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Sheffield Wednesday’s latest League One outing saw them secure a third consecutive draw with a 1-1 result against Lincoln City at the weekend.

Owls midfielder Dennis Adeniran put the home side ahead ten minutes into the second half before the Imps grabbed an equaliser through Lewis Montsma in the 80th minute.

On the chalkboard

Looking ahead to Wednesday’s weekend clash against Cheltenham Town where Darren Moore will undoubtedly be hoping to secure a win this time out, one player that was not in the starting XI to face Lincoln that we think should be for their next encounter is 27-year-old striker Callum Paterson.

The 27-year-old replaced Lee Gregory in the second half of the match at the weekend and managed to have one shot at goal, completed seven of his nine passes and won one aerial duel, ultimately earning him an overall match rating of 6.6/10 according to SofaScore.

Wednesday signed Paterson back in September 2020 from Cardiff City for an undisclosed fee. Since then, the striker, who is currently valued at £1.62m according to Transfermarkt has made 57 appearances for the Yorkshire club, scoring 11 goals and providing five assists along the way, proving himself to be a fairly decent signing for the Owls based on his attacking output.

So far this season, Paterson, who has been described as “phenomenal” by Robbie Neilson, has managed to score two goals and provide one assist in 11 League One appearances showing he has what it takes to pop up at the right time and place for the Owls, leading us to believe he could bully Cheltenham’s defenders if given the chance to.

Looking ahead to the match at the weekend, in terms of who Paterson could replace in the team if Moore thinks his side would have a better chance of picking up all three points with him in, we feel that it could be a good time for Gregory to come out of the side for a while considering he had a poor game against Lincoln where he failed to even register one shot at goal in 62 minutes.

Whether Moore decides to stick Paterson back in the team at the weekend or not, we feel that Wednesday will need to get a win under their belts soon so they can stay in the running for a promotion place by the end of the campaign or else they could be facing another season in League One.

In other news: Get rid: SWFC liability who lost the ball every 1.6 touches badly let Moore down today – opinion

Newcastle United could now hire Erik ten Hag as their next manager, if Marc Overmars is appointed the new Director of Football (DoF) at St. James’ Park.

The Lowdown: Manager search

The North East club have been linked with the likes of Roberto Martinez, Steven Gerrard and Matias Almeyda in recent days, as their manager search continues following the departure of Steve Bruce.

Graeme Jones will be taking temporary charge of the next couple of games until the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium find the person that they want.

The Latest: ten Hag and Overmars combo

As per De Telegraaf (via Sport Witness), Overmars, who is currently the DoF at Ajax, would be ‘comfortable’ taking the same role on Tyneside, and ‘will poll’ ten Hag if he is appointed.

It will be interesting to see which role the new owners of the Magpies fill in first, as one could well dictate who is hired for the other.

The Verdict: Get both in

There is no doubt that a lot of the recent success Ajax have had is down to Overmars and ten Hag.

Off of the pitch, the former has been responsible for selling players for big profits and then helping rebuild with quality replacements, while ten Hag has won five major trophies during his time at the club, and famously guided them to the UEFA Champions League semi-final in the 2018/19 season.

Jurgen Klopp dubbed him as an ‘exciting’ manager back in December, which is high praise indeed, and getting both in would prove to be a real coup from the Toon.

In other news, find out which ‘extraordinary’ ace NUFC are ‘preparing’ a £67.7m bid for here!

Lee Johnson’s Sunderland continued their strong start to the season with a 1-0 win against AFC Wimbledon at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

The Black Cats have now won three of their four matches in League One and four of their five competitive games so far this campaign.

Carl Winchester scored the only goal of the game in the 64th minute, securing a win to leave Sunderland fifth in the table, just one point behind league-leaders Sheffield Wednesday.

Whilst the headlines belong to Winchester after his match-winning strike, another player put in a stunning performance that may have gone under the radar. Tom Flanagan produced an excellent display at centre-back to help keep a clean sheet and help to secure the three points on the day.

The goalscorer deserves acclaim for his performance, but fans should not forget Flanagan and his contribution to the result.

Per SofaScore, Winchester (7.4) was the only outfield player with a higher rating than the central defender (7.2) against the Dons. Sunderland’s number three was pivotal to the win with his almost flawless defensive work to keep Wimbledon at bay throughout the game.

The 29-year-old won an impressive 80% of his defensive duels. He came on top in 12 of his 15 battles, winning three on the ground and nine in the air, proving that he had the beating of his opponents for the majority of the game.

Flanagan also completed two tackles and was not dribbled past a single time in the 90 minutes.

As much as scoring goals win games, conceding them loses points so Flanagan’s defending was arguably as important as Winchester’s goal, as that strike could have been for nothing if Sunderland conceded a sloppy goal or two.

