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When you think of Sam Allardyce’s managerial career, one player sticks out like a sore thumb.

Kevin Nolan has played under the 66-year-old more times than anyone else, racking up 390 appearances across two different clubs and the ‘firefighter’ will need characters like him in this West Brom side if they are to beat the drop.

Luckily for Big Sam, he has an almost like-for-like already at the Hawthorns in the shape of Jake Livermore.

Whilst his old skipper, Nolan, was often deployed in the hole behind Andy Carroll, it wasn’t his attacking exploits that made him so effective, but rather his defensive contributions.

Combative, efficient and industrious. The ideal mix for any Big Sam midfielder. That’s pretty much Livermore down to a tee, is it not?

The Albion captain started his first game in five outings in Slaven Bilic’s swansong draw at Manchester City and proved to be a hassle for the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden.

In nine Premier League starts, the 31-year-old is averaging 2.2 tackles and 2.3 fouls per match, via WhoScored. A perfect combination of being hard to beat and disrupting the opposition.

Indeed, Big Sam should be salivating over the prospect of unleashing the former Spurs powerhouse against Villa this Sunday.

He arrived in the west Midlands for just £10m in 2017 and has been here ever since and this unwavering loyalty is another factor that will have the new Baggies boss rather excited.

SmarterScout claimed earlier this season that the midfield veteran had “been massive, an aggressive defender with decent tackling” but lacked that extra bite in his duels with poor ball-retention, and that’s something Allardyce will need to improve fast to restore some stability.

The Albion “leader” could well hold the keys to Big Sam successfully pulling off another phenomenal safety bid. If Livermore is on form in the engine room, then at the very least, West Brom will have a firm foundation to build off going into 2021.

AND in other news, Big Sam may already be heading for his FIRST mistake at the Hawthorns…

West Ham United host Brighton & Hove Albion in their final home Premier League fixture of 2020 and will likely be without leading striker Michail Antonio once again through injury.

Antonio has missed seven of the Irons’ last eight top-flight matches after first developing a hamstring injury at home to Manchester City, before sustaining a second strain last month.

David Moyes remained coy over the English centre-forward’s chances of featuring against the Seagulls when addressing his situation earlier in the week, noting that the Hammers would continue monitoring his progress after returning to training on grass pitches.

Moyes faces changes elsewhere in his plans after West Ham produced a toothless display in defeat to Chelsea on Monday night. So, with that in mind, here’s a line-up the Scottish coach could favour as he strives to beat Graham Potter’s relegation-threatened Brighton…

West Ham’s defence picks itself after Moyes lost Arthur Masuaku for the foreseeable future after knee surgery, with Vladimir Coufal, Angelo Ogbonna, Fabian Balbuena and Aaron Cresswell the men favoured with protecting Lukasz Fabianski’s goal.

Moyes is unlikely to deviate from Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice in the engine room or Jarrod Bowen and Sebastien Haller starting in attack, either, despite speculation arising of doubt over the Ivory Coast striker’s long-term future at the London Stadium.

Haller is yet to establish himself under Moyes whilst deputising for the injured Antonio, with the Hammers’ £45m record signing only offering two goals since seeing his strike partner limp off the field at home to Manchester City in October.

Moyes will hope to see his West Ham side produce far better results in the final third at home to Brighton on Sunday than fashioned in Monday’s 3-0 loss at Chelsea, with the Irons failing to register a single shot on target against Frank Lampard’s side.

Mark Noble struggled to inspire any offensive moves at Stamford Bridge while stepping into the attacking midfield line after Said Benrahma fell to the bench, with the Hammers captain unable to record a single shot, key pass or successful dribble in south west London.

Moyes will need to correct this at home to Brighton with the introduction of Manuel Lanzini for a first start of the Premier League season, a player who Darren Bent claimed is blessed with “great technique” after his sublime cameo against Crystal Palace.

Benrahma may also be rewarded with a recall to face Brighton after replacing Pablo Fornals in the 66th-minute against Chelsea, having seen the Spaniard fail to attempt a single dribble, produce a key ball or shot on target and be dispossessed three times, per WhoScored.

