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It’s fair to say that Graeme Murty has become something of a Rangers icon over the last 6 weeks or so. Taking charge of the first team after the dramatic departure of Mark Warburton, many thought he would oversee a dismal demise in results that would destroy the Gers’ season.Initially that looked to be the case but to Murty’s credit he rallied the squad and inspired them to some big results, most notably against St Johnstone, Hamilton in the Scottish Cup and of course last week at Celtic.That may be why supporters unveiled a banner at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon specifically for him. It read: “Thanks For Your Efforts Graeme Murty, Welcome To The World’s Most Successful Club Pedro”, acknowledging the transfer of power that has taken place over the last 8 days.Pedro Caixinha must have enjoyed his first match as manager as his side brushed aside Hamilton in a fantastic manner, blitzing them four goals to nil.It seems the Murty too enjoyed his afternoon. He didn’t waste time in taking to Twitter after the match to pay an emotional tribute to the fans that backed him pre-match.

The positive atmosphere around Ibrox right now must be fantastic for supporters to see and who knows, their season could end up being a fair success with the Scottish Cup and second place in the Scottish Premiership still achievable.

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Former Sunderland and Manchester City striker and Sky Sports pundit Niall Quinn says that Chelsea defender David Luiz has been the signing of the season in the Premier League.

Eyebrows were certainly raised when new Blues boss Antonio Conte decided to bring the Brazilian back to Stamford Bridge last summer in a £34m deal from Paris Saint-Germain.

The centre-back had come under scrutiny for some of his questionable defensive performances during his first spell at Stamford Bridge, and supporters may have been worried that the same would happen on his return to west London – especially as he was joining a team that was low on confidence after registering a 10th-placed Premier League finish last term.

However, he has been a consistent rock at the back alongside Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta in the 3-5-2 formation Conte introduced following a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates in October, and the 29-year-old is on course to win the top flight title in his first campaign back in England.

While the Italian boss can take some of the credit for the transformation, Luiz must also be lauded for showing a mature approach to his personal game – something that has impressed Quinn.

The 50-year-old told Sky Sports: “For guts and bravery, I like what David Luiz has done. I love the way he became a rock again at Chelsea having been scorned by managers.

“He wanted to come back and prove his doubters wrong. I remember the Chelsea he joined were flat and despondent. They had a bad year last year and he came back into the fold. I really admire what he’s done.

“In my eyes, his transformation and his performances for Chelsea this season merit mention.”

Chelsea can go a step closer to lifting the Premier League trophy when they face former boss Jose Mourinho and Manchester United at Old Trafford, as they look to maintain or increase the seven-point advantage they current hold over second-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

Former Everton player Kevin Ratcliffe believes that signing Burnley defender Michael Keane would be a good move for the Toffees.

According to the Daily Mail, the Merseyside outfit are favourites to land the England international’s signature.

Keane’s former club Manchester United have been named in the rumour mill as possible suitors for the defender, as have Liverpool.

However, the Mail claims that positive talks have already been held between Burnley and Everton over a £20m deal.

It is no surprise that Keane is being targeted as he has put in consistently solid displays at the back for the Clarets this season.

The defender has played in all 33 of Burnley’s Premier League games and has even contributed with two goals and an assist.

The 24-year-old ended his four-year spell at United to move to Turf Moor in 2015, but it was not until this season that other clubs began to take notice.

Ratcliffe has suggested that the price of Keane is not entirely justified, but due to the rate of British talent, needs must.

He wrote in the Liverpool Echo:

“I rate him and think that, while there’s room for improvement, he shows plenty of promise at the age of only 24. With no disrespect intended to the Clarets you like to think he will improve at a bigger club.

“I would certainly not be disappointed if Everton signed Keane in the summer. How much they should pay for him is another matter, but if the going rate is £20 -25m then so be it.

“You have to spend big on young English talent, and he certainly ticks a lot of boxes in what you look for from a central defender.”

Alessandro Del Piero and Robbie Fowler, two of the world’s most decorated footballers, are set to have at it again, this time on the golf course.

