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Former Leeds United nemesis Chris Kirkland has urged Leeds United to sign a new goalkeeper with experience during the next transfer window.

The Whites have taken well to life back in the Premier League after a 16-year absence as they find themselves sitting in 12th position after seven matches.

Their latest result, though, was particularly embarrassing with Leicester City dismantling Marcelo Bielsa’s side 4-1 at Elland Road earlier in the week.

Leeds made five signings during the summer and also brought back Jack Harrison on loan for a second time.

One of those arrivals was a permanent move for young French shot-stopper Illan Meslier and despite cementing his place down as the number one ahead of Kiko Casilla, Kirkland believes they need a tried and tested option.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, the former Sheffield Wednesday glovesman said:

“When you come up to the Premier League you need somebody that’s got experience at a big club, and Leeds are a huge club. So yeah, I think that could possibly be something they may do next season, I think they might sign a keeper.”

But should they strike in two months rather than waiting until the end of the season?

Kirkland added: “I would, I would if I was them.”

Meslier has started all seven of their Premier League matches this season. The 20-year-old kept just two clean sheets and has leaked 13 goals, per Transfermarkt.

The Yorkshire giants were linked to many options between the sticks throughout the latest window too, including Southampton’s Angus Gunn, ex-Bournemouth man Aaron Ramsdale and new Villa star Emi Martinez.

Kiko Casilla’s future at Elland Road is by no means certain, so perhaps Bielsa will need to target a signing in this area.

It remains to be seen whether they will strike on another goalkeeper anytime soon.

AND in other news, Radrizzani on verge of game-changing Leeds decision amid fresh claims…

Despite boasting a flurry of exciting new signings over the summer, one man Liverpool missed out on is Jamal Lewis. The former Norwich man has attracted a lot of attention over the past year, and as a result was eventually snapped up by Newcastle.

The Reds certainly did try for the 22-year-old, but the Canaries looked to be playing games. Hoping to lure the Premier League champions into an increased bid, they knocked back their offer of £10million for the left-back.

The Magpies eventually paid £15million for Lewis, which isn’t far off the £11.7million fee Liverpool paid for Kostas Tsimikas. A crucial buy for the summer was to provide Andy Robertson with backup, but after just one appearance for his new club, the Greece international is out with an injury.

Should Liverpool have signed Jamal Lewis?

Whilst Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold play beautifully together and have magnificent camaraderie, there’s always the burning question of ‘what if…?’

After transforming the Scotsman into a £67.5million-valued world beater, Jurgen Klopp undoubtedly has one of the best left-backs in the world on his team. But could he be tempted to jump ship if a mega money offer came in for him? It’s unlikely, but when you climb as high as Liverpool, you must be prepared to feel the impact of a hefty fall.

Bringing Lewis to Anfield could have created an interesting partnership between him and Alexander-Arnold and indeed, competition for the starting role. The two are pacy full-backs who will compliment each other in areas of weakness. For example, the Newcastle ace isn’t confident in his long balls, which Alexander-Arnold excels at. Having TAA pinging in crosses and long passes could allow him to stay further back whilst Lewis meanders further up the field.

Lewis is a little more conservative though with his attacking contributions. On the flip side, this is turn could help TAA get forward without the extra risk of exposure from two attacking full-backs. According to Sofascore, his performance against Everton saw him complete three tackles, three interceptions and 4/9 of his attempted duels.

He is very much a work in progress but the foundations are there for him to become a solid defender. Lewis’ former manager Daniel Farke lauded his performances and branded him as having a “magic” left foot. Klopp would certainly get the best out of him and he could link up with Alexander-Arnold nicely whilst waiting for his chance to challenge Robertson.

In other news, Jurgen Klopp midfield switch could pave the way for Curtis Jones…

Glasgow Rangers duo George Edmundson and Jordan Jones are facing suspensions after breaching coronavirus protocols, reports say.

What’s the story?

According to Sky Sports, the Rangers players will face a hearing conducted by the Scottish FA next week, having attended a gathering with people from outside their household. They have already been suspended by the club following an internal investigation into their antics at a house party.

Despite this, Steven Gerrard has recently hinted that they could still have a future at the club after breaking his silence on the disgraced duo earlier this month. However, the Ibrox boss would be making an inexcusable error by giving Edmundson a second chance.

