All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Some Glasgow Rangers fans are far from happy with a 55 playlist shared by the Gers on Spotify to celebrate their recent Premiership title success.

The Ibrox outfit are currently still basking in the glory of their title win despite there still being five matches remaining (BBC). It is their first major trophy since 2011, so it is no surprise to see the club enjoying their success, and they are taking advantage of the situation to release a number of products linked to their 55th league triumph.

They have also shared a playlist on Spotify, with the songs all linked to the Gers. However, some of the fans are unhappy with a few of the choices, which includes a song from Gers fan Amy Macdonald and a sea shanty.

The playlist was shared on Twitter by the club’s official account, and it attracted plenty of interest from Gers supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say below

“Think I can speak for me and many others. Severely disappointed there’s no Rockin all Over the world.”

Credit: @mareorless

“No drifters No joy division No winner takes it all Come on now”

Credit: @Beatthatbeat

“A lot of weird songs tbf. No Tiffany or Zombie nation…”

Credit: @dion_1690

“Get that sea shanty song off right now”

Credit: @StuPollock1

“Sea Shanties and Amy MacDonald, think I’ll pass”

Credit: @samjsneddon

“Amy McDonald? That’s the whole thing ruined.”

Credit: @Ljt10x

In other news, Rangers eye this defender as Filip Helander is linked with an exit.

Glen Kamara has been a key part of Rangers’ impressive form this season under Steven Gerrard and, despite some recent claims from former Premiership striker Noel Whelan, Ross Wilson should hand the Finnish midfielder a new deal in order to keep him at Ibrox for the foreseeable future.

In an interview with Football Insider, Whelan suggested:

“He’s one that Steven Gerrard wants to tie down to a new contract and rightly so.

“But the way this season’s been in terms of Covid, bills, the running of the club, maybe one player has to leave to cover those losses.

“Maybe that’s a realisation that they need to get £10-15m in the bank to make up for the money they’ve lost. They might just have to sacrifice one player.

“If you can get that then great. But at the same time you know you’re weakening your side by losing a key player. But at times like this, you’ve got to look after the club first.

“There will be a queue for a player like that, a specialist in the midfield area and the sort of player you need to win any kind of Championship.”

However, with Rangers well on track to win the Premiership title this season, why would they cash in on one of their most important players ahead of potentially playing in the Champions League next season?

Gerrard’s side have shown this season that they can have success in Europe, and Kamara has been a huge part of that, with the Finnish international having appeared in all eight fixtures in the Europa League, averaging a solid 6.95 rating for his performances.

Since signing for the club from Dundee in January 2019, the former Arsenal youngster has gone on to make 94 appearances for Rangers, contributing four goals and three assists in that time; and Gerrard clearly sees him as an important part of his side, describing him as a “class act” back in 2019.

Considering that the 25-year-old reportedly earns just £6,000 per week at Rangers, you could definitely argue that he deserves a new contract, which could put any interested clubs off trying to sign him in the summer.

With the likes of Steven Davis (35) and Scott Arfield (32) also featuring in midfield, it would perhaps be a poor decision by the club to allow the 25-year-old Kamara to leave in the summer, as they would surely need to bring in a replacement in the next couple of seasons when both of Gerrard’s experienced options are likely to either be retired or well past their peak.

Should they win the title this season, then they will feature in the Champions League qualifying rounds next term; and if they can navigate that better than their Old Firm rivals, they will then receive a huge financial boost for featuring in the group stages of the competition, which could easily subsidise any potential fee they would have received for Kamara.

We must also factor in the fact that fans are hopefully going to be able to return to Ibrox next season, thanks to the progress of the vaccines, so it is perhaps premature of Whelan to talk about selling one of Gerrard’s key players as a way of raising funds, as the club could be set for a serious windfall in the next few months.

Therefore, if there is interest in Kamara, Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson should ignore Whelan’s claim and hand the Finnish midfielder a new deal with the club.

And, in other news… Forget Morelos: Rangers beast who won 88% of his duels was Gerrard’s star vs Livingston

Leeds United suffered another typical injury blow in light of their impressive 0-0 draw with Chelsea at the weekend as leading talisman Patrick Bamford went off ten minutes before half-time.

