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It may not be the director of football appointment that was rumoured to be on the agenda last season, but Manchester United have made a key addition to their backroom staff.

As per The Manchester Evening News, the club have brought in Neil McIlhargey as a recruitment analyst, and becomes the second notable addition to the off-the-pitch set-up after Andrew Meredith joined as an analysis operations manager earlier this season.

According to the report, McIlhargey’s CV has seen him previously work at both Watford and Brentford, and as the former Head of Analysis for Scottish giants Rangers. That position saw him work alongside the coaching staff at Ibrox, and was “involved in helping with the recruitment of transfer targets”.

After hearing of the club’s latest appointment, United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the matter.

Many supporters of the Manchester side revealed their disbelief at seeing the club appoint someone with a less than stellar CV, and questioned how he could be considered good enough.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Leeds United could very well be headed for the Premier League next season.

The Whites currently sit third in the Championship, but their domination of the xG league table shows that they’re primed for a promotion push.

If the Yorkshire outfit do make their long-awaited return to the top flight they have some huge things in the pipeline as Angus Kinnear revealed that there are plans to expand Elland Road to a 50,000 capacity stadium if the Whites go up.

One former Leeds man believes that this is a great idea.

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What’s been said?

Danny Mills spoke about Leeds’ proposed expansion on talkSPORT

“You can’t buy a ticket at Elland Road at the moment.

“It’s sold out every single week, 35,000-plus, and season tickets have all gone.

“If they got to the Premier League they’re talking about possibly extending the stadium and making it to 50,000.

“They would sell that out in the Premier League week-in week-out, without a shadow of a doubt.”

Can’t be so sure

Mills shouldn’t be so sure in his view that Leeds would sell out a 50,000 seater every week in the Premier League.

As much as Leeds have an incredibly passionate fanbase they’re quite fickle at times.

It wasn’t too long ago that the Whites were averaging crowds of less than 25,000 each week while they were in League One, so it’s rather short-sighted to say with absolute confidence that the Whites would fill a stadium that big on a weekly basis.

Of course, Premier League attendances will be bigger than the crowds they were drawing in League One, but 50,000 every week might be a little too ambitious.

To add to that, Leeds aren’t even averaging their maximum capacity in 2019/20. For a ground that hosts over 37,000 people, only a fraction over 35,000 attend. That would likely increase with the lure of the Premier League but an added 15,000 is quite the leap.

A former Manchester United target back when in David Moyes was in charge of the club, Toni Kroos continues to show why he is one of the best central midfielders in the world today.

As per Transfermarkt, the Real Madrid star has now played 249 games for the La Liga giants, scoring 16 goals and providing an impressive 62 assists. And against PSG in the Champions League on Tuesday night, the German was at his absolute best.

According to Sofascore, he had 121 touches, made 101 successful passes at a mind-boggling accuracy of 98%, and provided seven key passes.

After seeing Kroos’ midfield masterclass, United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their former transfer target.

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Many supporters of the Manchester side simply revealed they were left in awe after watching his performance, with one fan in particular describing it as his biggest regret that they missed out on the 29-year-old’s signature.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

Meanwhile, Gary Neville has delivered a damning verdict on a “problem” area for Manchester United.

Although Leeds United’s promotion push is on hold for the foreseeable future, the club appears to be preparing for the long-run, that’s if fresh reports are to be believed.

According to Le Quotidien du Foot, the west Yorkshire outfit are interested in signing Metz forward Habib Diallo this summer but could face stern competition from the likes of Chelsea, Leicester City and Crystal Palace.

It’s claimed that he is likely to cost €20m (£17.8m) as he still has a little over two years remaining on his current contract.

In the past, Diallo has also been linked to Tottenham Hotspur as well as Lyon, so Leeds are in quite good company if they are to contest for his signature.

And the 24-year-old has been in prolific form this campaign, which makes for an interesting case over whether or not Marcelo Bielsa should try and land him.

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Metz are languishing down in 15th in their first season back in Ligue 1 and hold a healthy seven-point cushion to the relegation spots, and key to their fortunes has been the 6 foot 1 talisman – especially as he’s been named captain on frequent occasions.

Despite playing in a lowly team, Diallo has still found the net 12 times in 26 top-flight matches, via Transfermarkt, which is a better strike rate than Patrick Bamford’s 13 goals in 36 games in the Championship.

