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After a disheartening 2020/21 season which saw Sheffield Wednesday relegated from the Championship, Darren Moore’s side have had a mixed start to their League One campaign.

With nine games played prior to today’s clash against Oxford United, the Owls have won four, drawn three and lost two, with their latest match seeing them beat Wigan Athletic 2-1 at the DW Stadium.

Looking ahead to the game against Oxford, Owls manager Darren Moore revealed in his latest press conference that Sam Hutchinson and Lewis Gibson have both trained ahead of today’s clash but that George Byers will not be available. With this in mind, here’s how we feel the Owls will set up against Oxford, with two changes from the team in midweek.

Will Wednesday pick up another win this weekend?

In goal, Bailey Peacock-Farrell has been a regular for Wednesday so far this season and should continue there to face Oxford.

The defence could see full-backs Marvin Johnson and Liam Palmer retain their places in the team after the midweek victory, with the duo making a total number of seven tackles and five interceptions between them against Wigan, proving themselves to be useful defensive outlets for Wednesday.

There could be some change in the centre-back position, though, with Hutchinson taking Cheyenne Dunkley’s place at centre-back alongside Dominic Iorfa, who also impressed in midweek, earning himself an overall match rating of 7.1/10 (as per SofaScore).

This could then lead to Barry Bannan coming back into the squad after being an unused substitute against Wigan.

Elsewhere, the other change we think Moore should consider for the Oxford match would be to take Jaden Brown out of the team after failing to make an impact against Wigan from the left-midfield position, taking 27 touches and losing possession on 12 occasions, ultimately earning a rather lacklustre overall match rating of 5.8/10, making him Wednesday’s lowest-rated player on the day according to SofaScore.

In his place, we feel Moore should give Olamide Shodipo, who replaced Brown in midweek, a chance from the start to see if he can do a better job than the 22-year-old did against Wigan.

On the other side, Moore should stick with Dennis Adeniran on the right to see if he can have some sort of attacking threat, even though his two league goals this season have come from when he’s played in the centre of midfield.

Finally, Wednesday should continue with Lee Gregory and Callum Paterson, who scored against Wigan, as their two strikers to hopefully fire the club to another three points.

In other news: Sheff Wed handed big injury boost ahead of Oxford clash, fans will be delighted – opinion

With recent reports claiming that Newcastle United have hired an external recruitment firm to help in their search for a director of football, the club’s new hierarchy may not need to look too far to find someone that could play a vital role in the way the Tyneside club is run behind the scenes.

Speaking to City A.M., Rob Lee has been sharing his thoughts on the possibility of former Toon striker and club legend Alan Shearer taking a role at the club.

He said: “I would get someone who knows Newcastle and the club and sits as an adviser to everybody, to the board – even above a director of football.

“Because if we get the top job wrong, every other job is wrong. I think it’s imperative to get it right behind the scenes before we get it right on the pitch because it starts at the very top. I’m a great friend of Alan but he would be my choice. You know he’s not going to be influenced by anybody. He’ll make decisions because he loves Newcastle.

“He’ll give his honest opinion. He’s not scared of anyone, he won’t be bullied by agents. They can trust him to give them the right call.”

With 206 goals scored in 405 appearances for the Toon across all competitions, it’s safe to say that he is a club legend and well-loved by the masses at St James’ Park. Thus, they would presumably love to see him take a role at the club.

He absolutely adores not only the city but also the football club and any advise he can offer the likes of Amanda Staveley and those who now sit in the boardroom will be considered with his heart and soul.

A managerial stint with the Toon didn’t go well back in April 2009 as he failed to steer them to safety, eventually seeing his beloved side relegated to the Championship.

Yet, the 51-year-old is now wiser, older and not constrained by the dreaded Mike Ashley so an arrival back in the northeast would be rather suitable for all parties.

Although PIF have plenty of riches, one thing they don’t have yet is a connection with the city and the club’s supporters. Shearer, however, could fix that early issue and help bring the new ownership closer to the fanbase.

Staveley revealed back in October that she had been in contact with Shearer over a potential role for him at the Tyneside club, and it seems as though something could potentially be in the pipeline for him at some point in the future. Should he be hired by the club, it would surely leave a lot of Toon fans buzzing and coupled with PIF, would be a dream come true for both them and the former striker.

If Newcastle struggle to secure a permanent director of football in the coming weeks, PIF should definitely make a formal approach to the ex-England international to work out what position he could have at the club that would be beneficial when considering his love and knowledge of everything connected to the Magpies.

