Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder heaped praise on his Leeds counterpart Marcelo Bielsa, when he insisted the Argentine had “sprinkled his magic dust” on the team he considers as “the best team in the division”.

He was speaking ahead of the top of the table clash at Elland Road on Saturday lunchtime, in a game that could have huge connotations on the automatic promotion race.

According to the BBC Sport website, Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield: ” The manager [Bielsa] has worked at the highest level and they’ve gone all out to get him to turn their club around.

“He’s sprinkled his magic dust and they’ve got a good group of players.”

Bielsa, who could see his Leeds side open up a five point gap between themselves and their third-placed opponents with a win tomorrow, was mutually respectful of his opposite number.

He said: “I have learned a lot from Sheffield United, they are the one of the teams from which I have learned the most this season.

“They have a new style of playing and they have been faithful to that all season, each player is giving the best of themselves.

“When we played against them [earlier in the season] it was a hard win and probably we didn’t deserve to win. It’s a big challenge to try and beat them.”

But Wilder stressed that, although it is undoubtedly a huge game, it will not make or break the season for either club, following social media comments from Leeds defender Pontus Jansson who said that it would be “the biggest game of our lives” for many of the players.

Reacting to the comments, the Blades boss said: “I respect what he has to say as an international footballer and it gives a big boost to whoever gets the result but it’s not season-defining.

“I think that shows a total lack of respect for the teams we’ve got left to play. If we won it would claw back the deficit that we are in behind them and if they win then they stretch that lead.

“The way the Championship is at the moment all of the teams have got something to play for.”

It promises to be a great atmosphere between the Yorkshire rivals, and regardless of Wilder’s comments, a win for Leeds would surely see them in a virtually unstoppable position with just eight games to go.

Is the finish line in sight for you now Leeds fans? Will a win tomorrow have the fat lady warming her voice up? Join in the debate by letting us know your thoughts below…

[ad_pod ]

Crystal Palace host Manchester United at Selhurst Park on Wednesday and the the home side will be hoping to inflict another shock result on a big six team – BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson thinks that they will be able to do just that.

What did he say?

Summarising his predictions for the midweek Premier League clashes, the former Liverpool defender said:

“United’s injury problems from their draw with Liverpool weekend are going to affect the team that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can put out in this one.

“He dealt very well with what happened, but the game itself was very poor and Liverpool did not pose much of a threat.

“I just have a feeling that Palace will be different, and that they are going to surprise people here. They are playing well and they going to go for it attack-wise too.

“Michy Batshuayi is up and running after scoring against Leicester on Saturday, Wilfried Zaha is back from suspension, and I think they will cause United problems.”

High praise for Palace

Liverpool’s front three is regarded as one of the most dangerous in Europe but they have admittedly gone off the boil in recent weeks, with stalemates against United and Bayern Munich showcasing some extremely poor finishing. Lawrenson, though, thinks that Roy Hodgson’s side will have no such problems breaking down the former.

Zaha is back to his sparkling best and has now scored four goals in his last three games, while January signing Batshuayi netted his first – admittedly a fortuitous one – in red and blue against Leicester at the weekend.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

A 3-2 win over Manchester City in December showed that the Selhurst Park outfit have the quality in all areas of the pitch to upset the bookies but a win over United, who have been rejuvenated since Jose Mourinho’s departure, would be almost as impressive as their victory over the Premier League champions just after Christmas.

[ad_pod ]Sky Sports pundit Matt Le Tissier criticised Wolverhampton Wanderers heavily pre-match for making five changes for their Premier League clash against Cardiff City, but he has since backtracked and apologised on Twitter.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the west Midlands outfit were hosting the struggling Bluebirds – who are one of the teams battling Le Tissier’s former club Southampton in the top-flight relegation battle – but they rested a number of key players at the weekend and faced criticism from the 50-year-old on Soccer Saturday.

The decision was presumably made by manager Nuno Santo with the FA Cup quarter-final clash with Manchester United on March 16 in mind, as Rui Patricio, Ruben Neves and Matt Doherty were among those missing from the XI.

Wolves of course ran out 2-0 winners in the end and when questioned by a fan on social media, Le Tissier responded with an apology having suggested last season’s Championship champions were risking bringing the game into disrepute.

Was he right to criticise?

Yes and no.

Can Wolves lift the FA Cup for the first time since 1960? The fans in the video below certainly think so…

Firstly, he is a pundit and therefore he is entitled to give his view on a situation as that is what he is paid to do, and this was potentially a big one if the Molineux-based outfit had made those changes and then slipped up.

Then again, Santo is allowed to make any team selection that he wants to make and if he wants to prioritise fitness for an important FA Cup clash, then there is no shame in that.

If Le Tissier didn’t have that Southampton connection, you have to wonder whether he would have had such a strong opinion on the matter, although you do have to say fair play to him for addressing the situation.

