Leeds United have been in a torrid run of form of late, picking up just six points from a possible 30 in their last 10 Premier League games.

These results unsurprisingly have left Jesse Marsch’s position looking somewhat unstable, as he has led a side that invested £93.91m over the summer to 18th place in the top flight standing, two points adrift from safety.

As the pressure ramps up and potential candidates begin to be sounded out by the media, it is worth looking back at who they could have got when they dismissed Marcelo Bielsa back in February of this year.

Although he was yet to be sacked at the time of this report, The Telegraph nevertheless claimed that Ernesto Valverde was one of three candidates in line to replace the Argentine who was revered across Yorkshire.

The Spaniard has flitted across Europe with his managerial exploits, earning vast experience before being offered the Barcelona job in 2017.

During his three-year stint in Catalonia, he managed to win four trophies including two La Liga titles, before being sacked due to issues regarding his play style.

Since then, the club have won just one Spanish Cup.

He has earned most of his praise for his various work with Athletic Bilbao, in which he secured Champions League football and brought them their first trophy in 31 years with a Supercopa de Espana win over the side he would later manage.

It marked a monumental task completed for a club that relies so heavily on signing players solely from the Basque region.

Perhaps under constraints at Leeds, he could have been the man to keep them safe and ensure a stronger start to the season than the one they are currently suffering.

In a recent interview, Xavi was full of praise for a man he dubbed “extraordinary” who had completed “excellent work” at the club.

Enjoying a bold and attacking brand of football, Valverde would surely have become an instant fan favourite were he to have brought even a modicum of his previous successes to Elland Road.

It seems like given their current form, Victor Orta dropped a clanger when he opted for Marsch instead of his compatriot.

During his illustrious career, the new Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has managed some truly great stars, both young and old.

Whilst at Paris-Saint Germain he oversaw the transfer of both Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, meanwhile at Arsenal had a hand in the emergence of youngsters Emile Smith Rowe and Buyako Saka.

The latter name has been starring in the Premier League ever since, and to mark his return to England, the Spanish coach might once again look to Aston Villa’s academy to find his newest young gem.

Whilst the likes of Louie Barry and Cameron Archer might steal the headlines for the Villans’ youth setup, Jaden Philogene-Bidace will go under the radar as someone who could soon break through and be the next big thing.

Having already earned vital experience at senior level last season, the 20-year-old continues to excel in the Championship for his age, now at Cardiff City.

Boasting incredible versatility, the right-footed winger has featured on both flanks for both the Bluebirds and Stoke City last season.

Already having scored twice this season, he has doubled his tally from last campaign, marking a steady improvement for the London-born speedster.

His emergence somewhat mimics that of Saka, who only started with brief Premier League cameos and starts in the Europa League before he was scoring 11 and assisting seven under Mikel Arteta. 

This should be the target for Philogene-Bidace, who has seen first-hand the clear path that one can pave for themselves should one work hard and continue to perform when given the chance.

His appearances for the Potters last year led Michael O’Neill to label him “sharp”, “dynamic” and “brave”, three words that rather sum up Saka too.

These are qualities that are instrumental in the progression of any player, but to have them already at such a young age bodes well for the Villa loanee. Possessing the ability to “skip past tackles” – in the words of Ahmed Abdulla – he can also “come inside” in Saka-esque fashion.

Emery clearly boasts an eye for talent, so if anyone is to unleash him and help his transition into the first team, it will be the Spaniard.

With Saka one of the shining lights that radiate one of his greatest successes, Philogene-Bidace might be next on his list now he has taken up the Villa Park hot seat.

Wolves’ search for a new manager has taken another twist, with reports suggesting that talks are progressing with Julen Lopetegui ahead of him taking over the vacant post at Molineux.

What’s the word?

The Spanish manager, who was recently sacked by Sevilla, was seemingly Wolves’ first choice to take over from Bruno Lage after the Portuguese boss was sacked by the Old Gold in early October.

However, Lopetegui would turn down a move to Molineux due to the ill health of his father, which forced Fosun to consider other options as they look to turn around a woeful start to the season which leaves the Midlands club in the relegation places in the Premier League.

Liam Keen, who covers Wolves for the Express and Star, confirmed the news on Twitter.

He said: “Incredible how football works out…Wolves are back in talks with Julen Lopetegui. It’s progressing well and Wolves are hopeful of appointing him before the World Cup break.”

