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West Brom’s correspondent for The Athletic, Steve Madeley, shared a story on Valerien Ismael’s midfield options on Monday.

And a number of West Brom fans were quick to react to his Twitter post as a result.

The Baggies ran out 3-0 winners against Bristol City on Saturday but were without central midfield regulars Jake Livermore and Alex Mowatt.

Livermore was suspended and Mowatt injured, which meant Ismael used Robert Snodgrass and Jayson Molumby. The pair impressed against The Robins, with Ismael labelling Snodgrass as man of the match.

Madeley looked into the possibility of Snodgrass and Molumby starting alongside each other again when West Brom travel to promotion rivals Fulham this weekend.

He labelled the idea of Albion going into a game without Livermore and Mowatt as ‘unthinkable’ prior to the weekend.

However, it now feels as if that might happen after the positive displays from Snodgrass and Molumby.

Baggies fans react

This is what these West Brom supporters had to say in reply to Madeley, with many hoping Livermore doesn’t return to the side.

“Livermore’s suspension was the best thing that could have happened. He doesn’t offer anything and can’t pass. Mowatt would relish playing with Molumby/Snoddy next to him.”

Credit: @Jackk_Ross

“Was only unthinkable if you hadn’t got eyes. The fact that this pairing only happened by chance and not by choice is somewhat baffling and maybe even scary.”

Credit: @wezzaboing74

“About time Livermore is phased out of the starting XI. All he does is fall to his knees when other players score. How got like 10 games for England is completely beyond me”

Credit: @JoelDMendez

“Only unthinkable to fans who don’t understand football. Its been obvious all season Livermore doesn’t offer anywhere near enough in a 2 man midfield. The fact he is constantly diving in is enough to demonstrate that.”

Credit: @AdKido44

“Always look better without Livermore”

Credit: @Jaywba1982

“I don’t know what Livermore brings to the side and can’t tell you what sort of player he is, about time he was dislodged from the side”

Credit: @RyanPGlasgow

Southampton are reportedly in advanced talks over the potential signing of Brazilian attacking midfielder Tete as a free agent from Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk.

What’s the story?

According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, the Saints have held advanced discussions with the 22-year-old, on whom Premier League rivals Brentford and Leicester City are also keen, whilst the midfielder has received offers from AC Milan, Atalanta and Benfica.

The Daily Mail reported earlier this month that Brazilian players at Shakhtar Donetsk are looking to terminate their contracts with the Ukrainian outfit prematurely given Russia’s invasion of the country.

Tete is one of 12 Brazilians at Shakhtar and, at just 22 years of age, he certainly appears to be a bright prospect.

Hasenhuttl must secure Tete’s signature

It’s no secret that signing young players and developing them is in Southampton’s transfer blueprint under Ralph Hasenhuttl, as the acquisitions of Tino Livramento, Armando Broja and Kyle Walker-Peters have shown, and Tete certainly fits that bill.

The attacking midfielder already boasts a plethora of experience, having made a combined 27 appearances in both the Champions League and Europa League whilst playing 108 times for the Ukrainian giants, scoring 31 goals and setting up another 15 in that time.

Valued at £18m, the prospect of signing the midfielder, who prefers playing on the right flank, on a free transfer would certainly be a mouth-watering deal for the Saints, who are all but certain to compete in the top flight once again next season.

In fact, there is still a genuine possibility of Hasenhuttl’s side securing their first top-half finish in five years, as they sit 11th with nine league matches remaining.

The Saints struggled to score in the early stages of the season but the return of Stuart Armstrong has provided a major boost.

Since the Scotland international returned from a calf injury at the back end of 2021, Southampton have picked up 18 points in 12 league matches whilst also reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, showing how instrumental the 29-year-old has been for Hasenhuttl’s side.

There’s certainly competition for places in attacking midfield, with the likes of Nathan Redmond, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Nathan Tella, Theo Walcott, Moussa Djenepo and Will Smallbone all playing there at some point this season.

However, there is only room for two wide 10s operating on each flank in the Austrian’s preferred 4-2-2-2 setup, so if Tete is to join Southampton, other players may need to be moved on to accommodate the Brazilian.

Nonetheless, just imagine the prospect of him and Armstrong wreaking havoc in the final third at St Mary’s. It’s one that Hasenhuttl would surely love.

In other news – Forget Broja: Ralph must unleash 17-year-old Saints prodigy who “leads the line very well”

An injury prevention expert has slammed Leeds United’s professionalism after Diego Llorente picked up a fitness issue in the defeat to Liverpool over the weekend.

The Lowdown: Llorente out injured again

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were beaten 3-0 by the Reds on Sunday afternoon as their disappointing start to the Premier League season continues.

