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Last week we discussed how Leeds United needed to do right by Jay-Roy Grot and find him a new club in January so that the 22-year-old doesn’t waste valuable time in his footballing career, but there has been something of a twist in Grot’s tale.

Indeed, the Dutchman was surprisingly included in Leeds’ 25-man Premier League squad, and while it could be argued that he’s just making up the numbers and that Leeds needed someone to fill that spot, it’s worth considering that neither Ouasim Bouy nor Conor Shaughnessy were included despite both being eligible and there being space in the squad.

Grot was included while Bouy and Shaughnessy were happily left out, so that may indicate that there’s a slight chance that he may get an opportunity in the Premier League, and it’s one he has to take.

It’s been speculated that he’d never get the chance to play under Bielsa, and while he wasn’t all that impressive during his time as a first-teamer at the club following his £1.44m move, we’ve seen this before.

Mateusz Klich was loaned out just six months after he joined Leeds, and it was speculated that his time at the club was over when he was sent out to Utrecht after just 10 games for the Whites, but here we are three years later and he’s one of United’s most important players.

Grot needs to undergo that same transformation, he was labelled as ‘lazy’ by Noel Whelan on BBC Radio Leeds (via Football Insider) during his last season with the club, and that sort of mindset and attitude simply won’t fly if he’s trying to impress Bielsa.

Either way, Grot’s inclusion in Leeds’ Premier League squad symbolises a light at the end of the tunnel that wasn’t there before, and it will be interesting to see if he gets a shot this season.

It is a big transfer window for Glasgow Rangers as they attempt mount a challenge for the Premiership title in 2020/21.

They will want to increase their strength in depth in all positions and former Aberdeen striker Noel Whelan believes that Kemar Roofe would be an ideal signing.

Speaking to Football Insider about the Anderlecht forward, Whelan said: “He’s very quick, very dynamic in and around the box, he can hold the ball up and he knows where the goal is.

“They would get him at a decent price and they’ll have the finances.

“Obviously they’ll have a certain amount of money they can spend, they can be outpriced by it but Anderlecht probably won’t get what they paid for Kemar.

“It hasn’t worked out for him and I think it could be time he does get a challenge and It could be a loan to buy situation that works for both clubs.”

Roofe has played 302 times in his career for various clubs including Oxford United and Leeds United and scored 96 goals whilst also providing 50 assists – this includes 24 goals and 16 assists for West Bromwich Albion under-23s, per Transfermarkt.

In the last few months, he has been in Belgium playing for Vincent Kompany’s Anderlecht, where he has played 16 times and tallied seven goals and three assists, per Transfermarkt. These stats show that wherever Roofe goes, he seems to have an eye for the net, but his lack of regular game-time in Belgium suggests that, like Whelan has said, the move hasn’t greatly worked out for him.

Still, it’s hard to disagree with Whelan about that this reported transfer target could be a good signing if the ‘Gers can secure him on a loan-to-buy deal, as they could then see if he would suit Scottish football without having  to risk splashing the cash on him in case the move did not work out.

What are your thoughts on Whelan’s comments about Roofe, ‘Gers fans? Let us know by commenting below!

Liverpool fans have made a shock discovery after watching the club’s recent documentary ‘The 30 Year Wait’.

The BBC aired a production highlighting the Merseyside club’s rise to success after three decades of patiently waiting. In the documentary, it reeled off Liverpool’s rich history and their lead up to their first ever Premier League title.

Along the way, it revealed that Jose Mourinho was once an option to become the new Reds manager.

As posted by @LFCTransferRoom, Liverpool were considering appointing the Portuguese coach before finally choosing Rafael Benitez to take the reins. The decision reportedly came down to the Spaniard being more down to earth and having more humility, which suited Liverpool more than Mourinho’s well-known hot-headedness on the sidelines.

Loads of Kopites have responded to this revelation and are shocked to learn that they were once considering bringing the current Spurs boss to Anfield. One fan has replied saying ‘I’m utterly disgusted’ as they try to imagine a man who has managed both Chelsea and Manchester United leading Liverpool Football Club.

Read more replies from the Twitter selection here:

Do you think Liverpool would have been successful under Jose Mourinho? Have your say in the comments below!

Manchester United have announced that Alexis Sanchez and Chris Smalling will finish the Serie A season on loan in Italy. 

