Tottenham Hotspur are adjusting to a more pragmatic tactical style under Thomas Frank. This has caused several contentious talking points to spring up over the past several months.

Yes, Spurs are imperfect, and improvements are needed. But they are also fifth in the Premier League after 11 matches, and have lost only three times.

Goals are being scored, albeit with underlying attacking metrics emphasising the work is needed in creative departments. But then, even this comes with the caveat that Tottenham have been without Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, arguably the two most creative outlets at the club, since before the start of the season.

Premier League 25/26 – xG Leaders
Club	Position	xG
1. Chelsea	3rd	20.4
2. Crystal Palace	2nd	19.4
3. Man City	10th	19.0
4. Arsenal	1st	18.8
5. Man United	7th	18.2
15. Tottenham	5th	11.0
Data via FBref

Yes, more is needed. And Frank will consider across the next two international-break-filled weeks his options across the park, and how he can water the roots of his philosophy while growing his Tottenham garden into something viewed as new and growing, rather than negative and Nuno-esque.

The changes Frank needs to make at Spurs

Tottenham showed spirit and resolve against Manchester United last weekend, and though Richarlison’s late strike was cancelled out at the death by Matthijs de Ligt’s header, the hosts did not crumble but responded after a wretched first half.

That’s a glass-half-full way of looking at it, sure, but Tottenham must take the positives – as Frank did.

However, the Danish tactician needs to iron out the many creases in this squad, and one sure-fire way to start that process is by forgoing the decision to field Djed Spence and Richarlison as a left-sided partnership. Width and dynamism are needed down the flanks, and the out-of-position Spence and technically limited Richarlison don’t work well together.

When Destiny Udogie and Wilson Odobert connected in the second half, things changed.

Likewise, there must be a wider shift in regard to mentality and confidence. Over the past year, Tottenham have played 20 home games and they have won only three. Much-improved away results and a tougher framework from head to toe have scrubbed away the bitter lower-table position of last year, but there remains a need for more positivity, more fluency and enterprise on the ball.

The forwards need to much do more, yes, but the midfielders have flattered to deceive from this perspective this season, and it’s time for Frank to consider parting with one player who lacks the nuance in his role to thrive and make the system tick.

Frank must drop struggling Spurs star

When Tottenham signed Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus in January 2022, initially on loan and then for a fee just shy of £22m, they knew they had landed a talented and multi-faceted midfielder.

And yet he’s falling by the wayside in Frank’s system. The 28-year-old hasn’t fallen, not yet, but his performances are becoming a concern, with analyst Raj Chohan even describing him as a “candidate for worst centre-midfielder at a big six club”.

The conundrum here is two-fold: Bentancur has just signed a new contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, raising his salary considerably to around £120k per week.

But the other angle here is that the Uruguayan just doesn’t work alongside Joao Palhinha, a player who has been regarded by many as one of the best Lilywhites players so far this season, having arrived on a loan deal from Bayern Munich in the summer.

So, if Palhinha has to play, his tough-tackling, protective presence in the middle, Frank must start playing a deep-lying midfielder beside him who can drive play forward with surgical passes. Instead, two pragmatic midfielders have been yoked together in a midfield lacking creativity under a manager who is facing criticisms for a pragmatic style of play.

It is not that difficult to identify the potential problem here, especially when bringing Xavi Simons into the equation, the playmaker yet to adapt to the rigours of the English game, and then addressing again the duel absence of Kulusevski and Maddison.

Rodrigo Bentancur in the Premier League
Season	Apps	Minutes played
25/26	10	659′
24/25	26	1,653′
23/24	23	1,007′
22/23	18	1,506′
21/22	17	1,365′
Data via Transfermarkt

As per data-led platform FBref, Bentancur actually ranks among the bottom 39% of Premier League midfielders this term for progressive passes per 90, underscoring the issues presented in the build-up. Palhinha, unsurprisingly, does not rank highly himself (bottom 11%).

