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Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth does not believe Jean-Kevin Augustin is a better option than Patrick Bamford in this moment of time.

Augustin joined Leeds United on loan from RB Leipzig last month, but the 22-year-old is yet to start a game for Marcelo Bielsa’s side. Instead, it is Bamford who the Argentinian coach has put his faith in this season, with the striker starting 31 games in the Championship.

And speaking on the centre-forward competition at Elland Road, Smyth gave his full backing to the latter. “At this minute in time, Augustin is not better than Patrick Bamford in the overall sense,” the journalist said on Inside Elland Road. “He might be a better finisher; I don’t know that for certain yet. But he’s not a better all-around player right now for Leeds United.”

Better striker or not, perhaps Augustin deserves a start now. Bamford’s form in front of goal has not been great of late, with the Englishman scoring just two goals in his last nine Championship games.

However, like Eddie Nketiah, who struggled for minutes during his loan spell at Leeds before returning to Arsenal, it seems like Augustin will be forced to play deputy to Bamford unless Bielsa has a drastic change of heart.

Leeds fans, should Bielsa be giving Augustin more game time? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!

Leeds fans would do anything for a prolific goalscorer.

They’ve been on the back of Patrick Bamford all season after experiencing some torrid games in the white of Leeds.

The clash against QPR comes to mind when he missed a decisive penalty during their 1-0 defeat at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

Marcelo Bielsa’s men brought in Jean-Kevin Augustin on loan in January but heading into the weekend’s action, he still hadn’t scored.

If there was one criticism of Leeds this season, it would be their inability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

Compared to frontrunners West Bromwich Albion, they are way behind in terms of goals – that total stood at 11 heading into the weekend.

What they could do with someone like Aleksandar Mitrovic, therefore. The Fulham marksman scored against Derby on Friday and consequently left Leeds supporters drooling over what he could do if he took to the field at Elland Road on a regular basis.

You can read more on this and other top stories via our Leeds United News page.

The Serbian has scored 22 times this season and some fans seem to think they’d have already won the league with him in the team.

You can certainly see where they’re coming from. Leeds’ top scorer this term is Bamford with just 12 strikes in the Championship. They’ve also lacked goals from elsewhere. Mateusz Klich and Pablo Hernandez netted nine and 12 goals last term respectively but only have eight between them in 2019/20.

However, it wasn’t the midfielders who took the criticism, it was Bamford. While praising Mitrovic, they used it as an opportunity to wonder ‘what if?’.

One supporter claimed that the former Middlesbrough man wouldn’t have scored the chance the Fulham star took on Friday evening.

A further Leeds supporter suggested Mitrovic would be licking his lips given the number of opportunities their side creates for the likes of Bamford.

You can certainly see where they’re coming from. Before the weekend, four players in Leeds’ squad had over 1.8 key passes per match this campaign so it’s rather remarkable that they’ve scored so few goals.

Calling all EFL experts: Can you get full marks on this stadiums quiz?

According to Experimental 361, they should have 13 more goals than they had before they took on Bristol City and Reading. Just imagine if they had Fulham’s number 9 instead. It was a thought that seemed ‘beautiful’ to one fan.

In other Leeds news, Andrea Radrizzani would prove a hypocrite if he now sold to QSI…

The Athletic’s Rangers correspondent Jordan Campbell has highlighted a tactic from Steven Gerrard which has proven to be ineffective as of yet.

The Gers suffered their second successive defeat on Wednesday evening, losing 1-0 to Hamilton at Ibrox after a collective blunder from James Tavernier and Connor Goldson.

However, despite that worrying moment, Campbell also picked up on the fact that Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe struggle to perform cohesively alongside each other – either as a “roll of the dice” or “as a change to add goals” as he tweeted towards the latter stages of the defeat.

Morelos has netted an impressive 29 goals and has also recorded ten assists for the Gers this term.

In Defoe’s case, the former Tottenham striker has scored 17 times – however, the duo are very similar in terms of them both being poachers in front of goal, with neither of them renowned for their creativity.

That is clearly impacting their ability to be effective as a pair, and Campbell has shared his views on the currently ineffective Gerrard tactic below:

In other news, lots of Rangers fans have reacted to Alfredo Morelos’ public statement…

Andy Robertson has taken to Twitter to issue a rallying cry after Liverpool tasted defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup.Jurgen Klopp’s side could not make immediate amends after losing 3-0 to Watford in Premier League action, as they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to Frank Lampard’s men at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening after goals from Willian and Ross Barkley.It means that the European champions have now lost three of their last four games in all competitions, and following the freshest of those losses, Robertson – who is valued at £72m on Transfermarkt – issued an emotional rallying cry.The former Hull left-back – who has one goal and seven assists in the Premier League this season – said that he and his teammates are going to keep putting in the hard work to “come back better” and will “hopefully” repay the fans’ support.

