Following a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal, Leeds United are reportedly in talks to sanction the departure of a player who earns over £900,000 a year at Elland Road.
Farke: Arsenal thrashing not "season-defining"
Daniel Farke could have counted on one hand the amount of Premier League fans that expected Leeds to head to Arsenal and secure a shock victory, such is the difficulty for newly-promoted sides against the top six.
It was always likely to be the ruthless welcome back to the top flight that Everton were unable to hand the Whites, but Farke was quick to claim that their 5-0 defeat was far from “season-defining”.
Whilst their trip to the Emirates should be one that Leeds learn from, they should also move on quickly and prepare for both Sheffield Wednesday in the Carabao Cup and then Newcastle United’s visit to Elland Road next weekend.
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As they look to return to winning ways, however, they may have to do so without one attacking player who could be heading to La Liga before the end of the transfer window.
Valencia in talks to sign Ramazani
According to Sacha Tavolieri, Valencia are now in talks to sign Largie Ramazani on loan from Leeds this month. The winger was left out of Farke’s squad to face Arsenal after the German opted to pick other options.
Now, he could leave on loan to the La Liga club, managed by former Marcelo Bielsa assistant Carlos Corberan, who could reportedly cover his £910,000-a-year salary and have a buy option included in their deal.
Since then, reports from Spain have claimed the 24-year-old has ‘fully agreed terms’ with the La Liga side. After just one season at the club, Ramazani’s time at Leeds looks destined to come to a swift end this month.
The fact that the winger was left out of Farke’s squad to face Arsenal was never a good sign, even though the Leeds boss told reporters when questioned about that decision: “It was just due to the decision about Noah Okafor, not against Largie.”
While they’ve spent more in windows past, this summer was another hectic one for Chelsea.
The Blues were able to generate a massive £288m in sales, which enabled them to sign a host of incredibly exciting players and still make a £3m profit.
The most promising addition so far has been Joao Pedro, but the likes of Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap and Jorrel Hato could all look like sensational pickups in a few years from now.
However, while there is plenty to be happy about, some fans were left disappointed by the club’s decision not to sign Xavi Simons, who then moved to Tottenham Hotspur.
Yet, with the Dutchman being compared to a former Chelsea signing who left having not lived up to expectations, maybe missing out on him isn’t the worst thing.
The Simons saga
Simons has been looked at as one of the most exciting young talents in European football for years now.
Xavi Simons for RB Leipzig
Stories of his brilliance in La Masia were doing the rounds as far back as 2017, when he was still just 14 years old, and while he never made it at Barcelona, the last few years have shown why so many were so excited about him.
The 22-year-old has racked up a tally of 33 goal involvements in 48 games for PSV Eindhoven and 46 in 78 games for RB Leipzig.
In short, it’s easy to see why Chelsea were so interested in the youngster for so long this summer, and reportedly had even reached an agreement on personal terms with him.
However, towards the end of the window, the West Londoners finally secured the services of Alejandro Garnacho and reneged on their interest in the player.
This vacuum then allowed Spurs to swoop in and sign the Amsterdam-born gem on a seven-year deal, and while this left some Chelsea fans upset, perhaps they shouldn’t be, as one of their former players who was sold for a sizable loss is now being compared to Simons.
The Chelsea dud compared to Simons
The side effect of Chelsea’s tendency to sign so many promising young players is that, over the years, they’ve had more than their fair share fail to live up to expectations.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.
Unfortunately, that is what happened with Christian Pulisic, as while he most certainly enjoyed spells of brilliance here and there, he “just didn’t live up to the hype,” per journalist Luke Edwards.
The American international was signed by the Blues for a whopping £58m in January 2019, while Marizzio Sarri was still in charge, and joined up with the club that summer.
At the time, then-Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia described the youngster as “one of the most sought-after talents in Europe,” but just over four years later, he was sold for a paltry £20m.
In other words, the West Londoners made a £38m loss on the former Borussia Dortmund star, and with a tally of just 26 goals and 21 assists in 145 games, it would be hard to call him anything other than a flop.
With all that said, then, what does he have to do with Simons?
Well, according to FBref, the American ace is the fifth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Dutchman in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League.
RB Leipzig'sXaviSimonsreacts after the match
You can gain a better understanding of how this conclusion was reached by taking a look under the hood, at the underlying numbers in which they rank closely.
In this instance, that includes metrics such as non-penalty goals plus assists, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.
