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Rangers eased through to the Scottish Cup fourth round on Sunday with a comfortable 4-0 win against Cove Rangers but there was a cause of concern for some Rangers fans after Steven Gerrard left Jack Simpson out at Ibrox.

With Filip Helander having featured twice for Sweden during the international break, Sunday’s game seemed the ideal time for Gerrard to hand Simpson his first start for Rangers following his January move.

However, the 40-year-old manager stuck with his tried and tested partnership of Helander and Connor Goldson, leaving Simpson on the bench despite taking a 4-0 lead into half-time.

The 24-year-old centre-back was initially going to join Rangers on a pre-contract deal ahead of next season but was brought to Ibrox ahead of schedule in the winter transfer window.

However, he has made just two substitute appearances totalling 35 minutes since then and after being left out against significantly inferior opposition in Cove Rangers, you worry that Gerrard might have already written him off.

Upon his arrival, Simpson’s former youth coach Tim Davies waxed lyrical about his ability to The Scottish Sun, he said: “He can play in a back three, in a two or as a holding midfielder. Jack is excellent on the ball. He’s also left-footed and so many managers crave that as he offers balance.”

Of course, Simpson was always going to struggle to break into Rangers’ defence this season, when you consider that the Gers have conceded just 10 goals in the top-flight so far this season, with the likes of Goldson, Helander and Leon Balogun all impressing at the back.

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However, with Helander being linked with a move away in recent weeks, whilst Balogun’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, you would have thought that Sunday’s game against Cove Rangers would have presented an ideal opportunity for Gerrard to test Simpson out in his side, and see whether he has what it takes to step up next season.

The Light Blues also have Nikola Katic and George Edmundson to return this summer, with the Croatian edging closer to full fitness after his season-long injury, whilst the Englishman will be hoping to push on at Ibrox after a loan spell at Derby County.

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Therefore, there is already a lot of competition at centre-back in Gerrard’s side and unless Simpson can start to show a lot more training, which you feel is the only reason why he would have been omitted against Cove on Sunday, you worry that his time at Ibrox may well already be cut short.

And, in other news… Wilson should sanction Rangers summer swoop for 20 y/o gem dubbed “one of the most talented”

West Brom seem a certain candidate to drop straight back down to the Championship.

They sit ten points adrift with only nine games left to play, so barring any surprise comeback, the Baggies ought to be preparing for life in the second division.

That now gives sporting and technical director Luke Dowling plenty to think about – is Sam Allardyce the right man to bring them back up?

Given that is something he hasn’t done since winning the playoffs with West Ham in 2012, you’d have to say there must be better candidates out there. And the Midlands side do have a break clause should they get relegated under the 66-year-old.

If that comes sooner rather than later, then it may be best to put him on gardening leave whilst they sort out who should take them forward – very much like the club did with Alan Pardew last time they faced relegation.

One name that has started to crop up is a man familiar to the Hawthorns, Lincoln City boss Michael Appleton.

According to The Athletic’s Steve Madeley, the 45-year-old is an ‘obvious contender.’ He’s a former colleague of Dowling’s and of course managed Albion’s U23 squad prior to his move to Sincil Bank.

And now those calls have been ramped up even more after former Birmingham Mail journalist Chris Lepkowski spoke about his credentials on the recent The Liquidator podcast.

He said: “I’ve always been really impressed by Michael Appleton. He’s a very progressive coach, he doesn’t rest and he’s not a [Tony] Pulis, he has evolved as a manager and introduced different styles,” before adding: “I know he’s worked with Luke Dowling before, quite harmoniously I believe which certainly helps his credentials in that respect. “I would be quite excited to see what he would offer.”

It’s an interesting case to make.

Appleton’s Imps outfit are in contention for promotion from League One this season. They’re currently sat in fourth place behind some big names in Sunderland and Hull City.

