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Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson has shared his concerns about Tyler Roberts’ future at the club despite Marcelo Bielsa’s recent comments.

The Lowdown: Failure to impress

Roberts has been at the club since moving from West Bromwich Albion in 2018 and but has failed to stamp his mark, making 91 appearances, scoring only eight goals.

This season, the Wales international has come off the bench in all seven of Leeds’ Premier League games, failing to score in all of them.

Following the win over Watford prior to the international break, Marcelo Bielsa told reporters that Roberts had taken a ‘step forward’, but Robinson has expressed his concerns about his future.

The Latest: Robinson concerns

Speaking to MOT Leeds News, the former England goalkeeper has claimed Roberts will struggle due to his tendency to slot into several roles, never really making one his own.

“I think he’s got a lot to improve.

“It’s difficult when you’re playing a bit-part [role]. I think, with the players that they’ve got, it’s going to be hard for him to hold down a place in that team. But the manager seems to like him.

“There was a lot of talk of him leaving [in the summer] but he didn’t, so the manager obviously wants him as part of his squad. The manager clearly likes him but for me he’s got a lot more to do and it’s going to be very, very difficult to get into that team and even harder to stay in that team because there’s players in that squad who are better in that position.

“It’s hard for him because he hasn’t really got a position, he’s useful coming off the bench because he can play in midfield, wide or up front on his own. He’s definitely a squad player rather than a recognised starter.”

The Verdict: Time to move on

Roberts’ career hasn’t really kicked off yet, despite being a regular face in the Wales national team. He is yet to score ten or more goals for a club throughout his career, scoring only 29 goals in 187 appearances overall.

His cameos for Leeds have been mediocre, with his importance for the team coming in other parts of his game rather than in front of goal.

Whilst Bielsa has claimed he has taken a step forward, Roberts will be wanting to become a first-team member at Elland Road or soon, or the time may come to try and find a move elsewhere.

In other news, Leeds have agreed terms with their first signing of 2022. Find out more here.

Celtic have had an extremely topsy-turvy beginning to the new season with Ange Postecoglou overseeing the Hoops’ worst start to a campaign in 23 years.

The Bhoys have played some mesmerising attacking football in that time frame but the problem is that Celtic are still a liability at the back.

On the chalkboard

What hasn’t helped matters in the last few weeks is a number of injury blows rocking the Lennoxtown camp.

Greg Taylor will miss the next 12 matches after undergoing shoulder surgery while we might not see Callum McGregor return to the squad until the match with Bayer Leverkusen has been and gone.

He missed the game against Betis because of a minor knock but that has now turned into something more substantial.

The skipper was absent from Celtic’s defeat to Livingston and won’t be fit enough to face Raith Rovers on Thursday evening in a big blow to their chances.

Who plays in his continued absence is a topic of hot debate after James McCarthy’s performance against Livi.

He was ridiculed by supporters after failing to set the world alight. He was too slow to transition play and surrendered possession on 15 occasions. It’s also been reported that he’s struggling with the intensity of Postecoglou’s methods.

The solution

It feels likely that the manager will revert back to Ismaila Soro versus Raith but he hardly set the world alight in his last start against Betis, nearly being sent off.

Consequently, it might be worth Celtic unleashing Liam Shaw.

The 20-year-old hasn’t made a big impression on the Hoops coaching staff since arriving from Sheffield Wednesday in the summer but a League Cup tie against Championship opposition feels like the perfect time to hand him a debut.

He earned plenty of experience last season in the second-tier of English football where he was described as “sensational” for his displays by The Mirror’s James Whaling.

Shaw is defensive by nature but unlike McCarthy, he has long levers that enable him to gallop from one end of the pitch to the other.

One of the Irishman’s key criticisms was his failure to really drive Celtic forward when they needed it against Livi.

Their young summer signing, therefore, could inject something that Postecoglou’s midfield is lacking.

For instance, against Rotherham earlier year, he completed three key passes and four dribbles as Wednesday lost 2-1.

That type of dynamism is exactly what Celtic lost when McCarthy was selected in the middle of the park.

If Shaw can conjure up a similar type of performance, he should weave his way into Parkhead hearts swiftly.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Jota: Celtic must unleash rarely-seen 19 y/o who “looks the part”…

With James Rodriguez departing Everton last week, it has balanced the books somewhat and will allow the Toffees to be a bit more ambitious in the January window.

Rafa Benitez wasn’t too active throughout his first market at Goodison Park but their campaign has still been impressive.

What’s the word?

One player that Everton were rumoured with making a move for in the summer was Newcastle attacker Allan Saint-Maximin.

