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With Sheffield Wednesday having racked up three draws in their previous three League One matches, Darren Moore’s side are back in action this afternoon with a clash against Cheltenham Town to try and secure a win rather than yet another draw or a defeat.

On the chalkboard

Looking ahead to the fixture, one player who we think should be in the starting XI for the Owls is on-loan winger Theo Corbeanu, who Moore has praised in the past for being able to get into “wonderful” positions on the pitch.

Predominantly due to Wednesday’s three previous league results, we feel that Moore could do with shaking up his team in some way. Whether that’s with the personnel he’s using on the pitch or the formation he’s asking them to utilise, they just need something fresh to turn their form around.

Therefore, given how Corbeanu has yet to start a League One game for the Owls since joining the club back in August from Wolves’ under-23 side and has only played eight minutes from one appearance in their past seven league games, we feel that now is a great time for Moore to unleash the winger from the start against Cheltenham to see what sort of impact he has on the team and this game in particular.

Despite having yet to register a goal or assist for Wednesday, we think that starting Corbeanu against Cheltenham could be a gamble worth taking at this point in the season to see if he can change the Owls’ fortunes in terms of results, as well as his own record in his first loan spell away from Wolves.

In the two Papa John’s Trophy matches where he has played 90 minutes for Wednesday, the 19-year-old – who is currently valued at £900k according to Transfermarkt – has had eight shots (five on target) and two key passes, along with an average passing accuracy percentage of 80%. That shows how much of an attacking threat he can be, albeit against lower opposition like Newcastle United’s under-21 side and League Two outfit Mansfield Town.

Looking ahead to the match against Cheltenham, in terms of who Corbeanu could come into the team and replace, we feel that Moore should take Saido Berahino out of the line-up considering that he hasn’t managed to score a goal in his last six league appearances for the Owls.

In other news: Moore must ruthlessly axe Owls disaster with the “wrong mentality” for Cheltenham clash

Paul Scholes compared West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice to Steven Gerrard after the Hammers’ 1-0 win over Tottenham on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Irons beat Spurs

The Irons hosted Spurs at the London Stadium at the weekend in an all-capital clash off the back of maintainig their 100% Europa League group stage record last Thursday.

The home side prevailed 1-0 thanks to a solitary goal from Michail Antonio, with David Moyes’ side now up to fourth in the Premier League table as a result.

Rice played a big part in West Ham getting one over on their London rivals. Nobody could match his eight tackles or 11 duels won, while he misplaced only three of his 41 passes all afternoon in a hugely composed performance (SofaScore).

The Latest: Scholes praises Rice

Speaking to Premier League Productions (24/10/21, 1:55 pm, via HITC), Scholes showered Rice with praise and even compared him to former Liverpool star Gerrard. The ex-Manchester United midfielder said:

“I think he has been right up there for the last year or so. Again, he is a player who plays the position brilliantly. He reads play. He senses danger. You see him intercepting all the time.

“He’s not just got that to his game. He has also got this side to it (driving forward). He has got a bit of Steven Gerrard about him. He has really added that drive and that way of playing to create chances for his team.

“I did think, at one point, he would be a centre-back. But I think he is now turning into a complete midfield player.”

The Verdict: Different players

There is no doubt that Rice is developing into a quality midfielder. He is a star player for West Ham as they continue to ascend the table and impress in the Europa League, and he was a key member of Gareth Southgate’s squad as England reached the final of Euro 2020.

However, 114-cap Three Lions international Gerrard was a player who regularly averaged 10 goals a season (Transfermarkt) – in 157 games for the Hammers, Rice has found the back of the net just seven times. He is more defensive-minded than the current Rangers manager, so it wouldn’t be wholly accurate or fair to compare him to a midfielder who enjoyed playing further forward.

In other news, many West Ham fans react to this Jesse Lingard update

Speaking in a football.london Q&A, Tottenham Hotspur reporter Rob Guest has made a claim about highly-rated youngster Dane Scarlett.

The Lowdown: Scarlett set for stardom?

The 17-year-old made his competitive Spurs debut against Ludogorets in the Europa League last season, becoming their youngest ever player to do that (Goal).

