Rangers host Rapid Wien in the Europa League on Thursday, with the Austrian club having an eventful week.

The club from the Austrian capital sacked their managerÂGoran Djuricin this week, and replaced him with former playerÂDietmar Kühbauer. This, Ranger’s manager Steven Gerrard makes them dangerous.

While Gerrard is right to be tentative ahead of this fixture, he should feel confident that his club can deliver for him. Rapid Wien currently sit in eighth place in the Austrian Bundesliga, having only won two of their opening nine games of the season, only scoring nine goals in the process. A new manager will create a reaction from players and a more difficult challenge to what the club were expecting, but this will surely not be enough to topple Gerrard’s side.

With Rangers facing Hearts at the weekend, Gerrard will not want to be guilty of looking beyond Thursday’s fixture. The Gers could be caught out if they try and rest too many players, or have try and conserve energy with the Scottish Premiership leaders on the horizon. Nonetheless, it will be very surprising if they lose at Ibrox.

Last night, as Leeds secured a 1-0 win away at the KCOM Stadium, the fans were left worried as Phil Hay of the Yorkshire Evening Post took to Twitter with some very grave news. During the win, Barry Douglas suffered a muscular injury and whilst the club don’t know how serious it is, it’s never going to be good news when you lose one of your star players.

Barry Douglas is looking like being one of the signings of the season so far. The Scottish wizard cost Marcelo Bielsa just £3 million from Wolves after he scored five goals and registered 14 assists for Wolves last season as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side cantered towards promotion. This season, Bielsa will be hoping the Scotsman can mirror that at Elland Road and it’s fair to say he’s started well as he already has three assists to his name.

The 29-year-old has been one of the key players in Bielsa’s side so far and everyone associated with Leeds United will be hoping that the left-back’s injury isn’t a severe one and that he’s only out for a week or so. At the moment, Bielsa is having to deal with the fact that both Kemar Roofe and Pablo Hernandez are both out with muscle injuries and if the Whites lose any more first-team players they could be in real trouble soon.

You can read The Whites’ verdict on Douglas’ injury here:

The Leeds fans will be desperate to see Douglas back as soon as possible and will hope his injury is nothing more than a light muscle strain.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have slammed Cardiff City and particularly their manager Neil Warnock for appealing midfielder Joe Ralls’ red card from Saturday.

Ralls took out Lucas Moura in a terrible challenge that resulted in a sending off in the 58th minute of Spurs’s 1-0 victory over Cardiff at Wembley. The incident also sparked tempers to flare with striker Harry Kane having a go at Ralls.

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Spurs fans rubbished the Cardiff boss on Twitter for those post match comments on Kane but have now deemed his club’s decision to appeal the sending off as ‘silly’ and ‘ridiculous.’

Should the appeal be unsuccessful then Ralls’ ban will be extended and with the Bluebirds sitting bottom of the league and yet to win a match this season, it doesn’t seem to be an appeal that the club can afford to lose.

Here are some of the reactions from Spurs fans to Cardiff’s appeal:

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Jermain Defoe has struggled for football at Bournemouth this season, and Everton should make a January move for the centre-forward.

What’s the word, then?

Defoe made 26 appearances in all competitions for Bournemouth last term, and whilst he has been involved for the Cherries this term, there is no question that he is down the pecking order.

Indeed, Callum Wilson and Josh King are Bournemouth’s first-choice pairing in the final third, and Defoe has only played 12 minutes of Premier League football this season.

The centre-forward’s contract at the Vitality Stadium will run until the summer of 2020, but there is no question that he will want to be playing first-team football at this stage of his career.

Defoe has been a goalscorer at every club that he was represented, and a record of 163 strikes in 494 Premier League appearances is very impressive indeed.

The 36-year-old’s might well fancy one more move before hanging up his boots, and Everton really should make a move for the striker in the January transfer window.

Why should Everton swoop for Defoe?

Defoe is clearly not a long-term option for Everton, but he would be a very clever signing by the Merseyside giants.

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In Richarlison, Everton have one of the most talented youngsters in the Premier League, and Defoe’s experience and goalscoring abilities would certainly bring on the Brazilian’s game.

Indeed, the chance to learn from a player with Defoe’s vast knowledge of the English game would help Richarlison continue to thrive at Goodison Park.

What’s more, Defoe still has goals in him at this stage of his career, and would also take some of the pressure off Turkey international Cenk Tosun.