In other news: NUFC could land the next Xavi with £31.5m-rated gem who “always finds the best escape” – opinion

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has led his side to fourth in the Premier League, as it stands, and is on the verge of sealing a place in Europe’s premier cup competition for 2022/23.

Finishing in the top four could have a major impact on their business in the summer as it could help their efforts to land a certain Lazio gem.

It was recently reported that Spurs will make a move for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, with Fabio Paratici plotting a swoop for the midfielder if the club can secure Champions League qualification this season.

He is reportedly valued at €80m (£66m) by the Italian outfit and he is attracting interest from other teams, with PSG and Juventus said to be keen on him.

Antonio Conte would love him

The Spurs head coach needs him at the club as he would offer something different to the current crop of Spurs midfielders.

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Tottenham do not currently have any central midfielders who offer a big goal threat in the Premier League. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is the club’s top-scoring player from that position with just two goals to his name, which suggests that they lack a player like Milinkovic-Savic.

In Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the Serbian international ranks in the 93rd percentile or higher for non-penalty goals, assists, expected assists, non-penalty expected goals, and shots per 90 – as per FBRef. He is also in the 80th percentile for shot-creating actions and in the 97th percentile for progressive passes, proving that he is an elite attack-minded midfielder.

Parma’s sporting director Demetrio Albertini previously lauded his talent, saying: “Milinković-Savić has the characteristics of a great champion; he has extraordinary elegance.”

This high praise is backed up by his incredible attacking statistics for Lazio. He has nine goals and nine assists in the Serie A this term, after producing eight goals and nine assists last season – proving his consistency in the final third.

At the age of 27, he is also now heading into his prime years and this means that Conte will not need to worry about him reaching his potential. Spurs have a number of young players in their squad, including Ollie Skipp in the same position, and it will be a relief for the head coach to have another experienced option to choose from in the middle of the park.

This, along with his attacking quality, is why the Italian boss needs him in North London next season. He can bring goals and to the side from midfield and take some of the pressure off Heung-Min Son, Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski, whilst also providing them with chances to score with his progressive passing.

AND in other news, Conte can finally axe “terrible” £91k-p/w dud as THFC plot bid for £58m-rated “leader”…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans criticised the performance of Scott Wright in their 1-0 win against Livingston in the Premiership on Wednesday night.

It was a game in which the hosts were certainly not at their best at Ibrox but managed to scrape all three points courtesy of a late goal from Scott Arfield.

There were a few disappointing performances for Rangers, but Wright stood out among a bad pack.

The former Aberdeen winger lost out on five of his duels in total and failed to record a single successful dribble, also being unsuccessful with three of his four crosses (SofaScore).

Wright also lost possession of the ball 13 times, the joint-sixth most out of his teammates, and he was hauled off for Ryan Jack shortly after the goal was scored.

Rangers fans slam Wright

These Rangers fans slammed the 24-year-old’s display on Twitter, with one Light Blues supporter going as far as to claim that he was ‘shocking’ last night:

“Woke up still raging at Scott Wright”

Credit: @Converyg1

“Scott Wright another Glenn Middleton nowhere near good enough”

Credit: @RossThomson12

“Scott Wright horrendous”

Credit: @GregThomson72

“Add Scott Wright in, hopeless out on the right.”

Credit: @AndyFirthRSC

“Scott Wright is so far off of what we need. Shocking player”

Credit: @jamie__rangers

“Scott Wright. Hide and seek champion.”

Credit: @VaticanRSC

In other news, find out what team news was lauded by these Gers fans

Celtic have reached a basic agreement with Yokohama F. Marinos for attacker Daizen Maeda, according to Yahoo Japan.

The Lowdown: Hatate and Ideguchi moves

The Hoops are looking to make three Japanese signings in the New Year following the success of Kyogo Furuhashi’s £4.86m switch in the summer.

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Celtic have reportedly already reached agreements for midfielders Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi earlier this month, and it seems as if they are edging closer regarding a move for Maeda.

The 24-year-old, described as a ‘tireless worker’ by Kieran Devlin, netted 23 times in 2021 and now looks set for a reunion with Ange Postecoglou.

The Latest: Maeda update

According to Yahoo Japan, Celtic have struck a basic agreement with Yokohama F. Marinos for Maeda to sign on loan for the second half of the season.

