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Liverpool have had to endure a tough start to their season, winning only three matches, with the 4-1 defeat to Napoli last week being the worst performance of the lot.

The Anfield side aren’t in a crisis, yet, but if Jurgen Klopp doesn’t inject some life into his team ahead of a crunch tie against Ajax on Tuesday, then it might be a tough ask to qualify from the group stages of the Champions League.

Several first-team stars disappointed against the Serie A side, with James Milner, Fabinho, and Mohamed Salah failing to contribute in a positive way. It was centre-back Joe Gomez who was the real chink in Klopp’s armour, however, and the German should seriously consider starting Joel Matip tomorrow night.

Matip must start

The 24-year-old received a score of just 6.1 against Napoli and was substituted at halftime for Matip. Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold were both targeted down the right-hand side and Gomez’s lack of confidence meant Liverpool were particularly frail at the back.

Matip steadied the ship slightly, even though the team lost 4-1, the defence only conceded once in the second half and the Cameroon international won 100% of his duels and made 92% of his attempted passes, showing how composed he was on the ball.

With Ajax thrashing Rangers 4-0 in their first match of the campaign, they will pose a similar – if not more effective – attacking threat than the Italian side and Klopp should bring Matip in from the start if he hopes to get a positive result against the Dutch side.

Matip has only played 50 minutes of Premier League football this season due to injury, but with journalist Josh Holland stating that Matip is “key to this team, he is the glue at the back” following his second-half performance last week, he could well find himself with more game time than expected so soon from his recovery.

The £100k-p/w star might be one of the less glamourous players on this Liverpool team, but he proved he is one of the most vital after the Napoli debacle.

An update has emerged regarding the future of Newcastle United striker Chris Wood on deadline day of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope has revealed that the Tyneside club have turned down multiple attempts from other teams to take the New Zealand international off their hands.

Eddie Howe brought the striker to St James’ Park from Burnley for £25m in January and the Magpies look set to keep him for the first half of the 2022/23 campaign at least.

Hope tweeted: “Newcastle have rejected several enquiries for striker Chris Wood. Watford among them, but also number of PL clubs. Newcastle do not want to lose any attacking personnel this window #nufc.”

Deadline day blunder

This decision not to cash in on Wood could end up being a deadline day blunder by Toon chief Dan Ashworth.

Earlier this year, Frank McAvennie claimed that the centre-forward was “struggling” at Newcastle and tipped him to leave the club in the summer.

Whilst the second part has not come to pass, Wood has been struggling in a Magpies shirt throughout his time at the club.

The £80k-per-week flop ranks in the 1st percentile among players in his position over the last 365 days in Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.11). This suggests that he is one of the worst players in the top five European leagues, not just the Premier League, when it comes to scoring from open play.

Since arriving at Newcastle, Wood has played 21 top-flight matches for Howe and found the net just twice, with one of those coming from the penalty spot.

The head coach wants his team to press, and the former Burnley man is average in this regard, ranking in the 58th percentile for pressures and the 25th for tackles per 90. This means that he offers very little at the top end of the pitch in possession and is not outstanding in terms of how the manager wants his side to set up off the ball.

At the age of 30, he is not a young player gaining experience or likely to make massive improvements at this point in his career.

Therefore, if he is unable to lift his performances, keeping him on the books and continuing to watch him struggle on the pitch could cause his value to drop, and they may not have the same interest in his signature in January, which is why this decision could be a blunder by Ashworth.

Everton have been linked with Armando Broja on several occasions over the summer transfer window, and Frank Lampard may finally get his target as the club is hit with a huge transfer dilemma.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that despite a bid for Anthony Gordon being rejected by Everton, there could still be a deal struck as Chelsea may include one of or some of the players Lampard is interested in this summer to sweeten the deal.

Romano tweeted: “Chelsea are discussing internally of new proposal for Anthony Gordon as opening bid worth £40m has been rejected by Everton today.

“Chelsea could try to include players in the deal as Frank Lampard wanted more than one CFC player this summer.”

The Athletic again today linked Everton with a move for Chelsea youngster Broja.

Lampard could finally sign Broja

The proposition that could be proposed to include some of the Chelsea players Lampard has been eyeing up will create a huge dilemma for the Everton boss when it comes to letting go of Gordon.

