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Kevin Campbell has backed Chris Wilder to be the next manager at Celtic as Examiner Live report he has become a favourite for the Parkhead job.

The 53-year-old has recently left his post as boss at Sheffield United and is thus available for any club to bring in.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Everton striker has claimed that hiring Wilder would be a good appointment at Parkhead:

“I do think he’d be a good appointment.

“If they were to pull the trigger then they’d have a manager who knows how to work to a budget and get the players onside.

“He plays an expansive brand of football with the centre-halves joining in with attacks etc.

“I think that’s something Celtic fans could get behind.”

Celtic should hire Wilder

Given that he plays an expansive brand of football as Campbell points out, Wilder is certainly a coach that would play a style that would surely excite the Hoops faithful.

Even though the Blades have struggled a lot in the Premier League in the 2020/21 term and look almost certainly as if they will be relegated down to the EFL Championship, the Englishman has still adopted the same style of play throughout and his heroics of guiding them to a very impressive ninth-placed last season should not be overlooked.

While he might not be the most glamourous name to Hoops fans, Wilder is certainly a man that should not be overlooked, as he could help steady the sinking ship for the Bhoys as they look to battle it out with Rangers once more for the Scottish Premiership title.

In other news, find out what managerial candidate has been ruled out for the Celtic job here!

Phil Hay has hinted that Stuart Dallas could take up a midfield role in Leeds United’s Premier League clash on Friday night.

The Whites are back in action on Friday, making the trip to Craven Cottage to take on Scott Parker’s relegation-threatened Fulham.

Fulham’s form has improved in recent months, however, so Marcelo Bielsa’s men will have their work cut out picking up a positive result in west London.

The Leeds manager has a few selection headaches going into the game and one of them could be his use of Dallas, who has often played at left-back this season, among other positions.

Hay hints at Dallas midfield role

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic, Hay explained that he could see Dallas taking up a central midfield role against Fulham instead of Mateusz Klich:

“I’d say it’s likely that Dallas will play at 8. His form is better than Klich’s at the moment.”

Dallas has been described as “brilliant” by former Whites striker Noel Whelan in recent weeks, having become such a reliable performer for the club.

Transfer Tavern take

Midfield is one of several roles Dallas has occupied this season, as mentioned, so there is no risk in switching him from a left-back berth.

That would then mean Ezgjan Alioski starting at the back, as he did in last weekend’s 0-0 draw at home to Chelsea – a clean sheet against Thomas Tuchel’s high-fliers is no mean feat.

In other news, Leeds have been tipped to make a move for a hugely experienced Premier League defender this summer. Read about it here.

Despite Liverpool having recruited two centre-backs in the January transfer window, the Reds continue to be linked with yet more defensive stalwarts.

The latest named in whom Jurgen Klopp is reportedly interested is Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.

In completing a deal for the Senegalese international, then they would be securing one of the best centre-backs in Europe at the current time.

The defender, now aged 29, has been with the Serie A giants since 2014 and, in that time, he has forged a reputation as a ferocious and dominant figure at the back.

He has gone on to make 274 appearances for the Partenopei, winning the Coppa Italia with the club last year.

His defensive statistics are also extremely impressive this season despite having missed part of the campaign after testing positive for COVID-19.

He is averaging 1.6 tackles, one interception, 1.7 clearances and 0.8 blocks per game in 2020/21, according to WhoScored.

When compared to Joe Gomez, who Koulibaly would presumably replace in the Liverpool starting XI when every player is fit, the Napoli man comes out on top in every facet besides clearances – the Englishman averaging a huge 4.4 per game throughout 2020/21 before his campaign was curtailed due to injury.

Some could make an argument that the Napoli defender’s age could be a negative factor, and to some extent that could be true – Koulibaly turns 30 in June.

However, age brings considerable experience, with him having made 26 appearances in the Champions League throughout his career, which of course would become extremely useful as the Reds attempt to continuing challenging on multiple fronts under Jurgen Klopp.

A deal would also not come cheap. Rated at £54m, it could take a considerably larger fee to bring him to Anfield.

Nevertheless, with no other glaring weakness in the Liverpool squad besides the centre-back position next to the dominant Virgil van Dijk, a big-money swoop for Koulibaly could see Liverpool regain their defensive resolve and once again challenge at the very top.

AND in more news, take a look at why Houssem Aouar could be the perfect addition to the Reds’ midfield…

Crystal Palace fell to a humbling 4-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday evening.

Despite having some promising moments, the Eagles were second best in the capital, with braces from Harry Kane and Gareth Bale securing a thumping win for the hosts.