The 24-year-old has important strikes against the likes of Saint-Etienne and Monaco, two teams that have tasted European football in recent times, so it shows he can compete amongst the big boys.

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Diallo (2.9) also scores with fewer shots at goal than Bamford (3.4) and is averaging more key passes (0.9), dribbles (0.8) and aerial duels won (4.3) per game too, via WhoScored.

At just £17.8m, the Senegalese international would be an absolute snip should Leeds indeed go up, especially as he’s outperforming Bielsa’s current first-choice in so many areas.

AND in other news, Leeds fans on free transfer target…

Heading into Jose Mourinho’s first summer in charge of Tottenham, the Portuguese man will no doubt be hoping to bring in some more of his own players to help rebuild the squad in his image.

Steven Bergwijn of course was the only permanent signing made by the Lilywhites back in the January transfer window, and now according to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Spurs are now the front-runners in the race to sign Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic.

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The report reveals that the Croatian has been linked with a move away from the Catalan giants after failing to agree a new contract with the club.

And after hearing about the update on their swoop for the play-maker, fans of the north London side took to Twitter to voice their thoughts about their latest transfer target.

A couple of Spurs fans insisted that Rakitic is better than current midfielder Harry Winks even at his age.

Despite being 32-years-old, Rakitic would bring a wealth of experience to Mourinho’s side, and give them someone who has been a cornerstone of a Barcelona midfield for the past few years.

He has played 299 times for the Catalan outfit, scoring 34 times and providing 41 assists, and has of course played Champions League football year-in and year-out.

A move for the Croatian could be a shrewd move by Spurs this summer.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans discuss an update on their swoop for this goalkeeper.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has sparked a reaction from sections of the Elland Road faithful this week after he named his Leeds United ‘Player of the Year’ in his recent column.

He elected for Stuart Dallas over the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Ben White and Mateusz Klich and it has led to mixed emotions from supporters, as seen below.

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The Northern Irishman’s versatility to play a wide variety of positions under Marcelo Bielsa this campaign has been the predominant reason behind the choice, and it’s hard to disagree.

Dallas has made 37 appearances, scoring three goals and providing one assist via Transfermarkt, but that’s only part of the story as he’s been averaging 2.2 tackles, 1.6 shots and 0.9 key passes per game.

Predominantly a central midfielder during his career, the 29-year-old has often had to play at both left and right-back due to injuries and has more than held his own, which is why he’s often one of the first names on the teamsheet regardless of position availability.

Here are the thoughts from fans…

AND in other news, Phil Hay offers update on Marcelo Bielsa’s contract situation at Leeds

The Nottingham Forest supporters love a quiz and those punters at the Transfer Tavern are certainly no different.

So do you remember which club Stuart Pearce was signed from; how much did Forest pay for Peter Shilton and who scored the last goal under the Brian Clough era?

We have compiled a collection of questions that I believe will test even the most knowledgeable of Forest fans and how well they actually know their football club.

A fresh transfer claim has led to many Newcastle United fans slamming a Premier League star this week.

Former Magpies defender Peter Ramage has called on Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha to avoid making a move to St James’ Park this summer, claiming it “wouldn’t be a good move for him” because they are not a ‘top’ club.

It comes a few weeks after The Sun linked the enigmatic forward with a switch to the northeast if their prospective £300m takeover is given the go-ahead.

They claim that the Eagles value him at more than £60m.

However, the Magpies faithful have slammed Zaha following these reports, clearly stated that he’s not wanted at the club.

Supporters blasted him for being “overrated,” “shocking,” and “average at best” whilst the 28-year-old has provided three goals and five assists in 30 appearances this term, via Transfermarkt.

Which is why a couple of fans would rather have Allan Saint-Maximin as their number one choice out wide. The Frenchman, who is five years younger, has enjoyed similar returns to Zaha, scoring three times as well as laying on four assists but in just 21 appearances.

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In terms of figures, the 23-year-old outweighs the Palace star for key passes (1.3) and shots (1.7) per game, as per WhoScored.

So it’s easy to see why they’d rather their summer signing.

There was even a comparison made to former Magpies striker Michael Owen, who divides opinion at the club. One member of the United faithful claimed that it would be purely a financial move on Zaha’s part and that’s why he wouldn’t be welcome.

Zaha has been linked with moves to Arsenal and Everton in recent transfer windows, two clubs that are arguably the next target for a club like Newcastle post-takeover. That’s the sort of level they can springboard themselves onto as they gradually become a heavyweight in the English top-flight.

