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Celtic were outfought and outplayed on their own patch by their arch-rivals on Saturday afternoon, leaving Neil Lennon with everything to do if his side is to secure a record-breaking tenth successive Scottish Premiership title.

It was the second match in as many seasons that Rangers have come to Parkhead and been the better side but only this time, the defending champions failed to find the net nor did they manage to have a single shot on target.

Although once again, they were undone by a Light Blues centre-back with Conor Goldson surprisingly finding himself on the scoresheet with a match-winning brace.

You could pick many holes in Lennon’s side, right across the pitch, as the Hoops were without a plethora of usual first-team starters ranging from Ryan Christie in attacking midfield to leading talisman Odsonne Edouard upfront.

But that does not excuse the shocking display by some who were trusted enough to start instead, none more so than fringe star Olivier Ntcham, who had been linked with an exit to the Premier League throughout the summer. Celtic reportedly valued their man at £12m.

SofaScore graded the 24-year-old as the worst player on the pitch with a miserable 5.9 rating – he lost possession 13 times, failed to win a single duel from six attempts, was dribbled past twice and made a pathetic 69% of his 16 passes.

GlasgowLive gave Ntcham a 4/10 and claimed he has been “absolutely lost this season” whilst the Daily Record were equally scathing in giving him one notch better, claiming he was “unable to get to grips with the likes of [Glen] Kamara and [Steven] Davis.”

Not only was he lightweight, but he was largely anonymous too with fellow midfielders Callum McGregor and Scott Brown making at least 37 passes themselves.

It’s no wonder that the young Frenchman was pulled before the 70th minute and he ought to be wary with Christie set to return in due course whilst summer arrival David Turnbull and forgotten man Tom Rogic featured off the bench, so his place is by no means safe and secure.

Ntcham’s sixth start of the season in the SPFL could well be his last for quite some time going by that showing – with an enormous tie with AC Milan on Thursday before a trip to fourth-placed Aberdeen, Lennon will surely look to other options.

AND in other news, Controversial treble winner has thrived since leaving Celtic on a FREE…

With the news that Southampton striker Danny Ings has been ruled out of Friday’s game, Newcastle’s chances of clinching a second successive victory in the Premier League has undoubtedly gone up.

The England international has been the Saints’ talisman for a few seasons now, finishing just behind Leicester’s Jamie Vardy in the Golden Boot race last season, and starting the current campaign on fire too, netting five goals in eight games across all competitions.

So the fact Ings won’t be a part of the Southampton side that takes on Newcastle on Friday night is a major boost for Steve Bruce. But whilst that has gone in their favour, they could go even further on their path to clinching a victory by stopping one of the striker’s in-form teammates: James Ward-Prowse.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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Rated at £18m by Transfermarkt, the midfielder has been a vital part of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this season, playing the full 90 minutes in each of their opening seven league games, wearing the armband for six of them.

His last two matches have been particularly impressive, netting in a 2-0 win over Everton a couple of weeks ago, before bagging a brace and providing an assist in Southampton’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Aston Villa last weekend.

The England international offers the kind of unique threat that you don’t see much of in the Premier League anymore, namely a dead-ball specialist who is currently right up there with the very best of them across Europe.

He struck two perfect free-kicks in that win over Villa, and his teammate, Jannik Vestergaard, couldn’t help but admire his talents after the game. The central defender said: “I think the second goal was even more impressive than the first he did. It was so close to the goal, to get it up and over the wall, there are not many football players that can do that. It was very impressive.”

And adding to that, his manager was equally keen on praising him. Hasenhuttl said: “It’s no coincidence he is our captain, he’s our role model for what we stand for – he’s an unbelievable fighter for the team. When he gets a chance around the box he is unbelievable. On free kicks he is amazing and he is getting better.”

On Friday, it goes without saying that Newcastle absolutely must avoid giving away cheap free-kicks in and around the box, and limiting the number of corners they allow can also go a long way to stopping the Saints.

Ings may not be there, but Ward-Prowse will be, and it’s up to the Magpies to stop him.

