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After falling to a timid 2-0 defeat to Brighton last time out in the Premier League, Leeds will be hoping to bounce back to winning ways when they take on Tottenham at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side came into the game against the Seagulls off the back of three very impressive results against Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United, picking up five points and remaining undefeated in the process.

Therefore, falling short against a side languishing in the bottom half of the table last week would no doubt have been frustrating for Bielsa, and he could well react to that by making some key changes for the visit of Spurs.

With that in mind, below is a look at how Leeds might line up when Spurs come to town.

In goal, Illan Meslier will be hoping to keep his 11th clean sheet of the Premier League season and move into fourth in the rankings among all the division’s top goalkeepers.

The backline could see one key change, with the underperforming Gjanni Alioski dropping out and Stuart Dallas coming back in to fill the gap at left-back, while a returning Liam Cooper – back from his three-game suspension – will have to settle for a place on the bench.

The middle of the park could see a different combination as well, with Rodrigo having returned from injury last week to play a solid half-hour against the Seagulls, so Bielsa may be tempted to start him from the off just to freshen the home side’s attack.

With news being confirmed that Helder Costa is set to miss the rest of the campaign with the back injury he sustained against Manchester United last time out, Bielsa may finally hand 21-year-old Ian Poveda his first Premier League start after a number of cameos in recent weeks.

With Raphinha’s status for the game still uncertain, Poveda could well line up on the right-hand side with Jack Harrison on the opposite flank.

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Up front, Patrick Bamford will be hoping to break his goalscoring duck of five Premier League games by netting against Ryan Mason’s side.

Predicted XI: Meslier; Ayling, Llorente, Struijk, Dallas; Koch, Poveda, Klich, Rodrigo, Harrison; Bamford.

Meanwhile, Leeds eyeing move for this history-making starlet…

If you were asked to write down all of the problems with Celtic right now, you’d probably run out of paper and ink.

The Hoops have an endless supply of issues that the hierarchy and coaching staff are struggling to amend.

They can’t find a new manager and neither can they address issues at board level where they’re seeking a new director of football.

The biggest thing they need to resolve is the playing squad. The likes of Kristoffer Ajer, Odsonne Edouard and Ryan Christie to name a few have all been linked with the exit door.

Though, when it comes to addressing the team, it’s the defence they’ll need to sort out quickly.

The Bhoys conceded a grand total of 19 goals in just six Europa League outings while they have shipped 13 more than Rangers in the Premiership.

Individual errors have plagued their campaign, no more so than between the sticks.

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Scott Bain is the preferred choice at the moment but he’s not been shy of mistakes this term. Neither has Vasilis Barkas.

After Celtic failed to secure the services of Fraser Forster again, it was the Greek stopper who Nick Hammond turned to.

A fee of £4.5m was agreed with AEK Athens but he’s had a disastrous first year in Glasgow.

Like Bain, he has been guilty of poor goalkeeping, something that particularly shone through in Europe. Barkas was at fault when the Hoops were inexplicably knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages at the hands of Ferenvaros and didn’t cover himself in glory against AC Milan either.

With that in mind, signing a goalkeeper in the summer should be right at the top of their agenda.

Dundee United ‘keeper Benjamin Siegrist has been touted with a move but another name mentioned in the last few weeks is Aston Villa’s Tom Heaton.

He’s slid down the pecking order with the Premier League club after they signed Emi Martinez from Arsenal but despite that, he’d be a great addition for any new manager at Paradise.

Speaking to Football Insider, Paul Robinson said: “Tom Heaton is a possibility. Logistically, would he be willing to move to Glasgow? I’m not sure. He might be very settled with his family.

“It would be a great signing for Celtic. Heaton would be a great signing for any club. He is a top-class, reliable goalkeeper who would be perfect for Celtic next season.”

The words reliable and top-class should be music to the ears of supporters at Parkhead.

