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Leeds United struggled and ended up losing against high-flying West Ham on Monday night, and popular Whites journalist Phil Hay has highlighted what he thinks needs to be rectified.

Phil Hay highlights clear problem

Speaking in The Athletic’s discussion thread after the match, Hay said (via Give Me Sport): “A much bigger issue is why Leeds cannot get it together when they’re defending set-pieces. It’s a clear problem which hasn’t been resolved.

“There’s a variety of reasons. Firstly, Leeds are not a strong side aerially. If you look at the stats, you can see that. Secondly, man-marking runs the risk that if someone loses their man, he’s free to score with no-one available to step in. To put it bluntly, it’s a bit of a shambles.

“Without getting into the zonal vs man-marking debate, the basic problem is that Leeds lose their men too often. And when you do in a man-marking system, no-one else is going to pick them up.”

Fine margins

Set-pieces are a crucial part of the game, and despite Leeds converting six of them this term, it is the amount they concede which makes corners and free-kicks such a worry for the club.

Bielsa’s side have conceded 14 of their 46 goals in the top division from set-pieces. This is the most in the division (WhoScored), so it is understandable to see Hay so worried about them.

If they had not conceded these goals, they would have only let in 32 and this would rank them with the joint-sixth fewest goals conceded in the division (SofaScore). If they get stronger at defending such moments in a game, then instead of battling for a top-half finish, they could be battling for a European spot.

In other news, Paul Robinson discussed crucial Leeds transfer issue!

According to a report by Football League World, West Ham United and GSB are keen to hold talks over signing Rochdale forward Kwadwo Baah – coming after a recent development that he will be back on the market after his failed move to Manchester City (The Telegraph).

Baah looked set for an eventual move to the Etihad Stadium at the end of this season, with journalist Mike McGrath recently revealing that terms were agreed.

However, the deal reportedly collapsed at the medical stage, with Baah now about to be back on the market when his current contract with Rochdale expires in June.

West Ham interest emerges for Baah

This development has prompted West Ham and GSB to turn their heads as the Irons are now eager to hold talks with Baah over his signing this summer.

Indeed, as per FLW, West Ham are interested in negotiations for his signature among other clubs eyeing a move – with the 18-year-old having no shortage of plaudits.

Transfer Tavern take

Rochdale boss Brian Barry-Murphy has made no secret of his talent in recent interviews with the press, branding Baah as ‘very special’ and ‘very dangerous’ (Evening Express).

Premier League and European clubs, as a result, have targeted the forward for his head-turning performances in England’s third tier – but it remains to be seen whether West Ham now can now nick in first and agree a deal.

In other news: West Ham fans flocked to an ExWHUemployee tweet, find out more here.

Many Everton fans have been left very happy with an injury update that the Goodison Park faithful have given on Jean-Philippe Gbamin.

Showing training pictures of individual players before their FA Cup home tie against Manchester City on Saturday evening, the official Twitter page of the Merseyside club confirmed that the central midfield player is ‘back doing individual ball work’ after a very long period out injured.

The Toffees have not been able to see him play in a Blues shirt since August 2019, and so it has come as a much welcome relief to them that the Ivory Coast international is back in training, and could well still play a part in the rest of the 2020/21 term.

It will come as a relief to Gbamin as well, who will be looking to find his touch once again after being out of the beautiful game for so long.

Everton fan reaction to Gbamin update

These EFC supporters lauded the update on Twitter, with one fan saying that he was ‘so happy’ while another went as far as to call it ‘brilliant’:

“Amazing that really pleased for him and everyone who has got him to this point massive hurdle overcome ….now is he any good at football ?? Ha”

Credit: @everton05185858

“Like a new signing”

Credit: @RWillguys

“Brilliant to see.”

Credit: @StacyMu78345188

“Things you love to see #JPG #EFC”Credit: @ChrisPickles24″I’m so happy!!!”Credit: @EFCMatt1″Over the moon to see the lad back had wretched luck with injuries since his move”Credit: @Fordy1EFCIn other news, find out who has urged Everton to play one ace more here!

