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With Sheffield Wednesday having racked up three draws in their previous three League One matches, Darren Moore’s side are back in action this afternoon with a clash against Cheltenham Town to try and secure a win rather than yet another draw or a defeat.

On the chalkboard

Looking ahead to the fixture, one player who we think should be in the starting XI for the Owls is on-loan winger Theo Corbeanu, who Moore has praised in the past for being able to get into “wonderful” positions on the pitch.

Predominantly due to Wednesday’s three previous league results, we feel that Moore could do with shaking up his team in some way. Whether that’s with the personnel he’s using on the pitch or the formation he’s asking them to utilise, they just need something fresh to turn their form around.

Therefore, given how Corbeanu has yet to start a League One game for the Owls since joining the club back in August from Wolves’ under-23 side and has only played eight minutes from one appearance in their past seven league games, we feel that now is a great time for Moore to unleash the winger from the start against Cheltenham to see what sort of impact he has on the team and this game in particular.

Despite having yet to register a goal or assist for Wednesday, we think that starting Corbeanu against Cheltenham could be a gamble worth taking at this point in the season to see if he can change the Owls’ fortunes in terms of results, as well as his own record in his first loan spell away from Wolves.

In the two Papa John’s Trophy matches where he has played 90 minutes for Wednesday, the 19-year-old – who is currently valued at £900k according to Transfermarkt – has had eight shots (five on target) and two key passes, along with an average passing accuracy percentage of 80%. That shows how much of an attacking threat he can be, albeit against lower opposition like Newcastle United’s under-21 side and League Two outfit Mansfield Town.

Looking ahead to the match against Cheltenham, in terms of who Corbeanu could come into the team and replace, we feel that Moore should take Saido Berahino out of the line-up considering that he hasn’t managed to score a goal in his last six league appearances for the Owls.

In other news: Moore must ruthlessly axe Owls disaster with the “wrong mentality” for Cheltenham clash

It’s time for Leeds United to move on from Tyler Roberts this summer.

Even in the absence of leading talisman Patrick Bamford, the Wales international has struggled for minutes – even academy duo Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood appear to sit ahead of him in the pecking order under American boss Jesse Marsch.

But that should hardly come as a surprise, given the form of the 23-year-old since the Yorkshire giants returned to the promised land of the Premier League.

Although, overall, a record of nine goals and ten assists across 108 appearances is not good reading for a forward.

Just two of those direct contributions have come this season, where he has featured in 23 top-flight games, as per Transfermarkt. Roberts has not started a game for the Whites since the 3-1 win over Burnley back in January – a game in which he failed to score.

Leeds actually looked the better side and found the net twice after his early bath on the hour mark, which is rather telling.

He has now been absent from Marsch’s matchday squad in three straight games due to injury and has made only four substitute appearances in 2022.

According to talkSPORT and Football Insider pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, Roberts will “be in the Championship” next season as “he’s not a Premier League player.”

Also slammed by the former Villa frontman for being “shocking” and “not good enough”, the former West Bromwich Albion youth product is surely nearing the exit door in this new era at Elland Road.

Thought to be earning wages in the region of £45k-per-week, Roberts has been absolutely stealing a living from the club.

When you factor in the initial £2.5m it cost to prise him away from the Baggies in January 2018, the Welshman has cost chairman Andrea Radrizzani and the club’s coffers in excess of £12m – and that’s only going to rise as he’s under contract until the summer of 2024.

Signed a year after the Italian’s arrival at Leeds, it’s fair to suggest that Roberts has been one of the worst signings under his leadership. He’s certainly not someone that Marsch should persist with past the summer.

Amid links to RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson, it could only be a matter of time before the 23-year-old is moved on, justifiably so, too.

AND in other news, Forget Joffy: Leeds must seal bargain swoop for teen prodigy with 40 goals this season…

There was a possibility Freddie Woodman could have left on loan on Deadline Day to facilitate an incoming, The Athletic’s Chris Waugh has revealed. 

The lowdown

Newcastle have taken the ‘unusual’ step of naming four goalkeepers in their 25-man Premier League squad, with Woodman joined by Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow and Mark Gillespie.

