Category Uncategorized

Leeds United manager candidate Daniel Farke is starting 'to have a bit more prominence' in the Whites' hunt for a new boss to replace Sam Allardyce, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Leeds United and Daniel Farke?

According to Phil Hay on Twitter, who is a journalist for The Athletic, Farke is in the running for the Leeds United managerial vacancy and 'impressed' during 'initial discussions' with the Whites' hierarchy.

Hay also detailed that former Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers another contender and is a figure that they 'really want' at the helm at Elland Road heading into next term.

Nevertheless, Rodgers looks to be on his way to his former club Celtic, who are in 'advanced talks' with the Irishman over a potential return to the Scottish giants, as per Sky Sports.

Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg also detailed on Twitter that Farke was another name in the frame to take over at Celtic from Ange Postecoglou last week; nevertheless, it looks like Rodgers will head north of the border, potentially paving the way for Farke to assume control at Leeds United.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has signified that the notion of Farke ending up at Leeds United is gaining momentum, though he questions the differing profiles of managers that the Yorkshire outfit have been linked with.

Jones said: "It's a bit strange at the moment. The type of managers that they are going for seem to be a bit all over the place in terms of profile.

"So, it's not totally clear what we're getting. Farke, at the moment, has also been linked with Celtic, but the Leeds rumours do seem to have a bit more prominence to them right now."

Would Daniel Farke be a good appointment for Leeds United?

Farke definitely operates with a high-octane style that would suit Leeds United's style of play and has experience of success at Sky Bet Championship level.

In his previous spell as manager of Norwich City, the 46-year-old led the Canaries to the English second-tier title on two occasions, in 2018/19 and 2020/21, as per Transfermarkt.

Most recently, Farke was head coach at Borussia Monchengladbach and was dismissed at the end of the 2022/23 campaign following a tenth-placed finish in the Bundesliga.

He may feel that a return to England will give him the best chance of re-establishing success; however, he may have to compete with West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan to land the position, as per The Yorkshire Evening Post.

Moving forward, Leeds United will hope that they can appoint a new manager swiftly as they get their preparations underway for 2023/24.

Aston Villa qualified for the Europa Conference League on the final day of the campaign with a 2-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.

Ollie Watkins and Douglas Luiz both got on the scoresheet to ensure that the Villans finished seventh in the top flight, which means that European football will be coming to Villa Park next season.

Unai Emery must now use that to his advantage by bolstering his squad with new signings in the upcoming summer transfer window to make sure that his team is ready to compete on multiple fronts in 2023/24.

The Villans were linked, in April, with a possible €30m (£26m) swoop to sign Valencia central midfielder Andre Almeida and the gem could be a long-term replacement for current captain John McGinn.

Who is Andre Almeida?

He is a combative 23-year-old maestro who could come in as competition for the spots in the middle of the park with a view to him taking the skipper's place in the future.

McGinn turns 29 later this year and the Valencia star could come in to put pressure on the Scotland international before eventually taking his starting berth.

In La Liga this season, the youngster has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.96 across 33 appearances and made 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game.

McGinn, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 and made 2.6 tackles and interceptions per match across 34 outings in the Premier League for Villa.

These statistics suggest that there is not much to separate the pair from a defensive perspective as they are both capable of winning the ball back for their side multiple times throughout clashes at the top level.

Almeida, who journalist Zach Lowy once described as one of the Portuguese top-flight's "breakout" stars, is also able to provide creativity in possession. The former Vitoria maestro has created 1.3 chances per game and registered four assists in the top tier of Spanish football.

He has also racked up 9.71 progressive passes and carries combined per 90 over the last 365 days, which places him in the top 15% of players in his position in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions, and this means that the ace regularly progresses the ball up the pitch with his passing and dribbling qualities.

Whereas, the Villa captain produced 0.6 key passes per match for Emery's side in the Premier League and has managed 5.82 progressive carries and passes combined per 90 over the last 365 days, which leaves him in the bottom 50% of players in his position.

This indicates that the Valencia ace would offer more quality on the ball than the Scotsman in terms of being able to open up the opposition's defence and drive his team forward.

Therefore, Almeida could be a dream replacement for McGinn as the Portuguese dynamo has plenty of years left ahead of him to develop and could grow into being a midfielder who can offer as much as the Villa ace defensively whilst being able to provide more in possession.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly still showing an interest in Sporting CP boss, Ruben Amorim amid their protracted manager search, despite the rampant speculation surrounding Celtic's Ange Postecoglou.

