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By Wolves’ very high standards, they have been particularly abject this term. They haven’t scored enough goals and thus, European football is set to desert them.

Therefore, the transfer window will be incredibly important for the Old Gold.

What’s the word?

Wolves have been linked with a couple of forwards in recent weeks but arguably, none will be more appealing than Dwight McNeil.

The Burnley winger continues to catch the eye at Turf Moor and as a result, he’s someone the Molineux outfit are being urged to sign.

That’s courtesy of Wolves legend Steve Bull, someone who opened up on the winger when talking exclusively to Football FanCast last week.

“It’s very rare that talented players like that go under the radar, Leicester found one in James Maddison. So, yeah all day long I’d take him,” he began.

“Put him in a good side full of talented and skilful players like we’ve got and it might bring him on leaps and bounds,” Bull concluded.

Bye-bye Neto

Wolves were unable to convince Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota from leaving for the jaws of the Premier League’s big six last summer and they could face the same eventuality in a few months time.

Dynamic forward Pedro Neto has been linked with a massive £50m move to Manchester United and if that does happen, Nuno Santo should look no further than McNeil as his replacement.

Like Neto, the Burnley winger possesses a mesmeric left foot and has a wonderful final ball to add to that.

For the Clarets this term, the £47k-per-week earner hasn’t amassed the greatest of numbers but it’s hard to really nail down regular goal involvements when you play for a team that operates in a more defensive manner.

He has two goals and three assists to his name this term, but has 14 assists in the last three seasons, a handy number for a player who is so rampant down the left.

McNeil has averaged 1.2 key passes a match this season, a tally that puts him behind only Neto, Adama Traore and Joao Moutinho at Wolves.

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It’s hard to forget just how young he is too. The Burnley forward is still only 21 and has plenty of improvement left in his game. With that in mind, he ticks a pretty large box when Jeff Shi chooses who to sign.

Words from Harry Redknapp only add further appeal to his signature: “Dwight McNeil is such a good player, lovely left foot, doesn’t stop running,”

Redknapp added: “Every time I watch him he gets better and better, he’s got real quality and certainly a player that the top six to eight clubs will be looking at, and that’s no disrespect to Burnley because I don’t like saying that sometimes, but he is that good.”

Bearing those remarks in mind, Wolves must act quickly if they want to secure McNeil’s services.

It surely won’t be too long before he’s outgrown Burnley.

AND in other news, Wolves could find their new Goncalves with swoop for “unpredictable” 20-goal wizard…

Swansea City will be looking to get their promotion push back on track with three points against Stoke City on Wednesday evening.

Steve Cooper’s side have suffered heavy defeats against lowly Huddersfield Town and Bristol City recently and were far from their best in the 1-0 win against Coventry at the Liberty Stadium.

The Swans have established themselves at the top end of the table thanks to a resolute defence, which had only conceded 15 goals before the recent 4-1 and 3-1 defeats.

Therefore, it seems as if changes are likely ahead of Wednesday’s trip to face Stoke City, who are still in the hunt for a playoff place of their own.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Cooper to line his side up, with two changes from the side that started against Bristol City…

Despite being at fault for Bristol City’s third goal last time out, Freddie Woodman should keep his place in between the sticks as he has been excellent for the majority of the season.

There’s one change in defence, as Kyle Naughton comes back in for Joel Latibeaudiere as a right-sided centre-back, which should allow Connor Roberts to push further up the pitch, and allow Swansea to play with a back four when they have possession.

The midfield pairing of Matt Grimes and Connor Hourihane should stay the same as it has proven to be effective for a lot of the season, whilst Yan Dhanda starts ahead of them in the attacking-midfield role.

After no goals in his last nine games in all competitions, Jamal Lowe should be dropped by Cooper, with young Morgan Whittaker replacing him up front.

Gone are the days of Phil Parkinson’s timid football and Stewart Donald’s tired ownership at Sunderland and under Lee Johnson, the Mackems look a completely different outfit.

They are reinvigorated and are playing with a swagger rarely seen at the Stadium of Light over the last couple of years. For once, there are reasons to be positive.

