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West Brom boss Slaven Bilic is under pressure at the Hawthorns.

According to the reliable John Percy at the Telegraph, the Croatian’s position in charge of the Baggies is under intense scrutiny going into a tough run of Premier League fixtures, which includes games against Spurs and Manchester United.

Albion sit third-bottom on three points and are yet to win in seven attempts.

One of their biggest issues has been keeping clean sheets – no other top-flight side has leaked more than West Brom, who have conceded 16 goals. That’s nearly 2.3 goals per game.

It’s not been helped by the sale of experienced defender Ahmed Hegazi but as a manager, he should be able work his way around it.

Given the threat on offer in the next two games, an in-form duo of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son as well as an attack featuring the likes of Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, Bilic should look to tinker his defence.

He must make a cut-throat call on Darnell Furlong, who has been very underwhelming as of late and as he’s an attack-minded full-back, it would be wise to stick someone with more defensive nous on the right.

On Monday night during the defeat at Fulham, the 25-year-old was among the worst performers – per SofaScore, he was dribbled past on four occasions, lost possession 22 times and made just 57% of 37 passing attempts.

Do you really think he’s going to be able to contain either Son or Rashford when he’s managing just 0.8 tackles per appearance this season?

Bilic needs to be ruthless and drop the Baggies lightweight, to instead call upon Dara O’Shea.

The Irishman is only second to Conor Gallager for tackles in the Albion squad, averaging a whopping 3.3 per game. He is also recording 3.5 clearances, 1.8 interceptions and a passing accuracy of 74.3% on average per match, via WhoScored.

These are all figures above what Furlong, who earns around £18.5k-per-week in the west Midlands, is doing. It seems like an easy switch to make, and one that may well help keep him in the job for another week.

AND in other news, skipper Jake Livermore at risk as a new midfield talent emerges at the Hawthorns…

Alan Hutton has tipped Southampton to be amongst the clubs interested in Tottenham’s Harry Winks during the January transfer window.

Winks on the move

The 24-year-old England international has played just four Premier League matches this term for Spurs, which could see him move on during the January window.

Former Rangers player Hutton certainly believes he should move on in a couple of months. Not only that, he has listed the Saints as a potential destination when talking to Football Insider. He said when asked whether he could make a move to Leeds:

“Of course, Leeds – even at the moment you look at the likes of Southampton or Leicester – teams that play football the way he would want to play football.

“When you talk about these sort of teams, there’s competition there already. So this is the thing, he’s gonna want to play minutes.

“If he goes down a notch to say a lower half team, is he going to show his potential as much as he would like if he’s doing a little bit more defending rather than maybe getting on the ball and all the pretty things that he likes to do? That’s why I say it’s a hard decision because it is.”

Interesting move

Winks may not be a guaranteed starter under Jose Mourinho, but he is still a player with plenty of quality. He has eight caps for England, for example, and former Tottenham academy coach Russell Small previously compared Winks to none other than former France World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane. Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino was also a fan, calling him “amazing”.

With the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Oriol Romeu and Will Smallbone in central midfield, a new player in the middle of the park does not appear to be something Ralph Hasenhuttl desperately needs. Currently valued at £25.2m (Transfermarkt), it remains to be seen whether the south coast side do make a move for Winks.

In other news, Southampton fans laud this current Saints star.

Glasgow Rangers signing Kemar Roofe from Belgian giants Anderlecht on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee in the summer may have raised some eyebrows.

After all, the Jamaican striker bagged seven times in 16 games during an injury-stricken season at the Brussels club, which may have given Rangers fans some cause for concern.

But, fast forward to the beginning of December, and the versatile forward has been directly involved in eight goals in just 13 games for Steven Gerrard’s side, including five goals and an assist in the Scottish Premiership so far this season, which is a pretty impressive return.

Whilst Roofe scored a strike for the ages from inside his own half against Standard Liege in the Europa League in October, it is his overall contribution that cannot go unnoticed.

Although he was largely starved of service, the 27-year-old was noticeably dropping deeper to try and bring others into play like Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent, but at times he cut a frustrated figure as he was often left isolated on the right wing.

During his time at Leeds United, the Walsall-born striker was often tasked with leading the line as the lone frontman, but a look at his heatmaps so far this season shows a remarkable difference, as he isn’t afraid to drop into his own half and build up play from the back.

