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Rangers were unable to make their second-half pressure count at Parkhead on Sunday afternoon, as Steven Gerrard’s side drew 1-1 with their Old Firm rivals, although they do preserve their unbeaten run by avoiding defeat.

The Ibrox outfit had plenty of chances to add a second goal after Alfredo Morelos’ equaliser in the first half but were forced to settle for a draw against John Kennedy’s Celtic side.

Although the performance was much more impressive than Thursday’s 2-0 defeat against Slavia Prague in the Europa League, there will still some lacklustre displays at Parkhead, with Joe Aribo arguably nowhere near his usual standard.

The Nigerian international has been one of Gerrard’s most impressive performers in the Premiership so far this season, having averaged a superb 7.4 rating across his 26 appearances, with six goals and four assists to his name.

However, he wasn’t anywhere near his best on Sunday and struggled to have much influence on the game, even when Gerrard pushed him further forward when Scott Arfield replaced Ianis Hagi in the second half.

As per SofaScore, the former Charlton Athletic man would earn a disappointing 6.6/10 rating for his display, which was the worst of any Rangers player who started the game.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-rangers-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Aribo really struggled to have any influence on the game whatsoever, as he managed no shots, no dribbles and no key passes during his time on the pitch.

Considering he has averaged 1.6 shots, 1.9 dribbles and 1.3 key passes per game in the Premiership so far this season, it is definitely fair to suggest that he was very underwhelming on Sunday, which will surely frustrate Gerrard, as he is reliant on the Nigerian to be the creative force in his midfield.

The 24-year-old also failed to complete a single long ball or cross in his 77 minutes on the pitch, so it was no surprise to see him axed in favour of Scott Wright as Rangers chased a winning goal.

[freshpress-quiz id=“588789″]

Although he may well have been tired following the Europa League game in midweek, there is no denying that this performance was far from Aribo’s usual standard, and with their rivals there for the taking, Gerrard may well be fuming that one of his chief creators failed to really turn up.

And, in other news… Wilson can sign Rangers’ ideal Defoe with swoop for £6.3m-rated beast

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Juventus forward Paulo Dybala recently, and if he were to join the Reds, it would surely spell the end for Divock Origi.

The Argentine’s contract with the Serie A side is set to expire in 2022, with it suggested that the Old Lady could look to cash in on him next summer, to avoid potentially losing him for free at the end of next season.

Dybala has often been a regular at Juventus since joining from Palermo in the summer of 2015, making 244 appearances, contributing 98 goals and 40 assists in that time.

However, the 27-year-old has found himself on the fringes of Andrea Pirlo’s squad this season, making just eight starts and three substitute appearances in Serie A, in which he has contributed two goals and two assists, averaging a solid 7.04 rating.

This suggests that he still has a lot of quality and that he has impressed on his rare appearances, so he would surely be looking to establish himself as a regular member of Liverpool’s attack if he were to make the move to Anfield this summer.

Therefore, with Origi having struggled throughout the season so far, it is difficult to see where the Belgian international would get any game time should a player of Dybala’s quality arrive.

The former Lille man, who earns £60k per week at Liverpool, has failed to score or assist in any of his 12 Premier League and Champions League appearances this season, whilst his 6.19 average rating in the top-flight is one of the lowest in the squad.

It was suggested that Origi could depart during the winter transfer window but he ended up staying put, although it seems likely that his first-team chances will only decrease further now that Diogo Jota has recovered from his injury.

Dybala was described as a player of “extraordinary quality” by Juventus and Italy legend Alessandro Del Piero in 2020, so whilst Origi has some memorable moments in a Liverpool shirt, there seems no doubt that Dybala is a much better overall player than the Belgian, so it would not be a surprise to see him depart should the Argentinian join Jurgen Klopp’s side in the summer.

And, in other news… Edwards should seal Liverpool swoop for 6 ft 3 beast who silenced Messi at 19

Newcastle United visit relegation rivals West Bromwich Albion on Sunday to hand Steve Bruce his first test without his favoured front three of Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin.

Almiron and Saint-Maximin joined Wilson in the Magpies’ treatment room following last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers, having sustained knee and groin injuries respectively, while their 10-goal top scorer remains sidelined with a deep hamstring tear.

The Toon trio’s absences will deprive Bruce of his most lethal and creative options, with only Wilson scoring more often in the Premier League this season than Almiron and his four goals, while providing more assists (five) than Saint-Maximin’s three.

