When Jens Lehmann left Arsenal to join VFB Stuttgart in 2008 in order play just a few more seasons of professional football there were young and promising goalkeepers waiting in the wings.

Both Lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny were understudies to the German goalkeeper, and although Lehmann returned to north London in 2011 to help out on the back of a goalkeeping injury crisis, it’s fair to say that the Gunners have never replaced the goalkeeper who left in 2008.

Since then, Petr Cech has established himself very firmly as Arsenal’s number one goalkeeper and is one of the best Premier League keepers of a generation, but although he has been part of the answer to a goalkeeping problem at the club which lasted for several years, he doesn’t fill all of the gap that the German goalkeeper left back in 2008.

It’s a familiar story for Arsenal fans over the last decade and more: club legend moves on to finish his career elsewhere and Arsene Wenger turns to his youth system to try to plug the gap. The problem is it hasn’t just been technical skill or raw talent that the production line has been missing – it’s been heart, fight and passion, too.

Those are intangible qualities, but they are also the sorts of attribute which you might say players like Patrick Vieira, Gilberto Silva and Tony Adams had. And conversely, you might argue that Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere and Laurent Koscielny, despite their technical abilities, don’t.

Jens Lehmann, and his replacements, fall into the same category.

When you think of the German keeper, there are few iconic big saves – penalty saves, mostly – but what you will think of is his will to win: his yappiness, his ability to wind up the opposition, and the inescapable thought that you’d much rather have him on your side than play against him.

They are the sorts of qualities that Arsenal miss at the moment. They don’t have a player the opposition look at and think he’s a nasty piece of work but, given the chance, would much rather have him in their team than have to face him in a real match. Lehmann may have been annoying, even dirty, but for Arsenal, he was their annoying and dirty.

Arsenal may have replaced Lehmann. No one would look at this Arsenal squad, glance at Petr Cech in goal and think ‘if only’. But the same can be said for most of the rest of the Arsenal team: when people point to Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Tony Adams and say ‘if only’ they aren’t usually talking about quality and ability. They’re talking about something extra: an additional fight, maybe even leadership material.

But if Arsene Wenger has replaced his old German stopper with a goalkeeper who may well go down in history as being a better keeper, he certainly hasn’t replaced the less tangible quality that made Lehmann so special to his team. And that’s been one of the consistent themes of Arsenal’s past decade.

Charlie Austin. Michail Antonio. Jamie Vardy.

You’ve all heard of these players. They’re regular sightings in our weekly intake of Match of the Day. What’s most interesting about them, however, is that they’re products of non-league football. Austin plied his trade as a bricklayer whilst scoring for fun at Poole Town. Antonio found his footing at his local side, Tooting & Mitcham United. Whilst Vardy, most famously, was a technician making medical splints and turning out for Stocksbridge Steels. As the saying goes, the rest is history.

Then there’s Dulwich Hamlet. Spurred on by its community-feel and ethos of activism, the club has attracted legions of fans disillusioned by the ever-growing indifference and sterility that pervades Premier League clubs. Unsurprisingly, their attendance is consistently the highest amongst non-league clubs, and shows no sign of slowing down.

So what does this mean for non-league football coverage?

More of it, you’d hope. Mainstream media coverage remains scant at best, and even dedicated football apps have barely scratched the surface. There are a few examples, such as Non League Matters, whose website is dedicated to getting greater exposure for non-league football by providing results, fixtures and tables. Furthermore, their partnership with CrowdScores, a live scores app, creates cause for optimism. This is because you can now get fast updates for 187 amateur leagues, with more on the way. Additionally, with their basis in crowdsourced data, wherein app users can contribute live match events, including goals, cards and substitutions, comprehensive coverage of non-league football is becoming a reality.

If we are to ensure that the next Vardy doesn’t fall by the wayside, getting more eyes on these players is what must be done. Whether it’s via teams like Dulwich Hamlet, Vardy’s V9 Academy (now with its own Sky TV series) or greater coverage in football apps, more exposure is exactly the shot in the arm that non-league football needs.

Green shoots for grass roots, indeed.

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Tottenham Hotspur ensured they will finish top of Group H in the Champions League with one game to spare following their 2-1 win away against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night, and Spurs fans were quick to praise defender Davinson Sanchez’s performance.

The 21-year-old was once again named alongside Eric Dier and Jan Vertonghen in the back three as Mauricio Pochettino’s men looked to bounce back from their disappointing 2-0 north London derby defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday, and they certainly reacted well.

