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As per Daily Mirror reporter Darren Lewis, eight Tottenham players are now safe from Antonio Conte’s axe after ‘impressing’ him behind the scenes.

The Lowdown: Conte sends stern message…

After Tottenham’s humiliating 2-1 defeat to Slovenian minnows NS Mura in the Europa Conference League on Thursday, adding to their European woes in recent years, Conte sent a stern message.

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The Italian, seeking to guide Spurs back to the summit of European football over two years after Mauricio Pochettino’s Champions League final run, explained that he is assessing his squad ahead of the January transfer window.

Speaking to the press, Conte lifted the lid on how he is currently making ‘evaluations’ over how deserves to be at Tottenham.

“We need players with the right mentality and with the quality, players that deserve to play for Tottenham and aspire to be competitive, to fight for this shirt, to win something,” said the former Inter boss.

“I’m making my evaluations and then I’ll speak with the club.”

The Latest: Eight players safe…

Writing for The Mirror, reporter Lewis has revealed that eight more players are safe from his looming axe, but most ‘if not all’ of the others squad members are fighting for their futures at the club.

He explains that Sergio Reguilon, Eric Dier, Ben Davies, Lucas Moura, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Japhet Tanganga and Oliver Skipp have all ‘impressed’ Conte behind the scenes – with Ryan Sessegnon also expected to be given more chances despite his red card in midweek.

The Verdict: Interesting claim…

Most of these names, like Reguilon, Dier, Lucas, Hojbjerg, Tanganga and Skipp have all arguably impressed at some point this season, leaving little surprise Conte favours them.

However, one surprise names in this list is arguably Davies, mainly because he has attracted real criticism for some of his displays this season.

Perhaps the Wales international’s experience, plus versatility as both a left-back and left-sided centre-back, has landed him in good stead with Conte.

As this interesting claim emerges, Spurs fans will be watching on eagerly to see if this crop of players become mainstays under their new manager.

In other news: ‘Coming from Tottenham’…Journalist drops exciting transfer claim with ‘biggest offer’ on the table, find out more here.

Eddie Howe will be looking for his first win in charge of Newcastle United tonight as his side host Norwich at St. James’ Park.

The Magpies remain the only side in the Premier League without a single win to their name, but a win against the Canaries would move them up to 19th and above Dean Smith’s side.

Howe was in the dugout for the first time on Saturday as he watched his team lose 2-0 to Arsenal at The Emirates, thanks to goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

Axe him

One player who should be brutally axed from the starting XI is Brazilian forward Joelinton, who struggled badly against the Gunners at the weekend.

The former Hoffenheim attacker should be taken out of the team and placed on the bench as Newcastle cannot afford to carry any passengers in a vital relegation clash against Norwich.

This game represents a huge opportunity for the Magpies to kickstart their season with a win, against the team 19th in the table, and it could be a tough, physical, battle between two sides scraping to save their lives.

Therefore, Howe needs players in his team who he can rely upon to stand up to the physical side of the game and compete across the pitch off and on the ball. The £80k-per-week dud’s display against Arsenal suggests that he does meet those requirements.

Per SofaScore, he lost a whopping 13 of his 20 duels on the pitch. He also completed just eight passes in 67 minutes, whilst failing with two of his three attempted dribbles. His statistics over the course of the season do not make for much better reading, as he has lost 61% of his ground duels in the Premier League this term and scored one goal in 12 games.

This shows that he has been too weak in the top-flight and is not a player Howe can rely upon in a game where he needs his players to step up to the plate in terms of physical battles.

Therefore, he should be ruthlessly axed from the starting XI and another player should be given a chance to show what they can do, whether that be out wide in a formation change or alongside Callum Wilson in the front two.

AND in other news,  Howe must unleash £10.8m-rated NUFC “dark horse” vs Norwich, it’s his time to shine…

While the result of Thursday night’s Europa League fixture ultimately carried no significant importance, with Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side unable to finish any higher or lower than their third-place standing in Group G, the Bhoys nevertheless turned in a performance of the highest quality over the course of the 90 minutes, besting Real Betis 3-2 at Parkhead.

The fact that the 56-year-old handed debuts to both Osaze Urhoghide and Liam Shaw, as well as awarding rare starts to the likes of Scott Bain, Liam Scales, Ismaila Soro, James McCarthy and Albian Ajeti, made the victory over Manuel Pellegrini’s men all the more impressive, with many of the Hoops’ lesser-seen talents doing themselves no harm in their bids to secure a more regular spot in Postecoglou’s side going forwards.

However, it was undoubtedly versatile centre-back Urhoghide who shone the brightest on Thursday night, with the 21-year-old’s performance on the right of the Celtic back four very much stealing the show against Betis.

