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According to a recent report from The Independent, Southampton are eyeing up a January move for midfielder Mohamed Elneny. The 26-year-old currently plays his football at Premier League giants Arsenal and has done so since leaving Basel back in January 2016, although struggles for regular game time at the Emirates Stadium this term has plunged his future at the club into doubt.

And a recent report from The Independent suggests that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton are seeking to lure him to the South Coast this month in a bid to end his Arsenal nightmare, with St Mary’s the ideal destination for the £9 million-rated outcast (as per Transfermarkt) to reignite his flailing Premier League career.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, things have never really got going properly for Elneny ever since swapping Switzerland for North London three years ago, with the Egypt international in that time only managing 40 league appearances for the Gunners, and just 81 in all competitions.

Injuries have certainly played a part in his struggles with issues to his calf, ankle, and hamstring very much disrupting his first team chances, but this term has seen him completely fall out of favour under new manager Unai Emery having appeared only twice in the Premier League for the North London heavyweights.

As such, his time at Arsenal very much appears to be up after just three years at the club, yet Hasenhuttl’s Southampton would surely provide him with the opportunity to resurrect his flagging career in English football.

Ultimately, the departure of Steven Davis to Scottish giants Rangers earlier this month has left the Saints slightly short of cover in the centre midfield area, especially in the more defensive-minded role given Mario Lemina and Oriol Romeu are the only men left in that particular department.

But such is the demand of Hasenhuttl’s dynamic and high-intensity pressing game, more options in that area of the field certainly wouldn’t go amiss, especially someone as solid on the ball but also with ability off it like Arsenal’s Elneny.

The 26-year-old may not have totally convinced in English football yet, but there have been signs that he has what it takes to succeed in the Premier League such has been his strength and overall reading of the game – he anticipates play well to help break up play and thwart oppositions going forward.

And with ability in getting on the ball and trying to pick a pass, the Egyptian ace would be a very accomplished addition to Hasenhuttl’s squad, not to mention the necessary quality needed to not only pull clear of Premier League danger this season, but also to help re-establish the club in the top ten in years to come.

As such, with the Saints reportedly (as per The Independent) keen on the midfielder, the South Coast does appear to be the ideal destination for Elneny to reignite his flailing career in English football.

Southampton fans… what do you think? Let us know!

In one of the more interesting Premier League clashes this weekend, Everton will be hosting Wolves at Goodison Park. The visitors sit in 7th, just one spot above their hosts by a margin of only two points. In this battle, we’ll be looking at two key men from each side in Andre Gomes and Ruben Neves to see how they might influence the crunch match.

The reverse fixture was one that took place early in the Premier League season when Everton travelled to Molineux. Ruben Neves was key that day as he scored a sublime free-kick to level the scores at 1-1 before the game eventually finished 2-2. However, a lot has changed since then and it will be interesting to see how Gomes and Neves compare in a game that could ultimately decide who finishes 7th.

RUBEN NEVES

You can ask any Wolves fan who their most influential player is and the chances are they’ll all come back with the same answer. Ruben Neves has become an icon at Molineux and at the age of just 21, it looks like he has a massive future ahead of him for both the West Midland’s club and with his national side, who will be competing with Andre Gomes for a spot in over the next few years.

Neves’ ability to score and create goals with his incredible technique and vision make him a player who is sure to be hotly coveted by a number of Europe’s top clubs if he keeps going the way he is. From central midfield, the ex-Porto man has scored nine goals and registered three assists in his 66 games for Wolves so far, and it’s fair to say that he never scores a dull goal, with his nine strikes already enough to make a pretty ludicrous high-light reel.

TT GRADE: A

ANDRE GOMES

Everton fans were all delighted, and rightfully so, when their club managed to pull off the loan signing of Andre Gomes from Barcelona on deadline day of the summer window. The Portuguese midfielder has all the talent and ability to succeed in the Premier League, even if he was poor and struggled for minutes whilst at the Nou Camp in his time with the Catalan giants.

At international level, Gomes has been a key staple of the Portugal side of the recent era. The midfielder has won 29 caps and is the current European Champion having been apart of the successful Portuguese squad from the 2016 competition. However, over the last few weeks, the 25-year-old has struggled as Everton’s form has been indifferent with losses to Millwall, Southampton, Leicester and Brighton marring their record.

TT GRADE: C+

TT VERDICT:

Whilst Gomes has got the experience of playing at a top club in Barcelona, his influence on this Everton side hasn’t been quite what the fans thought it would be. The 25-year-old has certainly been impressive, but he’s not a scratch on the sublime Ruben Nevez, who is destined to become one of the world’s very best. For those reasons, Neves simply has to win this battle.

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Arsenal are suffering something of a defensive injury crisis at present. First choice right-back Hector Bellerin is out until the end of the season, as is centre-back Rob Holding. What’s more, summer signing Sokratis is also currently sidelined.