The two will face-off on opposing sides – Fowler with the English Team and Del Piero on the Rest of World Team – on 23rd-24th June in the prestigious and unique ICONS of Football 2017 tournament. Both have experienced enormous success on the pitch and both will look to convert their winning histories into silverware at The Belfry.

Both will hope that their lack of size (Del Piero standing 5 feet 6 inches and Fowler a towering 5 feet 9 inches in comparison) will be much less of a factor on the golf course.

Liverpool legend, Robbie Fowler, has experienced his fair share of winning over the course of his career having won five trophies, four of which came with Liverpool.

Del Piero, who spent 19 years at Juventus, has gained even more success, having won 15 different trophies including the World Cup, Champions League and six Italian league titles.

Del Piero also managed to score at an unprecedented rate, netting a total of 316 goals over his 24-year career, nearly 100 more than Fowler’s already-

impressive 231 career tally.

ICONS of Football 2017 will provide both attackers with a chance to add to their already extensive list of honours. Fowler and Del Piero both look to play a pivotal role in their respective teams and will look to rekindle their winning ways off the football pitch in an entirely different sport.

Tickets for Icons of Football 2017 are available now at icons-series.com

According to reports in The Sun, West Ham United and Southampton are said to be interested in signing Pescara midfielder and former Manchester City youth player Ahmad Benali this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, despite enjoying a decent season personally, his team Pescara were relegated to Serie B on Sunday following their 1-0 defeat to Cagliari and the 25-year-old will look to move on this summer.

He has interest from Serie A sides Atalanta, Bologna and Genoa, but it is thought he is keen on a return to England where he spent 13 years as a trainee with City, and he would cost around £3m.

How well has he done this season?

Despite Pescara winning just two Serie A matches all season, Benali has scored six goals in 32 league appearances – nearly a fifth of his team’s total – while he has provided a further two assists.

Where would he fit in at West Ham?

The Libya international – who has two caps for his country – has spent much of the campaign playing in an attacking midfield role and because he is just 5’8” tall, it is a position that suits him.

Benali could play in any of the attacking midfield positions in a 4-2-3-1 formation, or out wide in a 3-4-3 or 4-3-3 system depending on what Slaven Bilic intends to deploy next term if he stays with the club.

Because of his tenacity and athleticism he can play deeper too, if needed.

What’s the verdict, then?

While he has obviously improved and shown that he can perform in Serie A – and is available for a reasonable price – Irons supporters will perhaps be hoping for some more well-known names to come into the club this summer as they look to make a significant improvement on what has been a disappointing campaign.

It’s amazing how two different managers can see different things in the same player. Or perhaps even more amazingly, how two different managers can see the same thing in the same player, but have completely different ideas on how to best get it out of them. Adam Lallana’s form under Liverpool’s last two managers, Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp, provides a classic example.

At the age of 29, Lallana is not only a key figure for the Reds but also the England national team, as one of the rare few England players of his generation blessed with the intellect, movement and guile to unlock opposition defences with delicate passes in tight areas, cute runs in between the lines and the touch and circumferential vision to change the angle of play.

Much like Joe Cole, he may not be one of the most glamorous names on the England team-sheet and he may often be crowbarred into unnatural positions, but he’s consistently delivered on the world stage, providing the fluidity and flair that often seems absent from the English footballer DNA. Rather tellingly, after playing key roles in relatively positive Group Stage performances against Russia, Wales and Slovakia, Lallana missed England’s nightmare defeat to Iceland through injury. Things may have been different with the Liverpool man pulling the strings in front of a water-tight Iceland rearguard.

But it hasn’t always been the highs of widespread appreciation since Lallana moved to Anfield from Southampton in summer 2014 after being a part of England’s World Cup squad. His £25million transfer fee didn’t convince everybody and the midfielder struggled to justify it during his first season at the club. As Brendan Rodgers’ side finished the season in sixth place, Lallana produced less goals and assists than he’d managed for Saints the term before, despite them ending the 2013/14 campaign in eighth. Alongside Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren, Lallana was part of a clan of Southampton imports who’d failed to make the step up to Liverpool’s level – wasting the club a small fortune in the process.