The Sunderland Echo’s Phil Smith hailed Flanagan as ‘composed’ in his player rating piece after the match, handing him a score of 7/10. He wrote:

“Has had a very decent start to the season. Brings some important experience to the side and keeps it simple in possession when needed. Really composed.”

This further highlights the point that Flanagan made a huge impact against Wimbledon, with Smith explaining that his experience and composure helped Sunderland both in and out of possession.

With 71% of his passes completed and 67 touches of the ball, he was able to play out from the back well alongside the inexperienced Callum Doyle and was a massive reason why The Black Cats were able to take all three points.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a surprise move for Andreas Christensen this week…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Star, the north Londoners have joined Manchester City and Manchester United in the race to secure the 25-year-old on a free transfer in the summer.

The 54-cap Denmark international is yet to sign a new deal at Stamford Bridge, meaning he is currently expected to become a free-agent at the end of the current campaign.

As a result, several Premier League teams have been put on high alert, including Spurs, where manager Antonio Conte is seeking defensive reinforcements.

Christensen is currently valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt.

Bargain raid

The defender dubbed the ‘Danish [Paolo] Maldini’ would be quite the coup for the Lilywhites, particularly snatching him from their rival’s grasp.

Of course, he is also a player that Conte knows well having managed him during his time at Stamford Bridge. Christensen played 40 times under the Italian, who also once backed him to become a leader for the club.

“Christensen is having a fantastic season and showing great maturity. For me, apart from the mistake, his performance was great, was wonderful,” he said (via the Evening Standard).

“I have a lot of trust in Christensen. This player is a player for the present for Chelsea, and for Chelsea’s future for 10 or 12 years. He can also become the captain of this team in the future.”

Indeed, the Danish star has emerged as a solid option for Spurs’ arch-rivals in recent times, starting ten of his 11 appearances in the Premier League this term, which comes off the back of 27 appearances last season, including 51 minutes in their Champions League triumph against City.

Christensen played the entire match during the clash between the two sides back in September, where he proved to be a massive nightmare for a front two of Heung-min Son and Harry Kane.

Nuno Santo’s side were thrashed 3-0 with is strike duo managing only two shots on target between them all game. SofaScore also grade the pair at 6.5 or lower – the two lowest of any starter. Son lost 75% of his duels and Kane was dominated in the air, winning just two of six aerial duels.

The Chelsea defender won 80% of his duels, earned a 7.5 rating and registered three interceptions (second-most in the game).

In the past, he has been dubbed a “really special talent” and “colossal” by TalkChelsea’s Simon Phillips, so that only goes to show how important he has been for the west Londoners and Denmark in recent times.

On the above evidence, sporting director Fabio Paratici could land Spurs an absolute bargain and quite the coup, should he win the race to seal Christensen’s signature.

Whether they truly stand a chance remains to be seen.

AND in other news, Paratici must brutally axe “terrible” £19.8m-rated Spurs flop, he’s cost £8m per goal…

Leicester City have been tipped to make a move for Southampton defender Jannik Vestergaard this summer.

What’s the story?

The Foxes have been in the market for a new central defender all window following Wes Morgan’s retirement, and Wesley Fofana’s horrific injury has now significantly increased the need for reinforcements in that area of the pitch.

According to TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook (as reported by the Leicester Mercury), Leicester are plotting a move for Vestergaard over the coming weeks, with the Saints reportedly set to demand £20 million for the Denmark international.

Fans will be buzzing

Vestergaard caught the eye with a string of impressive performances last season, achieving a highly respectable 6.89 WhoScored rating from his 30 Premier League appearances.

On average, the 6 ft 5 centre-back made a whopping four clearances per game in 2020/21, the highest amongst his Southampton teammates, as well as recording 0.5 blocks, the third-highest tally amongst his St. Mary’s colleagues.

However, with just one year remaining on his current contract on the south coast, speculation over the Scandinavian’s future has continued to rumble on throughout the summer.

And now Crook has revealed Leicester are the latest potential suitor for Vestergaard’s services, news that will surely have the club’s supporters buzzing due to his previous exploits.

“I would probably say 40%-60% in favour of him leaving at this stage, and one of the interested parties, as I understand it, is Leicester City, they’re in dire need of reinforcements at the back,” he told TalkSPORT.

“They were already light there with Jonny Evans unavailable, Vestergaard is someone they certainly tried to sign before, and he is in the last year of his contract like Danny Ings.”

Crook went on to explain that the Saints are expecting a bid for their prized asset and that Ralph Hassenhuttl’s charges may be in no position to turn it down.

“The impression I get is that Southampton are very much bracing themselves for a bid from Leicester, and if that bid did come in, they would have to seriously consider it given that contract situation,” he added.

