Dan James' dream replacement hasn't played for Leeds since October 2024

Saturday afternoon saw Leeds United suffer yet another defeat in the Premier League, condemning them to a spot in the relegation zone this week.

The Whites lost 3-2 away to Manchester City, after a late Phil Foden goal managed to secure the three points for Pep Guardiola’s side late on.

Despite the result, there were some positives to take from the game. Daniel Farke’s side defended with plenty of heart, with two of City’s goals coming inside the first minute and stoppage time. It was also good to see both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha on the scoresheet.

Yet, not all of their attackers shone. Daniel James did not put in his best performance, continuing his tough start to the season.

Dan James' season in numbers at Leeds

It was certainly a disappointing showing from James against Guardiola’s men. Normally such a direct presence in attack with his electric pace, the Welshman perhaps did not have the impact he or Farke may have hoped.

The former Manchester United star really struggled to get into the game, having just 12 touches of the ball, failing to create a chance and not having a shot. Journalist Graham Smyth of the Yorkshire Evening Post gave him a 5/10 for his performance and said he did not “get to do too much” going forward.

Indeed, that has been the theme of this season for the former Manchester United winger who has not really managed to get a good run of games together. He’s featured ten times in the Premier League, but has only played 352 minutes, the equivalent of 3.9 full 90-minute games.

He is off the back of good form for Wales, too. In the November international break, he helped his country reach the World Cup playoffs, assisting against Liechtenstein and scoring against North Macedonia.

James’ future at Leeds is arguably up in the air, given his lack of game time this season and poor performance against City. Leeds have an attacker out on loan who could leapfrog him, too.

Leeds are brewing a Dan James replacement

This summer, the West Yorkshire side loaned out some good players, perhaps coinciding with their attacking additions of Nmecha, Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor. Largie Ramazani is one example of an attacker out on loan.

Another is currently plying his trade for Yorkshire rivals Hull City. It has been a superb season for a certain Joe Gelhardt, who has shone for the Tigers in the Championship. The versatile forward has played as a number 10 and on the right so far this term.

He’s done that to great success in the 2025/26 campaign. The Liverpool-born attacker has nine goals and two assists to his name in 18 second-tier appearances this term. The most recent one of those strikes was a winner away to Stoke City in the 90th minute this weekend.

Indeed, Gelhardt’s attacking numbers this season are impressive. He’s averaging 0.72 goals and assists and 0.53 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, which rank him in the top 6% and 19% of Championship forwards, respectively. He is extremely efficient in the final third.

Gelhardt key stats in 25/26 Championship

Stat (per 90)

Number

Percentile

Goals and assists

0.72

94th

Shots on target

1.58

99th

Goal-creating actions

0.53

81st

Take-ons completed

1.9

81st

Ball recoveries

4.99

82nd

Stats from FBref

This sort of form is surely pleasing to see for Farke and Leeds. A player like James has struggled to have an impact in the first team this term, and with Gelhardt’s form and output, it is easy to see how he could leapfrog the Welshman.

The former Wigan Athletic star has played senior football at Elland Road. Whilst he only has 10 goals and assists in 57 games, the signs of his talent are there. Jamie Carragher has even described the 23-year-old as a “special” player in the past while long-time Merseyside Boys’ manager Tim Wyatt even said that Gelhardt caught the eye just as much as Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney did when they were all 14 years of age.

Looking ahead to the future, it is easy to think that the forward could break into Leeds’ squad and have a real impact. James has underwhelmed this term, and it is quite conceivable that he could be overtaken by Gelhardt.

He’s not played a first-team game for the Whites since last October when he appeared as an eight minute substitute against Norwich in the Championship. It would be some turnaround if he could work his way back into Leeds’ plans.

Leeds eyeing move for 4-3-3 Farke successor who has admirers at Elland Road

The Whites are struggling for form in the Premier League and could now change tact in the dugout.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 28, 2025

Diretor da Lazio diz que Felipe Anderson 'perdeu dinheiro' em acerto com o Palmeiras

MatériaMais Notícias

A transferência de Felipe Anderson ao Palmeiras, anunciada na segunda-feira (15), segue sendo assunto quente na Lazio. Em entrevista coletiva, o diretor esportivo do clube italiano, Angelo Fabiani, revelou detalhes da negoicação pela renovação do brasileiro, em tentativa frustada de manter o brasileiro na Itália.

