Marcelo Bielsa isn’t one to chop and change his starting XI all that much.

Indeed, there are eight players in the squad that have started more than 27 league games, so that’s quite a clear indicator of how little he’s changed things up this term.

However, one player that has been in and out of the team due to injury is Liam Cooper.

The club captain has started just 21 of 30 league games for the Whites, and when he’s not been there it’s often been Gaetano Berardi filling in for him, with the Swiss defender starting nine times in the Championship.

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Cooper has been the clear first choice when he’s been fit, but perhaps he shouldn’t be starting over Berardi, as the team appear to play much better when his 31-year-old teammate is on the pitch.

As the above infographic shows, Leeds pick up 0.52 more points per game when Berardi is playing compared to when Cooper appears.

Berardi has played eight fewer games than the 28-year-old, but the team do pick up better results when he’s on the pitch, so perhaps that’s a trend that Bielsa needs to consider.

Ok, you could argue that a fair few of his appearances have been off the bench, but in the nine games he’s started, Leeds have conceded just seven goals.

Quite simply, the team let in fewer goals when Berardi is on the pitch, with his goal difference per 90 over twice as high as Cooper’s, and that is a stat that shouldn’t be ignored.

Bielsa may want to think about starting the 31-year-old over his captain more often in the near future.

In other news, one man proved that he should be dropped on Saturday.

In a Q&A with Italian media outlet Corriere della Sera, via Calciomercato, Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has spoken about his relationship with rival Premier League managers, and admitted that he exchanges messages with Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho.

What did he say?

Well, the 60-year-old was actually asked by Corriere della Sera what his relationship with Jurgen Klopp, who is at the helm of the Toffees’ arch-rivals Liverpool, is like, and he replied saying it is “excellent” as they already knew each other before he was appointed at Goodison Park in December as Marco Silva’s successor.

However, the former Napoli chief went on to add that he has a similar friendship with Mourinho, saying “we send messages”.

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No harm in that

Ancelotti is an experienced manager and there is absolutely no harm in him exchanging messages with someone like the Portuguese, especially now he is living in England again.

The communication between the duo may have to relent a little in the coming weeks and months though given the good form Everton are currently showing, which has left them in seventh and just one place and one point adrift of Spurs in the Premier League standings – not bad considering they were in the relegation zone when Silva was sacked in December.

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Both sides are certainly in contention for even a top-four finish if they can continue their respective runs of form given Tottenham and the Toffees lie four and five points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea respectively, and so they could be in direct competition for the foreseeable future.

It’s best to give nothing away to each other in that sense then, meaning any messages between the two from now on should perhaps be strictly professional.

In other Everton news, one “unbelievable” 27-year-old’s comments bode well if the Toffees want to seal a bargain summer move…

Leeds United have a man at the helm who has previously been hailed as one of the best coaches in the world.

Marcelo Bielsa is undoubtedly one of the best managers Leeds have had in recent history, and he’s already guided them to their best league finish since 2004.

You probably wouldn’t find many United fans who would swap Bielsa for anyone, but one man Leeds were looking at before appointing the Argentine was arguably the better option.

What’s been said then?

Phil Hay was talking on the latest edition of The Phil Hay Show after a fan asked him about an article he wrote for FourFourTwo last year.

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In his piece, Hay detailed how one coach made the wrong impression by failing to name a single player in the squad, and now we finally know who that man was.

“The coach I’m told was Claudio Ranieri,” he said (The Phil Hay Show 20/2/20 51:30).

“You shouldn’t mistake that answer by thinking that Ranieri was about to take charge at Leeds or was seriously considering it.

“He was on the list when Leeds were looking at replacing Heckingbottom, but it was one of those names that was highly unlikely, but you could have said the same about Bielsa really, and in the end Bielsa did and Ranieri was a no-go.”

Interesting prospect

It’s interesting to think of an alternative reality where Ranieri is the boss at Elland Road.

The Italian’s CV is arguably better than Bielsa’s, and while Pep Guardiola has claimed that the Argentine is the greatest coach, Ranieri was officially recognised as the best as he picked up the FIFA award for the Best Men’s Coach for 2016.

Ranieri masterminded one of the greatest seasons in Premier League history when winning the title with Leicester, and he also has experience managing some of the world’s biggest clubs in the shape of Chelsea, Juventus and Inter Milan.

While nobody can complain about the job Bielsa has done at Elland Road so far, you can’t help but wonder whether or not United would have already been in the Premier League had they appointed Ranieri.

In other news, Leeds’ January U-turn could prove decisive in the coming weeks.

West Ham United will be furious that they left Anfield without adding any vital points to their total.

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Very little will have been expected of the Hammers before the game kicked off, but having gone 2-1 up, there will have been hope that they could cling on to at least get a draw.

However, that was not to be and one man receiving blame for that is Sebastien Haller.

The Frenchman came off the bench to replace Felipe Anderson in the 65th minute, with his team 2-1 up thanks to goals from Issa Diop and Pablo Fornals.

Despite winning three aerial duels, Haller was largely ineffective during his time on the pitch, and looked very lacklustre in his play.

