Leeds United would come away from their mid-week FA Cup tie with Chelsea frustrated at the final outcome, losing 3-2 to the Premier League hosts right at the death courtesy of a Conor Gallagher goal.

Daniel Farke couldn't fault the commitment of both Jaidon Anthony and Mateo Joseph coming into the XI at Stamford Bridge, combining as an impactful duo with goals and assists aplenty before hearts were cruelly broken late on.

But, there were a number of Whites first-teamers who let themselves down on the contrary in west London – notably Junior Firpo's performance could be critiqued at left-back, with the former Barcelona man winning just 40% of his duels.

If Leeds could turn back time, the Championship automatic promotion candidates would love to have this former defender back at the club who could be viewed as a Firpo upgrade.

Charlie Taylor's time at Leeds

Emerging through the Leeds youth academy system to then break into the Whites first-team set-up back in 2011, now 30-year-old Charlie Taylor would go on to make 104 appearances for the West Yorkshire giants in total over four seasons.

Coming into his own during the 2015-16 campaign in the second tier – with the 5 foot 9 full-back accumulating seven assists from 39 appearances – Taylor would go toe-to-toe with Firpo if was to return to Elland Road now.

1. GK – Andy Lonergan

2. RB – Tom Lees

3. CB – Patrick Kisnorbo

4. CB – Darren O'Dea

5. LB – Charlie Taylor

6. RM – Robert Snodgrass

7. CM – Michael Brown

8. CM – Jonathan Howson

9. LM – Ramon Nunez

10. ST – Ross McCormack

11. ST – Andy Keogh

Taylor would even pick up an assist on his Championship debut for Leeds back in 2011, teeing up Ross McCormack for a header against Crystal Palace to help the Whites pick up a dramatic 3-2 win.

Now, Taylor is regularly in the Burnley first-team in the Premier League this season more than a decade on from his Leeds second-tier debut.

Therefore, the ex-Whites homegrown product would be more than capable of shining ahead of Firpo for Farke's promotion-chasers in the division below if a reunion was ever on the cards.

What Taylor has done since leaving Leeds

A West Yorkshire homecoming was very nearly on the menu this January transfer window for the 30-year-old defender, Leeds linked with trying to get a deal over the line for the Clarets man when searching for left-back reinforcements last month.

There's a reason why Farke wanted Taylor in the building to add to his already strong Leeds ranks, with the experienced left-back notching up 210 appearances for Burnley to date.

18 of those appearances have come this season, with the Burnley defender picking up a goal and assist for his efforts even whilst Vincent Kompany's men stare relegation straight in the face.

That remains as Taylor's only goal for the Lancashire side, with the experienced ace far more adept at being a rock-solid defender for his team mainly at Championship level.

The Burnley number three put in top-drawer performances last season for the Clarets when it mattered, notably helping his side pick up a clean sheet and a 1-0 win away at arch-rivals Blackburn Rovers to clinch promotion – Taylor winning eight duels in total to protect his side's win.

Blast from the Past

Football FanCast's Blast from the Past series takes a trip down memory lane. Do any of your classic icons of days gone by fit into a modern-day starting XI?

Described as being a "phenomenal" defender by football journalist Andy Jones last season too, Leeds would have significantly upgraded their defence landing Taylor in the window.

Also handy with picking up assists – amassing ten in total for Burnley on top of his 13 for Leeds – Firpo would have been understandably sweating about this first-team future if Taylor was signed this January.

Leeds will just have to stick by their hot-and-cold number three for now, as Farke's men strive for an immediate return to the Premier League whilst Taylor aims to try and secure Burnley's doomed top-flight status himself.

