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Southampton confirmed on Tuesday that club captain James Ward-Prowse has been called up for England duty.

And, as to be expected, a number of Saints fans have been reacting to the news on social media.

The 26-year-old will fill in for Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips, who withdrew from Gareth Southgate’s squad through injury.

Ward-Prowse missed out on a place in Southgate’s European Championship squad over the summer but will now have the chance to impress the manager and possibly add to his eight caps as England prepare for World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary.

The central midfielder, who scored before being sent off against Chelsea prior to the international break, is now the eighth Southampton player who will head off to represent their country.

Saints fans react

Southampton shared the news regarding Ward-Prowse’s call up on their official Twitter page. This is what these Saints supporters had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘great news’.

“FINALLY”

Credit: @AimeeThorpe9

“YESSSSSSS SIUUUUUU”

Credit: @_sfcjay

“Great news”

Credit: @Allanah47670106

“Fair play to him considering his performances…”

Credit: @MattAshley1

“Deserved but I’d be surprised if he gets a kick.”

Credit: @bfgfox

“BOUT DAMN TIME”

Credit: @SaintsFCDallas

In other news: ‘Bring him back’, ‘Come home’ – Many Saints fans react as comments emerge.  

Southampton host West Ham at St Mary’s on Saturday as they go in search of their first win of the 2021/22 Premier League season.

The Saints lost 3-1 to Everton on the opening day of the campaign before holding Manchester United and Newcastle to draws in their subsequent matches.

They are up against a Hammers side who have scored 10 goals in their three league games and amassed seven points, beating Newcastle and Leicester before drawing with Crystal Palace.

On the Chalkboard

Mohamed Salisu and Jack Stephens have started every game at centre-back so far and Southampton are yet to keep a clean sheet. This means that Ralph Hasenhuttl could be open to a change to the starting XI in that area of the pitch, potentially opening the door for Jan Bednarek to return to the team.

Of the aforementioned pair, Salisu has the higher match rating on SofaScore. He has averaged an impressive score of 7.03, whilst winning 65% of his duels and making two tackles per game. Meanwhile, Stephens has averaged a score of just 6.40, winning 52% of his duels and making one interceptions per game.

This suggests that Stephens’ position in the team could be at risk, as he has not been able to perform to as high of a standard as Salisu so far. The clash with West Ham this weekend presents Hasenhuttl with the opportunity to give £50k-per-week Bednarek an opportunity to show that he can outshine Stephens at the back.

Earlier this year, Hasenhuttl lauded the Poland international as a ‘firefighter’ for the way he defends the Southampton goal on the pitch. The Austrian told the Daily Echo: “He is robust. He is one of the best defensive fighters, I say always he’s a firefighter who really does everything to protect his own goal.

“I think the biggest development he made with the ball, he’s getting better and better with better decision making. Still not always the right one, but it’s getting better and better.”

This shows that Hasenhuttl has faith in the defender to go out and do a job, which is another reason why he must be unleashed against West Ham. If he can improve Southampton’s defence alongside Salisu, he could change the game for the Saints, as it may give his side a better chance of picking up a first league win of the season.

Bednarek averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.81 in the Premier League last term. He helped the Saints keep nine clean sheets as he managed 2.3 interceptions per game, which shows that he is capable of making a difference at the back at this level. Therefore, his presence could help Southampton to keep the Irons at bay, and including him instead of Stephens could prove to be a game-changing decision by Hasenhuttl if he goes for it.

AND in other news, “Now close”: Ralph makes claim on 21 y/o maestro which will leave Southampton fans buzzing…

While Jack Grealish’s departure from Aston Villa may have stung somewhat, there’s no questioning that the Midlands club have got a number of youngsters coming through the academy at Bodymoor Heath to leave fans excited.

Chief among those is Cameron Archer, who manager Dean Smith is slowly but surely easing him into action in the Premier League, including bringing him on a fixture of the magnitude of Manchester United away at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.

A profile piece by The Birmingham Mail back in the summer of 2019 described Archer as “one of Villa’s most highly thought of youngsters alongside Jacob Ramsey”, and that he’s a “livewire forward with excellent footwork and the ability to find the back of the net”.

