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Leeds United have enjoyed some wonderful talent over the years, with their illustrious history so often bringing in some of the best talent there is to offer.

However, due to their well-known financial issues that unsurprisingly fell apart at the turn of the century, clubs capitalised on their precarious position as they slumped into the Championship.

Whilst this marked a dark time in their history, they would continue to lose their top assets in the years that followed but could no longer attribute it to their finances. It had to be external factors, or, in the case of Kasper Schmeichel, a lack of faith from the staff to the fans.

His stint in Yorkshire was short and unsavoury, but the goalkeeper he would go onto become perhaps left them somewhat regretful of that decision. Especially given the current struggles of Illan Meslier, who has been floundering between the sticks for Jesse Marsch and now Javi Gracia

Were they given the choice, fans would surely swallow their pride to accept a prime version of the former Leicester City keeper in place of the Frenchman, who has disappointed of late.

Why did Kasper Schmeichel leave Leeds?

Speaking on his failed tenure in Yorkshire, Schmeichel was upfront about the reasons behind his exit:

"I remember about three weeks after joining Leeds thinking, ‘What have I done?!’

“It was just the wrong club for me at that time. It was very clear, very early on that it was the wrong club for me. It was a club where I was not accepted and with my father’s history, it was evident among the fans that they did not approve of that.

“I just didn’t feel welcome at all at the club, by the whole club, that’s the manager as well. He didn’t give me any kind of confidence."

Referenced within this claim, Simon Grayson's side at the time had won promotion from League One but retained ambitions of a Premier League return. It was clear he deemed the 36-year-old surplus to requirements in his quest.

Considering the role he would later play in the Foxes' infamous acquisition of the Premier League and FA Cup, the former Leeds player was made to rue this mistake, as journalist Saddick Adams has since branded the goalkeeping stalwart a "legend".

Across his 284 appearances in the league, he would keep 82 clean sheets, and in his final season for the club he would maintain a 6.93 average rating, underpinned by 3.5 saves per game at a 69% success rate and a 70% pass accuracy too, via Sofascore.

When compared with Meslier from this campaign, who himself has only managed a 6.89 rating, it is clear to see where he falls short of Schmeichel. His three saves per game at a 65% success rate marks a drop-off, whilst his passing accuracy sits at an abysmal 55%, via Sofascore.

What also counts against the 23-year-old is how prone to blunders he is, with his recent gaffe against Everton an important one in the battle for safety.

Ex-striker Glenn Murray even lambasted the youngster, telling BBC’s Final Score: "Wow, Leeds fans need to look away when it comes to their goalkeeper tonight because this is terrible goalkeeping."

In a period when they need security from their goalkeeper, there is no doubt that Schmeichel in his prime would offer that in spades when compared to the often unreliable Meslier.

Simon Jordan has claimed on TalkSport that Patrick Vieira was sacked by Crystal Palace as the players stopped responding to him and his coaching staff.

The Lowdown: Palace are in dire straits

It was perhaps of little surprise to those connected to Palace when Steve Parish made the decision to sack Vieira following their poor run of form, but he certainly wasn’t helped by a horrific run of fixtures.

Despite sitting in mid-table, Palace are yet to play a team below them in the Premier League this calendar year, so Vieira was always fighting a losing battle when trying to pick up points, while he managed to do so against the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle United with valuable home draws.

Parish clearly had a plan in place for life after Vieira as he’s moved swiftly to bring Roy Hodgson out of retirement and hand him the task of keeping Palace in the Premier League, with the 75-year-old handed the job until the end of the season.

The Latest: Players seemingly downed tools behind the scenes

Former club owner Jordan has claimed that a lot of the Palace players stopped responding to the coaching staff in training sessions, which would not have helped Vieira’s cause. He told TalkSport that Hodgson, meanwhile, should manage to turn things around.

He said: “I think the players will look upon it as the Patrick Vieira situation was running its course. The coaching staff, from what I understand, weren’t the greatest and the players weren’t responding to them – which I don’t think is great, but it is what it is.

