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Celtic supporters have been drowning their sorrows in the Transfer Tavern in recent times after seeing their team bow out of the Champions League at the third qualifying round for the first time under manager Brendan Rodgers.

The ex-Liverpool chief had twice led the Bhoys to the group stages of Europe’s elite competition in his previous two seasons in charge, and they looked a good bet to do so again this time round after easing past Alashkert and Rosenborg in the first two qualifying rounds. Yet the Scottish giants went down 3-2 on aggregate to AEK Athens in the third round to bow out of the competition, and they will now instead seek to make the Europa League by entering the play-off round for Europe’s secondary competition.

As such, there have been many deflated Celtic fans up and down the country, yet with there still a few weeks left in the Scottish window, manager Rodgers must keep the faith by seeking to improve the squad he has, with a reunion with £6.3 million-rated Premier League striker Shane Long (as per Transfermarkt) something he must consider.

Ultimately, things don’t look particularly good for the 31-year-old at current club Southampton, what with the striker failing to make the matchday squad for their opening Premier League clash against Burnley on Sunday.

And the summer arrival of Danny Ings, alongside the other options at St Mary’s in Charlie Austin and Manolo Gabbiadini, leaves the Republic of Ireland international some way down Mark Hughes’ pecking order, and thus facing the prospect of another season with little first team football.

Yet with the Scottish window open until August 31, Rodgers must seek to reunite with the 31-year-old having spent time together at Reading back in 2009, a club where Long arguably produced his best football in netting 54 times in 199 games for the Royals.

Yes, the Irishman is by no means a hugely prolific striker, but what he gives a side instead of that in the forward ranks can be beneficial given he doesn’t give defenders any time on the ball at all, with his tenacity in chasing down lost causes and putting opposition backlines under pressure producing good results over the years.

The ex-Hull City striker is also deceptively good in the air for someone less than six foot tall, while he is also able to hold the ball up and bring others into play – he could prove to be an ideal asset for Rodgers’ side going forward.

And while the likes of Moussa Dembele and Odsonne Edouard would likely to be ahead of Long in the pecking order, the 31-year-old would offer something slightly different as both a starter and indeed a substitute – not many defenders would want to see the Irishman come on in the latter stages of matches.

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As such, after a hugely disappointing night in the Champions League, Celtic must pick themselves up by moving for out-of-favour Long before the August 31 deadline, in what could be an ideal addition for the Scottish giants.

Celtic fans… what do you think? Let us know!

As reported by the BBC, Everton midfielder Davy Klaassen could be on the verge of a January deadline day exit after Serie A club Napoli opened talks on a potential loan deal.

The Netherlands international only joined the club last summer, after making a reported £23.6m switch from Eredivisie giants Ajax.

However, he’s struggled to win a place in the Everton first team and has made only four Premier League appearances all season. He hasn’t featured for Sam Allardyce at all since a UEFA Europa League tie in December.

Everton’s high transfer spend was seen as ambitious last summer but many of the moves have not worked out, with the club confirming on Tuesday evening that Sandro Ramirez will also be leaving on loan, subject to a medical.

That’s led to frustration for supporters, who see this latest reported potential exit as a sign of mismanagement by the club.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the situation…

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Since Brendan Rodgers’ arrival at Celtic Park last May, there has mostly been absolutely nothing to complain about for supporters. Last summer they qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage, won every domestic trophy available to them and were not beaten by a Scottish side for the entirety of the season.

Early into this season though and their European ambitions hang in the balance after a disappointing 0-0 draw against Rosenborg on Wednesday night. With injury problems and suspensions, the Hoops were left under-powered in key areas and those problems became glaring issues in their performance against the Norwegian champions.

In truth, Rosenborg could have won the game, having a number of glaring chances in the second half as the Hoops push further and further forward.

The tie is in the balance and if Rodgers addresses some key problems and Celtic play at their best, you’d still fancy them to go through. The question is though, can they do that?

