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Despite Liverpool winning 1-0 against Ajax on Tuesday night in a result which secured the Reds’ place in the Champions League knockout stages, there will be questions asked about the performance of Mohamed Salah.

The Egyptian winger, who recently returned to the first-team after a brief period out due to the current viral outbreak, played 89 minutes against the Dutch champions but never really got going.

As per SofaScore, the former Roma man received a 6.3 rating for his display, ranking him as the worst player of any who started the game.

The 28-year-old had two big chances to score against Erik ten Hag’s side and missed them both, with the Reds relying on Curtis Jones’ second-half goal to earn them a crucial three points.

Salah also had just 34 touches of the ball during his time on the pitch and was able to complete just 15 passes, resulting in a pass accuracy rate of 75%.

Liverpool ‘keeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who started in goal in Alisson’s absence, completed 30 of his passes during the game, which was obviously more than Salah.

That only suggests further that the Egyptian international was something of a passenger on Tuesday night, in a match which Klopp needed him to perform, as defeat against Ajax would’ve blown the group wide open.

Salah even lost possession on 11 occasions during the game and was successful with just one of his dribbles, with the Ajax defenders seemingly getting the better of him.

He also struggled from a defensive point of view, winning just six of his 13 duels during the game, which should infuriate Klopp more as he was second-best for a lot of the game.

However, it has still been an excellent start to the season for the Liverpool winger, who is currently valued at a massive €150m (£135m) by CIES Football Observatory, as he has notched eight goals in nine Premier League appearances, resulting in a superb WhoScored average rating of 7.53.

Hopefully, for Reds fans and Klopp alike, the Egyptian will be back to his best in Liverpool’s next game against Wolves at Anfield, as he was nowhere near the level required on Tuesday evening.

And, in other news… Forget Thiago: Klopp already has his Milner replacement in teenage prodigy loved by Ljinders

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former West Brom and England midfielder Carlton Palmer has dropped an interesting takeover claim amid the club’s change of manager.

Slaven Bilic was sacked on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after earning a well-fought point at Manchester City and he was quickly replaced by veteran boss Sam Allardyce before the day was out.

The 66-year-old has signed an 18-month contract at the Hawthorns, one that is thought to include a break clause should the Baggies be relegated from the Premier League.

And Palmer believes it has something to do with their prospective new owners.

According to the ever-reliable Telegraph reporter John Percy, current Albion chairman Guochuan Lai has held talks with an unnamed American consortium over purchasing the club for £150m.

He claims that negotiations are still ongoing over either a potential full takeover of the club or a minority stake of up to 15 per cent.

The Baggies great told FFC:

“So whether there’s a takeover happening, and the new owners have already been in conversations with Sam, and that’s the person they want to bring in.

“There’s something happening behind the scenes and obviously, it’ll all be revealed in the next few weeks.

“There’s something going on, I think a takeover is imminent, and the new owners wanted Big Sam.”

West Brom are only one victory away from moving out of the drop zone, so the decision to sack Bilic – especially after their disappointment in the transfer window – appears to be a little harsh.

The Croatian also had a player sold behind his back, so tensions understandably grew off the pitch alongside their poor results on it.

Whether Big Sam’s hiring has anything to do with a change in the boardroom still very much remains to be seen, but Palmer’s claim isn’t out of the realms of possibility.

The Baggies will need serious investment in January if they are to remain a top-flight team going forward.

AND in other news, How West Brom’s starting XI may look under Sam Allardyce…

When Sunderland welcomed Wimbledon to the Stadium of Light on Tuesday evening, Lee Johnson sat there knowing the game shouldn’t have been going ahead.

Whatever the result last night, there was going to be an excuse – not many are reasonable in football but as the Black Cats drew 1-1, they had a very viable one.

Heading into the game Sunderland had eight players ruled out due to a COVID-19 scare. Johnson revealed that the club had received very little help from the EFL as the Mackems dropped crucial points in the race for promotion.