AND in other news, an “incredible” Mario Husillos flop is set to be on his way out at West Ham in 2021.

Speaking before Tottenham’s match against Wolverhampton Wanderers this evening, via the Evening Standard, Jose Mourinho has confirmed a blow for the Lilywhites as star attacking midfielder Giovani Lo Celso is set to miss out. 

Lo Celso, who picked up an injury during Spurs’ 2-0 defeat at home to Leicester, looks set to be absent for the entirety of the festive period as Mourinho confirms a blow ahead of their clash with Wolves.

Lo Celso misses Wolves

The ‘phenomenal’ Argentine had been impressing in the number 10 role just behind an attacking front three, becoming a creative influence for Spurs alongside fellow midfield star Tanguy Ndombele, but Mourinho could now solely rely on the latter Frenchman in that position over the festive period.

As Mourinho remained vague over Lo Celso’s potential return date, he did in fact confirm that he will miss Wolves alongside any festive matches – coming as a blow for the Lilywhites as they aim to climb back into the Premier League top spots.

Indeed, Spurs have failed to secure victory in each of their last three league games, dropping points away to Crystal Palace and Liverpool before succumbing to their most recent defeat against Leicester.

Transfer Tavern take

However, after they overcame a Carabao Cup scare against Stoke City to reach the semi-finals with a 3-1 victory, tails could be up after that much-needed win.

It is unclear whether Ndombele will start after Mourinho confirmed he is fit to play, but the Spurs boss may have no other choice given the absence of Lo Celso – barring an unexpected formation change.

Time will tell whether the Portuguese boss opts to shake things up, but Tottenham will certainly be without one of their star attacking midfielders for the Wolves encounter.

In other news: Alasdair Gold revealed this Spurs attacker ‘could leave’, find out more here.

Outcast Everton striker Cenk Tosun has emerged as a target for Crystal Palace in the January transfer window, according to Fotomac.

What’s the word?

The 29-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Palace from Everton before his time at Selhurst Park came to a premature end after he suffered an injury during training.

Chances have continued to be few and far between for Tosun at Goodison Park and he is once again considered surplus to requirements by Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti.

It’s claimed Palace could face stiff competition from his former club Besiktas, which has surely handed Steve Parish the golden opportunity to pull the plug on what could turn out to be a rather expensive mistake.

Wouldn’t touch Tosun with a barge pole

He’s simply not worth the risk, to put it mildly, as the last thing Palace need to do right now is to bring in another misfiring centre-forward on colossal wages who could struggle to find the back of the net.

Despite scoring on his Eagles debut against Manchester City, Tosun just isn’t the answer to Palace’s problems at the top of the pitch. The £6m-rated Turkey international has secured himself a hefty payday at Goodison Park and the figures from his contract are actually quite astonishing when you consider his meagre record.

The Toffees forked out £27m to get their man in 2018, handing him a lucrative package worth £60,000-per-week to persuade him to spend the next step of his career in Merseyside.

But they should be put under intense scrutiny if you put his career under the microscope, as he has only scored ten goals in 54 games in the Premier League, which is a pretty poor return for a player who was once billed as “the best in Europe” by Sam Allardyce. Say no more.

Palace are still reeling from Parish’s terrible decision to sign Alexander Sorloth from FC Midtjylland, who turned out to be a complete and utter flop. But they are in danger of repeating a similar mistake if they actively pursue Tosun, as he has done very little to suggest that he could be the solution to their lack of goals.

With Christian Benteke starting to show signs he is undergoing a resurgence in form, there are other areas that require Dougie Freedman’s attention. His top priority should be buying a young centre-back to solve their ageing defence.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy the only positive from Wolves defeat…

To say Celtic are in a spot of bother would be putting things lightly.

The Hoops are 21 points behind rivals Rangers and are seemingly sinking without a trace in the SPFL. Thus, change is surely needed.

On the chalkboard

One of the few bright sparks this season, though, has been Kristoffer Ajer. The Norwegian defender has been a lynchpin at the heart of the defence but unfortunately, his future could be in doubt.

His contract expires in the summer of 2022 and if Celtic can’t sort out a new deal, he will need to leave in the summer if the Hoops want to secure a fee for his services.