We’ve picked out THREE of the biggest problems the Hoops boss faces if they are to get the result required next Wednesday…

Tom Rogic doesn’t work as a striker, false 9 or not

One of Celtic’s big problems on Wednesday night was going into the match with no senior strikers fit or available for action. Moussa Dembele could miss the entirety of the Hoops’ qualification campaign with an injury and while Leigh Griffiths was suspended for the Rosenborg match, he was injured anyway and would not have featured.

Brendan Rodgers’ answer to that was playing Tom Rogic as the most advanced attacking player, ostensibly as a ‘false 9’, a striker who drops deeps and brings his teammates into the game around him with skill and dribbling.

It didn’t work out like that though and it became clear quite quickly that this isn’t where Rogic’s strengths lie. In the second half Rodgers dropped Rogic deeper into the midfield and he looked a lot brighter, able to pick out teammates ahead of him.

Whether Griffiths is fit next week or not, it’s clear that the Celtic boss can’t play Rogic like this again. Who plays there in the Scotland international’s absence is not clear, perhaps Jack Aitchison can get a senior start or Scott Sinclair will get the nod.

Solving this problem and finding the right player to lead the attack could be the difference going through and going out.

Jonny Hayes must start in place of James Forrest

While none of the Celtic team particularly covered themselves in glory during the 90 minutes against Rosenborg, some Celtic fans have found themselves particularly frustrated with James Forrest. He never really got going in the match and despite seeing plenty of the ball in the first half, which is to his credit, he simply couldn’t do anything with it that looked like threatening the Norwegian defence.

Jonny Hayes has looked pretty sharp in his last couple of appearances and for our money deserves a start next week at Forrest’s expense, especially if Leigh Griffiths is fit enough to take a place through the middle.

Hayes is a more direct and fearless winger and works harder too. In a tough arena against a proud team, Celtic are going to have to dig deep to get a result and the Republic of Ireland international could prove a more effective option.

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Dropping Stuart Armstrong should be a consideration

Stuart Armstrong doesn’t look himself in the Celtic midfield this summer. Whether that’s a fitness issue, a confidence issue or because his contract situation has yet to be resolved isn’t clear, but he has lost the form that made him such an effective midfielder last season.

With their European ambitions on the line next week, Brendan Rodgers can’t afford passengers and we reckon bringing in Callum McGregor in Armstrong’s place could be the way to go in Norway.

It’s at least an option that needs to be considered. McGregor was sharp against Linfield and will at the very least run himself into the ground trying to deliver a result.

That kind of energy could be the difference next week and if Armstrong is not on it, Rodgers must make a difficult decision.

Paul Pogba arrived back at Manchester United last summer with plenty of pressure on his shoulders.At the age of just 23, the midfielder is the most expensive footballer in history having re-signed for the Red Devils from Juventus for £89m.It took him time to settle, but the France international has shown why he warranted such a big transfer fee, albeit not consistently.In last weekend’s 1-1 draw with arch rivals Liverpool, Pogba disappointed on the pitch – giving away a penalty in the first half and failing to convert a handful of goalscoring opportunities.A statistic fromÂWhoScoredÂhas shown that the midfielder has a particular aspect of his game that he needs to work on – discipline.

As the tweet shows, Pogba has been guilty of making more fouls than any other competitor in the Premier League this season.

Interestingly, though, the ex-Juventus star has only received six bookings this season and not a single red card.

There is real reason for optimism at Goodison Park this season, with Roberto Martinez’s Everton side looking like a dangerous and rounded side in their quest for a top-six Premier League finish in 2015-16.

The abilities of John Stones, James McCarthy, Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku have been well documented, while the presence of this quartet gives the Merseyside outfit a strong core to the team.

However, despite this strong run of players centrally, it may well be the right selections on the flanks that dictates just how far this team can go under Martinez.

The full-back positions have an inevitability about them when everyone is fit, with Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman two of the most respected and dangerous attacking-minded players in the division in their roles.

