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In a recent interview with Football FanCast, Marlon Harewood stated his belief that Frank Lampard would be the ideal candidate to replace Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace.

Having been appointed Chelsea manager on a three-year deal back in the summer of 2019, in his time at Stamford Bridge, Lampard oversaw 84 games in charge of the Blues – winning 44, drawing 15 and losing 25.

However, after a run of results which saw Chelsea pick up just given his marching orders by Roman Abramovich.

Despite his rather uninspiring tenure at Chelsea, former West Ham United striker Harewood claimed that Lampard would be the ideal replacement for Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace, whose contract with the Eagles expires this summer.

He said: “It’d be a decent thing for Lamps to come into – if he’s ready to come back into management. That’d be a very good club to come into, [they’ve] got some great players there. I think he’d go and complement it well.

“He’s had a good experience of what he needs to do and what he didn’t do and [the chance to] reflect on how he can better himself because you always do that [after being sacked]. Yeah, it would be a good fit.”

Transfer Tavern Take

With Lampard himself stating that he wants any team he manages to “play good football” and to be “really aggressive and to win the ball back,” these are no doubt promising words to hear from the perspective of a potential new suitor for the former England international. It could also be music to the ears of Palace supporters who have taken umbrage with what they see as an overly pragmatic approach from Hodgson.

However, the 42-year-old also came under criticism for his tactical setup at Chelsea being “somewhat all over the shop”, with reports suggesting that a number of his players were “left confused by what Lampard wanted” from them.

As such, perhaps a team like Palace who typically finish in the bottom half of the Premier League table should not take the risk on Lampard just yet, as it would seem that the ex-Chelsea manager still has work to do on the tactical side of his game.

In other news: A Palace star has been linked with a move to the Eagles’ PL rivals, find out more here!

With Celtic currently lacking a manager, it’s perhaps a surprise to see so many new players being linked with Parkhead.

That being said, it’s positive thinking from a club who have done very little right this season.

On the chalkboard

The Hoops faithful are right to be scared about their current position. They have just lost the title for the first time in a decade and they didn’t even run their rivals close.

Neil Lennon is no longer in charge and thus, Dermot Desmond is searching for a new manager.

Whoever walks through the door could have to deal with a player exodus. Star striker Odsonne Edouard has long been linked with an exit, as too has Kristoffer Ajer.

Ajer has been a phenomenal addition since joining the club on a free transfer as a 17-year-old. He is now a matured international for Norway and that has undeniably come with its plaudits.

The centre-back was linked with a move to Tottenham last season while AC Milan have been monitoring his situation. If he does leave, it could leave a giant hole in the middle of Celtic’s defence to fill.

Christopher Jullien is out for the next nine months while Shane Duffy is due to go back to Brighton following the conclusion of his loan spell.

The solution

Celtic could well fill that gap with a certain Declan Gallagher. TEAMtalk reported this week that the Bhoys were ready to move for the Motherwell defender this summer.

They face plenty of competition for his signature with Cardiff, Barnsley, Aberdeen, Hearts and Dundee in the race to sign him.

Premier League clubs Burnley, Sheffield United and West Brom have him on their radar but it’s been claimed that Gallagher’s head has been turned by interest from Celtic.

At the age of 30, he is a seasoned professional and although the Hoops wouldn’t have much sell-on value, he’d be a fantastic acquisition.

Standing at 6 foot 6, Gallagher is a monster in the air and very rarely does he lose a defensive battle. The defender has won a colossal 3.9 aerial duels this term, a tally that betters every Celtic player apart from Duffy and Jullien.

Having won seven caps for Scotland, he has what it takes to play at a higher level and he’d certainly be able to do that at Celtic. After all, Gallagher possesses a similar never-say-die mentality to Ajer.

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Speaking about the Hoops-linked defender in January, Gary Holt told Radio Clyde: “I used to say we were fortunate to have players who were prepared to get hurt in both boxes. He’s prepared to get hurt. That’s what you like about him [Gallagher]. He’s somebody who’s going to do his job to the best of his ability. He’s kicked on massively since he left Livi.”