What's the latest in Tottenham's manager search?

While recent reports have suggested that Spurs are set to "step up" their interest in Postecoglou, journalist Rudy Galetti has revealed that Amorim remains a firm candidate to take charge at N17 next season.

Writing on Twitter, the respected insider stated: "#Tottenham bench: Ruben #Amorim – current #Sporting manager – is still fully in the race. #THFC appreciate his tactical module and idea of play.

"However, for the next Spurs coach a lot will depend on the choice of the new sporting director: evolving situation."

This comes amid a report from Football Insider which named the Portuguese coach alongside Postecoglou – and out-of-work boss Luis Enrique – as part of the Lilywhites' three-man shortlist for their vacant manager role.

Should Tottenham appoint Amorim?

For all the talk around the Hoops boss, the 57-year-old 'does not fit the profile of an up-and-coming coach, in the mould of Mauricio Pochettino in 2014, that Spurs had initially hoped to hire' – as per the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick – with the more youthful Amorim potentially set to represent a dream alternative.

The appointment of the 38-year-old – who has won the Primeira Liga title and three Portuguese League Cups in his managerial career to date – could also have the benefit of aiding Spurs in their pursuit of one of Sporting's key men – Manuel Ugarte.

As Galetti noted earlier this week, the north London outfit are believed to be competing with the likes of Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain for the Uruguayan's signature, with the 22-year-old set to be available for a fee of around €60m (£53m) due to the presence of a release clause in his existing deal.

The Montevideo native has caught the eye after establishing himself as a truly destructive and dominant presence in the centre of the park in Lisbon, having emerged as a key figure in Amorim's four-man midfield of late.

A real "warrior" in the former Braga head coach's 3-4-3 set-up – as hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – Ugarte has proven his ball-winning prowess after averaging 3.9 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game in the Portuguese top-flight this season, with that a far greater record than Tottenham's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, for instance – with the Dane averaging just 1.6 tackles and 1.4 interceptions in the Premier League this term.

That quality was particularly evident when Amorim led his side to a 2-0 win over Antonio Conte's men in the Champions League back in September, with Ugarte winning seven of his ten total duels on the day.

It is no surprise then that the midfield machine is attracting interest from Europe's elite clubs, although the hope will be that the 6 foot sensation opts to follow his manager to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It took more than four sessions coming, but once R Ashwin found his rhythm he ran through the West Indian line-up to seal India’s first innings win in the West Indies and their biggest outside Asia

