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Former Leeds United midfielder Gary McAllister believes that the club’s fans will be hating the fact that Sheffield United have been so successful in the Premier League, per France Football via Sport Witness.

What’s he said?

The Whites continue to fight for promotion to the top-flight and are currently second in the Championship, four points behind leaders West Bromwich Albion.

Chris Wilder’s side, however, are seventh in the top-flight, just four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. They have lost just seven games all season, fewer than the Blues, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur.

The two clubs are not exactly fierce rivals – Leeds hate Man United more, while the Blades have a city rivalry with Sheffield Wednesday – but they are both based in Yorkshire and Wilder’s side obviously beat Marcelo Bielsa’s men to promotion last season.

And McAllister thinks that the majority of fans will be struggling with the fact that the Blades are doing so well since their promotion.

He said: “I don’t know if we realise the size of this club outside Yorkshire. United is the only club in town, which is extremely rare in England.

“They have to be first in the area, and they see Sheffield United going fantastically with Chris Wilder… it’s not easy to live through.

“But talk to the fans, they are still fully behind them, they believe in them like me.”

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Leeds Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

Nobody to blame but themselves

Leeds fully bottled promotion in the 2018/19 season.

With 42 games of the season played, promotion was in their hands.

Following their 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday, they were three points clear of Sheffield United in second. They were also just three points behind leaders Norwich City.

In their final four games, though, they took just one point, losing to Wigan Athletic, Brentford, and Ipswich Town, while drawing with Aston Villa.

Sheffield United, by comparison, went unbeaten, winning three and drawing one, while Norwich drew two and won two. Leeds ultimately ended the season with 83 points, six points behind the Blades and 11 behind Norwich.

That is a staggering fall from grace.

This season, at this point, they are second and appear well-set to finally climb back into the top-flight but they should use the rise of Wilder’s men as motivation.

It could well have been them if they had kept their act together.

Meanwhile, this could be Leeds’ XI against Middlesbrough!

It’s fair to say that Garry Monk’s job isn’t the most secure position in the country.The Sheffield Wednesday boss has overseen just two league wins in his previous 13 attempts, and as you can imagine, fans aren’t best pleased with this poor run of form.Indeed, supporters called for the manager’s head a couple of weeks ago after a pundit said it was too soon to consider his post, and results since that point haven’t done too much to alleviate the pressure he’s under.The Owls’ latest loss came on Saturday at the hands of Derby County in rather embarrassing fashion.The Yorkshire club were 3-0 down within half an hour, and their poor run was extended as the game finished 3-1.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Of course, Monk was asked about the club’s future, and he stated that it’s a big job that needs several transfer windows to sort out.

To be fair to the former Birmingham City manager, he may be right; this is an ageing squad, each of their four highest-ranking players in terms of WhoScored average rating are at least 29 years old, and the average age of the side is 27.5.

Changes are needed at the Steel City outfit, but Monk’s track record suggests he isn’t the man to bring them about.

The 40-year-old has never been one to rebuild a squad – his average term as a coach is just one year – and he doesn’t have the experience of creating a team in his vision, never lasting longer than two seasons at a club.

Monk may believe that Wednesday need a gaffer who can spend years moulding the squad, but he hasn’t proven to anyone that he’s capable of being that man.

Poor form combined with a lack of long-term experience in a job may have just seen Monk inadvertently dig his own grave at Hillsborough – there’s no evidence to suggest that he is the man to rebuild this squad, and recent results speak for themselves.

If Sheffield Wednesday’s hierarchy agrees with Monk’s view that a few more transfer windows are necessary to turn the team around, they also need to accept that a better-fitting manager is necessary too.

Inadvertently, Monk’s recent comments only highlight how poorly suited he is to what Wednesday really need.

In other news, Sheffield Wednesday’s summer priority should already be abundantly clear.

Leeds United are edging ever closer to the Premier League, but it also means that time is soon coming to an end for one player at Elland Road – if Phil Hay’s latest update is to be believed.

