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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…

Sunderland’s midfield has been a weak point of the team all season long, and if the issue is not addressed in January then it is unlikely their form will improve in the second half of the season.

Stewart Donald has stated previously that there will be funds made available to Phil Parkinson, and though there are a number of areas which could do with new additions, midfield is perhaps the biggest priority.

Will Grigg continues to fluff his lines in front of goal but his manager has maintained his faith in the striker, believing he will come good at some stage.

Given the Northern Ireland international has scored more than 19 league goals or more in four League One seasons, he could be right, but in order to do so he will require more chances to score, and therefore greater creativity from his teammates.

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The current crop of midfielders simply don’t provide that. Grant Leadbitter’s 1.4 key passes per game rank him highest, yet he is not a regular starter, which means that responsibility often falls to George Dobson and Max Power.

Neither have shown many signs that they are up to the task, as evidenced by their respective 0.3 and 0.4 key passes per game, and that means the Black Cats are too easily stifled.

While both fare better in a defensive capacity, with Dobson averaging 2.4 tackles per game and Power one, Sunderland need greater balance in the middle of the pitch, and a ball-player would be an ideal addition considering the team has averaged just 52% – the eighth-highest amount in the division.

Too often Sunderland have looked bereft of ideas in attack and have been too easy to keep quiet as a result. Parkinson was meant to change that but other than the 5-0 win over Tranmere he has failed so far.

That is highlighted in defeats against the likes of Lincoln, Wycombe and Shrewbury, all of whom the Black Cats failed to score against, and the midweek trip to Gillingham also produced the same result.

Parkinson needs a spark in the middle and preferably a player with a bit of pace and an ability to drive with the ball at feet, otherwise it is difficult to envisage their form turning around any time soon.

Crystal Palace travel to Burnley this Saturday for their first game outside of London in over three months.

The Eagles have endured a turbulent run of fixtures over the last few weeks, taking on back-to-back champions Manchester City, Arsenal, Leicester, Chelsea and European champions Liverpool with just a single point to show for their efforts, despite all of them being well-fought contests.

In Burnley’s case, Sean Dyche’s men have won their last two games by a 3-0 scoreline, rising to seventh in impressive fashion.

Let’s take a look at the XI that Hodgson should put out against the Clarets…

Firstly, Hodgson will need to address some injury issues that will mean he is forced to select a different XI to the one that started against Liverpool anyway.

Joel Ward is injured after a clash of knees, while Gary Cahill is a doubt for the game according to The Evening Standard.

Mamadou Sakho also requires a few more matches with the U23 side to build up his match fitness.

As a result, we think that Hodgson should bring forgotten man Scott Dann back into the fold.

The former Blackburn man wins 3.3 aerial duels per game, and this particular trait will be vital against the nuisance that is Ashley Barnes – we have already outlined that the former Brighton man is one to keep an eye on.

To compare, Tomkins only wins one aerial duel per game, Cahill two and Sakho 0.7.

Additionally, it is expected that Martin Kelly will fill in for Ward at right-back as Palace have no other options in that role – one would assume that the backline will be slightly rusty given the fact that Dann hasn’t started a league game since August, while Kelly has predominately appeared at centre-back this term.

Because of this presumed rustiness, we have placed Cheikhou Kouyate in a slightly deeper role to screen the back four and mop up – the Senegalese giant wins 2.9 aerial duels per game, and will undoubtedly add a significant physical presence ahead of the defence.

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Leeds United reporter for The Athletic Phil Hay has revealed on his podcast that there is little expectation that matches will be played in front of crowds when football returns.

What did he say?

The football season has been suspended since early March, with Leeds sat top of the Championship table nine games from the end of the campaign.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have a seven-point buffer to Fulham in third place, but Hay said that it is unlikely fans will be able to attend matches when the season restarts.

According to The Guardian, plans are underway to start playing matches again in June in order to complete the season, although Hay told his podcast that these matches are likely to be played behind closed doors.

“I obviously keep in touch with Leeds regularly about this and there is literally no expectation on their part that if and when the games start, that they’ll be anything other than behind-closed-doors fixtures,” he said.

“There’s simply no expectation at all at the moment that you’ll be able to have crowds in the stadium, certainly to begin with.”

Disappointment

While fans will likely be relieved to hear that the league intends to get the season underway eventually, the prospect of Leeds securing promotion to the Premier League behind closed doors is a depressing one.

Leeds last played in England’s top-flight back in 2004 and just missed out on promotion last season, so fans will have been desperate to be there for the final games of this season and witness the long-awaited return to the Premier League.

Back in 1928, Everton legend Dixie Dean scored a hat-trick against Arsenal to take his league goal tally up to 60 in a single season.

