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Phil Hay has revealed that Michael Skubala has simplified everything at Leeds United since Jesse Marsch was sacked.

The Lowdown: Skubala is Leeds’ final hope

Things never really seemed to click into gear for Marsch at Elland Road with the American boss managing to win just 11 games during his short but sweet tenure as a Premier League boss.

Therefore, when Skubala was trusted to take the reigns at Leeds he will have known that something ended to change, although that doesn’t always need to be something elaborate and over the top.

Instead, it appears as though Skubala has gone the other direction and made things a lot simpler and more straightforward for his group of players according to Hay.

The Latest: Tactics now simpler for Leeds players

While speaking on The Phil Hay Show the Athletic journalist has admitted Skubala wants his players to understand all of his instructions having made it very simple for them to follow tactics on the training ground.

He said: (29:00) “I’ve been asking quite a lot about what’s Skubala’s doing and what way is he approaching this and everything that’s getting said seems to be simplification.

“I mean Marsch didn’t have the same training week that Bielsa did, Bielsa’s training weeks were hugely intense and never really eased off, never really a gap and never really a break and long analysis sessions and for a long time worked effectively.

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“Marsch’s weeks tended to be a lot more structured that two days before a game it would be fairly low-key, fairly gentle to let the player’s legs recover a bit more, some sessions were purely on set pieces and the analysis wasn’t as in-depth or as longwinded as some of Bielsa’s.

“It sounds like Skubala has simplified all of that again, it’s not the case of doing the bare minimum as in tossing it off, it’s a case of I think trying not to overcomplicate things with the players and trying to make it as basic and simple a plan and a stay as possible so that ideally it works as quickly as possible.”

The Verdict: Season-defining period for Leeds

It will be interesting to see how the Leeds players respond from a more simple approach to tactics and instructions as they may well take it as an insult to their intelligence and ability or may well feel this benefits given the situation they find themselves in.

While fans may well be happy with Skubala in charge given he picked up a point against Manchester United, it’s one thing getting results when there’s no pressure on you as an interim manager compared to when you’re the main man for the foreseeable future.

Skubala will certainly feel the pressure this weekend as he takes his Leeds side to face an Everton outfit that won their last home game against Arsenal, so his tactical nouse will certainly be tested against Sean Dyche.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe may well be looking to strengthen his midfield ranks this summer, with recent reports having claimed that the Magpies are showing an interest in Sporting Lisbon starlet Manuel Ugarte.

According to Portuguese outlet Record (via Sport Witness), the Tynesiders are believed to have made contact regarding a possible move for the 21-year-old, with the Uruguayan said to be on the club’s ‘summer menu’.

The report added that, while the youngster would be open to signing a new contract with the Lisbon outfit – after arriving from Famalicao just 18 months ago – he is not said to be keen on an increase to his current €60m (£54m) release clause.

That could well allow the chance for the Tynesiders to pounce ahead of next season, with the “midfield machine” – as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig – having caught the eye as a result of his standout displays both in Europe and domestically of late.

The hope would be that the six-cap maestro could look to emulate the impact of his former Sporting team-mate and fellow defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha in the Premier League, with the latter currently thriving following his £17m move to Fulham last summer.

The towering 27-year-old leads the way in the English top flight for tackles made (98) so far this season, having been described as a “bargain” by NBC journalist Joe Prince-Wright and “one of the signings of the season” by Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir.

As Fulham manager Marco Silva put it, the 6 foot 3 ace has been a simply “gigantic” addition for the west London outfit so far, having been an integral part of a team which is firmly in the mix for European qualification.

That success seemingly bodes well as far as Newcastle’s pursuit of Ugarte is concerned, with the Uruguayan also something of a “warrior” in the middle of the park, according to Kulig.

Like his former Sporting colleague, the 21-year-old is a true master at winning back possession, averaging 3.5 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game from his 18 league outings this season, while Palhinha has averaged 4.7 and 1.3 for those same two metrics respectively.

The two players are also commanding and dominant figures in the air, as the Portuguese maestro has won 62% of his aerial duels in the current campaign, while Ugarte has won 63% of his for Ruben Amorim’s side.

