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Former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has warned Celtic about moving for David Moyes in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

According to GiveMeSport, the former SPFL champions have sounded out the 57-year-old West Ham manager as they look to replace Neil Lennon following his exit last month.

Moyes has done a sublime job at the Hammers this season, guiding them to fifth in the Premier League and just three points behind a Champions League spot with a game in hand. Bearing that in mind, Palmer is not too convinced by the idea of Moyes switching the London Stadium for Celtic Park, believing he has found his place in east London.

Speaking on Moyes and Celtic, the retired England international told FFC:

“Celtic is a massive club, a massive club. But I just say sometimes you’ve got to be careful. David Moyes did a fantastic job at Everton then ended up going to Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson, which was always going to be a tough gig, and then for a while he lost his way. He’s a very, very good manager, but he lost his way.

“He seems to have found his niche at West Ham. I think he’s found his little spot there and they’re doing exceptionally well.”

Moyes’ contract at West Ham expires at the end of the season, which could bode well for Celtic. However, with their former player doing so well with the Hammers this term, you would expect the club’s board to get him tied down to a new deal, meaning Celtic are probably going to have to look elsewhere.

That could come in the form of Roy Keane, who is one of the latest names to be linked with the job in the Celtic Park dugout.

In 2021, Leeds just haven’t been at the races. They have lost every single game this year and thus, Marcelo Bielsa is starting to feel the pressure.

This United side are still a bustling one full of intensive attacking energy, but they must ensure they get the balance right.

On the chalkboard

One of the big issues in recent weeks has been defensively. Leeds went through a period where they missed Liam Cooper, Robin Koch and Diego Llorente – all three of the club’s senior centre-halves.

Thus, issues at the back were hardly surprising. Luke Ayling and Pascal Struijk initially tried their best to marshal things and a clean sheet against Burnley typified how solid they can be.

Yet, with Kalvin Phillips part of a defensive trio when they played Crawley and then when he was suspended against Brighton, they floundered and didn’t look up to scratch.

Philips is often the heartbeat of this Leeds team but as Bielsa’s side were knocked out of the FA Cup, he was at fault for one of the goals and gave the ball away 24 times. It was an uncharacteristic showing from someone usually so reliable.

However, he isn’t the problem, something their 1-0 defeat to Brighton showed.

Struggling Struijk

Last month we issued rallying cries that the young Dutchman was finally Premier League ready. In terms of his contributions in a back four, that’s certainly the case.

Yet, two games in a row he has looked out of his depth while playing as a makeshift defensive midfielder.

It was bizarre he played in that role versus Crawley with Phillips playing further back, but he was the only one capable when they took on the Seagulls, predominantly because Leeds failed to sign another midfielder in the summer.

It’s safe to say that decision hasn’t been vindicated. The centre-back was dragged off after just 45 minutes in the FA Cup a fortnight ago, failing to win a single ground duel. For a holding player, that’s an essential part of the game so it speaks volumes about how poor his display was. It also says a lot about Bielsa’s feelings – he was clearly seething inside with how the game went.

Meanwhile, against Graham Potter’s team, Struijk gave the ball away 13 times – the sixth-worst tally on the Leeds side – and completed just 80% of his passes, a tally down 8% on his season average.

Though, it’s not just us that has noticed the youngster’s poor form. Speaking about Struijk this week, Leeds pundit Noel Whelan said:

“I think Struijk looks out of place, playing Kalvin’s role. I’ve got to say I don’t think there’s anyone that can play Kalvin’s role in the team which is worrying for me. When he’s out we don’t seem to have that flow in our game going forward and the discipline in the defensive role.”

For Leeds, this should be a huge concern. Although the Netherlands-born defender has proven himself to be adept among a back four, he has been anything but when pushed further forward.

Consequently, the £2.2m-rated centre-back must be reduced to the bench with immediate effect. He is not good enough to play in Phillips’ position, nor is he good enough to play over Cooper.

AND in other news, Leeds should rue not signing £72k-p/w “beast”, he’s better than Struijk…

Southampton are continuing to be linked with a move for Leicester City winger Demarai Gray ahead of the summer, with the 24-year-old set to be available on a free transfer when his contract with Leicester expires in the summer.

Signing the former Birmingham City man could help Ralph Hasenhuttl unleash Ryan Bertrand’s attacking potential in his Southampton side, with the 31-year-old having struggled to form a connection with Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Redmond so far this season.

The former Chelsea man is out of contract at the end of this season but the club are reportedly confident that he will sign a new deal, having been a regular in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side so far this campaign; making 16 appearances in the top-flight.

The left-back’s goal and assist returns have dried up in the past two seasons, whilst Kyle Walker-Peters has shown himself to be dangerous at times this year pushing forward on the right-hand side, which is perhaps due to the connection he has formed with Stuart Armstrong.

Therefore, if the Saints were to bring in Gray on a free transfer in the summer and he were to establish himself in the first-team ahead of Djenepo and Redmond, both of whom having struggled at times this season, then it could allow Bertrand to start providing more of an attacking outlet on the left-hand side.