The Toffees winger is a very popular player with the Goodison Park faithful as he is a boyhood Evertonian, breaking through the club’s youth system to become a key player in the first team, however, they are in a position of desperation when it comes to goal-scoring forwards.

So far, Lampard’s side haven’t picked up a single point and have scored just one goal in their Premier League campaign and following a relegation scrap last term, the club know they’re in a situation that could repeat itself if they don’t get everything right.

Everton do boast enough wingers to cover the position of Gordon with Demarai Gray and new signing Dwight McNeil more than capable of stepping up in the wider areas of the front-line, however, when it comes to proper goal-scorers and strikers, the team is weaker than ever following Richarlison’s departure and Calvert-Lewin’s injury problems.

As a result, the opportunity to sign Broja could be enough to see Gordon head in the direction of Stamford Bridge this season as the club desperately tries to recoup the goal contributions lost without the Brazilian winger and their number nine.

The £30m-valued Albanian who was hailed as “dangerous” by Ralph Hasenhuttl had a successful loan spell over at St Mary’s with Southampton last season, scoring nine goals and delivering one assist over his time on the South coast.

Broja is now back with Chelsea and has featured in both of their Premier League games so far albeit making just 12 minutes worth of appearances, but will surely be hungry for a more permanent position in either the London-based team or he could make the move up to Merseyside to reunite with the manager that gave him his top-flight debut.

In terms of a like-for-like replacement, Broja plays solely in the centre-forward role compared to Gordon who has only been deployed in the role to cover for Calvert-Lewin at present.

Therefore, there is no doubt that Lampard would prefer to bring in somebody who is not only experienced in the position but knows the style of play he is keen to execute, something that their young prodigy cannot do from a central area.

With that being said, the signing of Broja would be a great piece of business for Everton, however, if it comes at the cost of Everton losing one of their most beloved players it would be a huge risk.

Bruno Lage had an intriguing first season in charge of Wolves as the Portuguese boss got to grips with English football.

It was initially an easy transition for Lage who took to Premier League life like a duck to water, steering the Old Gold into the top half and towards the European places.

However, a lack of goals late in the campaign dented their hopes as 2021/22 ended in rather topsy-turvy fashion for the Molineux outfit.

That lack of goals could come back to haunt them in the early stages of the new campaign too with Raul Jimenez ruled out through injury.

A nod to the transfer window would go down a treat for Lage and if he can secure one of his targets, he could well unearth his new Joao Felix.

It was under the current Wolves boss at Benfica that the Portugal international made a name for himself as he bagged 17 goals and registered ten assists in 29 outings under his tutelage.

What followed was a mega £113m move to Atletico Madrid as he became one of the most expensive players in football history.

It would be quite something for Wolves to unearth a similar player but they could do by signing Goncalo Ramos.

A £34m price tag has been slapped on his head by Benfica and the Midlands side are thought to be interested in signing him this summer.

At the same club as Felix, the 21-year-old is capable of playing in similar positions – up top and as a second striker – while he’s similarly creative and prolific in the final third.

Ramos scored eight times and picked up four assists last term, taking his tally to 14 strikes in 59 outings for Benfica’s first team.

Coming up through the ranks at Benfica, he was electric as he racked up “outrageous numbers” in the words of scout Jacek Kulig, scoring 15 in 37 for the club’s B side.

It feels like he’s just beginning to make a name for himself at senior level and a move to play under Lage could be just what he needs to take himself to the next level; just like the aforementioned Felix.

A move won’t come cheap but it would surely be worth it.

AND in other news, Lage can land the left-footed Beckham as Wolves plot bid for “enormous” £21m “weapon”…

A big update has emerged on Sunderland and their pursuit of Jack Rudoni in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the Black Cats have had an offer turned down for the central midfielder as AFC Wimbledon stand firm in negotiations.

The report claims that fellow Championship sides Luton and Huddersfield are also keen on the gem and have had bids of their own knocked back.

It is stated that all three teams are expected to go back in for the Englishman with renewed offers to snap him up from the League One outfit.

Huge Corry Evans upgrade

Kristjaan Speakman must now seal a deal to sign Rudoni as he would be a huge upgrade on Corry Evans in the middle of the park.

The experienced Northern Irishman played 36 times in the third tier last term and struggled to catch the eye as he was largely unimpressive in midfield.