With Roofe seemingly the flavour of the month after Gerrard waxed lyrical about his “impressive” work rate, the Ibrox boss should seriously consider starting the Jamaican behind wily veteran Jermain Defoe to face Ross County at Victoria Park, as the poacher could turn provider by working hard to create space for others.

Once hailed as a “top professional” by former Leeds boss Paul Heckingbottom, this campaign could see Roofe add another element to his game, and bring the best out of Defoe upfront.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard must bench Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos for the foreseeable future…

Liverpool look to have been handed a huge blow as Pini Zahavi, the agent of reported transfer target David Alaba, has named the four clubs he is keen for the 28-year-old to join this summer, and that list does not include Liverpool.

The Austrian international looks set to leave Bayern Munich on a free transfer this summer when his contract expires, which has reportedly attracted the interest of the Reds.

However, it was revealed earlier this week by Zahavi that the versatile defender, who is valued at £58.5 million, is eyeing a move to either Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG or Chelsea in the summer, which undoubtedly comes as a blow for Jurgen Klopp.

Alaba has been superb for Bayern Munich since switching to centre-back under Hans-Dieter Flick, with his performances in the Bundesliga last season earning him a very solid 6.99 rating, as he helped the German giants win the Bundesliga and the Champions League.

Therefore, it is no surprise that Europe’s elite are targeting the 28-year-old ahead of next season, and he could have been a superb addition to Klopp’s squad, when you consider the injury problems that they have faced this season.

Alaba’s versatility means that he could easily fill in at centre-back alongside the likes of Virgil van Dijk or Joe Gomez, and he is left-footed, which is something the Reds don’t currently have in a central-defender, so he could’ve added a bit more balance to the back four.

He can also play as a left-back and could have been the man to fill in for Andrew Robertson if he was ever injured or rested.

The Austrian also plays in central midfield for his country, so could’ve easily filled in there if required by Klopp.

Pep Guardiola was full of praise for Alaba when he was in charge of Bayern Munich, saying:

“He’s an unbelievable talent. He can play anywhere. He’s quick, is good in the build-up and is always 100 per cent focused. Without doubt, he can be one of the best centre-backs in the world. He’s a huge gift for Bayern.”

Therefore, it is definitely fair to suggest that Liverpool look to have been handed a huge blow by not being included on Zahavi’s list of where Alaba is likely to head this summer, as he is undoubtedly a top player who would prosper in Klopp’s squad.

And, in other news… Forget Gini: LFC should secure future of 6 foot 3 “monster” set to leave in June…

After slipping to yet another defeat in the Championship – albeit one they perhaps may have expected – Nottingham Forest are deep in the midst of a relegation battle 17 games into the season.

Chris Hughton’s side lost 2-1 to high-flyers Norwich in mid-week, and although they ended a horrific run without scoring in the clash, they had no points to show by the end of it.

And with their next opponents, Brentford, enjoying another season full of promotion potential, Forest face an extremely tall order to end their winless streak.

Hughton will surely have to make some big changes to try and spark some life into his side and get them back to winning ways.

Despite the fact Brice Samba hasn’t been entirely convincing this season – his clanger against Reading was particularly awful – Hughton may resist the temptation to drop his number one for this game.

In front of him, the Forest boss could make the big call to finally drop Tobias Figueiredo after his latest shocker in mid-week, and that could see veteran defender Michael Dawson come in.

Further forward, Anthony Knockaert’s goal against the Canaries may see him return to the starting line-up in place of Sammy Ameobi, and Hughton could well get the Frenchman to start on the right hand side and get Joe Lolley to move over to the left in a bid to change things up.

Predicted XI: Samba; Christie, Dawson, Worrall, Ribeiro; Sow, Cafu; Knockaert, Arter, Lolley; Taylor.

With Aston Villa enjoying a superb start to the new Premier League season, there has been no real reason for Dean Smith to start chopping and changing his side.

After all, why fix something that ain’t broke? But with injuries beginning to take their toll amidst a heavy festive schedule, some of the club’s more fringe players have earned a few more opportunities than they normally would have done, and no-one has grasped it better perhaps than Anwar El Ghazi.

The Netherlands international didn’t take to the field for Villa’s first six Premier League games of the campaign, and didn’t even make the match-day squad for half of them.

But with Ross Barkley and Trezeguet being ruled out in recent weeks, a door has opened for El Ghazi to stake his claim for more regular first-team football at Villa Park, and his display on Saturday afternoon delivered a major statement to Dean Smith.

