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West Bromwich Albion fans have been reacting to their U23 side losing 5-0 against Leeds United.

The Baggies are currently struggling at the bottom of the Premier League. As it stands, they are 19th in the table and have picked up just 18 points from their first 29 games in the competition (Sky Sports). They are 10 points from safety with just nine matches left to play – it looks increasingly unlikely they will survive amongst the elite.

It seems their development squad is not fairing much better. They were in action against the Whites on Monday, and they were hammered 5-0. They are now bottom of their section with just 17 points from as many matches (flashscore.com). Not only that, the 5-0 scoreline was the same one the senior side were on the end of against the same opponents in December.

West Brom’s official Twitter account shared the result, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Baggies supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the West Brom fans had to say about the result below

“I’m no expert on the academy scene, but surely such consistently poor results is having no great influence on our youngsters. Don’t blame the coaches though, all down (to) Dowling.”

Credit: @joekapalo

“Not again”

Credit: @joshiecole2003

“When is it gonna end robbie”

Credit: @bruno_prest1

“Somethings clearly not right in our youth setup, I know Dowling has done some restructuring and coaches have moved on. I’d like to see more senior pros who are not getting a game time play in there, would be good experience for the U23’s too.”

Credit: @PallettJack

“I guess some things never change”

Credit:@BigAjayi

“well…at least Barca won’t rip us off anymore.”

Credit: @RobertsWBA23

In other news, West Brom fans were delighted with this club update.

In response to a tweet from Liverpool FC fan feed @AnfieldWatch, a number of Reds fans have suggested Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s time at the club is up.

Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Liverpool for £35 million (BBC) in 2017 but injuries have stalled his Anfield career.

Remarkably, he hasn’t completed 90 Premier League minutes since April 2018, towards the end of that debut season (via @CaoimheSport).

He has started two Premier League games this term – the defeats against Southampton and Burnley in January – but was substituted before the hour mark on both occasions.

In fairness, the Englishman was unavailable until December, but since his return to fitness he has only clocked 221 minutes (via Transfermarkt).

Curtis Jones’ impressive form looks to have nudged Oxlade-Chamberlain further down the pecking order. Liverpool’s depth in midfield is now strong even despite their injury issues, particularly after Naby Keita returned to the fold on Sunday.

Liverpool fans think Oxlade-Chamberlain’s prospects are bleak

“He was running around when he came on last time like a headless chicken. More focus required from him.”

Credit: @huggy1965

“No way, he needs to be sold! He’ll end up at Southampton.”

Credit: @MarkThomas9

“Even when fit he blows hot and cold. Time to cash in whilst there still resale value. We’d be dumb to keep two injury midfielders especially after this season and Keita gets my vote to stay. “

Credit: @robfreelancer

“He’s gone in the summer. Love the lad but his time is up. 20 year old Curtis and 35 year old Milner are ahead of him.”

Credit: @TheeNormalOne

“We can’t keep hold of so many injury-prone players. Some have to go.”

Credit: @RedRivelino

“Arsenal were waiting for the same for years also – I have my doubts somehow”

Credit: @SRobbo7

In other news, Fans slate Ozan Kabak after Liverpool’s win over Sheffield United

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey, who made 193 Premier League appearances during his career, believes it may be the right time for Crystal Palace to sell Wilfried Zaha.

The 28-year old only has one Community Shield in his trophy cabinet and after numerous transfer windows of being linked with a move away from Selhurst Park it may be the time has come for Zaha to try himself at a bigger club again.

He’s made 383 appearances in all competitions for Crystal Palace and except for a miserable season at Manchester United which included a loan spell at Cardiff City, Zaha has been a mainstay at Palace after coming through their academy.

Zaha is the catalyst at Selhurst Park and without the Ivory Coast international, Palace have lost 18 out of 23 games. What is more worrying though, is when Zaha has been absent Palace have failed to score in 16 of those 18 defeats.

His contract isn’t set to expire until 2023 so, the Eagles hold all the cards but this summer could be the window they maximise Zaha’s market value which currently stands at £45 million.