The winger was the subject of £60m interest but that fee seems completely out of the question at the moment.

The Frenchman is rated at £27m via Transfermarkt and if that’s the kind of price that would be involved, Everton must stump up the cash.

His name is being touted with Merseyside again but Benitez’s men aren’t the only ones that might find themselves in the race.

That’s according to Don Hutchinson who speaking this week tipped him with a move elsewhere.

He said this week: “I feel for Saint-Maximin. On a serious note, as a Newcastle fan, I am petrified we’re going to lose him.”

“He is far too good for us. Incredible player. He’s the type of player Tottenham should be looking at, or Everton. He’s better than us.”

Imagine him & DCL

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been injured over the last few weeks but on the field of play, the striker made an impressive start to the season.

He has scored three goals in three outings and has formed a vibrant partnership alongside the club’s new signings; Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray.

The offensive duo have been outstanding since signing for Everton, contributing seven goals in the royal blue of Everton.

They are wily and tricky characters but Saint-Maximin would be an undoubted upgrade on the pair of them, someone who could also help take Calvert-Lewin to the next level.

The Englishman has already enjoyed an exciting relationship with Richarlison, a player who uses mesmerising dribbling and pace to exploit defenders.

Those two qualities are typified within Saint-Maximin as well.

The Newcastle forward is a real livewire, combining pace and close touch control to terrify defenders. In the words of Steve Bruce, he is “scary” but “wonderful.”

He has enjoyed a scintillating start to the new campaign as well. Playing in a central role up front, the 24-year-old has found the net on two occasions and registered three assists.

His tally of 4.2 dribbles per game is also the third-best among every player in Europe’s top five leagues. He is ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe for that statistic.

With that in mind, just imagine the regularity at which he’d be able to open up space and fashion chances for Calvert-Lewin.

Naturally, Saint-Maximin drags players towards him, a quality that would undoubtedly help a striker as prolific as Everton’s star man.

Providing the price is right, this move feels like a no-brainer.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Gordon: Everton have a gem in rarely-seen 17 y/o with “great potential”…

Andrew Strauss took advantage of a defensive West Indian mindset to rack up his third first-day century of the series, and Paul Collingwood continued his fine vein of form with 54 not out, as England claimed the honours in the opening exchanges of the fif

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller06-Mar-2009 England 258 for 2 (Strauss 139*, Collingwood 54*) v West Indies
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Andrew Strauss reached his third century of the series to keep England in the hunt for a series-levelling win © AFP
Andrew Strauss took advantage of a defensive West Indian mindset to rack up his third first-day century of the series, and Paul Collingwood continued his fine vein of form with 54 not out, as England claimed the honours in the opening exchanges of the fifth and final Test in Trinidad. By the close, the pair were still in situ in an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 102, with Strauss standing tall on 139 not out, to add to his 169 in Antigua and his 142 in Barbados.All the same, it was a unsatisfactory day’s play, on yet another dispiritingly unresponsive surface. West Indies pulled their punches from the moment they lost the toss and were asked to field first. Without the injured Jerome Taylor, and having dropped their senior spinner, Sulieman Benn, to accommodate an extra batsman, their principal weapons were the medium-pacer, Brendan Nash, who increased his career overs tally from 27 to 43, without adding to his wickets tally of 1, and the part-time spin pairing of Ryan Hinds and Chris Gayle.Still, Strauss could do no more than treat each ball on its merits, and that he did to fine effect, cracking 11 fours from 261 balls, including an early glut of his favourite cut shots and a selection of handsome drives. Until the arrival of Collingwood, his team-mates found the going rather less favourable, however. Alastair Cook looked good for his 12 runs before feathering an edge as Daren Powell found a hint of movement on off stump, while Owais Shah took 19 nervy deliveries to get off the mark, and had ground along to 29 from 115 balls before retiring hurt with a painful bout of cramp – the same problem that undermined his debut in Mumbai three years ago.And then there was Kevin Pietersen, who has never been a fan of slow and stodgy surfaces. He came incredibly close to registering a third-ball duck when umpire Russell Tiffin initially upheld Nash’s massive appeal for lbw, only for the decision to be overturned on referral. That reprieve, however, did him little good in the long-term. Facing up to Ryan Hinds in the over before tea, Pietersen was beaten by a beauty that spun past his outside edge, before being bowled straight through the gate by the very next ball, a Yuvraj Singh special that held its line to clip the top of middle.Strauss, however, remained steady. Compared with his forceful affairs at the ARG and Bridgetown, this was a much more restrained innings. He was tempted with regular width by all the bowlers, especially the dobbly Nash, but recognised that today was not about making big statements, but about seeing the job through to the close – something he failed to do in either of his previous hundreds of the series.He bided his time in the nineties before easing Gayle into the covers to bring up his 17th Test hundred, and his fifth in ten as captain – a role in which he now scored more than 1000 runs at an impressive average of 68.33. His only real alarm came on 47, when he played Nash late off the back foot through gully, only to be left stranded as Devon Smith pounced on the ball and shied at all three stumps … and missed. The running between the Middlesex pairing of Strauss and Shah was rarely less than haphazard throughout their 107-run stand, but it was Shah’s inability to grip the bat, rather than any misjudgement, that eventually parted the pair in the 48th over.Arguably, West Indies were bowling for run-outs from the moment Fidel Edwards completed his lacklustre first spell. Rare is the team that responds to a total of 749 for 9 declared by ditching a bowler and playing an extra batsman – Lendl Simmons in this instance, who made 282 in England’s final warm-up in St Kitts last month. But then, rare is also what West Indies’ series victories have become. They have not won a single rubber since Bangladesh toured the Caribbean in May 2004, 15 series ago, and this week they are quite happy to stick rather than twist.England also revealed their gameplan at the toss, by handing a debut to the pacy Amjad Khan and a recall to their second spinner, Monty Panesar, in a bid to claim 20 wickets in a Test for the first time since September. In the circumstances, it would have been an opportune toss for Chris Gayle to win. Instead, England batted first for the fifth time out of five this winter, and by and large, made trouble-free progress.Edwards did return late in the evening with the new ball to crank up his pace in a what-might-have-been four-over burst, but by that stage the die of the innings had been cast. West Indies have been braced on the back foot since before the first ball was bowled. England know that, no matter how healthy their overnight position may be, the bulk of their work has barely begun.

