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Swansea earned a hard-fought three points in their push for promotion on Saturday, as they defeated Luton Town 1-0 in the early kick-off in the Championship.

Connor Hourihane’s early goal was enough to see off the Hatters, who had a number of chances to equalise but couldn’t find a way past Freddie Woodman in the Swans goal.

The result briefly put Steve Cooper’s side in the top-two of the Championship, before Watford’s 2-1 win at Cardiff saw them jump back above the Swans into the automatic spots.

Although it was an important result, some of the performances from Swansea players were below par on Saturday, with Andre Ayew, in particular, disappointing.

As per SofaScore, the experienced striker would earn a 6.4 rating for his display, which was the joint-lowest rating, with Korey Smith, of any Swansea player who started the game.

During his 90 minutes on the pitch, the former Marseille man would have 41 touches of the ball and would complete just 18 passes, which suggests that he was rarely involved, as he has averaged 27.3 passes per game in the Championship so far this season.

Perhaps most disappointingly, the Ghana international struggled to hold the ball up for Swansea in his role as a lone striker, with the Luton defenders, particularly Kai Naismith, having the better of him during the game.

Ayew would win just 4/14 ground duels and just 3/11 of his aerial duels during the game, resulting in an overall tally of 7/25 – which saw him register a disappointing success rate of just 28%.

Naismith meanwhile, would win 15/17 of his duels during the game and earned an impressive 8.3 rating for his display, which definitely suggests that he won the battle between himself and Ayew.

Despite being rarely involved, the 31-year-old striker would also lose possession on 16 occasions, suggesting that his link-up play was nowhere near his usual standards at Kenilworth Road.

The £3.6 million-rated forward was also successful with just 2/7 of his dribbles against Nathan Jones’ side, whilst he failed to register a single shot on target, so he is perhaps fortunate that Swansea were able to come away with a win, as it is clear that he was nowhere near his best against the Hatters as he let Cooper down with an anonymous display.

Many Everton fans have been left to fume at an update from Paul Joyce on Gylfi Sigurdsson.

As per a tweet from The Times journalist, the Goodison Park faithful are going to offer the former Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City man a new deal in the summer, with Carlo Ancelotti saying that they are “happy to keep him”.

Given that he is 31 years of age now, and he already earns £100,000 per week at the Merseyside club, it may not be the wisest of ideas for the Toffees to offer Sigurdsson a new contract.

Although some of his displays for the Blues have been better of late, the attacking midfield player has not always performed well for EFC, most notably in the 2019/20 term when he only managed a mere three goals and three assists in 38 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Everton fan reaction to Joyce update on Sigurdsson

These Everton supporters fumed upon reading the update from Joyce on Twitter, with one fan even going as far as to claim that it was ‘absolutely ridiculous’:

“Ah well, another couple of seasons already down the drain if this is our ambition.”

Credit: @melbourne1973

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”

Credit: @kevdev9

“Never ever learn”

Credit: @sayantan_01

“Love Ancelotti, but if there was any player a bigger symbol of the poor recruitment still at the club, it’s Sigurdsson. Overpaid, under performing (apart from 5 games as season), lacks drive and accountability. Got to be better ways of spending that amount of money.”

Credit: @carlw79

“Absolutely ridiculous decision.”
Credit: @ryanxdevlin

“Brands out”Credit: @paul1878___In other news, find out what early team news before Burnley has been slammed by Everton fans here!

Whilst Rangers enjoyed nearly complete domination over St Mirren at Ibrox on Saturday, the performance of all of Steven Gerrard’s players was extremely professional.

The front three were dangerous, as they have been all season, with Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos and Ianis Hagi all getting on the scoresheet for the Gers.

However, the decision to drop Joe Aribo back into midfield after he played on the right wing against Livingston in midweek proved to be an inspired one by Gerrard, as he completely ran the show at Ibrox.

As per SofaScore, the former Charlton Athletic man earned a solid 7.2 match rating for his display, which wasn’t quite on the level of Kent or Connor Goldson, but he was still an important part of Rangers’ victory.

During his time on the pitch, Aribo would have 125 touches of the ball, the most of any player on the pitch from both sides.

