Celtic Assistant Manager John Collins has drawn parallels between on loan Manchester City winger Patrick Roberts and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.
Roberts who was bought by City for approximately £12million back in July last year was sent out on loan to the Scottish club back in January but has only appeared six times since his move to Celtic Park.
His two goals against Hearts last week however made a few people sit up and take notice, and former Monaco midfielder Collins told stv that he does see a resemblance between Roberts and the five-time Ballon d’Or winner: “I don’t like comparing him to the best player in the world, which in my opinion is Messi.
“But you can see where people get the resemblances. He is left-footed. He likes to take people on and if he ends up half as good as Messi then he has done well.”
Collins believes that consistency is the key for his long term progression.
“That has got to be his target, to try to emulate what Lionel Messi does week-in, week-out, which is score goals, create chances,” he added.
“He is one of those players who gets you on the edge of your seat. When he gets the ball the first thing in his mind is can he take on a defender. He is a type of player I like watching.
“At the end of the day you have to have an end product and at the weekend he had what we are looking for from wide players, beating players and getting shots on target and finishing off with goals.
“The most important thing is continual progress. He has to produce week in week out, that’s what top players do.”
Celtic are now five points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership after a 0-0 draw against Dundee in midweek. They will be hoping that Roberts can perform to a high level as they look to seal their fifth consecutive title.
Sadly we are heading into the final gameweek of the Premier League, so it’s now or never if you want to end your Fantasy Premier League team on a high note.
With every team playing at the exact same time, you will get the results of your season performance right after the final whistle.
The key fixtures we will be focusing on are the race for the second, third, fourth, and the fifth spot, with Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United all having something to play for.
Spurs will want to finish above the Gunners, while City and United are still battling for the final Champions League place, with the other dropping into the Europa League.
Last week we went with Troy Deeney, Antonio Valencia, and Joel Robles, with two out of the three rewarding you with some good points.
Deeney and Valencia picked up 12 and eight points respectively from their two fixtures, while Robles struggled with only four points from his double.
So, here are three final Fantasy Premier League differentials to consider for your team heading into gameweek 38.
Aaron Ramsey
Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey (7.8 and owned by 2.8%) has been a regular feature since returning to the starting lineup, playing the full 90 minutes in his last four consecutive matches, adding another two assists to his tally.
Despite struggling to make an impact from his previous three games, he is bound to cause problems against an Aston Villa side that has already been relegated into the Championship.
Erik Lamela
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Erik Lamela (6.8 and owned by 1.3%) is currently on a good run of form, registering one goal while providing another four assists from his previous six matches.
With his side taking on an already relegated Newcastle United squad, he is bound to help Harry Kane in attack as he hopes to see his teammate win the Golden Boot.
Diafra Sakho
West Ham United forward Diafra Sakho (6.2 and owned by 1.3%) is expected to continue his role on the right flanks following an impressive performance against Manchester United. He managed to pick up 10 points from his double gameweek with one goal and another one assist.
The Hammers will surely push for a win as they have a chance to overtake Manchester United into fifth if they pick up three points against Stoke City and United failed to beat Bournemouth.
Dimitri Payet showed the world what he was capable off during the European Championships this summer.
But to West Ham fans it was very much business as usual. To the Frenchman’s teammates, it was what they see the player do week in and week out during training.
To the watching world, this midfield dynamo personified what is good about individualism of the highest order. His free kicks are sublime, his finishing lethal and his creativeness beyond comprehension, as he twists and turns and delivers the highest standard of play for both club and country.
Now that the rest of the world have woken up to the phenomenon that is Dimitri Payet, West Ham will do well to keep the 29-year-old at the club – thoughf you believe reports lately, then Payet is 100% happy at the Hammers.
Payet, 29, speaking exclusively to Sun Sport on his way back to the UK after playing in the hosts’ 1-0 final defeat against Portugal in Paris, says he is definitely staying.
He said: “I’ve heard about all the interest and I’m flattered. But I love West Ham. We had a fantastic season and I can’t wait to play in the Olympic Stadium. I’m 100 per cent staying at West Ham, I love the club. I can tell the Hammers fans that.”
In sharp contrast, Payet’s agent, Jacques-Olivier Auguste, angrily dismissed the reports, insisting Payet had never spoken to the newspaper.
“I have no idea where this [interview] came from but in any case he never said that,” Auguste told L’Equipe 21.
“With West Ham it is quite simple, if a club is interested they will call the club, and then, we will see. Now Dimitri is certainly feeling good at West Ham, but to say that he will 100 per cent stay is difficult.”
