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Aston Villa manager Dean Smith will come under increased pressure surrounding his job, should he fail to better their fortunes by the next international break [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Aston Villa make slow start to 2021/22 campaign

The Villans have started off 2021/22 in indifferent fashion, sitting 12th in the Premier League table after amassing four points from four encounters [BBC].

Much expectation has been placed upon the Midlands club this campaign, following an expensive window which brought the arrival of the likes of Emiliano Buendia, Danny Ings and Leon Bailey to the club [Transfermarkt].

Now, there could be trouble ahead for Smith following recent reports.

The Latest: ‘Fighting for his job’

According to a Bodymoor Heath source at Football Insider, Smith will be ‘fighting for his job’ should he fail to improve their league position ahead of the next international break.

Tough fixtures lie in wait for the Clarets, with Everton, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur on the agenda before their players set off to play for their respective nations.

The Aston Villa hierarchy will not waste any time in searching for a fresh face in the dugout should results not improve.

The Verdict: Lange won’t mess around

Confliction surrounds the notion of Smith coming under increased pressure. On one hand, the former Brentford manager has achieved incredible success at Villa Park.

Achieving promotion to the Premier League through the play-off route in 2019, Smith has since restored the profile of his boyhood club in the top-flight with respective 17th and 11th placed finishes.

Despite this, football is unfortunately an ever-evolving results business. With increased ambition comes increased expectation, and sporting director Johan Lange and owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens will expect to see a return on their investments this summer.

Following disappointing results such as a 3-2 defeat away to Watford and a 1-1 draw at home to Brentford, Smith may well be running out of time after the looming troublesome run of fixtures.

In other news, Aston Villa fans react to a mind-blowing statistic. Find out more here.

Football Insider pundit and former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has hit out at the club following a string of off-field developments at Parkhead.

The Lowdown: A busy year

It has been a year of change at Celtic Park. Ange Postecoglou has replaced Neil Lennon as manager but is yet to bring in his own backroom staff more than three months into the job.

Dominic McKay replaced Peter Lawwell as CEO but has already departed the club due to personal reasons, while Gordon Strachan returned to Celtic on a three-month consultancy project.

The chopping and changing off the pitch hasn’t gone down too well with McAvennie, with the Hoops struggling on the pitch in recent weeks.

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The Latest: McAvennie’s comments

McAvennie was talking to Football Insider regarding the off-field developments at Celtic Park in recent months. He didn’t hold back and even name-checked Strachan, questioning whether or not he was Postecoglou’s choice.

The 61-year-old raged:

“I don’t care what anyone says, this is the big problem.

“Postecoglou still doesn’t have his own team in. He has to have that there.

“I said he needed his own guys all summer. I can’t believe that, as a manager, surely he must have people he wants to bring in.

“I really don’t get it. I don’t think Strachan was his pick, what’s going on? It’s a joke.

“All this mad behind the scenes stuff is not helping anything on or off the pitch.”

The Verdict: A Parkhead divide?

Postecoglou admitted that he was surprised to hear of McKay’s recent departure, which possibly hints at a lack of communication between the manager and the Hoops hierarchy.

If that is the case, it could do with being resolved as soon as possible, with effective communication from top to bottom a crucial component if Celtic are to achieve success.

Who knows, it could be wise to include Postecoglou in talks over a new Celtic CEO, as the Hoops manager would need to be in direct contact with the person in that role on a regular basis.

In other news: ‘Brilliant news if true’, ‘Please’ – Lots of Celtic fans buzzing over Scott Burns’ ‘great’ update. 

Tottenham Hotspur legend Ledley King believes Nuno Espirito Santo is not playing Dele Alli to his strengths.

The Lowdown: Alli regularly featuring

Alli has featuring heavily this season under Nuno, already clocking up nine appearances in all competitions out of a possible ten (Transfermarkt).

However, he was hauled off at half-time during Spurs’ 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday after a disappointing display in the middle of the park.

The Latest: King discusses Alli

Speaking on Sky Sports after the match, King suggested Alli was being played out of position. He said (via HITC):

“I personally think his best role is in the number 10 where he can attack the box. We know he has great energy, an eye for goal. That’s his strength.”

The Verdict: Difficult situation

It is certainly in attacking midfield where £27m-valued Alli has made the biggest impression throughout his career. As per Transfermarkt, he has 44 goals and as many assists in 162 games in that role, and generally played in that position during the 2016/17 term, where he found the back of the net 18 times in the Premier League.

