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Former striker Dean Windass believes Steven Gerrard’s future at Rangers could depend on what silverware the Gers win this season.

The Light Blues currently find themselves at the top of the Premiership table and are 16 points ahead of Neil Lennon’s men. They have already won an Old Firm derby this season and the next one takes place in early January.

Gerrard’s men have also made it to the first knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League, having beaten Lech Poznan and Standard Liege and holding Benfica to a draw on two occasions (as per Transfermarkt).

What did Windass have to say about Gerrard?

While speaking exclusively in an interview with The Transfer Tavern, Windass said: “Steven’s done unbelievable, and he’s got to win something this year.

“There’s talk of him leaving, talk of him going back to England, I think that’ll be his main goal, so if he does win the league for Rangers, is that his time done?

“He got to win a cup this year, he’s got to win the league, he’s got to stop Celtic getting ten in a row.”

Former Rangers chairman Dave King has also previously said that Gerrard’s Rangers exit is ‘inevitable’ at some point in the future. King had also made it clear that there will be multiple suitors for the Englishman, whenever he looks to depart Ibrox (as per Goal.com).

Winning the title should be a priority for Gerrard

Because of Rangers’ 16-point lead over the Hoops, they are undoubtedly considered the current favourites to win the title and doing that will deny Celtic the chance to win their tenth title in a row. It would be Rangers’ first league title win since 2010/11 and it could really elevate Gerrard’s status in the managerial market.

Having said that, slipping up from this position might end up harming Gerrard’s reputation especially since the Gers had slipped up in the second half of last season, allowing the Hoops clinch the title – albeit not from quite such a dominant position.

So, this season could prove to be vital for Gerrard’s managerial career and if he gets it right, it could help both his reputation and Rangers.

In other news, one journalist believes Gerrard no longer trusts one Gers star.

Sheffield Wednesday put difficult circumstance behind them to advance into the next round of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon.

The Owls, who are staring down the barrel of a relegation battle in the Championship, were already managerless and now had to play without their caretaker boss Neil Thompson after he and his assistants tested positive for the virus.

In his absence, they saw off League Two side Exeter City with relative ease, winning 2-0 down in Devon.

Wednesday utility duo Adam Reach and Calum Paterson both got on the scoresheet, either side of half-time, though it was another versatile star who received the plaudits in Liam Shaw, who expertly deputised at centre-back.

The 19-year-old received the highest rating on SofaScore and was given the Man of the Match by YorkshireLive’s Dom Howson.

However, it was Owls skipper Barry Bannan who arguably stole the show on their travels. He enjoyed more touches (90) than any other player on the pitch and considerably more than any other visiting player.

The Scottish veteran is often the heartbeat of the team, the ticking metronome, and that proved to be true once again as he made 58 passes, eight of which were long balls and two of which were key chances, via SofaScore.

Howson was pleased with his outing too, dubbing him a ‘magician’ after providing the assist for their opener.

Indeed, this is something often attributed to the 31-year-old genius – following Wednesday’s encounter in Manchester City in this very competition last season, Pep Guardiola lauded Bannan, calling him “incredible” and “fantastic,” according to the Daily Record.

With the midfield orchestrator out of contract at the end of the season, whoever the next manager is will have to quickly act to secure the £24k-per-week monster down to a longer deal.

His form will undoubtedly be key to whether or not they beat the drop in the Championship.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit drops hint over vacant Sheffield Wednesday job

They may have left it late, but West Ham got the job done on Friday night as they beat Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park.

The Hammers didn’t look at their best all night, but Tomas Soucek – who else? – was in the right place at the right time to fire home from close range and give David Moyes’ side all three points in a hard-fought encounter on Merseyside.

But whilst the West Ham boss will rightly be pleased with the result, one man who he will be extremely disappointed with, is Said Benrahma.

The summer signing from Brentford has yet to start firing at the London Stadium, although that’s largely down to the fact he just hasn’t played enough – in fact, Friday’s clash against Everton was the first time he had completed the full 90 minutes in the Premier League this season.

