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Charlton started the season in fine form after winning the League One playoffs last term, winning four and drawing two of their first games back in the Championship.

In those games, Lyle Taylor – the Addicks’ talisman – was fit and firing, scoring five goals before going on international duty with Montserrat.

Unfortunately for the 29-year-old and for Charlton, Taylor damaged his knee ligaments, resulting in a spell on the sidelines for the No.9 and a chance for another striker to step into the limelight.

That man was summer signing Macauley Bonne. Having spent last season in the National League with Leyton Orient, the Addicks made the 24-year-old their first signing of the summer, and he has deputised for Taylor admirably.

Bonne has scored five goals in just six starts, netting against a decent level of opposition with strikes against West Brom, Fulham and Derby.

So, should the 1-cap Zimbabwe international keep his place when Taylor is back? Lee Bowyer has revealed he could be back amongst the first team in a few weeks, so how should the Charlton boss deal with this upcoming selection dilemma? Football FanCast’s writers give their verdicts below…

Billy Meyers

“I think it would be a truly harsh decision from Bowyer to drop Bonne, given the impressive nature of his efforts since stepping into the spotlight. The 24-year-old has started to prove himself at Championship level in Taylor’s absence, with his goals earning Charlton five points – he netted point-earning goals in the 2-2 draws against Fulham and West Brom, and also hit the winner against Leeds. Bowyer should, at the very least, play the pair up front together, or wait until Bonne hits a dry patch in front of goal before making the drastic decision of dropping Bonne.”

Charles Jones

“I think Bonne should keep his place in the team after such a good run of form. Taylor has been watching him score on a regular basis, and surely he will understand Bowyer’s choice if he perseveres with the former Leyton Orient man for a little bit longer.

“It could be a real morale killer if Bonne is dropped after playing so well during Taylor’s absence, so for that reason Bowyer should keep him in the XI.

“That isn’t to say that he should remain in the team for the rest of the season, but he certainly deserves to play over the next few weeks.”

Kealan Hughes

“It would be very harsh on Bonne if he was to lose his place in the squad, as he had to bide his time waiting for an opportunity and has now certainly taken it with both hands.

“The fact Charlton have barely missed Taylor and continue picking up points is a great testament to Bonne’s contribution, and therefore Bowyer should trust both to play together up-front.“They have both showed at times this season that they are able to score a variety of goals, using their head and poaching ability, so therefore their movement would create problems for most opposition defences.“Bowyer has occasionally operated with a diamond formation, too, so it is a system he shouldn’t be too adverse to utilising, and it could allow the Addicks to be even better in attack – with them currently ranked seventh for goals scored in the Championship. VJ

“Having smashed in five goals in his last six Championship appearances for Charlton, Bonne is like a house on fire at the moment. The 24-year-old has been a revelation for the Addicks considering he was playing non-league football last year for Leyton Orient.

“Bowyer has a massive headache to deal with over whether or not a returning Lyle Taylor should come straight back into the side at Bonne’s expense. However, what kind of message would it send out to the striker and his fellow teammates if he is dropped despite his incredible form? Managing a squad is an art in itself, and so the Charlton boss simply has to keep faith in Bonne. The 24-year-old is riding a wave at the moment, and Bowyer would do well to avoid upsetting the apple cart.”

Having endured a miserable start to the current campaign, Manchester United’s troubles went from bad to worse on Sunday after falling to a 1-0 defeat to a struggling Newcastle side.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men looked flat once again in the Premier League, and David de Gea’s post-match interview with Sky Sports certainly felt revealing about the lack of direction surrounding the club.

Marcus Rashford has found himself in the firing line of criticism this season for his poor form, with the England international scoring just once from open play.

The 21-year-old took to Twitter to send an apology to the club’s fan-base, and insisted “you can’t hide in football and the last few weeks simply haven’t been good enough.”

If the striker thought he would be receiving a wave of support and heart-felt commiserations for his words, then he was left sadly mistaken.

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Many supporters of the Manchester club hammered him for his role in the side’s demise, and urged him to do his talking on the pitch rather than off it.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

Another week, yet another outstanding performance from QPR talisman Eberechi Eze.

