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Sadio Mane faced criticism from Liverpool fans for his performance in the first half of the Premier League clash with Brentford on Saturday evening. 

Liverpool were looking to go three points clear at the top of the Premier League table after Chelsea’s defeat against Manchester City earlier on Saturday.

Brentford, meanwhile, were looking to pull off another ‘big six’ coup after beating Arsenal on the opening night of the season.

Recapping Mane’s first half

Jurgen Klopp made four changes from the 3-0 win over Crystal Palace last time out, bringing Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip and Andrew Robertson back into his defence. Curtis Jones replaced the injured Thiago in midfield.

Mane kept his place on the left side of the Reds’ front three.

The Senegalese misplaced three of his nine attempted passes, losing the ball five times in total.

Brentford went ahead on 27 minutes as Ethan Pinnock tapped home at the back post following a free-kick, but Liverpool equalised through Diogo Jota’s header four minutes later.

Mane under fire vs Brentford

“Mane’s decision making gets worse each game.”

Credit: @King_Wole1

“Mane has not impressed so far”

Credit: @KarthikTheRed2

“In a team with actual depth, Mane would be sitting on the bench. His decision making has been horrible all season.”

Credit: @Ayodelebiodun

“This is a tough one. Seems like they aren’t sure where space is meant to be. Mané disasterclass isn’t helping our case either”

Credit: @SochiDuru

“I think Mane needs a break, he’s been really poor with his passes and decisions”

Credit: @Gerrard098

“Mané seems to be beyond his great days. He is so off colour.”

Credit: @d_arijit89

In other news, fans were left ruing this news ahead of the international break. 

According to a report by RMC Sport, West Ham have been linked with a loan move for Paris Saint-Germain defender Abdou Diallo.

The Lowdown: Centre-back crisis

The Hammers have suffered from a variety of defensive injuries this season, and it is those affecting the centre-backs which have hit the hardest.

Centre-half pairing Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma are currently out of action, leaving Craig Dawson and Issa Diop as the only senior defenders available for David Moyes to play centrally.

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Whilst Zouma is set to return in the next week or so, Ogbonna suffered a serious cruciate ligament rupture in early November which is expected to keep him out until after the end of this season.

As a result, the Irons have been on the hunt for centre-back options as they search for greater depth in that position.

The Latest: Hammers linked with Abdou Diallo loan

According to a report by RMC Sport (as relayed by Claret & Hugh), West Ham have been linked with a loan move for PSG centre-back Diallo.

The Hammers are reportedly interested in bringing in the 25-year-old on loan, as the French giants are looking to offload a number of fringe players.

The two clubs are yet to discuss a deal, but with the Irons looking to bring in a central defender, it would not be surprising to see the east London club exploring a multitude of avenues.

The Verdict: Good move for both parties

The Senegal international, who can also be utilised as a left-back, joined PSG as an exciting youngster from Borussia Dortmund in a £28.8m deal in 2019.

Despite being hailed as “strong in the air and shrewd in the challenge” by Rouven Schröder, then-sporting director at his former club Mainz, Diallo has not held down a regular place as a member of PSG’s star-studded line-up, having made just nine appearances in Ligue 1 this season and two in the Champions League.

With his lack of game-time in mind, he could be open to a move to West Ham if he seeks more first team football in preparation for the World Cup later this year.

Therefore, a loan deal could prove to be a good option for both the player and the club. Diallo could use the Hammers as a way of getting back into PSG’s first team plans, and Moyes could utilise the defender when necessary for the remainder of the season without the financial commitment of a permanent deal.

In other news: West Ham could battle La Liga giants for the ‘new Vidic’, came ‘very close’ to a deal in 2021

Back in January of 2019, Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side were reported to be extremely interested in the signing of a relatively unknown right-back, who went by the name of Timothy Castagne.

Indeed, The Daily Record claimed that the Hoops had made the Atalanta full-back their top priority in the winter window, with Rodgers viewing the Belgium international as a direct replacement for Mikael Lustig – who looked as if he would be leaving Parkhead at the end of the 2018/19 campaign.

However, despite offering £8m for the then-23-year-old’s services, the Bhoys failed to get a deal over the line for the promising defender, with Atalanta believed to be looking for a figure in the region of £12m in order to sanction the right-back’s sale.

And, in May of 2019, after finding himself much more involved with Gian Piero Gasperini’s first-team squad, Castagne himself revealed just how close he came to joining Celtic, stating: “It’s incredible how quickly things in football can change.