Following another cameo against Wolfsberger in the same competition, former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho lauded the forward as a ‘diamond’ whilst backing him to become a ‘fantastic player’ (BT Sport via The Sun)

The Portuguese also likened Scarlett to Manchester United star Marcus Rashford, with Guest now making a claim about the Tottenham teenager.

The Latest: Guest makes Scarlett claim…

Speaking in the Q&A, Guest said that the promising talent ‘should get plenty of minutes’ under new boss Nuno Espirito Santo this season.

Meanwhile, the reporter also said that Scarlett is ‘rated extremely highly’ within the club.

“Scarlett is rated extremely highly at the club and he should get plenty of minutes in Europe and the cup competitions,” Guest replied when asked exactly how much faith is being put in the youngster at Spurs.

“Chances will also more than likely be there for him in the league going on the lack of another out-and-out striker. However, he just needs to be eased into action given his age.”

The Verdict: Exciting times in the academy…

As well as Scarlett, there seems to be plenty of hype surrounding the likes of Oliver Skipp and Alfie Devine to name a few.

Tottenham’s thriving youth prospects have always been a major talking point at N17 and there have been no sign of that slowing down over the last two or three seasons.

Scarlett in particular, now Spurs’ youngest ever debutant, will have eyes on him this year and it will be very interesting to see just how much he will feature under Nuno.

In other news: ‘Finished article’…Sky pundit in awe of Spurs starlet who’s an ‘improved version of Ndombele’, find out more here.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have ben left slamming the display of Ianis Hagi in their game away at Lyon in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening.

The Romania international was largely an anonymous figure on the pitch, recording fewer touches (30) than his own goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin before being hauled off by Giovanni van Bronckhorst just after the hour mark for Juninho Bacuna (SofaScore).

Hagi failed to record a single shot on target, dribble, key pass, accurate cross or long ball in the entire match, and was also guilty of giving up possession seven times (SofaScore), in what was a frustrating evening individually for the midfield player.

It means that he is yet to score under the new manager, while he has only managed one assist (Transfermarkt), and will no doubt want to improve on his recent performances.

Rangers fans slam Hagi

These members of the Ibrox faithful slammed his performance on Twitter, with one Light Blues supporter even going as far as to claim that he was a ‘let-down’:

“Hagi was a let-down tonight”

Credit: @DefNotJKen

“Hagi angry about coming off he’s been anonymous”

Credit: @redviper84

“Hagi vastly underperforming tonight, great to see rolling subs for a change though”

Credit: @lnheritant

“Hagi has been very poor under Gio so far imo”

Credit: @EveryOtherSatu1

“Hagi and Roofe are terrible footballers. Doing nothing out there tonight.”

Credit: @Robertc_12

“Hagi frustrating yet again.”

Credit: @RABERTO55

In other news, find out what off-field news has Gers gushing here!

Former Premier League star Carlton Palmer believes that Tottenham Hotspur should try to bring Nathan Ake into the club if they sell Harry Kane to Manchester City.

The striker was absent from training all last week as he attempted to force through a move to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

City are reportedly willing to pay £130m to sign the England captain, while other reports have outlined their desire to potentially include players in any deal.

Various options have been touted, including Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva, but Palmer thinks that Ake could be seen as an attractive option by Spurs in any potential swap deal.

Ake has struggled at times to force his way into Pep Guardiola’s plans and he made just 10 Premier League appearances last season as City won the title.

He cost them £40m and has the ability to play at full-back or at centre-back, and Palmer believes he could be a smart addition for the north London giants.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “There’s Ake there, the centre-back, he’s not featured much. They paid £40 million for him, they need a centre-back, there’s three or four players there.”

After being dumped out of the Champions League and tasting defeat in their first league clash of the campaign, Celtic supporters had every right to be fuming.

It was a tough start to Ange Postecoglou’s reign but the Hoops are beginning to make some shrewder moves in the transfer market.

What’s the word?

The Bhoys added Joe Hart and James McCarthy to their ranks on Tuesday evening with the former among the travelling party for their match with Jablonec on Thursday.

Though, if you believe reports, Celtic are now closing in on an eighth and much-needed addition of the window.

According to Paul Nealon on Twitter, they are on the verge of signing Liam Scales from Shamrock Rovers.

