Former England international Shaun Wright-Phillips has revealed why he failed to settle in at Chelsea, in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.
What did he say?
After impressing with displays for Manchester City, Wright-Phillips joined Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea side in the summer of 2005.
However, things did not quite workout for the speedy winger, managing just 10 goals in 125 appearances for the club.
After three seasons in West London the England man returned to his former club, and looking back on the experience he said he had the wrong approach at Stamford Bridge.
“I think there were a lot of factors at play,” he told Football FanCast.
“Obviously, the older I get the more I’m seeing and the more I’m realising but in my first spell at City, the ball came to me very quickly and I was always that person who was going to make something out of nothing or get people off their seats.
“I was quite fearless. I didn’t think about it in my head. I was just like, ‘I’m going to beat you, I’m going to cross the ball and hopefully create a chance.’ That was my mindset and I think the difference was, when I went to Chelsea, I had to get used to the fact that it wasn’t just me that could do those things.
“I had to learn to be a bit more patient and then I noticed that times when I was getting the ball, I was trying to do everything too quickly instead of playing my way into the game. At Chelsea I had to take my time.
“I look back now I can say that is was the wrong approach. I just needed to just play the way I play.”
Difficult move
Unfortunately for Wright-Phillips his second spell in Manchester was not as successful as his first, with the new owners investing heavily in the squad.
In truth, it was a similar situation that he found himself in at Chelsea, who had plenty of talent out wide such as Damien Duff and Arjen Robben.
As he admitted, his approach at Chelsea was not quite right and with significant competition for places, he suffered as a result.
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Manchester United played Bournemouth this weekend, and while that isn’t a historically great Premier League clash, there have been moments in the games between the Cherries and the Red Devils that will live long in the memory.
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Junior Stanislas scoring directly from a corner as the south coast club overcame the 20-time champions, the delayed final day of the season and Jose Mourinho’s first league game in charge of the club have all been memorable events for one reason or another, but there may be no moment as iconic as Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s first Manchester United goal.
Indeed, the Swede netted his first strike for the Red Devils against Eddie Howe’s men in trademark fashion as he drilled the ball into the back of the net from around 30 yards.
Three years on and Manchester United elected to choose the former PSG man’s strike as their Goal of the Day as they prepared to take on Bournemouth at the Vitality.
This tweet sparked a response from a number of United fans as they pleaded with the club to bring the 116-cap Ibrahimovic back for one more spell at Old Trafford.
Here’s what the fanbase have been saying on Twitter…
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…
Tom Davies has become an integral part of Aidy Boothroyd’s England U21s over the past year. The Everton man wore the captain’s armband for the Young Lions back in September and he now has 16 appearances and one goal for them.
Now, with the Boothroyd putting together another star-studded squad – one which Davies has been included in – the Everton academy product has the chance to catch the eye of Gareth Southgate. The likes of Mason Greenwood and Phil Foden are just a few names on the list who the England boss will surely be watching.
However, with 95 appearances for Everton under his belt now, Davies is the one Southgate should be keeping a close eye on. The 21-year-old has an opportunity to enjoy a long spell in the Everton team after the injury to Andre Gomes.
Plus, despite the club’s poor form, the Toffees man has a chance to prove his worth to both the England boss and Marco Silva over the coming months.
Over the past few years, England youngsters have flourished and made the step up from U21 to senior level, with Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham some recent examples of players who have stepped up in class.
Those players all graduated from Boothroyd’s squad and it’s fair to assume that the youth team manager is constantly in communication with Southgate regarding players he believes have the potential to play at the elite level.
Should Davies, who is valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, put in a shift and impress with the Young Lions, he could put his name into the back of Southgate’s mind.
Now, he also his chance to take the opportunity to become Everton’s main man in the absence of Gomes and that will only bolster his international aspirations.
And a string of fine performances could well put himself into contention for Euro 2020, even if he is an outside shout at this stage in the season.
