Jermain Defoe has been an instant hit with the blue half of Glasgow since his loan move from Premier League Bournemouth, having scored six goals in just 12 appearances for the Ibrox club.

The loan deal is for the rest of this season, and the whole of the next, but Eddie Howe has a recall clause, which he can activate in July, should he wish to take the player back to the South coast.

It means manager, Steven Gerrard, is likely to have to wait until the fringes of next season, before he knows if he is able to call upon Defoe’s services.

It is not ideal for Gerrard, with him almost certainly wanting to do any transfer business early, and not knowing if he will need to find a replacement for the former England international could hamper his plans.

Talking about Defoe’s situation, Bournemouth manager, Eddie Howe, told the Daily Echo: “To be honest, we’re so engrossed in what we’re doing here that we haven’t had a chance to sit down and discuss anything on that [Defoe’s loan deal] side.

“I’m sure that’ll be one for the summer, but I’m really pleased to see Jermain doing so well.”

It remains to be seen if Ibrox bad boy, Alfredo Morelos, has a future at the club beyond the end of this season, but having Defoe in the wings has certainly helped during his most recent suspension, and it would be nice to have him on board for the whole campaign next year.

Defoe himself expressed a desire to stay in Glasgow, when he told the Scotsman: “I want to stay here, for sure.

“I want a full season to try to achieve something special here. Bournemouth can call me back in the summer and again in January, but for me I am focused on being here and scoring goals for Rangers.”

It seems wrong that a player can sign a deal, whether it is a loan deal or not, for a specific length of time, but then have it reneged upon at various stages.

It would be unfair on both the player, and Rangers, to make them wait until July before making a decision one way or the other, and Gerrard and the fans, will hope it will be sorted out long before then.

The player is adamant he wants to stay. Gerrard will want him to stay. The fans will certainly hope he stays. But the ball is, very much, in Eddie Howe’s hands now.

What do you think 0f the impact Jermain Defoe has had since his arrival at Ibrox, Rangers fans? Do you hope he stays beyond the summer? Let us know your thoughts below…

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Leeds United are currently on the verge of securing a return to the Premier League after a fifteen year absence. The Whites are in the automatic promotion places with just nine Championship fixtures still to go.

They could give their hopes a huge boost on Saturday when they take on fellow promotion-hopefuls Sheffield United at Elland Road.

It’s a potentially season-defining encounter for both clubs and the pressure is very much on. Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa is remaining calm in the build up to the game though and has given his views on how well equipped his side are to handle the occasion.

What he said

As quoted by the club on Twitter, Bielsa has asserted his opinion that Saturday’s match is not the be-all and end-all, saying: “No win is more important than any other at this stage.”

It is undeniable, however, that his team will be aware of the significance this match holds in the eyes of the fans.

Centre-back Pontus Jansson has already referred to the upcoming fixture with the Blades as “the biggest game of our lives”. It is vital that the Argentine coach doesn’t let the occasions overwhelm his squad.

He is confident that his team can rise to the challenge though, saying: “For me the emotion you get from big games is important, and our players have enough experience to manage this kind of situation.”

Are fans being priced out of the Championship as well as the Premier League? The angry Bolton fan in the video below certainly believes so…

Will they crumble?

Bielsa has only said what you’d expect a manager to say ahead of a big game. However, Leeds’ ability to cope with such pressure can legitimately be called into question.

Earlier in the campaign, when they faced a similarly pressurised match against title-chasing Norwich City, they crumbled. Leeds slumped to a 3-1 defeat against the Canaries at Elland Road which allowed Daniel Farke’s side to gain on them in the table. Norwich now hold top spot ahead of then-leaders Leeds.

There are certainly grounds for concern there, as pointed out by some fans in response to Jansson’s aforementioned tweet.

Leeds fans, are you feeling calm and confident like Bielsa ahead of Saturday’s clash? Have you got any fingernails left? Drop us your verdicts in the comments below…

[ad_pod ]BBC broadcaster Adam Pope spoke to Leeds United defender Gaetano Berardi this week and has issued an update on his future on Twitter, with the 30-year-old telling him that promotion is the priority over that right now.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Pope was responding to a message from a Whites fan on the social media platform having interviewed the Swiss player, who has just over a year remaining on his contract at Elland Road which is due to expire in June 2020, this week.