It meant that individuals like Dion Sanderson, George Dobson and Aiden O’Brien all got drafted into the XI for rare starts this season.

It took Sunderland until 62 minutes to finally score as Bailey Wright found the net expertly, but unfortunately for the Australian and the rest of his side, the man next to him in defence had a woeful night.

Callum McFadzean was deputising for the injured Denver Hume at left-back but his performance will have left the manager seething and asking questions.

It was McFadzean who gave away the penalty from which Wimbledon scored, an incident which rather summed up the 26-year-old’s match.

The defender won just 25% of his duels at the Stadium of Light and somehow managed to lose possession a colossal 15 times.

This was a night to forget for the full-back, someone who needed to prove plenty given he’d started on just one other occasion in League One this term.

Once Hume is back, it would be surprising to see McFadzean near the starting XI again. That may seem harsh, but he let his team down, conceding two fouls and completing only 74% of his passes.

On a day where Johnson needed his players to fight for the club, his left-back looked bereft of confidence, failing to make a successful tackle, interception or block.

With Hume set to remain on the sidelines for another fortnight or so, McFadzean will need to discover form from somewhere.

In other news, Dreyfus could save SAFC millions in the transfer window with a genius system…

Leeds United have endured a rather indifferent first season back in the Premier League.

The form of Marcelo Bielsa’s team has been inconsistent but they may have the opportunity to correct that in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

Will a transfer market ever pass by without Leeds being linked with Dan James? Probably not.

Cast your minds back to deadline day in January 2019 and you will see a move falling through for a winger who was then at Swansea. James went to Elland Road and was even pictured holding up a Whites shirt before the Swans failed to pick up the phone before the deadline. As a result, he stayed in Wales and subsequently joined Manchester United.

Leeds were linked with a move for the Welshman again last summer and now there is a fresh suggestion that James could finally link-up with Bielsa.

That’s according to The Daily Star who suggests that the Yorkshire side are interested in signing the 23-year-old on loan.

Brighton, West Brom and Burnley are also attracted by the idea of landing the young winger.

Forget Traore

Last week Leeds were touted with making a sensational swoop for Wolves forward Adama Traore. However, valued at around £40m, it’s tricky to work out whether Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani have the spending power to do a deal of that sort.

As a result, a move for James would be considerably cheaper. Coincidentally, they are also similar players.

Adama may combine brute force alongside his speed, but that final quality is something that James also possesses in abundance.

His teammate Andreas Pereira described the attacker as “explosive” last season and Leeds got a taste of that when he earned a rare start in the Whites’ 6-2 drubbing last week.

Gjanni Alioski was given a torrid time by James as he was dribbled past on two separate occasions. To add to Alioski’s woes, the electrifying Man United flanker got himself on the score sheet.

Having found the net on just six occasions at Old Trafford, James has looked somewhat out of his depth in Lancashire. Could a move to Yorkshire reignite his career? Quite probably – Leeds already love the look of him.

Orta has been tracking him for years now.

AND in other news, Leeds star who “feels almost illegal” was Bielsa’s true hero on Sunday…

According to The Manchester Evening News, Glasgow Rangers have been beaten to the signing of former Manchester United starlet Dion McGhee.

What’s the word?

McGhee will sign for Europa League rivals Braga in the January transfer window despite finding himself on Rangers’ radar amid interest from a host of clubs across Europe including Antwerp and Derby County.

Rangers were believed to be keen on landing the left-winger and retained their interest in the free agent after he was released by his boyhood club in the summer.

However, it seems like his future lies elsewhere, which means Steven Gerrard may be forced to dip back into the transfer market to find suitable options out wide.

Perhaps this move will work out for all parties, as it’s hard to imagine he’d get opportunities to play under Gerrard and his development may have stalled if he had committed his future to the club.

Give Glenn Middleton a go

It’s fair to say that Rangers have a wealth of riches on the wings, with Ianis Hagi on one flank and the ever-reliable Ryan Kent on the other, and then Brandon Barker, Jordan Jones and Glenn Middleton making up the rest of the numbers.

