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So, it’s official. Brendan Rodgers has been appointed as the new manager of Leicester City after Claude Puel received his marching orders from the King Power Stadium.

Everything about the appointment makes sense from the Foxes’ point of view. Rodgers is a forward thinking manager who works well with youth and always tries to play football in the right way – the likes of Youri Tielemans, Demarai Gray and Ben Chilwell should thrive under him.

However, from Celtic’s point of view, the decision is unforgivable. Rodgers could have overseen a treble-treble, having won all three domestic trophies available to him for the last two seasons running – somehow, mid-table mediocrity and nothing to play for appealed to the Welshman more than achieving such a huge feat.

Former Hoops boss Neil Lennon has since been appointed on an interim basis, but let’s take a look at who could replace Rodgers on a long-term deal…

Rafa Benitez

The relationship between Mike Ashley and Rafa Benitez had become incredibly tense by the end of 2018, so much so that the Spaniard threatened to leave unless players were signed in the January window.

The Spaniard, who famously led Liverpool to Champions League success in 2005, was finally rewarded for his fine work on Tyneside in January with a marquee signing worth shouting about.

Miguel Almiron arrived for a club-record fee, but it remains to be seen whether or not that acquisition will tempt Benitez into signing a new contract with his current deal due to expire this summer.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 

A bold suggestion, but if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer doesn’t get the Manchester United job on a permanent basis his stock will be sky high for those searching for a new boss.

The Norwegian has lost just one of his 15 games in charge since being appointed at Old Trafford on an interim basis, and should certainly be in the Bhoys’ sights if the Red Devils decide to look elsewhere in the summer.

David Moyes

The former Real Sociedad boss has been out of work since his short-term contract at West Ham expired last season.

Moyes, 55, was born in Glasgow and began his playing career at Celtic, so the opportunity to manage them could be too good to turn down should he be offered the role – it is also worth noting that Moyes repaired his reputation somewhat during his time with the Hammers.

Alex Neil

The former Hamilton boss has been back to his best since being appointed as Preston’s manager back in 2017.

Neil has guided his side to a recent run of five wins and three draws from their last eight, form which has them sitting just six points off the play-off positions.

Born in Bellshill, the lure of managing a Scottish giant could be enough to lure him away from what is a decent project at Preston.

It had been a good season for Steven Gerrard during his maiden voyage in the Rangers dugout. Indeed, a good run in the Europa League group stages certainly looked as if it’d set the tone for a strong campaign, but the fact their season is all but over by March will be a major disappointment. 

Last night’s loss to Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup quarter-final renders the rest of the season kind of pointless but, considering the basket case nature of the Ibrox giants, the Liverpool legend needs to ensure things don’t turn really sour. Yes, he deserves time, but this is the Gers we’re talking about – where success is of paramount importance.

The title might be mathematically possible still – though hugely unlikely – so the Light Blues will be hoping that they can have a strong end to the season and push bitter rivals Celtic all the way. Lose any of the big games remaining and it might be hard to raise the spirits even next year.

With this in mind, here are a couple of games that may cause some trouble for Gerrard and his men.

Kilmarnock (Home, 16th March) 

With the reverse fixtures ending in a 1-2 away defeat and a 1-1 home draw, there will certainly be difficulty in trying to avoid another banana skin at the Ibrox.

Gerrard will be wary that his side have failed to beat Kilmarnock in the league this season and will look to the cup for inspiration, after thumping Killie 5-0. One of the most upwardly mobile teams in Scotland, it’s important the Glasgow giants make a similar statement to their cup success.

To avoid not winning a single league game against their opponents, Gerrard will have to call on his main men to break the deadlock early on and get the home fans bouncing.

Celtic (Away, 31st March) 

The Old Firm promises to be one of the games of the season, as ever.

So, if Rangers were to lose, it would all but cement the title going back to Celtic and undo some of the hard work put in and momentum picked up during December’s Old Firm victory. If they can claim a big scalp in the backyard of their eternal rivals, a statement would have been made.

Lose, and the season will end on the sourest note possible.

