Category Uncategorized

[ad_pod ]

Rangers are interested in making a move for Kilmarnock forward Eamonn Brophy this summer, according to TEAMtalk.

What’s the story?

It appears to be a policy of Steven Gerrard’s to bring the best Scottish Premiership talent to Rangers, with moves completed in recent months for Glen Kamara, Jordan Jones and Jake Hastie.

Brophy is another who impressed in the top-flight through 2018/19 and TEAMtalk reckon that the Scottish top flight runners-up are looking at the Killie man as someone who can potentially replace Alfredo Morelos if he is sold for big money this summer.

Morelos replacement?

To suggest that Brophy can come in and match the contribution of Morelos is perhaps overstating things a little, but if Rangers are interested it makes complete sense as back-up to both the Colombian and Jermain Defoe.

Brophy scored 12 goals for Kilmarnock this season, proving to be a key part of Steve Clarke side that delivered European football at Rugby Park, finishing ahead of Aberdeen in the table.

Check out Keith from C’mon the Hoops’ fascinating video on the origins of the Old Firm derby below…

It was form impressive enough for him to receive his first Scotland call-up for next month’s qualifiers against Cyprus and Belgium.

A thorn in Rangers’ side

Two of those goals came against Rangers in wins for Killie in January and on the last day of the season. The first saw him expose a mistake in the Gers defence with a smart, cool-headed finish while his most recent effort was from the penalty spot, perfectly dispatched while under significant pressure.

Kyle Lafferty’s move from Hearts last season hasn’t worked out the way anyone at Ibrox would have hoped and Brophy definitely has the ability to arrive in Glasgow and replace his presence.

By signing him, it also weakens one of the toughest sides Rangers faced this term – why not go out and grab the players who directly punished you?

[ad_pod ]

Rangers are reportedly eyeing a move for Andre Gray, but would he be good enough to replace Alfredo Morelos?

According to The Evening Times, Steven Gerrard is considering a loan approach for Gray, who has scored nine times for Watford this season.

Jordan Jones, Jake Hastie and Greg Stewart are all expected to move to Ibrox this summer per the report, and Gray is now a loan target as well.

This comes after a report in The Express said Morelos is on “thin ice” after his red card in the Old Firm.

With that in mind, we asked some of the writers at Football FanCast if Gray is good enough to lead the line next season. Here’s what they said…

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Harry Elnaugh

“Undoubtedly. The Watford man matches Morelos for pace and power, while also having a pretty lethal finish. I’d even argue that he would be an upgrade. Morelos is fantastic and brings so much to the SPFL, but if Rangers can get a striker who scores the goals he does but without all the bans and suspensions, they’d be much closer to a title.”

Jack Saville

“I think Rangers would make a major blunder if they replaced Morelos with Andre Gray. The Watford striker has experience in the Premier League but he’s practically renowned for his inability to find the back of the net, so much so that he’s become a laughing stock amongst the Hornets faithful during periods of his spell at Vicarage Road. That reputation has dwindled this season, with a return of seven goals suggesting he might have turned a corner, but I’m far from convinced this is anything other than a small purple patch. Gerrard will be torn if he is forced to choose a replacement for Morelos this summer but Gray is not the answer.”

Billy Meyers

“I think Andre Gray would be a more than capable replacement for Alfredo Morelos if he leaves Rangers. The former Burnley man is fast, powerful and a decent finisher, and his form this season has began to show why Watford shelled out £18m for his services. Also, it can be argued that the Scottish top-flight is not as tough as the Premier League, so Gray’s struggles to find the back of the net consistently may not carry over if he makes to switch to Ibrox. This would be a marquee signing for a club like Rangers.”

[ad_pod ]

Two successive draws mean that Celtic may now have to wait until May until they are crowned as the Scottish Premiership champions, but it is something that is very much on the cards.

The departure of Brendan Rodgers and return of Neil Lennon hasn’t had the negative impact some may have feared, with the Bhoys on the verge of yet another top-flight title.

