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[ad_pod ]West Ham fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was revealed on the club’s official website that there may potentially be a few changes taking place at the London Stadium.Those Hammers fans who sit in the lower tier of the Sir Trevor Brooking stand and the Bobby Moore stand could find their section squared off to resemble a more traditional football stadium, whilst their seats may also be moved four metres closer to the pitch.The space between the stands and the field of play has been one of the main talking points since the Irons’ move into the stadium back in 2016, with some fans sitting further back perhaps needing binoculars to see what’s going on most of the time.The potential of making such changes is currently being explored, but fans of the east London-based club are excited by the news, and the fact that they are finally being listened to by the owners…

Celtic are flying high at the very top of the league table right now and it would take quite something in order to stop Ange Postecoglou’s Hoops side from reigning supreme come May.

However, just how long their newfound dominance and revival goes on will depend on how long the manager stays at Parkhead.

What’s the word?

Postecoglou’s future at Celtic was put in doubt towards the end of last week when it was revealed that the Australian had admirers at none other than Manchester City.

It seems highly unlikely he’d replace the great Pep Guardiola at the Etihad but a claim from Mark Guidi on Go Radio over the weekend should do enough to spark relief among the fanbase.

He said: “I think, pretty soon after Brendan Rodgers won the treble in his first season he was given up a bumper new deal, as as they call it in the tabloids you know, one of these big fancy golden handcuffs kind of deals where his salary takes a big bump up, his bonuses take a bump up and if anybody wants to come in and get then there’s a compensation fee the other end.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if Celtic look to do that with Postecoglou. It would be absolutely natural to go and do that to safeguard the club. And also to give Ange the remuneration that he deserves for what he’s achieved so far.”

Exciting for Celtic

Considering the job that the 56-year-old has done since arriving in Glasgow, the thought of him receiving improved terms in order to stay will no doubt elate Celtic supporters.

Postecoglou arrived with a fine reputation for his work in Asia but ultimately, he was an unknown and untested quantity on European shores.

Alan Brazil infamously took to talkSPORT to lament the appointment and rather unprofessionally couldn’t even pronounce his name properly.

A fair few around Celtic Park may have felt similar towards his arrival but he has silenced his doubters and despite not even being in the dugout for a year, has very nearly completed the Bhoys’ revival.

They have won the League Cup, are in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup and sit six points ahead of fierce rivals Rangers in the Premiership title race.

A famous treble could be inbound for the Aussie in his first season at Celtic and if that does happen, a bumper new deal would be a fine reward.

His high pressing football has won plenty of fans and his work in the transfer market has also been superb.

Postecoglou has used his knowledge of Asian football to welcome several Japanese players to the club, all of whom besides the injury-stricken Yosuke Ideguchi have made a fine impact in Scotland.

Kyogo Furuhashi is the club’s top goalscorer, Reo Hatate has already scored in an Old Firm and Diazen Maeda has seven goals for his troubles too.

Further acquisitions in Liel Abada and Jota has proven shrewd too with the pair racking up a total of 47 goal contributions between them. Giorgos Giakoumakis had an injury-hit first few months in Britain but he too has 13 goals in 2021/22.

It’s evident the former Yokohama F. Marinos boss has a keen eye for spotting talent and that, combined with his philosophy makes him perfect for Celtic at the moment.

That’s precisely why supporters will be excited at the thought of him earning improved terms.

AND in other news, Ange is starting to unearth Celtic’s new Stuart Armstrong in “silky” £405k-rated gem…

Tottenham Hotspur central midfielder Tanguy Ndombele looks set to depart north London in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Rob Guest, with the journalist suggesting in a recent article for football.london that, following his temporary move to Lyon in January – with the Ligue 1 side possessing a £54m option to buy the midfielder – Ndombele could have already played his final game for Spurs.

Guest went on to state that Antonio Conte’s decision to sanction the 25-year-old’s departure, despite the Italian lacking options in the middle of the park, is a clear indication that the 52-year-old does not view the France international as a part of his long-term plans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Conte must axe Ndombele

Considering just how poor Ndombele had been for Spurs ever since his £63m move to north London back in July 2019, it would appear an extremely wise move for Conte to move the midfielder on at the end of the current campaign.

Following two seasons in which the £31.5m-rated midfielder averaged well below-par SofaScore match ratings of 6.85 and 6.90, the 25-year-old found his game time extremely limited in the first half of 2021/22 – something that was hardly surprising considering his general level of performance.

