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Leeds United faced what seemed like a potential banana skin today, on the road to Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup, but still cruised to victory and maintained their hopes of a trophy.

It was an admittedly comprehensive 3-1 victory, with Jesse Marsch’s side unsurprisingly dominating the ball. They boasted 60% possession, and with 22 shots it was a characteristic display for the Whites. However, conceding 15 efforts to the League One strugglers will worry the American somewhat.

Whilst there were many standouts in offence, with their fluid front four combining to great effect, it was arguably Junior Firpo who stole the show given his struggles since signing in 2021.

Expected to be the answer to their defensive woes down the left flank, he has since seen his game time limited in favour of centre-back Pascal Struijk.

However, when handed his opportunity today, he took it with both hands.

Whilst Patrick Bamford’s two assists may steal the show, and the goal and assist of Jack Harrison was the catalyst for their comfortable display, it was the 26-year-old’s second goal that capped off a brilliant all-around performance.

It was a strike lauded by journalist Phil Hay as a “clinical finish”.

With 95 touches, he was ever-present on the ball and constantly involved in the play. However, it was not possession for the sake of it, as he converted it into genuinely threatening attacks. 

Boasting one key pass and a 50% dribble success rate, there was relative consistency in his forward play.

However, his offensive qualities have never really been in question, despite that being his first-ever goal for the Yorkshire outfit. What was especially stunning was his defensive exploits, where he recorded two tackles and a mammoth five clearances.

This all culminated in a 7.6 rating, which is a far cry from his abysmal 6.33 average rating in the Premier League.

Having now proved everyone wrong, it is about carrying it into the games that matter perhaps in the latter stages of this competition or in the league.

Firpo’s tumultuous career in Yorkshire could finally be kickstarted, and with the performances of those aforementioned, this could be a turning point in their campaign.

Manchester United could well be plotting to strengthen their midfield ranks even further before the deadline, despite having seemingly all but completed a deal for Bayern Munich’s Marcel Sabitzer.

What’s the word?

According to Foot Mercato, the Red Devils are believed to have offered to take Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar on loan for the remainder of the campaign and pay his full salary, with the 24-year-old having just six months remaining on his existing deal with the Ligue 1 outfit.

A further report from a journalist on Twitter has also corroborated those claims, writing in the last hour and a half: “Manchester United have held early discussions regarding a potential loan deal for Houssem Auoar. Far from being done, and currently seems unlikely.”

‘Incredible’

With the loss of both Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek to injury having left Erik ten Hag rather short on options in the centre of the park, it is seemingly no surprise that the Dutchman is attempting to secure quality recruits with just a matter of hours left in the window.

In the case of Aouar, the exciting Frenchman has endured a frustrating spell of late – having featured just eight times in the league this season due to injury – although he clearly remains a player of huge potential, having previously been described as “incredible” by Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola.

The 5 foot 9 maestro has illustrated that quality having racked up 41 goals and 35 assists in 224 games for his current side to date, while he has also been lauded as “technically gifted” and “dangerous” by Lyon boss – and one-time United man – Laurent Blanc.

The £63k-per-week sensation notably compares favourably among those in his position, ranking in the top 5% for non-penalty goals as well as in the top 8% for dribbles completed as a marker of his attacking thrust, while also ranking in the top 1% for progressive passes received to illustrate his creative flair.

That dynamism should well help ease the loss of Eriksen – who has nine assists to his name this season – as well as provide quality cover for Bruno Fernandes in Ten Hag’s squad, with the absence of Van de Beek having only enhanced the reliance on the Portuguese international.

In truth, it would certainly be a rather ‘incredible’ signing as far as the Old Trafford outfit are concerned if they can get Aouar through the door, particularly should it come so late in the day.

West Ham United will attempt to claim successive victories in the Premier League for just the second time this season when they make the trip north to face high-flying Newcastle United at St James’ Park this evening.

The Hammers have fallen from their pedestal under David Moyes this season, teetering precariously above the relegation zone by just one point and two places prior to the start of today’s action.

Having qualified for the Europa League and the Europa Conference League across the past two campaigns, the Irons now face a battle to remain in the English top flight for next season.

Moyes did earn some welcome respite by defeating lowly Everton 2-0 in the Premier League last time out, a result which preceded an FA Cup victory over Derby County on Monday night, with the resurgent Jarrod Bowen netting three of the four goals during this period.

A trip to Tyneside represents a far more challenging obstacle for West Ham, though, with Eddie Howe’s high fliers perched in third place in the league and into the final of the Carabao Cup. Therefore, Moyes will need to ensure that his side are at their very best if they are to continue their winning streak.