Speaking on Zaha’s apparent desire to leave Crystal Palace most transfer windows and his attitude which can go either way, Howey spoke exclusively to FFC:

“It’s like every other week, he seems to put in a transfer request or wanting to be away.

“He’s got that attitude about him, sometimes it’s a good attitude and other times I think it’s not.

“Would he suit Arsenal? Yes. We’ll have to see what happens in the summer. You’d have thought that Palace might want to cash in on him so they can get a couple of players in and don’t miss him as much.”

This is currently Zaha’s second-best season in-front of goal with nine goals, just one short of his best total during the 2018/19 season. He’s adding goals to his games alongside his pace, strength and skills which could make him a perfect player for a top-six club.

To be considered a great player, Zaha may have to prove himself at a bigger club than Crystal Palace and win some silverware.

Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite will have thrilled Carlo Ancelotti after producing a brilliant performance during his Blackburn Rovers debut at home to Stoke City on Saturday.

Branthwaite only moved to Ewood Park  on Thursday after agreeing to a half-season loan deal to become the Championship side’s first signing of the January transfer window.

The 18-year-old described the deal as a “no-brainer” as Tony Mowbray’s side was the only club he wanted to leave the Toffees for, after making only one first-team outing at Goodison Park this term due to an early-season ankle injury.

Branthwaite played the full 90 minutes as Blackburn rescued a point at home to Stoke on Saturday, in a game that saw the Potters’ influence grow throughout the second-period as Rovers struggled to find their rhythm.

Stoke took the lead late in the first half courtesy of a Nick Powell header but were pegged back by Adam Armstrong, who saved the Lancashire outfit’s blushes against a 10-man Potters side with his 16th goal of the Championship campaign.

Despite Stoke’s pressure, Branthwaite offered a reassuring presence at the back with strong and assertive challenges, and Rovers have been lauded by Lancs Live for bringing a ball-playing centre-half to Ewood Park, even if the £15,000-per-week titan’s inexperience occasionally came to the surface at set-pieces.

Rovers supporters also flooded a club tweet praising Branthwaite for an assured display, with some describing the 6 ft 5 colossus as their Man of the Match for his brilliant efforts.

Branthwaite deservedly earned the praise of Blackburn supporters following his debut, as his performance offered Mowbray a key figure beside Rovers captain Darragh Lenihan that will have undoubtedly delighted Ancelotti back at Everton.

The teen talent, making his first senior appearance in any competition since September, attempted one additional tackle compared to his experienced central defensive partner Lenihan, with each man boasting a 100% tackle success rate with in each of their three and two respective tackles, per WhoScored.

Branthwaite further stood firm to provide his side’s second-most clearances (3) to help protect Thomas Kaminski’s goal, was never dribbled past, and offered two interceptions to thwart Stoke’s frontline consisting of six-goal striker Powell and Jacob Brown, who has offered 0.8 shots per game on average this season as a frequent attacking threat.

Ancelotti will also have been impressed to see the Blues’ prospect contest a game-high five defensive aerial duels with a 60% success rate, as he held down the left-side of defence beside full-back Barry Douglas, winning more aerial duels than Everton’s current centre-half options have averaged per game in the Premier League this season.

Branthwaite was also far safer in possession than 26-year-old Lenihan, with an 84% completion rate from 41 of 49 passes, compared to his teammate’s 74%, while losing possession 10 times compared to 19, and never shying from taking the ball to register 62 touches, per SofaScore.

Had Branthwaite’s performance been in an Ancelotti backline during a top-flight fixture, his efforts would likely have stood out, with only Ben Godfrey offering a greater haul of successful tackles per game (3.3) when fielded centrally for Everton, per WhoScored.

It was a good start to his team at Blackburn, hopefully for Everton, Branthwaite can continue to play in such a manner for the rest of the season and come back to Goodison Park as a player who is ready to battle for a regular place in Ancelotti’s starting line-up.

AND in other news, Everton are monitoring a £9m defensive titan ahead of a potential January transfer.

