Category Uncategorized

West Bromwich Albion may not have won, but results elsewhere saw them retake control at the top of the Championship table.

The Baggies were twice pegged back by Charlton Athletic at The Valley as they returned to Black Country with a share of the spoils.

Kenneth Zohore kept his place and scored his second in the space of a week against the Addicks to open the scoring halfway through the first half, but that was soon cancelled out through Josh Davinson’s first-ever professional goal six minutes later.

Slaven Bilic’s side regained the lead straight after the break as Hal Robson-Kanu’s attempt deflected in, but Albion succumbed to a 2-2 draw after Tom Lockyer’s header found a way in off goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

With Sheffield Wednesday defeating Leeds United, West Brom are the new league leaders by a solitary point.

The travelling Baggies faithful weren’t best pleased with the performance of Conor Townsend as they failed to keep a clean sheet yet again – they have managed to keep out the opposition in just 19% of their 27 league games.

Here’s what they have been saying…

‘Spineless,’ ‘trash’ and ‘awful’ were three words used to describe the 26-year-old’s showing and its not the first time this season that fans have gone for the left-back, as seen here.

It’s a worrying sign as Bilic has no other senior option to call upon in the role currently with Kieran Gibbs expected to be out for at least four weeks while Nathan Ferguson is also injured.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Other members of the Hawthorns fanbase have been questioning whether or not the defender is even up to the standard of the Championship with him being brandished a ‘league one player’ and in an extreme case, even a professional footballer.

Others went as far as suggesting that he should leave the club as one joked about replacing him with the fans that appeared on Soccer AM earlier that morning.

The absence of the first-choice Gibbs was also clearly noted by more supporters with one claiming the 30-year-old is an ‘understated’ miss for the Baggies.

Albion have over a week to prepare for their next game, hosting an improving Stoke City at the Hawthorns, so by then, they may have lost their foothold at the Championship’s summit.

How much do you remember about football in 2019? Our quiz will test your knowledge…

While fans will clearly be hoping that their defence gets some sort of boost on the left side during this month’s transfer window.

In other news, Bilic should call upon a player from right under his nose to offer the Baggies something different…

[ad_pod ]

Liverpool fans have been discussing a potential move for Watford playmaker Roberto Pereyra, who has been in exceptional form so far this season.

The Argentina international has scored five goals in 17 Premier League games for the Hornets so far in the current campaign as Javi Gracia has his side sat in tenth place in the league, just two points off a Europa League spot – Pereyra notably destroyed Kieran Trippier in Spurs’ 2-1 loss at Vicarage Road earlier in the season.

As we’ve already witnessed in Xherdan Shaqiri’s huge impact at Anfield since signing from relegated Stoke, there is certainly value and reason to sign players who are performing well for lesser sides; not necessarily to go straight into the team, but for squad depth most definitely.

Signing players of the 27-year-old’s ilk may help them pip Manchester City to the title, and Reds’ fans are definitely in favour of a move for the former Juventus man…

Celtic are currently going through a phase that the club have not had to go through for some time and things do not look to be getting any better for them.

The Bhoys are currently in some poor form and Kris Boyd has told BBC Sport that he feels two of their biggest stars do not want to be at the club.

According to the former striker, who had two spells at Old Firm rivals Rangers, he believes Olivier Ntcham and Dedryck Boyata are both keen to leave Celtic Park.

Both players were subject to offers from some of Europe’s biggest sides over the summer, however, the duo remained with the Hoops for the beginning of the current campaign.

However, Boyd reckons that their dip in form is a sign of the stars desire to leave the Glasgow outfit as soon as possible.

Speaking about Ntcham, he said: “When a club wants to pay £14m for him, that guy’s wages are going through the roof when he goes there. He wants to go. Boyata, the exact same.

“Ntcham was excellent up to the first four games. Since the transfer window shut and Moussa Dembele has gone, he looks a shadow of what he was.”

The Verdict:

Celtic fans certainly will not take a liking to what a former Rangers man has to say about their players and it will not help that his opinion could come across a little far-fetched.

The whole team have not been playing well under Brendan Rodgers so far this season, so it would be unfair to blame the duo that had attracted significant interest in the summer.

