All posts by n8rngtd.top

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!

The Derby County takeover bid lodged by Erik Alonso is no longer being considered by the club, while Mel Morris has entered into new talks regarding the sale of the Rams.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a statement posted on the Derby County website, in which the club’s CEO Stephen Pearce confirmed that the board are no longer considering the takeover bid of No Limits Sports Limited.

However, Pearce added that Mel Morris is actively discussing the sale of the club with a number of interested and credible parties.

He said: “An announcement was made in April that a deal was agreed between Mel Morris and No Limits Sports Limited, but subsequent developments mean the deal is no longer an option.

“However, Mel Morris is in touch with a number of credible parties in respect to purchasing both the football club and Pride Park Stadium.”

Fans must be buzzing

Considering just how much Derby fans have had to endure this season – with their team narrowly avoiding relegation from the Championship, the frustration of two takeover attempts ending in failure and knowing their side face a points deduction for breaking Financial Fair Play rules – Pearce’s clarification on the current situation regarding the sale of the club is likely to leave the Pride Park faithful buzzing.

Indeed, with a number of concerning issues coming to light regarding Alonso’s bid for the club, it could easily be argued that Derby may well be better off without the Spanish businessman becoming their new owner.

Furthermore, with Pearce confirming that there are a “number of credible parties” interested in purchasing Derby, the prospect of the club being sold appears to have some potential ahead of next season.

As such, if the sale of the club is completed this summer, this would allow Derby and their fans to start looking forward to the future with a new owner who could back Rooney in the transfer market in the 35-year-old’s bid to build a team capable of pushing for promotion and duly putting this year’s disappointments firmly in the past.

In other news: Derby dealt big transfer blow over “fantastic” £1.35m-rated gem, Rooney will be gutted – opinion

West Ham United have been given a huge boost ahead of the weekend as they look to bolster their European claims…

What’s the latest?

David Moyes has been without several of his key players in recent matches, with many absent through injury.

However, ahead of their crucial Premier League encounter with Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday night, the 58-year-old has been handed some positive signs of encouragement.

The ever-reliable ExWHUemployee told supporters on Twitter that Declan Rice was finally in line to feature, having picked up a knee injury during England duty at the end of March. He has missed their last six games, in which the Hammers have tasted defeat three times.

Ex revealed that the 22-year-old “should play against Brighton” in response to a question from one fan asking for an update.

Huge boost

This will be massive for West Ham, especially if Rice is able to start the game.

After Liverpool’s win over Manchester United on Thursday night, the east Londoners slipped down to sixth in the table. They are now six points adrift of fourth and are only two points ahead of Spurs, meaning they must win their remaining three games to guarantee a place in Europe.

The squad have struggled for consistency as of late and that’s hardly a coincidence with Rice on the sidelines as he is a crucial part of Moyes’ starting XI.

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Indeed, he currently ranks fourth for average WhoScored rating (7.02) among the Irons’ squad for the season so far. whilst he tops the charts of interceptions (two per game) and isn’t far behind for tackles either (1.9 per game).

It’s his commanding presence in front of the backline which allows the likes of Jesse Lingard and Michail Antonio to run amok further up the pitch. In his absence, the more attack-minded Manuel Lanzini has had to fill in but it’s just not the same, with the Argentine averaging only 0.5 tackles and 0.4 interceptions per game.

The £54m-rated powerhouse was dubbed a “revelation in the midfield” for the Irons as well as a “phenomenal holding midfielder” earlier this week by Kevin Campbell, who spoke to Football Insider.

Having Rice back out on the pitch should come as a massive boost to the Hammers’ chances of picking up a result at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, and that will surely have Moyes absolutely buzzing heading into kick-off.

AND in other news, Forget Arnautovic: West Ham must land 11-goal “elite talent” who’s “destined for greatness”…

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has dropped a ten-word update on Aston Villa’s summer transfer plans.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith’s side have enjoyed a fine Premier League campaign thus far in the grand scheme of things, but have just begun to hit a brick wall in terms of their form – after the weekend draw against relegation-battling West Brom, they’ve now won just once in their last eight games.

Now, Evans has revealed via Twitter that “#AVFC are planning to sign a new striker this summer”, amid a piece reflecting on the impact that Keinan Davis and Wesley will be hoping to make in the closing stages of the season.

