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Celtic chiefs have been left unimpressed at the Republic of Ireland’s treatment of Hoops defender Liam Scales, according to Extra.ie.

The Lowdown: Scales’ international break

Scales was a late inclusion in Stephen Kenny’s squad for a World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan and a friendly with Qatar after replacing Swansea City’s Ryan Manning who withdrew through injury.

Ireland won both games without conceding, however, Scales didn’t feature in either.

He made the 6,400-mile round-trip from Dublin to Baku for the meeting with Azerbaijan but was left out of the squad and also didn’t make the team sheet at home to Qatar.

The Latest: Hoops not happy

Extra.ie shared a story on Thursday, looking at Kenny’s future as manager.

Towards the end of their report, they suggested that Celtic aren’t happy with the FAI with their treatment of Scales after not using him in a matchday squad following a late call-up.

The Verdict: Not ideal

Scales has made just one Celtic appearance following his £540,000 move from Shamrock Rovers in the summer, so his international break appears to have been a waste of time.

He’s made a long journey to sit around and is still awaiting his first cap for Ireland. It would’ve made more sense for Scales to have remained at Lennoxtown to work with Ange Postecoglou ahead of the first game back against Motherwell, which could have helped him force his way into the manager’s Parkhead plans.

In other news: BBC man thinks Ange will now axe big earner who’s been a regular after update from Celtic source. 

As per Football League World, a significant update has emerged on the future of Tottenham Hotspur winger Jack Clarke.

The Lowdown: Clarke struggles continue…

Since his move to N17 from Leeds United in 2019 for an initial £10 million fee, it’s safe to say the youngster’s Tottenham career has been a complete non-starter so far.

The 20-year-old has since endured several Football League stints out on loan in an effort to nurture his development, most recently Stoke City for the second half of last campaign as Spurs sanctioned his 2021 January loan move.

Now, as per FLW, Nuno Espirito Santo has personally sent a message to the player.

The Latest: Spurs set to sanction another move away…

According to their sources, the Spurs head coach has now told Clarke he is free to leave as a plethora of lower league clubs take interest in signing him on loan.

As well as this, Tottenham are now ‘ready to sanction’ another move away for the attacker after his most recent temporary move to the bet365 stadium in January last year.

AFC Bournemouth are apparently the most keen to snap him up mid-season with Spurs’ stance made crystal clear.

The Verdict: Last chance saloon?

With his contract expiring at the end of next season in 2023, we believe it could be last chance for Clarke to resurrect his career and prove to Spurs he still possesses the quality to come good.

Signed after an impressive start to his original career at Leeds, the forward simply must rediscover that form and send Nuno his own message that he may have a part to play in future.

In other news: Not just Winks & Alli: Paratici told to sell vulnerable senior man who’s stuck in a rut at Spurs, find out more here.

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has suggested Mike Ashley could sack Steve Bruce if Newcastle United lose their next two matches.

The Lowdown: Bruce unpopular

It is no secret Bruce is not the most popular man in the north-east, but he has been dealt another blow via a recent Newcastle United Supporters Trust poll.

It has emerged 95% of surveyed supporters want him to walk away from St. James’ Park – a resounding majority, and yet some of them may even wonder what the other five per cent are thinking.

The Latest: Downie provides Bruce update

Speaking on Sky Sports, Downie shared an update on Bruce’s future, claiming that Ashley being ‘desperate’ to sell the club may impact the decision. He said:

“So if Steve Bruce is to carry on and have Newcastle down there, marooned in the bottom three, that is when it becomes a situation where he [Mike Ashley] may have to, you know, make a change at the top.
“I don’t think that will happen in the next few days but should they lose against Spurs and then potentially the game [Palace away] after that, I think Mike Ashley may have a decision to make.”

The Verdict: Matter of time

Quite frankly, it does seem like it is only a matter of time before Bruce is relieved of his duties at the club, and the longer he stays the more damage they will suffer.
So far this term, the Toon have not won any of their seven Premier League matches, and the Magpies’ football remains dismal – for example, only three sides have averaged less than their 42.7% possession in the league (via WhoScored).
In the likes of Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin, Newcastle do possess some talented and exciting players. They need to get someone in who is able to get the best out of the players at their disposal, as it looks like Bruce is uncapable of delivering that.
In other news, this man could replace Bruce as boss.

