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Stuart Dallas was on the end of another defeat after Austria pipped Northern Ireland to a 2-1 win in their latest Nations League meeting. Despite the visiting side’s best efforts to get themselves ahead, Louis Schaub and Adrian Grbic cancelled out Josh Magennis’ opener.

For the Leeds man, this is now his fourth consecutive loss for both club and country. The Whites are currently in a sticky situation in the Premier League, coming away with back-to-back 4-1 defeats as they prepare to take on Arsenal. Marcelo Bielsa will already be anxious enough as it is without realising the concerning pattern that has started to show itself in Dallas’ performances.

Worry numbers for Bielsa

According to Sofascore, the left-back had a middle-of-the-road display against Austria, earning a rating of 7. However, despite doing well to complete 100% of his dribbles and put in a tackle, he was poor overall in possession. Dallas made just 20 successful passes out of an attempted 29, averaging a disappointing 69% completion rate. He also lost the ball 13 times in his attempts to get forward and contribute to the attack.

This isn’t a one-off either. His last appearance for Northern Ireland was against Slovakia and he similarly lost the ball a startling 34 times and completed just 77% of his attempted passes. Even during Leeds’ 3-0 win over Aston Villa, Dallas’ passing accuracy was only as high as 80%, making 45 passes out of an attempted 56.

Whilst the Whites have been struggling in attack, one positive is that the 29-year-old is trying to contribute to his team’s threat in front of goal. However, after conceding eight goals in two matches, Leeds’ problem clearly lies in the defence. Having a £35,000 per week defender who struggles in possession and makes a limited amount of successful passes will be a worry on Bielsa’s mind.

Bielsa has already proven that he can make cut-throat decisions, he certainly won’t hesitate to be ruthless again when it comes to chopping and changing his team and potentially leaving key players on the bench.

In other news, Liam Cooper put in solid performance for Scotland despite loss…

Glasgow Rangers have been involved in some of the most entertaining games in the Europa League so far but Steven Gerrard’s side are still unbeaten in all competitions this season, writing their names in the history books every single step of the way.

In fact, Rangers have scored at least one goal in each of their three games in the Europa League so far this season, which just goes to show how utterly dominant they have been on the front foot.

However, the Gers were punished for their defensive errors as they squandered a two-goal lead against Benfica at the beginning of the month, and these fine margins could prove to be the difference if they are to qualify for the knockout stages.

It’s hard to pick holes in Gerrard’s side but if there’s one area they need to tighten up before tonight’s game, it’s a tendency to neglect their defence, as they cannot afford to make the same mistake again against the Portuguese giants, and it seems they could have an ace up their sleeve in the shape of Calvin Bassey.

Former Rangers defender Alan Hutton has spoken admirably about the 20-year-old in the past, as he believes the colossus could become an even better left-back than his teammate Borna Barisic at Ibrox.

Bassey, who joined the Gers in the summer, has been electric every time he has come off the bench this season, as he is averaging 3 tackles, 2 clearances and one key pass per game in the Europa League, via WhoScored, which is exactly what you want to see from an impact substitute from the bench.

By comparison, the 28-year-old has mustered just one clearance and only slightly more than one tackle per game in the European competition, as per WhoScored.

It’s unlikely Bassey will be able to provide the same amount of assists as Barisic, as the Croatia international has created three assists so far this season, but his ability to track back and block shots could give the Gers a decisive edge in a game which could go right down the wire, as his former coach at Leicester City Steve Beaglehole said “even by Premier League standards, he is very, very quick.”

Jorge Jesus showed he can neutralise their attacking threat by fighting fire with fire but Bassey did a great job of keeping Standard Liege at bay in the Europa League last month, winning five of his seven duels and completing two tackles. He could be the perfect super-sub for Gerrard tonight, following in the footsteps of Kyle Lafferty in 2018.

AND in other news, Davis and Hagi start, no room for Kemar Roofe: Glasgow Rangers Predicted XI vs Benfica…

According to reports, Aston Villa transfer target Mohamed Simakan has agreed personal terms with Serie A giants Milan.

What’s the story?

Reports over the summer transfer window suggested that the Strasbourg defender was being considered by Dean Smith’s side as they looked to reinforce the centre of their defence.

Now, Italian publication Calcio Mercato claim that Milan and Simakan have a “general agreement” over a four-year contract for the Frenchman to join the Serie A giants, and now just need to strike an agreement with Strasbourg.