‘Incredible’ boost

After QPR manager Michael Beale was approached, only for him to also turn down the job, it should be an incredible lift for the club to reignite talks with their initial number one choice.

After all, the failed appointment of Beale led the board to announce that interim manager Steve Davis would remain in charge until after the World Cup break.

Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that the former Crewe Alexandra boss was way out of his depth as he oversaw losses against Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Leicester City, which has seemingly forced the board to reconsider.

And now, it seems as if Lopetegui will be the man to succeed Lage at Molineux, in the hope that the 56-year-old can re-produce the form he showed in the early days of his spell with Sevilla, with whom he won the Europa League in 2020.

Lopetegui will need to improve upon the form he showed with Sevilla earlier this term, however, as the Spanish side won just one of ten games in all competitions, including heavy losses in the Champions League against Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund, which saw him relieved of his duties.

Despite that, the Spaniard still averaged an impressive 1.85 points per game with the Rojiblancos, which is a big improvement on the 1.29 points per game averaged by Lage at Wolves.

Therefore, all being well, Lopetegui can be the man to get Wolves out of the mess they find themselves in and ensure that they are still playing Premier League football this time next year.

Given his CV, he could just be a brilliant appointment for Fosun. As Keen says, it’s remarkable how quickly football can change in the space of a few weeks. For once, there is a sense of optimism and hope surrounding Molineux. This is an unexpected, but incredible boost for the club.

Glasgow Rangers will be grateful the international break arrived when it did, especially considering their previous two results.

Michael Beale has overseen two potentially season-damaging results recently, losing 5-1 to PSV Eindhoven that saw the Ibrox side miss out on the Champions League group stages, while a 1-0 defeat to Celtic in the Premiership was a major setback.

Despite nine summer arrivals, it appears the 43-year-old still doesn’t know his strongest starting XI or what system to operate with, which is slightly worrying.

There has been some good news recently with the return of Kemar Roofe and Tom Lawrence from injury and these two players could certainly add some attacking spark into the starting XI.

How long was Tom Lawrence injured for?

The Welshman was signed by Giovanni van Bronckhorst last summer after he departed Derby County, and it looked like an encouraging piece of business by the Dutchman heading into the 2022/23 season.

The left-winger played just nine matches for the Gers before suffering a season-ending injury against Ross County, however, which saw him miss a grand total of 49 games for club and country, even missing out on representing Wales at the 2022 World Cup.

He stepped up his recovery this summer under Beale and the signs were looking good for him to finally make an impression under the former QPR boss as the Light Blues looked to have a good start to the 2023/24 campaign.

How good is Tom Lawrence?

Prior to moving to Glasgow, Lawrence had shone for Derby in the Championship, making 185 appearances for the Rams, scoring 37 goals and registering 25 assists across those matches, which works out at roughly a goal contribution every three games.

The £22k-per-week dynamo showcased his attacking talents during his first few weeks at the Gers shortly after arriving last summer.

He was particularly impressive in the Champions League qualifiers, scoring once – a wonderful free-kick against PSV – as the club qualified for the lucrative group stages, while he also shone domestically.

His two goals and two assists across his opening five league matches suggested that Lawrence was going to be a key attacking outlet for the Gers. He also created one big chance, averaged 1.8 key passes per game and took 3.4 shots per game during those ties and the injury certainly derailed not only his momentum, but the team's in general.

Wayne Rooney previously described the 29-year-old as being “magnificent”, high praise indeed from arguably one of England’s finest-ever footballers, and it shows just how effective he can be when fit and healthy.

Rangers have scored just six goals in four Premiership matches, with four coming in one game against Livingston, and it's clear that Beale needs Lawrence back in the side to offer some added attacking dynamism.

The panic button won't need to be pressed just yet, but another one or two poor results against St Johnstone and Real Betis, once the international break is over, could potentially derail the season before it has even really started.

Lawrence should be given an opportunity in the starting XI and there is no doubt he could carry on where he left off before his injury woes.

When Alex McLeish announced he was leaving Glasgow Rangers at the end of the season in February 2006, many of the Ibrox faithful wondered just exactly who the club would appoint next.

