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Liverpool fans fume at Jamie Carragher

A number of Liverpool supporters cannot believe that Jamie Carragher hasn’t included Mohamed Salah in his Premier League Team of the Season.

It has been an extremely difficult campaign for the Reds, who went into the campaign full of confidence having just been crowned champions. Everything seems to have gone wrong, however, with endless injuries to key players halting their progress, while VAR and no fans in stadia have made for a poor spectacle.

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One man who has continued to perform at a high level is Salah, with the Egyptian scoring 29 goals in all competitions. He hasn’t been totally blameless when it comes to Liverpool’s profligacy in front of goal, but he has stood well above his teammates this season.

Bizarrely, Carragher decided not to pick him in his Team of the Season on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, instead opting for Phil Foden, Son Heung-min and Harry Kane in attack.

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Liverpool fans fume at Carragher

These Liverpool supporters were hugely frustrated with Salah’s omission, taking to Twitter to vent their anger at Carragher, who has attracted the ire of many Kopites in recent weeks for other viewpoints.

“Son had a great season individually sure but still not better than Salah. Victim of his own success”

Credit: @plus7end

“Oh, Carra”

Credit: @MexicoCityLFC

“Boo this man. Mo Salah walks into it. Fabinho has had a better season than Kante too although Gundogan should take the 3rd midfield spot”

Credit: @ShakirSH35dv5e7

“I reckon Mo Salah could be THE most underrated player ever in the Premier League”

Credit: @Kjones1892

“The Salah agenda is real”

Credit: @GerrardEra

“No Salah, and Mount? What a clown”

Credit: @salim9081

In other news, Liverpool have received a potential major blow ahead of their clash with Man United. Read more here.

Vieira could make first mistake with Ramsey

Crystal Palace have moved on with Patrick Vieira steering the side into a much more comfortable position of 11th in the Premier League since he joined the club in the summer and made signings of a number of young players in the side, but could now be heading for his first mistake of his career with the Eagles.

What’s the word?

According to talkSPORT, Palace are front runners to sign Juventus outcast, Aaron Ramsey, after the Serie A giant’s manager, Massimiliano Allegri, confirmed that the 31-year-old will leave the club in January.

Juventus’ official club Twitter account tweeted a quote from the manager;

“@aaronramsey is an outgoing player. Instead @AlvaroMorata will not leave, he is a performance footballer. The problem with him is that he is given a wrong label. He is very important: I talked to him and I told him not to move from here. Case closed.”

Sky Sports have added that Allegri also said:

“Ramsey, he returned today after we had given him a few days off to work, to train separately, in England. In any case, he’s an outgoing player. “

The Eagles are not the only club rumoured to be interested in the midfielder, with Sport MediaSet reporting that both Newcastle United and Aston Villa are interested in securing his signature this January, following the comments from Allegri.

Fans will be fuming

Palace fans have welcomed the new era of Vieira, who has brought in a number of young players to the club that have made a great impact on the side this season so far, with loan player Conor Gallagher stealing the headlines on a number of occasions for his performances at the club.

However, adding a player like Ramsey to the team doesn’t make much sense in Vieira’s path to produce and nurture young talent at Selhurst Park, with the £175k-per-week star turning 31 years old last month, it would seem that he wouldn’t be part of a future project at the club but more of an impact signing that could hinder the development of other players.

One CPFC fan tweeted about the speculation of signing the player;

“I cannot understand why we are/were favourites to sign Aaron Ramsey. If it was as simple as ‘would you like Aaron Ramsey in the Palace team?’ then obvs it would be a yes but basically every single caveat of the deal makes no sense for us.”

Crystal Palace’s squad was the oldest in the Premier League upon Roy Hodgson’s departure, but Vieira’s appointment has seen him sign Gallagher, Odsonne Edouard, Will Hughes, Michael Olise and Marc Guehi, which has brought the average age down from 29.8 to 28.

Adding Ramsey, therefore, would only repeat Hodgson’s mistakes. Vieira must forget about the Welshman, even if his Arsenal association is tempting.

