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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…

Sunderland chief executive Charlie Methven has stepped down from his role at the club, a position he has held since he was part of Stewart Donald’s takeover of the club back in summer 2018.

It is believed he was keen to resign a couple of months ago but was persuaded to stay a little while longer by Donald, until they secured the investment from the American consortium and a replacement had been lined up.

It’s perhaps a little difficult to assess his time at the club, as although he brought back a feel-good factor after years of uninspiring decisions and results, he has ultimately left at a time where the Black Cats are arguably in the worst position they’ve ever been in.

Fellow stakeholder Juan Sartori will take over responsibilities of running the club day-to-day, which seems to be a bit of a strange choice by Donald, as although he has a stake in the club he lacks the experience and perhaps the know-how.

It is not like Donald has much experience of managing a big side, too, though this should still be treated as a new chapter and one which Sunderland can benefit from.

Sartori can breathe some much-needed fresh life into things and hopefully make changes, particularly in the area of recruitment, which has been poor in recent months.

Addressing the issue of a need for a Director of Football would be a great start, and supporting Phil Parkinson in whatever method possible has to be high on his agenda.

Giving him the best tools to work with is vital if the Black Cats are going to get back to the Championship, and though he hasn’t started well he deserves to be entrusted with money to spend.

Establishing trust and a connection with the fans is also critical. Methven lost that touch recently, as did his predecessor Martin Bain, and it is unsurprising that things went sour on the pitch for both as a result.

Another change in the hierarchy which could help is to bring in a Director of Football. It would give the responsibility of controlling football matters to a footballing man, and Sunderland would likely benefit as a result.

Newcastle will be keen to continue their good run of form when they visit Turf Moor on Saturday but it could be difficult for Steve Bruce to cope without one of his best players this season.

Injury to Allan Saint-Maximin means the winger faces a month out injured, and the timing couldn’t be worse as the Magpies face a busy festive period, especially as he could have proved the difference against Burnley.

However, the Clarets have not been as solid defensively this campaign as they often are, with 29 goals conceded in 16 league outings, having also lost five games out of nine at home.

That should act as encouragement for Newcastle, particularly as they have found some goalscoring form in recent games. They initially failed to score more than one goal in a single game until their 12th match of the season – the clash against West Ham.

Jonjo Shelvey has found a new lease of life under Bruce and already has five league goals to boast of this season. To put that into perspective, he managed just two league strikes combined in the previous two years.

As a result, Newcastle should be able to cope with Saint-Maximin if they alter their style a little, especially since a large portion of their goals have come from defenders and from set-pieces – with seven out of 17 scored via that route.

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Christian Atsu offers a like-for-like replacement for the Frenchman too and he is more than able to step up, while the Magpies’ boss has another big decision to make in regards to who leads the line.

Joelinton has really struggled of late and despite being dropped against Sheffield United he followed that up by achieving just 60% pass accuracy against Southampton, managing one shot throughout the match.

Andy Carroll, by contrast, has the ability to make himself a nuisance against a physical Burnley defence, and if he can replicate the eight aerial duels he won in 30 minutes against the Saints then he should be able to get his team higher up the pitch and into attacking areas with greater regularity.

It will be interesting to see how Bruce operates on Saturday, and whether his side will look to retain possession more often than usual. The Clarets have averaged the lowest amount of possession in the Premier League other than the Magpies, with 42%.

It is unlikely Bruce will sway from the system that has worked for him over the last few games, though, and that means the game will likely be won in both boxes, so finding a replacement for the injured Ciaran Clark will be crucial.

Luckily for Newcastle, they have an international in the form of Fabian Schar to come in. The defender is highly regarded by many in the north-east and his experience could prove vital in handling and stopping Chris Wood, who has been Burnley’s biggest threat with six league goals this term.

The 27-year-old faces a tough task to stop the Burnley striker but should he keep him quiet, then Newcastle will have a great platform to pick up another three points.

Even though there’s still quite a lot to do for Tottenham Hotspur to fully get back on track and compete at the top end of the Premier League, Jose Mourinho’s honeymoon phase is currently living up to its name.

Of course, with five wins during his tenure in north London, the Special One must be enjoying his brand new project at the moment.

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The players themselves look hungrier and more motivated than before and the prime example of the winning mentality being instilled in them could be seen in their last clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers away from home on Sunday.