Even though they fell behind to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s opener, second-half goals from Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min were enough to give Spurs the three points that will see them finish at the summit in what was labelled as the ‘Group of Death’ when the initial draw was made.

Tottenham supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on Sanchez’s showing, and while one described it as “faultless”, another said the Colombian is “my new favourite player”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

If Manchester City’s last four games have constituted a slump, it could not have come at a worse time.

And yet, frighteningly, if you looked at results, the only evidence you could possibly find of such a downturn in form would be their defeat in a game which meant literally nothing to the football club.

Indeed, Wednesday night’s trip to Kharkiv to face Shakhtar Donetsk was so meaningless that it actually became meaningful: the only thing that could have had an impact on the team was injuries and tiredness just days before the biggest Manchester derby in years. It was a game to fear for all the wrong reasons.

Indeed, last weekend, Paul Pogba spoke to the media about his desire to see City players injured.ause then, presumably, he feels that the playing field would be levelled. Instead, just hours after putting his foot in it with the media, he planted his foot into Hector Bellerin’s leg, and cries of Karma were as inevitable as the red card that followed. City won’t want to let that advantage slip.

There will be derby-day consequences to that red card, however. Not having Paul Pogba means that United will surely fear reverting back to type: in the months without their most expensive ever player, Jose Mourinho’s side slumped to the position in which they now find themselves, trailing Manchester City by eight points.

But it’s not just the results that stand out. Without Pogba, United have lacked the midfield presence of a player who can link defence and attack. The Frenchman’s ability to bring his team up the pitch with flair and directness has been missing, especially in big games against the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea. Both of those games saw United fail to score, and it’s clear to see why: without Pogba, they are a less potent counter-attacking force.

It’s unclear if the difference between the United we saw in Pogba’s absence and the more lively attacking team we saw against Newcastle upon his return and, especially, against Arsenal at the Emirates last weekend, was really down to him or whether it simply coincided with an upturn in form. We’ll find out on Sunday.

But if it’s the former, United are in trouble.

This season, Manchester City have thrilled in attack, but against teams who sit deep and defend in an organised fashion, they’ve struggled of late. Huddersfield, Southampton and West Ham have all frustrated Pep Guardiola’s team and forced them to score late goals to nick the points in the end. United will probably take the same approach, and are a better defence than anything City have faced so far. But their diminished ability to hit their opponents on the counter might prove a problem, so too might losing a player who can compete in the midfield with the midfield trio of Fernandinho, David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne.

If United keep City at bay defensively – something no team has done this season – that’s still only half the job. This isn’t quite a must-win game for United. But it’s certainly must-not-lose. And yet, even if United force City into dropping two points for the first time since August, they’ll have dropped two points themselves, unable to take advantage.

And so, like City’s slump in form, Paul Pogba’s suspension couldn’t have come at a worse time. This weekend, they may well be able to frustrate the most potent attack in the league, but without their best counter-attacking player, will they be able to get the goal they need to close the gap on their rivals?

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According to Goal.com, Everton have contacted Barcelona over a move for Colombian centre-back Yerry Mina in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the story?

Mina joined Barcelona from Palmeiras in January, with the centre-back signing a long-term contract with the Catalan giants until the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

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It would be fair to say that the defender looked a touch nervy in his six Barcelona appearances in the second half of last season.

Mina has seemingly come of age at the 2018 World Cup, however, with the 23-year-old scoring three times in Colombia’s four matches in Russia.

The centre-back scored a towering header against England in the last-16 stage of the competition on Tuesday night, but could not prevent his team from losing on penalties.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Mina, but according to Goal.com, Everton have made contact with Barcelona over a potential deal.

Would Mina be a good signing for Everton?

As mentioned above, Mina was not exactly convincing during his limited appearances for Barcelona in the second half of last season.

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It is never easy adapting to a new club and a new league in the middle of a campaign, however, and Mina’s performances at the World Cup were very impressive indeed.

Standing at 6ft 5in, Mina is an absolute giant of a man, and his towering aerial presence was once again on display against England on Tuesday night.

Mina’s lack of pace could cost him in the Premier League, but he would be a serious threat in both penalty boxes if a move to England occurred in this summer’s transfer window.

According to Goal.com, Barcelona want to include a buy-back clause in any deal that happens this summer, which is not a surprise.

There is no question that new Everton boss Marco Silva needs to improve his backline this summer, and the arrival of towering Mina would be a serious statement of intent.

Yep it’s that time, plenty of Leeds fans have gathered in the Tavern once again to hear the latest transfer rumours swirling around the Yorkshire club. 

