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Noel Whelan has lauded the performance of Diego Llorente as Leeds United beat Manchester City 2-1 away in the Premier League on Saturday.

Two goals from Stuart Dallas were enough to give Marcelo Bielsa’s team all three points at the Etihad Stadium as they earned them the hard way following a straight red card for their captain Liam Cooper and an equalising goal from Ferran Torres for Pep Guardiola’s men.

Nonetheless, Llorente needed to put in a very commanding performance at the back with his central defensive partner given his marching orders just before the half-time whistle, and the Spain international did just that, leaving former Elland Road striker Whelan in awe of him when speaking to Football Insider:

“He keeps getting better and better.

“For me, he’s my number-one choice at centre-half right now. He is showing all these skills, running out with the ball, defensively he’s getting a lot stronger, a lot tougher.

“He’s also a lot more aggressive and winning a lot of his duels.

“He’s the first on the team sheet for me. It’s all about whether it’s going to be Struijk or Liam Cooper next to him.”

Llorente deserves all praise for Leeds

Llorente deserves all the praise for his display as he was vital to Leeds securing victory over the Premier League leaders.

The 27-year-old topped the performance charts in terms of clearances made (six), shots blocked (five) and interceptions made (two, joint with Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha) at the Etihad, as per Sofascore, highlighting just how important he was to Bielsa’s side.

The centre-back is set to become even more crucial now in the next run of matches for Leeds given Cooper’s sending off and subsequent suspension.

In other news, find out which Leeds ace Paddy Kenny has tipped to play Champions League football!

Graeme Souness says he ‘wouldn’t be confident about Newcastle winning another game’ this season after the ‘attitude’ they displayed against Brighton at the weekend.

Leandro Trossard, Danny Welbeck and Neal Maupay were on target for the Seagulls as they crushed Steve Bruce’s men in the relegation six-pointer.

Newcastle could only muster three shots (one on target) over the course of the 90 minutes (via BBC Sport). They finished the game with an xG of just 0.09 (via XG Philosophy).

Newcastle’s survival prospects assessed

Fulham’s defeat at home to Leeds on Friday night means that Newcastle stay two points above the bottom three with a game in hand, but they are winless in their last six matches and their run-in includes meetings with Tottenham, West Ham, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester and Manchester City.

Speaking on Sky Sports Premier League [via Football Daily], Souness – who managed Newcastle between 2004 and 2006 –  offered a damning verdict, saying:

“I look at that group of players and I wouldn’t be confident about them winning another game, if that’s their attitude tonight. They were going through the motions.

“They don’t have any easy games left, the way they’re playing and the appetite they’re showing. It’s worrying for them and Steve Bruce knows that.

“You can lose one way and you can lose by not having a go and I think tonight, they went down without a fight, for me.”

Steve Bruce hangs on

Even though he questioned the players’ desire, Souness did not look to shield Steve Bruce from criticism either.

He said that “the buck stops with the manager” and warned that Mike Ashley may be tempted to make a change in the dugout as he sweats over the value of his “asset”.

As it stands, Bruce’s job is said to be safe (via Sky Sports). It was reported earlier in the campaign that Ashley would only pull the trigger if Newcastle were to slip into the relegation zone at any stage (via Chronicle Live).

Transfer Tavern verdict

More often than not, a performance like the one Newcastle produced at the Amex Stadium would be the last straw. It was a far cry from ‘playing for the manager’.

Ashley’s preoccupation with the table as opposed to the team’s trajectory is very worrying for the club’s supporters. In the past, he has brought in Alan Shearer and Rafa Benitez for the final stretch of the season and it has proven too little, too late.

You fear that, with the international break preceding a nine-game run-in, Newcastle may be missing their last chance to make an impactful change.

In other news, Newcastle are said to be in pole position to sign this player.

One of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus’ first policies since walking through the doors at the Academy of Light has been to improve the depth of young talent at Sunderland.

He has made several key appointments from a coaching and directing perspective, while a number of young players are also joining.

What’s the word?

Sunderland have already tied down Will Harris, Kenton Richardson Sam Wilding and Harry Gardiner following successful trial periods at the club.

However, their efforts haven’t stopped there. In recent weeks, they’ve also taken on Guiseley defender Nathan Newell and Gateshead’s Danny Greenfield. Gateshead appears to be a hotbed of talent for Sunderland to exploit with fresh reports claiming they’re raiding the north-east outfit again.

