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It’s easy to see why Nigel Adkins took the Charlton Athletic job.

The vastly-experienced 56-year-old has a proven track record in the lower leagues of English football and would’ve leapt at the opportunity to save them from their freefall.

He arguably made his name at Southampton, where he led the south coast outfit to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League, handing them a shot at the big time after a seven-year absence.

There are plenty of similarities between that Saints side and the Addicks now; former top-flight teams dwindling in the third tier, foreign owners prepared to stump up the cash to save the club, and a fanbase to fit a 27,000-seater stadium.

But could Adkins take inspiration from a side that won promotion a decade ago? He’s certainly well-equipped to…

On the Chalkboard

In Preston loanee Jayden Stockley, the Charlton manager could find his next Rickie Lambert – a powerful striker fit to lead the line at this level.

The 27-year-old talisman has very much had a comparable career to that of the Saints legend, prior to their arrivals at their respective clubs, both were well-travelled.

Lambert jumped from club to club in the lower leagues, playing for the likes of Blackpool, Macclesfield Town, Stockport County and Bristol Rovers before finding his feet at St Mary’s.

Stockley has played for 14 different clubs, thanks largely to boyhood club AFC Bournemouth shipping him out on loan every year.

Both stand at 6 foot 2, and are known for their target man ability. Indeed, WhoScored list the £810k-rated forward as a threat from set-pieces whilst a whopping 6.3 aerial duels won across League One and the Championship only reinforces that thinking.

No other Addicks star is managing to win as many battles in the air as Stockley (9.4). Speaking about his strength, former teammate Sean Maguire once said: “He’s a fantastic player. The guy can hold up a house. He’s strong and his hold-up play is one of the best I’ve played with.”

This sort of ability should see Stockley fit in a range of systems and tactics – two-up top? one-man? He should be able to do it all. Just like Lambert at the Saints.

Adkins could be onto a winner if he draws inspiration from his old side, and the five-goal loan star must be at the centre of it all up top.

AND in other news, Forget Famewo: Charlton ace who lost possession 21x vs AFCW has already badly let Adkins down…

Leicester City came from behind to secure a point against Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday evening.

Matej Vydra had given the hosts an early lead before Kelechi Iheanacho equalised with a stunning drive to see the spoils shared.

The goal was the tip of the iceberg of an impressive performance from the former Manchester City hitman, again sending justification to Foxes’ boss Brendan Rodgers that he should be included in the starting lineup on a more regular basis.

In his 66 minutes on the pitch before he was withdrawn for the returning Wesley Fofana, Iheanacho only had 29 touches of the ball, according to WhoScored, but he was effective when he received it.

He attempted three shots throughout his appearance, no player on each side had more attempts. The £13.5m-rated Nigerian also managed to combine well with his teammates, providing a key pass and also contributing two crosses.

For context, Leicester talisman Jamie Vardy only had 16 touches in the full 90 minutes, only providing one key pass.

Even Rodgers admitted that the 34-year-old ‘didn’t do much’ but still elected to leave him on the pitch and withdraw his strike partner.

It wasn’t just in the statistics where Iheanacho caught the eye though. His hold-up play against a stubborn Burnley backline was impressive as he acted as a focal point in the Foxes attack.

The most spectacular element of his game though was, of course, the goal that earned the East-Midlanders a point in Lancashire.

Iheanacho showed fantastic awareness to get on the end of Wilfred Ndidi’s lofted ball to then watch it over his shoulder and volley home with a lethal left-footed drive.

The goal now takes his personal record to six in all competitions so far this season, having scored three in his last five domestic appearances.

Considering Vardy is currently in the middle of a barren run of just one Premier League goal since mid-December, Iheanacho will feel like he has sent a stark message to his manager.

In other news, why Cengiz Under’s absence at Turf Moor could have provided clues to Leicester’s summer transfer plans.

Celtic suffered heartbreak in the January transfer window when the tale of Ben Davies took a dramatic last-minute turn.