Despite being down to ten-men, Villa raced to a resounding 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace, and El Ghazi was at the heart of everything that was so good about Smith’s side.

The winger was never afraid to try things and take on his full-back, and he was always causing danger for the opposition with his directness and relentless hunt for a goal.

And sometimes that did more harm than good, with El Ghazi racking up a whopping five shots in total just by himself, and when he probably could have tried to pick out a teammate in a better position.

But, his hard work and endeavour were eventually rewarded when he scored a fine goal mid-way into the second-half to make it 3-0 and clinch the game in Villa’s favour – that led to The Birmingham Mail’s Villa correspondent, Ashley Preece, to declare El Ghazi was “on flames”.

In total, as per Sofascore, he lost possession 22 times over the course of the match – by far the most of any Villa player on the day. But that just doesn’t tell the whole story of how the Dutchman continued to take risks to try and find the back of the net.

When Barkley and Trezeguet eventually make their returns back to first-team contention, Smith will have a major decision to make. El Ghazi’s display against Palace has just given him a huge, but welcome, headache.

With Aston Villa facing the incredible situation of having to play their FA Cup tie against Liverpool tonight with no first-team players whatsoever, there might be one very important silver lining for the club.

Dean Smith and the senior squad will all be unavailable for the visit of the Reds, with Villa having to field a line-up of players from their U23s and U18s set-up.

And one starlet who Mark Delaney – the man who will be in the dugout for Villa tonight – must surely unleash, is Louie Barry.

Speaking after his arrival, Smith said: “Louie has been an academy signing first and foremost but he is one with an awful lot of potential.

“I saw him for 20 minutes in a game last week for the under-23s. He has really good movement and is a bright young kid. I am sure he will be a hit at Aston Villa but we can’t forget he is only 16. I am excited by the potential he has got, that is for sure. That is why we have gone and got him.”

The now 17-year-old has been in prolific form at Premier League 2 level this season, bagging an impressive six goals in just nine games in the competition, including showing his versatility by playing through the middle and out wide.

The club’s academy manager, Mark Harrison, declared: “He is still a very young man but as he’s developed, he’s always been one player that you always recognise as having outstanding attributes. He’s got a fantastic mentality, he’s desperate to do well for this football club.”

Barry’s style of play is something that Villa fans will surely be excited about too, with Harrison adding: “As a player, his real strength is his work rate, he’s constantly pressurising the opposition when they are on the ball, looking to create opportunities for himself to nick the ball high up the pitch.

“He is quick, and looks to play off the shoulders of the defenders, always looking for space behind them to be able to run into. He’s good in 1v1s and scores a lot of goals from balls in behind that he can run onto. He’s very much in the mould of a Jamie Vardy.”

With Villa up against it tonight, Barry might be the player to really steal the limelight.

Speaking to Football Insider, talkSPORT regular Gabriel Agbonlahor has been wowed by Jarrod Bowen and has admitted he fully deserves a pay rise in reaction to claims from The Athletic over an increase to his salary – going on to say is it is a ‘great bit of business for West Ham’. 

Bowen has been a mainstay for David Moyes since arriving in 2020, starting 16 Premier League games in total this campaign alone, and reliable journalist David Ornstein claims the attacker has received a significant increase in salary after passing 30 appearances in all competitions for the Irons.

Agbonlahor hails Bowen business

In reaction to this development, Agbonlahor has heaped praise on the ‘great bit of business’ for West Ham with Bowen whilst claiming he will be a ‘star’.

“For me, he’s a quality player,” explained the talkSPORT regular to Football Insider. 

“The pay rise he’s got he deserves because he’s been outstanding this season.

“I’m sure now he just wants to get a few more goals and assists now to back up these great performances because he’s definitely going to be a star.

“It’s a great bit of business for West Ham.”

Transfer Tavern take

Given Bowen’s contribution for the Hammers this season, scoring four times and grabbing two assists (Whoscored), it’s hard to argue with the former Premier League striker’s assessment – and he is fully deserving of his reward.

Time will tell whether he does become a star for Moyes, but you wouldn’t bet against it based off this season.

In other news: West Ham fans reacted to these ‘unbelievable’ links, find out more here.

This hasn’t exactly been an easy January for Leeds United to negotiate. Heading into their clash with Newcastle this week, they’d yet to score or win in 2021.

On top of that, they’ve also failed to strengthen in the January transfer window.

