All posts by n8rngtd.top

[ad_pod ]

Marcelo Bielsa has long been revered as one of the best managers in the world by his peers.

He has been an influencer for the likes of Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino, and it may be time for those two to give a little back to the man who helped make them the managers they are today.

Bielsa’s influence

It’s no secret that the Argentine was a hugely important part of making Pochettino one of the world’s leading coaches.

The Leeds manager initially scouted the Spurs boss at the beginning of his playing career, and he eventually played under him as he took the reins at Newell’s Old Boys.

Pochettino went into detail about his time working with Bielsa in an interview with Gazzetta Dello Sport (Via SportWitness) saying:

‘I was 13 when Bielsa and Jorge Griffa took me from a small town called Murphy and brought me to Newell’s. He gave me my debut.

‘He’s like my second father. We were also together at Espanyol and in the national team. I owe him everything.’

The former Marseille boss also has a strong relationship with Guardiola, who once described him as “the best coach in the world.”

Ask for a favour

Although Bielsa is a very proud man, he shouldn’t hesitate to ask his two protégés for a favour now that they’re managing two of the biggest clubs in the world.

City and Tottenham both have a wide array of youngsters available for loan, and Leeds should have first dibs due to their manager’s close ties with the men in charge in both Manchester and north London.

Guardiola has already helped the 63-year-old by sending him Jack Harrison last year, but they should approach the Citizens for a few more players.

Patrick Roberts, Tosin Adarabioyo, Douglas Luiz and many others could be useful additions to the Leeds squad next season, and Bielsa could use his relationship with the City boss to broker a deal.

The same goes for Pochettino and Spurs, Josh Onomah, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Oliver Skipp are all candidates to go out on loan to the Championship this summer.

The Whites will almost certainly dip into the loan market again in the upcoming window, and when they do their first port of call should be their gaffer’s two close allies.

[ad_pod ]

Leeds United fans on Twitter are hoping that Mateusz Bogusz gets first-team opportunities next season after Marcelo Bielsa signed a one-year contract extension.

The Argentine has a reputation for giving young players an opportunity, and during his first season at Elland Road Jack Clarke and Jamie Shackleton both became regulars.

Supporters are now hopeful that Bogusz is the next player in line for a debut after his impressive campaign with the U23s.

The Polish midfielder could easily slot in alongside his fellow countryman Mateusz Klich as a number 10.

The attacking midfield position has caused Leeds headaches this season. Tyler Roberts has played there sporadically, but they haven’t seemed to settle on a replacement for Samu Saiz.

The 17-year-old could be that man next season, and if he is put into the first team it would certainly be a popular decision amongst the fanbase.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

[ad_pod ]

There is no doubt that Harry Kane’s presence on the pitch would be appreciated when Tottenham face Liverpool in Saturday’s Champions League final.

But with it now being over a year since he truly looked like himself, one has to wonder if a more prolonged rest would allow Kane to avoid another injury-prone season. Christy Maylan said on The Fixture in Focus Podcast that starting Kane in Saturday’s Champions League final could jeopardise his preparation for next season.

“If you enter that rest period with issues, then it kind of eats up how much natural rest time he would have. So I think there is still a danger if he isn’t quite right and he plays in this game, then if he is still not right and plays in the Nations League, he won’t be quite at the level everyone else is when they return for preseason,” Christy said on the latest episode, looking at both of this week’s European finals.

However, it appears necessary for him to start for Spurs to upset Liverpool. The Reds’ 89 goals in the Premier League this year were second only to champions Man City as Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah finished level in the race for the Golden Boot – Kane was the only Spurs player to get close to their totals.

If there was ever a game to risk it, it’s this one. But with the Nations League coming up and so many more battles to be had in what should be a long and successful career, is it actually in Tottenham or Kane’s interests for him to start on Saturday?

To listen to the discussion on Kane in full in the latest episode of the Fixture In Focus Podcast, use the player below…

//fixtureinfocus.podiant.co/e/3761c47c4cb12c/embed/

When you look at Leeds United’s attacking statistics for the 2018/19 campaign from afar, they seem to be relatively impressive.

