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While Leeds United may have gotten back to winning ways against Southampton last time out, Marcelo Bielsa must consider unleashing Helder Costa when Aston Villa make the trip to Elland Road on late Saturday afternoon.

The Whites ran out 3-0 winners over the Saints in the Premier League, but the scores were locked level at 0-0 before a second-half salvo knocked the wind out of the home side’s sails.

And one man who was instrumental in changing the complexion of that game, was Costa.

The £10.8m-rated star has been on the periphery of things in the Premier League this season, after initially starting the first eight games of the campaign. Since then, both Jack Harrison and Raphinha have nailed down the starting wide positions, with the 27-year-old Costa left looking in from the outside.

But after coming on at the break for Harrison against Arsenal, the exciting winger has shown flashes of being back to his best. He delivered an emphatic finish at the Emirates to pull one back against the Gunners as Leeds tried to mount a second-half fight-back, while he was equally impressive against the Saints, this time picking up an assist after again coming on for the same player.

Against Southampton, he attempted more dribbles, provided more key passes and won more duels than Harrison, while his quick feet and trickery also saw him earn four free-kicks for his side – the joint-most of any player on the day.

Speaking earlier this season, his former manager at Wolves, Nuno Espirito Santo, waxed lyrical about his fellow Portuguese man, saying: “When we arrived in the Championship, Helder was injured. They were major injuries and it took a lot of time for him to recover. So that season was not the best for him, but in the first season we were in the Premier League, Helder was immense and had a huge impact on the team.

“He’s a very talented player, but things happen naturally, players move from here to another place. It happens in football. Honestly, I’m delighted he’s showing his quality and enjoying his football.”

With his long-term future up in the air, Costa doesn’t appear too much time to really stamp his mark on Leeds and prove to Bielsa that he deserves to remain at Elland Road.

But given his recent performances from off the bench, he’s absolutely deserving of a rare start when Aston Villa come to town on Saturday afternoon. He could well be the Leeds boss’ game-changer if given the opportunity.

أكد محمد سمارة رئيس بعثة الأردن أن مواجهة مصر ستكون صعبة، مشيرًا إلى أن منتخب الفراعنة لديه لاعبين كبار مثل عمرو السولية وأفشة ثنائي الأهلي.

منتخب مصر يلتقي مع نظيره الأردن في المباراة التي ستجمع الفريقين في دور ربع نهائي كأس العرب غدًا السبت.

وقال سمارة في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر فضائية “أون تايم سبورتس”: “مباراة ستكون صعبة، سنواجه منتخبًا له تاريخ وبه العديد من الأسماء الكبيرة، ونحن أيضا منتخب جيد، وسنسعى لرسم لوحة فنية جميلة في مباراة الغد”.

وتابع: “منتخب الأردن خليط من عناصر الخبرة والشباب، واجهنا صعوبات منها إصابة بهاء فيصل بفيروس كورونا، وبعد ذلك 4 لاعبين أصيبوا أيضًا، ولذلك سنخوض مواجهة مصر بـ15 لاعبًا فقط، واللاعبون سيقدمون أفضل ما لديهم وإن شاء الله نحقق نتيجة إيجابية”.

وأوضح: “منتخب مصر أفضل تاريخيًا، فهو بطل إفريقيا ولديه لاعبين محترفين، وفي مصر أندية كبيرة مثل الزمالك والإسماعيلي والأهلي، ولكن كل هذا يقف عند صافرة الحكم في بداية المباراة، ونحن مؤمنون بحظوظنا أمام مصر”.

وأكمل: “نحن نتابع كل لاعبي منتخب مصر، ونعرف أفشة والسولية، وبالتأكيد المدير الفني درس الفريق المصري بشكل جيد، والفريقان مكشوفان لبعضهما”.

طالع أيضًا.. عمرو السولية: منتخب مصر يتطور من مباراة لأخرى.. وفرصنا متساوية مع الأردن

جدير بالذكر أن الفائز من مباراة مصر والأردن سيلاقي منتخب تونس الذي تأهل لدور نصف نهائي البطولة بعد الفوز على عمان بهدفين مقابل هدف.

When it comes to Sunderland, it’s clear what the issue is – they don’t score enough goals.

Danny Graham and Will Grigg are yet to find the back of the net at all this term and last season’s top scorer – Chris Maguire – only scored ten in League One.

Things have improved slightly with the rejuvenation of Charlie Wyke. The tall striker has been superb this campaign and already has two goals under Lee Johnson, taking his tally for the season to ten.