A stoppage-time goal by Jan Vertonghen prompted an explosion of celebrations and Toby Alderweireled was seen gesturing towards the home fans with his hand behind his ear when his teammate rattled the net.

Needless to say, that got many Spurs fans absolutely buzzing…

Many of them were stating that this is proof of his love and the passion for the club while others proclaimed their affection towards the defender himself.

Mourinho’s produced some incredible footballing stars – how much do you know about them?

Of course, with this particular gesture seemingly touching the fans for those very reasons, some of them were urging the club to give him a new contract and stating that he should sign an extension.

His current deal is due to expire in the summer of 2020 and we’re yet to receive the final update on the centre-back’s future from the club.

But if these situations and the fans’ reactions are anything to go by, it seems that he is both beloved by the club and loves it himself.

We’ll have to wait and see if that’s enough to keep him around for a while longer.

Elsewhere, Barcelona snatching up one of Chelsea’s fringe players would be bad news for their La Masia talents…

Name: Emiliano Buendia

Club: Norwich City

Date of Birth: 25 December 1996

Position: Winger (Right/ Left), Centre-forward, Midfielder (Attacking)

Emiliano Buendia – his career so far

Emiliano Buendia arrived at Norwich City an already well-established albeit a very young player and has grown into an influential figure for the Canaries ever since. Of course, at the age of 23, he is yet to reach his full potential or his prime years and it feels like his development is going in the right direction at the very moment.

But the Argentine forward has had a very colourful career prior to joining up with the now Premier League outfit in the summer of 2018. Before that, he spent the entirety of his young career back in Spain, starting off at Real Madrid’s academy before marking his first senior steps with Getafe.

Of course, he wouldn’t just slot right into their first-team but had to advance through the development squads, registering appearances for their B team before making a big step-up and joining the La Liga outfit on the top level.

His first real steps with Getafe B were at the beginning of the 2014/15 season and in December 2014 he would play his first professional game in a Copa del Rey clash against SD Eibar. His La Liga debut wasn’t far away either and he made his bow on February 2015, coming on as a late substitute in a 0–1 away loss against UD Almeria.

Buendia ended up playing 34 games for their B team, scoring seven goals and assisting one more in the process as well. As far as the first-team ventures go, he can boast with three goals and one assist across 39 games played.

Interestingly enough, before he moved to England, there was one more stop he had to make. He was loaned out to Cultural Leonesa, where he mustered 42 appearances with seven goals and 12 assists, and then, upon his return to Getafe, a deal was struck that took him to Norwich City.

There, he already played a total of 71 games, scoring eight goals and providing an impressive 24 assists under his belt along the way.

Transfer latest

There seem to be quite a few transfer rumours and transfer news on the mill surrounding Norwich’s young attacking player. According to some recent reports, the likes of Atletico Madrid could be interested in acquiring his services come the summer transfer window.

Of course, with his La Liga experience and a good season over in the Premier League despite the team’s collective struggles, that particular Norwich City news doesn’t really come as a surprise. But even despite his limited return in terms of the final product, Buendia has been an outstanding performer throughout 2019/20.

Still, his current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2024 so the Canaries can be fairly confident they will at least be adequately compensated in the worst-case scenario. Only time will tell, though.

Player profile

Apart from being able to provide his teammates with assists in the final third, Buendia is an outstanding creative outlet that is often behind his team’s attacking efforts. He has a knack of sending in deadly key passes and completely unlocking the opposition’s blocks in the process.

But he can also come in clutch and chip in with goals when he’s given the chance. Usually, he will prefer to be deployed in central areas as an attacking midfielder just behind the striker but can also start out wide and then cut inside and wreak havoc.

He will often operate through his respective half-space and is great at identifying and exploiting free pockets of space in the opposition’s defensive line. But he will often make bursting runs to follow up one of his teammate’s passes and can then finish the action himself.

Still, more often than not, he will be the one creating and serving those passes on a silver platter. And the best thing is the fact he can still improve and polish all of those skills as he steadily develops with time.

Danny Ings was the man of the hour after netting a brace in Southampton’s 3-1 win over Watford on Sunday.

The former Liverpool man seems to have really found his calling on the south coast as he now boasts 18 goals in this Premier League season. Ings is just one goal behind leading scorer Jamie Vardy of Leicester as the race for the Golden Boot becomes even more heated (via BBC Sport).

From an Anfield tragedy to Southampton’s driving force, Ings has made arguably the most impressive transformation over the last couple of seasons. The 27-year-old missed a total of 85 Liverpool games after ongoing knee injuries impacted his time on the pitch (via Transfermarkt).