Blues fans are flocking to Twitter to show their appreciation for the club legend. The striker’s phenomenal achievement of reaching 60 goals in a single league season is still unbeaten by any other player, and many believe no one will ever be able to come close to this historic statistic.

The Goodison Park icon spent 12 years with the Merseyside outfit and scored 349 goals in 399 appearances. His total career portfolio boasts and astonishing 473 goals in 502 appearances for club and country (via National Football Museum). Dean enjoyed spells with other clubs including fellow Merseyside club Tranmere Rovers but his legacy is unarguably within the foundations of Everton Football Club.

Fans are celebrating Dean’s life and achievements on Twitter – one supporter has branded him the ‘greatest ever’ with another stating he is ‘simply the best’.

Everton fans, describe Dixie Dean in just one word in the comments below!

Much of the talk in the northeast lately has been surrounding Newcastle United’s prospective takeover as a Saudi-backed consortium involving the likes of Mohamed bin Salman, Amanda Staveley and the Reuben Brothers edge closer to landing the club in a £300m deal.

However, some attention has been turned to one of the Magpies’ former stars after Salomon Rondon posted some footage with an accompanying message, which has left many supporters swooning over him on social media.

The 30-year-old reunited with ex-Magpies boss Rafa Benitez over in the Chinese Super League in the summer, joining Dalian Yifang from West Brom – and it’s clear to see that many at St James’ Park miss the presence of Rondon in their frontline.

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He bagged 12 goals and provided seven assists in 33 appearances, via Transfermarkt, whilst on loan from the Championship outfit last season but no permanent move came to fruition.

Some fans have even been begging the Venezuelan to come back to Newcastle.

Here’s what has been said in response to his tweet…

AND in other news, Newcastle fans react to new Pochettino report…

Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips has discussed a potential points-per-game (PPG) system to end the League One season, saying that he is against the idea.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former England international gave his thoughts on the outcome to England’s third tier, saying that he felt it should be decided on the football pitch and not via a computer system.

Sunderland sit seventh in the League One table with a play-off place in their sights, following the disappointing play-off final defeat to Charlton last term. Black Cats fans are desperate to see their side return to the Championship after a period which has seen them relegated twice since 2017.

Should the season be decided by a PPG system, the Wearside club would miss on a play-off spot, despite only being three points off the second automatic place as things stand.

Phillips’ comments follow the club’s CEO Jim Rodwell, who released a statement against the potential outcome of the league. The former striker said:

“I would be selfish and say that I do not want that to happen. I want Sunderland to get back into those play-offs.

“It has obviously happened in Scotland, Celtic winning the league and Hearts getting relegated and it seems unfair. I would not want to see that happen.

“The teams need to battle it out on the pitch, not somebody working it out in an office.

“I would be lobbying for the season to be finished whenever possible. But if it cannot, I think everyone should just go again next season.”

Sunderland are desperate to get back in the Championship and missing out on a play-off spot this term would be a cruel blow to them after several galling years of late.

A drop down from the Premier League to League One has been largely documented via Netflix series Sunderland Til I Die, which may have damaged the club’s reputation on a wider scale. A promotion would change that slightly and hopefully Phillips will get his wish.

Do you think Sunderland will make the play-offs if the season finishes on the pitch? Let us know in the comments section below…

Plenty of Leicester City fans have spotted some similarities to footballing legend David Beckham in James Maddison.

The Foxes midfielder has posted a photo to his

/CBQ8IW2FCaf/”>Instagram, sporting new colours for a Puma advertisement campaign. The picture has attracted a lot of attention from Leicester fans, with a few likening him to the England legend in the comments on the image.

Maddison joined the Midlands side from Norwich in 2018 for a fee of £20m (via BBC Sport). Since his arrival, he has caught the eye of top Premier League teams including Manchester United, who are reportedly looking to sign him this summer.

The midfielder has tallied six goals and three assists in the league this season and he is on track to beat his debut campaign with the Foxes where he totalled seven goals and seven assists (via Transfermarkt).

Maddison has just the one senior England cap so far but, with the way he is making a name for himself in the Premier League, it will be hard for Gareth Southgate to ignore his ability in the middle of the park.

He may not be the next Becks in terms of his international status and goal count but the 23-year-old is certainly on his way to making a name for himself as a top-quality midfield talent.

What is your favourite James Maddison memory so far, Foxes? Have your say in the comments below!

Manchester United have announced that Alexis Sanchez and Chris Smalling will finish the Serie A season on loan in Italy. 

The Red Devils had great expectations for Sanchez after they beat Manchester City to sign him from Arsenal in January 2018. Unfortunately, the Chilean turned out to be a total flop and he was shipped out to Inter Milan last summer.