Everton have ambitions of becoming a top-four team in the Premier League, but they must first focus on the present, and Defoe could play an important role in the second half of this season.

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Tottenham Hotspur recorded a 1-0 win over West Ham United at the weekend, with Erik Lamela scoring the only goal of the match just before the interval.

It was certainly a disappointing result for the Hammers, especially considering that there was really not too much between the two teams.

Earlier this week, West Ham’s Twitter account posted a video of Robert Snodgrass putting the pressure on Tottenham in the latter stages of the Premier League match.

It was quite a bizarre video when considering the result, and the Tottenham fans were never going to let it pass without poking fun at their rivals.

Indeed, the Spurs supporters took to social media to troll West Ham, and it would be fair to say that the video did not go down too well with their own fans either.

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West Ham will look to return to winning ways when they visit Leicester City this weekend, while Tottenham will be searching for their fifth straight Premier League success when they host Manchester City on Monday night.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Tottenham fans can be seen below:

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West Ham must do everything in their powers to stop Chelsea from taking Declan Rice back to Stamford Bridge.

What’s happening now?

Reports on Metro.co.uk suggest the West London side are showing a growing interest in bringing Declan Rice back to the club he spent seven years at during his youth days.

The 19-year-old moved to West Ham aged 14 when the Blues released the Republic of Ireland international, but having seen West Ham bring the versatile player into the first team, they now want the teenager back.

It is being said that Chelsea are aiming to take advantage of the contract situation currently unravelling between Rice and West Ham with the Metro understanding the Blues will look to blow the Hammers’ offer out of the water.

At present, Rice’s deal runs until 2020 but West Ham want to show how much they value the services of the ace reportedly earning £3,000-a-week by offering an improved contract at around £20,000-a-week. This, however, still falls some way shy of the proposed £40,000 their London rivals are willing to sign off on.

Why risk the Blues?

At West Ham, Declan Rice has already racked up more than 40 competitive appearances since making his Premier League debut on the final day of the 2016/17 season against Burnley.

Had Chelsea not released the 6ft 1in Londoner five years ago, Rice may still be plying his trade in the youth ranks or joining one of the many Blues youngster shipped out on loan.

All the while if West Ham want to call on the services of their number 41, it makes complete sense for Rice to remain wearing the claret and blue jersey, develop his game and continue to establish his position at the London Stadium.

Further minutes under Manuel Pellegrini are a near certainty, especially with the club’s horrid injury issues in midfield, so why risk upsetting the momentum currently thrusting you through a key part of your career.

West Ham themselves must not let the prospective wage increase distract Rice and tempt the player to also question what London club he should be signing that next contract with.

The Hammers can build their side for years to come around Rice, who in seven Premier League appearances this season has averaged more than two tackles and interceptions per game while keeping it clean by giving away just 0.4 fouls and receiving just a single yellow card so far.

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When you’re targeting promotion from the Championship there is no commodity more luxurious than a goalscorer, and Norwich City should look to snap up loan star Jordan Rhodes on a permanent basis.

What’s the word, then?

The Canaries brought the star who has bagged over 200 goals in his career to Carrow Road on a temporary basis from Sheffield Wednesday during the summer.

Whilst he may not be hitting the heights he once used to for the likes of Huddersfield Town and Blackburn Rovers, including a 36-goal season in League One with the Terriers, the 28-year-old is still a deadly finisher inside the area and looks to be finding some form with the Canaries after a slow start

Daniel Farke’s side have won seven of their last nine league games, a run which has seen them surge to fourth place, just two points off the top.

Why should they wrap a deal up?

Teemu Pukki’s absence has allowed Rhodes a bit more gametime of late, and he showed the Carrow Road faithful what he’s all about with a match-winning brace against Aston Villa. The former Middlesbrough striker now has seven goals in just ten starts this season; as long as the promotion hopefuls stay tight at the back, they’ll always have a chance at the three points with the 28-year-old up top.

With Sheffield Wednesday also seemingly overstocked in the attacking department – the Owls currently have Lucas Joao, Gary Hooper, Steven Fletcher, Atdhe Nuhiu and Fernando Forestieri vying for the shirt – Rhodes seems to be surplus to requirements at Hillsborough.

Norwich would be foolish not to at least attempt to get the Scottish international on a permanent deal in the January window; with 42 games to play, a gruelling Championship season needs all hands on deck, and nobody could prove more effective than the English-born poacher.

