Burnley stopper Tom Heaton admitted to The Mirror recently that he may have to leave Turf Moor in January if he wants to be starting enough games thanks to the form of Joe Hart, and Aston Villa should be at the front of the queue for the 32-year-old.

What’s the situation?

Villa recently sacked Steve Bruce after a poor run of form left the club floundering below midtable in the Championship. Having been rejected by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and Jose Mourinho’s former assistant Rui Faria, the hierarchy eventually settled on Smith.

The former Brentford boss will be looking to make his mark on the squad in January, and a move for Heaton could solve the goalkeeping issues at Villa Park.

Two new goalkeepers were brought in by Bruce over the summer, with Andre Moreira arriving on loan from Atletico Madrid and Orjan Nyland, who has started all but one Championship game so far, joining from German side FC Ingolstadt.

Nyland has yet to properly impress though and the Villans have conceded 20 goals in their first 12 league games, although that may have something to do with the struggles in defence too.

Promotion chasing

If Villa are to go one step further than last year where they lost the playoff final 1-0 to Fulham, then they will need to make some moves in the January window, and signing Heaton could be key to this.

The England international suffered a dislocated shoulder last season that kept him out until the last few games of the campaign and allowed Nick Pope to shine as Sean Dyche’s side finished seventh in the Premier League.

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This meant that Pope was handed the final goalkeeping spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the World Cup in Russia but at the start of this season the 26-year-old also suffered a dislocated shoulder as Heaton was recovering from a calf problem.

With both of his international goalkeepers ruled out, Dyche moved for Joe Hart from Manchester City and his recent performances could now force Heaton, who is now 32-years-old, to leave in search of game time.

So, Villa fans, would you welcome a move for the Burnley man in January or would the money be better spent elsewhere? Have your say by voting in the poll below. 

Wolves’ brilliant run of form came to an end last weekend after they saw defeat at the hands of Watford at Molineux.

Goals from Etienne Capoue and Roberto Pereyra condemned Nuno Espirito Santo’s men to only their second Premier League loss of the season, and captain Conor Coady is adamant that his side must not stray away from their current game plan despite their recent setback.

The Breakdown

“We’re not used to playing other formations so we stick to what we know,” the Wolves defender told the Express and Star.

“We’re good in that formation [3-4-3]. We’ve just got to listen and learn as much as possible. That’s our shape. If you start changing it, it gets worse.

“You’re always hoping to get better and willing to get better. We’ll improve on our shape, the way we play, and hopefully we’ll get better.”

Under Nuno, Wolves have been lining up in a 3-4-3 formation and have already achieved some brilliant results with it so far this season having held both Manchester City and Manchester United to draws.

Considering that and the players Nuno has at disposal, it would be crazy for the Portuguese coach to start chopping and changing things after just their second Premier League defeat of the campaign.

Wolves will now be looking to bounce back with a win when they travel to the Amex on Saturday to face Brighton, and the 2017/18 Championship winners have every chance of coming out as victors in their current set up — something they must persist with, as alluded to by Coady.

With Manchester United having quite the up and down season to say the least, it makes good sense to take a look at just what might have been for the club in some aspects.

For a few years now, the Red Devils have seemingly failed to get it right in the transfer market, despite massive additions such as Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku – who has done well to an extent – failing to fire them to any sort of huge success.

Despite a Europa League win, the big trophies have eluded United ever since Alex Ferguson left Old Trafford, and it does make you think just how the club have missed out on certain talent across the globe while other clubs seem to have gone out and secured players who have taken them to the next level. Indeed, you only have to look to Liverpool with Mo Salah and Sadio Mane as a prime example.

One player we at the Tavern think slipped the radar is Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic.

Sealing his move to the Camp Nou some four seasons ago, Rakitic has been simply superb for the Catalan club, developing into one of the world’s best midfielders during his time with the Spanish giants.

It does beg the question as to why a club like United missed out on a talent like Rakitic, and looking back, he would have been a superb addition for United.

Even now, Rakitic would be a brilliant signing for the Red Devils, and would certainly represent an improvement on the current options in the middle of the park at Old Trafford.

It remains a ‘what might have been’ for United though, and fans at Old Trafford will no doubt wonder just what could have happened had their club signed a player of Rakitic’s quality.

United fans, what do you think? Would Rakitic have been a good addition? Let us know in the comments!

Liverpool have been held back in the past for not having enough strength in depth.

They have often been let down by the lack of quality on their bench, but this time around, Jurgen Klopp has a handful of options.

Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, Fabinho and Adam Lallana are among the list of players vying for a space in midfield.

Summer signing Xherdan Shaqiri can also be thrown into that pack, but he is also capable of filling in for one of the top three.

Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are first on the teamsheet, but if injuries occur or one of them needs to be rested, Klopp has players to call upon.

At the weekend, the manager decided to start fringe player Lallana, who has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, against Cardiff City.

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The England international joined Fabinho and Wijnaldum in the middle third and was later replaced by Shaqiri in the second half.

After the Switzerland international came onto the pitch, he made a big impact by scoring in the 4-1 triumph at Anfield.

Following the performances of the pair on Saturday, who do you think should be a priority for Klopp?

Let us know by voting below.

According to Bristol Live, Leeds and Middlesbrough are both interested in signing Aston Villa winger Albert Adomah in the January transfer window, but Marcelo Bielsa would be making an expensive mistake with a move for the 30-year-old.

What’s the story?

Bristol Live report that Boro have retained their interest in their former player after having a deal with Villa all but agreed in the summer, only for a disagreement over personal terms to leave the move dead in the water.

The report states though that Villa are looking to reduce their wage bill and that Adomah is keen for a move away from Villa Park, where he has been since his move from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2016.

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So far this season the Ghanaian international, who is valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, has made 15 appearances in all competitions, 10 of which were starts, and yet he has only registered one assist and is yet to score a goal.

More pressing issues

After coming from behind to win 2-1 at Wigan on Sunday, Leeds now sit at the top of the Championship table and are above Norwich on goal difference.

Manager Marcelo Bielsa has had to deal with a number of injury problems, including record signing Patrick Bamford being ruled out for an extended period with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. However, the Argentine boss likes to work with a small squad and he already has a number of options at right-wing including Pablo Hernandez, Jack Harrison and Jack Clarke among others.

If Leeds are to spend in January then they would surely be better off using the money to provide defensive cover, rather than to add to their already deadly attack.

So, Leeds fans, would you support a move for Adomah in January or would the money be better spent elsewhere? Have your say by voting in the poll below.

Harry Kane is the main man up top for England but aside from the Spurs striker, there aren’t many players for Gareth Southgate to chose from, especially now that Jamie Vardy has removed himself from selection. 

Danny Welbeck has long been a trusted player under Gareth Southgate and before his serious injury, he looked as though he was starting to hit form for Arsenal.

Bournemouth this season have been one of the surprise teams in the league and with Callum Wilson up front, they have one of the form strikers in the league.

Danny Welbeck

It looks as though Danny Welbeck will miss a large part of the season after picking up a serious ankle injury. Unfortunately for the Arsenal man, he was beginning to come into some form at the club and was starting to look like he might provide some crucial depth to Arsenal’s forward options.

Since he joined Arsenal, Welbeck has never turned into a reliable goalscorer but what he has become is a player that can play on either wing and is great at providing energy and work rate off the bench.

Signed for £16 million in 2014, it was hoped that Welbeck could one day fulfil his potential and become a top-level striker but unfortunately, that’s never happened.

Despite his relatively low goalscoring record, he’s always been called into Southgate’s England side but following his latest injury, he may just lose his place.

TT Grade: B- Callum Wilson

Signed for just £3 million from Coventry in 2014, Wilson was a key man in helping Bournemouth to the Premier League and although he started his Premier League career with a hat-trick against West Ham, the forward ruptured his cruciate ligament which ruled him out for most of the season.

In February the following year, he picked up the same injury on his left knee and once again missed a large part of the season.

This season, however, he’s finally returned to the first-team and has been in incredible form. He’s scored six goals this season already, while already grabbing five assists and has rightly been called into the England squad.

With Rashford out of form and Vardy out of the picture, having Wilson finally in form, Southgate now has someone who could provide some depth behind Harry Kane.

TT Grade: B+ The Verdict

Unfortunately for Danny Welbeck, it looks as though he’ll never improve. He’s shown promise but after years at Arsenal, it seems as though he has now become just a reliable squad player.

In Wilson, however, Bournemouth have a striker who could be one of the best outside of the top six and has been rightly picked in the England squad. As we embark on the Euro 2020 cycle, Wilson could well be a vital player for England.

Leeds have continued their exceptional start to the Championship season as they remain in sight of the summit with the New Year approaching. 

Marcelo Bielsa has proven to be an inspired choice of manager as he has led the Peacocks into the play-off places.

It hasn’t all been down to the manager though, the players must take tremendous applause because of  how well they have done.

Leeds are really on the verge of something special this season but as they have found out the hard way before, the Championship is a very tricky division to escape from, with the possibility for anyone to beat anyone.

That means that as soon as the January transfer window opens, they should look to strengthen their squad, because of the number of games they still need to play.

When watching them this season, it’s obvious to see that another striker is necessary because too often they have been solely reliant on Kemar Roofe.

So Leeds, meet West Ham’s Xande Silva..

