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Leeds United finally received some sort of update from the EFL and supporters at Elland Road have been reacting to the news via Phil Hay, who relayed the key information to Twitter.

The English Football League have delayed a return to training until May 25th at the earliest, which is over a week later than their original date of May 16th following a board meeting with Championship clubs.

Last week, the British government postponed all sporting events until June 1st at the earliest whilst EFL chair has set a deadline of July 31st for the remaining nine matches to be complete by.

It means the breathing space for this season to be resumed is diminishing quickly and many in west Yorkshire now have their doubts.

A true test for any Leeds fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are sat top of the Championship, holding a seven-point advantage to the playoffs, so it’s fair to argue that they have a very good chance of ending a 16-year wait for top-flight football at Elland Road.

Here’s how fans have been reacting to the news…

AND in other news, Leeds fans swoon over Ben White after this gesture…

QPR fans have taken to Twitter to show their support to Nahki Wells, after the striker apologised for his error in the 2-2 draw against Middlesbrough.The Bermuda international scored the R’s first goal of the game, before an own goal by Jonny Howson allowed Mark Warburton’s side to take a 2-1 lead into the half-time break.

Unfortunately for the Londoners and for Wells, the on-loan Burnley striker saw his attempted backpass to Joe Lumley cut out by Britt Assombalonga, before the Boro forward dinked the ball into the back of the net.

It was a costly mistake by Wells as it meant QPR left the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium with one point rather than three, although after scoring eight Championship goals already this season, the R’s supporters on Twitter have found it easy to forgive the 29-year-old attacker.

One fan said “don’t be silly” in response to Wells’ apology, whereas another said that they respect him for doing so despite there being no need for the striker to apologise.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Expert Roundup feature, which provides three quotes from those in the know in order to illuminate fundamental strengths, weaknesses, quirks, stylistic comparisons and general observations of players, transfer targets and confirmed signings.

Just how do you solve a problem like Marcus Rashford? The Manchester United star burst onto the scene like the next big thing when he fired in a pair of braces against FC Midtjylland and Arsenal in the space of a week.

Starting in that centre-forward role in the absence of an injured Anthony Martial, big things were expected of the academy product. The long-term successor to Wayne Rooney. Jose Mourinho even suggested the 21-year-old could break the club’s goal-scoring record.

Fast forward more than three years later, however, and things have well and truly hit a brick wall. The England international has been caught in the middle of a rock and a hard place, unsure of which direction is future is heading in. There are those who are steadfast in their beliefs that Rashford has the capability of being United’s main man up front, and there are others who are equally as adamant that he is best used from out wide.

In his fledgling career, the Red Devils ace has played under Louis van Gaal, Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at club level, and then under Roy Hodgson and Gareth Southgate whilst with England. Five different managers, and yet still no closer to finding out definitively where Rashford is best at. The contradictions in opinions certainly hasn’t helped matters, and the three bosses below have provided their verdict on the matter.

Jose Mourinho

As the man who brought in Romelu Lukaku to be the main man up top, it seemed pretty clear in Jose Mourinho’s mind that he didn’t envisage Rashford as being an out-and-out centre-forward. In his spell as United boss, the Portuguese man gave the England international an equal amount of games through the middle, as he did out wide on the left – 49. Since departing from the Old Trafford dugout, the former Chelsea manager has spent time doing punditry work with Sky Sports, and has essentially doubled down on his assessment of Rashford’s best position, per M.E.N.

Gareth Southgate

The man who could quite conceivably be the man to kick-start Rashford’s career, the England manager played the 21-year-old from the left-hand side against Bulgaria in EURO 2020 qualifying, and was immediately rewarded with a peach of a goal. Out wide, his pace and directness with the ball can be a real asset, and he averaged two dribbles per game in the UEFA Nations League earlier this summer, compared to just the 1.3 in the Premier League this season. Despite only seeing him on rare occasions, Southgate has been equally adamant on which position Rashford is best suited for, per The Guardian.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

And now the man tasked with the ultimate and most decisive job regarding the forward. As a former striker himself, it is perhaps understandable for the United boss to want to mould Rashford into a bona-fide number nine. After all, he will no doubt be thinking that his years of know-how at playing the striker role at the highest level at Old Trafford could potentially rub off on the 21-year-old. It’s therefore been no surprise to see Solskjaer remain insistent that the £200k-a-week man can carve out a long and prosperous career as the man through the middle.

