All posts by h79snht.top

Celtic take on Partick Thistle at Celtic Park tonight in a game that could move them a massive 14 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.The fixture is one rearranged from August and is one of the Hoops’ games in hand over the teams below them.

Although picking up another two victories over the last week, the Bhoys’ performance levels have dipped slightly and Thistle will be keen to find out whether they can capitalise on any complacency creeping in.

Midweek winter games can always be difficult no matter the quality in your side and Celtic will have to apply themselves with determination and desire, or else risk dropping points against a side that hasn’t been them since 1995.

The Bhoys still have four fixtures to play between now and the end of December and that may be reflected in the team selection given some players are looking a little tired.

This is our XI that we think can get the job done vs Partick Thistle…

GK: Craig Gordon

Craig Gordon had little to do on Saturday against Dundee. The Dees came to Celtic Park with the intention to shut up shop and despite giving the Bhoys a late scare, they offered little in attack.

Gordon was so stuck for things to do in the first half that he was sprinting forward to take throw-ins to warm up his legs.

Still, he’ll need to tap into his concentration to stay vigilant against a Thistle side that are unlikely to demand constant attention from the ‘keeper.

RB: Mikael Lustig

Cristian Gamboa came into the side on Saturday at right-back to replace Mikael Lustig. He was one of the Hoops’ better performers on the day, getting forward to provide an attacking option on the overlap.

Unfortunately, his final ball wasn’t quite there and we’d expect most Celtic fans to be happy if there was a return for Mikael Lustig, a player who has been so consistent under Brendan Rodgers.

CB: Jozo Simunovic

Jozo Simunovic continues his fine partnership with Erik Sviatchenko and deserves to retain his place in the side, though if the manager would want to rest him in any game between now and the end of the year it would be this one.

The big defender still isn’t up to full fitness compared to the rest of the squad and could miss out.

There’s little room for not playing the best side possible right now and the defence is undoubtedly in safer hands when he plays.

CB: Erik Sviatchenko

The Danish defender is easily the best partner for Simunovic right now and despite not looking at his peak best in recent weeks, he should retain his place for the visit of Partick Thistle.

It will be Sviatchenko’s 26th appearance of the season already, which is quite the number considering it’s only December.

He’ll be hoping to get back to clean sheets after Celtic conceded a sloppy goal against Dundee on Saturday that brought them right back into the game.

LB: Emilio Izaguirre

Emilio Izaguirre’s appearances will be limited soon given Kieran Tierney is on his way back from injury, so Rodgers might as well give the Honduran as much game time as possible.

To be fair to the fans’ favourite he hasn’t really put a foot wrong apart from a disastrous 30 minutes away to Motherwell.

He’ll be his usual tireless self up against Thistle tonight.

CM: Scott Brown

Scott Brown had sit out Saturday’s win over Dundee after picking up too many yellow cards and receiving a one-game suspension.

The Bhoys badly missed his energy and determination in the middle of the park and he’ll be a welcome sight back for most Celtic fans this evening.

Keeping him injury free is going to be key to Celtic’s success this season and missing the game against Dundee may have actually done him the world of good. If he plays well, Celtic are almost guaranteed to beat most teams in Scotland.

RW: Patrick Roberts

Another who missed Saturday, Celtic badly needed the width and pace Roberts offers in wide areas. The experiment of playing Ryan Christie and Gary Mackay-Steven either side of TomÂRogic didn’t really work out.

After starting to show good form in recent weeks, he should be raring to go against Thistle and could be the key to unlocking what is likely to be a deep opposition defence.

AM: Ryan Christie

Ryan Christie didn’t have the best of games on his return to the starting XI on Saturday but we’re putting it down to the role he was asked to play rather than his ability.

With Tom Rogic picking up a nasty knock that forced him off, there’s no reason to risk him here for the visit of Partick Thistle.

Christie should be given the opportunity to show what he can do through the middle.

LW: Scott Sinclair

Scott Sinclair made his return from injury off the bench on Saturday and if he’s fit then he must play tonight.

Celtic have badly needed his pace, creativity and natural width on that left-hand side. There are three games between now and Ibrox and fans will be hoping he can get up to full speed before the trip to Govan on December 31st.