The defender looked certain to be making the move to Scotland as talks between the two parties reached an agreement. However, some late negotiations from Liverpool coaxed Davies to join the Premier League champions on deadline day.

It looked like a massive loss for Celtic at the time as they have been struggling immensely across their backline this season, leaking 22 goals, some 14 more than the league leaders.

However, Davies is currently out of action due to injury, just weeks after signing for his new club. Liverpool are suffering a similar defensive crisis and this news will have infuriated the fanbase.

In the last two seasons, the 25-year-old has had three recurring hamstring injuries which resulted in him missing a total of 94 days with Preston North End.

For Peter Lawwell, he can feel glad that he didn’t reach into his pocket and splash £1.6million on the centre-half.

The Hoops are limited in their defensive options, especially at centre-back. Shane Duffy has disappointed with his loan spell from Brighton and Christopher Jullien has been injured for a total of 29 matches so far this season, playing next to no role in their holding Premiership campaign, according to Transfermarkt.

Celtic have recruited Jonjoe Kenny on a temporary basis to plug some of their backline leaks.

But it’s not been enough to see the Bhoys to a tenth consecutive title win this season. They have shipped plenty of goals in the league this season as mentioned, which is already more than the 19 they conceded throughout the 2019/20 campaign.

The Glaswegians can return to the transfer market in the summer to hopefully bring in a new defender, but for now, the peace of mind that they didn’t sign the injury-prone Davies will be a weight off Lawwell’s conscience.

In other news, Lennon must prioritise starting Ismaila Soro over Scott Brown…

Chelsea have sacked club legend Frank Lampard after 18 months in charge following a mixed bag of results. His final game was the Sunday’s fourth-round win over Luton in the FA Cup.

Roman Abramovich has never been one for hanging around as former Paris St-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel has been named as Lampard’s immediate successor and he will be in charge when they play host to Wolves at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Here at Football FanCast, here’s what we think the starting XI will look like for the big game.

We’re backing Edouard Mendy to keep his place in goal for the Blues this evening, having played most Premier League games this season.

In terms of defence, things look rather straightforward, with much of Lampard’s former side remaining intact. Tuchel will most likely stick with the tried-and-tested partnership of Kurt Zouma and Thiago Silva, who played under the German at Paris Saint-Germain.

Reece James will probably keep his place at right-back while Cesar Azpilicueta will be forced to settle for a place on the bench, and Ben Chilwell will almost certainly replace Emerson Palmieri at left-back.

The new coach knows he needs to get Timo Werner and Kai Havertz firing again, with the dup having initially struggled for form since the start of this season, which partly led to Lampard’s sacking.

Using Havertz as a No.10 makes most sense, so he’ll probably resort to using Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic as the holding midfielders whilst N’Golo Kante recovers from injury.

Out wide, the options pretty much pick themselves, as Tuchel is set for a reunion with his former charge Christian Pulisic, with Callum Hudson-Odoi on the opposite flank. Don’t be surprised to see Hakim Ziyech feature at some point in the second half, though.

Some Everton fans were left hammering the display of Anthony Gordon despite their 1-0 win over Sheffield United in the Premier League.

Although it was a hard-fought victory for the Goodison Park faithful against a team desperate to record their first win in the top flight in the 2020/21 term, the left-sided midfield player never really took his chance to impress Carlo Ancelotti enough to make the Italian boss think about giving him an extended run in the first-team.

The 19 year-old only managed a measly 6.4 rating on Sofascore, which was the lowest out of any of his teammates on the pitch, as he failed to make any sort of real impact in the game, resulting in him being taken off for Bernard relatively early on in the second half.

He managed to record fewer touches than goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, and also failed to register a single shot on target, accurate cross or long ball in the clash, while also losing possession of the ball no fewer than 10 times in the match (Sofascore).

