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Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani must avoid an unforgivable error at Thorp Arch this summer amid calls for Marcelo Bielsa to become the new Tottenham manager.

What’s the story?

After Jose Mourinho’s sacking at Spurs in recent weeks, former Lilywhites ace Jamie O’Hara tipped Bielsa to replace the Portuguese man at the north London club.

He said: “I would say Bielsa. I think he’d be absolutely brilliant and the fans would love him. If you can try and prise him away form there it’d be unbelievable. The Leeds fans would be devastated and there would be uproar but Spurs are bigger than Leeds.”

In response, Carlton Palmer spoke exclusively to FFC about the prospect of Bielsa moving on from Elland Road, and admitted that if Spurs did come knocking for him, he would be “very surprised” if he didn’t go.

He said: “You want to better yourself. You want to get the top jobs, just like players want to go to top clubs, so it’d be a fantastic opportunity for him.

“If Spurs come knocking, that’s a different ball game. That’s a great career opportunity for him. I’d be very surprised if Tottenham came knocking and he wasn’t prepared to go.”

Radrizzani’s biggest priority

Make no mistake about it, more than any new signing they could make this summer, ensuring Bielsa remains at Elland Road for next season must be Radrizzani’s biggest priority.

The Argentine has become a messiah at Leeds with the way in which he has transformed the club over the past few seasons, steering them back to the promised land of the Premier League and even seeing them hold their own against the division’s very best clubs in their first campaign back in the top-flight.

The fact that pundits are talking of Bielsa going to one of the Premier League’s ‘big-six’ clubs should be seen as a compliment and recognition for the incredible work he has done at Elland Road, not an insult.

But, what it does do however, is just raise questions about whether Bielsa could move to one of those clubs sooner rather than later, and the opening at Spurs has presented a very real opportunity to do so.

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It’s exactly why Radrizzani must avoid making an unforgivable howler and ensure that the Argentine stays put. Otherwise, as O’Hara says, “Leeds fans would be devastated”.

Meanwhile, Bielsa must unleash this Leeds United starlet…

Rangers’ January signing Amad Diallo may not be ‘up to it’ at Ibrox, Frank McAvennie has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

With three days of the January transfer window remaining, Rangers signed Diallo on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst inherited the squad of his predecessor Steven Gerrard in the autumn, but this was one of four incoming deals he sanctioned in January as he looked to put his own stamp on the squad.

Diallo made a flying start for the Gers, scoring just five minutes into his debut against Ross County on 29 January.

But Van Bronckhorst then substituted him at half time against Celtic, with Rangers 3-0 down, after he lost five of the six duels he contested and conceded possession 12 times.

He’s only played 22 Scottish Premiership minutes since, and has watched all the Europa League knockout action from the sidelines.

The latest

McAvennie stressed that Diallo has the ability but says he may have encountered something of a culture shock.

And he feels it’s fair to question the wisdom of the signing in light of what we’ve seen so far.

“It’s a different game up here,” he said. “In England, players will take the ball. In Scotland, you take the ball and the man.

“It’s frantic, you get no time on the ball. Diallo doesn’t have the time to run with the ball, it can be a shock to a player.

“He’s only a young boy and he has bags of talent but maybe Van Bronckhorst doesn’t trust him.

“There are loads of options for Rangers in that position so if you aren’t up to the job, you won’t play.

“It just makes me wonder why they signed him if he’s not up to it.”

The verdict

This was a signing that felt like it could go either way.

Diallo had showcased his immense potential at youth level, notching 28 direct goal contributions in 46 appearances for Atalanta’s Primavera side.

But, on the other hand, he’d only made 14 senior appearances for La Dea and Manchester United combined.

Rangers haven’t committed to an expensive mandatory purchase option, so from that point of view it was still perhaps a risk worth taking, but it hasn’t paid off so far.

As McAvennie says, Van Bronckhorst simply seems to have very little trust in him.

After all, BBC Sportsound pundit Derek Ferguson has accused him of looking ‘half-hearted’, while journalist Andrew Dickson described his attitude as ‘really poor’ after he allegedly backed out of a challenge against Dundee United.