Many Everton fans have been left fuming over an update on their Carabao Cup third round tie away at Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday night.

As per Phil Kirkbride, Kevin Friend is set to referee the game against the EFL Championship team next week.

Incidentally, he has given more yellow cards to the Goodison Park faithful (57) than all but one other side in his career, and they have only won one of their last six games in which he has been in charge (Transfermarkt).

There has been some controversy between Friend and the Merseyside club in the past, and so it is not a surprise to see so many Toffees supporters against his appointment, as Rafa Benitez’s team will look to book their place in the fourth round of the competition with as little trouble as possible.

Everton fans on Friend news

These Blues fumed as the news of Friend’s appointment was shared on Twitter:

“Is there some agenda to give us the worst of the refs?”

Credit: @Toffeelewl

“And they get worse”

Credit: @paulhalligan29

“Boooooooo”

Credit: @bluesofgoodison

“We are out we never win when he refs”

Credit: @barryho55127160

“God help us.”

Credit: @KelvinPhelpsk

“NOOOO”

Credit: @TheDanMox

In other news, find out why James Rodriguez’s summer move fell through here!

Zion Atta left Crystal Palace after the Eagles refused to meet his wage demands, The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam reports. 

The lowdown

16-year-old Atta has departed Selhurst Park and, according to Fabrizio Romano, is bound for Ligue 1 outfit OGC Nice after a deal was ‘verbally agreed weeks ago’.

There was also interest from Italian giants Juventus, a marker of just how highly rated Atta is.

The attacker, capped by England at Under-15 level, made one appearance for Palace in the under-18 Premier League (via Transfermarkt).

The latest

Woosnam has been ‘told’ that Atta was demanding around £2,000 per week to remain at Palace.

But they weren’t willing to agree to those terms because it would mean breaking a ‘strict’ wage structure put in place for academy players.

The verdict

Palace fans might be frustrated to lose such an exciting talent. He may go on to footballing stardom and leave them wondering what might have been.

But while the temptation is do whatever it takes to keep such prospects, situations like this are a test of clubs’ principles.

You could even argue that, had they given in to Atta’s lofty demands, Palace could have risked unsettling a host of other young stars, who might in turn demand more money as a reflection of their value. Who knows if one of those youngsters is the one with superstar potential?

In other news, fans react to this transfer rumour.

West Brom centre-back Dara O’Shea’s current injury situation remains unknown, according to reliable journalist Steve Madeley.

The Lowdown: O’Shea suffers injury

The Baggies have enjoyed a brilliant start to the season, sitting second in the Championship after picking up 13 points from their opening five games.

O’Shea has been an ever-present in that time, playing every minute of action, but he suffered an injury in the Republic of Ireland’s 2-1 defeat to Portugal on Wednesday night.

The Latest: Madeley provides update

West Brom are no doubt sweating over the news, but taking to Twitter on Thursday, The Athletic‘s Madeley simply offered a two-word update, revealing they are yet to find out the severity:

“Nothing yet.”

This likely means they are waiting on the results of a scan, which could be a concern given his importance at the Hawthorns.

The Verdict: Huge player for Baggies

The hope is that O’Shea’s injury is not too serious and that he will be back for next weekend’s Championship clash with Millwall at the Hawthorns.

The 22-year-old has averaged 2.4 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per game in the league so far this season, outlining his defensive brilliance.

If O’Shea ends up being absent for an extended period of time, he could be a huge loss for Valerien Ismael’s side, as they look for a swift return to the Premier League.

In other news, a journalist has given his thoughts on West Brom’s interest in one player. Read more here.

