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Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing up a move for Sean Dyche as Steve Bruce is ‘under growing pressure’, according to the Daily Mail.

However, as per the news outlet, Crystal Palace are also interested in taking on the Burnley manager with Roy Hodgson’s future unclear as his current deal at Selhurst Park runs out at the end of the 2020/21 term.

Newcastle should consider Dyche

The St. James’ Park faithful should seriously consider hiring Dyche as their next coach if Bruce were to leave.

The former Watford boss is vastly experienced in managing in the Premier League, and has kept the Clarets in the top flight for a number of seasons now on a relatively low budget.

He even managed to guide the Lancashire club to a very impressive seventh-placed finish in the division back in the 2017/18 campaign, which gave them a chance to play in Europe, but unfortunately they missed out on qualifying for the UEFA Europa League group stages.

Nonetheless, what Dyche has been doing season after season with Burnley is quite remarkable, as former EPL striker Frank McAvennie branded him as ‘exceptional’ earlier this month following links to Celtic, and with the Magpies currently flirting with potentially being relegated down to the EFL Championship, some stability could be very useful in the North East.

Dyche is certainly a manager that the Tyneside club should at least be considering if they were thinking about replacing Bruce.

In other news, find out what takeover claim Ben Jacobs has dropped involving PIF and Inter Milan here!

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes that youngster Joe Gelhardt can prove his worth in the next few months.

The Whites have enjoyed a successful first season back in the Premier League, sitting 11th in the table with nine matches remaining. There is no threat of relegation for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, who have been a breath of fresh air in the top flight, with very few of their games proving to be dull.

In Gelhardt, Leeds having a hugely promising young talent who is pushing to make his first team debut for the club, having joined from Wigan Athletic last August.

Robinson tips Gelhardt to feature

Someone who thinks this is now a great chance for the 18-year-old to shine is Robinson, with the ex-England ‘keeper telling MOT Leeds News that this is Gelhardt’s opportunity to show Bielsa he can be trusted moving forward:

“It just shows how far he’s come in the last 12 months and what the manager thinks of him.

“I don’t think he’s going to start games if Patrick Bamford is fit but this is his big opportunity for the manager to take a look at him in the Premier League.

“He might influence Bielsa’s transfer activity in the summer. This is his opportunity to prove that he doesn’t need to sign another striker in the summer.

“Bielsa has hinted that he’ll get minutes so he obviously thinks very highly of him.

“This is his opportunity to show what he can do. Leeds are definitely safe already, they’ve got more than enough points and it gives Bielsa the opportunity to take a look at his talented youngsters.”

Transfer tavern take

Bielsa will no doubt be eyeing up reinforcements this summer, but if Gelhardt impresses in the remaining games of the season, it may turn his manager’s head.

The teenager is an attacking player with seemingly huge potential and, having frequently been on the bench for the first team in recent weeks, it will be exciting to see him handed an opportunity between now and May if he gets his opportunity.

In other news, a former Leeds star believes the club should sign a Premier League defender this summer – find out who it is here.

Steve Bruce must look to let Elliot Anderson off the leash after Newcastle United’s hopes of signing Cardiff City talent Kieron Evans took a huge blow.

What’s the word?

Reports by Wales Online last month claimed that the Toon were one of a small group of Premier League clubs eying Evans’ situation at the Cardiff City Stadium with a view to a potential summer swoop.

However, the Bluebirds announced on Wednesday that the 19-year-old has now agreed on a new, two-year contract with the Championship side, he’d have been a free agent at the end of the season if he didn’t put pen-to-paper.

Evans is on the cusp of making his first-team breakthrough in south Wales after being listed in five senior squads so far this term, but is yet to step foot onto the field for his debut.

Cardiff rate the Wales U19 international’s potential highly and have now moved to avoid losing his services for nothing more than a compensatory sum, amid the alleged interest from Newcastle, West Bromwich Albion, Burnley and Sheffield United.

“Kieron Evans has been a standout performer since I’ve come in,” Cardiff’s U23 coach Steve Morison said following the attacking midfielder’s new contract. “He’s been excellent.

“To top it all off, he’s now adding assists and goals in every game alongside his performances, which have got him really noticed. He deserves it.”

Evans was noted to have attracted attentive glares from top-flight clubs last month after scoring and assisting as the Bluebirds U23s beat Millwall, while also finding the back of the net against Severnside rivals Bristol City.

Should Newcastle test Cardiff’s resolve?

Cardiff moving to tie Evans down to a two-year contract just goes to show how highly he is rated in south Wales, likely making any attempt by Newcastle to prise him away in the off-season a futile pursuit.