There haven’t been many announcements made yet for Leeds. So far the club have only signed Lewis Baker to their ranks and are in dire need of a few more bodies for the squad. They need a striker up front and a goalkeeper. One of the names linked with a move to the club to fill the position between the sticks is Manchester City goalie, Angus Gunn.

The highly-rated goalkeeper is apparently on the verge of joining Southampton on a permanent deal according to the BBC. The England under-21 international spent a year on loan at Norwich City last year and had been a target for United but it seems the club have now lost out on another target.

The Breakdown

Although it’s still too early to give any immediate evaluation on Leeds’ transfer business, time is ticking for the club to get some new players in ahead of the new season.

Leeds desperately need a new man between the sticks and it seems like their hunt for a new goalie is going to take some time. Gunn is a young goalkeeper and would’ve been a super signing for Bielsa. It now seems the club are focusing on trying to bring in Jamal Blackman on loan for the year. The Chelsea goalkeeper is a solid temporary ‘keeper albeit Angus Gunn would’ve been a potential long-term star for the club.

Thoughts Leeds fans? 

Nobody epitomised the belief coursing through Gareth Southgate’s England team at this World Cup more than Harry Maguire.

The Leicester City defender is the type of sturdy, solid defender that previous Three Lions bosses would have either discarded or limited to a functional, basic defensive role.

Southgate took him, improved his belief, jettisoned players from bigger clubs – Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Gary Cahill – to make him a regular and gave him the licence to rampage into midfield as part of a side that had the belief to impose their technical ability on the world stage.

As a result, the man nicknamed ‘Slabhead’ became something of a national icon; the burly, fearless Englishman towering over opponents, crashing in headers at both ends as the country rediscovered a national identity that married modern flexibility with vintage grit.

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He has showcased a technical ability that has elevated him towards being a genuine transfer option for top six clubs and it is tough to see him sticking around at Leicester for too much longer in the wake of his summer displays.

Manchester United reportedly hold an interest and have been quoted the figure of £50m, which would have seemed faintly ludicrous before the World Cup started.

However, Maguire’s value looks set to go up and up and one unexpected factor could help; VAR. This summer’s tournament out in Russia has shown that VAR will have a major impact on penalty box grappling.

Where many players felt they could get away with it because the ref could not see everything that is going on in a crowded penalty area, now they are more cautious because VAR is always watching.

As and when the technology reaches the Champions League and Premier League, it will have a profound effect, in one of two ways.

Players will continue to hold and grapple at set pieces – it seems to be the modern way to mark – and VAR will ensure that an unusually high number of penalties are given.

The alternative is that the wrestling stops, offering up more opportunities to score from set pieces; just as Maguire netted with his free header against Sweden.

Either way, Maguire will become an asset who can win penalties and score goals as well as tower over opponents or win headers in defence.

If VAR makes set pieces an even more major part of the game – and the early signs at the World Cup are that it will – players such as Maguire will see their value increase to the extent that even £50m may not even be enough to land the English powerhouse.

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Each week on Football FanCast we’re looking back at a unforgettable moment from the Three Lions’ World Cup canon. This time out we revisit an unforgettable welcoming home for a team that reminded us of football’s good side.

A reputable online publication claims that 100,000 people flocked to Luton Airport on July 8th 1990 to welcome Bobby Robson and his boys home from their World Cup adventure.  Another equally reputable source insists there were three times that number.

Yet it doesn’t really matter, the magnitude. When you get to a certain point you just stop counting and what we can state for sure is that 24 hours after losing to Italy in an inconsequential match to determine who finished third at Italia ’90 a squad of players in ropey official shell-suits returned to Blighty expecting a relatively routine hero’s welcome. Instead they were lavished with a level of adoration far beyond their wildest imagination.

And deservedly so too because what Gazza, Lineker, Platty and the rest had achieved in Sardinia, then Bologna, then Naples and finally Turin was little short of astonishing. By reaching the semi-final of that year’s World Cup they had reignited a nation’s love for a sport long blighted by hooliganism and class division – and by doing so at that particular time in that particular summer, it unified us all.

Four months earlier the Poll Tax Riots struck a significant blow against the iron rule of Thatcherism while up and down the country raves sprung up, in warehouses and fields, and the media were beginning to call it the second Summer of Love.

Now what was needed to push this nascent upsurge in people power into the realms of the mainstream was a major sporting event to re-energise some feel-good patriotism, ideally one sound-tracked to World In Motion and Nessun Dorma and featuring a cheeky, lovable man-child with talent that astounded.

The lads along with the boy duly delivered.