Players understandably have a drop in form for a host of reasons, although it is unlikely that they will be looking to play badly to try and force a move away from Celtic Park at the next available opportunity.

Celtic fans – thoughts?

Divock Origi should consider calling an end to his Liverpool spell and moving to West Ham United if the option becomes available.

What’s the word?

The Belgium international, who has earned 25 caps for his country, has been on Liverpool’s books since his 2015 move from Lille.

Under both Brendan Rodgers and current manager Jurgen Klopp, the attacker has struggled to hold down a regular place in the team.

Last season, the 23-year-old was sent on loan to Bundesliga club Wolfsburg, where he scored seven goals and creating three assists in 36 appearances in all competitions.

Origi has since returned to Liverpool for pre-season, but it is unclear where his long-term future lies.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”267843″ player=”12034″ title=”Five crazy stats from the World Cup last 16″]

Would he fit in at West Ham?

Now that Manuel Pellegrini is in charge, it is difficult to say what system the Chilean will implement at the London Stadium.

Who do you think will win the World Cup? Let us know here and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

However, Origi has the skill to thrive when given regular minutes on the pitch as he has pace on his side, as well as the ability to drop back and run at goal.

The Belgian is comfortable in one-on-ones and with Javier Martinez failing to deliver and Andy Carroll being susceptible to injuries, Origi could provide another dimension, along with Marko Arnautovic.

There is every likelihood that the attacker, who can play up front or wide, will want to prove himself at Liverpool, but he will struggle to disrupt the forward three of Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

If Origi wants to play first-team football on a weekly basis, he should consider his options.

Rangers’ massive 2017/2018 season gets underway on Thursday night with the visit of Progres Niedercorn to Ibrox on Thursday night in UEFA Europa League qualifying.

For most other teams in Europe pre-season will not have even begun but the Light Blues have been hard at work for weeks now preparing for tomorrow’s fixture and for the European campaign ahead.

Supporters have dreams of making the group stage of the competition, though that will be hard as an unseeded outfit in the later rounds of qualifying.

Progres are not exactly household names and while on paper it may look like an easy task, Pedro Caixinha and his team can’t take anything for granted.

Full application and attitude is needed, though we reckon there won’t be much motivation for the starting eleven with plenty of new faces likely looking to impress their manager and supporters alike.

This is what we reckon Rangers need to do in order to secure their first big result of the season…

Don’t panic

Progres Niedercorn may be an unknown, tiny outfit for Luxembourg but as we saw last summer with Celtic and Lincoln Red Imps, anything can happen in the early stages of European qualifying no matter the gulf in quality between the two sides on paper.

If things aren’t going Rangers’ way in the match, the worst thing that could happen would be for them to be fearful of a shock result and panic.

If the Light Blues play to the best of their ability and remain patient and calm then we have no doubts that they’ll pick up the victory they need to take into the away leg next Tuesday.

Relying on the likes of Niko Krancjar to guide some of the younger members of the squad through the match could be key. Krancjar has returned from injury and has been named in the UEFA squad list. With close to 40 UEFA appearances to his name in his career then he may play a massive part.

Unleash Morelos

Alfredo Morelos’ scoring record for HJK Helsinki is quite ridiculous. In terms of fitness he should be at his peak given the fact that Helsinki were mid-season when he made the move to Rangers.

With 16 goals in his last 19 matches for the Finnish outfit before transferring to Glasgow he is also in peak form and could be the weapon Rangers need to make significant progress in qualifying.

With most of the rest of the squad still getting up to full fitness with the season only finishing last month, Pedro Caixinha should unleash Morelos and play the game through him.

There’s a tendency from managers to play a more reserved style of football in Europe and as such he may go for the more pragmatic Eduardo Herrera in attack, but for us it’s all about the Colombian and giving him a chance to show what he can do in front of what should be a big crowd at Ibrox.

Be ambitious and make a statement

If Rangers are to do anything next season then they need to bring the good vibes to supporters early on. Tomorrow is a massive chance to make a real statement about the coming campaign and we reckon Pedro Caixinha should put out an attacking, ambitious team that can really bring the game to Progres.