Only two other teams have scored more goals this season (53), whilst their defensive record (37 goals conceded) is amongst the top seven too.

WhoScored list Lincoln’s strengths as being very strong at counter attacks as well as being strong at finishing scoring chances, coming back from losing positions and protecting the lead.

This merely reinforces the view that Appleton is indeed quite a progressive coach, and certainly isn’t one like the defensively-minded and outdated Tony Pulis.

What makes him even more intriguing is the fact that he has worked with so many of the players still at the club, as prior to his appointment as U23 manager, he was first-team coach under caretaker Jimmy Shan.

So not only will youngsters like Dara O’Shea, Kyle Edwards and Rekeem Harper benefit from his appointment, but so should the likes of Conor Townsend, Kyle Bartley, Hal Robson-Kanu, Matty Phillips and Jake Livermore, who have all been here for several seasons now.

Appleton, unlike many other potential candidates, will know exactly what it means to be part of West Brom and should be able to connect with the fanbase – something that only really Slaven Bilic has done in the past few seasons.

He may not have the relevant experience at Championship level, but he’s still young and given everything mentioned above, there surely cannot be a more perfect candidate out there.

Dowling should be all over this in the summer.

AND in other news, Sam Allardyce repeating a big Slaven Bilic mistake at West Brom

Paul Robinson says Chris Wilder could harness his ‘very good relationship’ with the Sheffield United players to bring some of them to Celtic if he were appointed manager at Parkhead.

It was confirmed on Saturday that Wilder had left the club, who are bottom of the Premier League and 14 points adrift of safety, by mutual consent.

Wilder had taken them from League One to the top-flight in a little over three years. Last season, he led them to an excellent ninth-place finish.

The 53-year-old is now one of the favourites to take over at Celtic after Bramall Lane sources suggested this weekend that a move could be on the cards.

Wilder tipped to bring ‘clever’ transfer approach to Celtic

Former Premier League ‘keeper Robinson reckons Wilder would be the ‘perfect choice’ and could bring some talented players from South Yorkshire to Glasgow.

“Wilder is someone who can be clever in the market,” he told Football Insider.

“Yes, he did not have a great window in the summer with Rhian Brewster and others and perhaps that was his downfall.

“I think he would be the perfect choice for Celtic though.

“I suspect Wilder has a very good relationship with a lot of the players at Sheffield United. If he did go to Celtic and he wanted to sign some of his former players, I am sure he could.”

Transfer Tavern verdict

Robinson isn’t the only one to gush over Wilder, with Rio Ferdinand claiming the charismatic boss deserves a statue in Sheffield and stating he will have “loads of suitors” (Daily Mail).

He transformed the careers of some of the Blades players in their ascent up the divisions, and so it is not unrealistic to expect that they would answer his call, particularly if Championship football is indeed the alternative.

George Baldock, Chris Basham and David McGoldrick are among those with only a year or so left on their contracts, and so may be the most realistic targets.

In other news, Kevin Phillips says Celtic would be taking a ‘gamble’ if they were to target this coach

While Glasgow Rangers have barely put a foot wrong in their transfer approach, Ross Wilson’s stance on a deal for Jack Wilshere deserves a special mention.

Rangers’ chaotic approach to their transfer strategy was laid bare for all to see on deadline day, as Wilson brought three names through the door in the form of Nnamdi Ofoborh, Jack Simpson and Scott Wright.

Unlike the previous summer, they could be perceived as reactive and opportunistic signings at face value, but as it turns out it seems they are hungry and driven to improve as players and win trophies.

Steven Gerrard seems to have wanted to distance himself from the club’s mistakes in the past, where cash has been wasted on ageing veterans – the least said about Greg Stewart, the better.

That’s why Oforboh, Simpson and Wright were brought to Ibrox to bolster the ranks of their first team and another name who could have joined them was former Arsenal star Jack Wilshere.

