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Phil Hay has insisted that people at Leeds United had been speaking about Jesse Marsch’s future since early January.

The Lowdown: Marsch’s sacking appeared inevitable

After just 11 wins as Leeds manager, it’s no surprise to see Marsch sacked after yet another loss last weekend, however, the fact he was recently backed in the transfer window does raise some questions.

Marsch has had to stand on the touchline and listen on as Leeds fans chanted for him to be sacked in recent games, which may well have been a sign of him losing the fanbase, and it’s difficult to come back from that.

Some may see the decision to sack someone you’d just handed three new players to in January as a knee-jerk one after the Forest loss, but it appears many at Leeds had been unhappy with Marsch for some time now, according to Hay.

The Latest: Leeds considered Marsch’s future for some time

It appears as though some people high up at Leeds haven’t been convinced by Marsch since they lost 2-1 at Aston Villa in mid-January, as Hay highlighted on the latest episode of The Phil Hay Show.

He said: “The first time his future was actively discussed was after the defeat to Aston Villa back in the middle of January. Again, dissent from the away end that evening, but the decision was made to keep him and Victor Orta in particular [was] very supportive of Marsch and very determined to try and make this work.

“You have to say that since then, it’s been kind of full-on support for Marsch via transfers and via the appointment of Chris Armas as his new assistant.”

The Verdict: Orta was potentially delusional

The fact that Orta was seemingly very keen on making his Marsch appointment work may well have blinded him from what was actually happening on the pitch.

Leeds haven’t won a league game this calendar year and indeed have just two wins in their last 17 league outings, which is quite telling of where Marsch was going to be taking Leeds if he wasn’t sacked soon.

Marsch was clearly out of his depth having won just 11 games and despite being backed with several American players and ones also from the Red Bull Group he is very familiar with. He simply couldn’t get a tune out of them, so the right decision was made, albeit perhaps a bit later than was necessary.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero has been branded as lucky by pundit Sue Smith to have not picked up a red card in the north London derby.

What’s the latest?

Antonio Conte’s men were put to the sword on Sunday afternoon in their north London home by their bitter rivals and Premier League leaders, Arsenal.

It was an afternoon everyone involved with Spurs will be wanting to forget with Mikel Arteta’s side cruising to a fairly comfortable 2-0 victory.

And it seems the afternoon could have been made even worse for the Lilywhites with their Argentine centre-back, Romero, walking a tightrope with the referee Craig Pawson.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, Smith labelled the 24-year-old as extremely fortunate not to have picked up a second yellow card for a challenge on Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka:

“Yeah, and I think sometimes it’s like the amount of times, isn’t it? So it’s like how many tackles – he obviously got a yellow card. You’ve just got to be so careful when you’re continually doing those things.

“So yeah, he was probably lucky for that one not to have gotten the yellow.”

Typical Romero?

Romero arrived in north London in the summer of 2021 on the back of an impressive campaign in Serie A with Atalanta which saw him named the Serie A Defender of the Year.

And he certainly carried that form over to the Premier League with the Sky Sports pundit, Jamie Carragher, hailing him as his signing of the season.

However, one of the issues the Argentine has also carried over from Italy is his poor discipline record which saw him pick up 15 yellow cards over the 2020/21 campaign.

In his first season in north London, Romero only featured 22 times in the Premier League but managed to pick up eight yellows in the space of just 13 games (via Transfermarkt).

Romero has certainly carried on this poor discipline record this season with the Argentine already picking up three yellow cards in his 11 league appearances.

And we have to agree with Smith in that he can count himself lucky not to have been forced into an earl shower on Monday after some of the challenges he threw himself into whilst already on a yellow card.

The one of Xhaka will likely split opinions among fans. The reality is it did not look like the Argentine connected with Xhaka who was left in a pile on the floor seemingly awaiting Pawson to reach for his cards.

However, in a game of that magnitude, whilst already on a yellow card, to go in as recklessly as he did on Xhaka is a real concern.

Spurs did not concede any further goals after that incident, but they certainly could have been left much more vulnerable if he was shown a red card.

And with a huge game on Thursday coming up against Manchester City, this would have been the last thing the Spurs backline could have done with.

For all the excitement surrounding the possible new additions at Celtic this month, manager Ange Postecoglou will no doubt be fearing that a handful of his key figures could well be poached by interested parties.

Although such interest may be something of a compliment with regards to the Old Firm outfit’s rampant form this term – having won 19 of their 21 Scottish Premiership outings thus far – that will hardly soften the blow if any assets are to unexpectedly depart in the coming weeks.

One man who has seemingly caught the eye of late is Japan international, Daizen Maeda, with Sky Sports reporting that Premier League strugglers Southampton are ‘monitoring’ the in-form speedster as they look to bolster their chances of survival.

