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When Sunderland welcomed Wimbledon to the Stadium of Light on Tuesday evening, Lee Johnson sat there knowing the game shouldn’t have been going ahead.

Whatever the result last night, there was going to be an excuse – not many are reasonable in football but as the Black Cats drew 1-1, they had a very viable one.

Heading into the game Sunderland had eight players ruled out due to a COVID-19 scare. Johnson revealed that the club had received very little help from the EFL as the Mackems dropped crucial points in the race for promotion.

It meant that individuals like Dion Sanderson, George Dobson and Aiden O’Brien all got drafted into the XI for rare starts this season.

It took Sunderland until 62 minutes to finally score as Bailey Wright found the net expertly, but unfortunately for the Australian and the rest of his side, the man next to him in defence had a woeful night.

Callum McFadzean was deputising for the injured Denver Hume at left-back but his performance will have left the manager seething and asking questions.

It was McFadzean who gave away the penalty from which Wimbledon scored, an incident which rather summed up the 26-year-old’s match.

The defender won just 25% of his duels at the Stadium of Light and somehow managed to lose possession a colossal 15 times.

This was a night to forget for the full-back, someone who needed to prove plenty given he’d started on just one other occasion in League One this term.

Once Hume is back, it would be surprising to see McFadzean near the starting XI again. That may seem harsh, but he let his team down, conceding two fouls and completing only 74% of his passes.

On a day where Johnson needed his players to fight for the club, his left-back looked bereft of confidence, failing to make a successful tackle, interception or block.

With Hume set to remain on the sidelines for another fortnight or so, McFadzean will need to discover form from somewhere.

In other news, Dreyfus could save SAFC millions in the transfer window with a genius system…

Mohamed Elyounoussi’s impressive form at Celtic could give Southampton Ralph Hasenhuttl a big decision to make over his future next season.

The Norwegian joined Neil Lennon’s side on loan for the second successive season earlier in the summer and he has enjoyed a superb start to the 2020/21 campaign with the Scottish side.

In 18 appearances in all competitions so far this season, the 26-year-old has contributed an impressive 10 goals and four assists, including a hat-trick in the Bhoys’ most recent fixture against Motherwell (per Transfermarkt).

His performances in the Scottish Premiership have seen him average a solid 6.92 rating, whilst his superb displays in the Europa League have earned him a 7.52 average across his three appearances (per WhoScored).

Southampton signed the winger from FC Basel in 2018 for a fee of £16.2 million but he has never really been able to establish himself as a first-team regular at the South Coast club.

In 19 appearances for the Saints, Elyounoussi was unable to contribute a single goal or assist, so you can perhaps understand why he was sent on loan to Celtic to improve his confidence.

The Norway international has done just that, showing his quality with the Celtic Park outfit, having contributed 17 goals and 10 assists in just 38 appearances for the club (per Transfermarkt).

Therefore, we feel that he deserves another chance to show what he can do under Hasenhuttl at Southampton when he returns from his loan spell at Celtic.

The winger was heavily criticised by Celtic legend Chris Sutton after he was caught using his phone after being taken off in their recent defeat against Sparta Prague, but he bounced back with an excellent hat-trick at Fir Park, which Sutton labelled as “brilliant” on Twitter (per talkSPORT).

The 26-year-old has clearly shown his quality in his time with Celtic, and whilst playing for Southampton in the Premier League would be a step up for Elyounoussi, his impressive form shows that he deserves another shot at playing in the top-flight.

Crystal Palace have suffered from an inconsistent start to the season, but one player has stood out from the rest. And no, we’re not talking about Wilfried Zaha.

What’s the word?

That’s right folks, we’re talking about Crystal Palace left-back Tyrick Mitchell. According to the club’s website, Palace TV is launching an exclusive mini-documentary which will cover his career so far, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look into his daily life.

In spite of all of this, his contract is still set to expire in 2021. And Dan Cook has recently discussed the uncertainty surrounding his future at Selhurst Park on an episode of the HLTCO podcast, insisting “the vultures will begin to circle,” as quoted by This is Futbol. So, Palace chief Steve Parish must convince the academy graduate to sign a new contract at all costs.

