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Many Everton fans have been left fuming over one thing that Marcel Brands has recently done.

As per The Athletic, the Dutchman has told David Unsworth that the under-23 side should play a 4-2-3-1 formation in an attempt to mirror the first team.

While the idea could work, it left some Toffees fans questioning why it was not implemented sooner.

Others feel as if the 4-2-3-1 system for the first team is not currently working, given that they haven’t won a game since September, and needs to be changed anyway.

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Nonetheless, it is a big ask for the youngsters to suddenly learn and switch to a different formation after being so familiar with one system for the whole season, so perhaps Brands should not be intervening in what Unsworth is doing.

Everton fans on Brands’ interference

These Everton supporters fumed as news of Brands’ interference with under-23 matters was shared on Twitter:

“Wow, how long did it take him to reach that conclusion?”

Credit: @Lawemannen

“What took him so long??? Club is useless”

Credit: @gary2monty

“We are led by amateurs.”

Credit: @toffeetommy79

“Worst idea imaginable”

Credit: @isaaacefc

“He’s a fraud”

Credit: @GrandOldLady_

“We are a shambles”

Credit: @MichaelNilsen92

In other news, find out what injury news has left these Toffees fans buzzing

Wolves could potentially reignite their interest in towering Lille centre-back Sven Botman in the coming months, according to journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Wolves linked with Botman move

Wanderers were linked with a move for the 21-year-old during the summer transfer window but the transfer did not materialise.

Instead, Botman has remained at Lille for the time being, starting nine Ligue 1 games so far this season and averaging 2.2 aerial duels and 4.4 clearances per game. Those are the second-highest and highest averages in the French champions’ squad for the respective metrics.

It appears as though Wolves’ interest may not be dead in the water, though, with a future bid possibly in the offing.

The Latest: Hatfield talks up Botman move

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Hatfield talked up Wanderers’ chances of reviving their interest in the nine-cap Netherlands under-21 international, who plays in a position where the journalist feels Bruno Lage needs to address

He said: “I imagine that they’ll be keen to revive their interest in Botman if it can be done. It’s an area they probably need to look at.”

The Verdict: Exciting future addition

Botman looks like a centre-back with huge potential, with Get French Football News describing him as ‘superb’ in a Champions League clash for Lille earlier this season.

While Wolves have been solid defensively this term, conceding just 12 goals in as many league games, bringing in a defender of the Dutchman’s stature could only make them stronger.

Botman’s pass completion rate of 91.3% in the Champions League is better than any Wolves player has managed in the league, with Conor Coady leading the way with 89.5%. That composure in playing out from the back, along with his aforementioned aerial ability and no-nonsense attitude to defending, marks him out as something who would be a great asset to Lage’s squad.

In other news, some Wolves fans loved footage which emerged after the win over West Ham. Read more here.

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic may have picked up all three points at Parkhead on Thursday evening but it didn’t come without a hefty blow for the Hoops.

As appears to be tradition this term, the Bhoys receive a plethora of injury blows which really dampens the mood inside Paradise.

Christopher Jullien has already been missing all year while the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Tom Rogic, Carl Starfelt and Greg Taylor to name a few have all had spells on the treatment table.

Taylor has been a big miss with Josip Juranovic forced to play out of position but he may now gain a chance to play in his favoured role at right-back this weekend against Dundee United.

That’s because Anthony Ralston was one of three injury victims in the 1-0 win over Hearts on Thursday evening.

Opportunity knocks

Not only does a fantastic chance now present itself for Juranovic to slot in on the right, but it also opens up an avenue of selection at left-back.

With Ralston and Taylor out, Postecoglou could pick either Boli Bolingoli or Adam Montgomery in that position. However, he’d do well to also consider a lesser-spotted Liam Scales.

The Irishman has played just 44 minutes of first-team football since arriving from Shamrock Rovers in the summer, struggling to make an impression on the manager.

