English Championship
‘He made us love football’ – Newcastle-linked manager raves about inspirational Marcelo Bielsa
Mauricio Pochettino has heaped praise on the Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa. The former Tottenham manager labelled Bielsa as an inspiration and also claimed that the Leeds boss made him and other young coaches fall in love with football. Bielsa also motivated Pochettino and the other coaches to follow his philosophy. Pochettino said (quotes via Sportwitness): “Bielsa was an inspiration. He made us love football, motivated us to be able to follow this path as coaches. It was that, an inspiration for many of us who were led by him.” The Leeds United manager is well respected around the world and Pochettino clearly thinks of him as a teacher. Pochettino is considered as one of the most talented young managers in Europe right now and it seems that he has learnt a lot from Bielsa in terms ...
Report: Leeds looking to bring in £12m-rated striker wanted by West Brom
Leeds are interested in signing a forward this summer and they are keeping tabs on Adolfo Gaich. According to Football Insider, the Whites have shortlisted the 21-year-old as a summer target and the player has a £12m release clause. Leeds are not the only ones chasing Gaich this summer. The player has attracted interest from West Brom as well. Furthermore, clubs from Italy and Spain are keen on the San Lorenzo player as well. Gaich is a talented young forward who could prove to be a quality long-term addition to Marcelo Bielsa’s team. The Argentine manager could bring out the best in him. Leeds will need more depth in the attacking positions if they manage to secure Premier League football for the next season. Gaich would add goals to the side and he would give Bielsa some much needed opti...
Kevin Phillips urges West Bromwich Albion to keep promising graduate amid widespread interest
In an interview with West Brom News, Kevin Phillips has urged West Bromwich Albion to convince Rayhaan Tulloch to stay put amid the interest from different clubs. The youngster has been hugely impressive for the reserve side this term and he has registered nine goals and four assists from just 14 appearances. However, he has yet to make an impact with the senior squad and has been restricted to only 32 minutes from his three outings in the FA Cup. With his contract expiring next month, it has recently been reported that Rangers, West Ham and Brighton could be in the running to sign him on a free transfer. On the contrary, the Baggies are also deemed to be confident of extending the youngster’s stay and Phillips believes that is the right thing to do with the promising teenager. “If you’ve ...
‘You can understand why’: Phil Hay responds on whether Leeds will move for 23 y/o this summer
With the Premier League restarting on June 17, surely it’s now only a matter of time before the EFL follows the same route and end the current season. Leeds United, who are leading the Championship table, are favorites to go through. And then, they need to plan for the transfer window as well. The Premier League is a step higher than where Leeds are at the moment, and even with Marcelo Bielsa at the helm, they need quality players in order to survive and do well. Recently Phil Hay was answering various questions from the fans on The Athletic’s Q/A session. The revered journalist was asked to give his opinion on whether the club would move for Che Adams in the summer. We all know, Adams was heavily linked with a move to Leeds during the January transfer window and at one point it felt ...
Phil Hay shares what Leeds and QSI have told him concerning takeover
Qatar Sports Investments have been linked with an interest in buying Leeds United since last year, and the cordial relationship between QSI chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani has continued to fuel speculations that a deal could be on the cards. The coronavirus pandemic hasn’t allowed negotiations to continue like they ought to, but they could resume with the English Championship expected to follow the Premier League in resuming its campaign next month. Leeds are top of the division and are huge favourites to seal top-flight promotion with nine games left, and the Elland Road club will definitely become more attractive to QSI if (more like when) that happens. A Leeds fan was keen to know how likely a sale is after promotion, and The Athletic’s Phil Hay shared the ...
Phil Hay claims ‘Leeds are looking at a Premier League keeper closely’ amid Hart links
According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, Leeds United are looking at a Premier League goalkeeper closely, with Kiko Casilla almost certain to leave. The Spaniard received an eight-game ban in February for allegedly racially abusing Charlton Athletic forward Jonathan Leko last September, and Illan Meslier will remain in goal for the rest of the Championship season if it resumes. Burnley’s Joe Hart has been linked with Leeds, but Hay hasn’t had any reliable confirmation of the claims. Given the Whites’ style of play, head coach Marcelo Bielsa will definitely be looking at a ball-playing goalie, and the Manchester City hero isn’t particularly brilliant with his feet. Leeds and Casilla will discuss at the end of the season, but he will definitely leave should Meslier keeps imp...
