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Tony Cascarino insists Leeds United are not playing like promotion contenders.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side beat Bolton Wanderers 2-1 on Saturday, their second win in a row, but Cascarino does not believe they are in the same form as rivals Sheffield United and Norwich City.

What’s he said?

Speaking on TalkSport’s Weekend Sports Breakfast on Sunday (8:25 am) – per HITC – Cascarino made the assertion that Leeds are vulnerable to falling out of the race for automatic promotion.

The Whites are currently third, level on points with second-placed Sheffield United and two behind leaders Norwich.

They are four points ahead of West Brom after their victory this weekend, given to them by goals from Patrick Bamford – replacing the injured Kemar Roofe – and Ezgjan Alioski, but Cascarino is not convinced they are at their best.

“Well, they lost their centre-forward, Kemar Roofe, [that] is an issue,” he said.

“I’d agree [that they are vulnerable]. I think their form, certainly of late, has been indifferent.

“They don’t look like a team that is fighting for the top of the table.

“They go to QPR in midweek – they are a side that is keeping their noses and matching everybody around them. I actually think the two teams around them are in much better form (Sheffield United and Norwich).”

Grinding out wins

The hallmark of a good team is the ability to grind out wins and Leeds have been doing just that.

They have not been at their best, but successive 2-1 victories over Swansea City and Bolton have kept them in contention at the top of the table.

For Cascarino to claim that they are not in the same form as the Blades and the Canaries, after sealing another victory, is bizarre at best and foolish at worst, and Leeds supporters have a right to be upset by it.

He should know that every team goes through peaks and troughs throughout the season, and they are ultimately judged on how they deal with them.

Leeds look as though they are weathering their current storm, and will surely return to top form soon enough – at the most important stage of the campaign.

[ad_pod ]Christian Eriksen’s future at Tottenham Hotspur is far from secure.Indeed, the Denmark international will see his current deal with Spurs expire at the end of next season and it is understood that contract talks have stalled.Eriksen has contributed seven goals and 12 assists in 38 appearances for his London club this term, but has struggled for consistency in recent weeks.Mauricio Pochettino’s side have lost three of their last four in the Premier League against Burnley, Chelsea and Southampton, meaning that they are now in a serious battle for a top-four position this season.The Spurs fans are a frustrated bunch at the moment and many have taken the opportunity to have a pop at Eriksen on social media.

Indeed, Tottenham tweeted on Monday afternoon that the 27-year-old had been named in the latest Denmark squad, which led to a reaction from the supporters.

If previous reports are to be believed, both Real Madrid and Barcelona are considering moves for the playmaker this summer.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Jordi Osei-Tutu could be the next Arsenal youngster to roll off the club’s enviably long production line.

The 20-year-old, a right-back who can also play on the right wing, has slowly risen up the ranks of the club’s youth set-up and appears primed to make his first-team debut.

At right-back, after all, the Gunners currently have Hector Bellerin out injured, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles is being repurposed into a full-back despite appearing horrendously uncomfortable in the position.

Osei-Tutu has already had a taste of first-team action, though he did not actually get on the pitch. Unai Emery named the youngster as a substitute in the 3-0 win over Vorskla in the Europa League in November. He also gave him a start in his first ever game in charge, a pre-season friendly against Boreham Wood.

Arsene Wenger, too, has seen something in the defender. He named him in his matchday squad for games against Red Star Belgrade and Manchester United last season.

It is evidence that he has impressed those within the Emirates Stadium with his work-rate and determination.

Osei-Tutu has played for both the Under-18s and the Under-23s at Arsenal – making 29 appearances for the former and 23 for the latter. For each team, he has scored two goals, and he won the Premier League 2 title in 2018.

Indeed, he moved to the club from Reading in 2015, costing a reported £100,000, per Football.London.

He was included in the squad to travel to Singapore for a pre-season tour and has played against older opponents this season, lining up for the Under-23s in an EFL Trophy clash with Portsmouth.

Osei-Tutu has his head screwed on, too, and says he is focusing on improving his game as he bids to make his first-team debut.

After signing a new contract with the club, a three-year extension to the initial deal he signed, he told the club’s official website: “My new contract is massive for me but ultimately the aim is to get into the first team. That’s what I’m working towards and I hope to be involved more often.

“I’ve travelled with the first team and made the bench against Red Star Belgrade in Serbia and for the Carabao Cup match versus Norwich last season. I learnt a lot from the times I’ve trained with the players too.

“I’m working especially hard on improving my one-on-one defending. Being up against the likes of Alexis Sanchez last season and Alex Iwobi has helped me immensely.