The Hoops will then be able to make the move permanent for €2m, with Maeda expected to travel to the UK soon.

The Verdict: Final piece of the jigsaw?

Celtic have been working on moves for Hatate, Ideguchi and Maeda for some time now, and it appears as if deals are in place for the trio before the January window has even opened.

New Hoops CEO Michael Nicholson certainly isn’t hanging around, and who knows, should all three moves go through at the beginning of 2022, he could then look at permanent transfers for loanees Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers.

The pair have impressed in Glasgow, however, the duo could cost over £12m combined (Jota £6.5m, CV £6m), so it’ll be interesting to see how busy Celtic are after proposed moves for the Japanese trio.

In other news Celtic will look to move on ‘horrendous’ ace in January; ‘jittery’ man may also leave – Kieran Devlin. 

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Marko Grujic has been absolutely phenomenal on loan at Hertha Berlin this season, so much so that he could be the perfect replacement for utility man James Milner.

On the chalkboard

Liverpool spent big in midfield last summer, splashing out over £100m to bring Fabinho, Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri to the club, per Transfermarkt.

They will likely need to add to that department again in 2019 though, as Milner has finally begun to show signs of ageing and Adam Lallana could well leave in search of regular playing time – the latter has played just 205 Premier League minutes this season, per Whoscored.

Despite the constant fan obsession with new signings however, Klopp may just find his new midfield maestro right under his nose, as the German’s very first Liverpool signing is setting the Bundesliga alight.

FFC’s James Jones has identified the one thing that could cost Liverpool the title. Find out what it is in the video below…

The perfect all-rounder?

Grujic joined the Reds in January 2016 for a fee of around £5m, per BBC, but has spent most of his Liverpool career out on loan.

After a brief spell with former club Red Star Belgrade he went on to play a huge part in Cardiff City’s promotion last season, using his size and steel to good effect in the Championship.

He has now shown a different side to his game in Germany, excelling as a box-to-box midfielder in Berlin, even prompting Hertha manager and legend Pal Dardai to anoint him “the best midfielder we have had in the last 20 years”.

The 22 year-old finished off a beautiful team goal in a 2-2 draw with Schalke on Friday to grab his second Bundesliga strike of the season, per Whoscored, but his all-round performance will have impressed Klopp even more than the goal.

The 6 ft 3 in colossus won three aerial duels and registered one key pass, one dribble and two shots, per Whoscored, bossing the match with smart passing, good reading of the game and sheer physical dominance.

After excelling as a defensive midfielder in Cardiff and marauding from box to box in Berlin, Grujic is more than ready to step in and play a pivotal role in Klopp’s squad next season, and his versatility could even see him become the gaffer’s new utility man.

So, Liverpool fans, do you want to see Grujic in the first team next year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below…

Aston Villa forward Keinan Davis has been pictured back on the training pitch at Bodymoor Heath.

Davis has yet to feature for the Villans this season, having sustained a knee injury in pre-season.

His last action came as a substitute in the 3-2 defeat at Crystal Palace back in May, but he’s now closing in on a comeback.

Dean Smith says he’ll be available for selection once he’s demonstrated his fitness.

What role does Davis play for Villa?

The 23-year-old has started five Premier League games since Aston Villa were promoted in 2019.

The vast majority of his top-flight action has come as a substitute, with 28 separate run-outs from the subs bench.

With Wesley loaned out to Club Brugge, it will fall to Davis to provide cover and competition for Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins alongside youngster Cameron Archer.

The official Aston Villa Twitter account posted the snap of Davis, and here’s what supporters had to say in response.

These Villa fans celebrate Davis’ return

“Season saved, Europe here we come”

Credit: @AVFCAlex18784

“He’s going to score a hat trick in the FA Cup”

Credit: @TheAsgardian

“Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeenan”

Credit: @utv_phil

“Good to see him back!!!”

Credit: @RichieLionel81

“omg welcome back”

Credit: @catrinavfc

“Keinan is back, the Europe push is on”

Credit: @SamH_84

In other news, Villa have competition in their pursuit of this target.

Celtic forward Giorgos Giakoumakis could be out for three more weeks, Ange Postecoglou has revealed.

The Lowdown: Giakoumakis’ struggles

The 26-year-old has struggled during his first season as a Celtic player.

Signed on transfer deadline day for £2.5m after scoring 26 Eredivisie goals last season, Giakoumakis struggled to get up to fitness and even picked up an injury during the warm-up in Celtic’s clash with Raith Rovers in September.

