Leeds United defender Robin Koch limped off against Chelsea in the Whites’ 3-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night but Bielsa could have a natural replacement in 17-year-old Nohan Kenneh.
The German international looked to be struggling in the opening stages of the game against Frank Lampard’s side and was replaced after less than 10 minutes after he had gone down clutching his knee.
He was replaced by Spanish centre-back Diego Llorente, who made his first start for the club after missing the first two months of the season with a groin injury.
This leaves Bielsa with just Llorente, Liam Cooper and Pascal Struijk as fit senior centre-backs in this side, and as we approach a busy Christmas period, you worry that if the Argentinian manager doesn’t rotate his side, then he will suffer more injuries in his defence.
Fortunately, he also has 17-year-old Kenneh available to him, with the academy graduate having trained with the first-team in recent weeks, so he is clearly knocking on the door for a start in Bielsa’s side.
Therefore Koch’s injury, whilst unfortunate, gives the Leeds manager the perfect opportunity to unleash Kenneh and show fans what the young academy sensation is capable of.
The England U17 starlet is yet to make a senior appearance for the Elland Road outfit but has made seven appearances for the academy sides so far this season.
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Leeds have five more Premier League games between now and the new year, so surely Bielsa will be tempted to make some changes to his squad to try and avoid his senior players being overexerted, which could lead to Kenneh being an opportunity to shine.
The 17-year-old can play as both a centre-back and a defensive-midfielder too, which gives Bielsa some more freedom in where he wants to play him if he decides that he isn’t ready to feature as a centre-back in the Premier League.
Either way, Koch’s injury is a blow for Leeds, so it will be interesting to see if Bielsa trusts Kenneh, or any other youngster, to replace him in the upcoming fixtures.
And, in other news… Forget Rodrigo: “Brilliant” £7.2m-rated beast is proving himself to be Leeds’ signing of the summer
Romanian journalist Emanuel Rosu, who regularly provides updates on Glasgow Rangers midfielder Ianis Hagi, has been on the end of some poor treatment from an unnamed representative of a Scottish newspaper.
Rosu was a constant source of knowledge for ‘Gers fans when Hagi moved on loan to Ibrox earlier this year and has provided updates on the 22-year-old ever since. Given his valuable position as an expert on all things Romanian football, you can understand why Scottish journalists would be eager to have him as a source.
However, it seems that one unnamed writer has taken advantage of Rosu. The latter was asked to provide some information on Hagi and his family, with the promise of payment. In the end, although he did provide what he promised, he did not receive any money for his work.
He shared a Twitter conversation with the journalist on the social media platform and it attracted plenty of attention from ‘Gers supporters. It is fair to say that many were far from happy – they have had plenty of problems with that they call the “mainstream media”.
Let’s see what they had to say about the treatment of Rosu below
In other news, Rangers fans slam this star who had a “touch like an elephant” against Standard Liege. Let us know what you think in the comments!
Leeds United haven’t had the easiest of starts to their first Premier League campaign in 16 years.
Just three weeks after a trip to defending champions Liverpool, the Whites are tasked with hosting Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at Elland Road.
Guardiola’s side have been one of the dominant forces in English football in recent years, but despite City’s brilliance, Leeds are catching them at just the right time.
The Manchester outfit arrive in Yorkshire in the midst of an injury crisis with no fewer than eight first-team players at risk of missing out on Saturday’s clash. This spate of problems has understandably coincided with poor form, with the Citizens being beaten 5-2 by Leicester last week.
So, what XI will Marcelo Bielsa field against Guardiola on Saturday? We’ve had a go at predicting United’s starting eleven this weekend with one change from the line-up against Sheffield United.
There aren’t too many changes to report ahead of this one, with the back five remaining exactly the same as it did against the Blades.
Illan Meslier starts between the sticks, while Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas hold down the full-back roles.
There’s no room for £18m signing Diego Llorente this week as Robin Koch and Liam Cooper keep their spots after last week’s clean sheet, with the ex-Real Sociedad man having to make do with a place on the bench.