Rassie van der Dussen believes Quinton de Kock will “lead by example” in the upcoming three-match T20I series against India. With regular captain Faf du Plessis rested, de Kock has been given the chance to lead the T20I side, as South Africa trial leadership options ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup.”Quinton is one of those guys who leads by example,” van der Dussen said. “He doesn’t always say a lot, but when he speaks he says really valuable things. You get some guys who talk a lot, and some guys who don’t. Quinny is one of those guys who prefers to lead from the front in terms of action. Everybody respects him for that.”De Kock, 26, is a regular starter for South Africa across formats and has lead the team twice before in ODIs in du Plessis’ absence during South Africa’s trip to Sri Lanka last year. He will be in charge of a fairly young side post a World Cup shake-up.”We obviously know what he is as a player and how many games he’s won for South Africa, and what he brings to the team in terms of cricketing capability. I think having the leadership band around his arm is just going to bring more out of him. He really wants to do well in India, always. We as a team really want to walk away with a series win. Everything we do is gearing up to that.”The South African squad has been put through their paces during the course of two “very tough” training sessions since their arrival in Dharamsala, where they will play the first of three T20Is on Sunday. Van der Dussen said the conditions there were “just a bit worse in terms of humidity and heat” compared to that of Durban’s.”The boys have really worked hard. But we’re playing against India, so we know we have to be at our best and put the hard yards in,” van der Dussen said. “A few years ago, the Proteas played here and we beat India by seven wickets, chasing down 200. So it’ll be a very good wicket to bat on. It will be challenging for the bowlers. The boundaries are about 65 metres all around, which is not very big. We know what India is going to throw at us, and we’re preparing accordingly.”Just two members of South Africa’s squad – David Miller and Kagiso Rabada – were part of the playing XI that beat India at this venue the last time South Africa visited, but de Kock also has extensive experience of Indian conditions from his several IPL stints.”Wherever you go, you’ve got to look at the conditions and the guys who know the conditions.”Guys like Quinton and David Miller have played a lot of cricket here, so all of us that are having our first experience in T20 cricket here will look to feed off them and talk to them, and ask a lot of questions about how the conditions will play, the different bowlers. We’ve got to use everything we can to our advantage against a very strong Indian side, so we’ll definitely look to do that.”The upcoming T20Is will mark South Africa’s first international engagement since the World Cup in England earlier this year. Van der Dussen said that the games will allow South Africa to bounce back from their disastrous run at the tournament and also begin their preparations for the T20 World Cup in Australia next year.”We had a disappointing World Cup campaign, so now we’ve got the opportunity to make a really strong statement and bounce back from that,” he said. “There’s a T20 World Cup in just over a year. We’ve got 20 T20 games before that, so this will show us exactly where we are, playing against one of the strongest teams in the world. If we win, we know we’re on the right track. If we fall short in one or two of the games, we’ll know exactly what we need to work on.”India is one of the strongest teams in the world. They’re in their home conditions. For us, it’s going to be a massive challenge. They’ve been together and played some cricket recently against the West Indies. That will give us the advantage of seeing who is in their squad and what they’re likely to do.”

Leeds United put a hectic Deadline Day firmly to the back of their mind when returning to the bread and butter of Championship action on Friday night, beating Bristol City 1-0 at Ashton Gate courtesy of a second half Wilfried Gnonto strike.

Despite not strengthening in the centre-back areas – with talk that Ben Godfrey was a transfer target – the defensive duo of Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu showed to everyone that new reinforcements might not have been necessary anyway.

Rodon in particular impressed with 103 touches of the ball amassed in a measured display from the Welshman on Friday night.

Daniel Farke and Co might not have splashed the cash on another centre-back cover owing to the crop of young talent currently coming through in West Yorkshire also, with one starlet having the potential to break into the Whites first-team set-up soon as a Ben Godfrey-like figure.

Kris Moore's statistics as youth level

More than capable of doing a job at both centre-back and right-back, much like the Toffees defender Leeds failed to land, Kris Moore has been a star at youth level for some time now at Elland Road.

The 20-year-old has shone in the U21s fold predominantly at right-back this season, even helping himself to a goal and an assist in one game against Reading in September with Leeds still losing 3-2 despite Moore's best efforts.

In total for the U21s after rising through the youth ranks – with Moore now wearing the captain's armband as a leader in the group – the young Whites defender has accumulated 59 appearances over four campaigns with three goals and four assists registered.

Described as being a "solid" defender by football journalist Joe Donnohue when playing for the academy sides previously, Farke could be tempted to give the 20-year-old opportunities to impress in the first-team fold in the near future.