Some Manchester United fans have been left blasting the display of Jadon Sancho in their 2-1 loss in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening.

The man signed from Borussia Dortmund in the summer transfer window really struggled in the early stages of the game and was subsequently taken off for Diogo Dalot in the first half after Aaron Wan-Bissaka got himself sent off.

In the time on the pitch that he did have, Sancho lost out on all four of his duels, and also failed to record a single shot on goal, successful dribble, key pass, cross or long ball, while he lost possession on seven different occasions (Sofascore).

It has not been the best of starts to his United career so far, and so the England international will now be hoping to kick on under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Manchester United fans on Sancho display

These members of the Old Trafford faithful blasted his performance on Twitter, with one Red Devils supporter even going as far as to claim that he was ‘horrific’:

“Sancho was horrific bench him next game”

Credit: @FplRebelz

“I understand Sancho has been disappointing a bit”

Credit: @UTDRapha

“My days Sancho was bad”

Credit: @DarraghMUFC__

“At this point Sancho was just a waste of money”

Credit: @Uncommon_memer

“He was terrible in that first 30 mins”

Credit: @napper_abbie

“Spent £72 million on a flop”

Credit: @EricSkylet

In other news, find out whose display against Newcastle United was slammed here!

Former Rangers boss Alex McLeish has claimed that there could be a ‘big move in the offing’ for Glen Kamara in the coming months.

The Lowdown: Talks ongoing

The 25-year-old has been at Ibrox since signing from Dundee United in 2019 and has since made 113 appearances for the club, winning the Premiership last season.

The Finland international previously confirmed that talks were ‘ongoing’ over a new contract to see him remain at Ibrox beyond his current contract expiry and the midfielder attracted transfer interest over the summer after impressing for Steven Gerrard’s side last season.

The midfielder, whose current deal lasts until 2023, has started every league game so far this season and he only missed five games last term.

The Latest: McLeish suggests Gers could struggle to keep Kamara

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish has claimed that getting Kamara on a new deal would be a ‘priority’ for the Gers, who he feels may find it difficult to refuse a lucrative transfer offer for the midfielder.

The former Ibrox manager added: “They have done well to tie one or two others down so I would think he would be a priority.

“If not, it only leaves the speculation that possibly there’s a big move in the offing for him. One, perhaps, that Rangers can’t say no to.

“There’s got to be situations like that will crop in the next year or two for Rangers, while they continue to assess the market themselves.”

The Verdict: Stick or twist

Rangers will have to assess the situation from their point of view, deciding whether they should make a huge profit on the £50,000 they paid for Kamara or secure his services for a few more years.

The midfielder currently earns £6.2k-per-week at Ibrox, but after enduring a successful stint in Scotland, a move elsewhere could be on the cards, especially if prospective suitors offer him a much larger package.