If the commitment isn’t there, then he can’t expect to play in important games.

In other news, this BBC man drops a transfer claim on Cedric Itten.

Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side kicked off 2022 in perfect fashion against Watford on Saturday afternoon, with Davinson Sanchez’s 96th-minute header being enough to see Spurs take all three points home from Vicarage Road.

Indeed, the 1-0 scoreline flattered the hosts somewhat, with Tottenham dominating possession of the ball 74% to 26%, as well as taking a total of 21 shots in comparison to Watford’s nine and creating two big chances to the Hornets’ none.

As is perhaps to be expected after such a performance, a number of Conte’s players turned in impressive displays against the Premier League strugglers, with Sanchez, Hugo Lloris and Harry Kane all catching the eye with their efforts on the day.

However, while match-winner Sanchez will undoubtedly have stolen the headlines on Sunday morning, it was the dominating performance of one of his fellow centre-backs that will have pleased the Italian manager most when looking back on the fixture – in the shape of Ben Davies.

58% duels won

Indeed, once again being deployed on the left of Conte’s defensive three, Davies ran the show for Spurs from the back, with the £16.2m-rated 28-year-old enjoying 94 touches of the ball – the fifth-most of any player in the match – completing 73 passes – one of which was key – and finding his man with two of his three attempted crosses and five of his seven attempted through balls.

The £93k-per-week defender also won seven of his 12 duels – a success rate of 58% – made three tackles and had two shots at the Watford goal, with these returns seeing the Wales international earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.5 – ranking him as Tottenham’s joint fourth-best performer on the day.

Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold also appeared to be impressed with the display of the Wales international against the Hornets, awarding the left-back a seven in his own player ratings, as well as stating of his efforts: “Defended well and tried to support [Sergio] Reguilon down the left whenever he could.”

As such, while reports have suggested that Conte is looking for a new left-sided centre-back in the January transfer window, Davies’ performance on Saturday may just have been good enough to alter the 52-year-old’s plans for the position going forwards – as the 28-year-old undoubtedly ran the show for his side against Watford.

In other news: Lost the ball every 5.4 touches: £62k-p/w Spurs flop proved he’s still “miles off it”

Manchester United could secure the ideal midfield partner for Paul Pogba after being linked with a move for Monaco ace Aurelien Tchouameni.

What’s the story?

The Red Devils were reportedly interested in the highly-rated 21-year-old’s services over the summer, although no formal offer was ever made for the Frenchman.

Now though, according to The Express, United are one of three European heavyweights vying for Tchouameni’s signature after a string of impressive performances.

The report also states that fellow Premier League side Chelsea and Serie A giants Juventus are keen to snap up the youngster, meaning a bidding war could be on the horizon.

Imagine him & Paul Pogba

After rising up through the ranks at boyhood club Bordeaux, Tchouameni joined Monaco in a big-money move in January 2020 and has gone from strength to strength ever since.

The youngster made 42 appearances in all competitions for Niko Kovac’s charges last season, scoring three goals and providing a further four assists for his teammates.

However, it’s his work off the ball that really catches the eye. As per WhoScored, Tchouameni averaged a whopping 3.5 tackles per league game in 2020/21, by far the highest tally amongst his teammates.

He also made 1.7 interceptions, the joint-highest total when compared to his teammates, and the £27m-rated colossus not only dominated proceedings on the ground but in the air as well, winning 67% of his aerial duels.

Tchouameni’s domineering displays have caught the eye of several impressed onlookers, including current Monaco teammate Cesc Fabregas, who praised the youngster.

“He has the potential to be a complete midfield player,” the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea maestro wrote on Twitter. And now his compatriot and United star Paul Pogba has lauded his talents.

“He’s not a boy; he’s a man. It’s a pleasure to play next to him; he provides a lot, plenty of energy, technical quality and extraordinary physicality. I hope to play plenty of games together and always be on his side,” the World Cup winner said.

Tchouameni got the ideal opportunity to show just how effective his partnership with Pogba could be at Old Trafford after lining up alongside him during France’s National League final victory over Spain.

