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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…

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent believes that the club would be “lucky” to have Jose Mourinho as manager, per Football Insider.

What’s he said?

The Sun reported over the weekend that the former Manchester United and Chelsea boss is keeping tabs on the Spurs job amid their struggles throughout the campaign.

Tottenham are currently 14th, 11 points off the top four, and a separate report from The Daily Telegraph has suggested that Pochettino could be sacked if they lose to West Ham United this weekend.

The Sun claims that, were the Argentine to leave, Spurs’ options to replace him would be limited, with Mourinho amongst them given that he is currently out of work.

And Bent believes that the club would be falling on their feet if they appointed the Portuguese.

He said: “A lot of people always talk negatively about Mourinho but he’s a born winner, look at what he has won.

“I think sometimes clubs need to appreciate where they are and not get too big for their boots, cause I’ve heard a lot of clubs say we don’t want Mourinho, but hold on, he has won things.

“He has won things that club haven’t won, he has won the Champions League. Spurs got to the final last season but they haven’t won it.

“He’s won the Premier League with Chelsea, Spurs have never done that so before the fans start screaming ‘we don’t want him’, they need to look at his pedigree and what he has done.

“They’d be lucky to have him.”

The pedigree needed

If Pochettino were to leave, and that remains a big if at this point, then this is the kind of manager that Spurs should be looking for.

Football FanCast understands that RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann is chairman Daniel Levy’s first-choice candidate as he does his due diligence.

But, as Bent says, Mourinho is as close to a trophy magnet as one can find.

Since his appointment at Porto in 2002, he has won a trophy with every single club he has managed: Two league titles with the Portuguese giants; two Premier League trophies and the FA Cup with Chelsea in his first stint and another league title in his second, along with the League Cup; two Serie A titles and the Champions League with Inter Milan; La Liga with Real Madrid and the Carabao Cup and the Europa League with United.

Of course, his football may well be known for being slightly dourer than Pochettino’s, but he has dragged teams over the line when he has needed to.

If the former Southampton boss were to lose his job, the appointment of Mourinho would be a message to opponents that Spurs are attempting to get back to the top table of English football, and, subsequently, a sign that they are desperate to finally end that trophy drought that runs back to 2008.

They could do a lot worse.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Everton’s Moise Kean has struggled immensely since he arrived on Merseyside and has failed to secure a starting role within Marco Silva’s squad.

In fact, the Italian has started only twice in the league and averaged a dismal 6.18 rating in the nine league games he has played.

Now, the former Juventus man may have finally got the attention of the Everton boss with a magnificent performance for his country on Tuesday.

Kean scored twice for Italy U21s against Armenia U21s, which is the first time the forward has hit the back of the net for club or country in over two months. Indeed, his last goal whilst he has been at the club was also for his nation, as he bagged against Luxembourg U21s.

On Tuesday, however, the 19-year-old registered a 9.0 rating, as per SofaScore, and he seemed to pick up some threatening form in this game.

Kean also made three key passes in the match and managed to complete five out his seven dribble attempts.

Whilst the opposition were far from a formidable one, the fact Kean netted twice will surely have a great impact on his confidence.

Clearly, with his poor displays so far, the Italian has suffered from adapting to English football and perhaps he needed this performance just to boost his confidence and serve as a reminder to sceptics that he is a talented player.

Kean still has a lot to prove away from the pitch as well, after he was reportedly dropped for the game against Southampton for turning up late to a team meeting again.

However, the youngster may have an ideal opportunity to breathe life into his Everton career, with the club set to play eight games in the month of December, which includes an EFL Cup quarter-final.

Given his poor form, the recent disciplinary issue and the upcoming schedule, the teenager has chosen a good time to remind Silva of his quality.

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

Stuart Dallas is a key member of the Leeds squad and his versatility is a pivotal factor in the team challenging for promotion.

On the chalkboard

The Northern Ireland international is into his fifth season at Elland Road and it seems that with each passing year his importance to the team becomes greater.

Fans certainly appreciate his flexibility and know that without him filling in at various positions the team would be a lot worse off.

The 28-year-old is able to play at either wing and in both full-back positions, and when injury-prone players like Luke Ayling and Barry Douglas are part of the squad that means Dallas performs a key role.

He has operated in centre-midfield this season too but has mostly been used at right-back, and it was that experience which served him well playing on the left against Luton, with five tackles made as well as achieving a pass accuracy of 88%.

That shows he is well suited to both the defensive and attacking aspects of the role, and his energy in getting up and down is vital to the press and containing the opposition attack in his own final third.

First-choice full-back

As mentioned, both Ayling and Douglas can be unreliable in terms of their fitness, but the former has also underperformed since returning to the side, and there is a good case to suggest he should be dropped for the match against Reading.

Dallas, as always, is ready to be called upon and willing to perform in whichever position Marcelo Bielsa puts him in, and more often than not he puts in an impressive shift – as fans can attest to.

The key for the Argentine may be how comfortable Dallas is in possession. He rarely gives the ball away and that is key to the Bielsa’s style, in pinning down the opposition and offering a threat on the overlap.

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Ezgjan Alioski has provided that at times this campaign, too, and has two goals to his name, so Bielsa could consider recalling him to the side and playing Dallas at right-back, even though it’s Ayling’s natural position.

Regardless, Leeds have lost just three of the 17 games Dallas has started, and that has justified Bielsa’s decision to play him at full-back, as well as showing how useful he is to the team’s prospects of promotion.

Meanwhile, Leeds supporters have also been discussing Dan James and how he has settled at Manchester United.

Who knows when we’ll next see Aston Villa next grace a football pitch, with the Premier League giving no return date in their most recent statement.

