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Newcastle are still hopeful of getting Rafa Benitez to agree to a new contract at St James’ Park, and once Premier League safety is assured, the process of negotiating an agreement between the two will start properly.

But according to a report in the Newcastle Chronicle, there has been a sudden bout of speculation that the Spaniard may be set to become the next Celtic manager.

Alex Apati, who works for Ladbrokes, says the sudden interest has them “scratching their heads” as to where it has come from.

Rafa has always said that his preference is to stay at St James’ Park, and Magpies fans will be hoping for that outcome too.

But it is up to Mike Ashley to thrash out a deal that is acceptable to both club and manager, and it will likely mean the owner having to agree to a host of demands the Spaniard has requested.

As is usual in these types of negotiation, Rafa will not expect to get everything he is hoping for, but it is a sensible approach to ask for more, and hope your counterpart will meet somewhere in the middle.

The result, of course, is that the manager will get most of what he realistically expected, but as they say — if you don’t buy a ticket, you can’t win the lottery.

Even if the unthinkable were to happen, and no agreement is reached, it would be hard to envisage Benitez going to Celtic.

Yes they are a massive club, with a huge fan-base, but it would hardly be the type of challenge Rafa likes.

Celtic would probably offer him a huge salary, but if that was his motivation, he would have already signed the lucrative new deal Newcastle have already put on the table.

Rafa loves Newcastle, that has never been an issue. But he also has a long-term vision for the club. He knows where it should be. He knows how to get it there.

It is up to Ashley to see that too.

Do you think Rafa would go to Celtic if he cannot agree a new contract, Newcastle fans? Will Ashley convince him to stay? Let us know your thoughts…

[ad_pod ]West Ham United slumped to a miserable 2-0 defeat against Everton at the London Stadium on Saturday, and attacker Marko Arnautovic was the target of many fans’ frustrations having been booed when he was substituted off in the second half.The Austria international was once a hero among the Irons faithful, but it simply doesn’t appear to be the case anymore – you only have to look at what they have been saying on Twitter after the latest defeat to see this is the case.

Ever since the stories linking him with a move to China during the January transfer window, the relationship between him and the supporters was always going to be a strained one – even if he was handed a new contract.

A man who has impressed and scored 19 goals in 60 appearances in all competitions for the east London outfit just hasn’t been the same player in recent weeks, and since the 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion on January 2 he has gone eight Premier League outings without a goal or an assist.

Despite that and the fact he has suffered from a few injury niggles, he has still started the club’s previous two top flight fixtures, including against the Toffees, having been preferred ahead of Javier Hernandez.

To be fair it was an off day for a number of his teammates too, but Arnautovic hardly put in a showing that proved he really cares about West Ham football club like he has often said that he does previously.

Service may have been light, but the fact that he failed to win a single aerial duel or make a key pass given the magic we have seen from the 29-year-old at times during his Hammers career is a worry.

The fact he was jeered off by some tells you all you need to know, and Manuel Pellegrini needs to wake up and smell the coffee too – the sooner he realises the Austrian doesn’t deserve to be in the starting XI, the better.

Arsenal fans will be praying that their side can get the better of Napoli later on today in what will be a very tight encounter at the Emirates, with anything less than a win making things very difficult. 

The Gunners will be relying on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in what is a huge game in Arsenal’s season, with the Europa League providing the North London club with a Champions League spot if they end up winning it.

Arsene Wenger signed the Gabon international for £56 million (as per BBC) back in January of last year and it’s safe to say that he’s already proved to be a masterstroke signing having produced 32 goals and 11 assists in 55 games.

Indeed, his world-class performances since rocking up at the Emirates have seen his value shoot up, as according to CIES (via Daily Mail), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is worth £72 million.

Many Arsenal fans will agree that the Emirates hasn’t seen a better striker in recent years as he continues to produce in front of goal, with 22 goals and seven assists to his name in all competitions this season.

It’s safe to say that Arsenal would be settling for a place in the Europa League if it wasn’t for the forward as his goals have secured a number of points for the Gunners. His pace, finishing and ability to create makes him one of the best strikers in the whole of world football, so Wenger did very well to capture him last year.

