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Many Rangers fans have been left to buzz as the Glasgow club’s official website confirmed that Steven Gerrard had won another manager award.

The Liverpool and England international legend was presented with the Special Achievement Award from the League Managers Association (LMA), as he was recognised for guiding the Gers through their title-winning season in 2020/21 without losing a single match in the SPFL.

To go through a whole domestic campaign unbeaten is not easy in any league, but Gerrard managed to do that while rarely even breaking a sweat as the Light Blues ended the previous domination of the league by their bitter rivals Celtic over the last decade.

This award is thoroughly deserved, and several members of the Ibrox faithful have been showing their appreciation to Gerrard for his achievement.

Rangers fans on Gerrard update

These RFC supporters buzzed as the update was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to call it ‘amazing’:

“Well done, Steven, you thoroughly deserve all the awards and fantastic recognition.”

Credit: @ScottCJMcKelvie

“This should cause another couple of days worth of seethe. Class!”

Credit: @Razged1990

“Wonderful.”

Credit: @june_crichton

“Fantastic”

Credit: @MarleneEdgar3

“Outstanding player and now an outstanding manager.”

Credit: @Andy1Mclean

“Amazing, well done gaffer”

Credit: @GregHalfTweets

In other news, find out what James Dornan tweets have left Gers raging here!

Opener Derek Kenway hit a chanceless century as Hampshire moved themselves into a powerful position on the second day of their CricInfo Championship match against Gloucestershire at the Rose Bowl before rain brought an early end to the day’s play

Pat Symes17-May-2001Opener Derek Kenway hit a chanceless century as Hampshire moved themselves into a powerful position on the second day of their CricInfo Championship match against Gloucestershire at the Rose Bowl before rain brought an early end to the day’s play.Kenway and captain Robin Smith shared an unbroken stand of 136 in 47 overs for the third wicket to take Hampshire to 244 for two before rain washed out the final session.The pair had resumed the day on 122-2 and were quick to seize on any loose deliveries as they moved smoothly along with few alarms.Kenway resumed the day on 55 not out and brought up the third century of his career soon after lunch off 206 balls which included 17 crisply struck boundaries.The opener had batted for nearly five hours and hit 20 fours in an unbeaten knock of 124 off 234 deliveries when the weather brought an early close.Smith, six not out overnight, was content to play second fiddle in the stand to finish the day unbeaten on 55 but his knock included some fierce trademarks square cuts.Gloucestershire captain Mark Alleyne turned to six bowlers to no avail as he desperately searched for a breakthrough before the rain brought a welcome end to proceedings for the visiting team with more than two hours of play still left.

Former Premier League manager Lawrie Sanchez has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that he believes Steve Bruce will stay on at Newcastle next season.

Bruce recently told talkSPORT that he never came close to leaving but has faced several problems on and off the pitch during a challenging campaign at St James’ Park.

Not to mention the failed takeover bid, the Magpies have suffered some major injuries to key players, whilst the head coach was involved in a training ground bust-up with experienced midfielder Matt Ritchie.

Despite those setbacks, Bruce masterminded Newcastle to Premier League safety once again, and even picked up the April Premier League Manager of the Month award for his efforts following impressive results against Tottenham, West Ham and Liverpool before their recent victory at Leicester all but secured their topflight status.

Newcastle continued their improvements against Manchester City on Friday, although this time it didn’t show in the points column, but a strong end to the campaign could still result in a higher bottom-half finish.

And Lawrie told The Transfer Tavern that the 60-year-old will still be there next term:

“I don’t think he will call it a day. He’s near 1000 games. He’s done a cracking job at keeping them up there.

“He will always get a job because he will always get you promoted or keeps you up – that’s his forte.

“Being a Newcastle boy, he would like to be given a chance with a bit of money to spend, but as we all know, we saw it with West Ham, they get rid of the English manager and bring in a foreigner to spend it and then have to go back to the English manager to sort out the problem afterwards. I would imagine that’s what will happen with Newcastle.”

Former Norwich City star Jon Newsome has told The Transfer Tavern that the club will have already opened negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur over a deal to sign Oliver Skipp permanently.

The midfielder has been in unbelievable form for the Canaries all season, as they have won the Championship title.

The 20-year-old has played in every single game in the second-tier this season, scoring once and laying on two assists from his defensive midfield position, although the Eastern Daily Press are reporting that the youngster may have suffered a serious foot injury.

Skipp has developed well away from Spurs, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be given a chance to earn his spot in the first-team squad next season.

