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Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that Ralph Hasenhuttl has been a victim of his own success at Southampton.

The Austrian replaced Mark Hughes midway through the 2018-19 campaign with the Saints deep in relegation trouble, but following eight victories from their last 24 Premier League games, Hasenhuttl guided Saints to safety.

And then in his first full season at St Mary’s, the former Leipzig manager recovered from the humiliating 9-0 defeat to Leicester to lead Southampton to an 11th-place finish, their best for three seasons.

However, despite the South Coast outfit topping the Premier League back in November, the campaign has been a struggle for Southampton, who’ve collected just 10 points from a possible 48 available in 2021, which is two fewer than already-relegated Sheffield United.

They were also beaten by Leicester in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final, but whilst Southampton sit bottom of the Premier League table for games played this calendar year, Windass doesn’t believe Hasenhuttl should be under pressure.

He told Football FanCast:

“There’s a lot of managers now and it will depend on how they start next seasonof next season, the first points on the board, they will want to win the first game as quickly as possible, because he’s underachieved this year.

“But that’s a big statement – have Southampton underachieved this season? No. But because of where they were at, and then all of a sudden they have dropped.

“If you asked Matt Le Tissier, ‘are you happy with Southampton’s season’, he would go ‘unbelievable’. Delighted. When I played Southampton were always in the bottom four or five. It’s about results and staying in the Premier League.”

Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach said that Ralph Hasenhuttl has warned Southampton defender Ryan Bertrand that he could spend the rest of the season watching on from the sidelines.

Hasenhuttl sends Bertrand warning

Bertrand is out of contract at the end of the season (Transfermarkt) and, as of yet, it is not clear whether he will put pen to paper on a new deal.

As such, Leach says that the Saints manager may not play the left-back between now and the end of the season as he looks to plan ahead for the 2021/22 season.

The future

The 31-year-old defender has been a loyal servant for the Saints since joining the club permanently from Chelsea in 2014 – he has since managed 240 appearances for the club in all competitions. However, it seems that he may feel his future lies away from St Mary’s, and he has every right to that opinion if that is the case.

However, Hasenhuttl also has the prerogative to leave the £9m-valued Bertrand (Transfermarkt) out of the team if he so wishes. The Austrian will now be looking ahead to next season – with a nine-point buffer over the bottom three with six games left to play (Sky Sports), they should be safe for another season in the Premier League – and those who are not willing to commit themselves to the club should not automatically expect to be used before the season is out.

In other news, many Southampton fans were livid over this man’s comments.

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that Dele Alli should have taken up the opportunity to leave Tottenham in January.

Prior to the window opening, Alli has been enduring a wretched campaign having fallen out of favour under Jose Mourinho, and had played just 74 minutes in the Premier League, with his only start coming on the opening-day.

Following his lack of opportunities, former manager Mauricio Pochettino was keen on bringing the £100,000-a-week attacker to the French capital on loan to improve his chances of being named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euros.

But Tottenham blocked the move at the last minute because they were unable to find a replacement, meaning Alli was forced to remain in north London for the remainder of the campaign.

He’s appeared 11 times in all competitions since the window closed, but having made only one Premier League start since, Windass believes the former MK Dons youngster will regret staying.

He told Football FanCast:

“I think he should have left. If the rumours were true about PSG under Poch, then I would have gone on a loan deal.

“If Dele Alli had that chance then I would have gone because I’d want to play games and I knew the manager would have trusted me.

“We don’t know what happens in training. Is he sulking? These are the questions no one can answer.”

Mohamed Salah has underlined his intention to remain at Liverpool but made a rather alarming admission – no one at the club has spoken to him about his future yet.

Salah is approaching the final two years of his contract at Anfield. Having followed-up their Champions League triumph with a first Premier League title, the Reds’ ambitions have fallen apart this season.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were top at Christmas, but after a dismal 2021, they are now outsiders in the top-four race, and will need players like Salah next season if they are to return to the throne.

‘No one in the club is talking to me,’ says Salah

Salah, though, wants to help Liverpool strike back before he entertains the idea of a new challenge.

“I said before that I want to win the Premier League again, I want to win the Champions League again,” he told Sky Sports ahead of his team’s trip to arch-rivals Manchester United.

There has been a degree of uncertainty surrounding the Egyptian’s future, heightened by an interview he gave to Spanish publication Marca in which he seemed open to the possibility of a move to Spain.

Asked about the possibility of a new deal, he said: “No one in the club is talking to me about anything so I do not know.”

