Massimo Cellino could be back to haunt Leeds United as he targets Gaetano Berardi

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Massimo Cellino may be back to haunt Leeds United as he targets one of his former stars.

For those out of the loop, the former Whites chairman has been keeping himself busy since departing Elland Road in 2017 by running Italian club Brescia.

It didn’t take the enigmatic Italian long to get back into football club ownership as he acquired the Serie B side just three months after selling his remaining stake in Leeds to Andrea Radrizzani.

His time at Stadio Mario Rigamonti has been decidedly better than his time at Elland Road as he has just overseen the club’s promotion from Serie B.

The step up to Serie A doesn’t only bring top class football to the city of Brescia, but it brings increased wealth and more room to spend money on transfers.

The chairman had a massive say in the players that arrived in Yorkshire, and it’s clear to see that he had his favourites.

A number of players brought into Elland Road during his tenure in charge were signed from Italy, most notably Gaetano Berardi and Pontus Jansson, two players who are still at the club.

The 62-year-old also masterminded the arrivals of many of Leeds’ other key players such as Liam Cooper, Pablo Hernandez and Luke Ayling.

Reports have come out of Italy that Cellino is now interested in reuniting with Berardi at his new club, and this should set alarm bells ringing in fans’ heads.

With Brescia being promoted to the top flight they are all of a sudden a viable option for any players looking for a way out of Yorkshire.

With Noel Whelan recently saying he is certain that Jansson will be departing the club this summer, it probably wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if the Swedish centre-back considered heading back to Italy.

If Brescia build up a cohort of former Leeds players, it may encourage more to follow suit as they can play in a top division alongside personnel they are familiar with.

Cellino has been a hated figure amongst the Whites fanbase for years now, and he wouldn’t do his relationship with the supporters any favours if he raids his old club for some of his former stars.

Look at him now: Dale Jennings and Tranmere Rovers

Dale Jennings’ move from Tranmere Rovers to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in 2011 was an odd one to say the least.

Tranmere Rovers fans may remember Dale Jennings to be quite the player despite him only spending a season at the club before the European giants swooped in and stole him away.

A gifted winger with all the on-field traits you would expect from a pending star, Jennings whipped around League One with relative ease, bagging six goals and supplying five assists in his first and only season with Tranmere.

His efforts were enough to earn the attention of former Liverpool man and Champions League winner Dietmar Hamann personally recommending the Jennings to Bayern’s technical director, Christian Nerlinger.

Youngsters dream of “making it” on the European stage, don’t we all? But very rarely do they ever get to realise that dream in the same way as 18-year-old Dale Jennings, who made the jump from the lowly third tier of English football to Bayern Munch in 2011 for a reported £1.8million.

It was unprecedented territory, a Tranmere Rovers player moving straight to the Bundesliga – sort of the equivalent of one of us jumping from Sunday League into the Championship. But here was Jennings doing just that.

Unfortunately for the midfielder, it was a case of too much too soon and the move never really worked out. He failed to integrate into his new surroundings, and with the language barrier proving to be a huge problem, became increasingly isolated from his teammates and the coaching staff.

Such was his incapacity to live independently, it is said that one cupboard in his Munich apartment was used purely to store Pot Noodles. We have all been there, Dale, do not worry.

You may ask yourself, what happens in this kind of situation? What becomes of a player who essentially peaked too early in their career? Who will likely never reach the highs of Bayern Munich ever again? Well, the only way is down – clearly.

Jennings moved from Bayern to Barnsley in 2013, before being loaned out to and purchased by MK Dons.

After being released by the Dons in 2016, it took Jennings two years to find his feet again, settling for ninth-tier side Runcorn Town in 2018 in the hope that he can restart his career.

Tranmere fans, what are some standout memories of Jennings? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

Sunderland’s Chris Maguire praised for heart-warming gesture

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Chris Maguire has become a fans’ favourite on Wearside since his summer move from Bury. The 30-year-old Scottish international is nicknamed “The King” by Sunderland fans after a string of excellent performances.

