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Rangers’ unbeaten run in the Premiership continued as Steven Gerrard’s side earned a 1-1 draw against their Old Firm rivals at Parkhead on Sunday.

Mohamed Elyounoussi gave the hosts a first-half lead when he headed in Odsonne Edouard’s cross before Alfredo Morelos broke his duck in this fixture by heading home from a tight angle after Leon Balogun’s flick-on from a corner to equalise.

Both sides had chances to win it in the second half but the Ibrox outfit will be happy that their invincible status is still intact as we approach the final few fixtures of the season.

One Rangers man who impressed with his performance at Parkhead was Borna Barisic.

As per SofaScore, the Croatian international would earn an impressive 7.2/10 rating for his display, with only Alfredo Morelos (7.4) and Allan McGregor (7.9), of all the Rangers players who featured on Sunday, earning a higher rating.

The defender was a constant thorn in the home side’s defence, as he regularly pushed forward down the left-hand side and supplied dangerous crosses.

During the 90 minutes, Barisic would cross the ball 11 times, with five of these finding a Rangers teammate, although they unfortunately couldn’t find that second goal.

Perhaps most impressively, the 28-year-old, who joined Rangers for just £2.2 million in 2018, would play five key passes during his time on the pitch, which was more than every other Rangers player combined, which emphasises just how impressive he was on Sunday.

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For further comparison, the home side’s left-back Diego Laxalt made just one key pass during his time on the pitch, and wasn’t accurate in any of his three attempted crosses.

It wasn’t just his attacking play that made him stand out in the derby however, as he also contributed four clearances and one interception, whilst he wasn’t dribbled past once during the 90 minutes, which suggests that he had the better of his opposition for the majority of the game.

[freshpress-quiz id=“588789″]

Therefore, whilst Morelos might be the name on many Rangers fans’ lips after his equalising goal, it seems clear that Barisic was Gerrard’s star performer in the Old Firm.

And, in other news… Wilson can sign Rangers’ ideal Defoe heir with swoop for £6.3m-rated beast

Everton must look to offload Fabian Delph at the end of the season after Carlo Ancelotti admitted he is “frustrated” by the midfielder’s injuries.

What’s the word?

Via quotes by the Liverpool Echo, the Blues boss has vented his frustration at Delph’s string of issues that have kept the England international sidelined since the start of December.

Delph sustained a hamstring injury during the first-half of his side’s 1-1 draw with Burnley and missed Sunday’s meeting with Fulham due to fitness concerns, which had kept him from taking a place in the squad that beat Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup.

The £80,000-per-week midfielder had returned to Ancelotti’s matchday plans earlier this month when listed among the substitutes against Leeds United and Manchester United, and would have featured in some capacity against Spurs if included.

Ancelotti now hopes Delph will be fit to play a role in Wednesday’s Premier League clash with title-chasing Manchester City, as the former Sky Blues midfielder can help to ease the burden on those who have played frequently this season.

“He’s not injured again, but he has a little problem and is not fit 100%,” Ancelotti said. “The fact he had a problem in the past we want to be sure to put him in.

“He was on the bench the game before and during training he had a contraction of his muscle, not a big problem but he’s not available for the [Fulham] game. Maybe Wednesday he will be.

“Of course, we are frustrated because I think he’s an important player with a lot of experience. He could help us with the fact, in this moment, as in the game against Tottenham, I only had two midfielders.”

Time to get rid

Delph has now missed 19 of Everton’s 29 Premier League and cup games through injury, illness or fitness issues this season after sitting out the Fulham affair, while missing 21 of the Toffees’ 38 top-flight fixtures last term.

The 31-year-old has also only started four of his seven appearances across all competitions during the 2020/21 campaign, as the £10m ex-Man City midfielder brought his total outings to 27 since being signed to a three-year deal under Marco Silva in 2019.

Delph is bleeding Everton’s majority owner Farhad Moshiri dry on his £80k-p/w deal, that has seen the Blues pay out almost £11m in wages over his 135 weeks at Goodison Park so far.

Everton are seeing absolutely no value in his signing with Delph costing the club, including the fee paid to Man City, £770,500 a game. He is also yet to score or assist a single goal.

