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Glasgow Rangers could be set to sack manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst in the coming days, according to reports over the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Calls for the sack

The Premiership giants have lost ground in the title race in recent weeks, falling nine points off the pace, and there has recently been calls from some fans for the 47-year-old to be dismissed following a dismal run of form for the Light Blues.

The Dutchman insisted during his post-match interview on Saturday following the 1-1 draw at St Mirren that he didn’t feel under any pressure despite a noticeable dip in form, although the Ibrox hierarchy appear to have a different view.

The Latest: Rangers set for big decision

According to Football Insider on Monday, Rangers are ‘increasingly likely’ to relieve Van Bronckhorst of his duties in the coming days after the board held ‘crisis talks’ regarding his future.

The Ibrox directors have been ‘locked in discussions’ over what to do, and it’s believed that the 47-year-old’s job is ‘hanging by a thread’.

It’s stated that plans are being ‘put in place’ for a new manager to be in the dugout for the first game back after the World Cup break, with QPR’s Michael Beale identified as the number one target.

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The Verdict: Time to go

Van Bronckhorst made an initial impact upon his arrival last year and got the club back into the Champions League group stage, but with pressure from many supporters impossible to ignore, now seems the right time to let him go.

That is all the more case given the mid-season break for the World Cup, as a quickfire change could give his successor a few weeks on the training ground to get his feet under the table.

The Rotterdam native has only won two out of his last seven games in all competitions, and after crashing out of Europe in unenviable record-setting fashion, Rangers’ season is already at risk of petering out to anti-climax.

The Gers are still on course to secure Europa League qualification for 2023/24, but a change at the helm could well be needed if the club want a stronger chance of success next season.

West Ham United have been dealt a big injury setback concerning goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a recent report by Claret & Hugh, who claim that a West Ham source has revealed that, after being brought off at half-time in the 1-0 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday as a result of a knock, the 37-year-old is now a doubt for the visit of Crystal Palace this weekend.

Despite claiming that the Poland international’s setback is not overly serious, the source went on to state: “However, he cannot be considered certain for the game against Palace.”

Big blow for Moyes

While number two goalkeeper Alphonse Areola is by no means a drastic step down between the West Ham sticks, considering the fact that David Moyes clearly prefers to start Fabianski for the Hammers’ Premier League fixtures, the news that the shot-stopper is a doubt for the meeting with Palace on Sunday will undoubtedly have come as a big blow for the 59-year-old.

Indeed, despite the Irons making Areola’s season-long loan a permanent move this summer, Fabianski has started all 13 of West Ham’s top-flight fixtures so far this season.

However, not only has the £65k-per-week stopper been an ever-present in the Hammers’ starting XI this term, but he has also highly impressed, keeping three clean sheets and making an average of 2.8 saves per game, with these returns seeing the veteran ‘keeper average a SofaScore match rating of 6.98 – ranking him as Moyes’ fourth-best performer in the league.

As such, while Fabianski would not likely have started the Europa Conference League dead rubber against FCSB on Thursday night – with Areola starting all five fixtures in the competition so far this season – the claim that the 37-year-old is a doubt for the visit of Palace this weekend will certainly come as a blow to Moyes – who will undoubtedly be hoping his side can return to winning ways against their London rivals after a disappointing defeat last time out.

Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada have joined captain AB de Villiers in expressing reservations about playing a day-night Test because of concerns over the pink ball

Firdose Moonda19-May-2016

Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada have joined captain AB de Villiers in expressing reservations about playing a day-night Test because of concerns over the pink ball. Cricket South Africa rejected Cricket Australia’s offer of a day-night Test later this year because the South African players did not want to have a match of high stakes played in unfamiliar conditions. Philander and Rabada admitted they want more opportunities for practice matches and domestic day-night games before going into a pink-ball Test.”If you are going there, you need to have experimented on the domestic front. We haven’t done that so it would be a total blind eye going into it. I would like to have experimented before you actually go and do it,” Philander said at a sponsor announcement on Wednesday.When asked how many games he thought teams would need to get used to the pink ball, Philander was unsure but he did not think one practice game, which was what Australia offered South Africa on their visit later this year, would be enough.”You have to try and test the pink ball properly,” Philander said. “We are all professional players and I think sometimes people think we are quick to adapt to everything. As far as the pink ball is concerned, you are going to need a few games to get used to it.”Like de Villiers, both Philander and Rabada cited the uneven contest between bat and ball as the key reason for their hesitation to play a day-night Test. “There are a lot of rumours of the ball being okay during the day and then at night being a bit difficult for batters,” Philander said. Rabada echoed those thoughts: “From what I hear, it’s not a fair contest between bat and ball and that should be Test cricket.”But Rabada also took a view similar to Dale Steyn, and said that he would like to play a day-night Test at some point in his career. “I haven’t given it much thought but I wouldn’t mind playing in it. I’ve heard good things and I’ve heard bad things,” Rabada said. “Perhaps they need to look into it more and perhaps make it a bit more fair. The positive is that it brings crowds in. They need to find a way to balance the two, so that it’s good for cricket and good for publicising the sport. You need to find a way to come to a fair conclusion where both parties are happy.”Steyn had told that he did not want to go through his “whole career without playing a day-night game” and wanted to test his skills with something different. He later clarified on Twitter that although he wanted to play a pink-ball Test in future, he did not want it to be the Adelaide match on South Africa’s tour to Australia later this year.