The midfield spot has become an area for England where the coaching staff have chopped and changed. Harry Winks, Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley and Declan Rice are just a few who have stepped into the centre lately.
Now, with Fabian Delph also receiving a call-up, there is no reason why Davies cannot make his stamp on the squad as well.
After a long summer of rumours and deals, the transfer window slams shut this Friday, and while Tottenham Hotspur has been relatively busy this summer, there is still time to make a couple more signings.
Ange Postecoglou must go one better than last season and lead the club back into the Champions League places come May, but to help him do that, Daniel Levy and Co must bring him more firepower.
Interestingly, the club were linked with an exciting winger outside of Europe's top five leagues earlier this month, and while he might not be a name fans are overly familiar with, he could challenge Brennan Johnson for his place in the team.
Brennan Johnson for Tottenham
More importantly, though, there are shades of a certain Gareth Bale in him as well.
Bale's Spurs legacy
So, when it comes to the best Tottenham players in recent history, the top two in the eyes of most fans will probably be Harry Kane and Son Heung-min and for good reason.
wilfried-gnonto-kane-son-tottenham-opinion
However, if you go back just a bit further, it's hard to deny that Bale is almost unmatched in terms of pure technical skill and ability to single-handedly win games.
The Welshman spent six years in North London, and while he struggled to begin with, he gradually moved up the pitch and established himself as one of the best wingers in Europe, let alone the Premier League.
In his final campaign with the Lilywhites, before he moved to Real Madrid for a world record £85m, he scored 26 goals and provided ten assists in 44 appearances, equating to an unreal average of a goal involvement once every 1.22 games from left midfield and left wing.
There is no denying that at his peak, he was one of the greatest attackers in the world, and while this latest start touted for a move to Tottenham shouldn't be held up to that standard, he shares some characteristics with the icon.
The player in question is Club Brugge gem Andreas Skov Olsen, who caught the North Londoners' attention back in March, per a report from Voetbalkrant, and while there was no mention of a concrete price for the winger then, more recent reports touting other sides for the star claim that offers of around £25m would be enough to get the deal done.
Now, the similarities between the Danish international and the former Real star stem from their style of play, with data analyst Ben Mattinson claiming that the 24-year-old loves "cutting in on his left foot" and "shooting from distance", which sounds a lot like the player the Welshman was during his final campaign in England.
Denmark international Skov Olsen.
Moreover, Mattinson describes the Brugge ace as a "quality goal-scoring, physical winger" who possesses a "deadly left-foot", and like the Welshman, he's also over 6 foot, coming in at a strong 6 foot 2, which would only help him keep Premier League defenders at bay.
Lastly, the former Bologna gem has also proven himself to be a real goal threat in recent seasons, and this last similarity he shares with Bale could also be why he'd offer Johnson so much competition at Tottenham.
How Skov Olsen compares to Johnson
Okay, so if Skov Olsen was to come in as some extra competition for Johnson out on the right, it's worth comparing their output from last season, and unfortunately for the former Nottingham Forest ace, it's not a comparison that goes well for him.
For example, in his 38 appearances across both teams last season, the Welshman scored five goals and provided ten assists, and while that means he maintained an impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.53 games, it pales in comparison to the Dane.
In his 50 appearances for Brugge last season, the left-footed dynamo scored a whopping 26 goals and provided eight assists for good measure.
Appearances
50
38
Goals
26
5
Assists
8
10
Goal Involvements per Match
0.68
0.39
This means that he averaged a goal involvement once every 1.47 games, and while you have to take into account the weaker league, that is still an outrageously impressive level of output and should certainly encourage Spurs to pursue the exciting talent.
Ultimately, Tottenham are not going to find the next Bale in Skov Olsen, but he shares some similarities with the iconic winger, and from his incredible form last season, he looks like an ideal candidate to help get even more out of Postecoglou's attacking style of football.