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➡️ Quem é que sobe?! Com R$200 no Lance! Betting, você garante R$398 se Palmeiras x Internacional terminar com nove escanteios ou menos

– Ele foi para o Palmeiras e perdeu dinheiro em relação ao que a Lazio lhe ofereceu. Oferecemos cinco anos e um salário significativo, o segundo ou terceiro mais alto do elenco. Felipe Anderson se comportou como homem e com incrível dignidade e profissionalismo – afirmou o diretor da Lazio.

– Fizemos tudo para mantê-lo, mas quando ele se depara com escolhas familiares e territoriais não há nada que possamos fazer. Ele colocou a família no centro do projeto, recentemente teve um filho. Tiramos o chapéu para Anderson, ele é uma pessoa incrível. Ele nunca levantou problemas nem na Lazio nem em outros clubes. Ele é o filho que todos gostariam – completou Fabiani.

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Além das propostas de Palmeiras e Lazio, Felipe Anderson também negociava com a Juventus, maior campeã nacional da Itália. Mesmo assim, o meio-campista preferiu retornar ao Brasil e defender o Verdão, que irá registrá-lo na abertura da próxima janela de transferências, em julho deste ano.

➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

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Felipe AndersonLazioPalmeiras

Archer to sit out opening ODI as England step up Ashes preparation

Fast bowler’s workload to be managed in lead-up to Perth Test, in less than a month’s time

Cameron Ponsonby22-Oct-2025

Jofra Archer is a key weapon for the Test squad as they build towards the first Test in Perth next month•Philip Brown/Getty Images

Jofra Archer will miss the opening ODI against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui, as England ramp up their fast-bowling preparations for the Ashes.Archer returned to Test cricket in spectacular style this summer, after spending over four years on the sidelines with injury. There is no suggestion that he is missing the opening ODI through injury, rather that England are continuing their strategy of micromanaging one of their star players’ programmes in an attempt to have him fit for as much of the Ashes as possible.Archer, who had already been rested from the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand, will arrive in the country on Thursday alongside fellow quicks Mark Wood and Josh Tongue as England’s fast-bowling pack begin their conditioning before the Perth Test in just over four weeks’ time.England will face criticism from some quarters for only scheduling one warm-up fixture ahead of the Ashes, against the Lions in Perth the week before the first Test. However, they have been ultra-attentive to their fast bowlers’ preparations, with the entire Test fast-bowling group, Ben Stokes included, set to join up with the Lions from November 2 – a week in advance of the rest of the group.Of the seven fast bowlers in England’s Ashes squad, only Brydon Carse and Archer are playing any role in the white-ball series against New Zealand. However, Gus Atkinson has been with the squad for close to a week, working on his own individual preparations, with Wood and Tongue set to join him in their own training.”We’ve worked so hard to get to this point,” managing director Rob Key said in September about England’s fast-bowling group who – Wood’s final steps towards full fitness pending – are close to reporting a full bill of health. “It is the last little step. So we get this bit right and hopefully we have every option available to us going into that first Test in Perth.”Of England’s battery of fast bowlers, only Matthew Potts will not spend any time in New Zealand leading up to the England Lions camp, with Stokes expected to visit family in New Zealand before the group meets. Potts’ delayed arrival is due to him playing all three of Durham’s final matches in the County Championship in September.Related

