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Ryan Fraser is a man walking a thin tightrope at Newcastle United after Steve Bruce unleashed a scathing attack on his players for their torrid recent form.

Bruce has refused to hold back any punches after the Magpies were disappointingly beaten 1-0 by Sheffield United on Tuesday night, stating “the gloves are off” after becoming the first side to lose a Premier League game to Chris Wilder’s Blades this season.

“We were absolutely frigging hopeless the other night,” Bruce said, via quotes by The Guardian. “Unfortunately, that’s happened a little too often in my 18-months here; it was nowhere near good enough for the challenge ahead. Maybe it’s a mentality thing.”

One player for whom Bruce’s comments should hit home hard is Fraser, who saw two yellow cards in the space of just three minutes shortly before half-time at Bramall Lane, having carelessly attracted referee Andy Madley’s attention for a shin-high challenge on David McGoldrick.

Fraser had hardly done anything of worth in South Yorkshire to be even slightly forgiven for his clueless actions, as an in-swinging cross to the near post in the 39th-minute that found Isaac Hayden proved to be the former AFC Bournemouth man’s only redeeming moment.

Moments after Hayden’s header failed to break the deadlock, Fraser was in the books for a late foul on John Fleck and play had hardly moved on before the red card was out and the 26-year-old’s time on the pitch was over to warrant WhoScored’s lowest match rating for a player on either side at 4.9.

Bruce rarely saw the Scotland international get on the ball before his sending off, with Fraser offering just eight accurate passes, including a corner kick, as he took a mere 17 touches and offered no dribbles.

Fraser’s performances up until the Sheffield United defeat had hardly seen the diminutive forward write his name in Bruce’s good books, either, having only started two of his seven Premier League appearances and offering two assists after suffering with hamstring and groin injuries.

For their efforts per game in the top-flight this term, Fraser ranks 16th at St. James’ Park for shots with a mere 0.3 strikes, per WhoScored. His record is less than what centre-backs Ciaran Clark (0.6) and Jamaal Lascelles (0.4) have offered and far fewer than Andy Carroll (1), who scored his first Premier League goal in 43 games against Leicester City earlier this month.

Fraser has also offered fewer key passes per league game (0.5) than six of his Toon teammates, with Jacob Murphy, Joelinton, Emil Krafth and Matty Longstaff all offering the same level of creativity as the £11m-rated forward who finished second only to Eden Hazard for assists in the 2018/19 campaign with 14 to the Belgian’s 15.

Bruce will no doubt be demanding far more from Fraser once his suspension is served, and hope to see the £42,000-per-week maestro take on board his criticism as the Toon chiefs comments have dealt the winger certain peril over his position in the side if things do not pick up soon.

AND in other news, Newcastle have enquired over a January loan deal for a £4.5m-rated outcast criticised for his lack of effort.

Alex Iwobi is edging ever close to being shown the door at Goodison Park after Carlo Ancelotti overlooked the Nigerian forward against Newcastle United on Sunday, where Everton were without their star summer signing James Rodriguez.

Ancelotti favoured a change in shape to welcome additional central midfielders into the starting line-up in defeat to Steve Bruce’s Magpies, with Gylfi Sigurdsson and Andre Gomes offering the support to Dominic Calvert-Lewin with Richarlison still suspended.

Rodriguez was forced to sit out the Tyneside affair having failed to shrug a testicular injury sustained in the Merseyside Derby, but Everton chiefs remain confident the Colombian will win his race to be fit to face Manchester United this weekend, per the Liverpool Echo.

The former Real Madrid star is believed to be recovering well in the ramp-up to the Red Devils’ trip to Goodison on Saturday, allowing Ancelotti to be hopeful of recalling the 29-year-old after he missed his first Premier League fixture since joining the Blues.

Rodriguez has proven increasingly pivotal to Everton’s form this season, offering three goals and three assists in six top-flight matches, much to the delight of Ancelotti who has set out exacting demands for Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison to meet.

“I think James Rodriguez is going to help the strikers because he is a fantastic assist man,” said Ancelotti, via quotes by BT. “The target for Dominic is I hope he can reach 20 goals because he has the quality and ability, like Richarlison.

“With James at the time in Madrid, [Cristiano] Ronaldo scored 56 goals: I am not honestly going to ask Dominic to score 56 goals, but he has to try to do his best.

