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Celtic will be hoping that tonight’s match against Lille will see them bounce back to winning ways. The Hoops have now gone three games without a victory, rocked by the defeat Rangers handed them at Celtic Park.

Neil Lennon has come under fire for the recent run of form and this evening will be his chance to prove his critics wrong. He has been chopping and changing his lineups throughout this season and could field yet another surprise XI in France.

Football FanCast has predicted how Lennon might opt to set up this time…

Despite shipping three goals against Aberdeen, the boss is likely to stick with his decision to replace Vasilis Barkas with Scott Bain. The Greece international has been disappointing this season and will need to work hard to regain his place in the starting lineup.

Back-up option Bain will be protected by usual duo Kristoffer Ajer and Shane Duffy and Lennon should consider fielding Nir Bitton, after a surprise back four option against the Dons didn’t work out.

Bitton has been confirmed to be in contention for tonight’s clash after returning from a positive coronavirus case.

The Celtic attack is an area that seems to be constantly under review by Lennon. Since the Rangers clash, a double strike force, lone striker, and front four has been deployed in order to search for a winning method. However, these worries could be put at rest today as Odsonne Edouard also rejoins training alongside Bitton.

The Frenchman has five goal contributions in seven Premiership appearances so far and has been a huge miss for the Hoops. The £13.5million-rated forward’s return to the action today could be the boost Lennon has been longing for and could be the difference between a win and a draw against Lille.

Ryan Christie has been impressing recently and could earn another start to support to two strikers, with Tom Rogic axed despite the fact he assisted twice against Aberdeen. Christie’s penalty against Aberdeen ensured Celtic came away with a point and could be crucial in their European battle.

In other news, Celtic foolish not to sign Scott McTominay amid Neil Lennon crisis…

Name: Pau Torres

Club: Villarreal

Date of Birth: 16 January 1997

Position: Centre-back

PAU TORRES – HIS CAREER SO FAR

Pau Torres is currently one of the most marketable and sought-after centre-backs in La Liga. Villarreal’s 23-year-old defender has been a mainstay in Javier Calleja’s 2019/20 campaign that saw the Yellow Submarine clinch a European spot to compete in Europa League next season. Of course, Calleja still got fired and will now be replaced by the former Arsenal man, Unai Emery.

But one thing is unlikely to change and that’s Torres’ big role in the gala XI, if Villarreal manage to retain him for next season, that is. But throughout his young career, the 23-year-old has mostly been faithful to the Yellow Submarine and has been a great servant to their badge since his early years. The local boy has been a part of the Villarreal youth setup ever since he was a kid and one of the club’s best prospects to break through the barrier and make it with the seniors.

His debut for the B squad arrived back in 2016 when he started a match that would eventually end in a 0-1 defeat at home to UE Cornella. A couple of months later, Torres scored his first goal for the squad despite being a centre-back by trade. And this time, Villarreal would get at least a point for their troubles in a 2-2 draw with CF Badalona. But that year wasn’t quite finished with the youngster yet.

On 20 December, he was called up by the first-team for a Copa del Rey clash and he even made his debut right there and then, coming on as a late substitute as his team registered a 1-1 draw with CD Toledo. With that appearance, he became the first local boy to debut for the club in 13 years long years, breaking quite an impressive record on the way.

Still, that was the first step towards what would become a stellar journey for the youngster. A year later, he got his La Liga debut against Sevilla but Villarreal would suffer a 2-3 defeat at the hands of the Andalusian squad. However, ten days later, Torres made his bow in Europa League, starting and finishing the clash against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The 2018/19 season was then spent on loan at Malaga but he would return to Villarreal for the following campaign, cementing his place as one of the most important cogs in the Yellow Submarine’s jigsaw. Now, despite being only 23 years of age, Torres is undoubtedly one of the brightest players at the club.