“I think they’ll respond to Roy Hodgson because I think most people do. I think he’ll get a tune out of them – enough of a tune to get them out of the current situation they’re in.”

The Verdict: Players must now start responding

It’s certainly not a good view from the outside looking in if the players had seemingly stopped responding to what was being asked of them by Vieira and his coaching staff, but it does perhaps shine some light on their woeful performances.

Not too long ago, Palace went on a torrid run which saw them fail to register a shot on target for three successive games, which was a damning indictment of how their season had negatively turned around in 2023 under Vieira.

However, judging by Hodgson’s last stint as a manager with Watford, it doesn’t appear that Palace will suddenly start to become a free-flowing attacking machine, as the Hornets scored just 11 times in the 18 games he was in charge of.

That said, Palace are by no means in as dire a situation as the Championship side were, and Hodgson has kept the Eagles’ heads above water plenty of times in the past, which will surely have been the main reason behind Parish sealing his return.

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has slammed the club’s decision to bench Harry Kane in their shock FA Cup defeat to Sheffield United.

What happened to Spurs in the FA Cup?

Antonio Conte’s side may have lost their biggest chance at silverware this season as they were dumped out in the fifth round by the Championship side, with Spurs also trailing in their Champions League tie with AC Milan.

Cristian Stellini led the team in Conte’s absence as a result of illness and made a lot of changes for their trip to Bramall Lane, which included starting Richarlison upfront instead of Kane, and Spurs were poor as they were eliminated.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Redknapp criticised the decision to rotate Kane in what was an important game in their long-awaited hunt for silverware.

“I looked at his face last night as he walked off the pitch and he looked very low, he must have thought, ‘my god what’s going on here?’

“You know, he’s on the bench. he didn’t start the game. You’re taking a gamble right now. Top four, yeah it’s important, but winning a trophy is everything really, they should have really gone for it last night. Harry should be starting the game surely, you want to go all the way in that competition.”

Should Spurs have prioritised the FA Cup?

Given that just four of the remaining eight sides in the FA Cup are from the Premier League, and that Sheffield United were draw against Blackburn Rovers in the quarter-finals, this was a huge missed opportunity for Spurs.

They have not won a trophy since the 2008 League Cup, and with Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal already eliminated, they could have had a huge shot at glory if they progressed to the next round.

Spurs’ route to Wembley looked clear, and in a season where they have been largely disappointing whilst competing for a top-four place, FA Cup victory will have been excellent for the club and their fans.

The decision to bench Kane backfired particularly because of Richarlison’s poor performance. The Brazilian failed to register a single shot on target and lost possession 12 times as per SofaScore.

Given how long it has been since Spurs tasted success, rotating so heavily for the FA Cup was the wrong decision and it has come back to bite them.

Leeds United remain managerless and are deep in relegation trouble after they were beaten by Manchester United at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon.

Whilst it was the second strong showing against the Red Devils this week, the Yorkshire outfit desperately need to pick up points or risk going back to the Championship after just three years back in the big time.

Late goals from Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho extended the Whites’ winless run to nine straight matches in the Premier League. It also means that Leeds have scored just three goals in five outings too.

Patrick Bamford’s struggles since making a permanent comeback from injury have certainly continued…

How did Patrick Bamford do against Man Utd?

It was only one-and-a-half seasons ago that the Englishman had completed a prolific campaign in front of goal as he helped Marcelo Bielsa’s side to a ninth-placed finish with his 17 goals and seven assists.

Since then, injuries have wrecked his time in west Yorkshire and he’s returned as a shadow of himself post-surgery as this latest blank has made it four straight without a goal, via Transfermarkt.

This wretched record is doing Leeds more harm than good and with a club-record signing waiting in the wings, it could be an easy switch for any new manager to make.

Against United, Bamford mustered up fewer touches of the ball (16) than even goalkeeper Illan Meslier (31) – hardly a surprise given he was hooked before the hour mark but a rather damning indictment of just how ineffective he’s been.

Indeed, the 29-year-old – who earns a reported £74k-per-week at Elland Road – missed one big chance at 0-0 and had that fallen to him during the 2020/21 season, then you’d imagine it would be buried, without fail.