However the versatile star, who has only recently returned from a long injury lay-off, apparently doesn’t seem too concerned about that right now as he instead looks to help the Yorkshire outfit secure a long-awaited Premier League return.

Will he get a new contract?

It’s difficult to say and much could depend on what division Leeds find themselves in next season.

Should they stay in the Championship it would be no surprise to see him get a one or two-year extension given how clearly he loves the club and the effort he puts in when he is on the pitch, but it could be a different story if they do go up.

The 30-year-old is getting no younger and if his injury issues persist, Marcelo Bielsa may feel that he would be better off cashing in on the summer rather than letting his deal run down into a campaign where he may not feature too much at all anyway.

The EFL Checkatrade Trophy final might not be on the same level as an FA Cup or Champion’s League Final, but it is a big occasion nonetheless, especially to the 40,000 or so fans that are descending on the Capital this weekend.

Regardless of the name of the competition, playing in front of a 80,000-plus crowd, with half of them your own supporters, brings an added pressure to perform.

Sunderland’s level-headed boss, Jack Ross, insists that he is not worried him that his players will “handle the occasion”, and they have “shown they are mentally tough” already.

Speaking to the Chronicle Live, Ross said: “There will be those that you know can deal with that either through what you see everyday or what they have already achieved in their career,” he said.

“And others who believe they will handle it but you won’t know until they are out there.

“This group has shown they are mentally tough and have dealt with big crowds and challenges.

“It has never concerned me, their ability to handle the occasion.

“The squad is desperate to be involved, there is extra intensity in training.”

Undoubtedly this is a massive game for the players and fans, and of course they want to win. But promotion must be the Black Cats’ priority this season.

With back to back away games at Accrington and Rochdale in the six days following Sunday’s final, it is arguable that these two are the bigger games for Ross’s side.

It will be interesting to see if the manager makes a huge call to leave a couple of his key players on the bench at Wembley, or if he goes all out to win, and risk injury to any of them.

There may be 40,000 fans travelling down the A1 and M1 this weekend, but surely not many of them would take a win on Sunday over promotion back to the Championship.

Portsmouth, of course, are in a very similar predicament, and it could be that the two sides could face each other at Wembley again in a few weeks, in what would be a much more important tie.

What are your thoughts about the EFL Trophy Final, Sunderland fans? Would you rest players for the league games ahead? Let us know your thoughts…

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As Sky Sports writers had their say on the Premier League summer signing of the season, journalist Charlotte Marsh has picked out Leicester City attacking midfielder James Maddison as her man.

What did she say?

After excelling at Coventry City and then Norwich City in the Sky Bet Championship, the young England talent finally made his big £20 million step up to the Premier League in the summer 2018 transfer window.

Breaking into Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad along the way, the 22-year-old has made 31 appearances in all competitions, scoring six and assisting six and here’s what Marsh had to say when naming Maddison her top-flight signing of the summer:

“It has been a stellar first campaign for James Maddison in the Premier League and despite a truly turbulent season for Leicester, the 22-year-old has remained unflappable and mightily impressive in midfield. He has started in 28 of Leicester’s 31 league matches – showing his importance to both Claude Puel and Brendan Rodgers – with six goals scored, which is already the second best return of his career. He has also created 81 scoring chances for his side – the joint-most in Europe’s top five leagues along with Atalanta’s Alejandro Gomez and Lyon’s Memphis Depay. At such a young age, it will be exciting to watch his development over the next few years.”

He’s up there, but can he be called signing of the summer?

No, despite how much the starlet has fulfilled his potential in his first Premier League season, his contribution hasn’t quite been enough to be called signing of the summer.

In a couple of years, we could be looking back on the best signing in recent memory for Brendan Rodgers’ men as Maddison is a very exciting prospect, but not just yet.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

The star who can also do a job out on the wing is up there in the running for signing of the summer, with the likes of David Brooks and Felipe Anderson in the same position, however, he’s just short of the mark.

Maddison’s wonderful free-kicks have sometimes served a distraction from his shortcomings on the pitch and there is plenty of room for improvement, based on his first term with the Foxes.

Does this team actually want to challenge for Europe? Whenever given the chance to push themselves nearer to seventh place, the team misfire and that infuriates the supporters. Everyone reading this will know that, but still, it’s certainly nice to vent. 

Amazingly, on the whole, it’s been a fairly steady campaign for Manuel Pellegrini in his first in charge of the Hammers. Some results great, some shocking but that just screams typical West Ham.

