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Leeds United secured their second successive Championship victory on Saturday to retain the initiative in the title race.

The Whites had to battle hard at Elland Road, but were ultimately deserving of their 2-1 victory over strugglers Bolton Wanderers. However, Marcelo Bielsa will feel that his side should have been able to secure a more comfortable margin of victory.

This is a recurring theme, as Leeds have struggled to take their chances in recent weeks.

Who do you want to see promoted this year? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have picked their 3 favoured teams in the video below…

On the chalkboard

If Leeds are to hang on and achieve automatic promotion to the Premier League this season then they must rediscover their clinical edge soon. However, the recent injury sustained by 14-goal top scorer Kemar Roofe will have come as a major blow in this regard.

Bielsa must now find a way to make his side more prolific without having the 26-year-old forward to lead the line. The likes of Patrick Bamford and Tyler Roberts must now step up. The Argentine coach must first find a way to configure his attacking talents in a cohesive and effective manner.

Adapting to Bamford

25-year-old summer signing Bamford will now be the first choice to lead the line for the Whites. The 6’1” striker’s season has been ravaged by injuries so far, but now fully fit he has the capacity to get amongst the goals. 

Bamford is a clinical and reliable finisher, but a very different kind of forward to Roofe. Leeds must now adapt to having the former Middlesbrough hitman up front.

Bamford is less mobile than Roofe, but his movement in the penalty area, strength, and hold up play make him an ideal target man. If he can cultivate a relationship with the likes of Roberts and Pablo Hernandez, who can break forward from deep in order to link up with the No. 9, then Leeds could suddenly find themselves banging them in with regularity again.

Newcastle have the opportunity to move level on points with 17th-placed Watford as they face Leicester in the Premier League today.

The Magpies, barring a win by four goals or more, will remain in the bottom three as the Hornets boast a stronger goal difference as it stands.

They come into this game off the back of their first win in the division last weekend against Burnley, beating the Clarets 1-0 thanks to a goal from Callum Wilson.

Liability

Whilst it was a superb result for the Magpies, one player did struggle in the game and should now be brutally axed from the XI – Fabian Schar.

He was a liability against Sean Dyche’s side and was carried through the match by the impressive Jamaal Lascelles at centre-back. As per SofaScore, he lost 11 of his 13 duels on the pitch, losing both of his battles on the ground and nine of his 11 in the air. This shows that he was a lightweight who was unable to compete physically against the Burnley forwards, which allowed them to dominate him throughout the game.

Lascelles, meanwhile, won an impressive 12 of his 14 duels overall. He won 11 of his 13 aerial battles and his only ground duels, whilst making six clearances and one tackle. The Magpies skipper showed that he was able to stand up and be counted for in the relegation scrap, which is more than what could be said for Schar.

Toon legend Alan Shearer previously called the defender a “danger” due to his ability to score from the defence, but he has only scored one goal for club and country since the start of the 2020/21 campaign. This suggests that he does not carry the same threat in the present, having scored six goals in his first two Premier League seasons for the club.

In half a dozen Premier League outings this season, Schar has lost 55% of his duels and made two errors directly leading to shots at Newcastle’s goal. This, along with his worrying display against Burnley, shows that he has been a liability for the club this term and highlights why he should be axed from the starting XI.

The £8.1m-rated dud managed to get away without his dreadful performance costing Howe against Burnley, as the team still picked up the win, but there is no guarantee that he will be so lucky a second week running. So, he should be taken out of the spotlight and placed on the bench to allow another player to come in and get a chance to perform.

AND in other news, PIF can land NUFC’s new Coloccini with swoop for £120k-p/w “monster” dubbed the “best”…

A number of West Ham fans have urged David Moyes to sign a striker following the Irons’ stalemate against Burnley on Sunday.

The east Londoners were held to a 0-0 draw when they faced off against the Clarets in an underwhelming clash at Turf Moor. West Ham’s lone striker Michail Antonio had just two shots the entire game, and neither of those were on target.

After starting the season off with four goals in the opening three league games, the 31-year-old’s clinical form has begun to tail off. The Jamaica international has now failed to score in his last seven Premier League games, and there is no natural centre-forward alternative to call upon.

In a post-match interview on Sunday, Moyes said: “We just didn’t quite have the quality in the final third when we needed it today. We got in enough times to do so, but we couldn’t make a goal from it.”

Fans urge Moyes to sign a striker

After West Ham shared the interview on the club’s official Twitter channel and website, a number of fans reacted by highlighting their frustrations at the lack of investment in forward players, not the first time the club’s GSB ownership has come under fire.