What’s he said?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are in a rich vein of form at the minute, winning each of their last five matches, which has seen them regain control of the top spot in the Championship.

During that run, they have managed to shut the opposition out in every outing, meaning they haven’t conceded in five even with the goalkeeper change and Ben White coming into midfield in the absence of Kalvin Phillips.

The Brighton loan star is clearly having a huge impact on the squad, but Hay’s response in a recent Q&A only spells trouble for Leeds this summer.

He said:

Increasingly unlikely

The ever-reliable Leeds correspondent suggested that the Seagulls are likely to keep hold of the 22-year-old, and ultimately, the west Yorkshire side are powerless in their pursuit of trying to keep him.

Call yourself a Leeds expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

He also reveals that other clubs are interested in him, so if he does enter the transfer market, Bielsa and Victor Orta will probably have to compete with some of the other heavyweights in the top-flight – even more so if Brighton and Leeds swap positions come May.

White has played in 40 matches this season for the Whites, helping them to a clean sheet in 18 of those games, per Transfermarkt.

Clearly, this will be a devastating blow irrespective of the division they are competing in, especially as there are lingering doubts over the fitness of Liam Cooper and the fact that there have been no talks with Gaetano Berardi over a new deal yet.

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It could leave Bielsa with one huge problem, but it’s on them for not following suit with similar deals like they have done with Helder Costa, Jack Harrison and Jean-Kevin Augustin.

And in other news, Our Verdict: Should Bielsa hand Ian Poveda a chance?

Whisper it quietly but Leeds United are edging towards the Premier League.

The culmination of 16 turbulent years of since their relegation in 2004 could be one of the most headline-making stories of the 2019/20 season, not only in England but across the continent.

There is so much at stake for both Leeds and Marcelo Bielsa’s legacy that failure, having fallen at the playoff hurdle last season, is seemingly not an option.

A run of five straight wins and clean sheets, with three 1-0 wins along the way, is exactly the type of form associated with potential promotion and title-winners, hinting that the foundations have been laid to get over the line.

Leicester City’s logic-defining 2015/16 title victory, for example, attests to that. Claudio Ranieri led the Foxes to five 1-0 wins from their final 12 matches. It is also interesting to note that a run of four straight 1-0 wins preceded an unbeaten six game streak to finish the season.

While that by no means suggests the Whites will follow a similar pattern it does indicate that those hard-fought victories, defined by defensive solidity and a touch of cold-blooded ruthlessness, can provide the squad with the mentality required to answer the toughest of questions when the stakes are truly at their zenith.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

And if they do succeed in their quest for top flight football, it could well enable the club to buck a transfer trend which has persisted since 2016.

Since the beginning of the 2015/16 season, Leeds have been powerless to prevent one of their outstanding players leaving for a top flight club.

In total the Yorkshire outfit have accumulated £45.5m from the sale of five different players, but the recurring trend does represent a notable roadblock for any side aiming to rise into a higher division.

With the exception of Chris Wood, all four of the players who have left Elland Road were young players filled with promise. Ronaldo Vieira may not have unanimously convinced the fans of his quality but that he has started 17 Serie A games for Sampdoria this season suggests he was a player who could have thrived given ample time and guidance.

The sale of Jack Clarke last summer, meanwhile, has generally been perceived as an astute piece of business by the club and that feeling has only been reinforced by his failure to make any type of impact either on his return to Elland Road or at Queens Park Rangers since his January move, with the teenager playing just 95 minutes of Championship football so far this season.

But regardless of the financial benefits of this trend, it’s far from ideal for a side who are perennially striving to earn promotion from a division many consider to be the most competitive and challenging in world football.

It remains to be seen whether the Whites can see the job through, but it’s impossible to escape the feeling that failure to do so could force Kalvin Phillips out of the exit door.

The midfield metronome, dubbed the Yorkshire Pirlo by supporters, is rising in stature and his form has raised discussion regarding a surprise England call-up.

