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Kevin Phillips says Ian Poveda could be one of a ‘few surprises’ in the Leeds line-up to face Brighton on Saturday afternoon.

Poveda is still waiting for a full Premier League debut, having been limited to 12 substitute appearances thus far, but it may have opened up perfectly for him ahead of the trip to the Amex Stadium.

Raphinha remains out with the hip injury he sustained in the win against Manchester City, and perhaps more worryingly given the lack of depth now at that position, there was no sign of fellow winger Helder Costa at Thorp Arch as Leeds posted their ‘Inside Training’ video.

Costa was forced off with an apparent back problem against Manchester United last week, and the footage seems to suggest the concerns about his fitness will prove true.

Has Bielsa dropped Poveda ‘hint’?

Bielsa was tight-lipped on the possibility of a Poveda start, keen to keep opponents Brighton guessing.

“Anything that indicates the 11 for the next game, I look to avoid,” he said, as quoted by Leeds Live.

But Phillips reckons his silence could be telling.

“It could be a hint that he plans to start him,” the former Premier League Golden Boot winner told Football Insider.

“We all know how stubborn Bielsa is. He doesn’t give a lot away.

“He’s his own man. So it wouldn’t surprise me if there were a few surprises there. Poveda could be one of those.”

The 21-year-old has racked up a total of 288 minutes off the bench in 2020/21.

In that short time, he’s impressively created three big chances, but none of them yielded an assist.

Transfer Tavern verdict

In all honesty, it’s a surprise that Poveda hasn’t earned a league start already given the positive impact he has repeatedly made from the bench.

Ordinarily, you would expect a team in Leeds’ position – comfortably mid-table without much prospect really challenging for Europe – to hand out opportunities to young players in the final games of the season.

For Poveda, though, this could be an excellent opportunity to stake a claim to a greater role come 2021/22.

In other news, Brighton have been dealt an injury blow of their own ahead of the game. 

A section of Crystal Palace fans protested at Selhurst Park in the 3-1 win over Everton on Sunday, Matt Woosnam reports.

The Holmesdale Fanatics held up a banner after the club announced a partnership with cryptocurrency brand Socios, with a number of Palace fans giving their thoughts to the protest on social media.

Palace shared details last week on plans to launch a $CPFC Fan Token through Socios, which gives fans the chance to get involved in Eagles-related polls, games, competitions and quizzes.

All existing Palace season ticket holders and members will soon have the opportunity to redeem a $CPFC Fan Token for free, however, those not eligible will need to pay £2 a token.

Palace fans react

Palace reporter Woosnam shared an image of The Holmesdale Fanatics and their banner regarding Socios on Twitter.

This is what these Eagles supporters had to say in reply, with many backing the protest, presumably due to Palace partnering with a cryptocurrency brand, which is by its very definition decentralised finance, and therefore non-regulated and very risky.

“Didn’t even know this”

Credit: @bradhcpfc

“Expected this and I’d be surprised if Parish didn’t”

Credit: @Phillyconcarne

“Fans not customers..”

Credit: @c_fletch2

“Well done to the HF.”

Credit: @EaglesPerchCPFC

“I missed that but good on them. It is simply a scam, BBC had a good article this week”

Credit: @GarethWynDavies

“Because its a giant scam. Its a ponzi scheme for tech bros.”

Credit: @scottcd23

In other news: ‘Finished’ – Lots of CPFC fans slam ‘useless’ ace who will ‘be the death of Palace’. 

With Valerien Ismael’s West Bromwich Albion side heading into Wednesday evening’s Championship clash on the back of a rather resounding 3-0 defeat last time out, the Frenchman will have undoubtedly been hoping for a more positive result when Hull City visited The Hawthorns.

And, while the Baggies’ overall performance left a lot to be desired, Karlan Grant’s fourth goal in five games was enough to ensure that the 46-year-old’s side ran out 1-0 victors against the Tigers – a result which saw West Brom keep the pace with Fulham in the race for second.