Evans won 51% of his individual ground duels – making 1.3 tackles per game – and did not offer much of a threat going forward as he scored two goals and created two.

Rudoni, meanwhile, won 52% of his battles and made 1.7 tackles per match, which suggests that he was – slightly – better than the Sunderland man in that area.

South London Press reporter Edmund Brack recently showered the gem with praise in an interview with the Bristol Post, saying:

“He’s quite direct. When he picks up the ball, his first thought is always to go towards goal. It’s a 1-2 and then he’s off.

“He’s quite fearless. Anyone his age, they could be affected by the winless run AFC Wimbledon went through last season (the Dons failed to win 28 games in all competitions from December 11 through to the end of the season) but he continued to put in performances, and he nearly kept them up alongside Ayoub Assal and Luke McCormick.”

It is in attack where Rudoni can be a huge upgrade on Evans. The Wimbledon man plundered an impressive 12 goals and five assists in League One – 13 more goal contributions than the Black Cats man managed to produce.

This means that they have a similar level of defensive effectiveness whilst there is a significant gap between their offensive outputs. Therefore, Speakman can improve Alex Neil’s team by signing the League One maestro to replace the ex-Blackburn dud.

AND in other news, Sunderland enter race to sign 22y/o gem who can be “the difference”, he’s Neil’s dream…

Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas has now shared a promising update out of Tottenham Hotspur involving Premier League star and Everton striker Richarlison.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye new forward…

As widely reported, one of the items next on sporting director Fabio Paratici’s to-do list is the signing of a forward and alternative to superstar Harry Kane in the Spurs attacking areas.

The club have been linked with a host of names, including sensation Darwin Nunez before he joined Liverpool, with it now looking likely they will also miss out on Man City star Gabriel Jesus.

It appears manager Antonio Conte’s list of targets is growing thin but luckily, as per Thomas of Sky, a promising update has come to light involving Toffees mainstay Richarlison.

The Latest: Thomas shares Richarlison update…

According to his sources, Spurs and Paratici are now pushing to sign the Brazil international.

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Indeed, he claims ‘this past week’ Tottenham have ‘stepped up’ their inquiries for Richarlison and Everton are now ‘bracing themselves’ for a bid (Twitter).

He adds this is the same for fellow target Leeds United of Leeds as Paratici spins ‘many plates’.

The Verdict: Get it done…

As per WhoScored, the 25-year-old finished 21/22 as Everton’s statistical best player and most potent attacking threat in the final third.

Richarlison averaged their highest rate of attempts at goal per 90 and also attracted the most fouls with Frank Lampard’s handful striker, on top of all this, raking in more goals and assists than any of his teammates (WhoScored).

Noel Whelan summed it up best by branding the South American one of Goodison Park’s ‘big name’ players and we believe he would be an ideal striker signing for Conte.

West Ham United are reportedly close to sealing their first signing of the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth, via GIVEMESPORT, who claims that the Hammers are closing in on a deal for Rennes defender Nayef Aguerd.

Sheth revealed that the signing is close and that the unveiling as a West Ham player will take place if he goes through his medical without any issues.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sheth said:

“There are two signings that look quite imminent as it stands, and one of them is the Rennes central defender Nayef Aguerd. He’s either been having a medical today, or tomorrow he’ll be having that medical at West Ham.”

As per the Metro, the Hammers will sign the Moroccan for a fee of £20m.

Moyes will love him

From a West Ham perspective, this would be some start to the summer transfer window.

Injuries to Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop left Moyes with a shortage of established centre-backs at the club, with pressure piled on the likes of Craig Dawson and Kurt Zouma to remain fit.

Ogbonna’s omission from the squad will arguably have hindered Moyes the most, with the Italian defender the only left-footed centre-back at the club.

In order to successfully build sustained attacks from the back, natural-footed centre-backs are seen as an effective way to boost possession stats, making it easy for a right-footed centre-back to play a switch towards the left-flank.

Aguerd, being a left-footed defender can not only offer that option to Moyes, but is proven in doing so effectively, averaging 64.37 passes completed and 3.26 switches with a progressive passing distance of 482.48 yards per 90.

