All posts by h79snht.top

There are many types of Fantasy Football Manager – ones who exude confidence like Jose Mourinho; ones who refuse to pick players from their team’s rivals, despite the fact they’re guaranteed over 50 points each week; ones who set their line-ups at the start of the season, forget their password and still frustratingly finish in the top half – usually above you.

Then there are the tinkerers. These are the most common breed of Fantasy Football Managers. They are unsure. They fear too many options. They shuffle their pack at the slightest sign of a potential better result with another player in their team. They are, in one word, indecisive.

There was once a time where these types of managers were derided – think Claudio Ranieri in his original reign as Chelsea Manager. Now-a-days, for the top gaffers in the world, picking a different line-up is often considered to be part of a tactical geniuses’ repertoire.

However, for us mere mortals, indecisiveness when choosing our line-ups are usually a reflection of our lives away from the Fantasy Football League and can often lead to hesitation and missed opportunities. From asking a girl out to putting a bet on a horse – indecisiveness can be a cruel pill to swallow.

Luckily, bookmaker Ladbrokes has saved the hassle for Football Managers and non-Football Managers alike having to pick a horse for one of the biggest racing events of the year – The Grand National – this Saturday. Their Grand National Horse Generator makes the whole process very simple.

Just pick a horse’s age, choose your favourite colour and decide how much you’d like to win! Ladbroke’s Grand National Horse Generator randomly selects a horse for you to bet on and you do the rest.

Now if only your Fantasy Football Team could select a winning line-up for you…

Chelsea defender David Luiz once again showed just how important he is to the team in their vital 4-2 victory against Southampton in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.

It was a result that increased their advantage over second-placed Tottenham Hotspur to seven points – before Spurs face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Wednesday – and has kept them in contention to win the title for the second time in three seasons.

Even though Blues club captain John Terry has only played a bit-part role this term and has announced that he is leaving the west London outfit at the end of the campaign, Antonio Conte’s men are on course to pick up another league trophy and much of that is down to the form of their backline.

The Brazilian has been one of the key players alongside Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta this season even though some Chelsea fans would have had their reservations when they re-signed him from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, but he has certainly proven those supporters wrong by helping his side concede just 29 goals in their 33 top flight games.

The 30-year-old once again showed that Conte doesn’t need to sign a Terry replacement this summer with another committed defensive performance against Saints, as he made seven clearances, one interception and two blocks.

In addition, he showed his strength in the air by winning all four of the aerial duels he faced while he also won two tackles to keep the likes of Manolo Gabbiadini and Dusan Tadic at bay.

His defensive awareness and positioning has certainly improved since his first spell at Stamford Bridge, and Luiz will hope to lead Chelsea another step closer to winning the Premier League title when they face Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur host arch-rivals Arsenal in one of the biggest north London derbies in years at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Spurs will still believe that they can win the Premier League title as they kept the gap between themselves and leaders Chelsea at four points as they beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park on Wednesday night.

The victory took Mauricio Pochettino’s men on to 74 points – which has surpassed their previous best of 72 in the Premier League – with five fixtures left to try and overhaul Antonio Conte’s side.

The Argentine boss will know that they will likely need to beat the Gunners if they are to maintain their chances of doing that, but it won’t be an easy task against Arsene Wenger’s side even though they know that they will finish above their neighbours for the first time since 1995 with a victory.

Arsenal have won their last three matches following the disappointing 3-0 loss against Palace at Selhurst Park earlier this month, and the sixth-placed side are desperate for points as they look to secure a Champions League spot.

Here is the predicted Tottenham XI that will line up against Arsenal on Sunday…

Hugo Lloris

Tottenham have the best defensive record in the Premier League having conceded just 22 goals in their 33 top flight matches this term, and the French stopper has certainly played a big part.

Even though he would have been disappointed to concede four times in Spurs’ FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea last weekend, the France international bounced back with a crucial clean sheet against Crystal Palace in midweek to help keep his team’s title chances alive.

Eric Dier

The 23-year-old has played in defensive midfield and at centre-back for Spurs this season, and he could be deployed in the latter for this match if recent games are anything to go by.

Pochettino chose to go with the 3-4-3 formation against Chelsea and in the first half against Crystal Palace, and he could do the same in order to match up with Arsenal who have also used that system in the last couple of weeks.

As well as his defensive abilities, Dier could also be a threat at the other end of the pitch having scored twice in his last five Premier League outings.