Simons & Pulisic
Statistics per 90
Simons
Pulisic
Non-Penalty G+As
0.67
0.62
Passing Accuracy
78.6%
76.5%
Expected Assists
0.25
0.23
Shot-Creating Actions
4.52
4.54
Goal-Creating Actions
0.50
0.51
Successful Take-Ons
1.38
1.42
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season
In addition to these statistical similarities, the young Dutchman has moved to the Premier League from a German side, just as the Milan man did.
Furthermore, they’re both equally capable of thriving out wide or as an attacking midfielder.
Ultimately, while some fans are understandably upset at missing out on Simons, the fact that Pulisic is so similar to him and failed at Chelsea suggests that perhaps the club were wise to steer clear of him.
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Após uma barca de demissões de jogadores por falta de recursos, o Varginha Esporte Clube (VEC) anunciou na noite de quinta-feira a contratação do ex-BBB Hadson Nery, conhecido como Hadballa, para o cargo de novo treinador. O clube está a quatro dias da estreia no Módulo 2 do Campeonato Mineiro.
Ex-jogador e técnico de futebol formado no curso da Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF), participou da vigésima edição do reality show Big Brother Brasil, em 2020.
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Aos 41 anos de idade,Hadballa vai assumir o terceiro clube de sua carreira.
-Vim aqui confirmar que sou o mais novo treinador do Varginha Esporte Clube para a temporada de 2023, no qual disputarei o Campeonato Mineiro Módulo 2. Pra mim é motivo de muito orgulho estar assumindo esse desafio que não será fácil, mediante a sua estreia que já é sábado, mas quero aqui reforçar e agradecer a confiança (da diretoria). Conto com o apoio da torcida para que a gente possa fazer um bom trabalho e alcançar novos objetivos. Vamos trabalhar galera! – disse o ex-BBB em vídeo divulgado nas redes sociais do clube.
No ano passado ele foi anunciado pelo Santos-AP, mas deixou o clube dois meses depois alegando problemas familiares. Antes, em 2021, Hadballa foi anunciado como técnico do Grêmio Barueri, de São Paulo, contudo, deixou o clube antes mesmo de estrear alegando falta de “trabalho, elenco e competição”.
continua após a publicidade
Em meio a este cenário de crise,Hadson deve estrear à frente do VEC contra o União Luziense, no próximo sábado (29), no Estádio Municipal de Varginha, contra o União Luziense, pela 1ª rodada do Módulo 2.
كشف الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم ”يويفا” عن طاقم حكام مواجهة ريال مدريد مع كيرات، في دوري أبطال أوروبا.
ويحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على كيرات الماتي الكازاخستاني، يوم الثلاثاء المقبل، في دوري أبطال أوروبا لحساب الجولة الثانية من مرحلة الدوري.
ويسعى ريال مدريد إلى الفوز على كيرات ومداواة جراح خسارة ديربي العاصمة الإسبانية أمس السبت أمام أتلتيكو مدريد، في الدوري الإسباني.
وخسر ريال مدريد بشكل مذل أمام أتلتيكو مدريد بخمسة أهداف مقابل هدفين، ليكون الملكي معرضًا لخسارة صدارته في الدوري الإسباني إذا فاز برشلونة على ريال سوسيداد اليوم الأحد.
اقرأ أيضًا.. قائمة ريال مدريد لمباراة كيرات في دوري أبطال أوروبا.. غيابات كثيرة
وأشار “اليويفا” في بيان رسمي، إلى أن طاقم تحكيم لقاء ريال مدريد وكيرات سيكون إيطاليًا، سيقوده ماركو جويدا يوم الثلاثاء.
ويتواجد كل من جورجيو بيريتي وجوسيبي بيروتي، كحكمين مساعدين لجويدا في لقاء ريال مدريد وكايرات، بينما سيتولى سيموني سوزا مهمة الحكم الرابع.
أما بالنسبة لتقنية الفار، سيكون المسئول عنها ماركو دي بيلو، ويعاونه ألياندرو دي باولو.
ريال مدريد خاض الجولة الأولى من مرحلة الدوري في دوري أبطال أوروبا أمام أوليمبيك مارسيليا الأسبوع الماضي، ونجح في الفوز بهدفين مقابل هدف على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو.
Have West Ham United reinvested the money that they gained from selling Declan Rice to Arsenal in 2023 well? They made over £100m from that sale, and whilst they have signed plenty of big-name players since then, including the now-departed Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta, they have yet to have a better season than when Rice was in their midfield.
