Jack Grealish spoke to Aston Villa’s official channels after the team’s 6-1 humiliation at the hands of Manchester City.

What did he say?

This will have been a tough one to take for those involved with Villa, regardless of who they were playing against.

It may have been Sergio Aguero bagging a hat-trick, Riyad Mahrez securing a brace and Gabriel Jesus getting the other goal, but the men in claret and blue simply were not good enough during the 90 minutes as they lost 6-1.

When Dean Smith spoke after the game, he indicated that their mentality potentially played a part in this poor performance and result.

He will not have meant to, but Grealish may have proven that to be the case with his comments after the final whistle: “We were nowhere near good enough, we know that as a team, and we spoke about that in the dressing room.

“They’re an unbelievable team, you’ve just got to look at the players they have in their starting XI and on the bench. It was tough but we can always be better.

“You can’t really do much against Manchester City sometimes, but we do feel that, as a team, we could have done much better to keep the scoreline down.”

How much do you remember about football in 2019? Our quiz will test your knowledge…

A hapless showing

There is an acceptance that they were not good enough, but it is the last part of this statement, in which he claims “you can’t really do much against Manchester City sometimes”, which encapsulates the hopelessness they showed on the pitch.

It is undoubted that City are a brilliant side given the fact they won the league last season. However, this is also a team who lost to Norwich City earlier in the campaign and has also had the double done on them by Wolverhampton Wanderers. They even drew with Newcastle at one stage too.

These outfits will have shown a fearlessness when facing up to the Premier League champions, while that is something that cannot be said of Villa, as they looked fragile in both their organisation and mentality.

Something needs to improve drastically if they want to stay in the division.

Meanwhile, one Villa player was mercilessly slated by fans after his performance against Man City.

According to a recent report from Bild, Bayern Munich are interested in Inter Milan’s 23-year-old ace, Valentino Lazaro, who is also on Newcastle United’s radar.

What’s the word, then?

Bild’s new information states that there has already been contact between Die Roten and the young Austria international as the Bavarian giants ponder a move for the player in the January transfer window.

Lazaro moved from Hertha BSC to Inter Milan in the summer for just under €23m (£19.6m) but has not really found much joy in Serie A, registering only 11 appearances so far.

Who the heck is that?! Can you name all 25 of these obscure Newcastle signings…

But the same outlet also notes that Newcastle could still be looking to sign him, with other sources also suggesting the Magpies are interested in his signature.

The Bavarians are currently struggling with injuries across the pitch and someone of Lazaro’s profile could be a good addition to the team.

Verdict

At first it doesn’t seem like a move for Lazaro is what Bayern Munich should be aiming for.

After all, having failed to establish himself at Inter Milan, it’s difficult to see the youngster do exactly that at an even bigger club, especially the size of the Bavarian giants.

But with the 23-year-old already having some experience playing in Germany and still being fairly young and raw, there’s reason to believe he could be moulded in the type of player Die Roten would enjoy having in their squad.

Of course, they are seemingly bound to face some competition from the Magpies but it feels that Bayern would still have the edge over the Premier League outfit if the choice of the two clubs was presented to Lazaro.

But it remains to be seen which club will win the race in the end.

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich have reportedly given up on chasing one of Liverpool’s big transfer targets…

Sheffield Wednesday have made a key announcement this afternoon.

Owls goalkeeper Cameron Dawson has signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract extension, taking him to the summer of 2024.

The academy graduate has cemented his name as their number one shot-stopper in recent months, starting 13 straight matches in all competitions, taking him to a total of 18 for the season and 62 for his overall career at Hillsborough.

So far this campaign, Dawson has kept eight clean sheets whilst keeping two-time PFA Team of the Year goalkeeper Keiren Westwood out of the side entirely.

This contract is undoubtedly a fine reward for his performances this campaign, and it has led to several supporters discussing the news on social media today.

Here’s what they have been saying…

One supporter couldn’t contain his excitement as he exclaimed “announce promotion” while another member of the Hillsborough faithful called it “great news” as the club got it sorted very quickly.

It has led to further praise over the young shot-stopper as he came through the system at the club.

“Good prospect” and “future captain” were two shouts from sections of the Owls support.

