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West Brom picked up a pivotal first three points of the season on Saturday night as they won the battle of the Premier League’s bottom two at the Hawthorns.

The Baggies narrowly edged the end-to-end encounter with Sheffield United thanks to a first-half strike from Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher, who fired home from range through a crowded penalty area in the 13th minute.

In reality, the visitors could’ve been two goals to the good before the midfielder bagged his first goal for Albion with both John Fleck and George Baldock going close.

Slaven Bilic should maybe count his lucky stars as the Blades attempted five more shots throughout the 90 minutes and enjoyed the majority of the possession.

The Croatian deployed a three-at-the-back system with veteran Branislav Ivanovic holding forte through the middle but it was an off-night for the three-time Premier League winner.

A better team would have certainly punished his troublesome presence.

The 36-year-old won just one of his seven duels (14%) and failed to record a single tackle, interception or block. He was also dribbled past three times, had only 19 touches all game and was dealt the Baggies’ lowest rating of 6.1, as per SofaScore.

BirminghamLive’s Joseph Chapman emphasised his disappointing display in his post-match ratings, he said: “Had a nightmare at the beginning when McBurnie matched him in the air and then was too quick for him, drawing a card from ref Dean. As expected, Burke had him in knots in a foot race.”

Had the rock-bottom Blades had any real attacking threat, then on another day, Albion may have lost this one by a few due to the performance of their defence and in particular, Ivanovic.

It very nearly cost them that maiden victory.

As one of the most experienced players in this Baggies squad, sitting among the high-earners on £38k-per-week, you’d expect better but perhaps at 36, the pace and speed of the English top-flight is getting away from him.

West Brom still hold the joint-worst defensive record in the Premier League, so a new centre-back should be on the agenda this January.

AND in other news, Forget Gallagher: £30k-per-week sensation was the star of the show in maiden win…

Not that he’d be one to admit it, but Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard will surely be regretting his failure to sign former Dunfermline striker Kevin Nisbet back in 2019.

Rangers will still be smarting after shipping two late goals to draw with 10-man Benfica, but they battered Hamilton Academical at home to go some way towards restoring their injured pride.

Without Alfredo Morelos leading the line in the attack, Gerrard’s side have, at times, looked static and short of any ideas. Whilst that has somewhat changed with Kemar Roofe stepping up to the plate in recent weeks, things aren’t exactly perfect for the Gers as Cedric Itten has failed to find the back of the net since he opened his account with a late brace against Motherwell in September.

According to a report from The Glasgow Times at the time, Rangers were keeping tabs on Nisbet after his strong start to the 2019/20 season in the Championship, having scored 11 goals in 19 games for the Pars at the time of the report. It seems the Gers had other ideas, though, as they ended up signing Itten and Roofe in the summer instead.

Hibernian went on to sign the 23-year-old for an undisclosed fee, which is believed to be in the region of £252k, on a four-year deal. Since then, he has turned out to be a bargain buy, scoring eight goals and supplying two assists in 14 appearances for Jack Ross’ side so far this season.

By comparison, Rangers duo Roofe and Itten have only managed to score seven goals between them in all competitions.

When you consider the fact that Ross Wilson spent more than ten times that amount on the 3-cap Switzerland international, it seems the Light Blues missed the boat with this one.

It’s no wonder the Hibs striker has been labelled a “fantastic” beast by his strike partner Christian Doidge – 74 goals and 17 assists in 159 games in all competitions in his club career so far is an impressive return, via Transfermarkt.

Despite Itten’s poor run of form in recent weeks, Rangers are still nine points clear of their arch-rivals Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership, so fans probably won’t be too bothered about this anyway.

However, Morelos isn’t going to be around forever, and Nisbet could have been the perfect replacement for the Colombia international in the long run, so Rangers may live to regret this missed opportunity in the not too distant future. An initial £250k fee would’ve been an absolute steal, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Rangers handed huge boost after Steven Davis returns to Northern Ireland training…

If you had told Newcastle fans before the start of the new Premier League season, that after five games, they would be sitting above Manchester United, and only behind Manchester City on goal difference, then they surely would have taken that.

And whilst the table seems to have a couple of things going in the Magpies’ favour, the damaging 4-1 defeat to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side on Saturday seems to have just exposed some painful truths for Steve Bruce.

Despite a relatively successful summer transfer window that saw the likes of Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser and Jamal Lewis arrive at St James’ Park, both the performances and results from Newcastle have left a lot to be desired.

They were very fortunate to pick up a point against Tottenham after a late VAR call, whilst they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by ten-man Brighton as well. But even with some good wins against the likes of West Ham and Burnley, there’s a very worrying trend about the way Bruce is getting his team to play.

