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The Athletic journalist Phil Hay has praised match-winner Rodrigo’s improved performance in Leeds United’s vital 2-1 win away to Norwich City.

The Lowdown: Massive win for Leeds

The Whites faced a huge game at the bottom end of the Premier League on Sunday, but they prevailed to secure a much-needed three points.

It wasn’t a classic at Carrow Road, but goals from Raphinha and Rodrigo helped Marcelo Bielsa’s side to climb out of the relegation zone.

After the late draw at home to Wolves and now a crucial away win, the hope is that Leeds may slowly be turning a corner after a poor start to the season.

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The Latest: Hay praises Rodrigo

It was Rodrigo who fired home the winner on Sunday, finding the net from distance as he bagged his second league goal of the campaign. His ball distribution was also on point, completing 24 of his 28 passes, while he also won five duels and had three shots in total (SofaScore).

Taking to Twitter after the game, Hay spoke positively about the Spaniard with the seven-word verdict of: “Rodrigo got better as that went on.”

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The Verdict: Still need more from Rodrigo

It was a key contribution from Rodrigo, who now has two goals in as many league outings, but there is still a feeling that more is required from him, having been described as a ‘huge’ player by Hay in the past.

The 30-year-old is the club’s record signing but is yet to perform like it overall, with two goals in 12 appearances still a disappointing return so far this season.

With Patrick Bamford out injured, it is vital that Rodrigo continues to steps up to the plate in the coming weeks, justifying his price tag in the process. More performances like yesterday’s should help.

In other news, three Leeds players struggled despite the eventual win over Norwich. Find out who they are here.

Leeds journalist Phil Hay has made a big Andrea Radrizzani transfer claim ahead of the 2022 summer window…

What’s the talk?

The Athletic reporter has claimed that the window could be a busy one for Leeds as owner Andrea Radrizzani wants to take the club into Europe.

Replying to a fan questioning the lack of money spent in the summer, Hay said: “What I’m starting to feel now is that if this season is going to be a slog (and it looks like it will be) now is the time to start seriously thinking about what to do next summer.

“Investment in the squad will definitely be needed because Radrizzani is the one who keeps talking about Europe. It seems like next summer should be so much more active than this one.”

Leeds fans could be buzzing

Leeds fans will surely be left buzzing by this claim from Hay as it suggests that they are in for an exciting summer next year. The Whites added only two senior players to their squad in the window just gone, with Junior Firpo and Dan James arriving from Barcelona and Manchester United respectively for a combined fee of £39.69m.

Young goalkeeper Kristoffer Klaesson was also brought in and Jack Harrison’s loan from Manchester City was finally converted into a permanent deal. Their spending totalled £53.01m as they made nothing from outgoings, which shows that Radrizzani did invest a fair amount in the squad despite the relatively low number of new faces.

It also highlights why Leeds fans may now be excited about what could be to come next summer. Hay believes that the club could be in for a busy transfer window in comparison to the one just gone, which suggests that more than £53m could be spent. Fans will surely be delighted as it means that big money could be invested in some exciting talent to add to the squad, particularly if the rest of this season continues to be a “slog”, as Hay put it.

They will also be buzzing with the club’s ambition to qualify for Europe in the coming seasons. Imagine a European night at Elland Road after so long without one to enjoy… it sends chills down the spine. If Radrizzani can give Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta the funds to go and build a squad capable of challenging for the top six, then fans could start to believe that the glory days will return to Yorkshire.

Rangers extended their unbeaten run to six matches in all competitions as they beat St Johnstone in a tense match on Saturday.

Steven Gerrard’s side went 1-0 down just after half-time as Filip Helander was caught out from a long ball and Michael O’Halloran made the most of it to fire the ball into the back of the net.

A cooly dispatched penalty, won by Ryan Kent, from Kemar Roofe soon saw Rangers level the scores. Captain James Tavernier, returning to the side, then secured the three points with a stunning effort from distance in the 79th minute.

