Exclusive: Chelsea are really worried about Reece James, Newcastle’s plans for Eddie Howe, how Ange Postecoglou has got the best out of Yves Bissouma, plus the latest on Erik Ten Hag’s future | OneFootball

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Are Newcastle United really considering sacking Eddie Howe?

There have been a lot of rumours recently about Newcastle United’s owners sacking Eddie Howe. Speculation has mounted since the Magpies were eliminated from the Champions League after losing their final group game against AC Milan.

However, although their European journey coming to an end was disappointing, I am not aware of any plans to part ways with Howe.

I can say for sure the club are very happy with their manager. Everybody is pulling in the same direction and working toward the same goal. I have not heard any suggestions that Howe will be told to leave Newcastle United.

Chelsea are really worried about Reece James

Reece James suffered another injury during last weekend’s 2-0 defeat against Everton. It’s his hamstring, again, and surgery is looking likely.

A final decision on whether or not the full-back will undergo surgery will be made within the next few days — that’s the plan internally.

Make no mistake though, for sure Chelsea are worried. They want James to be in the best possible condition to perform at the highest levels — the player wants the same, but this is not the case at the moment.

Chelsea are in talks with medical specialists about how to help and prevent this issue from becoming an even bigger problem. Everybody hopes James can come back even stronger.

How has Ange Postecoglou got the best out of Yves Bissouma?

Former Celtic captain Scott Brown has spoken about his recent experience of visiting Spurs for three days of training. He spoke of how well the squad trained and how much respect the players have for Ange Postecoglou.

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One of the biggest beneficiaries of Postecoglou’s arrival in the summer has been defensive midfielder Yves Bissouma. The Malian was shown a red card against Nottingham Forest on Friday but the midfielder is having a great season overall, and the main reason for this is his manager.

Postecoglou has taken the same approach at Spurs, and with Bissouma in particular, that he has with many other players during his career. He is very direct and has trusted the team since day one — Postecoglou knows how to make the players feel important and this is exactly what he’s done with Bissouma. It hasn’t just been about the sporting side — the human aspect has also been key for the player and manager’s relationship.

Victor Osimhen’s new Napoli contract is at the final stages

Good news for Napoli fans…

Not only did Victor Osimhen score and provide a fantastic assist against Cagliari on Saturday night, but the striker is closing in on a new contract.

The club and player’s lawyers are preparing documents to check the final clauses and details of the new deal.

It’s more than close now — they’re working on the very last points. All the details are confirmed. The deal will be until 2026 and will contain a release clause.

In other news…

Danny Ings – Although leaving West Ham in January is a concrete possibility, it is still too early to talk about where he could move to. I am not aware of any clubs in particular who are preparing to approach but for sure he is one to watch over the next few weeks.

Erik Ten Hag – Manchester United are preparing to play Liverpool later today and I know a lot of fans want to know if Erik Ten Hag will be sacked like previous managers if the Red Devils suffer a damaging defeat. I don’t have any information at all about this. No signals are coming from United that this could happen — none at all, actually. It is a normal situation, and like Ten Hag has said — no changes at all.

My personal thoughts on the situation also remain the same — the problem is not Ten Hag, there are many things to sort out at Manchester United.