The Nigerian international, who reportedly earns £7,500 per week at Rangers, completed 94 of his 102 passes, resulting in a superb 92% pass accuracy during the game, which is a drastic improvement on the 84.5% pass accuracy he has averaged in the Premiership so far this season.

Whilst he didn’t score or assist, nearly every Rangers attack ran through him, as he was hugely involved throughout, whilst also managing one key pass from midfield. His 125 touches was the most of anyone on the pitch at Ibrox, per SofaScore.

It wasn’t just his attacking play which was impressive, however, as he also won all three of his aerial duels during the 90 minutes, as well as winning two tackles, which emphasises that he was just a class above the St Mirren midfielders at Ibrox.

So far this season, Aribo has averaged a superb 7.44 rating for his performances in the Premiership, having contributed six goals and four assists in 25 appearances – which is enough to see him rated as the second-best performer across the season. per WhoScored.

Therefore, the decision to sign him from Charlton in the summer of 2019 looks to have been a superb piece of business, as he has been vital to Rangers’ success so far this season.

And, in other news… Gerrard should unleash “big talent” at Rangers next season 

Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish was left confused by comments made by Celtic manager Neil Lennon.

McLeish reacts

The 2020/21 campaign will be a season that won’t be glorified by the Bhoys like the past nine. They find themselves 15 points adrift of arch-rivals Rangers before Sunday’s trip to Victoria Park to face Ross County.

Both Lennon and chief executive Peter Lawwell have found themselves under the Green Brigade’s magnifying glass – with calls made for both to be sacked. Lawwell announced he would be stepping down at the end of the season.

But Lennon told the Daily Record that “mitigating circumstances” have played their part in how things have played out this season, which he added that he cannot publically reveal.

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish was mystified by what Lennon said and speculated whether there could be some sort of announcement made at some stage.

“When you make a statement like that then it does raise eyebrows,” he said.

“Whether we’ll hear something at a later time, you would probably imagine that something would come out. Maybe now’s not the right time for them to release it.

“That is their prerogative, you can’t force Celtic to give answers, it’s possibly not the time to announce anything.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

These comments by Lennon may open a new can of worms which, most likely, will not help the club in any shape or form.

After previously undermining his chief executive, it now appears that the supporters are set to be put through further misery, rather than the team focusing on the task at hand on the pitch.

We are not sure how this season could get much worse for Celtic. But if those details are revealed, it may do exactly that.

In other news, Uncertainty creeping in regarding Celtic future of ‘metronome.’

Many Liverpool fans went wild as transfer expert Fabrizio Romano dropped a subtle hint regarding the Reds’ pursuit for Sporting Braga defender David Carmo.

Anfield Watch shared the news that Jurgen Klopp’s side were showing late interest in the 21-year-old, which was initially provided by Romano earlier on Monday, to which he responded with a cheeky winking emoji.

Carmo has made 36 appearances for the Liga NOS side since breaking into the first-team and picked up seven caps for Portugal at U20-level.

It is no secret that Liverpool have been hunting for fresh faces at the back after their injury crisis which has ruled out all four of their defensive options.

Unsurprisingly, supporters went crazy on social media following Romano’s subtle hint and made their feelings clear on social media, even despite a reported deal to sign Ozan Kabak from Schalke.

Fans go wild over Carmo links

“HE’S DONE IT AGAIN”

Credit: @WacobEdition1

“WE ARE A SERIOUS CLUB FOR ONCE”

Credit: @Origilist

“ROMANO WHAT A BEAUTY”

Credit: @lfcaxchie

“What is going on. Michael Edwards is doing something special.”

Credit: @ColossusofA

“CORNER TAKEN QUICKLY….”

Credit: @Blaen_17

“Seeeriously!!!!”

Credit: @bostameb

In other news, James Pearce says Liverpool move for centre-back is completely off.

With their Scottish Premiership title defence lying in tatters, Celtic are in desperate need of hitting the reset button ahead of next season.

That doesn’t mean to say however that this current campaign should be completely written off. Instead, Neil Lennon can bring back some desperately needed excitement and pride by turning towards some of the club’s younger players, not least Stephen Welsh.

The 6 foot 3 centre-back has made five appearances this season, including 84 minutes of the Old Firm clash against Rangers back in mid-October.

