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With Ange Postecoglou having endured something of an injury crisis during the early stages of his managerial career at Celtic, the 56-year-old manager will undoubtedly be delighted that a number of his first-team squad are finally returning to full fitness at Parkhead.

Indeed, Mikey Johnston, Josip Juranovic, Georgios Giakoumakis and James McCarthy were all available for selection against St. Johnstone on Saturday after varying lengths of spells spent on the sidelines due to injury, while Christopher Jullien and James Forrest are set to return to first-team training in the coming weeks.

Postecoglou himself recently commented on his excitement regarding the return of Johnston, stating after Saturday’s 2-0 win: “I was really pleased to see Mikey back because he looked really good in pre-season. I know how talented he is but the key for him was to get his body healthy and to be really patient with him.

“He’s a talented player and he’s now getting more game time. The way we play I know he can have a huge impact for us, he just needs to stay healthy and keep improving his game.”

It is easy to see why the 56-year-old appears so happy with the return of the 22-year-old, as, over his brief 8-minute cameo against Ferencvarosi in midweek, the £900k-rated man highly impressed, managing 13 touches of the ball, making one key pass, completing both of his attempted dribbles, creating one big chance and hitting the target with his only shot at goal.

These metrics saw the £9k-per-week forward earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.7, ranking him as the third-best player to feature in the match.

As such, while it is true that Johnston has failed to ever really cement a starting spot in the Celtic side after breaking through into the first team, with his highest number of league appearances in one season being 14 back in 2018/19, Postecoglou simply must unleash the 22-year-old in the coming weeks, as now would finally appear to be the time when the winger can have a real impact within the Bhoys side.

In other news: Conroy drops key update on “priceless” £15k-p/w dynamo that’ll delight Celtic fans

Liverpool and FSG could be set for unprecedented levels of incoming prize money according to finance expert Dr Dan Plumley.

The lowdown: History in the making…

Jurgen Klopp’s side stand just ten games away from a potential history redefining season as the Reds go in search of a never-seen-before quadruple.

Having already lifted the Carabao Cup in February, the Anfield club stand on the brink of something remarkable as a UEFA Champions League semi-final tie with Villarreal awaits before an FA Cup final with Chelsea at Wembley.

Between all of that, Klopp’s men continue their quest for a second Premier League title in three seasons after returning to the summit with a resounding 4-0 victory over Manchester United.

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The latest: Expert predicts windfall

Speaking to Football Insider, Dr Plumley claimed that a ”huge” financial boost could be added to the potential trophy haul.

“If they win the FA Cup, they’ll have got £3.4m in prize money. If they finish runners up, it’ll be £2.4m. Those are the numbers in terms of direct prize money. There’s a bit more for TV money, but it’s not massive.

“What they are looking to is the added value with sponsors, clients and new commercial partners. If they can point to being treble winners or even quadruple winners, that would give them huge leverage.

“We still refer back to the Man United treble-winning team in 1999, so you can use that status to your advantage. But imagine a quadruple. It’s unheard of in the modern game.”

The verdict: Better and Better

Things couldn’t get much better at Anfield right now as the club thrives both commercially and in its main objective as a football team.

To add to the potential glorious season, it has been reported this week that ownership group FSG are in the process of sounding out a new shirt sponsor to replace Standard Chartered.

Operating extensively under the tag of a sell to buy club, any additional incoming funds will act as a welcome boost to the coffers as Jurgen Klopp and incoming sporting director Julian Ward look to bolster the squad in the summer transfer market.

Were Liverpool to even participate in every possible match this season it would be a remarkable achievement, one that in itself would bring about untold riches in TV revenue.

In other news, one Liverpool player has been backed to leave this summer. Find out who it is here.

Celtic are interested in a deal to bring Ayodeji Sotona to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Telegraph, who claim that Celtic, alongside Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the OGC Nice winger ahead of a potential swoop in the winter market.

The report goes on to state that a number of European sides are also monitoring the 19-year-old, although it is not clear exactly how much the Ligue 1 side would demand in order to part with the former Republic of Ireland U16 international next month.

Bye-bye Johnston

While Sotona is yet to make a single appearance in professional football, there is nevertheless a considerable amount of hype surrounding the youngster, something that likely stems from his impressive performances during his time in the Manchester United youth setup.