Better than Wan-Bissaka?

Palace have produced a number of youngsters over the years that have gone on to achieve big things and it’s fair to say that the 21-year-old is a player who could fall into that bracket if they aren’t too careful.

Mitchell has made six appearances in the Premier League so far, whilst he has played in every single minute of the competition prior to his absence against Wolves, having broken into the first team towards the end of last season.

Per WhoScored, he is averaging a staggering 4 tackles and 2.3 clearances per game in the English top flight, via WhoScored. By comparison, Manchester United full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who is one year older than his countryman, has only managed 2.8 tackles in the Premier League so far, via WhoScored.

Whilst it would be a bit too much of a reach to suggest that Mitchell is a better player, it does seem as though the signs are already starting to show if these statistics are anything to go by.

Once lauded as an “excellent” player by Palace boss Roy Hodgson, Mitchell has been recently described as something akin to a “silent assassin” by his former U16s coach Anthony Hayes.

With the more experienced veteran Patrick van Aanholt only recently returning from a spell on the sidelines, the youngster has been the club’s first-choice left-back in recent weeks. And the £4.5m-rated ace must be rewarded with a new and improved deal, otherwise the Eagles may regret letting him leave for free if they cannot convince him to sign an extension.

AND in other news, Roy Hodgson must unleash Crystal Palace ace Eberechi Eze against Wolves…

Many Liverpool fans have been showing their support for winger Xherdan Shaqiri after he opened up about what happened over the summer regarding his future.

The 28-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away from Anfield this summer, with The Athletic suggesting that he was due to follow Rhian Brewster out the exit door.

The likes of Lazio, Roma and Sevilla were believed to be interesting in his services but the tables quickly turned as the deadline passed and nothing was announced by the club.

During a recent interview with the Swiss FA, Shaqiri reiterated his desire to stay at Liverpool and stated that he feels good about it, despite saying that the media ‘write a lot’.

The Swiss winger has scored eight times and provided five assists in 42 appearances for Liverpool (as per TransferMarkt), with three years left on his contract. However, he has started a paltry two Premier League games since August 2019.

With all of the above in mind, these supporters are hoping to see more of Shaqiri in the famous red shirt this season, as the Reds aim to defend the Premier League title that they secured last season.

Here you can find some comments from Liverpool supporters on the “underrated” winger:

Liverpool fans, should Klopp have sold Shaqiri or was he right to keep him? Join the conversation by commenting below…

Lionel Messi has been linked to several Premier League clubs amid shocking talks of a Barcelona departure. 

The Argentinian, who has spent his entire senior career with the Catalonians, is reportedly looking for a way out of his boyhood club. According to Fabrizio Romano, Messi wants to leave Barcelona immediately, which will force any interested clubs to pay an astronomical €700million (£623m) to activate his release clause.

Frank Lampard’s ex-international teammate Rio Ferdinand believes Chelsea are interested in bringing the Barcelona legend to Stamford Bridge amid a very successful transfer window so far.

The former Manchester United man tweeted: “Just heard Frank Lampard is now in for Messi. Some window this if Lamps pulls this off!!”

Indeed, bringing Messi to the Premier League would write Lampard’s name in history. However, both Manchester City and United are also monitoring the situation, with others including Paris Saint-Germain also interested in a move for the 33-year-old (according to Onda Cero Radio, via Metro).

Romano also reported that Barca are eager to keep hold of their star forward, but the player has made up his mind. Messi allegedly ‘wants to change’ clubs and the Italian journalist believes there will be a battle commencing surrounding his future.

Chelsea have already proven they aren’t shying away from spending big bucks this summer. Roman Abramovich has given his blessing for Lampard to splash a minimum of £50m on securing each of Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Ben Chilwell. With Havertz reportedly going to cost the club a hefty £90m, the Blues are looking at a bill of at least £190m for the trio.

However, even the team who have endured a two-window transfer ban may find Messi’s release clause too steep. Indeed, the Argentinian will become a free agent next year upon the expiry of his contract, but he wants to leave the club now.

With Man City lurking, Chelsea may be forced into splashing an unheard of amount of cash to add Messi to their ranks this summer.

