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It’s easy to see why Nigel Adkins took the Charlton Athletic job.

The vastly-experienced 56-year-old has a proven track record in the lower leagues of English football and would’ve leapt at the opportunity to save them from their freefall.

He arguably made his name at Southampton, where he led the south coast outfit to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League, handing them a shot at the big time after a seven-year absence.

There are plenty of similarities between that Saints side and the Addicks now; former top-flight teams dwindling in the third tier, foreign owners prepared to stump up the cash to save the club, and a fanbase to fit a 27,000-seater stadium.

But could Adkins take inspiration from a side that won promotion a decade ago? He’s certainly well-equipped to…

On the Chalkboard

In Preston loanee Jayden Stockley, the Charlton manager could find his next Rickie Lambert – a powerful striker fit to lead the line at this level.

The 27-year-old talisman has very much had a comparable career to that of the Saints legend, prior to their arrivals at their respective clubs, both were well-travelled.

Lambert jumped from club to club in the lower leagues, playing for the likes of Blackpool, Macclesfield Town, Stockport County and Bristol Rovers before finding his feet at St Mary’s.

Stockley has played for 14 different clubs, thanks largely to boyhood club AFC Bournemouth shipping him out on loan every year.

Both stand at 6 foot 2, and are known for their target man ability. Indeed, WhoScored list the £810k-rated forward as a threat from set-pieces whilst a whopping 6.3 aerial duels won across League One and the Championship only reinforces that thinking.

No other Addicks star is managing to win as many battles in the air as Stockley (9.4). Speaking about his strength, former teammate Sean Maguire once said: “He’s a fantastic player. The guy can hold up a house. He’s strong and his hold-up play is one of the best I’ve played with.”

This sort of ability should see Stockley fit in a range of systems and tactics – two-up top? one-man? He should be able to do it all. Just like Lambert at the Saints.

Adkins could be onto a winner if he draws inspiration from his old side, and the five-goal loan star must be at the centre of it all up top.

AND in other news, Forget Famewo: Charlton ace who lost possession 21x vs AFCW has already badly let Adkins down…

Fans of Crystal Palace have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which relayed the pre-match comments of Roy Hodgson regarding the fitness of Jeffrey Schlupp and Connor Wickham.

So far this season, Schlupp has featured in 15 league games for Palace, scoring two goals and providing one assist. However, after picking up a hamstring injury in the club’s 2-0 victory over Sheffield United at the start of January, the midfielder has missed the club’s last nine Premier League fixtures.

Meanwhile, Wickham is yet to feature for the Eagles this term due to injury, with the centre-forward’s last Premier League appearance for the South London side coming back in January of 2020.

However, speaking in his pre-match press conference prior to the Manchester United fixture on Wednesday evening, Hodgson confirmed that both long-term absentees will be available for selection for the visit of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

He said: “While we’re talking about positive news, I’m happy that Jeff Schlupp and Connor Wickham have recovered and will be available for me too. With Jeff and Connor, they will be available even for tomorrow evening.”

Although, after Crystal Palace relayed the 73-year-old’s comments on Twitter, many fans of the club appeared far from happy with the manger’s update.

So, what exactly did these Crystal Palace fans have to say in reaction to Roy Hodgson’s pre-match comments?

“The highly talented and creative Eze benched for the remainder of the season in favour of the one dimensional, hopeless Schlupp incoming.”

@MDJones82

“I’ll play for free over Wickham, pls I’m on my knees.”

@SellyMenace

“Eze dropped.”

@wayneoG

“Schlupp replacing Eze, you heard it here first.”

@MarcWilliams22

“Can you ask Roy why Benteke played 90 mins against Fulham when he offered nothing?”

@buddhazron

“Hope Connor has moved to a bungalow.”

@JackkBarton

In other news, many Palace fans reacted to these Hodgson comments – find out more here!

According to a report by club insiders Claret & Hugh, West Ham United will push on with their interest in Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham despite his £80,000-per-week wages having the potential to cause ‘unrest’ in the dressing room. 

