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Former West Ham striker Marlon Harewood has urged England manager Gareth Southgate to bring Jesse Lingard back into the Three Lions frame, in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

The last cap Lingard won came against Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League back in 2019, with the 28-year-old’s lack of playing time at Manchester United seeing him drop out of Southgate’s thinking.

He has since, however, managed to get his career going again thanks to what has been a successful loan spell at West Ham so far, and Harewood believes he has done enough to earn an England recall.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/marlon-harewood-exclusive-west-ham” title=”Marlon Harewood West Ham exclusive”]

Discussing the attacker’s England chances with FFC, Harewood said:

“Jesse Lingard should be back in the frame, just the way he’s been playing. He’s just opening the door because he’s that calibre of player and just needed a bit of confidence and a bit of luck.”

£75,000-a-week man Lingard has certainly made quite the impression following his loan move to West Ham in the January transfer window.

The England international has been directly involved in six league goals in as many games for the Hammers, scoring four times and providing two assists. Even so, competition for a place in Southgate’s squad for Euro 2020 will be fierce.

Lingard’s fellow English attackers Jack Grealish, Mason Mount, James Maddison and Phil Foden will all be hoping that they have done enough for their respective clubs this season to get the nod from Southgate this summer.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has revealed his admiration for Burnley’s Josh Brownhill, a player he would love to see at Villa Park in the near future.

Brownhill has been a regular in Sean Dyche’s side this season, and it appears that his displays have not gone unnoticed, with a couple of Premier League clubs now said to be circling.

According to TEAMtalk, one of those clubs is Aston Villa, who have been scouting the 25-year-old midfielder in recent months.

For Hendrie, Brownhill would be a great addition to Dean Smith’s squad, more so than Sheffield United’s Sander Berge — another midfielder currently being linked with a move to Villa Park.

Discussing Villa’s reported interest in Brownhill in an exclusive interview with FFC, Hendrie said:

“Josh Brownhill, I think he is a fabulous player, I really do. Out of [Sander] Berge and him, I’d take Brownhill all day just because Josh Brownhill reminds me of John McGinn.

“He’s very energetic, he’s very neat and tidy on the ball, he gets up and down the pitch well and you know what you’re getting when you’re getting a player from Burnley, Sean Dyche, what he expects. And, obviously, he’s proved that he can do this step up, coming from Bristol City, so I’d certainly take him all day.”

McGinn has been one of Villa’s standout players since joining the club from Scottish outfit Hibernian back in 2018, having a huge impact in the middle of the park for them.

The Scotland international scored seven goals and provided nine assists during Villa’s successful 2018/19 Championship campaign, helping them earn a return to English football’s top flight. If the Villans do sign Brownhill and he ends up performing at a level close to McGinn’s, then they would have certainly acquired a very useful player.

Fans of Glasgow Rangers have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the Gers relayed news regarding their upcoming clash at Ibrox.

Following the news that Steven Gerrard’s side will be facing Celtic in the next round of the Scottish Cup, it was subsequently announced that the fixture had been selected for live television coverage on Premier Sports, with the game being scheduled for 16:00 on Saturday 17 April.

With Rangers having already wrapped up the Scottish Premiership title this season, should the Gers overcome their bitter rivals in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup, Gerrard’s side will undoubtedly be favourites to go on and win the competition, which would see the club secure a memorable double.

And, after Rangers relayed the news of the fixture’s scheduling on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing delighted at the kick-off time. Others appeared frustrated that the match will be aired by Premier Sports, while one supporter said the change was simply ‘so unexpected’.

So, what exactly did these Rangers fans have to say in reaction to the news regarding the Scottish Cup fixture?

“Old Firm? Scottish Cup? On a Saturday? At 4 pm? Absolutely mental!”

@SteveGSmith_

“Pain.”

@Charlie1872_

“Scenes.”

@rossco2586

“This is so unexpected.”

@itwasjas72

“Absolute disgrace that the SFA ever gave the rights to Premier Sports though.”

@JohnBarr92

“Naughty.”

@GaryCurran2

In other news: ‘He wants to extend’ – One pundit dropped a hint on this ‘fantastic’ Gers star’s contract amid PL interest – find out more here!

Sheffield Wednesday embark on a new era this evening as Darren Moore takes charge of his first game since being appointed as new Owls boss this week.

It’s a crucial match too as they welcome local and relegation rivals Rotherham United to Hillsborough Stadium for a cliched ‘six-pointer.’

A victory would see Wednesday leapfrog the Millers into the final relegation spot, though they’d still be several points away from safety, so Moore needs to get it spot on immediately.

On the Chalkboard

After suffering four consecutive defeats, the latest of which being an almighty collapse against Luton, something has got to change.

