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Ange Postecoglou’s first summer at Celtic was always going to be one which centred on a rebuild.

The Hoops oversaw a mass exodus from Parkhead as the likes of Odsonne Edouard, Ryan Christie and Kristoffer Ajer all departed.

Edouard’s move has gone swimmingly well so far, with the striker already scoring two goals in two outings for his new club Crystal Palace. Meanwhile, Ajer’s Brentford also beaten Arsenal in what has been an impressive start to life in England’s top-flight for the Bees.

However, they aren’t the only former Bhoys to be shining south of the border. Another happens to be Olivier Ntcham, someone whose Celtic career ended in rather unsavoury circumstances.

The Frenchman has always been a vibrant talent, someone who can change the course of a game with his ability to break through the lines with immense strength.

However, as Celtic’s 2020/21 began to crumble, so did his performances. Neil Lennon started leaving him out of the team and the midfielder was accused of downing tools by talkSPORT’s Alan Brazil.

Football Insider pundit Noel Whelan also described him as a “disgrace” for his performances as he started just seven times for Celtic in the Premiership last season.

That word certainly applied for a disastrous loan spell with Marseille in Ligue 1, too.

Ntcham had headed back to his homeland in a bid to get his career back on track but it did not go well. Andre Villas-Boas didn’t agree with the transfer, and within hours of the player moving back to France, the manager resigned.

Against Lille in March, the midfielder was withdrawn at half-time after earning a dismal 3/10 match rating from ruthless French outlet L’Equipe.

It got worse for the 25-year-old, who was dubbed “unacceptable” and handed a rating of 1 by La Provence after he was taken off at half-time again. That was while Marseille crashed out of the Coupe de France at the hands of Canet Roussellion, a fourth-tier side.

Ntcham returned to Celtic but wasn’t deemed good enough. The Hoops’ loss is undeniably Swansea’s gain, however, because he’s now showing signs of the player we all know he can be.

During their 3-3 draw with Luton on Saturday, the bullish midfielder was nothing short of exceptional. He initially started the game on the bench but was introduced at half-time before having a devastating impact. He scored one goal and supplied another as he performed a remarkable rescue act with Swansea 3-0 down at half time.

During his 45-minute cameo, Ntcham completed 100% of his passes and also won 75% of his defensive duels.

This was a near-perfect display from a player who Celtic could actually do with now. With Callum McGregor missing against Real Betis last Thursday, another combative midfield brute would have been an ideal replacement.

Instead, they had to make do with Ismaila Soro, someone who was fortunate not to be given his marching orders in the first half.

AND in other news, Move over Bitton: Ange has a rising star in “powerful” rarely-seen 19 y/o at Celtic…

Many Wolves fans are fuming with Fabio Silva’s performance in the EFL Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last night.

The teenager started for the second Carabao Cup game in a row but failed to replicate his impressive display against Nottingham Forest in August, when he grabbed two assists.

In Wednesday night’s defeat to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, Silva seriously struggled to hold the ball up, find space and even get touches of the ball. Throughout his 45 minutes of action, the striker touched the ball less than half the amount that goalkeeper John Ruddy did, with Silva only touching the ball 13 times.

He only made nine passes, completing six of them, before being replaced by Adama Traore at half-time with Wolves 2-1 down.

It was a disappointing evening for the young striker, with him winning only one of his five ground duels and failing to muster any opportunity for himself against Cristian Romero and Davinson Sanchez.

After making 32 appearances in the Premier League last season due to Raul Jimenez’s fractured skull, Silva’s failure to impress when called upon now Jimenez is back has caused frustration amongst the Molineux faithful.

Wolves fans fume over Fabio Silva performance

These Wolves fans have taken to Twitter to discuss Silva’s poor evening, with one fan claiming the teenager’s performance was one of the worse displays he has seen.

“Fabio Silva will never improve unless he’s playing games. Stick him in U23s then out on loan come January.”

Credit: @RodJoneswwfc

“Fabio Silva still looks like a boy chucked into a man’s game. Needs a loan and a consistent run of games to find some confidence and to step it up a level. Baffling that we spent £35m on him and he might not even make the bench when Neto is fit.”

