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Former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has described strong recent criticism of West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek as a ‘joke’ and a ‘disgrace’.

The Lowdown: Soucek struggling for form

The Hammers have made a poor start to the Premier League season, struggling to repeat last term’s efforts, with a number of key players seeing their performance levels dip.

Soucek could be considered one of those, failing to enjoy his usual influence in midfield as his WhoScored rating dropped from 6.97 last season to 6.82 so far this term amid calls for him to be dropped, and also earning negative reviews during international duty with the Czech Republic.

He has been branded ‘completely useless’ by a Czech outlet, summing up his current struggles for both club and country.

The Latest: Kenny fumes at Soucek criticism

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny lambasted the negativity towards Soucek from his homeland, defending him in the process.

The former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper said:

“For your own papers to call you useless is a disgrace. He’s not useless. Players have bad games. Everyone in the world has had a bad day at work, we are all human beings at the end of the day.

“I’m not having that for one minute, it’s a joke. Your own papers too. On West Ham, they faded away at the back of last season, it started then. Last year they should have bought a striker and things might have looked better. I think it’s a snowball effect.

“They haven’t been the West Ham we have seen of last year and it’s not just Soucek. A lot of the players haven’t improved.”

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The Verdict: He will come good

Every footballer goes through a tough spell in their career where their form suffers, so there should be no overreaction towards Soucek’s dip this season.

West Ham certainly need the 27-year-old back to his best as soon as possible, but there should be confidence that it will happen, with the Czech stalwart having been hailed by Jamie Carragher as the Hammers’ “most important player” in the past.

It’s a fair shout by the Sky Sports pundit, as the midfielder has chipped in with 15 goals over the last two full Premier League seasons, standing out as a big performer for the Irons.

The hope is that Soucek’s resurgence starts at home to Wolves on Saturday evening, when Moyes’ men return to Premier League action with a must-win game against another struggling outfit.

Middlesbrough are eyeing up a January move for Northampton Town midfielder Sam Hoskins, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Boro miss out on Delph

Chris Wilder previously admitted that he would be open to looking at some free agents to add depth to his midfield, but after missing out on Fabian Delph following his retirement, the boss will now have to search elsewhere.

Hoskins still has two years remaining on his deal with the Cobblers, but after an impressive start to the season, both individually and collectively, he has caught the eye of a couple of Championship clubs, and Boro are one of those name-checked.

The Latest: Middlesbrough eyeing Hoskins

According to Football League World, Middlesbrough, alongside rivals Sunderland, are the two second-tier teams ‘with an eye’ on Hoskins, and are ‘keeping tabs’ ahead of the winter market opening.

There’s also strong interest being generated from League One, with the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County keen to secure his services.

The Verdict: Perfect for Wilder

Middlesbrough have had an underwhelming start to the season so reinforcements are definitely needed and Hoskins would be a welcome addition at the Riverside Stadium.

The League Two star’s technique in the final third and in front of goal has been revered as ‘perfection’ by sports journalist Josh Bunting, as also evident by his outstanding 11 goals and one assist in just ten appearances this season (Transfermarkt).

Hoskins offers plenty of versatility having previously operated both in the centre and on the left wing which will be attractive to Wilder given the relentless amount of fixtures, so this is a deal that Steve Gibson should seriously consider pursuing in the New Year.

Being a sporting director at a Premier League club is a demanding job and these days every move is scrutinised by the press and supporters. While no sporting director gets every transfer right, Leeds United’s Victor Orta has uncovered some real gems since his arrival at Elland Road.

Raphinha Was A Diamond In The Rough

Few on English shores would have heard of Brazilian winger Raphinha following his move from French outfit Rennes to Leeds back in 2020. A slight but pacey winger with a bag of tricks, the South American was clearly a player with potential. What was most noticeable at the time was the vocal dissent from the Rennes supporters to allow Raphinha to leave for Elland Road for a fee of around £17 million. That should have told Leeds fans all they needed to know and it was soon clear to the Elland Road faithful why Rennes’ supporters were somewhat disgruntled that their Brazilian star was to play for a side just promoted to the Premier League.