Set the standards

Given his young age, it seems a little harsh to write his Rangers career off completely, as he has still has plenty of time to continue to grow and develop as a player.

But the reality is that Rangers have an abundance of talent in the defence who can collectively and individually do better than Edmundson in near enough every area. Gerrard isn’t exactly short of centre-backs, as Leon Balogun and Connor Goldson have been in such fine form in recent weeks, whilst Filip Helander has impressed after returning to the starting line-up.

Edmundson has almost always been the odd man out. Last season, the £1m-rated Englishman made seven appearances in the Scottish Premiership, scoring one goal in the 2-1 win over Hibernian FC. He has found his chances even harder to come by this season, as he hasn’t made a single appearance in the top flight this term, whilst he has been limited to just two games overall so far.

Speaking to Football Insider, former Rangers defender Alan Hutton criticised the youngster for his “silly” mistake. Admittedly, it’s almost part and parcel of being a young player, as Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood were sent home by Gareth Southgate for inviting two females into England’s COVID-secure bubble.

But the trouble is, Edmundson just isn’t on the same level as either of those two players, who are first-team regular starters at Manchester City and Manchester United respectively. His performances so far this season haven’t merited a place in Gerrard’s side, let alone a reason to allow him to return to the fold. It’s about time the Ibrox boss set an example as his behaviour surely cannot be tolerated.

Why would Gerrard want to invest his time and energy into a fringe squad player who has broken his trust? It just doesn’t make any sense.

AND in other news, Rangers have discovered true gem in James Tavernier, who has drawn comparisons with Steven Gerrard…

Manchester United have been boosted by the return of several major names ahead of the Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain at Old Trafford.

Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay are all available after missing the game against Southampton at St Mary’s on Sunday, whilst David de Gea has been cleared to play following reports that he may be forced to miss the match as a result of a knee injury he sustained against the Saints.

After a shaky start to the season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side seem to have shaken off the rust, with three wins from their past four games in all competitions.

Here, Football FanCast have had a gander at how Solskjaer could set his side up for tonight’s contest, which sees him make four changes to the team that beat the Saints.

Working on the assumption that tonight’s game may come too soon for De Gea, Solskjaer could give Dean Henderson a chance to redeem himself after the embarrassing 2-1 defeat to Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League last month.

Axel Tuanzebe stole the show as the Red Devils dug deep to stage a remarkable 2-1 win in the French capital last time out, but other than that, it’s hard to imagine many changes to the back four, with the trusted trio of Alex Telles, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and club captain Harry Maguire likely to start.

Solskjaer will be hoping for the same outcome once again, with the Norwegian confirming “everyone’s held their hand up and is available for selection.”

Pogba is back in contention to start but will most likely have to settle for a place on the bench with Solskjaer preferring Scott McTominay in his place, which means the Scotland international will resume his partnership with Fred in the middle of the pitch.

Moving slightly further afield, Juan Mata was an unused substitute at St Mary’s but could return to the starting XI at the expense of the out-of-sorts Mason Greenwood on the right-wing. He was replaced by Edinson Cavani in the second half as the Uruguayan striker came off the bench to secure a stunning victory at Southampton.

With Anthony Martial still seeking his best form, Cavani will most likely lead the line, with Bruno Fernandes slotting in behind the former PSG striker.

AND in other news, Manchester United: In-form Alex Telles spells trouble for Brandon Williams…

David Sullivan must sanction a new contract for Lukasz Fabianski after the West Ham United goalkeeper revealed that talks are ongoing.

What’s the word?

Fabianski has entered into the final six months of his current deal at the London Stadium, where Irons chiefs are facing decisions over the futures of several senior players whose contracts are due to expire at the end of the season.

David Martin, Robert Snodgrass and even Mr West Ham Mark Noble could find it hard to argue their case over new terms, having struggled to feature under David Moyes thus far this term, but Fabianski’s situation is one the Hammers simply must attend to.

Fabianski recently revealed to Polish outlet WeszloFM that he is in discussions over new terms, noting: “Talks are underway. I’d like to stay at West Ham. Extend the contract, because I feel good here.”

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Michael Brown believes it is a “no brainer” that West Ham offer Fabianski a new deal, as the 55-cap Poland international brings a safe pair of hands to the goal line in east London.

Fabianski has kept four clean sheets in 12 Premier League fixtures this season and initially atoned for his error by saving Mateusz Klich’s penalty, which he gave away, before VAR intervention allowed Leeds United the chance to score on the second attempt.

