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Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has exclusively told Football FanCast that he doesn’t believe on-loan attacker Mohamed Elyounoussi has done enough to warrant a permanent move to Paradise this summer.

Elyounoussi made the switch to Celtic Park from Southampton on a season-long loan deal in August 2019, and following an impressive first campaign in Glasgow, saw that extended by a further year.The on-loan Saints attacker has struck 14 times in all competitions for the Hoops, including six in European competition, but ex-Celtic frontman McAvennie hasn’t been overly impressed with the 26-year-old, accusing him of hiding in matches.His contract at Southampton expires next summer, and he’s rumoured to be available on a cut-price deal at the end of the season, although McAvennie thinks Celtic should look elsewhere.Asked whether he thinks Celtic should secure a permanent deal for the Norwegian, he told Football FanCast:“I don’t think so. For me, he’s not done enough. He has scored goals, but he’s a strange one because he’s such a talent. But at Celtic you need to do it week in, week out. The fans want to see you giving everything. The same as every other club, they like players trying, but as long as you’re putting an effort in, any fan will accept that.“But when he’s not playing well he tends to stay out of the game and stay on the sidelines. I would like to see him coming in, but he’s been here long enough and hasn’t shown it for me.“Not for the wages he’d be on anyway!”According to Spotrac, Elyounoussi is earning £60,000-a-week at Southampton, which would surely be out of Celtic’s reach.

Some Wolves fans have been left to slam the display of Nelson Semedo in their 1-1 away draw at Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday night.

Ruben Neves spared the blushes of the Molineux faithful in the second half to earn them a point after Jamaal Lascelles had given Steve Bruce’s men the lead fairly early on in the second half.

While there were some decent performances for the Midlands club, Semedo’s flattered to deceive some Wanderers supporters.

The former FC Barcelona man lost out on four of his duels and also failed to record a single interception, key pass or accurate cross in the game (Sofascore).

He also lost possession of the ball no fewer than 11 times in the match, earning him a quite measly 6.5 overall rating on Sofascore, the joint-second lowest out of any of his teammates to have set foot on the pitch.

Wolves fan reaction to Semedo display

These WWFC fans slammed his performance on Twitter, with one fan even going as far to say that the 27-year-old was ‘dreadful’:

“Neves brilliant again. Involved in everything. Semedo dreadful again! Jose not doing much. Jonny reliable. Dendoncker definitely not a CB. Moutinho struggling in the centre of the park. #wolves #wwfc”

Credit: @DullAmigo

“£30m for Semedo… Wouldn’t give you a fiver!! #wwfc”

Credit: @tictacsir22

“Another stupid decision by Semedo. Needless free kick considering how well we defend crosses.”

Credit: @NicTeeGolf

“Not seen Semedo have a good game since he joined, need to stop playing Neves and Moutinho together, Jose needs to score to get some confidence and Neto not really in it much tonight either.”

Credit: @jlparsons13

“Nuno must be embarrassed this is pathetic. Jose, Neves, Semedo, Coady, Saiss & Dendoncker all poor”

Credit: @AtkissRichard

“Poor from Semedo”

Credit: @shaun12134316

In other news, find out what Tim Spiers update has left Wolves fans buzzing here!

Former Ballon d’Or winner Ruud Gullit has suggested that the planned Champions League revamp could provide a boost for clubs outside of Europe’s top five leagues – perhaps including Glasgow Rangers.

Rangers could receive Champions League boost

Plans to revamp Europe’s premier club competition are being pushed through – the chances are set to be in place from 2024 if they are confirmed. The plans would see the number of teams being increased to 36 from 32, with each side guaranteed to play a higher number of games (Sky Sports).

Speaking to beIN Sports, Gullit believes it could provide a boost to teams outside the biggest divisions. He explained, using the example of PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie:

“When teams earn money they can buy better players.

“We (Holland) are giving players to other countries.

“If there are more teams who had the same possibilities, I don’t see why France has four (teams), Italy has to have four teams, why Germany has four.

“That is, for me, is the biggest issue. I want for my country – if PSV Eindhoven has the opportunity to play in the tournament and earn that money then they have the possibility to become better.

“We don’t have it because we don’t earn the money, PSV has to play four matches before they get qualified into the Champions League, that’s the problem.”

