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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Kevin Phillips, who scored 191 goals during his career, believes that Lee Johnson has told Aiden McGeady he is the main man at Sunderland and has let the winger have control of the dressing room.

McGeady was exiled from the first team under Phil Parkinson, however when Johnson took over he integrated the winger straight back into his side and he has registered 11 assists in 19 league games.

Phillips believes there would have been an agreement between Johnson and McGeady to get the 34-year old back to his best, and that may have come in the form of giving McGeady more responsibilities and a free role on and off the pitch.

Speaking on McGeady’s form since returning to the side in December and his role off the pitch now, Phillips spoke exclusively to FFC:

“He’s a cut above the rest but the biggest thing for Aiden is if he wants to do it himself.

“I think you have to give credit to Lee Johnson. I’m pretty sure he would have said straight away to him, ‘you’re going to be my main man and I’ll let you run the dressing room as long as you’re performing’.

“It looks like Aiden’s playing with a smile on his face, he’s enjoying his football and that’s good man-management.

“He could make himself a real hero on Wearside if he helps the team to get promoted this year.”

McGeady did not feature in Sunderland’s matchday squads until December 5 but he’s only failed to start one game in the league since then.

Since the winger was reintroduced into the first team squad Sunderland have lost just three games in the league which has seen them become serious contenders for automatic promotion.

Newcastle United host Wolverhampton Wanderers at St. James’ Park on Saturday night desperate for a positive result, with Steve Bruce’s side at risk of ending the weekend inside the Premier League’s relegation zone.

The Magpies hold a slender three-point advantage over 18th-placed Fulham heading into matchday 26, but will fall behind the Craven Cottage natives with a loss and Scott Parker’s men beating London rivals Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Bruce’s position at the helm of the Toon is also under increasing threat after back-to-back defeats removed any momentum built from two wins in 14 top-flight games. Owner Mike Ashley is expected to consider a change of manager if Newcastle dip into the bottom three.

Wolves will arrive on Tyneside after successive league victories, so here’s a potential line-up that United could name to end the Molineux natives’ run and claim what has become a rare win…

Bruce has admitted that he faces a dilemma in goal this weekend, with Martin Dubravka expected to earn his first Premier League appearance of the campaign after losing his place between the sticks to Karl Darlow following a pre-season heel injury.

Darlow is thought to be ‘angered’ with the manner at which he learned of being dropped, with The Times claiming that he was not informed of his benching until two days after reports first surfaced of Dubravka being in line for a recall.

Members of the Newcastle first-team squad were also left with a degree of surprise at how the goalkeeper selection was handled, with Darlow one of United’s most consistent performers throughout the term.

“Like every position, I have a decision to make,” Bruce said on Friday. “Karl has done fantastically well. Our goalkeeper [Dubravka], who has been our Player of the Year for the last two years, has been missing for six months. He only came back in December, so Karl has done a fantastic job.

“You have to pick a team every week and will disappoint people. That’s the hardest part of the job and making sure they are part of the squad.”

Newcastle had hoped to have defender Federico Fernandez back fit for Wolves’ visit to St. James’ Park following a calf injury, but Saturday’s match could still come too soon for the Argentine.

“Fede Fernandez has trained all week, but it still might be a bit too early for him but everyone else is OK,” Bruce added. “Joelinton is OK.

“Javier Manquillo is doing very well, better than what we thought, with his ankle injury. Fabian Schar had his operation, so is still in crutches and a knee brace, and Callum Wilson is now three or four weeks away.”

Fernandez being deemed unfit to feature will be expected to see Bruce name an unchanged defensive line from the side that lost 3-1 to Manchester United last time out.

Bruce will not be expected to make any changes in midfield, either, but could err on the side of caution and look to replace Joelinton in the attack.

Dwight Gayle would be the most likely to earn just his second start of the season in all competitions by partnering Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron, despite Chronicle Live’s Newcastle writer John Gibson believing the 31-year-old is “unhappy”.

The striker – who is a free agent at the end of the season – earned his first and only opening call to date during this month’s 2-0 loss to Chelsea, before being dropped to the bench for last Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford.

AND in other news, a £6.5m-rated Newcastle outcast has been marked as a Premier League side’s top summer target…

Many Aston Villa fans are reacting to the latest news regarding assistant coach John Terry and the vacant AFC Bournemouth job.

The Villa man was supposedly being eyed up and interviewed for the role following the sacking of Jason Tindall and he has been linked to Championship roles in the past, most recently at relegation-battling Derby County.

