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Aston Villa could hire their perfect Dean Smith successor in Rangers manager Steven Gerrard.

What’s the story?

The Villa boss has played a huge role in restoring the Midlands club back to the Premier League, earning promotion from the Championship a couple of seasons ago before ensuring survival on the final day of last year’s campaign.

This season has seen Villa take that next step, with a summer spending spree seeing them well in the hunt for a European place for the following season.

Despite that, Football Insider claimed that Smith’s long-term future at the club is far from certain, and that chief executive Christian Purslow has “strong interest” in luring Gerrard to Villa Park.

The 40-year-old has just steered the Gers to a league title in Scotland, and it remains to be seen whether he would be interested in a move south of the border.

Dean Smith’s perfect successor

Despite it still being so early in his managerial career, Gerrard has already earned himself a place in Rangers folklore, ending Celtic’s quest for a tenth successive league title this season and bringing back a taste of the glory days at Ibrox.

He said: “It has been a challenge and a process. You speak to a lot of people in a lot of areas as a manager to try and improve and get as much experience as you can. But I am who I am. I was an emotional player, I wore my heart on my sleeve, I tried to give everything I could. I feel results and I want to try and be as authentic and real as I can and I wouldn’t want to change away from that because that wouldn’t be me…”

His management style has earned him rave reviews from those who have had the chance to work under him, including former Tottenham and England striker Jermain Defoe.

He said of Gerrard: “I don’t think it surprised me (his success) because he’s a winner. He always talks about Rangers standards, even if you are winning 6-0 or 7-0, the standards can’t drop. It’s not really surprised me he’s done well, to be honest.”

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Pinpointed by Juventus icon and manager Andrea Pirlo as one of Europe’s most exciting coaches, Gerrard could lead a new era at Villa Park were Smith to leave anytime soon.

Given his age, the 40-year-old Liverpool legend could build a real long-term project at Villa which sets up the club not just for the here-and-now, but for the long-term future too.

Meanwhile, Villa should swoop for this “unstoppable” Premier League star…

Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara would like to see Marcelo Bielsa replace Jose Mourinho at the club, seeing him as the ideal candidate for the role.

The Argentine has become a legendary modern day figure at Leeds United, transforming the club’s fortunes.

Bielsa has masterminded the Whites’ return to the Premier League, also connecting with the fans unlike few other managers in the club’s history.

The thought of him leaving is a grim one for Leeds supporters, but it is something that can never be ruled out when he is only signing one year deals at a time, especially given the unpredictable nature of football these days.

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O’Hara wants Bielsa to replace Mourinho

Speaking on talkSPORT, O’Hara claimed Bielsa would be the perfect man to come in for Mourinho:

“I would say Bielsa. I think he’d be absolutely brilliant and the fans would love him.

“If you can try and prise him away from there it’d be unbelievable. The Leeds fans would be devastated and there would be uproar but Spurs are bigger than Leeds.”

Transfer Tavern take

O’Hara’s comments are unlikely to go down too well with Leeds fans, especially with Bielsa’s current deal expiring this summer, meaning there is a genuine possibility he could depart – he even publicly quashed rumours of him signing a new deal earlier this month.

The hope is that he will stay loyal to the Whites and extend his stay at Elland Road, but the lure of joining a club higher up in the table with potentially more money available to splash on transfers is undeniable for any manager.

There is certainly a feeling that Bielsa still has another chapter to write at Leeds, however – the next aim could be European football returning to the club – and we hope the enigmatic boss stays in Yorkshire, as his side have been a real treat for Premier League fans this season.

In other news, one Leeds player is under scrutiny for two key reasons – find out who it is here.

South Africa manager Eddie Ntseki has shared his anger after Glasgow Rangers refused to allow Bongani Zungu to join up with the Bafana Bafana squad for their clash against Ghana.

Ntseki angry over Zungu situation

Zungu was selected to represent his country during the international break. However, while he will be able to play against Sudan, he has been denied permission to travel to his homeland for the Ghana match as South Africa is on the UK’s “Red List” (gov.uk). That means Zungu cannot travel there without needing to quarantine for two weeks upon his return to Scotland.

Ntseki was far from happy with Rangers’ decision on the 28-year-old as he said (via IOL):

“We should all agree that nobody from South Africa or Africa brought Covid-19. It is very unfair for us to be punished by saying: ‘You cannot be released to go to South Africa because it is a hot spot’. I think all over the world, it’s a hot spot.

“For them not to release our players it’s a very big disappointment for us. I think even in South America, they were made aware that there were players that weren’t going to be released for the World Cup qualifiers and they suspended their games.”

