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Glasgow Rangers have been involved in some of the most entertaining games in the Europa League so far but Steven Gerrard’s side are still unbeaten in all competitions this season, writing their names in the history books every single step of the way.

In fact, Rangers have scored at least one goal in each of their three games in the Europa League so far this season, which just goes to show how utterly dominant they have been on the front foot.

However, the Gers were punished for their defensive errors as they squandered a two-goal lead against Benfica at the beginning of the month, and these fine margins could prove to be the difference if they are to qualify for the knockout stages.

It’s hard to pick holes in Gerrard’s side but if there’s one area they need to tighten up before tonight’s game, it’s a tendency to neglect their defence, as they cannot afford to make the same mistake again against the Portuguese giants, and it seems they could have an ace up their sleeve in the shape of Calvin Bassey.

Former Rangers defender Alan Hutton has spoken admirably about the 20-year-old in the past, as he believes the colossus could become an even better left-back than his teammate Borna Barisic at Ibrox.

Bassey, who joined the Gers in the summer, has been electric every time he has come off the bench this season, as he is averaging 3 tackles, 2 clearances and one key pass per game in the Europa League, via WhoScored, which is exactly what you want to see from an impact substitute from the bench.

By comparison, the 28-year-old has mustered just one clearance and only slightly more than one tackle per game in the European competition, as per WhoScored.

It’s unlikely Bassey will be able to provide the same amount of assists as Barisic, as the Croatia international has created three assists so far this season, but his ability to track back and block shots could give the Gers a decisive edge in a game which could go right down the wire, as his former coach at Leicester City Steve Beaglehole said “even by Premier League standards, he is very, very quick.”

Jorge Jesus showed he can neutralise their attacking threat by fighting fire with fire but Bassey did a great job of keeping Standard Liege at bay in the Europa League last month, winning five of his seven duels and completing two tackles. He could be the perfect super-sub for Gerrard tonight, following in the footsteps of Kyle Lafferty in 2018.

AND in other news, Davis and Hagi start, no room for Kemar Roofe: Glasgow Rangers Predicted XI vs Benfica…

West Brom have a lot of decisions to make ahead of the January transfer window otherwise they truly risk their place in the Premier League.

Finances are tight, so incomings may be scarce but perhaps funds can be raised through sales of many of Slaven Bilic’s fringe players. You’d imagine Charlie Austin and Kamil Grosicki will be the first two out the door.

But perhaps there is some value left in Hal Robson-Kanu, who is just not favoured in the Premier League by the Croatian. The two-time Championship promotion winner would surely attract some interest given his experience.

The versatile 31-year-old forward hasn’t started a single game in the top-flight and despite being fit was snubbed entirely from the matchday squad as the Baggies were thrashed 5-1 by Crystal Palace.

Indeed, Robson-Kanu has featured in the Carabao Cup as captain, scoring three goals in two matches, but both outings were against lower-league opposition, which only goes to show that he may well be out of his depth in the Premier League at this point.

According to Spotrac, the Welshman is among the highest-earners at the Hawthorns, bringing home a tidy £30k-per-week, which is more than Grady Diangana (£20k-per-week), Kyle Bartley (£13.5k-per-week) and Romaine Sawyers (£12.5k-per-week).

All of those three have started and featured more than Robson-Kanu.

Therefore, it only seems like a wise decision to look to offload him in January as he’s merely bleeding Guochuan Lai’s pockets dry by not playing, and it’s not as if the Chinese businessman will be prepared to invest much more in terms of a transfer kitty.

WBA legend Kevin Phillips hailed the veteran’s impact during their promotion run-in, he told the Express & Star: “Hal Robson-Kanu has really performed. He has always been an exciting player, I’ve always liked his work ethic and his hold-up play. But this season he has added the goals that perhaps in previous seasons he hasn’t.”

That’s merely a thing of the past now though as Albion face a desperate battle to survive in the top-flight. Robson-Kanu could well take a bit off the wage bill and every little bit will help.

AND in other news, West Brom must take a risk on prolific EFL marksman who scores once every 75 minutes…

West Bromwich Albion may have enjoyed a pretty successful transfer window but it’s hard to argue against them dropping a massive clanger over one reported target…

What was the story?

The Athletic’s reliable Baggies correspondent Steve Madeley claimed earlier in the summer that Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer was a name that the Midlands outfit were taking a look at.

He was seen as a viable alternative to Shane Duffy, who would actually go onto join the Scottish champions on loan, and this move should have then opened the door for Albion to strike.

