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Celtic captain Callum McGregor has hailed Anton McElhone’s impact at Parkhead, Celts Are Here report.

The Lowdown: McElhone’s arrival

Postecoglou highlighted the need for a Head of Sport Science addition in Glasgow and brought in McElhone back in September.

The former Morton caretaker, who prefers a 4-2-3-1 system, has previously worked as a fitness coach at Tottenham and with MLS side New England Revolution.

Celtic have never officially confirmed McElhone’s arrival, so some might not even know he was at Parkhead, however, Postecoglou’s first backroom staff signing appears to be settling in nicely.

The Latest: McGregor’s comments

McGregor, who has been a regular this season, was quizzed on McElhone’s impact in a press conference on Tuesday, relayed by Celts Are Here.

This is what he had to say in reply, with the Hoops regular labelling the head of sports science as ‘a great personality’.

“It was a position that we were looking for throughout the summer in terms of trying to recruit the best type of people that we could get in the building with good knowledge.

“Anton’s certainly got that. He’s been at Spurs – worked in America – and he’s come in and been a great personality. He’s just helping the good work that’s been done as well.

“There are a lot of good guys in the building that are desperate to do well and get the boys fit and hungry on the pitch.

“Anton’s certainly come in and helped on top of that with the ideas that he’s brought from Tottenham and America.”

The Verdict: Good signs

McGregor has clearly been impressed by what McElhone has brought to Lennoxtown, and results have also been on the up in recent weeks.

The Hoops are unbeaten in six domestic games, winning their last four, and hopefully, things will only get better under Postecoglou and McElhone in the background.

There seems to be a feel-good factor at Celtic Park at this moment in time, which may have a lot to do with the work the likes of McElhone and others are putting in.

In other news: Nicholson may be close to Celtic signing with electric speed and the player has now spoken. 

Former Glasgow Rangers defender Richard Foster has been left slamming the defending by Connor Goldson that led to a Braga goal on Thursday night.

The Lowdown: Semi-final awaits

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team are through to the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League after beating Braga 3-1 on the night, meaning that they went through 3-2 on aggregate.

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They made hard work of it at times though at Ibrox, conceding a late goal while the visitors were down to ten men to force extra-time, but then got the job done as the Portuguese outfit had another man sent off.

The Latest: ‘Poor’ defending

Speaking on BBC Sportsound (via BBC Sport 21:58pm), Foster was not impressed with Goldson’s defending for Braga’s goal scored by David Carmo, claiming that it was ‘so poor’, and that he lost his man ‘so easily’ and ‘doesn’t stop him running’:

“The defending of the corner was so poor. It was very similar to how poor Braga have been all night at corners. I don’t know how Connor Goldson loses his man so easily, or doesn’t stop him running. Now Braga have something to hold on to.”

The Verdict: Can do better

Goldson will know that he could have done better for their goal, and there were other aspects of his game that were not quite up to scratch.

The central defender lost out on two of his duels, while he also made no interceptions and was inaccurate with a team-high 12 of his long balls, losing possession 22 times in total (SofaScore).

Nonetheless, all of his focus will now be on their Scottish Cup semi-final against bitter rivals Celtic on Sunday afternoon.

In other news, find out which six-foot-two menace Gers are now ‘chasing’ this summer here!

West Ham are reportedly interested in signing Manchester City centre-back Nathan Ake in order to make up for the loss of Angelo Ogbonna.

The Lowdown: Ake struggling for playing time

The £100,000-a-week Dutchman joined City in 2020 but he has found regular football hard to come by, with the likes of Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte and John Stones keeping him out of the team.

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Ake has only managed four starts in the Premier League so far this season, as well as just one in the Champions League, and he may want a fresh challenge soon. The 1.8m-tall (6 foot) defender was limited to just nine top-flight starts at the Etihad Stadium last term, too.

The 26-year-old has 23 caps to his name for the Netherlands and may want to be a key figure at club level ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

The Latest: West Ham keen on move

According to 90min, West Ham have identified Ake as a transfer target in January, seeing him as someone who can fill the void left by Ogbonna, who is out injured for the rest of the season.

It is stated that a loan move is on the offing, with a potential to sign him permanently at the end of the season.

The Verdict: Strong Ogbonna alternative

Ake may not have cut the mustard consistently for City, but he is still a hugely competent centre-back who Premier League-winning manager Pep Guardiola claimed is a ‘joy’ to have in his squad.

At 26, the former Chelsea defender is also approaching his prime years and he could not only make up for the loss of Ogbonna in the short run, he may even represent a long-term replacement for the 32-year-old Italian.

Ake has averaged three interceptions per game in the Champions League this season, showing he can excel at the highest level – Declan Rice (1.9) is West Ham’s top performer in the Premier League in that regard, so the Dutchman may add something new to the Irons’ line-up if he makes the move.

In other news, West Ham have been linked with an audacious swoop for one player. Find out who it is here.

With Ange Postecoglou being left with a rather decimated Celtic squad ahead of the trip to St. Johnstone on Sunday afternoon due to a number of injuries, the 56-year-old Bhoys boss may well have been worried of a repeat of the Hoops’ lacklustre 0-0 draw with St. Mirren on Wednesday evening.

