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Celtic suffered a heavy 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, and one player has come under fire more than others in the media.

Borussia Dortmund 7-1 Celtic

Brendan Rodgers’ side travelled to Germany looking to maintain their unbeaten run in all competitions but were quickly behind after a penalty from Emre Can. However, the Hoops quickly equalised thanks to Daizen Maeda, following a sublime cross from summer signing Arne Engels.

It looked as if would be an entertaining game after a frantic first 10 minutes, however, the hosts soon took control and ran away with proceedings, with Karim Adeyemi hitting a first-half hat-trick.

Speaking after the game, Rodgers admitted he won’t change his side’s approach going forward: “Will we camp in and just wait? No, we won’t do that. We know it’ll be difficult at times. Tonight, we just gave it away too easy and we got punished.

“We went in high in confidence, we felt we were in a really good place. We had to start much better as we gave away really cheap goals. And we got punished for loose bits of play and passes. They were ruthless in their finishing. It’s very difficult for us to get to that level. It’s a different level, with the greatest respect. We want to be more competitive. My job is to go away and inspire the players again. We need to learn from it or we will get punished at this level.”

Following the final whistle, the Celtic player ratings from both The Daily Record and The Scotsman were shared, and although there weren’t many high scorers, one player was near or at the bottom of the pile.

Celtic defender Greg Taylor slammed for first-half display

Left-back Greg Taylor only lasted 45 minutes before being replaced at the interval by Alex Valle. The Scotsman gave Taylor a 2/10 rating and said: “A torrid evening for the left-back, part of a backline that was brutally exposed. Came off for Alex Valle at the break.”

Meanwhile, The Daily Record gave him a 3/10 and also said he was exposed in Germany. “The left back often has the finger pointed at him at this level and it’s a position many believe an upgrade is require to really compete in the Champions League. Exposed here and hooked at half time.”

The £15,000-a-week left-back was actually Celtic’s worst-rated performer on the evening, as per SofaScore, recording a match rating of 5.6/10. Statistically, Taylor struggled as well, losing possession 11 times in the opening 45 minutes, just under every five minutes. He failed to make a tackle, interception, clearance or block a shot and lost his only ground duel of the night.

Coming up against Adeyemi who bagged a hat-trick in the opening half, it was no surprise to see Taylor taken off so early on, and it’ll be interesting if he keeps his place in the starting line-up against Ross County this weekend.

A poacher's finish, Sargent found the back of the net off a set piece to help take all three points

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• Josh Sargent scores winner for Norwich
• Canaries win 1-0
• Second-straight match with goal for USMNT forward

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Norwich defeated Watford 1-0 in the English Championship Saturday morning, with U.S. international Josh Sargent scoring a close-range effort 41 minutes into the match off a set piece to secure all three points for

  After Norwich were awarded a free kick just outside the 18-yard-box, Emiliano Marcondes' effort was blocked by the wall, only for the to pounce again with a follow-up that was saved, only for the ball to arrive at the boot of Sargent who tapped home.

  It was his third goal in the last two matches he has played, as the American appears to be finding his shooting boots once again after being sidelined through November and December with injury.

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• WATCH THE MOMENT

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sargent is now the only fit forward between him, Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun ahead of the USMNT's CONCACAF Nations League semifinal matches this March, meaning he could be playing a big role for the national team in just over a month.

  In October, he started both matches during the international period for the U.S., with those games serving as Mauricio Pochettino's first matches in charge of the program. However, he missed the November came to injury.

  Pepi recently suffered an unknown knee injury against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League, while Balogun is still recovering from shoulder surgery and is not expected to be back until April.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  During the 2023-24 season, Sargent scored 16 goals and recorded two assists for Norwich.

The less said about Tottenham’s horrific 3-2 defeat to Brighton the better, right? Quite. Either way, Spurs did enter this international break off the back of a mini-revival.

Prior to that meeting on the South Coast, Ange Postecoglou’s men had won five games on the spin after being defeated by rivals Arsenal.

Brennan Johnson has been a sizeable part of that, and in a good way too, with the former Nottingham Forest man scoring six games in a row for the Lilywhites.

It marks quite the turnaround for the Welshman who was forced to deactivate his social media accounts after receiving vile abuse for his poor display in the north London derby.