The 22-year-old was also wanted by Serie A giants AC Milan, according to The Sun, whilst close friend of the defender Vidar Riseth believed he’d have been worth £20m to £30m in the current market.

Major upgrade

It’s quite astounding that West Brom have failed to properly bolster their leaky backline. It was a problem in the Championship last season, and it’s been increased tenfold now they’re back in the big time.

The Baggies have the joint-worst defensive record across England’s top four divisions, which is a rather damning statistic and only raises further questions to why someone like Ajer wasn’t prioritised.

Kyle Bartley and Semi Ajayi as a pairing just isn’t good enough and that much has been evident in their 13 goals conceded in just four outings.

Ajer’s red-hot form spilt onto the international stage this week as he kept a second consecutive clean sheet for Norway against Northern Ireland where he also won 80% of his duels, recorded two clearances and made 95% of his passes, per SofaScore.

The 6 foot 6 colossus has averaged 3.1 aerials won, 2.8 clearances, 1.6 tackles and one key pass per game in the Scottish Premiership this season, via WhoScored.

His Bhoys teammate Christopher Jullien believes he’s a “unique talent” who’s “on the rise” whilst assistant manager John Kennedy once dubbed him a “warrior”.

It is this sort of frightening presence at the back that Albion lack severely – neither Bartley nor Ajayi have averaged above a 6.25 rating on WhoScored – there are nine players with better averages this season.

That clearly shows a problem and it’s one that Dowling, Bilic and the Baggies have failed to resolve at the Hawthorns.

They can only have themselves to blame if that’s what takes them down come the end of the season.

AND in other news, West Brom could be dealt huge blow for Burnley clash…

Coventry City boss Mark Robins will see his hopes of signing Liam Walsh dashed as a fresh report claims that the midfielder is set to pen a new deal with Bristol City.

The 22-year-old, who was named Coventry’s Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year for the 2019/20 season, departed the Sky Blues this summer for a return to his parent club.

With the summer transfer window currently open, hopes of a potential second loan or permanent move for the midfielder had been mentioned in various media outlets.

With his future being discussed, it was confirmed via the Robins’ official website that a one-year contract extension was set to be activated.

Last season, Walsh made 26 appearances, netting three goals and contributing with five assists as Coventry won the League One title and secured promotion to the Championship.

With just a year left on his contract following the extension clause being exercised, some may have hoped that there was still a chance he could return to the Sky Blues. But it seems that will not be the case, with a report from the Coventry Telegraph citing Bristol City manager Dean Holden, who admitted that the player would sign a new deal at Ashton Gate.

He told the BBC: “That’s happening. That will happen in the next few days.”

Sky Blues boss Robins has made significant improvements to his side this summer, bringing in plenty of new faces which includes Gustavo Hamer and Julien Dacosta, who have arrived from Dutch side PEC Zwolle and French outfit Chamois Niort. But it seems Walsh will not be added to that list.

It is now almost certainly confirmed that Walsh will not be returning to the Sky Blues, but fans and Mark Robins should not be too disappointed.

The Midlands based club have still managed to bring in 10 new players and the excitement ahead of this weekend’s Championship opener is building nicely.

How do you feel about Liam Walsh not returning to the Sky Blues? Let us know in the comments section below…

Scottish giants Celtic are gunning for a historic tenth title in a row this season and they have every chance of doing so as Neil Lennon’s side remain unbeaten in the league so far.

But a serious lack of foresight could come back to hurt them later down the line.

Rewind to the summer of 2019, the Hoops made some solid deals in the transfer market – loan moves for Moi Elyounoussi and Fraser Forster from Southampton were regarded as quite the coup for the club whilst Christopher Jullien, Greg Taylor and Jeremie Frimpong have all cemented their names as first-team regulars now.

However, there was a disappointing departure amongst the Parkhead academy ranks as Liam Morrison rejected a deal to join Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, which has since turned out to be a grave mistake.

The 17-year-old had his sights set on a move to Germany as soon as Bayern entered the equation but the likes of Peter Lawwell and the youth setup should have done so much more to tie him down long-term.

This week, The Guardian named him among the top 60 ‘best young talents in world football’ sitting alongside the next Erling Haaland and the best Portuguese prospect since Cristiano Ronaldo.

They relay comments from Scotland youth coach Brian McLaughlin, who said: “He has all the potential to be a Champions League centre-back. I believe their academy people have likened him to a young Mats Hummels and I think it is a good comparison. You have a centre-back who is equally comfortable playing on the right or the left and has the ability to beat a man if he has to.”

