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Since being sacked from his position as manager in December of last year, Jose Mourinho has remained a divisive figure for those associated with Manchester United.

Some fans have admired his brutal honesty and even called for him to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recently, the man who succeeded him upon his departure in December 2018.

But his bullish ways when talking about Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw while serving as Old Trafford boss have unlikely been forgotten – his treatment of the latter reportedly left the United players stunned, believing Mourinho was bullying the left-back.

The football was also fairly dire at times, too.

His exit left a bad taste around Old Trafford, and the many contrasting emotions surrounding the former Real Madrid, Inter and Chelsea boss presumably leave many wondering what the general consensus on the Portuguese boss actually is.

While it is by no means a concrete barometer of that, the image below shows that a portion of the Red Devils supporters, at least, still hold their club’s former manager in fond regard.

Mourinho was a pundit for Sky Sports at Sunday’s game between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford, and a few United fans sat below the box were photographed waving and applauding the 56-year-old.

He duly returned their fond greeting by waving back, and while this doesn’t entertain any kind of narrative that the entirety of Old Trafford adores the man who was sacked last year, it does show that at least a handful of them still enjoy the sight of the divisive character.

From Mourinho’s perspective, if he still feels anything towards the Red Devils, he will have been presumably annoyed to see them throw away a 1-0 lead with just five minutes left on the clock against Liverpool, although at least he got a nice reception from the fans below him.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

The Championship offers up some midweek action on Tuesday night as West Brom head to Elland Road to face Leeds United.

Slaven Bilic’s men will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to a tenth straight game by avoiding defeat in west Yorkshire, but this game is probably their toughest test of the season as, before the weekend’s results, the Whites were tied with Swansea City at the top of the league.

The Baggies beat Queens Park Rangers in Saturday’s early kick-off thanks to maiden goals from Nathan Ferguson and Matheus Pereira which saw them take sole possession of first place.

Later that afternoon, Leeds were stunned by Charlton Athletic at The Valley as Macauley Bonne scored the game’s only goal, even if he didn’t know much about it as Kiko Casilla parried a cross in off the striker’s back.

Despite the defeat, Marcelo Bielsa’s men have the best defensive record in the Championship as they have conceded just five goals all season – a stark contrast to Albion, who have kept only one clean sheet.

On the Chalkboard

One key to Leeds’ sturdy defence this season has been Brighton loanee Ben White, who has been one of their best players so far.

Averaging a WhoScored rating of 7.39, only narrowly the second-best in the squad, the 21-year-old has also won 3.1 aerial duels per game on average.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

In addition to that, the centre-back has recorded 2.6 tackles per game – the most of any defender in Bielsa’s team, 3.6 interceptions and 3.7 clearances per match, which both top the charts again.

West Brom have hardly been short of goals this campaign having scored 17 so far which is only matched by Preston North End, but they do have one man who is yet to add to that column himself.

Charlie Austin joined the Baggies for £4m in the summer, boasting an impressive record in this very division – scoring 68 goals in 137 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

Though the 30-year-old hasn’t gotten off the mark just yet, despite registering 3.2 shots per game, and he’ll need to improve to stand a chance against the Leeds defence.

He’s won just 0.8 aerial duels per game on average – although that kind of football isn’t in Bilic’s repertoire as they rank second in the league for passing success at 82.6%, it still has to be considered.

Austin is also dispossessed 1.2 times per match which will undoubtedly have White eager for this matchup on Tuesday night.

Things are finally looking to be on the up over in Catalonia.

Barcelona have won their last three games across all competitions, including a brilliant comeback against Inter Milan in the midweek Champions League fixture, and that was exactly what the doctor ordered.

After all, Ernesto Valverde’s troops drew their European opener against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park and anything other than a victory at the Camp Nou in the next game would’ve likely been perceived as a disaster.

But despite going 1-0 down in the opening couple of minutes, courtesy of a defensive blunder and Lautaro Martinez’s superb finish, the Blaugrana clawed their way back and turned the tides in their favour in the second half.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Currently, that gives them a total of four points under their belts, the same as Borussia Dortmund who won their game against Slavia Prague on the road.