Bruce also faces injury concerns elsewhere in his ranks. With that in mind, here’s a potential line-up which the Magpies could field at The Hawthorns, which shows four changes from the starting XI against Wolves…

Dwight Gayle and Joelinton have both been given opportunities to prove themselves as Wilson’s replacement, with the London-born attacker starting against Chelsea and the £40m club-record signing featuring against Manchester United and Wolves.

Neither scored over those outings but will be expected to feature alongside each other for the first time since December’s 2-1 win over West Brom, when Gayle came off the bench to strike the winning effort during a 21-minute cameo beside the Brazilian.

The Baggies’ visit to St James’ Park was the only Premier League fixture thus far this season to see both strikers on the pitch at the same time, with £40,000-per-week Gayle coming on as a direct replacement for Joelinton against Leeds United and Fulham in December. Joelinton also replaced Gayle at Stamford Bridge last month.

Summer signing Ryan Fraser will be expected to occupy the attacking midfield role now vacated by Almiron, having been the one to take over from the Paraguayan at half-time against Wolves last weekend.

The 1-1 draw marked Fraser’s 15th Premier League outing of the campaign to date and returned only his third assist in black and white, having been the most creative player on the pitch throughout the second half with three key passes, per WhoScored.

Only Saint-Maximin (4) and Wolves’ Adama Traore (4) offered more key passes across the full 90 minutes than £42k-a-week Fraser provided in just the second period.

Jacob Murphy may have hoped to be afforded his first top-flight start since January by replacing one of Saint-Maximin or Almiron in the Newcastle attack, but will likely be required to occupy a right-back spot against West Brom.

Bruce is at risk of being without a recognised full-back due to Emil Krafth sustaining a “nasty” shin injury during the 1-1 Wolves draw, while Javier Manquillo is still working on his fitness after sustaining an ankle injury against Southampton last month.

The Toon have been given a boost with Federico Fernandez expected to be fit after nine games on the sidelines across all competitions, which could see the Argentine replace Ciaran Clark after Jamaal Lascelles appeared a man reborn after scoring his team’s sole goal against Wolves last week.

AND in other news, some Newcastle players want a “very good organiser” lauded by those he’s worked with to replace Steve Bruce…

Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting with delight to a video from Shaun Williamson, who played Barry in Eastenders.

This season has been fantastic for the Ibrox outfit so far. They currently lead the Premiership by a huge 21 points (BBC), and have lost just one game in all competitions (Sky Sports). After 10 years without a piece of major silverware, it looks like they might finally get their hands on a trophy at the end of this campaign.

This a season for the Gers supporters to really enjoy, especially when it comes at the expense of their fierce rivals Celtic. A video has popped up on Twitter of Williamson sending a message to “Neil, Broony and the Bhoys”, with the message coming from their friends from Edmiston Drive – where Ibrox is located.

As you can imagine, the Gers fans absolutely loved this message, which was relayed by Twitter account @Ruth_Less_Lady, and they took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Williamson video below

“that is utterly outstanding. Genuinely thinking of changing my ringtone”

Credit: @k_tinnin

“That is sensational.”

Credit: @screebs69

“I’m in tears, that is tremendous”

Credit: @ms_waits

“That might just be the greatest thing I have seen”

Credit: @gordyb1872

“That is absolutely outstanding”

Credit: @itstheLIKWID

“Outstanding. Well worth refreshing Twitter like it’s deadline day”

Credit: @official_garryg

In other news, Rangers fans react to this Ibrox news.

When Wolves travel to Lancashire to face Chorley this evening, they will do so hoping to avoid some bad omens.

Back in the 1986/87 season, the non-league side defeated Wolves 3-0, swatting them aside in robust fashion.

The Chorley players, at the time, earned around £25-per-week, a far cry from some of the meteoric sums of money that the current Wolves team now earn.

It will be a historic FA Cup tie, one that will hopefully demonstrate that the world’s oldest cup competition isn’t yet dead.

Given the form Nuno Santo’s team have been in, you wouldn’t put it past them to struggle against the National League North side. They have only two of their last ten games so it’ll be interesting to see how the Old Gold line-up.

Nevertheless, we’ve had a go at putting an XI together. Here’s how we reckon Nuno could go on Friday evening.

For starters, we’re tipping the Portuguese manager to make as many as seven changes to the team that lost the Black Country derby to West Brom.

