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Former Glasgow Rangers player Neil Murray has said that Glen Kamara could drop out of the starting XI against Standard Liege despite impressing in the Old Firm derby last Saturday.

Kamara could be dropped

Kamara was in fantastic form against Celtic at the weekend as he managed a SofaScore rating of 7.2, winning eight from his 12 duels and completing three of his four attempted dribbles.

Rangers kick off their Europa League campaign in Belgium on Thursday, but Murray believes the Finland international will not start. He said:

“Kamara was excellent at the weekend and he really is an intelligent footballer.

“He has so much ability on the ball, although if you don’t have that then you just won’t play in Gerrard’s midfield.

“We tend to forget how young he is and how much better he is going to get.

“Yet, as good as Kamara was at the weekend, Rangers still had Jack, Aribo and Hagi, who they paid a lot of money for, sitting on the bench.

“The manager has another big decision to make for the Liege game and you could see Kamara missing out if he switches it up.”

Gerrard has plenty of options

As Murray says, Steven Gerrard is spoilt for choice in the middle of the park. He selected experienced veterans Scott Arfield and Steven Davis alongside Kamara at the weekend, but Ryan Jack and Joe Aribo came on from the bench, whilst £3m summer signing Ianis Hagi remained as a substitute for the whole 90 minutes.

As European competition returns, the games will now come thick and fast, and that means Gerrard must be clever in rotating his squad. As such, with the number of options he has available to him, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that £1.08m-valued Kamara is a substitute tomorrow evening.

Let us know what you think by commenting below!

Liverpool have been given a huge boost as the defending champions prepare for the 2020/21 Premier League season.Â

The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) has been postponed to 2022, as reported by James Pearce on Twitter, which means that the Reds will be able to keep many of their biggest stars for the entire campaign.

AFCON was set be held from early January 2021 in CameroonÂand the tournament could have caused major disruption to Jurgen Klopp’s plans, as Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah were ready to represent Senegal and Egypt respectively, while Naby Keita would have been away on international duty with Guinea.

However, the competition has been delayed for another year in response to the coronavirus crisis, which will allow Klopp to keep all of his key players ahead of a busy schedule.

Cameroon were set to host the event even though they were stripped of the 2019 tournament. They are now expected to resume their responsibilities when the games start in 2022.

Unsurprisingly, loads of LFC fans gushed over Pearce’s “brilliant news” with one supporter describing the announcement as “gargantuan” while another feels that it is “great” for the club.

Scroll down through some of the best reactions so far…

Liverpool fans, do you think the Reds will defend their Premier League title next year? Let us know in the comments below!

Crystal Palace had a positive season this time around and finished in 12th place, just three points off the top 10.

Roy Hodgson was unlucky to lose Aaron Wan-Bissaka before the start of the season with the young English full-back moving to Manchester United. The club reinforced their squad with experience and reliability with names such as Jordan Ayew, Gary Cahill, and James McCarthy joining the club during the summer transfer window.

The Eagles started well, and throughout the season picked up some good results with positive performances – but the Crystal Palace faithful will soon be hoping to improve on these finishes.

Hodgson and his men would have set out this season to further secure themselves as a Premier League club that won’t be going anywhere any time soon, but with a season full of ups and downs, and results that shocked many – how much can you remember about the club’s 2019/20 campaign?

A recent transfer report has divided Liverpool supporters on social media this week.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the Reds have submitted an offer for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele which is a loan that comes with an option to buy.

Many at Anfield believe this would be a superb move with some left drooling by the prospect of Jurgen Klopp working his magic on the Frenchman.

The 23-year-old previously broke through at Borussia Dortmund under the German boss, resulting in a big-money move, thought to be around £135.5m, to La Liga giants Barcelona.

This season, Dembele has played just nine times in all competitions due to an ongoing hamstring problem, which may give a reason to why he could potentially be available.

Can you spot your Xabi Alonso from your Bruno Cheyrou? This Liverpool quiz will have you questioning your knowledge…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

However, several members of the Reds faithful have used this to suggest why he must be avoided this summer.

Some fans also hinted towards his attitude as a reason to why he’d be a bad addition at Liverpool.

As a result of his injuries and reported attitude problems, there were a couple of comparisons made to former Liverpool players such as Mario Ballotelli and Daniel Sturridge.

Many in Merseyside are desperate to see the addition of Timo Werner, and one supporter claims a move for Dembele would curtail their pursuit of the RB Leipzig talisman and that he could even be a replacement for Mo Salah – even though the 27-year-old is under contract until 2023.

It remains to be seen if this story has any legs whatsoever, but you’d imagine it would be very hard for any attacking player to break into the starting XI given the impressive form of Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in recent months.

AND in other news, Liverpool fans react to update on Timo Werner…

Sheffield Wednesday lost 3-1 against Preston North End in the Championship last night and the result now means the club have lost their last three games.