Everton fan reaction to Gordon display

These EFC supporters hammered the performance of Gordon on Twitter:

“Anyone who says Gordon didn’t get a chance tonight are wrong. He got a chance and blew it tonight. Just hasn’t been at it today #SHUEVE”

Credit: @Robertogaffer

“Don’t know about this Gordon kid. Average.”

Credit: @hehitthepost

“Bernard gets goals when he plays. No end product from Gordon.”

Credit: @Upper__Gwladys

“Facts Gordon has offered nothing as of now Bernard needs to come on he can at least put crosses in for Calvert-Lewin”

Credit: @PratikSatam4

“SURELY NOW THE BERNARD/GORDON DEBATE IS OVER. Bernard 1000 times the better player”

Credit: @MasonHolgoat

“Disappointing for Gordon but can have no complaints. Simply didn’t do enough when he got the ball. #efc”

Credit: @sicurrie

In other news, find out which Spurs ace the Toffees have been urged to sign here!

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League striker Dean Windass has tipped new West Brom boss Sam Allardyce to swoop for one of his former players in the upcoming January transfer window.

The 66-year-old replaced Slaven Bilic last week on an 18-month contract and suffered an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to arch-rivals Aston Villa in his first game in charge on Sunday evening.

He told reporters that he will be backed next month, and Windass has suggested that Everton outcast Yannick Bolasie could be one to make the switch to the Hawthorns.

The 31-year-old originally joined the Toffees in a £25m deal from Crystal Palace in 2016 under Ronald Koeman but would go onto play more times for Allardyce than the Dutchman.

He scored just once in 17 appearances, whilst 53% of his matches at Everton have come under Big Sam, per Transfermarkt.

The DR Congo winger wasn’t registered for their Premier League squad this season and is expected to leave the club in January as Carlo Ancelotti revealed in October.

And the ex-Hull marksman believes he could end up in the Midlands…

He told FFC:

“Yeah, pace in the wide areas.

“He’s been Everton’s forgotten man but yeah [I’d take him].

“Listen, Sam will know, Sam will have it in his mind who he needs.”

The wide areas have been a problematic issue at the Baggies this season.

Grady Diangana hasn’t been able to continue the form that helped spearhead them to Championship promotion last term, whilst Bilic often went to a back five to mask his lack of trust in a true right-winger – neither Matty Phillips, Kamil Grosicki or Kyle Edwards could nail down that spot.

Bolasie could somewhat solve the issue short-term as he’s vastly experienced in the Premier League having made 119 appearances in his top-flight career.

Although, the £70k-per-week Toffees misfit would arrive with plenty of fitness concerns given he’s not played a competitive fixture this season.

Bolasie’s last senior appearance came in Sporting Lisbon’s 4-1 thrashing by Istanbul in the Europa League back in February.

AND in other news, West Brom exclusive: Pundit drops scathing Luke Dowling claim after Slaven Bilic sacking…

The international break is usually a bearer of bad news for many football clubs, never mind Glasgow Rangers. But Steven Gerrard may have been left feeling a little bit aggrieved after Nigeria were held to a 4-4 draw by Sierra Leone in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Both Rangers first-team regular starters Joe Aribo and Leon Balogun were named in the starting line-up by manager Gernot Rohr, but Nigeria threw away a four-goal lead as Sierra Leone staged a spectacular comeback at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.

Everton ace Alex Iwobi bagged a brace as the Super Eagles looked set to continue their perfect start to the AFCON qualifiers as they cruised towards a third win from three games in Group L after scoring four goals inside the first half hour.

Rohr set his side up in his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, with Aribo deployed in a holding role as part of a midfield three along with Iwobi and Stoke City loanee Oghenekaro Etebo.

Nigeria enjoyed a whopping 62% of the possession of the ball but they couldn’t make their dominance in possession count when it mattered the most.

Several players were at fault for the poor performance overall but Aribo was the real culprit. At the best of times he looked off the pace, others he was caught slacking as the Leone Stars began their fightback just before half-time.