The report adds that the Ligue 1 side are asking for nothing less than the original €20m (£18.2m) they quoted in the summer.

Huge Konsa upgrade

Whilst Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa have established themselves as Smith’s go-to centre-back partnership in the Premier League this season – and with good reason given that they have conceded just 13 goals – Villa’s sporting director, Johan Lange, surely can’t turn his back on a potential deal for Simakan.

The Strasbourg powerhouse has been putting in some impressive performances in Ligue 1 this year, and his stats comfortably better that of Konsa.

As per Sofascore, Simakan has won a huge 6.1 duels per game in the league, whilst also boasting almost two tackles and interceptions a piece per match too. Konsa on the other hand, whilst edging him on duel success with 6.2, lags significantly behind in the amount of tackles and interceptions he makes, with just 0.4 and 0.7 per match respectively.

If Lange can convince the Villa owners to shell out £18.2m for Simakan, they could land a potential upgrade on what they already have.

Meanwhile, Villa made a huge blunder over this player.

Marcel Brands has been sent back to square one after Everton were dealt a huge blow in their search for midfield creativity with Real Madrid maestro Isco choosing to join Sevilla.

What’s the word?

According to AS, Isco has decided to remain at the Santiago Bernabeu until the end of the season to ensure he can secure a summer switch to Sevilla and reunite with Julien Lopetegui.

The world-class Isco believes Lopetegui offered him the most support seen throughout his career whilst the Los Nervionenses coach was in charge of the Spanish national side, which coincided with his best form under Zinedine Zidane who favoured the former Malaga man over Gareth Bale in two Champions League finals.

Zinedine has since lost all faith in Isco’s suitability for Los Blancos’ efforts, resulting in the 28-year-old starting only three of his 11 appearances across all competitions this term, yet insists the £210,000-per-week maestro will not be sold in January in fear of injuries greatly reducing an already thin area of his side.

Madrid will demand between €15m (£13.5m) and €20m (£18m) for Isco at the end of the season, while word of his preference of a move to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium will likely end Everton’s alleged interest amid claims the Toffees are continuing to monitor the world-class midfielder’s situation.

Back to square one

Everton missing out on Isco with the playmaker and Real Madrid both intent on remaining with each other in January will come as a huge blow to Ancelotti, who is in need of greater creativity from his central options.

Gylfi Sigurdsson has stepped up admirably in recent weeks following James Rodriguez’s calf injury, yet still trails the Colombian for key passes with the summer arrival from Real Madrid continuing to lead the charts at Goodison Park with 26 from his 10 Premier League outings, per SofaScore.

Sigurdsson now ranks second with 19 to eclipse Lucas Digne (16), before Ancelotti sees a gradual decline with Abdoulaye Doucoure (12), Alex Iwobi (11) and Richarlison (10) the only additional Toffees players to boast a double-digit tally for chances created thus far.

Further, only Rodriguez (7) and Digne (5) have created more than three clear goalscoring opportunities, while Rodriguez, Iwobi and Allan are the sole members of Ancelotti’s squad to have been credited with playing the pass directly before an assist was recorded.

Rodriguez and Digne’s leading frequency at creating big chances also sees the pair top the charts for clear goalscoring opportunities fashioned per top-flight game with 0.7 and 0.63 respectively, more than double the figure of third-placed Richarlison (0.27).

Brands will now need to find alternatives for Isco in the upcoming January window in order to solve Ancelotti’s key offensive issue, or risk seeing the Merseyside outfit endure more offensive struggles like those seen at Sheffield United on Saturday.

AND in other news, Everton have been dealt a huge blow, from which the long-term effects may hurt Carlo Ancelotti.

According to The Daily Record, Glasgow Rangers striker Greg Stewart is ‘likely’ heading for the Ibrox exit.

What’s the word?

The 30-year-old has barely featured at all since the start of this season, having made just two appearances in the Scottish Premiership and one apiece in the League Cup and the Europa League qualifying rounds.

If you look at the numbers, it’s hardly surprising – since his arrival on a free transfer in 2019, Stewart has scored just three goals and supplied six assists across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

Now, it seems he is considered surplus to requirements with his contract set to expire at the end of this season.

Gerrard must be ruthless

Stewart, who earns around £6,200-per-week at G51, is one of the club’s lowest-paid players, but the fact remains that he is still very much stealing a living at Ibrox.

He was never going to be one of the first names on the team sheet, while he has been relegated to the role of a fringe player after the arrivals of Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe in the summer, but it’s fair to say that he has now served his purpose.