The Saints do, of course, have previous for raiding the Parkhead giants for talent, having prised the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Victor Wanyama and Stuart Armstrong from Glasgow in the recent past.

To lose Maeda would no doubt be a blow for the Scottish champions, with the £18k-per-week speedster having been on a real hot streak of late, having provided three goal contributions in his last three league games – taking his total tally this season to 11 goals and assists in 27 games in all competitions.

The diminutive “machine” – as lauded by ex-Bhoys striker Chris Sutton – also boasts an impressive overall tally for the club of 24 goal involvements in just 49 games since joining from Yokohama F. Marinos a year ago, hence the concern of losing such a dynamic talent.

Should that reported interest from south of the border ultimately lead to a swift exit from Celtic Park for the 12-cap gem, Postecoglou will likely be left to scour the market to find a suitable replacement.

The title-winning coach could, however, be better served looking towards the academy ranks in order to find an heir to Maeda in his side, with promising teenager Ben Quinn once such talent who could well be deserving of a chance at first team level.

The 18-year-old winger could potentially help to fill Maeda’s goalscoring void, having proven himself a lethal presence as a result of his standout displays for the clubs ‘B’ team so far this season.

The young Irishman – who joined the club back in 2019 – has scored seven goals and laid on four assists in just 19 appearances in the Lowland League so far this term, having also scored once in his two Challenge Cup outings.

That stunning haul is all the more impressive considering that the youngster is not an out-and-out centre-forward, as he mirrors Maeda in being able to wreak havoc from either flank.

Although the exciting sensation is yet to feature in the senior ranks, the indication is that Celtic certainly have a real player on their hands, having had to fend off interest from the likes of Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers to secure his signature just over three years ago.

As such, Postecoglou could well save himself millions if he does promote Quinn in the near future, with the Republic of Ireland youth international potentially able to be Maeda’s successor should the latter man seek to move on.

Aston Villa are exploring a move for Gerard Deulofeu, according to The Daily Mail. 

The Lowdown: Impressing for Udinese

Deulofeu has spent a large percentage of his career in England with Everton and Watford but has been on the books with Udinese since 2021.

The 28-year-old netted a senior career-best 13 league goals last season and has continued his good form during the current campaign, contributing to ten goals in all competitions.

Sponsored by Nike, the Spaniard is entering the final 18 months of his contract, and a return to the Premier League could be on the cards.

The Latest: Emery’s a big fan

According to The Daily Mail, Emery is personally pursuing a move for the speedster, with NSWE ‘on the lookout for wide men’ in the winter window.

Club chiefs intend to back the manager in the January market and Deulofeu ‘features prominently on their list of targets’.

The Villa boss has previously confessed his admiration for the player, praising him after a clash between Arsenal and Watford back when he was Gunners boss.

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The Verdict: Fits the bill

Emery is after a new A-list forward this month who can potentially play anywhere across the front line. Deulofeu can do just that, and is primarily a centre-forward, so seems to fit the bill perfectly.

He is also in fine form over in Italy, and with 127 games of Premier League experience under his belt, Villa may see him as a really shrewd signing.

Leeds United are set to make their return to competitive action at home to champions Manchester City in the Premier League this evening, with the Elland Road outfit seeking to move further away from danger with a positive result.

The Whites had gone into the World Cup break on something of a sour note after losing to both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur in their most recent league meetings, ensuring they are currently just two points above the drop zone – albeit with two games in hand on those around them.

The Yorkshire side’s hopes of avoiding a third successive league defeat later today do appear somewhat slim, however, as they shipped 11 goals and scored none against the Etihad outfit in their two league clashes last term.

Ahead of what will be a tough test for the hosts, here’s how we at Football FanCast predict that Jesse Marsch’s side will line up…

There is seemingly a great deal of uncertainty surrounding just who will be available to feature against Pep Guardiola and co, although the definite absentees will be that of Tyler Adams due to suspension, as well as the stricken duo of Luis Sinisterra and Stuart Dallas.

While there are doubts over a number of other squad members – including Illan Meslier and Rodrigo – the consensus is that they should be in contention to feature, with Leeds seemingly in need of all the help they can get against such ferocious opposition.

With that in mind, we predict that Marsch will select the same defensive unit as the one that lined up against Spurs in their last top-flight encounter, with centre-back Diego Llorente set to remain on the bench despite his recent contract extension.

In midfield, the absence of the aforementioned Adams could well see summer signing Darko Gyabi handed his league debut as the partner to Marc Roca, with the 18-year-old having only made one senior outing for the club to date.

As for the forward line, fellow teenager Wilfried Gnonto should also be in contention for a start on the flanks, with the “aggressive” talent – as described by pundit Noel Whelan – having shown moments of “brilliance” in the recent mid-season friendlies, according to Whelan.

