Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard continues to be linked with a sensational appointment as Rangers manager this week, with latest reports suggesting he would make Gary McAllister his number two at Ibrox.
Given he has never managed at a senior level before, it would be a bold decision to make him boss of the Light Blues, but it appears it could be set to happen with The Daily Mail saying he could be unveiled as early as next week.
Currently a youth coach at his beloved Liverpool, Gerrard is clearly interested in moving into management but is the Rangers job too soon and too big for him at this stage of his career?
He was a player who demonstrated immense leadership at the Reds, but how easily would that transfer to a fractured dressing room at Ibrox?
Rangers supporters aren’t especially keen on the potential appointment, with many believing they need a man of experience to help bridge the gap to Celtic next season.
According to reports, Newcastle are lining up a summer swoop for Bournemouth striker Josh King.
What’s the story?
Rafael Benitez wants a new central striker on Tyneside this summer, and Bournemouth’s Josh King is top of his wishlist.
The former Manchester United man has improved every season during his time with the Cherries, and Benitez hopes he can solve the Magpies’ scoring woes.
Everton were also interested in King, who could cost Newcastle around £20million.
Perfect fit on Tyneside?
With six goals and three assists in 24 Premier League starts, King is certainly not the 20-goal striker some fans will be hoping for, but he would be an upgrade on Dwight Gayle.
Gayle is a fan favourite on Tyneside thanks to his incredible Championship winning season, but he is yet to prove himself in the Premier League.
King may not be smashing in the goals either, but 26 year-old is bigger and stronger than Gayle, and has the pace to get in behind defences while also possessing the strength to play as a target man.
King is also an impressively versatile striker, having played mainly in the Ayoze Perez role behind a central striker this season, which could explain his lack of goals.
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Only Rafa Benitez knows if he intends to use King in the Perez role or the Gayle role, but he would certainly be a welcome addition on Tyneside, and his direct, aggressive style would quickly endear him to the Toon Army.
Newcastle fans, would you back a £20m punt for Josh King? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
Mohamed Salah has been the standout player for Liverpool this season.Not many would have predicted that the Chelsea reject would be as influential as he has been in just his first season at Anfield.However, the attacker has proved critics wrong by scoring 43 goals in all competitions, and has taken home the PFA Player of the Year award, as well as the Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year accolade.In the first leg of Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final against Roma, the Egyptian international was the star of the show as he scored twice against his former club in a 5-2 thriller.https://video.footballfancast.com/video-2015/klopp-excuses.mp4At the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night, though, the 25-year-old, who failed to strike against Stoke City at the weekend, was largely ineffective and managed to register just one shot on target.Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum scored on the night, but a freak goal and some individual errors led to Roma netting four times.The clash ended 4-2 to the Italian giants, but Liverpool’s advantage from the first leg sent them through to the final against Real Madrid in Kiev.Amid the celebrations, some fans pointed out on Twitter that Salah was far from his best in Rome.
According to reports in The Mirror, West Ham United are ready to go head-to-head in the battle to appoint Marco Silva this summer.
What’s the word, then?
Well, The Mirror says that the former Hull City and Watford boss is the Merseyside outfit’s No.1 managerial target this summer with Sam Allardyce likely to be sacked, but the east London club are also interested with David Moyes – whom Hammers fans on Twitter don’t want to stay – unlikely to be kept on after his contract expired at the end of the season.
The Mirror says that Silva is keen on a Premier League return and has already been sounded out regarding the potential opportunity at Goodison Park, but he is also aware of potential interest from West Ham.
How did Silva do this season?
The 40-year-old only joined Watford during the summer but he quickly showed the qualities that he has as a manager after they made a brilliant start to the campaign.
The Portuguese boss generally showed he was tactically astute and makes the right decisions at the right times, but interest in him from Everton when they sacked Koeman in October ultimately put paid to his reign at Vicarage Road.
Having reportedly fallen out with the board and some of his players, he was sacked in January having won eight of his 26 fixtures in charge.
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Would he be a good appointment for West Ham?
He certainly could be, yes.
During his spells with Hull and Watford he has shown a lot of signs that he has a really bright future as a manger, but he certainly isn’t the finished product yet.
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The 6-0 defeat at home to Manchester City back in September certainly showed some naivety, but his willingness to use a range of different systems and playing styles is certainly impressive.
That said, the east London outfit should be wary of his mentality and attitude considering he wasn’t happy about Watford not allowing him to talk to Everton just months after he had joined them.
The same thing could easily happen with Silva and one of the top sides in the Premier League should he do well, and West Ham shouldn’t want someone that is going to want out or lose focus if another clubs shows interest in him.