Credit: @Kcb92

“That 1st half hour down the wolves was absolutely awful and as much as I want him to do well and succeed fabio silva is not a top level footballer slow, weak, nothing sticks with him, woeful.”

Credit: @Jameswwfc

“I get Fabio silva is 18 but I genuinely thought that was one of the worst centre forward performances I’ve seen down here in a long time”

Credit: @Wolvesjay90

“The concern from last night is the lack of progression of Fabio Silva. It ain’t the kids fault he was priced at £38m but in the time he’s been here I would of expected to see some improvement from him but on last nights showing he lacks pace & physical presence. £38m”

Credit: @Davewwfc1

“Hope Jeff has kept the receipt”

Credit: @Sandhurstwolf

In other news, Wolves fans have been left fuming at this certain player following Bruno Lage comments. Find out more here.

Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce has confirmed that Joe Willock is fine ahead of his team’s Premier League clash against Wolves later this afternoon.

What’s the story?

Speaking just last week before the game against Watford, Bruce initially said: “Joe Willock picked up an injury in this week, unfortunately, and Jamaal Lascelles hurt his thigh. So they, unfortunately, go on to the injured list, which makes that about five or six of our first team.

“Not that healthy, I have to say. Disappointed. Joe’s was a complete fluke, unfortunately he kicked the ground, damaged his toe. He’ll not make this week, and probably touch and go whether he’ll make next week as well.”
To the surprise of everybody, Willock made a quick recovery and was able to start that game against the Hornets as the Magpies came away with a point from Vicarage Road.
Bruce has now confirmed a huge boost ahead of the clash against Wolves today by revealing that the 22-year-old has been partaking in first-team training again.

The manager said: “He’s been OK. He was desperate to play. He trained last Friday which was a surprise to us all. He’s going to train again today and he trained yesterday so he’ll be OK.”

Fans will be excited

The fact that Willock started last time out against Watford must have come as a pleasant surprise for most Newcastle fans, and while he didn’t exactly have a barnstorming game by any stretch of the imagination, he still showed exactly why he’s such a vital part of this Magpies team.

As per Sofascore, nobody could match the impressive five tackles that he made, while only one other player could equal his four shots on goal and two successful dribbles on the day – the kind of all-round, all-action display that Willock has often come to produce since joining Newcastle.

While he has yet to find the back of the net so far this season despite a goal-laden 2020/21 loan spell, he has still shown his importance to Bruce’s side with a squad-high 4.3 tackles per game, while only Saint-Maximin has averaged more dribbles per match than the former Gunners starlet.
It’s exactly why fans should be excited with the manager’s confirmation that Willock should be fit and raring to go today against Wolves.
Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Chris Waugh has dropped a promising Newcastle United takeover update…

West Ham United have been handed a fresh injury blow as several members of David Moyes’ squad head out on international duty this week…

What’s the word?

One player who will now not be featuring for his national side is Vladimir Coufal, who has been ruled out of the Czech Republic’s 2022 World Cup qualifying matches against Wales and Belarus.

The Irons have confirmed that the 29-year-old right-back has returned to Rush Green for treatment after being assessed by the Czech Republic’s medical staff.

Hammers head of medical Richard Collinge told the club’s official website:

“Vladimir has a slight groin injury that has caused him some discomfort.

“Both ourselves and the Czech Republic medical team agreed that it would be beneficial for him to get some rest during this period, and we will manage his recovery carefully with a view to him being available for selection again as soon as possible.”

Worrying news

Coufal has been ever-present in Moyes’ side since joining from Slavia Prague in a £5m deal a year ago.

He was forced to miss last week’s Europa League group stage victory over Austrian outfit Rapid Wien but seemingly passed a late fitness test to be involved against Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday, a game in which they were defeated.

The 24-cap international looked some way off the pace throughout the game and it did seem like he was rushed back into the side, only further highlighting his importance to the Scotsman.

Indeed, as explained by Football FanCast, Coufal was hugely disappointing during the 2-1 defeat, playing the full 90 minutes perhaps still carrying the injury that ruled him out of their midweek encounter.

Last term, the Czech star started 34 league games and ranked as Moyes’ fifth-best performer (6.95), as per WhoScored ratings.

A model of consistency, the right-back topped the squad charts for tackles per game (2.1) and wasn’t far behind for interceptions (1.2 per match), key passes (1.3 per match) and assists (seven).

