All posts by h716a5.icu

Celtic bolstered their attack in the summer by signing Albian Ajeti on loan from Premier League side West Ham United.

He has had to quickly come to the fore as there have been times when the Hoops have been without star attackers Ryan Christie and Odsonne Edouard.

What Alex McLeish had to say about Ajeti

Speaking to Football Insider, former Scotland manager Alex McLeish said: Ajeti could come good and flourish. He’s not hit the ground running and when you go to Rangers and Celtic you’re expected to hit the ground running.

“Steven Gerrard’s even sent Roofe and Itten in here and there because they’re probably not up to his full sharpness and feeding them in slowly but Neil had to throw Ajeti into the lion’s den because of injuries, to Edouard specifically.

“You’re probably hoping more than calculating that he will bring you a worldie 90 minutes and show everybody why he was a target.

“A lot of the guys that come into the British league take time to adapt. I know time is against you when you’re an Old Firm manager but I think there’s got to be more to Ajeti than we’ve seen so far, no doubt about it, there’s more to come from him.”

How has Ajeti started at Celtic?

In the Scottish Premiership, the Swiss striker has had a very solid start, with eight appearances (four off the bench) and five goals as well as one assist to his name (WhoScored). Conversely, in the Champions League qualifying round and Europa League, Ajeti has gone five games without scoring.

He will need to step it up in Europe if he wants to have a solid season, but for McLeish to say he hasn’t hit the ground running seems harsh due to his record in the Premiership.

Ajeti’s career did not go well in England as he failed to score and only played 12 times for West Ham (Transfermarkt). What he needs is a bit of confidence which he should be getting in Scotland. He has shown he can find the back of the net – now that is all missing is the consistency.

In other news, McLeish has been full of praise for one Hoops star. Have a read who it is here!

That hat-trick against Wolves or that ill-fated transfer saga, Peter Odemwingie will always be remembered at West Brom for one thing.

The former Baggies star perhaps ruined his reputation by trying to force a move to Queens Park Rangers without the club’s permission, but the one-time Roy Hodgson signing was a fine player for the Midlands outfit during three Premier League campaigns.

Odemwingie bagged 15 goals in his maiden season and won two Player of the Month awards as a relatively unknown arrival from Lokomotiv Moscow, bagged that hat-trick against their arch-rivals in his second season and then in the third, well, that was the infamous January deadline day fiasco.

Overall, the 62-time Nigerian international bagged 31 goals and 17 assists, per Transfermarkt, more contributions than any other club during his career and all whilst playing any attacking role required.

This season, we’ve seen shades of Odemwingie back at the Hawthorns in the form of Callum Robinson.

The 25-year-old Irishman first joined Albion on loan last season, delivering three goals and two assists on their way to promotion and Slaven Bilic clearly saw enough to want to keep him around.

His move was made permanent in a swap deal which saw expensive flop Oliver Burke be sent the other way to Sheffield United.

The €10m-rated (£9m) forward has been the Baggies’ top goalscorer this season after scoring a brace against Chelsea in the Premier League.

Just like Odemwingie, Robinson is able to play on the flank or through the middle, which could prove crucial as this strange season rumbles on.

Bilic has been full of praise for the versatile talisman since he first arrived in the west Midlands, being lauded as an “influential” player to being described as “dangerous” as well.

Just as long as Robinson doesn’t end up in the car-park at Loftus Road this winter, then Albion could well have a player to remember for all the right reasons.

Many can thank Luke Dowling for making the masterstroke swap in the summer.

AND in other news, West Brom’s “creative” teen sensation could eclipse Berahino’s potential…

Glasgow Rangers starlet Ianis Hagis is struggling with his confidence, if recent reports are to be believed…

What’s the story?

According to The Daily Record, there are growing concerns over Hagi’s confidence as he has been dropped by club and country in recent weeks. Romania U21 boss Adrian Mutu has admitted he will hold talks with Hagi to boost his self-esteem.

The 21-year-old has arguably struggled at times this season, although he has still scored one goal and supplied five assists in 11 appearances in the Scottish Premiership so far, which is more than any other player in the league, but he was dropped to the bench before the international break. However, he has been named in Mutu’s U21 squad for the game against Denmark next week.