Boost for Rangers?

As of yet, the plans are still in their formative stage – there has been no confirmation as to how this new format would work, or how the qualification process would work. One thing is for sure, though – more games would bring in more money to the teams playing in the tournament.

The Gers are set to be in the Champions League next season, although it is unsure as to whether they will need to qualify or whether they will go straight into the group stages. An appearance in the competition from 2024, though, could well give them a huge financial boost.

In other news, some Rangers fans are angry with this Old Firm news.

West Brom could be heading for an absolutely unforgivable disaster amid reports that star man Matheus Pereira is unhappy over his current contract.

According to The Athletic’s Steve Madeley, the Brazilian playmaker has cut a frustrated figure on the training pitch since earning promotion to the top-flight with the Baggies last season.

He claims that this is down to the terms over a potential new deal.

“From his point of view, his eight goals and 16 assists in last season’s Championship made him worthy of a hefty salary increase and a contract befitting a star player,” wrote Madeley.

“From the club’s standpoint, they had taken on a player who was out of favour at Sporting, given him a chance in English football, enabled him to get to the Premier League and honoured a deal he had agreed to a year earlier.”

Indeed, this is rather a perplexing stance for Albion’s hierarchy, namely sporting and technical director Luke Dowling, to take.

Pereira is undeniably the best player at the Hawthorns in recent times and despite the step-up in quality and poor form of the Baggies, he has still proven to be more influential than anyone else.

Building on that tally of eight goals and 16 assists, the attacking midfielder, who is valued at a whopping €30m (£27m) by CIES, has already contributed towards another five goals in all competitions this term.

In the Premier League, no other West Brom regular has managed more assists and he is also managing over double the number of average key passes per game than any other player too, via WhoScored.

If you took out his two key passes per game, Sam Allardyce’s side would be completely void of ideas in attack as Matty Phillips ranks next best having averaged a mediocre 0.9 key passes per game himself.

Pereira was lauded as an “absolute steal” upon his arrival by Portuguese football journalist Tom Kundert, whilst ex-Nurnburg coach Nate Weiss dubbed him a “genius” who “who has a technical ability that I have never even seen before.”

That is exactly why Pereira’s stance over a lucrative extension is the right one, and why Dowling is completely in the wrong to hold back.

It’s only going to risk his long-term future at the club, and given they are sat second-from-bottom in the Premier League, they need their star man firing happily on all cylinders

The Telegraph believe the £9m signing is currently on around £30k-per-week, which would put him behind both Charlie Austin (£55k-per-week) and Kenneth Zohore (£50k-per-week via The Sun, 13th September, page 61), neither of which are even at the club right now.

Therefore, not giving him what he quite rightly earns is playing with fire. That could come back to bite later down the line.

AND in other news, £10.8m-rated “nightmare” at risk of becoming another Nacer Chadli…

Fans of Liverpool have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which James Pearce relayed an article of his regarding the recent comments made by Roy Keane.

In his recent article for The Athletic, Pearce responded to the former Manchester United midfielder’s claim that Liverpool are ‘bad champions’ following the Reds’ 4-1 loss at home to Manchester City, with Pearce labelling the 49-year-old a ‘shock jock’, as well as claiming that the former Republic of Ireland international’s input is ‘not entertaining’ but rather ‘tiresome’.

However, after the journalist relayed his article on Twitter, fans of Liverpool flocked to have their say on the matter, with many, rather surprisingly, appearing to be in agreement with Keane, with a number of them taking aim at Jurgen Klopp and the club’s owners for their apparent poor performances this season.

So, what exactly did these Liverpool fans have to say in reaction to James Pearce’s post on Twitter?

“Klopp is the one to blame. This is bottling of the highest order.”

@florida_FSGOUT

“I do think you’ve got to look at our demise. This has been slowly coming since the original lockdown was lifted for football. Didn’t Dortmund have the same problems after 3 or 4 years? Maybe teams can’t physically play the way Klopp wants for more than a couple of seasons.”

@grahamcopping05

“If Klopp can stop playing Milner in midfield we will do better and also Curtis Jones should be playing every minute.”

@lvpl_muktar

“Although there are very valid reasons, for me, Klopp’s lack of tactical awareness has to be an issue. The fact that he is still reluctant to change things is a real concern.”

