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Having Marcelo Bielsa as your team’s manager is about so much more than getting results on the pitch.

The Argentine has previously been labelled as the best coach in the world for a reason, and that’s because he’s so good at improving players.

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Bielsa has worked with players like Ander Herrera and Aymeric Laporte before they were stars while Gabriel Batistuta even claimed he was taught how to truly respect his teammates.

At Leeds, numerous players have improved drastically under the Argentine with the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper making the Championship Team of the Year for the first time in their careers under the tutelage of the Argentine.

Leeds have certainly benefitted from the 64-year-old improving their players, but their current transfer policy has meant that they can’t feel the full effect of Bielsa’s brilliance.

It’s no secret that United have had to rely on loans since the former Chile boss’ appointment, and that’s a dangerous game to play when you’ve got a manager who is so good at improving players.

Ben White is the perfect example of this.

Before he signed for Leeds in the summer, hardly anyone knew who he was. The centre-back had never played above League One level, and many supporters outright said that they don’t want him at the club.

Fast-forward a few months and he’s being linked with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs while also being named as the best young player in the division in Sky Sports’ recent poll.

Unfortunately, if White is to move to one of these massive clubs, Leeds will not reap any benefits as Brighton would receive the windfall.

Leeds must get out of this habit sooner rather than later or else they’ll continue to miss out on the financial boost that Bielsa’s coaching can bring.

They must invest in young players of their own, rather than loaning them.

In other news, one Leeds man’s recent performance proved they still need to strengthen one key area.

Leeds struggled once again this weekend against QPR, following their disappointing 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday last week.

The Whites were unable to get anything at Loftus Road against the London outfit, with Nahki Wells’ controversial goal being the only strike of the match. Whilst there is certainly a case to be made that it shouldn’t have stood due to a handball offence, they didn’t do enough afterwards to get back on to level terms – the second-half saw them manage just two shots on target.

Call yourself a Leeds expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

Liam Cooper’s performance came under particular stick. Although Wells’ goal was a clear handball, many thought that the centre-back was partly to blame for it.

The 28-year-old certainly needs to shoulder his fair share of the blame, being such an experienced campaigner with 181 games for the club as per Transfermarkt.

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Others were damning of his overall display.

Not a lot of love for the captain today then.

And his possession of the armband was something that was also preyed upon by many supporters.

That is perhaps the most damning indictment of his display. It may have been a bad day at the office for the skipper, but he will need to dust himself off and get ready for the next match against Millwall.

As do the rest of Marcelo Bielsa’s players.

Meanwhile, there is another update on the prospective Leeds takeover.

According to a report from the Chronicle [13:23], journalist Lee Ryder has confirmed that club scout Steve Nickson has ‘monitored’ Atlanta United striker Josef Martinez – prompting many Magpies supporters to swoon over the prospect of landing Miguel Almiron’s former strike partner. 

Martinez, who bagged 33 goals in all competitions last season for the MLS side (Transfermarkt), could be seen as a prolific alternative to current target man Joelinton despite him plying his trade in a less competitive league. The Venezuelan striker has been in fine form over the course of his career in the United States, briefly partnering current Newcastle attacker Almiron to devastating effect during their time at the club, with many Magpies supporters wondering if they could do the same in the Premier League – provided Martinez does move to Tyneside.

Compared to current striker Joelinton, while he isn’t nearly as successful when it comes to aerial duels (0.9), the 26-year-old manages to almost quadruple the number of shots per game on average (4) in the league, as per WhoScored.com.

This could perhaps indicate that Martinez would be a more prolific addition to this side if he were to make his move across the Atlantic. Here’s what Newcastle fans had to say about the hitman below.

Should Newcastle swoop for Martinez? Join the discussion by commenting below…

It may be a little far-fetched to say that Wolves’ season hangs in the balance, but their prospects of it being a successful campaign will be impacted by their quest to sign a backup striker.

As such, it’s a weird scenario to be stuck in because, at the end of the day, no player wants to willingly play second fiddle and get paid to rot on the bench – unless your name is Gareth Bale, of course.

Wolves appeared to have found the man to do exactly that in AEK Athens striker Nelson Oliveira but reports suggest that any potential deal had broken down over the finances involved.

The Greek side are becoming increasingly frustrated according to the Daily Mail.