How Celtic could have done with more players like that this season. Ajer was been one of a few who were really prepared to put their body on the line for the team.

Therefore, if he leaves, it would be a bitter blow. Replacing him with Gallagher would certainly be no bad idea, though.

AND in other news, Better than Kenny: Celtic must sign “fierce” gem who’s made 89 tackles this term…

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has played down the prospect of Ivan Toney moving to Elland Road this summer.

Marcelo Bielsa may be looking to add to his squad at the end of the season, in order for Leeds to cement their place as Premier League regulars.

They currently sit 11th in the table after an eye-catching first season back in the big time, with the focus now on maintaining their current standards.

Whelan unsure over Toney move

One of the players linked with a move to Leeds in recent days is Brentford star Ivan Toney, with TEAMtalk claiming they are among the clubs interested in signing him this summer.

The striker has been in remarkable form with 34 goal contributions in the Championship this season, scoring 25 times and registering nine assists.

Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, via insidefutbol, Whelan cast doubts over a move materialising, however, with Brentford surely keeping hold of him if they achieve promotion to the Premier League:

“If Brentford get to the Premier League there is no way they are selling him. They will not be that team again. The reason they sell a lot of players is, once you do not get into the Premier League, they have got to offload. If they get to the Premier League, there is no way they will be letting him go.”

Transfer Tavern take

It is certainly difficult to see Brentford allowing Toney to move on next season, should they be in the Premier League for the first time in their history.

The 24-year-old has been their star man this term and losing him to a direct rival like Leeds would both weaken them and make Bielsa’s attack even more potent.

In other news, Phil Hay has provided an update on Pablo Hernandez.

This week, Sam Allardyce admitted that keeping West Brom in the Premier League would be his greatest escape yet.

It’s hard to argue with that point, either. After Fulham defeated Liverpool 1-0 last week in a shock result, Albion are now eight points behind the Cottagers.

With just ten games left of the season, it will be an uphill task for the Baggies to survive. In order to do so, they must win games like the one they’re facing on Saturday afternoon.

Allardyce’s men play a Crystal Palace team who have won just one of their last six outings. Every game at the moment feels like a six-pointer for West Brom, so this is a crucial encounter.

How will the manager line up? Here’s what we’re predicting.

We’re tipping the boss to make just the two changes from the side which drew 0-0 with Newcastle last time out.

The first replacement comes in attack, where January arrival Mbaye Diagne drops out. Conor Townsend consistently found him inside the area during the last game but, try as he might, he couldn’t find the back of the net.

Diagne managed only 12 passes and fired a total of three efforts off target. Consequently, we think that Karlan Grant should come back into the side.

The other change is in midfield where Ainsley Maitland-Niles drops out. The £48,000-per-week loanee has looked comfortable at times but, during the game with Newcastle, he regularly gave the ball away and was inconsistent with his passing, registering a success rate of just 76%. For a player usually so confident with the ball at his feet, it wasn’t ideal.

Thus, Romaine Sawyers may come back into the team to give Albion a little more cover against the counterattacking threat of Wilfried Zaha and Ebere Eze.

Besides that, Allardyce’s side are unchanged with the back four remaining the same. That means Semi Ajayi is once again kept on the bench.

AND in other news, “It’s just crazy” – Exclusive: Pundit reacts to Sam Allardyce’s eye-catching West Brom comments…

Arsenal could land a perfect long-term partner for William Saliba next season by bringing in RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate in the summer transfer window.

Reports in recent days have suggested that the Gunners are one of a number of big European clubs who are keeping a track of the France U21 international, with hopes that Leipzig could make him available for a transfer.

The 6 foot 4 defender has already built up considerable experience of playing at the highest level, playing high-pressure games in both the Bundesliga and Champions League – the 21-year-old played the full 90 minutes in the home victories over Manchester United and PSG in the group stages of the competition.

In a profile piece by Bundesliga.com, they likened him to Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk, writing: “Whether it be in terms of positioning, sticking tight to the striker, intercepting passes, tackling or building from the back, Konate cannot just do it all, he makes it look easy.

