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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to The Sun (print version, 15th November, page 74), Southampton have flocked to the City Ground to take a look at Nottingham Forest right-back Matty Cash, along with Crystal Palace and Everton.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Cash has enjoyed an excellent campaign so far since Sabri Lamouchi took over back in the summer.

Lamouchi cleverly decided to transform Cash – who was an energetic right-midfielder in the 2018/19 campaign – into a right-back upon being appointed as the Forest manager, and it has been an inspired decision from the 48-year-old.

Cash has scored two goals and grabbed two assists in his new role across 14 Championship appearances, winning an impressive 2.8 tackles per game as well as making 3.5 clearances per game.

The Daily Mail’s secret scout had this to say about Cash when going to watch him:

“I wondered what prompted Nottingham Forest head coach Sabri Lamouchi to convert him from an energetic midfielder to a comfortable right back with a lot of responsibility within the team.

“From the start of the game, Matty Cash was positioning himself to cover others. He kept a sensible distance from his centre back but also got out quickly to challenge his opposing winger when threatened by a cross-field pass.”

The 22-year-old has also displayed efficiency at the other end of the pitch with his four goal involvements.

A move for Cash would see 50% of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s January plans complete

If the Saints did manage to get Cash to put pen to paper this winter, then half of Hasenhuttl’s reported transfer plans for this January would come true.

The Mirror (print version, 12th November, page 53) reported that the former RB Leipzig boss wants to sign a ‘top quality’ centre-back as well as a new right-back this winter as he looks to help Southampton avoid relegation.

The south coast side are currently the worst defensive outfit in the Premier League, with 29 goals conceded in just 12 games, so it makes sense for Hasenhuttl to target reinforcements for his backline.

Just days after that report emerged, to see another that identifies Cash as a target is encouraging.

The need for another right-back at St Mary’s is a pressing one given Cedric Soares’ interview, in which he revealed that he wants to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Cash seems like he would be a good signing due to his form so far and his young age – if Hasenhuttl can get this one done, half of his reported desires for January will be complete.

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

Sheffield Wednesday will be looking to use the last international break of this year to refresh their minds ahead of a potential playoff push this campaign.

Upon their return, the Owls will be greeted with the tough test of league leaders West Bromwich Albion, who will be without two influential members of their squad as Romaine Sawyers and Jake Livermore endure one-game suspensions, so there won’t be a better time to face the Championship’s best.

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Garry Monk’s side currently occupy eighth spot, three points behind Bristol City in fifth, meaning a nice run of results will undoubtedly catapult them back into contention.

In reality, they should already be well up there having thrown away points late on in three of their previous five matches – epitomised last time out when Swansea City defender Ben Wilmot bagged in injury time, just three minutes after Wednesday thought they had won it with a Morgan Fox effort.

They can capitalise in the absence of Slaven Bilic’s key figures, but one man in Wednesday’s team is walking a tight rope himself.

On the Chalkboard

German centre-back Julian Borner has been a fan-favourite this season, clinching August’s Player of the Month award, but he may soon face an enforced game out of the team as he has picked up four yellow cards this season.

The number of bookings doesn’t reset until the start of December, so the 28-year-old needs to be careful as he faces another three games before it gets wiped from his record.

Borner is a colossal part of Monk’s stern defence having won a total of 68 aerial duels this season, but if he does indeed pick up a suspension, his future spot in the backline may be in threat if his replacement impresses.

It only takes one game to sway the opinion of a manager – skipper Tom Lees has returned from injury and played alongside Dominic Iorfa last time out as the Owls’ number 13 was a surprise absentee against Swansea.

If Borner returns against the Baggies and picks up that fifth booking, he will give the duo another attempt at impressing and given calls to name a more consistent starting XI this week, Monk could well remain with that in the future.

Lees, despite only playing six matches this term, is averaging the most aerial duels won of any defender in the squad while Iorfa records more tackles per game than any other centre-back, per WhoScored.

Ultimately, Borner needs to keep his discipline in check for the next three matches to ensure that he doesn’t lose his starting spot.

Leeds United fans on Twitter are very happy with Adam Pope’s latest update on the club’s coaching staff.

Indeed, the BBC journalist tweeted that the Whites are set to appoint Andy Foster as the club’s new Head of Academy.

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Foster joins Leeds from Middlesbrough where he held the same job role.

Pope’s speculation was later confirmed by the man himself as he took to Twitter stating that he’s now an employee of Leeds United.

This is a huge step in Foster’s career as Leeds have a very strong academy, and some of the players already within the ranks look like stars in the making.

Foster probably can’t wait to get his teeth stuck into the likes of Ryan Edmondson and Mateusz Bogusz – both players scored for the first-team in pre-season – as well as a number of other talented youngsters the Whites have in their academy set up at the moment.

It remains to be seen whether or not Foster will be a success in this role, but Leeds fans are already sold on him.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on social media…

Leeds United only have themselves standing in the way of ending a 16-year cull from the English top-flight unless the season gets declared void, of course.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have worked tirelessly all season and their current position at the top of the Championship standings merely reflects that. They hold a seven-point cushion over the dreaded playoff positions with just nines games to play.