One silver lining for Roy Hodgson’s troops though was seeing Wilfried Zaha back in action, having been out with an injury since early February.

However, it was not the return that either his manager or teammates will have wanted.

Given a place on the bench at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Ivorian international was introduced at half-time with the scores level at 1-1.

It was thought that the £45m-rated winger could have given the Eagles some fresh attacking impetus but he, in fact, did the opposite.

Throughout his second-half appearance, he could only accumulate 16 touches of the ball according to WhoScored – only fellow substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta had fewer in the entire Crystal Palace side.

Even when Zaha received the ball, he was simply not able to do anything with it.

He only had one shot, which was off target, and did not provide a single key pass.

Zaha also conspired to lose the ball on multiple occasions throughout his second-half cameo, getting dispossessed twice and having another unsuccessful touch.

His passing also painted a damning picture of his poor performance. Racking up a horrendous passing accuracy of just 33%, which is by far and away the worst by any player on the pitch, you may have been forgiven for thinking that Zaha was indeed lining up for the opposing team.

To compound his teammates’ frustrations, the winger was also caught offside on three occasions in 45 minutes. Whilst this could be down to disciplined defending from the home side, it is of no consolation to the Eagles who saw their attacks abruptly halted when attempting to find Zaha, who seemed to be a bit lazy in terms of his discipline of reading the line.

His performance could be understandable considering his long lay off in recent weeks but Hodgson will surely be demanding more as his star man regains his match sharpness.

AND in more news, read more about the Eagles’ links with £22m-rated Mostafa Mohamed…

When it comes to Leeds United, they have a whole plethora of promising young academy players.

Victor Orta has made a point of strengthening that area of the club and in the summer it was a huge priority to improve Mark Jackson’s squad.

He added Cody Drameh, Crysencio Summerville, Sam Greenwood and Joe Gelhardt to the club’s academy ranks and a number of them have reaped the rewards pretty instantly.

Summerville scored a hat-trick against Burnley U23s while Greenwood was presented with a first-team opportunity against Crawley in the FA Cup.

Though, it’s a defender in Leeds’ ranks that we want to focus on for the time being. Of course, it will naturally be the attackers who take most of the credit but one man who’s also earned a first-team debut this season has been Charlie Cresswell.

The 18-year-old has only featured on one occasion under Marcelo Bielsa but it would hardly be a surprise if he starts to get more chances in the not too distant future.

That’s because he is the archetypal Bielsa player, a defender who likes to advance forward with the ball at his feet and play out from the back.

Speaking about the centre-back earlier this season, Noel Whelan highlighted his qualities: “At that centre-half position he’s got great attributes, he’s very calm on the ball, a great size to him, he’s quick, he can head, he can pass. He’s the modern-day, young-centre half.”

If you’d taken those words out of context, it could quite easily describe a certain Ben White.

Like Cresswell, he’s a baby faced centre-half and possesses very similar qualities. White was tremendous during Leeds’ promotion-winning campaign last season and in their 18-year-old academy graduate they have a player who could potentially live up to similar heights.

Last term, White completed 84.6% of his passes, a tally that Cresswell came close to emulating when the U21s took on Blackpool in the Papa John’s Trophy. On that day, the teenager completed 81% of his passes, demonstrating complete composure in the backline.

Like White, his reading of the game was near impeccable. Cresswell completed two interceptions and remarkably prevailed in seven tackles.

Last summer, it was all about who Leeds could find to replace the Brighton defender at centre-half. They tried to do so with the additions of Robin Koch and Diego Llorente but since arriving, they seem to have spent more time on the treatment table than out on the field.

Perhaps Bielsa’s answer was right in front of him all along? Cresswell typifies the modern defender and has all the attributes that made White such a hit at Elland Road.

AND in other news, Leeds could save millions by unleashing rarely-seen 20 y/o, he’s endorsed by Ian Harte…

Hammers insider ExWHUemployee claimed earlier this week, while speaking on The West Ham Way podcast, that David Moyes’ side could sign Besiktas striker Vincent Aboubakar in the January transfer window.

David Sullivan launching efforts to land the Senegal beast could see the Irons co-owner and Chairman hand Moyes his new Marko Arnautovic, after hinting recently at desires to find another of the Austrian’s calibre having lacked much quality in the box against Chelsea.

West Ham have since sold Sebastien Haller to AFC Ajax in a £20m deal to further deplete Moyes’ offensive arsenal, with Michail Antonio – back from a second hamstring injury of the season – now the Scottish tactician’s only recognised senior centre-forward at the club.