In other news: Journo reveals blow to Palace transfer target

Celtic dealt blow in John Souttar pursuit

Celtic have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring John Souttar to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claim that, despite Celtic’s interest in the Heart of Midlothian centre-back, the 25-year-old’s preference is a move south of the border, with the likes of Stoke City, Blackburn Rovers, Millwall, Luton Town, Middlesbrough, Queens Park Rangers, Birmingham City, Blackpool and Preston North End all reported to be keen on the 25-year-old.

The report goes on to state that Hearts are continuing contract negotiations with the defender in an attempt to convince him to extend his stay at Tynecastle, with the Scotland international’s current deal set to expire at the end of the season.

Postecoglou will be furious

Considering just how impressive Souttar has been for Hearts this season, the news that the centre-back would rather secure a move to England than make a switch to Parkhead this winter is sure to have left Ange Postecoglou fuming.

Indeed, over his 12 Scottish Premiership appearances this term, the £720k-rated man has helped his side keep two clean sheets and scored three goals, as well as making an average of two interceptions – the most of any defender in the top flight – 0.7 tackles, 44.9 passes and winning a whopping 6.3 duels per game.

These returns have seen the £3.1k-per-week defender average a SofaScore match rating of 7.39, ranking him as the sixth-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football so far this season.

As such, it is clear to see that Souttar would make an excellent addition to Postecoglou’s options in the heart of defence, something which is exactly the reason why the news the 25-year-old would prefer a move to a Championship side ahead of playing European football and fighting for the league title with Celtic is sure to come as a major blow to the 56-year-old manager.

In other news: Postecoglou in grave danger of big Celtic blunder over “outstanding” £7.6k-p/w flop

Aston Villa dealt huge injury setback

Aston Villa have been dealt a huge injury setback ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Steven Gerrard revealed that Danny Ings, who has played just 66 minutes of Premier League football over Villa’s last four fixtures due to a hamstring strain, will once again be unavailable for selection for the visit of Manchester City on Wednesday evening.

Speaking about the current condition of the centre-forward, the 41-year-old said: “Danny Ings unfortunately won’t make tomorrow – he’s had a setback.”

Gerrard will be gutted

Considering that Aston Villa spent a substantial £25m on bringing Danny Ings to Villa Park this summer, the fact that the striker will have hardly featured over Steven Gerrard’s first three games in charge of the club will undoubtedly leave fans gutted.

Indeed, while the 29-year-old is undoubtedly yet to truly find his feet for his new side, he has nevertheless impressed over his 10 Premier League appearances for Villa, scoring three goals and providing his teammates with two assists, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots and making 0.2 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £120k-per-week England international average a SofaScore match rating of 6.82, ranking him as Aston Villa’s joint 10th-best performer in the top flight of English football.

As such, being without Ings – who has scored one goal and registered two assists over his seven fixtures against City – for the visit of Pep Guardiola’s side on Wednesday will undoubtedly come as a huge blow to Gerrard’s chances of continuing his 100% record as Aston Villa manager – with the breaking of this record being something that would leave the 41-year-old gutted.

In other news: “I’m sure”: Journo drops Jan update on 24 G/A “phenomenon”, Villa fans will be buzzing

Leeds: Cody Drameh catching the eye

With Leeds sitting top of Premier League 2, there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful for the future at Elland Road.

They have a plethora of young talent all beginning to compete for first-team places. We’ve already seen the likes of Niall Huggins, Sam Greenwood and Charlie Cresswell earn debuts this season.

Though, rather surprisingly, we’re yet to see some of their more talented forwards earn minutes.

That goes for Joe Gelhardt and Crysenscio Summerville, two young attackers who were playing senior football last term.

Gelhardt could now finally get his opening with Patrick Bamford injured but another man who deserves an opportunity in the senior side is Cody Drameh.

The right-back has been in scintillating form for the U23s but with Luke Ayling ahead of him in the pecking order, it’s easier said than done to get a look in.

However, Drameh is a marvellous talent who appears to be getting better all the time, standing out in the club’s 2-1 win over Newcastle this week.

He was given an 8/10 rating by Leeds Live reporter Joe Donnohue who gave him the following review: “Stood up to the task of facing a Premier League-calibre winger in Christian Atsu relatively well. Matched the Ghanaian physically and stepped out of defence as he likes to do.”

Atsu might not be the most dangerous winger in the Premier League but it bodes well that he was able to deal with a seasoned professional like that with such ease.

