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Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has pinpointed one key area which has made Celtic so impressive in the 2021/22 campaign so far. 

The lowdown: Domestic domination for Celtic?

Having relinquished a nine-year stranglehold on the Premiership title in 2021, the Hoops have regained their poise under Ange Postecoglou and appear to be heading towards a 52nd top-flight crown.

A mixture of smart recruitment at Parkhead, along with changes in personnel at Rangers, has meant that Celtic sit six points clear of their Glasgow rivals with five games to go, with the Scottish League Cup already in the bag too.

As the Bhoys prepare to do battle with their fiercest rivals in the Scottish Cup semi-finals, ex-Gers boss McLeish believes that the attacking prowess at Parkhead could ultimately be the deciding factor on Sunday…

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The latest: Too much firepower…

Speaking to Football Insider, the 63-year-old claimed that the wealth of options at Postecoglou’s disposal has been crucial to his success so far at Parkhead.

McLeish stated: “With Celtic, you don’t know where the next goal is going to come from. At Rangers, it’s ‘I wonder when Morelos or Roofe will get that chance’.

“That’s not the case at Celtic. There are five or six different goalscorers every week.

“The thing for Furuhashi is he will probably be wondering how he gets back in. I think he’ll either start or he will come on and that will bring the energy he has so much of. I think he’s ready for that.”

The verdict: Goals from everywhere

Going into the Hampden Park showdown, Celtic have nine players with five goals or more to their name this season, including Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Adaba and Jota with 10 or more.

In addition, January arrivals Matt O’Riley, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate have all hit the ground running in front of goal and will be staking a claim to start in Postecoglou’s side for the crunch semi-final.

Meanwhile, 16-goal top scorer Furuhashi will certainly be in line to make a first start since Boxing Day as Giorgos Giakoumakis faces a race against time due to a hamstring injury.

It’s little wonder, then, that McLeish is in awe of the attacking options at Postecoglou’s disposal.

In other news, one pundit has reaced to Ange Postecoglou’s transfer claim. Find out more here.

West Ham may have missed a trick as mooted summer target Divock Origi continued his fine recent form this week…

What was the word?

Throughout the transfer window, the Liverpool fringe star was linked with a switch to the London Stadium, with one of the most reliable Irons insiders talking up their interest.

According to ExWHUemployee back in early August, the hardly-seen 29-cap Belgian forward was a potential target for David Moyes late in the summer but ultimately, the east Londoners would not go onto sign any striker whatsoever.

One that got away?

With Jurgen Klopp needing to rotate his Reds’ side, Origi has been gifted some rare opportunities to impress.

The £10.8m-rated frontman started and provided an assist in their Champions League group stage win over AC Milan and then scored and assisted against Norwich City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening.

As explained by Football FanCast after the match, Origi was a real star of the show for Klopp and the Merseyside giants – not only did he contribute on the scoresheet but he also turned provider, also creating two key passes.

West Ham’s need for frontline additions is no secret. They have been without depth in the position since last January when the Hammers hierarchy sanctioned the exit of club-record flop Sebastien Haller to Ajax.

It left Moyes with a historically injury-prone Michail Antonio, who on his day is certainly one of the best finishers in the English top-flight, but he cannot do it all and he definitely cannot do it all across as many as four competitions.

He needs a rest from time to time, especially given his sketchy injury record.

Perhaps Origi was the solution they were crying out for.

Last week, Klopp revealed his shock at the lack of interest in his backup forward. He told BT Sport (via Sky Sports):

“[Divock] played a beautiful game. People forget how good he is, it’s difficult to get into this team.

“In the summer transfer window we all thought there would be a proper offer for him, but obviously people don’t watch football enough. He’s a sensational striker and he did really well today.”

Once hailed as a “monster” by Man City legend Vincent Kompany, it certainly seems as if the Irons were one of the teams to miss out on the untapped exploits of the forgotten Liverpool striker this summer.

AND in other news, Moyes has played a blinder over “unplayable” West Ham gem, his value has increased 50%…

Kurt Zouma is one step closer to becoming a West Ham United player…

What’s the word?

According to ExWHUemployee, the Chelsea centre-back is expected to undergo a medical within the next day or two and it comes after a €30m (£26m) fee was agreed for the 26-year-old.

“The club now believe that they can get the medical completed within the next 24-48 hours,” he told ‘The West Ham Way’ Patreon page.

“There are a few steps to go plus obvious medical. The deal is now more advanced than the [Nikola] Milenkovic one ever was. Let’s hope we finally get an outfield deal over the line. As soon as I hear it’s complete, I will post.

