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Carlton Palmer has offered his thoughts on Darren Moore and his pull as a manager at Sheffield Wednesday.

What’s the talk?

Former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer has hailed Owls boss Darren Moore as a ‘very, very good’ manager and suggested that his coaching skills will pull players to the club.

When asked about whether or not Lewis Wing being open to a permanent deal at Hillsborough was down to Moore’s influence, Palmer told Transfer Tavern:

“Of course, I mean Darren Moore, like I’ve said to you before, I’ve got a lot of time for Darren, I think he’s a very, very good manager, he’s a very good man-manager.

“So, it’s testament to Darren, but also a testament to the team and the supporters down at Sheffield Wednesday, that gets everybody going and everybody wants to be part of a winning team.”

Fans will be excited

Sheffield Wednesday fans will be excited by these comments from Palmer as they suggest that Moore’s management skills could allow the club to sign players they would otherwise not be able to if they had a different head coach.

Take Wing as an example. The 26-year-old played 32 times in the Championship for Middlesbrough last season and decided to ditch the second tier to for Moore in League One. He offered a glimpse of what he is capable of in Wednesday’s EFL Trophy win over Newcastle’s under-23’s earlier this month, recording an incredible SofaScore rating of 9.5.

Wing created an eye-catching eight chances for his teammates in the 3-0 win, whilst also winning three tackles and making two interceptions. This shows that he was able to make an impact at both ends of the pitch, taking the ball off the opposition and then splitting open the defence with his passes to create shooting opportunities for his teammates.

This shows the level of player Moore has been able to attract to Hillsborough despite the club’s League One status, backing up Palmer’s comments.

It is down to Dejphon Chansiri and Moore to ensure that they target the right players and get the results on the pitch in the short-term. However, fans can be excited, for now, at the prospect of Wednesday being able to pick up coups in future windows thanks to Moore’s influence.

AND in other news, Chansiri must avoid Sheff Wed nightmare with £14k-p/w “leader”, Moore would be fuming…

Many West Brom supporters have reacted to Valerien Ismael’s post-match comments after the 1-1 home draw with Millwall on Saturday.

The Baggies currently lead the Championship after six games, with four wins and two draws from their league campaign thus far.

Yesterday’s 1-1 draw with Millwall put them above Fulham after Marco Silva’s side fell to a shock 1-0 defeat at Blackpool, but they failed to muster any real clinical touch as they only registered two shots on target from 11 taken throughout the game.

Daniel Ballard cancelled out Kyle Bartley’s opener in the second half after Karlan Grant missed a first-half penalty, as Ismael’s side saw their four-game winning streak in the division ended despite having a succession of late chances.

The manager admitted afterwards: “We had our opportunities on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to win the game.

“We have to learn from that game. We will face this type of test plenty of times in the season when opponents come to The Hawthorns.

“They want to make us frustrated and take all of the intensity out of the game. Our purpose from that game is to learn from what happened and make sure we maintain our intensity.”

The Baggies received criticism from some fans for their tactics throughout the game as they played 75 long balls compared to Millwall’s 71, while hitting just two accurate crosses out of 19. In a game in which they were favourites, West Brom had fewer shots and fewer big chances than their London opponents.

It’s only their first points dropped since the opening day draw with Bournemouth, but Ismael’s style of play has received stick from his supporters, some of whom referenced the crude tactics of Tony Pulis during his reign at The Hawthorns in recent years.

West Brom fans react

These West Brom fans took to Twitter to react to Ismael’s comments following their disappointing draw with Millwall.

“Didn’t win a ball in the air for the first 40 minutes yet kept playing it high, was like watching Pulisball all over again. No plan B, just hit it long and hope for the best. Very poor today”

Credit: @rogeriley2

“Pulis would be proud”

Credit: @stujay4

“Need to learn how to pass instead of whacking it all the time”

Credit: @TibbsAiden

“Rubbish”

Credit: @Baggies684

“Play the ball on the deck more might help, that’s when we play our best football!”

Credit: @allnewswba

“Long throw should be a nice bonus to score a goal. Can’t be the entire gameplan. Not enough quality today needed to play football to beat these”

Credit: @OlArnie2

In other news, many Baggies fans are happy with one piece of transfer business. Find out more here.

