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Derby County will look to keep their faint play-off hopes alive when manager Gary Rowett faces former side Birmingham City at St Andrew’s on Saturday.

The Rams kept in touch with the top six as they beat fellow contenders Fulham 4-2 at the Pride Park Stadium on Tuesday night – they are now seven points behind sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday with six matches of the Championship season remaining.

Rowett will know that his men will possibly have to win all of those to have a good chance of snatching a play-off spot, and Birmingham are the first team to stand in his way.

When the Midlands outfit sacked Rowett in December – despite the fact that they were just three points adrift of third place – there was a lot of shock in the football world as Gianfranco Zola quickly succeeded the 43-year-old at St Andrew’s.

While things haven’t gone brilliantly for the Italian so far, here are THREE reasons why Birmingham will end Rowett’s play-off dream this weekend…

Birmingham are improving

While Gianfranco Zola and the owners would have hoped that the Italian could keep the Blues fighting at the right end of the table following Rowett’s sacking, it hasn’t quite worked out like that.

The 50-year-old didn’t pick up his first win until the start of February, and he has won just two of the 19 Championship matches he has taken charge of this term.

That said City are looking as though they are finally turning the corner with three draws from their last four matches, and they could take that momentum into this clash.

Derby’s frailties

While Rowett has won two and drawn one of his three Championship matches in charge, his side have shown frailties at certain points that will have worried him.

The first half performance and last-gasp equaliser they conceded in the 2-2 draw against arch-rivals Nottingham Forest at the City Ground was disappointing, and they let in two again in the victory against Fulham during the week.

The 43-year-old will want to see more resoluteness from his backline at St Andrew’s on Saturday – otherwise they could be in trouble again.

Zola will want to beat Rowett

When the Italian replaced the popular Rowett in January, it would have left a lot of neutrals wanting the club – and perhaps him – to fail because they believed it was such an undeserved dismissal.

Zola will be itching to prove those people wrong on Saturday when he welcomes the former Blues boss back to St Andrew’s for the first time, and the 50-year-old will be keen to show the owners and supporters that he can build momentum for a potential promotion push next term by taking all three points against Derby.

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

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Not since 1st May 2008 have Rangers fans gone into a match with as much anticipation as Sunday’s semi-final against Celtic at Hampden. That was the night they travelled to Fiorentina in the UEFA Cup semi-final with the tie poised at 0-0, needing some sort of result to make their first European final since 1972, which they duly managed.

Since then there have been highs, three SPL titles in a row for instance, and lows, having to rebuild almost everything from the bottom tier of Scottish football.

No match though has had quite as much on the line as this weekend’s match. On their promotion to the Scottish Premiership last summer, many fancied Rangers to be a lot more competitive than they’ve turned out to be. Mark Warburton failed to cope with the challenge of Celtic, faltering on multiple occasions before eventually departing.

It leaves the Hoops on the brink of an unprecedented season, not only having the chance to win a rare domestic treble of trophies, but also go the entire campaign undefeated.

Rangers are one of the few teams remaining standing in their way and supporters have a desperate need for their team to produce one incredible 90 minutes and burst the Brendan Rodgers bubble.

Here are three reasons why this game is the biggest since that fateful night in Florence…

Stopping the treble

Trebles come along rarely in Scottish football, which may be surprising to outsiders who consider Rangers and Celtic to win every trophy between them every single year. The Scottish Cup has been surprisingly competitive over the last 10 years with 7 different winners and the League Cup is often a competition that the likes of Celtic can take for granted.

When the chance of a treble does come along though, supporters crave it like nothing else. There’s nothing quite like rubbing it in to rival supporters than with the three domestic trophies in the cabinet.

On the other side it hurts too, Celtic fans know how it feels when Rangers win the treble, which is why they’re so excited about potentially winning it this season.

If the Gers don’t stop them then who will? They’re the only side left in the competition who has even drawn with them this season. Hibs or Aberdeen would give it a go in the final but it’s truly the semi that the Hoops are most at risk in.

If Rangers can pick up a win, it’ll be won supporters have celebrated like no other since that UEFA Cup semi-final in 2008.

Laying the foundations

Even casting aside the ambitions of Celtic, the situation of Rangers alone right now makes Sunday’s match-up absolute massive.

Pedro Caixinha has just arrived with the task of bringing the Gers closer to Celtic over the next 12 months in the league and cups. While on paper they are still miles off the pace of the Scottish champions, a win at Hampden would put down and marker to the rest of Scottish football that the Rangers they once feared have returned to compete for the big trophies once again.

There are still some question marks around the new boss and a win could lay the foundations for genuine progress under the Portuguese, building momentum and a good feeling that would be hard to compete with. There’s nothing quite like Ibrox packed full with 50,000 fans all pulling in the same direction.

A win on Sunday would go a long way towards making that happen.

