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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.

The last thing Leeds United need is a disruptive force in the dressing room.

Reportedly, Pontus Jansson’s attitude off the pitch is what saw him depart the club this summer, so it’s clear that Marcelo Bielsa has no patience for any troublemakers in his squad.

With reports circulating this week that Jay-Roy Grot has been involved in a training ground bust-up while out on loan in the Netherlands, there may be a worry that his future at the Whites could be affected by this incident, but that shouldn’t be the case.

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The fact of the matter is that Grot’s altercation with Riechedly Bazoer at Vitesse’s training session has been misreported in certain places.

The original source states that it was Bazoer who kicked off the altercation by threatening the Leeds loanee after they had a coming together in training.

The midfielder then stormed off while aiming a foul-mouthed tirade at his manager.

Ever wondered how modern day skills would cope with the world’s oldest football? Find out in the video below…

This shows that Grot wasn’t the man at fault, and as such, his role in the incident should be downplayed. Is reports are to be believed, he wasn’t the man who started it so if his mentality is to be questioned, it shouldn’t be.

Bazoer’s temper and attitude problems have been documented for quite some time now, and Grot doesn’t seem to be the one at fault here.

Hopefully, his parent club are understanding enough to realise that he’s not the one who has been causing trouble here and this doesn’t affect any future he may have at Elland Road.

After all, his performances on the pitch should dictate what happens. He initially got off to a promising start in the Netherlands too.

Grot netted and assisted a goal in his first five starts, only dipping below an average match rating, via WhoScored, of 7 on one occasion.

Rather than focusing on off-field matters that weren’t his fault, Leeds should analyse his ability with the ball at his feet.

Arsenal fans on Twitter have been absolutely fuming with Unai Emery after a ridiculous stat about Mesut Ozil was revealed.

Bleacher Report tweeted that the German has, in fact, played fewer Premier League minutes than Henrikh Mkhitaryan this season, despite the fact that the Armenian left Arsenal on loan back in August.

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It just goes to show how out of favour the playmaker is at the moment, and understandably, fans were far from happy with their manager.

Of course, there were once again calls for Emery to be sacked from his job.

It really is strange to see Ozil frozen out like this, especially when you consider he’s reportedly earning £350,000 a week.

Whether or not the manager starts to include the German more often from here on out remains to be seen, but he’s certainly not winning many fans over with his treatment of the attacking midfielder.

Here’s what Gunners supporters have been saying about the matter on Twitter…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…Â

Divock Origi is quickly writing his name into Anfield folklore, with yet another vital contribution in the Carabao Cup win over Arsenal on Wednesday.

His chances have been sparse since joining the Reds for £10m, with only 48 starts, but he has often made the most of his opportunities of late, and his last-minute equaliser capped off another memorable night at Anfield, to add to his Barcelona double earlier this year.

The Belgian has become a reliable player for Klopp and big goals like those mentioned above, as well as the last-gasp winner against Everton last term, the late header at St James’ Park and his Champions League final strike have moulded him into a fan favourite.

Supporters have recognised his contribution and respect what he has done for the club, with one suggesting he is reaching cult hero status.

It is not just goals that he brings to the side, however, and he led the youngsters by example against the Gunners, performing well in several key areas of the pitch, as his stats from WhoScored show.

It was a frantic evening of football but Origi twice showed brilliant composure to bring his side back into the game, and he proved why he is seemingly Klopp’s first-choice back-up to the front three.

The striker first equalised with a great turn and strike before reacting well to Neco William’s last-minute cross, cleverly adjusting his body to volley the ball home.

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Not many would be able to pull off such a feat but Origi seems to have a knack for it, and in doing so he has increased his popularity amongst the fanbase.

His manager won’t care too much about that, though, and instead Klopp will be impressed at the way he helped put the Reds on the front-foot, keeping the ball excellently throughout as well as creating chances for his teammates.

But ultimately it is Origi’s phenomenal tendency to pop up with vital goals at potentially season-defining moments – such as his last gasp volley on Wednesday – that he has become renowned for.

Sitting in the shadow of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino is an immortalised cult hero for the Anfield faithful to cherish.

Isco is a name that is slowly but surely getting forgotten in the Real Madrid community.

Even though he was once an important player, he rarely gets any game time nowadays.

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As a result, he has only played six games across all competitions this season, tallying just 207 minutes under his belt in the process. By all accounts, a rather low figure for a player who still has a lot to offer.

But recently, he achieved his 200th victory while donning the royal white of Real Madrid, and many Madridistas rushed to social media and Twitter to react to this big milestone.

