Category Uncategorized

Simon Jordan has claimed on TalkSport that Patrick Vieira was sacked by Crystal Palace as the players stopped responding to him and his coaching staff.

The Lowdown: Palace are in dire straits

It was perhaps of little surprise to those connected to Palace when Steve Parish made the decision to sack Vieira following their poor run of form, but he certainly wasn’t helped by a horrific run of fixtures.

Despite sitting in mid-table, Palace are yet to play a team below them in the Premier League this calendar year, so Vieira was always fighting a losing battle when trying to pick up points, while he managed to do so against the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle United with valuable home draws.

Parish clearly had a plan in place for life after Vieira as he’s moved swiftly to bring Roy Hodgson out of retirement and hand him the task of keeping Palace in the Premier League, with the 75-year-old handed the job until the end of the season.

The Latest: Players seemingly downed tools behind the scenes

Former club owner Jordan has claimed that a lot of the Palace players stopped responding to the coaching staff in training sessions, which would not have helped Vieira’s cause. He told TalkSport that Hodgson, meanwhile, should manage to turn things around.

He said: “I think the players will look upon it as the Patrick Vieira situation was running its course. The coaching staff, from what I understand, weren’t the greatest and the players weren’t responding to them – which I don’t think is great, but it is what it is.

“I think they’ll respond to Roy Hodgson because I think most people do. I think he’ll get a tune out of them – enough of a tune to get them out of the current situation they’re in.”

The Verdict: Players must now start responding

It’s certainly not a good view from the outside looking in if the players had seemingly stopped responding to what was being asked of them by Vieira and his coaching staff, but it does perhaps shine some light on their woeful performances.

Not too long ago, Palace went on a torrid run which saw them fail to register a shot on target for three successive games, which was a damning indictment of how their season had negatively turned around in 2023 under Vieira.

However, judging by Hodgson’s last stint as a manager with Watford, it doesn’t appear that Palace will suddenly start to become a free-flowing attacking machine, as the Hornets scored just 11 times in the 18 games he was in charge of.

That said, Palace are by no means in as dire a situation as the Championship side were, and Hodgson has kept the Eagles’ heads above water plenty of times in the past, which will surely have been the main reason behind Parish sealing his return.

Wolves picked up another three points in their fight for Premier League survival on Saturday as Adama Traore’s goal was enough for the win against Tottenham Hotspur.

Julen Lopetegui’s side had slipped back into the relegation mixup with recent defeats against Liverpool and Bournemouth but are now up to 13th after their 1-0 triumph against a lacklustre Spurs side.

Although the away side would hit the bar through Son Heung-min and Pedro Porro, Lopetegui’s men held out for a clean sheet and took the lead late on thanks to Traore’s emphatic volley.

Who was Wolves’ best player vs Spurs?

The Spanish winger will undoubtedly dominate the headlines after scoring the only goal of the game but January signing Craig Dawson was once again a rock at the back, with his addition at Molineux a significant catalyst in the Old Gold’s upturn in form in 2023.

As per Sofascore, the former West Ham man would earn a strong 7.4/10 rating for his performance, with only Jose Sa (8.3), Raul Jimenez (7.6) and Ruben Neves (7.5) earning higher from every player to feature in the game from both sides.

The experienced centre-back was rarely troubled by Harry Kane, as he won 100% of his aerial duels in the game, with the England captain failing to register a single shot on target in the 90 minutes.

The Spurs striker also struggled with his passing, completing just 16 passes compared to his season average of 21.8 in the Premier League, which suggests that Dawson, and the rest of the Wolves defence, well and truly got the better of him at Molineux.

The 32-year-old would also contribute a remarkable eight clearances and two blocked shots in the game, which was more than any other player, and a significant increase on his average of 5.2 clearances and 1.3 blocks per game in a Wolves shirt.

While it was always expected that the Englishman would be a strong leader at the back for Wolves from a defensive perspective, his distribution was also assured throughout, as he lost possession on just three occasions and registered an impressive 93% pass accuracy after completing 39/42 passes.

Michail Antonio labelled the powerful defender “unbelievable” during his time at West Ham and he is already proving to live up to that tag in the Midlands, particularly against the Londoners this weekend.

Indeed, Wolves fans are beginning to see precisely why he established himself as such a fan favourite at the London Stadium, as he helped them to another clean sheet and win on Saturday afternoon.

With the Hammers still in relegation trouble after their 4-0 thrashing by Brighton on Saturday, it seems as if their loss was very much Wolves’ gain with Dawson.

