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Everton made it three defeats on the bounce as they lost 1-0 against Newcastle United on Wednesday evening.

Miguel Almiron’s first-half curler was enough for Eddie Howe’s side against a lacklustre Toffees team which once again failed to muster a single shot on target in the 90 minutes.

The result leaves Everton just one point above the relegation places in the top flight, with the potential for a first-ever relegation definitely there despite the recent unbeaten run, which has dramatically come to an end with three consecutive defeats.

While there were plenty of poor performances on show at St James’ Park, Alex Iwobi’s display in the middle of the park was a hugely disappointing one for Everton.

As per SofaScore, the Nigeria international would earn a shocking 6.1/10 rating for his performance, which was the worst of any player on the pitch from both sides.

During his time on the pitch, the former Arsenal man would manage just 34 touches of the ball, which was even fewer than the 41 managed by Jordan Pickford, which emphasises just how little Iwobi was involved.

The 26-year-old completed just 21 passes at St James’ Park, which was a significant decrease from the 39.9 passes he has averaged in the Premier League so far this season.

Iwobi also failed to contribute a single shot, key pass or dribble on Wednesday night, which again is a big decrease on the 0.7 shots, 1.6 key passes and one dribble he has averaged per game in the top flight, so it was no surprise when Lampard substituted the midfielder in the second half.

[freshpress-quiz id=“638086″]

The Nigerian, who has been one of Everton’s best performers in the Premier League this season according to WhoScored, also lost all of the three ground duels he was involved in, which shows that he was well and truly bullied by Newcastle’s midfield, who clearly had the better of him.

The Liverpool Echo also felt that Iwobi was poor against Newcastle, ranking him as a 5/10 for his performance, so it is clear that Iwobi definitely let Lampard down with his truly awful display against the Toon.

Tottenham Hotspur are 'dealing' with Julian Nagelsmann and have asked him for a summer commitment, according to Sky Sports Germany.

What's the latest on Nagelsmann?

The 35-year-old is a hot property and major target for Spurs, with reports suggesting that he is their number one priority to replace Antonio Conte.

Chairman Daniel Levy is still on the lookout for Conte's successor well over a month after both the club and Italian parted company, but it is believed the likes of Vincent Kompany and Arne Slot are also in their thinking.

After being surprisingly sacked by Bayern, Nagelsmann is a free agent and readily-available for hire, and Spurs could even have a free run at trying to hire him after his talks to join Chelsea fell through.

The Premier League top four outside hopefuls must get their next appointment right or potentially risk more backlash from the fanbase, who have already protested the ownership of ENIC and Levy.

Spurs have seen two interim managers take the reins since Conte's departure, with Cristian Stellini being relieved of his duties after a 6-1 humiliation against Newcastle United.

Ryan Mason is overseeing the squad until the end of this season as Levy works on a permanent managerial appointment in the background – and Sky Germany have shared an update on their pursuit of Nagelsmann.

The reliable broadcaster claims Spurs are 'dealing' with the ex-RB Leipzig coach behind-the-scenes have 'asked' him for a summer commitment as they make an approach. There have not yet been concrete negotiations, though, and Nagelsmann apparently wants clarity over his role and in terms of control over transfers.

It's reiterated that he will not go to Chelsea, but the unanswered questions at Spurs means Nagelsmann is 'waiting' to fully commit.

What could Nagelsmann bring to Spurs?

As well as being one of the most exciting managers in Europe, having already clinched a league title at his young age, he's also been called 'crazy' by members of the media like BBC Sport Writer Raj Chohan for some of his in-game tacticial decisions.

Just before Bayern relieved Nagelsmann of his duties, Joshua Kimmich raved over the manager, claiming he is among the best coaches he's ever had, explaining to the media:

"I can only say that Julian Nagelsmann is an outstanding coach. Really, I’ve had a lot of coaches and a lot of top coaches and despite that, I’d say he’s easily in the top three of my best coaches."

He would also bring an intense, attacking style to Tottenham which would surely excite supporters.