On the chalkboard

Sunderland currently sit fourth in League One and now stand a real chance of achieving promotion back to the Championship.

A large factor has been the attacking football that Johnson has been intent on having his players play with.

Aiden McGeady has come back into the fray after being alienated by Parkinson and has been game-changing. No player has recorded more than his 11 assists in the division this term, a tally he’s accomplished in just 17 outings.

He has been different gravy and alongside Charlie Wyke, Johnson has conjured up one of the most feared partnerships in League One.

Wyke has racked up 25 strikes in all competitions and a large portion of them have been supplied by McGeady; the Irishman assisted all four of his goals against Doncaster for instance.

Though, what if another mouth-watering partnership is on the horizon?

Defoe heading back?

The name on the lips of Sunderland supporters over the last few days has been that of Jermain Defoe. The striker is out of contract at Rangers in the summer and he’s now widely expected to leave on a free transfer.

Kevin Phillips isn’t convinced a move could happen but speaking to Football Insider, Kevin Campbell was a little more hopeful. For the deal to happen, however, Sunderland need to achieve one thing.

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Campbell commented: “The key is Sunderland getting promoted. That’s the spanner in the works. But if that is the case, I’m sure it’s an offer Jermaine will entertain.”

Defoe might be 38 years of age but in the words of David Moyes, he is a “priceless” entity. The fact of the matter is that the striker scores goals wherever he goes and even if he didn’t play a major part in Rangers’ title win this season, he was still finding the back of the net.

The former England international has scored 29 times for the Gers during his two seasons at the club, a tally that demonstrates he’s still got what it takes.

Indeed, if he features alongside a player like McGeady, it could be phenomenal. The Irish winger has been a revelation this term and has been laying balls on a plate for Wyke with great regularity.

Add a first-class poacher like Defoe into the equation and his assist tally may get even greater.

The duo are both in the twilight of their careers but this partnership has the potential to be devastating. McGeady has a wand of a left foot while Defoe’s finishing ability is second to very few.

For those reasons alone, they must try and tempt him back to the Stadium of Light.

AND in other news, Forget O’Brien: Sunderland gem who made just 16 passes fast becoming a “joy to watch”…

Manchester United head to Anfield this afternoon as they take on Liverpool in their biggest Premier League game of the season so far.

The Red Devils beat Burnley 1-0 at Turf Moor on Tuesday night and they may look to keep most of the same team in place for what will be another big game for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

United find themselves top of the table for the first time in over three years with a three-point lead over the defending champions at the halfway point of the campaign.

With that in mind, here is Football FanCast’s predicted starting XI for the Premier League clash with Liverpool, which sees Solskjaer make three changes to the team that edged past Sean Dyche’s side.

There is no question that their start to this season was pretty awful, but Solskjaer’s side have taken almost everyone by surprise as they have stormed to the summit of the Premier League, having won nine of their last eleven matches and drawn the other two.

However, this game may come too soon for the injured Anthony Martial, who faces a late fitness test, while Victor Lindelof and Nemanja Matic also remain injury doubts to face Liverpool at Anfield.

David de Gea will likely retain his place at the expense of Dean Henderson behind a mostly unchanged back four of Eric Bailly, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with Alex Telles the only change coming in for Luke Shaw at left-back, having played a starring role in the FA Cup victory over Watford. On the other hand, Shaw has been recently criticised by player-turned-pundit Carlton Palmer for his abject display during the Carabao Cup defeat to Manchester City and could drop to the bench.

In midfield, Solskjaer will most likely recall his trusted man Fred to the starting line-up, with the in-form Scott McTominay also set for a return after being rested on Tuesday, while Bruno Fernandes will keep his place in his favoured position as a central number 10 as he hopes to extend his incredible run of form.

Fans should expect Solskjaer to field Edinson Cavani upfront if Martial fails to prove his fitness before Sunday’s clash with Liverpool, accompanied by Paul Pogba on the left wing with Marcus Rashford switching to the right flank.

AND in other news, Manchester United should sign David Brooks…

It wasn’t quite the embarrassing night of the 1986/87 season but Wolves tried their best to fluff their lines against Chorley on Friday evening.