Goal gave the 24-year-old a low grade of 5/10 for his efforts, insisting ‘his languid style often left Etebo exposed in the defensive phase’, adding he wasn’t ‘as influential in a midfield pairing with the Stoke City loanee’, whilst Premium Times Nigeria were even more scathing in their assessment, claiming he was ‘very culpable as his doodling on the ball led to the second Sierra Leone goal’ and ‘he didn’t take as much care of his forward passes as he normally would and played within himself.’

freshpress-quiz ]

Perhaps this game was simply a case of too much, too soon for Aribo in such a short space of time after spending a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The 4-cap Nigeria international missed a substantial chunk of the season after he suffered an ankle injury in training, which saw him ruled out for several weeks.

Since then, he has scored three goals in four games in the Scottish Premiership, having made a full recovery, which brings his total to four goals in ten games so far this season. He bagged a brace as the Light Blues battered Hamilton Academical in a 8-0 win at home before the international break.

Even so, Aribo probably deserved a well-earned rest as he has played seven games in a row so far. Instead, he delivered a sub-par performance as a result, as he looked tired towards the end of the game. Is it any wonder, really? Gerrard will be hoping he is rested for the rematch next week, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Gerrard could unearth the next Ryan Jack in Glasgow Rangers loanee Stephen Kelly…

Southampton centre-back Jan Bednarek committed to a new contract with the Saints earlier this week, which could spell bad news for Jack Stephens, with regards to his chances of breaking back into the first-team.

The English centre-back has struggled for game time this season, with Bednarek and Jannik Vestergaard often preferred by Ralph Hasenhuttl, as he has made just four appearances in the Premier League, averaging a disappointing 6.40 rating (per WhoScored).

Following the announcement that the Polish international had committed to a new deal until the summer of 2025, it seems unlikely that he is going to be displaced from this Southampton side any time soon.

Meanwhile, Vestergaard has started the season in superb form for the South Coast club, averaging a 7.08 rating across his nine top-flight appearances.

Considering the Saints also have young Mohammed Salisu available to them now, with Hasenhuttl confirming that the summer signing was in contention to play against Brighton on Monday night, you worry that Stephens could soon be surplus to requirements at the South Coast club.

The academy graduate has gone on to make 116 appearances for the Saints, in which he has contributed six goals and five assists (per Transfermarkt).

Hasenhuttl was full of praise for the centre-back earlier this year, but also pointed out areas in which he could improve, saying:

“With the ball, definitely he’s one of our best defensive players we have.

“Against the ball, not always so happy with him, I haven’t been, at the beginning of the season.

“It is sometimes getting better, but this is still a part of his game where he can be more aggressive sometimes.

“If he is, then he has a very good package as a centre-back because he reads the game very well, he has a fantastic build-up of the game and then he is a very good player.” (per Daily Echo)

It seems as if Hasenhuttl hasn’t seen enough of those improvements from Stephens, as he has found himself on the bench more often than not so far this season.

If he can’t re-establish himself in the first-team at all during the busy Christmas period, then it would perhaps not be a surprise to see the £4.95 million-rated defender leave Southampton in the not too distant future.

And, in other news… “If I was Danny Ings” – Carlton Palmer makes claim on the future of Southampton star

West Ham United must use Josh Cullen’s pre-season statement against him and force the central midfielder to accept a late offer to join RSC Anderlecht before Deadline Day.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail’s Adrian Kajumba, Belgian giants Anderlecht are interested in forging a late effort to sign Cullen and are hopeful of sealing a deal before the window slams shut on Monday.

Cullen, who has two caps for the Republic of Ireland, has struggled to establish himself in manager David Moyes’ plans since returning from a loan spell with Charlton Athletic in the Championship last season, with the Scottish coach only awarding him a Carabao Cup outing against his former loan side in the Second Round.