Manchester United will be looking to make amends and take a step closer to Champions League knockout qualification when they welcome Istanbul Basaksehir to Old Trafford on Tuesday night.

Bruno Fernandes scored the only goal of the game as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side secured their first Premier League victory of the season at home by beating a battling West Bromwich Albion on Saturday night.

Having beaten Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig, the Red Devils are top of Group H with six points, although they were humbled by Istanbul after an embarrassing defensive lapse of concentration earlier this month.

Here at Football FanCast, we’ve had a gander at how Solskjaer could set his side up for the Champions League clash, which sees him ring three changes to the team that scraped past West Brom at the weekend.

It’s likely Solskjaer will put his faith in youth over experience, which will see Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic and Victor Lindelof drop to the bench, with Mason Greenwood, Scott McTominay and Axel Tuanzebe replacing them in the starting line-up.

Both McTominay and Fred are poised to resume their partnership alongside each other in midfield, with the young Scotsman having started five of the nine games in the Premier League so far this season.

This means that there is no room for Paul Pogba, who is working his way back from an injury he sustained whilst away on international duty with France.

Tuanzebe should be handed a starting berth after Lindelof played through the pain during the game against the Baggies. The Sweden international suffered a back injury during the international break, so could be rested for the rematch with Istanbul.

Elsewhere, Dean Henderson may push for a recall, but we’re backing David de Gea to keep his place in goal at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening, having been trusted for most of the Champions League fixtures so far and making one particularly excellent save against West Brom.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Carlton Palmer makes stunning prediction about Paul Pogba’s future at Manchester United…

Alan Hutton has told Football Insider that he cannot see Neil Lennon lasting as Celtic boss until January if the results do not turn immediately.

Speaking to the news outlet, the former Spurs, Rangers and Aston Villa defender said that the Scottish Premiership race will be finished by January if the Hoops do not pick up results soon and Steven Gerrard’s team continue the way they have been doing at the top of the league table, and highlighted that Lennon is now under huge pressure to deliver sooner rather than later:

“If this run goes on, January’s too late, I think the league will be finished.

“If Rangers keep playing the way their playing and Celtic keep playing the way they’re playing, the league will be over by January, I can’t see going on that long.

“There’s so many games between now and January, obviously they had a tough one against Milan which nobody expected them to win, really, but the league’s the bread and butter.

“They’ve also got the Scottish League Cup final coming up, that might mask over a couple of cracks but I just don’t see, if it keeps going the way it’s going, I can’t see him getting to January, if I’m honest.”

Lennon under huge pressure

The Bhoys have lost their last three games in all competitions now, including Thursday night’s 4-2 defeat away at AC Milan in the San Siro in the UEFA Europa League, which means that they are guaranteed to finish bottom of their group having only picked up a single point from their five matches in the European competition.

They are also currently 11 points off the pace in the SPFL table at the moment, albeit with two games in hand on their Glasgow rivals.

Nonetheless, Lennon will surely need to pick up results fast if the Northern Irishman wants to remain as manager for the near future.

In other news, find out who Celtic have been urged to sign here!

After falling to a heavy defeat last time out, Wolves no doubt will be itching to put things right when they take on Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were thrashed 4-0 at Anfield, and it was a far cry from the superb win they had pulled off against Arsenal at the Emirates almost a week earlier.

And whilst Villa appear to have hit a brick wall in recent weeks, tasting back-to-back defeats, Wolves shouldn’t be taking things for granted when they take them on at Molineux.

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

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Jack Grealish will surely be the main topic of conversation in Nuno’s pre-match briefings to his players, and rightly so given the England international’s exploits this season – he’s managed an impressive five goals and six assists in just nine Premier League games.

But whilst the Villa talisman will need to be kept in check by the home side’s defence, there’s one man who they can’t afford to take their eye off either: Ollie Watkins.

Since arriving from Brentford in the summer, the £27m-rated ace has been in fine form for his new side, bagging eight goals in 12 games in total.