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This led to one fan claiming that “he’s just so lazy”, while another said that he was “knocked off the ball way too easily”.

There is one moment in particular that has got West Ham fans’ collective blood boiling: Haller’s involvement in the final goal of the game.

Declan Rice had cleared the ball from the edge of the box, setting up a 50/50 between the 25-year-old and Joe Gomez.

The Frenchman put up pretty much no fight at all though, allowing the Liverpool defender to have a free strike, which deflected into Trent Alexander-Arnold’s path for him to set up Sadio Mane.

One fan suggested he “needs a serious digging out” after that moment, while another said that his attempt at getting the ball was “pathetic”.

Meanwhile, Collison gave Moyes some advice before the game, which he seemingly took.

The Athletic’s West Ham United correspondent Roshane Thomas has questioned David Moyes’ decision to replace Felipe Anderson with Sebastien Haller against Liverpool, per U Irons Podcast (February 24, 11:53).

What’s he said?

The Hammers lost 3-2 at Anfield after a genuinely plucky display against the Premier League leaders.

Moyes brought Anderson off in the 65th minute, with the score at 2-1 at the time.

His replacement, Sebastien Haller had just 17 touches during his time on the pitch, having one shot on goal in total.

And Thomas has questioned that decision from the former Manchester United boss.

He said: “When Moyes took off Anderson do you reckon that also played a part in Liverpool coming back? Because he brought off Felipe Anderson and brought on Haller.”

He added: “I reckon [we’d have had] more possession, because after the match Haller was trending on Twitter for the wrong reasons. Fans have had enough of this guy and (said) we should sell him.

“In Moyes’ press conference I asked him ‘do you have any regrets taking off Anderson?’ He said no. A firm no.”

Did he really play for us?! No West Ham fan has managed to name all of these obscure Irons signings….

A decent idea

One can see why Moyes decided to make the change.

Introducing Haller should have given the club more of an out ball and allowed the striker, who is 6 foot 3 inches tall, to be the man holding the ball up and keeping possession.

It didn’t work, however, and Liverpool managed to overwhelm the Hammers.

Perhaps that would have happened even if Anderson had stayed on the pitch but it is an easy stick with which to beat Moyes.

He is right to have no regrets; it is not his fault that the Frenchman could not properly impact the game.

Meanwhile, one West Ham man let down David Moyes against Liverpool!

After 205 days, the moment Illan Meslier has waited for finally arrived – a start for Leeds United in the Championship.

The French stopper arrived on loan from Lorient on transfer deadline day back in August but has had to wait for an absolute age before finally being granted a spot in the side.

Meslier has saved numerous penalties for Carlos Corberan’s U23 team this season but despite individual errors from Kiko Casilla, he’s been forced to sit on the bench.

The 19-year-old started Leeds’ FA Cup tie with Arsenal in January, earning praise from the home crowd, but this was his very first appearance in the league.

Unfortunately, the outing came about in rather unfortunate circumstances after Kiko Casilla was banned for eight games after being found guilty of racially abusing Jonathan Leko in a match versus Charlton last September.

However, this was Meslier’s big opportunity. He took to Instagram after the game to repost clips of him finally playing in England’s second tier.

It was a moment that was worth the wait as the giant 6 foot 6 stopper got his first minutes as Leeds’ undoubted number one.

He’ll now have a run of seven games where he gets to prove himself before the end of the season in a bid to potentially earn a permanent move to Elland Road.

The image below shows him warming up before the game, a picture that’s been a rarity considering he’s usually helping Casilla get loose before kick-off.

Whether Meslier does enough to earn a regular spot once Casilla returns remains to be seen, but with a transfer clause embedded within the terms of his loan, things may get a little complicated.

A report in the French media suggests that if he plays ten games for Leeds, they will be forced to buy him in the summer.

Meanwhile, Leeds fans think they FINALLY have the missing piece of the jigsaw…

Crystal Palace have confirmed that Roy Hodgson has signed a new contract to extend his deal at Selhurst Park until the end of the 2020/21 season.

The former England boss has steadied the ship well in South London and arguably overachieved given the resources he has been given in recent seasons, though not all Palace fans will share that view.

It is an interesting development give Hodgson spoke just a month ago about needing more assurances over the money he would get to spend if he did stay on, indicating that he was unhappy with how he was backed in January and possibly last summer too.

As a result, it may be possible that Steve Parish and the board have made certain promises regarding transfers, and that could allow Hodgson to install a more postive and expansive style.

Some supporters have grown frustrated with his negative tactics since taking over in 2017, and have expressed their displeasure at the fact the 72-year-old will be staying for another year.

The reactions shown above aren’t fully representative of fan sentiment, however, with many appreciating the good work Hodgson has done so far, and think more good things will come during his tenure.

Giving Hodgson greater muscle in the transfer market could make that possible, as he has already got the best out of cheap signings like Jordan Ayew and Gary Cahill, with the former scoring seven goals this term and Cahill contributing to a defence that has conceded only 23 goals in the 19 league games he has featured in.

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Here are some of the positive messages in response to the news, with Hodgson receiving multiple plaudits.

