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Manchester United were outfoxed by Manchester City on their own home turf on Wednesday night, leaving Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a lot of work to do as the club’s wait for silverware continues.

Goals from City duo John Stones and Fernandinho dumped the Red Devils out of the Carabao Cup semi-final, as Pep Guardiola’s side set up a Wembley clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

Hunting their first trophy since 2017, Solskjaer’s side seemed to have shrugged off early pressure from City after Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford both squandered chances. But poor set-piece defending ultimately proved to be their undoing when Harry Maguire failed to deal with a free-kick from Phil Foden – Stones bundling home from close range to give City the lead.

And their suspect defence came back to haunt them after Anthony Martial and Aaron Wan-Bissaka combined only to clear the ball as far as the edge of the box for Fernandinho to hit the ball first time into the back of the net.

Several players were at fault for the sub-par performance, none more so than United left-back Luke Shaw, who arrived at Old Trafford from Southampton for £27m in 2014. He reportedly earns around £150,000-per-week, as per Spotrac.

SofaScore graded the 25-year-old as the worst player on the pitch by a country mile with a miserable 6.2 rating – he lost possession 16 times, failed to win any of his duels from six attempts, was dribbled past once and committed two fouls.

The Manchester Evening News gave Shaw a low grade of 5/10 and claimed he ‘let Stones go for the goal,’ while The Sun were equally scathing in their assessment, insisting ‘he found himself tucked in centrally and was often a passenger on the break.’

Not only did he look lethargic, but he was also uncharacteristically lightweight as well with his teammates Fernandes and Paul Pogba managing more tackles between them, as per SofaScore.

After Alex Telles’ arrival in the summer, Shaw may have been forgiven for feeling a little threatened. But his latest shocking display may have given him more reason to do so and he ought to be nervously looking over his shoulder after he suffered a horror show against Guardiola’s side.

United have now lost four cup semi-finals in the past 12 months following yet another semi-final defeat at the hands of City in the Carabao Cup. With a trip to Liverpool on the horizon, this could be Shaw’s last start for quite some time after this latest showing.

AND in other news, Manchester United could find their next Nemanja Vidic…

Despite Celtic’s best efforts, Glasgow Rangers maintained their 16-point lead at the summit of the Scottish Premiership with a 2-0 win at St. Mirren on Wednesday night.

Rangers have now won four in a row across all competitions as they seem to have shaken off any lingering effects from the chastening 3-2 defeat to the Saints in the Scottish League Cup earlier this month.

However, Jim Goodwin’s side threatened to derail their momentum, as they came close to toppling the league leaders on several occasions, only to be denied by the combined efforts of Connor Goldson and Allan McGregor.

Goldson was colossal at the back, but Filip Helander’s latest display left a lot to be desired, which will no doubt give Steven Gerrard genuine cause for concern ahead of the Old Firm clash with Celtic at the weekend.

The Swedish centre-back was unveiled as a marquee signing when he first arrived at Ibrox after signing from Bologna on a four-year deal for a reported £3.5m fee in 2019.

But Helander has looked shaky at the back at best when in possession and flaky when defending, and his latest showing against the Saints was a typical example of the performances Rangers fans have come to expect from the Sweden international, who spent three seasons with the Serie A outfit.

The Gers may have cruised to a comfortable 2-0 victory over the Saints but the centre-back was abysmal, as he lost possession 21 times throughout the entire game. It’s hard to point the finger directly at any player in particular after such a strong team performance overall, but Helander was a bit of a liability.

He was also caught out of position at the back on a regular basis, particularly in the first half, as Jonathan Obika came close to scoring twice in quick succession, committing one foul in the process, as per SofaScore.

Helander, who reportedly earns £9,300-a-week, sprayed long balls left and right but largely failed to find the target, as he produced just three accurate long balls from a whopping 19 attempts.

It sounds crazy to say after such a comfortable scoreline, but the Swede badly betrayed Gerrard last night.

