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Rangers have confirmed that the contract of midfielder Graham Dorrans has been terminated by mutual consent.

The 32-year-old signed a three-year deal with the Scottish giants upon his arrival from Norwich City in the summer of 2017.

Dorrans has only made 23 appearances for the Gers in all competitions, however, after struggling with a succession of injuries.

The 5 ft 10 midfielder has actually only turned out on three occasions under current Rangers boss Steven Gerrard.

And it was confirmed on Monday that both parties had agreed to a mutual termination.

Sky Sports News have claimed that the experienced professional had been training with the youth side in recent weeks.

In an official statement, the Scottish side said that Dorrans has left the club “with the best wishes of everyone at Rangers”.

He’s now expected to join fellow Scottish top flight side Kilmarnock.

As expected, a number of the club’s fans have been on social media reacting to the departure – a selection of which can be seen below:

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Newcastle rejected an approach from Leeds United for fringe goalkeeper Karl Darlow this summer, according to Football Insider.

The Whites had launched an enquiry to sound out their chances of landing the 28-year-old shot-stopper on loan or through a permanent deal, but saw their advances rebuffed by the Magpies.

Leeds were in the market for reinforcements between the posts this summer, as the Elland Road natives allowed youth product Bailey Peacock-Farrell to join Burnley for a reported £2.5million (BBC).

Before the Clarets sealed a deal for the Northern Irishman, Leeds were still contemplating the future of former Real Madrid goalkeeper Kiko Casilla, whose errors in West Yorkshire following his winter arrival raised doubt over his long-term future at the Championship club.

Darlow was therefore considered as an early candidate to replace what would become a vacant role in Marcelo Bielsa’s ranks, as the Northampton-born man was thought to be keen on securing regular football having entered the final year of his Newcastle contract, where he featured just once all season in 2018/19 (TransferMarkt).

Leeds’ pursuit soon fell cold, and Football Insider have now revealed that was because Newcastle refused to negotiate a potential deal for Darlow, and are now willing to see the Nottingham Forest product hit free agency next summer so long as he remains Martin Dubravka’s understudy for the remainder of the term.

It remains to be seen if Leeds missing out on Darlow was a positive or a negative for the West Yorkshire outfit, as the 28-year-old would have arrived at Elland Road without tasting regular football since Dubravka arrived at Newcastle in January 2018.

Since then, Darlow has only been involved in Premier League action as an unused substitute, while his two outings in the Carabao Cup saw the Northampton-born shot-stopper concede four goals (TransferMarkt) – three of which came against his boyhood side Forest, a team that ended 2018/19 ninth in the Championship.

Failing to secure a deal for the £3.15million-rated (TransferMarkt) Magpies fringe option also led Leeds to secure Illan Meslier’s services on a loan-to-buy arrangement with FC Lorient, and the 19-year-old Frenchman impressed some of the Elland Road faithful (via HITC) when he made his U23s debut against Millwall.

If the Lorient product can repeat more of those performances in the junior ranks, he may prove to be the better option, and one that can work towards replacing Casilla in the first-team.

Leeds fans, would you have been happy had your side secured a deal for Darlow over Meslier? Let us know in the comments below…

[ad_pod ]Liverpool fans may be feeling a bit down after watching their team lose 2-0 to Napoli in their Champions League opener, but it’s not all doom and gloom.If any Reds supporter needs a little boost to their mood after their defeat on Tuesday, they should just read Jamie Carragher’s thoughts on the match.

The Anfield legend took a number of positives from the game at the Stadio San Paolo and shared his thoughts on Twitter.

To be fair, it’s hard to argue with Carragher on a number of his points. The game against Napoli this week should represent the hardest game in the group stages, as Liverpool have also been drawn alongside Red Bull Salzburg and Genk, and Adrian’s save was indeed incredible.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Perhaps it’s not as bad as it seems, and Liverpool fans will have had their nerves calmed a bit by Carragher’s tweet.

It remains to be seen how the Reds will get on in the Champions League for the rest of the campaign, but the Sky Sports pundit certainly believes that there were positives to take away from their first game.

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Having struggled to showcase his true quality in a Manchester United shirt, Angel Di Maria has spent the past few seasons on a mission to prove his former employers wrong.

The Argentina international enjoyed a memorable, if controversial, performance on his return to Old Trafford last season, and on Wednesday night, he made another one of his old clubs rue their decision to let him go.

