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Speaking to Football Insider, former Hull defender Alex Bruce has backed Everton’s reported pursuit of Chris Smalling.

What did he say?

According to Italian publication Corriere dello Sport, Carlo Ancelotti’s side are interested in signing the AS Roma man this summer after he returns from his season-long loan spell from Manchester United.

And Bruce has given his seal of approval to such a move, saying that he would be a “good acquisition for anybody”.

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He said: “It does not surprise me at all. You know exactly what you will get out of Chris. Speaking from experience from playing against him myself I have always found him a no-nonsense steady eddy – you know what you are going to get. He is good in the air and he is a good one on one defender.

“The fact that he is getting linked, especially after doing very well at Roma – does not surprise me. He would be a good acquisition for anybody.”

False dawn

Whilst Smalling is no doubt enjoying a fine season over in Italy – he has averaged an impressive 2.2 interceptions and 1.1 tackles per game in Serie A – the Toffees shouldn’t forget about how this is still a man who was deemed not good enough to be at United.

Did he play for Everton? Simple question but a lot tougher than you think…

The Merseyside club should be looking to target younger players with higher potential, rather than Premier League cast-offs. Smalling’s renaissance may purely be down to the different styles of football, and that could be something that is perfectly down his street.

But if the 6 foot 4 powerhouse was truly a master of his craft in English football, then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would surely have kept him and perhaps let Phil Jones go instead. And that just says it all really. Everton should steer clear.

Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti should play this man against Arsenal.

Rangers have been cut further adrift from in the Scottish Premiership following Sunday’s draw and now manager Steven Gerrard has come under attack for one of his key decisions during that match.Chris Sutton has slammed the 39-year-old following his actions over centre-back Nikola Katic – the Gers boss didn’t want to sling the Croatian off during the first half for his dire display incase it hindered his morale, but then proceeded to throw him under the bus post-game.The former Celtic midfielder has described it as “pretty remarkable” on Twitter, he said:

Gerrard said: “I don’t want to take anyone off too early because that could ruin them for a long time. At times you have to accept that teams will get some joy against you, but for St Johnstone to get the joy they did against us was just too easy. If we defend like that against Braga we haven’t got a chance, that is for sure.” before adding: “teams are not cutting us to pieces. We are not being killed by individual brilliance. It is us who are shooting ourselves in the foot.”

Katic provided a blunder for both of the goals they conceded – one, he was found lost in possession, and the other, he was purely outmuscled by the opposition.

Life after football: Do you know what all of these former players did next?

It gives Gerrard plenty to think about ahead of their trip to Braga tomorrow evening where they hold a one-goal advantage, but the Portuguese outfit managed to secure two away goals, which only bolsters their chances.

Whether the 23-year-old keeps his place remains to be seen, though what is clear is that the former Liverpool midfielder still has plenty to learn about the managerial game. It’s a cutthroat industry.

And in other news, Rangers fans SLAM this Gerrard FAVOURITE after St Johnstone draw…

Plenty of Manchester United men will be receiving praise after the 3-0 win over Watford and Luke Shaw is one of them.

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The England international played the full 90 minutes, as the Red Devils went on to complete the impressive victory over their relegation-threatened opposition.

His performance in the game saw him receive plenty of praise from United fans.

The 24-year-old was indomitable in his defensive work, being successful with all four of the tackles that he attempted, while also making five clearances – which saw him make the most of any player on the pitch – and three interceptions.

He was also effective with the ball at his feet, completing 90% of the passes that he attempted, while also making one dribble.

How well do you really know the Premier League’s greatest ever manager? Find out below…

One fan claimed that he should have been Man of the Match, while another has referred to United as “Shaw FC”.

As well as recognising the current level of performance Shaw has given, there is also an appreciation for the improvements he has made to get there.

Shaw missed 10 league games through injury earlier in the season, which gave Brandon Williams a chance to show what he can do, with one fan feeling “he needed that challenge”.

The hope among fans is that he will be able to continue his current form, cementing his place as a regular feature in the United backline.

