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For Glasgow Rangers and Steven Gerrard, this season hasn’t exactly been a big problem.

In fact, it has been quite the opposite for the Ibrox side. They have been absolutely fabulous and are on track to end Celtic’s immaculate dominance of Scottish football.

Rangers are currently 13 points clear of their huge rivals and if they do indeed secure the title it will be their first in a decade.

It has been a long way back for the Glaswegians but Steven Gerrard is masterminding a phenomenal revival for the Light Blues.

Yet, in the last 48 hours, a few issues have begun to emerge.

Alfredo Morelos was handed a two-game suspension for using an elbow violently against Dundee United and as a result, Gerrard needs to choose someone different in attack.

Unfortunately, there was also bad news on midfielder Ryan Jack this week – someone who seemingly can’t catch a break.

Speaking about Jack’s injury ahead of the clash with St Mirren in the League Cup, Gerrard stated: “Still no Ryan Jack, he is moving along but not ready. Everyone else is available except Katic.”

The 28-year-old now hasn’t played since the back end of November when Rangers beat Aberdeen 4-0. He hasn’t exactly been too big a loss, but his fitness is now a huge issue for the football club.

The fact of the matter is that Jack spends far too much time on the treatment table. Since the start of last season, he has had six different problems – predominantly knee issues. Since he joined Rangers in 2017/18, he has missed 244 days and been absent for 51 matches.

That isn’t ideal and unfortunately, it has us thinking back to Jordan Rossiter, another midfielder who spent plenty of time out injured.

During his stint in Glasgow, the ex-Liverpool man missed a whopping 94 outings. It only takes another big injury for Jack to reach a similar sort of tally.

It’s a shame, especially for someone who is such a big influence at Ibrox. Speaking about him in October 2019, Gary McAllister commented: “For me, he has been unbelievable from day one. He has improved no-end, and you are seeing a midfield player gathering loads of information, experience and being given a bit of responsibility he’s maybe not had in the past.”

The fact he can’t string a decent run of games together, therefore, is a source of huge frustration.

He is important to Rangers but how long can the club continue to persist with someone who picks up fitness concerns so regularly?

It’s a tricky situation.

In other news; Forget Morelos: Gerrard must unleash Rangers ace with “incredible physical strength”…

Glasgow Rangers return to Premiership action this afternoon for the first time since their Betfred Cup exit, when Steven Gerrard’s side welcome Motherwell to Ibrox on Saturday.

St Mirren stunned Rangers after Conor McCarthy bundled in an injury-time winner on Wednesday night, which will have forced Gerrard to go back to the drawing board, as the Gers turn their attention to hunting for the league title.

The Ibrox boss made a number of changes for the Scottish League Cup quarter-final, and has a huge selection dilemma on his hands as he looks to stop the rot from spreading further.

Here at Football FanCast, we’ve worked on a predicted starting line-up, which sees Gerrard make five changes to the chastening defeat at the Saints.

Allan McGregor started against St Mirren, so maybe Jon McLaughlin could push for a recall, but we’re backing the veteran goalkeeper to keep the gloves, having been trusted for most of the season so far.

James Tavernier, Connor Goldson and Filip Helander also started on Wednesday night, and it’s hard to imagine Gerrard making too many changes to the trio, with Leon Balogun ruled out due to injury, while Borna Barisic comes back in for Calvin Bassey, who will have to drop to the bench.

Bongani Zungu has struggled as of late, so bringing Steven Davis into the midfield alongside Scott Arfield and the in-form Glen Kamara makes most sense, at the expense of the South African midfielder and Joe Aribo.

Following his heroics in the Europa League, Cedric Itten offered very little at St Mirren Park, which means Jermain Defoe should be back in action this afternoon, with Kemar Roofe resuming his place on the right wing opposite the ever-reliable Ryan Kent.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard must unleash Jermain Defoe on Motherwell…

Steven Gerrard has been dealt a huge blow ahead of the Old Firm clash with Celtic after Glasgow Rangers ace Scott Arfield was ruled out of action due to injury.

The attack-minded midfielder had barely missed a beat since the start of the season before he suffered an ankle injury during the 1-0 victory over Hibernian on Boxing Day.

Speaking to reporters prior to the highly-anticipated clash at the top of the Scottish Premiership, the Light Blues boss provided an injury update to Arfield after he hobbled off the pitch in the win at home to Hibs.