Here are some of the supporters’ responses to what Moyes had to say:

“Well sign a proper centre forward then Mr Moyes. Put Antonio on the wing.”

Credit: @Ryline

“Agreed, proper striker needed to help Antonio out”

Credit: @marco1681

“Maybe it’s that one single striker who actually isn’t a striker in the entire squad thing we warned you about at the beginning of the season. What other top six side is this unbalanced? Owners taking cheap shortcuts as always.”

Credit: @W1zardOz

“I hope he gave Antonio a good talking to!”

Credit: @reelsophiec

“Good that he knows what the problem is. Looking forward to fresh quality in Jan.”

Credit: @kaisermaschine

“Lack of investment in key areas, simple. #Irons”

Credit: @gazhxc

In other news: West Ham backed to sign £40.8m ace who Virgil Van Dijk included among the world’s best defenders

Rangers are among the clubs eyeing teenage prodigy Zak Lovelace, according to The Daily Record’s Scott Burns. 

The lowdown

The youngster, who will turn 16 next week, became the second-youngest player in Millwall’s history when he made an appearance from the bench against Coventry City in December.

According to The Telegraph’s John Percy, the striker had to get ‘permission from his parents and his school’ to join up with the Lions squad for the fixture. Lovelace has been called to train with the club’s first team ‘several’ times.

The latest

Rangers have ‘regularly’ scouted Lovelace this season and are hopeful of signing him, as per The Daily Record. They face competition from the Premier League, with Leicester City and Brighton mentioned as prospective suitors.

Millwall are described as ‘desperate’ to keep hold of Lovelace, for whom they have ‘massive hopes’, and they are trying to persuade him to sign a professional contract at The Den.

The verdict

Millwall manager Gary Rowett has waxed lyrical about Lovelace, saying: “Zak is a really good lad. He has come in with a humility and hunger to want to do well – that exuberance of youth. I’d love to see how that develops over the next two or three years because he could be, from what I’ve seen, a top player.”

However, the 47-year-old admitted that the London club might not have full control over the teenager’s next move, so it could come down to who can offer him the clearest or swiftest path to senior football.

Rangers have clearly been impressed on their trips to watch Lovelace if they are interested in signing him, and they may even think that he’s a superstar in the making. After all, journalist Dan Marsh urged fans to ‘remember the name’ when the 15-year-old came on against Coventry.

In other news, Rangers are in a strong position to land this defender

Former Aston Villa striker Kevin Phillips has been reacting to the club’s move for Calum Chambers, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Out-of-the-blue Chambers move

Villa recently announced a move for Chambers completely out of the blue, similar to how they brought Danny Ings to the club over the summer.

The under-the-radar transfer made Chambers Villa’s fourth senior acquisition of the January window, penning a three-and-a-half-year deal from Arsenal.

The Gunners failed to activate a clause in the versatile defender’s contract to allow them to extend his deal by a further 12 months, which ultimately placed the defender’s future in his own hands.

The Latest: Phillips comments

Phillips, who regularly features as a pundit on Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding the move for Chambers. He labelled Villa’s business as ‘amazing’ and heaped praise on the club’s hierarchy for backing Gerrard this month, saying:

“They are the big winners this window, in my opinion. The business Steven Gerrard and Aston Villa have done so far is just amazing. Hats off to the board for backing Steven.

“Steven has clearly had an impact in terms of the players the club can attract. Villa is a massive club, of course, but this calibre of signing hasn’t been seen at the club in a long time. The club is moving in the right direction.

“To bring the players in they have had, with the possibility of a couple more coming in… 1000 per cent Villa have had the best window.

“It has put them in a position where they could challenge for European football.”

The Verdict: Solid transfer window for Villa

Even though Villa haven’t bolstered their central midfield ranks following bids for Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur, they have still enjoyed a respectable transfer window.

They’ve made marquee additions in Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne and have also brought in experienced squad players in Chambers and Robin Olsen.

A central midfielder would have been the icing on the cake, but it seems as if that may have to wait until the summer for Gerrard ahead of his first full season in charge.

In other news: ‘Ridiculous’ – Lots of Aston Villa fans fume at ‘the dumbest’ deadline day move.  

An update has emerged on Newcastle’s pursuit of Lyon beast Lucas Paqueta ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Le10 Sport, the Magpies have placed a £34m (€40m) bid for the Brazilian gem and are willing to go higher if needed.

The report claims that the midfielder has turned down the chance to sign for them as it stands, but does not rule out an attempt from the Premier League side to change his mind.

He only signed for the French club around 18 months ago in a deal worth £19m.