Steve Bruce has had to call upon Woodman after Dubravka sustained a foot injury at the European Championships and Darlow was hospitalised with coronavirus (via The Athletic).

The Newcastle boss has been forced to make do with just one new addition – £25million man Joe Willock – partly because of finances, but also because they ‘would have had to make room’ in the squad.

The latest

Waugh reports that ‘privately, few at St James’ Park’ genuinely believed they would ever end up taking the ‘damaging’ step of naming four ‘keepers.

And the perceived necessity of doing so ‘affected transfer business’.

Bruce was weighing up the decision until the end of the transfer window, with the 60-year-old keen to sign Leicester City’s Hamza Choudhury on loan.

But allowing Woodman to leave and placing trust in Gillespie was ultimately deemed too risky.

The verdict

You do have some sympathy for Newcastle here. It’s bad enough having your first choice ‘keeper injured, but for your back-up to fall ill at the same time is woefully unlucky.

It might be said that Bruce should simply have backed Gillespie in the hope of bringing a much-needed reinforcement further up the pitch, but how many managers would truly trust a ‘keeper who is effectively the fourth best on the club’s books?

Bruce’s reign on Tyneside has been far from perfect, but it feels his hands were tied by almost impossible circumstances on this occasion.

In other news, Frank McAvennie has dropped a two-word verdict on Steve Bruce’s future.

Michael Bridge has raised question marks over how serious Nuno Espirito Santo is prepared to take the UEFA Conference League.

Following their final-day victory over Leicester and fifth consecutive finish over Arsenal, Tottenham qualified for the inaugural competition after coming 7th.

However, it’s not exactly an attractive proposition for Spurs, with the winners qualifying for the Europa League, something Santo’s team will be expected to achieve via their league position.

For Tottenham’s opening game in the competition, the Portuguese made 11 changes for their play-off round first leg tie against Pacos de Ferreira, although the game was just four days after Spurs defeated Manchester City on the opening day of the season.

In fact, not one of the starters against City made the trip to Portugal.

With away goals a thing of the past in European competition, Santo’s side remain heavy favourites to overturn the one-goal deficit and progress to the group stages on Thursday.

But Bridge told Football FanCast that he’s unsure how seriously the club will take it:

“It’s up to Spurs fans what they think of it. I find it hard to be in it, it’s not arrogance, it’s just such a low competition.

“I don’t know how far they want to go, and I don’t know how important Nuno will see it.”

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Mike Dean has been removed as the fourth official for Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League clash with Chelsea on Wednesday night.

Dean had been selected as an official for the clash at Stamford Bridge, but has been removed following his confrontation with Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino in the aftermath of Saturday’s clash with Burnley.

Indeed, Pochettino angrily approached Dean after the final whistle at Turf Moor, with the Spurs manager unhappy with a number of decisions.

Indeed, the corner which led to Burnley’s opening goal should have been a goal kick, while Pochettino also appeared to be unhappy with a number of challenges from the home side in what was a 2-1 Tottenham defeat.

Pochettino has since been charged by the Football Association and has until February 28 to respond.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

The Tottenham fans, though, are at least pleased that Dean has been switched from their match to the clash between Manchester City and West Ham United.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Paul Scholes compared West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice to Steven Gerrard after the Hammers’ 1-0 win over Tottenham on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Irons beat Spurs

The Irons hosted Spurs at the London Stadium at the weekend in an all-capital clash off the back of maintainig their 100% Europa League group stage record last Thursday.

The home side prevailed 1-0 thanks to a solitary goal from Michail Antonio, with David Moyes’ side now up to fourth in the Premier League table as a result.

Rice played a big part in West Ham getting one over on their London rivals. Nobody could match his eight tackles or 11 duels won, while he misplaced only three of his 41 passes all afternoon in a hugely composed performance (SofaScore).

The Latest: Scholes praises Rice

Speaking to Premier League Productions (24/10/21, 1:55 pm, via HITC), Scholes showered Rice with praise and even compared him to former Liverpool star Gerrard. The ex-Manchester United midfielder said:

“I think he has been right up there for the last year or so. Again, he is a player who plays the position brilliantly. He reads play. He senses danger. You see him intercepting all the time.

