All posts by h716a5.icu

Leeds starlet Alfie McCalmont is making a name for himself whilst on loan at League One side Oldham this season, and Marcelo Bielsa will no doubt be very impressed.

Speaking after he saw the 21-year-old put pen to paper on a new long-term deal to stay at Elland Road, former Leeds man Noel Whelan raved about the midfielder.

He said: “A very good player, great on the ball and a good football mind. He is one that is learning his trade from watching Kalvin and being in and around that first-team setup.

“It is important that these young lads are integrated. It is vital for their progression and to give them confidence to step in when needed because there will be injuries and suspensions. Use them – that is why you have an academy and youth policy.”

And since joining the Latics, McCalmont has been in great form, netting six times and providing a further two assists in 27 league games, including bagging three in the club’s last four.

Whelan also recently lauded the youngster for his impressive start to life on loan at Oldham, saying: “He is a player that is immensely talented and he will do very well for Oldham. The way he plays the game is very intelligent.

“This is not a loan with a view to a permanent move from Leeds, this is a learning process. You have to be mentally tough to go out on loan, especially in League Two because it is more direct and robust compared to what you would get in the Premier League and Championship. He will be learning a lot about his game.”

As Whelan suggests, the whole point of Leeds sending McCalmont to Oldham is to ensure he learns about the game by playing first-team football week-in and week-out, something that would have been hard to come by at Elland Road given the club’s now Premier League status.

But a season away, sharpening his skills and getting attuned to the mental toughness that will surely be gained from playing in League One, will stand the 21-year-old in good stead and will give Bielsa another option in the middle of the park.

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Given how he’s making waves at Oldham, McCalmont will be someone who Bielsa and Leeds will be keeping a close eye on the starlet ahead of the following campaign.

Meanwhile, Leeds must keep this man at all costs this summer…

Sheffield Wednesday are back in Championship action this afternoon as they head to north London to face a promotion favourite in Watford.

Darren Moore’s Owls squad will be in a confident mood after picking up their first win under the current boss, defeating south Yorkshire rivals Barnsley last time out.

However, the Hornets will likely be a massive increase in quality, especially as they have won each of their last five matches, so will the 46-year-old stick with his winning formula or look to make changes?

Here’s our predicted XI, as well as the latest team and injury news from the Hillsborough camp…

There could be as many as three changes from the side which defeated the Tykes before the international break.

Veteran goalkeeper Keiren Westwood has returned to training following injury and is in line to come straight back in, replacing 25-year-old Joe Wildsmith between the sticks.

“Westy has been back in training and we’re putting him through his paces,” explained Moore, via Yorkshire Live. “The pleasing thing for him is the injury has now healed.”

The same goes for versatile midfielder Sam Hutchinson, who had been filling in at centre-back before picking up a hamstring knock prior to the Barnsley game. He is expected to return to the starting XI, with Julian Borner the likely candidate to make way. Hutchinson will partner Tom Lees and Osaze Urhoghide at the back.

The final change could come on the right flank as Kadeem Harris gets the nod over Liam Palmer at wing-back. Both he and Adam Reach offer far more attacking threat, and given the formation deployed, that’s what will be required if the Owls are to stand a chance of picking up a result at Vicarage Road.

It means the rest of the lineup remains the same, so Barry Bannan and Joey Pelupessy continue in the engine room with Callum Paterson slightly further forward, whilst Jordan Rhodes and Josh Windass are paired up top.

AND in other news, Sheffield Wednesday must move on from Jos Luhukay flop this summer…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Lee Hendrie has tipped Watford winger Ismaila Sarr to join Liverpool or another top-six side in the near future.

According to TEAMtalk, both Liverpool and rivals Manchester United were interested in signing Sarr last year in a potential £40m deal. However, in the end, nothing materialised and the 23-year-old ended up staying at Vicarage Road.

He is now spearheading Watford’s promotion push as the Hornets look to make a quick return to the Premier League following their relegation last season, managing to both score and create goals for his side this term.