Mutu said: “Ianis’ confidence has been affected and he has not been starting so much for Rangers in the past few weeks either.

“I will speak to him and I am sure playing for the 21s again will give his confidence a big boost.”

Sort it out, Gerrard!

Forgive me for spelling out the obvious, but Gerrard must give Hagi his full backing to restore his confidence. It really is that simple.

Last season, the 14-cap Romania international made four appearances for the Light Blues in the Europa League, scored twice and supplied one assist, whilst he averaged 1.3 shots, 1.3 key passes and 1.3 dribbles per game via WhoScored.

The Gers signed the winger on an initial loan deal from KRC Genk before they triggered the option to buy him for an undisclosed fee in the summer, which is believed to be somewhere in the region of £3.15m, via Transfermarkt, whilst he reportedly earns wages worth £23,000-per-week, making him the fifth-highest paid player at the club in the process.

However, he was left as an unused substitute for three out of the past six games consecutively, with summer signings Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe preferred in his place for the games against Kilmarnock and Hamilton respectively. When you spend that kind of money on a player, especially one billed with so much promise, managers must open the door for opportunities as their development is crucial.

Once lauded as an “outstanding” talent by the Ibrox boss, Hagi has all of the tools and tricks of the trade at his disposal to bring the Gers fans to their feet, whenever they are actually allowed back at Ibrox.

Granted, the Romanian hasn’t had the best of starts this season, but he has still provided eight assists in all competitions overall, only one fewer than club captain James Tavernier, via Transfermarkt.

Gerrard wasted a golden opportunity to give Hagi a run out during the 8-0 win over Hamilton. He must not make the same mistake again after the international break.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must give Connor Goldson a bumper new deal in Nikola Katic’s absence…

Southampton were one of several Premier League sides linked with Stade Reims centre-back Axel Disasi during the summer transfer window but the French defender ended up joining Ligue 1 side AS Monaco instead.

Saints would sign Mohamed Salisu from Real Valladolid, in a deal worth £10.9 million, and when you consider that the Ghanaian is yet to make an appearance for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this season, it could be argued that the South Coast club should have pushed harder for their other target.

Disasi was available for just a fraction more than that, with Monaco eventually agreeing an £11.7 million deal with Reims for the centre-back and he has established himself as a regular in Niko Kovac’s side so far this season, having made 10 appearances in Ligue 1, in which he has contributed two goals and averaged a solid 6.74 rating (per WhoScored).

The 22-year-old attracted interest after helping Reims to an impressive sixth-placed finish in the 2019/20 season, with the Frenchman no doubt an important part of the Reims defence that had conceded just 21 goals in 28 games before the season was curtailed (per Birmingham Mail).

Hasenhuttl’s side have enjoyed a fairly solid start to the season, especially from a defensive perspective, with Alex McCarthy boasting four clean sheets from the opening 10 games.

However, last weekend’s collapse in the 3-2 defeat against Manchester United emphasises the Saints’ defensive vulnerabilities, suggesting that they could have done with a centre-back such as Disasi in their side.

The Frenchman was heavily praised by former coach Jean-Luc Vasseur in an interview with Get Football News France, where he said:

“I realised quickly that he had great potential. I have rarely seen such serenity in such a young player. In addition to his athleticism, his great quality is his intelligence. He quickly understands.”

Therefore, when you consider the lack of appearances Salisu has made for the Saints thus far, compared to the impact Disasi seems to be having at Monaco, it could definitely be argued that the club made an error in not signing him last summer.

And, in other news… Southampton ace badly let Hasenhuttl down with his performance vs Manchester United

Well, Slaven Bilic’s job at West Brom just got a whole lot harder and if reports are to be believed, this latest blow will do his future at the Hawthorns no favours at all.

According to the Telegraph’s John Percy, the Croatian is fighting to keep his job going into this weekend’s crunch match with Newcastle United and it is thought that another embarrassment in the Premier League could see the Albion hierarchy finally pull the trigger.

And the Baggies’ chances up at St James’ Park have taken a major dent after Matheus Pereira’s suspension was upheld after appeal.

The 24-year-old enigma was sent off in the 34th minute of Sunday’s 5-1 defeat to Crystal Palace after appearing to kick out at Patrick van Aanholt when going down under a challenge.

