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Former Leeds United star David Norris believes that the club are currently struggling to find a Plan B as their Premier League woes continue.

The club are currently in the bottom three and have yet to win a game this term ahead of the clashes with Watford, Wolves, and Southampton.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been on the wrong end of two thrashings this term, too, as they were beaten 5-1 by Manchester United on the opening weekend of the season, and also beaten 3-0 by Liverpool.

Bielsa, of course, is something of a purist when it comes to the way he plays the game, and he continually instructs his players to push into the top end of the pitch, regardless of the scoreline.

Leeds attack throughout their games, even with the team being battered, but Norris does not believe that Plan A is currently working.

He admits that the club are beginning to worry him as they struggle to win matches in the top-flight.

He said: “They’re struggling for a Plan B.

“At this stage now, it is a little bit worrying. You’d like to think it’s not going to be one of those seasons where they’re going to be in the relegation zone or really struggle for it but they’re struggling and the longer it goes on, the more worrying it gets.”

Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips showed the club’s fans that there is no need to be worried if Joe Gomez leaves in January during the 2-1 win over AC Milan.

The Reds made history when they made it six wins from six in the Champions League group stage, becoming the first English team to ever achieve the feat. Phillips was given the nod in central defence alongside summer signing Ibrahima Konate in a much-changed lineup, which once again didn’t feature Gomez.

The England international has been plagued with injury problems throughout his career and has just returned to training following another period out after recovering from a serious knee injury over the summer.

Gomez has managed just three starts in all competitions this season, including just 13 minutes in the Premier League. This lack of action has seen rumours of a potential transfer to Aston Villa in January for more regular game time as he looks to break back into the England squad ahead of next winter’s Qatar World Cup.

But while some Liverpool fans might be concerned about their depth following the injury crisis last year, Phillips has stepped up once again to show that there is no need to be worried.

The 24-year-old signed a new contract with the club in the summer worth £65k-per-week but has failed to break into the starting lineup despite his good performances last season in the absence of Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip and Gomez.

He made 17 appearances in the league last season, earning a WhoScored rating of 7.29 and three man of the match awards during the campaign. This year he has been restricted to just three appearances in all competitions and the game against Milan was his first start. He showed no rust though as he proved he was ready for the big occasion.

Dubbed “colossal” by journalist David Lynch, Phillips won four aerial duels, the most of anyone on the pitch, while also winning 100% of his tackles and making four clearances, behind only Konate for the most in a Liverpool shirt.

It was a performance that reminded Klopp and Liverpool fans that he was there and ready to step up when called upon, which means should Gomez leave the club for more regular game time a costly replacement isn’t needed. He’s already at the club and his name is Nat Phillips.

AND in other news, Divock Origi’s masterclass in Milan.

Tottenham Hotspur’s quest to find a new attacking playmaker should see them turn to James Maddison this summer.

During a recent interview with reporters, manager Antonio Conte hinted at the fact that a no.10 could be high on the agenda during the off-season and the Leicester City gem would surely be an ideal candidate.

Earlier this month, The Sun claimed that Spurs had entered the race – alongside arch-rivals Arsenal – to sign the Englishman, who could be sold by the Foxes in a bid to bolster other areas of Brendan Rodgers’ playing squad.

Maddison is thought to be valued in the region of £60m, as per the report, and he has since been backed as a player that would suit the Lilywhites and the Italian head coach.

“He’s a very intelligent attacking player. He scores goals, gets loads of assists, and he’s a player Tottenham have been crying out for,” former Leeds striker-turned-pundit Noel Whelan told Football Insider.

“They got Giovani Lo Celso after Christian Eriksen left – that never worked out. They’re really missing that midfield player who has an eye for a killer pass.

“He’s proved he can do it in the Premier League by being a very important piece of the puzzle for Leicester.

“I think he would suit Tottenham down to the ground. With that front three in front of him, they could go to the next level with him.”

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Indeed, the north London outfit have lacked that true attacking midfielder to sit in the hole behind the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, and given his experience and current form in the top-flight, there won’t be many better candidates than Maddison.

As per Transfermarkt, the 25-year-old maestro has delivered 14 goals and nine assists across 45 appearances in all competitions this season, averaging a direct contribution once every 126 minutes, which is better than the figures Eriksen put up before his departure.

