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Aston Villa are set to approach Rangers over a move for Steven Gerrard, with, Belgium boss Roberto Martinez a realistic alternative, according to The Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Martinez’s upcoming UK trip

Martinez, who has been in charge of The Red Devils since 2016, is under contract with the national side until 2022.

The 48-year-old is due in the UK next week with his Belgium side due to take on Wales in a World Cup qualifier.

Sources have suggested that Martinez is keen to return to the Premier League, with the boss, labelled as ‘outstanding’ by Alex McLeish in October, recently linked with the Newcastle United position before Eddie Howe’s appointment.

The Latest: Percy’s claim

John Percy shared a story on The Telegraph on Tuesday evening, suggesting Villa were set to launch an official move for Gerrard, who is keen to replace Dean Smith in the Midlands.

Within the story, they suggested that Martinez is thought to be a ‘realistic alternative’, should a move for Gerrard fall through.

The Verdict: A risky alternative?

Martinez has worked with some of the best players in the world during his time with Belgium, including the likes of three-time Premier League winner Kevin De Bruyne and Chelsea goal-machine Romelu Lukaku, however, he has failed to reach a major tournament final, taking them to a 2018 World Cup semi-final and a Euro 2020 quarter-final.

He does have plenty of Premier League experience under his belt, 265 games in fact, with his last position in England coming with Everton following time with Wigan Athletic.

However, he’s won just 81 of those, averaging just 1.21 points per game in England’s top division.

On that basis, Villa may well be better off looking at other alternatives to Gerrard instead of placing a boss who hasn’t exactly set the league alight during his previous stints in England on their list of contingency plans.

In other news: Reps of 9-honour boss now contact Villa in late-night update; Ranieri called him ‘intelligent’. 

Steven Gerrard will be without Morgan Sanson and Douglas Luiz for his first game in charge of Aston Villa later today.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa fans have been giving their thoughts to the news on social media.

Sanson is yet to turn out in the Premier League this season, with his only appearance during the current campaign coming in the Carabao Cup against Chelsea.

The French midfielder has suffered knee and hamstring issues in recent months and is now set to be out of the game against Brighton after picking up a knock while spending time in Paris on a family holiday during the international break, Birmingham Live report.

Meanwhile, Luiz is unlikely to return from his hamstring issue which has kept him out of the defeats to West Ham and Southampton prior to the international break.

Villa fans react

Ashley Preece shared the news regarding the pair on Twitter on Friday morning. These Villa fans weren’t happy at the news, specifically on Sanson, with one labelling it as ‘concerning’.

“Getting silly now. Gonna be really tough this weekend with no Luiz or Sanson in midfield. Don’t think it will take Gerrard long to know a midfielder is top priority in Jan.”

Credit: @avfcdiggy

“missing Morgan Samson is a joke. Clearly does not want to play for Villa. Move him on”

Credit: @NewmanTrnewman

“Christ Sanson’s gonna be injured every week isn’t he? Can’t even go to Disneyland without injuring himself”

Credit: @SMitchellPoker

“Every game seems to come too soon for Morgan…his injury status is concerning”
Credit: @gerryasmith

“Sanson is made of glass! this is beyond a joke!”

Credit: @bradfordquiqley

“Few Villa fans on here think Sanson is the savour. The kids made of glass!”

Credit: @luke__tommo

“Heard Sanson got injured at Disney Land… honestly thought it was a joke. Looks like it may have been the case.”

Credit: @gnethercottpga

In other news: ‘Give them whatever they want’ – Many AVFC fans react to ‘silly’ Gerrard target.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been slamming the performance of James Tavernier despite their 2-0 win at home to Sparta Prague on Thursday night.

Two goals from Alfredo Morelos were enough to give Giovanni van Bronckhorst his first win as manager at Ibrox, a result which means that they will definitely finish second in the group and go into the next knockout round due to their superior head-to-head record against the Czech side.

However, while there were some good performances for the hosts, captain Tavernier would not have been hugely pleased with his efforts.

The right-back failed to record a single dribble, blocked shot, key pass or accurate cross in the match, while he was also guilty of losing possession of the ball on 27 separate occasions, the most by far out of any player on the pitch (SofaScore).

Rangers fans slam Tavernier

These Rangers fans slammed his performance on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far as to claim that Tavernier was ‘hopeless’ against Sparta:

“Tavernier trying to score an own goal?”

Credit: @douglaspark92

“Honestly though, how bad is Tavernier?”

Credit: @scottelderr

“Get Tavernier substituted. He’s playing like he’s never kicked a ball in his life”

Credit: @Smell_TheGlove

“Tavernier distribution been ropey in defence a few times. Barisic been OK, but not hugely involved either.”

