved him” and labelling him as a “top, top” player.
82 goals in 133 games in all competitions for the Merseyside outfit is proof of that, but it also has to be seen as a controversial claim by a Chelsea employee – no matter how good the South American was – given he was found guilty of biting Branislav Ivanovic at Anfield on April 21, 2013.
Upon leaving Liverpool, the now 33-year-old has gone on to net a brilliant 191 times in 270 matches for Barcelona.
In other Liverpool news, one player who could cost the Reds more than £70m has been tipped as the club’s Roberto Firmino successor…
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
They say good things don’t last forever.
In Crystal Palace’s case, good things can often be few and far between.
Entered into administration back in 2010. Lost a number of fan favourites such as Darren Ambrose, Nathaniel Clyne and Wilfried Zaha – before his 2014 return. A gutting FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United.
A constant roller-coaster ride in which the passengers on board have had little time to breathe and almost no chance to admire anything overly positive.
On the topic of Roy Hodgson’s tenure in SE25, this is something that can – contrastingly to the above – be viewed as a good thing.
Damien Delaney was a man who wore his heart on his sleeve and was also a player who the Selhurst Park faithful grew to love, and his comments to The Athletic on the 72-year-old manager speak volumes.
“Roy was, and is, such a good manager. Palace are extremely lucky to have a guy like him, anyone who complains about him… well, I’m not really sure what to tell them.
“But you should thank god or whoever put him at Palace and made him want to stay because every morning, they are so lucky. With Roy, the sky’s the limit. If you keep him in charge, the club will go on to very good things.”
And it seems that the enthusiasm for Hodgson is shared by the hierarchy at the club. According to the Daily Mail, Steve Parish has confirmed that the club have opened talks over an extension to his current deal, which expires in 2020.
When the time eventually arrives for Hodgson to move on, however, it should feel like a pivotal moment.
For years, Parish has been chopping and changing the man in the Selhurst Park hotseat – sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances, sometimes down to his own shortcomings.
Let’s start from promotion back in 2013.
Ian Holloway took the reins for just eight games in that first season back in the Premier League.
Tony Pulis replaced him until the start of the following campaign.
Neil Warnock then stepped in, lasting until the festive period of the following season.
Then Alan Pardew was his replacement, before being sacked in December of 2016.
Sam Allardyce came in to replace the former Palace midfielder, but lasted just a few months before resigning.
Then emerged Frank de Boer, whose spell in charge was even shorter – the Dutchman lasted for the duration of four league games and 77 days before Hodgson was appointed.
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That is seven managers in six years – there has rarely been a moment to stop and make a considered appointment, with the majority of these bosses arriving mid-season or as a stop-gap.
The only moment in which Parish had a chance to actually appoint a measured figure who would be beneficial in the long term was the month and two days between Allardyce’s resignation and De Boer’s arrival, and look how that turned out.
Since Parish bought a stake in the club he supports to save them from administration back in 2010 – alongside the rest of the CPFC2010 contingent – he has not had a manager oversee more Palace matches than Hodgson.
Dougie Freedman oversaw 90 games. Hodgson’s last match was his 95th in charge.
That period between Allardyce’s exit and De Boer’s appointment was Parish’s first chance to steady the ship and make the right appointment. On that occasion, he failed.
However, Hodgson’s fine work over the last two years has enabled the Palace chairman to have another shot. It’s provided time to reflect and consider the future.
What the 54-year-old needs to do is think about the direction he now wants to take the club in.
It has already been reported by The Athletic that Parish and Freedman – now Head of Recruitment at Selhurst Park – are keen to sign players in their early 20s with a view to the future, while the same outlet has reported that Hodgson’s desire to work with ‘functional, experienced players who largely lack resale value’ may prove to put a spanner in the works of that vision, at least in the short-term.
A young, flexible and modern coach who can work with what he has upon his arrival, but also knows the profile of player he is after and the style of play he would like to implement for the future is key.