Indeed, over his 15 U18 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils back in 2019/20, the £270k-rated teenager scored four goals and registered two assists, as well as netting one further goal over his four outings in the FA Youth Cup that season.

However, aside from his obvious ability in front of goal, there is one characteristic of Sotona that makes him truly stand out from the crowd – his rather extraordinary turn of pace.

Indeed, during sprint tests at the Aon Training Complex, the youngster, who was just 17 at the time, registered a top speed of a whopping 22.9mph – beating the likes of Diogo Dalot (22.6mph), Romelu Lukaku (22.5mph), Tahith Chong (22.3mph), Marcus Rashford (22.1mph) and Daniel James (22mph).

As such, with a clear eye for goal and pace to burn, it is easy to see why Ange Postecoglou is keen on landing the teenager this winter, particularly considering the struggles of one of the 56-year-old’s current options on the left-wing – Mikey Johnston.

Indeed, having struggled with injuries since first breaking into Celtic’s senior team, the £7.9k-per-week 22-year-old has failed to ever really cement a starting spot in the Bhoys side, while his returns so far this season – no goals or assists over 10 Premiership fixtures – have once again been disappointing.

So, should Postecoglou manage to get a deal over the line for Sotona this January, it could well be the final nail in the coffin for the Celtic career of the player who Willie Miller recently dubbed “pathetic.”

In other news: Forget Forrest: Ange must unleash 19 y/o Celtic gem who’s been “bright” at Lennoxtown

On the back of a strong campaign last year, West Ham United have continued to move in the right way this season. With a good start, they have put themselves into contention for the top four in the Premier League, and also made big strides in Europe, qualifying top of their Europa League group.The Europa League success they are having, in particular, is a strong highlight for them. Despite a long list of very strong Champions League teams entering the competition, the latest UEFA Europa League odds have West Ham at 9/1, which makes them joint-fourth favourites to win the competition.There will be a lot of focus on West Ham, but also elsewhere, with the likes of Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla all now in the Europa League, and sure to feature amongst Europa League betting tips in the future. The task for West Ham has become a lot harder since the arrival of those Champions League big names, and others, but it is a sign of just how far West Ham have come and how much they’ve impressed in this competition, that they are still near the top of the betting.You only need to go back a couple of years and fans would not have thought this was possible.

West Ham’s European Success

West Ham were one of the highlights of the group stage, qualifying top of the group to avoid the forthcoming playoff round and finishing with 13 points. That was incredibly important for the Hammers, as that means they avoid the big Champions League teams, for now -Âthose who finished second in the group stageÂhave to face one of those.

They averaged almost two goals per game and conceded just three in the group stage, against some good teams for the level and in some tough environments when they played away from home. Their first game was perhaps the toughest, and resulted in a good 2-0 away win over Dinamo Zagreb, to kick off their campaign in style and give the team a lot of confidence.

Premier League Growth

While the top four may be a little out of reach this season, despite a very strong start, the top six is certainly on, and that would mean a return to European football next season, regardless of where they finish in the Europa League. Of course, winning the Europa League would mean a place in the Champions League next season, which would be huge for the club.

The biggest question for West Ham may be whether they can keep up their challenge in both competitions. In theirÂ2-0 loss to Arsenal, West Ham looked a little tired and struggled in the game, things are only going to get worse.

At some point, the club may have to prioritise one over the other and rest some players for a game they would rather not. However, the fact that West Ham are even making these decisions should be seen as a positive to how they have played recently, and where the club currently is.

Image from: unsplash.com

Aston Villa winger Trezeguet could still leave the club over the coming weeks and has interest from Turkey, according to Birmingham Live.

The Lowdown: Trezeguet’s injury-hit season

Trezeguet, who Gregg Evans felt was the ‘scapegoat’ early in his Villa career, has made just one appearance all season.

The Egyptian has missed the majority of the campaign with a knee problem, with Steven Gerrard describing the 27-year-old as a ‘unique situation’ last month.

He’s currently away with his country at the Africa Cup of Nations, where Egypt are in the final against Senegal, and it seems as if his time in the Midlands could be up this month.

The Latest: Interest from Turkey

According to Birmingham Live, Trezeguet may still depart the club this winter and has interest from Turkey, with their transfer window not closing until Tuesday.