The duo worked extremely effectively throughout the 90 minutes, with the United star enjoying the attacking freedom that his more disciplined colleague allowed him.

It’s a duo that has the potential to transform Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s stuttering engine room, and therefore, football director John Murtough must swoop for Tchouameni over the coming months.

And, in other news…Man Utd suffer big injury blow ahead of PL return, Ole will be absolutely gutted

This season has been plagued with issues for Celtic and their supporters. Parkhead is no longer a fortress and no longer is it the home of the most dominant team in Scottish football.

That title now, unfortunately, belongs to the club’s fiercest rivals and Celtic have a number of figures to thank for their downfall, whether it be Neil Lennon or Peter Lawwell.

Once the season ends and the summer arrives, both figures will have left their respective roles in Glasgow.

Lawwell’s recruitment, together with Nick Hammond, has to be questioned. They splashed out £4.5m on the error-prone Vasilis Barkas while Shane Duffy’s loan has been nothing short of a shambles.

Lennon never delivered results this term either. The defence was a horror show with the Bhoys conceding 19 in just six Europa League games. There has been another deeper issue, though. That belongs with the club’s academy.

The Old Firm clubs chose to withdraw their reserve teams from the SPFL Reserve League in 2019 but it hasn’t necessarily benefitted the Hoops. The short end of the story is that if you’re a young player at Celtic Park, you’re unlikely to earn game time.

Cameron Harper has already gone back to his native America while it’s looking unlikely that Karamoko Dembele will sign a new contract. The positive, however, is that Celtic are looking to make amends.

They have already agreed a deal to sign teenager Liam Shaw from Sheffield Wednesday while Wigan Atheltic’s young striker Kyle Joseph could also sign.

With the Hoops hierarchy on the lookout for a new manager with a proven track record of developing young players, those in the club’s academy should be licking their lips and jumping up and down with excitement.

One such player is attacking midfielder Owen Moffat. The 19-year-old has never been seen in the Celtic first-team but it’s clear the higher-ups rate him quite considerably.

Moffat, who has been with the club a total of 12 years, penned new terms only last summer. He then renewed them in January. Unlike Dembele and Harper, he clearly sees a future for himself in Glasgow.

There are understandable reasons behind Celtic’s desire to keep him, mainly because he occupies similar spaces to that of David Turnbull. Moffat has a canny knack of arriving late in the penalty area and it’s a quality that’s seen him score plenty of goals at academy level.

The 19-year-old popped up to score against Inverness Caledonian Thistle late last year after some lapse marking. Moffat broke forward and then darted into the penalty area to get on the end of the cross.

The finish could have been better but he still found the back of the net. It was the perfect sight for those who rate him so viciously.

He has netted against Dundee United as well this term and if anything underlies his qualities, it was a sensational strike against Vendee in the Milk Cup back in 2019. To say he knows where the net is would be an understatement.

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With Tom Rogic a target for many clubs in Asia, there could well be a hole to fill in Celtic’s attacking midfield. So many academy stars have questioned their future at the club, but Moffat is someone who has stuck around.

As such, he deserves a chance in the senior side. Like Turnbull, he has proven he’s got the ability to score goals from midfield. That is crucial.

AND in other news, Celtic manager search takes fresh twist; it should be good news for Hoops supporters…

Sunderland are trophy winners for the first time in 48 years. That is well and truly a sentence to savour.

With the Mackems now sitting third in League One as well, there are plenty of reasons to be positive and hopeful for the future.

Lee Johnson has led a fantastic revival in the north-east and with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus now the club’s owner, negativity and bad vibes have been eradicated.

The Frenchman already has a trophy to his name and more could follow suit if they earn promotion.

That is the number one priority at Sunderland right now but another is to blood young talent. Louis-Dreyfus has reshaped the academy structure and a number of young players have been handed trials at the club.

He is desperate to improve the academy and who can blame him? The Black Cats’ U23 side didn’t win a single game last term.

We were given a glimpse into the future just by looking at Sunderland’s bench on Sunday at Wembley. They may have a number of injuries but it was pleasant to see the likes of Dan Neil, Ollie Younger, Jack Diamond and Benji Kimpioka all among the substitutes.