Ancelotti must now see that Delph does not play into the third and final year of his current deal, and should urge the Blues’ Director of Football Marcel Brands to spend the coming months shopping the 20-cap international on the transfer market.

Time simply has to be up for the perennially crocked dud.

AND in other news, Everton are monitoring an “exciting” teen prospect Carlo Ancelotti could sign for free…

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey believes that Wolves were unfortunate to not get a penalty during their 3-2 defeat against West Bromwich Albion.

Halsey sympathisers with Wolves

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side lost out to their arch-rivals courtesy of two spot-kicks from Matheus Pereira and a goal from Semi Ajayi.

Goals from summer signing Fabio Silva and Willy Boly initially gave Wolves a 2-1 lead at half-time but they were unable to hold on until the final whistle.

Shortly after the visitors took the lead for the first time, Baggies goalkeeper David Button punched a loose ball following a scramble in the box – right onto the arm of Kieran Gibbs. Despite appeals from the hosts, no penalty was given by the man in the middle Michael Oliver, or by the VAR.

Speaking with This Is Futbol, Halsey was adamant that Wolves were unfortunate not to be given a spot-kick.

“I think his arms and hands are in an unnatural position,” he said. “I mean, because why would you put your arms there? I look at the close proximity. Yes, he was close, but there was no pace on the ball, there was no pace. So for me, that there is unnatural… I thought it was handball and I was surprised Nuno didn’t make more of it after the game.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Halsey is right. It’s a complete mystery as to how the officials missed that one. Former West Ham winger Trevor Sinclair told talkSPORT how he could not believe it wasn’t given either.

However, these comments from Halsey will not help Nuno now – as he needs to prepare his players for their next game against Chorley in the FA Cup on Friday evening.

The defeat itself will have hurt Wolves, let alone the decision. Time will tell whether this has a detrimental effect on the rest of their campaign.

In other news, Tim Spiers revealed by Wolves’ ‘monster’ was sold in blockbuster deal.

Saturday marks arguably Celtic’s most important game of the season so far as they face their Old Firm rivals in the early kick-off.

Neil Lennon’s side are currently 16 points behind Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, albeit with three games in hand but you fear that defeat in the derby game could well put an end to the Bhoys’ chances of securing their tenth title win in a row.

Lennon eased the pressure on his job after winning the Scottish Cup last month after defeating Hearts on penalties but defeat in this game could give the Celtic board a lot to think about.

Unfortunately for the Irish manager, he looks to have been handed a huge blow ahead of the derby game with centre-back Christopher Jullien not pictured in training ahead of the game, surely all-but confirming he will be absent at Ibrox.

The Frenchman smashed into the post during Wednesday’s 3-0 win against Dundee United and required help to leave the pitch, with Lennon confirming after the game that he had injured his knee.

The former Toulouse man has been in superb form for the Hoops in his performances so far this season, averaging an excellent 7.46 rating across his nine appearances in the Scottish top-flight.

This is enough to rank the 27-year-old as Celtic’s second-best performer in the league, behind only Ryan Christie, which emphasises just how important he is and what a disaster this is for Lennon, as well as how much of a miss he will be in Saturday’s derby game.

However, with Celtic having won their last four games in the league, they will still be in confident form ahead of the game against Steven Gerrard’s side and will surely know that they need to win the game in order to keep their title aspirations alive.

It seems likely that Brighton loanee Shane Duffy will return to the side alongside Kristoffer Ajer at centre-back, so Lennon will be hoping those two can keep out the dangerous Rangers attackers, with the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Kemar Roofe and right-back James Tavernier having been amongst the goals so far this season.

And, in other news… Lennon must unleash “very, very dangerous” 12 goal-gem on Saturday

Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton travel to Sheffield United on Saturday night looking to bounce back from their Carabao Cup exit, but will be without a handful of key players at Bramall Lane.

Summer signing James Rodriguez missed the midweek quarter-final clash with Manchester United through a calf injury, and will again sit out on Boxing Day plus Monday’s trip to Manchester City with Everton playing twice in 48 hours.