“He has the pace to match the quickest of attackers and the physique to bully – rather than be bullied by – muscular strikers much more experienced than he is.”

And that pace and speed to catch up with opposition strikers could be absolutely crucial for Arteta, who wants his side to press from the front and play a high-line.

The Spanish boss can be heard and seen on regular occasions on the touch-line gesticulating for his defenders to push up higher, and that kind of tactic only works when you’ve got a pair of centre-backs, in particular, who are comfortable with sweeping up anything in behind.

In Saliba and the £31.5m-rated Konate, the Gunners would have two young defenders who have got that unique pace to fulfil what Arteta wants, and it’s exactly why it has all the makings of being a dream duo for the north Londoners.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano reveals Arsenal are targeting this Premier League star…

Former Premier League striker Emile Heskey has urged Ezri Konsa to avoid a move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.

Konsa should avoid Spurs move

Spurs have been linked with an approach for the Aston Villa defender, who is also said to be attracting interest from Liverpool (The Athletic).

Speaking to HITC, Heskey believes Konsa should not make the switch to north London, pointing out that the grass isn’t always greener. He said:

“When you have a club like Tottenham coming in for you, you’ve got to look at it. Is he ready? You’ll only know when you put yourself in that position.

“He’s done fantastic – he’s actually scored a few goals as well – and he’s forming a partnership (with Tyrone Mings).”

“The only thing I would say is that Villa look like a team on the up. From where they were to where they are and where they’re going, Dean Smith has done a fantastic job,” the 56-time England international adds.

“Tottenham have got some wonderful players who are not playing as a team – it’s very, very individual. If you’re looking on paper, they should be in the top four but paper doesn’t mean anything.

“They’re in a bit of a rut at this time.”

Better in the long run

At the moment, there does seem to be little to separate Tottenham and the Villans – Dean Smith’s men are actually above Spurs on goal difference in the Premier League table with a game in hand (Sky Sports). However, in the long-run, Jose Mourinho’s side can provide a bigger chance of success.

Villa can only dream of having players such as Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, while Tottenham have the funds to add real quality to their squad. In recent years, they have been a regular Champions League outfit – just two seasons ago, Villa were in the Championship. A move to Spurs would still be a step up for £10.8m-valued Konsa (Transfermarkt).

Dubbed a ‘real talent’ by Villa podcaster Dan Rodgers back in December, Spurs could land a real star for the future in the 23-year-old.

In other news, one pundit believes Jose Mourinho is “sucking the life” out of this Tottenham duo.

Emil Krafth badly let Steve Bruce down as Newcastle United were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday night.

The Toon were desperate for a positive result with them creeping ever closer to the relegation zone and they may see their lead over 18th-placed Fulham be reduced to a single point on Sunday.

Scott Parker’s Craven Cottage natives visit Crystal Palace in the midday kick-off, striving to make what was once a 10-point gap to the Magpies a distant dream just three weeks on.

Krafth was given the run around by Wolves forward Adama Traore throughout the night at St. James’ Park, with the powerful Spaniard constantly showing the defender a clean pair of heels.

Traore often assumed centre-stage for the visiting side and came close to marking his first assist in the Premier League this season late in the first half, when Ruben Neves could only send the 25-year-old’s cutback wide.

The £36m-rated speedster also came within inches of his first goal of the top-flight campaign before the break, but saw the returning Martin Dubravka palm his header around the post.

Altogether, Traore accounted for three of Wolves’ 14 shots and provided a joint game-high four key passes – level with Newcastle’s Allan Saint-Maximin – to warrant WhoScored’s Man of the Match award with a 9.3 out of 10 rating.

No other player for either side scored above a 7.8 (Pedro Neto), while Krafth earned a 7.1 for his performance that ended in the 72nd-minute due to a shin issue.

Krafth was also given a 6.6 out of 10 by SofaScore, who similarly marked Traore (8.4) as their Man of the Match, representing the third-worst grade be a United player who started ahead of only Joe Willock (6.4) and Ciaran Clark (6.5).

