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Liverpool were left frustrated at Anfield once again on Saturday afternoon as Newcastle United stole a late point.

Joe Willock was the man to deny the hosts but only after Callum Wilson also had an equaliser ruled out via VAR and Mo Salah had struck a fantastic opener.

It was an extremely wasteful afternoon for the hosts as they threw away numerous chances to add to their advantage; Salah, Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino all being culprits.

However, it was actually the latter’s compatriot Fabinho who was the most frustrating during the game.

Deployed at centre-back in the absence of the injured Nathaniel Phillips, he was extremely suspect defensively by only contributing one tackle and one interception according to WhoScored.

Whilst the former Monaco man, who earns £100k per week at Anfield, did manage to contribute four clearances, he really struggled to deal with long balls over the top, with Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin causing problems with their runs in-behind the Liverpool backline.

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In fact, Fabinho had to take evasive action late on to prevent the Frenchman from netting as he was beaten for pace, only to bring the Newcastle winger down and pick up a yellow card, his sixth in the Premier League this season.

Meanwhile, he did not cover himself in glory for the visitors’ eventual equaliser, not closing down Willock quick enough before he fired home what was a deserved equaliser for Steve Bruce’s men on the day.

Whilst Fabinho should be cut some slight slack with him slotting in what is a somewhat unfamiliar position, the sheer fact that one of the more experienced heads in the Reds’ squad looked the most vulnerable defensively will hugely disappoint Klopp.

AND in more news, take a closer look at how we rated the rest of the Liverpool team in the draw against Newcastle…

Sheffield Wednesday are potentially less than nine games away from knowing their fate.

But recently-appointed Owls boss Darren Moore has an even tougher task ahead of him this summer, irrespective of which division the south Yorkshire fallen giants find themselves in.

No fewer than 12 players are out of contract at the end of the season, which is the vast majority of the current team, meaning there’s a likely rebuild ahead for the 46-year-old coach.

One of those names is Kadeem Harris – someone who has played a key role in this campaign. Letting him run down his deal is not only a dangerous game to play but is also going to make Moore’s job much harder.

Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri is on the verge of making another contract mistake here – the likes of George Hirst and Liam Shaw spring to mind, albeit they were much younger prospects with huge potential.

Harris has been a frequent presence in the starting XI under Garry Monk, Tony Pulis, Neil Thompson and now Moore, having started 27 league games – only three other players have managed more this term.

The 27-year-old winger has been a major source of creativity too, recording three assists – one fewer than Owls playmaker Barry Bannan.

Again, it is only the skipper (1.6) who is managing more key passes per game than Harris (0.8) and as their set-piece taker, it’s easy to see why he’s putting in more crosses (1.1) than the former Cardiff ace (0.7) too, as per WhoScored.

What this does suggest, however, is that Harris is an integral player on the flank and without him, the Owls would certainly suffer from a lack of service.

Pulis once claimed that he was their only danger man during a drab 0-0 draw with Stoke City, he said (via The Star): “He’s taken us down the pitch, he’s been a threat, and he was probably the one threat that Michael (O’Neill) will have been worried about during the game.”

The £1.35m-rated dynamo won’t be short of suitors either, as according to YorkshireLive, Championship rivals Middlesbrough are huge admirers, whilst the likes of Reading, Watford and Stoke are said to be interested ahead of the summer.

Boro boss Neil Warnock has had him before, and despite being the man to let him depart for Hillsborough, still waxed lyrical over his ability.

“He’s given them directness, pace and power,” said the veteran. “He’s got every attribute. I can’t praise him highly enough. We had a chat last year, around Christmas time, and he trained like a Trojan. We have been blessed with good wide players and he just couldn’t get a long run.

He must be doing something right, in what has been a diabolical season for Wednesday.

Letting the £10k-per-week wide man leave for nothing would be a disaster, and that ultimately falls at the feet of Chansiri, who appears to be making yet another catastrophic blunder here.

AND in other news, Owls must axe Luhukay dud this summer, Bannan once dubbed him “perfect”…

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that he expects Danny Ings to leave Southampton this summer.

Ings’ deal at St Mary’s expires next summer, and he hasn’t yet extended his contract, with growing concerns surrounding his future.