West Ham United announced on Wednesday that they wouldn’t be extending David Moyes’ contract at the London Stadium meaning the Scot is free to negotiate a move elsewhere, and Leeds United shouldn’t waste any time in bringing him to Elland Road to replace the disappointing Paul Heckingbottom.
The 55-year-old signed a deal with the Irons until the end of the season when he replaced Slaven Bilic in November, when they were well in a relegation battle in the Premier League.
However, the former Everton and Manchester United boss quickly turned things around and began to pick up positive results to take the east London outfit up the table, and it was looking increasingly likely that he would be handed a longer contract at the end of the campaign.
A disappointing run of form in the lead-up to the final few fixtures, as well as disapproval from the stands about tactics and style of play, meant that Moyes’ future was already sealed before his team took seven points from a possibly nine available in their last three top flight games.
West Ham’s owners have decided to take a new and fresh route, and it will be interesting to see where Moyes turns to next, with a top job in the Championship perhaps appealing to him if there is nothing available in the Premier League.
While he decided not to lead Sunderland in England’s second tier following their relegation from the top flight last year, it was perhaps to do with the difficult situation they found themselves in at the time – on and off the pitch – as proven by the fact that they will be playing League One football next term.
That isn’t to say that he couldn’t be a great manager at this level though, and few Leeds fans would argue that Heckingbottom is a better option than Moyes is right now ahead of what is going to be a crucial 2018/19 campaign, having often heavily criticised the 40-year-old on Twitter.
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The 55-year-old has the experience of picking up results on a consistent basis, and even though he was only with West Ham for just over six months, he showed his management experience and skill by helping a potentially difficult character in Marko Arnautovic improve and become a key man after his Irons career had got off to a poor start.
The Scot has proven he can be a man-manager when required and that could be crucial to these Leeds players in their bid to finally win promotion back to the Premier League this time next year, at which point they will have been out of it for 15 years.
The Yorkshire outfit need a strong character who will command respect from his players and have their trust, and there are certainly doubts as to whether Heckingbottom does that considering his spell in charge from February onwards was hardly impressive or inspiring – he led the club to four wins and 16 points from 16 league matches.
Appointing Moyes would certainly help to get the feel-good factor back around Elland Road despite his previous Man United connection, and it would be a real statement of intent to both the fans and the rest of the division that they mean business next season, and that they should be feared.
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Not only that, but when they are recruiting some much-needed new signings this summer, they are more likely to want to play under the Scot than Heckingbottom, who is still relatively inexperienced.
Andrea Radrizzani has a real opportunity to take Leeds forward and guarantee them a top-six spot minimum next season by handing Moyes an offer he can’t refuse, and he should do it now before another club snaps him up.
According to a report by Kick Off, Leeds United are considering making a summer swoop for Cologne winger Chrisitan Clemens.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Kick Off report that one of the transfer priorities for Whites boss Paul Heckingbottom this summer is to bring a new winger to the club, and the 26-year-old could be the man in question.
Kick Off say that the German is looking for a new challenge having been unable to prevent Cologne suffering relegation from the Bundesliga in a campaign in which they were competing in the Europa League.
Even though Heckingbottom’s future seems to be far from secure after he only won four Championship matches between February and the end of the 2017/18 campaign earlier this month, the Yorkshire outfit look as though they are wasting no time in making moves in the transfer market which should delight their fans, who love the prospect of a 2016 title winner replacing their 40-year-old boss this summer.
How did Clemens do this season?
It was a tough campaign for Cologne and the 26-year-old winger, whose struggles with injury and form meant that he only made 14 Bundesliga appearances in total, playing just 639 minutes of German top flight football.
The wide man scored one goal and provided one assist in that time, and showed the impact he is able to make from the substitutes’ bench with that goal coming during a 27-minute cameo in the 1-0 win against Wolfsburg back in December.
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Would he be a good signing for Leeds?
While Clemens may be able to bring something to the Yorkshire club having scored 17 goals and provided a further 14 assists in 128 appearances in total for Cologne, as per Transfermarkt, the Whites should be wary of last summer’s transfer dealings before they push ahead for a move for the 26-year-old.
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The likes of Pawel Cibicki, Mateusz Klich and Caleb Ekuban all struggled to find their feet in the Championship this term having been impressive for their previous clubs, and Leeds director of football Victor Orta would probably be better off learning from those errors and sticking with players that have a good knowledge of English football, if they are to compete for promotion to the Premier League next season.
As reported by The Scottish Sun, Rangers are eager to bring out-of-contract midfielder Dylan McGeouch to Ibrox this summer.
What’s the story?
