Most of the talk that dominated Celtic’s transfer window was about outgoings including that of Moussa Dembele, who joined Lyon on deadline day.

However, Celtic still managed to do some decent business in regards to incomings with Youssouf Mulumbu and the promising central defender Filip Benkovic both arriving at Celtic Park just prior to the club’s 1-0 victory over Rangers in the Old Firm.

And, as well as Mulumbu and Benkovic, manager Brendan Rodgers will also have midfielder Ryan Christie to call upon during this campaign.

The Breakdown

Christie, who is valued at £765k by Transfermarkt, has returned to Celtic following loan spells with Aberdeen and Inverness CT and is now looking to tie down a regular spot in Rodgers’ starting XI.

“The loan to Aberdeen did me a world of good,” Christie told Celtic’s official club website. “I’ve come back stronger and more developed as a football player. I feel ready now to push as a regular for Celtic. It doesn’t really matter where on the park I play. The main aim is I play for Celtic week in, week out.”

With the options Rodgers currently has, as things stand, Christie faces a difficult task of gaining regular minutes week in, week out, at Celtic.

That being said, with Patrick Roberts no longer at the club following his three-year loan spell from Manchester City, Christie could be presented with more opportunities to play out wide on the right-hand side, which he must take if they come his way.

At 23 years of age and having already had three loan spells away from the club, it is now truly make or break for Christie at Celtic.

[ad_pod ]

Following a busy summer in the transfer market, Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder now has four in-favour striker options to choose from having added David McGoldrick and Conor Washington to his squad.

The Blades boss came into the summer with Billy Sharp and Leon Clarke – who are certainly getting no younger – as well as Caolan Lavery, and it was no surprise that he wanted to strengthen up top in order to aid his team’s promotion push this term.

The Yorkshire outfit quickly snapped up free-agent centre-forward David McGoldrick for nothing following the expiry of his contract with Championship rivals Ipswich Town, but they had to wait until deadline to secure the addition of Conor Washington after he was released by Queens Park Rangers.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”290052″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch The FPL Show Rethink your FPL strategy”]

Having only played 11 minutes in United’s opening two league fixtures this season, captain Sharp has now started the previous four and has netted on three occasions during that period, meaning that he is almost certainly Wilder’s first-choice option right now.

Meanwhile McGoldrick, who started alongside Sharp for the impressive 4-1 success against Aston Villa last time out – where Washington made his debut as a substitute – has featured in all six games but is without a goal since the opening day, while the 33-year-old Clarke started the first five before injury saw him miss out against Steve Bruce’s men.

With four good options to pick from, we asked Sheffield United fans to vote on our poll for their preferred strike partnership, and a whopping 43% chose Sharp and McGoldrick – as you can see from the results below – despite the former and Clarke proving to be a prolific duo together during the 2017/18 campaign.

Leeds United have seen their promotion charge hit a wobble in recent weeks, with Marcelo Bielsa’s side being held to draws either side of the international break by Middlesbrough and Millwall.

On top of this, the Peacocks also have significant injury problems in their attacking ranks as Patrick Bamford will face a number of months on the sideline while Kemar Roofe was also absent from Saturday’s 1-1 draw.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”291236″ player=”12034″ title=”Jose Mourinho Has Turned Into Arsene Wenger”]

That has left Bielsa with three inexperienced options to select from in the form of Ryan Edmondson, Tyler Roberts and Jack Clarke, so we asked fans which young forward they believe should be given a chance to sign.

In a very tight vote, Edmondson finished top with 36% of the votes while Roberts and Clarke, the former of whom made his Championship debut in the 1-1 draw with Millwall, finished level with 32% of the votes each.

Roberts struggled to get into the game and was hauled off after 68 minutes for Stuart Dallas, suggesting that Bielsa could look at his other two options for Tuesday evening’s clash with Preston.