Despite Kent, Tavernier and Roofe being heavily involved in the goals, another player stole the show with his performance – Glen Kamara.

The Finland international produced an excellent display in the middle of the pitch as he helped to keep Rangers on the front foot throughout the match. He was able to win possession back and dictate play in the engine room, allowing the Gers to control the ball and ultimately turn that 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win.

Defensively, Kamara was excellent. Per SofaScore, he won an impressive 82% of his duels on the pitch as he came out on top in five of his six ground battles and won three of his four aerial contests. He also made two clearances, one tackle and an interception.

This shows that he was active in winning the ball back for his side and competing in physical battles against the St Johnstone midfield. By winning the vast majority of his duels, he kept Rangers in possession and that allowed Gerrard’s side to dominate the ball and continually create the chances needed to get back into the game.

Offensively and in transition, Kamara also excelled. Per SofaScore, he had 73 touches of the ball in midfield – more than Steven Davis and Joe Aribo – whilst completing 85% of his passes and both of his attempted dribbles – also being fouled twice.

These statistics highlight his control of the match in possession. He was running the show in midfield by dictating the play and allowing the likes of Tavernier, Kent and Roofe to then work their magic in the final third.

Gerrard will surely be delighted with the 25-year-old’s display and will be hoping that he can keep it going for the rest of the campaign.

AND in other news, Gerrard must seal Rangers deal for “instrumental” maestro, he won’t cost a penny…

It has been widely speculated that Rafael Benitez has fallen out with Lucas Digne, and news coming from the Everton camp on Friday afternoon appears to suggest that the pair can’t resolve their issues.

What’s the story?

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano gave an explosive transfer insight regarding the Toffeed, taking to his Twitter profile to drop this exclusive to his millions of followers:

“EXCL: Ukraine left back Vitaliy Mykolenko is currently undergoing his medical as new Everton player, here we go! 🔵🇺🇦 #EFC”

“He’s set to join Everton from Dynamo Kiev on a permanent move, final price around €21/23m. Personal terms agreed.”

The medical may further fuel rumours of an irreparable fall-out between the Everton manager and the French left-back, who has not been in the matchday squad since the Merseyside derby.

As recorded by WhoScored, since his arrival to the Premier League. no left-back has earned a higher rating than Digne, winning 28 aerial duels and 52 tackles in his 15 appearances for the Toffees this season. He also scored against Queens Park Rangers in their Carabao Cup tie.

According to The Athletic, Digne became frustrated in conversations with the Everton manager and continuously challenged Benitez, with the pair having reportedly ‘rarely seen eye to eye’ – specifically when it came to tactics – and tensions allegedly boiled over just ahead of the Arsenal match a couple of weeks ago.

Fans will be gutted

Digne has established himself as a fan favourite, with the left-back speaking out about the reaction that many fans have had to him since he joined the club, saying: “They have even written a song for me, and I want to say thank you to them for that. We have something special in this club.”

Quite a few Everton fans have taken to Twitter to express their feelings and thoughts on the news shared by Romano. One fan tweeted; “If we sell @LucasDigne we are stupid, @everton you need to sack that fraud @rafabenitezweb #rafaout”

Another wrote: “I’ll be so, so angry if Digne is forced out of Everton in January. Angry at Rafa, and at the club by default, as with most things these days.”

It’s clear that some fans aren’t happy about potentially axing the £119k-p/w left back from the side, and with squad depth already thin and injuries piling up, Benitez cannot afford to lose any more players. Freezing out Digne could come back to bite the manager unless Everton can complete the mooted signing of Mykolenko, and even then the Ukrainian may have a hard act to follow.

Either way, his impending arrival seems to suggest that Benitez intends to move on from Digne, who might have already played his last game for the club.

In other news: Benitez could solve big issue at Everton by signing this gem

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Manchester City defender Steve Howey has hinted at Jack Grealish potentially taking Raheem Sterling’s spot in the Premier League champions’ starting XI.