West Ham have been heavily linked with a move for Abraham over the last week, with ExWHUemployee, the Daily Star and Eurosport all claiming that the Irons do hold an interest in the Englishman.

Now, C&H have supported Eurosport’s claim that the Hammers have made a tentative enquiry for Abraham – and the insiders believe that West Ham will push on with their interest – GSB failed to sign a forward in the January transfer window

Reacting to this development, as shared by West Ham news, supporters had very mixed views on social media – flocking to share their range of opinions on Abraham as this transfer claim emerges.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

West Ham fans flock to Abraham claim

“No no no, he is dreadful”

Credit: @rogerc32

“Hope this isn’t true doesn’t suit out our system and does miss a fair few opportunities. Although he has got age on his side. Personally would prefer a lump/ beast up front arnie and antonio both fit that mould and have both improved under moyes”

Credit: @bengonzalaz

“He’s just a poor mans Calvert Lewin”

Credit: @Reeko007

“Ok well the wage ain’t a problem because I swear yarmolenko is on above 100k”

Credit: @Reece_WHU_

“Quality players love to be overpriced”

Credit: @DuhigAlan

“Young English striker would love him at West Ham”

Credit: @moower

“Hold me”

Credit: @_JackWHU

In other news: West Ham are also eyeing this Championship star, find out more here.

Sheffield Wednesday are seemingly no closer to appointing their next manager, though an interesting name has emerged as a possible option for them to consider this week…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, former Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy would be keen on taking the vacant Owls job, though he’s yet to be officially approached by the south Yorkshire outfit.

He tweeted on Saturday afternoon:

Another Pulis

The 61-year-old was sacked by Cypriot club APOEL just two months into his tenure earlier this month and is now out of work once again, having stood down from his duties as Republic of Ireland boss in April 2020.

On the face of it, the appointment of McCarthy could be seen a good one as he has won promotion from the Championship twice in his managerial career, the most recent being in 2008/09 with Wolverhampton Wanderers, some 12 years ago.

However, that success is a thing of the past, and the fact that he has had to go to Cyprus to revive his domestic managerial career speaks volumes. He’s potentially well past his sell-by date.

Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri will want to avoid his credentials for another reason too. The Thai businessman pulled the trigger on Tony Pulis just ten games into his reign after picking up just one victory, and quickly cited his negative brand of football as a key reason.

“I told him I don’t like the old English style but he told me he wouldn’t play like that, his tactics would depend on the opponents,” Chansiri said to reporters after sacking the Welshman.

Well, McCarthy would be no different from Pulis.

Whilst in charge of Ireland, his playing style came under fire from those at the very top of their game.

Denmark midfielder Thomas Delaney once claimed that trying to score against McCarthy’s side was like “trying to open a can of baked beans with your bare hands,” whilst their teammate Mathias Jorgensen said in 2019: “They will come to our stadium, sit back and be happy to play for a draw.”

Swiss shot-stopper Yann Sommer even branded it a “very unpleasant style of football.”

Clearly McCarthy and Chansiri would be a match made in hell, so the Wednesday chairman must avoid sanctioning that appointment at all costs.

AND in other news, Paul Cook appointment could spell trouble for “explosive” Sheffield Wednesday star…

Manchester City will be looking to avoid an upset when they travel to Whaddon Road to face Cheltenham Town in the FA Cup on Saturday, but the game should represent an opportunity for Pep Guardiola to play some of the academy talents at the club.

City beat Birmingham City in the third round playing a strong side, although youngsters such as Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Felix Nmecha did feature.

If City win on Saturday afternoon, then they face another away trip to either Swansea and Nottingham Forest in the fifth round.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects the Spanish manager to line his side up against Cheltenham, with nine changes from the side that beat Aston Villa in midweek…

Zack Steffen comes back in for Ederson in goal, having impressed for Guardiola’s side in the absence of the Brazilian earlier this season.

There are two changes in defence, as Benjamin Mendy comes in for the injured Kyle Walker, with Joao Cancelo reverting to right-back.