يستأنف الفريق الأول لكرة القد بالنادي الأهلي تدريباته اليوم السبت استعدادًا لمواجهة بيراميدز في الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الأهلي يواجه نظيره بيراميدز غدًا الأحد على استاد القاهرة، في إطار مباريات الجولة الـ33 من المسابقة المحلية.

طالع أيضًا.. تعرف على معلقي مباراة الأهلي وبيراميدز في الدوري المصري

وكان الجهاز الفني للأهلي بقيادة الجنوب إفريقي بيتسو موسيماني، قرر منح اللاعبين راحة أمس الجمعة.

جدير بالذكر أن الأهلي حصد لقب الدوري هذا الموسم للمرة الخامسة على التوالي والـ 4 في تاريخه.

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The Steel City derby ended goalless at Hillsborough on Monday night. Sheffield United were the more aggressive side, but Sheffield Wednesday defended valiantly throughout to keep the Blades at bay.

Failure to win meant that Chris Wilder’s side remained third in the table, behind Leeds United and Norwich City. The race for automatic promotion will almost certainly go down to the wire, but the Blades no longer hold any of the initiative.

Leeds themselves face Sheffield United on Saturday March 16th at Elland Road. That fixture could be a defining one for both clubs’ seasons. As things stand though, Leeds hold the advantage in the race for promotion due to the Blades’ failure to overcome their bitter local rivals.

Who has been the Championship’s best player this season? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

Leeds will be desperate to finally secure a return to the top flight this season so any poor results sustained by their fellow promotion contenders will considered a boost to their own cause.

After the Sheffield derby, plenty of Whites fans took to Twitter to celebrate the final result…

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Leeds United’s success and progress so far this season has been built upon a platform of extraordinary work ethic. 

Marcelo Bielsa has instilled this in the squad at Elland Road, and the players have bought into the Argentine coach’s philosophy wholeheartedly. With impressive consistency, the Whites produce remarkably intense performances where a staggering level of pressure is maintained from the first whistle to the last.

Are fans being priced out of the Championship as well as the Premier League? The angry Bolton fan in the video below certainly believes so…

This approach has attracted plenty of plaudits to the club and it has also proved effective on the pitch. Having finished 13th in the Championship last season, Bielsa’s influence has taken Leeds into the thick of the title hunt. 

The manager was full of praise for his team in his press conference on Monday, but two players in particular received special credit.

What he said

In his press conference, as quoted by Leeds Live, Bielsa gave his verdict on Pontus Jansson and Liam Cooper’s centre-back partnership: “From an individual point of view they are playing at a very high level, both of them. And they are two players with many skills and skilled players don’t have problems playing with each other…It’s true they play many games together and they are the defensive structure of a team that attacks a lot.”

Deserved praise

27-year-old club-captain Cooper and 28-year-old Swede Jansson have been the defensive foundation that so much of Leeds’ attractive, free-flowing attacking football has been built upon this season.

The pair are deserving of this praise, as their partnership is the bedrock of the club’s current success.

In fact, you could probably go as far as to say they are the two most irreplaceable players in Bielsa’s side, and the boss is clearly fully appreciative of their efforts to take the club above and beyond fans’ wildest expectations.

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Liverpool host Tottenham this weekend and the Reds will be looking to regain their lead at the top while their visitors, who are now battling for a top-four spot, will hope to bounce back from their loss to Southampton and remain in third place.

Indeed, Sunday promises to be a high-intensity encounter between two of England’s Champions League high-flyers. Football FanCast take a look at where the game will be lost and won.

Key battle – Sadio Mane v Kieran Trippier

Kitted in red is one of the Premier League’s most in-form players; in white is one who has fallen from grace since a summer in which he established himself as an England hero.

Sadio Mane has chalked up 11 goals and one assist in his last 10 games – a phenomenal strike-rate – and, if he keeps this up, he could be a real dark horse in the race for the Premier League’s Player of the Year gong. The Senegalese has been different gravy in 2019 and is becoming more of a danger in front of goal than 2017/18 hero  Mohamed Salah.