The Dane scored or assisted every 152 minutes in a Spurs shirt, whilst the bulk of Conte’s creativity has come from the usual suspects – the aforementioned attacking duo, who have combined for 14 assists alone.

Pairing Maddison with the likes of Kane, Son and winter arrival Dejan Kulusevski has got to be a mouthwatering prospect with the Leicester star once being dubbed a “special talent” by The Times’ Henry Winter.

Just like Eriksen, the £45m-rated dynamo could also provide Conte with a major threat from set-pieces, having drawn a great deal of inspiration from one of the best to ever do it, David Beckham, growing up.

An average of 1.4 key passes per game across the Premier League, Europa League and Carabao Cup this season further highlights his creative ability and it’s one that could see Kane and co absolutely thrive upfront.

So, on the above evidence, sporting director Fabio Paratici and Tottenham’s recruitment team would be foolish to not consider the Foxes gem heading into next season.

Just as Whelan suggests, he could be the perfect fit for what Spurs need this summer.

AND in other news, Spurs can complete Conte’s frightening trio with swoop for £33m-rated “absolute beast”…

It’s been one hell of a ride for Tottenham Hotspur supporters in 2021.

Jose Mourinho was sacked back in April after 17 months in charge and it’s another former Chelsea boss now at the helm in Antonio Conte.

He’s won a Premier League and FA Cup, so many around north London will be hoping he’s the man to finally end their barren 13-year wait for a piece of silverware.

Things do look up for the Lilywhites, however, as they have a real shot at finishing inside the top four for the first time in nearly three seasons – not bad for a side that has been through more managers than Harry Kane has Premier League goals this term.

Now Christmas is upon us, can you remember everything that has happened in what has been a whirlwind 12 months at Spurs?

Here are 15 questions that only the most die-hard fans will be able to answer. Think you can get more than ten right? We bet you can’t…

Crystal Palace have rebuffed a ‘host’ of loan bids for youngster Jack Wells-Morrison, according to TEAMtalk. 

‘A number’ of clubs in the second and third tier have approached Palace about taking Wells-Morrison on a temporary basis, among them London rivals Charlton Athletic.

But Patrick Vieira has ‘no intention of letting him go’ and instead wants to integrate him into the first team squad.

The lowdown on Jack Wells-Morrison

Wells-Morrison is predominantly a central midfielder but he can also play in slightly deeper or more advanced roles.

He’s still awaiting a senior debut for The Eagles, but he was named on the bench for Saturday’s FA Cup third round trip to Millwall.

Having scored eight goals in 24 appearances in the Under-18 Premier League, the 17-year-old earned a swift promotion to the Under-23s and has now racked up 15 PL2 outings (via Transfermarkt).

As noted by TEAMtalk, Morrison has been with the club for 11 years and his family are season-ticket holders at Selhurst Park.

Fan feed Palace Xtra relayed the news, and here’s what supporters made of it, with some feeling he could come into the first-team more next season when Conor Gallagher departs.

Many Palace fans flock to Wells-Morrison news

“Can only mean he’s involved in first team setup surely. Maybe just backup needed during AFCON”

Credit: @Joe_LT59

“Damn this kid must be good”

Credit: @JacobMozz

“Would be amazing if he can get a few sub appearances before the end of the season. Vieira must rate him to keep him from going on loan”

Credit: @jdmcpfc1990

“Championship??? Bro we must rate him so highly”

Credit: @SWPalace

“Gallagher replacement already at the club”

Credit: @joelcpfc_

“I’ve been SO impressed with him at U23 level and it excites me massively that Vieira sees him as someone we could potentially use this season”

Credit: @liamb0117

In other news, Palace are interested in this forward.

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Nottingham Post journalist Paul Taylor said via his official Twitter account on Monday that Nottingham Forest have told him that they aren’t pursuing West Ham United starlet Reece Oxford despite reports to the contrary over the weekend, and Reds fans have been quick to react.

The Mirror reported on Sunday that the Championship play-off hopefuls were keen on a massive £8m move for the Irons outcast, who could leave the Premier League club before Thursday’s deadline.

However, Taylor says that Martin O’Neill’s men actually aren’t tracking the 20-year-old at all, with the Irishman still only completing a deal to sign Yohan Benalouane from Leicester City since replacing Aitor Karanka at the helm earlier this month.