Indeed, over his nine Premier League appearances this term, the £120k-per-week dud scored one goal, provided one assist and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as making an average of just 0.4 key passes, 0.1 interceptions, 1.1 tackles, 25.6 passes and winning 3.6 duels – at a success rate of 44% – per game.

These returns saw the man who Alasdair Gold claimed needs a “kick up the backside” and Scott Saunders dubbed “anonymous” average a disastrous SofaScore match rating of 6.58, ranking him as Conte’s third-worst player in the top flight of English football.

However, it has been a rather different story for the Frenchman over his five Ligue 1 outings for Lyon, with the seven-time capped international averaging a much more impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.12.

As such, with Ndombele’s stock currently being the highest it has been for the best part of three years, Conte simply must axe the midfielder this summer – as it is the perfect opportunity for Spurs to make as much as they possibly can back from their enormous outlay on the 25-year-old.

AND in other news: Conte could unearth a £100m-rated talent in THFC sensation who can “always turn it on”

Aston Villa will return to action in the Premier League on Wednesday at Villa Park against Leeds United, and Steven Gerrard will be hoping to pick up where he left off before the winter break by continuing to climb the table in his first few months in charge at the club.

The Villans have been picking up 0.54 more points so far under their Liverpudlian manager since he joined in November, taking 16 points from their last ten games in the Premier League, and there is now opportunity for the side to comfortably secure a top half finish, or even exceed expectations by securing European football next season if they continue at the rate they are going.

With that being said, Gerrard will be wanting to gain momentum as soon as possible as the side return after a few weeks off, especially with the club out of all cup competitions, they really have an opportunity to focus on getting ahead in their Premier League campaign as the new manager has now settled in and completed four new signings in his first transfer window last month.

One player who must be unleashed on Leeds United is Ollie Watkins, who has been a consistent and key player for Aston Villa since he signed in 2020 from Brentford, bagging 21 goals and six assists in just 59 appearances with a goal involvement every 2.1 games so far, as former manager Dean Smith dubbed the star “one of the best” in his position.

After signing Philippe Coutinho, the Villa manager could really boost the striker’s prolific finishing further by surrounding him with experienced creative players who can provide him with more chances, and the Brazilian winger could form a great partnership with Watkins, something the manager should be keen to establish as soon as possible with the Leeds United game a perfect opportunity.

Danny Ings has struggled to find consistent form in the side, with the initially planned partnership between the 29-year-old and Watkins clearly not working as the former Southampton man has only scored once whilst playing with his striking partner out wide on the left.

The 26-year-old who has been hailed a “machine” by Chris Deacon, must seize the opportunity to prove he should start over his competitor in the centre forward role by putting on an outstanding performance against Leeds, as Gerrard will be keen to quickly work out which players are going to fit into his already crowded forward line to squeeze out every last point in the remaining months of the season.

In other news: Lange could repeat mistakes by signing Lacazette

Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a huge blow in their bid to bring goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to Ibrox this summer.

What’s the Word?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that sources close to Johnstone have revealed that the shot-stopper wants to join Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur on the expiration of his West Bromwich Albion contract at the end of the current campaign.

This is sure to come as a huge blow to Rangers, as Giovanni van Bronckhorst is looking at a replacement for Allan McGregor – who himself looks increasingly likely to be leaving Ibrox this summer.

The Light Blues have shown interest in the England international who has kept 15 clean sheets in 36 Championship matches so far this season as West Brom has struggled.

With the likes of Newcastle United, West Ham United, and Southampton all linked with the highly-rated stopper in recent weeks, it’s clear to see why missing out on Johnstone could send Rangers into panic mode.

A potential replacement for McGregor?

Allan McGregor has so often been the saviour for Rangers over the years, producing big moments and penalty saves exactly when the side needs them, but this campaign has looked like a step too far.

There have been far too many mistakes as the Ibrox side has slipped behind in the title race, and the keeper has cost the club a fair few points since January.

As such, signing Johnstone on a pre-contract would be an excellent move. With three caps for England and still just 29 years of age, Giovanni van Bronckhorst could do no wrong in making a move for the shot-stopper.

Indeed, with the ‘keeper having been omitted from West Brom’s previous two matchday squads due to his contract running down, Rangers are in as good of a position as any to offer him terms.