It's not as if the German boss is afraid to give youth a go either, as seen in 17-year-old Archie Gray becoming a regular first-teamer, whilst Moore will want to just finally taste senior action after being teased with a senior debut under ex-Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 2, 2024 Moore's statistics at senior level

Named on the bench four times by the iconic Argentine manager during Leeds' 2021/22 season, Moore wasn't ever afforded an actual run-out despite making up the numbers regularly on the bench.

Yet, his time could well come to shine under Farke if the Whites boss wants a versatile and adaptable defensive presence similar to Godfrey.

Moore is obviously way off Godfrey currently as a raw youngster still learning the ropes, but the 20-year-old will view the Everton man's career as one he would want to ideally replicate.

The imposing 6-foot defender rose through the ranks to become a cemented first-team star at Norwich City, with the Toffees then paying an extortionate £25m fee to land his services back in 2020 after he had become a crucial cog in the Canaries winning promotion to the Premier League.

Farke was his Norwich manager at the time funnily enough, hence the eagerness for a reunion this window, but no move was forthcoming.

This transfer falling flat would have hurt even more after Godfrey returned to the Toffees first team fold with flying colours amidst all the speculation, winning four tackles as Sean Dyche's men valiantly battled to a 0-0 draw away at Fulham the night before Deadline Day.

If Moore can continue just plugging away in the youth set-up at Leeds and excelling however, it might well not be long before Farke gambles on the 20-year-old to come into the first-team and become his brand-new Godfrey over time.

Steve Clarke has taken aim at the Argentine referee after his Scotland side were dumped out of Euro 2024 courtesy of a dramatic defeat to Hungary.

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Scotland defeated at the death by HungaryFinish bottom of Group A and bow outScots denied penalty when Stuart Armstrong felledWHAT HAPPENED?

Scottish hearts were broken by a 100th-minute Hungarian winner on Sunday night, with the Tartan Army finishing bottom of Group A with just a solitary point as a result of the 1-0 defeat in Stuttgart. Ten minutes had been added as a result of the horror injury suffered by Hungary's Barnabas Varga. Scotland were adamant they should have had a penalty earlier in the second half when Stuart Armstrong was felled in the box by a clumsy challenge in the box, only for referee Facundo Tello – who is Argentinian – to wave away their appeals.

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Although it is a rarity for a referee from another continent to officiate a European Championship game, it has happened before. Nevertheless, Clarke was adamant that it was a factor in the non-award of a penalty for his side – even though the Spanish VAR official declined to intervene – and he was clearly seething after the game ended as Scotland bowed out.

WHAT CLARKE SAID

Speaking in a TV interview after the full-time whistle, Clarke said: "It's a penalty, I do not know for the life of me why it's not given." Asked if he had queried the decision with the referee, he added: "He's [the referee] from Argentina, why would I ask him? Probably doesn't speak the language, I don't know. Why is he here? Why is it not a European referee?"

Later in his post-match press conference, Clarke continued: "It was 100% a penalty. Somebody, somewhere has to explain to me why that is not a penalty. It was a one-goal game; if we get the penalty it can be a different night. I have other words but I am not going to use them. European competition, might have been better to have a European ­referee. But we had European VAR. Maybe the referee didn’t see the challenge clearly on the pitch so what’s the purpose of VAR if they are not going to come in on something like that? It was a penalty."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR SCOTLAND?

Clarke insists Scotland will do their damnedest to qualify for another major tournament and improve on this disappointing showing in Germany, adding: "You have to lick your wounds, refresh yourself and go again because it can't be another 26 years before we go to another major tournament overseas. That's got to be the next ambition."

Brenden Aaronson played “like a wasp in a bottle” at Leeds and was “too lightweight” for the Premier League, but he is ready for a second chance.

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• American struggled in England first time around
• Returning to Elland Road from Berlin loan spell
• Creativity will be put to good use by the Whites

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United States international made his way to England in the summer of 2023 as he linked up with fellow countrymen Jesse Marsch and Tyler Adams at Elland Road. He was later joined by Weston McKennie when the American midfielder completed a loan move from Juventus.