Verdict

The biggest disparity in what the trio have had to say about Rashford? Both Mourinho and Southgate are essentially dismissive of the 21-year-old’s ability to play with his back to goal and hold up the ball, whilst Solskjaer is far more effusive in the England international’s quality to play as a more traditional number nine. The United boss making comparisons with his striker and Harry Kane – a Premier League Golden Boot winner – seems just a bit of a stretch.

For a team apparently intent on playing a fast-paced style of football, United don’t entirely need Rashford to be a battering ram centre-forward. In games against the division’s bigger sides, they can afford to leave him on his own, and just have him play on the shoulder of the opposition’s defence.

Where teams are likely to sit back themselves, having a strike partner for the academy product – as Solskjaer did against Liverpool with Daniel James – could be the key to unlocking the best out of the Englishman.

Ipswich Town were very busy during this summer transfer window, with Kieran McKenna and Co wanting to bring in some top talents to ensure the step-up in quality to the Premier League didn’t swallow the Suffolk underdogs whole.

In total, the Tractor Boys added 11 new players to the group, with some settling into life better than others so far as Ipswich face a long and tough battle against the top-flight drop-zone currently.

Liam Delap definitely fits the bill of the second bracket more than the first, with the ex-Manchester City wonderkid loving life at Portman Road at the moment, even as he now permanently finds himself away from the luxuries of Pep Guardiola’s men.

Delap's start to the season

Delap has been a constant source of positivity for Ipswich this campaign so far even when results have gone against them, with the 21-year-old already onto four top-flight goals from eight appearances.

Even in games that have seen the Tractor Boys get turned over as they grow more used to the challenges of the elite league – seen in their recent 4-1 loss away at West Ham United – Delap still manages to exit those bruising experiences with his head held high, having bagged his side’s early equaliser on the day before everything suddenly went pear-shaped.

No other new recruit in attack has managed to seamlessly fire in the same sparkling way, with Sammie Szmodics going quiet ever since bagging a shock strike against Manchester City right at the start of the campaign, alongside former Sunderland star Jack Clarke still being unable to break his goalscoring duck in the Premier League for his new employers.

Whilst patience will be exercised with both of those permanent faces, McKenna will be beginning to become more and more restless over loanee Kalvin Phillips, who is struggling once more to resurrect his playing days with another new club.

Phillips' start at Ipswich

Before putting pen to paper on a temporary switch to Suffolk, Phillips’ last loan stint with West Ham was nothing short of a car crash for the Manchester City dud.

The ex-England international would only make ten appearances in total for the Hammers, with former West Ham striker Dean Ashton even labelling his time at the London Stadium as “shocking.”

His poorest shift for the Tractor Boys to date coincidentally occurred at this familiar stomping ground, with Phillips way off the pace throughout against the Hammers, with an early error on the ball allowing Michail Antonio to score within the first minute to begin the 4-1 rout.

1. Kalvin Phillips

£150k-per-week

2. Axel Tuanzebe

£40k-per-week

3. Jens Cajuste

£35k-per-week

4. Sam Morsy

£30k-per-week

5. Ben Johnson

£30k-per-week

Looking at the table above, Phillips’ eye-wateringly high wage will also be concerning for the Tractor Boys currently, with Ipswich throwing money away no matter what portion they are actually coughing up of his high £150k-per-week salary at Man City.

Amazingly, according to Capology, Delap earns a modest £20k-per-week pay packet when contrasted next to the 28-year-old’s steep wage, despite being far more in McKenna’s good books at the moment than Phillips.

Phillips does have time on his side to turn around another underwhelming chapter in his ongoing story, but if he continues to put in lacklustre displays for Ipswich like the ones recently served up, this move will no doubt go down as an expensive mistake the Tractor Boys rue signing off on.

Whereas, Delap’s move already looks to be a major success, with other recruits in through the door this summer wanting to shine in a similar manner moving forward to try and help their new employers fend off relegation, away from following in the footsteps of the ex-Leeds United midfielder.

Ipswich flop who played 6 games on loan is now outscoring Liam Delap

Ipswich Town never saw this star reach his best at Portman Road.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 21, 2024

Manchester United fan Mark Goldbridge has raised his concerns Leny Yoro may face when he returns from injury. The young defender joined the Red Devils during the summer transfer window from Lille, and after appearing in the club’s first few pre-season games, he suffered an injury against Arsenal in the USA that has seen him on the sidelines since.

Forget Ugarte & Casemiro: Man Utd want to sign one of the world's best DMs

He could leave his club next summer to replace Casemiro at Man Utd.

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 9, 2024 Mark Goldbridge responds to Van Basten's comments

It has been a poor start to the campaign for United as a whole, but also for some of their key players. This will be an aspect that Erik ten Hag looks to address and improve should he remain in charge of the Red Devils. But the Dutchman is at fault for some of these performances and for deciding which players to sign, according to an ex-Netherlands international.