Indeed, Spurs have sacked manager Jose Mourinho and are on the lookout for a new manager; it is not yet clear who will be in the dugout next season.

As such, Newsome believes Norwich will be desperate to keep Skipp around, and will have already begun the dialogue with the Premier League club.

He told TT: “He’s had a great season. Will the club test the water? Will they test the water with Tottenham?

“They’re managerless at the moment. I would be really surprised if a conversation has not already been had.

“There’s a lot to be said for it, you go to a club that wants you, that you’ve had great experience and enjoyable times with, so I think it would be quite a positive thing for him if that offer was on the table.”

Alan Hutton believes Alfredo Morelos could leave Glasgow Rangers this summer after Steven Gerrard’s transfer admission.

The Lowdown: Morelos’ future uncertain

Morelos’ future at Ibrox is uncertain. Some reports have suggested he will stay at the club (via The 4th Official), but the Colombia international told Radio Caracol earlier this season that he dreams of playing in the Premier League.

Gerrard recently admitted the Gers could lose star players this summer, which has thrown further doubt on to the future of the 24-year-old.

The Latest: Hutton shares transfer fear

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton has shared his fear of Morelos departing. He said:

“It’s always a difficult one when we talk about Morelos.

“It seems like yes, he loves playing for Rangers. Of course he’ll want to play in the Champions League, every player does.

“But, has his head been a little bit turned from moves, bigger moves, in his opinion, to other clubs? Whether it be England or Italy or France, that’s something that only he’s going to be able to answer.

“I mean, me as it sits as a footballer, Champions League was massive. When that music comes on at the start of the games, you get the goosebumps, that’s what it’s all about.

“I hope that is enough for the likes of Morelos to stay. However, if an offer comes in that’s big enough and Rangers are willing that accept that, it’s simple. He’ll move on.

“The big thing out of that is I think Rangers are going to be given the money to then reinvest. That’s obviously good for the club moving forward.”

The Verdict: Always on the edge

There is no doubt Morelos has been a fantastic signing for the 55-time Scottish champions. In 180 games in all competitions since making the move in 2017, he has 94 goals, including 17 this campaign (Transfermarkt). Although his temperament has sometimes got the better of him – he has picked up seven red cards – he has been a constant menace for opposing defences.

Gerrard’s comments indicate it will be a difficult summer for the Gers, and Morelos will always be one of the first to be linked with a departure. The anticipation of a Champions League run may just be enough to hold on the former HJK Helsinki man until the start of the new term, but failure to reach the group stages may push him out of the door.

In other news, Hutton believes this man could replace Filip Helander.

Given the long and illustrious managerial career that Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa has enjoyed, it’s unsurprising that he’s managed some of the game’s biggest and best players – not least Argentina icon Roberto Ayala.

The centre-back worked under Bielsa during the pair’s time together at international level, winning the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics. Ayala himself has since openly credited with the Whites manager with having the biggest influence on his career, saying: “In my case, personally speaking, he was the coach who made me perform or get to a very high level in every game.”

In fact, there were even reports that Leeds were looking to sign the defender back in the summer of 2002 when the whole Rio Ferdinand saga was playing out, with his agent Fernando Hidalgo saying: “I am going to England for many issues, there is no meeting with Leeds executives regarding Ayala, but I have a good relationship with Leeds and if they call me that is fine.

“I think the club is interested in the player but it all depends on whether Ferdinand’s transfer to Manchester United is completed. Ayala is one of the main candidates to replace him.”

Ayala himself admitted: “I am flattered that a club like Leeds have shown an interest in me as a possible replacement to Rio Ferdinand.”

Despite only standing at 5 foot 10, Ayala carved out a very successful career at both domestic and international level, becoming an elite level centre-back despite his height, winning multiple trophies and earning 116 caps for Argentina.

In the 1.77m-tall (5 foot 11) Leif Davis, Bielsa may well be tempted to see if he could mould the Leeds starlet into a replica of the iconic Argentine, especially given that, like the ex-Valencia stalwart, he is someone who can play at full-back and centre-back.

A player profile on BBC Sport back in May 2002 wrote of Ayala: “He is commanding in the air and a tenacious tackler as well as being an excellent passer of the ball”.

While Davis has some work to do in the aerial department, his tenacity and tackling is something which has always stood out about him, with Stewart Drummond, his former academy boss at Morecambe,  saying: “He had similar attributes to what he has now; a great engine, pace, fit, aggressive in the tackle. He had a nice left foot, delivered the ball really well, all the basic attributes you try to find in players at that age.”