Those are two attributes that have been completely redundant when assessing the club’s goalkeepers this term.

Heaton, on the other hand, is a proven international. Standing at 6 foot 2, he knows how to command his area and like Forster who was such a hit in Glasgow, he’s capable of producing extraordinary saves.

What Celtic need is someone proven with plenty of experience and leadership skills. The 35-year-old would be that player in a nutshell.

AND in other news, Forget Howe: Desmond could revive Celtic by hiring 58 y/o Rodgers dubbed “world-class”…

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been reacting to Dean Smith’s comments on Wesley Moraes on social media.

The 24-year-old made his first appearance of the season in the 2-2 draw with West Brom on Sunday evening.

Smith described Wesley’s long-term absence due to a cruciate ligament injury as one of the most significant injuries he’s seen in football.

The Villa boss revealed that the Brazilian, who joined in a deal worth £22.5m back in 2019, received a round of applause from the Villa players after he named the squad in training for the clash with Sam Allardyce’s side.

Wesley has made a total of 22 career appearances for Villa so far, scoring on six occasions and registering a single assist.

Villa fans react

Villa shared the footage of Smith talking about the striker on Monday lunchtime on their official Twitter page.

Several supporters gave their views on his comments, with a selection available to view below.

“Is this man going to take us any further or do you think it is the end of the road”

Credit: @Dylanjo70365265

“my heart”

Credit: @fokkos2

“Love that”

Credit: @nickgd99

“I love this club soo much utv”

Credit: @Marco60921015

“Keinan may have scored the equalizer, but it was Wes who made the impact. Big lad like him in the box for the last minutes, well, we all saw the chaos it caused for West Brom. More options in attack, nice to have him back !”

Credit: @JarkkoKyn

“Man like big Wes! Cannot wait to see him back fully fit. Support him lads! It was a massive injury.”

Credit: @jSG50

In other news: £47k-a-week Aston Villa man a shock target for Premier League giants, find out more here. 

Former Manchester United man Keith Gillespie has told The Transfer Tavern that the club need to sign a striker who can score 25 goals a season if they want to challenge at the top end of the Premier League.

The club are currently second in the table but they sit eight points behind leaders Manchester City.

Both Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford have scored 20 or more goals this season but Gillespie believes that the club need an out-and-out striker who can play alongside them and forge a fearsome trio at the top of the pitch.

Indeed, he refers back to Ruud van Nistelrooy, who scored 150 goals for United, and Andy Cole, who netted 121, as players who could consistently put the ball in the back of the net.

Indeed, United are likely to lose Edinson Cavani this summer, per reports, with the Uruguay international likely to move back to South America, per reports, leaving a void that will need to be filled.

Speaking exclusively to TT, Gillespie said: “I think that’s what Man United have needed for a few years.

“You think about United’s strikers of the past, you think about Van Nistelrooy and Andy Cole, players like that, real instinctive goalscorers, who just come alive in the box.

“United have got a lot of players who contribute goals, you think of Rashford, Fernandes especially, if you add in a striker who’s going to get you 20 or 25 goals a season, then you really can challenge.”

Jake Hesketh was once considered a bright young prospect at Southampton who looked capable of breaking into the first team, but the midfielder is now 25 years old and is struggling on loan in League Two with Crawley Town, so he must be shown the door this summer.

The Saints academy graduate scored on his full debut in a League Cup win against Crystal Palace in 2016, having made two substitute appearances in the Premier League in the 2014/15 season.

He was rewarded by Claude Puel with another appearance in the Europa League in a 0-0 draw against Hapoel Be’er Sheva later in the season, but this was the last time he played for the Southampton first team, meaning he hasn’t made a senior Saints appearance in nearly five years.

In December 2016, the attacking midfielder was rewarded with a new four-and-a-half-year deal, which runs until the summer of 2021, so they clearly had a lot of faith in his ability and his potential to become a first team regular in the future.

