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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…

When somebody takes over a football club, there are often lofty promises made, with a time frame being put on when they will get promotion or Champions League football.

There was none of that with Roland Duchatelet at Charlton Athletic in 2014, though, as he was quoted by The Evening Standard at the time as saying: “Lasting success is built on good foundations, it is important for clubs to break even and I am a big supporter of financial fair play.

“Most clubs in the Championship make losses and the same is true in many European countries, but the challenge is to combine good results with financial equilibrium.

“All the things I do, I am working in the long run. Throwing money at players and so forth, that is definitely not the strategy here.”

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The Belgian wasn’t kidding when he said he wouldn’t be throwing money at players, as there have only been three players signed for over £1m during his tenure at the Valley.

Looking at the summer transfer window of 2019, Macauley Bonne was the only player brought in for a fee – even that was around £200,000.

Yet Lee Bowyer has the team sitting 11th in the Championship, just six points off the play-off places.

The former Charlton player is the 10th full-time manager under Duchatelet, and the Belgian has finally found someone who can meet his challenge of balancing good results with financial equilibrium.

The club were relegated to League One in 2016 and failed to get out of the division until Bowyer arrived and transformed their fortunes.

Charlton have used the loan market well, while there have been numerous players coming in for little or no money, and Bowyer has been getting the best out of them.

One of those loanees, Josh Cullen, has given an indication into just how influential the manager is, as quoted by London News Online: “Bows was one of the main reasons I joined Charlton in the first place. It’s easy to learn from a manager like that and, from when I joined last season up to now, I’ve loved playing under him.

“Every day in training, learning from him and getting little chats here and there, he’s given me pointers which I’ve thought is helping me improve so I’m loving my time at Charlton.”

Considering the boundaries set by the club’s finances, Bowyer has done a superb job of meeting Duchatelet’s challenge of achieving good results while balancing the finances.

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…

As quoted by The Manchester Evening News, Daniel James has been compared to PSG sensation Kylian Mbappe, by the manager of Hungary.

What did he say?

James has been a revelation for Manchester United since arriving in a £15m deal from Championship side Swansea in the summer. The 22-year-old has scored three goals and provided a further three assists in his 16 appearances across all competitions, and has firmly established himself as a key part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-team.

Speaking ahead of their clash against James’ Wales on Tuesday night, Hungary boss Marco Rossi lauded the winger’s abilities, and made a stunning comparison to Mbappe.

He said: “James is a player that is playing with a motor bicycle because he is really fast. I have never seen someone in the last period as fast as him, maybe Mbappe. He’s unbelievable. If we leave him (James) space to run he could be dangerous. This could be the key, but we work a lot on the defensive line and will try to give confidence to our players.”

Development

From playing in the Championship just a few short months ago, to being compared to one of biggest talents in world football, it really has been a remarkable rise for James. The Welshman has come on leaps and bounds in his time at Old Trafford, and has been a consistent performer for the Red Devils in what largely has been a difficult campaign thus far.

As per Whoscored, he has impressive averages of 1.5 shots, 0.9 key passes and one dribble per game, whilst he has arguably been unlucky not to have picked up more assists thanks to some profligate finishing from some of United’s forwards. As the Hungary boss says, his searing pace causes problems for any defence, and Solskjaer has used it to great effect when the side have played on the counter-attack. Rossi’s comments will be music to the Norwegian’s ears, and a great appraisal of the work he has done in developing the £15m man.

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’s defeat against Aston Villa marked yet another game where their two wingers remained goalless, while also having a limited influence on proceedings.

On the chalkboard

Allan Saint-Maximin displayed his trickery throughout in typical fashion in what was a fierce battle with Villa right-back Frederic Guilbert, as it was always likely to be.

His compatriot won eight tackles but the Magpie was still able to create space in the attacking final third due in part to his seven successful dribbles, only to let himself down with his final ball – producing zero key passes.

Miguel Almiron had a little more luck in that department with two key passes, but throughout the match there was a sense that both wingers would have had an easier time of things had they swapped wings.

Too often both players had to cut back onto their stronger foot to make a cross or a pass, and that allowed the defenders to cover and also disrupted Joelinton’s runs in the middle.

In fact, one of Newcastle’s best opportunities was Christian Atsu’s late header, which came from a cross which Saint-Maximin fizzed in from the right flank, where he spent too little time during the match.

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Playing to their strengths

Despite whatever else the pair may bring to the Magpies, there is no getting away from the fact that their failure to produce in the final third is a big concern – with zero goals and one assist between them this term.

Worse still, Steve Bruce seems to think they are going to find form out of nowhere, as he has done very little to enable them to find a goalscoring touch or take up more promising positions.

A simple change which could make both more effective is making them swap flanks.

That would mean Almiron plays on the left and Saint-Maximin on the right, according to their stronger foot, thus enabling them to fire over a cross after they run and beat a man.

Their pace, and for Saint-Maximin his skill, is what makes them so lively and dangerous, but their momentum is lost in having to cut back onto their preferred foot.

They also lose their unpredictability when that happens, which has been key for them so far, and the Newcastle attack could benefit hugely from regular crosses player into the box – Joelinton would certainly love it.

