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Sky Sports’ northeast reporter Keith Downie has said that having three Newcastle United players in the England squad for the World Cup is ‘unbelievable’.

The Lowdown: Three Magpies for the Three Lions

Three Magpies players were included in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man England squad for the World Cup in Qatar, with Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson all getting the call.

The former two were safe picks having made recent squads, but Wilson has not played for the Three Lions since 2019, although he has been picked by Southgate ahead of the likes of Tammy Abraham and Ivan Toney for the upcoming tournament.

The Latest: Downie buzzing

Taking to Twitter, Downie was left buzzing after the England squad was announced, claiming that having three players from St James’ Park in it is ‘unbelievable’ for Newcastle.

The Sky Sports reporter tweeted: “Unbelievable how far Newcastle have come in such a short space of time. And having three players in the England squad for Qatar symbolises exactly that.”

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The Verdict: Deserved

All three Newcastle players deserve their place in the England squad as a testament to how well they have performed to get the Tynesiders up to third place in the Premier League table.

Having three players from one club in the squad is the joint-second highest representation behind Manchester City with five.

It puts Eddie Howe’s side level with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, and they have more than Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur from the so-called ‘big six’.

The fact that the Toon are mixing it up with the more traditional big boys is shown by the players in the England squad, and they all deserve their seats on the plane to Qatar next week.

Leeds United have been backed to stick with Jesse Marsch as their first-team manager by BBC radio pundit Kevin Campbell. 

The Lowdown: Leeds’ season so far

So far this season, the Yorkshire club have won four of their 14 games in the Premier League, drawing three and losing seven along the way, leaving them 15th in the table with 15 points on the board.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Marsch could be in danger of getting the sack due to Leeds’ shaky results this season.

However, it appears that Campbell has given his backing to the American regarding his future at Elland Road.

The Latest: Leeds backed to stick with Marsch

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Arsenal striker commended the job that the 49-year-old has done at Leeds so far and has urged the club’s board to stand by their manager and back him in the transfer market.

Campbell said: “I think he’s still got to get the balance right. But it’s exciting. The win against Bournemouth, the win at Anfield – and ultimately the game against Tottenham, even though they ended up losing. They’re conceding far too many goals, but they’re scoring a load too.

“I think they should stick with him. If they do it will be a real ride for the Leeds United fans, but it will be a good spectacle.

“A lot of people might look at Jesse Marsch and say he hasn’t done a good job. I think he’s done a brilliant job.

“When he came in, they looked dead and buried – and they haven’t spent a fortune. He needs a couple of transfer windows.”

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The Verdict: Stick with Marsch for now

After keeping the club in the top flight at the end of last season and then getting heavily backed in the transfer market during the summer, we feel that it would make sense for Marsch to keep his job at Elland Road and to be given time to get the team on track.

However, one area that the 49-year-old should look to fix in his team is the defence, as only three other sides in the top flight have conceded more goals than the Whites (26).

As Campbell mentioned, the club could then look to the upcoming January transfer window to add some defensive reinforcements to their squad.

Looking ahead to the remainder of the season, while we predominantly feel that Leeds shouldn’t look to sack Marsch as of yet, there may come a point where a big decision will need to be made if it starts to look like another relegation battle will be on the horizon.

Manchester United are ‘confident’ of securing a new deal for exciting youngster Alejandro Garnacho, according to an update from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Garnacho a new United hero

The 18-year-old has burst onto the scene at United recently, becoming a new hero at Old Trafford after a number of influential performances.

Not only has Garnacho scored once in the Europa League and assisted twice in the EFL Cup, but he also netted a vital last-gasp winner at Fulham in the last Premier League game.

The teenage attacker’s current United deal expires next summer, however, so there is clearly an eagerness to extend his stay at the club.

The Latest: Club ‘confident’ of new deal

Taking to Twitter, Romano confirmed that the club are working hard on nailing down Garnacho’s future:

“Manchester United are confident to get Alejandro Garnacho’s new deal done and sealed soon. Negotiations are in progress after first proposal in June.

“Man United want Garnacho to be an important player for present and future.”

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The Verdict: A special prospect

Some players come along that just possess an x-factor and Garnacho immediately looks like one of those, having a rawness and passion to his game. Erik ten Hag has called him ‘fantastic’, clearly being encouraged by his impact.

Granted, it is still early to be making bold predictions about how good he can become, but he is already making a big impression, contributing in the final third and even winning United matches.

Sorting a new deal for Garnacho is absolutely vital, with the thought of losing him to a rival next summer a worrying one, given his immense promise.