In a vintage display, the 31-year-old rolled back the years to score twice against Real Madrid in a resounding 3-o win for PSG in the Champions League.

After seeing Di Maria steal the limelight, United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their former star.

Many supporters of the Manchester side admitted they couldn’t believe their eyes that they let the Argentine go, whilst keeping hold of the likes of Jesse Lingard.

Some Red Devils fans wondered how the winger wasn’t able to reproduce this kind of form at Old Trafford.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

The striker said that it was so much more than just three points on Saturday, and you have to agree with that sentiment.

Derby could have been on the brink of a crisis after last week’s fiasco, but winning their first game after the news broke will not only move the Rams up the table, it will settle the nerves both amongst the squad and the fans.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking to Football Insider, Noel Whelan has labelled his concerns with Gjanni Alioski, suggesting he is worrying Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa.

What’s he said?

Alioski was lumped off at half time last Saturday, perhaps in rather bizarre circumstances considering Leeds were switching to a formation that accommodated a wing-back, but he was substituted nonetheless.

Leeds were 1-0 down at the time as they swapped from a 4-1-4-1 to a 3-5-2 but that didn’t work either as they still lost the game.

Alioski has thrown in some mixed displays this term, scoring against Stoke but failing to have an influence on proceedings against Charlton.

Concerns over his performances are understandable, therefore, but Whelan thinks the North Macedonia international’s displays will be a worry for the manager too.

He told Football Insider:

“Bielsa is worried about him in defensive situations. He should be, as Barry Douglas is a better defender and a proven left-back.

“Bielsa may be thinking the West Brom game is the ideal time for a change, with the matches coming thick and fast.

“We know Bielsa doesn’t like to rotate or make changes, but it’s an obvious decision to make.”

Left-back dilemma for Leeds

Heading into the new season there would have been questions surrounding who would actually play on the left.

Stuart Dallas ended last term incredibly well with two goals against Derby in the playoffs from that role but he has since moved over to the right in the absence of Luke Ayling.

Barry Douglas missed large parts of last season with an injury and started 2019/20 on the left side of defence but Alioski has since dislodged him.

Why are Leeds fans the best in the country? Find out in the video below…

He was impressive to start off with and even created three chances of note against Brentford.

However, the 27-year-old’s form has begun to deteriorate.

Alioski only managed to complete 72% of his passes against Charlton, his worst tally when starting a game this campaign. The left-sided man has also made just one tackle and one interception in his last two outings, via WhoScored.

Perhaps rotating the pair during a midweek clash is the way forward.

West Ham supporters have been reacting to the fans protest in the 3-0 defeat by Burnley in 2018, with many believing it to be a very decisive moment of the past few years.

One Hammer even described it as “the best thing to happen to the club”, with many holding the idea that it prompted a change in strategy from the West Ham board.

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Since then, they got rid of the unpopular David Moyes, replacing him with a Premier League winner in Manuel Pellegrini, who they have backed significantly with a big increase in spending.

Under the Chilean West Ham have invested an estimated £165m and have started the season well with only two defeats in eight league games, so many have positive memories of that day and believe it was a necessary step for the club to progress.

Here are some of the reactions from the London Stadium faithful, who share the same feeling about the protests which occurred.

Jurgen Klopp is much loved on Merseyside for his coaching ability, but a clip of a stunning goal he scored for Mainz is also gaining him plaudits.

The German played in a variety of positions in his playing career and went from a centre-forward to a right-back, via right midfield, making his career return of 56 goals in 341 appearances a very respectable record.

The clip in question, which shows Klopp hitting a thunderous strike against SV Meppen in 1997, has impressed a huge number of Reds fans, with one suggesting it is a feat even Virgil van Dijk couldn’t replicate.

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One aspect of his performance which is clear to several fans is the passion he showed after the ball hit the back of the net, a characteristic of the 52-year-old that remains prevalent more than 20 years later.

Despite the brilliant strike, even Klopp would probably admit that he is a better manager than player, having made three Champions League finals as a coach and winning the domestic title twice with Borussia Dortmund.

Here is some of the reaction from fans, who are excited to see that their manager bossed things on the pitch too.

Newcastle United fans have been reacting as scouts are keeping track of Lille forward Victor Osimhen, according to a report in The Chronicle.

The Nigerian striker recently joined the French outfit from RSC Charleroi in Belgium and made himself part of the club’s infamous project.

