Category Uncategorized

Sunderland have begun their search to find a new academy manager after Paul Reid left the role last month.

Reid left his job towards the end of June with immediate effect after a whole host of young players opted to leave the Academy of Light over the last 12 months. He held the post for two years after previously working for Eastleigh under current Sunderland owner Stewart Donald.

Young talent Bali Mumba is expected to be another one of those set for a summer exit amid interest shown in him by Premier League side Norwich City.

Whilst some players have departed, results on the pitch have taken a nosedive, with neither the under-18 nor under-23 sides managing to pick up a win in their respective leagues this term.

The Wearside club have now released a job description and advert via their official website, welcoming applicants to apply for the role.

As per safc.com, the post reads: “An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Academy Manager to join Sunderland AFC’s EPPP Category 1 Academy, overseeing the Youth Development department,”

Whoever is chosen for the job will have a mammoth task on their hands to revive the youth teams’ fortunes after such a chastening 2019/20.

Finally, the advert asks for a manager to come in and ‘produce players for the first team’, potentially seeing some players follow the likes of Mumba and Benji Kimpioka, who have gained first team chances in recent months.

It is bound to be a challenging task for whoever steps in to replace Reid and finding the right candidate for the Sunderland academy job is imperative.

With the Wearsiders’ first team also languishing in League One, a positive turnaround of their academy fortunes could provide a welcome fillip to offer hope to the Stadium of Light faithful.

Who do you think should come in to replace Reid? Let us know in the comments section below…

Barcelona are a club in turmoil and their financial struggles are probably their biggest issue at the very moment. They have an ageing squad that’s full of players on high salaries and long contracts while the team is also not exactly turning too many heads with their performances on the pitch. For that reason, the arrival of a young talent like Francisco Trincao has been a great scoop for the Catalans and one that’s certainly a bet for both the future and the present.

However, according to a report from Sky Sports, Leicester City are trying to convince Barcelona to part ways with Trincao and are betting on the bad financial situation in the Catalan capital in order to do that. Brendan Rodgers is keen to improve the squad even more and the 20-year-old would do exactly that if he was to arrive at the King Power Stadium.

There were some other reports suggesting the Foxes have offered to take the youngster on loan for two years with an obligation to buy for £45m, which would be quite a sum to turn down. But this is an extremely difficult deal to get over the line, especially since Trincao is yet to play his first game for Barcelona and will only join the squad later on this month.

Still, seeing how the Catalans only had to pay around £28m to get him from Braga, this would represent good profit for them and a way out of their financial struggles. Of course, it wouldn’t exactly solve them all on the spot but it would be a positive start, something Leicester are certainly banking on.

But, as already stated, this won’t be easy to pull off. Barcelona are looking to sell a lot of high-earners from the club but Trincao is certainly not one of them. Rodgers will have to climb a mountain to make this happen.

Trincao deal will be difficult for Leicester

Signing Trincao would definitely be an incredible piece of business for the Foxes but there is no way the Catalans will just part with one of the most exciting young talents on the planet. Perhaps a shorter loan deal without that obligation to buy would be a better way to go for Leicester.

That way, they would at least get Trincao for a short while and then, potentially, they could look to make the transfer permanent later on.

Arsenal supporters enjoyed a great end to last week as they beat Southampton and they advanced to the semi-finals in the FA Cup after beating Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Manager Mikel Arteta made many changes to the Arsenal squad, but left Bukayo Saka in the starting eleven, which would have shocked some fans who probably would have thought he would be rested for the upcoming Premier League fixture against Norwich.

Since football has returned he has started in all BT Sport, via Football.London, and said: “I’m a huge fan of his. He can play as a defender, he can play midfield, striker, not the main striker but on the wing.”

He also went on to label the youngster as “multi-talented.”

This is high praise from a legendary former Premier League striker and it’s hard to disagree with the Dutchman. In his breakthrough season, the WhoScored, which highlights he has been good defensively as well.

To be so crucial in Arteta’s squad in multiple positions at such a young age, provide a very impressive goal contribution tally and receive high praise from former players like Van Persie emphasises the potential Saka has and hopefully he can continue to get even better and perhaps help Arsenal win the FA Cup this campaign.