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  Marsch failed to see out the 2022-23 campaign as coach, while Aaronson, Adams and McKennie formed part of a squad that suffered relegation into the Championship. They all departed, but Aaronson only headed to Bundesliga side Union Berlin on a year-long loan.

• WHAT ROBINSON SAID

  He is now due back at Leeds, after Copa America duty with his country, and former Whites goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes he could have an important role to play in efforts to secure promotion back into the Premier League. The ex-England international has told : "From what I’m hearing, it’s only Brenden Aaronson, of the loan players, that’s coming back in. I think the manager is quite keen on integrating him back into the squad and into the side next season. He’s had a decent loan. But for all the other loanees, Leeds are going to have to cut their cloth accordingly, move these players on and get the best price they can.

  “Aaronson is the one that’s going to come back in and the manager is quite willing to use him and integrate him into a Championship side next season. I think he’ll be okay in the Championship. He’s a little bit like a wasp in a bottle at times, but with the way Daniel Farke plays, he could structure him in and tie him down to a position. I think he was too lightweight in the Premier League, but he could do a job in the Championship for Leeds.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Aaronson took in 40 appearances for Leeds during his initial spell on their books, but registered only one goal. He did not see as many starts as he was hoping for in Berlin, but another clean slate is now being presented to the 23-year-old playmaker.

MatériaMais Notícias

O zagueiro Léo Pereira faltou ao treino do Flamengo nesta quinta-feira, quando o elenco se reapresentou no Ninho do Urubu após ter a quarta de folga. A ausência do defensor, que não foi liberado pelo departamento de futebol rubro-negro, criou um mal-estar no clube. O jogador foi flagrado em uma festa clandestina, no Rio de Janeiro, na noite anterior, e o vídeo viralizou nas redes.

>>>Pintou novidade! Veja a evolução dos patrocinadores na camisa do Flamengo

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Diante da exposição, o caso está sendo tratado internamente pelo vice-presidente de futebol Marcos Braz. Em episódios recentes, outros atletas do Flamengo foram flagrados em aglomerações, mas, diferente de Léo Pereira, nenhum perdeu compromissos do clube, como atividades no Ninho ou jogos.

Após chegar ao clube em janeiro de 2020, cotado para ser o substituto de Pablo Marí, Léo Pereira jamais se firmou no Flamengo. Na atual temporada, o zagueiro perdeu ainda mais espaço sob o comando de Rogério Ceni, jogando três partidas entre os reservas, no Estadual, e entrando a um minuto do fim diante do Unión La Calera, na última terça, em sua partida com o time principal.

كشف سيف الوزيري نائب رئيس الشركة المتحدة للإعلام، عن تفاصيل الاتفاق مع هيئة الترفيه بالمملكة العربية السعودية من أجل التعاقد على رعاية موسم الرياض لـ بطولة كأس السوبر المصري المقبلة.

وتقام منافسات بطولة السوبر المصري على الملاعب الإماراتية، خلال الفترة من 20 إلى 24 أكتوبر الجاري.

وتصل فرق الأهلي وسيراميكا وبيراميدز والزمالك إلى الإمارات يوم 17 أكتوبر، حيث تقام يوم 18 أكتوبر التدريبات الفرعية، فيما تقام التدريبات الرسمية يوم 19 أكتوبر استعداداً لمباراتي نصف النهائي.

وقال سيف الوزيري في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة ام بي سي مصر2: “توجد استعدادات تتم على أعلى مستوى بشأن كأس السوبر المقام في الإمارات”.

وتابع: “لأول مرة موسم الرياض سيكون راعيًا معنا لكأس السوبر المصري وشعاره سيكون متواجدا على قميص الأندية المشاركة في البطولة”.

وأردف: “كأس السوبر المصري حدث تنتظره المنطقة بالكامل، وبطولة بشكل مختلف ونستطيع اسعاد الجماهير كلها”.