He hasn’t scored a single goal in the top-flight for his new club, and that run didn’t look like ending against the Toffees.

As per Sofascore, he lost 12 duels over the course of the game, by far the most of any West Ham player. He also lost possession 19 times (another team-high), and that led to The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg to slam that he “needs to toughen up” and that he gets “knocked off the ball too easily”.

Cameo Clubs: Which obscure teams did these football legends play for?

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When he did have the ball, he hardly created anything. He completed just one of his four attempted dribbles, had no shots on goal whatsoever, provided no accurate crosses, and delivered just one key pass.

Moyes may have played him in a number ten role instead of out wide, but the Hammers boss will rightly feel the Algeria international should have delivered a lot more than he actually did.

Here was his big chance to impress, and he completely blew it.

Spurs are once again being linked with a move for Christian Eriksen and the Danish international could add something different to Jose Mourinho’s midfield.

What’s the word?

Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Jose Mourinho would like to have the Danish international back at Spurs, although his wage demands are currently proving to be an issue.

Whilst there are no advanced talks between Spurs and Inter yet, Romano claims that the 28-year-old would love to return to the Premier League, so perhaps we will see him back at the North London club in the not too distant future.

Imagine him and Hojbjerg

Spurs have dropped a lot of points from winning positions in recent fixtures and adding the creative influence of Eriksen in their midfield could allow them to kill games off.

The attacking-midfielder could also form a strong connection with international teammate Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in Mourinho’s side, as the former Southampton man can do the dirty work in midfield, allowing Eriksen more freedom to find space and play through balls to the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son.

During his last spell with the Lilywhites, Eriksen would contribute an impressive 69 goals and 89 assists in 305 appearances, so whilst his time with Inter hasn’t exactly gone to plan, it is hard to argue that he wouldn’t add a creative spark in this Spurs side.

In his career thus far, the Dane has managed an impressive 157 club assists in all competitions, whereas the majority of Spurs assists this season have come from either Kane or Son, with Hojbjerg, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso all tied on one assist in the Premier League, suggesting that they are definitely lacking the quality final ball in midfield.

With Mourinho’s wingers also struggling for form so far this season, with Steven Bergwijn, Lucas Moura, Gareth Bale and Erik Lamela having all disappointed with their performances, the arrival of Eriksen could allow the Portuguese manager to switch to a diamond midfield, with the former Ajax man at the tip behind Kane and Son up front.

It is clear that Mourinho would love to have him back and although his performances in his last season with Spurs weren’t the best, if he can rediscover the sort of form he showed under Mauricio Pochettino, it would surely be worthwhile for Daniel Levy to pay the wages necessary to bring him back to the North London club.

West Brom are quickly running out of time to bolster their squad in a desperate attempt to save their season.

Indeed, the Baggies find themselves second from bottom, some six points from safety at the half-way stage of this current campaign and with one available striker, no senior holding midfielder and the Premier League’s leakiest defence, Sam Allardyce needs additions – fast.

The 66-year-old, who took over from Slaven Bilic in mid-December, claimed that Albion would make “250 enquiries” before hopefully signing “three or four good players,” as per the BBC.

Although a lack of finances could curtail any major moves – the Telegraph’s John Percy revealed any deals in excess of £2m are improbable.

Less than ten days are remaining before the transfer deadline on February 1st.

We’ve taken a look at how West Brom could lineup should Big Sam secure some of his reported targets, here’s our predicted XI post-window…

The Baggies are in a tight spot over domestic loan deals, as Chelsea starlet Conor Gallagher is here for the season, the Midlands outfit can only sign one more homegrown player temporarily.

With that in mind, the best decision would be to focus that on a new centre-back. Let’s face it, it’s their biggest need right now. Albion have conceded a whopping nine more goals than any other team in the top-flight.

Some of Big Sam’s former players such as Mamadou Sakho and James Tomkins emerged as contenders early in the window, but instead, a swoop for Phil Jones, who he unearthed at Blackburn Rovers makes the most sense.