Referee Paul Tierney initially handed him a yellow card before VAR encouraged him to overturn his decision by checking the monitor. After one glance, he upgraded his decision to a red.

Now, Bilic is without Pereira for the next three games. Not good when you’re fighting to keep your job without your biggest star.

The £11.7m-rated attacking midfielder, who earns around £30k-per-week in the west Midlands, is one of Albion’s most influential players – last season, he delivered eight goals and 20 assists on their way to clinching promotion.

And this term, in ten appearances, the Brazilian sensation has already contributed to three goals whilst averaging 2.3 key passes, 1.7 shots and 1.6 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

No other member of the Baggies squad is managing even half the number of key passes of Pereira whilst he also tops the charts for dribbles and shots, so evidently, there will now be a massive void to fill. An almost irreplaceable one at that.

Sky Sports pundit Keith Andrews named him as his Player of the Year last season, claiming: “I’m going to go for Pereira because I have been blown away by his skill, his ability on the ball, the way he takes the game to the opposition and the vision he has. He is such an all-round attacking player and isn’t just one type of No 10. I think he is at his best in the centre, but we have seen him play from the right and the left, too.”

Whilst Portuguese football journalist Tom Kundert labelled Pereira an “absolute steal” at the time of his initial arrival at the Hawthorns.

Indeed, Bilic could suffer greatly from this devastating decision. If not now, then against Man City or arch-rivals Aston Villa. This is potentially his biggest nightmare since taking the helm at the Baggies.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit questions West Brom’s potential £150m takeover…

According to La Repubblica, via SportsWitness, Crystal Palace are still chasing Fiorentina striker Christian Kouame.

What’s the word?

It’s claimed that Palace are keen to land the 23-year-old, whose contract runs until 2023, and the Serie A outfit are open to offloading the versatile forward in January.

However, Roy Hodgson’s side will have to make a ‘really impressive offer’ in order to prise Kouame away from the Artemio Franchi Stadium.

After arriving at Fiorentina from Genoa in the summer, Kouame’s fortunes have somewhat taken a turn for the worse, with just one goal in 15 appearances across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

However, this has done very little to deter Hodgson’s interest – but you’d imagine that his rapid decline of form will rightfully give the board some major cause for concern.

Avoid Kouame at all costs

Palace desperately need a new recognised striker, that much is blindingly obvious, as their overreliance on Wilfried Zaha has finally caught up with them.

Connor Wickham is currently spending another spell on the sidelines due to injury, while Michy Batshuayi has struggled to shoulder the burden having so far failed to find the back of the net this season, via Transfermarkt.

Christian Benteke, who has started two of the past three games in a row, has shown glimpses of his former self, but his contract will run out at the end of the season, which has cast doubts over his future at the club.

Kouame clearly has potential – 15 goals in 63 games for Serie B side AS Cittadella is a decent return – but he just simply isn’t the right man for the Eagles.

Is he any better than Batshuayi? Probably not.

The Belgian striker is several years older than the Ivory Coast U23 international but they both offer a very similar style of football. Both players like taking potshots, with Batshuayi topping the head-to-head battle with 1.2 shots per game, but they are both lack the ability to hold on to the ball and dictate play.

Hodgson needs a centre-forward who can hit the ground running and reach double digits, not a £15m-rated flop who has only managed to score twice in 22 appearances for Fiorentina.

A veteran striker like Olivier Giroud may be better-suited to the task at hand, as the Eagles were linked with a move for the French international last year, although it’s unlikely Chelsea will be willing to let him go in January, given their poor run of form in recent weeks.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke badly let Roy Hodgson down against Leicester City… 

For the first time in over 16 years, Leeds United and Manchester United will go toe to toe in the Premier League.

It feels like an eternity since they last met, but here we are, presented with arguably the fixture of the weekend.

On the chalkboard

One thing is for certain when Leeds play United this weekend, it will be an exhilarating game of lung-busting football.

Bielsa’s teams always take the game to the opposition and that has been no different against the top sides this season.

They scored three goals at Anfield and very nearly beat Arsenal, drawing 0-0 at Elland Road. Leeds also held Manchester City to a draw at home but they would love nothing more than to get one over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side on Sunday.

