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Leeds United showed huge faith in Jesse Marsch over his one-year stay at Elland Road, backing him with vigour in both transfer windows with which he took charge.

His summer spending welcomed seven new faces, whilst he was also allowed to break the club-record fee on two separate occasions.

However, despite all this overhaul, the American still saw fit to leave the left-back position unimproved despite it being a marked area of concern.

It did not take Marcelo Bielsa long to realise the error of his ways with the Junior Firpo deal, yet Marsch saw fit to persist with the former Barcelona defender as the only senior player who could naturally fulfil that role. The fact that Pascal Struijk has played there at all should speak volumes for the belief held in the 26-year-old.

Despite that, it might actually be a smart move to revert back to a starting side that allows the Dutchman to play in that unfamiliar role, as he will at the very least add defensive security to Javi Gracia's more pragmatic philosophy as they seek top-flight safety.

Why was Pascal Struijk playing at left-back?

The main reason behind Marsch's decision to start Struijk in that role came down to the defensive deficiencies of Firpo, who had been branded a "liability" by journalist David Anderson who had let his team down.

The 6.70 average rating of the £60k-per-week dud marks a huge improvement on his recent seasons, and yet even that is dwarfed by the 6.90 of his potential usurper from this campaign.

Not only this, but the presence of the natural centre-back alone is enough to command far more respect from within the dressing room, as captain Liam Cooper outlined: "Pascal has absolutely everything to be one of the best centre-backs out there, he really has. He’s unbelievable on the ball, he’s strong, good in the air. I always knew. We all know now. His improvement speaks for itself.”

Whilst this faith might be placed in the hulking defender fitting in the centre of a back four, he has already shown how he can do the job on the flank at least until safety is hopefully assured.

To put it bluntly, Struijk has played at left-back because Firpo has been deemed not good enough. His 6.60 rating from last campaign is still clearly fresh in the mind, and despite the occasional impressive display, he remains as such.

Should Gracia desire solidity, this personnel change is a no-brainer. Indeed, it could well ensure their survival.

Craig Hope doesn’t believe Joe Willock will start on Sunday but has admitted there are mixed noises coming out of Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Eddie Howe has some tough decisions to make

Newcastle are heading into their biggest game of the season and modern history on Sunday with a relatively clean bill of health with the likes of Willock back fit and also Bruno Guimaraes returning from his three-game suspension.

While that will be good news for fans and Eddie Howe, it does indeed leave the Toon boss with a selection dilemma over who to start between Willock or Allan Saint-Maximin impressed last time out against Liverpool hitting the bar.

Willock has started 20 league games this season but has not played since he limped off against Bournemouth on February 2nd he may well be rusty and not worth the risk on Sunday at Wembley.

The Latest: Willock’s starting spot is still unclear

Hope has admitted on the True Faith podcast that he doesn’t believe Willock will start, however, after speaking to Sky Sports’ Keith Downie the midfielder could still get the nod from Howe.

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He said: (43:20) “I was talking to Keith [Downie] today as well with the word being Willock is going to be available. I think he will put Willock on the bench but Keith thinks he’s going to put him in.”

The Verdict: Could be a match-defining decision

If Howe decides to start Saint-Maximin on the huge stage this weekend then that could well be what defines the game because if he’s on form and raring to go he’d give Manchester United players a nightmare all game and could pin them back.

However, if he decided to not turn up and struggles to get into the game and make an impact then it would very easily leave the Magpies exposed at the back having to carry someone who’s not performing.

Therefore, the sensible and safe option would be for Howe to revert back to a tried and tested lineup that consists of Willock, Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff in the middle with Joelinton on the left

A claim has emerged on Sunderland and one of their failed pursuits of a new striker to add to their squad during the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Hamburg centre-forward Andras Nemeth has confirmed that he rejected the chance to make the move to the Stadium of Light in favour of plying his trade in the second tier of German football – joining his current club for a fee in the region of €750k (£669k) from Genk.

Speaking to HSV24, the youngster said: “With Sunderland it was very concrete. But I made the decision to come to Hamburg because I think the project here is better for me and my development.”

The Sunderland Echo claimed that the forward was a ‘key target’ for the club as the gem had been identified as a ‘future star’ after extensive scouting in the build-up to the window, but Kristjaan Speakman was unable to convince him to sign for Tony Mowbray’s side after talks.

January howler

Speakman endured a howler with this failed swoop for the Hungary international as the Black Cats chief seemingly did not do enough to tempt the attacker into rejecting Hamburg.

Nemeth’s comments suggest that the German side mapped out a better long-term vision for his development as a player with that an indication Sunderland did not do enough to convince him that moving to Wearside was the best move for his growth.

Therefore, the club’s sporting director could potentially have done a better job of selling the prospect of playing for Mowbray’s side in the years to come.