The former Chelsea youth graduate also managed just four accurate passes from his 16 touches, which was the same number as his replacement managed in half the time, whilst just one effort was on target, via Sofascore.

If Leeds’ next manager is to turn the tide at Elland Road, then he’ll quickly need to find a solution in the final third, with Bamford misfiring once again. It’s been a frequent occurrence since his return, so perhaps it’s finally time to see what Georginio Rutter can offer.

AND in other news, Marsch downgrade: Orta could put the final nail in Leeds’ coffin with “clueless” 55y/o…

Tottenham Hotspur could be on the lookout for a new goalkeeper ahead of the summer transfer window, if recent reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

One target that has emerged is FC Porto and Portugal no.1, Diogo Costa, after 90min claimed that the Lilywhites had been scouting him ahead of a potential swoop.

Spurs are one of several Premier League teams to have taken a close look at the 23-year-old, whilst free-spending Chelsea and Manchester United are also named in the report.

The Portuguese shot-stopper is thought to have a €75m (£66m) release clause at the Estadio do Dragao, so he’s unlikely to come cheap.

Bye-bye Lloris?

Perhaps it should come as little surprise to see the north Londoners keeping tabs on other goalkeepers heading into next season as current first-choice and club captain Hugo Lloris has been quite erratic, if not wholly inconsistent.

His form has arguably taken a dip over the last 18 to 24 months but since his return from the World Cup – where his France side tasted defeat in the final to Cristian Romero and Argentina – he hasn’t been the same.

Aston Villa punished a big blunder on New Year’s Day to secure all three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before the 36-year-old conceded an own goal to league leaders and arch-rivals Arsenal, then against Manchester City a couple of weeks ago, he was easily beaten at his near post.

Such form has led to criticism, with many slamming the £100k-per-week star as a “liability” and the “weak link” in defence, which is not something that manager Antonio Conte will want lingering around next season – if he’s still in the dugout.

Costa could prove to be a natural and long-term successor, one that is ready now.

Having taken the gloves from Jose Sa and Rui Patricio in Qatar, the 6 foot 1 titan has emerged as one of Europe’s most promising young goalkeepers – having also been dubbed as a “wall” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

With 93 senior appearances, four major honours and 11 caps already under his belt, Costa is far from inexperienced, so he really could be an option that’s ready to take between the sticks now, rather than in a few years’ time.

When Costa is compared to fellow goalkeepers in FBref’s ‘next eight’ divisions, he’s in a league of his own, ranking inside the top 1% for goals conceded (just 0.61 per 90), whilst he also sits among the top 2% for clean sheet percentage (54.8%) and the top 12% for crosses stopped (8.5%) per 90.

The latter facet is arguably one of Lloris’ weak points, with the French veteran conceding more goals per 90 (1.13), keeping fewer clean sheets per 90 (37.8%) and stopping fewer crosses (6.9%), per FBref.

Therefore, Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici could allow Conte to finally ditch the long-serving Lloris with a summer swoop for the Porto “giant” – as once hailed by his Portugal teammate Bruno Fernandes – as on the above evidence, he’d be a likely upgrade in the long run.

AND in other news, “It’s absolutely amazing…” – Alasdair Gold still stunned by “incredible” situation at Spurs…

Leeds United are still looking at making more signings this month, according to Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Leeds’ January

The Whites have had a mixed bag throughout January, with them picking up just two points from a possible nine in the Premier League, while eventually pushing Cardiff City aside in the FA Cup, winning the replay 5-2 after a late comeback had saved their blushes in Wales.

Meanwhile, their transfer business has so far been positive, with the signings of Max Wober and club-record transfer Georginio Rutter bolstering Leeds’ squad.

However, results are yet to suggest they will steer clear of trouble come May, with the Whites just a point above the relegation zone – albeit with a game in hand on their rivals at the bottom.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport about Jesse Marsch’s new record signing, Jones also revealed that more incomings at Elland Road aren’t off the table, saying:

“That’s a really, really big transfer to get done. And again, it just shows that the club are committed to try and keep this side in the Premier League and are pushing everything into doing that.