“We have two fantastic strikers and behind them, we have James and Sigurdsson. I think if they do not score at least 20 goals each they can have a problem with me. If I play as a striker and I have behind me James, Sigurdsson [and] Gomes, I can score goals and so they have to.”

Ancelotti’s support of Rodriguez’s talent comes in vast contrast to his apparent lack of belief in Iwobi, after snubbing the Nigerian who Marco Silva signed for up to £34million and moving away from having natural wingers on the field at Newcastle.

Going into Everton’s first defeat of the season at Southampton, Ancelotti stated that Iwobi would be offered the opportunity to play if Rodriguez was forced to sit out. But while the £50,000-per-week forward did start, he left an appalling impression and was hooked at the break.

“Alex is a player who works hard,” Ancelotti told the official Everton website. “He is fast and with his quality, he can help the team be better in certain situations.”

Those certain situations are appearing ever thinner, as Iwobi could only provide one shot, three unsuccessful crosses, complete one dribble, win four of seven ground duels and lose possession 13 times in the first half at Southampton. He then offered no shots, no dribbles, no accurate crosses, lost possession four times but offered a key ball against Newcastle, per SofaScore, having come on as a 76th-minute substitute.

Given Iwobi’s recent form when needed the most and now with just one start in six Premier League appearances, the outcast forward could soon be facing the axe permanently having already been touted for a potential departure this summer by the Mirror.

It was suggested that Iwobi was one of several fringe players that Everton were looking to offload after struggling to hit the ground running upon his arrival from Arsenal, with Director of Football Marcel Brands keen to trim the squad to a more manageable level.

Iwobi’s efforts in Everton’s recent fixtures will have done little to convince Brands and Ancelotti that he deserved to be retained, and another poor showing or again being overlooked against Manchester United if Rodriguez cannot be passed fit will surely be the final nail in his Toffees coffin.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands can build Everton’s dream unit with a gem who Carlo Ancelotti calls “one of the best”.

Glasgow Rangers have received a huge boost as Bongani Zungu is set to join up with the rest of Steven Gerrard’s squad for the first time ahead of the Europa League fixture against Lech Poznan on Thursday night.

What’s the word?

Rangers assistant manager Gary McAllister confirmed that the South Africa international is available for selection for the first time since he joined the Gers on a season-long loan deal from Ligue 2 side Amiens on deadline day.

“Zungu is still in quarantine but I think he becomes available to train with us just prior to Poznan,” McAllister said, as relayed by The Glasgow Times.

“So that’s very encouraging. It adds to our strength in the middle of the park.”

Gerrard has been unable to select Zungu in recent weeks due to coronavirus restrictions but he has been working hard at home to ensure that he is fully fit and firing on all cylinders.

Tough choice?

As the old saying goes, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, but Gerrard may be tempted to tinker with his team once again as Zungu has entered the mix.

The Gers boss quite clearly rates Zungu very highly indeed as he’s recently claimed that he is a “dominant” midfielder who will bring the best out of the rest of his players, so his return to action leaves the Liverpool legend with a big decision to make in the middle of the pitch.

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The trouble is, this is going to be one of the toughest choices that the 40-year-old has had to wrestle with since taking charge of the Ibrox outfit. At the moment, Glen Kamara, Steven Davis and Scott Arfield are his preferred midfield trio, as they all started the first Old Firm derby of the season, which means that one of these three will have to be dropped in order to make room for the South African. And that’s without even mentioning Ryan Jack or Joe Aribo, who has recently returned from injury.

Whilst we aren’t for one minute suggesting that Gerrard will throw him in at the deep end, we do think he will make an appearance as a substitute in the second half. Otherwise, what was even the point of signing him in the first place?

South Africa legend Benni McCarthy recently heaped praise on his countryman, saying he had no hesitation in recommending the “fantastic” player to Rangers as he can “do everything”. He told The Sun: “I’ve watched him blossom over the last few years and Rangers have got themselves a fantastic footballer.

“He is the complete midfielder, very comfortable on the ball and so strong in the tackle. He can play as a defensive midfielder too because he is so good at cleaning up.

“But he also offers you an attacking threat and he can score goals.

“Zungu can do everything in the middle of the park and that is why Steven Gerrard was so desperate to sign him. He is a tough tackler and if you need someone to put their foot in then he is capable of that. If you need someone to go in for a tough 50/50 challenge then he is your guy.”