@Mr_ITellYah

“We do not show hunger or desire to win by all means as in last season. Only a few players are consistently giving their top performance like Robbo & Fab. Yes, many players came out say we will fight for the championship but actions speak louder. Tons of poor decisions by the manager as well.”

@Ericccccccc2

“Every season it is always late in making decisions in the transfer market, it always happens until now… hopefully it won’t happen again. Improve the academy.”

@mochyu

“It’s simply down to lack of investment in the first team in 2018 and 2019.”

@DavidElliott720

“If Klopp replaced Lovren you wouldn’t have this problem. We tried to outsmart common sense.”

@BobanovBobby

In other Liverpool news, this ‘catastrophic’ claim from James Pearce has shocked many fans, find out more here!

Leeds have a battle on their hands this afternoon as they take on Burnley in their next Premier League fixture. The fight will get underway at Elland Road at lunchtime and despite the Clarets being below them in the table, it will be no easy feat for the Championship winners.

Due to a major injury blow, the Whites will be without Robin Koch and captain Liam Cooper today, via premierinjuries.com. The crippling news of the skipper joining the two summer recruits on the sidelines could spell huge trouble for Marcelo Bielsa unless he comes up with a solid back-up plan.

Luke Ayling has been operating from the centre-back position in the absence of regular starter Koch, but without Cooper, Leeds look even more exposed.

Illan Meslier could be the man to pull his side out of a hole if he can put in a solid performance between the sticks this afternoon. With a weakened backline, the 20-year-old will need to be alert and at the top of his game in order to protect his goal from the threat of Burnley’s attack.

Whilst the French youngster has been a little off form in several games this season, he has also pulled off some superb performances. If he can keep a clean sheet or at the very least, help Leeds to a win today then it will be a huge confidence boost for the summer signing.

Meslier joined the Whites on a permanent £20,000 per week deal after enjoying a title-winning loan spell last campaign. He has been lauded as a “remarkable” bit of business by Graham Smyth, speaking on the Inside Elland Road podcast (via This is Futbol).

There’s just four points between Leeds and Burnley at the moment – another three for the Whites will put them on their way to comfortably surviving their first season back in England’s top flight.

In other news, Marcelo Bielsa could axe summer signing Helder Costa already…

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer in recent weeks, as they perhaps look to find a solution to their current defensive injury crisis, and based on his performance at the weekend, the Brazilian would be an excellent addition to Jurgen Klopp’s side.

It was suggested by TuttoSport (via Sport Witness), earlier this month that the Reds were in the picture to sign the Torino ace, with Klopp reportedly pushing for his signing.

The German manager has lost key first-team centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez to long-term injuries this season, whilst Joel Matip continues to struggle for a consistent run of games without suffering injury setbacks.

Despite this, Klopp suggested recently that it was unlikely that Liverpool would make any signings during the January transfer window but following another impressive display from Bremer, the Merseyside club should definitely reconsider.

As per SofaScore, the 23-year-old picked up a solid 8.1 statistical rating rating for his performance against AC Milan on Saturday, the joint-second highest rating of any player on the pitch, despite La Granata suffering a 2-0 defeat.

It was an impressive defensive display from the Brazilian, as he made four clearances, three tackles and one interception during his time on the pitch.

Impressively, he would also win 4/6 of his ground duels and 6/7 of his aerial duels in the match, suggesting he was able to dominate the Milan attackers with his tackling and strength in the air.

He would also enjoy 78 touches of the ball and completed 55/63 of his passes,  emphasising that he is an adept passer of the ball, which means, if he carried that form over to England, that he would fit in well with Liverpool’s style of play.

This was far from a one-off great performance from Bremer however, as he has averaged a solid 6.77 rating for his performances in the Serie A so far this season, averaging 2.1 interceptions and 4.5 clearances per game in the Italian top-flight.

For context, last season Van Dijk averaged 1.1 interceptions and 4.3 clearances per game for the Reds as they won the Premier League. Whilst it would be a stretch to say he’s anywhere near the level of Van Dijk at this time, the stats show that Bremer could potentially produce similar match day contributions to the Dutchman and that he could be a solid defensive addition to the Reds’ squad, especially as they never replaced Dejan Lovren when he was sold in the summer,

Therefore, if Liverpool do feel the need to bring in a centre-back during the winter transfer window to ease their woes, then sporting director Michael Edwards must consider bringing the £5.4 million-rated Bremer to Anfield, as he looks to have all the attributes needed to be a success in the Premier League.