However, while the spectacle may not have been overly enjoyable for the Albion fans in attendance, there was one positive to come out of the fixture – the performance of Taylor Gardner-Hickman on his league debut for the club.

Lost possession 18 times

With Darnell Furlong missing Wednesday evening’s fixture as a result of his red card against Fulham last weekend, Ismael placed his trust in the 19-year-old to fill in at right wing-back, and the youngster certainly did not disappoint.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, Gardner-Hickman enjoyed 66 touches of the ball – the joint third-most of any player to feature in the match – completed 24 passes, made one key pass and attempted six crosses and five long balls.

The right-back’s attempts to make things happen for his side was further highlighted by the fact he lost possession of the ball on 18 separate occasions – something that is usually viewed as a negative statistic.

However, when considering that Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold lost the ball 16 times against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night, a fixture in which the right-back created two big chances and ended the game with two assists to his name, it is clear to see that the lost possession statistic can also reflect how creative a player is attempting to be for his side.

Although, it was not only going forwards that Gardner-Hickman impressed, with the teenager also helping his side keep a clean sheet, in addition to making one clearance, two tackles and winning six duels against the Tigers.

These returns saw the man who Sam Allardyce suggested could become an “important” player for the Baggies earn a very respectable SofaScore match rating of 7.0 – not bad for the first league start of his career.

As such, while Furlong will likely return to his starting berth when Middlesbrough visit The Hawthorns on Saturday, Gardner-Hickman undoubtedly proved against Hull that he is more than capable of stepping up for his side when required – something that will delight Valerien Ismael.

In other news: Journo drops fresh West Brom January transfer claim that will devastate Albion fans

Following Steven Gerrard’s appointment as the new Aston Villa manager last week, the club have already been linked with a host of players in the upcoming transfer window, with the likes of Ryan Kent, Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo all being touted with moves to Villa Park this winter.

However, in order to make space for the club’s potential incoming signings, the 41-year-old may well have to look to move a number of the current Villa squad on come January, with one name likely to be high on the manager’s list of outgoing candidates being that of Keinan Davis.

Despite having made his debut for the club as an exciting 18-year-old prospect back in 2017, the centre-forward has failed to kick on in his professional career at Villa Park, still yet to enjoy what could be considered as his breakout season in first-team football.

Indeed, in his first season spent predominantly with the senior squad, the £2.7m-rated striker scored three goals and provided four assists over his 30 appearances in all competitions, returns which suggested that the former England U20 international could have the potential to go on and become a first-team regular.

However, the 23-year-old would ultimately make only 45 more appearances over the following three campaigns, scoring just three goals and registering three assists in the process, as the centre-forward found himself pushed further and further down the Aston Villa pecking order, while his returns did nothing to convince Dean Smith that he deserved a spot in the manager’s starting XI.

This is a lesson that Steven Gerrard must learn from, as, over the past four seasons the £25k-per-week Davis has consistently proven that he is not a player of the standard required at Villa Park.

Indeed, fans of the club also agree with this assessment, as, in a poll ran on Football FanCast, the vast majority of supporters made their feelings known that they do not believe the player who Jack Grealish once dubbed as “unplayable” has a future at their club.

As such, Gerrard simply must axe the 23-year-old in January, as his place in the squad, as well as his rather hefty weekly wage, could be put to much better use by the 41-year-old manager.

In other news: Lange could transform Gerrard’s AVFC by signing “frightening” £20m gem likened to Mane

With the Premier League firmly heading towards the business end of its campaign, time is running out for Leeds United’s Gaetano Berardi to make his long-awaited comeback from injury and finally taste a bit of top-flight football.

The Switzerland international has been out of action since last summer after picking up an ACL injury versus Derby County in the Championship, with the Whites making the incredibly classy gesture of handing him a one-year contract extension to provide him with a bit of support while he recovers.