Meanwhile, Kieran Trippier, having won the hearts of a nation with his sensational free-kick against Croatia in the World Cup, has had a rough ride – the former Burnley man’s defensive ability has been called into question multiple times and, against one of the best sides in Europe, it may be once again.

There is no doubting the 28-year-old’s technical ability but this isn’t a game in which Spurs can afford to be lax at the back.

Deciding factor – Home form vs Away form

No side has conceded fewer home goals than Liverpool this season, whereas no team has scored more away goals in the Premier League than Tottenham – so this game really does feel like a case of the immovable object vs the unstoppable force.

Of course, the question for the neutrals is whether that will result in a disappointing cancel-out afternoon or one in which the strengths of both sides come to the fore, chiefly Tottenham attacking with intent but Liverpool doing a great job of keeping them out.

That’s not to say either team are substandard in the other departments. Tottenham attacking well will only leave space for the likes of Mane on the counter-attack, just as Spurs are actually third for fewest goals conceded on the road.

Either way, this is an intriguing test of a Premier League fortress hosting the away day kings.

There’s good news for fans of City, Liverpool, Spurs and United in the video below…

Impact subs – Xherdan Shaqiri and Lucas Moura

Shaqiri should be available for the weekend although the Swiss surely doesn’t usurp any of the front three, so it’s likely that his impact will be from the bench. The former Stoke man has shown his ability to cause problems when entering the fray later on – he tore Manchester United apart at Anfield in December – and his directness will be crucial if the Reds are lacking some impetus in the later stages.

Meanwhile, Lucas Moura could drop to the bench after a poor performance last time out in which he failed to record an attempt on goal, but can certainly be of use to Pochettino still. His speed and dribbling ability are unparalleled in the Spurs ranks and he could stretch Liverpool’s defence in the second-half.

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Nacho Novo has opened up about his friend Alfredo Morelos this week in light of his most recent showing against Kilmarnock, which saw him make the headlines in typically controversial fashion.

What’s the word?

The Colombian goal machine simply cannot stay out of the limelight. Whether he is scoring goals, getting into disputes with the opposition or, as is so often the case, a bit of both, Morelos is a man who is never too far away from the headlines.

Kirk Broadfoot, a former Rangers player, managed to provoke the volatile attacker on Saturday, but the incident did not see either player go into the referee’s book.

In an interview with Evening Times, Novo gave his verdict on the confrontation and suggested that Broadfoot’s decision to trod on Morelos’ heel was premeditated.

“That’s been planned. Kirk knows how to wind people up and that’s what it’s all about.

“Players are going to target strong personalities and wait for a reaction. Everybody wants to win a game and if you can get rid of the other team’s top goalscorer it’s a big help.”

Hot-headed reputation will cause problems – time to cash in?

While Novo is not directly suggesting that the Kilmarnock man’s premeditated attempt to rattle Morelos is part of a wider problem, there is no doubt that every defender in the division will be inclined to rile him up.

Does Steven Gerrard want Rangers to be defined by recurring stories over Morelos and his ability to keep a cool head? The damage has already been done to his reputation and defenders will actively look to exploit his weak spot in any way possible, as Novo has alluded to.

Interest from across Europe is likely to emerge in the summer months and Gerrard will be faced with a huge dilemma if and when it comes around, with the Rangers chief likely to be torn over the 22-year-old’s future.

An acute awareness of how his star striker will be targeted by SPFL defenders may well force him to cash in if a substantial offer arrives.

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The circus that has unravelled since Darren Moore’s sacking at West Brom has left fans of the club on Twitter bemused as some supporters now see the only viable managerial option as James Shan, the current caretaker boss.

Shan has guided the club to two wins from his two games in charge, leaving certain individuals under the impression that with seemingly no plan in place, he would be the best bet until the end of the season.

This comes after an update from the Express & Star’s Matt Wilson suggested that Preston wanted to keep hold of Baggies target Alex Neil.

West Brom are fighting for promotion and sit in 4th place in the Championship. But despite their good league position, the Hawthorns faithful have been left angry over a lack of developments in their search for a new permanent manager.

