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Sheffield Wednesday correspondent Joe Crann believes Plymouth Argyle captain Joe Edwards was lucky to avoid a red card on Tuesday evening.

The Lowdown: Injury-time heartbreak

The Owls made the long trip back from Home Park empty-handed after an injury-time goal from Sam Cosgrove gave the hosts all three points.

Liam Palmer cancelled out Ryan Hardie’s opener in the first half in a lively top-of-the-table encounter, with Darren Moore bringing off Barry Bannan and Josh Windass with 20 minutes remaining – a decision that puzzled some.

The result leaves Wednesday four points off the automatic places and five off table toppers Plymouth in League One.

The Latest: Edwards tackle

Reece James was on the receiving end of a challenge from Edwards just before half time, with the Plymouth man shown a yellow card.

However, taking to Twitter, Crann said that it ‘looked REALLY bad on the replay’, believing the player may have seen red if VAR was in use.

The Verdict: Not good

James was forced off at half time for Dominic Iorfa as a result of Edwards’ challenge, and it seems as if the Plymouth man was lucky to avoid a red.

Wednesday impressed at Home Park and on another evening would have come away with three vital points, however, attention may turn to Moore’s substitute decisions and the failure to take chances.

Hopefully, the Owls will get back to winning ways against Cheltenham on Saturday and James can make a swift recovery.

Sunderland’s slump down the divisions created plenty of notorious villains, all of whom contributed to the financial struggles they found themselves in.

However, across their Premier League stay they did also create one or two heroes who will likely go down in Black Cats folklore.

One such name is Sebastian Larsson, who was brought in for free all the way back in 2011.

He had featured 205 times for Birmingham City, and yet nearly repeated that feat on Wearside, where he played 203 times.

The Swedish gem quickly established himself as a fine Premier League midfielder with a wand of a left foot, the likes of which were best expressed over a dead ball. He scored 11 free kicks whilst playing in England’s top flight.

His emergence and subsequent reliability across many seasons at the Stadium of Light made him something of a “hero”, as journalist Ross Gregory labelled him following his goal in Sunderland’s win over Manchester United in 2014.

Steve Bruce struck gold with this unassuming deal, with his qualities seen in the 14 goals and 23 assists he made whilst at the club.

His performances earned him the affectionate title of “Super Seb Larsson”, who James Dodd lauded halfway through his first season in Red and White.

In his final season for the club, where they were unfortunately relegated, he still maintained a SofaScore rating of 6.71.

He averaged 1.1 key passes per game during the year, and whilst surrounded by little quality, only managed one assist.

Despite his abundance of creativity, he also maintained 1.8 tackles and 1.5 clearances per game, outlining him as the quintessential all-around midfielder for Sunderland at the time.

Larsson will likely be remembered with great fondness despite being a huge part of the side that suffered that first relegation, due to his reliability and relentlessness in midfield.

In 2019 he came out full of praise for the north-east and how he enjoyed his time there, admitting: “So it was special not just for football reasons but it was a big part of my life. I enjoyed my time there. There was disappointment but there were some real highs during my time there as well.”

To see that he too thinks back fondly of the club lends to this shared love between the player and fans, and further outlines how good a deal this turned out to be.

When Matty Longstaff scored on his Newcastle United debut against Manchester United, it seemed as if the Magpies had a potential superstar on their hands.

Sadly, since then, the young midfielder has done little to suggest that he will ever make it as a Premier League player, and Eddie Howe should look to get rid of the 22-year-old at the earliest opportunity.

The younger brother of Sean, made his first team debut as a 19-year-old and scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win, adding another goal in a 4-1 defeat against the same opposition later in the season.

Longstaff’s only other goal for the club came in a FA Cup replay against Rochdale in the 2019/20 season, with the youngster unfortunately never kicking on from that eye-catching campaign.

The midfielder was sent on loan to Aberdeen for the first half of the 2021/22 season after struggling for regular game time in the 2021/22 campaign, with links to Udinese perhaps disrupting the youngster’s focus.

During his time in Scotland, he would manage just five appearances, in which he failed to score or assist, with his chances of making it in Newcastle’s first team quickly diminishing.