“They want to get £20m, I imagine Leicester might go in at £15m and test Southampton’s resolve.”

Vestergaard would be a solid addition to the FA Cup holders’ backline, providing Brendan Rodgers with a natural left-footed option at the heart of his defence and delivering a boost to their chances of finishing inside the top four next season.

And, in other news…Heir to Wes Morgan: Rudkin must complete Leicester swoop for 6 ft 3 “monster” 

Millwall have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Josh Windass to The Den this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Sheffield Star, who claim that Sheffield Wednesday have rejected the Lions’ bid for the 27-year-old attacking midfielder, with the Owls believed to be unimpressed by the size of Millwall’s offer.

A host of Championship clubs, including the likes of Preston North End, Queens Park Rangers, Fulham and West Bromwich Albion, are believed to be keeping a close eye on the situation of the £1.44m-rated forward, although Gary Rowett’s side are thought to be the only team to have lodged an offer with Wednesday at this time.

Fans will be gutted

Having seemingly taken the lead in the race for Windass’ signature, news of the rejection of their club’s bid for the forward is sure to have left fans of Millwall gutted, as the 27-year-old would be an excellent addition to the south London club’s attacking arsenal this summer.

Indeed, over his 41 Championship appearances for the Owls last season, the £10k-per-week man scored nine goals, registered six assists and created seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

These returns saw the former Wigan midfielder earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.80, ranking him as Darren Moore’s seventh-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, with Rowett hoping to build a side that is capable of going on to secure a top-six finish in the league next season, the 27-year-old dubbed an “explosive” player by his father, Dean, would certainly appear to have helped the Lions in going on to achieve this feat.

However, while the rejection of their opening offer is indeed a setback, all hope is not lost for Millwall just yet, as long as they get back to Wednesday with a more palatable offer before one of the other interested parties does.

In other news: Get him gone: Rowett must ruthlessly axe “powerful” £10k-p/w Harris flop at Millwall

Leeds United journalist Graham Smyth has stated not to ‘rule anything out’ on the future of youngster Alife McCalmont.

The Lowdown: Impressive last season

McCalmont, 21, is currently out on loan at League One side Morecambe, where he has appeared in four of their five games in the third tier so far this season.

After plying his trade in League Two last term with Oldham, impressing with eight goals and five assists, the midfielder now finds himself testing himself against better opponents, but whether he has a future at Leeds is up for debate.

Over the international break, McCalmont has been handed his first Northern Ireland international start in the friendly victory over Estonia after making his debut in a 1-0 victory over Luxembourg in 2019.

The Latest: Work cut out

Replying to Whites presenter Joe Wainman on Twitter, Smyth replied when asked if McCalmont’s time at Elland Road finished.

Smyth said: “You can never rule anything out, but he’ll have to do what Ben White did and show he can handle the step up to League One with real comfort, having done well in League Two.

“Leeds would have listened to permanent offers this summer though so he has his work cut out. Lots of potential I think.”

The £49,400-per-year man’s appearances in Ian Baraclough’s squad, alongside an impressive season in League One, could see him land a permanent move away from Leeds.

The Verdict: Key season for midfielder

Marcelo Bielsa already possesses great quality in centre-midfield, McCalmont’s position, with Matuesz Klich, Kalvin Phillips and Adam Forshaw now available for selection.

At the age of 21, McCalmont will be wanting to establish himself at the highest level possible to continue representing his country and making more senior caps.

The current season at Morecambe could be a defining one for the midfielder as if he impresses enough, a Championship club may swoop in to sign him on a permanent deal. With his contract not expiring until 2024, Leeds stand to make a decent profit if they are able to cash in.

In other news, rumoured Leeds target is in talks to sign a new contract at his current club. Find out more here.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has delivered some insight into why Leeds United opted against signing Club Brugge starlet Noa Lang in the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

The Telegraph had claimed that Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been been watching the 21-year-old ahead of a potential move, before Sport/Voetbalmagazine (via Sport Witness) revealed that the Whites remained interested in signing Lang before deadline day.

But, in the end, the Yorkshire club decided to land Dan James from Manchester United, and Hay has now revealed why despite Victor Orta’s liking of Lang, Bielsa himself wasn’t too keen on him.

He said: “People will have seen Noa Lang linked all the way through the window, and the reality with Lang is that (Victor) Orta thinks a lot of him, and Orta thinks he could be very good value and he tends to have a good eye for a player – particularly a prospect – and he felt that that was worth investigating, worth setting up potentially for Bielsa to sign if Bielsa liked him.

“There were things about Lang’s game that Bielsa wasn’t totally sold on – he wasn’t saying that Lang in any way was a poor player, but I think defensively and tracking back wasn’t quite right, and you know that that matters to Bielsa.”

Mistake from Bielsa?