Owls interim Neil Thompson reverted back to a 3-5-2 but failed to bring Adam Reach back into the equation at left wing-back, a decision that proved costly as the 28-year-old can be one of their most influential players, on his day.

Indeed, the long-serving utility man has contributed towards five goals in 25 starts (three goals, two assists), which is only bettered by three other players, so he really ought to start.

Reach’s best performances have come on the left side of defence, with average ratings of 7.31 at left-back and 6.59 at left wing-back, as per WhoScored.

He is also amongst the Owls’ most creative players, having averaged 0.8 key passes per 90 minutes, only bettered by two other regular starters, as well as 0.7 accurate crosses per 90, which is only bettered than the same two players – Barry Bannan and fellow wing man, Kadeem Harris.

Interestingly, both of whom started, but Reach didn’t.

Wednesday journalist George Smith emphasised the £2.88m-rated dynamo’s importance to The Athletic, he said: “On his day, Reach can be one of the most influential players in the Championship,” before adding: “He is a very important player for Wednesday.”

Whilst sacked Owls boss Tony Pulis dubbed him a “top player.”

Given the weight of tonight’s result, a player as key as Reach simply has to start.

Moore must kickstart his reign with a win, and his chances will be boosted by deploying the versatile £20k-per-week gem out on that left flank.

AND in other news, Moore appointment could be game-changing for Sheffield Wednesday’s £26k-p/w “match-winner”…

Celtic were once again held to a draw on home soil after they struggled to make an impact against Livingston in the Scottish Premiership.

Neither side were able to break down the opposition defence and a rather disappointing 0-0 stalemate saw the spoils shared at Celtic Park. After dropping even more points, the Hoops look down and out as Rangers continue to storm the league.

It could be argued that a draw is respectable considering 14 senior Celtic players are currently in self-isolation along with Neil Lennon. Gavin Strachan has been forced to rely on lesser seen personnel, including several youngsters. But one man who hugely disappointed was Jeremie Frimpong in an unfamiliar role.

Frimpong struggled to adapt

With all of their senior strikers in quarantine and Cameron Harper not included in the squad, Strachan was forced to deploy Tom Rogic in the No.9 role, despite being a midfielder by trade. He also made the decision to play Frimpong on the right-wing, supporting Rogic as the focal point of Celtic’s attack.

Despite usually enjoying a free-roaming role as a full-back, the 20-year-old looked out of his depth against Livingston. According to Sofascore, Frimpong mustered up just nine accurate passes and 21 touches in the full 90 minutes played. For comparison, this was two fewer passes than Conor Hazard and just one touch more than the goalkeeper.

The £8,000 per week right-back turned winger also struggled with chance creation, failing to make a single long ball or cross into the box. Additionally, he failed to succeed in any of his attempted dribbles and was overall silenced by the Lions’ defence.

The return of Lennon and the rest of the first team squad will be a hugely welcome gift for the fans. The makeshift Hoops team have done admirably given the circumstances, but they will be relieved to field their usual starting XI.

If this afternoon’s game has taught Strachan and indeed Lennon anything, it’s that Frimpong is certainly not cut out for a more advanced role and should remain in defence for the foreseeable.

In other news, Celtic can punish Rangers by beating them to signing Taiwo Awoniyi…

Speaking exclusively with Football FanCast, former England international Steve Howey has claimed that Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hamstring injury will be a “huge blow” for Everton.

Carlo Ancelotti has ruled Calvert-Lewin out for this Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Fulham, after being forced to withdraw the striker during the second-half of Wednesday night’s 5-4 FA Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur.

The 23-year-old had scored the Toffees’ first of the game to draw his side level and mark his 18th goal in all competitions, before recording his third and fourth assists of the season.

Ancelotti has stated that he and the club believe the England international will be available for Everton’s next game, at home to title-chasers Manchester City, on Wednesday night.

But Howey says that the Blues must manage his return carefully, as losing Calvert-Lewin for a lengthy period of time will be devastating for the club’s hopes of a top-four finish.

“It will be a huge blow [losing Calvert-Lewin]. You have to be so careful with these injuries,” he told FFC. “He’s had a ridiculously good season. Started off on fire, kind of just quietened a tiny, tiny little bit and then he’s come [on form] again.

“I was at the game when Everton played Leeds and Calvert-Lewin scored the winner in that. [I’ve been] so impressed with his hold up play, every aspect of his game has improved. So, it will be a blow but Everton have just got to be careful on the management of that.

“Obviously, as a player, you want to be back as soon as possible. But I think sometimes you, well all the time, especially with these injuries, you’ve got to make sure that you’re right. Because it will just go again, it’ll go again, and it’ll go again.