But United should not be overly concerned by missing out on the attacking midfielder, who can also operate on the wing, as the Magpies already have a promising rising star in their ranks in Anderson.

Bruce has previously stated that he has been “very pleased” by how Anderson has progressed and settled into the Toon senior fold, after coming on in the closing stages of regular time for his first-team debut against Arsenal in the FA Cup in January.

The 18-year-old did not look out of place among his more experienced teammates in north London, and was expected to force his way into Bruce’s plans more often before the Toon’s form derailed and were engulfed in a relegation battle.

“As soon as he comes on to the pitch, he accepts the ball and receives the ball,” Bruce said following the FA Cup clash, via quotes by Chronicle Live. “He never looks rushed. Everything is effortless to him and easy. We hope he’s got a big future.

“He’ll remember his debut. He could have scored in the last minute, couldn’t he? What a wonderful debut that would have been. I’m very pleased with his progress and he’s one that we hope can do us a good turn over the season.”

More recently, Bruce has shared that Anderson must wait for more opportunities despite the injuries for Miguel Almiron, Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson, as he needs experienced heads to help with a relegation fight.

But that should not be the case, and Bruce should be looking to unleash Anderson and let him prove that he is ready, while his age is just the number currently being used to hold him back.

AND in other news, Newcastle face a global battle to land a £8.5m striker with 18 goals in 26 league games this term…

Lee Ryder has confirmed on his official Twitter page that a deal is ‘almost done’ for Newcastle United to sign Matthew Bondswell from RB Leipzig.

The Chronicle journalist had confirmed earlier in the week that the St James’ Park outfit were in talks to sign the England under-18 international on a free transfer but faced competition from other sides in the Premier League.

Nonetheless, it looks as if the Magpies have beaten off that competition and Bondswell should arrive soon.

Bondswell one for the future

Bondswell certainly seems a player for the future at the Tyneside club (should he sign) being just 18 years of age, but he has a lot of potential to make it to the very top of the beautiful game.

Stefan Krause, who is the Leipzig reporter for Bild, has recently told The Chronicle that he is ‘highly-rated’, while the Bundesliga website has compared him to Bayern Munich star and UEFA Champions League winner David Alaba, saying that he has a ‘God-given athleticism’, a ‘cultured left foot’ and a ‘malleability’ which allows him to play in a number of different roles in the side.

Bondswell is clearly highly-regarded, and so it looks as if Steve Bruce’s team have got themselves a bargain on their hands on a free transfer, assuming this reported deal gets over the finish line.

In other news, find out what arbitration claim on the potential NUFC takeover has been dropped by a sports law specialist!

David Moyes should repeat his genius trick of starting West Ham defender Ryan Fredericks in midfield amid claims of a potential recall against Manchester United.

That’s according to Claret & Hugh, who claim it is likely that Fredericks could open the action at Old Trafford to help Vladimir Coufal double-up on Dan James or Anthony Martial, one of whom will almost certainly line up against him due to Marcus Rashford’s expected absence this Sunday.

Moyes pulled off the same move during the Irons’ 3-1 win away to Aston Villa at the start of last month, with Fredericks and Coufal combining well to thwart Jack Grealish.

West Ham are set to make at least one change to the starting line-up against Manchester United on Sunday, due to January loan signing Jesse Lingard being ineligible to play against his parent club.

Lingard is expected to be the sole member of the squad that beat Leeds United 2-0 on Monday night to be unable to face Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, with Claret and Hugh adding that Moyes has no new injury concerns.

The Red Devils loanee opened the scoring for West Ham against the Whites after tucking home the rebound from his missed penalty kick, with Illan Meslier only able to push the former England international’s strike back into the centre of the box.

Lingard has now been involved in six goals in as many games since moving to the London Stadium, scoring four times and assisting twice, more than any other West Ham player in the same period with Michail Antonio second with two goals and two assists to his name.

Rashford had been enjoying a strong vein of form with Manchester United before sustaining an ankle injury last weekend, with the £72m-rated speedster netting twice and creating three chances for his Red Devils teammates in his last seven Premier League outings.

Solskjaer will now be expected to turn to one of James or Martial for West Ham’s visit to Old Trafford, having recently lauded the Wales international for having an X-factor through his “work-rate, pace, [and] running behind teams”. He also noted that “class is permanent and the kid has got class” in reference to Martial’s dip in output from last season.

Moyes could look to limit the threat of James, Martial or Rashford, if he’s somehow passed fit, by recalling Fredericks away to Manchester United, having not started the £3.5m-rated gem in the Premier League since beating Aston Villa and omitting the 28-year-old from West Ham’s last three matchday squads due to a groin strain.

