Following the sacking of Steve Bruce and snub by Thierry Henry, Aston Villa appointed Dean Smith on Wednesday night in a managerial move that looks very promising. 

Working on a very tight budget, boyhood Villa fan Smith did a very commendable job at Brentford.

With a squad of higher quality that possesses the likes of Yannick Bolasie, Tammy Abraham and Jack Grealish, the 47-year-old should be able to accomplish a lot at Villa Park while delivering a brand of football the Aston Villa faithful are keen to see.

As well as hiring Smith, the Villans have also brought in Jesus Garcia Pitarch to take up the position of sporting director and former captain John Terry as assistant coach.

And while Aston Villa supporters will be delighted to see Terry return to Villa Park given the influence he had on the team last season as a player, it is a very questionable move on the club’s behalf.

The Villans had clearly been intent on bringing Terry back to the club regardless of the manager in charge with the ex-Chelsea and England captain having also been lined up alongside Henry and Rui Faria when they were headhunted for the job (via Sky Sports).

The 37-year-old obviously knows the squad well from his year playing in the Midlands suggesting one reason why the Aston Villa hierarchy may have identified him as a suitable lieutenant.

However, the fact Terry was often said to be one of the individuals in the Chelsea dressing room who would turn on a manager when things were not going well for the west London side does not bode well.

If the Premier League-winning skipper is not on the same wavelength as Smith, the Aston Villa boss could quickly have a mutiny on his hand led by none other than his No.2.

That being said, Terry is definitely someone who can bring much to the Villans in a coaching capacity. The retired central defender has been doing his coaching badges for some time now and is well on his way to following his ex-England team-mates Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard down the managerial route.

There will also be the expectation that Terry can help Aston Villa out significantly defensively considering how good of a centre-half he was at Stamford Bridge, while he has also worked under very good defensive coaches such as Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.

Nevertheless, Aston Villa’s decision to add Terry to Smith’s backroom staff is still one that has potential to backfire massively.

According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, Crystal Palace are one of a few teams keeping an eye on striker Edin Dzeko. The 32-year-old currently plays his football at Serie A giants Roma and has done so since leaving Manchester City back in 2016, with the forward certainly producing the goods in the past couple of years.

Yet reports suggest that the Bosnia and Herzegovina international is open to a return to the Premier League in the future, thus prompting reported interest from Roy Hodgson’s Palace, with the Eagles chief certainly needing to get a deal done for the £22.5 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt) as he’d be the perfect upgrade for the awful Christian Benteke.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, while one cannot knock Benteke’s overall decent record in the Premier League, he has looked a shadow of the player that starred at Aston Villa and indeed at Palace in his first season in recent times, with the Belgium international seriously struggling for form and confidence.

In fact, last term was the first time since his move to English football with Villa back in 2012 in which the 27-year-old has failed to score at least nine Premier League goals in one campaign, mustering just three for Hodgson’s side as they finished 11th in the table.

Interestingly, even Hodgson was seemingly struggling to see the worth of starting the striker by opting for the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend to lead the line at the rear end of last season, and things haven’t improved for Benteke this time round either in failing to net in four Premier League appearances.

Thus, it’s pretty clear that Palace are in need of striking reinforcements come January, and they could a lot worse than lure Dzeko to Selhurst Park, who does everything Benteke does just that little bit better.

The 32-year-old has scored an impressive 78 goals in 148 appearances for Roma since his move from City initially on loan in 2015 but then permanently a year later, 39 goals of which coming in only 51 games back in the 2016/17 season as the Italian giants finished second in Serie A.

And in backing that up with 24 goals in all competitions last time round, which thus played a key part in helping Roma reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, it’s clear that the Bosnian star has more than proven his worth in the Italian capital, but he also has proven pedigree in England having starred at City, bagging 72 goals in 189 games for the Citizens.

Thus, Hodgson will be well aware that Dzeko is suited to the Premier League and can produce the goods in the top-flight, and being aerially strong and dominant alongside being able to bully defenders with his power and strength suggests that he is of similar mould to Benteke, but just slightly better in almost all departments.

As such, with Benteke really struggling for the Eagles, Hodgson needs some striking inspiration from somewhere, with Dzeko the man to provide him with that.

Palace fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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Liverpool are set to face a stern fight if they reignite their interest in Lyon’s Nabil Fekir as Bayern Munich have joined the hunt, according to Kicker.

What’s the word?

Jurgen Klopp enjoyed a busy period during the summer transfer market as he secured a number of additions for Liverpool but an anticipated deal for Lyon captain Nabil Fekir did not come off as the Reds reportedly pulled out of a £53m deal.

Fekir has since scored twice and contributed one assist for Lyon in Ligue 1 this season, also scoring in his side’s Champions League victory over Manchester City, and German outlet Kicker states Bayern Munich are keeping a close eye on his performances.

That means that Liverpool are set for a firm battle if they reignite their interest in the 25-year-old when the transfer window reopens at the start of January.

Should Liverpool move?