So who will be the key to victory? The likes of Patrick Bamford and Jack Harrison will have a big say but the end result could come down to who the teams can bring off the bench.

The solution

Pablo Hernandez has been a shadow of his former self this season and the £19k-a-week magician has started just twice for Bielsa.

The multiple Leeds Player of the Year simply has to be unleashed on United, though, whether it be as a starter or as a replacement.

All of the talk has been about Rodrigo this season and deservedly so – he is the club’s record signing. That being said, the elder statesman in Hernandez still has an enormous role to play in the Leeds side.

He was absolutely phenomenal in an eight-minute cameo against Newcastle in midweek. The Spaniard was at the top of his game and proved what he can do in such a short space of time.

Hernandez managed only 13 touches of the football but in doing so, assisted two goals for his teammates.

This was the Hernandez of old running riot, and to quote Phil Hay, he was playing like the “demon” we all know he can be.

Of course, the 35-year-old’s best days are behind him but against a United defence who are far from sturdy, he could be key to unlocking the door.

Even if Hernandez is brought on as a substitute, he has all the ingredients to trouble Leeds’ fierce rivals.

AND in other news, a £240m report may allow Leeds to sign a “powerful shooter” who “lacks absolutely nothing”…

West Brom will have to up their bid if they are to secure one of Sam Allardyce’s reported January targets this month, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Turkish outlet Takvim claim that Super Lig outfit Fenerbahce have slapped a €15m (£13.5m) price tag on their midfielder, Ozan Tufan, amid interest from the Baggies and their Premier League rivals Crystal Palace.

They also suggest that both teams had previously offered around €10m (£9m) this window, which was swiftly rejected by the Yellow Canaries.

Albion are expected to return with another bid before the end of the month.

Shades of Claudio Yacob

The 25-year-old is hugely versatile and this would suit Big Sam down to a tee as he’ll be able to solve at least two problematic areas.

Tufan is a holding midfielder by trade, but can also be deployed anywhere down the right-flank, very much in similar nature to that of former Baggies star Claudio Yacob.

The reality is, West Brom do not have a senior defensive midfielder – Romaine Sawyers has shown that he isn’t capable in the role, whilst skipper Jake Livermore doesn’t appear to be the answer either.

It’s only really Sam Field, an academy graduate who has been in and out of the senior setup with injury troubles over the past year or so.

Whilst Tufan can even play on the wing, Yacob’s versatility helped the Baggies to an impressive eighth-place finish in 2012/13 with the Argentine averaging 3.6 tackles and 2.4 long balls per game, via WhoScored.

The 55-time Turkey international has been a key player for Fenerbahce this term. He has contributed four goals and four assists in 15 league appearances, whilst also averaging 1.6 tackles, 1.6 shots and 1.2 key passes per game, primarily from defensive midfield.

Big Sam can fill that anchorman role and provide a threat at either end of the pitch because, at the end of the day, Albion need to score more and concede less if they are to stay up this season.

Tufan would be a most welcome addition and hopefully, he could have a similar impact to that of Yacob, who went onto become a club legend over six years at the Hawthorns.

AND in other news, West Brom must secure £60k-p/w “top class player” to solve one major issue…

After seeing Aston Villa’s young guns put up a brave fight against Liverpool in the FA Cup third round last week, Dean Smith will no doubt have been suitably impressed with a number of his academy stars.

The Villa boss, and the club’s entire first-team, missed the clash against the Reds, with Mark Delaney taking charge of the side and the squad being made up of players from the U23s and U18s set-up.

And whilst Louie Barry no doubt picked up the headlines for being the man to score Villa’s only goal of the game, it’s Kaine Kesler who may be best suited to make a more immediate impression in the Premier League.

The 17-year-old made his first-team debut in that game against Jurgen Klopp’s side, and he more than held his own. As per Sofascore, his match rating of 6.9 was the second-highest overall of any outfield player for Villa, and when you look at the stats, it’s no surprise to see why.

He completed three of his six attempted dribbles, which was more than any Villa player on the pitch and made a whopping ten clearances (second-most) including one off the line as he proved that he doesn’t shirk his defensive duties either.

He also won seven out of his 13 duels too, showing that, despite coming up against a team full of seasoned professionals, he was more than able to handle himself in the physical challenges against top players.

