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Che Adams produced a disappointing display as Southampton threw away a 2-0 lead in their 3-2 loss against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.

Goals from Jan Bednarek and James Ward-Prowse had given Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side a 2-0 lead going into half-time but a poor second-half display allowed United back into the game, with Edinson Cavani’s late winner snatching all three points for the Red Devils.

One man who will be disappointed with his performance will be Adams, as the former Sheffield United man produced an ineffectual display.

As per SofaScore, the 24-year-old earned a 6.5 rating on Sunday, with only Jannik Vestergaard, Kyle Walker-Peters and Alex McCarthy scoring lower.

During his time on the pitch, the striker had just 40 touches of the ball but was unable to use it effectively, with only 19/24 of his passes finding a Southampton shirt, resulting in a pass accuracy rate of 79%, meaning he completed fewer passes than Saints ‘keeper McCarthy.

The Englishman was unable to register a single shot on target during the 90 minutes and he never really threatened the Manchester United defence.

Adams also lost possession 13 times during the game and came out second-best in a lot of his duels during the game, winning just four of 12 ground duels, whilst he was only successful in two of his six aerial duels, resulting in an overall success rate of 33%

Unfortunately for the Saints, with Danny Ings still sidelined through injury, the pressure has been on Adams to replace the former Liverpool man’s goals in recent weeks, and whilst he has notched three times in the top-flight so far this season, today was clearly not his day.

After he scored in Southampton’s 2-0 win against Newcastle United earlier this season, Hasenhuttl was full of praise for the young striker, saying:

“He’s a role model for the time we went through – from zero to hero at the moment” (per Daily Echo)

However, today, Adams was more like his old self than the rejuvenated player we saw post-lockdown.

However, his performance against United was far from good enough and he will need to do a lot better in the Saints’ next game against Brighton, in order to repay the faith shown in him by Hasenhuttl.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho returns to his old stomping ground this afternoon as his side look to continue their run of good form.

Spurs take on Manchester United at Old Trafford and go into this one on the back of a rather hectic week of fixtures.

It was only seven days ago that the north Londoners were involved in that controversial draw against Newcastle and since, they have defeated local rivals Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and advanced into the Europa League group stages after thrashing Maccabi on Thursday night.

But how might the Portuguese line up his side on his second return to the Red Devils? Here’s the XI we’re predicting…

Mourinho may well revert back to a different system. We know he likes to park the bus against the so-called ‘big six’ but with exciting wing-back signings this summer it could actually be a shrewd decision to go with a 3-4-3 of sorts.

It means Hugo Lloris returns between the sticks as captain and he could be protected by a back three of Japhet Tanganga, Eric Dier and Davinsonz Sanchez, so there is no place for Toby Alderweireld, who drops to the bench.

Sergio Reguilon comes back in for Ben Davies on the left whilst Matt Doherty keeps his spot on the right.

The midfield pairing of Harry Winks and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg also remains with Giovani Lo Celso playing slightly ahead.

Spurs’ £36m-rated maestro could be joined by Lucas Moura to play just behind the striker, which of course should be Harry Kane.

Therefore, Dele Alli has to settle for a place on the bench despite an impressive cameo in the Europa League – likewise, there is no starting place for Tanguy Ndombele or Moussa Sissoko.

AND in other news, Mourinho heading for unforgivable mistake over Spurs’ £64m “freak of a talent”…

Wolves and super-agent Jorge Mendes is an interesting relationship.

On the one hand, the Midlands outfit can thank the controversial GestiFute guru for bringing the likes of Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and even manager Nuno Santo to Molineux but on the contrary, he’s only looking out for himself and his clients.

That much would have been displayed if they went ahead with a move for Atletico Madrid’s expensive flop, Thomas Lemar.

According to Le10 Sport last month, Wolves had opened talks with the 24-year-old winger with Mendes holding all the keys over a potential transfer.

They can count their lucky stars that it didn’t come to fruition.

Lemar started his first game of the season last week, playing just 64 minutes before being pulled by Diego Simeone, which is hardly a surprise as he failed to contribute with a goal or assists and only managed to record only one shot and one key pass, also committing two fouls. per WhoScored.

The France World Cup winner cost the La Liga outfit a whopping £62m and is raking in around €100k-per-week (£90k-per-week), finances which just haven’t been justified whatsoever.

He has only scored three goals from 75 appearances throughout his entire Atletico career. That is shocking.

Especially when you consider his potential – he was once likened Barcelona great Andres Iniesta and Spurs skipper Hugo Lloris has previously lauded him as “extremely talented, very fast and lethal in front of goal.”

Lemar certainly would have been an underwhelming replacement for Diogo Jota, one that would have dented the promising hopes of both Daniel Podence and Pedro Neto.

