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Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch takes charge of his first game of the club when his team travel to Leicester City on Saturday afternoon.

The Whites are in desperate need of some points in the Premier League, and a good start against the Foxes would certainly provide some early momentum for the new manager.

One big call that he must surely consider making is to axe Junior Firpo from his starting line-up.

The Brazil international has found it tough to adjust to the pace and intensity of the Premier League since his move last summer, and if any match typified that struggle, then you should look no further than last weekend against Spurs.

His performance against the Lilywhites prompted a lot of criticism from pundits and journalists alike, with Paul Robinson slamming his defending as “schoolboy” and “inexcusable”, while The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick simply dubbed him “stupid” for the way in which he picked up a cheap yellow card.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross gave him a three, saying: “Dejan Kulusevski proved to be one of the main outlets for Tottenham and Firpo never seemed to get a handle on him. No way should the winger have been able to go from facing a corner flag to scoring inside five seconds.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Mark Smith from MOT Leeds News, who gave Firpo a four and raged: “Far too aggressive and is easy to turn, added in with his ability to get booked every single week for something so stupid.”

With Leicester boasting an exciting and pacey attack of Harvey Barnes and a returning Jamie Vardy, the duo’s movement and directness could cause Firpo some serious problems, just like Kulusevsi did last week.

Stuart Dallas could come into that left-back role if needed to provide a bit more reliability, but Marsch must surely drop one of Leeds’ biggest liabilities for his first game in charge.

Meanwhile, Graham Smyth has revealed a Leeds “surprise”…

Aston Villa had a rather busy January transfer window in terms of bringing new players to the club on permanent and temporary loan deals.

With the next summer transfer window in mind, it seems as though the Midlands club have their eye on making one of their January loan deals into a permanent one.

What’s the latest?

According to a recent article from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Steven Gerrard’s side are looking to trigger the release clause that would see goalkeeper Robin Olsen remain at Villa Park on a permanent basis when his loan deal from AS Roma expires at the end of the season.

The report also claims that it would cost Johan Lange and the Villans €3.5m (£2.8m) to keep the Swedish shot-stopper.

Since arriving at the club back in January, the 32-year-old has yet to make an appearance for Villa, being an unused substitute for their past five league games.

With that in mind, it seems that the only way the £6m-rated loanee will get a chance to play would be if Emi Martinez were unable to play for whatever reason.

Steer upgrade

Having been praised for his “monstrous” performances on the international stage in the past, Olsen will undoubtedly be hoping to show everyone at the Midlands club what he’s capable of before the end of the season.

However, with the club apparently already looking to keep him where he is beyond this current campaign, this suggests that they have seen enough in him to persuade them to spend some money to trigger his release clause.

As the former Everton and Sheffield United loan star arrived in January, this paved the way for Jed Steer to make a move out of the club for a loan switch to Championship club Luton Town.

If the Englishman, who has only made a total of 36 appearances for the Villans across all competitions and conceded 37 goals in the process, ends up calling time on his period as a Villa player in the summer, this would surely make Olsen a big upgrade for the club based on the significant experience he has, having made a total of 270 senior club appearances throughout his career.

With Steer failing to make the most of his one opportunity to impress for his parent club earlier in the season when he conceded three goals in their 3-0 defeat against Chelsea as well as only making one save and misplacing eight of the 12 long ball passes he attempted, this suggests that he may not be good enough to play for Gerrard’s side moving forward.

As a result, securing a permanent deal for the 32-year-old in the summer could end up being a bargain move from the Midlands club if can prove himself as a useful option and a reliable backup option for Martinez, something Steer hasn’t done.

In other news: Lange can finally axe £34k-p/w dud with AVFC swoop for £36m-rated “destroyer” – opinion

Leeds United will be looking to continue their fine form under Jesse Marsch as they head to the capital to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League, where they can nudge ever closer to safety with a win.