However, according to @jamiecweir and tweeted out by @villareport, John Terry is no longer a candidate for the Bournemouth job.

At Aston Villa, he is gaining a lot of crucial experience – surviving last season and working with a mid-table side maybe even with Europa League ambitions this term are both valuable experiences for a young coach.

To take charge of a club at the battling near the top of the Championship table could be a huge risk for any manager as there is a lot of pressure to succeed, and even more so for the inexperienced Terry. Therefore, it is probably for the best that he is no longer in contention for the job.

Here is what Villa fans said following the news:

“I’m glad” 

Credit: @Catrinedwards18

“Interview went well”

Credit: @AVFCOlly_

“That was fast”

Credit: @RizerMx

“GET INNNNN”

Credit: @LukeKing_

“YESS”

Credit: @AVFC_Ed

“Must’ve had a cracking interview”

Credit: @CallumAVFC_

In other news: Aston Villa fans flocked to this update by Gregg Evans, find out more here.

Newcastle United target Lewis O’Brien turned in his worst performance in almost a year as the Huddersfield Town midfielder struggled to inspire a win at Watford on Saturday.

Reports by Football Insider have claimed the Magpies are one of a clutch of Premier League sides eying a January transfer for O’Brien, with the Terriers said to be open to cashing in for the right price.

It is alleged that Sheffield United and Crystal Palace are also interested, while Burnley have been linked after nothing materialised of the Clarets’ interest last summer.

O’Brien is regarded as one of the prize assets at the John Smith’s Stadium and has now started to be shopped around, as Huddersfield strive to secure a buyer after hiring a top agency to headhunt suitors (Print edition of The Sun, 17/1, p. 59).

A move to St. James’ Park could see O’Brien fill a void that Steve Bruce is rumoured to be seeking answers for, with Newcastle thought to be in the market for a new box-to-box midfielder as the Toon chief strives to bring more energy to the Magpies’ core.

O’Brien was far from the star of the show at Watford on Saturday where Huddersfield fell to a 2-0 defeat, with Yorkshire Live claiming that the 22-year-old brought a hard-working presence to Carlos Corberan’s side but noting that his efforts were only acceptable before the Hornets took the lead.

After that, O’Brien’s absence of a forward threat left him and his side wanting and needing more, as the Terriers succumbed to their 11th defeat in 24 Championship fixtures to sit nine points down on the lowest-ranked play-off side.

It was O’Brien’s worst performance in almost a year judging by his SofaScore match ratings, having achieved a lowly 6.3 at Vicarage Road, which only a 6.1 at home to Queens Park Rangers last February sits below. The Rs affair came shortly after two 5.7-worthy performances, too.

O’Brien scored so poorly as the third-worst visiting player at Watford having failed to deliver a single key ball from his 36 accurate passes, while misplacing 11 for a 77% completion rate. The £2.5m-rated midfielder’s efforts were, in fact, below the Huddersfield average of 79% and far below the team average for long balls (50%) having misplaced all three of his efforts.

But his overall passing accuracy was on par for his performances this season, after offering a 78% completion rate over his 20 outings, of which he’s started 17, in the Championship to date, with 28.9 accurate efforts a game.

Defensively, O’Brien was poor, as well, as the £3,000-per-week Terriers product was dribbled past during two of his three attempted tackles and made no clearances, against a side which is striving to secure their return to the Premier League after losing 20 of their top-flight fixtures last term.

He further failed to take a single shot for the sixth-straight second-tier game too, to perhaps prove to Bruce and Newcastle that he is far from the man who the Toon need if they are to sign anyone in the January transfer window to hopefully offer a midfield presence both in attack and defence.

Shots from central midfield is a clear area where United should be looking to improve this month, with Jonjo Shelvey (1.6) the only current Newcastle player to be offering more than a shot a game, and he is also the only Magpie midfielder to offer over one key pass a game (1.4), per WhoScored.

Judging by his shooting stats, added to his poor game against a relegated side, it looks like O’Brien may not be at the standard of player that Newcastle need.

AND in other news, a £2m-rated Newcastle target’s potential has been questioned by his current side.

Everton goalkeeper Jonas Lossl’s imminent return to FC Midtjylland can give Joao Virginia his chance to impress Carlo Ancelotti.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, Lossl is on the verge of completing a deal to re-join his former side, Midtjylland, on a free transfer to end his Merseyside nightmare.

The 31-year-old shot-stopper has 18-months remaining on his £28,000-per-week contract but is expected to be allowed to return to the Danish side without a fee, having failed to establish himself at Goodison Park since his arrival in the summer of 2019.

