All posts by h716a5.icu

If you assess Celtic’s midfield, it’s fair to say it’s not an area where the Bhoys are too stacked for quality.

The enigmatic Scott Brown is set to depart this summer while Olivier Ntcham’s season has been a total disaster.

Combine that with a lack of opportunities for Ismaila Soro and players like Luca Connell and there are obvious holes to fill.

This will be a summer of transition for Celtic and how they could do with a tireless and combative midfielder to replace Brown.

Had they been smarter about their transfer business, they could have had his heir right in the palm of their hands.

Instead, he’s now plying his trade in the Premier League for Aston Villa. The man in question is a certain John McGinn.

Back in 2018, Celtic made three bids to sign the Scottish midfielder. They ultimately failed with their pursuit and McGinn left Hibernian for a fee of just £2m.

Villa were in the Championship at the time but they secured a bargain with the Scot, someone who has become not only a star for Scotland but also a gem in the English top-flight.

Opening up on his failed move three years ago, McGinn said last year: “It was important to weigh up everything and not just go with my heart because I had basically made up my mind I wanted to join Celtic.”

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The midfielder added: “But I also had to weigh up in my mind how strong Celtic’s midfield had been for a long time.

“I remember speaking to Brendan Rodgers and he said the important thing I would take from it was I would play games. But Steve Bruce said I would play every game.”

The midfielder ultimately played a vital hand during Aston Villa’s promotion-winning campaign, scoring seven goals and registering nine assists.

He’s not hit the same dizzy heights since they entered the Premier League but his influence has been mightily impressive, winning four man of the match awards last term.

Playing as a deep-lying midfielder, he has registered four assists for the Villans this term, establishing a feared partnership with the effervescent Jack Grealish.

Celtic have won a plethora of trophies in recent years so their mistake wasn’t felt too hard. That is until now, however.

They need to strengthen their midfield and McGinn would have been perfect. Instead, they will be wondering ‘what if?’

The 26-year-old was linked with a mega £50m move to Manchester United last summer and is now valued at an eye-catching £25.2m by Transfermarkt.

McGinn is as dynamic as they come in the middle in the park. He has made 1.6 tackles per game this term but has also completed over one key pass, shot and dribble a match.

He has also been among the goals for Scotland, scoring three strikes in as many World Cup qualifying matches.

A wonderful overhead kick against Austria a matter of weeks ago tells you the qualities the midfield general has.

Though, Celtic could have signed him before he’d even made the jump to Hibs. Celtic podcaster Paul John Dykes recalled last week: “So you’ve got a wee guy playing for St. Mirren and I remember being at a St. Mirren game and I was introduced to Tommy Craig, who was at that time managing St. Mirren. And talking to Tommy Craig, he says – keep an eye on young John McGinn.”

Dykes continued: “I think he might’ve been 17 or something like that. This was at Celtic Park and he was the best player on the pitch. Celtic won that day. But wee McGinn was superb. So you’re looking at that and you think, why didn’t we go for him even then?”

Celtic’s midfield may have been their strength a few years ago but the £50k-per-week McGinn would now walk into this side. He is proving to be a costly mistake from the Hoops recruitment team.

AND in other news, Edouard & Ajer axed, 5 new signings arrive: Predicting Eddie Howe’s Celtic starting XI…

After clinching their place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Thursday night, Arsenal return to Premier League action when they take on West Ham this afternoon.

Mikel Arteta’s side fell to a 1-0 defeat at home to Olympiacos, but their victory over in Greece in the first leg ensured that the loss at the Emirates Stadium meant nothing.

A clash against the Hammers on Sunday is the Gunners’ final game before the international break, and picking up all three points is vital in keeping the north Londoners in the hunt for European football next season.

The Arsenal boss is likely to revert back to a strong XI after resting a few key players for the game against Olympiacos, and with that in mind, here is a look at how the Gunners might line up against West Ham on Sunday afternoon. Our predicted XI shows five changes from the team which played on Thursday.

In goal, Bernd Leno will be hoping to finally keep a clean sheet after going ten games without one.

The back four could see one key change, with Portugal international Cedric coming in for Hector Bellerin after the latter came into the team for the defeat to Olympiacos.