Both AC Milan and Nice have reportedly shown interest in the defender’s services so it wouldn’t be a great surprise if he did indeed depart from Glasgow.

Considering Ajer has missed just two league outings this term – both through self-isolation – it would be a bitter pill to swallow if he exits.

The solution

Celtic have already missed out on two of their defensive targets this month. Mark McKenzie joined Genk and Filip Benkovic went and signed on loan for OH Leuven in Belgium.

Though, one player on their radar is 6 foot 6 centre-back Declan Gallagher. The Motherwell defender is an imperious battler and if they can land the centre-half in January, it could well give Neil Lennon the excuse he needs to cash in on Ajer.

Gallagher, who has been capped seven times by Scotland, is 29 and would bring invaluable experience to a Celtic defence that has made some schoolboy errors this term.

You only need to look at Shane Duffy – someone who completed just 37% of his passes in the first half against Livingston and had a massive breakdown in communication with his defensive partner in the Scottish Cup final.

But why could Gallagher’s arrival allow the Bhoys to sell Ajer? Well, he’s better in the air than the Celtic defender and in terms of their tackling percentages, they’re incredibly alike.

The Motherwell skipped has won a mammoth 4.3 aerial duels per game in the SPFL this term. That’s compared to the 3.3 won by Ajer. The Norway international, meanwhile, wins 1.5 tackles per match – a tally that’s just 0.1 above Gallagher.

In terms of those statistics, the Scot certainly wouldn’t be a bad signing or replacement for Ajer.

A source previously told the Daily Record: “He is desperate to play for Celtic and in the current climate, he would be a brilliant signing.”

Considering the club’s plight, something like that cannot be ignored, especially with fears over Ajer’s future lingering. Gallagher would be a supreme addition to Celtic’s struggling backline.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Lennon: Desmond can revive Celtic by hiring “meticulous” 43 y/o manager…

Leeds United have been linked with several new names this month as the January transfer deadline edges closer. One man who remains on the radar is Hibernian full-back Josh Doig. According to Goal, the Whites join Celtic and Manchester City in the running for the 18-year-old who has two-and-a-half years left on his current contract in Scotland.

The recent Championship winners have shipped a hefty amount of goals this season, letting 35 past them so far. Only Crystal Palace (36) and West Brom (48) have conceded more this 2020/21 term.

Marcelo Bielsa’s backline will be the main source of his worries, but signing Doig could create some problems for fellow left-back Leif Davis.

Davis could suffer if Doig signs for Leeds

According to the report, the young Scot would be available for as little as £1million if Leeds are to pursue a move. This will be a very attractive fact for Andrea Radrizzani, who spent almost £100million during the summer on new recruits.

Robin Koch and Diego Llorente are both injured and they are the main reason why the Whites are struggling to defend right now. Bielsa has been forced to deploy Luke Ayling in central defence, rather than in his natural position at right-back.

Whilst recruiting Doig would add to Leeds’ defensive options, he will be directly competing with fellow rising full-back Davis. According to Transfermarkt, the Newcastle-born defender has made just two senior appearances this season, both in the form of cameos.

However, on the flip side, Doig has been a prominent figure for Hibernian, making 17 appearances in the Premiership this campaign and and contributing two assists, as per Transfermarkt. He recently received praise from Hibs manager Jack Ross for being a “confident” and “impressive” player.

Despite being three years Davis’ senior, Doig has more experience at the top level and could really pile the pressure on the elusive Leeds youngster.

In other news, Bielsa made huge mistake rushing Diego Llorente back…

Glasgow Rangers had been expecting a fairly quiet January and that’s near enough exactly what they got, although Steven Gerrard did manage to conduct some transfer business before Monday’s deadline day.

Apart from a few outgoings, albeit mostly on loan, there wasn’t too much for Rangers fans to get excited about in the winter transfer window.

However, that didn’t stop Ross Wilson from signing Scott Wright and Jack Simpson before the close of play on deadline day, with Simpson’s teammate Nnamdi Ofoborh following suit from Bournemouth before immediately leaving on loan for Wycombe Wanderers.

