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With Newcastle’s proposed takeover continuing to drag on, it appears things are now beginning to affect how the club deals with players contracts.

According to The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, the current Magpies hierarchy are “having to consult the prospective new owners on any contract negotiations, complicating the futures of Matty Longstaff and Andy Carroll”.

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It’s revealed that as part of the whole takeover process, Lee Charnley “must communicate financial dealings such as new contracts with the would-be buyers, delaying all business at St James’ Park” – essentially, were Longstaff to agree terms on a new deal, that would then have to be signed off by the Saudi consortium.

And after hearing about the kind of impact the takeover delay is beginning to have on the club, Newcastle fans flooded to Twitter to share their frustrations.

Some Magpies fans took aim at the Premier League in particular, and called them out for continuing to drag out the process, with a couple pointing to how it’s now beginning to affect their “ability to do business”.

One particularly pessimistic Newcastle fan suggested that this all had the sense of deja vu about it, and that when everything falls to pieces, the Magpies hierarchy will just be delivering excuses again.

So the Magpies are currently being left in limbo.

Whilst the Premier League continue to drag their heels over doing their due diligence on the takeover, Newcastle are having to contend with a situation where nothing is really certain, meaning the futures the likes of Longstaff can’t be resolved anytime soon.

The Tyneside club will have to hope that there isn’t a worse-case scenario whereby the takeover falls through, and players whose contracts come to an end soon, walk through the exit door too.

One of the undoubted bright sparks of Rangers’ campaign this year, Ianis Hagi has finally joined the club on a permanent deal.The starlet joined the club on loan from Belgian outfit KRC Genk, and had been in inspired form for Steven Gerrard’s side in the short time he has been at Ibrox, netting three times and providing two assists in 12 games.

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Speaking after the confirmation of his permanent arrival, Gerrard said: “Ianis is recognised throughout Europe as a young, exciting player so to have him join Rangers on a permanent basis is great news.

“I was able to develop a relationship with Ianis very quickly, he is a pleasure to coach as he is willing to learn and become better every training session. He has already experienced the pressure and expectation of Ibrox, I know he is ready for next season.”

And judging by the reaction of most Rangers fans, they have been left buzzing by the news too.

Some Gers supporters were quick to thank sporting director Ross Wilson for getting the deal over the line, with reports suggesting that Hagi will only cost around £3.5m.

One Rangers fan in particular appeared to poke fun at Michael Stewart, who was particularly critical of the club going after Hagi on a permanent deal in recent days.

Already a ten-cap Romania international at just 21, Hagi could be the kind of player Gerrard builds the side around at Rangers for the years to come.

And for the reported low cost that they appear to have signed him for, he promises to surely at least make a hefty profit for the club if he does leave later.

West Ham United are open to the sale of midfielder Declan Rice amid interest from Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal, according to The Sun.

What does the report say?

Rice has been a revelation for West Ham since emerging as a first team option during the 2017/18 Premier League season.

Now an England international, the 21-year-old looks to have attracted plenty of interest from some of the division’s biggest clubs.

According to The Sun, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are all keeping tabs on Rice, with the England man valued at around £70m.

Given the economic impact of the season’s suspension and David Moyes’ desire to rebuild the squad, West Ham are said not to be ruling out the departure of any players.

Big decision

While West Ham could be desperately in need of funds come the summer, they should look to keep Rice if they can.

Of course, £70m is a huge amount of money, but in the current environment, any bid of that amount is unlikely.

With Moyes looking to rebuild the squad, Rice is exactly the type of player he should look to make a central part of his plans.

With Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko and Fabian Balbuena likely to attract interest, the club can generate funds without cashing in on their most valuable asset.

Manuel Pellegrini is a man under pressure, especially after the poor performance his West Ham United side put in for the majority of their 3-2 loss against Tottenham Hotspur.

This has begun leading to conversations around who would replace the Chilean if he was to be sacked, with The Athletic hinting that it could be Chris Hughton.

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ExWHUEmployee has also offered an update that indicates Sean Dyche could also be in the hat:

While there are some West Ham fans who don’t want him due to the perceived style of football his side plays, many are thrilled by the thought of having him in the dugout at London Stadium.

He has already beaten the Hammers this season, his Burnley side currently sit seventh in the Premier League table and he has taken them to the Europa League in the past.

A selection of Twitter reaction to the update, including posts from thrilled West Ham fans, can be seen below:

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 attack has let them down time after time this season and Steve Bruce could opt to play without a striker against Manchester City.

On the chalkboard

The Citizens have struggled on their visits to St James Park in recent years and that was mainly due to the way Rafa Benitez made life difficult for them by restricting their usual flow and the space they had to operate in.

Bruce has continued on from the Spaniard in a very similar way, operating with five at the back and looking to contain the opposition before counter-attacking to great effect.