The midfield is largely the same as we’ve seen for the past 12 months with the cohort of Kalvin Phillips, Mateusz Klich, and Helder Costa keeping their spots, but there is a change in the attacking midfield role with Rodrigo coming in for Tyler Roberts. Indeed, the Spaniard impressed from the bench at Bramall Lane, taking 41 touches, playing two accurate long balls and taking one shot on target in a 44 minute cameo (SofaScore).
There is another change on the wing as Ezgjan Alioski replaces Jack Harrison, with the former NYCFC man being ineligible due to Leeds’ opponents being his parent club.
There are no surprises up top as Patrick Bamford keeps his place after scoring in three consecutive matches.
In other news, one Leeds loanee showed exactly what he can do last weekend.
Tottenham Hotspur face competition over one of their reported transfer targets this summer and it’s on Daniel Levy to ensure they won’t be coming away as the losers…
What’s the word?
According to the Daily Mail, Burnley are set to make a £8m move to sign Mainz forward Robin Quaison despite the 26-year-old having a £14m release clause.
Spurs have also been linked with interest in the Swedish international, though it appears as if Sean Dyche has made the first move this window.
They claim that Quaison’s goalscoring threat and dribbling ability has attracted many top European teams but it is only the north Londoners who are named alongside the Clarets.
Versatile threat
Spurs are severely lacking a creative outlet as well as a back-up to Harry Kane, which is why a swoop for the Mainz talisman makes perfect sense as he can provide Jose Mourinho with both.
In 31 appearances last term, Quaison provided 13 goals and two assists playing pretty much anywhere along the front three and also in the hole. He averaged 2.2 shots, 1.4 dribbles and 0.9 key passes per game, via WhoScored.
You’d imagine those numbers would only increase with better players around him and that’s what Spurs have in abundance, particularly out wide.
The Swede has been likened to both Xavi and Serge Gnabry in the past but the comparison to the latter does indeed make the most sense. Bundesliga.com claim:
“Both have stocky frames, are quick on their feet, excellent at dribbling, can play in central attacking midfield or off the flanks, and are equally adept at scoring from outside the box as they are at teeing up teammates to score.”
Whilst comments from past and present staff at the Bundesliga club make this link seem all that more realistic – ex-head coach Sandro Schwarz believes Quaison’s “movement behind the opposition defence is very intelligent” whilst sporting director Rouven Schroder suggests he’s a player with “a lot of potential.”
If Burnley are successful with their £8m attempt, then it should set Levy’s heart racing to try and get a deal done. He’d be killing two birds with one stone – maybe even three.
AND in other news, 6 foot 3 monster would be a great successor to Harry Kane at Spurs…
Everton’s season has come to an end in disappointing fashion as they were thumped by relegated AFC Bournemouth at Goodison Park.
You could tell that it was a battle between a team already on their holidays against one with everything to play for.
A rare start for Moise Kean paid off as he equalised in the first half following Josh King’s early penalty, but the Cherries fought back thanks to strikes from Dominic Solanke and Junior Stanislas – though it wasn’t enough to keep them in the top-flight due to Villa’s draw at West Ham.
Plenty of the Toffees faithful were left fuming by the performance of Theo Walcott, who was withdrawn before the hour mark by Carlo Ancelotti.
He was blasted for being a passenger as well as a disgrace with one supporter claiming the veteran winger wasn’t fit to wear the shirt.
Lots of other fans pin-pointed some of the former Arsenal man’s faults, ranging from his crosses to his inability to keep hold of the ball.
Per SofaScore, Walcott managed a dire 69% passing accuracy, provided no accurate crosses, lost possession 13 times and missed one big chance.
So maybe these supporters are onto something.
It’s led to many others suggesting that he should be offloaded this summer – some were even praying that it was the last time they see the 31-year-old in a Blues shirt.
Walcott joined Everton in January 2018 for £20m and it appears plenty in Merseyside are hoping that 2020 is the final time he features.
AND in other news, Everton facing another Brands disasterclass if they sign Serie A star…
Stoke City are among a string of clubs in the English Football League rivalling Sunderland in the transfer race for Scott Fraser, according to Daily Record.
Ahead of a third straight season in League One, Black Cats manager Phil Parkinson is seeking to assemble a squad that he feels is capable of gaining promotion to the Championship.
