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Carlton Palmer has predicted Paul Pogba will leave Manchester United in the not too distant future.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast correspondent Tom Ward, the former England international insists Ole Gunnar Solskjaer cannot blame Pogba for his team’s poor performances.

The Red Devils have struggled for consistency this season, having won three and lost three out of seven games in the Premier League so far.

Solskjaer’s side beat both Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig but lost to Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League before the international break.

And Palmer believes the French World Cup winner cannot be entirely blamed for their inconsistent start to the season.

He told FFC: “I see him leaving United.”

“Why was he successful at Juventus? Well, they played three at the back, five in the middle of the park, which allowed him to play in a free role. Go and do and what you’ve got to do son.”

“He’s a talented boy, but you can’t keep blaming Pogba if you don’t play him and set the team up the right way for him to perform.”

“He [Solskjaer] can’t keep blaming him, because that’s not his game.”

Once again, Solskjaer finds himself facing the same questions over his future at a time when one of his stars faces an uncertain future.

Pogba is undoubtedly one of the best footballers in the world as he boasts an impressive trophy cabinet – one World Cup, one Premier League title, one Europa League trophy and four Serie A trophies. The Red Devils re-signed the French international from Juventus for a then world-record fee reportedly worth £89m in 2016.

Since then, the 27-year-old has established himself as one of the senior figures in the dressing room for club and country.

France manager Didier Deschamps seems to agree, as he hailed him as a “leader” after the 2-1 victory over Croatia in the Nations League in October.

Pogba began his professional career at his boyhood club, before leaving Old Trafford in unfavourable circumstances back in 2012, as he could not reach an agreement with the Red Devils over the terms of a new and improved deal.

Although not everyone is a fan of the Frenchman, with United legend Roy Keane insisting “he wouldn’t believe a word he says” following the humiliating 4-0 defeat at Everton in 2019, it’s hard to deny the fact that he is an incredible talent, as 33 goals and 35 assists in 175 games is an impressive return for a deep-lying midfielder.

Pogba, who’s market value is rated at £72m via Transfermarkt, has won 66 games in 118 appearances in the Premier League, losing on just 20 occasions so far. Not too shabby.

AND in other news, Woeful Woodward: Manchester United will forever regret not signing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund…

Newcastle’s new 2020/21 kits have dropped, including recent posts showcasing the away and third shirt designs.

The official Toon Instagram account are showing off the new yellow and purple kits and they’ve been followed up by a post from Allan Saint-Maximin. The Frenchman has uploaded a snap of him sporting the Newcastle third kit, which has enticed a lot of comments from excited Magpies fans.

Many are loving the design and can’t wait to get their hands on one of their own whilst others are telling the winger they’re eager to see him sporting it on the pitch.

Some other Toon fans are using this as an opportunity to show their appreciation for Saint-Maximin, a player who they really don’t want to see leave the club any time soon. Indeed, he has been linked with a move to fellow Premier League outfit Wolves this summer (90min).

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The 23-year-old joined the Tyneside club last summer from Nice, commanding a fee of £16.5million (via BBC Sport). He had a solid season despite Newcastle’s struggles, netting four goals across all competitions and assisting a further seven (via Transfermarkt).

Saint-Maximin finished the campaign as the club’s third top scorer, behind only Jonjo Shelvey and Miguel Almiron. After a promising debut season in the Premier League, fans will be looking to see what else the Frenchman can conjure up once Newcastle kick off the 2020/21 term.

How many goals do you think Allan Saint-Maximin will score this season? Let us know in the comments below!

Tottenham Hotspur have a wealth of riches in attack but they could bolster that even more with a swoop for a player Jose Mourinho is thought to be a big fan of…

What’s the word?

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Spurs could make a move for Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey with the Italian journalist calling it a “possibility” this summer.

Speaking to the Last Word On Spurs podcast, he said:

“Leon Bailey from Bayer Leverkusen is a player Jose Mourinho likes so much and Tottenham board are following, so I’ll keep his name as a possibility. The real problem for Tottenham is that Bayer Leverkusen don’t need money at the moment because they have sold Kai Havertz to Chelsea and [Kevin] Volland to Monaco.

