Chelsea hadn't messed around this summer. With the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, a world-class manager, and a whole host of talent acquired to their squad, it felt like the Blues were heading back to their former best.
Yet, after breaking the bank on the likes of Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, to name a few, they currently find themselves in an unsatisfactory mid-table position with three defeats from their opening eight matches.
While Pochettino will be given time to mould the squad how he wants it, patience on their current stars could wear thin if significant ground hasn't been made on the Champions League places come January, which could lead to more mass spending.
Unsurprisingly, a whole host of stars have already been touted with a winter move to Stamford Bridge, and one of Europe's brightest young talents, Jamal Musiala, is the latest name to be linked.
Are Chelsea interested in Jamal Musiala?
A graduate of Chelsea's youth academy, who departed the club for Bayern Munich aged 16, would make a huge U-turn on his career if he was to return to Stamford Bridge.
According to 90min, Premier League clubs are showing an interest in Musiala, including Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea.
The report details that Bayern remain confident of tying the 20-year-old down to a long-term contract, however, with several clubs enquiring about his availability, a potential bidding war could ensue.
Currently valued at €92.3m (£80m) according to Football Transfers and with another three years left on his contract, the Blues will need to splash the cash in order to lure him to west London, either in January or next summer.
What would Jamal Musiala bring to Chelsea?
One of Chelsea's most fateful mistakes was allowing Musiala to depart for Bayern in 2019 after failing to convince the youngster to commit his future to the London club.
All will be forgiven, however, if the Blues manage to pull off a sensational move to prise the youngster away from Germany and back to England.
Jamal Musiala
The attacking midfield sensation, who has been nominated for the prestigious Golden Boy Award, is the shining light of a German side crying out for a rebuild and an unwavering cog of Bayern's merciless winning machine.
Combining his electric pace and remarkable dribbling to a devastating effect, the youngster has been compared to the great Lionel Messi for how he carries the ball in perpetual motion, breezing past defenders like the ball is stuck to his feet and supplying a relentless end product to match.
With an astonishing 12 goals and 13 assists in 33 Bundesliga matches last term, Musiala showcased why the footballing world is salivating over his talents, seamlessly slotting into pockets of space and appearing to be the perfect heir to Muller's throne.
Lauded as a "future Ballon d'Or" winner by teammate Alphonso Davies for how he's dominated on the world stage at just 20-years-old, Musiala has shown that his potential is limitless.
The youngster's former coach, Andre Martin, reinforced the above back in 2021, saying: "Technically outstanding, very skillful, and a player who can score all types of goals, inside and outside the box. And he's a great dribbler and likes to take players on, as he did against Schalke. He later became a No.10 and has become as much of a creator as a goalscorer."
The description of his qualities suggests that Chelsea must reverse the mistake they made four years ago and go all out to sign one of the best young talents on the planet.
Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been told by their manager, Ange Postecoglou, to sign one country's "fundamental" defender.
Latest Spurs news
On the field, Spurs have gone from strength-to-strength under their new boss; winning five out of their opening seven Premier League games while displaying an exciting brand of attacking football on display. Tottenham continued their impressive streak with a controversial 2-1 win over Liverpool in north London on Saturday, with Joel Matip's own-goal deep into added time gifting the home side all three points. Speaking after the 90 minutes, Postecoglou said the dramatic late win could help to build up the spirit and belief in his group of players.
“It wasn’t an easy game for us, we knew it wouldn’t be, and even in the circumstances, we had some unique challenges," explained the Australian.
"For some of these guys, this will be the first time they’ve faced that type of scenario, and for the most part, we handled it okay. Again, getting that late winner helps build the belief and spirit in the group. The thing about Liverpool, even with 10 men, they are equally as dangerous because the game plan is the same, they play on mistakes, they have world-class players up front who can hurt you. I thought the second half was better because we stayed a bit calmer, maintained our pressure in the wide areas and got our reward.”
The result keeps Postecoglou's in second place and just one point behind last season's treble-winners Man City, having scored just as many goals as Pep Guardiola's blues. It's certainly a promising time to be a Spurs supporter as the arrival of Antonio Conte's replacement seemingly hands them a new lease of life. Off the pitch, chairman Daniel Levy and Chief Football Officer Scott Munn will be slowly preparing for the January transfer window.