“But Everton are doing really well under Ancelotti. Obviously, they’ve got Richarlison there, they’ve got [Alex] Iwobi, they’ve got [James] Rodriguez, [Gylfi] Sigurdsson’s doing quite well [but they’re not the same as Calvert-Lewin].”

Calvert-Lewin’s hamstring injury is his second of the season so far, after missing last month’s FA Cup tie with Rotherham and Premier League victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Cenk Tosun led the line in Calvert-Lewin’s place against Rotherham and scored the opening goal, but has since returned to Besiktas on loan and been replaced at Goodison Park by Joshua King who is yet to score a league goal this season.

Ancelotti opted against fielding an out-and-out striker against Wolves with Rodriguez and Sigurdsson instead tasked with playing as two false nines, in a decision that did not pan out perfectly with Iwobi relied on to provide much of his side’s attacking threat from the right-wing.

Meanwhile Richarlison, who only played the final quarter of an hour at Molineux having also missed the Rotherham tie, is Everton’s current second-best scorer with eight goals across all competitions after a brace against Spurs but is without a league strike in seven games.

AND in other news, Everton are monitoring an “exciting” teen prospect Carlo Ancelotti could sign for free…

Ahmed Elmohamady is unlikely to be offered a new Aston Villa contract, with a Villa Park summer exit now looking likely.

The 33-year-old has started the last four Premier League fixtures due to Matty Cash’s hamstring injury, however, it seems as if his four-year stay in the Midlands will reach a conclusion at the end of the season.

According to the Birmingham Mail, Villa are unlikely to offer him a fresh deal, with his current contract set to expire in June.

Guilbert to return and replace Elmohamady

The report also adds that Frederic Guilbert, who was sent out on loan to Strasbourg in January, is set to return to challenge Cash during the 2021/22 campaign.

Guilbert, 26, has already scored and provided two assists in just 360 minutes of Ligue 1 action, with Strasbourg undefeated in league games the French right-back has started.

Transfer Tavern take

Although Elmohamady has been a terrific servant to the club, it feels as if the summer will be the correct time to part ways with the Egyptian.

Cash has made the right-back spot his own since joining from Nottingham Forest, and with Guilbert making an impact in his native country, the two could push each other on going forward with Guilbert serving as a natural replacement to the Egyptian.

Elmohamady reportedly picks up £25,000-a-week at Villa Park, so that wage could go towards a summer addition.

In other news: Collymore believes Grealish is ‘on a list’ of potential summer signings for one Premier League giant, find out more here. 

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has endured quite the defensive injury crisis this season.

Currently, the Yorkshire giants have no senior central defender available for selection, which is partly why we have seen Spurs score three, Manchester United score six. Even goal-shy Newcastle United find the net twice against them in recent encounters.

It’s led to the Argentine having to shift right-back Luke Ayling into the middle, and then subsequently having to force square pegs to fit round holes.

This is especially the case for the other full-back spot as technically, following the departure of Barry Douglas, the Whites do not have a proper left-back.

Bielsa has turned to Gjanni Alioski in these times, a winger by trade, though he should probably reconsider – don’t let that strike against West Brom fool you, he’s been holding Leeds back lately.

In terms of average rating for the season, the Macedonian livewire ranks as the worst player (6.61) of anyone who has started nine or more matches, per WhoScored.

Against Spurs and United, the 28-year-old failed to manage higher than a 5.63 rating too.

In the last two matches alone, Alioski has also committed five fouls and has delivered only one cross in his last four outings, via WhoScored.

Only Mateusz Klich manages more fouls per game than the long-serving winger, so clearly, there is work to be done here defensively.

Beren Cross at LeedsLive wrote similarly in a column this week. He said: “Steven Bergwijn and Son Heung-min had their way with Alioski. He did not seem able to stick with them or read their movements, which can be fatal at this level.”

Indeed, Bielsa cannot afford to continue risking Alioski in defence – it is no wonder that he’s been dubbed a “liability” by respected former player Noel Whelan in the past too, he told Football Insider:

“His defending at time is very lacking in quality, he can be a liability.  It’s a big worry for Leeds if he doesn’t learn from his mistakes.”

It’s time for the £55k-per-week enigma to sit a few matches out unless there is a place for him further up the field. It’s a ruthless but necessary call to make.

Jamie Shackleton’s emergence could allow Stuart Dallas to return to his left-back position and there can surely be no harm in giving Leif Davis a runout either.

All are more viable defensive options in the role than Alioksi. Only the Baggies have leaked more goals than United this term. That issue has to be fixed.