“So if you want to take Bailey from Bayer Leverkusen you have to pay, and they will accept a bid of around €50m to €60m (£45m to £54m). The player is appreciated by Mourinho and by the board, so I’ll say he is a possibility, but we need to wait to see the right name if Tottenham will decide to go for a winger.”

Frightening attack

Spurs already have the likes of Heung-min Son, Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn, Erik Lamela and Ryan Sessegnon so it can be argued that it would be a waste of money at in excess of £44.5m but it really would hand Mourinho one of the scariest looking attacks in the Premier League.

Bailey only featured in 22 Bundesliga matches last term, though he still managed to deliver five goals and three assists, averaging 1.6 dribbles and 1,3 shots per game, via WhoScored.

His electrifying pace and ability to cut inside and unleash a wand of a left foot has seen the 23-year-old draw comparisons to Arjen Robben, who Mourinho once signed for Chelsea.

Ronald de Boer has previously described Bailey as “exceptional,” adding: “He’s so fast it’s not normal. His speed, combined with his technique, is very rare.”

Just imagine what he could do alongside Harry Kane and Son in attack for Spurs.

The explosive winger would be a luxury in north London, but if Daniel Levy has the wriggle-room to do it, then he should absolutely hand Mourinho his man.

AND in other news, Five realistic signings Tottenham should target this summer…

It looks like Sheffield United will have a transfer battle on their hands as they look for a new midfielder in the upcoming transfer window.

According to a report in Greek media outlet SDNA, Sheffield United are interested in signing Mady Camara from Olympiacos but fellow Premier League side Newcastle United are also in the hunt.

The report highlights that both sides have made bids for the Guinea midfielder, although Olympiakos want more than what the Magpies and the Blades have proposed and will only sell the 23-year-old for more than £18m.

Camara is only 23 but seems to be a consistent player in the Olympiakos squad as he has played Transfermarkt.

Sheffield United usually play with three centre midfielders, so it is crucial that they have a lot of squad depth in that position, but Camara has the potential to break into that first team and become a key player for years to come.

The fact that Newcastle are also interested highlights that various scouts can see Premier League quality in the midfielder, and if the Blades want to continue battling in the top half of the division next season, then Camara would likely be an effective addition to their midfield ranks if they can land him.

Blades fans, would you like to have Camara at Bramall Lane? Comment below with your views!

Key Information about The Alexandra Stadium

The Alexandra Stadium, also commonly known as Gresty Road, has been the home ground of Football League One side Crewe Alexandra since it opened back in 1906. The Cheshire-located stadium has a total capacity of 10,153, and is divided into four famous sections; the Main Stand, the Gresty Road Stand, the Family Stand, and The Whitby Morrison Ice Cream Van Stand.

The record attendance at The Alexandra Stadium was set at 10,103 between a League Cup Third Round tie against Manchester United on 25 October 2006. The previous record attendance at Gresty Road, however, was 20,000 against Tottenham Hotspur in 1960.

A history of The Alexandra Stadium

Crewe Alexandra had originally played their home matches at the Alexandra Recreation Ground as well as Gresty Road. Having left their former ground at the end of the 1895-96 season, Crewe played their home fixtures at various nearby grounds before moving to the original Gresty Road in 1897. After nine years, however, the ground was demolished and was to be replaced with new railway lines as well as a new Gresty Road ground which was built directly to the west of the old site.

The Alexandra Stadium initially had a stand on each touchline, including one taken from their first Gresty Road ground. The old Main Stand caught fire in 1932 which resulted in a replacement Main Stand being erected. In order to comply with the Taylor Report from 1990, Crewe rebuilt The Alexandra Stadium with all-seater stands constructed on all four sides of the ground. This work was completed in time for the start of the 1999-00 season, and increased the overall capacity of the ground to just over 10,000, costing the club around £6m to complete.

The first stand to undergo redevelopment was the decaying Railway End of the stadium. In 1992, the old stand was enhanced into a new all-seater stand for families. The Family Stand had a new all-seater capacity of 638 as well as providing 14 new spaces for wheelchair fans and their carers. Up until 1995, the Gresty Road End housed away supporters of The Alexandra Stadium, though in the summer of 1999, the 996 capacity stand was given back to Crewe Alexandra supporters. Today, the famous Gresty Road end provides the best singing atmosphere by the most hardcore fans.