The 52-year-old coach has already added some new faces to his squad with the signings of Bailey Wright and Aiden O’Brien, whilst Tom Flanagan signed a new deal to remain at the club.
Sunderland’s interest in Fraser has also been reported in the last few weeks, although that has now been matched by a number of clubs.
Fraser, who had spent the last two seasons with Burton Albion, opted to turn down a new contract at the Pirelli Stadium this summer and move on to a new chapter in his career.
The 25-year-old, who boasted five goals 11 assists in 30 League One appearances in 2019/20, is not just wanted by Sunderland, though, with both Stoke City and Hull City also said to be keen on him.
The Daily Record reported that Stoke manager Michael O’Neill is keen on the Scot, whilst League One newcomers Hull City will be keen to add quality to their squad as they seek to bounce back following their relegation from the Championship last month.
The race to sign Fraser looks likely to come down to the winner having the most pulling power, both financially and in terms of league stature.
If that proves to be the case, then Championship outfit Stoke could have the edge over League One duo Sunderland and Hull, which would leave frustration for the Black Cats were they to miss out on a player that they have targeted for some time.
Do you think Fraser would be a good addition to the Sunderland squad? Let us know your views in the comments section below…
Leicester are reportedly favourites to sign Adam Lallana from Liverpool this summer.
According to Dominic King (via Sportslens), the Foxes are keen on bringing the former England international to the King Power to reunite him with former boss Brendan Rodgers. Lallana will be available as a free agent at the end of the season and will be able to join the club of his choice.
It was recently confirmed by Jurgen Klopp that Lallana would play no further part in Liverpool’s 2019/20 season. King has reported that this is so the 32-year-old doesn’t risk any unexpected injuries squandering his chance of a top move.
The midfielder has dedicated six years to the Merseyside outfit after joining from Southampton in the summer of 2014 (via BBC Sport). Despite long-term injuries affecting a lot of his career in red, Lallana has made a total of 178 appearances, scoring 22 goals and assisting another 22 (via Transfermarkt).
Lallana would bring experience in abundance to Leicester’s midfield if they were to sign him up. With a Champions League and Premier League medal to his name, the 32-year-old could be what the Foxes need to challenge in Europe next season.
As it stands, Rodgers’ side are fourth in the league table, having slipped down a place following their recent draw against Arsenal. Both Chelsea and Manchester United are eager for a top four spot, so Leicester need to keep hold of their current position.
Should they qualify, Lallana could be a key figure in their Champions League run as well as pivotal player in the middle of the park. Especially as a free signing, the Foxes would be foolish not to bring the Englishman to the club.
Would you like to see Leicester sign Adam Lallana this summer? Join the discussion in the comments below…
Leeds United fans absolutely adore midfielder Kalvin Phillips so you can only imagine the reaction should the 24-year-old ever depart Elland Road, but maybe they shouldn’t worry going by Beren Cross’ latest article.
The LeedsLive reporter profiles young prospect Alfie McCalmont dubbed Marcelo ‘Bielsa’s next project’.
He claims that the Argentine was asked by Victor Orta about what he wanted should Phillips leave the west Yorkshire outfit – a contingency plan if you like – and Bielsa went away and watched all of the U23’s 2018/19 campaign and decided that the 20-year-old Northern Irishman was the man.
McCalmont was handed his debut earlier this season, coming on as a substitute against Salford City in the EFL Cup and would record his first start in the same competition two weeks later against Stoke City.
Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Leeds Quiz? Test your knowledge below…
He’s also picked up a cap for his national side.
Some supporters have been reacting to Cross on social media, here’s what has been said…
AND in other news, Leeds fans react as Marcelo Bielsa image emerges…
It’s July 2016 and a group of ardent Hammers fans have been waiting for four hours in the pouring rain for an opportunity to meet their Canning town born hero – Mark Noble.
He has been delayed for attending the grand opening of the new stadium store due to flooding in the Brentwood area in Essex where he now lives, caused by out of season torrential rain during the night and early morning. However, those Hammers fans don’t care; they’ve simply got to meet and have their photograph taken with him.
In their minds, any of them or their families could be Mark Noble and by the same token, he could be one of them. This, thoughm is only part of the reason why he is considered ‘Mr West Ham.’
