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After going nine points clear of their arch-rivals Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, Glasgow Rangers could have another ace up their sleeve if recent reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

Rangers have struggled against Kilmarnock in recent years but Steven Gerrard sprang several surprises as Cedric Itten and Ryan Jack replaced Ianis Hagi and Steven Davis respectively in the starting line-up.

James Tavernier heaped praise on Itten for his performance. The club captain told Rangers TV: “Cedric did a brilliant job for us today.

“He’s been on the sidelines watching, he’s seen Kemar get the headlines, Alfredo get headlines, and he’s a credit to himself, he’s a great professional.

“He’s been working really hard on the training pitch, he was asked to come into the team today, and he did himself proud and did the team proud.”

The Gers have now scored 43 goals in 18 games this season so far, with Itten bagging a brace against Motherwell last month.

Shades of Prso

It’s fair to say that Itten hasn’t had the easiest start to the season, as he has found his chances limited under Gerrard so far.

However, the 23-year-old could be given a new lease of life on the right wing, which won’t be good news for Ianis Hagi, who has arguably struggled in recent weeks, whilst the least said about Jordan Jones the better.

Itten, who has predominantly played as a centre-forward in his career so far, was handed a rare start on the right wing, with Alfredo Morelos up front and Ryan Kent on the opposite flank.

Standing at 1.89m tall, the 3-cap Switzerland international is cut from a similar cloth to Dado Prso.

It’s well-known that Prso mostly operated in a central position but he was also moved to a right-wing role by Rangers legend Alex McLeish, who described him as “his best Rangers signing”.

Whilst only time will tell if Itten will be able to hit the same heights of his predecessor, who scored 26 goals in 96 games for the Gers, his versatility could be an added bonus to all parties involved.

Once lauded as a “very talented” player by former Liverpool star Markus Babbel, Itten has scored two goals in nine games in the Scottish Premiership so far, whilst he is averaging 1.3 shots per game, via WhoScored.

GlasgowLive gave the youngster a grade of 7/10, claiming that he “showed good strength and clever footwork to hold off his opponents” whilst he “was denied by a fantastic Rogers save, but put in a good shift on the right of Rangers’ front three.”

Gerrard’s side travel to Lisbon to take on Benfica in the Europa League group stages on Thursday night. The Gers weren’t at their best against Killie but they still got the job done, with the Swiss dynamo impressing on the right of the front three for the first time. What better way for Itten to show that he is a valuable asset by starting against Benfica later this week?

AND in other news, Worse than Barker: Glasgow Rangers dodged a bullet in one-time target Isaac Atanga…

Former Glasgow Rangers manager Alex McLeish has told Ibrox News that Steven Gerrard will regret not signing Lyndon Dykes.

Dykes the one that got away

The Gers were heavily linked with Dykes over the summer before he eventually moved to QPR for a fee believed to be in the region of £2m.

Discussing the 54-time Scottish champions’ interest in the 25-year-old, McLeish appears to believe that the Gers should have done more to secure his services. He said:

“I don’t really want to criticise Rangers because they’ve done so well in strengthening their squad over the summer.

“And you can’t argue with signing Kemar Roofe.

“I’ve got to say, though, that I felt that Dykes was someone they would go for, in terms of the squad.

“Back in the day when I was at Rangers and we had a successful period, I brought it Kris Boyd and Steven Thompson, and they were both confident and knew their way around the Scottish game.

“They may think that that’s one they missed out on with Dykes but Steven Gerrard is the only one who can really answer that.”

Doing well without him

It has been a good few months for Australia-born Dykes. Since his move to London, he has three goals in nine matches for the Rs, and he also has two strikes in six caps for Scotland after making his international debut this season. He has also received plenty of praise, with QPR boss Mark Warburton saying his work-ethic is “outstanding”.

However, it doesn’t seem like the Gers are missing his signature. They are currently top of the Premiership by nine points, whilst they are also joint-top of their Europa League group. In fact, they have not lost a single game in 20 matches in all competitions. Whilst Dykes may be a good player, he does not appear to be someone Gerrard is crying out for.

In other news, Rangers fans react to this big club announcement.

Former Celtic player Ramon Vega described manager Neil Lennon as a ‘lost soul’ after his side’s 2-2 draw against Hibernian on Saturday.