This is something they just cannot afford to do when you look at the wider picture.

Yes, he’s not going to feature much. Yes, it may be a waste of money. But it is a necessity.

Wolves have no senior striker other than Raul Jimenez, who might as well rename himself “jaded” after playing so many matches in the past six to eight months.

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Per Transfermarkt, the 28-year-old frontman has played 37 matches, scoring 20 goals in the process, and that even excludes his Gold Cup campaign with Mexico as well as Wolves’ pre-season tour of China and his national team excursions each break.

He just needs someone to hand him a rest every now or then, especially with the Europa League knockout stages soon on the horizon, which means they’ll be back to playing Thursday-Sunday once again.

If Jimenez were to suffer an injury for any substantial period of time, then the baton would fall onto youth striker Benny Ashley-Seal or maybe Diogo Jota, but the latter is hardly your out-and-out number nine.

Life after football: Do you know what all of these former players did next?

What is even more baffling is manager Nuno Santo’s plea to sign players as soon as possible – well here we are, two days to go and still no sign of a new forward.

It’s now on the ownership Fosun to go back in with a better offer for Oliveira or help the club find a viable alternative if there even is one at this late, late stage of the window.

Failure to do so will be putting their season in serious danger.

While in other news, Tim Spiers issues fresh update on potential Wolves additions before the deadline…

Monday was a bit of a rollercoaster of a day for Leeds United.

They started the morning by announcing the loan signing of Jean-Kevin Augustin, and just hours after the Frenchman’s arrival was confirmed, Marcelo Bielsa said that Leeds wouldn’t be bringing any more bodies through the door.

However, Graeme Bailey believes that the Argentine may have been twisting the truth on this occasion as he stated that the Whites are still in the market for a new forward.

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That begs the question, do they need another attacker?

Ok, they’ve had trouble finding the net as they’re severely underperforming their xG, but surely that’s what Augustin has been brought in for?

It’s a real headscratcher, but if Bailey is to be believed we could be seeing one more attacking arrival before the window slams shut.

We asked our team of writers to give their verdicts as to whether or not the Whites need another attacker.

Jack Saville

“The signing of Augustin has completed Leeds’ attack and it would be bizarre from Victor Orta if he brought in another player to bolster the front line.

“With Augustin looking to rival Patrick Bamford for a starting berth at the spearhead of the attack, it seems unlikely that Marcelo Bielsa will need more reinforcements in that position, particularly when Eddie Nketiah’s limited involvement during the first half of the season is considered. 

“If both Bamford and Leeds’ latest recruit were unavailable due to injury or suspension, Bielsa also has Tyler Roberts to call upon.

“Three strikers should be more than enough to help the Whites return to the top flight this season, but the club would be wise to start preparing for a potential Premier League return by scouting the market for quality attackers to sign in the summer.”

Vijievan Jeevathayalan

“Signing another attacker should be an absolute priority for Leeds. Despite sealing a loan swoop for Jean-Kevin Augustin, the Whites could do with some further reinforcements in that area. Augustin’s lack of experience in English football means he still comes with an element of risk to his game, and whether he can hit the ground running in Leeds’ pursuit of Premier League football for next season.

“If they can bring in a more experienced forward to help ease the pressure on the likes of Augustin and Patrick Bamford, then Marcelo Bielsa can rest more easily.

“Football is all about strength in depth, and not just the 11 players on the pitch. Getting someone else in can help secure promotion and offer Bielsa an added option.”

Lewis Blain

“Leeds would be making a baffling decision to add another attacker this month – not because they don’t need one, but because of Marcelo Bielsa. There has to be question marks ringing around whether or not the Argentine will actually use new arrival Jean-Kevin Augustin.

“Eddie Nketiah’s loan spell was cut short as Bielsa continued to persist with Patrick Bamford, regardless of form. The 20-year-old averaged just 34.9 minutes per game in his 19 appearances for the club, where he still managed to find the net on five occasions per Transfermarkt. Just this week, he bagged the winner against AFC Bournemouth for Arsenal in the FA Cup, so it goes to show they let one slip through their grasp.

“It would be wholly pointless to add another striker because Bielsa’s stubbornness raises far too many alarm bells over their latest singing, let alone a third frontman. It would be much wiser for Victor Orta and co to focus their attention on a problematic area, such as left-back instead.”