There were eyebrows raised when Longstaff joined Mansfield Town in League Two for the second half of last season but his performances there indicated that he could still have a promising future, as he contributed an impressive six goals and two assists in 18 appearances.

However, it became clear that he wasn’t part of Howe’s plans for this season and inexplicably, he was sent back on loan to League Two, this time with Colchester United.

After scoring six goals in a side challenging for promotion, it seems baffling that he was allowed to join Colchester, who look likely to be involved in a relegation battle this season, as surely a League One loan or return to Mansfield would have been far more beneficial.

The fact that he has made just six appearances for Colchester this season and has failed to score or assist, suggests that Longstaff simply does not have a future in Newcastle’s first team, and Howe must bite the bullet and get rid of him at the earliest opportunity.

Glasgow Rangers suffered from what can only be described as Jekyll and Hyde syndrome at the beginning of this century.

A double in season 2001/2002 was swiftly followed by an incredible treble-winning campaign the season after. 2003/2004 was woeful in comparison and it ended with no trophies, with manager Alex McLeish looking for players who could help stop Celtic from dominating Scotland.

With this in mind, Rangers announced they had signed Croatian forward Dado Prso on a pre-contract in May 2004 and it turned out to be an excellent move.

Prso was a late developer but had shone for AS Monaco in their superb run to the Champions League final in 2004. He scored four times against Deportivo La Coruna in the group stages during a then-record 8-3 win.

His spell in Glasgow is fondly remembered by the Ibrox faithful and McLeish has a lot of praise for the player, saying:

“We had a few good signings. Bringing Barry Ferguson back to Rangers for example but the best value was Dado Prso. He was incredible. He stood out like a beacon.

“Dado was awesome, just awesome and I’ve kept in touch with him over the years. He is just a wonderful human being.

“When we went up to Aberdeen and won during the Helicopter Sunday year, big Dado played in the Pittodrie wind and rain like an absolute trojan.”

Prso settled into life at the club exceptionally well, scoring 20 times during his first season, including vital goals against Celtic that set Rangers on their way to winning the league as well as the Scottish League Cup.

His second season wasn’t as prolific, netting just 12 goals as the Light Blues finished trophyless, while McLeish left at the end of the season.

Prso announced that he was leaving the club in 2007 following a long-standing knee complaint and referred to Rangers as a “special club” at the end-of-season award ceremony.

His time in Glasgow was maybe brief, but it produced 36 goals and some memorable moments that will live long in the Ibrox annals.

Leeds United star Patrick Bamford could potentially be left out of the team to face Fulham this weekend, according to former Whites striker Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Huge game for Leeds

Jesse Marsch’s side face a massive Premier League game on Sunday afternoon as the Cottagers make the trip north to Elland Road.

Only a win will do for Leeds, especially in terms of the manager’s future, with Thursday’s performance in the 2-0 defeat away to Leicester City simply not good enough, as the travelling faithful vocally made clear.

Bamford was one of many Whites players who wasn’t at his best at the King Power Stadium, and his place in the starting line-up could now be in jeopardy.

The Latest: Bamford could be dropped

That’s certainly the view of ex-Leeds striker Whelan, who told Football Insider that Rodrigo could replace the 29-year-old against Fulham.

The former BBC radio pundit said when discussing possible team changes for today:

“There’s also a case for Rodrigo to come in. I don’t think Bamford did enough against Leicester – he certainly didn’t look as good as he did against Arsenal.

“There’s a case for a few changes against Fulham, for sure.”

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The Verdict: Would be a fair call

Bamford has been a shadow of the player who shone so brightly back in 2020/21, when he scored 17 league goals and was described as ‘exceptional’ by Jurgen Klopp.

He is yet to register a single goal or assist in eight league outings so far this season, and it could make sense to replace him with Rodrigo on Sunday.

The Spaniard has four league strikes to his name for the campaign in nine top-flight matches, which suggests that the 31-year-old could carry more of an attacking threat in what is a must-win encounter for Marsch and Leeds.

أعلن الجهاز الفني لفريق الكرة الأول بنادي الهلال بقيادة جورجي جيسوس، تشكيل لاعبيه أمام الخليج، في المباراة المقرر لها اليوم ببطولة الدوري السعودي.

