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Leeds United have confirmed the appointment of Rene Maric as assistant head coach.

The Lowdown: Maric profiled

Maric is just 29 years of age but has already worked with a number of high-profile clubs.

The Austrian has worked alongside Marco Rose at Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Monchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund for a combined 246 matches.

Both Rose and Maric departed Dortmund at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, and the latter has now headed to Yorkshire to work under Jesse Marsch.

The Latest: Leeds move for Maric

The Whites confirmed a move for Maric on their official website on Saturday, with Marsch describing him as ‘the perfect fit’ at Elland Road.

Victor Orta also shared his thoughts on the deal, admitting that he was ‘really pleased’ that Maric picked Leeds ‘over several other options he had to choose from across Europe’.

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The Verdict: At Elland Road tonight?

A move for Maric appears to be a coaching coup due to his previous experience at the highest level, and who knows, he could well be present at Elland Road this evening for Leeds’ final pre-season fixture against Italian side Cagliari now that his appointment has been made official.

It is good to see that the club have acted and brought in a new number two ahead of the upcoming campaign, especially as Marsch’s previous assistant Franz Scheimer left his role on a day-to-day basis earlier this month.

Maric could be the club’s final coaching addition, with Ewan Sharp and Pierre Barrieu already brought in and Michael Skubala taking over as under-21 head coach as the backroom revolution continues in LS11.

Manchester City playmaker Jack Grealish ‘might end up back’ at Aston Villa if his performance levels don’t improve this season. 

That’s according to former Villa striker Tony Cascarino, who was speaking to talkSPORT.

The lowdown

City paid a British record transfer fee of £100m to sign Grealish from Villa last summer, but on paper the 26-year-old didn’t set the world alight in his first season at the Etihad Stadium, notching just six goal involvements in the Premier League (three goals, three assists) and 10 overall (six goals, four assists).

For context, seven different Villa players – Ollie Watkins, Danny Ings, Jacob Ramsey, Philippe Coutinho, Emiliano Buendia, Matty Cash and John McGinn – recorded more goal contributions in last season’s top flight.

The latest

Cascarino reckons that City could run out of patience with Grealish if he fails to live up to his price tag this season.

He thinks that the England international, who has too often produced ‘six out of tens’, could find himself on the loan or transfer list come next summer, and that may present an opportunity for his former club.

Cascarino said of Grealish: “At the end of the season, if he doesn’t pick up his standards, what we know he’s capable of and why they paid £100m for him, he’ll probably be loaned out or he might end up back at Villa.

“He’s not playing well enough consistently for Man City. I’m not talking about being OK, six out of tens. He should be eight or nine. He’s got so much quality.”

The verdict

There may be some Villa supporters who dream about the prospect of Grealish returning to the Midlands.

The 26-year-old, who scored 32 goals and provided 43 assists for the club, made the Championship Team of the Year when they got promoted in 2019 under Dean Smith and won Villa’s Player of the Year prize after helping them to survive in the top flight the following season.

He has also expressed his admiration for Steven Gerrard in the past, tweeting in 2014 that the then-Liverpool captain was an ‘unreal’ player whose ‘passion is the best’.

Furthermore, he insisted following his departure from the Midlands that he would ‘always be a Villa fan’, and perhaps he privately plans to make a comeback towards the end of his career.

However, Grealish’s underlying statistics in his first season at City suggest that he could make a much bigger impact this term.

Only three players – Kevin De Bruyne, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah – could better his record of 0.3 expected assists per 90 last term, and if his team-mates are more clinical this time around, his headline numbers could improve dramatically.

If they do, City definitely won’t be entertaining the idea of letting him go back to his former stomping ground.

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha could make a move to Chelsea ‘at the end of the window’, Simon Phillips has told GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

With less a month of the transfer window remaining, Palace have only sold one first-team player – Christian Benteke.