In order to accommodate more away fans, Crewe decided to relocate them to the larger Whitby Morrison Ice Cream Van Stand which can house 1,600 supporters. Development of this stand began in 1995, and during the close season of 1998, new floodlights were installed along with a complete electrical upgrade of The Alexandra Stadium.

Tickets to Watch Crewe Alexandra at The Alexandra Stadium

Home ticket prices for adults are priced between £20-22 for non-members of the club, seniors and disabled between £15.50-17, 12-16s between £9.50-10.50, under-11s between £6-6.50. Family tickets are also priced at £20 (one adult and one under-11).

Adult season tickets for 2020-21 are priced at £315 which works out as £13.69 per game.

Related Links

https://www.crewealex.net/ – Official website of Crewe Alexandra

https://www.crewealex.net/tickets/home-tickets/ – Crewe Alexandra Ticket Office

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Southampton prospect Ramello Mitchell has taken another step towards the first-team after signing his maiden professional contract with the Saints.

17-year-old Mitchell – who originally arrived at St Mary’s from Birmingham in a deal worth an initial £300k, rising to £1m – is arguably one of Southampton’s most precocious young talents.

The teenager also attracted the interest of Liverpool, Manchester United and Wolves before deciding to move to the south coast, and is seemingly rising through the ranks at Southampton if this season is anything to go by.

Having made four appearances in the U18 Premier League – where he should naturally be at his age – Mitchell progressed further by making a couple of appearances in the Premier League 2, where U23 sides usually battle it out.

If that wasn’t a forward step, the teenager’s first professional contract is surely a sign that he is impressing all the right people at St Mary’s.

His deal will run until June 2022, and the Englishman – who has played all across the frontline this term according to Transfermarkt – is clearly convinced that Southampton is the best place for him right now.

The Saints have always prided themselves on their academy, having previously worked hard to develop the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Luke Shaw, Calum Chambers, and Theo Walcott, and they may have another gem in Mitchell on the conveyor belt.

All of the aforementioned players’ development was overseen by Matt Crocker before he left to work for the Football Association, and while he was recently brought back to St Mary’s as Director of Football, The Telegraph report that his role will still include helping youngsters through to the first-team.

“His remit will be much more similar to his role with the FA and that of Reed previously at Southampton. That means overseeing the entire football operation through the age groups and establishing the most effective possible pathway from the academy through to the first-team.”

He may not begin work until 2020, but it appears as if one of his first projects in the role will be to oversee the development of Mitchell, who appears to have plenty of potential within him.

In other news, this Southampton target continued to shine at the weekend, although he might not be what the Saints need right now…

As reported by The Athletic, Harvey Elliott refused to meet Sergio Ramos as part of Real Madrid’s attempt to sign him after he had injured Mohamed Salah during the 2018 Champions League final.

Elliott was playing for Fulham at the time, and Los Merengues were interested in securing his services, and as a teaser, they had arranged for the teenager to meet Real legend Ramos. The Spaniard, of course, had been part of the team that had beaten the Reds in Kiev two years ago, and he was involved in an incident with Salah that soon saw the latter leave the pitch.

When Elliott was asked if he wanted to meet the centre-back, he replied: “No, it’s OK, thanks. I don’t like him after what he did to Mo Salah.”

Elliott has made signs of progress already this campaign, having made six appearances in the cup competitions up until this point. Still only 17, there is plenty of hope that he can become a star at Anfield in the future, and as a Liverpool fan from his childhood, there should be the desire and determination to become a popular figure amongst supporters.

From Real Madrid’s perspective, they should have done a bit more homework on the prodigy – it may have changed the course of his career so far.

Let us know what you think below!

And now it’s official, Arsenal have sacked Unai Emery after a bad spell of games and Freddie Ljungberg will act as their interim manager until the club can find someone else to take over the mantle.

But interestingly enough, a report coming from Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol stated that the Gunners were actually considering Jose Mourinho as Emery’s replacement even before he joined Spurs.