Many Glasgow Rangers fans are livid with an article from Matt Lindsay for The Herald and Times Sport in which he suggested the Gers were dominated in the Old Firm derby on Sunday.

Steven Gerrard’s side drew 1-1 at Parkhead with Celtic in what was the third match between the clubs this season. Mohamed Elyounoussi opened the scoring before Alfredo Morelos levelled things up with his first goal in this fixture since joining the 55-time Scottish champions in 2017 (Transfermarkt).

This match was a dead rubber, with the Gers having already wrapped up the title. While the Hoops had more shots and possession, it did not feel as if they were too much better than their opponents. However, Lindsay has suggested Rangers should have lost comfortably, while this also indicates the gap between the two sides is actually not that big.

Some Gers supporters pointed out, quite correctly, that the 20-point difference between the teams in the Premiership table says otherwise. The article was shared on The Herald and Times Sport’s Twitter page, and these fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these Rangers fans had to say about Lindsay below

“Rangers had nothing really to play for. They did all their work throughout the season hence the 20 point gap. If Celtic were so dominant why did it end in a draw? You are talking rubbish!”

Credit: @goldfinch521

“Well this is embarrassing on soo many levels.”

Credit: @st20h

“Who writes these things”

Credit: @marsht899

“The league was won. No team are ever going to get that motivated after such an easy title win.”

Credit: @LiverpoolGer

“Still raging ‘cause @rangersfc called him out as a liar and had to apologise”

Credit: @djsteeley

“A dominant 1-1 draw to keep the gap at 20 points in March. I’m shaking in my boots. Brave John’s got the Gallowgate Galacticos back in the zone…”

Credit: @Crypto_Bard

In other news, many Rangers fans slammed this man’s performance against Celtic.

Fans of Aston Villa have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the club relayed images of Jack Grealish back in training at Bodymoor Heath.

So far this season, Grealish has been in rather remarkable form over his 22 Premier League appearances for Dean Smith’s side, with the 25-year-old scoring six goals and registering ten assists, as well as averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.73 – ranking him as the second-best performer in the entirety of the top flight.

However, after picking up an injury towards the end of February, the Villa captain has not featured in six consecutive league fixtures for the club, during which time Smith’s side have picked up just one win.

Although, it would appear that the £54 million-rated winger is now nearing a return to first-team action, as the club shared images of the England international back in training in a recent post on Twitter.

And, in reaction to the pictures, fans of Villa flocked to have their say on the matter, with many of course ecstatic at the prospect of Grealish featuring for the club once again in the not so distant future.

So, what exactly did these Aston Villa fans have to say in reaction to the images of Jack Grealish?

“What a beautiful man.”

@catrinedwards18

“I’m so ready to watch him play again.”

@liam_davies7

“Oh my, it’s a thing of beauty.”

@avfcwhelooo

“Let’s gooooooooo.”

@zachbroyo

“This is the content I’ve been waiting for!!”

@deakinkoz

“World-class.”

@GW_94

In other news: Loads of Aston Villa fans called for this £42k p/w ace’s summer exit – find out more here!

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who made 267 Premier League appearances for Newcastle United, believes Mike Ashley should reconsider his valuation of the club because of how much needs improving.

Ashley has owned Newcastle since 2007 when he bought a majority share of the club from the previous owner Freddy Shepherd, and the Sports Direct tycoon was greeted with mountains of debt which he failed to notice through not doing much due diligence before purchasing the club.

It started off positively under Ashley as he watched matches from the stands with fans and brought back Kevin Keegan as manager, however after two relegations and the potential for a third this season, the mood on Tyneside has turned far more toxic towards the owner.

Speaking on why Ashley’s valuation of the club should be reconsidered because of what other clubs have compared to Newcastle, Lee told FFC:

“Is somebody prepared to pay the money that he’s asking for considering what they will be getting in return?

“You look around the grounds in the Premier League and there are a lot better ones around than St James’ Park, and we’ve probably got one of the worst training grounds in the league.