The Whites have picked up ten points from a possible 12, a run of form that has seen them rise five points clear of 18th-placed Burnley, prior to their Sunday afternoon clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Last time out, the Yorkshire giants ran rampant over Roy Hodgson’s struggling Watford side, though that was some two weeks ago, and the American head coach is now left with plenty to ponder heading into kick-off.

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He has already effectively confirmed that Kalvin Phillips will be starting, whilst Adam Forshaw’s season is over after sustaining an injury in training this week.

So with the England international set to return to the starting lineup for the first time since his comeback, someone will have to make way and that could be Robin Koch, who was Leeds’ second lowest-rated player, as per SofaScore figures, in the 3-0 win at Vicarage Road.

The versatile German, usually deployed in central defence, played the full 90 but he was a big liability and against a much better team, the Whites would have been punished.

He could only muster up a passing accuracy of 57%, some way off the standard set by Phillips (82.6%), whilst he also lost possession a whopping 23 times from his 59 touches – once every 2.5 touches, which is shocking for a ball-retaining midfielder.

Koch was also dribbled past on a worrying five occasions and he committed one foul, so with the prospect of facing Conor Gallagher, a much better option than any of the Hornets’ cast, Marsch has to make a big call indeed.

In the past, the £15.3m-rated calamity has been slammed for his “criminal” defending by BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand, who slammed his attempts to thwart Bruno Fernandes during a clash with Manchester United.

With Phillips returning to the side, it should be an easy, albeit a bit of a ruthless decision to drop Koch for tonight’s encounter. He should not be in the midfield at the very least as Patrick Vieira’s side could really do damage with the struggling German sat in the engine room.

AND in other news, Journalist reveals where Leeds will strengthen this summer…

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has been assessing the potential financial implications should Glasgow Rangers go on to win the Europa League this season. 

The lowdown: Seville calling

The Teddy Bears have been on a wild ride to book their place in the final on 18 May in Seville.

They will take on Eintracht Frankfurt, the conquerors of Premier League outfit West Ham, in the showpiece, having already overcome two Bundesliga clubs in Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig to reach the decider in the south of Spain.

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However, victory in Seville would mean more than just a first major European honour in 50 years for the club…

The latest: Major financial opportunity for Rangers

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire – a regular contributor for Sky Sports – has explained how the Europa League winners would be set to receive a huge influx of additional funds.

The finance expert said: “You get £1.5m for participating in the Super Cup, which they will do if they win the trophy.

“You will also get bonuses from sponsors. So that might take you to £6m or £7m. These figures are all significant.

“You then get an extra £30m from being in the Champions League next season, so overall we’re talking about a £40m football match.”

The verdict: Added importance

Whilst the players and indeed Van Bronckhorst will be fully focused on the task in hand from an on-field perspective, the Ibrox hierarchy will no doubt have one eye on the potential windfall should the Gers be successful in Seville.

Any incoming funds will be of particular importance this summer, as Old Firm rivals Celtic are set to lift the Premiership title, and in turn book their own spot in next season’s Champions League with all the associated benefits.

While there is no need for wholesale squad changes at Rangers, new signings will likely be necessary, and an additional £40m in the club’s coffers would undoubtedly be a huge boost to the summer budget.

In other news, some in the media raved about this Rangers starsin victory over Dundee United. Find out who here.

Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side head into tonight’s Premier League meeting with Arsenal knowing that, if they are to give themselves any chance of securing a top-four finish this season, they simply must defeat their north London rivals at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Indeed, despite an impressive 1-1 draw at Liverpool last time out, Spurs currently sit four points behind Mikel Arteta’s side, with a victory seeing the Italian’s outfit move to within one point of the Gunners, while a defeat would confirm Arsenal’s spot in the Champions League in 2022/23.