[ad_pod ]

Sheffield Wednesday should make an ambitious loan move for Liverpool outcast Lazar Markovic in January to add to Jos Luhukay’s options out wide.

What’s the situation?

Wednesday currently sit in 10th in the Championship after a good start to the season, following a difficult summer where the Owls were subjected to a transfer embargo for failing to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.

The ban was lifted before the Championship loan deadline at the end of August and Luhukay signed centre-back Michael Hector from Chelsea and central midfielder Josh Onomah from Spurs on temporary deals.

However, the club could still benefit from the addition of a wide player as Luhukay prefers to utilise wingers with one striker then upfront.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”299719″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts Man Utd Beat Young Boys But Not New Boys”]

Readily available

There is little doubt that Markovic’s disappointing Liverpool career is over, the only thing that remains for the Reds is finding his next club. Since signing from Benfica for £2om in the summer of 2014, the Serbian has struggled at Anfield, although he did begin to impress while on loan at Hull for the second half of the 2016/17 season.

He has only made 34 appearances for Liverpool and has spent most of his time out on loan, but at only 24-years-old he could be a fantastic bargain signing for Wednesday if Liverpool continue to cover most of his wages.

Markovic was once extremely highly-rated and has a good turn of pace, meaning he could add some creativity and attacking threat to Luhukay’s squad if the board are willing to take what is admittedly a big gamble.

So, Wednesday fans, would you support a deal for Markovic in January if he was available on a bargain temporary deal? Have your say by voting in our poll below.

[ad_pod ]

[ffc_insert title=”Check out the Big Interview with Ben Dinnery & Johnny Wilson” name=”Fixture In Focus Podcast Special” image_ link=”https://fixtureinfocus.podiant.co/e/369d9b4fb86294/” link_text=”Click here to play”]

Since gaining promotion from League One with Blackburn Rovers last time out, Bradley Dack has taken to the Championship in an emphatic fashion – to the extent that he must surely now be attracting the interest of some Premier League clubs.

What’s the word?

The 24-year-old has managed four goals and one assist in his first six games in the second tier. From his position as an attacking midfielder those are brilliant figures. Last time out, in League One, his 18 goals and nine assists were vital to Rovers’ promotion.

His form has also seen his market value rise exponentially. Transfermarkt currently consider Dack to be worth £4.5 million, whereas they only valued him at £900k a year ago.

[ad_pod ]

Top flight clubs will certainly have taken notice of Dack’s impressive rise, and recent examples such as James Maddison and David Brooks have already proven that top Championship talents can thrive in the Premier League.

All that remains to be seen now is which, if any, top tier teams will take a gamble on Dack. 

Southampton would be wise to ensure that they’re the ones who act fastest and roll the dice on the London-born midfielder. 

Worth a roll of the dice 

The Saints have not been able to rely upon regular goals or a high level of creativity from any one member of their midfield contingent for some time now. This goes a long way towards explaining why the south coast club came so close to relegation last time out.

Dack could potentially offer a solution to these attacking woes. He certainly deserves a chance to test himself in the Premier League and St Mary’s Stadium offers as good a stage as any. What’s more, the Blackburn man is well within Mark Hughes’ financial reach, meaning the club have little to lose in gambling on the in-form ace in January.

What do you think, Saints fans – would you be happy to see your club take a punt on Dack in the next transfer window?

[ad_pod ]

[ffc_insert title=”Check out the Big Interview with Ben Dinnery & Johnny Wilson” name=”Fixture In Focus Podcast Special” image_ link=”https://fixtureinfocus.podiant.co/e/369d9b4fb86294/” link_text=”Click here to play”]

With Gary Cahill’s Chelsea contract set to expire at the end of this season, plenty of Premier League clubs will be alert to the potential opportunity to pick up the former England international as a free agent in the summer.

What’s the word?

The Chelsea captain is unlikely to renew terms with the Blues given how little first team football he is currently getting at Stamford Bridge. He recently stated that he would seek a January move should his playing time at Stamford Bridge not increase, as reported by the BBC. Cahill remains a player capable of contributing a lot to the causes of many other top flight sides.