The England striker hasn’t been firing on all cylinders this term, failing to replicate his form from 12 months ago, scoring just 10 Premier League goals all season and only four since Christmas.

Despite failing to hit the heights of last season, Ings is still Southampton’s top scorer, with his goals alone earning the Saints an extra 12 points.

But the Southampton man has already been strongly linked away from the South Coast this summer, with Manchester City and Tottenham both keen, and with just 14 months left on his deal, Southampton might be forced to cash-in on Ings to prevent him from leaving for free next summer.

And that’s exactly what Windass expects to happen. He told Football FanCast:

“Danny Ings will score goals in any team. He’s just a natural goalscorer. There was talk a few weeks ago about him going to Man City.

“He could go to Spurs, Harry Kane leaving, a replacement, depending on who gets the job.

“I can’t see him being at Southampton, I can’t see him signing a new contract, I can’t see Southampton offering him a new contract because they must have a wage cap.

“Southampton are not a club that let players go for free. He’ll get in any top-six team. He’ll get in any team. If you put balls in the box, you know he’ll get goals.”

A number of Liverpool fans have been hailing Reds youngster Harvey Elliott after he was named among the 50 best teenagers in world football.

The 17-year-old moved to Anfield from Fulham in 2019, arriving as one of the most exciting young players in the country. A boyhood Liverpool fan, he featured sporadically during his first season on Merseyside, making eight appearances in all competitions, as well as one at the beginning of 2020/21.

With Jurgen Klopp struggling to promise the teenager regular playing time this season, he joined Blackburn Rovers on loan for the campaign and has flourished at Ewood Park.

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Elliott has scored five goals in the Championship and also chipped in with an impressive 10 assists – only Norwich City’s Emiliano Buendia (12) has more in the division.

Great things are expected of the former Fulham youngster in the years ahead and it could be that he is more of a regular for Liverpool next season.

Elliott’s brilliance has been highlighted by his inclusion in Goal’s list of the world’s 50 best wonderkids in the world, with the Reds prospect coming in at number 26.

Liverpool fans laud Elliott

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to heap praise on the teenage starlet ,with one Kopite even tipping him to surpass the exploits of prolific Reds duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

“The goat”

Credit: @Spanner_morgan

“He’s gonna be better than Salah and Mane in due course”

Credit: @Chxrmzy

“Huge talent! Doing bits in the Champ as well!”

Credit: @alexw8297

“Goat”

Credit: @Jasonftbl

“Congratulations Harvey! Big future ahead”

Credit: @myYNWAMalaysia

“Kid’s going all the way. Can’t wait till he’s back in red”

Credit: @DaleLFC1983

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to the Reds being linked with an exciting young player. Read about it here.

This summer might well be the most important in Celtic’s recent history. After losing their grasp on the title, they will need to come out and make a statement of intent.

That might be easier said than done with the threat of Odsonne Edouard leaving, but a new manager and indeed a new CEO, should help calm things down.

One of the first priorities will be to address the playing squad. A mass exodus of around 12 players could occur if you believe The Athletic’s predictions so there could be openings for some of their young players.

After all, it’s an area the Hoops are striving to improve in with Liam Shaw already arriving and links to both Kyle Joseph and Kwadwo Baah.

It’s clearly an important area for the Bhoys to target considering Cameron Harper has already left and that Karamoko Dembele’s contract is expiring.

One opening could be at left-back where Diego Laxalt will leave a space behind when he heads back to Milan. With Boli Bolingoli’s future also uncertain, it may well leave Greg Taylor as their only option.

With that in mind, Celtic should consider unleashing 19-year-old Brody Paterson.

The left-back has never featured in the Hoops senior team but has made promising strides while on loan at Queen’s Park this season.

Featuring at left back and on the left of midfield, he could be one of a number of players including the likes of Adam Montgomery and Luca Connell to get an opportunity in 2020/21.

But why should Paterson get a chance? Well, he fits the mantra of a modern-day full-back, bombing forward with great regularity.

When he first put pen to paper on a temporary stay with Queen’s Park last year, Head Coach Ray McKinnon said “I’m excited we’ve managed to get Brody to join us this season.  He’s a very talented, athletic young player who will give us great balance and options up and down the left-hand side of the field.”