Moores hails 'box office' Tongue as Notts close in on title

Mark Wood 'quietly confident' about fitness ahead of Ashes opener

Curran comes in from the cold with several points to prove

Salt, Brook fireworks set up crushing England win

Treats amid the treadmills fuel England's white-ball hunger

Archer’s absence from the opening ODI in Mount Maunganui means he will not return to the ground which is often associated with the start of his injury problems. In only his fifth Test match for England, Archer bowled 42 overs in an innings as New Zealand racked up 615 for nine. It was a figure that James Anderson only bettered once in his career when he bowled 44 overs against South Africa in 2008, while Stuart Broad only ever bowled a maximum of 36. Archer first reported elbow pain a little over a month later.During that same fixture in 2019, Archer was also subjected to racial abuse by a member of the crowd. The spectator in question was subsequently caught and banned from attending cricket for two years.England decide against naming XI ahead of final T20England broke from convention as they opted against publicly naming their XI a day out from the third and final T20I at Eden Park.In both Test and white-ball cricket, England have become accustomed to putting out their team early. However, with plenty of rain around in Auckland, there is doubt over the balance of the XI England will go with.Eden Park, an iconic stadium that is synonymous with All Blacks rugby, is an unusual ground for cricket with the straight boundaries particularly short. This is a factor that, combined with the damp conditions, may lead to England selecting an extra seamer rather than picking two specialist spinners in Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid.”It can sometimes be a bit mickey mouse at Eden Park,” Black Caps wicketkeeper Tim Seifert told the press in Auckland. “250 can be a par score. It’ll be interesting to see what the wicket plays like and we’ve just got to adapt to whatever we play on.”

فيديو | جفارديول يسجل هدف مانشستر سيتي الثاني أمام ليدز يونايتد

تمكن فريق مانشستر سيتي من تسجيل الهدف الثاني في شباك خصمه ليدز يونايتد، في مباراتهما الجارية حاليًا في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لكرة القدم.

ويستضيف ملعب “الاتحاد” مباراة مانشستر سيتي وليدز يونايتد في الجولة الثالثة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.

ونجح مانشستر سيتي في تسجيل الهدف الثاني في شباك ليدز يونايتد، في الدقيقة 25 من عمر الشوط الأول.

جاء الهدف عن طريق يوسكو جفارديول، بعد ركلة ركنية نفذها فيل فودين، ووصلت إلى نيكو أوريلي الذي سدد الكرة برأسه، قبل أن يتابعها الكرواتي ويهز الشباك.

وتدخلت تقنية الفيديو لتأكيد مدى صحة الهدف لوجود شك حول تسلل على برناردو سيلفا، وما إذا كان متداخلًا في اللعبة، ولكن تم احتسابه في النهاية.

Frank’s new Toney: Spurs line up club-record move to sign a “freak of nature”

Richarlison took his tally for the season to seven goals in all competitions, per Sofascore, as Tottenham Hotspur beat Brentford 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Brazil international converted from close range after Xavi Simons, who scored the second goal in the match, put it on a plate for the striker with a ball across the box.

Despite a return of six goals and two assists in nine starts in the Premier League for Richarlison, though, the Lilywhites are reportedly looking to add a new striker to their squad in the January transfer window.

Spurs have been linked with an interest in former Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who worked with Thomas Frank at the Gtech, but he is not the only attacker on their radar.

Spurs have strong interest in Spanish striker

The Europa League champions are also looking at a possible move for a number nine who could arrive in North London as the manager’s next version of Toney.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur have a strong interest in signing Porto centre-forward Samu Aghehowa to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

The report claims that the Spain international has a release clause in the region of £70m – a fee that would eclipse Spurs’ club-record fee – and that has attracted interest from Tottenham, Aston Villa, and Newcastle United.

Tottenham are said to have done a lot of background work on the striker, whom they hugely admire, and they would like to snap him up to lead their line.

However, the outlet adds that Porto are set to block a January move for Samu, who is not pushing to leave, which could mean that the Lilywhites have to wait until the summer to do a deal.

Why Spurs should wait to sign Samu Aghehowa

Instead of panicking and signing an alternative centre-forward option in the January transfer window, Spurs should wait until the summer to pursue a deal for the Spanish attacker, because he could be a brilliant addition to the squad as Frank’s new Toney.

The England international, per Transfermarkt, scored 72 goals in 141 matches for Brentford in all competitions for the Danish head coach, whilst acting as the focal point for the team with his physical presence.

Toney won 3.2 or more aerial duels per game, per Sofascore, across all three of his seasons in the Premier League with the Bees, never winning lower than 46% of his aerial contests.

Samu, 6 foot 4, has won 59% of his aerial duels in Liga Portugal and 56% of them in the Europa League this season, after winning 51% in the Portuguese top-flight last term, per Sofascore, which shows that he can offer a similar focal point to Toney in the number nine role.