It remains to be seen whether or not the 27-year-old will be fit in time for their fixture with old Championship foes Fulham on Friday evening, but given his importance to Marcelo Bielsa, the 13-goal striker may well not be risked so soon anyway.

Therefore, it leaves the Whites boss with plenty to ponder in terms of team selection.

Rodrigo, the man who replaced Bamford at Stamford Bridge, is still not match-fit as he was withdrawn before the full-time whistle.

The United faithful could well also see Tyler Roberts lead the line after a string of impressive performances in a deeper role, though you can forget about him playing up top if he’s doing the business in another role.

Perhaps it means it is time for Bielsa to throw the reins to young striking sensation Joe Gelhardt – there can’t be a better encounter to see what he can do as Fulham are flirting with the prospects of relegation, even despite their improving form.

The 18-year-old, signed from Wigan for just £700k, has been talked up by Bamford himself in recent months, who said: “He reminds me – I don’t want to say the same level as (Wayne) Rooney – but he is the same kind of build as Rooney was. A stocky lad, great finisher.”

Football Insider claimed that words like “phenomenal” and “electrifying” have been used to describe him behind the scenes at Elland Road, and quite rightly too.

In Premier League 2 this term, the teenage prodigy has bagged eight goals and three assists in 14 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

Unlike Rodrigo or Roberts, he’s a true centre-forward, so he’s surely the natural replacement for Bamford should he miss Friday’s match.

Gelhardt has made Bielsa’s bench five times but is yet to taste his senior debut, so clearly, he’s a player who is well thought of by the Leeds boss.

Indeed, the Argentine waxed lyrical about his young forward, telling reporters last month: “He’s a player that always creates danger in a game. He’s a player who’s more linked with the finalising of chances rather than the creation of them. He has resources to beat an opponent and he has a final shot, a finish that is very good.”

But what good are all these glowing endorsements if we’re not going to see just how good his potential can be for the first team? If Bamford is out this week, Bielsa absolutely has to unleash the 18-year-old gem.

AND in other news, Orta could seal Bielsa’s dream Dallas heir with Leeds swoop for “lightening-quick” gem…

Jarrod Bowen left West Ham United wanting more quality from their wide forward as David Moyes’ side beat London rivals Crystal Palace 3-2 on Tuesday night.

The Irons started the slower of the two sides and fell behind inside just the third minute through Wilfried Zaha, but rallied quickly with a Tomas Soucek brace to flip the script and go on to claim a sixth straight win across all competitions.

Craig Dawson rounded out the scoring for the visiting Hammers 20 minutes into the second period when he headed home Bowen’s corner, with the former Hull City attacker showing great skill from the dead ball situations on a night his open play actions were off the pace.

Bowen has proven a firm favourite of West Ham boss Moyes since his £22m arrival from the Tigers last January, with the 24-year-old starting 29 of a possible 32 Premier League games, including 19 of 20 thus far this term.

His second-half assist for Dawson’s goal marked Bowen’s third of the top-flight campaign to take his total goal contribution to eight thanks to five goals, as he looks to rediscover his form shown in front of the net from before the festive period.

Bowen never truly looked likely to find a route past Vicente Guaita himself during Tuesday night’s showdown at Selhurst Park, with Gary Cahill doing well to get his body in the way of the £96,000-per-week maestro’s 55th-minute strike.

It proved to be his only shot of the match, with Guaita reacting quickest to scramble over the ball when Michail Antonio’s header from six-yards out fell just short of rebounding to Bowen’s feet.

Antonio also endured a somewhat off night after back-to-back goals to beat Burnley and West Bromwich Albion last week, as the striker should have bagged a brace in the first-half only to see his efforts hit the woodwork on both occasions. Guaita’s close-range wonders also ensured the 30-year-old squandered a glaring opportunity in the second period.

But West Ham were left wanting more from Bowen most of all as the £25m-rated ace, who Hull boss Grant McCann lauds as an “exceptional” talent, was robbed of possession in first-half stoppage time as he sought to break into the Eagles’ box.

Despite his incredible work rate, Bowen often lacked the skill needed on the ball to beat his marker at Selhurst Park, and ultimately left the field in the 81st-minute without a successful dribble to his name after losing out in his only attempt, per SofaScore.