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Paul Gascoigne had left a star but came back as ours and really it was he who everyone descended on the town of Luton to see: this wunderkind who had the audacity to Cruyff-turn the Dutch then melt our hearts with tears at the sight of a yellow card. We were fascinated, we were in love, and though the rest of the players were wildly cheered in truth they were the supporting cast on the day.

On a boiling hot Sunday afternoon a portion of the population packed the route hoping for a glimpse of everybody’s new adopted son as the open top bus slowly made its way from the airport to the Chiltern Hotel in Waller Street. There the players were scheduled to spend the night before disbanding in the morning: back to their clubs after a good holiday; back to some degree of normality.

Even having the need for a bus had surprised most of them when they were informed of it on the flight over. That surprise turned to outright shock when they landed, seeing the aforementioned multitude and pandemonium that awaited them.

As they walked through the terminal all hell broke loose.

At some point – nobody quite knows when or by virtue of whom – Gazza was handed a large pair of plastic breasts and stomach that bore his name. He loved it immediately. He affixed it to his body and on he went, through the hordes, his lop-sided grin that touch wider if that were possible.

He had always been insecure about his stocky build but equally too he was naturally inclined to seek out laughter and today of all days the latter was inevitably going to win out. For good measure he also donned a chunky baseball cap, again with ‘Gazza’ scrawled upon it.

The players, to their credit, ignored both items as best they could as he played up to the crowd. It was after all typical Gazza – the clown prince – and frankly they probably had enough to internally rationalise as hundreds of thousands of people clamoured to see them, to thank them. The public and press however lapped it up and it occurs now that only Gazza could make a tacky piece of merchandise from a local joke shop so utterly iconic.

We can look back and pinpoint that daft-as-a-brush moment as the time when Gazza became a cartoonish creation – initially of his own making but soon losing the copyright to the press core. But let’s not end on a sad note. Because on that sunny Sunday it was fun, it was silly, it was perfect.

Three years earlier Margaret Thatcher had declared there was no such thing as society. A summer of love, riots through Trafalgar Square, and Italia ’90 had proven her very wrong indeed. And yes, those ridiculous plastic boobs too.

What happened next?

Attendances increased significantly in the top flight as people fell in love with football all over again. In due course the Premier League was formed and the modern era was upon us. Sky were on the money with their advertising slogan that accompanied its inception – it really was a ‘whole new ball game’.

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Loads of Everton fans have been reacting to the latest transfer rumours, as reports claim Newcastle want to take Nikola Vlasic on loan.

According to The Daily Mail, Newcastle have “discussed a potential loan” for Everton’s Vlasic.

The young winger joined last summer as part of the Toffee’s massive spending spree, but like many of the signings never really made his mark.

The 20 year-old made just 12 league appearances, most of those coming from the bench, and could probably use the boost in playing time he would get from a loan move.

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Vlasic has two Croatia caps already, and made nearly 100 league appearances for Hajduk Split in his teens, so there is clearly loads of potential there.

Fans are split on the links, as on one hand it could do the youngster a world of good to get a fresh start, but the Toffees aren’t exactly flush with loads of options on the wing themselves.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

According to Le10 Sport, Newcastle United have been offered the chance to sign Lille midfielder Thiago Maia on loan in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the story?

Newcastle have long been linked with a move for Maia, who made 37 appearances in all competitions for his French club during the 2017-18 campaign.

According to Le10 Sport, Lille are open to allowing the Brazilian to leave on loan for the new season, and Newcastle are at the head of the queue.

Maia has been with Lille since a 2017 move from Santos, and showed last season that he has the quality to operate in a major European league.

According to The Chronicle, Newcastle do not see Maia as a priority this summer, but the chance to sign a player of his ability on loan should not be passed up.

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Indeed, the new Premier League campaign is only just around the corner, and Newcastle are in desperate need of some quality in the middle of the park.

Why is a deal for Maia important?

According to The Chronicle, Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez wants to add depth and quality to his squad in the final stages of the summer transfer window.

However, despite the sale of Aleksandar Mitrovic to Fulham, club owner Mike Ashley is not suddenly going to make £40m available.

The Magpies are in need of a new midfielder having sold Mikel Merino earlier this summer, and Maia – a fellow countryman of recent arrival Kenedy – would be a low-risk signing on loan.

Le 10 Sport claim that Newcastle could sign Maia on a permanent deal for £22.3m next summer, and a loan move would allow them to view his performances up close and personal before deciding whether a permanent deal makes sense.

A holding midfielder with an impressive range of passing, the Brazil Under-23 international is a no-brainer for Newcastle if a loan deal can indeed be agreed.