“He’s not just got that to his game. He has also got this side to it (driving forward). He has got a bit of Steven Gerrard about him. He has really added that drive and that way of playing to create chances for his team.

“I did think, at one point, he would be a centre-back. But I think he is now turning into a complete midfield player.”

The Verdict: Different players

There is no doubt that Rice is developing into a quality midfielder. He is a star player for West Ham as they continue to ascend the table and impress in the Europa League, and he was a key member of Gareth Southgate’s squad as England reached the final of Euro 2020.

However, 114-cap Three Lions international Gerrard was a player who regularly averaged 10 goals a season (Transfermarkt) – in 157 games for the Hammers, Rice has found the back of the net just seven times. He is more defensive-minded than the current Rangers manager, so it wouldn’t be wholly accurate or fair to compare him to a midfielder who enjoyed playing further forward.

In other news, many West Ham fans react to this Jesse Lingard update

Liverpool are set to launch a big-money move for Villareal star Arnaut Danjuma in this January transfer window as they look to try and cover for Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish publication Fichajes, Jurgen Klopp’s side are preparing a £37.5m bid for the Netherlands international this month as they look to try and cover for their two AFCON-bound superstars.

The report adds that there is doubt over whether Villareal would be willing to sanction a sale for the winger, but such a deal would represent a significant amount of profit from when they signed him from Bournemouth.

He can replace Salah and Mane

Speaking to This is Futbol about Danjuma, former Leeds man Carlton Palmer simply said: “He’s an exciting player. He’s got flair, he’s got pace and he scores goals” – exactly what he showcased in his time with Bournemouth.

The former Cherries speedster netted 17 goals and provided another eight assists in all competitions last season, and it was no surprise that his performances earned rave reviews.

No categories

Speaking on The Official EFL Podcast, former Bournemouth boss Jonathan Woodgate said: “He’s an exceptional player, in a really good place at the minute, Arnie. He’s another one who I’ve always done a lot of work on him at his previous clubs, so I knew all about him coming into this role, I knew what type of player he was.

“He made an unbelievable run for one of the goals, I showed him that, but then I showed him what he did winning the ball back, when he had to sprint 50 yards and get the ball back. That’s what makes a really good player, for me, getting that work rate in because we know, with the ball his feet, he’s a top player. Can he do the rest going the other way? And he’s starting to show that now, so yeah, he’s doing well.”

His debut campaign at Villareal has seen him hit the ground running, scoring nine goals in just 18 games in all competitions, proving he is the kind of goal-scoring winger that could try and fill the boots of Liverpool’s much-vaunted wide-men.

The Villareal star is exactly what Liverpool need given that the likes of Salah and Mane are off to AFCON, and can help ensure they don’t miss the sheer number of goals and assists they produce.

Meanwhile, Liverpool must make a swoop for this Bundesliga midfielder…

Wolves right-back Nelson Semedo could return for his side’s Premier League clash with Newcastle United, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Semedo missing recently

The Portuguese ace has been out of action since the 2-1 defeat away to Arsenal in late February, having picked up a hamstring injury.

Prior to that setback, Semedo had started 23 Premier League matches for the Wanderers, proving to be an important part of Bruno Lage’s plans.

With Wolves visiting Newcastle on Friday evening, an injury boost may have emerged in the hours leading up to kick-off.

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The Latest: Dinnery makes key claim

Taking to Twitter, Dinnery, an injury analyst who runs the Premier Injuries site, claimed Semedo is in line to make a return to the side at St James’ Park:

“Nelson Semedo is training at a ‘good level’ and the right-back is in contention for the trip to St James’ Park.”

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The Verdict: Last-minute boost

This is a welcome boost for Wolves, and while Semedo may not be deemed match fit enough to start, the update suggests he will be able to play a key role between now and the end of the season.

Having the 28-year-old back in the fold means Jonny could revert to his preferred left-back role, giving the side an ideal balance in the two full-back positions.