“In December, I wasn’t starting any games and there was an £8m move to Celtic on the table. It looked like I was leaving, but the club wanted £12m and the deal collapsed.

“Since then, having not played for 13 games, I played just about every other game and we qualified for the Champions League. So it’s been an unbelievable turnaround for me.”

However, flash forward 16 months and Castagne would eventually find himself playing for Rodgers, although not at Celtic Park.

Indeed, in September 2020, Leicester City parted with £21.5m in order to bring the then-24-year-old full-back to the King Power, since which time the Belgian has gone on to establish himself as a first-team regular with the Premier League side.

Furthermore, his prominence in the English top-flight has also seen his market value soar, with the £63k-per-week defender now being worth around £25m in today’s market – something that will undoubtedly leave an incredibly sour taste in Celtic mouths.

Indeed, while £12m certainly would have been an eye-catching fee for the Hoops to cough up for a little-known right-back, the 26-year-old who Gerry Taggart dubbed a “proper player” has since proven he would have been well worth the outlay – both financially and in terms of performance – leading us to believe that Celtic had something of a nightmare when missing out on the full-back in 2019.

AND in other news: “Understand that…”: Journalist drops big transfer update, it’s bad news for Celtic

A number of Aston Villa fans have been reacting to Dean Smith’s training ground routines during his time in the Midlands, as reported by Ashley Preece.

Smith was relieved of his duties at Bodymoor Heath following a fifth successive Premier League defeat prior to the international break.

He has since taken over at basement side Norwich City, whereas Villa have officially brought in Steven Gerrard from Rangers.

Gerrard took training as Villa manager on Monday and was hands-on during his first session. Preece added that coach Michael Beale, who left Rangers to move south alongside Gerrard, was also very vocal and revealed that winger Trezeguet was back out on the grass following a serious knee injury in April.

Preece also stated that he was intrigued to see if Gerrard has changed the timing of Villa’s sessions, with Smith admitting earlier this year that training began at 12pm.

Villa fans react

Preece’s post on Monday afternoon received plenty of interaction, with many Villa supporters stunned at the 12pm start under Smith and one labelling it as ‘bonkers’, given their total lack of match sharpness during their poor run of form….

“Wait, what? Villa start their day at NOON? Sheesh, get the whip cracking, Gerrard, no excuses!”

Credit: @BannisterMonty

“12 o’clock start. Elite athletes half the world already done 5 hours for £3.75 an hour by then. Surely banter this ??????”

Credit: @Seeley789

“I don’t know how I missed this, but 12pm starts at training !! Wow”

Credit: @JUSTIN_AVFC_

“The 12 start is bonkers in today’s world, elite athletes should be eating breakfast together for health, culture and bonding before heading out onto the pitches, The 12 promotes bad sleeping habits, poor eating habits and poor team togetherness”

Credit: @Villamole1

“What!?? Did Smith start training at noon? That is a huge question mark for me!”

Credit: @espenstrand

“12pm start?! I don’t think Dean Smith had the authority he should have had”

Credit: @GaryBolton91

In other news: Gerrard has already picked out the £30m Rangers duo he wants NSWE to sign for Villa. 

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has revealed that Celtic are “looking” to sign a new central midfielder, despite Ange Postecoglou’s recent comments.

What’s the story?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: “Celtic, back to the drawing board looking for a central midfielder.

“So, despite what Ange said, that they weren’t in the market for any new faces, I think if a midfielder does come up, and he fits what Celtic are looking for, I would think Celtic will try and bring one in before the close of the window.”

Exciting transfer twist for Celtic fans

Speaking just last week, Postecoglou said: “As we speak right now, there are no other offers or people I have spoken to. So the 20 names that come out tomorrow are all lies or fabrications. Or they’re from people at home bored and Googling names and throwing them up there, or agents trying to get a little more value for their clients.

“I can’t be any clearer than that, and what I won’t do is lie. There’s no one else we’re talking to, there’s no other offers, no one else I’m showing interest in. If that changes, I’ll let you know.”

The Hoops boss was very insistent that the club seemed to have no plans to strengthen further in this January window, and that might have just deflated fans a little.

However, O’Rourke’s revelation that the Scottish giants are still in the market and are looking for a new central midfielder is sure to have the Celtic faithful excited about what could potentially happen over the final few days of the transfer window.

The revelation that the club have their eyes open and haven’t just firmly shut the door on any new signings is a welcome one, and there could well be some late developments for Celtic fans to anticipate despite what their manager recently said.

Meanwhile, Celtic could strike gold with a move for this Ligue 1 star…

After securing their fourth consecutive draw in League One with a 2-2 result against Cheltenham Town at the weekend, Sheffield Wednesday are back in action on Tuesday evening with a big clash against Sunderland, who are currently six points ahead of Darren Moore’s side in the table.

On the chalkboard

Looking ahead to the midweek match against the Black Cats, one Wednesday player that featured in the draw against Cheltenham that we feel should be in the starting XI against Sunderland is defender Chey Dunkley.

During the match at the weekend, Dunkley started and played the full 90 minutes and not only did he manage to score one of Wednesday’s goals on the day, but he also managed to make a vital contribution at the other end of the pitch.

He made three interceptions, blocked three shots and produced four clearances which led to him winning ten of the 14 duels he was involved in. That ultimately earned him an impressive overall match rating of 8/10, making him Wednesday’s highest-rated player on the day according to SofaScore.

This shows just how useful Dunkley, who has been described as “solid” in the past by Moore, can be for the Owls in a defensive and attacking sense on this occasion. That’s precisely why we feel he would be a good option to start again against Sunderland who could see their attacking players bullied while trying to get past the Wednesday defender.

The Yorkshire side signed Dunkley back in August 2020 from Wigan Athletic on a free transfer on a reported two-year deal. Since then, the 29-year-old, who is currently valued at £720k according to Transfermarkt, has made 22 appearances for the Owls across all competitions.

Looking ahead to the match against Lee Johnson’s side, who were beaten 5-1 by Rotherham United in their previous league outing, we feel that Dunkley should definitely be in the starting XI, especially if Dominic Iorfa, who missed the Cheltenham game through injury, isn’t available to play after Moore said it’s 50/50 over whether he’d be fit enough to play a part.

If Dunkley does play in midweek, we think he would give Wednesday a great chance of grabbing a positive result and keeping their unbeaten streak going with the Owls having not lost a league game since their 2-1 defeat against Oxford United back in early October.

In other news: Sheff Weds sweating over big injury blow ahead of SAFC clash, Moore will be gutted – opinion

Manchester City are part of a select group of clubs who could tempt Kalidou Koulibaly to leave Napoli.

That’s what the Senegalese defender apparently told Italian journalist Valter De Maggio (via Area Napoli).

De Maggio asked Koulibaly whether he’d consider a move to Juventus, but was told that he would ‘never go and play for another Italian club’.

Instead, the 30-year-old insisted he would only leave for ‘two, maximum three clubs in the world’.

‘Guardiola’s Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona’ were the three sides identified.

Koulibaly admired at The Etihad

City were keen to sign Koulibaly in 2020 but wound up striking a deal for Ruben Dias instead.

The relationship between the reigning Premier League champions and Napoli is ‘not good’ after Chelsea were allowed to hijack their move for Jorginho in 2018.

But Koulibaly continues to impress, with The Athletic’s Phil Hay recently making the case that the ‘weapons-grade’ ‘colossus’ was the best player in the world on form – he’s helped Napoli win nine and draw one of their first 10 Serie A games.

They also lie second in their UEFA Europa League group, ahead of Leicester City, at the halfway stage.

Fan feed City Xtra relayed De Maggio’s comments, and here’s what supporters made of them.

City fans flock to Koulibaly claims

“Ake straight swap”

Credit: @TeacherOfBall

“We are finished without Pep blud”

Credit: @UnrealFoden

“The poor bloke is still packing his bags”

Credit: @_TJ932O

“We got Father Ruben, pal. We don’t need you.”

Credit: @mvx_mcfc

“I’m sick of his name I cant lie”

Credit: @BernardoTouch

“Too little too late”

Credit: @ashley__04

In other news, fans have called for this signing.  

Former Premiership striker Noel Whelan, who now works as a pundit for the BBC, believes there is no chance Rangers will allow Glen Kamara to leave the club in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Kamara a key man for Rangers

Steven Gerrard’s side have enjoyed great success in recent times, getting their hands on the Premiership title last season.

Kamara has been a key presence for them during this period – indeed, his manager has hailed him as ‘fantastic’, impressing in the middle of the park and subsequently being linked with a move away from Ibrox.