Perhaps more positively, apart from varying results, something else the Irons are well-known for is their brilliant production of young players.

The Academy of Football is a system West Ham are incredibly proud of and it’s easy to understand why. With graduates ranging from Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole, to most recently Declan Rice, the East London outfit clearly have a very good success rate at bringing through top quality youngsters.

It’s hard to put anyone on the same scale as those former players but if a youngster is given the platform, who knows where they could get to in the game?

That is why West Ham seriously need to consider giving Nathan Holland some game-time, now the winger is fully fit and back to his best.

Holland was one of many players under the watchful eye of Manuel Pellegrini when he first arrived at the London Stadium but after suffering a number of injuries, he hasn’t been able to grasp an opportunity in the first team.

Since the start of the season, the 20-year-old has managed seven appearances in Premier League 2 and his statistics show what an influence he’s had. One goal in seven certainly doesn’t capture the eye but add in six assists as well and it’s then easy to see why Nathan Holland is deserving of a first-team shot.

What’s the harm? Rice’s rapid into footballing superstardom should act as precedence here, not just a one-off.

With the season nearing its conclusion and with West Ham having little to play for, why not experiment with the likes of Nathan Holland? Perhaps the London Stadium could have its next big star.

West Ham fans, do you agree? If not, why not? Let us know!

يدخل منتخب مصر لكرة الصالات معسكرا مغلقا يوم 25 أكتوبر الجاري، قبل أن تتوجه بعثة المنتخب برئاسة الدكتورة سحر عبد الحق عضو اللجنة المكلفة بإدارة اتحاد الكرة والمشرف علي كرة الصالات لدولة الإمارات يوم 30 من الشهر نفسه.

ويستعد منتخب مصر للصالات لخوض مباراتين وديتين أمام المنتخب الإماراتي يومي 3 و 5 نوفمبر المقبل، على أن يعود المنتخب إلى القاهرة يوم 6 نوفمبر، استعدادا لخوض منافسات كأس العالم ليتوانيا 2021.

أقرأ ايضًا.. حسام البدري يكشف لـ بطولات موقفه من ضم محمد النني.. وهل اشترط اللعب أساسيًا؟

ويضم معسكر القاهرة 16 لاعبًا  يتوجه منهم 13 لاعبًا للامارات، فيما ينضم إليهم عصام علاء المحترف بالدوري الاماراتي.

وتضم قائمة المنتخب: محمود شوبير وجمال عبد الناصر  وعبد الرحمن الجرواني  ومعتز بالله سامي  وابراهيم عوض بوجي واحمد عبد القادر موزه ومصطفي عيد ومحمد عبد الحميد كوكي ومهند حنفي  وعبد الرحمن مصطفي  وعلاء دونجا واسلام العقرب المحترف بالدوري الالماني بنادي “فوبارتيلور اس في” وعمرو كمال  ومحمد حامد قطه ومحمد سعيد  وخالد مارادونا.

وقال هشام صالح المدير الفني لمنتخب الصالات، إن المنتخب يستعد بقوة لكأس العالم من أجل تحقيق إنجاز جديد يضاف لإنجازات كرة الصالات وقال إنه فضل مواجهة منتخب الإمارات كونه أحد الفرق العربية القوية في اللعبة وسيكون احتكاك جيد للاعبين علي المستوي الدولي  في ظل وجود بعض العناصر الجديدة التي تنضم للمعسكر المنتخب المصري.

وتابع: “قمنا بعمل إحلال وتجديد لصفوف المنتخب بهدف النزول بمعدل الاعمار السنية واكتشاف عناصر جديدة تكون إضافة قوية في الفترة القادمة”.

Chelsea can make a huge statement by getting the better of Liverpool in the Premier League tomorrow, as well as boosting their own top four hopes in the process. 

The Blues haven’t been at their best in the current campaign but one player who has constantly put in world-class performances is Eden Hazard. He’s the one player Chelsea fans can rely on and he’ll play a monumental part from here on in until the end of the current campaign.

Surprisingly, the Belgium international is only valued at £105 million (as per CIES, via Daily Mail), which surely must be some kind of joke as he’s arguably one of the best attackers in world football. And, the fact that Romelu Lukaku is valued at £137 million (as per CIES, via Daily Mail) makes Hazard’s value laughable.