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However, with a plethora of options at his disposal, Martinez needs to get a settled selection on the wings if Everton are to live up to their billing.

In recent weeks, despite the number of players competing for the two wide roles, the Spanish manager has opted to field two players that have had a telling impact.

Arouna Kone’s injury concerns are finally seemingly behind him, with the Ivorian forward coming good at the Goodison Park club. A hat-trick in last week’s 6-2 demolition of Sunderland proved the former Levante man’s goal threat, but it has been other parts of his game that have most stood out.

The way in which Kone links up with lone striker Lukaku has been of note this term and on his current form it looks like the African must start for the Toffees.

On the other flank, Gerard Deulofeu has had to bide his time but is now getting a run of games in Martinez’s starting XI. The former Barcelona winger’s speed and trickery on the ball have been key elements to his game during his time in England, with the once-capped Spain international possessing the individualism to score or do something of note.

That said, Deulofeu’s delivery and eye for a killer pass has been the most remarkable thing about his performances in recent weeks, with the Spaniard creating a number of goals for team-mates in recent weeks.

The gifted attacker’s defence-splitting pass to allow Lukaku to score against West Ham on Saturday was breathtaking, in a classic example of how much Deulofeu can add to the Everton team.

The balance of the current Everton attack looks good, but one of Martinez’s challenges will be to keep a host of other options in wide areas happy – even though they are not playing.

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Steven Naismith, Kevin Mirallas, Aaron Lennon and Aiden McGeady are all in contention for a berth on the flanks, while when Baines returns there is a case to suggest Brendan Galloway could be used in midfield.

With Tom Cleverley and Steven Pienaar also set to return from injury, Everton have a plethora of wide midfield options that will create extreme competition for places.

If Martinez can get his selections right and make the most of this wealth of talent in wide positions, it could well be a really successful season for the club.

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These days you would struggle to find someone that genuinely knew what was going on at Newcastle. The Premier League club have become been something of a long running farce under Mike Ashley, and to try to second guess the retail tycoon has become a bit of a fruitless task in recent months.

This last month has brought even more instability to the club with the departure of Director of Football Joe Kinnear, and the sale of star man Yohan Cabaye to PSG. Whilst Kinnear’s departure is hardly something that Alan Pardew would lose sleep over, the loss of his talismanic French midfielder would have caused the manager a few headaches.

Most of the problems at the club are self inflicted, something that makes the whole saga a lot worse in my opinion. Mike Ashley isn’t quite the idiot many would have you believe, and his regime at Newcastle is therefore a little more vindictive and calculated that it might appear. A man that has always sought total control over the club whatever the costs, his recent behaviour points towards a change in management in the not too distant future.

Some may argue that I’m putting two and two together here and making five, but the reality is that Mike Ashley is doing everything in his power to make Alan Pardew’s position totally unworkable. The sale of star players is a necessity for most teams outside of the top four; the real aberration was the inability to bring in a replacement before the window slammed shut. Clement Grenier was the name being touted, but when it came down to it Ashley failed to back his manager when he needed him most.

Pardew is having to hold together a side that on the face of it just doesn’t look fit for purpose, thanks in part to the lack of transfer support from Ashley’s partner in crime Joe Kinnear. Derby day heartache may be painful for those that love Newcastle, but their current league standing is nothing short of miraculous given the problems the club has had.

Joe Kinnear’s departure marks the end of two failed transfer windows, and a period of bizarre media gaffes and amateurish boardroom behaviour. Call me a conspiracy theorist but Kinnear has done exactly what he was meant to do, and that was to unsettle Pardew and make his footballing life a living hell.

Some may wonder why Ashley doesn’t just sack Pardew, why go to all these lengths to force him out? The best part of the comedy at Newcastle is that Alan Pardew is perhaps the most secure man in the Premier League, at least contractually. As reward for a successful 2011-12 campaign the Englishman put pen to paper on an astonishing 8-year deal that tied him to the club for the long term.