Such a change may be all they need to get off the mark, and once that happens the confidence boost could see them become a key threat for the remainder of the season.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are underperforming in another area, but Mike Ashley rather than Steve Bruce is perhaps most to blame for that.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes that winger Grady Diangana could become a big part of manager David Moyes’ plans at West Ham next season.

The attacker is currently on loan at West Bromwich Albion and was enjoying a successful spell before a hamstring injury in December, per Transfermarkt, scoring five goals and providing six assists in 21 appearances. The Baggies are also doing very well in the Championship, as they are second in the league and six points clear of third, via BBC Sport.

Speaking to Football Insider about the winger, Whelan said: “I do not think David Moyes has seen enough of him. I think he will want to. He will want people he can trust, rely on and win him football matches.

“Moyes has steadied the ship and I think they will be OK.

“From the start of next season, he will want to look at every single player and make his decision off of the back of preseason. He could be there and be a big part of the plans for David Moyes.”

It is hard to disagree with Whelan here, the Englishman has a huge preseason ahead of him when football resumes to prove himself, but everything looks in place for him to succeed and be a big part of the Hammers’ next Premier League campaign.

It has already been reported that Moyes is keen to use the player, according to Claret & Hugh, whilst it has also been rumoured that both Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson will be allowed to leave the club in the summer.

This means that the 21 year-old, per Transfermarkt, might have less competition and his attacking statistics also highlight that he can offer an attacking threat for the Irons. He is averaging 1.3 key passes, 1.5 shots and 2.3 successful dribbles per game, which is more Yarmolenko (1, 1.3, 0.4) albeit in a lower division, whilst the Brazilian only betters him on successful dribbles per game, (1.1, 1, 2.8,) via WhoScored.

It would be interesting to see how he can impact a squad with Premier League quality players around him, but it does look like this is the best chance for the Englishman to succeed in East London, and the confidence highlighted by his attacking statistics could be the exact catalyst West Ham need so that next campaign they are looking at the teams above them rather than the ones below them.

The fact they are 16th and only two points away from 19th has not gone down with supporters but hopefully with players like Diangana, this can change in the upcoming seasons.

West Ham fans, would you like to see Diangana around the first team next season?

According to Mundo Deportivo, Mauricio Pochettino has already earmarked Philippe Coutinho as one of his first major wishes if he becomes Newcastle’s new manager.

What’s the word?

The Magpies could be set to enter a new era if the proposed takeover goes through soon, and with it, there will be major questions about whether there will be a new manager at the helm.

One man who has been linked with the job in recent days and weeks is former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino. And now, according to Spanish publication, Mundo Deportivo, the Argentine has already “advanced his first wish” of bringing Barcelona star Coutinho to St James’ Park.

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The report claims however that the Catalan giants will not lower their asking price for the Brazilian even despite the current climate, as Barcelona boss Quique Setien is “willing to mentally recover” the former Liverpool ace.

Statement

This would be the kind of statement signing that would truly announce the new era at the club.

Whilst Coutinho may have been deemed surplus to requirements at Barcelona and shipped out on loan to Bayern Munich this season, that doesn’t take away from the fact he continues to be a play-maker belonging in the highest bracket.

As per Transfermarkt, he had scored nine goals and provided a further eight assists in 32 games for the Bundesliga side this season, and would arrive at St James’ Park with a worldwide reputation.

He would be the kind of statement signing that would send shockwaves across Europe. Whilst Pochettino’s arrival as manager would be one thing, bringing in a bona-fide superstar like Coutinho would raise the expectation levels and deliver a message about the club’s new intent.

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.

The heart of Everton’s attack has been somewhat of a conundrum for many years now, after the departure of Romelu Lukaku left the Blues lacking a double figure goal input. The emergence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and arrival of Carlo Ancelotti has hoisted the club out of a relegation battle, but Everton’s forward struggles live on.

Oumar Niasse arrived on Merseyside in 2016 from Lokomotiv Moscow for a fee of £13.5million (via BBC Sport), but his impact on the team has left a lot to be desired as he has flopped. After acquiring the Senegalese striker, his market worth was valued at £11.7m, and he has since plummeted to just £2.8m (via Transfermarkt). Niasse’s lacklustre performances in front of goal and seemingly failed loan spells have contributed to his decline in value.

In his final season in the Premier Liga, the 30-year-old notched eight goals and seven assists, which set a precedent for what life at Goodison Park could be like. But Blues fans know he was far from a dream signing. During his four-and-a-half seasons as an Everton player, Niasse has scored just nine goals in 42 appearances (via Transfermarkt).

His underwhelming presence on the pitch has seen him loaned out twice as a Blue, scoring five goals in his first loan spell at Hull, but making no impact whatsoever in his most recent stint with Cardiff (also Transfermarkt).

Niasse’s contract is due to run out this summer and there have been no talks of offering him an extension. On the contrary, the forward’s name was included in a list of players likely to be released this summer (via Liverpool ECHO).

It seems the squad has happily moved on without Niasse and Ancelotti has plans for the next transfer window, but the Toffees must accept a loss of the entire fee they paid for him when he leaves Goodison as a free agent.