Did his fortunes continue for Wales over the break? You bet it did.

Brennan Johnson's performances for Wales

The fear when a player heads off on international duty for their country is colossal. They will either get injured or it’ll mark the end of an impressive run of form.

Well, although Johnson was injured during Wales’ 2-2 draw with Iceland last Friday night, the Spurs winger did get on the scoresheet again to make it seven goals in seven matches.

It’s safe to say he is rampant right now, although he won’t score many easier goals than the one against the Icelandic national side last week.

Harry Wilson fired an effort towards goal that was saved and then clawed off the line by the goalkeeper. Who was waiting? Johnson, of course, who tapped the ball home from a matter of yards out.

Sadly, the bad news was that he only played 45 minutes in the match and was withdrawn as a ‘precaution’ due to injury.

It’s unknown whether he’ll be fit to face West Ham at the weekend but Postecoglou will be keeping all his fingers and toes crossed that the winger is fit and firing. He has been vital this term.

Despite Johnson’s goal, it wasn’t all plain sailing for Spurs players over the break, something Micky van de Ven will testify to.

Micky van de Ven's performances for Netherlands

The Dutchman started the Netherlands’ 1-1 draw with Hungary last week at left-back where defensively he put in a strong performance, winning four duels, completing 97% of his passes and amassing 112 touches.

That said, unlike that infamous assist against Manchester United a few weeks ago, he did not offer much going forward having failed to register a single attempted cross or key pass.

Matters can’t have been helped by Virgil van Dijk’s red card in the clash but that moment did present the defender with a massive opportunity against Germany on Monday night.

Due to the Liverpool star’s suspension, it meant that Van de Ven started at centre-back but it’s safe to say he didn’t leave too many impressed.

The stats actually suggest that the Tottenham ace had an impressive night, completing 91% of his passes and winning three of his four duels, but he was slightly at fault for the goal. He failed to clear a corner, merely handing the ball straight to Stuttgart’s Jamie Leweling who lashed home a thunderous strike.

Van de Ven was subsequently handed a 4.5/10 match rating by Dutch publication Football Oranje, who wrote: ‘Where was the strong, confident Van de Ven that we see at Tottenham? He froze in the centre and was guilty of constant ball loss’.

Former Tottenham star Rafael van de Vaart wasn’t too complimentary either, stating on punditry after the game: “Micky van de Ven.. it’s all well and good but he ain’t no Virgil van Dijk, of course we miss him.”

So, perhaps he’s actually better at left-back? Time will tell, of course, but he’s certainly been an excellent asset for Spurs in the centre of defence.

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The Reds need to put their Merseyside frustration behind them against Wolves on Sunday and playing with a proper centre-forward would help

Arne Slot summed it up perfectly. When asked about his dismissal after the full-time whistle at Goodison Park on Wednesday night, the Liverpool manager replied, "My emotions got the better of me." Which was understandable, of course. He wasn't the only person to lose their head after a chaotic conclusion to a "mental" Merseyside derby – Slot's assistant Sipke Hulshoff and midfielder Curtis Jones also saw red.

However, the Dutchman was understandably disappointed with himself because of the way in which he expressed his frustration with Michael Oliver's horribly inept handling of the 2-2 draw with Everton. "I should have acted differently," Slot told reporters on Friday. "It is an emotional sport and sometimes individuals with emotions make the wrong decisions. That is definitely what I did. I would have loved to do it differently if I could go back. I hope to do it differently next time as well."

Of course, Liverpool's legion supporters will be hoping that there won't be anymore flash points involving Slot or his players between now and the end of the Premier League season. The Reds let their emotions get the better of them last year and that played a big role in the mental and physical fatigue which led to their late collapse. This, then, is a time for cool heads – and some serious thought on what Slot should do to ensure Liverpool maintain their seven-point lead at the top of the table.

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  History repeating itself?

  As Everton fans revelled in pointing out, Liverpool effectively lost the league at Goodison last April after putting in a performance so poor that then-manager Jurgen Klopp felt compelled to apologise to the fans. However, as the German acknowledged himself, the real damage had been done at Old Trafford.

  On March 17, Liverpool were beaten 4-3 at Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. The shock exit shouldn't have affected the title challenge – but it did. Badly.