Of course, losing your captain to a London rival is never going to be an easy pill to swallow. However, they have spent money on two midfielders since his departure, namely Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse, and signed Guido Rodriguez for free and Kalvin Phillips on a brief loan.
Wolves midfielder James Ward-Prowse.
Yet, there still feels like a Rice-shaped hole in the midfield for the Hammers. Perhaps that will change this summer.
West Ham’s latest midfield target
It has certainly been a frustrating time for the Hammers when it comes to replacing their captain, and an England starter. Rice’s influence in the middle of the park has certainly been missed as they slowly slide down the table.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
However, a report from Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via Sport Witness, suggests that the Hammers may have found the man to finally replace Rice, in the form of Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz. The report states that the Hammers have actually made a loan bid with an option to buy the Brazilian.
Indeed, the option to buy the 27-year-old could become obligatory if certain conditions are met. Luiz, who earns £138k-per-week according to Capology, would cost the Hammers £8.6m ahead of the loan.
Douglas Luiz in action for Juventus.
They’d then need to pay a further £26m if he ends up moving to the London Stadium permanently.
Why Luiz would be a good signing
Despite a tough campaign for Juve in the 2024/25 season, with the midfielder constantly out of favour under a couple of managers, his quality is undeniable. He has already had success in the Premier League with Aston Villa.
Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz
His single season playing for the Old Lady so far certainly did not go to plan. He only made 27 appearances last term in all competitions, without scoring or assisting. The former Villa star notched up just 877 minutes, the equivalent of only 9.7 full 90-minute games.
Despite the outrageously low number of minutes played for Juve to date, Luiz certainly has the mettle to play in the Premier League. He racked up 204 Villa appearances, scoring 22 goals and registering 24 assists in that time. Statman Dave described him as a midfield “engine”, which is certainly what the Hammers are looking for.
Stepping into the shoes of Rice at the London Stadium will not be an easy task for Luiz. Let’s not forget just how much of an iconic figure the former Hammers captain is at the club.
He lifted the Conference League as captain in 2022/23, just weeks before he left.
In total, the London-born midfielder played 245 times for the East Londoners, scoring 15 goals, including this solo effort in their run to the Conference League final. Chelsea and England legend John Terry described him as “the best in his position in world football” back in 2021.
So, for former winger turned pundit Jermaine Pennant to claim that Luiz “can do everything that Rice can do and better” shows just how good of a midfielder he is. Indeed, there are stats which back up this bold claim from the former Liverpool winger.
Looking at numbers on FBref from 2023/24, Luiz’s last season in the Premier League, there are some standout stats. For example, that season he averaged 5.53 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, compared to 4.97 each game from Rice, while providing more of an impact in terms of goal contributions.
Goals and assists
0.42
0.35
Pass accuracy
85.7%
83.4%
Passes into penalty area
1.17
1.11
Blocks
0.96
0.86
Ball recoveries
5.53
4.97
Signing Luiz on a loan deal with an option to buy him could be the dream move for West Ham. He is proven in the Premier League, and perhaps better, whisper it quietly, than Rice, a player they have struggled to replace over the last two years.
Douglas Luiz at the Club World Cup with Juventus.
This relatively risk-free move could be ideal for the Hammers to help strengthen in midfield and climb back up the table.