ويلتقي الهلال مع الخليج على أرضية استاد محمد بن فهد، في إطار منافسات الجولة الـ27 من عمر بطولة الدوري السعودي.

ويحتل فريق الهلال صدارة ترتيب الدوري السعودي برصيد 71 نقطة، حصدها من 23 انتصارًا وتعادلين، فيما لم ينل أي هزيمة.

طالع أيضاً.. تشكيل النصر أمام ضمك في الدوري السعودي.. موقف رونالدو وماني

ويتواجد فريق الخليج في المركز التاسع برصيد 34 نقطة، حصدها من 9 انتصارات و7 تعادلات، فيما خسر 10 لقاءات.

ويلعب المحترف المصري محمد شريف ضمن صفوف الخليج بعدما انضم له قادمًا من الأهلي خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية. تشكيل الهلال اليوم أمام الخليج في الدوري السعودي

حراسة المرمى: ياسين بونو.

خط الدفاع: سعود عبد الحميد – كوليبالي – علي البليهي – لودي.

خط الوسط: نيفيز – مالكوم – سالم الدوسري.

خط الهجوم: سافيتش – ميشائيل ديلجادو – الشهري.

Leeds United have reportedly handed their manager a vote of confidence, despite poor results piling up at Elland Road…

What’s the latest?

According to Fabrizio Romano, Jesse Marsch still has the backing of Andrea Radrizzani, Victor Orta and the remainder of the Whites’ hierarchy.

Writing in his CaughtOffside column, he claimed: “The Leeds United board are still backing Jesse Marsch as of today, so no news on a replacement, despite some speculation about his future and replacements.”

He continued: “Let’s see the next performance in Premier League as they are strongly supporting Marsch.”

It could be an Orta blunder

Although this show of faith is a rare positive sign for the modern manager, it could mark a huge blunder from the Spanish director of football who sounded the American out as his replacement for Marcelo Bielsa.

Especially considering how hasty they were to dismiss the legendary Argentine and replace him with a 48-year-old who has not really progressed the club.

It could be seen as further compounding the initial move to appoint him in the first place.

Since moving to Yorkshire, the American has picked up just 1.13 points per match on average across his 24 games in charge in LS11.

This season has been particularly tough, with just two wins and an even lower record of 0.82 per match.

He has led his side to the relegation zone with this form, having not won in eight matches.

Meanwhile, they sacked Bielsa whilst he sat two points above the relegation zone – coming off the back of some incredibly tough fixtures.

Whilst Marsch has lost the services of two of his main men from last season in Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips, the fact that he was allowed to completely reinvest so heavily and still has overseen no progress further outlines him as not good enough for the job.

The 48-year-old spent £93.91m this summer, with only ten clubs having splashed out more.

So, to find Leeds where they currently are in the league suggests a huge error has been made to back Marsch instead of having stuck with his predecessor.

The American will have to pull a rabbit out of the hat to ensure his job remains secure, as Orta will eventually be forced into action should this current run of form continue.

Newcastle United have been praised for their transfer swoop for defender Dan Burn by former Premier League player Stan Collymore, who says he was surprised by the decision to sign the Blyth-born defender. 

The Lowdown: Newcastle’s transfers under PIF 

Since the PIF takeover of Newcastle back in October last year, the Magpies have been rather active in the transfer window in terms of bringing new players to St. James’ Park.

Big name figures such as Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak have all made moves to the Tyneside club during the previous summer and January windows, but they have also added real experience and know-how with cheaper moves for the likes of Burn and Matt Targett.

And it appears that Newcastle’s move for the towering defender, who is picking up a weekly wage of £35k-per-week, has been the focus of praise by Collymore.

The Latest: Newcastle praised for Burn transfer

Speaking to Caught Offside, Collymore admitted the Burn deal caught him by surprise, but was full of praise for PIF and the player himself:

“Their signings have been excellent. Dan Burn, for example, he was not a player that I thought their new owners would go for, but they have and what a solid addition he’s been. The same can be said for all their new arrivals.

“They have bought in players, particularly in defence, who are big, powerful and most importantly, humble. Genuinely solid signings and it’s showing.”