Marco Van Basten has questioned one of United’s summer signings already, as he wonders what Ten Hag has seen in bringing Manuel Ugarte to Old Trafford. Speaking to Dutch media, Van Basten said on Ugarte: “It’s crazy how much Erik ten Hag has decided to invest in players who aren’t even good. I saw a new player transferred to Manchester, Manuel Ugarte, for €50m. How can this guy be here? It’s bizarre.”

Now, Goldbridge has hit back, saying that signing Ugarte has nothing to do with Ten Hag, telling The United Stand: “Judging players after two or three games is incredibly thick.”

He continued: “Ugarte may be a flop, but he is not one yet, and please remember that it is actually Man United’s recruitment specialists, best in class, super-duper board that went for Ugarte. The reason they went after Ugarte is that everybody from Jason Wilcock’s to Dan Ashworth to Omar Berrada to Christopher Vivell to Ten Hag all agreed that Ugarte was the guy to sign.”

Goldbridge didn’t stop on Ugarte, as he also had something to say about Leny Yoro.

Goldbridge worried about Leny Yoro ahead of Man Utd return

Leny Yoro is stepping up his recovery from his foot surgery, which has so far seen him miss seven Premier League games. Ahead of his return, which is expected to come towards the end of November, Goldbridge has raised concerns that he hopes Yoro doesn’t face in the early days of his Manchester United career.

Goldbridge said on Yoro: “Every new signing that comes to Man United has got to play like prime Diego Maradona, or they are a flop.

“We have got to be very careful about what we do with our new signings because they are here for a long time, whether it is Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee, Ugarte, or Yoro, who has not played yet. I mean, how is Yoro going to get treated? This is what worries me; he is 18. If he doesn’t come in and start playing like prime Virgil van Dijk, he is going to be called a flop.”

Apps

60

Goals

3

Assists

1

Yoro was ruled out for three months, meaning his return to football is likely not going to come until after the next international break, when he will hopefully provide a very welcome boost.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has a few tactical conundrums ahead of their trip to Premier League title rivals Man City on Sunday, with a few key members of the squad ruled out and unable to play in what is one of their most crucial games of the campaign.

Man City vs Arsenal – team news and injury updates

The north Londoners have come through a challenging week unscathed thus far, with Arteta’s unbeaten side taking all the spoils against Tottenham in a 1-0 win last weekend before coming away from Atalanta with a precious point in the Champions League on Thursday.

Arteta handed possible Odegaard injury boost after initial Arsenal fears

The Norway captain has suffered significant ankle ligament damage.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 21, 2024

Attention now turns to their trip to the Etihad Stadium and third-successive away game, with Arsenal aiming to avoid defeat against the Premier League champions who have thwarted their title charge in each of the last two seasons.

Arsenal will be missing a few key players against City, most notably captain Martin Odegaard, who sustained ankle ligament damage during a 2-1 Norway win over Austria in the UEFA Nations League earlier this month.

Appearances

156

Goals

35

Assists

25

Yellow cards

12

Red cards

0

Minutes played

12,108

Odegaard could be back for Arsenal’s clash against Liverpool at the end of October, according to some reports, but the Gunners are also aware he could miss this estimated return date as they err on the side of caution when it comes to his rehabilitation.

Mikel Merino is sidelined with a fractured shoulder as well, so he is another certain absentee for City as the Spaniard continues his recovery ahead of his eventual debut later in the year.

“A really competitive one,” said Arteta on Arsenal’s trip to Man City.

“We go to the home of the champions, the team that I think in Premier League history has been the most consistent ever, not only in terms of results but in terms of dominance and consistent top performances. This is the challenge, we have to go there and prove that again we’ve made another step and we can compete.

“We knew the schedule and we knew that it’s extremely rare to play in these conditions with three massive away games in six days, but it was what it was so we have prepared for that, both physically, mentally and tactically. We’re making sure that everyone is ready for it, because we’re going to need them, especially with the injuries that we had from the international break.”

Losing Odegaard and Merino means Kai Havertz could be dropped into midfield against Man City, like the German was against Atalanta, with one of either Gabriel Jesus or Raheem Sterling up front.

Arsenal without Takehiro Tomiyasu against Man City

Odegaard and Merino are by no means their only casualties, though, with Japan international Takehiro Tomiyasu still unavailable following his knee injury in the summer.

“Tomi is amazing. He’s the best right-back I’ve ever played with. He’s always focused. It’s an honour to play next to him,” said Ben White to DAZN Japan (via The Metro).