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In tough conditions, Cox – with the help of Sam Curran – marshalled the chase against top-spot rivals Southern Brave
ECB Media08-Aug-2024
Jordan Cox shared a match-winning stand of 58 with Sam Curran•Getty Images
Oval Invincibles claimed the most significant scalp of their title defence so far with a six-wicket over Southern Brave in their top-of-the-table clash at The Kia Oval.Tom Curran claimed four wickets, his younger brother Sam chipping in with two, to restrict Brave to 118 for eight before a curious chase that saw Dawid Malan face 10 consecutive dot balls and Chris Jordan not concede a run from his first 11 deliveries.Jordan Cox, England’s latest call-up to the Test squad, and Sam Curran eventually broke the shackles in a 58-run stand from 27 balls to usher the hosts over the line with 15 balls to spare.James Vince was the only Brave batter who came to grips with the home attack, scoring 52 from 39 balls, as Invincibles moved a step closer to booking their place in the knockout stages.Skipper Sam Curran has been central to a run of five wins in six games, and while he would claim a third successive Meerkat Match Hero award again tonight, it was his older brother Tom who took the limelight with the ball taking 4 for 24 in front of a crowd of 23,948. The visitors slipped to 31 for four as wicket fell too regularly around Vince.Sam Curran was unfurling his airplane celebration early when he bowled Alex Davies before Tom found a regulation edge from Andre Fletcher through to Sam Billings. Will Jacks bowled Leus du Plooy and Laurie Evans top-edged Adam Zampa to leave Brave immediately behind the game.Captain Vince set about hauling his side back into the contest, sharing a 58-run stand with Kieron Pollard, who edged Sam Curran to give Billings his third catch after managing 18 from 15 balls.Tom Curran was on a hat-trick from the final ball of the innings, removing Jofra Archer and Akeal Hossein from successive balls, before Craig Overton just about avoided the field and saw the ball run away to the rope.Jacks thumped the first ball of the reply for six, only to get a leading edge to Overton two balls later, before the chase lost all momentum.Malan did manage a heaved six before he simply could not locate the ball, eventually being well held by Archer at mid-on to depart for 14 from 31 balls.But the in-form Sam Curran joined Cox and immediately set about putting the game to bed, the pair taking 23 from four Hosein deliveries to settle any nerves. Hosein did get Sam Curran, but not before he added 35 from 18 balls, as Cox finished unbeaten on 46 from 29 balls.Meerkat Match Hero, Sam Curran, said: “Huge win. The two form teams at the moment and a top of the table clash. We knew we had to win this to give us the best chance of going straight through to Lord’s (and reach the final).”We have complemented each other really well with the ball this season. Towards the end we just had a swing and hope and it worked out.”I’m really confident and enjoying the environment. I feel this team has got it right and hopefully we can do that for the rest of the tournament.”
يستعد منتخب مصر، لخوض مواجهة قوية ومرتقبة ضمن مشواره الإفريقي في تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026، أمام نظيره بوركينا فاسو.
ويلتقي منتخب مصر مع بوركينا فاسو، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثامنة من تصفيات كأس العالم عن قارة إفريقيا، وذلك على أرضية استاد 4 أغسطس.
طالع| فيديو | منتخب مصر يتعادل مع بوركينا فاسو سلبيا ونقطة وحيدة تحسم تأهله إلى كأس العالم 2026
وكان منتخب مصر قد نجح فاز في مباراته الماضية على إثيوبيا بهدفين دون رد، في اللقاء الذي أقيم بينهما على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي.
ويخوض منتحب مصر اللقاء متصدراً ترتيب المجموعة الأولي من تصفيات كأس العالم، برصيد 19 نقطة، بعد خوض 7 مواجهات، فاز في 6 وتعادل في لقاء.
طالع | ميدو: ما تعرض مصطفى محمد في مباراة إثيوبيا محبط.. وهذه حقيقة معاقبة حسام حسن له بسبب الأهلي
وتضم المجموعة الأولى من تصفيات كأس العالم، منتخبات مصر، بوركينا فاسو، غينيا بيساو، جيبوتي، إثيوبيا وسيراليون. موعد مباراة مصر وبوركينا فاسو في تصفيات إفريقيا لكأس العالم 2026
من المقرر أن تقام المباراة بين مصر وبوركينا فاسو، اليوم الثلاثاء في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة مصر وبوركينا فاسو اليوم
تنقل المباراة بين منتخبي مصر ونظيرتها بوركينا فاسو، عبر قنوات ام بي سي مصر2، أون سبورت 1، و 1 SSC. معلقو مباراة مصر وبوركينا فاسو اليوم
وسيعلق على المباراة كل من فارس عوض على 2 mbc masr وعصام عبده على ssc، وأيمن الكاشف عبر القناة الصوتية الأولى لـ أون سبورت، ومعه مؤمن حسن بالقناة الصوتية الثانية.
ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا
It’s only a matter of days now until Sunderland officially get their pre-season run of games underway with a trip to local side Gateshead.
Sunderland supporters far and wide will no doubt be making the short trip in anticipation of seeing a whole host of new signings pull on the strip of the Black Cats for the very first time, with Reinildo now officially confirmed as the Wearside outfit’s fourth summer signing after his Atletico Madrid contract expired. Winger, Simon Adingra, also looks set to arrive in a hotly anticipated deal from Brighton.