The latter’s quality has also been evident in the Champions League this term as he has averaged 4.8 tackles per game from his six group stage appearances, the best record of any player in the competition so far.

With Newcastle seemingly crying out for a midfield destroyer alongside Bruno Guimaraes, turning to the Sporting ace could well be a transformational signing, much like Palhinha has been at Craven Cottage.

West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a big injury blow ahead of their FA Cup replay against Chesterfield on Tuesday night, with striker Karlan Grant ruled out.

Carlos Corberan’s side narrowly avoided a huge cup upset in the third-round fixture at the Technique Stadium earlier this month, with Brandon Thomas-Asante’s late equaliser meaning the two sides will face off again at the Hawthorns this evening.

The Baggies will already be without the former Salford City striker after he picked up a retrospective three-match ban for violent conduct in the initial fixture against the Spireites.

With the in-form Daryl Dike likely to be rested due to his long-standing injury concerns, Corberan would have hoped to have called upon Grant, who has struggled for game time in the Championship this season but starred against the National League outfit, providing a goal and an assist in the 3-3 draw.

However, it has now been confirmed that the former Huddersfield man will miss the game after picking up a quad injury, which is terrible timing for Corberan given the lack of other strikers available, and means that he could be forced to call upon some of West Brom’s academy forwards as he looks to avoid a huge upset against the non-league side.

Although Grant has managed just one Championship start under Corberan and has only scored three times in the second tier this season, he can still be a dangerous forward on his day and his performance against Chesterfield emphasised that he is still willing to put a shift in, even against non-league opposition.

Therefore, Tuesday night would have represented another excellent chance for him to show Corberan what he can do, with the Baggies’ depth in attack likely to be vital to any promotion push this season.

Grant has proven himself to be a “valuable” player for West Brom – in the words of pundit Colin Murray – in the past, notching 18 goals and six assists last season.

Therefore, it is undoubtedly a big blow for Corberan that the £15m frontman won’t be available for the game against Chesterfield and the Spanish manager will surely be hoping that he is back to full fitness as soon as possible, as he could still have a big role to play in supporting and competing with Dike and Thomas-Asante this season.

The Athletic journalist David Ornstein has revealed that Arsenal have activated the option to extend the contract of William Saliba until June 2024.

The Lowdown: Contract talks

It has been reported that the Gunners are in talks with Saliba over a new contract at the Emirates Stadium.

The France international is is thought to be earning just £40,000-per-week and is one of the lowest-paid players in the squad, despite him being a Mikel Arteta this season.

The Latest: Extension activated

Taking to Twitter on Friday night, Ornstein revealed that the North London club have activated an option to extend Saliba’s contract until 2024, with talks continuing over a fresh new deal:

“Arsenal have activated option to extend William Saliba contract until June 2024. Existing terms were due to end June 2023 & deadline to trigger extra 12 months was Dec 31. Arsenal did so in recent days. Talks continue over fresh deal.”

The Verdict: Significant update

The fact that Arsenal have extended Saliba’s deal by another year is significant in terms of their hopes of tying him down to a new long-term contract.

The 21-year-old has been a standout player in the Gunners’ title charge, ranking highly among his team-mates for average tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks per game in the Premier League, even chipping in with two goals and one assist from centre-back (WhoScored).

Given his relatively low wages compared to the rest of the squad, Saliba is thoroughly deserving of an improved deal, and the North Londoners will want to make sure that they can tie him down for the long haul as soon as possible, amid reported interest from PSG.

Liverpool have long-term been linked with an ambitious move for Kylian Mbappe and now a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to Spanish news outlet SPORT, Liverpool are considering a move for the Paris Saint-Germain and France superstar.

As per the report, Mbappe could be set to tell PSG that he wants to leave when he returns to the club in the coming days and Liverpool have been named as one of the Premier League clubs interested in signing the outstanding forward with Manchester United and Chelsea also named as interested parties.