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Meanwhile, there has been other good news that could help the team pick up their form over the forthcoming matches…

There may be complaints about Steve Bruce’s football so far this campaign but in terms of results there is little to moan about.

The Magpies have averaged the lowest possession in the top flight with just 40.3%, whilst only three sides have managed less than their 10.3 shots per match, but they are currently in a comfortable 13th position in the table, eight points clear of the relegation zone, whilst they have reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 2006.

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Sean Longstaff, though, has not had the best year. Less than 12 months ago, Manchester United were said to be interested in him, and were even preparing a bid for a player who the Toon wanted over £50m for. This term, though, he has been in and out of the starting line-up, being included on just 18 occasions.

There is one stat that shows just detrimental he has been to the club’s progress – Newcastle’s win percentage with and without him.

With Longstaff in starting XI: 4W 7D 7L, 22% win ratio

Longstaff’s appearance in Bruce’s starting XI has done little to boost the Toon. Of the 18 games in which he has been included on the teamsheet, Newcastle have won just four, drawing seven and losing seven as well. Those victories did include wins against Tottenham and Manchester United, at least, but he was also present for heavy losses against Manchester United, Arsenal and Leicester City as well.

His personal stats have reflected those struggles too – he has won just 48% of his duels this term, whilst he has a disappointing pass accuracy of just 79%.

Without Longstaff in starting XI: 7W 5D 5L, 41% win ratio

Without the 21-year-old, though, Newcastle have done significantly better, winning seven of their 17 matches, and losing on just five occasions. In terms of goals per game without him, there has been little difference, with them managing 1.12 a game compared to 1.06, but it is their ability to pick up points that has been boosted in his absence.

The 1-0 win against Chelsea and the 2-2 draw against Manchester City show where there have been positive moments, whilst they conceded more than two goals in a match on just three occasions – two of which came against Leicester and Liverpool, who are in the top three in the table.

Verdict

Last season, it was a different story – they won 33% of their games with him and 27% without – but this season shows that Manchester United were foolish to even consider a move for him in the previous summer window. According to Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, the 20-time English champions’ interest in Longstaff is yesterday’s news.

Newcastle themselves made a mistake by not negotiating a lower price – his stock was still high last year, and he would have likely commanded a big fee.

As it is, his reputation has plummeted.

It has been a disappointing year for Aston Villa so far.

The Midlands outfit had big plans this campaign after being promoted to the Premier League from the Championship, spending over £100m on new recruits. However, that has done little to allow them to settle amongst the elite – they currently sit 19th in the table, two points away from safety.

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The injury to John McGinn certainly hasn’t helped. The Scotland international has been out with a knee injury since December 21st, which means he has missed 10 games in the league overall.

The 25-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise since making the move to Villa Park from Hibernian. He cost £2.1m in 2018, which was actually above his £1.58m Transfermarkt value at the time. Less than two years later, though, he is now said to be worth £18m.

Here, we take a look at three reasons behind that ascent.

2018/19 Championship season

McGinn had a decent record in his final season north of the border, scoring six and providing eight assists, and he carried on that form in the second tier of the English pyramid. In 44 games in all competitions for the Villans, he scored seven and provided 10 assists as they went up via the play-offs.

He was a ball of energy in the middle of the park, making 1.7 key passes per game as well as 2.1 tackles, and it is hard to imagine Villa being promoted without his efforts.

Manchester United interest

His performances clearly caught the eye of those at the very top of English football – Manchester United were said to be interested in McGinn last year. According to The Sun, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and co were eyeing the midfielder last summer, which led to Villa putting a £50m price-tag on his head.

It wasn’t just the Norwegian who was said to be a fan of the former St. Mirren man – compatriot Sir Alex Ferguson reportedly urged the Red Devils to take him to Old Trafford. Such a recommendation is only going to push your profile up.

Scotland’s European Championships qualification campaign

There wasn’t too much for the Tartan Army to shout home about during the qualification process for Euro 2020 – their 3-0 defeat against Kazakhstan in the very first game left them in a difficult position, meaning they would need to rely on their Nations League success to have any chance of qualifying for the final tournament – but McGinn can be more than happy with his contribution.

No teammate scored as many as his seven goals for Steve Clarke’s side, which included a hat-trick against San Marino, a brace against Kazakhstan in the second match and a strike against Russia.

Such form will not have gone unnoticed across Europe, and they will need him at his best when the play-offs finally take place.

According to The Transfer Window Podcast, Manchester United have been offered Aaron Ramsey as part of a deal that would see Paul Pogba return to Juventus.

The Frenchman has barely featured for United this season, making just eight appearances amid a spate of mysterious ankle injuries, and appears to be on his way out of Old Trafford with The Daily Star claiming United are prepared to sell to Real Madrid at £100m.

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The Transfer Window Podcast has taken a slightly different approach, suggesting Pogba could return to former club Juventus with the Old Lady offering former Arsenal star Ramsey as a makeweight in a player plus cash deal.

Unsurprisingly, the claim has got Red Devils fans on Twitter talking after it was re-posted by @UtdReport, with the majority seemingly against the idea of Ramsey arriving in exchange for the United midfielder.

Here’s a look at what they’ve been saying on social media…