Nuno Santo’s team have been desperately poor in recent weeks, and after their win over the National League North side have now only won three of their last 11 outings.

If anything summed up their abject performances of late it was the display they put in as they made it through to the fifth round of the FA Cup.

On paper, this was a mismatch. Wolves should have been easily out of sight given the opposition, but although they didn’t lose as they did to Chorley over 30 years ago, they were incredibly poor.

Going forward, Nuno’s side were devoid of confidence and authority. For large spells of the game, their non-league hosts looked comfortable and dare we say it, they even looked the better team.

Wolves’ only shot on target in the entire game produced the goal. It was a special one too from Vitinha who let fly from range, but beyond that, there was nothing to write home about.

The Old Gold completed just 25% of their crosses and carved out fewer goal-scoring opportunities than Chorley. A large reason behind that was the performance of Patrick Cutrone.

This was the Italian’s first start since returning from a loan spell with Fiorentina and on his big audition to Nuno, he completely failed. This was a week where Cutrone simply had to prove himself to the manager too.

Willian Jose has arrived from Real Sociedad on loan and thus, the Italy international could be heading for the exit door. After this performance, it proved why.

The striker isn’t good enough and cut an isolated figure against non-league opposition. Truth be told, Cutrone was anonymous.

He completed just 11 passes from 18 attempted, finishing with a success rate of only 61%. For context, only goalkeeper John Ruddy and substitute Adama Traore completed fewer passes in the Wolves side.

The 23-year-old’s tally of 24 touches, meanwhile, was the same as Ruddy’s and only more than Traore and another of Nuno’s substitutes in Pedro Neto.

Against opposition like Chorley, Cutrone should have run riot. Instead, his effort was minimal, registering just two attempts at goal.

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It would be extreme to call this a horror show but Nuno must be incredibly fed up of the Italian now. He has scored three goals in 27 outings for the Molineux outfit. Time and time again he has not been at the races.

Wolves need to get rid of him as soon as possible.

AND in other news, Wolves could find their dream Traore successor by landing “extremely quick” 31-cap ace…

Tottenham Hotspur return to top-flight action this afternoon as they look to continue to assert their dominance at the top of the Premier League standings.

Jose Mourinho’s men qualified for the Europa League knockout stages with a table-topping victory over Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp on Thursday night whilst seven days ago, they put on a clinic in defeating arch-rivals Arsenal in the north London derby.

Now they head to Selhurst Park to face Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace, who themselves come into this one on the back of a 5-1 whitewash over West Bromwich Albion.

Speaking to reporters in his pre-match press conference, the ‘Special One’ hinted at rotation as we enter a hectic festive period, but there was always going to be a tweak from the XI that started in Europe.

Here’s the line-up we’re predicting later today…

There could be as many as nice changes with just two players keeping their place from Thursday evening, Sergio Reguilon, who was withdrawn early with this one in mind, and Giovani Lo Celso, who ran the show.

Club captain Hugo Lloris returns between the sticks, replacing back-up goalkeeper Hugo Lloris whilst Mourinho goes back to his usual league back for of Reguilon, Eric Dier, Toby Alderweireld and Serge Aurier.

The Ivorian right-back has come on leaps and bounds this season, so much so that reports have emerged suggesting he is in line for fresh terms on his £120k-per-week current contract. He’s usurped summer signing Matt Doherty as the first-choice option in the role.

Defensive midfield powerhouse Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg comes back into the XI after enjoying a much-deserved rest in midweek and his influence could see Tanguy Ndombele and Lo Celso start together in the engine room as they look to punish the Eagles.

It means there is no place for Moussa Sissoko and the £36m-rated Harry Winks is axed.

Steven Bergwijn should get the nod over Gareth Bale and Lucas Moura, who both drop to the bench. The £64m-rated Dutch dynamo seems to have won the starting gig in the league at the moment.

And finally, the undroppable, red-hot, prolific pairing of Heung-min Son and Harry Kane will both start as expected.

In other news, “I don’t see him fitting in” – Exclusive: Pundit drops exit hint over £25m Spurs “nightmare”…

After slipping to a damaging defeat in the Old Firm clash against Rangers last weekend, Celtic are facing up to the now unfamiliar prospect of not lifting the Scottish Premiership at the end of the season.