Bar those 90 minutes at the London Stadium, Cullen’s name has not yet featured on any first-team team sheet with the 24-year-old instead left at home to watch the action unfold.

The Westcliff-on-Sea-born midfielder had been keen to establish himself in the West Ham senior squad after starting all 34 of his second-tier outings either side of an ankle ligament injury last term, stating that this season is his time to make it happen.

“I’ve always said all along, through all the loans, the end goal is to be at West Ham,” the Hammers academy graduate told West Ham TV. “I’m 24 now so it’s time to make it happen.

“It’s been a different pre-season, a shorter one than normal, but I’ve loved every minute of it under the gaffer. Having worked under him and his staff during his first spell here, to come back and work under him again, I’ve loved it.”

Time to force the move

As much as Cullen is eager to forge a successful senior career at the club he’s been with since 2010, his time is now surely over and it is the responsibility of the Hammers to force a move if the offer is there.

Anderlecht’s interest comes at a point in Cullen’s career when he has just the one year remaining on his contract and is failing to the earn opportunities to impress Moyes and convince the ownership that he deserves an extension put before him.

Moving to Belgium, however, would see Cullen land the chance of competing at one of the top club’s in the country as they look to right the failings of last season, having ended the campaign down in eighth place and 27-points behind champions Club Brugge.

Vincent Kompany’s side would certainly appear to need reinforcements, too, as the former Manchester City centre-back has only overseen three wins from his side’s first seven league games to already be trailing the leaders by six points.

If the chance to play is not there under Moyes, West Ham must use Cullen’s “make it happen” comment against him and ensure the player does not waste another year of his career.

AND in other news, West Ham have been dealt a setback in the club’s efforts to land the missing spark of David Moyes’ midfield.

Tottenham Hotspur’s youth academy is arguably in the best place it’s ever been at the minute.

The two Harry’s, Kane and Winks, are the best two examples of Spurs success stories right now but in recent times, the likes of Japhet Tanganga and Oliver Skipp have also broken through.

But it’s not always been the case as some players have failed to live up to the hype – none more so than Nabil Bentaleb, who went from being a favourite of Tim Sherwood’s to a forgotten man under Mauricio Pochettino.

“I think he’s been great. I know Bentaleb, I know what he possesses. He trains like every day is the last day in the world and that’s a great trait to have for a young kid,” once explained Sherwood.

He wasn’t the only one to tout his potential though, Michael Cox, who is now The Athletic’s tactical guru, once likened him to a legendary defensive midfielder, he said: “Bentaleb is happy to push up the pitch and make quick interceptions to recover the ball immediately, in a manner reminiscent of Sergio Busquets.”

Having played 29 times for Sherwood, Bentaleb could only muster up another 46 appearances, primarily in cups rather than the Premier League, under Pochettino, who would quickly send him out on loan to Schalke 04.

Where is Bentaleb now?

After enjoying a successful stint on loan, the Bundesliga outfit sanctioned a permanent move for the Algerian powerhouse with Spurs raking in a whopping £17m, all of which is profit as he came through the ranks at Hotspur Way.

It has to be said, Daniel Levy played a blinder with that deal.

The 25-year-old has twice been dropped from their first-team squad due to disciplinary issues.

According to Bild reporter Marc Siekmann, the midfielder has a problem with leadership from above and often ignored the demands of his manager.

Such problems led to a loan move back to the Premier League during the January transfer window where he joined Newcastle United, playing alongside Danny Rose again for the second half of the campaign.

The fact that the Magpies didn’t turn that deal into a permanent one speaks volumes – per WhoScored, Bentaleb averaged 1.6 fouls, 1.9 tackles and only 0.7 key passes per game from his 12 league appearances.

Now valued at a miserable £3.6m by Transfermarkt, Spurs have clearly been the winners in this deal. A true masterclass from the tough-negotiator, Mr Levy.

AND in other news, Spurs can land Jose Mourinho his new Nemanja Matic next summer…