When asked whether his old side Aston Villa, who were also linked with Sarr last year, should target the player again, Hendrie told FFC:

“I just think when you’re being linked with Liverpool, I personally think that he will end up going to if anything, maybe a top-five club, just because he’s had that sort of talk of him going to Liverpool – maybe they still have that interest.

“I think if he goes anywhere, I mean it’d be great to have a link with him, but personally I think he’d end up going to a top-five club if he was going to go anywhere.”

Signing Premier League talent has certainly worked for Liverpool of late. The Reds signed Diogo Jota from Wolves in the last summer transfer window and the Portuguese attacker has not disappointed, recently dismantling Arsenal in an impressive 3-0 win.

Former Rangers defender Graham Roberts has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that he hopes Steven Gerrard’s men “shut a few people up” by going on to win the domestic double.

The Gers recently secured their first major trophy for a decade when Celtic’s draw at Dundee United last month handed them the Scottish Premiership title.

However, there’s still plenty up for grabs, with Rangers just four games away from going the whole league season unbeaten, although they’ll need to avoid defeat in the fourth Scottish Premiership Old Firm derby of the campaign at Ibrox next month.

But the two Glasgow rivals will meet before then, with the pair meeting in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup on Sunday.

Should Rangers get one over Celtic for the third time this season, they’ll be just three games away from a first double since 2008-2009.

And Roberts, who won two major honours during his two seasons at Ibrox, has urged his former side to go and silence the doubters.

“They haven’t lost a game in the league yet, so hopefully they can go all season without losing a game,” he told the Transfer Tavern.

“And now they’ve been draw at home to Celtic in the cup, so hopefully they can go on and win the double and might shut a few people up.”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who made a combined total of 351 appearances for both West Ham and Newcastle United, has claimed it could be a good time for the Magpies to face the Hammers because of their long list of injuries.

By the end of West Ham’s 3-2 win against Leicester City, David Moyes had an injury list containing Declan Rice, Aaron Cresswell, Michail Antonio and Mark Noble, with the latter getting injured on his 400th appearance for the club.

After their 3-0 defeat against relegation rivals Brighton, Newcastle have reverted to a back three, something they have played frequently since returning back to the Premier League in 2017 and they are unbeaten since ditching the split striker system.

Speaking on why this could be a good time for Newcastle to face West Ham and how the Hammers still have players that can cause Newcastle problems, Lee told FFC:

“You would say it is a good time but it’s all momentum and confidence which West Ham seem to have at the moment and Jesse Lingard is on fire, but they have got players missing.

“They’ve got players that can come in and do well so it’s going to be a tough game. You can take it one way as they’ve got a few injuries so it’s a good time to play them, but don’t forget they’re going for the Champions League.”

Both sides will see it as a chance to move closer to their respective targets – a win could move Newcastle nine points clear of the relegation zone whereas a win for the Hammers would confirm their place in the top four for another week.

Steve Bruce has a big decision to make over whether or not both Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin are fit enough to start, or if they will be given another cameo from the bench.

Charlton Athletic bolstered their promotion hopes with an emphatic victory over Plymouth Argyle earlier this week, with the three points moving the side up into the playoff zone.

It also stretched their unbeaten run to ten games, which could prove to be a game-changer when the post-season swings around as they are proving to be undefeatable right now.

And Nigel Adkins deserves plenty of credit as he has continued that run of form despite taking over from Lee Bowyer last month.

On Tuesday night, he made a bold call to axe – or rest – one of his star performers, Ryan Inniss and evidently, it paid dividends as they kept a clean sheet on their way to a storming 6-0 victory.

Having signed in the summer, the 25-year-old has endured a campaign blighted by injury and after missing 27 straight league games, including Adkins’ first match in charge against AFC Wimbledon.

But he stepped in to keep a clean sheet against Doncaster Rovers, looked just as solid against promotion rivals Sunderland and Ipswich struggled to score past him, too.

Therefore to drop him in midweek was certainly a major call to make with him rounding back into form himself.

