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Lots of West Brom fans have been left blasting the display of Grady Diangana in their 0-0 draw away at Blackpool in the Championship on Tuesday night.

The attacking players for the away team failed to deliver for Valerien Ismael, and Diangana was no exception as they could only manage to take one point away.

The former West Ham United man lost out on five of his duels, and failed to record a single shot on target, dribble or long ball, while he was also guilty of losing possession of the ball on no fewer than on 16 separate occasions in the game (SofaScore).

It was no surprise that he was hauled off after just 61 minutes for Callum Robinson with the score still level, in what was a frustrating night for the 23-year-old.

West Brom fans on Diangana performance

These Baggies blasted his display on Twitter, with one WBA supporter even going as far as to claim that he was ‘awful’:

“Diangana terrible, Grant not much better.”

Credit: @jonesy68

“Finally waste of space Diangana”

Credit: @ColbertFitz

“Diangana is very poor. Needs to come off and take a look at himself.”

Credit: @pwilletts1950

“How poor is Diangana. Absolutely awful.”

Credit: @GrahamCroom

“Look better in midfield without Livermore, I’d take Diangana off at half time he’s been appalling”

Credit: @BradSmith_24

“I did think Hugill was our worst ever signing but Diangana is running him a close 2nd lately”

Credit: @Digforgold1

In other news, find out whose display against Blackpool was also slammed here!

After suffering their first defeat under new manager Steven Gerrard in midweek with their 2-1 loss against Manchester City, Aston Villa welcome Leicester City to Villa Park this Sunday for their next Premier League fixture.

Ahead of the match against the Foxes, it seems as though the Villans could have a double injury boost handed to them just in time for the clash, which will have lots of fans thrilled.

What’s the news?

Speaking after the City defeat, Gerrard shed some light over the injury that Villa left-back Matt Targett picked up which forced him off the pitch in the second half against Pep Guardiola’s side.

The Villa boss revealed that the 26-year-old had “a little bit of a knock” but will “hopefully” be available for the match against Leicester, which should put to bed any concerns that some fans may have had on the defender.

Additionally, Gerrard said that they were “protecting” Jacob Ramsey by not playing him against City so that he will also “hopefully” be fit enough to feature at the weekend.

Taking this into account, it seems as though there is reason to be optimistic for everyone at Villa that Targett and Ramsey will be fit enough to play against Leicester so that they can get back to winning ways after their midweek setback.

With Gerrard set to speak to the media at some point before Sunday’s clash, lots of Villa fans will undoubtedly have their fingers crossed that the 41-year-old will have a definite answer as to whether the duo will be fit enough to play this weekend.

Having played in all but one of Villa’s Premier League games so far this season, Targett has shown how useful he is for the side. It will be a big boost for them if he’s fit enough to play on Sunday, having averaged 1.6 tackles, 1.3 clearances and 1.2 interceptions per game in the league.

Similarly with Ramsey, the 20-year-old had only missed one league game this season prior to the City match as he tries to cement himself as an important midfield option for the Villans.

Looking ahead to the clash against Leicester, with Brendan Rodgers’ side only winning one of their five previous league games, Gerrard will definitely see this as a great opportunity for his team to pick up three points, hopefully with Targett and Ramsey being able to play a part in the process.

In other news: This Villa man was an “absolute revelation” v Man City…

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has suffered a fresh injury blow with Rodrigo now ruled out for the Premier League clash against Chelsea this weekend.

What’s the story?

A statement from the club read: “Rodrigo has been suffering from bilateral heel pain for some time. The player and medical staff have deemed it necessary to reduce his activity for the time being, in order to aid his long-term recovery.”

Bielsa will be worried

If you thought things were just beginning to ease up slightly for Leeds on the injury front with the returns of Luke Ayling and Patrick Bamford last weekend, think again.

The Whites’ disastrous luck with injuries has struck again, and not only will they be without talisman Kalvin Phillips for an extended period of time, their club-record signing in Rodrigo is set to be missing for a while too.

The Spaniard has scored just twice in 15 games in all competitions this term, and what has been particularly disappointing is that he has been given a runout as the sole centre-forward in Patrick Bamford’s absence.

The former Valencia man has shown flashes of his ability, and it was a particularly impressive performance against West Ham which really caught the eye of The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “I thought Rodrigo’s false nine performance on Saturday was worth another look. Lots to admire and ponder in his positioning, movement, interplay and switches of position with Raphinha. More displays like that could spark Leeds United into life.”

With Rodrigo now out for the foreseeable future, even more of the goalscoring onus is placed on the shoulders of Bamford, who could really do with some help having just returned from injury himself.