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher waxed lyrical over his dependability in this side to Monday Night Football [4th May, 22:24pm], where he said:

“We talk about [Tomas] Soucek, but Coufal whether it’s right wing-back or right full-back at different times, he’s just one of those players that’s 7/10 minimum every time you watch him play.

“He’s the type of player you’d love to play with him. A manager’s dream, never injured, he’s there week in week out.”

On the above evidence, Coufal has been a major member of the starting XI for quite some time, so this latest update on his injury situation should come as cause for concern for everyone associated with West Ham, particularly Moyes as he will rue his absence should he still be out when they return in just over a weeks time.

AND in other news, Moyes could find West Ham’s next Payet in swoop for “tremendous” £22.5m-rated “genius”…

With Liverpool having scored more goals (17) in the Premier League than any other club, whilst managing to score a total of eight goals in their two opening Champions League matches, it’s safe to say Jurgen Klopp’s side have not been having any difficulties in that department so far this season.

However, it seems as though the Merseyside club have their eye on a new attacking starlet.

It has recently been reported by Le10 Sport (via Milan Live) that Liverpool have their eye on signing RB Salzburg striker Karim Adeyemi at some point in the future.

Since joining the Austrian club back in the 2018 summer transfer window, the 19-year-old, who is currently valued at £18m according to Transfermarkt, has made a total of 66 appearances for Salzburg across all competitions in which he has managed to score 21 goals and provide 17 assists along the way.

Firmino replacement?

So far this season, Adeyemi, who has been described as “brutal” by Salzburg coach Matthias Jaissle, has racked up 11 goals in 16 games across all competitions, including eight goals in ten league games, showing just how impressive he has been for the club.

Salzburg’s latest Champions League match was a 2-1 victory over French club LOSC Lille thanks to two goals from Adeyemi, who managed to rack up an impressive overall match rating of 8.4/10, comfortably making him Salzburg’s highest-rated player on the day according to SofaScore, showing he has the ability to shine in a big tournament when it matters.

In terms of a potential move to Liverpool, the fact that current Reds centre-forward Roberto Firmino has now hit the age of 30 and has been questioned over the consistency of his goalscoring ability in the past, we feel that the Merseyside club could secure the Brazilian’s long-term replacement with Adeyemi if they manage to sign him.

After all, he’s not just a goal scorer but he can also create. So far this term, the teenager has provided 1.77 crosses per game, compared to Firmino’s 1.43. Furthermore, the former created as many as 11 goals for his team last term.

Although Liverpool’s Brazilian forward isn’t a strong scorer, one area he has thrived in is bringing others into play. He has forged 22 assists in the last two campaigns for instance.

Also, we feel that signing Adeyemi would also be very exciting for the fans given the attacking talent he’s shown in his career so far at such a young age and the fact that he could progress and improve even further at Anfield.

Moving forward, we think that Liverpool should definitely consider bringing Adeyemi to the club as a potential future star.

In other news: LFC eye swoop for 25 y/o who Klopp dubbed “unplayable”, he dribbles more than Salah – opinion

Sky Sports pundit Ally McCoist has been waxing lyrical over a moment of “absolute magic” from Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn on international duty over the weekend.

The Lowdown: Vital win

The 26-year-old started and scored at Hampden Park on Saturday evening as Scotland came from behind twice to earn a vital win against Israel in their World Cup qualifying group, Scott McTominay netting a stoppage time winner for the Tartan Army.

In his 39th cap for his country, the Villa midfielder scored his 11th international goal and his first since a brace in the 4-0 win over the Faroe Islands in March. He netted from the edge of the penalty area after good work by Andy Robertson and Che Adams, McGinn taking a pass from the Liverpool defender and curling the ball beyond opposition goalkeeper Ofir Marciano.

The victory leaves Scotland four points ahead of Israel with three games to go, with Steve Clarke’s side on course to qualify for the play-offs.

The Latest: McCoist hails McGinn “magic”

Speaking to Sky Sports about McGinn’s goal, Scotland’s first of the match, the former Rangers boss was full of praise for the Villa midfielder.

“What a finish,” he raved. “What a goal and what a finish. Absolutely magic. Don’t underestimate the work of Tierney and Robertson. Brilliant.