Thomas Partey should also return to the starting line-up after being rested against the Greek giants and that could see Mohamed Elneny drop out.

Further forward, Martin Odegaard will likely be back in place of Dani Ceballos in the number ten role, while Gabriel Martinelli is surely pushing for a rare start after his cameo against Olympiacos on Thursday.

Up front, Alexandre Lacazette may come in for club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after the striker’s horror show in front of goal in midweek.

Predicted XI: Leno; Cedric, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka; Martinelli, Odegaard, Smith Rowe; Lacazette.

Patrick Bamford may potentially have only suffered a dead leg in Leeds United’s draw with Chelsea, according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

The Whites drew 0-0 at home to Thomas Tuchel side’s on Saturday afternoon in what was a hard-fought Premier League contest at Elland Road.

Leeds more than held their own against a Chelsea team with top-four aspirations and they had to make do without Bamford for much of the game.

The striker was replaced after just 35 minutes, sustaining a leg injury and failing to carry on despite attempting to soldier through for a short period.

Hay offers hope over Bamford injury

Although there were concerns that the 27-year-old could miss a sizeable chunk of action after going off, beginning with Friday night’s clash against Fulham, Hay has tried to allay those fears with an encouraging update.

Speaking in a Q&A on The Athletic after Saturday’s game, the journalist stated that Bamford’s injury is possibly nothing more than a dead leg:

“Hopefully a dead leg. [Marcelo] Bielsa should be starting his presser shortly.”

Transfer Tavern take

Bamford has been a hugely important player for Leeds this season as their leading scorer, so it would be a huge boost if his injury is nothing serious.

He has 13 goals and five assists in his 28 Premier League appearances to date, with his goal tally more than double that of Jack Harrison (six) in second place.

Bamford’s form has been one of the feel-good stories of Leeds’ season and the hope is that he is fit to continue until May, possibly even forcing his way into England’s Euro 2020 squad. Hay’s update offers reassuring hope that his knock on Saturday won’t be a long-term one.

In other news, Leeds are believed to be eyeing up a move for a Premier League defender this summer. Find out who it is here.

Steve Bruce should urge Newcastle United to launch a summer swoop to sign SL Benfica full-back Nuno Tavares.

What’s the word?

According to O Jogo, the Magpies could soon make an offer to acquire Tavares with bids expected to arrive in Lisbon before the end of the season.

The Toon have shown the most interest in the 21-year-old after missing out on his signature in the summer of 2019, when United were willing to pay €15m (£13m) for the promising left-back.

Newcastle chiefs and scouts have continued to monitor Tavares’ development at the Liga NOS giants, where he has since fallen down the pecking order to start just 11 of his 20 outings across all competitions under Jorge Jesus this season.

But the Magpies are not alone in targeting the Estadio Sport Lisboa e Benfica, with the £6.5m-rated outcast said to also be a target for Premier League rivals Burnley and long-term admirers Serie A side SSC Napoli.

Benfica are likely to be in a financially difficult position in the off-season should Jesus not lead the Eagles into the Champions League, having missed out on a place in UEFA’s premier club competition last term.

That need will increase the likelihood of Tavares being sold, though only preliminary discussions – including with Newcastle in recent weeks – are thought to have taken place thus far.

Should Newcastle sign Tavares?

While Tavares has fallen out of favour under Jesus, the Benfica defender has shown signs of promise in his rare outings that should appeal to Bruce and Newcastle in the off-season when he should explore a fresh start in hopes of more game time.

The Portugal U21 international boasts three assists over just 1,007 minutes of competitive action this term, including setting up the Eagles’ vital second at home to Standard Liege in the Europa League during the Group Stage after being fouled in the penalty area.

Tavares proved a relentless issue for the Belgian giants during the UEFA affair, with the youngster offering two key passes and taking a mammoth 101 touches, per WhoScored.

Only Pizzi (112) took more touches for either side that night, with Tavares seeing far more of the ball than he has in a majority of his outings thanks to an average of just 47.6.

The in-demand outcast proved a forever combative presence, as well, having contested a staggering 28 ground duels and won 14, far more than his average 3.8 won a game in the Europa League this term, per SofaScore.

He also offered a team-high four successful tackles and two interceptions, more than his average one and 0.6 in each regard.