Therefore, Wolves and Nuno’s decision to not follow through with a swoop for the Mendes flop has turned out to be an absolute stroke of genius. It is plenty of cash and even careers saved by avoiding him this summer.

AND in other news, Wolves make plans for the future with new fresh contract decision…

Tottenham Hotspur could be forced to sell Juan Foyth this summer after just three years in north London, according to reports.

Tottenham and Southampton agreed a fee for Saints star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg last week, with the midfielder set to undergo a medical in north London.

According to football.london’s Alasdair Gold, Spurs must sell some foreign players if they want to bring in new signings in the summer. Foyth faces a further problem, as he is now too old to qualify for Tottenham’s B list in European competition.

The Lilywhites will reach the limit of foreign players in their squad for the Europa League qualifiers once Hojbjerg’s signing is completed, which will put the 22-year-old Argentine defender in a spot of bother.

The 10-cap Argentina international has fallen out of favour with Spurs boss Jose Mourinho, who considers him surplus to requirements, while Leeds United remain interested in signing the former Mauricio Pochettino prodigy.

He has been tipped to make a move to Elland Road to link up with his fellow countryman Marcelo Bielsa, who was a mentor to Pochettino in the past.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy must decide whether he will find Foyth a loan move to improve his chances of playing regularly or cut his losses and sell him in the summer. At this stage in his career, he needs to be playing regular first team football, which is something that Mourinho is not prepared to provide.

For whatever reason, it hasn’t worked out for Foyth during his time in the Premier League lately, as he has featured just twice in the top flight for the Portuguese since he succeeded Pochettino last November. His contract will run out in 2022 and Spurs should sell him to raise some much-needed funds to reinvest in the transfer market.

Tottenham fans, do you think Daniel Levy should let Foyth leave for Elland Road? Let us know your views in the comments below!

West Ham boss David Moyes could be sleepwalking into a transfer disaster this summer if fresh reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Hammers have pulled a U-turn on their young winger Grady Diangana and are now prepared to sell him if they receive an offer of £25m.

They claim that Moyes had been reluctant to let the 22-year-old leave the London Stadium before next season after his impressive loan spell at promotion-winning West Brom.

Now the club would like to move him on in order to garner some extra funds to use in the transfer market.

Moyes mistake

With the likes of Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko also on the chopping block this summer, it would be a strange move to get rid of Diangana too.

This really could be one of Moyes’ biggest mistakes at the Irons.

The enigmatic winger provided eight goals and six assists as the Baggies clinched the runner-up spot in the Championship this term – he only started 23 matches, which makes it all that more spectacular. Diangana also averaged 2.4 dribbles, 1.6 shots and 1.4 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

Only one Hammers star (Michail Antonio) scored more goals than the 22-year-old whilst no other player managed to match his assists for the season.

Diangana’s performances at the Hawthorns haven’t gone unnoticed either, Lee Hendrie believes he has set himself up “to be an absolutely fabulous player” and a “total nightmare” for defenders whilst EFL pundit Keith Andrews has described the wide man as “explosive”.

West Ham are better off having him around next season. He’s hungry to be a success and will be on less than half the money that the majority of the squad – flops included – are on.

It’s no wonder SPFL giants Celtic and Rangers are hot on his tail. They’d both make Moyes rue this blunder.

AND in other news, Hammers hope to use Moyes flop as makeweight for £20m star…

As per The Daily Record, Alfredo Morelos is said to be committed to Glasgow Rangers amidst interest from Lille.

Morelos has been linked with a switch to the Ligue 1 outfit, with him said to have agreed personal terms with the club.

However, although he is said to be unhappy with previous moves being blocked, he is believed to be committed to Steven Gerrard’s side and is more than happy to stay at Ibrox.

Considering those reports saying he has agreed a move away, it is somewhat of a shock to now hear that he would be happy to remain in Glasgow, but it would be fantastic news for Gerrard. Even though he has recently signed Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten, losing a player with 79 goals in 140 matches would be a blow to his chances of winning his first piece of silverware since making the move north of the border.

Of course, with almost two months of the transfer window still left, there remains plenty of time for the situation to change, but this does offer a glimmer of hope to the 54-time Scottish champions that their star player could be with them for a little while longer.

Let us know what you think below!

So four games into the Premier League’s restart, and Newcastle are well and truly heading in the right direction.

The Magpies bounced back in style from their disappointing FA Cup exit to Manchester City, putting Bournemouth to the sword on Wednesday night.

Allan Saint-Maximin may have stolen the show with a scintillating performance that saw him get a hat-trick of assists, but in the middle of the park, Nabil Bentaleb helped run the show for Newcastle.