The 28-year-old is yet to feature for Manchester United this season and according to the Daily Star could be free to leave on loan this window with the Old Trafford side contributing a sizeable amount to his £120k-per-week wages – that’s got to be a win-win for Albion, who are said to be interested.

As someone who has won the Premier League, FA Cup and the Europa League, his experience could be vital in any relegation battle.

It means, when fit, Allardyce’s backline could be Sam Johnstone in goal, a central defensive pairing of Kyle Bartley and Jones, with Conor Townsend on the left and Darnell Furlong on the right.

One defensive midfielder linked with a move to the Hawthorns has been versatile Celta Vigo enforcer Okay Yokuslu. The Daily Mail claim the Midlands side have already opened negotiations for the Turkey international.

He’d be an ideal replacement for Romaine Sawyers in that Baggies midfield as he’s an actual holding option.

Sawyers was a favourite of Bilic’s having started 42 of their 46 league games last term, only missing three of those four absences through suspension. However, he’s failed to live up to the standard of the top-flight – managing a WhoScored rating of just 6.21, the second-worst in the squad.

It means Yokuslu could come in with Gallagher and club captain Jake Livermore slightly ahead in the engine room, whilst on the wings, both Matheus Pereira and Grady Diangana get the nod.

Finally, Big Sam clinches that striker he’s longing for. Galatasaray frontman Mbaye Diagne seems most likely given the Lions’ entering negotiations for a replacement.

While Turkish football journalist Ali Naci Kucuk claims a loan move would only cost an €800k (£715k) fee, which is in line with what Percy revealed earlier this month.

As summer signing Karlan Grant is on the treatment table with a broken foot, he completes the starting XI, in time for that crunch-match with rock-bottom Sheffield United on February 2nd.

AND in other news, West Brom man once dubbed “fearless” on verge of becoming the next Berahino…

Liverpool will hope to rectify the mistakes made during their shock 1-0 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this week when they welcome Manchester City to Anfield.

Despite having both Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino up front, the Reds struggled to make an impact in the final third in that game.

Ahead of the big game later today, Jurgen Klopp stated that Sadio Mane and Fabinho had returned to “parts of team training”(Liverpool FC). However, the boss won’t want to rush the Senegalese winger back and since signing Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies, he can afford to give Fabinho more time to recover if he wishes.

Alisson, who missed the last match due to illness, is “feeling much better” and looks like he will be back in action to face City this afternoon.

With all of that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast have predicted The Reds to line up at Anfield…

With the Brazilian shot-stopper back in the side, Liverpool will feel more confident that they can keep out City’s blistering attack. Similarly, January loan signing Kabak could make his debut in red and partner Nat Phillips at centre-back. This will give Jordan Henderson the green light to return to his natural position in midfield.

The skipper will likely operate as a No.6 to keep the back-line protected and contribute to the team’s efforts of thwarting in-form Gabriel Jesus.

In midfield, Klopp has several options he could select, with one being the lesser-seen Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Whilst the former Gunner has been hit-and-miss with his fitness lately, he has already shown that he is the man for a big occasion. His wonder-strike against City in the Champions League back in 2018 is a prime example of what the Ox has in his locker.

Pep Guardiola’s defence has been watertight this season. City have conceded just the two goals in their last ten matches and are currently on a 20-game unbeaten streak, according to Sofascore.

Chamberlain’s ability to pull the trigger from outside the box may be the only option Liverpool have if they want to get the better of this City defence. As such, he will likely play alongside Thiago, meaning Gini Wijnaldum will drop to the bench.

Despite scoring against West Ham, the £90,000 per week midfield man struggled against Brighton and was replaced by Chamberlain just after the hour mark. The 26-year-old could be a vital asset to Liverpool’s side this evening as they vie to make amends for their second consecutive Anfield loss.