His value will no doubt continue to rise in years to come if he continues on the same path, but for now, £72 million seems like the right value for the 29-year-old.

Arsenal fans, how much do you think Aubameyang is worth at this moment in time? Join the discussion by commenting down below! 

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Crystal Palace were unable to repeat their sensational victory over Manchester City in December as they were beaten 3-1 by the champions at Selhurst Park on Saturday, although given the Eagles’ home form, this result was hardly much of a surprise.

Roy Hodgson’s side set up a tense finish after Luka Milivojevic pulled one back cleverly, although Gabriel Jesus put the game to bed with a late strike. The former England boss didn’t help his team out one bit, though, and has made a fool of himself once again with these post-match comments.

What did he say?

Well, speaking after the loss, the Premier League’s oldest manager had this to say:

“I thought we did better in the second half but bottom line is, you analyse the goals you conceded afterwards about various aspects of your own defensive play that could’ve been better but if they hadn’t had scored their goals that way, they would’ve scored them another way.

“All you can hope for, I think, is you can hope that the players stay in the game as much as they can, they don’t ever give up, they don’t throw their arms up in the air and say: ‘this is impossible, whatever we do they’re playing through us’. You hope by doing that, that you can get back into the game as we did from a very good free-kick and start to make them think: ‘this isn’t as easy as we thought, this isn’t all over’.

“But in doing so, what invariably happens is you stretch yourself, go to 4-4-2, you put a winger on, you play two guys up front and encourage your full-backs to push up and then they break on you and score a third goal and put the game to bed.”

Hapless Hodgson

Indeed, the Eagles looked likely to score an equaliser after their captain made it 2-1, with attacking substitutions made and their opponents finally put under some real pressure.

The Cityzens won the ball back though and scored, albeit with the linesman’s aid, on the counter to snuff out any astonishing Palace comeback. While a game against City is widely considered a bit of a free hit  Palace fans will surely have been hoping for more from their side in the first half in particular, with City allowed to dominate.

Whenever Palace finally did win the ball back, they gave it away almost immediately, largely through faults of their own rather than City’s stellar pressing, and it took until the last 10 or 15 minutes for the hosts to finally give as good as they got.

Which player with “no potential” has just been named Crystal Palace’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video below…

Had they put their visitors under half as much pressure as they did in the final stages during the rest of the game, then the result could have been different and at least Palace would have given a good account of themselves. Of course, it’s about finding a balance between ensuring defensive security and being a threat on the front foot, but Palace were unable to offer either.

Hodgson clearly knows the quality of the opposition but, having bested the champions at the Etihad Stadium last time the two sides met, the message should surely be that they can do it again, rather than to just ‘stay in the game as much as they can’.

Far too often have Palace rolled over for 80 minutes before finally giving it a go and Hodgson’s comments will surely leave a sour taste in the fans’ mouths.

It has been a disappointing season for Shinji Okazaki at Leicester City to say the least.

The 33-year-old has been forced to settle for a peripheral role under both Brendan Rodgers and his predecessor Claude Puel, which has not helped him in his quest for goals.

Okazaki has yet to find the back of the net in the Premier League this campaign and, according to The Telegraph, he is now set to leave the Foxes on a free transfer when his contract expires in the summer.

With the above in mind, now is probably a great time for the Japanese striker to move on.

And having registered an interest in him back in January (Independent), it would not be a surprise to see Crystal Palace make a move for the Leicester man as they look to address their issues up front.

Looking at Okazaki’s record in front of goal over the last few seasons, though, he may not be the solution to Crystal Palace’s problems.

The south London club desperately need a goalscorer to help out Wilfried Zaha in attack, and that is something Okazaki, who is valued at £4.5 million (as per Transfermarkt), has not been in England since arriving from Germany back in 2015.

If he is being brought in to play alongside another forward, like when he partnered Jamie Vardy up front in Leicester’s famous 2015/16 title-winning season to devastating effect, then Okazaki could yet be a clever piece of business.