But Willock was praised for his performance by Chronicle Live, who noted how the Arsenal loanee grasped the battle in the engine room and provided five interceptions – a game-high tally.

The Chronicle also criticised Jamal Lewis for his performance, noting how the £15m summer signing from Norwich City had failed to prevent the cross which led to Wolves’ equaliser while not being at his best offensively.

Yet the former Canaries full-back’s overall performance was better than Krafth’s, with the Sweden international dribbled past twice as often as the Northern Ireland international (2), per SofaScore. Only Willock (6) was dribbled past more often for either side.

Lewis also won three of his six ground duels to Krafth’s two from six, took 64 touches to the 26-year-old’s 38, completed 40 of his 45 passes (89%) to the right-back’s 21 of 26 (81%) and was successful with his only attempted dribble, while the £5m ex-Amiens SC defender failed to run with the ball at his feet on any occasions.

Krafth generally offers more for Newcastle than what he produced against Wolves, with the £58,000-per-week dud averaging 44.6 touches, a 58% ground duel success rate, and is dribbled past only the once compared to the four times versus Wolves.

With Traore ranking first in the Premier League for successful dribbles (105) and second to Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish (187) for ground duels won (179) throughout the 2020/21 season to date, Bruce knew Krafth would have his work cut out trying to restrict the Spaniard.

Yet Krafth failed to keep the five-time international quiet, and he was lucky to not be punished to cost Newcastle the solitary, but potentially vital, point they were able to attain.

AND in other news, Newcastle have joined the race for a sought-after “real talent” capable of “outstanding” displays…

As the final days of the January transfer tick down, clubs are scrambling to get some last minute deals over the line. Celtic are no different after being linked to several new potential signings this month.

Both incomings and outgoings have been rumoured to take place, but one story of interest which has come to fruition is the Hoops’ keenness on Ben Davies. The Preston North End defender has attracted a lot of attention amid his contract expiry in the summer, but it’s Celtic who look to have beaten the rest to the punch.

According to 90min, Davies has agreed pre-contract terms with the Glaswegians, which will see him move on a free transfer at the end of the season. The Bhoys have been struggling defensively this campaign so signing a new centre-back simply had to be a priority for them, particularly with the mounting interest in Kristoffer Ajer from rival clubs.

Why is Davies a good signing for Celtic?

It’s no secret that the reigning Scottish Premiership champions are having a nightmarish season. Not only do they trail by a whopping 23 points to their Glasgow rivals, but they were handed an early exit from their Europa League run. The Hoops finished bottom of the pile in their group and shipped the joint-highest amount of goals in the group stages.

Neil Lennon has also struggled with an injury-ridden squad. Christopher Jullien has missed a total of 29 matches for Celtic this season due to respective back and knee injuries, according to Transfermarkt.

Shane Duffy has equally been disappointing, but due to his lacklustre performances on the pitch. Celtic were recently said to be considering ending his loan move from Brighton early after not quite cutting the mustard in Scotland.

As well as delivering a quality defender, Lawwell has killed two birds with one stone in terms of protecting the club’s finances, signing Davies on a pre-contract basis which means he arrives at Parkhead for nothing. Sky Sports recently claimed that Preston were looking for £2million to £2.5million for the defender’s services, but Celtic have managed to avoid paying anything at all for the centre-half.

The Hoops will expect the 6 foot defender to arrive at Parkhead in the summer and he will be a welcome recruit to the team. According to WhoScored’s comparison tool, Davies currently averages more clearances and interceptions per match than Jullien, Duffy and Ajer. He will be looking to wiggle his way into the starting lineup once he arrives.

Knowing Celtic will be looking to bounce back and win silverware next season, Davies will undoubtedly be rubbing his hands together as he eyes whose spot he could usurp in the current Lennon set-up. Lawwell will undoubtedly be pleased that he has a tried-and-tested defender on the way who didn’t cost a single penny.

In other news, Lennon will leave one very welcome parting gift for Celtic if he is axe…

Liverpool could finally land a Philippe Coutinho replacement for Jurgen Klopp amid their reported interested in signing Rodrigo De Paul from Udinese.