However, as much as Steve Bruce needs another wide option, this final fan may be right. Newcastle must avoid those mercenaries looking for a pay packet rather than to play for a side with rich history.

AND in other news, Paul Smith delivers PL update over Newcastle takeover…

Former Leeds United and Manchester City defender Danny Mills has claimed that the prospective new owners of Newcastle United have a big PR opportunity if they complete a Saudi-led takeover after the Tyneside club remained coy on season ticket refunds, according to Football Insider.

As per the outlet, the ex-England international suggested the Amanda Staveley-led consortium would gain immediate favour if they took over and subsequently refunded season ticket holders.

The Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust (NUST) sent a letter to the Magpies in late May asking if season ticket holders would be refunded for the games that are to be played behind closed doors.

However, the Toon are yet reveal their position despite the BBC requesting comment.

It is now eight weeks since the Premier League received the paperwork of Mike Ashley’s £300 million sale of NUFC.

When asked by the outlet if the radio silence regarding refunds was likely down to the proposed takeover in the North East, Mills said:

“It is a difficult situation for everybody. It is not easy for some of these clubs.

“Newcastle can afford it, especially if they get taken over by what would be some of the richest owners in the world.

“It would be a huge PR plus if the new owners take over and then give the season ticket holders their money back. That would get the new owners in favour instantly.

“Forget about buying players, fans would be delighted if they got their money back.

“Mike Ashley does not really care, let’s be honest. He is about to sell the club so he is not bothered.

“He will want to keep as much money as possible so that does not surprise us in any way, shape or form.”

Indeed, the deal with the would-be owners would end Ashley’s reign of 13 years at St. James’ Park, providing that Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the Reuben brothers and Staveley can get their bid to finally be approved by England’s top flight.

However, due to this uncertainty over who exactly will be the owner of the club from next campaign onward, some fans may be forgiven for complaining about not having their season tickets refunded given this fact.

Perhaps Mills is correct when he suggests that the new owners can get on the right side of supporters immediately by refunding their tickets, which could spearhead the start of a brand new and fresh era for the Newcastle faithful.

Geordies, can United win a trophy next term if the takeover is completed? Comment below!

Brighton defender Adam Webster has been singing the praises of his team-mate Tariq Lamptey, who has made quite an impression since breaking into the first team recently.

The 19-year-old helped the Seagulls to keep a clean sheet in Saturday’s win at Norwich and, following his performance at Carrow Road, several supporters of his previous club Chelsea were raging over their decision to sell him to the Sussex outfit in January.

As per Brighton & Hove Independent, Webster said of the teenager: “He’s done amazing since he’s come in. I remember watching him on his debut for Chelsea and thinking ‘This guy’s a player’.

“Ever since he’s come in, every day in training he works so hard. You can see the ability he’s got. He’s kept his head down. Obviously he’s had to wait for his chance and now he’s got it and taken it with both hands. We’re really lucky to have him.

“He’s got everything. Athletically, he’s so fast and so strong. He doesn’t get beat in a one-v-one. Technically he’s very good. The best thing is he is a lovely kid. He’s so humble. He has a bright future in front of him.”

Lamptey had only played 31 minutes of Premier League football for Chelsea before they sold him to Brighton in January and, while he had to wait until the recent trip to Leicester to make his Seagulls debut, he has made the most of his chance when it came.

A strong debut showing against the Foxes, in which he won three tackles and made four clearances, won him man of the match that evening. He has since kept his place for the subsequent games against Manchester United and Norwich, with another fine performance against the Canaries on Saturday as he made five interceptions and got forward to supply four crosses.

Even in his fleeting Brighton career, the 19-year-old is among the market leaders in Graham Potter’s squad for some metrics. His average of 1.7 interceptions per game is the joint-most at the Amex Stadium along with Dale Stephens, while none of his team-mates can match his 2.3 successful dribbles per game average (as per WhoScored).

Lamptey has indeed had a magnificent start to his Brighton career, having not looked out of place despite facing two of the Premier League’s top five in his first two appearances for the Seagulls.

The teenager still has five more league games in which to make an even greater impression on his manager and, with Albion effectively clear of relegation, he can play with a degree of freedom for the rest of the month and strengthen his case to be a key player for them going into next season.

Brighton fans, have you been surprised by the impact that Lamptey has made since he got into the team? Comment below with your views!