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

As things stand, Southampton have the leakiest backline in the Premier League.

The Saints have conceded a staggering 29 goals in just 12 games so far this season, and a huge reason for that is the fact that Ralph Hasenhuttl just can’t seem to stop altering his backline.

Questionably, the former RB Leipzig boss still hasn’t settled on a consistent defence despite having a third of the Premier League campaign to do so.

Let’s take a look at just how indecisive Hasenhuttl has been…

Ever-changing backline 

In 12 Premier League games this term, Hasenhuttl has changed his backline ten times, which is quite ridiculous in all honesty – this can be seen by taking a look at each of the club’s individual fixtures on Transfermarkt.

Only for the game against Leicester did the Austrian retain the same backline of Ryan Bertrand, Jannik Vestergaard, Jan Bednarek, Maya Yoshida and Yan Valery he had started in the previous fixture against Wolves, although it saw Southampton lose 9-0 to the Foxes with Vestergaard and Valery being substituted, while Bertrand was given a straight red.

All in all, Bertrand, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Yoshida, Valery, Cedric Soares, Moussa Djenepo, Kevin Danso, Jack Stephens, Stuart Armstrong, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and James Ward-Prowse have all played in either the centre-back, full-back or wing-back roles in the top flight this term.

It is genuinely quite appalling of Hasenhuttl to have changed his defence so frequently – he is giving his defenders absolutely no chance of building up a good understanding with each other.

The backline that Hasenhuttl needs to stick with

Something needs to happen fast for Southampton as they enter a potentially season-defining run of fixtures.

After the south coast side face Arsenal next, they have games against Norwich, Newcastle, West Ham, Watford and Aston Villa, fixtures that they must get points from.

We have previously detailed how Hasenhuttl can set his side up to be more expansive, with both suggestions showcasing a back-four – the Saints should definitely drop the five-man backline and add an extra body higher up the field.

Incidentally, this shouldn’t consist of Cedric Soares, who recently gave an interview revealing his desire to leave before being subbed off at half-time against Everton – his head simply isn’t in it and he doesn’t deserve to start.

Hasenhuttl should play Bertrand at left-back, Vestergaard and Bednarek in the centre, and Valery at right-back, without feeling the need to push the reset button at the first sign of something going wrong.

Things may well go array, for this is a Southampton side low on confidence, but by allowing four first-team defenders to develop a relationship together, that could well be the start of an upturn of fortunes at the back.

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…

Wolverhampton Wanderers head into the international break relatively under the radar as their 2-1 victory over local rivals Aston Villa saw them rise to eighth in the table, the first time they have been in the top half since the Premier League’s opening weekend.

Nuno Santo’s side have lost just two matches all campaign, which is fewer than reigning champions Manchester City, who they beat 2-0 not too long ago at the Etihad Stadium.

It allows the Wolves chief an opportunity to refresh ahead of a rather hectic festive period as the club look to push on domestically while advancing into the knockout stages of the Europa League.

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Their chances of success in either competition could hinge on whether they are able to keep striker Raul Jimenez in top condition, which after emerging reports this week, looks to be a rather tough task.

Back at the start of October, Nuno revealed his plans for the Mexican during this international break as he believed his forward wasn’t going to be part of his national team’s plans this month.

BirminghamLive cites this by stating that Mexico coach Gerardo Martino made the decision to leave him out of the squad for both October and November.

However, this week, it appears things have changed as Jimenez has joined up with the team for their last two CONCACAF Nations League fixtures against Panama and the Bermuda.

ESPN Deportes claim the 28-year-old is to have his fitness evaluated in Mexico City before he plays any part in either game.

Their reports also believe that he is expected to be available, which will surely anger those at Molineux.

Jimenez has played well over 50 matches this calendar year and could probably do with some sort of rest ahead of what is going to be a busy few months in the west Midlands.

This U-turn could end up being detrimental to Wolves’ season as the striker is such an integral part to their success, he’s netted 13 times in all competitions this campaign.

Nuno’s other options in the attack haven’t even got close – summer signing Patrick Cutrone has managed just two goals in 19 appearances while Diogo Jota has been under par by his standards for much of this campaign, netting only once in the league.

Any injury or long-term absence to Jimenez will ultimately prove disastrous for the old gold’s season prospects. He could have done with these two weeks to recharge his batteries.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Former Sunderland player Josh Maja has stated that he would have remained at the club last January had he been given a new and improved contract.

What did he say?

The 20-year-old left for France last season after scoring 16 league goals in the early part of the season, a move which had a big impact on the Black Cats’ promotion hopes.

However, it could have been a much different story according to the striker, as he revealed he wanted to stay in the north-east and continue playing for the club – if he was on an improved deal.

From his perspective, the 5 foot 11 attacker had six months remaining on his contract and as one of the most promising prospects to come out of the club in recent years it is understandable that he thought he deserved to be earning more, particularly as he had been one of Jack Ross’ better players.

Speaking to the Sunderland Echo, he said: “I wanted to stay. Given the right contract, I would have stayed.

“But at the time, I don’t think Sunderland were prepared to give me what I wanted so when the opportunity to play in one of Europe’s top five leagues came up, I couldn’t turn that down.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was one which to improve my career and my game I think I had to make.”

The move to a bigger club and a chance to test himself against some of the best players in Europe is an opportunity not many would turn down, and since it has worked out rather well for him thus far – with two goals in 12 games this term – fans shouldn’t begrudge his decision.

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Mistake by Sunderland

Maja may have been given his chance by the Black Cats but he was more than repaying the faith shown in him at the time of his exit, yet there was no acceptable option on the table for him to extend his contract.

That means that he is not solely to blame for his own departure. Another former Sunderland player, Victor Anichebe, agrees that it was the fault of those at the club for allowing his departure, as he admits that tying him down for the long-term was something that should have happened a while before he left.

For the board, £1.5m was a decent fee for a player who could have departed for nothing a few months later, and they may have thought that the blow of him leaving would have been softened by the arrival of Will Grigg.

However, the signing of the Northern Ireland international simply hasn’t worked out, and now the team is suffering as a result.

Grigg has scored just seven goals for Sunderland and lacks the dynamism of Maja, who was capable of scoring great goals of his own making.

The fact that he wanted to stay almost makes last January’s transfer dealings unforgivable, as with Maja in the team they may have been able to maintain the push to the automatic spots last term, and avoid the situation they’re in currently.

Stewart Donald and the board are partly to blame for that, especially if they refused to spend the extra money in order to guarantee his stay.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

If a midfield player hits seven goals in one season, you could say that they had a fairly successful campaign.

And if those goals come from a young player you may expect them to develop even further and become pivotal for their side in the following campaign, but that is not true of Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse.

The academy graduate scored seven goals in 26 appearances in the 2018/19 campaign, where he looked a good bet to kick on and carry his impressive form into the 2019/20 season.

However, the 24-year-old has struggled in the early parts of the season, especially in his new right attacking-midfield role in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s 4-2-2-2 system.

The midfielder lacks pace, so he is unable to burn down the flank on the outside of defenders, whereas his chance creation and goalscoring instincts have recently been non-existent.

He didn’t have a single shot or dribble in the games against Brighton and Manchester United – as we previously outlined when tipping him to be a causality of the 4-2-2-2 formation – while his only goal contribution so far this season has been from the penalty spot against Bournemouth.

Additionally, a lot of Southampton fans on Twitter took aim at him for his performance in the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea at St Mary’s recently.

In the 1-1 draw against Wolves last time out however, the England U21 international showed signs of promise.

Having previously struggled on the right, Ward-Prowse lined up in the same role, albeit this time in a 3-4-2-1 formation.

In this instance, the 5 foot 8 man was effective. He had two shots at goal, both of which were on target, whilst Ward-Prowse also made three key passes against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

Having previously recorded a grand total of zero contributions in both of those departments against the Seagulls and the Red Devils – as aforesaid – his performance in the Midlands served to suggest that Ward-Prowse is slowly adapting to the role and can be an influential figure there.

Hasenhuttl has stuck by him, and he may be about to get his reward for doing so – if Ward-Prowse’s showing at Molineux was anything to go by, that is.

Sunderland fans have been busy naming their shopping list for the January transfer window, and Marcus Maddison is a name on the lips of several fans.The club was linked with a move for the midfielder for much of the summer, though it is not known how concrete the Black Cats’ interest was, and whether they were deterred by having to meet his release clause of £2.5m.Watch League 1 Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It is little surprise that fans are so keen on him, as he has been a standout player in League One for many years, including this term, helping Posh to the top of the table.

He has six goals and six assists and could be key to improving Sunderland as an attacking force, as other than a 5-0 victory over Tranmere they have struggled on the goal front, with 16 goals in 12 league games prior to that encounter.

Maddison is from the north-east, too, so could fancy a move to Sunderland in January, and if he was to do so it would certainly please some fans, as these reactions show.

أكد تبيو كورتوا، حارس مرمى ريال مدريد الإسباني، بعد الفوز الذي حققه فريقه أمام إيبار في منافسات الليجا أنهم سيواصلون الضغط على برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد، ومستعدون لمواجهة ليفربول بدوري أبطال أوروبا.

ونجح ريال مدريد في التغلب على إيبار بهدفين دون رد سجلهما ماركو أسينسيو وكريم بنزيما.

وقال كورتوا في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “المشاعر طيبة، الشوط الأول جيد للغاية وتمكنا من تسجيل المزيد من الأهداف”.

وأضاف: “الشوط الثاني كنا نسير على نفس الخط، لكن إيبار كان اتجاه الريح لصالحه في الملعب، والكرات الطويلة كانت معقدة بعض الشيء بالنسبة لنا، لكننا سجلنا الهدف الثاني”.

وأستطرد كورتو: “نحن نتحلي بالهدوء وأجرى المدرب تغييرات وبحثنا عن الأهداف في المساحات، من المهم الحفاظ على نظافة شباكنا ونذهب بثقة لمواجهة ليفربول يوم الثلاثاء”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أسينسيو قبل مباراتي ليفربول وبرشلونة: نحن ريال مدريد.. سنذهب للفوز بجميع المواجهات

وأردف كورتوا: “في كرة فاسكيز كادت أن تدخل المرمى مع اتجاه الرياح القوي، لكني وصلت في الوقت المناسب للكرة، من المهم مساعدة الفريق”.

وأكمل: “لقد ناضلنا طوال الموسم للمخاطرة بكل شيء في أبريل، من خلال الفوز اليوم، نضغط على برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد في الليجا، نواصل القتال من أجل الدوري وفي دوري الأبطال لدينا مباراتان مثيرتان للغاية في أسبوع”.

وشدد كورتوا: “نريد الذهاب بعيدًا، الآن تقرر كل شيء، أردنا أن نكون في هذه المرحلة ونأمل أن نختتم الشهر بسلسلة انتصارات”.

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…

Tottenham Hotspur handed Harry Winks a new five-year contract back in July, and chairman Daniel Levy deserves some rare praise for what is already proving to be a masterstroke decision.

The long-term deal came on the back of an impressive season for the England international under Mauricio Pochettino, and that has continued into the 2019/20 campaign where he has started all but one of their matches to date.

And even when results and performances for the team haven’t been that great, the 23-year-old has come out with some credit – for example he was praised by Spurs fans following the disappointing 2-2 draw agaist Olympiacos last month, while he picked up a 7/10 rating from Football London in the subsequent 2-1 defeat to Leicester City in the Premier League.

He always gives his all and he continues to show his quality on the ball – he has a passing accuracy of 92.2% in seven top flight appearances so far this term, as per WhoScored.

John Hartson told FFC last month that he wants to see more from Winks, who is rated at £36m by Transfermarkt, in terms of really dictating the play in the centre of the park, and the Welshman is right.