طالع | محمد فاروق يوضح حقيقة تعيين حكام أجانب في السوبر المصري.. ويعلن نيته الرحيل عن منصبه

وأكمل: “هذه أول الاتفاقات التي أبرمناها في الفترة الماضية وستكون هناك اتفاقات مع موسم الرياض سنعلن عنها تباعًا في الفترة المقبلة ويكون تعاونا كبيرا”.

واختتم: “العرض لقي قبولا من تركي آل الشيخ واتفقنا البداية تكون في كأس السوبر المصري وقريبًا ستكون هناك فعاليات أخرى”.

ونشر تركي آل الشيخ عبر صفحته الشخصية على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “فيس بوك”: “موسم الرياض الراعي الرسمي لكأس السوبر المصري لأندية الأبطال”.

Glasgow Rangers moved to within goal difference of the top of the Scottish Premiership table with a 2-1 win over Aberdeen at Ibrox on Tuesday night.

The Light Blues secured all three points thanks to goals from Rabbi Matondo and Todd Cantwell, either side of an equaliser from Bojan Miovski, as Philippe Clement's side moved to 58 points – level with Celtic ahead of their game on Wednesday.

Whilst the two goalscorers will get the plaudits, and rightly so, for their strikes to win the match for the Scottish giants, they were not the only impressive performers for the Light Blues.

Central defender John Souttar was brought into the starting line-up for the injured Leon Balogun and showed what he is all about with an excellent display for the Gers, as he was the real hero on the night.

Matondo and Cantwell's match-winning contributions

Ross McCausland took advantage of a slip from a defender and drove towards the box before lashing an effort at Kelle Roos, who was forced to parry the ball straight to Matondo for the opening goal.

However, the Welsh whiz then missed a huge opportunity to make it 2-0 before half-time. He skipped past two defenders with a brilliant piece of skill but took far too long to get his shot away, with Cyriel Dessers in space to his right, and slipped at the vital moment.

Cantwell was the eventual match-winner as the former Norwich City star was the quickest to react to a save from Roos to bundle the ball into the back of the net on the rebound.

The English whiz also created two chances for his teammates but did lose 100% (3/3) of his duels throughout the game, as Aberdeen found it too easy to get the better of him in physical contests.

John Souttar's defensive dominance

Souttar's centre-back partner, Connor Goldson, had a nightmare for the away side's goal as Miovski got the better of him far too easily from a long ball but the Scotland international avoided any such issues.

The former Hearts titan was colossal at the back for the Gers as he dealt with the majority of the problems that Aberdeen caused through their attackers.

As you can see in the table above, the Light Blues monster dominated the opposition in physical battles as he won two of his three on the deck and eight of his 12 in the air.

His ability in the air was needed towards the end of the match as the Dons piled the pressure on after Dujon Sterling's red card reduced the hosts to ten men, as the towering defender won his duels to prevent flick-ons and knock-downs around the box.

Souttar was also composed in his use of the ball. He completed 87% of his attempted passes (74/85), six of his ten long passes, and 100% of his attempted dribbles (1/1).

The 27-year-old enforcer's vital defensive work played a key role in the win as the Gers won by a slender one-goal margin, which meant that any slip-up at the back could have resulted in points being dropped.

Instead of slip-ups, Souttar's footing was assured throughout and that is why he was the real hero of the night for Clement with his outstanding performance, starring alongside Matondo and Cantwell.

Ian Wright was left hugely impressed by one Manchester United player in their 2-1 win away to Luton Town, saying he catches his eye "every time" he watches him.

Man Utd win at Luton

The Red Devils were buoyed by Tottenham's 2-1 defeat at home to Wolves on Saturday afternoon, giving them further hope of sealing a top-four finish in the Premier League this season.

They faced a potentially taxing trip to Luton on Sunday afternoon, however, with the Hatters drawing at home to Liverpool earlier in the campaign, and also only losing in stoppage time against Arsenal.

United made an incredible start, as Rasmus Hojlunds's superb form continued with a first-minute effort, as he rounded the goalkeeper and finished well. The Dane then swiftly doubled his side's advantage with a clever chested effort, as the visitors threatened to run riot.

Luton didn't go away, however, as is often the norm with them, and Carlton Morris reduced the arrears before half-time, and both sides created chance after that.