And now, all eyes will be on the summer to see what business Rangers will carry out before the start of next season, with one name who could very much be in the frame.

Rangers-linked Fashion Sakala is set to become a free agent after rejecting a move to Europa League rivals Royal Antwerp, according to reports.

The 23-year-old has made 22 Jupiler Pro League appearances so far this season for Oostende and has 12 goals to show for his 21 starts, with Oostende currently outside Europa League contention at the halfway point of the campaign.

The Zambian international has attracted interest from clubs across Europe, including Anderlecht, Newcastle and West Ham, but seems to be keen on a move to Ibrox after he dropped a big hint about his future on Instagram.

Voetbalkrant revealed Oostende tried to offload Sakala in the January window, although this came to no avail, as a move failed to materialise.

His contract with De Kustboys is set to expire at the end of this season, leaving him free to move in the summer, and when the time comes to take the next step, it’s highly likely he’ll have no shortage of suitors.

A return of 12 goals sees him ranked sixth in the Jupiler Pro League overall. For context, that’s more than current Rangers outcast Greg Stewart has managed in his past three seasons alone.

With great risk often comes greater reward and this could ultimately play into Ross Wilson’s hands, as signing the soon-to-be free agent would give them some added firepower upfront and aid them in their quest for domestic and European success.

Given that he could join on a free transfer, it would be an absolute bargain from Wilson.

AND in other news, Exciting Rangers wonderkid Kai Kennedy is making waves in the Championship…

A truly awful performance from Glasgow Rangers saw Scottish Premiership strugglers Hamilton Academical pull off arguably one of the biggest shocks of the season as the Accies held Steven Gerrard’s side to a 1-1 draw at New Douglas Park.

Hamilton midfielder Ross Callachan somehow scored in the final seconds of added time to earn the basement side a surprise draw against the Premiership leaders.

However, the score line could have read very differently indeed had Allan McGregor not come to Rangers’ rescue, with the veteran goalkeeper keeping the likes of Callachan, Bruce Anderson and Scott McMann at bay for most of the game.

While McGregor will rightly get a lot of the credit for putting in an immense shift between the sticks, the man who caught the eye the most was Borna Barisic, as he produced another solid display on the left-hand side of the defence.

Per SofaScore, the 28-year-old was given a high match rating of 7.5 for his strong performance, with McGregor the only Rangers player rated higher.

During the game, the Croatian defender – who earns around £18,000-per-week at Ibrox – contested five individual battles. He would go on to win four of them (80%).

This is all the more impressive when you consider his opposite number Jamie Hamilton only managed to win six out of his nine duels overall (66%), which suggests that Barisic managed to get the better of the opposition for the most part, particularly on the left flank.

He would also take 84 touches of the ball against the Accies, whilst he produced 42 out of 50 passes, resulting in a solid 84% pass accuracy rating, which is a fraction higher than his season’s average of 82%.

Despite Rangers finding themselves pinned back by Brian Rice’s side in their own half in periods of the game, the attack-minded fullback was still able to showcase his passing ability, as he fired off four crosses from ten attempts, four accurate long balls from seven attempts, and made two key passes, which was more than any Hamilton player bar Scott McCann.

Therefore, whilst McGregor quite literally kept them in the game, Barisic deserves immense credit for his near-perfect display on the left-hand side of the defence.

AND in other news, Glen Kamara has become virtually undroppable for Glasgow Rangers…

According to The Sun, Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is hopeful that Steven Davis will commit his future to the club.

What’s the word?

The 36-year-old midfielder returned to Gerrard’s starting line-up in time to face Kilmarnock and was named man of the match in the 1-0 Premiership win at Ibrox.

Northern Ireland captain Davis has thrown back the years for the Gers, having played 26 games in the Premiership this season with one goal in 33 appearances across all competitions.

Gerrard said: “He is vital to the team, a real big player for us. His consistency levels have been outstanding.

“I hope when I sit down and have the one to one with him that he is still as enthusiastic to carry on beyond the end of the season.

“I still think he has LOADS to offer. We are lucky to have him and he was outstanding again today.