Capable of playing in a number of positions, however, he should prove to be a useful asset for the manager going forward.

Despite being the tender age of 23, he can play on the wing, in the middle of defence or at full-back. It’s in that final role where he tends to star, specifically on the left-hand side where he uses his long 6 foot 2 levers and rampant offensive skills to get forward with devastating effect.

Speaking about him in the past, Collie O’Neill, his former manager at UCD, once remarked: “Liam likes to get forward. It’s not often you have guys on the wing who are tall and attacking, but when he gets going into his stride, he’s quick and strong. He can just whip past people.”

That eye-catching review should do enough to whet the appetite of Celtic fans who may be a little downbeat after reading of Ralston’s new injury problem.

Watching Scales come into the team, though, would be a treat, especially as they are yet to see a great deal of their summer signing in action.

That said, when you consider his outstanding offensive and physical traits, he’s surely everything Postecoglou is looking for at such short notice. Montgomery is still incredibly young while Bolingoli has proven himself to be a liability on frequent occasions.

Thus, it must be Scales’ time to show the Celtic Park faithful what he can do.

AND in other news, Huge boost: Alan Nixon delivers promising Celtic update that will leave fans buzzing…

While things at Wolverhampton Wanderers appear to once again be on the up under the management of Bruno Lage, with the club currently sitting seventh in the Premier League standings, there are nevertheless a number of issues at Molineux that the 45-year-old coach must address in January if his side are to have any hope of qualifying for European football this season.

Indeed, Wolves are incredibly short of options at both centre-back and in central midfield at present, with the latter being a particularly big concern for the club when going forwards.

So far this season, Lage’s side have scored just 12 goals in the top flight – ranking their attack as the second-worst in the league – with Ruben Neves, Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho having scored just one goal and provided one assist between them over their combined 40 Premier League appearances this term.

As such, a move to sign a more attacking option in the middle of the park this January would appear a very wise one indeed, with Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli potentially being a viable candidate for the West Midlands side.

Dele could solve Wolves’ problem

Speaking on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday (via Birmingham Live) following Wolves’ last gasp defeat to Liverpool last weekend, Paul Merson stated his belief that Dele and Bruno Lage’s side could be something of a match made in heaven.

Discussing the club’s lack of a central midfielder to bomb on and help the Wolves attack, Merson said: “They need someone who is willing to run past [Raul] Jimenez and that might cause problems. Neves, Moutinho – they’re players who spray the ball left and right.

“They need someone who will run, [someone who] might cause problems. At the moment they don’t really look like scoring – 12 in 15 games, that’s not good enough. They need a midfield player who is going to nick a few goals.

“You know what? That might be Dele Alli. If you can get Dele Alli to another club and he can get his mojo back, he might be the answer for them.”

Indeed, with Dele having played just two minutes of Premier League football since Antonio Conte’s arrival in North London, the possibility of the attacking midfielder being available on the market this January would appear a very real one.

And, while it is true that the £27m-rated man has been far from his best in recent seasons, should Lage be able to help the former England international refind his previously exceptional level of form after a potential switch to Molineux, Merson could well be proven right in claiming that the 25-year-old may be the answer to the Portuguese manager’s goalscoring woes.

Indeed, over his 37 Premier League outings back in 2016/17, Dele scored a whopping 18 goals, registered seven assists and created five big chances for his teammates, with these returns seeing the £100k-per-week midfielder earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.04.

As such, as long as Lage is confident that he could indeed get the player who Darren Anderton dubbed a “freak of a talent” back to this level, a move for Dele this winter could well prove to be an extremely smart move by Fosun and Jeff Shi – as well as one which allows Morgan Gibbs-White to continue his development on loan at Sheffield United, rather than recalling the 21-year-old as has been mooted.

In other news: Wolves dealt potentially huge injury blow ahead of Man City, fans would be gutted

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side head into Wednesday evening’s Scottish Premiership clash against Ross County in a fantastic run of form, remaining undefeated over their last 11 league outings.

