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As rumours continue to fly around the January transfer window, Celtic find themselves linked to Stoke City’s Tom Ince. According to Football League World, the Hoops are monitoring his situation as he finds himself out of favour at the bet365 Stadium.

However, despite the right wing being a position the reigning Premiership champions are desperate to fill, signing Ince will not have the desired effect.

Celtic must hold off on Ince

The Bhoys are without one single recognised senior right winger and have been playing the likes of David Turnbull and Jeremie Frimpong in this position instead. Whilst they aren’t short of creativity from the likes of Turnbull, Ryan Christie and Mohamed Elyounoussi, Celtic must broaden their options in attack.

According to Transfermarkt, Ince has made just seven appearances for the Potters this season and has been reduced to mainly cameo spells. His last outing was against Nottingham Forest and he was brought on for just nine minutes before the end of the match.

Last season, the 28-year-old missed just eight appearances in the Championship term but still only managed to contribute three goals and two assists, which is a poor return for a winger. Celtic are in need of a prolific creator and goalscorer who can help orchestrate their attack and break down opponents.

This is something they’ve struggled with as of late, as they have only managed to register one single win in their last five appearances. The reigning champions, who were on course for their tenth consecutive title, have fallen to the likes of Livingston and Hibernian – opposition sides that they really should be beating.

Nick Hammond must recruit someone who has impressive goal contribution numbers and not another version of Jonny Hayes. Whilst Ince’s £2.5million rating is quite tempting, he is too similar to the former Hoop.

As per Transfermarkt, Hayes managed just two goals and seven assists in 68 total appearances for Celtic. With Ince’s stats for Stoke, the Bhoys run the risk of having a repeat of the past if they sign him this window.

In other news, Celtic will be faced with huge problems if Kris Ajer leaves the club…

To suggest that Rafa Mir’s time at Wolves has been a disaster would be putting it lightly.

The Spaniard has played just four times for the senior side and has struggled to ever really make an impression on Nuno Santo.

In fact, he has found life difficult in England as a whole. Mir hasn’t scored in English football and endured a dismal loan spell at Nottingham Forest, where he didn’t find the net.

However, back in his native Spain, the 23-year-old has been a joy to watch this season. He is finally making an impression and because of that, Nuno should be taking note.

Mir has always been highly thought of. The very fact he had two years in Barcelona’s famous La Masia is evidence of that. Though, like a lot of players that pass through their gates, he has not achieved much since departing.

The striker hasn’t lived up to his true billing and he hasn’t met expectations either. When he penned terms in January 2018, former Wolves star Diogo Jota said; “He’ll be a good signing for us.”

That has been anything but the case. Mir has struggled with the language and has never settled in the Midlands.

Unfortunately, the forward’s time at Wolves could be coming to an end just as his career takes off. On loan at Huesca, the Spanish outfit have an option to buy the player.

Though, if Nuno and Jeff Shi have any sense, they will try and convince him to stay. After all, his form this season dictates he could be a valuable option for the club next term. Wolves have their own option to buy Willian Jose who is currently on loan from Real Sociedad but by bringing Mir back in the summer, they could save a fair amount of cash in the transfer market.

Wolves supporters are unlikely to be convinced by the striker but he has been a force in Spain this season. In total, Mir has racked up nine strikes in just 22 outings. Six of those have come courtesy of recent hat-tricks.

The tall and quick attacker knocked three goals past CD Marchamalo in the Copa del Rey in December before scoring another trio of goals when Huesca defeated Real Valladolid last Friday.

Mir was in inspired form, demonstrating attractive all-round qualities. He completed both of the dribbles he attempted and won a colossal six aerial duels. Based on that, he feels like the complete striker. He is quick, physical and importantly, he can now find the net.

With Raul Jimenez injured for the last 14 games, Wolves have won just four matches. One of the reasons they’ve struggled so much is down to a lack of firepower. Fabio Silva has scored twice all campaign for instance.

Thus, Mir could give Nuno’s men some much-needed firepower in 2021/22. He must be given the chance.

AND in other news, Forget Jota: £75k-p/w ace who goes “under the radar” has been a bigger miss for Wolves…

Celtic move a step closer to closing the gap on runaway Premiership leaders Rangers thanks to their Wednesday win over Ross County. The reigning champions secured a convincing 2-0 win over the Staggies, who remain bottom of the table having won just three matches this season.

