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Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou ‘won’t be bothered’ by his side’s back-to-back training camp defeats, according to former professional turned pundit Tam McManus.

The Lowdown: Winless in Australia

The Scottish Premiership champions recently visited Australia for their mid-season break whilst the World Cup is taking place where they participated in two friendlies.

Despite fielding pretty strong line-ups in both matches regardless of several squad members currently being away in Qatar, the Hoops first off lost 2-1 to Sydney FC before being edged out on penalties by Everton.

The Latest: McManus’ verdict

Speaking to Football Insider, McManus insisted that whilst Celtic failed to pick up any victories down under, Postecoglou won’t be concerned given the club’s start to the season. He said:

“He won’t be bothered at all, I shouldn’t think.

“When you have had the sensational start to the season that Celtic have had, nine points clear of your biggest rivals, still in both cups, you haven’t disgraced yourself in Europe, there is nothing to complain about.

“Ange has plenty of credit in the bank. The Celtic supporters know this is nothing more than a mid-season break. It’s a chance to go to Australia where they have thousands of fans who are desperate to see the team.

“They are getting paid handsomely to play in that tournament as well, let’s not forget that. So, all in all, if the supporters are looking at that as a pre-season thing, the results don’t really matter.

“I saw bits and pieces of the games. I think Celtic gave Everton a good game, certainly in the first half. They will be disappointed with the result against Sydney but they did rest a lot of players and gave fringe players a chance.

“They will enjoy their break now. They will train hard but they can also let their hair down and go for a beer.

“All in all, it’s been a good trip for Celtic.”

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The Verdict: No need to panic

The Bhoys will of course be hoping to pick up some positive results during their break, but in terms of questions over if it will affect their performances moving forward, there’s definitely no need to panic.

The Glasgow side have won 14 and lost just one of their opening 15 games this term, leaving them already nine points clear of rivals Rangers at the top of the table (Sky Sports).

Postecoglou looks very likely to be guiding his team to yet another title, and with the two cup trophies still up for grabs, it could be a very promising ending to the campaign at Parkhead.

A West Ham United insider has shared some significant news regarding the future of manager David Moyes.

The Lowdown: West Ham struggling…

Despite a huge injection of summer investment totalling £159m, the Irons have seriously struggled for Premier League form, resulting in mounting pressure on Moyes and his position.

Only Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Everton and Southampton – the four teams beneath West Ham in the table – have scored fewer goals than the Hammers despite the summer signings of attacking players like Lucas Paqueta, Maxwel Cornet and Gianluca Scamacca.

The east Londoners have struggled with injury problems but their newly-found strength in depth perhaps warrants a stronger league position than 16th.

West Ham have also won just once in their last four, a 2-0 defeat of Bournemouth, going on to lose their last three games against Manchester United, Crystal Palace and Leicester.

The Latest: Insider shares Moyes sack update…

Questions surround Moyes and his suitability for the position, and claims recently emerged that there are numerous managers lining up to take the West Ham job.

The Scotsman has plenty of credit in the bank from the last two campaigns, though, especially after he guided West Ham to successive European qualification campaigns on a shoestring budget.

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Claret & Hugh, a West Ham insider, has now shared a significant update on Moyes’ future, with the board firing a strong message to him amid this poor form.

It is believed that the former Everton and Man United boss has been given his first warning, but his excellent work since 2020/21 has bought him more time to turn things around.

The Verdict: Right call?

Moyes arguably performed miracles with his pre-existing squad over the last two years and the absence of a natural backup striker to Michail Antonio before Scamacca’s arrival.

On this basis, David Gold, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and Daniel Kretinsky must hand the 59-year-old a degree of faith and grant him some leeway.

However, if results continue to take a downward trajectory after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, one must then wonder if Moyes has taken this West Ham team as far as he can.

Celtic face an incredibly tough test tonight with Ange Postecoglou’s Hoops coming up against one of the best sides on the globe.

Indeed, the Bhoys travel to Spain to play 14-time winners of the Champions League, Real Madrid, in what is now a dead-rubber tie.

