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Tottenham Hotspur slumped to an embarrassing 1-0 loss at the hands of Vitesse in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday evening.

There were some very poor performances on the pitch for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team, and The Transfer Tavern have used statistical experts Sofascore to analyse the worst-three performing players (who played at least 45 minutes) based on statistics:

Ben Davies

Admittedly tied with Steven Bergwijn, Ben Davies was given the joint-third lowest rating out of any of his teammates by Sofascore, a mere 6.3.

Captain for the day, the Wales international lost out on eight of his duels, and failed to record a single successful dribble, tackle or accurate cross from left-back.

He also lost possession of the ball on no fewer than on 14 separate occasions, the joint-fourth most out of any of his teammates.

Dane Scarlett

Young Scarlett did not take his chance to impress, as Sofascore gave him a measly six overall rating.

The striker lost out on a whopping 19 duels, more than double the next closest player, perhaps suggesting he is struggling to adapt physically to senior first-team football.

He did not manage to have a shot or successful dribble, while losing possession 16 times, the second-most out of any Spurs player.

Dele Alli

Oh how far Alli has fallen. The once England regular was given an alarming 5.8 rating by Sofascore, which does not even tell half of the story.

Alli list eight of his duels, and had no shots on target, successful dribbles or key passes, while he too was also guilty of giving the ball away on far too many occasions, 14 in total.

In other news, find out which Lilywhite has suffered another injury setback here…

Celtic are willing to sell Stephen Welsh for just €2m (£1.7m) amid interest from Serie A outfit Udinese, according to Messaggero Veneto. 

The lowdown

Udinese are looking for a replacement after their Brazilian defender Samir joined Premier League side Watford, and they believe that the 21-year-old Parkhead academy graduate fits the bill.

The Hoops have allowed to two youngsters to leave already this month, sending Euan Henderson and Liam Shaw on loan to Hibernian and Motherwell respectively.

The latest

As per Messaggero Veneto, Udinese owner Gino Pozzo has apparently been making ‘phone calls’ to the ‘Celtic headquarters’ as he looks to strike a deal for Welsh.

He has reportedly asked if there is any room for manoeuvre on Celtic’s aforementioned valuation, and that request allegedly indicates that the player ‘likes’ the potential move.

The verdict

If these reports are accurate, then Celtic’s valuation seems surprisingly low.

First and foremost, Welsh is under contract in Glasgow for another three-and-a-half years. He has also become an increasingly important member of Ange Postecoglou’s squad this term, making 19 appearances overall and starting Celtic’s last two Premiership games and their last three European ties.

His potential to develop even further is quite evident, too – he has amassed six caps for Scotland at under-21 level, while Celtic youth coach Martin Miller has hailed the ‘fan favourite’ as ‘phenomenal’.

It feels like selling Welsh for £1.7m – barely putting him in the club’s top 30 sales – could backfire horrendously.

In other news, Celtic are close to sealing their next transfer

Celtic are back in action tomorrow with an SPFL clash against Ross County away from home to try and take another step towards securing the league title.

Last weekend saw the Hoops get knocked out of the semi-final of the Scottish Cup by Rangers in what was a disappointing afternoon for Ange Postecoglou and his side.

With that in mind, it could be bad news for County to have to come up against a wounded Celtic side looking to get back to winning ways.

However, one issue that the Bhoys will have to deal with is the absence of right-back Josip Juranovic, who will reportedly be out for the next couple of weeks through injury.

Despite this blow, it could pave the way for one Celtic figure to come in and shine for the team.

Opportunity knocks

Having only started one of Celtic’s six previous league games, Anthony Ralston has been in and out of the team since the turn of the year.

With 23 league appearances to his name in total this season, the right-back has shown what an attacking talent he can be by racking up four goals and seven assists.

Also, no other defender in Postecoglou’s squad has been able to have as many shots on target (13) or crosses (116) as the 23-year-old.

In addition to this, from a defensive point of view, only Juranovic (28) has won more tackles than the £1.62m-rated Scotsman (26).

This highlights just how much of a capable player Ralston is up and down the pitch and how much they will need someone like that while their other right-back is out injured, with the introduction of the 23-year-old potentially being a game-changer for the Bhoys.