The former India captain said more questions will be asked of Dhoni’s World Cup spot if he doesn’t do well in Australia and New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2018Shikhar Dhawan and MS Dhoni’s decision to skip India’s domestic tournaments has not gone down too well with Sunil Gavaskar. The former India captain has questioned the selectors for allowing this practice even as India gears up for a hectic next six months, culminating with the World Cup in May-June 2019.”We shouldn’t ask Dhawan and Dhoni ‘Why you are not playing domestic cricket?’. We should, in fact, ask the BCCI and selectors why are they allowing players to skip domestic cricket when they are not on national duty,” Gavaskar told . “If the Indian team has to do well, players have to be in prime form and for that they have to play cricket.”Dhawan isn’t part of the Test squad in Australia, and is currently in Melbourne, where he lives during the off-season. He hasn’t been part of the long-format plans since the tour of England in September and was replaced by Prithvi Shaw for the two home Tests in West Indies.Dhoni who hasn’t played long-form cricket since his Test retirement in 2014, is in the middle of an enforced break in international cricket following the ODI series against West Indies last month. Dhoni was dropped from India’s T20I squad for the series against West Indies and Australia, the first time he’s been dropped since his international debut in 2004.In all likelihood, his next assignment could be the three ODIs in Australia in January, which effectively means he wouldn’t have played any cricket over a two-month window.”He (Dhoni) didn’t play the T20Is against Australia, before that he didn’t play the West Indies Tests, and then he is not playing the Test series against Australia,” Gavaskar said. “So, he last played in October and will next play in January, which is a huge gap. But if he doesn’t do well on tours of Australia and New Zealand, then there will be more questions asked on his place in the World Cup.””As you grow older and if there is a gap in your [competitive] cricket, your reflexes will slow down. If you play any form of cricket at the domestic level, you get an opportunity to play long innings, which serves as a good practice for you.”

Leeds United were linked with all manner of players over the summer, with Jesse Marsch desperate to stamp his mark on a side that narrowly avoided relegation the season prior.

The American also had to contend with the departures of Kalvin Phillips and their top goal scorer from last season, Raphinha.

It was clear that the Brazilian posed a much tougher challenge to replace, as Marc Roca and Tyler Adams were early signings that were expected to shoulder the burden left by their midfield maestro.

Whilst Luis Sinisterra did sign for £21m, there was an ongoing saga throughout the summer that suggested that the Whites might swoop for Charles De Ketelaere.

In the end, the Belgian opted to make a £27m move to AC Milan.

However, since then the 21-year-old has been decidedly unimpressive for the Italian heavyweights.

With just one assist and no goals in his first 14 games, he is currently costing them £27m for every goal contribution at the moment.

What seemed like a huge transfer miss at the time, after he had scored 14 and assisted seven in 33 Jupiler Pro League games last season, his start to this campaign suggests that maybe they got away with one.

His manager Stefano Pioli has come to his defence, although did admit to him being “a little down in the dumps”.

For a side like Leeds, who are also struggling, this youngster would likely have wilted further under the pressure.

Marsch’s side sit in the relegation zone after 11 Premier League games and could do without a long-term project to develop amongst their misery.

The man who they signed instead, Luis Sinisterra, already has three goals and one assist in his first ten games in English football.

They definitely made the smarter decision for their immediate future, as without his goals they would likely be even further adrift than they currently are.

Leeds certainly dodged a bullet when they didn’t sign De Ketelaere, although at the time it seemed like a devastating blow. He has stunk the San Siro out thus far.

Lynden Gooch has suffered an injury setback and is now likely to be out for Sunderland for ‘a few weeks’.

The Lowdown: Was in contention

Tony Mowbray confirmed before last weekend’s 4-2 loss at home to Burnley in the Championship that Gooch was in contention to return for the game.

He came off at half-time with a foot injury in their previous match against Blackburn Rovers, and has since been in training to try and speed up his recovery.

The Latest: Few weeks out

Speaking to the media in is pre-game press conference ahead of their match away ay Luton Town on Saturday afternoon, Mowbray has confirmed that Gooch is now likely to be out for ‘a few weeks’, after previously hoping that he could make his return against Burnley.

He added that the Wearside club ‘hope’ that they can have him back during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where there is a chance that he could be picked for the USA, having earned four senior caps for the national team previously.

The Verdict: Big blow

The fact that Gooch has now been ruled out of action at the Stadium of Light until after the World Cup is a big blow for Mowbray and his side.

He had previously played in every game in the Championship before his injury, notching up a goal and an assist and ranking highly among his team-mates for average tackles, clearances, dribbles, passes, crosses, long balls and through balls per match (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, the 26-year-old is a key player for the Black Cats, and will no doubt be missed against Luton and in their next set of fixtures.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Rodrigo de Paul to the Premier League in January.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Spanish radio station Cadena SER (via Daily Express), who claim that, after Atletico Madrid failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League, Diego Simeone’s side now desperately need to raise funds in the winter transfer window, with the LaLiga side reportedly putting four players – including De Paul – up for sale.

The report goes on to state that the forward-thinking midfielder’s most likely destination could be Tottenham, with the 28-year-old – who was reported to have rejected Fabio Paratici’s advances this summer – now looking set to reassess his options ahead of the January market.