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As such, it is clear the 52-year-old simply must get his team selection spot on this evening, so, will Conte make any changes to the XI that lined up at Anfield on Saturday? Here’s how we at Football FanCast think the Tottenham team could look, as well as the latest team and injury news…

With Conte revealing in his pre-match press conference that Spurs have no fresh injury concerns ahead of this evening, and Sergio Reguilon, Matt Doherty, Japhet Tanganga and Oliver Skipp all remaining sidelined, we predict that the Italian will make the bold call of selecting an unchanged XI from the Liverpool fixture.

This means that, once again, Hugo Lloris starts between the Tottenham sticks, and Ben Davies, Eric Dier and Cristian Romero make up Conte’s three-man backline.

At wing-back, with Reguilon remaining sidelined, Ryan Sessegnon is handed another start on the left, while Emerson Royal retains his spot on the right.

In the middle of the park, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur make up the central midfield pairing, while Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski – who, alongside Bentancur, Sean Walsh claimed has “been huge” since joining the club in January – are once again given the nod behind Harry Kane, who leads the Tottenham line.

Indeed, while this XI is undoubtedly Conte’s strongest lineup available at present, naming an unchanged side with the knowledge that Spurs face Burnley at midday on Sunday is certainly a big call as, at this stage of the season, injuries will be extremely easy to pick up considering the fatigue of each player – something that could well see the manager’s decision backfire over the run-in.

AND in other news: Alasdair Gold drops exciting Spurs update ahead of NLD, supporters will be surprised

Manchester United have asked for ‘official information’ regarding a possible mega-money move for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

The Lowdown: Cavani set to depart

Erik ten Hag looks set to be extremely busy this summer when it comes to incomings and outgoings and appear to be in the market for a marquee forward.

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A number of players are out of contract at Old Trafford at the end of June, including Edinson Cavani, who looks set to leave after two seasons in Manchester.

Osimhen, who former United striker Odion Ighalo described as ‘the future’, seems to be a forward on Ten Hag’s radar, but it could be an expensive transfer.

The Latest: Osimhen update

Sports Witness relayed an update from Corriere dello Sport regarding United and Osimhen. They claim that United are in the lead for the Nigerian’s signature and have now asked for ‘official information’ on a figure.

Napoli have reportedly told United that there is a €110m (£93.6m) starting point, with the Serie A side not willing to go below €100m (£85.1m).

The Verdict: A lot of money…

United are reportedly willing to hand Ten Hag a £100m budget and are keen on looking at potential free agents. Therefore, spending a large percentage of his budget on Osimhen may not be the best idea.

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong is expected to be a major target, and while Cristiano Ronaldo could be the only centre-forward available to Ten Hag when he arrives, should Cavani depart, splashing the entire remaining budget on Osimhen would leave the squad bare in other areas.

A major rebuild at Old Trafford is required and the club are seemingly extremely keen on signing de Jong, so pursuing someone like Paulo Dybala on a free transfer instead of Osimhen for £90m+ could be a wiser move.

In other news: Man Utd now working to sign ‘underrated’ defender in £38.5m move; offer ‘imminent’

West Bromwich Albion have been heavily linked with signing out of contract Reading star John Swift this summer, and a now a new update has emerged on their progress with the player.

What’s the latest?

West Brom reporter for The Athletic Steve Madeley, has given a 10-word update on the club’s pursuit to secure a deal for Swift this summer.

In an article for The Athletic summarising the Baggies transfer plans, the journalist revealed:

“West Brom are firmly in the running for John Swift.”

The report goes on to say that Reading have attempted to extend the future of their player but have been unsuccessful so far.

Supporters will be buzzing

Swift has been one of the best creators in the Championship this season and has clearly caught the eye of the powers at The Hawthorns and when you consider his attacking output this season supporters will surely be excited about the potential signing.

The 26-year-old midfielder has scored 11 goals and contributed 13 assists, creating ten big chances, making 2.7 key passes and 2.1 shots on average per game.

He’s also successful in the majority of his dribbles (58%) and averages an astonishing 66.8 touches per game, proving he could be a massive attacking threat for Steve Bruce’s side.

