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Since Bruno Fernandes’ arrival from Sporting CP in the January transfer window for £47m, things have turned around considerably for Manchester United.

The Red Devils have remained unbeaten since the Portugal international’s big-money move to Old Trafford, including scoring 11 times in their last four games across all competitions.

And on Thursday night in the Europa League against Club Brugge, both Fernandes and fellow midfielder Fred may have stolen the headlines for finding the back of the net – in the latter’s case, he did so twice.

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But whilst the duo got their names on the score-sheet, one man who didn’t, but arguably outshone them, was Juan Mata. The Spaniard, turning 32 in a couple of months, rolled back the years and delivered a vintage performance for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

Aside from providing the assist for Odion Ighalo’s first ever goal for the club, Mata helped run the show and tore Brugge apart with his clever passes and touches. And when looking at the numbers behind his performance, it really does look wholly impressive.

As per Sofascore, his remarkable total of six key passes was a game-high, and actually more than what Fernandes (four) and Fred (one) combined for. Mata married his incisiveness to cut open a fragile Brugge defence, with being one of the side’s main play-makers. He enjoyed 91 touches throughout the game, with only two other United players getting more.

Is life under the Glazers really that bad? Maybe this quiz will change your minds, Man United fans…

The former Chelsea man also successfully completed seven out of the 11 long balls he attempted, whilst he also created one big chance too. All in all, the veteran midfielder helped dictate the play for United, and played a huge role in United eventually going on to win 5-0 at Old Trafford.

Whilst Fred and Fernandes may be the ones in the headlines for their respective goals, Mata was the ultimate magician for Solskjaer’s side. His biggest trick on the night was dipping into the past, and producing an age-old masterclass from yesteryear.

Meanwhile, this is how Man Utd could line up against Everton.

Sheffield Wednesday’s season hasn’t exactly gone to plan up until this point, but Wednesday evening represented a real chance to put things back on track.

The Owls faced Manchester City in the fifth round of the FA Cup, and a victory against the Premier League champions would have seen them just 90 minutes away from a trip to Wembley.

Of course, the Yorkshire club were massive underdogs for the game, but perhaps they could have pulled off an upset if it weren’t for a mistake by their goalkeeper.

‘Keeping issues are nothing new at Hillsborough, and the sad thing is that there’s a simple solution staring the manager right in the face.

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Goalkeeping problems

The number one spot has been something of a problem position for the Owls for some time now.

The stats show that Cameron Dawson ranks 18th out of 25 when it comes to save percentage amongst Championship goalkeepers to have played at least half of their team’s minutes this term, and Joe Wildsmith’s shortcomings were on show against City as his error led to the game’s only goal.

If Wildsmith had kept out Aguero’s effort, we could have been talking about the Owls as FA Cup quarter-finalists, but it wasn’t to be.

It’s clear that something needs to change between the sticks, but that can only happen if Garry Monk swallows his pride.

Bring back Westwood

The most annoying thing about this is that Sheffield Wednesday already have a top-class stopper at the club in the shape of Keiren Westwood.

For one reason or another, the experienced head has been frozen out of the squad, and when the Irishman addressed the issue on social media fans called for him to return as number one, and we’re inclined to agree with that view.

Not only does Westwood have a better save percentage than Dawson this season, but he’s also a previous winner of the Owls’ Player of the Year award.

Of course, the problems at the Steel City outfit run deeper than the goalkeeper position after winning just two of their previous 13 league games, but reinstating Westwood would certainly be a step in the right direction when it comes to fixing these issues.

In other news, Garry Monk’s recent comments show that he’s not the man for the job.

Daniel Podence won’t go the same way as Patrick Cutrone at Wolves, according to Joe Edwards of The Express & Star Wolves podcast (March 6th, 46:45).

What’s he said?

Cutrone was loaned out in the January transfer window, joining Fiorentina in Serie A, after making just 24 appearances for Wolves, scoring a mere three goals.

Podence was signed from Olympiacos in January and has had a staggered introduction to the starting XI, playing his first full 90 minutes in the Europa League win over Espanyol.