The Verdict: A smart move from Newcastle

After joining the Toon from fellow Premier League side Brighton back in January for a fee of £13m, the defender ultimately ended the previous Premier League campaign with the highest average of clearances per game (6.1) at the club as well as the fifth-highest overall performance rating (6.98/10) from WhoScored.

Across the 13 league games that the Englishman has played for Eddie Howe’s side this season, the defender has racked up the second-highest number of clearances (42) at the club as well as having the second-highest number of tackles made in the attacking third of the pitch (5).

Bearing in mind how the Toon have the best defensive record in the league at this stage of the season with just ten goals conceded, it’s easy to see how much of a useful defensive figure he is for the team.

Overall, we agree with Collymore that Newcastle’s transfer move for Burn has been a very smart one, and it will be intriguing to see how they mix signings like the local lad with bigger, more expensive names going forward.

Southampton have endured a rough run of results, having won just once since August.

It is this form that has seen them drop to within one point of the relegation zone, as the pressure mounts on Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The attacking threat of his side has waned as the season has progressed, and with an expected goals tally of just 9.43, they are actually overperforming where they should be despite being the 17th lowest scorers in the Premier League with 11 strikes.

They are a side completely devoid of any creativity and excitement, particularly on the flanks where the likes of Stuart Armstrong, Moussa Djenepo, Theo Walcott and Mohamed Elyounoussi have all combined for a goal tally of just one in the league.

It is the latter who has disappointed the most though, given his £16m transfer fee.

This campaign has seen him contribute just 0.13 to his squad’s expected goals, despite taking 1.3 shots per game.

The Norwegian wide man is routinely wasteful, and with the January window approaching his chances may be drying up.

Especially with such a wealth of youth talent waiting for their opportunity, particularly Jimmy Morgan, who scored last night for England’s U17 team.

It marks yet another international goal for the 16-year-old, having already scored three before that for various age groups this season.

Despite being so young, the tricky wide man is translating this form into Premier League 2, where he already has five assists in as many games.

These performances unsurprisingly have drawn praise, particularly from his manager Dave Horseman, who labelled him “brilliant”.

Given the lack of proficiency from Elyounoussi and the creative starlet that is Morgan, the two are incomparable.

One boasts the form of their fledgling career, whilst the other continues to add to their miserable record. He has now scored just eight goals in 65 games for the Saints and has assisted as many in that time as this youngster has in his last five games.

An offensive dud, it will surely not be long before the former FC Basel man is forced to the bench.

Although it is only early stages, there is hope that in the not-so-distant future Morgan could step up to be the man that Southampton can finally rely upon to produce consistently impressive performances from the wing.

It’s no secret that Arsenal technical director Edu is keen on enticing Ukrainian winger Mykhaylo Mudryk to the club, with a report from The Sun last month claiming that the Gunners are among a number of Premier League clubs – which includes Everton, Newcastle United and Brentford – in signing the player.

Ligue 1 side Nice were willing to pay £25m for the winger, although Shakhtar Donetsk are looking for double that figure. His Champions League performances this season have been impressive, as he has scored three times and registered two assists on the elite European stage, suggesting he could shine for a bigger club than Shakhtar.

The price tag may put Edu off, though, and Mikel Arteta could land a potential alternative in Villarreal winger Alex Baena, who was linked with the club in September.

The 21-year-old has a release clause of £31m, which makes him a much more affordable candidate than Mudryk.

Baena has also significantly impressed for the Spanish club this season, scoring eight goals in all competitions while chipping in with a further four assists.

It’s his displays on the continent which have allowed the winger to really showcase his talent, and this has perked up the interest of potential suitors.

In just five Europa Conference League matches, he averaged a sensational SofaScore rating of 7.8/10 and registered five goal contributions (four goals and one assist) for Villarreal.

By making two key passes per match and creating two more big chances, Baena has a creative spark which allows him to provide opportunities for others, and he has shown wonderful maturity in his performances at just 21 years of age.

The Spaniard is currently the highest-rated player in the Europa Conference League this season, and this could well be a sign of things to come from him in the future.

If Arsenal are priced out of a move for Mudryk in the near future, then Baena is the ideal alternative, and he could excel in the Premier League.