“Obviously, I spend a lot of time working with players in the under-23s. There’s a lot of attacking talent who are a good test for anyone and we all help each other improve.”

As Arsenal’s season continues, and Emery continues to search for a solution in defence, he may well turn to Osei-Tutu. He is primed and ready, after all.

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West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini has been speaking about midfielder Manuel Lanzini ahead of his side’s clash against Manchester City on Wednesday night, and the signs are that the Argentine star won’t be making his first start for the club since May.

What did he say?

After a long injury absence, the 26-year-old finally made his long-awaited return to action as a substitute in the 3-1 win against Fulham at the London Stadium on Friday, and no doubt Irons fans will be hoping to see their man back in the XI as soon as possible now.

Speaking prior to the perhaps daunting trip to the Etihad Stadium, Pellegrini looks to have dampened those hopes by telling whufc.com: “We must be careful with [Manu].

“He did very well in his 15 minutes and the important thing was that he was not afraid and remembering his knee, so we will see what the best way is to get minutes in every game. You must be careful when you give more minutes.”

Will he definitely not start?

While West Ham will want to finish in seventh position and as the best of the rest this season, taking a risk on a player of the calibre of Lanzini away against City would be a huge risk given he has only just returned, and his manager seems to acknowledge that.

Yes, Pep Guardiola’s men may have played 120 minutes in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday and could be a little leggy just a few days later, but Pellegrini can’t risk potentially aggravating the injury given the South American ace isn’t 100% match fit.

Irons supporters will need to be more patient in their bid to see the London Stadium hero back in the side, and they now have the squad depth for that to be an acceptable thing.

علّق لاعب توتنهام إريك داير على المشهد الطريف الذي حدث في مباراة اليوم أمام تشيلسي، في بطولة كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية.

وتواجه الفريقان في معقل توتنهام في دور الـ16 من البطولة، حيث فاز الديوك بركلات الترجيح وتأهلوا إلى دور ربع النهائي. أهداف توتنهام وتشيلسي

وشهدت المباراة حدثًا غريبًا حيث غادر إريك داير أرض الملعب واتجه إلى دورة المياه، واضطر توتنهام للعب بـ10 لاعبين فقط.

وتوجه مورينيو غاضبًا إلى النفق لاستدعاء إريك داير من دورة المياه، بعد أن استشعر تأخره. غضب مورينيو تجاه داير في مباراة تشيلسي وتوتنهام

وقال داير، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “مورينيو لم يكن سعيدًا، ولكن لم يكن هناك شيء يمكنني القيام به حيال ذلك، كان نداء الطبيعة ينادي”.

وأضاف: “سمعت أن هناك فرصة عندما كنت خارج الملعب لكن لحسن الحظ لم يسجلوا”.

وعن المباراة، “أنا سعيد للغاية، أنا فخور بالطريقة التي لعبنا بها بعيدًا عن الدقائق الـ15 الأولى، أظهرنا لهم الكثير من الاحترام لكننا بعد ذلك كنا رائعين”.

وتابع: “بعد اللعب يوم الأحد لم يكن الأمر سهلًا، ربما كان هذا هو السبب في أنني اضطررت إلى الهروب لكننا نجحنا في ذلك!، بذل جميع الموظفين واللاعبين الجهد”.

Aston Villa continued their fine run of form this weekend as another 3-0 win saw them move into sixth in the Championship table.

Dean Smith’s men are really beginning to motor at the most important point in the season, and there is every chance now they could well become the team to watch as we enter the most crucial part of the season.

Villa are looking like they are going to be that team that appear from the shadows and snatch a play-off spot, and we here in the Tavern think that they are going to be the ones who ultimately end up winning out come the end of the campaign.

The club’s attacking options for one are right up there with the best in the Championship, and in Tammy Abraham they have arguably the finest striker in the division when he is on song.

Add to that that Dean Smith appears to have finally stemmed the flow of leaked goals with the additions of Kortney Hause and Tyrone Mings, and Villa begin to look quite the threat.

The return of Jack Grealish too is a massive boost for the club, with the young midfielder proving in recent weeks just why he is classed as one of the finest talents outside of hre Premier League at the moment.

For all their disappointments this year and another change in manager, the season could well end on a hugely positive note for the Villans.

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Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to discuss just how big a miss Mamadou Sakho was as they watched their side slip to a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United on Wednesday evening.

The Eagles were embarking on just their first Premier League fixture of the season without the imperious France international, who, alongside James Tomkins, had been a key component of what is statistically the fifth best defence in the top-flight this term.