Their error in doing so has only been exacerbated because of the events that have played out since the turn of the year. Indeed, Joe Gelhardt, who joined on loan from Leeds last month, is the only senior striker option heading into the second half of the season.

Ross Stewart has been ruled out of the remainder of the Championship campaign and Ellis Simms was recalled by parent club Everton, to help with their battle against relegation from the Premier League, at the start of January.

Gelhardt has played less than 100 matches in his senior career and the Mackems are asking a lot of the talented youngster to be Mowbray’s only number nine between now and May.

Bringing in another talented youngster,  particularly one such as Nemeth, could have eased the burden on the Leeds loanee by adding to the club’s options in the final third.

The 20-year-old Hamburg striker, who talent scout Jacek Kulig once hailed as “complete”, has already scored his first goal in the second division in Germany, despite playing 12 minutes of football, after scoring three goals and providing one assist in four starts in the Pro League for Genk since the start of last season.

Nemeth, who has scored once in his solitary appearance for Hungary at senior level, is a promising young marksman who has shown that he has the potential – after also finding the back of the net eight times in 11 matches for his country at U21 level – to be a reliable goalscorer as his development continues.

Therefore, Sunderland may live to regret their failure to sign the talented gem, in the immediate future and the long term, with Speakman now potentially left to ponder what else he could have done to convince the 20-year-old.

West Ham have struggled immensely in front of goal so far this season and David Moyes will only make fans angrier in his revelation that the Hammers turned down the chance to sign Manchester City star Julian Alvarez.

Moyes’ side are currently languishing in the relegation places in the Premier League after some woeful recent form, with the likes of Gianluca Scamacca, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio all failing to fire, with just seven league goals between them.

After reaching the Europa League semi-final last season, while also securing Europa Conference League football, the Hammers’ eye-catching summer additions of Nayef Aguerd, Lucas Paqueta and Scamacca seemed to be setting the club on an upwards trajectory.

However, Moyes is now a man under serious pressure as his side continues to struggle in the Premier League and he will undoubtedly be wishing that he had signed Alvarez, especially after his superb performances at the World Cup with Argentina.

The 22-year-old would hit four goals for Lionel Scaloni’s side as they triumphed in Qatar, while he also has seven Manchester City goals to his name since his arrival from River Plate in the summer.

Moyes recently confirmed that he turned down the chance to sign the young forward when speaking on the Diary of a CEO podcast.

He said: “Just recently, because we’ve been talking about it, Alvarez who has just played for Argentina in the World Cup. I brought in a new scout who says ‘Look, you should go for Alvarez at River Plate’.

“I watched him and I thought he was a very good technician and done so many good things as a centre-forward. But I thought [he’s] maybe not quite the one we want, we had Michail Antonio who had been doing very well and I thought I don’t know.”

Considering only Wolves have scored fewer goals than the Hammers in the Premier League so far this campaign, it seems clear that the Hammers would have benefitted from a striker of Alvarez’s quality.

Lionel Messi sang his teammate’s praises after his displays at the World Cup, dubbing him “spectacular,” and given his reputation as one of the best to ever do it, there is little doubt that he would have been a success in Moyes’ side.

Therefore, this decision must go down as another Moyes disaster and unless the Scottish manager can turn things around, he may look towards his failure to sign Alvarez as one of many factors behind his potential sacking or a possible relegation.

Everton have found themselves struggling in the Premier League yet again this season and now Frank Lampard’s position at Goodison Park could be under serious pressure with a potential change of personnel being considered.

What’s the latest?

According to The Mirror, Everton are one of two Premier League clubs interested in snapping up former Burnley manager Sean Dyche to spearhead their survival opportunities in the top flight.

As per the report, Southampton joins the powers at Goodison in their interest of acquiring the services of Dyche as they also face a challenging relegation scrap over the second half of the season.

Moshiri can get Goodison rocking again

Farhad Moshiri has had a difficult relationship with the Everton supporters since he arrived on the blue side of Merseyside almost seven years ago and has become renowned for his frivolous spending, transfer disasters and a high turnover of managers with Lampard the sixth appointment.

The Toffees are currently 18th in the top flight after a run of poor form that has left the side facing another difficult relegation scrap at the bottom of the table over the second half of the season after collecting just 15 points from a possible 54.

Not only that, Everton crashed out of the FA Cup this week after losing to Manchester United at Old Trafford and a few months ago were knocked out by Bournemouth in the League Cup too, only adding to the pressure mounting on Lampard’s position at Goodison Park.

As a result, the appointment of Dyche at this crucial stage of Everton’s term could be season-defining, an appointment that gets fans back on side with the potential very much being there for a complete U-turn in the league and most importantly, retention of their Premier League status.