Neil Lennon’s side had just started to put together a run of form before losing 1-0 at Ibrox, and many Hoops fans may already be thinking about next season.

But with the January transfer window open, chief executive Peter Lawwell must surely be on the look-out for some reinforcements, and he could arguably salvage this campaign for the Bhoys by snapping up Exeter starlet Joel Randall.

Reports in recent days have linked the 21-year-old with a move to Celtic Park, and the left-winger who has scored eight goals this season for the English League Two side could represent the club’s future.

Lennon already has a talented young wide player in Mikey Johnston, and adding Randall into the mix would give Celtic a more youthful and vibrant look going forward.

His manager at Exeter, Matt Taylor, said: “He’s exceeded our expectations. He’s had talent and potential in him since a young age. His running stats are phenomenal but he’s added an extra dimension to his game in terms of the end product.

“He’s been a constant threat down that left side, worked tirelessly for the team and contributed at all times this season. He’s been a standout player.”

This campaign may already be seen as a write-off what with their attempts at 10-in-a-row going disastrously wrong. But bringing Randall in could give Celtic something to shout about not just for the here and now, but for the future too.

West Brom boss Slaven Bilic is under pressure at the Hawthorns.

According to the reliable John Percy at the Telegraph, the Croatian’s position in charge of the Baggies is under intense scrutiny going into a tough run of Premier League fixtures, which includes games against Spurs and Manchester United.

Albion sit third-bottom on three points and are yet to win in seven attempts.

One of their biggest issues has been keeping clean sheets – no other top-flight side has leaked more than West Brom, who have conceded 16 goals. That’s nearly 2.3 goals per game.

It’s not been helped by the sale of experienced defender Ahmed Hegazi but as a manager, he should be able work his way around it.

Given the threat on offer in the next two games, an in-form duo of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son as well as an attack featuring the likes of Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, Bilic should look to tinker his defence.

He must make a cut-throat call on Darnell Furlong, who has been very underwhelming as of late and as he’s an attack-minded full-back, it would be wise to stick someone with more defensive nous on the right.

On Monday night during the defeat at Fulham, the 25-year-old was among the worst performers – per SofaScore, he was dribbled past on four occasions, lost possession 22 times and made just 57% of 37 passing attempts.

Do you really think he’s going to be able to contain either Son or Rashford when he’s managing just 0.8 tackles per appearance this season?

Bilic needs to be ruthless and drop the Baggies lightweight, to instead call upon Dara O’Shea.

The Irishman is only second to Conor Gallager for tackles in the Albion squad, averaging a whopping 3.3 per game. He is also recording 3.5 clearances, 1.8 interceptions and a passing accuracy of 74.3% on average per match, via WhoScored.

These are all figures above what Furlong, who earns around £18.5k-per-week in the west Midlands, is doing. It seems like an easy switch to make, and one that may well help keep him in the job for another week.

AND in other news, skipper Jake Livermore at risk as a new midfield talent emerges at the Hawthorns…

Farhad Moshiri must sanction a January swoop for Everton to sign Rangers full-back James Tavernier amid rumours of interest at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Carlo Ancelotti’s Toffees are one of several Premier League clubs considering a move to bring Tavernier back south of the border with his Gers contract set to expire in 18-months’ time.

The Ibrox natives have been quick to dismiss approaches in the past, yet are braced for a major battle to retain the full-back this winter following his sublime start to the season that has helped Steven Gerrard to clinch a commanding lead in the Premiership standings.

Rangers sit 13 points above bitter Old Firm rivals Celtic having won 14 of their opening 16 fixtures, helped heavily through Tavernier’s incredible return of 10 goals and seven assists.

No Gers player has scored more often or assisted a higher number of league goals than the 29-year-old, now said to be a mid-season target for London trio West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur, plus Everton and his boyhood side Newcastle.

Gerrard has been full of praise for his captain’s efforts at Ibrox, describing Tavernier as an aggressive all-rounder performing at the same level as he saw in his former England teammates Kyle Walker and Glen Johnson.