“I have been told that not only does [David] Moyes feel he is securing his number one target, a top-quality centre back but also a very good lad who will settle into the changing room superbly and be part of the great team spirit that has been created.”

Imminent arrival

Much of the London Stadium faithful have been crying out for West Ham to sign Zouma this summer.

When reports first emerged linking the Irons to the France international, many could not contain their excitement – for example, one supporter claimed “what a signing” it would be, whilst another suggested it was a “big upgrade” on Craig Dawson, as relayed by Hammers.News.

This is hugely understandable as Moyes let Fabian Balbuena run down his contract at the end of last season, so there’s a place in the squad for the 26-year-old.

He’ll surely slot right in given his experience.

Zouma has played over 200 times across the Premier League and in Europe, and last season, none of Moyes’ current options – Issa Diop, Angelo Ogbonna and Dawson – could match his impressive returns.

Via WhoScored, the £28.8m-rated colossus won a whopping 3.6 aerial duels per game and only three other centre-backs in the whole league were better with the ball at his feet, having averaged a 90.6% passing accuracy.

Premier League legend John Terry also once hailed him a “beast of a player”, which is a huge glowing endorsement on his ability, and if that doesn’t provide further encouragement to why the Hammers are receiving a top-quality player, then nothing will.

The Irons faithful are surely buzzing by this latest development from Ex as it means Zouma is very close to becoming a West Ham player.

AND in other news, talkSPORT’s Jim White drops huge West Ham transfer claim…

Celtic may have signed 12 new first-team players during the course of the summer but Ange Postecoglou’s squad is already depleted down to its barebones.

The Hoops have suffered a number of injury blows over the last few weeks with Kyogo Furuhashi now ruled out for over a month.

Giorgos Giakoumakis is also missing due to a lack of fitness and now Greg Taylor will have to undergo surgery on a shoulder problem.

Liel Abada will be absent from the game with Real Betis on Thursday evening due to religious reasons but Postecoglou has now been rocked with another big setback.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the manager admitted that Callum McGregor would miss the encounter in Spain, citing a “knock.”

It remains to be seen how long the skipper will be out for but in a game of this magnitude, he will be a massive miss for Celtic for a whole host of reasons.

First and foremost, Postecoglou is likely to be gutted because he loses his captain and the man who really sets the tone in the middle of the park.

Though, McGregor’s influence extends far beyond his leadership qualities.

He has experience at international level and has performed admirably in big games over the last few months.

The midfielder scored for Scotland against Croatia at the European Championships, found the net against Midtjylland in the Champions League qualifiers and also shone for his country in a remarkable win over Austria during the last international break.

McGregor has been nothing short of exceptional this season and his ability to disrupt the play would have been crucial against Betis.

The Spanish side may sit ninth in La Liga but they have enjoyed the third-highest average (61.5%) for possession in the league.

No player in Celtic’s midfield has managed more tackles – 1.4 per game – than McGregor this term which only exacerbates the blow at hand.

Postecoglou will be able to choose from Ismaila Soro and James McCarthy as his replacements but the latter is yet to start a game for Celtic since signing in the summer.

Consequently, he may not last the entire game in Seville this evening.

AND in other news, Desmond could land dream McKay successor at Celtic in “respected” 58 y/o CEO…

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers face off against Hearts at Ibrox today in a huge clash at the top of the Premiership table.

A win for the home side would see them move four points clear at the top, whilst a defeat would see them drop down to second with the Jam Tarts overtaking them.

The Gers beat third-placed Hibernian 2-1 prior to the international break, as Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos’ second half goals secured the three points.

How many changes will Gerrard make to the team from that victory? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three changes to the side from the win over Hibs, with Jon McLaughlin, James Tavernier and Kemar Roofe all returning.

Firstly, we believe that McLaughlin will line up between the sticks. We published an article explaining why veteran shot-stopper Allan McGregor must be axed by Gerrard for this clash, and the former Liverpool captain could heed that advice and go with the 34-year-old today.

At right-back, captain Tavernier could return in place of Nathan Patterson. The teenage defender provided an assist against Hibernian and recorded a SofaScore rating of 7.6, which is why this is a difficult call to make. However, the experience (more than 300 appearances for Rangers) and leadership of Tavernier in a crunch game like this could be crucial for the Gers.

In midfield, Joe Aribo, Glen Kamara and John Lundstram could retain their places in the middle of the park. We published a piece detailing Steven Davis’ woes for Northern Ireland on international duty, which is why he could be watching on from the bench for today’s clash.