“Tomi does the simple things at a world-class level. He is very alert and he isn’t careless in games. From the beginning he’s completely understood English and speaks as well as I do.”

The defender is yet to feature this season as a result, and according to football.london, Tomiyasu will miss Arsenal’s game against Man City as well.

The estimated return date for him is Arsenal’s home game against Leicester City next weekend, so Arteta won’t be able to call upon the £100,000-per-week ace on Sunday.

Liverpool may try and include players in exchange or additional add-ons in their bid to try and sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest transfer news surrounding Romeo Lavia and Liverpool?

According to Sky Sports, Southampton are confident of being able to sell Lavia for the £50 million price tag they are demanding for the Belgium international to leave the South Coast.

Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal have all held conversations with the 19-year-old's entourage over the possibility of signing Lavia; however, his suitors have concerns over the fee quoted for the youngster.

As per The Telegraph, Liverpool may be willing to offload veteran midfielder Thiago Alcantara this window, as he has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia in his services.

In turn, the Reds could turn to Lavia as a potential replacement; nevertheless, his £50 million price is said to be 'too prohibitive' for Jurgen Klopp to consider bidding for the enforcer at present.

Manchester City retain a buyback clause for Lavia that stands at £40 million, which they inserted when he joined Southampton back in 2022; however, it doesn't activate until 2024, enabling rival clubs to steal a march on the Citizens this summer, as per Football Insider.

Of course, the German coach has already made moves in the transfer window to shore up his midfield, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai joining from Brighton & Hove Albion and RB Leipzig, respectively.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Romano reckons that Liverpool may be cute in negotiations and either include additional add-ons or offer players in exchange to try and seal a deal to sign Lavia.

Romano said: "For Romeo Lavia, the price tag is around £50million.

"But sources believe that maybe, with some add-ons or with a creative formula such as including some players, they can find a way with Southampton to reach an agreement."

Why is Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia so highly regarded?

Shortly after moving to Southampton from Manchester City, Lavia earned high praise from Manchester United legend Paul Scholes, who was speaking on BT Sport quoted by The Daily Mail before the Red Devils took on Southampton at St Mary's last year, as the pundit stated: "He has got a pass in his locker and he is big and strong and likes to defend. He does not want to get forward too much and sits in front of the back four and sets the play in motion from there."

Scholes' summary of Lavia's attributes is a high testament to the 19-year-old's qualities and potential to develop. Unsurprisingly, several elite sides are keen on offering him a return to the English top flight.

Last term, Lavia made 34 appearances in all competitions for Southampton and registered one goal alongside a solitary assist, as per Transfermarkt.

His capacity to efficiently recycle possession will have attracted interest from top clubs. According to WhoScored, Lavia maintained a pass success rate of 86.4% in the Premier League, showing commendable maturity for his age.

Getting stuck in, Lavia also managed to win 93 tackles and interceptions combined, displaying courage and tenacity in the Saints' engine room, as per FBRef.

Lavia looks set for an intriguing next few weeks, where we will find out more about his potential next destination, as an exit from Southampton looks to be nailed on before the end of the window.

Southampton head coach Russell Martin has a busy couple of months ahead of him as the club has to navigate the summer transfer window.

The side's relegation to the Championship has left them in a position where some of their players are now targets for top-flight outfits and the ex-Swansea tactician will need to make shrewd moves in the market to build a squad capable of pushing for promotion.

John Percy, of The Telegraph, recently reported that Premier League side Newcastle United are in talks with the club over a potential deal for Tino Livramento.

The Magpies are attempting to sign the right-back from St. Mary's and would be willing to offer a fee in the region of £15m as well as throwing Ryan Fraser in as a makeweight.

However, the Saints value the former Chelsea academy prospect at £30m and it remains to be seen whether or not they would be willing to entertain such a proposal.

Would Ryan Fraser be a good signing?

If Southampton do agree to a player-plus-cash deal from Newcastle then Martin could land a big upgrade on current winger Moussa Djenepo by signing Fraser.

The Scotland international has been frozen out of the picture by Eddie Howe, with no first-team minutes since October of last year, but has showcased his ability as a creative forward in the past.

Since the start of the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, Fraser has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.71 or higher along with a contribution of two goals and five assists in 53 top-flight outings. He has recorded a score of 6.84 or higher in three of the last four seasons with no Saints attacker managing higher than that last term.

In that time, Djenepo has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.59 or lower alongside an unimpressive one goal and two assists in 55 league appearances.

