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Sergio Ramos is the latest blockbuster defender being linked with improving the shaky Manchester United defence this summer, and even though Louis van Gaal marched the wounded red side of Manchester back into the Champions League, it’s clear that new defensive recruits are the Dutchman’s priority.

World Cup winner Mats Hummels and Valencia hard man Nicolas Otamendi are other exciting names to have been made it onto United’s radar, however, little has been made of the two contract extensions given to their current crop of centre halves – England internationals Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. Often criticised and (Jones particularly) the subject of many a meme, Van Gaal has seen fit to extend their spells at Old Trafford.

Smalling is a man plucked from relative obscurity. The former Fulham defender cut his teeth with non-league outfit Maidstone before Sir Alex Ferguson fought off competition from Arsenal to sign the defender. Despite making almost 150 appearances for the club, he’s often been viewed as clumsy and error prone. Following the derby day defeat to Manchester City back in November, Smalling was branded “stupid” by van Gaal. His rash challenges in the defeat has summed up his United career until that date up perfectly – frustrating and seemingly out of his depth.

As the season progressed and Man United improved, so did Smalling. The hesitant almost languid looking defender we had seen dismissed at the Etihad had matured into arguably Manchester United’s best centre-back. His marshalling of Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett against Arsenal’s feather footed technicians gave us a glimpse into what Smalling could grow to be. Goals against Burnley and Manchester City (redemption?) proved he could also be a viable asset at the other end of the pitch.

Smalling seems to have proved his worth ahead of, arguably, the Red Devils’ most important season to date. Back in the big time, it is imperative Smalling continues his development against the best strikers in Europe.

Who knows, could Chris Smalling be the defensive rock England build their assault on EURO 2016 around?

Jones, on the other hand, is perhaps tainted by Sir Alex’s famous “he could be our best ever player” gaffe. Jones’ career simply hasn’t followed the upward trajectory mapped out for him by the famous old Scot. The gurning, galloping enforcer has been shifted around the backline for both club and country, even making appearances in midfield. Whatever position he’s played in, it is hard to truly argue he has done much to justify his £17m transfer fee.

Still, Jones is a Premier League winner and a fully-fledged England international. It would seem silly of United to let him go right now, but it appears unless he improves in a Chris Smalling type fashion (and how many Utd fans ever thought they would hear those words?), this will be his last contract at the club.

Even Van Gaal’s comments upon the renewal seemed to hint at a last chance saloon. Describing the former Blackburn man as a “relatively young defender”, it seems the window of opportunity for Jones is closing. Despite signing the new deal, the ‘relatively’ young defender must age quickly as United press on, or he’ll be left behind like some sort footballing Peter Pan. Jones cannot be young forever, as much as we would all like to be, and his improvement must be tangible.

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The cynic would say his new deal is much more of a contingency plan than a reward.  Should he be allowed to leave and indeed fulfil the potential Sir Alex saw in him somewhere else, United would again look like fools. If, however, we do not see a marked improvement from Jones, he may not even finish his recently signed contract at the club.

This tale of two centre halves has the potential to be a rousing success for both club and country. Though not the finished article, Smalling has shown it is possible to flourish at a big club amid criticism.  It’s time for Jones to follow, or face being left behind as Manchester United enter a new era.

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It’s so easy in England to downplay the foreigners, largely because there isn’t a big enough campaign in this country for journalists to properly report what goes on in Europe.

I most certainly wasn’t the only person to feel nothing but disdain for Martin Samuel’s piece on Manuel Pellegrini last week. But like so many other instances over this past season, it just highlighted how willing England-based football journalists are to ‘mailing in’ anything remotely related to the European product.

The basis of the article was that Manchester City were making the wrong approach in looking to Pellegrini as their next manager and that Manchester United had got it right with David Moyes. Take whatever you want from that. But isn’t this something that people like Arsene Wenger have long fought against, the idea of looking past someone’s passport and rightly acknowledging and rewarding them for their talent and ability? That’s one thing, but the fact that Martin Samuel’s argument was built on stories which were completely false is hugely infuriating.

The problem here is that no one outside of regular viewers of La Liga really said anything about this. In fact, Gary Neville endorsed the article as “a good piece.” The Sky Sports pundit has got a lot right since he took over his current position in 2011, but surely he has enough sense to see that the whole argument in that piece is asinine at best.