There are over six other first-team squad members that see their contracts expire this summer, including the likes of Morgan Fox and top goalscorer Steven Fletcher, so manager Garry Monk will have his work cut out at the end of the season.

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For some fans, this announcement wasn’t enough as they demanded more – more contracts and more signings…

One supporter asked the club to resolve Fox’s contract as he, just like Dawson, has cemented his spot amongst Monk’s starting line up, playing 24 matches already this campaign, whilst another wanted the Owls to announce a striker as they have been waiting all month for one.

Someone’s got to own them: Who do these incredibly unwanted PL records belong to?

Finally, there was a quick mention to one former manager, Jos Luhukay, who was the man to originally trust Dawson during his short reign at the helm.

The Dutchman made a bold call to drop Westwood and name the 24-year-old as his first-choice for the 2018/19 season, although he was soon sacked with caretaker Lee Bullen reversing the decision.

And in other news, Sheffield Wednesday must endeavour to find Steven Fletcher’s long-term replacement instead of being so short-minded…

Football Insider has revealed that Liverpool are interested in signing Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli.

What’s the story?

The 18-year-old only joined the Gunners from Ituano last summer, but has made an instant impact at the Emirates – he already has 10 goals in 21 matches.

According to this latest report, Michael Edwards and his recruitment team are “planning to keep close tabs on the teenager in the second half of the campaign”. It further adds that the Merseyside club are unlikely to be the only team looking at Martinelli’s progress, and that Arsenal may need to offer him a new contract to ward off potential suitors.

The big fat Liverpool quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Anfield?

Long-term versatility

Even in just a short amount of time, Martinelli has already proven to be a bargain for the north London outfit, who signed him for just £6m from Brazil. He also has three assists, and has been one of the few bright sparks in what has been a difficult campaign for Arsenal so far – they are 10th in the Premier League table.

Interestingly, Martinelli has performed impressively well in two separate positions. He has seven goals in seven appearances at centre-forward, and also has two goals in two appearances at left midfield as well.

This is the kind of player that Jurgen Klopp loves to work with. James Milner, for example, has played in six different positions in his 196 appearances for the Reds, whilst Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is another who has proven to be versatile across the park, featuring in six different roles himself.

Meanwhile, Joe Gomez has featured at right-back, left-back and at the heart of the defence, whilst Divock Origi has played across the forward line.

Martinelli could be the next player to provide that ability to play in a number of positions, before taking up a starting role later on. Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are all at least 27 years of age – they will not be around forever. When they are ready to move on, Martinelli should be at the perfect point in his career to step up to the plate. Whether Arsenal would be willing to sell to a rival in their own division remains to be seen, but it is a deal that is certainly worth pursuing.

Meanwhile, this Premier League man could become a star at Liverpool according to Stan Collymore.

Marcelo Bielsa may have said that Leeds’ January business is done and dusted in terms of incomings, but there are still some players that the Whites desperately need to shift before the transfer deadline.

We’ve heard that U23 players such as Rafa Mujica, Guille Amore and Kun Temenuzhkov will be headed out the exit door at Elland Road before Friday’s deadline, but there are two senior players who Leeds simply need to get rid of.

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With the Whites cutting it fine in terms of FFP they can’t afford to have too much deadwood taking up space on their wage bill, and for the most part, Leeds have been very good at shifting these players.

The likes of Vurnon Anita, Pawel Cibicki, Yosuke Ideguchi and Lewie Coyle have all been sold, but two high earners remain at the club.

Eunan O’Kane hasn’t played for Leeds since Marcelo Bielsa’s appointment, yet he’s still at the club reportedly earning £8k a week, making him Leeds’ seventh-highest earner at the start of the season. However, that will have changed after Kalvin Phillips, Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas all signed new contracts.

Ouasim Buoy also remains at the club, and he’s another disproportionately high earner as Phil Hay has previously stated that he was earning a meaningful sum that was more than Ronaldo Vieira earnt when both men arrived at the club at a similar time.

With the Whites outlaying €2m (£1.7m) to land Jean-Kevin Augustin on loan they will have even less breathing room when it comes to FFP, but shifting these two players who are surplus to requirements will certainly be a helping hand.

In other news, Phil Hay has provided insight into whether or not Leeds’ new signings will start this weekend.