To sack Pardew would cost Ashley and absolute fortune, something that the owner just isn’t willing or able to do.  The only way to change manager from his point of view is to force the last one to fall on his sword, and so far he has done everything in his power to make that happen.

Even if Ashley gets his was and Pardew leaves, would anyone really want to work under this man? Mike Ashley may be a successful retail tycoon, but his handling of footballing business is borderline hilarious. Whether you love him or hate him, I cannot see anyone better or even mentally fit becoming part of Ashley’s team at Newcastle United.

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Whether you think Ashley is this manipulative totalitarian or simply a footballing lunatic, it is fast becoming clear that Pardew’s time on Tyneside is numbered. A job that is becoming untenable for even the most resilient of managers, it is clear that the passage is being cleared for Pardew’s departure.

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striker Jermain Defoe has admitted that he is loving life at the club under boss Andre Villas-Boas.

The England international has had an up-and-down time at the White Hart Lane side, with former coach Harry Redknapp using the forward sparingly last season.

Defoe has admitted in the past that he has considered leaving the club due to the amount of time he spent on the bench, but the diminutive marksman has been given a run of games in the team this season.

The attacker has revealed that Villas-Boas adopts a contrasting approach to each game, and that the players are happy under the Portuguese tactician.

“What I like about him is every game has a different approach,” Defoe is quoted as saying in The Sun.

“You know exactly how we’ve got to play when we’ve got the ball and not got the ball. Every player knows their jobs and if you speak to any of the boys, he has been fantastic.”

Defoe featured for England in Warsaw in midweek on a heavy pitch, and the forward is hoping that the game will not take its toll when he returns to club action this weekend.

“It was quite heavy out there on your legs but hopefully I’ll feel all right at the weekend.

“They are tough opponents and it was always going to be a difficult game even if the pitch was good.

“I don’t want to make excuses because both teams had to play on the pitch and maybe it was a fair result in the end,” he concluded.

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Defoe is expected to feature for Spurs against Chelsea on Saturday.

Last weekend, in his post-match interview as seen on Match of the Day, Mick McCarthy confirmed that Emmanuel Frimpong was joining Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan until the end of the season, in a deal that the Wolves boss described as, “fantastic” adding that he was, “delighted because he’s a terrific young player.” For Emmanuel Frimpong it will provide the much-needed Premier League experience that has so far been limited to 3 starts, most recently in the 2-1 away victory over Aston Villa , and two sub appearances.

Sent off on his full home debut, in a 2-0 loss to Liverpool , Emmanuel Frimpong immediately grabbed the attention of the viewing public with a “spirited and tenacious” performance, as Arsene Wenger’s interviewer put it, with the Frenchman choosing to put his sending off for a wild challenge on Liverpool midfielder Lucas, down to “a lack of experience” and a “big heart.” His performance up until the sending off was “impressive” according to Phil McNulty, but his sending off marked a change in momentum, with Liverpool breaking down a resilient Arsenal midfield, now a man short, and scoring twice to record a 2-0 win at The Emirates.

However, the combative midfielder is only 19-years old and much like Alex Chamberlain and Francis Coquelin , Frimpong’s contemporaries, the Ghanaian England youth international was chucked in at the deep end, blooded in the harshest of ways against the best the Premier League has to offer. It did the youngster no harm, however, and since his red-blooded debut, he has gone on to start in two games that led to victory against Swansea and Aston Villa. An abundance of midfield players, a luxury that couldn’t have been further from the truth when the midfielder made his debut, has seen Arsene Wenger use 11 midfielders so far in the Premier League this season, and with Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby close to returning, the Frenchman has chosen to send out Frimpong in a team where weekly “spirited and tenacious” performances will be needed.

Much like previous loans of Arsenal’s, such as Wilshere’s to Bolton and Alex Song ’s to Charlton , The Professor has sent a central midfielder to a club that will be battling week-in-week-out for points, and it’ll be here where Frimpong’s style, “he is a fighter and he is a winner” (Arsene Wenger told Arsenal.com) will be honed and channeled into the performances regularly churned out by Arsenal’s current #1 holding midfielder, Alex Song .

