Category Uncategorized

Glasgow Rangers need to undergo some major rebuilding during the summer transfer window if they wish to overcome their Old Firm rivals at the top of the Premiership table next season.

Michael Beale has enjoyed a solid start to life at Ibrox. However, heading into this weekend, the gap between them and Celtic sat at 12 points – and this is unacceptable.

There has been progress, with the likes of January signing Todd Cantwell settling in well, and he could certainly be the figurehead of a new era under Beale.

One area the Englishman must get right is that of a good solid goalkeeper, as Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin have been poor this term. The duo have conceded 46 (1.4 per game) and 18 (1.8 per game) goals respectively this term, and with a combined age of 76, the time has surely come to bring in someone slightly younger.

Beale could plump for a player who looks set to become a free agent this summer, and having played in the English Premier League during his career, Jack Butland could be an ideal signing.

Could Rangers sign Jack Butland?

Rangers were linked with Butland last summer; however, a broken finger suffered in pre-season ruined any chances of a deal going through.

We think Beale should try and make a move for the ‘keeper, especially as the current Manchester United loanee is set to become a free agent this summer as Crystal Palace are seemingly happy with their options heading into 2023/2024.

This could prove to be a major coup for the Gers, with Butland only 30 years of age, he could become the No 1 for the foreseeable future, and with plenty of experience in England, it could be considered a no-brainer to offer the 6 foot 5 titan a deal.

Across his career, Butland has appeared 87 times in the English top flight, keeping 21 clean sheets in those games.

There is no doubt that the goalkeeper hailed as "really skilful" by Erik ten Hag has a wealth of experience, also winning nine caps for England. Meanwhile, Joe Hart has proved that moving from England to Scotland later in your career can generate excellent results, as he has enjoyed a resurgence since turning out for the Hoops.

Beale will surely be keeping tabs on the Palace shot-stopper, and hopefully he makes his move sooner rather than later as the Gers aim to reclaim the SPFL title next year.

Manchester United made it back-to-back Premier League wins with victory over relegation strugglers Everton on Saturday afternoon, with the Red Devils producing a commanding performance to see off Sean Dyche's men at Old Trafford.

Just days on from the professional, albeit uninspiring win over Brentford, the hosts were far more impressive this time around, having carved out numerous openings in what was one of their "best halves of the season", according to Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

The likes of Marcus Rashford, Antony, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka all had fine opportunities to break the deadlock in that free-flowing first-half display, albeit with the eventual opener coming through Scotland hero, Scott McTominay, who finally found a way past a stoic Jordan Pickford.

While the home side were less impressive after the interval, the points were eventually wrapped up on the 70-minute mark as Anthony Martial tucked home from close range, bagging his eighth goal in 16 appearances against today's opponents.

That convincing display included a number of standout performances across the park, with January arrival Marcel Sabitzer having notably been "excellent", according to Luckhurst, having thrived in his advanced midfield berth.

The Austrian international did fail to win a single duel in his 76-minute outing, although created one big chance in that time, playing in teammate Bruno Fernandes with a delightful dinked pass in the second half.

Despite that strong showing from the Bayern Munich loanee, the playmaker was perhaps bettered by Jadon Sancho with regard to his impact on proceedings, with the latter man having been "immaculate" in the final third, according to journalist Rhys Jones.

How did Sancho perform against Everton?

Not only did Sancho record a greater Sofascore rating than that of Sabitzer (7.4 vs 7.2), but the Englishman was far more of a threat in a creative sense, having contributed five key passes from his wide berth, having also enjoyed an impressive pass accuracy rate of 95% from his 52 touches.

The 23-year-old's most telling contribution saw the fleet-footed dynamo tee up McTominay for the game's opening goal, having threaded the towering midfielder through with a clever, sliding pass amid a congested penalty area.

Such composure in and around the opposition penalty box is undoubtedly what United have been hoping to see from Sancho more often over the past 18 months or so, with the £350k-per-week man clearly having the ability to provide that killer pass when needed.