Liverpool have been making the headlines once again following their brilliant 1-0 triumph in the FA Cup clash against Shrewsbury Town.

What made the triumph so special was the fact it was achieved without Jurgen Klopp and any of the senior players in the squad.

The Reds fielded a lineup completely made of youngsters, the majority of whom are seldom seen in the senior squad altogether, but they did not disappoint as they played their hearts out to secure the victory.

Interestingly enough, many of the Anfield faithful were actually impressed with young Neco Williams, Liverpool’s right-back on the night who forced an own goal from Shrewsbury and practically secured the win.

And in the aftermath of proceedings, plenty of them were saying the same thing – he deserves a call-up to Wales’ Euro 2020 squad.

One fan noted that Wales can’t afford to omit Willaims for a simple reason – he’s the best solution they have at the moment and there’s no one else out there who can plug that hole and offer the same level of quality.

Another fan also said something in a similar manner, explaining that he’s Wales’ realistic option at this point and that they should be brave enough to call him up.

Finally, one other fan said that the 18-year-old right-back could actually be his country’s dark horse for the Euros – a player no one will expect to receive the call up but could yet surprise everyone.

After all, he’s got the talent to do exactly that.

Elsewhere, Liverpool have been revealed as surprise admirers of one of their Premier League rivals’ big stars…

We may now be well into February, but that hasn’t stopped the transfer mill from being in full flow ahead of a potentially busy summer window and just this week Wolves appear set to reignite interest in a former target.

According to Football Insider, the west Midlands outfit will monitor the situation of Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who they were linked with before the start of the season.

It’s claimed that Leeds’ faltering promotion bid could work in Wolves’ favour as the defensive anchorman is unlikely to depart Elland Road if they earn a return to the top-flight.

Phillips could be available for in excess of £20m due to a clause in his current contract, but the situation will have to be evaluated come the end of the season.

It has left fans quite excited about the prospect of him joining the Wolf Pack.

Here’s what has been said…

Plenty of the Molineux faithful were for the idea of signing him – the fact that he was a good, English and was available at a reasonable price was noted whilst one supporter said he would be a very useful box-to-box option.

Another fan added claimed it was a “big fat yes” to clinching the 24-year-old as he would be worth double after season under Nuno Santo’s stewardship, which has led to further comments in a similar vein.

A further member of the old gold fanbase claimed their Portuguese genius would turn Phillips into a world-class player, which if true, would only help his international credentials after being watched by England boss Gareth Southgate earlier this season.

Others took the opportunity to poke fun at the Championship outfit after the club managed to fleece them £15m for Helder Costa, asking that they should let them off paying that this summer and hand them an extra £5m to push through this deal.

Per WhoScored, the defensive midfielder has been a solid option under Marcelo Bielsa, averaging 5.2 long balls, 2.9 tackles, 2.1 aerial duels won, two key passes and 1.3 interceptions per game in the second-tier this season.

He’d be an interesting option under Nuno, that’s for sure.

Can you remember how much each of these transfer icons cost? Only experts will get 100% on our quiz…

And in other news, Wolves new boy Luke Matheson receives glowing endorsement from one ex-boss…

Southampton are one of three Premier League clubs interested in signing Middlesbrough’s Lewis Wing in the summer transfer window, according to a report from TEAMtalk.

The 24-year-old has become a key player for Jonathan Woodgate at ‘Boro, featuring in 30 of their 33 Championship fixtures this season and making 23 starts (Transfermarkt).

Wing has certainly been impressing with his performances in the second tier this season, scoring six goals and providing one assist from midfield (Transfermarkt). Three of his strikes have come in his last three appearances, including a brace against Wigan Athletic earlier in February.

As a result of his positive displays, Southampton are thought to be showing an interest in signing the former Yeovil Town man, but could face competition for his signature from south coast rivals Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth according to the report from TEAMtalk. It is suggested that Middlesbrough would be keen to keep Wing but could struggle to turn down a sizeable offer if one was made.

This could prove to be an astute signing from Ralph Hasenhuttl if he can get it done. Whilst Southampton have done very well since being thumped 9-0 by Leicester City back in October, winning seven and drawing one of the next 16 (Transfermarkt), they do have a bit of an issue when it comes to scoring goals.