Aston Villa lost their second Premier League match in succession for the first time during Unai Emery’s reign in charge of the club as they were beaten 3-1 by Manchester City on Sunday.

The Villans have now lost their last two games – against Leicester and Man City – and conceded a whopping seven goals in the process, which is unlikely to please the 51-year-old.

However, Emery’s side did show some fight in the second half against Pep Guardiola’s outfit and ‘won’ the second half 1-0 thanks to Ollie Watkins’ goal, although you could attribute that to City being comfortable with their lead and subconsciously pulling the handbrake.

Does Philippe Coutinho have a future at Aston Villa?

One player who stood up was attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho, as the Brazilian caught the eye with an impressive cameo off the bench.

During the live broadcast of the match, Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville claimed that the fomer Liverpool man “brought Villa to life” with his performance.

As per Sofascore, the 30-year-old completed two of his three attempted dribbles, won four of his six duels and managed one shot on target in just 14 minutes of action, recording a rating of 7.4.

On the other hand, Emi Buendia struggled badly during his 60 minutes on the pitch in midfield. As per Sofascore, the Argentine did not complete any dribbles, lost 100% of his duels and did not produce a single key pass or shot on goal.

These statistics show that the former Barcelona forward provided an uplift in quality and effective play when he came onto the pitch, and Emery must now work hard on the training ground to reignite the spark in the Brazil international to ensure that he can provide such a telling impact on a regular basis.

The £125k-per-week dynamo, who was once dubbed a “magician” by former team-mate Roberto Firmino, has failed to provide a single goal or assist in 19 Premier League appearances.

Coutinho has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.64 across the current top-flight campaign, considerably lower than the 7.4 that he managed against City, and his impressive cameo on Sunday shows that the playmaker is capable of much more.

His form in the league last season also proves that there is untapped potential in the experienced technician. In the 2021/22 campaign, the €20m (£17.7m) signing averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.09 and chipped in with five goals and three assists in 16 starts, which shows that he does have the ability to make a big impact at the top of the pitch.

Emery must now attempt to spark the 30-year-old back to life, in the way that Coutinho did to his team on Sunday, in order to reignite the player’s Villa career and secure his immediate future at the club.

Chelsea are still attempting to seal the signing of Enzo Fernandez but Benfica are ‘holding firm’, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: Endless Chelsea links

No player has been linked with the Bkues more this month than the Argentine, who is still basking in the glory of his country’s 2022 World Cup success.

Fernandez enjoyed an exceptional tournament in Qatar, being named the Best Young Player, and he is now viewed as one of the finest young midfielders in Europe, ranking highly in several metrics on FBRef’s database.

With time running out in the January transfer window, a new update has emerged regarding Chelsea’s pursuit of the 22-year-old.

The Latest: Fresh update emerges

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Sheth said that the saga is still ‘definitely one to watch’, but Benfica are remaining stubborn:

“It is definitely one to watch but, as it stands with only six days to go in this window, Benfica are standing firm.

“They want that release clause or the deal doesn’t happen and you’ve got to think, with so little time to go, they’re still in the last 16 of the Champions League and how would they bring in a replacement in the time that remains?

“Also, a potential selling club would know that they’ve got £106million burning a hole in their pocket and they’ll just raise the price.”

The Verdict: Late signing would be huge

The longer this situation goes on, the more it looks as though Chelsea may have to wait until the summer to sign Fernandez, given Benfica’s unchanged stance.

That being said, there is still clear hope that the Blues could get their man this month and he is precisely what Graham Potter needs in the middle of the park, having been hailed as ‘spectacular’ by none other than Lionel Messi.

At 22, the £42,000-a-week earning midfield is almost a decade younger than the likes of N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic, and he would bring fresh legs, having averaged an incredible 3.8 tackles per game in the Champions League this season.

A midfield signing is desperately needed, in order for Chelsea’s top-four challenge to gain some momentum, and Fernandez looks like the perfect addition given the technical ability and off-the-ball work he possesses.

Tottenham have made an opening bid to sign attack-minded Sporting CP defender Pedro Porro, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Porro move…

The former Man City wing-back has been made a transfer priority at Spurs over the last few weeks amid manager Antonio Conte’s search for an upgrade on his right flank.

Reports have suggested that the 23-year-old is top of the list for sporting director Fabio Paratici, but what could make this move difficult is Sporting’s stance on selling in January.

Reliable outlets like The Guardian have shared that the Portuguese giants are stern and Spurs may have to fork out Porro’s €45m (£39.5m) release clause to land him this month.