At the moment, Lennon seems intent on continuing to stick with the Hoops’ more experienced campaigners, a tactic made all the more baffling given that it’s not producing results – they lie 21 points behind their arch-rivals.

Phasing out the likes of Nir Bitton and Shane Duffy, and instead giving the likes of Welsh some first-team experience ahead of the seasons to come could be vital in their growth and development.

Speaking after his performance against Hibernian earlier this month, Alex McLeish raved: “It does give the supporters a wee bit of respite when they see some good young players coming through, there’s no doubt about that, and Welsh has acquitted himself well.

“He didn’t look out of place the other night and he’s the one for the future – but the Celtic fans are only thinking about the present.”

And after being dropped for the game against Livingston last weekend, plenty of Celtic fans revealed their frustrations behind Lennon’s decision to leave Welsh out of the starting line-up, and instead going with Bitton and Duffy.

It’s time for a fresh start, but Lennon continues to hold the Hoops back by playing those who represent Celtic’s past. Welsh could be the future, and all he needs is an opportunity and a run of consistent games in the Scottish Premiership.

Meanwhile, Celtic are keen on this Premier League starlet…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Carlton Palmer has delivered his verdict on Leeds’ interest in Julian Draxler.

The Germany international was linked with a move to Elland Road in the summer but a switch failed to materialise.

However, there has now been an update on the attacking midfielder’s future. Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) reportedly recently that Draxler could become a free agent this summer.

As a result, Leeds are pondering a move for the German who initially cost PSG £30m in 2017. They will reportedly face interest from Hertha Berlin for his services so it won’t be an easy pursuit.

Speaking about the report, Palmer exclusively told FFC that he’d be brilliant for Leeds, citing his style of play as a key reason.

When questioned whether he’d be a good acquisition, the pundit said: “The way he plays, yeah. You know what, the way Bielsa plays, there is nobody that is going to fit into his system if you haven’t got high tempo and can get around the football pitch.

“That’s the way he plays, so for sure, he’d fit into Bielsa’s team and I’m sure that Leeds will do a bit of business in the January transfer window just to get some reinforcements in of quality because now they’ve established a foothold in the Premier League.”

Draxler would be a stand out signing if he does indeed move to Elland Road in January or the summer.

He is capped 56 times by his country and is a World Cup winner so has plenty of pedigree. His opportunities this term have been limited to just ten games but the 27-year-old has contributed to three goals in the process – certainly not a bad record.

Although Draxler sometimes struggles for consistency, he would be a considerable coup for Leeds, a team who broke their transfer record on a further attacking midfielder in Rodrigo last summer.

With his contract expiring in a matter of months, Victor Orta could conclude a bargain deal here.

AND in other news, Kebe 2.0: Radz will be raging if Orta brings “wonderful” £10.8m-rated ace to Leeds…

Neil Lennon’s worries continue as Celtic’s run of inconsistent form is dragged out. They were made an example of on Thursday evening as Sparta Prague hit them for four goals in yet another Europa League defeat. The Hoops are now rooted to the bottom of their group table, having banked just one point in the campaign so far.

But the defeat to the Czechs has produced even more of a headache for the manager. High-flying attacker Mohamed Elyounoussi may have completely ruined his chance under Lennon after foolishly getting out his phone on the sidelines.

The Norwegian was substituted off just before the hour mark after struggling to make an impact on the game. He was then pictured on his phone, which has resulted in an awful lot of backlash already.

Love lost between Elyounoussi and Lennon

“He better not have been. That’s something I’ll deal with,” Lennon warned after being informed of the incident. The Hoops boos was rightfully unimpressed with the news and the likes of Chris Sutton have given Elyounoussi both barrels over his behaviour.

The ex-Celtic man slammed the striker for being “selfish” and “egotistical” and has questioned his commitment to the club (via Daily Record).

Indeed, such actions do not paint the player in a positive light. Elyounoussi, on loan from Southampton, has been seriously impressing with his recent form, but that could all be out the window over something ridiculous yet costly.

The 26-year-old, currently earning £60,000 per week, has been the forefront of a lot of praise recently. His goal against FK Riga was the difference between a draw and a win, which attracted a glowing review from Lennon.

