SWFC fans slam Windass

Several Sheffield Wednesday fans were far from happy with Josh Windass during their 2-1 defeat to Norwich City in the Championship on Sunday.

Norwich are currently 10 points clear at the top of the second tier (BBC), so the Owls surely can’t be too disappointed with this result – they are 23rd and staring relegation to League One in the face. However, at this point in the campaign, it is irrelevant as to who they are playing against – they need wins and they need them fast.

This weekend, a number of supporters were particularly disappointed with the performance of Windass. He didn’t appear to do too badly in the first 45 minutes, but his failure to pass to teammate Joey Pelupessy after the interval infuriated the fans, especially when he then shouted expletives at Pelupessy after he complained.

These fans were angry with the former Glasgow Rangers forward, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Windass below

“Windass showing absolutely zero awareness there”

Credit: @BigAl_simon

“Decision making there from Windass was appalling. Simple pass to JP who is in on goal.”

Credit: @mja_owl

“Windass needs to come off next. Having a mare”

Credit: @robbiebebbie

“Windass got worst decision making I’ve ever seen”

Credit: @jacksheedy13

“Josh Windass needs to go! In it for him and nowhere near a team player! Ship him off to Ipswich I’ll pay for travel”

Credit: @buenotaylor10

“Can someone please tell Windass passing is allowed. Come and get him Ipswich”

Credit: @Matthew60975500

In other news, some Sheffield Wednesday fans react to an update on this man.

Leicester can do better than Orkun Kokcu

Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kokcu has revealed that his hopes of a move to Leicester City in the January transfer window were scuppered due to injury.

The youngster, valued at £11.7m, was reportedly the subject of interest from the Premier League club but a move did not materialise.

He has left the door slightly ajar, however, suggesting that a transfer could potentially come to fruition in the summer.

It makes sense that his name was linked to the club, with Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers expressing his desire to bring in an attacking midfielder in the winter window following injuries to Dennis Praet and James Maddison.

They desperately needed reinforcements, especially having the added burden of UEFA Europa League football to contend with.

Nevertheless, Kokcu is not the man Brendan Rodgers should be turning to any more.

The 20-year-old, who has two caps for Turkey, has not exactly been a creative force in the Eredivisie this season with just one goal and one assist.

He has also been extremely wasteful on the ball this season getting dispossessed 0.9 times per match, according to WhoScored.

In fairness to Kokcu, that naivety on the ball could be born out of a young player potentially trying too hard to impress or slight naivety when in possession.

Even so, with the potential prospect of UEFA Champions League on offer at the King Power Stadium, the Foxes should certainly be able to attract a higher calibre of player than the young Turk.

With the likes of Wilfred Ndidi, Youri Tielemans and James Maddison all first-choice in the East-Midlands, only a player more accomplished than those three will truly improve the Foxes’ side.

After all, they were also linked with a swoop for Inter Milan dynamo Christian Eriksen in January so they should look to recruit a similar profile of player instead of Kokcu in the summer.

And in other news, take a look at how we evaluated Marc Albrighton’s fantastic cameo in the 1-1 draw against Burnley.

فيديو | قذيفة لا ترد.. أرنولد يسجل هدف ليفربول الثالث أمام نيوكاسل

أحرز الدولي الإنجليزي، ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، الهدف الثالث لـ ليفربول، في شباك نيوكاسل يونايتد في الدوري الإنجليزي.

ويلاقي ليفربول نظيره نيوكاسل على ملعب “آنفيلد”، بالجولة السابعة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وجاء الهدف في الدقيقة 87، حيث انطلق أرنولد بالكرة ثم أطلق الإنجليزي قذيفة صاروخية من خارج منطقة الجزاء، سكنت أقصى الزاوية لحارس الضيوف. شاهد هدف ارنولد الصاروخي في مرمي نيوكاسل