Jamal Lewis currently offers Bruce 1.6 successful tackles and 0.5 interceptions a game in the Premier League, along with winning 2.8 ground duels with a 50% success rate and providing 0.6 key passes from 46.8 touches.

It would remain to be seen how Tavares would adapt to life in England having never played for a club outside of his native Portugal, but he could offer Newcastle a lot of potential if given the fresh start he seemingly needs.

AND in other news, Newcastle have joined the race for a sought-after “real talent” capable of “outstanding” displays…

Many Crystal Palace fans are reacting to a big update at Selhurst Park which could suggest big changes are on the way in the imminent future.

According to the Evening Standard, and tweeted out by @cpfc_xtra, US-based investor Robert Franco has injected funds into the £20million redevelopment of Palace’s academy and has been listed as a person with “significant interest” in the club alongside chairman Steve Parish and American owners Joshua Harris and David Blitzer. One fan called this update ‘pretty big news’.

Looking to youth is something that the club need to start doing, as they had the second oldest squad on average in the league last season, (101 Great Goals). Palace do have a strong history when it comes to developing young players, with the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Moses and Nathaniel Clyne all previously coming through their academy.

If this report is true, then the club could be set to have a very exciting future and it is understandable to see why this news is receiving a lot of reaction.

Here is how Palace fans reacted to the update:

“Another yank? Oh great! Coz we’ve done so well since the others have got involved haven’t we…”

Credit: @85Gilds

“Should never underestimate the importance of a good academy. We are a selling club and always will be and this is important for survival, regardless of what division we are in.”

Credit: @audreysprayer

“We have had our longest stretch in this top flight under various incarnations of this key owner (SP) and US investors. I’d say we have done quite well. Yes, I’d like to be polishing my passport but it’s Palace.”

Credit: @martinbrowni

“This seems like pretty big news”

Credit: @erictwigs

“20m injection into the academy? Huge if true”

Credit: @jaseiles

“Hello Mr Franco please buy the Sainsbury’s land”

Credit: @liamb0117

In other news, Palace fans reacted to this Zaha update!

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United man Rob Lee has claimed that Liverpool should consider re-signing Danny Ings from Southampton.

The striker signed for the Reds from Burnley in 2015 but managed just 25 appearances during his time at Anfield, due to two long-term injuries that kept him out for much of his time on Merseyside.

Ings was allowed to join Southampton on a permanent deal in the summer of 2019 and having overcome his injury issues, has established himself as one of the best strikers in the Premier League in the past two seasons.

The 28-year-old finished as joint-second top scorer in the top-flight last season, hitting 22 goals, and he has started this season in a similar fashion, with seven goals in 15 top-flight appearances.

Ings’ contract with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side is set to expire at the end of next season, which has led to speculation about his future with the Saints, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur said to be interested as he eyes a move to a Champions League club, according to The Telegraph.

When asked whether Ings had unfinished business at Anfield, Lee told FFC:

“I would definitely say he could play for Liverpool. [Roberto] Firmino, I’ve watched him the last few games, he’s the one that links them all together, for whatever reason, by his standards he’s been poor. He never scores loads of goals, his link-up play has not been good.

“Danny Ings would certainly play for them, would Liverpool go back for him? It’s always a tough ego thing to do, ‘we got rid of him because of injuries, now we’re going to buy him back for a lot more money’ – I’m not sure Liverpool would do that.

“He could play in any team, he runs around, he’s very fit, strong, and technically he’s very very good and he can finish. That’s all you want from a striker.”

Therefore, whilst Lee is unconvinced that Liverpool would return for Ings, he does claim that the 28-year-old could play for any team in the Premier League.

Ings is said to want to play for a team with Champions League football in the future, which is something that Liverpool would most likely be able to provide next season, so perhaps they could convince him to return to Anfield in the summer.

Certainly, the £18 million-rated forward guarantees goals if he’s fit, and would offer something different to Firmino in Klopp’s side.

And, in other news… Klopp dealt transfer blow as reported bid for “natural leader” CB rejected 

Liverpool crashed out of the FA Cup and continued their dreadful start to the new year as they were beaten 3-2 by Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

A brace from Mohamed Salah was not enough for Jurgen Klopp’s side, as goals from Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes earned the home side the victory, to set up a fifth-round tie with West Ham.