Latest Spurs transfer news
You could argue that Postecoglou's squad lacks depth beneath the first team, especially when it comes to central defence. If either summer signing Micky van de Ven or Cristian Romero – the current star pairing – become unavailable, there are few world-class options to cover them.
This has lead to reports that Spurs could go in for a second centre-back signing after van de Ven this winter, with the likes of Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly and Juventus star Gleison Bremer linked recently. Another to have come out as an option is previous summer target Edmond Tapsoba, with an update coming to light on the Burkina Faso international.
According to a report out of Spain, the 6 foot 4 Bayer Leverkusen star is an "express request" from Postecoglou – who has seemingly asked his club make the signing. It's added that the incorporation of Tapsoba to Spurs would be an "ambitious move" by Levy and co, but Tottenham are "determined" to shore up their defence in the coming months.
Called one of Leverkusen's best defenders under manager Xabi Alonso, the 24-year-old has also been branded "fundamental" for his country at international level by members of the press.
Jordi Alba was reportedly absent from Inter Miami training ahead of Lionel Messi and Co's CONCACAF Champions Cup clash with Nashville.
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Alba missed training on Tuesday
Left-back is said to be sick
Remains to be seen if he can make the trip to Nashville
Getty/GOAL composite
WHAT HAPPENED?
According to the the defender is sick and hence refrained from participating in the team's training session on Tuesday. The Inter Miami squad will leave for Nashville on Wednesday morning and it remains to be seen if Alba will be well enough to fly with his team-mates.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Alba has played every minute in the MLS so far and has been a crucial figure for Tata Martino. He set up Messi for a 92nd-minute equaliser against LA Galaxy which was incidentally the Argentine's first strike of the season.
DID YOU KNOW?
Alba was signed from Barcelona last summer as a free agent by Inter Miami. He took little time to taste success as the Spaniard went on to lift the Leagues Cup along with Messi & Sergio Busquets.
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WHAT NEXT?
Martino will be looking to manage the minutes of his veteran superstars to keep injury at bay. However, if Alba does feel better on Wednesday he should be on the flight to Nashville as the Herons would like to field their strongest XI in the first leg of the Champions Cup last-16.
Canterbury’s legspinning allrounder Todd Astle has been offered a New Zealand contract for the first time, while James Neesham and Neil Broom were left out of the list of 20 contracted players for the 2018-19 period.
List of contracted players
Corey Anderson, Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson, George Worker
“Todd’s progress over the past 12 months has been exciting to see. When fit, he made the most of his opportunities in both Test and ODI cricket,” said New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said. “We have a big summer ahead; we know Todd performs well in New Zealand conditions, and we also have a spin-friendly tour against Pakistan coming up.”Between Todd, Ish and Mitchell our spin bowling stocks have probably never looked better. Jimmy and Neil didn’t show the consistency required over the past year and we’d like to see them go back and demand our attention again through domestic performance.”The new master agreement between NZC and the New Zealand Cricket Players Association is yet to be finalised, but both parties came to an agreement so that the contracts process was not delayed.The new contracts will come into effect from August 1.
The New York Yankees will live to play one more day. Facing a potential World Series sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers, they managed to rally, taking Game 4 by a score of 11–4 to climb back to a 3–1 deficit in the series. Highlighted by a grand slam from shortstop Anthony Volpe, the offense finally came alive for New York, taking advantage of a bullpen game by Los Angeles. That sets up one more game in the Bronx on Wednesday.
Here are three takeaways from the action:
The Bottom of the Yankees Lineup Delivers
Volpe’s grand slam was the sort of moment the Yankees had been desperate for in this series. Here was not just a big hit, but a critically timely one, and from an unexpected source.
The 23-year-old shortstop has gone through his share of ups and downs this year. (Including in the second inning on Tuesday, when he drew a walk and put himself in scoring position with a steal, only to fail to make it home on a double because of a baserunning blunder.) But he authored the defining moment of his young career with his grand slam in the third inning. It erased an early Dodgers lead and paved the way for a Yankees victory. And it was just one piece of an incredible night for the bottom of this lineup.
No. 7 hitter Volpe finished 2-for-3 with his homer, a double, a walk and two steals, becoming the first player ever to collect four RBIs and two stolen bases in a World Series game. The only hitter who nearly matched that production? No. 8 hitter Austin Wells. The catcher has struggled at the plate all October. Yet he, too, was 2-for-3 with a home run, double, walk and a steal. (The pair executed a double steal in the eighth inning.) The Yankees needed a big night from their bats. They certainly got it—anchored by some unlikely hitters.