West Ham’s lack of attacking options and activity in the transfer market saw Moyes face Doncaster Rovers in the FA Cup without a recognised striker starting on Saturday, with winger Andriy Yarmolenko instead tasked with leading the line at the London Stadium.

The Hammers have been linked with an endless stream of strikers since selling Haller, but ExWHUemployee has suggested Aboubakar may be an option the club will explore as the 63-cap international could be available for a bargain fee.

West Ham have explored signing Aboubakar in past windows and continue to look on the 29-year-old’s talents in a positive light, having scored 10 goals in 15 Super Lig fixtures after joining Besiktas as a free agent last summer.

His deal at Vodafone Park is a one-year contract that features an option to extend based on his performances over the 2020/21 campaign, that have so far seen the £6.5m-rated frontman score 22% of Besiktas’ total 45 goals in the Super Lig this term.

Sullivan signing Aboubakar in the closing stages of the January transfer window could see the West Ham chief land Moyes the new-Arnautovic type the former Manchester United boss is looking for. Any funds saved this month may also help the east London outfit land a higher-calibre target when greater options become available at the end of the season.

West Ham certainly can ill-afford to not strengthen Moyes’ attacking options in the winter market given Antonio’s injury issues, and should have no qualms over Aboubakar being a reliable option having only not featured in a Super Lig game this season after the loss of his mother last month.

Goals have continued to flow for the physical 6ft brute since his return, too, as Aboubakar moved his goals and assists per 90 ratio to 0.87, per FBref, while staying calm under pressure to score four from four penalty kicks taken.

No player currently at the London Stadium is contributing at a similar level, with Antonio (0.6) ranking first among all West Ham players who have featured in the Premier League on multiple occasions this term. Haller, for comparison, had offered just 0.29 before his exit.

AND in other news – Exclusive: Pundit drops verdict on West Ham’s interest in a lethal striker adored by a Moyes favourite.

Many Arsenal fans were left slamming the display of Willian as the holders were dumped out of the FA Cup by Southampton following a 1-0 away loss.

Although there were several bad performances on the day, Willian’s stood out to many members of the Emirates Stadium faithful, as they went out with a whimper thanks to a Gabriel own goal in the first half of the game.

Given his chance to impress Mikel Arteta, who decided to rotate his team given that they have a Premier League match against the Saints on Tuesday night, he failed to do himself any favours.

The Brazil international lost out on 80% of his duels, and also failed to make a single accurate cross or long ball, all while losing possession of it no fewer than 10 times, earning him a quite measly 6.5 overall rating on Sofascore.

Arsenal fan reaction to Willian display

These Gooners slammed his performance on Twitter, with one AFC supporter even going as far as to call the 32-year-old ‘useless’:

“I honestly think Willian should never wear an Arsenal shirt again. How many chances are we going to give him?!”

Credit: @jaket1995

“Willian is as useless as Willock”

Credit: @Festo256

“Surely someone will take Willian off us. Just knowing he’s here winds me up.”

Credit: @BenAFC

“I thought Willian would be okay or have good moments but man, I can’t think of a more terrible signing than him, I’m blown away, just blown away.”

Credit: @mariEscobarStan

“Get Willian, Pepe, Nketiah and Elneny out of the squad, the academy is the future”

Credit: @Chapman_XIV

“He is picking players that have constantly been terrible. If he has anything about him, he will drop Willian for good, sell Nketiah whilst we still have a chance integrate Balogun into the first team and find a left footed left back to support Tierney”

Credit: @Nahum_silence

In other news, find out whose first-half display was slammed by Gunners here!

Leicester have a big battle ahead of them as they prepare to take on Tottenham Hotspur in their next Premier League challenge. The two potential title contenders will lock horns in what will be a massive boost for whoever comes away with the win.

If the Foxes can hurt Spurs on their turf, they will go two points clear of their competition.

Brendan Rodgers has given fans a big chunk of good news ahead of the match, confirming that Timothy Castagne is in contention to start. Having the £50,000 per week Belgian back from his recent hamstring injury is a huge boost that could prove to be crucial against Spurs. Not only will it allow James Justin to take a more attacking role, but it will give Leicester a better chance of defending against Jose Mourinho’s blistering attack.

Castagne must have his wits about him though. After missing seven Premier League games and featuring in just five so far, he could return to the action to face off against one of the deadliest players in the league. Son Heung-min has caused almost every team he’s faced some serious problems this season and he doesn’t look like he’s prepared to show any mercy.

