Leicester: Luke Thomas goal masked overall struggling performance

Leicester were unable to find a win last night as Sporting Braga dug in their claws and refused to let them leave with anything more than a point. The two sides battled out a fierce 3-3 draw, with the Foxes coming agonisingly close, but no cigar.

Goals came from Harvey Barnes, Luke Thomas and substitute Jamie Vardy, who struck the equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time. The red-hot striker came on in place of Kelechi Iheanacho, who seriously struggled to make an impact up front.

Another of Brendan Rodgers’ players who seemed to struggle, was goalscorer Thomas. Whilst he may have found the back of the net, his overall performance left a lot to be desired and it could see him dropped for Leicester’s next Europa League game.

Luke Thomas vs Braga

Whilst his first senior goal is certainly an occasion to celebrate, the 19-year-old looked slightly out his depth in an unnatural position. The teen is a left-back by trade, by Rodgers opted to play him further up the pitch in midfield.

According to Sofascore, Thomas was caught out on 27 occasions where he gave up possession of the ball. He was also unable to complete a single accurate cross or long ball despite attempting seven in total.

His passing accuracy was a disappointing 54%, despite his solid contribution to the defence by making two interceptions and a block.

Thomas plays primarily in defence when he features for the reserve team and has risen into the spotlight with his strong performances across the backline. His goal last night certainly proves that he has the capability to get forward and contribute, but it’s perhaps too early to attempt to fully transition him into a midfielder.

In other news, Ricardo Pereira’s U23 appearance is exactly what Rodgers needed…

Spurs must sell Juan Foyth this summer despite major update

According to The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare, Tottenham defender Juan Foyth is intent on fighting for his place at the club.

What’s the word?

The Argentine has been linked with a move away from the club in recent weeks and months, but as of yet, no deal has materialised.

Now, writing for The Athletic, Eccleshare has delivered an update on the centre-back’s future at Spurs, claiming that “at the moment”, he is keen on staying in north London and staking a claim for a starting spot.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…



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He said: “Juan Foyth is a really exciting player and I hope it works out for him, whether at Spurs or elsewhere. The latest is that he has not yet sat down to discuss his future with the club but that for the moment he wants to stay and fight for his place.

“There’s also a month-long gap between the season starting and the summer transfer window closing, so unless he has more clarity before then, he will wait to see if his first-team prospects have improved and if not look for a move elsewhere. As we have reported previously, Foyth feels he needs to move soon, either permanently or on loan, if he continues to be overlooked.”

Another Daniel Levy nightmare

In these times of financial uncertainty, the last thing Spurs and Daniel Levy need right now is a fringe player simply eating into the wage bill for no good reason at all.

Whilst Eccleshare may be a fan of Foyth, declaring him a “really exciting player”, the simple facts are that he only played seven times across all competitions last season – injuries of course playing a big part.

He has barely gotten a proper look-in since his arrival the club, making just 32 appearances in total. And whilst his reported £21.5k-per-week wages are nothing extraordinary, it’s still money that could be saved and potentially reinvested elsewhere.

Foyth is just a drain on the club’s resources at the moment, and if Jose Mourinho has no plans to use him as a key part of his first-team squad, then Levy must take charge of the situation and let the Argentine go.

Coventry City: Predicted XI to face Queens Park Rangers

Coventry City manager Mark Robins will look to bounce back after an opening day defeat to Bristol City as his side prepare to face Queens Park Rangers tonight.

After a respectable performance in their opening day fixture at Ashton Gate, the Sky Blues will have their first home Championship fixture at St. Andrews this season with the visit of QPR.

Having changed his entire starting XI for the midweek Carabao Cup clash at Gillingham, Robins is set to restore a starting line-up much more alike the one which faced Bristol City.

In between the sticks, Marko Marosi will return but there is growing concern over alternatives for the 26-year-old, whilst Leo Ostigard, Kyle McFadzean and Dominic Hyam are expected to play as a back three, just as they did at Ashton Gate.

Ryan Giles and Josh Pask played wing-back against Bristol City in a familiar 3-5-2 formation and neither are expected to lose their place for the visit of QPR.

Jamie Allen will continue in midfield with Gustavo Hamer, but summer signing Ben Sheaf could come in to replace Liam Kelly, who has a hamstring problem, and provide some more cover in the centre of the park.

Callum O’Hare will returns as he plays just off lone striker Matty Godden, with the predicted XI showing just the one change from the team that lost to Bristol City.

Do you think Coventry can beat QPR and do you agree with our starting eleven? Let us know in the comments section below…

Portsmouth: Oli Hawkins already planning return to the city

Recently-released Portsmouth striker Oli Hawkins has admitted that he would like to return to the city when his playing days come to an end.

