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Whilst nobody within the English game quite expected Newcastle United and the newly appointed Steve McClaren to take the Premier League by storm this season, the 2015/16 campaign has proven a far more frustrating affair than most of the St. James’ faithful ever initially predicted.

Although the Magpies could have seemingly done with all the relevant help they could get this season however, 20-year-old Rolando Aarons – a young up and coming winger who seemed to carry a fair amount of potential under his belt before the current league campaign first got underway – has hardly played on Tyneside so far this season, and possibly looks set to leave his current employers with his contract due to expire in the summer.

In light of the subsequent – and albeit slightly surprising – interest to reportedly come his way from the likes of Arsenal, AC Milan and Juventus in 2015/16, has Rolando Aarons simply witnessed his once promising long-term future with Newcastle United up and disappear over the course of the current season, or will Steve McClaren somehow manage to persuade the young winger to stick it out in the North East for a good while longer?

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Well, although the former Bristol City youngster has indeed barely featured for the Magpies so far this term on the back of a series of testing injury complaints, it seems as if Newcastle could really lose out on a star talent here.

The Jamaican born wide-man has certainly impressed in a number of pre-season fixtures and behind closed doors friendlies since first arriving on Tyneside, even if the 20-year-old is yet to make a real name for himself in the Premier League itself.

Via his dangerously quick turn of pace inside the final third, promising ability to link-up effectively with his teammates in attacking areas of the pitch, and calm composure on the ball when taking on defenders in one-on-one scenarios – this is a player who is seemingly worthy of his growing reputation in the English game.

Had the likes of Andros Townsend, Henri Saivet and Seydou Doumbia not been drafted in at St. James’ in what eventually turned out to be rather hectic January transfer window for the struggling Tyneside club, a player of Rolando Aarons’ emerging talent could have potentially served Steve McClaren’s side rather well throughout the remainder of the campaign.

Granted, Newcastle United can’t exactly afford to bed in an inexperienced young professional in the midst of a clear relegation dog-fight right in the here and now – but you never know – perhaps if Rolando Aarons had been fit and firing for an extended portion of the 2015/16 campaign, maybe the Magpies wouldn’t find themselves in such a vulnerable position at this particular stage in the season.

Yet even though the emerging 20-year-old has certainly shown glimpses of talent during his current stint at St. James’ Park thus far, it remains particularly difficult to envisage the likes of Arsenal, AC Milan or Juventus ever issuing the pacey wide-man with a chance to stake his claim away from the North East any time soon.

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Although Rolando Aarons could one day serve to impress at one of Europe’s most illustrious sides in the not too distant future, perhaps the player in question must carefully consider his options before making any knee-jerk decisions regarding his future at the end of the current league campaign.

As Newcastle United could soon find themselves operating in the Championship when the 2015/16 season finally reaches its natural conclusion however, maybe Steve McClaren’s side could be forced to part ways with their impressive young talent sooner rather than later, no matter how much potential Rolando Aarons has to offer down on Tyneside in upcoming seasons.

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Jamie Carragher believes that Dejan Lovren has all of the characteristics to be a future captain at Liverpool.

The Reds recently tied up their long-awaited £20m move for the Croatian centre-back, who was impressive at Southampton last term.

Lovren was celebrated for his positive style of defending, but his leadership qualities were also praised as he controlled the Saints’ backline – which was often impressive.

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The 25-year-old is expected to slot straight into the Merseysiders’ first XI next season, with he and Mamadou Sakho – a big money arrival from 2013 – being hailed as the future of the club’s rear-guard as they look to put their 50 goals conceded record which cost them the title behind them.

Carragher – Liverpool’s former vice-captain – believes that the newbie will become a major figure at Anfield, and he even believes he could be in the running to succeed Steven Gerrard as skipper:

“Centre-backs normally make great captains.” He is quoted by the Daily Star.

“If Lovren establishes himself in the team became a top player by showing the same form he has at Southampton for Liverpool, then in the next few years when Stevie does decide to call it day he will be in contention.

“You look at him and he has the potential to make a big powerful impact at the back and that’s what Liverpool need.

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“Jordan Henderson is another who could possibly be in contention and there will be more who arrive in that time that could be up for it as well.

“But if Lovren can come in and produce that sort of form then I am sure he will be in the running for it.”

//www.youtube.com/embed/dzENWWAoIlU

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Fulham boss Martin Jol has admitted his frustration at Brede Hangeland’s red card during his side’s 3-1 Premier League loss to Sunderland.