Last season, the 28-year-old made 21 appearances in Ligue 1, whilst he averaged one clearance and at least one tackle per game, via WhoScored. By comparison, Kamara is only averaging 0.7 tackles per game in the Scottish Premiership this season, as per WhoScored.

Gerrard will be well aware that squad rotation could prove pivotal as the season drags on as he has to balance domestic and European competitions. What better way for Zungu to earn his stripes than by giving him a chance to show what he can do against a side who have lost two out of their last three games in all competitions? However, Gerrard will have to consider his options wisely when deciding how to introduce him into the team.

AND in other news, Joe Aribo marks his Glasgow Rangers return with dominant display against Livingston…

Centre-back signings are like busses at Fulham, you wait for ages for one, then loads come along at once.

The Whites signed two centre-halves on deadline day in the shape of Joachim Andersen and Tosin Adarabioyo, but it seems as though their defensive spending spree isn’t over yet.

Indeed, the Cottagers finally look set to sign Terence Kongolo on a permanent transfer after months of speculation, and while the Whites have already signed two centre-backs, Kongolo plugs a gap that had previously been ignored.

Fulham need a left-footed centre-back to step in for Tim Ream, who has proven already this season that he isn’t up to scratch in this division, with the Whites conceding eight goals in the three games he’s started.

Having a left-footer at the back is so important to Fulham due to how much they like to play out from the back, with Ream averaging 62 passes per game this season, so having a player comfortable playing with his left-foot at that left-sided centre-back spot is vital.

It will be even more important if the Whites’ recent switch to five-at-the-back becomes a permanent fixture of Scott Parker’s tactical set-up, where Kongolo will be pushed even wider than he would in a traditional back four, meaning that his ability to play with his left is even more vital.

Parker seems to love playing with a left-footer at the back, and Kongolo will allow him to continue with that strategy, acting as an alternative to Ream, who has been defensively suspect on more than one occasion this season.

This is the perfect profile of signing for Fulham as it plugs a gap that had previously been ignored, but whether or not the £7.2m-rated man is the perfect man to come in and help out this leaky defence remains to be seen.

After seeing their big-money striker from last season fail to hit the ground running, it was no surprise to see Newcastle chase after a new number nine in the summer transfer window.

Joelinton failed to show why the Magpies spent a reported £40m in bringing him in from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim, netting just four times in over 40 games in his debut campaign for the club.

And with the Brazilian front-man’s struggles, Steve Bruce’s side ended up signing Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson for around £20m, with the Cherries of course having been relegated from the Premier League.

But whilst the England international has already shown signs of being a real coup for the Magpies – he’s scored four goals in his opening four Premier League games – the Tyneside club could arguably have snared an upgrade on Wilson in Napoli marksman, Arkadiusz Milik.

The Poland international was the subject of major interest over the summer, with Newcastle’s fellow Premier League side Tottenham reported to be a prominent suitor of his.

It was claimed by Tuttosport that Newcastle had started to ask for information about the striker, and that the likes of the Magpies, Spurs and AS Roma were all interested in luring him away from Italy before the end of the window.

That of course, didn’t transpire, with Milik instead staying in Naples. But when you look at the Polish ace’s record over the years, and the level that he’s been doing at too, Newcastle would have got themselves a Champions League quality striker.

The 6 foot 1 ace netted 14 times across all competitions last season despite not always completing the full 90 minutes, and he even scored a hat-trick in the group stages of the Champions League against KRC Genk.

With 48 goals in 122 games for a side like Napoli, Milik outshines Wilson’s goal-scoring record at Bournemouth (67 in 187). Whilst some might point to the fact the former played in a stronger side, he was doing it for a team with more pressure and on the biggest stages too. Italian journalist Bruno Longhi also waxed lyrical about what the Polish star’s talents, saying he “does wonderful things with the ball”.

Whilst Wilson has enjoyed a phenomenal start to life on Tyneside, Newcastle may have missed a glorious opportunity to snap up an upgrade in the £80k-a-week earning forward.

And in other news, this Newcastle ace proved his importance to Steve Bruce with a fantastic international performance.

Celtic boss Neil Lennon is after a left-back this summer and this week, the Scottish champions have been tipped to sign one name…

What’s the word?