The big change came a matter of months into Lallana’s second season on Merseyside, when the man who brought him to Anfield, Rodgers, was abruptly sacked in favour of former Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp. This week, a debate has raged over whether Klopp’s actually improved upon the performance of his predecessor, who boasted a better record than him after 66 Premier League fixtures, but there’s no questioning Klopp’s profound impact on Lallana’s Liverpool career.

The sway in form was by no means instantaneous – Lallana’s first goal under the Klopp’s tutelage didn’t come until January in a nine-goal thriller with Norwich City – but the Liverpool gaffer had already started using the 31-cap international in a different kind of way. Whereas Rodgers had asked Lallana to provide his playmaking qualities from out wide, seemingly a consequence of his ability to play with either foot, Klopp saw the benefits of using the ambipedal midfielder in more central roles. He became the No.10, albeit often working in tandem with Philippe Coutinho in the same role alongside him, and the recurring link between the midfield and the attack.

The current campaign has seen Lallana’s role modified once again, this time dropping slightly deeper into the engine room. Rodgers wanted Lallana higher up the pitch because of the impact he could have in the final third, finishing his final season at Southampton with nine goals and five assists to his name. Counter-intuitively, however moving further away from goal has seen the Reds ace produce the best returns of his Liverpool career in terms of strikes and set-ups, with seven apiece. He’s also increased his chances created ratio by 0.32 per match. Rodgers knew Lallana was capable of affecting the scoreline in that way, but it’s Klopp who has found the best strategy to ensure he does so.

Rather tellingly, Liverpool’s win-rate drops by 4% when Lallana isn’t in the starting line-up, and that highlights how important he’s become to the way Klopp wants his team to play – energetic, fluid, creative and clinical. Lallana embodies all of those traits and even at the age of 29, he looks set to be an integral player for Liverpool in the seasons to come.

Arsenal won a record 13th FA Cup on Saturday after producing a wonderful display against Chelsea at Wembley.

Goals from Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey gave them a 2-1 win over their London rivals in a match that many people expected they would lose.

Incredibly, Arsene Wenger has won seven of the Gunners’ 13 FA Cup wins, also a record for a single manager. His record in the competition is undeniable, more often than not finding the right blend of attacking prowess and winning spirit to be a success in single leg knockout football.

After a long and difficult season during which the Frenchman has had to endure significant fan pressure, the win is an indicator that their may be more life in his Arsenal career than many expect.

In fact, after the win many fans were quick to defend his record and counter the increasing calls of ‘Wenger out’ over the last few months.

Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his future with many wanting him to stay for another season at least…

According to Sky Sports, West Ham United are the new frontrunners to sign in demand KAS Eupen forward Henry Onyekuru this summer.

The 20-year-old is being targeted by seven Premier League clubs after an outstanding season for the Belgian outfit, and Arsenal were previously said to have been leading the chase for the Nigerian.

However, it is now suggested that the attacker – who has a release clause that means he is available for just £7.85m with wages of £35,000-a-week – will travel to England for talks with the interested sides on Monday, but that the Irons are the favourites to win the race for his signature.

It would represent quite the coup for the Hammers having suffered the disappointment of losing Dimitri Payet – who was such an important and creative player for them – to Marseille during the January transfer window.

Here are three reasons Onyekuru can be more influential than Payet for West Ham…

Goalscoring

While Payet was known for being able to score a goal – he netted nine in the Premier League last season and two in 18 appearances in the first half of the 2016/17 campaign – he could be easily outdone by Onyekuru if the 20-year-old moves to the London Stadium.

The Nigerian forward scored 24 goals in 41 appearances for Eupen this term and that is very impressive considering the majority of those came from the left wing.

If he can bring that sort of form to England, he will be a huge hit among the supporters.

His style of play

For a long time now – and perhaps aside from Michail Antonio in the current team – West Ham have lacked that pace throughout side and players that run at and commit defenders.