While Ten Hag will be hoping to see such quality on a more consistent basis, the winger's "sensational" performance – as per presenter Terry Flewers – will have raised hopes that he can go to play a key part in the run in, following what has been a stop-start campaign for the £73m man, in truth.

With it yet to be seen what the damage will be with regard to Rashford's injury blow, it could be time for Sancho to truly step up and become the player that many had hoped he would be at the Theatre of Dreams.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told by Tony Cascarino to appoint Burnley boss Vincent Kompany after his ‘miraculous’ feats this season.

The Lowdown: Conte leaving?

As per reports in the last 24 hours, it is now widely expected that Spurs will part company with Antonio Conte before the end of this 2022/2023 Premier League campaign.

The Italian has been skating on thin ice over the last few weeks with sporting director Fabio Paratici having already drawn a shortlist of possible replacements.

Former Lilywhites boss Mauricio Pochettino is among the contenders to replace Conte, coming after his furious post–match rant at the weekend – where he took aim at both the board and squad.

He stated: 

“We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart (in).

“Why? Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.

“It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this. Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stays here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench.”

The Latest: Tottenham told to make ‘brave’ Kompany call…

Speaking in a Q&A with The Times, pundit Cascarino claims Kompany, a Man City legend who has taken Burnley to the summit of Championship football, should be a contender to take over from Conte.

When asked who should replace the 51-year-old, he stated:

“In the past Tottenham have just made an obvious choice, picking managers with the best CVs, but it’s time for them to be brave, especially as Harry Kane may well depart, which would create a completely new dynamic at the club.

“I think Vincent Kompany would be an excellent appointment after his miraculous feats at Burnley this season. He’s had little money but transformed them, adopting a new playing style.”

The Verdict: Good candidate?

The 36-year-old, barring his spell at Anderlecht before Burnley, has very little experience in terms of managing at this level.

However, Kompany is also a natural leader, with City boss Pep Guardiola even recently claiming that the Belgian is destined to coach his former team one day.

Burnley are currently dominating England’s second tier with a free-flowing, attack-minded style – scoring more goals and winning more games than any other side in the division.

They could even still become one of only a few Championship clubs to seize over 100 points in a single campaign – emphasising the incredible job he’s done at Turf Moor.

Of course, this would still be a bold move considering the big name managers available for hire right now.

Everton reporter for The Liverpool Echo Joe Thomas was shocked by Idrissa Gueye’s mistake in the build-up to Arsenal’s second goal on Wednesday night.

The Lowdown: Heavy defeat

Everton were made to suffer against the Premier League leaders in the end as two goals from Gabriel Martinelli and one each from Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were enough to give the home side all three points at the Emirates Stadium.

The visitors seemed to be going well for the first 40 minutes, but two goals shortly before the half-time whistle effectively killed the game off.

The Latest: Gueye mistake

Taking to Twitter, Thomas was critical of Gueye in the build-up to Martinelli’s first goal in first-half stoppage time, as he dwelled on the ball for far too long in a dangerous area before Saka pounced on him and fed Martinelli to score:

“Gueye is jogging towards his own goal, I think he thinks the ref has blown for a foul further up the pitch. Saka plays on and nips the ball from Gueye’s toes and it falls to Martinelli, who pokes beyond Pickford. From the sublime to the stunningly ridiculous.”

The Verdict: Really poor…

The mistake itself from Gueye was really poor, but what made matters worse was that it came just before the half-time whistle. The Toffees then went into the break 2-0 down instead of 1-0, and gave themselves a mountain to climb in the second half.

This is not the first time that Gueye has been criticised for his performances under Sean Dyche, and there have even been calls for him to be replaced for next season.

Nonetheless, the midfielder must step up his performances if he wants to keep his starting place for the next crucial run of matches.

Manchester City could look to sign Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot on a free transfer agreement this summer, according to a report.

The Lowdown: City eyeing midfielder

It is clear that Pep Guardiola wants to strengthen in midfield, with Man City recently being linked with Frankfurt’s Daichi Kamada, who is also available on a free at the end of the season.

Ilkay Gundogan’s contract is set to expire this summer, and while the German was said to be in talks about extending his stay back in January, he is yet to reach an agreement with the club, and so signing a new midfielder may be a necessity.