Yet, Johnson isn’t completely satisfied yet. That’s because he admits that Sunderland lack pace and directness in attack, something he wants to address in January with the addition of someone who can stretch the play.

Of course, the introduction of Jack Diamond has helped proceedings. The talented youngster has amassed 1.6 dribbles per game – the highest of any player at the Stadium of Light.

That being said, they clearly need at least one addition in the final third. Could that be Barnsley’s Luke Thomas? It was reported a few days ago that Sunderland and Oxford United were considering a move for the Tykes attacker.

The forward, who earns £6k-per-week, hasn’t found a goal in 2020/21 but it’s important to consider that he contributed to nine strikes for Coventry at this level in 2018/19. Possessed with “lots of pace” according to his manager at the time Mark Robins, he’s a player that could add plenty to Johnson’s side.

The key word there is could. All you need to do is look at the spell Antoine Semenyo had from last January onwards. Signed on loan from a Championship club in the winter market, the winger arrived with pace to burn and dangerous energy.

That’s alarmingly similar to Thomas, so Sunderland will need to hope his spell doesn’t end up going the same way.

After Semenyo signed temporary terms with the Black Cats, he started just once and failed to score. Phil Parkinson had high hopes for the 20-year-old but he wasn’t given a fair enough chance to show what he was capable of.

If Kristjaan Speakman secures a deal for Thomas he will need assurances that Johnson will play him. Any such move will be rendered pointless otherwise. Last January tells you all you need to know.

AND in other news, Storey can secure IMMEDIATE success in Jan with genius Sunderland strategy…

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O São Paulo será investigado pelo Ministério Público do estado a respeito da relação do clube com as suas torcidas organizadas, segundo a Folha de S.Paulo. O órgão decidiu entrar em ação após o presidente Carlos Augusto de Barros e Silva admitir, em entrevista ao jornal, que dá ingressos e financia o Carnaval das uniformizadas.

– Como o São Paulo confessa colaborar com a manutenção e o financiamento dessas violentas torcidas organizadas, que tanto têm afastado as famílias dos estádios, deve responder solidariamente pelos danos patrimoniais e morais que elas venham a causar à sociedade – declarou à Folha o promotor do consumidor Gilberto Nonaka.

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Segundo o promotor, o clube deverá dar esclarecimentos sobre o fato e poderá sofrer uma ação civil pública por manter essa relação com os torcedores organizados. No documento do inquérito, o MP cita a briga ocorrida em Mogi das Cruzes no último dia 17, no jogo entre São Paulo e União Rondonópolis, pela Copa São Paulo, afirmando que “as torcidas organizadas do clube investigado deram o seu show, cercando e agredindo policiais militares com ferro e outros objetos, causando danos que serão mais bem avaliados”.

Outro inquérito contra o clube pode ser aberto pela Polícia Civil a pedido do promotor Paulo Castilho., que fez a solicitação á Secretaria de Segurança Pública de São Paulo.

Sunderland winger Lynden Gooch offered a futile offensive display against Portsmouth on Saturday, as the United States international struggled to make a worthwhile impact on route to a 3-1 loss.

Black Cats boss Phil Parkinson opted to retain Gooch as his right-sided option at home to Kenny Jackett’s south coast side following two superb displays in the past week, with assists to his name against Swindon Town and Crewe Alexandra.

But the academy graduate appeared vastly off the pace this weekend and spurned a couple of good openings on the ball, as Sunderland suffered their first defeat of the League One campaign to fall behind Portsmouth on goal difference.

Sunderland had proven one of the fiercest defences to breach in the opening weeks of the season, with the Stadium of Light natives allowing just one goal to be scored against them over their first six fixtures on route to four wins and two draws.

Portsmouth, however, offered a convincing display to register a greater number of efforts on Lee Burge’s net than their hosts this weekend, with Sunderland fashioning just a sole shot on target to the Fratton Park outfit’s seven, per SofaScore.

Gooch was not the man responsible for Sunderland’s sole effort on target having directed one of his two efforts off target and seeing the other blocked, while offering little creativity with zero key balls and misdirecting two of his four attempted crosses.

Parkinson was more than right to start the winger at home to Portsmouth given his recent form, which has seen Gooch move to 130 career first-team games with the club.

Gooch had credited his recent success in the Sunderland side to manager Parkinson, who kept faith in the four-time USA international and allowed the Black Cats academy graduate to deliver consistent form.

“The manager has been brilliant with me since he came through the door,” Gooch said, via quotes by the Chronicle. “I picked up the injury after just two games of him being at the club, but even then, he was always telling me how he saw me playing when I was back fit.”