Whilst young Rhys Williams struggled on his return to the side, it was perhaps the performance of Andrew Robertson that will concern Jurgen Klopp the most, with the Scottish international nowhere near his best on Sunday afternoon.

As per SofaScore, the left-back would pick up a dreadful 5.9 rating for his display, which was the second-worst of any player on the pitch, with only Williams rated lower.

The 26-year-old was caught way out of position for United’s first goal of the game and couldn’t get back to stop Greenwood from scoring, and resorted to shouting at the young forward, presumably in an attempt to put him off.

It seems as if Greenwood had the better of Robertson throughout the game, as he was rated as United’s best player, earning an 8.3/10 for his performance.

The former Hull City man was also dribbled past on four occasions, suggesting that he struggled defensively during the game at Old Trafford.

Robertson also failed to win any of his five duels during the game, meaning he was the only outfield player from either team who started the game and didn’t win a single duel.

The £67.5 million-rated left-back also struggled when going forwards, as he lost possession on 11 occasions, played no key passes and failed to find a Liverpool shirt with any of his crosses.

For comparison, the Scottish defender has averaged 1.9 key passes per game in the Premier League this season, emphasising that United were able to completely nullify his attacking threat on Sunday afternoon.

Therefore, whilst Williams struggled, he is only 19-years-old and was thrown into a pressure situation by Klopp so it was always going to be tough for him, whereas Robertson has plenty of experience in these sorts of matches but he also produced a really poor display, one that Klopp would not have been expecting.

And, in other news… one ex-PL player suggests Klopp should try to re-sign this former Liverpool star…

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has explained that Tyrick Mitchell’s absence is due to a strength in depth in the squad.

What’s the word?

Mitchell has been left as an unused substitute on the bench once since he recovered from injury, whilst he was not even included in the squad for the past two games, despite the fact he started the first six fixtures in the Premier League this season.

Patrick van Aanholt – who has been linked with a Selhurst Park exit – has replaced the academy product in the starting line-up in recent weeks, with the Palace boss insisting he sees no point in naming the 21-year-old on the bench.

“It’s a reflection of the strength in depth,” Hodgson said. “He’s been doing extremely well. We’re really, really happy with him but there is some enormous competition.

“The thing is, he was in the team, he was our left-back, but he got injured. That meant that Patrick van Aanholt, who had been sitting on the bench and covering him, got back in the team and he’s done well enough to keep that shirt.

“Now it’s up to Tyrick to force his way back in again, but he’s been doing very well. The problem with full-backs is that you’re not first choice to be on the bench.

“That’s the problem, because you need the positions on the bench to give you tactical changes. The full-backs don’t often do that – the full-back on the bench will more often be cover rather than of any tactical use to you.”

Mitchell must start against Spurs

Hodgson’s latest baffling admission about Mitchell arguably poses more questions than answers ahead of the Premier League clash with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.

With Van Aanholt’s contract coming to an end next summer, there is of course a genuine concern about what the future holds for the club’s long-standing servant, but the manager must try and put his loyalties aside as he cannot allow nostalgia to cloud his judgement.

Mitchell’s contract will also run out in 2021, and the only way the Palace boss will be able to truly convince him that his future lies at Selhurst Park is by giving him the time to shine and get some more minutes under his belt.

It’s all very well and good coming out and praising the player in a press conference, but it’s another to give him game time against significant opponents like Jose Mourinho’s side.

Against Spurs, Mitchell will have a real opportunity to send Hodgson a timely reminder of his obvious talents. In six appearances in the Premier League this season, the youngster is averaging 4 tackles and 2.3 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

With Van Aanholt’s time at the club seemingly all but over after contract talks with his representatives reached an impasse, the young left-back hailed as a “silent assassin” surely deserves the chance to play against Spurs and potentially stop the high-flying north London side in their tracks.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace can’t afford to lose Christian Benteke amid interest from Club Brugge…

Ross Wilson must act accordingly after Glasgow Rangers were dealt a potentially huge blow in their pursuit of Thomas Robert during the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to The Daily Record, Airdrie manager Ian Murray is “confident” that the club will keep hold of the Frenchman in the January transfer window, and at least until the end of the season.