Ancelotti only intends to make wholesale changes to his starting line-up when the Toffees visit Pep Guardiola’s side but may be forced into altering the XI which lost to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Red Devils, with Everton looking tired in defeat and potentially losing Richarlison through the Premier League’s concussion protocol.

So, with changes on the cards for the Blues’ trip to Bramall Lane, here’s a line-up Ancelotti could name away to Chris Wilder’s winless Sheffield United side…

Ancelotti confirmed ahead of the Carabao Cup clash with Manchester United that he would rotate his goalkeeper options, with Robin Olsen starting over Jordan Pickford, though noting that whoever opened the midweek meeting would be rested against Sheffield United.

His decision will now see Pickford return on Saturday night, as the England international continues his efforts to put October’s Merseyside Derby horror behind him that saw Jermaine Beckford suggest the 26-year-old, who reportedly earns £100,000-a-week, once again proved to be a “dangerous” player.

Among the few who looked tired against the Red Devils was the returning Seamus Coleman following his spell out with a hamstring strain, and will likely find Mason Holgate returns to duties at right-back after an impressive showing in last week’s win over Arsenal.

Andre Gomes featured against Manchester United but struggled to find a grove, with the Portuguese sloppy in possession, opposed to progressing play and slow in the press, ultimately seeing the former Barcelona man replaced by Tom Davies in the 58th-minute.

Bernard had also been introduced to the action early in the second half after Everton’s club doctor instructed Ancelotti to withdraw Richarlison after an accidental elbow to the head, yet was often ineffective and should see academy graduate Anthony Gordon start in place of the Brazilian should he be ruled unavailable.

Ben Godfrey, Yerry Mina and Michael Keane should all see their names remain in the starting line-up, alongside Alex Iwobi, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with Everton short on defenders with Lucas Digne still out after ankle surgery.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands will have to ditch his favoured Everton approach to sign a sought-after £18m enforcer.

Glasgow Rangers weren’t exactly quiet in the summer transfer window, but perhaps Ross Wilson could have added the icing on the cake with one final signing.

Steven Gerrard was given not one but two back-up strikers in the form of Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe, whilst Wilson also brought in Bongani Zungu before the stroke of play on transfer deadline day.

Whilst Rangers secured the services of Leon Balogun on a one-year deal in the summer with the option to extend his contract for a further year after Nikola Katic suffered a serious knee injury during pre-season training, Filip Helander and George Edmundson are currently self-isolating with the latter having fallen afoul of the coronavirus guidelines.

This means that the Ibrox boss only has three options for two centre-back positions at present – as talented left-back Calvin Bassey can also play in a more central role if required, whilst Connor Goldson and Balogun are almost guaranteed to start against Scottish Premiership rivals Ross County at Victoria Park on Sunday afternoon.

An injury crisis or an outbreak of coronavirus cases could cause several problems at the back, so the Ibrox boss may want to think about dipping into the academy ranks, and he may be more inclined to do so after Leon King made his first-team debut last weekend.

Rangers crushed Scottish League One club Falkirk in a comfortable 4-0 win in the Betfred Cup to cruise into the last eight with the 16-year-old coming off the bench to replace James Tavernier at right-back in the second half.

Primarily a centre-back, King is cut from a similar cloth to Goldson, who has also been utilised at right-back in the past.

In 15 appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season, the 27-year-old has scored two goals and supplied one assist, whilst he is averaging 1.1 tackles per game, via WhoScored.

It’s no surprise, then, that Goldson has attracted attention from clubs south of the border, as reports in recent times revealed that several Premier League side retain an interest in the Wolverhampton-born defender, which is where King could come into the fray.

Despite his young age, his rapid progress hasn’t gone unnoticed, as the teenager has already made the jump from the academy ranks to the senior squad, albeit on a temporary basis.

Former Rangers full-back Alan Hutton hailed the young talent after the win last weekend, telling Football Insider: “It’s crazy, at 16, to be playing in the Rangers first-team.

“I think he turns 17 just in January but they’ve done really well to hold onto him, I think he’s kind of the next one, the next big one that we see making the breakthrough.

“A lot of teams down south, I know, were interested in him but he signed a new contract back in March – another great prospect for the future, they speak about him very highly.

