Category Uncategorized

Leeds United fans have been going wild this week after a fresh report emerged surrounding popular loan star Ben White.

According to John Percy at the Telegraph, the Brighton loanee is set to sign a two-month extension to his loan deal to remain at Elland Road for the conclusion of the 2019/20 Championship campaign.

It’s claimed the Premier League outfit will hold talks with the west Yorkshiremen this week with an extension until the end of July likely for the 22-year-old defender.

And the White faithful are absolutely thrilled by the news…

The centre-back as been integral to Marcelo Bielsa’s squad and their fortunes in the league this campaign. In fact, he’s not missed a single match and has even filled in for defensive lynchpin Kalvin Phillips on the odd occasion.

In 37 appearances, White has averaged three clearances, 2.3 interceptions, 1.7 tackles and 55.7 passes per game whilst also winning 2.8 aerial duels each match too, via WhoScored.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

It’s undeniable that his inevitable return to the south coast is going to leave a huge hole in United’s backline, even more so with Gaetano Berardi looking likely to leave following the expiry of his contract.

But many at Elland Road are desperate to see him stay at the club permanently.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for the young Englishman. Leeds will have a monumental fight on their hands to keep hold of him next season.

If Brighton get relegated, then they may be enticed into selling, but it’s believed that the PL big dogs are all keen on him, including front-runners for the title, Liverpool (as per The Athletic, via the Daily Mail).

This could well be a saga to develop over the course of the summer transfer window, whenever that may be.

AND in other news, Phil Hay makes claim about Leeds playing at neutral venues…

David Luiz was one of many Arsenal players who produced a great performance in the Gunners’ 2-1 victory over Sheffield United in the FA Cup. We have taken a closer look at his performance against the Blades in the latest edition of our Unsung Hero feature.

Arsenal finally picked up their first win against Southampton since football has returned, and they now have two wins in two and are advancing to the semi-finals of the FA Cup after their victory against the Blades.

Wembley now awaits, and a trophy in Mikel Arteta’s first season would be a very good start and please many Arsenal supporters. Dani Ceballos scored the last minute winner and rightfully has been receiving a lot of praise, however David Luiz’s performance seems to have gone under the radar.

When his name was on the team sheet, many would have been worried following his awful display against Manchester City within his first 30 minutes of him being on the pitch since football returned. He made a mistake to gift City a goal and was then sent off after giving away a penalty. This led to SofaScore giving him a 3.0 rating.

However SofaScore clearly appreciated his performance in a back three at Bramall Lane on Sunday as they gave him a 7.2 rating which was the joint-second best on the pitch out of the Arsenal squad and the joint-fourth best out of everyone who played.

The centre-back was outstanding in a back five, which turned to a back three when attacking, as he managed six clearances, two tackles and won three of his four aerial duels as well as winning both of his ground duels, per SofaScore.

The Brazilian was also not dribbled past and Arsenal looked a strong unit when he was on the pitch, but Sheffield United started to get into the game soon after his substitution.

It has been a crazy couple of weeks as the defender has been slated not just by the Gunners fans but by many in the footballing world like former Ballon d’Or winner Ruud Gullit, who said to Ziggo Sport, via Metro, “Yes, David is not doing well. I think he’s an overrated player, really. When he played in midfield I thought he was reasonable, but then there was already discussion about what he actually is as a player.”

He has also been given a contract extension over the last week as his old contract was due to expire on June 30th and many have been debating whether he deserved this. However he has clearly proved doubters wrong whilst also showing many why Arteta still wanted him at the club following this performance.

Gunners fans may have gone from not wanting him in their team to not wanting him to have a long term injury.

Arsenal fans, what were your thoughts on David Luiz’s performance? Comment below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Jose Mourinho has the perfect opportunity to turn Spurs’ form around this weekend and kick off his spell at the club with a bang.

Tottenham Hotspur face West Ham United in a London derby that is likely to be packed with incident.

Indeed, this is a game that Spurs really need to win. They haven’t picked up three points in the league since September and haven’t won away from home since January. West Ham, though, are in a similar boat. They, like Spurs, have won just three times in the top-flight but they have lost five times and also recorded four draws.