The Report by Sidharth Monga24-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
An Ashwin-inspired India ran through West Indies after lunch on day four to bring up their biggest Test win outside Asia•AFPIt took more than four sessions coming, but once R Ashwin found his rhythm he ran through the West Indian line-up to seal India’s first innings win in the Caribbean, and their biggest one outside Asia.After lunch on day four, with India needing eight wickets to finish the match, Ashwin found dip and drift. Simultaneously, he cut out the loose balls to earn a five-for and a hundred in the same Test for a second time, the most by an Indian. West Indies couldn’t offer much resistance and folded in 78 overs. They had lasted only 12.2 overs longer in the first innings.Before Ashwin struck, Marlon Samuels and Rajendra Chandrika had managed to hold India up for 22 overs, which did frustrate India a little. Especially after an umpiring decision got India’s goat. After Umesh Yadav had removed Darren Bravo in the first over of the morning – a repeat feeble push to a wide delivery from the first innings – Mohammed Shami, in his first over of the morning, hit Samuels’ glove and offered a low chance to Wriddhiman Saha’s left. The wicketkeeper claimed immediately.Coach Anil Kumble, watching from the balcony, lifted his finger after the first replay. However, the replays – understandably not adequate in terms of angles or quality for financial reasons – didn’t return a verdict beyond reasonable doubt, nor was there a soft signal made by the on-field umpires. So the benefit of that doubt went to Samuels. His bat obscured the front-on replay somewhat, and there was nothing else to go by. The third umpire erred on the side of caution.Virat Kohli wasn’t amused. He was seen having an animated conversation with Ian Gould, who had irritated the Indian captain on day two as well. Kohli was trying to get in an extra over before stumps, but Gould, conversing on a walkie-talkie, had denied them.In a glimpse of what makes him a frustrating batsman to watch in Tests – a superb stroke-maker with an average under 35 – Samuels drove and cut gorgeously to take 23 off the 19 balls after his reprieve. Rain arrived, 40 minutes before lunch, and several players walked straight to a laptop and sat around it, perhaps watching the replays and wondering how Samuels had survived.India lost 15 minutes because of the rain. When an early lunch was taken, Ashwin had only bowled 22 overs in the match. He had offered too many balls to cut and was the only wicketless Indian bowler at the time. On a pitch that didn’t assist spin, and against batsmen who were happy to sit back, he was made to work hard.Ashwin’s rhythm, however, returned immediately after the break. He beat Samuels in flight, with the ball dipping and hitting him on the pad. The next ball didn’t turn as much, and took a soft outside edge for two runs. That was followed by another probing over, replete with a leading edge. You could sense Ashwin was building up to something.He had Chandrika believing he was driving at a half-volley, but the dip created distance, and Saha juggled a low catch off the batsman’s pad. Replays weren’t conclusive vis-à-vis the inside edge, but Chandrika didn’t protest at all. Next up was Jermaine Blackwood, for a pair. Once again, Ashwin created the distance with drift and dip, and the offbreak was driven to short midwicket.Samuels became the victim of drift. As it is, he likes staying beside the line, but this one from Ashwin drifted away, and then didn’t turn as much as he expected, hitting the top of off stump. The ball kept dipping on the inexperienced batsmen, who were arguably facing this quality of spin bowling for the first time, and debutant Roston Chase soon fell to forward short leg because his intended block didn’t reach the pitch of the ball.Amit Mishra broke the Ashwin streak with a topspinner that trapped Shane Dowrich, but Ashwin finished his first five-for outside Asia with another beauty. Jason Holder thought he could drive at a seemingly full offbreak, but the ball drifted away to create the bat-pad gap, and turned through it to hit the leg stump. Ashwin had taken five wickets in 51 balls.A win seemed only a matter of time but India got fancy with bowling changes, and Carlos Brathwaite and Devendra Bishoo made them wait 24.1 overs for their ninth wicket. After West Indies forced the match past the tea break, Ashwin came back to end it with the wickets of Bishoo and Shannon Gabriel in one over.

Arsenal have enjoyed a season as one of the Premier League’s best, sitting at the top of the pile for the majority of the campaign.

April’s disappointing form saw the Gunners get chased down by Manchester City but hope does still remain in north London that Mikel Arteta’s side can still win their first league title since 2004.

With just three games remaining, Arsenal have reached new heights this season, guaranteeing Champions League football for the 2023/24 campaign and a top-two finish for the first time since 2016.

What’s most impressive about Arteta's side, is that they are the joint-youngest squad in the top flight, level with Southampton with an average age of just 24.4.

The club’s three highest goalscorers are under 25, with 24-year-old captain Martin Odegaard netting 15 goals this season, level with 21-year-old Gabriel Martinelli, and in third is Hale End graduate Bukayo Saka with 14 goals.

To see young players flourishing is one thing, but to see them lead and maintain the success of a team at the summit of the Premier League is an incentive for those in the club’s academy, as a glimpse of the opportunities that could open for them in the future.

Several academy names have featured in first-team training this season, the most recent addition being Portuguese midfielder Mauro Bandeira.

Who is Mauro Bandeira?

Since joining Arsenal’s academy at the age of 13, Bandeira has worked his way through the system and currently plays for the U21s in the Premier League 2’s division one.

The 19-year-old prodigy has scored three goals in the league this season, making 20 appearances.

The Loures-born player is versatile in his positioning and has featured four times this campaign at right-back when called upon.

Once described as a “lively” presence in the engine room by journalist Layth Yousif, the young midfielder signed his first professional deal last summer and took the number 41 in the senior team.

Most recently, the teenage talent made the trip to St James’ Park with the Arsenal first-team squad, showing how he is valued at the club by Arteta.

With talk surrounding Granit Xhaka’s potential departure in the summer getting louder as the season draws to a close, the Swiss international could leave a vacancy to be filled in the heart of the pitch.

The Gunners aren’t afraid to place talented young stars above big names, and Bandeira could be one for the future as he embodies the skill set imposed on the current squad by the 30-year-old.

In the Football League Trophy this season, Bandeira has averaged a Sofascore match rating of 6.83, as well as winning over half of his duels per game (56%) whilst maintaining a passing accuracy of 81% – showing his ability to function in both areas of the engine room.