Samu (Liga Portugal)

24/25

25/26

Appearances

30

11

xG

14.07

5.63

Goals

19

6

Minutes per goal

119

117

Assists

3

1

Aerial duel success rate

51%

59%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, though, the Spanish number nine is a terrific goalscorer to go along with his physical attributes, having scored 25 league goals since the start of last season.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed him as a “clinical” player during the 2024/25 campaign, and that still rings true with his return of six goals from 5.63 xG in the league this term.

Samu, who was described as a “freak of nature” by one analyst on X, has the physical and technical attributes to be Frank’s new Toney, as they are both prolific strikers who can also duel with opposition defenders and provide a focal point for their side.

On top of his similarities to Toney and his impressive record for Porto, the Spain international is also 21 and has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve further, which means that he would be a signing to make an immediate impact, but with scope for it to be a long-term move as well.

Fewer touches than Vicario & 88% duels lost: Spurs flop must now be dropped

One Tottenham Hotspur player may need to be dropped despite yesterday’s win over Brentford.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 7, 2025

Therefore, Samu is a player who is worth waiting for. That is why Spurs should stick with Richarlison, who has a decent goal return this season, until next summer before making a move for the Porto marksman, unless a January deal does become viable in the next seven weeks or so.

Mark Wood puts 'boring' rehab behind him as he gears up for bowling return

Fast bowler wants to be “mint” for first Test as he looks forward to playing at “rapid” Perth Stadium

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2025

Mark Wood speaks to Channel 9 after arriving in Perth•Getty Images

Mark Wood says he is feeling the excitement of bowling once again, after coming through a “boring” six months of rehab following knee surgery, and is ready to be as “fresh as I can be” come the first Test of the Ashes at Optus Stadium in Perth in a fortnight’s time.Wood, England’s fastest bowler, played in four of the five Tests on England’s last Ashes tour in 2021-22, claiming 17 wickets including a career-best 6 for 37 in the final Test in Hobart.However, on that occasion, he missed out on the chance to play in Perth, traditionally the venue for the fastest pitches in Australia, because of Western Australia’s strict Covid policy. Instead, his only experience of the pace and bounce on offer came during England’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign in 2022.”It was rapid,” Wood recalled, having claimed five wickets in two wins against Australia (in a pre-tournament bilateral match) and Afghanistan. “I’m not sure my back is looking forward to it, but my bowling is definitely looking forward to it.”Related

Robinson aids Smith's Ashes prep as Stokes steps up bowling return

Ashes squad talking points: Kingmaker Green to dictate Australia's plans

Weatherald's 'pinch me' moment after long route to Test selection

England and Australia Ashes squads compared: who comes out on top?

Wood’s ability to touch speeds in the mid-to-high 90mphs (155kph) is a central plank of England’s strategy as they seek to end a run of three deeply one-sided Ashes tours, dating back to their last win in the country in 2010-11.Asked if England had a back-up plan, if their policy of all-out pace proves to be the wrong one, Wood joked: “Don’t try as hard and bowl 130[kph]? We’ll be giving everything we’ve got. The type of bowlers that we are, I’m not quite sure that it’s in us to not give 100%. Whether it’s good enough, I don’t know, but we’ll wait and see. Australia are obviously the favourites going into the series, but I think there’s a quiet confidence within our group that we can do well here.”As Wood has shown in his previous comebacks from injury, however, he’s unlikely to hit full throttle until he’s out in the middle, with England’s warm-up fixture against England Lions looming next week as his one opportunity to test his match fitness.”I wouldn’t say I’m at 100%,” he said. “I think it’s very hard to train 100% all of the time. I’ve been off my full run-up and stuff, and I’ve been trying to just up the intensity as I go along. I’m sure in the practice game coming up, I can try and up it a little bit more again and gradually get ready for that first game.”England have attracted some criticism for their lack of meaningful warm-up games – a stark contrast from the intense preparations that went into their 2010-11 win. Wood, however, said he was unconcerned, and cited the team’s unlikely first-Test win over India in Hyderabad two winters ago as proof of what they can achieve in the series opener.Wood has been rehabbing after knee surgery•Getty Images