Dean Smith will be buzzing

Make no mistake about it, news that Villa are keen on bringing in a new centre-forward this summer to compete with Ollie Watkins, or potentially even usurp him in the starting line-up, will go down very well with Smith.

The Villa boss has surely had his fingers crossed all season that Watkins can stay injury-free and ensure that the club’s glaring lack of depth upfront would not be exposed. Luckily for him and the side, that has proven to be the case, with the former Brentford man having now managed to play every single minute in the Premier League this season.

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While Davis has shown some flashes of promise in recent weeks, he has still only managed five goals in his Villa career thus far, while Wesley is only just coming back off a lengthy lay-off from a knee injury.

A striker signing in the summer will have Smith absolutely buzzing heading into the new campaign.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing this Championship star; it’s not Buendia…

In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, Steve Howey, who made 151 appearances for Newcastle United, has backed his former club to turn Joe Willock’s loan deal into a permanent one this summer.

Willock was Steve Bruce’s only signing in January and it took until deadline day for the Magpies to get a new face through the door, despite being in a relegation fight.

It has been reported that Arsenal may look for £20 million if Newcastle want to sign Willock permanently, as they need to raise funds for any potential deal to sign Martin Odegaard on a full-time basis.

Speaking on why Newcastle should not be overpaying for Willock and if he’s been impressed with the 20-year old, Howey told The Transfer Tavern:

“I don’t see why they shouldn’t go for him but I think it will be interesting to see how much Arsenal will be asking for him. If they ask for stupid money forget about it because the lad didn’t even play that much at Arsenal.

“He seems as though he’s enjoying his football and after having a closer look at him here I think he’s done very well.”

Willock has provided Bruce with something different in midfield with his willingness to get into the opposition’s box and his late runs into the final third have resulted in him getting three goals for the Magpies to date, including the late winner against West Ham United at the weekend.

The £20,000-per-week midfielder has found himself on the bench since the 3-0 defeat against Brighton, with Bruce opting for an extra centre back and one less centre midfielder.

West Brom will be looking to continue their rich vein of form as they aim to close the gap towards Premier League safety when they head to nearby rivals Leicester City this evening.

The Baggies have now won back-to-back games in an emphatic nature, dispatching Europe-chasing Chelsea 5-2 before dismantling Southampton with another three goals last time out.

Sam Allardyce’s side have had well over a week to recover from that too, so should be fresher than the Foxes, who too come into this on the back of a win over the Saints, knocking them out of the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday.

So, will the 66-year-old be tempted to tinker a winning formula? Well, here’s our predicted XI along with the latest team and injury news from the Hawthorns camp…

Despite a run of form that has seen the Baggies lose just once in their last four matches, Big Sam could be tempted into two changes from last week’s win.

Following the match, there were injury concerns over skipper Kyle Bartley and Arsenal loanee Ainsley Maitland-Niles, though it appears that both have come through training unscathed this week.

However, with a crucial run-in, it would not be surprised to see the latter given an extra game of rest – or at least from the off – especially as Allardyce has Conor Gallagher at his disposal too.

The Chelsea starlet could slot right in alongside Okay Yokuslu at the base of midfield, with Matheus Pereira playing slightly more advanced.

Bartley, as captain, is likely to start and he could partner Semi Ajayi at the back.

The 27-year-old was an unfortunate casualty of his system change against the Saints. They may be deployed in a back four, so there’s a big call to make on Dara O’Shea. He also doesn’t warrant an absence from the starting XI.

The versatile Irishman may slot across to right-back at the expense of Darnell Furlong whilst Conor Townsend continues on the other side.

Further up the pitch on the wings, we’re expecting the in-form Callum Robinson, who has found the net three times in the last two games, and Matty Phillips to keep their place despite the likes of Karlan Grant and Grady Diangana eager for game time.

Mbaye Diagne should continue to lead the line, too.

AND in other news, Albion dealt double injury blow this week…

Southampton produced a sensational comeback on Sunday afternoon as they came from two goals down to beat Burnley 3-2 at St Mary’s.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side had been in awful form in the Premier League since the turn of the year and looked to be headed towards another defeat when goals from Chris Wood and Matej Vydra put Sean Dyche’s side ahead.