Salah has continued to shine amid the Reds’ desperate struggles – he’s scored 20 Premier League goals so far this season, leaving him just one adrift of Harry Kane in the race for the Golden Boot.

In all, Salah has netted 123 Liverpool goals since joining four years ago. He needs only eight more to enter the club’s all-time top 10 (via lfchistory.net).

The Athletic’s Simon Hughes recently reported that Salah feared Liverpool saw the future ‘differently’, provoking a baffled and angry response from fans.

A number of Reds also fumed at suggestions from German publication Bild that Jadon Sancho was being eyed as a possible replacement, and those same fans will be raging at this latest revelation.

Transfer Tavern verdict

Why might Liverpool be slightly hesitant? Well, Salah will turn 29 in June and perhaps they’re wary of handing him a long-term contract which will surely cost them in excess of £200,000 per week – his current salary.

But there’s no reason to believe Salah can’t maintain his output until his mid-30s.

Take a look, for example, at this year’s race for the European Golden Shoe. 32-year-old Robert Lewandowski, 33-year-old Lionel Messi, 36-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and 33-year-old Karim Benzema are all in the top 10.

And Salah’s certainly in and around that elite bracket.

In other news, one of Salah’s team-mates has been tipped to stay put amid question marks over his future.

Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard appears to be closing in on a move to Leicester City this summer.

The Lowdown: Edouard’s made his Hoops intentions clear

The 23-year-old has been linked with a number of clubs during the current campaign.

The likes of AC Milan, Juventus, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool and West Ham have all reportedly shown an interest in the Frenchman, however, it seems as if all those clubs may miss out on his signature.

Edouard made his Hoops intentions clear last month, with the striker having his heart set on quitting Parkhead this summer, regardless of who comes in as Neil Lennon’s successor.

The Latest: Source provides Edouard update

TEAMtalk now claim to have been informed by sources with knowledge of the situation that Brendan Rodgers’ side are confident of landing Edouard over the coming months.

The report claims that the forward is almost certainly heading to the King Power, so it appears as if he will provide competition to the likes of Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho in a central role.

No financial details were revealed in the recent report, but it seems as if the Frenchman has chosen his next destination.

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The Verdict: Celtic must bring in a proven replacement

With the number of teams showing an interest, and the player’s stance on a move away clear to see, we’re not surprised to see Edouard’s likely departure come to light.

What’s important now, though, is that the Hoops receive the best deal possible and bring in a proven replacement.

Edouard, who Lennon described as ‘magnificent’, will have just 12 months remaining on his Celtic deal in the summer and the Hoops reportedly owe Paris Saint-Germain a whopping 50% of a deal due to a sell-on clause.

On that basis, every penny may matter, which could then be put towards a new signing.

The Hoops have recently been linked with a move for Young Boys striker Jean-Pierre Nsame, and the Cameroon international appears to fit the bill required to fill the void set to be left by Edouard.

He’s scored 97 goals for his current employers and has Champions League and Europa League experience, so that could be an option for Celtic.

In other news: ‘We hear’ – 62 y/o drops unconfirmed ‘done deal’ claim at Celtic, find out more here. 

Tottenham Hotspur need a clear-out, whoever is in charge next season.

The Lilywhites have regressed drastically since making the Champions League final in 2019 and a lot of the same players that let Mauricio Pochettino down in his final six months in charge are still at the club today.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy must help his next manager by offloading deadwood. By doing this, he could well raise some extra funds for a much-needed freshen-up to the squad.

One name who appears to be most at risk is Erik Lamela.

A lot has been made about his future but most recently, respected Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla hinted that a return to the Serie A could be on the cards.

Speaking to Arena Napoli last month, he said:

“Lamela and his wife have the same desire: to return to Italy. Lamela, in all likelihood, at the end of the current football season, will leave Tottenham to try a new experience. He wants to join an important club.”

Whilst back in March, the Evening Standard reported that Bologna were hot on his case and would look to sign him in the summer.

The 29-year-old winger will enter the final year of his deal and it’s hard to envisage him getting an extension, nor does he deserve or warrant one.

It’s rather hilarious that he was signed as Gareth Bale’s replacement for €30m (£26m) back in 2013, yet the Welshman has since come back and done more than he ever has for the club.

Bale has bagged 14 goals and three assists despite largely playing a bit-part role – in fact, he’s directly contributed towards one goal every 90.4 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

In 177 appearances, Lamela has only scored 17 times for Spurs and has never delivered more than five assists in any Premier League campaign. He has probably spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch, too.