With more and more teams opting for their full-backs to push up high, the onus is now on the centre-halves to be able to deal with opposition wingers when they get dragged out wide. Given Davis’ natural instincts as a left-back, he should be more than comfortable in handling those kinds of situations, just like Ayala was.

The 21-year-old also appears to be turning heads at Thorp Arch, with The Athletic’s Phil Hay making it clear just how highly-rated he is behind the scenes. Speaking on The Phil Hay Show back in November, he said: “He’s very well thought of, is Davis, and he has been since he came, and of the Under-23s, he’s really been as involved as most under Bielsa and has quite often been the go-to player when Bielsa’s needed a left-back.

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“The bottom line is that at Leeds, they think an awful lot of Davis, and they think that he’s a bit of a steal for what they paid to sign him from Morecambe.”

While it would be much too farfetched to assume that Davis will certainly go on to enjoy as illustrious a career as Ayala did, converting him into a centre-back on a more permanent basis may be the kind of Bielsa masterstroke which really propels his time at Leeds.

Meanwhile, Leeds could finally wave goodbye to this liability…

A number of Wolves fans have been critical of the display of Daniel Podence in their Premier League game at home to Burnley at Sunday lunchtime.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men were in for a shock at Molineux as a hat-trick from Chris Wood put the Clarets 3-0 up at half-time. Ashley Westwood added a late fourth on a miserable afternoon for the hosts at Molineux.

There were some very poor performances in Old Gold on the day, but perhaps none more so than Podence, who struggled throughout and was duly taken off for Vitinha just shy of the 70-minute mark.

The 25-year-old lost out on 90% of his duels in the match and failed to record a single successful dribble, key pass or cross. He also lost possession of the ball on nine separate occasions, earning him a measly 6.2 overall rating on Sofascore.

Wolves fans on Podence display

These Wolves fans blasted Podence on Twitter, with one supporter going as far as to claim that the Portuguese forward was a ‘liability’:

“Podence has been a liability in the last three games, his distribution is the Hermes of professional footballers, it’s like playing ten against 12 when he’s in the team”

Credit: @j0hnhill

“I’d just give Podence away, I really don’t like him.”

Credit: @PRanells

“Podence doesn’t look fit enough to walk around the pitch never mind run around it #wwfc”

Credit: @bromWWFC

“Why do we always change formation to fit Podence in, he’s a bang average player, stick him on the wing and at least try use his pace in behind, instead of falling over all the time and losing the ball in the midfield”

Credit: @danielpeters44

“Podence looks terrible again”

Credit: @wolfboy78

“Podence not even making a two-yard run to make a tackle. Absolute disgrace.”

Credit: @_jwynny

In other news, find out which team-mate of Podence also came under fire from Wolves fans today.

Rangers’ unbeaten run in the Premiership continued on Sunday afternoon at Ibrox as Steven Gerrard’s side secured a 2-1 win against Hibernian.

Joe Aribo volleyed in the opener before Ryan Kent doubled the lead with an unstoppable strike and Gerrard’s side were able to hold on to their lead despite a late consolation from Kevin Nisbet.

Although it was a solid performance from Rangers on the whole, there is no doubt that some of their star performers weren’t playing at their usual standard, particularly in a poor second half from the Light Blues.

One man who disappointed in the win was Borna Barisic, with the Croatian international returning to the side after being rested in the 4-0 win against Cove Rangers last time out.

As per SofaScore, the 28-year-old would earn a 6.9/10 rating for his display, with only Alfredo Morelos (6.7) scoring lower of the Rangers players who started the game at Ibrox.

During the 90 minutes, Barisic would fail to contribute a single tackle and lost both of his duels, whilst he also picked up a yellow card.

For comparison, Nathan Patterson, who was playing on the opposite flank for Rangers, would contribute three tackles and would win all five of his duels during the game.

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The Croatian international is usually renowned for his ability going forward but at Ibrox on Sunday he would lose possession a remarkable 24 times, which was more than any other player on the pitch.

His passing was nowhere near its usual standard, with 32/42 of his passes finding a Rangers teammate, which resulted in a 76% pass accuracy rate – lower than the 81.6% he has averaged in the Premiership so far this season.

Barisic, who reportedly earns £15k per week at Rangers, would also fail to even attempt a dribble during the game, whilst his usually reliable crossing was much poorer than usual, as just three of his nine attempted crosses during the game was accurate.

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Therefore, it is definitely fair to suggest that Barisic was nowhere near his best in the win against Hibs and Gerrard will be relieved that his side were able to grind out the win despite the left-back’s below-par display.