Bowen has averaged 1.2 successful dribbles a game with a 61% success rate in Premier League fixtures this term, but was unable to show that level of talent while matched up with Tyrick Mitchell, who won six of his seven ground duels compared to the West Ham man’s two out of six hit rate.

Moyes further saw Bowen misdirect four of his six attempted crosses, as he carved out more opportunities to cause Cahill and Cheikhou Kouyate issues than he normal can with an average 1.1 accurate balls into the box this term. Yet his efforts came without the accuracy to find Antonio or the marauding Soucek.

West Ham will need Bowen at his best when Liverpool visit the London Stadium on Sunday, as a win over Jurgen Klopp’s Reds will see the Irons solidify their place above the champions in the Premier League table.

Andrew Robertson may also be there for the taking at the weekend, after a shoddy showing in the FA Cup against Manchester United on Sunday – winning zero of his five duels and being dribbled past four times up against Mason Greenwood – for his worst SofaScore match rating (5.9) since Liverpool were thrashed 4-0 by Manchester City last July.

AND in other news, West Ham see bid rejected for £13.5m-rated target who’s played just 88 minutes of league action this season…

Glasgow Rangers winger Scott Wright is settling into life rather nicely at the 54-time Scottish champions, according to ex-Ger Alan Hutton.

The 23-year-old has already told Rangers fans about his desire to play in front of a crowd at Ibrox and posted pictures on Instagram suggesting he is acclimatising to his new surroundings.

On the pitch, Wright made his first-team debut for Rangers in the draw with Hamilton Academical, as he came off the bench in a brief cameo for Steven Gerrard’s side in the second half.

Hutton, who is well connected behind the scenes at Ibrox, believes the former Aberdeen star is very content with his new environment and revealed the new recruit has been impressing his new teammates on the training pitch, suggesting he could play a big part in their efforts to secure the title in the coming weeks.

He said: “Obviously it takes time to settle in, you’re not going to come into a dressing room – especially not at Rangers, with how well they’re playing – and be the focal point. At the moment it’s all about just settling in and just getting to meet them really, adjust to the way they play, as well as how he plays so it’s going to take a bit of time.

“Obviously he’s technically very good, from what I hear everybody says the same thing. Yes, he came on (v Hamilton) but you can’t judge him off that performance – we saw he had some nice touches. I think he definitely suits the way Rangers are trying to play at the moment, it’s like two number 10s in there to get on the ball, pockets of space, turn and make things happen for your striker.

“He more suits that sort of position more than I think Kent does so I think there will be opportunities for him moving forward. Obviously we’ve seen enough from him at Aberdeen to know he’s a good player and what he brings to the party so I’m sure he’ll fit in but it takes a little bit of time.”

The talented left forward made a name for himself at Pittodrie, having scored seven goals and supplied eleven assists in 79 appearances for Derek McInnes’ side.

Wright signed a pre-contract deal with the Premiership leaders in January, but initially continued to play for the Dons, before joining Rangers for an undisclosed fee before the close of play on transfer deadline day.

The most obvious talking point lies on the left wing, as Ryan Kent has been heavily linked with the Ibrox exit, hence their interest in Wright, whilst Hutton reckons he is the perfect fit for the Ibrox system.

This obviously isn’t to say that Wright is as good as Kent, or that one is better than the other, or vice versa. There are clear differences – not least in quality in certain areas – and it’s not a complete comparison. But there are some broad similarities that should bear a mention.

Per WhoScored, Wright has managed 1.5 dribbles per 90 in the Premiership while Kent is currently averaging two per game. However, there isn’t too much to differentiate between the two, as Wright’s success rate of 51% is only a fraction lower than Kent’s of 55%.

Either way, it seems that both players have shown a willingness to bomb up and down the wing to set their side up on the front foot.

Uncertainty over Kent’s future at Ibrox is nothing new, but it seems the new Rangers signing has already started to show signs he could be his long-term replacement.

AND in other news, Rangers suffer setback in pursuit of John Lundstram…

Celtic have had one of their worst seasons in over ten years. They are 19 points behind Rangers and are staring down the barrel of a catastrophic embarrassment.

For so long the Hoops have been the dominant force in Scottish football but they are now doing the chasing just like everyone else.