Tonight’s game will play a key role in that process.

ST: Leigh Griffiths

It’s three goals in three games now for Leigh Griffiths since his return to the team and it was his stunning free-kick that gave the Bhoys the lead just before half-time on Saturday.

There doesn’t look like a way back into the side for Moussa Dembele right now and he’ll have to again bide his time and take his chances just like at the start of the season.

We’re be backing Griffiths to make it four in four on tonight if he starts.

Hey Arsene.  A question, if I may?  What was the point of guiding the troops through November unbeaten if you were going to deliver the kind of December that undoes all that good work by the time Father Christmas sets off in his sleigh?

Actually, to be fair to Santa, he is more real than Arsenal’s title challenge.  A Sunday or so ago they topped the table.  Now they are nine points off the pace and have learned that, when chasing a game, Elneny is not the answer.

I felt City’s tribute to the late Ilkay Gundogan was very touching. Of course, he isn’t actually dead. He is just injured.  Kompany was fuming.  The amount of injuries he has had in the last season alone, and not one minute’s silence or anything.  Just imagine if Arsenal had worn special shirts each time Jack Wilshere or Abou Diaby pulled up lame.  They’d have worn them so often the fans would have assumed it was their new third kit.

Anyway, Arsenal led but are not the types to close out a disciplined 1-0 win.  City turned it round through Sane and Sterling, who won the “winning goalscorers with stupid hair” award for the weekend.  Pep doesn’t coach tackles as we know, and against the second half Arsenal he didn’t really need to. City just had to stand still long enough and the ball would eventually land at their feet.

Guardiola had admitted pre-match that he had often played Alexis out of position at Barcelona.  Off the back of that Arsenal performance, you get the feeling Alexis would even offer to play in goal for City now to give him a chance of winning something.  The biggest question for Gunners fans at the final whistle was “how long until Mustafi is back?”

2017 is to be the year of consistent refereeing decisions.  No, I am kidding of course.  That won’t happen in at least another decade.  Over the last couple of weeks we have learned exactly what does not warrant a straight red.  Rojo times two or even Ross Barkley in the Merseyside derby are not tackles that receive instant dismissals, alright?

But go in two footed, don’t actually touch the opponent and maybe even make contact with the ball?  Off you go, Mr. Vardy, have Christmas off.  Mind you, without the total injustice and Ranieri “inciting” a crowd we might not have seen a fantastic comeback from Leicester in a game that was half 2016/17 Leicester vintage and half 2015/16.  That was the better season, if you recall.

West Brom have been pretty decent in the last few weeks, so United rocking up at their place and walking away with a 2-0 win needs to be taken seriously.  Zlatan has ten goals in his last nine games and has played every single minute of the Premier League matches he has been available for.  Just imagine how many he would have if he had been able to hit a cow’s backside with his banjo against Stoke, Burnley, West Ham, etc.  You probably get my point.

But a winning goal at those defensive masters that are Palace, followed up by a double against a team managed by Pulis, tells me that Ibra is worth every penny.  United fans have often said they’ve never replaced Gary Neville.  Phil Jones’ display of grassing an opponent up before the offence had even finished would suggest that, finally, they have a worthy heir to the throne that only Jaap Stam can name.

A lot had been spoken about the fact Diego Costa is a “reformed character” under Conte.  Costa didn’t even need to reform his character, he has always been in control.  So in control, in fact, he was able to time his 5th yellow card to perfection, meaning he gets to put his feet up on Boxing Day.  Still, the job was done as he scored yet another winner in yet another 1-0 win for Chelsea.  Their 11th win in a row is a club Premier League record and Conte now holds the record for the best ever start to a Premier League managerial career.  Mind you, the other five contenders are all former Chelsea managers, including none other than Avram Grant.  So, in retrospect, that statistic doesn’t mean very much at all.

Chelsea sit at the head of the Christmas Day table and the last four times they have been there they have won the title.  So that’s that then.  Oscar, the fool that he is, is trading in the chance of winning a medal to go and earn £3m a week in China.  Or something like that, the figures I quote may not be entirely accurate.