Whether he said anything to the press or not, Inter Milan and Real Madrid are two clubs abroad that have realised Payet’s abilities and it won’t end there. West Ham fans are now praying that come the end of the transfer window, Payet is still a Hammer.
So here are five reasons why he might not stay though…
Taste Of The Big Time
Lots can change in just 12 months. Payet has hurtled through the last year at a sensational speed becoming a Premier League star and playmaker at the Euro’s.
He has tasted Europe with West Ham, albeit briefly, and has finished within the top ten of the Premier League. To cap it all, Payet went on to play a huge part for France at the Euro’s, including scoring three goals and providing two assists.
The fear could be that Payet has had a taste of life at the top table and will ultimately want more – more than West Ham can give him right now.
The Hammers are ambitious, but the big time is a couple of seasons away yet.
The Lure Of The Bigger Clubs
It is every professional footballer’s dream to play for the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, etc.
If those clubs come calling, it can be difficult not to have your head turned. The grass is not always greener elsewhere, but human nature is to try it. Payet will be unique if he can shut out his mind to the spoils that the big European clubs can offer.
Trophies, titles, money, bigger and better competitions, plus the chance to put your skills up against some of the best outside of the Premier League will be a draw, but is that what Payet wants outside of his West Ham comfort zone?
Champions League Football
Every player wants to play and challenge themselves at the highest level.
The Champions League is the pinnacle of the European club game and teams like Real and Barca qualify without fail year in, year out. They don’t just qualify either, but compete for the trophy.
These teams don’t exit early on, but stay the distance to the semi’s and the finals. What player of any worth wouldn’t want that?
Money
Although Payet doesn’t seem too concerned about the money side, it will become a consideration when someone doubles his current salary with one signature.
Although the player only signed a new contract four months ago and is currently the highest earner at West Ham, these days, it means very little.
The French international has said that he is quite happy at West Ham and Hammers fans hope that is true, but any one of us, in whatever industry we are in, would also think twice if another company offered you more money.
West Ham Not Enough
Slaven Bilic
There is speculation that Payet is extremely happy at The Hammers. His family are settled in London, the fans adore him, the manager wants to write poetry about him and he has carved, inside twelve months, a cult status up there with Di Canio at West Ham.
He is in a claret and blue comfort blanket and should hopefully remember that the club have put him where he is. However, in reality, West Ham are at least two seasons away from their lofty ambitions of consistent top four finishes and a stab at the Champions League plus domestic silverware.
At almost 30, the clock is ticking for Payet and he will need to consider the ambitions and timeframes for both himself and the club. Will he wait or will he consider his future is best served elsewhere?
Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti couldn’t be much more contrasting as characters.
The Portuguese boss of Manchester United is one of the true warriors of the game, an egotistical, aggressive fella who largely is out for his own gains. Carlo, on the other hand, is a far calmer, thoughtful sort of man with a ‘such as life’ attitude that sees his teams play with the sort of free spirit you can imagine him awarding them.
Any player who makes the leap from the Allianz to Old Trafford this summer will make the leap of faith from Cosy Carlo to Macho Mourinho.
The two ex-Chelsea managers might not be too keen on doing business of any kind this summer, but there are a fair few superstars at Bayern Munich that Ed Woodward will probably be looking to open is bolt-locked chequebook for.
Mourinho is set for a rough ride this season. The media will be all over him like a rash if a bad trot begins and he might benefit from signing a couple of Bayern’s gems…
Thiago
One of the great love stories of recent summers for Manchester United was their unsuccessful chase of Thiago. The newspaper rumblings were eventually quashed when Thiago left Barcelona to join Pep Guardiola at Bayern.
It was hardly surprising opting to play with Robben and Ribery ahead of Young and Valencia, mind. However, Thiago is one of the very best midfielders in Europe right now and could be the missing piece of United’s jigsaw.
Comfortable playing as a six, eight or 10, Thiago would give Mourinho options throughout the midfield. He can pass through the lines unlike any other player on the squad at the moment, too.
Javi Martinez
The arrival of Mats Hummels to partner Jerome Boateng at centre-back further pushes Javi Martinez away from the Bayern Munich starting XI.
The Spaniard has been one of the most undervalued players for several seasons now and would hugely benefit from a move where he could become not only a regular starter, but a key player in the team’s longer-term plans. Injuries have, unfortunately, plagued much of Martinez’s Bayern career, although a move to United could be seen as the chance for a fresh start.
Martinez would likely play as the number six in a Mourinho side, yet he could slot in alongside Smalling if Bailly struggles to adapt.
Arturo Vidal
If the Paul Pogba move doesn’t go through, Arturo Vidal would be a reasonable, cheaper alternative to the French star.