On the chalkboard

Fortunately, things are getting better for Leeds. They defeated the Magpies 2-1 on Tuesday and now it looks as though enigmatic left-back Gjanni Alioski is heading for the exit door.

A report from Fotosport (via Sport Witness) claim that with Alioski’s contract expiring in the summer, he has reached an agreement with Galatasaray in Turkey to move there in the next transfer window.

Players are free to discuss a pre-contract arrangement with foreign clubs from this month onwards if their deal expires in six months and thus, it appears the North Macedonian is set to bring his stay at Elland Road to an end.

This wouldn’t be a huge loss for Leeds, however, who are bound to be frustrated with some of his performances. He was torn apart by Manchester United and Daniel James last month while he put in another unconvincing performance against Newcastle this week.

Previously described as a “liability” by Noel Whelan, it’s unlikely he’ll be missed too much in Yorkshire.

The solution

Leeds have had a problem at left-back for a number of years now. Ever since Charlie Taylor departed for Burnley, they have been found wanting in that area of the pitch. Gaetano Berardi deputised there for a period but he has one of the worst disciplinary records in the club’s history, being red-carded on seven occasions.

Stuart Dallas has played there and so too has Alioski. Though, the fact of the matter is that neither are natural left-backs. The former is used to playing on the right while the latter is a winger by trade.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-leeds-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Leeds news!”]

It’s hard to suggest Barry Douglas’ time worked out either. He’s now at Blackburn on loan and failed to score for the Whites despite being a set-piece wizard for Wolves before arriving.

Thus, there is a pretty large problem to solve – one that can be fixed by signing a proper left-back.

In Josh Doig they could well find that. The Hibernian youngster has been linked with a move to Sunderland, Leeds, Manchester City and Celtic in recent days in a switch that could cost £1m.

Not only would this be a bargain for Victor Orta, but it would also help to replace Alioski perfectly. That’s because they possess similar qualities.

In Goal’s report about Doig this week, they wrote the following about the 18-year-old: “Scouts have noted Doig’s attacking output as a huge part of his game, with his crossing ability and tireless running two of his key attributes.”

That sounds an awful like Alioski, someone who loves to stride forward and provide goals and assists. Fortunately, however, Doig is also very capable defensively.

The teenager was only given his first taste of senior football this season but has since played on 17 occasions in the Scottish Premiership. He has become a regular under Jack Ross and is incredibly strong in the tackle.

Doig has won a colossal 2.1 tackles per game this season, a tally that not only usurps Alioski (1.8) but also a great deal of Leeds’ team. In fact, the Hibs defender would be placed fifth for that certain statistic out of United’s regular starters.

Leeds have lacked a defender with the ability to do the simple things right from a defensive point of view for a while and that’s exactly why they need to sign Doig. Add that to the fact he’d cost just £1m and this would be the perfect deal for Marcelo Bielsa.

AND in other news, 3 new signings, Bielsa favourite axed: How Leeds’ XI could look after deadline day…

Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch has defended the Reds’ owners Fenway Sports’ Group (FSG) over their alleged transfer stance this month.

Crouch defends FSG

This comes after The Athletic journalist David Ornstein revealed that the Reds are not expected to bring any first-team faces through the door, despite being short of options in their central defensive area.

Both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are out with serious knee injuries, while Joel Matip continues to struggle with fitness issues. This leaves manager Jurgen Klopp with no established centre-halves to choose from.

This had led to criticism of the club’s owners, with some even wanting the American consortium out of the club entirely.

While the German tactician hinted that he would like to bring someone in, Crouch defended the owners and added that it is not in their nature to panic buy.

“I think the criticism [of the owners] is a little bit unfair to not bring one in,” Crouch told the Liverpool Echo. “They are obviously trying, they have to be.

“It was earmarked for definite, without doubt, that they need a centre-back. I think that is clear for everyone to see.

“But what I like about how Liverpool have gone about their business in recent years is there has been no panic buying has there?

“Never once have you thought ‘ah they are just trying to fill a gap there’. Every single buy has always had a point or a reason and it has always improved the team.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Crouch is right – these are not normal times for any football club to be operating in, let alone an elite one of Liverpool’s prestige.

Let’s not forget, the club spent over £60m in the summer on two top drawer players, both of whom have suffered injuries this season.

The Reds have climbed back to the top of their perch thanks to shrewd and careful transfer business, so any centre-back move they do make now or in the summer must be yet another measured one.

In other news, Pundit backs £180k-p/w Liverpool star who Jamie Carragher slated.