“Even though he’s physically ready, I don’t think he’s ready in terms of coming in and playing all the time. I think it’s about learning, training with the first-team, getting used to that sort of atmosphere and progressing well.

“To get those compliments from Steven Gerrard, again, another one that must have his confidence absolutely through the roof at the moment.”

The Daily Record recently reported that King has signed his first professional contract with the 54-time Scottish champions which made him one of the club’s highest-paid youngsters in the process, amid interest from the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal.

If that’s the case, then the Ibrox boss would be wise to integrate him further into the first team to ward off any potential suitors, especially when you consider the impact of Bassey in recent weeks.

Goldson could act as the perfect mentor to the young academy product as it’s fair to say that King is still learning about the game and life in general. After all, he has experienced both the highs and lows of being a professional footballer after returning from successful surgery.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers boss Steven Gerrard could unshackle Kemar Roofe as the team’s No. 10…

It was a battle of two teams enduring winless streaks on Tuesday evening in the Championship, and it was indeed Sheffield Wednesday who saw their shocking run of form continue at the hands of relegation rivals Nottingham Forest.

The Owls have now lost four successive matches and are yet to win under Tony Pulis, leading to much of the Hillsborough faithful slamming the 62-year-old in response to the club’s official Twitter account.

Although he can be blamed for starting particular players, he cannot be blamed for their disappointing attitude and lack of fight and desire – and that all starts with the skipper, Barry Bannan.

Yes, he is often the talisman of this side but at the City Ground, he was wasteful, lightweight and far from what you’d expect from your captain.

The 31-year-old enjoyed the most touches of any visiting player (91) but could only make 79% of his 71 passing attempts, delivered one accurate cross from six tries and lost possession 22 times in the heart of midfield, via SofaScore.

Bannan also managed just one dribble, one key pass and failed to register a single shot on target. Clearly, when he’s not on it, neither are the Owls.

As Dom Howson at YorkshireLive put perfectly in his post-match ratings, it was a ‘night to forget for the captain.’

He added: “[Bannan] gave the ball away cheaply and his deliveries from set play were also a big disappointment. Never got going.”

During times like this, you need your main man to dig the others out of the mire – to encourage; to hold account. The Scotsman, who earns around £24k-per-week at the club, failed to do all of that.

Pulis has taken over a sinking ship and will need to be backed substantially in the transfer market in January otherwise the prospect of League One will quickly become a reality.

AND in other news, Exclusive: 30 y/o tipped to join Sheffield Wednesday this January…

Speaking to Italian radio station Radio Punto Nuovo, via Tuttomercatoweb, Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has confirmed that striker Arkadiusz Milik could leave Napoli, with the reporter saying ‘I know that Milik wants to find a team in January’. 

Echoing these reports, another Italian outlet – Area Napoli – has relayed Di Marzio’s update whilst claiming Tottenham’s interest in bringing the forward to north London is ‘still alive’.

Milik heading for Spurs?

In addition, another potential boost for Spurs supporters is the rumour that Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis would be willing to accept a figure as low as £6.3m for the Poland international.

Milik was one of the names on Daniel Levy’s wish list in the summer transfer window, with the Tottenham chairman considering him as a back up to Harry Kane (Alasdair Gold).

Eventually, Spurs opted to bring in Carlos Vinicius on a season-long loan deal with a £40m option to buy, but these reports now claim Milik may still move to England in January with Spurs keeping a firm watch.

Even though Vinicius and Kane now bolster the striking positions under Jose Mourinho, another option for a potentially meagre seven-figure fee wouldn’t exactly hurt.

Transfer Tavern take

Amassing 54 caps for his country, Milik is an established attacker with a proven record, having netted 14 goals last season in all competitions.

His 6 foot 1 frame, and his endorsement from Carlo Ancelotti as ‘sensational’, all points to a prolific alternative striking option who fits the Mourinho mould.

Whether or not Levy takes the plunge remains to be seen, but at such a meagre value, there appears to be very little to lose.

In other news: This ‘unbelievable’ Spurs ace could soon leave Mourinho and co behind, find out who here and don’t forget to comment below with your views.

West Ham United icon Frank McAvennie has claimed David Moyes gave Aaron Cresswell a “kick up the backside” by fielding Arthur Masuaku in the starting line-up.