The Norwegian centre-back was given his marching orders after 31 minutes for a two-footed lunge of Black Cats’ midfielder Lee Cattermole.

It proved to be decisive, as the North East club went on to take the lead and eventually the three points.

Jol vented his frustrations to SkySports after the game:

“I think he was probably the only one in the stadium who really thought it was a red card,” he said.

“It would have been nice if most of the referees had played football themselves, it would be nice if sometimes they could make decisions in the spirit of the game.

“I can’t remember having a red card at this club. Hangeland is a nice boy and told me it was not intentional, he slipped.

“I won’t say that it is a common thing for him because I haven’t seen him do this tackle.”

Sunderland took the lead through Steven Fletcher after 50 minutes.

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Mladen Petric equalised soon after, but defender Carlos Cuellar put the visitors back in front with a fine header.

Stephane Sessegnon completed the scoring with an excellent 25-yeard effort.

It’s been a while since Borussia Mönchengladbach were in title contention. The last time the Foals won the Bundesliga was in 1977. However, after a goalless draw against Freiburg on the weekend, their chances of winning the title have all but evaporated.

“You have to work hard to stop Gladbach playing their football and really put the hard yards in. That we did.”

These were the words of Freiburg’s coach Christian Streich after Saturday’s encounter and it acknowledges what tough opposition Gladbach have become over the last 12 months. Their rapid rise from paupers to princes in terms of league position has been well highlighted and rightly so.

Lucien Favre has hardly made any personnel changes, relying in the main on players who were already at the club. It’s a tactic which has worked effectively too. However, Saturday was a fantastic opportunity to claw back ground on Borussia Dortmund as they slipped to a 0-0 draw themselves at Augsburg. It wasn’t taken.

In this lies Gladbach’s weakness. They are the Bundesliga’s best counter-attacking team. As a result, at times when they have needed to take the initiative themselves, the Foals haven’t managed to do so. No win in their last three is hardly calamitous but opponents seemed to have worked out that if they drop deeper, Gladbach can’t work their counter-attacking wizardry to its full extent. Granted, they would have been helped on Saturday by having Patrick Hermann, who was missing due to a broken collarbone. However, the proof is in their results.

In the five games so far against fellow members of the top four, Gladbach have won three, drawn one and lost one. However, none of the four teams they’ve dropped points against in 2012 currently reside in the top eight of the Bundesliga. The latest team to stop them, Freiburg, deserve credit for their resolute display on Saturday. It meant the club above Gladbach, Bayern Munich, were able to pull away whilst the side below, Schalke, managed to gain ground.

Bayern have been bipolar of late – abysmal away, almighty at the Allianz Arena.It was certainly a case of the latter on Saturday as a very poor Hoffenheim team were swept aside ruthlessly. Winning 7-1 would be most sides highest victory of the season but this ranked as Bayern’s second biggest margin in the campaign. What’s not surprising is that Mario Gomez grabbed another hat-trick in this demolition as Munich went three points ahead of Gladbach.

Schalke weren’t as majestic in Gelsenkirchen. The Royal Blues still settled the game in quick fashion, racing into a three goal lead after just over half an hour. Teemu Pukki, deputising for Raul, grabbed the first before Christoph Metzelder and their top scorer Klaas-Jan Huntelaar settled the encounter. Hamburg pulled a goal back at the end of the first half but Schalke held on to move within a point of Borussia Mönchengladbach.

The Foals must stay upbeat with nine games left. If they hold it together, Gladbach will be playing in the Champions League next season albeit without Marco Reus and Roman Neustadter who have agreed moves to Borussia Dortmund and Schalke respectively. Nevertheless, everyone at the club can take pride in putting Borussia Mönchengladbach into the title race for the first time in the 21st century. At this stage though, it doesn’t appear it will be anything more than title contention for the Foals.

For more on the Bundesliga, follow @arhindtutt on Twitter

Matchday 25 Results:

Stuttgart 0-0 Kaiserslautern

Bayern Munich 7-1 Hoffenheim

Cologne 1-0 Hertha Berlin

Gladbach 0-0 Freiburg

Mainz 2-1 Nuremberg

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Wolfsburg 3-2 Bayer Leverkusen