  Klopp admitted that losing a derby that they should have won easily felt like "a catastrophe" to the players and it was clear during the subsequent 2-2 draw with United in the league three weeks later that they still weren't over it.

  "We lost more in that [FA Cup] game than the game itself," Klopp later admitted. "It didn't help at all."

  The natural fear is that another bitterly frustrating 2-2 draw coming so soon after a Cup loss to a poor team (Plymouth Argyle in this latest instance) could send Liverpool careering out of control once again.

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  Diaz up top no longer working

  The Reds were certainly rattled at Goodison – even before Abdoulaye Doucoure elected to wind up the away fans – and it was telling that Harvey Elliott admitted afterwards that, from the players' perspective, it was a draw that felt like a defeat.

  So, with Wolves up next at Anfield on Sunday, Liverpool would appear to have an ideal fixture to help them immediately put Wednesday behind them ahead of two of their toughest remaining fixtures: Aston Villa and Manchester City away.

  No matter whom Slot selects, one would imagine that the Reds will have far too much firepower for a team currently sitting 17th in the standings, just two points above the drop zone.

  However, it feels imperative that he restores one of his recognised centre-forwards to the starting line-up as it's become clear that deploying Luis Diaz as a No.9 is no longer working.

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  A masterstroke against Leverkusen but…

  Arne Slot's decision to play Diaz through the middle in the Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen in November proved a masterstroke, with the Colombian scoring three times in Liverpool's rousing 4-0 win over Xabi Alonso's side.

  However, even Slot admitted he was surprised at just how well it worked out, while he also acknowledged that it was never meant to be a long-term strategy.

  Slot simply felt it was the best option at that time, in that particular game, because Diogo Jota was out injured and he also felt that Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah "prefers to play against a target man".

  Diaz as the 'false nine' has subsequently worked well against Spurs, West Ham and arguably also Manchester City. However, the former Porto player's dramatic drop in output has become impossible to ignore.

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  The frustrating final product

  The one frustration with Diaz since he arrived at Anfield has been his end product. He proved himself a real livewire from the moment he signed in January 2022 but there was always the feeling that if the best dribbler at the club could increase the accuracy of his crossing and finishing, he'd be unstoppable.

  There were signs at the start of the current campaign that he was on the cusp of doing precisely that, at least in terms of adding goals to his game.

  Slot and his coaching staff concentrated a lot of time and effort on getting Diaz to get himself into more dangerous positions in the area during pre-season – and the hard work initially looked set to pay off, with the winger netting five times in Liverpool's first five Premier League games.

  However, he's managed just three since (and two of those came in the same game, the 6-3 rout of Tottenham).

  Diaz is still well on track to surpass last season's tally of 13 goals in all competitions (he currently has 12) – but he's yet to score or assist in 2025 despite starting the past six league games up front.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney do not want players seeking “PR” at Wrexham, with Ben Foster revealing the pre-contract warning that he received.

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• Hollywood co-owners calling the shots
• Players must buy into ambitious project
• Ex-England keeper embraced mentality

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Manchester United and England goalkeeper stepped out of retirement in March 2023 when agreeing a surprising switch to SToK Racecourse. The club's Hollywood co-owners, along with manager Phil Parkinson, were able to talk him into donning a pair of gloves again.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It was, however, made clear to Foster before he signed that he should not commit to the project in North Wales if he was not fully invested and merely wanted to experience some of the A-list glamour that Reynolds and McElhenney bring to the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series.

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  WHAT BEN FOSTER SAID

  Foster, who helped Wrexham to the National League title before retiring again early in the 2023-24 League Two campaign, has told the latest edition of : "I was properly on the back foot at nearly 40 years old when I had Phil Parkinson grilling me. He was very clear with me and very honest. He said, listen, if you’re coming here just for a bit of PR, then that’s not what we’re looking for. It’s not going to work."

  Foster added: "If you’re coming here to work hard and help get us over the line, then this can be something. As soon as I heard those words, and I looked into his eyes, I thought that this is serious business here. I liked it."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Foster earned the trust of Parkinson and Co, with one memorable penalty save against Notts County making him a cult hero at Wrexham, but he walked away when accepting that another step up into the EFL was too much for him. The Red Dragons are now flying high in League One and chasing down a third successive promotion.