In 2020, Ally McCoist claimed the Rangers board were genuinely interested in signing the 29-year-old midfielder after his contract was terminated by West Ham.

The Scottish giants were keeping tabs on Wilshere with the view to a possible free transfer, according to talkSPORT, but it seems Wilson had other ideas.

Ross Wilson made the right call

With the benefit of hindsight, the Rangers sporting director made the correct call on what could have been a costly mistake.

While Wilshere still has the potential to be a top-class talent on his day, he remains a player who has continued to struggle with injuries over the course of his professional career to date.

The 29-year-old even openly admitted “they didn’t want me” in a recent Instagram Q&A on social media.

Rangers have more than enough injury problems of their own to contend with and based on their current midfield options, it’s hard to see where Wilshere would fit in.

A WhoScored match rating of 6.6 would see him rank 20th out of the entire Rangers squad, far below the likes of first-choice midfielders Joe Aribo (7.42), Ryan Jack (7.03), Steven Davis (6.99) and Glen Kamara (6.89).

Since the start of this season, Aribo is one of the most in-form players in the Scottish Premiership with the second-highest average rating out of anyone else in the competition barring James Tavernier.

With all due respect to Wilshere, it seems like Rangers are headed for a different trajectory, and Wilson’s decision to pull the plug has arguably been fully justified by their recent performances.

AND in other news, Astonishing Ianis Hagi stat shows Steven Gerrard doesn’t get enough credit…

Everton travel to West Bromwich Albion on Thursday looking to move inside the top-four of the Premier League standings, for a few hours at least.

The Toffees will move above Liverpool, Chelsea and West Ham United and into the Champions League positions with a win at the Hawthorns, before Jurgen Klopp’s Reds and Thomas Tuchel’s Blues face off at Anfield later tonight.

Everton have played one game fewer than their rivals for a UEFA berth and will hope to put the pressure on their competition, but Carlo Ancelotti faces a wealth of fitness concerns ahead of his side’s midweek contest.

With the Goodison Park natives also in action at Stamford Bridge on Monday, Ancelotti will be expected to rest and rotate his squad. So, with that in mind, here’s a potential line-up that the Italian tactician could name against Sam Allardyce’s Baggies…

Ancelotti has shown a willingness to rotate his goalkeeper options this season and may have sought to afford regular number one Jordan Pickford a break against West Brom, but may be forced to stick with the England international due to concerns over Robin Olsen’s fitness.

The AS Roma loanee is one of several Everton players facing late fitness tests to feature at the Hawthorns, where defender Yerry Mina plus midfielders Fabian Delph and Jean-Philippe Gbamin will be unavailable due to respective calf, tendon and Achilles injuries.

“We are going to check these players in training to see if they will be available or not,” Ancelotti said on Wednesday, regarding Seamus Coleman, James Rodriguez, Tom Davies and Olsen.

“For sure, we will not have Mina, Delph and Gbamin. The other players, we will also check.”

Ancelotti added that Allan is also a doubt following his return from a hamstring injury, noting: “After a few months out, he was maybe not 100 per cent fit [against Southampton].

“I think the staff worked hard on him. He was in good condition. He was motivated and wanted to play. Of course, he is a player we have to check today [Wednesday] to see if he can play against West Brom.”

With Davies being ruled unavailable, alongside the absences of Delph and Gbamin and doubts about Allan, that might force Ancelotti into naming Abdoulaye Doucoure and Andre Gomes as his sole engine room occupants at the Hawthorns.

The pair opened Monday’s win over Southampton beside Allan, while Mina’s injury plus the concerns over Coleman could see that Mason Holgate, Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey and Lucas Digne feature in an unchanged backline despite the need for rotation.

Ancelotti playing Rodriguez’s return cautiously after resting the Colombian at home to the Saints will likely see Gylfi Sigurdsson remain in the creative midfield role, joined by Richarlison and a return for £50,000-per-week winger Alex Iwobi in place of Allan.