As of last month, the Argentine was said to have missed 135 matches through injury, including a hip problem that kept him out for 13 months.

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Considering he’s earning around £85k-per-week, you could argue that he’s stolen a living from the North London outfit for the majority of his career here.

To put it into context, Bale has returned for one season and is only three goals off Lamela’s total tally for Spurs. He has also spent 43% of his time out injured.

Check out the latest transfer news on Lamela via the GMS Live football Transfer hub

We’ve seen moments of sheer brilliance from him, bagging that sensational rabona goal against Arsenal but also moments of absolute stupidity. He again tried the trick but this time it was with his team 3-1 down against Leeds, leading to BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand slamming him (via football.london).

“The goal against Arsenal was fabulous and we were all drooling over it. But you’re 3-1 down at this moment, he tries this pass,” he said. “But the more important thing was the reaction from all the players in Spurs shirts. I was looking for somebody to get onto him, to say: ‘What the hell are you doing? We’re 3-1 down. Play normal’, that tells me a lot.”

It’s not the first time Lamela has been blasted for his actions either.

Earlier this season, Graeme Souness labelled him “pathetic” live on Sky Sports for his role in getting Antony Martial sent off during Spurs 6-1 whitewash at Old Trafford.

Now valued just shy of £14.5m by Transfermarkt, this could well – and should be – the final few games that we witness Lamela in a Tottenham shirt.

Whatever Levy can get this summer, he should take it and run.

AND in other news, Forget Parker: Levy could win back Spurs fans by hiring 53y/o dubbed a “master” by Pep…

Steven Gerrard picked out Cedric Itten, Kemar Roofe and Ryan Kent when discussing Glasgow Rangers’ best bits of business this season.

The Lowdown: Busy summer

Rangers have completed 10 transfers across the campaign (Transfermarkt). Some of them have not worked out too well, such as Bongani Zungu, but the majority have been inspired.

The likes of Ianis Hagi, Jon McLaughlin and Leon Balogun have all contributed to the 55-time Scottish champions’ success this term.

The Latest: Gerrard pinpoints trio

When discussing the club’s best business this season, Gerrard picked out Itten, Roofe and Kent, who have a combined value of £16.65m (Transfermarkt). He told Sky Sports:

“In this game, over the course of a season, you always fall away for a reason.

“It’s either a dip in form, what’s going on on the pitch, or it’s a message to yourself and the staff that you may be a few players short and it’s about going into the market and getting your recruitment right.

“There’s no getting away from it, at times we were too heavily reliant on Alfredo Morelos, Jermain Defoe.

“I think bringing Kemar Roofe in, bringing Cedric Itten in, keeping Ryan Kent when there was real serious interest, that was big from this board.”

The Verdict: Big business

Indeed, the attacking options Gerrard has at his disposal have been vital to the Light Blues’ success. None of the Gers’ forwards have scored a huge number of goals individually, but between the five of them they have 51 strikes – everyone has chipped at different times. The arrivals of Itten and Roofe in particular gave Gerrard more options across the season to keep opponents guessing.

Holding on to Kent in the wake of strong transfer interest was also crucial – he has been unplayable at times this season and has 15 assists to go with his 13 goals. Gerrard and Ross Wilson must bring in some more inspired signings if they want to maintain this season’s success.

In other news, many Rangers fans lauded this man’s performance against Aberdeen on Saturday.

Manchester United have been linked with a move for Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to German outlet SportBild (via The Express), the Red Devils could be set to land the 24-year-old France international after Bayern were unable to match the forward’s expensive wage demands.

Coman still has two years left to run on his current contract with the reigning Bundesliga champions, so new boss Julian Nagelsmann won’t be forced into a sale, but an unhappy player could spoil the dressing room atmosphere, meaning an imminent exit is potentially on the cards.

Solskjaer must avoid Coman

It’s been a season of steady progress for United. With second place secured in the Premier League table and the Europa League final on the horizon, Solskjaer can be proud of his side’s efforts, although he’ll know there is still a lot of work to be done.

Manchester City have been head and shoulders above their domestic rivals throughout 2020/21 and currently hold a 12-point gap over the Red Devils at the top of the table, showcasing the vast gap in quality that United need to breach this summer.

The Old Trafford outfit have largely excelled in the transfer market during Solskjaer’s tenure, though, bringing in the likes of Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Edinson Cavani while seeing sub-standard stars such as Alexis Sanchez and Marouane Fellaini depart.

However, the Norweigian would be heading into a huge mistake if he pursues the £58.5m-rated (as per Transfermarkt) Coman.