Fredericks struck his first goal of the season in his last outing at home to Sheffield United on February 15, having come off the bench in stoppage-time and combining well with Said Benrahma in the Blades’ penalty area.

It was his defensive exploits alongside Coufal that impressed Moyes against Dean Smith’s Villans, having drafted the natural defender in for only his fifth of six starts this season in all competitions to add something new to the side.

“We felt as if we needed Ryan Fredericks with his speed and to give us something slightly different as we were up against a really good player in that area as well in Jack Grealish,” the Hammers boss said following the game. “Between them, him and Vladimir Coufal did a very good job.”

Fredericks also shed a light on how he and Coufal went about limiting Grealish – who is one of the Premier League’s most creative players with 76 key passes and 14 big chances created to his name, only Bruno Fernandes (77 key balls, 17 big chances) and Kevin de Bruyne (71 key balls, 16 big chances) are as productive, per SofaScore.

“He’s a very good player, so I came in to give Vladi a bit of help and we did a good job doubling up,” he said. “I think he went and spent a bit of time playing centrally and on the other side because he wasn’t really getting much of the ball, so we did our job.”

Moyes should now look to repeat that trick to see Coufal and Fredericks double up on whoever Solskjaer deploys and force Manchester United to play away from the left-wing and toward Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek on Sunday.

AND in other news, West Ham face a £43m asking price to land a 24-y/o ace who “never gets tired”…

Steve Bruce must ruthlessly axe Karl Darlow and return Martin Dubravka to the Newcastle United goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

And, according to The Telegraph, that’s exactly what the under-pressure Toon boss intends to do at St. James’ Park on Saturday.

Dubravka is yet to open a single Premier League fixture this season after sustaining a heel injury in training ahead of the start to the 2020/21 campaign, with Darlow going on to establish himself as the new number one on Tyneside.

Darlow performed magnificently most weeks during the first half of the term, with his saves often proving crucial to Newcastle staying in fixtures and keeping, some, distance between the Magpies and the relegation zone.

Particularly against defending champions Liverpool in December, Darlow stood firm to warrant a rare 10 out of 10 match rating from Chronicle Live, having produced 11 saves to deny Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane – the former being the Premier League’s top-scorer with 17 goals to date.

But Darlow’s efforts have dropped off somewhat in recent weeks, and he endured a particularly troublesome night at Old Trafford last Sunday when Manchester United beat Newcastle 3-1.

The 30-year-old will know he should have done better when beaten by Marcus Rashford for the Red Devils’ opener, with the England international driving home low at the near post. Dan James later snuck the ball past Darlow to restore his side’s lead, with the shot-stopper unable to make himself big enough to prevent Newcastle conceding for a 42nd time this term.

Those moments left Bruce to tell the assembled media after the game: “We’ll have a look at the goalkeeper, he will be disappointed to be beaten at the near post for the first goal. It’s been a difficult week, but we have games coming up where we think we can take points.”

That run starts with Wolves on Saturday, in which a defeat combined with a Fulham win on Sunday at Crystal Palace could leave Newcastle in the drop zone, with three points all that separates United from the Cottagers who hold a superior goal difference.

Dropping Darlow after one particular errant performance may seem harsh, but the move to recall the Magpies’ 2019/20 Player of the Year Dubravka is a needed one if Bruce wishes to keep his job, for a little longer at least.

Owner Mike Ashley is expected to be hands-off all the while Newcastle remain outside of the bottom three, though that may only be a matter of days away with Bruce winless in 14 of the Toon’s last 16 Premier League games.

Installing Dubravka between the sticks now, ahead of hosting the Molineux natives and subsequent top-flight clashes with relegation-rivals West Bromwich Albion plus Brighton and Hove Albion, may thus be a needed measure to bring a sense of calm to St. James’.

“When Dubravka was injured and Darlow was in fantastic form he was knocking on the door for an England call-up and without him, they could be in the position where Sheffield United or West Brom are,” Lee Ryder said on the EIBW Podcast (Chronicle Live, 23/2, 11:37)

“Dubravka is a different type of goalkeeper to Darlow – he organises his defence a little differently, he’s calmer and that is what Newcastle may need in the next 13 games.”

Darlow may feel hard done by to be replaced by Dubravka after everything he’s done for Newcastle this season, but a relegation battle is no time for Bruce to show sentimentality.

AND in other news, Newcastle are exploring a deal to sign a £31.5m-rated star for free this summer…

Manchester United are some way off the league crown this season, lagging 14 points behind rivals Manchester City.

One way that the Red Devils are reportedly attempting to close the gap is by making a big-money move for Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.