It’s a big ask for Neil Lennon and co to go on and win this term’s title, but they have enough time for their luck to turn. They also have strong players who have been impressing in recent weeks. One man who will be crucial in any potential Celtic comeback is Ryan Christie.

The midfielder has got many singing his praises since he helped Scotland secure their qualification for the Euros. His hard work and skill on the ball left Chris Sutton in awe, describing him as a “manager’s dream” in a recent column for the Daily Record.

Ryan Christie vs Ross County

Not only did Christie provide the assist to set up Leigh Griffiths’ goal, but he put in a superb shift in the middle of the park. According to Sofascore, the 25-year-old made four key passes, five tackles and completed 100% of his attempted dribbles.

His enviable balance between his attacking contributions and his ability to defend is what makes him a driving force in Lennon’s engine room. Christie is one of the only players who has survived the manager’s recent changes in his lineup. Even Scott Brown has been axed from the starting XI on several occasions, but Christie is a player that Lennon simply cannot afford to keep on the bench.

The Scotland international has been linked to a potential move away from Glasgow, with both Leeds United and Leicester showing keen interest in his services. There will be a gaping hole in this Celtic squad if the £5.8million-rated workhorse is to leave the club. Fans will certainly be heartbroken if he leaves, especially during these recent tough times.

In other news, Odsonne Edouard was disappointing yet again vs Ross County…

Glasgow Rangers fans were far from happy with the commentary of Stephen Craigan during their 3-2 win over Standard Liege in the Europa League on Thursday.

The three points secured the Gers’ place in the round of 32. Goals from Connor Goldson, James Tavernier and Scott Arfield got the job done after Liege twice went ahead. The Ibrox outfit can secure top spot next week with a win over bottom-placed Lech Poznan in Group D.

The match was shown on BT Sport in the UK, and that meant Craigan was in charge of the match commentary. He made a couple of mistakes – mainly being surprised that Jermain Defoe was not included despite him not actually being in the Europa League squad – and that was more than enough for the Gers fans to hammer him, with one supporter even labelling him an ‘idiot’.

They took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts… look away now Stephen.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Craigan below

In other news, Rangers fans were enraged by this Ewan Murray tweet.

Glasgow Rangers boss Steven Gerrard believes the club are not “totally through the woods” when it comes to Alfredo Morelos’ future, but the Gers must keep him at all costs.

What’s the word? 

According to The Glasgow Times, Gerrard admitted the ordeal is far from over. He said: “On many occasions, it was a thing I had to manage from day to day because I didn’t know myself whether there was going to be a bid for him or whether he was going to be sold.

“He’s a fantastic player and he’s still in the door. So we will use that to our benefit. How long he is going to be here for I don’t know. There are still certain windows open so I don’t think we are totally out of the woods just yet.

“But from a selfish point of view, I want as many good players available to me from now till the end of the season as I can because it will give me a better chance of being successful. Selfishly, I am happy.”

Much has been made of Morelos’ future at the Ibrox outfit after Rangers rejected an approach from an unnamed Serie A side for the 6-cap Colombia international in the summer. It’s claimed that he wants a brand new contract in return for his loyalty, and Ross Wilson must offer him a bumper new deal to fend off interest from elsewhere.

McCoist 2.0?

Morelos, who is rated at £20m according to The Daily Record, may have been unable to get rid of his derby duck but this didn’t stop him from finishing on the winning side on Saturday. He somehow evaded even a caution after four fouls in the first half.

Speaking to The Sunday Post, Fabio Capello called him an “excellent” player amid interest from AC Milan. The former England manager said “From what I have seen of Morelos myself, I think he is a very strong player, both physically and technically.

“I know the club very well. Ricky Massara and Paolo Maldini (the club’s sporting and technical directors) are very good at their jobs, and if they are following him, then I am sure they consider him to be an excellent player.”

Standing at 1.77m tall, the Colombian is hardly an imposing figure, but he has shown that he is more than capable of holding his own. In fact, Ally McCoist, who is the club’s top goalscorer, was also famous for his aggressive style of play. The legendary Scotsman, who is only slightly taller at 1.78m tall, scored 21 goals in 56 games in Europe.

It’d be a bit of a stretch to say that Morelos is on the same level as McCoist, but he certainly seems to be on the right track. He scored a double in the 5-0 second qualifying round win over Lincoln Red Imps, which means that he has now scored 20 goals in the Europa League over the last three seasons.