The Morrocan has all of the technical ability needed to thrive as a ball-playing centre-back in the league and will bring something different to Moyes’ side who are clearly looking to improve on their 47.7% average possession metric. As a result, the Scot will love to have him in his team next term.

In other news: WHU can unearth a new Zola by signing £18m-rated “machine” who can “chop people down” 

A huge development has emerged on Rangers gem Steven Davis and his future at Ibrox heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to the Scottish Daily Express, the Gers are closing in on an agreement to keep him in Glasgow for another season. His current deal expires ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and Ross Wilson has moved to secure his future with fresh terms.

The report claims that Premiership clubs Motherwell and St Mirren are both keen on signing the veteran gem and the Light Blues have fended them off to retain his services.

Supporters will be delighted

The Gers supporters will surely be delighted with this news as keeping hold of Davis will be a boost to Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad next season.

He is an experienced and valuable member of the team who can offer a great deal for the club on and off the pitch in 2022/23. The Northern Ireland international has played a whopping 344 games for Rangers in separate spells and played 306 matches down south in the Premier League.

This shows that he knows exactly what it takes to play at the top level and has a wealth of experience to impart to the other members of the squad.

He can, therefore, play a huge role off the pitch as he helps the younger players by giving them tips and keeping them grounded as they make their way into the first team. Davis can be an example to the likes of Alex Lowry and Charlie McCann with his professionalism, setting an example for them to strive to match.

On the pitch, he can also have an impact for van Bronckhorst. In the Premiership, he averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.96 across 18 appearances, making 1.9 tackles and interceptions per game and completing 88% of his attempted passes.

He also played seven times in the Europa League and was trusted to come on in the final of the competition against Frankfurt, before starting in the Scottish Cup final win over Hearts. This shows that the Dutch head coach believes that the 37-year-old still has the ability to perform in huge games for Rangers.

Supporters will, therefore, be buzzing with the news that he is set to sign a new contract and will be hoping that he can continue to be a reliable option for van Bronckhorst to call upon next season.

AND in other news, Wilson could land Rangers’ next £20m talent with bid for “top notch” £3.4k-p/w target…

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on a deal to bring Sam Johnstone to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Mirror, who claim that Tottenham are now set to land the West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper on a free transfer at the end of the current campaign, as Manchester United have now decided not to pursue a deal to bring the 29-year-old back to Old Trafford this summer.

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The report goes on to state that the England international’s availability on a free makes him an attractive proposition to both Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici, with Spurs looking to bring in a quality addition between the sticks in order to provide Hugo Lloris with both backup to and competition for his starting spot in Antonio Conte’s side.

A Paratici masterclass

Considering the fact that, upon West Brom’s relegation from the Premier League last season, the Black Country side placed a £20m asking price on the goalkeeper’s head amid interest from the likes of Leeds United, Manchester United, West Ham United and Watford, should Paratici go on to land the 29-year-old on a free this summer, it would represent something of a big coup for Spurs.

While it is true that Johnstone has not enjoyed the best campaign of his career over his 36 appearances in the Championship this season, the three-time capped international undoubtedly proved his ability at the highest level of the English game last time out.

Indeed, over his 37 Premier League fixtures in 2020/21, the £7.2m-rated shot-stopper was one of Albion’s standout performers, keeping six clean sheets and making an average of 4.5 saves per game – by far and away the most of any ‘keeper in the league – with these returns seeing the £32.5k-per-week talent earn a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.03 – ranking him as the Baggies’ second-best player in the top flight.

As such, it is clear for all to see just how talented a goalkeeper the player Gary Lineker dubbed “unbelievable” is, leading us at Football FanCast to believe that, should Paratici indeed secure the 29-year-old as Spurs’ first signing this summer, it would be yet another transfer masterclass by the Italian sporting director.