The Baggies have struggled this season after failing to secure a chance at promotion back into the Premier League this season finishing tenth in the Championship and sacking their manager Valerien Ismael to replace him with Steve Bruce, who will now work to rebuild and challenge for promotion again next season.

One of West Brom’s biggest issues this season has been an inability to convert their chances scoring fewer goals (52) than eight of the teams that finished above them in the Championship table, and if they want to compete next season it is clearly an area that Bruce needs to improve to have a shot at promotion.

With that being said, if Albion could secure the signing of Swift this summer it could drastically improve the team and add a fresh attacking perspective that the side is crying out for to give them a better chance and outcome in their efforts to climb the table in their second season in the second tier.

AND in other news: Bruce can save WBA millions by finally unleashing “aggressive” rarely-seen 19 y/o gem

The Test has sprung to life despite four sessions being taken away by weather and poor ground conditions

Danyal Rasool22-Aug-2021Stumps: Pakistan found themselves on top at the end of day three thanks to Fawad Alam’s unbeaten 124, but they have both the opposition and time to beat if they are to level this series.Things went reasonably enough to plan for Babar Azam’s men in the 53.2 overs that were possible, with West Indies’ top order desperately engaged in damage limitation against Mohammad Abbas and Shaheen Afridi at twilight. The openers and Roston Chase were already back in the pavilion, with the hosts trailing by a further 263 runs with two days to go.The West Indian innings might have spanned merely 18 overs on Sunday, but felt like it would be the defining period. Pakistan had to press the issue as they look to level the series, and a solid passage of play here for the hosts might well have dealt a decisive blow to those hopes.Kieran Powell has been out of form for a while now, and when he offered his front pad to an Afridi delivery that looked like it had been programmed to hit middle stump, it was little surprise. Kraigg Brathwaite’s dismissal felt like a bigger moment, the West Indies captain playing all around a textbook left-arm inswinger that crashed into his stumps. West Indies were down two wickets for nine, and there was still an hour to go.These were dream bowling conditions for Abbas, and a blank wickets column should not detract from his devastating ability. The subtle seam movement that threatens both edges of the bat was on full display; at times the batters looked as at sea about the direction of travel as they might to a well-disguised googly. There were thick edges through the slips, stifled lbw appeals, and just brilliant intensity when he had ball in hand.That Chase and Nkrumah Bonner found a way to hang on seemed like it might be vital, but Abbas had softened Chase up for Faheem Ashraf. It was the sort of dismissal Abbas might be proud of, with a length ball shaping back in off the seam, keeping a shade low and ripping past a bat Chase could not get down in time. Under rapidly deteriorating light, Alzarri Joseph was sent out to be the nightwatchman, and managed to stave off further damage to his side.The first session was lost despite bright sunshine•AFP/Getty Images

Despite bright sunshine on a day where 98 overs were originally scheduled to be bowled, only eight balls were possible before lunch had to be taken. A wet patch around the bowler’s run-up at the Michael Holding end was the culprit, with Jason Holder bowling only two balls from that end before asking for the umpires to get involved. Lengthy discussions that involved the captains, coaches, umpires and match referee followed, before officials decided to break for lunch early.The middle session was at times as soporific as the weather delays over the past four sessions had been, with just six runs scored in the day’s first ten overs. Mohammad Rizwan and Ashraf eventually brought up the 50-run partnership, but were, in truth, going nowhere, even though Pakistan needed to force a result. Much of that was thanks to regimentally disciplined bowling, with the quick bowlers allowing few run-scoring opportunities.Those wicket-to-wicket lines paid off, with both men dismissed lbw. Ashraf was the first to go, leaving a gap between bat and pad that Seales honed in on, while Rizwan moved too far across to Holder and caught himself stuck in front. Nauman Ali was dispatched for a first ball duck, and suddenly Holder found himself on a hat-trick, while West Indies sniffed a collapse.The man of the day for Pakistan, though, was indisputably Alam, who continued to make a mockery of his decade-long exclusion from the national side with his fourth hundred this year. He had come back on after retiring hurt on the first day, and following the flurry of wickets at the other end, realised it was time to kick on.A flick of the wrists that brought him four broke the shackles, and he found himself inching towards three figures. A pull to midwicket took him to the landmark, and as the dressing room rose as one, Alam raised his bat; he had overseen a Pakistan fightback in the session and ensured they ended the innings on their terms.After tea, he kicked on in an entertaining 35-run stand with a cavalier Afridi, and when the No. 10 fell, Babar called his players back in. It felt only right that Alam went in undefeated, and, ever the team man, might have set Pakistan up for a remarkable series-salvaging win in the time that remains.