“I can’t speak highly enough of him,” Lennon said. “He took the goal fantastically well and he’s a great example to the rest of the squad. His attitude is great.”

The comments could now stand to be void. Whilst Celtic do indeed need to score more goals, the disrespect shown by Elyounoussi could be enough to completely remove him from any remaining games this season. Such incidents are not taken lightly and to keep him in the starting lineup despite his actions would set entirely the wrong example to the rest of the squad and the young players coming up through the academy.

In other news, one man was the biggest Celtic disappointment against Sparta Prague…

Tottenham Hotspur saw no fewer than six new players walk through the front door during this summer’s hectic transfer window but might they reject one of their more substantial moves already?

It was pretty evident early doors that Spurs boss Jose Mourinho was pursuing a full-back – as if it wasn’t already clear by his comments to Serge Aurier during their ‘All or Nothing’ docuseries.

Eventually, the north London outfit signed Matt Doherty from league rivals Wolves in a £15m deal but he may well have been a lot further down the shortlist originally.

Reliable sources linked the club to other players prior to the move.

The Telegraph’s Matt Law claimed in August that Spurs were trying to offload Juan Foyth and Aurier to fund a move for Lille’s Zeki Celik whilst Max Aarons was once thought to be the top target to replace the Ivory Coast international after The Athletic made such claims in July.

But perhaps it was another mooted target that Daniel Levy should rue missing out on, and that’s Timothy Castagne, who instead joined one of Spurs’ likely competitors for a spot in Europe next year, Leicester City, despite personally requesting a conversation with Mourinho himself.

The Belgian, who featured versus England last week, cost only £22m and that additional £7m already looks to be the better end of the stick after the opening round of Premier League fixtures.

Not only is Castagne four years younger, but he has also contributed to three goals in just four matches whereas Doherty is yet to do so.

He’s also averaging more tackles (1.5), interceptions (1.5), key passes (one), dribbles (one) and crosses (0.5) per game than the Irishman, via WhoScored. Castagne even has a better passing success rate at 80% having managed more passes (56.3) each match too.

If those workhorse numbers aren’t enough, the 24-year-old is also able to play at left-back, which only makes him seem even more like the better option – at least from the first four matches we’ve seen this season.

Although the early signs are there that Castagne was the one that got away.

AND in other news, Spurs truly missed out on a perfect Eriksen successor in £55m magician…

West Ham United could move quickly on from Grady Diangana with a dip into the transfer market and one name has been linked with a move to the London Stadium this week…

What’s the word?

According to A Bola (via Sport Witness), the Hammers are one of three Premier League clubs chasing Sporting Lisbon winger Jovane Cabral this summer.

It’s claimed that West Ham have been following the 22-year-old since last season, although the Portuguese outfit are yet to receive any concrete offers for their attacking star.

They are believed to want around €20m (£18m) for his services with Tottenham Hotspur and newly-promoted Fulham also in the race.

Diangana alternative

On Wednesday, news broke that the Irons hierarchy had accepted a bid of £18m from West Brom for their loan sensation Diangana, meaning the Hammers are going to lose out on one of their own exciting talents.

However, Cabral wouldn’t be a bad replacement whatsoever.

Per WhoScored, the Portuguese wizard provided six goals and two assists in just 19 appearances, averaging 2.9 shots, 2.1 dribbles and 1.2 key passes per game.

It means Cabral manages more attempts at goal than any other Hammers player, including Michail Antonio and Seb Haller so clearly he’d be a nice threat to have in east London.

He has been likened to one-time Irons target Gelson Martins and dubbed as a “wing sensation” by PortuGOAL whilst Manchester United’s January addition Bruno Fernandes has been a bit of a mentor for him even since swapping Portugual for Old Trafford.

“I didn’t teach him anything. What he did in the game is down to his quality, his ability. In my opinion, he did not have a great game because I know Jovane’s quality and I think he can give more,” said Fernandes to Canal 11 (via InsideFutbol).

David Moyes couldn’t do much wrong if he manages to clinch Cabral as a direct successor to the departing Diangana.

AND in other news, Hammers plotting shock transfer for the ‘German Messi’…