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Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has urged manager Jesse Marsch to stick with a new-look back five for the upcoming Premier League clashes with Chelsea and Arsenal. 

The lowdown: Difficult test for Leeds

The Whites were well beaten by a rampant Manchester City at Elland Road at the weekend when utilising a new system, despite competing with the title-chasers for large parts of the match.

That defeat leaves the Yorkshire club just two points clear of the relegation zone, having played one game more than Everton in 18th.

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Despite the damaging result, Marsch has been urged to stick with the tactical tweak as Leeds prepare for an all-important double-header in their quest to survive in the top flight.

The latest: Whelan endorses back five

Speaking to Football Insider, former Whites attacker Whelan – who is now an employee of the club – has had his say on the formation, believing that it is worth persevering with.

He stated: “I think we need to respect what Arsenal and Chelsea have. I think the five at the back experiment worked for much of the Man City game. We were simply outdone by a team who have far more quality than we do. Against good teams, you get punished – just as City did.

“But looking at the whole game, there were positives to take. We’re going to have to be a solid defensive unit, but also pick our moments going forward as well. You can’t just absorb pressure for 90 minutes.

“We’ve got to ask questions of Chelsea and Arsenal. I liked the five-man system, both offensively and defensively. We got into the 5-4-1 shape really effectively when we lost the ball – and you’ve got to do that to prevent space opening up between the lines.”

The verdict: Needs must

Marsch certainly hasn’t shirked the battle facing Leeds since arriving at the club, and the American – who has historically implemented a 4-2-2-2 formation –  has already shown a willingness to adapt to circumstances during his fledgling tenure at Elland Road.

However, the Whites have kept just five clean sheets in 34 matches so far this season, the second-fewest in the top flight after 19th-placed Watford.

That inability to keep opponents at bay has ultimately left Leeds in their precarious situation, and having had more time to work on the new system at Thorp Arch this week in preparation for the meeting with Arsenal on Sunday, Marsch should indeed stick with his guns.

In light of the injuries suffered by Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas, Spanish ace Diego Llorente and 19-year-old defender Charlie Cresswell could be called into the team to make up the defensive unit.

In other news: Journalist makes claim involving Leeds United star…find out more here

Manchester City have been one of the most successful teams in the Premier League over the past decade or so in terms of the number of trophies they’ve won.

Since the 2010/11 season, the Etihad Stadium outfit have won six League cups, two FA Cups and five Premier League titles.

One figure in their current squad who has been a big part of that success over recent years is Fernandinho.

Since arriving at the Etihad back in the summer of 2013, the soon-to-be 37-year-old has gone on to make 378 appearances for the Citizens across all competitions. In that time, the Brazilian has scored 26 goals and provided 33 assists along the way.

With 28 appearances to his name this season, the midfielder has only started 14 times, as he looks to run down the final two months of his current contract.

Having claimed that this could be his last season with City, the club could have a big challenge on their hands to try and find a suitable replacement for the Brazil veteran.

However, there is one player with whom the Manchester club have been linked recently who could be a dream heir for Fernandinho – West Ham United’s Declan Rice.

Labelled a “freak” in terms of his physicality, the 23-year-old has also been described by former Irons team-mate Jack Wilshere as a player that “can do anything” on a technical level on the pitch.

From a defensive point of view, the England international has racked up a combined total of 585 tackles and interceptions in the Premier League since the 2017/18 season.

By comparison, Fernandinho has 313 tackles and interceptions to his name during the same period of time, highlighting just how tough the West Ham star is to play against.

With that in mind, and only two other midfielders in the Premier League having a higher pass completion percentage than Rice this season, he could well be the perfect long-term replacement for City’s long-serving stalwart.

Even though it could cost Pep Guardiola’s side a hefty fee of £100m for the 23-year-old’s services, shelling out this sort of money could be a wise investment for the club as they prepare for the future without Fernandinho.