You can see what the Scotland captain posted in full on his Twitter account below:

In other news, Gary Lineker has tipped Jordan Henderson to win a major honour for one reason…

Arsenal may not have been at their best, but they were able to come away from their match against West Ham United with all three points, thanks to Alexandre Lacazette’s goal.However, it is not the Frenchman who has been taking all of the plaudits from fans, as Dani Ceballos has received plenty of his own during the 1-0 win.The midfielder was utilised next to Granit Xhaka at the base of Mikel Arteta’s midfield and shone in the position, with one fan describing his performance as a “masterclass”.

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The praise was not solely reserved for his involvement in this victory, as one fan claimed he has “been ballin’ recently”, while another added that Arsenal need to “sign Ceballos up” when his loan from Real Madrid comes to an end.

With this in mind, it is safe to say that Gunners fans are pleased with how the Spaniard has been doing.

There are even those who feel that he was Man of the Match, claiming he was the “best player on the pitch”.

These calls come after a performance in which he completed all five of his tackles, while making one clearance and six interceptions – highlighting how important he was defensively.

Can you name all of these obscure Arsenal signings? Give it a go now!

In addition to that, he made one dribble, one key pass and maintained a pass success rate of 88%. Looking at his statistics, it is clear to see why Arsenal fans are happy with him.

Meanwhile, Arsenal fans had been debating his future.

The future of Kristoffer Ajer seems to be up in the air at the moment with his time at Celtic seemingly coming to an end.

That’s according to the player’s agent who delivered some damning news last week. Since then, The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin has shared what he knows about the situation.

What’s the word?

Last week Ajer’s agent came out and stated that his client would definitely be packing his bags and leaving Parkhead in the summer.

The timing of the statement was rather bizarre but manager Neil Lennon has since come out and suggested that because the defender is tied down to a long-term contract, he would not be going anywhere.

Ajer has previously attracted the attention of Leicester but a fresh sense of where the situation is has been offered by Devlin. His claims, though, are far from music to the ears of those at Celtic. Speaking in a mailbag on the Athletic, he said:

“The likelihood is high that at least one of Ajer, Edouard, Ntcham and McGregor, as four of the most saleable assets at the club, will leave. I think it’s more likely that if no new contracts are negotiated, then one of Edouard or Ajer may go to maximise their fee, which would drop the following summer as they enter their final year.”

“I understand numerous Premier League clubs have monitored him, as have AC Milan. I feel £12 million-£15 million would be a fair valuation normally; although the baggage of his agent’s comments might reduce any potential fee.”

Inevitable exit

Unfortunately for the Hoops, the 21-year-old’s departure from Celtic Park looks all but sealed. His agent seems intent on him leaving and if Lennon’s side fail to reach the Champions League, measures will have to be taken in order to stem the tide financially.

At the age Ajer is at, he is definitely one of their most sellable assets and perhaps also one they can afford to lose.

Celtic lost Filip Benkovic last summer after he headed back to England following the expiration of his loan but they bounced back in quite some fashion. They splashed £7m on Christopher Jullien who has helped Lennon’s men go 13 points clear at the top – he’s also scored seven times since arriving.

Edouard, on the other hand, has scored 27 times this term and would be even harder to replace without spending a vast sum of money. That is easier said than done, however.

With a value of around £15m, that could easily be invested in one or two centre back’s to bolster the squad at the Norwegian’s expense.

It’s clear Ajer’s important to the team, playing on 49 occasions this campaign, but he isn’t replaceable. Celtic should look to cash in if he and his agent are convinced on getting out of Glasgow.

Meanwhile, Klimala should be licking his lips after HUGE £30m Celtic update…

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks has sent a Twitter message to John McDermott after his exit was confirmed by Spurs on Friday evening.

The club announced that he is to leave his position as Head of Academy Coaching and Player Development with the north London outfit to take up the role of Assistant Technical Director at the FA.

McDermott departs after 15 years working with Tottenham’s academy, where he oversaw the development of a number of players who have gone on to be first-team stars for the Premier League side.

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Winks is just one of those individuals, alongside the likes of Harry Kane, Danny Rose, Ryan Mason and Andros Townsend.

The current Spurs central midfielder wasted no time in sending a message of thanks to McDermott on Twitter, obviously feeling he is partly responsible for the fact that he has become an important part of the Tottenham squad in recent seasons.

33 appearances in all competitions so far this term is testament to that, and now Daniel Levy and the board face the difficult task of finding a replacement for their long-serving employee.

In other Spurs news, Eric Dier destroyed Ryan Sessegnon on Instagram on Friday, calling him a “reserve player”…

West Brom are on the verge of achieving a glorious return to the Premier League, just as long as the current campaign isn’t voided, of course.

The Baggies are sat in second position in the Championship, one point behind league leaders Leeds United and some six points clear of the dreaded playoff positions.

As a result of such an impressive season, other clubs have already attempted to try and swoop like vultures for the Albion chief-in-command Slaven Bilic.

According to Turkish outlet Fotospor, Fenerbache were interested in making the Croatian their next manager with him reportedly top of club president Ali Koc’s wishlist.