And, The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece added: “Genuine pace. That’s Cameron Archer in a nutshell. He’s short, stocky and jet-heeled. Blink and you’ll miss him.

“Cam, as he’s known, is a natural striker who plays off the shoulder of a defender but, in recent weeks, has been deployed on the right of a three-pronged forward line, such is his ability to beat his man one-on-one. Delaney and Smith could see his long-term future as an electrifying winger.”

Archer’s similar blend of speed, skill and finishing is something that has already gotten everybody’s attentions behind the scenes at Villa Park, with assistant head coach Craig Shakespeare noting he made a big impression earlier this summer.

He said: “We went on a pre-season training camp and he came down and did really well – caught everyone’s eye with his enthusiasm and goal scoring ability.”

His former manager at Solihull Moors, Jimmy Shan, who had had him on loan there, raved: “He’s a centre-forward. His movement is excellent but it’s his pace that makes him such a threat. He was rapid, let me tell you. He doesn’t look quick but he just pulls away from defenders with ease. He’s a bright and intelligent guy and very inquisitive.”

That pace makes him a completely different striking option to what Smith currently has at his disposal with the likes of Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings, and it’s what marks him out as a potential game-changer off the bench.

Whether he’s ready to start games is another question, but Archer clearly has all the ingredients to become a big success at Villa Park, and it’s up to Smith to harness that.

Meanwhile, Villa found a “ridiculous bargain” in this star…

Aston Villa get their Premier League season underway on Saturday afternoon when they make the trip to face newly-promoted Watford at Vicarage Road.

Dean Smith’s side will play their first competitive game without talisman Jack Grealish, although a number of exciting new signings have certainly given fans a sense of optimism heading into the new campaign.

One man who the Villa boss must certainly start today, is Emi Buendia.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Smith confirmed that the former Norwich star would be available to face the Hornets, saying: “(Buendia) is good to go. He had a slight adductor injury and I didn’t want to risk him in the game on Sunday (vs Salernitana). But he’s trained all week and he’s available for selection.”

The Argentine shone during the time that he was on the pitch in pre-season, especially in a fine performance against Walsall.

On Twitter, The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece was left raving about his performance, saying: “Emi Buendia had Villa fans drooling here at Walsall; the two balls in for Watkins were a delight.”

Writing in his post-match player ratings, he added: “Two assists for Villa’s record signing and what a delight they both were. The Argentinian picks up some clever positions inside and, in doing so, he carved Walsall open on both occasions to feed Watkins who scored twice.

“Buendia can pick a pass all right and the prospect of the little magician linking up with Watkins and Jack Grealish this season is a frightening one. Buendia was brilliant and he’s already left fans wanting to see more.”

The 24-year-old was superb last season for Norwich, playing in between the lines to good effect and showing the kind of eye for a pass which saw him finish as the Championship’s leading assists provider with 16 last term.

The £31.5m-rated playmaker has been dubbed a “revelation” by Chris Sutton, and could well be Villa’s game-changer today against Watford in his first competitive game for the club.

Meanwhile, this Villa star could now leave…

Ian Evatt’s Bolton side suffered their first competitive defeat of the 2021/22 campaign as they lost on penalties to Wigan in the League Cup on Tuesday night.

Wanderers won three of their first five matches in all competitions, along with two draws. However, they were unable to progress into the third round of the cup as they lost 5-4 on penalties to their League One rivals.

Nathan Deflouneso missed the crucial penalty for Bolton after Wigan goalkeeper Jamie Jones had scored for his side, but it was another player who let Evatt down with his performance on the pitch during the game itself.

Elias Kachunga, signed on a free transfer earlier this month, was given his full debut after five substitute appearances and failed to make the most of his opportunity. He has produced two assists in four cameo appearances in League One this season, but the attacker did not show off his quality from the start against Wigan.

The £720k-rated dud only managed 16 touches of the ball in 65 minutes on the pitch, compared to the 47 touches goalkeeper Matt Gilks managed between the posts for Bolton. He also lost the majority of his duels on the pitch and lost possession of the ball four times from his 16 touches.