The 29-year-old also produced an outstanding seven goals and 14 assists, along with 2.4 key passes per match, during the 2018/19 Premier League season for Bournemouth.

Djenepo, meanwhile, only has 13 assists in his entire club career and has never averaged more than 0.6 chances created per league clash for the Saints. In fact, no player in the squad managed more than 1.9 key passes per game or four assists.

Therefore, Fraser, who was once described as a "pocket dynamo" by ex-Scotland forward Charlie Nicholas, has the potential to be a big upgrade on the former Standard Liege dud.

The £42k-per-week earner has not been a standout in recent years, with a lack of regular game time at Newcastle of late possibly playing a part in that, but has still been able to produce performances that Djenepo has never been able to manage in England.

His exceptional displays during the 2018/19 campaign also suggest that there is an exceptional talent for Martin to unearth. As such, a drop down to the Championship could help the experienced attacker to reignite his touch in the final third.

Everton are the latest team to throw their hat into the ring for Romain Faivre, according to a report from Foot Mercato, via Sport Witness.

How has Romain Faivre played this season?

The midfielder – who primarily plays on the wing but can also feature as a traditional number ten – has spent the 2022/23 season on loan with Lorient and has really caught the eye with his displays. He managed 16 top flight games for the club but produced a superb total of eight goal contributions along the way, with five goals in total and three assists.

hen you consider he only managed 13.8 lots of 90 minutes for the club, it's a superb goal contribution rate for the winger.

He's never managed the same totals for parent club Lyon, although he has also not been able to get onto the field as much with them. Before moving to Lorient, he was given only three starts by Les Gones and managed just the one assist across 2021/22. In fact, he has only managed 12 league starts during the entirety of his time with Lyon.

Now, he could be given the chance to leave France and try his luck in the Premier League. That's because according to a report from Foot Mercato, via Sport Witness, the 24-year-old is drawing interest from several English clubs.

One of the latest to express their eagerness to sign him is Everton, who will have to battle Fulham and Crystal Palace if they want any hope of bringing the player to Goodison Park this campaign.

How much would Faivre cost Everton?

They may already find that to be a struggle, with Lyon also slapping a 15 million Euro price tag on his head (£13m). Whilst that is not an extortionate fee for the midfielder, it is one that the Toffees may currently struggle to pay – and the report adds that whilst they may be able to compete financially more than other interested parties from abroad, they will struggle against other Premier League sides.

He's clearly a player that possesses some real ability too. Those who have watched him have been full of praise for Faivre, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig previously calling the player "pure quality" after a performance back in 2022.

It shows that the 24-year-old has been impressive in France – and if Everton were able to poach him, he would certainly upgrade their midfield and wide options.

Arsenal have been in contact with Kai Havertz once again over the weekend and the German forward has reaffirmed his interest in making the move to north London.

How much is Kai Havertz worth?

This summer will present the Gunners with an opportunity to build on what proved to be a promising 2022/23 campaign in north London.

Mikel Arteta's men did not have enough firepower behind them to see their title charge over the line as Manchester City pipped them to the Premier League crown.

But the Spaniard – and the fans – will have a lot of positives to take from their displays in the 2022/23 campaign and provide them with a lot of optimism for the upcoming campaign.

However, having seen City land the treble in recent weeks, it will surely send a message to the board and Edu Gaspar that Arsenal may need to invest heavily if they are to dethrone the champions.

And it seems as if the Gunners are keen to do so this summer with links to the likes of Havertz who has reportedly been valued at around £75m by Chelsea.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the German has been in contact with Arsenal over the weekend where he was proclaimed his interest in a potential transfer:

"Kai Havertz has been very clear, also this morning [Sunday], in new contacts, he wants to join Arsenal.

"He has an agreement with Arsenal on personal terms, so everything is ready on player's side."

How many goals did Havertz score last season?

It was an underwhelming campaign for the Blues last season and Havertz is not a player who can be excused from their failings.

Despite playing the majority of the campaign as their centre-forward, Havertz was only able to provide the west London side with seven goals in the Premier League (via Transfermarkt).

Chelsea played the majority of the 2022/23 campaign without an out-and-out striker in their starting XI which can certainly be seen through their poor return in front of goal.

And it has to be questioned whether Havertz has actually done enough to earn himself a transfer to a side who challenged so strongly for the Premier League title.

The Gunners will be playing Champions League football next season and, in Chelsea's European games, Havertz was only able to return two goals in his 10 Champions League appearances last season (via Transfermarkt).

He has been hailed as a "magician" by some in the media and the potential opportunity at Arsenal could allow him to rediscover his form shown in the Bundesliga.