Celtic have started a much-needed winning streak thanks to their victory over Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday afternoon. The Hoops played hosts at Parkhead and managed to come away with a narrow 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Stephen Welsh and Odsonne Edouard.

Whilst Celtic have been struggling this season, things are starting to look up for the quadruple treble winners. Although they look down and out in the league and will likely give up their crown to Rangers, there are a lot of positives to take from their recent performances.

One man in particular who has been impressing in the first team is reserve side captain Welsh. The centre-back popped up with a crucial goal after mere minutes against Motherwell and helped guide his side to three points. Fans erupted on social media when he netted the opening goal, with many singing his praises as Celtic’s new exciting prospect.

Stephen Welsh vs Motherwell

When Celtic were dealt the heartbreak of losing out on Ben Davies, who signed for Liverpool, things looked bleak for Neil Lennon and co across the backline. However, the manager has taken a big risk by dropping loanee Shane Duffy in replace of 21-year-old Welsh.

The Brighton man hasn’t lived up to expectations since his loan move to Glasgow and as such, he is now being usurped by a much younger and less experienced defender. However, despite Welsh only making a total of nine senior appearances for the Bhoys, he is already proving to be a strong candidate to permanently partner Kristoffer Ajer at the heart of the defence.

According to Sofascore, Welsh contributed a lot more than his early goal for Celtic. He made four tackles and three interceptions whilst manning the defence, which is more than Greg Taylor, Jonjoe Kenny and Ajer. The £180,000-rated Scot also maintained a 91% passing accuracy and lost possession just six times, the same amount previously against Kilmarnock.

Lennon’s faith in the up-and-coming defender is already paying off in dividends and Welsh could even be buying the Irishman some more time at the hilt of the club. The 49-year-old has been tipped for the boot recently, with Rafael Benitez heavily linked to being his replacement.

But if Lennon can keep bagging wins due to his brave team decisions, he may escape the chop and live to see another season at Celtic.

In other news, David Turnbull is rapidly becoming a Celtic talisman…

Marcel Brands will soon face uncomfortable questions over Andre Gomes’ long-term Everton future as the midfielder continues to struggle under Carlo Ancelotti.

Gomes has not started a Premier League fixture since the Toffees were beaten 2-1 by Newcastle United on November 1st, and failed to offer a serious impact from the bench as he earned his 10th outing of the term against Sheffield United on Saturday.

Ancelotti has instead favoured a midfield pivot of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan in recent weeks, while selecting Tom Davies to hold down the engine room after losing Allan to a hamstring injury at Leicester City.

It was Gomes who came off the bench to replace Allan at the King Power Stadium, yet the Portuguese playmaker was omitted from the following matchday squad against Arsenal and was only given the final 16 minutes at Bramall Lane on Boxing Day to offer Davies a rest.

Davies excelled against Chris Wilder’s relegation-threatened Blades with eight ground duels won, three successful dribbles from three attempts and 52 accurate passes, per SofaScore. He additionally made a successful tackle and blocked a shot, while being fouled four times.

Gomes came off the bench to play a mere five passes and lost possession four times, days after Darren Bent suggested the former FC Barcelona maestro had been exposed for his lack of pace and power during the Toffees’ Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat.

“I was disappointed in Gomes because he’s a wonderful footballer, but then again I don’t think he played particularly badly, I just think Manchester United swarmed the midfield and were by far the better team,” Bent told Football Insider.

“There are times when the opposition’s midfield are quite quick, they’re dynamic, they get about, I think that’s where Gomes lacks real legs in the middle of the park. So, you see Doucoure, he can get about the pitch even if he hasn’t quite got the quality on the ball like Gomes.”

Everton’s Director of Football Brands will soon face difficult questions over Gomes’ long-term Goodison Park future if he cannot force his way back into Ancelotti’s plans, with the £18m-rated man among the highest earners at the club on a £112,000-per-week contract.

The Blues have also been linked with numerous potential midfield signings after Ancelotti deemed the position an area of concern, with Real Madrid’s Isco and Juventus’ Sami Khedira among those touted to be on the move.