He has been included in Gerrard’s revised Premier League squad list for the second half of the season but now has two days to seal a move to Turkey.

The Verdict: Time to go?

Should Trezeguet leave, Gerrard would be left with four wingers, two on either side, which should be more than enough for the remainder of the season. Ollie Watkins has also turned out on the wing under Gerrard, so a move away for Trezeguet could be best for all parties involved.

Johan Lange will have to be quick, though, especially as sides in the Super Lig have until Tuesday to finalise their winter business.

Villa forked out £9m for Trezeguet back in 2019 and he is still valued at that figure, so you’d expect Villa may be looking at recouping the majority of that in any permanent transfer.

In other news: Villa and Lange now set to sign another young gem for Gerrard; personal terms agreed. 

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Manchester City got the first trophy of the season on the board on Sunday, but Liverpool fans have found a reason to be optimistic despite their title rival’s success.

Liverpool clawed themselves back to the top of the league this weekend, drawing 0-0 at Old Trafford in a really poor match.

Manchester United offered very little going forward barring the odd set piece flashed across goal, and Jurgen Klopp’s side were equally incapable of breaking down their opponents.

Meanwhile, their title rivals beat Chelsea on penalties to retain the Carabao Cup, with ex-Red Raheem Sterling scoring the winning spot kick.

It wasn’t all plain sailing for Pep Guardiola’s side though, as both Aymeric Laporte and Fernandinho left Sunday’s cup final, and Guardiola confirmed they could have serious problems.

“(They both) felt something, muscular, they will be out for some weeks,” the Spaniard said, as reported by GOAL.com’s Sam Lee.

Laporte has become City’s most trustworthy centre back this season, while Fernandinho’s absence could be an even bigger loss – the Brazilian missed the defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Everton have been plagued with injury problems so far this season and have seen injuries to some of their most influential players in their side.

Richarlison, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Yerry Mina and Abdoulaye Doucoure have all been side-lined at various points of the first eleven games in the side’s current Premier League campaign, which has quite obviously had an effect on their current form, taking only 15 points from a possible 33.

Rafa Benitez will be relieved that the injury crisis seems to be over, as Richarlison and Mina have both returned to training over the last few weeks, with Doucoure and Calvert Lewin expected back imminently too.

The return of these important and experienced players will be crucial for the Toffees, as the side take on a hard run of games in the lead up to Christmas that could be rather problematic, facing Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea in the next few weeks.

One return that, in particular, is highly anticipated by both the Spanish manager and the fans, is that of midfielder Doucoure.

The 28-year-old has been a huge loss to the side and was praised by former Watford midfielder, David Prentice, recently, talking about his impact to the team and his versatility as a player under Benitez before his recent injury issues.

Prentice told The Royal Blues Podcast;

“Doucoure, who you know, has been a revelation under Rafa Benitez already, a good signing anyway but seems to be playing a very, very different role, just underlined again what he’s got in his armoury.”

Before the attacking midfielder became injured with a foot injury a month ago, he had offered a number of impressive performances scoring two goals and offering clinical direct link up play with the forward line of the team by offering four assists to his attacking teammates in just nine appearances so far.

This kind of aggressive impact and direct attacking threat is something Everton have been lacking since the £120k-per-week Frenchman’s injury in October, and they will be hoping to get him back into the team as soon as possible to unleash his talent on the title challenging sides Everton are preparing to face in the near future.

Doucoure is expected back after the international break, with Fabrizio Romano writing on Twitter:

“Abdoulaye Doucoure injury update. [The] Everton midfielder will be back earlier than expected.

“He’s preparing his comeback in four/four and half weeks, after the international break.

“Finally some good news for Rafa Benitez.”

Rafa Benitez’s side face a challenging fixture this weekend as they travel to the Ethiad to face Premier League Champions, Manchester City, on Sunday afternoon, but following that, Doucoure could be just the man to revive their form ahead of some tough encounters.

In other news: Dominic Calvert-Lewin teases injury return

Aston Villa will be ‘keeping an eye’ on the situation at Burnley following links to winger Dwight McNeil, The Birmingham Mail’s Richard Cusack writes.

The lowdown

Burnley announced on Friday that they had parted company with manager Sean Dyche after 10 years in charge.

The Clarets, 18th in the table and four points from safety with eight games remaining, are facing the prospect of relegation after six seasons in the top flight.