AND in other news: “Expect to see”: Eccleshare drops £145m Spurs summer claim, supporters will be buzzing

Willow monstered leather like never before with five of the eight teams making their highest-ever scores in week one of the 2017-18 WBBL

Geoff Lemon and Adam Collins13-Dec-2017We’ve got everything. The biggest numbers
The first two Women’s Big Bash League were based on a tight balance between ball and bat. More often than not, six per over was competitive. Not so in the explosive opening weekend to season three, where willow monstered leather like never before. The six fixtures totalled a staggering 2023 runs, with five of the eight teams making their highest-ever scores.The party started at North Sydney, when Sydney Thunder plundered 200 for 6. The highest total in the tournament’s history lasted all of three hours.For 12 months, Ashleigh Gardner has threatened to do something ridiculous if given the leash. When Melbourne Stars invited Sydney Sixers to bat first, the leash was off. Combining raw power with a peerless eye, the No. 3 hit 10 sixes on her way to the fastest WBBL century, donging multiple bombs off the corrugated iron of grandstand roofs.Gardner’s 47-ball ton became 114 from 52 by the time she was out in the 14th over. She might have bettered Thunder’s mark on her own had she batted through the innings. Added to Ellyse Perry’s unbeaten 91 in 49 balls, the score was 242 for 4 when the onslaught was over, higher than anything in either the men’s or women’s Big Bash.Adelaide Strikers also tallied their two best scores, at home, taking Hobart Hurricanes for 183 for 3 then 176 for 6. Suzie Bates, their new captain, was up to her neck in it, tallying a 65-ball century that looked sedate compared to the scenes in Sydney. The bowling was equally glittering, with star leg-spinner Amanda Wellington returning figures of 3 for 9 off four overs in one game.Perhaps the South Australian franchise finally have their act together, after finishing last in both campaigns so far. The news is less positive for Stars and Hurricanes, beaten badly in both their games and a long way from sharing in the boom. Don’t be surprised if recession follows.The fastest fifties
When you have teams breaking records willy nilly, it’s logical that individual ones would be part of it. Those fell thick and fast too. Gardner unsurprisingly set the fastest WBBL fifty on her way to her hundred, getting there in 22 balls. But in the chase, South Africa’s Lizelle Lee briefly gave the Stars hope of an impossible result, matching Gardner’s record for fifty before eventually falling for a 36-ball 64.But neither of those would likely have been the record, had Nicola Carey got another ball or two to face. The diminutive seamer, picked in the first two seasons for her bowling, flayed ball after ball to the boundary in Thunder’s opening innings. With two balls left in the innings, she did the team thing to take every run available and lost the strike. The end result? A knock of 47 not out from just 17 balls.Getty ImagesThe biggest crowds
The burst at the batting crease was match by an eruption in onlookers. Close to 9000 people came through the gates at North Sydney Oval for the four games there, comfortably eclipsing the substantial Women’s Ashes attendances at the venue earlier this season.When Gardner was lighting it up, televisions were switched on around the nation. At its peak, the audience reached a massive 629,000 on free-to-air broadcaster Network Ten. Taken as a whole, television audiences over the weekend were 59 per cent up on the average of last year. Proof once again that if you screen it, they will stay at home.The worst mistakes?
Of all the people watching television, it turned out the third umpire was paying least attention. Jess Duffin, who has played 117 games for Australia earlier in her career under her maiden name of Jess Cameron, was on fire for the Renegades against Thunder. But what could have been an all-time classic win was derailed by a shocker of a decision.Chasing 200 set up by Carey, Renegade openers Sophie Molineux and Chamari Atapattu battered 67 between them to get things moving. Enter Duffin: by the time she’d laced the boundaries for 81 from 46 balls, Melbourne needed 28 off 17 balls.At that point, Duffin reverse-swept Bates, and Lisa Griffith at short third man dived forward to catch. The fielder’s appeal was unconvinced, and replays clearly showed that while there may have been a finger under the ball, there was no doubt it touched the ground as the catcher reeled it in.The fielders went back to their marks, the batter prepared to resume, and then the big screen flashed up “OUT!” A mystifying decision, as wrong as one can be, and one that let Thunder close out a game that could have had a grandstand finish. We’re still mad.And we’ve got more to come.
The WBBL carnival hits four capitals cities in the week ahead, starting on Friday December 15 when the Heat host Scorchers in a replay of last year’s semi-final. Back then, Perth bolted it in by nine wickets, so the Brisbane side will require little incentive to turn the tables.In western Sydney, Thunder take on Stars on Saturday before meeting their crosstown rivals for the first time this season on the opening night of the Men’s Big Bash on Tuesday.Over the weekend in Adelaide, the Strikers have a chance to consolidate at home against Renegades, while Hurricanes need to arrest their dreadful start back home in Hobart against the rampaging Sixers on Sunday.