Unsurprisingly, the chat on forums is already turning towards potential summer transfer activity, as the Glasgow giants look to stay ahead of arch-rivals Rangers next term, as well as having a good go at the Champions League.

It remains to be seen whether Lennon will stay on and what budget he or another prospective new boss will be given by Peter Lawwell and Co., but one supporter asked others on TalkCeltic who they would sign if they were given £30m to spend.

Another individual responded (Post 84) and listed Barry Douglas as was one of his potential incomings, with the 29-year-old currently plying his trade for Leeds United in the English Championship.

The verdict?

It would certainly be an interesting move given the Scotland international only joined the Yorkshire outfit for £3m last summer, but injuries and a lack of form saw him out of favour under Marcelo Bielsa when he did return to action earlier in 2019.

Douglas started the season strongly however having played a pivotal part in Wolverhampton Wanderers reaching the Premier League during the previous campaign, and he would add some quality to this Celtic team.

His arrival would cause one big issue though – what would it mean for Kieran Tierney?

The 21-year-old is clearly a huge talent who has the left-back/left wing-back role tied down, but Douglas wouldn’t move north of the border to simply sit on the bench.

As speculation around Rafa Benitez’ Newcastle future rumbles on, check out the latest club to be linked with his services in the video below…

It remains to be seen whether this supporter has considered that fact, unless there is a plan to play one of them on the wing in a 4-2-3-1 formation instead.

In short, a move for Douglas makes little sense unless Tierney is going in the next couple of months – something that appears unlikely right now.

With what is looking to be a top ten finishing season, West Ham will be looking forward to making more strides in the right direction under Manuel Pellegrini, who has done a solid job so far at the London Stadium. In fact, we’re sure most fans reading this will agree that it might be the most exciting project the club has undertaken in quite a while.

After all the unrest of previous seasons finally looking to be behind them, Hammers fans can look towards the future and where their club can go next. Last summer saw the club’s board sign quite a few star players, with the likes of Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko joining the squad.

So, we suggest they look to do the same again in the up and coming summer period. Simple, right?

However, it can be argued that they made need to protect their players rather than look for a tonne more, as the January actions of a certain Austrian striker proved.

So, here we are looking at a couple of demands their 65-year-old boss should make to the board for the following season:

Resist the money! Keep star players on long term contracts

We’ve been here before, haven’t we? West Ham have a star man, and they sell him. Carlos Tevez, Dimitri Payet and Joe Cole being previous examples.

So, Pellegrini must be begging the board to get all of his star players on long term contracts. With the likes of Felipe Anderson, Marko Arnautovic and, more recently, Declan Rice exploding on the scene in the Premier League, the manager will be praying that no one comes in with a mega offer.

The entire foundation of West Ham’s success is quite clearly built on these players during this current period for the club, so it’s of paramount importance.

Address full-back problems 

The signing of Ryan Fredericks is only the start of what needs to be a bit of a fix up in the West Ham side. Indeed, with ageing full-backs like Pablo Zabaleta (34) and Aaron Cresswell already looking past his prime at the tender age of 29, it may be time to look for some reinforcements to come into the side.

Although they already have Arthur Masuaku, the quality of defending from the full-back position doesn’t seem to be there for the Hammers. So, this summer is the perfect time to get that balance within the side, and have a team full of star players with a balance from defence to attack.

There aren’t many players in world football who can claim that they can tower over Sheffield Wednesday’s Atdhe Nuhiu.

Standing at a height of 6ft 6, the Kosovo international is an imposing figure for any player to have to deal with, yet this season, he has failed to impress on a consistent basis for the Owls after his best ever campaign last year.

Although Wednesday would end up finishing in an underwhelming 15th place in the Championship in 2018, Nuhui was very effective individually, scoring eleven goals and providing five assists for his team-mates as he proved his worth for the Yorkshire-based outfit.

However, he has yet to show any signs of replicating the same level of performance for Steve Bruce’s side this year having only scored once in his last seven appearances for the club and three in total in all competitions.