And it’s not a matter of hacking away at those who have a different opinion to the one you hold, it’s purely about offering respect and courtesy where it’s due, and, of course, reporting the truth. Apparently Pellegrini is a failure because he couldn’t guide Real Madrid to the Spanish title after spending over £200 million.

Here’s the thing: anyone with half a mind would know that football works slightly differently in Spain than it does in England. Adding to that, most should be aware, especially journalists, that Real Madrid and Barcelona make their transfer decisions largely without the consent of the manager.

At the time, Pellegrini was brought in to oversee Florentino Perez’s latest Galactico movement. It most definitely did not mean that he had a say in the purchase of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Kaka and Xabi Alonso. By that account, something which is the truth, Pellegrini did not fail after “spending £200 million.” Why is it I know that and one of England’s most respected football writers doesn’t?

Pellegrini, for those who fancied watching the Champions League after all the English teams had been knocked out, had only gone on to enhance his reputation in the game following Malaga’s exploits in the competition. In their maiden season, the comparably small club waltzed past AC Milan, Porto, Zenit and came within minutes of beating Borussia Dortmund. Domestically, Malaga were outstanding for much of the campaign. They beat Real Madrid 3-2 at La Rosaleda. They held a spot in the top four all season until the bubble sadly burst following their Champions League exit. The Chilean manager was forced to relinquish his hold on some of his star players last summer and during the winter window. In response, he made Isco the star of the show, brought forward a number of the fringe or youth players and was hugely rewarded by their desire to not let him down.

Why wasn’t all that in the Daily Mail piece? Why wasn’t there a deserving nod and applause for Pellegrini’s achievements with Villarreal, not only in taking them to second place in La Liga and to the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Champions League, but also the level and quality of football he brought to El Madrigal? Oh wait, Samuel did mention something about Villarreal, but it was more condemnation than applause.

Is it worth laughing at the questioning from the article as to whether Pellegrini could get Wigan playing as well as Roberto Martinez did? Samuel attempted to add weight to all of this by implying that Martinez was deserving of the Manchester City job over Pellegrini. Well there are facts that challenge Martin Samuel’s opinions and distorted view of even the recent history. For starters, Pellegrini never allowed any of his Spanish teams to face relegation from the top flight. Pellegrini didn’t allow any of his sides to perform to their maximum for only two months of a league campaign, and then wrongly receive praise for making some kind of great escape. Could he do better than Martinez at Wigan? Pellegrini took over at Malaga midway through the 2010-11 season, where only the season prior they had avoided relegation, and guided them to an 11th place finish. In his first full season, Malaga finished fourth.

Samuel goes on, “Pellegrini served his apprenticeship beyond our gaze, so all we have is received information.” Good lord, shouldn’t journalists of national newspapers take it upon themselves to investigate these things? After all, it does fall into the job description. This old boy’s network of journalism is absolutely disgraceful. Not only do they attempt to belittle anyone who tries to make it in the industry via modern methods, they persist with the medieval notion that the world is far too big to be explored.

Our best teams compete in the Champions League every season, playing as far as away Russia. The Premier League draws players from all over the world, from Africa, the Far East and South America. These are the journalists who talk up the Premier League as the greatest spectacle in all of sports, despite the fact that it isn’t, and likely enjoy the fact that the English product has a global reach. Why is all of that accepted and used in the sales pitch but something as simple as checking a few facts from abroad to support an argument is seen as beneath them?

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It’s absolutely pathetic that journalists who only seem to follow the Premier League have already made their mind up about Pellegrini. Again, it’s distorted views of history. Isn’t it players and managers from abroad who have helped to shape the Premier League to what it is today? Arsene Wenger, Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jose Mourinho. English journalists wouldn’t say no to Pep Guardiola, would they? He’s a man who only put together his reputation at Barcelona, a team consisting of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Well surely that doesn’t count because a baby could have managed that Barcelona team. Apparently.

The reason Pellegrini might come in and take one of the big jobs in the Premier League over his English counterparts is because he’s better. No conspiracies, nothing funny or underhanded about any of it. He’s simply better. The article which tried to argue that is nothing but disgraceful.

When Liverpool invested in taking Brendan Rodgers from Swansea this summer and appointing him as their new manager, they were investing in a new vision for the club. But the process of developing that vision and Rodgers ideology for the football club, demands that principal owner John W. Henry and the Fenway Sports Group continue to back and invest in their new man.