Those changes start at the back where usual cup goalkeeper John Ruddy deputises in place of Rui Patricio. Both full-backs are swapped out with Rayan Ait-Nouri coming in on the left and Ki-Jana Hoever playing on the right. Romain Saiss moves into centre-back to pair Willy Boly with Conor Coady set to miss out.

The England international was withdrawn by Nuno for the first time in his Wolves career against West Brom so it feels like a good time to take him out of the firing line. After all, he did concede a penalty last weekend.

Further changes come in midfield where both Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker drop out. We think Ruben Neves will be one of a few senior players fielded with Morgan Gibbs-White earning a rare start just behind the forward line.

We’ve hyped up Theo Corbeanu this week and reckon he should earn a first-team debut on the right-hand side, coming in for Adama Traore. Fabio Silva keeps his place while Patrick Cutrone gets an opportunity to prove what he’s capable of before Willian Jose possibly arrives on loan.

AND in other news, Wolves could find their perfect Raul Jimenez replacement in “very fast” £34k-p/w beast…

Newcastle United must jump at the chance to sign Steve Bruce’s ideal Jamaal Lascelles partner in Manchester United defender Phil Jones.

What’s the word?

According to Eurosport, Bruce is in talks with Red Devils assistant coach Michael Carrick to gain a better understanding of the centre-half’s fitness and motivation levels ahead of the January transfer window.

Jones is expected to be made available for a transfer in the mid-season market and believes he still has plenty to offer the right side, despite featuring just three times in 2020 after being omitted from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Premier League and Champions League squads.

Solskjaer took the decision to leave the 28-year-old out of his initial 2020/21 options whilst the centre-half recovers from injury, but is hopeful he will be fit to feature in December.

United are open to offers for the 27-cap England international as they are aware his near-£80,000-per-week contract could prove problematic in negotiations, which is expected to help Jones secure a move away in January should he find a club to his liking.

West Ham and Leicester City are also assessing Jones as a potential option as they strive to improve their defences as they push for potential European qualification.

Ideal Lascelles partner

Bruce being in communication with Carrick to gain a better understanding of Jones’ physical and mental state is a good sign to suggest the Newcastle boss wishes to bring the 2016/17 Europa League winner to St. James’ Park this winter.

Jones would be arriving massively lacking in match fitness having been out injured for most of the year, but could prove to be Bruce’s ideal partner for Lascelles and Federico Fernandez with Fabian Schar and Ciaran Clark unable to lock down a regular role for themselves.

Clark faced a lengthy spell out of action, himself, after breaking his ankle in February, only returning for Carabao Cup action in September before making his Premier League season debut last month to replace Schar in the line-up.

Clark now has the chance to lock down a place in the XI after Lascelles missed the 2-0 win at Crystal Palace with a knee injury sustained against Chelsea, but failing to impress in the coming weeks will convince Bruce that he needs a player like Jones who Solskjaer believed was “entering into his prime years” when handed a new contract last year.

Arsenal icon Martin Keown also believes Jones is still a good player, just one that needs a change of scenery to get his career back on track.

“I don’t know how much help he’s getting, but he needs it. If they haven’t got a defensive coach, they need to get one, get in his ear and help him,” he told talkSPORT. “There’s got to be a decent player in there still, but somebody has got to help him. He’s at a crossroads in his career.”

Could St. James’ Park be the place Jones gets his career back on track? It wouldn’t be entirely out of the realms of possibility for Bruce to look fondly on a cheap deal with Manchester United open to offloading the £75,000-a-week outcast.

AND in other news, Mike Ashley can hand Steve Bruce and Newcastle an ideal upgrade in January with a lethal £2m hitman.

West Ham United must deliver Eddie Nketiah to David Moyes amid rumoured interest in the Arsenal forward following the £20m sale of Sebastien Haller.

What’s the word?

According to the Evening Standard, the Irons are tracking Nketiah’s situation at the Emirates Stadium as they begin their search for Haller’s replacement.

The Hammers are drawing up a shortlist of centre-forwards to target in the January transfer window, with AFC Bournemouth’s Joshua King and Stade Reims’ Boulaye Dia also among their possible options.

Haller completed a £20m move to AFC Ajax on Friday after West Ham accepted a loss of more than 50 per cent on the club-record £45m spent to sign the Ivory Coast international in 2019, bringing an end to the Mario Husillos flop’s torrid time in east London.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt forward only netted 14 goals in 53 games across all competitions, including just three in 16 Premier League appearances this season.