Liverpool fans across Twitter were virtually screaming at Kloppo to make some substitutions on Monday night.  Everton, who set up as if they were a non-league team hoping to get some kind of big FA Cup scalp, nearly held on to a 0-0 that would have pleased Koeman.  But Klopp knew when to tell Sturridge to start removing the cotton wool he was wrapped up in.  Klopp knows that by using Sturridge for ten minutes here, fifteen minutes there, that it decreases the chance of Sturridge being injured for the next six weeks.  You see, Kloppo knows a lot of things.  Liverpool nicked a winner deep into injury time to keep themselves in a title race and, though funnily enough this seems to have gone unnoticed, deliver a second clean sheet with Mignolet in goal.

You know you have got away with it when your fans vote “the post” as your Man of the Match.  Hull were possibly the unluckiest side in the short history of football at the London Stadium, hitting the woodwork three times and seeing at least two shots cleared off the line.  Throw in the weekend’s standard “that was never, ever a penalty” and they were heading home the sunny side down of a 1-0 loss.

You can accuse Swansea of many things, and I think I have in this column, but at least they are trying to attack their way out of trouble.  Sadly, it comes across as a baby kitten trying to attack it’s way out of a ball of wool, but at least they are not parking their bus anywhere.  Unfortunately for them, all this carefree attacking puts a little bit of pressure on their defence which, frankly, is not a good thing for Swansea.

Boro won’t score three in a month from time to time, let alone three in a game, so that tells you that Swansea didn’t just press self destruct button, they positively played out the Strictly Come Dancing Finals routine on it.

If you are worried that nobody is going to buy you a Christmas present, why not treat yourself to my most recent book – “Tales from the Top Flight” is, apparently, a witty and amusing look back on the 2015/16 season where (spoiler alert) Leicester shocked the world.  Go on, you’re worth it.

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Jurgen Klopp and Kopites can only describe this season as remarkable so far. Liverpool play hosts to Sunderland today, hoping to secure a fifth straight league win to keep the pace with Premier League leaders Chelsea.

However, the Christmas pile up of fixtures could take its toll on the side unless Klopp makes some changes from the impressive victory over Manchester City just two days ago.

Indeed, Sunderland will pose no easy task for the Reds as their battle for Premier League survival continues. The Wearsiders’ impressive home form in recent weeks has given David Moyes’ side a chance of avoiding the drop to the Championship.

Both teams met just over a month ago with Liverpool running out 2-0 winners at Anfield. The game saw Philippe Coutinho suffer an ankle injury that is expected to see him return in the coming days.

To avoid another injury to another key player, Klopp must pick these THREE fringe players to feature in a new-look Reds side.

Joe Gomez

Defender Joe Gomez is on the mend after a string of serious injuries that have seen him out of action in the Premier League for almost 18 months.

The former Charlton youngster should start at left-back against Sunderland, allowing James Milner to move into a midfield role in the absence of Jordan Henderson.

Gomez was one of Liverpool’s best defenders last season before he suffered a long-term injury which ruled him out for the entire campaign.

Lucas

Lucas Leiva has been one of Liverpool’s best servants down the years. Since moving to the club in 2007, his commitment the team has never been questioned.

With a move to Inter Milan potentially on the cards, Jurgen Klopp should allow the Brazilian midfielder one final opportunity to play for the Reds.

Lucas shouldn’t be selected for just sentimental reasons though – rotation is vital at this time of year.

Ben Woodburn

The youngest ever goalscorer in the history of Liverpool Football Club. Youngster Ben Woodburn has not been given many opportunities in the first-team since his history-making goal against Leeds.

Nonetheless, you can forgive Klopp for not picking Woodburn as the Reds’ forward line has been in great form all season.

Against Sunderland, however, the youngster deserves an outing from the bench, especially with Klopp making it abundantly clear he’s not particularly interested in Daniel Sturridge.

The worst thing about football is the short-termism.

How long does it take for the media to get on a manager’s back? Sometimes it only takes one game. But even if it took an entire season, that might even be too quick.

The problem with expectations in football is that no one is a miracle worker, yet some managers get instant results from their group. That, in turn, means that everyone is judged by that standard of instant success.