In the end, United held on, though, much to the joy of the travelling fans at Kenilworth Road, as Erik ten Hag's side continue to enjoy a good run of results in the league.

Ian Wright stunned by Kobbie Mainoo

Taking to X during the game, Wright couldn't hide his admiration for Mainoo, following another mature performance in tough circumstances.

"Kobbie Mainoo has to be in the next England squad. Such maturity in chaotic conditions that we've not seen from a England player in a long time. Impressed every time I watch him."

Mainoo really has been a revelation this season, coming into the side as a teenager but playing with an incredible amount of maturity, as Wright alludes to. He looks like a seasoned professional in the middle of the park, not only proving to be classy in possession but also shining in a defensive sense.

According to Sofascore, the United ace completed 88% of his passes against Luton, despite coming up against a physical Hatters side, and he also won five ground duels and made one interception, unfortunately picking up a yellow card for what was a perfect tackle.

On this evidence, Mainoo really should be pushing hard for a place in England's Euro 2024 squad, and manager Gareth Southgate certainly appears to be impressed with him, saying recently:

"He's doing brilliantly. I'm not certain he's necessarily going to be a defensive midfielder, as such. He's quite a progressive player but he's had a fabulous start to his career and it will be good to monitor him as we go forward."

The Three Lions aren't exactly blessed with endless midfield options after obvious starters Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham – Jordan Henderson is now past his best and Kalvin Phillips has had a tough start to life on loan at West Ham – so Mainoo deserves to get the nod if he continues his current form.

Jim Ratcliffe set to be forced to keep Man Utd player they don't even want

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ByHenry Jackson Feb 18, 2024

Regardless of the England situation, it is clear that United have unearthed a true gem of a player – one who could be a major figure at Old Trafford for many years to come.

England’s white-ball captain says he “needs more time” to decide if he will lead team into T20 World Cup next year

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Aug-2019

Eoin Morgan has hinted that he may step down as England’s white-ball captain due to a back injury.Morgan suffered a back spasm during the World Cup, leaving the field during the win against the West Indies in Southampton, and his training was limited throughout the tournament in order to manage the injury.”I need more time to think, that’s the honest answer,” Morgan told when asked if he would lead England into the T20 World Cup next year. “It’s a big decision, a big commitment.”Given the injury that I went through in the World Cup, I need time to get fully fit.”I actually need the season to end pretty soon so I can have that time to physically get fit and guarantee that it’s not an injury risk between this year and next, and then I’ll be able to make a call on that.”Morgan said that he “absolutely” wanted to lead the side next year, but said “it’s just that I don’t want to let anybody down.”When you lead, you have to lead from the front,” he said. “And you have to be physically fit at the start, and then finding form is another thing.”Hopefully, that works itself out.”ALSO READ: Morgan has earned the right to decide own future – StraussMorgan has been playing for Middlesex in the T20 Blast after a two-week break from the game, though missed a defeat against Sussex because of the injury.And he admitted that he felt “physically and mentally cooked” after the World Cup. “As captain, you take a little bit more on board than probably just being a player,” he said.Morgan is likely to be available for the rest of the Blast, but it seems unlikely that he will play in the final three Championship games of the season. He was due to play for Dublin Chiefs in the Euro T20 Slam before the tournament was postponed, and will return to the T10 League in Abu Dhabi in November.Several of Morgan’s team-mates, including Ben Stokes, Liam Plunkett, and Jos Buttler have spoken about the emotional comedown that followed the final against New Zealand, and he suggested that it was only natural for them to feel mentally fatigued.”The comedown from the high of that final is bound to tire guys out a little bit,” he said. “The selectors and the coach would have sat down and given the guys who needed a rest as much as they can.”There’s only so much you can do in preparation for an Ashes series, but I think they’ve done what they can. Naturally, it’s going to feel different. You’re never going to be able to replicate what happened again, or the high, but it’s an Ashes series – people don’t need firing up for it. I’d lose my left arm to play in it and everybody knows that. To be in that changing room now with the opportunity of contributing in the series and hopefully winning it is huge.”