18 defensive actions

Indeed, despite not playing a single minute of first-team football for Celtic prior to the Betis game, Urhoghide certainly proved to Postecoglou that he is more than ready to play an important role in the Hoops’ side over the second half of the current campaign.

Over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £270k-rated defender made three clearances, won five tackles and made one interception, as well as winning a highly impressive nine duels – totalling 18 defensive actions.

The former Sheffield Wednesday man also enjoyed 65 touches of the ball, completed 30 passes (including one key pass), found his man with his one attempted cross and completed two dribbles.

These returns saw the 21-year-old, dubbed “rock solid” by his former Owls boss Darren Moore, earn a SofaScore match rating of 6.9; while Football Scotland handed the youngster an eight in their own player ratings, with Euan Robertson stating of Urhoghide’s performance: “Fantastic debut. Showed great recovery pace to pressure Diego Lainez early on and he displayed great energy to support the attack.”

As such, while it is indeed true that his fellow debutant Liam Shaw also turned in an excellent display against Betis, Urhoghide’s returns on the night very much raise the question as to why Postecoglou has not fielded him sooner – a decision by the manager which the youngster certainly proved wrong on Thursday night.

In other news – Fewer touches than Bain: Celtic flop who made just 3 passes blew big chance under Ange

A number of Liverpool supporters are delighted after new photos showing Harvey Elliott recovering from his serious injury emerged.

The Reds have had to make do without the talented 18-year-old since the middle of September after he suffered a broken ankle away to Leeds United.

It was a cruel blow for Elliott, who had made a hugely promising start to the season, making three Premier League starts in the early weeks of the campaign.

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The midfielder has been making admirable progress in his recovery, however, and it now looks as though he could even feature as soon as next month.

On Monday, Liverpool’s official Twitter account posted photos of Elliott in action on the training pitch, suggesting his recovery is going swimmingly, as he is even working with a ball already.

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Liverpool fans love Elliott images

These Reds fans took to Twitter to provide their reactions to the images, showing their delight in the process.

“Yeah boiiiiiiiii”

Credit: @LilLoubieLou

“Great to see”

Credit: @Ricky_Gr8ness

“Inter are not ready for the Salah, Trent, Elliott link up triangle”

Credit: @fishtoes22

“Things you love to see in your timeline”

Credit: @lubomerkov

“What a sight”

Credit: @lfc_ali21

“Harvey Elliott will save our season during AFCON”

Credit: @NoSwearingHere7

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has given an update on a possible Liverpool transfer. Read more here.

Marcelo Bielsa isn’t likely to be at Leeds United past the current season, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Football Insider claims that the Argentine head coach is under increasing pressure following a string of heavy defeats in the Premier League and he could be sacked as early as January.

A source at Thorp Arch has told the website that Bielsa “won’t be at Leeds next season” as many of the club’s senior figures are beginning to accept that his fourth season in charge will be his last.

It’s thought that the Yorkshire giants will look to bring in a replacement if their fears of getting sucked into a relegation battle grow in the coming weeks.

The 66-year-old remains popular amongst the club’s fanbase despite their poor season as he has endured quite a nightmare with injuries throughout the campaign.

Bye-bye Bielsa?

Bielsa only signed a one-year extension on the eve of the new season and has only ever agreed to short-term deals, so there is always the risk that he moves on each and every summer.

Despite finding themselves only five points above the drop zone and at risk of being drawn into the relegation mire, around 66% of supporters polled by The Athletic still have faith in the Argentinan, whilst only 10% of fans had low or very low confidence in him turning things around.

It’s evident that he’s still an icon around west Yorkshire, so these reports suggesting that this season could well be his last are certainly worrying and it will surely leave much of the Elland Road faithful worried heading into 2022.

Sacking him as early as January would be pretty harsh considering everything he has done for United, even more so when you factor in the massive injury crisis at his door.

Nine of the 11 players that missed Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Arsenal were key first-team players. That is a major contributing factor to their struggles and they can rectify it at the turn of the year in the transfer window.

No one wants to see Bielsa and Leeds part ways in an acrimonious fashion, so this huge update from Thorp Arch is certainly a cause for concern.

AND in other news, Leeds can seal Bielsa’s dream signing in £18m-rated “machine”, he’s better than Klich…

With West Ham United currently just four points off fourth place in the Premier League table, David Moyes’ side are very much in the race to secure Champions League football by the end of the campaign.

In just a matter of days, the January transfer window opens and will give West Ham, among other clubs, the chance to make some changes to their squad.

This time around, the east London club and GSB have the opportunity to replicate a similar sort of transfer masterclass that they managed to deliver during the January window of 2020 when they signed Jarrod Bowen from Hull City in a deal worth a reported fee of over £20m.