And, in other news… Transfer update on “aggressive” 6 ft 2 LFC ace proves Klopp doesn’t trust him

Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard must give Nathan Patterson the time to shine at Ibrox amid interest in James Tavernier.

What’s the word?

Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson recently revealed that the club are pleased with Patterson’s progress as he has become a fully-fledged member of the first-team squad.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Danny Mills believes that Tavernier will not go down without a fight. The former England international insisted that the captain will relish the competition for the right-back slot but won’t be prepared to give up so easily.

He said: “You need strength in depth and of course, as a young player you look up to senior players and see what they’re doing and they can learn for them.

“I’m sure he will give him tips, but Tavernier will want to make sure that he continues to play at the level he’s at so the younger generation don’t get a chance.

“When younger players are coming through you think ‘you want my shirt, I’m not going to give it to you, you’re going to have to rip it off my back, you’re going to have to be playing so well that the manager has no other option but to leave me out.’

“It will not be something Tavernier will be prepared to give away easily. Competition for places drives players.”

Reports in recent times revealed that the £4.5m-rated ace is still a target for Leeds United, despite Rangers rejecting approaches for the skipper in the summer and they are expected to rebuff any similar attempts in the coming months ahead too.

Time to shine

Patterson’s appearances have been limited to just 52 minutes of playing time in total in all competitions so far this season but he will probably be denied a temporary switch away from the Ibrox outfit in the winter transfer window as Gerrard has a shortage of viable right-back options following the departures of Matt Polster and Jon Flanagan.

Meanwhile, Tavernier has played in every single game in the Scottish Premiership this season, scoring eight goals and supplying six assists, which has led to calls from fans and pundits alike like Alan Hutton for Gerrard to give the club captain a well-earned rest.

It’s notable that Patterson didn’t hesitate to accept a call-up by Scott Gemmill’s Scotland U21 international side, having spent a considerable amount of time on the bench at his boyhood club, so it’s perhaps hardly surprising that he struggled to make much of an impression when played out of position on the right of the midfield.

The Ibrox boss surely must realise the 19-year-old needs to be playing on a consistent basis to continue to grow and improve as a player rather than giving him a few minutes here and there as that will be detrimental to his development.

Former Rangers goalkeeper Wes Foderingham has spoken highly of Patterson’s “superb” ability in the past, saying (via quotes by FourFourTwo): “Nathan has done really well, he performed really well in Dubai and in training he has looked very strong, so I think he deserved his chance tonight.

“He grabbed the opportunity with both hands and was superb up and down the line and crossing into the box. I think the club will be really excited with Nathan.”

Gerrard has recently raved about the full-back and says he can push Tavernier for a place in the starting line-up.

“It’s interesting to watch Borna [Barisic] and James because they’ve now got big competition for places,” he said, via The Scottish Sun. “The way he’s looking in training, I wouldn’t think twice about putting Patterson in to start a game.

“And [Calvin] Bassey has already proved that he’s capable of stepping in as well. Both James and Borna know they have a challenge for their positions, which is good.”

Despite Gerrard’s comments, his chances have been few and far between, so if Tavernier does end up leaving the club in the near future and Patterson fails to live up to his obvious potential, Gerrard will only have himself to blame. Giving him a cup run, at least, would be a good start. One thing’s for sure, the Gers have a real talent on their hands – they just need to get the best out of him.

AND in other news, Dado Prso 2.0: Glasgow Rangers must regret not signing Lyndon Dykes…

Fulham are one of several Premier League sides reportedly interested in Peterborough winger Siriki Dembele ahead of the January transfer window, and the Cottagers must do everything they can to sign him.

Football Insider have suggested that the West London club have joined Celtic, Wolves, Crystal Palace and Wolves in their interest in the 24-year-old.

The former Grimsby man has enjoyed a superb start to the League One season, having contributed five goals and four assists in 14 appearances for the Posh, which has seen him average an incredible 7.56 rating (per WhoScored).