Despite being 32-year-old, Cahill remains a reliable and assured centre-back who many would do well to sign either for a cut price fee in January or on a free transfer in the summer. 

Amongst those who ought to be vying for Cahill’s signature when the time comes are Everton.

A perfect candidate

Whilst the Toffees are currently well-stocked in the heart of their defence, come the summer, Kurt Zouma’s loan deal will end, Ashley Williams will surely be let go on a permanent basis and Phil Jagielka’s inability to contribute at the highest level must finally be recognised and dealt with accordingly.

These departures would leave a gap in the squad at Goodison Park crying out to be filled by an experienced centre-back able to guide and support the likes of Michael Keane, Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate.

Marco Silva would struggle to find a more suitable, affordable and accomplished candidate for this position than the 61-cap ex-international Cahill.

What do you think, Everton fans – do you agree that Cahill would be a smart addition to your squad or is he no longer of the standard required to match the ambitions of your club?

[ad_pod ]

FootballFanCast.com’s Fixture In Focus coverage is brought to you by 5p0rtz. Try 5p0rtz’s Beat the Streak Predictor and you could win £1million! Click here to play.

There’s a bitter irony here, in that Raheem Sterling would’ve never earned a big-money move to Manchester City had he not continuously lit up Anfield during his three full seasons in the Liverpool first team – most particularly the 2013/14 campaign when he played a key role in the club’s unexpected title bid under Brendan Rodgers.

But since departing Merseyside under a cloud of controversy in summer 2015, Anfield has been anything but a happy hunting ground for the young, exciting forward who once had the Mersey faithful sitting on the very edge of their seats. Indeed, in his four return trips as a Manchester City player, the England international has failed to score or assist, while incurring two bookings.

[ffc_insert title=”Try 5p0rtz’s Beat The Streak Predictor and you could win £1MILLION!” name=”Win £1MILLION with 5p0rtz” image_ link=”https://app.5p0rtz.com/?affiliate=FFCeditorialwidget” link_text=”Click here to play”]

Those yellow cards are a symbol of Sterling’s frustration whenever he returns to the club that gave him his first chance at senior level, but even without the bookings it’s been clear to see the effect jeers, hisses, boos and whistles from fans who once lovingly sung his name have had on a forward who – as we often forget – is still just 23 years of age and some way off full maturity.

Having failed to have any kind of impact on the game, Pep Guardiola hauled off an increasingly belittled and frantic Sterling in the Premier League trip to Anfield last season, and his departure was quickly followed by City’s consolation comeback in that thrilling 4-3. When City would return to Anfield a few months later, this time in the Champions League, Sterling was left on the bench. Clearly, Guardiola felt the situation had become too much for his favoured forward to handle.

Not that Sterling would be alone in that regard. Wayne Rooney’s scoring record against his boyhood club Everton and their local rivals was infamously poor compared to his usual standards with just 12 goals in 46 meetings, and as Gary Neville explained around this time last year, a big part of the problem was his family’s emotional connection to returning to Merseyside.

“It was an emotional thing for him. Going back to Merseyside – and especially Everton – was a big thing for him and his family. It built up a lot in his mind.”

For Sterling, it’s never been a family affair in quite the same way – amid all the superficial hoo-hah about disloyalty to Liverpool as his intentions to join Manchester City became apparent, it’s often forgotten that only five years earlier he was living in west London playing for QPR – but perhaps because of how nasty the transfer saga became, perhaps because of how intense the hostility Liverpool fans express towards him still is, the 44-cap attacker suffers similar problems to the former Manchester United captain. Emotionally, he’s seemed completely overwhelmed at Anfield, lost in the hysteria of the terraces rather than focusing on the realities of the game itself.