Considering Drameh’s best attributes are offensive, this was another plus point to tell Marcelo Bielsa about.

This performance came just weeks after the 19-year-old played a key role in the U23s win over Sunderland. He was described as a “box of tricks” by Leeds commentator Tom Hill before Donnohue waxed lyrical about him again.

“Drameh’s flicks, tricks and backheels were a welcome addition to his game. His constant running in behind meant Sunderland were pinned back on that side of the pitch, which contributed to Leeds’ complete dominance,” the reporter wrote.

Gelhardt has often been the most talked-about young talent at Leeds this term but Drameh deserves equal attention as the former Wigan forward.

With an impressive 2.5 tackles per game under his belt in this season’s Papa John’s Trophy, he is not just about the fancy tricks. Drameh has plenty in his locker and should be strongly considered by the management team at senior level.

AND in other news, Phil Hay thinks Leeds should sign 42-goal gem this summer, he could be their new Klich…

West Ham to sign Lingard permanently

David Sullivan must strive to reach an agreement with Manchester United for the transfer of Jesse Lingard, amid claims of a potential permanent move to West Ham.

What’s the word?

According to TransferMarketWEB, the Irons are adamant that Lingard will stay at the London Stadium beyond his initial half-season loan.

The 28-year-old has proven a huge hit in claret and blue, with Lingard striking five goals and providing three assists in seven Premier League games.

Only against Fulham in February’s goalless draw at Craven Cottage has the England international failed to influence the scoring since leaving Old Trafford in January.

The Red Devils are expected to cash-in on Lingard’s blistering form under David Moyes, with the 24-cap maestro set to enter the final year of his £100,000-per-week contract in June.

Moyes recently declared aspirations of West Ham reaching an agreement with Manchester United to sign Lingard permanently, noting via quotes by the Daily Mail:

“He’s joined a good group of players. We’ve got international players and I’m hoping we can add to that in the coming transfer window. The job is to try to add to that. But I would hope Jesse sees this as a good place if it’s possible to be done, and if we think that we want to do it at the end of the season.”

West Ham were previously said to have sought the inclusion of a £15m purchase clause in the £1.5m loan agreement for Lingard, though Eurosport claim Manchester United rejected the terms as they expect his value to be upwards of £20m this summer.

Should West Ham sing Lingard?

Lingard’s promising early form at West Ham will undoubtedly help Man United set a higher asking price at the end of the season, but Sullivan must strive to strike a deal that sees the Warrington-born playmaker remain in east London.

Lingard hit the ground running for Moyes despite rarely getting a look in at Old Trafford under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season, with the 2017 Europa League winner’s only action before joining West Ham totalling 179 minutes.

Former Hammers head coach Alan Curbishley believes his time spent in the wilderness gave Lingard the fire in his belly to thrive at West Ham, telling Optus Sport: “He has been a revelation.

“He has come into the West Ham side angry because he cannot get into the team at Old Trafford. He has also come in hungry and that’s the sort of player you want.”

Not only has he been a revelation, but Lingard is arguably now West Ham’s most important player, with his intensity in behind Michail Antonio and emerging relationships with the likes of Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen bringing Moyes’ attack together.

Lingard’s ability to cause problems has also been at an unparalleled level, as shown on Sunday when he was alert enough to play a quick free-kick to catch Arsenal asleep, having already produced a sublime finish to fire a half-volley into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Curbishley and Moyes’ comments, plus Lingard’s incredible form, must surely act as distinct messages to Sullivan that West Ham have to seal a deal for the midfielder this summer.

AND in other news, a West Ham ace who joined at the “perfect moment” has seen his market value of crash by £16.5m

Aston Villa must sign Coutinho permanently

Aston Villa are set to face a battle against numerous other clubs to secure the permanent signing for loanee Philippe Coutinho with the Brazilian set to leave Barcelona for good this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to Birmingham Live, Villa have an option to buy Coutinho for £33m at the end of the season, although the deal is believed to be more complicated than that.

On the situation, manager Steven Gerrard said last month: “It’s more complicated than people think… the option is there. If it was my money, I think you know the answer.”

However, the Mirror claim that Barcelona have doubts over the West Midlands club’s ability to provide the necessary funds to take on the 29-year-old permanently.