Nevertheless, with Steve Fletcher a doubt for his side’s game against Stoke City at the weekend having missed Scotland’s Euro 2020 Qualifiers against Kazakhstan and San Marino due to injury, Nuhui may be given the chance to lead the line alongside Sam Winnall.

With the Owls well-placed for a late play-off push in the Championship, they will undoubtedly benefit from the forward stepping up to the plate in their final eight fixtures as it could make all the difference between whether they achieve a top-six finish in May.

If Nuhiu continues his sporadic form, he could find himself being surplus to requirements at Wednesday in the summer, bringing an end to his six-year stint at Hillsborough. Therefore, in order to save his Owls career, he needs to demonstrate that he can offer a viable alternative to the club’s other forwards.

Although promotion to the Premier League is still a long-shot for Wednesday this season, Bruce will already be planning for the future regardless on how the season ends and ultimately it is up to Nuhiu to prove that he should be part of the former Aston Villa boss’ plans.

What do you think Owls fans? Do you think that Nuhiu’s time at Hillsborough should be brought to an end in the summer? Or should the target man stay at Wednesday? Get in touch below.

[ad_pod ]

Loads of Leeds fans have been reacting to an update on the fitness of Jack Clarke, who is set to return to outdoor training next week.

Clarke has been one of the most exciting parts of this exhilarating season at Elland Road, as the teenager looks more than capable of becoming a true Leeds great.

Born and raised in Yorkshire, it’s no surprise fans are very fond of the 18 year-old, and he has bagged two goals and two assists this season despite starting just four Championship games.

He was stretchered away from the sideline during the 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough though, and fans were extremely worried over the youngster’s future.

According to Phil Hay of the Yorkshire Evening Post, the winger was suffering from a virus, and has been doing indoor gym work this week, before returning to outdoor training next week.

This will come as a huge relief to Marcelo Bielsa, who is already without Kemar Roofe for an estimated eight weeks due to a knee injury.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

[ad_pod ]Leeds are set to be without Kemar Roofe for considerable time due to a knee injury, and Izzy Brown now has the perfect chance to make a huge impact at his loan club.

What’s the word?

Leeds have suffered another huge injury setback, as Roofe suffered knee ligament damage during the win over Swansea, reports Phil Hay of the Yorkshire Evening Post.

The 26 year-old, who has struck 14 times in the Championship this season, is expected to return before the end of the season, but it seems highly unlikely he’ll play a significant role in the run-in given the seriousness of knee ligament injuries.

Whether he returns this campaign or not, the Whites need a new number ten while the ex-Oxford United ace is out of action, and that offers Brown the chance to re-pay the club’s faith in him.

On the chalkboard

Brown stepped on to the Elland Road turf for the first time on Monday afternoon, taking part in an Under-23’s match against Bolton.

While he only played 45 minutes and was reportedlyÂlimping when he was withdrawn at half time, the injury is not expected to be serious, and he is now another 45 minutes closer to full fitness.

The 22 year-old is yet to feature for Marcelo Bielsa’s first-team after several setbacks on the road back from a knee injury, but his skill, vision and work rate can provide a fitting replacement for Roofe, who has adopted a slightly deeper position since Patrick Bamford’s return to the starting XI.

The Chelsea youngster will not offer the goal threat that Roofe is capable of, but his intelligence and eye for a pass in the middle of the attack will help break down deep defences, and could even pave the way for Bamford to go on a goalscoring run.

Roofe’s injury is a massive setback without a doubt, but Brown is on the verge of showing why Bielsa and the club have stood by him through his long road to recovery.

[ad_pod ]

Tottenham fans will absolutely love the latest transfer rumour out of Spain, as reports claim Gareth Bale could be open to a return to north London.

What’s the story?

According to Marca, via Sport Witness, Real Madrid are once again considering selling Bale.

The Welsh wing wizard was the source of plenty of speculation after last season’s Champions League final, but of course it was Cristiano Ronaldo who departed, with Bale supposedly set to take the helm in Madrid.

That hasn’t happened though, and the report from Marca claims Bale “doesn’t rule out” a return to Spurs, while also including the Lilywhites as one of the interested parties.