Think you’re a big Magpies fan? Can you name these former players by looking at their careers? Go on, give it a go…

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

The Algerian arrived on loan from Bundesliga side Schalke back in the January transfer window, and after playing the full 90 minutes in three consecutive Premier League games, found himself on the bench for the Magpies’ last two Premier League games before football was postponed.

Wednesday evening saw Bentaleb make his first start for the Tyneside club since the restart, and he delivered the kind of performance that would have left Steve Bruce nodding his head in approval.

Lining up alongside Jonjo Shelvey in the engine room, the 25-year-old acted as the destroyer, breaking up attacks and then feeding balls into his more advanced teammates.

And it was an approach that brought rich rewards. As per Sofascore, he made a team-high five tackles (two more than Emil Krafth in second), whilst his two interceptions was joint-second amongst the rest of the Newcastle players.

Bentaleb was aggressive and in the faces of the Bournemouth midfield, hunting them down and putting himself into the 50/50 challenges – in total, he contested 17 total duels over the course of the 90 minutes, winning nine of them.

With Matty Longstaff’s future uncertain amid speculation linking him with a move away from the club, players like Bentaleb need to step up and do more. Reports back in January suggested that Newcastle have the option to make the deal permanent, but based on his performances for the club before Wednesday, it seemed unlikely they would have taken that up.

But the display against the Cherries offered some promise about how he could still make the grade at St James’ Park, and Bruce will be hoping it can help him kick-start his career.

Liverpool’s decision to sign Iago Aspas from Celta Vigo for a fee of £6m in 2013 turned out to be a rather misguided piece of business.

The diminutive forward failed to adapt to the style and speed of the Premier League, making just 15 senior appearances for the club in an underwhelming spell.

Aspas was offloaded after just one full season as Sevilla agreed a season-long loan deal, which included an option to buy him permanently for £5m at the end of the season.

That clause was eventually exercised but the Spaniard went full circle in the blinking of an eye, returning to Celta just days after he joined Sevilla.

But what ever happened to Aspas after he completed his return to Celta?

Here, Football FanCast focus on what Liverpool may have missed out on…

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

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

Where is Aspas now?

It’s an outcome that few would have anticipated but Aspas has since established himself as a rampant goal machine in La Liga, earning 18 caps for the Spanish national side in the process.

The 18-cap international has hit double figures in four consecutive La Liga seasons and is currently just one goal shy of achieving that feat for a fifth season running.

His highest tally arrived in a stunning 2017/18 campaign. A whopping 22 goals in 34 games saw him outscore Gareth Bale, Antoine Griezmann and Maxi Gomez, while his return was only bettered by Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez.

Perhaps it was a case of being in the right place at the wrong time, or maybe Liverpool were simply too hasty to offload Aspas.

Regardless of the prognosis, however, it is clear from his prolific record in front of goal that the veteran attacker is well-suited to the stylistic demands of Spanish top flight football, and that, combined with his slight physical frame, may attest to his incompatibility with the English game.

As Aspas, 32, sits at the top of the club’s goal scoring charts during football’s hiatus, there can no doubt the £5m Liverpool pocketed was a snip of his true value.

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

Newcastle are reportedly interested in signing Burnley’s Dwight Gayle and the fact that they want a winger is a bad sign for Miguel Almiron and his status in the squad.

On the chalkboard

McNeil has impressed ever since breaking into the Clarets’ side, adding five goal contributions this term to the eight he registered in 2018/19. He is certainly a player Steve Bruce will watch out for this weekend, and that means Newcastle’s interest should be welcomed.

Almiron, on the other hand, lacks quality in comparison to the 20-year-old, and although he works hard for his team and provides a different option, he needs to buck up his ideas soon.

Injury to Allan Saint-Maximin has increased the weight of responsibility on his shoulders to deliver in the final third, but he only has one assist and zero goals in almost a year at the club so it is unlikely that he will deliver the standard required.

As a result, Newcastle could struggle for goals, starting this weekend, but registering interest in other players could have a positive effect on the Paraguay international by providing an incentive for him to improve.

Take a trip down memory lane to a time when Newcastle were giants on the European stage in the video below…

Needs to impress

Almiron’s return in the attacking final third simply isn’t good enough for a player who was, at the time, a record signing for the Magpies after signing for £20m, and it makes sense that Newcastle are looking at potential recruits.

McNeil presents value for money as he is only 20 and valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, yet has managed one goal and four assists this campaign, and would be ideal for Andy Carroll or Joelinton.

His crossing is exactly what those two would thrive off, having averaged 1.8 successful crosses per game. Almiron, by contrast, has averaged just 0.1 completed crosses per game in 2019/20, and therefore offers very little other than his energy and hard work.