This currently sees him rated as the second-best player in the third division, so it is no surprise to see him being linked with a move away ahead of the January transfer window.

The report suggests that Peterborough currently value him around £5 million, meaning that it could be a very cheap deal for the West London club to complete next month.

Dembele could be compared to current Fulham winger Ademola Lookman with regards to his style of play, with WhoScored suggesting that both players excel when it comes to their dribbling ability.

The Peterborough man has helped Darren Fergurson’s side to third in the League One table ahead of the weekend’s fixtures, so they are unlikely to want to sell one of their most influential players for cheap in January but considering some of the sides linked with Dembele, it seems unlikely that he will remain at the London Road Stadium for much longer.

Fergurson was full of praise for his winger earlier in the year, suggesting that:

“Siriki suffered because we changed to a system that didn’t use wingers and the lads flew up the league. When Siriki did get in he then got injured and then he had a suspension.“But the boy has been absolutely outstanding since realising he can play as a central striker. He destroyed Ipswich last weekend with a goal and two assists.” (per Peterborough Today)Therefore, it seems clear from his performances this season that Dembele is far too good a player for League One, so Tony Khan and Fulham must do everything they can to ensure that they are the ones to sign him when he does leave the Posh.

And, in other news… Sold for £500k, now wanted by Mourinho: Fulham made a huge mistake with striker

Glasgow Rangers boss Steven Gerrard believes the club are not “totally through the woods” when it comes to Alfredo Morelos’ future, but the Gers must keep him at all costs.

What’s the word? 

According to The Glasgow Times, Gerrard admitted the ordeal is far from over. He said: “On many occasions, it was a thing I had to manage from day to day because I didn’t know myself whether there was going to be a bid for him or whether he was going to be sold.

“He’s a fantastic player and he’s still in the door. So we will use that to our benefit. How long he is going to be here for I don’t know. There are still certain windows open so I don’t think we are totally out of the woods just yet.

“But from a selfish point of view, I want as many good players available to me from now till the end of the season as I can because it will give me a better chance of being successful. Selfishly, I am happy.”

Much has been made of Morelos’ future at the Ibrox outfit after Rangers rejected an approach from an unnamed Serie A side for the 6-cap Colombia international in the summer. It’s claimed that he wants a brand new contract in return for his loyalty, and Ross Wilson must offer him a bumper new deal to fend off interest from elsewhere.

McCoist 2.0?

Morelos, who is rated at £20m according to The Daily Record, may have been unable to get rid of his derby duck but this didn’t stop him from finishing on the winning side on Saturday. He somehow evaded even a caution after four fouls in the first half.

Speaking to The Sunday Post, Fabio Capello called him an “excellent” player amid interest from AC Milan. The former England manager said “From what I have seen of Morelos myself, I think he is a very strong player, both physically and technically.

“I know the club very well. Ricky Massara and Paolo Maldini (the club’s sporting and technical directors) are very good at their jobs, and if they are following him, then I am sure they consider him to be an excellent player.”

Standing at 1.77m tall, the Colombian is hardly an imposing figure, but he has shown that he is more than capable of holding his own. In fact, Ally McCoist, who is the club’s top goalscorer, was also famous for his aggressive style of play. The legendary Scotsman, who is only slightly taller at 1.78m tall, scored 21 goals in 56 games in Europe.

It’d be a bit of a stretch to say that Morelos is on the same level as McCoist, but he certainly seems to be on the right track. He scored a double in the 5-0 second qualifying round win over Lincoln Red Imps, which means that he has now scored 20 goals in the Europa League over the last three seasons.

Every great forward needs confidence, that’s for sure. The confidence to score goals, the confidence to challenge for the ball, the confidence to confront defenders – these are all of the key ingredients for a successful centre forward. Morelos isn’t exactly of short of confidence, as he has shown on multiple occasions so far.

It’s hard to remember the last time Rangers had a truly world-class player within their ranks. Morelos might not be there just yet, as he still has to work on some aspects of his game. But that doesn’t mean that he isn’t all that far away from being considered to be one of the best centre-forwards in the world.

At any rate, if the Gers are to regain their title, we suspect the Colombian will play his part. Get it done, Gers!

AND in other news, Rangers must keep James Tavernier after Celtic masterclass…