Gerrard said, as quoted by The Scotsman: “The scan came back and we are just waiting on a few more opinions on it.

“We’ve had one opinion on it and he will obviously be missing in the short term. He will definitely be missing for a few weeks, that’s for sure.

“But in terms of the exact date or time, it’s very difficult to say right now. He will certainly miss the next two or three fixtures.”

Arfield has been an integral part of Gerrard’s side since he first arrived at Ibrox, starting five out of his six appearances and playing the full 90′ minutes on three occasions in the Europa League this season, via Transfermarkt.

The Rangers manager revealed the club are still waiting the results of a second scan to show the full extent of the injury, but expects him to be out of action for several weeks.

Rangers will also be without Ryan Jack for the second Old Firm derby of the season, as Gerrard previously confirmed he will be forced to sit and watch from the sidelines as he works his way back to fitness.

“It has taken a little bit longer than we thought, so that is just not clear at the moment. I don’t really want to rush that, so he won’t be available for the next game,” the Ibrox boss previously stated.

There’s no doubt that losing Arfield for the foreseeable future will be a devastating blow for Gerrard as the Gers seek to juggle both domestic and European competitions whilst trying to prevent Celtic from winning an unprecedented ten titles in a row, with the 32-year-old central midfielder proving to be a key cog in the engine room.

No midfielder has scored more goals than the former Canada international with Arfield accounting for seven goals across all competitions so far this season, via Transfermarkt. Only three other players in the entirety of the Premiership have provided more assists than Arfield (5) has achieved in 20 appearances in the top flight, though it’s worth pointing out at least half of those appearances have come off the bench.

He will be sorely missed by Gerrard at Ibrox as the Gers look to kick-off the New Year in style, having scored the second goal against Celtic to secure a victory over the eventual champions last season.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers defender Filip Helander badly let Gerrard down vs St. Mirren…

Mike Ashley is set for disaster at Newcastle United with plans to reject all approaches for Andy Carroll in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to the Chronicle, the Magpies are likely to retain Carroll in the mid-season market despite West Bromwich Albion boss Sam Allardyce being keen on a reunion.

Allardyce worked with Carroll at West Ham United and planned to reconnect with the centre-forward following his appointment at The Hawthorns, believing the Toon may accept a cut-price fee with the striker inside the final six-months of his £75,000-per-week contract.

Newcastle are yet to receive any formal approach for Carroll but are expected to reject any offers should they arrive this month, feeling the Tyneside outfit are not in a position where they should be aiding any potential relegation rival.

Carroll had been frustrated at his limited playing time under Steve Bruce, having only started two of nine Premier League appearances thus far this season, but has been offered assurances that he will get more action in the second half of the campaign despite all four of Newcastle’s central attacking options now being fit.

The 6 ft 3 target man scored his first Newcastle goal since 2010 during the Magpies’ 2-1 loss at home to Leicester City last time out, having come on in the closing stages with United two goals behind.

Making the wrong decision

Newcastle chiefs would be making the wrong decision should they reject any and all approaches for Carroll in the January transfer window and must make a swift U-turn on their verdict before West Brom finalise alternative options.

Carroll has failed to hit the heights Toon fans would have liked when the striker returned to St. James’ Park in 2019, with the 32-year-old taking 34 games to score again in black and white.

Bruce clearly does not consider Carroll to be anything more than an impact man, who has failed to deliver that frequently enough thus far, and would be sacrificing results by handing the £3m-rated dud a more pivotal role in order to see the 9-cap England striker remain in the North East until the end of the season.

Ashley would also be making a horrific business decision by allowing Newcastle to retain Carroll until the summer, as the former Liverpool striker he sold to the Reds for £35m when his stock was at its highest is now bleeding him dry on a £75k-p/w contract.

There is little expectancy of Carroll turning his form around, let alone to become United’s main striker, so must be sold this month.

AND in other news, Steve Bruce must axe a Newcastle lightweight Rafa Benitez once dubbed “a good player for the future”.

West Brom made their first signing of the Sam Allardyce era last week, bringing in versatile midfielder Robert Snodgrass on an 18-month contract.

The 33-year-old was free to leave West Ham as David Moyes couldn’t guarantee him regular playing time – indeed, the Scotsman had been restricted to just two minutes of Premier League action this season.

Snodgrass arrives vastly-experienced having featured 163 times in the top-flight throughout his career, which is exactly what Big Sam will want in his bid for survival.

