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If Newcastle boss Steve Bruce was keeping an eye on the international fixtures over the weekend, then his eye would surely have been caught by Jeff Hendrick’s latest disaster.

The Magpies’ summer signing from Burnley endured a nightmare for the Republic of Ireland last month, and on Sunday, against Wales, delivered yet another shocker.

Aside from getting sent off in the final few moments of Ireland’s 1-0 defeat in their UEFA Nations League clash, the 28-year-old had a hugely disappointing game overall.

As per Sofascore, he lost every single duel that he was involved in over the course of the match, and made no tackles, interceptions or clearances whatsoever.

He wasn’t much of an influential presence going forward either, failing to hit the target with both of his attempts on goal, and providing no key passes too.

It led to The Chronicle’s Mark Douglas to admit that Hendrick had a “miserable” showing, with Ireland fans equally furious with their midfielder’s abject display.

With the Premier League returning this weekend, Bruce surely has no choice but to finally drop the Irishman from his starting eleven and taking him out of the firing line for now.

After starting the new campaign in fine fashion for his new side with a goal and an assist against West Ham, things have turned around fast for Hendrick, not managing a single goal contribution since.

With players like Isaac Hayden waiting in the wings, Hendrick’s international shocker has surely made Bruce’s decision for him this coming Saturday against Chelsea.

It’s time for Hendrick to be dropped to the bench for the first time in the Premier League this season.

Glasgow Rangers’ impressive start to the season hit its first real stumbling block against Livingston on Sunday.

The Gers went into the match after having won their first three games, whilst they didn’t even concede a goal in the process. They did manage to keep a clean sheet in this latest clash as well, but this time around they were unable to provide any real danger at the other end of the pitch and had to make do with a 0-0 draw.

For this match, Steven Gerrard was without midfielder Joe Aribo, who scored in the previous match against St. Johnstone. As such, the former Liverpool man brought in Scott Arfield to replace him. Unfortunately, though, the Canada international did not have the best of games, picking up a very disappointing WhoScored rating of just 6.1.

The Gers fans, it is fair to say, were far from happy with his performance – one even called him a “liability”. They took to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith is willing to listen to offers for defender Frederic Guilbert, causing a relatively big fan response via Twitter.

After securing their top flight status last term, Villa are preparing for a second consecutive year in the Premier League.

Manager Smith has been expected to make several changes to his squad this summer and the £28m signing of Ollie Watkins has certainly enhanced his forward line, given the youngster scored 26 Championship goals for Brentford last term.

The arrival of Matty Cash has strengthened the club’s backline, but the former Nottingham Forest defender’s signing has put pressure on Frenchman Guilbert, who has since been linked with a summer exit.

A fresh report has now claimed that Smith wants to sell a total of six players to recoup some transfer funds and Guilbert appears on that list.

The Telegraph go in to further details about potential player sales with the likes of Mbwana Samatta, Jota and Henri Lansbury all being reportedly made available for sale.

Reacting to the news report which was shared by @AVFC_News, fans gave their opinion on the potential exit of Guilbert and it is fair to say they are not impressed. Indeed the majority would prefer to see the £6.3m man stay and compete with Cash, perhaps given he was a regular last term making 29 appearances in all competitions and even chipping in with two goals and two assists…

Do you think Guilbert should leave Villa Park? Let us know in the comments section below…

Tottenham Hotspur are the overwhelming ‘favourites’ to sign Southampton star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer, reports say. 

Jose Mourinho has identified Hojbjerg as the missing piece of the puzzle he needs to rebuild Tottenham’s midfield.

According to The Athletic, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, Spurs are the front-runners to complete his signing in the summer, amid interest from Everton.

Carlo Ancelotti has wasted no time at all in trying to sign the Danish international, as the Toffees have already submitted a £14m bid for his signature.

Southampton initially valued him at £25m in January, although they are now willing to accept £20m for him as circumstances have changed, but Everton’s offer has still fallen short.

The Dane has set his sights on a move to Spurs over any other club, as he is keen to learn from Mourinho.

Hojberg, 24, has played 33 games in the Premier League this season, supplying one assist, taking 1.4 shots, winning 2.4 tackles and completing 1.5 clearances per game on average (stats provided by WhoScored).

Ralph Hassenhuttl removed the captain’s armband from the midfielder after he refused to sign a new deal at St Mary’s, and he even suffered the ignominy of being dropped from the squad altogether, although he played the full 90 minutes at right-back in the 1-1 draw with Brighton.

While he will not be available for a cut-price deal as Spurs had initially hoped, he should be more than affordable, as Daniel Levy spent £53.8m on Tanguy Ndombele last year.