Speaking after clinching the 6 foot 5 titan in the summer, Bowyer waxed lyrical about his ability to the club’s official website, he said:

“It has been difficult as there are not many right-footed centre-halves out there but we have managed to get a very good one. Ryan is a winner, it is important when you have players like that at the back, and he’s a leader, an organiser and in that centre-half position that is what we were looking for.”

As per WhoScored ratings, the 25-year-old colossus (7.33) is only second to Jayden Stockley (7.48) and is also proving to be a huge aerial threat in this side, again ranking behind the target man striker (9.8) for aerial duels won (6.8) this term.

In his place, Adkins opted for Norwich City loanee Akin Famewo and he delivered alongside skipper Jason Pearce.

The 22-year-old gem was graded amongst the Addicks’ star performers with a 7.6 rating, better than the rest of the backline and only bettered by the goalscoring Stockley.

Famewo was a commanding presence, recording a game-high three blocks, putting his body on the line to deny Argyle a goal despite his side romping to an easy victory.

Whilst the young defender also put in four clearances and two interceptions, on top of winning 100% of his battles in the air, as per SofaScore.

The decision to rest Inniss for Famewo certainly turned out to be a blinding call from Adkins, and that’ll be good to know should the former Palace graduate pick up another injury or if further rotation is needed.

AND in other news, Addicks outcast fired Nigel Adkins a timely reminder this week…

Former Newcastle United star Keith Gillespie believes fans will be braced for the possibility of the club’s star players leaving this summer if they do suffer relegation, telling Football FanCast it is “virtually impossible” to keep them in that situation.

The Magpies were in trouble just a few weeks ago, but after taking seven points from a possible nine they are now in a more comfortable situation.

Still, Steve Bruce’s side face difficult run-in on paper that sees them Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester City and Manchester City, which means there is no room for complacency. They end their season with games versus rock-bottom Sheffield United and, perhaps pivotally, Fulham.

Dropping through the trap door might encourage a firesale of assets this summer, with owner Mike Ashley looking to balance the books.

And Gillespie believes that supporters will expect that if the club do go down, with the big clubs swooping in to snaffle away a few bargains.

Newcastle were last relegated in the 2015/16 season and they subsequently saw Georginio Wijnaldum move to Liverpool, Moussa Sissoko to Tottenham Hotspur, and Andros Townsend to Crystal Palace, while Remy Cabella, Daryl Janmaat, Papiss Cisse, and Cheick Tiote also departed.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Gillespie, who played for the club between 1995 and 1998, said: “I think fans are realistic that when a club does go down they’ve got to think, ‘well we’re going to lose our best players because all the clubs are going to want them.’

“When clubs do go down, it’s so difficult to hang on to your best players, it’s virtually impossible to hang on to them.

“You’ve got bids coming in, you’ve got to think about the money you’re losing from not being in the Premier League.

“They want to balance the books and if big offers come in for your players, you have to look at it and inevitably it does happen where the players do leave. As I say, fans are realistic, your best players are not going to be there if you’re not in the top division, that’s quite obvious.”

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that Ross Barkley’s Chelsea career might not be over.

£96,000-a-week Barkley, who’s currently on loan at Aston Villa, has never been a regular at Stamford Bridge following his move from Everton, but hasn’t yet been given the opportunity to work under new manager Thomas Tuchel after Frank Lampard loaned him out.

His spell at Villa Park started in excellent fashion after the midfielder, who marked his debut by netting in the thumping win over Liverpool before scoring a late winner at Leicester two weeks later.

But a hamstring problem over Christmas has threatened to overshadow Barkley’s campaign – with the England man now currently out of Dean Smith’s side having been on the bench for Aston Villa’s previous eight Premier League matches.

Barkley looks likely to return to Stamford Bridge this summer, and Windass believes that a clean slate with Blues manager Tuchel could see him come into the German’s plans next season.

He told Football FanCast:

“It’s a new manager, he’s not been with Tuchel. You get a pre-season down you. The Chelsea manager will want his own players in. Ross Barkley is a talented young boy and he might be Tuchel’s cup of tea.