Lossl joined Everton from Huddersfield Town following their relegation to the Championship but is yet to play a single minute for the Blues, while returning to the John Smith’s Stadium for the latter half of the 2019/20 term on loan.

The signing of Robin Olsen in the last transfer window further pushed Lossl down Ancelotti’s pecking order, with the Italian handing the AS Roma loanee five outings across all competitions as the Everton boss feels he is no better or worse than Jordan Pickford.

Reports by the Liverpool Echo earlier in the week claimed that Toffees chiefs had reached an agreement with Lossl on the remainder of his contract after the one-time Denmark international asked to leave now rather than hold out until the summer.

Lossl feels leaving Goodison Park ahead of Monday night’s deadline is the right decision for the sake of his international career, given the rescheduled Euro 2020 is on the horizon.

Virginia’s chance to impress

Ancelotti was the second Everton manager to overlook Lossl as both he and Marco Silva opted to name a 37-year-old Maarten Stekelenburg on the bench at times last season, even if Pickford made blunders that left fans and pundits irate.

Olsen has since replaced Stekelenburg in the ranks at Goodison Park and is clearly thought of fondly by Ancelotti, who wants to make his loan deal permanent, making it no wonder that Lossl and Everton are open to parting ways as soon as possible.

But Lossl’s exit will be seen as a blessing for academy goalkeeper Virginia, who will likely now be given a chance to impress Ancelotti as the Italian’s third-choice option after a challenging campaign back on Merseyside following a season on loan with Reading.

Virginia returned to Ancelotti’s matchday squad for Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United, having been omitted from the previous 16 in the Premier League, after featuring on the bench in the first two games of the term.

The 21-year-old also started the Carabao Cup Second Round clash with Salford City and kept a clean sheet, yet his four months in the wilderness have returned few opportunities to feature for the Under 23s, having played just five Premier League 2 fixtures all season.

Ancelotti may now look to keep the youngster, who former Reading boss Jose Gomes claimed is “gifted”, on hand to provide cover between the sticks, and the chance to work with the Italian, Pickford, Olsen and the first-team coaching crew may see that he emerges as the Blues’ potential future number one.

If Ancelotti ultimately does not like what he sees from the 6 ft 3 colossus, at least he and Everton will know they have to hit the transfer market in the summer to find a more suitable option. But the upsides of promoting Virginia full-time are as clear as ever as Lossl prepares to leave.

AND in other news, a £70k-p/w gem let Carlo Ancelotti down as Everton lost to Newcastle…

Tottenham Hotspur have their sights set on a new midfielder, but Daniel Levy may well find it hard to get his hands on said player…

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato.it, Spurs are one of several Premier League teams monitoring the progress of Juventus loanee Weston McKennie in the off chance that the Italian giants do not sign him permanently.

It’s claimed that the Serie A champions have an option to buy of €18.5m (£16.5m) plus bonuses, whilst Chelsea and Manchester United are also mooted with interest.

The report suggests how the 22-year-old has dazzled and impressed Andrea Pirlo this season, so it would be hard to imagine the club not sanctioning that switch.

Shades of Michael Essien

However, if they do not, then Spurs must be ready to strike so there is certainly no harm keeping tabs on the situation from Levy’s side of things.

In doing so, he could land Jose Mourinho his next Michael Essien as the two players have stark similarities which will have the ‘Special One’ salivating from the mouth.

McKennie has started ten games across the Serie A and Champions League this term, where he has averaged 1.5 tackles, one shot and one key pass per game, also contributing to a total of four goals, as per WhoScored.

This very much backs up his ability as a box-to-box sensation, one that Bundesliga.com likened to Arturo Vidal due to his ability to ‘deliver the goods as a No. 6, 8, or 10.’

His former boss at parent club David Wagner lauded the USA international as an “outstanding talent” also reinforcing the aforementioned view, claiming: “In the No.6 or No.8 position he has the mentality, a real working mentality that you need. And he’s brave on the ball as well.”

Under Mourinho at Chelsea and Real Madrid, Essien was an animal – in the 2005/06 title-winning season, the only midfielder that managed more shots per 90 minutes than the Ghanian was Frank Lampard, whilst in 2012/13 in La Liga, he averaged 1.4 tackles per game.