This latest update on Rodrigo is sure to have Bielsa worried.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign a Rodrigo upgrade in this star…

Speaking to Sky Sports, former Tottenham midfielder and pundit Jamie O’Hara claims that Dele Alli ‘needs to leave’ Spurs to ‘resurrect’ his career.

The Lowdown: Alli the next in line to leave

With the Antonio Conte era well underway, the list of possible incomings and outgoings at Hotspur Way is growing, with Tanguy Ndombele expected to be one of the names to depart in 2022.

And, according to a report by The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Alli will also be allowed to leave the club in January, most likely on a loan deal.

The 25-year-old has been out of favour at Tottenham following the arrival of Conte, having played just two minutes of Premier League football under the Italian.

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The midfielder has suffered a major decline in recent years, after first being dropped by former manage José Mourinho. In December 2019, Alli was given a market valuation of £90m, a number which is now just £27m.

The Latest: O’Hara says Alli needs to leave Spurs

In an interview with Sky Sports, O’Hara was asked about the reports of Alli’s potential departure. The pundit gave his opinion, claiming that it’s ‘good news’ for both Tottenham and Alli, as he believes that the player needs to leave to ‘resurrect’ his career.

“He started the season well, and then he’s fallen away again, he needs to leave now, he needs to leave.

“He needs to go and resurrect his career somewhere else, go and play some football, get his confidence back and get that fire in his belly back, that’s what he’s missing.

“He’s lost his desire and his determination. You look at Dele Alli, there is a player in there, he needs to go and find it.

“He’s lost his way at Spurs, he’s not in the plans and it’s time for him to move on.”

The Verdict: Alli could thrive elsewhere

It is undeniable that Alli is a talented footballer. In 265 games for Tottenham, he has scored 67 goals and has produced 61 assists from a midfield position – even despite his poor form and questionable attitude under the last couple of managers, those numbers are not to be sniffed at.

Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos once hailed Alli as ‘undoubtedly good enough for Real Madrid’, which points to a player with enormous potential. Even more recently, Sir Alex Ferguson revealed that he thought ‘Dele Alli was going to be a top player’.

At just 25-years-old, the former wonderkid still has lots of time to get himself firing back to his previous best – O’Hara believes that he needs to move elsewhere to do this, and he’s probably right given the lack of playing time under Conte so far.

An update has emerged on Everton’s pursuit of Scotland international right-back Nathan Patterson…

What’s the talk?

According to The Guardian, the Toffees are set to go back in for the Rangers defender in January to bolster Rafa Benitez’s squad.

The report claims that the Blues had a £9m offer rejected for the full-back in the summer and are now set to make another attempt at signing him.

Axe him

Everton boss Benitez can finally axe £68k-per-week defender Seamus Coleman from the starting XI by landing a deal for Patterson in January.

The 33-year-old, who was recently blasted for a “disaster” against Liverpool by Ally McCoist, has been in poor form this season and the timing could be right for him to be eased out of the team. He has averaged a dismal WhoScored rating of 6.51 in the Premier League, after averaging an unimpressive score of 6.65 last term too.

Unfortunately, Jonjoe Kenny has not been good enough when given a chance to show that he can be the long-term successor to the Irishman. The 24-year-old averaged a score of 6.04 in the top-flight last season and has played twice this term – scoring 6.15 and 6.28.

This is where Patterson may come in. If Everton can secure a deal for the right-back then he could replace Coleman in the XI and allow the veteran to play a supporting role in the squad, rather than being someone who is relied upon week-in-week-out.

Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor once heaped praise on the 20-year-old Rangers gem, saying: “He’s been absolutely first class. You can tell he’s a real talent – even from the first day he trained with us in the summer.

“You could see his quality, his athleticism. And it’s great to see him make such a big impact, getting off the mark with a goal. He needs to just keep his head down and keep working hard. Other experienced boys will keep him on the right track, keep him honest.”

Patterson has averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.87 for Scotland in their World Cup qualifiers, producing one goal and one assist from full-back in four matches. He also averaged a rating of 6.94 in the Europa League for the Gers last term, scoring once in four outings.

Whilst this is not a wealth of data to bank on, he has plenty of room to develop – at the age of 20 – and these statistics are promising signs of the player the beast could become. Therefore, he could be an exciting signing for Everton as he has potential to improve and could compete for the right-back spot, allowing Benitez to finally axe Coleman from his place as a first-team regular.

AND in other news, “I can see that happening”: Exciting transfer claim should leave Everton fans buzzing…

Leeds United are among the teams interested in a move for Joe Rodon this January…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Telegraph reporter Mike McGrath, who claims the Yorkshiremen are monitoring the Welshman’s situation at Tottenham Hotspur heading into next month.