We saw the effect that European qualifying had on Celtic last season, after the initial bump in the road against Lincoln Red Imps. Brendan Rodgers had his team winning consistently very early on and it transferred itself into the opening of the Scottish Premiership season.

Caixinha now has his own players and has been working with his team in pre-season for weeks now, it’s time for him to show fans what he’s truly all about rather than the fire fighting he had to do when he arrived at the club in the wake of Mark Warburton’s departure.

A big win on Thursday night would be a massive first step on the road to greatness.

As reported in an exclusive by The Sun, Sam Allardyce is ready to do early business at Crystal Palace and he’s looking at Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs as potentially his first signing since for the Eagles.

What’s the word?

One of the key weak areas in the Palace first team is on the flanks of their defence and Allardyce is ready to solve that problem with a move for a player struggling to find his way into Arsene Wenger’s plans.

The Sun reckon Gibbs is a long-term target of Palace, on their radar back when Alan Pardew was the man in charge at Selhurst Park.

With just 18 months left on his contract, it could be the right time for a team like Palace to come in for the 27 year old and offer him a different option to the squad fringes at the Emirates.

The right fit?

Neither Martin Kelly nor Joel Ward have managed to consistently perform for the Eagles this season and they’re in need of an experienced hand on their left hand side who can perform both defensive duties and offer an attacking threat.

Only Swansea and Hull have conceded more goals than Palace in the Premier League this season and plugging that gap must be one of Sam Allardyce’s priorities in order to keep them up.

Gibbs has played more than 220 games for Arsenal and has 10 caps for England. It’s experience that would be very valuable to a team like Palace, especially in a relegation fight.

The left-back still plays on a regular basis for the Gunners but is seen more as back-up or a rotation option for the likes of Nacho Monreal than a key first team starter himself.

It’s that promise of a key role that could prove tempting for the defender in any potential move to Palace.

[ad_pod id=’now-tv’ align=’centre’] [ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]

Liverpool idol Steven Gerrard will not make an emotional short-term loan return to Anfield during January, according to Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber.

The Kop hero left the Reds over the summer on a free transfer, ending a glittering career with his boyhood club to join LA Galaxy, following in the footsteps of David Beckham.

With the American season running through the summer months, players have moved from MLS sides to major European teams over the winter period to maintain their match fitness, with the likes of Beckham, Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan and Thierry Henry all high-profile examples.

WANT MORE? >> Liverpool transfer news | Latest transfer news

However, Garber has revealed that the league is trying to cut down on these switches as it looks to establish itself as a major worldwide division, with Gerrard likely to stay in California when the 2015 campaign comes to a close:

“It doesn’t happen as much as it used to. David knows very well that I was really upset with the big hoopla and the massive commitment we made and then David went and played in Milan.” He is quoted by the Daily Star.

“People in our country said: ‘What? He plays for two teams?’ You are trying to build a sport. It was a challenge getting people to understand that.

“I don’t believe we are going to see many more off-season loans happening in our league particularly by what I would call the high level designated players.

“It’s been a couple of years. I don’t remember the last one we have had. With regards to Steven, I don’t think so. I have not heard that was something that was being contemplated.”

Such news is likely to come as a huge blow to many Liverpool fans, with Gerrard widely hailed as one of the club’s greatest ever players.

[ad_pod id=’lockerdome’ align=’center’]

[ad_pod id=’eight’ align=’center’]

Erling Haaland wasted no time querying a big call in Manchester City’s draw with Tottenham on Sunday, as he re-posted a video minutes after full time.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Norwegian striker livid at match refereeChampions frustrated by big late callHad to settle for a point in 3-3 drawWHAT HAPPENED?

The Norwegian striker was left fuming at the end of a thrilling contest at the Etihad Stadium that finished with the points being shared. Dejan Kulusevski grabbed a last-minute equaliser for Tottenham to make the final outcome 3-3, but there were plenty of other talking points along the way.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

One of those arrived in the fourth minute of stoppage-time, with Jack Grealish seemingly sent scampering through on goal in pursuit of a winner. Referee Simon Hooper appeared to have waved play on following a foul on Haaland, but then brought play back for the initial infringement.

DID YOU KNOW?