With only four other teams in the Championship scoring more than the Whites’ 74 goals in the competition, the last thing that the club needs is a new striker, right?

Well, despite the fact that Kemar Roofe and Patrick Bamford both managed to reach double figures for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, their constant battles with injuries over the past 10 months undeniably played a role in why Leeds were incapable of securing promotion to the Premier League.

Therefore, it may be a wise decision by the Argentine to delve into the transfer market this summer to bring in a new striker who has the potential to set the second tier alight.

Although the Whites will be keen to add to their forward options, it is imperative that they resist the temptation to sign Sam Gallagher.

According to Football Insider, Leeds are interested in the 23-year-old who has reportedly been made available for transfer by Southampton.

Having failed to make any sort of impression for the Saints last season, bringing in Gallagher would be an almighty risk for Leeds to take as there is no guarantee that he will be able to thrive in the second tier.

Far from a prolific goal-scorer, the £2.7m-rated ace (via Transfermarkt) has only been able to reach double figures on one occasion during his career and struggled massively during his most recent loan spell in the Championship at Birmingham City.

During a hugely frustrating 2017/18 campaign with the Blues, Gallagher inconsistencies saw him score just seven goals in all competitions, a total which will not cut the mustard if he is to join to Leeds this summer.

Whereas the Saints’ eagerness to offload him may see their valuation lower between now and August, it is imperative that the Whites switch their focus towards targeting a centre-forward with a proven track record at Championship level.

What do you think Leeds fans? Should your club avoid signing Gallacher this summer? Or would he be a good addition to your side? Get in touch below.

Arsenal will be hoping to add some new players to their squad over the summer after an impressive enough first season under Unai Emery.

Life without Arsene Wenger has been better than many expected, and a loss in the Europa League final was the only thing standing between the Gunners and adding some silverware to the cabinet in Emery’s first year.

The summer ahead promises to be an interesting one for Emery and his scouting teams, as they look to bring in players who fit the bill but without breaking the bank.

This weekend then has seen the club linked with a move for Sampdoria defender Joachim Anderson, with a report from the Daily Star claiming the Gunners are somewhat put off by what they perceive as a large fee for the 23-year-old defender.

However, here in the Tavern, we feel that Andersen could be the ideal player Arsenal need to shore up their backline, and if it takes paying a fairly hefty fee for the Dane, then so be it.

The Sampdoria ace impressed last season as he became a regular for the Italian giants, and he fits in well with what many regard as a typical Arsenal player, with Andersen holding a pass completion percentage of 88% over the course of last season.

There is more to Andersen’s game though than just being classy with the ball, and he has that real old school Italian league defensive steel about him.

The Gunners have struggled at the back for many years now, with many defenders trying and failing to plug the gaps in the back four for the Londoners. The likes of Mustafi, Callum Chambers and Sokratis have all failed to really impress in recent times, leaving a space wide open for Andersen to come in and make a place in the back four his own at the Emirates.

[ad_pod ]

Dani Ceballos has issued mixed messages over his future at Real Madrid after being linked with Tottenham Hotspur, per Onda Cero via Marca.

What’s the word?

El Des Marque reported in May that Spurs are “the main player” in the hunt to secure the signature of the midfielder.

However, he has now said that he has a lengthy contract at the Spanish club, of which manager Zinedine Zidane has reminded him, and that he does not expect to leave the Santiago Bernabeu.

He said: “Zidane was very clear with me. I’ve accepted his explanations.

“I have a contract with a very high release clause.

“I have four years on my contract and I want to succeed at Real Madrid.”

But, in the same interview, Ceballos has outlined his conditions for an exit from the club.

He added: “If I leave I want to play for a team where I feel important.

“I want to show that I can compete at any team in Europe.

“I’m a young player who wants to succeed so I don’t want to have another year without playing.”

A thorny issue

This looks like a complicated deal for Spurs to do.

His release clause stands at €500m (£444.1m) and, while Real are unlikely to demand a figure of such a magnitude, his current deal runs until 2023.

The club are almost certain to ensure that they receive the highest possible fee for a player who has yet to reach his peak, then.

He made 34 appearances in all competitions this season and Real are not exactly known for letting their hottest prospects leave for negligible fees.