Although the Leicester City man will have to work on his defensive contribution if he wants to become a regular for Southampton, with WhoScored describing that as one of his weaknesses, they also suggest that he likes to dribble, and his trickery could allow Bertrand the space to overlap on the left-hand side where he could hopefully pick up some assists.

Earlier in his time with Leicester, manager Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for the 24-year-old, who earns £55k per week with the Foxes, saying:

“He is a big talent and he showed that when he came in.”

Therefore, if Gray can find his feet with Southampton he could be a great addition to Hasenhuttl’s squad and he could well form a partnership with Bertrand.

And, in other news… Exclusive: Carlton Palmer hints Southampton target would “feel loved again” working under Hasenhuttl

Speaking exclusively to Transfer Tavern, former Premier League referee Mark Halsey discussed Jurgen Klopp’s booking in Liverpool’s draw on Sunday.

In the fixture itself, Liverpool took an early lead in the first half through Sadio Mane’s brilliantly taken finish, however, Klopp’s side failed to make their dominance of the ball count – the Reds ended the game with 78% possession – as Semi Ajayi headed home a West Brom equaliser in the 82nd minute, with the game ending 1-1.

However, during the second half of the match, Klopp was left furious as a foul was awarded against Rhys Williams by referee Kevin Friend, with the German launching a verbal tirade directed towards the official, which led to Friend booking the 53-year-old.

And, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, who was co-commentating on the game for Sky Sports, suggested that Klopp’s anger could have been because Friend gave the manager a ‘cheeky smile’.

“I don’t think Kevin would have been trying to antagonise him or be arrogant towards him or mimic him,” Halsey told Transfer Tavern. “Perhaps he just smiled in a way just, you know, to calm him down.”

He continued: “Anyway, I’ve been told by my former colleagues who are still active now that he’s come up to referees to shake hands and has said, ‘I’m doing this for the cameras, I don’t really like you people,’ so if you’re saying [that] to the officials, what would you expect?”

While Halsey claims that Klopp could well have deserved a wry smile from Freind due to his previous actions towards referees, if the official did indeed antagonise the manager with a grin, it is not exactly professional behaviour.

However, with Liverpool still sitting three points clear at the top of the Premier League table, Klopp would do well to put this incident behind him, and rather concentrate his energy on Liverpool’s upcoming fixtures in the league, which are coming thick and fast.

علّق مايكل أرتيتا المدير الفني لفريق آرسنال على الإصابة التي تعرض لها اللاعب بوكايو ساكا في مباراة اليوم ضد نيوكاسل يونايتد، في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث فاز آرسنال بهدفين دون رد. أهداف مباراة آرسنال ونيوكاسل

وتمكن بوكايو ساكا من تسجيل الهدف الأول لأصحاب الأرض قبل تعرضه لإصابة في الفخذ أجبرته على الخروج في الدقيقة 64.

وقال أرتيتا في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “مترو” الإنجليزية: “لقد شعر بشيء ما في تلك المنطقة، أخبرنا بذلك، لم يكن مرتاحًا للاستمرار”.

وأضاف: “سيتعين علينا تقييمه غدًا، وربما فحصه ومعرفة ما إذا كانت هناك أي إصابة هناك أو شيء من هذا القبيل”.

وواصل: “لقد شعر بشيء عضلي، دعونا نرى ما هو، هذا هو الأمر في الوقت الحالي”.

ويأمل آرسنال جاهزية بوكايو ساكا قبل مواجهة مانشستر يونايتد يوم الخميس المقبل في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

The transfer window is now just a matter of weeks away, and for Wolves, completing business in one specific area will be of utmost importance.

After hitting a sticking point, spending in a position lacking depth simply has to happen.

What’s the word?

Wolves sensationally beat Arsenal a few weeks ago but they have now suffered back to back defeats, failing to score in the process.

They were battered 4-0 by Liverpool and then somehow failed to beat Aston Villa despite a succession of goal scoring opportunities.

Nuno Santo’s men eventually lost 1-0 and it’s clear to see why they’re struggling – they have no Raul Jimenez. The Mexican suffered a fractured skull at the Emirates and thus, Wolves are having to rely on club-record signing Fabio Silva.

That shouldn’t be a bad thing but he’s just 18 years of age so it’s not ideal. Thus, the transfer window could provide the Midlands side with some respite.

The Sun are reporting that one man on their radar for the short-term is former West Brom and Newcastle striker Salomon Rondon.

He is currently plying his trade in China for Dalian Pro and it’s said that they may well consider a deal in January.

Rondon is currently valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt.

Ideal replacement

Of course, Rondon is not a 20-goal striker but that’s not exactly what they require. Instead, they need an experienced centre-forward capable of filling in for Jimenez while he sits on the treatment table.

Silva has yet to show much in his fledgeling Wolves career but given his potential, he will surely come good sooner rather than later.

Therefore, signing someone like Rondon in the meantime would be phenomenal business from Wolves.