Unfortunately, regardless of the position, Alli’s best days seem to be behind him at the moment. In his last 38 games, he has found the back of the net on just four occasions, and has even admitted he is not able to do the same things now as he could previously (The Times).

While playing in the number 10 role may see him improve, he has not done enough to indicate he would shine in that position or anywhere else.

In other news, Espirito Santo has provided an injury update on this Spurs ace.

Crystal Palace have been linked with a move for Everton midfielder Tom Davies as new manager Patrick Vieira looks to complete the rebuild of his first-team squad.

What’s the story?

According to Football Insider, the Eagles are monitoring the 23-year-old’s situation at Goodison Park ahead of a potential offer.

The report states that: “A Palace source has told Football Insider that Davies is on their radar going into next year and his situation at Everton will be monitored.

“Intriguingly, Davies is out of contract in the summer of 2023 and there has been no progress in talks over an extension.”

Imagine him and Conor Gallagher

The former England Under-21 international is a fan’s favourite at Everton after rising through the ranks at his boyhood club, earning plaudits for his full-blooded and committed displays for the Toffees.

After making his first-team debut back in 2016, Davies has made 155 appearances for the Merseyside outfit, scoring six goals and providing eight assists from a defensive midfield role.

Under ex-Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti, the youngster was in and out of the side last term but did put in a string of impressive performances, catching the eye of the Italian tactician with a standout display against Manchester United.

“I think, first of all, Tom is a really professional player, really focused on what he is doing,” Ancelotti said. “He has a strong sense of belonging to this club and this is also really important.

“The only thing I said to him is to simplify his work and his style of play. He plays in a position where tactically you have to be really focused. Watching the game against United, I think tactically he was perfect.”

However, he appears to have slipped down the pecking order under Ancelotti’s successor Rafael Benitez. Davies has only featured in 17 minutes of Premier League action in Everton’s opening six fixtures of 2021/22, throwing his future at the club into doubt.

His potential arrival at Selhurst Park would only further the already impressive recent recruitment of the capital club, creating a formidable midfield duo.

The £16.2m-rated Davies would be the ideal partner for loanee Conor Gallagher given he averaged 1.2 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per league game last term, providing a solid base for the more attack-minded 21-year-old.

Therefore, chairman Steve Parish must move for the Everton ace in the upcoming window, completing the transformation of the south London outfit’s engine room.

And, in other news…Forget Zaha: Palace beast who won 100% of his duels was Vieira’s real hero v Brighton 

West Bromwich Albion have spent the last five years yo-yo-ing between the Premier League and the Championship, with two relegations and one promotion since 2017/18.

There have been several factors behind their inability to remain a consistent force in the top-flight of English football, but arguably the most pivotal aspect is their poor record in the transfer market.

Many players have been brought into the Hawthorns for relatively large fees before failing to live up to expectations in recent years, heavily contributing to the club’s struggles at the elite level.

And one of those who has arguably flopped for the Midlands outfit is Karlan Grant. The 24-year-old striker was brought to West Brom in a £15m deal back in October 2020, making him one of their most expensive purchases.

During his unveiling, technical director Luke Dowling lauded the youngster’s ability to put the ball in the back of the net, claiming he was ready for the step-up that the Premier League would undoubtedly provide.

“We are confident we have signed a young player who has proved he is ready for the challenges of the Premier League,” said Dowling. “He has scored goals throughout his career, including the few months he had with Huddersfield at this level two years ago.”

However, things have not gone to plan for Grant. The former England U18 international scored just a single goal as West Brom finished 19th last term, immediately returning to the Championship as a result.

His underwhelming performances upfront saw him fall out of favour when Sam Allardyce took over from Slaven Bilic halfway through the season, with his last league start coming at the beginning of February.

Although Grant has started the current campaign well, bagging four goals and providing two assists in 11 Championship outings, his inability to produce at the highest level has seen his market value plummet to just £7.2m, less than half the total that West Brom paid for his services just last year.

While the £30,000-per-week dud may yet come good for the Baggies, it appears the club’s hierarchy made a big mistake in placing their trust in a striker unproven in the Premier League, contributing heavily to their eventual relegation.

And, in other news…Signed for £8m, now worth £1.8m: Ismael must wield axe on 27 y/o West Brom liability 

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed one massive boost ahead of their Premier League clash with Newcastle United this afternoon…

What’s the latest?