Everton will have welcomed the World Cup-enforced break given their run of form, with pressure having mounted on Frank Lampard as his side lost their last three games as the Toffees were dumped out of the cup sitting just a point from the relegation zone.

This six-week hiatus from domestic football has allowed the Merseyside club to capitalise on their infamy across the world, and with their recent tour to Australia having now concluded, it must be branded a huge success.

Not only will it have boosted the club’s marketability within that region, but the display in the second game particularly will have pleased Frank Lampard.

Seeing them record five goals against Western Sydney Wanderers is especially promising given how this season they have scored just 11 times in 15 Premier League games.

Whilst Anthony Gordon might steal the headlines for his showstopping hat trick, two standout youngsters were handed the final 25 minutes to take their chance.

Just two minutes after their introduction, it was they who combined to notch their fourth goal of the game.

Stanley Mills’ driving run and quick feet saw his left-footed shot spilt, and Tom Cannon was on hand to power home from close range.

The striker in particular will feel like this is a turning point in his career, as he scored his first senior goal for his boyhood club.

With the well-documented striker issues faced by Everton, this goal could force his way into Lampard’s thinking once the Premier League restarts on Boxing Day.

Although Dominic Calvert-Lewin is their undisputed star striker, his injury issues have rendered him an unreliable asset for consistent goals.

His deputy Neal Maupay has also disappointed, and although he headed in the opener, his average SofaScore rating of 6.59 this season proves why he too cannot be trusted for goals either.

There is little risk therefore in perhaps unleashing the 19-year-old marksman who was labelled a pure “goalscorer” by Paul Tait.

He already boasts nine goals and two assists in just 13 youth games this season, following up his fine eight-goal haul last season too.

Having scored goals at every level now, fans would surely prefer seeing an academy graduate handed a chance over those who have disappointed them before.

The Evertonians have always had a keen affiliation with those who have graduated through their youth system, and this could be no different. He would certainly garner a more staunch backing than some of his competition has received.

Everton made a £15m bid for Mohammed Kudus in the summer but were unsuccessful in their efforts and now a reliable source has made a claim on the club’s pursuit of the talented player.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke claims another move for Kudus would get Everton supporters “excited”.

O’Rourke said:

“He’d definitely be somebody who would get Everton fans excited.

“I think they were excited at his potential arrival in the summer only for the deal not to happen.”

Lampard can get Goodison rocking

Despite the struggles Everton have faced over the last 12 months, there is no doubt that Frank Lampard could get Goodison Park rocking again if the club were able to pull off a deal for the Ajax star.

The Toffees are in desperate need of more creativity and clinical performers in their attacking threat with only Wolverhampton Wanderers scoring fewer goals than Everton in the Premier League so far this season, and Kudus could be the perfect solution to improve the attacking threat.

Over 14 Eredivisie appearances so far, the 22-year-old ace – who was hailed “explosive” by journalist Deji Faremi – has scored five goals and completed 70% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 1.8 shots and 2.6 duels won per game, proving that he clearly has an eye for goal.

Not only that, Kudus is representing Ghana in Qatar at the World Cup and despite his team losing 3-2 to Portugal put on an exemplary performance that will catch the eye of the powers at Goodison Park.

The attacking midfielder earned the highest SofaScore rating in his team (7.4) during his 77-minute performance – completing 100% of his dribbles, winning 67% of his duels, making one tackle and successfully delivering 100% of his long balls.

Kudus has been the recipient of high praise for his recent performances with Ajax and Netherlands legend Wesley Sneijder claiming the rising star is “great to watch” after his display in the Champions League against Liverpool earlier this season:

“He shoots it fantastic,” Sneijder claimed.

“Until then, he hadn’t been in the game, but this is the Kudus in form. A great player to watch.”

With that being said, the signing of Kudus would be a major coup for Everton and would certainly give the team more depth and quality in their attacking threat over the second half of the season.

Injury analyst Ben Dinnery has hinted at a potential date for West Ham United defender Kurt Zouma to make a return from his latest setback. 

The Lowdown: Zouma’s injury

In the early stages of West Ham’s most recent Premier League game against Leicester City, the Frenchman was forced off the pitch through injury, following some concern about the defender’s knee during the warm-up for that match.

Last month, the east London club revealed that Zouma has undergone surgery on his knee and will now be continuing his rehabilitation.

Some further details about the injury have now emerged, along with a potential recovery timeframe.