Well, last weekend did not go to script did it United fans? Still, with a nice break away from the Premier League, it really is a must win game for the Red Devils in the FA Cup. The momentum can’t stop. Too much has happened since the sacking of Jose Mourinho at the turn of the year to allow this season to fade away. 

So, after last weekends’ dismal performance at the Emirates, one that has also given up fourth spot, for the time being, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer will look to continue the hunt for silverware with a trip to Wolves later on today. Despite the success under Louis van Gaal in 2016, every Red reading this will agree that the FA Cup is a trophy to have eluded them for far too long and – considering their trophy haul over the years – hasn’t been brought back to the Theatre of Dreams enough.

So, eager for success, there is certainly a change of personnel that must be considered for the Red Devils in this important FA Cup clash.

Here’s our verdict.

Drop Nemanja Matic 

After coming back into the side from injury against the Gunners, Nemanja Matic really struggled with the pace of the game and had many wondering if he was truly back to match fitness. Though certainly a useful tool at his best, the Serbian looks absolutely awful when at his worst.

Despite being used in the FA Cup games against Arsenal and Chelsea, it can be argued that the 30-year-old just isn’t back up to match speed yet, proven by his performance at the Emirates. Indeed, it may be time for Matic to take a step back and let the young guns come in and revitalise the United midfield.

Start Andreas Pereira 

What an exciting time for the 23-year-old as it looks as if he has finally found his place within Old Trafford! Being utilised by his Norwegian coach, fans have been treated to hard-working, and quite brilliant performances from the young Brazilian, who looks every inch a United player.

After being dropped against Arsenal, despite the historic night in Paris, United fans will be eager to see Ole put Pereira’s name back on the team sheet for Wolves later on today.

Bagging himself what was a truly special goal as well as an assist in his last domestic outing, Pereira will be keen to get back onto the pitch and bring the intensity and speed that others in the United midfield cannot provide.

اقترب جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، عثمان ديمبلي، من الرحيل عن قلعة “كامب نو” قبل انتهاء الميركاتو الصيفي الحالي اليوم، الاثنين.

وارتبط اسم ديمبلي بإمكانية الانتقال إلى مانشستر يونايتد على سبيل الإعارة، على الرغم من رفض الفرنسي والنادي الكتالوني هذا الأمر.

ولكن أفادت شبكة “ESPN” العالمية بأن ديمبلي لم يشارك في تدريبات اليوم في برشلونة بالمدينة الرياضية، تمهيدًا للرحيل عن الفريق.

اقرأ أيضًا.. برشلونة يقدم عرضه الأخير إلى مانشستر سيتي لضم جارسيا

وتابعت الشبكة الشهيرة أن ديمبلي تواجد بشكل طبيعي في المدينة الرياضية ولكنه رحل قبل بداية التدريبات.

ويبدو وأن صفقة ديمبلي قد تنتهي لصالح مانشستر يونايتد في الساعات القليلة المقبلة، خاصة وأنه لم يشارك سوى لدقائق في مباراة برشلونة الماضية مع المدرب، رونالد كومان.

وكشف الصحفي بإذاعة “راك1” الكتالونية، جيرارد روميرو، أن هناك توافق في وجهات النظر بين برشلونة ومانشستر يونايتد حول انتقال ديمبلي.

حيث اتفق مانشستر يونايتد على التعاقد مع ديمبلي على سبيل الإعارة مثل فيليب كوتينيو مع بايرن ميونخ في الموسم الماضي، ودفع قيمة الإعارة إلى جانب تحمل الراتب السنوي كاملًا وهو ما أعُجب به برشلونة رغم رفض نظام الإعارة.

☎️ La JUGADA del United y del FCB con Ousmane

Pactar una cesión "estilo COU", pagar por la cesión una cantidad +asumir la ficha del futbolista

Esta opción al FCB le empieza a gustar, OJO#mercato https://t.co/WOKiFCZC4u

— Gerard Romero (@gerardromero) October 5, 2020

@Dembouz NO SE EJERCITÓ hoy con el @FCBarcelona_es. Se personó en la Ciutat Esportiva, pero antes de comenzar el entrenamiento, se fue…

— moisESPN (@moillorens) October 5, 2020

[ad_pod ]Celtic have lost more than their manager this week it would seem, with Neil Lennon’s assistant John Kennedy providing an injury update ahead of the Wednesday night clash with Hearts.Kennedy stated that Callum McGregor is suffering with a calf issue and will therefore miss ‘a game or two’, while Ryan Christie’s hamstring injury will mean he is sidelined for at least a ‘week or two’.Both Scotsmen have been key players for the Glasgow outfit this season, with 9-cap McGregor chalking up three goals and nine assists and 5-cap Christie recording eight and six, respectively.Check out a Celtic fan perspective on Brendan Rodgers leaving Celtic for Leicester in the video below…Neither were able to take part in the Hearts game and so Nir Bitton and Ewan Henderson started again for the Hoops having deputised capably in the 4-1 win over Motherwell at the weekend, while Scott Brown returned to the lineup in place of Christie.Here’s what the Bhoys had to say about the news on Twitter, with some simply relieved that neither player was ruled out for longer than the time frames revealed by Kennedy, while others referenced Brendan Rodgers’ recent departure…