In other news, How Liverpool could lineup if they managed to sign Kylian Mbappe…

After signing from Stade Rennes in the summer, it’s fair to say Raphinha has been one of the signings of the season for Leeds United.The £16.2m-rated Brazilian has bagged four goals and provided a further four assists in just 17 Premier League games for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, and has been an exciting addition on the right-hand side.And, on Monday night against Crystal Palace in the Premier League, Raphinha delivered yet another impressive display, filled with a number of eye-catching moments, not least completely making a fool out of former England international Gary Cahill.

He had four total shots on goal, which was only behind Patrick Bamford’s tally of five, and a real pointer to just how willing he is to take responsibility for the Whites.

He was one of only two players to create an official big chance, and always looked to take his man on either with a bit of trickery or a real change of pace.

And after the game, Hay delivered his verdict on the Whites’ summer signing, declaring that the Brazilian’s consistency has been one of the most impressive features of his performances in the Premier League this season.

Raphinha’s performances even led to Bamford raving about him after the game, saying on Sky Sports: “I think, to be honest, he has been a steal for Leeds. I am surprised. As soon as he came in, you saw him in training, you know sometimes with players whether they are good or they are top class, and he really was. He stood out straightaway.

“I am surprised that bigger teams, more established Premier League teams I should say, haven’t taken a punt on him because he really is someone special, and he is young.”

And it’s perhaps that realisation that they might have missed out on something “special”, that reports in recent days have suggested reigning Premier League champions Liverpool have got their eye on Raphinha, and that their scouts have been blown away by him this season.

It’s been quite the debut campaign for the former Rennes man, and he’s been a real game-changer for Bielsa’s side in their first campaign back in the top-flight.

He ranks third for goals, and second for his assists among his teammates, and his willingness to take players on and try and make things happen for his side are reflected by the fact he averages the most amount of dribbles of any Leeds player with 1.5 per game.

Raphinha’s added a real X-factor to the way Leeds play, an unpredictability that embarrassed Cahill on Monday night, and has been tormenting opposition defences all season.

He’s been an absolute revelation for Bielsa.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has delivered an injury update on Kalvin Phillips…

According to reports, Leeds United have got their eye on Juventus star Douglas Costa as a potential replacement for Raphinha.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that Raphinha is attracting admiring glances from reigning Premier League champions Liverpool, and that appears to have set things in motion behind the scenes at Elland Road.

According to Fichajes, Marcelo Bielsa has already identified his ideal replacement for the Brazilian, in Juventus’ Costa, who is currently out on loan at Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich this season.

The report adds that the 30-year-old “meets all the requirements for Bielsa” in terms of his style of play, and that Costa himself would be “delighted” to embark on a new challenge in English football.

Perfect for Bielsa

While he might be getting on a bit now, there’s no questioning that Costa remains a very dangerous player, and someone who boasts very similar characteristics to Raphinha, which is exactly why he would be perfect for Bielsa.

Both Brazilians are left-footed and play off the right flank to cut in onto their strong foot, and are really prolific dribblers. Last season, Costa averaged 1.9 dribbles per game in Serie A, whilst Raphinha has averaged slightly less this campaign in the Premier League with 1.5.

As much as they are about beating a man with a piece of skill and trickery, the duo also have the composure to really pick a teammate out, with Costa averaging 1.3 key passes last year, and Raphinha managing 1.6 this time around.

Costa’s former manager at Juventus, Massimiliano Allegri, hailed him as a “player who breaks matches often” ie. a game-changer. And then, the Italian’s successor at the Bianconeri, Maurizio Sarri, echoed those sentiments by saying “he is able to shift the balance of the games”.

The £190k-a-week earning Costa has been playing Champions League football year-in and year-out with the likes of Juventus and Bayern Munich, and is a serial winner, picking up league titles and domestic cups at an astonishing rate – he’s won eight trophies in the past five years alone.

Costa’s directness and eye for goal makes him a dangerous threat, and it’s no wonder Bielsa’s got his sights set on the Brazilian. He seems tailor made for the Leeds boss, and has got all the tools in his locker to really fit in seamlessly at Elland Road.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has delivered an update on this Leeds United star…

Divisive defender Matt Doherty answered his harshest Tottenham Hotspur critics with an impressive performance on Wednesday evening.

