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When Sunderland travel away from the northeast under Lee Johnson, they appear to be a formidable force.

Their 1-0 win over Ipswich means that Lee Johnson is yet to taste defeat on the road since taking over The Mackems.

Although they need to improve at the Stadium of Light, it will bring them enormous confidence that they can go away and defeat fellow promotion hopefuls. Their 4-0 win over Lincoln was eye-catching but their ability to grind out a 1-0 victory at Ipswich should also be applauded.

Of course, they were helped by the red card to Ipswich’s Kayden Jackson who was given his marching orders after an appalling challenge on Bailey Wright, but they were good value for their win despite that.

Charlie Wyke was once again in the right place at the right time as he took his League One tally for the campaign to 12 strikes as he got the only goal of the game. The tall striker has been indomitable in recent weeks and is finding the net with superb regularity.

Though, it was arguably his supplier that was Johnson’s true hero on Tuesday night. Max Power delivered an inch-perfect cross that Wyke was able to get on the end of to prod the ball home.

Since moving to right-back, Power has defined his own surname. He is a force on the flanks and uses tremendous energy to get up and down. He linked well with Aiden O’Brien, particularly for the goal.

The winger beat his man and then put the ball into the path of the rampaging Power who provided the cross.

Coincidentally, that was just one of four balls into the area – two of which were successful. For context, his completion rate was better than anyone in the entire Mackems squad.

He was also keen to get on the ball and the very fact he touched it on 122 occasions goes to show what a threat the right-back was. Power had 66 more touches than the highest haul registered by an Ipswich player and managed 31 more touches than the next best for the Black Cats.

His influence was mighty, winning more aerial duels (3) than anyone besides Bailey Wright and Jordan Willis for Sunderland. Josh Scowen, meanwhile, was the only person to win more ground duels (4) than Power (3).

This was an all-action display but we shouldn’t be surprised. After all, he delivered a similar showing against Port Vale in the Papa John’s Trophy a few weeks ago.

This, however, was a far more important game with promotion aspirations on the line and Power delivered the goods.

AND in other news, Sunderland must swoop for 20 y/o gem who terrorised £44m worth of talent last month…

As the January transfer window draws nearer, huge international names continue to be linked with a move to the Premier League. One side looking to bolster their ranks in aid of keeping their place in England’s top flight is Leeds United.

The Whites have been connected with a move for Paris Saint Germain star Julian Draxler and would, given his contract situation, be able to agree pre-contract terms with the midfielder this month, whilst a loan move has not been ruled out either. Fabrizio Romano recently tipped the Whites to be “looking for this kind of player” as they potentially enter the transfer market once more.

Draxler would be ideal signing for Leeds

Draxler oozes creativity and flair. The German international has experience in abundance and a sharp eye for setting up a goal. For Leeds, he is the ideal addition to their recently promoted squad.

Marcelo Bielsa relies heavily on stalwart striker Patrick Bamford to score goals, which may cause a lot of problems against more defensively sound teams. The Whites seem to be in need of a bit of a mix up when it comes to their attacking options and it could be wise to add a creative spark from midfield.

The end of Hernandez

Whilst signing Draxler on loan, and perhaps even on a permanent deal down the line, is arguably a no-brainer for Andrea Radrizzani, it could lead to him letting go of 35-year-old Pablo Hernandez.

The Spaniard has been a loyal contributor to the Yorkshire outfit since his arrival in 2017, but his age and lack of contribution could spell the end of his time at Elland Road. So far this season, Hernandez has added just two assists to Leeds’ tally and has started on only two occasions, according to Transfermarkt.

He is the club’s only recognised attacking midfielder, which, in terms of squad depth, isn’t rally good enough for a side looking to stay and thrive in the Premier League. Leeds would benefit a whole lot from adding a player like Draxler, who has 22 goals and 33 assists for PSG, as well as 56 caps for his country, as per Transfermarkt.

According to WhoScored, the 27-year-old has averaged a higher passing percentage this season (89.5%) and more key passes (1.2) per match when compared to Hernandez’s totals of 78% and 0.6, respectively.

This highlights that Draxler’s capability to pick out important passes and build up play from the middle of the park is better than the veteran Leeds star. Quite simply, his creative flair is clearly more threatening than that of the Leeds man, whose days could be numbered at Elland Road.

Hernandez is contracted until 2022 with the Whites so by the time that expires, he will have turned 37. Now, is the time for Leeds to be brave and move out the old dogs in order to make way for younger, fresher legs.