Nketiah has only found the back of the net once in 12 top-flight outings this term, of which he’s started three, while scoring three in six Europa League Group Stage ties and one in two Carabao Cup appearances including against Leicester City.

West Ham are keen to know whether or not Arsenal are open to a deal for Nketiah this month, as the 21-year-old is under contract in north London through to the summer of 2022 on a £45,000-per-week deal but is yet to agree on an extension.

Dream Haller heir

Nketiah could prove to be Moyes’ dream Haller heir if West Ham are able to reach an agreement with Arsenal, who are believed to be looking at loan options in the January market as funds are limited at the Emirates.

The Gunners’ need for cash could aid West Ham in acquiring Nketiah as they may be more receptive to a permanent deal, which would see the Irons sign a forward who Mikel Arteta believes is “extraordinary” for a player of his age.

Nketiah is also England’s record-scorer at Under 21s level with 10 goals in 12 games and has captained the Young Lions on four occasions since September, while finding the back of the net in the EFL Cup, Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League since his Arsenal debut in 2017.

He has also begun to build a reputation for being a clinical poacher, with the average distance to goal for his 12 Gunners strikes coming at a mere 6.1 yards after a 13-yard effort against Dundalk last month raised the average from 5.4 yards.

His record would be ideal for the system Moyes is developing at the London Stadium as no Premier League side have attempted more efforts from within the six-yard box than West Ham so far this season, who take a division-high 14% of their shots under the shadow of the goal frame.

Arsenal, in contrast, take the 11th-most at 7%, which would suggest Nketiah could take his game to another level in claret and blue if Moyes and the Irons board decide he represents the best option to replace Haller.

AND in other news: “He’d only be a squad player” – Exclusive: Pundit reacts as West Ham target £45k-p/w striker.

Bruno Fernandes bagged a brace as Manchester United came from behind to beat Everton at Goodison Park in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon and alleviate the pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the same time.

Everton started strongly after Bernard scored on his first Premier League start of the season. However, the Red Devils returned fire with two strikes from Fernandes in quick succession, before Edinson Cavani capped off in the end what was a comfortable victory with his first United goal in injury time.

Solskjaer’s side are now thirteenth in the top flight after an inconsistent start to the season, whilst the Toffees suffered their third successive defeat in a row.

The Portuguese international will make most of the headlines but there is one player in particular who’s performance must not go unnoticed – Luke Shaw. Anyone familiar with this website will know we’ve often been critical of the 25-year-old in the past. But we’ll hold our hands up and freely admit he was nothing short of impressive against Everton at Goodison Park.

Per SofaScore, Shaw received a high statistical rating of 7.5 for his dominant display – he made one tackle, one interception, two clearances and blocked one shot, whilst he completed 40 out of 49 passes at a pass success percentage of 82%, won two out of four aerial duels, produced one key pass and created one big chance as well.

A look at his heatmap reveals he was causing Carlo Ancelotti’s side all sorts of problems on the left flank, with a hotspot of activity bombing up and down the wing.

It’s a real shame he was forced off hurt in the second half with his injury being one of the few stains on a strong team performance overall.

Sky Sports gave him a grade of 8/10, whilst The Manchester Evening News awarded him with the same score, claiming he was “adventurous against the ageing Seamus Coleman and claimed a second assist of the week by crossing for Bruno Fernandes.

United legend Rio Ferdinand recently insisted that Shaw is “proving people wrong.” If these stats are anything to go by, he looked like he was playing with a point to prove at the weekend after the arrival of Alex Telles in the summer, who is not without his own flaws.

Solskjaer will be hoping Shaw can make a quick recovery before the Red Devils welcome West Brom to Old Trafford in over a fortnight’s time. One thing’s for sure, he must keep faith in the former Southampton man in order to keep his job, it really is that simple.

AND in other news, Forget Fred: Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes steals show vs Everton…

Peter Lawwell can solve Celtic’s woes by hiring former Hoops star Shaun Maloney to replace under-fire head coach Neil Lennon at Parkhead.

What’s the word?

According to The Times, Maloney is among a list of potential candidates being considered for the Parkhead hot seat should Lawwell and majority owner Dermot Desmond call time on Lennon’s tenure and fire the Northern Irishman.