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

West Bromwich Albion returned to the top of the Championship table with victory over Bristol City at the Hawthorns.

A sublime quartet of goals from Kieran Gibbs, Matheus Pereira, who fired home from a free-kick, Hal Robson-Kanu and Charlie Austin were enough to secure all three points to leapfrog Leeds and open up a seven-point gap to third place.

The Baggies’ opener was just the epitome of how well they have played under Slaven Bilic this season as Grady Diangana found the former Arsenal left-back with a deft backheel from inside the penalty area that had the visiting goalkeeper beaten all ends up.

[ad_pod ]

Diangana’s performance sparked a mass reaction on social media with many supporters in the west Midlands left gushing over the West Ham loan star.

One member of the Albion crowd labelled his showing a ‘masterclass’ while also drawing comparisons to Manchester City superstar Raheem Sterling.

‘Magnificent’ and ‘filthy’ were two other superlatives to describe the 21-year-old while a further fan predicts that they will be facing another Harvey Barnes style heartbreak in January.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

In other news, Charlie Austin’s latest comments have offered an insight into Slaven Bilic’s recent team selection.

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…

West Bromwich Albion manager Slaven Bilic has come in for huge praise this week as former Chelsea left-back turned Sky Sports presenter Scott Minto has credited him for the start they’ve had in the Championship.

What’s he said?

The Baggies sit on top spot in the division going into November’s international break with a two-point cushion over the chasing pack of Preston North End and Leeds United.

At an average of just over two points per game, Albion are well on track to hit, and maybe even surpass, the 92-point mark, which in four of the last five seasons has been enough to seal automatic promotion.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Although that excludes other external factors, those in the west Midlands will be hoping that they can keep this rich vein of form up over the hectic Christmas schedule, then they’ll have every chance of returning to the promised land of the top-flight.

Minto, who won the FA Cup in 1997, has backed them to do it – all because of one man. He said:

“The biggest signing that West Brom made was Slaven Bilic.

“To get a manager like Bilic into a Championship club – first of all it shows the size of West Brom, secondly it gives great kudos to the standard of the Championship and the EFL, and thirdly to get him in and lose Jay Rodriguez and Dwight Gayle which was 45 goals between them and still be at the top end of the table is incredible.

“It’s still early days at the moment but Pereira, Diangana and Sawyers have added stardust to what was already a very good side.

“Once the strikers start scoring, it could be them plus one.”

The signing of the summer

The presenter of the Championship’s Sky Sports coverage could well be right.

West Brom have long had to suffer – both Tony Pulis and Alan Pardew have been in charge at the Hawthorns, but under the Croatian, they are undoubtedly playing a brand of football that’s never been seen before around these parts, not at least in a very long time.

It is that system that is paying dividends, and that all comes down to Bilic, so it’s a very fair assessment to say that he has been the signing of the summer.

His previous links to West Ham have helped garner a potential star in Grady Diangana, and while his strikers are yet to get fully off the mark, his recruitment has been spot on.

It all just centres around the decision to appoint Bilic in the summer – a masterstroke.

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

With fans beginning to grow impatient it is important that Sunderland get back to winning ways against Gillingham in the FA Cup.

Phil Parkinson may have lost four of his first six games but he has enjoyed managing at home, in the main, and if the Black Cats can replicate the dominance they showed against Tranmere and Southend previously – with 17 and 18 shots against those teams respectively, they should progress.

Although they had a similar amount of shots in the two games, the scorelines reflected a much different story, and Parkinson’s side will have to get back to the clinical display they showed against Rovers if they are to pick up their form.

Those matches show that it is not really a question of creating chances, but finishing them. That’s where Will Grigg comes into play.

The Northern Ireland international has been a disappointment since his £4m January move with only seven goals in 41 games, and therefore he may have to start performing soon if he wants to retain his place in the side, starting on Sunday.

Watch League 1 Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Coming up against Max Ehmer promises to be a tough challenge, though, considering the defender’s form this season.

As per WhoScored, he has a good command of the defensive final third, with 5.3 aerial duels won per game and 4.6 clearances.

He will attempt to make life difficult for Grigg by marking him out of the game, and since the Northern Irishman feeds off the service from his teammates, he may struggle to get scoring opportunities.