The Red Devils had great expectations for Sanchez after they beat Manchester City to sign him from Arsenal in January 2018. Unfortunately, the Chilean turned out to be a total flop and he was shipped out to Inter Milan last summer.

Meanwhile, Smalling has impressed Roma boss Paulo Foncesca during his loan spell at the Stadio Olimpico, as he has made two interceptions per game, completed 4.7 clearances on average, scored row goals and provided one assist so far (WhoScored).

Although both deals were expected to expire at the end of June, the Serie A campaign has been rescheduled to conclude in August as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Manchester Evening News, both players are considered surplus to requirements at Old Trafford and will likely be on their way out of the door almost immediately after they return in August.

Recent reports have revealed that Roma plan to sign Smalling on loan with the obligation to buy him at the end of next season, which would make the move permanent, but spreads the payment over two years.

In the meantime, Sanchez has struggled with injury problems and a dramatic slump in form ever since he arrived at the Theatre of Dreams. He has reunited with his old teammates Ashley Young and Romelu Lukaku at Inter Milan and has been beset by multiple setbacks.

Although their futures will be assessed when they return to Old Trafford, it seems that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already made up his mind.

While the manager is a fan of Smalling, he cannot offer the defeder what he wants, as the England international seeks regular game-time to stand a chance of making Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 squad. The Norwegian has preferred Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof as his first-choice pairing and Eric Bailly would also be above him in the pecking order.

Similarly, Solskjaer has made it clear he wants to sign a new winger, with Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho at the top of his shortlist.

Therefore, it is highly likely that their days at Old Trafford are numbered, regardless of what happens over the next few weeks.

United fans, do you think Ed Woodward should sell Alexis Sanchez and Chris Smalling this summer? Let us know in the comments below!

Key Information about Madejski Stadium

Madejski Stadium was opened on 22 August 1998, replacing Reading Football Club’s previous home ground of Elm Park. The 24,161 all-seater capacity stadium is located in Reading, Berkshire and it is named after the club’s chairman Sir John Madejski.

The Madejski cost around £50m to construct and comprises four stands; the Eamonn Dolan Stand, the South Stand, the East Stand, and the West Stand.

A history of Madejski Stadium

Following the Taylor Report in 1990 which made all-seater stadiums compulsory in the top two divisions of English Football for the 1994-95 season, Reading became subject to the new requirements having been crowned champions of Division Two in 1994.

It was deemed to be impractical to convert Elm Park into an all-seater stadium, therefore construction began on the Madejski in 1997. The Royals began the 1998-99 season at their new home, and the ground was opened for the first time on 22 August 1998 when Luton Town were beaten 3-0 with Grant Brebner scoring the first-ever goal at the stadium.

Following the death of academy manager Eamonn Dolan in 2016, Reading announced that the North Stand would now be renamed as The Eamonn Dolan Stand. The stand has a capacity of almost 5,000 and it includes 25 spaces for wheelchairs also. The South Stand has a capacity of 4,350, whereas the East and West Stands have well over 7,000 seats each.

Readings early days playing at Madejski Stadium were not plain sailing by any means as they were spent in Division Two. Since 1999 however, the Royals have enjoyed many fortunes, winning promotion to Division One in 2002, and racing the Premier League in 2006 for the first time in history. Madejski Stadium hosted its first international game in September 1999, when England’s under-21 side took on Luxembourg in front of almost 20,000 fans. The Madejski also staged a Rugby League World Cup match back at the start of the millennium when New Zealand thrashed the Cook Islands in autumn.

Upon arrival to the Premier League in 2006, Reading often experienced sell-out crowds at the Madejski, and as a result, the club applied for planning permission to extend the ground to around 38,000 seats. Permission had been granted; however, plans were put on hold due to Readings relegation from the top flight in 2008, before being revived in 2012 when they made a return.

Having suffered relegation once again from the top tier in 2013, plans have been left untouched. The club’s record attendance of 24,184 apparently exceeded the stadium’s stated capacity somehow on 17 November 2012 during a Premier League game against Everton.

Tickets to Watch Reading at Madejski Stadium

Adult ticket prices range from £18-24 for members of the club, over-65s can go from £13, 18-24s from £10, under-17s from £5, and under-12s for just £2. Season tickets for adults are priced from £299 which equates to just £13 per game.