Augsburg 0-0 Borussia Dortmund

Werder Bremen 3-0 Hannover

Schalke 3-1 Hamburg

Bundesliga Table

Rank Club Matches W* D* L* G* GD* PTS*

1Borussia Dortmund25175352:16+3656CL*2FC Bayern Munich25163658:17+4151CL*3Borussia Mönchengladbach25146537:15+2248CL*4FC Schalke 0425152854:33+2147CL* Qual.5Bayer 04 Leverkusen25117738:32+640EL* Qual.6SV Werder Bremen25116840:38+239EL* Qual.7Hannover 9625811630:35-5358VfB Stuttgart25961041:33+83391. FC Nuremberg25941224:34-103110VfL Wolfsburg25941231:46-1531111. FSV Mainz 052579937:39-230121899 Hoffenheim2579928:35-730131. FC Köln25841332:46-142814Hamburger SV25691029:45-162715FC Augsburg254111025:39-142316Hertha BSC Berlin25581226:41-1523Play-offs17SC Freiburg25571330:52-2222Relegation181. FC Kaiserslautern253111116:32-1620Relegation

Table thanks to Bundesliga Official Website

Leeds United have long lacked a Samuel Saiz-like presence in midfield, but that could soon change.

Last month, the Sunday People reported that the Yorkshire outfit were tracking RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson ahead of a potential move this January transfer window.

It’s thought that the USMNT international fits the athletic profile required to play under Marcelo Bielsa and he has impressed throughout his breakthrough in Austria.

Since then, further fuel has been added to the fire by journalist Pete O’Rourke, who delivered a fresh update to GIVEMESPORT this very week.

“With Aaronson at RB Salzburg, I know Leeds scouts have been watching him,” he revealed.

Of course, the priority at Elland Road appears to be in finding a new central midfielder before deadline day, and there’s a lot to like about the American dynamo.

Signed by Victor Orta in 2017, Saiz soon became a hit with supporters after scoring a hat-trick on his debut for the club. His tenacity and creativity in the engine room made him a very exciting talent but things just did not pan out.

He left after ten goals and 12 assists across 58 appearances (via Transfermarkt) and has never truly been replaced.

Enter Aaronson.

The Salzburg sensation, who former USA legend DeMarcus Beasley dubbed “silky”, has proven to be a major influence for both club and country. From midfield, he’s bagged five goals in only 15 caps, whilst in 51 appearances for the Austrian champions, he has delivered ten goals and 12 assists.

Valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, Aaronson has also been lauded as “young” and “exciting” by O’Rourke, and he could offer Leeds some valuable experience in the engine room, having featured in the Champions League numerous times now.

In his six appearances in the competition this season, the 21-year-old averaged two tackles, 1.3 dribbles, 1.2 shots and one key pass per game (via WhoScored), proving to be a major influence at either end of the pitch.

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Also likened to Lionel Messi, Aaronsen has been dubbed the “future” of the American game by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who also touted him as “highly talented”.

On the above evidence, Orta could well discover his next Saiz with a move for the Salzburg sensation this month. It’s surely a deal that many around Elland Road would love to see happen, so he must get it done sooner rather than later.

AND in other news, Beren Cross drops positive Raphinha contract update…

A Roman Pavlyuchenko strike gave Tottenham a 1-0 win over Rubin Kazan at White Hart Lane on Thursday night, as the Premier League club move to the top of Europa League Group A.

The Russia international striker downed his countrymen with a 33rd minute free-kick, hitting back at claims made the day before by manager Harry Redknapp that he could be set for a January exit.

Spurs fielded a strong side without risking star players Luka Modric, Emmanuel Adebayor, Rafael Van der Vaart or Gareth Bale, and will be happy with the victory as it keeps the London team unbeaten in the competition.

After the game Redknapp expressed his satisfaction with the three points, and singled out his goalscorer for specific praise.

“It was a good result for us. I didn’t want to over-stretch too many of senior players and one or two of the young kids like Jake Livermore and Tom Carroll did well,” he told reporters after the victory.

“Pavlyuchenko is a great striker of the ball. He really can hit a ball. When he lined it up I had a feeling he was going to score because he is a very clean striker of the football.

“He’s got two great feet. Technically he’s a top, top player – there was never any doubt about that. It was good to see him score,” he concluded.

Spurs now face Blackburn at Ewood Park on Sunday, with Pavlyuchenko holding his hand up for selection despite the return of the team’s big names.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Celtic defender Emilio Izaguirre could be set to follow Honduran compatriots Maynor Figueroa and Wilson Palacios into Premier League football.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish watched the full-back during the Hoops’ recent Old Firm clash with Rangers, heightening speculation that Izaguirre could become the man to solve the club’s left-back woes. Aston Villa and Everton are also thought to be keeping tabs on Izaguirre. He has also attracted recent interest from Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who viewed the Honduran as a potential replacement for Patrice Evra (who has since committed his long-term future to the Old Trafford side).