He endeared himself even more to the Black Cats faithful on Monday, when he accidentally hit a young Sunderland fan square in the face with a ball during the warm-up before their match against Peterborough United.

The Scot returned at half-time to hand the young SAFC fan a signed shirt and apologised for hurting the boy.

Sunderland fans have suffered a lot of heartache over the years but one fan manages to pick his ultimate low in the video below…

This has gone down very well on Twitter with one Sunderland fan calling Maguire a “legend” and another called it a “brilliant gesture.”

Maguire will now turn his attention to Sunderland’s promotion push with the chance of automatic now out of their hands, focus will be on getting as many points as possible and hoping that Barsnley slip up.

Even if Sunderland don’t get promoted this season, Maguire has made himself a hero for the Black Cats and gestures like these will only strengthen that feeling amongst the Stadium of Light faithful.

Maurizio Sarri needs to act now if he wants to win the Chelsea faithful back

Things are starting to get real ugly at Chelsea with supporters having voiced their dissatisfaction with the team’s performance over the weekend. 

While they were able to claim victory in the end, the Blues were poor against Cardiff City, and fans let Maurizio Sarri know just that.

With so much still to play for, though, the Italian is urging the Stamford Bridge faithful to get behind the side.

The Breakdown

“They have to help the players during the match,” Sarri said in his pre-match press conference (via Chelsea’s official club website) ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League clash versus Brighton tomorrow night.

“After the match they can say everything, but during the match I hope they will be able to help my players.”

The current atmosphere among supporters will not do anyone any favours, but their frustrations cannot be blamed.

While, of course, it is important to support the team unconditionally, it is fully understandable if fans feel deflated and unmotivated at games right now.

The way Chelsea have been playing of late has not just been at a poor level, but has also been boring to watch in general.

That falls on Sarri who, simply put, is not getting the best out of this squad. If the former Napoli boss wants to get his supporters onside again, then he should consider given the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek some starts.

The duo are players capable of injecting some real excitement into the team, in contrast to individuals such as Mateo Kovacic, Willian and Pedro who have all grown a bit stale.

If Sarri does that, he could completely change the depressing atmosphere hanging over Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea fans, is Sarri right to call out those not backing his players? Join the discussion by commenting below.

Sheffield United: Wilder has nothing to lose from signing Josh Scott

Sheffield United have helped to shape the careers of some of the Premier League’s best over the last decade.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Harry Maguire and David Brooks were all given the opportunity to impress at a young age for the Blades and have used the platform to develop into regulars for their respective top-flight teams.

The notoriety of these previous successes makes a move to Bramall Lane an attracting option for any exciting prospect to consider which is why it is no surprise that Hartlepool United’s Josh Scott has reportedly been linked with the Blades. According to the Hartlepool Mail, the forward is on the verge of joining United in the summer on a free transfer when his current deal expires.

If the signing is completed, Scott could be joining a Premier League side as Sheffield United are in a great position to achieve promotion this season with seven games to play in the Championship. Chris Wilder’s side are currently third in the standings and just two points behind Leeds United with the race to finish in the top-two expected to go down to the wire.

At 17-years-old, Scott certainly has the potential to become a top striker but when you consider that he hasn’t made his professional debut yet, there will still be a slight element of risk if the Blades go through with the deal as expected. On an individual basis, the forward will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Jamie Vardy and Dwight Gayle who both spent time in non-league football before rising through the leagues and achieving success in the top flight.

This would undoubtedly benefit United also as Scott may develop into a long-term replacement for Billy Sharp who will undoubtedly slow down in the coming years as he reaches the twilight of his career.

What do you think Blades fans? Should Wilder take the risk and sign Scott? Will he be given time to develop at the club? Let us know below.

Wolves fans delighted about Diogo Jota international call up

Wolves supporters have been left elated at the news that one of their star players Diogo Jota has been called up to the Portugal squad.

This marks the first time the forward has been included in the European champions’ senior squad and fans have been sharing their adulation and praise for him on Twitter.

