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Former Scottish Premiership striker Noel Whelan has claimed that Glasgow Rangers supporters will ‘worry’ about recent exit news involving two players.

The Lowdown: Kamara and Kent exits?

It was reported last week that the Ibrox outfit are willing to sell Glen Kamara in the January transfer window, after his proposed deadline day move to Ligue 1 side Nice collapsed.

They need to sell a number of big-name players if they are to generate the funds required to invest in the squad, with Ryan Kent another name that has been linked with a move away, namely to Leeds United in the Premier League.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has claimed that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team cannot afford to lose any more of their spine, having already let the likes of Calvin Bassey, Joe Aribo and Leon Balogun leave in the summer:

“No.

“That would be a massive loss. Kamara and Kent are two pivotal players and players who have been standouts for Rangers.

“They’ve got different attributes, but they have a similar stature at the club.

“How do you replace those players? Especially when you consider the players they’ve already lost in the summer [Bassey and Aribo] and how they were replaced.

“They’ll command big, big money because of the quality they have – but how do you follow that up?

“Losing two big names like that – this has got to worry the Rangers fans.”

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The Verdict: Worrying indeed

As Whelan claims, Gers supporters should be worried by the latest exit news surrounding a number of their key players, especially after how many they let go in the summer.

In the Scottish Premiership this season, Kent is among the Light Blues’ top five best-performing players, leading the assist charts with James Tavernier with three, while Kamara has ranked highly among his teammates in terms of average interceptions per game and pass success rate (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, with the Teddy Bears seemingly slipping away from their bitter rivals Celtic, who thumped them 4-0 earlier this term and are two points clear at the top of the SPFL table, they simply cannot afford to lose any more of their core group at this moment in time.

Everton return to action in the Premier League this weekend making the trip down to the south coast for their clash with Southampton, and Frank Lampard will be hoping his team can keep up their unbeaten run when they take on Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

Everton have drawn four and won one of their last five games in the league which will be an absolute delight to the manager who has endured a difficult challenge since joining the Toffees back in January during a difficult relegation battle that saw the saved in the penultimate game of the season.

Now the future is looking bright for the Merseysiders and with eight new signings in tow, the team seem to be much stronger defensively in the performances we have seen over their first seven Premier League outings thanks to the quickly-formed formidable centre-back partnership blossoming between James Tarkowski and Conor Coady.

Not only that the squad have had fitness boosts over the last few weeks with Abdoulaye Doucoure returning and now another player who wasn’t quite match fit to start the season could be unleashed by Lampard this weekend.

The Everton manager took to his pre-match press conference to confirm that former Manchester United midfielder James Garner could be in contention to finally make an appearance in blue on Saturday afternoon:

“James, when he [first] came here, he wasn’t fit – he declared that to me.

“For West Ham, he was kind of fit, but then it’s great that he played a game – and played so well – for England Under-21s.

“Now he’s ready to go. He’s impressed me in training very much, as a lad and as a player.”

The young £15m midfielder, who was hailed a “raw talent” by journalist Rich Fay, caught the attention of a number of Premier League clubs following his impressive season-long loan with Nottingham Forest in the Championship last season.

Garner scored four goals, contributed eight assists and created seven big chances from his position in the centre of the pitch, as well as offering a consistent defensive output too with 1.4 interceptions, 1.8 tackles and 3.9 duels won per game last season, and now Lampard can take full advantage of the 21-year-old’s versatile set of skills.

With that being said, the game against Southampton could be the perfect opportunity for Garner to make his debut for Everton and prove his worth to his new manager, as he could become a really important player in the heart of the team over the season ahead.

Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared a big Chelsea transfer update on their pursuit of RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku.

The Lowdown: Potter backed…

The Blues are appearing to back their new manager Graham Potter with club owner Todd Boehly reportedly holding serious ambition behind-the-scenes.

Claims surfaced this week of the Stamford Bridge’s side real intent as 90min shared reports of a possible ‘double deal’ for both Nkunku and Josko Gvardiol from Leipzig.

It was stated that talks are ongoing over moves for both players and Boehly is the personal driving force behind this exciting swoop.

Now, a very reliable source in Romano has shared a promising update on Chelsea’s pursuit of Nkunku.

The Latest: Romano shares Nkunku update…

Writing via his CaughtOffside substack for subscribers, the Italian says Chelsea and Boehly by extension have ‘moved fast’ for the forward to get ahead of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Man United.