However, despite losing talismanic centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi to yet another injury just 15 minutes into the fixture, two first-half strikes from Liel Abada gave Celtic the lead at the break, before the 20-year-old’s compatriot, Nir Bitton, all but secured three points for the Bhoys in the 81st minute of the match, shortly after Chris Kane had pulled one back for the hosts – with the game ending 3-1.

And, while Abada’s brace may well steal the headlines on Sunday afternoon, it was undoubtedly central midfielder and captain for the day, Bitton, who ran the show for Celtic on Sunday afternoon.

“Rampaging”

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch against St. Johnstone, the £720k-rated 30-year-old enjoyed 91 touches of the ball, completed 61 passes – three of which were key – his one attempted cross and three of his six attempted through balls, and took a whopping six shots at the Saints goal.

The £14k-per-week Israel international also impressed in a defensive capacity, making two tackles, one clearance, winning nine of his 13 attempted duels – a success rate of 69% – and drawing one foul for his side.

These returns saw the midfielder receive a rather extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 8.4 against the Saints, with only Abada earning a higher score than his international teammate.

Indeed, A Celtic State of Mind pundit Kevin Graham also appeared to be incredibly impressed with the 30-year-old’s performance on Sunday, stating of the 30-year-old: “Bitton is rampaging about the place as if he’s the Israeli Lionel Messi.”

And, considering his returns from the match, we would find it very difficult to disagree with Graham, as Bitton very much ran for Ange Postecoglou this afternoon.

In other news: Forget Jullien: Ange must seal Celtic swoop for £20k-p/w gem dubbed “one of the best”

After just over six months in charge, Rafael Benitez’s reign in charge of Everton came to an end shortly after their disappointing 2-1 defeat against Norwich City last weekend.

In the meantime, while the club looks for a new permanent manager, Duncan Ferguson has been given the role of caretaker boss to try and get Everton’s season back on track in the same way that he did when the club got rid of Marco Silva in December 2019 before Carlo Ancelotti came in.

One name who has been mentioned with the Everton job and who could be a good fit for the Toffees is former Derby County and Chelsea manager Frank Lampard.

In his first senior managerial job, he took charge of 57 games with the Rams, with 26 wins, 15 draws and 16 defeats along the way, taking them to the Championship play-off final in May 2019 at Wembley against Aston Villa.

In his second managerial role, the 43-year-old won 44 of his 84 games in charge at the club where he spent the majority of his playing career.

Labelled a “winner” by Noel Whelan, Lampard finished in the top four with Chelsea in his one full season in charge at Stamford Bridge despite having to deal with a transfer embargo, which could make him a suitable and potentially successful option for Everton given their Financial Fair Play issues of late.

In terms of a potential move to Everton, while he hasn’t lifted any trophies as a manager, Lampard still has sufficient experience to put him in the running to get back into the Premier League and continue his managerial career with the Toffees.

Given his massive knowledge of the league and his legendary status as a player, he could be a big hit at Goodison Park and bring some positive vibes back around the place after the constant fan protests against Benitez during the 61-year-old’s tenure, especially with 65% of voters from a recent Football FanCast poll suggesting that Lampard would be a good appointment for Everton.

Also, with the 43-year-old not currently in work, it could be a swift appointment for Farhad Moshiri to make so that the club can put this transitional period behind them and focus on ending the season on a high with renewed optimism for the future.

In other news: Everton must avoid another managerial disaster with “arrogant” 58 y/o, he’d be Rafa 2.0

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West Ham will reject a loan bid from FC Schalke for striker Lucas Perez before the transfer deadline, Football FanCast can confirm.

The Irons have thus far adopted a stance that they will not loan out any first-team players in this transfer window.

A BBC report claimed on Wednesday that the German club had lodged a loan offer for Perez, who has struggled for minutes thus far this season in east London.

However, the Irons would prefer to receive a transfer fee for Perez and value him at around £4million.

Perez has played 10 times in the Premier League, per Transfermarkt, but has yet to complete 90 minutes under Manuel Pellegrini in the top flight.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Nevertheless, Football FanCast understands the club intends to retain Perez as cover for Marko Arnautovic, who recently signed a new contract at the London Stadium, and Javier Hernandez.

Andy Carroll is injury-prone and as we exclusively revealed earlier this month, would likely be allowed to leave if a deadline day bid is tabled. However that appears unlikely, given his patchy fitness record and poor form when he has played.

Football FanCast also understand that Reece Oxford has been told that he can leave on loan, having failed to play a single minute for the first-team thus far this season.

It remains to be seen if an offer will be forthcoming that suits his needs, however.

Wolves right-back Nelson Semedo could return for his side’s Premier League clash with Newcastle United, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Semedo missing recently

The Portuguese ace has been out of action since the 2-1 defeat away to Arsenal in late February, having picked up a hamstring injury.

Prior to that setback, Semedo had started 23 Premier League matches for the Wanderers, proving to be an important part of Bruno Lage’s plans.

With Wolves visiting Newcastle on Friday evening, an injury boost may have emerged in the hours leading up to kick-off.