Therefore, Levy and Co should do what they can to bring him to N17 this summer.
Spurs could avenge Lenglet mistake in swoop for "extraordinary" £21m star
The Lilywhites have been linked with an interest in the talented central defender.
In a frantic end to the window, the 49ers Enterprises are now reportedly eyeing a move to sign a Premier League attacker who knocked Leeds United out of the FA Cup in 2023.
Leeds transfer news
Given how their squad has been decimated this summer, it's no surprise to see Leeds ending the transfer window in search of attacking options, with links to the likes of Manuel Benson and, most recently, Largie Ramazani. The UD Almeria star will move to Elland Road after Leeds reached an agreement with the Spanish club before booking a medical, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Even after the winger, however, the Yorkshire club are unlikely to be done on the transfer front, having lost both Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter to West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively this summer.
Georginio Rutter
According to Sport 5 in Israel, the 49ers are eyeing a late loan move to sign Manor Solomon from Tottenham Hotspur for Leeds before the transfer window slams shut in just over a week.
The door has reportedly been opened for the winger to secure a loan move away from the Lilywhites this summer following a disappointing debut campaign last time out, which was disrupted by injury.
Leeds in pole position to sign "fast" EFL star who'd be a dream for Joseph
The player is reportedly keen to make the move to Elland Road before the end of the month.
2 ByDan Emery Aug 21, 2024
Looking to rediscover the form that saw him earn a move to Spurs in the first place, where he earns a reported £60,000-a-week, Elland Road could be an ideal destination. In desperate need of another attacker, the 25-year-old could yet emerge to step up late on in the transfer window.
Leeds, of course, have already experienced his quality first-hand, when Solomon's goal knocked them out of the FA Cup in a 2-0 defeat against Fulham in 2023, with Alan Shearer giving him the Player of the Match award.
"Decisive" Solomon would ease Summerville blow
Whilst he hasn't been handed the opportunity to star in North London yet, Solomon showed exactly what he was capable of in a loan spell at Fulham from Shakhtar Donetsk before he chose Spurs on a permanent basis. It was at Craven Cottage in 2023 when the winger stole the headlines by scoring a stunner and starring against Leeds to advance in the FA Cup.
Building a reputation for such goals, Solomon quickly earned the praise of Fulham boss Marco Silva, who said via BBC Sport: "He's been a decisive player for us.
"Like Willian, Bobby [Decordova-Reid], and the other two are waiting for the chance [Dan James, Harry Wilson]. He's really important for us. But I have to repeat the other two are doing really well."
So, if Leeds are looking to replace Summerville this season, then signing Solomon on loan could turn into a stroke of genius, given the calibre of player that the winger is when fit and firing.
Southampton were desperately unlucky to walk away from their opening Premier League fixture versus Newcastle United empty-handed, in a game that was certainly feisty.
The major moment of controversy came when Saints striker Ben Brereton-Diaz fell to the floor after an altercation with Fabian Schar in the first 45 minutes, as the Chilean striker theatrically collapsed to the ground, resulting in the Swiss centre-back receiving his marching orders for an apparent headbutt.
That man advantage didn't pay off in the end for Russell Martin's visitors, however, as a goalkeeper error by Alex McCarthy allowed Joelinton to win the game 1-0, courtesy of a calm finish.
There will have been plenty of encouraging takeaways from the heated contest though, despite the final outcome, as their business in the transfer window continues.
Southampton closing in on new transfer
As per Portuguese outlet A Bola, and now further backed up by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Southampton are edging closer and closer to snapping up Portuguese youngster Mateus Fernandes this summer.
Romano, via his social media, has confirmed that a deal will take place shortly, as the Saints continue to press on with more and more new additions, to help in their bid to stay up in the Premier League.
Starring out on loan with Estoril Praia last season, away from parent employers Sporting CP, the time could be right for Fernandes to spread his wings and move to England, to compete with the likes of Will Smallbone, Flynn Downes and more for a central starting spot.