Toby Alderweireld

Alongside Jan Vertonghen at the heart of the defence – and Dier too when Tottenham have played three at the back – Alderweireld  has helped his side have the best defensive record in the Premier League this season.

The Belgian has quickly established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the division because of his technical ability on the ball, and he will be confident of nullifying the threat of Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez on Sunday.

Jan Vertonghen

The Belgian defender is certainly Tottenham’s Mr Consistent at the back and he continues to impress with his strong, defensive performances.

As well as his abilities at the back, Mauricio Pochettino will also admire his ability to bring the ball out from the back too, and he showed his desire to do well for the team against Watford earlier this month when he ran the length of the pitch to join in with a counter attack.

Kyle Walker

The right-back has established himself as Tottenham’s first choice in that position in the last few season – as well as for England too – and it has been another impressive campaign for the 26-year-old who is said to be attracting interest from Manchester United and Manchester City.

Recent reports suggested that he has held talks with Pochettino to find out the club’s aims for the future, and he could go a long way to helping them improve with three points against their arch-rivals.

Mousa Dembele

If Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was brutally honest, he would probably prefer to have the central midfield partnership of Dembele and Victor Wanyama than the one of Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin that lined up against Leicester City on Wednesday night.

Had it not been for the brilliant performances of the likes of Dele Alli and Harry Kane, Mousa Dembele would have a real chance of winning Tottenham’s Player of the Season for the brilliant job he has done in the middle of the park for Spurs this term.

Victor Wanyama

Having signed the Kenyan during his time as manager of Southampton, it was no surprise when Pochettino brought the midfielder to White Hart Lane last summer.

The strong 25-year-old has done a brilliant job of shielding the Spurs backline this season – helping them concede just 22 Premier League goals – and he will need to do the same again on Sunday with Arsenal duo Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil likely to be looking to find pockets of space in the final third.

Ben Davies

Even though Danny Rose is said to be in training again following a three-month injury lay-off, it seems unlikely that Pochettino will risk throwing him into the starting line-up for such a crucial match – especially as Davies has proved that he is a more than able deputy.

The left-sided player will know that he must keep a close eye on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or Hector Bellerin from a defensive point of view, as well as provide an attacking threat and width when Spurs are going forward.

Christian Eriksen

Tottenham’s hopes of keeping the Premier League title race alive looked to be fading as they entered the closing stages of their crucial clash against Crystal Palace with the score still goalless.

However, the Denmark international stepped up with a moment of magic as he fired into the bottom corner from 30 yards in the 78th minute to give his side a 1-0 win.

With eight goals and 12 assists in 32 top flight appearances this term, he will be hoping to make another positive impact against Arsenal.

Dele Alli

With 16 goals and seven assists in 32 Premier League appearances this season, there is no doubt that Alli could prove to be the key man again for his side when Arsenal come to White Hart Lane.

The 21-year-old has time and time again scored crucial goals and having regularly proved that he has the ability to find the net from anywhere in and around the penalty area, he will be hoping that he can make a huge impact against the Gunners – especially as he missed the reverse fixture in November with a knee problem.

Harry Kane

With 20 goals in 25 Premier League games this season, there is no doubt that the England international will be Spurs’ biggest goal threat against Arsene Wenger’s side on Sunday and – like Alli – he has shown that he is capable of netting different types of goals.

The 23-year-old will know that if he gets an opportunity he must take it in what is sure to be an action-packed derby, and the clinical finishing he has shown in the last few seasons means that Pochettino and the Tottenham fans will be confident that he will.

Do you agree, Spurs fans? Let us know below.

After yet another disappointing result, Liverpool’s season is coming to a stumbling finish.

The Reds are currently falling over the line, but it may still be enough for Champions League football next season. They may well be playing their football in the top tier of the European game next season more or less by default. As Manchester United lost at the Emirates Stadium, Jurgen Klopp’s side know that two victories in their final two games will ensure a top four spot.

This summer, that will be one of the key things to think about: midweek football.

Liverpool’s squad is already quite thin on the ground. One of the biggest criticisms of Jurgen Klopp of late has been his slowness to make changes when his side are changing games, but that neglects one major question: what exactly is there to change? Perhaps the biggest illustration of their predicament is Sadio Mane, a man whose presence Liverpool really can’t do without.

Behind that, though, there are other obvious weaknesses of this squad which will have to be rectified whatever happens this summer. James Milner at left-back springs to mind.