Even though Helander took 96 touches of the ball, he struggled to make all of that possession count, as he failed to record a single cross or single key pass, despite playing the full 90′ minutes.

After being left on the bench against Hibernian, this was his chance to make a real statement with Leon Balogun waiting in the wings, but it’s fair to say that he did anything but after he let his manager down massively with his display last night. He can only be grateful Goldson put in a worldie of a performance beside him at the back.

In fact, it’s worth pointing out only Steven Davis received a worse rating than the struggling defender. We must admit it would be a bit of a surprise to see him start in a few days time after such a dismal showing.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers defender Connor Goldson stole the show against St. Mirren…

Glasgow Rangers fans were absolutely delighted with the display of Ryan Jack for Scotland against Israel on Wednesday.

The Tartan Army were beaten 1-0 away from home, meaning they failed to earn promotion in the UEFA Nations League. However, despite the defeat, the Ibrox midfielder was in top form for his country. He completed 96% of his passes, and lost the ball on just three occasions throughout the clash.

With the international break now over, the 28-year-old will return to the Gers, and Steven Gerrard will be hoping he can continue this stunning form at club level as Rangers go for their first piece of major silverware since 2011.

Rangers fans may not have the best relationship with the national side, but they were delighted with Jack’s display against Israel. They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his showing.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Jack below

In other news, Glasgow Rangers fans had plenty of praise for this club icon.

According to a report from Football Insider, Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho looks set to snub an Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld partnership in central defence for the season, with alternative options like Davinson Sanchez and summer signing Joe Rodon preferred. 

Dier, who is currently out injured, has been utilised as a makeshift centre-back in recent months alongside the rotating pair of Sanchez and Alderweireld, but Mourinho is now set to avoid the same mistake at ‘all costs’.

Mourinho snubs Dier and Alderweireld

Indeed, the Englishman and Alderweireld will apparently not be paired together at the back for Spurs except as a ‘last resort’, according to insiders from the club via Football Insider. 

In recent matches, Sanchez and the Belgian have been paired due to Dier’s injury, with Mourinho set to keep that partnership even upon the latter’s return to the side.

Both will play separately beside either Sanchez or Rodon, but staff at the club are looking to avoid a Dier-Alderweireld partnership, mainly due to a lack of pace.

Transfer Tavern take

Given Spurs’ failure to land Milan Skriniar in the summer, Mourinho will have to improvise and find an adept centre-back pairing which can propel his side to silverware this season.

Most recently, the Lilywhites capitulated at home to West Ham in a 3-3 draw, and with Burnley looming on Monday, Mourinho needs to think of the best way to organise Spurs’ defence – even with Dier injured.

In other news: Spurs missed out on this young star in the summer despite his family ‘rooting’ for a move, find out more here and don’t forget to comment below with your views. 

Loads of Everton fans have reacted as former Toffees player Ademola Lookman missed a penalty for Fulham versus West Ham United in the Premier League.

Indeed, the England U21 international decided to take the spot-kick away from the usual taker for Scott Parker’s team, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and his effort was comfortably saved by Lukasz Fabianski.

Lookman attempted a Panenka penalty in the last minute of the game and a goal would have made the score 1-1 and earned a precious point for the Cottagers, but instead, he was made to look rather embarrassed.

Supporters of the Goodison Park faithful will remember Lookman’s pretty barren spell at the Merseyside club, in which he only managed to score a mere four goals and make just two assists in a total of 48 matches in all competitions over three consecutive seasons (Transfermarkt).

Everton fan reaction to Lookman miss

These EFC supporters reacted to the miss from Lookman on Twitter, with one Blue even claiming that it was ‘terrible’:

In other news, find out which Everton player must do better according to an ex-Toffee here!

Sunderland shareholder Charlie Methven has revealed a seven figure amount the club could lose if the 2020/21 season is played entirely behind closed doors.