18-year-old centre-back gem Taylor Harwood-Bellis partners John Stones in defence from the start, although if City are comfortable you would imagine the former Everton man will be replaced at the earliest opportunity, as we saw in the Birmingham game with Ruben Dias.

Fernandinho provides the experience in an otherwise youthful midfield, as Nmecha and Tommy Doyle earn rare starts for the Citizens, with Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan sitting this one out, whilst Kevin De Bruyne is now set for a spell on the sidelines.

There are three changes in attack, as Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden drop to the bench, with Riyad Mahrez and Ferran Torres starting on the wing, supporting 17-year-old Liam Delap up front.

And, in other news… Txiki can sign Pep his next Walker in “fearless” £18m-rated speed demon

Celtic clawed their way to their first win of their Europa League run this season on Thursday. Although the Hoops had already sealed their fate in that they would be knocked out of the competition, it was a spirited performance from Neil Lennon’s side.

Despite Lille’s efforts to bag two goals, Celtic outperformed them by netting three of their own David Turnbull, Callum McGregor and Christopher Jullien were on song, with the latter performing well in both defence and attack.

However, it wasn’t the French centre-back who stole the show for the Bhoys. Ismaila Soro was handed his first ever start for the Premiership club and he made sure he left a lasting impression.

Ismaila Soro shines for Celtic

The 22-year-old played the full 90 minutes of his first Celtic start and he was a rock in the middle of the park.

According to Sofascore, Soro contributed a whopping ten successful tackles and made two interceptions. He also won 13 of his 20 attempted duels and was fouled three times.

The Ivorian tank has made himself very difficult to be ignored as Lennon moves forward with his season. After a run of poor performances, the Hoops boss has an uncertain future and talks of a potential replacement have been swirling.

But experimenting with his team like he did last night has uncovered hidden gems like Soro, who could give Lennon a last-gasp chance of turning the season around.

Celtic trail by a hefty 13 points in the Premiership table as Rangers look set for glory. It’s a tough time to be a Hoops fan but one major positive from the match against Lille is that Soro is certainly an option Celtic must be utilising a lot more.

In other news, Hammond must bring Gyrano Kerk to Parkhead to fill the puzzle…

Has there been a more disappointing signing in the Premier League than Willian?

The Brazil international crossed the London divide to join Arsenal from Chelsea, and after picking up two assists on his debut against Fulham, has been nothing short of disastrous since.

He hasn’t scored a single goal in 18 total appearances, and on Saturday night against Newcastle in the FA Cup third round, produced yet another shocking display for Mikel Arteta’s side.

As per Sofascore, his 6.5 match rating was the joint-worst of any Arsenal player on the pitch, and when you look at the stats, it’s easy to see why.

He won just two of the eight duels that he was involved in, didn’t hit the target with either of his shots (including one that he blazed over with his left foot from well inside the penalty box), completed no dribbles, and sent just one accurate cross in.

Eventually, Arteta decided to end his misery and took him off mid-way through the second-half, with his replacement, Bukayo Saka, playing a part in the Gunners’ opening goal.

And speaking after the game, Goal journalist Charles Watts slammed the Brazilian as “dreadful” and someone who is “becoming a real, real problem”.

With the north London side’s youngsters doing the job for Arteta, the Arsenal boss must surely axe the £13.5m-rated Willian from his team for the foreseeable future.

Whilst he’s on a three-year contract and on big wages, the Gunners will struggle to get rid of him on a permanent basis anytime soon, but one thing Arteta can do is just keep him away from the starting eleven.

Tottenham Hotspur are enjoying a resurgent campaign under Jose Mourinho, nearly one year after he was appointed.

This summer was the first time the Portuguese boss could fully stamp his authority down at the club having taken over from Mauricio Pochettino mid-season, and we’re starting to see his plans come to fruition.

Spurs find themselves in second place, one point behind Premier League leaders Leicester City, after the opening eight matches whilst in the Europa League, they appear to be strong favourites to advance into the knockout stages.