A move for Hojbjerg could see Kyle Walker-Peters head in the opposite direction, although the Lilywhites have not launched a formal bid as of yet.

Spurs could see a changing of the guard if Hojbjerg arrives in north London in the summer, as former Pochettino favourite Harry Winks could be forced to make way, while questions remain over Ndombele’s future at the club.

Tottenham fans, do you think Daniel Levy should sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer? Let us know down below!

Rangers failed to capitalise on Sunday afternoon with their arch-rivals not in league action, though Steven Gerrard’s side are four points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership after the opening four games of the season.

The Light Blues struggled to find a way past Livingston at Almondvale Stadium, drawing 0-0 with the winless SPFL outfit.

On the face of it, Gerrard’s men dominated in terms of possession (79%) and total shots (23) but when digging deeper, only three of those attempts at goal were actually on target and nearly half were from outside the penalty box – it’s no wonder they failed to score.

Much of the Ibrox faithful were quick to hammer midfielder maestro Ryan Jack following the full-time whistle. He was labelled a “waste of a jersey” as well as “shocking” whilst one supporter went as far as claiming that he had “done nothing” for months.

Well, this doesn’t appear to be the case whatsoever. In fact, the 28-year-old ran the show in the heart of the pitch, picking up a squad-high 7.8 rating.

Per SofaScore, Jack also made a whopping 128 passes at an accuracy rate of 90%, two of which were key passes and even recorded two tackles, two interceptions and won 100% of his duels.

Therefore, the blame should be attributed elsewhere as the engine room were clearly creating opportunities.

For example, Alfredo Morelos had a rare off day, failing to record a single effort on target from five attempts and likewise with Gerrard’s two new strikers that were introduced in the second half, Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe, who both failed to even have a shot at goal.

Jack’s midfield partner Glen Kamara has been linked with an exit since the 19/20 season finished prematurely – according to 90min, Premier League duo Everton and Newcastle are keen on the Finland international.

Perhaps fans should get used to seeing their Scotsman as clearly he’s going to be able to continue in Kamara’s absence should he depart Ibrox before October.

He certainly deserves less flak than what he got post-game.

AND in other news, Rangers could give Gerrard a different threat in young sensation dubbed the next Arjen Robben…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

N’Golo Kante has slowly but surely been rising through the ranks of modern football.

The emergence from his cocoon was rapid and he took the stage by storm. Now, he is already a huge part of the Chelsea jigsaw and has been for some time.

The same can be said for Frank Lampard, Antonio Conte’s and Maurizio Sarri’s iterations of the team, as he has already mustered a total of 156 appearances for the club.

Of course, the 28-year-old midfielder has been largely hampered by injuries in 2019/20 but can still boast 1154 minutes under his belt throughout the campaign and across all competitions.

But a recent report coming from El Desmarque claims that Kante wants to leave Chelsea at the end of the season, with Juventus, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid being preferred next destinations.

Losing someone of Kante’s stature would surely hurt Lampard’s team.

After all, the 28-year-old has already bagged three goals in ten Premier League clashes and has averaged 1.5 key passes, 1.7 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per game in the ongoing campaign.

He is a well-rounded player and someone who offers a unique skill set to the Blues.

The Frenchman’s void would be extremely difficult to fill by any of his teammates at Stamford Bridge and despite El Desmarque stating it could take more than €100m (£83.2m) to get the deal over the line, that would hardly be adequate compensation for his departure.

For true Chelsea fans only: How much do you really know about the Blues’ famous 2004/05 season? Test your knowledge now…

Should Juventus reciprocate Kante’s apparent interest, however, it would likely mean striking gold.

After all, Sarri currently doesn’t really have anyone who fits the profile and with Kante being able to play both as a central and defensive midfielder, according to the games Transfermarkt have in their database, he could potentially patch up a rather weak area of their squad.

That pivot role is currently occupied only by Emre Can and despite his qualities, the player has been largely frozen out of the squad – with only 272 minutes under his belt in 2019/20 – and has been linked with an exit in the not so distant future, as per Sport Bild’s report (via The Sun).

Not to mention that Kante would potentially be a huge improvement on Juventus’ squad as a whole and a boost for their hopes and dreams this season – which include lifting the Champions League title.

Should the report ring true, a reunion between Sarri and Kante would do the Old Lady a world of good.

Meanwhile, many Spurs fans were delighted with the update on Mourinho’s reported target that could be joining soon…

Some Sheffield Wednesday fans are urging the club to sign Josh Windass and give him a permanent contract. 

The midfielder, on loan from Wigan Athletic, joined the Owls in January for a brief spell until the end of the season. But despite his short stay, he has already made an impact on the team and indeed, the fans.