If Leeds can do a deal to get Draxler to Elland Road, and get him playing to his best, it would be a huge coup for the Yorkshire-based club.

In other news, Leeds can land Alioski successor in Fredrik Andre Bjorkan…

Just what must Allan Saint-Maximin be thinking? The Newcastle star has been one of the very few bright spots for the Magpies over the past year or so, and was duly rewarded with a bumper new contract earlier in the summer, despite only being at St James’ Park for one season.

At times it really has been the Frenchman versus the rest, and on Saturday afternoon against Chelsea, the winger had a disappointing display, which only served to highlight just how much the Tyneside club have relied upon him for some inspiration.

As per Sofascore, he lost possession 13 times over the course of the game, and had just one shot on goal, whilst even that was off target. And with Chelsea dominating possession, the winger could only manage 14 passes, and failed to deliver a single accurate cross.

Eventually, whether it was because of his poor performance or just that he felt like the Magpies weren’t going to get anything from the game and wanted to save him from injury, Bruce hooked him after 74 minutes.

Nobody can fault for Saint-Maximin for at least trying to get things going, but you couldn’t help but feel that he was being held back by his manager’s game-plan and his teammates’ lack of quality.

But the longer Bruce’s defensive-minded tactics continue, the more frustrated Saint-Maximin will become. And if the French ace packs his bags and leaves St James’ Park, then there’ll be only man to point the finger at.

Tottenham Hotspur have several first-team players out on loan away from north London this campaign.

This includes Juan Foyth at Villarreal under former arch-nemesis Unai Emery, Cameron Carter-Vickers at AFC Bournemouth and Ryan Sessegnon, who is getting valuable game time at Hoffenheim.

However, none of these are proving to be a long-term defensive solution for Jose Mourinho, although young academy prospect Timothy Eyoma is surely catching his eye.

The 20-year-old has excelled at right-back for Lincoln City this season and is equally adept in central defence – very much like Japhet Tanganga and Kyle Walker.

Per WhoScored, the youngster has started 11 times in League One, where he has averaged 2.4 aerials won, 1.9 tackles, 1.3 clearances and 0.9 dribbles per game.

The official Spurs website describes Eyoma as “calm on the ball and intelligent at playing out from the back” and in the summer, he was rewarded with a new three-year contract which only emphasises what the senior hierarchy at the club thinks of him.

Eyoma has been involved in the first-team on three occasions, twice as an unused substitute in the Premier League and EFL Cup whilst against Tranmere in 2019, he made his debut by replacing Davinson Sanchez with 11 minutes to go.

The Imps find themselves fourth in the table with one of the best defensive records in the division, conceding just nine goals from 11 matches which is less than a goal-per-game. Only two teams have conceded fewer, Charlton and Sunderland, two former heavyweights at the top.

Spurs’ young starlet has played an integral part in that so it’s important that the decision-makers, including Mourinho, do not turn their nose up because of the standard at which he is playing.

Firstly, they sent him to this level and secondly, Walker was impressing in the very same league on loan to Northampton Town whilst still at Sheffield United before securing his move to the north Londoners.

Look how he turned out.

Lincoln boss Michael Appleton has lauded Eyomas as an “aggressive athlete” who is “very comfortable on the ball” which should be everything that Mourinho wants in a defender.

It may be too soon for first-team stardom, but he’s certainly a name that should be considered going forward. His emergence would certainly save Daniel Levy a lot of money in the future.

AND in other news, £62m-rated Spurs outcast dealt another cruel sucker-punch…

Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson has confirmed that Max Power will be the new team captain for the 2020/2021 season.

After last season’s disappointment which saw the Black Cats finish eighth in League One and fail to secure either a promotion or play-off place, Parkinson has been busy preparing his side for a third stint in England’s third tier.

Six new signings have arrived at the Stadium of Light with Danny Graham being the biggest name to sign on the dotted line for the Wearsiders.

With the pressure firmly on Parkinson’s shoulders, a decision has now been made on Power being the new team captain.

Aside from confirming Power’s captaincy, it has also been confirmed that Grant Leadbitter and Bailey Wright be Club Captain and Vice-Captain, respectively.

Former Wigan Athletic midfielder Power has made 85 appearances for the Black Cats, netting seven goals and gaining 4 assists.

