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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who made 561 appearances for Wolves, believes Conor Coady would be the best option for England if they were to play with three centre backs.

Gareth Southgate made a number of big cuts to his latest England squad which saw Trent Alexander-Arnold, Michael Keane and Patrick Bamford all omitted from the final squad before the Euros this summer.

Keane, whose agent hit out at the decision to leave him out, had been included in a number of Southgate’s previous squads when he perhaps not playing as good as he has been this season for Everton, which has seen him achieve a 6.90 WhoScored rating, compared to Coady’s 6.51.

Speaking on how Coady is so good in a three at the back formation why he thinks the Wolves captain has been selected, Bull told FFC:

“You get in the England squad because of merit and what you’ve done for your club and Conor Coady has been a stalwart for Wolves.

“If England play with three at the back, then Coady’s the most sensible one to put there, however if we play with four at the back then he might get found out.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/exclusive-andreas-sondergaard-wolves-premier-league” title=”Exclusive! Andreas Sondergaard talks all things Wolves”]

“Why don’t we take both Keane and Coady then it gives you the option to play four or three at the back.”

Coady has been a late bloomer on the international scene, having only made three appearances for the Three Lions, however, he did get his first-ever England goal before his first Premier League goals for Wolves.

Despite being called up to the squad for the last squad and getting a goal against Montenegro, Keane will know he has a fight on his hands to earn a seat on the plane this summer.

In an exclusive with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United defender Steve Howey has urged Jurgen Klopp to shake things up at Liverpool, specifically in the final third.

Liverpool had previously gone 68 games unbeaten at Anfield but they now find themselves on the end of a six-game losing streak at home in the Premier League, in which they’ve scored just one goal and conceded 10 times.

Mohamed Salah is still the Premier League’s top scorer with 17 goals this season, however, with Diogo Jota back fit Klopp may be forced into giving the Portuguese some starts ahead of one of the traditional front three of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Salah.

The Reds currently find themselves eighth in the league and seven points away from the top four so, Klopp may look to freshen things up all over the pitch.

Speaking on Liverpool’s struggles at home in recent months and what Klopp could do as he looks to find a way to halt their slide of poor results, Howey spoke exclusively to FFC:

“Obviously, he’s got to freshen it up. They hadn’t been beaten in 68 games and now it’s six [home league] defeats on the bounce.

“So, something needs to change. Of course, they’ve had bad injuries but so have every other team.

“Yes, it’s been to key players but everyone else has had to cope and you’d think Liverpool would be more than capable to cope with those injuries.

“They’ve still got good players who can deputise and come in to do a job.”

Liverpool have Fabinho back from injury now after he started in the 2-0 win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday evening who will be able to do a job at the back if required.

Klopp will be desperate to get both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez back from their long term injuries if they are to bounce back next season.

Aston Villa are hoping crucial star and captain Jack Grealish will be returning soon, however it looks like their upcoming derby against Wolves will be too early for him.

The latest on Grealish

Manager Dean Smith was previewing the all-Midlands clash against Wolves in his pre-match conference, via Birmingham Live: “Jack’s unlikely to feature on Saturday. I haven’t sat down with the medical staff yet but he was running on the AlterG (anti-gravity treadmill) yesterday, which is a positive because if he’s running it means he’s pain-free.”

The wait goes on

The skipper is a crucial member of Smith’s side and is a key component as Villa look to push on and finish in the top half of the Premier League, so understandably many fans are very worried about the injury.

His form this season has been electric and his goal contributions show that he has been involved in nearly half of Villa’s goals in the division this campaign, as Smith’s side have managed 37 in total (SofaScore). He has not just shone for Villa either but also England, with manager Gareth Southgate in awe of the Villa skipper, hailing his performance against Belgium as ‘outstanding‘.

The only positive is that the playmaker looks to be close to returning as he is pain-free so hopefully he will be back sooner rather than later.

In other Villa news, fans have been piling praise on one star at the club following his latest comments. Have a read who it is here!

It appears Glasgow Rangers have been handed yet another transfer blow in their hopes of signing Wigan Athletic striker Kyle Joseph this month after it was revealed that he has suffered an injury and now faces a spell on the sidelines.

What’s the word?

With Jermain Defoe and Greg Stewart entering the twilight of their careers, Rangers have been linked with a number of strikers across Europe as Steven Gerrard seeks to breathe new life into his squad in January.

Joseph has been one such name, with reports in recent weeks revealing Rangers have entered the race to sign the teenage striker from Wigan, with Championship club Barnsley and Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur also among the interested parties.