Needless to say, the situation could’ve been much different but the Special One is now working with Daniel Levy instead and many Spurs fans are absolutely loving it.

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As soon as they saw the update, they were very quick to gloat and make fun of the Gunners on missing out on such a huge coach and they took that as a sign that even Mourinho knows who the best team in London is.

And as true rivals, they quickly rubbed it in Arsenal fans’ faces.

You can see some of their reactions and comments down in the collection of tweets below.

Check them out…

Meanwhile, West Ham might be looking to snatch away an important piece of AC Milan’s puzzle…

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…

Crystal Palace Sporting Director Dougie Freedman isn’t a hugely popular figure at Selhurst Park.

Supporters on Twitter weren’t too fussed when news broke that the Scot may possibly vacate his role at Selhurst Park to become the new Hearts manager – some fans within that piece had some critical words for him – and the former Eagles striker hasn’t really overseen too many pieces of transfer genius since stepping into his current occupation.

However, there is one deal that he deserves enormous credit for due to the player’s quite brilliant levels of consistency.

Back in January 2018, Freedman worked to negotiate the pre-contract arrival of Vicente Guaita from La Liga side Getafe, who would become a Crystal Palace player the following summer.

The move seemed relatively low key at the time – the Spaniard was little-known in England and the Eagles already had Julian Speroni and Wayne Hennessey battling it out for the No.1 shirt.

However, since Guaita has established himself under Roy Hodgson, the 32-year-old’s performance levels have been quite ridiculous.

The glovesman performed a heroic fingertip save against Burnley last week, and was also named as the club’s Player of the Month for November – Guaita’s clean sheet against Bournemouth last time out was his fifth of the Premier League campaign in 13 appearances, in which time he has conceded only 14 goals with four of them coming in one anomaly of an affair against Tottenham.

In total, the Spanish stopper has kept 12 clean sheets in 33 Premier League appearances, making zero errors leading to goals while also being on the winning side in 16 of those outings.

Despite having limited English skills when he arrived, Guaita’s calmness and ability to never look nervous in between the sticks evokes confidence in any defender standing before him in the backline – you only need to watch the 2-2 draw against Arsenal from a few weeks ago, where Hennessey stood in, to see how shaky the defence is without Guaita.

Freedman does get some stick from time to time from the Selhurst Park faithful, although his capture of Guaita deserves enormous credit in a day and age where goalkeepers such as Alisson and Kepa Arrizabalaga merit extortionate fees.

In other Crystal Palace news, one player recently sent a message to Hodgson with his stunning performance against Burnley…

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

Hakim Ziyech turned in a masterclass performance as Ajax drew 4-4 with Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

On the chalkboard

Ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has recommended the Ajax schemer to club chairman Daniel Levy, per Voetbal Primeur, and fans will surely have taken notice of his exceptional showing in west London.

Per WhoScored, he had 57 touches of the ball and used them to good effect. He laid on two key passes, leading to two assists, and also took the free-kick that cannoned off the post, into the face of Kepa Arrizabalaga and into the net.

Ziyech also completed two dribbles and won two tackles as he attempted to help his side to a major victory.

As it was, Ajax took a 4-1 lead but were pegged back following two quick-fire red cards to Daley Blind and Joel Veltman.

Take it seriously

While Ziyech signed a new contract with the Dutch side in the summer, Van der Vaart’s recommendation suddenly looks all the more shrewd.

With Christian Eriksen appearing to sulk his way through the campaign – Ziyech registered more assists on one night than the Dane has all season – one feels that the Morocco international could be an excellent replacement for the playmaker.

It is not like Spurs don’t know about him, of course. Ziyech scored against them in the semi-final of the Champions League last season and netted a total of 21 goals while registering 24 assists in all competitions in 2018/19.

This season, already, the 26-year-old has six goals to his name and a staggering 14 assists.

If Spurs are to take Van der Vaart’s advice, they will not be able to trigger the €30m (£25.8m) release clause that did exist within Ziyech’s contract prior to his extension.

But on Tuesday, he showed that he could well be worth every penny of what will likely be a much larger eventual transfer fee. Levy ought to make some calls.