Again, this comparison is made by Bundesliga.com, claiming the teenager is “the very definition of a modern centre-back, combining sentry-like qualities with cultured build-up play.”

And he’s already been impressing Bayern’s academy manager Jochen Sauer, who added: “He’s a robust and physical defender with a lot of quality.”

Given the dubious future of Kristoffer Ajer at Celtic Park and the fact that Shane Duffy is only signed on a season-long loan, the Bhoys could well live to regret their feeble attempts to keep a generational Scottish prospect at the club.

Lawwell and co only have themselves to blame.

AND in other news, Lawwell could land Celtic their next Broony with swoop for 5-goal monster…

Ex-Spur Michael Brown insists it is “unbelievable” that Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho is still trying to figure out his best starting lineup. 

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Spurs star believes tactical changes and a busy schedule have prevented Mourinho from working out his favourite starting XI.

The Portuguese once again defended his team selections and queried why other managers like Frank Lampard, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola are not questioned on their choices after Tottenham beat Newcastle 3-1 in the Premier League to mark the first time he has won at St James’ Park.

Spurs slumped to a shock 3-1 defeat at Sheffield United, but have begun to turn things around, and they are now on a four-game unbeaten run.

Brown told assistant editor Russell Edge “Mourinho’s come out this week and said about his team selection, why journalists don’t ask other people – it was a good win to ease the pressure but he’s still trying to find his team, isn’t he?

“I just can’t find out what their settled side is and I keep saying the same thing. It’s unbelievable, isn’t it? I don’t know if he is closer to finding out. I think sometimes it’s tactical, I think sometimes it’s the run of games, the loading.

“It’s changing people’s opinions, you’re getting judged against different teams. I don’t think you’ve got much choice so I don’t think you’re getting a true reflection of who he wants. The thing you can say is the likes of Alderweireld, Vertonghen – why weren’t they playing?”

It is hard to argue with Brown on this one, as several factors have played their part in Mourinho’s team selection in recent weeks.

Questions remain over Tanguy Ndombele’s future as the club’s record signing has been in and out of the starting lineup lately, and he has now been ruled out for the rest of the season after picking up a knee injury.

Mourinho has messed around with his preferred formation since the Premier League restart, kicking off proceedings with a 4-2-3-1 system, before alternating between a 4-3-3 and 4-4-1-1 structure.

In fairness, matters have been taken out of his hands, as Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Juan Foyth have all missed matches for one reason or another.

Dier, who has established himself as part of Mourinho’s first choice pairing, has been missing for the past three games as a result of the four-match ban the FA imposed on him for his actions after the Norwich FA Cup defeat back in March.

Meanwhile, Alli was suspended for one game over a post on social media about coronavirus, before suffering a hamstring injury which ruled him out of the last four games.

Tottenham find themselves in the mix for a Europa League place after picking up three points against the Magpies, with both Wolves and Sheffield United also in contention with only two games remaining.

The Lilywhites next welcome Leicester City to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, knowing they need to win both games to qualify for the competition next season.

Tottenham fans, do you think Mourinho has been forced to tinker with his team selection? Let us know down below!

MatériaMais Notícias

Com poucas oportunidades no Fluminense, o atacante Magno Alves vem despertando o interesses de equipes nacionais e internacionais. Com contrato até o fim de 2016, o jogador está satisfeito no Tricolor e pretende cumprir seu vínculo com o time das Laranjeiras. Segundo Maurício Nassif, empresário do camisa 20, não existe chance do Magnata deixar o clube.

– Tivemos sondagens sim, principalmente do Ceará, que passou por momento difícil. Voltaram a nos procurar. Mas não houve nenhum tipo de negociação. O pessoal do mundo árabe voltou a ligar. O Magno está empenhado em cumprir o contrato até o fim. Está em ótimo momento familiar, apesar de jogando pouco. Está feliz por ficar perto dos filhos. Está na busca pelo espaço. Por ele ter idade, precisa de uma sequência de jogos para voltar a render o que rendia no Ceará. Não há qualquer movimentação para ele sair do clube – afirmou Nassif, à Rádio Brasil.

Desde que acertou o retorno ao Fluminense, Magno Alves participou de 13 jogos e marcou um gol. Quando foi apresentado, recebeu a camisa 20 para homenagear o Washington e Assis, ídolos do clube que eram conhecidos como Casal 20. Pelo Tricolor, Magnata já balançou as redes em 113 oportunidades e é o 11º maior artilheiro da história do clube.