And, in other news… Wilson must hand new Rangers deal to “immense” £25k-p/w “warrior” who Gerrard loves

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho kept the faith with Carlos Vinicius as his side drew 2-2 with Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Easter Sunday but he was far from repaid.

The Spurs boss made a U-turn on that decision by half-time, bringing on the returning Heung-min Son in his place. Perhaps a move he should have done from the off.

After the Magpies took an early lead, the visitors were quickly in the driving seat, thanks to a brace from Harry Kane.

But five minutes from time, Arsenal loanee Joe Willock fired home a late equaliser from close range to put a massive dent in Spurs’ top-four chances.

Of all the starters, Vinicius recorded the lowest number of touches (16), even less than goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (35) and substitutes Son (24) and Erik Lamela (21), as per SofaScore.

This shows how little an impact he had in the attack alongside Kane. Last time out, it was a partnership that saw the Brazilian net his first-ever goal in the Premier League but evidently, it failed to pay off in the north-east.

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With those paltry touches, Vinicius made just three passes from six attempts, further emphasising just how anonymous he was in this encounter, whilst 50% of the time he was on the ball, he lost possession (eight times).

It’s no wonder he was hooked by the break.

He was also weak in his battles, winning just two of six duels, both in the air and on the ground (33%). As Mourinho outlined several months ago, the 6 foot 3 forward struggles with the press, which is why his game time has been limited behind Kane.

Crucially, as a striker, the £26m-rated star failed to contribute a single shot throughout his 45 minutes on the pitch, only making matters worse – by comparison, Lamela, who only played the final 26 minutes, still managed at least one attempt on goal.

The Evening Standard subsequently ranked Vinicius amongst the worst players on the pitch in Dan Kilpatrick’s ratings column, where he claimed the striker ‘offered little.’

Given Spurs hold the power over his future, they may want to think twice about activating that whopping £40m buyout clause come the summer window.

He badly let Mourinho down on Sunday afternoon despite the Portuguese making such a big call in choosing him to start over Son.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Spurs legend comments on Jannik Vestergaard link

It’s just as well Celtic fans weren’t able to attend Parkhead this season. It would have been a pile of misery for supporters, something their protests back in November testifies.

You can hardly blame them when you consider they’ve just lost their grasp on the SPFL title.

On the chalkboard

Celtic’s recruitment ahead of this season has to be questioned. They signed the error-prone Shane Duffy on loan from Brighton while Vasilis Barkas hasn’t even come close to being worth the £4.5m they paid.

Like Duffy, he has been full of individual errors. Diego Laxalt hasn’t been a pillar of consistency either.

He has been usurped in the left-back pecking order by Greg Taylor and has only started the last two matches because of the latter’s injury. Having arrived from AC Milan, he was an eye-catching addition and it looked like a coup. However, those at the San Siro must now be laughing; he is simply not good enough.

Laxalt showed as much during the club’s 0-0 draw with Dundee United on Sunday. He lost possession of the ball on 20 occasions, missed a simple chance to score and left a vacant space in the left channel for Lawrence Shankland to dominate throughout the second half.

With that in mind, it wouldn’t be a great surprise to see him sent back to Italy in the summer. It was reported a few months ago that Milan were hoping to include the defender in a deal to sign Kristoffer Ajer. That, however, would be complete madness from the Hoops hierarchy.

The solution

Greg Taylor has really come into his own in the last few months but the ideal solution lies externally.

The Bhoys have been linked with a move for Brest left-back Romain Perraud in recent days, an interest that first arose in the winter window of 2019.

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A few months down the line, the player himself admitted that Celtic had made a “concrete” offer to sign him. That was before his club at the time, Nice, turned it down.

Kieran Tierney hadn’t left yet but they would have had their ideal heir by signing the 23-year-old. The Frenchman, like Laxalt and Tierney, is rampant going forward and has a wand of a left foot. Expected goals from Perraud’s chance creation ranks at 75 out of 99 according to Smarterscout’s intriguing video-game-like ratings.

Clearly, his end product amounts to far more than the former. Perraud has contributed to eight goals in Ligue 1 this term compared to Laxalt’s solitary goal. Celtic’s pursuit of the French full-back is undeniably bad news for the Uruguayan’s attempts to stay in Scotland.

He is a misery defensively and makes poor choices in attack. The Hoops can do better; specifically Perraud. Nick Hammond must sign him in the summer.

AND in other news, Worse than Brown: Celtic liability who lost possession 20x is now a huge problem…