McGeouch was on the books at the Light Blues as a youth player before eventually making the switch to rivals Celtic and it now appears that Steven Gerrard is looking to bring him back to the club.
The Scottish Sun report that the Gers are in the market to sign him on a free transfer this summer after his contract expired at Hibernian.
The paper say, however, that Rangers will face competition from the likes of Blackburn Rovers and Hibs themselves for his signature.
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Would he be a good signing?
McGeouch is coming off a stand-out 2017/18 season at Hibernian, winning both the players’ and supporters’ player of the year awards at the club ahead of more hyped talents like John McGinn.
The former Hoops man was the player who made Neil Lennon’s side tick all season, his dynamic and committed midfield play allowing Hibs’ attacking players to shine in the final third, despite a lack of direct goal contributions.
The central midfield area is one that can be really improved at Rangers after last season and McGeouch could finally make his name at Ibrox playing under a midfield legend in Steven Gerrard.
On a free transfer, this is a deal that could prove to be one of the bargains of the summer if Rangers pull it off.
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As reported by The Guardian, Tottenham Hotspur’s talented youngster Marcus Edwards is seeking a move away from the club this summer after failing to break into Mauricio Pochettino’s first team.
Edwards has just a single senior Spurs appearance to his name, which came against Gillingham in League Cup action back in 2016, and despite high praise from manager Pochettino he has failed to make the breakthrough.
Even a loan spell at Norwich City was cut short earlier this year, with the player making just a single appearance for the Canaries.
Now 19 years of age, he is at a critical stage of his development and needs regular action to progress, something he is clearly unlikely to find at Tottenham, who have ambitions of winning silverware.
Supporters of the club don’t seem fazed by his imminent departure, believing he has attitude problems and that his talent is not as great as has been made out.
Will Spurs come to regret letting him go so easily?
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Pep Guardiola faces a challenge in this coming season that neither Roberto Mancini nor Manuel Pellegrini could master at Manchester City – retaining the Premier League title. While most would argue the Spaniard has produced a side of significantly higher calibre, it’s as much a question of mental resilience and determination as technique and talent, something the Citizens haven’t always shown during the Sheikh Mansour era.
And just as Chelsea inadvertently discovered last season when they lost to Burnley at home on the opening day, it’s hugely important to start a title defence on the front foot – ensuring poor results and underwhelming performances aren’t breeding confidence in the five teams that will believe they can beat City to the English crown this time around.
So, can City start the coming season as they finished the last or will their title defence need to built upon difficult beginnings? Their first six fixtures of the Premier League campaign, as detailed below, should give us some idea of what to expect from Guardiola’s side in the opening months of the new term…
11th August – Arsenal (A)
18th August – Huddersfield (H)
25th August – Wolves (A)
1st September – Newcastle (H)
15th September – Fulham (H)
22nd September – Cardiff City (A)
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Verdict
Aside from facing an Arsenal side on the opening day of the season that are something of an unknown proposition under Unai Emery, Manchester City have a fantastic chance to start the season as strongly as last term – the rest of their first six fixtures including the three promoted clubs, Huddersfield who will likely be involved in the relegation battle once again and Newcastle who adopted a painfully pragmatic approach last time they travelled to the Etihad Stadium.
Building early momentum will be key for Manchester City’s bid to become the Premier League’s first title retainers for a decade and the fixture list gives them a huge opportunity to set the pace early on in the race at the division’s summit, which could well see their rivals quickly fall away.
Last summer, Liverpool’s transfer saga of last summer’s window involved Naby Keita.
The Merseyside outfit went back and forth with RB Leipzig over negotiations for weeks before an agreement was reached.
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Liverpool wanted the midfielder to join that summer, but a deal was put in place for Keita to move to Anfield a year later.
That time has come, and on Saturday, the Guinea international was pictured landing on Merseyside to begin his spell with the Premier League outfit.
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The box-to-box midfielder is an exciting addition to Jurgen Klopp’s team, and it will be interesting to see who he displaces in the first XI.
The only downside to Keita’s game is his discipline, as he was sent off a handful of times last season.
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In terms of his contribution on the pitch, though, the midfielder managed to score nine goals in 39 appearances in all competitions, and he also created seven assists.
One Keita was spotted arriving in Liverpool, the fans got into a frenzy on social media.
Comment from discussion Naby has arrived in Liverpool.Comment from discussion Naby has arrived in Liverpool.Comment from discussion Naby has arrived in Liverpool.Comment from discussion Naby has arrived in Liverpool.Comment from discussion Naby has arrived in Liverpool.Comment from discussion Naby has arrived in Liverpool.Comment from discussion Naby has arrived in Liverpool.Comment from discussion Naby has arrived in Liverpool.