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Antonio Conte could become an instant hit at Tottenham Hotspur by making a big decision with his starting XI over the coming weeks.

The Italian, who has a Premier League and FA Cup winners medal to his name, was appointed as Spurs’ next manager less than 24 hours after the club handed Nuno Santo his marching orders.

Fresh off the back of Inter Milan’s first Serie A triumph in over a decade, the 52-year-old tactician will be tasked with instilling a winning culture in north London, especially as the club remain in all relevant league and cup competitions.

His first job will be to reverse the Portuguese’s costly decision in the UEFA Europa Conference League as the Lilywhites welcome Dutch side Vitesse to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday, just a couple of weeks after the second string were defeated 1-0 in Holland.

It will be interesting to see what sort of lineup Conte will opt for, particularly what sort of formation he will run with as a 3-5-2 of sorts will be expected.

One player who should not feature amongst his starting XI is Giovani Lo Celso. His exclusion would certainly go down well with the Spurs fanbase.

The £26m-rated Argentine, who cost around £55m from Real Betis in August 2019, has been such a poor signing that a parody account of his poor performances and inconsistent displays has been set up on social media.

It’s easy to see why so many are frustrated with the attacking midfielder as he just hasn’t been worth that considerable investment – across 77 appearances, he has delivered only eight goals and five assists at a rate of one direct contribution every 336.7 minutes, via Transfermarkt.

That’s pretty much an involvement every three to four games, which for a playmaking figure is quite simply atrocious. Lo Celso was even recently described as putting the team at an instant “huge disadvantage” by simply being involved by club insider Jon Wenham to Football Insider.

He was also dubbed “unacceptable”, whilst in the past ex-manager Jose Mourinho lauded him as “phenomenal” – though we’re yet to truly see that praise evolve onto the pitch when it counts.

Tottenham’s biggest issue has been in the final third, where they are averaging a Premier League low of 10.3 shots per game and the second-lowest average for key chances created per game (7.1) too, as per WhoScored.

Lo Celso clearly isn’t the answer, so he should have no place in Conte’s lineup going forward. A brutal but necessary call.

AND in other news, Spurs close in on first signing of the Antonio Conte era, he’s not costing a penny…

Just a few days since their previous Premier League outing that saw Southampton beat Aston Villa 1-0 thanks to an early goal from Adam Armstrong, it seems as though two Saints players have failed to get through the latest international break unscathed.

What’s the news?

It has recently been revealed that Saints captain James Ward-Prowse has withdrawn from the England squad through illness with Valentino Livramento also dropping out of the England U21 squad with an injury, which will surely leave Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl gutted.

After all, it’s safe to say the duo are important players for the manager given how Livramento has started all 11 of Southampton’s Premier League matches so far this season, with Ward-Prowse having only missed two league games as a result of his ban earlier in the season.

Given the lack of clarity over the severity of Livramento’s injury and Ward-Prowse’s illness at the moment, we feel that this could be a worrying time for the Southampton fans, even though they still have a decent amount of time until their next league game against Norwich City.

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Thinking about the worst-case scenario which would be if the duo are both unable to play against the Canaries, we feel that this would be a massive blow for the Saints given how significant they are for the team in defence and midfield.

With Livramento, the fact that he has managed to rack up an average of 2.5 tackles, 1.8 clearances and 1.5 interceptions per game in the league proves just how useful he has been for the team from a defensive point of view.

In regards to Ward-Prowse, we feel that he could well be a big miss if he isn’t available for the Norwich match considering how he has a higher passing success percentage (87.8%) and made more crosses per game (1.9) than any other Saints player in the league so far this season according to WhoScored. Furthermore, he’s the club captain so to lose him again would be an almighty blow.

In a recent poll ran on Football FanCast, the majority of Saints fans made it clear that they feel Ward-Prowse is Southampton’s most important player, demonstrating why they’ll be gutted about his potential absence.

Moving forward, with the pair set to stay at the club for the remainder of the break, everyone at Southampton, especially Hasenhuttl, will be hoping that they can fully recover from their issues by the time the Premier League starts back up again.

In other news: Southampton could have Che Adams 2.0 in “promising” 17 y/o starlet, fans will love him – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur’s biggest problem has been their lack of creativity in midfield but new manager Antonio Conte may have already repeated one of Nuno Santo’s most fatal mistakes at the club.

The Portuguese was axed just four months into his reign in north London as his side looked fruitless and uninspiring in attack, and whilst that’s something that won’t be solved overnight, the Italian is doing himself no favours.

In his first Premier League game in charge of the club, Spurs failed to register a shot on target, making it nearly four hours since they achieved such a feat.

Their last goal in the English top-flight came five hours ago – Heung-min Son’s strike right on half-time in the 3-2 victory over Newcastle United at St James’ Park. Yes, it really was that long ago.