Saqib Mahmood to be assessed after leaving field with apparent side problem

Paul Edwards05-Sep-2021When he opened Nottingham’s Arboretum in 1852, the city’s mayor, William Felkin, decided to get his front leg out of the way and clear the rope. “All society around them can mix together in harmony, good feeling, self-respect and respect to others,” said the wealthy lace manufacturer about the trees, some of which had been imported from the Empire’s outposts. No doubt the 30,000 folk in the crowd applauded warmly although within a decade it was clear that respect stretched no further than the Channel. The Arboretum’s Chinese tower commemorates the capture of a bell from Canton during the Opium Wars and is flanked by two cannon seized at Sebastopol during the Crimean contretemps.If any descendants of that very grand opening were present at Trent Bridge on this first Sunday in September they will have left the ground tonight with equal reason for satisfaction. The high summer of Victorian England is now the concern of revisionist historians but our cricket this warm afternoon in early autumn will require no reassessment. Most judgements will probably say that having been asked to bat on a misleadingly green pitch Nottinghamshire’s top-order enjoyed themselves, no one more so than the loanee Sam Northeast, who was one of three half-centurions.But having reached the ball before tea abundantly placed on 211 for 3, the home side lost five wickets in seven overs, three of them in ten balls to Danny Lamb, one of Lancashire’s players of the season. Nottinghamshire were then dismissed for 272 with both Lamb and his fellow trench warrior, Tom Bailey, taking four wickets. That might not have been an outcome for which Dane Vilas would have settled when he invited Steven Mullaney to bat at 10.30am but he would have welcomed it when first Ben Duckett and latterly Joe Clarke were rattling out the fours in the first two sessions.But Clarke was the first of Lamb’s victims in that rather dramatic post-tea session and the Nottinghamshire batter has now made seven half-centuries in this year’s County Championship without ever making more than 67 in any innings. For a batter of his talent that is surely an inadequate return but what will concern Lamb and his colleagues is the loss of Alex Davies, caught behind off Brett Hutton for nought, and Luke Wells, snapped up at short leg off Hutton just before the close; and what will have bothered Lancashire even more was the sight of Saqib Mahmood leaving the field and holding his side just after tea. Given the present casualty rate among England’s fast bowlers Mahmood’s injury will also be a concern to the national selectors but everyone must wait to know the precise state of the injury until the bowler has been properly assessed overnight. (Rather clearer is the situation regarding Liam Livingstone, who was not selected for this game because he was unwell following his second Covid-19 vaccination.)As it happened, Mahmood was having one of his less impressive days. Rather than stick to a steady line and length to allow his pace to earn its rewards on a wicket offering bounce and carry, he had bowled either too full or too wide. Both Duckett and Northeast had tucked in, the opener pulling and clipping Mahmood to the rope in the eighth over before the ex-Kent batter milked him for six of the nine fours in his fifty. This is Northeast’s third county this season and his fourth in all, albeit he barely stayed long enough with Yorkshire to open a building society account. But having fallen out with Hampshire – absolutely ‘non-speakers’ at the moment apparently – he finds himself an itinerant bat for hire and Nottinghamshire, ever eager to bolster their resources, have signed him up. One saw the wisdom of that decision during Northeast’s innings. Haseeb Hameed will be with England until the final round of games and Nottinghamshire have had one or two collapses in them this season.So much was made clear before and after tea this afternoon. Lyndon James had stroked five pleasing fours in his 21 runs before a ball of full length from Bailey gave him the chance to notch a sixth, only for his cover drive to go straight and low to Josh Bohannon. As James departed regretting another lost opportunity, the scones and cream arrived at Trent Bridge. No reports were received on the state of play at Grantchester but it had become that sort of afternoon.And the relatively conventional pattern of the day did not lessen our enjoyment in the least. Across the country batters were coming and going like hapless game show contestants – 102 in the eight County Championship matches by the end of play – but at Trent Bridge Luke Fletcher’s 27 ensured Nottinghamshire reached a competitive score and we surely have three more days of this stuff ahead of us.For those of us who watched two Bob Willis Trophy games here last August, when cricket was played against the background a white unpeopled vastness this day was rich beyond easy words. That ripe Nottinghamshire accent was heard again on the packed middle deck of the Radcliffe Road stand, the ball ran off the face of the bat and the fields towards Eastwood stretched away as perhaps they did in DH Lawrence’s day. At least, it was easy to think so.