However, following yet more casualties in the 1-0 win over Motherwell last weekend, the 56-year-old manager will more than likely have something of a selection migraine rather than the usual headache going into the fixture at Victoria Park.

Indeed, all of Kyogo Furuhashi, Albian Ajeti, Giorgos Giakoumakis, James Forrest, Mikey Johnston and Jota look as if they will be unavailable for selection against the Staggies, something that could well leave Postecoglou no other choice but to field a number of his younger talents on Wednesday night.

And, after highly impressing for Celtic B this season, in addition to being brought into first-team training this week, now would appear to be the perfect time for the Bhoys boss to finally unleash the Hoops’ 19-year-old sensation, Owen Moffat.

Postecoglou must unleash Moffatt

The left-winger has been in sensational form for Tommy McIntyre’s reserve team in the current campaign, topping the club’s scoring charts in the Scottish Lowland League with 11 goals to his name.

However, not only is the youngster quite clearly a prolific goalscorer, but he is also a scorer of great goals, with perhaps the pick of the bunch being his audacious lob in a 5-1 win over the University of Stirling earlier this season.

In the closing stages of the match in question, Moffatt plucks a high ball out of the air with a fantastic first touch, taking him away from an onrushing defender, before deftly chipping the ball over the opposition goalkeeper from a good 40 yards out.

Indeed, finishing very much appears to be a strong suit of the forward’s game, with Celtic captain Callum McGregor having previously commented on the teenager’s ability in front of goal.

The 28-year-old said of the young winger: “His attitude has been first-class. I remember watching him at the end of last season. Every day he would do finishing, and I remember thinking, ‘he’s got a finish on him’.”

As such, while the Premiership is undoubtedly a huge step up from the Lowland League, it would very much appear as if Moffatt is more than ready for his big chance on Wednesday evening.

In other news: “Possibility…”: Kieran Devlin drops early Celtic team news, fans will be fuming

Crystal Palace will not attempt to sign Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, according to journalist Tom Barclay.

The Lowdown: Ait-Nouri impresses for Wolves

Wanderers are enjoying a good start to life under Bruno Lage, with Sunday’s 0-0 draw at home to Chelsea their latest positive result. A number of Wolves players have shone this season and one such example is Ait-Nouri, who has produced a string of good performances at left-back.

The 20-year-old has started eight Premier League games and was excellent up against Mohamed Salah in the last-gasp defeat to Liverpool earlier this month. Indeed, his 7.12 WhoScored average rating over the course of the campaign is the best in Lage’s squad, so that performance against the Reds was no one-off.

The Latest: Palace won’t be signing Ait-Nouri

Despite Ait-Nouri being linked with a move to Palace, Barclay has told GIVEMESPORT that the Frenchman will not be moving to Selhurst Park in the January transfer window, news which will surely come as a big boost for Wolves given the youngster’s performances in recent months.

The journalist said of the Eagles’ links with the 20-year-old as a positional rival to Tyrick Mitchell: “They’ve already got a left-back who is young and playing really well. You can see why it doesn’t really make a lot of sense, so I’d be really surprised if that happens. From what I’m told, he’s not a target.”

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The Verdict: Big player for the future

Ait-Nouri has made such an impressive start to life at Wolves since joining from Angers and he looks a player of vast potential. For that reason, Wolves must do their utmost to keep hold of him for as long as possible, with the young Frenchman likely to keep Jonny out of the team upon the Spaniard’s return from injury.

The 20-year-old has averaged a highly impressive 3.9 tackles per game in the league this season, which is comfortably the most of any Wolves player, highlighting his tenacity.

His current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2026, so Wolves should at least be able to demand a big fee for his services if another club were to come knocking. The good news for now is that it’s not likely to be Crystal Palace next month.

In other news, Luke Hatfield has talked up a potential Wolves signing. Read more here.