“They work their way, they gave the angle, it’s a lovely bit of give and go. A lovely one-two with Adams (from Robertson). He (McGinn) opens himself up and look at that (curling finish).

“That is absolutely magic. That is the only word for that. Magic. Ohh, brilliant. It’s fantastic. John McGinn, what a goal.”

The Verdict: McGinn is vital for club and country

McGinn’s influence for both club and country has been evident in recent years and he showed that again on Saturday evening for Scotland.

Since his 2018 move from Hibernian to Villa Park, the midfielder has made 117 appearances, scoring 14 goals and setting up another 19. His importance to Dean Smith’s midfield is reflected in his industrious qualities (1.8 tackles per game, joint-second highest in the squad) as well as his attacking influence (1.7 shots and 1.3 key passes per game, second highest in the squad for both)

Scotland travel to the Faroe Islands tomorrow night hoping to stretch their lead over Israel, and there is every chance that the 26-year-old could have a big say on proceeding in that game too.

In other news, rumours have started to surface about Villa making a move for a Serie A maestro. Find out more here.

Crystal Palace have been one of the surprise packages of the Premier League season in the opening weeks of the campaign, largely down to Patrick Vieira’s show of trust in several young stars.

What’s the story?

The Eagles may only have won one of their eight top-flight fixtures to date, but their entertaining and possession-orientated style has breathed new life into the capital club.

One of the inexperienced faces bringing this fresh wave of hope and optimism to south London is academy graduate Tyrick Mitchell, who has now started 14 Premier League games in a row, the longest run in his short career.

And journalist Tom Barclay has been praising the 22-year-old’s impressive displays, stating the youngster has begun to repay Vieira’s bold decision to make him his first-choice left-back.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “It’s a big show of faith in Mitchell’s quality and so far, he’s really repaid it, and his defensive stats have been really good.”

Vieira’s unsung hero

Mitchell first make his breakthrough into the Palace first team towards the end of 2019/20 but was unable to oust Patrick van Aanholt from the starting XI on a regular basis.

However, new manager Vieira decided not to replace the Dutch international following the expiration of his contract over the summer, entrusting Mitchell to fill the void at full-back.

It was a brave decision by the former Nice boss, but one that has already been justified by the youngster’s eye-catching performances for the Selhurst Park outfit.

The likes of Marc Guehi, Odsonne Edouard and Wilfried Zaha have all caught the eye this season but it’s safe to say that the left-back deserves a mention too.

As per WhoScored, Mitchell has achieved a match rating of 6.68 throughout 2021/22, the highest total for all of Palace’s defenders. And when looking at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why he’s such an unsung hero.

The £10.8m-rated defender has averaged a whopping 3.5 tackles per league game and 1.8 interceptions, bettering all of his colleagues for both metrics.

Maintaining his current level on a consistent basis is the next step in Mitchell’s progression, but it seems as though the latest product out of Palace’s improving academy is set for a very bright future.

And, in other news…Report provides exciting Palace transfer update that’ll leave fans buzzing 

Manchester United have been linked with a move for Nicolo Barella as they look to add further reinforcements to their engine room.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, the recruitment team at Old Trafford are already beginning to plan for the January transfer window and beyond as their troubles on the pitch continue to mount.

They claim that a new central midfielder is high up on the United hierarchy’s wishlist and the Inter Milan midfielder is their priority target after a string of standout displays from the highly-rated 24-year-old for both club and country in recent months.

Fans will be buzzing

With Paul Pogba’s future at Old Trafford far from secure, a large section of the club’s supporters will be excited to learn that the Red Devils are reportedly in the market for Barella.

The Italy international has established himself as one of Serie A’s most influential stars over the last couple of campaigns, playing a pivotal part in Inter’s first league title victory in 11 years last term.

His impressive performances have earned several plaudits in his homeland, including former Juventus star Claudio Marchisio.

Barella then carried his incredible club form onto the international stage during the European Championships, scoring one goal and laying on a further two assists in six outings as the Azzurri claimed the Euro 2020 trophy over England.

Therefore, Red Devils football director John Murtough must consider a swoop for the £58.5m-rated beast over the coming months as he’ll be providing the 20-time English champions with one of the best young central midfielders in Europe right now.