With Joelinton currently yet to get up to speed at St James’ Park since his £40m from Hoffenheim, the Magpies are believed to be looking towards their winter recruitment is being taken into careful consideration to bolster the attacking line for Steve Bruce’s side.

A Newcastle fan calls for Sean and Matt Longstaff’s Mum to give birth to a starting eleven’s worth of Longstaffs in the video below…

The Chronicle revealed that scouts have been deployed to the Hauts-de-France outfit to track the progression and player development of the 20-year-old, who has seven goals in nine games this season in Ligue 1.

Osimhen recently scored against Chelsea during Lille’s Champions League Group Stage tie against the Blues but fell to a 2-1 defeat.

Supporters seem a little unsure about the links to the Nigerian star, with one fan saying he is “10 times the player Joelinton is”. However, others believe that it is pointless going for such a player with the current management and owners at the club.

Here you will find some of the best responses from Newcastle fans:

It has not been a fantastic season for Southampton so far, to say the least.

After an optimistic-looking summer in which £15m striker Che Adams arrived at St Mary’s, having just hit 22 goals in the Championship, as well as exciting Malian forward Moussa Djenepo signing for the same fee, all appeared to be well.

It was also Ralph Hasenhuttl’s first chance to organise a proper pre-season for his players, as he was appointed in December 2018 midway through the previous campaign and looked promising throughout.

So, what could go wrong? Well, by the looks of things right now, a lot.

The Saints find themselves languishing in 17th place in the Premier League, having conceded the third-most goals in the division with 16 in nine games.

Additionally, they have only scored nine – finding the back of the net once a game on average.

So, is the former RB Leipzig boss to blame for the south coast side’s shortcomings, or are his players just not good enough?

Football FanCast’s writers have their say…

Billy Meyers

“I don’t think you can blame Hasenhuttl for Southampton’s poor form. In truth, the majority of players at the club now were around when Mark Hughes was failing. They were also there when Mauricio Pellegrino flopped as manager – the Saints can only chop and change the man at the helm so many times until accusing glances eventually turn around to the playing staff. 

“Angus Gunn and James Ward-Prowse have performed below par. Adams, despite his £15m price tag, still hasn’t scored for his new club, while the defence in general is statistically one of the worst in the top-flight having conceded the third-most goals – I think, right, now, it would be quite harsh to blame Hasenhuttl.”

Charles Jones

“I really don’t see how any Southampton fan in their right mind could possibly blame Hasenhuttl for what’s going on at the club right now. The Austrian manager has done it at the highest level with RB Leipzig, and you don’t just become a bad manager overnight.

“For me, the players just aren’t good enough. The xG (expected goals) league table shows that Southampton aren’t finishing their chances and they’re getting unlucky at the back, whether that’s down to defenders allowing too much space or the goalkeeper not making routine saves.

“The manager can’t put the ball in the net for them, and the xG table shows that they’re getting in the right positions, so the blame has to go onto the men whose job it is to score the goals.”

Vijievan Jeevathayalan

“The man affectionately known as the ‘Alpine Klopp’, Hasenhuttl has endured a difficult start with Southampton this season. The Premier League fixture list didn’t do them any favours, and already, the Saints have faced Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea.

“After reviving the club’s fortunes last season following the sacking of Mark Hughes, Hasenhuttl may have hoped, or even expected, for some significant outlay in the transfer market. Instead, they spent just £52.7m, and £20m of that went on making Danny Ings’ loan move permanent. Hasenhuttl’s pedigree is unrivalled, having led RB Leipzig to 2nd place in the Bundesliga in the club’s debut campaign. The Austrian simply needs to be backed in January and next summer, and also be given the chance to shake things up at Southampton.”

Kealan Hughes

“It is probably a bit of both. Hasenhuttl provided the squad with a great lift when he came in last year, winning two his first three games, but it may have been a case of breathing fresh life into a squad that had to put up with Hughes.

“Whilst the recruitment has been poor with only three new faces added to the squad – ignoring Ings – the Austrian has failed to establish an identity in his team, and on paper, he still has better players at his disposal than teams like Sheffield United, Brighton and perhaps Aston Villa too, so they are underachieving in comparison to those teams.

“Despite that, the club need to stick by Hasenhuttl and back him in January by signing a creative player. Southampton lack goals with only nine scored in nine league games, but he has done well to get the best out of Ings despite the lack of service from midfield.”