To compound the result, Llorente hobbled off with a hamstring problem in the first half after being unable to continue, in what is the latest injury setback for the Spanish defender, who has now gone off injured three times in his last 17 Premier League appearances.

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The Latest: Expert slams Whites

Speaking to Football Insider, an unnamed source who has worked with Premier League clubs in the past lambasted Leeds, claiming there are issues with the club’s conditioning of players. They said:

“That does not reflect well on Leeds or their staff. The job of the staff – the fitness, conditioning, sports science guys – is to get the players fit to play and keep them out there.

“There are some injuries you can’t legislate for, like the Harvey Elliott one today, but top athletes should not be breaking down with muscle injuries in the first half of matches.

“It means they are being overloaded in training, over-worked or not warming up and preparing properly. Something has gone wrong somewhere and Leeds will be embarrassed it has happened again to Llorente.

“Everyone will look from the outside and think he is ‘injury prone’ but it is more complex than that.

“Ultimately it is the manager’s decision on whether he thinks players are fit to play, and once they’re selected they should not be pulling hamstrings in the first half.”

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The Verdict: Slightly harsh?

It is hard to be critical of Leeds’ professionalism when you look at the incredible fitness levels Bielsa has his players reaching.

Granted, it is a high level of intensity which could potentially increase the risk of injury, but it may simply be the case that Llorente is an injury-prone player. After all, he endured multiple absences during his time in La Liga as well.

The hope is that 28-year-old makes a speedy recovery given his importance to the team, but these injury problems are starting to become a worry and Bielsa may have doubts about the defender’s long-term worth if such fitness woes persist.

In other news, a journalist has named three Leeds players who could move on in January. Read more here.

Bolton got back to winning ways on Tuesday night with a 3-2 win over Port Vale in the group stages of the EFL Trophy.

Eoin Doyle, Nathan Delfouneso and Oladapo Afolayan scored the goals for the hosts, who were 2-1 down heading into the second half, to help them bounce back from two defeats.

Ian Evatt’s side lost on penalties to Wigan in the League Cup before being beaten 1-0 by Cambridge in League One at the weekend. This means Bolton went into the game against Port Vale in desperate need of a positive result, which they managed to get.

The likes of Doyle, Deflouneso and Afolayan will take the plaudits for finding the back of the net and, ultimately, winning the match for Wanderers with their goals, but a player whose performance may have gone under the radar is Andy Tutte.

Bolton’s defensive midfielder, Tutte, was given the opportunity to showcase his experience and quality after being on the fringes in the opening weeks of the League One campaign. He took his chance with both hands as he put in an impressive display in midfield, one that could give Evatt a selection headache ahead of the clash with Burton Albion next week.

Per SofaScore, Tutte won an excellent 82% of his duels on the pitch. He won 100% (8/8) of his ground duels and one of his three aerial battles, showing how dominant he was against the Port Vale midfield – with Bolton’s beast coming out on top in the vast majority of midfield tussles.

Tutte won five tackles and completed one interception and one clearance to sniff out Port Vale attacks. He was able to provide a screen in front of the defence to win the ball back, which also allowed the attacking players more chances to assault the opposition box.

On the ball, he only gave possession away five times in the entire match. He completed a whopping 94% of his passes and controlled the tempo of the game with 85 touches of the ball, providing two key passes and completing three of his six long pass attempts.

The veteran also completed both of his attempted dribbles, showing that he was able to take the ball past players as well as find teammates with his passes. This highlights his ability on the ball and shows that his quality in possession helped Bolton dictate the match – allowing them to eventually win 3-2.

AND in other news, 73% duels lost: Bolton disaster who gave the ball away 15 times let Evatt down…

Ashley Preece picked out John McGinn as one of Aston Villa’s worst players in their disappointing 3-1 defeat away to Arsenal.

The Lowdown: Villa humbled at Arsenal

Dean Smith’s men were hoping to bounce back from their shock 3-2 loss at home to Wolves last time around, but things didn’t pan out that way.

Villa were deservedly beaten at the Emirates on Friday evening, being comprehensively outplayed by a more energetic Gunners side.

The Latest: McGinn performance slammed

It was a game that saw many Villa players underperform and McGinn was undoubtedly one of them, losing the midfield battle and not covering himself in glory for two of the goals.

On Twitter after the game, Preece claimed that the Scot was ‘miles off the pace’ against Arsenal, and in his player ratings for The Birmingham Mail, he further outlined his struggles, giving him a measly three-out-of-10 score:

“At fault for two of Arsenal’s three goals here. The first he allowed Partey to get ahead of him from the corner before he passed straight to Smith Rowe under no pressure whatsoever.

“A real off-night for the Scot who, before this one, said he was in the best form of his career. Booked for lashing out at Lokonga as frustrations boiled over.”