Currently listed as the third-highest rated player at the Parkhead club, the full-back has earned himself an overall performance rating of 7.47 from WhoScored.

Labelled as a “soldier” on the pitch by Postecoglou, Ralston could use this time while the Croatian is recovering to really stake a claim that he should be the first-choice right-back at Parkhead.

Moving forward, in terms of the Hoops boss putting his starting XI together to take on County, he should have no reservations about putting the £10.5k-per-week Scotsman in from the beginning at right-back.

AND in other news: Sold at £2m, now worth £630k: Celtic struck gold on £11k-p/w dud with a “bad attitude”

A Rangers transfer update has emerged on Ibrox tank Calvin Bassey as one club eyes him as a potential target…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s young defender could be on the move in the summer transfer market.

It’s understood that Premier League side West Ham are interested in a deal to sign the defender in the summer.

The report claims that they are in the market for a left-footed defender and have been keeping tabs on Bassey since they failed to land him from Leicester in 2020.

Disaster

Ross Wilson must avoid a summer disaster with Bassey, as he cannot allow the young defender to leave Glasgow to sign for the Hammers.

The £6.4k-per-week man mountain has been a key player for van Bronckhorst this season and his exit would be a major blow to the Gers in the short-term. It would also be a huge error from a long-term point of view as he has the potential to improve even further and increase his value.

At the age of 22, he is in the early years of his career and could be worth more after 12-18 months of development, which is why Rangers must not sell him this summer.

Earlier this season, Van Bronckhorst heaped praise on the former Leicester tank for how he has adapted to his change in position. He said:

“I’ve been really impressed with Calvin [Bassey] as he does not have a lot of experience in the central positions. He has a lot of physical strength and we will help him to develop and grow. He is very open to learning and is full of energy.

“I think he has the physical ability to play there and we’re helping him a lot in that position when he has to pass when he has to dribble, the position he has to take when the other defenders got the ball.

“He’s a player who’s very open in learning and he gives a lot of energy into the team. The last two games I’m really happy with the way he played.”

In the Premiership this season, the defender has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.95. He has mainly been deployed as a centre-back since the Dutchman came in but he is also able to play at left-back and did so effectively in the recent 5-0 win over Hearts.

Bassey has been a consistent performer on the pitch for the most part, and Wilson must now stand firm and reject interest from the Hammers. He could be a mainstay in the Rangers defence for years to come, and it would be a disaster to lose him so early into his Ibrox career.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst can save Rangers millions by unleashing “confident” gem who’s “totally at ease”…

Matt Doherty endured another disastrous Tottenham Hotspur outing as the north Londoners crashed out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

Antonio Conte was beaten by his former side 3-1 across two legs in the semi-final, leaving him with only the Premier League – where a place in the top four is the target – and the FA Cup left to play for.

And he will surely be reeling by another abject outing from his wing-back.

In the absence of Sergio Reguilon, the £10.8m-rated Irishman was trusted to start once again, even over the more natural left wing-back Ryan Sessegnon.

That plan lasted only 65 minutes after he was hooked by the Spurs head coach.

It was 20 minutes longer than he lasted in the first leg but it’s evident that Doherty is just not delivering whenever given an opportunity.

Back-up goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini was at fault for the Blues’ only goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but it’s not as if the rest of the squad looked like ever testing the Champions of Europe, so he can’t front the blame.

Players like Doherty badly failed Conte, not for the first time in this case, either.

Wing-backs are crucial to the Italian’s system, so to actually manage fewer touches of the ball (21) than the goalkeeper (24) is appalling. And with what time he did have in possession, he was either lacklustre or weak.

As per SofaScore, the 29-year-old made only 13 passes, failed to deliver a single cross and won none of his ground duels. He also did not register a single tackle or interception.

This train of thought was echoed by The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who slammed the defender in his post-match ratings column.

‘Offered no threat down the left flank, frequently cutting inside on his right foot and slowing down attacks. Having struggled at Stamford Bridge, his selection again was strange,’ he wrote.

He was a disaster in the first leg, he was a disaster in the second leg. It’s time for Conte to stop trusting the struggling £74k-per-week calamity.