Sakho looks set to miss the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury against Leicester, and his absence was evident for all to see as his replacement, Martin Kelly, failed to replicate the 29-year-old’s huge impact.

The former Paris Saint-Germain captain is the only left footed centre-back at the club, providing irreplaceable balance to the defence, which the Red Devils took full advantage of as they scored three goals that all could’ve been avoided from the Eagles’ perspective.

Let’s take a look at what the Palace fans on Twitter are saying about Sakho’s absence…

[ad_pod ]Many Leeds United fans have paid tribute to, and shared their memories of, Bill Fotherby, who was the Elland Road club’s managing director in the late 70s, 80s and 90s.Fotherby passed away in Tenerife on Tuesday night, at the age of 88. He is well-remembered by the Whites for the instrumental role he played in bringing success and silverware to the club in the early 90s.Fotherby joined the board of the Yorkshire club in 1978 and eventually became chairman Leslie Silver’s partner in crime. He went on to revolutionise the way the club was run.

In 1988, following the sacking of Billy Bremner, Fotherby convinced Howard Wilkinson to leave Hillsborough and take up the hot seat at Elland Road. With the support of Silver and Fotherby, Wilkinson was able to get Leeds promoted into the top tier in 1990.

The crowning glory came in 1992, when the manager’s side won the top flight title – he remains the last English manager to achieve the feat, which was only made possible by Fotherby.

His influence cannot be overstated, and he has earned the mantle of legend at Leeds. Following his passing, many supporters have taken to Twitter to pay their respects…

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Grady Diangana has made the most of his chance in the West Ham United first-team thus far this season.

The 20-year-old made his breakthrough at the beginning of the campaign, playing a single minute against Manchester United in the 3-1 win at the London Stadium.

Just two games later, Diangana played 50 minutes in the pressure cooker of a London derby against Tottenham Hotspur and has since played twice against Manchester City, and provided an assist versus Burnley.

His appearances have been sporadic and he has yet to play 90 minutes for the Irons in the Premier League.

Diangana did finish the game against Birmingham City in the FA Cup, however, as the club won 2-0, and also scored twice in the EFL Cup win over Macclesfield Town, before again finishing the game against Spurs in the same competition, this time in a 3-1 defeat.

This is the correct way to bed in young talent.

Diangana is a pacy, skilful winger and has the ability to be a star for the club, but he is not having the world loaded onto his shoulders.

Instead, he is being slowly blooded by manager Manuel Pellegrini, who clearly knows that he has a genuinely talented young player on his books.

Diangana has been capped by England at Under-20 level and is primed to become another superbly exciting academy graduate in east London, following in the footsteps of Declan Rice by becoming a first-team regular.

Pellegrini is treading softly, but the youngster’s boundless potential will surely be impossible to ignore for much longer.

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Southampton’s woes continued as two defensive lapses cost them in their 2-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, and big changes are needed when Saints host fellow relegation battlers Fulham at St Mary’s on Wednesday night.

On the chalkboard

Ralph Hasenhuttl chose to stick with the five-at-the-back system for the trip to north London, but within 17 minutes the visitors had a mountain to climb as they found themselves 2-0 behind, with a misunderstanding between Jack Stephens and goalkeeper Angus Gunn leading to the second.

The result left the south coast outfit in 18th position and one point from safety, and realistically they will know that they need to beat the struggling Cottagers in midweek – especially with fixtures against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur to follow.

With Danny Ings already out and Michael Obafemi seemingly suffering another hamstring issue on his comeback against the Gunners, Hasenhuttl doesn’t exactly have a plethora of attacking options ahead of the crucial clash.

What needs to happen?

Firstly, the Austrian manager needs to stick with what he did at the start of the second-half at the Emirates, by ditching Stephens and playing with a back four.

Southampton don’t need to play five in defence against a team they need to take the game to from the very first minute on Wednesday, and in truth the Saints boss should go with the his preferred 4-2-2-2 formation he has used at previous clubs.

One man who should be included in the starting line-up from the start is Josh Sims, even if he has only been named in the 18-man squad in the Premier League on two occasions this term following a less than successful loan spell with Reading.

With the 21-year-old scoring twice and assisting two more for the U23s in their 6-2 Premier League Cup win against Notts County on Friday, he deserves a chance to put a leaky Fulham defence under pressure from kick-off.

That would allow Nathan Redmond and Sims to play in the advanced positions out wide, with Shane Long, Charlie Austin and Sam Gallagher fighting it out for the two centre-forward spots.