Meanwhile, Man United swoon over star man’s performance against Watford.

Celtic fans have taken to Twitter to react after a journalist named Ignazio Genuardi revealed that the Hoops hope to retain the services of Odsonne Edouard beyond the current campaign, and plan to achieve this with a lucrative contract offer.

Genuardi reports that the reigning Scottish champions are set to offer the French forward a ‘significant salary increase’ as well as an agreement to let him leave in the summer of 2021.

Premier League outfit Leicester – who are looking a good bet to achieve a place in the Champions League for next season – are believed to be sniffing around the former Paris Saint-Germain striker, although Neil Lennon would surely love to keep hold of the 22-year-old given his absurd numbers so far this season.

Edouard has netted an extraordinary 26 goals while also grabbing an eye-catching 17 assists in 43 games for the Hoops this term, having also scored 22 goals last season – he really is becoming a truly brilliant centre-forward.

It comes as no surprise that Leicester are interested, but it should be encouraging for Celtic supporters to see that the club are making every effort to keep their prize asset.

Let’s see how the Celtic fans on Twitter reacted to the news…

To kick off the reaction, one fan said it would be amazing if Celtic could keep Edouard for one more season – given how well he has played this term, and his obvious improvement from last season, the Frenchman could fire the Hoops to even better things next year.

Elsewhere, these fans outlined how much they’d like the exit clause in Edouard’s contract to be.

One fan imagined it would be £35m, while another said that it should be no less than £50m – it seems optimistic that Celtic will make the latter fee on their striker, although given his importance to the club, they can quite rightly demand whatever they want.

Lastly, ‘SM’ said that Peter Lawwell runs Celtic and expressed doubt that any kind of gentleman’s agreement will be made.

Only real Celtic fans will get 100% on the Ultimate Hoops quiz. Test your knowledge below…

However, given everything Edouard has done for the club, it would be cruel to deny him an exit and a chance to play at the highest level.

In other news, Scott Brown has posted a 12-word Instagram message after the win over St Johnstone…

Leeds United will be looking for a fifth successive victory this weekend as they host the west Yorkshire derby at Elland Road.The Whites face Huddersfield Town where a victory would keep the pressure on league leaders West Brom, who are only one point ahead of them with ten games remaining.Ahead of the match, Marcelo Bielsa revealed that he would have the same squad at his disposal, meaning those that featured in their 4-0 thrashing of Hull City will be involved once again.Therefore, Jean-Kevin Augustin and Ian Poveda will be absent, and The Athletic’s Phil Hay has provided reasons to why the former has been missing lately.

The 22-year-old has only been able to play for a total of 48 minutes since joining on loan from RB Leipzig in January while he hasn’t even been named in the matchday squad for back-to-back outings.

Hay has revealed that he is suffering with a hamstring issue, which won’t help his chances of securing a move long-term as super-sub Tyler Roberts stepped up in his absence to bag a brace at the KCOM Stadium last weekend.

A true test for any Leeds fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

Leeds do indeed have an option on Augustin this summer if they do indeed wish to keep hold of him.

And in other news,ÂLeeds fans react to news on possible Bielsa touchline BAN…

The Athletic’s Everton correspondent Patrick Boyland says he sees a lot of former Toffees star Steven Pienaar in winger Alex Iwobi, in the latest Gwlad Tidings podcast (March 13).

What did he say?

Well, during a Q&A section on the podcast, Boyland and colleague Greg O’Keeffe were asked about the summer addition, who is yet to really make his mark following his move to Goodison Park from Arsenal.

The journalist said (42:22): “I think he’s been one of the biggest fall guys from the change of formation. Because in a 4-2-3-1, I think he’s best as a No.10. With a 4-4-2 not having a No.10, you couldn’t see him in one of the two central midfield roles. I don’t think he’s disciplined enough, or strong enough as a central midfielder. He kind of has to go in one of the wide positions.”

