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Former Glasgow Rangers striker Kenny Miller has praised current Ibrox goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

Miller praises McGregor

Miller picked up six trophies across three spells with the Gers and has gone down as somewhat of a cult hero at the club after he helped Rangers return to the Premiership after they were demoted to the fourth tier.

Speaking to Sky Sports prior to the Gers’ clash with Celtic on Sunday, Miller praised McGregor. He said:

“It’s credit to him because there’s always been a perception of Allan that he’s a bit of a joker and a mad-cat goalkeeper, and he is – but when he turns up to work nobody works harder.

“He pulls off huge saves at big, big moments. Like you say, the Old Firm game he was absolutely outstanding in, and he was the difference.

“Rangers were under a lot of pressure in that first 15 or 20 minutes while Celtic were playing some outstanding football and creating chance after chance but they just couldn’t find a way past him.

“That’s what he does. He brings about 10 or 15 points a season with some of the saves he makes. He’s definitely had a hand in Rangers’ European run with the big saves he’s made.”

Important

McGregor, even at the age of 39 years old, has been vital to the Gers between the sticks. In 23 matches in the league, he has kept a huge 16 clean sheets, conceding just seven times (Transfermarkt), and while he shipped more in the Europa League, he has still been solid, chipping in with some fantastic saves such as the one against Slavia Prague last week.

Unfortunately, he is approaching the end of his career – at some point, the 55-time Scottish champions will need to replace him. Until then, though, as Miller has said, McGregor can continue to play a big role in the Gers’ success.

In other news, Rangers are interested in this 18-goal striker.

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus’s arrival at Sunderland has been game-changing and his tenure so far has exceeded even the most ambitious of supporters.

That being said, he didn’t particularly have much to live up to. Stewart Donald’s reign was filled with despair as the Black Cats consistently failed to get promoted.

However, with the young Frenchman at the helm, there is already a brighter future taking shape.

Sunderland have won their first trophy for over 40 years and they are now just three points off top spot with two games in hand in League One. If they don’t get promoted this season, you have to wonder if they ever will.

The atmosphere surrounding the Stadium of Light has been much improved and that’s mainly been down to Dreyfus’ entrance.

He has a plethora of decisions to make when the summer comes round, though. A number of their players will be out of contract, including Charlie Wyke.

Failure to go up, however, and Wyke could take the decision out of the owner’s hands.

Another situation that could be taken out of his hands is the future of Dion Sanderson. The 21-year-old has been a breath of fresh air to the Sunderland backline this term, being dubbed a “shining light” and a “Rolls-Royce” by Lee Johnson for his performances.

He has been part of a Mackems defence that has now kept eight clean sheets in their last ten outings; no wonder Sanderson has received such enormous praise.

As a result of his displays, the youngster has attracted plenty of suitors throughout the Football League. Sunderland have reportedly opened discussions over a potential £2m deal, though.

This would be an almighty show of ambition and it would be a huge statement from Louis-Dreyfus if he spent such money early on in his ownership.

That being said, if they go up, he’d be a vital addition. Sanderson already has Championship experience with Cardiff and as we’ve seen in recent months, he is one of the Black Cats’ most important players.

He has won 23 aerial duels over the last ten matches, making 33 clearances in the process. When an opposition attacker is met with the young defender, they often come out second best.

His talent is undeniable and if you heed the words of Stephen Elliott, he’s set for a bright future.

Speaking to The Athletic, he commented: “It looks like he’s played a lot more football than he has.

“He’s composed, he steps out of defence, he can pass it, he reads the game, wins headers, even if he makes a mistake, he doesn’t get flustered. I can’t really fault him.”

Elliott added on Twitter: “If Sanderson continues playing like this then there will be a lot of higher placed football teams in the football league if not Prem after his signature. Going to be a big star.”

Indeed, that’s exactly why this signing would be such a statement of intent.

Sanderson is destined for bigger things than Sunderland; he is an astute defender with qualities in every area. £2m would be daylight robbery for a player of his quality.

This shouldn’t turn out to be another Will Grigg situation.

AND in other news, Drop him: Sunderland liability who lost possession 35x continues to let Johnson down…

Manchester United could be set to complete a shock reunion this summer with interest in West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

According to The Sun, the Red Devils have been keeping tabs on the 28-year-old throughout the campaign and could be set to make a move should either Dean Henderson or David De Gea leave Old Trafford.