It is also believed that Premier League rivals Arsenal and Newcastle United are keen, with the latter “ready” to pay the winger’s £425,000k-per-week salary, according to the Mirror.

Villa must secure permanent Coutinho deal

Already the effects of having Coutinho in Gerrard’s side are evident, with the Brazilian scoring four goals and registering three assists in 12 Premier League appearances for the Villans.

To put that into context, the 29-year-old is already the West Midlands club’s joint-fourth top goalscorer this term having joined in early January.

Premier League fans were already aware of the winger’s brilliance after his spell at Liverpool whilst also featuring regularly for Brazil.

Across club and country, Coutinho has netted a whopping 125 career strikes and has received a plethora of praise from numerous names over the years with former Liverpool and current Brazil teammate Roberto Firmino labelling the Villa loanee as “phenomenal” and insisting that “he has magical powers.”

Villa’s season has been somewhat of a disappointment, with Gerrard’s men currently 15th in the Premier League, although they do have two games in hand on some sides, there will undoubtedly be plans for an ambitious transfer window.

The West Midlands outfit have already been linked with the likes of Yves Bissouma and Kalvin Phillips and are set to spend big this summer.

Having already lured Coutinho to Villa Park on a temporary basis, there shouldn’t be any issue convincing the 29-year-old to stay permanently after an excellent start to life in claret and blue.

Moreover, contrary to reports, a £33m fee seems a bargain and one that isn’t out of the question for Villa, having spent a club-record £38m on Emi Buendia last summer.

Granted, there will be more attractive propositions for the Brazilian and therefore Gerrard and NSWE must do whatever they can to secure a permanent stay for the Villa star.

AND in other news: Cost £0, now worth £19.8m: Villa struck gold on £15k-p/w gem who “demands attention” 

The stats show Maguire stole the show vs Liverpool

Manchester United prevented Liverpool from recapturing first place in the Premier League with a goalless draw at Anfield on Sunday.

The result extended the Red Devils’ unbeaten league run to 12 games stretching all the way back to the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, but after winning three of their previous four, their momentum has somewhat stalled.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side remain three points clear of the Reds at the top of the table but it was a game that utterly failed to live up to the pre-match hype and build-up.

However, their remarkable turnaround in form after a difficult start to the season has since led to some, including club legend Paul Scholes, proclaiming them as worthy title challengers and, in that regard, this was a significant milestone, as they kept a clean sheet against a side that have scored the highest amount of goals this season so far.

It was a game dominated by the defences that ultimately came down to one kick. Paul Pogba came closest to securing a vital three points from close range, only to be denied by the outstretched arms of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson in the dying stages of the game. Perhaps his late miss could prove costly in the title race as the two teams find themselves separated by a mere three points.

Apart from that, the Frenchman will have done himself no harm whatsoever with his latest display, earning the following review from The Manchester Evening News: ‘an unusual choice on the right-hand side but performed respectably. Was never going to boss the game in that role but almost won it.’

Everything Pogba does either on the pitch or off it brings attention; attention which brings scrutiny when the focus should be on Harry Maguire instead – for all the right reasons.

The club captain was a colossal at the back for Solskjaer’s side in his 17th top-flight appearance of the season.

Having arrived at Old Trafford from Leicester City for a world record fee for a defender in 2019, the England international hasn’t had the easiest of starts at the Theatre of Dreams but he’s finally starting to look the part at United, and slowly but surely, he’s living up to his colossal price tag.

Solskjaer has struggled to find a defensive partner for Maguire, who earns around £189,000-per-week at Old Trafford, with Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly battling to bag the spot and there are still question marks over both. However, the club legend’s decision to start Lindelof alongside the captain paid off almost immediately.

Maguire blocked more shots (5) and made more clearances (6) than any other player on the pitch, showing he put up a strong fight in the defence as he largely neutralised Liverpool’s attack, as per SofaScore.

The 27-year-old won every battle there was to win at the back, winning five from five duels overall (100%), and it was a dominant performance from the skipper. His control at the back and on the ball set the tone for the rest of the match as he took 53 touches of the ball and tried to spray long balls (4) over the top, the second-highest amount out of any United player, which shows he was a useful asset in attack as well.

Such was his level of dominance that Jurgen Klopp’s side only managed three shots on target from a whopping 17 attempts as they resorted to several hopeful potshots.