The Lilywhites still rank bottom for average number of shots per game (10.1) across the entire division. Even the bottom three are managing more attempts, whilst their expected goals ratio of 11.43 xG is amongst the five worst teams.

Ultimately, it is these gross returns that cost Nuno his job so soon.

Conte has clearly changed the system, utilising a three-man defence and two attacking wing-backs but the problem seemingly still lies in the final third, as evident with their lack of returns against the Toffees.

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It could well boil down to the engine room, where the 52-year-old is selecting the same pivot as Nuno, a defensively-minded duo of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp, leaving two inside-forwards or a solitary no.10 to make up the difference.

Both players are arguably two of their best, certainly the former, who currently ranks first in the squad for average WhoScored rating – proving his consistency.

But both are most definitely defensive players, having averaged at least 2.3 tackles and no more than 0.5 key passes each per game.

It’s going to be hard for Spurs to create much going forward with both playing alongside each other, especially if the opposition nullifies either of Sergio Reguilon or Emerson Royal.

Conte would be better off deploying one of the two and then handing the other two spots to any of Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli, Giovani Lo Celso or even Lucas Moura in an advanced position.

It’s a scenario that the Italian tactician will be able to test out this weekend when Spurs return to action, hosting Leeds United on Sunday, as the England U21 international is suspended.

Conte will have a hard task at changing the team’s fortunes up top if he persists with both Hojbjerg and Skipp in the same side.

AND in other news, “Tottenham are willing”: Journo drops exciting transfer claim, fans will be buzzing…

Manchester United have reportedly taken a significant step towards appointing Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s successor.

What’s the story?

According to well-known journalist and transfer expert Duncan Castles, the Red Devils have ‘opened discussions’ to bring the 49-year-old tactician to Old Trafford.

He tweeted: “Manchester United open discussions to extract Mauricio Pochettino from Paris Saint-Germain mid-season.”

Castles goes into more detail in the ongoings behind the scenes at United, stating in his report that Pochettino is their ‘preferred candidate’ to replace Solskjaer after Zinedine Zidane passed up on the opportunity to do so.

“Record Sport understands that the Old Trafford hierarchy has drawn encouragement by the speed with which Pochettino has signalled his intent to leave Paris Saint-Germain less than four months into his first full season as the Qatar-owned club’s coach and have begun conversations on buying out the 49-year-old’s contract,” he wrote.

Man Utd fans will be delighted

News that the club’s hierarchy are believed to be making progress in sealing the Argentine tactician’s services will leave fans feeling delighted.

Throughout his five-and-a-half-year stay at Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Pochettino established the north London outfit as a fearsome force, both domestically and in Europe.

Although he was unable to win a major trophy with Spurs, he achieved a points per game record of 1.84, achieved four consecutive top-four finishes and reached the 2019 Champions League final, all while not spending a vast sum of money.

And Pochettino’s proposed move back to English football is one that makes sense for several reasons.

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The South American is believed to be unhappy in Paris despite winning the French Cup last season and establishing an 11-point gap at the top of Ligue 1 after just 14 fixtures.

His lack of control of team affairs, unbalanced squad and the multiple dominating egos in his first-team setup are thought to be the reasons why Pochettino is so open to taking over the United hot seat after less than a year in charge of PSG.

Whether the Red Devils’ chiefs are able and wanting to make a move for Pochettino remains to be seen, but he would surely be a popular choice amongst the fanbase due to his attacking style, track record with blooding youngsters and reaching the Champions League spots with great regularity.

And, in other news…Carrick could become an instant hit at Man Utd by ruthlessly axing £120k-p/w “problem”

Taking to Twitter, these Sunderland fans slammed the performance of attacker Aiden O’Brien as their side dropped vital points away to Shrewsbury Town.

Lee Johnson’s men travelled to Montgomery Waters Meadow in search of a victory as Sunderland aim to continue their chase for promotion and finally climb out of England’s third tier.

The Black Cats got off to a fine start mid-way through the first period when Alex Pritchard opened the scoring and originally put Sunderland in cruise control of the contest.

However, as the contest progressed, Sunderland failed to put the result beyond all doubt and Shrewsbury came back into it – with attacker Daniel Udoh netting a 64th minute equaliser.

Sunderland fans slam O’Brien…

Sunderland went on to drop points in their quest for promotion as supporters unleashed on social media, with some taking aim at O’Brien during the contest.

According to SofaScore, the 28-year-old ranked in as their lowest rated player on the night (6.3) whilst taking the least touches out of any outfield player – leaving little wonder some supporters thought he was ‘anonymous’.

The forward also completed just one out of four dribble attempts, managing zero shots on target and winning just 1/6 ground duels (SofaScore).