Bentancur 2.0

It is true that De Paul has not been at his free-flowing best since joining Atleti in a €35m (£30.5m) deal last summer – something which has been attributed to the attacking midfielder being played in a more reserved role under Simeone – but considering just how impressive the Argentine was at Udinese, it is easy to see why Paratici would be keen.

Indeed, across his 36 Serie A appearances in 2020/21, the £52m-rated talent was in sensational form for Le Zebrette, scoring nine goals, registering nine assists and creating 20 big chances for his team-mates – the joint-most in the league – along with taking 2.3 shots, making 2.3 key passes and completing 3.4 dribbles per game.

The £111k-per-week playmaker also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, averaging 40.7 passes, 0.5 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 4.5 long balls and winning 8.1 duels (at a success rate of 60%) per game.

These returns saw the 43-cap international, who Roy Nemer dubbed “unplayable” and a “monster”, average an astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.53, not only ranking him as Udinese’s best performer in the division but also as the second-best player in the league as a whole, behind only Lorenzo Insigne.

As such, should De Paul be able to rediscover this level of form following a potential move to Tottenham this winter, it is undeniable that signing the 28-year-old would very much appear to be the answer to Antonio Conte’s lack of creativity in the middle of the park.

Should Atletico be willing to part with the Argentine for a cut-price fee – something which has been suggested – the forward-thinking midfielder could even prove to become Paratici’s next Rodrigo Bentancur-esque capture in the transfer market. The Italian’s £15.8m January signing is already worth a whopping £52m after highly impressing at Spurs.

If Sheffield Wednesday are to earn automatic promotion from League One this season then they will need everybody in their squad to contribute.

Sadly, it seems as if the Owls have been carrying the extra weight of Callum Paterson for too long, as the versatile striker has struggled for goals across the past two seasons.

With the former Cardiff City man way down the pecking order in Darren Moore’s side at Hillsborough, the former West Brom boss should consider selling him in January, as it seems as if he is now surplus to requirements.

Paterson joined Sheffield Wednesday in 2020 and he would be a hit in his first season at Hillsborough despite their relegation to the third tier, as he hit eight goals and four assists in 43 Championship appearances.

However, despite the drop in division, he has found life harder in League One, with just six goals in 40 appearances last season, which saw him average a less-than-impressive 6.67 rating from WhoScored, which ranked him as the 18th-best performer in Sheffield Wednesday’s squad.

It was no surprise therefore when Moore brought in attacking options such as Michael Smith, Malik Wilks and Alex Mighten during the summer, all of which appear to be ahead of Paterson in the manager’s thinking right now.

The 28-year-old has managed nine appearances in the league this term, scoring just one goal and averaging a terrible 6.27 rating from WhoScored, which ranks him as the 20th-best performer in the squad, emphasising just how poor he has been.

Moore spoke about what Paterson adds to the squad last season when he endured a disappointing run of form in front of goal, which saw him fail to score between early October and late February.

He said: “I would love him to get a goal… He works so tirelessly and is an important member of the team. He adds so much versatility. He has played in midfield, defence and up front this season.”

However, Moore’s patience with Paterson’s goalscoring woes must surely be running out, as he has been very poor on his limited appearances so far this season.

Considering his £12k-per-week contract at Hillsborough is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, Moore should surely be looking to get rid of him in January, rather than losing him for nothing next year.

Scottish champions Celtic face their final competitive test before the upcoming World Cup, with Ange Postecoglou’s rampant side looking to maintain their stranglehold on first place with victory over Ross County this afternoon.

The Hoops head into that clash at Parkhead having won 13 of their 14 Scottish Premiership games so far this season, with that near-perfect form having seen the Old Firm outfit open up a seven-point lead over Glasgow rivals Rangers at the summit.

The omens bode well for the Bhoys for this meeting with Malky Mackay’s side, having already beaten the Staggies twice this season in league and cup, with both of those triumphs having come on the road.

Looking ahead to today’s encounter at Paradise, here’s how we at Football FanCast predict that the hosts will line up:

Hart; Juranovic, Carter-Vickers, Jenz, Taylor; Mooy, O’Riley, Turnbull; Maeda, Kyogo, Jota.

Postecoglou has been handed a boost in the build-up to the game with the 57-year-old confirming that he has no fresh injury problems to contend with following the midweek win over Motherwell, albeit with midfield pair Callum McGregor and James McCarthy still out of action.

With that in mind, we predict that there will be just three tactical changes from the side that ran out 2-1 winners in that VAR-dominated affair at Fir Park on Wednesday evening, ensuring that former England number one Joe Hart keeps his place in the sticks.

The only alteration to the backline could see summer signing Moritz Jenz introduced in place of Carl Starfelt, with it perhaps unwise to overuse the returning Swede following his recent injury absence.