A supercomputer has even rated the Whites’ promotion chances at a 92% as per the Euro Club Index, via the BBC.

Therefore, the west Yorkshire outfit would be wise to start putting motions in place ahead of next season, especially as they have the luxury of time on their side right now.

One issue for Marcelo Bielsa to work out is his number one spot.

Kiko Casilla’s future has been thrown into doubt ever since landing an eight-match suspension for racial abuse while Illan Meslier is only on loan at the club from Ligue 2 side Lorient.

Leeds do have a £5m option to buy the 20-year-old but have to trigger the clause before mid-May, and while they should definitely do this, it shouldn’t mean he’s granted the first-choice starting reins as he’s never played in a top-flight fixture.

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The league leaders, however, should make a ploy for AFC Bournemouth shot-stopper Aaron Ramsdale, who they have been courted with this month as per Football Insider.

It would be a smarter decision to sign a keeper that has endured some sort of experience in the Premier League with Meslier providing a more than adequate back-up on the bench.

The Cherries glovesman has become Eddie Howe’s number one over seasoned veteran Artur Boruc, playing in 28 matches this season – the only game he missed was a 3-0 defeat to Watford.

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Ramsdale has received glowing endorsements from his manager, who has claimed the 21-year-old has a “big future” in the game and has even tipped him to take the Three Lions number one jersey, too.

His pedigree and transition up the leagues through several loan spells only proves he’s adapted to a step up in quality each time, making him the perfect player to make Leeds’ life easier in the top-flight next season.

AND in other news, Leeds must avoid free transfer swoop for Victor Orta FAVE…

Birmingham City fans have reacted to a memorable moment involving defender Harlee Dean, who netted a superb header in the 2017/2018 season against Fulham.

28-year-old central defender Dean arrived at St. Andrews in 2017 after spells with Dagenham & Redbridge, Southampton and Brentford.

Going straight into the starting eleven for the Blues, Dean has made over 100 appearances in all competitions since, providing Pep Clotet with a good option alongside the likes of Marc Roberts and Jake Clarke-Salter this season.

Birmingham sit just below midtable in the Championship standings as things stand, improving vastly on the opening six months of the season which saw them be fairly inconsistent under Clotet. Dean, who has four goals to his name in a Blues shirt, netted his first goal for the club during his first campaign, opening the scoring with a header against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

With the current standstill in football, Blues’ official Twitter account have been sharing a ‘Moment of the Day’, and the club chose to look back over Dean’s first goal.

Reacting to the post via social media platform Twitter, countless fans have remembered Dean’s opening goal and below are some of those tweets.

What do you make of Dean? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

New ownership is often celebrated in football.

A wealthy benefactor – and they do always have to be wealthy – comes along and prepares to stick his or her hand in his or her pocket and splash the cash. Fans dream of new signings, of multi-million-pound spending sprees, of rising up the league table; everything else sort of falls by the wayside.

This has happened at Newcastle United.

Of course, they have been here before. There have been multiple false dawns under the tumultuous reign of Mike Ashley but, finally, at long last, it appears as though he will finally be out of their club.

This is not an article to rag on Ashley; plenty have done that and Newcastle fans probably don’t want to read about the catalogue of failures that have plagued his reign. As a neutral, though, one has to say that the appointment of Joe Kinnear as a Director of Football stands alone; at his first press conference, he called a journalist a rude word and, quite amazingly, it only got worse from there.

Yet questions need to be asked.

The Saudi Private Wealth Fund has an enormous amount of financial clout. They have an immense amount of money and one can perhaps understand, at face level, why fans are so excited. They want their club to spend and they want to see the club back where they are seen to belong – among the top six, challenging for the league title, returning to the Champions League for the first time since the management of the late, great Sir Bobby Robson.

There is a desire for them to splash the cash and bring in star signings – a summer spend of over £150m would go a long way to convincing the fans that a new era is dawning, that a blood-stained sun is rising.

That blood needs noting, too. The Saudi regime, to quote The Independent, executed 185 people last year. That works out as an execution almost every two days. One day saw 37 people killed. The numbers include young men who were children when they were found guilty.

Per USA Today, being gay in Saudi Arabia is a capital offence that can lead to death, while it is also punishable by prison time or by flogging.

There is, of course, likely to be false equivalency bandied around here. What about Manchester City? What about Sheffield United? Both are victims of the Saudi sportwashing regime that has also claimed WWE and multiple heavyweight boxing promoters.

Newcastle are just the latest example and climbing into bed with the Saudis is akin to seduction by siren song.

Walter Copland Perry, the scholar, once wrote that the song of a siren “though irresistibly sweet, was no less sad than sweet, and lapped both body and soul in a fatal lethargy, the forerunner of death and corruption.”

That is applicable to Newcastle, only that the death and corruption has been a predecessor, and that everyone in St James’ Park is aware of it.

Mike Ashley was and is a genuinely awful owner, perhaps the very worst in the Premier League, but sometimes, perhaps it is better the devil you know.