The decision to start Bentancur from the bench against Man United – ending the South American’s run of six successive Premier League starts – tells of Frank’s awareness about all this, but then Pape Matar Sarr wasn’t at his best on that day in any case, albeit growing into the game after a shaky start, his energy and optimism a nice counterpoint to Palhinha’s ruggedness.

Much to chew on. Lucas Bergvall has the progressiveness to forge a protean partnership with Palhinha in the centre, but the teenager has not yet nailed down a prominent role under Frank.

Bentancur might have signed a new contract recently, but that does not mean he is unsellable. Conversely, this could provide an insight into a longer-term plan; this summer, Atletico Madrid were among those interested in an experienced midfielder whose stock has now risen from a financial vantage.

If Tottenham are to persist with the anchoring presence that is Palhinha, it might not be a bad thing to ship Bentancur and his limitations out. When the injured parties return, the picture will become a whole lot clearer, and Bentancur may well be absent from the view.

Spurs flop who's been "swallowed in the PL" must be dropped for Odobert

Thomas Frank can unleash Wilson Odobert by ruthlessly dropping this Spurs flop.

2

By
Dan Emery

Nov 10, 2025

Having to let go of some of the key performers that helped them win the title, they have lost two of their first three games this season

Matt Roller31-Mar-20251:53

Rapid Fire Review – What do KKR need to learn from this defeat?

The first ten days of IPL 2025 have seen players who won the 2024 title performing brilliantly up and down the country. The only problem for the league’s defending champions is that very few of them are playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).Phil Salt has been blazing boundaries for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Mitchell Starc wore the Purple Cap for a while after eight wickets in two appearances for Delhi Capitals (DC). Shreyas Iyer hit an IPL-best 97 not out in his first game as Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain. Even Nitish Rana, who played only twice last season owing to injury, crashed a match-winning 81 for Rajasthan Royals (RR).Meanwhile, a KKR side that lost three times in the whole of last year has already been beaten two times: a seven-wicket defeat at home to RCB, and now an eight-wicket thrashing at the Wankhede on Monday night against Mumbai Indians (MI). These are early days in a long season, but they have made a slow start to their title defence – as champions have tended to after mega auctions in recent times.Related

Ramandeep: 'Being picked by KKR has changed everything for me'

Rickelton: 'The pressure internally is big but externally is huge' at the IPL

Ashwani Kumar – from the hinterlands of Punjab to a raucous Wankhede

Ashwani Kumar on his debut: 'Was feeling pressure, didn't have lunch'

