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Kris Commons believes Glasgow Rangers’ Nathan Patterson could solve Steve Clarke’s Scotland right-back problem.

Commons back Patterson for Scotland call

With James Tavernier currently out injured, 19-year-old Patterson has started the last two Premiership matches against Livingston and St Mirren, while he also played the full 90 minutes in the Europa League against Slavia Prague (Transfermarkt).

Speaking to the Daily Mail (via Daily Record), Commons believes the teenager could offer Clarke a solution for what has been cited as a problem position for Scotland. He said:

“Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney. If only one of them could play right-back, eh?

“It’s been a running joke for years with Scotland that arguably our two best players happen to be left-backs.

“The right side of defence has been problematic. No one has made the jersey their own.

“Which is why I hope Nathan Patterson is named in Steve Clarke’s squad tomorrow. He has earned the chance.

“Let’s be honest, we’re not exactly blessed with an abundance of options at right-back. Why not bring Patterson in and at least get him used to being in that environment?

“He has been excellent for Rangers. His performance against Slavia Prague in Europe last week spoke of a growing maturity. He’s ready to step up.”

Too early

Patterson has stepped up in the absence of Tavernier. The Gers have conceded just one goal in the three matches he has started, and he has not looked out of place at all in a side which was crowned Premiership champions less than 10 days ago.

However, he still has just 10 appearances to his name in the professional game – it is far too early to suggest he should be called up to the Scotland squad. In the future, he seems quite likely to play for the Tartan Army based on his fledgling performances, but given he was recently caught to have broken lockdown regulations to attend a house gathering (Sky Sports), he still needs to mature.

Give him time to develop first before throwing him into the deep end at senior international level.

In other news, some Rangers fans were worried by this open letter.

Many Arsenal fans were left furious at the display of Alexandre Lacazette in their away trip to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime.

The France international could not really impose himself on the game as he really struggled against Dean Smith’s stubborn defence.

He lost out on no fewer than 86% of his duels in the match and also failed to record a single shot on goal, dribble or cross, as he only managed to have a mere 30 touches of the ball in total, the fewest out of any outfield Gunners player to have started the clash (Sofascore).

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang back in the squad now, Lacazette may be fearing for his starting place under Mikel Arteta if he continues to put in underwhelming performances like these.

Arsenal fan reaction to Lacazette display

These Gooners slammed the performance of the 29-year-old striker on Twitter, with one member of the Emirates Stadium faithful even going as far as to describe him as ‘anonymous’:

“What’s the point in Lacazette being on the pitch? What does he actually offer??”

Credit: @KieranF10

“Lacazette looks sluggish”

Credit: @GoonerBeReal

“Is Lacazette in this game at all?”

Credit: @oochay_ndu

“I am trying to make sense of where Lacazette is playing cos it’s like we don’t have a striker…”

Credit: @codaigh10

“The Lacazette gas never sat well with me cause games like this he’s just anonymous. Where’s the complete playmaker forward gone?”

Credit: @OTbutInTweets

“Lacazette is not in this game”

Credit: @DANNYOHSO

In other news, find out who else was slammed for his display here!

Curtis Jones is currently in the midst of an exhilarating breakout season with boyhood club Liverpool.

The Reds’ youngster has made 29 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring four goals and providing as many assists.

Having now firmly forged a place in Jurgen Klopp’s squad, the 20-year-old has earned plenty of praise for his performances, with the likes of former Reds’ hero Jamie Carragher labelling his displays as ‘outstanding’.

He also played a pivotal role in Liverpool’s victory at Sheffield United, scoring the opening goal when it looked likely that the reigning Premier League champions would be left frustrated.

His rise in stature within the Liverpool camp has coincided with a stark rise in his transfer valuation. Guy Rogers, founder of Five Yards, suggests that Jones is now worth ‘£50m’.

Whilst Jones certainly has the potential to become a high-valued Premier League player, caution has to be taken. At the current time, Transfermarkt value him at just over £15m – a huge disparity.

The England U21 looks likely to establish himself further in the Reds’ lineup, however, too much pressure and expectation could see him stutter – as has happened at Anfield on many occasions.

In recent times, those progressing through the club’s youth academy have faltered in very similar situations.

Names such as Jordon Ibe, Jon Flanagan, Rhian Brewster, Brad Smith and Dominic Solanke all failed to live up to the initial promise that they initially showed at Anfield.

Between them, they only made 105 league appearances for the Reds. Indeed, their five current transfer values (via Transfermarkt) only reach £25.2m – a tiny bit over half that what Jones is worth, according to Rogers.

Whilst they were never valued quite as high as the current Reds’ youngster is right now, that makes it all the more concerning. Should Jones not continue his upward trajectory, then he has the longest distance to fall from his monumental transfer valuation.