Spurs do need midfield reinforcements this summer but this deal may well be beyond their reach.

There are other targets out there – Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele immediately spring to mind – and perhaps they should focus on them instead.

[ad_pod ]

Lots of Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was revealed that popular journalist James Pearce would be leaving the Echo after 14 years of working for them – eight of them have been spent covering the current Champions of Europe.

The Reds correspondent has supplied plenty of joyous moments for Liverpool supporters over the years, including unthinkable amounts of breaking transfer stories, quashing speculative stories and just a tremendous insight into what is going on behind the scenes at Anfield – his reports will assumingly be sorely missed by most fans.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

Judging by the responses below, that aforementioned statement seems to be ringing true.

A lot of the fans seem to adore him; one even said that this moment is worse than when Fernando Torres left for Chelsea.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

As his sad tweet states, Pearce will at least still be covering Liverpool so the supporters will not be without his updates on their beloved club for too long.

Let’s take a look at some of the best tweets…

[ad_pod ]

A number of Celtic fans have urged their club to make an attempt to land Dani Alves on a free transfer ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.

Alves – currently representing Brazil at the Copa America – will be leaving Paris Saint-Germain when his contract expires at the end of this month.

Celtic are expected to be in the market for a new right-back this summer as Swedish defender Mikael Lustig has left the club to join Gent on a three-year contract.

And many of the Scottish club’s fans have claimed that Alves would be an ideal signing.

The 36-year-old has spent the last two seasons with PSG, whilst he has also represented Bahia, Sevilla, Barcelona and Juventus during an incredibly successful career.

Watch Celtic Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It remains to be seen whether Celtic make an attempt to land the Brazil international ahead of the new season.

However, a number of the club’s fans are hopeful that will be the case:

[ad_pod ]

West Ham United announced on Monday that young goalkeeper Nathan Trott would be spending the 2019-20 campaign on loan with AFC Wimbledon.

Trott made 13 Premier League 2 appearances for West Ham’s Under-23 side last season but is yet to make a first-team outing for the Hammers.

The 20-year-old penned a new three-year contract at the London Stadium in March.

And according to a statement on the club’s official website, he ‘is considered one of the country’s brightest goalkeeping prospects’.

Trott will certainly be looking to gain some valuable experience during his time out on loan, where he will link up with former Irons coach Wally Downes.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

The West Ham fans have been on social media offering their views on the update and many believe that the loan spell will stand the stopper in good stead moving forward.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the London club’s supporters can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]

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

According to London Football News, Leeds United are interested in signing Queens Park Rangers midfielder Massimo Luongo.

This isn’t the first time they have been linked with QPR players as earlier in the transfer window it was reported that they were after Eberechi Eze and Luke Freeman.

The Australian has been fantastic at the London club in recent years, winning the Supporters’ Player of the Year award in 2018.

With Marcelo Bielsa seemingly pretty set on his midfield this may seem a rather unnecessary signing, but in reality it could be a masterstroke as he provides depth in multiple ways.

Leeds’ midfield roles

The Argentine’s 4-1-4-1 system requires different skillsets to play in the three midfield roles. Kalvin Phillips operates as a destructive ball winner who recycles possession whenever he wins it back.

Mateusz Klich operates as a more creative midfielder who looks to exploit space and kickstart attacks while also contributing to them.

The other midfield role has recently been occupied by Tyler Roberts, who operates as a number 10.

It’s clear to see that these roles aren’t often interchangeable and these players require quite specific skillsets to operate in these positions.

Luongo’s versatility

If Leeds brought in Luongo he may find it hard to displace any of the midfielders as a starter, but he would bring some extra depth in two key positions.

He could operate as a ball winner just as effectively as Phillips as he made 3.1 tackles per game last season, which is actually more than the 23-year-old made.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Not only could he play as a holding midfielder, but he could easily slot into Klich’s place too.

Luongo already plays a role similar to Klich’s at QPR and he completes one key pass per game, which is comparable to the Pole’s 1.4.

The 26-year-old is seemingly a jack of all trades, and while he may not get in above either Phillips or Klich should he sign, he could certainly act as a brilliant back-up option for both men.