You look at managers such as Eddie Howe, Daniel Farke and Brendan Rodgers. They are people who have a clear philosophy and employ young players at the heart of their systems, such as Emiliano Buendia, James Maddison and Ryan Fraser, to name a few.
Signing players like Gary Cahill and appointing the Allardyce’s and Pardew’s of this world should be enough to keep Palace up year on year, but this is more about the direction in which Parish wants to take the club.
Hodgson’s work has enabled the Eagles chief to have another shot at the tough task, and Parish can’t afford to mess it up. There may not be another Hodgson-type fireman out there to spare his blushes and even if there is, hiring one would effectively be putting the sturdy foundations Hodgson has built to waste, pushing Palace back into the survival spiral.
With managers being discarded and cherry-picked from the conveyor belt on a regular basis, it’s become easy to label the modern game as chaotic and impulsive. But a football club executive’s revelation to The Athletic suggested that meticulous and extensive research goes into every managerial decision.
“I always have a working list of potential targets that is updated on a regular basis. The long list has somewhere in the region of 100 coaches on it, but then, that can be applied and reduced down depending on who it is you’re working for.
“The challenge is to ensure you’re looking at managers or coaches who fit the DNA of the club or national team.”
Palace fans better hope that Parish is adopting a comparable mindset.
Hodgson’s eventual exit represents a chance for Parish to take his beloved club to a higher echelon.
That transition must start with making the right choice of new man in the dugout.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Steve Gallen has claimed that he is beginning to be trusted more by those at Charlton Athletic, as reported by News Shopper.
What did he say?
The Addicks’ Director of Football has opened up about the struggles that he faced in fulfilling his role during years gone by, due to the constraints placed upon him.
He joined the club as Head of Recruitment in 2017, before moving up to his current position in September 2019, which he claims has allowed him to hold greater influence over the decisions being made at the club.
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The 46-year-old spoke openly about how things have progressed, as quoted by News Shopper: “At the start, if I wanted a player and [Duchatelet’s advisor] Thomas Driessen didn’t believe in that player, I wouldn’t get that player, I learned that early on. That was frustrating for me and Lee but we’re in a much better place now.
“Thomas works directly for Roland, he doesn’t work for Charlton, I get on with him and I like him and I respect his relationship with Roland.
“We are in a good place with him now and he trusts us, he’s seen the players we’ve brought in – Cullen, Bielik and Taylor.
“Being a Director has helped me as an influencer within the club and I think Roland is beginning to trust me on a lot of things.
“For example, if I said in the summer that I wanted to buy a certain player, it pretty much got done whereas when I first arrived two and a half years ago it didn’t.”
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Making an impact
Gallen being given the trust to identify targets for Lee Bowyer to utilise is the only way that things are going to move forward for Charlton.
Not only does it mean that he will be able to recruit players to compliment the manager’s style of play, working with Bowyer to ensure this happens, but it should also help to develop a coherent transfer policy.
This development does indicate that things could be improving behind the scenes, which should give some hope that the team can move forward, even if Roland Duchatelet stays for an extended period of time.
Bowyer has shown that he can step up to the challenge set by the Belgian, but having the added help from Gallen should allow him to do so with even greater effect.
Liverpool fans have been pleading with veteran midfielder James Milner to sign a new contract at Anfield.
The 33-year-old is into the final year of his deal and has become a fan favourite since his arrival from Manchester City in 2015.
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The former England international was recently praised by the ex-Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, who said that Milner was the most “frustrating” player he’s ever played against.
These comments echo those made by the former Barcelona right-back Dani Alves by saying that he was the “most annoying”.
Milner has made 188 appearances for the Reds and has scored 24 goals and conjured up 39 assists during his five seasons at the club.
Supporters have been urging Liverpool to make the move and extend the 33-year-old’s current deal with the club.
One fan recognised that Milner has been the heart and soul of the squad, while another suggested that the club should renew his contract and give him a job once the Englishman retires.
Here you will find some of the best comments from Liverpool fans…