Arsenal were dealt some very worrying news on Saturday, with England confirming that winger Bukayo Saka has withdrawn from international duty through injury.

Bukayo Saka returns to Arsenal after England injury

The Three Lions’ humiliation at the hands of Greece wasn’t the only sorry sight for on-looking Arsenal supporters on Thursday, as fans were given a reason to fear the worst when Saka was substituted early in the second half with pain in his right leg.

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Any hope that this was just a precaution is now blown to the wind, as England announced today that Saka has returned to Arsenal for an assessment on his injury.

The north Londoners – who have already seen Martin Odegaard, Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Jesus, Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kai Havertz and Kieran Tierney injured at various points this season – now face the prospect of being without Saka for an extended period.

During the last international break, Arsenal lost club captain Odegaard through ankle ligament damage, and they now sweat over the fitness of star winger Saka, who is absolutely imperative for manager Mikel Arteta.

There is optimism that Havertz will be available for Bournemouth in their next Premier League game after the makeshift striker withdrew from international duty for Germany. In any case, you could spare a penny for Arteta’s thoughts right now, given he’s in danger of losing two star players through injury over the last two international breaks.

It is too early to say just how long the £195,000-per-week star will be out for or whether he’s even a doubt for Bournemouth, but Saka appeared to pull his hamstring against Greece – so there is reason to believe it could be serious.

In the build-up to this news, Arsenal have been linked with signing a backup option who can come in for Saka when required, and it is believed the Gunners have their eye on Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

Arsenal chiefs view Semenyo as Saka alternative

According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal view Semenyo as an alternative to Saka, with Arteta a personal admirer of the former Bristol City star.

The 24-year-old – who’s started this season in impressive fashion with three goals and an assist across eight games in all competitions – has been praised for his form by teammates and pundits alike.

“As a team, we knew the quality he has and we saw that last year,” said teammate Lewis Cook at the start of October.

“He’s got to just keep working hard – being aggressive and being clinical. He’s got a lot better at running back and helping out the team too. He’s a powerful lad and has all the ability in the world. Hopefully, he can continue to show that.”

While this transfer would most likely be for next summer, it is clear that Arsenal need quality options in case star men like Saka become unavailable. Semenyo could fit the bill in this regard, with Jamie Redknapp also praising the Ghanaian this season.

“He’s a lovely footballer to watch,” said Redknapp on Premier League Productions.

“The manager’s taken him to another level, he obviously has that capability because you saw it with Solanke. I’m just seeing him elevate his game right now, we’ll talk about ‘why does that happen?’, a lot of it is purely on confidence.

“He looks like he’s enjoying his football, his shoulders are back, he’s relaxed, every time he gets it, he plays with a bit of a swagger. He’s actually a joy to watch right now.”

West Ham United have endured a tricky start to the new Premier League campaign under boss Julen Lopetegui, often failing to hit the heights many anticipated them to in pre-season.

The Hammers saw a massive overhaul of the playing squad, with nine first-team additions during the off-season, spending upwards of £120m on new talent to take the side to the next level.

However, in the first nine league outings of 2024/25, the Spaniard’s men have only won three times, currently sitting in 13th place and just a couple of places above the relegation zone.

Players such as Guido Rodriguez, Max Kilman and Niclas Füllkrug all arrived at the London Stadium, with hopes of returning the club towards European contention.

The latter has only featured for 63 minutes in the league, suffering an injury and failing to make an impact after his £27m move from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.

One player has shown glimpses of his talent, with his most recent outing for the Irons his best during his short stint in East London.

Crysencio Summerville’s stats for West Ham

Despite huge interest from various sides all over Europe, West Ham won the race for the signature of winger Crysencio Summerville from Championship side Leeds United.

The 22-year-old cost the Hammers £25m before add-ons, with real expectations of providing that added quality in attacking areas, but he’s often struggled in recent months.

He’s often found himself behind Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus in the pecking order, featuring for just 215 minutes in the Premier League.

However, after Kudus’ dismissal against rivals Tottenham Hotspur a couple of weeks ago, he could’ve been handed a rare start against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.

Lopetegui opted with Carlos Soler in a wide role instead, but Summerville was given the opportunity to impress off the substitutes’ bench – taking his chance with both hands.