Every great forward needs confidence, that’s for sure. The confidence to score goals, the confidence to challenge for the ball, the confidence to confront defenders – these are all of the key ingredients for a successful centre forward. Morelos isn’t exactly of short of confidence, as he has shown on multiple occasions so far.

It’s hard to remember the last time Rangers had a truly world-class player within their ranks. Morelos might not be there just yet, as he still has to work on some aspects of his game. But that doesn’t mean that he isn’t all that far away from being considered to be one of the best centre-forwards in the world.

At any rate, if the Gers are to regain their title, we suspect the Colombian will play his part. Get it done, Gers!

AND in other news, Rangers must keep James Tavernier after Celtic masterclass…

After scraping by Newport County in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, Newcastle return to Premier League action on Saturday as they take on Burnley at St James’ Park.

Steve Bruce made numerous changes to his starting line-up for the midweek clash against the League Two side, and will surely turn back to a much stronger eleven for the visit of the Clarets.

But despite needing penalties to overcome Newport, one or two players did put in the kinds of performances that may give Bruce a welcome selection headache.

And with that in mind, below is a look at how the Magpies could line up against Burnley.

In goal, Karl Darlow should resume goalkeeping duties after stepping aside for Mark Gillespie for the Carabao Cup game. However, in front of him, Bruce could be forced into making some changes, with injury concerns over the likes of Jamaal Lascelles and Emil Krafth.

If the duo do end up missing out, then Fabian Schar could return to the defence to partner Federico Fernandez, with Jamal Lewis and Javier Manquillo flanking them as the two full-backs.

And after opting to go with a back-five against Tottenham last weekend against Tottenham, Bruce may turn back to a more traditional back-four against Burnley.

That could see Isaac Hayden move into his more natural central midfield position, with Jonjo Shelvey and summer signing Jeff Hendrick completing the trio.

And in a major boost for the Magpies, Bruce confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Allan Saint-Maximin could finally be in contention to play after missing action thanks to an injury.

The Frenchman could end up replacing Miguel Almiron, whilst Jacob Murphy’s impressive performances could see him being rewarded with a starting spot over Joelinton.

Saint-Maximin and Murphy are likely to be joined in attack by another of Newcastle’s summer signings, Callum Wilson.

Predicted XI: Darlow; Manquillo, Schar, Fernandez, Lewis; Hayden, Shelvey, Hendrick; Saint-Maximin, Murphy, Wilson.

Liverpool appear to be back in the hunt for a player that Brendan Rodgers wanted to replace Steven Gerrard back in 2013.

What’s the word?

According to FCInterNews, the Premier League champions are one of several teams keen on signing Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic.

It’s claimed that the Serie A outfit could consider a sale if his €60m (£55m) release clause is met, although the Reds haven’t yet made an official move or bid for the World Cup finalist.

They also suggest that Jurgen Klopp is a keen admirer of Brozovic, so with doubts over Gigi Wijnaldum’s long-term future at the club, could this be an ideal move to make?

Gerrard 2.0?

It’s interesting to learn of Liverpool’s interest in the Croatian midfielder as Rodgers tried to land him back in 2013 as Gerrard edged closer to the end of his Anfield career.

Ironically, Brozovic has actually been likened to Frank Lampard in the past due to his box-to-box abilities as he’s particularly strong in the tackle, can make late runs into the box and has an eye for goal.

This certainly bears hallmarks to the Liverpool legend himself.

Dario Simic has lauded him as “among the best in the world” in his position whilst current boss Antonio Conte believes Brozovic can become “world-class”.

The 27-year-old has enjoyed an impressive season too, managing three goals and seven assists whilst averaging 2.2 tackles, 1.6 shots and 1.2 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

That merely emphasises his abilities akin to Gerrard.

Klopp can’t rest on his laurels after clinching that maiden Premier League trophy, he must continue to improve the squad and Brozovic would certainly help that big time.

AND in other news, Liverpool fans slam links to reported PL transfer target…

Leeds United have finally been promoted.

Unfortunately, one man who didn’t get to experience that joyous moment with United was Pontus Jansson.

Indeed, the Swede was sold to Brentford in the summer, and despite the hectic celebrations we saw at Elland Road last week, you can’t help but feel things would have been just a bit wilder if Jansson had been there as well.

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The club meant so much to the defender during his time in Yorkshire, the evident dejection after last season’s playoff loss showed just how desperate he was to go up with Leeds.

However, despite reportedly leaving the club under some less than amicable circumstances with reports of Marcelo Bielsa losing patience with him still circulating to this day, he did something admirable after United’s promotion last week.