Silva, who is valued at £180,000 on Transfermarkt, is a player that could prove to have a big impact at Elland Road, if given the opportunity.

The 21-year-old arrived at the London Stadium relatively unknown this summer, although before a recent injury, he got off to a brilliant start for the U23’s when scoring five goals in five games.

There isn’t a desire for a starting striker as Kemar Roofe continues to deliver but Xande Silva could be brilliant cover alongside Patrick Bamford to help accelerate Leeds’ chances at promotion this season.

As well as being able to play on the wing, Xande Silva is an option Leeds must test out.

Do you agree… Let us know!

Martin O’Neill ended his five year spell as the Republic of Ireland manager after relegation from their Nations League group was confirmed on Monday evening.

During his five years, the former Leicester City and Aston Villa boss’ greatest achievement was guiding the boys in green to the Round of 16 in Euro 2016.

But failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and subsequent poor performances, O’Neill plus his backroom staff, including Roy Keane have decided to leave their positions.

This leaves the FAI the task of replacing him before the start of Euro 2020 qualifying campaign that starts in March 2019.

We take a look at the bookies’ favourites.

Damien Duff 50/1

Duff has been involved in the national team youth set-up since retiring from the game in December 2015.

The winger made 100 international appearances for his country and would be a popular choice.

Noel King 50/1

King this month stepped down from his role as the U21 manager which he had held since 2010.

He has taken up the role of Player Identification Manager for the Football Association of Ireland, but could he be persuaded out of retirement?

Jim McGuinness 50/1

A strange one but Gaelic football’s Jim McGuinness is apparently in the running for the job.

McGuinness has his UEFA license but is more known for winning the All-Ireland Football Championship with Donegal as a player and a manager.

Michael O’Neill 40/1

Even weirded, Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill is just 40/1 to take over the role further south.

O’Neill has done wonders for the Northern Irish in his seven years, including leading them to their first ever European championships in 2016.

Paul Lambert 40/1

Lambert is the first of many ex-Premier League managers to feature on this list, but there is one big reason why he is 40/1.

The Scotsman has only just taken over the role at Ipswich Town.

According to The Harrow Times, Everton are interested in signing Watford midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré from Watford. 

It is a move that would see the Frenchman link up with former manager Marco Silva, who was with The Hornets up until last season.

The Toffees have been linked with a huge host of midfielders as of late, with rumours recently circulating that they are also interested in signing Lyon’s Tanguy Ndombele. In addition to the fact that they want to make the André Gomes loan deal permanent, this seems like an area that Silva is desperately trying to address.

Now of course this will raise some eyebrows at Everton’s transfer policy, as they have not set their sights on recruiting a recognised striker, despite their apparent dearth of them. However, the thing that these transfer targets reveal is Everton’s opinion of their current crop of players, particularly Morgan Schneiderlin.

In the midfield at Goodison Park, alongside Gomes, Idrissa Gueye has been a consistently high performer. In addition to them, Tom Davies, who undoubtedly has a very bright future for The Blues, is very unlikely to leave. These three are held in high regard by Silva, but less can be said about Schneiderlin.

The Frenchman has made just four starts for Everton this season, as he has failed to win over his new manager. For a while the fans have been growing restless over his performances, and Everton’s plans in the upcoming transfer window is a clear indication of Schneiderlin’s future.

Even if the club fail to land Doucouré or Ndombele, they have made a clear enough statement, and don’t be surprised if Schneiderlin is shown the door.

After Mark Hughes’ sacking yesterday, The Guardian has linked former Watford boss Quique Sánchez Flores to replace him.

The Spaniard has been linked with the job alongside former RB Leipzig boss Ralph Hasenhüttl. However, the club should favour the Austrian over the Spaniard in this situation.

This is for a number of reasons. Firstly, Sánchez Flores is off the back of a fairly unsuccessful spell at Espanyol. Despite a decent first season in charge of the club, he did not improve on that, and the club fell down the La Liga table the following season.

Now, of course, managers should be given a shot at redemption, but Southampton should not be the club for him to do so. This is because he is not particularly experienced with taking charge of teams that are relegation-threatened. This requires a different type of manager and temperament. He may find the rigours of managing The Saints different to that of Espanyol, and that could ultimately cost Southampton.

Another reason is that he has never stayed at a club too long. At Watford he left in mysterious circumstances after just one season that was relatively successful. Likewise, after having a fair amount of success at Atlético Madrid, he didn’t even last two seasons. If Southampton want a manager that they will stick with for a number of years, Sánchez Flores just doesn’t look to be the man.

Basically, if Southampton want a short-term option or a long-term option, Sánchez Flores doesn’t seem to fit the bill for either.