Able to play anywhere across the frontline, Lang showed he has a real eye for goal in his loan spell at Brugge last season, bagging 17 goals and providing a further 11 assists in just 37 games, including netting in the Champions League.

With the volume of goals and assists that Lang delivered last season, and with him still being very much in the infancy of his career, a move for the youngster would surely have been the kind of exciting one that would have had fans buzzing, not just this season, but in the years to come too.

The £19.8m-rated Lang looks to be the kind of player who makes a real impact in the final third and is someone who produces a genuine end product, rather than just flashes of promise.

Given that he only recently turned 22, Lang could have been the kind of long-term project who thrived under Bielsa and blossomed into a real star at both club and international level.

Compare that to James, who despite playing 74 games for United, has only managed to score nine goals and provide another nine assists. That is a measly record for someone who plays in a very offensive role for a side as good as the Red Devils, and while some of those appearances of course were off the bench, his end product and consistency is something that is very lacking.

Given his Premier League experience, Bielsa went with the more known quantity in James, and while that may be the safer option, it may not be the right one.

Lang looks to just have a higher ceiling than James, and this is a moment where Bielsa could have just taken a little bit of a gamble and gone with the more exciting player to see if he could have worked his magic to iron out the issues that he supposedly wasn’t a fan of.

Meanwhile, this Leeds ace has seen his market value decrease dramatically…

Manchester United’s famed youth academy has produced an abundance of talent down the years, but plenty of their graduates either never play for the first-team or do so only briefly.

For a while, it seemed as though James Garner would be another young star who would only enjoy the hastiest experience of what it feels like to wear the famous Red Devils shirt.

A one-minute cameo at the end of a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace back in February 2019 offered a glimpse of what the 20-year-old has to offer and he earned praise from his manager after the match.

“I believe he’s got the chance to have a great future, he knows we believe in him, we’ve got great faith in him as the next Michael Carrick,” revealed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the game at Selhurst Park.

“I know he’s young, and I know it’s not fair on kids to compare to great players like Michael was, but he’s the same mould, he plays simple passes, plays through the lines.”

After being compared to one of United’s greatest midfielders in the modern era, Garner would have been forgiven for believing a place in the senior set-up was just around the corner.

However, only six other appearances followed before he was shipped out on loan to Watford at the start of the 2020/21 campaign.

Things didn’t work out for the England Under-20 international at Vicarage Road, though. Garner made 20 league appearances for the Hornets, but failed to find his best form and fell out of favour under the new manager.

His lack of playing time saw United recall their young star in January and search for other options in order to carry on his development.

Rather than letting the disappointment get him down, the Garner headed straight back for the Championship over the winter window, with Chris Hughton’s Nottingham Forest handpicked as a more suitable destination.

Everyone appeared to click for the midfield maestro with Forest. Four goals in 20 appearances for the Midlands outfit earned him a string of plaudits, and his highly respectable 6.98 WhoScored rating suggests he deserved them.

Garner’s outstanding displays at the City Ground have surely done enough for Solskjaer to at least take a look at the Englishman in pre-season as he attempts to solve United’s engine room issues.

The likes of Youri Tielemans have been linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent weeks to add the slick passing and control that has been missing since Carrick’s departure, but the answer to their problems may already be at the club.

And, in other news…Huge Man United contract update emerges over £290k-p/w “leader”, fans will be buzzing 

New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has spoken to Steve McClaren over a possible Old Trafford role, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Ten Hag announced

The Red Devils officially confirmed the Dutchman as their new manager on Thursday.

Ten Hag will depart Ajax in the summer and has signed a three-year contract with United which includes the option of a further 12 months.

He looks set to be joined at Old Trafford by current Ajax assistant Mitchell van der Gaag, and a reunion with McClaren, who Ten Hag worked with at FC Twente, looks like it could also be on the cards too.

The Latest: McClaren talks

Romano, who has been on top of all Ten Hag to United developments, shared an update on Thursday afternoon regarding his coaching staff.

The reliable reporter said that Van der Gaag has ‘accepted’ to join his coaching staff, adding that Ten Hag has also had a ‘direct conversation’ with McClaren over a role at Old Trafford.

The Verdict: Interesting…

You can see why Ten Hag has spoken to McClaren over a possible reunion ahead of his first season as United boss, with a lot of work needing to be done off the pitch before he takes to the Old Trafford dugout for the first time.

The pair know each other well after Ten Hag served as McClaren’s assistant at FC Twente for 50 games. Roles could now be reversed in Manchester, and with McClaren already working under Sir Alex Ferguson for 142 games between 1999 and 2001, a backroom role could be a shrewd move by the new manager as he looks to settle in during his first season in England.

In other news: ‘Revolution begins’: Fabrizio Romano now shares key Man Utd exit news emerging from Old Trafford.