“The schedule is the schedule, I’m happy with what we’ve done,” he said. “In India recently, we didn’t have many games there, and we went straight into that and managed to win that first game.”We’re going to have been here, what, two or three weeks as a group. That’s a good enough build-up to that first game in my eyes. I suppose everybody’s different, and some people might want more but, for myself, I want to feel fresh going in that first game, having done a little bit, but not too much. I want to be mint for that game, and as fresh as I can be. We’ve got a good depth of bowlers, and if one misses out, he’ll be prepared for the next game.”Either way, Wood said that England’s outdoor training sessions at Lilac Hill had been a significant improvement from the “damp and cold” back home, where much of his preparation was undertaken in a heated tent on the outfield in a bid to replicate the humid conditions in Australia.”It was boring to start with, bowling by myself, but to now bowl in front of the batters, it’s exciting,” Wood said. “It’s now feeling like the start of the tour, and I’m feeling that excitement building to the first game.”When I was running on the treadmill at home, I was visualising the stadium and my run-up, and using the experience of playing here before. It certainly helped the motivation, when I was running in a cool, dark garage at home. Gearing up for being here, I’m so much more aligned to it now.”It was never just a straight trajectory,” he said, recalling the ups and downs of his return to action from knee ligament surgery. “There were some bits where I wasn’t doing as well, and then I had to build it up again. So finally, it’s nice to be outside in some nice weather, and ramping it up.”England’s arrival in Perth has already generated a glut of headlines, not least in the West Australia newspaper which described their captain, Ben Stokes, as “England’s Cocky Captain Complainer”. Wood, however, said the squad had taken the pre-series excitement in their stride.”It’s been great,” Wood said. “That’s all part of it. I haven’t taken much notice of newspapers and things, but the reception we’ve had in general from Australians has been great.”Out and about in the hotel and around Perth, everyone’s been very friendly, and everyone’s excited for the series. It’s a big build-up, and there’s obviously huge amounts of press around it which makes it more exciting. There’s a lot of English coming … back home, I walked down the street and it seemed like every man from England’s coming across. So I think the Barmy Army will be in full voice and right behind us.”

ترتيب المجموعة الرابعة في كأس العرب بعد تعادل الجزائر مع السودان وفوز العراق على البحرين

انتهت مواجهات الجولة الأولى من المجموعة الرابعة في بطولة كأس العرب 2025، بمواجهتي الجزائر والسودان والعراق أمام البحرين.

وتعادل منتخبا الجزائر والسودان، سلبيًا، عصر اليوم، الأربعاء، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما ضمن منافسات مرحلة المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

وفاز منتخب العراق، على نظيره البحرين، اليوم الأربعاء، بنتيجة 2-1، في انطلاق مشوار المنتخبين في بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة في قطر، خلال الأيام الجارية.

طالع | موعد والقنوات الناقلة لمباراة العراق والبحرين اليوم في كأس العرب 2025

ويتواجد منتخبا الجزائر والسودان، في المجموعة الرابعة لبطولة كأس العرب، بجانب كل من العراق والبحرين.

وبهذه النتيجة، يحصد كل من منتخبي الجزائر والسودان نقطة وحيدة، بينما العراق ثلاث نقاط والبحرين دون نقاط. ترتيب المجموعة الرابعة في كأس العرب بعد تعادل الجزائر مع السودان وفوز العراق على البحرين

1- العراق.. 3 نقاط.

2 – الجزائر.. نقطة من مباراة.

3 – السودان.. نقطة من مباراة.

4 – البحرين.. دون نقاط.

Atlético-GO x Brusque: onde assistir ao vivo, horário e escalações do jogo pela Copa do Brasil

MatériaMais Notícias

Atlético-GO e Brusque se enfrentam nesta quarta-feira (22), pela terceira fase da Copa do Brasil. A bola rola a partir das 19h (de Brasília), no Estádio Antônio Accioly, em Goiânia (GO), com transmissão do SporTV e Premiere (clique aqui para assinar o Prime Video por 30 dias grátis!).

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➡️ O mata-mata da Copa do Brasil está pegando fogo! Abra a sua conta e faça já a sua aposta no Lance! Betting

Confira todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre Atlético-GO e Brusque (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
Atlético-GO x Brusque
Copa do Brasil – Terceira fase – Volta

🗓️ Data e horário: quarta-feira, 22 de maio de 2024, às 19h (de Brasília)
📍 Local: Estádio Antônio Accioly
📺 Onde assistir: SporTV e Premiere
🟨 Árbitro: Luiz Flávio de Oliveira
🚩 Assistentes: Alex Ang Ribeiro e Brígida Cirilo Ferreira
🖥️ VAR: Márcio Henrique de Gois

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⚽️ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

Atlético-GO (Técnico: Jair Ventura)
Ronaldo; Maguinho, Adriano Martins, Alix Vinícius e Guilherme Romão; Lucas Kal, Baralhas, Rhaldney e Shaylon; Luiz Fernando e Vagner Love.