Over the course of his lengthy career, the veteran has primarily been deployed as a right-winger but has also played through the middle as a no.10 and a lot deeper as a central midfielder.

His impact in the changing room alone will be worth whatever wages he’ll be on, you can’t imagine that he’s taken much of a decrease from his reported £40k-per-week salary at the London Stadium – if any.

“He’s a buoyant personality and he’s got positivity within him. He’s a good member of the dressing room. He doesn’t harm anybody in the dressing room and tries to help everybody.

“He’s got crossing ability and is good at either creating or scoring goals. But he’s a team person and a team player. He will give lots for the team and the club and he’s a good guy. A positive signing,” claimed Colin Calderwood, his former coach at Norwich and Villa to The Athletic.

Snodgrass very much seems in the mould of a Baggies great in Zoltan Gera – in his second spell at the Hawthorns, he arrived as a winger aged 32, one that could also play in an array of midfield positions.

Despite all of his advancing years, he went onto become an Albion legend and clearly, Snodgrass has the potential to follow the very same path – after all, Hammers fans were gutted to lose him despite his complete non-appearance on the pitch this season – that speaks volumes.

Paul Robinson emphasised his dressing room presence Football Insider, dubbing him a “huge character” who is a “smart signing,” whilst Dean Windass told Football FanCast exclusively that he’s still “got that quality” to play at an elite level.

He did not feature in the Baggies’ embarrassing FA Cup exit over the weekend, though he will surely be involved for the Black County derby this Saturday lunchtime.

AND in other news, West Brom must swoop for “unique talent” who’s shades of Saido Berahino…

Alfredo Morelos was the difference for Glasgow Rangers with his seventh league goal of the season sealing a 1-0 win away at Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership in what was a rather turgid affair.Hibernian started the better of the two sides – Jackson Irvine squandered two chances whilst Morelos can perhaps count himself lucky he wasn’t sent off after his stamp on Ryan Porteous’ knee was missed by the referee in the first half.But the Colombian made amends shortly after the break as he shrugged off his marker to open the scoring. Rangers remained relentless and Steven Gerrard will have every right to feel aggrieved after Morelos missed a simple tap-in following a well-worked move from Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo.And whilst Aribo and Kent were instrumental in their Premiership victory over Hibernian, it was Glen Kamara who ran the show, though, just as he did during the first Old Firm derby of the season.The Finland international has been in such fine form since the start of this season, and Gerrard himself has made no attempt to hide his admiration for Kamara’s abilities.He said: “The previous coaches that have worked with Glen at Arsenal and when he’s moved on have done a fantastic job, he’s been schooled right.“I think he fits into our system like a glove. He could’ve started today, without a shadow of a doubt, he’s certainly pushing. I thought he was very good when he [came] on.“Over the course of the season, Glen Kamara’s going to get many appearances.â€

And last night, he showed precisely why Rangers signed him from Dundee in the first place, as he dominated the midfield battle against a stubborn Hibernian side who kept the score down last time out.

Rangers were organised, defended well, and counter-attacked effectively as Kamara oozed class, retaining possession of the ball and dictating the tempo of the play – it led to Gerrard heaping praise on his midfield three.

He received a high match rating of 8/10 by Glasgow Live’s Mark McDougall, who noted he was ‘the best player on the pitch with some tremendous play from the Finland midfielder. Showed his class throughout and is arguably underrated in this Rangers team.’

The £4m-rated 25-year-old completed more passes (62) than Ryan Kent (48) and won the most amount of duels out of any player on the pitch with 14 overall.

He also made more clearances (3) than Steven Davis and Ryan Jack, whilst he wasn’t dribbled past once, such was his level of dominance in the midfield, which allowed Rangers to establish a foothold in the game.

It’s perhaps hardly surprising that out of all of Gerrard’s wealth of options in the midfield, Kamara has made the most appearances this season, playing in 22 of the Gers’ 26 games in the Premiership and all six Europa League games.

With that in mind, it’s fair to say that the midfielder is becoming virtually undroppable for Gerrard, despite the competition for places.

AND in other news, Rangers should act now as Billy Gilmour could leave Chelsea on loan…

Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard scored twice on his Premier League debut for West Ham as David Moyes’ side cruised past Aston Villa in front of watching England boss Gareth Southgate.

Lingard, who left Old Trafford on loan last week, had fallen out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but looked like he was making up for lost time, scoring goals with both feet to secure the victory at Villa Park and perhaps sending the Man United boss a reminder of the type of player he’s ignored so far this season.