But if not, then he is probably a No.9 the Eagles should be looking to stay away from come the summer.

It’s all set to be a massive summer for Chelsea as they club have plenty of big decisions hanging over them.

The futures of manager Mauro Sarri as well as superstar attacker Eden Hazard remain up in the air, and there is the impending transfer ban which looms over the club too.

However, Chelsea will no doubt be ploughing along with their plans in the hope of overturning any ban, and this week news has emerged that the club could be set to make a move for Lille winger Nicolas Pepe, who has been in fine form over in France the last 12 months.

Pepe certainly looks the part based on his stats and showings this season, and 19 goals this season along with 13 assists in the league tell a very impressive story.

However, the Blues would be wise to not put all their eggs in one basket so to speak, and we here in the Tavern feel splashing the reported £70m fee on Pepe could be a massive risk.

While there is little doubting his ability, where is the consistency in his game and proof over a number of seasons he is going to succeed? Chelsea need ready made players, and there’s every chance that Pepe isn’t quite ready to make the same impact in the Premier League just yet.

Add to this the fact the club have Callum Hudson-Odoi right under their noses, and it once again could be a big blow to the young talent at the Bridge who are hoping to be given a first team chance.

Pepe will no doubt get a move away from Lille and could well be a big success, but Chelsea should definitely tread a bit carefully if they are eyeing the 23-year-old as the next Eden Hazard.

[ad_pod ]Phil Hay has given rave reviews about Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings in the wake of his performance against Leeds United on Sunday.

Mings put in a fantastic defensive performance as Villa limited the chances that the opposition could create.

Mings’ performance

Due to the unique circumstances around the Whites’ only goal on Sunday, it can be argued that Aston Villa all but kept a clean sheet.

The Bournemouth loanee was impenetrable at the back making five clearances and blocking three shots . On top of this, the towering defender almost nicked all three points for Villa at the death but his goal-bound header was cleared off the line.

Mings performance clearly impressed Hay as he took to Twitter to share his thoughts.

The prolific Leeds United journalist tweeted: “Handy player he is. Very strong and quick, good on the ball.â€

Leeds should’ve signed him

The comments from Hay have prompted the question as to whether or not the Whites should have made a move for the Bournemouth man,Âand it is clear that the answer is a resounding yes.

The 26-year-old can play as both a left-back and a centre-back and considering Leeds’ current issues in both positions he would be an incredible option to have.

The Whites now have four left-backs out injured and on top of that Pontus Jansson is faltering in the middle.

6 ft 5 goliath provides an obvious aerial presence whilst also being good with the ball at his feet.

Hay summed up Mings’ attributes brilliantly. He has all the physical acumen needed to be a top-class centre-half whilst retaining a ball-playing ability.

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Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a potential swoop for Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele by AS, via Sport Witness.

The 22-year-old has emerged as a genuinely elite midfielder in Ligue 1 and has already played at the very highest level, featuring in all of the club’s Champions League games this campaign.

Indeed, he has played 91 times for the club in all competitions, while also winning four caps for world champions France.

Lyon have reportedly slapped a €100million (£86m) price-tag on his head, although that fee could come down to €70-80 million.

Either way it would take a staggering figure to prise him away from the Ligue 1 outfit.

Would it be worth it for Spurs as they look to reinforce their midfield? Football FanCast writers give their verdicts…

Jack Saville

“Ndombele could be Spurs’ best central midfielder since Modric. Yes, he’s that good. They are two different types of players but his excellent blend of technical prowess, defensive solidity and physical power would make Spurs the envy of the Premier League if they pulled off a major coup. It’s unlikely Levy would be tempted at £86 million but, in today’s climate, you’d have to say that he’s worth a figure in that ballpark.”

Matt Dawson

“For me, Ndombele would be the missing piece of the Spurs jigsaw. It’s clear the impact Moussa Dembele had on the team but since his departure, I don’t think Tottenham have really been able to settle on a consistent midfield. Ndombele would help solve this issue and also severely boost any hopes Spurs have of challenging for a title. There aren’t too many areas they need to improve on, and as such, the reported price tag shouldn’t be a concern at all. Pochettino must do everything he can to bring him to London.”

