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Loads of Leeds fans have been giving their verdict on the latest update in the “Spygate” scandal, after 11 clubs last week signed a letter to the EFL requesting “full disclosure” about their findings – as reported by BBC Sport.

After Marcelo Bielsa’s impromptu press conference last week, in which he revealed his in-depth analysis of Derby County and Frank Lampard’s tactics, the footballing world was stunned.

Never before had the press and general public been granted such insight into what makes a top manager tick, and the reaction was overwhelmingly positive from most fans and media alike.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden was at the crucial relegation 6-pointer between Bolton and Rotherham. Check out the video below…

However, there is still the prospect of possible punishment looming large over the club, and 11 sides have written to the EFL to request more information on their findings.

The Yorkshire Evening Post understands that these clubs have not requested that the Whites be docked points over the incident, merely that they receive all the details as to what actually happened.

Among the clubs who have signed the letter are Norwich, Millwall, Middlesbrough, Bristol City and Nottingham Forest.

The Whites currently sit top of the pile in the Championship after 28 games, but with just four points separating first from third, Bielsa will be praying ‘Spygate’ doesn’t affect his players.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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The blame for Manchester United’s dreadful start to the season can be placed at both ends of the pitch. In just nine Premier League games, the Red Devils have already conceded 19 goals and have a negative goal difference. Meanwhile, big money attacking stars, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, have mustered just five league strikes between them.

At the back, boss Jose Mourinho has yet to settle on his first choice central defensive partnership, with Victor Lindelof, Chris Smalling, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and even midfielders Ander Herrera and Scott McTominay all having been deployed in the heart of the rearguard. 

With United misfiring at the front and the back the pressure is beginning to pile up on the Portuguese manager. With the club languishing in 10th place, he may already be looking toward the January transfer window as the greatest chance for saving both the season and his job at Old Trafford.

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Bringing in a top class striker or defender during the winter window will not be easy or cheap. In all likelihood, Mourinho will only be able to secure one elite level recruit in this market. In that case, he ought to prioritise a defender, as United’s defensive woes are showing no signs of being alleviated soon.

57% of United fans we polled agree that a centre-back has to be top of the shopping list in January. See the full results below.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ proposed deal to sign Manchester City midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko has fallen through on deadline day according to Sky Sports.

The 21-year-old joined City in 2016 and made eight Premier League appearances last season, filling in at left-back after injuries to Benjamin Mendy and Fabian Delph.

The Ukraine international was the subject of a £16million bid from Wolves which was accepted by Manchester City and a medical was lined up.

However, the versatile midfielder opted instead to stay at the Etihad this season and try and gain more experience under Pep Guardiola for the champions, according to the report.

The deal hasn’t spoiled what has been an excellent transfer window for Wolves who completed deals for established stars such as Joao Moutinho and Rui Patricio.

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Wolves fans have been reacting on social media to the news that Zinchenko’s deal fell through on deadline day and here’s a selection of what they’ve had to say.

One of the stand-out fixtures in the Premier League this weekend comes as Tottenham Hotspur face Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday, with both sides having encountered similar starts to the new campaign.

The two clubs have won one, drawn one and lost one of their opening three top flight matches, Spurs following up a 2-0 victory against Newcastle United with a defeat against Chelsea and a draw with Burnley at their temporary Wembley home.

While they were relatively comfortable in the success at St James’ Park, Mauricio Pochettino’s men continue to struggle at their new home and a late winner from the Blues’ Marcos Alonso and a last-gasp equaliser from the Clarets’ Chris Wood ultimately cost them five points.

The north London outfit will be hoping they can once again register three points on the road against the Toffees, who have the same points tally as their opponents on Saturday – albeit with a worse goal difference.

In order for Tottenham to maintain their 100% record on the road this term against Everton, Mauricio Pochettino must answer these three key questions…

Should any of the new signings start?

Tottenham have signed three players – Juan Foyth, Serge Aurier and Fernando Llorente – since that draw against Burnley last time out, and Pochettino must decide whether any of them will start at Goodison Park.

While the former is more likely to be one for the future, Aurier has every chance of being thrown straight into the action on Merseyside despite the fact that his move was ratified while he was still on international duty with the Ivory Coast.

Spurs right-back Kieran Trippier is struggling with an ankle problem and Marcos Alonso’s winning goal for Chelsea also came from his side.

Meanwhile, it would be a surprise to see Llorente start ahead of Harry Kane against the Toffees, although Pochettino may have one eye on the Champions League tie against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on Wednesday.

How can the team be more clinical?

While many were quick to blame Tottenham’s well-known struggles at Wembley as the reason they only picked up one point from the home fixtures against Chelsea and Burnley, one of the biggest issues was the side’s failure to convert their chances.