Rangers dealt blow in pursuit of Robert

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…

Spurs: Jose Mourinho must unleash midfield starlet Alfie Devine on Stoke City

Tottenham Hotspur are surely looking to put the past seven days behind them as they take a break from Premier League action later this evening.Jose Mourinho’s side head to Championship outfit Stoke City in a bid to make the Carabao Cup semi-finals, and it presents an opportunity for many of Spurs’ fringe and youth players to make a meaningful impact, and to send them into Christmas smiling.Last week, the north Londoners were beaten by a late Roberto Firmino header in a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, which was followed up on Sunday with a complete no-show against Leicester City as the Foxes did a number on them to force the back down to sixth in the league.The illustrious Portuguese has won this very competition four times in spells with Chelsea and Manchester United, and he couldn’t have asked for a more favourable tie.But with fixtures coming thick and fast over the festive period, rotation is in order.Carlos Vinicius could be handed the reigns from Harry Kane in attack, whilst Joe Rodon will surely be given a chance to impress the boss. There should even be minutes for Gareth Bale, who has managed just 45 minutes of action in the past two weeks.Even though he should start, you can forget about the Welshman as it’s time for Mourinho to turn to youth and there may be none more deserving than Alfie Devine.He was spotted in training alongside the Real Madrid loanee on Friday, so there’s a great chance he’s involved for this trip – Journalist Alasdair Gold claimed that Devine has made a “real impression” on the senior coaching staff.

The 16-year-old summer addition from Wigan has continued to impress for both the U18 and U23 squads – in their respective PL competitions, he’s bagged three goals and provided one assist from midfield having played as a defensive anchor as well as a no.8 and no.10, per Transfermarkt.

Mourinho has already shown that he isn’t afraid to give the youngsters a chance – Dane Scarlett became the youngest ever player to feature for Spurs earlier this season he came on versus Ludogorets in the Europa League.

And with Harry Winks not fancied, and the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Moussa Sissoko due a rest, Devine could fulfil a spot in midfield this evening.

The teen sensation made the Guardian’s next generation ’20 to watch’ list in the summer as they noted him as an “imposing box-to-box” dynamo, whilst the Latics chief Jonathan Jackson dubbed him a “very talented footballer” who has “huge potential” after he signed a pro deal there prior to his £500k Spurs move.

Even Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has spotted his potential too, he tweeted: “Watched Alfie for a couple of years & he’s top class.”

With Oliver Skipp out on loan, it’s time for fans to see their next midfield gem in Devine.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Gary Mabbutt reacts to what Serge Aurier did after being subbed vs Leicester…

Imagine him and Riedewald: Crystal Palace must swoop for Glasgow Rangers dynamo Glen Kamara

According to TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace are interested in signing Glen Kamara from Glasgow Rangers.

What’s the word?

Kamara has been an integral part of Steven Gerrard’s side as Rangers have made a strong start to the season as they sit top of the Scottish Premiership and qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League.

It’s claimed that Roy Hodgson still retains an interest in the Finland international with several players out of contract in the summer, including veteran midfielder James McArthur.

However, Palace will face stiff competition from several other Premier League sides such as Everton, Newcastle, Sheffield United and Southampton if they wish to secure his services when the winter transfer market opens in January.

Get it done, Eagles

The 25-year-old defensive midfielder has been in impressive form for the Gers since the start of the season, providing one goal in 20 appearances in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

Injuries have limited McArthur to eight starts in the Premier League this campaign, as he missed the clash with Wolves, whilst Luka Milivojevic was suspended for the entirety of November after he received a red card in the defeat at Molineux.

Jairo Riedewald has stepped up in the club captain’s absence, but that hasn’t been enough to prevent Palace from slipping further down the table, with just one win from their last four games.

Steve Parish may be best served sanctioning a move for Kamara as not only would he be able to compete with the likes of Riedewald, McArthur and James McCarthy for a place in the starting line-up, but he’d also be a useful attacking threat as well.

The Ibrox boss was effusive in his praise for the midfield dynamo following the win over Dundee United, as he said: “The previous coaches that have worked with Glen at Arsenal and when he moved on have done a fantastic job because he’s been schooled right.

“I think he fits into our system like a glove. He could’ve started today, without a shadow of a doubt, he’s certainly pushing. I thought he was very good when he [came] on.

“Over the course of the season, Glen Kamara’s going to get many appearances.”

In five games in the Europa League, he has scored one goal, whilst he is averaging 2 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game, via WhoScored.

Former Rangers player Neil Murray has also praised Kamara in the past, telling The Daily Record: “Kamara was excellent at the weekend and he really is an intelligent footballer.

“He has so much ability on the ball, although if you don’t have that then you just won’t play in Gerrard’s midfield.

