Speaking on STV’s ‘Peter & Roughie’s Football Show’, former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson has stated his belief that interim boss Graeme Murty won’t be in charge of the Ibrox side come the start of next season.

What’s the story?

An impressive burst of form in early 2018 had given Rangers fans hopes things were turning around at the club under the guidance of the U20s coach, but two consecutive defeats to Celtic and Kilmarnock have again thrown into doubt his long-term future as manager of the Light Blues.

Now a former club captain has weighed into the debate, believing that Murty won’t be in charge of the team next term.

Speaking on Wednesday’s edition of STV’s ‘Peter & Roughie’s Football Show’, Barry Ferguson said: “At this moment in time if you’re a manager, you’re looking at your recruitment for next season. But nobody knows what’s happening. It’s looking like it’ll be a difficult one to appoint Graeme Murty.”

When asked outright whether he believes Murty will be in the dugout when the new season kicks off, the former Gers midfielder simply said: “No.”

Will Ferguson be proved right with his prediction, or can the under-fire manager turn things around in the closing stages of the season?

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Can he possibly stay on?

If Rangers finish second in the Scottish Premiership and win the Scottish Cup, then it would be difficult to argue that Murty should not be kept on as manager for at least another season. That would be a level of success not seen at the club for years and years and give supporters hope they can go on to challenge Celtic next term.

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However their chances of doing either are definitely in doubt with a tough semi-final coming up against Celtic and a gauntlet against the top six in the league to follow in the closing stages of the season.

Murty’s main problem has been the same as his immediate predecessors, a failure to maintain consistent home form, and while that continues to be the case it’s hard to see him not being let go come the end of the season.

Celtic laboured to a draw for the ninth time in the Scottish Premiership this season on Wednesday night, playing out a 0-0 stalemate with struggling Dundee at Celtic Park

Well below their best against Neil McCann’s outfit, it was the latest under-par performance in the top-flight this season.

Still on the march to a seventh successive league title, there’s not much to worry about if you’re a Hoops supporter but there are small issues that need ironed out ahead of big cup matches and European qualifiers this summer.

One of the big frustrations coming out of the match against Dundee was the performance of Scott Sinclair.

The attacker has scored 17 goals and assisted 16 times this season but over the last few months has failed to reach the heights expected of him, scoring just once in the league in 2018.

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Supporters are expecting more from him, but some are rapidly losing patience with him, believing the likes of Patrick Roberts or Charly Musonda might be a better option.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his Dundee display…

To say Saturday’s Merseyside derby was a disappointing affair would be an understatement. Everton and Liverpool partook in the Premier League’s least eventful fixture of the weekend, which felt more like a testimonial than it did a bitter feud between two historic local rivals, as both sides refused to take the game by the scruff of the neck and could just about force a handful of impressive saves from each goalkeeper.

Nonetheless, there were some silver linings to the scoreless encounter, with the performance of Michael Keane being one of them from Everton’s perspective.

It’s been a difficult debut season for the England international – tellingly, his place in Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad is under serious threat after being omitted from the friendlies with the Netherlands and Italy – but a positive performance against Liverpool on Saturday went some way to restoring his reputation.

It must be said that Liverpool were at far from their most threatening, something that was obvious enough from the team selection with Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah replaced by Dominic Solanke and Danny Ings respectively – two forwards who had no goals and just 425 Premier League minutes under their belts between them prior to Saturday’s lunchtime kickoff.

But that shouldn’t take away from how Keane was at the heart of Everton’s clean sheet, winning six aerial duels and making nine clearances while blocking one shot and registering two tackles and one interception.

And that solid performance against the Toffees’ bitter rivals begs an interesting question: has the centre-back been a transfer hit or transfer flop since arriving from Burnley? Let us know by voting below…

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According to The Sun, Manchester United scouted Swansea City centre-back Alfie Mawson during last weekend’s Premier League clash against West Bromwich Albion.

What’s the story?

United are expected to be in the market for at least one new centre-back this summer, with the futures of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones far from secure.