The Latest: Rabiot linked

According to a report from CalcioMercato (via Sport Witness), Rabiot has no intention of signing a new deal with Juventus as the club cannot offer him the salary that he wants, so he will look to move on in the summer.

With the Frenchman’s contract expiring this summer he is available to leave on a free transfer, and will have no shortage of offers – City are apparently just one of several Premier League teams eyeing a move.

The Verdict: Get it done?

The 27-year-old has been in good form in the Serie A this season, contributing four goals and two assists in 18 appearances from central midfield, already matching his highest-ever goal tally across a league campaign with Juventus.

Hailed as ‘sensational’ by the media, the maestro has been one of the Italian side’s key performers, weighing in with a 7.08 average rating from Sofascore, a higher figure than both Gundogan and Kalvin Phillips have attained in the English top flight.

Rabiot would be an improvement on Gundogan defensively, given that he has averaged more tackles, interceptions and aerials won per 90 than the 32-year-old in the past year, and signing him on a free transfer would be a very astute piece of business.

Tottenham Hotspur youngster Jude Soonsup-Bell is already expected to leave the club at the end of the season on loan to pick up some regular first-team football.

What’s the latest?

The Lilywhites made Soonsup-Bell their first addition of transfer deadline day on Tuesday after the 19-year-old made the move from their London rivals, Chelsea.

Soonsup-Bell put pen to paper on a deal which will see him remain at Spurs until the summer of 2025 after seeing his contract at Chelsea wind down to its final few months.

The 19-year-old is now expected to join up with Tottenham’s U23s side for the remainder of the 2022/23 campaign, however, it seems as if there may already be plans in place for next season.

Speaking on his latest YouTube video, Alasdair Gold has suggested the youngster is already expected to leave the club over the summer to join a lower-league side to pick up some regular action in the men’s game:

(53:00) “And then I think the plan, from what I understand, is in the summer, he will be sent out on loan to start getting his proper first-team experience.

“Before they look at whether he’s kind of ready to come into the first team environment. You’d imagine in the summer, maybe he’ll be involved in friendlies, and possibly a pre-season tour. Maybe that could have been something that was not promised, but suggested could happen to him in signing.”

Time to step up

Spurs have not been shy in offloading some of their striker prospects in various loan deals with the idea of seeing them develop their trade in the men’s game.

The most obvious is Harry Kane with the England captain being sent out on loan to four different clubs before he made his name in north London.

And the same can be seen currently with their two prospects, Troy Parrott and Dane Scarlett, who are playing their football at Preston North End and Portsmouth respectively.

However, it is essential Spurs are able to find Soonsup-Bell the right club with the likes of Scarlett and Parrott both enduring recent struggles on their loan spells away.

It is apparent the 19-year-old is landing at Spurs with a lot of potential having returned 23 goals in 25 games across his time in the Chelsea U18 side in the FA Youth Cup and U18 Premier League (via Transfermarkt).

And speaking in a recent interview, Spurs’ Fabio Paratici has hailed the youngster’s potential: “He is a big talent who was always a big talent in England and when we got the opportunity to sign him, we signed him.”

With Harry Kane nearing his 30th birthday and his long-term future in N17 still unknown, it does seem as if Spurs may be looking to discover the next big striker talent to come from their youth set-up.

Everton have ‘turned towards’ signing Morocco international and Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech this January, according to Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Danjuma deal hijacked…

Despite already having his medical at Goodison Park, Spurs made a successful eleventh hour hijack attempt to sign Arnaut Danjuma much to the dismay of the Everton hierarchy.

Tottenham have since unveiled the Dutchman as a winter signing with the Toffees now forced to go back to their drawing board in the search for alternatives.

This comes amid the club’s search for a new Premier League manager after they sacked Frank Lampard.

The Latest: Everton turn towards Ziyech…

Now, according to broadcast giant Sky Sports, via their transfer blog (Wednesday, 15:27), Everton have now ‘turned towards’ signing Ziyech as an alternative.