Former Leeds United player Carlton Palmer has backed the Whites to make a move for Reading midfielder John Swift in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Swift move

The 26-year-old is enjoying a superb season for Reading on an individual note, scoring eight goals and registering nine assists in the Championship this season, prompting journalist Conor McGilligan to proclaim that he has “been absolutely on fire” for the Royals.

Swift’s form has seen him linked with a move to Leeds, especially with Kalvin Phillips’ injury absence leaving Marcelo Bielsa short of options in the middle of the park. His current deal expires at the end of the season, so Reading may be willing to recoup a fee for him in January.

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The Latest: Palmer talks up Swift move

Speaking to Give Me Sport, ex-Leeds and England midfielder Palmer talked up a potential move for Swift, saying:

“At the end of the day, he’s not signed a new contract. He’s attracting a lot of interest from several Premier League clubs. He is out of contract at the end of the season, I would think if Reading could get a fee for him, and they’re not particularly doing well in the Championship, what, are they 16th in the league?

“So, I think they’re not going to hold onto him until the end of the season if they could get a fee for him in January. If that fee comes from Leeds United, then he’ll go to Leeds United. That is for sure.”

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The Verdict: Good squad option

While Swift remains unproven in the Premier League, he is someone who could come in and add much-needed depth in midfield, hopefully along with another signing too.

His aforementioned end product this season shows that he could bring some guile in midfield, helping Leeds to create more chances from a position where they have been far from prolific this term; and at 26 he could improve further under Bielsa, who has previously described him as a “great player”.

Swift also won 13 caps for England’s under-21s and scored once at that level, an indicator that he has been considered a top prospect in the past, and he is continuing to deliver the goods in the Championship into his mid-20s.

In other news, Graham Smyth has provided a key update on one Leeds player. Find out who it is here.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has enjoyed a sensational start to life at Ibrox with a string of wins in charge of Rangers since taking over from Steven Gerrard.

The Dutchman has won eight of his nine matches since arriving in Glasgow, with the Gers conceding just two goals in that time.

He has done this with the help of the squad Steven Gerrard sculpted during his time in Scotland, with the likes of Ryan Kent, Joe Aribo and Ianis Hagi all coming in under the ex-Liverpool man.

Masterstroke

Aribo, in particular, has been excellent this term and the club pulled off a masterstroke when they landed him in the summer of 2019. Gerrard brought him to Ibrox from Charlton on a free transfer, a few months before current sporting director Ross Wilson came in.

This season, Aribo has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.39 in the Premiership across 20 appearances. In that time, the midfield wizard has produced six goals and three assists, which proves that he can perform to a high level consistently whilst also chipping in with vital contributions in the final third.

Last term, he averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.40 as he managed six goals and four assists in 26 Premiership outings. This highlights how remarkably consistent he has has been over the past 18 months and why he is a crucial member of the side.

His former Charlton teammate Ezri Konsa once was effusive in his praise of the gem, saying: “Having Gerrard as his manager at Rangers, that has made him go up another level.

“Joe’s style is unique. When I was with him at Charlton he did remind me for a while of a left-footed Yaya Toure. But you don’t get a lot of midfielders like Joe, there aren’t many around.

“Like Toure, for a tall guy he’s got such great feet. But that languid style he’s got is actually fairly unique in the game.”

At the time of writing (29/12/21), Transfermarkt value him at £5.85m. This suggests that the Gers could make a hefty profit on him if they do decide to cash in, whether that is in January or next summer.

Therefore, former Gers chief Mark Allen pulled off a masterstroke with his deal to sign him in 2019.

He brought in a player capable of being outstanding for the club in the Premiership, with the potential to be a valuable asset in the future to sell on for profit-making it a win-win in both the footballing and financial aspects of the move.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Goldson: Rangers can seal dream replacement with “proven” 6 ft 3 powerhouse…

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Divock Origi to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who revealed in a recent post on The West Ham Way that David Moyes is very interested in the possibility of bringing a new centre-forward to the club this month, with Liverpool’s Origi being a particular interest of the West Ham board and the club’s head of recruitment, Rob Newman.