Last season, Kamara completed 91% of his passes and won 4.1 duels per game in an impressive campaign for him. His partnership with Steven Davis in midfield was pivotal to the dominance of the league by Gerrard’s side and the club will surely be hoping to keep him on for more seasons.

As McLeish has said, tying him down to a new deal should be a priority, as otherwise the club may be presented with offers that they can’t refuse.

In other Rangers news, some fans were left unimpressed with one defender’s performance against St Johnstone. Find out more here.

Crystal Palace are not expected to make Jean-Philippe Mateta’s stay at the club permanent after a disappointing loan spell from Mainz 05.

What’s the story?

That’s according to journalist Tom Barclay, who revealed he doesn’t believe that 23-year-old is in Palace’s long-term plans.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Mateta, I don’t see being in the long-term Palace plan. I imagine when his 18-month deal is up, he’ll probably go back if not sooner, so that would open a spot up.”

Crystal Palace fans will be delighted

The former France U21 international arrived at Selhurst Park back in January 2021 on an initial 18-month loan deal with an option to buy, with the Eagles paying an initial £2.7m loan fee.

Palace also have an option to make the move permanent for a further £13.4m, although that only becomes an obligation if the versatile forward has started 15 Premier League games.

However, that prospect now appears to be extremely unlikely following several underwhelming showings for the south London outfit.

In seven top-flight outings last term, the 6 foot 2 beast found the back of the net on just one occasion under the tutelage of former manager Roy Hodgson, and things have gone from bad to worse during Patrick Vieira’s short reign.

Mateta has been awarded just 124 minutes of action by his compatriot throughout 2021/22 and has failed to start a Premier League game since the opening day of the season when he was hauled off just before the hour mark.

With summer signing Odsonne Edouard and the in-form Christian Benteke ahead of him in the pecking order, it’s hard to imagine the £7.2m-rated flop’s fortunes changing any time soon.

Therefore, large sections of the Palace supporters will be delighted at Barclay’s latest revelation as the capital club appear set to avoid a potentially expensive mistake in the transfer market.

And, in other news…Palace “lining up” swoop for “complete” £12.6m-rated gem, Vieira surely buzzing

Ashantha de Mel, Sri Lanka’s chief selector, has said that the poorfielding has let the team down in the ODI series against India

Cricinfo staff04-Feb-2009
Ashantha de Mel: “There were a couple of dropped catches the other day and you saw some fielders dodging the ball when there was an opportunity to take a possible catch” © Cricinfo Ltd.
Ashantha de Mel, Sri Lanka’s chief selector, has come out with a stinging indictment of the team’s performance in the ODI series against India, which the hosts have lost 3-0 with two matches to go. de Mel criticised the fielding and the running between the wickets, and said the selectors would meet Sri Lanka Cricket’s chief executive, DuleepMendis, over these issues on Thursday.Gautam Gambhir and Suresh Raina were dropped in the first game, YuvrajSingh was dropped in the second and Gambhir and Virender Sehwag weredropped in the third.”One of the main areas we are concerned with is our fielding. Ihave observed that the team is not doing enough fielding drills andnot spending enough time to make sure the fielding remains on top,” deMel told the , a Colombo-based English daily. “The selectors who have been on tour too have noted that sufficient time has not been spent on developing fieldingskills. We [the selectors] are meeting the SLC CEO tomorrowand we are going to take up the issue. We want to tell the managementas well that the fielding drills should be given top priority andmaybe we need to do some supervision as well.”de Mel said Sri Lanka’s fielding was much better when Tom Moodywas the coach, when he was assisted by Trevor Penney, the fielding coach.After Penney, they had local fielding coaches but no one has been consistently with the team. Sri Lanka, currently coached by Trevor Bayliss, have been without a fielding coach since the last series against India in 2008.”When Tom Moody was there, this wasn’t the case. He insisted wespend considerable time doing fielding drills. Currently, wehave four or five guys who can’t throw,” de Mel said. “There were a couple ofdropped catches the other day and you saw some fielders dodging theball when there was an opportunity to take a possible catch. It’sdisappointing to see fielding levels coming down.”de Mel was also concerned with the running between the wickets. “Iwas going through the records of the second ODI and I was stunned to seethat there were 125 dot balls when we batted. That can’t happen in one-daycricket. You may have the occasional run-out.”Sri Lanka have retained the squad for the rest of the series andde Mel reasoned that changes would have been an eye-opener for them to perform or perish.”We could have made changes, but pressure will be even more if we hadincluded new guys. Now, what we have got to do is to make sure that wefinish off the series with some wins behind us rather than make thingsworse.”However, de Mel felt there was nothing drastically wrong with the team. “We had a good series in Pakistan. I don’t see anything major wrong taking place, but little things. But the thing is these little things can have a huge affect at the end. If you don’t practice fielding, you will be sloppy in the field and you can’t let that happen against the quality of Yuvraj [Singh] and [Virender] Sehwag.”One positive for me was the way Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara batted during the third ODI. They were positive and that’s the way to go. Tillakaratne Dilshan too is shaping up well and let’s hope things will click in the last two games.”de Mel said the selectors were tempted to play Lasith Malinga for thelast two ODIs but decided not to rush his comeback. “At the moment, wedon’t want to play him in the one day game. Let’s see how he goes in the Twenty20. He’s coming from a fairly serious injury and we need to handle him carefully.”He added that Tommy Simsek, the physiotherapist, would soon beback to help the team. “He played a key role in managing players’injuries. When we play too much of cricket, you need to manage theseniggles that occur and he was good at it. He will be back.”