Lage needs as many key men available in the final weeks of the season and Semedo certainly falls into that bracket, having averaged 2.3 tackles per game in the league this season. Only Toti (4.0) and Rayan Ait-Nouri (2.9) have a higher average.

In other news, Wolves are in a four-way battle to sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Leeds have faced struggles at the top end of the pitch this season as they sit on 11 goals scored in 11 Premier League games.

Patrick Bamford has only played five league matches due to injury, scoring once in those games, and summer signing Dan James is yet to score his first goal for the club since his summer move from Manchester United.

In order to solve this issue, Marcelo Bielsa could look to the younger players in the squad to burst onto the scene and inject some fresh energy and enthusiasm in the final third instead of going into the transfer market to buy a new player.

Forget Gelhardt

One youngster who has been given a taste of Premier League action this season is the talented Joe Gelhardt. He has played twice in the top-flight, winning one penalty, and showed signs of promise. However, forget Gelhardt, there is another young player in the academy who plays in a similar position who could come through and make a big impact on the first-team – Sam Greenwood.

The 19-year-old is capable of playing across the front line, as a striker, second forward and winger, and could be a versatile, energetic, option for Bielsa to call upon.

Ex-Whites forward Noel Whelan once hailed the youngster’s ‘immense’ ability and compared him to Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse. He told Football Insider:

“Free-kicks are his forte. Immediately you think about someone like James Ward-Prowse and what an unbelievable dead ball specialist he is. When you see the goals Greenwood has scored from set pieces you put him up there on that mantle.

“It took him a couple of attempts but he got his range right in the end yesterday.

“Another player who possesses an immense amount of ability. To have a weapon like that in your side is great.

“You can see the ability he has but the free-kicks are about the hard work he puts in on the training ground and for that he deserves to be praised.”

In the Premier League 2 this season, Greenwood has five goals and three assists in 10 matches. He also scored in his one EFL Trophy appearance, showing that he can do it against senior opposition. This, along with Whelan’s comments, suggests that he could have the potential to make the step up to first-team football.

If Bielsa unleashes him and he shows a similar run of form in the Premier League and is able to find the back of the net then it could save Orta millions ahead of the January transfer window. That is why the Argentine should unleash Greenwood in the coming weeks and offer him the chance to show that he can make a difference in the top-flight to reward him for his form in the academy.

AND in other news, Possession lost 103x: “Headless” Leeds flop who’s lost 62% duels has let Bielsa down…

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Divock Origi to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who revealed on a recent episode of The West Ham Way Podcast that, despite David Moyes holding some reservations about the 26-year-old, the Liverpool centre-forward could become an option for the 58-year-old manager if he cannot land his preferred targets this month.

Speaking about the Hammers’ interest in the Belgium international, the club insider said: “Origi of Liverpool could be available. I think Moyes isn’t convinced but that could change if other targets don’t come to fruition.”

Dream signing

With West Ham desperately in need of backup and competition for Michail Antonio in the second half of the current campaign if the club are to have any hope of securing Champions League football at the London Stadium next season, Origi would very much appear to be something of a dream signing for the club.

Indeed, the £10.8m-rated man has made something of a reputation for himself as being a super-sub, having bagged a quite astonishing 11 goals for Jurgen Klopp’s side when coming off the bench – six of which came in the last ten minutes of the match in question.

Furthermore, the German manager is quite clearly convinced that the £82k-per-week forward is a player who deserves to hold more than a role as simply being a bit-part player, with the 54-year-old Reds boss stating of the Belgian: “If I would be in another club I would go for him. I thought that would happen but I cannot believe if you don’t play for Liverpool, you cannot be good. But I am very happy he is still here.”

As such, with West Ham very much in need of a player who is capable of doing a job from the bench, as well as possessing the ability to push Antonio for his starting spot in Moyes’ XI, the man whose “skills are outstanding” in the words of Klopp, would very much look to be the perfect target for the East London side to pursue this winter.

In other news: “Interestingly…”: Sky Sports journo drops big transfer claim, WHU fans will be livid