Although he’s performed admirably for his team, doing a job that’s been foisted upon him, the former Manchester City man is not a left-back. And indeed, deploying him there takes him away from other areas of the pitch where he can be effective in helping Jurgen Klopp’s side to win games: in the absence of Jordan Henderson, for example, Milner could well be an asset in the middle.

A new left-back is a must, then, but who should Liverpool look to?

Having been linked with the likes of Ryan Sessegnon and Kieran Tierney, it looks like Klopp is favouring youth over experience. This might not be the way to go. After all, any summer purchase in that position would surely need to be able to take Milner’s place.

Liverpool should be looking to Schalke 04’s Bosnian full-back Sead Kolasinac, rated by Transfermarkt.com at £7.65m. Although Jurgen Klopp is a feted former manager of Borussia Dortmund, Schalke’s fierce local rivals, Kolasinac is the kind of player Liverpool could be doing with.

An attacking full-back who can play further forward, the Bosnian also averages almost three tackles per game and just over three interceptions, proving that he’s capable of that important skill each of the Premier League’s top six club’s desire in a defender these days: stopping counter attacks. He also brings the tall, physical presence of a player who can also slot in at centre back if required – something that should mean less of Lucas Leiva deputising in the heart of the defence.

Going forward, he can contribute, too, but the major concern is his crossing ability.

Playing in behind Philippe Coutinho would necessitate overlapping runs as the Brazilian likes to cut inside, and so chances to cross will be plentiful. Although Milner is a fabulous crosser of the football, playing on the left significantly decreases his value on the wing.

The naturally left-footed Kolasinac would perhaps be a better fit here, too, if it weren’t for the fact that he has only played – on average – one cross every two games or so.

But that is a bit of a misnomer.

For one thing, it’s the quality of crosses, not the quantity, which matter the most. But above all else, the question shouldn’t be whether or not the full-back delivers a cross, it should be a question of who he crosses to.

For Liverpool, the lack of a physical penalty box striker means the need for high crosses into the box is limited to players getting across the near post or the occasional deep runs of Georginio Wijnaldum – something we witnessed against Manchester City on New Year’s Eve.

This season, as Schalke have struggled to find a system that works, Kolasinac has been deployed as a full-back behind several different wingers all season, and with multiple different strikers, too. As a result, it would be unfair to read too much into Kolasinac’s attacking stats, especially when his defensive ones are so good.

If you’re looking for attacking numbers, however, only four Schalke players have scored more goals than the 23-year-old left-back, and no-one has made more assists.

In the end, this summer will be about adding depth and quality for Liverpool. Stumbling over the line in the league might just be a blessing in disguise: perhaps it focuses the minds on the need for investment, if they didn’t know that already. It means there can now be no excuses.

In Kolasinac, Klopp would be getting a versatile full-back who can play in other positions, too. That’s a huge plus point in the Bosnian’s column, given the need for depth and the fact that Liverpool have often been caught out this season, having to field makeshift wide players (like Milner at left-back) or defenders (Lucas Leiva).

When it comes to a new left-back, Klopp seems to be looking to youth. He’d do well to remember, though, that Kolasinac is still only 23, and yet is already an experienced international player. Liverpool should be going all out to get him this summer.

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As reported by The Daily Mail, Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur are both interested in the signature of Ipswich Town teeanger Kundai Benyu this summer.

What’s the story?

Celtic fans have seen a number of teenage stars light up the Scottish Premiership this season including Moussa Dembele, Patrick Roberts and Kieran Tierney. Now Brendan Rodgers and his staff are chasing another that can make an impact North of the border.

The Mail reckon both the Hoops and Tottenham Hotspur have shown an interest in the 19 year old midfielder, whose contract runs out at Ipswich Town this summer.  The two clubs have scouted him while on loan at Aldershot Town in the National League.

Due to cross-border rules, the compensation fee Celtic would have to pay would be significantly less than any English team vying for his services.

Why all the fuss?

Benyu has impressed on loan at Aldershot this season, making 23 appearances and playing a key role in their attempt to get promoted, a bid which ultimately ended in the play-offs against Tranmere Rovers.

The Mail say he ended up there due to a fall-out with Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy but having worked hard and held a place in the team on loan, it’s clear he’s willing to progress and develop as a player.