“So, we can’t rule out the possibility of other players coming in at the moment.”

The Verdict: Who could arrive?

With the Whites looking nervously over their shoulder at the drop zone amid a winless run of six league games dating back to before the World Cup, incomings have to be expected given their current position.

One obvious player who’s been hotly linked with a move to Elland Road is Morocco World Cup star Azzedine Ounahi, who has been rumoured to make a £26m switch to West Yorkshire by 90min.

However, Sport Witness has previously reported that Aston Villa have also entered the race to sign him, leaving presenter Conor McGilligan worried they will be financially outmuscled by a side ten points ahead of them at present.

Another target attracting huge interest from Europe is Roma’s attacking midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo, who has been linked with a move to Leeds by Calciomercato, but with touted clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea ahead of the Whites, that could also be considered unlikely.

We think both signings would be massive coups if they can be pulled off given the relative interest and the player’s reputations, and it could well be an interesting end to the month at Elland Road if Jones’ comments are anything to go by.

Arsenal transfer target Mykhailo Mudryk has now ‘agreed in principle’ to move to the Emirates Stadium, according to journalist Santi Aouna.

The Lowdown: Ongoing negotiations

The Gunners’ interest in the Shakhtar Donetsk star has been confirmed by the Ukrainian club’s sporting director Carlo Nicolini, with Fabrizio Romano recently revealing that the two parties held a fresh round of talks on Monday to continue negotiations.

Premier League rivals Chelsea are also believed to have held an interest in the Ukraine forward, but having decided to instead pursue Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix, Mikel Arteta’s side appear to be back in pole position.

The Latest: Mudryk breakthrough

Taking to Twitter, Aouna revealed that Arsenal are growing ever closer to completing the signing of Mudryk, who he claims has already said yes to moving to north London.

He tweeted: “Info: Mykhailo Mudryk. Shakhtar and Arsenal are closing in on a full deal for the forward’s transfer. As already mentioned, the Ukrainian has already agreed in principle to join Arsenal.”

The Verdict: Massive coup

Mudryk has been a long-time target of Arsenal, so it will be a massive coup and a huge relief should Edu be able to successfully complete this deal before the end of the January transfer window.

The Ukrainian has had a remarkable first half of the season, racking up 18 goal contributions in the same number of appearances, and he offers great versatility with the ability to play on both the left and right flanks (Transfermarkt).

The Gunners would be getting a hugely creative player in Mudryk and one who could no doubt help the club to maintain their position at the top of the table in a bid to become Premier League champions at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

Celtic are thought to be one of a number of clubs keen on signing Real Valladolid defender Ivan Fresneda.

The Lowdown: Fresneda profiled

Fresneda is just 18 years of age and doesn’t have too much first-team experience under his belt, making just nine senior appearances for his current employers.

The right-back is valued at €1m by Transfermarkt but has a €30m release clause in his contract. The Spaniard’s deal with Real Valladolid runs until 2025, and it looks as if the Hoops are eyeing a potential move.

The Latest: Transfer update

One Spanish outlet shared a transfer update regarding Fresneda in the last 48 hours.

They claimed that Celtic are one of eight clubs across Europe who could be willing to make an offer for the teenager’s services.

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The Verdict: Unlikely?

The Hoops recently bolstered their right-back ranks by landing Alistair Johnston from CF Montreal, so a move for Fresneda seems unlikely.

He could also command a club-record fee, which currently stands at €10.3m for Odsonne Edouard, given his €30m release clause and the likes of big European clubs Arsenal, AC Milan and Juventus showing an interest in the teenager.

It could be a name to keep an eye on, however, Ange Postecoglou could be looking at other areas of the pitch after landing Johnston.

Tottenham Hotspur are among the multitude of teams interested in signing Josko Gvardiol, who was one of the standout players of the World Cup group stages.

Tuttomercatoweb reported last month that current Lilywhites star Ivan Perisic had been tasked with convincing the 20-year-old that his future should lie in north London.

