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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

To say Sunderland are in a spot of bother at the moment would be an understatement.

The Black Cats haven’t won since the beginning of November while they’ve been victorious in just two games since Phil Parkinson replaced Jack Ross.

A number of players have underperformed, not least Will Grigg who has only scored once all season in the league.

Even their top goalscorer has been receiving criticism from fans this season.

As for the midfield, it’s an area of the pitch that continues to let the club down.

Whose Line Is It Anyway: Sean Dyche, Nigel Pearson or Ant Middleton?

On the chalkboard

It remains to be seen how Parkinson aims to improve Sunderland’s fortunes going forward but it’s clear fresh energy and new faces are needed in the side.

That’s especially the case in midfield where the old head of Grant Leadbitter hasn’t been up to scratch. His leadership skills were berated by supporters after the club lost 2-1 to Burton last week and his stats don’t make for pleasant reading either.

He completed just 79.6% of his passes against the Brewers, registering 3 unsuccessful touches.

It was a dismal performance from a man who has contributed to just two goals all season.

On top of that, Max Power has also been disappointing. Earning five yellow cards, he’s scored just once while making a solitary tackle per game.

With that in mind, new blood is needed. It might be too far to suggest a certain Bali Mumba should start but he should certainly be considered for a more prominent role in the first-team.

Earning his first-team debut as a 16-year-old, he was hailed by John O’Shea for his attitude at the time: “He is a 16-year-old who has come into that environment and not looked out of place, got plenty of knocks and kicks and tackles and bounced back up and showed a good attitude.”

It was a testament to Mumba’s character but since then he’s rarely been seen and has been made to do with appearing out of position at right-back in the U23s.

He’s played just ten times for Sunderland in the past but after impressing the new management, surely a first-team place beckons in the not too distant future.

Parkinson’s assistant, Steve Parkin, had the following to say earlier this term: “I’ve got to say that when he’s trained with me, he’s been great. He’s been really good. Technically, he can handle the ball, and he is sharp and bright.”

What Sunderland need at the moment is someone who isn’t just strong technically, but also someone who has the right attitude.

O’Shea and Parkin’s previous comments hint Mumba could be the right person. He isn’t the answer to Sunderland’s woes but the 18-year-old certainly deserves to be considered for a place in the side.

Meanwhile, Sunderland are still feeling the effects of a costly error they made last January…

Kurt Zouma enjoyed a successful loan spell with Everton during the 2018/19 campaign, before returning to Chelsea during the summer.

Rather than making a permanent move to Goodison Park – with former Toffees manager Marco Silva keen to bring him back to Merseyside on a full-time basis – the 6 foot 3 centre-back remained at Stamford Bridge.

The 25-year-old has gone on to make 25 appearances in all competitions to date this term, including a start against Duncan Ferguson’s men on Saturday.

He was far from impressive as he struggled against the physicality of two-goal man Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and it led to a question on Twitter to Toffees supporters as to whether they would still take the Frenchman – as you can see below, the consensus was pretty clear.

One said that they would “take him in a heartbeat”, while another feels that him and Yerry Mina “could be a solid CB pairing for years”.

Other fans clearly would take him but were a little more picky on the terms of any potential deal for Zouma, with one saying they want him “as long as the price is right”.

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

If Chelsea were to demand a big fee for the France international, then those supporters are very well within their rights to feel a little bit sceptical.

Finally, another said that he wasn’t terrible and despite the fact that he often “got bullied” by Calvert-Lewin at the weekend, he’d still “have him back”.

Judging by how many appearances he’s made under Frank Lampard this term, it seems like a bit of a no-brainer for Everton should the opportunity arise.

In other Everton news, Toffees fans have been sent into meltdown on Twitter following a Dominic King update on their new manager search…

Sheffield Wednesday produced a statement of intent on Saturday afternoon as they thrashed Nottingham Forest 4-0 at the City Ground.

The Owls moved into fifth place in the Championship as their unbeaten run extended to a fifth straight match.

Jordan Rhodes was handed just his second start of the season and he repaid the faith put in him by manager Garry Monk with a first-half hattrick.

The 29-year-old put the visitors in front in the ninth minute with a low left-footed strike before heading home from close range just four minutes later.

