The Winter 2018/19 - Transfer Window Rumours and Deals - Thread

[der Berliner 3,815]

3 hours ago, craig said:

Stevie already has posted in this thread the links he has heard about.

But that was days ago or so! This is the transfer window approaching!!! ?

[JFK-1 1,693]

Regarding a creative midfielder rumour is Ryan Gauld may be available.

 

Could Rangers be alerted to availability of Ryan Gauld?

[ian1964 10,761]

Steven Davis set to complete January Rangers return as Southampton boss plans clear-out

By Graham Luney

December 12 2018

•  

Steven Davis looks certain to rejoin Rangers next month after he was deemed surplus to requirements by Southampton.

 

The Northern Ireland captain is poised for an emotional return to Ibrox after a frustrating end to his time with the Saints.

Rangers are hungry to net the Cullybackey man and the 33-year-old will relish the opportunity to shine again in the Scottish Premiership for a Gers team managed by one of his football heroes, Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.

New Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl is keen to revive the Premier League side's fortunes and he will allow Davis, who is in the final year of his contract, to leave in January.

Rangers need a player in midfield who can provide a real creative spark and Davis, who has won 107 Northern Ireland caps, fits the bill.

Davis has made 219 appearances for the Saints but has been starved of first-team action this season and a move back to Rangers will see him link up with international comrades Kyle Lafferty and Gareth McAuley.

The former Aston Villa and Fulham ace, who won three league titles, three League Cups and two Scottish Cups during his first spell with the Gers, said: "I've thoroughly enjoyed my whole time at the club. It's turned out to be a really good relationship and I feel like I've improved as a player.

"I've learned a lot in general about myself. From the very first day that I came here, you see the level of professionalism and the level of desire to try and improve the club. It hasn't worked out the way we would have liked in the last couple of years, but we have had some really good times."

The Gers could only draw 1-1 with Dundee on Sunday, despite the fact that Gerrard’s side faced 10 men for 70 minutes of the game.

Although a deal is expected to go through, Davis is remaining focused on his duties at St Mary’s.

Davis said: “I haven’t genuinely given it much thought.

“It’s probably the first time I have come into the last year of my contract, but my focus is just getting us out of this situation as quickly as possible.

“Having been here so long and feeling that responsibility, I want to see the club doing well.”

Stuart Armstrong was signed by the Saints in the summer with the view of being Davis’ long-term replacement as an attacking midfielder.

Hasenhuttl saw Davis in action when he was in the stands at Wembley for the 3-1 defeat to Tottenham after agreeing a two-and-a-half-year deal earlier that day.

But the Northern Ireland captain was then left out of Hasenhuttl’s first matchday squad for the trip to Cardiff last Saturday.

The new Saints chief is already planning a huge January clear-out in the hope of leading his side out of the Premier League’s relegation zone.

He said: “I think the squad is very big, so we have a lot of positions where we have too many players and maybe one or the other is leaving us and we can bring in something new.

“I have spoken with the chairman about that and they will do everything to help my wishes.”

Belfast Telegraph

 

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/scottish/rangers/steven-davis-set-to-complete-january-rangers-return-as-southampton-boss-plans-clearout-37617967.html

 

[Rousseau 10,823]

We might be able to get Davis on the cheap: I doubt he was ever in Hasenhuttl’s plans, going by the high-energy, high-pressing game he employed at Leipsig.

 

Another Centre-half? I don't think it's needed, but then again, we'll need options next season -- McAuley at almost 40, Worral away, and Katic down the pecking order.

[DMAA 3,658]

5 hours ago, BlackSocksRedTops said:

Still not conviced by the idea of a big man. We need more ball players not target men

We all agree we need a creative player, but we absolutely need more aerial ability in our team, especially up front. We are hopeless from corners, it doesn’t matter how good the delivery is we almost never get a head on it, it’s pathetic. Same goes for the dozens of crosses and long balls we get in to Morelos and Lafferty. For me a good manager makes sure there are goals in the team from lots of different sources and in Scottish football headers from corners, free kicks and crosses is always going to be a big part of that. It doesn’t mean primitive football as Bayern, Atletico etc have shown. 

Edited December 12, 2018 by DMAA

[MacK1950 2,399]

You only have to look at Steven Fletcher's head flick on for Scotland to realise what benefits can be reaped from aerial ability.

[BlackSocksRedTops 3,809]

3 hours ago, DMAA said:

We all agree we need a creative player, but we absolutely need more aerial ability in our team, especially up front. We are hopeless from corners, it doesn’t matter how good the delivery is we almost never get a head on it, it’s pathetic. Same goes for the dozens of crosses and long balls we get in to Morelos and Lafferty. For me a good manager makes sure there are goals in the team from lots of different sources and in Scottish football headers from corners, free kicks and crosses is always going to be a big part of that. It doesn’t mean primitive football as Bayern, Atletico etc have shown. 

If we are hopeless at corners maybe the solution is to stop simply crossing balls in directly? Let's be more imaginative than solving a problem with a big guy. Look at Man City for example, they would never use this tactic. Everything is short and designed to move defenders around to make gaps to get in behind. I know they are on a different planet and have grade A players but it's more about imaginative play than personel. When we get a corner we rarely benefit and it looks like we don't do much work on them in training tbh. 

[Bill 13,717]

"We are hopeless from corners."

Could that simply be because we're hopeless AT corners? Tavernier has to be the worst corner taker but keeps on taking them. Results from corners could only improve by getting someone to take them who has some idea how to do the job. Seriously, it can't be as difficult as our captain insists on making it.

 

[ian1964 10,761]

7 minutes ago, BlackSocksRedTops said:

If we are hopeless at corners maybe the solution is to stop simply crossing balls in directly? Let's be more imaginative than solving a problem with a big guy. Look at Man City for example, they would never use this tactic. Everything is short and designed to move defenders around to make gaps to get in behind. I know they are on a different planet and have grade A players but it's more about imaginative play than personel. When we get a corner we rarely benefit and it looks like we don't do much work on them in training tbh. 

I agree. Our set piece play for years has been pretty poor, throw ins, free kicks, corners, have been crap. It almost seems as though we don't practise anything on the training ground, even if it is only a few different moves it can make a huge difference in a match. I am surprised we don't have any considering the manager & back room staff we have now, but again we have never been any good at them for years!.

[ian1964 10,761]

RANGERS flop Umar Sadiq been AXED mid-season.

The Nigeria striker, 21, is returning to Roma midway through his disastrous season-long loan with Gers.

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/3617222/rangers-flop-umar-sadiq-axed-roma-loan-spell/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1544655991