Though, if there was one bright spark from the season so far, it would be Ismaila Soro.

The Ivorian is a reserved character and has come out of nowhere to lead a mini-revival in the Celtic team. They may have lost to Rangers but Soro was a major reason behind Celtic winning six on the trot before the New Year.

He was given a rare start against Lille and then when he played against Kilmarnock in a 2-0 victory in mid-December, the Bhoys kept their first clean sheet since early November. That was no surprise judging by Soro’s performances.

The midfielder won a combined 12 tackles in those two matches and has been a stalwart ever since. Just imagine, therefore, what he could do alongside someone like Ben Pearson.

It’s been suggested that Celtic are trying to sign the Preston general on a pre-contract ahead of the summer and if his record if anything to go by, he and Soro would be an almighty partnership to break down.

Pearson, who earns £8.5k-per-week at Deepdale, is a mighty figure in the middle of the park and has been given a yellow card on 28 occasions in the last two seasons.

He is a brute and together with Soro, has the capabilities to form one of the sternest protective layers in the whole of Scottish football.

The pair of them are two tough-tackling individuals and if anything can smooth over the defensive cracks that have appeared in Neil Lennon’s side this season, they can.

The Glaswegians have conceded ten more goals than Rangers in the league and shipped a colossal 19 strikes in just six Europa League outings.

It may well be the back four that needs improving, but with a better screen of protection in front of them, the defence will only get better.

This would be one way for Nick Hammond to solve Celtic’s crisis.

AND in other news, Tierney 2.0: Celtic must sign gem with “relentless pace”, he makes “defenders cower”…

Leeds United have been linked with several new names this month as the January transfer deadline edges closer. One man who remains on the radar is Hibernian full-back Josh Doig. According to Goal, the Whites join Celtic and Manchester City in the running for the 18-year-old who has two-and-a-half years left on his current contract in Scotland.

The recent Championship winners have shipped a hefty amount of goals this season, letting 35 past them so far. Only Crystal Palace (36) and West Brom (48) have conceded more this 2020/21 term.

Marcelo Bielsa’s backline will be the main source of his worries, but signing Doig could create some problems for fellow left-back Leif Davis.

Davis could suffer if Doig signs for Leeds

According to the report, the young Scot would be available for as little as £1million if Leeds are to pursue a move. This will be a very attractive fact for Andrea Radrizzani, who spent almost £100million during the summer on new recruits.

Robin Koch and Diego Llorente are both injured and they are the main reason why the Whites are struggling to defend right now. Bielsa has been forced to deploy Luke Ayling in central defence, rather than in his natural position at right-back.

Whilst recruiting Doig would add to Leeds’ defensive options, he will be directly competing with fellow rising full-back Davis. According to Transfermarkt, the Newcastle-born defender has made just two senior appearances this season, both in the form of cameos.

However, on the flip side, Doig has been a prominent figure for Hibernian, making 17 appearances in the Premiership this campaign and and contributing two assists, as per Transfermarkt. He recently received praise from Hibs manager Jack Ross for being a “confident” and “impressive” player.

Despite being three years Davis’ senior, Doig has more experience at the top level and could really pile the pressure on the elusive Leeds youngster.

In other news, Bielsa made huge mistake rushing Diego Llorente back…

A lot of Liverpool fans have been reacting with excitement to a tweet posted by Reds news Twitter account @AnfieldWatch, which relayed a claim from French publication Le Parisien about Liverpool’s hopes of signing Paris Saint-Germain attacker Kylian Mbappe. 

According to Le Parisien, via Sport Witness, Mbappe is asking for sport-related guarantees from the Ligue 1 club to get him to sign a new contract at Le Parc des Princes, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the 2021/22 campaign. 

Meanwhile, it’s claimed that even though Liverpool would not be able to offer Mbappe as much money as PSG, they are hopeful that they can present ‘a better sporting project’ to the 21-year-old, who is currently the world’s most valuable player, per Transfermarkt, in order to persuade him to commit his future to the Merseyside club. 

The report also claims the Reds’ interest in the young superstar is ‘real’.

So, how did these Liverpool fans react to this claim on their hopes of signing Mbappe?