However, goals from Stuart Armstrong, Danny Ings and Nathan Redmond completed the turnaround and earned the Saints a vital three points which puts distance between themselves and the bottom three.

One man who impressed in the win was Jannik Vestergaard, with the Danish centre-back justifying the interest being shown in him by Tottenham Hotspur with another excellent display.

As per SofaScore, the 28-year-old defender, who reportedly earns £60k per week at Southampton, would earn a solid 7.3 match rating for his display, which was the best of any defender on the pitch from both sides.

There was not much Vestergaard could do about either of Burnley’s goals, with Kyle Walker-Peters guilty of a poor challenge in the box for Wood’s penalty, whilst Jan Bednarek was outmuscled by the New Zealand international for Vydra’s effort.

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During the 90 minutes, the former Borussia Monchengladbach man would make as many as 10 clearances, which was joint with Bednarek as the most of any player, as he and his Polish teammate defender superbly against Burnley’s constant long balls into the box.

He would also contribute three tackles and two interceptions during the game, which is more than the 1.6 he has averaged of both in the Premier League so far this season.

Perhaps most impressively, when you consider the aerial threat that Burnley possess, Vestergaard would win four out of five of his aerial duels during the game, and all three of his ground duels, resulting in an overall success rate of 88%.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431″]

Therefore, whilst Southampton’s attackers might well get the credit for turning the game around, Vestergaard was arguably their unsung hero as his excellent defensive efforts ensured that Hasenhuttl’s side would hold on for the three points.

And, in other news… No goals this season: Hasenhuttl must axe 25 y/o flop, he’s stealing a living

Having been allowed to leave Aston Villa on loan in the January transfer window, it’s fair to say Conor Hourihane is doing his best to remind those at his parent club why he should have been kept.

The Republic of Ireland international had struggled to get much game-time at Villa Park in the first half of the season in the Premier League, playing just 228 minutes of top-flight football before his departure for Swansea.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of a game against West Ham earlier this season, Villa manager Dean Smith was quick to acknowledge that it was difficult for Hourihane. He said: “Conversations can be difficult but if you’re just speaking to the players with honesty then you usually find a way through that.

“We’d played two, won two and Conor had come off in both games. We signed Ross and I felt we needed to go a different way against Liverpool given who we were playing against. I explained that to Conor and, yes, he was disappointed because he had been involved in the first two games but we felt we’d brought in a real, high-calibre, different type of player.”

Now on loan at the Liberty Stadium, Hourihane is underlining just what a talented player he is on his day, already racking up five goals in just 12 games in the Championship.

It’s no surprise that Steve Cooper, his manager at Swansea, has raved about the Irishman, saying: “He’s been so impressive from the day he’s come through the door, which wasn’t that long ago. I thought his composure and quality on the ball is what we want it to be. If that’s the start of things to come then happy days.”

Last summer, Villa journalist Dan Bardell waxed lyrical about the midfielder’s ability following an impressive performance in a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace towards the end of the 2019/20 season.

He said: “Whether you rate Conor (Hourihane) or whether you don’t, and obviously we’re two people that rate him highly, you can’t deny that when he’s on the pitch, we’ve looked better this season. And he’s a weapon from set pieces.

“The way he looks after the ball is very underrated as well. I think a lot of people take that for granted.”

Given how well he has performed for Swansea in the short time he has been there, and the troubles which Villa themselves have faced in recent weeks (they’ve managed just three goals in their past five games), Smith must surely be ruing letting the 1.81m-tall (5 foot 11) Hourihane leave in January.

Meanwhile, Villa are making a big mistake over signing this midfielder…

Noel Whelan has slammed Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf and the Scottish government after they threatened to postpone Glasgow Rangers’ Old Firm derby this weekend should they fail to receive safety assurances.

Whelan slams Yousaf’s Rangers threat

Last Sunday, the Gers were confirmed as Premiership champions after Celtic could only draw 0-0 with Dundee United. That led to thousands of the Ibrox outfit’s supporters taking to the streets of Glasgow to celebrate – not only did they break coronavirus regulations to do so, but a number of arrests were made after damage was done to public property (Sky News).