Although he started the season slowly, Jota has been in superb form for his club of late and has become one of the major reasons why Nuno Santo’s men are performing so admirably. He’s become a fan favourite and the impressive reaction to his call up is evidence of that.

Plenty of supporters said how well deserved his inclusion was with one individual keen to voice the increasing threat he’s become to Premier League defences. Another reaction saw the decision to include him in the squad labelled a no-brainer.

At 22, Jota is one of the Premier League’s best upcoming talents and the Molineux faithful will hope he gets the chance to prove himself on the international stage when Portugal take on Ukraine and Serbia.

The former Atletico man has followed up a 17 goal breakthrough season in the Championship by registering six strikes this term as his side sit 7th.

Here’s the reaction to the soon to be Portuguese international getting his call-up.

Crystal Palace fans react to Frank de Boer’s first game for Atlanta United

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Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react after they found out that Frank de Boer had lost his first game in charge of Atlanta United.

The former Palace boss was appointed as the MLS Cup winners’ manager just before Christmas, but got off to a disappointing start with his new charges as they lost 3-1 to Herediano – in fairness, that’s better than his start with the Eagles, in which he oversaw a 3-0 loss to Huddersfield.

De Boer lasted just 77 days at Selhurst Park during his short tenure in south London, managing just four league games and failing to see his side score a single goal on their way to successive defeats – his only win came in the Carabao Cup against Ipswich.

The main issue with the 48-year-old Dutchman’s time at Palace was his tendency to deploy some players out of position, with Joel Ward stuck out in a right wing-back role whilst Luka Milivojevic was put at centre-back.

By the sounds of things, those issues are still going on at Atlanta, and Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react…

Liverpool must change mindset to win Premier League title

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Liverpool’s draw with West Ham United magnified one unfathomable aspect every title-chasing team faces: Nerves.

The Reds, prior to this month, had been an irrepressible winning machine, and have still only lost once this season, to Manchester City, the team second in the table.

Yet their two recent draws, with Leicester City and, on Monday, with West Ham United, have confirmed what many have suspected for a while, that there might well be a slip incoming.

The gap is now three points but, due to City’s superior goal difference, Liverpool are likely to start Saturday’s game against AFC Bournemouth in second. City face Everton on Wednesday and it would be a quite shocking turn of events if the Toffees won that game, both in terms of quality on the pitch and current form.

But that may well suit Jurgen Klopp’s men down to the ground.

Check out Neymar’s controversial new haircut for 2019 and Xherdan Shaqiri as you’ve never seen him before in the video below…

At the start of the season, City were billed as the favourites and it is little surprise – Pep Guardiola’s men racked up 100 points last season and strengthened well in the summer. It appeared that they would only get better.

But Liverpool’s title challenge threw a spanner in those works, and all of a sudden it was the Reds who were being billed as top dogs.

They have twice blown the chance to stretch their lead and may now fall away from the top spot.

Yet Liverpool play better as part of the chasing pack. City will not enjoy the thought of the Reds breathing down their necks – Klopp’s side rarely lose when capitalising on a slip, but the inverse appears true when they are top, as they drew with Leicester after City had lost 2-1 to Newcastle United.

An attitude change, then, is needed. The Merseysiders should treat the rest of the season as though they are chasing, as though they are constantly looking to capitalise on a slip from their rivals at the summit.

Acting like a pack of prowling lions – that meme that saw Tottenham so mocked during their chase with Leicester – even if they are top of the table will add some hunger, some desperation to pick up all three points, and also wipe away many of the nerves that appeared to cripple the Reds at the London Stadium.

The fact of the matter is they were outplayed and out-fought, while they were aided by some questionable refereeing decisions, but they still picked up a point.

Come the end of the season, they may look back at that draw as a vital point, but they have to ensure that they do not fall victim to nerves again.

Changing the mindset at Anfield would go a long way to safeguarding their challenge and potentially limit the slips that have characterised the past fortnight.

John Terry posts cheeky naked photo with Carabao Cup on Instagram as Blues prepare to take on Liverpool in Wembley final

John Terry shared a bizarre naked photo with the Carabao Cup ahead of the Blues' clash against Liverpool at Wembley.