According to reports earlier in the week, two unnamed Spurs stars had tested positive for the ongoing pandemic having trained on Thursday and both will have to isolate for ten days, as a result.

One of these players was rumoured to be Heung-min Son, who had returned from international duty with South Korea, after the Evening Standard claimed he was ‘not expected’ to feature up at St James’ Park in a now altered article (via HITC).

But in a stunning new twist, South Korean outlet Yonhap News Agency have revealed that the 29-year-old has actually tested negative and is likely to start for the Lilywhites.

A source close to the £76.5m-rated Spurs attacker said: “Tonight, I was contacted by the agent saying, ‘Son has tested negative and will play against Newcastle tomorrow (17th).”

Massive boost

This will come as a huge source of encouragement for the under-pressure Nuno Santo as he’ll have his star performer involved in what is sure to be an intriguing encounter.

United have finally been taken over by a Saudi-backed consortium, so the atmosphere in the northeast is expected to be electric and on a whole different level now Mike Ashley is out the door.

Spurs had lost three straight league games in a row, conceding three times in each, before their win over Aston Villa before the international break and the Portuguese coach will want to see that form continue now the Premier League has returned.

His chances of leading his side to a victory in this match have been boosted tenfold with Son seemingly available.

WhoScored rank the versatile attacker amongst Spurs’ best two players so far this campaign and that’s hardly a surprise as he’s currently their top goalscorer on three goals (50% of their overall total).

He also tops the charts for shots (3.2) and key passes (1.5) per game and isn’t far behind for dribbles per game (1.7) either. Son is currently a bigger threat than Harry Kane, so it’s easy to see why Nuno would need his services this weekend.

It was the South Korean sensation who inspired the Lilywhites to the victory over Villa.

“Sometimes games are determined by outstanding players and they had that player on the pitch in Son who won the game for them today,” claimed opposition manager Dean Smith. “Sometimes you have to tip your hat. He was the outstanding player and the difference between the two sides.”
Nuno will surely be delighted with this latest development ahead of kickoff.

AND in other news, Nuno Santo hints at Spurs injury blow ahead of Newcastle clash…

With just the one win in the Premier League this season, Marcelo Bielsa will be hoping that his Leeds United side can pick up some much-needed momentum when they take on Wolves on Saturday afternoon.

The Whites manager is facing arguably the most difficult time in his spell at Elland Road, with a combination of poor form and numerous injuries seeing them hover just above the relegation zone eight games in.

While Bielsa will be boosted by the return of Raphinha for the game against Bruno Lage’s side, he still has to contend with the likes of Patrick Bamford and Luke Ayling being ruled out. With that in mind, below is a look at how Leeds might line up for today’s clash.

In goal, Illan Meslier will be hoping to keep a rare clean sheet in the Premier League this season, with his only shutout coming in the 1-0 victory over Watford a couple of weeks ago.

The back four should remain unchanged with Ayling still out, so Diego Llorente and Liam Cooper will continue their centre-back partnership, while Jamie Shackleton and Stuart Dallas occupy the full-back roles.

In midfield, Adam Forshaw could be in line to make a rare start in the Premier League after coming on as a substitute against Southampton last time out, and that could help offset the absence of Kalvin Phillips in the engine room.

Raphinha should also come straight into the line-up, with 23-year-old Dan James dropped to the bench after some underwhelming performances, so last season’s partnership of the Brazilian and Jack Harrison will be given the chance to impress.

Up front, Bielsa has a big call to make over the underperforming Rodrigo, and having given Joe Gelhardt a cameo against the Saints, the teenager might be given the nod to start today.

Meanwhile, Leeds must finally unleash this academy starlet…

BBC Sport’s Adam Pope has revealed that Leeds United star Raphinha “should be fit” for this weekend’s Premier League clash against Norwich City.

What’s the story?

The Brazilian hobbled off during his side’s 1-1 draw with Wolves last weekend, and there no doubt would have been real fears about how long he could potentially be out for.

The former Rennes man himself moved quickly to allay those doubts after that match, and while he was not involved in Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup defeat against Arsenal, he looks set to be good for the trip to the Canaries on Sunday.

Writing on Twitter after the game against the Gunners, Pope said: “Shackleton & Raphinha should be fit for Norwich. No injuries forced the substitutions. Klich for Forshaw as MB felt he’d take advantage of the offensive play in the 1st half. Gelhardt on for Roberts because he wanted to try out Joffy with Rodrigo.”