Paterson hasn’t had too much game to sink his teeth into but he was awarded the Man of the Match award when Queen’s Park lost 3-1 to Queen of the South.

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A player with athletic qualities, he’ll certainly fit into the attacking nature that Celtic try to play with. Taylor has been in top form of late, playing 2.1 key passes per match over his last ten outings.

With Laxalt and Bolingoli potentially on their way out, the teenager should get a chance to step in and play second fiddle to Taylor. Celtic clearly rate him highly too. He only signed a new deal in May of last year, a contract that will keep him at Paradise until at least 2023.

Paterson has now earned his first taste of senior football and deserves to be a part of Celtic’s rebuild.

AND in other news, Celtic must ruthlessly axe £15k-p/w flop this summer, Lennon once called him “stupid”…

The 26th of March marked five years since Jamie Vardy’s first goal for England against Germany.

The striker, then making his fifth appearance for his country, showed lethal instincts to flick Nathaniel Clyne’s cross behind himself and past Manuel Neuer into the back of the net.

It was another glorious chapter for Vardy, whose goals were soon to guide Leicester to the most miraculous Premier League title triumph.

However, fast-forward five years and the 34-year-old is now firmly out of the Three Lions reckoning, having all-but retired from international duty after the 2018 World Cup in Russia with 26 caps and seven goals to his name.

Whilst there have been suggestions that Vardy’s decision was slightly too premature, he has certainly been vindicated.

Since he stepped back, his performances for the Foxes have remained excellent. He has scored an eye-watering 55 goals for Leicester in the time following, playing a key role as the East Midlanders secured a place in the UEFA Europa League last term but also as they look to better that with a UEFA Champions League return this time around.

The striker, dubbed “wonderful” by Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers, scooped another fantastic personal achievement last year, too. He become the first Leicester City player to claim the Golden Boot, with his 23 strikes in 2019/20 enough to see him edge ahead of the likes of Harry Kane, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mo Salah.

All of this may not have been possible had Vardy had the strains and travels of international football to contend with.

After all, the toll on his body appears to be worsening already. Vardy has missed seven matches in all competitions this season through injury – the highest amount for he has been unavailable in one campaign since Leicester earned promotion back to the Premier League. This could have potentially been even worse with England duties had he not stepped back from the international scene.

At the time of his unofficial retirement, the veteran also suggested that a lack of game-time had “an impact” in his decision. Kane, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck were all preferred by Roy Hodgson and Gareth Southgate.

That competition has only been enhanced, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins, Patrick Bamford and of course Kane having fantastic personal seasons and all vying for a place in the Three Lions setup.

Whilst it could be argued that Vardy has the quality to challenge for a place, he will reflect on a solid England career which all kicked off with that stunning finish against Germany in 2016, and will surely believe he made the correct decision in drawing it to a close when he did.

AND in more news, Leicester should not look to sign William Carvalho once more…

Minnesota United's Tani Oluwaseyi stunned reigning MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew at the death on Saturday with a 95th minute equalizer.

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• MNUFC draw Columbus 1-1
• Loons' Oluwaseyi scores 95' equalizer
• Reigning MLS champs stunned

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Nigerian-born striker came on as a second half substitute for former Premier League striker Teemu Pukki, and the 23-year-old immediately got to work. A threat across the pitch in the final 30 minutes, Oluwaseyi finally capitalized on his effort, scoring with the final touch of the game.

  Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte was drawn off his line, and from a tight angle near the endline, the Loons striker fired over him into the roof of the net – with Allianz field erupting in celebrations.

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  WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Reigning MLS Cup MVP Cucho Hernandez opened the scoring for the Crew early in the second half after some brilliant interplay in the box from the Crew. The Colombian fired a low-driven effort into the bottom corner for the opening strike of the match.

  The Loons, however, didn't give up – and despite missing three of their best attacking players in three-time MVP candidate Emanuel Reynoso, Finnish international Robin Lod and winger Franco Fragapane, they managed a late result.

  Minnesota's second-straight result of the season under interim boss Cameron Knowles, they're set to begin life under new head coach Eric Ramsay – whom they poached from Manchester United's technical staff under Erik Ten Hag just last week.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MNUFC AND COLUMBUS CREW?