New era

Newcastle could start their new era under PIF’s ownership with a bang by tempting him to make a U-turn on his decision next month.

The 24-year-old midfielder has been in sensational form for Lyon in France and his arrival could provide a major lift to the squad, both in terms of his ability and what he could bring on the pitch and the PR his move would provide the club.

He is a player who is currently excelling in Ligue 1 and convincing him to join a relegation battle could be a signal of intent that convinces others to make a similar switch.

He has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.17 for this season, producing six goals and three assists in 16 league matches whilst also making 2.1 tackles per game. This comes after he averaged the same score last term, bagging nine goals and providing five assists in 30 appearances in Ligue 1.

The manager of Brazil – Tite – previously compared him to two other players from his country, saying: “Lucas thinks about football in the same way as Neymar and Coutinho.

“When we played against El Salvador he had a series of exchanges with Neymar, practically without having seen him before and without playing together. They linked up with their eyes closed.”

Milan and Brazil icon Kaka has also been full of praise for Paqueta in the past. He said:

“He’s a player who has a bright future ahead of him. He’s already been called up to the Brazilian national team, but it’s better for him that we don’t make comparisons. I’ve seen so many of them in recent days, with me, with [Alexandre] Pato, with Ronaldinho, Cafu, Rivaldo… with all the Brazilians who have been part of Milan’s history.”

Meanwhile, talent scout Jacek Kulig went as far as to describe him as a “pure joy to watch” earlier this year.

This highlights the pedigree he would arrive with, whilst his statistics for Lyon show that he is putting in the performances to warrant the hype.

Therefore, his arrival could kickstart the PIF era with a bang as he would surely have a huge impact on the pitch with his consistently excellent displays in midfield and he could be the trailblazer in terms of high-profile names making their way to the Toon.

AND in other news, Move over Ashworth: NUFC must consider “irate” DoF whose “behaviour’s been a disgrace”…

In the space of just two Premier League games, newly-appointed Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard seems to have already turned things around at Villa Park by winning his two opening league matches after the Villans’ poor run of form which saw Dean Smith get the sack.

With this in mind, it seems as though the former Rangers boss could be looking to make some changes to his squad during the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the latest?

In a recent interview with Villa TV, the club’s CEO Christian Purslow said that he thinks it’s “perfectly possible in the coming weeks, when Steven and Johan [Lange] are working together, that Steven will want to make one or two adjustments and that might lead to one or two out and maybe one or two in.”

While it may still be slightly early in Gerrard’s reign at Villa Park and a bit early to be talking about January transfers, it should be exciting for Villa fans to hear that some deals could be done during the upcoming window as the 41-year-old looks to put his stamp on the squad.

Given how busy Villa were in the previous summer window in terms of bringing in new players after selling Jack Grealish to Manchester City in a £100m deal, including the likes of Emi Buendia, Danny Ings and Leon Bailey, it’s safe to say that the Midlands club are not shy in splashing the cash when they feel it is needed.

Now that Gerrard has come in and had a perfect start in terms of results in the league, it seems likely that he could be rewarded in January and allowed to make some signings of his own to help strengthen the squad even further.

With two wins under his belt at Villa, it would be safe to presume that the mood around the club is positive at the moment, and that fans will be happy with Gerrard’s impact so far and would be delighted to see the manager bring some new players into the squad in January.

Moving forward, with Villa set to take on Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea in the league before the start of the next transfer window, these games in particular will be a good opportunity for Gerrard and the owners at Villa Park to see what areas of the pitch they may need to strengthen if they end up struggling to compete against that trio.

In other news: Gerrard could be heading for his first AVFC disaster over £31.5m-rated “absolute joy” 

When Steven Gerrard was appointed as manager of Aston Villa, plenty of eyebrows were raised around the country.

The Liverpudlian is clearly a very talented and highly-rated coach but rightly or wrongly, there is always an element of scepticism attached to those arriving on English shores from Scottish football.

What he achieved north of the border was tremendous, as he guided Rangers to the Premiership title last term, doing so in unbeaten fashion.

That was the biggest boon attached to his CV upon arriving at Villa Park but we have quickly discovered there is another hugely appreciated bonus that he brings with him; that of attracting footballers to come and play for him.

The signings of Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne prove that, as two impressive regular internationals joined the club, marking a set of acquisitions that were some of the most impressive in the club’s recent history.

However, there could be arrivals before the window is closed with Johan Lange and Gerrard targeting a certain Luis Suarez no less.

It appears as if the Uruguayan is enthralled by the idea of working with somebody he respects highly from when the ex-midfielder was still a player, and what a signing he’d be.