Joining the 5 foot 7 speedster in attack should well be Brenden Aaronson and Crysencio Summerville, with the latter man hoping to continue his hot streak in front of goal, having scored in four successive league games.

Teammate Rodrigo has also netted in each of his last four Premier League games – including a brace against the north Londoners last month – with the Spaniard also looking to maintain that run in the centre-forward berth.

Transfer expert Dean Jones says that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been recommended Josip Juranovic by his assistant Steve McClaren.

The Lowdown: On his trail

It was reported last week that the Old Trafford outfit are still on the trail of Juranovic, after looking at him in the summer.

The right-back is currently enjoying a fine FIFA World Cup with Croatia, being a mainstay in a Croatia team which has reached the semi-finals, impressively knocking out Brazil in the last eight, and Juranovic received widespread plaudits for his own performance in that match.

The Latest: McClaren recommendation

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has shared that McClaren ‘really likes’ Juranovic, and has recommended his signing to Ten Hag:

“As we said before, McClaren really likes this guy, and that’s where I’m told the recommendation comes from.

“I guess, typically, Ten Hag is going to look to prefer his own guys over anyone else recommending people.

“But ultimately, he’s now been able to see him at the World Cup, and it’s a very easy way to scope out a player in real time, especially when they’re playing games of their own.”

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The Verdict: Big call

It is a big call from McClaren to recommend Juranovic to Ten Hag, given that he is likely to want to bring in his own targets having taken over in the summer.

Hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Celtic legend John Hartson, Juranovic has scored six goals and made three assists in 50 games in all competitions over the last season-and-a-half for the Hoops, helping them to win the Scottish Premiership title last season, and he also appears to be well on his way to another one this time around (Transfermarkt).

With Aaron Wan-Bissaka reportedly being allowed to leave in the January transfer window, Juranovic would be a worthy replacement, and should provide healthy competition for Diogo Dalot at right-back.

Aston Villa have begun their new era under Unai Emery in solid fashion, with the Spaniard leading his new side to victories over Manchester United and Brighton and Hove Albion before the World Cup break halted momentum.

Nevertheless, it’s a positive start and Emery will be aiming to add a few new faces to his squad during the January transfer market in order to assert his own stamp on the team.

The club have been linked with a move for Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Djibril Sow recently, and a move for the 25-year-old – who is likely to cost around £26m – will give Emery the licence to ditch Morgan Sanson.

Emery can ditch Sanson

The Frenchman arrived at Villa in January 2021 from Marseille for a £14m transfer fee, however, he hasn’t come close to justifying the large outlay during his time at the club.

The £45k-per-week midfielder has made just 21 appearances across all competitions for the club and has played a grand total of one minute of football so far this season, proving that his time at Villa is surely coming to an end.

Emery can replace him by signing Sow, who featured for Switzerland at the World Cup in Qatar as they bowed out in the last 16 with a defeat to Portugal.

The midfielder played in all four matches, averaging a solid if unspectacular Sofascore rating of 6.63, while providing one assist, making 0.8 key passes, and winning 56% of his total duels, proving that he can be effective at both ends of the pitch.

The £34k-per-week gem has netted twice in 15 Bundesliga appearances this season, while across Europe’s big five leagues, Sow ranks in the top 12% for interceptions made, clearly demonstrating his ball-winning abilities to excellent effect.

He was described as “combative” by reporter Sam Smith and this type of personality is exactly what Emery needs in the heart of his Villa midfield.

Despite the encouraging start from the former Villarreal manager, the club remains in a precarious position. By signing players of quality such as Sow, however, the 51-year-old might just begin to build a team that is capable of staking a claim for the European spots next season.

West Bromwich Albion welcomed their new manager to the Hawthorns dugout over the weekend, with Carlos Corberan taking charge as they faced Sheffield United.

It was something of a baptism of fire for the Spaniard, hosting the fourth-placed side whilst trying to encourage a team who had won just one of their last 11.

However, that record soon worsened when the Blades put the Baggies to the sword in their own backyard, scoring with their only two shots on target to snatch a result.

At the very least, it will have offered clarity to the new boss about who at the club he can trust, and who might need replacing should they have their bid for a £25m loan accepted.

One man who was particularly poor on Saturday was left wingback Conor Townsend, who disappointed in a position that is of paramount importance to Corberan’s system.

His SofaScore rating of 6.1 was the worst of any outfield players on the pitch, with goalkeeper Alex Palmer the only man to achieve a lower one.

In a position that demands a huge amount of output, the 29-year-old is still yet to score or assist in the Championship thus far.

Perhaps it might be time to turn to an experienced head to deputise in that role, with Adam Reach renowned for his ability to impress all across the pitch.