Because the status of the club and the realities of this league demand that Liverpool cannot continue to regress anymore. Rodgers had to be backed to the hilt; now was not the time to verge on the side of caution or hesitate in making the decisions that the Ulsterman requested. Otherwise the changes made in getting rid of Kenny Dalglish were made redundant.

But the stark reality is that FSG have fallen short in the support of their new man and new project. Yes, investment has been made this summer and supporters weren’t oblivious to the fiscal responsibilities that have come with the last 18 months of spending. But in failing to acquire a new striker for Brendan Rodgers, the club have left the job half done. Time will tell quite how serious the implications of this will be. But the lack of depth up front has the capacity to spell big trouble for the red half of Merseyside.

As this summer’s transfer window progressed, it felt as if Liverpool were assembling a squad with real balance but more importantly, in the shape of the man that they’d brought in to take the club.

The £15 acquisition of Joe Allen from Swansea has still left a handful of supporters dubious, especially after the vast sums spent on the likes of Stewart Downing. But Allen has looked to settle well, he fits the new style but most importantly, he was Rodgers number one transfer target. The club recognized how much their new man valued Allen as an integral cog in the machine and they backed him up by getting the deal done.

Similarly, Fabio Borini was a player that Rodgers has worked with before and clearly values highly enough to demand that the owners shell out near on £10million for him. A player that is young, technically astute and versatile, he fits the Rodgers mould that FSG invested in acquiring.

But this is where progress seems to have to come to a grinding halt for Rodgers in the transfer market. Snapping up the exquisitely talented Nuri Sahin from Real Madrid on loan was a wonderful bit of opportunism that has boosted the squad, but perhaps not where it was in the most need of boosting. Liverpool were in desperate need of bringing in another frontman by the end of the transfer window. The future of Andy Carroll was always up in the air but both his and the departures of more unconventional front men in Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy left the Rodgers with only two conventional strikers.

And quite remarkably, the status quo remained as the transfer window slammed shut. Liverpool’s ranks of recognized frontmen currently consists of both Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini, a player who himself, is a newcomer to Premier League football. For however talented the pair may be, Liverpool have begun the new league campaign with an alarmingly weak frontline. Even if Rodgers’ 4-3-3 system is extremely fluid and interchangeable, a long term injury to Suarez in particular, could prove terminal for any goals they wish to achieve this season.

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But the fact is, it simply should never have got to this stage at Anfield.  In particular when Rodgers’ principal target was ex-Fulham, and painfully now Tottenham Hotspur striker, Clint Dempsey. The American offered not only real quality, as his 23 goals demonstrated last season, but amazing value. Fulham reportedly wanted around £5million plus for the 29-year-old. Astonishingly, this was apparently too much for the Liverpool board to contemplate, and a counter £3million was reportedly their return offer. Unsurprisingly, this was rejected and Dempsey subsequently joined Tottenham Hotspur on deadline day.

In his open letter to the club, John W. Henry stopped short of addressing the Dempsey issue directly, but he gave a relatively unsubtle hint to exactly how he felt about it.

The 62-year-old said:

“Spending is not merely about buying talent. Our ambitions do not lie in cementing a mid-table place with expensive, short-term quick fixes that will only contribute for a couple of years.”

It’s hard to argue with the overall merits of Henry’s admirable ideology but he seems to be naïve to the process in how you go about achieving this. Just throwing Rodgers in with his 4-3-3 and ensuring all the players have average age of the squad is nice and low doesn’t mean anything. For starters, age is only a number and all great squads have ben built with at least some bedrock of experience. Turning your nose up at a striker who’s got 17 goals in the league when you’ve only got two recognised frontmen on the basis he’s 29 isn’t smart. In fact to put it mildly, it’s pretty foolish indeed.

Supporters understand that the wage bill at Anfield after a culture of paying high money for questionably quality, had to be slashed. But not backing Rodgers on Dempsey, just because he had a low re-sale value, is an unbelievably poor showing of judgement. Although in terms of quality, finance and ambition, Manchester United’s purchase of Robin van Persie isn’t on the same plateau as Liverpool’s pursuit of Dempsey. But at the end of the day, they made a purchase, regardless of age, that they thought could drastically improve the prospects of the squad. For the price that Dempsey was available for, there are no excuses for Henry and the FSG.