Here’s how supporters reacted to his display on Twitter:

“I’d have Bailey Wright at 7, Gooch 5, Broadhead 5 and O’Brien 4. Otherwise we would have beaten 10 men surely!! Gooch tried but other than that left foot effort saved by the keeper nothing came off, Broadhead and O’Brien completely anonymous. Subs terrible.”

Credit: @mikesmith145

“Not sure where he’s supposed to be playing he’s been that quiet”

Credit: @Tony_young78

“I’m going to stand outside on Saturday and tell Lee Johnson I work hard, seems to work for O’Brien despite being a totally useless footballer”

Credit: @davis0688

“O’Brien is never the answer”

Credit: @AnderGrim

“O’Brien off for Evans. Not been a great afternoon for the former”

Credit: @SpeakSAFC

“Aiden O’Brien totally anonymous”

Credit: @SPEZIAL73

Everton are reportedly one of several clubs who are keen to sign Manchester United’s wantaway star Jesse Lingard, with Rafael Benitez keen to bolster his attacking options.

What’s the story?

According to The Telegraph, the highly-rated 28-year-old is set to depart Old Trafford after entering the final year of his current contract and turning down the offer of a new deal.

The report claims that the Toffees are one of several clubs who are keen to secure Lingard’s services next summer when he becomes a free agent, although Newcastle United, West Ham United and Serie A giants AC Milan are also believed to be in the running to sign the creative talent over the coming months.

Imagine him and Demarai Gray

After struggling to get back to his best following the 2018 World Cup, a short-term loan move to West Ham back in January reinvigorated the £19.8m-rated maestro’s career.

In just 16 Premier League appearances for the Hammers, Lingard scored nine goals and provided a further five assists for his teammates, playing a pivotal part as David Moyes’ charges finished in a very impressive sixth position.

However, his exploits for the east Londoners failed to translate into regular game-time for his boyhood club under former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the opening weeks of the current campaign.

So far this season, Lingard has started just one game in all competitions but has managed to find the back of the net twice in just 63 minutes of top-flight action.

Following the 28-year-old’s return to form, England manager Gareth Southgate described the 32-cap gem as “immense”, and there’s little doubt that he would have the ability to improve Benitez’s struggling charges.

A move to Goodison Park would see Lingard link up with compatriot Demarai Gray, who has already provided five goal contributions throughout 2021/22 following his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen.

The intelligent, pacey and skillful duo would strike fear into any Premier League defence should Everton’s director of football Marcel Brands secure Lingard’s signature, and it’s a partnership that you’d imagine the club’s supporters would love to see.

In other news… Everton could secure Benitez’s next Hamsik in 18y/o prodigy with “exciting potential”

With Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side heading into Thursday evening’s Premiership clash in an excellent run of league form, things are very much looking on the up at Parkhead as we enter the hectic Christmas period.

However, with third-placed Hearts up next for the Bhoys, the 56-year-old manager will undoubtedly be aware that his side will have to be at their best if they are secure all three points against Robbie Neilson’s men, a result which would close the gap to the current Premiership leaders to four points.

So, will Postecoglou make any changes to the team which started the 2-1 win over Aberdeen last time out? Here’s how we think Celtic could line up against Hearts, along with the latest team and injury news…

With Postecoglou recently revealing that both Nir Bitton and Tom Rogic will be available for selection on Thursday evening, we predict that the 56-year-old will make two changes to the team that started at Parkhead last time out.

The back five remains unchanged, with Joe Hart starting between the sticks, while Josip Juranovic, Stephen Welsh, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Anthony Ralston make up the defensive quartet.

In the middle of the park, despite impressing against the Dons, the £14k-per-week James McCarthy – who pundit Eamon Dunphy dubbed a “terrible flop” – makes way for the return of Bitton, while Conor McGregor and David Turnbull retain their starting berths.

The front three also sees one change, with the £5.4m-rated James Forrest being handed only his second Premiership start of the season in place of 20-year-old Liel Abada, with the impressive Jota and Kyogo Furuhashi making up the attacking trio.

In other news: Ange must unleash “influential” £14k-p/w Celtic machine vs Hearts, he’s a game-changer

Rangers have been draw against Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League play-off round. 

The eight second-placed teams from the group stage will compete with the eight third-place sides from the Champions League group stage for a place in the round of 16 of the former competition.

How did they get here?

Rangers progressed after they finished runners-up behind Lyon in Group A, edging Sparta Prague by one point. Meanwhile, Dortmund wound up level on points with Sporting CP in their Champions League group but went out on the head-to-head rule, having fallen to a 3-1 defeat in Lisbon in late November.

Domestically, Marco Rose’s side are faring much better, though. They sit second in the Bundesliga, seven points behind leaders Bayern Munich but four clear of Bayer Leverkusen immediately behind them.