Journalist Dom Howson was tweeting out the comments made by manager Garry Monk following the match, and a lot of the Wednesday fan base are not pleased with the boss.

The Owls were winning the game after Jacob Murphy scored in the 58th minute, and they even looked to be coming away with a point after the game was 1-1 until the last five minutes. However, goals from Jayden Stockley in the 87th minute and Brad Potts in the 96th minute meant that Preston came away with all three points, per Sky Sports.

Howson tweeted out that Monk said: “We felt robbed in terms of the goal disallowed but we can’t control that. What we can control is our focus and that is what has cost us in that little bit. Basic errors in terms of fundamentals are proving very costly.”

Clearly these comments have frustrated some fans as the fact that Monk says he feels robbed due to the first goal being fairly disallowed seems like he is looking for excuses, and is him trying to paper over the cracks for a poor performance.

Wednesday now sit 16th in the division, seven points from the drop, so it looks like it’s another season of a mid-low table finish, and so far Monk has managed 13 wins, 10 draws and 17 losses in his 40 matches in charge, per Transfermarkt. It seems like he hasn’t done as good a job as fans would have expected based on their comments.

Here is what they said following the tweet:

Owls fans, what were your thoughts on the game? Let us know down below!

It is unlikely we will ever see a repeat of Leicester City’s 2015/16 title triumph in the Premier League.

Having been on the brink of relegation just 12 months earlier, the Foxes won the title, becoming just the sixth team to do so at the time. The likes of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez cost just £1m and £450,000 respectively, yet they somehow managed to rise to the very top of English football.

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Ben Chilwell just missed out on that incredible campaign, but he has been a valuable member of the team ever since.

This year, as Brendan Rodgers’ men sit in third place, he has played 23 out of a possible 29 games in the top flight, and his importance in recent years has been reflected by his Transfermarkt value – in August 2016, he was worth just £2.25m, but that number now stands at £45m.

Here, we take a look at three factors contributing to Chilwell’s meteoric rise in value…

Breakout season

The 23-year-old first burst onto the scene during the 2016/17 season, the year after that stunning title win. It was to prove to be a tumultuous campaign for Leicester – they would end the season in 12th place, with Craig Shakespeare replacing Claudio Ranieri at the start of the year – but it was an important one for the youngster.

That term, he made 12 appearances in the league, sharing the left back role with Christian Fuchs, whilst he also featured twice in the Champions League. All in all, he played 19 times in all competitions, and from then on, the only way was up.

First England cap

It wasn’t long before Chilwell caught the eye of Gareth Southgate and the England staff. He didn’t quite make it into the 2018 World Cup squad, a tournament in which the Three Lions reached the semi-finals, but he was called up at the very next opportunity, for a friendly in September against Switzerland.

He has been included in every other squad since then, playing in all but two of the UEFA Nations League fixtures, in which England finished in third place.

Against Montenegro, in the Euro 2020 qualifiers, he created three goals in a 7-0 victory. Despite the final tournament being postponed until 2021, he is likely to be well in contention for a place in the starting line-up.

Interest from Atletico, Barcelona and Premier League giants

As is often the case with clubs outside of the traditional top six, their best players are often targeted by the best clubs in the country, and with Leicester, it is no different. For example, N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and Danny Drinkwater all departed the King Power Stadium within two years of their Premier League victory.

Now, Chilwell has been linked with a number of top sides, both in England and abroad. Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City have all been in pursuit at one point or another, whilst even La Liga sides Atletico Madrid and Barcelona have had their eyes on the full-back.

Clearly, he has plenty of talent – it remains to be seen where the future takes him.

The academy product is something of a nearly-man given he missed the 2016 title victory and England’s 2018 World Cup campaign, but there seems little doubt that he will get the success his talent deserves in the years to come.

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have taken part in a debate via Twitter on who they think has been the club’s worst ever player.

Villa’s Premier League safety is currently a big concern for fans of the club, but with football at a current standstill, those fans have been able to take their mind off the club’s current league standing of 19th.

A play-off final win over Derby County saw the Claret and Blue side gain promotion to England’s top flight, and focus will very much be on boss Dean Smith to improve results when and if, football returns.

Involving themselves in club debates via social media, fans have now taken part in a question that sparked numerous responses about who they thought has been the worst player to play for the club in recent years.

Countless names were mentioned with the likes of Bosko Balaban, Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater all mentioned.

The latter arrived at Villa Park in January on loan from Premier League rivals Chelsea, but he struggled to find the form which saw him help Leicester City win the league title in 2015/2016.

Reacting to the question posed by Twitter account @VillaTil1die, multiple fans took part in the debate…

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Villa discussion going on in the Vital Villa Forum! Click here to get involved!