Rookies Ashwani and Rickelton lead MI to first win

The whole purpose of the mega auction – which saw teams permitted a maximum of six retentions from last year – is to ensure the IPL retains the competitive balance which makes it such a compelling spectacle. It is ideal for the league’s overall narrative, minimising the gap between top and bottom, but makes the notion of retaining a winning squad near-impossible.It must be hugely frustrating for successful franchises, but the combination of a strict salary cap and the unpredictability of an auction is one of the IPL’s key design features. It is not by mistake that there have been four different champions in the last five seasons, with seven teams reaching at least one final in that time. Already this season, each team has won at least once.Unsurprisingly, KKR used all six retentions after their 2024 triumph and made no secret of the fact that they would have liked to keep hold of several more. They bought another six of their title-winners back at November’s auction, with Venkatesh Iyer foremost among them and his INR 23.75 crore price tag doubtlessly inflated by the franchise’s desire to keep the core of the side together.Venkatesh Iyer has scored just nine runs in two innings so far•Associated PressCast your mind back to November’s auction in Jeddah, and you may remember Venky Mysore raising a purple paddle to place bids on all three of Salt, Shreyas and Starc. The trouble was that they had insufficient funds remaining to bring them back within the confines of the salary cap.It is clearly too soon to evaluate Venkatesh’s season, which has brought him nine runs in his first two innings. But the decision to go hard for him over several others was a significant choice at the auction, and KKR’s main changes from last year’s side – Quinton de Kock, Ajinkya Rahane and Spencer Johnson replacing Salt, Shreyas and Starc respectively – do not look like obvious upgrades.But, in fact, de Kock and Rahane are the only batters to hit fifties in their first three games this year, with another new signing, Moeen Ali, instrumental in their win over RR in Guwahati. Instead, it has been their returning players – including Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana and Ramandeep Singh – who have not fired at this stage of the season.Angkrish Raghuvanshi was the only bright spark with the bat for KKR•BCCI”It’s very disheartening after the mega auction because you have a set combination and then every three years the team changes,” Ramandeep said after Monday’s defeat. “But this is part and parcel of the IPL. Now teams will be trying to find their winning combinations as soon as possible and we’re trying for the same.”This was a night that KKR will try to swiftly forget: they were bowled out in under 100 balls for their lowest total since 2022. Rahane described it simply as a “collective batting failure” on what he believed was “a good wicket to bat on”, and will be looking for a response against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Thursday: “We’ve got to learn really fast from this game,” he said.Loyalty is a rare trait in a T20 franchise, and generally an admirable one. The challenge for KKR was to identify the role each player had in their title win and to value them accordingly: it will become increasingly evident as this campaign unfolds whether they have kept hold of the right ingredients from their title-winning recipe.Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2022 and MI in 2018 were the most recent teams to start a season as defending champions immediately after a mega auction, and neither reached the playoffs. KKR will be determined to prove that is a coincidence rather than a pattern – and must overcome two heavy early-season defeats to do so.

Liverpool are reportedly eyeing the signing of AZ Alkmaar youngster Kees Smit, with the Dutchman expected to have a huge future in the game.

The Reds’ midfield is full of quality and depth, so from the outside looking in, there isn’t a great need to bring in new signings in the middle of the park for the time being.

That said, Alexis Mac Allister’s form has been a concern for Liverpool so far this season, and while the Argentine is still only 26 years of age, years of relentless football at club and international level may be taking its toll.

Not only that, but Mac Allister has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, and the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai could also be the subject of interest from other clubs, so the Premier League champions need to keep an eye out on potential additions.

Signing young players with a huge amount of promise is an avenue that Liverpool could go down at the end of this season, which is where Smit comes into play.

Liverpool eyeing signing of Kees Smit

According to Soccer News [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are interested in signing Smit from Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, with the 19-year-old midfielder considered a massive young talent.

The Reds and Arne Slot are “seriously considering” tabling a bid for him, with Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle United, Barcelona and Real Madrid all mentioned as potential suitors, too. It is added that Slot is a fan of the teenager and that he was ‘charmed by him’ when he was a youngster at AZ Alkmaar.

Smit is a player with so much to admire about him, with scout Jacek Kulig hailing him as “fantastic” and Ronald Koeman comparing him to Barca star Pedri, which is high praise.

“I almost regret mentioning his name again (Pedri), but he’s a guy who plays in the same position. The way he turns away from his opponent, the way he scans the area, his two-footedness—I saw that in Pedri too. If he gets half his career, we’ll be very happy in the Netherlands.”

At 19, he could be eased in at Liverpool, arriving as a squad player who can mature at his own pace, before eventually becoming more of a fixture in Slot’s starting lineup.

Netherlands Under-21s

3

0

Netherlands Under-19s

16

4

Netherlands Under-18s

3

0

Netherlands Under-17s

7

0

Netherlands Under-16s

6

0

The teenager is already delivering impressive numbers, despite his tender years, with four goals and six assists coming his way in 50 appearances for Alkmaar.

Liverpool in £80m race with Man Utd for the "closest thing" to "peak Mane"

Liverpool need to sign an out-and-out winger in 2026.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 15, 2025

He has also represented the Netherlands at five different youth levels, including the Under-21s, and it feels like a matter of time until he received a senior call-up, with the 2026 World Cup around the corner.