In other news: Man City plot bid for “unbelievable” £60m ace who’s “one of the best”, Pep would love him

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl may still be wondering how his side were unable to see the game out for all three points after they found themselves 1-0 up against ten-man Braga on Thursday night.

The Light Blues are yet to win a match in the Europa League this season and they may not have a better opportunity than the one they had at Ibrox earlier this week.

Whilst Mohamed Diomande was sent off later in the match, the Gers allowed the Portuguese side to equalise whilst they had a man advantage, as Nasser Djiga’s wayward header caught James Tavernier out and allowed Gabriel Martinez to pounce.

The German head coach will be scratching his head and wondering what he could do to turn things around in Europe, as the Light Blues have lost four of their five matches, with two of those losses coming in his three games in the competition.

Attention, for now, will turn back to the Scottish Premiership as Rangers play host to Falkirk at Ibrox, after the reverse game at their stadium led to Russell Martin’s dismissal.

Rohl has won all four of his league games in charge of the club so far, but these league matches present an opportunity to try things out ahead of European games. For example, unleashing Oliver Antman in a new role.

Why Oliver Antman should be unleashed in a new role

You could hardly blame any supporters for getting a bit excited by the signing of the Finland international after he registered 17 assists in all competitions for Go Ahead Eagles in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.

On top of that, Antman delivered two assists on his debut for the Gers against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League, crossing for Djeidi Gassama and winning a penalty for Cyriel Dessers to score.

Since that impressive debut, though, the Finnish forward has produced no goals and one assist in 18 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has failed to deliver consistent quality in the final third.

Per Transfermarkt, all 11 of his starts have been on the right flank. With this in mind, it may be time for Rohl to unleash the 24-year-old attacker in a new role in his Rangers career.

RW

69

9 + 13

CM

22

1 + 0

LW

21

5 + 3

CF

18

5 + 0

AM

8

0 + 0

RM

8

1 + 5

As you can see in the table above, Antman has played in other positions throughout his career, on the left and through the middle, which means that the Light Blues can, realistically, use him in other areas of the pitch.

With this in mind, Rohl should unleash the Finland international in a flexible number ten position, which would allow him to drift out to the left or the right when the situation demands.

This would allow him to provide creativity on both flanks and centrally, which could help to support the two wingers whilst also providing the centre-forward, in theory, with more creativity.

In order to make this positional change for Antman against Falkirk, though, the German head coach will have to ditch one of his starters from the 1-1 draw with Braga on Thursday night.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

With this in mind, Rohl should ruthlessly ditch Youssef Chermiti from the starting line-up after his dismal showing against Braga, which would allow Danilo or Bojan Miovski to lead the line up front, with the Finnish whiz in behind them in the number ten role.

Why Rangers should drop Youssef Chermiti

Rangers parted company with sporting director Kevin Thelwell at the start of the week, after just one transfer window at Ibrox, and his lasting legacy may be the signing of the Portuguese striker.

The former Gers chief sanctioned an £8m deal to sign the forward from Everton, which made Chermiti the club’s most expensive signing in 25 years, since Tore Andre Flo’s £12m move to Glasgow.

That staggering outlay was made in spite of the fact that the 21-year-old striker failed to score in two seasons at Everton after Thelwell signed him for the Toffees from Sporting.

So far, Chermiti has delivered one goal and one assist in 14 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants this season, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has not lived up to his price tag yet.

The former Everton attacker’s performance against Braga was the latest in an unfortunately long line of underwhelming displays from the £8m summer signing.

Minutes

89

Sofascore

5.9

Shots

3

Shots on target

0

Pass accuracy

52%

Key passes

0

Duels won

6/15

As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese centre-forward failed to offer quality on the ball, as he was particularly poor with his passes, and also lost the majority of his physical duels.

After the match, reporter Jonny McFarlane posted that Chermiti is “mind-blowingly bad” and that the striker “offers nothing”, whilst describing him as a “galling signing”.

As harsh as that is, it is hard to disagree with the sentiment because of how poor the £8m attacker’s performances have been for the Light Blues, with one goal in 14 matches far from enough for the money spent on him.