Many Reds fans reacted to @AnfieldWatch’s tweet sharing this claim with pure excitement, indicating that they think there is a genuine chance their club could convince Mbappe to move to Anfield, a signing that would of course set the Premier League alight and turn all eyes to Merseyside. 

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been fuming at ex-Reds centre-back Dejan Lovren over his recent comments on his Anfield departure.

David Sullivan must sanction a £5.5million January transfer bid for Independiente del Valle’s Moises Caicedo, who could be David Moyes’ next Declan Rice at West Ham United.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Record, the Irons have submitted an inquiry over the young Ecuador international as they look to contend with Manchester United for his signature.

Caicedo’s high-energy and aggressive pressing is seen as the perfect addition to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s preferred game plan at Old Trafford, while fitting seamlessly with Executive Vice-Chairman Ed Woodward’s vision for a “cultural reboot”.

The 19-year-old set two records when he scored during Ecuador’s 4-2 win over Uruguay in October, to become the youngest-ever goalscorer for his country and the first player born in the 21st-century to net in a CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying fixture.

Independiente are said to value Caicedo at €6m (£5.5m) and would demand a 20 per cent sell-on clause should he leave in the upcoming January window, having tied the skilful midfield titan down to a new four-year contract after a handful of approaches this summer.

West Ham and Manchester United are offering the official line that they will only be active in the mid-season market if the right deal presents itself, while Caicedo would be expected to favour a move to Old Trafford.

The teen brute recently named the Red Devils as his favourite club and praised Paul Pogba as a player he draws inspiration from, alongside Chelsea and France star N’Golo Kante.

Moyes’ next Rice

West Ham stepping up their interest in Caicedo from an official inquiry to a formal bid could see Sullivan deliver Moyes his next Rice, and lock up the future of the Hammers’ midfield in case Chelsea return with a new approach for the Irons’ England international.

Frank Lampard’s side baulked at West Ham’s £80m asking price for Rice in the summer and could face competition from Manchester United, after the Red Devils were touted to be considering the West Ham captain as they begin targeting four signings to complete a squad overhaul.

Moyes will be irate if the east Londoners lose Rice without having a ready-made replacement in store, having called on the 21-year-old as one of four players to play all 1,170 minutes in the Premier League thus far this season.

Caicedo may not yet have any Premier League experience but may be Moyes’ answer, as the four-time Ecuador international has already established himself as a central figure for Independiente in their domestic and Copa Libertadores campaigns with six goals and two assists in 30 senior games.

His box-to-box exploits have also seen Caicedo lauded as a well-rounded and remarkably complete player by Scouted Football, who note the 19-year-old brings a mature level to his passing as he recycles possession or plays ambitious balls to progress play.

Those words are reflected in his output, too, with Caicedo recording a 100% accuracy rating with 2.2 long balls a game in the 2020 Copa Libertadores alongside 29.3 total passes, 1.0 key balls, 1.0 successful tackles, 3.3 duels won and 0.7 shots, per SofaScore.

AND in other news, a £67k-p/w West Ham dud’s torturous midweek display proved why he cannot be trusted vs Chelsea.

The Daily Express is reporting that Daniel Levy refused to sell Tottenham’s Tanguy Ndombele for anything less than £54m during the summer.

Levy wants good return on Ndombele

Ndombele made the move to Spurs from Lyon last year, costing the club around €60m (£53.8m).

After a disappointing first season with the Lilywhites, there were rumours the France international could leave – Internazionale were linked with a move for him. However, tough negotiator Levy refused to let him go for anything below £54m. As such, he remained in north London for the new campaign.

Mourinho trusting Ndombele

In his first campaign at the club, the 23-year-old struggled. He made just 29 appearances in all competitions, and he was heavily criticised by Mourinho. Had he left, his departure would have been far from surprising.

This term, though, he has worked his way back into Mourinho’s plans, even standing out as one of the manager’s key men. He has been involved in all  five Premier League matches so far, and has been on the end of plenty of praise from the club’s supporters and the manager himself. Finally, he is starting to show why Spurs spent a club-record fee to sign him – and it seems that Levy’s tough stance is to thank for that.

In other news, this Tottenham target is looking for a new club in January. Let us know what you think in the comments!