What Fernandes can offer Southampton
The 20-year-old could become Southampton's next Gaston Ramirez, who arrived to the South Coast in 2012 as a bolt from the blue purchase, before going on to become an entertaining, attacking midfielder for Saints fans to enjoy watching.
Much like their former Uruguayan, Fernandes has excelled for Sporting when operating as a midfielder who is unafraid to drive forward and create openings, away from his standard duties, as seen in the sublime assist (above) he offered up playing for the Portuguese giants in the past.
Ramirez bagged eight goals and picked up eight assists from 55 Saints appearances playing in a similar vain, with his debut season really sticking out as a high point, as the now 33-year-old amassed five goals and three assists to ensure Nigel Adkins' men stayed afloat in the top-flight.
Total shots
1.99
0.60
Shot-creating actions
4.55
3.82
Passes attempted
44.55
56.22
Pass completion %
70.2%
80.4%
Progressive passes
4.55
5.33
Progressive carries
1.99
2.63
Successful take-ons
2.28
1.11
Progressive passes received
6.79
2.19
Looking at the above table, there are many similarities between the raw Sporting attacking midfielder and Ramirez, who won himself a move to Sampdoria off the back of his time with Southampton, with his 17/18 season taking place in Italy subsequently.
Very similar in terms of their ability to take players on, alongside their quality to progress their team up the pitch, the "exceptional" youngster – as he has been labelled by football analyst Ben Mattinson for his delicate range of passing – could prove to be a hit in his new location.
Fernandes would offer something different away from the old guard of Smallbone, Downes and Joe Aribo that Martin currently has at his disposal, who all performed well at St James' Park, but would have trudged off the pitch despondent that they couldn't slice open the Magpies defence for a winning goal.
Nottingham Forest are next up for the lively South Coast outfit in the top flight, with an expectation that they will be able to add points onto the board off the back of this home clash.
A better signing than Ioannidis: Southampton keen on £17m ace
Southampton aren’t slowing down on the transfer front.
Manchester United will be looking improve on 2022/23 when the new campaign rolls around in a matter of weeks, with Erik ten Hag just getting started at Old Trafford.
Last summer saw the likes of Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Antony arrive in Manchester, and despite the encouraging signs – a first trophy in six years combined with qualification for the Champions League next season – the onus will be on the Dutchman to ramp up his recruitment and bring some world-class players to the Red Devils to challenge Manchester City for the ultimate prizes.
With that in mind, United have been linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby this summer, and a fee of £65m has been touted due to the Frenchman still having two years left on his current contract at the Bundesliga side.
With Ten Hag looking at improving his attacking options ahead of next season, Diaby could shine on either the right or left wing for the Red Devils next term, especially considering his performances in Germany over the previous few seasons (31 goals and 25 assists) while he is also statistically similar to a current Premier League sensation in Mohamed Salah.
Could Moussa Diaby improve Manchester United?
Salah has become one of the finest attacking players in the English top flight since joining Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017, scoring 137 goals and registering 62 assists in what has simply been a stunning spell of success for the Egyptian, suggesting that it isn’t a bad comparison for Diaby to have.
The Liverpool star is the most comparable player to Diaby according to FBref, and if Ten Hag could land someone who can have a similar impact to that of the 31-year-old in the Premier League, it could prove to be an excellent signing.
Indeed, Salah and Diaby both rank in the top 10% across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shots on target per 90 (1.31 to 1.22 respectively) and the top 20% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.55 to 0.33), while they have also registered similar statistics with regard to shot-creating actions per 90 (3.83 to 3.67) and successful take-ons (51 to 50).
Bayer Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby
The pair obviously are extremely dangerous from a wide position, scoring plenty of goals themselves while also generating plenty of chances for others, and this is something that Ten Hag could do with in abundance.