Charles Jones

“I really don’t think bringing in another attacker is all that necessary at Leeds.

“The Whites struggled to rotate between two strikers when Nketiah was at the club as he started just two league games before going back to Arsenal due to a lack of game time, so how on earth are they going to competently juggle three players?

“They really shouldn’t be looking to bolster that attack any more, especially when you consider the fact that they’ve conceded 14 goals in their last seven games.

“Their defence is screaming out for reinforcements and that’s the area they should be prioritising.”

In other news, the loan fee Leeds are paying for Augustin has been revealed.

Leeds United lost to Wigan at Elland Road on Saturday as their shocking league form continued.

The Whites have now won just two of their last nine matches in the Championship, and quite clearly something needs to change at the Yorkshire club.

Fortunately, Leeds have a couple of new exciting players they can call upon, in the shape of Jean-Kevin Augustin and Ian Poveda, but for some reason, the manager didn’t call upon them against the Lancashire club, and Phil Hay has ripped into the manager for not utilising his new signings.

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What’s been said then?

The journalist was hosting a post-match Q&A session after United’s 1-0 loss to Wigan.

Understandably, one fan discussed the tactical switches that he would have made, and Hay replied:

“Casilla’s form is the most concerning I feel. I don’t think JKA and Poveda necessarily need to start – but you’d want both to be involved when Leeds are chasing a game. Aren’t they impact players? Isn’t that the point? It all feels a bit too clever on days like this.”

Spot on

Bielsa needs to get to grips with winning in more ways than one.

The manager won’t veer from his system because of the number of chances his team create, and to be fair, they made 12 more opportunities than Wigan on Saturday, but sometimes he needs a different approach to get over the line.

The manager’s methods are clear for all to see, he likes to ease new players into the squad, but if you’re ever going to roll the dice it should be at 1-0 down against a team battling relegation, especially when you have two new attacking players desperate to make their debuts.

As Hay says, it’s all a bit too clever, and while Bielsa’s tactics have often worked, it’s not helped Leeds in recent weeks.

In other news, Phil Hay has struggled to explain one baffling Bielsa decision.

Jurgen Klopp has said that Sadio Mane is “in contention” to feature against Norwich this weekend.

What’s the story?

The 52-year-old was talking during his pre-match press conference against the Canaries on Saturday, and he spoke about the fitness of his players.

Can you name the result these iconic Liverpool images belong to? Give it a go now…

Talking about Mane and James Milner, he said: “Of course they are in contention, it’s clear.

“When Millie and Sadio are back, you start thinking immediately. That’s how it is.

“It’s good news. They both trained from Monday – and they both trained through the last week anyway – so they are in contention.”

Great news

This could not be much more of a boost for Klopp. Mane is one of the world’s best players right now – he has scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists in all competitions for the Anfield outfit this term, whilst he won African Player of the Year last year and also finished fourth in the 2019 Ballon d’Or rankings.

The Reds should prevail against Norwich even without the Senegal international, though, and the Premier League is all but sewn up as they lead by 22 points at the top – they need just six wins from their remaining 13 matches to be crowned champions at the end of the season. However, they are still in the Champions League and the FA Cup – having as many players as possible fit, especially his best ones, will be vital to Klopp as he goes in search of a trio of trophies to add to the victories in the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

A first league title in 30 years would likely be enough for most Reds fans as it is. But a treble would make this campaign a monumental one, and having Mane back in the side will only be a boost to those aspirations.

Meanwhile, Liverpool fans are in uproar about this article on Klopp.

Despite arriving in a big-money deal from German side RB Leipzig, Naby Keita has struggled to really show why Liverpool splashed the cash to sign him.

The Guinea international has played just 16 times this season, scoring three times, with injuries no doubt playing a part in why Jurgen Klopp has only sparingly used him in the Reds’ first-team.

But on Saturday, he was given the opportunity to shine against Norwich in the Premier League, but he failed to take it with both hands.

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As per Sofascore, he had a pass accuracy of just 75%, lost possession 19 times, and missed a gilt-edged opportunity to give Liverpool the lead when he saw his close range effort saved by Tim Krul.

After seeing his display, Liverpool fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the 25-year-old.

