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Loads of Leeds fans have been reacting to a rather stunning development in the Daniel James saga, as his agent has publicly chastised Swansea’s handling of the deal.

Leeds looked all set to finally secure the signature fans have been waiting for late on Thursday night, but their deadline day dreams quickly turned to the stuff of nightmares.

James was all set to join the Whites having passed his medical on Thursday afternoon, with the deal expected to be a loan until the end of the season, when Leeds would then make the move permanent if they secure promotion.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

The move was called off at the last second though, and reports have since claimed that there were disagreements over the structure of the deal.

James, 21, is presumably gutted after spending the whole day at Elland Road waiting for the deal to go through, and his agent has spoken out against the Swans.

“Swansea made no attempt to keep the player and at the first sign of money they couldn’t show him the door quickly enough,” David Manasseh told The Telegraph.

“It is very disappointing but the player is philosophical about it.”

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans have plenty to say about what is fast becoming a truly bizarre transfer saga…

Marcelo Bielsa is the man at Leeds United. There is no doubting it, and his presence at one of the world’s most iconic clubs has been felt.

First and foremost, you need to remind yourself what fans have endured since departing the top-flight of English football to understand why Bielsa is considered the messiah in West Yorkshire.

Pure, unadulterated misery has ensued since 2004.

Ranging from poor performances to bitterly close encounters with promotion; to the unthinkable relegation to the third-tier; a management merry-go-round consisting of the likes of Neil Warnock, Darko Milanic, Brian McDermott, Uwe Rosler, Gary Monk, Thomas Christiansen, and Paul Heckingbottom. All underlined by the plague that was Massimo Cellino.

The only constant in this mess: the Leeds United supporters.

They have followed with the same admirable grit and determination throughout all the club’s hardships; average home attendances shaming some of the top teams in English football, and a staunch away following that outmatches the hosts wherever they travel.

So, it probably comes as no surprise then that the club have recently announced that over 6,000 season tickets have already been renewed for the 2019/20 campaign, their largest opening week of sales on record (LUFC Twitter).

A quality haul, even by the standards of Leeds United. And, Times writer Henry Winter has claimed, it is all down to their new man Marcelo Bielsa and the man who introduced him to the club, Radrizanni.

The new owner has made a hugely positive impact since taking over from former embarrassment Cellino, whose name hardly warrants mention. Money has been spent, optimism spread, and the appointment of one of the world’s best made.

Evidently no complaints from the Leeds camp, even without the guarantee of promotion.

West Bromwich Albion are still in with a great chance of securing an automatic promotion place as they currently find themselves just six points off second place with a game in hand. 

The Baggies managed to secure a valuable point against Nottingham Forest last time out, thanks to a controversial penalty which was converted by Jay Rodriguez.

One thing that may be playing on supporters’ minds is Salomon Rondon’s future, as he continues to impress in the Premier League at Newcastle United. Interestingly, Rafa Benitez indicated that the South American is playing his way towards a permanent move back in December, so a permanent summer switch could be in the offing.

Therefore, it’s vital that Darren Moore takes a look at who can potentially replace the forward.

Oliver Burke is a name that springs to mind with his loan deal set to expire in the summer, and Moore has insisted that he will be returning (as per the Express & Star) to the Hawthorns at the end of the season, despite the player being keen (as per the Scotsman) to extend his stay beyond the summer.

So, it’s exciting times for the Baggies as they look set to have him in their ranks for next season.

The youngster has been a joy to watch since moving to Scotland last month as he’s managed to find the back of the net three times and has produced two assists in eight appearances. He was never able to live up to expectations during his time at the Hawthorns, but Moore will definitely be looking to benefit from his progression at Celtic.

Burke has operated at the pinnacle of the attack for the Hoops and it has served him well up until this point, so the Baggies should look to deploy him in that specific role if he stays in the summer. It’s clear to see that he knows how to score and create chances for his teammates, so he could be a real asset for the Baggies in years to come as he has plenty of potential and all the ingredients to develop into a star.

West Bromwich Albion fans – thoughts?

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Harry Winks is the future of Tottenham Hotspur’s midfield.

The England international produced another display oozing with class and patience against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League Round of 16 as Mauricio Pochettino’s men won the first leg 3-0 and placed one foot firmly in the quarter-finals.

On the chalkboard

Of course, the plaudits will all go to Jan Vertonghen for his display on a glory glory night for Spurs.

Deployed at left wing-back, Vertonghen rampaged down the flank, provided a sublime assist for Son Heung-Min’s opening goal and scored the second himself. It was, perhaps, the best performance of his career.

Fernando Llorente added a third from a Christian Eriksen corner but the contribution of Winks should not go unnoticed.