Though Brands’ immediate attention will be toward offloading the likes of Cenk Tosun, who West Bromwich Albion are interested in taking on loan in the upcoming January transfer window (Print version of the Sunday People, 27/12, p. 57).

Tosun, who Baggies boss Sam Allardyce signed for £27m whilst in charge on Merseyside, has played just 33 minutes across all competitions thus far this season and is certainly one Everton will want to offload.

AND in other news, an Everton ace enjoying his “best moment” let Carlo Ancelotti down against Sheffield United.

After seeing Kalvin Phillips develop into the bona-fide star and England international that he is now, there will be those at Leeds United eagerly anticipating the next real breakout star from the club’s Thorp Arch academy.

And 18-year-old Nohan Kenneh could well be the starlet to really emerge on the scene for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, and it’s safe to say he’s already modelling himself on some really top players.

He said: “Currently I look up to Kalvin Phillips as (we) both play in a similar position, but I occasionally watch videos of Patrick Vieira for his qualities in midfield.”

Phil Hay described him as “supremely gifted” for The Athletic, and he’s earned three caps for England’s U17s side. Capable of playing in holding midfield as well as further back in central defence, at 6 foot 2, Kenneh’s certainly got the physical attributes to develop into a Premier League-ready player.

Describing himself as someone who is “aggressive and hard-working who likes to break down play”, but also liking “getting forward and scoring long range goals”, Kenneh seems like he’d be a perfect fit for Bielsa as either a holding midfielder or someone who can get up and down the pitch in a more box-to-box role.

Given that the Whites only have Pascal Struijk who could potentially fill in that Phillips role, bringing Kenneh into the fold would give them an added option in a vital part of the pitch.

An opportunity is all that a young player needs, and as Bielsa looks to ensure his squad look fresh until the very end of the Premier League season, giving Kenneh some minutes could see him stumble onto a future star.

They’ve already seen Phillips grow into an integral part of Leeds’ recent success. Kenneh could follow a similar path too.

Meanwhile, Leeds United are facing a transfer battle for this French striker…

Roberto Firmino was able to produce a man-of-the-match display in Brazil’s 1-o win against Venezuela on Saturday, with the Liverpool man scoring the only goal of the game to earn Seleção the victory.

The 29-year-old featured on the left of a front three and picked up a 7.6 rating for his display, after scoring the only goal of the encounter in the 67th minute (per SofaScore).

The former Hoffenheim man has come under some criticism in recent weeks for his lack of goals for the Reds, with the pressure on Jurgen Klopp to drop him significantly increased after Diogo Jota’s superb start to life at Anfield.

However, the German manager hit back at the Brazilian’s critics ahead of Liverpool’s game against Manchester City before the international break, suggesting that:

“Who is with us, I don’t have to say one word about Bobby Firmino and how important he was for us, I don’t waste time with that,” he said.

“Who is not with us, I don’t care if they know about it, to be honest.

“He was in so many games the difference-maker without scoring maybe, I’m not sure, but with scoring as well in other games, so I would feel really embarrassed if I had to mention now the qualities of Bobby Firmino.

“I can’t help these people, sorry. If they don’t see it, I cannot help them. That’s how it is.” (per Evening Express)

Despite his other qualities, the 29-year-old has just one goal in eight Premier League appearances for the Reds this season, although he has still averaged a fairly sold 6.88 rating (per WhoScored).

Therefore, one can perhaps understand some criticism of the striker, especially when Jota has already grabbed seven goals in all competitions for Klopp’s side this season.

However, Firmino has been a big part of Liverpool’s success in recent years, having contributed 79 goals and 62 assists in 256 games for the club, so his importance cannot be underestimated.

Hopefully, the £64.8 million-rated man’s goal for Brazil will give his confidence a boost so that he can get back to scoring ways when he returns to Anfield after the international break.

After a superb performance in midweek against Olympiakos, John Stones was rewarded with a rare Premier League start against Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

The former Everton man rewarded Pep Guardiola’s faith in him by producing another dominant display, showing signs that he may well be back to his best in this Manchester City side.