APSTEIN: Anthony Volpe Lives Out a Childhood Dream to Revive Yankees’ World Series Hopes
The Dodgers’ Bullpen Saves its Best Arms
The Dodgers’ lack of healthy starters has meant that every postseason round includes a bullpen game or two. While the approach has generally worked for them—including in the clinching game of the NLCS—this one was more of a slog. They began with rookie Ben Casparius, making his first career start, before giving the ball to Daniel Hudson, who gave up the grand slam to Volpe, and then Landon Knack.
Yet they were able to get something crucial there. With the Dodgers trailing, Knack was able to eat up the middle of the game, throwing four innings while allowing one run. He was followed by Brent Honeywell, Jr., who let the game break open for the Yankees. This was certainly not the ideal scenario for the Dodgers. (That would have been completing the sweep to win the World Series.) But this was the ideal way to lose.
It kept the Dodgers from having to use any of their high-leverage relief arms. The Yankees did not see Alex Vesia, or Ryan Brasier, or Anthony Banda, or Michael Kopech, or Blake Treinen. The Dodgers would have preferred not to have a Game 5. But if they were going to have one, this was exactly how they would have liked to set it up.
Aaron Judge—Kind of—Finds a Way Through His Slump
Judge spent the first seven innings of Game 4 getting on base every way but hitting. He worked a walk, got hit by a pitch and put himself in position to benefit from a grounder bobbled by Dodgers shortstop Tommy Edman.
It was not exactly a dream performance. But it beat what Judge had been doing in almost every other game this October.
And finally, in the eighth inning, with Honeywell on mop-up duty for the Dodgers, the slugger connected for some good contact. With an RBI single to left field, Judge had his first hit since Game 1, and he was greeted with resounding cheers from the home crowd. This was not an emphatic slumpbuster. But it was, at the very least, something different, and much, much better.
Dileep Premachandran26-Mar-2009Leadership means different things to different sports. In football, the
captain’s armband is more a sign of recognition than an acknowledgement of
tactical nous. When people talk of the immortal Brazilians of 1970, they
talk of Pele and Jairzinho, Gerson and Tostao. If they do mention Carlos
Alberto, it’s for the rocket into the Italian net, and not his leadership.Cricket couldn’t be more different. When we speak of the great sides,
they’re almost always prefaced by the captain’s name. Warwick Armstrong’s
Australians of 1920-21. The Don’s legendary team of 1948. Ian Chappell’s Ugly Australians. Clive Lloyd’s Calypso Men. Mark Taylor’s new-age
Aussies. You can’t separate the team from the leader, the victorious
campaigns from the men who made the crucial calls.After American Football, where the quarterback reigns supreme, in no other
sport does the captain exert the same level of influence. So, when John Buchanan, acknowledged as one of the great coaching brains of our age, comes out and says that it doesn’t really matter who leads a team, people
will sit up and take notice. More so when the man being marginalised as a result of the new theory is the most successful captain that India has ever had.”It could actually be of benefit to someone like him because it could free
him up for his batting, when he just needs to do his batting or for his
fielding when he just needs to do his fielding or when he needs to just do
his bowling without the burden of the 20-over format on his
shoulders,” said Buchanan when asked about Sourav Ganguly not being given
the Kolkata Knight Riders captaincy for the second season of the IPL. “The laws of the game state that you need a captain for certain formal roles, such as the coin toss, but that
aside, I see there is scope to challenge the way teams have been run in
the past.”His idea of collective leadership has already drawn an incredulous
response from Mickey Arthur, who has plotted South Africa’s rise to the
top of the world game in conjunction with Graeme Smith. Ganguly himself
didn’t appear best pleased with the idea, saying: “Tomorrow I can jump out
and say we need four batting coaches, four John Buchanans and Shah Rukh
Khan [the team owner] can say we need six Andy Bichels. These are all
opinions, these are the ways they are thinking Twenty20 cricket can be
played. We’ll have to wait and see because it’s completely new, it has
never happened in sports.”
Even in this era of coaches, the one consistent line has been that the captain has the final word once the team crossed the rope on to the field of play. Does a coach sitting on the sidelines really have a better feel
for what’s going on in the middle?