Finally, Roofe could come in for Scott Wright to line up on the left of the front three, with Morelos through the middle and Ianis Hagi out on the right. The former Leeds striker came off the bench and scored against Hibernian and we previously discussed why he deserves to start.

Wright and Hagi both caught the eye against Hibs and it is not an easy call on who to drop out of the pair. However, the latter created five chances in comparison to Wright’s four and that gives him the edge for this match, with the Romanian keeping his place in the side.

AND in other news, Wilson must avoid Rangers nightmare over “unique” beast compared to Yaya Toure…

Morgan Rogers is reportedly one of the names that Manchester City could look to sell this summer as they try and fund a move for Harry Kane, which could prove to be a huge mistake in the future given his obvious potential.

What’s the word?

According to ESPN, City are pushing ahead in their efforts to sign the Tottenham Hotspur striker this summer and believe that they can raise more than £50m through the sales of fringe players, with Rogers named as one of those who could depart.

The 19-year-old was signed from West Brom in a deal reportedly worth £4m when he was just 16 but is yet to make a first team appearance for the Citizens.

In 25 appearances for the under-23s, the versatile forward contributed an impressive six goals and four assists, before joining Lincoln City on loan in League One for the second half of last season.

He established himself as a regular in Michael Appleton’s side, managing six goals and four assists in 28 appearances and helping the Imps to the play-off final, where they ultimately lost out against Blackpool in their bid to earn promotion to the Championship.

Will Man City regret selling him?

After his excellent performances in the third tier, it is no surprise that he has attracted interest from the Championship and Premier League this summer, with Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace among those reportedly interest in signing him.

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It seems from ESPN’s report that Man City are aiming to make a quick profit on Rogers this summer in order to raise funds, but that is poor long-term planning by the club, as the 19-year-old seems to have a huge future and hasn’t ever been given an opportunity in City’s first team.

Lincoln City reporter Ben Robinson sang the teenager’s praises during his loan spell at Sincil Bank last season, saying: “His goals against Ipswich Town and Crewe Alexandra show the threat he carries at such a young age.

“His vision on the ball is outstanding too, and him and Brennan were up there as the best wide players on their day last season.”

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It is worrying that City are willing to sacrifice some of their top young talents in order to afford a move for Kane, as it is a decision which could definitely come back to bite them in the future.

In other news… Guardiola can unleash Man City’s next Sane in “incredible” academy gem

‘Celtic have knocked back an approach’ from Serie A side Udinese for centre-back Stephen Welsh, according to Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph. 

The lowdown

Welsh came through the youth ranks at Celtic and has now played 41 senior games for The Hoops.

He’s featured nine times in the Scottish Premiership this season, including back-to-back starts prior to the winter break, and eight times in European competition (including qualifiers).

The 21-year-old is thought to earn £3,600 per week and is valued at around £1.3million by Transfermarkt.

The latest

‘It’s understood’ that Udinese approached Celtic over taking Welsh on loan with an option to buy, Joseph reports for Sky,

However, ‘Celtic are keen’ to keep hold of him and they’ve rebuffed the interest.

Joseph points out that Welsh signed a new four-year contract as recently as April 2021.

The verdict

It’s no surprise that Celtic are reluctant to potentially lose Welsh. The Scottish Under-21 international could well establish himself as a key player at Parkhead in the coming years if he continues to improve.

He’s performed reasonably well when called upon this season, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.1/10 and winning just shy of 60 per cent of his duels overall.

The ‘excellent’ Welsh, hailed as such by pundit Paul John Dykes, will hope that he can earn even more frequent starting opportunities from Ange Postecoglou in the second half of the campaign.

In other news, a fresh update has emerged on an attacking target.

Celtic have started negotiations regarding a deal to bring Reo Hatate to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claimed that the Bhoys’ acting chief executive Michael Nicholson has initiated talks regarding a move for the Kawasaki Frontale left-back, who will become a free agent upon the expiry of his current contract with the J-League side on January 31.

A further report by the Daily Record suggested that the 23-year-old’s move to Celtic could all but be confirmed, as the defender appeared to be bidding fans an emotional goodbye during his team’s recent title celebrations in Japan.

He’s what Celtic are missing

While the emergence of 19-year-old Adam Montgomery and the impressive form of right-back Josip Juranovic playing out of position on the left have somewhat covered for Greg Taylor’s long-term injury at left-back, the fact remains that the position is something of a problem area for Ange Postecoglou.