The Latest: Potential Zouma return date

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery addressed Zouma and when he could be in line for a return to action.

He said of the West Ham defender: “The fact that he’s been carrying it for a fairly long time suggests that it’s fairly minimal. It’s an issue they’ve been aware of and were treating it conservatively.

“Everything points to a meniscal problem, so a little tidy-up of the cartilage with the arthroscopy, which is minimal invasion surgery. You expect a four to six week return to play timeline on that. It’s a little bit of a tidy up, it’s nothing too serious.

“You can manage it fairly well but on occasion, it does flare up, as we saw in that last game against Leicester during the warm-up and the decision was taken to go under the knife.

“It may call into question a return for that festive fixture period but certainly for the second half of the campaign, there’s no question about that.”

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The Verdict: Good news for West Ham

Judging by what Dinnery had to say about the injury, the surgery and the potential time for which Zouma could be ruled out, it will be good news for everyone at West Ham that the 28-year-old seems unlikely to be sidelined for a considerable period of time.

With only four outfield players at the London Stadium having racked up more league minutes than the Frenchman this season, that shows how important he is to Moyes and the Hammers.

In fact, only Declan Rice (89.1%) has a higher passing accuracy percentage than Zouma (85.9%), who has also made more clearances (68) than any other player at the club, which suggests that Moyes will want him back and fully recovered as soon as possible.

Taking into account how domestic football doesn’t start again for another three weeks, this will give the 28-year-old ample time to recover and reduce the chance of him missing too many games.

Sunderland are reportedly interested in signing Brighton striker Deniz Undav in January and the German striker would surely be a quality addition to Tony Mowbray’s side.

What’s the word?

According to Football League World, Sunderland are among a number of Championship clubs said to be interested in signing the 26-year-old forward next month, with QPR, Burnley, Coventry City, Blackburn Rovers and Norwich City all said to be keen.

The Seagulls signed Undav in January of this year after some sensational performances in Belgium and loaned him back to Union Saint-Gilloise for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign.

He would go on to hit 25 goals and ten assists in just 33 Pro League appearances but has found game time hard to come by under both Graham Potter and Roberto de Zerbi so far this term, with just eight substitute appearances in the Premier League to his name.

This could open the door to a potential loan move in January and given his superb goalscoring form in recent campaigns, Sunderland would surely be lucky to have him at the Stadium of Light.

Mowbray would love him

With Sunderland no doubt eyeing a spot in the Championship playoffs this season, extra firepower in January could be exactly what the Black Cats need to propel them up the table.

The prospect of having Undav as an option in attack, alongside current top scorers Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms, is surely an incredibly exciting one for Mowbray when considering how lethal Undav was during spells in Belgium and Germany.

The 26-year-old has been prolific throughout his career with TSV Havelse, SV Meppen and Royale Union Saint Gilloise, registering a phenomenal 155 goal contributions in a combined 215 appearances for those three clubs.

Upon his arrival at the Amex Stadium in the summer, Undav promised the fans a lot but has been given very few chances to showcase his abilities thus far. He said:

“I will not say a number [of goals], I will just try and score maybe not 26 but a little bit less. I can score inside the box, outside the box, I can score from the middle line, I can score from everywhere. I have no typical type of goal. I try to score with my head, with the left foot, right foot, with my shoulder, with everything.”

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This certainly bodes well for Sunderland and if he can live up to his own high expectations at the Stadium of Light, he would surely become a big player for Mowbray for the rest of the campaign.

Glasgow Rangers enjoyed a second half turnaround to win 3-2 at Ibrox last night in Michael Beale’s first match in charge of the club as their Premiership campaign resumed.

The first half wasn’t pretty, and it was almost reminiscent of the Giovanni van Bronckhorst era, although the incumbent manager must have had some strong words for his team as they roared back in the second half to secure a confidence boosting victory.

A tactical tweak saw Beale play with a more attacking setup, having Alfredo Morelos and Fashion Sakala leading the line in a fluid 4-3-1-2 as opposed to the rigid 4-3-3 often used under the Dutchman, and in the second half it appeared to work wonders.

Ryan Porteous and Kevin Nisbet had scored for Hibernian either side of a Sakala equaliser, but with just over half an hour remaining, Ryan Jack scored Rangers’ second equaliser. Just four minutes later, Morelos had a simple tap-in after some wonderful work by Malik Tillman to score what proved to be the winner.

The Colombian was back to his best, recording four shots during the match and thriving in the new formation, but it was Tillman who looks like he could really get going under Beale after his performance.