This week it has been announced the West Ham United captain has donated £35,000 to Basildon Borough Council to help deliver essentials to the people effected by the Coronavirus outbreak. It is also believed he has played a part in the #playerstogether campaign – along with other senior Premier League players like Jordan Henderson, Harry Maguire and Troy Deeney – created to help raise funds for the NHS in these current troubling times.
Back in May 2016, he was even granted the freedom of the Borough of Newham – the London Borough West Ham resides in – for his services to the people of the area.
This came as no surprise to West Ham fans. A club captain for four years and part of the first team for thirteen, he is one of them after all, but what has led him to this point?
Below are just five of the reasons why West Ham fans hold their No.16 in such high regard…
He grew up in the local area of the club he now leads.
Mark grew up in Canning Town and then Beckton, a stone’s throw from Upton Park.
Having played for local side Barking Colts, he was then picked up as an 11-year-old by scouts at Arsenal. However, due to the distance to Highbury from his then home in Beckton, causing him to be consistently late for training, the decision was made for him to join his local club West Ham United’s Academy two years later in 2000.
Football – West Ham United v Southend United – Carling Cup First Round – Upton Park , 24/8/04
Mark Noble – West Ham United in action against Southend United
Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Gareth Bumstead
04/05
Mark became the youngest player to appear for the club’s reserve team at the age of 15 and after several appearances for the reserves, he then made his debut with the first team as a 17-year-old in August 2004 in a League Cup match against Southend United.
“Obviously when you grow up in the area you love playing on the street, and to go from playing on the street with my mates to playing at Upton Park is a bit surreal,” he said after his debut.
His passion for the club and the fans
Noble became club captain in September 2015, in time for West Ham’s momentous final season at Upton Park in 2015/16.
Upon succeeding previous Captain Kevin Nolan, Noble said: “When you are at a massive Barclays Premier League club like West Ham United playing in the best league in the world, to be captain and be brought up in the same area is something very special for me, for my family and the fans because they can relate to it.”
He spoke to the fans during an interview after the famous final match against Manchester United in May of that year, stating “this isn’t a football club, this is a family. Every West Ham fan out there is my family.”
It’s comments like these that demonstrate Noble’s undoubted commitment and passion for the club.
Over the years he’s been with the club through good times and bad, including in 2018 when fan unrest led to protests and pitch invasions at the club’s new home in Stratford..
Noble’s passion led to him helping to drag one of the protestors off of the pitch in a day of ignominy for the club.
“I’m a West Ham fan and I’ve always protected the club,” he said. “If someone approaches me, I’ll protect myself.”
He plays ‘The West Ham Way’
The phrase ‘playing the West Ham Way’ has long been derided, some of the time unfairly, but this largely depends on what your opinion of the West Ham Way is.
Most at West Ham believe it’s origins to come from the 1960s when Ron Greenwood’s side enjoyed arguably the most successful period in the club’s history. Winning the 1964 FA Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup the following season, closely followed by three of their players playing a major role in the glorious World Cup winning England team in 1966, West Ham United became known as a free-flowing football team.
Often, Greenwood’s philosophy was that it was as important to play well as it was to win matches. In the years since, the club haven’t always stuck to this idealist way of playing, but could it be interpreted that the West Ham Way has itself changed somewhat. Nowadays, West Ham fans expectation of their players is commitment and hard work, with maybe a little bit of style from time to time.
Mark Noble perfectly understands this philosophy. This was never better demonstrated than in the match where Noble scored his first league goal for the club against Tottenham Hotspur in March 2007.
Football – West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur – FA Barclays Premiership – Upton Park – 06/07 – 4/3/07
Mark Noble scores the first goal for West Ham United
Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Tony O’Brien
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Brought into the side’s midfield by Alan Curbishley, thanks in part to an injury crisis but also because of his hard-working industrious playing style, Noble spent much of the game buzzing all over the Spurs midfield before scoring a superb strike to give his side the lead. He even ended the game in tears following a last-minute defeat, seemingly condemning the club to relegation, before a marvellous end of season run, with Noble in the side, winning seven of their last nine games to stay up.