The Belgian striker sealed a move to MLS outfit DC United for an undisclosed fee ahead of Palace’s season opener against Arsenal.

But the departure of Zaha, Palace’s most valuable player according to Transfermarkt, would of course be a far bigger story.

The 29-year-old only has 12 months left on his deal, which leaves the Eagles facing the prospect of losing him on a free next summer.

The latest

Phillips says Chelsea hold a long-standing interest Zaha and now spy an opportunity given his contract situation.

Blues manager Thomas Tuchel is a big fan of the player and could view it as a no-brainer.

“Wilfried Zaha, I’ve been told there’s still interest there,” he said. “Obviously that’s historical interest from Chelsea’s side before the new owners. Something could be done there at the end of the window with Zaha, one year left on his contract, and Chelsea have always admired him.

“And I think Tuchel has the same way of thinking there. So he wouldn’t be an expensive signing to do, and I think he would be the kind of player that Tuchel would really like.”

The verdict

It seems like Palace may be minded to sell Zaha if they receive a suitable offer.

The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam reports that they ‘have no intention’ of allowing him to leave for nothing in 2023.

And with Palace now looking to build around younger players with a high resale value, the wisdom of handing out a big contract to someone who’s about to turn 30 might be questioned internally.

Still, it would no doubt be a pretty mighty challenge to replace Zaha, who top-scored for the club last season with 15 goals in all competitions.

He proved his worth again on Friday night, even as Palace fell to a 2-0 defeat, by completing three dribbles, creating two chances (including one big chance) and making three tackles. If you go by SofaScore metrics, he was his team’s second best player behind Joachim Andersen.

Entertainment consists of various mediums, including century-old casino games and gambling. Another prominent medium is betting. The invention of the online platform has made both gambling and betting gain immeasurable popularity and acceptance. With the numerous emergent forms of betting and gambling, many people will likely start using the terms interchangeably. Additionally, gambling and betting involve wagering money on unpredictable events like a race or game. For this reason, it is vital to comprehend the significant differences between the two terminologies. Below are distinct definitions of gambling and betting and their differences.

What exactly is gambling?

Gambling is a long-standing activity that people have been engaging in since time immemorial. It refers to wagering something valuable or money on a game or race with an uncertain outcome. The activity is solely based on the concept of probability. In contrast, permutation and combination, principles of probability, and number theory are necessary for predicting the most accurate outcome of the event in question. The result varies between a ‘Loss’ and a ‘Win.’

It isn’t a secret that gambling can be addictive no matter how many times a person loses. The excitement associated with uncertainty sustains the interest among the parties, and they keep on wagering more and more of their valuables. When looking for a top-rated, legal and safe gambling site, GambleOnline NZ could be a reliable choice. Gambling relies on an unknown or sometimes calculated risk. It can also depend on one’s chance and luck, but the skill hardly comes into play. When someone mentions gambling, you’re likely to think about gaming or sports, but it is much more than that, as it can involve table games, casino games, and slots.

Definition of betting

Betting involves placing a bet on a sport with pre-defined odds or possibilities. This act is a typical agreement between two groups, also known as a wager or bet. In this case, the party that makes an incorrect prediction about an unpredictable event forfeits something valuable to the other. A simple betting scenario is two people betting on the outcome of an election (for instance, who will win the presidential seat between Biden and Trump). Sports betting is the most common form of betting. Most people often place stakes on sporting activities like hockey, football, and basketball matches.

Betting can also entail non-sports events such as reality show contests and political elections. More intriguingly,  sports betting also involves games like underground cockfighting, horse racing, and greyhound racing. Contrary to gambling, betting is somewhat organized and involves a certain skill level when placing a stake. One unique aspect of betting is that the involved parties are aware of the intensity of the condition and the external forces that may influence the final results of the wager.