Having been used in a deeper role since moving to Bayern, Vidal can play in almost any midfield position if required. Whether needed to screen the defence or slot in as a shadow striker, the Chilean still has the legs and tactical nous to complete any role to a world class standard.
At 29, Vidal will only have a couple of years left before he will need to start adapting his game, although this could see him develop in to a yet more rounded midfielder.
One of our regular freelancers – Sam Cox – has a go at predicting the 16/17 Premier League season, and it’s not as questionable as the previous ones we’ve had.
Slightly brave pick for Flop of the Season, though…
Title Winners – Manchester City
The two Manchester clubs have addressed weaknesses far better than their competitors and it’s hard to see beyond either a Pep or Jose title. The one concern might be the striker if Aguero suffers another injury-ridden season, but the youngsters brought in should even deal with that.
Top four
Manchester City
Manchester United
Chelsea
Liverpool
Manchester dominance over the next few seasons looks a strong possibility – unless there is a Mourinho implosion – and the other clubs seem a fair distance off the pace. Liverpool have bought shrewdly and Klopp’s project should begin to show some results, whilst Arsenal could finally pay the price for transfer dithering.
Three to go down
Hull
Burnley
West Brom
Hull and Burnley’s lack of investment is going to make it hard from the off. The third place is a far harder call and Crystal Palace could easily slip in to that if they continue their form from the second half of last season. The Baggies are likely to face more of a scrap than they did last season.
FA Cup – Chelsea
With the league probably out of reach this season, Chelsea’s main hope of silverware will be the FA Cup. No European football means Conte can focus on the domestic trophies and the Italian, who will likely strengthen the Chelsea defence, will be eyeing up the FA Cup already.
Signing of the Season – Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Creativity is going to be key for Manchester United this season and Mkhitaryan will undoubtedly provide that from the right. Producing 15 assists, to go with his 11 goals, in the Bundesliga last season, the Armenian will be the ideal creative force for Rashford, Martial and Ibrahimovic.
Flop of the Season – Yannick Bolasie
As exciting a player as Bolasie is, the transfer fee is extortionate even in the modern game. A hugely gifted player, for sure, but that sort of investment expects goals and assists that I’m not sure even Ronald Koeman can make him provide.
Young Player to Watch – Leroy Sane
The pressure of the price tag might be an issue for Sane, but there is no better place for a young winger to develop than under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola. Competition on City’s right is limited and Sane’s frightening pace should light up the Premier League.
Team most likely to ‘do a Leicester’ – Middlesbrough
It’s either going to be a dream or disaster in the North East. Big name arrivals including Alvaro Negredo, Victor Valdes and Viktor Fischer will at least make it exciting and they have the squad to cause a few upsets.
Top scorer – Sergio Aguero
If he can remain fit throughout the season, it’s hard to see past Aguero for the golden boot. With Harry Kane likely to be rotated more regularly than last season and Zlatan Ibrahimovic under the management for Jose Mourinho, Aguero should comfortably outscore his rivals if he plays enough minutes.
Prior to penning a new deal with Tottenham Hotspur, Christian Eriksen was a top target for a number of big European clubs, report the London Evening Standard.
Earlier this week, the Danish playmaker signed a brand new four-year deal that is understood to see him rake in a cool £75k-per-week.
Still, his agent has revealed that there had been contact from the likes of Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and even Manchester United.
”There has been concrete interest from four Champions League clubs, from France, Spain, Italy and England. Two of them played in the Champions League final not too long ago”, Martin Schoots told Danish newspaper BT.
“We took it as a great compliment. One of the managers, Laurent Blanc (who was then at Paris St Germain), spoke openly about his admiration for Christian some time ago – and he is a World Cup winner.”
Eriksen was signed in the wake of Gareth Bale’s seismic departure to Real Madrid back in 2013 and has since gone on to establish himself as one of the club’s most important players.
Across his 134 appearances for the White Hart Lane outfit, the 24-year-old has scored 30 times and recorded a further 33 assists since signing from Dutch giants Ajax.
From set-pieces is the former Ajax ace most devastating, emerging as one of the most lethal free-kick takers in the Premier League.
He was part of the side that fought so valiantly for the league title last term and is one of few in the team who boasts Champions League experience ahead of their venture back into the competition.
Having made 16 appearances while in Amsterdam, including notching a memorable goal against Manchester City, Eriksen will be vital heading into this seasons’ tournament.