His exploits even led one of his old bosses, Lee Bullen, to label him an “adaptable” player who “can produce fantastic performances in various positions.”

Tony Pulis held him in similar regard, although hailed his technical ability of which he has in abundance. During his time at Wednesday, the veteran coach said that Reach has “got a wand of a left foot.”

The 29-year-old actually came on to replace Townsend against United, and in his 13-minute cameo managed to complete one more key pass than his teammate as well as record a 100% pass accuracy.

Having made just one start this season – which came against Millwall – now might be the time to give him a run of games to either transform the team or at the very least prove that no places on the pitch are guaranteed if you are underperforming.

It could be a stroke of genius to unleash this Championship stalwart in a position that demands such tactical intelligence. This move could be the key to turning around West Brom’s season.

Everton were left to rue a handful of gilt-edged chances in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, with the Toffees having slipped to a second successive Premier League defeat after a previous six-game unbeaten run.

That clash in north London had seen both Demarai Gray and Amadou Onana inexplicably fire over inside the first half, before the visitors were made to pay for their wastefulness as England skipper Harry Kane converted from the penalty spot following a somewhat contentious spot-kick decision.

The Spurs talisman had softly gone down under contact from compatriot Jordan Pickford – with pundit Chris Sutton dubbing the striker the “King of the divers” as a result – albeit with the former Sunderland ‘keeper having done himself no favours after failing to adequately deal with the initial effort on goal.

Antonio Conte’s side went on to clinch the points late on through midfield maestro Pierre-Emile Hojberg, ensuring a frustrating journey home to Merseyside for manager Frank Lampard and his side.

For all that disappointment, however, the away side’s overall performance had come in stark contrast to their most recent trip to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, with Lampard’s men having shipped five in what was arguably the nadir of last season.

One notable difference from the horror show of last term was the new faces in the backline, with the presence of summer arrivals Conor Coady and James Tarkowski ensuring a far more solid display this time around, with the defensive unit having been dubbed “Championship level” following that 5-0 embarrassment by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.

The former Liverpool stalwart had dubbed the Goodison Park outfit “weak” after being simply bullied by Conte’s relentless outfit, although it was a wholly different story on Saturday, with the performance of Tarkowski, in particular, proving just what an inspired signing the former Burnley man truly was.

The free transfer arrival from Turf Moor had been a far from glamourous addition in the recent window, although has gone on to swiftly become an “immense” presence for his new club, alongside the aforementioned Coady, according to writer Peter Guy.

The 29-year-old has started all ten top-flight games so far this term – conceding just 11 goals in that time – having provided far greater solidity in the heart of the backline, notably completing seven clearances, five blocks and three tackles yesterday.

An old-school defender who is willing to put his body on the line for the cause, the £100k-per-week ace also won 83% of his duels on the day, including four of his five ground duels, with his match rating of 7.7, as per SofaScore, by far the highest of any of his teammates on the day.

Such a performance was lauded by Liverpool Echo’s Chris Beesley, who awarded the two-cap colossus an 8/10 rating and stated: “Relished the physical battle against Kane and got in several timely blocks on his fellow England international in a game that the teak tough centre-back had to be at his best.”

That display was a far cry from the ‘weak’ showing of Michael Keane and co back in March, with Tarkowski having once again proven just what a stunning impact he has made to a previously floundering side.

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes was ‘having a go’ at Jadon Sancho at one stage in Sunday’s derby defeat to Manchester City, according to Samuel Luckhurst. 

The Lowdown: Derby drubbing

Erik ten Hag once again named an unchanged Red Devils side, with Marcus Rashford being passed fit to lead the line at the Etihad Stadium.

However, United failed to get going against their neighbours and were on the receiving end of another dominant display from Pep Guardiola’s side, with braces from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland giving the hosts a four-goal advantage at the break.

Antony pulled one back for the visitors before the two Man City scorers completed their hat-tricks in the second half and Anthony Martial registered a late consolation.

The Latest: Luckhurst’s post

Taking to Twitter, Luckhurst said that Fernandes was ‘having a go at Sancho’ following Foden’s opener.

The journalist, who was at the Etihad, added that it was Sancho who lost the ball ‘carelessly’ which led to City’s first goal.

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The Verdict: Painful

Plenty of United supporters would have been going into this afternoon’s meeting with some hope after four successive league victories, but it has proven to be another derby day to forget.

It didn’t take long for frustration to be noticed on the pitch, with Fernandes once again captaining United and failing to hide his emotions when City scored after just eight minutes.

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Sancho, like many others, failed to put in a positive performance. He lost all five of his duels playing on the left and gave away the ball 13 times (as per SofaScore), so he and many of his team-mates could be fighting to retain their place in the side for Thursday’s Europa League match against Omonia Nicosia.