He added: “I think he’s got a role in this current Everton side, but maybe the formation doesn’t do him a whole heap of favours, particularly if he has to play an inverted role from the right. I don’t think that suits him. His continuity play reminds me a lot of Steven Pienaar, not that good yet obviously. But he reminds me a lot of Steven Pienaar.”

Did he really play for us?! No Everton fan has managed to name all of these obscure Toffees players….

Is he right?

Well, Pienaar scored 26 goals and provided a further 49 assists in 229 appearances for Everton, and Iwobi has some work to do if he wants to match or better those numbers.

The next challenge for him is to undoubtedly find out where he fits into an Ancelotti team, and that may well mean having to adapt or perhaps play in a role that might not be his favourite if he is to be an Everton success.

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Injuries have meant that he hasn’t had a consistent run in the starting XI under either Marco Silva or his Italian successor to date, and his return of two goals and one assist in 22 appearances in all competitions hardly stands out either given he cost £34m.

At 23 years of age he still has plenty of time to improve though, and now he must show his manager on the training pitch that he can make a big difference week in, week out for the Toffees, otherwise he will have to be considered as another flop – alongside the likes of Davy Klaassen, Sandro Ramirez and Cenk Tosun – signed in recent years by the Merseyside outfit.

In other Everton news, one Toffees youngster could be Carlo Ancelotti’s next Kalidou Koulibaly at Goodison Park…

Out of nowhere, Jeremy Ngakia has burst onto the scene at West Ham this season.

Before this campaign, the 19-year-old had never made a senior appearance. However, he was included in the starting line-up for the first time against Liverpool. Coincidentally, his next appearance was against the same opponents, and he was then named on the teamsheet by David Moyes for the clashes against Southampton and Arsenal.

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According to ExWHUemployee, the Hammers have already offered him a new contract – in a short space of time, his importance to Moyes and co has risen dramatically.

Here, we take a look at three rave reviews from his performances so far this season…

Carlton Cole, former West Ham striker

Carlton Cole was something of a journeyman, playing for no less than eight clubs, but it was at West Ham where he spent the longest amount of time – he scored 67 times in 293 games.

Now a pundit, he had plenty of praise for Ngakia following his performance against the Reds, which the Irons lost 3-2.

He said, via Sky Sports:

“I thought his concentration and focus on Monday night was immense. To hold his own against someone like Sadio Mane, one of the best in the world at the moment, and other players like Andy Robertson, was a measure of his quality. Jeremy is a natural defender. I think he started as a winger, but he has that natural instinct to defend – his reading of the game and sense of positioning is very, very good.”

It was a very good display from the teenager. Mane may have scored, but Ngakia was not overawed, making five tackles and winning 10 of his 18 duels.

That is easier said than done against a player who finished fourth in last year’s Ballon d’Or rankings.

Pablo Zabaleta, West Ham right-back

Zabaleta has had a fantastic career at right-back. He made 333 appearances for Manchester City, for example, winning two Premier League titles, whilst he also has 58 caps for Argentina.

An expert in Ngakia’s position, he clearly thinks he has a bright future ahead of him. He told the youngster directly on West Ham’s YouTube channel:

“You’ve been superb. How old are you, 19? Keep working hard, listening, be a good professional and good luck in your career. You can go for 15 more years.”

If anybody knows how to make a career in that role, then it is Zabaleta. He started out as a 17-year-old with San Lorenzo, and is still playing amongst the elite now.

Ngakia should take such praise and advice on board.

John Moncur, former West Ham player

Moncur was part of the furniture for the Hammers during the 1990s – he spent nine years at Upton Park between 1994 and 2003.

Speaking to the West Ham Fan Show on Love Sport Radio, he said of Ngakia:

“When you look back because you say I was there when they all come through. And it’s a little bit like Glen Johnson; Glen Johnson come in. I mean, we sold him after 12 games. But in them 12 games he proved that he had a Premiership career. You know from the third or fourth game that he come in, he’s going to be a star, you know, an asset to the club and I can see this with this boy. I’m really impressed with him.”

Glen Johnson, of course, started his career at the Irons, but he made just 16 appearances before moving on to Chelsea.