However, after spending some time in the Southampton B team, Hesketh was sent out on his first loan spell to Burton Albion, where he contributed three goals and one assist in 23 League One appearances.

Two more loan spells at MK Dons and Lincoln City followed, although he struggled to have much impact at either club and was sent on loan to Crawley Town for the 2020/21 campaign.

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It represents a serious decline for the midfielder that he was sent on loan to a struggling League Two side having previously been in League One, although his performances this season suggest that even the fourth tier might be a stretch too far for him.

In 15 league appearances this season, the 25-year-old has managed no goals and just one assist, averaging a disappointing 6.45 WhoScored match rating for his performances.

It is clear that Hesketh is never going to make it at Southampton and it seems almost remarkable that he has been kept on their books for so long; and you could definitely suggest that he has been stealing a wage with the south coast club for the past few seasons.

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Fortunately for Ralph Hasenhuttl, the midfielder’s contract is finally set to expire this summer, so the Austrian must ensure that Hesketh finally leaves the club and hopefully finds his feet somewhere else. Sadly, after a promising start with Southampton, his career has seriously declined.

In other news… Semmens should seal Saints swoop for £3.15m-rated beast dubbed “the next Kompany”

This summer is going to be one of the most crucial in Celtic’s recent history. They have just surrendered their grasp on the SPFL title and are in need of reinvigorating Parkhead.

First on Dermot Desmond’s to-do list will be to find a new manager for the playing squad. Neil Lennon left his post around three weeks ago and they are still no closer to discovering his successor.

There is also set to be plenty of movement in the hierarchy. Peter Lawwell is due to retire at the end of the season and be replaced by Dominic McKay. Nick Hammond could also depart if you believe reports.

As a result, a new director of football role is set to be appointed with that role potentially being handed to Fergal Harkin.

It will be a summer of change but one man we won’t see depart is Desmond. Answering questions in a rare media appearance on Tuesday evening, he claimed that his shares were not for sale.

Instead, it looks as though he could plough further investment into the football club. Speaking on A Celtic State of Mind podcast last week, Paul Dykes shared some rather interesting news from one of his sources.

Dykes commented: “I was speaking to someone who is close to the club and who reckons there’s going to be an incredible investment in the Celtic coaching staff and playing staff moving into next season.”

Considering the Hoops won’t have the prize money that comes with winning the SPFL or the finances that come from the Champions League, it bodes well to hear that the kitty isn’t completely empty.

For supporters, this should be incredibly exciting news. Of course, the Bhoys spent over £4m on both Albian Ajeti and Vasilis Barkas last summer, but if they put significant investment into the playing squad and bring in a new director of football, their recruitment could improve significantly.

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Football Insider has also revealed that a team of scouts and analysts are set to follow Harkin through the door so it’s certainly believable that Celtic are wanting to spend more.

After losing your grasp on the title, the answer is usually to spend. However, merely flashing your cash is easier than actually using that money wisely.

With fears about the futures of both Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer still lingering in the background, the report that Celtic won’t be afraid to spend on the playing squad this summer should be music to the ears of the Green Brigade.

The next transfer window represents the ideal chance to put the mistakes of the last 12 months to rest; Desmond must act decisively but intelligently.

His money simply has be to be used wisely if Celtic want to usurp Rangers again.

AND in other news, Celtic could find the new Scott Brown in rarely-seen 16 y/o, he’s “very athletic”…

After pulling off an impressive comeback victory over Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday, Arsenal return to Europa League action when they take on Olympiacos.

Mikel Arteta’s side secured bragging rights in the north London derby thanks to goals from Martin Odegaard and Alexandre Lacazette, and appear to have picked up a bit of momentum at a crucial time in the season.

And, with a 3-1 advantage to their name against Olympiacos, the Gunners look all set to progress into the next round of the competition, as they host the Greek giants at the Emirates tonight.

With West Ham on the horizon at the weekend, Arteta may consider freshening things up for Thursday’s game given their lead from the first leg, but it should remain a strong starting line-up.