35-year-old right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner has proved incapable of dealing with the pace of the Premier League, whilst club captain Laurent Koscielny may also struggle with the strain of starting week in, week out.

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Despite all of this, Unai Emery cannot continue to rely upon 26-year-old Shkodran Mustafi in the heart of his defence. The 20-cap Germany international is a liability at the back. However, in light of Emery’s struggle to find effective cover for Bellerin, Mustafi should be tested at right-back.

The German has played at full-back in the past for his country and previous club Valencia. His passing ability and distribution can be put to good use on the flanks, whilst his defensive mistakes ought to be less costly than they would be at centre-back.

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Wolves fans have taken to Twitter in a disgruntled manner after they watched their side limp to a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United at Molineux on Monday night.

Barely any player in a gold shirt performed well, but Rui Patricio’s performance in goal was especially poor and opened him up to be criticised both during the game and after the final whistle.

The Portuguese international allowed Isaac Hayden’s effort in at this near post when he really should’ve saved the strike, whilst his kicking throughout the evening was noticeably concerning.

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Nuno Espirito Santo’s men did rally from behind to score a 95th-minute equaliser through Willy Boly, after Magpies stopper Martin Dubravka made an error of his own to level the scores.

However, Wolves fans weren’t bothered about the Slovakian’s mix-up as they were more focused on their own man in between the sticks, and took to Twitter to let their feelings be known about the former Sporting goalie’s performance…

[ad_pod ]Andy Reid has admitted to talkSPORT that he regrets the way he behaved during his spell at Nottingham Forest under Stuart Pearce.

Reid spent five years at Forest between 2011 and 2016, making 262 appearances for the club.

What’s the word?

Pearce spent under a year at the City Ground, between July 2014 and February 2015.

Reid started the first six games of the season under Pearce but sustained a serious groin injury against Derby County in September and missed the remainder of the season.

The former Republic of Ireland winger made his return in August 2015, with Pearce having already been long since sacked.

And Reid admits that he was not in the right frame of mind to support Pearce through his reign.

Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: “I really struggled after I got injured, you know. I didn’t feel that I was probably going to make it back and I was struggling mentally at the time.

“In some ways, I probably let Stuart down a little bit around the place, because I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to maybe help him and I probably should have done it a little bit more.

“So I feel like I’ve probably let him down, as did a lot of people.”

Pearce’s bed was made

After a sterling start to his tenure at Forest, Pearce struggled to keep the club’s form going.

A run of seven games unbeaten – including five wins – raised hopes of promotion to the Premier League.

However, following a 5-3 win over Fulham in September, Forest went nine games without a win, including five draws.

They never strung together more than three wins for the remainder of the season, even after Pearce’s departure, and finished the season in 14th, 19 points adrift of the play-offs.

Reid is being too hard on himself, then, to claim that he let Pearce down.

Forest’s form was largely down to the man in the dugout, not the winger on the treatment table.

Manchester United are the targets of a £4.2bn takeover bid by a Saudi Prince The Sun have reported and, if the move goes through, it would mean a lot more than just a cash injection.

United fans have been protesting against their owners’ influence since the Glazers’ takeover in 2005, but it’s only been since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure that their presence has affected on-pitch performance. That turning point was the promotion of Ed Woodward from the business side of the club to the football side.

When David Gill retired at the time Ferguson did in 2013, the Glazers repaid a favour to Woodward, one of their most loyal businessmen. He helped the Glazers take control of arguably the biggest football club in the world, and the maths and share statistics involved in the move are complicated, and that’s why Woodward was so appreciated for the job he did.

The issue now is that Woodward is involved in a world he’s not used to – one not related to stocks and share prices, but the everyday running of Manchester United. He’s had some successes in the transfer market such as the acquisition of Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but these have been more successful commercially than on the field.

His outright refusal of Jose Mourinho’s defensive wishlist in the summer reeked of arrogance on the businessman’s part because it made it look like he thought he knew what United needed more than one of the world’s most successful managers. Indeed, he seems to know if United need a new toilet roll partner but doesn’t have a clue about how United can become successful again on the pitch.

Despite his clear failings since taking the position, it seems the Glazers will never sack him from his position because of the favour they have towards him. When personal appreciation is put before the needs of the club, there is clearly an issue, and the only way to solve it would be for the owners to leave the club.

If Saudi prince Mohammad Bin Salman was to take over at the club, Woodward would be out of the door and a director of football implemented immediately. There’s already talk of the role being created in the summer, but if Woodward remains at Old Trafford, he’s certain to be sticking his nose in the new man’s business.

A takeover wouldn’t just mean cash injections from a filthy rich prince, but it would mean a hierarchical refresh that has been required since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Do you think a takeover would alter United’s fortunes?

Liverpool’s title hunt looks like going right down to the wire as both the Reds and rivals Manchester City won in midweek.