And while nothing has come to fruition on that end, it is only fair to argue that should the Baggies earn promotion before the summer, his stock will undoubtedly rise as he’s clinched some form of success in the present day.

There have been other claims from the Express & Star that the west Midlands outfit would like to clinch loan star Filip Krovinovic at the end of his current spell after impressing at the Hawthorns.

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The 24-year-old’s role in the starting XI has increased since the turn of the year following suspension to Matheus Pereira, and he has contributed with two goals and two assists as well as averaging 1.4 shots, 1.2 key passes and an 85.2% passing accuracy rate this season, via WhoScored.

Yes, a player of his class would thrive with more time and space on the ball in the top-flight, but that should by no means be their priority – it was Bilic who brought his fellow countryman to Albion along with their other enigmatic stars.

When announcing his appointment, sporting and technical director Luke Dowling described the 51-year-old as the “perfect fit” with a “wonderful aura about him”, and he hasn’t been wrong.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Bilic has been the one to orchestrate everything on the pitch, which in turn has given them a real chance at returning to the promised land, and therefore, he’s the most critical member of the Baggies setup.

Protect him at all costs.

AND in other news, West Brom fans gush over Romelu Lukaku admission…

Rangers’ calendar year has so far been rather disastrous. Initially in the race for the title, the Gers have now fallen 13 points behind their Old Firm rivals Celtic.

They’ve failed to win five of their matches in the league and Alfredo Morelos has netted just once in 2020.

Steven Gerrard has also been questioned about his future.

Though, one man’s future that should be rather up in the air is Glen Kamara. The former Arsenal academy product was linked with a move back to the Emirates this season and has also attracted the interest of Leeds.

With criticism surrounding his performances however, this isn’t the greatest time in Kamara’s career at Ibrox. The fact he was substituted in their defeat to Bayer Leverkusen two weeks ago said a lot too.

Fortunately for the Glasgow-based side, they have his potential successor just sitting in front of him.

The young prodigy in question is Umaro Balde, a teenager who left his family behind in Portugal last summer to move to Scotland.

Balde completed a switch from Sporting Lisbon as he arrived to compete for a spot in the Gers’ U18 side that had won the league a season previous.

A defensive midfielder by trade, he still has a long way in his development to go but there are positive signs for the rarely-seen prospect.

In an interview last year, he revealed he’d been learning from one of the best in the business in his position: “My idol in football is N’Golo Kante and I have watched him for a long time. I look up to him.”

He also disclosed that Kevin Thompson had been detailing what he needed to do in order to become a first-team player at Ibrox. That learning curve and advice should prove invaluable for Balde as he looks to climb the ranks and impress Gerrard.

The 17-year-old added: “At Rangers, I like watching Aribo and Kamara. I watch the first team games all the time and I like them.”

A football legend: Can you get over 80% on this Gazza quiz? Find out now…

The fact he’s already studying what players in his position are doing in the current senior side is encouraging, especially if he’s to usurp the latter who may well leave in the not too distant future.

Balde’s attitude is exemplary, explaining in late 2019 that he feels he’s ready to play for the first-team already. Continuing to watch the senior professionals and understand the way they play will be incredibly significant.

It’s natural to suggest he could be next in line to make a breakthrough in Rangers’ midfield and with uncertainty growing over the Light Blues, an opportunity might not be too far away.

Meanwhile, Rangers are in danger of making a transfer mistake before the window has even opened…

Many Manchester United fans have been left stunned by Robin van Persie’s revelation about former boss Louis van Gaal, following the striker’s appearance on the High Performance Podcast.

The 36-year-old opened up in a candid chat with BT Sport pundit Jake Humphrey, and announced he was forced out of Old Trafford by his fellow countryman.

Van Persie told the podcast “I had this chat with Louis van Gaal and he told me: ‘Ok Robin, our ways will part. I’m the coach, you’re the player – you have to go, your time is up.”

“I was like: ‘Yeah but I still have a contract?’ He said: ‘I don’t care’.

He added: “Ruthless. Towards the end of it, I saw something coming but not this ruthless. And the way he said it as well. And then, like a lot of things go through your mind when you get a message like that.”

Having moved to the Theatre of Dreams from Premier League rivals Arsenal for £27.63m in the summer of 2012, the Dutchman picked up the coveted trophy in his first season wearing a Red Devils jersey, before his time in Manchester slowly started to unravel due to the turmoil left by Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure.

Despite the fact he still had a year left on his contract, Van Gaal decided the forward was surplus to requirements, and he was shipped to Fenerbahce for £5.85m in July 2015.

Although Van Persie suffered from a number of injuries during his spell with United, the goal machine still managed to score 58 goals in just over 100 appearances via Transfermarkt.

Predictably, plenty of supporters were shocked by RVP’s comments, and directed their frustrations at the 68-year-old. One fan even described Van Gaal’s actions as a “disgrace” and “shambles.”

Scroll through some of the angriest reactions we could find online…

United fans, do you think Louis van Gaal is the worst manager in the club’s history? Let us know in the comments below!