Rules are the rules

Unfortunately, this is the way of the world at the moment. A pandemic on this scale is unprecedented in our lifetime, and that means everyone has to make sacrifices. Football is already granted plenty of exceptions to travel regulations. and while Zungu’s absence is unfortunate for South Africa, that’s just the way it is.

The 28-year-old will probably be disappointed not to be able to join up with his national team. He has started just one of Rangers’ last 10 Premiership matches and recently found himself in hot water after breaking lockdown rules to attend a house gathering (Sky Sports).

A return to his homeland may have given him a welcome distraction as well as some more playing time. As it is, he will have to wait until the Sudan fixture to get back on the pitch.

In other news, this man has been tipped to be Rangers’ Player of the Year.

Sheffield Wednesday have finally appointed a new manager.

In a surprise move to kickstart the month of March, Owls chairman Dejphon Chansiri snatched Darren Moore from the grasp of local League One promotion chasers Doncaster Rovers.

And he’ll be in place for The Owls’ crucial crunch match against relegation rivals Rotherham United on Wednesday night.

The 46-year-old replaces interim coach Neil Thompson, who remains as part of the first-team coaching set-up.

Speaking during his unveiling press confernece, Moore revealed his intentions for the south Yorkshire giants.

“Let’s hope that the Sheffield Wednesday fans can see a team that they’re really proud of, that’s playing really attacking, front-foot football in a real aggressive style and real attacking emphasis on opponents.” 

On the Chalkboard

Indeed, that is what the former West Brom manager will bring to Hillsborough – only two teams have scored more goals in the third division than Donny (47).

Those goals have been spread around too, with seven players finding the net three or more times this term.

Moore’s Rovers side had also been averaging more shots per game (12.9) than the faltering Owls (8.7), so fans should certainly be glad that there will be some sort of fresh attacking impetus from here on out.

This should also be of huge encouragement to Chelsea loanee Izzy Brown, who has struggled for game time this season, having started only four Championship outings.

For all 28 matches in charge of Doncaster, Moore deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation, which sees a no.10 in operation – something that has been rarely utilised by Garry Monk, Tony Pulis and Thompson, which is a surprise given the wealth of options in the aforementioned role.

Brown, when given a proper run of matches, can be quite the creative influence as seen during his loan spell at league rivals Luton Town last season. He averaged 2.1 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

Such numbers would see him rank first for that attribute in the current Owls squad as only skipper Barry Bannan (1.7 per game) has managed over one key pass per game this season.

“His stats last year showed that until his injury (a hamstring injury sustained while on loan with Luton), he was one of the most creative players in the league and he added assists and goals along the way as well,” said former teammate, Mark Hudson to The Athletic.

Even with a lack of game-time, Brown currently sits joint-third, so surely he can be the big winner from the appointment of Moore as he could be the man to play the ‘Taylor Richards’ role – he’s scored five and assisted four for Doncaster, whilst also managing 1.1 key passes per outing this term.

The £1.98m-rated attacker, who earns a reported £26k-per-week, has previously been lauded as a “match-winner” and a “great kid” who is “so creative” yet a mix of injuries and the system have halted his opportunities at Hillsborough.

So, his time may finally come now that the Owls have appointed a progressive and attack-minded coach in Moore.

Don’t be surprised if Brown refinds that Luton form in the coming months.

AND in other news, Sheffield Wednesday star was left a passenger in Brentford defeat

Liverpool’s Premier League woes continued on Sunday afternoon as they suffered a sixth consecutive home defeat, this time at the hands of Fulham.

Jurgen Klopp swept the changes for his line up at Anfield but the gamble did not pay off, with Mario Lemina’s goal enough to see the visitors claim victory on Merseyside.

Not a single Red imposed themselves on the game with Xherdan Shaqiri one of those who faced criticism from a section of the fanbase.

However, it was one of the regular stars though, Mo Salah, who let the side down with a drastically poor performance.

Starting the game on the right-hand side of the Reds’ attack, he earned the lowest WhoScored rating of anyone on the pitch at just 5.32 – an inexplicable drop-off from his season average of 7.07.

Currently the Premier League’s top scorer with 17, the Egyptian did not look like he was going to get on the scoresheet at all, rarely even threatening Fulham’s staunch defence.

Throughout the 90 minutes, he could only get one shot on target and produced only a solitary dribble – statistics that do not do his £108m rating justice.

He also looked on a completely different wavelength to his teammates, completing just 23 passes throughout the game, which is again the lowest of all of the starting Liverpool players, including goalkeeper Alisson.

Salah’s frustration continued to grow throughout the game as he was also personally caught offside twice, which is the same as every player on the pitch combined.

To make matters even worse, he was dispossessed on three separate occasions – one of those giveaways even leading to the Fulham goal. As Salah attempted to turn on the ball in his own box, Lemina was just far too strong, stole the ball and fizzed it into the bottom corner of the Liverpool net.