Boasting 241 goals in Europe’s top five leagues, he is a generational talent, someone who has found the net throughout his career with jaw-dropping consistency.

Yet, he isn’t the only offensive name that could still put pen to paper at Bodymoor Heath before January 31st.

Another player who has been linked with a move is Swedish winger Dejan Kulusevski.

The Juventus star has been touted with switches to the likes of Tottenham Hotspur in recent times but it’s Villa who must secure his services.

After all, the £27m-rated gem could create a destructive and compelling partnership alongside both Coutinho and Suarez in the forward line.

Described as “explosive” by former Villa and Sweden striker Marcus Allback, Kulusevski has attributes in his locker that could scare opposing defenders up and down the country.

Capable of playing all across the front line, he has scored nine times and registered ten assists for Juve, but it was at Atalanta where he was most prolific.

He beat the goalkeeper on 17 occasions while proving himself to be a creative marvel, racking up 26 assists.

Indeed, with that kind of service for Suarez, they’d have the potential to create an awe-inspiring attack under Gerrard.

Admittedly, bringing both of them to the Midlands this winter seems unlikely, but supporters can always dream.

AND in other news, Grealish 2.0: Gerrard must avoid transfer howler on AVFC’s “selfless” £31.5m-rated gem…

Celtic are reportedly edging closer to signing defender Cameron Carter-Vickers on a permanent deal this summer.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers impressing on loan

The American traded Spurs for the Hoops last summer, having failed to force his way into Nuno Espirito Santo’s plans in north London after several loan spells.

Carter-Vickers’ signing has been a masterstroke by Celtic, with the 24-year-old proving to be a dominant performer at the heart of the defence, averaging 4.3 aerial duel wins per game in the Scottish Premiership and ranking as the club’s fifth-best player.

While his move is only temporary currently, recent reports have claimed that it could become permanent ahead of the summer transfer window, with an extremely exciting update emerging late last night.

The Latest: Permanent deal close

According to The Daily Record, sharing an update late on Monday evening, Carter-Vickers looks increasingly like sealing a move to Parkhead, fending off interest from Burnley, Wolves and Leicester City in the process.

A £6million option to sign the USA international is set to be triggered for the defender, as Ange Postecoglou looks to seal a significant piece of business, with the report claiming the player’s camp feel Glasgow is the best place for his permanent development.

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The Verdict: Huge signing for Hoops

Carter-Vickers has shown all season why he could be a great long-term capture by Celtic – he has been hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Greg Taylor – so this update is hugely positive in that respect.

At 24, the Spurs man is at an age where he is already experienced but has another decade or so at the top level, meaning he could be a fixture in the team well into the Hoops’ future.

Carter-Vickers has already forged a strong understanding with Carl Starfelt at centre-back – both were exceptional against Rangers last weekend, making 20 clearances and six interceptions between them – and that is a partnership that could be the bedrock for more success for Postecoglou’s side.

In other news, Kieran Devlin has hailed one aspect of Celtic’s win over Rangers. Read more here.

According to news outlet Fichajes, a transfer update has come out of Tottenham Hotspur involving Blackburn Rovers defender Ashley Phillips.

The Lowdown: Paratici eyeing defensive reinforcements?

Reports from reliable sources indicate that Spurs and transfer chief Fabio Paratici have set their sights on strengthening Antonio Conte’s backline for the summer window.

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Indeed, according to The Telegraph, they apparently have a number of central defenders on the list after they failed to bring one in during the January transfer window.

The likes of Sven Botman and Alessandro Bastoni have been mentioned, but as per Fichajes, the Lilywhites also have their eyes on rising stars for the future.

The Latest: Spurs make contact…

According to the Spanish news source, Tottenham have ‘already asked’ Blackburn about signing their promising young defender Phillips alongside fellow Premier League giants Man United, Arsenal and Everton.

The report goes on to state that an ‘important summer bid’ is on the cards from any of these sides with the race well and truly on.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Rovers boss Tony Mowbray hasn’t held back in his praise for the Ewood Park starlet despite not yet handing him his senior first team debut.

Indeed, Mowbray has waxed lyrical over Phillips – calling the 6 foot 3 defender an ‘exciting’ and ‘phenomenal’ player to the press recently.

The England Under-17 international could certainly be one to watch for the future and he is capable of playing at both centre-half and in front of the back four as a defensive midfielder.

His physicality and versatility are big incentives to swoop and it’s clear to see why many big top flight sides are taking a firm interest.

In other news: Tottenham have already reached an agreement to sign 183-goal star this summer, report claims…find out more here.