Luke Glanville

“We can clearly see that there are some areas in the Tottenham team that need to be strengthened. The departure of Moussa Dembele really hurt Spurs and as a result, the central midfield is one of them. However, blowing £86.1 million on Tanguy Ndombele would be absolute madness from Daniel Levy. The Lilywhites must look to fill that position from within and luckily, they have two players coming through the academy in Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp, who can help to do that. Mauricio Pochettino and those that help him with recruitment must realise this.”

Finishing third place in the League One table to set up a play-off semi-final clash against Doncaster Rovers, it has been a good season for Charlton Athletic.

And one player who has certainly played his part in making all of the above possible is Lyle Taylor.

The 29-year-old, who was recently named Charlton’s 2018/19 Player of the Year, has been in superb form this campaign, scoring 21 goals in English football’s third tier.

Bearing that in mind, it would not be a surprise to see some Championship clubs come in for him in the summer.

And should Charlton not have that status next season, a move could be inevitable. All things considered, Taylor now looks to have outgrown the division he is currently playing in.

Having established himself as a top League One centre-forward, the Montserrat international will undoubtedly now want to test himself at a higher level in a league such as the Championship, be it with or without Charlton.

After losing Karlan Grant to Huddersfield Town earlier on in the season, the last thing Lee Bowyer will want if he is still at the helm next term is to see another key forward depart.

But if the Addicks fail to win promotion, being forced to part ways with Taylor could become a real possibility.

Charlton fans, do you think your club can keep hold of Taylor this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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Should the Baggies navigate beyond their local rivals and progress at Wembley, they will have achieved a rare feat indeed in gaining promotion after sacking their manager three-quarters of the way through the season.

The dismissal of Darren Moore, an immensely popular figure at the Hawthorns, still chides with the controversial decision made after just three poor results and performances back in March and with West Brom firmly in the promotion reckoning.

Yet, such is the way football moves on that is all history now and in James Shan the Midlands club have a caretaker manager shrewd enough not to rip up the blueprint and instead seek to re-energise a talented squad. Under his watch Albion have picked up 19 points from a possible 30 and that has been enough to comfortably finish in the play-off spots with games to spare.

Much of this has been down to their attacking arsenal. Matty Phillips has consistently been one of the most under-rated performers outside of the top flight for several seasons and again the winger has shown up more times than not.

Up front, meanwhile, Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez have struck up a formidable partnership, firing home 45 goals between them with the former often coming in from a wide position to ensure they retain a 3-4-2-1 shape. As for Rodriguez, he was this week voted the 11th best player outside the Premier League by FourFourTwo.

They will need such firepower here as the Baggies venture to Villa Park for the first leg of their play-off semi-final and particularly as their veteran metronome Gareth Barry is missing. They will need their fair share of luck too.

That’s because under Dean Smith last season’s Play-Off Final losers look an even better prospect this time out. The Villans have lost only once since mid-February and that was to Norwich on the final day of the season, with key figures Jack Grealish, John McGinn, Tammy Abraham and Tyrone Mings all rested. It’s pertinent however to note who they lost to back in February – West Brom, at home.

“Finding a Lionel Messi in Sheffield… bit of a tall order!” – Watch Championship fans attempt to name their clubs’ Messi in the video below…

Even so, Villa are presently flying and will again look to Grealish to run the show with the 23-year-old being inspirational, exceptional and pivotal to his hometown club’s fortunes this term. There are obvious reasons why links with a Premier League move this summer continue to grow, per the Daily Mail.

That should not take anything away though from McGinn, his midfield partner-in-crime, who has equally been effective while up front Abraham’s 25 goals have proven vital.

All told Villa have clicked at just the right time and should be favoured here.

Overview  

Don’t discount set-pieces playing a large part in proceedings this Saturday and in the corresponding second leg next week. Aston Villa have scored more from corners and free-kicks – 24 – than anyone else in the Championship in 2018/19 while the visitors rank highly in aerial duels won.