The recent news led to one supporter claiming the list of targets wasn’t very exciting, arguing that because things hadn’t been sorted, it now looked likely Shan would keep the job.

Some reaction has seen supporters urge for the 40-year-old to be kept until the end of the season. That’s before appointing someone like Slavisa Jokanovic when the club will have a better idea of what division they’ll be in.

Was Darren Moore’s sacking unfair? The Pl>ymaker FC squad name which Championship bosses should have gone instead in the video below…

A specific individual claimed the club should bring back Gary Megson to link up with Shan whilst another hoped no one would come into work alongside him, citing the poor relationship the club had with Graeme Jones, assistant manager to Moore.

Here’s what was said about Shan and the current situation after Wilson’s update hit Twitter…

Newcastle United fans would’ve feared for the worst on Saturday afternoon when they didn’t see their captain Jamaal Lascelles return for the beginning of the second-half, while their team was 2-0 down at the time against Everton.

But, Paul Dummett replaced Lascelles for the remainder of the match and the Magpies went on to delivered a spirited second-half performance to win the match 3-2 at St James’s Park.

The introduction of Dummett certainly paid off for manager Rafa Benitez as his team managed to keep the Toffees out for the second-half, setting the platform for Newcastle to launch attack after attack.

The 45-minute stint was the most action the defender has had since returning from injury and it should’ve been encouraging for the manager to see him deliver such a solid and composed performance.

Benitez opted for a back-three formation to start the game but when Lascelles had to be replaced it appeared the team went back to a back-four with Dummett operating at right-back.

The 27-year-old Dummett proved to the manager that he still capable of pulling his weight in the team and could be a solid option to consider for the remainder of the season.

Newcastle have shown great resilience and determination in recent matches, which has changed their season around.

Benitez, however, would want that trend to continue as the season draws the close, which could see him call on Dummett at critical times.

The fact that he stayed calm under pressure when his team was failing to keep their defence tight ultimately swung the game in favour of the hosts.

If Lascelles is set to miss a few matches due to the knee injury he suffered on Saturday then Dummett would be a reasonable replacement for him under the circumstances.

It might force Benitez to change his tactics and formation a bit but it would certainly not put the team in a bad position after the performance he had against Marco Silva’s charges.

Newcastle fans, how important has Paul Dummett become? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Rumours have emerged that Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley may be about to loosen the purse strings in a bid to get Rafa Benitez to stay on at the club.

With Premier League survival looking more assured every week, attentions have already started to turn to next season, and more particularly, Rafa’s contract situation.

It is thought that Ashley is so desperate to get him to commit his future to the club, that he is willing to break from tradition, and allow the Spanish maestro to bring in a marquee signing this summer.

The report in the Newcastle Chronicle, confirms it would be reliant on him signing a contract extension, and there is no way that Rafa would do so without written guarantees of the club’s future direction.

The fact that the hierarchy realise the necessity of keeping Benitez should be seen as a good sign. But Newcastle fans are dubious about any promises the club’s distrusted owner makes, and until photos appear of the ink drying on a signed contract, any such claims will be met with the usual scepticism.

We, at Transfer Tavern, don’t think that one big name signing is what Rafa is looking for. We think he would be far more likely to sign on the dotted line if his requests to revamp the academy, give him full say on incoming players and a guaranteed budget for each window, where he can buy as many or as few players with the money as he likes.

A big-name signing would be fantastic, but you can’t transform a squad with one great player and little else, whereas building a decent squad by trusting Rafa’s judgement could make all the difference.

Yes, he has made a couple of questionable signings in the past, with Grant Hanley, Achraf Lazaar coming to mind, and it’s looking like Antonio Barreca may well be added to that list, but more often than not, he gets it right.

And at the end of the day, if all his conditions and demands are met, Mike Ashley cannot lose. He’ll either have a team that may be capable of breaking into the top eight, or if it all goes wrong, then neither Rafa nor the fans will be able to lay the blame at his door.

What do you think it would take to get Rafa to stay? Would a marquee signing be what you would want? Do you believe anything that Ashley says? Join in the debate below…