Brusque (Técnico: Luizinho Vieira)
Matheus Nogueira; Ronei, Salustiano, Wallace e Alex Ruan; Rodolfo Potiguar, Dionísio e Jhemerson; Dentinho, Guilherme Queiróz e Paulinho Moccelin.

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Atlético-GOBrusqueCopa do Brasil

Fewer touches than Johnstone & only 5 passes: Wolves flop must be dropped

If any side has it in them to gift bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers a much-needed Premier League win, it might well have been Ruben Amorim’s all too often charitable Manchester United outfit.

Indeed, heading into this Monday night clash at Molineux, the Red Devils had previously handed relegation-threatened West Ham United a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

However, the visitors from Manchester were far more ruthless on this occasion, as Wolves’ abject season shows no signs of stopping off the back of United running out convincing 4-1 winners.

Sitting on just two points, you likely could pick flaws all night long in the woeful home performance, with the die-hard Old Gold faithful clearly at their wits’ end with the ownership at their lowly club, having staged a fan protest before yet another defeat was tallied up.

What went wrong for Wolves on Monday

Championship football already looks destined to be returning to the West Midlands very soon, with the fresh appointment of Rob Edwards to replace Vitor Pereira doing very little to save the sinking ship.

Edwards just can’t account for some silly errors that plagued Wolves’ game all evening, though, with Andre in the first half – who has been on United’s transfer radar – dilly dallying on the ball for far too long, before Bruno Fernandes then scrappily gave the fortuitous away side a 1-0 lead. As journalist Liam Keen put it, the defending for this opening strike was ” totally shambolic.”

The likes of Yersen Mosquera in the heart of the ropey Wolves defence didn’t fare any better, either, with the shaky number 15 handing Fernandes his second of the one-sided affair late on, after a handball decision went against him for the penalty.

Mason Mount also had all the time in the world to put away United’s third when both Mosquera and Emmanuel Agbadou left him in acres of space to fire home, with the abysmal defending on show typical of a side that has surrendered a seriously worrying 33 goals already this season.

All over the pitch, there were very few positives to latch onto, with a lacklustre attacker now needing to be dropped by Edwards, after he put in another no-show against the rampant Red Devils.

Wolves flop must now be dropped after Man Utd

Apart from Jean Ricner Bellegarde scoring Wolves’ first league goal since October, there would be little to smile about from an attacking point of view at Molineux for the hosts, especially when it came to Jorgen Strand Larsen’s idle showing.

Long gone now are the days when Larsen was being tipped for a £50m switch to Newcastle United after bagging 14 league strikes during his debut season, with the out-of-sorts Norwegian instead now on the receiving end of some sarcastic cheers when he was substituted off after an uneventful 69-minute spell against Amorim’s men.

As per the aforementioned Keen, Larsen even had to be calmed down by his manager after looking “furious” with the jeers directed at him.

But, when looking at the table below, it’s hardly a shock that the hardened Molineux masses decided to voice their frustrations in such a gallows humour way, with the goal-shy number 29 coming off after registering zero shots and just five accurate passes.

Larsen’s performance in numbers

Stat

Larsen

Minutes played

69

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

19

Shots

0

Accurate passes

5/9 (56%)

Total duels won

2/12

Stats by Sofascore

Moreover, Larsen only mustering up a sorry 19 touches of the ball in total means even Johnstone in between the sticks for the relegation-doomed side had more touches of the ball, coming in at a far heftier 42.

The Newcastle-linked striker’s notable drop off has impacted the Old Gold so much this season that former Premier League scout Mick Brown, when speaking to Football Insider earlier in the campaign, stated that his presence up top now makes the basement outfit a “worse side.”

This is a far cry from analyst Ben Mattinson’s previous comments that he was a “proper number 9” when scoring goals for fun, meaning Edwards must seriously consider axing him soon, even as his other striker option in Tolu Arokodare, prepares to head to the African Cup of Nations.