A number of defenders – including Tottenham Hotspur’s Toby Alderweireld – have been linked with a move to Old Trafford, but according to The Sun, the Red Devils could be ready to switch their attention to Swansea’s Mawson.

The report claims that United boss Mourinho had the 24-year-old scouted against West Brom with the view to a potential move at the end of the season.

Tottenham have also previously been credited with an interest in a player that was part of Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad, but failed to make his international debut during the fixtures against Netherlands and Italy last month.

Is Mawson good enough for United?

There is no question that Mawson has been one of Swansea’s most consistent players this season, and he has developed into a dependable Premier League performer since moving to the Welsh club from Barnsley in 2016.

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Indeed, the former England Under-21 international scored four times in 27 appearances for Swansea last term, and has managed three goals in 38 appearances during the 2017-18 campaign.

Whilst there is no question that Mawson is capable of moving to a top-half Premier League club, it is very difficult to claim that the defender is a better bet than Smalling or Jones, who are proven at the top level despite some difficult moments.

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According to transfermarkt.co.uk, Mawson is valued at £10.8m, and at that price, the centre-back could well be a good back-up option for United.

Swansea are sure to demand upwards of £20m this summer, however, and the Red Devils might well be better off focusing their attentions elsewhere.

Liverpool have never been criticised for a lack of firepower or implementing negative tactics, but they have often been accused of having a poor defence.

Prior to Virgil van Dijk’s arrival in January, Jurgen Klopp’s side leaked goals left, right and centre, but the Dutchman has since tightened things up and spread confidence within the back line.

As well as the outfield players, the goalkeepers have also come under fire, in particular Simon Mignolet, who struggled to keep the fans onside in the first half of the season.

At the turn of the year, Loris Karius took the number one spot and manager Jurgen Klopp has not looked back.

The German shot-stopper has gained confidence since being promoted to the first XI, and in his last 10 outings in all competitions, he has kept six clean sheets.

Despite Karius’s improvement, rumours have emerged suggesting that the club are still looking at potential new keepers.

Roma’s Alisson has regularly featured in the transfer gossip pages, while Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo recently claimed that Barcelona stopper Jasper Cillessen is also on Liverpool’s radar.

With all that in mind, we asked you who the Reds should pick as their first-choice keeper, and the majority want to keep faith with Karius.

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Judging from the response, supporters have drawn a line under Mignolet’s time at the club.

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Tottenham fans are losing patience with Harry Kane, as their star striker dropped yet another subpar performance in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to West Brom.

Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs fell to a 1-0 defeat at the Hawthorns on Saturday, and fans are hugely disappointed with the performance of Harry Kane.

The 24 year-old has scored just once since the infamous goal claim, and it seems the media reaction combined with his ankle injury has had an effect on his form.

Kane injured his ankle in the 4-1 win at Bournemouth before the international break, and was rushed back to feature off the bench in the win at Chelsea.

The England striker has struggled with ankle issues before, and it certainly seems like he might have returned a little too soon.

Kane has been the hero of Tottenham fans pretty much week in week out since he first broke into the team, but has picked the worst possible time to go on the first dry spell of his career, with performance levels dropping right before the summer World Cup.

Despite scoring three times since the ankle injury, Kane’s overall performances have been slow and ponderous, and he came closer to scoring in his own goal than in West Brom’s on Saturday.

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Some of the best Twitter reactions to Kane’s performance can be found below…

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Tottenham Hotspur fans would have wanted a top-four position in the Premier League wrapped up by now, but it has not transpired that way.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men currently sit in fourth, but they are only two points above Chelsea with two games left to play.

Due to the club’s superior goal difference over the Blues (+9), it is likely that Tottenham will only require four points from matches against Newcastle United and Leicester City.

The North London outfit have the advantage of playing at home for both fixtures, but the pressure is on following last weekend’s shock defeat to relegation battlers West Bromwich Albion.

Tottenham, who have not won a trophy for a decade, kicked off their season against newly-promoted Newcastle at St James’ Park last August.