One of Buchanan’s more strident critics, Shane Warne, might also have a
thing or two to say about this latest theory. The story of last season’s
IPL was the story of the Rajasthan Royals, the basement-dwelling
candidates who went on to be champions. Warne was captain and coach, and
the inspiration behind a less-than-star-studded side punching way above
its weight. He made household names of the likes of Yusuf Pathan and
Ravindra Jadeja, while Sohail Tanvir and Shane Watson finished up as the
stars of the tournament.Try telling those men that Warne didn’t matter, that it could just as
easily have been Mohammad Kaif or Kamran Akmal leading the side. The team
that lost to the Royals in a thrilling final was no different. MS Dhoni’s
composed style of leadership helped the Chennai Super Kings recover from a
mid-season slump, and nearly repeat his feats with India’s Twenty20 team
less than a year earlier.There’s a tendency to denigrate the twenty-over game as hit-and-giggle and
little else, but for the captains, the margin for error is infinitesimally
small. One bad over, and the game could be finished. In a Test match, you
can have one poor session and still come back to wrest the game away. In
Twenty20, there are seldom any second chances.Arthur spoke of the players getting mixed signals, and that’s the biggest
problem with this Politburo model of captaincy. Who has the final say?
Even in this era of coaches, the one consistent line has been that the
captain has the final word once the team crossed the rope on to the field
of play. Does a coach sitting on the sidelines really have a better feel
for what’s going on in the middle? And if there are four or five “leaders”
on the field, who makes the crunch calls? Instead of relying on one man’s
instinct, do you put it to a vote?As with any experiment, it can’t be rubbished without giving it a fair go.
Just don’t expect Warne or Dhoni to buy into it. Ganguly, who won 21 of
his 49 Tests and led India to a World Cup final, probably won’t either.
Leeds United were not on the receiving end of an embarrassing FA Cup upset last weekend, a much-rotated Whites side beating Peterborough United 3-0 on their travels to Cambridgeshire.
A major plus from the convincing Whites win was the performance of young Archie Gray, the fixed first-teamer at just 17 years of age excelling in a midfield role versus Posh away from picking up right-back duties as he has done in the Championship.
Leeds ace Archie Gray.
Daniel Farke could well see this standout display against League One opposition as grounds to start Gray in a more comfortable holding midfield role for the foreseeable, freeing up a right-back spot in the process for this transfer target to join the Leeds ranks.
Leeds transfer latest – Connor Roberts
Football journalist Darren Witcoop took to social media earlier this month to confirm Leeds' interest in Burnley right-back Connor Roberts, with Luke Ayling potentially on the chopping block at Elland Road too according to Witcoop.
A further update by Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth in the past few days suggests that Roberts would 'welcome' a move to West Yorkshire, Leeds particularly fond of Roberts' 'style and athleticism' according to the report.
Helping Vincent Kompany's now relegation-threatened Clarets lift the Championship title last campaign, securing a deal for Roberts this January would see Leeds strengthen in the right-back spot significantly and finally give the Whites freedom to unleash Gray in the centre of the park over currently shoehorning the teenage sensation into the starting eleven.
Why Connor Roberts would be a good signing for Leeds
Roberts would help Leeds overwhelm opponents and score even more goals in the process, the Welshman's creativity his standout attribute whenever the right-back has played in the second tier across his career.
Notching up 20 assists in total for both Burnley and Swansea when he's played in the Championship, Roberts' addition to the Leeds squad would take the pressure off Georginio Rutter's shoulders to consistently provide assists for his teammates and distribute the load out more evenly – the 21-year-old onto a startling total of nine assists already this season.
Even with his goal contributions drying up this season as the Clarets navigate choppy waters in the Premier League relegation battle – contributing to just one single goal this campaign – Roberts still managed to help his side overcome Luton Town 2-1 early into the season.
Minutes played
90
Clearances
6
Assists
1
Duels won
2/5
Key passes
2
Helping himself to an assist in the slim win at Kenilworth Road back in October, the 28-year-old full-back also made six clearances to ensure Clarets goalkeeper James Trafford wasn't breached further in the tight contest.
Whilst still with the Swans – where Roberts played alongside Joe Rodon on occasion who now features for Leeds coincidentally – the then Swansea boss Steve Cooper also praised his defender for being "excellent" in a closely fought 2-1 win away at Stoke City in 2021 with Roberts even scoring the opening goal.
With Ayling off to join Middlesbrough and Djed Spence returning to parent club Tottenham Hotspur after a topsy-turvy loan switch, this signing of Roberts feels like a transfer Farke and Co must sanction to strengthen that vacant spot in the team.
