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Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has been a sensation since his appointment at Elland Road in the summer. 

The Argentine coach has worked wonders for the Whites, having transformed them from an underperforming mid-table Championship outfit into genuine title contenders. Promotion back to the Premier League – after a 15-year absence – finally looks to be on the cards for Leeds this season.

If that goal is achieved then Bielsa will deserve plenty of the credit. The head coach has also made waves off the pitch, not least for the ‘Spygate’ scandal, but also for his open, honest and principled manner of speaking in press conferences.

Are fans being priced out of the Championship as well as the Premier League? The angry Bolton fan in the video below certainly believes so…

Bielsa recently stated that the biggest joy, for him, in his job comes from “human relationships.” He continued, “if human relationships are satisfactory, which means to love and be loved, to respect and being respected, then it is more important than winning and success”, as quoted by the Yorkshire Evening Post.

This is a stance that Ian Holloway has aligned himself with.

What he said

In an exclusive interview with Football League World, the former Blackpool boss and EFL on Quest pundit said “that’s a hell of a statement. I don’t know him but if that’s how he is that’s great. It’s remarkable the changes he has made but then there was the Spygate thing which was a step too far for me, so there’s a bit of a contradiction there almost. I hope that’s the truth what he said, though, because I do believe you have one chance to build a reputation and it’s not about winning all the time or losing all the time.”

Not all about winning

Holloway and Bielsa seem to agree that there’s often more to football than simply winning or losing. Certainly, whether Leeds succeed or fail in their bid for promotion this season, Bielsa’s impact at the club will remembered as a significant one regardless, due to the connection he has forged with his squad and the Elland Road faithful.

Christian Benteke recently returned from injury, but the 28-year-old faces a difficult task of getting back into Crystal Palace’s starting XI.

Compatriot Michy Batshuayi has made a fine start to life in a blue and red shirt, scoring the opener in his new club’s 4-1 win away at Leicester City over the weekend, leaving the former Liverpool man in a tricky predicament.

A move away from Selhurst Park could now be on the cards with the transfer window still open in China.

The Breakdown

Het Laaste Nieuws (via HITC) reports that Crystal Palace are in fact actively looking to sell Benteke to a Chinese Super League side in a development that is hardly surprising.

Benteke has struggled for some time now with the Belgian only managing to find the back of the net on three occasions in 31 Premier League appearances last season, while he has shown nothing since then to suggest he can rediscover the form he displayed in his debut campaign at Selhurst Park.

With that in mind, the Eagles are playing things smart by trying to shift the ex-Aston Villa No.9 to China.

With whatever money they can recoup from the sell, they can invest it towards buying Batshuayi from Chelsea permanently with the talented Belgium international looking like he will have no problems when it comes to scoring.

Be it now or in the summer, a Benteke departure would probably be in everyone’s best interest.

Manchester United are planning to make a world-record £90m move for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly according to The Sun, and he could kickstart a potential Red Devils title challenge from the back.

The 27-year-old has impressed in Serie A and the Champions League since signing from Genk in 2014 and looks like the sort of defender Jose Mourinho was trying to buy in the summer. Ed Woodward refused his request for a major defensive signing and the rest is history, so now it looks like he’s changed his mind.

It’s become clear that United lack an experienced, calm head to control the back four, even when Mourinho’s tactics didn’t leave the back four exposed. Now Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is at the helm and playing more attacking football, the back four needs to be as strong as it was under Ferguson.

United may have a new manager come the start of next season, but the situation won’t change. The likes of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Eric Bailly simply aren’t good enough to command a defence the fans and club are used to. Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic would organise the back four to ensure United’s attacking style didn’t have to be compromised to prevent them leaking goals.

Today’s team seems a world away from this, however United’s centre-backs aren’t all that bad. Some defenders aren’t born for that leadership and organisational role and that’s fine, but they must be accompanied by someone who is if the partnership is to work.

Koulibaly has played all but two of Napoli’s Serie A games this season, 21, in a side who still champion the fast-paced, quick-passing playing style that Maurizio Sarri left behind. United aim to play as far up the pitch as possible meaning their defenders must be comfortable on the ball because they will have lots of it, the Napoli man certainly has this quality.

His experience in a well-drilled side playing attacking football could make him the defender who allows United to rekindle their attacking spark without worrying about their defensive stability.

Do you think United should sign the Napoli star?

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Celtic fans are in a panic over the fitness of Filip Benkovic.

When Brendan Rodgers mentioned a knock at Tuesday’s media conference it didn’t seem too concerning, with Jozo Simunovic and Kris Ajer linking up for the double header versus St Johnstone. A double header against Valencia next month is an entirely different prospect.

The loss of Dedryck Boyata and Benkovic has been a summer time bomb that Celtic fans have dreaded. But if it becomes reality now, there could be pressure on what remains of the transfer window to bring in a ready-to-play replacement.

The story of a season ending injury was first reported by The Scottish Sun and needless to say, it has created quite the reaction amongst Celtic supporters.

Rightly so – the 21-year-old has been in excellent form during his season-long loan from Leicester City, making 26 appearances for the Scottish champions in all competitions.