The Verdict: Rare off-night

It is hard to feel too angry with McGinn, considering what a consistent performer he has been for Villa for a number of years, scoring 15 goals and registering 20 assists in 119 appearances.

As Preece alludes to, it was rare off-night for the midfielder, completing just 76 per cent of his passes and losing possession 15 times (Sofascore), and the hope is that he returns to his best for the visit of West Ham next Sunday.

The pressure is mounting on Smith after two bitterly disappointing results in a row – they have lost their last three matches – so the clash with the Hammers is a vital one.

In other news, some Villa fans slammed another player’s performance against Arsenal. Find out who it is here.

Some Sheffield Wednesday supporters were critical of Barry Bannan’s performance against Rotherham United despite their 2-0 win on Saturday.

The Owls faced a tough trip to last season’s fellow relegated side and Yorkshire outfit, looking to continue their impressive start to the season.

While Darren Moore’s side may not have been at their best, they still managed to come away with an impressive 2-0 victory, taking them to the top of League One in the process.

Florian Kamberi and Lee Gregory scored the goals for the Owls, while Bailey Peacock-Farrell saved a penalty, meaning they now have 10 points from their opening four games, not conceding once in that time.

Bannan is one of the highest earners at Hillsborough on £27,000 per week, but he wasn’t at his best for much of Saturday’s game. He lost possession 12 times against the Millers and completed just 12 passes all afternoon, being beaten in two of his four duels (Sofascore).

Sheff Wed fans disappointed with Bannan display

These Owls fans took to Twitter to criticise the midfielder’s performance on what was a rare off-day for him.

“Bannan anonymous. Team not firing”

Credit: @BiffBosh

“Getting overrun in midfield. Bannan & Luongo anonymous so far”

Credit: @MarkoGreen80

“Bannan been poor today”

Credit: @cc1867_

“Bannan is fantastic but we’d be better having tango on set pieces”

Credit: @legohillsboro1

“Also encouraging because not everyone seemed on their game today. Bannan, so brilliant in the first three matches, was effectively taken out of the game by Lindsay. I expect to see other teams do that more to us. Set piece deliveries were unsharp today too”

Credit: @ploehmann

“Wednesday’s midfield has been non existent so far. Need to get Bannan into the game. The good news is the defence has held firm. 23 gone. 0-0”

Credit: @domhowson

In other news, one rumoured Sheff Wed target has been linked with a shock Premier League move. Read more here.

West Ham United manager David Moyes is still interested in signing Manchester United star Jesse Lingard in this month’s January transfer window.

What’s the story?

The England international of course joined the London side on loan in January of last year, and was then kept by United during the summer.

But now, according to The Evening Standard, Moyes remains keen on exploring a potential January deal for Lingard, who despite his impressive campaign with the Hammers last year, has struggled to break into the United side this season.

Fans will be buzzing

After joining West Ham back in the January transfer window on a short-term loan, Lingard racked up an incredible nine goals and four assists in just his first ten Premier League games for the club – it was no surprise then that he was lauded as being “absolutely phenomenal”.

What marks Lingard out as a real threat is his timing of his runs, and it’s something Michael Carrick has previously raved about.

The United coach said: “He senses where the space is and how to use it. I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s a dribbler with skills and tricks but he’s dynamic. How he plays, he is unique in some ways. You don’t see so much of that now as everyone wants to get on the ball. Off the ball, he’s very effective.”

His performances with the Hammers showcased the kind of impact the £75k-a-week earning star can have when he’s on song and the confidence is flowing through his veins.

With West Ham still very much in the mix for a Champions League spot this season, adding that extra sprinkling of goals and dynamism in Lingard could well prove to be the difference-maker when it comes to those big moments and big games.

The £18m-rated star could enjoy another sparkling stint at the London Stadium were West Ham to make a move, and fans would surely be buzzing with seeing him back.

Meanwhile, West Ham are also interested in another Premier League star…

Liverpool are set to complete the signing of highly-rated Celtic midfielder Ben Doak, according to Football Insider.

What’s the story?

According to their sources, now that the Reds have agreed the signing of Fulham’s Fabio Carvalho, they are close to agreeing on a deal for the Celtic teenager who has already been pictured holding a Liverpool shirt.

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The 16-year old is set to sign an initial three-year deal with Liverpool paying around £600k in compensation to the Scottish club. It’s understood that to begin with he will play for the club’s development side.

More exciting than Carvalho

Fabio Carvalho has lit up the Championship this season, with 14 goal contributions in 29 appearances, so we know an awful lot about how good he is.

However, the fact we know less about Doak, and that Liverpool are signing the youngster for such a fee for his age, makes this one more exciting and intriguing.

He has already made two senior appearances for the Hoops, one of which was as a late substitute in an Old Firm game which shows just how highly thought of he is in Scotland.