However, the Hammers insider went on to state that Moyes is believed to have reservations about the 26-year-old, and may require some persuading in order to launch an offer for the Reds forward, despite the fact the Belgium international is available for a decent fee in the current transfer window.

In his post, Ex said: “We are also keen on a forward. Origi of Liverpool is available for a decent fee and will certainly tempt us. The chairmen have always been keen on the player but Moyes has had reservations. Could Rob Newman persuade Moyes if he is a fan? This is worth keeping an eye on although no offer has been made as yet from us.”

Fans will be buzzing

While it is true that Origi has struggled to ever really cement his place in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI since his £11.37m move from LOSC Lille back in 2014, it is undeniable that the centre-forward would nevertheless make a fantastic addition to Moyes’ current attacking options at the London Stadium.

Indeed, over his three Premier League appearances so far this season – all of which have come from the bench – the £10.8m-rated man has scored two goals – at an average of one strike every 19 minutes of football played – and taken an average of 1.7 shots per game, with these returns seeing the 26-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 7.5.

The £82k-per-week forward has also impressed over his five Champions League appearances in the current campaign, scoring one goal, providing one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.00.

Furthermore, the player who Klopp dubbed an “incredible finisher” has also bagged a further two goals and one assist over his two appearances in the Carabao Cup, taking his total this season to five goals and two assists over just 393 minutes of action – meaning the Belgian has directly contributed to a goal every 56 minutes of football played so far this season.

As such, it is easy to see why West Ham would be interested in a move for Origi – who has been reported to be available for as little as £7m this month – as well as why ExWHUemployee’s latest update regarding the striker is sure to have left the London Stadium faithful buzzing.

In other news: Moyes could land the next Mane as West Ham plot Jan offer for “explosive” £12.5m beast

Celtic are interested in a deal to bring Ahmed Kendouci to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a number of reports from Algeria (via The Scottish Sun), which claim that Ange Postecoglou is keeping a very close eye on the situation of the ES Setif central midfielder ahead of a potential move in the winter market.

The report goes on to state that Celtic have even contacted the former Rangers centre-back Madjid Bougherra, who is now a coach at the Algerian side, for information on the 22-year-old, while the Bhoys’ interest has led to the ES Setif manager, Nabil Kouki, to speak out regarding the sale of the one-time capped Algeria international.

Kouki said: “Last season, we missed out on the title because we sold important players in the transfer window. I very much hope and expect that it won’t happen this time. The board of this club must make a statement that we should keep our best players and indeed, strengthen the squad. So I very much hope Ahmed Kendouci remains with the club despite the recent speculation.”

Postecoglou can axe Soro

Considering the fact that it has recently been reported that Ismaila Soro will be allowed to leave Parkhead in the January transfer window, with New York Red Bulls believed to be interested in a move for the central midfielder, Celtic’s potential swoop for Kendouci could well prove to be the final nail in the coffin for the 23-year-old.

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Indeed, since Postecoglou’s arrival in Glasgow last summer, the £810k-rated man has started just six games in all competitions for the Hoops – making a further 11 appearances from the bench – with only six of these 17 fixtures coming in the Premiership.

And, considering how poor the £12.5k-a-week midfielder who Ori Guttman dubbed an “explosive” player has been over these league outings, it is hardly surprising that Celtic are willing to sanction his departure this month. The Ivorian is averaging an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.63 – ranking him as Postecoglou’s sixth-worst performer in the top flight of Scottish football.

As such, it would indeed appear wise for the 56-year-old Bhoys boss to finally call time on Soro’s Celtic career, and subsequently reinvest the money received from his transfer into a £1m swoop for a player who the Greek-Australian coach is clearly a fan of in the shape of Kendouci.

In other news: Forget McGree: Celtic must now move for “perfect” Jan signing, he’d be a huge upgrade