Celtic’s hopes of claiming ten Scottish Premiership titles in succession have been dealt a drastic blow by a dire start to the campaign, with Lennon’s stewardship so far returning 11 fewer points than bitter rivals Rangers ahead of Sunday’s fixtures.

Lennon is determined to prove himself to Desmond and Lawwell over the festive fixtures and earn enough points ahead of facing Steven Gerrard’s Gers on January 2 to save his job, with the Hoops at home to St. Johnstone, Kilmarnock, Ross County and Dundee United while only travelling to basement boys Hamilton.

But should he fail, Lennon may find himself replaced by a man who won three league titles and two cups with Celtic in Maloney, who currently sits beside Roberto Martinez in the dugout of the Belgian national side.

The answer to Celtic’s woes?

While Maloney is yet to take charge of a side in his post-playing days, with spells as the assistant manager in Celtic’s Under 20s and reserves before joining the Belgium set-up, the 37-year-old could be the man to solve the Hoops’ woes.

Maloney played under Martinez at Wigan Athletic between his Celtic exit in 2011 and joining MLS outfit Chicago Fire in 2015, a period which saw the Latics shock English football to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup Final only to be relegated from the Premier League days later.

The 47-time Scotland international left an impression on Martinez, though, as Maloney displayed an “elite” coaching mentality that set him aside from the usual breed of British players he had worked with before.

“There are certain individuals who stand out because they are not normal players brought up in the British structure. Shaun wasn’t built in a system. He was built on an appreciation of space and his technical ability,” Martinez said, via quotes by The Scottish Sun in 2018.

“He caught my eye straight away when I was playing in Britain. He looked different to what was around him. When we started working together at Wigan, I realised he was a deep thinker. He had incredibly high standards and was someone who was ready to mature.

“Moving to Aston Villa opened up his mentality and from that point on you could see he had an elite brain. Shaun has a great mind for detail. He’s very natural on the training ground and has a kind feeling for all the players.”

Lawwell and Desmond may look fondly on Maloney’s ability to bring a fresh approach should they decide to fire Lennon at a time of crisis, while the former Motherwell midfielder’s ability to understand the players will help ease any tensions at Lennoxtown.

“Over the course of his career, he has developed an incredible understanding of how a footballer’s brain goes through different situations,” Martinez added. “He understands what it’s like to go away from your comfort zone and perform in international football. That was always a big enjoyment.

“Shaun’s coaching career will take him wherever he chooses to go and he could also one day be a manager in his own right.”

AND in other news, Celtic would be heading for disaster handing a raw coach his “dream job”.

Liverpool now have just days left to solve their goalkeeping problems as the EFL transfer window deadline looms. With Alisson out of action, the Reds look desperate not to rely on Adrian any more than they absolutely have to.

The controversial Spaniard drove a wedge further between him and the Kopites in his most recent performance. A shock defeat at Villa Park saw them ship a mammoth seven goals, the first reigning top flight champions to do so since Arsenal in 1953 (via Goal.com).

However, some recent insight from James Pearce may make fans change their views on him. Speaking on The Athletic’s Red Agenda podcast, the Liverpool reporter revealed that Adrian is trying to make things right after his recent calamitous display.

“There is pressure on Adrian,” Pearce said (via This Is Futbol). “But I know for a fact he was back at Melwood the day after what happened at Villa Park working with John Achterberg knuckling down desperate to learn from what he’d done wrong and knowing that he’ll have the opportunity to put things right at Goodison [Park].”

Adrian deserves some respect

The 33-year-old’s performance against Aston Villa wasn’t the first time he has been disappointing in the nets. Last season, Adrian essentially single-handedly knocked Liverpool out of both the FA Cup and Champions League. Costly blunders against Chelsea and Atletico Madrid cost the Reds their place in the competitions and fans have been ripping the Sevilla-born ‘keeper to shreds ever since.

Even the club staff are questioning his abilities and are currently looking to outsource a replacement until Alisson returns from injury. However, despite the fans on his back and Jurgen Klopp losing faith, Adrian is still trying to make the best of his time at Anfield.

His tweet following the Villa defeat may not have been very telling, but he is doing his talking on the training pitch. If Adrian has acknowledged his errors and shows improvement against Everton on Saturday, he deserves a lot of respect for silently addressing the situation and working to rectify it.

In other news, Loris Karius must accept he will never be Liverpool’s first-choice again…