For a player usually so composed and threatening, the Egyptian was a liability to his side on the day.

Jurgen Klopp will certainly be expecting more from his mercurial wideman. He maybe hoped that taking Salah off against Chelsea would have fired the forward up, but judging on this performance, it may have done the opposite.

AND in more news, take a look at why Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly is a must-buy for the Reds in the summer…

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting excitedly to rumours linking the Reds with a move for RB Salzburg striker Patson Daka.

While lots of the talk this season has surrounded Liverpool’s defensive woes, with several key men out injured, they have also struggled in attack. The front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have failed to click as a unit, with only the former coming close to consistently producing his best form.

Diogo Jota made a different in the early months, but a knee injury saw him miss around three months of action, acting as a further blow.

It could be that Jurgen Klopp delves into the transfer market for a new attacking player this summer in order to increase the level of quality and competition for places in the final third.

Someone who has been linked with a move to Anfield is Daka, with Salzburger Nachrichten claiming that Liverpool are eyeing up a move for the 22-year-old. The Zambian youngster has scored 61 goals in just 114 appearances for Salzburg, highlighting his pedigree.

Liverpool fans talk up Daka move

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to give their thoughts on a move for Daka, with many seeing the benefits of signing him.

“Seeing Patson Daka rumours on the timeline. Been wanting him and saying it for ages. I really hope it happens. He’s a Liverpool fan too”Credit: @Klopptinho”Hope so, he’s dynamite, pace, power and finishing ability”Credit: @dcory68″He’s class”Credit: @matthickey71″We could sign him and still sign another attacker, that’s a bargain for someone who is producing good numbers”Credit: @oni_kzz”Could see Klopp and Edwards going for him instead of an already world-class striker. Huge potential and a natural goalscorer, Klopp could turn him into a top player”Credit: @1CraigFisher”Give them Origi”Credit: @Callum_Moran10In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to a surprise transfer story involving the Reds. Read about it here.

Glasgow Rangers could be heading for a monumental king-sized changing of the guard – with seven players out of contract in the summer.

Steven Gerrard has some tough decisions to make as he faces the prospect of losing some of his key men having entered the last six months of their current deals.

It could lead to a mass exodus from Ibrox which means several players will need replacing. Rangers have midfielders Steven Davis, 36, and Bongani Zungu, 28, whose contracts are set to expire in the summer.

The former Southampton man has re-established himself in Gerrard’s first-team plans and forged an excellent partnership with Glen Kamara in the midfield.

Gerrard has made it clear he wants to tie the 36-year-old down to a new deal but Zungu could return to his parent club Amiens after a difficult start to life in Glasgow.

Whilst the spirited Davis may be in a resurgent mood this season, he can’t go on forever, and the Light Blues need to lay down a succession plan for the Northern Irishman. And they may not have to look much further than Bournemouth midfielder Nnamdi Ofoborh, who has been heavily linked with a move to Ibrox.

According to The Sun’s Andy Devlin, Rangers are close to completing a deal for Ofoborh and his teammate Jack Simpson as the pair edge closer to agreeing Bosman moves with Gerrard’s side.

It’s fair to say that the 21-year-old could be the perfect successor for Steven Davis, who has been in such fine form since the start of this season – against Celtic, SofaScore graded him as one of the best players on the pitch with a high 7.3 rating in the Old Firm clash at Ibrox.

Per WhoScored, Ofoborh spent the majority of last season on loan with Wycombe Wanderers, winning promotion to the Championship, whilst averaging at least one clearance and one tackle per game, which is more than Zungu has currently managed in the Scottish Premiership this season, via WhoScored.

Bournemouth development squad manager Shaun Cooper previously heaped praise on his young charge after he made his competitive debut for the Cherries against Crystal Palace. He said: “Nnamdi had a fantastic season with Wycombe last year, experiencing first-team football and winning a promotion.

“He was probably a bit more ready for it in that respect, but I still thought he did really well playing on the right of a back three. His passing in the first half was good and as a character he is solid and reliable.”

Ross Wilson needs to prioritise signing a new defensive midfielder and Ofoborh could be the perfect successor for Davis in the future.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers handed Kemar Roofe injury boost…

After completing a perfect Europa League group stage campaign with a 4-2 win over Dundalk on Thursday, Arsenal return to Premier League action when they take on Burnley on Sunday evening.

The Gunners have made a terrible start to the top-flight, struggling to pick up wins, and not even managing to click going forward – ahead of the game against the Clarets, they have just 13 points from their opening 11 games and scored just ten.

Mikel Arteta will be desperate to pick up a win ahead of a busy Christmas period, and with Burnley starting the game in the bottom three of the Premier League, it may give them the perfect chance to do so.