Orta and his scouts at Leeds clearly did their work behind the scenes and at the time there was not much talk of other interest in the Premier League. Leeds have not had much luck with Brazilian players in the past and few have ever really shone in the rigours of the Premier League. However, Raphinha took to the pace for the division like a duck to water and soon earned a first call-up to the Brazil senior side. Brazil is the current 9/2 favourite in the World Cup odds to win the World Cup in Qatar this year, and Raphinha looks set to play a big role. With the winger’s efforts catching the eye of some of the biggest clubs in England and abroad, it was always going to be difficult to keep hold of Raphinha for the long term. Barcelona snapped up the Leeds star over the summer with the Whites potentially earning £55 million from the deal. The sale of Raphinha to Barcelona and England international midfielder Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City helped fund Leeds’ summer dealings, which saw some much-needed reinforcements join the West Yorkshire outfit.

Sinisterra A Star In The Making

Orta looks like he might well have pulled off another “real deal” signing in the form of Colombian attacker Luis Sinisterra. The 23-year-old impressed with his efforts at Dutch outfit Feyenoord last season and Leeds splashed £21 million to bring the winger to Elland Road. Similar to Raphinha with pace, tricks and a determination to get on the ball and make things happen, Sinisterra has also hit the ground running in the Premier League.

Opening his goalscoring account in the EFL Cup against Barnsley with a fine strike at Elland Road, Sinisterra bagged his first Premier League goal a week later against Everton. A fine solo effort in an away defeat to Brentford also drew attention to Sinisterra’s talents before September’s international break where he went on to score three goals for Colombia. The fee for Sinisterra now looks to be another bargain for Leeds and again highlights the sterling work done by Orta and his team behind the scenes.

American Duo Looking Sharp

In a busy summer window, Orta also saw the arrival of two USA internationals Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams at Elland Road. Both players had worked under Leeds boss Jesse Marsch previously and they have slotted in well to the system under their fellow American coach. Aaronson really announced himself on the big stage to Leeds supporters with the opening goal in a 3-0 win over Chelsea, while Adams has already made himself a reputation for being a nuisance to opposition players in the middle of the park. Adams also has shown he has the technical ability and the vision to help fill the void left by Phillips after his move to City.

With Spanish midfielder Marc Roca also showing touches of class, it has overall been a positive summer of business for Orta and the Leeds hierarchy. More will be expected from Danish defender Rasmus Kristensen as he settles into the Premier League, while there is great excitement about what new arrival Wilfried Gnonto can do after the Italian international’s late arrival in the window.

Orta has been a key figure in the background in Leeds’ rise from the Championship in 2020 to trying to establish themselves back as a Premier League mainstay. From the early evidence of the new season, Orta’s work could well bear fruit for the Whites this term.

Photo by Unsplash

Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin could be lured back to his former club, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Cirkin at Sunderland

The 20-year-old made the move to the Stadium of Light in August 2021, putting pen to paper on a three-year deal from Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur.

The left-back enjoyed an impressive debut season in the northeast and has once again started the Championship campaign strongly. However, the flip side of this good form is that he’s now attracting attention from elsewhere, and it sounds like the Lilywhites are keen on bringing their former starlet back to north London.

The Latest: Tottenham eyeing Cirkin

According to The Sun (via Sunderland Echo), Tottenham are ‘interested in re-signing’ Cirkin, and are ‘keeping tabs’ on his progress in the second tier.

The report states that Spurs could ‘launch a bid’ to secure the full-back, having inserted a ‘£6m buy-back clause’ in his contract.

Should they be successful, it’s claimed that Antonio Conte’s side might consider selling him on again, with their aim being to ‘make a profit’ by letting the player join a ‘rival’ club.

The Verdict: Don’t let him leave

Cirkin played a significant role in helping Sunderland gain promotion last season, featuring in 37 League One matches during that campaign, and they must do everything they can to keep hold of him in January.