This week the midfielder struck two goals past Hull and had their defence on strings as the R’s won 3-2 on Saturday afternoon.

From just 12 outings this term, he’s registered six goals in what is proving to be a sensational season from the 21-year-old.

The Nigerian has earned plenty of plaudits and that continued this weekend as QPR supporters took to Twitter to rave over him.

One fan labelled Eze a living legend while he was also described as the best player in the league.

A further individual suggested he was the best player to don a QPR shirt since Moroccan midfielder Adel Taarabt.

The comparison seems apt given his ability with the ball at his feet and in front of goal.

Eze has been outstanding in pretty much every area, managing 2.5 shots per game, 1.9 key passes and also amassing 3 dribbles each outing, via WhoScored.

On that evidence, it’s hardly a surprise he’s been linked with Tottenham.

Here’s the best of the reaction from his latest display.

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Sunderland’s trip to Bolton this weekend may seem like an easy opportunity to grab three points, but the Black Cats will have to stifle a former player for that to be the case.

While Keith Hill’s side sit bottom of League One with just one goal scored and a whopping 23 conceded, they grabbed a draw last time out against Oxford United, and it’s no surprise their recent improvement has coincided with the return of Liam Bridcutt.

Indeed, the Wanderers are an extremely young side with little experience at the top level, but Bridcutt, who has two Scotland caps and 30 Premier League showings to his name, was immediately handed the armband when he came back into the side, and the stats show exactly how crucial he is.

The 30 year-old of course spent two years on Wearside, and in his two appearances so far this campaign, he is averaging 83 touches and 44 accurate passes per game, completing those passes at a rate of 73%, per Sofascore.

That may not seem all that great, but he has also provided one big chance in his limited time on the pitch and completed 6.5 long balls per game, suggesting his accuracy is low due to the difficulty of the passes he attempts.

On the defensive side of things, he is the lone shield in Hill’s 4-1-4-1 formation, and plays that role perfectly with a whopping 6 tackles, 2.5 interceptions and 3 clearances per game. He is also able to weave his way out of tight situations once he wins the ball back, currently completing 2 dribbles each game.

So, not only is Bridcutt the man tasked with shielding a leaky defence, he is also the player trusted to spray the ball around, string things together in the middle and launch long balls in behind the opponent’s full-backs – an area of the pitch Sunderland have struggled.

Jack Ross should absolutely have one his more energetic midfielders, like George Dobson or Lynden Gooch, focus on hassling and pressuring the Scotland international out of the game.

If the Black Cats can force Bridcutt into mistakes, stifle his attacking influence and nick the ball off him high up the pitch, thus also limiting his defensive impact, then it could well be the easy three points many fans will be hoping for.

However, if they allow the former Brighton and Leeds star to simply sit in front of his back-line and pick his passes, then that full-back weakness that has plagued Ross throughout his Black Cats reign could rear its ugly head thanks to his excellent long passing.

Beat Bridcutt, beat Bolton, it really may be that simple.

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

According to Italian media outlet CalcioMercato, Tottenham Hotspur want Ajax winger David Neres, and if the report proves to be accurate and they do get the 22-year-old, it would surely spell the end for Lucas Moura in north London.

What’s the word, then?

Well, as ever it’s short and sweet from CalcioMercato, who says Spurs are keen on the wide man, who is under contract at the Amsterdam-based outfit until 2023.

According to Transfermarkt, the Brazil international has scored 31 goals and provided 33 assists in 113 first-team appearances, and was part of the side that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League last term – where they were of course knocked out by Mauricio Pochettino’s men.

He would clearly add something for Tottenham in the final third, but perhaps they have bigger issues to focus on at the back after following up conceding seven against Bayern Munich during the week by letting in three more against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

The end for Lucas Moura?

Neres’ Brazil teammate surely would have thought he was in with a chance of starting at the Amex having been left on the substitutes’ bench against the Bundesliga giants, but he was once again left off of the team-sheet.

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Despite his heroics against Ajax in the semi-final second leg back in May – when he scored a hat-trick to take Spurs to a final against Liverpool – he has found starts hard to come by in 2019/20.