For the time being, however, Barcelona will have to turn their gaze towards La Liga once again, where they are still playing catch-up to both Atletico Madrid and current league leaders, Real Madrid.

This Sunday, the Catalans will host Sevilla at the Camp Nou, a dangerous outfit from Andalusia who are  currently sitting fifth in the table, one spot behind Barcelona themselves with the same tally of points.

Nonetheless, that game has excitement written all over it and, for that very reason, Valverde will definitely have to consider making a bold choice with his starting lineup come Sunday evening.

Luis Suarez was clinical against Inter Milan, scoring a brace and alongside Lionel Messi, being the main catalyst for Barcelona’s heroic comeback. But even with those two goals, the Uruguayan’s performance was still somehow lacking.

It does sound really weird to talk about a player underperforming when he’s scored two goals on the night but Suarez is a really interesting case over in Catalonia. Sure, he rattled the inside of the net twice and he did so with two sublime efforts, but other than that, he was simply poor.

The 32-year-old forward recorded only 68% passing accuracy, played one key pass and lost possession an unacceptable 12 times against the Nerazzurri.

When everything is said and done, Suarez’s performances seem to depend on fleeting moments of brilliance and skill we know he still has in him but rarely lets out these days.

Maybe time is starting to catch up with El Pistolero but in any case, at 32 years of age and with already a series of lacklustre performances behind him this season alone, Valverde should maybe consider using Suarez as an impact substitute later on in the game.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

That seemed to work wonderfully against Valencia on matchday four when the Uruguayan came on in the second half only to net two goals in quick succession and finish the job for Blaugrana.

And yes, it’s difficult to mount a compelling argument against a player who has scored five goals in seven games across all competitions in the 2019/20 season but as a whole, Suarez just hasn’t been the same and his performances might be hurting Barcelona more than helping them, despite the strikes recorded.

Not to mention that Blaugrana have a certain Antoine Griezmann who’s currently being wasted at left-wing because of Suarez.

The Frenchman was once again near invisible against Inter Milan and is clearly having trouble settling in on a largely unfamiliar position.

Benching Suarez – valued at £45 million by Transfermarkt – might be a tough call to make but, at this point, it truly is necessary if Barcelona are going to improve in the future.

Let’s see if Valverde works up the courage to make the right decision come Sunday evening.

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West Brom have continued to strengthen the club, even outside of the transfer window.

And it’s another addition to their goalkeeping ranks – a return of someone they know well.

Last week, Ali Al-Habsi joined the club on a contract until the end of the season to provide backup to both Sam Johnstone and Jonathan Bond.

Now their former shot-stopper Boaz Myhill has returned to the Hawthorns as he makes the first transition into a potential coaching career.

The 36-year-old has been appointed as Albion’s new Professional Phase Development Goalkeeping Coach just a few months after being released by the club for a second time.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Myhill’s affiliation with the West Brom stretches back nearly ten years after he signed from Hull City back in 2010 just as the Baggies were promoted to the Premier League.

Though, he was primarily a backup option throughout his spell in the west Midlands, having made just a total of 85 appearances for the club.

Several fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the appointment.

One supporter lauded the decision by calling it an ‘excellent appointment,’ which was echoed by a range of other superlatives including ‘brilliant’ and ‘great.’

Another member of the Baggies faithful claimed the goalkeepers at the club were in good hands whilst one more said Myhill was ‘the GOAT.’

Here’s the best of the reaction:

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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…

Real Madrid are not exactly enjoying the best of times.

They were thumped 3-0 by PSG in the Champions League earlier this week and that result came off the back of an underwhelming start to life in La Liga.

Zinedine Zidane’s first four La Liga matches left a lot to be desired, as Real registered two wins and two draws.

And precisely for those reasons, the latest reports coming out of Mundo Deportivo about a potential heir to the Frenchman’s throne don’t really come as a surprise.