Credit: @adamski152

“Sorry but surely Tavernier has been sussed out at this point.”

Credit: @lfin72

“Tavernier out of position so many times it’s unreal”

Credit: @ianmunr89127700

In other news, find out what Academy news has left these Gers fans gushing

Crystal Palace will be hoping to return to winning ways when they take on Leeds United in their intriguing Premier League clash this evening.

The Eagles fell short of their usual high standards against Aston Villa last time out, suffering defeat for the first time since 18 September after goals from Matt Targett and John McGinn cancelled out Marc Guehi’s consolation strike.

In Monday’s press conference, manager Patrick Vieira confirmed key centre-back Joachim Andersen will face another game sat on the sidelines with a thigh injury, while long-term absentee James McArthur will also be unavailable.

However, the Frenchman revealed that Eberechi Eze is continuing to make good progress following his first outing of the campaign over the weekend.

Vieira also eluded to the fact that he plans to utilise some of the fringe players in his first-team squad as the hectic festive fixture list gets underway, meaning £60k-per-week summer signing Will Hughes could be in line for his debut.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects the 45-year-old tactician to line up at Elland Road, with two changes from the side that started on Saturday…

The virtually ever-present Vicente Guaita will start between the sticks once again, and the 34-year-old shot-stopper will be desperate to earn his fifth clean sheet of the campaign.

Ahead of the Spaniard will be a back four made up of Tyrick Mitchell, Guehi, James Tomkins and Joel Ward due to Andersen’s injury woes, and they’ll be looking to put in a better showing this time around.

Vieira faces a tricky decision over who to select in his midfield, though. Club captain Luka Milivojevic and the in-form Conor Gallagher should retain their places, while Hughes will be hoping to feature from the off at the expense of Cheikhou Kouyaté.

The biggest decision that the former Nice boss faces is who to start up front. Christian Benteke has already notched up four strikes throughout 2021/22, but Odsonne Edouard’s pace may see him partner Wilfried Zaha and Michael Olise in an exciting forward line.

And, in other news…Vieira must unleash Palace’s £79k-p/w “special talent” vs Leeds, he’s a game-changer

Newcastle United had to settle for a point at home to Norwich City in the Premier League on Tuesday night after Ciaran Clark was sent off early on.

Callum Wilson actually put the hosts in front from the penalty spot before Teemu Pukki equalised as the score finished 1-1.

While there were some spirited performances from Eddie Howe’s team, a few seemed to struggle, as The Transfer Tavern uses statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for the St. James’ Park faithful:

Joe Willock

Although Ciaran Clark (3.0) and Ryan Fraser (6.4) both ranked poorly by SofaScore, they did not play at least 45 minutes, and so Willock comes in third with a 6.4 rating.

The former Arsenal man was hauled off for Isaac Hayden in the 73rd minute, as he lost out on five of his duels, and also failed to record a single shot on goal from midfield, while he lost possession of the ball six times.

Javier Manquillo

Manquillo was also given a 6.4 rating by SofaScore, but comes in second place here because he played the full 90 minutes.

The Spaniard lost three duels, and recorded no successful dribbles, blocked shots, tackles, key passes, crosses or accurate long balls from right-back.

He was also guilty of losing the ball on no fewer than on 20 separate occasions in the match, the most out of any player on the pitch.

Jamal Lewis

Lewis was ranked as the worst player on the night for the North East club to have played at least 45 minutes, as SofaScore gave him a 6.3 rating.

The left-back lost seven of his duels in total, and also failed to record a successful dribble, key pass, accurate cross or long ball, losing possession 10 times.

In other news, find out who could be back for NUFC earlier than expected here!

West Ham United complete their Europa League group stage campaign as David Moyes’ side welcome Dinamo Zagreb to the London Stadium this evening.

The Irons, who sit top of the standings, have already advanced into the knockout stages of the competition but do have an unbeaten record to maintain, having amassed 13 points from their opening five games.

Moyes has hinted at rotation, though that should be expected as it’s something he’s done in pretty much every midweek outing this season. He is also having to deal with somewhat of a defensive injury crisis.

However, it is in the attack where he should look to make a bold and brutal call, nonetheless, it’s one that would benefit the team going forward.

Michail Antonio’s recent form is a massive cause for concern as the 31-year-old, who is Moyes’ only senior striker, has found the net just once across his last nine appearances in all competitions.

