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The arrival of Steve Bruce had an instant impact after officially taking the reins at Sheffield Wednesday as his side recorded a 1-0 win over Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon.

It was a dream start for the 58-year-old after the weeks of anticipation which preceded his arrival. A typical, solid and Bruce-esque defensive performance provided the foundations for victory, but the entirety of the fanbase are not fully convinced by loyal servant Liam Palmer.

Indeed, the club’s official Twitter account paid tribute to the 27-year-old on Tuesday now that he has surpassed 200 appearances for the club.

Some of his admirers eulogised over his commitment to the cause and the quality of his performances in recent weeks, but not everybody shared that enthusiasm.

Palmer’s contract is due to expire this summer and Bruce will have plenty to think about due to the size of his squad, with a handful of supporters urging him to offload the academy product rather than offer him a new deal.

Considering his relative popularity amongst large sections of the supporters and the fact he has spent his entire career at Hillsborough, it would take a strong call from the boss to release him in the summer.

Here’s what a handful of Wednesday fans have had to say about Palmer’s future:

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Everton manager Marco Silva has suggested that veteran full-back Leighton Baines could have his contract at Goodison Park extended beyond the end of this season, as reported by the Daily Star.

What he said

Baines has been with the Toffees since 2007, and has made over 400 appearances for the club. Now, at 34 years of age, his time on Merseyside ought to be coming to an end. As per Transfermarkt’s stats, the left-back has made just six Premier League appearances this season, and his current contract is set to expire at the end of the campaign.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

However, Silva has hinted that the club’s vice-captain could be handed new terms before then. The Everton boss said, as quoted by The Daily Star: “I have no doubts Leighton is a big part of our squad, he is a really important part of our squad.

“If he plays 10, 15, 20 games or if he plays five or 10, he is a really important player for me, for our club, an important player for our dressing room also.

“If he is in the last year of the contract of course it is a possibility for him to renew his contract also.”

It could be that Baines’ time at Goodison is set to go on for a while longer yet.

Time to move on

However, to hand the defender a new deal would be a big mistake.

Whilst he has been a fine servant to the club and should be remembered as an Everton legend, Baines is no longer up to the standard required. If the Toffees are serious about pushing for European qualification they must start moving on from such ageing stalwarts with nothing left to offer.

Not to do so would indicate a shocking lack of ambition on the part of the club, suggesting that they’re happy to settle for the ever-diminishing returns that the likes of Baines offer. 

The 30-cap former England international showed against Wolves last time out that he’s no longer at the required level, and now is the time for Everton and Silva to recognise that fact and begin looking to the future.

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Tottenham fans have once again taken to Twitter to declare their desire to see Gareth Bale return to the club, amid talk of Real Madrid offering the Welshman and cash in exchange for Christian Eriksen, as reported by The Mirror.

Things have turned sour for the Southampton academy graduate at the Santiago Bernabeu, after he was booed off the pitch in Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Barcelona in El Clasico.

Bale has hit 13 goals and recorded five assists this season despite struggling to maintain a consistent run in the team, as he battles against injuries.

The 29-year-old bagged 26 goals and set up a further 10 in his last season in north London before his then world-record move to Madrid, which, aside from Harry Kane’s exploits, is one of the best individual campaigns from a Spurs player in recent memory.

Tottenham fans were quick to jump on social media earlier this week to declare their hopes of a Bale return this summer, and they’re certainly in favour of The Mirror’s claim that there could soon be a swap deal involving Eriksen.

Here’s a look at what Spurs fans have been saying on Twitter…

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Leeds United face a crunch clash against Swansea City at Elland Road on Wednesday. Marcelo Bielsa’s side will need a victory in order to keep up with the pace being set by their fellow Championship title-chasers Norwich City and Sheffield United. 

The Whites have suffered a drop off in form in recent weeks, and have especially struggled to score goals. They’ve created a number chances in recent games but far too many of them have been wasted.

In order to give his side what they in the final third, Bielsa must include Patrick Bamford in his starting XI against the Swans. 

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

The 25-year-old has barely featured since his summer arrival at Elland Road due to injury, but he is fit now and is a proven goalscorer at this level. Having started against Middlesbrough last time out, the No. 9 ought to now be up to speed and ready to kick on, so Bielsa should stick with him. 

Bamford is a fine finisher and if Leeds create chances for him then he will almost certainly put them away. At this stage in the season, the former Chelsea man hitting his stride is exactly what Leeds need.