Romano claims Potter’s side are ‘more than leading the race’ for Nkunku’s signature as they enter pole position for his signing.

The fee will allegedly be somewhere over the €60m (£53m) mark.

The Verdict: Exciting…

Called a ‘world class player’ by ex-Leipzig assistant coach Achim Beierlorzer, Nkunku’s numbers definitely back this up.

As per WhoScored, the 24-year-old has already bagged six goals in eight Bundesliga appearances this season whilst also ranking in their top three for shots at goal and key passes made per 90.

Still fairly young and a proven threat, £53 million could certainly be considered a bargain.

Journalist Fraser Fletcher criticised the performance of Ryan Kent as Glasgow Rangers lost 7-1 at Ibrox in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night.

The Lowdown: Humiliation

It turned out what promised to be another memorable night at Ibrox in Europe to a humiliating one for the hosts, shipping no fewer than six goals in the second half to lose 7-1 overall against Premier League Liverpool.

Scott Arfield had got Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side off to a dream start with his opening strike, but seven goals for the visitors followed, including a quick-fire hat-trick from Mo Salah.

The Latest: Kent criticised

Taking to Twitter, Fletcher was heavily critical of Kent’s performance, suggesting that he has ‘packed it in’ for the Gers, and even going as far as to claim that his body language was ‘horrendous’:

“Has Ryan Kent completely packed it in for Rangers? Complete lack of want and desire, horrendous body language that suggests he isn’t that fussed as well. Running down his contract? Knows he has a move in January?”

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The Verdict: Head elsewhere

Judging by this latest performance, Kent’s head seems to be elsewhere.

His current deal is set to expire in the summer, and he has reportedly rejected a ‘big-money’ offer from the club to stay.

On Wednesday night, the winger lost three of his four individual duels, and recorded no shots on target, successful dribbles, key passes or crosses in the game (SofaScore).

Kent only had a mere 22 touches of the ball in total, the second fewest of any starter in the Light Blues squad, emphasising how little of an impact he had on the match, and suggests that he was not fully committed to trying to get his team a result.

Nonetheless, if the Englishman continues to show the same kind of attitude on the pitch, it may be best for the Teddy Bears to move him on for a suitable fee in the January transfer window.

West Bromwich Albion have been seen plenty of names swirl around the rumour mill since last week’s dismissal of Steve Bruce, with there being so many that every brand of manager has been linked.

However, the overwhelming theme of the majority of candidates is both their age and philosophy, which largely seem to align.

Excluding the two obvious anomalies in Chris Wilder and Sean Dyche, who were always going to be linked to this position, names such as Russell Martin, Carlos Corberan, Rob Edwards and Steven Schumacher all boast wildly different profiles from the aforementioned two.

They are tactically adept, enjoy playing a fluid brand of football, have youth on their side and have far less experience than Dyche and Wilder.

One man who manages to combine more of a blend of the two is Scott Parker, who despite still only being in the embryonic stages of his managerial career has already overseen the promotion of two Championship clubs.

His first success came with Fulham, where the 42-year-old took them up but then struggled to maintain their top-flight status.

Then just last season he did the same with AFC Bournemouth but was not given a proper chance to keep them up.

For a side that’s only goal is to ensure promotion, to appoint someone like Parker who has a track record yet does so with style could be a masterstroke.

Especially with some of the talent they have at their disposal, most notably Taylor Gardner-Hickman.

Just last weekend he proved what he could do when handed a start in his favoured midfield position, following months of being forced to plug gaps by Bruce.

A goal and an assist in a 2-0 win over Reading marked their first victory in eight matches, as he outlined his creative qualities.

With the way Parker often likes to play, with a single-pivoted 4-3-3, the 20-year-old could excel in either of the more advanced central midfield roles due to his apparent versatility.

It was a waste to put a player who Richard Beale claims “brings energy” in the back four, and already the tweak is seeing everyone reap the rewards.

If Parker is to take the job, his first action must be to hand the youngster a spot in his midfield. Should he start to truly unlock his potential, it could be a dream for West Brom as an academy graduate potentially fires them back to the Premier League.

Everton have reportedly fallen behind in the race to sign Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Seven-horse race

It was reported earlier this month that the Goodison Park outfit are involved in a massive seven-horse race to try and sign Brereton Diaz, who is out of contract at Ewood Park in the summer.