Spurs had 18 shots in total against Antonio Conte’s men but needed Michy Batshuayi to put into his own net to get on the score-sheet, while they also only managed to breach the Burnley goal once despite having 28 efforts.

The likes of Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Son Heung-Min have all shown that they are capable of finding the net on a regular basis, and Pochettino needs those three and striker Harry Kane to step up their finishing if they are to pick up a positive result at Goodison Park on Saturday.

How can the team help Harry Kane?

For the fourth season running, Kane failed to find the net for Tottenham in the Premier League in August.

It is strange how these things work out but the England international and Mauricio Pochettino will be relieved that September is now upon us – especially after the striker found the net on the first day of the month for his country against Malta last Friday.

While Spurs do have goal threat from all over the pitch, there is no doubt that they do heavily rely on the 24-year-old to score on a regular basis and Pochettino will have been thinking hard about how his team can help their talisman get off the mark at Goodison Park.

Kane may not be short of confidence right now, but seeing that net ripple for the first time in the league this season will give him, the club and its supporters a huge boost.

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

While losses to both Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest will have no doubt had Brighton fans fearing yet another failed promotion push, their win over Rotherham kept Huddersfield at an arm’s length, while keeping the pressure up with the leading Toon.

Even the mere notion of not making the automatic promotion spots at the end of the season would be enough to send the Seagulls into frenzy, with Chris Hughton’s side having been there or thereabouts for the entirety of the campaign thus far. 

With nine games to go and the pressure truly ramping up for the south coast club, they host a Derby County side in a run of inconsistent form – they are currently ten points off the play-offs and have little to play for as the Championship season enters its business end. Should Brighton truly have it in them to deal with the pressure that comes with battling for the top two at this stage, it’s a game they really should be winning.

So, with that in mind, here are THREE things they need to ensure to earn three points off the Rams tomorrow night.

Get March and Knockaert into the game

There’s little doubt Solly March and Anthony Knockaert are among the best wide men in the league, though the losses to Newcastle and Forest saw the pair rarely get involved in too many attacking areas. March was a late substitute against the Magpies, while Knockaert couldn’t deliver the sort of quality we’ve come to expect from him.

The pair were more impressive against the Millers, though, with all due respect, should be doing that with ease. If they are going to break down a Derby defence who’ve proved somewhat stingy of late, utilising their wide attackers will be crucial.

Keep the pressure

Derby boss Steve McClaren recently lamented his side’s poor game management as a reason they drew with Preston North End in their last match, so Brighton need to ramp up the pressure all over the park to ensure that happens again. Should the game still be a close call late on, the Rams are always likely to make mistakes.

McClaren lamented the long ball tactics his side used in the closing stages against the Lilywhites and his side failed to keep the second ball, allowing Preston in to score a late leveller. Likely to be a scrappy affair, making the most of Derby’s nerves could be the best remedy for success.

Protect Forren

As a result of an injury to Shane Duffy, the Seagulls brought former Southampton defender Vegard Forren back to the south coast to help their promotion push. The Norway international has barely featured on these shores and will surely be off the pace, so the idea of Tom Ince running at him could be a scary one for Hughton.

With that in mind, the midfield needs to drop deeper and be wary of Derby’s threat on the counter, with Beram Kayal desperately needed to help cover the new man, or he could be in for a long evening.

In a week that has already seen Roberto Martinez’s Everton suffer a heavy 4-0 defeat at the hands of Merseyside rivals Liverpool, the Spanish manager now faces what is seen as a future defining game on Saturday evening.

Everton take on Manchester United in the first FA Cup semi-final of the weekend and the general consensus is that the only chance Roberto Martinez has of saving his job, and being at the Toffees next year, is to win the competition outright. But, even if he guides his side to lift the trophy at Wembley, it’s time for the Spaniard to go.

It’s been a torrid season for Everton, whose last win came in the 2-0 quarter final victory against Chelsea, well over a month ago. The criticism is rightly mounting on Martinez ahead of Saturday night and it seems only two more wins in the cup will do for the Toffees fans desperate to see a trophy for the first time since 1995.

Should Martinez win the trophy he famously lifted with Wigan in 2013, he still won’t deserve a reprieve for what has been a steady decline in performance since he took over months after that win with the Latics. Whilst Martinez has been rightly praised for his ability to coach attacking football his defensive tactics are nothing short of shocking.

The stats tell you all you need to know. In Martinez’s first season Everton conceded an average of 1.03 goals a game as they pushed for European qualification throughout the campaign, finishing with a strong 72 points. The Goodison Park faithful thought they’d finally found their man to bring some silverware to the club, building on David Moyes’ defensive nous and adding the attacking flair to take the side to that next level.