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But perhaps far more poignantly, the club haven’t just let Rodgers down but they’ve in some respects, displayed a public lack of faith in the ex-Swansea man. Of course, their intentions to run the club sustainably suggest that there isn’t anything deeply cynical about this. But when they invested in his vision for the club, they were trusting him with taking Liverpool forward. Why back him with £25million but then baulk at paying £5million-odd for Dempsey?

Rodgers has got off to a difficult start at Anfield but similarly to Andre Villas-Boas’ fate at Tottenham Hotspur, he has been let down by a higher figure of authority. Fans need to see through that and back him to the hilt; an away fixture to Sunderland followed by a home game against Manchester United suggest that patience may have to be a virtue in the coming weeks.

How do you feel about Liverpool’s faliure to attain Clint Dempsey? Were they right to stick true to their principals given his age or is it a serious error of judgement? Let me know what you think on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus and bat me your views. 

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As reported by The Times, Manchester United are interested in signing Fulham teenager Ryan Sessegnon this summer.

What’s the story?

As Jose Mourinho continues his rebuilding process at Old Trafford, it’s expected to be another busy transfer window at the Red Devils this summer. The Portuguese is looking to build the next great generation of trophy winners at the club, but can he secure the necessary talent?

One name on Man United’s radar is Fulham stand-out Ryan Sessegnon, according to The Times.

The paper reckon that United have been monitoring the teenager all season and will look to convince him his future lies in Manchester after his exceptional season in the second-tier.

Rated at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, can they get a summer deal for the left-sided prospect?

Would he be a good signing?

Although Sessegnon is just 17, he’s already showing enough ability and consistency in his game to be regarded a Premier League calibre talent.

With 15 goals and 6 assists playing in a variety positions for Fulham this season, he’s demonstrated the potential he holds and the interest from big clubs like Manchester United is not surprising at all.

Whether at left-back or left-wing he has a future at Old Trafford and surrounded by better players and with elite coaching can fulfil that obvious potential and become the player he promises to be.

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He’s a player that the Red Devils should certainly be keeping an eye on this summer.

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It gets said every year but the coming summer window feels like a particularly important one for Arsenal. After ending the season on a run of 13 wins from their final 18 league fixtures, many expect them to launch their most viable title charge for almost a decade next year – providing they add a few more key components via the transfer market.

The majority of speculation has centred around a new goalkeeper and a powerful central midfielder, with Petr Cech and Morgan Schneiderlin emerging as the priority targets respectively, but in my opinion, finding something more than just Olivier Giroud up top is equally pivotal for Arsenal this summer if they intend to take next year’s Premier League crown. Here’s why.

From a tactical perspective, the France international is perfect for Arsenal. The height and power of his 6 foot 4 frame represents the physicality the Gunners desperately lack throughout the spine of their starting Xi and has been instrumental in bringing Arsenal’s supremely talented midfield into the game – especially against high quality opponents – over the last few seasons. Likewise, his deft flick-ons and intricate one-twos are a key part of Arsenal’s build-up play; one ponders how the north Londoners would fare with a less technically adept, less tiki-taka friendly striker leading their line.

Yet, the fundamental requirement of any centre-forward – scoring goals regularly – is where Giroud leaves a lot to be desired.

41 goals in 97 appearances is by no means a poor return by Premier League standards, almost one-in-two spread fairly evenly across his three campaigns, but an interesting and important trend has emerged over the last few seasons in the English top flight.

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Since 2009, not one club has lifted the Premier League title without their top goalscorer netting twenty times or more. Even Diego Costa, despite missing twelve games through injury, managed to hit the 20 mark this season as Chelsea claimed the crown. Giroud, on the other hand, has never scored more than 16 during a single Premier League campaign – and that was during his busiest to date, where the Frenchman made 36 appearances.

Of course, there will be anomalies to this rule. Arsenal had 15 different goal scorers in the Premier League this season, ranging from top scorer Alexis Sanchez to midfield enforcer Mathieu Flamini, the most of any club in the division and only five shy of Manchester United’s record-breaking 20 during the 2012/13 campaign. So in theory, Giroud’s goals can be made up elsewhere in the team as the Gunners hone in on next term’s title.