TRANSFER LATEST

According to some latest transfer news, Torres is on the radar of some big European clubs. And apparently, Manchester United are one of them as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to further improve his defensive line and find a partner for his centre-back star, Harry Maguire.

However, if the transfer news are to be believed, Villarreal will not part with Torres that easily and since he has four years left on his contract and is also being courted by many other teams, it will be interesting to see how the Red Devils go about striking this deal.

In some other Villarreal transfer news, it was said that the buyers will definitely have to trigger the player’s release clause because the Yellow Submarine is still very much reluctant to part with their academy product.

PLAYER PROFILE

Torres is very much a modern centre-back in making. The young defender is calm and composed when engaging his markers and is very good in registering successful defensive actions overall. But his best qualities can also be seen when he’s actually in possession of the ball. Torres is a ball-playing centre-back, meaning that he somewhat strays away from that traditional prototype defender.

His excellent passing range and the ability to progress play into the advanced zones of the pitch is something clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid value quite highly, hence their reported interest in the 23-year-old. And seeing how he’s both a great defender and also a great facilitator, it’s just a matter of time before big teams start knocking on Villarreal’s door far more often.

Charlie Nicholas has said that Alfredo Morelos is becoming a headache for Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard.

The Colombia international has been a fantastic signing for the Gers since making the move to Ibrox in 2017 for £1.08m, scoring 79 goals in 142 matches, but his future is up in the air following recent reports saying that he has agreed personal terms with Ligue 1 side Lille. Despite this intense speculation, though, he has started every game for the 54-time Scottish champions in the Premiership this term.

Writing in The Daily Express (via The Daily Record), Nicholas said:

“Alfredo Morelos is currently a bigger headache to Rangers manager Steven Gerrard than he is to opposition defences. If I was Gerrard I would be asking why are we keeping him?

“The Rangers manager has spent on Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten because he believes in them. Rangers have paid good money for them so Gerrard will want them in his team.

“The issue just now is that he feels he has to keep Morelos in his starting XI. If he doesn’t then he will lose value and the other issue is how will he impact the squad if he is not playing?

“I know Gerrard said Morelos’s head had been turned by Lille’s interest, but, out with the St Mirren game, he has looked a shadow of his former self.”

Nicholas does raise a good point – Morelos has said himself that if a good offer comes in from another league, it is something he would have to consider, which does not exactly sound like the words of a player who is committed to the cause at Ibrox.

In the first four matches of the league campaign, Morelos has scored twice, but they both came in the same game versus St. Mirren – given they are said to be looking for a fee of around £20m for the 24-year-old, surely he should be doing more.

With Itten and Roofe waiting in the wings, Gerrard has enough firepower if Morelos does depart. Hopefully, the situation resolves itself soon for all involved.

Let us know what you think below!

Loads of Everton fans have been gushing as Rob Harris shared some news on his official Twitter page that UEFA are relaxing the rules of Financial Fair Play due to the negative impact that the global pandemic has had financially on several football teams around the world.

As per the journalist, the footballing body are set to postpone their break-even assessments for the 2019/20 season in the wake of the crisis, as they will now not come into play until the next campaign.

Several of the Merseyside faithful seem to think that this could be a good thing for them, as targets could potentially become cheaper and more money could be spent if FFP is less strict.

It is perhaps fair to say that the transfer spending of the Toffees has not always been up to scratch in recent years, for example in the 2017/18 term the Blues had a net spend of £69.14 million but only finished in eighth place in the Premier League table, outside of the automatic European spots.

Nevertheless, these EFC supporters see it as a possible opportunity to have a successful transfer window and try and thus climb higher up the league:

Evertonians, will Ancelotti go on a spending spree this summer? Comment below!

Key information about St. James’ Park

St. James’ Park was built in 1880 and is now the home of Newcastle United. The ground is located in Newcastle upon Tyne in England and is one of the oldest association football grounds in the country.

Being the largest stadium in the North-East, St. James’ Park has a capacity of 52,338 and a pitch that measures 110m by 73m with a hybrid turf covering it.