Meanwhile, Smalling has impressed Roma boss Paulo Foncesca during his loan spell at the Stadio Olimpico, as he has made two interceptions per game, completed 4.7 clearances on average, scored row goals and provided one assist so far (WhoScored).

Although both deals were expected to expire at the end of June, the Serie A campaign has been rescheduled to conclude in August as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Manchester Evening News, both players are considered surplus to requirements at Old Trafford and will likely be on their way out of the door almost immediately after they return in August.

Recent reports have revealed that Roma plan to sign Smalling on loan with the obligation to buy him at the end of next season, which would make the move permanent, but spreads the payment over two years.

In the meantime, Sanchez has struggled with injury problems and a dramatic slump in form ever since he arrived at the Theatre of Dreams. He has reunited with his old teammates Ashley Young and Romelu Lukaku at Inter Milan and has been beset by multiple setbacks.

Although their futures will be assessed when they return to Old Trafford, it seems that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already made up his mind.

While the manager is a fan of Smalling, he cannot offer the defeder what he wants, as the England international seeks regular game-time to stand a chance of making Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 squad. The Norwegian has preferred Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof as his first-choice pairing and Eric Bailly would also be above him in the pecking order.

Similarly, Solskjaer has made it clear he wants to sign a new winger, with Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho at the top of his shortlist.

Therefore, it is highly likely that their days at Old Trafford are numbered, regardless of what happens over the next few weeks.

United fans, do you think Ed Woodward should sell Alexis Sanchez and Chris Smalling this summer? Let us know in the comments below!

After seeing their relegation confirmed, it’s been no surprise to see some of Norwich’s key players being linked with moves away. And now, it appears Newcastle have set their sights on Canaries midfielder Todd Cantwell.

According to The Daily Mail, both the Magpies and fellow Premier League side Leicester are interested in signing the Englishman this summer, with Manchester City also name-checked as long-term admirers.

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The report further claims that despite the uncertainty surrounding Newcastle and their planned takeover, they have made their interest in Cantwell known.

And after hearing about their links to the £18m-rated ace, Magpies fans took to Twitter to share their reactions.

Some Newcastle fans suggested that whilst Cantwell could be a really good signing for them, they felt Leicester are clear favourites to get him.

Another Magpies supporter went about it a bit more tactically, claiming that Cantwell’s arrival, and his ability to play out on the left, could see Miguel Almiron move into a more central position.

Despite playing for a side that has already been relegated from the top-flight, Cantwell has undeniably been one of the shining lights of Norwich’s season.

The 22-year-old has struck seven times and provided a further two assists this campaign, playing on both flanks and popping up with some big goals – he has scored against the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal.

With the Canaries’ relegation, this could be a chance for Newcastle to snare him on the cheap.

Having already secured the Carabao Cup this season, Manchester City continue their bid to retain another domestic trophy tonight as they face Arsenal in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

In the week that they won their appeal against a two-year ban from UEFA competitions, thus paving the way for them to return to the Champions League next season, City will hope to maintain the positive mood by reaching what would be their sixth domestic cup final (not including the Community Shield) since 2016.

Pep Guardiola got the better of his former assistant Mikel Areta when their respective teams met in the Premier League a month ago, taking Man City’s consecutive run of wins over Arsenal to seven in all competitions, although the Gunners came out on top when the sides met at this juncture of the FA Cup three years ago.

Sergio Aguero is the only confirmed injury absentee for Guardiola, who could take the opportunity to switch up his team again from the midweek win over Bournemouth. Here is our predicted Manchester City XI for the match tonight, which shows five changes from the side that started on Wednesday:

Claudio Bravo has been Guardiola’s goalkeeper of choice for domestic cup competitions and could come in to give Ederson a rare night off. With the manager likely to go with a strong XI given that there is nothing more at stake in the Premier League, the full-back duo of Benjamin Mendy and Kyle Walker should be retained. John Stones could also keep his place after a strong performance in midweek, although Aymeric Laporte may be his centre-back partner tonight rather than Nicolas Otamendi.

Fernandinho seems likely to get the nod ahead of Rodri at the base of midfield, with David Silva also a probable starter following his magnificent free kick against the Cherries. Kevin De Bruyne should also come into the side after sitting out the win over Bournemouth, with Ilkay Gundogan the man to make way in midfield.

Guardiola may shuffle the pack with his attacking trio. Gabriel Jesus is again set to start at centre-forward, buoyed by what turned out to be the winning goal on Wednesday, although there could be changes either side of him. Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva both started in midweek, so both might drop out in deference to Raheem Sterling on the left and Riyad Mahrez on the right respectively.

The options are plentiful for Guardiola – it’s just a matter of him deciding what is his strongest team as he hunts down a ninth piece of silverware as Manchester City manager.

Man City fans, is this the team that you would pick for tonight? What changes would you like to see? Join in the discussion by commenting below!