“He is really pushing himself in the running for player of the year for me, without a shadow of a doubt.”

Davis is among the eight players whose contracts are set to expire at the end of this season.

The Sun claim that Gerrard is optimistic that he will agree to sign a new contract and extend his stay at Ibrox this summer.

Get it done

With injuries to Ryan Jack and Scott Arfield, Davis has barely been able to catch a break, given Bongani Zungu’s struggles in recent weeks.

The Northern Irishman re-joined the Gers after signing a one-year deal in 2019 following an initial loan spell from Premier League side Southampton.

An aggregate score of 6.99 via WhoScored sees him ranked 11th out of the entire Rangers squad ahead of the likes of Arfield and Zungu. Davis has already been tipped by Gerrard to win the Player of the Year award for his performances so far this season, so Ross Wilson will surely be keen on extending his contract.

Despite his age, the £20k-a-week earning ace is evidently still one of the most influential members of Gerrard’s squad, which explains why Rangers are so reluctant to let him leave when his current deal runs out in the summer.

The Ibrox hierarchy should be doing all that they possibly can to keep hold of him for the foreseeable future.

AND in other Rangers news, Rangers must swing the axe on Jamie Barjonas’ time at Ibrox…

Carlo Ancelotti should urge Everton to swoop for SK Slavia Prague forward Abdallah Sima in the summer transfer window, to land his Theo Walcott heir.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Goodison Park natives have begun monitoring Sima’s situation following his remarkable rise at the Czech Republic outfit.

The Senegalese forward was awarded his senior debut by manager Jindrich Trpisovsky last September after quickly progressing from the Cervenobili’s Under 23s, having initially been signed for the youth ranks at the Sinobo Stadium from FC MAS Taborsko in August.

Sima struck four goals in six games under academy coach Marek Jarolim, and has gone on to net 15 in 22 first-team outings across all competitions. The 19-year-old bagged his latest effort away to Leicester City on Thursday to eliminate the Foxes from the Europa League.

West Ham, Arsenal and Manchester United have previously been linked with interest in the 6 ft 2 forward, but they are now claimed to have been joined by Everton.

Slavia are expected to listen to offers for Sima at the end of the season, with club President Jaroslav Tvrdik telling iSport in December that his Fortuna Liga outfit were opposed to a winter sale after turning down a €10m (£8.5m) approach.

The Toffees are in the process of building their shortlist of options to target during the next summer market, after majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri made it clear to Ancelotti that he and Director of Football Marcel Brands will have a £100m-plus budget to work with.

Should Everton sign Sima?

It remains to be seen how highly Tvrdik will value Sima in the off-season, having rejected the chance to part with the teenager in January, confident that the forward will continue to develop under Trpisovsky so long as he stays healthy and on-form.

Sima has certainly done that, having only been rested in one MOL Cup tie and omitted from one Fortuna Liga squad since earning his debut, while netting five goals and providing three of his five assists for the season during his last seven outings across all competitions.

Sima is also blessed with blistering pace, able to operate through the centre as well as on the other wing, and has been described by West Ham star Tomas Soucek as a “typical winger”.

Soucek joined the Irons from Slavia Prague but departed the Sinobo Stadium before Sima’s arrival, yet he is aware of his Premier League side’s interest in the forward and is “excited” by his potential.

Everton moving to beat the Hammers to the punch could see Ancelotti land his Walcott heir, having yet signed a player to replace the ex-Arsenal dynamo at Goodison Park.

Walcott is due to be out of contract in the summer and is unlikely to return to Merseyside following his season on loan with Southampton, where boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has previously admitted to being keen on agreeing a longer-term contract for the former England international.

Sima would be expected to offer Ancelotti the same pace and runs in behind defenders that Walcott initially brought to Goodison Park, and with a clear eye for goals and assists that often avoided the 31-year-old.

Walcott was involved in just 20 efforts (11 scored, nine created) in 85 appearances with the Toffees before moving to St. Mary’s Stadium.

Sima, though, has shown promise in the Czech Republic and in the Europa League that he could better that output if signed.

AND in other news, a £16m-rated enforcer is open to a summer transfer following Everton’s interest…