And with that in mind, below is a look at how the Gunners might line up.

In goal, Bernd Leno will be hoping to fare better than he did in the first leg, where he played a huge part in the Gunners’ awful defensive gaffe for Olympiacos’ goal.

The defence could see one key change with Hector Bellerin coming in for Cedric, with Arteta potentially looking to rest the Portuguese man ahead of the clash against the Hammers on Sunday.

In midfield, the £200k-a-week earning Thomas Partey may find himself back on the bench after starting the past few games for the north London side – Mohamed Elneny is surely pushing for a recall, especially after his long-range screamer over in Greece.

Further forward, Nicolas Pepe has also made a good case to start, after coming on at half-time for the injured Bukayo Saka and playing the pass leading up to Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty.

And up front, Arteta may give Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the opportunity to make amends for his mistake at the weekend, which saw him dropped from the starting line-up against Spurs.

In total, the Arsenal boss could make five changes from the starting line-up against Spurs with Willian also coming in for the rested Emile Smith Rowe.

Predicted XI: Leno; Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney; Elneny, Xhaka; Pepe, Odegaard, Willian; Aubameyang.

Many Everton fans have been left to laud some comments made by Carlo Ancelotti ahead of their tie at Chelsea in the Premier League on Monday evening.

As per the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, the Italian boss said: “I am really happy to be the manager of this team and these players. I feel these players follow me. They have a lot of respect for my idea.”

The fact that Ancelotti is happy to be managing the Merseyside club is great to hear for Toffees supporters given his pedigree in the game, managing the likes of AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Paris Saint Germain and Real Madrid.

The Blues do not have as much pedigree in Europe as some of the previous sides that he has managed, and so it really is a project to try and get EFC to that kind of level with him in charge.

Nonetheless, Ancelotti has done very well since taking charge at Everton, as they push to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the 2021/22 term.

Everton fan reaction to Ancelotti comments

These Everton fans lauded his comments on Twitter:

“Not enough superlatives to offer this man. The Don, The Professor, The Master Tactician, Mr. Champions League, Carlo Magnifico. Feel free to add anymore. Ancelotti wins Italian Style. Will do for me. He knows who he wants in the summer as well. Will keep us guessing. NSNO.”

Credit: @Jeffreyhitchmo1

“Not only does he man manage the players he knows how to man manage the supporters too. Simple words but they mean so much”

Credit: @albie1405

“But who’s not going to love and respect this wonderful and caring man? I do……”

Credit: @JoannaNasseh

“Best manager we’ve had in my lifetime. Wouldn’t swap him for anyone”

Credit: @EPollazzo

“This is the stuff of dreams #Everton @MrAncelotti”

Credit: @bluemaidstone

“This makes me very happy!! @peterostick”
Credit: @pauldevs

In other news, find out whose display was slammed against West Brom here!

Whilst Tottenham’s Premier League season has taken somewhat of a downturn in recent weeks, the one shining light throughout the campaign has been the emergence of the real Tanguy Ndombele.

The Frenchman showed flashes of his enormous talent in his debut campaign in English football following his big-money move from Ligue 1 giants Lyon – his long-range strike on his first top-flight start against Aston Villa is a testament to that.

But after Jose Mourinho’s very public criticism of the midfielder, the writing seemed to be on the wall, with reports suggesting he could be on his way out of the club.

However, he seems to have really knuckled down this season, and his haul of six goals and three assists in 29 games has surely delivered a reminder to Spurs fans that they have a really top player on their hands.

But, Ndombele could really be unleashed by Mourinho, if Spurs actually end up bringing in another midfielder. Namely, Juventus star Aaron Ramsey.

The 61-cap Wales international of course has some history with Spurs’ north London rivals Arsenal, but his ability to break the lines and make runs beyond the striker could be the key to unlocking Ndombele’s rich creative talents.