Vega worried for Lennon

The Bhoys found themselves struggling at Easter Road and had to claw back from 2-0 down with 30 minutes left to steal a late point through Diego Laxalt’s 91st-minute equaliser.

This led to the Irish tactician scolding his players to the media after the full-time whistle after a recent run of disappointing results in the Premiership and in Europe – they are yet to pick up a win on the continent this season (via BBC Sport).

Here is what Vega had to say on Twitter about Lennon after watching his post-match interview, where the boss said that he was not in a position to defend his players.

Vega, who was a centre-back during his playing days, had a brief spell on loan at Parkhead during the 2000/01 campaign, scoring four goals in 25 appearances (Soccerbase) and played closely alongside Lennon that season under Martin O’Neill.

Transfer Tavern take

After all of the success that Lennon has had as a player and manager over the years, this will be one of the most difficult spells of his career so far.

Results are not going his way and the Bhoys fell further behind arch-rivals Rangers, who are still unbeaten in the league this season (via BBC Sport).

Their objective of securing 10-in-a-row hangs in the balance. This week is a big one for Celtic and they must get a result in Prague to boost the confidence of the squad.

In other news, Chris Sutton gives verdict on when Celtic will ‘sack’ Neil Lennon.

Over the last decade, Celtic have had it all their own way.

They have been the dominant force in Scottish football, so much so that they’ve won nine Premiership titles in a row.

This year was supposed to be the year they won their tenth successive crown, but the season has not followed the script whatsoever.

It has been a disastrous campaign for Neil Lennon’s team who were dumped out of the Champions League in the qualifying stages and are now 11 points behind Rangers in the league.

Thursday was the nadir of 2020/21 so far as Celtic crashed out of the Europa League in disastrous fashion.

Against the side currently second in the Czech top-flight – Sparta Prague – the Hoops were slapped 4-1. This was a disastrous result, one that made their defending look abject, amateur and incapable.

One of the worst performers on the night, however, was Scott Brown.

The 35-year-old has been the beating heart of everything good the Bhoys have done in the last ten years but now in the twilight of his career, he is no spring chicken.

To put it simply, Brown is past his best and the performance he displayed against Sparta on Thursday evening badly let Lennon down.

He was one of a number of players at fault for the hosts’ first goal as he failed to clear a corner and was then outmuscled by David Pavelka who was able to lay the ball on a plate for David Hancko to tuck away.

But there was more misery for Brown who struggled with the rhythm of the game.

Celtic had countless amounts of defending to do but their central midfielder only made one tackle. On top of that, Brown failed to complete an interception and made just 40 touches – the lowest number of any player to start the game for the Glaswegians.

Keeping that in mind, it was hardly a surprise that he was dragged off after 66 minutes.

For Celtic’s sake, he needs to be dropped quickly. Lennon desperately needs to look for other options if he wants to keep himself in the job.

Meanwhile, check out how Celtic can FORGET all about Odsonne Edouard if he leaves…

Leeds United are clearly looking to build for the future now that they are back in the Premier League, and the club have revealed exciting news on young prospect Niall Huggins.

Update on Niall Huggins

Journalist Adam Pope tweeted: “Leeds United full-back Niall Huggins has penned a new contract with the club. The 19-year-old Wales U21 international has agreed a 2.5 year deal, running until the summer of 2023.”

The news has also been confirmed on the Whites’ official site.

This is great news for Leeds

19 year-old Huggins was promoted to the U23 side at the start of the 2019/20 campaign (Transfermarkt), and he has picked up six appearances and one assist in the Premier League 2.

The defender also got his first glimpse of senior football when he travelled up with the senior team for the first time for the 1-0 victory against Everton.

Paul Robinson has spoken highly of the player, as he said: “Huggins is a very good player who’s performed really well in the Under-23s this season. In fact the Under-23s last year and the year before have been particularly strong and there will be a number of them who will be ready for the first team over the next year or so.”

The fact observers are tipping players like Huggins could break into the first team, especially after he already appeared in a first-team squad, suggest Marcelo Bielsa could have a potential selection dilemma on his hands if someone like Luke Ayling dips in form.

The fact he has been awarded with a new contract highlights how much the club value him, and he definitely looks like one that Leeds supporters should keep an eye on for the future of those all important full-back positions.

