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According to The Athletic’s Adam Leventhal, Sheffield Wednesday have approached Vladimir Ivic over the vacant managerial role at Hillsborough Stadium.

It’s claimed that representatives from the Owls made an enquiry to the unemployed 43-year-old boss at the end of December, around the time in which Tony Pulis was sacked after only 45 days at the helm.

The Serbian has been out of work since being fired himself at Championship rivals, Watford, though it is thought that he has remained in the UK, instead of returning to his home in Greece.

It is also thought that several teams have approached him across England and the Middle East, and Ivic is merely waiting for the right opportunity.

His short time at the Hornets should tell Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri all he needs to know about why this is a move that should be left at that approach.

Do not pursue him any more.

Ivic was described as “hard as nails, ruthless and a tough nut” upon his arrival at Vicarage Road in the summer, but that evidently didn’t correlate into results on the pitch.

He won nine of 20 matches, leaving them in fifth place but if the hierarchy at Watford didn’t think he was capable of leading them to glory with one of the most expensive squads in the division, then what’s to say he’d be fit for a relegation dogfight?

‘His overly defensive tactics have been unpopular with Watford fans, though, and the team’s style of play has not been easy on the eye,’ wrote the Guardian after his sacking.

Chansiri’s history with appointments should also provide clues into why Ivic should be avoided. Yes, there was a successful stint with Carlos Carvalhal, where the Owls finished in the playoffs in back-to-back campaigns, but his successor Jos Luhukay was some sort of antichrist to that.

Under the Dutchman, they finished in their lowest position in four seasons in 15th, and before the same could be repeated, he was sacked by Christmas.

What the Owls need is someone experienced not only this level, but in keeping teams up. 20 games at Watford isn’t going to be enough to convince you otherwise.

When there are candidates like Paul Cook out there, a man who would have achieved back-to-back survival bids at Wigan but for a points deduction, then names like Ivic shouldn’t be considered.

It’s heading down an all too familiar and dangerous path.

If Chansiri is to listen to his advisors on this one, then Wednesday are on the verge of disaster.

AND in other news, 31 y/o “midfield enforcer” could be a game-changer for Sheffield Wednesday

Bailey Wright was one of the stars of the show as Sunderland were held to a draw away to Rochdale on Tuesday night, yet his performance alongside his Black Cats defensive partners left manager Phil Parkinson “disappointed”.

Sunderland travelled to the Crown Oil Arena looking to bounce back from their first defeat of the season after a 3-1 loss at home to Portsmouth over the weekend, and begun the League One clash in fine fashion through Charlie Wyke after 15 minutes.

The Black Cats’ lead lasted just 10 minutes, however, as Matty Lund struck his first of the night to pull the game level, something the Northern Irishman would again do just before half-time once Wright had restored the visitor’s advantage.

Lund was able to poke home his fourth of the third-tier campaign thanks to generous defending by Sunderland, leaving Parkinson saddened to see his side’s once superior defensive record further slump having previously allowed just one goal to be scored over the opening six matches.

“I’m disappointed with the two goals we conceded tonight, of course I am,” said Parkinson, via quotes by the Chronicle. “We have been waiting for the goals to come, [but] the bedrock of the team has been in our defensive third.

“I’ve just said to the lads that they need to make sure that is in place, don’t let the frustration of not killing teams off and converting chances stop us defending properly. Prior to the Portsmouth game we were doing so well, we’d only conceded one goal all season, but there was an undercurrent of ‘we’ve got to score, we’ve got to score’.”

While Parkinson was rightly frustrated to see Sunderland ship two goals at Rochdale on Tuesday night, Wright’s efforts in the centre of the Black Cats’ line of three centre-halves surely would have left a positive impression on his boss.

Wright, who has opened all eight of Sunderland’s League One games this term, achieved SofaScore’s highest match-rating for a visiting player against Rochdale at 7.8 out of 10, only trailing the host’s double-scorer Lund (8.3/10).

The North East outfit’s 28-year-old defender warranted his side’s highest match rating thanks to an impressive tally of 82 touches while completing 57 of his 68 passes, both of which were game-high figures.

He further stood out with a match-high eight clearances and blocked two shots, made one tackle, won four of eight duels, found teammates with 15 of 26 attempted long passes and scored with his only shot of the night.

Wright is now one of just six players to have scored for Sunderland in League One this season, highlighting the Black Cats’ need for goals but also demonstrating how he’s helping the Stadium of Light natives to keep a mostly tight unit at the back.