Celtic is one of the best places in Europe to enhance your skills as a young player right now. A top class coach in Brendan Rodgers, fantastic facilities at Lennoxtown and the opportunity of first team football both in the Scottish Premiership and UEFA Champions League.

For a 19 year old looking to prove himself it’s the perfect home, compared to potentially being lost in vast, elite squads at top English Premier League clubs like Tottenham Hotspur.

Is Benyu the next teenager to make an impression at Celtic Park?

Rangers fans are enjoying an exciting week in the close season. Supporters at Ibrox haven’t had much to shout about over the last 12 months but optimism springs eternal again as the club make key signings in an attempt to close the gap on Celtic next season.

Pedro Caixinha has wasted no time in adding first team talent to his squad with the acquisition of defender Bruno Alves and midfielder Ryan Jack. Alves’ trophy winning pedigree is unparalleled in Scottish football, while signing Jack, the captain of Aberdeen, represents a bitter blow to the Dons.

Fans had been unsure of what to expect from this summer’s transfer window but it seems they can look forward to a few months of exciting signings. Caixinha’s promised Rangers revolution is underway.

Who else can he add to the squad after these two signings? What sort of players are on his radar?

Here are FOUR more players that could be arriving at Ibrox sooner rather than later…

Eduardo Herrera

According to The Daily Record, Herrera is one of Pedro Caixinha’s number one striking targets this summer having previously worked with him when he was on loan at Mexican side Santos Laguna. Currently playing in the Mexican top-flight, he has a reasonable scoring record in the division across his career, scoring 57 goals in 207 appearances. With nine goals in continental competition too, he likely has the quality to make an impact on the Scottish Premiership.

He has caps for Mexico, winning nine for his country and scoring three times, highlighting that he definitely has something about him in the final third.

The striker is clearly a player Caixinha trusts too, even going on record that he regrets not signing him permanently at Santos Laguna.

As quoted by The Daily Record, Caixinha said: “I think it was a mistake by me not to try and sign him. He was a player who contributed a lot at the time at Santos. He’s improved every year and is now a complete striker. He’s Mexican, he’s very professional and he scores goals. He was a great player for me.”

With the likes of Martyn Waghorn and Joe Garner not exactly inspiring supporters this season, is Herrera the answer?

Jose Abella

Another former Pedro Caixinha player, Jose Abella was linked with a move to Rangers by AS last month. A 23-year-old right-back, Abella was a key part of the side that won trophies under Caixinha at Santos Laguna. He’s made over 100 appearances for the Mexican side, also representing his country at U-23 level.

Right-back has been a problem position for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership with James Tavernier often lacking the defensive discipline needed to keep teams out in the top-flight. Tavernier is undoubtedly talented and on his day can be very effective going forward but the backline is perhaps the key priority for Caixinha this summer and they need more defensively sound options.

Daniel Candeias

Daniel Candeias’ agent confirmed to Sport Witness earlier this week that Rangers were in discussions to sign the winger and if they can land the deal it would be something of a coup.

The 29-year-old is far from ‘over the hill’ and has played for some good sides in some big leagues across his career, featuring for the likes of Porto, Benfica, Metz and FC Nurnberg.

Rangers lacked creativity last season with only the likes of Barrie McKay, who was hardly the most consistent of performers, able to show real spark in the final third.

Adding genuine quality and player of experience to the side would be an undoubted upgrade on current options.

He’s had a decent season for loan club Alanyaspor, scoring four and assisting four in 28 appearances, helping the side avoid relegation from Turkey’s Super Lig.

Graham Dorrans

As reported by Sky Sports, Rangers are in talks to signing Norwich City’s Graham Dorrans this summer. While the foreign talent on this list would likely excite supporters, it’s important they have a Scottish core to their team too, players that know the Scottish Premiership inside out.

Dorrans fits the bill, adding that experience and knowledge but also a genuine quality in the heart of midfield that is a level beyond the options Pedro Caixinha currently has at his disposal.

With eight seasons of football in the English Premier League or Championship, he clearly has the ability to make an impact on the Scottish top-flight, having previously starred for Livingston before his move down South.

The fact he is a boyhood Rangers fans doesn’t exactly hurt his chances of being a hit at Ibrox either.

Former Chelsea player and manager Roberto Di Matteo has suggested that the club will never be able to find a good enough player to replace John Terry.

The defender, sometimes dubbed ‘Mr Chelsea’, will walk away from the West London outfit this summer after spending 22 years at Stamford Bridge.