West Ham will be hoping history does not repeat itself.

Loads of fans have been left stunned by something Virgil van Dijk said about his time at Celtic, as he revealed the best player he played with for the Hoops.Captain, leader and legend Scott Brown? Up and coming Leigh Griffiths? Prime Kris Commons? No, according to van Dijk, the best player he ever shared the pitch with in green and white hoops was Stefan Johansen.

Stuck in isolation? Our mega footy quiz will cure any boredom…

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The Liverpool star was hosting a question and answers session with supporters on Twitter when he was asked about his greatest Celtic teammate, and fans were shocked when he opted for Johansen.

The Fulham midfielder has bagged four goals this season, but it’s fair to say he was slightly more prolific during his time in Glasgow, netting 13 goals and providing 10 assists in the 2014/15 season.

The Norway professional grabbed four goals and nine assists the following season after van Dijk had left the club that summer, and it seems he certainly left an impression.

Check out some of the stunned Twitter reactions down below…

Peter LawwellÂshould be eyeing a big chance to cash in on Celtic star…

When Manchester United confirmed that they had signed Eric Bailly from Villareal for a reported fee of around £30m back in the summer of 2016, then Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho could not have spoken more highly of his newest recruit.

He said: “Eric has the potential to become one of the best around.”

Sadly for Mourinho, Bailly and just United fans in general, that statement hasn’t really come to fruition.

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The Ivory Coast international’s career at Old Trafford has been plagued by injury after injury, and it’s become more the exception to the rule if he actually does step up on the pitch on a rare occasion.

All in all, he has played just 79 games in total for the Red Devils, and a look at his injury history is really something to behold, missing 62 matches for United.

The big issue now for current United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, is that he has an incredible wealth of options at centre-back. After the big-money signing of Harry Maguire last summer, the Red Devils also boast the likes of: Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones, Axel Tuanzebe, Chris Smalling (on loan), Marcos Rojo (on loan too), and Bailly too. Not to mention Timothy Fosu-Mensah either.

The fact is Solskjaer has far too many players for that one position, and this summer will need to see him be ruthless with a couple of them at the very least. Smalling’s loan spell at AS Roma may see him be given one last chance to stake a first-team claim at Old Trafford, whilst Tuanzebe’s age – he is still only 22 – means the Red Devils surely see him as someone who can form the heart of their back-line for the next decade or so.

Get over 80% on this quiz to prove you’re a true Manchester Derby expert…

That all leaves Bailly in a precarious position, and the £80k-a-week ace should be the one on the chopping block. His awful injury record means he just simply isn’t someone you can rely on over the course of a full and demanding Premier League season.

Pinning your hopes on someone like that, and continuing to pay him his wages whilst he’s out of action, just doesn’t make footballing or financial sense. It’s exactly why Solskjaer should make the gut-wrenching decision of bringing an end to Bailly’s United career, and moving forward with the likes of Maguire and Tuanzebe.

Meanwhile, Man Utd’s 2006 bargain signing is still paying off now.

Tottenham Hotspur fans on Twitter have been fuming over a recent report regarding the return of Premier League football.

Elite level sport has been placed on hold across the planet in recent weeks amid the rise of the global pandemic.

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In the midst of a national lock down the prospect of football returning seems like nothing more than a mere pipe dream, but recent news suggests that the powers that be are working hard on a solution.

According to an exclusive report from the Daily Mirror, the Premier League are at an advanced stage in talks with the UK government regarding an agreement that would see the top-flight resume behind closed doors in June.

With government officials hopeful of a virus peak in the next few weeks, fixtures could be sanctioned under strict guidelines.

It’s the type of news that could give football-starved fans hope, but the Spurs supporters on Twitter are looking at the situation through a more holistic, humanitarian lens.

Indeed, the Lilywhites faithful are far from impressed with the report and have suggested the endeavour to sanction football’s return is greedy and unrealistic during a period of time in which sport should not be a matter of priority.

Here’s how the Spurs fans reacted to the news…