It’s not the media’s call, though, of course. Nor is it the fans’ call. When a manager is sacked, that’s down to the owners and the board – the ones who are in charge, and the ones who, ultimately, stand to lose out financially from poor decision making, especially in the Premier League these days, where clubs will literally lose millions for each place they drop in the table and can barely contemplate sheer catastrophe of dropping into the Football League.

So you’d hope, really, that the board are the sensible ones, no matter how the media call it.

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When it comes to Pep Guardiola it’s the short-termism that comes through the loudest. Forget about the glee some observers exhibit when they talk about Guardiola’s failures in his first season in charge. Forget about the fact that said they called him a fraud even when he was at Bayern Munich and Barcelona. Forget about the fact they want him to fail not because they don’t like his style of football, but because they want to be vindicated when it comes to their deep seated belief in English exceptionalism. It’s not these commentators I’m worried about.

That’s idiocy. We all know it. Writing anything at all in a national newspaper or online blog when you have an agenda to push is simply idiotic. What brought you into journalism in the first place? What motivated you to spend your life making words magically appear on the screen, anyway? Was it really your goal in life to attack a football manager disingenuously in attacks based on straw-manning and a narrative you’ve carefully crafted for years? What a sad little life you must have.

No, they’re not the dead souls who concern me. It’s the intelligent debate around Guardiola that concerns me.

There should be debate. There should be criticism of Manchester City this season. A side that is so expensively assembled shouldn’t be floundering as often as City have this season. The same goes for their cross-town rivals. They quite simply shouldn’t sit fifth and sixth – and that’s not really up for debate. Money isn’t everything, and it’s an easy attack to fling, but it’s also rather true: what’s the point of spending hundreds of millions of pounds to find yourself in a worse league position to last season. (Even if their points haul is better, is it really £100m better?)

But when it comes to City – and to United, too – the debate should be prefaced with one huge caveat that changes the meaning of everything said thereafter: that Guardiola took over for a ‘three-year project’.

Whether you think a phrase like that should have nothing to do with football is a separate issue. Whether you think that’s nonsense business-speak is a separate issue. And whatever you think of a three-year timeline is a separate issue, too. All that matters is that the club have publically stated that’s their aim and the aim of their manager.

So why is Pep Guardiola suddenly under pressure after only a few months?

The reason is short-termism and the refusal to actually accept that a three-year project can ever exist in the modern game.

Guardiola, for his part, should feel no pressure. His side have been terrible in defence and scintillating in attack, for the most part. His job now is to make sure his team don’t concede as many goals from counter attacks. His goalkeeper can’t save a shot, but his job is either to put up with Bravo or else get a new goalkeeper in the summer who can save shots – the bigger issue, though, is defending the deadly counters in the first place.

And beyond that there is no pressure. Because the very nature of a three-year project surely requires an acceptance that it doesn’t end after only one year. Surely winning every trophy under the sun is the end goal, not the immediate one.

So forget about the attacks on Guardiola’s pretentiousness, his nationality, his knowledge of the league or the fact he’s a threat to the idea of English exceptionalism. Forget about those who make a living destroying. Instead, think about constructing.

Construction means criticising City with a view to how they can get better for the remainder of the season and over the next few years. It means pinpointing mistakes honestly and with no agenda, it means building on the foundations that are already there.

Why try to limit the potential successes of a football club, even if it’s not the club you support yourself? Why try to do anyone down for the sake of it (or even for the sake of some other belief you may have)?

Sometimes managers deserve criticism and sometimes they are not up to the job. The treatment of both managers of the Manchester clubs show us that the reaction to that is way over the top. Sort-term thinking in football doesn’t just make debate endless and tedious: it brings debates into the hands of the small-minded populist demagogues who want only to strap you, Guantanamo-like, into a feeding chair and shove their agenda into your stomach. And once that happens, football just smells bad.

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The Premier League will serve us with an epic lunchtime derby this weekend as leaders Chelsea welcome Arsenal to Stamford Bridge. The Blues have been in scintillating form this term and can make a real statement with a victory over the Gunners in west London.

Both teams had contrasting results in the midweek fixtures as the Gunners surprisingly lost 2-1 to Watford at the Emirates Stadium, leaving them nine points behind Chelsea, who picked up a valuable draw at Liverpool.

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Arsene Wenger’s men won the reverse fixture 3-0 early in the season with the game being the turning point in the Blues’ impressive campaign so far.