Indeed, in addition to failing to score, assist or even win at Anfield – although Manchester City have only ever managed one Premier League victory there – Sterling’s four outings have accumulated just three shots at goal, three key passes, and perhaps most tellingly eight dispossessions and eight unsuccessful touches.

But perhaps a fortuitous goal or assist is all Sterling needs to break the psychological suffocation he suffers upon returning to the club where he made his name. So, Manchester City fans, would you start Sterling this weekend when Guardiola’s side travel to Anfield once again? Let us know by voting below…

[ad_pod ]

According to ESPN, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is considering bringing Zlatan Ibrahimovic back to Old Trafford in the January transfer window.

The veteran superstar striker last turned out for the Red Devils last season and netted 29 goals in 53 appearances for the Premier League giants in all competitions during his time in England. Now, potentially, the 37-year-old could be set for another spell with the club.

For many years the former Sweden international was amongst the finest forwards in world football, but at his age it would be a huge ask for him to return to the English top flight. As exciting and enthralling as the 6’5” striker is, this rumour, if true, smacks of desperation on Mourinho’s part.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”305269″ player=”12034″ title=”Are Emery’s Arsenal Silently Gunning For The Title”]

When he ought to be figuring out how to get the best out of young stars such as Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, bringing back Ibrahimovic would represent a backward step.

What do you think, United fans – would you be in favour of an Ibrahimovic return?

West Ham United should do everything in their ability to try and secure the services of out of sorts Chelsea defender Gary Cahill.

What’s the story?

New Blues boss Mauricio Sarri doesn’t seem to be a big admirer of the club-captain with David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger getting the nod ahead of him so far this season. Cahill, who captained Chelsea on a few occasions in their title winning season under Antonio Conte, is out of contract at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season and the Hammers appear to be interested in the former Bolton Wanderers man.

According to the Mirror, Manuel Pellegrini is keen on strengthening his defence after a poor start to the season that sees West Ham fight a relegation battle at the moment and the England international could be on the move in January already if Chelsea try to cash in before his contract expires next summer.

Why West Ham need him

Although West Ham might feel that a younger, more vibrant defender would be the way to go in order to be more composed at the back, someone like Cahill would improve their structures in an instant. An organised defensive base with a solid link is exactly what Pellegrini’s setup has been lacking in the first three months of the season.

The 32-year-old’s experience is incomparable with most other defenders in the Premier League and the fact that he could be open for a move across London to West Ham should provide a sense of optimism for the Hammers, rather than disinterest.

Pellegrini’s struggle to get his defence to operate as a unit has been a worrying sight for the club and letting in easy goals that should have been dealt with by one of the defenders is exactly the reason why the calibre player of Cahill is needed.

During his time at Chelsea, he grew significantly under the guidance of John Terry and became Conte’s number one defender. The value and direction he would be able to offer the struggling West Ham defenders will be encouraging to the players around him and could be what saves the club’s season.

A deal in January is, therefore, non-negotiable if West Ham were to get back to better results and show their fans some sort of progress after spending big money in the summer.

[ad_pod ]

Each week the team over at totalfootballanalysis.com previews our Fixture in Focus. This week Harshal Patel is in the hotseat to run the rule over Southampton vs Newcastle United.

This Saturday sees Southampton host Newcastle United, in what is probably already a crucial clash in both clubs’ bids to avoid relegation.

While Newcastle are rooted to the bottom of the table, without a win from nine games so far, Southampton are only four points ahead of them, with a solitary win this season.

The Saints are just a point above the relegation zone, and both clubs have been dismal in front of goal having scored just six goals apiece. Both Mark Hughes and Rafa Benitez have tried to rely on their defences to keep it tight and then nick a point (or three), but evidently, this strategy has not worked out.

Ahead of their meeting, we take a look at their approach to the season so far and why it needs to change if they are to have any hope of top flight survival.

Southampton

Southampton’s problem is one of finishing; they are creating the chances but failing to convert them. Only four teams have taken more shots than the Saints this season – Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs.