But it was evident enough during Arsenal’s recent barren run, which saw them go three games and 56 shots without a goal; the 28 year-old lacks the predatory anticipation of a natural poacher and the ability to create his own scoring opportunities from nothing, in the same manner as Chelsea’s Diego Costa or Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero. He lacks that spark of ingenuity, that level of passion and drive.

Whilst the former is essentially a one-man counter-attack and the latter has the bizarre knack of bullishly willing the ball into the net, shoulder-barging, elbowing, tricking and tackling his way through defences singlehanded, Giroud requires consistent service and usually a few decent, well-worked chances to convert. In a nutshell, the 28 year-old too dependent upon the performances of those around him to ever be a genuine match-winner.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the Frenchman needs replacing outright, flogged for loose change this summer as the Gunners find a more prolific successor. But if not an upgrade, then variety is clearly required. Danny Welbeck offers something a little different and Arsene Wenger has talked up Theo Walcott as a centre-forward in recent weeks, but in my opinion both lack the consistency to man the line for extended periods – as the former proved earlier this year during Giroud’s absence through injury.

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Arsenal need a strike-force. A proper one, that isn’t simply Giroud and two converted wingers. Take a look at the embarrassment of riches at Manchester City or Manchester United’s trio of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez during Sir Alex Ferguson’s ultimate season. As aforementioned, what the Gunners lack most is a natural poacher who can convert opportunities of his own incarnation. Someone like Porto’s Jackson Martinez or Sevilla’s Carlos Bacca, speedy, powerful and instinctive strikers who always threaten the space behind opposition defences, would be ideal.

But with other positions taking priority and Wenger’s faith in Giroud seemingly unconditional – not to mention the likes of Yaya Sanogo and Joel Campbell lurking in the background – the prevailing concern is that the issue of an improved strike-force will be put on the backburner for another season. Although a goalkeeper and a physical midfielder are both important additions, my ultimate question is this; does Giroud score enough to win Arsenal a title? Based on his first three seasons with the Gunners, no.

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The prospect of Tottenham Hotspur making an approach for a Real Madrid player will make some wholly uneasy given the speculation that’s surrounded Gareth Bale’s future in regards to a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

But within this morning’s recent reports that the club are monitoring the hazy future of Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain at the club, the sheer stardust of this particular rumour has led many in the white half of north London to stand up and take notice.

Following the Metro’s lead, quotes attributed to Madrid general manager Jose Angel Sanchez have suggested that the 25-year-old may well be on his way out of the club this summer.

“In a great club like Real, we believe we need two number nines of a high level,” he said.

“We have Benzema and Higuain, Higuain will leave, Benzema will stay and two others will come.”

With rumours suggesting a highly controversial £50million swoop for cross-city rivals’ Atletico Madrid’s star asset Radamel Falcao already in agreement, there is a school of thought that should Real look to bring in the Colombian, either Higuain or Karim Benzema must look to make way, Judging by Sanchez’s recent sentiments, the omens most certainly don’t look too good for Higuain.

With Spurs in desperate need of a new striker at White Hart Lane and with their rather mysterious ‘partnership agreement’ with Real yet to be tested, a potential switch to N17 may not be quite as far fetched as some may think.

While competition would sure to be fierce for the former-River Plate man’s signature, although any potential deal may well hinge on the club’s ability to secure Champions League football, make no mistake about it; this is the calibre of player that Tottenham should be looking to bring to the club.

It’s around this time of year that the transfer rumour mill really begins to kick into gear and along with it usually arises the annual debate upon Daniel Levy’s transfer policy at the club.

Although the club’s steady rise to prominence owes a lot more than simply the Essex-born businessman’s steely and often cutthroat approach to business, the general consensus is that for however begrudging some of the more painful deals have been over the years, that Levy’s way usually tends to be the right one.

Yet in recent times, while supporters are mindful of the limited resources the club have to play with and for the need to run a tight financial ship in regards to getting their Northumberland Development Project off the ground, there have been frustrations aimed primarily at the ambition of the club over the last two windows.

Marquee names don’t always equate to guaranteed success, but with Villas-Boas’ craving the likes of Joao Moutinho, Willian and Leandro Damiao at the club, Spurs’ failure to make a deal stick for any of the aforementioned has given off a series of mixed signals for some.

In the case of both Moutinho and Damiao, third-party issues most certainly played their part. But the decision to leave both deals until deadline day in two consecutive windows left some quarters questioning Levy’s commitment to the deals.