Liverpool willing to sell first-team star to fund £150m Adam Wharton move

The young opener will face India A over the next couple of weeks having impressed his New South Wales coach, Greg Shipperd, in pre-season

Andrew McGlashan15-Sep-20251:03

Shipperd: ‘Konstas has a lot more clarity about his cricket now’

Sam Konstas has been encouraged to play at the tempo he feels is right in the upcoming four-day series against India A in Lucknow as he begins a run of first-class cricket that will determine his immediate Test future.After making 50 runs in six innings against West Indies, Konstas’ mission to save his Test place starts this week. While what happens in the Sheffield Shield during October will likely prove more relevant than the two games in India there will still be eyes on how he performs, especially in the second match when India A are expected to field Mohammed Siraj in their attack.Related

• Greg Shipperd: Current era probably toughest environment for young players

• No regrets for Konstas as he prepares to fight for Ashes berth

• Australia's Ashes 'bat-off' begins: Who could open against England?

Australia A are coached by former national captain Tim Paine and he hasn’t prescribed any particular way that Konstas should go about his work. Konstas has struggled to find a consistent batting rhythm early in his Test career which started with the barnstorming 60 off 65 balls against India at the MCG before he was confronted by tough conditions in West Indies.”I think at times you’ll see some of that [the more aggressive side], but I think people forget that Sam’s still only 19 years of age,” Paine told reporters in Lucknow. “So he’s a long way from being the finished product.”Clearly in Australia we know he’s got a lot of talent. We think he’s going to be a star at international cricket at some stage. He’s obviously in the team, or was in the team, at the moment. But he’s still finding his way [and] what’s the best way for him to play.”At times he’s going to be super aggressive. Other times he’ll trust his defence. He’s working that out and figuring out when and why he needs to do it both. We’ll encourage him this series to play it as he sees it.”There’s going to be times where it’s hard and he’ll have to soak up pressure, but when he’s feeling good and he’s on top we’ll back him in to go hard and put the opposition under pressure. He’s exciting. [You] don’t know what you’re going to get sometimes but that’s a great part of watching him.”Konstas scored a century in a recent New South Wales pre-season game and vastly experienced state coach Greg Shipperd, who has helped mentor him early in his professional career, has seen good signs in his response from a tough tour.Sam Konstas faces a crucial six weeks•AFP/Getty Images

“I have to concur with Usman Khawaja’s recent story about how difficult the wickets were over there,” Shipperd said. “You were able to see that as well, how difficult it was. I think he may have got stuck into a process of not moving his feet as much as we’d like him to in terms of responding to what’s delivered his way and which we’ve seen him concentrate and focus on in his time in preparation here.”The work ethic is fantastic. I think he’s got a lot more clarity about how he wants to go about his cricket and his preparation has been first class. A hundred out here the other day was a good signal to the adjustments that he’s made out of the West Indies, so I’m really confident that he’ll score some heavy runs for us in that first four or so games before that international series begins.”While as the incumbent Test opener Konstas will have most attention him, the Australia A squad also includes Nathan McSweeney who opened last season against India and the highly-rated Victoria left-hander Campbell Kellaway.”Certainly the guy sitting next to me [McSweeney] is right on the cusp,” Paine said. “If he does well here and scores runs at the start of the Shield year, which isn’t too far away, then there’s certainly some positions in that [Test] team come late November that are up for grabs. There’s a couple here and there’s a couple back in Australia that if they start well, they’re going to be right in the mix.”

Italian side Roma are interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur striker Mathys Tel on loan in the January window. Tottenham are not considering a permanent sale but are open to a loan move until the end of the season, having just signed the forward on a permanent basis in the summer. Roma are in the market for a striker after both Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk failed to deliver the expected performances this campaign, leaving the team in need of a more reliable attacking option.