Victoria have been left fuming by Cricket Australia’s decision not to allow their star batsmen Cameron White and David Hussey to play in Wednesday’s Twenty20 preliminary final against Queensland

Cricinfo staff20-Jan-2009
Victoria entered the season having lost only one Twenty20 match but are now in danger of failing to qualify for the final © Getty Images
Victoria have been left fuming by Cricket Australia’s decision not to allow their star batsmen Cameron White and David Hussey to play in Wednesday’s Twenty20 preliminary final against Queensland. The winner of the match is guaranteed a place at the multi-million dollar Champions League in India in October but neither side will have their Australian one-day representatives available.The Bushrangers entered this summer having been beaten only once in a Twenty20 match and they had won the domestic tournament every year since its inception. They qualified for the Champions League last year but when it was postponed due to the terror attacks in Mumbai they were forced to earn their spot again by reaching the final of the Big Bash this month.That has become more difficult with a pair of defeats from their past three games and they must beat the Bulls at the Gabba on Wednesday to get to Saturday’s final against New South Wales in Sydney. Cricket Victoria’s chief executive Tony Dodemaide said he could not understand Cricket Australia’s cotton-wool approach given the importance of the match.”I was hoping you might be able to explain,” Dodemaide told the . “We would have thought there might have been some consideration, given the players who are involved. They were really keen to play. It would have given state cricket a real boost, I would have thought.”Victoria will be without their captain White, a renowned Twenty20 performer, and Hussey, who is second only to Brad Hodge on the competition’s all-time run-scoring list. The men were part of Australia’s side for the first two one-day internationals against South Africa but with the Twenty20 game coming during a four-day break between ODIs, Dodemaide said it was frustrating that Cricket Australia had stopped the two from playing.”It’s disappointing for Victorian supporters in what is really the most significant game of the season,” he said. “If it were Ricky Ponting or Peter Siddle, who have been through a long, hard Test series you would understand, but the players involved haven’t had that and by my reckoning there are only nine playing days for Australia in the next month.”Queensland have also been hit by the ruling with their allrounder James Hopes unavailable for selection, although their fast bowler Ryan Harris will play having been cut from the ODI squad. It is Victoria who will feel most aggrieved by the decision, considering their recent dominance of the format and the importance of White and Hussey.”Given the significance of the Champions Trophy tournament that awaits the two finalists and what we’ve achieved in this competition over the past three years, this is very disappointing,” Dodemaide said. “But we’ll move on, go up there with a view to winning the game and then the final.”Hodge will lead the side in the absence of the captain and vice-captain. He is in charge of an unchanged 12 from the side that lost to New South Wales on the weekend.”The clash with the Bulls can’t come soon enough,” Hodge said. “We’re all pumped to have another crack at getting through to the final and we’re desperate to play our best cricket and prove we’ve got what it takes to challenge for another title.”Victoria squad Brad Hodge (capt), Aiden Blizzard, Rob Quiney, Aaron Finch, Andrew McDonald, Matthew Wade, Adam Crosthwaite (wk), Damien Wright, Shane Harwood, Jon Holland, Bryce McGain, Dirk Nannes.Queensland squad Chris Simpson (capt), Wade Townsend, Ryan Broad, Lee Carseldine, Nathan Reardon, Glen Batticciotto, Craig Philipson, Chris Hartley (wk), Ryan Harris, Nathan Rimmington, Ben Cutting, Alister McDermott, Ben Laughlin.

Liverpool could be set for a sizeable payday thanks to a clause inserted into the deal which took Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish outlet Sport, Barca will be forced to pay Liverpool a €20m (£17.1m) bonus if the 29-year-old makes more than 100 appearances for the Catalan giants.

The Brazil international has played 90 games for the Camp Nou outfit since joining them from the Reds back in January 2018, meaning that Jurgen Klopp’s charges could receive a substantial windfall later in the season.

Jurgen Klopp will be absolutely delighted

During his time at Anfield, Coutinho bagged 54 goals and provided 45 assists in 201 appearances for the Reds after being brought to Merseyside by former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers.

Things haven’t worked out for the South American at Barcelona, though. Following an underwhelming 18 months, the Blaugrana hierarchy shipped him out on loan to Bayern Munich for the 2019/20 season.