All of them are in the top five, while Southampton are down in 16th place. This points towards a lack of finishing ability, and the numbers bear this out; Southampton have a wretched conversion rate of 4.8%, with only Huddersfield doing worse than them so far.

[ad_pod ]

Even playing with two strikers has not helped in this regard; Charlie Austin has just two shots on target this season, while Shane Long has delivered his usual recipe of willing running and little else.

Danny Ings has scored thrice since arriving from Liverpool, which is half of Southampton’s total in the league; he desperately needs someone else to step up and share the goalscoring burden, while he too has been guilty of some extraordinary misses this season.

A lack of quality on the ball made evident by the pass Nathan Redmond chooses to make here – despite Ings running into space, he passes to Austin, who is marked.

Their wide players have not helped in this regard either; Nathan Redmond has one goal in 49 games, while Mohamed Elyounoussi has yet to register a goal or assist this season.

They have failed to suitably replace Dusan Tadic, and before him Sadio Mane, and are now bearing the cost. There is a case for Hughes to play with a number 10 in a 4-2-3-1, but Stuart Armstrong is the only true attacking midfielder in the squad and he has been woeful since his arrival in the summer.

The lack of a number 10 means that nobody moves into the space that has opened up; Redmond’s only passing option is to Cedric Soares out wide.

Defensively, the Saints seem solid enough, but that has not stopped them from conceding 14 goals already.

They rank 3rd for tackles, 6th for clearances, 6th for interceptions and 5th for blocks this season, which tells you that they are usually on the back foot for most of the game, and are not good at preventing opposing teams from taking shots.

They also tend to drop deep, which explains their ranking for clearances, but this conservatism has not helped Hughes’ side so far, and he needs to let them off the leash if Southampton are to have any chance of staying up this season.

Newcastle United

The problems at Newcastle are well-documented; a disinterested owner who has steadily eroded all trust and is content with mediocrity as long as it keeps the Premier League cash coming in, while an iconic stadium slowly decays and a mutinous fanbase stays loyal only because of the manager.

Yet, despite the bad hand that Benitez has been dealt, he takes a fair share of the blame for the mess Newcastle find themselves in.

While a defensive approach against the top-six sides is understandable, the Magpies’ failure to beat the likes of Cardiff, Crystal Palace and Brighton is a cause for concern. Newcastle have scored just one goal against a side in the bottom half of the table since the end of March; that is an appalling statistic that perfectly captures why they are propping up the league at the moment.

There is a huge amount of space on the right wing, which has not been utilised by Newcastle, and despite having Paul Dummett available for a switch in play on the left, Mo Diame chooses to shoot.

There is a distinct lack of pace throughout the side, with only Kenedy providing a direct threat. But the Brazilian is infuriatingly inconsistent, with a lack of end product which stymies his efforts in the final third. Jonjo Shelvey has had a good season dictating play from the middle of the park, but the lack of any creative threat between the lines means that he often ends up passing sideways and backwards.

A similar issue to that faced by Southampton; nobody moves into the space between the lines, leaving Shelvey with limited passing options.

While Benitez has made Newcastle into a well-drilled side defensively, the sheer amount of chances they concede every game makes it inevitable that they will eventually concede. It is time for the Spaniard to reconsider his approach, especially in games against the bottom sides, otherwise Newcastle could soon be condemned back to the Championship.

Newcastle limit space between the lines well, staying compact and organised and denying Manchester United opportunities to play through them.

Conclusion

This is a game between two sides in very similar situations; a lack of creativity and quality along with a misguided emphasis on defensive play, which has caused them both to be embroiled in a relegation battle.

Both Hughes and Benitez can do better with the squads at their disposal, and Saturday is the perfect opportunity for them to try and take a game by the scruff of the neck and attack. That said, expect a tedious game of cat-and-mouse, with one goal probably enough to win the tie.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”312947″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Fixture in Focus Southampton v Newcastle”]