He made the switch to Southampton colours last summer for a fee of £20m and has made a colossal impact to a side who just managed to stay up last season. Not only is Ings only one goal behind Vardy, he is one ahead of former Anfield teammate Mohamed Salah, who has 17 league goals to his name this term.

The Foxes got their 2019/20 season off to a flying start but have gradually slipped away from the top of the table as Liverpool and Manchester City excelled. However, they could still clinch Champions League football if they can maintain third place and stay ahead of the likes of Chelsea, Wolves and Manchester United.

However, winning the Golden Boot will be a huge boost for both Vardy and Leicester and, if he wants to ensure that happens, he must not underestimate Ings. The Winchester-born striker may have come into this season as an underdog but he is a force to be reckoned with and certainly threatens any mainstream Golden Boot race.

Do you think Jamie Vardy can hang onto his lead and win the Golden Boot this season? Have your say in the comments below!

Glasgow Rangers’ Alfredo Morelos has been a stunning signing for the club.

Since making the switch to Ibrox in 2017, the Colombia international has been lethal in front of goal, scoring 77 goals in 137 matches – 29 of those came in the previous campaign despite the Scottish season being brought to an end prematurely with nine matches for the 54-time Scottish champions still to play.

However, his form has led to interest from clubs around Europe – Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund have been mentioned as clubs interested in his services, whilst Everton are also said to be planning a bid. It has even been reported that the ‘Gers expect him to leave this summer.

The latest move from his agent Michael Gorman, therefore, does not appear to be too popular amongst some ‘Gers supporters. On Twitter, he has shared a graphic showing that Morelos has scored the most goals per 90 minutes of any player in the Europa League along with Bruno Fernandes this campaign.

These ‘Gers supporters are far from happy with the tweet, as they appear to think that he is trying to sell the forward – one fan even called the move “desperate”. Some supporters have taken to the social media platform to share their thoughts and you can see some of the best comments below:

‘Gers fans, were you dismayed by Gorman’s tweet about Morelos? Let us know what you think by commenting below!

So Tottenham are really beginning to find their feet under Jose Mourinho in these final few games of the season.

After a shambolic defeat away to Sheffield United, Spurs didn’t look like the kind of side who were heading in the right direction. But since that travesty, they have been in imperious form, picking up 13 points from a possible 15 in the Premier League – including a north London derby triumph over Arsenal.

And against top-four chasing Leicester on Sunday afternoon, Harry Kane and co put the Foxes to the sword, and Mourinho will surely be delighted at how things are now shaping up.

But one man’s performance left a lot to be desired, and is perhaps one of the big reasons behind their interest in Southampton powerhouse Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

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Moussa Sissoko has been a regular in Mourinho’s starting eleven since the Premier League’s restart, featuring in every single game. But against Brendan Rodgers’ side on Sunday, he just didn’t seem the like the kind of player who can really assert himself as the ball-winning player in a two-man central midfield.

As per Sofascore, the Frenchman made no tackles whatsoever in the 90 minutes that he was on the pitch, made just one interception, and was dribbled past twice.

And in those 50/50 challenges that you perhaps would have backed him to shine in, Sissoko looked completely overwhelmed by the likes of Wilfred Ndidi and Youri Tielemans in the Leicester midfield.

He lost seven out of the ten total duels that he contested, and lost possession 11 times. It was no surprise that his match rating of 6.5 was the worst of any Spurs player who started the game.

If Mourinho is intent on having someone like Harry Winks or even a Tanguy Ndombele as part of his midfield two, then having a more dominant anchor man is needed. Sissoko showed against even a weakened Leicester side that he may not be the man for the job in that kind of role, which is why a move for 6 foot 1 man Hojbjerg seems like the perfect signing for them.

The Dane could sweep up in front of the back four and be aggressive in the tackle, and then just recycle the ball to the likes of Winks, Giovani Lo Celso and those further forward.

Sissoko’s display proved why Daniel Levy must splash the cash on Hojbjerg this summer.

It has been revealed that Everton showed interest in signing Manchester City’s Phil Foden on loan last December. 

According to The Athletic reporter Sam Lee (relayed via @EvertonNewsFeed), the Blues registered their desire to bring the midfielder to Goodison Park last year.