Some fans questioned whether Keita will ever be able to prove himself to be a success at the club, with one supporter in particular going so far as to saying he is the “biggest flop” in the club’s history.

One fan in particular meanwhile slammed his passing in particular, saying he couldn’t “thread” a single one through.

Just like some of these Liverpool fans have intimated, Keita appears to be one of the biggest disappointments of what has otherwise been a remarkable campaign for the Reds.

Their win over Norwich means they are now on astonishing 76 points from their 26 Premier League games this season, and are well on their way to lifting the trophy.

No clues: Can you name the season these iconic Liverpool images belong to?

Whilst it has largely been a team effort, Keita’s contributions appear to be minimal at best, and after his latest performance, it is difficult to see how he can force himself into Klopp’s thinking for the starting line-up on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, this Liverpool target is better than Georginio Wijnaldum in several key areas.

Duncan Castles joined Ian McGarry on the latest edition of the Transfer Window Podcast as they discussed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s situation at Manchester United.

Out of the 52 games the Norwegian has had in charge of the club, the former Cardiff boss has managed to win 23, drawing 13 and losing 16 in the process, giving him an average point tally of 1.58 per game and 82 in total across all matches, per Transfermarkt.

“I know for a fact that there are men in that training ground, in that camp, who do not believe Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a top-level manager and aren’t impressed by many of the things he’s told them to do”, said Castles.

Intriguingly enough, United have been on a roll lately, tallying four wins and two draws in the last six games they’ve played across all competitions. Still, when managers with a proven track-record such as Mauricio Pochettino and Max Allegri are currently without clubs, it’s hard to argue that Solskjaer’s general CV matches up to theirs.

The Daily Star have previously claimed that the club legend will be sacked should he miss out on European qualification this season and, while United are currently in the top five, they have proven inconsistent for much of the campaign prior to their recent form, losing to the likes of Newcastle United, Burnley and Watford.

Man United fans, are you happy with Ole’s management so far or do you think he’s simply not good enough for such a historic team? Let us know in the comments below!

Celtic manager Neil Lennon faces a selection dilemma for tonight’s Europa League clash with FC Copenhagen at Parkhead, with the Hoops potentially missing three regular midfield options.

As noted by The Scottish Sun, Ryan Christie and Olivier Ntcham will definitely miss the game due to suspension and injury respectively, while captain Scott Brown remains an injury doubt after limping out of last week’s first leg in Denmark with a calf strain.

According to The Scottish Sun, Nir Bitton and Tom Rogic are set to come into the starting XI due to those midfield absences, while January signing Ismaila Soro is in line to be named among the substitutes.

The Ivorian may feel that the confirmed absences of Christie and Ntcham, along with the doubts over Brown’s participation, could give him one of his better chances of getting game-time under Lennon. He completed his transfer from Bnei Yehuda a month ago today, with Celtic playing eight matches since then. However, the 24-year-old is still waiting to make his senior debut for the club. Indeed, he has only been included in a matchday squad once in his first month in Glasgow, being an unused substitute for the Scottish Cup visit to Clyde (as per TransferMarkt).

His transfer to Celtic was a protracted one – his agent fuelled speculation by publicising a photo of him and Soro in Dubai when the Hoops had their winter training camp there (as per Daily Record) and Genk then tried to wade in on the race for his signature (as per Sky Sports). He passed his medical at Parkhead on January 22nd but the transfer wasn’t officially completed for another five days due to the wait for international clearance.

Celtic’s excellent form (nine wins and one draw) since the winter break has perhaps made it hard for Lennon to break up his midfield and Soro to get his chance. Brown has missed only three games all season while Ntcham has scored three times since the turn of the year, so it should not be surprising that the manager has kept faith with the players who have served him well.

However, the spate of midfield absences tonight would appear to present Soro with an ideal chance to finally get the opportunity to show what he can do for Celtic after January’s transfer saga. Even if he doesn’t go straight into the starting line-up, it would represent a real disappointment for the Ivorian if he isn’t at least given minutes off the bench, especially if the Hoops manage to establish a firm lead in the tie (currently level at 1-1) before the hour mark.

Celtic fans, do you want to see Soro getting game-time tonight? Would you fear for his prospects at the club if he doesn’t get a run against FC Copenhagen given the absences of other midfielders? Comment below with your views!