Based on his current showings in the Reds’ midfield, there is no reason why Jones couldn’t live up to that £50m billing but supporters should be cautious before piling too much pressure on the Toxteth-born star.

AND in other news, the arrival of Paulo Dybala at Anfield would signal the end for Divock Origi.

West Brom will still be hurting from the embarrassment of Tuesday evening but Sam Allardyce’s men must put that behind them as they host Arsenal at the Hawthorns this evening.

The Baggies were thrashed 5-0 by Leeds United earlier this week, meaning the 66-year-old has picked up just one point from his opening three matches in charge.

A run of form that has also seen his side leak eight goals, so surely changes are afoot with Big Sam left reeling at his players.

Here’s the XI we’re predicting this evening…

There could be as many as four changes with the Gunners in town.

Big Sam was already without several key players going into the festive period, and now Kieran Gibbs has joined the likes of Hal Robson-Kanu, Kyle Bartley and Sam Field on the treatment table.

Lee Peltier replaced him last-minute against United, but his inexperience at this level is worrying, so we are expecting two-time PL winner Branislav Ivanovic to come back in with young Dara O’Shea moving across to left-back.

It means Sam Johnstone remains between the sticks with Semi Ajayi and Darnell Furlong also starting again.

Jake Livermore is still suspended, so Romaine Sawyers should continue in defensive midfield, even despite his own goal on Tuesday. Although, he could well be joined by rarely-seen 20-year-old midfielder Rekeem Harper.

He was an interesting inclusion on the bench in midweek, and he carries box-to-box characteristics that should be right up Allardyce’s street, though he’s only started four games in the past 18 months.

It can’t hurt to give him a run-out alongside Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher.

We may even see Matheus Pereira finally return to the starting XI as his creative influence is desperately needed. He’ll go in at right wing with Grady Diangana on the other flank.

Big Sam also has a massive call to make on misfiring summer signing Karlan Grant, he’s likely to be axed in favour of Charlie Austin this time around having failed to score in 11 of 12 starts now.

AND in other news, Ideye 2.0: Sam Allardyce must avoid “foolish” former player who “spat his dummy out” in Jan…

Mark Noble lit up the stage as West Ham United beat Doncaster Rovers 4-0 to book their place in the FA Cup fifth round and secure a trip to either Liverpool or Manchester United.

Strikes from Pablo Fornals and Andriy Yarmolenko gifted David Moyes’ side a controlling lead in the first-half, before an unfortunate own goal from Andy Butler and a late hit from Oladapo Afolayan ensured the London Stadium natives would avoid an upset at home to their League One opposition.

The Hammers rarely looked likely to stumble in their Saturday afternoon showdown, as they extended their fine run of form to five-straight wins across all competitions. It is also the first time since winning six-in-a-row back in 2012 that the Premier League outfit have won five on the bounce.

Moyes recalled Noble to his midfield for the FA Cup tie as he sought to afford Declan Rice a rare break, with the England international having started all but two of West Ham’s previous fixtures this season and each since September’s Carabao Cup victory over Hull City.

Noble has rarely featured in any competition this term, with the £4m-rated veteran’s starting role only his sixth inclusion in an opening line-up over 12 appearances to date, in what is likely to be his final season in professional football.

Moyes’ decision never seemed questionable with Noble offering a calm head in possession to help dictate the flow of play, and often dropping between centre-halves Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop to allow full-backs Ben Johnson and Ryan Fredericks to push forward.

Noble’s vision frequently carved Doncaster apart, too, with the £50,000-per-week maestro providing an array of delicate and precise passes to either play his Irons teammates through or stretch the visiting Donny side.

It was additionally Noble’s right-wing corner that led to Butler inadvertently sending the ball over Ellery Balcombe’s line, while causing problems with his dangerous play in the closing stages as West Ham never let their foot off the throttle.

Noble ultimately ended the fourth round win over Doncaster Rovers having taken a colossal game-high 162 touches – 62 more than the next-best efforts of Johnson, per WhoScored.

He also played significantly more passes than any other player for either side, with a match-high 154 total attempts – Manuel Lanzini ranked second with 82. Of his passes, Noble completed 148 for a 96% success rate, including playing one of West Ham’s 14 key balls after feeding Lanzini to shoot on the stroke of half-time.

Noble has previously been criticised for taking “too many” touches by Irons icon Frank McAvennie, who suggested the 33-year-old had begun to hold Rice back with his time spent in possession.

That was never the case beside Tomas Soucek in the FA Cup, with Noble playing with his head up to carry play forward from the back and ensure West Ham remained on the front foot on a day they rarely had to get out of first gear.