Whilst Johnstone has impressed in a poor Baggies’ side this season, United would be making a mistake in bringing him back to the club and should instead just keep both of their current keepers.

Rated at £5.4m, Johnstone has claimed just five clean sheets so far and conceded a huge 57 goals at a rate of two goals per game in the league.

The majority of those are of course not his fault, with the Baggies’ leaky defence instead shouldering the majority of the blame.

Nevertheless, he has not covered himself in glory. So far throughout the season, Johnstone has already made two errors leading to shots according to SofaScore.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-man-united-transfer-rumours-and-news-old-trafford-macheda-solskjaer-lingard-ousmane-dembele-anthony-martial-injury-rabiot-van-de-beek” title=” The latest Man United transfer rumours and news from Old Trafford…”]

Meanwhile, Johnstone simply seems no better than Henderson, who is currently United’s first-choice keeper in the league.

He has saved just 68% of the shots he has faced, with the former Sheffield United loanee hugely improved at 82%. Even De Gea, who is enduring a difficult personal season compared to his usually high standards, is only marginally lower than Johnstone at a save percentage of 65%.

The one benefit however of Johnstone returning to Old Trafford would be the immense affordability of any potential deal.

At the current time, the Baggies goalkeeper has just one year remaining on his £32k per-week so it could be thought that a deal would not be the most expensive in the world. Considering he would be acting as just a back-up to either Henderson or De Gea, an affordable deal would certainly be welcome.

Nevertheless, it seems more logical for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to keep his current options at the club instead of swooping for Johnstone.

AND in more news, take a closer look at Victor Lindelof’s tricky afternoon against Tottenham Hotspur…

According to a report by Football Insider, Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy remain keen on Wigan Athletic attacker Kyle Joseph but Scottish giants Celtic having offered him a pre-contract in an attempt to fend off the Lilywhites. 

It has been reported recently that Tottenham have been keeping tabs on Joseph ahead of the summer window, with Football Insider claiming last week that former Spurs boss David Pleat is actively monitoring the forward as a club consultant.

Tottenham remain keen on Joseph despite tabled Celtic offer

Tottenham have apparently been compiling a dossier on Joseph as they plot a swoop – with a development now emerging that rivals in the race Celtic have attempted to swoop in first.

Indeed, the Hoops have offered the 19-year-old a pre-contract in a ploy to fend off Spurs according to this report – who are their most notable competitors for Joseph.

However, in a glimmer of hope for the Lilywhites, Football Insider also claim that Celtic definitely haven’t sealed his signing and Tottenham remain keen – as well as fellow Glasgow giants Rangers.

Transfer Tavern take

Despite currently being out with a back injury, Joseph has shone for the Latics this season – described by Wigan Observer journalist Paul Kendrick as a ‘shining light’ from their academy.

He only made his debut in October but still managed five strikes in 14 appearances for Leam Richardson’s side before being sidelined.

If Spurs can eventually beat the likes of Celtic and Rangers to his signature, they could debatably have another talent on their hands alongside their growing crop of promising youngsters.

In other news: This star reveals he rejected a move to Spurs, find out more here.

Southampton are reportedly interested in signing Takumi Minamino on loan from Liverpool before the transfer window shuts this evening.

According to journalist David Ornstein in The Athletic, the Saints are working on a deal to sign the Japanese international on loan for the rest of the season.

The 26-year-old, who earns £75k per week at Liverpool, has struggled for game time in Jurgen Klopp’s side this season, despite the injury problems at Liverpool, and has made just seven starts in all competitions.

Minamino joined from RB Salzburg in December 2019 but has struggled to impress in his time with the Reds thus far, with just four goals and two assists in his 31 appearances for the club.

Even with Liverpool’s recent goalscoring woes, Klopp was reticent to turn to Minamino, with the winger’s six-minute cameo against Burnley his only Premier League appearance of 2021.

Therefore, it seems as if he is going to struggle to force his way into the first-team picture with Liverpool, especially now the Reds look to have rediscovered their form in front of goal in the last two fixtures against West Ham and Spurs.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/liverpool-deadline-day-latest-news-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=”Deadline day is here: Read the latest Liverpool news, transfer rumours and more!”]