Many Wolves fans have expressed their anger towards Marcal after Bruno Lage admitted he is unhappy with the defender’s “silly” mistake.

The Brazilain defender’s good start to the season came crashing down over the weekend as his poor performance was instrumental in Brentford running out 2-0 winners at Molineux.

Despite being warned by referee Darren England for grabbing hold of Ivan Toney during a corner, Marcal repeated the offence and dragged the striker down, resulting in Toney tucking the ball past Jose Sa to break the deadlock.

Bryan Mbeumo doubled the lead and secured the three points for Thomas Franck’s side as Wolves fell to their fourth defeat in five games, leaving them 16th in the Premier league table.

Marcal endured a difficult afternoon in the Black Country, completing only 33 of his 42 passes, making zero accurate crosses and losing the ball 13 times.

The left-back was eventually replaced by Daniel Podence in the 72nd minute, and Lage has since criticised the wing-back’s involvement in the penalty incident.

Wolves fans fume over Marcal performance

These Wolves fans took to Twitter to discuss Marcal’s error after their manager’s comments, with one fan claiming he ‘cannot defend at all’.

“Should of sent this plum out on loan cannot have two liability defenders in your defence”

Credit: @agarthehorrible

“Hope he doesn’t play again for us. Not just for this mistake btw.”

Credit: @peireweust

“The biggest mistake was signing him in the first place. As soon as Johnny is back he needs to be cut loose and stick with Jonny and ait-nouri.”

Credit: @bigYonw

“The guy is an absolute moron. He cannot defend at all and struggles to keep up with play. He was brought in as a cheap temporary cover for Jonny. Not because he was any good. So why are we relying on him when we have ait nouri.”

Credit: @WeissachWolf

“Play ait nouri pls”

Credit: @BabangTah

“First 4 games he’s looked very good. Poor against Brentford and now people wanna get rid”Credit: @DerryChris4In other news, these Wolves fans have been left fuming at a surprising statistic that emerged following the defeat to Brentford. Find out more here.

While Valerien Ismael’s West Bromwich Albion side currently find themselves sitting in second place in the Championship standings, having picked up 15 points over their opening seven fixtures of the season, the Baggies’ recent form will be a cause for concern for the Frenchman.

Indeed, after labouring to a 1-1 draw against Millwall last weekend, West Brom once again struggled to break down lower-league opposition in the shape of Derby County in mid-week, with Albion failing to score at The Hawthorns for the first time this season in a 0-0 draw with Wayne Rooney’s side.

As such, the 45-year-old Baggies boss will undoubtedly be hoping for a return to winning ways on Saturday, with a trip to 14th placed Preston North End on the cards for the promotion hopefuls.

So, will Ismael make any changes to the side who started last time out against the Rams? Here’s how we think West Brom could line up against the Lilywhites, along with the latest team and injury news…

With Matt Clarke and Dara O’Shea remaining sidelined due to injury, and Kean Bryan looking as if he is not ready for first-team action just yet – with the defender having played 45 minutes for West Brom U23s on Friday evening – we expect Ismael to stick with the back five that started the 0-0 draw with Derby on Tuesday.

This means that Conor Townsend retains his place as part of the Frenchman’s back three, while Adam Reach also keeps his spot in the starting XI at left wing-back.

In midfield, the established first-choice duo of Alex Mowatt and Jake Livermore look set to once again start, while Darnell Furlong retains his place on the right.

However, considering the availability of certain players, and the fact that defence has not particularly been an issue for a side who have conceded just once in their last three league fixtures, perhaps it was to be expected that there would be no changes to Ismael’s back eight for the trip to Deepdale.

Indeed, it is in attack where we think the 45-year-old will tinker, with the Frenchman making two changes – the first of which is the £30k-per-week Karlan Grant – who is without a goal since the 3-2 win over Luton Town back in August and missed a penalty against Millwall – and the second Callum Robinson – who was largely ineffective following his return from illness and being withdrawn at half-time against Derby.

In their place, the two players who replaced the duo against the Rams come in to start against Preston, with Matt Phillips taking the spot of Grant on the right-wing, while the 29-year-old Jordan Hugill is awarded his first Championship start since joining the club on a season-long loan from Norwich City earlier this summer.