While speculation grows around Arsenal’s desire to sign a defensively-minded midfielder in the transfer window, the club may have the chance to explore the academy next season, especially with even more fixtures inbound with European involvement.

Only time will tell if the young Hale End gem will follow in the footsteps of those before him, however, Arsenal is the club to be at for young players under Arteta’s management.

Essex were denied the chance to push for a third win in the County Championship this season as the weather only allowed six overs to be bowled on the final day against Northamptonshire

ECB Reporters Network31-May-2016
ScorecardRavi Bopara picked up seven wickets in the match (file photo)•Getty ImagesEssex were denied the chance to push for a third win in the County Championship this season as the weather only allowed six overs to be bowled on the final day against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.The 12 points Essex took from the draw did extend their lead at the top of Division Two, however. Northants, after a fourth-straight draw at home this season and sixth stalemate in seven matches, took 11 points.The final day began on time under leaden skies and a howling wind with Northamptonshire resuming 56 for 4 in their second innings, still trailing by 140. They lost nightwatchman Ben Sanderson in the fifth over of the morning – giving Ravi Bopara a seventh wicket in the match, one scalp short of a first-class best match haul.But only one more over was possible before heavy rain arrived and conditions did not improve throughout the afternoon.

It seems as though referee Andy Madley and his VAR team may have made a big mistake after not awarding Wolves a late penalty for a Wout Faes handball.

What's the latest on Wolves and VAR?

Julen Lopetegui and co travelled away to face Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon but came away from the game empty-handed.

The match had got off to a promising start for the visitors, however, with Matheus Cunha opening the scoring with just 13 minutes on the clock.

Before halftime, though, the Foxes were level after Jose Sa brought down Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho buried the resulting penalty kick.

Wolves were unable to cling on for even a point in the end as Leicester struck a winner in the 75th minute as Timothy Castagne's effort made it 2-1 to the home team.

In the remaining time after the goal, WWFC did put some pressure on the opposition goal and it seems as though they could have had a penalty.

Indeed, as this footage shared on Twitter shows when a late corner was swung in, Faes clears the ball with the use of his arm

Was it a handball by Faes?

On the TV commentary, it's claimed: "For me, it's outstretched, it's unnatural." However, after a brief check by VAR, referee Madly is told to play on.

This seems pretty fortunate for Faes as he misses the ball completely with his attempted header but then it flies to safety via his arm.

As per the official FA rules, it is a handball offence when a player "touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger".

Now the phrase "unnaturally" is always down to interpretation and seems quite problematic when trying to draw up some black-and-white rules. But with the ball hitting Faes' outstretched arm, it certainly can be argued that he has committed an offence here.

Despite this incident, however, manager Lopetegui wasn't looking for excuses after the full-time whistle and instead insisted that his team should have created more chances.

He told the club's media team: “I don’t think we did enough or created enough chances in the second-half. They had more and when they scored it was easier for them because they are a very good team on the counter-attack. It was more difficult for us, but we tried.

“Now it’s done and today we can’t do anything more. We have to be ready for the next challenge.”

Tottenham Hotspur have cemented Julian Nagelsmann as their top managerial target to replace Antonio Conte, according to a recent report from Football Insider.

Who could Tottenham appoint as manager?

Tottenham have been linked with a whole host of potential new managers, with Nagelsmann said to have been on the agenda for a while now, and Football Insider report Harry Kane could be tempted to stay if the German is appointed.

However, he is not Spurs' only option, as chairman Daniel Levy absolutely loves recently-sacked Chelsea boss Graham Potter, while a meeting has also been held with former Spain and Barcelona manager Luis Enrique.

Mauricio Pochettino is said to be pushing for a reunion, however the Evening Standard report the Argentine is yet to be contacted about the idea of a potential return, despite being available without compensation, having left his role as Paris Saint-Germain manager.

Football Insider are now reporting that Tottenham have cemented Nagelsmann as their number one target, and they are happy to wait until summer to appoint him, meaning Cristian Stellini would take charge for the remainder of the campaign.

The Lilywhites are said to be huge admirers of the 35-year-old, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to win the race for his signature this summer, at which point he will be prepared to return to management.

However, Spurs are not the only Premier League club interested, as Chelsea also have the former Bayern boss on their shortlist.

Should Tottenham appoint Julian Nagelsmann?

It is still unclear whether Tottenham will be able to compete for the young manager this summer, as it has been reported he is concerned it could damage his career if he makes the move to north London.