AND in other news, a promotion rival has pinpointed a major flaw in Phil Parkinson’s tactics that could spell dire consequences for Sunderland.

Tottenham Hotspur have been tipped as a perfect landing spot for one Premier League star this week – and he’s been linked with a move to the club before…

What’s the word?

Speaking on talkSPORT’s ‘White and Jordan‘ show on Monday afternoon, former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan claimed that Spurs would be the ideal destination for Eagles winger Wilfried Zaha to elevate his game.

He said:

“It hasn’t been a great season for Wilfried Zaha. Palace have a valuation for him I think is based on his talent. Some of the output he has given for Palace this season would not necessarily demand the same figure.

If you could get £60 million last year, you’re going to really struggle to get that now because his form hasn’t been what it was. He does want to go but I’m not entirely sure there’s a queue of clubs that will buy him.

I think, as much as it galls me, Tottenham is a place that would do Wilfried well.”

Two birds with one stone?

In the past, the north Londoners were mooted with interest in the 27-year-old, which includes a reported £12m bid back in 2016 and according to Steve Parish, who took over from Jordan, Zaha was a player Mauricio Pochettino was hugely keen on.

So much so that the former Spurs boss believed the Eagles sensation could be “the next Ronaldo”.

Zaha has since failed with moves to the likes of arch-rivals Arsenal as well as Everton due to the whopping £80m asking price and this summer, he has made it clear in his intentions to depart Selhurst Park.

The Sun now believe he could be available for just £30m, which should have Daniel Levy ready to pull the trigger as he’d solve a couple of issues at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Despite a below-par campaign, Zaha still contributed to seven goals whilst averaging a career-best 4.3 dribbles and 1.6 shots per game, via WhoScored.

His ability to play centrally as well as out wide should hint towards him being the perfect foil for Harry Kane whilst also being a genuine upgrade to Erik Lamela on the wing.

In the three previous seasons, the Eagles star had a part to play in at least 12 goals each term, which is substantially better than anything the Argentine has ever managed at Spurs.

It’s no wonder Roy Hodgson believes he’s a “game-changer” whilst Mikel Arteta dubbed Zaha “phenomenal” ahead of their meeting last term.

Spurs could have signed him 17 years ago aged ten, now they mustn’t pass up this opportunity as it’ll aid Jose Mourinho a lot during this hectic season.

AND in other news, Eight-figure swoop is already looking like shrewd business by Daniel Levy…

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has revealed the reasoning behind the signing of Kai Havertz after the German came under criticism for his opening two performances in a Blues shirt.

The Blues spent an initial £72.7million to bring the Germany international to Stamford Bridge this summer in attempt to freshen up his attacking options.

The 21-year-old arrived alongside compatriot Timo Werner, but he has failed to impress during his first two outings for the club.

Chelsea opened the new season with a 3-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion before losing to last season’s champions Liverpool at the weekend.

Discussing Havertzs’ impressions thus far ahead of his side’s EFL Cup third round tie with Barnsley, Lampard called for patience to be put on the shoulders of the attacking midfielder.

“Kai has played in various positions through his career,” the former Derby County boss is quoted as saying by The Metro.

“I think the main point at the minute with Kai is getting him fit. He is heavily, what I mentioned about the squad, in pre-season mode, because of the situation we aren’t in a position where we can bring in players, back-up players with big levels of money, that we can wait and integrate him into the team.

“Kai has come here to be a huge talent for this team and we just need to get him fit and ready and then the position will become very clear.”

Lampard took Havertz off at half-time against Liverpool on Sunday afternoon and with the likes Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech both vying for a starting place, it will be interesting to see who starts from now on.

At just over £70m, you would have to think that Havertz will be a regular starter but Lampard does have some superb options in his squad.

Patience is key though, especially given the attacking midfielder’s age. You cannot judge him off just two matches, he needs more time to settle in.

Who do you think should start? Havertz, Pulisic or Ziyech, or can more than one start…… Let us know in the comments section below…

Writing on Twitter, reliable Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold heaped praise on midfielder Tanguy Ndombele as the one ‘real ray of light’ after his first-half performance against West Brom at the Hawthorns.Â

Ndombele, who impressed during a somewhat lacklustre first 45 minutes, made two key passes over that time whilst standing out above the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Gareth Bale – with that front trio tipped to take the game by storm.