Glasgow Rangers edged past Dundee United at Tannadice to move 15 points clear of Hibernian at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

It wasn’t their best performance, but Steven Gerrard’s side still got the job done, as they extended their unbeaten run to 26 games in all competitions.

James Tavernier gave the Gers the lead with a sublime free-kick, but their celebrations were short-lived as the hosts hit back seven minutes later, before Connor Goldson doubled their advantage just before half-time.

Rangers remain unbeaten in the league, thanks in no small part to Tavernier, who has now contributed to 30 goals so far this season after he scored one and set up another.

Scott Arfield was impressive, Ryan Kent showed flashes of his overall brilliance, but the club captain saved Gerrard from the potential embarrassment of drawing with a team who had won just one out of their past three games.

SofaScore gave the 29-year-old a high grade of 8.4 out of ten for his efforts – he received the highest rating out of all of the players on the pitch – as he won four out of his seven duels overall, took two shots on target, was fouled three times and made one tackle and one interception, which suggests that he contributed defensively as well.

Valued at £4m via Transfermarkt, the ever-reliable right-back looked comfortable on the ball and confident in possession, as he took 112 touches of the ball, second only to Steven Davis, made one key pass and provided 58 out of 67 passes (87%).

Once lauded as a “powerhouse” by the Ibrox boss, in 17 appearances in the Premiership this season, Tavernier has now scored 11 goals and supplied 8 assists, whilst he is averaging 2.2 shots, 2.2 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

To put this into context, even Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has failed to find the back of the net so far this season.

Tavernier has already bettered his tally of three goals in the top flight last term, despite making nearly half as many appearances.

Given his resurgence in form, it is surely only a matter of time before clubs south of the border come calling for the free-scoring skipper when the winter transfer market opens in just a few weeks’ time.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must sign one of Steven Gerrard’s former teammates…

Liverpool dropped another two points in their hopes of retaining the Premier League title as they were held to a 0-0 draw against Newcastle United on Wednesday evening.

One man who will have disappointed Jurgen Klopp with his performance was winger Mohamed Salah, as the Egyptian struggled to stamp his authority on the game.

The winger was also guilty of missing two huge chances for the Reds either side of half time, first being denied by Karl Darlow, before putting his shot well wide after being found through on goal by Roberto Firmino.

As per SofaScore, the former Roma man earned a 6.0 rating for his display, which comfortably ranked him as the worst player on the pitch from both sides, as he struggled to have any real influence on the game going forward.

Klopp’s side finish 2020 top of the league but the German manager will surely be furious that Salah couldn’t finish his chances during the game, as that would’ve ensured a five-point lead over second-placed Manchester United.

During his time on the pitch, the 28-year-old touched the ball just 31 times, which was one fewer than the 32 touches of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson.

Despite this, the winger was still able to lose possession on eight occasions, with the Newcastle defence seemingly getting the better of him, so it was no surprise when Xherdan Shaqiri replaced Salah with a few minutes remaining.

Liverpool Echo were also critical of the Egyptian’s display, rating him 5/10 following the game, suggesting that it wasn’t his night and that he was wasteful in front of goal.

Back in 2019, the winger was heavily praised by Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, who said:

“Unfortunately for Mo, it didn’t work out here but it is great credit to him. He went to Italy and then came back and now he’s a superstar.”

Following the disappointing draw at St James Park, it seems clear that Liverpool will need to be much-improved when they face Southampton away from home in their next Premier League fixture, otherwise, they risk dropping off the top of the league.

And, in other news… Liverpool may already have their Wijnaldum replacement in “extraordinary” teenager

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Sporting Lisbon left-back Nuno Mendes recently and the Portuguese defender could be the perfect long-term replacement for Andrew Robertson.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Bruno Andrade (via Sport Witness), Liverpool remain strongly interested in the 18-year-old, having seen an offer for the youngster rejected during the summer transfer window.

However, with the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid also reportedly interested, it seems as if the Reds will face stiff competition for Mendes, who is also currently protected by a €70 million release clause.

Robertson’s heir?

Whilst Konstantinos Tsimikas was signed by Liverpool during the summer transfer window, he has struggled to impress on his few appearances thus far and is already 24-years-old, so was perhaps signed as a back up to Robertson rather than the Scottish international’s long-term replacement.

After all, the former Hull City man is only 26 himself and has been a mainstay in Jurgen Klopp’s side this season despite the arrival of Tsimikas, starting all 17 games in the Premier League and averaging a solid 6.96 rating.