AND in other news, 9 dribbles, 16 duels won: Leeds must move for “unplayable” £40m gem outshining Rodrigo…

Pep Guardiola may have finally found his Vincent Kompany replacement at Manchester City, should the Citizens complete a deal for Bayern Munich defender David Alaba next summer.

City and Liverpool have both been linked with a move for the Austrian international recently, although it seems as if they will have to wait until next summer if they want to see him join (per Sky Sports).

The 28-year-old’s contract with the Bundesliga giants is set to expire in the summer and considering he is currently valued at £58.5 million by Transfermarkt he would obviously be a very attractive proposition on a free transfer.

Alaba has featured as a left-back and a central-midfielder predominantly in his career but in recent times he has been deployed as a centre-back to great effect.

Last season in the Bundesliga, the defender averaged a very solid 6.99 rating across his 28 appearances in the German top-flight, helping Die Roten to their eighth-successive title win.

He was also an important member of Hans-Dieter Flick’s side in the Champions League, making eight appearances as Bayern went on to win the trophy.

It was incidentally Pep Guardiola who first played Alaba as a centre-back at Bayern, so the Spanish manager is clearly fully aware of what he could offer the Citizens.

He was full of praise for the versatile Austrian during his time as Bayern boss, saying:

“He’s an unbelievable talent, he can play anywhere. He’s quick, is good in the build-up and is always 100 per cent focused. Without [a] doubt, he can be one of the best centre-backs in the world. He’s a huge gift for Bayern,” (per Bundesliga.com).

City’s defence has arguably been not what it used to be in recent seasons, with the Etihad Stadium outfit shipping 35 goals in the Premier League last season, and it could certainly be argued that Vincent Kompany’s departure had a big part to play in that.

The Belgian defender was a real leader at City, making 360 appearances in all competitions, contributing 20 goals and 11 assists (per Transfermarkt). The 2018/19 season, where Kompany was still at City, saw the Citizens concede just 23 goals in the top-flight, so there was clearly a big difference when the centre-back was no longer there.

Perhaps if City can add Alaba to their ranks, they may finally be able to replace Kompany, as he would offer the experience of someone who has won a wide array of trophies during his career.

The addition of a left-sided centre-back could be bad news for Nathan Ake, however, with the Dutch defender having joined from Bournemouth in the most recent transfer window in a £40.77 million deal, and it may be tough for him to get into City’s first-team ahead of the likes of Alaba, Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias.

According to TEAMtalk, Glasgow Rangers are interested in bringing Manchester United outcast Jesse Lingard to Ibrox.

What’s the word?

Lingard finds himself surplus to requirements under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as he hasn’t featured for the first team since the 3-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion in the fourth round of the EFL Cup at the start of the season.

Even though Steven Gerrard’s side are stacked to the brim with striker/attacking midfielder options, the Ibrox boss is always on the lookout to bolster his firepower by adding some more experience and pedigree to his attack.

Although Alfredo Morelos has struggled at times this season so far, Jermain Defoe has been decent this campaign and versatile forward Kemar Roofe has been able to hit the ground running, but having options is never a bad thing.

It’s fair to say that Lingard, despite his obvious struggles, would be an upgrade on most if not all of the options that are currently available, so it’s easy to understand why Rangers have taken an interest in securing his services.

The 27-year-old has scored 33 goals and supplied 20 assists in 209 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils, having broken into the first team from the academy ranks.

Wilson must swoop for Lingard

It’s the silly season at the 54-time Scottish champions once again, isn’t it?

If, and that’s a big if, they can somehow afford his colossal wages, which are reportedly worth £100,000-per-week, then, of course, it’s worth taking a punt on the former England international.

There is, of course, the remote chance that Lingard may be prepared to take a pay cut to increase his playing time ahead of the Euros next year, but even that’s a bit of a stretch of the imagination.

However, if by some miracle things do work out in their favour, Wilson must sanction an audacious swoop for the versatile midfielder, who is currently valued at £12.6m via Transfermarkt.

Michael Carrick was effusive in his praise for his former teammate as he identified his best attributes, saying: “I think his movement – he moves off the ball very well. It’s something that sounds quite simple, but it’s difficult to defend against.”

He added: “How he plays, he is unique in some ways. You don’t see so much of that in the game as everyone wants to get on the ball and do something on the ball. Off the ball, he’s very effective.”

Last season, Lingard played nine games in the Champions League, scoring two goals and supplying one assist, whilst he averaged 1.8 shots per game, via WhoScored.

If the interest is genuine, his experience could prove to be invaluable, as he has played at the highest levels of the game and would be a useful option out wide.

AND in other news, Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield can fulfil the role Gerrard has wanted for so long…