Moyes’ side held on to a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Wednesday night, courtesy of goals from Lingard and Tomas Soucek.

Soucek in particular looked lively, finishing off a fine team move for his eighth of the season to open the scoring and give them a well-deserved lead.

Not to be outdone by his teammate, Lingard fired home from range after Soucek broke the deadlock, before combining with Michail Antonio to restore their two-goal lead after Ollie Watkins pulled a goal back for the hosts.

As per SofaScore, the 28-year-old earn a high 8.4 match rating for his efforts, the highest out of any player from either side, including the likes of Said Benrahma and Jack Grealish.

Lingard, who was making his first Premier League start in 13 months, was in inspired form in the midfield, and it’s certainly not a stretch to say that, in particular in the second half, he was one of the main reasons why the Hammers held onto all three points.

The England international proved to be an absolute nightmare for defenders to combat as he completed two successful dribbles from six attempts and was also fouled once as well. This is all the more impressive when you consider the physical nature of Dean Smith’s side, who count Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa among their number.

Playing in his favoured position as a central No. 10, Lingard looked back to his very best as he looks to build his confidence back up following quite a dramatic fall from grace.

By the numbers, he would go on to take 68 touches of the ball, bettered only by the likes of Soucek, Mings and Matt Targett, and far greater than his last season’s average of 24.8 per 90, which suggests that he was playing well above his usual standards.

He also took six shots in total, including three shots on target in the entire game, significantly higher than that of any player on the pitch.

Therefore, while Solskjaer heaped praise on Martial following the 9-0 win over Southampton at Old Trafford, that doesn’t mean that Lingard’s near-perfect performance against an in-form Villa side should go unnoticed.

Lingard was rotting on the United bench but the deal Ed Woodward completed to send him to West Ham could be an absolute masterstroke if he continues to play at a high level.

He’ll either return to United as a much more confident player, one who is ready to force his way back into the team or he’ll fetch a decent transfer fee if the Red Devils decide to cash in.

AND in other news, Man Utd can find their next Gary Neville in Norwich City starlet Max Aarons…

According to talkSPORT, West Ham United have made Josh King their top target before Monday’s transfer deadline…

What’s the word?

Ian Abrahams, affectionately known as Broadcast Moose on Twitter, told supporters on Friday morning that the AFC Bournemouth forward was atop David Moyes’ priorities.

He said:

“My sources tell me despite all the talk about foreign strikers, West Ham still have Josh King as top target and moves are afoot to approach Bournemouth. I’m led to believe reports about his huge wage demands are misguided.”

The 27-year-old is thought to be on around £45k-per-week at the Vitality Stadium.

Shades of Di Canio?

While recent links to the likes of Hwang Hee-chan and Patson Daka are hugely exciting and would certainly help bolster potential ambitions of a shock qualification to Europe this season, adding King instead is no mere downgrade.

The 51-time Norway international is vastly experienced in the Premier League having hit at least six goals in five successive top-flight campaigns with his best tally of 16 coming in 2016/17, via Transfermarkt.

But it is his other characteristics that make him an even-more desired addition and you could argue, he’s displayed shades of a Hammers great in Paolo Di Canio too.

The Italian sensation was absolutely one of a kind, but was also known for his versatility across the frontline, his technical ability, creativity, eye for goal and dribbling skills.

King covers a lot of these; as seen above, he’s been a prolific option in the Premier League and just like Di Canio at Sheffield Wednesday, he’s been tried and tested prior to a move to east London.

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In addition to that, only ten other players across the top-flight attempted more dribbles than King (122) last season, as per FBRef. By comparison, Michail Antonio topped the Irons’ charts with 107 attempts. If anything, that shows why King would be a decent fit for Moyes.

The Cherries frontman also attempted more carries into the final third of the pitch, averaging 1.66 times per 90, compared to Antonio’s 1.02 average, also via FBRef.

What makes King technically-gifted is his relentless energy to press the opposition’s backline. Again, only 14 other players across the whole division managed to win possession more times than the Norweigen dynamo (9.4 per 90).

It means his ruthless consistency in front of goal, ball-carrying skills and clinical finishing coupled with his dynamic versatility means West Ham could land the closest thing they’ve had to Di Canio, ever.

When speaking about King to Match of the Day, former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe dubbed him the “complete package” as he is “outstanding physically, technically and mentally” (via The Football Faithful).