Continuing to play Gray in a makeshift right-back role could harm the teenager's development, with his display against Posh in the FA Cup showing to everyone he's more of a natural centrally.
Central midfield
16
0
1
Right-back
14
0
1
Attacking midfield
13
3
3
Defensive midfield
6
0
0
Striker
2
0
0
Left midfield
1
0
0
This stellar individual display even saw Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth give Gray a 9/10 rating in his post-match article, Smyth declaring Gray to be a 'cut above' his League One opponents in a stylish and slick display.
Furthermore, at youth level, the emerging Leeds number 22 bagged four goals and helped himself to five assists when played in a further advanced spot.
Leeds United transfer target Connor Roberts in action for Wales.
Only on £30k per week at Burnley currently – putting him £40k shy of top-earner Rutter at Elland Road according to Capology – signing Roberts wouldn't hit the club too hard financially and would allow for Gray to be finally unshackled playing in a midfield role permanently for the promotion hopefuls.
There aren’t many better feelings than watching your team home and away.
Win, lose or draw, we’re there to support our beloved clubs whether it be at the home ground or as part of a tiny away section.
League One in particular is as competitive as ever, containing some historic names of English football, and so with that comes a number of must-visit grounds.
Focusing on the third tier, Football FanCast has ranked the top ten away days in League One which you should be looking to embark on if your team ever gets the chance.
For this list, we've considered the area, affordability, potential nearby activities and the stadiums themselves when coming up with the best away trips League One has to offer.
10 The Valley – Charlton Athletic
We are kicking things off in the capital, in particular Greenwich, where we have The Valley.
This is the home of Charlton Athletic, who were playing Premier League football as recently as 2007, but have since hit a bump in the road.
Fans of the Addicks currently find themselves struggling to get out of League One, but they do have an excellent stadium to show off with a capacity of over 27,000.
Visiting such a big stadium at this level of course means that a sizeable away allocation comes with it as well – a couple of thousand are able to attend.
Given that Charlton is London, it is easy enough to make a weekend out of a clash with this team, as there is no shortage of activities and pubs and whatnot in the surrounding area.
One slight downfall, though, is that with the location comes more expensive drinks than fans from further afield may be used to.
Away day rating: 6/10
9 Memorial Stadium – Bristol Rovers
Travelling further west to Bristol now, which is a two-team city.
Bristol Rovers and Bristol City divide the land in blue and red and it is the latter who are the more established, having been in the Championship consistently for nearly a decade now.
Rovers are the team going under our microscope with their ground, the Memorial Stadium.
The stadium itself has a capacity of just over 12,000, so whilst it may not be competing with the venues that have graced the top flight, it is still very impressive.
Rovers originally spent 89 years at Eastville Stadium but left there in 1986 and then moved to the Mem ten years later.
Away day rating: 6/10
8 Weston Homes Stadium – Peterborough United
Iconic stadiums losing their names to sponsors is a plight that is working its way through the EFL.
Peterborough United’s London Road is the first victim on this list, but the Weston Homes Stadium is certainly not as bad as another that will feature later on.
The Posh is a highly regarded club, this reputation being boosted by the openness shown by owner and chairman Darragh MacAnthony when it comes to the dealings in the transfer windows.
Peterborough has a historic cathedral if that is something that piques your interest before or after your team goes to battle with the Cambridgeshire side. Beyond that, there is a fair amount of general history on show and as the location suggests – Cambridge isn’t far away at all, either.
London Road is another stadium that holds a very respectable capacity, which is in excess of 15,000, with the possibility of a great atmosphere from home and away supporters.
Away day rating: 6/10
7 Pride Park – Derby County
Derby County are the first club to creep beyond the 6/10 mark and hit the heights of a very respectable seven.
They are another team who have played top-flight football in the Premier League era, although they do of course hold that haunting record for the lowest points tally.
Pride Park is where they call home, and according to BetVictor, this is the best ground in all of League One.
GiveMeSport states that season ticket price, price per game, stadium utilisation, total mileage, number of votes, atmosphere, location, stadium view, infrastructure and food were the various criteria that were assessed in BetVictor’s study.
Back in 1888, Derby were one of the 12 founding members of the Football League, showing just how steeped in history they are, making them a shoo-in for this list.