The 2019/20 season ended in disappointment for Pompey, losing to Oxford United on penalties in the play-off semi-finals and narrowly missing out on promotion to the Championship for the second year running.

With next season now the focus, manager Kenny Jackett will look to make several changes to his squad and one of those could be to find a suitable replacement for Hawkins, who saw his contract come to an end in June.

Hawkins arrived at Portsmouth in 2017 and the Ealing-born striker netted 18 goals in 95 games for Pompey up until the end of this season. During his time at the club, he has also acted as a stand-in defender and scored the winning penalty against Sunderland in the 2019 EFL Trophy final at Wembley.

He told The News: ‘In three years at the club, I was able to buy a home, have a baby, get a dog and score at Wembley.

‘I didn’t let myself down and reached the play-offs twice – I look back in a positive way.‘The biggest positive of all is I love the city and will probably move back down here eventually. I will miss this place a lot.‘When I found out I’m not going to be here anymore, I had a sinking feeling. I realised I’d be moving away.‘We lived in Emsworth and then bought property in Horndean. We really fell in love with the area. We still have a home here, so if we wanted to one day live down here again we can.‘Even though I am a London boy and love London, it has been a breath of fresh air to get out and about and see the sea. I really enjoy the walks and you can’t really beat the weather on a good day. It’s such a great place.’Hawkins’ exit comes as a number of clubs in League One and League Two including Portsmouth weigh up transfer moves with the English Football League looking to implement a salary cap.

It was a strange one to see Hawkins leaving Portsmouth, especially given that he was very much a man of the club and the city, judging by his comments.

With financial restrictions coming into place, it remains to be seen if Jackett will find an adequate replacement for Hawkins before next season begins.

Do you think Portsmouth should have renewed Hawkins’ deal? Let us know in the comments section below…

West Ham: Fans react to Hammers’ reported interest in Jamaal Lascelles

Last season West Ham united conceded 62 goals in the division, which was the fifth-most in the league, and clearly David Moyes is looking to sort this issue out as the club are reportedly interested in Premier League defender Jamaal Lascelles.

According to Ex-WHUemployee, via West Ham News, Lascelles is one of a few transfer targets at whom West Ham have looked who play at centre-back, but he is thought to be outside of the club’s price range.

The 26-year-old Englishman had a decent campaign last season with Newcastle United as he played 24 times in the Premier League, averaging 1.2 interceptions and 4.8 clearances a game, per WhoScored, whilst also helping the Magpies to keep seven clean sheets.

It will obviously be frustrating for both Moyes and West Ham supporters that the defender is reportedly out of the club’s price range, but it bodes well that the club are looking for players in a position that needs strengthening, as the Hammers conceded 62 Premier League goals last term, the fifth-highest amount in the division.

Here is what these Irons fans said following the reported interest in Lascelles:

Hammers fans, would you like to have Lascelles at London Stadium? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Leeds must improve their away performances in the second half of the season

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…

We’re getting towards the business end of the Championship season as the halfway point of the campaign is on the horizon.

As it stands, Leeds are in a great position to get promoted as they sit 10 points clear of third, but one thing, in particular, needs to improve in the second half of the season.

Indeed, Leeds need to step up their performances away from home if they’re going to return to the Premier League.

United haven’t been as good away from Elland Road as they have been while playing at their home ground this season as two of their three losses have come when they’re the visiting team.

The concerning fact about that is that they’ve not really played any top sides on the road yet.

The Whites have only played three top-half teams away from home thus far this term, so the fact that they’re already showing that they’re weaker when travelling is quite worrying.

From this point onwards eight of Leeds’ 12 remaining away games are against teams that currently sit in the top half of the table, and they’ll need to step it up if they’re going to get results in a lot of those games.

When you look at the calibre of teams United have struggled against away from this term it paints a rather concerning picture.

Losses to Charlton and Millwall are terrible results considering their current league positions while they left it very late to get wins against Barnsley and Luton – two games that will have been earmarked as straightforward victories given they came up from League One.

If they play like that against the likes of Fulham, West Brom and Nottingham Forest then they will be in danger of dropping points and putting their promotion hopes in doubt.

Bielsa needs to figure out how to get his team playing their very best when they play away.

In other news, Marcelo Bielsa’s recent comments seem to contradict one thing he keeps doing at Leeds.

Tottenham Hotspur: Fans react to club’s ‘serious’ interest in Kalidou Koulibaly

Tottenham are showing a ‘serious’ interest in signing Kalidou Koulibaly this summer, according to Il Mattino via @RickSpur. 