However, there is a pressing issue that has been masked by their sensational attacking play this season and it is one that has been lingering ever since the Special One took the helm.

In the top-flight last season, Spurs had the second-worst defensive record of any team that finished inside the top seven.

The north Londoners have lost just one of their last 14 matches in all competitions, but have only managed to keep two clean sheets – against Burnley and West Brom, who are currently two of the sides in the bottom three.

Evidently, conceding goals is still a major problem and that should come as a surprise given Mourinho appointed club legend Ledley King as his assistant coach

His experience is surely vital to this Spurs backline, yet we’re yet to see any true returns in that sense. Harry Redknapp once labelled the injury-prone centre-back an “absolute freak” for being able to play at the very top despite not training all week.

Well, it’s time to drill that sort of mantra into the likes of Davinson Sanchez, who is often thought to be the liability in N17, midfielder-turned-defender Eric Dier, Toby Alderweireld and the youthful duo of Japhet Tangana and Joe Rodon.

Forget Sanchez, the longer Spurs keep leaking goals, the more right there is to question the influence – or lack of – King is having on the squad.

AND in other news, Spurs should revisit beast compared to Bergkamp, it won’t cost Levy a penny…

Glasgow Rangers fans were far from happy with the commentary of Stephen Craigan during their 3-2 win over Standard Liege in the Europa League on Thursday.

The three points secured the Gers’ place in the round of 32. Goals from Connor Goldson, James Tavernier and Scott Arfield got the job done after Liege twice went ahead. The Ibrox outfit can secure top spot next week with a win over bottom-placed Lech Poznan in Group D.

The match was shown on BT Sport in the UK, and that meant Craigan was in charge of the match commentary. He made a couple of mistakes – mainly being surprised that Jermain Defoe was not included despite him not actually being in the Europa League squad – and that was more than enough for the Gers fans to hammer him, with one supporter even labelling him an ‘idiot’.

They took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts… look away now Stephen.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Craigan below

In other news, Rangers fans were enraged by this Ewan Murray tweet.

Celtic signed promising midfielder David Turnbull in the summer transfer window from fellow Premiership club Motherwell.

It seems like Neil Lennon is slowly bringing him into the first team as the 21-year-old has featured four times for the Hoops this season, making just one start in that time, per Transfermarkt.

The youngster is seemingly viewed as a player for the future, but former Scotland manager Alex McLeish believes that he might get his big chance in the upcoming Old Firm derby.

Alex McLeish’s thoughts on Celtic’s David Turnbull

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish said: “I really feel that Neil Lennon may unleash Turnbull. He’s another who, in recent weeks, he has upped his game. He looks very, very confident.

“Going into the big Old Firm derby is another step up, but it would be a surprise for me if Rogic starts.”

Tom Rogic also plays in midfield like Turnbull, so McLeish believes that the 21 year-old could come into replace the Australian for the crunch fixture.

Should Turnbull start for Celtic next week?

The youngster seems to be highly-rated following his move, not just by Celtic but also by his country as he has featured for Scotland’s under-21s three times, most recently against Lithuania last month.

Despite his young age, Turnbull has already featured in 41 senior games for Motherwell, per Transfermarkt. He provided a significant attacking threat at Fir Park as he netted 16 goals and provided seven assists. This highlights why Lennon brought him to Parkhead, and despite only playing four times for the Hoops so far, Turnbull has already registered an assist for the Scottish champions.

Meanwhile, Rogic has only played once in the league this season and seems unlikely to start next week. Turnbull isn’t necessarily battling for a place with Rogic, but more with players like Olivier Ntcham and Ryan Christie. With Christie currently having to isolate for 14 days, Turnbull could be given a start and, with his experience at Motherwell and his attacking threat, there is no reason for Lennon to be hesitant to start him.

It will be interesting to see how the Hoops line up, and Turnbull could be something of a trump card, but so is no reason for Lennon not to give him a go in the derby.

Hoops fans, should Turnbull start in the derby? Let us know your views in the comments below!