Celtic are out of the competition and have nothing but pride at stake in their sternest challenge of the campaign to date.

Without anything on the line, it will be interesting to see what happens with Postecoglou’s starting XI. Will he favour a degree of rotation or will he still opt for a full-strength team?

Here is the starting XI that Football FanCast are predicting for tonight’s encounter…

Hart, Juranovic, Starfelt, Jenz, Taylor, O’Riley, Mooy, Hatate, Abada, Kyogo, Jota (4-3-3).

We are anticipating four changes from the team that defeated Livingston last weekend with the Australian coach favouring change in defence and attack.

The midfield will remain the same but Postecoglou has been dealt a blow to his backline with Cameron Carter-Vickers not travelling to Madrid. Carl Starfelt, who has had a two-month layoff due to a knee injury, is among the squad and could replace the American at centre-back.

Anthony Ralston, whose performances over the last year have seen him dubbed a “superman”, drops out in favour of Croatian full-back Josip Juranovic who has started every Champions League match this term.

In attack, James Forrest is given a rest with pace and energy set to be favoured. Celtic will need to be good on the break if they are to get anything from the game so the “unbelievable” Jota – in the words of his manager – comes back into the team after scoring against Livingston.

Liel Abada also replaces Sead Haksabanovic who had a rather quiet outing at the Tony Macaroni Arena last time out.

David Turnbull could come into the starting XI as well but we anticipate that the boss will opt for the more defensive Aaron Mooy who will start next to Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley.

Tottenham Hotspur are ‘definitely in the conversation’ to sign RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol and could beat Premier League rivals Chelsea to his signature, according to BBC pundit Alan Hutton.

The Lowdown: Gvardiol being monitored

Football Insider reported last week that the Lilywhites are keeping close tabs on the 20-year-old after a long-standing interest that runs back almost two years, but they are set to face competition from the Blues.

Antonio Conte is expected to be offered a new bumper contract that could see him earning up to £20m a year, and it’s believed that this could play a significant role in attracting potential transfer targets.

The Latest: Tottenham backed to win the race

Speaking to Football Insider, former Spurs defender Hutton claimed that Conte committing his future could make Spurs a more attractive project for Gvardiol.

“I don’t see why Tottenham can’t beat Chelsea to him.

“They’re definitely now in the conversation, fighting with the likes of Chelsea, and that attractiveness will only increase with cup runs and European football.

“I think for the player, he’ll be more than happy to be linked with both clubs.

“But with Conte potentially signing a new long-term deal, and the progress that they’re making – it’s something, as a player, that I would want to be involved in.”

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The Verdict: Davies replacement

Tottenham must be extremely keen to land Gvardiol seeing as they haven’t given up the chase since 2020, and he would be an ideal long-term replacement for Ben Davies.

The ‘aggressive’ centre-back, as labelled by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, currently averages an 89.5% Bundesliga pass success rate and can operate at left-back as well as centrally (WhoScored), showing he has the versatility and technical qualities to accompany his forceful style of defending.

The Croatian has a £44m release clause in his contract at Leipzig which is more than affordable for Fabio Paratici, so they should undoubtedly snap him up if given the chance.

Wolves have been boosted in their efforts to sign West Ham defender Craig Dawson, with Pete O’Rourke claiming a January move could be on the cards.

The Lowdown: Deadline day Dawson

Wanderers have been famed for being a strong defensive outfit in recent years but they did lose Conor Coady, Romain Saiss and Willy Boly during the summer.

It has left Bruno Lage with fewer options than he had before and Dawson was one player who was strongly linked with making a move during the recent transfer window, as a deal collapsed on the final day of the summer.

It looks as though the 32-year-old could still be a target, however, following a new claim.

The Latest: Defender could join in January

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Pete O’Rourke talked up Wolves’ chances of signing Dawson in January, due to him wanting to be closer to family:

“I think there’s real potential this move could be rekindled in the January window. The reason that Dawson wanted to leave was for family and personal reasons because he wanted to move closer to his family home.