Gerrard has given the green light for Middleton to leave Ibrox on loan and move abroad to continue his development as a player, having made just one appearance as a substitute for the Light Blues this season so far.

But the Ibrox boss may want to reconsider his somewhat hasty decision, and he really ought to be more inclined to do so after this fresh transfer blow.

Rather than splashing the cash on a panic buy, this is where he can bring Middleton back into the fold. In a similar way to Calvin Bassey, Gerrard can transform the 21-year-old into a player who is capable of playing in multiple positions. He has already shown signs of doing precisely just that after he handed him a rare start at left-back during the 4-0 victory over Falkirk in the Betfred Cup.

Just like new summer recruit Kemar Roofe, his versatility could be an added bonus as the Gers bid to stop Celtic from winning ten in a row.

Scotland U21 boss Scot Gemmil has heaped praise on his young charge and said: “I had a meeting with Glenn on Thursday and I was so impressed with him because he’s having to deal with a lot. But I tell you I spoke to a young man who is more determined than ever, more resilient than ever and more motivated than ever to keep going.

“He’s not where he wants to be right now, but I am very confident he is handling the situation in a mature way. He’s very frustrated, but only because he wants to play football.

“We have got a really good young player who we are all trying to help maximise his potential. If we can help him do that, then that’s brilliant because Glenn has rewarded us with some great performances from Under 15s upwards. It’s great he’s still involved with us.”

Blocking a loan exit should be the next step for the Light Blues boss, as it would be wise to incorporate him into his first-team plans, especially with the amount of games Hagi and Kent have played between them this season. It’s about time he put his faith in the youth system, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must swoop now for Everton outcast who is unwanted…

With over 200 games for Celtic, Tom Rogic has played a key role in the club’s domestic success over these past few seasons.

But this campaign has seen the Australia international really struggle to match anywhere near the kind of form that he’s shown previously – he’s managed just one solitary goal in 18 appearances and hasn’t even completed the full 90 minutes in the Scottish Premiership.

It is a far cry from his 2016/2017 season when he bagged 12 goals and provided six assists in all competitions, and his lack of form should have Neil Lennon act immediately.

Against Hibernian last time out in the Scottish Premiership, he was hugely disappointing. Having been restored to the starting line-up following a raft of enforced changes, Rogic let his big opportunity slip through his hands.

Playing in that all important number ten role, the Australian just couldn’t provide the Hoops with any sort of creativity or cutting edge. He provided no key passes whatsoever, a stat made worse by the fact that both of Celtic’s full-backs on the day, Diego Laxalt and Jeremie Frimpong, managed one each.

Rogic also had just the one shot on target, something that holding midfielder Ismaila Soro matched. It was no surprise that in the 67th minute, and the scores still locked level at 0-0, he was taken off for a Celtic youngster in Ewan Henderson.

Glasgow Live gave him a match rating of 5, saying that whilst he had “some nice touches here and there”, he was “sloppy on the ball for the most part”.

And former Aberdeen striker Noel Whelan admitted that Rogic just hasn’t been near his usual self this season, saying: “Rogic has struggled this season, he really has. He used to be the player you could rely on to produce a moment of magic, to do something special.

“But we haven’t seen much of that recently, even though the whole team has been terrible. You look at him and he’s a shadow of his former self, like quite a few of them. He’s not fit to wear that famous jersey, and he’s not the only one.”

When it comes to choosing the team for Saturday afternoon’s clash against Livingston, Lennon shouldn’t be putting Rogic into the starting line-up. The midfielder’s time as a bona-fide star is well and truly up.

Meanwhile, Celtic face a transfer battle for this young striker…

Tottenham Hotspur could be in need of midfield reinforcements soon, and their attentions have reportedly turned to a new name this week…

What’s the word?

According to Sport1, Spurs are eyeing a move for Borussia Monchengladbach maestro Florian Neuhaus, even though he is under contract until 2024 and they would face competition for his signature from clubs across Europe.