Highly rated French manager Paul Le Guen, who had led Lyon to three consecutive Ligue 1 titles was the man tasked with reclaiming back the league title from rivals Celtic, and as one of the most sought-after coaches on the continent, it looked like Rangers would go on to dominate.

His spell turned into a nightmare and he lasted just 6 months, quitting in January 2007, but not before making one of the worst signings in their recent history.

Sebo was a dreadful Rangers signing

Le Guen signed Filip Sebo from Austria Vienna in the summer of 2006 for a fee of £1.8m after he scored seven goals for the Austrian side the season before.

If the Frenchman thought he was getting a talented striker who could light up Scottish football, then he was sorely mistaken.

Sebo opened his account against Hibernian in a 2-1 defeat and added a late winner against Aberdeen two matches later, but that was to be it for the Slovakian at Rangers, playing a further 22 matches without adding to his tally.

Despite scoring against Chelsea in a pre-season friendly ahead of the 2007/2008 campaign, Sebo was soon on his way out of Ibrox for a loan spell with Valenciennes before joining permanently in 2008 for a fee of £750k, with the club losing just over £1m on the player.

The striker cost the club £900k per goal and this wasn’t money they had to throw away. The player was even dubbed “misfiring” by BBC Scotland and this shows just how bad he was at the club.

The Light Blues returned to the summit of Scottish football under Walter Smith following Le Guen’s reign, however, the mere mention of Sebo’s name will send shivers down the spines of many Rangers supporters.

Liverpool are considering a move to sign RB Leipzig midfielder Konrad Laimer in 2023, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Bayern move falls through

The Austrian’s contract with the Bundesliga giants is set to expire at the end of the season, and despite having agreed personal terms with Bayern Munich over the summer, the two parties failed to complete a deal before the deadline.

The Reds were credited with a late interest in the 25-year-old in the previous window, and it sounds like they are once again weighing up the possibility of bringing him to the Premier League next year.

The Latest: Liverpool eyeing Laimer

According to 90min, Liverpool monitoring Laimer still ‘remains the case’, with the maestro under the ‘serious consideration’ of FSG ahead of a January approach.

The 24-cap international and his representatives are claimed to be ‘open to all options’, which include a ‘possible move’ to England.

He is currently recovering from an ankle injury, though ‘is expected’ to be ready to be thrown into action following the conclusion of the World Cup.

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The Verdict: Melo replacement

Arthur Melo is set to be sidelined for the foreseeable future and so Laimer, an ‘unsung hero’ according to journalist Josh Bunting, would be the perfect replacement.

The Austria star is a real creative spark in the centre, having racked up 18 assists and 11 goals during his time at Leipzig, alongside averaging 2.8 tackles and 1.8 dribbles per league game (WhoScored).

The 5 foot 9 talisman could be available on a cut-price deal given his contract situation, and Liverpool need to act fast if they want to capitalise and lure their target to Anfield.

Liverpool have held an “internal discussion” regarding the possibility of submitting an offer for Borussia Monchengladbach star Manu Kone, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Manu Kone?

Kone is a central midfielder who arrived at the Borussia Park from Toulouse back in 2021 and he’s since gone on to become a regular feature, clocking up a total of 60 appearances to date. Despite his contract not expiring for another two years, he was Gerardo Seoane’s top-performing defensive player last season so has caught the eye of Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs revealed that the 22-year-old is a player that is “on the list” of targets for FSG, with The Guardian further reporting that the Reds are pushing to make him their next signing after Brighton and Hove Albion’s Alexis Mac Allister.

The Frenchman further excited supporters and sparked rumours of a switch when he was pictured with Nice’s Khephren Thuram, who the Merseyside outfit have also been heavily linked with, and if the following update is to be believed, it sounds like the duo could both soon be making their way to the Premier League.

Are Liverpool signing Kone?

Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that Liverpool have been in talks with the representatives of Kone and Thuram while pondering official approaches, with FSG telling both players' clubs they may make a move after signing Mac Allister:

“Liverpool have been in direct contact with both Manu Kone and Khephren Thuram agents again this week. Internal discussion taking place over official proposals. Liverpool asked for some time to close in on Mac Allister deal then decide on new midfielders.”

Should FSG submit a bid for Kone?

Liverpool are in desperate need of new central players following the departures of James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Arthur Melo, and having been dubbed a “one-man army” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Kone is definitely a candidate worth testing the waters for in an attempt to bring him to Merseyside.