Away day rating: 7/10
6 St James’ Park – Exeter City
St James’ Park is a famous location up in Newcastle but also down south as well, with Exeter City having a ground of their very own going by the same name as the Magpies’.
Exeter are very proud of their reputation of being a fan-run club and so that quickly endears them to the football purists who come to visit in Devon.
The Grecians are a loud and proud group of supporters, with their clashes against local rivals Plymouth Argyle always being extremely fierce whether it's at Home Park or St James’.
There is a standing area and a seated area for away fans at Exeter, which is a nice touch, and with a fine city just minutes away from the ground, the stadium itself is worth a visit.
Away day rating: 7/10
5 Bloomfield Road – Blackpool
Returning to the trend of former Premier League teams, Blackpool reached those particular heights with Charlie Adam as captain and Rob Edwards and Ian Evatt also featuring – a pair who now manage Luton Town and Bolton Wanderers respectively.
Blackpool is known for having its infamous tower, the Pleasure Beach, waterparks and a zoo.
Once again, this is a location which would be suitable for the family, so a weekend getaway could be arranged around the main event of a football match.
Bloomfield Road has a capacity of 17,625, with the figures for away fans able to creep into four figures once again.
The presence of plentiful empty seats does lead to Blackpool being marked down, but it remains a desirable location for away fans, for sure.
Away day rating: 7/10
4 Kassam Stadium – Oxford United
Peterborough United affords you the chance of visiting Cambridge, while the other famous university city can be attended when your team goes toe-to-toe with Oxford United.
People of an older generation may know Oxford’s home as Grenoble Road, but it is now known as the Kassam Stadium in honour of Firoz Kassam, who owned the club between 1999 and 2006 as well as having a stint as chairman.
Kassam paid just £1 for the club due to the financial difficulties they were enduring at the time.
Oxford is considered to be a great place to visit, while as of 2021, it was named as the eighth-most expensive area in the country to buy a pint, so visiting fans will have to be wary when they flock to the nearby pubs.
Away day rating: 8/10
3 Toughsheet Community Stadium – Bolton Wanderers
Weston Homes Stadium isn’t the best name around, but that is nothing compared to the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
There have been a lot of changes to the name of Bolton Wanderers’ home, from the Reebok Stadium to the University of Bolton Stadium and now to this.
But this name is one of very few blemishes on an away day to Bolton, in truth, with the size of the stadium certainly working in their favour.
Referring back to BetVictor’s research, Bolton ranked 14th in the entire Football League. This put the Trotters ahead of Premier League grounds such as Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United to name just a few.
Away day rating: 9/10
Newcastle fans against Arsenal at home
The top ten away days in the Premier League – ranked
An away day is one of the best parts of being a football fan, but which is the best in the Premier League? Football FanCast has taken a look.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 22, 2023 2 Oakwell – Barnsley
Barnsley join Bolton at an away day rating of 9/10, but the former gets the slight edge, and finishes second on the list as a result.
Oakwell is an old-school, classic ground for football and Barnsley in general are a club with a lot of history.
They are firmly ingrained in the landscape of England from a football perspective which makes it a worthwhile away day instantly.
The club doesn’t own the stadium anymore, with the council having to take over to save the club from facing extinction, and whilst they have gone from the Championship play-offs to League One in just a couple of years, Barnsley remains a massive club that deserves a lot of respect and admiration.
Away day rating: 9/10
1 Fratton Park – Portsmouth
There aren’t many better grounds that one can visit in the EFL than Fratton Park.
The University of Portsmouth labels itself as “one of the most affordable UK cities for university students”, and why can’t that carry over to football fans wanting to frequent the pubs, particularly when “the cost of a pint [is] averaged at £4.51, one pound cheaper than London.”
We have no notes for Pompey, it is a club with a great following in a nice area and Fratton Park is the best stadium in League One, all things considered.
Leeds United are one of several clubs keen to strike a deal to sign an exciting young defender in January, according to a fresh update this week.
Leeds could lose three centre-backs in 2024
The Whites have Pascal Struijk, Liam Cooper, Charlie Cresswell and Joe Rodon as their natural options at centre-back as it stands, but there’s a chance that three of those could be departing at some stage next year if rumours are to be believed.
Having only put pen to paper on a season-long loan, Rodon is set to return to Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the season anyway, whilst Struijk has been backed to follow him by joining Ange Postecoglou’s side, alongside Cresswell who has only made one league start so far this campaign (WhoScored – Cresswell statistics).