As per the Premier League’s official stats, the Tyneside club have played the most amount of long balls this season with a total of 335. Had Joelinton or Andy Carroll been starting up front, that tactic may have been somewhat understandable, but Bruce has opted to field Wilson in the number nine role, whilst he has the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin and Ryan Fraser as pacy, wide options.

Trying to go route one with those types of players and expecting them to win headers or get to the loose ball just seems like a complete waste of their talents, and Bruce still hasn’t worked out a way of making the most out of Saint-Maximin other than just ‘give him the ball and see what he does’.

It was no surprise that in the game against United on Saturday, they managed just 36% of the possession, and only had seven shots to the visitors’ 28.

The Magpies’ summer signings and attacking options surely warrant a change in playing style, and none of this long ball approach. Instead, Bruce continues to make an unforgivable mistake with the way he sets his team out.

If this one video of Benrahma’s holiday has put Leeds off signing him they really need to rethink their transfer policy, as they’ve missed out on an extremely talented player who could have added a lot to their squad.

Jose Mourinho has a choice to make if Tottenham Hotspur defender Serge Aurier leaves north London in the summer, reports say.Â

The 60-cap Ivory Coast international wanted to leave last year but a move to AC Milan failed to materialise.

Now Tottenham are reportedly trying to get rid of the right-back as talks have ‘intensified’ between the two clubs over the past week or so.

Stefano Pioli’s side will have to sell either Andrea Conti or David Calabria to make room for the ex-Paris Saint-Germain ace.

Aurier is a controversial character who has made the headlines for all the wrong reasons more often than not, after his conduct came under scrutiny from the club for making a string of high-profile mistakes.

The Lilywhites have been linked to Turkey full-back Zeki Celik, but he is apparently “just one of the names on the list” if Aurier leaves, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Italian transfer guru claims Spurs are considering several options, which makes perfect sense, as they are also in the running to sign Norwich City’s Max Aarons and have recently registered their interest in Arsenal academy graduate Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

Kyle Walker-Peters has already left the club, so Mourinho will have to fill two right-back spots if he decides to sell Aurier in the summer.

As Alasdair Gold pointed out, Spurs need to improve the amount of homegrown players in the squad and losing Walker-Peters and potentially Danny Rose as well could lead the Lilywhites to taking a look at some of the British talent on offer like Aarons and Maitland-Niles.

On the other hand, Celik has played Champions League football, which might put him at an advantage over his Premier League counterparts. The 23-year-old, who is only slightly older than Aarons and Maitland-Niles, is an aggressive tackler and potent counter-attacking threat on the right flank for Lille, who has plenty of experience at the top levels of the game despite his young age.

However, Spurs face stiff competition from Everton to sign the£18m-valued defender, so it remains to be seen if Daniel Levy can get a deal done in the summer.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy should sign Celik? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Manchester United and Werder Bremen remain some way apart in their valuation of right winger Tahith Chong.Â

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has identified Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho as United’s no.1 transfer target this summer, which has paved the way for Chong to continue his development on loan.

It had been reported that Werder Bremen were leading the race to sign the Man United midfielder, but Bild claims that is not the case.

The German publication, as per @utdreport, revealed the Red Devils are refusing to do business with the Bundesliga side until their Europa League campaign is concluded.

But Bremen have started preparations for next season and want to wrap up proceedings before the squad travel to a training camp in Zillertal.

Bremen director Frank Baumann has admitted he is concerned that talks are taking so long to sort out a deal.

He told reporters “it has not yet been decided and there is still no final agreement between the various parties. But we’re working on winning Tahith over so that he can play in the Werder jersey this season.â€

The 20-year-old signed a new deal with the Red Devils in March which will run untilÂ2022. However, he has struggled for game time under Solskjaer, having made a mere three appearances in the Premier League last term.

United have traditionally given youngsters plenty of opportunities, as Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams are examples of academy graduates who have broken through the ranks into the first team in recent memory.

However, Chong needs to be playing games regularly, and could find chances even harder to come by if Sancho arrives at Old Trafford in the summer. It makes perfect sense for Solskjaer to send his burgeoning talent to the Bundesliga to gain some experience on loan. Now it is up to Ed Woodward to work out terms with the German club.

United fans, do you think Solskjaer should send Chong out on loan? Let us know down below!

Defender Christian Burgess has been named Portsmouth’s Player of the Season as his move to Belgium edges closer.

Kenny Jackett’s side will meet Oxford United on Friday evening in the first of their two-legged League One play-off semi-final. A potential promotion to the Championship is very much a possibility for Pompey, but they will not have central defender and first team regular Burgess available for the 2020/2021 season.

Available to help his side during the play-offs, the 28-year-old, who moved to Fratton Park in 2015, will depart the club at the end of the season to join Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise.

Having made 32 appearances for the League One side this season, Burgess will be missed next term and it has now been confirmed that he has been named Portsmouth’s 2019/2020 Player of the Season.