It’s thought that the Portuguese boss wants a dynamic midfielder in 2021, so maybe he can get lucky and strike on the Schalke man. He and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg would be a phenomenal pivot.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Gary Mabbutt reacts to Spurs star’s latest injury BLOW…

According to DigiSport, RB Leipzig are interested in Glasgow Rangers versatile forward Ianis Hagi.

What’s the word?

The Romania international has been in impressive form since the start of this season, having bagged four goals and 10 assists in just 26 appearances across all competitions.

It’s no surprise, then, that other sides have started to take notice, and Romanian publication DigiSport claim RB Leipzig are keen to bring Hagi to the Red Bull Arena.

The report reveals Julian Nagelsmann is desperate to find the perfect replacement for the injured Dominik Szoboszlai and the Bundesliga giants have the 22-year-old firmly in their sights.

Stand your ground, Wilson

Whilst Alfredo Morelos has been heavily linked with the Ibrox exit in recent months, the potential loss of Hagi would be even more devastating for Steven Gerrard.

Rangers chief Ross Wilson splashed the cash to sign Hagi in the summer – a reported £3m in instalments spread across three seasons – and it’s fair to say that he has exceeded expectations so far – he’s bagged two goals in his past four appearances in the Scottish Premiership alone.

Last season, he scored one goal in seven Premiership appearances for the Gers, and netted a memorable brace in a 3-2 victory over Braga in the Europa League in February last year.

And now, he’s established himself as an integral part of Gerrard’s Gers, and is a key reason why they find themselves 19 points clear of Celtic at the top of the table, having contributed to 14 goals in all competitions this season. He certainly didn’t just join the club to make up the numbers, that’s for sure.

Gerrard paid tribute to Hagi after they defeated Neil Lennon’s side in the second Old Firm derby of the season, telling Rangers TV, as quoted by The Sun: “It was on our mind in terms of myself and the coaching staff to make a change because we weren’t happy with the front three in the first 45 minutes.

“It was a stroke of luck really – not in terms of the injury as Kemar has a niggle in his quad which we will have to assess and hope he is back fit.

“But it actually played into my hands to get Ianis onto the pitch and I thought he was outstanding in the second half.

“Ianis takes on information really well and I thought he was really brave to receive the ball in the wide areas.

“Ianis basically produced in the second 45 we were looking for from our 10s in the whole game. So credit to him, but it is a bit of a blow losing Kemar.”

This kind of impact is exactly the sort of reason why Wilson simply can’t afford to lose the £4m-rated ace. He’s simply too important for their future prospects.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor deserves new contract for Old Firm heroics alone…

David Moyes must strive to strike a January deal with Real Madrid for rumoured West Ham United target Luka Jovic.

What’s the word?

According to the Mirror (01/11, p61), the Irons are looking to rival Leicester City in the race to lure Jovic away from the Santiago Bernabeu after being made available for a winter move by Real Madrid after a torrid start to life in Spain.

Los Blancos signed Jovic for £52.4million in 2019 on the back of a remarkable 27-goal haul for Eintracht Frankfurt, but the Serbian centre-forward has failed to take his skills from the Bundesliga to La Liga with just two goals across all competitions since becoming a Galactico.

Real boss Zinedine Zidane has only felt fit to start the 22-year-old in two La Liga fixtures and one Champions League Group Stage tie thus far this term, and his future now appears to lie elsewhere.

West Ham are said to be considering a loan approach in the upcoming January market that features an option to purchase at the end of the season, in a move that could see Jovic reunite with his former Frankfurt strike partner Sebastien Haller who left Eintracht for east London in a £45m deal the same summer.

Jovic’s talents were widely admired during his Frankfurt days, with manager Adi Hutter stating via Bundesliga.com: “There are players who need relatively few scoring chances.

“Jovic, for example, scores four times out of every five chances because he’s a poacher and, when he’s in the box, he knows where the goal is.”

“He’s been the talk of Europe” Frankfurt CEO of Sport Fredi Bobic also said of Jovic, via Bundesliga.com, following his move to Real Madrid. “He’s explosive and a real threat in front of goal and will be a big miss.”

Moyes’ time to strike

The talent Jovic demonstrated during his sensational season with Frankfurt which sparked Real Madrid to snap up the 8-cap international may not have been displayed in the Spanish capital, but his skill and potential can be rediscovered in the right setting.

Former Eintracht teammate Filip Kostic was full of praise for Jovic during the time together in Germany, lauding his fellow Serbia international who he provided five assists for during the 2018/19 Bundesliga season – the joint-highest assist to scorer combination that season.

“Jovic is just unbelievable!” Kostic said, via Bundesliga.com “He has outstanding timing and a feel for the goal.”