Major silverware again

Rangers haven’t won the Scottish Cup since way back in 2009. For most supporters who grew up with the club in the late 80s, 90s and 00s, going that long without success in the tournament is unheard of.

A win against Celtic, like last year, would put them within touching distance again of a major honour once again. They lost out last season against Hibs in a heartbreaking final but the players would surely redeem themselves this time around.

Winning competitions like the Scottish Cup has been what supporters have been dreaming of over the last few years as the club rose through the lower leagues and best Celtic for a second season in a row in the competition would surely provide the springboard for that to happen.

According to reports from The Daily Mail, West Ham could face a fight to hold onto winger-forward Michail Antonio this summer with the fan favourite amid a contract dispute at the London Stadium – although his current terms don’t actually expire for another five years.

The 27-year-old has enjoyed a fantastic season with the east Londoners, bagging nine goals and three assists in 29 Premier League appearances whilst featuring as a winger, a full-back, a No.10 and a central striker.

However, Antonio is reportedly unhappy with the terms of the new deal being proposed to him and apparently remains aware of interest from other clubs – not least including Premier League champions in waiting Chelsea.

The dynamic attacker would certainly be an interesting fit for Chelsea’s right wing-back role as a similar kind of player to Victor Moses. So, Blues fans, would you back a transfer swoop for the former Nottingham Forest star this summer? Let us know by voting below…

According to reports in the Daily Mail, Arsenal have joined Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester City in the race to sign £35m-rated Everton midfielder Ross Barkley this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 23-year-old’s contract at Goodison Park next summer but he is yet to commit his future to the club.

If the England international isn’t willing to do that then the club could cash in on him at the end of the season to avoid losing him for nothing in 2018, which has alerted a number of clubs.

Spurs are the favourites while the Premier League leaders and Pep Guardiola’s side are monitoring developments, but now Arsene Wenger is understood to have thrown his hat into the ring.

How good has Barkley been this season?

He has been good, but has perhaps been distracted by talk over his future at certain points.

The 23-year-old has scored four goals and provided a further eight assists in 33 Premier League appearances this season, while he has created 36 more chances than any other Toffees player.

Despite that, he was dropped to the substitutes’ bench for the trip to Swansea City on Saturday as the Merseyside outfit’s form has dropped in recent weeks.

Where would he fit in at Arsenal?

Good question.

If Arsene Wenger is to persevere with the 3-4-3 formation next season then Barkley would either feature in the middle of the park or on the left or right side of the front three.

It doesn’t seem to be a formation that suits him too much though, which could put the move into doubt.

Would Arsenal pay the £35m fee?

They may feel it isn’t good value for money considering the England international’s contract runs out in a year, but Arsene Wenger is also aware that he needs to significantly strengthen his squad after a disappointing season.

He will have to pay good money to get the players he wants if he is to do that.

What’s the verdict, then?

While he is clearly a talented player, it remains to be seen whether Arsenal would sign a player that still struggles with his consistency.

Chelsea confirmed their second Premier League title in three years, and their first under Antonio Conte, with a nervy 1-0 win against Tony Pulis’ West Brom on Friday night, thanks to a goal from unlikely hero Michy Batshuayi.

The Belgian, off the bench to replace the under par Pedro, sealed the win late on with the Blues’ 23rd shot on target at The Hawthorns, after it had long looked like a goal would not come on their big night.

Back in London there were undoubtedly celebrations in the west around Stamford Bridge, however, in the north of the capital there will have been a different mood as the result confirmed that Tottenham’s title challenge, for another year, was over.

Their north London rivals, Arsenal, were quick to jump on the Blues’ celebrations and mock Mauricio Pochettino’s side on social media.

With Tottenham having finally finished above the Gunners for the first time in Arsene Wenger’s reign this season, fans from the red half were happy to take aim…

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho rounded off his maiden season as Red Devils boss in typical fashion last night, lifting the Europa League after a final win over Ajax in Stockholm.

Goals from summer signings Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, giving United a 2-0 win, will have been particularly satisfying for the former Real Madrid boss, who will be back in the Champions League next season thanks to the Europa League victory.

Talk, almost immediately, after the win turned to the prospects for next season and what Mourinho’s plans for the summer will be.

The Special One was typically upfront in his response to questioning on BT Sport over the issue, making it abundantly clear that he was now on holiday and revealed that the task now lays with vice chief-executive Ed Woodward, after he handed the official a list of his transfer targets two months ago.

“Ed Woodward has had what I wanted for the last two months,” he told BT Sport’s Des Kelly.

“Now I will just wait.”

The wait then, for fans and manager alike, is on to see who will be arriving at Old Trafford before the start of next season, when a push for more silverware – both at home and on the continent – will be the priority for Mourinho once again.

There are plenty of foreign signings who fail to make the grade in the Premier League and this past season was no different.