It is certain that Antonio Conte’s men will be looking for revenge on their London neighbours.

Here are the FIVE reasons why Conte’s men will defeat the Gunners;

Chelsea’s Home Form

The Blues have been absolutely sensational at the Bridge this term, winning ten of the eleven games they have played so far. The one loss they suffered came in the first-half of the season, a 2-1 defeat to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

Chelsea have already beaten the likes of Leicester (3-0), Manchester United (4-0), Everton (5-0) at home this season, as well as notching a 2-1 win over second-place Tottenham. Even in games against West Brom and Hull where the Conte’s men performed below their usual standard, they still manage to get the results.

Arsenal will surely be wary of the qualities in the Blues’ ranks, and with Chelsea in champions-elect form, it will be difficult for the north London side to get any result other than a defeat.

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Arsenal’s Big game issues

Unlike the Blues, who know how to get results against their rivals, the Gunners in past seasons have been found wanting on countless times with the lack of big game mentality being one of the reasons they have failed to win the league title in over ten years. They usually have no problem beating the average sides in the league, but that cannot be said about games against their title rivals.

This season, the story has been the same again as the Gunners started their campaign with a thrilling 4-3 loss to Liverpool at the Emirates. The Gunners’ record over the top six this term currently stands one win, two draws and three defeats.

The one triumph was the 3-0 win over Chelsea during the first half of the season. It’s also important to note that Wenger’s men have won just five league games against the Blues in the last ten years, losing eleven in the process. It says a lot about the dominance the west London club have had over their capital rivals.

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The Defence

The change by Antonio Conte to his favoured back three has been a masterstroke so far this term. Interestingly, it was in the second-half of the reverse fixture at the Emirates that the Italian made the switch.

Since then, the Blues have made themselves very hard to beat, conceding just seven goals in their last 16 league games as well as keeping 13 clean sheets this season. The likes of David Luiz, Gary Cahill and the highly impressive Cesar Azpilicueta, along with N’Golo Kante, have formed a unit admired across Europe.

It will certainly take a masterclass display from Alexis Sanchez and co to be able to breach Chelsea’s solidity at the back.

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Diego Costa

The Spanish striker has been receiving all off the plaudits so far this term after putting in a large number of impressive performances. Arguably the best player in the league, the 28-year-old has scored against 13 of the 18 teams he has faced this term.

The Ex-Atletico Madrid man is filling the void left by Chelsea legend Didier Drogba by currently topping the scoring chart, alongside Alexis Sanchez, with 15 goals so far. The Arsenal nemesis may have gone but Costa is gradually developing into that kind of player with the Spaniard scoring two of the last five goals the Blues have netted against the Gunners in the five league games.

The likes of Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi will have their hands full on Saturday and will have to deliver a far more solid display to stand a chance of nullifying the Brazilian-born Spanish International.

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Arsenal Pressure

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson often says that the Gunners are the best team in the world when playing under little or no pressure. But as we have come to know in the past seasons, the north Londoners tend to create problems for themselves and stumble thereafter.

The 2-1 home loss to Watford on Tuesday was the latest slap in the face for the Gunners as they failed to take advantage of Chelsea’s draw with Liverpool. With that in mind, Arsenal are tasked with trying to get a win from the game so as not to lose further ground in the title race as well as not to allowing their top four rivals like Manchester City and Manchester United move ahead of them in the table.

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Manchester United teenager Marcus Rashford is not stalling over a new contract despite reports stating otherwise, according to the Manchester Evening News.

What’s the word?

The Times reported that the 19-year-old is not content with life at Old Trafford and has held off on discussing fresh terms, despite signing a new deal not long after Jose Mourinho was appointed manager.

The publication suggested that Rashford feels as though he is going ‘backwards’ under Mourinho, but the Manchester Evening News claim that there are not even talks on the table regarding a new deal.

The local newspaper also reports that Rashford is happy at the North-West outfit and is believed to have recently bought a new home in Cheshire with his family.

At just 19, the England international has been a regular figure in the squad, starting 17 games and coming off the bench on 14 occasions.

The forward has also found the back of the net six times for the Red Devils.

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Why would Rashford want to leave?