Thus far, he has played 27 minutes in the Premier League but Edwards believes he has more going for him than Cutrone.

He said: “I don’t think he’ll end up like Cutrone. I do think he’ll have to bide his time a bit more. I think he’s a more versatile player than Cutrone was and I think that’ll stand him in good stead.

For true Wolves fans only: How much did each of these players cost?

“He can either play as a No.10, like (Pedro) Neto has, or he can play on the left, he can play on the right. He could even play in the front two as we saw in Espanyol.

“He’ll have to bide his time a bit more because he’s coming into a very successful team in a very successful system.

“I think next season we’ll start to see a lot more of him, but I think he’s set up for a better Wolves career than Cutrone.”

Sensible take

Podence is a far more versatile player than Cutrone.

The latter was solely a centre-forward, unable to play on the right or the left wing, but as Edwards says, Podence can play in numerous positions and do them all well.

He scored 13 goals and registered 14 assists across 68 games for Olympiacos and has already been called up to the full Portugal squad at the age of 24.

He has oodles of talent and one has to believe that Nuno Espirito Santo has a plan for his introduction to the team.

It is time to trust the manager and trust that Podence will be utilised properly next season.

As it is, Wolves continue to fight for European qualification – they are sixth in the Premier League, three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea – and introducing a wildcard into the mix could either see them through or hamper them.

Santo is taking the softly, softly approach and is spot on to do so.

Meanwhile, one Wolves man has been hailed by a notable pundit!

Rangers were humbled by Bayer Leverkusen at Ibrox on Thursday night as Steven Gerrard suffered his first home defeat in Europe since he took over at the club.

The 3-1 result leaves the Gers on the brink in the Europa League, though uncertainty over when the competition will resume suggests the second leg could be some time away.

The hosts were outclassed at times and the gulf in class was laid bare in the contrasting performances of Kai Havertz and Joe Aribo – Havertz completed two key passes and three dribbles compared to zero and one respectively for Aribo, per Whoscored.

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The 23-year-old’s display naturally provoked criticism from plenty of supporters, with one fan suggesting he was the worst player on the pitch.

And the display prompted plenty of discussion regarding Gerrard’s team selection.

One fan claimed that he isn’t good enough to start and implied that Aribo is more effective from the substitutes bench.

And these two fans, meanwhile, pointed fingers at Gerrard’s decision to play the former Charlton ace down the right hand side.

One fan alluded to earlier performances in which Aribo has struggled on the right and suggested the manager hasn’t learned from his previous mistakes.

Indeed, with Ianis Hagi routed to the substitutes bench until the 68th minute, Rangers were lacking a creative spark for much of the game.

Carlo Ancelotti may have only been in charge for 12 matches but he has already made big changes, and according to The Athletic journalist Greg O’Keeffe that could signal some bad news for Gylfi Sigurdsson.

What did he say?

The Iceland international has had a season to forget on all fronts, having dropped off significantly from his return of 19 goal contributions in the league in 2018/19, to just one goal and two assists this campaign.

He has maintained his placed in the team under Carlo Ancelotti but in doing so has only earned more criticism from the Toffees’ fanbase, and in occupying a left-wing role he has struggled to adapt his abilities and has proved ineffective as a result.

However, according to O’Keeffe Ancelotti is likely to maintain his use of 4-4-2, which is a concern for the 30-year-old as it means he won’t be able to fulfil his usual no.10 role.

Writing in The Athletic, O’Keeffe said:

“Sigurdsson is understood to believe that, in club football, he is best suited to an advanced attacking midfield role — the conventional No 10 slot he filled for the previous Everton manager Silva. However, it appears such a position will not form part of Ancelotti’s blueprint for the side.”

There are other factors working against Sigurdsson, too, such as the emergence of Anthony Gordon, who has featured twice since the Italian boss was appointed.

It is believed that he is highly-rated by many high-profile figures at the club, including Director of Football Marcel Brands, and next season could be his breakthrough at Goodison Park because of that.