“It’s something that’s still going to be on his mind and he wants to secure that move back to the Midlands. Obviously, that gives Wolves a huge advantage because they can offer Dawson that.”

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The Verdict: Strong short-term signing

While Dawson wouldn’t necessarily be an world-class signing for Wolves, he is someone with a wealth of experience who could provide excellent squad depth, pedigree and leadership.

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The defender has made a total of 238 appearances in the Premier League and Jonathan Woodgate has hailed him for being ‘so reliable’ as a footballer, while his own teammates dubbed him ‘unbelievable’ last season.

Dawson is out of contract at West Ham at the end of the season and that means Fosun could pick up a bargain in January – it is a deal well worth doing.

Wolves youngster Fabio Silva has hit some impressive form on loan in Belgium, thriving in Europa Conference League action this week.

The Lowdown: Anderlecht loan

Bruno Lage decided to send Silva on loan to RSC Anderlecht in Belgium for this season in order for him to get more minutes and further his development after struggling to adapt to the physicality of English football.

The striker was limited to just impending Diego Costa, Silva’s game time was likely to be even more limited this campaign.

The Latest: Impressive performance

Silva played for Anderlecht in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday night, and scored the winning goal as his side beat Danish team Silkeborg IF 1-0 in their group stage opener.

The Portugal U21 international scored from the penalty spot with just under ten minutes to go in the match, admitting that he ‘celebrated like crazy’ after tucking it away.

Aside from his goal, Silva was the star of the show, achieving the highest rating (7.7) of anyone on the pitch by SofaScore, while he also had more shots (seven) than anyone else and made a joint-high two key passes.

He also won two duels in the game, and had 43 touches of the ball in total (SofaScore).

The Verdict: Someone to think about

Given that the Wanderers have struggled to score goals yet again this season, with only 38 scored in the Premier League last term and just three so far this campaign, the joint-lowest of any team, one could question whether sending Silva out on loan was such a good idea.

He now has seven goals and two assists in 12 matches in total for Anderlecht (Transfermarkt), showing that perhaps more patience was needed before deciding to let him go.

Kalajdzic now has an ACL injury, and Costa may struggle to get up to speed straight away having not played any competitive football since January, so perhaps Wolves should have kept hold of Silva for this season.

The Rangers Review journalist Jonny McFarlane could not believe that Sky Sports did not spot a possible offside in the lead up to Glasgow Rangers conceding against Hibs.

The Lowdown: Fiery game

It was a fiery encounter this lunchtime with the Ibrox outfit having not one but two players sent off in the second half in John Lundstram and Alfredo Morelos.

They had also received a penalty at the end of the first half, which James Tavernier managed to convert, before Martin Boyle equalised for Hibernian and Tom Lawrence put the visitors back in front.

Josh Campbell grabbed a late equaliser in the most incident-packed match of the season so far.

The Latest: Possible offside?

Taking to Twitter, McFarlane noted that Thody Elie Youan, who assisted Boyle for Hibs’ first equaliser, looked as if he could have been marginally offside in the build-up.

The commentators on Sky Sports did not seem to question a possible offside, which McFarlane thought was ‘bizarre’.

The Verdict: Fine margins

Of course, there are fine margins for offside decisions, and without VAR in the Scottish Premiership, it is not fully clear whether Youan was offside or not before he assisted Boyle.

VAR will not come into the SPFL until December after the FIFA World Cup in Qatar is concluded, and so these decisions will continue to be debated until the technology is implemented.

The Gers did not manage to hold out in the end after the stoppage time goal from Campbell, and so they will feel greatly aggrieved that the decision for Hibs’ first goal did not go their way.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Hans Vanaken to the London Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Dharmesh Sheth, with the Sky Sports reporter revealing in a recent post on Twitter that, having been linked with the Club Brugge KV attacking midfielder previously, the Hammers are once again keen on a deal to bring the 29-year-old to east London in the current transfer window.

In his post, Sheth said: “West Ham United interested in signing Club Brugge attacking midfielder Hans Vanaken. Vanaken is a Belgium international – 5 goals from 21 caps. West Ham are long-term admirers – tried to sign him before.”