The Classico client, who earns only £5k-per-week, is naturally stronger in the defensive aspect of his game having won 39 tackles throughout the previous campaign which was higher than any of his teammates, as per FBRef.

The France U21 international, however, can pose a threat going forward too, as he ranks in the 96th percentile for dribbles by central midfielders and did pitch in last term by scoring one goal and providing the same number of assists, so he’s an extremely well-rounded player and one that would only excel further under the guidance of Klopp.

Glasgow Rangers face a crucial tie against Napoli in their penultimate Champions League fixture in Naples this evening.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst must lead his side to an unlikely victory and hope Liverpool secure a win against Ajax in order to have any hope of securing third place in the group and a spot in the Europa League knockout round.

A woeful 1-1 draw against Livingston at the weekend – despite having 24 shots in total – hasn’t exactly boosted the confidence ahead of a match against the Serie A leaders.

With the Dutchman likely to make changes, we at Football FanCast predict the starting XI that will take the field under the floodlights in Italy…

Rangers predicted XI vs Napoli

Allan McGregor will retain his place in goal, with the 40-year-old shot-stopper having impressed against Napoli last time out – saving two penalties in the reverse tie at Ibrox back in September.

The back four will remain unchanged from the Livingston match on Saturday. James Tavernier and Borna Barisic will occupy their usual positions at right and left back respectively, with Ben Davies and Leon King – available after coming off sick at halftime on the weekend – forming the heart of the Light Blues’ defence.

John Lundstram and 37-year-old Steven Davis will operate in the Rangers engine room for the third game in succession.

Fashion Sakala – who was dubbed “impressive” by journalist Josh Bunting in their tie against Liverpool – will start on the right wing, with Ryan Kent – who made seven key passes on Saturday and assisted Lundstram’s equaliser against Livingston – starting on the left wing as usual. Malik Tillman will play just off the lone centre-forward.

Van Bronckhorst will drop “standout” striker Antonio Colak following an uncharacteristically poor performance on Saturday – in which he only had one shot on target from seven attempts – for Colombian Alfredo Morelos.

This means there are two changes in total from the weekend and the Dutchman will be hoping they can somehow pull off a miraculous result tonight.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their chances of landing Mykhaylo Mudryk in one of the upcoming transfer windows…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the Shakhtar Donetsk winger is open to making a move to St. James’ Park as the Magpies are currently tracking his progress.

The report claims that the gem is interested in moving to the Premier League and Newcastle, who sent scouts to watch him in action against Celtic earlier this week, are a club he would be willing to join.

It is also stated that Eddie Howe is a fan of the Ukraine international and has already given the higher-ups at the club the green light to pursue the forward.

Huge coup

Signing Mudryk, whether that is in January or next summer, would be a huge coup for Howe as the gem is an immensely talented young player who is attracting interest from a number of clubs.

Liverpool and Arsenal are both reportedly keen on the winger and Brentford had an offer of £26m turned down in the summer transfer window.

This shows that he is not short of potential suitors in the upcoming market and that is why the forward being open to signing for Newcastle is a big boost for the club – as it indicates that other teams, who are in European competitions, eyeing him up has not put him off of the idea of arriving at St. James’ Park.

The attacker has been in fantastic form in the Champions League this season and is showing, at the age of 21, that he has the quality to stand out at the very top level of club football.

These statistics prove that he can be a difference-maker in the final third, and his displays at league level for Shakhtar are also eye-catching. He has scored three goals and provided five assists in six Premier League for the Ukrainian giants, which suggests that his performances in the Champions League are no fluke.

Journalist Josh Bunting claimed that the gem has a “frightening turn of pace” and talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as being “on fire” earlier this season, which is backed up by his goal contributions in all competitions.

The 21-year-old, who has been capped eight times by Ukraine, could make an immediate impact for Newcastle – as he has already proven himself in the Champions League – whilst also holding the potential to grow and develop in the years to come.

Therefore, signing Mudryk would be a huge coup for Howe given the interest in the youngster’s services and his impressive form this season.