Although it was a comfortable 5-0 win for the Citizens against Sean Dyche’s side, the 26-year-old centre-back was really bested and came out on top in what was a physical battle.

As per SofaScore, the England international earned a 7.6 rating for his display against the Clarets, with only Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez earning higher.

Of the five aerial duels he was involved in during the game, he was able to win 100%, which is even more impressive when you consider the height available in Burnley’s attack, with Chris Wood, Ashley Barnes and Jay Rodriguez all featuring at the Etihad.

Stones, described earlier this year as a “complete defender” by Ivan Cordoba, was also extremely effective with the ball, as he had 108 touches during the game and completed 93/96 passes, resulting in a superb pass accuracy rate of 97%.

He was also accurate with all six of his long balls during the game and he also lost possession on just three occasions, resulting in a superb all-round display from the defender.

Following the game in midweek, Guardiola was extremely complimentary of Stones, saying:

“We only conceded one shot on target. I know it looks easy when it happens but it’s not because of the quality of the players they are. Unfortunately, we could only score one goal but the team is alive.

“They made long balls and our central defenders were outstanding.

“A big compliment for John Stones because it is not easy after a long time and with Ruben alongside they make an incredible couple. I’m especially happy for him but everyone was so committed and we attacked with more desire to shoot, to score. Now we recover as [quickly] as possible and start focusing on the Premier League.” (per Manchester Evening News)

Therefore, after another superb display against Burnley, it perhaps wouldn’t be a surprise to see Stones continue to keep his place alongside Ruben Dias in the City defence for future matches.

And, in other news… Man City must secure £63m-rated “complete” striker loved by Messi

It’s hard to remember the last time that Glasgow Rangers had one of the best players in the world on their books. Former Gers midfielders Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne are probably the last truly world-class players to play in front of the crowds at the Ibrox Stadium. These days they have the likes of James Tavernier, who is playing well at the moment, but could never be put on the same pedestal as the Dane and his fellow Englishman.

However, things could have been very different for the Gers if they had managed to get their hands on one player from across the border.

Since the Premier League was first introduced in 1992, scores of strikers from all over the world have set foot on the not-so distant shores. The likes of Didier Drogba, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Sergio Aguero and Thierry Henry have all plied their trade in the EPL. But one name stands out from the rest: Alan Shearer.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Shearer is still the Premier League’s all-time record scorer since retiring as a player in 2005. Indeed, the Gers missed the opportunity to sign him back in the summer of 1998, with Steven Harrigan saying that Dick Advocaat’s side weren’t willing to spend £20m on the former Southampton man.

Newcastle had signed him for a world transfer breaking-record fee of £15m in 1996, so their asking price wasn’t unreasonable, especially when you consider the fact that wasn’t far away from what the Gers gave Chelsea for Tore Andre Flo two years later. And we all know what a disaster that transfer turned out to be in the end…

Known for his physical stature, power and heading ability inside the box, Shearer was cut from a similar cloth to the classic English centre-forward, and he had already established himself as a highly prolific goalscorer. He had begun his career with Southampton, where he scored 23 goals in 188 games, but he joined Blackburn Rovers for a British record fee at the time, before bagging 112 goals in 138 appearances in the Premier League.

Whilst we can’t be absolutely certain, it’s fair to say that the Gers would’ve scored goals galore with Shearer in the side, but sadly the deal collapsed as he ultimately decided to stay at his hometown club. He was already one of the best strikers in the world by the time he moved to the Magpies as his incredible record speaks for itself.

You only need to watch some of his highlight reels on YouTube to remember how good he was, but it is the fact that he is still held in such high esteem by professional footballers that speaks volumes. Sheffield United striker Billy Sharp insisted that the former England international is his “idol” in an interview with talkSPORT. This isn’t just an average Joe, this is a Premier League striker who is still in awe of Shearer.

Imagine what might have happened had Shearer joined the Gers instead of staying at the Magpies. Sadly, it’s one of those you can only dream about and the Ibrox outfit may still be regretting that they never paid the money to take him to Glasgow.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers winger Jordan Jones has given Steven Gerrard a selection headache before Old Firm Derby…