The ‘standout performer’ – as hailed by sports journalist Josh Bunting – has made eight league starts this term and currently averages 2.8 clearances and 1.6 tackles per game (WhoScored), highlighting how he has often dominated opponents on his side of the pitch.

Tony Mowbray’s side are only four points away from the play-off positions, and Cirkin staying on Wearside could have a huge impact on where the Black Cats finish at the end of the campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Ivan Toney to north London in the January transfer window.

That’s according to a recent report by Football Insider, who claim that sources have revealed Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici have regularly sent scouts to watch the Brentford centre-forward in action this season, with the 53-year-old manager believed to be hoping to add a powerful and Premier League-proven forward to his Spurs squad this winter.

However, with Manchester United, West Ham United, Newcastle United and Leeds United all reported to be interested in signing the 26-year-old striker in the summer transfer window, as well as Fabrizio Romano revealing that the Bees are likely to demand a figure in the region of £45m in order to part with the attacker, a deal would not appear easy to get over the line for Tottenham.

Conte’s next Lukaku

Considering just how impressive Toney has been for Brentford since their promotion to the Premier League back in 2021, in addition to the centre-forward very much being the type of physical, dangerous and deadly striker Conte likes to have at his disposal, it is easy to see why Spurs would be interested in a move to bring the Brentford star to north London.

Indeed, over his 33 league fixtures last season, the £17.5m-rated forward wasted no time in making his mark in the top flight, scoring 12 goals, registering five assists and creating ten big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.7 shots, making 1.3 key passes and winning 8.6 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per game.

These returns saw the 26-year-old average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.31, not only ranking him as Thomas Franks’ second-best performer in the league last time out but also as the 15th-best player in the Premier League as a whole.

It has been a similar case for the £21k-per-week hitman over his nine league fixtures so far this term, with the striker having already bagged six goals, provided two assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots, making 1.3 key passes and winning 6.2 duels – per game.

These returns have seen the player who journalist Phil Spencer dubbed an “absolute machine” average an equally astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.31, currently ranking him as Brentford’s best performer in the league, as well as the joint 23rd-best player in the Premier League in its entirety.

And, with Toney quite clearly being a player who is incredibly deadly in the final third, in addition to a real handful for centre-backs as a result of his physical presence up top, there are clear similarities that can be drawn between the Brentford attacker and one of Conte’s former centre-forward sensations – Romelu Lukaku.

Indeed, the £43m-rated Inter Milan loanee was in devastating form under the management of the Italian at the San Siro, scoring 64 goals and registering 17 assists over his 95 appearances under the 53-year-old coach, while the 29-year-old also possesses a similarly imposing physique to that of Toney.

As such, should Paratici be successful in his pursuit of the 26-year-old striker this winter, he could well have unearthed Conte’s next Lukaku at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – a prospect that is sure to be incredibly tantalising for both the Italian manager and Spurs supporters alike.

While Crystal Palace’s £9m move for Alexander Sorloth didn’t work out from a playing perspective, the Eagles did superbly to more than double their money on the Norwegian striker.

He made the move to Selhurst Park in February 2018, joining from FC Midtjylland in a £9m move as he signed a four-and-a-half year deal with the south London club.

However, he struggled to adapt to the Premier League and made just 20 appearances in total for the Eagles, with his only goal for the club coming in a 1-0 win against Swansea City in the League Cup.

After that goal, he earned a lot of praise from his then-manager Roy Hodgson, who said: “He was good and his physical stats are phenomenal. He deserved his goal, he worked very hard.”

Loan spells with Gent and Trabzonspor followed, and it was with the Turkish side that Sorloth began to catch the eye, as he contributed a remarkable 33 goals and 11 assists in 49 appearances during the 2019/20 season.

RB Leipzig saw enough in that loan spell to bring him to the Bundesliga in the summer of 2020, and after a brief dispute over his ownership with Trabzonspor, he was sold to the German outfit in a deal worth £22m, which represents superb business when you consider that he never cut it in the Premier League.