According to The Chronicle, they are set to bring in striker Nelson Ogbewe on trial for two weeks from the same team.

The 18-year-old scored for Gateshead in a behind closed doors friendly versus Sunderland earlier this week and now they are keen to have another look at him.

Competition for places

With Benji Kimpioka heading out on loan to Torquay, there is a spare gap in Sunderland’s U23 side to exploit.

The Swede has been used sparingly this season, enduring injury and struggling to force his way into the senior side. He did make the bench against Tranmere in the Papa John’s Trophy final but his chances of regular football could suffer further if Sunderland sign Ogbewe.

The teenager has been impressing for Gateshead and his goal against Sunderland says as much.

Though, with pace and the ability to stretch the play, it’s Jack Diamond who he could end up rivalling at the Stadium of Light in years to come.

Diamond picked up two assists as the U23s defeated Burnley on Monday but his performances under Lee Johnson in recent weeks have left plenty to be desired.

He was particularly poor against Accrington when he was dragged off at half time. The youngster completed just three passes and made 18 touches, losing possession on nine occasions.

It was a performance that was rather out of character with Diamond since he’s burst onto the scene. Though, now back in the U23s, it shows that the young forward still has plenty to learn.

The addition of another striker, therefore, could be bad news for a player like him trying to break into the first-team on a more regular basis.

Ogbewe is a striking character, someone who uses his quick feet to get the better of opponents, much in the same way that Diamond does. Similarly, however, they both have work to do to play regular senior football.

Speaking about Ogbewe, former Sunderland defender Ben Clark said: “He has a very good attitude; he is a talented lad, and we will do all we can to help him progress in a way we believe he can.”

Clark added: “He still has a lot to learn, he’s come a long way in a short time, and we shouldn’t forget that.

“Obviously you have to be cautious with any young player, but we are optimistic he can build on the development he has made.”

Unfortunately for Gateshead, it looks as though he may end up developing at Sunderland instead. This is good news for the Mackems, but not necessarily amazing for Diamond and Kimpioka heading into the next few seasons.

Time will tell what impact his trial period has on the young players around the club.

AND in other news, SAFC flop has seen his value rise by £14.4m since leaving, he’s a “powerful” beast…

The season of 2020/21 has been desperately unkind to Celtic. Their form has gone out the window with any hope of winning ten in a row eradicated before it could even become a reality.

They are 18 points off top spot and are now searching for a new manager following Neil Lennon’s resignation.

One man who reportedly wants the job is former Huddersfield boss David Wagner. He is a free agent after being sacked by Schalke towards the beginning of the season but would surely offer plenty to the Hoops.

For starters, he favours a pressing style of football, something that sees his players attempt to win the ball back within a matter of seconds of losing it. Wagner also prefers to play on the offensive which will no doubt be eye-catching to the Celtic hierarchy.

We’ve already looked at how his methods could benefit the Bhoys but he could also be a positive for Jonjoe Kenny.

The 5 foot 9 right-back was signed on loan from Everton in the January transfer window but his asking price is now plummeting due the amount of time left on his contract at Goodison Park. Thus, there is a possibility that he returns to Glasgow next season.

By hiring Wagner they could enhance the chances of bringing him back to Parkhead and thus, forge a menacing partnership.

After all, the duo rustled up quite the enterprise when Kenny spent the 2019/20 campaign in the Bundesliga with Schalke.

The full-back enjoyed a very good campaign under Wagner where he featured 34 times, scoring two goals and assisting a further three.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-hunt-stories-wagner-marsch-martinez-lennon-news” title=”The last stories on Celtic’s hunt for a new manager!”]

The 49-year-old only had praise for the Englishman at the start of his loan spell. Speaking in September 2019, Wagner commented: “I had a good picture of Jonjoe and, after I joined Schalke, we all together agreed that we had to sign a right-back.

“As soon as I found that we were not able to afford someone to buy because of our financial restrictions, Jonjoe was one of the first names I put on the table when I discussed [targets] with our board. Luckily, they agreed to try to sign him and luckily he decided to join our football club.”

Wagner concluded: “I can tell you what, he is already close to becoming a fan favourite here in our stadium. He has done an amazing job so far and scored a wonderful goal against [Hertha] Berlin. He is, for sure, one of the best signings which we have made this summer.”

Fine words indeed. Kenny is yet to see his Celtic career take off but under Wagner, that could change.

