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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!

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

Tottenham Hotspur continue to be linked with summer targets and this week there have been fresh reports on a potential swoop for Real Sociedad defender Diego Llorente.

According to AS, Spurs are one of several Premier League clubs that have scouted the versatile centre-back this season.

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The 26-year-old has a release clause of €50m (£44m) but the La Liga outfit are inclined to him leaving for less due to the pandemic.

Llorente has played 19 times this season, winning 2.5 aerial duels per game as well as managing a passing success rate of 87.2%. He also averages 3.9 clearances, 1.1 interceptions and 1 tackle each match too, via WhoScored.

Spurs could lose Jan Vertonghen at the end of the season with his contract due to expire whilst the future of Juan Foyth is also up in the air, meaning Jose Mourinho could do with reinforcements in the central defence department.

But the Hotspur faithful are torn about Llorente being the right man, here’s how they have been reacting…

AND in other news, Spurs fans drool over the prospect of landing Ryan Fraser…

Real Madrid definitely have a squad pretty stacked with talent.

After all, the likes of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes and Federico Valverde are some of the brightest young talents in the world of football.

Still, that doesn’t mean that Zinedine Zidane’s squad is complete – not in the slightest.

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In fact, looking at their squad list, there seems to be a glaring flaw in Los Blancos’ team – there is no natural replacement for their star, Casemiro.

The 27-year-old Brazilian is the only natural defensive midfielder in the whole squad and finding a suitable replacement for him should be at the very top of Florentino Perez’s to-do list.

And it seems that some of the fans have actually recognised that and have suggested Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi as a potential replacement for the South American.

When they were asked on social media about the young player joining their squad, many Madridistas stated that they would indeed love that transfer.

You can see some of their comments and replies down 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…

As quoted by The Wales Online, Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has explained how Daniel James is following in Cristiano Ronaldo’s footsteps.

What did he say?

Since arriving from Championship side Swansea in a £15m deal in the summer, James has adapted superbly to life at Old Trafford. The Wales international has already struck three times and provided a further three assists in 16 games across all competitions, and has already attracted a lot of attention from opposition defenders.

As per Whoscored, the 22-year-old has been fouled 2.5 times per game on average in the Premier League, and Giggs has praised the winger’s ability to continue to get up from his knocks – just like a certain Ronaldo did.

He said: “He’s been outstanding and he is a constant threat. He’s added even more than he had with goals and assists which is a wingers’ game, that is what you are out there to do. We’ve all seen a big change and improvement in Dan’s quality on the pitch and mentality since that Leeds move fell down.

“He takes a lot of knocks but gets up, gets on with it and demands the ball back. I’m not comparing him to Ronaldo but that’s something, especially earlier on in his career when he took a lot of knocks, he would do. He’s a fantastic character. To show that mentality to go to a big club like United and conserving what he’s been through over the last six months, no one deserves it more. I think he will get better and better.”

Elite mentality

As Giggs suggests, that attitude of constantly wanting to get up from knockdowns and simply wanting to get better will serve James incredibly well for the future. As the world has seen, Ronaldo’s dedication to the craft has seen him become one of the game’s greatest ever players, with multiple Ballon d’Or awards in his trophy cabinet.

Whilst James may not get to that level, having a hard-working mentality is the best way for him to continually improve at United. At just 22, he has shown he can already be a key part of a side as big as the Red Devils, and his early form this season indicates that the sky is the limit for him.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Tottenham Hotspur have their ideal front six at last.

As Spurs put Red Star Belgrade to the sword in Serbia, winning 4-0, one thing became abundantly clear: Mauricio Pochettino needs to stick instead of twisting.

In a game that could have been something of a banana skin – Liverpool lost to Red Star on the road last season – Spurs turned the volume up to 11 and blew their opponents away.

This season has been characterised by slow, sloppy performances that have lacked the vivacious nature previously present in Pochettino’s teams. They have, for too long, been ponderous on the ball, seemingly unable to make a decision when they approach the opposition box.

On Wednesday, though, that changed.

Pochettino lined up with Harry Kane at the tip of the spear, but he supplemented his threat with Son Heung-Min on the left, Giovani Lo Celso on the right and Dele Alli in the hole. Tanguy Ndombele’s driving runs from midfield – finishing up with five dribbles to his name – made a significant impact, too, as he was partnered with Moussa Sissoko.

So fluid was the performance that Kane didn’t even score, despite it being a complete romping.

Son nabbed two, Lo Celso opened the scoring with his first goal for his new club after his initial loan move from Real Betis in the summer, and Christian Eriksen finished it off in the second half after coming off the bench.

This is the unit that needs to be breaking down defences.

Lo Celso was exceptional, making two key passes and also completing more tackles than any other player on the pitch, including both sets of defenders.

It is a stark contrast to the performance of Eriksen in the 1-1 draw with Everton on Sunday; he did not complete a dribble or make a tackle.

Lucas Moura does not offer the same level of work-rate, with Lo Celso, Alli and Son an interchangeable forward three that can switch positions and slickly revolve around Kane.

Of course, there are tweaks that can be made. Eric Dier is not the club’s first-choice centre-back and one imagines that Hugo Lloris will replace Paulo Gazzaniga when he is back fit following his grisly elbow injury.

But the difference on Wednesday was pace, energy and desire. There wasn’t a single player in the attacking phase not pulling their weight.

Against Sheffield United, an organised defensive unit that have conceded just eight goals in the Premier League all season – fewer than both Liverpool and Manchester City – Spurs will need the cut and thrust of Lo Celso, the guile of Alli and the trickery of Son.