Burgess received 69% of the votes from readers of both local newspapers The News and Sports Mail, whilst winger Ronan Curtis came second and Tom Naylor finished third (as per portsmouthfc.co.uk).

The Barking native has signed a deal with Les Unionistes until 2023 and will link up with fellow Englishman Anthony Bloom, who also owns Brighton and Hove Albion.

Burgess has had a superb final season with Portsmouth and it could get even better if he helps them seal promotion to the Championship.

If the 28-year-old can do that, he will at least get to sign off at Fratton Park in the best possible manner but it will be a shame that he would not then be a part of their team in the second tier.

How much will Portsmouth miss Burgess next season? Let us know in the comments section below…

In a Q&A session for The Chronicle, Mark Douglas has delivered a worrying update on Newcastle midfielder Matty Longstaff.

What did he say?

The Magpies starlet is approaching the end of his contract at St James’ Park, and recent reports have suggested that Serie A side Udinese have offered him a far more lucrative deal than the one initially offered by the Tyneside club.

Now, after being asked on what the latest is on Longstaff’s situation, Douglas admitted that the 20-year-old’s future now appears to hinge on whether the club’s proposed takeover goes through or not.

Think you’re a big Magpies fan? Can you name these former players by looking at their careers? Go on, give it a go…

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He said: “Nothing new after the latest reports this week. I’m not sure he will play again until it’s resolved – and I think only a takeover can really see this one properly resolved.”

Catch-22

Douglas’ update suggests that Newcastle are in a bit of catch-22 situation with Longstaff at the moment.

The Magpies are reportedly keen on tying him down to a fresh new deal and stave off any potential suitors, but with it now seemingly being dependent on the takeover going through, Newcastle are having to wait for one of the two dominoes to fall.

If the Saudi consortium’s takeover bid collapses over these coming days and weeks, then Newcastle could be hit with the double blow of having to stick with Mike Ashley and losing one of their talented, homegrown starlets.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

When Sir Alex Ferguson made his departure from Manchester United back in the summer of 2013, the Red Devils surely could not have envisaged a scenario where over six years later, they would have no Premier League trophies, and on to their fourth permanent manager.

There has been a constant sense of muddle and disjointedness at Old Trafford, and it is little surprise to see them well outside the top four at the moment, and losing to the likes of FC Astana. They are the ultimate symbol of how quickly things can go wrong, and how difficult it can be to change things around.

And having sacked Unai Emery on Friday morning, Arsenal must ensure they do everything that they can to avoid repeating their rivals’ concerning recent history. When the Spaniard took over from Arsene Wenger, it was suggested at the time that it was a “unanimous” decision to appoint him. With his three successive Europa League titles with Sevilla, it certainly had merit to it.

But fast forward 18 months later, and the Gunners have parted ways with a manager who has overseen their worst run without a victory since Feburary 1992. Already, there are suggestions that the likes of Wolves’ Nuno Espirito Santo, Napoli’s Carlo Ancelotti and even the out-of-work Massimiliano Allegri are under consideration to replace Emery.

When it comes to deciding the former Gunners boss’ successor, the north London side’s hierarchy must be fundamentally aware of ensuring they don’t travel to the complete extremes. Just look at the transition from Jose Mourinho to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at United, to see a snapshot of such a decision. The two appear to be polar opposites, certainly in terms of their man-management, with the former an abrasive personality, and the latter more jovial.

Such a disparate change can lead to even more confusion amongst the playing squad, and it’s something Arsenal will need to be wary of. The Gunners need to learn from their rivals’ mistake, and go for a manager who aligns with their own philosophy, rather than simply the ‘best’ candidate available. On paper, Ancelotti and Allegri’s CV at both domestic and European level is unparalleled, with the former winning three Champions Leagues, and the latter reaching two finals.

But are they the perfect fit for what Arsenal want? It is why the Gunners’ reported interest in Mikel Arteta should be encouraging for the Emirates faithful. A former captain of the club, who knows them inside out, and is learning from Pep Guardiola and his philosophy. It points to a sense of direction and purpose to their thinking, and a very reassuring sign that they are learning from United’s fatal mistakes.

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Some call him a genius of a businessman, others have more colourful language to describe the Tottenham chairman, Daniel Levy.

Love him, or hate him, no one can deny that a man once described by Lord Sugar as the hardest businessmen he has worked with knows how to strike out a deal. I mean, anyone that managed to get £18m for Kevin Wimmer deserves our respect, right?

What frustrates the Tottenham faithful more than anything is that why he is more than capable of driving a hard bargain when it comes to selling players, buying players becomes equally painstaking, much to the annoyance of the previous managers and head coaches that have worked under him.

For every genius signing like Raphael Van der Vaart there have been far too many Ricardo Rocha’s to arrive in N17 for the liking of the supporters.

So how well do you Spurs fans know Levy’s transfer track record?

Good luck…