  The Crew have a Concacaf Champions Cup clash against the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday in a quick turnaround from Saturday. The Loons, meanwhile, will take on Orlando City on the road next Saturday.

The Partenopei romped to the Serie A title last season and wowed Europe with their free-flowing football – but they've since imploded

On Wednesday, Napoli host Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. The ‘Diego Maradona derby' should be provoking positive emotions of excitement and celebration for the home fans; instead they're feeling only fear and trepidation – because their club could hardly be in worse shape right now.

Napoli are ninth in Serie A and onto their third coach of the season. On top of that, president Aurelio De Laurentiis has already confirmed that beloved star striker Victor Osimhen will be sold this summer. And Barca supporters thought that they were having a tough season…

So, what on earth has gone wrong at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona? How did a team toasted throughout Europe last season for their champagne football end up being labelled the worst defending champions in Serie A history? And what can we expect from new Napoli boss Francesco Calzona, who has never previously taken charge of a senior game at club level?

GOAL attempts to make sense of the mess at the Maradona…

• SSC Napoli
  

  'We deserve more'

  During the second half of Saturday's fortuitous 1-1 draw with Genoa, the Napoli fans began chanting, "De Laurentiis, hear this call: We deserve more!" It was difficult to disagree.

  This time last year, the Partenopei were perfectly placed to become the dominant force in Italian football. With the outstanding tactician Luciano Spalletti at the helm of an exciting squad assembled by the incredibly shrewd sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli, Napoli were running away with Serie A and considered by many as the favourites to win the Champions League, particularly after being placed on the ‘easier’ side of the draw for the knockout stage.

  Their thrilling European run, which featured stunning routs of Liverpool and Ajax, was surprisingly brought to an end at the quarter-final stage by AC Milan, but Napoli had still made history just by reaching the last eight.

  Elimination hardly dampened the mood of the fans, either. They still had the mother of all parties to look forward to, with Napoli closing in on their first Scudetto since 1990 – and just their third overall.

  And after Napoli had clinched the league title with a draw with Udinese at the Dacia Arena on May 4, De Laurentiis took to the stage miles and miles away at the Maradona and told the delirious 50,000 fans in attendance who had been watching the game on giant screens that the Scudetto was merely "a starting point". In a way he was right, but only in the sense that it signalled the beginning of the end.

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  Spalletti's shock sabbatical

  Less than 24 hours after the Udinese game, De Laurentiis announced that he had activated the one-year extension clause in Spalletti's contract. This was news to Spalletti, who made little attempt to hide his disappointment and frustration at not being consulted beforehand.

  Within a matter of weeks, he had announced his intention to step down. The Partenopei had played football that journalists and former professionals from all over Europe said would have made Maradona proud, but Spalletti said he needed some time to recover from the stress and strain of delivering a long-overdue Scudetto to a football-mad city.

  Naples had waited a long time for that title, but he had too. At 64, he had become the oldest first-time Italian title winner, and said he was worn out. A dream had been realised, a masterpiece completed, so he felt compelled to take a season-long sabbatical.

  However, Spalletti returned to work just two months later, appointed Italy's new coach on August 18, confirming what many had long suspected: Spalletti hadn’t walked away because he needed a break from the game; he was just tired of working with De Laurentiis.

  By that stage, Napoli had also lost Giuntoli – to hated rivals Juventus, to make matters worse – and key defender Kim Min-jae, who joined Bayern Munich. De Laurentiis had claimed amid the ecstasy of the title triumph that "the project never stops", but the fans feared it was already over.

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  One disastrous decision after another

  Their hope was that their long-time president would hire a suitably high-profile replacement for Spalletti, one capable of building upon the Scudetto success. A number of names were linked with the vacancy, from proven winners like Antonio Conte and Luis Enrique to exciting young tacticians such as Roberto De Zerbi and Thiago Motta.

  De Laurentiis instead hired Rudi Garcia, the Frenchman who had done a decent job at Roma eight years previously but had last been seen getting sacked by Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. It proved a predictably disastrous decision. Garcia was fired on November 14, with Napoli already out of the title race having claimed just 21 points from a possible 36.

  Remarkably, his successor has fared even worse. Walter Mazzari claimed just 15 points from his 12 games at the helm – and nobody was in the least bit surprised. It was another ridiculous roll of the dice from De Laurentiis, who clearly hadn't learned anything from the Garcia gamble by deciding to once again back a coach whose best days were very clearly behind him.