The nine-cap France international has also been lauded as a “demon” by 'Euro Expert' journalist Alex, and the speedy winger is simply a must-buy for United during this transfer window if they look to increase their goal output from the flanks.
Leeds United have found themselves in a precarious position with no sporting director or manager to lead them following relegation back to the Championship, but now a shortlist of potential managers has been revealed by a reliable source.
What's the latest on Leeds' interest in Carlos Corberan?
According to The Telegraph, the Yorkshire giants are interested in appointing West Bromwich Albion coach Carlos Corberan ahead of next season.
As per the report, Corberan is one of three options being considered by the club's hierarchy with Scott Parker and Steven Gerrard also named as potential options for Leeds.
Would Carlos Corberan be a good fit for Leeds?
The former Huddersfield Town boss will seem like a natural selection to the Elland Road faithful as he could inject some of Marcelo Bielsa's incredible influence back into the team, having been part of the Argentinian's set up at the club before branching out on his own managerial journey in English football.
Corberan became a first-team coach after his success with Leeds U23s and worked alongside the popular manager to successfully secure promotion to the Premier League, before making the move to become manager of the Terriers where he continued to thrive.
The 40-year-old attacking-minded tactician famously guided Huddersfield Town to the playoff final against Nottingham Forest at Wembley last summer but fell short at the final hurdle, which led to a short spell with Olympiacos before returning to the EFL via West Bromwich Albion to replace Steve Bruce at The Hawthorns.
Over 30 Championship fixtures with the Midlands club, the Baggies boss has tallied up 16 victories and four draws with an average 1.73 points earned per game, which put them in contention for a place in the playoffs on the final day of the season and led to a ninth place finish despite being in a vulnerable position near the bottom of the table when he arrived.
carlos-corberan-leeds-united-manager-news
Corberan boasts a number of attributes that make him potentially the perfect appointment for the West Yorkshire giants including sound experience of Championship football, a philosophy that emulates Bielsa's successful style of play and will have relationships already cemented at the club with the staff and many members of the squad.
The former Leeds boss was full of praise for Corberan when they worked together and revealed how important the Spaniard's opinion was to him:
"Carlos is a good colleague, I have found that," Bielsa told.
"He is very talented. I listen more to his opinion than I give mine to him."
Whites chairman Andrea Radrizzani is heavily under-fire following a damning report that suggested he had explored the possibility of using Elland Road as collateral for a bank loan he was raising to buy Serie B-bound Sampdoria.
He could begin to win some supporters back, provided he sticks around, by swooping for Corberan, who himself will know too well what is required to bring the good times back to west Yorkshire, given the evidence above, his return would surely be a no-brainer.
When Jurgen Klopp decided to take a punt on Liverpool in 2015, Anfield had gone to seed.
Not literally – the chalky-topped stadium was very much in fine condition, though its inhabitants had fallen foul of a loss of identity and deterioration from prominence in the Premier League and Champions League.
The German manager, who had previously enjoyed illustrious success with Borussia Dortmund, winning two Bundesliga titles in succession and the DFB Pokal, took the reins and crafted a dynasty on Merseyside, with Liverpool having now won a Premier League trophy and their sixth Champions League.
While standout stars such as Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson are the salient acquisitions, the likes of James Milner and Joel Matip, both secured on free transfers, illustrate the shrewd moves that rooted the success.
The latter, Cameroonian Matip, was acquired from Bundesliga outfit Schalke on a free transfer in 2016 and has been integral in securing silverware under Klopp's tutelage, having forged 186 appearances.
Klopp could now replicate his success in delving into his homeland's league by signing Eintracht Frankfurt's Daichi Kamada, with the Japanese midfielder set for departure at the end of his contract in a matter of weeks.
According to the Express, the 26-year-old is on the shortlist of the Reds' imminent new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke, and could be a wise addition for a team looking to return to the fore after a wayward year.
Why should Liverpool sign Daichi Kamada?