While players like N’Golo Kante and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have thrived since moving to England, most players are not as lucky and often quickly move on as a result. With the World Cup in Russia only a year away, consistent playing time is at the forefront of every international player’s mind and will likely be the primary reason for plenty of moves this summer.

The Premier League is arguably the most difficult league in the world and not every player can cut it at that level.

Many clubs buy players who have excelled in leagues across Europe who can’t replicate their form in England, and so those players often move back to where they have excelled, whether that be purely for their footballing career or for their own comfort.

Here are five player who moved to England last summer but should pursue moves away in July…

NOLITO

Nolito was supposed to be a bargain buy for Manchester City last summer, costing only £13.8 million after scoring 39 league goals in three seasons for Celta Vigo and impressing in Spain’s Euro 2016 campaign.

One of City’s cheapest transfers in recent memory also came at the expense of Pep Guardiola’s old club, as Barcelona were also in the running for the 30-year old winger. Nolito started in City’s first Premier League game of the year and picked up his first Sky Blue goal three days later in the Champions League qualifying win over Steaua Bucharest.

The Spanish international’s City career was off to a great start before a red card against Bournemouth for head butting Adam Smith halted his progress. After returning from suspension, he picked up three yellow cards in six appearances as he continued to lose his temper and with that, Pep’s trust.

The Spaniard was fazed out of the team in the new year and appeared in only five league and four FA Cup matches, starting once in the cup and scoring no goals.

He has spoken of his desire to leave Manchester City and appears set to return to La Liga when the transfer window opens up on July 1.

GEORGES-KEVIN NKOUDOU

Georges-Kevin Nkoudou was brought in from Marseille as part of a swap deal involving Spurs flop Clinton N’jie but ended up playing the exact same role as the Cameroon international.

N’jie moved to Spurs two summers ago after scoring eight goals in his first full season with Lyon but couldn’t find the back of the net in 14 appearances, totalling 386 minutes, at White Hart Lane. French youth international Nkoudou scored 10 goals for Marseille in 2015/16 and drew the admiration of the Premier League, culminating in his move to Tottenham.

However, the 22-year old appeared in only 17 games for a total 323 minutes under Mauricio Pochettino this season and only six times in 2017, all without ever scoring a goal.

If Nkoudou wants to return to playing consistent first team football, a move back to France or to one of the Premier League’s mid-table sides is needed.

BORJA BASTON

Swansea City purchased two Spanish strikers last summer in an effort to improve on the maddeningly inconsistent Bafetimbi Gomis, and one helped the club avoid relegation. The other was club-record signing and utter flop Borja Baston.

After scoring 18 goals in 36 La Liga appearances while on loan at SD Eiber, Swansea and Francesco Guidolin shelled out £15.5m to bring the Atletico Madrid man to the Liberty Stadium.

In response, the 24-year old scored only one goal, against Arsenal in Bob Bradley’s first game, and started only four league games all season. Fernando Llorente proved to be a more capable Premier League striker and as a result, Baston played only 79 league minutes in 2017.

The Spanish youth international is a proven goalscorer in his homeland but doesn’t seem to fit well in England, so a return to Spain could be on the cards this summer.

SOFIANE BOUFAL

Another club-record signing who doesn’t appear up to snuff in the Premier League, Sofiane Boufal struggled at Southampton after his £16m move from Lille.

The French-born Morocc0 international scored 12 goals for the French side two seasons ago and made his international debut in March 2016.

The left-winger missed the first four games of the season with a knee injury but worked his way back into the first team, scoring his first and only league goal in the 1-0 win over Middlesborough in December. 15 of his 29 total appearances last season came as a substitute under Claude Puel and the Frenchman’s expected departure from Southampton could open the door for Boufal to leave.

With a World Cup coming in a years time and Morocco very capable of qualifying, playing time should be at the top of Boufal’s summer wish list, whether that be back in France or with another English club.

MICHY BATSHUAYI

The most difficult decision from this list belongs to league winner and £33m man Michy Batshuayi. The Belgian striker scored the goal that won Chelsea the 2016-17 Premier League title but arguably the bigger story this season was how Antonio Conte played him.

The 23-year old scored nine goals in 28 total appearances for Chelsea this term but only played 702 minutes — a fantastic return of a goal every 78 minutes. He didn’t make his first league start until the penultimate game of the season when the title was already wrapped up.

Batshuayi played single-digit minutes in 11 league games as he was unable to move past Diego Costa.

The Belgian recently spoke about his future and his desire for playing time with the World Cup next summer, and with Romelu Lukaku rumoured to be on his way back to Stamford Bridge, Batshuayi may have to force a move, likely on loan, in order to play a starting role.

Former Newcastle United player Micky Quinn has not held back in his criticism of Chelsea youngster Tammy Abraham.