Not all of them, however, were thrilled for him – some seem to believe the 27-year-old ace still has a role to play in this squad and should be picked more often while others slammed him and want to see him gone as soon as possible.

You can see their mixed reactions down in the collection of tweets below.

Check them out…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Moise Kean signed for Everton this summer for a fee of £27.5m and has since endured an unpleasant time on Merseyside. The Italian was joining English football off the back of scoring six league goals in 13 games for Juventus, and it’s fair to say his reputation preceded him.

Whilst still in his teenage years, the striker was establishing himself as one of Europe’s best young talents back in his homeland. However, since he swapped Turin for Goodison Park, his career has taken a downward turn.

It has recently been reported that the 19-year-old was dropped for the match against Southampton for disciplinary reasons, rather than poor form. BBC Sport state how the forward was late to a team meeting, and as it was the second time, he forced Marco Silva to drop him from the squad.

Since he has joined Everton, Kean has not looked like scoring at all. The former Juventus man has averaged just one shot per Premier League game and has had to settle for seven substitute appearances and only two starting roles in the league.

Also, he has not been seen on a Premier League pitch since the win over West Ham United last month. Perhaps this is due to his attitude and late arrivals, or his poor start to his Everton career. However, with Cenk Tosun working his way back into the side and with Dominic Calvert-Lewin up top, Kean is far away from the starting XI regardless.

In truth, with three league goals from Richarlison, there is a chance that the Italian is as low as fourth in the pecking order for a spot in the starting striker berth.

Not only does Silva need to resolve his form on the field of play, he also needs to find a way to bolster his professionalism. These types of problems are not only detrimental to the individual in question but they also have the potential to upset the dressing room, so it’s absolutely imperative that the Portuguese manager handles the situation appropriately.

Kean needs to fix up his attitude and his performances both on and off the pitch – with or without Silva’s guidance – otherwise his Premier League story could be over before it’s even started.

Liverpool fans reacted to the news that manager Jurgen Klopp’s wife prevented him from taking the role of Manchester United boss.

The 52-year-old joined up with the Reds in 2015 after a successful tenure at the Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund and has worked miracles since arriving on Merseyside.

Klopp has currently managed 228 matches for Liverpool and has accumulated an average points per match tally of 2.02, the highest of his managerial career.

Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool captain Phil Thompson, who lifted the European Cup for the Reds in 1981, confirmed during an interview with Klopp that the Manchester club was not right for him.

Supporters showed their appreciation to Ulla Sandrock, Klopp’s wife, and made their feelings clear on social media after Thompson’s comments.

One fan said that her taste has to be loved, while another said that she will “surely make heaven”.

Here you will find some of the best comments from Liverpool fans:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

West Bromwich Albion boss Slaven Bilic has been handed a major boost ahead of this weekend’s Championship return, but he’s unlikely to call upon it.

What’s he said?

The Baggies host Sheffield Wednesday at the Hawthorns on Saturday afternoon looking to extend their run at the top of the table, although they do so without the presence of everlasting duo Romaine Sawyers and skipper Jake Livermore.

It means there are two clear places up for grabs, and returning midfielder Gareth Barry has thrown his name into the hat despite only making his comeback from a career-threatening injury in midweek.

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The 38-year-old has signed a contract until the end of the current campaign after he started 15 of his 24 league games last term.

And he now feels ready to be called on.

Speaking after the reserve game on Tuesday, Barry said:

“I feel good.

“We had a training game on Saturday and another game on Tuesday. I’ve come through both of those unscathed. The knee is feeling good and I’m looking forward to getting back whenever I am needed.

“There’s nothing like being out there in front of the fans and the adrenaline rushing through.

“I’ll never put myself out of a game. If the manager asked me what I was thinking in terms of Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, I’ve always put myself up for selection so it’s then down to the manager and the coaching staff to make a decision on the squad.”

Unlikely starter

This comes as a significant boost at precisely the right time for Bilic and West Brom.

They’ll be without Livermore and Sawyers, who have started every single game this season. The latter has even played every minute available.

And with Albion sitting at the Championship summit, their contributions are clearly vast.

However, it may not be wise to rely on a 38-year-old whose last competitive game was back at the start of March, when the Baggies rolled over 4-0 at Leeds United.

Barry may believe he’s ready, but he’s still a long, long, long way off being match fit – 62 minutes against Port Vale’s reserve team just isn’t enough to warrant selection just yet.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Jose Mourinho arrives again.

They say that the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist; Mourinho has convinced the world, or, perhaps, just Tottenham, that his flaws are absent, that his priorities are straight and that he can be the man to lead the club into a glorious new era.