Speaking about the announcement on captains, Parkinson said: “Grant has returned to the group for pre-season and has been a massive plus for us. He has come back to the club in excellent condition and trained well, and he has also really helped the younger players within the group. He has the club at heart and is desperate to have an impact on the pitch, which I’m sure he will, and he will be an invaluable asset for us throughout the season.

“We are fortunate to have a squad of players with an abundance of leadership qualities, and Max and Bailey epitomise that. They both lead by example and like Grant, they will be key to establishing a culture within the dressing room that will drive the club forward throughout the season.”

Sunderland will face Bristol Rovers this coming Saturday (12/9) as the League One season kicks off.

This seems like a good decision as Power has the experience and will likely be a key player for Sunderland next season.

With Power, Leadbitter and Wright all leading the club for the new season, Parkinson can feel assured that he has the right men by his side.

Do you think Power is the right choice to be Sunderland captain? Let us know in the comments section below….

According to an update courtesy of Portuguese broadcaster tvi24, via @LastWordOnSpurs, Tottenham are interested in signing Benfica star Carlos Vinicius but don’t want to pay over £27.6 million – even despite an eye-watering drop in his valuation well below the original proposed £92.1m to trigger a release clause. 

Vinicius fired home 24 goals in all competitions last season for the Primeira Liga side, attracting interest from the likes of Man United and Wolves, but circumstances surrounding a global pandemic have decreased Benfica’s asking price according to reports.

Indeed, a recent claim from tvi24 reveals that the club may well be willing to accept an offer around the £46 million mark to let Vinicius leave – and Levy should arguably try to take advantage of his potential 50% valuation drop given his huge potential and pedigree at just 25-years-old.

Nicknamed ‘the beast’, Vinicius stands at a towering 6ft 3 and possesses the physicality needed to do well in the Premier League – with his prolific goalscoring record over 2019/2020 potentially making a swoop worthwhile.

However, as per this report, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy feels that any fee over £27.6m is too high a price to pay – but given Tottenham’s urgent need for a back-up to star striker Harry Kane, Vinicius seems like the perfect candidate and worth heavy investment.

Given his mountainous release clause is over double Benfica’s heavily reduced current tag, Spurs may not have a better chance to swoop for the striker at a discounted rate, and Levy will debatably have to reconsider his stance with the Lilywhites potentially about to miss out.

Spurs fans, should Levy reconsider paying over £27.6m to land Vinicius? Have your say in the comments below…

One of Tottenham Hotspur’s priorities this summer should be finding a new striker to provide valuable support to Harry Kane and perhaps the solution can be found in Spain…

What’s the word?

According to Mundo Deportivo, Spurs have been closely following the progress of Real Betis frontman Loren Moron, who an unnamed Premier League team has recently bid €12m (£10.7m) for.

It’s claimed that the 26-year-old has a release clause of €50m (£44.5m) but the La Liga outfit would accept bids of around €20m (£18m) for his signature this summer.

Arsenal, Sheffield United, West Ham and Newcastle United have all been mooted with interest in the Spaniard too.

Forget Wilson

With Spurs being told to pay a whopping £30m for relegated star Callum Wilson, a move for Moron would make a lot more sense, especially as he’s proven to be more prolific than the Englishman this season.

Per WhoScored, the Betis ace delivered ten goals and three assists from just 21 appearances, averaging 1.4 shots and 1.2 aerial duels won per game.

Former Barcelona head coach Quique Setien hailed the striker as a “really good player” with “many qualities” whilst La Liga Analysis note how his excellent movement off-the-ball allows him to be a poacher inside the box.

Although he’s not a traditional number nine like Kane, there are some similarities as he can also drop deep to open up space for the wingers to cut inside, something that Spurs can do quite well.

The 6 foot 2 forward can be the man to finally replace Fernando Llorente in north London and he’ll cost half the price of someone who’s just been relegated from the top-flight.

Daniel Levy must sanction the £18m move before one of their rivals clinches him.

AND in other news, Spurs could have dream midfield duo with £20m arrival

Tottenham Hotspur are set to beat Arsenal to sign Kim-min jae this summer.

Tottenham have been close to completing the signing of the Beijing Guoan defender for a number of months, but now negotiations have moved one step nearer.

According to KBS News, as per @TranSPURS, Kim is flying to north London to finalise the move.

The Mirror claimed earlier this year that Spurs were leading the race to sign the South Korean in the summer, as relayed by HITC.