Though, one name who wasn’t but deserves a run out in the not too distant future is Josh Hawkes. The 21-year-old was signed from Hartlepool a few months ago but hasn’t seen a great deal of senior action since.

Hawkes was on the bench for the match against Rochdale a few weeks ago and did receive minutes during their successful EFL Trophy run. That being said, despite injuries, he hasn’t been able to sufficiently force his way into Johnson’s plans.

Judging by his form for the club’s U23 side, that should change. The attacking midfielder, who can also play on the wing, has been a breath of fresh air to Elliott Dickman’s team.

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He has scored six goals and registered three assists in 13 Premier League 2 outings. Hawkes has long been a goal-scoring midfielder and in 2018/19, hit the back of the net on nine occasions for Hartlepool in the National League.

Speaking about his qualities to Sunderland blog Roker Report, Hartlepool expert Dan Patton said: “Josh is a player with clear ability, which was most evident in his first season with the club after scoring nine goals from midfield.”

Patton continued: “His best position is an attacking midfield role, however he can also play in a wide attacking role if needed. He is a player that won’t shy away from shooting, no matter the distance, and brings a real energy into the midfield.”

Possessing a midfielder who can make late runs into the penalty and score goals is a fantastic attribute to have in your team. Certainly, with qualities like that, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Johnson soon called on him.

After all, Diamond’s shoddy performance against Accrington on Wednesday evening will have him looking over his shoulder. The youngster managed just three passes and 18 touches of the ball before being dragged off at half time in their 2-0 win.

The future may well be bright for Diamond, but Hawkes is someone who could rival him for a place in the senior side.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Burge: SAFC gem who made 3 passes all night badly let Johnson down…

New Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will have a £200m budget this summer and has already got to work to create a four-man transfer shortlist.

The Lowdown: Ten Hag announced

The Red Devils finally announced the Dutchman as their new manager on Thursday morning.

Ten Hag was confirmed as Ralf Rangnick’s replacement from the end of this season, signing a deal through to June 2025 with an option of a further year.

The 52-year-old previously demanded to be 100% involved when it comes to new signings, and he has wasted no time by already having four possible marquee additions in mind.

The Latest: Four mega targets

The Mirror shared a story regarding Ten Hag and Manchester United shortly after the announcement, claiming the Red Devils will give their new manager £200m to spend ahead of his first season in charge.

Up to 12 players could leave the club, with Ten Hag placing Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Darwin Nunez and Ruben Neves at the top of his wishlist.

The Verdict: Rebuild begins

Plenty of change is needed at Old Trafford ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, but getting Ten Hag confirmed prior to the summer window is a good first step.

He’ll have a huge job on his hands in what looks set to be an extremely busy summer off the pitch and it looks as if a new midfielder and forward is crucial as he gets to work already.

Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani look set to be two players who will leave as free agents, so one of Kane or Nunez and Rice or Neves could be shrewd moves to replace the two outgoing big earners.

In other news: ‘Source has told Sky Sports’ – Big live TV update on another Man Utd exit. 

Sheffield Wednesday are seemingly no closer to appointing their next manager, though an interesting name has emerged as a possible option for them to consider this week…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, former Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy would be keen on taking the vacant Owls job, though he’s yet to be officially approached by the south Yorkshire outfit.

He tweeted on Saturday afternoon:

Another Pulis

The 61-year-old was sacked by Cypriot club APOEL just two months into his tenure earlier this month and is now out of work once again, having stood down from his duties as Republic of Ireland boss in April 2020.

On the face of it, the appointment of McCarthy could be seen a good one as he has won promotion from the Championship twice in his managerial career, the most recent being in 2008/09 with Wolverhampton Wanderers, some 12 years ago.

However, that success is a thing of the past, and the fact that he has had to go to Cyprus to revive his domestic managerial career speaks volumes. He’s potentially well past his sell-by date.

Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri will want to avoid his credentials for another reason too. The Thai businessman pulled the trigger on Tony Pulis just ten games into his reign after picking up just one victory, and quickly cited his negative brand of football as a key reason.