The fact that he was playing out of his natural position – he’s spent his academy career at right-back but played further forward against Liverpool – simply adds weight to the argument that he looks more ready-made to adapt to the rigours and demands of the Premier League than some of his teammates in that game.

In fact, speaking to The Athletic, one source said: “He looks like he’s got a real chance of featuring for the first team in the future. His speed is frightening and that could set him apart.”

And writing for The Athletic, Gregg Evans revealed that “senior players have been taken back by his blistering pace and his desire to make an impression when called upon”, and that “Smith rates the rapid right-back highly”.

If he can play well in a young side against the Premier League champions, then he has every chance of competing in the top division when surrounded by Villa’s best first-team players.

Whilst Barry may be the one Villa fans keep a close eye on after his goal-scoring performance the other day, Kesler’s versatility and mature performance indicates he might see him make his mark on the first-team sooner than the young striker.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa are interested in luring this Championship “match-winner”.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for a Serie A winger this week…

What’s the word?

According to Club Doria, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is keen on signing Sampdoria sensation Mikkel Damsgaard with the north London outfit expected to bid ‘at any moment.’

It comes after mooted interest from Premier League rivals West Ham United, who are said to have held a meeting with the 20-year-old attacker.

There are also claims that his impressive performances this season has attracted Italian giants Inter Milan and Juventus.

Earlier in the month, it was reported by Gazzetta dello Sport that his value had tripled to around €20m (£18m).

Another Bergwijn?

Indeed, the young Dane has been one of the Claudio Rainieri’s star performers since his 50m kroner (£4.5m) move from FC Nordsjælland in the summer as he ranks fifth for average rating (6.78) of any player to start at least ten times.

Damsgaard has contributed two goals and three assists in 18 appearances, per WhoScored.

Whilst no other player in the I Blucerchiati squad is averaging more than his three dribbles per 90 minutes. He successfully pulls these off at a rate of 62.5%, which means more often than not, he beats his man.

Another interesting attribute of the industrious wide man is his defensive and off-the-ball capabilities, which may well point towards why Mourinho may be so keen to sign him.

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He’s averaged the sixth-most tackles in this Sampdoria team, managing 2.4 per game, making him quite a hard man to bypass on the flank. A tackle success-rate of just over 50% highlights the sort of graft he’s able to put in to deny the opposition, via WhoScored.

We’ve seen this sort of player over in north London already with Steven Bergwijn. Whilst his goal returns have been poor – contributing only two assists in the Premier League all season – he offers Mourinho a lot defensively.

For example, no other Spurs winger is averaging more than the Dutchman’s 0.8 tackles per game, whilst his seasonal heat map shows he’s having more of an influence in his own half, meaning he’s tracking back and helping whoever is starting between Serge Aurier or Matt Doherty.

It is why the former PSV star regularly starts (eight times) over Lucas Moura (four starts) and Gareth Bale (one start) in the Premier League.

As seen above, via SofaScore, one of Bergwijn’s most intense positions is just before the halfway line.

As a further example, the following is his heatmap against Arsenal – he failed to score or assist, but was imperious towards them keeping a clean sheet as he was almost acting as a wing-back.

Indeed, SofaScore graded him an abysmal 6.4 but you bet Mourinho was still happy with his display as he managed two tackles, two clearances and one successful dribble – all similar characteristics to Damsgaard.

The versatile Sampdoria winger has also caught the eye of former Spurs midfielder Christian Eriksen – he told TV2 Sport earlier in the campaign:

“We talked together after the match. He praised me for the situation around my assist. He is a really nice person and really sweet to talk to. It was just nice that he wanted to talk to me after the match.”

That day, Damsgaard ghosted past two Inter Milan defenders before slotting Keita Balde’s second-half winner and again proved he could contribute at either end of the pitch as he won five duels and made one clearance, per SofaScore.

It’s no wonder that PL-winning boss Rainieri tipped him to have a “big future.”

As we’ve seen with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Bergwijn, Mourinho loves a relentless workhorse and the Danish starlet would bring that as well as an extra creative influence in the attack, as evident throughout this piece.

For just £18m, Daniel Levy could well secure Spurs another Bergwijn-like beast.

AND in other news, £27m-rated passenger who made ONLY eight passes badly let Mourinho down on Monday…