[ad_pod ]The Guardian and Observer football journalist Stuart James revealed via his official Twitter account on Thursday morning that he is expecting Leeds United to complete a deadline-day deal for Swansea City winger Daniel James, who he says wants a move to Elland Road.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Yorkshire outfit have been linked with a move for the talented 21-year-old throughout January, with the Yorkshire Evening Post reporting on January 20 that they were set to step up their bid to bring the wide man to the club, and it appears as though the Championship table-toppers will get their man if Stuart James is to be believed.

The journalist is known to have good connections in Wales and he seems confident that a “deal of some description will get agreed” before the 11pm cut-off point.

Would he be good signing for Leeds?

He certainly would be.

The Welsh international may be in his breakthrough season with the Championship club, but he has made a big impact and kept more experienced players like Jefferson Montero out of the starting XI with some fine performances on the left-hand side.

As per Transfermarkt, the 21-year-old has scored one goal and provided a further four assists in 18 league outings so far this term, although he has been slightly less of a regular in the starting XI in recent weeks.

Should James arrive at Elland Road it will be interesting to see if Marcelo Bielsa puts him straight into the starting XI for the automatic promotion hopefuls, given he already has the likes of Pablo Hernandez, Ezgjan Alioski, Jack Clarke and Jack Harrison to pick from on the flanks.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Theo Ogden found two rebelious Leeds fans in the home end at Loftus Road in QPR’s 2-1 FA Cup win. Find out what happened next in the video below…

Billy Sharp made history on New Year’s day when he became the leading goal-scorer in English league football by scoring his 220th goal. Having been so prolific in the lower leagues, it’s bewildering how Sharp has never properly played in the Premier League. However, it now seems like a taste of Premier League football is finally close-by.

Sharp has been almost a one-man wrecking crew for Sheffield United so far this season. He’s scored 22 goals for them this season, contributing to almost half their entire goalscoring tally in the Championship this season. Among the goals have been many winners which have catapulted the Blades into the third position in the title race.

For the first time in many seasons, promotion seems to be around the corner for Sharp and Sheffield. While a frustrating draw against Aston Villa on Friday night hindered their progress, there’s still a long way to go. The Blades will aim for a top-two place to get them guaranteed promotion and the way Sharp’s playing, it’s definitely possible.

The mighty striker’s been everywhere in the final third for them. Be it bullying defenders, scoring headers, close-range finishes or even showing moments of technical brilliance, Sharp has done it all this season. He’s roaring like a hungry tiger and will not let go until promotion is guaranteed.

It’d be a beautiful fairytale for Sharp to lead Sheffield to promotion this season, justifying everything he’s been working for. However, he needs to maintain concentration and keep on scoring until the Blades’ promotion’s been secured come May.

If he does, he’ll write himself into Bramall Lane folklore.

يعقد محمود الخطيب رئيس مجلس إدارة الأهلي، اجتماعاً الآن بمقر القلعة الحمراء في الجزيرة، مع السويسري رينيه فايلر المدير الفني للفريق.

وتوج الأهلي ببطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز للمرة الـ42 في تاريخه والخامس علي التوالي هذا الموسم، وذلك قبل نهايته بـ6 جولات.

وعلم بطولات أن الخطيب يعقد اجتماع مع فايلر،  لبحث ملف بقائه من عدمه وملف الصفقات الجديدة واللاعبين الراحلين عن الفريق.

وكان فايلر قد وقع على عقد جديد مع الأهلي لمدة موسم، خلال فترة توقف النشاط الرياضي بسبب أزمة كورونا إلا أن العقد يسمح له بالرحيل خلال شهر أكتوبر أي بعد نهاية الدوري. طالع التفاصيل من هنا

ويسعي مجلس إدارة الأهلي إلي تجديد عقده المدرب السويسري والحفاظ عليه من أجل منافسات دوري أبطال إفريقيا والمواجهة المرتقبة أمام الوداد المغربي في نصف النهائي، حتي لا يتكرر مع فعله كارتيرون مع الزمالك، بفسخ التعاقد ودفع الشرط الجزائي.

طالع | فايلر يتحدث عن مستقبله مع الأهلي بعد التتويج بالدوري المصري

فايلر نجح في التتويج مع الأهلي في بطولتين منذ توليه المسولية في بداية الموسم الحالي، وهي السوبر المصري والدوري.

يذكر أن الأهلي يستعد لمواجهة نادي مصر، يوم الأربعاء المقبل، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ29 لبطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter in defensive fashion after West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini publicly called out their manager Jurgen Klopp, following the 1-1 draw between the two sides at the London Stadium on Monday night.

The Reds missed the opportunity to go even further ahead of Pellegrini’s former side Manchester City as a result of the draw, although they can probably count themselves lucky they didn’t lose as their goal should have been ruled out for offside.