That trend continued in Germany, as he managed just six goals in three assists in 38 appearances for Die Roten Bullen before being shipped out on loan to Spain, joining Real Sociedad.

Despite a less than impressive first season with the La Liga side, as he contributed just seven goals in 43 appearances, they were keen to bring the 26-year-old back for another year, a gamble which appears to have paid off.

Sortloth currently sits on five goals and two assists in 11 games for Sociedad in the 2022/23 campaign, which suggests that he is finding his goalscoring form in Spain.

However, there is little to suggest that he is living up to his £22m price tag, so Palace deserve a lot of credit for getting such a good deal for a player who flopped in the Premier League.

Everton shook off their recent three-game losing run in the Premier League to secure a convincing victory over Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on Saturday, with Frank Lampard’s side running out deserved 3-0 winners to clinch a third top-flight triumph of the campaign thus far.

Fresh from having recorded just a single shot in the defeat to Newcastle United at St James’ Park in midweek, the Toffees were much improved against Patrick Vieira’s side, taking the lead early on after Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s impressive finish for the Englishman’s first league goal of the season.

Emerging starlet Anthony Gordon then tapped home from close range just after the hour mark to extend the hosts’ lead, before summer signing Dwight McNeil finished off a delightful, well-worked move to wrap up all three points for the Merseysiders.

Amid that sparkling collective display, one man who particularly caught the eye yesterday was that of Amadou Onana, with the “class act” midfielder having produced arguably his “best game yet” for the club, in the words of The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland, since his £33m arrival from Lille.

The towering 21-year-old – who had been heavily linked with a move to West Ham United prior to his move to Goodison – simply looked a “class act” on the day, according to Boyland, having taken on a slightly deeper role to face the Eagles.

The Belgian international showcased his innate all-round quality having won an impressive seven of his 12 ground duels, as well as recording six tackles, having also laid on one key pass as a sign of his creative ability.

That impactful outing – which also saw the 6 foot 4 menace record a solid 91% pass accuracy rate – was no doubt integral to Lampard’s men claiming a vital victory to move themselves further away from the drop zone, with Onana beginning to make his mark in his new surroundings.

As Liverpool Echo’s Chris Beesley noted in his post-match player ratings, the two-cap asset had been truly ‘dominant’ in his defensive midfield berth against Palace, having ‘displayed both silk – and encouragingly – steel’ as a sign of his growing confidence.

The hope will be that such a performance becomes the norm for the Senegal-born machine moving forward, with it already becoming clear that Everton could well have something of a gem on their hands.

Arsenal have already felt the full force of a flying Cody Gakpo. Just ask William Saliba, the Gunners’ elite French defender who hasn’t been bullied very regularly this term.

The imperious centre-half has been one of the great success stories of Arsenal’s campaign so far, stepping in from the wilderness on loan to become one of the first names on the team sheet.

Few have got the better of him, but if your name is Gakpo, you have been successful.

Mikel Arteta’s men lost 2-0 to PSV Eindhoven a week ago in the Europa League and it was the Dutch attacker who ran the show in the final third.

The 23-year-old had a beautiful dinked finish ruled out in the first half for offside while coming close with two other attempts at goal.

He made three key passes on the night and was also successful with 100% of his dribbles. It was a dominative display and proved exactly why Arsenal should explore a move in January.

Recent reports suggest the winger is on their radar and if he does sign, he could be the club’s new Thierry Henry.

Now, that is an incredibly bold statement to make but there are comparisons. For starters, they have both played on the left and up top, with their dangerous ability to cut inside a clear parallel.

Furthermore, the Dutch superstar, who was dubbed an “enormous talent” by scout Jacek Kulig, has also tried to copy the great French striker.

In an interview with The Times, Gakpo said: “I’m a tall winger, but when you look for tall wingers there aren’t so many, so a few years ago I started watching Henry.

“He was more of a striker, but he was also tall and he liked to play off the side like me, so I watched clips of him and tried to learn something from him: the way he comes in from the left and shoots with his right.”

That should be exciting for any onlookers, particularly those of an Arsenal persuasion, who could get a glimpse of him at the World Cup later this month.