The arrival of Onyekuru would certainly change that as he loves to dribble and he has proved this season that he has the end product to match.

While Payet clearly had great ability and was a player that was brilliant on the ball, the 20-year-old certainly has the potential to get more supporters off of their seats.

Mentality

When Payet first came to West Ham and during his spell with the Irons, he knew that he was the main man in the team and perhaps that ego took over at points – especially towards the end of his time at the London Stadium.

It will be a complete different story if Onyekuru arrives as he knows he isn’t yet the finished article, and that means that he should have a closer relationship with the supporters.

If the 20-year-old signs a long-term deal, he can prove to be more influential than his French predecessor.

Do you agree, Irons fans? Let us know below.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in bringing AS Monaco attacker Thomas Lemar to the club ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.

Lemar, 21, scored nine times and registered 10 assists in 34 Ligue 1 appearances last season as Monaco took the French title away from Paris Saint-Germain.

The Frenchman also managed two goals and four assists during Monaco’s run to the semi-finals of the Champions League, which has made him one of the most in-demand attackers in Europe.

On Tuesday afternoon, Tottenham’s official Twitter account posted an image of their goalkeeper Hugo Lloris looking full of purpose, and unsurprisingly, the responses from the club’s fans centred around transfers.

Spurs finished second in the Premier League table last season, but they struggled to make their mark in the Champions League, and it is shaping up to be another testing campaign for Mauricio Pochettino’s side entering the August kickoff.

Monaco have already lost a key attacker in the shape of Bernardo Silva to the Premier League this summer, but Tottenham fans are hopeful that another will leave Ligue 1 for English football.

According to reports in the Evening Standard, Chelsea are ready to reignite their interest in signing Middlesbrough winger Adama Traore this summer, but the Championship outfit are ready to demand a £20m fee.

The story says that the Blues enquired about a possible purchase of the 21-year-old in the future when they were negotiating the sale of Patrick Bamford to Boro during the January transfer window, but were told he would cost £20m.

The Evening Standard say London rivals West Ham United are also said to be keen on the former Barcelona starlet, who has now suffered successive relegations from the Premier League with Aston Villa and the Teesside outfit.

While Middlesbrough may be willing to sell Traore for the right price, they are ready to play hardball over a fee with the Spaniard still having three years left on his contract.

Nevertheless, Antonio Conte may feel that the winger would be a useful acquisition for the Premier League champions, and the Italian could step up his efforts to bring him to Stamford Bridge in the coming weeks.

Here are three reasons Chelsea should get a £20m deal for Traore done…

Pace and dribbling ability

While he may have failed to get on the scoresheet and provided just one assist for Middlesbrough last season, Traore still impressed with a number of aspects of his game.

The 21-year-old has an abundance of pace that frightens opposition defenders, while he is also a brilliant dribbler with the ball.

The former Barcelona starlet showed he isn’t afraid to have a go at his full-back after completing a remarkable 136 take-ons in 27 Premier League appearances last term, with his final product needing to be worked on.

Impact from the bench

While he probably wouldn’t be an instant fixture in the starting line-up if he did move to Stamford Bridge this summer, there is no doubt that Traore could have a huge impact from the substitutes’ bench.

The 21-year-old would most likely fill in for Pedro on the right wing, but if he improved the defensive side of his game he also has the potential to play at right wing-back too.

If Chelsea are chasing a goal or playing on the counter attack, there is no doubt that the winger’s pace and dribbling ability would be a hugely useful weapon.

Potential

While we have mentioned that Traore’s end product is perhaps lacking right now – as shown by his tally of goals and assists for Aston Villa and Middlesbrough over the course of the last two seasons – there is no doubt that there is a lot of potential there that needs to be developed.

At 21 years of age, he has plenty of time to improve and you certainly don’t play for Barcelona unless you have something about you.

If Antonio Conte can successfully coach the winger as he has done with Victor Moses over the course of the last year, he could have a very special player on his hands.

Do you agree, Chelsea fans? Let us know below.