“We tend to forget how young he is and how much better he is going to get.”

Comfortable on the ball and confident in possession, these kind of traits would be most welcome in south London, and when you consider the fact that his market value is estimated at a mere £1m via Transfermarkt, he could be an absolute steal if the Eagles can get a deal over the line.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace must make cut-throat Mamadou Sakho decision amid Real Betis links…

Forget Sancho: Woodward must sanction Man Utd swoop for RB Leizpig defender Dayot Upamecano

According to The Athletic, Manchester United have pulled out of the race to sign Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig.

What’s the story?

United were heavily linked with a move for Upamecano in the summer, with The Telegraph revealing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted to pair him with Harry Maguire at the heart of the defence ahead of the new season.

The 22-year-old is one of the most sought after talents in Europe after arriving at the Red Bull Arena from sister club Red Bull Salzburg in 2017.

However, The Athletic’s David Ornstein reports that the Red Devils have cooled their interest in the RB Leipzig defender, who signed a new contract with the club earlier this year, which reportedly contains a release clause which will be active from next summer.

It’s subsequently been claimed that Upamecano is desperate to move to the Premier League, with former Norway striker-turned transfer guru Jan Aage Fjortoft hinting “the ball will start rolling” next summer.

This could just be the club’s feeble attempt to try and play hardball in transfer negotiations, but whatever the case may be, Ed Woodward simply must sign him at all costs or face serious consequences.

United must sign Upamecano at all costs

While the Red Devils remain interested in Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, Woodward should forget about making a move for the England international, and should instead focus his efforts on prising Upamecano away from the Red Bull Arena – it would be an unforgivable error if he doesn’t land the Frenchman.

It’s fair to say that Solskjaer needs to bolster his centre-back options, as Maguire has had his fair share of criticism so far this season, while Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof simply isn’t up to scratch.

United survived a late scare against Sheffield United after David McGoldrick headed home from a corner to give the hosts a small amount of hope before Dean Henderson exorcised his demons by saving a shot from Lys Mousset.

Upamecano is certainly an option the club legend should look to consider as a genuine contender, having made 28 appearances in the Bundesliga last season, whilst he averaged 1.9 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 3 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

Valued at £54m via Transfermarkt, in five appearances in the Champions League, Upamecano is averaging 3.2 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.8 clearances per game, as per WhoScored.

By comparison, Lindelof hasn’t even managed one tackle on average per game in any competition so far this season.

It goes without saying that he would be a significant upgrade on most if not all of the options currently available to Solskjaer, with Rio Ferdinand hailed him as a “formidable” beast after an outstanding display against Atletico Madrid last season.

AND in other news, Paul Pogba stole the show for Solskjaer as Man Utd edged past Sheffield United…

Glasgow Rangers can’t afford to lose Ryan Kent to Leeds United

Football Insider recently revealed that Glasgow Rangers winger Ryan Kent has changed his agent in what will be a big blow to talks over a new contract with the club, but the 54-time Scottish champions simply can’t afford to lose their midfield dynamo.

What’s the word?

Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish believes his decision to switch agents could lead to a departure in the not too distant future.

The one-time Liverpool player has been on Leeds United’s radar for several months as Marcelo Bielsa is looking to bolster his firepower.

Both Ezgjan Alioski and Jack Harrison have been in fine form in recent weeks, whilst Raphinha has emerged as a real talent after his arrival at Elland Road in the summer, but it’s believed that Bielsa is still looking to bring in other options.

When asked about the 24-year-old changing agents, McLeish told Ibrox News:  “Well, I think there will be alarm bells ringing there after that news.

“However, at the moment you don’t see any disruption in his game. He’s playing at a fantastic level and he just has to keep showing what he can do. Listen, we’ve said many times that there comes a time when you can’t stop the sale of a certain player. I couldn’t do it back in the day when Lorenzo Amoruso went to Blackburn, it was money the club needed at the time and you have to do what the money guys tell you to.”

But from Steven Gerrard’s perspective, Kent is definitely one of his first-team regular starters he must keep at all costs.

Keep him at all costs!

Despite his age, it goes without saying that the winger is an integral part of Gerrard’s side. Admittedly, the Gers have scored 64 goals in 24 games, but Kent has contributed thirteen times in total.