In his four appearances in Wednesday colours, Windass has already scored two goals in the Championship – operating as both an attacking midfielder when called upon (via Transfermarkt).

The 26-year-old has uploaded a video from last Friday’s training session after the team rounded off their first full week back on the training pitch. Wednesdayites have flocked to the comments and many are hoping to see him be given a permanent deal in the summer.

One fan has clearly been impressed by the playmaker and has tweeted ‘get him signed’. As it stands, Garry Monk will be looking at a total of 17 players leaving the club unless new deals and terms are met. Windass is one of five loanees who are due to return to their parent clubs.

Other fans are also in tune with this opinion and want to see Windass stay with the team. Read more replies from Owls supporters here:

Do you think Josh Windass should be given a permanent contract with Wednesday, Owls fans? Have your say in the comments below…

Jose Mourinho’s first couple of games as the new Tottenham Hotspur manager have been a chaotic success.

First, they dispatched of West Ham in the Premier League after a thrilling five-goal contest and then did the same to Olympiacos in the Champions League, coming from behind to win 4-2 in the end.

Needless to say, at the very moment, the Special One is definitely working his magic but it’s still far too early to tell if he’s going to be a success or not.

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Be that as it may, Tanguy Ndombele also made his return to the pitch in that second game, tallying seven minutes against the Greek team and also making quite an impression on many of the fans.

After the game, they were simply gushing over his cameo performance, calling him class and hoping that he can become a key member of Mourinho’s team.

Spurs had to fork out a reported sum of £53.8m to land their man from Lyon and it seems he was very much worth the hassle.

You can see some of their reactions down in the collection of tweets below:

Meanwhile, Arsenal’s unsettled star might be heading towards Serie A as Napoli seem like an ideal place for him…

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

Andy Carroll has proved in recent matches that he deserves a regular run in the team, but he must make the most of any chance that is presented to him.

On the chalkboard

Newcastle are enjoying a fine run of form and Carroll’s contributions in the previous two matches were decisive in Newcastle picking up a maximum six points.

Joelinton has been favoured for much of the season so far but his worrying lack of goals, netting just once, combined with a decline in performances, mean Bruce cannot rely on him to lead the line.

Carroll has also been unreliable in recent years, mostly due to fitness, but he has been available to the Magpies more often than not since his return, and they are beginning to be repaid by the 6 foot 4 striker’s quality on the pitch.

While the initial signs are encouraging, there will still be doubt about the ability of the 30-year-old to deliver on a consistent basis, and that could lead Bruce to pursue an attacking addition, so that is what the former West Ham man must prevent.

A football legend: Can you get over 80% on this Gazza quiz? Find out now…

Chance to prove himself

Much of Newcastle’s success comes from the goals they score from set-pieces, with seven goals from that method this term, but from open play, the dynamic of a target man flanked by two pacy wingers can cause problems for the opposition.

Joelinton has struggled in that capacity compared to Carroll, whose aerial ability led him to play in Jonjo Shelvey to score against Sheffield United, and makes him a general nuisance for defences.

Based on form he should get the nod from Bruce to start the four games from now until January, fitness permitting, and they provide a brilliant opportunity for him to stake a claim in the first-team, and send a message to Bruce that he doesn’t need to worry about reinforcements.

Newcastle’s four strikers have scored just two goals between them this campaign, which would suggest new faces are needed, but if Carroll does what is asked of him and links play while providing a threat in the air, then the Magpies should be able to continue their run of one defeat in seven matches.

Giving the Geordie a run in the team would likely please fans who were happy to see him return, and with more match fitness under his belt, he should be able to pick up better positions and react to loose balls, which could lead him to score goals.

It is reported that Newcastle are interested in a Championship striker currently, but it is unlikely he would be an upgrade on Carroll.

Arsenal found themselves 2-0 down against Leicester City, with a mere 14 minutes left of the game.

In an attempt to get back into the match, Unai Emery opted to bring Nicolas Pepe on for Rob Holding, changing the formation from the 3-5-2 that had been deployed from the start of Saturday’s evening clash.

And a number of Arsenal fans reacted angrily to the substitution, for a variety of reasons. Some were left wondering why the manager took so long to make it, others asked why the Ivorian wasn’t starting in the first place and a few seemed to have quite simply run out of patience with the manager.

The confusion around the decision to not start the summer signing and then bring him on so late is only enhanced by the fact Pepe has begun showing signs of good form recently, having got two goals and an assist in the two Europa League games against Vitoria de Guimaraes.

The 24-year-old was able to muster up 2 dribbles while on the pitch, but couldn’t manage to produce any key passes or shots, giving an indication of how limited he was by the time constraints.

A selection of Twitter reaction to the substitution, including posts from unhappy Arsenal fans, can be seen below: