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Journalist Simon Phillips has claimed that Everton manager Frank Lampard still has the ‘full backing’ of the board despite the club’s worrying form.

What’s the word?

After only just avoiding relegation last season, things have not really improved this time around with Toffees struggling for consistency yet again.

Indeed, they currently sit right down near the bottom of the table, just one point above the bottom three despite having played a game more than those around them.

Despite it all, it seems as though Lampard’s job hasn’t quite been under threat recently – but that might have changed after the humiliating 4-1 loss to Brighton at home.

Speaking to GiveMeSport prior to that game, Phillips said: “I haven’t heard of any votes of confidence yet for Lampard, but he’s always had the full backing of the Everton board, and he still has that at the moment.

“You mentioned the fans’ discontent, and that’s obviously going to happen when they’re not getting results, but the fans have largely been behind Lampard. The players have been behind Lampard, and they still are as far as I’m aware.”

Last chance saloon?

Before the Brighton defeat, Everton did remarkably well to pick up a point on the road in a 1-1 draw with Manchester City thanks to a fine strike from Demarai Gray.

Even so, the club have struggled to actually win games and haven’t won once in their last seven matches across all competitions. So it’s no shock that they are on the verge of being pulled into the relegation zone.

Phillips’ quotes were given before the Brighton loss and you would think the board’s opinion wouldn’t change after just one game. However, seeing as the Toffees haven’t been in good form for a long time, it could be argued that the loss to the Seagulls isn’t just a one-off result.

It certainly feels as though Lampard is running out of time to turn things around even if the board haven’t publicly dropped any hints yet.

Leeds United have suffered a blow in their quest to sign Morocco and Angers midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, as the player prefers a move to Europe.

The Lowdown: Leeds make Ounahi bid

In the past few days, it has been claimed that Victor Orta and co have made an offer for the 22-year-old, in what could be an audacious swoop by the club.

Ounahi stood out as one of Morocco’s best players at the 2022 World Cup, making seven appearances in total and helping them reach the semi-finals.

Unfortunately, it now looks as though Orta’s quest to bring him to Yorkshire could be difficult.

The Latest: Whites dealt blow

According to L’Equipe [via Sport Witness], the Whites aren’t Ounahi’s ‘preference’ and he is ‘not excited’ about the prospect of heading to Elland Road.

Instead, it looks as though the Angers midfielder is holding out for a move elsewhere, with respective bids from Napoli and Almeria both mentioned in the report.

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The Verdict: Big blow for Leeds

This is a disappointing update, considering how impressive Ounahi was at the World Cup, being hailed as a ‘revelation’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Unfortunately, the lure of current Serie A leaders and Champions League contenders Napoli is another level up from Leeds, in terms of what they can offer, arguably both football and money-wise.

Should Ounahi’s mindset change, Jesse Marsch should jump at the opportunity to sign him, with the Moroccan capable of providing legs and class in midfield, having excelled so much alongside Sofyan Amrabat in Qatar, enjoying an 83.3% pass completion rate.

Leeds United return to Premier League action tonight, having rescued their FA Cup run with a late comeback against Cardiff City.

In what is poised to be a tactically diverse match-up, the Whites travel to face Aston Villa, who have seen something of an uplift since the appointment of Unai Emery before the World Cup-enforced break.

It has been a tough time for fans of the Yorkshire club, given how their team are yet to pick up a win in all competitions since the resumption of domestic football three weeks ago. As such, they will want to right those wrongs tonight, and to give themselves the best possible chance of doing so, they will need to employ a solid foundation.

Emery’s teams are known to be solid defensively, so conceding first could be disastrous for Leeds. Therefore, Jesse Marsch must add his newest signing into the mix, having omitted him from the starting line-up which drew at Cardiff.

Max Wober moved to Elland Road ten days ago in a deal worth £10m, and comes with a glowing recommendation from his new manager’s former club Red Bull Salzburg.

Whether it’s Pascal Struijk or Diego Llorente who makes way, the Austrian must now begin the process of acclimatising to his new home.

If he can translate his form with Salzburg into success in England, especially in tonight’s fixture, then it could prove to be one of the signings of the transfer window thus far.

Before moving to Leeds, the 24-year-old had a 7.28 average Sofascore rating. This was upheld by some impressive defensive statistics as he averaged 1.2 interceptions, 1.7 tackles and 2.1 clearances per 90, but more importantly composure on the ball which could be imperative in building attacks.

The centre-back has averaged a 77% pass accuracy and a 63% dribble success rate in 2022/23 (via Sofascore).

The modern defender needs to be able to play out from the back, and it seems their newest acquisition is comfortable in doing so whilst retaining a steely resolve.

Comparing this with the aforementioned Spaniard, who has only managed a 6.67 average rating from Sofascore, it is clear that Wober marks an instant upgrade on Llorente.

What also makes him a tempting option for the game at Villa Park is his robust nature, which could prove instrumental in silencing Danny Ings.

The 30-year-old Villa marksman has six league goals this season, scoring three of those in his last four games under his new boss.

However, having been described as “a leader, a beast one vs one, strong in the air” by journalist Beren Cross, the Austrian defender seems to boast the attributes needed to silence the in-form Ings.

There is no better time than now for Marsch to hand Wober his full Whites debut, in the hope that the 24-year-old can play a big role in securing a fine result on the road.

Tony Mowbray’s Sunderland return to action in the Championship this afternoon as they take on rivals Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats will be hoping to bounce back from their last match in the division as they were beaten 3-1 by Russell Martin’s Swansea on their own turf.

Sunderland were fighting against the odds after 18 minutes against the Swans as central defender Luke O’Nien was shown a straight red card for a horribly mistimed challenge which led to the away side marching on to all three points.

A win for the hosts against Middlesbrough today will send them level on points with ninth-placed West Bromwich Albion and one point behind Norwich in the final play-off place in the table.

Therefore, there is plenty for the Black Cats to play for and Mowbray must now unleash experienced central defender Danny Batth from the start to give his side an improved chance of winning the match.

O’Nien was given his marching orders against Swansea and will now be suspended for this match. The former Wycombe man has not been in the greatest of form throughout the season so far as he has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.77 across his 25 appearances in the Championship, which places him 16th in the squad.

Batth, meanwhile, has averaged a score of 6.86 in the division and has been the club’s seventh-best performer this season. He was a substitute against the Swans as it was his first game back since the 17th December and Mowbray must unleash him from the start today to replace the suspended O’Nien.

The 6 foot 3 man mountain, whose expected transfer value (xTV) is £526k, came off the bench against Swansea and recorded a Sofascore rating of 6.9 as he assisted Daniel Neil’s goal, won 100% of his ground duels, and made three clearances, two blocks, one tackle, and one interception – as per Sofascore.

Batth, who was once dubbed “outstanding” by journalist Josh Bunting, has been a dominant force on the pitch for Sunderland this season as he has won a whopping 70% of his aerial battles in the Championship, whilst making 4.1 clearances per game for the side.

Whereas, O’Nien has only won 54% of his duels in the air and made 3.1 clearances per match. This indicates, along with their average performance levels, that the 32-year-old veteran would come in as a big upgrade on the versatile defender by starting against Middlesbrough this afternoon, which is why Mowbray must bring him in.

West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a blow with the news that Matt Phillips is set to be out injured for around six weeks, according to journalist Joe Chapman.

The Lowdown: Phillips’ importance to West Brom

The 31-year-old has continued to be an important figure for the Baggies this season, appearing 25 times in the Championship and starting 14 matches.

Phillips has chipped in with two goals and two assists in the league, with Chapman saluting the Scotland international’s ‘outstanding’ crossing ability just last week.

Carlos Corberan’s side were beaten 2-1 at Burnley on Friday night, and while the result was disappointing, it wasn’t the only negative to emerge from the match for Albion.

The Latest: Phillips hit by injury blow

Taking to Twitter last night in sharing a corresponding article for Birmingham Live, Chapman confirmed that Phillips is expected to be absent for at least six weeks, with the injury blow possibly sparking the West Brom hierarchy into action in the transfer market.

The article mentioned that the 31-year-old has been struck by a quad injury, having limped out of the midweek FA Cup win over Chesterfield despite only coming on as a substitute.

The reporter tweeted:

“Bad news re Phillips, who is expected to be out for at least six weeks. You have to imagine that’ll impact on Albion’s transfer thinking.”

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The Verdict: Big blow to Baggies’ promotion hopes

This is an undoubted blow for West Brom, considering Phillips’ vast experience of 229 appearances for the club.

He may not be a nailed-on starter every singly week – indeed, he has only completed the full 90 minutes four times this season – but his experience could still be crucial to the Baggies’ promotion push, having helped QPR into the top flight nine years ago.

Not having Phillips available until March could leave Corberan with a headache in terms of squad depth, and the hope is that the Scotland winger will be available for the business end of the campaign.

As Chapman referenced, it could force West Brom into making a new signing during the January transfer window in order to make up for the loss of Phillips.

Journalist for The Express & Star, Liam Keen has claimed that Wolverhampton Wanderers would have to sell a striker in order to sign a new one.

The Lowdown: Talk of a new striker

TalkSport man Alex Crook claimed that Julen Lopetegui’s side had ‘interest’ in signing Coventry City’s Viktor Gyokeres when speaking to GiveMeSport earlier this month.

The Premier League side did sign Matheus Cunha on a loan deal before the January window opened on loan, who operates as a forward but can play across the front line on either wing.

Cunha has made six appearances in all competitions so far in a Wolves shirt, producing an assist in their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Nottingham Forest.

The Latest: Sell to buy stance

Keen believes that the club would have to sell one of their strikers which likely won’t happen when speaking on the Express & Star Podcast. His verdict was that the Old Gold sees Cunha as their main man up front to get them the goals.

He stated: “I still stick by what we’ve been saying recently, signing a striker is not the Wolves’ priority right now.

“The first thing to say to that is they’ve signed Matheus Cunha. They see him as the man whether you think he’s a number nine or not, I think that’s up for debate.

“But they see him as the man who comes in on a £43 million record signing, as someone who has been signed to score the goals. Obviously it’s not happened yet, but that’s the man they’re after, to find the back of the net.

“The only way they can really bring a striker in now is if someone else leaves, now that does seem unlikely at this point as well.”

The Verdict: Cunha can offer something

We believe that Cunha can add creativity to a Wolves side that is really lacking in goals, the Old Gold are the Premier League’s lowest goal scorers with 12.

Former Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur player Paolo Tramezzani has raved about the Brazilian in the past as ‘extraordinary’ and also said he has ‘great desire’ when speaking to FC Inter News. Traits that could’ve led Lopetegui to get him through the door before the window even opened.

However, getting goals is not where his strengths lay on the pitch, having said that he has marginally better stats than his teammate Raul Jimenez.

Cunha averages 0.14 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes in the last year, whilst the Mexican’s is ever so slightly less with a tally of 0.13.

Wolves’ January signing has the ability to create and is statistically one of the best in Europe’s top five leagues, ranking in the top 6% for assists and the top 12% for shot-creating actions.

We believe that if Lopetegui can get a tune out of one of the other Wolves forwards, then Cunha could be a real creative force for the Old Gold.

Everton have reportedly already decided on how to reinvest the money earned from this January transfer window…

What’s the latest?

According to Fabrizio Romano, that plan is to spend it all instantly to sign Conor Gallagher from Chelsea.

Despite a striker and a winger seeming like the priority for the majority of the month, it seems Sean Dyche’s arrival has spurred a change of heart for the Toffees, who now seek goals to come from their midfield instead.

The transfer expert wrote on Twitter: “EXCL: Everton have submitted a bid to sign Conor Gallagher from Chelsea. It’s £40m proposal plus £5m add ons. Chelsea will make a decision soon as there are also other clubs interested in Gallagher — and player has to decide his future too.”

Given it was only yesterday that they confirmed the £45m sale of Anthony Gordon, this does seem a perplexing way to spend those precious funds.

Imagine him & Onana

Whilst it may cause confusion, there is no doubt that Gallagher would be a success at Everton. The only question is whether he is what they need now.

He would certainly thrive in a Dyche system, especially as the midfielder expected to make late runs into the box off the strikers, but would only be allowed to do this if he had a dependable foundation behind him.

Luckily for him, he’d be joining a team with Amadou Onana in the engine room.

The 21-year-old has been one of the few success stories in an otherwise bleak campaign for the Blues, offering a defensive security in the midfield that has seen him draw interest from title-chasing Arsenal and Chelsea.

Averaging an 85% pass accuracy, Onana utilises his huge frame to perfection, stretching his huge legs around the opposition to make 2.6 tackles and 1.6 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

During Gallagher’s standout campaign for Crystal Palace, he was supplemented by the exploits of Cheikhou Kouyate alongside him in midfield. Indeed, Onana would only serve as an upgrade to this Senegalese stopper.

He allowed the 22-year-old to score eight times and assist a further three as the Eagles reached an FA Cup semi-final and finished comfortably in mid-table despite doubts hanging over Patrick Vieira’s ability as a manager.

Coincidentally, this campaign saw him score more senior goals than Gordon has managed across his entire career.

Having struggled since his return to Stamford Bridge, it is clear that Gallagher thrives off being the underdog, and the big fish in a small pond. He is a pressing monster, and as such ranks in the top 8% for blocks made per 90 when compared to other midfielders across Europe.

Such is his tireless attitude, he led former professional footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa to tweet that the £50k-per-week runner has “got some engine”, and that he was “tired just watching him.”

This is the output Dyche will demand from his team now, and Gallagher could set the benchmark alongside Onana’s defensive efficiency.

Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha is set to miss this afternoon’s trip to Manchester United through injury, Matt Woosnam reports.

The Lowdown: Top scorer

Zaha, who Patrick Vieira hailed as a ‘fighter’ back in August, has impressed once again this season, contributing to nine goals in 20 appearances.

The 30-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the season, has scored six Premier League goals, more than anyone else at Selhurst Park. He has played as a centre-forward and left-winger but now looks set to miss just a second top-flight game of the campaign.

The Latest: Injury news

Woosnam took to Twitter to provide an injury update ahead of the trip to Old Trafford.

He said that James McArthur and Nathan Ferguson aren’t available, Joachim Andersen is progressing “slowly” and Zaha will also be out for “a couple of weeks”.

The Verdict: Blow for Vieira

Zaha has been Palace’s go-to man in the final, contributing to 165 goals in a Palace shirt and is the club’s joint second-best performer this season, as per WhoScored.

The Ivorian has completed more dribbles and sprints per game than his teammates, while also ranking highly for key passes made and pass success percentage.

Therefore, his absence will come as a blow to Vieira, who may decide to promote Michael Olise or Jean-Philippe Mateta to the starting XI after they were substitutes against Newcastle United last time out.

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their pursuit of a deal for Brighton striker Deniz Undav in the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Football League World, the Black Cats were one of a number of teams who were turned down by the German centre-forward last month.

The report claims that they were interested in snapping him up on loan, alongside the likes of Blackburn, West Brom, and Millwall, but the 26-year-old ‘resisted’ the temptation to make the switch.

Speaking to Brighton’s YouTube channel at the weekend, the forward did not name any clubs but did confirm that he rejected offers to move away from the south coast: “Yes, there were other options but I wanted to finish the season with the team.

“When I start something I want to finish it. In the end, I made my decision and told the gaffer [Roberto De Zerbi] and the club that I wanted to stay with Brighton and fight for my spot.”