Recent reports suggested both sides have agreed a fee of £15m is acceptable, and he now only has to complete a medical to seal the deal.

Kim, who is known as ‘Monster’, is an international teammate of Son Heung-min, who is the club’s second-highest goalscorer this season.

The Lilywhites have leaked goals for fun over the course of the campaign, conceding nearly 50 goals so far.

Jose Mourinho wants to fix his defensive problems as soon as possible, as Jan Vertonghen is seemingly destined for the exit, while questions remain over Juan Foyth’s future at the club.

The 23-year-old has already won 30 caps for his country, winning a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in the process, which earned him certain military privileges (via The Guardian).

Kim cuts quite the imposing figure at the back as he stands 1,9m tall, which explains why Mourinho wants to sign him in the summer.

The Portuguese tried to sign Harry Maguire during his time in charge of Manchester United, although he was unsuccessful in his attempt, and the South Korea shares similar physical attributes with the Englishman.

At £15m, Kim should be more than affordable for Spurs, as this will surely fall within Mourinho’s restricted budget.

Spurs attempted to pursue the centre-back several years ago but it now seems like they have finally got their wish.

Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy sign Kim in the summer? Let us know down below!

The 2004/05 season was a busy one from a Glasgow Rangers perspective in terms of transfers.

The ‘Gers spent £14.2m that campaign, with several new recruits joining the club. The biggest fee was spent on Barry Ferguson, who returned to the Ibrox outfit after spending time in England with the likes of Birmingham and Blackburn, whilst Belgium international Thomas Buffel also joined.

One of the lesser-known players to move to Glasgow at that time was defender Dragan Mladenovic, who made the switch from Red Star Belgrade. The Serbian capital club are one of the two biggest in the country along with city rivals Partizan, and the ‘Gers believed that he was worth the £1.44m they spent on him.

His time at Ibrox proved to be anything but successful. He would make just eight appearances for the ‘Gers in all competitions before moving to Real Sociedad on loan just six months after his arrival in Scotland. The Spanish side chose not to sign permanently and he then returned to Ibrox.

They didn’t want him either, though, and after just one year at the club, he left on a free transfer in 2005, returning to his homeland and his former side Red Star. After just one season and eight matches, the ‘Gers made a 100% loss on the midfielder. Alex McLeish may have won six trophies as the club’s manager but his purchase of Mladenovic was an ill-fated misjudgement.

‘Gers fans, was Mladenovic the worst signing that McLeish made during his time in charge at Ibrox? Let us know what you think below!

Alex Bruce has backed Jose Mourinho to bench Steven Bergwijn and Erik Lamela when Tottenham face Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Hull City playerfeels that Mourinho won’t want to make any changes to the team that defeated West Ham 2-0 at home last week. Lamela and Bergwijn both featured in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United but dropped to the bench as Dele Alli and Lucas Moura took their places in the London derby.

Bruce believes that the Spurs duo will stay on the bench as Alli and Moura looked lively in Tottenham’s first victory since the Premier League restart.

The pundit told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “He’s got some good options, hasn’t he? When you can leave two players out and bring two players like that into the team, it gives everyone a boost.

“Competition for places is healthy, I’m sure that’s what Jose wants. I don’t believe you change a winning team so I’d be very, very surprised if he changes it.

“However, Jose will have one eye on the games coming up. To play two games in a week might be difficult for a few, with injuries and what have you. You always try and keep a winning team and I’d be surprised if he doesn’t do that.”

It is difficult to disagree with Bruce here, as it is unlikely that Mourinho will want to mess around with his winning team.

Spurs are currently eighth in the Premier League, a point clear of the Blades, and nine points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. The Lilywhites know that they face an uphill struggle if they are to qualify for the Champions League.

Although he missed the match with Man United due to suspension, Alli is still the club’s third-highest goalscorer this season behind Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, as he has netted nine goals in all competitions so far (BBC).

Meanwhile, Bergwijn has bagged three goals in seven league games, including scoring on his home debut against Manchester City.

Mourinho’s side started well after he opened the scoring against Manchester United, until the Red Devils managed to claw their way back into the game after Eric Dier’s blunder (BBC). However, Bergwijn has only recently recovered from injury and the manager might be reluctant to take any more risks.

While squad rotation is always important, Spurs will know they must pick up as many points as possible, and Mourinho may opt for an unchanged side to build on their momentum.

Tottenham fans, do you think this is how Mourinho will start against Sheffield United? Let us know in the comments below!