After the curtailment of fixtures last season due to the coronavirus pandemic, Sunderland missed out on the chance of getting a promotion place from League One to the Championship.

First team boss Phil Parkinson is under increasing pressure to deliver a promotion this time round but with fans still not allowed inside the stadium for home games, the season will be a little more difficult than first imagined.

Despite proposals for fans to gradually be re-introduced to watching games in attendance, a recent rise in coronavirus cases has halted such a move.

That has allowed clubs to look at their finances and Methven has now revealed the seven figure amount Sunderland will lose this season due to games being played behind closed doors.

As revealed by the Echo earlier this month, Sunderland were facing losses of over £250,000 per game this season.

For Methven and Sunderland, that means adjusting to a £7million net drop in income.

“You have got the lost gate money, no corporate hospitality, lost retail sales on match day, and there is the week to week loss in conferencing,” he explained, speaking to The Mirror.

“For us, add those things together it is £9m a season lost revenue. There are reductions in cost for not holding games, stewarding, policing, litter picking. So it is net, about £7m.”

This is extremely worrying for Sunderland and in truth, they will not be the only club facing such losses during this unprecedented time.
The only thing they can do is keep trying to get results on the pitch which may take them to a higher division where income will increase.

Promotion to the Championship has never been more key.

Sunderland fans, what are your thoughts on this? Let us know below…

More than four years after leaving Elland Road, Lewis Cook could be set for an incredible return to Leeds United this summer.

The England international joined Bournemouth in the summer of 2016, with the Cherries’ chief executive Neill Blake declaring that they had signed “one of the country’s brightest prospects”.

But following Bournemouth’s relegation to the Championship, things are up in the air, with Football Insider now claiming that Leeds are eyeing up a move for their former midfield prodigy.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…

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The report claims that Cook is “firmly on their radar”, and that the 23-year-old’s close connection with the Whites could see him be convinced of a move back to Yorkshire.

Hailed as a “special talent” by Eddie Howe, Cook can return to Leeds and form an exciting partnership in the middle of the park with Kalvin Phillips.

The duo both came through the Elland Road’s side academy, and with the club making their return to the Premier League after well over a decade, it would be quite poetic to see the pair start in their first game back.

As clubs spend big money on signing players from all across Europe, the Leeds midfield could be dominated by two homegrown, local stars. When Cook was bursting onto the scene, then Whites boss Dave Hockaday waxed lyrical about the young prospect, saying “if you chopped Lewis’ head off and put an older head on his shoulders, you wouldn’t be surprised”.

It was Hockaday who handed the midfielder his debut and first start for Leeds before he left the club, and some of the credit for Cook’s emergence surely has to go to the former Whites boss for placing his trust in him.

And with the midfielder now having played a total of 75 times in the Premier League in his time at Bournemouth, he could provide Marcelo Bielsa’s side with some valuable top-flight experience.

Bringing a former academy starlet back home? It just seems like a no-brainer.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked to many a centre-back this summer but none seem more apt than the latest name hitting the headlines…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, Spurs have entered the race to land highly-rated Brighton sensation Ben White following an impressive loan spell at Championship-winning Leeds United.

They are joined by the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea but the Seagulls have slapped a fee in excess of £50m on his head.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have already had three bids rejected by the south coast side, the latest of which was around £35m.

Next John Terry?

Following the departure of Jan Vertonghen to Benfica, Jose Mourinho could well be in need of a new centre-back with Eric Dier likely to remain in the role alongside Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld.

The Portuguese has been blessed with many elite defenders over his long and industrious managerial career, ranging from Ricardo Carvalho, William Gallas and John Terry at Chelsea to Sergio Ramos and Pepe at Real Madrid.

And in White, Mourinho could land himself a player fit to fill the boots of his former Stamford Bridge skipper.

Sky Sports’ FL pundit Andy Hinchcliffe believes the 22-year-old is a “bit of John Terry or Gary Cahill” whilst Keith Andrews was impressed by his “elegant way they have of stepping out from the back and picking the right passes more often than not.”