Atletico Madrid'sReinildoMandava before the match
They will surely be eager to impress as Regis Le Bris’ men build up their fitness this summer before Premier League football makes its long-awaited return to the Stadium of Light next month.
£21m striker still on the Sunderland radar
Not everything is going Sunderland’s way across the chaotic summer transfer window to date, as hurdles now appear to be stopping them from securing more business.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Indeed, recent reports suggest that their pursuit of Armand Lauriente is stalling due to the Black Cats not offering enough money to Sassuolo, even as the Frenchman now declares he wants a move to England.
This will surely rumble on, with Sunderland better placed, it seems, to land Lyon star Georges Mikautadze in the meantime.
Indeed, Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri took to X to confirm that the newly promoted side holds significant interest in the captivating Georgian, having been taken aback by the profile of the 24-year-old.
AS Roma is also named as a party interested in working out a deal with the 5-foot-9 striker, with £21m the recently touted figure that might be enough for Lyon to part ways with their star-man, owing to their ongoing financial woes.
Mikautadze’s G/A record by club
Club played for
Games
Goals
Assists
FC Metz
64
38
13
RFC Seraing
57
36
4
Lyon
47
17
11
Ajax
9
0
0
Sourced by Transfermarkt
Why Mikautadze could be Lauriente's dream CF
Based on the above table, which examines his goalscoring exploits wherever he has been across his glittering career, this could well be a statement buy as Sunderland attempts to avoid the Premier League drop.
Add Lauriente into the mix alongside the aforementioned Adingra and the Black Cats could really take the top-flight by storm with their attacking firepower, with the explosive Georgia international perhaps the dream centre-forward for the pair bounce off.
Armand Lauriente in action for Sassuolo.
While Adingra has caught the eye in England, scoring eight goals in 60 Premier League outings to date, the other two players in question have never taken the leap to the English game. That wouldn’t stop them all coming together to entertain, however.
Last season, even from just 13 starts in league action for Paolo Fonseca’s Lyon, the enigmatic Mikautadze would manage to fire home a clinical 11 strikes for his bumpy side, with a bumper six assists also coming his way to further prove his devastating effectiveness up top in Ligue 1.
Lauriente has been here before in the French top-flight with Lorient, too, with a tally of ten goals and eight assists above his head from 68 Ligue 1 outings.
But, much like Mikautadze sparked into life even more for Lyon last season after already being well regarded as a menace up top, Lauriente really turned on the style across the 2024/25 campaign for Sassuolo, with his heroics playing a big part in Fabio Grosso’s men instantly returning to Serie A.
Lauriente’s league numbers for Sassuolo (24/25)
Stat
Lauriente
Games played
33
Goals scored
18
Assists
5
Scoring frequency
132 mins
Big chances missed
4
Big chances created
6
Stats by Sofascore
Lauriente displayed a similar potent edge that the Georgian had in abundance in Ligue 1 for Sassuolo last campaign, with a sublime 18 goals and five assists coming his way, as only four big chances were spurned across the entire season.
Therefore, putting the two of them together with Adingra in Le Bris’ new-look Sunderland attack might well be a match made in heaven, with Mikaudatze perhaps living up to his billing as a “true icon” in the words of scout Jacek Kulig.
If all goes to plan, this will be just another intimidating league the dynamite duo have managed to conquer, as Sunderland prepare to spend more and more in their mission to survive.
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With Champions League qualification secured, Newcastle United are now reportedly readying a double swoop worth over £100m to sign two impressive additions this summer.
Newcastle seal Champions League qualification
It wasn’t done the easy way, but Newcastle secured their place in next season’s Champions League on the final day of the season despite losing against Everton. In the end, it was Manchester United’s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa which helped the Magpies avoid the worst-case scenario. Eddie Howe won’t care how his side did it, however. All he will be thinking about is the chance to step into the dugout among Europe’s elite for the second time in three seasons.
Having more than played his part as club captain this season, Bruno Guimaraes expressed his delight after earning a place back in the Champions League on the final day. The Brazilian told reporters: “Feel very well, feel unbelievable. I think for me, it has been an unbelievable year. First year as a captain, played 38 of 38 games in the Premier League. I’m very, very happy.
“Winning a trophy for this club. What a season. I will always remember this one. I’m very, very happy and proud of our team, of myself, of these fans. Next season, we go back again. We never stop. We’ve won a cup, but we want more.”