Huge boost for Bielsa

Make no mistake about it, Raphinha has emerged as one of Leeds’ best players, if not their best.

He ranked fourth for goals and first for his assists among his teammates last season, and his willingness to take players on and try and make things happen for his side was reflected by him averaging the most dribbles of any Leeds player with 1.9 per game.

Raphinha’s displays had Leeds teammate Patrick Bamford hailing him after the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace back in February, with the England international telling Sky Sports: “I think, to be honest, he has been a steal for Leeds. I am surprised. As soon as he came in, you saw him in training, you know sometimes with players whether they are good or they are top class, and he really was. He stood out straightaway.

“I am surprised that bigger teams, more established Premier League teams I should say, haven’t taken a punt on him because he really is someone special, and he is young.”

Given Leeds’ wretched start to the Premier League season – they’ve managed just one win all campaign – having Raphinha available for a crunch game against fellow strugglers Norwich is a massive boost for the White.

Those three words that he “should be fit” will undoubtedly leave many supporters around Elland Road absolutely buzzing.

Meanwhile, this Leeds star has given Bielsa a headache…

Queens Park Rangers will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they welcome Nottingham Forest to Loftus Road for their Championship clash this evening.

The Hoops are without a victory in their last two outings in all competitions after a last-minute defeat against Peterborough United was followed by a penalty shoot-out loss at the hands of Sunderland last time out.

Misses from Charlie Austin, Ilias Chair and Yoann Barbet saw the capital club get knocked out of the Carabao Cup last-16 in midweek after their League One opponents held them to a goalless draw in the 90 minutes.

Manager Mark Warburton made several alterations for the Tuesday night encounter, though, and the experienced tactician is likely to recall multiple key names for the visit of Forest.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects the 59-year-old to line up in a few hours’ time, with six changes from the side that started against the Black Cats…

In goal, first-choice shot-stopper Seny Dieng is set to keep his place between the sticks despite keeping just four clean sheets in his 16 appearances this season.

Ahead of the Senegal international is likely to be a familiar back three, with Barbet and Rob Dickie partnering the returning Jimmy Dunne to complete QPR’s defensive unit.

However, Warburton is expected the wring the changes in the midfield. He handed out chances to Osman Kakay and Luke Amos against Sunderland, while Moses Odubajo also featured from the off.

But the trio are set to be replaced by Dominic Ball, Albert Adomah and Sam McCallum, with club captain Stefan Johansen completing the engine room.

The promising Chris Willock is also set to take a place on the bench, allowing Ilias Chair to return to his preferred No.10 position, and the £3.6m-rated Andre Gray is set to follow suit, allowing Scotland international Lyndon Dykes to partner Charlie Austin up front.

And, in other news…Lost possession 22x: QPR lightweight who won 0 duels let Warburton down vs Sunderland 

Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has admitted it will be difficult for Leeds United to stay in the Premier League this campaign.

The Lowdown: Leeds struggling

In what is their second season back in the Premier League after a 16-year absence, the Whites are struggling at the the wrong end of the table.

As it stands, they are 17th in the top flight, just three points above Burnley in 18th (Sky Sports). They have won just one of their last four matches in all competitions and, with Leicester City, Tottenham and Brighton to come in the next three games, they may struggle to pick up more points for a while.

The Foxes are always a tough out, Tottenham will be enjoying a new manager bounce, while Brighton have just picked up an impressive draw at Anfield.

The Latest: Radrizzani makes survival claim

Speaking at the Lisbon Web Summit (via Leeds Live), Radrizzani revealed it will be difficult for Leeds to stay in the division. He said:

“This year it will be very difficult to stay in the Premier League but if we stay up this year we can do much more next year. Next, the top six over time and hopefully start to renovate the stadium and grow this club.”

The Verdict: More confidence needed

While it may be true that this season will be a struggle to stay up – nine clubs, in fact, have been hit by second-season syndrome in the Premier League (via Sports Economics) – it is not the best thing for the owner to say so publicly. After all, Leeds have splashed out £140m since being promoted on transfer fees (Transfermarkt), and manager Marcelo Bielsa is one of most influential bosses in the history of the game (BBC).

There are still 28 games left to play, and the omens suggest they will be ok – only Bournemouth have had at least 10 points by this stage in the season and still been relegated in the last three full terms (Transfermarkt).

Still, more inspiring comments than the ones from Radrizzani would not go amiss.

In other news, Leeds want to sign this Championship star.