Both Wolves and Sheffield United have been linked with moves for the 24-year-old and emerging interest suggests Leeds will be powerless to stop the Thorp Arch academy product from flying the nest if they remain in the second tier next season; recent history only adds a weight of legitimacy to that feeling.

The merits of promotion require little introduction, but with the promise of top flight football to offer their players, Leeds will be perfectly placed to keep their most coveted talents at the club and end an unwanted transfer pattern.

With Tottenham Hotspur’s season on hold, we’re delving into the potential decisions facing manager Jose Mourinho ahead of a season-defining summer.

Spurs look more than likely to miss out on Champions League football having crashed out of all cup competitions and sunk seven points adrift of the top four in the Premier League.

It means that the Portuguese boss is likely to have a decreased budget given the finances they’ll miss out on, that aside from Daniel Levy’s tight control of his wallet, too.

There are plenty of question marks amongst the squad, but none more so in defence where they appear set to lose Jan Vertonghen while Juan Foyth’s future is up in the air also.

While at right-back, Mourinho could be left with a dilemma – to stick or twist with what he’s got – Serge Aurier, who regularly gets hammered by fans or welcome back Kyle Walker-Peters from his loan spell, or maybe even test the transfer market.

Here’s the verdict from four writers at Football FanCast…

Viji Jeevathayalan

“To put into bluntly, starting Kyle Walker-Peters may be the lesser of two evils. Serge Aurier’s constant howlers and giving away of penalties makes him wholly unreliable for a Jose Mourinho defence, whilst it says it all that the north London side were willing to let Walker-Peters head out on loan too. The Lilywhites have got a serious problem at full-back, with neither really good enough to cut it at the very highest level. For all the focus on trying to get a new centre-forward what with the injuries to Harry Kane and Heung-min Son exposing their lack of options up front, getting a new right-back should be Levy’s priority. Spurs risk self-implosion next season by failing to address it as soon as they can.”

Harry Sherlock

“Walker-Peters just isn’t built for Premier League football. That he has never been able to dislodge Serge Aurier – who is, by all accounts, a bit rubbish – is a damning indictment on his talent. 

“Both Jose Mourinho and Mauricio Pochettino don’t really see anything in him, and one has to think that he will be moving on in the summer. 

“Of the two, Aurier has to start, but that points to the lack of depth in the position. 

“Reports have linked Spurs with a possible move for Norwich City’s Max Aarons when the transfer window reopens. 

“Get that deal done, bin Walker-Peters off, and keep Aurier on the bench. Job done.”

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James Beavis

“The fact that Kyle Walker-Peters isn’t even starting for Southampton following his loan move to St Mary’s says it all – he isn’t good enough for Spurs.

“The 22-year-old would have been hoping for regular playing time in the Premier League for the first time in his career when he linked up with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men in January, but it just hasn’t happened for him prior to the season being suspended.

“Indeed, in the previous two matches against West Ham United and Newcastle United, he saw James Ward-Prowse – a midfielder by trade – and Yan Valery – who hadn’t started since the 9-0 humiliation against Leicester City for various reasons – were selected ahead of him despite the fact he was fit enough to be named on the substitutes’ bench.

“Serge Aurier may have had his critics in the past, but he has shown in recent weeks especially that if he can improve a little defensively, he is miles ahead of his younger teammate.”

Lewis Blain

“Jose Mourinho’s hands will be somewhat tied this summer, especially if they fail to make up the ground to the European places, so it’ll be hard to imagine there’s much of an overhaul.

“Although, he needs to resolve his defence quickly as they rank as the joint-worst in the top ten of the Premier League. However, for a season an Aurier and Walker-Peters tandem should suffice as the Portuguese chief will need to prioritise the centre-back position with Vertonghen surely on his way out.

“There are even more needs than that too, such as finding Harry Kane a viable backup, something they have lacked in recent weeks.”

Obscure Footballers – Old School edition: Nobody can score more than 70% on this quiz…

And in other news, Spurs had a lucky escape with January target…

Roberto Firmino’s natural successor is out there for Liverpool to find: His name is Kai Havertz.