And, in other news…Reliable journo drops big update on Solskjaer’s future, Man Utd fans will be intrigued 

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte is said to have green-lighted a move for Milan centre-back Alessio Romagnoli as he looks to reshape Spurs’ defence.

What’s the story?

The north Londoners picked up a win in the 52-year-old’s first match in charge on Thursday night when they beat Vitesse 3-2 in the Europa Conference League, and journalist Graeme Bailey has name-checked two of the Italian’s main transfer targets.

Writing initially on Twitter, he said: “Antonio Conte greenlights Tottenham’s pursuits of AC Milan’s Franck Kessie. They are also keen on Milan captain Alessio Romagnoli. Likely to be two of the best free transfers around in 2022.”

In a follow-up article for 90min, he added: “90min has been told that Conte is also a fan of Kessie’s Milan teammate Alessio Romagnoli. Rossoneri captain Romagnoli, like Kessie, has little over six months left on his contract at San Siro and Spurs are looking to sign him too. The club want to bring in at least one central defender, but two could arrive in 2022.”

Fans will be buzzing

While Spurs fans will no doubt hope and even expect Conte to make the team much harder to beat, particularly from a back five point of view, there’s no questioning that they could do with some strengthening in terms of sheer quality. In Romagnoli, they could find someone who could answer all their prayers.

Speaking about the 26-year-old a few years ago, Milan legend Paolo Maldini said: “He is one of the best ever, he is already at the national team. He must have well precise objectives. It’s a growth process. Milan of the last few years did not help Alessio but we now hope that he will help us return Milan back.”

The £18m-rated beast has played top-level Serie A football for several seasons, and having emerged as a leader at the back for Milan, he could add some more steel and experience to the heart of the Spurs defence.

The fact that he’s Italian and therefore Conte will likely know him well merely adds to the feeling that Romagnoli should be able to hit the ground running in north London if he joins Tottenham. Given that he is still only 26, he is a prospective signing who would surely have Spurs fans buzzing.

Meanwhile, this Spurs ace surely impressed Conte against Vitesse…

Andy Townsend has backed John Terry to become Dean Smith’s successor at Aston Villa.

What’s been said?

In recent comments cited by talkSPORT, the former Aston Villa player stated his belief that Terry has all the makings of a Premier League manager, and that, if the 40-year-old were to be handed the job at Villa Park, he would have no complaints about the appointment.

Speaking about the former assistant manager’s links with the post, Townsend said: “I think John has all the credentials to be a proper manager. If he did want to take the job, I would not have any complaints about that whatsoever.

“I would love to see John do it, but however, I don’t think he needed to leave Aston Villa to become number one. If he genuinely felt like that, it might have been the natural progression over time anyway.”

Nightmare appointment

While Terry’s ability at the top level of the professional game is undeniable, with the former Chelsea captain winning five Premier League titles, one Champions League, one Europa League, five FA Cups and three League Cups during his time in West London, the 40-year-old’s potential in top-flight management is rather more questionable.

Indeed, while it is true that the 40-year-old who Frank Lampard dubbed an “invaluable” coach does have some history of being in the dugout, holding the position as one of Dean Smith’s assistant managers between 2018 and 2021, the fact that Terry has no experience whatsoever of being the sole manager of a football club is unavoidable.

And, considering Villa’s rather precarious position in the Premier League table, with the club currently sitting just two points above the relegation zone in 16th, the risk of appointing an unproven manager such as Terry would appear to be far too big for Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens to take.

Indeed, there is quite a clear lesson to be learned from Chelsea’s own appointment of Frank Lampard, with the Blues sacking the club legend just 18 months after his installation, as the club had slipped to midtable under the leadership of the 43-year-old.

However, upon Lampard’s appointment at Stamford Bridge, the former England international at least had some experience in professional management, having led Derby County to the Championship play-offs in 2018/19.

So, considering the fact that Terry does not boast a similar level of experience, in addition to the fact that Villa could very quickly become involved in a relegation scrap this season, the appointment of Terry would very much look to be something of a nightmare for NSWE if it happened, as the 40-year-old could well be a risk that results in relegation for Aston Villa.

In other news: “Understand”: Matt Law drops update in Villa manager search that’ll have fans buzzing