“I told him I don’t like the old English style but he told me he wouldn’t play like that, his tactics would depend on the opponents,” Chansiri said to reporters after sacking the Welshman.

Well, McCarthy would be no different from Pulis.

Whilst in charge of Ireland, his playing style came under fire from those at the very top of their game.

Denmark midfielder Thomas Delaney once claimed that trying to score against McCarthy’s side was like “trying to open a can of baked beans with your bare hands,” whilst their teammate Mathias Jorgensen said in 2019: “They will come to our stadium, sit back and be happy to play for a draw.”

Swiss shot-stopper Yann Sommer even branded it a “very unpleasant style of football.”

Clearly McCarthy and Chansiri would be a match made in hell, so the Wednesday chairman must avoid sanctioning that appointment at all costs.

AND in other news, Paul Cook appointment could spell trouble for “explosive” Sheffield Wednesday star…

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have shared their delight on social media at another documentary series based on the Eagles.

Palace confirmed last week that a docuseries, When Eagles Dare, will launch on Amazon Prime Video on June 4th, but it seems as if another show is in the works.

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Channel 4 have begun filming a new fly-on-the-wall series, looking at the club’s academy.

The report suggests that cameras will be around for the next year or so for the behind-the-scenes show, focusing on the Eagles’ Under-18 and Under-23 sides.

The current working title for the series is thought to be simply The Academy.

Palace fans react

@cpfc_xtra shared the Daily Mail’s report on Tuesday lunchtime, and it didn’t take long for a number of Palace supporters to interact with the post.

This is what some fans had to say on plans for another series on the club, with one describing the club as ‘massive’ following the news.

“This is madness”Credit: @CPFCMax03″This & When Eagles Dare. Absolute scenes.”Credit: @GladAllOver_”We are massive”Credit: @WillR1991″We are a humongous football club”Credit: @osian_davis”Actually sounds good tbf”Credit: @danofthesouth_”Steve Parish has been doing wonders off the field on the publicity side of things. Hope we reap the rewards financially. We’re massive!!!!”Credit: @cjbearcpfc

In other news: Many Palace fans fume at update on managerial target, find out more here. 

Celtic’s pursuit of Eddie Howe is now over six weeks old but we are finally coming towards a conclusion in this drawn-out saga.

The Hoops saw Neil Lennon resign back in February and since then they’ve been trying to convince the 43-year-old to come to Glasgow.

What’s the latest?

It was reported towards the end of last week that Howe would become the new manager of the Bhoys by talkSPORT.

However, we’ve heard no official word from Celtic yet that the former Bournemouth man will arrive in Glasgow.

That being said, the hierarchy have now received a massive boost in their bid to lure Howe to Scotland.

The Englishman was one of the favourites to succeed Roy Hodgson as manager of Crystal Palace but he reportedly flopped during the interview process.

Though, in a fresh update from the Daily Record, it’s claimed that he isn’t even interested in becoming the new manager at Selhurst Park.

McKay will be elated

This is a considerable boost to Celtic’s hopes of ensuring Howe is in the dugout at Paradise next season.

Up until this point, it looked as though the former Cherries boss was leaning towards a Premier League return.

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His agent had convinced him he could get another job in England and with Hodgson leaving Palace, it seemed like the ideal opportunity, one he couldn’t really turn down.

You can hardly blame him either. The top-flight of English football is notoriously known as the best division in the world while the sheer amount of money involved in transfers would have been mouth-watering.

As Celtic know, it’s hard enough to convince their players to stay in Glasgow, let alone convince a sought-after manager to reject England and sign on the dotted line in Scotland.

With Howe wanting to bring a number of Bournemouth’s backroom staff with him, the Hoops will have to wait until their play-off campaign is done and dusted.

Once that’s concluded, it should be nothing more than a formality for McKay to conclude a deal.

After all, the biggest obstacle of them all – the chance to manage in the Premier League – has been eradicated.

Celtic chiefs should be able to rest a little easier now.

AND in other news, Forget Hickey: McKay can save Celtic millions by unleashing “tricky” rarely-seen 18y/o…