تحدث اليوناني تاكيس جونياس المدير الفني السابق لنادي بيراميدز، عن الفترة التي قضاها مع الفريق بعد توجيه الشكر له بعد نهاية بطولة الدوري المصري.

وكان جونياس تولى تدريب بيراميدز بداية من 29 يونيو الماضي، خلفًا للمدير الفني الأرجنتيني رودلفو أروابارينا، ولكن إدارة بيراميدز وجهت له الشكر عقب نهاية الدوري المصري الموسم المنقضي.

طالع | رسميًا.. إيهاب جلال مديرًا فنيًا لـ بيراميدز خلفًا لتاكيس جونياس
 
وقال جونياس خلال تصريحات عبر برنامج “أوضة اللبس” على قناة “النهار”: “عندما توليت تدريب نادي بيراميدز كان اللاعبون يشعرون بفقدان الثقة بعد خسارة بطولة الكونفدرالية، وتوليت قيادتهم في وقت صعب”.

وتابع: “الوقت كان ضيقًا لتطبيق طريقة لعبي مع الفريق، عندما توفر لنا الوقت الجيد للإعداد سيختلف الأداء، مع مرور الوقت في بيراميدز نجحت في تحقيق نتائج جيدة، عكس بدايتي مع الفريق”.

وأضاف: “لا أعلم إلى أي مدى كان من الممكن أن نصل إذا استمريت مع الفريق للموسم المقبل، وتوفرت لي فرصة الإعداد الحالية، وغير سعيد بعدم استكمال مهمتي مع بيراميدز”.

وواصل: “إذا كان الموضوع متوقف على ممدوح عيد كنت سأستمر مع نادي بيراميدز، ولكن القرار كان من الإدارة نفسها”.

وأكمل: “السبب الذي أبلغوني به في بيراميدز لي عن رحيلي هو رغبتهم في التعاقد مع مدرب مصري، وصدقت ما قيل لي”.

واستمر: “أتمنى التوفيق لـ إيهاب جلال المدرب الحالي لفريق بيراميدز، لأنه من أفضل المدربين المصريين، ومحظوظ لأنه يدرب فريق جيد جدًا ولديه وقت أن يعمل معه”.

وأردف: : “أعتقد إذا كان هناك فرصة لاستمراري حتى كأس مصر كنت سأحصل على البطولة، حتى إذا كنت واجهت الأهلي في النهائي، لأن قوة داوفع بيراميدز في نهاية الدوري كانت جيدة، وقوة داوفع الأهلي نهاية الموسم غير جيدة في المباريات”.

وأتم: “لو امتلكت فرصة التدريب في أوروبا سيكون علي جبر أول لاعب مصري أضمه”.

Most of the attention in the northeast is on Newcastle United’s imminent takeover, and one player who may not be part of the new era is right-back DeAndre Yedlin, who is reportedly looking to leave the club this summer.According to The Athletic’s Paul Tenorio, in conversation with Jon Champion and Taylor Twellman, the American is wanting to move on from the Magpies at the end of the season.

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Yedlin has been at the club since 2016 after being signed by Rafa Benitez in his first summer in charge, joining from Tottenham Hotspur.

He has gone on to feature 110 times for the club, although this season he has only managed a bit-part role due to injuries and his manager Steve Bruce favouring Javier Manquillo.

A groin strain, a hip problem and a hand issue has restricted the 26-year-old to just 12 Premier League matches this term, playing a total of just 772 minutes.

And it is fair to suggest that many supporters at St James’ Park wouldn’t be too disheartened to see him leave should a move come to fruition.

Here’s what has been said…

AND in other news,ÂNewcastle fans go berserk over Mauricio Pochettino news…

Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana is being lined up as a potential transfer target for PSG, according to the Daily Mirror.

Lallana, 31, has made just eight appearances this season for the Reds, finding difficulty in breaking into a team that sits at the top of the Premier League.

The former Southampton captain did score the equaliser at Old Trafford to ensure that Jurgen Klopp’s men maintained their unbeaten start, however.

He’s out of contract at Anfield in the summer, leaving the French giants free to pursue his signature on a free transfer when the January transfer window arrives.

Thomas Tuchel wants Lallana to replace forward Edinson Cavani, who is being linked with a move to the MLS.

LA Galaxy are chasing the Uruguayan to replace the recently departed Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who left the club after two seasons.

Lallana would hardly be a natural replacement; in his 186 Premier League games, the England intentional has scored 30 goals, a strike rate that falls some way short of Cavani’s.

Here’s how some Liverpool fans reacted to the transfer rumour: