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Leeds have started the season in unbeaten fashion, beating Bristol City before drawing with Nottingham Forest last weekend.

However, that hasn’t stopped a major statement being made about manager Marcelo Bielsa on the radio.

A phone-in involved a so-called supporter claiming he should be replaced by none other than Jose Mourinho, as comments made on Radio 5 Live appeared to cause controversy.

The exchange between a fan, Robbie Savage and Emma Jones saw a heated debate take place on Twitter as a host of fans took to the social media platform to discuss the claim.

One fan said he wouldn’t even want Mourinho in Yorkshire, let alone at Elland Road whilst another said they could think of nothing worse than having the Portuguese at Leeds.

A further individual went as far as saying they’d rather stay down with Bielsa than get promoted and have the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss at the helm.

Mourinho hasn’t been involved in football management since being sacked by United but any chance of arriving at Leeds seems incredibly slim.

To date, Bielsa currently has a win percentage of 50.9% whilst in charge of the Whites.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

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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…

Georges-Kevin Nkoudou was, amazingly, included in Tottenham Hotspur’s squad for the Audi Cup tournament.

The Frenchman, a flying winger, has struggled to adjust to life at Spurs and it is of little surprise that he has yet to find himself a move away from the club.

Signed from Marseille in 2016, Nkoudou has roundly failed to make a tangible impact in north London.

But what happens if he doesn’t leave this summer?

He has made a total of 26 appearances for Spurs and has scored one goal – in a Champions League tie against APOEL Nicosia. He has also registered two assists, with one of those coming last season, as he crossed for Harry Winks to score an injury-time winner in a 2-1 win over Fulham.

Across his Spurs career, he has made four starts. None of them came in the Premier League.

Indeed, the most he has ever played in the top-flight came in a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in 2016; Nkoudou played a total of 17 minutes.

It is not just Spurs who have struggled to see his talent, either. A loan spell at AS Monaco last season drew three appearances in Ligue 1, though injuries played a major role in his lack of outings in France.

At Burnley in 2017/18, Nkoudou played eight times. He didn’t score, nor did he provide an assist.

Indeed, that sample size is the biggest one can find since his move to Spurs and the statistics do not make pretty reading.

Per WhoScored, in the Premier League, Nkoudou averaged 0.5 shots per game during his time at Turf Moor and was dispossessed 1.6 times per game.

He also averaged a mere 0.1 key passes per game and a pass success rate of 79.5%. He crossed the ball 0.1 times per game.

Just two of those eight appearances were starts, but the statistics don’t get much better when you look at per 90-minute metrics either. 0.4 key passes, 1.6 shots, 5.2 times dispossessed.

2.4 successful dribbles would be more encouraging, were it not for the 3.6 unsuccessful ones accompanying them.

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For a winger, those are genuinely execrable stats and one has to wonder why on Earth Spurs actually decided to bring him in.

Nkoudou is quick, yes, but he does nothing with that pace and has never been a deciding factor in the final third, apart from that one cross against Fulham.

His contract does not expire until 2021 and it would be a surprise if another club decided to make a move for him, particularly one with a semi-competent scouting department.

Spurs, then, may well be stuck with him. They are unlikely to be happy about it.

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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…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Rangers midfielder Gavin Rae has given his verdict on the speculation surrounding the futures of James Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos.

What’s he said?

Both club captain Tavernier and top scorer Morelos have been linked with moves away from Ibrox this summer.

Football Insider claim as many as ten clubs are interested in the goal-scoring defender’s services. Similarly, the Colombian has been a man in-demand this summer, with Hebei China Fortune the latest club to register an interest in the 30-goal striker, according to Sky Sports.

The ex-Ger was emphatic in his statements on the important duo: “I think you have to keep him [Morelos] unless you have someone else to replicate his goals – yes he had his discipline problems last season but he scores goals for fun and it is difficult to buy someone to do that in the market.

“I would definitely keep him [Tavernier], he is an integral part of the team, scoring and assisting so many goals last season – also being captain he is someone Gerrard trusts so he would be tough to replace.”

The integral duo

Rae is right on both the full-back and the striker – the two must be held onto this summer, and are perhaps the most pivotal players in the entire squad.

In a dressing room featuring Allan McGregor, 107-cap Steve Davis and Scott Arfield, it’s no token gesture to be the captain of the club and Tavernier certainly thrives in his role as a leader.

Moreover, the defender was an integral part of the Rangers side last year, producing a phenomenal return from right-back. The ex-Newcastle youngster scored 17 times and assisted a further 20 in his 57 appearances for Gerrard last term. That’s a return that the majority of attacking players in Scotland would struggle to replicate, let alone a full-back.

One player in Scotland who did match that return was Morelos, scoring 30 times and setting up 11 in his 48 outings in a Light Blue jersey.

The sheer amount of goals didn’t happen by accident though, as Gerrard’s 4-3-3 formation means the lone striker has an enormous responsibility, and the 23-year-old duly repaid his manager’s faith and scored a bucket-load. Therefore, being forced to scramble about for an adequate replacement would be nigh on impossible.