It could be bye-bye Salah

There is no doubt that Jurgen Klopp would warmly welcome Mbappe and his incredible output at Anfield, however, there would be a huge price to pay to secure his services.

The £175m-rated forward – who was hailed “unstoppable” by Malik Ofori – would be an expensive asset to obtain and would blow Premier League transfer records out of the water if he was to make a move to Merseyside, although there may be one way to meet the financial commitment in another way.

Mohammed Salah was linked with a move to PSG ahead of his long-awaited contract extension in the summer and could ultimately be the bargaining chip in Liverpool’s pursuit of Mbappe.

That would be no bad move as far as Liverpool are concerned, as despite the Egyptian’s 14 goals this term, he is now 30 years of age and is losing his sell on value quickly.

Thus, there is a perfect excuse for Julian Ward and co to finally bring an end to his time in Liverpool, with Mbappe very much looking like a perfect replacement and fit for Klopp’s team.

The Frenchman will have barely recovered from his unbelievable performances at the World Cup in Qatar over the last month and despite a disappointing climax in the final against Argentina, the player can be proud of his individual performances that ultimately delivered his nation hope until the very end.

Over seven World Cup appearances, Mbappe – who was dubbed a “work of art” by Rodolfo Landeros – scored eight goals, registered two assists and created two big chances during a rich vein of form.

Furthermore, he averaged 1.6 key passes, 4.4 shots on goal, 3.6 successful dribbles and won 4.7 duels per game, as well as picking up the Golden Boot at the prestigious international tournament.

Not only that, the 24-year-old ranks in the top 1% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for non-penalty goals, shots on goal, assists, touches, dribbles completed and progressive passes received, further demonstrating that he is one of the best players in football right now.

Indeed, it would be a massively ambitious move and one that would shock the world of football if Mbappe was to make the switch to Anfield in 2023 and it would certainly put Liverpool in contention for bigger and better things once again.

With that being said, if Liverpool could secure the signing of Mbappe it is undoubted that he would help the club achieve even more under Klopp’s reign.

Liverpool have been considered the front-runner to sign Jude Bellingham over the coming months ahead and now there has been a new update on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to the head of football at SPORT BILD Christian Falk, Liverpool are now in “advanced” talks for the Borussia Dortmund and England midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Falk tweeted:

“TRUE. Liverpool are favorites to sign Jude Bellingham (19) from BVB next Summer. Talks are more advanced than with Real Madrid. The family of Bellingham prefers the transfer to LFC.”

It’d be a big coup

There is no doubt that the signing of Bellingham would be a major coup for Liverpool and the news that the club are in advanced talks with the player’s family preferring a move to Merseyside will surely excite the Anfield faithful.

Indeed, there has been a lot of upheaval and uncertainty at the club over the last few months with FSG reportedly ready to sell the club and Julian Ward resigning from his position as the sporting director just six months into his role.

However, this opportunity to sign Bellingham could be monumental for the club in their pursuit of improving performances on the pitch and rebuilding their ageing personnel in the centre of the park.

James Milner, Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson are all well into their 30s and in the latter stages of their career, so adding some youthful and energetic players could be a huge boost for the Reds.

Bellingham has had an incredible start to his career after leaving Birmingham City to join Dortmund, tallying up 112 appearances, scoring 19 goals and registering 21 assists so far.

Not only that, the £129m-valued ace – who was dubbed “powerful” and a “superstar” by Roy Keane – has been a standout performer at the World Cup in Qatar for England.

Over four appearances, Bellingham has been one of the tournaments very best players, dominating his opponents on a regular basis.

He has scored one goal, a lovely header in England’s thrashing over Iran, delivered one assist and tallied up a 93% pass completion rate.

He has averaged 1.3 key passes, one interception, 2.8 tackles, 1.5 successful dribbles and 6.5 duels won per game, proving to be a remarkable all-round asset for Gareth Southgate.

With that being said, the signing of the talented midfielder could be the turning point for Liverpool’s midfield and would provide the Reds with a huge talent for many years ahead. Indeed, it would be a seismic coup if the club were to land one of the best young players on the continent.

Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in Alessandro Bastoni is still very much open, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano…

What’s the word?