Of course, Chermiti is not at fault for the transfer fee that Thelwell agreed to pay for him. He is a young player who is clearly trying his best and competing for the Gers, as evidenced by his 15 duels on Thursday night, but the quality is not there, on current evidence.

That is why Rohl must ruthlessly ditch him from the starting line-up for this clash with Falkirk at Ibrox, because he has not shown enough on the pitch to suggest that he should be playing week-in-week-out as the main number nine.

Dropping Chermiti will then provide the manager with an opportunity to unleash Antman in this new role, because Danilo can move into a number nine position or also be dropped for Miovski to start.

"Rotten" Thelwell signing is Rangers' biggest waste of time since Dowell

This summer signing by Kevin Thelwell has been as bad as the deal to bring Kieran Dowell to Rangers.

ByDan Emery Nov 26, 2025

INEOS have been left “furious” with a “totally destructive” internal problem at Manchester United, it has been revealed.

INEOS furious as internal issue emerges

It has been far from an ideal start to the Premier League season for Man United, most recently suffering a 3-0 defeat against rivals Manchester City, and there have been widespread reports suggesting the players are starting to lose faith in Ruben Amorim.

Some members of the squad are having doubts about the manager, with one of the main issues thought to be his unwillingness to adapt his style of play, despite the fact it is clearly not working, judging by his terrible win percentage.

Speaking after the Manchester derby defeat, the 40-year-old made it clear he still believes in his three-at-the-back system, saying: “I am not going to change. When I want to change my philosophy, I will change. If not, you have to change the man. We talk about that every game that we lose. I believe in my way, and I am going to play my way until I want to change.”

INEOS appear to be willing to stick with their manager for the time being, despite recent links to Jose Mourinho, and insider Graeme Bailey has now revealed the United hierarchy have been left very angry with the recent leaks about the players’ discontent.

Time running out: 5 ways that Ruben Amorim can save his job at Man Utd

INEOS are running out of patience.

ByTom Cunningham Sep 17, 2025 INEOS' support of Amorim has to be questioned

It is understandable that INEOS are angry about potential leaks, given that players revealing club secrets is not conducive to success, but the idea that Amorim is “building something” at Old Trafford has to be called into question.

As previously highlighted, the Portuguese manager has the worst win percentage of any permanent United boss since World War II, with his side winning just two of their last 13 Premier League matches.

The Red Devils have made their poorest start to a league campaign since the 1992-93 campaign, having taken just four points from their opening four games, and the fixtures don’t get any easier, with Chelsea up next this weekend.

As such, it is difficult to envisage Amorim lasting much longer in the job unless there is a major improvement, but it has been widely reported that INEOS will have to shell out £12m if they choose to pull the plug before November, which could affect their decision-making.

After a hectic summer transfer window, Nottingham Forest have now reportedly joined a hectic Premier League race to sign a Manchester City gem who Pep Guardiola loves.

Latest on Nuno and Nottingham Forest

As busy as their transfer window was, it’s Nuno Espirito Santo who stole most of the headlines at the City Ground after he revealed a rift between himself and owner Evangelos Marinakis. It sparked instant reports that the Portuguese manager could be facing the sack and rumours suggested that his frustration came as a result of Forest’s transfer activity.

Since then, however, Nuno has got his wish. Nottingham Forest signed a goalkeeper in John Victor and welcomed reinforcement at full-back by signing Oleksandr Zinchenko and Nicolo Savona. Add in the likes of Douglas Luiz, Arnaud Kalimuendo and James McAtee, and it’s hard to see what else those at the City Ground could have done to satisfy their manager.

On paper, Nuno’s transfer problem should be solved. But now he must get results. Forest have won just one of their opening three Premier League games, with that win against Brentford coming before the public spat between Nuno and Marinakis.

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Those in the Midlands will be hoping that the international break has helped things cool down and set Forest back on course for success. With a trip to Arsenal awaiting Nuno’s side next weekend, there would be no better way to get back on track than by defeating a side of the Gunners’ calibre.