A move to Southampton for the rest of the season could be the ideal way for Minamino to get regular football in the Premier League, in the hope that he could return to the Reds a much more confident player in the summer, as unfortunately, it seems as if he will be sat on the bench for much of the season if he stays on Merseyside.

Earlier this season, Klopp labelled the 26-year-old a “machine” for his work rate in a Champions League fixture against Ajax, and a loan move to Southampton could allow him to showcase this on a more regular basis, in a deal that could potentially suit both parties.

Hopefully, for Minamino, a deal with the South Coast club can be agreed, as he deserves a chance to show what he can do in the Premier League, something he was always going to struggle to achieve with the Reds due to the quality of their front three.

And, in other news… Edwards masterclass: Another bargain deal for LFC as James Peace reveals Kabak details

With Leeds’ current spate of injuries, it was perhaps not all too surprising that Marcelo Bielsa has brought Tyler Roberts back into the first-team fold over the past couple of Premier League games.

Before the clash against Arsenal – in which he came on as a substitute at half-time – Roberts had played just 315 minutes of top-flight football in total all season.

But with Rodrigo out, and no other real options available to him, Bielsa gave the Wales international the chance to impress. But against Wolves especially at the weekend, he really disappointed.

He lost possession 15 times – only one other Leeds player lost it more – and failed to hit the target with any of his three attempts on goal, while he contributed just the one key pass.

And after seeing his lacklustre display against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, former Leeds ace Noel Whelan tore into Roberts, saying: “I still doubt whether he can do it in the Premier League. He struggled to get into a Championship side last year. I am just not sure whether he is a Premier League player. We need more quality if we have aspirations of competing for European spots in years to come.

“He was given an opportunity against Wolves and I do not think he took it.”

He added: “While he is young I do not think he is of the required level. His fitness levels did not look great the other day either. He did nothing after 20 minutes. That is a substitute’s performance. We need a player who can play 90 minutes. He needs to show more fight and desire. I just do not see that. Is he good enough? In my opinion he isn’t.”

The 5 foot 11 Roberts was linked with a move away from Elland Road back in the January transfer window, and with him approaching the final 12 months of his current contract come the summer, his time in the first-team and at the club as a whole is surely up.

He simply hasn’t shown the Whites that he’s someone who’s capable of playing at this level, and it seems like Bielsa would be better served by seeing what the likes of Sam Greenwood and some of the club’s other promising academy prospects can do with the same amount of game-time Roberts has been afforded.

Roberts hasn’t scored at all in the Premier League this season, while his overall record at Elland Road reads as 68 games played, and just seven goals scored – not the kind of numbers expected of a forward player.

Keeping him in the team even for tonight’s game against Southampton would just be holding Leeds back, when instead Bielsa should be putting him in his rear-view mirror.

The Leeds boss simply has to be ruthless and axe him from the starting XI, and even longer-term too.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United defender believes Georginio Wijnaldum will be wanting to be one of the top earners at Liverpool, hence why contract talks have dragged on for so long

Wijnaldum has been an ever-present for Liverpool since signing from Newcastle United in 2017, having made 225 appearances for the Reds, which has led the midfielder to want a new and improved contract at Anfield with Barcelona waiting to swoop in on the Dutch international.

The 30-year old’s current deal is set to expire this summer and despite being the scorer of some important goals in Liverpool’s recent history, like the one against Barcelona, both parties remain far apart in discussions with the midfielder admitting he’d be devastated to leave Anfield.

Speaking on the former Newcastle midfielder’s future on Merseyside and what he will be expecting from Liverpool’s owners, Howey exclusively told FFC:

“He’ll obviously want to be one of the top earners and rightly so because of what he’s done at the club.

“He’s helped change the fortunes of Liverpool, they’ve been Premier League, Champion League and Club World Cup champions and he’s been a big part of that with some very important goals.

“So, I can totally understand why Wijnaldum is wanting that new deal. At the moment, however, it’s just a really difficult time for Liverpool as well.”

Wijnaldum’s market value currently stands at £36 million and during a time where Liverpool have not been able to splash the cash, it could prove to be a big blow if the Dutch international walks away for free.

Liverpool are focusing on finishing in the top four this season, however after getting past RB Leipzig this week, Klopp may see winning the Champions League as the club’s best route into the competition next season.