He said: “I’m hearing Liam Scales is close to joining Celtic, heard first on Friday, but now hearing off a good source it’s close. Haven’t been told about fees etc.”

Ange surely buzzing

If Celtic can secure the addition of Scales in the coming days then Postecoglou will be delighted with the recruitment team’s work.

He challenged them to add more bodies to the playing squad and they are well and truly delivering this week.

Scales isn’t a well-known name but the 22-year-old would be a fantastic piece of business at presumably a low price.

A 6 foot 4 brute, the Irishman is a centre-back by trade and uses his enormous frame to bully attackers to one side with relative ease.

Though, he also has the ability to play at full-back or on the wing where his long levers aid his teams cause in offensive situations.

Crucial, however, is the balance he could bring to Postecoglou’s side. He’s a left-footed player and therefore, would give Celtic the ability to transition play from the back with greater ease.

A review from the Irish Examiner only emphasises how he’d fit into the starting XI. A passage on their website reads: “He’s always been good on the ball. He’s a very brave player who will take the ball in dangerous areas of the pitch. His speed has improved, which is a crucial attribute to have in modern football, and he is more aware of potential danger.”

Also described as the “hottest property” in Ireland’s top-flight by the Examiner, there are countless positives to this deal.

He’d cover multiple bases in defence which is crucial for a backline who have leaked goals on a regular basis in the last 12 months.

AND in other news, Celtic must do everything to sign 24-cap “animal” who Rodgers dubbed “outstanding”…

Arsenal could sign their new Cesc Fabregas in Lyon star Houssem Aouar amid a transfer update on their pursuit of the midfielder.

What’s the story?

Reports last summer, of course, suggested that Mikel Arteta’s side were very much interested in signing the France U21 international, but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the deadline.

Now, according to Le10Sport, Arsenal have now submitted an official over to Lyon, and that talks are progressing well over a summer move.

The report adds that “things are accelerating”, and that if the French side receives a suitable offer, they will let him go.

A new Fabregas

The £26m-rated Aouar, who has been lauded as an “exceptional talent” and “special” in the past, has got the kind of midfield characteristics that make him very similar to a certain Fabregas.

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is a huge fan of the 23-year-old, saying: “He is always calm with the ball at his feet with an excellent technical quality” while Football Whispers claim he’s a got a “touch of David Silva about his play.”

In the 2019/2020 campaign, the Frenchman bagged nine goals and provided another ten assists, including setting up a couple of goals in the Champions League quarter-finals against Manchester City.

That level of goal-scoring and creativity is what Fabregas brought to the table in his heyday, with the Spaniard scoring 15 goals and providing another 15 assists in the Premier League alone during the 2009/2010 season.

And, when you look at their underlying stats over their careers, it’s remarkably similar. As per Whoscored, Aouar averages 1.8 shots per game to Fabregas’ 1.4, provides 1.2 key passes to the Spaniard’s 2.1, and is fouled 1.4 times per match compared to the former Arsenal man’s 1.1.

Just like Fabregas, Aouar has also had experience of being a captain at a young age, having already worn the armband on numerous occasions over the years.

With reports also now claiming that Arsenal may be reluctantly open to selling Emile Smith Rowe amid continued transfer interest from fellow Premier League side Aston Villa, the Hale End academy talent may go, and Aouar could arrive in his place as the club’s new chief creator in the middle of the park.

Edu could finally replace Fabregas in the Lyon maestro.

AND in other news…ambitious club still pushing to secure deal for Arsenal star

There was a possibility Freddie Woodman could have left on loan on Deadline Day to facilitate an incoming, The Athletic’s Chris Waugh has revealed. 

The lowdown

Newcastle have taken the ‘unusual’ step of naming four goalkeepers in their 25-man Premier League squad, with Woodman joined by Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow and Mark Gillespie.

Steve Bruce has had to call upon Woodman after Dubravka sustained a foot injury at the European Championships and Darlow was hospitalised with coronavirus (via The Athletic).

The Newcastle boss has been forced to make do with just one new addition – £25million man Joe Willock – partly because of finances, but also because they ‘would have had to make room’ in the squad.

The latest

Waugh reports that ‘privately, few at St James’ Park’ genuinely believed they would ever end up taking the ‘damaging’ step of naming four ‘keepers.