With Spurs falling away, it is now more than likely nothing more than a two horse race in the hunt for the Premier League’s biggest prize.

Both Liverpool and City have been outstanding with their form in the main, and both will be worthy winners come May when a new champion is crowned.

For Liverpool though, a title will meanmore than many other trophies they can compete for, and they’ll be hoping to continue their success for years to come if they do indeed wrap up that first Premier League title.

However, to ensure they do remain at the top of their game, we here in the Tavern feel it’s imperative they keep adding to the squad, and one man we feel would be a superb addition is AC Milan defender Alession Romagnoli.

The Italian centre half has become one of the most consistent defensive performers in Europe, and at just 24, arguably has his best years ahead of him.

Valued at some £50m by Transfermarkt, the classy central defender would be the perfect partner for the ever impressive Virgil Van Dijk as the Reds look to secure a successful future built from the back.

Romagnoli is a class act too. A player who is excellent on the ball as well as being dominant in the air and the tackle when needed, he really could be what a team like Liverpool could do with.

While Van Dijk is world class centre back in his own right, adding someone like Romagnoli can only further strengthen Liverpool’s future trophy hopes.

Can Manchester United pull off something special? That’s the talk in everyone’s mouth as the Red Devils head into the Parc des Princes staring at an impossible mission ahead. Well, if one club is going to do it… 

However, they’ve made the impossible possible so many times over the few years and this is also Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s biggest opportunity to prove himself as Sir Alex Ferguson’s worthy successor.

That being said, even if United can’t pull off the win, not all is lost for them. They headed into the fixture as heavy underdogs due to Paris Saint Germain’s firepower and are not properly equipped to oust them.

While being knocked out of the Champions League really and truly stings, the Red Devils’ schedule will be cleared up.

They’ll be able to focus completely on reaching a top-four finish in the Premier League and with rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Arsenal being busy with European commitment, United could surge ahead.

Indeed, with all the mounting injuries, a lighter schedule also helps ease the fatigue of players, allowing them to continue playing “The United way” without repercussions.

The Red Devils can also focus on winning the FA Cup, where they face Wolves later this month. Considering their disastrous start under Jose Mourinho, a top-four finish and winning the FA Cup would be considered as a successful campaign by many.

Knowing their mentality, United will give their all to defeat PSG even with an injury-depleted team.  However, they shouldn’t be heart-broken if progression isn’t attained, as there’s still much to play for in the coming months.

Manchester United fans, do you think getting knocked out will help the top-four charge? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

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Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish was involved in a shocking incident during Sunday’s derby clash with Birmingham City at St Andrew’s when a pitch invader attacked him from behind, and we have all now seen plenty of images of the perpetrator and what he did.

However, there are some photos in the aftermath of the altercation that have gone under the radar, including the following one that shows Blues players gathering round the 23-year-old to ask if he is ok and to help the Villans captain to his feet.

On a day where one individual brought shame upon the game of football, it was good to see that even though it was a hostile occasion between two teams desperate for the bragging rights, the hosts were able to instantly react in the right way – as you would expect.

Who has been the Championship’s best player this season? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

Of course, Grealish went on to score the decisive goal in a crucial 1-0 win for his team, which took them one point above Garry Monk’s side in the league standings and just four adrift of the top six.

With one point separating the two and 10 fixtures remaining, it is still very much all to play for during the run-in.

It’s not hard to tell when Marcelo Bielsa’s not happy, is it? His interview on Sky Sports was cut short after he tried to ask the interviewer if he thought Leeds deserved to win. Indeed, it showed the pressure of being the Whites’ manager is finally getting to him.

We all know he’s quite the character and has the capabilities to fly off the handle every now and again, but his awkwardness in the interview only reflected badly on himself. Some may claim it as a victory over ‘the media’, but the interview was anything but that. It was almost a breakdown.

Leeds are used to falling apart at this stage of the season, and it seems like the pressure from the fans gets too much for the manager and the players. This campaign seemed different though, up until Saturday. The poor second half can happen, but the manager’s reaction signifies a bigger problem.

If he can’t hold it together in an interview, what’s he like in the dressing room and on the training pitch? Of course, Sir Alex Ferguson was famous for his prickly interviews but also his incredible success, so it could only be a post-match blip, but it’s worrying nonetheless.

The interview mirrored many of Jose Mourinho’s before his United sacking. Not that Bielsa will be sacked anytime soon, but it reeked of a man not in control and buried underneath pressure.

If the manager’s feeling it, the players will too.

They now sit third in the Championship, five points behind Norwich and one point behind Sheffield United, so the club are far from resigned to the play-offs. However, there’s worrying signs appearing and Leeds need to come back from the international break with a clear head if they’re going to secure automatic promotion.

Leeds fans, what did you make of Marcelo Bielsa’s post-match interview? join the discussion by commenting below…