Top-scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin may be afforded a rest against West Brom, after the “determined” striker, per Joleon Lescott, delivered a tireless display against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s St. Mary’s natives during his first start since returning from a hamstring injury.

The England international sitting out his side’s trip to the Hawthorns will likely offer January arrival Joshua King a chance to earn his first start in royal blue, amid claims the Merseyside outfit will look to retain the Norway international beyond the end of the season.

AND in other news, Everton eye a £22.5m-rated speedster who is “hungry for success”…

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Southampton are in last-minute transfer talks with Bournemouth over signing Josh King.

What’s the story?

Reports over the course of the summer transfer window suggested that fellow Premier League side Aston Villa were keen on signing the 51-cap Norway international, but a deal failed to materialise.

Now, on deadline day, it appears Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side could be the team to prise 6 ft 2 man King away from the Championship, with Ornstein claiming that the Norwegian could head to St Mary’s for a low fee on a permanent deal, with Shane Long heading in the opposite direction on loan with an option to buy.

Ornstein added: “It is a scenario that is thought to rest on King accepting the terms offered by Saints and then speaking with manager Ralph Hasenhuttl to be persuaded they are the right destination for him.”

Masterstroke from Semmens

Given Southampton’s heavy reliance on Danny Ings to score the bulk of their goals over the past couple of seasons – he was within a whisker of the Premier League’s Golden Boot last campaign and has already scored seven this time – it’s no surprise that the Saints are after another centre-forward on deadline day.

Aside from Ings’ 25 goals last season, the next highest-scorer was James Ward-Prowse with five. The campaign before that was even more dire, with no player whatsoever breaking the ten-goal barrier mark.

In King however, Hasenhuttl would be getting a Premier League proven player who found the back of the net on a quite consistent basis in his time in the division with Bournemouth – he had ten goal contributions in the Cherries’ relegation campaign, and broke double figures for league goals alone in the previous two seasons before that.

Described as the “complete package” by former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, King’s Premier League experience would allow him to hit the ground running for Hasenhuttl’s side and take some of the goal-scoring burden off the shoulders of both Ings and Che Adams.

His ability to operate out wide gives the Saints boss an added option in that area too, and given that Ornstein claims he would arrive for a low transfer fee too, it seems like it could be a masterstroke from Martin Semmens.

Former Leeds United player Noel Whelan, who is part of BBC West Yorkshire Sport’s commentary team for Leeds United fixtures, has been discussing the future of Whites defender Gaetano Berardi.

This comes after Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa recently indicated that the former Switzerland international is on track to rejoin the Whites’ first-team in training next month, having been out of action since July due to a cruciate ligament rupture.

What has Whelan said about Berardi’s Leeds United future?

Berardi’s contract with the Yorkshire club is set to expire this summer, with the ‘cult hero’ signing a new deal back in October after his previous contract expired in the summer after he got injured while helping the Whites to win the 2019/20 Championship title.

Speaking to Football Insider, after praising the club for handing Berardi a new deal, Whelan shared some uncertainty over how much game time the 32-year-old is likely to enjoy on his return.

The pundit acknowledged that Berardi will offer Bielsa ‘another option’ but went on to say that the Yorkshire club has ‘progressed in the area that he plays’ and recruited ‘international players’ who he believes ‘will always be above’ Berardi in the Leeds pecking order.

Transfer Tavern take

It will be interesting to see how much game time Berardi enjoys between his return and the end of the 2020/21 campaign, as even though he is the longest-serving player at Elland Road, the fact that he is 32 and coming back from a long-term injury – combined with him likely being some way down the pecking order – could work against him in terms of the club choosing to offer him another new deal.

However, Berardi is a versatile player, with the Swiss defender having made a plethora of appearances at fierce loyalty could work in his favour with regard to having a future at Elland Road, despite Whelan’s comments.