That’s a whopping 78 goal contributions for Gerrard and director of football Mark Allen to replace if they were to cash-in on their star duo. While the money would likely be good, Rae’s verdict is spot on – what those two bring to the club would take a lot more than cash to replace.

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Ah, football; it’s like riding a bike.

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On Wednesday night, Hadi Sacko posted a message on social media confirming that he would be leaving Leeds United in this summer’s transfer window.

The 25-year-old joined Leeds on a permanent deal from Sporting Lisbon in 2017 and he has actually made 60 appearances for the Whites in all competitions.

The winger has not turned out for the club since March 2018, though, and has seemingly now joined Denizlispor on a permanent deal.

However, judging by the reaction on social media, Sacko remains a popular player with the Leeds fans despite falling seriously out of favour when it comes to team selection.

Indeed, the majority of the messages to Sacko’s post were extremely positive, with many taking the opportunity to wish him luck in his next move.

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The attacker showed some good form on loan at Ankaragucu last term and will now be looking to take another forward step.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]Crystal Palace travel up to Old Trafford this weekend to take on Manchester United, where the south Londoners will be keen to put their dismal loss to Sheffield United behind them – however, it will unquestionably be a tough game.The Red Devils smashed Chelsea on the opening day and probably should’ve got the three points against Wolves too, but for a screamer from Ruben Neves and a missed penalty from Paul Pogba resulting in a 1-1 draw.Roy Hodgson’s side looked devoid of ideas against the Blades, leading to Christian Benteke calling for more ‘animation’ from his teammates whilst captain Luka Milivojevic said that his teammates can expect an even worse weekend if they do not sort themselves out against United.

As a result of the uninspiring performance, we expect a few changes to the Palace lineup…

Hodgson set his side up with some slightly adventurous options against a Sheffield United side who he would’ve expected a result against given their status as a newly-promoted team.

Patrick van Aanholt, a full-back who loves to attack given his 17 goals across the last five league campaigns, strangely admitted that the Blades ‘wanted it more’ on Twitter, and we expect him to be dropped for a more reliable option in Jeffrey Schlupp – the Dutchman could well be ran ragged by Dan James on the wing.

Hodgson is a fairly negative manager even at the best of times, so we’re expecting him to set his side up to defend deep and keep United at bay for as long as possible.

This will include handing the vastly experienced Gary Cahill his debut. The 33-year-old has reportedly impressed coaches with his fitness and appears ready to start, so we think he will come in alongside Martin Kelly.

Given the expected conservative approach, we also think that Hodgson will drop Max Meyer – who he substituted against Sheffield United – for the more workmanlike James McCarthy, who would be making his full debut if he came into the side.

The former Wigan man came on for his debut against the Blades, and his industry in midfield alongside James McArthur would help Hodgson’s expected game plan come to fruition.

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استفز جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، عثمان ديمبلي، منافسهم باريس سان جيرمان قبل ساعات من مباراتهما في ذهاب دور الـ 16 من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويستضيف برشلونة يوم غدًا، الثلاثاء، على ملعب “كامب نو” باريس سان جيرمان في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” بقيادة الحكم الهولندي الدولي، بيورن كيوبرس.

اقرأ أيضًَا.. بيانيتش قبل مباراة باريس سان جيرمان: نريد الاستفادة من ميسي

وتحدث ديمبلي في تصريحات لموقع الاتحاد الأوروبي الرسمية عن الريمونتادا التي نجح فيها برشلونة عام 2017 في الفوز 6-1، وقال: “مباراة سُجلت في التاريخ، خاصة بالنسبة لنادينا”.

وتابع: “من الصعب على كل الفرق في أوروبا وخاصة في دوري الأبطال أن تعود بعد الهزيمة 4-0، لكن برشلونة فعل ذلك مع لاعبين رائعين مثل ميسي، نيمار وإنييستا”.

وأضاف: “كما قلت، اعتقد أن هذه المباراة قد سُجلت في التاريخ، نعم سيكون هناك نية في الانتقام بالمباراة المقبلة، ووسائل الإعلام تحاول أن تزيد من إثارة هذه المواجهة”.

وأتم تصريحاته: “لكننا داخل غرفة اللاعبين في برشلونة، لا نتحدث عن ذلك لكننا بالطبع نعتبرها مباراة معقدة للغاية”.

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According to The Sun, Crystal Palace are eyeing a move for Newcastle United defender Ciaran Clark before the transfer window slams shut.

The report claims that Palace are considering a loan offer, although Clark could be available for £5m if the Eagles pushed for permanent deal.

The 29-year-old has made 72 appearances for Newcastle since moving to St James’ Park from Aston Villa in 2016.

The Republic of Ireland international made just 11 Premier League appearances during the 2018-19 campaign, though, and only appeared once in the league in 2019.

That said, a number of Newcastle fans have taken to social media to call for their club to keep hold of Clark heading into the 2019-20 campaign.

Joelinton is the club’s only summer arrival thus far, whilst the likes of Ayoze Perez, Joselu and Mohamed Diame have moved on.