O’Keeffe’s colleague Patrick Boyland added:

“We’ve already heard positive noises from Ancelotti about Gordon, while Brands remains a fan. In training, he regularly comes in the top three in sprint drills and he is improving his off-the-ball work.

“Gordon would still be best from the left, coming inside as he did against Chelsea, but it’s also worth mentioning that he can basically play anywhere across the frontline. As Everton look to cut numbers, that could well count for him in the long run…

Uncertain future

On the one hand, there are a number of reasons to hope that Sigurdsson leaves this summer if you’re an Everton fan.

He has failed to live up to his £45m price tag with his often underwhelming performances, averaging a 6.6 rating per WhoScored, and with the exciting Gordon coming through supporters have a Merseyside boy to cheer on.

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However, Ancelotti could see Sigurdsson as challenge, and that may offer him the necessary motivation to get the best out of him, with next season acting as a clean slate.

The former Real Madrid boss has worked with some of the best players in the world and had them delivering their best football – as his Champions League medals attest to – so it is very possible that he will choose to do the same with Sigurdsson, regardless of whether he has a natural position in the side or not.

Did he play for Everton? Simple question but a lot tougher than you think…

It will ultimately come down to the midfielder and his ability to turn around his bad form. Failing to show ability is one thing, but a lack of desire will not be tolerated by Ancelotti or the Everton faithful, and that could prove pivotal in deciding his faith.

Meanwhile, Cenk Tosun has finally had some good news after picking up a season-ending injury…

Mention the name Peter Odemwingie to your average football fan and you’ll probably be met with laughter.

Indeed, despite the Nigerian being quite a decent player on his day, the wider footballing world remembers him mostly for his failed deadline day move to QPR when he turned up to Loftus Road without a deal even being arranged.

However, the striker deserves a much greater legacy than that.

The previous description of ‘quite decent’ was actually underselling him a little bit, and when he was on form he was one of the best players in the Premier League during his time at West Brom.

Odemwingie one of the best players in the Premier League on his day? It sounds preposterous, but it’s true.

The man was the epitome of a form player, scoring in runs before going on lengthy droughts, but when he was on form, there were very few footballers in England who could hold a candle to him.

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Odemwingie may have only played 90 games for West Brom, but he won three Premier League Player of the Month Awards during that time, that’s as many as Ruud van Nistelrooy and Gareth Bale managed in their entire tenure in the Premier League, and they both played more games than Odemwingie’s tally of 90 for Albion.

Only 26 Premier League Player of the Month awards were handed out during the Nigerian’s spell at The Hawthorns, and he won three of them meaning that 11.5% of the time he was considered the best player in the league, and barring Robin van Persie, that’s more than any other player during that period.

31 goals in 90 games is a more than respectable tally, but when you throw in the 17 assists that’s more than a goal contribution every other game.

Odemwingie may be mostly remembered as Sky Sports’ laughing stock for that failed deadline day move, but the real joke should be on QPR who missed out on a supremely talented player that day.

For just £2m in 2010, the striker has to be considered one of Albion’s best ever buys.

In other news, this West Brom loanee will have learnt a lot this season.

“Good defenders win you things. This lad is really natural and athletic. You need good defenders and that is exactly what this lad is.”

That was Sir Alex Ferguson’s verdict on Manchester United’s signing of Nemanja Vidic back in January 2006. Even the great Red Devils boss surely could not have imagined just how “good” the Serbian would end up being at Old Trafford.

The then 24-year-old was snapped up by the Manchester side for a reported fee of £7m, and he went on to undeniably become one of Ferguson and David Gill’s best value signings for the club.

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The powerhouse ended up playing a total of 300 games, which works out to a measly cost of £23.3k per match – the ultimate definition of a bargain buy.

Whilst Vidic was a great servant in his own right, his influence on the pitch was immeasurable. His time at Old Trafford saw him help the team win five Premier League titles (including three in a row between 2007 and 2009), a Champions League and three League Cups too. Not to mention the one FIFA Club World Cup and numerous Community Shields too.