Ndombele praise

However, during the first period, one man who really stood out for Gold was Ndombele – and the journalist called him a ‘real ray of light’ for his brilliant showing after he has seemingly been rejuvenated under Jose Mourinho.

Spurs went through a scare with the star man going down in a lot of pain at one stage, and was substituted soon after, with supporters potentially hoping it isn’t serious.

A report by Get French Football News earlier in the summer claimed both the Frenchman and Mourinho had a behind the scenes bust-up, with his future looking severely in doubt at one stage.

Transfer Tavern take

Signed for a club-record £53.8 million, a significant investment by chairman Daniel Levy, Spurs supporters could now be glad they’re currently seeing the very best of Ndombele after a brief spell of tension at the club.

Indeed, the ‘phenomenal’ 23-year-old has shone in a role more further forward recently in central attacking midfield, arguably a tactical masterclass by Mourinho which has allowed him to express his ability in a less shackled role.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Moussa Sissoko, the enforcers sitting just behind Ndombele, give license for the player to wreak havoc with his boundless energy and creativity.

After his first-half showing, as Gold says, it’s safe to assume Spurs won’t want to lose him.

In other news: Fans were in full reaction after Mourinho’s comments, find out more here.Â

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

Glasgow Rangers were a very successful side during the 2000s, and that was possible thanks to some fantastic recruitment along the way.

Signing such as Sasa Papac, Carlos Cuellar, Daniel Cousin and many, many more helped the Gers to win five Scottish Premiership titles in the decade, whilst they also reached the UEFA Cup final in 2008 – they remain the last Scottish side to make the showpiece of any European competition.

Filip Sebo was a player who was signed during that period, coming in from Austria Vienna for the fee of £2.25m, but it is fair to say that his arrival was not one of those that contributed to the club’s success. He had scored eight goals in 40 matches during the 2005/06 campaign, which was not exactly impressive, but perhaps the 22 goals in 29 matches in the Slovakian top tier the season before that convinced the Gers to take him to Ibrox.

It was a transfer that just didn’t work out. In 31 matches during his first and only campaign with the club, he scored a paltry two goals. It wasn’t long before he was shipped out on loan to Valenciennes in Ligue 1 and, despite netting just five time in 36 matches, the French side parted with £1.08m for his services.

That meant that the Gers lost £1.17m, and that each goal he scored for the club had effectively cost them around £1.13m. This is a deal the club would probably rather forget.

Let us know what you think below!

According to The Sun, Tottenham are interested in luring Norwich defender Ben Godfrey to north London this summer.

What’s the word?

Jose Mourinho’s side have had a difficult season this year, particularly defensively, with 44 goals conceded in just 32 Premier League matches.

And with the long-term futures of both Jan Vertonghen and Juan Foyth up in the air, it’s no surprise to hear the Lilywhites are interested in reinforcing their defence.

As per The Sun, along with the likes of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, Spurs have set their sights on Canaries centre-back Godfrey, who is currently valued around the £25m mark.

Shades of Ledley

Despite only being 22, and playing for a side rooted towards the bottom of the Premier League table for the entire season, Godfrey has shown his leadership qualities week-in and week-out, even taking on the captain’s armband for the clashes against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.

Spurs of course know all about young and promising centre-backs who can carry a dressing room, with Ledley King taking on the skipper’s role full-time back in 2005, at the age of just 25.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

The 6 foot Godfrey has himself previously admitted to embracing the idea of being a leader, after being named captain of England’s U21s. He said: “Being made under-21s captain was such an honour. I do see myself as a leader. I don’t know why. I enjoy being captain of the team and, with or without the armband, I’d be the same but it’s such a good feeling to lead out your country.”

With Spurs struggling to keep things tight defensively, and on the verge of losing an experienced character in Vertonghen, bringing in someone like Godfrey who seems like such a natural fit to the role, makes a lot of sense. And with the Canaries likely to go down, Daniel Levy has the perfect chance to take advantage and sign him up.

Mourinho could very well find his next leader a la John Terry in Godfrey.

After being linked with a summer move, Leicester City are now the odds-on favourites to sign Burnley attacker Dwight McNeil according to some bookmakers, via Leicestershire Live, with manager Brendan Rodgers looking to snap up a creative outlet ahead of a busy 2020/21 Premier League campaign. 

