Category Uncategorized

Speaking on the Phil Hay Show, The Athletic journalist has given a positive update on the future of Ben White, suggesting that he looks likely to stay beyond January.

What’s he said?

White has been imperious for Leeds this season, earning various compliments from fans and quickly becoming one of the very best defenders in the Championship.

He won the supporters’ Player of the Month award all the way back in August and he hasn’t looked back since.

The 22-year-old has been part of a backline that’s conceded just 13 goals in 22 matches. In the process, White has won a mightily impressive 3.4 aerial duels per outing as well as achieving 2.5 interceptions.

Whether or not he is recalled by Brighton in January remains to be seen, but Hay has remained upbeat about Leeds’ chances of keeping his services until the end of the current campaign.

“The noise from Leeds is that they think he will be here until the end of the season. The noises from the Brighton end, similarly, seem to indicate that he will as well. You’d think that if somebody was about to go big and was looking to get it done next month that Brighton would have wind of that by now. I think they’ll be okay with that one.”

Promotion hopes boosted        

There’s no doubting that Leeds would be in bother if Brighton recalled White in January. After all, they’d be left with just two senior options at centre half – Liam Cooper and Gaetano Berardi.

With that in mind and the performances he’s produced in west Yorkshire to date, he’d be a huge loss to their chances of going up and finally reaching the promised land of the Premier League.

Hay went onto state in his podcast that Leeds could be in the discussion for his permanent signature if they go up but with plenty of teams swooping around the defender, it would be a hotly contested race.

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Leeds Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

A number of top clubs have been credited with an interest in the youngster and that’s why there have been fears over his future next month in the first place.

Manchester United and Liverpool are two of the clubs in the race while Chelsea are another side to have thought about a potential move.

However, based on Hay’s quotes, it looks as though that won’t happen until next summer at the very earliest. This can only be positive for Marcelo Bielsa and his side.

In other news, one Leeds man has recently shown why promotion is anything but assured…

Josh Maja scored for Bordeaux against Reims at the weekend and that has sparked much discussion amongst the Sunderland fanbase, with a focus on what they missed out on with his sale.

The striker scored a lovely backheeled finish in France, displaying the quality which could have been pivotal to the Black Cats’ chances of success, but instead things have steadily declined since his departure.

Joining one of the top teams in France was a bold career move but the 20-year-old clearly has confidence in his own ability, and he is beginning to evidence his talent with two goals from two starts in Ligue 1 so far this campaign.

Some Sunderland supporters have used the occasion to praise his qualities, while adding that he is a player the team badly need right now, having scored just 13 goals in 11 games under Parkinson.

Sunderland looked on course for promotion with Maja in the side last term. He had scored 15 league goals by the time of his departure, losing just one of the 24 league games he featured in.

Fans rightly believe that his loss contributed to promotion failure, therefore, and the unhappiness they feel with the board is understandable, despite their outlay of an eye-watering £4m on Will Grigg.

Complaints should be directed at the recruitment, or perhaps Maja instead, as it wasn’t as if the board let him go due to a lack of ambition or a desire to make money.

That is the focus of some, with another suggesting such a decision should never have been made to seel the striker regardless of whether the deal made financial sense – as Maja had only six months remaining on his contract at the time of his move.

Don’t miss out on MASSIVE savings with Fan Deal Drops – shop now for the latest deals (USING LINK HERE) on TVs, laptops, football shirts & much more.

Leeds United fans on Twitter have been lavishing praise upon Jack Harrison after he received two accolades after being named in the EFL Team of the Week as well as Quest’s Championship Player of the Weekend award.

The winger certainly deserves this nod as he scored and assisted in the Whites’ 2-0 win against QPR on Saturday.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Man City loanee has been excellent in recent weeks as he’s assisted four goals in his last five games for the Yorkshire club.

His good form has clearly pleased the fanbase as the reaction to him earning a couple of accolades has been largely positive, and of course, some fans have got carried away with their reactions.

One fan even went as far as to compare the 22-year-old to Lionel Messi, and while that comparison may be hyperbolic it shows just how highly-regarded he is amongst the fanbase right now.

Here’s what United fans have been saying on Twitter…

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…

The last 18 months at Villa Park have been nothing short of a whirlwind with the club now looking firmly like they will be a part of the Premier League for the foreseeable future.

But that sort of statement would have been merely a dream – a long-shot – in the minds of some Aston Villa supporters as the club was staring down the brink of financial obscurity just over a year ago.

Villa were in an absolute mess – at first, there was a missed tax bill followed by takeover rumours, a worrying threat of administration, and then the loss of key players.

Aston Villa’s summer signings’ performances so far this season are rated in the video below…

It was so severe that the club were £30m short on their payments for players such as Ross McCormack and Scott Hogan, and that those high up in the chain of command refused to splash out on playoff final suits.

Funny how quickly things change.

The west Midlands club are now sitting pretty in 12th after nine Premier League matches having won promotion via the playoffs last season – the bulk of the current squad cost in excess of £140m after manager Dean Smith splashed the cash in the summer.

Appointing the 48-year-old back in October 2018 was clearly one of the most important decisions the club has made in recent times, but none are as history-defining as the takeover, which ultimately saved the club and has springboard them into stardom.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

At the time, star performer Jack Grealish was on the verge of joining Tottenham Hotspur as the club quite clearly needed to recuperate funds to aid their precarious financial situation.

But as the club were taken over by wealthy business duo Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, that deal fell through, as the Villa skipper describes below in an interview with the Telegraph:

Keeping hold of Grealish has potentially, actually no, has 100% been paramount to where they are today. The 24-year-old encapsulates everything about the club being the only academy graduate amongst the first-team; their leader.

His euphoric 2019 has only increased tenfold as he becomes a regular in the top-flight, shown by his performances so far this campaign, which includes matches against European finalists Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.

Per WhoScored, the midfielder ranks third in the league for total key passes this term with 25 – only bettered by Kevin de Bruyne and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

That’s quite some company.

He’s also been able to thrive since moving further forward in an advanced free role, going on to score two goals and providing three assists.

Had that takeover in July 2018 not occurred, then Grealish would have been playing in the all-white Spurs strip for over a year now, Christian Purslow may have never been appointed as CEO, and as a result, the club would never have clinched boyhood fan Dean Smith, who ‘just gets the club,’ as their manager.

Everything from that one moment has led to where Villa are today, and Grealish has been the spearhead of it all.

Next on the list, an England call-up.

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…

Robert Snodgrass has very much had mixed fortunes at West Ham since signing in 2017, but his exit from the club may not be far away if he doesn’t improve his performances soon.

The winger joined at the same time Dimitri Payet departed, and though any player would have found those difficult boots to fill, it is fair to say he hasn’t been the player West Ham hoped for.

He was signed off the back of scoring nine and assisting four goals for Hull in the first half of 2017/18 but after only six months in East London found himself out on loan to Aston Villa.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 6-foot man’s fortunes changed as his performances improved, and in the 44 appearances he has made since returning he has won over some fans due to his hard work and commitment.

However, that has only taken him so far and his lack of quality means he has fallen down the pecking order behind Andriy Yarmolenko and Michail Antonio.

Worse still, there is little sign that he can get back to his best, either, and his dismal display for Scotland against Russia highlighted the lack of form he is currently experiencing.

According to SofaScore he achieved a pass success rate of just 58%, completing only 14 throughout the 90 minutes. Going forward he posed little danger, too, failing to complete a cross or shot on target.

That is a worry for his West Ham aspirations.

Yarmolenko has been in fine form this season with three goals in seven league games and with Antonio to return from injury, it is difficult to envisage the Scotland international working his way back into the side.