Hammers boss Pellegrini, who appeared to still have his former side Malaga’s last gasp defeat to Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 Champions League quarter-final on his mind, was not happy with the decision.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

The Chilean said: “Klopp is used to winning with offside goals. He beat me against Malaga with a goal seven metres offside – so he cannot complain about anything.”

Naturally, Liverpool fans on Twitter have leapt to the defence of their beloved boss after the war of words…

There’s been a lot of talking points that have stemmed from Arsenal’s season so far. Unai Emery’s arrival, for example, has been intriguing to watch. He’s adapted well to the Premier League, as have many of his summer signings like Bernd Leno and Lucas Torreira, but can he keep it up?

Likewise, Aaron Ramsey has caught the eye at points throughout the season, ahead of his move to Juventus, even if he hasn’t played as much as he has in the past.

However, the bigger story coming from the Emirates so far has been that which surrounds Mesut Ozil. The German’s involvement under Emery has dipped significantly over the course of the season, and despite maintaining a strong status under Arsene Wenger, he’s been knocked down more than a few pegs by his new manager.

Seldom given chances by the Spaniard, it’s been up to him to try and prove the boss wrong, and against Bournemouth on Wednesday, he certainly did just that.

He was given a rare start against the Cherries, and with so much pressure on his shoulders, he delivered as he so often has in the past at the Emirates.

It’s not often that the German has been given 90 minutes in the Premier League this term, but he certainly deserved to stay on for the duration. The headlines will be written about his goal and assist, but as per Who Scored, a further examination of his statistics resemble a player at the peak of his powers.

An incredible passing accuracy rate of just shy of 97% resembles Ozil at his very best, moving play on and creating magic with very little margin for error. He was, in fact, the only player to complete the entire game with a rate above 95%, and that speaks volumes of his involvement.

Beyond that, his 85 touches, a number only bettered by Matteo Guendouzi and Nacho Monreal, highlight the regularity of his involvement, whilst his 4 key passes show just how engaged he was with Arsenal’s offensive movement.

Stats, of course, only tell part of the story. Anyone that watched the game would have recognised that Ozil was at the centre of everything good that Arsenal did. But if Unai Emery is seeking a reason to keep the German in his team; he doesn’t need to look any further than the incredible numbers that the German produced.

Thoughts?

– Keep up with the rest of our Trending Topic coverage on The Mesut Ozil Problem by clicking here… –

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Loads of Manchester United fans have been giving their verdict on some damning comments from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who said he can’t do anything about Alexis Sanchez’s poor form.

Manchester United were completely outclassed on Tuesday night if truth be told, as goals from Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe were enough to give the French champions a 2-0 advantage to take back to Paris.

Paul Pogba was sent off on a miserable evening for Solskjaer, and the boss also lost two key attackers to injury.

Both Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial were taken off injured during the defeat, with Juan Mata and Alexis Sanchez replacing the speedy duo.

Needless to say, the Red Devils had absolutely no pace on the counter attack in the second half, and Sanchez was particularly poor, managing just 26 touches of the ball, zero shots, zero dribbles, zero key passes and zero crosses.

“I can’t do anything about Alexis Sanchez, when he plays, he needs to find himself, because we know there is a quality player there,” Solskjaer said of the Chilean international.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans are already preparing to cut ties with the winger this summer…

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Jonjo Shelvey has returned to Newcastle training ahead of a very winnable fixture at home to Huddersfield, and Rafael Benitez should switch things up to accommodate both the English pass-master and new signing Miguel Almiron.

Shelvey is officially back in Newcastle training, Sky Sports reports.

The 26 year-old England international has been missing since the beginning of January with a thigh injury, but has re-joined the first team at their warm-weather training camp in Spain.

The Magpies have no fixture this weekend due to their exit from the FA Cup, but the following weekend brings Huddersfield to St. James’ Park, and the struggling Terriers will be there for the taking, so Benitez should go for the throat.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

Miguel, meet Jonjo

Benitez and Newcastle have found success with a 5-4-1 system recently, a formation which requires Matt Ritchie to play out of position as a left-wing-back.

By switching to a 4-3-3, Benitez would be taking a risk by benching one of his centre backs, who have performed mostly excellently all season.

However, there is simply no place for Almiron in the 5-4-1 setup, and a switch to 4-3-3 also makes room for Shelvey.

Salomon Rondon is un-droppable and Almiron would no doubt take a place in the front three, leaving the last spot for Ritchie, Christian Atsu and Kenedy to fight over.

Shelvey could then move into midfield alongside Mo Diame and the ever-improving Sean Longstaff, a midfield trio packed with athleticism, composure and most importantly for Almiron – Shelvey’s ability to ping balls behind the opponent’s defence.

The little Paraguayan international looked absolutely electric in his short cameo against Wolves, and his pace will terrorise the Huddersfield defence if Rafa finds a way to fit Shelvey in the team.