Boasting a rather ridiculous record of 13 goals and 16 assists already this season, he could be one of the real breakout stars in Qatar this winter, with those in Group A of the competition likely fearful of just what he might be able to do for Louis van Gaal’s side.

A productive World Cup will likely ensure a bidding war for his services, but Edu must ensure he is at the front of the queue for a player who may cost in the region of £34m.

Celtic are back in action away to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership this evening, with the champions looking to maintain their grip on top spot having enjoyed a stunning start to the season in a domestic sense thus far.

For all the frustration regarding the Hoops’ Champions League woes – having finished rock-bottom of the group on their return to Europe’s premier competition – Ange Postecoglou’s side have largely enjoyed a smooth ride in the defence of their league crown, having clinched 12 wins from their opening 13 league games.

The Old Firm outfit’s latest triumph came against Dundee United at Parkhead on Saturday, with the home side running out 4-2 winners following a dramatic climax against Liam Fox’s men, with Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada netting at the death to seal all three points.

That result had been timely following the midweek thrashing at the hands of Real Madrid just a few days earlier, with the Bhoys likely hoping to put that result firmly behind them with another positive showing later today.

Ahead of that encounter with the Steelmen, Postecoglou could bolster his side’s chances of victory by recalling Greg Taylor to the starting XI, with the Scotland international having started on the bench at the weekend despite netting in his previous two league games.

The 25-year-old had been replaced in the side by understudy Alexandro Bernabei for the visit of the Tangerines, albeit with the young Argentine suffering the misfortune of giving away a penalty and receiving a yellow card to boot early in the first half for what was an incredibly harsh handball decision.

The summer signing was then withdrawn in favour of birthday boy Taylor at the interval, with the ten-cap gem going on to play a key role in the second period, notably producing a “huge moment”, in the words of journalist Alan Temple, after clearing the ball off the line with the hosts leading 2-1.

Such an intervention seemingly epitomised the diminutive full-back’s form so far this season, having been “the most improved player in Scotland over the past 12 months”, according to pundit Kris Commons, with the former Celtic playmaker also stating that he is “on fire” at present.

Despite the presence of the aforementioned Bernabei, the ‘position is his own’, as per Glasgow Live’s Ryan Thom, with Taylor having simply gone from strength to strength so far this season.

The £8.2k-per-week machine could well be vital this evening as Postecoglou’s men look to maintain their imperious form.

Journalist Ashley Preece has lauded the improved form of Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey, saying that the Jamaican has been a ‘standout’ performer so far this season.

The Lowdown: Bailey impressing for Villa

The Villans head into the World Cup break full of renewed confidence, having battled their way to a 2-1 win at Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday.

While some Villa players have struggled to hit top gear this season, hence why they found themselves near the relegation zone and Steven Gerrard was sacked, one player who has found his groove is Bailey.

The winger made a slow start to life in the Midlands but he has three goals and two assists to his name in the league in 2022/23, already an improved output on the whole of last season, scoring in the recent 3-1 victory at home to Manchester United.

The Latest: Preece lauds Bailey

Writing in a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail on Monday, Preece hailed Bailey’s form, picking him out as a star player for Villa this season.

The journalist gushed:

“Leon Bailey has really kicked on. Been a standout from the season so far, definitely.”

The Verdict: Much more like it

Bailey arrived as an exciting signing from Bayer Leverkusen in 2021 but there is no denying that he flattered to deceive in his first campaign at Villa Park, only scoring once in 18 league outings.

This is now much more like it from the 25-year-old, though, who is not only providing more end product but also working harder in his all-round game, making him a far more effective option who has been Villa’s best outfield player this term according to WhoScored.

That improvement has manifested itself in recent goalscoring displays against Brentford and Man United, for which the 25-year-old earned by far his highest WhoScored ratings of the season, illustrating how he has ‘kicked on’, as Preece put it.

Hopefully this is only the start of a blistering run of form for Bailey, who could excel under Unai Emery and thrive after the World Cup following a well-earned break.