“You look at the players we’ve got and you probably couldn’t sell many of them for a lot of money. So what exactly are you getting? You’ll get the name Newcastle United, but what else are you getting for £330 million?”

Mike Ashley has decided to stick by Steve Bruce despite many expecting him to be sacked after the 3-0 defeat against Brighton.

If Newcastle were to be relegated for a third time under Ashley, it would certainly knock a large sum off the valuation of the club.

Rob Lee has dropped an inside claim on Steve Bruce at Newcastle United amid the growing pressure on the manager to keep them in the Premier League.

Speaking to Football FanCast, the former St. James’ Park star revealed that the former Aston Villa and Sunderland boss was advised by Alan Shearer among others not to take the job at the Tyneside club when it was offered to him in the first place:

“I feel a little bit sorry for Steve Bruce but listen, he did manage Sunderland and play for Manchester United, who stopped us from winning the league.

“Yes, he did 100% speak to Alan and most people advised him not to, and certainly Alan told him ‘don’t do it’, but he wanted to because he’s a Geordie.”

Bruce should consider leaving Newcastle

Bruce should seriously consider leaving his beloved club in the North East if Mike Ashley does not have any intention of sacking him at this moment in time.

A run of very poor results and questionable tactics at times have seen members of the Toon Army turn on the Geordie, and if he is unable to keep the Magpies in the top flight come the end of the 2020/21 term, then his job surely has to be questioned.

The Daily Mail have recently reported that Bruce is ‘under growing pressure’, with current Burnley manager Sean Dyche named as a potential replacement for the 60-year-old.

Nonetheless, given the advice that he received upon taking the job, maybe it was not the best of ideas for him to manage NUFC in the first place.

In other news, find out what Newcastle players are ‘furious’ with Bruce about after a behind-the-scenes reveal here!

Steven Gerrard was boosted by the news at Rangers yesterday that Leon Balogun has committed to a new one-year deal at the club, following in the footsteps of Steven Davis and Allan McGregor at Ibrox.

The Nigerian international has impressed in Gerrard’s side since joining from Wigan Athletic on a free transfer last summer, and given that his old deal was set to expire at the end of the season, it always seemed likely that he would be rewarded with an extension.

In total, the defender has made 28 appearances for the Light Blues, in which he has contributed three assists, although he has been unable to add to the 16 goals he has scored in his senior career so far.

His performances in the Premiership this season have been excellent, as he has averaged a solid 7.06 WhoScored rating across his 19 appearances in the top flight, which ranks him as the Gers’ ninth-best performer in the league so far this term.

Although he is arguably third-choice centre-back behind Connor Goldson and Filip Helander, he has shown that he is more than capable of stepping in when required.

The 32-year-old has struggled on occasion when playing as a right-back, but there’s no doubt that Gerrard will appreciate his versatility to play in that position, especially considering that James Tavernier has spent the last two months on the sidelines.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/rangers-news-ibrox-steven-gerrard-ross-wilson-gers-rfc” title=”Latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Should Helander depart in the summer, with Leicester and Aston Villa reportedly interested in the Swedish international, then Gerrard is safe in the knowledge that Balogun can step up as his replacement next season.

Earlier in the season, former Rangers man Barry Fergurson was full of praise for Balogun, saying: “Unbelievable, that’s why he’s played, did you see his recovery? So pacy, what a find he’s been.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

It’s clear that Balogun has impressed since his move from Wigan last year and Gerrard will surely be buzzing that the Nigerian international will remain at Ibrox next season.

In other news… Sold for £1m, now in League One: Rangers axed one of their “top players” at the perfect time

Celtic have had a habit in the last few decades of stumbling upon strikers with incredible quality.

The Bhoys famously had Henrik Larsson in their ranks, a player thought to be one of the greatest in the club’s history. Trying to live up to a talent like that isn’t easy but the Hoops have had a couple of players who have scored goals with similar regularity.

Odsonne Edouard is the current gem at Paradise. He has scored 20 goals this term and has a tally of 81 strikes in 162 outings.