According to Parkhead legend Frank McAvennie, the Hoops have an interest in bringing Leeds United defender Barry Douglas to Celtic Park.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said:

“I’ve been told by sources about the boy at Leeds, Barry Douglas. Maybe something is happening with that in the background, I do not know. I do not know what the situation is but I have heard that he is a really good player. 

“There are players out there for Celtic to go and get that won’t cost millions and millions. Celtic can pick up players from the Championship. This boy Douglas is supposed to be good, so why not? I do not know what the transfer fee would be but with one year left on his contract, I am sure they could negotiate something. He is not playing so Leeds might want somebody paying his wages.

“If Peter (Lawwell) wants him he will go and negotiate and maybe that is why he is umming and ahhing about the boy at Charlton.”

A good move?

Since the acrimonious departure of Boli Bolingoli this summer, Lennon has only had one option in the left-back role and as a move for young Charlton starlet Alfie Doughty continues to falter, it could make more sense to move for the experienced Scotsman.

The 31-year-old has twice won promotion from the Championship yet finds himself well down the pecking order in Yorkshire.

Over the course of his career, per WhoScored, Douglas has averaged 1.9 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 1.4 key passes and 1.4 crosses per game, and he’s widely known as a set-piece specialist, which is a bonus.

Alan Hutton believes that, on his day, the veteran is “up there among the best full-backs in the league,” adding: “His crossing ability, his engine, he really does well.”

Whilst Sky Sports pundit Matt Murray has also lauded the £3m man, saying: “He was very unlucky not to get to play in the Premier League but his set-pieces, crosses, deliveries, wonder goals earn him a spot. He’s a top lad, too – and if you’re trying to cultivate a winning culture in the dressing room, he has to be in there.”

With Douglas earning as little as £10k-per-week, it could be quite the bargain from Lawwell.

If I were Greg Taylor, I’d be looking over my back during these final ten days of the transfer window.

AND in other news, Leeds have interest in £20m Serie A star who’s like Samuel Saiz…

Burnley’s prospects of offloading Ben Gibson in this transfer window appear to have been boosted as Norwich seem to have taken the lead in the hunt to sign the defender.

The Northern Echo reported that the Canaries are confident of beating his former club Middlesbrough to a deal for the 27-year-old, who has been exiled at Turf Moor since falling out with Sean Dyche over a blocked move to Watford in January.

According to The Northern Echo, Norwich hold two significant advantages over Middlesbrough in the respective clubs’ pursuit of Gibson.

Firstly, the Canaries would likely be able to pay a much higher portion of the defender’s £45,000-a-week wages if he goes on loan to Carrow Road than ‘Boro would if they took him to Teesside, with the northeast club reportedly offering to pay no more than a third of his weekly wage.

Also, Norwich have apparently discussed the options of both a loan and a permanent move for Gibson, and such is their willingness to sign the 27-year-old that they are prepared to meet Burnley’s demands in order to get a deal done within the next couple of weeks.

In the 2019/20 season, the Clarets continued to pay the defender £45,000 per week despite him making only one appearance, the Carabao Cup defeat to Sunderland which is now almost a full year ago. After falling out with Turf Moor management, he has been training with his former club Middlesbrough, and not even a defensive injury crisis could persuade Burnley to recall him over the summer.

It is doing neither Gibson nor Burnley any good to have him on the club’s books when Dyche clearly has no intention of picking him. Therefore, Norwich’s reported desire to strike a deal for him and, at worst, pay a substantial portion of his wages to facilitate a loan move should come as good news for all parties concerned.

The Canaries get the man they want, Burnley will get an expensive yet unproductive asset off their hands and the player will have a fresh start at a club where he may have a chance of obtaining game-time. It’s a situation in which everyone appears to be a winner – assuming it comes to fruition.

Burnley fans, will you be happy if Norwich sign Gibson, even on loan, for next season? Comment below with your views!

The start of a new Premier League season is just around the corner as fans prepare for the 2020 Community Shield clash.

Liverpool are set to take on Arsenal in this year’s battle, after the Gunners managed to resurrect an underwhelming season by scooping their 14th FA Cup.

Mikel Arteta’s men were victorious over Chelsea in last month’s final, despite finishing eighth in the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp and his men will be hoping they can replicate their double league win over the Gunners.