Both players started in the 1-0 defeat to Tottenham, with Grealish deployed in midfield alongside Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho and Sterling used further forward in attack.

However, star man Kevin De Bruyne was left on the bench for the opening fixture, while Phil Foden is currently unavailable for selection due to injury.

When both players are fully fit, you would expect them to be selected by Pep Guardiola, meaning someone like Sterling or Grealish could drop out. And Howey thinks it could be the former, with Grealish likely to operate in his position further up the pitch.

When asked by TT who could be sacrificed in order to accommodate the former Aston Villa captain, the ex-City star said:

“Well we know with Raheem sometimes he didn’t start [last season] and that was without Grealish there.”

While it would not be a shock to see Grealish have to settle for the bench now and again as a result of Guardiola’s rotation policy, having signed him for £100m, it is hard to imagine the £300,000-a-week England international spending too much time out of the side.

Fresh from leading West Ham United into an unlikely spot in the Europa League, a year on from staring relegation in the face, manager David Moyes has a tricky task on his hands to repeat such a feat.

The 58-year-old has often been a mark of consistency in the Premier League, regularly recording top-eight finishes during his time at Everton, but this season looks tougher than ever.

A lot of teams around them, including the likes of Spurs and Arsenal who finished lower in the table, have strengthened their playing squad considerably, whilst the Irons have only made the one senior addition, a back-up loan goalkeeper in Alphonse Areola.

The likes of Declan Rice, Michail Antonio, Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek will need to step up and perform at a similar output to last term, especially in the absence of Jesse Lingard, who arguably changed the Hammers’ fortunes for the better.

After joining on loan in January, the Manchester United outcast provided nine goals and five assists to end the year as their second-highest rated player, as per WhoScored, which only emphasises just how crucial he was to Moyes and their impressive sixth-place finish.

He seems rather unlikely to return to the London Stadium and that’s a big blow. It means that other players will have to step up – perhaps it’s Said Benrahma’s time to shine?

The nine-cap Algerian winger, signed in a £30m deal from Brentford, didn’t have the best debut campaign in the big time, registering only one goal and six assists but that’s warranted. It’s the first time he’s competed at such a level. And he only started 14 times in the Premier League.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-the-latest-gossip-and-much-more-3” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and much more!”]

If Moyes needs someone to provide that extra spark in midfield, then Benrahma must step forward. He could turn out to be the Hammers’ perfect Lingard replacement.

The 26-year-old has looked electric throughout pre-season, having scored against Celtic and Brentford, and provided two assists against Atalanta. He appears to be playing with a lot more confidence and his creativity could be utilised through the middle, to get the best out of him.

At the Bees, where he was described as someone who “could nutmeg a mermaid”, he delivered a direct goal contribution every 119.5 minutes, as per Transfermarkt, so it’s on Moyes to get that back out of him.

Also dubbed a “true magician” by former OGC Nice teammate Lorenzo Vinci, Benrahma can provide Moyes and West Ham with excitement by plugging the void left behind by Lingard.

The squad undoubtedly needs more additions to put up a fight across all competitions but the £18m-rated dynamo is someone who could be in line for a massive boost heading into the new campaign.

Moyes must look to unleash Benrahma in a free role in the absence of their former loan sensation.

AND in other news, Moyes risks West Ham transfer nightmare with a swoop for “ungrateful” £105k-p/w flop…

Nuno Espirito Santo is closing in on being appointed as Tottenham Hotspur’s next manager, and he could be in place in time for pre-season training, which gets underway on July 5.

What’s the word?

According to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, extensive talks between the north London outfit and the Portuguese coach have been held over the last few days, and barring another late setback, the 47-year-old is now set to become the new Spurs manager.