Below is a look at how the Gunners might line up on Sunday night.

After making wholesale changes for the clash against Dundalk, Arteta is likely to revert back to a stronger looking eleven, with Bernd Leno restored as the side’s number one goalkeeper.

And having gone back to a back-five on Thursday, the Arsenal boss may stick with that against Burnley, with the formation of course serving them well in winning both the FA Cup and Community Shield over the summer.

That could see David Luiz, Gabriel and Kieran Tierney line up as the central defensive trio, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Hector Bellerin on either side at wing-back.

In midfield, Dani Ceballos and Granit Xhaka could rekindle the partnership that dominated towards the end of last season, especially with Thomas Partey of course going off injured against Tottenham last weekend.

And in a front three, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette could be joined by Emile Smith Rowe, who looked likely against Dundalk and can provide a more creative option.

Predicted XI: Leno; Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney, Maitland-Niles; Ceballos, Xhaka; Smith Rowe, Lacazette, Aubameyang.

Southampton summer signing Mohammed Salisu is still yet to make a first-team appearance for the club and has now been setback with an injury, just when it appeared that he could be on the brink of a start.

The Ghanaian was signed from Real Valladolid during the summer transfer window but Ralph Hasenhuttl admitted that he would need to improve his fitness before he would be considered ready to make his first-team debut for the Saints.

It was suggested that the 21-year-old was close to starting the Boxing Day fixture against Fulham following the injury to Jannik Vestergaard but Jack Stephens was given the nod instead, and since his return to the first-team, the Saints have kept three consecutive clean sheets.

Hasenhuttl also suggested that this weekend’s upcoming FA Cup tie against Shrewsbury Town could be a ‘good moment’ for Salisu to make his debut but unfortunately, it seems as if he will miss out through injury after the Austrian manager confirmed that he missed Monday’s game against Liverpool after picking up a muscle injury.

It is a big shame for the young defender, as considering the form of Southampton’s current centre-back pairing, it seems unlikely that he will be able to force his way into Hasenhuttl’s first-team plans anytime soon, especially when Vestergaard returns to fitness.

When he was signed during the summer, the Austrian manager was full of praise for the 21-year-old, saying:

“This is an important signing for us, Mohammed is a player who fits our profile well. He is young and has a great amount of potential, but he is also someone who has the qualities to come in and help the team as soon as he is up to speed with our way of playing.

Hopefully, the muscle injury that he’s picked up doesn’t rule him out for too long, and if the Saints can find a way past Shrewsbury this weekend, then perhaps we can pencil in Salisu’s debut for the fourth round tie, should they be drawn against lower league opposition once again.

And, in other news… Hasenhuttl faces impossible call on Southampton gem who made Thiago look bang average

Sheffield Wednesday reporter Joe Crann has shed light on the latest goings-on concerning Erik Alonso’s Sheffield Wednesday takeover bid in a recent article for The Sheffield Star.

Crann confirmed that Alonso, who is a former member of the Yorkshire club’s board, has tabled a bid to take over Wednesday, however, the journalist also suggested that the bid won’t be successful.

Dejphon Chansiri’s Sheffield Wednesday valuation

Crann shared his article on this development via a tweet, in which he explained that Alonso’s Owls takeover bid was worth “around £30m” before he went on to state: “My understanding is that it’s nowhere near Dejphon Chansiri’s valuation of the club.”

The journalist also cast some doubt over the likelihood that Alonso may be successful in buying the Owls if he increases his offer, explaining that, at present, Chansiri is “not considering a sale at all.”

Transfer Tavern take

Per The Guardian, Chansiri bought Sheffield Wednesday for £30m back in January 2015, however, based on what Crann has revealed about Alonso’s Owls takeover bid, it’s clear that the Thai businessman either feels he got a great bargain or the club has grown exponentially in value since then, with the journalist explaining that the Wednesday owner feels £30m is “nowhere near” enough to buy the club now.

While Crann has suggested that Chansiri is not interested in selling up, perhaps the comments that the Owls owner has made within the last year about potentially selling the club paint a different picture.

As explained by YorkshireLive, in early-November, Chansiri declared that he doesn’t “see any future in football,” while on New Year’s Eve, he briefly touched on potentially selling the club, saying: “If you don’t want me, I don’t mind. It must be reasonable,” which may suggest that he would actually be open to selling for a price he deems “reasonable.”

So, perhaps the possibility of Chansiri selling the club to Alonso if he returns with a better second offer shouldn’t be completely ruled out and it will be interesting to see if the ex-Owls board member does return with an improved bid.

In other news, many Sheffield Wednesday fans were frustrated with Dom Howson’s Massimo Luongo update.