Rhodes then completed the perfect trio of goals with a divine overhead kick. There was also time for top goalscorer Steven Fletcher to grab his 12th of the season as he bagged on the stroke of half-time.

Another player to be gifted a start by the Owls boss was Massimo Luongo for the first time in four games, and he certainly stood out, aside from the exploits mentioned above.

Much of the travelling support were left with nothing but good things to say about the Australian’s performance in central midfield.

‘Excellent’ and ‘outstanding’ were just two superlatives used to describe his showing. One fan claimed the team had been crying out for a player of his quality for years while another labelled him as the ‘unsung hero.’

The 27-year-old was only handed an opportunity as Sam Hutchinson served a suspension, but it is a move that many would like to see remain going forward, even when the defensive midfielder is once again available for selection.

One member of the Hillsborough faithful suggested that Luongo offers more creativity and that he’s far less of a liability than the 30-year-old while a further supporter said he was the ‘steal of the season.’

In addition to the comments above, many claimed in general that Luongo should always be in the starting line up. One labelled him the best midfielder amongst the Owls squad while another called him the ‘most complete’ central option.

Monk now has over a week to mull over the idea of starting the one-time Ballon d’Or nominee against Bristol City on Sunday afternoon and going by what has been mentioned by the Wednesday faithful, it is something they’d all like to see.

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In other news, the future is looking bleak for one Jos Luhukay signing…

Former Sunderland ace Kevin Phillips has shared his latest thoughts to Football Insider about Newcastle United man Matty Longstaff as news broke that Udinese had tabled him a lucrative contract.

Sky Sports revealed that the academy graduate, who currently earns just £850 per week, has been offered a deal by the Italian team believed to be in the region of £30,000-a-week with a signing-on bonus.

The Tyneside club’s original contract offer was just half of that but The Telegraph now claim that they have come back with an improved offer worth more than £20,000 per week.

Phillips insisted the Series A side would be getting a bargain with the compensation fee for Longstaff, said to be only £400,000.

“I was shocked,” the ex-England striker told Football Insider.

“You would not put Udinese as one of the biggest Italian clubs.

“I was surprised but they might be able to get him for £400,000 which is nothing to get a player of his quality.

“It would be a great lifestyle move for him but at his age he just wants to learn and play football.

“He will be thinking, that if the new owners come in and bring in a new manager, he might not be their kind of player.”

Perhaps Phillips is right when he says that Udinese are not one of the biggest Italian clubs, as they are arguably struggling in Italy’s top flight and are currently languishing in 14th place, just three points above the relegation zone, as per BBC.

The England under-20 international, who will be out of contract on 30 June, has scored three goals in 12 senior appearances under Steve Bruce this campaign so far, according to Transfermarkt.

By breaking through into the first team, he has shown the quality that Phillips believes he has, but moving to a different country may prove to be a great lifestyle move for him. Moreover, at only 20 years of age, Longstaff may just want to learn and play football as Phillips suggests.

However, under potentially new owners and possibly a new manager, providing that the prospective takeover at St. James’ Park is approved by the Premier League, the central midfielder may not be their ‘marquee’ kind of player.

Geordies, will Matty Longstaff be at Newcastle next season? Comment below with your views!

Tottenham are interested in signing Real Betis star Zouhair Feddal this summer. 

According to Don Balon (as relayed by @thespursweb), Jose Mourinho has identified Feddal as a replacement for Jan Vertonghen.

Vertonghen is reportedly considering an offer from Betis and this could pave the way for Feddal to move in the other direction.

Indeed, the 33-year-old is likely to leave on a free transfer, and Mourinho is looking for a cheaper alternative.

The Portuguese knows he will have to cope with a limited budget in the upcoming window and is eyeing a move for the Moroccan.

Although the 30-year-old is not a regular starter for WhoScored).

He has played for a number of European clubs, such as Alaves, Levante, Parma and US Palermo so far.

The Morocco international has won 14 caps for his country and is currently valued at a mere £3.6m via Transfermarkt. Moreover, he could be used in negotiations between the two sides for his Belgian counterpart.

However, he has received a low WhoScored rating, which is below Vertonghen’s statistical rating at the time of writing.