During the summer window, RB Leipzig’s asking price was thought to be in the region of £70m and that would have only increased after announcing himself on the world’s biggest stage, with the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid also keen on his signature.

Whilst he would cost sporting director Fabio Paratici a club-record fee, it should not put the Italian off from sealing a real piece of the future. Gvardiol could be one of, if not the, best centre-back in the world considering he’s already delivering at just 20.

And by winning the race to land him, Spurs could well eclipse the signing of Heung-min Son, who has undoubtedly been one of the Lilywhites’ best-ever deals. His returns of 136 goals and 76 assists for just £22m have been unmatched.

Croatia kept two clean sheets across their three matches, despite being in Group F with Belgium, one of the favourites for the tournament, though they didn’t qualify for the knockout stages.

Gvardiol played an integral role for the Vatreni, combining his frightening physicality with his deft touch on the ball – form that led transfer guru Fabrizio Romano to laud him as a “monster”.

Across those three matches, the Croat colossus has averaged a 90% passing accuracy, despite managing near 70 attempts per game, via Sofascore. A feat that outranks every one of Spurs’ current starters, including Eric Dier, who averages an 87.6% accuracy rate from 66.7 passes per game.

Gvardiol has also managed a whopping 5.7 clearances, 1.7 interceptions and 1.3 tackles per game at the World Cup too. By comparison, not even Cristian Romero has averaged more interceptions, whilst the Leipzig titan would also lead the way for clearances.

Meanwhile, his performances have also seen him dubbed as the Erling “Haaland of defenders” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, only further emphasising just how much of an instant impact he has made.

Journalist Zach Lowry even praised him as a “Rolls-Royce” and as a “sensational centre-back,” having been the best player on the pitch despite sharing it with Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modric.

With Romero now a permanent presence at Hotspur Way, Paratici and co could really land their best-ever signing by luring the Leipzig superstar to north London in 2023. They may need to wait until the summer and fork out in excess of £70m but he’d be worth every penny and more.

AND in other news, Conte could land dream Maddison alternative in Spurs move 22 y/o World Cup “superstar”…

Leeds United centre-forward Mateo Joseph is set to be called up for England U20s.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication AS (via Sport Witness), who claim that Ian Foster’s side are ‘very close’ to calling the forward up ahead of the U20 World Cup in Indonesia in May of 2023, with the Whites said to be expecting a phone call from England in order to request permission to speak with the 19-year-old.

The report goes on to state that the Leeds U21 sensation looks as if he could represent the latest talent Spain end up missing out on, with Manchester United’s recent breakthrough starlet, Alejandro Garnacho, having also declared for Argentina ahead of La Furia Roja earlier this year.

England’s next star

Considering the remarkable rise Joseph has enjoyed since his £900k move to Elland Road back in January – when Barcelona, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City were reported to be keen on the attacker – the argument that the teenager could become both a future star of Leeds and England is becoming easier to make with each passing day.

Indeed, after scoring 44 goals in 56 appearances across the various youth age groups for Espanyol, the youngster enjoyed a decent debut campaign with the Whites in the second half of 2021/22, bagging one goal and registering one assist over four U18 Premier League fixtures and notching one goal over seven Premier League 2 outings last term.

However, the forward has truly exploded this season, with Joseph scoring 11 goals and providing one assist over his eight Premier League 2 fixtures and netting one goal over three outings in the Papa John’s Trophy.

These returns saw the player who Michael Skubala dubbed a “threat for any defence” earn a call-up to Jesse Marsch’s first team for the 1-0 Carabao Cup loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month – a game in which, despite failing to score, the attacker looked “really bright” – as well as making his Premier League debut in the 4-3 loss to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

As such, should Marsch keep the faith in the £1.9k-per-week Joseph over the months ahead, as well as the Santander-born starlet agreeing to a switch to the Three Lions ahead of the U20 World Cup next May, Leeds could not only possess their next star in the forward, but also one of England’s next big attacking talents – something that is an incredibly exciting prospect.