Here’s a quick look at how Hoops fans reacted to the news on Twitter…

West Ham’s victory over Southampton was huge for their Premier League survival hopes.

The 3-1 triumph pulls them out of the relegation zone, pushing them up to 16th in the table in the process. They are still level on points with Bournemouth, who dropped down to 18th last weekend despite drawing 2-2 with Chelsea, but things look a lot rosier for David Moyes and his players.

It was actually the Saints who dominated possession, having the ball 67% of the time compared to 33%, but they were far more dangerous in front of goal with seven shots on target compared to two. Moyes can be happy with the displays from several of his players, and Pablo Fornals was one of those to shine the brightest.

The Spaniard was heavily involved in the Hammers’ attacking play, managing two assists in the process. He can be proud of his showing across the 90 minutes.

Of course, the only reason he started this clash was arguably down to Tomas Soucek’s injury. The Czech Republic international joined on loan from Slavia Prague in January but was forced off against Liverpool early in the second half, with Fornals replacing him.

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His goal in the second 45 minutes of that clash off the bench saw him start against the south-coast side – his first inclusion in the starting XI in six matches – and he repaid his manager’s faith.

It has been a mixed debut campaign for the 23-year-old. There have been some good moments since joining from Villarreal – he does have two goals and five assists in the Premier League so far – but he was lambasted by portions of the club’s fanbase earlier in the campaign for what they have seen as lacklustre showings.

Despite being an attacking midfielder by trade, Fornals has played an awful lot on the wing. He has played 13 matches on the left or right flank, as per Transfermarkt, which is more than he has played in the number 10 role. However, Soucek’s injury has forced Mark Noble to move back to a deeper role alongside Declan Rice, giving Fornals the opportunity to return to his favoured position – in 133 minutes of football since then, he has a goal and two assists.

The loanee’s injury woes have ended up rejuvenating Fornals, a player the Irons spent £24m on just last summer. And clearly, if he is at his best, it gives the London outfit a greater chance of success. Even when Soucek returns, Moyes should think long and hard whether it is right to re-introduce him straight back into the side.

Elsewhere, this struggling West Ham man was in superb form at the London Stadium this weekend.

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been reacting to something Jurgen Klopp revealed on Friday, as the Reds will jet off for another warm-weather camp after the Bournemouth match.

Liverpool will look to get back on track on Saturday afternoon, and the visit of an inconsistent Bournemouth side offers a brilliant chance to get the goals flowing.

The Cherries are one of the few teams that will try to get the ball down and play football at Anfield, and with David Brooks and Callum Wilson both out injured they should be there for the taking.

Fans are fuming at Klopp though, after the boss revealed the squad will travel to Spain for a short training camp next week, as reported by The Evening Standard’s David Lynch.

The Reds went to Dubai for a warm-weather camp before the draws against Leicester and West Ham, and it’s fair to say they looked out of sync in both performances.

Fans now think the trip to Spain will have the same effect before huge matches against Bayern Munich and Manchester United, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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Loads of Tottenham fans have been reacting to the hard-fought win at Selhurst Park, and they’re full of praise for the much-maligned Moussa Sissoko.

You won’t find many players that get more stick from their own fans than Sissoko at Tottenham, but the all-action midfielder has improved massively in recent weeks.

Mauricio Pochettino is clearly a big fan of the 29 year-old as he continues to deploy him pretty much all over the pitch, and he had perhaps his best Tottenham performance on Saturday evening.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”328975″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Fixture in Focus Manchester City vs Manchester United”]

Juan Foyth’s second half goal gave the visitors all three points, but it’s Sissoko who is taking all the plaudits.

The controversial £30m signing was absolutely everywhere, completing 91 per cent of his passes, including two key passes, as well as completing two dribbles and making two tackles.

He had one particularly incredible run through the Eagles’ defence in the first half, and fans are stunned by his recent form.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

According to a recent report from El Desmarque, Lucas Moura has been linked with a move away from Tottenham this month. The 26-year-old only made the move to Mauricio Pochettino’s side back in January after five years at French heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain, although he didn’t command regular football at Spurs in the second half of last season.

And reports suggest that Spanish club Real Betis are interested in the winger, yet Tottenham simply must forget about sanctioning his departure, as there is only one winger they should seek to get rid of this month, namely Georges-Kevin N’Koudou.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, while Brazil international Moura only mustered 11 senior appearances for Pochettino’s men last time round, he is certainly a lot closer to the first team than teammate N’Koudou, and will likely ask more questions of fellow front players this time round after an impressive pre-season.

In fact, there were glimpses of promise from the 26-year-old last season to suggest that he could be a big asset for Pochettino this term, and while 23-year-old N’Koudou deserves great credit for also performing well in pre-season, it just doesn’t look like he has much of a future at the North London outfit.

The winger made the move to Spurs back in 2016 after impressing at French side Marseille, but he only managed 17 senior appearances in his first season at the club in the 2016/17 campaign, just two of which were starts.