The 51-year-old manager – who was hailed “incredible” by Pep Guardiola – has been out of action since being sacked by Burnley after a decade at Turf Moor, building a squad and securing promotion to the Premier League where he established himself and his team in the top flight for six years before they were relegated back into the Championship at the end of the 2021/22 campaign without him.

Dyche was an expert at surviving in the top flight with league placements of 17th, tenth and 15th during his last three campaigns at the club, so his experience could be invaluable to the Merseysiders in their pursuit to not only survive but also thrive again in the future.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Moshiri gives Lampard an opportunity to turn things around at Goodison Park or brings in a new boss to offer a fresh perspective to their challenge. Either way, with Dyche’s experience at the bottom end of the table, Goodison Park could soon be rocking again if he is the desired appointment.

Manchester City ensured it was a winning return to Premier League action on Wednesday evening as they earned an impressive 3-1 win against Leeds United.

It took Pep Guardiola’s side until first-half stoppage time to finally best Illan Meslier, with Rodri on hand to tap the ball in after Riyad Mahrez’s shot was pushed into his path.

Erling Haaland then set the record for the quickest time to reach 20 Premier League goals with a second-half brace, first passing into an empty net after Jack Grealish’s square pass, before a tidy finish past Meslier for his second.

Although the hosts were threatening throughout, and did deny Ederson a clean sheet when Pascal Struijk headed in to make it 3-1, the Citizens were always comfortable once they took the lead and deservedly moved back into second place in the Premier League.

While Haaland will steal the limelight once again after continuing his phenomenal goalscoring in the city of his birth, it was arguably Rodri who was Guardiola’s best performer at Elland Road.

As per Sofascore, the Spanish midfielder would earn a superb 8.1 rating for his performance on Wednesday, with only the goalscoring Haaland (8.4) rated higher.

As well as scoring the opener, the former Atletico Madrid man would enjoy 106 touches of the ball, which was the third-most of any player, and he certainly utilised that possession well, contributing three key passes and registering an 89% success rate.

The 26-year-old titan also played his part from a defensive perspective, impressively contributing three tackles, one clearance, one interception and one block in the 90 minutes.

Considering he has averaged just one key pass, 2.1 tackles and 0.6 blocks per game in the Premier League so far this campaign, it is clear that he raised his game against Marsch’s side on Wednesday.

Gary Neville was full of praise for the Spain international in 2021 when selecting him in his Premier League team of the season so far on Sky Sports.

He said:

“I think Rodri has been absolutely incredible this year at City. He’s been absolutely amazing: underrated, underappreciated, someone who does the job week in, week out. The improvement in him is massive!”

It was yet another brilliant performance from Rodri at Elland Road and while he might go under the radar as a defensive midfielder, he should take the plaudits from Guardiola after playing his part in the win.

Newcastle United will once again be represented at the upcoming World Cup, with a handful of the Magpies’ key men set to take to the field for their respective countries in the hope of achieving eternal glory.

The in-form trio of Callum Wilson, Kieran Trippier and Nick Pope have all been named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, while centre-back menace Fabian Schar and midfield gem Bruno Guimaraes are set to link up with Switzerland and Brazil, respectively.

That stellar cast of talent will join a host of former Newcastle stars to have also featured on the global stage, with the Tynesiders having been blessed with an array of quality assets over the years.

With that in mind, it seems the ideal time to put your knowledge to the test regarding the club’s heroes – both past and present – who have featured previously at a World Cup, or are in line to do so in this latest edition.

To spice things up a bit, we’ll also be testing your transfer knowledge relating to those key assets – all you need to do is simply select the correct answer from the four choices available on each question below. Good Luck!

Pundit Tam McManus claims that Callum Wilson being picked in the England squad for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar would be ‘huge’ for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: In 55-man list

As per The Athletic, Wilson is on Gareth Southgate’s 55-man longlist for the upcoming tournament, which has to be cut down to 26 before it starts.

His last appearance for the Three Lions came in 2019, but his exceptional form this season, which has seen him score six goals and make two assists in nine games in the Premier League (Transfermarkt), means that he is in the conversation for a place on the plane.

The Latest: ‘Huge deal’

Speaking to Football Insider, McManus has claimed that it would be ‘massive’ for Wilson if he made the squad, and the 41-year-old added that it would also be a ‘huge deal’ for the Magpies:

“He should absolutely go to Qatar.

“He is in fantastic form, and he must have convinced Southgate with that performance against Villa. As a striker, what more can you do to convince a manager?

“I think Newcastle will want him to go. There is the risk he gets an injury and misses some of the second half of the season but Newcastle have other options. Isak is still coming back.

“The club will be supporting Callum, I’m sure of that. Just think what it would do for his confidence if he went to the World Cup and scored.