The 19-year-old is out-of-contract at the end of the season and will be available to sign for free once his current deal expires in the summer. However, the League One strugglers find themselves in financial difficulty due to the unprecedented circumstances and could be persuaded to sell the Scotland U21 target man if he agrees a deal with another club.

But the best-laid plans often go awry, as The Sun’s Alan Nixon confirmed he has picked up an injury, which has seemingly ruled him out of a possible move this month.

Ross Wilson will have to wait

A dream move to his home country could’ve been on the cards for a teenager tipped for the very top by Leam Richardson.

It’s fair to say that Joseph has been one of the standout performers for the struggling Latics this season and with less than six months left to run on his current deal, he could’ve been in line to complete a move to the Govan side of Glasgow.

Yet, despite playing 70′ minutes on Tuesday in the 5-0 defeat to Blackpool, Nixon revealed he has sustained a knock which may have put paid to any potential transfer.

From what the journalist suggests, therefore, it sounds like he will be staying put at the DW Stadium as he works his way back to fitness, which will come as a big blow for Ross Wilson, who is making steps to reduce the squad’s average age, which is still high despite the pre-contract signings of Scott Wright and Jack Simpson.

Having a player like Joseph at their disposal could have been a shrewd investment for the future as Stewart seems destined for the Ibrox exit.

The centre-forward, who has scored five times in 16 appearances across all competitions this season, is held in high regard by his Wigan teammates with former Rangers youth prospect Kal Naismith effusive in his praise for Joseph.

He said: “He’ll be a top player, a really, really good player and he works his nuts off not just in the games but all week in training as well, he has a great appetite for the game and a great attitude – I enjoy playing with him, he did a lot of work for me in what was my first game back after not having a lot of training.”

AND in other news, Rangers can sign their Steven Davis successor in Bournemouth’s Nnamdi Ofoborh…

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford faces a late fitness test on an abdomen injury ahead of their FA Cup fifth round tie with Tottenham Hotspur.

The England number one sat out the Blues’ 3-3 draw with Manchester United and 2-1 win over Leeds last week as a result of the blow sustained against Newcastle, having collided with the post when attempting to make a save.

AS Roma loanee Robin Olsen stood in for Pickford at Elland Road and at Old Trafford, but was unable to replicate his match-winning heroics against the Red Devils when caught out by Bruno Fernandes’ shot and stumbling when rushing to save a Scott McTominay header.

Everton midfielder James Rodriguez also faces a late fitness test on a tight calf to feature against Tottenham, having been taken off late on during Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Manchester United.

Ancelotti will be without Allan in the midweek FA Cup affair as the Brazilian continues to build fitness after almost two months out with a hamstring injury, but hopes the summer signing from Serie A side SSC Napoli will be able to face Fulham on Sunday.

“I have to wait for training this afternoon [Tuesday] to check on some situations. One is James and one is Jordan. They are going to train and after that we will see,” Ancelotti said.

“James had a tight calf [against Manchester United]. I took him off after 70 minutes to avoid risk. Now he will train today. If he’s ready to play tomorrow, he will play, and if the calf is still tight, he will play in the next game on Sunday.

“Allan has started [training] with the team. He is not ready yet, but I hope he will be next game.”

Ancelotti confirming that Pickford faces a late fitness test may allow Olsen to earn a second chance at impressing the Everton boss, after his midweek heroics failed to result in back-to-back performances of merit.

Olsen will have been bitterly disappointed at the goals he allowed against Manchester United on Saturday, with Fernandes’ looping effort a saveable attempt that only just crept under the bar as the Sweden shot-stopper scrambled late to make a save.

McTominay’s header will no doubt have been a moment that rung around Olsen’s mind for a while after the ball hit the back of the net, too, as the Roma loanee will know that he should have been able to claw the shot away but slipped at a crucial moment.

Olsen proved against Leeds that he is able to come up with the crucial stops to deny opponents, having produced a terrific triple save in quick succession to keep Everton in the lead.

His confidence may now have dipped somewhat but the £4.5m-rated 31-year-old should be given the chance to bounce back, just as Ancelotti had with Pickford after his blunder against Leicester.

“I think Jordan – and every player – will improve if he has the desire to improve,” Ancelotti said, via quotes by The Guardian. “It does not matter if you are 20, 26 or if you are 30. You will improve at every age. The goalkeeper is a different position. All I can give to Jordan is the confidence and trust, even when he makes a mistake. It does not matter. It is a process.”