Given that he has been out of action for so long, his performances in the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign will likely play a significant role in determining how much time Berardi has got left at Leeds. If Whelan is right and Berardi is now some way down the pecking order, maybe his chances to prove what he can offer will be few and far between.

In other news, Jack Harrison has revealed why he “struggled” at first under Marcelo Bielsa.

Southampton have been linked with a move for Vitoria Guimaraes winger Marcus Edwards recently, and the Portuguese side have now reportedly set a fee for the former Tottenham Hotspur man.

According to Portuguese newspaper Record, Southampton would have to pay just £14 million to sign the Englishman in the January transfer window.

The 22-year-old has been in superb form for the Liga NOS side since joining on a free transfer from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2019.

In 46 appearances for Vitoria, he has contributed an impressive 10 goals and 11 assists, as he quickly found his feet in Portugal following disappointing loan spells away from Tottenham Hotspur in previous seasons.

During his time with Spurs, former manager Mauricio Pochettino compared him to Lionel Messi, but he wasn’t ever really able to live up to those immense expectations, as he made just one appearance for the senior side in his time with the Lilywhites.

However, Edwards’ former teammate at Excelsior Rotterdam backed this claim up in 2019, saying:

“He is of a bizarre level, what he can do is really not normal, I have not experienced a better player in my career, and Mauricio Pochettino did not make that comparison with Messi for nothing,”

“He was referring to his way of moving and there is really something in him.”

Therefore, it seems clear that Edwards is seriously talented, and it is no surprise to see him attracting Premier League interest now that he has shown his quality in the Portuguese top-flight, as he averaged a superb 7.38 rating for his performances last season.

If Southampton could sign the tricky winger for just £14 million next month, it could spell trouble for Nathan Redmond, considering the former Norwich City man has failed to contribute a single goal or assist so far this season, which has seen him average a very disappointing 6.39 rating.

Therefore, it will be interesting to see if the Saints can sign the £11.7 million-rated Edwards in the January transfer window, and whether or not he could establish himself as a key part of Hasenhuttl’s side.

And, in other news… Southampton can exploit key SHU weakness by unleashing colossus “role model”

When it came to Leeds’ transfer activity last summer, it was all about Rodrigo De Paul.

The Argentine was linked with a switch to Elland Road on a regular basis and it seemed at one stage that the player wanted the move himself.

His social media activity at the time was rather questionable but he ended up staying at Udinese. His asking price was above £35m and that was a move that Leeds simply couldn’t afford.

De Paul is still very much a player that United and Victor Orta admire but it’s unlikely he’ll end up in Yorkshire come the end of the January transfer window.

Similarly, it’s also unlikely that Norwich City dynamo Emi Buendia will leave the Canaries for Leeds. Daniel Farke wants to keep him at the club but like De Paul, he was someone they made an enquiry for in the summer.

If Leeds are still trying to pick between the two then their form this season dictates that Buendia can be the only option.

Dubbed a “revelation” by Chris Sutton, the attacking midfielder has been a mesmeric influence for the Canaries in the Championship.

He has scored seven goals and contributed seven assists for Farke’s men, producing performances that defy belief. The diminutive midfielder saved one of his greatest displays for Barnsley last weekend.

Buendia touched the ball on so many occasions that he lost possession a remarkable 28 times but he found the back of the net and completed six dribbles in the process. On top of that, Buendia won a whopping 12 duels in an all-action showing that left Barnsley defenders spinning.

De Paul is a fairly consistent player himself but he’s seldom replicated the 24-year-old’s stats. He’s scored just three goals but he has still been a dazzler with the ball at his feet – performing 3.3 dribbles a match.

That being said, the Norwich attacker is already well-versed in English football and would surely represent a cheaper and safer alternative.

Orta has to at least test the waters with a bid this year.

AND in other news, “He’d fit into Bielsa’s team” – Exclusive: Pundit claims £30m gem would be perfect Leeds signing…

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”.