Again, those words are cut from the same cloth as the Hammers legend.

It’s thought that King could be available for just £10m before Monday’s deadline, according to The Athletic’s Wolves reporter Tim Spiers (5th Jan Molineux View), so that would certainly present good value considering Salzburg would want €25m (£22.5m) for Daka.

Getting all the aforementioned attributes for half the price the club sold Sebastian Haller for would be an absolute bargain for Moyes. The Hammers’ hierarchy, namely David Sullivan, needs to get this done in the next few days.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Lingard: Why Hammers need to clinch this prolific machine…

Leeds United may not have utilised their stance in the January transfer window, but their business in the summer speaks for itself. Victor Orta did well to recruit the likes of Robin Koch and re-sign Jack Harrison on loan, but his best business was arguably through signing Raphinha.The winger joined the Yorkshire outfit from Rennes back in October for a sizeable fee of £17million, according to BBC Sport. But his price tag reflects his ability and he has already shown what he can do both on and off the ball for his new club.Leeds faced off against Crystal Palace last time out in the Premier League and bagged themselves a convincing 2-0 win at Elland Road. Whilst Raphinha may not have gotten involved in the goalscoring against the Eagles, he has contributed two goals and two assists in his last five matches, as per Sofascore.The £60,000 per week speedster pulled off a stunning piece of footwork at Elland Road to completely bamboozle Palace’s Gary Cahill. His silky nutmeg to outperform his defender and get into a dangerous position is just a snippet of the excellence he can conjure up.

According to Transfermarkt, his tally for the seasons so far sees him notch eight goalscoring contributions in 17 Premier League appearances, and 12 in 25 overall. His performances in front of goal have been hugely beneficial to Leeds – who aren’t looking to experience another 16 years outside the top flight any time soon.

Raphinha is one of three options Marcelo Bielsa has on the right flank, but he has been the most consistent and most present since joining in the summer. Helder Costa has slipped down the pecking order and Ian Poveda still has a lot of experience to gather before he can be a fully-fledged starter.

Orta pulled off a huge coup in signing Raphinha, who was recently lauded by Emile Heskey for being an “exciting” player with a “fine edge”. Plenty are already wise to his abilities and there is surely only more to come.

In other news,ÂLeeds interest in Tommaso Pobega could be trouble for Shackleton…

According to Football Insider, Crystal Palace defender Patrick van Aanholt has held initial talks over a pre-contract move to an unnamed Champions League club this summer.

What’s the word?

Van Aanholt has remained coy despite intense scrutiny over his future amid interest from Premier League giants Arsenal.

The 30-year-old’s contract is set to expire at the end of this season, whilst talks have reportedly broken down between the club and his representatives, which has paved the way for him to leave the club for free when the transfer window opens in just a few months time.

Previous reports had suggested that Ajax were preparing a move for the former Chelsea fullback in the January transfer window but a move failed to materialise.

And now, Football Insider claim that his agent has entered negotiations with an unnamed club over a possible summer move.

Good news for Tyrick Mitchell?

Should Van Aanholt depart Selhurst Park this summer, his exit would clear the way for Tyrick Mitchell to establish himself as the undisputed first-choice left-back at the club.

Both players have been jostling for position in Hodgson’s starting XI this season following Mitchell’s emergence in the first team with varied levels of success.

Mitchell, 21, has played 13 games in the Premier League this season thus far, having started the last-gasp 2-1 victory over Brighton, whereas Van Aanholt, who is nine years his senior, has made 14 top-flight appearances in total this term.

Despite his age, the highly-touted prospect has already established himself as a fan favourite in such a short space of time for his all-round capabilities, earning high praise from The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam in the process, who previously described him as a ‘silent assassin.’

Meanwhile, a WhoScored match rating of 6.61 sees him ranked eighth in terms of the entire Palace squad, having stepped up to the plate in Van Aanholt’s absence. For context, that’s nine places higher than the Dutchman, which suggests that he has been performing at a higher level than his teammate.

The stats indicate that he has been doing just that too – he is currently averaging more tackles (3.6) and more clearances (2.5) while he commits fewer fouls than the veteran.

With Van Aanholt out of the picture, it could present Mitchell – who is currently valued at £4.5m via Transfermarkt – with the perfect opportunity to cement himself as Palace’s starting left-back for years to come.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace suffer significant injury setback with Roy Hodgson unsure when Wilfried Zaha will return…