Jovic earned rave reviews from teammates and club staff during his final season in the Bundesliga as he proved to be a defender’s proverbial nightmare with 0.5 goals a game from 2.4 shots, yet could have boasted an even better haul than his 17 goals having missed 18 big chances as well, per SofaScore.

He further offered 0.9 key balls a game for five assists and seven big chances, and continues to be a threat up front despite rarely featuring for Madrid with 1.7 shots and 0.7 key balls per La Liga appearance this term with only an average 15.7 touches.

If Moyes is able to strike an agreement with Real, Jovic could be his ideal centre-forward signing this January. But the 22-year-old’s £8.7m-a-year contract (£167.3k-p/w) contract could cause West Ham a serious challenge if the Serbian believes he still has a future at the Santiago Bernabeu.

AND in other news, David Moyes enjoyed a narrow escape on a £31.5m sensation West Ham courted this summer.

When Manchester City allowed Douglas Luiz to join Aston Villa in 2019, it perhaps always seemed likely that the Brazilian would return once he started performing in the Premier League.

The Daily Star have reported recently that the Citizens are exploring the option of bringing him back to the club in January, following his impressive recent performances for Aston Villa.

Issues with the defensive midfielder’s work permit prevented him from making an appearance for the Citizens’ first-team during his time at the club and he opted to join Dean Smith’s side in a £15 million deal last summer (per BBC Sport).

Luiz joined City from Vasco da Gama in 2017 and after a two-year loan spell with Spanish side Girona, he finally departed for Villa, where he was able to secure a work permit.

Since then, the Brazilian has gone on to make 50 appearances for the Birmingham-based club, in which he has contributed three goals and four assists (per Transfermarkt).

His performances with Villa were enough to see him earn a call-up to the Brazilian national side, and he made his debut for Selecao in November of last year.

So far this season, the 22-year-old has appeared in all seven of Villa’s Premier League fixtures, in which he has provided one assist, with his performances earning him a solid average rating of 6.84 (per WhoScored).

Smith suggested last season that following the restart of the Premier League, the Brazilian had been “unbelievable” (per Hampshire Live), so he clearly holds him in high regard.

Unfortunately for the English manager, if City opt to activate their reported buy-back clause for Luiz, then there may not be much Aston Villa can do to keep him.

The youngster is perhaps touted as a long-term replacement for Fernandinho, with the 35-year-old’s best years certainly behind him now, and if he can have anywhere near the sort of impact the former Shakhtar Donetsk man has had during his time with the Citizens, then it will surely prove to be a good decision to bring him back.

If his impressive performances with the Villans continue, it certainly would not be a surprise to see him return to the blue half of Manchester in the near future.

Darren Bent has given a rather blunt reaction to Moise Kean leaving Everton on loan for the rest of the 2020/21 term to join PSG.

Indeed, the Italy international has managed to get himself a move away from the Merseyside club to the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League finalists.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa striker gave Football Insider his thoughts on the move:

“First and foremost, he must have the best agent on earth to get a move to PSG because that is crazy.

“He’s going there, I understand it. He’s probably sitting there thinking ‘I’m sitting on Everton’s bench, I may as well go and sit on PSG’s’.

“At least he’ll get to play with the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, players like that. He might as well go and do that.

“It has been difficult  for him and he has found it really tough, but if he does need game time, I don’t think he’s going to get it there.”

Kean struggling at Everton

Indeed, Kean only managed to score a mere four goals and make just two assists in 37 matches over all competitions for Everton, according to Transfermarkt.

With the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison as options up front for Carlo Ancelotti at the moment, the 20-year old fell down the pecking order, and so a move away from Goodison Park would have perhaps been best for all parties going into the rest of the season.

PSG move ‘crazy’

As Bent perfectly puts it, Kean getting a move to PSG is ‘crazy’ given his woes at the Toffees and the pedigree of the French champions.

Paris Saint Germain will compete in the UEFA Champions League again in this campaign, with the Blues having no European football to offer, and will also be looking to add yet another league title to their recent success.

Kean fighting for his Everton future

Kean will surely now have to perform on the big stage if he is to have a future at Everton, or else he may be a player that the club look to offload in next summer’s transfer window.

That said, the goals and chances created in Paris may offer the youngster a chance to – for lack of a better phrase – pad his stats a little, perhaps increasing the eventual transfer fee Everton will receive.

Evertonians, would you keep or sell Kean after his loan spell ends? Comment below!