Forest bounced back from defeat in the 66-year-old’s debut game in charge against Bristol City to beat Wigan Athletic 3-1 at The City Ground on Saturday, and they lie four points outside of the top six ahead of the transfer window slamming shut this week.

Nottingham Forest supporters took to social media to have their say on Taylor’s transfer update, and while one said they “don’t think we will be paying anywhere near that much for any player”, another said: “Pity. Type we should be after”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

Speculation has been rife regarding the possible transfers Newcastle could pull off in the January window following PIF’s takeover of the club.

The likes of Raheem Sterling, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Timo Werner are just a few of the many names linked with a switch to St James’ Park after Mike Ashley sold the club to the Saudi Arabian consortium.

However, the focus must now be drawn to the players who could lose their game-time as a result of incoming transfers as it would be beneficial to have some out the door before bringing in new arrivals, due to limitations on the size of the squad and preserving harmony among the group.

One player who should be sold in the January window is midfielder Jonjo Shelvey. The 29-year-old has been a liability for Newcastle in the middle of the park and should be replaced by PIF, or whoever the manager is come the opening of the transfer market, with an upgrade in that position being signed instead.

Whilst Shelvey has the silky skills on the ball and the ability to switch the play with his excellent range of passing, he often lets himself down with a lack of work off the ball and his poor decision-making. Despite playing in central midfield, he has a career average of just 0.9 interceptions and 1.2 tackles per game, showing that he does not put the hard graft in defensively.

He has picked up 27 yellow cards and four reds during his time at St James’ Park, with the latest dismissal coming in last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Tottenham. Shelvey was brought off the bench by Bruce to help rescue the game and instead ended up being sent off for two silly challenges, giving his teammates a taller mountain to climb.

In two Premier League appearances this season, racking up 94 minutes of play, the former Liverpool man has completed one tackle, made zero interceptions, blocks or clearances and received three yellows cards, with two of them leading to a red on Sunday. On the ball, he has not been his useful self either, as he failed to complete a single dribble and provided just one key pass.

Tellingly, the 29-year-old has recorded the lowest average WhoScored rating of anyone in the Magpies’ squad this season with a paltry 5.22, being by far the worst player in a team occupying a place in the Premier League relegation zone. That does not paint a pretty picture of his form.

With Steve Bruce reportedly set to be sacked, the £70k-per-week dud’s time at St James’ Park could also be up after his dismal cameo appearance against Spurs. If Newcastle’s next manager was watching that game, he may have already jotted down a mental note to get rid of Shelvey at the first possible opportunity.

He proved himself to be a liability and that is not the sort of character or player you want to have around when trying to rebuild the club to lead them into a future of positivity and success. Therefore, it could be time for the Magpies to ruthlessly axe Shelvey by cashing in on him in the next transfer window, based on both his style of play generally and his disciplinary record, which was highlighted against Tottenham.

AND in other news, “Sources say”: Craig Hope drops major Newcastle claim that’ll delight supporters…

Tottenham Hotspur technical director Steve Hitchen reportedly faces being sidelined by Antonio Conte, who has taken aim behind the scenes.

The Lowdown: Poor recruitment

As per Football Insider, Hitchen was the most senior member of the recruitment team between the summer of 2019 and January 2020, a period in which they signed Tanguy Ndombele, Steven Bergwijn, Ryan Sessegnon, Giovani Lo Celso and Jack Clarke for combined transfer fees of over £150m.

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However, none of them have emerged as regular starters, with Lo Celso playing the most out of all those so far this season with 14 outings, but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg tops the appearances chart with 20 matches under his belt (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, Hitchen has to take some of the blame for Spurs’ poor recruitment over the last couple of years.

The Latest: Frozen out?

According to Football Insider, Conte now wants to take full control of the recruitment process in the upcoming January transfer window with managing director Fabio Paratici, as Hitchen faces being sidelined by the manager.

The 52-year-old Italian has dropped public hints that he is ‘not too happy’ with the squad he has inherited, and behind the scenes, he is said to have been ‘very critical’ to Tottenham’s hierarchy of the signings that they have made in recent years.

However, a source from the Lilywhites has told the news outlet that Hitchen is ‘likely’ to keep his job in any potential cull, as he is ‘close’ to Daniel Levy.