The 23-year-old is said to have a release clause in the region of €40m (£36m) that can be activated during the summer transfer window.

Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and La Liga giants Real Madrid are all mentioned as clubs with interest in Neuhaus.

Bye-bye Alli?

Dele Alli’s future in north London remains unclear going into the final week of the January transfer window.

It is thought that Spurs could allow him to leave amid interest from Mauricio Pochettino and Paris Saint-Germain should they find a suitable replacement, according to the Guardian’s Dave Hytner.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein also claimed on Monday that the decision rests firmly in the hands of Daniel Levy as Jose Mourinho has no objections over letting the 24-year-old depart.

In Neuhaus, Levy could find an ideal replacement – one that is fit for Mourinho’s current Spurs system.

The Sunday Times’ Duncan Castles told us that the ‘Special One’ is after a box-to-box midfielder this month, presumably to partner Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Tanguy Ndombele in the middle. That is something that Alli is not.

As seen by his returns this campaign, the three-time German international has been effective at both ends of the pitch.

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In 17 league appearances, he has delivered three goals and four assists, also providing 1.7 shots per game, meaning he fires an attempt at goal more times per fame than every Spurs regular other than Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

Intriguingly, he does a lot of defensive and off-the-ball work too – as per WhoScored, Neuhaus has averaged 1.5 tackles per game, which is more than Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Alli and also suggests he’s a strong and imperious presence in the middle.

The 23-year-old also chips in with 1.8 interceptions per match, hinting towards his ability to read the game immensely as he’s cutting out the opposition’s passes and attacks with relative ease, managing at least one stop every 43 minutes, per WhoScored.

Again, by comparison, no Spurs player has managed more – not even Hojbjerg (1.2 interceptions per game).

As we know, Mourinho isn’t a fan of Alli’s work-rate, dubbing him “lazy” in more colourful terms during Amazon’s ‘All or Nothing’ docuseries last season and evidently, Neuhaus is a stark contrast to that as above.

Even more interestingly, the Gladbach star has been compared to Thomas Muller, only adding to the prospects of him filling Alli’s void. The ‘Raumdeuter’ is said to have a ‘distinct ability to find spaces between the lines.’

Whilst early childhood influence from Mesut Ozil and Toni Kroos adds even further weight to his ability in attack, he said: “My uncle was a Bremen fan, I had a Bremen poster on my wall of Mesut Özil. I love watching Özil and Toni Kroos play.”

During Gladbach’s Champions League tie with Inter Milan earlier this season, the midfielder played a sublime through ball across half the pitch to cut open Christian Eriksen’s side and bag a late winner at the San Siro – the Dane would’ve been proud of that himself.

Neuhaus’ former boss Dieter Hecking claimed two years ago that he was a player with “huge potential” and clearly, we’re finally seeing that come to light with so many illustrious teams chasing his signature.

Indeed, Talent Scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him a “complete midfielder” who will be a “top-class player for many years to come.”

There’s surely not a better replacement out there than Neuhaus.

If Levy is worried about losing Alli, then he should absolutely consider a move for the German beast, now valued at €50m (£45m) this month, instead of waiting for a summer transfer tussle.

AND in other news, Forget Ndombele: £45m-rated  monster was Spurs’ true game-changer vs Wycombe…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Hull City midfielder Dean Windass has been discussing the current injury crisis at Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp has been without key first-team centre-backs Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk for much of the season after their respective injuries, whilst Joel Matip has continued to prove unreliable because of his injury-prone nature.

The Reds had seemed to be coping by promoting youngsters Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams but are now without a league goal in 2021, which has seen them drop off the top of the table.

When asked about potential options for the Merseyside club to consider, Windass suggested Wolves centre-back Conor Coady as a player that perhaps should be targeted by the Reds during the current transfer window.

Here’s what Windass had to say when speaking exclusively to FFC:

“Would he go for Conor Coady at Wolves? [He’s a] scouser, he’s been released as a Liverpool kid. He would fit the bill, January till the end of the season, but then would he play when the two centre-halves are available?