Back in the summer, Fekir looked to be an ideal recruit for a Liverpool side who lacked depth in their attacking ranks but the situation has changed significantly since then with Daniel Sturridge and Xherdan Shaqiri proving their worth.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”310054″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts Fake Madrid & Ross Barkley Emulates… David Ngog”]

Fekir, best utilised as an attacking midfielder or a forward, could now struggle to secure regular first-team football at Anfield and it would be a huge surprise if Klopp revived his interest in the 18-cap France international in 2019.

Valued at £54m by TransferMarkt, and with Lyon earning a reputation as being tough negotiators, Fekir would be an extremely expensive addition for Liverpool and one that would not necessarily provide a boost in the club’s push for the Premier League title.

Defeat against Brighton at the weekend leaves Newcastle rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table.

The Magpies are yet to win a game all season with Beram Kayal’s deflected goal in the 29th minute condemning them to their fifth home defeat in a row. Rafael Benitez admitted that turning their fortunes around will be the biggest challenge of his career but remains confident in his ability to save the club from the drop. Time is definitely running out for the Spaniard who still has the backing of the fans.

One area he desperately needs to improve in January is in attack. Newcastle managed 27 shots against Brighton, just six were on target. Summer addition, Salomon Rondon, is yet to score for the club since joining on loan from West Brom. A striker should be top of Benitez’s priority list when the transfer market opens for business.

One man he could target is Kasimpasa forward – Mbaye Diagne. Valued at £2.25m by Transfermarkt, the former Juventus striker has finally found his feet in the Turkish Super Lig following various loan spells around the globe. Diagne made an instant impact at the club, scoring 12 goals in his first 17 appearances.

His excellent form in front of goal has continued into the new campaign with Diagne hitting ten goals in his opening nine appearances as well as notching two assists in the process. A strong, powerful forward – the Senegal international would have no trouble adapting to the physicality of the Premier League and could easily slot into Benitez’s favoured 4-2-3-1 system at St. James Park.

With superb finishing and a potent aerial threat, Diagne could prove to be Newcastle’s saving grace in the New Year.

Newcastle fans, thoughts?

Wolverhampton Wanderers will likely be active in the transfer market this winter as they look to strengthen their squad and build on their impressive start.

The Molineux outfit, who are on a slump of three consecutive defeats at the moment, started their Premier League campaign well, but Nuno Espirito Santo will have been able to identify a number of areas that he wants to improve.

However, it seems he is ready to offload one of his players as well and has been preparing him for a switch away from the club.

According to a report by the Birmingham Mail, Dominic Iorfa is expected to be leaving Wolves in the near future.

The 23-year-old has been cast aside by Nuno this season despite having racked over 90 appearances for the club.

The former England Under-21 international has been allowed to train and play for the developmental side in a bid to get ready for a January transfer, with Rob Edwards stating Iorfa knows what the plans are for him this season.

“Dom has been really mature about his situation. He knows what he has to do. He knows what the plan will be for him this season,” he said.

“Dom knows no other way than giving 100 percent. He’s in every single day talking to the lads, working with them and leading them.

“It’s probably a difficult period for him at the moment but I’ve been so happy and so pleased with him.”

The Verdict:

It would come as no surprise that Wolves are looking to try and shift Iorfa on this winter, as he has completely fallen out of favour since the arrival of Nuno.

The centre-back is considered to be heavily down the pecking order and is yet to have been named in a matchday squad for the club in the Premier League this season.

The professionalism mentioned by Edwards could certainly go in Iorfa’s favour in trying to find a new club, as he continues to give it his all, despite the situation for him being so bleak at Molineux.

Wolves fans – thoughts?

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Republic of Ireland captain Seamus Coleman is the latest Premier League name to give money to the Sean Cox fundraiser, per reports in The Independent.

Cox was attacked ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final with Roma in April and the 53-year-old remains in hospital as he continues his recovery.

The Irishman was left in a coma when the visiting fan set upon him outside Anfield, leaving his victim with potentially life-changing injuries.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp recently donated €5,000 to an online fundraiser set up to aid the Reds fan’s recovery, something Coleman was keen to follow.

According to The Independent’s report, Coleman insisted: “We have to be together, I think football is great for sticking together. Rivalries go out the window with stuff like that. You don’t see a crest or a jersey, you see a man who came to support his team and unfortunately it didn’t end too well for him.

“I saw on social media the Liverpool manager had donated some money and saw there was a link to a GoFundMe page. I wanted to put my name to it because sometimes that raises more publicity.”

Since being created on October 4, the GoFundMe page has toppled €222,000 with more than 4,500 donations made.

Coleman has put rivalries aside in an incredibly honourable gesture but will need to rediscover his lack of fondness for Liverpool when his Everton team travel to Anfield for the first Merseyside derby of the season at the start of December.

DW Kick off reporter Dave Branneck lives and works in Berlin but has been a fan of the New York Metrostars for most of his life.

Regrettably for Branneck though, in 2006 the Metrostars were bought by Austrian energy drink conglomerate Red Bull and have since been known as the New York Red Bulls, just a year after Austria Salzburg had also undergone a similar transformation.