Rangers have been monitoring the progress of Airdrie youngster Robert, the son of former Newcastle United star Laurent, as he has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with Murray’s side, having struck four goals in 13 games this season.

The French teenager was a surprise arrival at the Excelsior Stadium in the summer after he rejected a new four-year contract at his former club Montpellier to sign a deal with the League One Diamonds instead.

Wilson must act now

Missing out Robert would be a devastating blow for Steven Gerrard, who is in dire need of strengthening his wide options in the winter transfer market as he bids to stop Celtic from winning an unprecedented ten titles in a row.

Both Ianis Hagi and Ryan Kent have mostly picked up where they left off last season having scored ten goals between them at the time of writing, but Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones face uncertain futures at Ibrox, as they have yet to feature for the first team since the turn of the year.

Only Hagi, Kent and Kemar Roofe have reached double digits in terms of goal contributions in all competitions this term, while Barker and Jones have fallen even further down the pecking order after the emergence of Hagi.

Airdrie boss Murray recently heaped praise on his young charge, saying: “He showed his class again against Clyde with the corner kick, but it wasn’t just that, in the first half he was excellent, his touches on the ball, his movement, his timing in the releasing of the ball, the way he picked up space, was excellent.”

Following Murray’s more recent comments, Wilson simply must make Robert an offer he cannot refuse. Signing a player of his obvious potential for a snip of the price he may otherwise have paid would be a shrewd bit of business.

Failure is not an option as it could force Gerrard to look elsewhere for other short-term solutions to solve his lack of depth on the wings. Otherwise, he may have to resort to bringing Barker and Jones back into the fold, which would be most unwise.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Dean Windass questions Rangers interest in John Lundstram…

Glasgow Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson may forever regret his failure to sign Josh Maja in the summer after he missed the boat with Bordeaux’s main man.

What was the story?

According to an initial report from Football Insider, Rangers were interested in signing Maja from the French Ligue 1 side in the summer as they considered potential replacements for Alfredo Morelos, who had attracted interest from clubs across Europe.

As the director of football, it’s part of Wilson’s job to take charge of recruitment strategies, and the 21-year-old was reportedly at the top of his list of transfer targets.

Get French Football News claimed Bordeaux were bracing themselves for talks with the Gers, but a move never materialised in the end, as Wilson signed Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe instead.

Missed the boat

The one-time Nigeria international started his career at the Manchester City academy, yet failed to make much of an impression, but injected a new spark into his career during his time at the Stadium of Light with Sunderland.

Maja bagged 17 times and 2 assists in 49 appearances in all competitions for the Black Cats, including a late brace against Bury to win Simon Grayson’s first game in charge.

His former boss Jack Ross described him as a “fantastic” beast in an interview with the Sunderland Echo (as quoted by Chronicle Live), saying: “I worked with him for eight months and in that time he was fantastic not only on the pitch but also the way he conducted himself off the pitch. His willingness and desire to improve and get better every day was terrific.”

His rather acrimonious departure from Sunderland to Bordeaux last January was brought to life by the behind-the-scenes Netflix documentary ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’. However, since then, he has barely put a foot wrong, as he bagged his first hat-trick for club and country during the 6-0 win over Nimes at the Matmut Atlantique last season.

In 41 games for the Girondins, the Nigerian has still managed to score eleven goals and supply three assists, which is a pretty decent return, especially when you consider the fact that he has made 22 of those appearances as an impact substitute from the bench.

Standing at 5 ft 9 in tall, just like Jermain Defoe, Maja isn’t the tallest of strikers, but he more than makes up for his lack of height with his strong ball-playing and finishing abilities.

Given his age, Defoe is arguably reaching the twilight of his career, so bringing in the youngster would have given Gerrard a player who still has plenty of room to grow and improve in terms of his development, as well as the fact that he would’ve been able to hit the ground running, given his solid return for Bordeaux, as he has proven that he is able to score goals consistently at a good level.

But the Ibrox boss will have to work his magic with Itten instead, who has failed to find the back of the net since he grabbed a second half double away at Motherwell before the international break.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson must cash in on Glasgow Rangers outcast Jordan Jones in January…