Daniel Farke will therefore be forced to enter the market to find replacements should any or all of the trio depart, and it appears that he’s already set his sights on Hammarby’s Nathaniel Adjei, who has so far made 30 senior appearances at The Stockholmsarenan (Transfermarkt – Adjei statistics).
The Ghana international has already been the subject of interest from Scottish Premiership teams Celtic and Glasgow Rangers, alongside Championship rivals Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Preston North End, but the 21-year-old now has a sixth admirer at Elland Road.
Leeds plotting swoop for Nathaniel Adjei
According to Fotboll Direkt (via Leeds United News), Leeds are considering a move for Adjei. The Yorkshire outfit are "among a host of clubs interested" in securing the services of the defender, and it's claimed that Hammarby are looking to receive approximately £3.5m in order to sanction the sale of their prized asset.
Farke's target will complete his current season this coming weekend, and with the new term not set to start until the new year, this break in domestic action is why potential suitors are looking to capitalise on a deal.
Leeds United's home stadium, Elland Road.
According to Hammarby’s former manager Marti Cifuentes, Adjei possesses all of the qualities to become a “top-notch” centre-back, and with the bags of potential that he’s got to offer, it’s easy to understand why there are so many clubs chasing his signature ahead of January.
Standing at 6 foot 1, Teshie’s native provides an excellent physical presence with his height at the heart of his backline, and he also has the versatility to operate as a right-back alongside his usual position. This ability to provide cover in another role outside of his own would make him a very useful option for the boss to have in the building should any unexpected injuries occur – as has often been the case in the Leeds defence in recent years – or should he ever want to alter his formation or team selection.
With Adjei not yet having loads of senior experience under his belt, it’s unknown whether Farke would feel comfortable throwing him straight in at the deep end, but he’d certainly be an exciting signing for the long-term future of the team in LS11.
A "wonderful" West Ham United player is reportedly "ready to leave" after being left unhappy with the club's latest offer of a new contract.
West Ham contract news
In the last few weeks, David Moyes and the Hammers board have been attempting, and often succeeding to tie down their most important senior and young stars with new deals. Star winger Jarrod Bowen, who recently put pen to paper on a contract extension till 2030, has committed his long-term future at the London Stadium and looks set to remain for many years to come.
The England international was reportedly attracting interest from the likes of Liverpool, so this will come as a huge boost for West Ham, a fact not lost on Moyes who recently heralded the news.
gideon-kidoa-jarrod-bowen-west-ham-opinion
“We’re delighted Jarrod has agreed a new deal. It’s a brilliant piece of business from the club to tie him down to a new long-term contract,” he said to the West Ham website.
“His goal in Prague will live long in the memory for everyone connected to West Ham – it’s given him a platform to go from strength to strength and we’re really reaping the benefits, he’s getting better and better. He’s a fantastic boy and an outstanding professional – I’m sure his positive progress will continue over the course of his new contract.”
The Irons also tied down promising young teenager Dan Rigge, coming as more brilliant news, but the same cannot be said for midfielder Tomas Soucek. The Czech Republic midfielder could apparently be sold in January if talks over an extension don't take a positive turn, with Football Insider recently claiming that discussions have stalled over the last year.
Ben Johnson contract update
Midfielders Pablo Fornals and Conor Coventry also look likely to leave upon the expiry of their contracts next summer. Now, according to West Ham insider Claret & Hugh, young defender Ben Johnson can be added to the list of 2024 departees.
They claim that the Englishman is "ready to leave" east London after being left unhappy over West Ham's latest new contract offer. Johnson, despite "wanting to stay", will apparently quit the club along with Coventry. He's likely to remain until the summer unless West Ham sign another full-back in January.
Plays the ball off the ground often
Likes to play long balls
Likes to cross
The 23-year-old, who's started just one EFL Cup match this season, has been praised for his contribution in past seasons by former West Ham coach and ex-England international Stuart Pearce.
"The most important thing about Ben is whenever you pass him or meet him first thing in the morning, he's got a smile on his face. He takes in all the knowledge you can pass on to him," said Pearce.
"He's a wonderful professional to deal with and work with. We're very proud to have him out of our academy system as well, which is a real plus for us, especially with the connection to this club with the academy.
"I think he's just developing and getting better and better, and like with all young players, the more game time they have, the better they'll get, so I am delighted for the boy."