What’s your opinion on Oumar Niasse, Blues? Has he had his time in the sun with the club? Join the discussion in the comments below…

It’s June 1st and Newcastle United’s prospective £300m takeover is still yet to be complete.The Premier League’s return to action is on the horizon in just a few weeks as the tumultuous 2019/20 campaign appears to be able to finally conclude.However, it’s now fast approaching the two-month mark since news first broke that current Magpies chief Mike Ashley was to sell the club to a very wealthy Saudi-backed consortium fronted by PCP Partners’ Amanda Staveley.A couple of weeks ago, The Sun’s Neil Custis hinted that today could finally be the day that the deal gets announced, but that seems rather unlikely given latest information from the Telegraph’s Luke Edwards, who tweeted the following answer in response to a fan…

He claims that the takeover is still with the Premier League, who have been conducting their owners and directors test for several weeks now. Edwards won’t put a timeframe on it happening – but does suggest that there shouldn’t be any worries over it being off completely.

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

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It’s merely a long game of patience, and given that the new season isn’t going to start for a few months, it shouldn’t be rushed. There will be plenty of time for the new owners to do what they need in preparation for next term should they eventually be handed the green light.

AND in other news,ÂLee Ryder reveals Mapies ace is “on the brink” of EXIT…

Plenty of Newcastle United fans have been lauding a claim about the prospective takeover in the North East from The Shields Gazette following responses on their weekly feature ‘Toon Trending Topic’ from a couple of their writers.

Journalists Liam Kennedy and Jordan Cronin were asked a variety of questions about the proposed deal between Mike Ashley and the Saudi-led consortium and came up with some answers that were lauded by several members of the Toon faithful.

For example, when asked if they believe that the deal will get the ‘green light’, Kennedy claimed: “I have seen or heard absolutely nothing to suggest it will not be given the green light. It is my understanding the piracy issues were ironed out a little while back.”

Indeed, issues with the piracy television channel beoutQ were raised by the World Trade Organization (WTO), who ruled that Saudi Arabia were behind the service, which also provides streaming that offers illegal access to sporting events, including games from the Premier League, as per The Guardian.

However, Kennedy suggests that these issues were dealt with a while ago, leading some NUFC supporters to laud his claim.

One Magpie even said that he is ‘confident it will be announced tomorrow’ after reading the claims, but only time will tell if he is correct.

Check out the rest of the reaction on Twitter:

Geordies, do you think the takeover will be announced soon? Comment below!

The age old debate between English football fans… Who is the better midfielder? Was it Stevie G and the Miracle of Istanbul? Or was it Super Frank and his all-time goalscoring record?

Between them, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have more than 300 career goals, 220 England caps and more than 1,000 domestic appearances. They have both enjoyed illustrious careers and have gone on to start their new chapters in management.

Not much separated the two whilst they were on the pitch, but just how much do you remember from their playing days?*

Think you know the difference between these two legendary No.8s? Take our quiz and put your knowledge to the test!

*Stats gathered using Transfermarkt and GiveMeSport.

After seeing both Chelsea and Leicester slip-up over the weekend, Manchester United had the perfect opportunity to take advantage of their rivals’ defeats by beating Southampton on Monday night.

And having gone 2-1 up in the first-half, everything seemed to be on course for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side to take all three points. But, deep into injury-time, Michael Obafemi pounced on a flick-on from a corner and dented United’s hopes of a top-four finish this season.

Solskjaer had named the same starting line-up for the fifth game running and for the first time in 27 years, and considering the superb form they have been in, that was no real surprise.

Can you name every one of United’s top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

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But Mason Greenwood’s struggled in particular on the right-hand side, proved exactly why Ed Woodward surely needs to bring in Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho this summer.

Greenwood has been in superb form for the Red Devils since the Premier League’s restart, racking up four goals and an assist in six games. But against Southampton, he just didn’t seem to have the guile or creativity to either make his own chances or more importantly, provide for his teammates.

As per Sofascore, he made just 18 total passes, provided no key passes or accurate crosses, and had just 27 touches of the ball in the time that he was on the pitch.

Greenwood also couldn’t find a way to at least get a shot off in anger, making no attempts on goal, and dribbling just the once. It was rather telling that in the last couple of days, United icon Gary Neville hinted that the starlet’s future could be through the middle.

He said: “I think Greenwood will develop into a central striker naturally over time. There will come a time when he will step up, he’s stepping up game by game now. He is outstanding, his talent is incredible. He has everything, the composure, the receiving of the ball, the awareness, the finishing ability.”

If Greenwood is seen as someone more suited to being a number nine by coaches in and around the club too, then it makes it all the more important that United go out and splash the cash on Sancho to fill up that right-wing spot.

Sancho’s name has been linked with United for a number of months, and has proven week-in and week-out for Dortmund that he is one of the most exciting wingers in the world, providing a remarkable 20 assists across all competitions.

Bringing the £105.3m-rated Sancho in would allow Greenwood to transition into more of a striker, whilst also ensuring that United have a bona-fide star out wide.