It’s the kind of performance that United fans have recently come to expect from the club captain, and there’s no doubting the fact that Solskjaer will be delighted with his defensive shift.

AND in other news, Woodward must sanction Man Utd swoop for West Ham’s Declan Rice…

Hendrie wouldn’t take Benteke back at Villa

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that he would not bring Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke back to Villa Park if he had the opportunity to.

Benteke spent three years at Villa, scoring just under 50 goals for the Midlands club, and was linked with a return to his old side last year.

The Belgian striker’s £120,000-a-week contract is up in the summer, meaning Villa could pick him up on a free transfer if they are interested in him.

Hendrie, however, is not too keen, suggesting such a move would be a backward step for the Villans.

When asked by FFC if he would take Benteke back, the ex-Villa player said:

“I just feel that I look at his record over the past few years and it hasn’t given me any wow factor.

“I think it’d be a backward step if I’m being personally honest. I just feel that if he’s a younger player and he’s still got that little bit of bite and that energy, I just feel possibly, but I’d be one that would certainly be avoiding that, for sure.”

Benteke has really come to life in this last part of the season, scoring in his last four games in a row.

However, his overall goalscoring record at Palace has been far from convincing, so concerns about the 30-year-old’s ability to consistently find the back of the net at this level are understandable.

Why did Nuno Santo leave Wolves?

Just when you thought Wolves’ season was coming to a close without much drama, the club were rocked with some disastrous news on Friday afternoon.

They were dealt a major blow when it was announced that Nuno Espirito Santo would step down from his role as the club’s manager after their final game of the season on Sunday.

What’s the word?

Nuno has been linked with the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal since Wolves were promoted to the Premier League but this reveal came as a big shock.

The 47-year-old seemed to be stable in his job at Molineux, working well with Fosun to establish the Old Gold in the Premier League. He had taken them from mid-table in the Championship to a Europa League quarter-final within the space of three years.

The reason for his departure is up for debate but one source suggests that it could be down to the financial power Wolves are currently lacking.

Taking to Twitter, reporter Leah Smith shared a scary update on the club’s future. She wrote: “Spoke with one source just now about this news who suggested Wolves’ lack of funds probably prompted NES’ decision to leave. No money to spend and an expected summer of one way activity. Bleak.”

Fans should be seething

If seeing Nuno leave wasn’t bad enough, for Wolves fans to see that they have no real war chest to spend this summer will be incredibly disappointing.

After all, the club have been pillaged by a number of injuries this season, and without some of their star players, they’ve crumbled to a bottom half finish.

And we all know, that player injuries and team changes are one of the overall aspects that are considered to influence the sports betting odds. Some bookmakers and online casinos make a big deal about this, as it can change the way bets are placed on a certain game outcomes. To find the fastest payout casino with the highest betting odds can be a difficult task. Before wagering, it would be best to have all the right information, that it why fans usually check all possible sports accumulators and compare odds daily after knowing about a certain injury.”

Therefore, spending money to strengthen the club’s first team options was more than a requirement; it was an absolute necessity for Wolves to get back to Europe.

Tim Spiers revealed this week that the Molineux outfit had desires of strengthening the options available to the first team but, with a lack of money in order to do so, the quality of player coming in will be limited.

This is equally frustrating when you consider how poorly Jeff Shi and the Wolves chiefs spent last summer.

They shelled out £35.6m on Fabio Silva, who has scored just four goals since arriving in the Midlands. He may have plenty of potential but it feels like it’ll be another few years before that’s extracted fully.

Wolves also spent £27.6m on Nelson Semedo, who has been a liability from a defensive point of view this season.

Had Wolves spent more wisely last summer in the midst of a global pandemic, they may now been in a more vibrant position going into the transfer market in 2021.

Instead, they may have to cash in on the likes of Pedro Neto and Adama Traore in a few months’ time. Both of them have been linked with big-money switches to Manchester United and Leeds respectively.

Based on this update, it looks as though Wolves supporters may have to settle for more mediocrity. This can’t have been the way they thought they’d be losing Nuno, and the Molineux faithful shouldn’t be best pleased.

AND in other news, Wolves intend to buy “unpredictable” 23-goal Mendes client, he’s an upgrade on Podence…

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