Things, however, were not to be. The 2014/15 season, where Martinez could really begin to show the progress made under his stewardship, smacked of anything but. Less goals per game, more conceded per game and a points total of 47 that began to plant seeds of doubt that Martinez was the right appointment.

This season, those seeds have become fully fledged plants. Martinez evidently isn’t improving the team; this season’s stats make sore reading for those on the blue side of Stanley Park. They’ve conceded more goals per game again than at any other point under him and are one of the leading sides at losing points from winning positions.

There’s something wrong with the mental strength of the Everton side under Martinez and clearly some of the players know it too. The recent debacle with Leighton Baines being forced to apologise about ‘misinterpreted’ quotes about team chemistry have shown divides beginning to form in the playing squad.

Clearly, Everton are on a crash course at the moment. Form in the league only worsened by Aston Villa, an increasingly poor defensive record and apparent squad disharmony all suggest Martinez should be gone. FA Cup or no FA Cup, Martinez should be getting better out of a squad that bolsters talent such as Leighton Baines, Romelu Lukaku, John Stones and Ross Barkley to name but a few. You have to question why he can’t.

Meanwhile, the likes of Stones, one of the brightest ball playing centre backs in the country, is suffering. He will never become a fully accomplished defender under Martinez’s tutelage.

Everton are showing all the signs of a Martinez side, playing decent enough looking football but cannot defend at the highest level and the blame has to fall at his door. Look at Wigan, season after season they escaped relegation somehow until it all caught up with them.

They played nice football but showed no defensive steel. It’s the same with Everton, their defenders haven’t suddenly lost their ability, when fully fit Everton have one of the strongest back lines in the league and also have some good young defenders coming through in Tyias Browning and Brendan Galloway but they won’t improve defensively under Martinez much. It all boils down to the fact Martinez cannot coach defensively well enough.

Everton may well win the FA Cup this year but that should only paper over the cracks. They won’t go down like Wigan did this time around but who’s to say they won’t be struggling next? They’re definitely on their way with their current league form.

There are fundamental issues with this side that should have pushed on after that first impressive season, their team is certainly better than it was then and yet it looks a shadow of its former self.

An FA Cup win would be a moment to savour for Everton Football Club no doubt, but if they want sustained progress, a developing side that makes use of the brilliant potential its players have and finally crack Europe, Roberto Martinez has to go.

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PSV Eindhoven winger Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano is currently on LA Galaxy's list as they look to sign an attacker for the 2024 season.

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• Galaxy interested in Lozano
• Contacted speedster last summer before PSV move
• Want to sign Mexican star ahead of the 2024 season

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  As per Fabrizio Romano, Galaxy are interested in the Mexico international and were also in contact with the attacker last summer before he decided to return to PSV. The report suggests that Lozano is still considering a move to the United States and with Galaxy interested they could be an option for the Mexico City-born player ahead of the 2024 season.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  LA Galaxy hasn't made the MLS playoffs since 2019 and has had an issue with having a striker stay fit throughout the season with Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez suffering two injuries over the course of the season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Lozano has scored five goals and given two assists in eight games for PSV this season despite starting only five games for the club.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR LOZANO?

  Lozano is currently with the Mexican national team and will next be in action later tonight when they take on Honduras in the CONCACAF Nations League.

The winger made his international debut aged 18 after a stunning breakthrough with Borussia Dortmund, but a hugely promising career has hit a wall

Manchester United had tried to sign Jadon Sancho for years. And who could blame them? The winger was a generational talent, and after leaving the English game in search of first-team football, he had taken the Bundesliga by storm, averaging more than a goal contribution in every game for Borussia Dortmund.

After tracking him from 2018 and then opting against a move in 2019 after haggling over his transfer fee, United finally got their man in July 2021, paying £74 million for an England regular and one of the most coveted players in Europe. But fast-forward two years and Sancho has gone from being English football's next great hope into a ghost-like figure.

He was absent from the United squad for several months last season and when he did return, he often gave anonymous performances, looking shorn of the pace, power and invention that had made him such a thrilling prospect. And after only being given cameo roles in United's opening three games of the 2023-24 season, he was completely absent from the squad for the trip to Arsenal.

Fans assumed he must have been injured, but after the match Erik ten Hag gave a surprisingly honest response when asked about Sancho's absence. "On his performance on training we didn't select him," he said. "You have to reach the level every day at Manchester United. You can make choices in the front line, so in this game, he wasn't selected."

Sancho was quick to bite back and defend himself, claiming he had been made "a scapegoat for a long time". Sancho risked getting himself into trouble with his response, but it was actually refreshing to see him fight back. For too long it has felt like his career has stalled, that the fire he used to have has burned out.