Here is how Football FanCast expects the Irons manager to deploy his starting line-up for the encounter at St James’ Park, with five changes from Monday’s cup win at Derby…

West Ham predicted starting XI v Newcastle – Fabianski; Kehrer, Ogbonna, Aguerd; Coufal, Paqueta, Rice, Emerson; Bowen, Benrahma; Antonio

Established as first choice and “excellent” – as once heralded by Moyes – Lukasz Fabianski will likely come back into the team between the sticks after being rested in favour of Alphonso Areola on Monday night.

Right wing-back Ben Johnson started against the Rams but will likely be replaced by Vladimir Coufal, who has started the last five league outings in succession, while Emerson will hold his position on the opposite flank.

With the east Londoners short on central defensive options, the triad of Thilo Kehrer, Angelo Ogbonna and Nayef Aguerd which started in the FA Cup will maintain their places against the Magpies.

In midfield, Declan Rice will return alongside £51m summer arrival Lucas Paqueta, with the dynamic duo holding the centre during the recent league win over Everton. That means Flynn Downes will be pushed back to the bench after earning a rare start against Derby, with Tomas Soucek also dropping out.

Bowen will almost certainly maintain his starting berth on the right-hand side of attack after scoring three goals from his past two appearances. On the other side, Said Benrahma’s inclusion in place of Pablo Fornals – who failed to have a single shot last Monday – might just sprinkle a bit of flair against a resilient Newcastle backline, the stingiest in the Premier League with just 11 goals shipped.

With £15m January signing Danny Ings sidelined due to injury, veteran forward Michael Antonio is expected to lead the line again, with his physicality perhaps well suited to posing a threat to a resolute Magpies backline.

Tottenham have been told to axe forward Son Heung-min by pundit and former SPFL striker Tam McManus.

The Lowdown: Son stars in 2022…

The South Korea international played a starring role for Spurs during their push for a Premier League top four finish last campaign.

Son’s electric form over 2021/2022 was a major contributor to Antonio Conte’s successful first season at the club with the attacker bagging an incredible 23 goals and seven assists in 35 starts (WhoScored).

The former Bayer Leverkusen winger even shared a Golden Boot award with Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah – owing to his phenomenal form at the time.

The Latest: McManus calls for Son axe…

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit McManus claims Son’s dip in form this year should result in the player being dropped – citing his general play as an issue alongside his weakened goal threat.

He explained:

“This guy won the golden boot last season, I don’t understand what has happened, it’s amazing, really.

“Everything he touched went in the back of the net and this season couldn’t be more different. He is so far off the pace.

“Not only is he not scoring but his general play just isn’t there either. You have to get him out of the team. I don’t know if Richarlison and Kulusevski are fully fit but when they are they need to come in.

“You have to play your form players. Tottenham are having a decent season even if the mood around the club is quite negative.

“Performances are well below par and Son kind of sums that up.”

The Verdict: Form is temporary…

The star’s decline is a shame to behold for both supporters and neutrals but we believe Son’s return to the top level is merely a matter of time.

Overall, he has amassed a quite incredible 139 goals and 77 assists since signing for Spurs from Leverkusen – making his £22 million transfer fee seem like a real bargain.

The 30-year-old has displayed his true class in a Lilywhites jersey time and time again, including on the big stages, scoring three goals across two Champions League quarter-final legs against Man City in 2019.

Son played a major role on their run to an unprecedented first ever European Cup final that same season, owing to the player’s natural talent and incredible ability.

Even if the ex-Bundesliga star needs time out of the starting eleven, we’ve little doubt his form will inevitably pick up again.

In the last two years, Glasgow Rangers have won a Premiership title and a Scottish Cup and reached the final of the Europa League.

Indeed, despite trailing their crosstown arch-rivals by nine points in the race for the league crown this season, it’s fair to say that the Ibrox side haven’t had it so good in years.

Between 2016 and 2018, the Light Blues suffered immeasurably, struggling to even finish second in the league and going through a raft of managers which included Mark Warburton, Graeme Murty (twice), and Pedro Caixinha before finally securing Steven Gerrard, who managed to rebuild the club successfully.

Funds were wasted on players who quite simply weren’t fit for the challenge. The likes of Umar Sadiq, Dalcio, Eros Grezda and Bruno Alves were poor signings who failed to contribute on the pitch, all while wasting precious funds, but it was a signing made by Caixinha in the summer of 2017 which perhaps rinsed the club more than any other – Carlos Pena.

How much did Carlos Pena cost Rangers?

Upon his arrival at Ibrox, a Mexico international forward who had represented his country at the World Cup appeared to be a solid signing, despite the extravagant £2.2m transfer fee that it reportedly cost to lure him to Glasgow.

Alas, initial hype soon turned to despair when he took to the field, looking constantly lost and failing to contribute in most matches. He did manage to (somehow) score five goals in 14 appearances before joining Cruz Azul in January 2018 for the remainder of that season.