It’s explained on video that the Merseyside club have ‘moved quickly’ on to their next target after Danjuma’s move collapsed with one ‘source’ saying they’re ‘ready to pay £25 million’ for the 29-year-old.

It’s added that Chelsea are ‘considering letting him go’ amid Everton’s interest.

The Verdict: Upgrade?

Called a ‘real handful’ by former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan, we believe the £100,000-per-week forward would be a real asset for both Everton and their next manager.

In their bid for top flight survival, they’re in dire need of proven attacking quality and Morocco’s 2022 World Cup star can provide exactly that.

As per WhoScored, Ziyech played a pivotal role on his nation’s run to the semi-finals whilst making history as being part of Africa’s first ever team to get that far.

He averaged more attempts at goal per 90 than any Moroccan whilst also completing their second-highest rate of successful take-ons – finishing the tournament as one of their top three best-performers.

While he has been pushed to the sidelines at Chelsea, if Everton were to offer an escape route, Ziyech is capable of injecting that real spark in the attacking areas.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is one of the contenders for the Manager of the Year Award in the Premier League this season. His side is not only in the mix for a top-four finish, but it may also have a chance to win the title.

Howe was appointed as the Toon boss in November 2021. At the time, the primary target was to avoid relegation. The former Bournemouth manager did that with ease in the end, which meant the club was able to invest in their squad during the summer transfer window.

Eddie Howe 👏 pic.twitter.com/5SbUjmS0WI

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 10, 2023

Newcastle attracted high-quality players in the last two transfer windows, so the expectation from Howe’s team was much higher in the 2022/23 campaign. A push towards the top end of the table was the goal and the Englishman has overseen that.

The World Cup break came at a bad time for the Magpies as they had won five consecutive Premier League games when the league took a break. However, since the resumption, they have returned in great form, as they have not conceded a goal in their opening three games, including an impressive 0-0 draw away to Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Newcastle are now odds-on at 10/11 for a top-four finish in the campaign. Those unfamiliar with betting terms can read more about fractional odds in this guide. If the denominator in the fraction (second number) is larger than the numerator, like in the case of Newcastle in the Champions League qualification, it means they are rated more likely to achieve something than not, as their probability is higher than 50%.

Unfortunately, the North East-based club are only 50/1 in the Premier League outright market for the title this season. They remain underdogs at those odds, but if they can keep up their excellent form, they could continue to close the gaps on Arsenal and Manchester City, keeping themselves in the mix in the closing stages of the campaign.

Toon Chasing First Major Domestic Trophy Since 1955

As well as being in a good spot in the Premier League table going into the second half of the season, Newcastle are also in contention for the Carabao Cup. A 2-0 victory over Leicester ensured they progressed through to the semi-final of the competition. They will now face Southampton over two legs in the last four.

Newcastle haven't won a major domestic trophy for 68 years.

Eddie Howe's side are three games away from glory in the Carabao Cup 🏆👀 pic.twitter.com/jWW9b59YEJ

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) January 10, 2023

Newcastle have not won a major domestic cup competition since 1955. They lifted the FA Cup that season, beating Manchester City 3-1 in the final at Wembley. Since then, their supporters have had very little to shout about.

The Toon will be expected to qualify past Southampton, and they could meet Manchester United in the final in March. Dutchman Erik ten Haag is in his first season with the Manchester club, and he has also made a good start to his reign.

Newcastle’s wait for another FA Cup success will have to go on until at least next season. They were stunned by Championship club Sheffield Wednesday in the third round of that competition.

The Best May Still Be to Come for Howe and Newcastle

Whatever happens this season, Newcastle fans can be very excited about the club’s future. They will be expected to strengthen once again this summer. If they qualify for the Champions League, that will open the door to an even bigger pool of world-class players.

Newcastle have been linked with Brazilian defensive midfielder Danilo recently. If they add two or three players of his calibre in the summer, it could make a big difference toward their title credentials next season.

Howe has shown he can get the best out of the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Sven Botman. Those players have all made a difference since arriving at St James’ Park following big money transfers. They all appear to be enjoying playing for their manager and in the system he adopts for his team.