They will, however, face competition from Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion, as well as Newcastle United, who appear to be the front-runners to seal him on loan.

Rodon has struggled for game time at Spurs since his £11m move from Swansea City in October 2020 and he doesn’t appear to be in Antonio Conte’s immediate plans.

Shades of Ben White

It wouldn’t be the first time that Bielsa looks to the loan market for a defensive addition and in fact, the last time he did this it paid serious dividends.

During their title-winning 2019/20 campaign, the Argentine signed Ben White for the season from the Seagulls and he emerged as one of their stand-out performers, leading to him being named in the PFA Team of the Year and the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Player of the Year award.

He’s now shining elsewhere at Arsenal, who defeated the Whites last weekend, but a short-term stint at Elland Road for Rodon could be best for all parties.

The 6 foot 4 colossus has perhaps been treated unfairly in north London, failing to even get in the starting lineup at centre-back ahead of international teammate Ben Davies, who is a full-back by trade.

In the Championship, Rodon was arguably one of the best talents in the division, so much so that he earned lofty comparisons to the likes of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand.

“He’s right up there in terms of position for his age,” said Sky Sports EFL pundit Andy Hinchcliffe. “I think what you tend to do with young centre-halves is look at the greats of the Premier League. You look at Rio Ferdinand and John Terry and there are elements of both in Rodon’s game.”

The £18m-rated defender has often excelled for Wales, especially in the summer at Euro 2020. Such performances have been described as “flawless”, whilst journalist Ian Mitchelmore has even dubbed him a “special player” in the past too.

At the weekend, it was returning vice-captain Luke Ayling and Robin Koch, who had been absent since August, in the middle, so it is clear that Bielsa needs more options at centre-back.

Meanwhile, Rodon desperately needs game time, so a swoop this winter makes the world of sense.

In the Spurs outcast, United could well discover their next White and that should make him a very appealing candidate next month.

AND in other news, Leeds can seal Bielsa’s dream signing in £18m-rated “machine”, he’s better than Klich…

 An update has emerged on Rangers’ search to bring in a new centre-back to Ibrox in January…

What’s the talk?

According to Dutch outlet de Gelderlander, the Gers are keeping tabs on Vitesse Arnhem defender Danilho Doekhi as they consider a swoop this month.

The report claims that Napoli and Dinamo Zagreb are also in for his signature, with the enforcer potentially available now as his contract with the Eredivisie club expires at the end of the season.

Bye-bye Goldson

Giovanni van Bronckhorst could find his dream replacement for Connor Goldson by sealing a deal for Doekhi in the January window.

The 29-year-old’s contract is up in the summer and he could be set to leave Ibrox on a free transfer, leaving behind a big hole to fill at centre-back. The ex-Brighton defender has been crucial to the club’s recent success, starting 52 matches in the Premiership since the beginning of last season, but he has been linked with an exit from the Light Blues in recent weeks.

In Doekhi, Rangers could sign a player to come in and take his place. The 23-year-old has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.01 for Vitesse this term, making 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game an winning 65% of his individual duels.

His manager Thomas Letsch hailed the defender’s talents earlier this year, saying: “Danilho is extremely important. He is one of the best center-backs of the Eredivisie.

“Of course there is more talk about Oussama Tannane, Riechedly Bazoer and the attacking players. But it is very important for the team that you are stable and prevent goals. Everyone is responsible for that, but Doekhi, Jacob Rasmussen and also Tomas Hajek do a super job.

“He already played fantastic last year and this season he has performed at the highest level in every game. Danilho makes almost no mistakes and is an absolute team player, a very calm player. flat developed. He coaches other players very well. He is calmer than other players and perhaps that makes him less noticeable, but he is the reserve captain for a reason.”

At the age of 23, Doekhi also has plenty of room left to develop. This means that Van Bronckhorst can coach him into being perfect for his system at Ibrox and potentially improve his value, making him an asset on the pitch straight away and financially further down the line for the club.

Therefore, he could be a dream replacement for Goldson, as he is currently impressing in the Dutch top flight and has the potential to improve further. It is now down to Ross Wilson and the ex-Feyenoord boss to convince him to make the switch to Scotland and become the 46-year-old’s first signing since taking the managerial reins at Ibrox.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst heading for first Rangers disaster as big £5m update drops, it’ll infuriate the fans…

Liverpool transfer target Renato Sanches could be the closest thing to Jurgen Klopp getting his own Steven Gerrard…

What’s the story?

Fabrizio Romano recently claimed that the Portugal international is on the list of targets the Reds have, and that a number of clubs, including Serie A giants Milan continue to have their eye on him.