Meanwhile, as the action continues on the pitch, Forest have kept one eye on the transfer window and already have one 2026 target in mind.

Nottingham Forest join Nico O'Reilly race

According to Caught Offside, Nottingham Forest have joined the race to sign Nico O’Reilly from Manchester City in 2026. Joined by Lyon, Leeds United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea, the Midlands club have plenty of competition for the midfielder’s signature, but could yet pull off an impressive coup.

It should come as no surprise that several clubs are interested in the 20-year-old, either. The big question is whether Forest or the rest of the chasing pack can lure Manchester City into a sale.

Guardiola is also a big fan of the midfielder and may not be keen to sanction his exit. The Spaniard told reporters last season: “He played really good. He’s a number 10, we cannot forget. But he has the pace, he is so intelligent and quality with the ball. In the final third he has vision. He played really good and had an impact.”

Of course, O’Reilly wouldn’t be the first Manchester City gem to join Nuno at the City Ground. McAtee decided to leave the Etihad in search of game time this summer, with Forest stepping up to offer him exactly that. Now, another rising star could follow suit.

Chelsea have been one of the busiest Premier League clubs in the transfer window over the last few summers. The Blues have become notorious for signing lots of players in the summer window, and 2025 will seemingly be no different. A deal for Liam Delap is all but confirmed.

Now, it seems they have moved on to new targets, including one at the other end of the pitch. Fabrizio Romano exclusively revealed on Tuesday morning that they have contacted AC Milan over a potential move for goalkeeper Mike Maignan. The France international is thought to be a player high up on their list of targets for a new shot-stopper.

However, Maignan is not the only Frenchman linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Chelsea's search for a new striker

As it has been over the past few years under Todd Boehly, it will be a busy summer for Chelsea. They have identified some key targets and are working on bringing them in, or, in Delap’s case, have done so already.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Next on the list is Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike. The 22-year-old has been repeatedly linked with a move to Chelsea this summer, most recently by journalist Florian Plettenberg.

The Sky Germany reporter claims the Blues ‘remain very active in the race’ for the Frenchman this summer, with talks having ‘taken place’ already.

However, the West London outfit are not the only club targeting a move, with Plettenberg explaining that ‘more teams are showing interest’ in Ekitike, although he does not name them. As for the price, the transfer insider confirms the £84m package still remains for the attacker.

Why Ekitike would be a good signing

It has been a strong season for Ekitike in 2024/25. He has left a great impression, reminding European football how good he is after a tough spell the previous campaign for Paris Saint-Germain.

Very much a revitalised star at Frankfurt, the 22-year-old has scored 22 goals and grabbed a further 12 assists in 48 appearances across all competitions for the club this season. That included 15 goals and eight assists in 33 Bundesliga games.

The Frenchman has shown he has the ability to score goals in important games. This term, he has bagged against Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in the top flight of Germany, and against eventual winners Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League.

This signing feels similar in many ways to that of Kai Havertz. Chelsea signed the German from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen back in 2020 for a fee of £71m. He went on to make 139 appearances for the club.

Although the 25-year-old burnt his bridges at Chelsea by joining major rivals Arsenal, he will surely go down in folklore in West London.

One of the 32 goals Havertz scored in that famous Blue shirt was the winner in the 2021 Champions League final, delivering the club their second title in the famous competition.

The are similarities between that deal and the one for Ekitike, with the fact that both have performed superbly in Germany’s top flight, a key likeness. In his final year as a Leverkusen player, Havertz bagged 12 goals and six assists in the league.

There are also similarities between Havertz and Ekitike’s numbers on FBref during their most recent Bundesliga season. For example, the German attacker averaged 0.66 goal involvements per 90 minutes during 2019/20, compared to 0.81 each game last term for Ekitike.