On the chalkboard

The Bayer Leverkusen star has been in electric form for the Bundesliga side this season and would be a shrewd acquisition by sporting director Michael Edwards.

The London Evening Standard’s Reds reporter, David Lynch, says that such a move is unlikely, though, given the figures involved.

Indeed, a separate Daily Mirror article claims that the German side will aim to receive upwards of £70m for their prized asset, who has scored 38 goals and registered 30 assists in 139 games for the club.

Per WhoScored, in the Bundesliga, he has made 22 appearances this season, scoring six goals and registering five assists. Offensively, he has averaged 1.6 shots per game, 2.3 key passes, 2.3 dribbles, and has a passing accuracy of 87.1%.

Defensively, his statistics are negligible but this is a player who can play in central midfield, attacking midfield, and on both flanks, offering the versatility craved by Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.

Comparing him with Firmino, too, is instructive. The Brazilian is significantly older than Havertz – 28 to 20 – but he also rose to prominence in the Bundesliga, playing for Hoffenheim.

This season, he has scored eight Premier League goals and registered seven assists. It should be noted, at this point, that those contributions have come across 29 games, compared to Havertz’s 22.

He also averages, per WhoScored, three shots per game, 1.3 key passes, and 1.7 dribbles, while he has a passing accuracy of 79.7%.

Havertz, already, outstrips him in most areas, and one has to assume that they would have a similar goal tally had they played the same amount of games.

Call yourself a Liverpool expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

Not many like him

Firmino has a unique skillset in that he is able to effectively link the midfield with the attack by dropping into pockets of space that opposition defenders often struggle to track.

He is the glue that holds the front three together, offering the poise to play difficult passes, but also the power to finish moves off and score goals himself.

Havertz does similar.

And this is why signing the German should be such a priority for the Reds.

To find a player who is cut from the same cloth as Firmino is rare enough but to find one who could potentially be his better is a different matter entirely.

Statistically, the 20-year-old is something of a freak; he will only get better, and he already looks on course to match the output of Liverpool’s current star.

It would be an expensive deal to do but Havertz is the successor to Firmino; Michael Edwards, the club’s sporting director, should pull out all the stops.

Meanwhile, Liverpool can finally offload this flop this summer!

Throughout the 1990s Rangers were the dominant force in Scottish football. Nine successive league titles was the prize for their efforts as a number of stars played their trade at Ibrox.

However, none were too bigger than Brian Laudrup, a Danish footballer who was unfortunately often overshadowed by his brother, Michael.

The latter played for Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid no less, earning 104 caps for his country. His sibling, on the other hand, played just over 80 times for Denmark – appearing for Bayern, Milan, Chelsea and Ajax in the process.

The two brothers were mesmeric on the field of play, terrifying opposition on a regular basis. It’s remarkable to think that Brian cost Rangers just £2.3m when he arrived in Glasgow.

Revealing later that he turned down a switch to Barcelona, it only added to the level of affinity he grew at Ibrox. As far as Rangers’ quest for nine in a row, something their rivals are now close to emulating, Laudrup was one of the pillars of the late stages.

The former Denmark international arrived in July 1994 as the 25-year-old joined a side who had already achieved six consecutive league crowns. Could the Gers go to the next level with him on their side? Of course they could.

Rangers’ website describes him as a technical wizard, one who was a sensational capture and “could elevate Rangers’ play to a higher level than previously seen.”

And indeed that was case.

In his time with the Light Blues, he made 151 appearances and scored 45 goals. Dividing that by the fee they paid, he cost a measly £51.1k per strike.

The number 11 was given a free role in Walter Smith’s XI and he made use of it, becoming an individual force just as great as his team.

After just one season Laudrup was named the Player of the Year by the Scottish FA and the Football Writers Association. Already that £2.3m price tag had basically paid itself – he scored ten times in 33 outings.

The midfielder was joined by Paul Gascoigne in the side next season but he saved his best for 1995/96, hitting the back of the net on 16 occasions. After that campaign, he was named the football writers’ Player of the Year for a second time.