And the perceived necessity of doing so ‘affected transfer business’.

Bruce was weighing up the decision until the end of the transfer window, with the 60-year-old keen to sign Leicester City’s Hamza Choudhury on loan.

But allowing Woodman to leave and placing trust in Gillespie was ultimately deemed too risky.

The verdict

You do have some sympathy for Newcastle here. It’s bad enough having your first choice ‘keeper injured, but for your back-up to fall ill at the same time is woefully unlucky.

It might be said that Bruce should simply have backed Gillespie in the hope of bringing a much-needed reinforcement further up the pitch, but how many managers would truly trust a ‘keeper who is effectively the fourth best on the club’s books?

Bruce’s reign on Tyneside has been far from perfect, but it feels his hands were tied by almost impossible circumstances on this occasion.

In other news, Frank McAvennie has dropped a two-word verdict on Steve Bruce’s future.

Flocking to Twitter, many Manchester City supporters have been flooding to react to a development on Raheem Sterling which emerged on Friday.

Sterling has been called up to England’s 26-man squad for the European Championships and has arguably been one of the national side’s more important players since the beginning of qualifying.

However, at club level, the 26-year-old went through a dwindling patch of form with City over 2020/2021 – scoring less than half of the goals he managed in 2019/2020 (Transfermarkt).

There have even been rumours of his possible sale this summer, either for profit or as a makeweight to sign superstar striker Harry Kane.

Now, another development has emerged on Sterling, this time concerning his place in the England national team.

Journalist Sami Mokbel, writing for the Daily Mail, has claimed that the winger will be handed a start against Croatia by manager Gareth Southgate.

The Three Lions play Croatia in their opening Euro 2020 encounter three years after their famous World Cup semi-final clash in 2018.

Reacting to this news that Sterling is set to start, many Sky Blues had no shortage of opinions on social media in reply to City Xtra and Man City Report – find the best ones down below.

Man City fans flock to Sterling development

“Wow very interesting… still hope Phil starts”

Credit: @fanatic_city

“YESSS THE NEW ERA OF SIR RAHEEM STERLING BEGINS ON SUNDAY”

Credit: @mxnciteh

“G’wan Raheem!”

Credit: @CSR2693

“Advantage England”

Credit: @citybyron

“YESSSSSS”

Credit: @Fodenszns

“Ooooooo”

Credit: @Andysim1981

“motm performance incoming, remember this tweet”

Credit: @Foden47Era

“Let’s go”

Credit: @mcfci_

In other news: Fabrizio Romano’s news also has some City fans talking, find out more here.

Kevin Muscat could make the move to Celtic as Ange Postecoglou’s assistant, according to The Scotsman.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou edging closer to Celtic job?

The 55-year-old has been Celtic’s main man for the vacant role after talks with Eddie Howe collapsed at the end of May.

The Hoops have applied for an exemption with UEFA for Postecoglou to manage in Europe and have also agreed on a compensation package with Yokohama F. Marinos for his services.

It appears as if a move is almost there, and rumours regarding Postecoglou’s backroom staff have now emerged.

The Latest: Muscat to join Postecoglou?

The Scotsman have been informed by sources in Australia that Postecoglou could look to bring Muscat with him to Celtic Park.

Muscat has previous experience of working alongside Postecoglou and has managerial experience of his own, preferring a 5-3-2 system.

The 47-year-old famously clashed with Neil Warnock and his Sheffield United side during his playing days and was also a member of Alex McLeish’s Rangers treble-winning squad of 2002-03.

Former Yokohama F. Marinos assistant Arthur Papas has also been linked with a possible Scotland switch to join Postecoglou.

The Verdict: A shrewd move?

If we forget about Muscat’s previous association with Rangers, it may well be a smart call by Postecoglou to work with the former midfielder once again.

He’ll know what Scottish Premiership football is like as well as boasting a wealth of assistant, managerial and technical director knowledge.

Muscat stepped up at Melbourne Victory after Postecoglou left for the Australia national job, winning multiple honours, so the pair may well be even stronger together this time around, should they reunite at Parkhead.

In other news: Celtic make bid for defender; his valuation has skyrocketed, find out more here.