Berardi is the club’s longest-serving first-team player since initially arriving from Serie A side Sampdoria back in 2014 and has played 155 games, but given recent reports linking the club with a move for Nicolas Nkoulou this summer, it appears his time at Elland Road may be coming to an end.

It’s been suggested that Nkoulou – who played under Marcelo Bielsa at Marseille – is a target the Leeds boss personally wants, with the Cameroon international set to be available on a free transfer once his own contract comes to an end.

The 30-year-old’s arrival would further add to the Whites’ centre-back ranks, and it’s certainly an area where Bielsa has a number of different options at his disposal when everybody is fully fit and firing.

He can call upon the likes of: Liam Cooper, Diego Llorente, Robin Koch, Luke Ayling, Pascal Struijk and even Leif Davis, and so Nkoulou’s arrival would further push Berardi onto the side-lines.

At 32, Berardi is in the twilight of his career, and given the seriousness of his knee injury, it’s difficult to see how he will ever get back to his powerful best for Leeds.

Clearly, the Swiss ace is still a major presence in the squad, with Bielsa himself declaring that “his opinion is one the changing room listens to, and also the staff.”

Indeed, The Athletic’s Phil Hay delivered an insight into Berardi’s influence at Elland Road, revealing: “People at Leeds try to make the point that Bielsa sees Berardi as a fundamentally good footballer who is easy to coach and easy to direct. Bielsa admires his discipline.”

But with Nkoulou’s possible arrival, the writing may well be on the wall for Berardi when his current contract comes to an end.

Whilst Spurs were able to grind out a 1-0 win against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Thursday evening, their attacking play for much of the game left a lot to be desired, and wasn’t anywhere near the level they produced against Burnley last weekend.

A solitary own goal was the difference between the two sides, with Spurs struggling to create chances against a Fulham side who have shown a lot of fight in recent weeks.

One man who struggled to get involved in the game against Scott Parker’s team was Gareth Bale. The £18m-rated Welsh international looked back to his best with a superb display in the 4-0 win against Burnley, as he provided two goals and an assist, but he was largely anonymous at Craven Cottage.

As per SofaScore, the 31-year-old earned a 6.7 match rating for his display, with only Harry Kane, Toby Alderweireld and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg rated lower among the starting XI as they were all rated 6.6/10 for their performances.

During his time on the pitch, the Real Madrid loanee completed just eight of his 16 passes, resulting in a less than impressive pass success rate of 50%, whilst it was also the fewest passes played by any player who started the game from either side, with Spurs ‘keeper Hugo Lloris playing 21 passes during the game, per SofaScore.

Bale has averaged a 67.6% pass success rate in the Premier League so far this season, which suggests that he was nowhere near his best against Fulham, and perhaps hints that he can struggle to keep up with the intensity of the top-flight. Against Burnley he was afforded all sorts of space, whereas the game at Craven Cottage was more frantic and cluttered in midfield.

Although the winger did play the through ball to Dele Alli which led to Spurs’ goal, it was one of few involvements in a disappointing display from the Welshman, as he failed to register a single shot on target or an accurate cross in west London.

Therefore, whilst Jose Mourinho suggested that he was “happy” with Bale following the game, he might be concerned that the 31-year-old failed to stamp his authority on the game as he did against Sean Dyche’s side last time out, particularly in the second half when Spurs could barely get out of their own half against the relegation candidates.

And, in other news… 100% duels won: £60k-p/w Spurs scapegoat sent Jose a message with solid Fulham display

Sunderland have been dealt a fresh setback ahead of their upcoming League One clash with Rotherham United on Tuesday evening.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via Rotherham’s official website), Paul Warne revealed that, despite a number of his first-team squad picking up knocks in the 2-1 victory over Oxford United on Saturday afternoon, he has no fresh injury concerns ahead of tomorrow’s meeting with Sunderland – suggesting he will be able to pick from the same group of players available at the weekend.