GOAL charts the rise and fall of one of England's brightest talent, who went to Germany and conquered but appears lost back in his homeland.

Raised on the mean streets of South London

Sancho was born and raised in Kennington, South London. The capital's south has turned into a footballing hotbed in the last decade, with a 2021 study revealing that 10 per cent of Premier League players all hailed from the same, 10-mile stretch below the River Thames.

Joe Gomez, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eberechi Eze and Tammy Abraham are just some of the players to have emerged from South London's football scene, which was the centre of , a TV series presented by Rio Ferdinand. And Sancho, whose skills were honed in the unforgiving concrete pitches dotted around the area, known as cages, was the area's biggest star.

AdvertisementGettyEducated at Watford

Despite being from south of the river, Sancho's first experience of organised football came north of the capital with Watford, where he moved at the age of seven, remaining until he was 15. Even though he left before he could turn professional, he has very fond memories of his time with the Hornets.

“Watford was a lot of fun,” Sancho told United's website in 2022. “I was happy when I was there and I had a lot of freedom when I was playing. That’s what makes me happy and makes me the best player I can be when I’m just free, doing what I love. At Watford I used to work on a lot of skills and I wanted to show people what I can do."

Getty ImagesMoving to the other side of Manchester

Word of Sancho's talents spread across the country and Manchester City came calling in 2015. Sancho said moving to the Blues "was a good opportunity to get out of the hood. There were a lot of bad influences."

He played in the same Under-18s side as Phil Foden and current Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz, but was itching for a shot at first-team football. When he was left out of Pep Guardiola's squad for the pre-season tour of the United States in 2017 while Foden travelled, Sancho kicked up a fuss and stopped attending training.

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Getty ImagesHopping on a plane to Dortmund

While Guardiola did not think Sancho was ready for first-team football, the player thought otherwise and immediately sought a move. Borussia Dortmund were willing takers, snapping him up for around £8m ($10m) in the summer of 2017 and putting him straight into the first-team squad.

Sancho's belief in his own ability was vindicated when he made his first-team debut against Eintracht Frankfurt in October. His first goal came in a 4-0 win against local rivals Bayer Leverkusen in April 2018, the winger setting up two more on the day.

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A cena é chocante. O gramado do Pacaembu, um palco clássico do futebol brasileiro, mal pode ser visto em imagens aéreas. O que se vê são tendas enormes, improvisadas para receber 200 pacientes a partir de quarta-feira. Do futebol não há mais notícias, é um mundo que parou à espera da passagem de um vírus que tomou conta do planeta.

Jogadores, técnicos, dirigentes e todos os envolvidos no espetáculo estão em casa, confinados, esperando. Não se sabe como será resolvido o calendário, se os estaduais serão encerrados sem campeões, se o Brasileiro terá novamente uma edição em mata-mata, se o calendário será ajustado ao europeu.

Atletas publicam vídeos do que estão fazendo enquanto o tempo (não) passa. Incrivelmente, o esporte mais popular do mundo parou. É como se não existisse. Nas noites de quarta-feira e tardes de domingo, a TV aberta mostra outras atrações e os canais esportivos da TV paga, reprises ou repetições de jogos famosos, porque atémesmo os debates estão comprometidos – e vai se debater o quê, não é?

A imagem que define o futebol, hoje, é o Pacaembu, este belo senhor prestes a completar 80 anos, transformado em hospital. E para que ele volte o mais rápido possível a se parecer com um estádio de futebol, você tem uma missão: fique em casa.

O LANCE! Espresso é uma newsletter gratuita que chega de manhã ao seu e-mail, de segunda a sexta. É uma leitura rápida, que vai colocar você por dentro das principais notícias do esporte. A marca registrada do jornalismo do LANCE!, com análises e contextualização de Fabio Chiorino e Rodrigo Borges. Clique aqui e inscreva-se.

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O domingo foi de estreia no Ceará. Diante do Freipaulistano, válido pela Copa do Nordeste, o torcedor do Vozão pôde acompanhar a primeira partida de alguns reforços, entre eles, o goleiro Fernando Prass.

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Aos 41 anos, o camisa 1 mostrou que está em forma e, apesar do empate amargo contra os sergipanos, Prass deu segurança e praticou ótimas defesas.

Na etapa inicial, quando o Ceará vencia por 2 a 0, o goleiro fez um milagre com a ponta dos dedos em chute de Ramalho, que ficou inconformado ao ver que o arqueiro salvou o Vozão.

Pouco depois, aos 29 minutos, em cruzamento da direita, João Grilo pegou de primeira e Prass, bem colocado, salvou o Ceará.

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