Yousaf has since claimed the Old Firm derby between the Gers and Celtic could be postponed if certain assurances are not made (Twitter). Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has hammered this threat. He said:

“They’re the ones, the government, giving the guidelines.

“Make sure you’re there then, Make sure you’ve got everything in place to stop this from happening. It’s simple.

“They’re the ones that have to put things in place to make it safe, to keep fans away. It doesn’t take too much for that to happen. It’s like they want it to fail so they can whinge about something.

“Everybody knows how important the Old Firm is. Not just to the two sets of fans but football in general. Everyone wants to watch it, it’s a spectacle and one everybody looks forward to whether you support the clubs or not.

“It’d be shocking. It’d be a disgrace if it didn’t go ahead just because they feel that fans might breach certain Covid guidelines.”

Nuance

On the one hand, you can understand Yousaf’s point of view. Given the current pandemic we are currently living through, it is hardly good news to see thousands take to the streets regardless of the reason.

However, now the Gers have won the league, there is little reason for fans to go out in large numbers. The threat, therefore, comes across as scaremongering and shows little understanding of the situation. Any Rangers fans who do take to the streets are only jeopardising their club’s reputation.

In other news, Rangers fans react to this Sky Sports news.

Gylfi Sigurdsson may have sold his own sale to Everton last month, with the Iceland international now potentially on the club’s summer transfer list.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Toffees are willing to listen to offers for Sigurdsson in the next transfer window as at least one key player is likely to leave Goodison Park.

Carlo Ancelotti and Director of Football Marcel Brands are thought to be planning a reshape of the ranks on Merseyside, with only eight players nailed on for a future in royal blue.

Prized assets Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison are considered to be the Blues’ most valuable players, while Jordan Pickford, Lucas Digne, Ben Godfrey, Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Rodriguez are all expected to be retained at all costs.

Sigurdsson has been a key player for Ancelotti throughout the Italian’s tenure at Goodison Park, starting 30 and featuring in 44 of his 47 Premier League games in charge while captaining the side on 12 occasions to date.

But the £100,000-per-week playmaker will enter the final year of his contract in the summer and as he turns 32 in September, Everton are willing to take a sizable hit on the £45m paid to Swansea City for his services in 2017.

Toffees chiefs do not feel Sigurdsson has lived up to his price tag with 23 goals and 16 assists in 126 top-flight appearances, of which four and four have come this season as a set-piece specialist.

Sigurdsson was touted to be on the move last summer as part of Ancelotti’s first attempt at a Goodison Park clear-out, but he remained on Merseyside and was backed to earn a new contract at the turn of the year after a strong vein of form.

Should Everton sell Sigurdsson?

Much can change between now and the end of the season, but Everton agreeing to sell Sigurdsson would remove one of Ancelotti’s most creative weapons, even if the end results have not always been there for the £16m-rated maestro.

Only Rodriguez (1.7) and Digne (1.4) have offered a higher average number of key passes per game in the Premier League this season than Sigurdsson (1.1), with the trio the only Toffees players currently creating more than one goalscoring opportunity each outing, per WhoScored.

And not only is Rodriguez performing at a higher standard than Sigurdsson, but the Colombian also appears to be the one Ancelotti covets the most with reports that the Italian is eying moves for Real Madrid duo Lucas Vazquez and Isco to keep the midfielder on board.

Bringing in either to convince Rodriguez to stay will offer added competition for Sigurdsson, who recently suggested that exceptions have to be made for the Blues pair to play together.

“I personally feel we can play in the same team, and I’m sure the manager thinks so too as we’ve played some games together. Obviously, we can’t play in the same position, so we’re going to have to work around that,” Sigurdsson told Sky Sports.

“He’s fantastic on the ball, technically very good, can see passes that no one else sees, and has got an eye for goal. We’re players that aren’t going to be playing out wide with much pace.”

Ancelotti and Brands can both use Sigurdsson’s comments as justification as to why his sale will make sense in the summer with Rodriguez the one more in favour, making his words a rather big mistake if the 31-year-old wishes to remain at Goodison Park for another season.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti can delight an unsettled Everton ace with a summer swoop for his £13.5m-rated ex-teammate…