Imagine him & Joe Gelhardt

Ross Stewart has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to an injury and this means that Joe Gelhardt, 20, is the club’s only senior striker option for the remainder of the campaign.
The England U21 international has only made 63 appearances at first-team level in his career and showed signs of his inexperience during his Sunderland debut against Millwall in the Championship  – losing eight of his 12 duels and only completing 68% of his attempted passes whilst failing to produce a goal or key pass, as per Sofascore.
Tony Mowbray is lacking a senior option to compete with, and potentially mentor, Gelhardt in the coming months and that is what Undav could have been.
The 26-year-old, who was once dubbed “prolific” by The Athletic journalist Andy Naylor, plundered a whopping 45 goals and 18 assists in 70 appearances for Belgian side Royale Union Saint Gilloise, after scoring 24 times and providing 15 assists in 73 matches for SV Meppen in Germany.
Undav has proven himself to be a lethal goalscorer in the top flight in Belgium and in the German third tier and has struck twice in five cup outings for Brighton this season.

These statistics show that the £20k-per-week marksman could have been a consistent and reliable scorer and creator for Sunderland at the top end of the pitch, whilst also being a great player for Gelhardt to work with and learn from.
Instead, Mowbray is left with a 20-year-old who is still making his way in the game as his only number nine for the next four months of the season, which is why Undav rejecting the chance to leave Brighton was a big blow as the German could have formed a promising strikeforce alongside the Leeds loanee.

Scottish Premiership champions Celtic are currently continuing their rampant title charge under Ange Postecoglou, with one key component in their recent relentless form having been the displays of summer arrival Aaron Mooy.

After an initial low-key start to life at Parkhead following his free transfer – having notably been hooked at half-time in the defeat to St Mirren in September – the 32-year-old has been reborn following his involvement at the World Cup with Australia.

An “immense” presence for his country in Qatar according to journalist Josh Bunting, the experienced midfielder has seen been in “outstanding” form for the Old Firm outfit according to his manager, with 12 goal involvements to his name in all competitions so far this season.

That includes a haul of four goal contributions in his last four Premiership outings, having notably produced a “filthy” finish (as per journalist John McGinley) during the most recent triumph away to St Johnstone on Sunday.

Now “one of Celtic’s best”, as per writer Sacha Pisani, the addition of the former Huddersfield Town man is already proving an astute piece of business, with Postecoglou having teased that a long-term deal could be in the offing for the £23k-per-week maestro in the near future.

However, perhaps one source of frustration for the Glasgow giants will be that the 57-cap gem could have arrived at Paradise a year earlier, with 90min reporting in the summer of 2021 that Postecoglou had been pushing to sign his compatriot from Chinese outfit Shanghai Port.

While the report did suggest that any deal would likely have to require a fee of around £4m – a potential sticking point for the Bhoys – Mooy’s impact of late would seem to highlight that such an outlay would well have been worth it.

It will also be of real annoyance as to who the club opted to sign instead at the time, with Republic of Ireland international James McCarthy having joined on a four-year deal after leaving Crystal Palace at the end of his contract.

As the 90min report outlined, Postecoglou had seemingly been keen on bringing in Mooy, although the Celtic hierarchy had been earmarking a move for McCarthy even before an appointment had been made – albeit with the new boss still likely to have the final say.

The decision to plump for the latter has no doubt backfired, such have been his woes of late. The 32-year-old has gone on to make just 27 appearances in all competitions to date for Celtic, with only six of those coming from the start.

A player who has simply “disappointed” over the last 18 months, according to Frank McAvennie, the former Everton man has endured a particularly dismal, injury-hit 2022/23 campaign so far, making only five appearances across all fronts.

It would appear that Celtic are now regretting their “strange” decision, in the words of former Scotland defender Alan Hutton, to hand McCarthy such a lengthy contract at the time of his arrival, amid reports ahead of the January transfer window that they were already keen to offload him.

As such, while hindsight is a wonderful thing in football, it does appear to have been something of a howler not to have secured an earlier move for Mooy, rather than snapping up the struggling Irishman in 2021.