• Roma's interest in Tel

  Tel joined Tottenham permanently in the summer of 2025 for €35 million (£31m/$40m) after a promising six-month loan spell from Bayern Munich during the 2024-25 season. He made an immediate impact, scoring three goals and providing an assist while playing an important role in Spurs’ Europa League triumph. However, this season Tel has struggled for regular game time, attracting interest from Roma, who reports are closely monitoring his situation. Tottenham are unwilling to let the young striker leave on a permanent transfer but are open to a short-term arrangement. Roma are ready to propose a six-month loan in January, viewing Tel as a valuable reinforcement who can strengthen their attack without a long-term financial commitment.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Roma's striker problem

  Roma find themselves in a strong position this season, sitting second in Serie A and boasting the best defensive record in the league, having conceded just five goals. However, their attacking output remains a major concern. Among the top six teams, Roma have scored the fewest goals, highlighting the urgent need for a reliable number nine. The club parted ways with Tammy Abraham, who joined Besiktas, and Eldor Shomurodov, who moved to Istanbul Basaksehir, leaving a noticeable void in the frontline. Roma had shown interest in Rasmus Hojlund, but he opted to join Napoli instead. Their loan signing of Ferguson from Brighton has not worked out so far, with the forward registering only one assist in seven games before suffering an injury in late October. Meanwhile, Dovbyk has struggled as well, managing just two goals and one assist. The search for a dependable striker continues.

• Tel's underwhelming season at Tottenham

  Tel’s rise began in August 2021 when, at just 16 years and 110 days, he made his debut for Rennes, becoming the youngest player to appear for the club and breaking Eduardo Camavinga’s record. His potential quickly drew attention across Europe, and in 2022 he secured a major move to Bayern. During his time in Germany, Tel scored 16 goals in 83 appearances and won two Bundesliga titles, establishing himself as one of Europe’s brightest young attacking talents.

  A versatile forward, Tel is naturally a centre striker but is equally capable of playing across the entire frontline, including as a winger in a three-man attack. His pace, movement and ability to attack space make him a valuable option in multiple systems.

  However, after joining Tottenham permanently following a positive loan spell, Tel has found minutes difficult to come by this season. He has featured for only 359 minutes under new manager Thomas Frank, who has consistently preferred Richarlison as his first-choice striker. This lack of playing time has raised questions about Tel’s short-term future, with interest emerging from other clubs eager to offer him more regular opportunities.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Can Gasperini revive Tel?

  Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to push for a new striker in the upcoming transfer window, with Roma’s attack proving inconsistent this season. In the past, forwards like Duvan Zapata and Mateo Retegui have been crucial in bringing Gasperini’s dynamic, high-intensity tactics to life. A signing such as  Tel could provide the mobility, pace and finishing that Roma currently lack, potentially transforming them into genuine Scudetto contenders.

  For Tel, a loan move to Roma would offer valuable playing time after limited opportunities at Tottenham. Working under Gasperini could significantly accelerate his development and help him unlock the next stage of his career.

أستأنف برشلونة تدريباته استعداداً لمواجهة ريال بيتيس، غداً على ملعب لاكارتوخا ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة من الدوري الاسباني لكرة القدم.

وأفادت صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية بأن فيرمين لوبيز وفرينكي دي يونج واصلا تدريباتهما صباح الجمعة في مدينة خوان جامبر الرياضية مع بقية زملائهما.

ومن المتوقع أن يعتمد هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة على ثنائي الفريق ضد ريال بيتيس وسيكونا في قائمة المباراة إلى جانب بيدري ورافينها اللذين تدربا أيضاً بشكل طبيعي.

أقرأ أيضاً.. شلوتربيك يحسم اختياره بين الانتقال إلى برشلونة أو ريال مدريد في الصيف

وعاد نجما برشلونة لأداء التدريبات الجماعية أمس الخميس وأستأنفا عملهما أيضاً صباح الجمعة، ومن المتوقع أن يحصلا على التصريح الطبي غداً.