The 27-year-old hasn’t got the nod from the beginning in the Premier League since the defeat against Newcastle United back in August, and he’s played just 425 minutes in total two months into the campaign, according to Transfermarkt.

Lucas is clearly slightly out of favour under Pochettino right now, seeing as he can barely get any minutes under his belt even when they are really struggling.

The fact that he can play from the left or the right – as you can see from his positions recorded by Transfermarkt this term – is similar to Neres, who is also versatile and can play either.

Perhaps more to the point is the fact that Pochettino generally appears to have steered away from systems incorporating wingers in recent weeks, which suggests he isn’t happy with the options at his disposal.

You would expect that to change if CalcioMercato are right about him wanting Neres, who is an out-and-out wide man.

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Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has reiterated how vital it is that he and his squad focus on themselves in the run-in of the Championship campaign.

The Blades are currently in the thick of the Championship title race, along with Norwich City and Leeds United. Wilder believes that his side must concentrate on what they have to do themselves, without getting distracted by what’s going on around them.

What he said

As quoted by The Star, the Bramall Lane boss said “I’m not interested in what Leeds do or what Norwich City do…All I want to do is focus on ourselves and make sure we get results because that’s something we can influence. We can’t influence what other clubs do so it’s a waste of time worrying about that.”

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Wilder will know that these external issues, if they’re allowed to distract his squad, could see his own side’s title ambitions crumble as the Blades take their eye off the ball.

Wilder’s words will reassure fans that the team are focused, but the manager’s comments should also be taken heed of by his players.

What he meant

Wilder’s address was likely aimed at his own squad as much as anyone else. By publicly stating the importance of keeping their concentration, he adds extra weight to his message. 

The Blades are in for a nervy couple of months, as the title fight is likely to go down to the wire. Wilder must do all he can to keep his squad calm and attentive to their own jobs. Relaying this message via the media is a smart way of reinforcing its importance.

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According to Sky Sports, Qatari outfit Al-Gharafa are considering launching ‘a substantial offer’ for Everton forward Cenk Tosun.

The 28-year-old has only scored nine times in 44 appearances for the Toffees since joining the club from Besiktas in January 2018.

Tosun has not played a single minute of Premier League football this season, meanwhile, and does not appear to be in the plans of head coach Marco Silva.

Watch one of the best freestylers in the world attempt some of football’s hardest skills with fruit in the video below…

According to Sky Sports, Al-Gharafa – managed by former Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic – are determined to sign the Turkey international before the Qatari transfer window closes on September 30.

As expected, a number of Everton fans have been on social media discussing the transfer report.

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And whilst there are those who would be happy to see the back of the striker, others feel that Tosun has not really been given the chance to show his true worth.

A selection of the Twitter reaction is available to view below:

Anthony Joseph has dropped a teasing update regarding Celtic’s business on transfer deadline day.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Sky Sports journalist revealed that, while a host of incoming signings aren’t expected on the final day of the January transfer window, Ange Postecoglou will be keeping a very close eye on the market in case a player becomes available who is too good for the Bhoys to pass up.

In his tweet, Joseph said: “In terms of Celtic, I’ve been told not to expect incomings, unless someone becomes available who’s too good to miss out on. Could see some fringe/younger players heading out – more likely on loan.”

Fans will be excited

While Celtic have already been one of the busier clubs in the January window, having already sealed the arrivals of Matt O’Riley, Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi, Daizen Maeda and Johnny Kenny, the news that the Hoops could still be active on deadline day is sure to have left the Parkhead faithful excited.

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Indeed, there are a number of areas within Postecoglou’s first-team squad which could still do with greater strength in depth, particularly at left-back, attacking midfield and on the wings.

The Bhoys have been linked with the likes of Lee Buchanan, Callum Styles, Danny Mandriou and Albert Gudmundsson this month. Should any of those become available during the closing stages of the January market, it would indeed seem advisable for the Celtic manager to sanction a late swoop in the window, as each player would very much appear to improve the club’s chances of reclaiming their Premiership crown this season.

In other news: Ange must seal Celtic deal for £4m gem dubbed “one of the best”, he’s a big upgrade

Everton and their supporters have not had much to shout about this season having spent a lot of their Premier League campaign in the bottom half of the table and even towards the relegation zone.