What’s he said?

While speaking with Football Insider, McAvennie has stated how the arrival of Said Benrahma on loan from Brentford will offer Pablo Fornals competition for a place on the left-hand side of Moyes’ forward line.

The Irons legend feels the Algerian can bring from the Spaniard what Masuaku has brought out of Cresswell, having seen the former Ipswich Town defender thrive in a central defensive position after losing the left-back role to the DR Congo international.

McAvennie is unsure to what extent Benrahma can replicate his Brentford performances at the London Stadium, where Grady Diangana was sold for £18million this summer much to the anger of club captain Mark Noble.

Benrahma has since arrived on a season-long loan featuring a £20m obligation to buy, but has only recorded one assist and is yet to start in claret and blue. McAvennie was pleased with what he saw from the 25-year-old during his 18-minute cameo at home to Fulham, though.

“Benrahma played well when he came on,” McAvennie said. “I did not see the logic in selling Diangana and buying Benrahma but that does not mean that I do not rate Benrahma.

“He is proving what a fantastic player he is, and he is showing glimpses of what he can do. It looks like he will come in [and] provide competition for Fornals on the left-hand side.

“The best thing he brings is competition for places. I know Cresswell has been playing as a centre-half but Masuaku coming in has given him a kick up the backside. It keeps the team ticking.”

Moyes: A tactical genius?

Moyes certainly appeared to hit gold by giving Cresswell the chance to impress at centre-half, having decided early on that Masuaku would be his preferred left-back following a move to a three-man core in defence.

Cresswell was far from at his best at left-back versus Newcastle United on the opening day of the Premier League season, having only registered two tackles, one clearance, two accurate crosses from six attempts, made no successful dribbles and lost possession 18 times, per SofaScore.

He immediately bettered that record when played at centre-half against Arsenal, with Cresswell recording six clearances, one tackle and winning each of his duels. Similarly, against Wolves, the £50,000-per-week ace registered five clearances, blocked two shots, completed 88% of his passes and played four key balls.

Cresswell’s performances have maintained that high-level, too, with a Man of the Match-worthy 8.6 rating against Leicester City thanks to six clearances, two interceptions and four key balls. He again earned the MOTM award against Fulham, as well, with 101 touches, 69 accurate passes, two clearances and one tackle as Lukasz Fabianski kept his third clean sheet of the season.

If Benrahma’s arrival can see a similar lift in Fornals’ performances as Masuaku was able to draw from Cresswell, Moyes will be in delirium at his tactical genius.

AND in other news, West Ham have been given the ideal chance to sign a “phenomenal” £20m David Moyes target.

استقبل اليوم أحمد مجاهد رئيس الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم بحضور أحمد حسام عوض عضو الجبلاية، كارلوس كيروش المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر الأول.

ويستعد منتخب مصر لمواجهتي أنجولا والجابون، في الجولتين الخامسة والسادسة من تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة لكأس العالم قطر 2022.

وجاء خلال الاجتماع بين كيروش ورئيس الاتحاد المصري استعراض الترتيبات الخاصة لمعسكر الفريق الشهر المقبل استعدادا للجولتين الأخيرتين أمام انجولا والجابون ضمن المجموعة الإفريقية السادسة لتصفيات كأس العالم.

طالع أيضًا.. اتحاد الكرة يُخاطب الأمن لحضور 30 ألف مشجع في مباراة مصر والجابون

كما تم الاطمئنان على جميع العوامل المساعدة لتحقيق هدف منتخب مصر لهذه المرحلة باستمرار تصدره لقمة مجموعته للتأهل إلى الدور الحاسم للتصفيات لتحقيق أمل الجماهير بالتأهل إلى نهائيات كأس العالم للمرة الثانية على التوالي وهو ما لم يتحقق من قبل.

جدير بالذكر أن منتخب مصر يتصدر المجموعة السادسة برصيد 10 نقاط، بفارق 4 نقاط عن ليبيا، فيما يأتي المنتخب الجابوني ثالثًا بـ4 نقاط، ويتذيل المنتخب الأنجولي الترتيب بـ3 نقاط.