The money was of course subsequently invested elsewhere and for as much as fans would have loved to see Moutinho grace the White Hart Lane pitch; Mousa Dembele has hardly proved a bungling failure. Indeed, the Belgian’s success is living evidence that throwing inflated amounts of money at a problem isn’t necessarily the only way to solve it.

Yet although no one could guarantee the success of a Joao Moutinho or any other foreign import into this league for that matter, the Portuguese represents the standard of player whom truly belongs at the very top level. And if that’s the level in which Spurs wish to achieve, then this is the sort of player they need to be looking to purchase.

Does this mean that Levy should start sanctioning £20million deals left, right and center in order to achieve the club’s goals? Not by any stretch of the imagination, no. But for as astute as Tottenham must be run from a financial means, the bids for both Moutinho and Damiao certainly suggest the money is there should the right player come along. And this summer, with the club in such dire need of a centre forward, if that warchest truly does exist, then now is the time to wheel it out.

Given QPR’s recent relegation, although competition would again be fierce, Spurs could well be the frontrunners to secure the services of one Loic Remy.

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With a cut-price deal surely beckoning, the Frenchman’s recent run of five goals in ten starts suggest he has what it takes to cut it in this league and given his price and at 26, potential capacity to recoup money in a resale, he is the archetypal Levy signing.

But while he may prove a decent bit of business, Remy hasn’t won a premier European title before. Nor has he proven himself in the Champions League over a number of seasons, as he also doesn’t boast over a century of goals for one of the world’s biggest football clubs. Gonzalo Higuain however, is a man that fills all of the aforementioned criteria.

Again, this isn’t to say that the Argentine would be the answer to all of Spurs’ problems, that he isn’t without weaknesses or that he’d even necessarily be a shoo-in to join the club.

But if Tottenham really want to craft a side capable of qualifying for the Champions League every season and dare you say even push on further, signing Higuain is far more in line with their ambitions then snapping up Remy this summer. Quite whether Levy hands Villas-Boas the tools on a plateau with his targets however, remains to be seen.

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Leeds United will look to pick up their second successive Championship win, and just their fourth of 2018, when they face fellow mid-table side Norwich City in the penultimate league game of their season at Carrow Road on Saturday.

The Whites have endured tough few months but while they have little to play for in terms of promotion or relegation in the final weeks of the campaign, they will be determined to finish on a high in order to build some momentum for the 2018/19 season.

They certainly did that last weekend when they beat Yorkshire rivals Barnsley 2-1 at Elland Road, with goals in either half from left-back Tom Pearce and winger Ezgjan Alioski securing the three points for the hosts.

Paul Heckingbottom may have only succeeded Thomas Christiansen in February, but his long-term position certainly hasn’t been guaranteed considering that results haven’t improved greatly, and he will know that his side need to finish the season well to ensure that he leads the team out next term.

The 40-year-old stuck with a 4-2-3-1 system against the Tykes but brought Pontus Jansson and Samu Saiz into the XI following the 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa previously, and he may be considering making more alterations against the Canaries as he looks to decide which squad members will be with him going forward.

Here is how Leeds must line up when they travel to Norwich, ahead of Bailey Peacock-Farrell in goal…

With Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas injured and Gaetano Berardi suspended, Heckingbottom had something of a conundrum at right-back against Barnsley.

However, with Pontus Jansson fit to start he decided to move Matthew Pennington from the centre of the defence to the right, and he certainly did a good job given he was blasted by fans on Twitter for his Aston Villa performance.

With Tom Pearce getting on the score-sheet he has to start at left-back, but Heckingbottom should bring captain Liam Cooper back into the XI for the trip to Carrow Road in place of 20-year-old Paudie O’Connor, to see if he really does have the quality to be in the team regularly next term.

With January addition Adam Forshaw only fit enough for the substitutes’ bench after injury, Heckingbottom went with a central midfield duo of Kalvin Phillips and Ronaldo Vieira against the Tykes.

It would certainly be a surprise if the former Middlesbrough man doesn’t return to the XI against Norwich however, considering he has been their most in-form player in the middle of the park in the last couple of months.

In that case, one of Phillips or Vieira would need to drop out, and the 40-year-old boss should look to take the former out given he has been struggling for form for much of the campaign.