So, Newcastle fans, would you change the system to accommodate the star duo? Or keep the 5-4-1? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

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Tottenham fans have taken to Twitter to react after Youri Tielemans put in an excellent performance against them for Leicester, despite being on the receiving end of a 3-1 scoreline at Wembley on Sunday.

The young Belgian international was making his debut for the Foxes, having arrived on a loan deal from Monaco on deadline day for the remainder of the season.

Coincidentally, he was making his first appearance against a club who were also interested in his services in the January window in Spurs, although the 21-year-old eventually ended up at the King Power Stadium.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Tielemans completed 91.7% of his passes, completed two tackles and made two key passes as he was unlucky to be on the losing side against Mauricio Pochettino’s men.

Understandably, having been linked with him last month, Spurs supporters on Twitter were upset to see the former Anderlecht man perform so well after missing out on him…

تلقى مجلس إدارة اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية، اليوم الخميس، شكوى جديدة من هاني العتال نائب رئيس نادي الزمالك ضد مرتضى منصور، لتصبح الشكوى السابعة.

وكانت اللجنة الأولمبية قد تلقت 6 شكاوى من قبل، من محمود الخطيب رئيس النادي الأهلي، عمرو الجنايني رئيس اتحاد الكرة، المهندس هشام نصر رئيس اتحاد كرة اليد، لجنة الحكام الرئيسيّة باتحاد كرة القدم، عبدالله جورج عضو مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، وممدوح عباس رئيس الزمالك السابق.

طالع | أبرزها لـ الخطيب والجنايني.. “الأولمبية” تتلقى قائمة من الشكاوى ضد مرتضى منصور

وجاء بشكوى العتال الجديدة، أنه تم انعقاد الجمعية العمومية العادية لنادى الزمالك بتاريخ 23 و24 نوفمبر 2017، والتي تضمنت بند انتخابات مجلس إدارة جديد للدورة 2017 /2021 والتى أسفرت عن فوزه على مقعد نائب رئيس مجلس إدارة النادى للدورة وذلك بناءً على ما أعلنته اللجنة القضائية المشرفة على الانتخابات فضلا عن اعتماد ذلك من الجهة الادارية المختصة واللجنة الألومبية المصرية.

وأضاف نائب رئيس مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك في شكواه، أنه منذ ذلك التاريخ ومرتضى منصور يحاول بكل الطرق منعه من مباشرة مهامه كنائب للرئيس، مخالفًا بذلك إرادة الجمعية العمومية التي جعلها القانون السلطة العليا في الهيئات الرياضية، فضلا عن مخالفته كذلك لكل القوانين والمواثيق الدولية والأولمبية المنظمة لشئون الرياضة.

واختتم شكواه بطلب اتخاذ ما يلزم نحو تنفيذ إرادة الجمعية العمومية لـ الزمالك، بتمكينه من مباشرة مهامه كنائب لرئيس مجلس إدارة النادي.

وكان مجلس إدارة اللجنة الأولمبية قد قرر تحويل الشكاوى التي وصلت إليه إلى لجنة الأندية والقيم والأخلاق للتحقيق فيها واتخاذ مايلزم طالع التفاصيل من هنا.

يُذكر أن لجنة الانضباط بالاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم قد قررت منع مرتضى منصور من المشاركة أو الحضور في الأنشطة التي ينظمها الاتحاد المصري لمدة 6 مباريات وتغريمه 200 ألف جنيه، وذلك بعد هجومه على أعضاء اللجنة الخماسية والحكام.

Well, a slip in form couldn’t have come at a worse time possible for Liverpool, could it?

While they’ve remained defensively impenetrable, their misfiring attack’s disabling them from churning out wins. To make things worse, their midfield’s shown little signs of creativity and been the root cause of all their frustrations.

While Fabinho’s been a commendable figure guarding his defence and Georgino Wijnaldum’s legs in midfield have helped them, Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita have been held back by underperforming. Too much pressure is on the trio of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah to create and score their own goals, with Liverpool’s full-backs also doing more work than their midfielders.

However, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s return can fix their midfield issues. The energetic midfielder, who’s been out for nearly a year, is poised to return for Liverpool’s U-23 side this Friday (via the BBC.)

Chamberlain was a revelation in Jurgen Klopp’s system last season, shifting into a new midfield role effortlessly. He worked hard, did his defensive duties well and also helped the Reds drive forward. The fact that he made 7 assists, created 5 big chances and recorded 13 accurate through balls in the Premier League (stats via Premier League) proves how effective he was in lighting up their midfield.

The 25-year-old’s adapted to a central role impressively and possesses the urgency and creativity missing in Liverpool’s midfield currently. While Klopp will immerse him back into the fray easily, he needs the Ox to get back to his rhythm and spark up their dull midfield quickly.

Liverpool fans, do you think Chamberlain can help rejuvenate the Reds’ midfield? Join the discussion by commenting below.