Desperate times could call for desperate measures, with Hwang Hee-Chan perhaps the answer in from the cold up top, considering he does have 23 top-flight goals for the Old Gold, one of which came this season, lining up as the sole centre-forward.

Whatever changes do occur, Wolves need to start doing the basics correctly if they stand any chance of turning around their likely insurmountable points gap, with Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher stating that they have “no fight” at the moment.

Larsen could fall victim to Edwards shuffling his pack, with Wolves surely left with plenty of regret now that they handed the out-of-form number nine a new, bumper five-year deal in September, instead of cashing in.

Wolves now want to sign 'top talent' from Man City with player set to leave in January

Rob Edwards’ side need inspiration from somewhere.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 6, 2025

هانز فليك: لا أريد الحديث عن ألونسو.. وهذه مشكلة ريال مدريد

أدلى الألماني هانز فليك، مدرب فريق برشلونة بتصريحات أعقبت الفوز على إسبانيول في منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لموسم 2025-2026.

وتغلب برشلونة على إسبانيول بهدفين دون رد، ضمن مباريات الجولة السادسة عشر للدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.

ويتصدر برشلونة الترتيب بفارق 7 نقاط عن ريال مدريد الوصيف، والذي يلاقي ألافيس غدًا الأحد في الجولة ذاتها.

وقال عن المباراة في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: “الأهم هو النقاط الثلاث، سيطرنا على المباراة، وكنا متماسكين دفاعياً، ربما لم تتح لنا فرص كثيرة، لكننا سجلنا هدفين”.

وعن أداء بيدري، أضاف: “سنحت لنا فرصة تسجيل الهدف الأول واستغللناها، بيدري لاعبٌ مذهل، الأفضل على الإطلاق، إنه من الطراز الرفيع، ولاعب كرة قدم ممتاز”.

وبشأن رافينها: “إنه لاعب مهم للغاية للفريق، من المهم أنه سجل هدفين، ليخطو خطوة أخرى للأمام، إنه لاعب محوري في الفريق، اليوم واجهنا صعوبة في إيجاد مساحات، ولكن عندما سنحت لنا الفرصة، استغللناها بفضل بيدري ورافينها”.

اقرأ أيضًا | فيديو | جماهير برشلونة توجه رسالة ساخرة إلى تشابي ألونسو أمام أوساسونا

وعن صدارة برشلونة للترتيب، أكد: “قلتها بالأمس، لا أفكر في الفرق الأخرى، نريد الذهاب إلى فياريال والفوز، إنهم يلعبون بشكل ممتاز، علينا الذهاب إلى هناك ومحاولة الفوز، الطريق طويل، وعلينا أن نعيش اللحظة”.

وحارس المرمى الأساسي الذي سيدفع به في مباراة برشلونة القادمة بكأس الملك، أوضح: “لم نقرر بعد من سيلعب، ربما غداً أو الاثنين، يحتاجون للراحة، سنرى”.

وحول عدم استقبال أهداف: “من الجيد دائمًا إنهاء المباريات دون تلقي أي هدف، استحوذنا على الكرة بنسبة تقارب 80%، أود أن أهنئ الدفاع والفريق بأكمله”.

وأهمية اللعب على ملعب كامب نو: “إنه لأمر رائع، لقد فزنا في جميع المباريات، وهذا أمر مهم، جميعنا سعداء للغاية بالعودة إلى هذا الملعب الرائع، أنا سعيد جدًا لوجودي هنا، والجماهير سعيدة أيضًا”.

وبشأن موقف تشابي ألونسو، مدرب ريال مدريد، شدد فليك: “لا أريد الحديث عن منافسينا، هذا ليس من شأني، من الرائع أننا فزنا اليوم ونتقدم بثلاث نقاط، مما يضغط عليهم؛ فهم متأخرون بسبع نقاط، إذا كان فوزنا سيشكل ضغطاً عليهم، فهذه مشكلتهم، علينا الحفاظ على هذا المستوى، لقد تعافينا، ونلعب بشكل جيد، وعاد جميع لاعبينا، ومعظمهم في كامل لياقتهم، أما الباقي فلا يعنيني”.

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