Long heralded as a star of the future, Winks appears to have come of age before our eyes and he is still only 23.

He has been involved in all six of Spurs’ Champions League games so far this season – playing 90 minutes against Barcelona at Wembley and 83 in the Camp Nou – while he has also played 23 times in the Premier League. He has come to embody Pochettino’s ethos of promoting from within and he is a player around which Spurs can build a team.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Against Dortmund, he was a study in quiet effectiveness.

Per WhoScored, Winks touched the ball a total of 88 times and played 72 total passes, with a completion rate of 93%. He completed the one dribble he attempted and made four tackles, the joint-most of any player on the pitch along with midfield partner Moussa Sissoko, defender Davinson Sanchez and Dortmund left-back Abdou Diallo.

Winks also made two interceptions and generally kept his side ticking over. There is an art to recycling possession, to take the ball in and keep it moving, and every elite team needs a metronomic presence in the middle of the park.

Against Dortmund, Winks proved he is exactly that.

Only going to get better

Winks has a remarkably high ceiling.

Spurs fans who have watched him all season are well aware of the qualities he possesses. Winks has an exceptional eye for a pass, as well as a superb range of passing. He is clean and efficient in the tackle and, while he sometimes loses the ball, he more often than not wins it back.

There is a tenacious, dogged edge to some of his midfield work but it never compromises his team-mates and he is regularly there at the sharp end, probing, looking to unlock a defence.

There has not been a player like this at Spurs in quite some time. Since the departure of Luka Modric, Spurs have been looking for a player who can make them tick, quietly going about their business in a fashion that would be sorely missed if they were ever withdrawn from the XI.

Winks is that man. He may not be on the level of Modric – the Croatian, after all, inspired his country to the World Cup final and won the Ballon d’Or this year – but the 5 foot 10 midfielder is cut from the same playmaking cloth.

The England international’s future is very bright indeed. So, too, is that of Spurs’ midfield.

أبدى مدرب أستون فيلا دين سميث، سعادته بعد تحقيق الفوز في مباراة اليوم أمام شيفيلد يونايتد في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وفاز الفيلانز بهدف دون رد، في الجولة الثانية من البريميرليج، بفضل هدف إزري كونسا. هدف فوز أستون فيلا أمام شيفيلد

وتُعد تلك المباراة هي الأولى التي يخوضها أستون فيلا هذا الموسم، حيث تأجل لقائه في الجولة الأولى أمام مانشستر سيتي.

وقال دين سميث، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “بداية جيدة للغاية للحصول على ثلاث نقاط وشباك نظيفة، ولا يمكنك طلب المزيد”.

وتابع: “أعتقد أننا بدأنا المباراة بشكل جيد، وتغيرت الأمور بعد طرد لاعب الخصم”.

وأضاف: “ربما كان علينا أن نسجيل المزيد من الأهداف، منذ فترة التوقف بسبب كورونا أعتقد أننا كنا أكثر عدوانية من الناحية الدفاعية”.

وواصل: “بداية رائعة لحارسنا إيميليانو مارتينيز (تصدى لركلة جزاء)، لقد تمتع بخبرة كبيرة في الدوري الإنجليزي ومع الأندية”.

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The Steel City derby ended goalless at Hillsborough on Monday night. Sheffield United were the more aggressive side, but Sheffield Wednesday defended valiantly throughout to keep the Blades at bay.

Failure to win meant that Chris Wilder’s side remained third in the table, behind Leeds United and Norwich City. The race for automatic promotion will almost certainly go down to the wire, but the Blades no longer hold any of the initiative.

Leeds themselves face Sheffield United on Saturday March 16th at Elland Road. That fixture could be a defining one for both clubs’ seasons. As things stand though, Leeds hold the advantage in the race for promotion due to the Blades’ failure to overcome their bitter local rivals.

Who has been the Championship’s best player this season? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

Leeds will be desperate to finally secure a return to the top flight this season so any poor results sustained by their fellow promotion contenders will considered a boost to their own cause.

After the Sheffield derby, plenty of Whites fans took to Twitter to celebrate the final result…

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Alisson Becker says Liverpool remain confident of winning the Premier League title.

The Reds goalkeeper has seen his side undergo something of a blip in recent games but he says they are assured in their own ability to win the title.

What’s the word?

Liverpool have slipped off the top of the Premier League table in recent days.

Back-to-back draws with Leicester City and West Ham United have allowed Manchester City to reclaim the lead as they look to defend their title.

The two sides are currently level on points but Pep Guardiola’s side have a markedly superior goal difference.