In other news: Ismael must unleash “quality” £36k-p/w West Brom beast today, he’d terrify Preston

Leeds United need to make as many as five or six signings in the January transfer window, according to former top flight striker Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: Another defeat for Leeds

The Whites lost 2-1 at home to the Hammers on Saturday afternoon, as their below-par start to the 2021/22 season continues.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are without a win in their opening six Premier League matches and questions may now start being asked of the manager and players, something which seemed unfathomable after their incredible first campaign back in the big time last season.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: McAvennie makes bold claim

Leeds currently look a shadow of the team that thrived so much last season, and speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie, 61, feels numerous reinforcements are needed in January, due to the Whites’ intense playing style:

“Leeds play with such a high tempo. It’s so intense, if you play like that, there will be injuries. They haven’t prepared for that.

“They aren’t like Manchester City, they don’t have two different starting sides. There’s nothing Bielsa can do about that. He won’t change his style for anyone.

“They have to go out in January and buy five or six, I’m not joking. If they want to keep playing like that, with players flying into tackles, people will get injured.”

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The Verdict: No need for panic

There is understandable concern surrounding Leeds’ current 18th-place position, but perspective is still required.

It is extremely early in the season and Bielsa’s men have already faced Manchester United and Liverpool – West Ham are also a strong team at the moment – so it is too soon to claim they are in crisis.

An addition or two may not be a bad thing in January, but calling for half-a-dozen players to come in reeks of panic shopping and a win at home to Watford on Saturday would alter the mood.

In other news, one Leeds player has suffered an injury setback – find out who it is here.

Former Leeds United star David Norris insists that the club must start picking up points in their next three games if they are to climb out of their rut.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have yet to win a game this term, losing 5-1 to Manchester United, 3-0 to Liverpool, and 2-1 to West Ham United, while also drawing with Everton, Burnley, and Newcastle United.

Leeds take on Watford in their next game prior to the international break before taking on both Southampton and Wolves.

Watford are currently 12th, Wolves are 14th, and Southampton are 16th, the latter of which have also yet to win a game this term.

Norris insists that, at the start of the season, a number of onlookers would have backed Bielsa’s side to potentially take maximum points from the three games.

However, he believes that those within the club will panic if the club cannot take at least seven points from the fixtures.

He said: “If they come out of these three with a poor points return, then the panic stations will really be high.

“They’re winnable games. Southampton, Wolves and Watford, at the start of the season you’d be looking at those and thinking Leeds can get seven or nine points there.”

Darren Ambrose believes that Newcastle United is a realistic destination for Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane.

The Lowdown: Changing situation

As we know, the 28-year-old wanted to leave Spurs during the summer transfer window (Sky Sports) but despite interest from Manchester City, he ended up staying in north London.

Since then, Newcastle have been purchased by a Saudi Arabian consortium (BBC), giving them a bigger pool of funds, and there have been suggestions that they could make a move for the England captain.

The Latest: Ambrose makes Kane claim

Speaking to talkSPORT (via Shields Gazette), Ambrose believes that Spurs is now a realistic destination for Kane. He said:

“Say Daniel Levy puts on another ridiculous fee that no-one else is going to pay. And Newcastle say, ‘there is £150 million, we will match that.

“Who has more chance of winning a trophy? Tottenham or Newcastle now? Everyone is going to say (Newcastle) because they have got a project. They have got ambition. So, that could be realistic.”

The Verdict: Big players

The arrival of the consortium, fronted by Amanda Staveley, at St James’ Park is likely to change the future of Premier League football. Like Chelsea and Manchester City, the Magpies now have the funds to try and compete at the top of the game in this country.

As one of the best strikers not only in England but throughout the world, Kane is a hot commodity who only a few clubs can afford. Newcastle now belong to that group, so just as Ambrose says, they are a realistic destination for Kane, and Daniel Levy should be wary of any interest from the Tyneside club.

In other news, Spurs are interested in this controversial midfielder.

Leeds United and Victor Orta have set their sights on Ajax defender Noussair Mazraoui, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Mazraoui profiled

Mazraoui is 23 years of age and is primarily a right-back who can also provide cover in central midfield.