The 45-year-old is regarded as one of the brightest English managers in the sport today. Some pundits are predicting him to be the man the FA target as Gareth Southgate’s replacement when the national team boss decides to walk away from his role. Before then, Howe will want to win trophies at Newcastle and help develop the club into one of the best in Europe.

Photo by Unsplash

Arsenal return to Premier League action tonight as Mikel Arteta’s men take on West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium.

The north London side currently occupy top spot in the table, five points clear of their nearest challengers Manchester City, and there is a genuine hope that the Spaniard could be the one to lead the Gunners to their first top-flight title in 19 years.

However, Arteta will be without forward Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian suffering a knee injury at the World Cup, and he is expected to be out for around three months, which is a blow for the manager and for Arsenal.

Despite concerns over William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko, Arteta should have them available against West Ham. In midfield, another man who the manager should definitely unleash tonight in the Gunners’ first competitive match since 12 November is Granit Xhaka.

The Switzerland international has become a lot more dynamic this season, with Arteta moulding him into a midfielder who can push forward and utilise his attacking capabilities.

In 14 Premier League matches before the World Cup break, Xhaka registered three goals and three assists, matching his tally of goal contributions from his previous two league campaigns combined. Such a renaissance is one that “deserves an Oscar” in the words of Sky Sports’ Nubaid Haroon who has clearly been left staggered by his turnaround.

Indeed, the manager has certainly delivered a masterstroke in transitioning the player into a more attacking-minded figure.

The £100k-per-week earner has also averaged 1.4 key passes per game while succeeding with 67% of his dribbles, clearly proving that he is more confident in an attacking sense, and it has worked wonders for Arsenal this season.

Former Gunners midfielder Ray Parlour has enjoyed the club’s start to the campaign and in particular Xhaka’s performances, saying that the 30-year-old has been “absolutely brilliant this year”.

Elsewhere, Arteta previously described the Swiss maestro as “phenomenal”, and it’s clear that he has become one of the team’s most integral players.

Xhaka carried his domestic form into the World Cup, averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.92 across Switzerland’s four matches in Qatar; and despite the Swiss crashing out at the last 16 stage to Portugal following a 6-1 defeat, Arteta will just be glad that his player returned to north London without any injury concerns.

Unleashing the 30-year-old against West Ham tonight after his break from club action could give Arsenal the edge in the midfield battle, and you wouldn’t put it past him to grab a goal or an assist either.

Julen Lopetegui has a huge job on his hands if he is going to keep Wolves up this season and the January transfer window will undoubtedly be vital to the Spaniard’s hopes.

The Old Gold sit bottom of the Premier League ahead of the return of domestic football later this month, having scored just eight goals and conceded 24 in just 15 top-flight fixtures so far this season.

After impressing defensively last season but struggling in front of goal, with only the relegated sides scoring fewer, Wolves have managed to abandon their security at the back but look even worse going forwards, so it is no surprise that Bruno Lage was sacked.

Interim manager Steve Davis did little to stem the tide and Lopetegui will have to hope that Wolves start to look far more like their old selves once the World Cup break is over, otherwise, he risks taking them back down to the Championship.

In a recent interview with Football FanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke suggested what he feels Wolves need in order to move up the table.

He said:

“We all know that Wolves have struggled so far this season, finding themselves bottom of the table. I think a good January transfer window, with the squad that’s already there, they can quickly move up the table and get themselves out of trouble.”

Reports have suggested that Loptegui is set to be backed by the Wolves board in January, as it seems clear that several signings are needed if they want to avoid the drop.

A striker and a centre-back must be a priority for the former Sevilla boss considering the lack of depth in those positions, as injuries to Sasa Kalajdzic and Raul Jimenez proved disastrous in the first half of the campaign, while Nathan Collins’ red card vs Manchester City left Ruben Neves in defence, such is the quality of alternative options in the heart of Wolves’ backline.

However, they still have highly-regarded Premier League players such as Neves, Pedro Neto and Matheus Nunes at their disposal, so it seems fair to suggest that a few signings and the new manager bounce could just get Wolves out of trouble, but Jeff Shi must be willing to spend the necessary money.