Writing on Twitter, the journalist said: “Extensive talks have now been held with Nuno Espirito Santo over becoming the new Spurs head coach. As I said a week or so back, Paratici really likes him and while his style of play does not match what Levy called for, his ability to develop young players, and older ones, does.

“Understand that, barring a complete about-turn (and we’ve had enough of those in these 67 days), the former Wolves boss could be in place at Tottenham next week just days before pre-season starts at Hotspur Way.”

Is it finally over?

The 47-year-old is a readily available candidate after he left Premier League rivals Wolves by mutual consent at the end of last season. He departed them in 13th place after a poor campaign, but much of that can be attributed to the loss of Diogo Jota to Liverpool and Raul Jimenez to a serious head injury as the Midlands outfit struggled in front of the net, bagging only 36 goals – the lowest of any team ranked above 16th.

Much of the Lilywhites faithful have expressed their disappointment in the likely appointment of Nuno on social media in recent days, getting a #NoToNuno campaign trending, but at the very least they should be glad that this whole process is coming to an end.

It’s been over nine weeks since chairman Daniel Levy sacked Jose Mourinho and there have been no fewer than eight names close to taking over before some sort of late blow occurred. Bayern-bound Julian Nagelsmann, former boss Mauricio Pochettino and ex-Premier League winner Antonio Conte are just three of those mooted throughout the process.

More recently, it seemed as if Paulo Fonseca was going to be the man for Spurs before a surprise twist emerged at the 11th hour.

Nuno may not be the first choice of many in N17 besides sporting director Fabio Paratici, but he does arrive with plenty of experience in the top flight and a proven record in developing players regardless of their age.

Adama Traore, Pedro Neto and Joao Moutinho are testament to that, whilst it must be hugely encouraging that he could be in place before pre-season, for if this were to rumble on when the players returned, then it would only set Spurs back even further with their plans.

It’s time for Nuno to get some backing as it seems this search is finally coming towards a much-needed end.

AND in other news, Paratici can seal Spurs’ dream Kane replacement in “complete” £36m-rated goal machine…

Crystal Palace have suffered an injury setback ahead of their Premier League encounter with Liverpool this afternoon after Jeffrey Schlupp was ruled out of action.

What’s the word?

The versatile 28-year-old picked up an injury while on international duty with Ghana and was also unavailable for Palace’s impressive victory over Tottenham Hotspur last time out.

Schlupp had played a part in all of the Eagles’ fixtures up until his enforced absence, and manager Patrick Vieira confirmed that he’ll be sidelined once again for today’s trip to Anfield.

“Jeffrey Schlupp is getting better but is not going to be involved tomorrow,” the Frenchman revealed in Friday’s press conference.

“He didn’t have enough training with the squad, so will stay behind and do a session tomorrow, before getting with the team on Monday morning.”

However, Vieira did have some positive updates for the Palace faithful. Youngster Eberechi Eze is currently on the treatment table with an Achilles injury, although he’s making good progress in his recovery.

The manager stated: “He’s improving, he’s going to start working outside very soon. Him and Nathan (Ferguson) are getting better.

“We can’t put any date (on his return to action). The positive side is he is getting better, and that is positive, but we can’t put any date because we don’t want to push him.

“There’s a medical journey that we have to take into consideration, and then we’ll know the next step with him. The same for Nathan.”

Patrick Vieira will be gutted

Despite Palace securing a famous three points over Spurs in Schlupp’s absence, Vieira will still be gutted that he is unable to call upon the Ghanaian’s services against Liverpool.

The midfielder adds energy and an attacking flair to the Eagles’ engine room, assets which the likes of James McArthur, Luka Milivojevic and Cheikhou Kouyate can’t replicate. Indeed, only four of Schlupp’s team-mates have completed more dribbles per game this season.

Considering that the Reds have started the 2021/22 term in impressive fashion, Vieira will not be at all amused that he will be forced to make do without a seasoned campaigner in the 28-year-old.