Newcastle United were not one for spending much money whilst under the regime of Mike Ashley, with just a £9.3m net spend for every year of his tenure at St. James’ Park.

During the 2018/19 campaign, he appeared to take a step towards slightly increased spending, before allowing a whopping £65.61m to be spent the summer following.

This significant expenditure arguably started when they broke their club transfer record to sign Miguel Almiron from Atlanta United of the MLS.

Signed in January for £21m, the previous season had seen the Paraguayan scored 12 and assisted 13 in just 32 league games.

They expected a skilful winger who could finish or create, however since moving to the Premier League he has never really recaptured that form.

In 131 appearances for the Magpies, he has only 17 goals and registered five assists, a combined total of less than his output during that one final season for his former club. Two of those goals came in the drubbing of Fulham on Saturday, including a potential goal of the season contender.

However, sadly the fact is that the Paraguayan hasn’t shown that sort of quality on a regular basis and if Newcastle want to be challenging for the European spots, they need someone with the magic Almiron demonstrated this weekend but on a more regular basis.

There are signs that the diminutive 28-year-old is finally starting to show his true colours but he has simply cost too much already to really deem this transfer a solid piece of business. He has been taking up a wage of around £42k-per-week, meaning he has cost the club £34m in salary and transfer fees during his 191-week stay in the north east.

Indeed, for every goal contribution that Almiron has delivered, Newcastle have essentially paid £1.5m.

With Rafa Benitez the man who brought him in, and Steve Bruce having continued to play him, now Eddie Howe is inundated with money, he must ditch this hard-working but ultimately “headless” – in the words of  Steve Wraith – winger.

His poor form has also seen his value plummet, as he is now rated at just €15m (£13m) by CIES Football Observatory.

Under the previous managers, one could understand how one of the club’s most expensive purchases might have to feature as much as possible. Also, with the lack of money given, supporters were resigned to the fact that nobody of quality would be brought in to replace him.

However, under the new ownership, a cut-throat attitude must be undertaken to achieve the lofty ambitions they will surely have and as a result, it will be a surprise if Almiron features in their plans for too much longer.

Leeds United could be interested in a move for Hwang Hee-chan before the summer transfer window deadline next week…

What’s the word?

The South Korean attacker has been linked with a switch to Elland Road in recent weeks and The Athletic’s Phil Hay believes he’d be a player that manager Jesse Marsch would love to sign.

“I think Marsch would have him, I think he would, but what Wolves would actually be willing to do with him is another question altogether,” he told his podcast, ‘The Phil Hay Show.’

“I think for example, if Wolves said we’ll ping him out on loan with an obligation, it’s probably exactly the sort of player where Marsch would say, yeah that could work for us, that could be quite good.”

Shades of Heung-min Son

The Yorkshire giants have started the new Premier League campaign on fire but they still have a desperate need for a new frontman to compete with Patrick Bamford, whose injury problems have continued to rumble on.

Marsch was once again without his leading talisman as he witnessed his Whites side stun Chelsea 3-0 last weekend and they did so without a recognised striker in the starting lineup.

Hwang has had a mixed spell in England, ever since his £13m move from RB Leipzig last summer, initially joining Molineux on loan.

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He has managed only five goals and two assists across 35 appearances, though only 24 have been starts, as per Transfermarkt. However, a reunion with his former Salzburg boss, for whom he provided 16 goals and 24 assists in 43 appearances, could be what he needs to get his career going again.

In the past, the 26-year-old has been likened to his fellow countryman, Heung-min Son, in terms of style due to his “brutal dynamism,” so perhaps Leeds could get their very own Son in Hwang.

Both are capable of playing out wide and cutting in, as well as playing through the middle and given Marsch’s past history with the player, it’s surely a no-brainer for the club.

“He can play in any attacking position, on the wings or as a main man in the middle. He makes our attack more flexible with his speed and mobility,” once claimed Leipzig sporting director Markus Krösche.