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  Calzona to the rescue?

  So, will Calzona fare any better? Well, on the plus side, the bar has been set ridiculously low by his two predecessors. But there are legitimate grounds for optimism, not least because he knows Napoli inside out, having first arrived at the club as Maurizio Sarri's No.2 and then served under both Carlo Ancelotti and Spalletti.

  Calzona, thus, knows exactly what he's getting into, particularly in terms of working under the charismatic but controversial De Laurentiis, the film producer with a rather fitting flair for drama. Indeed, we're talking about the kind of president that regularly appears in the dressing room to give his players pep talks and his coaches tactical advice.

  In this instance, then, Calzona's familiarity with the inner workings of the club is genuinely a plus point. Furthermore, while he has zero experience as a head coach at club level, he has just guided Slovakia to Euro 2024. However, the fact that he intends to job-share for the next four months is hardly ideal, given Napoli have numerous problems requiring an awful lot of attention.

In another impressive Leeds United win in the Premier League, one of the big highlights was the celebrations of both Tyler Roberts and Marcelo Bielsa when the Welshman netted in the dying moments against Southampton on Tuesday night.

Roberts came on for Rodrigo for the final ten minutes or so of the game, and wrapped up the three points by slotting home after Patrick Bamford’s effort was stopped by Alex McCarthy.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, the Leeds boss said: “I was happy he scored, because he had played many games and he hadn’t managed to do it. And the team in the second half looked a lot more like the team it is. And just how we unlevelled the game in the second half, Southampton could have done the same in the first half.”

And, writing in his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross noted: “Was overjoyed with his goal. Very emotional celebration.”

Speaking after the game, Roberts himself said: “I’ve been striving towards scoring and been frustrated it hadn’t come before. It’s a big weight off my shoulders and the emotions came out, I’ve been practicing my finishing, so I when I got the chance, I was ready for it.”

Given his performances as a whole however, it’s difficult to see how Bielsa can reach the conclusion that Roberts could be a real first-team star for Leeds, especially when you think of any potential summer signings to come in, and also Rodrigo being more adjusted to life in English football.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has previously reported on how with Leeds planning a big summer transfer window, the final months of the Premier League season would be make-or-break for someone like Roberts.

Former Leeds ace Noel Whelan has questioned whether the £4.5m-rated man just may not be cut out for the top-flight, saying: “Is he good enough? In my opinion he isn’t. I would love him to go out there and prove me wrong because I want everyone to succeed. I need him to show me more. He needs to show more fight and desire. I just do not see that.”

But, what he has done with his late cameo against the Saints however, is perhaps give Bielsa a bit of a headache on whether he could be an important member of the squad and as a potential rotation option, instead of just being let go permanently.

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With one game left in the Premier League, Roberts maybe has one last chance to prove a real point to Bielsa and maybe save his Leeds career.

Meanwhile, a journalist has dropped a major Leeds United update…

Former Tottenham Hotspur ace Graham Roberts has told Football FanCast that Gareth Bale needs to prove himself for the remainder of the season if he is to earn a stay at the club.

Bale struggled for minutes under manager Jose Mourinho, making just six starts in the Premier League. He is valued at £18m by Transfermarkt.

He was restored to the team by interim head coach Ryan Mason against Southampton and scored in the 2-1 win, before netting a hat-trick in Spurs’ 4-0 home thrashing of Sheffield United.

But he was on the bench against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final as Spurs lost 1-0, and Roberts thinks that he now has a bigger opportunity to seal another move this summer.

It has been widely reported that Spurs have an option to extend his loan stay at the club, and Roberts thinks that the Wales international now has a handful of games to prove himself.

Spurs face Leeds United, Wolves, Aston Villa and Leicester City before the end of the season as they bid to force their way back into contention to qualify for Europe.

Speaking to FFC, Roberts was asked if Bale will stay and said: “I would think there’s now half a chance. But I think Gareth now has to prove himself in the next few games.

“If not, the club are not going to pay £300,000, £250,000 a week to him, when you’re sitting on the bench. You’ve got to be out on that pitch and hopefully he’s over all of his injuries now.”