In his most recent video, Branneck explores what it’s like when your club is owned by one of the world’s most marketable corporations. To do this, he travels to the energy drink company’s most successful club, Leipzig.

After buying the playing rights of fifth-tier side SSV Markranstädt in 2009, Red Bull ploughed in the money and within eight years the club were promoted to the Bundesliga.

The success in Germany though meant that funds were diverted from the other clubs and focused on Leipzig, meaning New York suffered.

“That sweet, sweet soda money brought in star players like Thierry Henry, Juan Pablo Angel, Tim Cahill and Rafa Marquez. Red Bull were one of the league’s biggest spenders, and fans certainly took notice,” Branneck says of the first few years of corporation ownership.

However, Branneck later goes on to comment: “With Leipzig’s rise, New York went from a star-studded side to a farm team for the German branch.”

His personal opinion after the journey? A football club owned by and named after a corporation isn’t normal. And it shouldn’t be.

“I’ll hold onto my old jerseys and keep calling them Metro, but as much as I hate modern football and what it’s done to my club, I just can’t give it up,” he says.

Like the video? If you want to see more football stories great and small, as well as interviews with Bundesliga and international football stars, subscribe to the DW Kick off! YouTube channel.

Man City have started the season incredibly well and look like they’ll once again be the leading contender for the title this season. 

Over the summer, Pep added another star to his attacking arsenal as he brought in Leicester City’s mercurial winger, Riyad Mahrez for £60 million in what was the club’s lone marquee signing of the summer.

One area that the club failed to strengthen in the transfer window was in midfield, and aside from Fernandinho, Pep doesn’t really have any other midfielder whom he can call upon to do the Brazilian’s job.

With City looking to find a long-term replacement for the Brazilian, there have been plenty of rumours linking them with a move for Ajax sensation Frenkie De Jong and according to Spanish website, Sport via Sport Witness, Man City’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain has met with the player and Ajax several times to discuss a move.

The Breakdown

The 21-year-old is yet another player to come out of the famed Ajax academy and in tandem with Matthijs de Ligt, he has been the club’s best player this season.

Capable of playing in defence and midfield, De Jong has already shown that he has the technical ability needed to play at the highest level. He can take the ball under pressure and is a terrific passer.

The only question mark concerning his game is if he has the defensive awareness to play at the base of Pep’s midfield.

Last night against Germany, he showed that he could do the job as he helped Holland come back to draw against Germany. If City can sign the midfielder, they may just have found Fernandinho’s long-term successor.

Thoughts City fans?  

Claudio Ranieri will hope to kick off his reign as Fulham manager with a win against Southampton at the weekend.

The Cottagers are bottom of the Premier League following a slow start under Slavisa Jokanovic, and Ranieri is the man the Fulham board believe can steer them to safety. Fulham have been conceding goals at an alarming rate and solving their defensive issues will definitely be a priority for the former Leicester boss. Given the quality of Fulham’s squad, fans will be hopeful of improved performances under the Premier League winner.

The January transfer window is less than two months away, and Ranieri will be given his first opportunity to tailor the squad to his needs. In order to stop leaking goals, the ex-Chelsea boss should be targeting defensive reinforcements.

One man who he could lure to Craven Cottage is Manchester United veteran – Antonio Valencia. Valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt, the Ecuador international has been a key player for the Red Devils for a number of years after finding a home at right-back. However, the ex-Wigan man has made just four appearances in the Premier League so far and has less than one year remaining on his contract. The defender has also stated his intention to stay in England if United aren’t willing to extend his stay at the club.

Valencia has bags of Premier League and European experience which would prove vital in the long-term as Fulham bid for survival. His time with Wigan will also help the defender settle into life under Ranieri as fast as possible. The 33-year-old may be approaching the end of his career, but he still has a few years left at the highest level and bringing him to London wouldn’t break the bank.

Landing Valencia in January could prove to be a masterstroke from the former Inter Milan boss.

Fulham fans, thoughts?

It’s been an up and down season for West Ham so far this year. At times it looks as though they could push towards the top eight but at others, it looks as though they may also slide towards the bottom end of the table. 

Yesterday, Man City destroyed Manuel Pellegrini’s side 4-0 in a game where The Hammers didn’t really have a chance. West Ham currently sit 13th in the table, three points ahead of Newcastle in 14th – the two face each other next weekend.

Over the summer, West Ham were active in the transfer market and broke the club transfer record fee twice on Issa Diop and Felipe Anderson.

Anderson has been one of the best players at the club so far this season and in tandem with Marko Arnautovic, Pellegrini has a duo that can trouble any team.

According to The Sun, Man U are ready to bid £50 million for Arnautovic and if that is the case, Pellegrini must push through the deal as quickly as possible.

The Breakdown

On his day, Arnautovic is one of the best strikers in the league and has so far scored five goals in the league this season.

Losing him would be a huge blow for the side but it may also avoid some unneeded upheaval during the season. At this point in time, West Ham can ill afford to have a huge transfer saga derail their club and if Pellegrini is wise, he will sell the at times troublesome striker and reinvest it in a new signing in January.

Thoughts West Ham fans?