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The Latest: Dinnery makes key claim

Taking to Twitter, Dinnery, an injury analyst who runs the Premier Injuries site, claimed Semedo is in line to make a return to the side at St James’ Park:

“Nelson Semedo is training at a ‘good level’ and the right-back is in contention for the trip to St James’ Park.”

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The Verdict: Last-minute boost

This is a welcome boost for Wolves, and while Semedo may not be deemed match fit enough to start, the update suggests he will be able to play a key role between now and the end of the season.

Having the 28-year-old back in the fold means Jonny could revert to his preferred left-back role, giving the side an ideal balance in the two full-back positions.

Lage needs as many key men available in the final weeks of the season and Semedo certainly falls into that bracket, having averaged 2.3 tackles per game in the league this season. Only Toti (4.0) and Rayan Ait-Nouri (2.9) have a higher average.

In other news, Wolves are in a four-way battle to sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Many Everton fans have been left fuming as some early team news emerged ahead of their game at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match against Spurs on Sunday afternoon, Rafa Benitez has now confirmed (via Phil Kirkbride) that Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Yerry Mina and Andre Gomes are all injured and not available to take on Antonio Conte’s Lilywhites.

All four players made at least 29 appearances in total for the Goodison Park faithful over the course of the 2020/21 season, showing how important they are to the squad, and to have them all out really gives Benitez a lack of options to choose from.

In addition, the north Londoners will be expected to have a new manager bounce with the arrival of Conte, which will make the game doubly difficult for the Merseyside club.

Everton fans on team news

These Toffees fumed as the team news was shared on Twitter, with one Blues supporter claiming that it is indeed ‘bad news’:

“With no DCL, Doucoure or Mina we simply aren’t good enough. No matter how good Rafa is or isn’t we don’t have the quality. Remember this come Sunday night. The transfer window is massive for us”

Credit: @B3Bell

“The issue is with the alleged fit players that have been consistently sub standard. Godfrey, Digne, Coleman, Allan, Iwobi, Keane and Rondon. Frighteningly poor squad of players”

Credit: @DavepeoEFC

“A bit of a worry when you are relying on Delph and Tosun to change our fortune.”

Credit: @MacdoonJnr

“Doomed”

Credit: @nev1771

“More bad news”

Credit: @Thomas33466234

“Still have 2 goalies on the bench”

Credit: @mcgrathto

In other news, find out what international update has Evertonians rejoicing here!

Influential Wolves forward Pedro Neto is expected to return from a serious knee injury in February, according to journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Neto missing for Wolves

The 21-year-old is one of Wanderers’ most important players but they have had to make do without him since last April, having picked up a knee issue.

Neto has been a big miss, with his quality in attack proving crucial for Wolves last season, when five goals and six Premier League assists came his way before his injury.

Patience has been required with regards to the youngster’s comeback, but it appears as though the end is in sight.

The Latest: Spiers provides positive Neto update

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Spiers reiterated Bruno Lage’s confirmation that Neto is expected to be back in February, providing a six-word verdict.

He tweeted: “Neto likely back playing in Feb.”

The Verdict: Major boost for Wolves

This is a huge boost for Wolves, with Neto providing such an attacking spark with his direct running, trickery and end product.

Without him around, Lage’s side have managed to score just 13 times in 18 league matches this season, highlighting how much he has been missed since his injury.

While Neto needs to be managed carefully in the coming months, he can play a key role in Wolves’ push for a European finish, producing match-winning moments while his team remain tough to break down.

In other news, some Wolves fans love a photo that has emerged. Read more here.

Celtic have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their upcoming Scottish League Cup semi-final.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Daily Record, Stephen Welsh revealed that, despite being substituted due to a knock in Scotland U21’s 2-0 defeat to Belgium in midweek, he will be available for selection against St. Johnstone this weekend.

Speaking about his current condition, the centre-back said: “I’m fine. It was a knock when their player had a shot and followed through on us, but I just came off as a precaution. I’ll be fine for the weekend.

“You’re always worried when you feel a bit of pain, but luckily it wasn’t a twist or anything. It was just pure impact so I should be fine.”

Postecoglou will be buzzing

Considering the fact that Carl Starfelt is also an injury doubt for Saturday’s fixture, the news that Welsh looks set to be available for selection is sure to have left Ange Postecoglou buzzing, as, without being able to call upon the 21-year-old, the Bhoys boss would have been extremely short of options in the heart of his defence.

Not only that, but the academy graduate has proven over his five Scottish Premiership appearances this season that he is an extremely exciting prospect at Parkhead, with the £1.08m-rated man helping his side keep two clean sheets and providing one assist, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 2.2 clearances and winning 6.2 duels per game.

These returns have seen the centre-back average a SofaScore match rating of 7.12, ranking him as Celtic’s joint 11th-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football so far this term.

As such, the news that Welsh will not be required to spend any time on the sidelines will undoubtedly provide Postecoglou with a huge boost ahead of Saturday’s fixture, as the 56-year-old will be desperate for a win in order to have a shot at picking up his first silverware as the Hoops boss.

In other news: Ange drops exciting behind the scenes update which is sure to have Celtic fans buzzing