The pair seemed to really understand each other during their season together as the German made him one of the most impressive young defenders in the Bundesliga.

The youngster won the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month for August and was subsequently among the nominees for the Rookie of the Year award.

It was a stellar campaign that unfortunately, he’s not been able to build upon. Wagner already rates him highly so it could be a flourishing dynamic if he’s signed permanently and the aforementioned manager walks through the door.

Dermot Desmond needs to consider it; there are surely only benefits to putting the two together.

AND in other news, Desmond may sway Edouard’s Celtic future by hiring 43 y/o with “a science to football”…

Southampton’s hopes of getting rid of Wesley Hoedt look to have suffered a blow, with a recent report suggesting that the Dutch defender is ‘destined’ to return to the south coast club this summer.

According to reports from Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, the 27-year-old will return to Southampton this summer, despite Lazio holding an option to buy the centre-back as part of the deal which saw him join on loan this season.

Southampton signed the defender from Lazio in 2017 for £15m but he has endured a nightmare time with the Saints thus far, having made just 45 appearances in all competitions before a series of disappointing loan spells. He has described his move to St Mary’s as a “mistake” and criticised Ralph Hasenhuttl for not giving him a chance to prove his worth, as per Daily Mail.

He initially joined Celta Vigo for the second half of the 2018/19 season before spending last season on loan with Royal Antwerp, but it seems clear that Hasenhuttl has never been convinced by the defender as he was sent back to Lazio on loan for this season.

He has been limited to just 15 appearances in Serie A for Simone Inzaghi’s side, where he has averaged a lowly 6.36 rating, so you can hardly blame them for not wanting to make his stay a permanent one.

The £5.4m-rated Dutchman’s four-year Southampton nightmare looks set to continue in the summer as he will return to the Saints, where he is presumably unwanted by Hasenhuttl and will likely struggle to move ahead of any of Jannik Vestergaard, Jan Bednarek, Mohammed Salisu or Jack Stephens in the pecking order with the south coast club.

Unfortunately for Martin Semmens, Hoedt’s contact with Southampton doesn’t expire until the end of the 2021/22 season, so he will surely be desperate to sell him this summer; otherwise it seems likely that he will depart on a free transfer next year.

This latest update is frustrating for Southampton, as they perhaps thought they had seen the last of Hoedt when he rejoined Lazio, but his poor performances have ended up costing both clubs, as the Saints will now have to look elsewhere if they want to sell him permanently in the summer.

And, in other news… 62% duels lost: £70k-p/w Saints gem failed to repay Hasenhuttl’s faith vs Man City

Glasgow Rangers like making life difficult for themselves, don’t they?

Ross Callachan scored with the last kick of the game to give Scottish Premiership strugglers Hamilton a well-deserved draw with the runaway league leaders.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard made three changes to the side which secured a midweek win over St Johnstone and it backfired almost immediately as the Gers struggled to gain a foothold in the game, with the Accies going close on several occasions only to be denied by the outstretched arms of the in-form Allan McGregor.

Having arrived from French Ligue 2 side Amiens on a short-term loan deal until the end of the season, Bongani Zungu was the shock inclusion as he started ahead of regulars Steven Davis and Ryan Jack.

But it was nothing short of an alarming performance from the Bafana-Bafana midfielder. He has plenty of experience in European competitions, but he was badly caught out of possession with a string of poor passes, particularly in the first half, with former Rangers winger Neil McCann criticising him on BBC Sportsound.

He said: “Zungu’s had a number of slack passes today, his distribution has been poor. He doesn’t look sharp out there and I think McGregor just gave him a little reminder to waken up.”

Left on the bench against Saints, Zungu missed a carbon-copy chance this afternoon to stake his claim for a place in the starting line-up.

SofaScore graded the 28-year-old as one of the worst players on the pitch with a low 6.9 rating, that being bettered by Davis (7) after his introduction in the second half.

Zungu’s struggles were obvious throughout the contest and despite being at the centre of the supply chain, he was rarely involved, as he took fewer touches than Ianis Hagi, as per SofaScore, who also endured a torrid time against the Accies.

Defensively, he failed to put much pressure on the opposition, having won just three out of eight duels overall (37%), and didn’t register a single tackle either.

Gerrard introduced Davis late on in an attempt to try to rescue the game and it’s perhaps telling that the Northern Irishman made a noticeable difference after he orchestrated the opening goal by combining with Borna Barisic down the left flank.