Report: Leeds looking to snap up highly rated Arsenal player, approach has been made
Leeds United are keen on signing the Arsenal starlet James Hillson this summer. As per Football Insider, the Championship outfit have already made their approach to sign the youngster. The 19-year-old is highly rated by the Gunners and they are looking to offer him a new deal. However, Hillson is not ready for first-team football at Arsenal yet and he will be loaned out next season. It will be interesting to see if the Whites can secure his services. Leeds need to add more depth to their goalkeeping department in the summer. Kiko Casilla has been quite inconsistent and he could be on his way out of Elland Road. Illan Meslier could replace the Spaniard next season. Meslier managed to impress during his loan spell with the Whites this season. Hillson is quite talented as well and it is no su...
9 goals and 11 assists this season: Leeds very keen on signing attacker this summer
Leeds United are interested in signing Cyle Larin this summer. The player has impressed during his loan spell at Zulte this season and he has 9 goals and 11 assists to his name so far. The Whites could use more attacking quality and Bielsa’s side are thought to be serious about signing the player as per reports (via Sportwitness) It will be interesting to see if Leeds can agree on a deal with Besiktas now. Apparently, the player could be signed for a fee of around €2.5m. Zulte have an option to sign him permanently for that price. If the Belgian outfit do not act soon, Leeds might get the chance to snap him up this summer. The reported valuation is quite reasonable as well and Leeds should be able to afford the player without any problems. Their finances are set for a boost if they can sec...
‘Hopefully he can find another club’ – Former Leeds star urges Bielsa to get rid of experienced ace
Former Whites star Noel Whelan thinks Leeds United should get rid of Kiko Casilla in the summer. The Spaniard has made quite a few costly errors since his move to Elland Road and it will be interesting to see what happens with him in the coming months. Whelan said to Football Insider: “After the allegations and the guilty charge of racism, even though it was a probability charge, I think the best scenario for player and club is that he leaves. “Leeds United are all for keeping racism out of the game. Hopefully he can find another club. “We have also seen too many mistakes from Kiko this season. I do not want to put a shadow over his time at Leeds because he has made some fantastic saves but his horrific decision making will probably be what he is remembered for, unfortunately. “He has made...
Report: West Ham keeping tabs on 27-yr-old, but face competition from Leeds United
Rangers ace Connor Goldson has been linked with a move to West Ham and Leeds this summer. As per Football Insider, both clubs are keeping tabs on the 27-year-old and they could make a move to sign the player in the coming weeks. David Moyes needs to improve his back four this summer and it is no surprise that he is looking at defenders. However, Goldson would be an underwhelming signing for the fans. He is good enough for Rangers but he is yet to show that he can succeed at the top level. West Ham should be looking at better players with their resources. Meanwhile, Leeds need a defensive signing as well if they fail to sign Ben White permanently. Goldson would be a decent addition for the Championship outfit but White is the better player. Bielsa must do everything in his power to sign Whi...
Phil Hay provides update on Leeds star who finds ER a ‘very difficult environment’ to play in
The next transfer window is going to be very interesting for Leeds United. If they secure promotion to the Premier League, which is very likely, their first job will be to tie down Marcelo Bielsa on a lucrative deal. After that, they need to sort out the futures of some of the key players, one way or the other. And Kiko Casilla finds himself in a situation where his future seems away from Elland Road next summer. The Spaniard, who was signed by Bielsa from Real Madrid, was the first-choice goalkeeper at the club before he was banned for eight games on grounds of racial abuse. He was allowed to visit his family in Spain. However, he has returned to the UK and will train like other players. According to Phil Hay of The Athletic, Casilla is “still in the picture” but he has six games of his s...
‘I’m certain of that’ – Phil Hay makes huge Bielsa claim as he delivers Berardi news
The Athletic’s Phil Hay has claimed that he is expecting head coach Marcelo Bielsa to swiftly renew his contract as it appears that the Argentine has found a second home in Yorkshire. He was left heartbroken after the Elland Road outfit failed to secure promotion last term, and there were doubts concerning his future at the club. However, Bielsa signed a new deal in the end, and with Premier League promotion on the horizon, a longer stay appears to be on the cards for him. The EFL announced yesterday that the season will be decided on a points-per-game basis if it is unable to be finished due to the coronavirus pandemic, and that will see Championship leaders Leeds secure top-flight promotion based on the current standings. “He’s planning for next season, as you’d expect, and in the same w...