Since arriving at West Ham, Bowen has gone on to score 14 goals and provide 16 assists in 78 appearances across all competitions, showing how much of a useful signing he’s been for the club and why it’s sometimes worth taking a punt on signing Championship players.

West Ham have now been linked with another young prospect from the Championship in the shape of 20-year-old attacking-midfielder Brennan Johnson and he could be the next version of Bowen at The London Stadium.

Johnson, who is a product of Nottingham Forest’s youth system, made his senior debut for the club back in August 2019 under former manager Sabri Lamouchi in a 2-1 league defeat against West Bromwich Albion.

Labelled as an “exciting” player in the past by former Forest boss Chris Hughton, the youngster, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £2.5k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has made 31 appearances for the club across all competitions.

This season has seen Johnson score five goals and provide four assists for Steve Cooper’s side in 23 Championship appearances, playing in a number of different midfield and attacking positions across the pitch, showing off his versatility and prowess in front of goal. He is a particularly eye-catching player with 18 senior strikes to his name now despite his young age.

In terms of a potential move to West Ham in January, this could be a very attractive move for the Hammers, adding a potential option for the club to explore after it was recently claimed that Jesse Lingard will be staying at Manchester United after being linked with a January move to east London.

In other news: Forget Bowen: “Magnificent” WHU gem who completed 7/7 dribbles was Moyes’ hero v Spurs – opinion

Wolves and Bruno Lage have made no secret of their intentions to make the most of the upcoming transfer window, with a number of key positions being monitored. With the window opening in less than 24 hours, it has been revealed what the manager’s priority will be.

What’s the word?

According to Give Me Sport, Luke Hatfield has claimed that targeting a defender will be the main priority for the Portuguese manager in January, stating: “I think it’s the position that Wolves are most keen on addressing.”

Wolves were dealt a blow to their defensive line when Yerson Mosquera sustained a hamstring injury in September, with the 20-year-old likely to be out for up to five months as a result, and there has not been further confirmation of a proposed return date.

Another defender who will be out of action at the Molineux in the coming weeks ahead is Romain Saiss, who has been selected to represent Morocco in the African Cup of Nations, which starts in just over a week’s time.

Therefore, it is no wonder Hatfield is predicting that Lage views adding a defender a high priority for his squad. Nikola Milenkovic was heavily linked with a move to Wolves back in November, when reports claimed that the defender remained an active target for the club.

For a different kind of entertainment, you can check out oneidabingoandcasino.net, whilst enjoying the Wolves transfer links and the Premier League season,

Fans will be buzzing

The Serbia international stands at a colossal 6 ft 5, which has given him the opportunity to become one of the top ten players when it comes to winning aerial duels in the Serie A, with 63 won this season so far, as per One Versus One.

According to WhoScored, the defender also has an impressive 90.5% pass success rate overall for Fiorentina this season and has scored two goals so far across all competitions. That is two more than Wolves winger Adama Traore has managed in 19 appearances playing in attack.

Signing a defender like Milenkovic for the squad is something about which many Wolves fans have been vocal, and they would surely be buzzing if the club could prioritise adding a quality defensive player in order to cover the inconsistencies of availability in that part of the pitch.

In other news: This Wolves star has been hailed as the Premier League’s signing of the season so far

Image from: unsplash.com

According to a report by The Daily Express, a Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has emerged involving Brighton and Hove Albion defender Tariq Lamptey with one Lilywhites player apparently set to leave.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye new right-back…

As explained by multiple top Spurs sources, a new right-wing-back for Conte’s system is among the top transfer agendas in north London for the January transfer window.

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Reliable Lilywhites correspondent Alasdair Gold claims that the club and their manager want to sign a right-sided full back to strengthen that position with both Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty failing to impress recently (football.london).

Meanwhile, The Athletic also say that Conte is targeting a player for that position with The Express now sharing news involving Seagulls ace Lamptey.

The Latest: Conte personally eyes Lamptey…

According to their information, Conte is personally ‘keen’ on the 21-year-old with Spurs ‘ready to challenge Arsenal’ for the £50 million starlet.

The outlet also claims that Tottenham are ‘set to lose’ senior name Doherty this month as the Italian eyes Lamptey as his possible heir – though he may have to wait until the next transfer window.

The Verdict: Right move?

Lamptey has seriously impressed under Brighton boss Graham Potter and arguably stands out as one of the English top flight’s most promising young defenders.

However, his £50m price tag is certainly a big point of contention given he’s made just 32 Premier League appearances since the start of 2019/2020.

Investing that much in a player possessing fairly little top flight experience could be seen as a big gamble, even if Potter has described the homegrown ace as a ‘dream’ player.

We advise the Lilywhites and Conte to weigh all possible options before considering a bidding war with Arsenal.

In other news: Paratici sets sights on brand new target as Conte tells Spurs to sign 81-cap ‘monster’, find out more here.