The Italian journalist recently provided an update surrounding the Inter Milan centre-back to GIVEMESPORT, with reports suggesting that manager Antonio Conte is in the market for a new defender.

“At the moment, nothing is going on between Tottenham and Inter or Tottenham and Bastoni’s agents, so it’s still an open situation,” he said.

Earlier this week, InterLive.it suggested that the north London side were still keen on the 23-year-old and were one of several Premier League teams keen to submit around €50m (£43m) for his signature.

Conte dream

Given Conte’s history with Bastoni, he would surely be something of a dream signing for the 53-year-old head coach.

The pair secured I Nerazzurri’s first Serie A title in over a decade back in 2020/21 and the young titan started 33 of their 38 matches.

He looked to have featured in an Eric Dier-type role as the main ball player of the three as he registered a squad-high 4.6 long balls per game and did so with an eye-catching pass success rate of 90.5%, as per WhoScored.

A repeat of such form in N17 would see him currently top the Spurs squad across the board when compared to players that have started at least 80% of their Premier League games this term.

Bastoni offers more than just an outlet from the back as his defensive attributes have seen him earn comparisons to the likes of Leonardo Bonucci and Alessandro Nesta, whilst Italian football expert Conor Clancy once described the 6 foot 3 colossus as a “phenomenon” to Football FanCast.

Also lauded as a “complete” “dominant” and a “tenacious tackler” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Bastoni would be an ideal fit at Tottenham as Conte has brought the same system to north London and he, alongside someone like Cristian Romero, could be a backline for many years to come.

As such, sporting director Fabio Paratici must look to bring Bastoni to Spurs in January. There surely won’t be a signing that the manager would want more.

AND in other news, Paratici could sign the next Ozil at Spurs in “special” 17y/o who’ll “be a world star”…

Transfer expert Dean Jones has shared that Sevilla feel that they have a ‘good chance’ of signing Everton target Ben Brereton Diaz in the January window.

The Lowdown: Sevilla in pole

It was reported earlier this month that Sevilla are in ‘pole position’ to sign Brereton Diaz in January, with his current deal at Blackburn Rovers in the summer.

He is thought to be ‘open’ to playing abroad, namely in Spain, but the Goodison Park outfit are still in the race for his signature.

The Latest: Jones update

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has shared that Sevilla feel that they have a ‘good chance’ of signing Brereton Diaz, despite the Merseyside club’s interest:

“If Brereton Diaz goes into the Premier League, then I think they’ve (Everton) got as good a chance as anybody.

“But the thing I’m still told to look out for, with Brereton Diaz, is that Sevilla want him, and he is aware of that. They feel they’ve got a good chance of signing him.”

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The Verdict: Do not rule Everton outWhile Sevilla may feel like they are favourites for Brereton Diaz, they are currently in a bad place, sitting in the bottom half of the La Liga table.The prospect of playing in the Premier League may encourage the striker to make the move to the Toffees instead, although Sevilla could still offer him UEFA Europa League football if they come third in their Champions League group.Hailed as a ‘beast’ by former Rovers boss Tony Mowbray, Brereton Diaz scored a very impressive 22 goals in the Championship last season, and already had eight to his name in this term before today’s trip to Hull City (Transfermarkt).Nonetheless, the Chile international is clearly ready to make the step up to the top flight, but it will be interesting to see if he ends up choosing Sevilla and Spanish football.

West Bromwich Albion, following their sensational 2-0 victory on Saturday, could soon be set to name their new manager…

What’s the latest?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Ron Gourley is considering a highly-rated up-and-coming coach.

Having impressed whilst at Plymouth Argyle, Steven Schumacher could be the man set to make the step up to Championship football.

With it being exactly a week since Steve Bruce’s dismissal, plenty of names have been in circulation regarding the vacant manager spot.

The report names plenty of them, with Roy Keane, Chris Wilder, Leam Richardson, Gary Rowett and Carlos Corberan all mentioned.

He can be a huge success

It is clear that with the vast majority of the names aforementioned, the Baggies are planning to take the club in a new direction.