The Catalan outlet state that Florentino Perez, Los Blancos’ president, is considering Xabi Alonso as a candidate to take over if Zidane is dispensed with.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Of course, there are arguments for both sides of the discussion – Alonso, for all his pedigree and reputation as a player, is still fairly inexperienced as a coach. He spent some time with Real Madrid’s youth crop back in the 2018/19 season, and now, he’s the current manager of Real Sociedad B, a team he’s led in a total of four matches so far.

By all means, that’s not a sublime resume.

The other side of the coin is the shiny one, though: he’s ambitious, he’s got the character, good history as a player, especially while donning the white kit of the Galacticos – he won La Liga and the Champions League – and most importantly, Perez likes him a lot, as Mundo Deportivo reveal. These are all things that a viable Real Madrid coach needs to have.

But “don Perez” also has to be patient with him.

If it’s really Alonso he wants, it needs to happen at the right time – not too soon and not too late. At the moment, we’re still in the “too soon” area.

Real need an experienced coach to guide them through choppy waters and Alonso is not there just yet, even if he is slowly approaching the point where he can be considered as a viable option for a club like Los Blancos.

Right now, Perez simply can’t afford another failed project; giving Alonso the reins would simply be too much too soon, and will only reduce the chances of him being at the helm when it is the right time, when the right squad is in place and he’s accumulated the right level of experience.

Perhaps, though, it can happen at some point in the future.

According to Sky Sports football reporter Keith Downie on Twitter, Sunderland are close to signing two new strikers before the end of the month. 

One striker is long-term target Will Grigg, while the other is believed to be Middlesbrough’s England under-19 international Stephen Walker.

This is very encouraging news for The Black Cats, as these two deals are a sign that the club thinking about the present and the future. In the absence of Josh Maja, Jack Ross will need to quickly find a replacement for the striker to keep the club competitive at the top end of League One this season. Grigg is certainly that man.

Currently plying his trade with Wigan in the Championship, Grigg would surely want to drop down to League One, where he has had a huge amount of success in past seasons. In his last three seasons spent in League One with Wigan and MK Dons, he has scored 64 goals. On the other hand, he only has four Championship goals this season for The Latics. Therefore, he may be able to help Sunderland get back up to the Championship, but may not be of great service once they do.

That is when Walker will come into his own. The 18-year-old is seen as a hugely promising talent, which is obvious seeing as he has represented his country. Walker’s signature will ensure continued success, rather than a potential flash-in-the-pan. This is the clearest sign that Sunderland are starting to make shrewd signings after years of transfer blunders.

[ad_pod ]Sam Allardyce has spoken.Since their relegation from the Premier League, things haven’t improved much for Huddersfield Town. And when we say that, what we mean is their return to the second-tier has been utterly miserable.Sat in joint-last place in the Championship and already one manager down for the season, having sacked former boss Jan Siewert, who was admittedly a bizarre appointment in the first place, the Terriers needed a hero (or two).Watch Huddersfield Town Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Fortunately, that’s just what they’ve been given in the form of dynamic duo Danny Cowley and his brother, Nicky.

The former Lincoln Town men will inherit Siewert’s faltering squad and attempt to guide them towards their first victory of the season when they meet Sheffield Wednesday this weekend.

The Owls have only recently appointed a new boss themselves, ex-Birmingham man Garry Monk, so this could be a tasty affair.

Speaking to talkSPORT, rescue mission specialist Allardyce reacted to the John Smith Stadium new boys…

Positive sounding stuff from Big Sam.

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Leeds United are one of the teams interested in Boubacar Kamara…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports, who have named the Yorkshire giants alongside Premier League rivals Manchester United in the race to sign the Marseille midfielder before the January transfer window deadline on Monday.

The 22-year-old gem is out of contract in the summer, so the coming days are the last chance for the Ligue 1 outfit to earn some sort of fee for him and the Daily Mail believe they will sell for just £10m.

Battle for late bargain

Kamara’s versatility to play in the backline or in midfield makes him a very intriguing prospect and one that could be of huge benefit to Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds.