The Dutchman scored the opener, helping the Irons secure a victory over the Red Devils, subsequently resulting in Erik ten Hag losing his job over the last couple of days.

However, he still earns less than one player who cost the club an arm and a leg during his unsuccessful stint at the London Stadium.

The man who earned more than Summerville at West Ham

Striker Sebastian Haller arrived at West Ham with high expectations after his £45m transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer of 2019 under Manuel Pellegrini – a deal that still remains as a club record.

However, the Ivorian’s time in East London never lived up to the hype, scoring just 14 times in his two full seasons as a Hammer, before departing the club.

The 30-year-old would join Ajax in a £20m deal, a move which saw them lose £25m in a two-year period, further showing how much of a poor deal it was in hindsight.

Haller’s transfer fee was bad enough, but the forward pocketed himself £75k-per-week during his time at the London Stadium, one of the highest figures during the 2019/20 campaign.

His subsequent weekly income saw him earn over two times more than current first-team ace Summerville, who only earns £30k-per-week despite his big-money transfer this summer.

When combining Haller’s wages during his time in the Premier League along with his transfer fee, he cost the club a staggering £52.8m – which worked out to around £3.7m per goal he scored.

Given the staggering money spent, the deal was a complete disaster, undoubtedly burning a hole in the club’s finances.

The hierarchy undoubtedly made the right call in offloading the striker when they did, preventing them from losing any more money on their club-record investment.

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By
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Oct 28, 2024

Al-Ittihad fans exhibited creativity with a Kendrick Lamar-inspired tifo during the club's 4-1 win over Al-Hilal.

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• Fans showed off Kendrick Lamar-inspired tifo
• Tifo read 'Not like us'
• Al-Ittihad thrashed Al-Hilal 4-1

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Marcos Leandro handed reigning champions Al-Hilal the lead in the 23rd minute but Al-Ittihad came back strongly in the match and eventually secured a thumping 4-1 win. Hassan Kadesh scored the equaliser for Laurent Blanc's side before former Tottenham Hotspur forward Steven Bergwijn scored a brace. Karim Benzema then netted the fourth goal for his side in the 86th minute to seal a memorable win.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Right before kick-off at King Abdullah Sports City, the home fans held up an incredible Kendrick Lamar-inspired tifo with the words 'Not Like Us' written. It was a tribute to the famous American rapper, whose Drake diss track 'Not Like Us' has surged in popularity since the Super Bowl and has also earned the number one slot in the UK singles chart.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  With the crucial win on Saturday, Al-Ittihad are now the favourites to reclaim the Saudi Pro League title as they increased their lead over second-placed Al-Hilal to seven points. It now looks unlikely that Cristiano Ronaldo Al-Nassr will win the league title in the 2024-25 campaign as the gap with Benzema's side increased to 11 points.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR AL-ITTIHAD?

  Benzema and Co will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on Al-Khaleej in a Saudi Pro League clash.

Former England star Jermaine Jenas has split from his wife Ellie Penfold after almost two decades of marriage.

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• Jenas split from his wife after 16 years of marriage
• Pundit was sacked by BBC after sexting scandal
• Returned to punditry last month

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Penford took to Instagram to share the news of her split from Jenas, just six months after the former Spurs player was sacked by the BBC for sending inappropriate messages to two female colleagues. The broadcaster conducted an international investigation and subsequently terminated his £190,000-a-year contract.

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• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  On Instagram, addressing her followers, Penfold wrote: "I never imagined I would have to share something so personal with the public, but given the situation, I feel it's necessary. After 16 years together and 4 wonderful children, Jermaine and I have decided to part ways. We will remain friends and continue to co-parent. We kindly ask that you respect our children's privacy during this challenging time. Thank you, Ellie."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After being removed from the BBC's presenting team, Jenas apologised for his mistake. He said: "I am ashamed, and I am deeply sorry. I have let myself down, my family, friends and colleagues down, and I owe everyone an apology – especially the women with whom I was messaging. I am so, so sorry."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JERMAINE JENAS?

  The 42-year-old returned to punditry duties last month and was part of talkSPORT's commentary team for the Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur FA Cup fourth round clash.

Philippe Clement may have breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Nedim Bajrami’s deflected effort had found the back of the net for Glasgow Rangers at Hampden Park on Sunday.