Related Links

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Reading FC

https://ticketing.readingfc.co.uk/ – Reading FC Ticket Office

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…

Dele Alli has to be a key member of England’s squad at Euro 2020 following his return to form at Tottenham Hotspur.

The attacking midfielder has been in excellent form since the arrival of Jose Mourinho as manager at Old Trafford.

He has scored three goals in three games, including a brace against AFC Bournemouth on Saturday, and has been praised by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate.

Indeed, Alli has not been included in either of the last two squads that the former Middlesbrough boss has named.

In that time, England have beaten Bulgaria twice, Kosovo twice, Montenegro and also lost to the Czech Republic. In those games, Southgate’s men have scored 27 goals and conceded just five.

They have also qualified for Euro 2020 and will face Croatia and the Czechs in their group plus one other team that could well be Scotland.

All seems well, then.

But they don’t have a player with the skillset that Alli possesses.

There a number of attacking midfielders who can play under Southgate, including Chelsea duo Mason Mount and Ross Barkley, Leicester City’s James Maddison and Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish, but none of them have the goalscoring power of the Spurs man.

Mount has never scored more than eight goals in senior football; Grealish’s highest tally is six and that came in the Championship; Maddison scored 14 in 2017/18 for Norwich City in the second-tier; Barkley’s highest tally is eight, coming in 2015/16.

Alli, by comparison, scored 10 in the Premier League in 15/16, then 18, nine and five.

There has been a notable dip there but he is already on four in seven games this season and his killer instincts make him a genuinely brilliant option for Southgate.

He has a heap of attacking talent at his disposal, with the likes of Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling and Callum Hudson-Odoi all available to be selected, and supplementing that with Alli would ensure that goals can come from every single position from central midfield onwards.

It is now on Alli to ensure that he keeps hitting the back of the net on a consistent basis but if he can do that, he has to be an integral member of Southgate’s Euro 2020 squad.

Meanwhile, one Spurs ace could thrive in a new role. 

Neil Taylor looked suspect for Aston Villa, despite their match against Liverpool ending in a resounding 5-0 victory.

On the chalkboard

Taylor has been unable to make his way past Matt Targett in the pecking order at left-back in recent times, with the former Southampton man starting every one of Villa’s last 11 league games.

The Wales international was given his opportunity to turn Dean Smith’s head in the Carabao Cup quarter-final, but it was the teenager he was up against, Harvey Elliott, who was making his mark on the game.

The 16-year-old made five key passes, looking a constant threat, while Taylor came across as a player who could be attacked with purpose. This is a worrying sign.

Watch Villa vs Norwich Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

Looking suspect

The 30-year-old didn’t make a single tackle during the game and also failed to win either of his two ground duels, while he ended up committing two fouls.

He did complete two clearances and one interception, but that was about it for his defensive contributions.

It may seem as though his defensive side wouldn’t be massively tested in a 5-0 win, but the scoreline is deceiving when it comes to measuring Liverpool’s threat, as they ended up forcing eight saves from Orjan Nyland.

On the ball, Taylor lost possession 15 times and was unable to find a teammate with either of his crosses, while completing 76% of his attempted passes.

Red Herring or Real Hero: Only hardcore Villa fans will get all of them right….

It perhaps offers an indication of his performance level that he was given a SofaScore rating of 6.8, which was the joint-lowest of any Villa starter, alongside Henri Lansbury.

No matter who was on the pitch for Liverpool, having comfortably made their way into the semi-final, this can be seen as a great evening for Aston Villa.

However, it is not so certain that Taylor’s performance can be looked upon with quite the same level of fondness.

In other news, FFC writers gave their opinion on whether Villa should move for their potential defensive reinforcement.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

In his column for The Daily Mail, Martin Keown has slammed Manchester United defender Phil Jones for his horror showing against Sheffield United.

What did he say?

The England international came into the starting line-up against the Blades on Sunday afternoon, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opted for a back-three. However, in a truly forgettable display that culminated with him being hooked at half-time, Jones was bullied off the ball by Lys Mousset which eventually led to the opening goal of the game.

And after seeing his performance, Keown slammed the defender for his role in the build-up to the goal, and also took aim at Solskjaer for his part in both selecting him and the way in which he changes his tactics for the clash.