It seems baffling that Ross Wilson and co. couldn’t offload the outcast in the summer, especially when you consider the fact they brought in two backup options for Alfredo Morelos in Itten and Roofe.

In fact, it’s worth remembering that the former Birmingham City striker has so far failed to find the back of the net in each of his past four appearances for Steven Gerrard’s side. With Jermain Defoe showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, Rangers have ample options upfront, and it’s an area in which they are well covered to juggle both domestic and European competitions.

Ridding themselves of Stewart in January would reduce their wage bill and Gerrard could in turn use the surplus cash to prioritise other positions in the winter transfer market. If push comes to shove, he must be shown the Ibrox exit door sooner rather than later.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard dealt huge blow as Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield ruled out of Old Firm clash…

This has been a horrific season for Celtic and it is showing no signs of getting any better.

A 1-0 defeat to Rangers was the worst possible way to start the New Year and it feels as though not even some investment in the January transfer window will save them.

What’s the word?

If there were two areas that Celtic needed to focus on the most this month it would be in defence and on the flanks.

The Hoops have conceded a bucket load of goals in the SPFL and shipped 19 in just six Europa League outings. On the wing, meanwhile, they have a lack of depth with James Forrest out injured for the majority of the season.

As a result, two attacking players have already been targeted this month. One is young Airdrie winger Thomas Robert and the latest link emerging regards Exeter man Joel Randall.

According to The Athletic, both Swansea and Celtic are understood to have expressed their interest in signing the 21-year-old wide man.

Others are also reportedly monitoring Randall’s situation so it may not be a straightforward pursuit.

The next Sinclair

Signing a player from League Two in England might not be the most attractive of proposals for Hoops supporters but the immense potential and talent Randall possesses cannot be underestimated.

Capable of playing on either wing and using both feet, he is a dynamic player capable of causing carnage from a wide area.

Randall has already scored eight goals and registered five assists for Exeter this term so it’s no great surprise to see him linked with bigger pastures.

But what sets him apart from the rest? Well, we’ll let his manager Matt Taylor do the talking: “He’s had talent and potential in him since a young age. His running stats are phenomenal but he’s added an extra dimension to his game in terms of the end product,” he began.

Taylor continued: “He’s been a constant threat down that left side, worked tirelessly for the team and contributed at all times this season. He’s been a standout player.”

Also described as “energetic,” it’s clear to see why we’re comparing him to former Hoops attacker Scott Sinclair.

Like Randall, the winger is a menace to the opposition and can cause a nightmare for defenders.  Sinclair was always a constant threat down the left and worked relentlessly hard.

He scored 62 goals in 167 games for the Glaswegians and although that’ll be hard for Randall to live up to, there are already incredibly positive signs.

The Grecians winger is certainly one to watch.

AND in other news, Christie 2.0: Hammond must seal Celtic swoop for 4-goal dynamo…

In the last few years, it’s been hard to fault Wolves. They play eye-catching counter-attacking football and with a solid core, found themselves competing for European honours.

They would have done so this season too if it wasn’t for Arsenal’s FA Cup win at the end of the last campaign,

Yet, they haven’t covered themselves in much glory this term. They have won just two of their last ten games and without Raul Jimenez, they look a shadow of their former selves.

That run of ten games have coincided with a fractured skull for the Mexican and the goals have dried up without him. Since his absence was confirmed, Nuno Santo’s team have scored three goals in one match on just a solitary occasion.

Thus, there is now talk of relegation among some members of the Molineux fanbase. Their hopes of improving do not look likely to grow either with any big investment in the playing squad looking unlikely at this time.

One player who has repeatedly been mentioned in the same breath as Wolves this month is Inter midfielder Christian Eriksen.

Gianluca Di Marzio reported last week that Wolves have been in direct contact with the player’s entourage over a possible move but nothing has materialised since.

Eriksen only joined Inter a year ago and is currently rated at £31.5m so could be a costly deal for the Midlands side to pursue.

Though, if he does arrive back in the Premier League, he could be the perfect successor to Joao Moutinho. Now, when you assess Eriksen, you’ll traditionally think of his goal-scoring abilities from attacking midfield. After all, he netted 69 goals in 305 appearances for Tottenham.

However, at Inter, Antonio Conte has just discovered a new role for the Dane – one that sees him play in a deep-lying role familiar with Moutinho.