The Bundesliga champions saw improved performances from the technically gifted talent, with Coutinho bagging 11 goals and providing nine assists in 38 appearances for the club, helping them to secure the treble along the way.

However, upon his return to Barcelona, his poor luck returned. A serious knee injury ended his season in December after just 14 uninspiring appearances under Ronald Koeman, resulting in speculation that Coutinho could join the likes of Lionel Messi and Miralem Pjanic in walking out the exit door.

A departure didn’t materialise, though, so the former Liverpool ace is part of Koeman’s first-team squad for the current campaign and was on the bench for Barca’s 2-1 victory over Getafe last time out.

With the Anfield outfit known to be restricted in their attempts to sign another forward player and possibly an additional midfielder due to their limited budget over the summer, the addition of £17.1m would leave Klopp feeling delighted.

It would allow the German far more room to manoeuvre in the transfer market come January or next summer, and if he is able to secure a top target, then it would surely go down as another masterclass from director of football Michael Edwards.

In other news… Huge blow: Liverpool suffer setback ahead of Leeds clash, Klopp will be fuming 

Dean Windass has virtually ruled out Gareth Bale returning to Tottenham for a third time.

The Welshman made a sensational return to north London on a season-long loan spell last summer after being forced out due to his toxic relationship Zinedine Zidane.

Bale hardly featured during the first half of the campaign, but his blistering goalscoring form from February onwards led to the possibility of a third return.

However, Zidane left Real Madrid and the end of last season and was replaced by Carlo Ancelotti, the man who signed Bale from Tottenham back in 2013, which appeared to end any possibility of the 32-year-old re-joining.

Bale was asked about his future by Sky Sports on the final day of the Premier League season, but revealed that his answer would cause chaos and said he would wait until after the Euro’s.

However, Bale hasn’t touched on his Madrid future since Wales were knocked out by Denmark in the last 16, although the fact he’s already featured in pre-season would suggest he’s remaining with the Spanish giants for the final year of his deal.

Windass exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“I think with Zidane leaving, that’ll be a relief for Gareth. He’s got a new manager, it’s a fresh slate. The only unhappiness was him and Zidane.

“He’s clearly happy living there, because he’s always dug his heels in, I can only see Gareth Bale staying another two years and then retiring. I can’t see him going back to Tottenham, not in a breath.”

Newcastle United have now been backed to sell Isaac Hayden before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Watford interest

According to Football Insider, Watford have now ‘set their sights’ on signing Hayden, and it is understood that he is ‘keen’ on a move to the Hornets before the window shuts.

A source from Vicarage Road has claimed that they are interested in signing the central midfield player, and a move down south appears to have turned his head.

The Latest: Campbell on Hayden

Speaking to Football Insider, former Everton and Arsenal striker now pundit Kevin Campbell has backed the St. James’ Park faithful to sell Hayden if they got an offer of between £10-12m for him, and claims that they should be letting him go:

“I think it’s difficult to stand in his way if he wants to return down south.

“If they got offered £10-12 million I’m sure they would take it. I think the new contract last year was just to tie him down and reward him for his hard work over the past few years.

“I don’t think it was necessarily with the idea that he could be turned into a £50 million player. I think it was an upgrade for the player.

“I think they should let him go.”

The Verdict: Disagree

The North East club should be looking to keep hold of Hayden before the window closes, especially given that there is just a few days left and therefore there may not be enough time to replace him.

Described as ‘outstanding’ by Tyneside legend Alan Shearer after a very impressive display in their 3-2 home win versus Southampton in the Premier League back in February, Hayden was a big player for the Magpies last campaign as he helped them avoid relegation down to the Championship, winning 5.5 of his duels per match, in addition to averaging 2.2 tackles, 1.9 clearances and 1.8 interceptions per game (Sofascore).

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Nonetheless, selling him to a rival in the division in Watford – one who could be competing with the Magpies to avoid that bottom three – would not be good business at all, and so the Toon must try and hold onto him at all costs.

In other news, find out which NUFC player was ‘seething’ after the Aston Villa loss here!