Described as someone who had “real superpowers” as a teenager, Watkins has blossomed into a fine central striker, and has the kind of work ethic and energy that Wolves fans will no doubt appreciate given their own Raul Jimenez.

The programme director at his former club Brentford, Chris Deacon, told The Athletic: “Ollie transformed himself into a physical specimen. We’d call him a machine because it looked like he would set himself into third gear and then cruise along at the front while everyone else was blowing.”

If Wolves are to take home all three points on Saturday, then they will have to be disciplined and tight at the back, and keep Watkins in check for the entire 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, Wolves could ease their Raul Jimenez woes with a swoop for this exciting talent.

Aston Villa enjoyed another weekend off from Premier League action after their Friday night encounter with Newcastle United was postponed amid an outbreak in Steve Bruce’s Toon camp.

The pause in the campaign afforded Dean Smith the chance to rest some of his weary legs and set about putting together a game plan he hopes will see the Villans beat West Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers when his side next take to the field.

One name the Villa boss must ensure is on the coach to Molineux come Saturday is teen wonder Jacob Ramsey, with Smith rarely opting to unleash the young star who Academy Manager Sean Kimberley believes boasts “undoubted technical ability”.

Ramsey has not been seen on the field for a Premier League fixture in three months having played the sole 13 minutes of his 2020/21 campaign as a late substitute in Villa’s 3-0 win over Fulham on September 28.

Smith recalled the 19-year-old to the bench for last Monday’s defeat at West Ham United but opted against handing the attacking midfielder his latest senior outing, following a frequent role in the Villans’ EFL Cup efforts.

Ramsey started all three Carabao Cup ties as the Villa Park natives progressed through to the Fourth Round before losing at home to Championship side Stoke, yet offered glimpses of his potential with an assist away to Bristol City days before making his Premier League debut at Craven Cottage.

Ramsey’s progression through to the senior fold has seen him rarely turn out in the junior ranks, with just two appearances in the EFL Trophy and no outings in the Premier League 2 thus far this term.

Villa have high hopes for the England U20 international’s future in Birmingham and Smith has placed him firmly in the first-team fold to help realise that potential, with the Villans boss and his coaching team casting a careful eye over Ramsey in training.

But despite considering him to be a first-team figure now, Smith is yet to truly unleash Ramsey and must start doing so with Villa’s form nose diving from the early promise that took them to second place in the table with four wins from four.

The Villans have claimed just one win in the five league games that followed October’s narrow 1-0 win over Leicester and the 7-2 victory at home to Liverpool is now a memory looking all the more remarkable.

Smith has not been helped by his midfielders being unable to offer a consistent level of creativity, with John McGinn offering no key balls in defeat to Leeds, Bertrand Traore uncreative in defeat to Southampton and Trezeguet without a key pass in the victory over Arsenal as Ross Barkley penned six only to get injured during the defeat to Brighton.

McGinn again failed to provide a key ball in defeat at West Ham as Conor Hourihane similarly struggled before being replaced by Traore, who took just 18 touches but could only achieve one successful dribble as a point of merit.

The struggles of Smith’s more favoured options should ensure a place in his matchday squad is reserved for Ramsey come Saturday and allow the youngster of “undoubted” talent the chance to prove himself, even just from the bench.

AND in other news, Johan Lange and Aston Villa must bite the bullet on one-time £40k-p/w Dean Smith favourite.

Reporter Dom Howson has recently discussed Sheffield Wednesday’s potential interest in signing Leeds United youngster Sam Greenwood.

Greenwood, currently only 18, has been linked with a move to the Championship – even though Marcelo Bielsa seems to rate him as a player. It has been reported that Cardiff City could be well-placed to sign the youngster, but he has also been linked with a move to either Bournemouth or Sheffield Wednesday.

Greenwood to SWFC could be ‘agent talk’

Howson was recently involved in a Q&A session with Sheffield Wednesday fans and one question that was posed to him involved the club’s potential interest in Greenwood. The journalist replied that while he is still digging into the news, it could just be ‘agent talk’ about the Leeds youngster.