Maybe this break is a good thing for Villa considering they’re currently marooned in the relegation zone, but Villa fanatics are no doubt getting restless not knowing how long it’ll be before their beloved side are back in action.

Fortunately, we’ve got something to help in the meantime that will provide a true test of your knowledge on the Birmingham club’s recent history.

Our obscure players quizzes simply provide a picture of a player who you probably forgot ever played for your club – and then it’s over to you to name them out of the four possible options.

So, Villa fans, why not give it a go and then see how you compare to your mates? Post your score on social media for extra props from us!

The first week of May is nearly complete and Newcastle United still hasn’t changed hands.There have been reports for over a month now that a Saudi-backed consortium led by Amanda Staveley is set to take over the club in a £300m deal yet there’s been no official confirmation.Supporters are understandably getting quite anxious as they’d like to see Mike Ashley’s 13-year reign come to an end ahead of next season.

Calling Premier League experts ONLY: Which year were these top-flight clubs formed?

The Athletic’s George Caulkin has provided an encouraging update on the matter in response to one fan on Twitter. He claims that it is still in the Premier League’s hands – but there’s no deadline involved and there’s no exclusivity as the deal HAS been signed off.

He said:

There are other factors to consider, too, such as the current climate the country finds themselves in. Lockdown has hardly made measures easier, so the process has taken a bit longer than it normally would.

Four weeks, eight weeks, any amount of weeks – it’s surely only a matter of time before the Magpies enter a new era.

AND in other news,ÂNewcastle fans react to Mark Douglas tweet

So it looks like Odion Ighalo’s stay at Manchester United is going to be very short-lived.

The Nigerian striker only joined the Red Devils on a loan deal on the final day of the January transfer window, and enjoyed a decent start to life at Old Trafford.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

In the eight total games that he played for the club, he scored four times, and there was initial hope that United would be able to extend his loan in order for him to play the rest of the season for the club.

But now, according to The Manchester Evening News, Ighalo is set to return to his parent side Shanghai Shenhua, with the Chinese Super League outfit keen to have him back for the start of their own campaign.

And after hearing about the update on Ighalo’s future, United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

One United fan even suggested that Ighalo is better than Bournemouth striker Josh King, who the club have been linked with signing instead.

He may not have been at United for very long, but Ighalo certainly gave the Old Trafford fans something to smile about.

He helped ease the striker crisis at the club, and with Marcus Rashford inching closer to full fitness, he effectively did his job to perfection.

Liam Bridcutt enjoyed a short spell at Leeds United back in the tumultuous Steve Evans days but he’s been the talk of the town on social media this week thanks to Phil Hay.

The Athletic correspondent posted an article to Twitter about the 31-year-old, who now plays for Lincoln City on loan from Championship rivals Nottingham Forest, and the Whites faithful have been embroiled in debate.

The piece leads with Gus Poyet’s outlandish suggestion that Briductt is ‘good enough for Real Madrid’.

The defensive midfielder recorded 53 appearances across two seasons at Elland Road and picked up 15 yellow cards, via Transfermarkt.

Bridcutt went on to become captain under Garry Monk before leaving for Forest in 2017 and fans have been rather respectful on social media about his role at the club.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Although some were quick to slam him for being ‘overrated’ and ‘horrendous’.

Here’s what has been said…

AND in other news, Phil Hay provides update on Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds future

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.

He may have been on the pitch for less than half an hour, but Manchester United fans were left thrilled by Paul Pogba’s game-changing contribution in their 1-1 draw at Tottenham on Friday.

Having not started in the Premier League since 30 September, the French midfielder unsurprisingly found himself on the bench in north London.

However, with United trailing 1-0 thanks to Steven Bergwijn’s first-half strike, Pogba was required to perform a rescue act against his former manager Jose Mourinho – and the 2018 World Cup winner did exactly that.

Just 18 minutes into his return, he produced a wonderful piece of skill inside the box – so good in fact, that it forced Eric Dier to bring him down and concede a penalty.

Pogba would have no doubt been keen to take the resulting spot-kick himself, but having already missed four in his United career, the duties were handed over to Bruno Fernandes, who confidently swept home from 12-yards.

There was another moment of Pogba brilliance late on when he produced an exceptional pass to put Marcus Rashford in the clear, although the England striker was stopped in his tracks by Davinson Sanchez – preventing what would have been one of the best assists of the season.

Pogba often splits opinions, but plenty of United fans were delighted with him against Spurs and want to see him starting against Sheffield United on Wednesday.

Check some of the best tweets we found about the Frenchman below.

Newcastle had an afternoon to forget on Saturday as they lost 2-1 to Watford via two Troy Deeney penalties.

The Magpies’ performance was summed up by a litany of individual errors, notably from Javier Manquillo and Matt Ritchie who gave away the spot-kicks, but there was another player on the pitch who was arguably just as bad.

Indeed, Danny Rose had an absolute stinker against the Hornets, picking up a 6.14 rating from WhoScored for a performance that saw him make just one tackle, with no interceptions, clearances or key passes.

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Rose’s game got off to a poor start. He was chastised early on by his captain for failing to clear a ball when the team were in danger, and due to the lack of a crowd, every viewer could hear exactly what Jamaal Lascelles thought of the full-back’s error.

It wasn’t just the centre-back who had a few choice words for Rose as a number of fans took to social media to voice their complaints with the Tottenham loanee’s performance.

The defender may only have a few games left as a Newcastle player due to his loan deal being up at the end of the season.

Of course, as with many loan deals, rumours have circulated that Steve Bruce’s side are looking into the possibility of signing him permanently, but after this performance, many United fans don’t want to see him back beyond the end of the season, and you can’t blame them for having that point of view after Saturday’s poor showing.