Leeds United, Almeria, Valencia, Celta Vigo, Sevilla and AC Milan are also thought to be interested in his signature, in what looks to be a major saga come January.

The Latest: Sevilla in pole

As per Football Insider, Fulham are also in the race for Diaz, but Sevilla are currently in ‘pole position’.

Blackburn are ready to listen to offers for him in January, as they do not want to risk losing the Chile international on a free transfer next summer.

The Toffees had a bid rejected for Diaz this summer, but he is believed to be ‘open’ to playing abroad, and in Spain in particular.

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The Verdict: Unlikely

Given the profile of some of the teams interested in Diaz, including Sevilla, who are playing in the UEFA Champions League, it seems unlikely that Frank Lampard’s side will be able to sign him at this stage.

Lauded as a ‘beast’ by former Rovers manager Tony Mowbray, the six-foot-one machine scored an impressive 22 goals in the Championship last term, and already has eight to his name in this season (Transfermarkt), including a sumptuous curling effort from outside of the box in midweek against Sunderland, which Black Cats podcasters Roker Report described as an ‘absolute screamer’.

Nonetheless, Brereton Diaz is clearly ready to make the step up to the Premier League, but the 23-year-old may have loftier ambitions in terms of playing European football.

Australia were caught out by Faf du Plessis’ early declaration of the South Africa innings, which meant Usman Khawaja had to open in place of David Warner

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide24-Nov-2016

Australia have admitted they were sent into a lather by Faf du Plessis’ crafty declaration on the first evening of the Adelaide Test, a call that left Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja fuming as David Warner was unable to take his usual spot as an opener after spending time off the field.Warner complained of shoulder pain and went for treatment late in South Africa’s innings, but upon overhearing that the opener needed to spend a further six minutes on the field, du Plessis closed his innings. “I listened to the conversation he had with the umpires, one ear talking to the batter and one ear listening to him and then I heard he had six minutes left before he could bat again so I thought ‘let’s have a crack’,” du Plessis said.Warner and Smith both remonstrated with the umpires on their way off the field, with du Plessis’ closure the earliest in terms of overs in the first innings of a Test unaffected by bad weather. “He went off for some treatment towards the end and was off for too long,” Josh Hazlewood said of Warner. “So they messed their timings up and he couldn’t bat straight away. Uzzy had to bat and adapted pretty well and we got through.”The guys were a little bit annoyed, especially Smithy and probably Uzzy who had to go out and bat, but it’s just one of those things. It rarely happens, but it happened today and the way Uzzy adapted to the situation he did a great job for us today.”Hazlewood confirmed it was up to Warner to ensure he was not caught out in this way, and said the team would likely receive an apology from the vice-captain as a result. “It’s probably the player himself,” he said. “You know the rules and he was just off the field for too long. He’ll hold himself accountable, that’s how Davey goes, so he’ll know he did the wrong thing, apologise to the group and especially Usman, and he’ll learn from it and hopefully it won’t happen again.”As for du Plessis, Hazlewood could only doff his cap. “I think he might’ve had a rough idea, yeah,” he said. “He’s quite cagey like that, pulled the pin and declared and caught us out a little bit.”

Aston Villa have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their upcoming Premier League meeting with Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon.

What’s the latest?

According to the French publication Le Equipe, this weekend could see the return of Lucas Digne following the injury he suffered in mid-September.

Whilst there was initial doubt over whether he would be fit for the World Cup, this new update is a big boost for both club and country.

He now has a run of games under the new manager to prove why he should be selected for France, all the while helping to take the Midlands club return where it belongs.

It could change their season 

For Steven Gerrard, the absence of both Digne and Matty Cash spelled the beginning of the end.

The 42-year-old relied heavily on his attacking full-backs to provide the width in his narrow system, so in their absence, his style of play crumbled.

Whilst Emery will likely set up his side in a very different way, the return of such a talented and creative defender will surely help him in his task of turning around this miserable campaign.

Thus far, Villa sit just three points above the relegation zone, having won just twice in their last ten Premier League games.

With the Frenchman’s absence felt all the heavier during this run, his return will be a welcome boost to the likes of Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins, who have struggled for goals this campaign.

Before last weekend’s double salvo against Brentford, the former had just one goal in ten league games, whilst the latter still only has two in 12.