Gareth Southgate gave his first England press conference as interim manager yesterday following on from announcing his first squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovenia.He’ll have been surprised to even find himself in this position, but with the debacle surrounding Sam Allardyce over the last week, the former Aston Villa defender is, temporarily at least, in one of the biggest jobs in football.Whether he gets the role on a permanent basis remains to be seen. He has only stepped in because of the Allardyce saga and ruled himself out of the running when Roy Hodgson resigned, but if the Three Lions put in particularly impressive performances, he may get offered the job on a full-time basis.And his firstÂouting as the England chief was impressive yesterday. Southgate came across as someone who deeply cares about the national team and answered in an honest fashion, which impressed onlookers on Twitter. Here’s the best of what they had to say…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has waded into the furore that has surrounded Wayne Rooney since the controversial images of the Manchester United and England captain were published by a national newspaper.
The 31-year-old looked bleary eyed as he posed for photos with fellow hotel guests while on a day off during international duty with England.
The fallout of the incident resulted in the striker having to issue an apology for the “inappropriate” images that did the rounds following the Three Lions’ World Cup qualifying win over Scotland last week.
Guardiola, who is known for his strict regime as manager, was asked in his pre-match press conference to give his thoughts on the Rooney drama, and even though he claimed that it is down to the player to act responsibly rather than the FA, he admitted that he enjoyed the occasional drink back in the day.
The Guardian quotes Guardiola as saying:
“I was lucky there were no pictures. I won’t comment on the private lives of others because I don’t like it when people comment on my private life but when I was an international I sometimes had a drink.
“When you drink, you are the one responsible. I don’t think the association has to be responsible. We are people, we are old enough to take responsibility. Everyone is entitled to a private life so we have to respect what other people do.”
Rooney was forced out of England’s 2-2 draw with Spain on Tuesday due to a knee injury, but his United manager Jose Mourinho has claimed that his captain is available to feature against Arsenal.
Considering the scrutiny that the forward has been under of late – in relation to this latest news and his form on the pitch – nabbing a few goals against the Gunners would put him back in the plus column.
In an exclusive reported by Squawka, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Wilfried Zaha this January after having a bid rejected for the winger in August.
What’s the story?
Mauricio Pochettino is looking for more creativity in his attacking midfield and may have found the man ready to solve his problem.
Squawka report that Spurs are plotting a £25m move for Crystal Palace star Zaha, upping their offer from £21m in the summer.
Pochettino has continued to track Zaha’s progress closely according to the story and believes the former England international can inject some much needed danger into the final third.
Squawka reckons the feeling is mutual and that the winger wanted to join Spurs in the summer. It could only be a matter of time before he ends up at White Hart Lane.
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Why Zaha?
Zaha is having an exceptional season at the Eagles, contributing 5 assists and 2 goals in his last 8 appearances in the Premier League.
That’s a devastating impact, especially for a team hovering just above the relegation zone.
Despite not making the impact he’d have liked at Manchester United, he seems well placed to finally make the next step in his career and play for one of England’s biggest clubs.
It would be a sad farewell from Selhurst Park. The winger has spent the vast majority of his career at the club and has made over 200 appearances. Could it finally be time to say goodbye to the club for good?
One of the big debates amongst football fans right now is whether West Ham should part ways with Slaven Bilic or not.
The Croat enjoyed a successful debut campaign as manager of the club last term, leading them to seventh in the table after a surprise bid for a top four spot, as well as an FA Cup quarter-final.
The Hammers broke numerous club records along the way, including their best ever Premier League points tally, while also remaining unbeaten both home and away against any of the Premier League’s so-called big clubs.
This season, though, is already looking like a complete disaster. Struggles to adapt to life in a new stadium, numerous injuries to key players and some seriously poor transfer business in the summer have all played a part in the Hammers’ rather sharp decline.
Now Slaven Bilic’s ability to turn things around is being questioned. Should West Ham sack him now before it’s too late, or do they need to stick by the man who gave them so many happy memories only a few short months ago? Here’s what our writers have to say…
Josh Challies – Not Yet
At this stage, West Ham need stability more than anything else. Their form this season has been atrocious and relegation is a genuine threat but the Hammers cannot afford to be changing something else within the club when they haven’t even settled into their new stadium yet.
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A few months ago, Bilic was a hero and the fickle nature of football fans can shift again. Whilst West Ham’s new home is paid for a lot by the taxpayer, there is still a lot of finances that Bilic’s side need to balance and losing their manager would knock them back a few steps.
Make no mistake, though, if this form continues the board will have no option but to let him go – such is the way of football.
Christy Malyan – Yes (if they can find someone better)
It’s easy to turn managers into scapegoats these days and I’m certainly not an advocate of the Premier League’s ever-growing hire-and-fire culture. But there’s no doubt Slaven Bilic must take responsibility, not only for matters on the pitch but the whole mentality surrounding West Ham since the end of last season.