The Magpies beat City in the same fixture last term and the year before that soaked up a great deal of pressure, conceding 78% possession, in a 1-0 defeat.

A similar gameplan could work wonders, therefore, and with the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin running at City’s makeshift back four they could also have some joy at the other end of the pitch.

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No striker

Man City have looked a little more vulnerable in the league this campaign but they still possess a style and the personnel to really hurt Newcastle, and keeping Gabriel Jesus quiet will be key to picking up points.

Playing without a striker seems like a negative approach but in reality, it could free up the wingers to be more expressive, and the space it would restrict in their defensive half would make it very difficult for City to find a way through.

Joelinton didn’t exactly hold the ball up well against Aston Villa on Monday, either, and with the Brazilian now enduring a run of ten games without a goal it is unlikely he will be missed in an attacking sense, particularly not by the fans.

There is a concern that Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron won’t be able to score too since neither has found the net in black and white yet, but they at least provide an outlet on the break and the ability to carry their team up the pitch with their dribbling ability.

The pair have averaged four and one successful dribbles per league game respectively, while also providing a threat in behind the defence if they can be picked out by Jonjo Shelvey or Sean Longstaff, which worked to good effect against West Ham a few weeks ago.

Sacrificing a striker for an extra midfielder should reduce the influence of key men like David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne, and that may just be enough to stop Pep Guardiola’s men.

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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…

Speaking to The Athletic, Arsenal legend Robert Pires has suggested Unai Emery is struggling to adjust to the “intensity” of English football.

What did he say?

The Gunners have been in dire straits this season, already finding themselves eight points off the top four, and on a miserable win-less run of five games.

Having lost 2-0 to Leicester before the international break, Pires has intimated that whilst Emery may have managed top clubs in other countries like PSG and Sevilla, the difference in having to coach in England is wholly different.

He said: “This team has such quality. The squad can improve this situation. The most important thing now is that Unai Emery needs to talk to the group to try to find a solution together. I hope they can, for the players, for the club, for the manager.

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“I know he is having trouble. Unai is a good guy. He is a nice person. He is a good manager. He is under pressure unfortunately. Fans can’t always appreciate the details of the situation but to be a manager is very difficult, especially when you work in the Premier League. You can be a manager in Spain, France or Italy but when you come to England the intensity is totally different. It is about the fight, the spirit. The intensity is extremely difficult.”

Difference

As Pires somewhat alludes to, tactics and game-plans can often go out the window in the Premier League, and it becomes an old-fashioned battle of spirit. While games last season against their big rivals – particularly at home like against Tottenham and Chelsea for example – saw them get off to energetic starts, with high-intensity pressing and hounding the opposition, this year has been completely different.

The north London side have been far too timid to take the game to the opposition, and it is a telling statistic that they have faced the third-most amount of shots per game in the division this campaign. That is an indictment not only of their defence, but also of the lack of aggression and attacking intent in their play. There is simply not enough desire to try and dominate teams and win games, but rather an approach of trying not to lose at all costs. It’s a massive Emery problem this season that is a major reason why they have picked up just 17 points from 12 league games.

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…

Virgil van Dijk has cemented himself as one of, if not the best defender in the world in the past year or so.

The Netherlands international had a fantastic term last time out, helping Liverpool win the Champions League whilst also contributing to their second-place Premier League finish as the Reds pushed eventual champions Manchester City all the way. The Anfield outfit conceded just 22 goals in 38 games, the lowest in the division, and the 28-year-old was paramount to that success. As such, he as been recognised by Goal, who have awarded him top spot in their Goal 50 ranking.

However, he wasn’t the only player to impress for the European champions last season. Sadio Mane, along with Mohamed Salah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, topped the Premier League’s goalscoring charts with 22 strikes. Not only that, but he bagged four goals in that European run, whilst also providing three assists.

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He also helped Senegal to the final of the African Cup of Nations, scoring three times before they eventually lost to Algeria. Van Dijk, too, helped his side to a showpiece, but the Netherlands were beaten 1-0 by Portugal in the final of the UEFA Nations League.

Had the award been given out just for last term, then van Dijk would have rightly pipped the former Southampton man to the top prize, albeit only just. However, it has been given for the entirety of the 2019 calendar year, and this term Mane has stolen a march on the 28-year-old.

Liverpool may be top of the Premier League, but they have not not always performed fantastically as the previous term, especially defensively. In the 17 games van Dijk has started, Jurgen Klopp’s side have failed to keep a clean sheet in 14 of them. He has had nowhere near the same influence on the side, and it has often been the attack that has won Liverpool matches rather than their sturdy backline.

£108m-rated Mane – as per Transfermarkt – though, has arguably hit new heights this campaign. In his first 16 matches of the season, he has 11 goals and has also contributed four assists. Such has been his form, Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player in the game’s history, voted for him for FIFA’s The Best award recently.