Also lauded as “exciting, exciting talent” by journalist Nathan Judah, perhaps a reunion at Elland Road is the best solution for both parties.

A fresh start under a familiar manager that has gotten the best out of him before, at a club that is in dire need of attacking reinforcements. It just makes perfect sense.

AND in other news, Leeds could seal “great signing” in £21m dynamo, he’d “definitely be an upgrade on Junior Firpo”…

Tottenham Hotspur are showing a ‘shock interest’ in Leeds United winger Dan James, according to Alan Nixon.

The Lowdown: James at Leeds

Hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by Peter Schmeichel, the forward finally made the move to Elland Road 12 months ago after almost joining the club in 2019.

The Whites paid Manchester United £25m for the Wales international, who has gone on to make 37 appearances under both Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch in Yorkshire.

The 24-year-old has contributed to 2026, but it looks as if a late exit could be on the cards.

The Latest: Nixon’s claim

Nixon took to Twitter on Monday, saying that Spurs are showing ‘shock interest’ in James.

The reliable journalist then responded to a Leeds fan who asked if the Whites would be open to selling the forward, saying that it would depend on the size of the offer and whether or not the club have a player coming in to improve the squad.

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The Verdict: Sell?

James has been used more as a four times for Leeds.

He has struggled to nail down a specific role and was selected to provide cover to Patrick Bamford in the second half of the previous campaign.

Therefore, cashing in on the Wales forward before the end of the transfer window could be a smart idea, so long as the price is right and a replacement is brought in.

Watford’s Ismaila Sarr has been heavily linked with Leeds in recent days, so perhaps Victor Orta could be open to pursuing the Senegal international should Spurs come forward with a formal offer for James.

.Liverpool hosted their first Premier League game of the season at Anfield last night against Crystal Palace and the clash certainly didn’t disappoint in terms of twists and turns throughout the game.

The Reds picked up their second draw of the season so far, with just two points tallied up on the league table now in 12th position ahead of one of their most highly anticipated fixtures of the campaign against Manchester United at Old Trafford next Monday.

Jurgen Klopp selected a number of surprises, confirming further knocks and fitness issues to the team, as Nat Phillips started in a centre-back partnership with Virgil van Dijk while Darwin Nunez made his Anfield debut in a red shirt.

Despite having 73% possession, Liverpool only had four shots on target with 24 shots in total and that statistic translated onto the pitch with the side unable to take all three points from the game.

The game was not without controversy as Darwin Nunez saw red after delivering a head butt to Joachim Andersen in front of referee Paul Tierney who gave the 22-year-old striker his marching orders immediately. That put Liverpool down to 10 men in the 57th minute when the side were still trying to find the equaliser to match Crystal Palace.

Luckily, Luis Diaz came to the rescue just four minutes later with a stunning strike that finally found the back of the net, putting his team back into the game, but it wasn’t just the Columbian who was a stand-out in a tight game for the Merseysiders on Monday evening.

Harvey Elliott was the midfielder of choice to start in the team following Thiago Alcantara’s injury alongside Fabinho and James Milner on the right side of the three. A surprise pick, he became Klopp’s unsung hero proving he could really be the solution to Liverpool’s midfield concerns over the coming fixtures.

The young talent was hailed a “class act” by sport journalist Joseph McBride, for his performance last night and it’s not hard to see why as Elliott was integral in holding together the midfield over the course of the game.

The 19-year-old took 74 touches of the ball but only lost possession seven times. He also made two key passes, five tackles, two interceptions and completed 100% of his dribble attempts. A 90% pass completion rate over his 79-minute performance also proved just how effective he can be in both attacking and defensive play.

The Liverpool Echo were complimentary of his showing too, with reporter Ian Doyle handing him an 8/10 in his player ratings, saying: “Great energy in chasing down and blocking passes and a real danger when in possession himself. Very encouraging but tired a bit in final quarter.”

As a result of this encouraging performance from the youngster, it wouldn’t be surprising if he is seen again in the starting line-up at Old Trafford next week as Klopp attempts to navigate his team in the right direction in their upcoming fixtures to secure Liverpool their first win of the season.

With that being said, the transfer window remains open for Klopp and the powers at Anfield to take advantage of. They now need to decide whether they want to add a new midfielder or stick by their rising star.

Manchester United cannot afford to ‘hang around’ if they want to sign Ibrahim Sangare from PSV Eindhoven, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

United have already strengthened their midfield this summer with the signing of Christian Eriksen, but Sangare is different in profile, typically operating as a no. 6 rather than a central or attacking midfielder.

Gary Neville has previously urged the Red Devils to sign a ‘world-class holding midfield player’, and they still haven’t addressed that area.