Well, according to these latest reports he doesn’t, and he would be right to want to remain at Old Trafford.

Not many players at his age manage to break into the first-team squad of a Premier League club, let alone one of the biggest clubs in the world.

He may not start every game but he is getting valuable experience at the top level and learning from one of the best managers in the game.

The only negative about his current situation is that he is usually battling Jesse Lingard or Anthony Martial for a spot on the left side of the attack rather than up front.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is regularly preferred in that position, but given the Swede’s experience, Rashford can hardly argue.

Having someone standing in his way is likely to help the youngster’s development, so right now it would not make sense for him to walk away from United.

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N’Golo Kante looks set to make history by becoming the first player to win back-to-back Premier League titles with two different sides, with the Frenchman being a key-part of Chelsea’s dominating campaign after playing an important role in Leicester’s shock success last term.Last night at the London Football Awards, Kante took home the honour for 2017 Player of the Year and it was certainly well deserved- with his stats for this particular season showing just how crucial he has been to Antonio Conte’s side.

In Chelsea’s dominating play, Kante has proved to be extremely effective by winning the most interceptions and making the most tackles in the final third this season- showing that he doesn’t give defenders a moment of peace.

Kante will look to continue his impressive performances this weekend against West Ham, before the Blues set their sights on a potential double ahead of next week’s FA Cup quarter-final clash with Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United at Old Trafford.

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Even the most optimistic Rangers fan would agree that the 2016/17 campaign hasn’t quite gone to plan for the Ibrox side. Currently adrift of Aberdeen in third place and having suffered a number of demoralising defeats across the season, the Gers are currently directionless with no permanent manager in place.

U20s coach Graeme Murty has taken charge of the first team on a caretaker basis and if anything results have gotten worse with two bad defeats away to Dundee and Inverness Caledonian Thistle piling the misery onto supporters.

However, there’s still plenty left to play for this season and Murty did guide them through another round of the Scottish Cup. Whether it’s the inexperienced manager or and outside name that comes in to lead Rangers then the final months of the season are still salvageable.

Here are three reasons why this season could still be a big one for Rangers…

Qualifying for Europe

Qualifying for Europe is a big aim for Rangers this season and that remains as true now as it was at the start of the season. Sure, supporters dreamed of title success but how much did they see that as a realistic aim?

While finishing second would be nice for pride, in terms of European qualification the benefit isn’t that great, the difference being what round you enter the UEFA Europa League at. If the Gers finish second they’ll join qualification for the Europa League at the second qualifying round and if they finish third they’ll join at the first qualifying round.

What’s key is not falling below third, in that case they’d either need to win the Scottish Cup or hope that Aberdeen or Celtic lift the trophy.

Securing European football would be an important step for the club as they hope to hit the heights their supporters expect.

Winning the Scottish Cup

The Scottish Cup remains within Rangers’ reach after Graeme Murty led the team through a 4th Round tie against Greenock Morton. The Quarter Final is a very winnable tie at home to struggling Hamilton Academical meaning that a trip to Hampden in the semis is a very real possibility.

As we saw last season that means anything can and will happen. Hampden has been a graveyard for favourites many a time and with Aberdeen and Celtic still in the competition then the Gers may go into the match as underdogs.

If they lifted the trophy it would change the entire complexion of this season and may turn the perception of it as a failure completely on its head. Rangers fans crave major success more than most fanbases and the Scottish Cup is one of the most prestigious on offer to the Ibrox club at the start of the season.

Stopping a perfect Celtic season

If Celtic go unbeaten this season it’s going to become a legendary campaign that is spoken about for years and the fact it also happened to be the season Rangers got promoted to the top-flight won’t be forgotten by fans in Parkhead. Stopping that unbeaten streak would be a momentous occasion for Rangers, also making sure that they aren’t whitewashed in derbies.

There are at least two derbies left with another potential match-up in the Scottish Cup. The next one isn’t far away and it’s a very tough trip to Celtic Park, but we know from years gone by that form books go out the window in these matches.

Look at last season at Hampden, the Hoops were huge favourites but Rangers managed to grind out a penalties win after a pulsating 2-2 draw after extra-time.

Can Rangers ensure this season isn’t a famous one for their arch rivals?