Do you think Chelsea could sign Lionel Messi? Join the conversation in the comments below!

A number of Manchester City fans have been reacting to the latest report that Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly was ‘quite certain’ that he would move to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

City had been consistently linked with a potential move for Koulibaly throughout the summer transfer window, but Pep Guardiola’s side were unable to meet Napoli’s asking price for the 29-year-old, so the centre-back ended up remaining with the Italian club, as per Sky Sports.

City had already brought in Nathan Ake in a £40 million deal from Bournemouth, and they opted to move for Benfica’s Ruben Dias instead of Koulibaly, signing the 23-year-old in a deal worth around £65 million, with Nicolas Otamendi moving in the opposite direction.

However, according to the latest report from Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness, Koulibaly was confident of making a move to City during the transfer window. That was before Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis set an €80 million (£72.2 million) price tag, which seemingly put City off the move.

Some City fans have been saying that the blame for the transfer failing to get over the line should be directed at De Laurentiis, while others pointed out that Dias was a better option anyway due to the difference in age between the pair.

City fans react to emerging reports over Koulibaly

City fans, would Koulibaly have been a better signing than Dias? Let us know your thoughts below!

Leeds United beat Barnsley on Thursday in a game that all but clinched promotion for the Whites.

Unfortunately, their 1-0 win in the Yorkshire derby wasn’t the only thing that made headlines as Kiko Casilla’s return to the squad was a big talking point.

The Spaniard returned on the bench after an eight-game ban for racially abusing Jonathan Leko earlier this season, and with the footballing community coming together to support the Black Lives Matter movement, giving him a place on the bench was a somewhat controversial move.

Understandably, questions were asked about this decision, and Phil Hay was quick to give his view on the matter.

What’s been said then?

After the Barnsley game, people were quick to flock to Hay’s post-match Q&A on The Athletic to ask about the 2019 signing, and the journalist was very frank in his views on the matter.

“I’ve been clear in my view on this, I don’t think he should be involved. The written verdict was not flattering and there’s been no contrition/apology from him or the club. I really think the club need to move him on.” Hay replied when asked about what he thinks of Casilla’s involvement.

Action needs taking

Whether Leeds want to keep Casilla or not, some form of action needs taking.

As an outsider looking in, it looks as though United haven’t reprimanded the former Real Madrid man for his comments earlier in the season.

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No apology has been penned, no fine has been issued and he’s come straight back into the squad after his ban from the FA was over.

In any other line of work, you would be seriously disciplined if you used such language in the workplace, and Casilla shouldn’t be an exception to the rule.

Players in similar situations have come back to play for their club again after learning their lessons, and if Casilla shows remorse for his actions there is a chance that fans will accept him again, but right now, nothing has changed since supporters called for him to be sacked if he was found guilty.

Mikel Arteta’s work at Arsenal is already quite commendable but in order to take the Gunners to the next level, he will have to reinforce the squad even more, potentially bringing in a star or two to really cement his philosophy.

As we now already know, the Premier League outfit was interested in acquiring the services or RB Leipzig’s star defender, Dayot Upamecano. So much so that Arsenal were believed to be in pole position for his signature for quite some time now.

However, they just might have received a huge blow in their transfer chase as AS report Real Madrid have taken a liking to the centre-back and will make him one of their transfer targets next year.

This summer, Los Blancos are unlikely to sign any players simply due to the outside circumstances that have put the club in a financially difficult situation. But next year suits them even better anyway.

Upamecano has a release clause of £40m which can be activated next campaign. Of course, the young defender has recently penned a new contract until 2023 so he is a really difficult target for the ongoing summer transfer window.

But if Real Madrid really do enter the race to sign him, Arsenal could quickly find themselves outgunned, both financially and sporting-wise.

Only time will tell whether Arteta has another ace up his sleeve or will he simply have to look for alternatives elsewhere. One thing is for sure, Upamecano is an incredible talent and replicating what he would’ve brought to the Emirates will be difficult.

Verdict

Arsenal’s only hope would’ve been getting the player now while Real Madrid are still recovering. But if AS’ report ends up being true, the Gunners’ chances will decrease drastically.