Get it done

Sullivan would be naïve not to retain Fabianski beyond the £2.25million-rated shot-stopper’s current deal, as the £65,000-per-week ‘keeper has shown himself to be among the best goalkeepers in the Premier League since joining West Ham in 2018.

Irons co-owner Sullivan even admits he “bullied” Manuel Pellegrini to welcome Fabianski to the London Stadium during the Chilean’s first window in charge, as the ex-Arsenal goalie and defender Issa Diop were the only players he chose to sign.

Time and time again Fabianski is able to pull out a high-level stop to save West Ham’s blushes, and his importance to the line-up is only highlighted further whenever the 35-year-old is on the sidelines.

Roberto lasted just a season at the London Stadium having flopped massively upon his arrival from Espanyol in 2019, with the Spaniard conceding 21 goals in 10 appearances across all competitions before leaving on an initial loan in January.

He eventually left in the summer to join Real Valladolid and put a disappointing stint behind him, with Roberto showing himself as being as far from Premier League standard as possible with a string of blunders that saw the Irons fall into a relegation fight.

Thankfully for Moyes, Fabianski is yet to miss a minute of Premier League action this term and as a result, sits sixth in the division for total saves (39), eighth for high claims (6) and 13th for goals conceded inside the penalty area (12), per SofaScore.

Only Liverpool duo Adrian (7) and Allison (9), plus Manchester City’s Ederson (9), Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris (9), Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez (9), Everton’s Jordan Pickford (11) and Burnley’s Nick Pope (11) have allowed fewer goals from shots taken inside the box.

AND in other news, West Ham have been dealt a massive blow in pursuit of the January answer to David Moyes’ “worst nightmare”.

Glasgow Rangers will want to continue their newfound momentum when they travel to McDiarmid Park to take on St. Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night.

Steven Gerrard’s side survived an early scare at the weekend as they had to come from behind to beat Motherwell at Ibrox and extend their lead over Celtic to 16 points at the top of the table.

The Ibrox boss has shown no hesitation in rotating his squad in anticipation of the busy schedule and he faces some tough decisions before the Light Blues take the trip to Perth, with clashes with Aberdeen, Celtic and Hibernian on the horizon.

Here’s our predicted starting lineup for tonight’s action, which sees Gerrard make three changes to the team that beat the Steelmen.

Allan McGregor will keep his place in goal behind an unchanged back four consisting of James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Filip Helander and Borna Barisic.

It’s hard to work out which players will be forced to make room and that’s something Gerrard will continue to assess before kick-off, but it’s likely he’ll bring first-team stars Joe Aribo and Ianis Hagi into the starting line-up, which means Scott Arfield and Glen Kamara will be rested before the clash with Hibernian at home.

The Ibrox boss will stick with the usual 4-3-2-1 formation, with Aribo, Steven Davis and Hagi forming his midfield three in the engine room.

This means that Bongani Zungu will have to settle for a place on the bench, such is the strength of Gerrard’s squad right now.

With Alfredo Morelos serving a two-match suspension, Cedric Itten will most likely lead the line flanked by the ever-reliable Ryan Kent and Kemar Roofe, who came off the bench to score against the Steelmen at Ibrox.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit drops big claim about Alfredo Morelos’ future at Glasgow Rangers…

Sheffield Wednesday stunned many this week after Tony Pulis received his marching orders after only ten games in charge of the Owls, and now chairman Dejphon Chansiri is back at square one after just a month…

What’s the word?

There have already been plenty of names linked with the newly-vacant role at Hillsborough.

The Athletic have reported that neither Gus Poyet nor Jose Morais appear to be in the running, though the likes of Paul Cook, Danny Cowley, Ryan Lowe and even Sven-Goran Eriksson are.

It’s also been claimed that the Thai businessman has formed a relationship with a new advisor in Erik Alonso, who has links to MLS outfit DC United. However, it is thought Amadeu Paixao is still very much amongst his inner-circle still.

Shades of Howard Wilkinson

From that list, there is only really one candidate that they should consider, that being the Cowley duo – even if they have managed arch-rivals Huddersfield Town.

A job in which they were unfairly dismissed.

Those loyalties should not matter one bit, after all, Howard Wilkinson went onto manage Leeds United. He’s still a legend in both parts of Yorkshire, and interestingly, Cowley has similarities to the man that steered the Owls to the First Division in 1984.

This comparison was made by Leon Wobschall at the Yorkshire Evening Post last time the 42-year-old was linked with the role, he wrote:

“Sheffield Wednesday followers will recall some heady days in the mid-Eighties under one-time Abbeydale Schoolmaster Howard Wilkinson with genuine fondness to this day.

“The call of home-town club Wednesday proved irresistible for Wilkinson in 1983 when he was at an almost identical age to what the older and more senior Cowley brother is now at 40 and possessed a similar background in the game after starting out in non-league circles at Boston United before moving onto Notts County.”

From teacher, to non-league mastermind, to Championship success. Could these stars align once again?

His recent experience at the Terriers makes the prospect of him taking the helm at Wednesday even more enticing as he’s added the one thing holding him back from the role last time, results at this level of football.

According to one reporter, it was “a miracle” that Cowley kept Town up.

Chansiri needs a man capable of doing exactly that, so he ought to look no further than a manager who could be the second coming of the great Wilkinson.

AND in other news, Forget Shaw, this Sheffield Wednesday titan stole the show vs Boro…

According to Sky Sports, new West Bromwich Albion manager Sam Allardyce is eyeing at least a trio of new signings during the January transfer window.

Allardyce wants three new arrivals

Allardyce replaced Slaven Bilic in December, with his appointment appearing to be very unpopular amongst the Baggies supporters.

The new man in charge did pick up an unlikely 1-1 draw with Liverpool in his second game, but that was sandwiched by a 3-0 defeat against Aston Villa and and a 5-0 loss to Leeds United. In an attempt to put his stamp on the side, it is being reported that Allardyce is eyeing a new centre-back, midfielder and striker as part of a ‘lengthy list’ to improve the spine of the team.

However, West Brom may not have the finances to complete all of these deals.

Changes needed

There is no doubt that change is needed. Bilic may have been the fall guy for the Baggies’ poor start to the season, but the fact of the matter is the squad itself is far from equipped to deal with the challenges that the Premier League presents.

With just eight points from their first 16 games, West Brom are in the bottom three – it is going to take something special to keep them from the drop. While spending during the transfer window does not guarantee success, it does at least give Allardyce and co a fighting chance.

In other news, West Brom fans hammered this man against Leeds United. 

Mike Ashley will be heading for his biggest mistake at Newcastle United if he decides against firing Steve Bruce following Tuesday night’s shameful 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United.

The Toon earned themselves the discomfiting honour of becoming the first Premier League side to lose to Chris Wilder’s Blades this season thanks to a second-half penalty converted by Billy Sharp, after Federico Fernandez was adjudged to have handled the ball inside Karl Darlow’s box.

Defeat at Bramall Lane left the Magpies just eight points above the drop zone, while having played two games more than 18th-placed Fulham and one more than 16th-placed Burnley, with the result also extending the North East giant’s top-flight winless run to six games.

Pressure is now mounting on Ashley to part company with Bruce a year-and-a-half on from his arrival as Rafa Benitez’s successor, with some fans demanding the 60-year-old is fired, having seen the Magpies bow out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in the space of just 18 days.

With a second trip to Arsenal in the space of less than two weeks to come on Monday night, Bruce will be returning to the Emirates with his back up against the wall, knowing the howls of angst from supporters will only grow with yet another defeat in north London.

The Toon boss is not prepared to walk away, however, as the boyhood Magpies fan has vowed to fight for his position after the disappointing defeat.

“I’ll never ever walk away from a challenge,” he said, via quotes by Sky Sports. “I’ve been in it long enough to have that respect, but I understand – especially watching the first-half – we weren’t good enough and I take the responsibility for that, because I picked the team.

“I think we’ve had, apart from the last month which we knew would be difficult with the run of fixtures we’ve had, we’ve given ourselves a decent start to the season.”

Newcastle barely laid a hand on Sheffield United during their awful night in South Yorkshire, with a five-at-the-back system far too defensive and without any clear cohesion in the engine room, with Ryan Fraser and Sean Longstaff initially fielded as two false number 10s.

Fraser’s reckless two yellow cards in the space of three minutes threw Bruce’s plans out of the window just before half-time, and things failed to improve much after that with the Toon taking just four shots, enjoying a measly 28.4% of the possession and completing a dismal 58% of their mere 106 total passes in the second period, per WhoScored.

Their performance was hardly out of the norm, either, as Newcastle rank second-last for total shots taken per game (8.8) last for average possession (41.4%), 18th for pass success (75.1%). However, it can’t really be argued that these poor attacking stats are the case of the Magpies being extra solid at the back, as the numbers prove that they are anything but sold.

Thus season, they’ve allowed, on averages the second-most amount of opposition shots on goal (15), only West Brom (16.2) allow more. Furthermore, Newcastle have conceded the fourth-most goals from open play (16), per WhoScored, despite Karl Darlow’s often excellent performances in goal.

So, Bruce’s side don’t attack well and they aren’t exactly solid at the back either, so, what exactly is the manager bringing to the table? His side not being able to attack is one reason to sack him and the fact they don’t really defend well is definitely another.

If Ashley does not take decisive action on Bruce’s position soon, he will be setting the course for another big mistake at Newcastle by allowing United to sleepwalk toward yet another relegation.

AND in other news, forget Ryan Fraser: a £46k-p/w Newcastle man who lost 63% duels seriously betrayed Steve Bruce vs Sheffield United.

This has been a horrendous season for Celtic.

Over 20 points behind their fierce rivals and out of Europe, Neil Lennon is under the microscope and quite possibly facing the sack.

The Hoops have won just seven of their last 21 games in all competitions and fans have already taken to Parkhead to protest against the manager and the club’s hierarchy. Thus, change should be in the air.

They haven’t won in 2021 and with that in mind, Dermot Desmond needs to move sooner rather than later in terms of bringing a new head coach to Celtic.

Lennon isn’t good enough and by the Bhoys’ high standards, they have been woeful this term.

One manager linked with the hot seat is Eddie Howe. Though, a new name was brought to the forefront of our attentions this week when former midfielder Stiliyan Petrov discussed none other than Roy Keane.

Speaking on the Celtic Huddle podcast, the Bulgarian began: “I mean what a name to come up for the job. I think Roy’s name was mentioned a couple of years ago if I’m not wrong. To be honest it’s something that’s needed.”

Petrov continued: “Does Roy Keane go and compete with Steven Gerrard and compete with the same intensity, with the same desire? Yes he does. Is he going to be somebody the Celtic fans would like to see in charge? I think so. Would I look forward to it? Yes. Would that fire get back to Celtic players again? I think it would.”

This is an interesting shout and it’s hard to say that Keane wouldn’t go in there and shake the players up. Though, whether supporters would entertain the idea of seeing him back in Glasgow is uncertain.

His punditry style has been ruthless in recent years and possessing a win rate of just 34.5% at Ipswich, it may not bode particularly well. He also reportedly rejected the Hoops vacancy in 2014.

That being said, the 49-year-old’s personality, mannerisms and aura could be exactly what Celtic need.

He is a brutal and aggressive man, someone who never settles for second best. Keane won promotion with Sunderland and has learned from one of the best in the business in Martin O’Neill – someone who brought so much success and joy to Celtic previously.

Like O’Neill, Keane is a born winner and that sort of attitude would be ideal. You only need to look at the positive energy Steven Gerrard has had on the blue side of Glasgow to understand what an infectious personality like that can do for a team.

As Petrov says, he could re-install the fire in this Celtic side that has been missing throughout the whole of 2020/21. We saw glimpses of it in the Scottish Cup final but it’s clear a great deal of passion has been lost.

Keane, however, is a fierce competitor.

Darren O’Dea, the manager of Celtic’s U18’s once summed up his character with the following:

“He was very good. He was pragmatic, it shouldn’t really surprise me, but it did. He knew the players he was working with, he knew the league he was working in. He was realistic in what he expected from his players. He had high standards, of course, but no more so than any other manager. He was good to work under.

“I think if Roy Keane was managing at Man United, he would demand more than he did at Ipswich. What he demanded as a manager, and I only read what he was like as a player as I didn’t play with him, although I did see him at Celtic for a little while, he demands the simple things to be done right. Whether that is living right, training right, preparing right.”

Evidently, preparing right and training right is missing at Parkhead right now.

Although Keane doesn’t have the most glistening of managerial CVs, his mentality would be more than ideal. He has the potential to turn Celtic’s fortunes around.

AND in other news, Lennon could finally axe Celtic veteran by unleashing “sensational” rarely-seen gem…