With a market value of £7.2m, any side that secures the services of the 29-year-old could also make a solid profit in the future if they decide to sell him on, making this move an absolute no-brainer.

AND in other News: Wilson could land new £13m talent as Rangers plot bid for £180k-rated sensation

As per reliable reporter Alasdair Gold, writing for football.london, there has been an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of yet another Juventus player in USA international Weston McKennie.

The Lowdown: Tottenham’s Serie A shopping spree?

Over these final days of what has been a dramatic January transfer window at Spurs, it appears transfer chief Fabio Paratici has set his sights on raiding former club Juve.

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The Lilywhites are apparently in advanced talks over moves for both Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur, meanwhile the Old Lady’s on loan striker Alvaro Morata has also been linked with a north London move.

Tottenham boss Antonio Conte is running out of time to improve his squad and make necessary adjustments as he aims to propel his new side back into the Champions League.

As such, Gold has now shared news on another Juve man who Paratici has made contact for.

The Latest: Tottenham talks held for McKennie…

According to the football.london journalist, the Spurs managing director has ‘also held talks’ in January with the entourage of their midfield maestro McKennie.

However, as explained by Gold, this potential move is deemed ‘unlikely’ despite Paratici being a ‘huge admirer’.

Turin boss Massimiliano Allegri is believed to be resistant over losing McKennie, who has starred for the Old Lady this season.

The Verdict: Blow for Spurs?

McKennie would have undoubtedly been a shrewd addition with the versatile 23-year-old possessing an abundance of desirable traits.

The Texas-born ace can play in a variety of roles across midfield including defensive, box-to-box, on either flank and even at centre-half – killing many birds with one stone.

It’s little wonder Juve reportedly value McKennie at around £35m, and if his plaudits are anything to go by, you could argue they’re within their rights to demand a greater fee.

Called an ‘outstanding talent’ by former Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner, who managed the player at Schalke, McKennie also lifted the lid on how his old coach in the States branded him a ‘little tank’.

Perhaps he is one for Spurs to revisit in future, but with the window nearing it’s closure, it appears the starlet is out of bounds for now.

In other news: Romano shares late Saturday night development as Spurs table ‘official’ bid for another player, find out more here.

Everton completed the ultimate smash and grab by winning a point from their game at Goodison Park park last night against Leicester City, with another point tallied up in their battle for safety from relegation this season.

Frank Lampard will be delighted that his team have managed to build a four-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone with just seven games left to go and the belief in the dressing room will hopefully push the team on to put in a performance in the Merseyside derby this weekend.

Despite only having 36% possession, fewer shots on goal and no big chances created throughout the game, the hosts refused to let the game pass them by to ultimately take a point away from the difficult game against the Foxes yesterday evening.

Leicester opened the scoring early when Harvey Barnes found the back of the net in the fifth minute of the first half, and from that moment it looked like it was going to be a tale of ill-fate for the Toffees, a situation we’ve seen the side find themselves in numerous times this season.

However, Lampard’s side remained resilient and held off the visitors from taking their further chances over the rest of the game, and Richarlison took the opportunity to find a last-minute winner scoring to undo Leicester’s work in the 92nd minute, sealing a point in the process.

One player who will go under the radar for his huge influence in the centre of the pitch with a performance that kept Everton in with a chance was Fabian Delph, someone who is currently enjoining a renaissance period at Goodison Park.

According to SofaScore, the 32-year-old midfielder won 100% of his five aerial and ground duels combined, made five blocks, two interceptions, one key pass and two tackles.

Furthermore, he only lost possession nine times in his 53 touches of the ball in an all-round impressive display that made him the real hero in the team.

The Toffees boss will surely be absolutely delighted that Delph has come back into the team to make such an influential impact on the side following a long-term injury.

The former Manchester City star also played a huge part in the victory over Manchester United, and Lampard will surely be hoping that his inclusion in the team will continue to inspire further positive results.

AND in other news: EFC plotting £25m bid for “dangerous” £152k-p/w ace, it could be bye-bye Richarlison

Liverpool right-back Neco Williams sealed a last-gasp loan move to Fulham on deadline day, as confirmed by the club and reaffirmed by reliable journalist Neil Jones.

The Lowdown: Frenetic deadline day

The Reds ended up signing Luis Diaz in the January transfer window but they were unable to get a deal for Fabio Carvalho over the line. The 19-year-old Fulham starlet’s move to Anfield didn’t go through in time, as reports ebbed and flowed throughout a stressful deadline day.