Song is held in high regard by Arsenal fans and coaches at the club alike, “He is one of the players who surprised everybody. You wouldn’t expect what he delivers at the moment,” said Wenger, “He had periods when he had doubts in his mind, when people would say he was a bad buy or things like that. When you are a young boy that is difficult to take, but he’s got over that.

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He went through some difficult periods.” Arsenal fans are no longer criticising the purchase of Alex Song, who having broken through at the age of 21 making 48 appearances in Arsenal’s midfield, is now attracting interest from some of Europe’s finest with a £15m fee circulating around his bleach blond head.

Emmanuel Frimpong is hoping to emulate the successes of the Cameroonian international, “that’s what I want to be doing in a few years,” said Frimpong in 2009, before he endured a dogged 18-months of successive injuries culminating in a 9-month lay off due to a damaged anterior cruciate ligament, “ in the last couple of years Alex has showed everyone what he can do. He went on loan to Charlton and came back stronger. Everyone wondered if he would be a good player for Arsenal , whether he would establish himself in the first team, and I think he has proved that. He is playing really well at the moment.” Now, it is Frimpong that hopes to go out on loan and come back stronger.

Wolves fans can expect to reap the rewards that the last team to feature Frimpong regularly did: Arsenal’s u-18s during their 2009 FA Youth Cup run, which ended in triumph over Liverpool with a heavy 6-2 scoreline, in which Frimpong featured throughout the tournament but went off injured 20 minutes in during the first leg of the final. Steve Bould, who took the u-18′s on their march to FA Cup success, was “delighted” with Frimpong’s offering during the competition and the main focus was to harness the undoubted talent of the Ghanaian.

The midfielder, who is nine days younger than England international Jack Wilshere , regularly produced displays of superb shifts, acting as the engine in the team alongside Coquelin , who featured in the Arsenal team that beat Aston Villa on December 21st next to his midfield partner through the age ranks. The 19-year old can be expected to churn out tireless performances in the Orange shirt of Wolves, doused with “ferocious long-range efforts” and match-winning defensive displays, which Frimpong highlights as his main strength, “I enjoy making tackles more than anything because it helps the team to regain the ball and of course that is when [Arsenal] are dangerous,” and hopefully Steven Fletcher can be the danger that Van Persie is when Frimpong wins the ball, “Obviously when [a team] go behind it is always hard to come back but we know that we are always capable of doing so, [it] shows character.”

Now it is time for Frimpong to inject some much needed “character” into a Wolves team, that are without Jamie O’Hara and, yet again, have a relegation battle on their hands for the second half of the season. For Wolves, this may just be their most important signing in their quest for another season in the Premier League.

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Written by Jordan Florit for This is Futbol

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Leeds United’s summer transfer business is finally picking up after a quiet summer so far.

Just over a month ago, Leeds announced that former Argentina manager, Marcelo Bielsa, would replace Paul Heckingbottom in the dugout at Elland Road. Leeds fans got a first taste of what next season could entail during a 2-1 win over Forest Green Rovers in pre-season. Since then, the Whites are yet to taste victory after draws against York and Southend followed by defeats against Oxford and Guiseley.

It’s clear that Leeds need to strengthen during the summer window. With just two weeks remaining until the window slams shut, time is running out to complete their business. Only two signings have joined thus far with Lewis Baker and Jamal Blackman arriving on loan from Chelsea.

Bielsa should return to Stamford Bridge and attempt to lure Charly Musonda to Elland Road. Valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, the Belgian forward endured a dismal 2017/18 campaign. His loan spell at Celtic was cut short, and he played just 35 minutes of Premier League football after returning to his parent club.