Goals and assists

0.81

0.66

Key passes

1.54

2.16

Shot-creating actions

3.55

4.47

Goal-creating actions

0.42

0.48

Ball recoveries

3.05

3.66

Ekitike was described as a “world-class” operator earlier in the season by football talent scout Jacek Kulig. Even though they are signing Delap, having depth up front will be important, and Ekitike will bring goals and assists to the side, too.

His all-round play is certainly similar to Havertz’s. If he can match the ultimate high of scoring in a Champions League final that the German had in a Chelsea shirt, then he will surely be a successful addition to the club.

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Tottenham Hotspur are now ready to trigger an “unbelievable” player’s release clause this summer, according to reports, with chairman Daniel Levy and co apparently eager to make him a Spurs player before 2025/2026.

Tottenham kickstart summer transfer plans regardless of Postecoglou

Right now, the uncertainty surrounding Ange Postecoglou and his long-term future at Spurs is taking centre stage.

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Postecoglou’s immediate focus is on ending Spurs’ 17-year wait for a major trophy and guiding them to a place in the Champions League draw for next season, but even if he seals a fairytale ending to an otherwise dismal campaign, the Australian is still expected to part company.

Son Heung-min

7.00

Pedro Porro

6.98

James Maddison

6.98

Dominic Solanke

6.85

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

David Ornstein and other reliable media sources report that Postecoglou will likely leave Tottenham, even if they win the Europa League, so Levy and the Lilywhites could soon have a managerial conundrum to resolve before next term.

That being said, there are suggestions that the club have still kickstarted summer transfer plans, regardless of who is eventually confirmed as their head coach.

French newspaper Le Parisien recently stated that Tottenham are in talks with Lille star Jonathan David, after the striker confirmed that he’ll be leaving when his contract expires this summer.

The north Londoners could sense a real opportunity here to strengthen their ranks at zero transfer cost, which is made all the more imperative by credible information that Tottenham could be set for a ‘sell to buy’ summer (The Telegraph).

Davie’s potential arrival would also allow Spurs to free up funds for other targets, like Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

The England international has enjoyed another terrific campaign at Selhurst Park, ending it by scoring the FA Cup final-winning goal for Palace at Wembley on Saturday, which clinched the club’s first ever piece of major silverware at the expense of Man City.

Tottenham ready to trigger Eberechi Eze's release clause

Eze added to his tally of 13 goals and 11 assists in all competitions against City, and it seems pretty inevitable that an elite club will make a serious effort to prise him away from south London.

His contract expires in 2027 too, and the attacking midfielder hasn’t committed his long-term future to Palace, indicating that he could be open to another opportunity away from Palace, five years after he joined from QPR.

Tottenham are believed to be contenders for Eze this summer, with one Spanish media source sharing a pretty significant update on the matter.

Indeed, the report from Spain states that Tottenham are ready to pay £68 million for Eze and trigger his release clause, and the £100,000-per-week forward could be living out his “final months” at Palace.

Postecoglou’s side will, of course, have competition for his signature, so it is by no means a certainty that they win the race for Eze, but there is little doubt he’d be a serious upgrade to the squad.

“Who’s a better player than Eze? For me he’s absolutely top, if he was luckier this season he would have five or six goals,” said Oliver Glasner about Eze at the very start of the season.

“He’s always dangerous because he has the quality and ability at 1-1, he’s such an unbelievable finisher. In some situations, he can improve, he’s a guy who can always score, and he’s someone who everyone likes.

“This is why he’s on the pitch, because he’s able to score goals.”

Liverpool have the luxury of playing out the remainder of the Premier League campaign as champions after they won their second title in the division, and their 20th top-flight title overall.

The Reds officially won the league at the end of last month when they hammered Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in a phenomenal 5-1 victory in front of their own supporters.

Arne Slot came in to replace Jurgen Klopp last summer and has already equalled the number of Premier League titles won by the German in his nine seasons on Merseyside.

However, the former Feyenoord coach may hope for more success in the cup competitions next season and beyond, after his team failed to win either of the domestic cups or the Champions League.