According to the report, Bale has been overshadowed by Karim Benzema and Brazilian youngster Vinicius, and he could be used as part of a swap deal to land Christian Eriksen.

Is he worth losing Eriksen?

Real Madrid paid around £90m for Bale back in 2013, and that was before the transfer market exploded due to players like Paul Pogba and Neymar, so they will be looking for a hefty fee even as the Welshman approaches his 30th birthday.

That said, it is likely that the Lilywhites would have to sacrifice Eriksen to land Bale just like Marca claims, with the Danish international yet to show any signs of penning a new deal at the club.

Eriksen will be out of contract in the summer of 2020, but Daniel Levy and Mauricio Pochettino should be doing everything in their power to stop him from leaving, as the fan favourite playmaker is far younger and less injury-prone than Bale.

Bale may be a world-renowned superstar, but he has suffered countless muscle injuries in his five-and-a-half years in Madrid, and Eriksen is a more proven fit in Pochettino’s system.

Eriksen must be the club’s priority, but all things considered Bale isn’t exactly a bad contingency plan.

Sheffield Wednesday have been terrible recently.

There’s no nice way of putting it – the Owls have been atrocious – they’ve won just one of their previous 11 league games, and any thoughts of a playoff push must now seem like a distant memory.

However, the Yorkshire club may have just been handed a boost that could see them rediscover the form that saw them sitting third in the Championship after 23 games.

What’s the latest?

Steven Fletcher is on his way back.

Garry Monk spoke about the striker’s return to fitness in his pre-match press conference.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

“It is one real positive. He is back in training this week, so it is good. He looks good,” Monk said.

“We will make a decision on him. But he has come through his fitness (work) really well and done his rehabilitation brilliantly and has been back in training this week.

“It is only his first week, but he is a fit lad anyway. We will make a decision on him.

“I think he has to be (in consideration). I have not spoken to him yet and have let him get on with it, so I will speak to him later today or tomorrow morning in terms of how he feels.”

Huge boost

It’s no coincidence that Wednesday’s decline coincided with Fletcher’s spell on the sidelines.

The Scot is the Owls’ top scorer this season, netting 12 times, but that’s not all he contributes.

The Yorkshire club’s overall play is better with Fletcher on the pitch, they pick up 1.63 points per game when the former Sunderland man plays, compared to just 0.72 without him.

Monk has really missed the presence of his first-choice number nine, and once he’s back he could help the Hillsborough outfit have a strong end to the season.

If Fletcher returns with a bang on Saturday that could lift everyone at the club, and hopefully this piece of injury news will act as a catalyst for a rejuvenation from the Yorkshire outfit.

In other news, Wednesday fans have been discussing one man’s future.

[ad_pod ]

According to West Ham insider, ExWHUemployee, the East London outfit have been knocked back in their attempts to sign Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi – a deal is highly unlikely as the player has made it clear he doesn’t want to become a Hammer.

West Ham have surely been preparing contingency plans this month amid interest in star striker Marko Arnautovic – the club rejected a £35m bid from Chinese outfit Shanghai SIPG earlier in the window (per BBC Sport) – but have yet to sign a new hitman.

The Irons, though, are close to signing Celta Vigo’s Maxi Gomez for a whopping £43.3m (per Sky Sports), but the Uruguayan would be loaned straight back to the La Liga outfit, meaning Manuel Pellegrini is still short of quality up front for now.

A move for Batshuayi, therefore, made sense as the Hammers look to finish the season strongly – Sky Sports reported earlier today that Chelsea had agreed a loan deal in principle with West Ham but the player doesn’t seem too keen.

Having tried to sign the Belgian forward while he was still at Marseille in 2016 (according to The Guardian), the London Stadium outfit were surely elated that they were being given the chance to sign their long-term target – the 25-year-old clearly has other plans though. Gutting.

Here’s how the West Ham faithful reacted to the news on Twitter…

Who is West Ham’s worst ever signing? Check out the video above for a pretty strong candidate for the dubious honour…