The 28-year-old first played in that role last week when the Italian giants beat Fiorentina 2-1 after extra time. Eriksen was influential, proving to be a lynchpin at the base of Conte’s midfield.

He completed four key passes – more than anyone on the pitch, while he also won possession back more often than any of his teammates and completed more passes in the opposing team’s half than any other player.

For a deep-lying midfielder, that’s really all you can ask for. It’s no surprise to see that Jamie Redknapp once said that if you give him time and space, he will “destroy” teams. That was evidently the case against La Viola.

Coincidentally, they’re the same attributes that Moutinho has so routinely brought to Molineux. Like Eriksen, he is adept at picking a pass, completing 2.2 key passes a game in his first season at Wolves and producing two a match last term.

He is also excellent at winning the ball back, just as the Denmark international did last week for Inter. For context, Moutinho has won an impressive 2.4 tackles per match in 2020/21.

Eriksen hasn’t traditionally played in this role very often but he’s now shown that he has what it takes. The midfielder would be an astute acquisition from Jeff Shi.

AND in other news, Worse than Coady: Wolves star who made just 1 tackle all game betrayed Nuno…

When Pablo Hernandez finally departs Leeds, he will leave behind him one of the biggest legacies that has been left at Elland Road in the last decade.

The Spaniard may now be in the twilight of his career and struggling to have a big impact on the pitch, but he is still a magician, a player capable of unlocking even the sternest of defences.

When he signed for the club permanently in January 2017, he became part of a new age for Leeds, one led by Andrea Radrizzani.

Since then, the duo have helped to lead a remarkable charge towards Premier League football. Radrizzani’s investment has been game-changing behind the scenes but on the field, Hernandez has been remarkable.

He has won the club’s Player of the Year award three years in a row and was even named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year for 2018/19. He is a stalwart of Elland Road and during his time in Yorkshire, has contributed 36 goals and 41 assists.

It’s a splendid record and it would take quite something for a fellow Leeds player to replicate those numbers. Who the Whites look to replace him with in the coming years will be interesting to see.

They have a number of young players coming through in attacking areas, from Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood to Jack Jenkins. However, the player we want to focus on is Charlie Allen, someone we believe is already showing shades of Hernandez.

The 17-year-old penned permanent terms over the summer and after playing four times for Linfield’s senior side, he has made steady strides in the Leeds academy.

Like Hernandez, he possesses the ability to play in attacking midfield and also on the right-hand side. He has scored once this term but has provided two assists for his teammates, showing glimpses of vibrant creativity.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-leeds-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Leeds news!”]

Allen is incredibly mature for his age and after becoming Linfield’s youngest ever player at 15 years and five months, he has already been on the scene for a while. Though, he has more than just creativity in his locker.

The teenager was named on The Guardian’s Next Gen list for 2020, where they wrote the following: “[Allen is] two-footed, blessed with adhesive close control, impressive vision, passing range and finishing ability.”

That sounds remarkably similar to Hernandez, someone who glides across the turf and passes opponents with ease.

Importantly, he’s not been told to simplify his game either. Irish FA Elite Performance Director Jim Magilton said, when Allen signed: “He has always had that wonderful ability to go past people which is a dying art. We didn’t want to coach that out of him and it was an insistence of mine to give him the confidence to keep playing that way.”

Having already played multiple times at senior level albeit not at Leeds, he is likely to be further ahead in his development than a fair few players in the Leeds academy.

However, before he earns his chance in the Leeds first team, he will need to prove himself at U23 level. He has made just the two Premier League 2 appearances this term so that will be an area he looks to improve upon in the future.

If he can do that, Marcelo Bielsa may well have a ready-made Hernandez heir right in front of him. After all, the Northern Irishman has very similar qualities.

AND in other news, 3 new signings, Bielsa favourite axed: How Leeds’ XI could look after deadline day…

With Rangers’ managing director Stewart Robinson recently stating that the club may be forced to sell some of its prized assets in the summer to boost their financial position, Borna Barisic, Connor Goldson, James Tavernier and Kai Kennedy are a handful of names that immediately spring to mind.

The latter of whom happens to be a highly talented teenager and with his contract set to expire in 2023, it’s understandable why the club might be tempted to cash in on the promising starlet.

Rangers youngster Kennedy, who was once dubbed a “fabulous little player” by Steven Gerrard, recently signed a new two-year contract that will keep him at his boyhood club for the foreseeable future. However, the 18-year-old has previously attracted interest from the likes of European giants Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Roma, as well as Premier League strugglers Sheffield United.