Chelsea are eager to avoid the same mistake and want to ensure Musonda receives first-team football if he leaves on loan. Leeds could offer the 21-year-old the perfect platform to express himself. With bags of pace and trickery, the ex-Anderlecht youngster could be a huge hit in the Championship.

With a point to prove, Leeds could pick up one of the signings of the summer.

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Leeds United fans, thoughts?

Liverpool are their own worst enemies in the Premier League this season.

Arne Slot’s side’s revival continues, with Wolverhampton Wanderers beaten at Anfield. But once again, the Reds supporters have been treated some gut-wrenching viewing in the closing stages, under the cosh after conceding another set-piece.

Liverpool are back into the top four, with Ryan Gravenberch opening the scoring before Florian Wirtz connected with the in-form Hugo Ekitike before the break.

How Wirtz needed that one. The German playmaker is beginning to grow into his skin on Merseyside, and he has finally broken his duck.

How Florian Wirtz has come alive at Liverpool

Liverpool paid Bayer Leverkusen £116m for Wirtz’s signature this summer. It was the all-time British record before Alexander Isak moved to the club on deadline day.

Wirtz, 22, has been one of the most criticised Premier League players this season. The spotlight has been blinding at times. But now he has scored, rubber-stamping what has quietly been an impressive run of form for the German international.

Having assisted Ekitike last week, the striker returned the favour against Wolves, who remain at the foot of the table on just two points. He won 11 duels and completed eight dribbles, as per Sofascore, head and shoulders above his peers and opponents.

Wirtz is coming alive, and it’s important to remember Liverpool have been abject and imbalanced this year, far below the expected standard.

He has a future at Liverpool, alright, but the same sadly can’t be said for all of the Reds, with one of Wirtz’s attacking teammates heading in the other direction against doomed Wolves.

FSG must now sell Liverpool flop

Liverpool have a talented crop of forwards, and Federico Chiesa has found regular minutes hard to come by since joining from Juventus for a cut-price £12.5m fee in 2024.

His fortunes have improved since the summer, but he has equally been kept on the fringes, albeit playing more of a part than in last year’s title-winning team.

Injuries and absences opened the door for a rare Premier League start against Wolves, but the £150k-per-week Italian failed to grasp it.

The Liverpool Echo summed it up: while Chiesa played a part in Gravenberch’s opening goal, he was largely ineffective down the right wing, minimally involved and lacking the vim and vigour that was required to catch Slot’s eye. He was branded with a match-low 5/10 score.

Chiesa’s Game in Numbers

Match Stats

#

Minutes played

61′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

23

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

Accurate passes

10/16 (63%)

Chances created

0

Crosses

0/2

Dribbles

0/1

Recoveries

2

Tackles

0/0

Ground duels

0/3

Data via Sofascore

Chiesa has found opportunities few and far between at Liverpool, with this his first Premier League start at Anfield. He lost all three of his ground duels, and he didn’t complete a dribble.

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Perhaps that was a chance he could not allow to pass him by, and yet it has, carrying off into the bracing wind the prospect of regular starting berths over the next several weeks. It is worth remembering Dominik Szoboszlai missed out on Saturday due to suspension.

With rumours of interest surfacing from his homeland in recent months, FSG might conclude that Chiesa should be sold after his season-and-a-half in Liverpool. When Mohamed Salah returns from AFCON, his playing time will be further reduced, especially as Slot has shown a willingness to field Jeremie Frimpong in an advanced berth.

‘Fede’ has shown himself to have a Midas touch in front of goal this season, scoring twice off the bench in the Premier League. But he’s perhaps better off as an impact substitute.

Maybe Slot knows a thing about management after all. If Liverpool act on their interest in a new winger, it could prompt Chiesa’s sale. That might be the best move for all parties, should the Italian want to play regular football throughout the rest of his prime years.

Related Semenyo upgrade: Liverpool looking at signing "one of the best LWs in Europe"

Liverpool won’t feel too disheartened by the latest developments with Antoine Semenyo, if they can secure this statement signing instead.

Posts 1 ByKelan Sarson