The winger has been linking up beautifully with Harry Kane and is currently the Premier League’s leading goalscorer. Son has tallied a mammoth 11 goals and four assists in 13 games played so far and he will be rubbing his hands together at the idea of facing Castagne.

He will be hoping that the recently injured right-back will be a bit behind his teammates in terms of fitness and will be doing everything he can to try and exploit this potential weakness. Castagne cannot afford to slip up or he will be punished by the South Korean dynamo.

It’s a huge occasion for the returning defender, but if he can keep the Spurs attack at bay, it will be a huge confidence boost for him following his absence.

In other news, Carlton Palmer waxes lyrical about Leicester’s transfer policy…

Tottenham Hotspur are within touching distance of a chance to land their first piece of silverware in over 12 years, but standing in their way are Championship promotion hopefuls Brentford in tonight’s Carabao Cup semi-final clash.

Jose Mourinho labelled this match the biggest since he replaced Mauricio Pochettino in November 2019, so we can expect Spurs to come out with a strong lineup at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs were handed a rest between their draw with Wolves and their win over Leeds United last time out due to the postponed fixture against Fulham, so that should further hint that we shouldn’t expect too many alterations to the starting XI.

Here’s what we are predicting this evening…

Mourinho will be forced into a couple of changes, at least.

Right-back Matt Doherty is suspended after receiving a late red card against the Whites, whilst Sergio Reguilon, Erik Lamela, Gareth Bale and Giovani Lo Celso are all expected to be absent.

That means Serge Aurier is a shoo-in to return having not featured in Spurs’ last two outings. He’s one of two changes to the backline as Davinson Sanchez gets the nod over the rested Toby Alderweireld.

Both Ben Davies and Eric Dier keep their places.

In midfield, there could also be some fresh legs added in the form of Moussa Sissoko. The £18m-rated Frenchman could take the place of Harry Winks, who has now started three successive matches.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg remains, though Mourinho has a massive call to make on Dele Alli.

The out-of-favour attacking midfielder played 66 minutes against Stoke City in the last round and could reprise that role here over Tanguy Ndombele, who has played more than 70 minutes in back-to-back matches.

We may also see one final change in the attack with Lucas Moura getting an opportunity to impress in this competition once again, which means Steven Bergwijn is axed.

The £36m-rated Brazilian, dubbed a “nightmare” by Dier hasn’t started in the top-flight since October as in need of minutes, whilst the Dutch winger has concerns over his fitness.

Given the importance of the match, both Heung-min Son and Harry Kane should start.

AND in other news, Mourinho will be regretting his decision over £12m gem way better than Doherty…

Liverpool look to have been handed a transfer blow in their chase for Dominik Szoboszlai, as RB Leipzig now seem to be favourites to sign the Hungarian international.

The Reds have been linked with the 20-year-old wonderkid recently but it seems as if he is likely to join Die Roten Bullen following an update from Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.

He confirmed on Twitter that the Bundesliga side are likely to win the race to sign him, as they are keen to activate his €25 million release clause ahead of Christmas.

Considering the history of RB Salzburg players joining RB Leipzig, it is no surprise that they are now the favourites to sign Szoboszlai, however, this still comes as a blow for Liverpool, as he has shown in recent seasons that he is an incredible young player.

In 80 appearances for the Austrian side, the midfielder has contributed an impressive 25 goals and 33 assists, so it is no surprise that he is being linked with a move away.

So far this season, the midfielder has notched eight goals and nine assists in 19 appearances in all competitions, which definitely seems to suggest that he should be playing at a higher level.

The 20-year-old has already earned the praise of one of the greatest to ever play the game in Lothar Matthaus, with him saying:

“He is a gem. He’s like Kai Havertz. He could move to RB Leipzig in January, but I’m convinced that every top club in Europe has him on their list, including FC Bayern. In Hungary, Szoboszlai is already being compared to the great Ferenc Puskas.”

This is high praise indeed, although it is no surprise to hear that the RB Salzburg man is already revered by Hungarian fans, after he helped them secure European qualification by scoring an injury-time winner against Iceland last month.

Considering he is reportedly available for as little as €25 million (£22.9 million), this definitely could be a transfer Liverpool regret making in the future, particularly when you consider the success of former RB Salzburg man Erling Haaland since his departure from the Austrian side.

Therefore, Leipzig being close to his signing is definitely a blow for the Reds, but fans should certainly keep an eye on him as a potential star of the future.

And, in other news… Forget Jota: Klopp must unleash £120k-p/w gem who “offers something totally different”