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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…

Sky Sports pundit Danny Mills has claimed Everton midfielder Andre Gomes has been “a big miss” at Goodison Park since suffering a rib injury, with the Portuguese’s absence helping to show his true worth to the Toffees.

What’s he said?

Everton turned Gomes’ temporary stint on loan from FC Barcelona into a permanent arrangement this summer for £22million, per BBC, after the midfielder featured in 29 games across all competitions last season, assisting twice.

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The 26-year-old began the new campaign as a regular in Silva’s plans, as well, with a starting role in each of the Blues’ opening four games of the Premier League season, but has featured for just six minutes since, coming in his return appearance from the bench at Burnley.

His absence from defeats against AFC Bournemouth, Sheffield United and Manchester City through a rib injury has helped to show what Gomes brings to the table, in the eyes of Mills, who believes the 29-cap international often goes under the radar.

Speaking with Football Insider, Mills said:

“He’s one of those players you don’t always notice until he’s not there. A lot of people go: ‘Yeah, he’s alright, he does this, does that, but what does he really do?’ Then he goes missing and they go: ‘Oh yeah, that’s what he does.’

“He doesn’t have those outstanding performances where he’s bossing it and driving through the midfield, scoring and shooting and all those types of things.

“He has been a big miss. It’s no excuse, Everton have got strength in depth and some quality and they should have coped better without him, but if they can get him back fit and firing that’s a massive plus.”

Schneiderlin showed why Gomes was missed

Since featuring from the bench at Burnley, Gomes has had the international break to help finalise the closing stages of his rehabilitation in the hopes of earning his fifth start of the term against West Ham United on Saturday.

So long as Silva has no doubts over the 26-year-old’s fitness, the Everton boss will likely be keen to hand his compatriot that start, as Schneiderlin and Delph were not able to fill the void Gomes’ absence created, as Mills pointed to.

Particularly against Burnley last time out, Schneiderlin showed why Gomes was missed, as the Frenchman often tried to keep things simple and play it sideways or backwards at Turf Moor, rather than advancing play up the field.

The 29-year-old offered no defensive support, either, with no tackles attempted or interceptions recorded, while WhoScored registered his central partner Delph as making one of each.

Gomes was not statistically superior to his Everton teammates in his first four outings of the season, with both Delph and Schneiderlin recording more successful tackles, interceptions, and accurate short and long passes, but it is in the things you often do not notice, as Mills said, that saw Gomes prove himself as Silva’s first-choice midfielder.

Carroll explained that he was buzzing for the midfielder after his goal against Man United, and you can understand why.

The striker knows better than most what it’s like to earn the adulation of the fans at St James’ Park and how much that means for a local lad who has always supported the club.

You can see just how happy Carroll was for Longstaff in his Instagram post, as the smile on his face tells the whole story as he celebrates alongside his teammate.

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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… 

Aston Villa are finding things tough in their Premier League return. They precariously occupy 17th in the table just two points off rock-bottom Watford.

When those at the club first took a look at the fixture release earlier in the summer, it is unlikely many would have been pleased by the fact that they play European finalists Tottenham Hotspur and an Arsenal side boasted by a new club-record signing within the first six matches of the season.

It is also unlikely that has changed since, but after the Gunners’ recent showing, it should offer up some encouragement.

Just so long as Villa boss Dean Smith makes an adjustment to how he sets out his team this weekend.

On the Chalkboard

Unai Emery’s men faced a mammoth 31 shots on goal against Watford, who as aforementioned sit bottom of the table, and became the butt of one unfortunate statistic in doing so.

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No team in Europe has faced more shots than the North Londoners this season with 96.

Villa’s Wesley is only averaging 1.8 shots per game himself with 2 being the most he’s recorded in any one game. Therefore, it doesn’t seem like he’s the answer unless someone can provide him with more chances.

Instead, Smith should look to tweak his midfield by removing the need for a defensive midfielder and pushing skipper Jack Grealish into the number ten role.

The 24-year-old recorded 76 key passes last season at a squad-high average of 2.3 per game so moving him further up the field will allow him to rediscover that element of his game.