The Light Blues came from behind to secure a 2-1 win in the semi-final of the League Cup against Motherwell, having been 1-0 down at half-time in the match.

Goals from Cyriel Dessers and Bajrami in the second half ensured that the Gers will have a chance to defend their crown against Celtic in the final next month.

The League Cup is the only trophy that Clement has won in his tenure at Ibrox so far, lifting the trophy by beating Aberdeen in the final last season, and he is now looking to make it two from two in the competition.

Winning the first trophy of the season could give him a massive boost amid plenty of speculation over his position as the manager of the Scottish giants.

Philippe Clement's position at Rangers

Daily Mail writer Gary Keown recently published an article stating that pressure is growing on the Belgian boss and questioned why the club have not already made the decision to part ways with him.

Of course, it has only been just over two months since the Gers opted to extend his contract until the end of the 2027/28 campaign and they may be reluctant to admit that was a mistake so soon after that decision.

Football Insider, however, recently reported that the former AS Monaco head coach is on the brink of losing his job at Ibrox and that he may be one bad result away from the sack.

That came just before the League Cup clash with Motherwell and suggested that Clement may have lost his job if his side had not completed a turnaround at Hampden.

He has come under pressure after a number of disappointing results this season, starting with an aggregate defeat to Dynamo Kyiv that meant that the Gers fell short of qualifying for the Champions League.

Rangers were also comfortably beaten 3-0 by Celtic in the first Old Firm match of the season, whilst they have lost two of their last three matches in the Scottish Premiership – losing 1-0 to Kilmarnock and 2-1 to Aberdeen.

The Scottish giants have had more success in Europe recently, winning two of their three Europa League games, but still lost 4-1 to Lyon at Ibrox.

Rangers are currently nine points behind both Aberdeen and Celtic in the Premiership table and a title charge, even at this early stage of the season, is already looking unlikely.

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The Gers boss has not been helped by some of the performances from the experienced members of his squad, with captain James Tavernier just one of the players who have failed to step up in the big moments.

James Tavernier's struggles this season

The Light Blues skipper has not been at his best in the 2024/25 campaign and that was summed up best by the manager substituting him on Sunday with the score at 1-1, which turned out to be the right call as the Gers went on to win.

Journalist Mark Guidi recently stated that there are “huge” question marks over the Englishman’s position in the squad and that Clement could help to save his own job by dropping the captain down to the bench in the coming matches.

Tavernier produced 24 goals and 12 assists in all competitions during the 2023/24 campaign, but has only managed one goal and three assists in 17 matches this term.

That return at the top end of the pitch is, simply, not good enough when you consider how much of the team’s attacking play goes through the skipper.

As you can see in the table above, Tavernier has lost the ball a staggering 246 times across those two competitions and only contributed with zero goals and two assists.

He has been far too wasteful with his use of the ball and Clement now has a decision to make over whether or not he keeps the captain in the starting XI, whilst pundit Chris Sutton believes that it could be his last season at the club.

Tavernier, however, is not the only player whose performances are potentially set to cost the manager his job, as Cyriel Dessers has also had a big part to play in the team’s struggles.

Cyriel Dessers' form this season

The Nigeria international did a sit-down interview with BBC Sport at the end of last season and stated that he felt he was a “scapegoat” at Rangers, being blamed for “everything” on the pitch.

That was after the experienced forward produced 22 goals and nine assists in 54 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues in his first campaign at Ibrox.

Whilst not ‘everything’ is his fault this season, there is no getting away from his disappointing performances in a number of big games for the Light Blues, which has contributed to Clement’s job coming under pressure.

The very first game of the season summed up his issues in a Rangers shirt as the centre-forward missed two ‘big chances’ in a 0-0 draw with Hearts, which meant that the Gers started the campaign on the back foot straight away.

As you can see in the table above, Dessers has struggled badly in all three of the club’s defeats in the Premiership this season, to go along with his poor display against Hearts in their only draw.

These statistics show that the striker, who has scored three goals and missed six ‘big chances’ in ten games in the division, has let his manager down in the big games and cost Rangers big time.

Therefore, Dessers – along with Tavernier – is costing Clement his job and could play a big role in the Belgian being sacked if his performances against the top teams do not improve in the coming weeks.

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