The Venezuela striker scored 11 goals for Newcastle in the Premier League during the 2018/19 season and his bullish nature would be perfect for an Old Gold team accustomed to the way Jimenez plays.

Rondon is an aggressive forward capable of unnerving defenders and has even been compared to one of the great strikers we’ve seen on English soil.

Lee Clark once said: “I was fortunate enough to play with Les Ferdinand and Rondon reminds me of him. They’re both swashbuckling centre forwards, who hold the ball up well and provide a focal point for their team-mates.”

That’s exactly what Wolves need and his record in China demonstrates that he’s in form. For Dalian, the 31-year-old has scored nine in 16 outings this season.

This is superb short-term thinking from Nuno and Fosun.

In other news, Wolves’ £60k-p/w dynamo was their ONLY positive against Aston Villa…

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Tottenham Hotspur’s quest to find a new striker this transfer window has taken an interesting twist, according to emerging reports over the weekend…

What’s the word?

Football Insider claim that Spurs are lining up a bid for Benfica centre-forward Haris Seferovic with less than a week remaining before the deadline.

It’s suggested that the north London outfit are set to launch a loan bid for the 28-year-old with talks planned in the coming days.

Both Daniel Levy and Jose Mourinho are in agreement that another addition upfront is needed, though time is ticking.

Finally, a solution?

Spurs have been longing for a viable back-up for several years, over six in fact.

For the past year alone, Harry Kane has been operating on his own following the departure of Fernando Llorente last summer, and it’s something that nearly caused a catastrophe.

After picking up an injury on New Year’s Day, Mourinho’s men soon crashed out of both the FA Cup and the Champions League. They only managed to qualify for Europe as the English talisman returned to action post-restart.

Roberto Soldado, Vincent Janssen and Clinton N’Jie were all failed experiments, costing in excess of £40m. None made any sort of impact and are now forgotten men in N17.

Bringing in Seferovic temporarily should give Levy and co an opportunity to see what bang they get for their buck and if successful, a permanent switch would undoubtedly follow.

It was only two seasons ago that the Swiss international pocketed 23 goals in one league campaign and despite only starting 14 matches last term, he still found the net on five occasions, via WhoScored.

Seferovic models his game on Zlatan Ibrahimovic whilst the 6 foot 2 powerhouse has been dubbed “more [Alan] Shearer than [Thierry] Henry” by FourFourTwo, who also describe him as an “explosive No.9” and a “lethal” presence inside the penalty box.

This could be the perfect signing to finally fill that ongoing striker nightmare.

At one point, Tottenham had Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Robbie Keane and Roman Pavlyuchenko on the books. It’s farcical to only have one forward in what is a wildly congested campaign.

Go and grab the £9m-rated Seferovic at all costs.

AND in other news, £100k-p/w Spurs lightweight let Mourinho down vs Newcastle…

It may have taken a late strike from new signing Albian Ajeti to eventually get the job done, but Celtic picked up all three points in their clash against Dundee United on late Saturday afternoon.

The Hoops dominated the game in terms of all the important statistics, taking far more shots (23), boasting 65% possession, and winning more total duels too (68).

How’s your Celtic knowledge? Always been a loyal fan? Well can you spot Stilian Petrov from John Hartson? Give it a go if you’re brave enough …

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

One man who had an important part to play in the game, was Nir Bitton. The Israel international started his first league game of the season, and helped Neil Lennon’s side keep a clean sheet in their 1-0 win.

As per Sofascore, he made three tackles, two interceptions, a game-high of 86 touches, and won seven of his 12 individual duels too. And after seeing his performance, Celtic fans took to Twitter to share their reactions.

Some Celtic fans however didn’t seem too impressed, with a couple of supporters criticising his passing in particular, saying that some of it was “slack” and that there was “no sense of urgency”.

Being a more natural holding midfielder, it was no surprise to see Bitton look comfortable on the ball whilst playing at centre-back on Saturday.

He made 65 successful passes, and completed an impressive 12 of his 15 attempted long balls too. But whether he is the long-term answer as a centre-back in this Celtic side remains up for debate, and with Kristoffer Ajer still in the squad, Lennon will have a tough decision to make going forward.

As per The Daily Record, Alfredo Morelos is said to be committed to Glasgow Rangers amidst interest from Lille.

Morelos has been linked with a switch to the Ligue 1 outfit, with him said to have agreed personal terms with the club.

However, although he is said to be unhappy with previous moves being blocked, he is believed to be committed to Steven Gerrard’s side and is more than happy to stay at Ibrox.

Considering those reports saying he has agreed a move away, it is somewhat of a shock to now hear that he would be happy to remain in Glasgow, but it would be fantastic news for Gerrard. Even though he has recently signed Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten, losing a player with 79 goals in 140 matches would be a blow to his chances of winning his first piece of silverware since making the move north of the border.

Of course, with almost two months of the transfer window still left, there remains plenty of time for the situation to change, but this does offer a glimmer of hope to the 54-time Scottish champions that their star player could be with them for a little while longer.

Let us know what you think below!