Terry was never a man-mountain of a centre-back, but what he lacked in height he more than made up for in his physical, aggressive, tough-tackling and ball-playing nature.

White, who has been tipped for Three Lions stardom, is only one inch shorter than the Chelsea legend and proved his defensive credentials as a regular figure in Bielsa’s league-leading backline.

Per WhoScored, the “special” talent averaged 2.8 aerial duels won, 2.7 clearances, 1.6 tackles and 56 passes per appearance in the Championship last term.

£50m might seem like a lot of money, but Daniel Levy could land Spurs their future at the back and there’s no one better than Mourinho to transform White into the next Terry.

AND in other news, Levy could kill two birds with one stone in £90m swoop for “magical” superstar Poch wanted…

According to Get French Football News, Michy Batshuayi has been offered to Leeds United this summer.

What’s the word?

The Whites are looking forward to their long-awaited return to the Premier League, and Victor Orta will surely be busy behind the scenes to ensure Marcelo Bielsa’s side are in the best possible shape for next month.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…





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And as per GFFN, Leeds are being “bombarded” by several French agents offering their clients to the club, with Batshuayi being one of a number of players who have been put forward to Orta this summer.

Reunion with Marcelo Bielsa

One of the biggest reasons why Leeds should seriously consider bringing in Batshuayi to Elland Road, is that Bielsa has worked with the Belgium international previously.

The duo were together at French side Marseille, and it was there that the striker really looked transformed under the Argentine’s leadership. He scored ten times in 29 games across all competitions for Bielsa, and the 26-year-old himself has since spoken highly about how the manager knew how to get the best out of him.

He said: “He didn’t speak to me, he never spoke to me. I worked like crazy, but he didn’t talk to me. And yet he always took other people to talk to them. In fact, it is all or nothing. Either he picks you up and talks to you for 40 minutes, or he doesn’t talk to you at all.

“But looking back, I tell myself he knew who to do this with. Some needed this support. Me, he understood my personality, he knew that I could draw on my resources.”

Hailed as a “real goal-scorer” by his former manager at Borussia Dortmund, Peter Stoger, Batshuayi would bring with him some much-needed Premier League experience from his time at the likes of Chelsea and Crystal Palace. And with his previous connection to Bielsa, Orta must surely seize this perfect chance to sign him this summer.

Since football has returned, there have been transfer rumours suggesting that Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will look to leave the club as his contract runs out next summer, although manager Mikel Arteta has reassured Gunners fans that this might not be the case.

Speaking about the Gabon forward and his future at the club via Evening Standard, Arteta said: “Players that can make the difference in any moment in the game every three days in competitions. That is a big task and he has done that at different clubs.

“He is willing to stay with us. He is really happy where he is. He can see what we are trying to do and hopefully he can evolve as well some parts of his game he might feel he can improve. We are pushing him every day.”

Aubameyang showed how crucial he is to the Arsenal squad with his 9.2 Man of the Match rating against Norwich yesterday, per SofaScore, as he helped himself to two goals and an assist in the 4-0 win over the Canaries.

He also scored his 50th Premier League goal for the club in 79 appearances, with some quick to point out on Twitter that he has reached this landmark in fewer appearances than some Gunners legends like Thierry Henry and Ian Wright.

This emphasises how reassuring Arteta’s update seeems for everyone associated with Arsenal. Aubameyang is a potent striker who, at 31, still has more years in him to help the Gunners battle for the Champions League places again and hopefully win some silverware.

He is also an ideal figure to have in the squad as an influence for young strikers breaking into the senior squad like Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli, who can look to the Gabon ace for inspiration on honing their raw talents to become strikers of similar prestige to Aubameyang.

Gunners fans, are you happy with Arteta’s reassurance about Aubameyang’s Arsenal future? Comment below with your views!