Foden has risen to stardom with this current Man City side, having played a part in their last two Premier League titles. The 20-year-old is starting to become a regular part of the first team under Pep Guardiola, particularly after making 37 senior appearances and bagging eight goals and nine assists this season (via Transfermarkt).

After climbing up the City academy ranks, Foden is now valued at £36million. With David Silva calling time on his decade at the Etihad, it could be the perfect time for the Stockport-born playmaker to cement a starting slot in Pep Guardiola’s lineup.

Loads of Everton fans are discussing the idea of having Foden on loan, with many agreeing it would be a good piece of business. One Blue think that ‘he would be good for us’ whilst another has urged Everton to ‘break the bank’ to sign him.

Read more replies from the Goodison faithfull here:

If the chance re-emerged, would you to to see Everton sign Phil Foden? Join the discussion in the comments below!

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked to many a centre-back this summer but none seem more apt than the latest name hitting the headlines…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, Spurs have entered the race to land highly-rated Brighton sensation Ben White following an impressive loan spell at Championship-winning Leeds United.

They are joined by the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea but the Seagulls have slapped a fee in excess of £50m on his head.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have already had three bids rejected by the south coast side, the latest of which was around £35m.

Next John Terry?

Following the departure of Jan Vertonghen to Benfica, Jose Mourinho could well be in need of a new centre-back with Eric Dier likely to remain in the role alongside Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld.

The Portuguese has been blessed with many elite defenders over his long and industrious managerial career, ranging from Ricardo Carvalho, William Gallas and John Terry at Chelsea to Sergio Ramos and Pepe at Real Madrid.

And in White, Mourinho could land himself a player fit to fill the boots of his former Stamford Bridge skipper.

Sky Sports’ FL pundit Andy Hinchcliffe believes the 22-year-old is a “bit of John Terry or Gary Cahill” whilst Keith Andrews was impressed by his “elegant way they have of stepping out from the back and picking the right passes more often than not.”

Terry was never a man-mountain of a centre-back, but what he lacked in height he more than made up for in his physical, aggressive, tough-tackling and ball-playing nature.

White, who has been tipped for Three Lions stardom, is only one inch shorter than the Chelsea legend and proved his defensive credentials as a regular figure in Bielsa’s league-leading backline.

Per WhoScored, the “special” talent averaged 2.8 aerial duels won, 2.7 clearances, 1.6 tackles and 56 passes per appearance in the Championship last term.

£50m might seem like a lot of money, but Daniel Levy could land Spurs their future at the back and there’s no one better than Mourinho to transform White into the next Terry.

AND in other news, Levy could kill two birds with one stone in £90m swoop for “magical” superstar Poch wanted…

According to Sky Sports, Everton are closing in on the signing of Real Madrid star James Rodriguez.

What’s the word?

The Toffees have been linked with a whole host of players this summer, including the likes of Napoli midfielder Allan, and Watford ace Abdoulaye Doucoure.

But according to Sky Sports, it may be Rodriguez who is first to join Carlo Ancelotti’s side this summer, with an offer already being presented to Madrid.

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The report adds that Everton’s bid is under consideration at the Santiago Bernabeu, and that “it is believed talks between the two clubs are progressing well and an agreement over a deal may be close”. Sky Sports further claim that Rodriguez himself is keen on making the move to Goodison Park, and inclined to put pen to paper on a three-year deal.

Expensive nightmare

The very fact Rodriguez is even being touted with a move to Everton is a testament to the kind of pulling power Ancelotti has brought with him to Goodison Park.

The Toffees don’t have any European football to offer next season, and realistically won’t be challenging for the Premier League title either, so Ancelotti and co will certainly have worked their magic in swaying Rodriguez to join the club.

But whilst on paper it seems like a stunning coup, there are several reasons for Everton to be a bit more cautious about it. Rodriguez is reported to be earning around £200k-a-week at Madrid, which is £80k higher than the Toffees’ two current highest-earners, Bernard and Yerry Mina.

Not only would his wages eat a big chunk out of Everton’s finances, but there’s a real question whether he has the ability to become a success in England. In the measly 14 games he played across all competitions last season, he netted just once and provided only two assists, whilst the campaign before saw him play only 28 times, suffering from knee ligament, calf and adductor problems.

Whilst Ancelotti has gone on record previously to say that he rates him “very highly”, Rodriguez, 29, just may not be the genuine answer for Everton. He may well turn out to be yet another expensive dud that Marcel Brands looks back on with a sense of regret.