Dortmund are seasoned operators at European level and boast the formidable attacking talent of Erling Haaland, who has a scarcely believable 74 goals in 73 games for the club.

The Westfalenstadion will host the first leg on 17 February before the return fixture at Ibrox a week later. Rangers’ official Twitter channel shared news of the draw, and here’s what supporters made of it, with some believing that it was “the worst” possible outcome for the Scottish champions.

These Rangers fans fret over Dortmund draw

“Better to focus on winning the league and cup double anyways, eh”

Credit: @jude1872_

“Ooft. Tough tie that one. Think that was the worst one we could get.”

Credit: @colinek11

“The only team I did not want. Here we go…”

Credit: @JMartinResearch

“Hardest possible tie, I knew that was gonna happen”

Credit: @deanobobs9

“Tell Haaland to show mercy”

Credit: @GioBall27

“NOOO”

Credit: @stevonevo1

“Crying and throwing up rn”

Credit: @_daniredd

“Good god”

Credit: @jarrodlendrum

In other news, lots of Rangers fans were buzzing over this development

Aston Villa are not interested in a deal to bring Ryan Kent to Villa Park in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Gregg Evans, with the journalist revealing in a recent Q&A on The Athletic that, despite Steven Gerrard being heavily linked with a move for the Rangers winger this winter, Aston Villa do not look likely to make an offer for the 25-year-old next month.

In his post, Evans said: “I’m pretty sure it’s a no to Kent.”

Fans will be devastated

Considering just how exciting a prospect Kent quite clearly is, the news that Villa will not be making a move for the forward this January is sure to have left many of the Villa Park faithful devastated.

Indeed, over his 37 Scottish Premiership appearances last season, the £12.6m-rated man was arguably Gerrard’s most influential player in Rangers’ title-winning campaign, scoring ten goals, registering 11 assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.3 shots and making 1.8 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £18k-per-week winger earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.23, ranking him as the seventh-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football last time out.

The 25-year-old has continued this fine form over his 11 league outings so far this season, bagging two goals, providing one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.05 – returns that would suggest the former England U20 international would have made a fine addition to the Aston Villa squad.

Furthermore, in a recent poll ran on Football FanCast, the majority of Villa fans revealed that they believed Kent would indeed make a fantastic addition to Gerrard’s current options in the wide areas of his squad, meaning that Evans’ latest update on the club’s potential move for the forward this winter is sure to come as gutting news for many of the Villa fanbase.

In other news: “A player Villa like” – Gregg Evans’ exciting transfer update will leave fans buzzing

Newcastle failed to move out of the relegation zone as they were beaten 3-1 by Liverpool away from home in the Premier League on Thursday night.

Eddie Howe’s side did take the lead in the game early on as Jonjo Shelvey rifled in an effort from distance after a poor clearance on the edge of the box.

The Liverpool equaliser then came with a degree of controversy as Mike Dean allowed play to go on despite Fabian Schar and Isaac Hayden clashing in the box, with Diogo Jota eventually converting from close range with the latter sprawled out on the floor next to him.

Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold then scored goals either side of half-time to win the match for the home side, with the full-back’s strike almost taking the net off from long range.

Forget Shelvey

Whilst Shelvey scored Newcastle’s only goal in the game, the player who was the real shining light for the Magpies on the night was central defender Jamaal Lascelles. The ex-Nottingham Forest man worked his socks off to keep the score down and made a number of interventions to prevent the Reds from adding to their tally.

Liverpool enjoyed 74% possession of the ball and this meant that the defence had to constantly be on their toes and anticipating danger, with little time to rest in possession as the Toon Army struggled to hold onto the ball. Fabian Schar failed to show his best in this situation, winning one of his six duels and completing 59% of his passes, whilst also being dribbled past twice.

This meant that Lascelles, alongside him, had to step up to almost make up for two centre-backs as his teammate was off-colour. As per SofaScore, the giant won 100% of his ground and aerial duels in the match, whilst making six clearances, two blocks, three interceptions and one tackle. He also completed 75% of his attempted passes and was not dribbled past a single time.

Shelvey, meanwhile, completed 71% of his attempted passes and failed to make more than one interception or one tackle. He also made an error directly leading to a goal as his wayward backpass allowed Sadio Mane through on goal, with Salah scoring from the follow-up to the Senegal international’s shot.

Therefore, Lascelles was undoubtedly the standout performer Newcastle in this defeat as he was able to put in a fine display in spite of Liverpool’s dominance and eventual 3-1 win. He was strong in his defending and did not make any glaring errors, which will surely delight Howe heading into the remainder of the festive schedule – having the skipper back in top form could be the difference between relegation and survival come the end of the campaign.

AND in other news, NUFC liability who lost 83% duels badly betrayed Howe, Shearer thinks he’s a “danger”…