The record attendance of 68,386 spectators was set in 1930 for a clash against Chelsea.

A history of St. James’ Park

Even though Newcastle have used it as their safe haven since 1892, football was played at St. James’ Park as early as 1880 when it housed Newcastle Rangers. The next tenants were Newcastle West End and following their merger with Newcastle East End, Newcastle United were born, settling at St. James’ Park in 1892.

Interestingly enough, the Magpies are now known for their black-and-white colours but Newcastle United actually played in red and white until as late as 1904 when they finally switched to their iconic outfits. As for the stadium’s layout, the first developments were made when the initial stands were introduced with an all-standing area that comprised 30,000 places at Gallowgate End.

In 1905, it doubled in capacity with the addition of a Main Stand along with other stands, making it a state-of-the-art stadium that even included a swimming pool. In the decade between 1920 and 1930, there were huge plans for redevelopment but following some planning disputes, Newcastle would only erect a small roof over the Leazes Terrace side, now known as the Sir John Hall Stand.

In 1950s, they got floodlights but nothing of note was done at St. James’ Park in the following years due to more planning disputes and financial reasons, culminating in an idea to relocate to a different ground altogether. Still, that was also shelved and in 1971, an agreement to develop was finally reached. This would result in an improvement to the existing stands, some of which were demolished, replaced and renamed as well.

The major improvements, however, arrived with the club’s takeover by Sir John Hall, who invested heavily in the stadium with the first expansion coming in 1993 as the Sir John Hall stand was erected, the Gallowgate End was rebuilt, the Milburn Stand refurbished and a new pitch, drainage and floodlights also installed.

In the late 1990s, the club almost vacated St. James’ Park and moved into Leazes Park to the north. Everything was already in place but the protests and some political bickering resulted in Newcastle redeveloping their current home instead. Some years later, the expansion started with the capacity booming once again as the stands were demolished and replaced. The construction finished in 2000 after an investment of £42m, resulting in a new capacity of 52,143.

In 2005 the Gallowgate was redeveloped and the club added a bar named Shearer’s after club icon Alan Shearer. There were further expansion plans in 2007 and once Mike Ashley took over the club, new works on St. James’ Park were started. Interestingly, the stadium’s name was also changed on multiple occasions due to naming rights.

The ground was modernised over the years with little improvements here and there and it will be interesting to see what the reported new owners decide is best for St. James’ Park in the near future.

Tickets to watch Newcastle United at St. James’ Park

All tickets to watch Newcastle United at St. James’ Park can be found on the club’s official website. The prices do vary depending on multiple factors but the adult ticket costs around £30.

The Magpies also offer memberships and a season ticket scheme to their fans as well.

Related links

https://www.nufc.co.uk/ – Official website of Newcastle United

https://www.nufc.co.uk/tickets/ – Newcastle United Ticket Office

https://www.nufc.co.uk/club/history/history-of-our-home/ – The history of St. James’ Park

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Amidst all of Arsenal’s defensive problems this season (they have already conceded 21 goals in just 14 games in the Premier League), they have also been woefully out-of-sorts going forward too. The Gunners have found the back of the net just 20 times, with newly-promoted Aston Villa who are currently in 15th, bagging 21 themselves.

The north London side have been heavily reliant on former Borussia Dortmund man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to fire in the goals, and his latest brace against Norwich on Sunday taking his tally to 12. In contrast, his strike partner and double act Alexandre Lacazette has endured a hugely difficult start to the campaign. Injuries have played their part in disrupting his form and progress, but after another blank at Carrow Road, the France international now has just four goals in 11 games across all competitions.

And after witnessing his truly disappointing performance against the Canaries, new interim head coach Freddie Ljungberg really does have a major decision on his hands when it comes to the 28-year-old.