Parkinson has similarly lauded Gooch, noting after the forward struck the winning effort against Oxford United from the bench in September how the 24-year-old had set the example for the season.

“I don’t think there’ll be many better goals than that,” Parkinson said, via quotes by the Sunderland Echo. “It was very hard for me not to put him in the team, I just wanted to get the balance of the side right.

“He was disappointed, but he took it the right way and there’s going to be other players who get left out the team in this long season we’ve got ahead of us. You’ve got to accept the decision and let your football do the talking. Lynden did that, and it wasn’t just the goal.”

Parkinson will have been far from impressed with Gooch’s performance against Portsmouth, as the 24-year-old misplaced 15 of his 36 attempted passes as well as offering zero end product, while failing to find a teammate with four of five long balls, per SofaScore.

Gooch additionally failed to complete half of his six attempted dribbles, lost possession 23 times, won just three of seven ground duels, made no tackles or blocked any shots, while being dribbled past once but making one interception and one clearance.

Parkinson may now have to reconsider Gooch’s place in the starting line-up and return the winger to the bench for when Sunderland visit Rochdale on Tuesday night.

AND in other news, a Sunderland icon has likened one of Phil Parkinson’s signings to a UEFA Men’s Player of the Year.

£18 million. That’s how much Leeds United will be paying to make Michael Cuisance their newest summer signing if a deal comes to fruition.

It seems to be just a matter of time before the Bayern Munich man is announced as a Leeds player, and while it’s incredibly exciting to see such a highly-rated young midfielder sign for the Yorkshire outfit, it does leave a number of questions around Adam Forshaw’s future.

The 28-year-old hasn’t played much football over the past 12 months, with an injury keeping him out of action since United’s game against Charlton last October.

Forshaw is undoubtedly a Bielsa favourite, with the Argentine saying that he defends in a similar manner to Kalvin Phillips and attacks in a similar way to Mateusz Klich, and when you consider that those two have started every Premier League game so far, that is high praise.

However, with Forshaw still out with injury and Cuisance coming in, it’s hard to see how he gets back into the first-team picture.

Klich and Phillips are nigh on undroppable, with Klich starting all-but-one of Leeds’ league games since Bielsa took charge, while Phillips is arguably United’s best player, earning an England call-up before he even made his Premier League debut.

Of course, there is a third midfield role that is usually taken up by a more attacking player with Rodrigo, Pablo Hernandez and Tyler Roberts all playing that role in recent weeks, but there is sufficient strength in depth in that role to the point where Forshaw isn’t really an option.

A lot has changed at Elland Road since Forshaw went down injured, including new recruits coming in and taking his spot. Now, the 28-year-old is in something of a no man’s land at Leeds where he is a depth option in a position that doesn’t really get rotated all that much.

In other news, one Leeds loanee showed exactly what he can do last weekend.

Liverpool have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Ousmane Dembele as Barcelona are reportedly willing to slash their asking price.

A report from Sport (via Rousing the Kop) has revealed the once £96.8million-valued winger could leave in January for a much lower fee. It seems the Catalonians are eager to offload Dembele, but have begrudgingly realised they will struggle to recoup the mammoth amount they paid for him in 2017.

Liverpool should move for Dembele

Despite reportedly only wanting the 23-year-old on loan, Liverpool should seriously consider tabling an offer for a permanent move. Sport claim Barca would be looking for bids in the region of £45million for Dembele, who has been limited to just 20 minutes of game time this season (via Transfermarkt).

Spending big money on a rotational player is clearly not out of the question for Liverpool, who recently signed Diogo Jota for £41million. Bringing in a player of Dembele’s calibre would be serious business for the Anfield outfit, who are looking to continue their run of success and add competition for star men Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.

The Frenchman’s 2018/19 season was his best in terms of personal numbers, notching 14 goals and eight assists across all competitions for Barcelona. He pace and eye for creativity will give Liverpool a huge boost in their attack.

Dembele may be struggling for minutes at the moment, but his talent is widely regarded by many. Teammate Lionel Messi once tipped the winger to become “one of the best” and labelled him a “phenomenon” on the pitch (as per Marca, via FourFourTwo). With such strong words being said about him, it will be hard for Jurgen Klopp not to have the France international on his radar.

Dembele’s current contract runs out in 2022, meaning an even further discount could be applied come next summer. Once he enters the final 12 months of his deal, Barca may become anxious and do all that they can to tempt a club like Liverpool to strike a deal.