City were less than impressed at that big call, with Haaland among those to get into the face of the match official. He has now taken his complaints to social media, with the 23-year-old seemingly making his point from the dressing room as he had not long stormed down the tunnel.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT FOR HAALAND & MAN CITY?

Haaland’s father, former City midfielder Alf Inge, responded to the post from his son with a “terrible” assessment of the decision in question. Pep Guardiola’s side must now recover their composure in time for a midweek meeting with Aston Villa that they will enter sat third in the Premier League table and three points behind leaders Arsenal.

The Magpies were lucky to come away with a point from their trip to San Siro

Nick Pope was the hero for Newcastle as they secured a point in their first game back in the Champions League for 20 years with a battling 0-0 draw away at AC Milan on Tuesday. The Magpies goalkeeper was almost constantly under attack from the home side and pulled off eight saves to keep his team level.

But while Pope rose to the occasion, the same cannot be said for his Newcastle team-mates, as the likes of Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes were massively disappointing. Indeed, Eddie Howe's team managed just one shot on target in the whole game and it came right at the end of a weak display that will leave fans hoping for much better next time around.

GOAL rates Newcastle's players from San Siro…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Nick Pope (8/10):

Newcastle owe their point to him! Pulled off a few excellent saves as the shots came flying at him throughout.

Kieran Trippier (6/10):

His set-pieces were woeful but the right-back was solid on the ball otherwise.

Fabian Schar (5/10):

Was comfortable on the ball and made a vital interception late on.

Sven Botman (4/10):

Lost the physical battles with Giroud early on while his marking and tackling were terrible.

Dan Burn (7/10):

Was under pressure as Chukwueze kept coming at him but dug in with a lot of tackles.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Sean Longstaff (7/10):

Grew into the game after a rough start. Covered a lot of ground and made a few good tackles. Got Newcastle's only shot on target.

Bruno Guimaraes (5/10):

Couldn't influence the game as he was denied time on the ball because of Milan's marking.

Sandro Tonali (4/10):

Rather useless in possession as he failed to pose a threat to his former team and gave away too many fouls.

Getty ImagesAttack

Jacob Murphy (6/10):

Had two wasted shots from distance and made some good passes.

Alexander Isak (5/10):

Dropped back to receive the ball a lot but couldn't get any dangerous attacks going.

Anthony Gordon (6/10):

Had a couple of bright moments but had a hard time linking up with team-mates with a lot of wayward passes.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Miguel Almiron (7/10):

Made an amazing clearance to prevent Theo Hernandez from getting a shot away on goal.

Callum Wilson (5/10):

Replaced Gordon midway through the second half but barely got on the ball.

Elliot Anderson (5/10):

Came on for Tonali but had no impact on the game.

Harvey Barnes (N/A):

Replaced Isak right at the end.

Eddie Howe (5/10):

Will feel lucky to have come away with a point as his side were unable to threaten the Rossoneri and his changes did nothing to influence the game.

The 21-year-old was discarded by the Serie A giants – but he has now completed a life-changing Premier League move

Standing at six foot three inches tall and sporting a striking top knot-goatee combination, it's hard to miss Radu Dragusin when he takes to the field. And Premier League attackers are about to get far better acquainted with the 21-year-old.

According to various outlets, including , Tottenham won the race to sign the centre-back from Genoa for a fee that could reach the €30 million (£25.8m/$32.8m) mark. The deal has seen outcast Djed Spence head in the other direction on loan, a sweetener that no doubt helped the club beat off Bayern Munich's late attempts to hijack the transfer. Spurs officially announced Dragusin's signing on Thursday.

It's another early sign of intent – after the arrival of Timo Werner – from the north London club, who despite losing key defenders Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero to injury, have managed to stay in touch with the Premier League top four during the first half of the season.

Dragusin's imminent move also caps off an impressive personal recovery after being discarded by Juventus without ever receiving a proper chance in the first team. Here is what Spurs fans can expect from the Ange Postecoglou footballing revolution's newest convert…

• Getty Images
  

  Where it all began

  It's little surprise that Dragusin ended up being a professional sportsperson. Both of his parents represented Romania in their chosen field, with his father playing volleyball while his mother earned international honours in basketball.