Bolton News reporter Marc Iles handed him a score of 6/10 and suggested that he was not playing at full fitness. He wrote:

“Showed a feistiness that the Bolton fans will love – but clearly still feeling his way towards full fitness and was replaced by Doyle after an hour.”

This comment, along with his worrying statistics, suggests that he was, perhaps, not ready to start. He proved Evatt wrong after he put faith in him for this game, as Kachunga was seemingly not prepared to make an impact from the starting XI. At this point in the season, he may only be a viable option from the bench until he finds his rhythm and is able to be more involved in games.

Kachunga only attempted one shot in the match, which was blocked, and created zero chances for his teammates. Defensively, he made zero clearances, tackles, interceptions or blocks whilst being dribbled past once, showing that he did not do a great deal to impact the game.

It was a bit of a horror showing from the ex-Huddersfield man, one that he will be hoping to put behind him as quickly as possible.

He now needs to show Evatt, in training or by coming off the bench in the next match, that he does have the quality to make a big impact at this level and that this performance is not the standard he wants to set for himself.

Former Nottingham Forest striker Nigel Jemson has exclusively told Football FanCast that Tammy Abraham needs to be playing regularly again – and said that Southampton could afford him by paying in instalments.

Abraham has been linked to several Premier League sides with his future at Chelsea now in serious doubt, especially with Romelu Lukaku close to returning to Chelsea.

But Southampton’s need is greater than most of their Premier League rivals after losing talisman and topscorer Danny Ings to Aston Villa earlier this week following months of uncertainty over his contract situation at St Mary’s.

However, whilst Saints banked around £25m for Ings’ services, Chelsea have set a £40m asking-price for Abraham, who’s just 23-years-old and has several years remaining on his Blues deal, which would appear out of their reach.

Ironically, Southampton’s record-signing was when Ings joined permanently from Liverpool back in 2019 for just under £27m, some way below what Chelsea are demanding for Abraham.

But Jemson suggested that Saints could fund the deal in instalments. He told FFC:

“They could pay £10m every four years, then they may be able to afford him. For Tammy Abraham, he’s got to get out, he’s missed out on England in the Euro’s.

“He’s got to get back playing, there’s nothing worse for a player. He may have to take a step back and take two steps forward again.”

Former Newcastle United star Steve Howey believes that Adam Armstrong will score goals in the Premier League for Southampton.

Armstrong completed his move to Southampton earlier this week, signing a four-year deal with the Saints.

The 24-year-old was in fine form for Blackburn Rovers in the Championship last season as he scored 64 goals and 19 assists in 160 games for the Ewood Park outfit.

Southampton finished 15th in the Premier League last season accumulating 43 points in the process. Manager Ralph Hassenhuttl has moved to strengthen his side this summer bringing in six new players, with Armando Broja, Theo Walcott, Tino Livramento, Romain Perraud, Dynel Simeu and Adam Armstrong all putting pen to paper on deals at St Mary’s.

After impressive seasons in the Championship, Howey reckons Armstrong will be successful in front of goal in the Premier League.

He told the Transfer Tavern: “I think the lad will score goals and I really wish him the best of luck.  People like him and Ivan Toney, it just goes to show they weren’t given an opportunity at Newcastle and they’ve worked so hard to get back and you’ve get to say fair play to them, ‘you deserve your chance’, and I think both of them will score goals.”

Both Toney and Armstrong were the two top scorers in the Championship last season, with Toney netting 33 goals and Armstrong getting 28.

Everton’s transfer window has burst into life during the last 24 hours with Rafa Benitez finally getting to work in the market.