The 66-year-old head coach has seen his squad decimated with injuries throughout the 2021/22 campaign, particularly in the engine room, where he is currently without star man Kalvin Phillips.

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Leeds have not signed someone in the role since January 2018, four years ago, when Adam Forshaw swapped Middlesbrough for Elland Road. Even he has recently picked up an injury, leaving Bielsa even lighter on options.

Kamara is one of Europe’s brightest talents right now, having been dubbed a “phenomenon” by former Olympiens teammate Rolando. “When he started training with us, he was 15 years old. And from day one, I said, no, but this little one is going to be a great player,” he added.

Since making his debut, the young versatile machine has averaged 2.8 long balls, 2.3 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, putting up some remarkable numbers, via WhoScored.

Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, the Whites could well seal an absolute bargain in Kamara in the coming few days, especially at just £10m, which is well within Leeds’ budget.

Bielsa badly needs midfield reinforcements and the fact that the France U21 international can also play in defence makes him a very useful candidate indeed.

If they can seal a late move for him before Monday, then Bielsa would surely be a very happy man.

AND in other news, Journalist drops exciting Leeds United transfer update…

There has been plenty of change at Crystal Palace this year. Manager Roy Hodgson’s four-year tenure came to an end with Patrick Vieira coming through the door. Plenty of new players also joined, with the Eagles now boasting an exciting handful of young prospects.

A famous win at the Etihad will arguably be the highlight, with a success over Tottenham also up there with Palace fans’ favourites from 2021 whilst heavy defeats against the likes of Manchester City and Burnley will be pushed to the back of their minds.

The South London club is certainly a work in progress under Vieira, but there will certainly be hope at Selhurst Park that next year will see the Eagles spread their wings.

Take our big, fat Crystal Palace quiz of 2021 and see if you can get 100% – only real fans will be able to!

Michael Olise was Crystal Palace’s standout performer in the Eagles’ 2-1 comeback win away to Millwall in the FA Cup third round on Saturday afternoon.

The Premier League outfit had gone 1-0 down after Benik Afobe capitalised on a Jack Butland howler before Patrick Vieira’s side turned their fortunes around to secure their place in the fourth round, with the 20-year-old at the heart of the comeback.

Having signed from Championship outfit Reading last year for a fee of around £8m, the Frenchman has endured a mixed start to life in south London, managing just two starts in the Premier League thus far.

However, Olise has made 13 appearances in the top flight, scoring two goals and registering three assists. Having played 460 minutes of league football, the youngster is averaging a goal involvement every 92 minutes, an impressive return for him in his debut campaign at that level.

Palace’s cup tie with their London rivals proved to be an opportunity for the talented Frenchman to make a real impression on his manager, and that opportunity was grabbed with both hands.

Olise proved himself to Vieira

The winger equalised almost immediately after half-time, scoring with a spectacular curling finish off of the far post after cutting in from the right-hand side, netting his third goal of the campaign in his third senior start.

Just 12 minutes later, he produced an excellent delivery into the box for an unmarked Jean-Philippe Mateta to head home and ultimately settle the contest in Palace’s favour. Moreover, Olise could’ve had a brace of similar goals, having struck the woodwork with another audacious effort from the right flank.

Conor Gallagher may be Palace’s best player of the season so far according to WhoScored figures, but according to SofaScore, he was outshone today by the 20-year-old. Olise was the website’s man of the match as he earned a standout rating of 8.5/10, although it wasn’t just his goal contributions which marked him out as the pick of the bunch at The Den.

The £34k-p/w talent also had 48 touches down the right flank before being withdrawn in the 88th minute, as well as successfully completing two of his three dribbles. Defensively, he won five duels and two tackles, so he also pitched in with his share of work out of possession.

Today’s match was was certainly an opportunity for Olise to prove a point to his manager, who may now believe that he was mistaken to give the 20-year-old so few chances from the start during the season so far.

The question now is whether will we see more of the French youngster in the Eagles’ starting XI during the second half of the campaign.

In other news, Palace have been linked with this promising forward…