A report by Flemish outlet Nieuwsblad took this claim one step further, suggesting that David Moyes’ side have seen a €10m (£8.5m) bid for the Belgium international rejected by the Jupiler Pro League club – who are said to have informed the Premier League outfit that Vanaken’s sale is out of the question ahead of September’s transfer deadline.

However, on Tuesday morning, Nieuwsblad reported that the 21-cap international has now informed Brugge that he would like to secure a switch to the Europa League semi-finalists this summer, as he views the Irons’ interest as his final chance to move to a big European club – with it also being said that West Ham are now preparing a second offer for the playmaker.

West Ham’s own De Bruyne

Considering just how impressive Vanaken has been for Club Brugge ever since his 2015 move from KSC Lokeren, in addition to attacking midfield being an area of the pitch in which West Ham are lacking any real depth, it is not difficult to see why Moyes would be keen on a deal to bring the 29-year-old to the London Stadium in the coming weeks.

Indeed, over his 343 appearances for the reigning Jupiler Pro League champions, the £14.4m-rated talent has been a continuous attacking threat, scoring 102 goals and registering 73 assists for the club – averaging a direct goal involvement every 163 minutes of football played for Brugge.

The £48k-per-week forward was in particularly fine form over his 39 league fixtures in 2021/22, scoring 11 goals, providing nine assists and creating ten big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 3.9 long balls per game.

These returns saw the 29-year-old who Onur Kaya dubbed “extraordinary” average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.31, ranking him as the ninth-best player in the entity of the Belgium top flight last time out.

It was a similar story over the attacking midfielder’s six Champions League appearances last season, with Vanaken scoring three goals, creating two big chances and averaging a sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.23 – an unbelievable achievement considering Brugge were up against Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig in Group A.

As such, with Vanaken quite clearly being an excellent goalscorer, an exceptional creator and a remarkable passer of the ball, in addition to Jelle Vossen claiming that the Brugge star “sees everything on the pitch and is always available,” there is an argument to be made that the 29-year-old could well be West Ham’s own Kevin De Bruyne – should a deal go through.

Indeed, all of the above could easily be said of the Manchester City playmaker and fellow Belgian who has scored 87 goals and provided 123 assists over 310 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side. While it remains to be seen whether or not Vanaken will be able to perform at a similar level in the top flight of English football, the Brugge star very much appears to be an exceptional talent.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and how keen they are on signing Anthony Gordon in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, Dan Ashworth has been in contact with Everton to enquire about a possible deal to sign the winger ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that the Magpies chief has been pursuing a number of attacking targets after missing out on French forward Hugo Ekitike.

Although, it is also stated that ‘inflated’ valuations of their targets have stopped them from making any firm offers as of yet.

Previous reports have suggested that the club will have to offer around £40m to tempt a sale.

Imagine him & Allan Saint-Maximin

The Toffees gem, who David Unsworth dubbed “unbelievable”, would be an exciting addition to the squad this summer and he could form an excellent wing partnership with Saint-Maximin on Tyneside.

Both players are capable of playing on the left or the right and this means that they can constantly interchange in matches and switch things up. This could confuse opposition defenders and create a dynamic forward line for Eddie Howe at the top end of the pitch.

Both players have also shown that they can make things happen in the final third. In the Premier League last season, Saint-Maximin chipped in with five goals and five assists in 35 appearances as he showcased his ability to be a difference-maker for the Toon.

He is also a player who can get fans off their seats in excitement as he completed 4.3 dribbles per game in the top-flight. The dynamo has the quality on the ball to consistently skip past opposition defenders to create attacks and entertain the supporters.

Meanwhile, Gordon managed four goals and two assists in 25 starts for Everton. The £10k-per-week gem created four ‘big chances’ for his teammates and 1.0 chance per match, which shows that he would offer a creative threat from out wide.

At the age of 21, the Englishman is still learning and developing as he gains more experience in the Premier League. This means that he can build on his return from last term and potentially make a bigger contribution in the final third now that he has a full season under his belt.