It was suggested recently that the Reds are considering a move for the Udinese playmaker, as they look to sign a midfielder to replace Georginio Wijnaldum, who looks likely to join Barcelona when his Reds contract expires in the summer.

Leeds were heavily linked with the 26-year-old during the summer but the recent report suggests that he is more enamoured with Liverpool’s ‘project’, which could give the Reds the advantage in any transfer negotiations.

Whilst De Paul would arrive as a replacement for the outgoing Wijnaldum, he is not as much of an all-rounder as the 30-year-old Dutchman, and a better comparison would be with former Liverpool ace Coutinho.

The Brazilian departed in January 2018 for a club-record £142 million after establishing himself as one of the best creative players in the Premier League during his time with Jurgen Klopp’s side; contributing 54 goals and 45 assists in 201 appearances for the Reds.

Goals from midfield is something that Liverpool have lacked since Coutinho’s departure, with Jordan Henderson and Wijnaldum currently tied on one goal in the Premier League this season, as the top-scoring midfielders in Klopp’s side.

Therefore, adding someone such as De Paul would add a new dynamic to the Reds’ midfield and perhaps take the pressure off the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane to provide the goals, as when they have been disappointing in recent fixtures Liverpool have struggled to score goals as a result.

De Paul contributed seven goals and six assists for Udinese in the Serie A last season, winning eight man-of-the-match awards and averaging a superb 7.25 rating.

In Coutinho’s last full season with the Reds, he would contribute 13 goals and seven assists in the Premier League, also winning eight man-of-the-match awards and averaging a superb 7.56 rating.

Both the Brazilian and the Argentinian’s strengths include key passes, dribbling and long-shots, so it seems clear that they have a similar style of play, and this goal-scoring threat from midfield is certainly something the Reds have arguably lacked since Coutinho joined Barcelona.

De Paul’s former manager Julio Velasquez was full of praise for the 26-year-old, saying:

“He lacks absolutely nothing, he could play in any club in the world. He has also improved on the defensive level and in attack, he improves the team.”

Therefore, with the midfielder reportedly available for £30 million, Michael Edwards must swoop for the Udinese ace, as he could add something completely different to Klopp’s midfield.

And, in other news… Klopp can amend key issue by signing 6 ft 2 monster who’s a beast in the air

After absolutely thrashing West Brom 5-0 away from home, Leeds United face a more stiffer test when they take on Tottenham.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were in imperious form last time out at the Hawthorns, and blew away the Baggies inside the first-half, racing to a four-goal lead before the break.

Spurs on the other hand seem to have hit a sticky patch, failing to win in their past four Premier League games. Bielsa will no doubt be reluctant to make too many significant changes to his side – that isn’t his style anyway – but injuries may play a part in forcing his hand.

And with that in mind, below is a look at Leeds’ potential line-up to face Jose Mourinho’s men on Saturday afternoon.

In goal, Illan Meslier will hope to continue where he’s left off in the past couple of months. The Frenchman has managed to keep two clean sheets in succession in the top-flight since that 6-2 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United.

The back-four is also likely to remain the same, with Pascal Struijk keeping his place at the heart of defence following Liam Cooper’s injury.

Midfield however could be the one area where Bielsa tinkers slightly. Mateusz Klich picked up a knock against West Brom last week, but the Leeds boss may wish to keep him out of the side regardless of whether he passes a late fitness check, given his questionable form in recent weeks.

That could see Jamie Shackleton make a Premier League start, whilst Bielsa may also make a big call over who plays on the right hand side.

Raphinha – hailed a “complete player” by Victor Orta recently – is beginning to find his feet at Elland Road, but some of the Whites’ best performances against the heavyweight sides this season, against Chelsea and Liverpool respectively, have seen Helder Costa start on both occasions.

That could be the case again, as Bielsa goes with a more tried-and-trusted option in a big game like this.

Predicted XI: Meslier; Dallas, Ayling, Struijk, Alioski; Phillips, Rodrigo, Shackleton; Costa, Bamford, Harrison.