At times, the £10.8m-rated frontman has looked jaded and out of sorts – that’s largely due to the sheer volume of minutes played, particularly in comparison to this stage last season, as well as his appearances for Jamaica across the Atlantic. It all adds up and the Hammers are now paying for it.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/west-ham-news-transfer-updates-rumours-gossip-david-moyes-gsb-premier-league” title=”Read the latest West Ham news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Antonio racked up only 530 minutes worth of action before Christmas last year. That number has nearly tripled to 1,462 minutes this term.

It’s no secret that the Scot needs reinforcements up top this January but until then, they’ll have to make do.

Some of the club’s young talents, such as Sonny Perkins, have been called up to first-team training in preparation for tonight’s encounter, so there could be a simple switch to be made, whilst Andriy Yarmolenko could be recalled and Jarrod Bowen is capable of leading the line, too.

In Antonio’s first seven league games, he found the net five times and managed at least four shots in all but two fixtures. Since then, he’s bagged once and hasn’t surpassed a total of two shots in any match, per WhoScored. A worrying trend and only emphasises his struggles.

The leading £70k-per-week talisman, who was dubbed a “complete monster” and an “absolute revelation” by Daily Star journalist Paul Brown to GIVEMESPORT earlier this season, could really do with some time on the sideline in a bid to get his fitness and form back.

It’s time for Moyes to be ruthless in axing his star man tonight.

AND in other news, Moyes must unleash West Ham’s 6-foot “monster” tonight after suffering another “massive blow”…

Flocking to Twitter, many Liverpool fans were left less than impressed with the performance of midfielder Thiago Alcantara against Newcastle United at Anfield this evening.

Jurgen Klopp’s side, looking to keep pace at the top of the Premier League with bitter rivals Man City and Chelsea, took on the Magpies who were, by contrast, aiming to gain a vital point in the fight for survival.

All odds suggested a comfortable evening for Liverpool but they were handed a scare very early on when Thiago’s botched clearance found former Reds man Jonjo Shelvey – who went on to bury a neat finish past the helpless Alisson.

The 30-year-old was also nearly at fault for a second Newcastle goal with another misplaced pass before being let off (@ClickLFC), with star duo Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota then scoring in quick succession to turn the game on it’s head.

After a brief scare, Klopp’s men went on to clinch all three points in a crucial title race victory.

Reds fans slam Thiago…

Given his off-day, as evident by his contribution to the Newcastle goal and nearly a second, it’s little wonder many fans thought this wasn’t his best evening.

Members of the media also picked out Thiago as somewhat of a weak link, especially for his first half outing and penchant for giving away possession during a nervy 2-1 lead.

Find all of their verdicts on his display down below:

“Thiago should be nowhere near this Liverpool team! Honking!”

Credit: @marty_phillips21

“Get Thiago off, he’s having an absolute nightmare. He’s no good in the Prem”

Credit: @tweetJumpy

“Is Thiago missing Fabinho already or what’s happening to him, lots of misplaced passes and poor clearance of the ball this half.”

Credit: @firstclassjerry

“Thiago is Newcastle’s best player.”

Credit: @angeisthebest

“Get Henderson in front of the defence and moves thiago forward he’s a liability in the deep role”

Credit: @mlpmoz92

“It’s a bit of a trend but Thiago is often a liability for giving possession away”

Credit: @Widerife81

“Sell Thiago. I’ve had enough.”

Credit: @ViroshenNaidoo1

“Thiago has been terrible honestly”

Credit: @Akin_Official

In other news: ‘Ahhhh’, ‘Oh my days’, ‘Don’t gas me’…Liverpool fans erupt as FSG take step for ‘perfect signing’, find out more here.

Ange Postecoglou headed into Celtic’s Premiership clash against St. Johnstone on Sunday with a severely limited squad at his disposal as a result of a number of injuries, being left with no other choice than to attempt to fit a number of square pegs in round holes in his starting XI.

Despite this fact, the Bhoys turned in an extremely impressive performance at McDiarmid Park, dominating possession of the ball, taking 25 shots at the St. Johnstone goal and creating four big chances over the course of the 90 minutes, with the Hoops running out 3-1 victors.

However, while Celtic’s overall performance was indeed a decent one, there were nevertheless a number of players within Postecoglou’s side who endured something of an afternoon to forget on Sunday, with centre-back duo Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt, as well as goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas, not enjoying their finest of displays in a green and white shirt.

Although, it was undoubtedly makeshift left wing-back Liam Scales who will be most disappointed with his display against the Saints, as the 23-year-old may well have failed Postecoglou’s test in the position.

Lost possession 21x

While it was far from a truly disastrous display by Scales, the defender nevertheless returned slightly worrying numbers on the left-hand side of the 56-year-old’s backline over his 87 minutes on the pitch.