That direction would be progressive, fresh, and hopefully possessing a plan to build for the long term.

Given his age, Schumacher instantly fits this bill.

Not to mention he already has the experience and incredible recommendations from the EFL, having nearly taken the Pilgrims to playoff glory last season.

However, he has started this campaign looking to bypass the playoffs completely as his side sits top of the league having lost just twice. They already have established a four-point gap from second place, and are twelve points clear of seventh.

He is a tactically adept manager who admitted to admiring and changing his shape in the image of the MK Dons side that thrashed them on the final day of last season. His claim supports this, and also belies a humble manager willing to alter his principles for the benefit of his team: “I think it is important to be adaptable”.

It is this kind of adaptability, combined with his philosophy that prioritises “better data analysis” and “better recruitment processes” that underline his talents as a manager.

He is current and uses his knowledge of the modern game to great effect.

Perhaps this is exactly the kind of manager West Brom needs, especially following the often-archaic principles of the previous tenure.

Also, he would be walking into an impressive side who have featured in the 3-4-3 formation that he likes to employ.

It would mark a big step up for Schumacher, but the 38-year-old has already proven with Plymouth that he deserves to be given recognition for his performances. His fresh thinking could be perfect for the Midlands club, who are crying out for something new to freshen them up.

Manchester United make their long-awaited return to Premier League action away to rivals Manchester City this afternoon, with Erik ten Hag’s side looking to pick up where they left off prior to the recent international break.

Following a miserable start to the season under the new manager – with dismal defeats to both Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford – the Dutchman has inspired a real revival for the Red Devils since then, with four straight victories in the top flight.

The club’s most recent league outing – which came four weeks ago – saw United run out 3-1 winners over table-toppers, Arsenal at Old Trafford, with Ten Hag proving his big game credentials having already overcome long-time foes Liverpool a few weeks earlier.

A key figure in this recent turnaround has been summer arrival, Christian Eriksen, with the 30-year-old already proving a real astute piece of business having been signed on a free transfer after a brief stint with the Bees last term.

Just over a year on from suffering a life-threatening cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark at Euro 2020, the playmaker is currently earning rave reviews from both pundits, supporters and teammates alike, having sparkled in a deeper midfield role of late.

The £150k-per-week menace has notably been lauded by club legend Paul Scholes for his “intelligence” and forward-thinking nature in the centre of the park, while midfield colleague Bruno Fernandes has also praised the former Tottenham Hotspur man’s impact on his own game, stating that he makes life “easier” for the Portugal international.

He scores goals galore! Pay homage to one of his best with this amazing t-shirt! Click here to buy…

The £19.8m-rated gem will head into today’s derby clash at the Etihad having also showcased his unerring quality on the international stage, after netting an outrageous long-range strike in the defeat to Croatia last week, before again catching the eye in the win over France on Sunday.

That latter display saw the “absolute genius” – as dubbed by Statman Dave – at his very best as he simply ran the show against Didier Deschamps’ side, providing a staggering eight key passes including a delightful, searching ball to tee up Andreas Skov Olsen, only for the promising forward to subsequently spurn the gilt-edged opening.

Such creative brilliance will be needed against a City side who twice breezed to victory over United last season, although Eriksen has previously proven his knack for terrorising the champions, having been something of a nemesis for the Cityzens during his spell at Spurs.

The dynamic Dane has repeatedly proven the difference maker against today’s opponents over the years, having netted five times and laid on six assists in just 16 meetings across all competitions – only providing more goal contributions (13) against Swansea City of all his career opponents.

A notable triumph over the Manchester outfit for the north Londoners back in February 2016 saw the 117-cap sensation net a late winner to clinch victory against Manuel Pellegrini’s side, with a repeat of such heroics this afternoon likely to go down well with his current employers.

For all the likely talk of Cristiano Ronaldo and the aforementioned Fernandes, et al, providing the decisive blow in attack, it would be no surprise to see Eriksen making the telling impact as Ten Hag’s undoubted underdogs look to see off Pep Guardiola’s imperious outfit on the road.