Nevertheless, Liverpool will return to the summit if they beat AFC Bournemouth on Saturday – City face Chelsea on Sunday – and Alisson insists that they still believe they can be champions.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “We believe we can win the league.

“We’ve shown in the past that we’re good enough and we’ll continue to show this in the games we’ve got to come.

Check out Neymar’s controversial new haircut for 2019 and Xherdan Shaqiri as you’ve never seen him before in the video below…

“Our pressure is the same. We take things game by game without worrying about what our opponents are doing.

“Everyone wants to win this league but at Liverpool, our concern is winning games and not dropping points.

“We don’t think about Man City, we think about ourselves. We only think about what we can do and how things are moving forward.”

Pride before a fall

It is always best to say nothing at all.

Alisson would have been wise to preach that gospel and keep schtum as Liverpool look to win their first ever Premier League title.

Of course, the club have won the top-flight’s biggest prize before, but not in its current incarnation and they last came close in 2013-14, when a Steven Gerrard slip and a Crystal Palace comeback prevented them from being crowned champions.

This time around, they are facing an even greater Man City than the one that became champions under Manuel Pellegrini.

Guardiola’s irrepressible winning machine appears to be roaring back into gear and Liverpool have, in recent games, looked akin to a rabbit caught in headlights.

If the Merseyside club do fail to win the league, this interview will surely haunt Alisson – he should not have said anything at all.

Chelsea take on Malmo in the Europa League tonight in a game that has grown massively in importance.

Following their 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City, there are now doubts among the Stamford Bridge hierarchy to whether Maurizio Sarri can guide the Blues to a fourth-place finish with failing to do so likely to cost the Italian his job (via Telegraph).

The Breakdown

The Telegraph again reports that the Europa League may now be the only thing that can save Sarri from getting the sack with the winner of the tournament guaranteed a place in next season’s Champions League.

With the likes of Arsenal, Napoli and Inter Milan still in the competition, though, at this stage, even that looks impossible for the Blues based on recent performances.

Still, should Sarri manage to lead his side to Europa League glory and secure Champions League football, it could end up changing the west London outfit forever.

The main factor behind Sarri’s appointment was the club’s desire to move away from a pragmatic style of football to a more adventurous one, something which the 60-year-old delivered at the San Paolo after replacing Rafael Benitez as Napoli manager.

But if Sarri is relieved of his duties at the end of the season, there is a good chance that Chelsea hire another Jose Mourinho or Antonio Conte style coach and revert back to playing the football they were trying to move away from after watching their original plans completely backfire.

Should Sarri, however, win the Europa League and thus achieve Champions League qualification which should be enough to save his job, then he could end up laying down the groundworks for a more positive style of football to be played at Stamford Bridge for years to come.

Portsmouth’s record in the league since the turn of the year has been quite frankly embarrassing and things need to be addressed as quickly as possible.

Having performed so well in the first half of the season, it’s amazing to see how downhill Portsmouth have gone but yet still remain in contention for promotion into the Championship.

As they currently sit third in League One, the automatic spaces are still viable but if that fails, their spot within the play-off places will still likely be in-tact.

It’s not as if crucial players were sold in January either. Portsmouth managed to retain all their stars, only for their performance levels to drop significantly since the turn of the year.

Whether they get promoted or not, Pompey need to make some drastic changes to their squad and the first step could be to lure Everton’s Beni Baningime to Fratton Park.

Baningime, (who is valued at £2.2 million on Transfermarkt) has recently joined Wigan on-loan as he bids to lend a hand to a team trying to save themselves from relegation.

Having made eight Premier League appearances, the 20-year-old may have had aspirations of kicking-on with the first team this season but Marco Silva wasn’t having any of it.

The midfielder hadn’t featured for the first-team, hence the move to Championship side Wigan to get some much-needed game-time.

As an academy product, hope still remains high that Beni Baningime can be a hit in the Premier League and a move to Portsmouth could see the central-midfielder realise his potential and perform to the best of his ability.

The two could form a good relationship and Portsmouth would certainly benefit from adding another quality midfielder to their ranks.

Do you agree… Let us know!

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Swansea fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was revealed that they would be facing Manchester City at the Liberty Stadium in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

The Swans managed to beat Brentford by four goals to one in the fifth round to secure their place in the last eight, although they will perhaps have been hoping for an easier opponent than the Citizens.

Just one game stands between Graham Potter leading his side out at Wembley, although every single Swansea player will have to bring their A-game if they are to overcome the reigning Premier League champions.

This is the first time that the pair have been put up against each other in the FA Cup, and is also the first meeting between the two since Swansea were relegated last season.

Let’s see how Swansea supporters on Twitter reacted after being given arguably the hardest draw out of any team left in the competition…