Izaguirre began his career with Honduras’ most successful club, C.D. Motagua, in 2004 and made his debut in the side’s 3-0 win over Universidad aged just 17. He established himself as a key part of Los Mimados squad, featuring prominently in the club’s 2007 Apertura and UNCAF-winning side.

His good form at club level prompted international recognition. Izaguirre earned his first cap for Honduras in 2007 and has gone on to appear a further 43 times for the national side. He represented Los Catrachos twice at last summer’s World Cup, appearing in the side’s defeats to Chile and eventual champions Spain.

After six years at Estadio Nacional, Izaguirre departed for Scottish side Celtic in the summer of 2010, arriving for a fee of £580,000.  He has impressed greatly since his move to the SPL, racking up three assists and one goal in 21 appearances for the Hoops. The consistent Honduran is sound defensively and offers a threat going forward, as highlighted by his run and cross to assist Gary Hooper’s second goal during last weekend’s 3-0 victory over Rangers.

However, any club looking to make a move for Izaguirre has been warned off by Hoops manager Neil Lennon.

“I am not at all concerned other clubs may be looking at him,” he said last month.

“And I’m not surprised because he is a quality player. But, he is our player, and will not be going anywhere.”

If Izaguirre keeps up his good form, it appears as though Lennon will face a tough battle to keep the highly-rated Honduran at Parkhead this summer.

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Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/zarifrasul

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Ryan Mason’s abysmal away record as West Bromwich Albion manager ultimately proved to be his undoing.

Staggeringly, the Baggies’ last-gasp loss on the road at Leicester City – which proved to be Mason’s final outing in the dug-out – was the West Midlands outfit’s tenth away defeat in a row in Championship action, with the 34-year-old stating that he felt “devastated” yet again for the travelling faithful at the full-time whistle.

That would prove to be some of his last words to the media, as he was finally put out of his West Brom misery, with only nine league wins heading his way in total, from 26 contests.

In the end, Mason was in over his head, taking on the challenge of the second-tier job so early into his fledgling managerial career, as West Brom now look to get their faltering season back on track with an inspired replacement.

Contenders to replace Mason

It will be interesting to see what route the Baggies go down in immediately replacing the underwhelming head coach, with experienced Championship managers being lined up to come in.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

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Indeed, both Michael Carrick and Carlos Corberan are being rumoured to call the Hawthorns home very shortly, with the pair combined overseeing a mighty 138 wins in the Championship.

The Spaniard collected a large portion of those when previously in charge of the Baggies, and with his future at Valencia hanging in the balance, a spectacular reunion might soon be on the cards.

Yet, the other route West Brom could go down is going after another inexperienced head coach, despite the obvious failures of the Mason reign, with former Manchester United coach Eric Ramsay also in line to take on the reins after the 34-year-old, according to the Express and Star.

Now a fully fledged manager in his own right at Minnesota United, this would be a left-field move, and a daring one, considering the position West Brom find themselves in, near the foot of the Championship table, after a similar gamble didn’t pay off with Mason.

He was eyed up previously, though, so right now, it could be the time when Ramsay is actually handed the vacancy, as West Brom potentially gain their next Corberan in the making in the highly regarded boss.

Why Ramsay can be Corberan 2.0

It does feel like some time ago that Corberan was just a second-in-command figure to Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United, with the 42-year-old very much earning his stripes in English football behind the scenes, under the enigmatic South American.

Bielsa would even hail Corberan as a “very talented” coach during the time at Elland Road together, with the eccentric Argentine manager also stating that he sometimes valued the ex-West Brom boss’ opinion “more than his own.”

He would then go on to forge his own career as a main head coach in England, emerging from the shadow of Bielsa, with two Championship playoff finishes coming his way with both Huddersfield Town and West Brom, as his exit for Valencia in late 2024 devastated the Hawthorns masses.

Realistically, it could be challenging to tempt Corberan back to West Brom imminently, as he will still feel he has a job to do in La Liga, with Ramsay perhaps being the next best option in attempting to replicate the overwhelming success story of the Spaniard.

After all, in an eerily similar manner to Bielsa’s praise of the now under-pressure Valencia manager, Ramsay was also dubbed as “very talented” when taking up a coaching role at the Red Devils by Erik ten Hag, with similar praise also coming his way when he was Wales’ assistant manager by Rob Page, who wildly called the 33-year-old “one of the best young coaches” he had worked alongside.