In other news… Signed for £26m, released for free: Parish endured a Palace nightmare over 31y/o dud 

West Ham United have been dealt a devastating blow in their bid to sign Jesse Lingard permanently…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, the 28-year-old midfielder has told parent club Manchester United that he wants to stay at the club this summer following a candid meeting with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The Hammers are desperate to sign the 29-cap England international permanently after a very successful half-season loan spell, where his nine goals and five assists saw him go from a forgotten outcast to being back in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad.

Whilst Lingard hasn’t completely ruled out a return to the London Stadium, it’s claimed that he would like to stay in the northwest.

Huge blow

This will come as a major setback to many in East London.

There have previously been reports suggesting that the £20m-rated midfielder was keen on returning to West Ham this transfer window but these fresh developments add a worrying twist to the saga.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-the-latest-gossip-and-much-more” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]

Following the final game of the season – a win over Southampton that secured a place in the Europa League – Irons boss David Moyes revealed his intentions over Lingard.

“I hope Jesse’s here, we’d like to keep him, he’s done an exceptional job for us but there’s no guarantees, he’s not our player,” the 58-year-old claimed, via the Evening Standard. “But I hope Jesse realises we’ve been good for him as well, and that he joined a club on the up.”He’ll certainly be gutted by this update.The Hammers faithful will undoubtedly be feeling the same way, too.When Lingard arrived for England duty last week, he was seen with a West Ham themed bag, which sent many supporters into raptures and you’ll struggle to find someone who doesn’t want him to stay after his lucrative exploits on the pitch.Therefore, this latest claim from The Sun will surely be received in a devastating fashion for the fans and Moyes too.

AND in other news, Moyes could deliver another West Ham masterclass amid big ExWHUemployee transfer claim…

Nottingham Forest will look to continue their sprint towards Premier League promotion tonight, but will face a tough test against Champions-elect Fulham at Craven Cottage.

A victory would effectively cement Forest’s spot in the play-off places, though Cooper will be looking for a win in case of the possibility that they could pip both Bournemouth and Huddersfield to the second-place automatic promotion spot.

Including tonight’s fixture, Forest have four games to play with one of those ties against Bournemouth – their rivals for automatic promotion. A win today is a must for Steve Cooper’s side.

In terms of injury news, Max Lowe is still out with a groin issue, and Steve Cook is also unlikely to start after just coming back from an ankle injury. Fulham will not roll over though and still have the title to play for, despite already sealing their ticket back to the Premier League.

Keinan Davis is another who is ruled out due to a hamstring injury sustained against Luton Town two games ago.

Lewis Grabban is also unlikely to feature after hobbling off after a 15-minute cameo appearance against Peterborough.

With that update, here is how we at Football FanCast expect Nottingham Forest to line up against Fulham tonight.

In what would be a real statement of intent, our predicted line-up sees Surridge retain his starting spot through Grabban’s injury, meaning that there is just one change, with £1.8m-rated Tobias Figueiredo axed for Joe Lolley, due to the 4-2-3-1 system switch.

With his attacking prowess – he has 26 goals for Forest in total – and Lyle Taylor’s praise, dubbing him a “wriggly worm”, he could cause the Cottagers all sorts of problems this evening.

Cooper’s side have stuck with the 3-4-1-2 system for the last six games which has seen them score thirteen goals and concede just two during that run. And although the saying “don’t fix what isn’t broken” rings true in most cases, it failed to work for them last time out against Fulham who ran out 4-0 winners.

The 4-2-3-1 system has notably been used in big games by Cooper. In the game against Fulham before the 4-0 thrashing, they used the 4-2-3-1 system and narrowly lost 1-0.

This system was also used against Liverpool, who also found it tough against Forest.

A change to a hardy 4-2-3-1 could pay dividends for Cooper and provide an element of shock for Marco Silva.

In other news: Sold after 1 appearance: Nottingham Forest had a disaster over 23 y/o “top talent”…