Doncaster found Noble a tough object to avoid when in possession, though, as he attempted a joint-game-high three tackles and registered two interceptions, for the same total defensive output as Moyes witnessed Balbuena produce.

Noble’s efforts may not see that he earns a start when West Ham visit London rivals Crystal Palace on Tuesday, but his performance proved there’s more than just a little bit of life left in the old dog yet.

AND in other news – Exclusive: Pundit drops verdict on West Ham’s interest in a lethal striker adored by a Moyes favourite.

After bringing him in from French side Angers in the summer, it’s been a rather mixed start for Rayan Ait-Nouri.

The full-back has started a couple of games here and there in the Premier League and shown flashes of the immense potential he has – you only have to look at his well-taken goal against Crystal Palace to see that.

And Ligue 1 commentator Eric Krakauer has made it clear just how much of a coup the Molineux side pulled off in the summer.

He said: “Wolves are getting an exceptional player with a very high ceiling. He still has a lot of bulking up to do. When a player has as much skill as he does, you don’t want them to get too big because there’s the fear he might lose some agility, but he does need to get stronger. He will have to fine-tune his defensive efforts.

“There’s a tendency for a lot of Premier League supporters to wonder whether a player can come in and do a job in the league, but he’s got exceptional skill. With a few weeks of practice and an understanding of what’s expected of him by (new manager) Nuno Espirito Santo, this is a guy who can hit the ground running.

At only 19, it’s been no surprise that Nuno has looked to protect Ait-Nouri from over exposure, and Krakauer added that fans will have to be patient with the young full-back as he develops.

“Considering his age, it’s important that if he does make mistakes, supporters don’t think he’s not good enough to play in this league. Confidence will be important, he’s moving to a new culture and team with a very different style of play. There’s going to need to be patience but he’s a guy who can put in a shift right away.”

One thing is clear though. The teenager is a highly-rated young talent, and Nuno could be pleasantly surprised if he gives him a consistent run of games over the next few weeks and months.

Meanwhile, Wolves could land a superb bargain in this global star.

David Sullivan must sanction a January swoop for Burnley defender James Tarkowski amid renewed links to West Ham United.

What’s the word?

According to Eurosport, Premier League interest in Tarkowski is beginning to grow ahead of the mid-season window as the 28-year-old continues to overlook a new contract at Turf Moor.

Tarkowski has entered into the final 18-months of his current £50,000-per-week deal, but he is yet to put pen to paper, saying that the terms presented thus far have been “nowhere near what I was going to sign”.

Recent discussions between Tarkowski and the Clarets have moved the two parties closer to reaching an agreement as they strive to secure continuity to protect the club’s Premier League stability amid a potential takeover of the Lancashire outfit.

But West Ham, who saw a £30m offer turned down in the summer, and Leicester City, who also bid £30m, are now said to be joined by growing top-flight interest in the star centre-back who Burnley valued at £50m ahead of the current season.

Manchester United were understood to have also assessed the merits of a move for Tarkowski, who Irons legend Frank McAvennie believed would have been “perfect” for his former side in the summer.

Tarkowski ultimately remained at Turf Moor and has started all 11 of his Premier League outings, helping Sean Dyche’s side to keep five clean sheets as they battle to avoid relegation.

Winter rescue

West Ham will head into Christmas sat middle of the pack having held one of the top-flight’s better defensive records thus far, with Moyes’ men allowing the same number of goals (19) over 14 games as title-holders Liverpool and European chasers Everton.

Moyes has rarely sought to make changes to his backline with Angelo Ogbonna starting all of the Hammers’ Premier League fixtures to date, while Fabian Balbuena has missed just one of his side’s last 12 through a groin injury.

Issa Diop returned to the XI to replace Balbuena, yet he has seemingly lost Moyes’ full support with the 23-year-old returning to the bench at Chelsea, where he had watched the action for all bar 27 minutes since testing positive for coronavirus in September before facing Crystal Palace.

Moyes seemingly has a lack of belief in Craig Dawson too, who is yet to make his West Ham debut, but any concerns over a lack of depth can be removed entirely with a winter raid on Burnley for Tarkowski, who the former Man United boss would adore.

The 6ft brute is registering 2.1 successful tackles per Premier League appearance this term – only Vladimir Coufal (3.0) is winning more at the London Stadium – while penning 1.2 interceptions, 4.4 clearances and winning a mammoth 7.2 duels, with success in 70% of his aerial contests, per SofaScore.

Tarkowski is only dribbled past 0.4 times a game, too, while offering a threat in the opponent’s box with 1.8 shots and 0.4 key balls, allowing for West Ham to improve their already-stellar record for scoring from set-pieces with only Chelsea, Southampton and Everton netting more often.