This also comes after Demarai Gray’s future has at the King Power Stadium has become more doubtful, especially after a report from The Telegraph linking him with a move to Newcastle United, and now the Foxes are ‘favourites’ to sign McNeil as a potential replacement.

Left-back Ben Chilwell has already departed the East Midlands in a £45m move to Chelsea, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal, and McNeil could be high on the list of candidates to come in and strengthen Rodgers’ squad.

Defender Timothy Castagne is reportedly set to join Leicester as Chilwell’s direct heir, but the Burnley youngster has been strongly tipped to follow him.

Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, the left-sided midfielder started all 38 Premier League games for the Clarets last season, marking himself out as a key figure under Sean Dyche by scoring two goals and providing six assists from the flanks (WhoScored).

Out of Burnley’s entire squad, only Ashley Westwood managed to provide more key passes per game, perhaps attracting Rodgers and his staff at Leicester to a player deemed to have vast potential.

Speaking to Sky Sports via Lancs Live, pundit Jamie Redknapp has also waxed lyrical over McNeil’s ‘real quality’ and correctly predicted that top six sides would be after him in this window, now that Leicester could be in the chase.

Given the quick run of games over 2020/21, strength in depth may well be key, and the Englishman could provide a new dimension for the Foxes going forward.

Foxes, would you be happy to sign McNeil? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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 go to battle in the Championship’s early kickoff this afternoon and they’ll be hoping for a drastic change of fortunes as they head to The Valley to face Charlton Athletic.

The Owls are winless in their last five matches having salvaged a point at home to Birmingham City in midweek.

But today’s match presents an ideal opportunity to get back on track if manager Garry Monk has the balls to do so…

On the Chalkboard

The 40-year-old will be tasked with the suspensions of both Julian Borner and Liam Palmer in defence while further up the pitch, he faces a selection headache over what system and what players he utilises.

One thing that he needs to do is allow the team to play to their full attacking potential. Over several of the last few matches, Wednesday have created chances well beyond what their final result was, which has led to the boss bemoaning the struggles in front of goal.

Well, it’s time to change that. Go all out. Go very attacking.

Charlton are there to be pounced on this weekend. Lee Bowyer is suffering an injury nightmare with over 12 first-team players on the treatment table while instrumental midfielder Conor Gallagher is suspended for this one too, even better news.

Bowyer said: “Conor will be a big miss on Saturday, another threat that’s been great for us.”

With so many gaps in the Addicks starting line up, Monk must look to punish this obvious weakness.

He can do this by giving top goalscorer Steven Fletcher a partner in attack, allowing one of Barry Bannan or Massimo Luongo further freedom up the pitch or even go completely left-field and try that 3-5-2 system Football FanCast suggested earlier this week.

There won’t be a better opportunity to try something new than this afternoon. Don’t let it pass.

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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… 

Sheffield Wednesday must shake off their uncertain future when they return to Championship action this weekend.

The Owls face a tough trip to the Hawthorns to face West Bromwich Albion, and with the strong possibility of the club facing a points deduction sometime in the future, they must rack up as many positive results as possible.

Recent matches have seen a worrying trend emerge as Garry Monk’s side have rued their lack of late game management – had they not conceded so many goals in the dying stages, then they could well be sat much nearer their upcoming opposition.

On the Chalkboard

The 40-year-old will be tasked with a selection dilemma across the pitch as many players will have used the time off during the international break to resolve any niggles and injuries.

In defence lies the biggest decision of all as Monk pretty much has all of his options available, including the unseen David Bates, who played for the U23s last week.

Last time out against Swansea City, captain Tom Lees made his return to the side after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, and it didn’t exactly go to plan as the Owls conceded two goals and only managed to garner a solitary point despite taking the lead in the 91st minute.

He replaced Julian Borner, who was only absent through a virus, meaning he should certainly be back to play this weekend.

This will leave Monk with a problem as it is likely to be his captain versus August’s Player of the Month for one of the two spots at centre-half with Dominic Iorfa claiming the other.

The Wednesday chief must revert back to his tried and tested defence, the one that had kept four clean sheets in nine league matches.

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He may be torn between being loyal to both players, but in their current circumstances, it would make sense to opt for what has been proven to work.

Borner averages more clearances (4.4), interceptions (1.5) and tackles (1) per game than Lees, via WhoScored, while he also ranks as their second-best player with an average rating of 7.15.

If he wasn’t their captain, then this decision would be a no-brainer based on those figures alone.