AND in other news, Everton have their eyes on a £10m+ striker boasting 18 goals this season…

David Sullivan could waste further millions if West Ham United seal a £13.5m swoop for Cadiz CF striker Anthony Lozano to replace Sebastien Haller.

What’s the word?

According to Diario de Cadiz (13/1, p. 50), the Irons are set to imminently offer €15m (£13.5m) for 27-year-old forward Lozano as boss David Moyes is desperate to bolster his attacking options after Haller’s move to AFC Ajax.

Haller’s departure left Michail Antonio as the sole recognised senior striker at the London Stadium, and deprived Moyes of the man responsible for three of the Hammers’ 24 goals in the Premier League so far this season.

Only Tomas Soucek (5) and Jarrod Bowen (4) had scored more often than Haller in the top-flight this term, and would be joined by a forward hardly boasting a prolific record if Lozano is signed with the Honduras international having found the net just three times in La Liga.

Lozano has been a regular for Cadiz since their promotion to the highest level of Spanish domestic football last season, starting nine of his 14 appearances after missing two games through coronavirus in November, but had only scored once prior to the New Year.

Wasting further millions

Sullivan would be taking a massive gamble by backing Lozano to be the forward to offer Moyes what Haller could not, as the 33-cap marksman’s frequent struggles to score in La Liga this season are nothing new.

Lozano hit home just once in 34 La Liga outings for Girona before joining Cadiz in 2019, and is proving immensely wasteful at the Nuevo Estadio Ramon de Carranza with a return of just 0.2 goals a game despite fashioning 1.3 shots per match so far this season, per SofaScore.

He has further missed five clear-cut chances to score over his 14 appearances, and rarely creates opportunities for his teammates, despite penning one assist, as the former Valencia and Barcelona trainee offers a mere 0.3 key balls from his paltry 19.4 passes per game.

Sullivan opting for the £7,500-per-week man would likely only serve to see the West Ham co-owner and Chairman flutter his millions down the drain once again, having lost close to £25m on the sale of Haller having allowed the Irons’ club-record signing to leave for less than half of the fee paid to Eintracht Frankfurt just 18-months earlier.

The fee the Irons are touted to pay for Lozano is additionally far beyond his considered market value, as TransferMarkt tout the attacker to be worth £2.25m less than a year on from considering the 6ft hitman to be worth just £1m.

West Ham’s need for another striker is clear in their lack of depth, but Lozano’s ability to fill the void would be questionable.

AND in other news: Exclusive: West Ham’s Declan Rice tipped to join Chelsea on one condition…

Southampton fans have been reacting to the news that Nathan Tella has been nominated for the PL2 Player of the Month.

The 21-year-old has broken in to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s first team this season, already appearing five times in the Premier League. However, that has not stopped him appearing in the PL2. In December, he actually only played one game at that level, but in that clash he scored four times against Leicester City – a performance deserving of recognition.

Tella is highly-rated at St. Mary’s Stadium, and this is the kind of news that only backs that up. Hasenhuttl will be hoping that he can transfer that form to senior level as his side looks to secure a place in European football ahead of next term.

After the club’s official Twitter account relayed the news, the fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the supporters had to say about Tella below

“He’s so good”

Credit: @sfcdannnn

“Hes got so much potential. Really like him. Hope he continues to get game time.”

Credit: @I_amDarren

“One for the future”

Credit: @AlexHam10686189

“as he should”

Credit: @chxrlottewx

“The future”

Credit: @RhysTheSaint

“A couple of years then £25m to Liverpool?”

Credit: @billacres2

In other news, Southampton are eyeing this Premier League winger.

For the first time in ten years, it feels like Celtic are in a slump.

This season was supposed to be about ten SPFL crowns in a row but very rarely does football follow the script.

Instead, Rangers have surged ahead at the summit of Scotland’s pyramid and are 11 points clear of their arch-rivals. The Hoops may have two games in hand but things are looking unlikely for another successive title.

It’s difficult to suggest that Celtic have things rough. They have won treble after treble and are enjoying one of the most successful periods in their history.

It’s remarkable, therefore, that Neil Lennon could receive the boot.

After their 2-2 draw with Hibernian last weekend, the pressure ramped up even more on Lennon. Reports claim he won’t leave and that he still has the support of the club’s board, which includes CEO Peter Lawwell.

Of course, it would be incredibly drastic to sack a manager after a few bad results in a league where the team have won numerous back to back titles, but it sums up the ruthless and cutthroat nature of football.