No-one is suggesting that van Dijk is not a star player, but Mane can be a little underwhelmed by the fact he has not been ranked higher than not only him, but also Salah, who finished third.

Hopefully, he will soon receive the recognition he deserves.

In the past on FFC we’ve spoken about the goalkeeping position at St Andrew’s a number of times before.

Whether it be about Lee Camp making mistakes, David Stockdale and his slump down the ladder or the possibility of Connal Trueman and Moha Ramos earning their keep, they seem to be figures of the squad that draw natural debate.

So when Birmingham Live posted a story in which they discussed the goalkeepers that Blues manager Pep Clotet could be tempted to go for in the January transfer window, it naturally grabbed our attention as well as a few Bluenoses.

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However, it seems as if the article didn’t go down well with them, as many supporters were quite happy with the options they had at the club – that’s despite some of the clangers Camp has dropped this season.

They suggested they’d rather the club spend their money in other areas rather than the person who’s standing between the sticks each week.

Taking to Twitter, they gave their thoughts on the current situation that’s playing out regarding their ‘keepers, urging Clotet to stick with the dilemma he has, rather than invest in new faces.

There was one fan though who thought there should be some change at the club, although they could have used some slightly nicer words.

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

Alex Iwobi and Bernard have been pushing for regular starts for Everton all season, and now is the time for Marco Silva to start both players together against West Ham United.

On the chalkboard

Currently, the Toffees sit in the relegation zone on just seven points from eight games which has, therefore, put heavy pressure on Silva’s shoulders.

Despite such dreadful results, the former Watford boss has been reluctant to change his team at times, keeping the same central defenders Michael Keane and Yerry Mina for each Premier League game, and starting forwards such as Moise Kean and Theo Walcott just twice and once respectively.

Two other players who have not seen much game time are Iwobi and Bernard. Iwobi has started just three Premier League games since leaving for Arsenal and has had three substitute appearances also. A similar situation has occurred for Bernard, with the Brazilian starting only four league games and coming off the bench for two.

Silva has got to change something

At the very least, Silva must change something, because whatever he is doing right now is not working.

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The club have scored just six goals so far this Premier League season, and whilst the likes of Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson each scored 13 goals last season, the Icelandic hasn’t netted this season, whilst the Brazilian has only two.

On the other hand, Iwobi has scored one goal in two fewer appearances than Sigurdsson, whilst winger Bernard has also bagged one in two games fewer than Richarlison.

It has come to a time now with Everton where it does not make sense to stay with the same team. Players like Dominic Calvert-Lewin have only two league goals to their name, so perhaps it’s time to start Kean or promote Anthony Gordon, who has six goals in six games for the U23’s.

The same applies to Iwobi and Bernard. Their competition in that position is simply not doing the job, so now it’s time for a change. Silva should do himself a favour and give both of them a start at West Ham because things are not working as they are.

It will be just the second time that the two have started together for Everton – and the first time in the Premier League – following their outing in the 2-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday in the cup. Should this be the case, Sigurdsson would need to be dropped so Iwobi can play just behind the striker.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Manchester United remain interested in Jadon Sancho, according to the Manchester Evening News, but they should take careful consideration before submitting a concrete offer.

What’s the latest?

Sancho is hot property due to his form for Borussia Dortmund, but he hasn’t translated that onto the international stage as of yet, and that should be a warning sign to the Red Devils.

It is reported that the winger will cost upwards of £100m, a hefty price for a player with only 66 senior appearances for the German club, and though he has displayed his talent frequently with 18 goals and 30 assists, the standard of the Bundesliga is not quite on the level of the Premier League.

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As a result, he may take some time to re-adjust to playing in England, and he may not be afforded such a period at United, where immediate success may be needed after their worst start to a season in 30 years.

Sancho’s failure to deliver against the Czech Republic on Friday highlights the possible problem of the move and raises questions over whether he would be a good fit at United.

Not the solution

England underwhelmed as they lost 2-1 on Friday and that was partly due to a lack of inspiration in attack, with only three shots on target from open play.

As a player who should be providing a creative spark, Sancho failed in that aspect, whilst his pass accuracy of 72% underlined that his display didn’t meet the standard required.

Perhaps more of a concern, from a United perspective, was his failure to take up good attacking positions, with zero shots attempted throughout the match.

Although he has three league goals for Dortmund this term, it is sometimes a similar story at club level, with an average 1.4 shots taken per league game, and therefore he may be unable to address a key area of weakness for the Old Trafford outfit.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team scored only two league goals in September, yet Daniel James’ rate of two shots per league game and Marcus Rashford’s 2.6 are better than Sancho, which suggests he may not improve the team’s threat in the final third.

The 19-year-old is often recognised for his dribbling ability too, and the ease at which he takes the ball past opponents is likely one area of his game which appeals to the United hierarchy, but the fact that he had just one successful dribble against the Czech Republic raises doubts over his ability to perform against higher quality players in the Premier League.