AND in other news, West Ham are monitoring a £20k-p/w talent to resolve David Moyes’ “big” blow.

West Bromwich Albion weren’t in action over the weekend as they face Fulham in a bottom-of-the-table clash on Monday evening, though one of their major transfer blunders this summer was fully on show on Saturday afternoon.

The Baggies were linked with a move for Queens Park Rangers star Bright Osayi-Samuel throughout the summer – according to Joseph Masi at the Express & Star, he was one player Slaven Bilic was closely monitoring.

He saw a £5m move to Belgian outfit Club Brugge fall through and is still yet to sign fresh terms in west London, meaning he’s free to leave the Championship club in the summer.

Well, if any of his interested parties were watching this weekend, then they’ll be wanting to eye him up again this January.

Per SofaScore, the 22-year-old excelled in QPR’s 3-2 win over Cardiff City, picking up a rating of 7.2. He recorded four key passes, four dribbles, two tackles and won eight of 12 duels.

Last season, Osayi-Samuel scored five goals and provided eight assists, and averaged 2.9 dribbles, 1.2 shots and 1.2 key passes per match, via WhoScored.

He’s primarily deployed on the right flank, a position which is perhaps the weakest at the Hawthorns right now – besides the central defensive role.

Matheus Pereira has been forced out there due to the lack of quality options. It’s abundantly clear that Bilic doesn’t trust Matty Phillips, Kamil Grosicki or Kyle Edwards as a starter.

Surely he must rue not swooping for Osayi-Samuel when he was available for such a bargain price. His arrival could have paved the way for Pereira to play in the more prolific number ten position.

Dubbed a “real star of the future” and as someone who “terrifies defenders” and is a “real handful,” Albion appear to have missed out big time, though it is something Luke Dowling can rectify during the winter window.

Don’t let Bilic regret this one for seasons to come.

AND in other news, West Brom must unshackle his £9m “genius” to fully unlock Karlan Grant…

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan produced a superb display in Germany’s 3-1 win against Sweden on Saturday night.

As per SofaScore, the former Borussia Dortmund man earned an excellent 7.4 rating for his display in the victory but it was his passing that will have impressed Pep Guardiola the most.

During the 90 minutes, Gundogan had 118 touches of the ball and was able to use it extremely effectively, with 97/104 of his passes finding their mark, resulting in an impressive pass accuracy of 93%.

He was also able to complete 7/10 long balls and one key pass.

He was also showed the other side of his game during the win, as he was able to win 4/5 of his ground duels and his only aerial duel, resulting in an all-round dominant display.

Since joining from Dortmund in 2016, the German midfielder has gone on to make 171 appearances for the Citizens, contributing 24 goals and 22 assists (per Transfermarkt).

Whilst he struggled with injuries in the past, other than a cruciate ligament rupture in his first season with the club, his time with City has been relatively injury-free, and Guardiola will surely be delighted to see him impressing on the international stage.

However, his performances in the Premier League this season have been a lot less impressive, as he has averaged a disappointing 6.33 rating across his four appearances so far.

His performances in the Champions League demonstrate that he is still a top-quality player though, as he has scored two goals in three appearances in that competition, resulting in an excellent average rating of 7.44 (per WhoScored).

The Spanish manager suggested last season that Gundogan “gets the credit from all of us, not just myself. He’s an exceptional player. Also, he knows how good he has to play, as there are many others in that position.” (per Bleacher Report)

Hopefully, Gundogan can use this impressive international display to build his confidence and start performing to a higher level in the Premier League.

Brandon Barker has been included in Glasgow Rangers’ UEFA A List for their clash against Galatasaray on Thursday in the Europa League play-off, with Andy Firth dropping out.

The 23-year-old was one of a number of players to pick up an injury against Dundee United along with Ryan Jack, Leon Balogun and Alfredo Morelos, and he has confirmed that he is back in full training.

He explained:

“Brandon Barker is the same, he trained yesterday for the first as well with no reaction.”

Now, Barker has been named on the UEFA A List for the clash, at the expense of 24-year-old third-choice keeper Firth.

This is positive news for Gerrard as he looks to keep his side in the competition. Whilst the Gers have enjoyed wins against both Lincoln Red Imps and Willem II, Galatasaray will present a whole different challenge – they were in the Champions League just last season, after all.

Barker has been somewhat of a scapegoat for supporters during his time at Ibrox – he made the move from Manchester City last season – but he appears to have worked his way back into the boss’ plans. After making just six league appearances last term, he has already started three matches this campaign. His injury came at an unfortunate time, and his lack of football recently may mean he is not included in the starting XI, but he could still prove to be an important player from the bench.

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