For his previous club, whilst operating as a classic modern full-back would, he was lauded for his ability to deliver crosses to perfection.

Across his 127 games for Everton, he provided 20 assists, with his final full season seeing him assist seven under Carlo Ancelotti.

This kind of contribution could be integral to Emery’s plans, with Digne boasting vast Premier League experience and quality far beyond that of Ashley Young.

In the wake of arguably one of the toughest games you can face at the moment, the 29-year-old returning to fitness ahead of a trip to an in-form Newcastle United is undoubtedly great news for Emery.

Donovan Miller and Graeme Welch also in the running following departure of Jim Troughton

George Dobell26-Nov-2020

Mark Ramprakash has emerged as a strong contender for the role of Warwickshire head coach.ESPNcricinfo understands that Ramprakash, the former England batsman, has been shortlisted for interview. Other shortlisted candidates include – but are not limited to – Donovan Miller and Graeme Welch.After a couple of years as batting coach at Middlesex, Ramprakash enjoyed several years as England’s batting coach. Having turned down an approach from Sri Lanka, he is currently coaching at Harrow School.Miller has an outstanding record as a coach in T20 franchise cricket. As a head or assistant coach, he has overseen victories in the CPL, PSL GT20 (Canada) and Mzansi Super League (South Africa), while he was also part of the England coaching team when they won the World Cup in 2019 and at Essex when they won the County Championship in 2017.Welch, a former Warwickshire player, has earned an excellent reputation as a bowling coach – a role he currently holds at the club – and has had several stints as a consultant with the England squad. He has previously had a short spell as head coach at Derbyshire, whom he also captained in his playing days.David Saker, the former England bowling coach, was an early frontrunner for the job having been sounded out over his interest by Warwickshire’s director of cricket, Paul Farbrace, several months ago. Saker has now told ESPNcricinfo that he “has a job with Sri Lanka [he is bowling coach] so is not really interested” in the Warwickshire role.Ottis Gibson, currently the bowling coach with Bangladesh, also denied to ESPNcricinfo he had been offered an interview though he is thought to remain a strong candidate.Second interviews are scheduled to take place in the week starting December 14 with an appointment expected before Christmas.Warwickshire are seeking a replacement for Jim Troughton who was sacked at the end of a disappointing season. It is understood Warwickshire were obliged to pay Troughton, who has been connected with the club as a player or coach for the best part of 30 years, a six-figure sum in compensation.

Everton travel to London this evening to take on Fulham in their Premier League clash at Craven Cottage, and Frank Lampard will surely be hoping that his team can pick up from where they left off after their 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace last weekend.

The Toffees are currently 12th in the table on 13 points, and another three-pointer today on the road could see them climb as high as ninth, which would put them in an even more comfortable position ahead of the World Cup break next month.

Fulham will be no easy challenge for the Merseysiders, though, as the Cottagers are currently seventh following an outstanding start to their campaign after being promoted from the Championship last season.

Former Everton manager Marco Silva has led his team to an unbeaten run over their last three games, but Lampard will be hoping that he can prove to one of his predecessors that the team he has built can nullify the Cottagers today.

As a result, the Toffees boss should unleash a secret weapon in his armoury, with James Garner familiar and experienced in defeating this successful Fulham side.

The ex-Manchester United midfielder, who was dubbed “exceptional” by former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, spent last season on loan with Nottingham Forest in the Championship. In his most recent clash against Silva’s side, he emerged on the right side of a 1-0 win.

Garner joined Everton this summer from Old Trafford in a £15m deal, and Lampard has already made it clear that the young talent is part of his plans at Goodison Park, claiming that the midfielder can offer something “different” to the team.

The 44-year-old said: “He looks a bit different to our other midfield players in his attributes; his passing, his delivery of set-pieces and shots he can get away. He is a really clean striker of the ball in a sense of his passing… He’s going to be a big player for us.”

The 21-year-old is renowned for his versatility in the middle of the park, something he displayed frequently during his time at the City Ground last season; scoring four goals, supplying eight assists and creating seven big chances, along with averaging 1.4 interceptions, 1.8 tackles and 3.9 successful duels per game.

With that in mind, Garner could give Fulham nightmares if he is unleashed in the starting line up this evening, and could be the difference in Everton’s midfield to halt the west London side’s unbeaten run.

It’s high time that the youngster is properly unleashed for his first start for the Toffees.