He also said that Wednesday are keeping an eye on the loan market for players that they could sign on a temporary basis in January and he can see Tony Pulis looking to sign a striker too.

Here’s what he had to say in full:

“I am still doing some digging into this. It could just be agent talk. But I do Wednesday are keeping a close eye on players who could be available for loan in the Premier League come January. I can see Pulis trying to sign a big, physical, aggressive centre-forward. They have lacked a focal point up front since Steven Fletcher and Atdhe Nuhiu moved on.”

It has also been reported that the Whites’ youngster has caught the eye of multiple scouts and multiple Championship outfits believe that he can make an impact in the division.

Greenwood form might warrant a loan

For the Leeds United Under-23s side this season, Greenwood has been in very good form so far. The young striker has scored six goals in eight Premier League Two appearances in the current campaign and that includes a hat-trick against the Sunderland Under-23s side (as per Transfermarkt).

In the Under-18s Premier League last season, the youngster had scored three times in 11 appearances, while picking up one assist. He had also found the back of the net twice in four FA Youth Cup games (as per Transfermarkt).

His form is indicative of the fact that he might just deserve some first-team football and if Leeds can’t offer that, they should let him continue his development by loaning him out. That will help him get some regular football and help him develop into a better player.

In other news, a Premier League striker has been tipped for a move to Leeds – read more about it here.

It has been suggested recently that Aymeric Laporte and Pep Guardiola now have a ‘fatally strained’ relationship at Manchester City following the Frenchman’s lack of first-team appearances in recent weeks.

Guardiola has put his faith in a centre-back partnership of John Stones and Ruben Dias for much of this season, which has resulted in City’s defensive form vastly improving, with the Citizens having kept eight clean sheets in their last 10 games in all competitions.

Therefore, if City’s impressive defensive record continues, it seems unlikely that Laporte will be able to force his way back into Guardiola’s starting team, especially with the Spanish manager having spoken publicly about the partnership Stones and Dias are forming at the back, saying:

“Ruben doesn’t make mistakes, he’s always focused. He’s helped us to be stronger, and his understanding with John is amazing. This is what keeps us in the race.”

Laporte has been a fixture in City’s first team since joining from Athletic Bilbao in January 2018, having made 92 appearances for the club, contributing seven goals and three assists.

However, you could argue that despite his impressive performances for the club since signing, he wouldn’t be missed too much if the Citizens did opt to cash in on him in the near future if the reports of his relationship with Guardiola are true.

City have Stones and Dias as first-choice centre-backs, with the likes of Nathan Ake and Eric Garcia available as backups, whilst they have the talented Taylor Harwood-Bellis coming through the academy.

Although Garcia looks likely to join Barcelona in the near future, if City were to bring in a replacement such as the linked David Alaba, it seems as if they would be well covered in the centre-back position.

Of course, Laporte is still an immensely talented player, with an article for These Football Times acknowledging the “world-class” centre-back for his role in City’s first team but if the reports are true and he no longer wants to work under Guardiola, then the club must consider moving him on before he becomes a disruptive influence in the dressing room.

And, in other news… “Incredibly talented” MCFC star is becoming Pep’s most important player; it’s not KDB

Southampton travel to Leicester City on Saturday evening hoping to pick up where they left off last time out against Liverpool.

The Saints earned a memorable win at the King Power Stadium last season, which was a dramatic reverse of the home result at St Mary’s, and Ralph Hasenhuttl will be desperate to pick up another three points against Brendan Rodgers’ side.

However, it could be a tough ask for the Austrian manager, as his side are in the middle of an injury crisis, which sees first-team regulars Oriol Romeu, Jannik Vestergaard, Nathan Redmond and Moussa Djenepo all ruled out, whilst Danny Ings will miss this game after testing positive for the current viral outbreak.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Hasenhuttl to line his side up against Leicester, with three changes from the starting team that beat Liverpool…

Despite his impressive performance against Liverpool, Fraser Forster is likely to drop back to the bench for the game at the King Power, with Alex McCarthy reclaiming his place in goal after recovering from the current viral outbreak.