With qualification equations steep, PNG batter says the team’s first goal is to achieve a win

Mohammad Isam20-Oct-2021Papua New Guinea will look to emulate Scotland in their final Group B match, when they take on Bangladesh on Thursday, and not think too much about the net run-rate equations. PNG need to win by a big margin to have any shot at qualifying for the Super 12s, but their primary aim will be to win the game rather than focus on that.”It is our biggest opportunity,” batting mainstay Charles Amini said on the eve of the game. “This will be our first test as a team against one of the best T20 teams going around. Although they lost the first game, they are still a good team. We are very proud of our efforts. We lost the first two games but we are hopeful that we still have a chance. Scotland caused an upset in the first game. We are pretty sure we can also do the same thing.”I think the first thing would be to try to win the match. It’d be history in the making to win a game in the World Cup. Whatever happens after that is not in our control. If there’s an opportunity to make it to the next round, we will try to work towards that.”Related

• Maqsood, Jatinder help Oman lead 10-wicket rout of PNG

• Group B scenarios – Scotland, Oman, Bangladesh eye net run rate calculations

• Shakib: 'The win is a relief for the team'

Amini, a compact left-hand batter, has made 37 and 1 in PNG’s two games so far, and is aware that this T20 World Cup also presents an opportunity for scouts and coaches from around the world to recruit players for franchise leagues.”I think this is exposure that we need for PNG cricket. I believe if anyone does well, it takes one good game to turn heads,” Amini said. “I think that’s what we are looking at. The best way to get that exposure is on the world stage. No other time to do it, than now.”Playing against Bangladesh will also give Amini the opportunity to observe Shakib Al Hasan, and perhaps to interact with the allrounder.”I would love to talk and meet with the Bangladesh players like Shakib,” Amini said. “He is one of the best allrounders in the world. I’d like to know how he goes about his game, what kind of plans he has. He is a left-handed batter like me. I’d like to see what he does in his routine, and learn as much as possible off him. It will be such a great experience.”Meeting the greats of the game inspires Amini.”During our warm-up game, Mahela Jayawardene came to our dressing room to tell us how to go about the game, chasing such targets. It was great learnings from one of the best players in the world,” he said.Amini is also a member of the most famous cricketing family in his country, after whom there’s even a stadium named. He said that his parents, both of whom represented PNG in cricket, call him every day in Oman.”They are very excited. They keep reminding me of how proud they are,” he said. “I am very honoured to be carrying the name of Amini on the world stage. I am trying to do the best I can. Hopefully the next generation of my family can do the same thing.”As for the future, Amini hopes that PNG will be able to play Test cricket one day, following in the footsteps of Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, with whom PNG share the ICC Trophy pathway from the 1980s.”I believe PNG finished third in 1982. It is part of the journey where Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka have come from. Hopefully PNG can one day play Test cricket like them,” he said.