However, if Levy does manage to lure him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Bundesliga-winning tactician would be an excellent appointment, having built an RB Leipzig side that was able to reach the Champions League semi-finals.

Given that Spurs do not have the financial power of the likes of Manchester City, having the ability to recruit the right players and build a squad is a vital quality any new manager must possess.

Not only that, but there are indications Nagelsmann could bring an exciting brand of football back to Tottenham, being hailed as a "pure innovator" by members of the media, which would be a very welcome sight for sections of the Spurs faithful, given that Antonio Conte developed a reputation for playing "boring football".

CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs says that Mo Salah remains ‘fully committed’ to Liverpool, after reports linking him with an exit.

The Lowdown: PSG links

Salah has recently been linked with a move to French giants PSG this summer, amid doubts over the future of attacking trio Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Football Insider have also claimed that FSG could be willing to cash in on Salah, who could reap a vast transfer fee for them, and talks have taken place internally over a possible big-name sale.

The Latest: Salah ‘fully committed’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs says that Salah remains ‘fully committed’ to Liverpool and vice versa, and reports of his potential departure are just rumours at this moment in time:

“The links of a Mo Salah departure are basically just rumour at this point, and my understanding is that Salah remains fully committed to Liverpool and Liverpool remain fully committed to Salah.

“He hasn’t hit the same goalscoring feats of seasons gone by, but I think that’s also down to the fact that Salah at his most prolific had a lot of talent creating space and linking up with him.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/liverpool-transfer-news-and-rumours/” title=”Liverpool Transfer News and Rumours” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cropped-2021-03-07T155652Z_1459311687_UP1EH3718ASBK_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LIV-FUL-REPORT.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Relief!

It will come as an almighty relief to Reds supporters that Salah and the club remain committed to each other.

The winger may not be having his best season in terms of numbers, with just nine goals in the Premier League before today’s encounter with Manchester United, but his record in terms of goals and assists outside of that is simply phenomenal (Transfermarkt).

The ‘Egyptian King’ as he is nicknamed by supporters in their beloved chant of him has helped win them both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, and create many memorable moments along the way.

Nonetheless, keeping Salah at the club is vital in terms of the Merseysiders kicking on next season.

West Ham have been linked with Torino full-back Ola Aina in recent weeks and the Nigerian could prove to be David Moyes’ own version of Manchester United star Diego Dalot at the London Stadium.

In an interview with GIVEMESPORT earlier this month, transfer insider Dean Jones gave the lowdown on the Hammers’ interest in the former Chelsea man and the possibility of him moving back to the Premier League in January.

He said: “There is still a chance. He is one of the options that they’ve had in mind. Honestly, there are three or four teams at the moment with him on a shortlist. It’s not 100% that he moves in this transfer window at all, but given the amount of interest it does seem like it’s feasible.”

Vladimir Coufal has struggled to replicate the form he showed when he first joined the Hammers, while Thilo Kehrer has also struggled at right-back since his summer arrival from PSG, with the two right-backs averaging hugely disappointing 6.48 and 6.33 ratings from WhoScored for their performances in the Premier League.

Therefore, it is easy to see why Moyes would want to recruit a right-sided defender in this month’s transfer window and in Aina he could land a potential upgrade for a fee of just €10m (£9m), with the Nigerian – whose passing has been dubbed “unreal” by journalist Michael Oti Adjei – earning a strong 6.74 rating from WhoScored for his performances in Serie A this season.

Moyes would be hoping that, if the former Fulham loanee joined the Hammers, he could replicate the performances of Dalot, who has established himself as one of the best in his position this season under Erik ten Hag at United.

The former Porto man has earned an impressive 6.96 average rating which sees him ranked as the fourth-best player at Old Trafford this season according to WhoScored.

According to FBref, the Portugal international is the fifth-most similar player to Aina when compared with other full-backs across Europe’s top leagues.

The two defenders have registered extremely similar numbers so far this campaign with regard to shots per 90 (0.93 vs 0.91), shots-creating actions per 90 (2.48 vs 2.41) and tackles per 90 (2.03 vs 2.05).

WhoScored also suggests that both Aina and Dalot excel at interceptions, so they are clearly similar types of full-back and given Dalot’s impressive form in a strong United side this season, Moyes would surely be foolish to turn the Torino “animal” down.

Indeed, the pair boast a rampaging nature to their game, all while possessing the ability to break up opposition attacks with ease. That is a fine mix and one that would surely improve the Hammers’ ranks.