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He has made just two starts in green and white and has been missing recently due to a knee issue.

The Latest: 2-3 weeks away…

Postecoglou was talking to the media, as relayed by The Go Radio Football Show, following Celtic’s 1-0 victory over Hearts on Thursday night.

He stated that defender Cameron Carter-Vickers will be available against Dundee United this weekend before revealing that Giakoumakis, labelled as ‘special’ by Dutch reporter Rik Elfrink after a four-goal performance in one match last season, is another two or three weeks away from returning.

Should he miss three more weeks of action, that would keep the striker out until Christmas, and he would therefore miss Celtic’s next six games in all competitions.

The Verdict: Ange needs a break

The latest news regarding Giakoumakis has theoretically kicked Postecoglou while he was down following injuries to Anthony Ralston, Jota and Stephen Welsh against Hearts.

Celtic have a busy schedule in December and the 56-year-old has had little luck when it comes to injuries ever since making the move to Scotland.

He could have done with having a fully fit squad before the winter break, but it seems as if he will need to keep relying heavily on top scorer Kyogo Furuhashi in a central role following the news on Giakoumakis.

In other news: Nicholson ‘plans’ to sell ‘terrific’ Celtic ace in record-breaking £25.5m deal. 

Journalist Pete O’Rourke believes Leeds could make a January swoop for Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez, Give Me Sport report.

The Lowdown: Nandez a long-term target

Leeds are yet to sign a central midfielder on a permanent basis under Marcelo Bielsa but are thought to be after a defensive and attacking midfielder this month due to the club’s injury woes.

One player who was linked with a move to Elland Road back in the summer was Nandez, with rumours resurfacing in recent weeks.

The 26-year-old is valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt and has made 16 appearances in four different positions in 2021/22, perhaps suggesting he could solve Victor Orta’s quest for a number six and number eight in one swoop.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

O’Rourke was talking to Give Me Sport regarding Nandez and a possible move to Yorkshire this month.

He labelled a winter window transfer as ‘a real possibility’, with reports suggesting he could be available for half the price compared to last summer.

“I think they tried to sign him from Cagliari in the summer but weren’t able to. So, if they think they can get him on a cheaper deal this January, there’s a real possibility that they maybe could come back in for him.”

The Verdict: Time to swoop?

It seems as if Nandez is a player who has been on Orta’s shortlist for a while, so now could be the ideal time to bring him to Yorkshire.

Described as a ‘powerful’ midfielder by Serie A expert Conor Clancy, Nandez fits the Bielsa profile when it comes to being versatile.

He’d bolster the club’s wide ranks, while also being able to play in a defensive or central midfield role. That could be needed straight away, should he arrive at Elland Road, especially as Kalvin Phillips has been ruled out until March.

More updates on Nandez will more than likely emerge before the end of the month, but as like in the summer, it could be one to keep a close eye on.

In other news: ‘This is huge’ – BBC pundit reacts to ‘massive’ Leeds news he’s heard from Elland Road. 

Celtic winger Ben Doak has dropped a major hint over his future on social media, Football Scotland have spotted.

The Lowdown: Close to Liverpool move

Doak has enjoyed a Glasgow breakthrough in 2022, making two Celtic appearances and attracting interest from both Chelsea and Liverpool.

The 16-year-old is yet to pen professional terms at Parkhead and is thought to be closing in on a move to Merseyside to join Liverpool.

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Labelled as ‘fantastic’ by Ange Postecoglou, Doak scored a hat-trick for Scotland’s U17s during the international break, but the Hoops could potentially receive just £150,000 for his services.

The Latest: Social media activity

Football Scotland shared a story on Doak on Wednesday lunchtime, revealing the player has now followed Liverpool’s official Instagram page.

Doak has also given the Reds’ unofficial academy page a follow, hinting that a move to join the youth ranks at Anfield is imminent.

The Verdict: Unavailable for the run-in?

The young winger has made the bench three times alongside his two appearances since December, but it seems as if he could be on the move very shortly.

It looks as if Postecoglou is now resigned to losing his services after not including him in the last seven Premiership matchday squads.

He could be unavailable for the run-in, with a move to link up with former Celtic goalkeeper Liam Hughes at Liverpool’s academy looking like a formality at this point.

In other news: Sky Sports: Celtic have opened talks for another player as well as Bayern’s Christopher Scott.