Considering who the Frenchman replaced, he needed to hit the ground running after his club-record £9m arrival in 2018, but he did exactly that.

The man he succeeded was a certain Moussa Dembele. He was the jewel in the crown of Brendan Rodgers’ time in Glasgow, being hailed for his pace and power by the Northern Irishman on several occasions.

Dembele was labelled a “big talent” by Rodgers and it’s clear to see why. The Frenchman racked up 51 goals in 94 outings, playing a huge part in three successive Premiership triumphs.

Signed for a measly development fee after he was out of contract at Fulham, the striker’s value soared to £6.3m during his days with the Hoops.

Since leaving Glasgow, however, his value has risen by a considerable amount. He signed for Lyon in a deal worth £19.7m three years ago before his remarkable form in France led to an increase of 800% in his value; being worth £45m in 2018.

No one can doubt Dembele’s qualities but his value has actually fallen in recent years. After being linked with Manchester United and Chelsea in years gone by, Lyon sporting director Jean-Michel Aulas wanted a considerable €100m (£92m) for his services.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-roy-keane-nicky-butt-jesse-marsch-scott-brown” title=”Latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

Considering his worth to the Ligue 1 club, it was strange that he was loaned out to Atletico Madrid in January. That being said, the Spanish outfit have an option to buy the forward for €33.5m (£29m).

That’s a slight increase on his current Transfermarkt rating of £22.5m. That’s still a costly amount and shows that his worth has risen by a whopping 257% since his final days in Glasgow.

Exactly what has triggered such a startling rise? Well, 45 goals in 108 games for Lyon tells a big a part of the story.

Last season was arguably one of his most impressive yet, as only Kylian Mbappe and Wissam Ben Yedder (18 each) scored more goals in the French top flight than Dembele with 16.

Since departing the Scottish Premiership, the 24-year-old can very much be classified among the elite forwards in Europe. He is still quite young and it wouldn’t be a surprise if his value rose once again in the coming years.

A deadly finisher, Dembele has a very high ceiling, one which was aided by his development under Rodgers at Celtic.

AND in other news, Sold for £2m, now worth £25.2m: Celtic will rue terrible call on “superb” £50k-p/w gem…

Fans of Liverpool have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the Reds central-midfielder, Georginio Wijnaldum, reflected on the club’s recent Champions League elimination.

Following a 3-1 defeat in the first leg of the tie, Liverpool faced an uphill battle in the return fixture at Anfield on Tuesday evening, and, despite creating a number of chances against Zinedine Zidane’s side on the night, were ultimately knocked out of the competition following a 0-0 draw.

In reaction to their elimination, Wijnaldum then took to Twitter, stating that it was “frustrating” to see Liverpool’s Champions League campaign come to an end in the manner it did, before going on to claim that he and his team “gave it all” against Madrid, but they just had “no luck to finish it”.

However, Liverpool fans then flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing furious at Wijnaldum’s efforts in the fixture, while some went as far to claim they feel it is now time for the midfielder to leave the club.

So, what exactly did these Liverpool fans have to say in reaction to Georginio Wijnaldum’s comments?

“Get out of my club.”

@bigbossJ380

“If you gave it all, you’d have scored the chance you skyed. Let’s be honest, giving it all is winning the competition, something you’ve not done at all this season. You down tools cause you’re leaving, you’re no better than Torres, Owen, Bale etc.”

@211291_R

“Mmm time for you to find a new club now.”

@simcapz1

“Thanks for the memories, its time to join Barcelona.”

@Afeezzezo

“Leaveeeeeeeee.”

@harry8ii

“Maybe if you weren’t sleeping when we conceded the third.”

@kelsostan

“It will be worth it if you leave this summer.”

@PrimeRobbo_

“THAT’S YOUR ALL?! IS THAT IT?”

@LFCLxca

“Leave my club.”

@MinaMaestro

“How can you even tweet this, man?”

@_Bhokisi

In other news: ‘Shame we’re owned by FSG’, ‘Pain’ – Many Liverpool fans flock to Mbappe claim – find out more here!