Smith can also bring Douglas Luiz back into the fray to sit next to John McGinn as he can add a slight defensive element.

He played in the role in their only win of the season alongside the Scot so that the loss of Marvelous Nakamba isn’t felt so hard, thus enabling this system to work.

Having their midfielders further up the pitch would allow more pressure on the Arsenal backline too and as seen first-hand with Watford that can force them into mistakes.

Grealish could press from the front in a number ten role, alongside the striker, which could allow them to make life difficult for a backline including Sokratis and Bernd Leno who have made one error leading to a goal this season.

[ad_pod ]Some Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to reveal that they think James McArthur’s absence from the starting XI played a part in the humiliating 4-0 loss to Tottenham on Saturday.The Scotland international had started every single one of the Eagles’ Premier League fixtures before the visit to Spurs, which he missed due to an injury, and his teammates didn’t have the best of times without him.

Roy Hodgson’s men found themselves 4-0 down before the end of the first half after goals from Heung-min Son and Erik Lamela, as well as an own goal for Patrick van Aanholt.

Whilst it is easy to say that McArthur was missed due to the result, his tireless running and energy in the middle of the park does often go unnoticed – any side would miss a player who does so much work for the team.

Let’s see what the Palace fans on Twitter have been saying about his absence…

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This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.

Chelsea paid around £25m to sign Oscar back in 2012 from Internacional in a deal that had then-boss Roberto Di Matteo appearing to jump for joy regarding the possibility of bringing him to Stamford Bridge (BBC).

Indeed, the former Brazil international appeared to take to life rather well in SW6 as he managed to record some rather remarkable figures in his debut campaign. Having signed as a 20-year-old, the midfielder managed to net 12 goals and provide a further 12 assists for his team-mates in his 64 appearances (Guardian).

However, that was, perhaps, as good as it got for the South American, as he saw his contributions (and appearances) dwindle as each year passed by.

Oscar made 41 times the following season (with a contribution of seven goals and nine assists).

He played another 11 more appearances (with one assist) before deciding to leave Chelsea for the Chinese Super League.

That meant he would end his time at Stamford Bridge with a respectable record of 38 goals and 37 assists in 203 appearances (Transfermarkt), although it might not have been one that was worthy of the fee that was understood to have been paid for him.

It was reported that Shanghai SIPG had decided to splash an alleged £52m on signing the now-28-year-old, therefore handing the Blues a profit of just over 100% on the original figure they spent on him.

Oscar, though, appears to have repaid that huge transfer fee back with his performances for the Chinese outfit, as he has totalled 117 appearances that has seen him contribute with 36 goals and 60 assists.

Having moved to the Far East after thinking about the future security of his family (Guardian), it would appear Chelsea managed to cash in on him at the right time, as his figures were starting to be on the decline in the high-intensity style of football that the Premier League brings.

Chelsea fans, what did you make of Oscar during his time at the club? Let us know your thoughts by sharing them below!

Another two-horse race on the horizon?

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[ad_pod ]According to Record, Benfica central defender Ruben Dias will only depart the club this summer if his release clause of €66m (£59m) is triggered, which has left many fans over at Molineux wanting to see the Wolves hierarchy splash out on the Portuguese star after he was linked last week.Dias only made his Benfica senior debut two years ago when he started in their 2-1 defeat to Boavista in September 2017 and has gone on to make 85 appearances for the Primeira Liga champions. In the space of just five years he has risen from the Portugal Under-16 squad to become a regular for the senior side where he won the UEFA Nations League earlier this summer.

Many of the Wolves fanbase flocked to Twitter to share their thoughts on the latest update – with a number of fans wanting the club to sign the 22-year-old. One supporter questioned how serious the club are about adding quality to the squad which was echoed by another fan who said if they can bid £40m for other targets then an extra £20m must surely be considered for a player of Dias’ stature.

One even called on Jorge Mendes to help them out, hinting that their “uncle” could possibly sweeten a deal. Here’s a look at what Wolves fans have been saying about potentially swooping for Dias on Twitter…

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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 RMC Sport, Aston Villa have positioned themselves to sign midfielder Baptiste Santamaria from Angers.

What’s the word?