In other news, Liverpool and Jack Butland could help each other out of a rut…

Glasgow Rangers have just three days left to complete their transfer business before the window slams shut on October 5th.

The Gers have already been busy over the past few months, bringing in no less than seven players on a permanent basis. Steven Gerrard, though, has previously stated that he wants to bring in another midfielder and, following the Ibrox outfit’s qualification for the Europa League group stages, Gerrard teased that there would be new faces coming.

Over the past few days, Everton midfielder Muhamed Besic has been mentioned as a potential target, with Vital Football writing that he could be an interesting signing for the 54-time Scottish champions and Fourth Official going one step further to claim a medical is booked. He made just 13 appearances in all competitions last season, but he is valued at just £2.16m by Transfermarkt and has plenty of football left in him at just 28 years old.

The Gers supporters, it seems, would be delighted to take him north of the border if the possibility actually does arise. One fan suggested he would be better than Bongani Zungu, who has been heavily linked with a move to Ibrox. They took to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

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Mais uma vez o técnico Tite minimizou o sonho de comandar a Seleção Brasileira e exaltou o momento em que vive no Corinthians. Em entrevista coletiva nesta quarta-feira, ele reiterou que tem contrato com o Timão até o fim de 2017 e que não está em seus planos interromper o trabalho.

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Em entrevistas recentes, quando questionado sobre a possibilidade de dirigir o time canarinho, Tite já havia declarado que é preciso dar tempo a Dunga.

– Hoje não largo para nada. Para nada! Tenho três anos de contrato com o Corinthians e um trabalho extraordinário – limitou-se a dizer.

Apontado por muitos como o melhor técnico do Brasil, Tite está próximo de conquistar seu sexto título pelo clube de Parque São Jorge. Ele já conquistou o Brasileirão em 2011, a Libertadores e o Mundial em 2012, e o Paulistão e a Recopa Sul-Americana, em 2013. De volta ao Timão desde o início deste ano, ele precisa que sua equipe vença uma das quatro partidas que restam no Nacional para garantir o troféu.

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– Estou muito feliz no Corinthians, num momento extraordinário e num trabalho extraordinário. Não tem nada maior do que isso – declarou.

Se preparando para o jogo contra a Argentina, quinta-feira, em Buenos Aires, pelas Eliminatórias da Copa de 2018, a Seleção treinou na segunda e na terça-feira no CT Joaquim Grava, do Corinthians. Como estava com a família, no Rio Grande do Sul, Tite disse que não viu os trabalhos. Ele ainda brincou:

-Estava em Caxias e Porto Alegre, vendo minha filha e minha mãe, espero que tenham tido um bom proveito. Na minha casa eu seleciono as pessoas que vão entrar nela, aqui é com a diretoria!

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According to recent reports, Leeds are interested in signing QPR starlet Eberechi Eze this summer.

What’s the word?

Eze has been in superb form for the Championship side this season, racking up 14 goals and eight assists in the league. That has prompted speculation he could be heading for the exit door, with reports now suggesting Leeds are keen on having him lead their Premier League return next season.

The Sun have claimed Marcelo Bielsa has identified the 22-year-old as someone who can bring a creative spark to Elland Road, and that the Whites are ready to outbid the likes of Tottenham and West Ham in the race to sign him.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…



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In fact, it’s further suggested that Leeds actually informed QPR of their intentions of placing a bid for the England youth international back in January if they achieved promotion this season.

Sterling 2.0

It’s fair to say that Eze has earned a lot of plaudits in his short career as a first-team football for QPR.

Mark Warburton hailed him as a “tremendous talent” who has “no limits” in just how far he can go, whilst the Hoops’ former assistant manager Mark Bircham said: “He goes past players easier than Raheem Sterling did. Sterling would beat players with pace or do a trick or a chop – it’s all dynamic movements, but Ebere Eze just glides past players.”

With Sterling also having come through the QPR academy, that may be a simple comparison to make. But if you dig beneath that, you can see just how comparable the two are.

As per Whoscored, he has averaged a stunning three dribbles per game in the Championship, whilst also attempting 2.2 shots per match too. And with his tally of 14 goals this season, he clearly has the goal-scoring knack that Sterling has developed, with the latter netting 19 in the Premier League for Manchester City.

Speaking about his dribbling ability, Danny Higginbotham remarked: “You would not want him one on one. He has that knack of gliding past players with ease. He has so many assists because he attracts so much attention which creates space for his teammates.”

If Leeds manage to sign him this summer, then they could very well have their own Sterling in their hands.