Who the heck is that?! Can you name all 25 of these obscure Liverpool signings…

The Burnley youngster joining would put Almiron’s position under threat due to the form of Saint-Maximin, as Almiron simply can’t compare to the Frenchman’s return of 4.5 successful dribbles this season.

The lack of strength in depth out wide, particularly with Matt Ritchie out long-term, means Newcastle are right to register interest in a player like McNeil, and they should pursue such a move until Almiron can prove he can provide a goal threat on a consistent basis.

Meanwhile, Bruce will be hoping that another of his players begins to step up to the plate against Burnley, and if he does he could become the new first-choice in his position.

England played it their way … and crashed straight into a West Indies team ready for the sucker-punch

George Dobell in Antigua02-Feb-2019If you kept driving your car into a tree, you wouldn’t expect your insurance company – or the police – to be pacified by the response “but that’s the way I drive”.And if you kept setting fire to your house, you might think twice about cooking with paraffin.But England’s batsmen seem reluctant to accept change. Whatever the pitch, whatever the match situation, they appear to think that attack is the best form of defence.Antiguan roads are not especially wonderful. They contain the sort of pot-holes which can swallow a family-sized car. But you wonder if, each day, Trevor Bayliss sits upfront with the team’s bus driver urging him to go faster in a bid to reach the ground before the pot-holes can get them.In this game, England were given a perfect example of how to negate these conditions by West Indies’ batsmen. Both Kraigg Brathwaite and Darren Bravo prospered by playing straight, refusing to follow or chase the ball and being prepared to resist for long, scoreless periods during which they had to jab the bat down on the ones which kept low and tried to keep the hands below the deliveries that reared.At one stage Bravo – not so long ago a T20 specialist – went 174 balls between boundaries. His half-century – believed to be the slowest (in terms of minutes) in Test history by a West Indies batsman – was painstaking, but it also took this game beyond England. It was a masterclass in denial and selflessness for the team cause.England’s batsmen seem either unwilling or unable to replicate such an attitude. They won’t – in general – dare to be dull or bore to draw. They react to every challenge (with one or two exceptions, such as the Ben Stokes-Jos Buttler rearguard against India at Trent Bridge) by trying to hit the ball harder, further and faster. Is this really because they believe it is the best way to prosper in such circumstances? Or because they don’t trust their defensive games?Either way, this is an episode that raises more questions about the coaching standards within the England team – who has improved in this environment, after all? – and the structure of county cricket. It is hard to imagine there has been a time in the history of English cricket when there has been such a dearth of top-order batsmen and openers, in particular.When you add to that the lack of fast bowlers and quality spinners and you are left with a domestic system – squeezed into spring and autumn, as it is – that is simply not delivering enough players of Test quality. It might be noted, however, that it is delivering limited-overs players. It’s not hard to see where the ECB’s priorities have led us.Perhaps this isn’t entirely fair. Joe Root, for example, received almost impossible deliveries in both innings, while Joe Denly was out leaving a ball. England have also been outgunned in this series – just as they were in the Ashes in Australia – by tall fast bowlers who hit the pitch harder and gained more from it as a result. They bowled straighter, too, claiming nine wickets with bowled or leg-before dismissals, while England claimed just one; albeit in one fewer innings.England dropped several chances, too. It’s not all the batsmen’s fault, by any means. West Indies have, in all departments, outplayed England.But the point remains valid. Too many England players are putting too low a value on their wickets. Buttler (who was punished for playing across the line) has one century from 30 Tests; Bairstow (who missed a lavish drive) has been bowled 29 times in his Test career – that’s 29 times out of 102 dismissals; more than any Test batsman this decade – and Stokes’ Test average is now down to 32.88. Stokes (bowled off an inside edge while driving) hasn’t scored a Test century since the incident in Bristol and has averaged 24.83 in that period; it was 35.72 before.Moeen Ali, meanwhile, has seen his Test batting average drop to 30.28, Rory Burns wasted a solid-looking start to his innings by guiding a cut to the slips cordon as obligingly as if he had been asked to provide catching practice and, without being unkind, Denly was fortunate not to make a pair having been reprieved by the umpire in the first innings and a dropped chance in the second. Suffice to say, he didn’t look the most convincing answer to England’s opening problems.This cannot be dismissed as an aberration. Not once in four innings this series have England reached even 250 and not once in Sri Lanka did they make 350. Only once in seven Tests in the English summer did they reach 400.We know this England batting line-up has some talent. But talent works best when it is allied to rigour and discipline. At present, this England set-up is looking a little too cosy, a little too forgiving. That dressing room – especially that batting line-up – could do with a dose of cold reality. It isn’t quite what it thinks it is. If they are going to insist ‘this is the way we play’ then England will need to find other players with a bit more sense and sophistication.