In this instalment of our TT Roundup, Football Transfer Tavern have gathered three of the biggest stories to have involved West Bromwich Albion recently and have provided our thoughts on the reports published.

Burke wants to be in the shop window

Oliver Burke is hoping regular football in La Liga will help put him back in contention for a place in the Scotland squad.

The winger is currently on loan with Spanish top-flight side Alaves and is also hoping to put himself in the shop window after a disastrous spell with West Bromwich Albion (via BBC).

Verdict

A move away for Burke is long overdue after his disastrous time at the Hawthorns. The Scotsman has only played for the Baggies 24 times, despite signing for the club back in the summer of 2017 (via Transfermarkt).

Keeping a player who has stated his intention to leave the club will only result in West Brom suffering. And with Matheus Pereira having settled in so well, the Midlands side already have a ready-made replacement in their ranks if they can snap up a permanent deal.

West Brom eye Gayle transfer

West Bromwich Albion are targeting a £10m move for Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle ahead of the January transfer window, according to The Telegraph (via The 72)

The striker has been frozen out of the Newcastle first-team since he rejected a move to Slaven Bilic’s side in the summer, making just two Premier League substitute appearances.

Verdict

Gayle scored 23 goals in just 39 Championship appearances whilst on-loan with the Midlands side last season, showing his quality in attempting to help the club gain promotion (via Transfermarkt).

Given promotion to the English top-flight is valued at £170m, paying just £10m for the Newcastle forward is a no-brainer, especially with Charlie Austin struggling for goals this year.

Liverpool chasing Jovan Malcolm 

Liverpool are chasing West Brom youngster Jovan Malcolm, who is also being tracked by Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal, according to the Daily Mail.

The 16-year-old has scored seven goals in just five games this campaign and put in a four-goal performance against Liverpool’s under-18s last week.

Verdict

As seen by Norwich City and their attempts to use youngsters, like Jamal Lewis and Max Aarons, in the Premier League, a club will struggle without the necessary quality to remain in the top-flight.

Selling Malcolm could be a way to source funds for a big splash in the transfer market next summer if the Baggies are successful in their promotion chase this campaign.

West Brom fans, what do you make of the three stories? Let us know your thoughts!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

West Bromwich Albion defender Kyle Bartley has gone from zero to hero under manager Slaven Bilic and the Croatian’s latest comments praising the 28-year-old has only highlighted that further.

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What’s he said?

The Baggies defeated Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 at the Hawthorns on Saturday afternoon as Charlie Austin’s 88th-minute penalty secured all three points.

Fellow striker Hal Robson-Kanu had opened the scoring inside ten minutes after he rounded off a sublime through ball from Matheus Pereira.

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Albion made it a third straight win, but couldn’t make it a third successive clean sheet as Bilic was forced into shifting his team selection around in the absence of Jake Livermore and Romaine Sawyers.

Following the match, the former Croatia head coach highlighted the reason behind Bartley’s form this season, he said:

“Again against Sheffield Wednesday, he was very good.

“When I go into the town, when I read (the papers) I see that he is getting recognition. Maybe he should get more or whatever – but he is (getting recognition). And I think that is the reason behind his top performances.

“He is feeling that he is important – not only from me and my staff but from within the club and from in the stands and from the papers.

“He is playing great, he is that kind of player. He needs to stay focused, he needs to stay humble but he is also one of the reasons we are where we are.”

Zero to Hero

Bartley has almost gone full circle with fans at the Hawthorns since joining the club in the summer of 2018.

Games against Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday drew serious flak last season, but this campaign has been a totally different story.

Supporters have absolutely loved his redemption, as seen when reviewing his season to date just a few weeks ago.

The centre-back is just one of three players to start and finish all 17 Championship matches this term, so it is clear to see he is one of Bilic’s favourites amongst the side.

He has also won more Man of the Match awards (three) on WhoScored than any other member of the Baggies squad.

In other news, one of Bartley’s teammates has also received plenty of praise following their win on Saturday afternoon…

Southampton fans have taken to Twitter to react following the news that the first-team players and coaching staff will be donating their wages from Friday’s 9-0 defeat to Leicester to the Saints Foundation, and they still aren’t satisfied.

The south coast side were humiliated by the Foxes in Friday evening’s Premier League affair, having Ryan Bertrand sent off after 12 minutes and going into the half-time break 5-0 down to Brendan Rodgers’ side in front of their own supporters.

To make matters worse, Leicester then scored another four after the interval – the performance was met with boos at full-time, and it equalled a 24-year record of the biggest ever Premier League win which had been set by Manchester United in 1995.

As a means of attempting to make up for the shambolic showing, the Saints players and coaches have agreed to donate their wages from that Friday, a gesture that is a commendable one in the grand scheme of things.

Despite their charitable goodwill, a handful of Southampton supporters on Twitter still aren’t satisfied.

Let’s take a look at some of the tweets…