A spell in rehab before joining Necaxa was his next move, but his loan spell was cut short and his Rangers contract was terminated in February 2019, with Gerrard happy to get the Mexican’s substantial £26k-per-week wages off the books.

For just 14 appearances, Pena cost the Ibrox club £4.2m in total between his transfer fee and his wages for the 84 weeks that he was contracted at the club, a colossal waste during a time when it was imperative to make the most of the limited budget at a time when European football was scarce.

Rangers Review journalist Derek Clark described the move as a “disastrous transfer in what was an equally disastrous spell for the club” last year, following the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport which justified Rangers’ reasons for terminating Pena’s contract early.

The previous couple of seasons have finally seen some excellent decisions made both on and off the pitch, and hopefully missteps like the signing of the Mexican are a thing of the past.

West Ham United remain keen on signing Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka this summer, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: West Ham eyeing Wan-Bissaka

With the 25-year-old appearing just once in the Red Devils’ opening 14 Premier League games this season, rumours had emerged that he would be allowed to leave Old Trafford in the January transfer window.

The right-back has since fought his way back into the team, enjoying a regular run of starts since Christmas, but it appears as though he is still not in Erik ten Hag’s long-term plans. That could open the door for a move to West Ham, who were named as potential suitors last month.

The Latest: Moyes remains keen on Wan-Bissaka

As per Football Insider, Man United are willing to sell the former Crystal Palace defender this summer, despite his recent stint in the team at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils value the 25-year-old at £22m and David Moyes remains keen on landing him, amid doubts about the futures of Ben Johnson and Vladimir Coufal at the London Stadium.

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Hailed as ‘incredible’ by Guardian-featured reporter Arjun Pradeep, Wan-Bissaka is particularly adept at cutting out opposition attacks, ranking in the 98th percentile for tackling and 99th percentile for interceptions per 90 compared to other right-backs over the course of the past year.

It is a surprise that Ten Hag is seemingly willing to allow the £90k-per-week earner to leave Manchester, as his recent form has demonstrated that he is good enough to succeed at Old Trafford. He made a vital last-man tackle in the 1-1 draw at Palace last month, leading to praise from Wilfried Zaha.

Man United’s loss could be West Ham’s gain, as Wan-Bissaka would appear to be a fantastic prospective signing for the Irons, especially if Johnson and Coufal leave. An outlay of £22m for a player of the 25-year-old’s ability would seem to be an absolute bargain.

Southampton interim manager Ruben Selles could ‘carry on’ if he impresses in the role, according to transfer reporter Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Selles placed in charge

After the departure of Nathan Jones last week, First Team Lead Coach Selles was placed in temporary charge of first-team training, and was in the dugout for this afternoon’s game against Chelsea.

With the Saints missing out on Jesse Marsch after a dispute over the length of his contract, their current coach claimed he is ready to take over as manager, and an update indicates that it is a real possibility.

The Latest: Could carry on

In an interview with GiveMeSport, transfer journalist Jones claimed that the 39-year-old could continue in the role if his side impresses enough in the upcoming matches, saying: “He’s kind of on trial to see if he can handle this job. It’s a really strange situation for him, but I think they quite trust him to steady things at the moment and, if he gets off to a good start, I wouldn’t even rule out the fact that he might carry on.”

The Verdict: Right call?

One potential advantage in offering the job to the Spaniard is that he knows the players well, having been working with them all season, after initially joining as part of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s backroom staff back in June.

Furthermore, journalist Jacob Tanswell has claimed that Selles is ‘highly regarded’ amongst the players, and this existing relationship could mean they are willing to give their all for the manager during the rest of the campaign.

The Saints are currently battling Premier League relegation, meaning there is a lot of work to do to preserve their top flight status, and so giving the job to someone with little experience would be a risk, but it is probably a better option than bringing in someone from abroad who does not know the group.

Leeds United correspondent Phil Hay has revealed that Chris Armas is still at Elland Road following Javi Gracia’s appointment.

The Lowdown: Gracia’s backroom staff

The Whites confirmed on Friday lunchtime that new head coach Gracia has obtained a work permit.

As a result, he looks set to take charge of this afternoon’s meeting with Southampton, with Leeds adding that Zigor Aranalde and Mikel Antia will be his assistants.

Juan Jose Solla has also arrived as a fitness coach, whereas Michael Skubala will remain a part of the first-team setup.

The Latest: Hay’s update

Hay took to Twitter to share more news following the club’s backroom staff announcement, touching on Armas, who only arrived at the club at the end of January.

His name wasn’t mentioned in the official update to supporters, but Hay says that Armas is ‘still with the club’.