Where he has excelled is at youth level for his country. Doak has made six appearances for Scotland U17’s scoring four times, which included a hat-trick in a 6-1 rout against Georgia last month.

He’s been described in glowing terms as a “generational” talent by Bhoys Analytics and will be looking to the likes of his fellow countryman Andy Robertson when judging how successful a move to Anfield can be.

Doak rejected a professional contract from Celtic to move south of the border and sign for Jurgen Klopp’s side. Whilst this may seem like a bold decision, it’s not every day that you get offered the chance to sign for one of the best teams in Europe.

He is a wide player with the ability to play on the wing and in the full-back position, adding a further string to his bow, with Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou describing him as a “fantastic kid” who is “composed” for his age.

It was reported by The Athletic that Leeds were also interested in signing the teenager but Liverpool managed to seal the deal first.

Overall it’s an extremely exciting signing, he may not feature in the first team straight away but with a lot of clubs interested, he must be special. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on how he progresses through a Liverpool set-up that is known for developing great players.

IN other news: Fewer touches than Alisson: Liverpool gem who won just 16.6% duels let his side down

Even though Liverpool have managed to keep a clean sheet in all of their three previous games across all competitions against Arsenal, FC Porto and Southampton, the Reds have managed to concede more goals in the league than Chelsea and Manchester City.

With the upcoming January transfer window on the horizon, it seems as though the club could be in danger of losing one of their defensive players after Football Insider reported that West Ham United are interested in making a move to sign Nat Phillips.

Even though Phillips has only made two senior appearances for Liverpool so far this season, the club should have no plans to allow the defender to join West Ham in January.

Given how he ended up as Liverpool’s second-highest rated player in the Premier League last season with an overall performance rating of 7.29/10 according to WhoScored, Phillips certainly proved himself to everyone at the Merseyside club that he is more than capable of playing for them at a high level.

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In addition to his impressive overall performances in the league last season, the central defender also managed to rack up an average of 4.8 clearances per game, 1.3 tackles per game and 1.2 interceptions per game, highlighting his defensive talents.

Labelled as a “monster” for his efforts in the team last season by Klopp, it’s a shame that Phillips, who is currently valued at £7.2m according to Transfermarkt, has not been given the opportunity to shine once again this time out.

As a result of his impressive season, Liverpool offered the 24-year-old a long-term deal that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2025.

Taking this into account, it would seem rather silly for the Reds to let Phillips go in January after giving him a renewed contract just a few months ago.

With this in mind, it could be in everyone’s best interest if Jurgen Klopp starts to give Phillips some regular game time to make it clear that he is a valued member of the squad that has what it takes to be a long-term option for them in the future.

Furthermore, with Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip now at the age of 30, Klopp could save Liverpool millions by unleashing Phillips once again. Cementing his place in the team could swerve Michael Edwards and co from hunting European shores for a pricey replacement.

In other news: Edwards must seal Klopp’s dream Liverpool deal in “electric” £20m “bulldozer” – opinion

A finance expert has now dropped an exciting Everton revelation involving Farhad Moshiri and the Bramley Moore stadium project.

The Lowdown: American interest

As per The Daily Mail, the Goodison Park faithful have now attracted interest from American bidders willing to pay £350m to buy them.

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Moshiri is looking for outside investment to help fund the Bramley Moore project, after investing more than £500m in the Merseyside club since his arrival.

The Latest: Maguire reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, finance expert Kieran Maguire has now given his reaction to the reported interest, revealing that Moshiri thinks that the Bramley Moore project will ‘turn things around financially’:

“If the £350m means Moshiri writing off his debt then they would be getting it at a discount.

“Moshiri effectively bought them for £175m. Since then, he has added to the club by lending it large sums of money.

“He would end up having to take cut in terms of the total he has invested into Everton. A lot will depend on how he feels on a long-term basis.

“The noises I’ve heard from Everton are that he is committed and believes the Bramley Moore project will turn things around financially.

“That will coincide with things improving on the pitch as well because the more resources you have coming in, the more you can spend on new signings.

“As far as new owners would be concerned, they’d have to fund the stadium. So, it’s £350m plus the £400m to £500m that the stadium is going to cost.“

The Verdict: Exciting

Given the concern for the Toffees in terms of the losses recorded in their financial accounts, the fact that the Bramley Moore project could ‘turn things around financially’ is certainly exciting.

Of course, new investment would help with that, whether that is Moshiri continuing to show his commitment or the American businessmen coming in.

The stadium is going to cost a lot of money in itself, but the Blues would hope that the money generated from its initial construction would surpass that, and so they could find themselves in a better financial position, while the supporters get to enjoy the new stadium.

Nonetheless, the club need a boost after what has happened to them on the pitch this season, and the new stadium should go some way in providing that.

In other news, find out which ‘real leader’ has now emerged as an EFC target here!