Despite being on the pitch for just over 10′ minutes, the contrast was stark, as Davis was still more effective. He attempted the same amount of dribbles as Zungu and also completed a tackle as well.

An unconvincing performance like this should show Gerrard that he can’t start games without Davis and Jack in the midfield. Zungu was a liability against the Accies on Sunday afternoon and should be dropped for the next game against Kilmarnock.

AND in other news, Glen Kamara has become virtually undroppable for Glasgow Rangers…

West Brom will be looking to build on their recent form this weekend when they host relegation rivals Brighton at the Hawthorns.

Sam Allardyce’s men are finally starting to put up a fight, and the 66-year-old has somewhat alleviated their defensive issues in recent games too.

The Baggies have recorded back-to-back draws, against Man Utd and Burnley, conceding just once across both outings – even with ten men in the latter encounter.

Big Sam must now find a way to start putting the ball in the back of the net, something he won’t be able to do with Matty Phillips starting…

On the Chalkboard

The 29-year-0ld Scotsman has been trusted by the Albion boss numerous times this season and his relentless faith in the veteran was most displayed when he took the armband in the absence of Jake Livermore.

However, Phillips offers very little threat in the Premier League. He has provided only one goal and one assist all campaign and sits amongst the five worst players for average WhoScored rating (6.24) this campaign.

Valued at £5m by Transfermarkt, the right-winger has seen his output regress substantially with the step-up in quality. In the Championship, Phillips had averaged 1.6 shots and 1.4 key passes, while delivering seven goals and six assists on their way to promotion.

These figures have tailed off, as he’s now managing just 0.5 shots and 0.7 key passes per outing in the big time, via WhoScored.

Eight other players are managing to fire off more attempts at goal, including right-back Darnell Furlong (0.7), whilst there are also three other players who are more creative, including outcast winger Kamil Grosicki (one).

Once lauded as a “game-changer,” Phillips ought to be usurped by the returning Grady Diangana this weekend, as outlined in this article.

The £18m summer arrival could complete a dream-looking attack alongside Matheus Pereira and Mbaye Diagne, having Phillips in there instead just doesn’t carry the same threat, as evident by his returns this term.

It would be another ruthless decision after Allardyce hooked him just half an hour at the weekend in response to Semi Ajayi’s sending off, but now that Diangana is back, he has no place in the starting lineup anymore.

AND in other news, Allardyce must offload £20k-p/w West Brom gem, Sawyers once dubbed him “unbelievable”…

Steve Bruce has confirmed Martin Dubravka will make his return from injury in Newcastle United’s FA Cup tie with Arsenal, but will be without Jamal Lewis and Ryan Fraser at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

The Toon are chasing only their second win over the Gunners since 2010 after losing 14 of their past 17 meetings with the north London side, who boast an imperious FA Cup record having scored in 31 of their last 32 fixtures in the competition.

Mikel Arteta’s side, who won the oldest national football tournament last season, have also found the back of the net exactly two times in each of their last five FA Cup ties and rediscovered their form this term, highlighting the scale of the task Bruce and his defenders face this weekend.

So, with a trip to an Arsenal side who have won their last three fixtures coming on Saturday night, here’s a predicted line-up Bruce could favour in search of an end to Newcastle’s six-game winless streak…

Dubravka is yet to play a single minute of football this season after sustaining a heel injury in pre-season, but Bruce has confirmed the Slovakia international will replace Karl Darlow between the sticks in north London.

Lewis will not take to the pitch at the Emirates Stadium after he and Fraser were ruled out through injury, but Jamaal Lascelles is in contention for his first outing since November after recovering from coronavirus.

Ciaran Clark has started Newcastle’s last nine fixtures across all competitions and will expect to see his run continue on Saturday beside Fabian Schar and DeAndre Yedlin, after Federico Fernandez proved the weakest link in central defence against Leicester City last time out.

Sean and Matty Longstaff endured a troublesome afternoon in the engine room at home to Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes and would count themselves lucky to start alongside one another at Arsenal, where Bruce will have Isaac Hayden available again.

Hayden missed the Leicester clash through suspension after receiving his fifth yellow card of the campaign against Liverpool, and will likely start at the Emirates next to Joelinton after the Brazilian did well on the left-wing in defending from the front last weekend.

Miguel Almiron also worked hard to help defensively against Leicester but the £42,000-per-week Paraguayan offered little with one off-target shot, no key passes or successful tackles to his name, per WhoScored, and will likely be replaced by Jacob Murphy in north London.