The Verdict: One to watch

Armas, Skubala and Paco Gallardo were the three to take caretaker charge following Jesse Marsch’s absence, with Leeds putting in two positive performances against Manchester United. Last weekend’s trip to Goodison Park wasn’t as good, though, but Skubala and Gallardo already know their futures, with the latter taking over at U21 level from the former.

Therefore, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not Armas is around Elland Road this afternoon, and if he isn’t, you’d expect that he could soon depart after just a month in Yorkshire, making this one to keep an eye on.

Glasgow Rangers chief Ross Wilson has had his fair share of transfer successes and gaffes over the years since becoming the club’s sporting director in 2019.

He has been responsible for bringing in flops such as Aaron Ramsey and Cedric Itten, although he also managed to secure the astute signings of John Lundstram and Malik Tillman, among others.

The former Southampton executive has had mixed success in the transfer market at Ibrox, but one piece of business that he did get bang-on was the deal to sign Antonio Colak from PAOK last summer.

Has Antonio Colak been a good signing for Rangers?

Wilson hit the jackpot by signing the Croatia international to bolster the Rangers squad, as the centre-forward has been a terrific addition for the Scottish giants.

Then-manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst hailed the transfer by saying of Colak: “He is a very experienced player who has played at high levels and scored a lot of goals for the teams he has played for.”

The striker was valued at £1.2m (€1.4m) by Football Transfers at the time of the move to Glasgow, and his performances at Ibrox have caused his value to skyrocket.

At the time of writing (27/02/2023), Football Transfers value the forward at £2.6m (€3m), which means that his price has soared by a whopping 114% in less than a full season. This shows that the dynamo has been in exceptional form since making the switch to Glasgow.

Colak, who journalist Josh Bunting claimed “has everything”, made a rapid start to life at the club and earned the Light Blues millions by playing a crucial role in the team qualifying for the group stage of the Champions League.

Rangers earned a guaranteed £13.2m by making it through to the group stage of the competition and the Croatian marksman scored winner in the second leg of the play-off against PSV to secure group stage qualification.

This means that Colak’s terrific finishing ability landed the Gers a huge payday, which you could argue made his signing a success irrespective of how the rest of his career at the club transpires. Nonetheless, the Croatian has gone on to be a great success in the Premiership, as he has plundered 11 goals in 15 Scottish top-flight starts this term.

Only four Rangers players have averaged a higher Sofascore rating than Colak’s 7.14, which suggests that the dynamo has been one of the team’s best performers over the campaign so far.

Therefore, Wilson struck gold by signing the 29-year-old last summer, as the attacker’s value has soared whilst delivering brilliant performances domestically and in Europe, alongside earning the club millions by scoring the goal to secure Champions League qualification.

Everton will be heading to The City Ground on Sunday to take on Nottingham Forest in their Premier League clash and Sean Dyche will be desperate for his team to improve upon their poor performance against Arsenal earlier this week.

The Toffees are 18th in the top-flight table and struggling for safety in the relegation zone following 14 defeats conceded in their 25 outings so far and taking all three points this weekend will be crucially in their pursuit for survival with only 13 fixtures remaining.

As a result, the newly-appointed Everton boss has a lot of work to do and much to consider when it comes to his team selection as every point will count over the next few months in his pursuit to retain the club’s Premier League status.

One player who Dyche must finally bin is Vitaliy Mykolenko as the dud has become more of a hindrance than a help on the pitch, which recently led to reporter Richard Buxton dubbing the left-back the “weak link” for Everton.

Should Dyche drop Mykolenko vs Nottingham Forest?

It is clear that the former Burnley boss has his hands tied in his selections for most areas on the pitch with the quality depleted considerably in the attacking threat following the sale of both Richarlison in the summer and Anthony Gordon in January.

However, in the back-line Dyche does have a number of options to experiment with across his defensive set-up including Ruben Vinagre and Ben Godfrey who are both capable of occupying the spot on the left flank.

Over his 90-minute performance against the Gunners, Mykolenko – dubbed “painfully bad” by Toffee TV journalist Patric Ridge during the 4-0 thrashing – completed just 16 accurate passes, lost possession of the ball every 3.7 touches, and failed to complete any of his crosses.

Not only that, the £58k-per-week Ukrainian has been dribbled past 10 times in his last five Premier League appearances – four times against Arsenal at Goodison Park, three times against Liverpool, and another three times against Leeds United.

This shows that the full-back has become a defensive liability for the Toffees as opposition forwards are finding it far too easy to push the ball past him out wide, which then exposes the centre-backs and Jordan Pickford to more pressure from crossing situations.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Dyche should drop Mykolenko in the clash with Forest this weekend and give an opportunity to another player to prove themselves in the position to improve the chances of snatching all three important points away from home, as the dud has not been good enough in recent matches.