The striker’s rate of key passes and successful dribbles underline that fact he is unable to create chances for himself, and shows he hasn’t been of much use to his team in terms of general play.

That means when he isn’t scoring – which he hasn’t been – he is arguably a bit of a hindrance to the attack, and Parkinson may consider dropping him and playing Chris Maguire further forward, as he has scored five goals and made 1.7 key passes per game.

Gillingham have conceded 20 league goals this term as well, so are shaky at the back, and if Grigg can escape the grasp of Ehmer he may be able to get back on the scoresheet.

Tottenham will be hoping to repeat their performance this weekend as they travel to face Liverpool for the first time since the Champions League final.

Arsenal fans believe the creativity provided by the returns of Alexandre Lacazette and Hector Bellerin will help bring the best out of Nicolas Pepe.

The Ivorian has not had the best of starts to life in north London after his £72m move from the French side Lille in the summer.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

With just one goal in his first eight Premier League outings, the 24-year-old is yet to find the form that helped secure his club-record transfer from the Ligue 1 outfit.

As a result, he has come under criticism for his recent performances, particularly Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford, where he found himself to be very ineffective from an attacking perspective.

Fans are hoping that will change now though…

Pepe himself admitted to a French radio station that he is low on confidence but has no concerns about statistics and his adaptability to football and life in north London.

Gunners fans are fully behind the idea that the boost in creativity from Lacazette and Bellerin could be the key to unlock the potential that Pepe possesses.

Yu can find some of the best responses from Arsenal fans down below:

Rangers moved to the top of the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon as a dramatic day north of the border played out in the top flight.

The Gers saw Glasgow rivals Celtic slump to a poor 2-0 away defeat at the Tony Macaroni Arena against Livingston earlier in the day and knew that a win against Hamilton Academical at Ibrox would see them move top.

As well as that, they surely wanted to right a few wrongs from the game against Young Boys in the Europa League last Thursday, and they duly did with a thumping 5-0 victory.

A win was expected, of course, but the Gers still pulled it off in emphatic style go first in the league and as we head into the international break they will be the most buoyant of the two Old Firm teams.

Here, then, we’re looking at the reaction from Gers fans to the win, with some of the best of the responses on Twitter below:

It’s pretty safe to say that we still haven’t really seen the very best of Real Madrid or Zinedine Zidane this season.

After the first three games played in the new 2019/20 La Liga campaign, Los Blancos have only tallied five points following a win and two draws respectively.

But this Saturday, La Liga will once again be back at the Santiago Bernabeu and it’s going to be a big one.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Galacticos are welcoming Levante to their home ground in the Spanish capital and will be aiming to register all three points and kick-start their ascent up the table. But injuries and suspensions are still plaguing this team and Zidane will have to experiment once more in order to find his optimal lineup.

With all of that in mind, here’s what we think the Frenchman may cook up for the clash Saturday lunchtime clash:

Thibaut Courtois is likely to start this game between the sticks. Yes, Alphonse Areola just arrived but the French stopper is very much expected to play a supporting role to Madrid’s number one.

The defensive line is also self-explanatory. Daniel Carvajal looks set to occupy the right-back position with Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane manning the centre-back spots. Left-back is a bit of a conundrum and, even though it’s probably more likely we see Marcelo there, Ferland Mendy’s excellent performance against Villarreal at the beginning of the month should warrant him a start.

For that reason, we’ll slot the 24-year-old there. The midfield is a bit sketchy. With the newest injury to Luka Modric, Real Madrid now only have two natural centre-midfielders in the team in the form of Toni Kroos and Federico Valverde. It’s unlikely that Zidane will risk throwing the 21-year-old Castilla kid into the fray and we expect he’ll tinker with the formation, leaving Kroos and Casemiro in the middle and then flanking them with two wide players.

Vinicius Junior is bound to start on the left while that leaves the right for Lucas Vazquez. This is, of course, also helped by the fact Gareth Bale will be serving his red card suspension this weekend.

And finally, Luka Jovic and Karim Benzema should form a tandem up front as Real Madrid’s two strikers on the day.

Unfortunately for Zidane, he doesn’t really have much room to experiment or pull out some unexpected moves due to his squad being quite limited by injuries and suspensions.

[ad_pod ]