Bruce may consider handing Callum Wilson a rest at Arsenal with the 28-year-old playing 1,358 minutes across all competitions this term, but would face questions over whether Dwight Gayle or Andy Carroll can lead the line on Saturday night.

AND in other news, Steve Bruce has no alternative but to perform a U-turn and tie a £4.5m-rated Newcastle star down with a new deal now…

When Raul Jimenez went down against Arsenal last weekend, everyone feared the worst.

The noise that erupted around an empty Emirates Stadium after he clashed heads with David Luiz was horrendous, but thankfully, the Mexican is set to make a full recovery.

Jimenez will be out for a period of time with a fractured skull and as a result, Fabio Silva – the club’s record signing – could be set for an extended run in the side.

It would mark the first occasion he’s had the opportunity to really prove himself to Nuno Santo, but is a new striker already in Wolves’ crosshairs?

Last summer it was reported that Nuno Santo’s side were interested in signing Braga forward Paulinho.

A move didn’t materialise but their manager Carlos Carvalhal has recently admitted that he could be on his way to England as soon as next summer.

Speaking to A Bola about several players, including Paulinho, he said: “I believe at the end of the season they will move. Who knows, maybe to England.”

Wolves ears will surely be pricked by hearing that news, especially with Jimenez currently out injured and being linked with a move away so relentlessly.

Signing Paulinho as his potential successor would certainly be a good idea. He has already torn English opposition to shreds this year and has all the attributes needed to thrive in Wolves’ attack.

Against Leicester in this season’s Europa League he had four shots and scored one goal. His tricky nature led to him being fouled on four occasions, while he also completed an accurate cross despite playing down the middle.

He caused the likes of Jonny Evans plenty of problems, and judging by Carvalhal’s assessment, it’s clear why.

“It was the one who surprised me the most. I was expecting a good Paulinho player, that’s the image I have to play against him: a player with the ability to connect, attack space, technical ability, finish, more with his left foot than with his right but with both feet, and also the head game.”

The ability to connect and attack pace is something that Wolves’ dynamic attack is so good at. Just think of the way Daniel Podence and Pedro Neto linked up against Arsenal on Sunday.

A combative presence, Paulinho is also good at holding the ball up like Jimenez and uses his frame to win more aerial duels than the Mexico international.

So far this term, he 28-year-old has managed to win 2.1 headed battles a game in the league compared to Jimenez’s record of 1.5 per match.

If Paulinho is destined for England as his manager hints, Wolves would be an ideal destination.

Meanwhile, check out who STOLE the show besides Pedro Neto v Arsenal…

When Leeds get going there are very few teams that can stop them.

Although they went behind against Newcastle, they were eventually ruthless and unstoppable on their way to winning 5-2.

It was a clinical emphatic performance full of class and everything you’d associate with a Marcelo Bielsa team.

He works his players hard and they keep going right until the final whistle. If there were any fears of burnout, they were quashed when Leeds scored three goals in the final 13 minutes.

It was a swashbuckling display that should have left Bielsa blown away, especially with one player.

No, we’re not talking about Jack Harrison or Rodrigo here, neither are we talking about the all-action Stuart Dallas. Instead, we’re talking about Pablo Hernandez.

The Spaniard has been at the centre of attention over the last few years, winning multiple Player of the Season awards at Leeds, quickly earning his place in Elland Road folklore.

However, his return to the Premier League hasn’t been very profitable. He’s started just two matches and before last night, had failed to contribute to a single goal.

For a 35-year-old, he is no longer in the prime of his career but there had been question marks over whether he had the quality for the top-flight.

Those concerns were answered on Wednesday evening in a magical eight-minute cameo that rolled back the years.

Hernandez, who earns £19k-per-week at Leeds, was brilliant as he picked up two assists after making just 13 touches. Remarkably, that was fewer touches than goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

The Spaniard didn’t even play too much in the final third, spending the vast majority of his time on the pitch inside their own half.

He completed 92% of his passes and lost the ball just once. If ever there was an indication that form is temporary, class is permanent, this was it.

Hernandez has had his fair share of doubters this term but this was evidence that he can still offer plenty to Leeds and Bielsa.

If he can provide this kind of magic from the bench regularly, he will have done his job no end.

In other news, Forget Harrison: “Bargain” Leeds beast who made 100% longballs delivered a huge statement…