Given the number nine role once again ahead of Aubameyang, the Frenchman unfortunately did not show Ljungberg why he should be trusted with that responsibility. He toiled on his own up front, and struggled to involve himself in the build-up play, registering just 46 touches over the course of the 90 minutes. As per Sofascore, his 6.5 match rating was the joint-worst of any Arsenal player that started, and when looking at his under-lying numbers it is easy to see why.

Coming up against Norwich’s centre-back pairing of Ben Godfrey and Christoph Zimmerman, Lacazette appeared to be physically bullied out of the game. The ex-Lyon centre-forward failed to hold the ball up, and it was no surprise to see him win just one out of the ten ground duels he was involved in. And due to his inability to make the ball stick, he lost possession 15 times too.

Frustrations eventually got the better of him, and his total of three fouls committed were a joint team-high. With his teammate Aubameyang in such a rich vein of form, Ljungberg may begin to wonder whether it’s time to drop the £46.5m man in favour of moving the Gabon international into the number nine spot. Leaving a big-money star out may not sounds particularly inviting, but given his recent struggles, it may just be best for the team.

Don’t miss out on MASSIVE savings with Fan Deal Drops – shop now for the latest deals (USING LINK HERE) on TVs, laptops, football shirts & much more.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking on Sky Sports, Graeme Souness has lambasted Arsenal for failing to move forwards since their move to the Emirates.

What did he say?

After picking up their first win under Freddie Ljungberg’s tenure as interim head coach last Monday night against West Ham, the Gunners may have headed into the clash against Manchester City with a spring in their step.

Unfortunately for them, Kevin De Bruyne’s early goal shattered any hopes of a surprise victory, and in the end, Pep Guardiola’s men ran out comfortable 3-0 winners at the Emirates. And after seeing their humiliation, Souness tore into Arsenal for their lack of direction since their move to their new stadium well over a decade ago.

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He said (as quoted by The Daily Mail): “This club has always been the classiest football club in British football, they always did everything. And right now they seem to be rudderless, in terms of making football decisions. They’ve not made a decision yet knowing this was coming up. And I just see this football club as drifting.

“It’s all to do with non-football people making football decisions. And they’re at a real crossroads. They moved to this stadium from Highbury to join the big league, to be one of the big teams in Europe. They’re further away now than they were when they were at Highbury. It’s not happened for them.”

Ambitions

More than anything, the Gunners need to take a long, hard look at themselves and ask what their future ambitions are. Is it to genuinely compete for the Premier League title and European football’s biggest honours, or is it more of the same of what people are witnessing right now?

As Souness alludes to, the move to the Emirates was supposed to herald a new era for the north London side. Instead, it has almost become an albatross around their necks, weighing them down, and stopping them from progressing.

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Arsenal Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

The appointment of Edu in the summer to a behind-the-scenes role at least brings someone in who has a previous connection to the club and is a “footballing man”. They need more of those kinds of people to help understand and embrace what the side desperately needs.

Meanwhile, Freddie Ljungberg can leave a legacy behind as interim head coach by doing this one key thing.

Manuel Pellegrini may not have been dismissed as West Ham United manager, but that has not stopped reports coming out regarding who could replace him at London Stadium.

Hammers fans have already reacted to links with Sean Dyche and Eddie Howe among others, though there is now another name for them to discuss.

This time it is an old face that has already been in the dugout for West Ham: David Moyes.

Plenty of Hammers are not happy about the revelation from club insider ExWHUemployee, feeling that a move for Moyes would show a distinct lack of ambition from the board.

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The move from Upton Park to London Stadium has also been brought up, as a move for a manager who has already been discarded by the club is deemed as evidence that lifting everyone out of their spiritual home has come to nothing.

One fan has even compared the idea of recruiting Moyes with remarrying an ex-wife having gone through with a divorce.

There are some fans who are optimistic about the idea of having David Moyes come in though.

When he came to West Ham in November 2017, the Scotsman earned 1.19 points per game, keeping the club in the Premier League as a result of that.