The Verdict: Give Conte control

By signing the likes of N’Golo Kante and Antonio Rudiger, who are still in the Chelsea squad, Conte has already shown that he can be trusted with recruitment.

The changes that he made at Stamford Bridge earned them a Premier League title as well as an FA Cup (Transfermarkt), highlighting the success that he can bring when he is allowed to bring in his own players.

Therefore, Tottenham should allow him to collaborate with Paratici, with whom he has worked before and Juventus and therefore knows well, to take charge of their recruitment strategy in January.

In other news, a Tottenham insider expects this starlet to sign for Spurs soon

Leeds United missed out on the signing of now Liverpool star Luis Diaz according to claims made by Stewart Downing…

What’s the story?

He said: “Diaz has been brilliant. The first thing I look at when a player comes to the Premier League is the physicality. How do they handle all that? But he looks like he likes it. He gets stuck in, he bounces straight back up, he goes again.

“He looks like he’s been here for years. It says a lot about him that he’s been able to do that. A lot of clubs were chasing Diaz – I know Everton, Spurs, Leeds were all looking – but it couldn’t have turned out better for him, I don’t think. He’s got the best move and Liverpool have got a great player.”

Bielsa’s last blunder at Elland Road?

Marcelo Bielsa is, and always will be, a Leeds United icon.

The Argentine took the Whites from the Championship to the riches of the Premier League, and guided the club to an impressive first season back in English football’s top-flight.

His start to the current campaign though, went downhill rapidly, and his departure came amid a torrid run of results that left Leeds staring down the barrel of relegation.

But while on the whole, he got so many things right, missing out on Diaz may go down as final mistake at Elland Road.

The exciting winger joined Liverpool in the January transfer window, and while Diaz choosing the Reds would have been understandable if it was a straight battle, Leeds may have shown a bit more pro-activeness and tried to get a deal as soon as they were left impressed by him.

Instead, they chose not to act on their interest, and Diaz has proven to be a superb signing in his short time at Anfield thus far.

The 31-cap Colombia international was in scintillating form for his former side Porto this season, registering a very impressive 16 goals and six assists in only 29 appearances for the Liga NOS giants.

It was no surprise that he would earn a high-profile move to the Premier League in January, and he has certainly hit the ground running at Anfield, scoring two goals in his first six games for Liverpool.

Now valued at £58.5m by CIES, the 5 foot 10 star has been dubbed a “livewire” and as being “phenomenal” by Portuguese football expert Alex Goncalves – exactly the kind of rave reviews that would have had the Leeds faithful very excited.

Having Diaz and Raphinha line up on the flanks would have been a frightening prospect, but Leeds’ loss is very much Liverpool’s gain.

AND in other news – Leeds must finally offload £15k-p/w outcast who last played at Elland Road in 2018

Leeds United could sign Barcelona youngster Francisco Trincao as Raphinha’s replacement this summer, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Trincao on loan at Wolves

The 22-year-old joined Wolves on loan last summer, with first-team opportunities looking hard to come by at the Camp Nou.

Trincao hasn’t exactly set the world alight during his time at Molineux, however, only scoring and assisting once apiece in 22 Premier League appearances this season.

Ironically, both of those goal involvements came against Leeds earlier this month, as the Whites sealed a memorable 3-2 win at Molineux.

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The Latest: Leeds keen on move

According to Mundo Deportivo [via Sport Witness], Victor Orta and co. view Trincao as a possible replacement for Raphinha, should the winger head to Barca himself this summer.

The Whites’ transfer team ‘would be open’ to making the youngster part of a deal, helping fill the void left by the Brazilian.

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The Verdict: Is he good enough?

Ideally, Raphinha would stay put at Leeds, but if not, the idea of gaining a Barca player or two in the deal is at least a positive. That being said, Trincao’s lack of end product has been evident this season, so bringing him in certainly wouldn’t be a like-for-like replacement.

There would be a risk element and it would be preferable for Jesse Marsch to sign someone who guarantees a similar stream of goals and assists to Raphinha, in order to fully make up for the loss.

Acquiring that player as well as Trincao would make some sense, but only the latter arriving would feel like Leeds’ squad has only got weaker, despite the young talent drawing praise as ‘unbelievable’ by Wolves journalist Tim Spiers.

In other news, a journalist has dropped a key Andrea Radrizzani claim. Read more here.