In addition to winning just seven league games out of a possible 27, the Merseyside club were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup back in September after losing to QPR on penalties as well as more recently getting kicked out of the FA Cup earlier this month thanks to a 4-0 battering against Crystal Palace.

However, it seems as though the Toffees fans can breathe a sigh of relief over the immediate future of one of their star figures.

What’s the news?

A recent Twitter post from journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano relayed comments originally shared by the agent of Dominic Calvert-Lewin to an Everton insider saying that the striker “has not agreed any deal, with any club,” despite being recently linked with a move away from the club in the summer.

They also added that the England international “is currently working very hard in training and is fully focused on finishing the season strong with Everton.”

Big boost for Everton

Since joining the Merseyside club back in the 2016 summer transfer window from Sheffield United, the 25-year-old has racked up 56 goals in 184 appearances across all competitions.

Having scored 16 league goals in 33 appearances last season, it’s safe to say that having missed a large chunk of this campaign through injury, Everton have badly missed his presence and goalscoring abilities.

As well as his goals, only Harry Kane (47) had more shots on target than the Everton star in the league in the previous campaign, showing how deadly he can be in front of goal among some of England’s top attacking talents.

Looking ahead, if the centre-forward can get some regular minutes under his belt from now until the end of the campaign and score enough goals to help his side avoid the drop, this will only further enhance the club’s need to keep hold of him for as long as they can.

Taking into account what his agent has come out and said, this will be a massive weight off the shoulders of Toffees boss Frank Lampard who may be worried about the striker’s future at Finch Farm.

If Everton are then able to stay in the top flight and keep hold of Calvert-Lewin over the summer, this would surely be a massive positive for Lampard as well as the supporters, providing them with a lot of confidence that they can go on to have a solid 2022/23.

In other news: Lampard may have found Everton’s new Rooney in “top quality” £7.2m-rated “boy wonder”

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has revealed the latest regarding the future of Trezeguet, who is currently competing at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for Egypt.

What’s the latest?

According to the Birmingham Mail, Gerrard has hinted at the possibility of a move away from Villa Park for the winger this month.

Speaking to the media, the 41-year-old said: “Trezeguet’s a unique situation. He’s been out for seven months or roundabout. He’s come back and has obviously had a short cameo and has gone to the African Cup of Nations.

“We hope he stays fit, healthy and plays well and we’ll analyse that situation as the weeks go by. We’ve had a conversation in terms of what he needs next and he obviously needs game.

“He could find that challenging here so we’ll be respectful to him and we’ll see what lands from now until the end of the window but, as it stands now, he’ll be returning after the AFCON.”

As of yet, there has been no indication as to where the 27-year-old could end up. However, with the acquisition of Philippe Coutinho, Emi Buendia improving his output and Leon Bailey still to return from injury, it appears that the Egypt winger is now well down the pecking order at Villa Park.

Gerrard must axe Trezeguet

With Villa looking to make the next step with marquee signings such as that of Coutinho, lesser-seen players Trezeguet will probably fall further down the reckoning.

The Egyptian recently returned from a long-term knee injury and came off of the bench in Villa’s 2-1 defeat to Brentford to make his first appearance of the season before departing for AFCON. However, despite being on the pitch for just ten minutes, the 27-year-old went viral for a shocking dive.

In attempt to win a penalty, the winger flung himself to ground despite minimal contact, with Alan Shearer labelling the act “embarrassing”.

With Villa currently paying Trezeguet £47k-per week, the Midlands club could save money by axing the 27-year-old, especially with him becoming a fringe player in Gerrard’s squad and frankly stealing a living.

Since his move to Villa Park from Turkish outfit Kasimpasa in July 2019, the Egyptian has made 64 appearances and scored just nine goals whilst registering a further five assists. However, prior to the Brentford game, the 27-year-old hadn’t played a single minute of football since sustaining a knee injury in a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool back in April, while he made just 12 league starts last season.

With Gerrard and Villa looking to make ambitious signings, current squad players look set to see their game-time further decrease. Trezeguet is one of those, so the time could be right for the club to get him off their books if a decent offer comes in.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops major Villa transfer update which will have fans buzzing