The pressure of these matches may be receding with familiarity but ShoaibMalik, Pakistan’s captain, reckons the hosts will feel the heat a little bit

Cricinfo staff25-Jun-2008
Ramiz Raja feels it’s time for Shahid Afridi to return as an opener © AFP
At least in Tabarak Dar’s mind there is no question which is the better team between India and Pakistan. Twice, the Hong Kong captain has been asked this and twice he has been emphatic with his verdict. “On current form there is no doubt that India are the stronger side,” he said. Many will demur but Pakistan and India potentially play three times in this tournament so an answer will soon be evident.The pressure in these matches may be receding with familiarity but ShoaibMalik, Pakistan’s captain, reckons the hosts will feel the heat a little bit. “A little difference is made from playing so often but in both our countries, crowds want a win all the time. There is a little more pressure on us being at home, but we are confident going into the Indiagame.”It is likely that Pakistan will go in with the same XI and that Malik opensagain, though only after looking at the surface. “We want to keep thesame side, but it will depend on the wicket,” Malik said.Malik will hope the top-order collapse against Hong Kong was a blip butwill also want some contributions from his middle-order, where Misbah-ul-Haq andShahid Afridi have gone a number of innings without a fifty. Thoughcriticism of Misbah should be offset by his position in the batting order- one fifty in his last 12 innings hides his position nestled most oftenat six or seven – Afridi’s batting form is a worry, with only one fifty in his last22 ODIs.”Misbah bats lower down the order but whenever he bats he makes a 30 or40,” Malik said. “He bats in difficult situations lower down so that makes a difference.Anyway no player scores in every match.”Afridi’s situation is more complex. Though his batting has been poor, hehas almost become a specialist bowler. In his last 22 matches, he hasbowled his full quota 16 times, picking up 34 wickets in the process.Ramiz Raja, the former Pakistan captain, believes Afridi needs a move up the order to regain some confidence. “I’ve been noticing a difference in the way he bats for quitesometime,” Ramiz told . “He seems to hesitate a lot. I’mnot sure why but that is certainly affecting his batting.”I think the only way Afridi can overcome this lean patch is by batting upthe order. He should be opening the innings. That way he would get plentyof overs and I’m sure that within a few games, he would be in full flowagain.”I believe the team management will have to rethink Afridi’s position ashis batting is falling apart. He is too big an asset for Pakistan cricketand needs to be utilised properly.”

Kyle Mills has been called into the New Zealand squad as cover for Jacob Oram on the eve of the first Test against West Indies

Cricinfo staff10-Dec-2008
Kyle Mills has come into the New Zealand squad as a precaution following Jacob Oram’s leg problem © Getty Images
Kyle Mills has been called into the New Zealand squad as cover for Jacob Oram after the allrounder suffered a slight calf strain on the eve of the first Test against West Indies. Oram was able to complete New Zealand’s training session on Wednesday and a team spokesman said he was 95% certain of starting the match in Dunedin on Thursday.Oram’s wobbly body has had to recover from a back injury and a fractured finger before the latest setback. He missed the Australia tour but proved his fitness for the West Indies series in a couple of first-class fixtures for Central Districts. “He had that layoff and then he had two big state games and then he’s just feeling a bit tender after that heavy workload,” the spokesman told NZPA.Mills, the fast bowler, will join the squad as a precaution but will be let go before the toss if Oram is cleared. Oram is due to enter at No. 6 and is seen as an answer to the side’s batting problems, which prevented them from competing with Australia over the past month.