Naturally, various replacements are being touted to replace Lennon. One was former Celtic boss Martin O’Neill and the other was a certain Eddie Howe.

The ex-Bournemouth manager was relegated with the Cherries last term and consequently left his beloved south-coast side behind. However, he is highly thought of in the British game, being hailed as “special” by Brett Pitman, and would surely relish the opportunity to manage such a big club.

A young head coach, there are similarities to be drawn between him and Brendan Rodgers.

First and foremost, they both have an emphasis on vibrant possession-based counter-attacking football.

In 2018/19, a season where Bournemouth finished 14th, they amassed the 11th greatest pass success rate in the Premier League. Most importantly, though, was their league-high nine goals that were scored on the counter-attack. The team behind them, coincidentally, was Rodgers’ Leicester side.

Of course, performances dwindled last season under Howe but he also has a track record of nurturing young players – something Rodgers did to brilliant effect at Parkhead.

Take the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Jordan Ibe, Dominic Solanke, Ryan Fraser and David Brooks – all players that Howe brought to the club when he was at the Vitality Stadium.

It needs to be said that Howe is still inexperienced but crucially, he is a coach, rather than a man manager – he’d be the polar opposite to Lennon. That can only be a good thing in their pursuit of ten titles in a row.

In other news, Celtic can find their IDEAL Scott Brown heir by signing the following target…

Leicester City suffered a frustrating loss at the King Power Stadium as Everton took a 2-0 win back to Merseyside last night.

Thanks to their draw against Arsenal, Southampton have now leapfrogged the Foxes in the Premier League table. The two are tied on 24 points each, one behind second placed Spurs. The title race is still wide open as it stands, but Leicester will need to pull their socks up ahead of their next match if they want to keep up with the pack.

They will face Tottenham in their upcoming weekend fixture, which will be another huge title-contending clash.

Although the majority of Leicester’s team disappointed on Wednesday, Wilfred Ndidi looked sharp.

Wilfred Ndidi stats vs Everton

Despite missing a total of eight matches this season with an abductor injury, the Nigeria international has returned to action with a bang. Ndidi’s appearance against Everton was his second start since came back from his injury and Brendan Rodgers started him in defence due to the absence of Jonny Evans.

Although he had natural centre-back Wes Morgan on the bench, the 24-year-old got the nod ahead of the club captain. And whilst it wasn’t the result they wanted, Ndidi’s personal performance was one that will have impressed the boss.

According to Sofascore, the man dubbed the “best in the Premier League” by his teammate James Maddison made an impressive six tackles, three clearances and two interceptions against the Toffees. He also won 100% of his ground duels and completed 92% of his passes.

Leicester must put this loss behind them and put all eyes on their weekend fixture. If they lose to Spurs, they risk slipping out of the top four and losing grip on a strong finish this season. Champions League football will undoubtedly be the main aim for this campaign, but with just four points between the top four sides, the Foxes still have a chance of snatching another Premier League title.

In other news, Luke Thomas did Rodgers proud in match vs Athens…

Celtic have been given a huge boost in their mission to restore their form this season. Neil Lennon’s latest batch of injury news confirmed that he expects centre-back Christopher Jullien to resume training and be in contention following the international break.

The Hoops have struggled in both the Premiership and Europa League as of late, with several players in particular failing to reach the standards set by Lennon. Odsonne Edouard has been unable to find his groove since his return from self-isolation. Shane Duffy is also underperforming and has been poor in defence for the last few games now.

With Jullien potentially available to start against Hibernian on the 21st, Celtic can look forward to pushing themselves back into winning ways.

Jullien crucial for the Hoops

The 27-year-old has been out with a back injury and has missed a total of 11 games so far. Coincidentally, Celtic’s form has dipped since he has been on the sidelines and they are now without Kristoffer Ajer too, who is struggling with a groin injury. Hatem Abd Elhamed has also just recently returned from a spell of absence after testing positive for coronavirus.

Lennon is suffering blow after blow at the moment and would hugely appreciate some stability in his team. Noel Whelan certainly believes that the return of Jullien will provide just that.

“I think maybe that’s the player that they’re missing the most,” he told Football Insider. “It seems to me that he’s he’s the one in that central defence that’s the leader, he’s the one that keeps all together.”

Options are running thin so any positive injury news will be a blessing for the Bhoys. But Jullien in particular could help repair the damaged backline and plug the leak to stop shipping so many goals as they fight back against Rangers for their top spot.

In other news, Celtic must consider revisiting talks with Ryan Sessegnon as attacking options become a worry…