Admittedly, it is currently unclear if Mourinho sees him as a potential backup for the likes of Davinson Sanchez, Japhet Tanganga and Eric Dier.

While there is no doubt the relationship between Betis and Spurs may prove useful in the future, he clearly needs to make improvements to his overall game, including his disciplinary issues, if he is to be of use to Tottenham.

Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy sign Zouhair Feddal in the summer? Let us know down below!

Sheffield United are starting to pick up some important points as they have beaten Tottenham and drawn against Burnley in their last two games.

They now face a big clash against Wolves, and a victory against the side means they would only be one point away from the sixth placed team, via BBC Sport.

This game could be a huge statement of intent for Chris Wilder’s side and so the starting eleven he picks is one of his most crucial selections this season.

Here is the Transfer Tavern predicted Sheffield United starting XI, which sees Chris Wilder make one change for the fixture from their last outing against Burnley in the league.

Even though the back five didn’t get a clean sheet, they still played well, and centre-back John Egan scored the equaliser for the Blades which saw him get a 7.4 rating from SofaScore.

However the big news was the fact that in the 55th minute Jack O’Connell was subbed on for Jack Robinson. He had been injured since football had returned, and this will please Blades supporters massively. The fact he got subbed on quite early possibly hints that Wilder wants O’Connell to start in the Wolves fixture.

Meanwhile Ben Osborn has really adapted well since coming in to replace the injured John Fleck, and this was highlighted by the fact that in the last game he picked up a 7.0 rating whilst making one key pass and winning two ground duels. A trio of Osborn, Norwood and Berge has seen the Blades undefeated in the last two and with John Lundstram and Fleck looking like they are still injured, then the midfield should remain the same.

Billy Sharp showed that he can still make an impact at this level as he came off the bench and picked up an assist in the Burnley match. Oliver McBurnie and David McGoldrick  still played well upfront as they picked up a 7.5 and a 7.1 rating so Sharp may have to play the role of ‘super sub’, at Bramall Lane on Wednesday.

Blades fans, what are your thoughts on this lineup? Comment below!

According to A Bola (via Sport Witness), Tottenham could bring back Marcus Edwards this summer.

What’s the word?

The former Spurs starlet only left the club last year when he joined Portuguese side Vitoria, but it appears the north Londoners are already keen on bringing him back.

A Bola claim that along with Premier League rivals Manchester United, Spurs are interested in signing Edwards, with the the youngster’s departure from Vitoria considered to be “inevitable”.

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

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The report further claims that Jose Mourinho’s side are eager to “fix a screw-up” in letting him go, and that because they have a clause entitling them to 50% of a future sale, they would only have to pay half the asking price.

Pochettino’s mistake

It was only a few years ago that former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino was waxing lyrical about Edwards’ abilities, even comparing him to Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.

He said: “The qualities – it’s only looks, his body and the way that he plays – remember a little bit from the beginning of Messi. He (Edwards) is a very good prospect and potentially he can be a top player, but we need to be patient and tell him that he has a lot of talent, enough talent to be a top player, a great player. But now it’s how he builds his future, that’s very important. And it’s our responsibility to tell him.”

Of course, things didn’t pan out for the £2.88m-rated Edwards like the way Pochettino envisioned, with the Englishman only playing just once for the senior side.

But since his exit last year, Edwards has been in imperious form for Vitoria, racking up eight goals and nine assists in just 33 games across all competitions. It’s exactly why Mourinho has the perfect opportunity to fix a major Pochettino error, helping to nurture a young talent properly and seeing him actually deliver on his potential.

Despite banging in 77 goals in the Championship, if there’s one area that Leeds will surely be looking to improve on for the upcoming Premier League campaign is up front.

Marcelo Bielsa led the Whites to automatic promotion after clinching first place, and whilst they were the division’s joint-second highest scorers – only Brentford scored more with 80 – they didn’t exactly have a clinical number nine up front.

Patrick Bamford toiled away for Bielsa’s side, and as someone who missed a ridiculous 33 official big chances in his 45 Championship games, it was no surprise to see Leeds fans voice their frustrations with him.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…

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But if the latest transfer reports are true, then Victor Orta and co could be about to deliver a masterclass in recruitment. According to French journalist Manuel Lonjon, both Leeds and Serie A giants Inter are in negotiations to sign Club Brugge starlet Emmanuel Dennis.