It was Dyche who handed McNeil his debut in 17/18, and the 50-year-old picked him for almost every Premier League match across the last three seasons.

The Athletic’s Andy Jones reported last summer that Steven Gerrard’s predecessor, Dean Smith, had personally scouted McNeil, and Cusack wrote in January that Gerrard could possibly revisit the move this year.

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The latest

Aston Villa are ‘likely’ to be monitoring events at Turf Moor, Cusack writes, because the squad is ‘laden with talent’.

He picks out McNeil as a player Villa are said to admire and says that he ‘might well be available’ come the summer.

However, The Villans would potentially face competition, with other teams ‘no doubt’ considering a move too.

The verdict

McNeil has actually endured something of a difficult season. He’s only managed to record one goal involvement, when in the last three campaigns he’d managed at least seven.

He was even booed by his own supporters during last month’s 4-0 home defeat against Chelsea.

Villa may prefer to focus on how good McNeil can be at his best, whilst simultaneously hoping that this low-key season has driven the £19.8million-rated Englishman’s value down.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has previously described him as a player with ‘real quality’ who should be commanding the attention of sides competing for Europe.

In other news, Pete O’Rourke makes this claim about an attacking target.

Newcastle United feature on Dele Alli’s list of transfer options, according to The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder. 

The lowdown

The 25-year-old’s Spurs future is in doubt after he was left out of Antonio Conte’s matchday squad for Sunday’s visit to Chelsea. The Englishman has started eight league games this season, but hasn’t played a minute of top-flight football since the end of December.

It was reported before the January transfer window that Newcastle would focus on players with Premier League experience. Their first two additions of the month – former Spurs defender Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood from Burnley – both fit that particular bill.

The latest

Sharing a link to his piece in The Chronicle on his personal Twitter feed, Ryder said: “Newcastle remain an option for Dele Alli after midfielder is axed by Tottenham”.

The report stated that the 25-year-old’s agency Base also work with Wood and Trippier, and they enjoy a ‘good rapport’ with the Magpies’ head of recruitment Steve Nickson.

Ryder said that relationship could prove to be ‘key’, but warned that ‘it may be down to’ whether Dele is ready to take on a Premier League relegation battle for the remainder of the season.

The verdict

The big question around Dele is whether he will ever recapture the levels he showed at the start of his Premier League career. In his first three top-flight seasons, he contributed to a hugely impressive 66 goals, but his numbers have dropped markedly since then (via Transfermarkt).

There have been encouraging flashes this season. For example, he produced what The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare called a ‘superb’ performance in a 2-2 draw with Liverpool last month, completing five out of seven dribbles, making four clearances and creating a big chance (via Sofascore).

Also, Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane reckons that Dele could ‘get his career going’ at St James’ Park, where ‘the fans would love him’. It could well be one for Newcastle to strongly consider.

In other news, this trio struggled against Leeds on Saturday

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been slamming the performance of James Tavernier despite their 2-0 win at home to Sparta Prague on Thursday night.

Two goals from Alfredo Morelos were enough to give Giovanni van Bronckhorst his first win as manager at Ibrox, a result which means that they will definitely finish second in the group and go into the next knockout round due to their superior head-to-head record against the Czech side.

However, while there were some good performances for the hosts, captain Tavernier would not have been hugely pleased with his efforts.

The right-back failed to record a single dribble, blocked shot, key pass or accurate cross in the match, while he was also guilty of losing possession of the ball on 27 separate occasions, the most by far out of any player on the pitch (SofaScore).

Rangers fans slam Tavernier

These Rangers fans slammed his performance on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far as to claim that Tavernier was ‘hopeless’ against Sparta:

“Tavernier trying to score an own goal?”

Credit: @douglaspark92

“Honestly though, how bad is Tavernier?”

Credit: @scottelderr

“Get Tavernier substituted. He’s playing like he’s never kicked a ball in his life”

Credit: @Smell_TheGlove

“Tavernier distribution been ropey in defence a few times. Barisic been OK, but not hugely involved either.”

Credit: @adamski152

“Sorry but surely Tavernier has been sussed out at this point.”

Credit: @lfin72

“Tavernier out of position so many times it’s unreal”

Credit: @ianmunr89127700

In other news, find out what Academy news has left these Gers fans gushing