Terry helped bring huge success to the club, winning 15 trophies, the last of which was the Premier League title under manager Antonio Conte.

The ex-England captain was unable to play an influential role in the campaign having made just nine appearances in the top flight last season.

The lack of game time contributed to the 36-year-old’s decision to leave, and he is expected to continue his playing career at another club.

Di Matteo, who played alongside and coached Terry, believes that Chelsea will struggle to find another figure that can take on the role left by the club captain.

The Mirror quotes him as saying:

“Terry has been there 20 years. He was a leader in the dressing room, he was the reference point for many players, especially many new players. He represented the true feelings of Chelsea.

“It’s going to take a bit of time for somebody to step in and take that kind of role. I’m not sure if ever somebody will be able to do so, but certainly taking on the captaincy role and being that important for the team.”

Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley has told Manchester United where the club need to strengthen in this transfer window.

The Red Devils have recruited just one new face so far this summer – defender Victor Lindelof from Benfica, who cost a reported figure of £31m.

The North-West outfit have been linked to numerous players, the latest of which is Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic.

According to The Guardian, Jose Mourinho is on the verge of being reunited with Matic in a £40m deal.

The publication states that the transfer could be completed this week, which paves the way for Chelsea’s rumoured target Tiemoue Bakayoko to enter the fray at Stamford Bridge.

Interestingly, it was reported by The Telegraph that as far as midfield targets go, Matic was Mourinho’s third choice behind Tottenham Hotspur’s Eric Dier and Roma’s Radja Nainggolan.

It is believed that United’s transfer strategy has not quite gone to plan, but Burley has urged them to keep bringing in new players.

He told ESPN:

“I still think they will need another three or four [after Matic]. Lindelof’s been playing at Benfica but he’s still a relatively young man and this is another step up for him. Yes he’s a Swedish international but I still think they need more.

“They need that striker and maybe a back-up to that striker and I still think they need to get a bit more pace out wide.”

Celtic are well into their pre-season preparations this summer. Currently on a training camp in Austria, they played their first friendly of the season on Wednesday against BW Linz, winning 1-0 thanks to a goal from James Forrest.

Ahead of them is the famously difficult UEFA Champions League qualification process. These games could define the Hoops’ entire season which is why they are back so early and working hard to get into the best shape possible.

So far Brendan Rodgers has brought in two players to help strengthen the squad ahead of those matches, Aberdeen’s Jonny Hayes and Ipswich Town’s Kundai Benyu. It’s become clear that there aren’t going to be massive changes to his team until later in the summer.

Speaking to Celtic TV last week, Rodgers admitted as much, saying: “I also want to just wait and see because I know the market in England and the rest of Europe well. I know how it works. It’s later on in the window before players of real quality become available. I want to bring the best possible players into here.”

It sounds like Rodgers is determined to bring elite players to the club and if, as expected, they reach the group stages of the Champions League again, their spending could be taken to new levels.

With that in mind, here are THREE quality players we reckon Celtic should be targeting as a late summer acquisition…

Lazar Markovic

Skybet currently have Celtic has second-favourites to sign Liverpool winger Lazar Markovic with only Watford ahead of the Hoops in the race. That may be in part because Brendan Rodgers was the man who initially brought Markovic to Anfield in 2014 for a reported £20m.

Markovic of course has famously not settled into life at Liverpool, making just 34 appearances for the club before loan spells at Fenerbahce, Sporting Lisbon and Hull City.

Currently valued by Transfermarkt at £8.5m, that puts him into Celtic’s range if they can qualify for the Champions League a second year in a row and given they need a quality replacement for Patrick Roberts, a move for the 23-year-old doesn’t appear to be too outlandish.

Known for his dribbling skills and snappy passing in the final third, he could be just what the Hoops are looking for. He showed flashes of his potential in the second half of the season on loan to Hull City and while they were ultimately relegated he did manage goals in wins against Middlesbrough and Watford.

Joel Campbell

Joel Campbell is another player on the fringes of an English Premier League team who has spent years out on loan at other clubs. Since joining Arsenal in 2011, he’s been sent out on loans to five clubs around the continent, never really ever convincing Arsene Wenger he is a viable option in the Gunners attack.

Wenger did get good use out of him in 2015/16, with the Costa Rican 30 appearances that season. Last term he was sent out on loan again though, this time to Sporting Lisbon.