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Christian Eriksen’s performances are increasingly pointing towards a permanent move away from Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

Another flat performance against Chelsea

When the creative hub ticks the entire attacking dynamic changes. Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva have both struggled to find their rhythm for Manchester City of late, Pablo Hernandez is lacking the nous which has defined the majority of his season at Leeds United and Eriksen has also fallen flat at Spurs.

The Wednesday night clash against Chelsea underlined the diminishing standard of his recent performances. The Denmark international’s pass accuracy of just 70.6% was considerably the lowest of any player in Pochettino’s starting XI.

Impulse would force more sympathetic onlookers to suggest that his wastefulness was merely a natural consequence of his desire to slice open the opposition. That is, after all, his primary objective on the field of play.

But that defence cannot stand its ground against the statistics: Eriksen failed to make a single key pass in the whole game.

The BBC’s chief sports writer, Phil McNulty, described Eriksen as ‘on the margins’ against Chelsea, and that’s probably a touch on the generous side.

The most alarming takeaway from the fixture was not the single performance in isolation, it was that Eriksen’s no-show was true to recent form. He did score and provide an assist against Leicester City earlier this month, granted, but those two moments aside he struggled to operate with the same zest and flair which is typically associated with the 27-year-old.

Real Madrid bound?

It’s no coincidence that Eriksen’s form has taken a considerable dip since the turn of the year. According to The Independent, Real Madrid made the initial steps to prise Tottenham’s crown jewel away from north London at the beginning of January, with a summer deal being mooted by the respected journalist Miguel Delaney.

With less than 18 months left on Eriksen’s current deal, it would appear that there is a substantial weight of credibility behind these reports, and his lacklustre form since the turn of the year would also suggest that his head has been turned.

Something does not seem quite right with the dynamic number ten, and the fact a downturn in form has coincided with reports linking him with a move to Los Blancos is absolutely no coincidence.

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Marcelo Bielsa has proven his willingness to hand opportunities to academy prospects this season, and a recent report from Phil Hay suggests that he could be planning on introducing another youngster in the future.

What’s the word?

According to a recent report from Hay as published in the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds United are set to hand a contract extension to Robbie Gotts.

His current deal is due to expire in June this year, but the extension will keep him at Elland Road next season.

Gotts has not quite enjoyed the same level of exposure which Jack Clarke and Jamie Shackleton have enjoyed under Bielsa, but the fact he has been named on the bench six times this season hints that he won’t have to wait too much longer before being handed an opportunity.

One for the future

With Bielsa in charge Gotts has every chance of graduating from the youth academy and moving into the senior squad, such is the extent of the Argentine’s desire to promote from within.

Murmurs emerging from Thorp Arch hint that the 19-year-old has the technical quality to make the step up and Leeds’ decision to offer him a new deal proves that he is regarded as one for the future.

Exactly where he fits in at Elland Road remains to be seen as he is comfortable both at full-back and on the wing, but either way it appears the Whites are eager to lay the foundations for a future breakthrough by agreeing fresh terms with the teenage prodigy.

ذكرت تقارير صحيفة أن أحد أندية الدوري الإيطالي قد دخل في مفاوضات مع نادي ريال مدريد الإسباني لضم مُهاجمه في نافذة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.

روما يرغب في ضم الدولي الإسباني بورخا مايورال مُهاجم اللوس بلانكوس هذا الصيف؛ وفقًا لما ذكرته صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية.

مايورال يلعب مُعارًا مع ليفانتي مُنذ صيف عام 2018، بعدما فشل في حجز مكان داخل ريال مدريد.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أوديجارد يشارك في تدريبات ريال مدريد بعد سلبية عينة كورونا

وأوضحت الصحيفة أن مسؤولي روما تحدثوا مع نظرائهم في ريال مدريد، حول إمكانية التعاقد مع مايورال.

وقالت الصحيفة إن ريال مدريد يريد الحصول على 15 مليون يورو للموافقة على بيع مايورال، ويحتفظ بـ50% من حقوق اللاعب في المستقبل.

يُذكر أنّ مايورال خاض 36 مباراة مع ليفانتي بمختلف المسابقات في موسم 2019/2020، وسجّل تسعة أهداف، وصنع هدفين.

The January transfer window was kind and cruel at the same time for Newcastle United.

While the Magpies received an exciting talent like Miguel Almiron, they also brought in Antonio Barreca on loan from Monaco, a deal which is turning out to be a complete bust.

With Paul Dummett being Newcastle’s only option at left-back, they decided to sign Barreca on loan from the French side with an option to purchase permanently. The Italian left-back was a decent option during Monaco’s abysmal league campaign, leading to the deal as Benitez looked to fill a position that’d proved a problem on Tyneside for absolutely years.