Hazard has produced 19 goals and 12 assists this season and he’s valued at £135 million (by Transfermarkt), so it doesn’t really make sense to see him worth just £105 million.

Roman Abramovich’s masterstroke decision to sign the Belgian back in 2013 for £31.5 million has worked wonders for Chelsea Football Club, as he’s been the source of all things brilliant at Stamford Bridge over the years.

Abramovich could attract a much bigger fee for the attacker but the value won’t bother fans too much as they’d rather see him stay at Stamford Bridge this summer. Indeed, Hazard is in the peak years of his football career and he’s not far off being in the same category as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Chelsea fans, how much do you think Eden Hazard is worth? Join the discussion by commenting down below! 

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Just by reading the title, you may be immediately questioning how Liverpool’s greatest strength could lead to their downfall against Southampton this evening, but there is a logic to it.

Football FanCast recently ran a story highlighting just how important Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are to the Reds, but their good work could actually lead to Liverpool slipping up in the title race.

One would assume that Hector Bellerin and Stephan Lichtsteiner, as well as Kyle Walker-Peters and Kieran Trippier, thought: “Why do I need to be conservative against them? They’re in a relegation scrap”, when Arsenal and Tottenham travelled down to St Mary’s this season – however, on both occasions, the Saints came away victorious at the expense of the full-backs performing well.

What’s the issue?

It goes without saying that in Robertson and Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool have arguably the best full-back pairing in the Premier League right now, and perhaps even in Europe – the former has nine league assists to his name this season, whilst the latter has six.

Are the media letting Jurgen Klopp off lightly for his lack of silverware? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

However, for all their good work, their tendency to push forward on a regular basis has often left the midfield three stretched and having to vacate the middle in order to cover the wide areas.

This usually doesn’t get exploited too much by the opposition, but a main feature of Southampton’s latest win over a ‘top six’ side in Tottenham saw them hit the flanks time and time again, and to great effect.

What must Jurgen Klopp avoid?

Josh Sims, a player who had spent the first half of the campaign out on loan with Reading, was awarded the Man of the Match award for his efforts against Spurs despite only coming on at half-time with Shane Long.

Both players are willing runners with pace to burn, and they used it to full effect in the comeback win over Mauricio Pochettino’s men.

Sims and Long ran into the channels time and time again, which caused the Tottenham defence all kinds of trouble and left them stretched – two goals in five second-half minutes late on saw the north Londoners eventually succumb to the pressure.

As aforesaid, if Liverpool allow their full-backs to go bombing on down the flank, then Ralph Hasenhuttl would be wise to merely follow the exact gameplan which dispatched Spurs.

Klopp must instruct his star duo to ease their foot off the gas, just enough to quell any danger of the Saints taking another top six scalp at St. Mary’s, or Liverpool’s greatest strength could well end up being their weakness on Friday night.

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Having not taken charge of a match over the weekend, Mike Dean will be back in the middle of the pitch when Wolverhampton Wanderers play host to Manchester United at Molineux on Tuesday night, and both sets of players have good reason to be really wary.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 50-year-old match official is the most well-known one in the Premier League, and for good reason – he is a controversial character known for making big – and often contentious – decisions in big top flight matches.

It has been no different for Dean this season, who has been involved in making his fair share of interesting calls, although that’s how he seems to like it when you watch him in action.

The latest fixture he will referee is more important to the visitors than it is to the hosts given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men are chasing a top-four finish, while the west Midlands outfit will have one eye on their FA Cup semi-final clash against Watford at the weekend.

Dean loves a card

While the majority of his personal stats from the 22 Premier League matches this season don’t particularly stand out one way or another, there are definitely two that do.

Firstly as per WhoScored, he has dished out more yellow cards (97) than any of his counterparts – the next highest is Anthony Taylor on 90 who has taken control of five more games – while he has also remarkably shown the red card on nine occasions, again more than any other official and one-fifth of the total shown in the top flight in 2018/19.

Two of those actually came against Wolves this season which should act as a warning to the Red Devils, with Newcastle United’s DeAndre Yedlin and Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy the two men to receive their marching orders.

Considering he showed eight yellows in United’s 1-0 win against Leicester and a further seven in their 2-2 draw against Chelsea, it is obvious that he looks to set a precedent early on in proceedings.

Wolves and Man United players beware, Dean’s got his cards and he isn’t afraid to use them.