Perhaps a victim of his own success, the Hammers entered the current campaign complacent – a combination of the move to the London Stadium, the vast transfer budget during the summer and the strong Premier League finish last season. Everybody thought the new term would be plain sailing.
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Whilst some of that is beyond Bilic’s control (the owners, particularly, escalated expectations frequently during the summer) he’s clearly not kept the players grounded – something he’s already alluded to himself by admitting last weekend that players aren’t performing with intensity in training. The fact he spent the summer frolicking around TV studios, sharing fist-bumps with Ian Wright, doesn’t help his cause either.
But the real question for West Ham is whether they can actually find somebody better. The January transfer window is just around the corner and in the long-run, West Ham could benefit more from backing Bilic in the market rather than making an appointment simply to kickstart this season.
Plenty of clubs have fallen into the trap of making one short-term appointment after another based on results, but Bilic still seems like the right man for the long-term project in east London.
Alex Hams – Not Yet
The next two games are pivotal for Bilic. Sunday’s trip to Liverpool has to be treated as a freebie by the London club and their shot-callers given the form of Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, but the following three matches are against teams expected to be in the relegation scrap – Burnley, Hull and Swansea.
A loss to the Clarets should tickle trigger fingers in the boardroom, with time on the clock to get a new manager in ahead of two vital matches and the transfer window.
The next issue is who could replace Bilic? Although there are no hugely obvious candidates out there, good coaches such as Marcelo Bielsa are available, while even Garry Monk in the Championship could be considered.
Shane Burns – Yes
It’s an awkward talking point, but sacking Slaven Bilic seems the only way forward for West Ham at the moment.
The Croatian manager is somewhat of a cult hero at the London Stadium, and West Ham now face the unenviable task of sacking a member of the family. Remember the difficulty Liverpool faced when wanting to sack Kenny Dalglish?
Bilic has definitely lost the dressing room at the London Stadium and while excuses can be made for injuries, teams of lesser quality, such as Watford, Bournemouth and even West Brom, sit more comfortably in the table than the Hammers.
It’s difficult to remember a manager whose won the dressing room back, and with the players seemingly uninterested, Karren Brady must be contemplating a phone call to Roberto Mancini.
The former Manchester City manager faced a similar task at the Etihad Stadium when players weren’t playing for the badge. Mancini dropped key players, sold some more and eventually guided City to success.
With Crystal Palace likely to sack Alan Pardew soon, West Ham should soon approach Mancini before Palace do. It could ultimately save the Irons’ season and see them challenge for the top 10.
Chris McMullan – Depends
The answer rests on two questions:
Do I think that sacking Bilic would yield better results for West Ham? And do I think they’ll sack him later in the season anyway?
The answer to the first one is that it depends on the manager they bring in. If they’re going to replace Bilic with a manager who can get the best out of a squad we know is underperforming massively then sure, go for it. You’d need to find a passionate, man manager who’s also clever enough to fiddle with the system in order to get the most out of the technical players available, though. Someone like, you know, Slaven Bilic.
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The answer to the second one makes the problem more immediate. If West Ham are still in a relegation battle come February, they’ll probably have no choice but to sack him. But to pull the trigger in February is to give a new manager less time and a fatigued squad to work with, not to mention missing a transfer window and the opportunity to freshen up the squad.
If they’re going to do it, they should do it now to give the new man a chance to assess the squad and make his changes next month. But if they’re going to do it now, you really have to wonder if they can get a better manager than Slaven Bilic.
Sam Cox – Not Yet
Three more games. Slaven Bilic’s comments after West Ham’s defeat to Arsenal were concerning, sure, but the Irons are not completely doomed just yet.
The upcoming two games against Hull and Burnley are pivotal, however. Bilic deserves to at least see out those two matches, but anything less than four points and it must be time for a change.
If the Hammers were a few points worse off, it would be time to go already, mind. The fact that West Ham will still be in a salvageable position even if they lost both of those games means that Bilic should be given the opportunity to turn it around.
Barnaby Lane – No
Absolutely not. The problems at West Ham run deeper than their management, though Bilic can be partly blamed for the Hammers’ poor form this season.
Recruitment in the summer was poor, especially considering The Hammers made the Europa League and hence needed to add strength in depth to their squad. They missed out on signing a centre half and striker both of decent stature and instead sold James Tomkins and could still pay £20m+ for Simone Zaza due to a clause in his loan deal from Juventus, a player who has proven absolutely nothing during both his club and international careers.
West Ham will stay up, but the right deals need to be done in January.