It is easy to see why they, and as a matter of fact, many clubs around Europe are interested in the forward.

Since joining the German giants from Red Bull Salzburg, he has plundered an eye-watering 43 goals in just 45 appearances. Pundits such as Jermain Jenas have even labelled him as “complete” at just 20 years of age.

However, it could be argued that the Red Devils simply do not need the forward despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reportedly being “in regular contact” with the player and therefore seemingly keen on a deal for his compatriot.

In having the likes of Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani, Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial and even Bruno Fernandes already at the club, United are more than capable of putting the ball in the back of the net.

Indeed, they are the second-highest scorers in the league this season with 53 goals. It is simply not their goalscoring which has left them lagging behind Pep Guardiola’s men.

It is instead at the other end of the pitch where their standards have fallen low. United have already conceded 33 goals in the Premier League this season. Only Everton in the current top six have shipped more.

With it being reported that recruiting a new centre back is being considered by the club, the fee that it would take to bring Haaland to Old Trafford could be spent more smartly.

Currently rated at £99m, it might well be suspected that an even higher fee could be demanded by Dortmund for them to even contemplate letting their star depart – eliminating a vast chunk of United’s transfer budget.

A lack of a move could anger Solskjaer considering his apparent interest in his fellow Norwegian, but the funds being spent on other parts of the squad make a lot more sense at the current time for Ed Woodward and the Old Trafford hierarchy.

AND in other news, read why we believe Dean Henderson has to stay in goal even when David De Gea returns to action…

Tottenham Hotspur take a break from league action as they look to continue their quest towards silverware under Jose Mourinho with an FA Cup fifth-round tie at Everton.

The north London outfit finally ended a run of three straight defeats by beating troubled West Brom 2-0 over the weekend, thanks to the returning Harry Kane and Heung-min Son reigniting their prolific partnership.

But Mourinho is left with plenty to ponder as games are coming thick and fast once more…

On the Chalkboard

One decision facing the Special One is in the attack.

Yes, we’re likely to see Kane and Son both start, but the other places are surely up for grabs.

Against the Baggies, Mourinho handed rare Premier League starts to both Lucas Moura, who played in the no.10 role, and Erik Lamela, who was deployed out on the right.

Earlier this week, we outlined why the Brazilian still has a big part to play at the club, but for the fellow South American, the same cannot be said as he underwhelmed – it was all energy with little product.

Indeed, the 28-year-old recorded the lowest SofaScore rating (6.7) of any of Spurs’ attacking players on the afternoon and that’s ultimately poor considering Albion had the worst defensive record in the top-flight by a considerable margin – their 54 goals conceded is 15 more than any other team.

Before Lamela was hooked in the 74th minute, he managed just one accurate cross from seven attempts (14%), which meant Kane had very little to feed off whilst the winger also failed to win the majority of his duels, losing five of 15 (33%), meaning the West Brom left-back had the better of him consistently.

He was even the second-most wasteful Spurs player on the pitch as he lost possession 17 times – once every four minutes.

If Spurs have serious ambitions of progressing tonight, then Mourinho ought to play Moura, Steven Bergwijn or Gareth Bale over Lamela.

As one of the final survivors from the Andre Villas-Boas era, it’s quite a surprise to see the former Roma star still standing in N17, especially as he’s among the high earners at the club on a reported £85k-per-week, which is more than Matt Doherty, Giovani Lo Celso and Bergwijn.

Teammate Eric Dier revealed earlier in this season that Lamela “is a nightmare” because “offensively he’s so good” and “when you have the ball, he kicks lumps out of you.”

But we’ve not seen that sort of claim come to fruition in a competitive encounter in a very long time.

A series of injuries and no goal in the Premier League since September 2019 tells the full story – he has missed more games (108) than goal contributions (81) since joining Spurs in 2013, and in failing to deliver against the weak and faltering West Brom, he should not be given another start this evening.

Ruthless it may be, but a wise decision.

AND in other news, Forget Vinicius: Spurs must get £36m-rated beast with an “instinct for goals”…

It wasn’t the prettiest of affairs, but that will hardly matter to Steven Gerrard after Glasgow Rangers got back on track in their quest to reclaim the title by beating Kilmarnock at Ibrox.

Rangers extended their unbeaten streak to 12 games in all competitions without one of their best players, the club’s star striker, first-choice midfielder Plus Filip Helander of course.

Another afternoon in which Gerrard’s side coasted to victory, with the majority spent in second gear, but a victory nonetheless thanks to Ryan Jack’s sensational screamer. Gerrard told Rangers TV afterwards that Jack is already laying claim to the club’s goal of the season after he fired home from the edge of the box.