Ten Hag, of course, would have seen Sangare up close during his time in the Eredivisie as Ajax manager.

The 24-year-old is ostensibly committed to the club until June 2025, having signed from Toulouse in 2020.

The latest

Speaking to GMS, Jones said that United have ‘definitely’ considered making an approach for Sangare.

But he warned that he could soon be out of reach, with PSV looking to commit him to a new contract.

“PSV want him to sign a new deal, so I don’t think United can really hang around on this one, but he is definitely someone they’ve had on the radar, but I’m wondering what their intent really is given they haven’t made any moves yet,” he said.

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The verdict

If you were to pick out one match above all that drove Ten Hag’s interest in Sangare, then it would surely be the Dutch Cup Final.

PSV beat Ten Hag’s Ajax 2-1 on the day, with Sangare producing a man of the match display (according to both SofaScore and Breaking The Lines).

He provided an assist for midfield partner Erick Gutierrez, and also completed all three of his dribbles and notched seven tackles/interceptions combined. The Athletic’s Carl Anka, who covers United, said the Ivorian had had a ‘great game’ in the showpiece.

We will soon see if it was enough to persuade Ten Hag to shell out £34million.

The Rangers Review journalist Jonny McFarlane has revealed a big transfer twist on Glasgow Rangers’ reported interest in Israeli starlet Oscar Gloukh.

The Lowdown: Scouts sent

Speaking on the Heart & Hand podcast’s The Transfer Show (via Rangers News), podcaster and Gers supporter Andy Barnett, who is based in Israel, claimed that scouts from the club were ‘looking’ at Gloukh play for Israel’s U19s in their 4-2 win over Austria a couple of weeks ago.

Gloukh also played in the UEFA Euro U19 final for Israel against England on Friday night, and scored a brilliant opening goal.

He plays his club football at Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he scored three goals in ten games over all competitions last season (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: ‘Non-starter’

Taking to Twitter, McFarlane has now revealed that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team have ‘no interest whatsoever’ in brining Gloukh to Ibrox this summer.

He added: “I’m told of the thousands of potential targets Rangers have in their scouting database, the player hasn’t been considered. It’s a complete non-starter. Next!”

The Verdict: Shame

It would be a shame for the Light Blues to miss out on such an upcoming talent in Gloukh.

Respected outlet ESPN (via The Daily Record) claim that he is ‘technically brilliant’ and a ‘brilliant dribbler’ with an ‘exquisite touch’, even going as far as to say that he is ‘unplayable’ at times.

Journalist and podcaster Sam Tighe gets a ‘whiff of Ozil’ about his creative style, likening the 18-year-old to the 2014 FIFA World Cup winner and former German Player of the Year (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, it seems as if the Teddy Bears in fact do not hold an interest in Gloukh, although that is not to say that they could not come in for him later in the window.

Manchester City have reportedly agreed terms with Brighton & Hove Albion left-back Marc Cucurella over a potential move to the Etihad Stadium.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Football Insider, the Citizens have agreed personal terms with the player and are in “advanced talks to finalise a fee with Brighton.”

The report also adds that the left-back “has accepted City’s contract offer and made it clear to the Seagulls he wants to quit for the champions.”

Back in May, it was reported that the Manchester club were linked with a £30m move for the full-back.

Having spent the majority of his career in Spain and had time in Barcelona’s youth ranks, the full-back made his move to Brighton during the previous summer transfer window in a deal worth £15.4m.

His debut season in England turned out to be a rather successful one for the player and Brighton as he ended up playing more minutes than any other outfield player at the south coast club.

In his 35 league appearances, the Spaniard won more tackles (62) and made more successful pressures (201) than any other Brighton player as well as making more blocks (72) and interceptions (72).

He also delivered more crosses (94) than any other player in Graham Potter’s squad throughout the campaign.

Guardiola will be buzzing

Despite only scoring one goal in the league, many City fans will be pleased that this goal came against Manchester United in Brighton’s 4-0 win over the Red Devils.

Labelled as a “refreshing” player by former Seagulls defender Dan Burn, Cucurella would surely be a solid addition to City’s ranks given how capable he proved himself to be with and without the ball in the Premier League last season.

Also, with the Barcelona connection, seeing the Brighton star make his way to the Etihad Stadium will surely leave Pep Guardiola buzzing given his knowledge of the Spanish club and their youth ranks.

Moving forward, with his Premier League credentials confirmed and an apparent eagerness to join the club, perhaps the left-back could be the next player in line to follow the likes of Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland to the Etihad and join City’s ranks.

AND in other news: Man City can land their own Alexander-Arnold as Pep eyes move for £18m-rated “engine”