Now, imagine him and Saint-Maximin racing down the wings and causing problems for opposing defences next season. It is an exciting prospect and one that Newcastle must work hard to turn into reality.

AND in other news, Newcastle “have enquired” about signing £60m “nightmare”, he’d be a big Wood upgrade…

When it comes to European football (soccer), the word fan could easily be substituted for fanatic. Indeed, there is a large population of UK residents who love their favourite football clubs to their very core. That translates to a lot of football fans who look to their teams for leadership by example.

In the UK, there is a very close connection between fans who love football and those who love betting on football. From the friends who bet a pound on a match to the UK online sports bettor who wagers big money through online sportsbooks, the UK football betting community is vast. Since the leagues and teams know that many fans are betting on football matches, there is an unspoken need for them to always be mindful. They need to be mindful of promoting responsible gambling and protecting the sport from infiltration by rogue gambling elements.

The Relationship Between the Professional Football Leagues and the UK Gambling Community

For decades, there has always been an uneasy alliance between professional football interests and the UK gambling community. In a sense, it would be fair to suggest both parties need each other in order for both of them to exist at the highest level. Given this fact, both parties need to behave responsibly for the sake of fans and bettors.

What UK football fans and bettors want is assurance the games are being played fair without interference from the gambling community. This is especially important to the UK sports gamblers who are risking their hard-earned money in blind faith that the leagues and teams have taken steps to ensure fair and responsible play.

How UK Professional Football Leagues and Teams Support Responsible Gambling Initiatives Through GamStop

In recent years, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has seen the UK online sports betting community grow at an amazing rate. Seeing this, they have come to realize that more online sports gambling activity is going to eventually translate to more problem gambling issues. That is exactly the reason the UKGC developed and fully supports the GamStop Self-exclusion scheme.

Since the UKGC requires its licensed online operators to subscribe to GamStop, they are now two types of sports betting and online casino providers operating in the UK. On one hand, there are licensed operators that follow the UKGC’s GamStop membership mandate. Conversely, there are non-GamStop operators that operate outside the rules. For what it’s worth, reviews of the top non-GamStop betting operators are available at www.nongamstopodds.com

As part of its alliance with the UK gambling community through sponsorship deals, the UK’s top football leagues also support GamStop. They do so by promoting the scheme through their team websites and promotional materials. It’s vital that they show this support at a time when online sports betting is growing throughout the world. By doing so, it sends a message to football fans and bettors. That message is the leagues and teams are committed to protecting the image of the sport while also showing a willingness to stand behind UK gamblers who could fall prey to gambling addiction.

What is GamStop?

It’s near impossible for an online sportsbook or casino to monitor and control the activities of its customers. After all, its customers are grown adults who have the right to gamble online absent causing harm to others.

Still, online gambling operators do need to be intimately involved in protecting society from the ravages of gambling addiction. Most operators are doing that by obtaining licensing with the UKGC and abiding by the Commission’s directive to subscribe to the GamStop Self-exclusion scheme. By subscribing, it gives operators the ability to offer customers direct access to the program.

When the program is available, it’s incumbent on UK online gamblers to use the program if they sense gambling addiction is on their horizons. In such cases, the GamStop registration process is easy and free. All they have to do is provide basic personal information, select their own self-exclusion periods, and abide by the terms of the program. Effectively, they will be blocked from opening new UK online gambling accounts or using existing accounts.

For better or worse, there is a loophole in the who process. Should a sports bettor or casino gambler want to start gambling online again while under GamStop’s exclusion, they do have ways of doing.

One of the easiest ways for registered GamStop gamblers to beat the GamStop self-exclusion is to simply register with and gamble through one of the aforementioned non-GamStop gambling sites. For sure, there are quite a few reputable and reliable operators that are operating in the UK without licensing. No licensing means no way to access the GamStop database to identify blocked gamblers.

Here’s the bottom line. The UK’s football teams and leagues are influencers in local communities. In that role, they have to act in a responsible manner. That means protecting football’s integrity while also offering support for the problem sports gambler who might be struggling.

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