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It was an ideal start to the campaign for Pochettino and his men as they secured a 2-0 victory, with Dele Alli and Ben Davies getting on the scoresheet.

The club’s social media team reminded the fans of their opening-day triumph over the Magpies, and the supporters are looking for a repeat, and the desperation is evident.

Many would have thought that replacing a legendary figure like Arsene Wenger would take some time, but Arsenal got the job done in a matter of weeks.On Wednesday morning, the North London outfitÂconfirmed on their official websiteÂthat former Paris Saint-Germain boss Unai Emery has joined the club.The Spaniard arrives at the Emirates as a free agent after he was sacked by PSG due to a disappointing Champions League campaign.During a two-year spell at Parc des Princes, Emery guided the French outfit to five trophies, including the Ligue 1 title.[ad_pod ]Prior to his stint at PSG, the 46-year-old took charge of Sevilla for three years, during which he earned three consecutive Europa League crowns.Numerous names were linked to the position, but Emery emerged as a late contender, which was the subject of some amusement from Tottenham Hotspur fans.Now, it has been claimed by Football.London journalist Sam Inkersole that Emery was as low as third on the list of managerial candidates for West Ham United, who ended up hiring Manuel Pellegrini.

It is safe to say that Arsenal fans did not react well to these claims.

New Arsenal manager Unai Emery has plenty to tick off his checklist this summer after taking on a huge job at the Emirates.

Pressure will be on the Spaniard to get results given that the club finished sixth in the Premier League last season – their second campaign in a row without Champions League football.

Firsly, though, Emery will need to assess the playing personnel and make some changes to areas that need addressing.

Defence is a big issue for the former Paris Saint-Germain boss, particularly when considering some of the blunders made towards the end of the 2017-18 campaign.

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However, the midfield also has problems, and judging by the latest reports, Emery is hunting for some new faces in that area.

The Gunners are in need of a defensive midfielder, but according to Gianluca Di Marzio, the club are interested in Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini, while Sampdoria’s Dennis Praet is an alternative option.

Both tend to play centrally in the middle of the park, but Pellegrini has dropped deeper at times, while Praet has played both further forward and in a holding role.

The majority of Arsenal fans do not think that either are what the club desperately need.

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According to reports, Newcastle have been offered the chance to sign former Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel this summer.

What’s the story?

The veteran defender left Anfield to join Fenerbahce in 2016, and with his contract running down Turkish outlet Fotomac claim he could move to Tyneside this summer.

The 33 year-old has also attracted interest from Rangers, with new boss Steven Gerrard interested in bringing his former teammate to Scotland.

Skrtel is keen on a move to the Premier League though, and his agent Karol Csonto said his wages are “four or five times more than what Rangers could offer”, seemingly destroying any chance of a Gerrard reunion.

Rafael Benitez is looking to build a squad capable of maintaining their surge up the league table next season, and with Mike Ashley unlikely to release major funds, Skrtel could be a perfect cut price addition to the squad.

Should he sign?

If there is one area Newcastle don’t immediately need to improve this summer, it’s in the heart of defence, where Jamaal Lascelles and Florian Lejeune have formed a fantastic partnership.

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However, with Chancel Mbemba set to leave the club, the Magpies are a little short of depth in that department, and 33 year-old Skrtel has the experience and Premier League knowhow to help develop  Lascelles particularly into an even better defender.

The ex-Liverpool man, who has 97 caps for Slovakia, is out of contract next summer, so Fenerbahce won’t expect much when they cash in on the colossal defender.

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He had his fair share of problems at Liverpool, most notably with tugging players’ shirts in the box, but a cut-price deal for such an experience defender is too good to pass up.

Whether he fights with Lejeune for a starting spot, serves as the deputy to the current pair, or fills into a back three, signing Skrtel would be astute business for the Magpies.

So, Newcastle fans, would you back a bargain deal for Skrtel? Or should you be aiming higher? Let us know by voting in the poll below…