The 22-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance with the Belgian side, scoring nine times across all competitions. But where he really stood out, was in the Champions League, where he absolutely embarrassed Real Madrid defenders Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Dennis scored both goals in the game back in October, helping Brugge record a memorable 2-2 draw at the home of one of European football’s most dominant teams.

Aside from his brace, he also won an impressive seven total duels, and completed three dribbles, finishing with the highest match rating of any Brugge player – Varane and Ramos on the other hand won just a combined eight duels, and were dribbled past four times.

Speaking after Dennis’ performance against Madrid, former Nigeria international Garba Lawal hailed the starlet’s ability. He said: “He’s fantastic, he is a good player and scoring in a big game like this shows that he has a lot of qualities and abilities. When you play against a big club, that is when you show your talent and he did. I hope he continues that way, it’s all about continuity and consistency.”

Dennis showed that he has the mettle to handle the big occasion, and at just 22, could give Leeds an exciting edge to their attack.

Aston Villa could land themselves a new striker during the summer window and it’ll be a familiar name to manager Dean Smith.

What’s the word?

According to the Express & Star, the Midlands outfit are among the admirers of Brentford talisman Ollie Watkins along with Premier League rivals Crystal Palace and Sheffield United.

It’s claimed that the 24-year-old marksman is the club’s primary transfer target this off-season as Smith looks to address their striking issues.

Watkins could cost the club around £25m if reports are to be believed.

£25m steal

The Bees forward has enjoyed another prolific season in west London, notching 26 goals in all competitions and after losing out in the playoff final to Fulham, he could demand a move to the top-flight.

Smith, of course, knows him very well having originally signed the 5 foot 11 star from Exeter City back in 2017.

Originally he joined as a winger that could play behind the striker but he’s come on leaps and bounds as a centre-forward in recent seasons.

Former Hammers legend Trevor Sinclair believes Watkins is similar to ex-Spurs man Jermain Defoe whilst his current boss Thomas Frank called him “amazing” and that “he’s a pleasure to work with in terms of his determination and his desire.”

Villa have rued their recent transfer dealings – club-record man Wesley could only provide five goals before a suffering a long-term injury whilst his January replacement Mbwana Samatta has scored just once. That’s over £30m wasted.

Smith could well reunite with the signing he once dubbed as a “hell of a player” and it would certainly help alleviate one of their biggest problems.

At just £25m, that’s a steal considering what the club has paid above. It would be one exciting way to kickstart Johan Lange’s era at Villa Park.

AND in other news, Villa could have saved millions by signing two stars last summer…

Liverpool fans who were watching Bayern Munich’s Champions League quarter-final clash against Barcelona on Friday night, were no doubt keeping a close eye on transfer target Thiago.

Fabrizio Romano has claimed in recent days that Jurgen Klopp’s side have made contact with their German counterparts over the midfield maestro, and that the 29-year-old himself would love to join the Reds this summer.

Can you spot your Xabi Alonso from your Bruno Cheyrou? This Liverpool quiz will have you questioning your knowledge…

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And after a superb display in Bayern’s unbelievable 8-2 thrashing of Barcelona, it’s little wonder Liverpool are so keen to bring him to Merseyside.

As per Sofascore, he completed all three of his attempted dribbles, had game-highs of 84 touches and 71 successful passes (at an accuracy of 96%), and also earned four free-kicks too.

After seeing him run the show against his former side, Liverpool fans flooded to Twitter to share their reactions to their summer target’s display.

Some Reds fans urged the club’s owners to “stop being stingy” and release the money in order to sign Thiago.

One Liverpool supporter meanwhile paid the Bayern star a huge compliment by saying he “reminds me of Xabi Alonso”.

Make no mistake about it, if Liverpool can lure Thiago to Anfield this summer, then they would have added a genuinely world-class operator to their ranks.

The Spaniard is perhaps unlike any other midfielder in the Reds’ squad, able to dictate the play and control the tempo.

His creativity would give them an added edge to their more workman-like engine room, and undoubtedly lift their chances of retaining their Premier League crown next season.