All eyes on Jofra Archer but it was two other debutants who stole the show in a close-fought contest

The Report by Valkerie Baynes03-May-2019
All eyes were on Jofra Archer but it was another debutant, Josh Little, who threatened to steal centre stage as Ireland gave England a scare in their ODI in Dublin.Ireland went into their 10th ODI against England having won only once, at the 2011 World Cup, but when 19-year-old Little, one of six debutants in the match, claimed three of his four wickets to put England in trouble at 66 for 5 chasing 199 for victory, they could be forgiven for dreaming of another historic upset.It took an unbroken 98-run partnership from Ben Foakes, also winning his first ODI cap, and Surrey team-mate Tom Curran to carry England over the line for an ultimately comfortable but unconvincing four-wicket victory.Archer celebrated his highly anticipated first appearance in an England shirt with a wicket and a superb catch. But it was Liam Plunkett and Curran – arguably among Archer’s biggest rivals for a final World Cup berth – who starred as England bowled Ireland out for 198 with 11 balls remaining in the innings, reduced to 45 overs per side because of a soggy outfield which delayed the start by two hours.The target would normally be seen as easily achievable for the No.1 one-day side in the world who bat deep and love to chase. But what should have been an agenda-setting start to their World Cup run-in ended in some nervy moments for the tournament favourites, not least when Foakes survived an lbw appeal when on 37 which Ireland chose not to review and replays suggested could have been overturned.Bearing in mind that England had rested a number of first-choice players in a match which came at the end of a week dominated by the axing of Alex Hales for recreational drug use. But it was some of the side’s experienced campaigners who struggled.The pursuit did not start well, with debutant Dawid Malan calling for treatment after appearing to injure his groin taking a quick single. He batted on in clear discomfort, his ability to run obviously impaired, and saw fellow opener James Vince dismissed to what would have been a beautiful pull from the bowling of Little had George Dockrell not taken a screamer diving to his left at midwicket.Joe Root and Eoin Morgan followed cheaply, the latter to a brilliant Little bouncer which the England captain gloved to wicketkeeper Gary Wilson, before Little also had Malan caught behind for 24, at that point only the second visiting batsman to reach double figures. Joe Denly, playing his first ODI since 2009, followed soon after when Kevin O’Brien took another smart catch at midwicket.David Willey and Foakes threatened steady England until Little returned to the attack with immediate effect as Willey sent a catch straight to fine leg, with England still shaky at 101 for 6.Foakes then combined with Curran. Having been dropped by Lorcan Tucker off Mark Adair with England still needing 12, Curran then hit the winning runs with a boundary off a Little no-ball in a disappointing end to an otherwise memorable day for the bowler.Little, a former hockey player who had made 10 T20I appearances but was playing his first ODI, ended with figures of 4 for 45 off eight overs.England won the toss and put Ireland in. Archer’s wicket was a gem, ending a decent knock by Adair – another on debut, who scored 32 off 30 balls in attempting to lift his side – with a 90mph yorker that uprooted off stump. Earlier, Archer had taken a superb diving catch to hand Curran England’s first wicket of the innings, dismissing a dangerous-looking Paul Stirling.Interestingly, Archer opened the bowling in tandem with Willey, who had previously appeared to question whether picking the Barbados-born talent could destabilise England’s World Cup squad.Archer has not been named in England’s preliminary World Cup squad but has a chance to press his claims for a late inclusion. His first ball in international cricket was drilled to the boundary by Stirling amid a respectable opening spell.William Porterfield survived an lbw appeal off Willey on the second ball of the innings, and at the end of the first Powerplay, Ireland were in good shape. They had reached 55 without loss when Curran struck in his second over, with the help of Archer, to dismiss Stirling.Plunkett claimed the wickets of Porterfield and Tucker and, by the time Curran had O’Brien well caught by a diving Denly at backward point, Ireland’s promising start had fizzled to 77 for 4.An excellent piece of wicketkeeping by Foakes accounted for Andrew Balbirnie. As Balbirnie shied at a Denly wide, the batsman kept his back foot planted for what seemed like an age but, when he finally lifted his toe, Foakes – who had done well to collect the ball as it sailed a long way down the leg side – was waiting and lifted the bails for a sharp stumping.Archer returned for a second spell that took care of Adair in eye-catching style, before Plunkett and Curran rounded up the innings. Unlike Archer, those two were named in England’s preliminary World Cup squad but neither has been regarded as a shoo-in. Their latest performances will do their causes no harm ahead of the squad being finalised on May 23.