وكان فرينكي دي يونج قد غاب عن آخر ثلاث مباريات لبرشلونة ضد أتلتيك بلباو بسبب الإيقاف وضد ألافيس وأتلتيكو بسبب الحمى ورغم استمرار معاناته من الأعراض لكنه تدرب بشكل طبيعي.

ومن جانب آخر فقد تدرب أيضاً الحارس الألماني مارك تير شتيجن والذي عاد لأداء المران بشكل طبيعي تحت قيادة هانز فليك، بينما غاب أراوخو ولم يتم رؤيته في مدينة خوان جامبر الرياضية صباح اليوم.

In their quest to win their first World Series title since 2008, the Phillies have been dealt a devastating blow.

Philadelphia pitcher Zach Wheeler will miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome, the team announced Saturday afternoon. Wheeler, 35, leads the National League in strikeouts (195) and WHIP (0.94); his 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings lead all of baseball.

"The recommendation is to undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery in the coming weeks," the Phillies' statement said. "Details of the surgery are forthcoming."

Venous thoracic outlet syndrome is a rare blood-clotting disease; Wheeler successfully had one such clot removed on Monday. The three-time All-Star last pitched on Aug. 15, taking a no-decision in a five-inning outing in a 6–2 Philadelphia win over the Nationals.

The Phillies lead the Mets by six games in the NL East division, and are eying their second straight divisional crown.

MatériaMais Notícias

Morelos voltou a marcar pelo Santos após mais de dois meses. O centroavante fez o quarto gol do Peixe na goleada por 4 a 1 sobre o Guarani, pela terceira rodada da Série B do Brasileirão. Mesmo assim, o técnico Fábio Carille ainda acha que o jogador pode mais.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSantosGol anulado do Santos contra o Guarani gera revolta em dirigente; vejaSantos06/05/2024SantosLance! Final: Santos goleia o Guarani e se mantém na liderança da Série BSantos06/05/2024Onde AssistirSantos x Guarani: onde assistir ao vivo, escalações e horário do jogo pela Série BOnde Assistir06/05/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Peixe agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Santos

– Morelos pode mais. Já conheço esse atleta há algum tempo. Eu dificilmente desisto de atleta. Claro que você tem um grupo que você conta com 30, 33. Ele não me deu problema nenhum no dia a dia. Todos os dias vem para treinar, comprometido, trabalhando bastante. Não me deu motivo algum para afastá-lo.

O colombiano foi titular no jogo de volta da final do Paulistão, contra o Palmeiras, mas não foi bem. No jogo seguinte, ficou fora da estreia santista na Série B, contra o Paysandu. Mas, entre a titularidade e o corte, o jogador retornou à equipe inicial no duelo contra o Avaí, pela segunda rodada da competição nacional.

continua após a publicidade

Muito do motivo de Morelos recuperar a posição foi a má condição física de Julio Furch. O atacante argentino sofreu uma lesão na região da coxa esquerda, voltou a ser relacionado, mas tem sentido bastante o púbis.

O garoto Enzo, que foi titular contra o Paysandu, na primeira rodada da segundona, perdeu espaço pela má atuação. Por outro lado, Willian Bigode retornou de uma lesão muscular que o tirou mais de dois meses de campo e agora voltouaseropção.

continua após a publicidade

Tudo sobre

Futebol NacionalSantosSérie B

Shohei Ohtani recored his 1,000th career MLB hit on Wednesday. No. 1,000 came on a 1-1 count in the bottom of the 3rd inning when he hit a massive two-run home run to give his team a 2-1 lead. Ohtani did his usual celebrations as he rounded the bases for the 39th time this season, but when he got to the dugout something changed.

As you can see in the image featured above, Ohtani clearly snapped. Or sneezed. Or stepped on a LEGO. Or maybe he could see into the future and knew that he'd be pulled after four innings with the lead and the defense would give up the game-tying run on a very bad defensive play with two outs in the 8th.