The fact is that they have been simply woeful for as long as Spurs have.

Since beating Manchester United 2-0 in September, they have lost 4-0 to Oxford United in the Carabao Cup, drawn 2-2 with Bournemouth and 1-1 with Sheffield United and been beaten by Crystal Palace, Everton, Newcastle United and Burnley. In those seven games, they have conceded 17 goals and scored just six.

On the same weekend that the Irons beat United, Spurs lost 2-1 to Leicester City.

Since then, they too have been knocked out of the Carabao Cup – by Colchester United – and have beaten Southampton and Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League twice. They were also thumped 7-2 by Bayern Munich in Europe and also lost to Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool. Draws with Watford, Everton and Sheffield United have seen them pick up three more points. In their 10 games since the loss to Leicester, Spurs have scored 17 goals and conceded 16.

The stats, then, show that the Hammers are coming into the fixture in worse shape than Mourinho’s men and that is pretty astonishing given the form of the north Londoners, so if the Portuguese can’t get his reign off to a winning start here, one has to wonder when they will be able to.

But by the same token, this really is a fantastic opportunity for Mourinho, and not simply because he’s playing a club enduring form worse than Tottenham’s.

First and foremost, there is no doubt that his appointment has divided opinion amongst supporters. Before it was made official, a number voiced their concerns on social media.

It is likely they have since become more accepting of the situation but regardless – and in light of how his spells with Chelsea and United ended – the Portuguese has some winning over to do.

While West Ham may not be the calibre of club Spurs see as direct counter-parts, this is unquestionably a bitter rivalry between two sets of supporters who do not like each other one bit. A win, under any circumstances, will always win some favour amongst fans.

At the same time, Mourinho can provide evidence that he is in fact the right candidate for the job by instantly correcting one of Pochettino’s failings – Spurs’ abysmal away form. Their last Premier League victory on the road came against a now-relegated Fulham in January, but West Ham, for reasons expressed above, are the ideal opposition to flip that trend on its head.

Combined with the huge potential to win over disgruntled fans, this match is a golden opportunity for Spurs’ new gaffer.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has a perfect opportunity to rotate his starting XI this weekend when they face Bournemouth in the Premier League.

The Portuguese has thus far taken charge of two matches in his role as Spurs boss, overseeing wins over West Ham United in the league and Olympiacos in the Champions League.

[ad_pod ]

He made just one change to his starting line-up for the clash with the Greek side, bringing in Danny Rose to replace the injured Ben Davies.

However, this time around there is the scope for more changes, particularly as a midweek clash with his old club, Manchester United, looms large.

Here’s how Football FanCast thinks Mourinho should line up…

Paulo Gazzaniga is the go-to pick in goal while Hugo Lloris is injured and that shouldn’t change this weekend.

Serge Aurier was in excellent form against Olympiacos and should keep his place but it makes sense to introduce Jan Vertonghen into the backline, allowing Davinson Sanchez a rest.

Rose and Toby Alderweireld could keep their places but this feels like an opportune time to introduce Ryan Sessegnon. He has yet to play under Mourinho and should be selected instead of Rose.

In midfield, Harry Winks and Eric Dier have started both games thus far but the latter was substituted after less than half an hour in Europe.

There does not appear to be much of a need for two anchoring defensive midfielders against Bournemouth and, while Dier will be the fresher of the two, Winks’ ball circulation and accuracy means he should keep his place. Tanguy Ndombele ought to replace Dier.

Further forward, Dele Alli has been exceptional in Mourinho’s first two games and should be allowed to keep that momentum going, as should Harry Kane, who has scored three times in two games.

On the left, Son Heung-min was poor against Olympiacos and there is the option of introducing Christian Eriksen on the left flank. He changed the game after replacing Dier in midweek and deserves a start.

Keeping Lucas on would make sense, given his fine form thus far, but Giovani Lo Celso needs a chance to show what he can do.

While a natural central midfielder, he could be afforded a role that allows him to drift inside and this could be the perfect game to trial that.

It would also allow Mourinho to play slightly narrower, which may help his side unlock the likely low block that Eddie Howe’s men are set to utilise.