Regarding the current state of his squad, the 48-year-old said: “We’ve got no major concerns, you always have a few aches and pains the day after a game, but I don’t think any of that is going to change who is available on Tuesday night. I think we’ll have the same players available to us.”

Neil will be gutted

Considering the importance of picking up all three points against the second-placed Millers on Tuesday evening, the fact that Warne has no fresh injury concerns is undoubtedly news that will have left Alex Neil gutted.

Indeed, Rotherham have been in fantastic form throughout their 2021/22 League One campaign, so far confounding pre-season predictions of a sixth-place finish by occupying one of the automatic promotion spots – with a victory over the Black Cats on Tuesday, coupled with a Wigan Athletic draw or loss at Portsmouth, being enough to see the Millers claim top spot in the division.

This favourable league position has largely been thanks to the efforts of centre-forward Michael Smith – 19 goals and six assists over 43 appearances – goalkeeper Josh Vickers – 12 clean sheets and 3.1 saves per game over 20 outings – central midfielder Daniel Barlaser – nine goals and six assists over 42 fixtures – and centre-back Michael Ihiekwe – 19 clean sheets over 40 matches.

Having said that, with Warne’s side having lost three of their last five league outings, Neil will be confident that, as long as Sunderland play to the best of their ability at the Stadium of Light, his side have a chance of taking all three points from the meeting.

However, the news that Rotherham have no fresh injury worries, coupled with the fact that the Mackems now look set to be without both Dennis Cirkin and Carl Winchester due to knocks picked up against Cambridge United, will certainly come as a blow to Neil and his side – who simply must secure a victory in order to give themselves the best possible chance of sealing a top-six spot of their own come the end of the season.

AND in other news: Forget Stewart: SAFC’s “complex” 141-touch star stole the show vs Cambridge United

According to a report by Italian outlet Calcio e Finanza, via SempreInter.com, Inter Milan will not face any difficulty offloading Christian Eriksen in January as Tottenham eye a return – coming after claims they will face roadblocks in the form of tax issues. 

Eriksen, who left Spurs for the San Siro in a deal worth £16.9 million, has been heavily linked with a return to north London in recent weeks – with Football Insider reporting they have been offered the chance to recapture his signature.

The Denmark international was a fan favourite at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before opting to move on, but the grass hasn’t exactly been greener on the other side since his exit.

Eriksen boost emerges

Indeed, Eriksen has struggled for game time under Antonio Conte – prompting rumours that he is set for a move away and potentially, a Premier League return.

Tottenham have been touted as one of his worthy suitors, with news now emerging that Inter won’t face tax difficulties when attempting to sell the playmaker in January – potentially a huge boost to Daniel Levy and co.

The Telegraph originally reported that Eriksen looked set to be priced out of a comeback to England, with Italian tax breaks for foreign players making it nearly impossible for English clubs to match his current salary.

However, as per this update by Calcio e Finanza, Inter have set aside £10.7 million in the ‘June 30 2020 budget’ – and part of it could be used to pay inland revenue fees which result from selling players who are benefitting from the growth decree.

Transfer Tavern breakdown

The decree allows players to take an income tax reduction on the condition that they stay in Italy for 24 months – which Eriksen wouldn’t stand to benefit from if he departed in January – potentially costing the Serie A giants a huge amount in wages for the player.

Because the Serie A side have that money in place already, the potential repayments seem taken care of – gifting Spurs a boost as they reportedly contemplate re-signing him.

Inter’s stroke of fortune could hugely benefit Tottenham as they allegedly no longer face this financial obstacle, but it remains to be seen whether the club do take full advantage of this in January.

In other news: Tottenham claims have emerged on this ‘phenomenal’ youngster, find out more here.

Former Premier League striker Stan Collymore has aimed a dig at Leeds United on Twitter, before swiftly deleting the social media post.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side earned promotion to the top-flight last season, following a title-winning campaign in the Championship that saw them amass 93 points.