Klopp’s own Gerrard

Klopp himself has previously admitted that Gerrard would be the one player he wished could have managed, saying: “That’s easy. It’s Stevie. When we played in Sydney three or four years ago and after the season we didn’t have a proper team and we invited (former players Steve) McManaman, (Daniel) Agger, Jamie Carragher and Stevie.

“Stevie and me together in the roles, he as the man on the pitch and me as a coach that would have been nice.”

While Klopp may have missed the boat on that one, he can find a midfielder equally as exciting and industrious in Sanches.

The Portuguese ace has been dubbed as a “machine” and as a “complete athlete”, and his box-to-box dynamism and drive is something that saw Bayern Munich icon Lothar Matthaus waxing lyrical about after an eye-catching goal against Benfica.

He said: “The way Sanches began and then scored the goal, it was similar to how I played. The commitment, dynamism, speed, participation, steadiness – he could have fallen twice en route to goal. But he wanted to get the goal he needed – he prevailed and received his reward. In that sense, he really reminded me of myself.”

As per FBREF, the 24-year-old completed 65.5% of his dribbles last season in Ligue 1, while he made 8.37 progressive carries per 90 minutes – a real indication of the kind of power and energy he shows when driving through midfield.

The £27m-rated powerhouse could well be Liverpool’s natural successor to Gerrard in the middle of the park.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has dropped an exciting Liverpool transfer update…

Even though Aston Villa have been active in the current January transfer window in bringing new players into the club such as Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne, it seems as though there are still some question marks over the future of one of the current players in Steven Gerrard’s squad that could have some fans sweating.

What’s the news?

In a recent online Q&A from Birmingham Live, Villa journalist Ashley Preece was asked what the current situation is regarding Carney Chukwuemeka after it was previously reported by The Guardian that the midfielder will not be signing a new deal at the Midlands club due to lack of regular first-team action.

In response, Preece had this to say on the matter.

“I’ve since quizzed Gerrard on this and it’s clear that the manager wants him to stay. He’s got 18 months left on his current deal – there will be some big hitters from Europe who’ll be keen to take him. Gerrard is urging him to commit his future to Villa.”

Fans sweating

Considering the teenager’s considerable potential at Villa Park, this situation is likely to leave plenty of supporters of the club sweating about his future.

The 18-year-old, who has worked his way through Villa’s youth ranks, has made a total of 63 appearances for the club’s senior and youth sides, scoring 13 goals and providing 14 assists in the process.

Out of those 63 appearances, ten of them have come in Villa’s senior side with six of them coming this season in the Premier League.

Even though he’s made five appearances for Villa since Gerrard was appointed as Villa manager back in mid-November, all of them have been off the substitutes bench, showing why Chukwuemeka may have some concerns about his playing time if he feels he’s ready to be a regular starter for the team.

The fact that Gerrard is apparently urging the midfielder to sign a new deal at Villa shows just how much he rates him and wants to keep the youngster in his squad and why the fans would be concerned by the current situation the player has put himself in.

The best outcome in this situation would be for Gerrard to convince Chukwuemeka to sign a new deal at Villa and put to bed any speculation about his future.

However, if this were to happen, the Villa boss would have to make sure he gets sufficient playing time so that he doesn’t become unhappy and then run the risk of seeing the club lose one of their brightest young prospects.

In other news: Villa could secure another transfer masterclass with £49k-p/w gem who “has everything” – opinion 

Wolves have rejected Tottenham’s £15million bid for Adama Traore, according to reliable journalist John Percy.

The Lowdown: Constant Traore exit rumour

The 25-year-old has been continually linked with an exit from Molineux in recent weeks, whether it be for the January transfer window or this summer.

Bruno Lage seemingly doesn’t see Traore as part of his plans moving forward, with some reports even suggesting the manager has green-lighted an exit, so it feels inevitable that he will leave the club in the near future.

Spurs are clearly the front-runners to snap up the Spaniard and a key update has now emerged regarding their pursuit of him.

The Latest: Wolves turn down £15m bid

According to The Telegraph‘s Percy, Wolves have turned down a £15million bid for Traore from the north Londoners, as the journalist claimed it is “becoming a bit of a saga” on Twitter.

Wanderers value the wide man at £20million and won’t budge until that amount is met.

The Verdict: Up the offer, Spurs

Spurs know what they have to do in order to get their man and it would benefit all parties if they simply up their offer and get a deal completed.

Traore himself is likely to jump at the chance of a fresh challenge – he has only managed ten starts in the Premier League this season – and Wolves can hopefully then use the money on a new signing this month.

While the Spain international has done good things in a Wolves shirt, his tendency to flatter to deceive means it is time for him to move on, with just 11 goals to his name in 153 appearances for the club.

In other news, some Wolves fans have reacted to a transfer exit rumour. Read more here.