In all, that would mean five changes in total ahead of what is sure to be a testing trip to Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Spurs should sign this Bundesliga star.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

West Brom will have to wait until Monday to see if they still hold sole possession of the Championship lead, but given that the five teams below them all play before the Baggies, they could go into the Stoke City game needing a result.

Slaven Bilic will undoubtedly be looking for improvements after his side failed to pick up a victory last week – they needed a comeback to salvage a point against basement boys Barnsley before Charlton Athletic snatched a draw of their own late at the death.

The Croatian can aid his team’s chances by making a simple switch, one that, in reality, has been a long time coming.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

On the Chalkboard

Charlie Austin’s woes in front of goal continued, which won’t have helped their cause in either stalemate one bit. It’s now just the one goal in ten league appearances, which for a £4m summer signing is abysmal.

Meanwhile, Hal Robson-Kanu has doubled the former Southampton striker’s tally in just three matches – 70 minutes to be precise.

It’s time to hand the Welshman a start over his fellow 30-year-old, not just because he’s showing better form, but he’s also a better fit for the way Bilic wants his team to play.

The majority of Austin’s goals have been from inside the area throughout his career, per Understat’s xG model, yet much of the football under the 51-year-old is with the ball on the ground.

Albion rank third in the league for possession percentage per game at 54.5%, so the summer signing is having to drop deeper to claim the ball as seen in his WhoScored heatmap below from the Charlton game. He’s all over the place.

He doesn’t even look like scoring either. Robson-Kanu is currently building up some excellent form, so it is time to allow an opportunity to start.

The 30-year-old also records less unsuccessful touches (1.3) than Austin (1.9), which will only benefit Bilic’s system as they will retain possession of the ball rather than lose it.

We mastered the trick in the video below in 8 attempts… could you do better?

And as the Express & Star explain in their post-match ratings from the QPR victory, Robson-Kanu’s movement is all that more impressive.

Austin is quickly becoming a flop at the Hawthorns, and this style of football just isn’t helping him at all.

There will be no changes to the Leeds United team for Tuesday’s Championship trip to Preston North End.

Indeed, speaking at his pre-match press conference on Monday, Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa revealed that it would be a case of same again from the 1-0 win over Birmingham City at the weekend.

As a result, Pablo Hernandez will again miss out through injury, while Patrick Bamford will lead the line despite being replaced by Eddie Nketiah at the interval on Saturday.

Helder Costa and Jack Harrison will continue in the wide positions, with Tyler Roberts and Barry Douglas expected to be named on the bench once again.

As expected, a number of Leeds fans have been on social media offering their views on the update.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And many are not overly impressed that the same XI will be sent onto the field once again.

A selection of the Twitter reaction is available to view below:

Loads of Charlton fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was confirmed by the club’s official account that Albie Morgan has joined Ebbsfleet United on an initial 28-day loan deal.

The 19-year-old is unable to join a side in the Football League due to the fact that the transfer window is closed, although he is able to move to teams competing at National League level and below, as Lee Bowyer told Charlton’s official site.

“In an ideal world, he would be going out to a League club but, due to the transfer window, he can only go to teams at National League level and below. As soon as we heard Ebbsfleet were interested, it was a no-brainer for all parties.”

Morgan played a key role in the Addicks’ promotion campaign last term, starting both playoff semi-final ties against Doncaster Rovers, although he missed out on a place in the squad for the final against Sunderland.

A few Charlton fans below seem to think that the teenager – who has made one appearance in the Championship this season – is too good for Ebbsfleet, with one describing the deal as a “real coup” for the National League side.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction from a load of Charlton supporters…

[ad_pod ]Some Wolves fans have taken to Twitter to heap praise on Matt Doherty, after the Irishman found the back of the net in what was a wonderful individual performance from the wing-back against Watford.Doherty’s opener put Wolves on the way to their first Premier League win of the season, after he tapped in from close range following a fine team move.It was the 27-year-old’s one and only shot on target, while he also recorded one key pass.The defensive side of his game did not suffer as a result of his attacking play, as Doherty managed to complete two tackles and also made four interceptions.