Leeds have then flourished during their first year back in the big time, sitting ninth in the table and taking five points off Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United in their last three games.

It has been one of the most impressive seasons from a promoted side in recent memory, with some claiming they were best of that ilk during the Premier League era, as reported by MOT Leeds News.

[freshpress-quiz id=“351040″]

Collymore takes swipe at Leeds

Collymore didn’t take kindly to that opinion, however, taking to Twitter to claim it was ’embarrassing’ to compare them to the likes of Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United, before deleting the comment soon after:

“Finished third, score 72 goals, win 22 games, single number losses, +29 goal difference, inflict the champions first home loss in a year and score seven away in one game, then let’s talk,” he wrote.

“Geordie’s finished third too when they were promoted. Embarrassing question.”

Transfer Tavern take

It seems a needless dig from the controversial Collymore and his decision to delete the tweet suggests he knows he was out of line.

Such is the subjective nature of football, supporters will all have differing opinions on who the best promoted side are, but there is no denying that Leeds have shone this season, and perhaps to some their style of play outweighs the achievements of past promoted teams.

They have become a team that neutrals love watching, with their matches providing plenty of entertainment – Leeds matches have seen more goals than any other side this term – and they have backed it up with positive results, too.

In other news, a former Leeds player has made a big claim regarding the future of a current Leeds favourite. Read more here.

Celtic’s hunt for a new manager is currently in its tenth week but a successor for Neil Lennon has yet to be announced.

The Hoops have considered a number of appointments but Dermot Desmond has been struck with plenty of sticking points.

What’s the word?

Eddie Howe has been linked with the job on a regular basis over the last month but a deal is thought to be reaching a conclusion.

That being said, Celtic may be forced to think again after a surprising piece of news emerged this week.

That’s because a new name has now emerged in their chase for Lennon’s replacement. That’s the word of Duncan Castles who shared the latest information that he’d been given on the Transfer Window podcast.

He said: “With Roma parting with their current coach Paulo Fonseca, obviously, a Portuguese legend in terms of his career, he has been offered to both Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur as replacements for Neil Lennon and Jose Mourinho.”

A twist on the cards

With Celtic flirting with Howe for so long, it would be an almighty surprise if they suddenly changed their plan.

That said, extraordinary circumstances appear in football that are sometimes simply too hard to refuse.

In terms of improving their status in Europe, Fonseca would certainly be a valuable hire for Dermot Desmond and co.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/celtic-manager-transfers-eddie-howe-jesse-marsch-ryan-christie-siriki-dembele” title=”Read the latest Celtic managerial updates, transfer news, rumours and gossip!”]

He is set to be replaced by Jose Mourinho at Roma once the season comes to a conclusion but it’s been a successful one as far as Europe is concerned.

Fonseca has guided his side to the semi-finals of the Europa League and has shown himself to be a serial winner.

The 48-year-old took Shakhtar Donetsk to three league titles in a row, amassing a win success rate of 74%.

Used to dominating a domestic league and then adapting well in Europe, this could be a crucial skill for a Hoops side striving to do the same.

They have been usurped by Rangers domestically while their continental campaign this term was nothing short of a disaster.

Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League in the qualifying stages and then finished rock bottom of their Europa League group after conceding 19 goals in six outings.

Fonseca may have seen his team decimated 6-2 by Manchester United in the Europa League semi-finals a week ago but he has proved to be adaptable before that.

With Howe possessing no experience in Europe at all, perhaps the Celtic boardroom needs to look towards Fonseca instead. Nobody was really expecting Fonseca to be an option, but now he seemingly is, he could be an excellent selection for the Hoops.

It would not be a shock at all if Celtic decided to take a bit of time to assess Fonseca before they commit to Howe, or indeed any other candidate, so this information that Castles has passed along could very well lead to a further delay whilst the Hoops consider their options again.

AND in other news, Dominic McKay is already on the verge of his first major Celtic mistake…