He is now 32 with a little more than 18 months left on his contract, but if he continues to feature sporadically – with just one league start this term – then his Scotland, and his Premier League, career could soon come to an end.

The Hammers have big ambitions this season and that will likely lead to more big-money signings like we saw over the summer, meaning Snodgrass may have to make way.

أعلن باتريس كارتيرون المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، اللاعبين الاحتياطيين لمباراة اليوم أمام تونجيث السنغالي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وتقام المباراة مساء اليوم السبت، ويجتاج الزمالك إلى الفوز مع انتصار الترجي على مولودية الجزائر، لضمان التأهل إلى دور الـ8 من البطولة القارية.

أقرأ ايضًا.. تشكيل الزمالك أمام تونجيث السنغالي.. مروان حمدي يقود الهجوم بدلاء الزمالك أمام تونجيث السنغالي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

محمد أبو جبل ومحمد عبد الغني ومحمد عبد الشافي وحمزة المثلوثي وإسلام جابر وأحمد سيد “زيزو” وحميد أحداد. 

[ad_pod ]

All aboard the ‘let’s-get-carried-away’ train. We’re six games into the new Premier League season, and already pundits and players alike are beginning to spout the usual ‘do-or-die’ drivel.

Just before the clash against Brighton, Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles came out and declared the game was a “six-pointer”. Naturally, the comment didn’t go down too well with Magpies fans.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Now, Garth Crooks has joined in on the act by delivering an incredibly hyperbolic assessment of a key incident during the game.

Brighton forward Aaron Connolly thought he had sealed all three points for the Seagulls with a late effort, but saw his chip cleared off the line in dramatic fashion by Fabian Schar. Prompt ‘Mystic Garth’.

“The chip by Aaron Connolly was a certain goal and it needed something very special from a defender to clear the danger. That moment of magic came from Fabian Schar whose clearance off the line was nothing short of amazing. The clearance off the line by Schar could, come the end of the season, be Newcastle and Steve Bruce’s lifeline.”

Lifeline? Really? To put things into context at just how early things are at the moment, Newcastle find themselves three points off bottom, but also three points away from seventh.

Even if the Magpies had lost against Brighton, there are still 96 points left to be won in the season. Granted, Bruce’s side probably won’t be getting even half of that, but the age-old cliche of there still being a lot of football to play stands.

Perhaps Crooks simply wanted to highlight the torrent of ill-feeling that would have come Bruce’s way had the Tyneside club slipped to a home defeat. But even still, after getting rid of Rafa Benitez and installing his own man in charge, there is no way Mike Ashley would be looking to throw the towel in just yet. The Newcastle owner would gladly watch the Magpies’ suffering last even longer.

[ad_pod ]

The Ivory Coast have confirmed that Nicolas Pepe arrived at their training camp with an injury picked and has therefore pulled out of the side.

What’s the story?

Les Elephants will play two friendlies in the next week against Benin and Tunisia, and Gunners winger Pepe had been included in the 26-man squad.

However, he has returned to his club with an unknown issue, and will now spend the international break recovering in an attempt to be ready for the next Premier League match against Watford.

“They have the bigger mentality” – Spurs fans come to blows after the North London Derby in the video below…

Should have kept Mkhitaryan

The 24-year-old has made a good start to life at the Emirates Stadium, as his 7.26 WhoScored rating from the first four league matches indicates. That on its own means that Unai Emery would miss his record-signing should he be unavailable.

Apart than that, though, there is an issue with the other options the former Sevilla boss has at his disposal, or rather the lack of. Right now, Pepe is the only experienced right-winger in the squad. Reiss Nelson is classed as a right-winger, but has been selected on the opposite flank in both of his starts this term even when Nicolas Pepe was not in the stating line-up, so clearly his manager sees him as a better option on that side.

Until recently, they did have a player on their books who could at the very least provide good cover, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan is now out on loan at AS Roma in Serie A. The 30-year-old has made 101 appearances in his career at right-wing, and as such, would have slotted in nicely in the potential absence of the first choice.