After struggling to maintain their form last season, the current campaign couldn’t have gone much better for those at St James’ Park. As Guimaraes reiterated, however, they’ll be keen to ensure that this is just the start.
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What that success has done too, is hand PIF the chance to spend big again at long last. With their PSR problems eased, Newcastle could finally hand Howe the reinforcements that he’s been needing, including the addition of two excellent Premier League stars.
Newcastle readying double Mbeumo and Guehi swoop
According to The Telegraph, Newcastle are now readying a double move to sign Bryan Mbuemo and Marc Guehi from Brentford and Crystal Palace. Both deals would make significant statements of the Magpies’ intent and both would cost hefty fees.
Mbeumo will reportedly cost in the region of £50m-60m, whilst Guehi has been valued at as much as £65m by Crystal Palace ahead of the summer transfer window, although the Magpies hope a compromise can be reached with the Eagles for their long-term target.
With PSR problems eased, however, spending may not be an issue for PIF, who could show off their financial power for the first time since initially arriving at St James’ Park.
Crystal Palace's MarcGuehi
Signing Guehi would particularly be a long time coming, given that Newcastle were heavily linked with the defender’s signature last summer. His arrival would also allow Howe to move Dan Burn back to left-back and form an impressive partnership between Sven Botman and his potential new arrival.
Meanwhile, Mbeumo needs little introduction these days after scoring 20 goals in all competitions for Brentford and keeping up with the talented Alexander Isak throughout the campaign.
Premier League stats 24/25 (via FBref)
Bryan Mbeumo
Alexander Isak
Starts
38
34
Goals
20
23
Assists
7
6
Expected Goals
12.3
20.3
It’s clear that the Brentford star would instantly take Newcastle’s frontline to another level just as Guehi would hand the Magpies the defensive boost that they’ve been searching for since last summer.
Leeds United dropped out of the automatic promotion places in the Championship after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.
The Whites found themselves 1-0 down early on in the game when Isaiah Jones was left completely unmarked to volley into the back of the net from close range.
Dan James equalised for the away side with a sublime left-footed strike into the bottom corner from the edge of the box before half-time, but the West Yorkshire outfit were unable to push on for a winning goal.
There were several players who let head coach Daniel Farke down with their performances on the pitch, and Wilfried Gnonto was one of those flops.
Why Wilfried Gnonto was ineffectual against Luton Town
The Italy U21 international was selected to play in the number ten position ahead of Brenden Aaronson, who scored against Swansea last time out, and failed to justify the manager’s call.
Gnonto played the opening 63 minutes of the match before Farke decided to withdraw him from the pitch to bring Patrick Bamford on, and failed to register a single shot on goal.
The 21-year-old attacker also failed to create a single chance for his teammates to find the back of the net, whilst completing just 13 passes in his 63 minutes.
He was ineffectual in the number ten role because Gnonto was unable to find pockets of space to cause damage in the final third, hence why he ended the game without a shot or a chance created.
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There was a Leeds attacker, however, who was even worse than the Italian flop against Luton, as Joel Piroe put in a disappointing showing up front.
Why Leeds should drop Joel Piroe
Farke must ruthlessly ditch the Dutch centre-forward from the starting line-up when the Whites return to action against Middlesbrough in the Championship on Tuesday night.
Piroe started the game as the lone number nine ahead of Gnonto and let his team down with a weak display against the Luton centre-backs, who dominated him with ease throughout the game.
Whilst Gnonto, at least, won four of his eight duels, the former Swansea striker lost a whopping seven of his eight ground duels and all eight of his aerial contests during his 79 minutes on the pitch, which shows that it was far too easy for the Hatters to bully him out of the match.
Vs Luton
Joel Piroe
Minutes
79
Shots
0
Key passes
0
Dribbles completed
0/3
Ground duels won
1/8
Aerial duels won
0/8
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, like the Italian attacking midfield, Piroe also failed to register a single shot or key pass to trouble the Luton goal, to go along with his woeful play out of possession.
He was tackled in all three of his dribble attempts, further illustrating how ineffectual the forward was in the final third, and it was an easy afternoon for the Hatters centre-backs up against him.
The Dutch lightweight, who lost 94% of his physical duels, was as bad as Gnonto in possession, but even worse than him off the ball with his weak play.
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That is why Farke must, now, ruthlessly ditch him from the starting line-up for the clash with Middlesbrough next time out, because his performance against Luton was simply not good enough in any context.