The American – who was dubbed “phenomenal” by John Lundstram – was excellent against Hibs as he received a 7.7/10 rating from Sofascore, which ranked him as the best performer on the pitch.

The 20-year-old provided two assists, took 58 touches and made an impressive four key passes, which proved pivotal to opening up the Hibs defence.

He also succeeded with 75% of his dribble attempts, had two shots off target and also created a further two big chances, proving to be a constant attacking threat throughout the match.

The Ibrox faithful would have known that the youngster had talent in abundance, but translating it to consistent performances on the pitch was becoming rather difficult. However, Beale’s tactical nous caters for players like Tillman who thrive on a more fluid system, and this was clearly evident last night based on his metrics from the match.

There are still plenty of things to work upon going forward, but the 42-year-old will just be happy to secure a first win in front of the Ibrox crowd; and if the second half performance is a sign of things to come, the future certainly looks bright for Tillman and Rangers.

Liverpool have reportedly shown the ‘greatest interest’ in signing RB Leipzig and Croatia central defender Josko Gvardiol.

The Lowdown: World Cup star

Gvardiol has been a star for Croatia at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, having played in every single minute of the tournament on the way to his country reaching the semi-finals, where they were eventually knocked out 3-0 by Argentina.

His performances have been so impressive, with journalist Zach Lowy deeming him the ‘best player on the pitch’ when Croatia knocked out Belgium in the group stages, labelling him ‘sensational’ and a ‘Rolls-Royce’.

Nonetheless, Gvardiol is sure to attract plenty of suitors when the January transfer window comes along.

The Latest: Liverpool show ‘greatest interest’

As per transfer expert Rudy Galetti, the Anfield outfit have shown the ‘greatest interest’ in Gvardiol, despite reported interest from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid:

“Liverpool is the club that – to date – shown the greatest interest in Gvardiol. The contract of the centre-back with RB Leipzig was extended in September and expires in 2027.”

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The Verdict: Van Dijk successor?

At just 20 years of age, Gvardiol is a player who could take on the baton from Virgil van Dijk, who turns 32 in July.

Aside from his World Cup heroics, he has also established himself as a key player at Bundesliga heavyweights RB Leipzig, having played 65 times for them over the last two seasons, including ten appearances in the UEFA Champions League (Transfermarkt).

Hailed as a ‘beast’ by Bundesliga journalist Manuel Veth, Gvardiol ranks in the 99th percentile for passes attempted and dribbles completed of all centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year, as well as in the 95th for progressive passes and 89th for shot-creating actions (FBRef), showing how much of an attacking threat that he can possess as well as defensively being solid.

Nonetheless, with other big clubs sniffing around for his signature, signing him would be a real coup for the Reds.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in signing Barcelona and France star Ousmane Dembele in January and his arrival at Molineux could allow Julen Lopetegui to finally ditch Adama Traore.

According to Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo, Wolves, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are all keen on taking advantage of Barcelona’s precarious financial situation by signing the 25-year-old in next month’s transfer window.

The Catalan club spent huge amounts of money during the summer of 2022 with the hope of re-establishing themselves as one of Europe’s elite but would crash out in the Champions League group stages, which could force their hand when it comes to January business.

After years of injury and consistency problems, Dembele looks to have finally found his feet at the Nou Camp, with the winger undoubtedly one of the star performers in Xavi’s side so far this campaign.

Only Robert Lewandowski is ranked higher than the France international when comparing WhoScored rankings in LaLiga, with Dembele’s four goals and five assists in Spain’s top flight helping him to a superb 7.33 average rating.

As well as goals and assists, the former Borussia Dortmund man could provide electric pace and dribbling ability should he link up with Lopetegui in January, which could arguably make Traore redundant at Molineux.

Earlier in the season, Dembele was recorded as running at a quicker speed than Paris Saint-Germain and fellow France superstar Kylian Mbappe, which emphasises just how fast he is and how much of a counter-attacking threat he could add should he join the Old Gold in January.

While there is no doubting Traore’s pace and power, the Spain international boasts just one goal and no assists in the Premier League so far this campaign, so he clearly lacks the technical ability of someone like Dembele.

During his time with Borussia Dortmund, the two-footed winger would earn the praise of Thomas Tuchel, who said:

“Ousmane is an incredible player, he’s really talented. I could watch his amazing skills in every training session.”

There are also doubts that Traore will sign a new contract at Molineux but if Dembele were to arrive next month, then it would allow Lopetegui to finally get rid of a player who promises so much but very rarely delivers.