Conte is believed to be personally targeting the defender and Tottenham appear determined to negotiate their way around having to pay the player’s exit clause.

The Latest: Tottenham table opening Porro bid…

Reliable reporter Romano, taking to Twitter, has shared an update on the situation.

He claims that Spurs have made their opening bid for Porro, offering one player plus guaranteed money.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-updates-2/” title=”Tottenham latest updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-tottenham-fans.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

However, in some bad news for supporters, Sporting have replied to their approach by rejecting this formula and maintaining that they must pay his release clause.

The Lilywhites are set for further talks with the club ‘insisting’ on his signing for Conte.

The Verdict: Keep pushing…

Porro could be the ideal solution for Spurs at right-wing-back as Conte seeks to guide his side to a second-consecutive top four Premier League finish.

The Spaniard tops the charts for his club in terms of league assists with five in 13 appearances, and that’s not the only piece of evidence for his real threat.

As per WhoScored, Porro also ranks in Sporting’s top two for shots at goal and key passes made per 90 in Liga Portugal.

Still just 23, he could come as both an instant upgrade for Conte and a signing of real longevity if all goes to plan, with members of the media lavishing Porro as one of Spain’s ‘incredible’ bunch of talented full-backs.

This saga looks like it could go to the wire as talks continue between Spurs and Sporting – but his numbers and reputation indicate he may be worth the transfer push.

Leeds United could look at another January transfer after finalising a move for a new forward, according to Graham Smyth.

The Lowdown: Rutter to sign?

It appears as if the Whites could secure the services of Hoffenheim forward Georginio Rutter in the coming days.

Sky Sports have said that a club-record transfer worth around £35.3m is close, with the 20-year-old expected to have an Elland Road medical in the next 48 hours. Rutter would become the club’s second winter arrival after Max Wober, but Leeds officials may not stop there.

The Latest: Another move incoming?

Leeds correspondent Smyth shared a transfer state of play for Yorkshire Evening Post in the last 48 hours, which included news on Rutter.

The reliable reporter teased even more recruitment after a move for a forward, saying that ‘the YEP understands it’s possible that they could now also add a further signing in another area of the pitch.’

The Verdict: Exciting for Leeds

Leeds supporters have had to make do with quiet January transfer windows since their return to the Premier League, with the club completing their business in the summer instead.

Therefore, the possibility of another arrival after Rutter is an exciting one, and it would be interesting to see what position Andrea Radrizzani would look to bolster.

A new versatile midfielder could be beneficial following Mateusz Klich’s recent departure, so this will be one to watch in the coming weeks.

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale has enjoyed life back in Glasgow since the resumption of the Premiership season.

Four wins from four have given the Ibrox side some confidence as they head into 2023, but the performances haven’t quite been as free-flowing as the manager would have liked.

There have been positives, however, with the character shown to come back from a two-goal deficit twice in six days more than what was put on display under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

His biggest challenge comes tomorrow, with Old Firm rivals Celtic arriving at Ibrox for what could be the most important match of the season so far. A win and the club will move to just six points behind Celtic, but a defeat and Beale can all but say cheerio to claiming the league title this season.

He must unleash his best players, and Alfredo Morelos deserves a chance to feature from the beginning.

On the chalkboard

The Colombian striker has looked rejuvenated under Beale recently, scoring against Hibernian and Motherwell in the previous two weeks and he certainly looks like he has something to prove.

The 26-year-old famously failed to score in his first 14 appearances against Celtic, but he finally broke the duck against them in the 2020/2021 season, netting two goals as the club strolled to the league title.

Morelos was described by former Premiership player – who wished to remain anonymous – as “a nightmare for defenders” while Jordan Campbell once dubbed the £33k-per-week hitman “lethal” and if Rangers wish to gain all three points against their rivals on Monday, they need these qualities to be in full flow from the striker.

Antonio Colak was in fine form before the World Cup break, scoring 14 goals for the club, however, he has not played under Beale due to an injury and it is highly unlikely that he will be thrust into the starting XI for such an important match having not played since November.

This means the 42-year-old must unleash Morelos and hope that he can rediscover the form he displayed against Celtic two seasons ago, where he finally got the monkey off his back and scored twice.

If he turns up, Celtic could be in for a long afternoon, but the rest of the Rangers side will need to be operating at 100% too, otherwise, it could be a repeat of September when the Light Blues lost 4-0.

Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in signing Leeds United right-back Cody Drameh and the youngster could be a big upgrade on Nathaniel Clyne in Patrick Vieira’s side.

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Crystal Palace are all interested in the 20-year-old, with Palace thought to see him as a great option for the future at Selhurst Park.

Leeds are reportedly keen to tie him down to a new deal at Elland Road but he is currently behind Rasmus Kristensen and Luke Ayling in the pecking order in Jesse Marsch’s side, which could lead to his exit in January.

The England U21 international has been limited to just seven appearances for the Whites’ senior side in his time with the Yorkshire club, but he did catch the eye during a loan spell with Cardiff City in the Championship last season, contributing three assists in 22 appearances for the Bluebirds.

And, the youngster’s former manager, Steve Morison, was full of praise for Drameh during his time with the Welsh side in 2021/22.

He said: “Barnsley was a horrible game. He’d never experienced anything like that and he came in with a couple of last-ditch tackles right at the death of the game, which was phenomenal.

“Tonight? It’s a good thing they can’t call him back after that because he was outstanding.”

While he was playing in the Championship, his performances last season would earn him a solid 6.89 rating from WhoScored, as he averaged 3.8 tackles, one interception and two clearances per game.

For comparison, Clyne has earned a woeful 6.19 WhoScored rating for his performances in the Premier League this season after averaging just 1.1 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and one clearance per game, which suggests that Drameh certainly has the edge from a defensive point of view.

During his time with Cardiff, the Leeds youngster also averaged more key passes (0.6 vs 0.5), dribbles (1.1 vs 0.1) and shots (0.3 vs 0) per game than Clyne, which suggests that he could easily take the 31-year-old’s place in Vieira’s starting side should he arrive at Selhurst Park next month.

West Ham United fans were not happy with David Moyes’ decision to take Said Benrahma off during their 2-1 Premier League defeat against Crystal Palace. 

The Lowdown: Last-gasp defeat for West Ham

Benrahma put the Hammers ahead with 20 minutes on the clock, only for Wilfried Zaha to score an equaliser minutes before halftime.

In the dying breaths of the game, the visitors scored a last-gasp goal through Michael Olise to snatch the three points.

Despite this late sucker punch, it was an off-field decision that riled up some West Ham fans during the game.

The Latest: Off-field fan fury

Just after the hour-mark, West Ham manager David Moyes decided to make a double substitution, with the removal of Benrahma not going down well with some supporters.

In a Twitter post, Thomas had this to say on the situation.

He said: “[Manuel] Lanzini and [Flynn] Downes replace Benrahma and [Tomas] Soucek. Loud boos for Benrahma’s substitution. Home crowd are singing his name. #WHUFC” 

The Verdict: A frustrating day for West Ham

While it was the Algerian that got the home side in front, it’s easy to see why some West Ham fans were not happy with Moyes’ decision to take him off.

However, bearing in mind how the goal was the only attempt Benrahma had to score and failed to successfully complete the two dribbles he attempted, it’s easy to see why the West Ham manager chose to take him off.

The winger ultimately ended the game with fewer touches of the ball (23) than goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski (46).

The changes the Scotsman made didn’t help his side seal the victory, leaving him and everyone else connected to the club with a real frustration over how the match panned out.

Moving forward, with a Carabao Cup clash against Blackburn Rovers in midweek followed by their final league game before the World Cup break against Leicester City at the weekend, everyone at West Ham will want to put today’s crushing defeat behind them and win those two games.

Sheffield Wednesday are thought to be eyeing up a move for Hibernian defender Ryan Porteous.

The Lowdown: Porteous profiled

Hailed as ‘excellent’ by Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon, the 23-year-old and is an out-and-out centre-back. He has progressed through Hibs’ academy and has made 150 first-team appearances in Edinburgh, scoring 12 times and registering eight assists.

The defender is also a Scotland international, making his debut against Ukraine in September.

The Latest: Wednesday keen on Porteous

The Daily Record’s Scott Burns shared a story on Thursday night regarding Porteous and Sheffield Wednesday.

He revealed that the Owls are one of four EFL clubs who are keen on the centre-back’s services, with his  current Hibs deal set to expire at the end of the season.

The Verdict: One to watch?

You’d expect that Wednesday are looking at a potential pre-contract agreement, which could see Porteous moving to Hillsborough for free ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Darren Moore’s side will be hopeful that they will be playing in the Championship next season, and securing Porteous’ services in the New Year could be a real coup.

He has a plethora of first-team experience and is still relatively young, so you’d like to think that he would only improve even further with time, making this one to watch heading into the New Year.