Granted, Matip and Kamada don't bear many similarities in their respective skill sets on the pitch, but attempting to complete an astute deal for a player available on a free transfer from Germany could prove a fruitful avenue for Liverpool to delve down.
While embroiled in his outfit's issues this season, the 31-year-old has previously been lauded as "dominant" and "confident' by former Reds defender Sami Hyypia.
Notably, Matip provided the assist for Divock Origi's match-clinching strike in the Champions League final, and ranks among the top 3% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 9% for progressive passes, top 1% for progressive carries per 90 and the top 6% for touches in the attacking box, as per FBref.
The £34k-per-week Kamada, a two-footed and dynamic attacking midfielder capable of thriving across a multitude of central and wide positions, could be the perfect answer to Liverpool's woes, with the Merseyside outfit failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons and in dire need of midfield reinforcements with a mass exodus forthcoming.
Liverpool need a new dimension, and with Kamada, lauded as a "hero" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, reaping 16 goals and seven assists from 46 appearances this year – including three goals in the Champions League – the Anfield centre could be rejuvenated with his arrival.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 5% of midfielders for non-penalty goals and the top 20% for assists per 90, mirroring Matip's natural instinct to surge forwards by ranking among the top 10% for touches in the attacking box per 90.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola heralded the "exceptional team" that Klopp has created, and Matip has indeed been a centrepiece to this, with his arrival helping to patch the side up when they needed defensive replenishment.
Now, the midfield needs the attention, and Klopp must mirror his past success in astutely targeting Germany to sign Kamada for free.
Glasgow Rangers followed up their impressive Old Firm derby win last weekend with a 3-1 win over Hibernian away from home on Sunday in the Scottish Premiership.
The Light Blues led 1-0 at half-time thanks to a stunning free-kick from captain James Tavernier. He shaped to cross the ball into the box before whipping a strike into the top corner, which caught out David Marshall at his near post.
Romanian international Ianis Hagi then made it 2-0 in the 55th minute as the attacking midfielder rebounded his own blocked shot to rifle a strike into the bottom corner from just inside the box.
Todd Cantwell completed the scoring for Rangers in the 86th minute. The Englishman followed in after Marshall's save from Tavernier and slotted the rebound into the back of the net before Paul Hanlon scored a consolation goal in stoppage time.
There were a number of impressive performers on the day for Michael Beale and one player who stood out alongside the skipper – who was involved in two of the three aforementioned goals – in a rare appearance was central defender Leon King.
How did Leon King perform against Hibernian?
The Light Blues academy graduate staked a claim for a starting position heading into next season with a composed and efficient display at the heart of the defence in his first start since November.
Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale.
He was pivotal to what Rangers did, both in and out of possession, as they were able to completely dominate Hibs from start to finish.
Defensively, the 19-year-old gem could not put a foot wrong as he cruised through the game with impressive ease – as per Sofascore, the 6-foot enforcer won 100% (10/10) of his duels and made four clearances, two interceptions, and four tackles – no other Gers player won more individual battles.
King also won all six of his contests on the ground and both of his aerial duels and this shows that King was able to dominate the opposition attackers, who did not get any change out of the Scottish defender, which also increased the number of opportunities his side had to make things happen going forward.
The teenage titan was also key to what Beale's side did in possession of the ball – as per Sofascore, the 96-touch ace completed 85% (67/79) of his attempted passes, 100% (1/1) of his dribbles, and created one chance for his teammates.
This shows that the £4k-per-week tank was not a liability on the ball and was, instead, able to drive the team forward with the ball to find teammates in good positions, which then allowed them to showcase their quality in the final third.
Therefore, King's performance was exceptional at the back as the youngster was able to combine sublime defending with composure in possession to dismantle Hibernian alongside the usual protagonist in Tavernier, who himself created three chances and scored from right-back as he made a huge impact at the top end of the pitch.