He’s been on the senior books with the Dutch giants since 2018 and is out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

The Morocco international has made 113 appearances for Ajax and has actually averaged better dribbling stats than Whites star Raphinha throughout their respective careers. [WhoScored]

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared a story on Thursday morning, where they revealed the Whites’ interest following an update from a Leeds source.

They suggested that the door is now open for a possible Elland Road move to materialise, with Mazraoui recently hiring super-agent Mino Raiola – Erling Haaland’s representative.

The Verdict: A shrewd move

Mazraoui appears to be made for a Marcelo Bielsa side with his versatility and attacking attributes.

As mentioned, he’s statistically a better dribbler than Raphinha and can also provide cover in midfield, so a possible free transfer next summer could be a smart move.

He’s already contributed to seven goals in 11 appearances from right-back this season, so Mazraoui could be the perfect long-term successor to Luke Ayling.

In other news: Phil Hay now drops worrying three-word Leeds update on Raphinha’s availability vs Southampton. 

Lots of Glasgow Rangers fans have been left raging as some comments emerged from Michael Stewart.

The Ibrox faithful tweeted a video advertising their new 150th anniversary kit with the iconic ‘Four Lads Had a Dream’ chant in the background, representing how far the club have come.

Former Scotland international Stewart has since criticised the use of the song, claiming that it is ‘offensive to many’, and citing that some Light Blues supporters were charged for singing it last month.

There is some controversy surrounding the song given that it is used in another form in the offensive ‘Famine Song’ chant, but the club are clearly using it to highlight their legacy and nothing more.

Nonetheless, it seems as if Stewart has wound up a lot of the Teddy Bears fanbase after making the comments.

Rangers fans on Stewart comments

These Gers were left fuming as the comments emerged on Twitter, with one RFC supporter even going as far as call Stewart an ‘absolute balloon’:

“STOP. Just stop demonising my club and my fellow fans. My children love “Four Lads Had A Dream” and wouldn’t have a clue about any links to alternate lyrics. This is a Rangers song, about the history of Rangers, on a day we released a historical Rangers kit. It is that simple.”

Credit: @BazLies

“It’s 4 lads had a dream Michael. Seek help”

Credit: @ruaraidh1985

“Please Michael, actually listen for once and stop being mental. This is the 4 Lads kit, so we played the tune of 4 Lads Had A Dream in the promo video. Let me know if there’s any problems understanding that.”

Credit: @samsneddon72

“Deary me Michael, do you just roam about looking to be offended by anything that is produced by RFC, or by anything that doesn’t sit with your SNP narrative? Take a day off mate, relax.”

Credit: @ytsfirstjob

“Why haven’t you (or anyone else who has taken part in today’s coordinated faux-outrage) mentioned this before? It’s sung by Rangers fans every week. People can see through this pitiful attempt to stoke controversy where it does not exist.”

Credit: @CazNula

“Wow you are an absolute balloon…4 lads had a dream…it’s literally about the origins of the football club!!”

Credit: @champions5521

In other news, find out what early teams news before Hearts has Gers fuming here!

Reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano shared an update on Saturday in regards to Aston Villa defender Matty Cash.

The journalist shared an image of the 24-year-old, revealing that he was in London at the Polish embassy, with his process to switch nationalities underway. As to be expected, a number of Villa fans on Twitter were quick to react to the development.

Cash kept up his record of starting every Premier League game of the current campaign in a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Friday night. Less than 24 hours later in the capital, the Villa right-back began the process to switch from England to Poland at international level.

Romano claimed that the defender is open to playing for Poland, although time is still required for his new official passport to go through.

Villa fans react

Here is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply to Romano’s tweet, with one labelling it as ‘great news’ about Cash.

“Cannot wait to get the Poland shirt”

Credit: @Naathan_lowe

“Oh man”

Credit: @yougowego26

“Great news”

Credit: @jmxavfc

“POLISH CAFUUUU.”

Credit: @avfcIewis

“Matthew Cashowski is almost complete”

Credit: @Josh_Dodd1

“Good for Cashy!”

Credit: @ClaretVillans

In other news: Stinging 3/10 verdict for Villa star who lost the ball 15 times v Arsenal