The Wolves No.2 has been left on the sidelines at times as Nuno Espirito Santo tested Adama Traore out in a right wing-back role, a position in which the Spaniard has done well in as we have already detailed.

However, one fan below said that Traore doesn’t have Doherty’s knack of getting into goalscoring positions, with another supporter echoing that sentiment in saying that the 6 foot man’s football brain is better.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction…

أفادت تقارير صحفية إيطالية، أن آرون رامسي الدولي الويلزي لاعب وسط يوفنتوس، مطلوب في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

رامسي لاعب آرسنال السابق، انتقل إلى يوفنتوس في صيف 2019 بعد نهاية عقده مع الجانرز، ولكن منذ انضمامه للبيانكونيري لم يضف أي بصمة.

طالع أيضًا.. هل ليفربول يهتم بالتعاقد مع رامسي ؟

صحيفة “كالشيو ميركاتو” الإيطالية، أفادت أن رامسي يثير اهتمام عدد من الأندية الإنجليزية، أبرزها كريستال بالاس ووست هام.

وشددت الصحيفة على أن يوفنتوس لن يمانع رحيل اللاعب ولكن بشروطه، خاصة وأنه خارج خطط الفريق للموسم المقبل.

رامسي صاحب الـ30 عامًا هذا الموسم شارك مع يوفنتوس في 26 مباراة، وسجل 2  وصنع 5 أهداف.

Everton product Fraser Hornby is hoping to replicate Christian Benteke’s route to the top in Belgium, after revealing what inspired his decision to join KV Kortrijk on loan for the season, as quoted by The Times.

Hornby was yet to add to his only senior Everton appearance before joining the Belgian Jupiler Pro League side on a one-season deal (TransferMarkt), with his senior Toffees debut coming against Apollon Limassol in the Europa League in 2017.

Hornby has addressed his decision to seek first-team football while on international duty with Scotland’s Under 21s, for whom he hopes to represent on Tuesday night when they face Croatia, having been forced to watch on through injury as Scot Gemmill’s side beat San Marino last Thursday.

The last time the 19-year-old wore his country’s colours in a competitive scenario saw Hornby net five goals in as many days, as he struck a hat-trick against Andorra and a brace away to the Netherlands.

Hornby has now taken it upon himself to test himself in a new country, as the Northampton-born striker was inspired by Jadon Sancho’s success after leaving Manchester City’s youth ranks for Borussia Dortmund.

“You see a lot of young British players going abroad now,” Hornby said. “There’s an opportunity to make it in one of these big leagues abroad that you maybe wouldn’t get in the Premier League in England. I moved away from home at 14 to go to Everton. Some people would be put off by moving away to a different country. For me that wasn’t a problem; I was always open to it.

“You look at Jadon Sancho, he’s probably done the best of the lads who have gone abroad. But I think it’s about getting that opportunity. He didn’t feel he’d get that at Manchester City and he felt he was ready to make that step.”

Hornby went on to add that Benteke’s rise from Belgium to the Premier League helped to convince the youngster that his decision to join Kortrijk on loan was the right one.

“I did my research on them,” he said. “I looked at certain players who’d been there before, like Christian Benteke. When I went there nothing was a shock. The intensity of training was very high which is what I’m used to at Everton. It’s refreshing for me to go into that environment.”

Crystal Palace striker Benteke began his career in Standard Liege and KRC Genk’s academies, but it was a loan spell with Kortrijk which spring boarded his professional career, netting 16 goals in 37 games across all competitions (TransferMarkt).

He would go on to represent Standard Liege in Champions League qualifying games and Genk in the Europa League before joining Aston Villa in 2012, where he hit 27 goals in 47 games in his debut campaign in England.

Hornby would surely not be expected to replicate the same instant success in the Premier League with Everton come his return from Kortrijk next summer, but if the teenager can use his time in Belgium to also spring board his career, he and Everton will certainly benefit from it.

Another loan spell away from Merseyside for 2020/21 could also be on the cards, too, given his age, but Hornby’s move now could be the one that takes him higher up the football pyramid, ready to make a mark at Goodison Park in the coming years.

Everton fans, does Hornby’s reasoning offer you any confidence that he can make it to the top? Let us know in the comments below…