With pre-season in full swing, the Reds have been experimenting with their first team options. Rhian Brewster is a player particularly of note who has been relied on when coming off the bench. The 20-year-old has repaid the trust put in him by netting three goals in two appearances (via Sofascore).

Transfer Tavern has predicted how Klopp could decide to set up against Arsenal on Sunday…

With Brewster’s fine form doing the talking, Klopp could favour him over a stagnant-looking Roberto Firmino. The £64.8 million-valued striker may also be rested ahead of the first Premier League fixture which gives his young understudy his opportunity to shine and potentially help his team win silverware.

With the support of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, Brewster could find himself on the scoresheet once again.

Liverpool’s last two fixtures have been used to play about with the midfield. Curtis Jones started against VfB Stuttgart but was dropped for the RB Salzburg match. Again, he is another youngster who wants the chance to prove himself. Jones also enjoys a big occasion after he scored Liverpool’s winning goal against Everton in the FA Cup last season.

Naby Keita is starting to find his feet in this Reds side and if he keeps up his promising run of form, he could find himself a regular starter once the Premier League starts up again.

Despite coming off with a head injury, Klopp has stated that Virgil van Dijk will be fit to partake on Sunday. The Dutchman will likely captain his side again, surrounded by his usual defensive peers in order to keep Arsenal at bay with the exception of Trent Alexander-Arnold who was not involved against Salzburg and Neco Williams looks likely to continue in his absence.

How do you think Liverpool will line up against Arsenal? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson has set his sights on a move for Scottish midfielder Scott Fraser, according to Sunderland Echo.

After failing to gain promotion to the Championship via League One, Parkinson is under increasing pressure to deliver at the Stadium of Light.

The 52-year-old coach has already added some new faces to his side with the signings of Bailey Wright and Aiden O’Brien, whilst Tom Flanagan signed a new deal to remain at the club.

With the summer transfer window now in full flow, another name has emerged as a potential arrival in Fraser, who left Burton Albion at the end of the previous season.

Fraser, who had spent the last two seasons with Burton, opted to turn down a new contract at the Pirelli Stadium this summer.
Having played regularly under Nigel Clough, the 25-year-old netted an impressive five goals and gained 11 assists in 30 League One appearances this term.
Luke Garbutt has also emerged as a potential target for Sunderland having left Premier League side Everton on a free transfer this summer.

This could be a perfect attacking signing for Phil Parkinson and one that is very much needed. The more creative options Parkinson has next season the better as he sets his sights on a promotion to the Championship.

Sunderland fans can be happy with this transfer link.

Do you think Scott Fraser would make a good signing? Let us know in the comments section below…

Former Spurs wonderkid Marcus Edwards left Tottenham Hotspur last summer and some fans have been scratching their heads ever since.

Edwards has shown his old club exactly what they have been missing at Vitória de Guimarães this season. The talented winger is without a doubt a case of ‘one that got away’ from Spurs in recent years. For whatever reason, it never seemed to work out for him in north London and he moved to Portugal instead.

According to A Bola, as per Sport Witness, Jose Mourinho is eager to bring him back to Tottenham this summer, with his departure from the Portuguese club described as ‘inevitable’.

Mourinho wants to rectify the mistake made by his predecessor Mauricio Pochettino, who let Edwards slip through his grasp last year. The Argentine compared him to Lionel Messi but he never really got a chance to prove himself in London and was subsequently shipped out to the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques.

The 21-year-old, who plays on the right wing, has played 23 games in Liga NOS this season, scoring six goals, supplying five assists, taking 1.7 shots per game, averaging 1.4 key passes and completing 3.1 dribbles per game on average (WhoScored).

He enjoyed another eye-catching performance over the weekend as he supplied a beautiful assist in the 2-1 win over Gil Vicente.

However, Daniel Levy could face some competition from Manchester United, who have been interested in the winger for a while.

His release clause is reportedly worth €15m (£13.5m) but he won’t cost Spurs that much. In fact, they’d only have to pay the Portuguese side half the price, as they will receive half of the profits if he is sold.

Regardless, Vitória de Guimarães will make a huge profit either way, as he joined the club as a free agent.

Spurs have a lot of options on their wings, including Son Heung-min, Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn, and whether or not Levy will be willing to splash the cash on the Tottenham academy graduate remains to be seen.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sign Marcus Edwards in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!