AND in other news, Contact made: Spurs have “sounded” out “phenomenal” 35-goal star, fans will be fuming…

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Leeds United forward Kemar Roofe has revealed that he is hopeful of returning to action ‘for the final six or seven games’ of the 2018-19 Championship season.

What’s the latest?

Roofe said on Radio X, via the Yorkshire Evening Post:

“I’ll be back for the final six or seven games, maybe a bit sooner. I suffered damage to my lateral ligament and I’ll be out for six to eight weeks.”

The striker picked up a knee ligament injury during his team’s 2-1 win over Swansea City in the Championship on February 13.

Roofe completed the 90 minutes, but it soon became apparent that he had picked up an issue, which will see him miss a key period of the season.

Leeds have another 14 league games to play this term, starting with a home fixture against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.

Roofe has revealed that he is aiming to return ‘for the final six or seven games’, although he is remaining confident that it will be before that.

Which match could mark Roofe’s return?

If Roofe misses Leeds’ next seven Championship matches then he will be back for the trip to Birmingham City on April 6.

The Whites travel to Preston North End after visiting Birmingham, before facing Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan Athletic, Brentford, Aston Villa and Ipswich Town in their final five matches of the regular campaign.

The fact that Roofe will miss games against the likes of West Bromwich Albion, Bristol City and Sheffield United is far from ideal.

However, it had been feared at one point that the team’s leading scorer could miss the entirety of the campaign, which will not be the case if everything goes as planned.

A development has emerged on Rangers’ pursuit of former Glasgow defender Gio van Bronckhorst to take over as manager.

What’s the talk?

According to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth, the Dutchman’s agent confirmed to him that he has held ‘positive talks’ with the Gers ahead of a potential move to Ibrox.

Sheth Tweeted: “Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s representative tells @SkySportsNews they held “positive talks” with Rangers today over vacant managerial position. Footage shows van Bronckhorst leaving London earlier.”

He accompanied the Tweet with a clip appearing to show van Bronkchorst heading off to board a plane at Heathrow airport.

Buzzing

This update from Sheth will surely leave Rangers fans buzzing as it appears to place the club one step closer to announcing Steven Gerrard’s successor. The ex-Liverpool man was snatched up by Premier League side Aston Villa earlier this week and the Gers are now moving quickly to bring in a new head coach, with van Bronckhorst seemingly leading the race at this moment in time.

Gers fans will be delighted with the speed at which the decisions are being made by Ross Wilson, with a quarter-final clash with Hibernian coming up next Saturday at Ibrox in the League Cup. The club have the chance to make the last four of the competition and not having a manager in place for the match could hinder their chances, as players would be going out without a coach who they know will be there in the long-term and a bit-part gameplan in-place.

Van Bronckhorst, in particular, could be a superb appointment ahead of this match as his record in cup competitions as a manager is eye-catching. He won four of his five cup finals at Feyenoord and made the quarter-finals and semi-finals in the other two seasons he failed to reach a final. This shows that he is adept at progressing in domestic cups and that could give Rangers an edge in the SFA Cup and League Cup this season, two honours Gerrard failed to win at Ibrox.

Therefore, fans should also be delighted that the talks went well with the Dutchman as he has a track record of winning trophies, including an Eredivisie title with Feyenoord, and could pick up where Gerrard left off. They must be buzzing not only with the speed of the dealings from Wilson but also the fact that they have progressed seamlessly, with the 46-year-old closing in on a switch to the club.

AND in other news, Davis 2.0: Rangers could sign new metronome in gem who “quietly impressed” ex-EPL boss…

Everton writer for The Athletic Patrick Boyland has revealed the latest information in the Toffees’ pursuit of signing a right-back in the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the story?

In The Athletic’s ‘Transfer Mailbag’ series, Boyland responded to a question from an Everton fan regarding the possibility of signing a right-back to challenge Seamus Coleman by saying: “That’s certainly our understanding currently — right-back is still an area of priority.

“They know it needs to be addressed and that they’re currently putting too much strain on Coleman.”