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As things stand however, Pochettino and Tottenham fans can’t really have any complaints about him, even if he perhaps needs a defensive midfielder alongside him rather than him being relied upon to do that role himself – as shown during the 7-2 defeat to Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

Furthermore, when you consider Christian Eriksen reportedly wants to leave and has turned down every contract offer he has had, and Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld are in a similar boat to the Dane with their contracts also due to expire in the summer, it is refreshing to have a player featuring regularly who really seems to care about Spurs.

He will run himself into the ground for Tottenham Football Club, and that is what supporters want to see when performances and results may not be going their way – as has been the case on many occasions already in 2019/20.

Pochettino suggested after Moussa Sissoko’s new contract last week that the decision was down to the club and Levy rather than himself, and therefore it is the Spurs owner who deserves some rare praise for getting it right with Winks, who may well have a big part to play for the team in the next few years.

Loads of Sunderland fans have been reacting to the departure of Jack Baldwin, who has left the club on a season-long loan.

Black Cats fans were likely quite disappointed by their club’s business on deadline day.

Only Laurens De Bock arrived, while three players left on loan, and one of them looks to have been a mistake if the fans’ reactions are anything to go by.

Baldwin has joined Salford City on a season-long loan, following youngsters Ethan Robson and Jack Diamond out the door on deadline day.

The 26 year-old played 41 times in all competitions for Jack Ross’ side last season, and while he didn’t enjoy the greatest of campaigns, it does leave the club a little light in the heart of defence.

The arrivals of Joel Lynch and Jordan Willis improve the centre-back ranks, but after those two and Alim Ozturk, only Tom Flanagan is a natural central defender, and he was part of the problem alongside Baldwin last term.

You can find some of the fans’ concerns down below…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Expert Roundup feature, which provides three quotes from those in the know in order to illuminate fundamental strengths, weaknesses, quirks, stylistic comparisons and general observations of players, transfer targets and confirmed signings.

When Bobby Duncan’s agent released an explosive statement towards the end of August claiming that Liverpool football club were ‘mentally bullying’ his teenage charge, it prompted an equally extraordinary Twitter spat between said agent and Jamie Carragher. From that point on it became increasingly clear that the highly promising 18-year-old’s short time at Anfield was coming to an end.

The club for their part strenuously denied the accusation while a matter of days later Duncan was sold to Fiorentina for £1.8m and there he becomes the latest young English hope to export his talents to the continent.

Having been snapped up by the Reds for £200,000 in January 2018 after blazing his way through the junior levels for Manchester City the future of Steven Gerrard’s cousin appeared set in stone. He was going to be an idol of the Kop, a superstar for the club he supported.

Now it is in Serie A where he must turn all of that potential into goal-scoring gold and with the intrigue that brings – not to mention the numerous headlines his departure has generated – maybe it’s time we assessed how likely that is.

But just how good is Bobby Duncan and just how big a loss is he to the Merseyside giants?

Football Fancast gathered the views of those that know him best to find out…

Ian Forgie – PE teacher at Duncan’s High School

As a schoolboy attending Cardinal Heenan High School in West Derby, Duncan’s natural finishing and all-round ability stood out, inevitably attracting serious interest from several leading clubs, not just City. It was here too that comparisons were first made to a stonewall Merseyside legend in front of goal, as per the Evening Standard:

“He just exuded confidence; he always has done. He had this undeniable self-belief that he was going to be elite, nothing was going to stop him.

“From the first trial and from the way he uses that left foot, I said he’s a young Robbie Fowler. That’s all I see. He’s not going to be that tall, he’s going to be strong in the same way, he’s going to have that neck like Robbie Fowler. It’ll be about him scoring goals. If he can add that work rate to it, he’ll be there or thereabouts at the elite level.”

Anthony Barry – Wigan Athletic first team coach

The next Robbie Fowler? Fiorentina would be delighted at such a prospect. But a brief spell training with the Latics as a boy led to another lofty comparison, once again concerning a son of Liverpool who reached the very pinnacle of the sport, as per the Evening Standard:

“He’s just a typical street player; a raw talent. I think there are many similarities between him and Wayne Rooney in his physique and the way he plays his game and his upbringing. I played with Wayne right through the youth teams and the similarities are there for everyone to see I think.”