“It’s top-level stuff,” Gerrard said. “I have played with some fantastic attacking right-backs, Kyle Walker, Glen Johnson, Steve Finnan to name a few. Tav is right up there.

“The pleasing thing for me is he is still contributing to the other side of the game. He’s pressing, he’s aggressive, he’s winning his duels, stopping crosses. Our clean sheet record, to me, is just as important as James’ other numbers. Where he is right now, he needs to bottle it and stay there for as long as he can because he’s in fantastic form.”

Should Everton sign Tavernier?

If Everton’s interest in Tavernier is true, Moshiri must see a reason to sanction his Director of Football Marcel Brands striking a deal with Rangers, as the 29-year-old’s form would serve as the perfect mid-season injection Ancelotti needs while facing a crisis at right-back.

Jonjoe Kenny’s Goodison Park future will surely be enshrouded in doubt with Ancelotti favouring midfielders Tom Davies and Alex Iwobi to slot in at right-back while without the injured Seamus Coleman, who has been plagued by hamstring problems this season.

Former Aberdeen striker Noel Whelan expects Tavernier to be on the market at a bargain fee, too, telling Football Insider: “There was talk of a £7m bid before. There will be teams looking at him in January because he is the modern-day wing-back who ticks every single box.”

Rangers’ legendary head coach Walter Smith also lauds Tavernier for “doing a remarkable job” at Ibrox, where the defender boasts 16 goals and 11 assists across all competitions after 25 appearances so far this season.

Tavernier’s influence stretches beyond his goal involvement and role in 13 Premiership clean sheets, as well, with the 5 ft 9 gem taking 94.9 touches per league game this season, alongside delivering 2.4 accurate crosses, winning 5.8 duels, making 2.2 successful tackles, 1.2 clearances, 1.1 interceptions and taking 1.8 shots, per SofaScore.

His form and Everton’s need for depth at right-back this winter is all the reason Moshiri needs to sanction a mid-season splurge, after Carlton Palmer exclusively told Football FanCast he expects the Toffees’ majority owner to block Ancelotti from making any signings.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands can land Everton’s new Idrissa Gueye in a £22.8m leader the Toffees’ are monitoring.

Southampton will be hoping to cause Chelsea an upset at Stamford Bridge this afternoon as Ralph Hasenhuttl looks to guide his side to their third win of the season. The Blues are just one point ahead of the travelling side and will not want to be humiliated on home soil.

But for the Saints, they will be looking to utilise some of their new signings after enjoying a fruitful transfer window. Football FanCast has predicted how they might set up to take on Chelsea…

With no real need to change up his defence, Hasenhuttl will more than likely leave things as they were against West Brom. Southampton were able to secure a 2-0 win after an all-round solid performance. Particularly with the boss’ recent comments on Jannik Vestergaard’s role at the club, there’s not much chance of him dropping the Danish centre-back.

In midfield however, Hasenhuttl’s hand has been forced due to injuries. Nathan Redmond could slot into the far left role due to the absence of Moussa Djenepo, who will be a big loss after scoring against the Baggies last time out. The former’s previous Premier League start was against Crystal Palace last month in a rather quiet display, which he will be hoping to improve on. Despite playing the full 90 minutes, Redmond only managed 73% accurate passes and failed to make a single successful cross (via Sofascore).

Loan signing Theo Walcott could start on the opposite flank to support regular strike partners Danny Ings and Che Adams. The 31-year-old is yet to feature for his new side and could make a full debut this afternoon against Chelsea, a side he will know well from his regular playing time with Arsenal. Similarly, Ibrahima Diallo may replace Oriol Romeu alongside James Ward-Prowse in order to freshen up the Saints midfield and potentially catch Chelsea off-guard.

A win at Stamford Bridge will put Southampton two points ahead of the Blues, who haven’t started the season in the spectacular fashion many expected. Hasenhuttl will hope this rare tactic of throwing new signings straight into the action – something he hasn’t done with the likes of Mohamed Salisu and Moussa Djenepo previously – will pay off.

In other news, Jannik Vestergaard prioritised Southampton amid West Ham interest…