There is still hope that the transfer can be revived, though, with a potential summer switch coming to fruition.

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The Latest: Williams joins Fulham

Although Liverpool were unable to secure the signing of Carvalho from Fulham, there was one deal between the two clubs which did go through last night. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the Reds announced that Williams is heading to the Championship leaders on loan until the end of the season:

Jones then confirmed on Twitter in the very early hours of Tuesday that the move had gone through on time to take effect from the start of February, stating: “Neco Williams’ loan move to Fulham was finalised ahead of deadline.”

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The Verdict: Strange decision?

While Williams is well behind Trent Alexander-Arnold in the right-back pecking order – he has only appeared in seven minutes of Premier League action this season –  sending him on loan feels like a risk.

An injury to the England international could leave Jurgen Klopp having to use the injury-plagued Joe Gomez in an auxiliary role or even take a risk with the inexperienced Connor Bradley.

The hope is that Williams thrives having earned more playing time at Fulham, returning in the summer as a more polished player who can continue to mature at Liverpool, by which stage he will have turned 21.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have reacted to some key injury news. Read more here.

Arsenal are set to revisit their interest in Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz this summer, according to Football Insider.

The lowdown

The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones revealed that Villa turned down three bids for Luiz during the January transfer window, and it appears that one of those was from the Gunners, with Football Insider noting that they ‘failed to land him’ in the winter.

Villa paid £15m to sign Luiz from Manchester City ahead of their first season back in the Premier League in 2019/20. His £32.9k-per-week contract is due to expire at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

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The latest

A source at the Emirates Stadium has told Football Insider that Luiz remains on Arsenal’s radar ahead of the summer transfer window.

The expectation is that the north London giants will table a formal bid as Mikel Arteta eyes central midfield reinforcements, in addition to a new striker.

Significantly, Villa are reportedly open to letting the midfielder leave in order to ‘free up space’ for a new midfield arrival. Therefore, if Arsenal submit a reasonable offer, then they could snap up the Brazilian with relative ease.

The verdict

Villa’s willingness to sell is a little surprising given that Luiz appears to be one of Gerrard’s most trusted players.

When he is available, he almost always starts – only twice this season has he been left out of the line-up by choice.

The £31.5m-rated midfielder has been called ‘underrated’ by Ian Wright, who believes that the Brazilian is ‘ready to be one of the best midfielders in the Premier League’.

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has perhaps been even more complimentary, dubbing Luiz ‘a joy to watch’, ‘an absolute star’ and ‘the best player in the team’ at one point.

On that basis, you’d think that Gerrard and sporting director Johan Lange would put up more of a fight to try and keep the 23-year-old at Villa Park.

In other news, a new English target has emerged for Gerrard and Villa

West Ham United have been handed a huge boost ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture this Saturday.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Tom Clark’s recent report for Football.London, in which the West Ham correspondent revealed that both Kurt Zouma and Tomas Soucek are back in contention for the trip to Manchester United this weekend, as the duo are set to return to training this week following their respective recoveries from injury and illness.

Central midfielder Soucek has been unavailable for selection for the Hammers’ last two fixtures after falling ill due to the ongoing viral pandemic, while centre-back Zouma has been absent for six weeks after picking up a hamstring injury in the 3-2 win over Chelsea in December.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how important both Soucek and Zouma are within David Moyes’ squad, the news that the duo could make a return to first-team football this weekend is sure to have left the London Stadium faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over Zouma’s 11 Premier League appearances this season, the £28.8m-rated defender has helped his side keep two clean sheets and scored one goal, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 0.6 tackles, 5.2 clearances and winning 60% of his duels per game.

These returns have seen the £120k-per-week man average a SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as the Hammers’ joint 10th-best player in the top flight of English football.

Meanwhile, over Soucek’s 20 league outings, the £40.5m-rated midfielder has scored three goals, registered one assist and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 2.3 tackles, three clearances and winning 6.7 duels per fixture.

These metrics have seen the £47k-per-week man average a SofaScore match rating of 6.99, ranking him as Moyes’ seventh-best performer in the division.

As such, it is clear for all to see that the return of both players will come as a huge boost to West Ham’s chances of leaving Old Trafford with all three points on Saturday afternoon – a result that would very much strengthen the Hammers’ top-four credentials this season.

In other news: “A deal is there…”: Ex drops teasing transfer claim that will have WHU fans sweating