He didn’t get the amount of football he’d perhaps have been looking for, making just 7 starts in league action across the season. He did still manage a tally of four goals and three assists however.

With European experience playing for Olympiakos, Villarreal, Arsenal and Sporting, he could be the kind of winger that Celtic need if they are to make progress in the group stages over the coming season.

Despite never becoming a regular fixture of the Arsenal side, his pace and trickery could be well suited to a team of Celtic’s ability.

Oumar Niasse

With Romelu Lukaku ahead of him in the pecking order at Everton, there was perhaps never much chance of Oumar Niasse getting a regular game at Goodison Park while the big Belgian continues to bang in the goals for Ronald Koeman’s side. He signed for the club last January and since then has made just 7 appearances for the Toffees.

However his loan to Hull City in January of this year points to a player who could be effective in British football, scoring 5 goals in 13 starts before the end of the season. Before his move to England he scored goals consistently in the Turkish and Russian top-flights too.

With a strong physical presence at 6ft 2in tall and in the prime of his career at 27 years of age, he could offer Celtic another elite option in attack alongside Moussa Dembele or Leigh Griffiths.

This is the week that Celtic fans have been waiting all summer for. They kick-off their season this Friday evening when they travel to Belfast to take on Northern Ireland champions Linfield in UEFA Champions League qualifying.

It’s been a short close and pre-season for the Hoops, who finished last season just six weeks ago with their famous Scottish Cup final win over Aberdeen at Hampden.

That season is now in the history books though and Brendan Rodgers will be forging ahead into new challenges with his Celtic squad. Of course, after such a successful season wholesale changes aren’t needed.

That doesn’t mean some key squad tweaking shouldn’t take place though and after already signing Jonny Hayes and Bundai Kenyu, it’s clear Rodgers is looking to change things up a little.

That will inevitable mean some players move on too and while the Hoops will be looking to hold on to all of their key talent, we reckon there are some players that should be moved on to free up squad space for incoming transfers.

Here are THREE players that Celtic must get rid of this summer…

Gary Mackay-Steven

While his former Dundee United teammate Stuart Armstrong has made himself a vital part of Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic team, it’s been quite the opposite for Gary Mackay-Steven.

To be fair to the winger, competition has been fierce in his playable positions with Scott Sinclair, James Forrest and Patrick Roberts in sparkling form throughout last season. Opportunities to play were few and far between and he made just a handful of appearances under Rodgers.

When he did get an opportunity though he didn’t seize and didn’t really have a single performance of note.

It’s now more and more apparent that he isn’t going to make it at Celtic and he’s arguably too talented to waste his career on the bench. He actually finds himself in a similar position to the likes of Niall McGinn, who also struggled to get a game for the Hoops but went on to have a great career in the Scottish top-flight.

Perhaps a similar move would do him the world of good, freeing up space for Celtic to bring in another classy winger after the signing of Jonny Hayes.

Nadir Ciftci

Like Gary Mackay-Steven, Nadir Ciftci moved from Dundee United but has arguably contributed even less than his former teammate on Tayside. These two players were stars for the Arabs, sparking their downfall under Jackie McNamara and ultimately relegation into the Scottish Championship.

However, Ciftci simply hasn’t made the grade at Celtic and he is not competent back-up to the likes of Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths, two elite strikers who can bang in the goals consistently.

Celtic need a new third man, someone to challenge those two, or they need to bring through some young talent like Jack Aitchison into the first-team set-up on a more regular basis.

Either way it’s clear that Ciftci isn’t good enough for Rodgers’ side and he wasn’t even included in their pre-season tour of Austria.

Nir Bitton

Nir Bitton is a player who has contributed far more than the other two players on this list but even then, we reckon his time at Celtic should be coming to a close. While he does have attributes that have been useful to Brendan Rodgers’ team over the last 12 months, chiefly his ability to add a bit of composure and calmness to the midfield, he simply doesn’t quite fit the way the Hoops play now.

His style is measured and deliberate and Rodgers has instilled an exciting, swashbuckling style into Celtic’s midfield that has destroyed almost all of the opposition that has come up against them. The likes of Stuart Armstrong and Callum McGregor are now ahead of him in the pecking order and Scott Brown is undroppable too.

With Kundai Benyu also arriving to develop his midfield skills and Olivier Ntcham reportedly on the verge of joining the Hoops, there is simply little space for him now and given they can likely get a decent fee for the Israeli, it’s time for him to move on.