Yet for Jack’s incredible effort, it was perhaps the performance of James Tavernier that deserves a special mention. As per SofaScore, the right-back received a high 7.4 rating for his display, that being the best of almost every player from either side and bettered only by none other than Jack himself.

Tavernier looked every inch the club captain as he delivered on all fronts, putting in a tremendous shift at the back as Killie tried to upset the odds.

The 29-year-old was on top form in terms of his defending, as he made three clearances and three tackles in the entire game, the latter of which was more than the likes of Jack and Steven Davis, whilst he was only dribbled past once – showing that attackers found it incredibly difficult to get the better of Tavernier during the full 90′ minutes.

The Rangers full-back would also win an impressive nine out of 13 duels in total, whereas his opposite number Brandon Haunstrup would only manage to win seven during the entire game, suggesting that Tavernier came out on top in his individual battles for the most part on the day.

Once again, however, it was his attacking contributions that should not go unnoticed, as he endeavoured to set his side on the front foot right from the start, taking as many as 109 touches throughout the game – more than any other player on the pitch and more than Jack and Allan McGregor managed between them, as per SofaScore.

Indeed, in the Scottish Premiership this season, Tavernier is currently averaging 98.4 touches per 90, which just goes to show that he managed to find another level against Tommy Wright’s side.

There’s no doubting the fact that Gerrard will be delighted with his skipper’s latest display and will be hoping his fine form will continue when they take on Antwerp later next week.

AND in other news, Bongani Zungu is starting to run out of time to impress at Glasgow Rangers…

Carlo Ancelotti must unleash Andre Gomes in Everton’s FA Cup tie with Sheffield Wednesday to see if the Everton midfielder can fill the void of Abdoulaye Doucoure.

The Toffees are set to be without Doucoure for their crunch Premier League meeting with Leicester City on Wednesday night through suspension, after the £20m summer signing was issued his fifth yellow card of the season at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

An Everton victory over the Foxes will see the Goodison Park natives close the gap between themselves and Brendan Rodgers’ side to three points and they’d have two games in hand, as they battle for a place in the top-four and qualification for the Champions League.

Doucoure has played more often in the top-flight this term than any other member of Ancelotti’s squad, with the 28-year-old featuring for 1,452 of a possible 1,530 minutes after starting all 17 of their fixtures to date.

Gomes, in contrast, has fallen out of favour on Merseyside this season, with the former FC Barcelona maestro boasting only the 15th-highest total game time by an Everton player after accumulating just 573 minutes of action over 12 outings, of which he’s started five.

The last of Gomes’ Premier League starts came in November’s 2-1 loss to Newcastle United when Ancelotti sought to find a new role for him, with the £18m-rated man fielded in an advanced role in behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin before being hauled off on the hour mark.

He has struggled to impress when given the chance in the cup competitions too, with Darren Bent claiming Gomes was exposed for his lack of pace and physicality against Manchester United as Everton lost 2-0 in the Carabao Cup quarter-final.

“Gomes, on the ball, is kind of your Rolls Royce footballer that gets on it, links play, not scared to take the ball in tight areas and different scenarios. I was disappointed in Gomes because he’s a wonderful footballer,” he told Football Insider.

“There are times when the opposition’s midfield are quite quick, they’re dynamic, they get about, I think that’s where Gomes lacks real legs in the middle of the park.”

Gomes again was questioned for his performance when fielded from the start against Rotherham United in the FA Cup third round win earlier this month, with the Liverpool Echo claiming his passing was often sloppy and that his poor tackling should have been punished.

Doucoure’s absence against Leicester will be a big miss for Ancelotti, with Bent further lauding the Frenchman as a “top, top player” who “there isn’t anyone like” at Everton as he brings a powerful presence to the engine room.

That presence has also returned among the highest number of progressive passes at Goodison Park this term (39), with only James Rodriguez (82) recording a significantly higher total of passes that moved play closer to the opponent’s goal in Premier League fixtures, per FBref.

Doucoure also stands strong at the other end of the pitch to make a higher number of tackles (19) in the defensive third and the second-most pressures (298) by a Blues player. Gomes, on the other hand, has offered just one more tackle in the defensive third than attacker Alex Iwobi (8) and pressures opponents (127) as frequently as Rodriguez (122).

Gomes will have big shoes to fill against Leicester if he’s the one selected, thus he must be unleashed against Sheffield Wednesday to shake off any cobwebs against a side sitting second-bottom of the Championship. Otherwise, Ancelotti will be throwing him in straight at the deep end on Wednesday.

AND in other news – Exclusive: Pundit reacts as Everton to hand £100k-p/w man a new contract.