The pacey attacker may boast an expansive and incredibly impressive trophy cabinet, including one Champions League crown, 10 league titles and five domestic cups, but his overall output is far below the standard that United require at this moment in time.

For a forward to have played for Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Bayern at times when the trio have utterly dominated their respective divisions and not once score over six league goals in a season is extremely alarming.

Considering Coman has only this season broke into double figures for assists arguably raises even more alarm bells for those planning how to spend United’s transfer kitty this window.

With Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho continuing to be linked with a move to Old Trafford, Solskjaer and United must stick to their guns and go all out for the England international rather than settle for Coman, otherwise, it’s a decision they could live to regret for many, many years to come.

And, in other news…77.7% duels lost: £290k-p/w Man United liability let Solskjaer down once more – opinion

Molineux was rocking for Nuno Santo’s very final game in charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday but the players on the pitch were unable to send their manager away in style.

It was a tough ask for this Old Gold side as they faced a Manchester United team who had competed so admirably for the Premier League title this year.

Having supporters back in the stadium certainly helped their cause and spurred them on, however.

Nelson Semedo was rampant down the right-hand side and even popped up with a rare goal but Wolves ultimately fell short as they were made to rue Mike Dean and the dreaded VAR.

The Midlands outfit weren’t clinical enough in attack but they let themselves down defensively as they have done for large parts of the campaign.

Donny van de Beek enjoyed some bright touches in the middle of the park and it was the Dutchman that was brought down for a penalty the ultimately won United the game.

Romain Saiss clumsily dangled a leg out with a rash piece of play that cost Wolves the match and let Nuno down on his final match at Molineux.

That said, he wasn’t their worst culprit during the 2-1 defeat.

That honour, unfortunately, had to go to Leander Dendoncker. Fresh from being picked for the Belgium squad at the upcoming European Championships, he hardly sent a positive message to Roberto Martinez.

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Picked in the middle of the park over the more attacking Vitinha and Morgan Gibbs-White, it was a decision that ultimately didn’t pay off.

Dendoncker completed 93% of his passes but in terms of his physical game, he was way off it.

The £75k-per-week earner was anonymous as he somehow failed to involve himself in a single defensive duel.

That meant the Belgian didn’t win a tackle or complete an interception. The midfielder’s stats sheet from the game was full of zeroes with him making no key passes and not registering a single dribble.

This wasn’t the first time he’s let his manager down this season, though. He was skinned by Adama Traore when Wolves played Leeds back in March.

It feels that when the Old Gold play against teams on the counter-attack, Dendoncker seems to struggle with the pace and energy.

Nuno’s spirits won’t be too dampened by this performance but he can’t have been too impressed.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Jimenez: Wolves must swoop for £80k-p/w gem who is “similar to Neto”…

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce has suffered a major transfer blow in the chase for Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days had suggested that the Gunners youngster, who was on loan at St James’ Park for the Premier League season just gone by, is open to making the move to Tyneside.

Now, Football Insider claim that the Magpies may not even have the finances to pull off such a deal.

The report reveals that Bruce has been informed by the club that he will receive a budget of just £10m and that Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is refusing to spend big while takeover talks continue.

It’s added: “The bombshell rules out the possibility of Newcastle signing Joe Willock permanently from Arsenal after his dazzling loan. That is now a non-starter unless United cash in on one of their few stars capable of generating a £20m-plus transfer fee.”

Fans will be fuming

After seeing him score on his Newcastle debut against Southampton earlier in the Premier League campaign, Bruce claimed that Willock has the style of play from which his side could really benefit.

He said: “It was a classic midfield player’s goal from the ability to arrive in the box, and that’s what he’s brought us. He can go box-to-box, he’s a terrific athlete, the kid, a typical modern-day midfield player who has the ability to get up and down the pitch quickly and has that added ability to score a goal.”

And, when you look at the rest of the Newcastle midfield, Willock really does solve a major Bruce nightmare.

The 21-year-old’s eight goals from midfield are far more than what the rest of Newcastle’s midfield options have managed this season, with Jeff Hendrick the next closest with just the two in the league.

It’s exactly why then that news that Bruce will have such a measly budget to work with in this transfer window will surely have fans fuming at Ashley and his reluctance to open up his chequebook to strengthen the squad.

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A move for Willock in particular isn’t a typical transfer gamble given what he’s already shown while on loan, and it makes the Newcastle owner’s decision to not at least release the funds to just sign him on a permanent basis incredibly baffling.

Meanwhile, Newcastle must land this defender who bullied Ivan Toney…