But all that talk will have to wait for now, however, as he is continuing to make waves in the Championship with Raith Rovers after a short stint with Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

The scorer of two goals and supplier of four assists this season, Kennedy has caught the eye with his flair for the theatrics, while he is proving to be a force to be reckoned with his combination of pace, physicality, athleticism and technique.

Don’t let his small stature deceive you – a return of three assists sees him rank sixth in the Championship this season, which shows that he is a real menace for the opposition.

Following the arrival of Scott Wright from Aberdeen, Kennedy could’ve been forgiven for feeling a little anxious about his long-term prospects.

But Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson’s recent comments show just how highly he is rated within the club.

“Kai consistently stated during all of our conversations that his ultimate ambition is to be a successful Rangers player and we are pleased we have a clear plan that allows him to move towards achieving the ambition he has held since joining our Academy as a young lad.

“He has progressed beyond our B Team and he needs to develop and influence strongly at first-team level now. We were pleased with his performances at Inverness and thank John Robertson for his work with Kai.

“For personal reasons, Kai wanted to be closer to his family during Covid times and we look forward to monitoring his contribution to Raith Rovers in their pursuit of promotion.”

Intuitive, quick and capable of bringing the ball out to put his side on the front foot, it looks like Kennedy has a bright future ahead of him. Whether he will be plying his trade at Ibrox next season remains to be seen, as he may end up leaving on loan, but whoever acquires his services will be delighted to get their hands on one of Scottish football’s hottest prospects.

AND in other news, Ianis Hagi stars in Rangers’ 1-0 win over St Johnstone…

Glasgow Rangers came out on top in a seven-goal thriller with Royal Antwerp at the Bosuilstadion with most of the meaningful action condensed into a mind-blowing final seven minutes.

Rangers got off to the perfect start after Joe Aribo gave Steven Gerrard’s side the lead, only for the hosts to hit back through Felipe Avenatti and Lior Refaelov after Steven Davis was adjudged to have fouled the Israeli inside the box shortly before the break.

However, the Light Blues then pulled level with their own spot-kick in the second half, although Antwerp were immediately back in action to make it 3-2, thanks to Martin Hongla’s fine effort.

But Rangers weren’t to be denied the spoils after substitute Ryan Kent equalised with a fine solo effort to spark a dramatic comeback. The Gers sealed an incredible win with a second penalty from Borna Barisic after Antwerp were rocked by the dismissal of Abdoulaye Seck on the stroke of full-time after he deliberately handled the ball in the box.

Rangers are on course to reach the last-16 of the Europa League for the second time in as many seasons and although he didn’t get on the scoresheet, it was Alfredo Morelos who stole the show on their way to a vital three points.

He has often been depicted as a rather basic poacher, leading the line and scoring goals for fun, but last night Morelos turned provider and was utterly brilliant at it.

Daily Record reporter Michael Gannon handed the Colombian his Man of the Match award after he provided the assist for Aribo’s opener. He graded the 24-year-old a 9/10 and claimed Morelos was ‘unlucky not to score but absolutely vital to this Rangers performance.’

While Barisic may receive much of the plaudits for adding the finishing touches, Morelos arguably outshone the Croatian to steal the show on the night.

The six-cap Colombia international was at the centre of nearly everything going forwards, producing more key passes (five) than any other player on the pitch including the Croatian, who could only manage three.

That’s also backed up by the fact that Morelos recorded a better pass success rate than Barisic (91%), that being the highest out of any player in an away shirt other than Aribo and Glen Kamara.

Morelos was a constant threat upfront at the top of the pitch as he left the likes of Antwerp defenders Seck (6.1), Maxime Le Marchand (6.9) and Ritchie De Laet (6.5) all trailing in his wake, as none of them received a rating higher than 6.9, such was the level of their sub-par performances.

It’s no surprise to see that the £10.8m-rated Colombian front man was also fouled twice – the second-highest out of the entire Rangers squad – as he caused all sorts of problems by creating the space that allowed the likes of Kent and Aribo to run in behind Antwerp’s backline; out of his 46 touches, he attempted 32 out of a possible 35 passes, which suggests that, more often that not, he was playing with his head up and always looking to find a teammate.

Next up for the Gers is Dundee United at Ibrox before the return fixture at home to Antwerp next week. If he keeps playing like that, they should have no problems at all.

AND in other news, Rangers must tie Steven Davis down to a new deal after Steven Gerrard’s recent comments…