A football legend: Can you get over 80% on this Gazza quiz? Find out now…

A move to Chelsea eventually followed in the summer of 1998 but his work had been done. Three titles in the bag and some domestic cups to boot, he typified what Smith’s side became – a destructive force.

In other news, Rangers may already have their Billy Gilmour replacement…

As the leaders of the Championship, Leeds have arguably been the best team below the Premier League so far this term.

Right now, they have a seven-point lead over third place with nine games left, meaning they are in a good position to go up automatically to the promised land.

As a result, they have had some of the best players in the division, and that has been represented in The Yorkshire Evening Post’s second-tier XI of the season. No less than three players – Ben White, Luke Ayling and Kalvin Phillips – have been selected by the outlet’s writers alongside the likes of QPR’s Eberechi Eze, Fulham pair Joe Bryan and Aleksandar Mitrovic, as well as Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba.

Journalist Graham Smyth shared the article on his Twitter page, and it has got the club’s fans talking. There have been plenty of reactions to the side on the social media platform, and you can see some of the very best responses below.

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Leeds discussion going on in the Vital Leeds Forum! Click here to get involved!

Everton are still yet to make a decision over the future of loan ace Djibril Sidibe, according to the ECHO, and supporters have been discussing whether they should enforce their option to buy or not.

And it’s clear to see that not many would like to see the Monaco man at Goodison Park next season.

How much do you really know about the Farhad Moshiri era? Answer 25 simple questions below…

The report claims that the Toffees are still weighing up a £12.7m transfer for French right-back, but their decision is likely to hinge on their plans for Jonjoe Kenny, which is up in the air with the Bundesliga set to return to action this month.

Everton have to trigger the clause by the 1st of June, so time is running out and they will have to make a decision in the coming weeks.

The 27-year-old has featured 24 times this season, contributing four assists across the Premier League and cup competitions, via Transfermarkt.

He has often kept vice-captain Seamus Coleman out of the side under Carlo Ancelotti.

But despite his regular presence on the pitch, not many in Merseyside would like to see him stay past his temporary spell.

Here’s how they have been reacting to the news…

AND in other news, Everton fans react to Moise Kean report…

Connor Goldson was Steven Gerrard’s unsung hero as Glasgow Rangers ground out a routine victory over St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.

Gerrard’s side now need just six more wins to claim their first league crown in a decade after an inspired Ianis Hagi scored in the second half to give Rangers a 1-0 win over Callum Davidson’s side.

Hagi looked back to his very best as he ran the Saints ragged at Ibrox, while Borna Barisic also had a big part to play on the left-hand side of the defence, but the man who caught the eye the most was Goldson.

Goldson was nothing short of immense on the night, as he cut an imperious figure for the Gers, helping them to a third successive victory across all competitions.

Under Gerrard, the 28-year-old has been colossal at the back, and was hardly troubled at all as he put in a tremendous shift in a show of physical strength and exertion.

In total, he won 81% of his duels overall, including seven from eight individual battles in the air – that being the most out of any player from either side.

He also emerged victorious from one tackle, one clearance and three interceptions, while he wasn’t dribbled past once, such was his level of dominance. The next few months are going to be very demanding and Goldson has shown he is the sort of player who can compete and lead by example.

All credit to the Rangers manager Gerrard, as he has played a huge part in transforming the career of a player whose life-threatening heart condition threatened to derail his career entirely.

Goldson also took 119 touches, that being bettered by none other than James Tavernier himself, and also won more aerial duels than any other player on the pitch.

In fact, it was the Rangers defender’s all-round display that overshadowed the performance of Barisic. He may not possess the ball-carrying ability of Barisic, but his no-nonsense attitude has kept them out of many a tight spot on multiple occasions so far this season.

He may not be the most naturally-gifted centre-back at the club, but he’s certainly become Mr Dependable.

AND in other news, Ianis Hagi stars in Rangers’ 1-0 win over St Johnstone…