Instead, Emery will have to reshuffle his pack and may even feel the need to change formation entirely. Whilst the Armenia international was never likely to be a starting XI regular this season, Arsenal were naive to let him depart without bringing in a specialist back-up option. It could be a difficult period ahead if Pepe’s problem is serious.

[ad_pod ]

كشف عمرو جمال مهاجم طلائع الجيش، النقاب عن الحديث الذي جمعه بالمدرب الجنوب إفريقي بيتسو موسيماني، بعد مباراة الأهلي والطلائع في الدوري.

وقال عمرو جمال في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر فضائية “صدى البلد” ببرنامج “الماتش”: “موسيماني تحدث معي بعد مباراة الأهلي وطلائع الجيش، وأبلغني أنه يتابعني وأنني أقدم أداءًا جيدًا”.

طالع.. فيديو | عمرو جمال يقود طلائع الجيش للتعادل مع إنبي في الدوري المصري

وأضاف: “واصل موسيماني حديثه معي وأخبرني أنه يتمنى أن أستمر على نفس الأداء الجيد لكي أعود إلى النادي من جديد، وهذا ما أركز عليه في الفترة المقبلة”.

وتابع: “كانت هناك حالة من عدم التوفيق لفريق الأهلي بشكل عام وليس للمهاجمين فقط أمام فيتا كلوب، ومن الطبيعي أن يهبط مستوى اللاعبين بعد كأس العالم للأندية، بسبب المجهود الكبير”.

واردف: “الأهلي لا يحتاج إلى مهاجم، هو يمتلك مهاجمين على مستوى عالي، سواء والتر بواليا أو محمد شريف أو جونيور أجاي أو مروان محسن”.

يُذكر أن الأهلي قد تعادل إيجابيًا مع فيتا كلوب الكونغولي في ثالث جولات دور المجموعات ببطولة دوري أبطال افريقيا.

[ad_pod ]

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…

Former Aston Villa striker Darren Bent has questioned the decision to omit Conor Hourihane from the starting line-up following his recent exploits in the Carabao Cup.

What’s he said?

The Birmingham-based club faced Crewe Alexandra last week, and manager Dean Smith rung the changes to give game time to players on the peripheral of his starting XI.

They won the match 6-1 with Hourihane managing to bag a brace from midfield while the likes of Marvelous Nakamba, Keinan Davis and Ezri Konsa all featured.

At the weekend, they returned to Premier League action and were defeated 1-0 by Crystal Palace, their third loss in four Premier League matches.

Hourihane, who started the opening game against Tottenham Hotspur, appeared to do no wrong in that game and proved he’s still raring to go in midweek, but that wasn’t enough to garner a starting spot at the weekend.

Speaking to Football Insider, Bent said:

“Hourihane must be thinking: ‘What is going on here?’

“Yes, he got off the bench but he scored two goals in the week. He must be thinking what does he need to do to be starting, but they’re going to need all hands on deck.”

What else can he do?

The Republic of Ireland international has been at the club since 2017 – making 114 appearances in the claret and blue, but his game time since gaining promotion to the top-flight has been very much sparse, thus making his future unclear.

He was trusted with the reigns in defensive midfield against the Champions League finalists where he recorded an 88% passing success rate and a match rating of 7.06, per WhoScored. His only start of the season so far in the league.

Then to go and do the job asked of him last week in the Carabao Cup by scoring two goals as well as winning the match, he must feel hard done by to have not been selected for the Palace fixture.

They lost another match, and in midfield, it was only really John McGinn, who could come away with any plaudits, scoring a 7.7 as WhoScored’s star man.

Summer arrival Douglas Luiz has only shown his quality in small glimpses whilst Jack Grealish was particularly poor, scoring a rating of just 6.3.

There’s really not much more the 28-year-old can do other than take his chance, if and when he gets it.

[ad_pod ]