“He plays a different system for Wolves, he plays as a sweeper really. When he’s played for England he’s done well. That would probably be on everyone’s lips, Jamie Carragher mentioned it, would he ever come back to Liverpool? Of course he would, it’s his home town club. That would fit the bill, but would Wolves want to sell him? I’m sure the kid would want to go.”

Coady has been extremely consistent with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side since their promotion to the top-flight, having featured in every single game for the Old Gold in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, whilst he was also a regular in their Europa League campaign last season.

His performances in the top-flight earned him a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad and the £22.5 million-rated man has now earned two caps for his country.

With Wolves struggling this season, perhaps Liverpool could tempt the 27-year-old back to Anfield but as he captains Wolves and has four years left on his contract, he would not come cheap.

And, in other news… Liverpool can sign dream Henderson heir in £50m beast tipped to be an outstanding captain

Liverpool earned successive 3-1 away wins in the capital as they triumphed against West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

A brace from Mohamed Salah and a goal from Georginio Wijnaldum were enough to seal the win before Craig Dawson’s late consolation earned a touch of credibility for David Moyes’ side.

Whilst Salah will rightly get a lot of credit for his two world-class goals in the second half, it was perhaps Jordan Henderson’s performance that will delight Klopp the most, as he produced another solid display in an unfamiliar position.

As per SofaScore, the Liverpool captain would earn a strong 7.0 rating for his display, with only Wijnaldum, Xherdan Shaqiri, Thiago and Salah rated higher.

The 31-year-old was featuring as a centre-back once again on Sunday, following the injuries to Joel Matip and Fabinho earlier in the week, but he showed that he can be relied upon when needed.

During the game, Henderson would contest four duels with West Ham players. He would win all of them.

This is even more impressive when you consider the physical nature of Moyes’ side, which boasts the likes of Tomas Soucek, Dawson and Michail Antonio, to name just a few.

The 30-year-old would enjoy 95 touches of the ball against West Ham, which was 55 more than Hammers centre-back Angelo Ogbonna, whilst 80/89 of his passes would find a Liverpool shirt, resulting in a solid 90% pass accuracy – more than his season average of 87.2%.

Despite playing at the back, Henderson was still able to showcase his passing ability, as he contributed one key pass, which was more than both of West Ham’s central midfielders and more than his average of 0.6 in the Premier League so far this season.

Last year, Klopp was full of praise for his captain, saying:

“He is exceptional; he is outstanding.”

Therefore, whilst Salah was the hero for Liverpool with his brace, Henderson’s near-perfect display against an in-form West Ham side means that he should earn a lot of plaudits too.

And, in other news… LFC dealt big transfer blow as reported bid for “natural leader” CB rejected

Leeds United narrowly lost to Wolves in the Premier League on Friday night, however talisman Patrick Bamford believes VAR denied the club of getting some points out of the game.

Bamford fumes at VAR

The striker thought he had equalised in the second-half following a nice strike, but it was ruled out as offside. Looking back at the decision, you can see that there is only a few millimetres in the decision. Bamford tweeted: “Gutted for the lads tonight, robbed of a point but at least it’s ‘mAkInG tHe GaMe BeTtEr’ we go again Tuesday”

The striker has a point

Bamford has indeed had a great campaign so far this season, scoring twelve Premier League goals in 20 appearances (Transfermarkt). He has received praise by many, one being Gabriel Agbonlahor, who said: “He’s been outstanding”

As well as his twelve goals, Bamford has also picked up five assists and managed 3.3 shots per game (WhoScored). Without his eleven goals, Leeds would be a lot closer to the relegation zone than they currently are. With it being mentioned by many that Bamford could possibly get an England call-up, the amount of goals he can get this season matters massively.

When the decision is so tight, it seems silly to not give the decision to the attacker, as he is not getting an advantage from being millimetres offside. This plus him battling for an England spot emphasises that it is understandable to see him so frustrated at the goal being disallowed.

In other Leeds news, one star has been praised by legend Deco, have a read who it is here!