Over the years his playing style has adapted to an extent, leading the team from a deeper position as age has caught up with him, robbing him of his pace and stunting his previous penchant for running up and down the pitch.
Now, his deep lying midfield position allows him to be pivotal to the way the team plays, often spraying passes to players with more technical ability in advanced areas leading to goals. His pass completion rate each season has consistently been over 80% in recent years. In his 495 matches, he has 59 assists for the club and 60 goals – with 38 of those coming from the penalty spot.
He’s also the mentor for his central midfield partner and the man many West Ham fans hope will take his place as captain one day – Declan Rice.
Soccer Football – Premier League – West Ham United v Arsenal – London Stadium, London, Britain – January 12, 2019 West Ham’s Declan Rice celebrates after the match with Mark Noble REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account r
He’s ‘Too Good for England’
Noble’s promise in his early career led to International recognition for England at U18 and U19 level, closely followed by a call up to the U21 side in the summer of 2007 by then coach Stuart Pearce. He would go on to captain the team at the 2009 U21 European Championships, where they would be defeated in the final by their German counterparts.
However, a call up to the senior national side has long eluded him, despite some critical acclaim over the years. He was tipped by some to go to the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Euros due to his club performances in those seasons, but on both occasions was overlooked by Roy Hodgson in favour of younger candidates, despite his obvious experience.
Noble’s lack of England caps put him alongside other West Ham ‘legends’ who have had similar snubs, like Billy Bonds and Julian Dicks, often because of fears their rugged style of play may not be suited to international football.
West Ham fans know his qualities, though, and if anything, this has helped endear him to the Hammers faithful, serenading him with chants of “Too Good for England” several times over the years.
His dependability and consistency
Since his return to the club after returning from a loan spell with Ipswich Town in the first half of the 2006/07 season, Noble has averaged 28 league appearances each year. That’s an incredibly consistent run over 13 seasons. That’s largely due to his importance to the side, allied with his superb injury record.
During the thirteen seasons that Noble has been part of the first-team, he has suffered only six notable injuries, with the maximum time away from the team being 49 days in both the 2012/13 and 2016/17 seasons. He has been consistently picked by no less than seven managers in his time at West Ham, who often use varying playing styles, yet still come back to using Noble as part of the spine of their teams. He even reportedly played through pain and required injections to play for the club in 2017, displaying his obvious dependability.
He’s not always been immune to calls at certain stages to be dropped, notably during the 2016/17 season, a time he said “was the hardest of his career” and also more recently this season during the club’s wretched run of form. There being some suggestions new loan signing Sparta Prague captain Tomas Soucek could take his place in the side once the Premier League resumes.
If this season does mark the beginning of the end of Mark Noble’s time as West Ham’s talisman on the pitch, then it’s surely only going to be only the beginning of the next stage in his football career. Noble admitted in 2018 that he hadn’t done his coaching badges but he certainly sees himself as a mentor figure: “I think there’s no better person than me at this club to know the morals and ensure the foundations are kept with the young players and staff members.”
It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the coming years, whether he moves into coaching or joins the growing list of former footballers that end up chatting to Sky Sports or BT Sport every week in punditry.
Either way, there can be no doubt those Hammers fans will always see him as ‘one of them.’
Everton fans have got themselves fully behind the club’s owner Farhad Moshiri after it was revealed he believed that former manager David Moyes is not the right man to take the reins at the club.
Current boss Marco Silva is under intense scrutiny at Goodison Park after a series of poor results and performances that have left his side four points above the relegation zone in 16th.
To add to the pressure, speculation continues to circulate about Silva’s potential successor, with one of those managers being ex-Blue David Moyes.
His tenure at the club lasted 12 years but despite being unable to win a trophy with the Toffees, he brought an element of progression and stability to the side that had not been seen since the successful years of the 1980s.
Despite what he did for the club in the past, Football Insider revealed that Moshiri is not convinced that Moyes is the right man. However, Bill Kenwright and club CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale are keen to see the Scotsman return to the dugout.
Supporters were fully onside with the beliefs of the club’s owner and made their feelings clear on social media.
Here you will find some of the best comments from Everton fans:
Everton fans, would a Moyes return really be so bad? Share your thoughts below!