They have netted just 32 times in the Premier League this term (BBC Sport) and have become hugely reliant on Danny Ings, with the ex-Burnley man netting almost half of their goals with 15 to his name (Transfermarkt).

Their midfielders rarely chip in with any goals – between them, James Ward-Prowse, Stuart Armstrong, Oriol Romeu and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg have scored just six in the league this term (Transfermarkt). Whilst it has been in a lower division, Wing has shown that he can get forward and help the strikers. At just 24, he still has plenty of time to improve his game further, so he could definitely be worth a punt in the summer.

Saints fans, would you be happy if your club signed Wing? Let us know below…

Tottenham Hotspur have been left with an arduous task to keep their Champions League hopes alive following a 1-0 defeat in the first-leg of their Round of 16 tie against RB Leipzig in north London on Wednesday night.

Jose Mourinho’s side were beaten by a Timo Werner penalty in the second half after Ben Davies fouled Konrad Laimer inside the area.

The first-half was wholly one-sided with the visitors managing 12 attempts at goal compared to Spurs’ three but things improved late on when Tanguy Ndombele entered the field of play, and his brief cameo has left lots of supporters at the club swooning to see more.

He replaced Gedson Fernandes in the 64th minute and completed more dribbles (four) than any other member of the home side.

This is what fans have been saying…

The Frenchman received glowing praise across the board with fans using words like “genius” and “unbelievable” whilst one supporter went as far as labelling him a “magician.”

Others emphasised the fact that the entire game changed completely after his introduction in the second half.

It also led to a range of comparisons from being a mirror of former Belgian midfielder Mousa Dembele as he was described as a “top player,” to being better than his current teammate, Fernandes, who started the match.

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While a further member of the Spurs faithful claimed Ndombele’s partnership with Giovani Lo Celso would be an “insane pairing”.

And then there were fans who were desperate to see him play more – he’s only managed to rack up 23 appearances and just 822 minutes in the Premier League since joining for a club-record £55m fee from Lyon in the summer.

Some were even wanting the 23-year-old starting matches irrespective of whether or not he could actually finish the game as there have long been doubts over his fitness, hence the lack of game time.

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With Chelsea away on Saturday afternoon, some sections of the Tottenham support will be wanting to see Mourinho name Ndombele in that starting lineup.

And in other news, Spurs target midfield upgrade to Eric Dier in Championship POWERHOUSE…

John McCallum, a contributor to the Rangers-based Gersnet podcast (February 24th, 7:22), has criticised Nikola Katic and seemingly believes that George Edmundson should be starting instead.

What’s he said?

Rangers drew 2-2 with St Johnstone on Sunday at McDiarmid Park.

They fell behind to an eighth-minute goal from Callum Hendry, but Florian Kamberi equalised prior to Joe Aribo netting a 71st-minute strike. Stevie May then levelled the scoring, earning the hosts a point.

Katic played the entire 90 minutes but McCallum believes that he was remarkably poor and has floated the idea of Edmundson starting instead.

The 22-year-old has played just five times this season, making only two starts in the Scottish top-flight.

He said: “[Katic] was very poor today, it was as bad a performance from Katic as I’ve seen. I think Edmondson must be sitting there on the bench thinking what have I got to do to get a game because he hasn’t been playing well, Katic.

“And it’s funny. One of the big criticisms I’ve got of Katic is that I think his distribution’s poor.

“I don’t think he’s great at that side of the game, which is something that a lot of modern centre-halves really need to have.”

A football legend: Can you get over 80% on this Gazza quiz? Find out now…

Changes unlikely

Katic is clearly the first-choice for manager Steven Gerrard.

The 23-year-old has made 18 appearances in the league, with 17 starts.

Edmundson, perhaps, isn’t seen to be ready but McCallum is right to point out how poor Katic was at the weekend.

Per fbref, he did not win a tackle nor make an interception as Rangers shipped two goals.

With Katic in the team overall though, Rangers have conceded just 15 goals in 18 league games and kept eight clean sheets in his time on the pitch.

But the club are comfortably second in the table, 22 points clear of Motherwell, while they are 12 behind Celtic – perhaps now is the time to try Edmundson; no ill can really come of it.

Meanwhile, Rangers fans have savaged one star!