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Much like Corberan, though, Ramsay would have known that he would need to spread his wings in the main manager game sooner rather than later, and he’s made quite the impact in America as head coach of MLS outfit Minnesota.

Ramsay’s record with Minnesota

Stat

Ramsay

Games

81

Wins

38

Draws

16

Losses

27

Goals scored

157

Goals conceded

133

Points accumulated

130

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Ramsay has guided Minnesota to a respectable 38 wins so far from his 81 games in charge, with sporting director Khaled El-Ahmad lauding the 33-year-old for being “super energetic” from the sidelines, as he immediately acclimatised himself to his new environment.

It would, of course, be a huge jump for Ramsay to go from the MLS to the pressures of the EFL’s elite league, but Corberan never looked back after he was shoved into the deep end at Huddersfield.

Having also found himself being tentatively linked to the RC Strasbourg opening, it’s clear that Ramsay is a manager on the rise, with West Brom potentially his next destination.

Related Better than Carrick: West Brom could re-hire "elite" Mason replacement

West Bromwich Albion fans would be overjoyed if this manager target came in to replace Ryan Mason.

Posts 4 ByKelan Sarson

Manchester United are now reportedly monitoring a South American gem who has a release clause worth a hefty £69m.

Amorim warns Man Utd "have to perform" vs Leeds

Attempting to welcome the new year in style, Man United square off against Leeds United in desperate need of bouncing back following a disappointing draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out.

It was a stark reminder of where the Red Devils find themselves these days and a clear sign of just how far they have to go under Ruben Amorim.

Leeds are unlikely to be pushovers, either. Daniel Farke’s side haven’t suffered a defeat in six games and that run has included two draws against Liverpool as well as a victory over Chelsea. Everything suggests that the Whites will be welcoming Man United with three points in mind.

Amorim, with the chance to win his first derby day against Leeds, told reporters in the build-up: “It’s different. I never experienced this one. In Portugal it’s a big rivalry. Here’s it is the same. Different environment, different culture but the noise is going to be big. We just have to perform.

“But it’s hard to compare different cultures, different derbies, different history, so let’s just focus on the game. It is 11 guys against our 11 in the beginning and we will try to win.”

Of course, it’s not just on the pitch that Man United need results this month. Away from the action, INEOS must also get things right in the transfer market.

To that end, whilst potential midfield reinforcements such as Carlos Baleba will reportedly be taking priority, those at Old Trafford also have their sights set on a South American gem.

Man Utd monitoring £69m Rayan

According to AS journalist Eduardo Burgos, as relayed by Sport Witness, Man United are now monitoring Rayan alongside Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The 19-year-old has burst onto the radar of a number of European stars, but won’t come cheap. Reports have suggested that clubs will have to trigger his €80m (£69m) release clause at Vasco da Gama.

As far as Ben Mattinson is concerned, however, that £69m release clause may be worth triggering. The Como scout spoke highly of the forward last January, dubbing him a “technical powerhouse”.

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Since then, Rayan has scored 20 goals in 57 appearances in the 2024/25 campaign in Brazil and very much looks destined to take the leap towards European football.

Related Ugarte upgrade: Man Utd hoping to sign "monster" for £35m after talks

Time could be running out for Manuel Ugarte at Manchester United.

Posts ByRobbie Walls

So many Premier League sides have welcomed young South American stars with great success in the past and United may well follow suit in the near future.

	Ravi Rampaul is becoming a regular in West Indies’ ODI squad © Getty Images

West Indies have included Guyana batsman Sewnarine Chattergoon and Trinidad and Tobago fast bowler Ravi Rampaul in their 16-man squad for the ODI series in South Africa.Rampaul and Chattergoon will replace fast bowler Pedro Collins and batsman Daren Ganga who were in the Test squad. Chattergoon’s last one-dayer was against India in May 2006 while Rampaul is becoming a regular in the one-day side.There was still no place in the squad for Ramnaresh Sarwan, who returned from an ankle injury to score a century and a half-century against Trinidad and Tobago in the first round of the Carib Beer Cup competition.Rampaul said that the conditions in South Africa would suit his bowling. “The wickets offer a lot more bounce and the atmosphere there allows for generous swing,” he told . “This would really help my bowling and I am looking forward to playing down there.”West Indies and South Africa face off in a five-match ODI series, which starts on January 20 in Centurion.Squad: Chris Gayle (capt), Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels, Runako Morton, Brenton Parchment, Devon Smith, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Patrick Browne, Darren Sammy, Rawl Lewis, Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell, Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul, Sewnarine Chattergoon