Therefore, whilst Robertson is likely to be a first-team regular at Liverpool for the next five years at least, signing Mendes as his long-term heir could definitely be a sensible move by the club.

The teenager has averaged a superb 7.26 rating across his 12 appearances for Sporting Lisbon in the Liga NOS so far this season and has also appeared twice in the Europa League, meaning he would bring plenty of experience with him to Anfield despite being so young.

Mendes has also featured regularly as a left-midfielder in his career thus far, suggesting that he loves to get forward and can be a threat in the opposition half, which would certainly suit Liverpool’s style of play, with both Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold having registered excellent attacking returns in recent seasons.

Therefore, Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards should certainly consider a move for the £10.8 million-rated youngster in the near future, before the likes of United or Madrid snap him up.

And, in other news… Forget Thiago: £80k-p/w LFC star was Klopp’s game-changer vs Villa

Manchester United are back in action this evening, as they travel to take on Burnley in their first Premier League game since the 2-1 victory over Aston Villa.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side beat Watford 1-0 in the FA Cup on Saturday night, but it’s back to the top flight action today as the club legend chases a league title.

Solskjaer rang several changes for the home game against the Hornets, meaning some key players should be fully fit and firing on all cylinders.

With that in mind, here is Football Fancast’s prediction for this evening’s starting line-up, which sees Solskjaer make eight changes to the team that edged past Watford at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer faces some tough decisions as he looks for a big reaction from their workmanlike performance against Watford.

The Red Devils have some injury issues though so his side mostly picks itself for this one.

Eric Bailly joined Paul Pogba on the treatment table whilst Luke Shaw is also struggling.

It means Alex Telles is likely to keep his place in a back four consisting of him, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in front of veteran goalkeeper David de Gea.

Telles has been in such fine form in recent weeks and made an impact almost immediately against Watford in only his eleventh start of the season.

Fred and Scott McTominay will resume their burgeoning partnership in the midfield, with Bruno Fernandes joining them in the engine room.

Asking Pogba to play again may be a bit of a stretch too far, so switching Mason Greenwood back to the right and bringing Marcus Rashford in on the left could prove to be a tempting option, with Anthony Martial likely to lead the line.

AND in other news, Luke Shaw slammed by Carlton Palmer for decision-making during Man Utd’s defeat to Man City…

Recent reports have suggested that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will block Dele Alli’s potential move to PSG this month, and with the Englishman reportedly keen on the move, he must reconsider.

Mauricio Pochettino was recently announced as the new manager of the Ligue 1 club, and the Argentinian could help Alli rediscover the form that established him as one of the brightest young talents in the Premier League a few seasons ago.

After signing from MK Dons in 2015, the midfielder would enjoy a sensational debut season with the Lilywhites; contributing 10 goals and nine assists in 33 top-flight appearances, resulting in a 7.35 average rating.

That excellent form would continue for the next couple of seasons before his performances would begin to drop off in the 2018/19 season.

This season, however, he has found himself on the fringes of Jose Mourinho’s squad, having made just one start in the Premier League all season, with just 75 minutes of top-flight action under his belt.

Despite this, PSG are seemingly very keen on signing the 24-year-old on loan this month, and it could be the perfect place for Alli to play regular attacking football that would suit his style of play more than Mourinho’s current tactics.

It seems a win-win for Spurs as if Alli impresses with the French champions he could return a much more confident player next season, whilst also increasing his current transfer value of £34.2 million.

Spurs have scored 33 goals in the Premier League this season, compared to the 48 scored by PSG, so you could definitely argue that there will be more opportunity for Alli to contribute goals and assists playing in Pochettino’s side, where the competition is also perhaps not of as high a standard.

After impressing in Mourinho’s first game in charge of Spurs – a 3-2 win against West Ham in November 2019 – the Portuguese manager was full of praise for Alli, saying:

“(Alli’s) too good to not be one of the best players in the world and not playing with the national team.”

Unfortunately, he has not been able to maintain this form under the Portuguese manager and is clearly not happy with his current playing situation, so Levy must allow him to join PSG on loan this month, otherwise, we may never get to see Alli back to his best with the North London club.

And, in other news… Spurs signing 26 y/o beast who “always performs” could be bad news for Giovani Lo Celso