It was no wonder that his partnership with Rio Ferdinand at the heart of the United defence was widely heralded, including by fellow teammate John O’Shea back in October 2007. He said: “It’s a pretty happy camp at the moment, especially with the defensive situation with the clean sheets. Rio and Nemanja are definitely a major factor to it – you cannot ask for two better central defenders in Europe, in my opinion.”

Quickfire Questions – Early title winners: Can you get all 13 right in 2 minutes?

Ferdinand himself paid tribute to his former partner in crime very recently, saying that out of a choice between him and Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk, he would choose his United teammate. In an Instagram Q&A, he said: “Prime van Dijk or prime Vidic? Ooooh, good question. ‘I’ve got to go with Vidic because he was my partner, man. He was my partner. He covered my back and I covered his. That was it.”

A bit of bias perhaps, but there can be no question that Vidic played a huge role in United’s success during his time at the club. He was a no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners kind of defender (his 58 yellow cards are a testament to that), and was as solid as a rock. For just £7m he was an absolute steal.

Meanwhile, Man Utd would be making a huge mistake with a swoop for this Bundesliga star.

Some Newcastle United fans do not fancy Alfredo Morelos despite the striker scoring 29 goals this season for Rangers, according to Transfermarkt.

Six of those strikes have also come in the Europa League groups stages against established European sides FC Porto, Feyenoord and BSC Young Boys, and the Colombian international has also provided 10 assists in 46 appearances in all competitions, as per the website.

The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder says that the asking price from Rangers has dropped to £13 million as Steve Bruce remains keen on signing him.

Morelos has struck 77 times in his career in Scotland, whilst also making 29 assists in 137 appearances (via Transfermarkt). Despite the fact he has been plying his trade in a division which is weaker than the Premier League, the 23-year old still boasts a goal or an assist in over three-quarters of his matches which is an outstanding record.

Yet members of the Toon Army still do not fancy him, as many referenced his ill-discipline. Indeed, Morelos has missed 14 games through suspension in only three seasons with the club.

These Magpies expressed their thoughts on potentially signing the striker on Twitter:

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Newcastle discussion going on in the Vital Newcastle Forum! Click here to get involved!

Tottenham Hotspur fans have been reacting in the masses to a tweet from Football.London reporter Alasdair Gold after he relayed an Instagram post from Tanguy Ndombele to Twitter.

The matter in question is actually over the future of the £55m club-record signing despite only joining the club in the summer, and Ndombele has taken steps to cool the reported interest in him by posting a highlights reel from his season so far with the translated caption – ‘nothing to report.’

Gold, a reliable Spurs journalist, has seen many a fan in his replies offering their opinions on the Frenchman, who has become a polarising figure amongst the north London support.

Ndombele has featured in 27 matches this season, scoring twice whilst also providing four assists in all competitions – and that’s even when averaging a mere 51 minutes per game, via Transfermarkt.

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Barcelona are the team courting his services, according to Sky Sports, but this message has certainly played down such links.

Here’s what supporters have been saying…

AND in other news, Spurs would be foolish to offer a new deal to Pochettino signing…

While the fate of the Premier League title race is still undecided with a chunk of the season still to play, that has not stopped Manchester City from looking ahead to the future.

As things stand, captain Vincent Kompany’s contract is set to expire at the end of the current campaign. However, the Citizens look intent on keeping the 32-year-old at the Etihad for another term where they are likely to challenge for English football’s top honour once again.

The Breakdown

The Daily Mail reports Kompany is expected to sign an extension to take his spell at the Etihad into a 12th season in a move that could end up being a masterstroke on Pep Guardiola’s part.

The Belgium international is no longer an automatic starter with Aymeric Laporte and John Stones having been Guardiola’s preferred central defensive partnership for most of this season, while Nicolas Otamendi has also been used at the back by the Spaniard over the last few weeks.

Considering his leadership skills and defensive capabilities, though, when fit, Kompany could still end up having a role in any future success Manchester City achieve, especially when looking at how often Guardiola rotates his team.

Ultimately, Kompany is still more than a capable defender. And if he is willing to accept being a squad player, then Manchester City have to tie him down to a new deal.