  Dragusin was not tempted by either of these pursuits, though. After his cousin introduced him to football, he joined local side Sportul Studentesc before moving on to Regal Sport Bucharest, a talent centre with close links to Atletico Madrid.

  Los Rojiblancos failed to use this connection to their advantage, though. Instead it would be Juventus who snapped Dragusin up in 2018. Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain were interested too, but the Bianconeri acted quickly after he impressed during the second of two trials in Turin, paying €250,000 for Romania's Under-16 captain.

  "My brother called me and told me there's a good young player [in Romania] and I sent him to see with his own eyes," Florin Manea, the agent who brokered Dragusin's move to Italy, told "He confirmed that initial impression by telling me he is a star, so I quickly reported to Juventus.

  "After about an hour, Matteo Tognozzi, Juventus' chief scout, called me to say that Radu impressed everyone. Other teams were interested too, but the Bianconeri really wanted him. He asked me, 'Where can I become a great central defender?' Chelsea wanted him too, but that's why he chose Juventus."

  In Turin, Dragusin gradually moved through the age groups, starting with the Under-17s and eventually being called up to the first-team in November 2020 for a clash against Lazio. He did not make it off the bench on that occasion, but did not have to wait too much longer for his senior debut, coming on in the second half of a comfortable Champions League victory over Dynamo Kyiv the following month.

  As the 2020-21 season progressed, Dragusin continued to impress for the Under-23s and was rewarded with a maiden start in the Coppa Italia, eventually earning a new, four-year contract in the summer. GOAL understands that RB Leipzig tabled a lucrative offer too, but he instead opted to remain at Juventus and fight for his place.

  After this, his career stagnated somewhat. He failed to impress during loan spells at Sampdoria and Salernitana, finding himself at a bit of a crossroads ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  The big break

  Dragusin would end up stepping down to Serie B with Genoa and the loan deal – which included an obligation to buy, with Andrea Cambiasso moving in the other direction – turned out to be exactly what he needed at that stage of his development.

  Impressively, he would miss just 45 minutes of his new side's promotion-winning season, helping them record the second-best defensive record in the division and also chipping in with four goals.

  His stunning club form also led to him nailing down a place in Romania's starting XI. Dragusin played each of his nation's 10 Euro 2024 qualifiers as they surprisingly topped Group I over top seeds Switzerland. Edward Iordanescu's team did so while conceding just five times – with Dragusin absolutely pivotal to this impressive record.

• Getty Images
  

  How it's going

  Since securing promotion back to the top-flight, Dragusin has helped his team settle back in Serie A. Heading into the winter break, Alberto Gilardino's charges sit 12th, albeit only six points clear of the relegation spots in what is a highly-congested bottom half of the table.

  Dragusin's star has continued to rise in Genoa this season, with the Romanian one of just six Serie A outfield players to not miss a single second of action thus far. He's continued to offer a goal threat too, scoring twice. This included an important equaliser against leaders Inter in his side's final match of 2023.

  Key to his improvement has been his strong relationship with manager Gilardino, who enjoyed a prolific scoring career at the likes of Parma, AC Milan and Fiorentina during his playing days. Speaking before Genoa's narrow Coppa Italia defeat to Roma in 2023, Dragusin said: "Gilardino has given us a lot confidence in our abilities, he told us to play with heart and give everything on the pitch."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  Biggest strengths

  Dragusin's best attribute is his ability in the air. At the time of writing, only one player has won more aerial duels than him in Serie A this season, and considering that man is six foot, six inch Hellas Verona striker Milan Duric, it's understandable why the 21-year-old doesn't have the top spot.

  Dragusin's heading ability makes him a potent weapon from set-pieces, while his strength would seem to suit him well to the highly-physical Premier League. His love for nitty-gritty defending is also reflected in his clearance numbers, with only two Serie A players completing more thus far during the current campaign.

  Dragusin is a highly adept tackler too. Although he is not a particularly active defender – the fact that he plays in the middle of Genoa's back three means he sits deeper than his two flanking team-mates – when he does have to make a challenge, he almost invariably comes out on top. Of the 232 Serie A players who attempted 15-plus tackles in the first half of the season, none had a better success rate (93.8 percent) than him.