Aston Villa look to be in the market for a holding midfield player this summer, having already targeted Leeds’ Kalvin Phillips and Club Brugge’s Marvelous Nakamba.

After the releases of Glenn Whelan and Mile Jedinak it certainly makes sense.

However, the latest player to catch their eye is Frenchman Santamaria. The 24-year-old currently plays in Ligue 1 and according to RMC Sport, Villa have positioned themselves to sign him.

Per the same report, Lazio and Lille have also shown an interest.

Gueye replacement finally on the cards

The last time Villa were in the Premier League they had one of the best holding players in the division in Idrissa Gueye, who went on to leave the club for Everton in summer 2016.

He made a remarkable 4.1 tackles per game across 35 matches but the Villans were still relegated.

The Senegalese was absolutely vital but he ended up departing to Everton as Villa were left powerless in terms of stopping him.

And since losing the 29-year-old, they arguably haven’t replaced the hole he left behind.

By landing Santamaria, though, they could finally discover a player who’s capable of having a similar impact.

Why? Because of his ability to break up the play.

In Ligue 1 last term, he won 3.1 tackles per match, proving himself to be a fabulous player in front of the back four, winning tackles on an all too regular basis.

In total, he attempted 4.6 challenges per game, completing 118 tackles in 38 appearances.

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Villa didn’t necessarily need someone as tough-tackling as Gueye in the Championship because they had more of the ball.

But as they gear up for their first season back in the Premier League, having someone who can make a challenge in front of the defence will be essential.

Gueye proved in 2015/16 how important it is even if they were relegated with him in the side.

Santamaria, therefore, would be a clever addition.

Oh Alberto Moreno, what happened?

After the defender scored his first goal for the club in only his second start for the Reds in which Moreno nicked the ball off Andros Townsend and sprinted 40-yards to knock the ball past Hugo Lloris gave supporters hope that they had a gem on their hands.

Of course, that was not the case.

Moreno will be remembered at Liverpool for being a momentous flop and the man who allowed Andy Robertson to come into Jurgen Klopp’s first-team and establish himself as one of the best left-backs in world football based on the fact he was named in the PFA Team of the Year and registered 11 assists in the Premier League alone last season.

But even still, there is time for Moreno to get his career back on track following his release from the Merseyside club, and it appears the Spaniard has found the next chapter in his interesting career.

According to Marca, Moreno will join Villarreal upon the end of his contract at Liverpool on the 1st July, and for the left-back, it is a golden opportunity to reignite his once-promising career at a club who will welcome the former Sevilla man with open arms.

After underperforming massively in La Liga last season by their standards, finishing 14th, Villarreal could do with a defender who can come in and offer something different both on the attacking and defensive front after a poor campaign where they were disappointing on both ends of the pitch, and that is something Moreno can do for the Yellow Submarine.

Moreno made over 60 appearances during his time at Sevilla in which the defender earned a good reputation as one of the top left-backs in Spain, and with Villarreal, there is a good chance the 26-year-old can reclaim that reputation he lost greatly at Liverpool after years of poor form and a lack of confidence.

Liverpool fans, can Moreno refind his form? Let us know!

كشف مصدر موقف أحمد الأحمر قائد منتخب مصر لكرة اليد، من المشاركة مع الفراعنة في مباراة الغد أمام بيلاروسيا في كأس العالم.

وكان محمد شوقي طبيب منتخب مصر لكرة اليد تحدث عن الحالة الصحية لأحمد الأحمر قائد الفراعنة بعد الإصابة التي تعرض لها مساء أمس خلال مشاركته في مباراة روسيا بكأس العالم، حيث أصيب بكدمة خفيفة في العضلة الأمامية. طالع التفاصيل

وعلم “بطولات” أن أحمد الأحمر أصبح جاهزًا لمباراة الغد، وقرار مشاركته سيكون فنيًا.

ومن المقرر أن يخضع أحمد الأحمر لاختبار طبي ليتم التأكد من جاهزيته للمشاركة.

يذكر أن منتخب مصر لكرة اليد يستعد لمواجهة منافسه بيلاروسيا مساء غدٍ ضمن مواجهات الدور الرئيسي من مونديال اليد.