Earlier this year, Gianluca di Marzio tipped Koulibaly to join Spurs and the Italian outlet claims that the Lilywhites are keen to sign the defender in the upcoming window.

Jose Mourinho has made it clear that he wants to plug the gap in a leaky defence, as his side have conceded more goals in the Premier League this season than their rivals Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

There is no doubt Koulibaly would be an extraordinary signing, as he has established himself as one of the highest-rated defenders in the world ever since he joined Napoli in 2014. Indeed, the 28-year-old has played 15 games in Serie A for Gennaro Gattuso’s side this season, as well as featuring in six matches in the Champions League, making 2.2 tackles per game, averaging 1.5 interceptions and completing a staggering 5.2 clearances on average in the European competition (WhoScored).

However, the report adds that the player’s future is not entirely within his control as he will need to find a club that can pay his substantial wages and give Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis the fee he will demand.

His market value is estimated at £50m via Transfermarkt, which surely falls outside of Mourinho’s limited budget. The manager has previously stated that the club will not be spending “rivers of money” on new signings, so it is unlikely that the Senegal international will end up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium anytime soon.

The Lilywhites have also been linked with Atletico Madrid star Stefan Savic, although the Napoli star has earned a higher WhoScored rating than the Montenegro international.

Understandably, a whole number of the Spurs faithful reacted to the transfer update on social media, with one fan tweeting Koulibaly is “better than Savic”, while another added that he is “just what we need.”

Take a look at some of the Tottenham fans’ reactions so far…

Tottenham fans, should the board splash the cash to sign Kalidou Koulibaly in the transfer market? Let us know down below!

Liverpool fans love Jurgen Klopp’s induction to the LMA’s Hall of Fame

Jurgen Klopp has done a fantastic job since joining Liverpool in 2015.[ad_pod ]It took him a while to get going – they finished eight in his first campaign before then managing two fourth-place finishes – but in the last 18 to 20 months specifically, they have really hit their stride. The former Borussia Dortmund man has led the Reds to two Champions League finals, whilst the Anfield outfit were just one point away from winning the Premier League last term.Now, they top the table by eight points and have won 12 out of their first 13 matches in the league, putting them well on course to win that first title in 30 years.Check out footballers’ biggest fashion disasters in the video below…https://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x7mpln3Such has been the nature of the work he has done on Merseyside, he has now been inducted into the League Managers Association’s Hall of Fame. Pep Guardiola was also recognised alongside the German in a presentation on Thursday evening.As you would expect, this has delighted the Liverpool fans. They took to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

In other news, Liverpool fans slam one player’s performance against Napoli.

Leeds fans react as Graham Potter confirms Ben White will stay at Leeds

Leeds United fans on Twitter have been reacting to the news that Ben White won’t be recalled by Brighton as the Seagulls’ boss Graham Potter confirmed that the centre-back is to see out the season at Elland Road.

Understandably, a number of fans were buzzing after hearing this news as White has undoubtedly been one of the team’s top performers this season.

Indeed, the defender has been named as the club’s Player of the Season thus far by both fans and journalists, and his impressive showings has seen one pundit compare him to established England international John Stones.

You can completely understand why some supporters have had such a positive reaction to this update.

Of course, hearing that White is secured for the rest of this season has had some fans thinking about keeping him beyond the end of this campaign.

With the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United reportedly sniffing around him it’s hard to say whether or not Leeds have a chance of securing his services on a permanent basis, but these supporters are clearly hopeful that he’ll remain a United player beyond this term.

You’re always going to get one pessimistic section of the fanbase, and despite Potter’s reassuring words, a couple of fans were still concerned that White could leave before the end of the season if a bid comes in.

Meanwhile, we’ve assessed which election outcomes most favour Leeds in terms of getting investment from QSI.

Southampton fans fume at use of Moussa Djenepo against Everton

Well, it would be fair to say that the Southampton fans were not best pleased with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s use of Moussa Djenepo against Everton.

The 21-year-old, who joined the Saints from Standard Liege over the summer, featured at left wing-back against the Toffees on Saturday afternoon.

And a number of the club’s supporters have taken to social media to blast Hasenhuttl’s decision to select the attacker in that area of the field in the second half of the contest.

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Danny Ings cancelled out an early strike from Tom Davies to leave the two teams on terms heading into the latter stages of the match.

However, Richarlison’s strike decided the game, with the Brazil international netting in the 75th minute to secure a 2-1 win for Everton.

According to WhoScored, Djenepo – moved to wing-back after Cedric Soares was substituted – did not actually make a single tackle during his 90 minutes on the field, although he did complete two successful dribbles.

It proved to be another disappointing afternoon for the club, however, and the Southampton fans were furious with where Djenepo was selected, as shown by the tweets below:

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