Considering just how impressive Hatate has been for Kawasaki Frontale this season, the 23-year-old would appear to be exactly the type of player Celtic are missing on the left-hand side of their backline.

Indeed, over his 26 J-League appearances this term, the £720k-rated left-back scored four goals, registered two assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 1.9 shots and making one key pass per game.

The player who Opta analyst Sacha Pisani claimed “has a rocket of a left foot” also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, averaging 1.4 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 52.3 passes and winning 5.5 duels per match.

As such, with Hatate seemingly a defender equally as adept going forwards as he is solid at the back, he would indeed appear to make a fantastic prospective addition to the Celtic squad this January, particularly on a free transfer.

In other news: Forget Jota & Kyogo: “Quality” Celtic gem who made five key passes ran the show on Thursday

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Glasgow Rangers side head into Sunday’s Premiership clash knowing that they simply must secure all three points if they are to give themselves any chance of retaining their domestic crown this season.

Indeed, with their Glasgow arch-rivals currently leading by nine points in the league, the Light Blues cannot afford any slip-ups if they are to push the table-toppers as far as possible over the remaining five games of the 2021/22 campaign after today’s clash.

As such, while a trip to Stephen Robinson’s 10th-placed St Mirren should not cause the Europa League quarter-finalists too many problems, Van Bronckhorst must nevertheless ensure that he gets his team selection spot-on against the Buddies in order to secure victory.

While it is true Leon Balogun had something of a shocker in the 1-0 defeat to Sporting Braga last time out, it would appear as if Fashion Sakala is the most likely candidate for the chop on Sunday afternoon, as the 25-year-old well and truly fluffed his big chance leading the line for Rangers on Thursday.

Van Bronckhorst must axe Sakala

Indeed, over his 62 minutes on the pitch in Portugal, the centre-forward cost his side dearly through his wastefulness in front of goal and extremely poor hold-up play. The £3.6m-rated striker missed the target with both of his shots at goal – one of which was deemed a big chance – completed just three of his seven attempted passes and enjoyed just 20 touches of the ball.

The £10k-per-week forward also lost all 10 of his duels, committed two fouls, was flagged offside once and lost possession 11 times, meaning he gave the ball away with every 1.8 touches. These returns saw the 25-year-old earn a hugely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.1.

Furthermore, the Daily Record’s Andrew Newport also awarded the Zambia international a five in his own player ratings, stating of the centre-forward’s display: “Given the unenviable task of filling Alfredo Morelos’ boots but missed two huge chances to give Rangers the lead. Hold-up play was hopeless.”

As such, with Rangers needing to ensure that they take their chances on Sunday afternoon, Van Bronckhorst simply must axe Sakala from his starting XI, as the player who Tom Stoltman claimed “doesn’t cut it” could very well end up costing his side their Premiership crown against St Mirren.

AND in other news: Van Bronckhorst can axe £10k-p/w liability as Rangers eye “frightening” £8.4k-p/w “bag of tricks”

Sharing transfer news out of Tottenham Hotspur, journalist Michael Bridge of Sky Sports has dropped an update on the Lilywhites’ pursuit of Sofyan Amrabat.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye move…

Before Tottenham reliably closed in on the signings of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus (Sky Sports), it was believed that transfer chief Fabio Paratici had his eye firmly on Fiorentina’s midfielder.

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Reports even suggested that the Lilywhites had reached an agreement for Amrabat as Antonio Conte set his sights on midfield additions.

Sharing news out of Spurs, Bridge has revealed the latest update involving the Morocco star.

The Latest: Bridge shares Amrabat update…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, revealing what he knows, the Sky Sports reporter believes that the big development on Bentancur and Kulusevski has had an impact on this transfer. Indeed, he says that Amrabat will not join the Lilywhites this January.

When asked if a Spurs move for the Moroccan is now off the cards, he responded: “That’s what I’m told. I think Amrabat was someone who they knew they could get as a Plan B, so that looks like it’s not happening now.”

The Verdict: Big loss?

As Bentancur, who shone at the 2018 World Cup, reportedly makes his way to N17, we believe Amrabat isn’t exactly a big loss despite former Palermo sporting director Rino Foschi calling him a ‘bargain’ player.

As the alternative, Bentancur has averaged an impressive 2.8 tackles per 90 in the Champions League this season, the joint-most out of any Juventus player in the competition (WhoScored), and we think it is clear that the Uruguay international is a more than adequate choice for Conte’s midfield.

In other news: Spurs now prepared to pay £49.8m release clause for 54-cap star! Find out more here.