Boyland also revealed that they “continued to track Rangers’ Nathan Patterson even after the failed summer move” who “is the favourite as it stands.” Everton have also tracked “Aberdeen’s Calvin Ramsay and Metz’s Fabien Centonze” as well as Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles being mentioned.

Everton fans will be buzzing

Seamus Coleman, now 33 years of age, is approaching the 13th anniversary of when he first signed for the Merseyside club and is still their first-choice right-back by some margin with Jonjoe Kenny making just two Premier League appearances this term.

The Irishman is still a key player for Rafa Benitez’s side having played 13 league games this season. However, with the right-back approaching veteran status, it may be wise for the Everton hierarchy to start seeking out an eventual replacement.

After 13 years of loyal service, Coleman will certainly go down as a fan favourite at Goodison Park. That said, it’s no secret that he’s is approaching the end of his lengthy spell in the royal blue.

Performances this season have largely been under par, earning a SofaScore match rating of above 6.2 just twice in his last five matches. That highlights the club’s need for a replacement with it clear that Benitez doesn’t much fancy Kenny as Coleman’s long-term successor.

The 33-year-old’s contract expires in June 2023, meaning that the Irishman will go into the final year of his contract next season, should he still be an Everton player.

This should act as an alarm bell of Everton’s hierarchy who will surely opt against handing an ageing full-back a contract extension in six months’ time.

Therefore, the news that a right-back is a priority for Benitez and Moshiri should leave fans elated.

AND in other news, Benitez heading for unforgivable EFC transfer disaster on “cold” £40.5m-rated machine…

Joe Wainman has taken to Twitter to share his delight at more positive Leeds United injury updates.

The Lowdown: Cooper and Phillips back on the training pitch

The Whites shared pictures of club captain Liam Cooper and star midfielder Kalvin Phillips on Wednesday afternoon.

Both Cooper and Phillips were last in action against Brentford back in December and have missed the last six Premier League games. They are both set to be ready for action in March and it seems as if they are on track to do so.

The Latest: Cresswell back

Less than an hour after the club’s tweet on Cooper and Phillips, Leeds then shared an image of Cresswell on their official Twitter channel.

The young centre-back has missed the last four league games with a shoulder problem but was all smiles at Thorp Arch.

Wainman, a Leeds content creator on his JustJoe Football Show, replied to the image of Cresswell returning to training, saying ‘it gets even better’ alongside a smiling face emoji with three hearts.

The Verdict: Good news

It seems as if the international break came at the right time for the Whites, who fell to a 1-0 defeat to relegation rivals Newcastle last time out.

Marcelo Bielsa has a small squad as it is, so seeing the injured trio back out on the grass at Thorp Arch can only be good news.

Hopefully Cooper and Phillips can fast-track their returns before the month is out, whereas Cresswell will give Bielsa some welcome strength in depth at centre-back.

In other news: Phil Hay and Graham Smyth buzzing over free transfer news involving Leeds

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has made a transfer claim regarding Aston Villa right-back Matty Cash, GiveMeSport report.

The Lowdown: Atletico talks

Cash, described as ‘exceptional’ by Trevor Sinclair, has been a regular after joining from Nottingham Forest following Villa’s promotion to the Premier League.

The 24-year-old has made 59 appearances in all competitions, scoring his first goals in a Villa shirt this season.

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His displays have been catching the eye, though, with Fabrizio Romano revealing shortly after the January transfer window that Atletico Madrid have been in direct contact over a summer move.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke labelled Atletico’s interest as ‘serious’, stating the now Poland international is among their top targets to replace Kieran Trippier.

“The interest from Atletico Madrid is serious. He is among their top targets to fill the void left by Kieran Trippier’s departure to Newcastle.”

The Verdict: No pressure

Cash has nailed down the right-back role in the Midlands and is contracted until 2025, so NSWE are under no pressure to part ways with the full-back this summer.

Of course, Cash could make it known to Villa officials he is interested in a move to the La Liga giants, which could make things complicated.

However, if he is happy to remain at Villa Park after learning of Atletico’s interest, it would make sense to keep hold of his services unless a mega-money offer comes in.

In other news: NSWE to write cheque: Gerrard set to annoy Liverpool as Aston Villa close in on wanted attacker.