And the season after didn’t prove to be any more fruitful for the Frenchman given he only mustered six appearances for Pochettino’s side, before being shipped out on loan to Burnley back in January of this year to emphasise his lowly position in the Argentine’s pecking order – he even struggled for regular football at Turf Moor.

And, despite impressing during pre-season, the 23-year-old still wasn’t able to make Pochettino’s matchday squad for their opening Premier League clash against Newcastle United on Saturday, and with Moura starting the 2-1 win, that itself is the clearest indication that it is N’Koudou who Spurs should consider getting rid of this month, certainly not Brazilian star Moura.

Tottenham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

According to reports in The Telegraph, Manchester United have suffered a huge setback in their attempt to agree a new deal with midfielder Marouane Felliani after his representatives rejected an initial contract offer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Telegraph says that the Red Devils are keen to tie the Belgium international down seeing as his current contract is due to expire next summer, and while United have triggered the 12-month option in his deal, the opening offer from the club has been turned down by Fellaini’s agent.

Despite often struggling to make a positive impression at Old Trafford following his move from Everton in 2013, the 29-year-old has been transformed under Jose Mourinho and has become a key player.

How has he done this season?

While Paul Pogba and summer signing Nemanja Matic started the campaign as Mourinho’s first-choice central midfield partnership, an injury to the former gave Fellaini a chance to impress and he took it with both hands.

After substitute appearances against West Ham United, Swansea City and Leicester City – a game in which he scored – the 29-year-old started in the wins against Everton, Southampton and Crystal Palace – scoring a brace against the Eagles.

As well as that, the Belgian also netted one and assisted one in the 3-0 win against Basel in the Champions League, although he suffered a knee injury on international duty which has seen him the miss the Liverpool and Benfica clashes this week.

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Why is he so important?

Largely due to his versatility and physical strength, but he is good on the ball too.

The Belgium international has impressed in the centre of the park because opposition midfielders have struggled to deal with his power, while he is also useful in both penalty areas because of his height and ability to win headers.

Mourinho will certainly be a big fan of his defensive abilities, as we all know he prides himself on his teams being solid at the back.

Will he sign a new deal?

You would think so, yes.

Fellaini will have had his confidence boosted by Mourinho after difficult spells under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal previously, but if he wants guaranteed first-team football then he could choose to reject a new deal and leave.

There seems little doubt that Matic and Pogba are the first-choice midfield pairing, and considering the 29-year-old also has Ander Herrera for competition, he may feel that his opportunities could be even less frequent in the future.

Injuries have claimed the peak years of many great players. Physical troubles have snatched the potential of some dazzling youngsters. They are part of football, with certain players proving almost indestructible despite the miles they clock up over the course of many seasons. It is a sad reality that a lot of players have to cope with lengthy lay-offs at one time or another, but it is one football clubs have to cope with.

Some clubs, however, find this harder than others. Brendan Rodgers became overly reliant on the regularly absent Daniel Sturridge at Liverpool, Manchester City had periods of dependency on Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany despite their niggling troubles and now Arsenal are suffering due to the loss, once again, of Santi Cazorla.

Cazorla has been one of the Premier League’s most underrated players while in North London. Capable of spreading play from a deep midfield role or playing as a number 10 – as he often did earlier in his career – Cazorla is a technically gifted wonder in the middle third with his talent visible from both feet. A joy to watch so often, the Spaniard has become the lynchpin as the initial creator for Arsenal in midfield.

This role grew out of the struggles to find a complete deep-lying midfielder, with Granit Xhaka now tasked with filling that role. Xhaka is a playmaker by trade and offers passing range that they have lacked in Cazorla’s absence. Despite Xhaka’s arrival, though, the ex-Malaga man is sorely missed in the heart of the pitch by Arsenal. Too often too slow in the build-up and with often ineffective passing from the pivot players, it has led to Mesut Ozil dropping deeper and a lack of attacking potency.

Francis Coquelin, Aaron Ramsey and Mohamed Elneny have their respective merits, but none can make Arsenal tick in possession quite like Cazorla. An artist who despite his stature survives in the physical world of the Premier League midfield, Cazorla has vision and the superb ability to carry out the passes he sees. Line-breaking balls to Mesut Ozil or Alexis Sanchez between the lines are rarely played when Cazorla is not available, but they are no more than bread and butter for the Spanish international.

Since the start of 2015/16, Cazorla has started a measly 22 Premier League matches. As key as he can be for Arsenal and as good as they are with him in the side, they must find either a direct alternative for him or a different way to set up. Xhaka is still finding his way, but will undoubtedly improve, leaving Arsenal with an empty space in midfield. Ramsey could have provided the energy and attacking instincts, but his defensive naivety and poor form this season even brings his future at the club into question.

Since he last featured in the 6-0 drubbing of Ludogorets back in October, there has often been a Cazorla-esque hole in the Arsenal side. Without his guile the attack has lacked fluidity and it has been a key factor in yet another collapse for the Gunners. This dependency on a player seldom available must stop for Arsenal, though. This summer could be a tough goodbye to one of the best players to watch in the Premier League.

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