However, what could’ve been a promising tale has now deteriorated into a bitter situation. Barreca’s only made a single appearance for the Magpies, that too after coming on after 86th minute in the late loss to Tottenham at Wembley. Since then, Matt Ritchie has largely been deployed as a wing-back, with either Christian Atsu or the aforementioned Dummet coming on.

In fact, Bentinez apparently doesn’t find him to be defensively stable enough and, according to reports from the Sun via talkSPORT, the Spaniard  “doesn’t rate” his talents.

As a result, Ritchie’s been drafted in the left wing-back role in Newcastle’s new and improved system. Yet, Barreca’s failures prove he might not have been Benitez’s top choice at all.

Despite breaking the club record with Almiron’s signing, Barreca’s failed addition proves Ashley and Benitez aren’t on the same page.

Tensions might soon be brewing because of the wastage of the Italian defender and further points at a difference of ambition within the club.

Newcastle fans, have you been disappointed with Barreca’s contribution? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

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Rangers recorded a priceless 4-2 victory over Aberdeen on Wednesday evening – a game in which Ryan Kent enhanced his growing reputation at Ibrox with an excellent all-round display.

How has Kent fared since arriving at Rangers?

Unsuccessful loan spells with SC Freiburg and Bristol City last season evoked reasonable cause for concern amongst the Gers faithful when Kent arrived in Scotland.

He didn’t quite hit the ground running during the early stages of his Rangers career but fleeting moments of quality hinted that there was a huge talent brewing beneath the surface.

Suspicions regarding the 22-year-old’s potential to thrive at this level have since come to fruition, with a series of potent attacking displays helping him to establish himself as a key player under Steven Gerrard.

Kent looks comfortable in his temporary environment, but the fact he would face huge competition for a starting berth at Liverpool suggests that Gerrard should be discussing the possibility of a permanent deal with Dave King in the coming months.

A future Ibrox legend in the making?

Predicting the emergence of a future legend is no easy task. Players come and go from football clubs at the first sight of a pay rise or a bigger challenge, and it doesn’t take too many positive performances to draw interest from afar either.

But considering Kent’s glowing form in recent months and the position Rangers currently find themselves in, it’s fair to say he should do everything he can to make his temporary stay a permanent one.

If the Glasgow giants manage to strike a deal with Liverpool there is no question he could grow into a legend on the Ibrox terraces.

After watching Celtic dominate Scottish football with such imperious swagger in recent years, the supporters will want nothing more than to silence their bitter rivals by clinching the title.

Any player who plays a key role in a future title win will have a special place in the hearts of Rangers supporters, especially a player in Kent who plays with the flair and dynamism of a truly memorable talent.

Whether the winger will stay at Ibrox beyond the season remains to be seen, but the quality he has showcased this season suggests that Gerrard’s decision to bring him to the club last summer might have set the wheels in motion for a new Rangers legend to emerge.

Time to secure a permanent deal, Mr King.

With talk of Alex Neil becoming the next West Bromwich Albion manager intensifying, with Sky Sports now saying he is a “strong contender” for the job, we turn our thoughts towards his potential replacement were the worst to happen.

One name that’s sure to be mentioned is former Preston boss David Moyes.

In his 4 years at Deepdale the Scot did an unbelievable job, which earned him his move to Everton. But it is after he left the Merseyside giants that things turned sour for him.

It is not unfair to say that every position he held afterwards turned out to be an unmitigated disaster, with him becoming the butt of the jokes by rival fans up and down the country.

Maybe it is his tarnished reputation that has seen him struggle to find another job since he left West Ham last May.

It would be a controversial appointment, and despite his previous stint at the club, would be likely to underwhelm Preston fans, who, in Alex Neil, have a manager that has transformed the club and saw them almost make the Championship play-offs last season, finishing seventh.

They currently sit tenth in the table, and Neil’s record overall is impressive, and according to transfermarkt.co.uk, he has a 39 per cent win average since taking charge at Deepdale, and having lost only 29 per cent of the 89 games he has overseen.

With those statistics, it is not surprising that Preston fans do not want to lose their man, and the thought of them turning back the clock and bringing back Moyes would stick in the throat of the majority of them.

We think that the old saying of ‘never go back’ has never been more apt than in this case, and any appointment of Moyes would not be a case of just turning back time, but would be a metaphorical backward step too.

What are your thoughts Preston fans? Will Neil leave? And who would you want to bring in to replace him if he did? Let is know below…