In addition to that home run, Ohtani also struck out a season-high eight St. Louis Cardinals on the mound. He's now struck out 33 batters and given up just six earned runs in 23 innings this season. Not bad for the guy who has the third most home runs in baseball.

Leeds United are in some strife this season. After a strong start, the Whites find themselves in another relegation fight, with just 11 points to their name. That puts them one point clear of the drop zone, and with West Ham United and Nottingham Forest now two unbeaten, they could get caught.

Perhaps this was to be expected by Leeds fans at the start of the season. ESPN journalist Bill Connelly was someone who thought they’d go straight back down to the Championship, explaining that they “probably will have to figure out how to get by with defensive organisation and random bursts of quality attacking.”

Well, it’s not worked out like that so far, with manager Daniel Farke’s future now under question again.

Why Farke’s Leeds future is in doubt

Connelly identified a strong defence and clinical attacking bursts as the keys to how the Whites could keep themselves in the Premier League. Those two things have both been lacking so far this term.

Defensively, the West Yorkshire outfit have left a lot to be desired. They’ve been leaky at the back and have conceded 20 goals.

Despite signing three attackers in the summer, Farke’s side have managed to score just ten goals, better only than bottom-place Wolves.

This has, once again, brought the German’s job into question. He was reportedly close to getting sacked last season, but Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe said Farke is “my man” going into the Premier League adventure.

Circumstances can change quickly, though. Now, reports are suggesting Farke has five games to save himself. After losing the first one against Nottingham Forest before the international break, games against Aston Villa, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool await.

It does seem inevitable that Leeds will have to sack their manager sooner or later. They seem to have a new boss lined up who could get them thriving in front of goal again.

Leeds’ perfect Farke replacement

If Farke is removed from his post as Leeds head coach, journalist Graeme Bailey recently put forward a name for who could replace him.

He says that the pressure is piling on, especially ‘when you have a manager like Brendan Rodgers available,’ a man Leeds could well move for if they sack the German.

Rodgers was once described as a “world-class” manager by Gabby Agbonlahor on talkSPORT, after his impressive performances at Leicester City.

The Foxes were punching above their weight for years, partly thanks to the Northern Irishman’s contributions.

At the King Power Stadium, he looked to capitalise on quick transitional situations, with some dangerous attacking players at his disposal. Those included the likes of James Maddison and star striker Jamie Vardy.

In fact, getting the best out of his strikers has always been a key feature of Rodgers’ management, no matter what club he was at.

He has coached some big-name centre-forwards, including Vardy and Luis Suarez, all of whom have enjoyed success under the Northern Irishman.

Jamie Vardy (Leicester)

157

70

Luis Suarez (Liverpool)

81

61

Moussa Dembele (Celtic)

94

51

Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester, Celtic)

151

46

Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)

70

43

That could be music to Leeds fans’ ears, given their difficulties in front of goal. Perhaps Rodgers – and his attack-minded 4-3-3 setup – can be the guy to finally get them thriving in front of goal.

He may have a new striker to work with, too. Troy Parrott is a target for the club, according to recent reports, and could be on the move this January.

He has been on fire with club side AZ Alkmaar since moving there last summer, and has 33 goals and seven assists in 61 games.

Of course, he was the hero for the Republic of Ireland last week, helping them reach the World Cup playoffs.

That is exactly the sort of goalscoring prowess that Leeds are lacking at the moment. Despite having three strikers on the books, they are missing that clinical edge in front of goal.

Parrott, however, has just that, and could be the difference maker – much like Vardy was in the past under Rodgers.

With Rodgers’ impressive track record working with strikers, Parrott could be the next number nine the potential Leeds boss gets the best out of.

Together, they might be the perfect pair to get Leeds scoring goals and get them out of this relegation battle.

£45k-per-week Leeds flop looks like their biggest disaster since Koch

Leeds United now have their biggest disaster signing since Robin Koch in this £45k-per-week dud.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 19, 2025