In order to do that, the Dutchman could look to improve the quality and depth of his squad in the upcoming transfer window to target more trophies next term.

This could mean that some players who have featured regularly could be either lesser-spotted in the 2025/26 campaign or sold in the summer, and one star who may fall into that category is Diogo Jota.

Why Diogo Jota's future at Liverpool is uncertain

The Portugal international, who joined the club from Wolverhampton Wanderers almost five years ago, has played 36 matches in all competitions so far this term, despite missing 18 games through injury for club and country.

Jota has started 15 games in the Premier League and the Champions League for Slot, which shows that he has been utilised fairly regularly by the Dutch head coach when you factor in his injury absences.

His future at Anfield remains uncertain, however, due to his performances on the pitch and his lack of availability through injury, as he has missed 72 matches through injury since the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

Jota, whose last goal came against Everton in April, has been absent for at least 18 games in each of the last three seasons, and this means that Liverpool cannot rely on him to be consistently available each year.

Appearances

25

Starts

15

xG

7.59

Goals

6

Big chances missed

13

Key passes per game

0.4

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, the former Wolves star’s performances on the pitch have also left a bit to be desired, as he has underperformed against his xG and rarely provided much in the way of creativity for his team.

This is further evidenced by his return of zero goals and zero assists in four appearances in the Champions League earlier this season for the Reds, and may explain why journalist Ben Jacobs recently revealed that there is a chance that Jota could be sold this summer.

Liverpool could seal the forward’s fate by swooping to sign a reported target who has the quality to be miles better than the Portuguese flop for Slot.

Liverpool eyeing up LaLiga sensation

According to Rousing The Kop, working with journalist Graeme Bailey, Liverpool have made contact with Real Madrid to be kept informed on Rodrygo’s situation in the Spanish capital.

The report claims that the Reds want to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch in the upcoming summer transfer window, and are open to signing players in central or wide areas to add to what they already have.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It reveals that the Premier League champions have been alerted to the potential availability of the Brazil international, who has had to accept a reduced role since the arrival of Kylian Mbappe last summer.

However, the report adds that there is no guarantee that Rodrygo will be available to sign from Real Madrid this summer, but the Reds have made contact to ensure that they will be in the know if that does become the case.

If Liverpool can strike a deal for the forward, who is reportedly valued at €100m (£85m) by the Spanish giants, then they could land an attacker who is miles better than Jota.

Why Liverpool should sign Rodrygo

The Premier League side should pursue a deal for the Brazilian star if he becomes available because he could come in as a big upgrade on Jota ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Rodrygo, as aforementioned, has not been as prominent at the top end of the pitch for Real Madrid because he has to compete with Jude Bellingham, Mbappe, and Vinicius Jr to get the ball in the final third.

Despite that, the 24-year-old star has still racked up 14 goals in all competitions for the Spanish giants this season, as shown in the highlights above.

Since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, Rodrygo has scored 49 goals and provided 27 assists in all competitions for Real. Meanwhile, Diogo Jota has scored 31 goals and assisted 15 for Liverpool in that time, which speaks to the difference in quality between the two forwards.

Appearances

28

42

xG

8.49

6.29

Goals

6

11

Big chances missed

16

3

Big chances created

3

7

Assists

3

7

As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian dynamo has also outperformed the Reds attacker at league and Champions League level in the current campaign, overperforming against his xG whilst Jota has underperformed.

The chart above also shows that Rodrygo, who can play on either flank or through the middle as a centre-forward, offers far more than the Portugal international when it comes to progressing play through passes, carries, and successful take-ons.

This means that the £85m-rated star, who was described as “world-class” by Luka Modric, could be miles better than Jota for Liverpool because he has the ability to score and assist more frequently and more efficiently, whilst also offering significantly more in the build-up with his passes and carries.

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ByHenry Jackson May 9, 2025

Therefore, Slot must hope that the board can wrap up a deal for the LaLiga star if he becomes available this summer, because the versatile forward could be a terrific addition to the squad as an upgrade on Jota.