[ad_pod ]

Leeds United looked to have pulled off one of the signings of the summer when they brought Barry Douglas to Elland Road from Wolverhampton Wanderers in July, but eight months later his Whites career looks to very much be in serious doubt thanks to one man.

On the chalkboard

The 29-year-old certainly made an impressive start to life with the Yorkshire club having provided three assists in the opening eight Championship fixtures of the season, and it seemed as though he was going to form a strong partnership with Ezgjan Alioski on the left-hand flank.

However, some injury issues and subsequent loss of form saw the Macedonia international take up the left-back spot in January, and he hasn’t looked back since.

The 27-year-old has scored four goals and picked up two assists from that position in the league, and his stock continued to rise when he also netted in the same role for his country on Thursday night.

Douglas in trouble?

He may well be.

Are Leeds set for another spectacular fall from grace? Ingood Nick believes so in the video below…

The Scot has largely had to settle for cameo roles from the substitutes’ bench in recent weeks, and there is no doubt that as things stand Alioski is deservedly way ahead of him in the left-back pecking order.

There are also no signs of the Macedonian maestro slowing down as he appears to be improving game by game, and he looks to have the attributes and quality to make the position his own at Leeds for year to come.

That of course causes big issues for Douglas and despite being a great signing for the Whites at the time, in general he has turned out to be a disappointing addition and his Elland Road career may already be over less than 12 months after he joined.

[ad_pod ]

Loads of Liverpool fans have been reacting to a massive update from James Pearce, who claims Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will return to competitive football this week.

According to The Liverpool Echo’s James Pearce, Oxlade-Chamberlain is in contention to play for the Reds’ Under-23 side this week.

The report states that the midfield speedster could even feature in the “mini-derby”, when the Under-23 side take on Everton at Anfield on Monday.

Who has the loudest fans in Europe? PSG certainly state their claim in the video below…

If he doesn’t feature against the Toffees, Pearce expects him to return in Friday’s Premier League 2 clash against Derby County.

The £40m man quickly became a fan favourite at Anfield last season due to the speed he adds to midfield and his infectious positivity.

He scored five goals and provided eight assists during his first season on Merseyside, but damaged his knee ligaments during the Champions League semi-final first leg against Roma.

Fans are absolutely freaking out over Pearce’s update on his fitness, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

أعلن أندريا بيرلو المدير الفني الإيطالي لنادي يوفنتوس، عن قائمة البيانكونيري التي ستخوض منافسة دوري أبطال أوروبا موسم 2020/2021.

وشهدت القائمة غياب سامي خضيرة كما أشارت التقارير الإيطالية صباح اليوم “طالع التفاصيل”.

يوفنتوس ضم الوافد الجديد فيديريكو كييزا الذي انضم إلى البيانكونيري من فيورنتينا، وحصل على الرقم 22.

كذلك، الشاب فرابوتا ضمن قائمة البيانكونيري، بالإضافة لـ بورتانوفا لاعب الأكاديمية، بعدما حصل الثنائي على ثقة أندريا بيرلو. قائمة يوفنتوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا

حراسة المرمى: تشيزني، بوفون، بينسوليو

الدفاع: كيليني، دي ليخت، بونوتشي، ديميرال، دانيلو، ساندرو، فرابوتا

الوسط: أرثر، ماكيني، رامسي، رابيو، بينتانكور، كوادرادو، بورتانوفا، بيرنارديسكي

الهجوم: كييزا، رونالدو، ديبالا، كولوسفسكي، موراتا

[ad_pod ]

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa and Cardiff City are preparing summer moves for QPR’s Toni Leistner, who is rated at £5m – his impressive performances at the back have put him on the radar of the two clubs.

Football Insider understands that Villa have made bolstering their back line a priority ahead of next season, while Cardiff are surely keen to do the same regardless of whether they are playing Championship or Premier League football next season.

Hoops captain Leistner has made 34 league appearances for the Loftus Road outfit since signing from Union Berlin in the summer, scoring two goals and recording an assist, too.

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…

The Loftus Road outfit would be opposed to losing the German at the end of the season but they would find surely find it hard to turn down a £5m bid from either of the aforementioned clubs.

Here’s how the Rangers fans reacted to the reports on Twitter…