Arsene Wenger raved about Ramsey’s ability to get into the box and find himself on the end of moves, saying: “In my head Ramsey was going to be a player between 10 and 15 goals a year. He is a Frank Lampard type. He is (about) getting in the box and he has a huge capacity to run. Physically, he has a combination of stamina, power and his capacity to repeat high intensity is certainly the best in the league.”

That kind of midfield running and dynamism is exactly what could allow Ndombele to further thrive. Since moving to Spurs, his key passes per game have considerably dropped from his time at Lyon – in his two main seasons in the French league, he never dipped below 1.3 key passes per game, but at Spurs, that number has fallen by more than half to 0.6.

The fact that even in this breakout campaign his key passes are still incredibly low – even Matt Doherty has managed the same amount – is more of an indication of how the set-up around him isn’t tuned to getting the best out of him.

Ndombele’s driving runs and cute passes desperately need midfield runners alongside him, instead of just Heung-min Son and Harry Kane having to do the bulk of the movement and goal-scoring.

Speaking a couple of years ago, French football journalist Julien Laurens, said: “Everything he does is forward – there aren’t many sideways passes. The first thing on his mind is going forward, with a pass that can break a line or beat two or three players with a dribble because he’s so good carrying the ball.”

Having a player like Ramsey in the engine room would open the game up for Ndombele and give him another option to pick out when Spurs find themselves on the attack, and that could be a real game-changer for Mourinho.

Not only would it help raise Ndombele’s game even further, but it would also ease the pressure on the backs of both Kane and Son. A move for Ramsey could work wonders on so many levels.

Meanwhile, this Spurs star showed he can thrive in a new role under Mourinho…

According to Goal, Celtic are tracking Hibernian starlet Josh Doig ahead of a potential transfer move.

What’s the story?

The 18-year-old has established himself as a key part of Jack Ross’ squad this season, making 16 appearances in the Scottish Premiership alone.

And now, Goal claim that along with Celtic, the likes of Manchester City and Leeds United are also interested in the left-back, and that he would command a fee of around £1m.

The report adds that despite City’s interest, the likes of Celtic and Leeds could prove to be more attractive propositions given they could give him a clearer route into the first-team.

Could be Celtic’s Tierney successor

Ever since Kieran Tierney left Celtic to move south of the border to join Arsenal in the Premier League back in the summer of 2019, the Hoops haven’t quite settled on a player to fill his shoes.

This season, loanee Diego Laxalt has stepped into the mix, whilst Greg Taylor came into the side for the 2-2 draw against Livingston in the Scottish Premiership last weekend.

But in the 18-year-old Doig, Nick Hammond could well land the Hoops a long-term successor to Tierney. He’s already racking up considerable experience by starting for Hibs week-in and week-out – he’s made 15 starts in the league this campaign.

Goal claims that “scouts have noted Doig’s attacking output as a huge part of his game, with his crossing ability and tireless running two of his key attributes”,  something Tierney really made a name for himself with.

However, he did have a difficult day against Celtic earlier in the season.

Coming up against another young full-back in Jeremie Frimpong, Doig struggled to hold his own, so much so that he was hauled off at half-time in Hibs’ 3-0 defeat to the Hoops.

Speaking after the game, Ross admitted: “Look, it was difficult for him today. He was up against a difficult opponent who has been lauded in recent weeks for being one of their stronger players. He competed well in the first-half.

“When you are that quick and can be that quick from a standing start it is tough to play against. It is another learning experience for Josh. I had a good chat with him at half-time and I will do so again in the coming days. He has been brilliant this season for a young man who has just turned 18. He will be fine and will play a big part for us moving forward.”

One bad performance doesn’t make a player, certainly not someone who is just a teenager. Given his age, and the fact he’s been lauded for his crossing shows that he’s got potential, and could develop into Celtic’s heir to Tierney.

Meanwhile, Celtic could clinch a bargain in this League One gem…