Of course, Arteta can always look elsewhere but getting the young centre-back would’ve been ideal as he fits his philosophy perfectly.

Some Newcastle United fans have been lauding Jack Colback, despite his Sunderland roots, as Jonjo Shelvey told In The Box (via ChronicleLive) that the central midfield player is near enough the Tyneside club’s best trainer.

As per the outlet, Colback has not played a competitive game for the Magpies in three years so perhaps this is a shocking claim. However, the 30-year old suffered a knee injury this year so maybe Shelvey has taken notice of his dedication to get back to full fitness.

The pair remain close and the 28-year old justified this by naming Colback in his dream 11. However, the latter was not part of Rafa Benitez’ plans upon the Toon’s return to the Premier League, but Shelvey insists that he still comes in and trains hard every day.

Indeed, Colback made 102 appearances for NUFC in all competitions between 2014 and 2017, scoring five goals and providing ten assists, according to Transfermarkt.

These supporters lauded their man on Twitter:

Geordies, do you agree with Shelvey? Comment below!

Name: Jack Wadham

Club: Bournemouth

Date of Birth: Unkown

Position: Midfielder/Centre-back

Jack Wadham – his career so far

The now 17-year-old Jack Wadham has been at Bournemouth since he was an under-ten footballer, having joined and trained at Dumpton since an early age. Even back then, he was highlighted for his great talent and for always being among the best youth performers in the club’s lower age groups.

The Yorkshire-born youngster is currently a first-year scholar with the Cherries and can boast with appearances for Bournemouth’s U18 squad. He also played for Weymouth Cougars from the age of seven, having moved from Germany as a really young kid.

Unfortunately, there’s no data available on the youngster as of right now since he’s had limited exposure with the team at any levels but has presumably been making quite a bit of noise clawing his way up the ranks at Bournemouth and impressive the staff along the way.

Back when he was just starting out as one of the Cherries in their U11 squad, he was touted as being the most talented kid in the whole team and big things were expected from him even then. Even though he was younger than his peers at that time – being officially still a U10 player – he was still able to tango with the older kids. He continued impressing and moving up the ranks, eventually making it to the U18 squad where he is playing his football right now.

But he is still very much an academy player through and through and it remains to be seen when will the club decide he is ready for a big step-up towards the senior squad. At only 17 years of age and minimal exposure at this point, however, it could still take some time before we see him anywhere near Eddie Howe’s troops.

His talent and potential do mean he has what it takes to make it but Bournemouth have to be patient with their young and still mostly unpolished gem.

Transfer latest

Since we are talking about a first-year scholar after all, there are no transfer rumours or transfer news presently surrounding the young player. It will be interesting to see, however, how the club handles his contract.

He is yet to pen that first professional deal with the team and there’s currently no Bournemouth news indicating that might be on the table. Given his talent and the rise through their academy ranks, the Cherries may want to tie him down as soon as possible.

There was some big Bournemouth news concerning the young lad at the end of 2019, however, when he was picked in the Guardian’s 20 best Premier League talents among some of the other breakthrough gems from all the top-flight teams in England.

This could indicate that he is already out there on the media’s radar but just not quite there yet.

Player profile

Wadham could be described as a deep-lying playmaker as the midfielder likes to occupy that pivot role, just ahead of the defensive line, and contribute to the build-up by securing a safe transition of the ball from the first to the final third of the pitch.

Even though he is still quite young, Wadham is quite mature for his age, making the right decision both on and off the ball and also showing a certain dose of aggressiveness when trying to snatch it away and break the opposition’s attacks.

He is also quite fast but can’t boast with a muscular physique, which could be necessary if he is to eventually make that big step up into the Premier League where players will generally be more aggressive and physical in their approach.

Interestingly enough, he can also be deployed as a centre-back, courtesy of his strong tackling abilities and a good sense of positioning and anticipation.

At the moment, even though he still has much to go, he is working to become a well-rounded midfielder with both attacking and defensive attributes along with the ability to play equally well with both feet.

The future indeed seems bright for the 17-year-old talent, which is some Bournemouth news the fans will be happy to hear.