We have been here before. Mourinho was meant to take Manchester United back to the promised land. He was supposed to win trophies at will, bring the best out of high-end players like Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku and return the club to their rightful place on top of the Premier League standings.

Instead, he was accused of boring football, never laid a finger on Manchester City, despite one second-place finish that he still ranks as one of his greatest achievements, and alienated the club’s best player, in Pogba. He did win the Europa League but, at the end of the day, was it really worth it?

One has to wonder.

Spurs have taken the bold step of bringing him in fresh from sacking Mauricio Pochettino. Fewer than 12 hours had passed before Mourinho was confirmed as his replacement.

It will be strange, initially, to see the Portuguese back in a dugout, not least one that has been occupied by its previous incumbent for over five years. That is almost a dynastic reign in current footballing terms.

And one has to wonder exactly what Daniel Levy, the chairman who took the decision to fire and hire, is expecting. Is it Champions League football? Is it the promotion of youth? Is it simply a trophy, any trophy, to put in an increasingly dusty cabinet?

If it’s the latter, Mourinho is probably the man. He has won medals wherever he has gone, even in the toxic environment that was festering at United.

But the other two? Spurs are 11 points off the top four already and are facing a major battle to get back into the race, let alone those positions, while Mourinho regularly favours bringing in experienced, ready-made players like Nemanja Matic, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexis Sanchez. That’s not the Tottenham way, or at the very least, not the Pochettino way.

This appointment, then, undercuts much of what Pochettino has built.

He fostered unity at Spurs, building a team that was capable of challenging for the title on two occasions all the while promoting the likes of Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Harry Winks. His team, at their best, were exhilarating to watch and even harder to play against.

Mourinho has never done that, not really. He’s won things, as previously alluded to, but he has simply stuck the bits together after buying them at expensive rates – he became the first ever manager to spend over £1b on transfers in 2017. Where Pochettino built his teams in his simple garden shed, Mourinho bought his in Ikea.

It remains to be seen if this will work, of course. The experiment is fascinating, and one that seemed far-fetched not all that long ago.

But here we are, with Mourinho at the wheel. He is the antithesis of Pochettino, and this will go one of two very different ways.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

It’s been over a month since Marcelo Bielsa claimed that he’s been working hard on scoring from corners in training, and since that point Leeds United haven’t found the back of the net from one of those scenarios.

It’s not as if they’ve not had the chances either, Leeds have had more corner kicks than any other team in the Championship, yet they’ve continuously struggled to score from them.

Phil Hay has now bemoaned the Whites’ incessant wastefulness from those types of situations.

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What’s been said then?

The former Yorkshire Evening Post journalist was hosting a Q&A session on The Athletic after the Whites’ 1-0 win over Reading on Tuesday, and one disgruntled fan asked him his thoughts on the club’s wastefulness from set-pieces.

“Corners especially. Almost a waste of time. Leeds have had roughly 140 in league games this season and have scored from one. It’s an oddity with Bielsa – that his team send so many deliveries into the box when so few pay off.”

Needs to change

Hay is absolutely spot on with his summary of this, and Marcelo Bielsa really has to change something about it.

You really have to wonder what Leeds have been working on in the corner training that Bielsa spoke about earlier this season because it simply isn’t working.

It’s not as if Leeds have a poor set-piece taker either. Kalvin Phillips was topping the charts in terms of successful corners delivered last week, but Leeds still aren’t scoring from these scenarios.

Hay says that it’s an oddity that Bielsa’s side continue to deliver balls into the box, and perhaps it’s time for Leeds to switch to a short corner tactic in the near future.

It might have something to do with a lack of an aerial threat in the team. Only Liam Cooper has won more than four aerial duels per game in the whole side.

In other news, A Leeds journalist has painted a rather concerning picture around one man’s contract situation..

Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk deserved to win the 2019 Ballon d’Or over Lionel Messi, according to legendary Italian Franco Baresi.Van Dijk’s form for Liverpool and the Netherlands over the last 12 months had seen him emerge as a genuine contender for the individual accolade.The Dutchman lost out to Messi, though, with the Barcelona forward winning the trophy for a record sixth time.

Baresi knows a thing or two about operating at the highest level having won six Serie A titles and three Champions League crowns during his playing days at AC Milan.

And the 59-year-old took to social media on Monday evening to insist that Van Dijk should have won the coveted trophy over Messi, who helped Barca win La Liga last season in addition to reaching the semi-finals of the Copa America with Argentina.

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Baresi’s message was fairly simple as he pointed out his views on the announcement, and the likes of Jamie Carragher retweeted the post, which can be seen below:

Meanwhile, Liverpool are seemingly facing a problem when it comes to one of their midfielders.