According to reports in the Daily Telegraph, in-form Southampton duo Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse could get their first call-up to the England senior team when manager Gareth Southgate names his squad for the upcoming matches on Thursday.

With a number of injury problems to contend with – Harry Kane, captain Wayne Rooney, Jordan Henderson, Daniel Sturridge, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Danny Rose could all miss out – it has opened the doors for some new faces to make what is likely to be a large squad.

As Ward-Prowse is the captain of the Under-21 side and Redmond has consistently performed well at that level too, they would be at the forefront of Southgate’s thoughts anyway.

However, it is their showings in the Premier League for the Saints this season – and in particular in recent weeks when the pair shone in their side’s upturn in form – that may have convinced the Three Lions boss that they are ready to make a difference for the senior side.

While Southampton boss Claude Puel often played Redmond as a striker earlier in the campaign, he has looked far more comfortable – and threatening – playing out wide in recent times, and it is a move that has paid dividends.

The 23-year-old scored twice in the 4-3 win against Watford at the start of the month, taking his tally to five for the season in the Premier League, and he has shown his potential in attacking areas by making 42 key passes.

His ability to run at defenders is a big part of his game, and he has successfully completed 49 take-ons in 25 top flight appearances.

That danger to opposition players is further emphasised by the fact he has been fouled on 24 occasions.

Meanwhile, Ward-Prowse is often praised for his ability from set pieces, and his tally of four assists has come from that quality on the ball.

The 22-year-old has also looked to be more of a goal threat from open play under Puel this term, and it has worked in a way as he has netted twice, while he has also made 26 key passes in attacking areas.

Although he doesn’t have the pace that Redmond does, the fact that he has successfully completed all of the seven take-ons he has attempted is impressive.

With the attributes they have and the lack of fear they have shown, there seems to be no doubt that the Southampton duo would bring a lot to the England side if they get the call from Southgate on Thursday.

Whether in the summer of 2017 or 2018, Romelu Lukaku is going to be leaving Everton.

He has decided against signing a new contract with the Merseyside club and it is surely most likely that the Toffees will cash in on their Belgian striker before his current deal expires. The Premier League’s current leading goal scorer has been brilliant this season once again and could be sold for a near world record fee.

Other forwards signed by Everton of late have hardly worked out, so their following recruitment should Lukaku leave the club will need to be absolutely spot on. As tough as it may be to take for Ronald Koeman, Lukaku is not irreplaceable and there are plenty of players that will be available considering how much revenue he will generate.

Everton have strong financial backing now, which opens up endless options. Strikers can be notoriously patchy in form and streaky in their goal scoring, making the decision to sign a player all the more challenging.

Michy Batshuayi

Replacing the departing Lukaku with a fellow Belgian in Michy Batshuayi would make sense for everyone. Batshuayi is out of favour under Antonio Conte at Chelsea and cannot afford to have another season of one-minute cameos, the odd cup outing and hours spent warming up on the touchline.

In fledgeling performances earlier in the season, however, Batshuayi showed what he is capable of. Like Lukaku, he has pace, power and is a natural finisher. His record prior to his move to Chelsea – 77 goals in 198 club matches – speaks for itself.

Andre Silva

Porto’s 21-year-old striker has it all. He can score – he’s done so 15 times in 25 league matches this season – he can head, he can link up play, he can run beyond and he can dribble. The Portuguese giants will not let him go without a fight, though, and understandably so.

Few players at his age possess all the components you want from a striker. Standing at 182cm tall, his physical condition is no issue either. He may not have the brute strength of Lukaku, but Silva has all the credentials and goal scoring capabilities to become one of the world’s best strikers.

Luis Muriel

Muriel is not the same type of striker as Romelu Lukaku, but the Colombian has come of age for Sampdoria this season and could be ready to take a further step forwards in his career.

He possesses lightning pace and quick, skilful feet that make him a dangerous ball carrier and a great initiator of counter-attacks.

Having found the net 10 times in Serie A this season, Muriel – who is still only 25 – has scored more than he has in a league season since 2012/13 for Udinese.

A player who will only improve from this point, Muriel would be able to interchange freely with Ross Barkley and Kevin Mirallas, perhaps making Everton even harder to stop in possession.