Spurs advanced into the final 16 of the Europa League with another resounding victory over Austrian minnows Wolfsberger AC, the second-leg result of 4-0 took the aggregate score to a whopping 8-1 win.

In the lead up to the encounter, reports had surfaced via ESPN that claimed the 29-year-old Irishman was facing a dubious future in north London as Jose Mourinho remained unconvinced about his ability to deliver in a Spurs shirt.

It’s thought that the Portuguese is mulling up whether or not to put the £15m summer signing on the transfer list come the end of the campaign, but after performances like that, he may want to think twice.

In response to the emerging news, much of the Hotspur faithful were quick to slam Doherty. As seen via This is Futbol, many urged the club to get rid – for example, one supporter dubbed him “awful” whilst another questioned whether he was actually a footballer.

Considering the vast change in system from Nuno Santo’s back-five set-up at Molineux, it was always going to be hard for the £18m-rated defender to simply slot right in with Mourinho usually deploying a flat back-four.

And in the win over Wolfsberger, Doherty rose to the challenge of proving so many wrong.

As per SofaScore, the 15-cap international graded as Spurs’ best defender across that backline – earning a 7.6 rating – which ranked him fourth of all home starters overall.

Dele Alli will quite rightly take most of the plaudits, having recorded two assists and a sublime bicycle kick, but Doherty matched him in terms of creativity as the right-back notched a joint-high three key passes.

He also worked hard defensively, both on and off the ball – no Spurs player matched his three tackles, whilst he only lost two of his eight duels (75%), via SofaScore.

The former statistic is way above what he would normally achieve in the Premier League, having averaged 1.6 tackles per game, whilst he also outperformed in terms of creativity as he averages only 0.6 key passes per game, as per WhoScored.

Dan Kilpatrick at the Evening Standard was also impressed with Doherty as he handed him a 7/10 rating – again, the best across the backline – whilst football.london’s Alasdair Gold believed he was the man ‘trying to make things happen’ for Spurs.

All in all, the £60k-per-week dynamo silenced his detractors with an outstanding display. That should be enough to for both Mourinho and some of the fanbase to hold fire over the next few weeks.

AND in other news, Mourinho handed a major double injury boost this week…

Many Crystal Palace fans are reacting to the latest update surrounding the possible transfer of Radu Dragusin, which suggests that the club might have to look elsewhere.

According to DigiSport, via @CPFCtransfersHQ, Dragusin is signing a new contract at Juventus with his agent believing that the defender will be rewarded with a big pay rise.

The 6 ft 3 centre-back is certainly a prospect with plenty of admirers in Turin, but has only played 22 minutes of football this season (WhoScored). However, with him only being 19 years-old, his lack of game-time is understandable, and the mere fact he is involved in the senior squad at such a big club suggests that he could be a serious player in the future.

He has four appearances for the U19 Romanian side (Transfermarkt) and he could be an ideal acquisition for Palace. It might be a risk due to his lack of football this campaign, but the Eagles have some issues at the club, one of these being a very ageing defence. It is starting to show too, as they have conceded the third-most goals in the division.

A revamp is needed at the back, and Dragusin could help start the rebuild, leaving these fans frustrated by the reports of a new deal at Juventus.

Here is how Palace fans reacted to the news:

“Ah bugger!”

Credit: @TheGoverner99

“Was he suppose to turn down Juventus for a club that doesn’t even know who’s gonna be in charge next season”

Credit: @Sumo08112

“What a surprise”

Credit: @cpfc_fpage_se25

“SHOCK……not……”

Credit: @Jonno55ng

“He defo just laughed at parish, probably offered him a Fredo and a free Morley’s”

Credit: @Kevbartleyy

“Must have heard that we’re interested”

Credit: @TheEagleDC

In other news, Palace fans reacted to this update on Eddie Howe!