A further alteration could well take place in midfield with David Turnbull set to come in alongside Aaron Mooy and Matt O’Riley, with the Scotland international having registered a stunning assist off the bench against the Steelmen.

The playmaker’s inclusion could well see usual starter Reo Hatate drop out of the side, with the Japan international – who was omitted from his nation’s World Cup squad – ‘not at his best’ last time out, as per Glasgow Live’s Ben Banks.

The same can be said of forward Liel Abada who was something of a villain a few days ago, with the Israeli international set to make way in place of midweek matchwinner, Daizen Maeda, the 25-year-old – who will be going to Qatar – having only recently been lauded for his “immense” contribution as a substitute by his manager.

The former J-League star will be joined by compatriot Kyogo Furuhashi and talisman Jota in attack, with the Portuguese gem having been at the centre of controversy regarding his ‘offside’ goal against Steven Hammelll’s side.

Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has shown a willingness to utilise the young talent available to him at the Stadium of Light this season.

The former Blackburn Rovers head coach named academy teenager Zac Johnson on the bench for the 2-1 win over Birmingham away from home in the Championship last Friday and has handed minutes to the likes of Edouard Michut and Jewison Bennette.

He has also continued to select Anthony Patterson and Daniel Neil, who are both products of the Academy of Light, as regulars in the second division this term.

Mowbray is showing that there is a pathway for the academy players to make the breakthrough into the first-team in the coming weeks, months, and years and this should inspire the current crop of youngsters to push on and emulate the success Patterson and Neil have had.

The English coach has proven that he can get the best out of young players and help them to fulfil their potential. One great example of his work on the training pitch is the job he did with Ben Brereton Diaz at Blackburn.

He signed the attacker from Nottingham Forest in 2018 and the promising talent struggled to find his feet in his first two years as he scored twice in 40 Championship appearances.

Mowbray refused to ditch the winger and stuck by Diaz in spite of his poor form in front of goal and was rewarded for his faith with a whopping 29 goals and eight assists in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 league campaigns combined from the Chile international.

The Rovers attacker can play on either flank or through the middle and the Black Cats boss could now unearth his next version of the prolific scorer in academy youngster Max Thomspon, who can also play anywhere across the frontline.

In Premier League 2 this season, the 20-year-old dynamo has scored five times and assisted one in seven appearances for Sunderland’s U21 side after joining from Burnley in the summer.

This comes after he had plundered 17 goals and four assists in 41 appearances in the competition for the Clarets, who he also made his Premier League debut for.

The marksman, who journalist Josh Bunting dubbed “clinical” and a “real natural” goalscorer, has shown plenty of promise as a winger and as a striker at youth level and may have the potential to make the step up to first-team level.

He could now follow in Diaz’s footsteps as a talented young, goalscoring, forward who develops into a regular scorer in the Championship under Mowbray’s management. However, it is down to Thompson to fulfil his promise and adapt to playing at senior level if and when the chance comes.

Chelsea are looking at Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford as a potential future transfer target, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Pickford on World Cup duty

The 28-year-old is currently at the 2022 World Cup with the Three Lions, where he will continue to be Gareth Southgate’s first-choice goalkeeper.

Pickford has done well for England at both the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020, as he helped England reach the semi-final and final in both competitions, and his performances will again be important to their potential success.

It looks as though the Everton man could be heading for a fresh challenge at club level soon, following a fresh update.

The Latest: Chelsea eyeing up move

Writing for Caught Offside, Romano claimed that Chelsea are ‘monitoring’ Pickford’s situation, seeing him as a possible new signing between the sticks:

“Jordan Pickford is one of the goalkeepers Chelsea are monitoring at the moment, not the only one but nothing is advanced or concrete yet,” Romano said.

“For sure, they need to make a decision on Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga. I think they’re both very good goalkeepers, but they need full confidence otherwise it makes no sense to continue.”

The Verdict: Is he good enough?

Pickford is a good goalkeeper who has proven himself at both Premier League and international level – he accumulated 45 caps to his name for England before this afternoon’s clash with Iran, and has been called ‘outstanding’ by Toffees legend Leon Osman – so there is an argument to say he could be a good signing for Chelsea.

That being said, there are question marks over whether or not he is a clear upgrade on Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy, with the Blues in need of a world-class performer in that area.

Pickford has mistakes in him, as shown in Everton’s recent 3-0 loss at Bournemouth, and signing him for a likely large fee may not be worth it when there are superior alternatives out there.

His current Toffees deal expires at the end of next season, however, so the Merseysiders could consider selling him once this campaign reaches this conclusion, in order to risk losing him for free further down the line.