With Aston Villa spending a reported fee of £25m for the services of Lucas Digne this month as well as a loan deal for Philippe Coutinho and adding teenage defender Kerr Smith to their youth squad for an undisclosed fee, the Midlands club have had a very busy transfer window month so far.

With some time left before the market closes, Villa could still strengthen their squad even further and take their January spending up higher.

One player that has been linked with a move to Villa Park in recent weeks is Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa, who also goes by the name Gabigol.

Current Villa strikers Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins have managed to score nine goals between them in a combined total of 32 Premier League appearances this season but with the club letting go of Keinan Davis on loan to Nottingham Forest and Wesley on loan to Internacional, this could pave the way for Villa to add some depth up front with a player like Gabigol.

Having scored 129 goals in 263 club appearances across his career, the 25-year-old, who is currently earning £49k-per-week according to Salary Sport, certainly has the ability to be a regular goalscorer.

In terms of a potential move to Villa, with the club not being shy in spending money on new players, a move for Barbosa may not be a difficult one for the Midlands club to pull off from a financial point of view depending on how much Flamengo would want to sell him for.

Also, with the lure of being able to play in the Premier League under a figure such as Steven Gerrard alongside two of his fellow countrymen Coutinho and Douglas Luiz, a move to Villa could be very tempting for Barbosa.

Having been described as a player that “has everything to be the greatest striker in Flamengo’s history” by Zico, it would also be beneficial for the Villans if he can hit the ground running in terms of scoring goals.

Consider how Ings only managed to have 26 touches of the ball in 76 minutes in Villa’s recent 2-2 draw against Manchester United, Gabigol may not find it that difficult to get some game time in Gerrard’s side if the Englishman keeps putting in underwhelming performances like the one he did on Saturday evening.

As a result, Villa should definitely make an approach to Flamengo this month to see if they can sign Barbosa. Luring him to the Premier League would see them end their impressive January window on a high note with some extra attacking power to deliver a further transfer masterclass.

In other news: NSWE could blow Aston Villa fans away with move for £51k-p/w “pearl” likened to Zidane – opinion

Having played every minute of Crystal Palace’s opening 16 league games, Vicente Guaita has featured just twice in the Eagles’ last four games, with regular understudy Jack Butland starting to receive a few opportunities between the sticks.

The Spaniard was on the bench for Palace’s 2-2 draw at home to Southampton before Christmas and was absent entirely from the squad which lost 3-0 at Spurs on Boxing Day.

After returning between the sticks for the 3-0 win over Norwich and 3-2 defeat to West Ham, it was assumed that the 35-year-old had reclaimed his status as first-choice. However, Butland was once again preferred in the 2-1 FA Cup win at Millwall and the 1-1 derby stalemate at Brighton last weekend.

However, it is now time for Palace manager Patrick Vieira to reacquire the services of his former first-choice and keep Guaita in between the sticks for the remainder of the season, injury permitting.

In his cameo appearances, Butland hasn’t offered much to the Palace setup other than saving what was, in truth, a terrible penalty against Brighton last time out.

The 28-year-old made a howler against Millwall which had given the Championship outfit the lead before the Englishman’s blushes were spared in the second half as Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta turned the tie around for the visitors at The Den.

Whilst being in goal for the Eagles this season, Butland has conceded an average of 1.6 goals per game, whilst Guaita has let in 1.39 goals per game. Moreover, the Englishman is yet to keep a clean sheet this season, whilst the Spaniard has managed five.

According to SofaScore, Guaita is also superior when it comes to ball distribution, with a 78% passing accuracy per game compared to Butland’s 64%. Granted, the 28-year-old averages slightly more saves per game with three compared to the 35-year-old’s 2.8, but he has saved 60% of shots faced as opposed to his older team-mate’s 67%.

It is vital for teams to have a familiar face in between the sticks, especially for defenders so that they feel comfortable when they need to pass to their goalkeeper.

It’s no surprise that the only game Palace have won with Butland in goal was an FA Cup tie against a Championship side, whereas with Guaita on the pitch, the Eagles went on an impressive seven-game unbeaten run in the league during the autumn.

Indeed, last season the Spaniard was the subject of high praise from pundit Jermaine Beckford after an impressive performance against Everton. He stated that, with Guaita in their side, “Crystal Palace will pick up a lot more points”.

Former Palace manager Roy Hodgson was also a big fan of the Spanish ‘keeper, labelling him as “excellent” on one occasion.

The £57k-p/w veteran has made 114 appearances for the south London club since his move from Getafe in summer 2018, and he has now been the Eagles’ first choice between the sticks for the best part of four years.

There is little evidence as to why that should change for the remainder of the campaign.

In other news: This Palace ace returned to training ahead of the Liverpool clash