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Heckingbottom brought Samu Saiz back into the starting XI in place of Caleb Ekuban against the Tykes, with the latter appearing to be suffering from a real lack of confidence in front of goal.

Being taken out of the limelight should have done him the world of good, and given Saiz threw something of a tantrum when he was substituted off in the 84th minute, he should be left on the bench at Carrow Road with Ekuban back in the XI.

That change would see Kemar Roofe drop back into an attacking midfield role, alongside Ezgjan Alioski and Pablo Hernandez, whom Leeds fans were delighted to see sign a new two-year deal on Thursday.

Do you agree, Whites fans? Let us know below.

Benik Afobe has hit out at Arsenal by claiming that he feels he could have made it at the Emirates Stadium and that he’s feeling “unstoppable” now he’s at Wolves.

The 22-year-old striker has notched a staggering 31 goals this term during a loan spell with MK Dons (19) and in his time at the Molineux (12) – he sealed a permanent move to the Midlands over the winter.

Afobe’s tally puts him one ahead of Spurs sensation Harry Kane, while suggesting that he does indeed have the talent many suggested he possessed while with the Gunners.

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Although he’s had to drop down the Football League ladder to find game time and justify his reputation, the pacey forward believes that he could have succeeded at Arsenal if he was given the chances he needed:

“I had self-belief [at Arsenal] but when you play week in, week out you’re going to get more confidence – it’s a different type of confidence – it’s one to know you’re unstoppable,” he is quoted by Goal.

“It doesn’t matter what league I’m playing in I’m going to score. It’s the mentality you’ve got to change to be a top goalscorer and I’ve realised that.

“All the top goalscorers who score week in, week out like [Lionel] Messi and [Sergio] Aguero, they believe they are going to score before they’ve had a chance and that’s the only difference between a top goalscorer and an average striker.

“I wanted 30 goals. I got to 30 and now I want to keep scoring, I want to get to 35. People have asked ‘what’s my favourite goal?’ I always say ‘the next one’.”

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Afobe made only a handful of outings for Arsenal, spending much of his north London career out on loan with the likes of Huddersfield, Reading, Bolton, Sheffield Wednesday and MK Dons.

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Jurgen Klopp says Dortmund aren’t satisfied with just reaching the Champions League final and hope to cause another upset at Wembley.

The BVB coach watched his team hang on for the final few minutes of the second leg of their semi-final with Real Madrid after two late Los Blancos goals.

Despite Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos giving Real a 2-0 win on the night it wasn’t enough to overturn Dortmund’s 4-1 lead from the first leg as they booked their place in the final.

Dortmund have endured a tough road back to the top of European football since winning the Champions League in 1997, with financial issues blighting the club’s progress.

Klopp is now looking to complete the club’s recovery by claiming another European title but admits his players are likely to be up against it in the final against Barcelona or, more likely, Bayern Munich.

“Wembley will be one of the greatest moments in our lives,” Klopp said. “But, whichever team we meet, we will not be the favourite.

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“In Wembley everyone will see we are not going to be satisfied with just being a finalist.”

If you want to watch the other Champions League semi-final between Barcelona and Bayern Munich tonight click here

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Visitors take 10 points to virtually confirm safety going into final round of Championship season

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Sep-2025Essex 325 for 5 (Allison 98, Pepper 54*) drew with WarwickshireEssex virtually secured their Rothesay County Championship Division One status as their match with Warwickshire ended in a rain-ruined draw at Edgbaston. No play was possible due to rain on the final day, meaning that three of the four days were completely blank.Essex collected ten points from the draw, putting them pretty much safe from relegation as two of the teams below them – Yorkshire and Durham – meet in next week’s final round of games. It would now take an extraordinary combination of results and bonus points to drag Essex through the trapdoor with Worcestershire.It was a sodden and sorry scene at Edgbaston as Warwickshire’s home season came to an anti-climatic close. After high winds prevented play on the first day and rain did so on the third, persistent drizzle overnight and on the fourth morning again left conditions unplayable. Essex were denied the chance to resume from the 325 for 5 that they build on the second day.Tom Westley’s side at least took a solid ten points from the draw – a more productive return than from the drawn encounter between these teams in their inaugural Championship meeting at Edgbaston in 1895. After three days of hard work and effort, the points gained from that game, in which, incidentally 21 players made their Championship debuts, were Warwickshire 0 Essex 0.