What’s been said then?

Phil Hay once again found himself talking about Jansson almost 12 months on from his departure.

The journalist was discussing Jansson and Bielsa’s fall out, but he then interestingly dropped what the former United star did immediately after his former club’s promotion.

“It was a case of reaching the end of the line, Bielsa was tired of him, tired of his character, and Jansson went for what was quite a low fee, £5m to Brentford, and I actually think that’s been a great signing for them and I still think they have a great chance of going up.” He said (The Phil Hay Show 33:00)

“You’re right, it’s a bit symptomatic of what went on against Derby at the end of that second leg last season. The only thing I would say about Jansson in his defence is that he was one of the people who text the players at Leeds right away after their promotion last Friday, so did (Kemar) Roofe as well.

Commendable

It truly is admirable for a man who has been branded as selfish like Jansson to text his former teammates straight after they’d secured one of the automatic promotion spots that his Brentford team were chasing.

It shows maturity to do such a thing, he could easily have wallowed in his own pity watching his former side achieve something he’s been trying and failing to do for so long, but he genuinely seems happy for them, and it’s great to see that he has still got that relationship with his former teammates.

Say what you will about Jansson, but this was a classy move and one he didn’t need to make.

After signing the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire and Daniel James last summer, it’s unsurprising to hear new reports that Manchester United are yet again looking to target young, British players in this upcoming transfer window.

According to The Daily Mirror, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have earmarked a potential £20m move for Swansea defender Joe Rodon, with club legend and current Wales boss Ryan Giggs playing a major part in recommending him to the club.

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The report claims that Solskjaer wants to strengthen his defence this summer, and that Giggs is a “big fan” of Rodon – the United icon also urged the club to sign Daniel James from Swansea last year too.

After hearing about the links to the Championship ace, United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

One United fan simply insisted that the links to Rodon showed that the Red Devils are “becoming a second rate club”.

Whilst James’ form tailed off considerably in the second-half of the Premier League campaign, he did start the season on fire, notching three times in his first four top-flight games.

There does appear to be reasonable value for money in young players making a name for themselves in the Championship, and Rodon could be yet another starlet who does just that.

It seems Giggs is beginning to have a real influence on the club’s transfer policy even without being at the club.

MatériaMais Notícias

Recém-chegado a Europa, o lateral-direito Paulo Victor, segue acompanhando o futebol brasileiro. O jogador de apenas 21 anos, que defendeu as cores do Botafogo e Ceará, falou sobre a torcida para esses dois clubes nessa reta final de ano. O Glorioso é líder do Brasileirão e está na final da Libertadores, enquanto o Vozão segue a cinco pontos do Mirassol – quarto colocado da Série B -, e mantém o sonho do acesso para a primeira divisão.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasVascoCom surpresas, Vasco divulga lista de relacionados para o clássico contra o BotafogoVasco05/11/2024

+Botafogo lança quarta camisa da temporada em homenagem à torcida; veja fotos

– Tenho acompanhado o futebol brasileiro e torcendo demais para o Botafogo conquistar o brasileiro e a libertadores e o Ceará o acesso para poder voltar a série A. São dois clubes que merecem e batalharam por esses objetivos. Botafogo está jogando um futebol muito bonito e o Ceará merece retornar para elite e disputar grandes jogos. Tenho muitos amigos lá e sei o quanto estão batalhando por isso -, afirmou.

Com apenas quatro jogos no Faraense, de Portugal, Paulo Victor fez uma breve análise sobre as diferenças entre o futebol português e o brasileiro. Além disso, PV também foi questionado a respeito da dificuldade sobre idioma e nova cultura:

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– O português é difícil de entender daqui, eles usam muitas palavras que os brasileiros não usam e falam muito rápido. Em relação à culinária, aqui tem muito mercado e restaurante brasileiro, aí fica mais fácil a adaptação. Estou gostando, acredito também que tudo é um processo, aos poucos. O importante é entender que morar longe de família e amigos faz parte da carreira. Sobre o estilo de jogo, em Portugal o futebol é mais corrido sem muitos dribles, mais tático! Já no Brasil tem mais dribles e posicional. É um estilo de jogo diferente, mas nada que com o tempo o atleta não consiga se encaixar. Cada país tem sua cultura de jogar dentro das quatro linhas. Isso é normal. Não significa que aqui seja ruim -, finalizou.

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