Ashley, after all, has treated fans like customers, built an empire on the ‘stock it high, sell it low’ mantra, and turned St James’ Park, that famous old ground, into an advertising board.

The Saudis, though, have literal blood on their hands. This is no false equivalency, purely the facts.

Newcastle fans would do well to remember that.

Plenty of West Brom fans were recalling the famous 5-5 draw against Manchester United in 2013, which occurred seven years ago yesterday, confounded all advice on https://www.bettingtips.net/ and was described by one Baggies supporter as “absolutely bonkers”.

The club’s official Twitter channel @WBA shared footage of a sensational match at The Hawthorns on the final day of the 2012/13 season, a game that is perhaps best remembered for being the last match of Sir Alex Ferguson’s 27-year reign as the Red Devils’ manager.

United had long since claimed the title that season and they surged into a 3-0 lead, partly thanks to an own goal from Jonas Olsson. Goals from James Morrison and Romelu Lukaku pulled the deficit back to one before the visitors scored twice more to restore their three-goal advantage. [via BBC]

However, in a remarkable five-minute flurry towards the end of the game, Lukaku scored twice more to complete his hat-trick and bring his Premier League tally for the season to 17, with Youssef Mulumbu drawing the teams level – and there was still time for Markus Rosenberg to miss a late chance to score a sensational winner for the Baggies. [via BBC]

These West Brom fans on Twitter fondly recalled the incredible finish to a season in which they recorded their best Premier League finish of eighth:

West Brom fans, was this the most memorable match in the club’s Premier League history? Have your say by commenting below! 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored some memorable goals during his time at Manchester United but there is one moment at the other end of the pitch that will go down in the club’s history forever.

Towards the end of the 1997/98 season, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils were in a tight race to the finish line, closely behind Premier League rivals Arsenal, managed by eventual longtime foe Arsene Wenger.

United were a point ahead of the London club when Kenny Dalglish’s Newcastle arrived at Old Trafford, although Wenger’s men still had two games in hand (Planet Football).

Newcastle striker Andreas Andersson gave the Magpies a shock early lead and, to make matters even worse, first-choice goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel picked up an injury. David Beckham equalised before the break but Ferguson’s side badly needed a win if they were to stave off the Gunners’ charge to the title.

In the closing stages of the game, the Magpies launched a counter-attack, leaving United’s defence and backup keeper Raimond Van Der Gouw badly exposed.

Rob Lee raced clear, only for Solskjaer to chase him down and make a cynical last-ditch tackle to bring the Englishman to the ground. Unsurprisingly, the Norwegian was sent off in a straightforward dismissal, although he admitted “he had to do it” after Becks walked over to console him (Bleacher Report).

While Solskjaer’s efforts sadly weren’t enough to stop Wenger from clinching the coveted trophy, it is fair to say many fans past and present will never forget his sacrifice.

Loads of supporters drooled over the “unbelievable” footage on Twitter, after @ManUnitedZone_ uploaded the iconic video, with one fan dubbing the manager as an “icon” and another adding he was one of the “best strikers ever”.

Scroll down through some of the best reactions below…

United fans, what is your favourite memory of the Baby-Faced Assassin in the Red Devils jersey? Join the discussion in the comments section!

It remains to be seen where the youngster’s future now lies, having had loan spells with Bath City and Newport County over the last few seasons. A Bristol City academy graduate, Semenyo has played 16 times so far for their first team.

Semenyo’s exit could be the first of many from Sunderland this summer, with the club now headed for another season in League One.

He impressed plenty of the club’s fans during his stay at the club, although his lack of goals and assists leaves question marks on whether or not his signing was worthwhile. That being said, a potential cut-price move would be hard to reject for Sunderland if they decide to back in for him, as they will likely need to do things on the cheap this summer.

Will Sunderland miss Semenyo next season? Let us know in the comments section below…

Cedric Soares has yet to play for Arsenal since he signed on loan in January. This has mainly been due to injury but it seems like the Gunners rate the defender as it has recently been announced that he has signed a deal at the club.

Arsenal announced today that Cedric has joined on a permanent deal from fellow Premier League side Southampton. Speaking to the club’s official website, Gunners technical director Edu said: “Cedric is also going to be an important player. He has been unlucky with the injuries but he is close to being ready and gives us more strength in the right-back position.”

The Portuguese international was going to be a free agent in the summer but the Londoners have now secured him on a free transfer.

Even though he hasn’t played for the Gunners yet, the 28 year-old is a proven Premier League defender after making 138 appearances for the Saints, per Transfermarkt.

Hector Bellerin is currently the only right-back at the club and has not been playing particularly well since football returned. This has been highlighted by the 6.7 rating he received from SofaScore against Brighton at the weekend, the second lowest among Mikel Arteta’s side that day.

This emphasises that a right-back is desperately needed and being able to pick up an experienced player on a free looks a clever deal by the club. Hopefully Cedric can start to challenge Bellerin soon and get some game-time to provide Arsenal with much-needed squad depth in defence.

Gunners fans, what are your thoughts on the permanent signing of Cedric? Comment below with your views!