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Loads of Newcastle fans have been reacting to a surprising update, as Mo Diame is set to be handed a new contract at the club.

According to Lee Ryder, Newcastle will follow up the new and improved deal for Jamaal Lascelles by extending Diame’s contract as well.

Fans were stunned when Lascelles signed a whopping six-year deal with the club, ensuring even if the skipper does leave that the Magpies will get a huge transfer fee for him.

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Diame is now next in line, as the retired Senegalese international remains a constant fixture in Rafael Benitez’ side.

The report claims the midfielder has an arrangement in his current deal to extend his stay if he plays a certain number of games this season, a number he is almost guaranteed to hit.

Fans were delighted with the Lascelles news, but they’re not too happy with this one after Diame’s poor start to the season.

This news is perhaps even more surprising than the deal for the skipper, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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The Daily Mail recently reported that Chelsea are willing to let Gary Cahill leave the club on loan in January despite the fact that his contract at Stamford Bridge is set to expire at the end of the season.

Southampton, West Ham United and Championship outfit Aston Villa are listed as the clubs thought to be interested in securing the veteran centre-back’s services in the winter transfer window.

The 61-cap former England international and two-time Premier League winner should not entertain notions of dropping down to the second tier. The 32-year-old is still good enough to perform in the Premier League. 

Check out the harsh words the Playmaker FC squad had to say about Wayne Rooney’s England career in the video below

Before any of their aforementioned Premier League rivals win the race for his signature, Crystal Palace would be wise to make a move for Cahill.

The Eagles have had a difficult start to the season, and Roy Hodgson would certainly be wise to add quality to his defensive contingent at Selhurst Park in January if the south London club are to avoid a relegation scrap in the second half of the campaign.

In our poll of Palace fans, 71% voted in favour of making a move for Cahill. See the full results below.

According to a recent report from The Daily Star, Ruben Loftus-Cheek might be afforded the chance of a move in the January transfer window. The England international currently plays his football at Premier League giants Chelsea having come up through the youth ranks at Stamford Bridge, yet with just three league appearances to his name this term, one wonders whether manager Maurizio Sarri will let him leave the club in the New Year.

And Arsenal legend Ray Parlour reckons that the Blues ‘won’t stand’ in the youngster’s way were he to seek a January move, which should be of keen interest to Southampton boss Mark Hughes given just how important Loftus-Cheek was to Crystal Palace in their march towards Premier League safety last season.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the 22-year-old made the move to Selhurst Park last summer in a bid for the regular football he was unlikely to get at Chelsea, and while the Eagles began the season with seven straight defeats, Loftus-Cheek then more than played his part in their run up the table under Roy Hodgson.

In fact, the midfielder netted twice and laid on four assists in just 25 Premier League games to help inspire the club away from the relegation mire, and while those numbers aren’t exactly ground-breaking, a lot of what good Palace produced in the final third came through the Englishman – there’s a reason Gareth Southgate selected him in his England squad for the World Cup.

And with Southampton very much in a relegation battle themselves this term after a disappointing start under Hughes, the Saints chief must be looking at who he can sign in January to help inspire his side away from trouble – and having done so once before, Loftus-Cheek is the man he must target.

Clearly, the South Coast outfit have to start scoring more goals if they are to remain in the top-flight this term, with their paltry tally of eight from their opening 12 games simply not good enough, and thus not going to get the job done.

And with 21 goals shipped in those 12 matches, it’s not as if they are water-tight at the other end either to underline their desperate need for attacking reinforcements in the New Year – Loftus-Cheek could be that man.

After losing Dusan Tadic to Ajax during the summer, alongside the fact that Mohamed Elyounoussi hasn’t quite got going following his move from Basel, it’s plainly obvious that a player of Loftus-Cheek’s ilk is needed in that midfield area – someone who can dominate the game in that position, as well as create opportunities for the front men.

As aforementioned, a lot of Palace’s best attacking play came through the 22-year-old last season to underline his influence and willingness to take responsibility in a side battling against the drop – that’s exactly what Southampton need.

And with Parlour reckoning that Chelsea wouldn’t stand in his way were he to seek a move in January, Hughes must be ready to launch a move for the £16.2 million-rated midfielder (as per Transfermarkt) – a move which could well keep his Southampton side in the Premier League.

Southampton fans… what do you think? Let us know!