The Latest: Pundit makes bold prediction

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan is adamant that the 25-year-old won’t move on in January, but admitted a summer exit could be on the cards:

“It’s not a worry in terms of his performances, because he’s kept the putting in the same standard of performances.

“Contract talks are never easy, especially when you’re trying to keep big players at the club. It’s especially hard when there’s a real possibility of selling him at the end of the season.

“It will be the end of the season if he is sold.

“There’s no way Rangers would sell in January when they’ll still be fighting for Europe and fighting to retain the title.

“If the deal is to be signed, you would expect that all parties would have agreed to it by January. He’s an important player, and one that Steven Gerrard clearly admires.”

The Verdict: Summer exit likely

The idea of losing Kamara midway through the season doesn’t bear thinking about considering the influence he has for Rangers, averaging an 89.1% pass completion rate and 1.2 tackles per game in the league this season and holding down a regular place in the side under Gerrard.

In truth, though, it could be hard to keep the Finland international at Ibrox beyond next summer, at which point he may decide he needs a fresh challenge.

In an ideal world, Kamara would stay with the Gers for the foreseeable future, but it is hard to imagine that he wouldn’t be tempted by lucrative offers from elsewhere.

In other news, some Rangers fans have been left raging for one specific reason. Read more here.

Flocking to Twitter, these West Ham United fans have erupted over a fresh transfer claim involving Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips.

David Moyes has set his sights on signing a centre-half in January as emergency cover for injured duo Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma with West Ham facing a congested fixture calendar.

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The January transfer window could be a fruitful avenue to strengthen West Ham sufficiently whilst providing a real injection of quality into the side.

Having dropped out of the top four after a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal recently, Irons supporters have been left thrilled after a fresh update involving Phillips.

According to The Sun, as West Ham and recruitment chief Rob Newman eye a move, it is believed that Liverpool are now ‘willing to sell’ their defender for just £15 million next month.

The 24-year-old, by his own admission, is also open to leaving in January and the Reds apparently won’t stand on his way if a £15m bid is put on the table.

West Ham fans erupt…

Given this price tag and Phillips’ ability, it’s little wonder some supporters see this as an ‘absolute bargain’.

The central defender averaged more clearances per 90 in the Premier League than any Liverpool player last season (WhoScored), a sure indication of his dependability at the back.

Still a fairly young player, these Irons supporters believe snapping him up for £15m is a no-brainer.

Find all of their best verdicts down below:

“Yes please”

Credit: @WestHamXtra

“Absolute bargain, Give them Diop for free as well”

Credit: @iDUNKbiscuits

“He would be a great addition!”

Credit: @dhramijo

“Would be buzzing to pull this off would rather him over ake or tarkowski”

Credit: @StephenCochrane

“@WestHam starter for ten let’s go irons don’t leave it too late the teams slipping”

Credit: @nubaka

“can be good for a proven pl player caleta car never played in pl so we don’t know if he have what’s needed + when ogbonna gonna retire we have a good cb pairing with zouma 15M is a steal”

Credit: @krays2208

In other news: ‘We are back’, ‘What I wanted to hear’…ExWHUemployee’s ‘best news’ has these West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

Many West Ham United fans have been angered on Twitter, following a post from The Athletic writer Roshane Thomas detailing some of David Moyes’ comments on transfer activities at the London Stadium this summer.

With the Premier League set to kick-off for the Hammers this Saturday away to Newcastle United, the Londoners go into the tie having made just two signings in the form of Craig Dawson and Alphonse Areola [Transfermarkt].

Now, West Ham fans have been thrust into further anxiety over recruitment activity after input from the manager, who stated the following (via Thomas’ Twitter account): “We’ve got offers in but not everything is coming to fruition.”

As you can imagine, loads of West Ham United diehards took to social media to vent their fury at the recent communication, with the transfer window due to shut in a matter of weeks.

West Ham United fans react:

Replying to Thomas’ Twitter page, here is what some Irons fans had to say about recent developments:

“Nothing is coming to fruition! And it’s not good enough”

Credit: @cheersthough

“I predict last minute loan deals will form the basis of our summer ‘activity’”

Credit: @teepee61

“Moyes Out”

Credit: @whufctom_

“This guy is an embarrassment”

Credit: @JayWHU

 “Fake bids, 3 weeks on one bid and player still hasn’t signed, no intentions to sign, publicity stunts #EnoughIsEnough #GSBOUT”

Credit: @ChrisBetts82″Moyes Out”Credit: @whufctom_In other news, West Ham fans react to a transfer update.