Check out fan reaction to Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal in the video below…

Barry Lawtas – Liverpool under 18s coach

More measured evaluation comes from Lawlas, who last season saw his young prodigy blast home 32 goals for the Under 18s before his promotion to the under 23s; before it all went wrong, as per Goal.com:

“Since the first day, he’s worked hard and scored goals. He’s a real good striker of the ball and he scores all types of goal, plus he’s really opened up as to the parts of his game that need to improve.”

Verdict

Had Duncan remained on Merseyside he would surely have developed into a player more than capable of terrorising Premier League defences and given Harry Kane something to worry about on the international scene.

Doubts about whether he will adapt to Italian football, however, at such a nascent stage means that while his talent is not in dispute the jury is out on if Stevie G’s cousin can construct a career to do the hype justice.

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One source has suggested that Leicester City will not sell Harry Maguire for anything less than £100m this summer.

Read that sentence again. Let it sink in. £100m. That’s £20m more than Cristiano Ronaldo cost Real Madrid in 2009. They were buying the best player in the world. And he didn’t cost as much as the value placed upon Maguire by Leicester City.

Now, of course, inflation is as much to blame for this as anything else but this is still an absolutely astronomical amount of money.

Manchester United had reportedly agreed a fee a few weeks ago, looking to fill their defence with yet another England international who has been okay elsewhere but never really hit the heights that he could have.

Yes, he enjoyed a very good World Cup but so did Kieran Trippier. Let’s leave that argument in the box it came from. He’s fine at Leicester, absolutely fine, good in fact, but that, realistically, is his level.

Now, if he moves, he could become the fifth most expensive footballer in history. In history!

Why? The question does have to be asked, doesn’t it? Three words: Premier League proven.

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He’s played in the top-flight and has made over a century of appearances within it. He’s got knowledge and he’s got know-how so, yep, he’s more expensive because of it.

Lewis Dunk, the Brighton & Hove Albion defender, could replace him for a fee of £45m.

Let’s just compare for a second, shall we?

A viral tweet from Premier League Panel assumes that Maguire would move for £80m. That’s still making him the most expensive defender in the world, at £5m more than Virgil van Dijk.

Yet it is still striking as it shows that Mats Hummels, the decorated Germany international centre-back who has actually won a World Cup, has moved to Borussia Dortmund for £27m.

Benjamin Pavard, who also won a World Cup, moved to Bayern Munich for £31.4m. Kostas Manolas, one of the highest-rated centre-backs in Europe, has linked up with Napoli for €34m (£30.5m). Real Madrid have parted with £42.7m to sign Eder Militao, a bundle of potential and promised talent.

What are Premier League clubs doing?

The Bundesliga is often held up as a shining beacon of how clubs and leagues should operate. Two of the deals mentioned – the two cheapest – occurred in Germany.

Even Bayern’s acquisition of Lucas Hernandez, their club-record signing, cost £72m – that’s £32m less than Maguire could move for and is a massive anomaly.

The five most expensive defensive signings in the Bundesliga run like this: Hernandez, Pavard, Hummels’ move to from Dortmund to Bayern, Hummels’ return and Dortmund’s acquisition of Abdou Diallo for £25m.

The Premier League? Van Dijk, obviously, then Manchester City’s £57m purchase of Aymeric Laporte, their £52m deal for Benjamin Mendy, their £47.5m deal for John Stones and Manchester United’s £50m deal for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

The mind honestly boggles.

Why are those five players any more expensive than those in the Bundesliga? How many of those players moving to an English club have won the World Cup? The answer is one – Mendy – but he played 40 minutes in a dead rubber group stage match against Denmark as France won the 2018 tournament.

There is a disease in the Premier League and both Maguire and Dunk are symptomatic of it.

The former would become the most expensive defender of all time if he moved to United and that, really, is ridiculous. More than that, it’s downright crazy.

For United, they might end up with an excellent defender who fits right in at Old Trafford. But the fee is extortionate and speaks to English clubs simply having too much money.

There is an old saying that goes: More money than sense.

It has summed up the Premier League for too long, and Maguire is the latest example of it being proven yet again.

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