“I would be saying to myself – try and get into the team at Villa until the end of the season. Go back to Chelsea, get a good pre-season down me and prove to the manager that I am a good player and things can turn around very quickly.”

In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, Rob Lee, who made 18 appearances for West Ham, admits he doesn’t think Issa Diop is worth the £60 million West Ham were quoting for him last season, despite having a good campaign.

The Hammers put a £60 million price tag on Diop’s head last summer to put off reported interest from Arsenal, which worked as the Frenchman stayed at the London Stadium.

In January, David Moyes was happy to let the £67,000 per week defender leave on loan but they never managed to reach an agreement with any clubs, and it remains to be seen whether the 24-year old is in the manager’s long term plans.

Speaking on why Diop is not worth £60 million and how he can’t expect to leave easily this summer, Lee told FFC:

“He’s had a good season but would I pay £60 million for him? No. I don’t think he pulled up any trees last year and he has done very well this year but he’s been in a good team.

“He has done well, but why because he has had one good season should he be looking to leave a club that stood by him when he wasn’t great last year?”

The Hammers have lost a bit of their momentum since Declan Rice’s injury having recently lost back-to-back games against Newcastle United and Chelsea.

West Ham have already signed a defender for next season as the club made Craig Dawson’s loan deal a permanent one for just £2 million from Watford.

Whenever a new manager walks through the door at Celtic, they will have little opportunity to get to grips with their surroundings at Parkhead.

That’s because the Bhoys’ playing squad is in dire need of being repaired.

On the chalkboard

The biggest concern from Celtic’s diabolical season is their defence. They have shipped 16 more goals than their biggest rivals Rangers and also conceded 19 times in just six Europa League outings.

It has been a wretched campaign which has been summed up by two lacklustre displays in the space of a few weeks against the Gers.

They were demolished 4-1 in the league last weekend in a performance which lacked urgency, authority and composure. Those qualities were also missing in the 2-0 defeat in the Scottish Cup fourth round – on that occasion, it was Diego Laxalt who was made to rue some unforgivable errors.

The AC Milan loanee was completely out of the picture as Rangers charged down his side of the pitch for the opener and then for the second, he was turned inside out in embarrassing fashion by Joe Aribo.

Laxalt’s defensive qualities have left a lot to be desired for vast portions of the campaign and it would be surprising if we saw him back at Parkhead next term.

The solution

Celtic have seen a number of high-class left-backs escape their clutches in years gone by. The Hoops famously let Andy Robertson leave the club when he was just 15, while Aaron Hickey is another defender they should have kept at Lennoxtown.

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Two years ago, Kieran Tierney departed the club in a deal worth £25m. Ever since the Arsenal defender left, they haven’t looked assured on that side of the pitch, and that’s why they should revive their interest in Josh Doig this summer.

Celtic were interested in signing the 18-year-old during the winter months, and if they decide against bringing Laxalt back, it’s Doig to whom they must turn.

The teenager has enjoyed a breakthrough season with Hibernian and has been named alongside David Turnbull as a nominee for the Young Player of the Season. A move to Celtic would be just desserts for an eye-catching campaign in which he’s shown similar attributes to Tierney going forward.

Speaking about Doig this season, former Celtic assistant manager John Collins said: “I have enjoyed watching his appetite, his desire to get forward. He’s a player that, when you watch him, he 100% sprints up and back again. That’s something you don’t often see and it catches your eye. He’s got that real desire to get up and support.”

Collins added: “He still has to work on his final delivery into the box, but he’s shown enormous potential.”

Doig already possesses almost all of the attributes you require from a modern full-back, but crucially, he can also defend astutely – the young Scot has won the same number of tackles per game (1.7) as Laxalt. That said, it’s worth considering how young he is and that number will only grow larger the better and more confident he gets.

He would certainly seem a marvellous pick-up this summer if they can beat others to his signature.

AND in other news, Celtic can sign ideal Elyounoussi heir in £80k-p/w titan with “breathtaking technique”…