As a result, the Newcastle supporters are reluctant for another first-team player to leave at this stage of the window, as shown by the tweets below:

The reputable journalist has revealed Dybala has not yet made a decision about his future although it is claimed he wants a ‘super contract’ on a ‘top wage’, with the Premier League outfit having to improve their offer.

Manchester United are also thought to have asked about the availability of Mandzukic as well. Juventus are thought to be open to letting the former Croatia international leave but they will only sell him as part of the swap deal between Romelu Lukaku and their Argentine star.

Dybala’s name has been linked with Manchester United amid a swap deal for Lukaku for some while as the Premier League outfit proposed the idea to Juventus, according to claims by Tuttosport (via Sport Witness). However, Mandzukic being included in the deal could be something Ole Gunnar Solskjaer thinks about strongly.

In regards to the Argentine, the 25-year-old has been clinical in front of goal throughout his career, especially when deployed as a secondary striker. In 182 games for Juventus, Dybala has scored 78 goals and provided 30 assists (via Transfermarkt), with 43 goals in his 93 appearances coming in that particular role.

His versatility is something that can appeal to Solskjaer as well (who is thought to be a huge admirer of the South American), as he would provide him with a number of different attacking options in the final third of the pitch. As noted by WhoScored, he can be utilised as an attacking midfielder and be rather effective. In his six games there, he provided Juventus with two goals and one assist, whilst managed to produce an average of 1.7 key passes per game and 1.7 dribbles.

Add in the experience of Mandzukic and what he can bring to Old Trafford, Manchester United’s goalscoring woes of last season might become a distant memory. They managed just 65 in the Premier League and finished fifth in the rankings just ahead of Chelsea in terms of goals scored but the Croatian could help improve that number.

Although he is entering the final stages of his career at 33-years-old, the forward has been prolific in front of goal for every club he has been a part of. Over his illustrious career, Mandzukic has managed to find the back of the net on 188 occasions in his 476 career appearances to date (Transfermarkt).

Marcus Rashford might be Solskjaer’s first-choice striker, but adding a player of the veteran’s calibre could help to take him to the next level of his game as he could learn from a player who has won almost everything available throughout his glowing career wherever he has gone.

As detailed by Transfermarkt, Mandzukic can also play in a number of different positions like Dybala, which could also work in tandem with the 21-year-old currently playing at Old Trafford. As noted by WhoScored, the Croatian bagged nine goals and six assists in his 25 Serie A outings last season, including an average of 1.2 shots and 1.2 key passes per 90 mins, although his dribbling skills left plenty to be desired (0.2).

However, whether he is worth bringing into the club at the expense of Lukaku is something that needs to be thought about as the Belgium international’s stats may suggest otherwise. He scored 12 goals in the Premier League last season, according to the figures collected by WhoScored, he managed an average of 1.7 shots per game and provided his team-mates with less than one key pass a match (0.7). But, his stats continued to get worse the further you delve into them.

He completed less than one dribble per game (0.7), he was found offside 0.7 times – perhaps that had something to do with the extra weight and how unfit he was as Gary Neville alluded to in his scathing attack of the forward? – whilst his ball control was far from solid.

Having been dispossessed 1.4 times on average per game and making an average of 1.6 bad touches per match it is hardly any wonder as to why a number of fans were quick to tear into him on social media on a number of occasions (including his birthday).

Manduzkic’s name being thrown into the mix is an intriguing development and, as mentioned, it might be worth Manchester United thinking strongly about, especially if they can land Dybala at the same time.

The duo, on paper, certainly look like individuals that can offer Solskjaer the additional goal threat they lacked last season, whilst one could bring a certain amount of experience whilst the other would bring a South American flair to the side that could help them in the final third of the pitch.

Whether any deal like this happens remains to be seen, especially with Romano detailing plenty that still needs to happen, but with just days to go in the transfer window, it will surely be an interesting watch.

Manchester United fans, what do you make of a Dybala and Mandzukic-Lukaku swap deal? Would you want the Juventus duo at Old Trafford for the upcoming campaign? Let us know your thoughts by sharing them below!

غادر مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، التقسيمة التي أجراها الجهاز الفني بقيادة بيتسو موسيماني خلال المران الأول في تنزانيا.

ويستعد الأهلي لمواجهة فريق سيمبا التنزاني في الجولة الثانية لدور المجموعات بدوري أبطال إفريقيا والمحدد لها عصر الثلاثاء المقبل.

وخرج مروان محسن من تقسيمة الفريق مع بدايتها أثناء المران الأول في تنزانيا، بسبب تعرضه للإصابة.

طالع أيضا.. مدرب الأهلي: من ينتقد مروان محسن عليه النظر إلى لاعب ريال مدريد

ومن جانبه أكد الدكتور أحمد أبو عبلة، طبيب الفريق، أن اللاعب اشتكى من آلام كدمة في القدم تعرض لها أثناء مران الأهلي بالتتش أمس الجمعة.

وأوضح أنه فضل عدم استكمال اللاعب لفقرات التقسيمة؛ بسبب شكواه من آلام الكدمة آلتي تعرض لها في مران الأهلي الأخير بالقاهرة؛ من أجل تجهيزه بشكل جيد، ولتجنب تفاقم آلام الكدمة في القدم.