Whilst this may not seem like a lot, when you consider the fact that he has contributed more assists than any other outfield player besides Ianis Hagi in all competitions so far this season, his impact cannot be ignored.

Apart from Kent, Brandon Barker, Jordan Jones and Glenn Middleton are the only out-and-out wide options on the left wing, but there the similarities end.

Simply put, the Oldham-born diamond in the rough is a class above his closest rivals, whilst Jones is currently suspended after being handed a seven-match ban by the SFA for breaking coronavirus protocols.

It was only last week that Tam McManus insisted he is the best player in Scotland. He told PLZ Soccer, as quoted by Glasgow Live: “I think he’s the best player in Scotland, I think he’s, without doubt, the best player in Scotland, at the minute.”

If for whatever reason Kent does leave the club, Gerrard would find it incredibly hard to find a player to replace him in the starting line-up who operates at a similar level.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard may regret his decision to axe Jermain Defoe from the Europa League squad…

Sunderland: Phil Parkinson handed boost ahead of Saturday as Oxford beset with injuries

Sunderland manager Phil Parkinson has been handed a boost for the upcoming League One tie with Oxford United, who reportedly have seven first team players unavailable.

The opening weekend did not prove to be a good one for the Black Cats, struggling to a 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers at the Stadium of Light.

Chris Maguire was on the scoresheet for the Wearsiders in the final 10 minutes to earn the home side a point but George Dobson was sent off in added time to hand Parkinson much to ponder as his team approach Saturday’s game with Oxford.

Oxford, who narrowly missed out on promotion last term, lost their opening League One game of the season 2-0 to Lincoln City.

Manager Karl Robinson has been hit with a major setback heading into Saturday’s game against Sunderland, with seven players said to be unavailable.

Matty Taylor, Josh Ruffels, Sam Winnall and Mark Sykes are all on Robinson’s injury list, whilst Alex Gorrin and Jamie Hanson are unavailable. A seventh player in Robert Atkinson is also ruled out after being sent off against Lincoln at the weekend.

With such injury problems at Oxford and their defeat to Lincoln last weekend, that should hand Sunderland a substantial boost in their quest for their first league win of the new season against depleted and potentially demoralised opponents.

However, predicting Sunderland’s results at the moment is a guessing game, considering that the late salvage mission against Bristol Rovers came just four days after an 8-1 thumping of Aston Villa’s under-21s in the EFL Trophy.

Do you think Sunderland can secure all three points this weekend? Let us know your predictions in the comments section below…

Daniel Levy stance on Spurs star Tanguy Ndombele starting to pay off

Tottenham Hotspur were left stunned on Sunday evening as they threw away a three-goal lead against local rivals West Ham United in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho’s men went into the break looking the likely victors after Heung-min Son and Harry Kane combined once again to make it 3-0 within 18 minutes, the South Korean bagging in the very opening minute.

But the Hammers fought back with a quickfire trio of goals themselves, all of which came in the final eight minutes with Manuel Lanzini’s last-second scorcher the pick of the bunch.

Despite all of the negativity that’ll come from throwing away two points, many in N17 must be encouraged by the display of club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele.

A lot was made of the Frenchman’s future throughout the back end of last season and into the summer. It’s thought that Daniel Levy was keen to keep his mega-money star at the club whilst Jose Mourinho had doubts, as per Football Insider.

And after this showing, it appears the Spurs chairman was bang on the money as Ndombele proved his toughest critic wrong with a fine performance.

Per FotMob, the 23-year-old made eight recoveries, won six of nine duels and also recorded two dribbles, two tackles and made 40 passes at an accuracy rate of 85%.

The €50m-rated (£45m) maestro is starting to finally adapt to the conditions and pace of Premier League football and now that he appears to be fully fit, he’s producing energetic and creative displays like this one.

Levy has been fully vindicated with his stance on Ndombele and whilst credit has to be given to Mourinho for starting and trusting him this season, he was clearly premature in his thoughts to offload the £200k-per-week midfielder after an average debut campaign.

If there’s any positive to take from this 3-3 draw aside from Kane, then it should absolutely be Ndombele. He could become a huge player as the season rumbles on.

AND in other news, £63.5m-rated Spurs lightweight badly let Mourinho down vs West Ham…

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