His biggest impact last time around was moving Marko Arnautovic into a central striker role, which saw him score 11 league goals and provide six assists that campaign, having failed to get any before the manager’s arrival.

However, the optimism surrounding Moyes coming to London Stadium isn’t shared by many, with some Hammers fans indicating they would rather stick with Pellegrini.

This says a lot, considering how many West Ham fans have been calling for the manager’s head in recent times.

In other news, if West Ham were to get one of their other linked managers, it would be a sign of the club’s pulling power.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Kiko Casilla’s deadline for appealing his charge of racial abuse against Jonathan Leko was on Wednesday evening, and as of yet, we’re still not sure what will happen to the Spaniard.

If he’s found guilty he’ll be banned for a minimum of six games, and Marcelo Bielsa will have a big decision to make between the sticks, but a recent Q&A session with Phil Hay indicates that the Argentine has already made his choice.

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What’s been said then?

The Athletic’s Leeds United correspondent was hosting a Q&A session on Thursday, and one fan asked about what Bielsa’s plan is if Casilla is banned.

“From what I hear, Bielsa is likely to give Meslier a chance. It sounds like he’ll go with him. It kind of fits. Last season, when BPF and Blackman were both injured, he played Huffer rather than taking an emergency signing. Granted that was a one-off game but he tends to work like that.” Hay replied.

No new signing

With Leeds being linked with a move for David Stockdale (The People (17/11 Via Leeds Live) in recent weeks this is a rather surprising update.

It seems as if Bielsa has faith in what he already has at the club rather than feeling that he has to dip into the transfer market to replace Casilla for a short period of time.

Whether this turns out to be the right decision remains to be seen, but the fact that it frees up a bit more space on the wage bill can only be a good thing as United wouldn’t have to splurge on a new goalkeeper that they don’t really need.

Meslier is yet to make his debut for the Yorkshire outfit, so this could be perceived as a bit of a risk, but Bielsa sees the 6 foot 6 stopper in training, so he must know what sort of talent he possesses.

His performances for the U23s certainly suggest he has what it takes, putting in an impressive display against Crystal Palace. He’s also saved two penalties this term.

In other news, Leeds fans have been praising one man who they believe has turned a corner

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Tyrone Mings has had a positive start to the season but if Liverpool decide to target him they could have a lot of joy on Saturday.

On the chalkboard

Since moving to Aston Villa (initially on loan) the defender has breathed new life into his career and is already beginning to pay back the £26.5m outlay that was spent to sign him from Bournemouth permanently in the summer.

His performances have earned him his first England cap and many plaudits along the way, including from manager Gareth Southgate, who called him an “outstanding leader”.

However, he hasn’t been perfect – far from it in fact – and there have been signs that he can be taken advantage of, with his inexperience on display a few times already this season.

A shrewd operator like Roberto Firmino could, therefore, have a lot of fun against him, using his movement to pull him out of position and allow the likes of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane to exploit the space in behind.

Error-prone

Jurgen Klopp should look to apply pressure on him, on and off the ball. His pass accuracy of 79% is reasonable but under the high press he could be forced into a mistake – a strategy which has often worked for the Reds – or clearing the ball, something he’s done seven times per match this term, which in theory would lead to a Liverpool turnover.

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Firmino and Salah, in particular, should get the better of him, and his rate of two errors leading to goals this season confirms he is no stranger to mistakes.

Against Manchester City last week he failed to deal with a long ball from Ederson and was too easily beaten in the air by Gabriel Jesus, whose header found Raheem Sterling to score.

Firmino and Salah have showed tremendous link-up play at times this term, with the Egyptian’s goal against Newcastle a particular highlight of their good work.

If they can utilise that understanding once again to play around Mings specifically as the left-sided centre-back, with Firmino dropping deeper and Salah coming in from the right, they could have a lot of joy and quickly seal all three points.