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Article continues below

Terry posts bizarre throwback photo with Carabao Cup trophyWon three Carabao Cup titles with ChelseaBlues take on Liverpool in Carabao Cup final WHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea will aim to clinch their first trophy in the Todd Boehly as they take on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday. Ahead of the big clash at Wembley, former Blues captain John Terry shared a bizarre throwback image of himself on Instagram where he is naked and holding the Carabao Cup trophy.

AdvertisementWHAT JOHN TERRY SAID

Terry uploaded the image on his Instagram story with a cheeky caption that read, "It's a good job these tassels are long."

John Terry InstagramTHE GOSSIP

The 43-year-old spent 19 years at Stamford Bridge where he won multiple trophies including three Carabao Cup titles. He first won the title during the 2004/05 season and then repeated the feat during the 2006/07 campaign. His last triumph came in the 2014/15 season where he scored in the final against Tottenham Hotspur in the club's 2-0 win.

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The Reds will be taking the field on Sunday without star attackers like Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez. The pair missed the team's midweek clash against Luton and has once again failed to make the matchday squad for the big final.

England U21s player ratings vs Israel: Emile Smith Rowe can't stop scoring & Noni Madueke flops as Young Lions stroll to victory in second Euros game

The Young Lions progressed to the knockout stages of the European Under-21 Championship courtesy of a comfortable win on Sunday

Anthony Gordon and Emile Smith Rowe were the scorers as England beat Israel 2-0 to secure their place in the Under 21 European Championship quarter-finals on Sunday.

The Young Lions were dominant throughout the Group C encounter, but had a difficult time converting it into dangerous chances.

Morgan Gibbs-White was the architect of the victory, setting up Gordon with a fine cross early on and then putting it on a platter for Smith Rowe to secure the victory in the second period with his second of the competition.

GOAL rates England's players from Stadion Ramaz Shengelia…

  • Goalkeeper & Defence

    James Trafford (6/10):

    Got down low to keep out a promising free kick but otherwise did not have a great deal to do.

    James Garner (7/10):

    A solid performance at right-back, did well to contain the threat from Israel and support the attack.

    Levi Colwill (7/10):

    Had a sound game in the heart of the back line.

    Taylor Harwood-Bellis (6/10):

    Looked comfortable in the centre of defence against an Israel side that struggled to threaten.

    Ben Johnson (5/10):

    Had a shaky performance, got booked and gave away a dangerous free kick at the end of the first half.

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  • Midfield

    Emile Smith Rowe (7/10):

    Grew into the game and fired in the decisive second goal just as Israel seemed to be gaining in confidence and bravery.

    Curtis Jones (6/10):

    Did well to win the ball in midfield and play some simple passes to keep the ball in circulation.

    Angel Gomes (7/10):

    A solid display deep in the England midfield with some smart moves.

    Morgan Gibbs White (8/10):

    Put in a lovely cross for Gordon to nod in the opener and then teed up Smith Rowe for the second. A lively threat throughout and the Young Lions' best player.

  • Attack

    Anthony Gordon (7/10):

    After having a goal disallowed, he netted the opener after 15 minutes with a fine header beyond the goalkeeper.

    Noni Madueke (5/10):

    Had a quiet game as he found it difficult to influence England's attack as forward partner Gordon looked more dangerous. Squandered a great opportunity early in the second half.

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    Subs & Manager

    Cole Palmer (5/10):

    Replaced the struggling Madueke but did not fare much better himself in an underwhelming display.

    Cameron Archer (6/10):

    Was sent through for a great opportunity but failed to capitalise on it.

    Harvey Elliott (6/10):

    Set up Archer for a chance with a nice through pass shortly after coming on.

    Oliver Skipp (5/10):

    Did not make much of an impact after replacing Gomes.

    Jacob Ramsey (5/10):

    On for the last 10 minutes but the game was winding down by then.

    Lee Carsley (7/10):

    His team were on top throughout but the coach would have expected more opportunities than they created.

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