“It would be massive. If he goes, it’s not the end of the world for Newcastle. It would be a huge deal for the club on and off the pitch.”

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The Verdict: Deserved

Wilson deserves a place in the squad given his form so far this campaign and the fact that he has managed to keep himself largely constant injury problems throughout his career at St. James’ Park.

Only Harry Kane and Ivan Toney have scored more goals than him in the league in terms of English forwards, and only Kane is averaging more goals per 90 minutes.

His team-mates Nick Pope and Kieran Trippier will also be hoping to be on the plane alongside Wilson, which would be big for Eddie Howe’s side to have three representatives at the tournament.

Nonetheless, with Kane a certainty to go as England captain, there is a space left for his depute, and Wilson looks to be one of the strongest candidates to take that spot at the moment.

Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch has proven that he is willing to offer opportunities to young players from the academy in the Premier League.

He has handed first-team minutes to the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Sam Greenwood, and Joe Gelhardt as they have all played their part in the top-flight so far this season but they are not the only talented youngsters on the books at Thorp Arch.

One player who has caught the eye for the under-21 side this season is Northern Irish central midfielder Charlie Allen and he is someone Marsch could strike gold with.

The 18-year-old gem recently impressed in the EFL Trophy against Bolton in spite of the team losing the game 3-0. He was a shining light in the middle of the park as he won seven of his 12 duels and made five tackles, three interceptions, and two clearances, whilst also creating one chance – as per SofaScore.

Allen is an under-21 international for Northern Ireland and has been a regular in Leeds’ under-21’s since the start of last season – playing 32 matches at that level.

He is a central midfielder by trade but Jim Magilton previously hailed the gem’s versatility, saying:

“Charlie is one of those kids you can play anywhere and he’ll probably still be the best player on the pitch. He can play right back, central midfield, on either wing, at No10 or at centre forward.”

This indicates that he can play in a multitude of roles for Marsch in the Premier League, which could boost the teenager’s chances of making the step up to the first-team as there are a number of positions that he could fill in for – including in midfield.

Patrick Van Dort, who is the deputy sports editor for JPIMedia, also heaped praise on the youngster in the past. The reporter said:

“He doesn’t try to do too much, he doesn’t get flustered on the ball, speaking to team-mates they trust him.”Fans have compared him to [ex-Chelsea youngster] Billy Gilmour in terms of playing style, he’s got game intelligence and at first-team level for Linfield he’s been disciplined.”People say he’s a dream to coach, a good listener and ticks the boxes you’d expect of someone so highly rated.”These quotes suggest that he is someone Marsch would enjoy working with on the training pitch, as he is willing to learn and improve so that he can progress as a player.Therefore, the Leeds head coach could strike gold with Allen as he is a talented midfield enforcer with the scope to grow and develop over time. He has the mentality required to make it to the top and it is now down to him to prove that he has the quality to go alongside that, with his recent performance against Bolton indicating that he has the potential to do that.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ poor season has gone from bad to worse in recent weeks, with their 4-0 defeat to Leicester City at the weekend compounding their recent misery.

Sacking Bruno Lage after just one Premier League win following a 2-0 defeat to West Ham United at the start of the month hasn’t improved things.

Decisions made in the summer were arguably the key to this massive drop-off in form by the Wolves side. Allowing defenders Conor Coady and Romain Saiss to leave during the transfer window has contributed to their poor defensive record, which has seen them concede 19 goals in all competitions so far.

Lage might have still been in charge had a move materialised for Portuguese defender David Carmo, however, as the defender would very much have been a perfect heir to Coady.

Shi had a shocker on Carmo

Jeff Shi was keen on bringing the centre-back to Molineux according to O Jojo (via Birmingham Mail), with the player having a £34.3m release clause in his contract.

Despite Carmo missing large chunks of last season as he was recovering from an injury, he eventually sealed a move to fellow Portuguese side Porto and Wolves missed their chance.

In Braga’s Europa League run last time out, Carmo shone with an average SofaScore match rating of 7.14, winning 69% of his total duels and making a staggering 6.9 clearances per game.

He has extended this form into the current season, helping Porto keep three clean sheets in his six starts, while he has only been dribbled past 0.2 times per match.

His former manager Carlos Carvalhal was full of praise for the defender upon his return from injury last time out, saying: “He is a fantastic centre-back, one of the best in the country.” And with Wolves losing a host of central defenders during the window, signing Carmo would have improved this area of the team.

It certainly looks like the 23-year-old has made the better choice, choosing Champions League football and a title challenge for what is sure to be a long and arduous season for Wolves facing a relegation battle.

The Old Gold should have unearthed their perfect Coady heir in Carmo, but it was yet another Lage disaster class in the transfer market.