They also have options off the bench, with Ryan Sessegnon coming on for a 15-minute cameo against the Serbian outfit and providing the assist for Eriksen, but the message is clear: Pochettino needs to give these players another chance on Saturday.

If he does, they can continue to forge their burgeoning understanding and ensure that they get back to winning ways.

Spurs have not won a Premier League game since September; that can change this weekend, but only if faith is kept.

Leeds United fans on Twitter have shown great morals over the past 24 hours as they’ve made it clear what they want to happen to Kiko Casilla if he is found guilty of racially abusing Jonathan Leko.

The goalkeeper has been charged for the incident, and with two Charlton players backing up the claim things don’t look good for the former Real Madrid man.

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If he is found guilty, supporters have made it clear that they want to distance themselves from the goalkeeper as they’ve called for him to be sacked.

You can’t help but admire the fanbase’s attitude towards racism. Casilla has been one of Leeds’ most important players this term, but they aren’t willing to back him if he is found guilty of what he is accused of.

Whether or not Casilla is found guilty or not remains to be seen but with a 12 game ban possibly awaiting the Spaniard, it doesn’t bode well.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to The Sun, Manchester United are preparing to “step up” their interest in Leicester duo James Maddison and Ben Chilwell.

What’s the word?

The Red Devils signed just three players over the course of the summer transfer window, bringing in Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side’s struggles this season have only heightened claims of the club needing to strengthen in the near future, and now, The Sun suggest Maguire’s former teammates are firmly on United’s radar.

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The report adds that a source had said “they fit all the right requirements and criteria in terms of quality and keeping an English core which is important”.

New look

A double swoop for Maddison and Chilwell would essentially give United a completely new half of a team compared to last season, and the duo fit into the approach of signing predominantly young, British-based players. On-the-pitch, the pair have shown they are more than good enough to compete in the Premier League, helping Brendan Rodgers’ side into fourth in the the table this season.

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But more than what the players themselves could bring to the table, the sense of direction and long-term planning in signing the duo would be the main source of encouragement for the United faithful. Gary Neville has exposed some of the club’s failings in recent seasons, with the mish-mash recruitment policy under different managers leaving a stinking mess.

But after securing the signings of James, Wan-Bissaka and Maguire in the summer, Woodward could finally redeem himself by completing a double swoop for Maddison and Chilwell. It would show the Old Trafford fan-base that he does have a vision in place, and is keen to back Solskjaer with the players that he wants.

He has come under intense flak by pundits and fans alike in the past, but if he can pull this off, then he may begin to win some people over.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Wolves condemned reigning Champions Manchester City to their second defeat of the season with a shock 2-0 win at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The result means Pep Guardiola’s men now sit a vast eight points behind league leaders Liverpool while for Nuno Santo and his side, it is three straight wins in all competitions.

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It’s been quite some turnaround for Wolves, who less than a month ago were smashed 5-2 by Chelsea at Molineux to put serious doubts over whether they would be able to replicate last season’s historic season of reaching seventh in the Premier League.

One key issue that attributed to their poor start to the season was the underwhelming performances from those who run the strings in the heart of midfield, but this City showing could prove that one of those figures is simmering back towards his best.

Joao Moutinho was one of Nuno’s most influential players last season as he recorded a team-high eight assists in the top-flight, but so far this season, he has only been able to manage the one.

Though he is recording more dribbles on average per game this season than he did during the 2018/19 campaign.

However, he’s not only being utilised as a creative outlet as this term he has seemingly added more defensive attributes to his game, which could make him a James Milner of sorts; a fine wine – only getting better with age.

Against City, the 33-year-old registered five tackles, three interceptions, one key pass and one successful dribble, per SofaScore.

You could say that Moutinho was all over the pitch, and his WhoScored heat map would back that up entirely – just going to show how vital he is to Wolves’ success through the midfield.

Football FanCast have previously highlighted how Moutinho has regressed this season, but if he can back this showing up after the international break, the Portuguese playmaker would fully be worth his reported contract extension.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Liverpool have four wins from four in the Premier League this season and so far Jurgen Klopp has found the right balance.

The Reds have typically been in goalscoring form whilst keeping things tight at the back, whilst a midweek trip to Turkey for the Super Cup was well managed, as it didn’t hinder their league form.

The return from injury of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joe Gomez has helped to bolster the squad but despite that Klopp was still happy that some of his players had the rest of an international break over the last two weeks.

He plans to use that to his advantage over the coming weeks, a period in which Liverpool have seven fixtures in 22 days, which includes trips to Naples and Stamford Bridge.

Known for his gegenpressing style, the German has been able to maintain his players’ fitness levels by moving away from the high press this season, and it hasn’t come as a detriment to the side.

Opta have recorded, as reported by Sky Sports, that Liverpool have made 60 pressed sequences so far this term, which ranks them sixth in the Premier League behind teams such as Burnley and Southampton, which may come as a surprise.

That may be partly due to opponents preferring to sit deeper, knowing they can be exploited by the pace of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.

Arsenal were one example of that. The Reds made 585 passes against the Gunners, pinning them down in their own final third for much of the first half before finding a breakthrough via a quality delivery from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

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Liverpool’s full-backs have given them a different dynamic and a goalscoring threat out wide, as evidenced by their combined total of 29 assists last season.

Failing that, Klopp’s players are also effective through the middle. His front three of Salah, Mane and Roberto Firmino have averaged 2.5, 2.3, and 0.8 key passes per game this season, even without the use of a high press.

Liverpool’s more balanced, less-intense approach is working, and it should help to prevent players suffering from fatigue in the latter stages of the season, and as long as their attackers can find a way to break teams down, they won’t have to rely on forcing mistakes to score goals.

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