He said: “His career has certainly not gone the way (Sir Alex) Ferguson hoped. Had the Scot been in charge on Sunday, you wonder whether he would have hauled him off after 15 minutes. Jones always looked problematic in that back line, then he was at fault for the opening goal. Instead of pumping the ball into row Z — like he should have done — he allowed Lys Mousset to take it off him.

“No defender should let that happen or even take the chance. Maybe there was a hint of a foul, but Jones needed to be more dominant, more assertive, more clever. I’m surprised Solskjaer opted for three at the back in the first place. Maybe he wanted to match up with the hosts, but it only created confusion. The man he shoehorned into the team made a mistake and it left United chasing the game.”

Inexplicable

Jones’ performance against Chris Wilder’s men at the weekend looked decidedly rusty. The 27-year-old has barely featured in the United first-team this season, making just four appearances across all competitions. And then, rather inexplicably, Solskjaer decided that he wanted to throw him in away against the Blades – a side that had already beaten fellow top-four contenders Arsenal 1-0.

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The likes of Axel Tuanzebe and Marcos Rojo have seemingly moved ahead of the former Blackburn man in the pecking order for a place at centre-back, and being substituted at half-time will certainly have done his long-term United career no favours. But perhaps the blame should squarely lay on the shoulders of the Red Devils’ boss, who decided to put him in the side in the first place.

Meanwhile, Manchester United star Marcus Rashford has delivered an ominous warning to the rest of the Premier League.

Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by Napoli in their penultimate Champions League group clash on Wednesday night, and Reds fans were left gushing over Fabian Ruiz’s performance for their opponents.

The point means that Jurgen Klopp’s men still need one more to guarantee their progress through to the round of 16, when they face RB Salzburg in Austria next month.

They are still top of the group above second-placed Napoli, for whom Ruiz impressed in the centre of the park at Anfield.

According to WhoScored, the Spaniard made one key pass and successfully completed two dribbles, while he made two tackles, four interceptions and one clearance from a defensive point of view for the visitors.

While you may have expected Kalidou Koulibaly and goalscorer Dries Mertens to hog the attention, the Liverpool supporters were actually impressed with what they saw from the 23-year-old instead, with one saying he “would be an awesome addition”.

Another urged Klopp to “sign him up”, with their comments suggesting they believe he is good enough to come in and compete with the likes of Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum for a central midfield spot.

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Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

In other Liverpool news, the image no Reds fans wanted to see against Napoli…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Charlton welcome high-flying Preston to The Valley this Sunday, where Alex Neil’s side have a number of impressive performers who have contributed to their excellent campaign so far.

Preston sit 2nd in the Championship, although the Addicks are just three points behind their opponents for this Sunday afternoon.

We have already detailed two Preston danger-men who Lee Bowyer should warn his side about, although there is another key battle that will take place.

What is it?

Charlton right-back Chris Solly will have a job on his hands this weekend to deal with Preston’s Sean Maguire.

The 25-year-old has scored three goals and recorded two assists in 12 Championship appearances so far this term, while taking 1.7 shots per game – Maguire also draws an eye-catching 2.3 fouls per game, suggesting that he is a tricky opponent for defenders to deal with.

Solly must keep a close eye on Maguire, but also be mindful of two things.

Maguire’s poor touch and ability to be dispossessed

The Irishman, as good a season as he has had so far, has two concerning traits that Solly must be mindful of, and also look to take advantage of this Sunday.

Firstly, Maguire is dispossessed 2.2 times per 90 minutes in the Championship, implying that Solly can get the ball off him with relative ease if he maintains his focus when one-on-one with the No.24 – WhoScored also has ‘holding onto the ball’ as one of the left-sided attacker’s weaknesses.

Secondly, Maguire registers a huge 3.3 unsuccessful touches per game this season, which again reinforces the fact that the Preston forward can be susceptible to losing the ball despite his impressive attacking statistics so far this term.

On both counts, Maguire ranks in the Championship’s top ten. So although attacking players will always lose the ball more as they look to take risks, clearly it’s a gap in the Preston star’s game.

Solly must bring his A-game in terms of defending against a player who has done well this season, although there are clear weaknesses for the experienced Charlton man to exploit.