Andros Townsend has arrived on a free transfer to bolster their wide options while Asmir Begovic has signed as a back-up in the goalkeeping department.What’s the word?With Richarlison and James Rodriguez mooted as potential departures from Goodison Park this summer, Benitez needs to continue searching for offensive players in the window.Demarai Gray has been a name on their shortlist but another name has now come to the centre of their attention.According to The Athletic, Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze is interesting Everton.They suggest that the Toffees have ‘extensively assessed and have garnered positive feedback’ on the 22-year-old.However, they will hope to negotiate a lower fee than his buy-out clause of £55m.A player to set Everton on fireChukwueze’s numbers for goals and assists don’t point to an enormously productive player but judging by his talent and ability, he’d be a wonderful capture for Everton.The youngster has immense potential and showed against Arsenal in last season’s Europa League that he can dominate Premier League defences.He limped off injured in the second leg of the semi-final between the two teams but was a rampant threat in the first match.[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-everton-news-benitez-kamara-romero-dumfries” title= “Read the latest Everton transfer news!”]Chukwueze supplied the opener for Manu Trigueros while attempting nine dribbles and providing two key passes.He is a wily character who is capable of tormenting even the very best defenders. He recorded 2.4 dribbles per match in Europe last term, a number that usurps every player at Goodison.Described as “exciting” by ex-footballer Mutiu Adepoju, he’s also rapid. He’s been recorded at a speed of 34.58 km/h which would put him among the quickest players in Benitez’s side. For context, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been tracked at 35.1 km/h.With dribbling and speed as eye-catching as that, he could whip up a storm in offensive areas for Everton.Quotes from West Brom defender Semi Ajayi also put him in a particularly good light. He once said:“I’m on the B team [at Nigeria], not in the starting lineup, and Samuel Chukwueze is in my team and he destroyed the whole first team on his own, just give him the ball, he kept destroying them to the point the coach changed his mind, that he doesn’t think it’s three at the back, it won’t work.“These times, the pitch that we were on, one pitch in Asaba, the pitch is terrible, anyone that plays for Nigeria would tell you how bad the pitch is, you cannot dribble on it.“Chukwueze got the ball at his feet, dribbling around people as it’s nothing, like he’s playing at Old Trafford.”With 17 senior career goals to his name, he does need to improve in that department but that will come with time. At the moment, he is still an incredibly dangerous player.Supporters should relish a potential opportunity to see him in Merseyside next season.

AND in other news, Rafa could discover Everton’s new Leon Osman by signing “special” 34-cap maestro…

Paul Stewart fears Tottenham Hotspur could be dragged into a relegation scrap if they sell Harry Kane and fail to replace him.

The England captain has publicly confirmed he is looking to leave Spurs this summer as he aims to boost his chances of winning silverware.

It has led to interest from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, with both sides believing Kane could boost their chances of clinching the Premier League title in the upcoming campaign.

The Sun reported Kane is poised to join Pep Guardiola’s City for £160million after Spurs chairman Daniel Levy agreed to allow his star striker to depart, although it does not appear a deal is so close to being completed as City have refuted the claims.

Kane finished last season as the Premier League’s Golden Boot winner and also registered the most assists in the division.

As a result, Spurs would be left with a huge gap to fill if Kane gets his wish and Stewart believes Nuno Espirito Santo’s side could be in trouble.

The former Spurs man exclusively told Football FanCast: “I’m just a bit concerned about what Spurs are going to do moving forward.

“If they sell Kane and don’t get any money for the transfer budget, I’d be concerned that they may be battling relegation next season and not fighting for the top four.”

Many Everton fans have been left buzzing as a transfer update emerged on Moise Kean.

As per Sky Sports journalist Ben Grounds, the Goodison Park club are not interested in sending him back on loan in the summer transfer window. The Italy international will therefore stay at the Merseyside club unless an acceptable offer comes in for a permanent transfer.

This has come as music to the ears of several Toffees supporters, as they feel that another loan deal for Kean would not benefit them at all.

Giving him another chance at Goodison could be an option, given that he impressed while on loan at PSG, scoring 17 goals in 41 games across all competitions for the French side (Transfermarkt).

On the other hand, given that he is still just 21 years of age and off the back of a very impressive 2020/21 season, the Blues could sell him for a good price and then use that money to reinvest in the squad.

Everton fans on Kean transfer update

These Toffees fans were buzzing as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one Evertonian describing it as ‘brilliant news’:

“Too right”

Credit: @AidyDews

“Good news. Hope it’s true”

Credit: @Manners16

“This is more like it!”

Credit: @Meeker856

“Brilliant news”

Credit: @Vicaz22

“Lovely stuff”

Credit: @JayMagee6

“Class”

Credit: @Evertxn

In other news, find out which ‘brilliant’ target would be a ‘big coup’ for Everton