Indeed, the £90k-rated man won just four of his 10 duels – a failure rate of 60% – failed to find his man with any of his three attempted crosses and completed just one of his two attempted long balls, as well as failing with both of his two attempted dribbles.

The £5k-per-week Irishman also made no clearances, blocked no shots, made just one interception and one tackle, missed one big chance for his side and lost possession of the ball on a whopping 21 occasions.

These returns saw the 23-year-old earn a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.2, the worst of any Celtic player, including Barkas, to feature in the match on Sunday afternoon.

As such, while Scales is undoubtedly a player who is still finding his feet at Parkhead, the youngster’s performance against St. Johnstone will have not done much to strengthen the argument that he should be starting in the position on a more regular basis going forwards.

In other news: Forget Abada: “Rampaging” £14k-p/w Celtic gem who won 69% duels ran the show vs Saints

Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves could be an excellent signing for Manchester United, according to Leeds United ambassador and pundit Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Neves linked with United move

The 24-year-old has continued to be a key man for Wanderers this season, excelling under the management of Bruno Lage at Molineux.

Neves has started 15 of his side’s Premier League matches, chipping in with a goal and assist apiece and averaging 2.1 tackles per match.

United have been linked with a move for the Portugal international next summer, as Ralf Rangnick looks to sign quality players in the middle of the park, where he is almost exclusively relying on Fred and Scott McTominay.

The Latest: Whelan talks up transfer

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan, 46, claimed Neves could excel at Old Trafford:

“He’s a player who has been a real standout for Wolves. He’s got creativity, scores goals, set-piece taker, works hard off the ball, exciting on the ball – I think he would flourish at Man United.

“In the time he’s been in England and the Premier League, he’s really earned that big move. He’s one of three or four who have been so pivotal to Wolves’ success since they got promoted.

“He commands that respect, and you can definitely see why he’s a wanted man by clubs like Man United.”

The Verdict: Would be a massive loss

Neves has been such an integral part of Wolves’ success since they were in the Championship, making 194 appearances and counting. Former Wolves man Sylvain Deslandes admitted he and his teammates were ‘astounded’ by the former Porto captain’s ability when he joined.

The thought of losing the Portuguese talent is, therefore, hugely worrying, with his ability on the ball something that would be extremely difficult to replace.

Unfortunately, the lure of playing for a club of United’s stature could be too much to turn down, but with Neves’ contract not expiring until 2024, they would at least be able to get a huge amount for his services if a move did happen.

In an ideal world, he will continue to thrive at Molineux, however, with Lage building a team around him in the coming years.

In other news, Luke Hatfield has talked up Wolves signing a Premier League winner. Find out who it is here.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Kieran Trippier regarding the fee they are expected to shell out…

What’s the talk?

Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has revealed how much the Magpies are set to pay for the Atletico Madrid defender before add-ons come into play. He tweeted: “Hearing fee for Kieran Trippier is in region of £12m”

It has also been reported elsewhere that the England international is not in training with the Spanish giants on Tuesday. He is officially out with fitness issues, although the noise suggests that a transfer back to the Premier League could be behind his absence.

Fans will be buzzing

Newcastle fans will surely be buzzing with this update from Hope as it suggests that the club will be landing a bargain for the defender. The Guardian reported that the deal is worth a fee in the region of £25m, with Hope now claiming that it is £13m cheaper than that, although add-ons could take it higher.

This means that the Magpies may be getting an excellent deal for Trippier which represents a coup in the market for his price and the quality that he could provide. He is an experienced top-level defender who could make a huge impact on the team in the second half of the campaign, as he knows what it takes to perform consistently at Premier League level.

Gareth Southgate previously heaped praise on the ex-Burnley full-back, saying: “What Kieran has, firstly, is hugely underestimated. People are still seeing the lad that was at Spurs a couple of years ago and not the defensive animal that has grown at Atlético Madrid, trusted by one of the best and most successful coaches in the world.

“He gets his distances right on cover, he’s good one-v-one to stop crosses and his talking is really good. There was always going to be changes to our back four and we felt that communication and organisation was an important part.”

Trippier has played for England at the World Cup and European Championship, whilst also playing in the Premier League and La Liga for Tottenham and Atletico during his career. This highlights his experience, whilst his career average WhoScored rating of 7.13 shows that he has performed to a high level on a consistent basis. That is why fans could love to see him join Newcastle this month, especially for just £12m.

AND in other news, Hammond could save NUFC’s season with £20m January deal for “extraordinary” predator…