The England Under-21 international was heavily linked with a loan switch to the Magpies in order to boost his development.

However, the Daily Mail reported last week that the 19-year-old will agree to join Swansea City on a temporary deal for the 2017-18 campaign.

Abraham is expected to link up with manager Paul Clement, who he is already familiar with having worked within Chelsea’s youth systems.

Quinn believes that Abraham has made the wrong choice, stating that Newcastle is a much bigger club and playing under Rafael Benitez would be invaluable experience.

In his column for the Chronicle, Quinn wrote:

“I have to say I am extremely disappointed in Tammy Abraham. If he really is set to choose Swansea City over Newcastle United, I would seriously question his decision. It shouldn’t take me to tell him that Newcastle is a far bigger football club than Swansea.

“This claim that Abraham rejected Newcastle because of the nightlife seems pathetic to me as well. What frustrates me about this situation though is it strikes me as a football failing to think for himself.

“Undoubtedly an agent has got into his ear and wrongly advised him that Swansea is the club for him next season. That is total rubbish. Rafa is the manager who can make Abraham realise his potential. Paul Clement seems to be a decent coach, but Rafa is on a different level altogether.

“I don’t know Abraham personally and I don’t know his exact reasons for choosing Swansea over Newcastle but, quite frankly, any excuse would be weak in my eyes.”

Abraham has been in Poland with the international team competing in the Under-21 European Championships, but the campaign has ended in disappointing fashion.

The teenager scored in the semi-finals against Germany on Wednesday, but a 2-2 draw in normal time resulted in a penalty shootout.

Despite being one of the scorers on the night, Abraham missed from the spot as England were beaten 4-2 by Germany.

Felix Wiedwald may not exactly be a household name in Yorkshire, but that could soon change according to recent reports from the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Leeds United have reportedly made an approach for the 6 foot 3 goalkeeper, who is seemingly being pushed out of current club Werder Bremen after they agreed a deal to sign Jiri Pavlenka from Slavia Prague earlier this week.

There are already two senior goalkeepers on the books at Elland Road but Marco Silvestri’s contract is due to expire and the end of next season, suggesting he could move on this summer, and Rob Green, in spite of his regular heroics last term, will turn 38 in January.

Currently, however, Wiedwald is a relative unknown, one who may or may not prove a superior option to Green and Silvestri. So in a bid to familiarise the Leeds fan base with the 27-year-old, who Transfermarkt value at £1.7million, here’s a look at his form in the Bundesliga last season.

Despite Bremen more than holding their own to finish in eighth place, Wiedwald only managed five clean sheets, conceding almost exactly two goals per game and one goal every 1.5 saves. His distribution, as well, was a little disappointing at 60%.

Overall, those returns will concern some Leeds fans. But the quality of the Championship is less than that of the German top flight and whilst Bremen struggled defensively last season, Leeds conceded the fourth-fewest goals of any side in the second tier – suggesting Wiedwald would be much better protected behind the Whites backline.

According to reports in The Sun, Liverpool are leading Chelsea in the race to sign £65m-rated Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, although the Reds have been put off by the asking price and the player’s £180,000-a-week wage demands.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Sun says that the Premier League rivals have made contact with the Gabon international’s representatives over a move to England, and they are both willing to offer £65m for the 28-year-old.

However, Liverpool are in pole position after Jurgen Klopp instructed the Reds to make a move for the prolific Dortmund striker in April, although The Sun says a move has hit a snag over the Merseyside outfit’s refusal to meet the price tag or the player’s personal terms.

That news has given Chelsea renewed hope that they could yet sign the centre-forward, with Antonio Conte looking for a new attacker after losing out to Manchester United in the battle for Romelu Lukaku, having already told Diego Costa that he is no longer part of his plans.

How did Aubameyang do last season?

It is no surprise that the Premier League duo are keen considering that the 28-year-old has just enjoyed the most prolific season of his career to date.

While the Gabon international has regularly found the net ever since moving to Dortmund from Saint-Etienne in 2013, he took his goalscoring to a new level last term after scoring 40 goals in 46 appearances for the Bundesliga giants.

Would he be a good signing for Chelsea/Liverpool?

He certainly would be.

While the two sides would probably prefer to sign a younger striker for the reported £65m fee, Aubameyang looks to be well suited to the Premier League and is in the form of his life right now.

The 28-year-old has scored 120 goals in 189 appearances in total for Dortmund and both clubs are crying out for a prolific centre-forward ahead of the new season.

The Reds were playing Roberto Firmino up top last term and there is little doubt that Klopp would prefer a more natural option there, while the Blues need to find an alternative to Lukaku with little chance of a u-turn for Diego Costa at Stamford Bridge.

What’s the verdict, then?

Well, there is no doubt that Aubameyang would strengthen both Chelsea and Liverpool, but it remains to be seen whether either club will match the financial terms required to sign him.

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