Glasgow Rangers sit at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a comfortable lead over their arch rivals Celtic and should now start to think about some long-term investments with an eye on the future…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, long-term Rangers target Juan Alegria isn’t bound for Ibrox – despite a cryptic post on Instagram.

Alegria has been heavily linked with a move to the Govan-based Glaswegian giants, having scored four goals in ten appearances across all competitions this season, via Transfermarkt.

However, contrary to popular belief, it’s claimed the Colombian isn’t on his way to Ibrox but has jetted off on holiday instead.

Alfredo Morelos 2.0

Rangers are the Premiership’s most prolific side, scoring a whopping 57 goals so far – 12 more than any other team – in 22 games this season. But with Greg Stewart seemingly destined for the Ibrox exit, Ross Wilson could do with signing some offensive reinforcements with one eye on the future.

Despite his age, Alegria’s potential arrival would certainly bolster Gerrard’s firepower as he has a penchant for finding the back of the net. He has scored on every appearance in the Kakkonen for the reserve team this season so far.

The 18-year-old has made no secret of his desire to follow in the footsteps of his countryman Alfredo Morelos, who previously plied his trade in Finland after making the switch from his South American homeland.

It’s no wonder, then, that legendary Rangers fullback Alan Hutton has described him as a “big talent” whilst former Celtic and St. Mirren striker Frank McAvennie has hailed him as an “exciting” prospect.

While admittedly very little is known about the uncapped Colombia U17 international, the numbers don’t lie, and he could have a similar impact to Morelos if they can get a deal over the line. Alegria could add a natural goal threat in front of goal and still has room to improve at the age of 18.

Gerrard must convince Wilson to sanction a move for the promising talent as the chance to sign a star in the making who is available for a pre-contract agreement is simply too good an opportunity to miss.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must get Kai Kennedy to sign new deal after Gerrard transfer U-turn…

Whilst Jack Grealish has been the undisputed talisman this season for Aston Villa, Tyrone Mings has seen his star rise considerably too.

The 6 foot 5 defender has earned himself a couple more caps for England, and has been a big part of why Dean Smith’s side have generally been solid at the back – before the game against Brighton on Saturday afternoon, they had conceded just nine goals in their opening seven Premier League games.

And after thrashing Arsenal 3-0 last time out, Villa would have headed into the clash against the Seagulls full of confidence. An opportunity to head right to the summit of the table was in their hands, but a hugely disappointing display put an end to that.

No-one was arguably more disappointing than Mings. As well as being caught far too high for Brighton’s opening goal when Danny Welbeck raced clear from just inside the Villa half, he just didn’t seem to be able to hand the Seagulls’ attacking movement.

On a couple of occasions he was caught napping by the darting Neal Maupay, and Emiliano Martinez had to bail him out. Then there was the quite unbelievable attempted back-pass that just went straight out for a corner.

It led some Villa fans to take to Twitter to question his performance, with a few even suggesting that his display was full of arrogance. A couple of supporters claimed that his Brighton howler was almost unsurprising, and that he seems to look well off it after coming back from international duty with England.

Saturday was a perfect opportunity for Villa to keep their momentum going, but after doing the hard work of beating a top four contender in Arsenal away from home, they completely blew it by losing to Brighton in their own back yard.

Whilst 2020 has proved to be a pretty disastrous year in general terms, it has been an excellent one in terms of success for Liverpool Football Club.

The Reds sealed the Premier League title in June, after a break due to the outbreak, with Jurgen Klopp’s side playing superbly throughout the campaign.

It has also been an excellent start to the Premier League this season, with the Reds sitting top of the league at Christmas, despite multiple injuries to key players such as Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.

The Merseyside outfit also remain in the Champions League, with a tie against RB Leipzig to come in the first knockout stage, whilst the Reds will travel to Aston Villa in the FA Cup in January, with Klopp no doubt targeting success in both of those competitions.

With fans having recently returned to Anfield, hopefully, it won’t be too long until we see the ground back to its usual capacity, where the Reds will be hoping to continue their excellent 2020 form in 2021.

As a Christmas treat, how well can you remember Liverpool’s best moments of 2020?

And, in other news… Liverpool missed out on signing £67.6m beast who could’ve replaced VVD