Forster was heavily praised during his loan spell at Celtic last season and was dubbed “unbelievable” by teammate Christoper Jullien, so he is clearly a great backup option for Hasenhuttl to have in his side.

The defence unsurprisingly stays the same after registering three clean sheets in a row against Fulham, West Ham and Liverpool, with Jack Stephens continuing to impress in the absence of Jannik Vestergaard.

There’s one change in midfield, as Djenepo misses out after picking up his injury and with Nathan Tella also ruled out, Theo Walcott is perhaps likely to move back to the wing.

This should allow Dan N’Lundulu to make his first start up front alongside Che Adams, who also returns after missing the Liverpool game with a concussion, with Shane Long starting on the bench.

And, in other news… Forget Long: Ralph must hand 21 y/o first PL start vs Leicester

Tottenham Hotspur are thought to be keen on signing RB Leipzig midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, according to talkSPORT.

Transfer expert Alex Crook told the ‘White and Jordan’ show that there has been interest in the 26-year-old from both Spurs and Arsenal, he said:

“Tottenham were keen to bring this player to north London in the last transfer window, and Arsenal are also monitoring his situation closely.

“They will both be encouraged by what we’re hearing over in Germany that he’s turned down a new contract at RB Leipzig, so he’s clearly someone who is looking for pastures new.”

Sky (via Fussball Transfers) have claimed that the Leipzig skipper has rejected talks over a new deal, meaning if he doesn’t leave this window, he could well depart in the summer due to him entering the final 18 months of his current €110k-per-week (£98k-per-week) contract.

The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare believes Sabitzer could be available for only £30m, which would be well in Daniel Levy’s budget.

And he’d be quite the addition…

On the Chalkboard

As we’ve been told by The Times’ Duncan Castles before, Jose Mourinho is after a box-to-box midfielder to help steer Spurs to their first piece of silverware in over 12 years, and that’s where Sabitzer fits the bill.

Since the start of the 2019/20 season, the 46-time Austria international has delivered 19 goals and 14 assists across all competitions – in the same timeframe, Spurs’ current options namely Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele haven’t even passed 13 goal contributions.

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But it is Moussa Sissoko who could be most in danger as the defensively-astute Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has cemented his place down as the anchorman of this side, whilst the aforementioned Frenchman and Argentinan are likely to rotate as no.10s, especially if Dele Alli moves on.

The £30m ace, signed by Mauricio Pochettino in 2016, has been nothing more than a mere passenger at times this season – neither outstanding nor hugely disappointing.

That much is seen by his mediocre returns as Spurs’ 12th ranked player per WhoScored ratings – indeed, he’s tied with the attack-minded Ndombele for tackles per game (1.4) and has only averaged 0.1 key passes and 0.1 shots per game, the worst of any midfielder at the club.

Even Hojbjerg is doing more going forward, which speaks volumes and clearly doesn’t match up with Mourinho’s desire for a box-to-box maestro.

Which is where Sabitzer comes in, meaning the 30-year-old could finally be axed from the starting XI, should Levy be able to push through this deal.

Aside from his impressive goal and assist returns mentioned above, the Leipzig star has averaged 1.55 tackles per game across both the Bundesliga and Champions League, showing that defensive side of his game.

But he also has proven to be a lethal creative outlet, as he’s managed 1.65 shots and 0.8 key passes per game across the same competitions, which is evidently a stark upgrade to that of Sissoko.

It’s no wonder the Austrian sensation has been lauded a “goal threat” by Red Bulls boss Julian Naglesmann, as well as his predecessor Ralf Rangnick calling his personality “remarkable.”

Valued at €40m (£36m) by CIES Football Observatory, Sabitzer would be one hell of an addition to bolster Spurs’ trophy hopes – a far better option to the starting XI than Sissoko.

Not to mention that he wants the move too, as per Ekrem Konur.

AND in other news, Spurs must strike on £18m-rated “monster” amid fresh transfer development