Critical differences between betting and gambling

One notable difference between gambling and betting is that the former entirely relies on luck while the latter depends on skill, strategy, and luck. This fact implies that the gambling parties do not influence the final result. Interestingly, you can access data online stipulating how much a gambler is expected to lose while playing different casino games. Sports betting, on the other hand, allows the parties to lay unique strategies, conduct extensive research and utilize the information to place them in a better position to win the bet. Although luck is a factor, one can hardly consider it the deciding factor in the long run. This difference may seem negligible, but in practice, it is massive. Another way of looking at it is that the gambling players are sure to lose their valuables and that their only chance of multiplying their money is hoping for a big score and quitting gambling. Sports betting, however, allows the parties to multiply their money in the long run. The chances may be slim, with 3% of sports bettors profiting in the long run, but it is still something compared to gambling. Over time gambling has become more popular than sports betting in the online arena. Even though sports betting is available online, people still prefer placing their bets at live betting shops. Some countries have rules and regulations treating luck and skill games differently, meaning that the residents are allowed to engage in skill games but forbidden to play luck games. This rule implies that betting is allowed while gambling is illegal in those countries.

Both betting and gambling involve wagering a valuable item or money on the outcome of unpredictable events. Many people use these terminologies interchangeably, but after comprehending the differences, which may seem insignificant at first, you’ll never confuse them again. The primary difference between betting and gambling is that betting can be professional or amateur (depending on the skills and strategies), while gambling is usually professional. Betting also allows a certain percentage chance of winning in the long run, while gambling does not.

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Tottenham Hotspur’s intriguing decision to sell Juan Foyth last summer may have already come back to haunt them.

Following a lack of game time under former managers Mauricio Pochettino and then Jose Mourinho, chairman Daniel Levy sanctioned the 24-year-old’s departure, initially on loan for the 2020/21 season.

During his time in N17, he was even deemed to be a “fantastic talent” by former head of GOAL, James Dickens.

He moved to LaLiga outfit Villarreal and quickly became one of Unai Emery’s first-choice starters, helping the side to the Europa League trophy after defeating Manchester United in the final.

As a result of his fine form, the Yellow Submarines triggered a clause option in the deal, which looks to have been quite the bargain at just £13m.

Granted, Foyth looked to have no future in north London, so that price tag – prior to the loan – appeared to be fair game but after a campaign that saw him rank as one of Emery’s top-five performers, that looked to have been rather low.

The Argentine is now courting interest from LaLiga giants FC Barcelona, so that fee seems to be on the cheap side as the Catalan side will have to pay around £35m to bring him to the Nou Camp, as per Spanish outlet AS.

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It was Foyth’s form last campaign that has alerted the Blaugrana to his quality.

Largely featuring at right-back, the former Spurs man ended the 2021/22 campaign as Villarreal’s fourth-best performer in the Spanish top-flight, having averaged a squad-leading 2.8 tackles per game (some way off the next best of 1.5 per game by another ex-Lilywhites player, Etienne Capoue).

He also got forward, managing 1.1 dribbles per game which led to him providing two goal contributions across 25 appearances.

If Foyth goes on to complete a £35m switch to Barcelona, then it will only highlight the huge mistake that Levy made in his negotiations with the Yellow Submarines.

Sporting director Fabio Paratici was not at the club at the time and it seems unlikely that he would have sanctioned such a cheap exit for a player that is still only 24 and can play in multiple defensive positions.

Villarreal are set to claim around £22m in profit should Barca pay Foyth’s release clause and that, on the above evidence, will surely leave those at Hotspur Way disappointed with regret.

AND in other news, Conte “wants” £50m “lethal playmaker”, he’s a true heir to £150k-p/w “wizard”…

Leeds United have reportedly signed teenage midfielder Max McFadden from Colchester United.

The Lowdown: Academy additions

Victor Orta has been extremely busy this summer with a number of senior, off-field and youth signings made at Elland Road.

When it comes to the club’s academy ranks, Leeds have brought in Darko Gyabi from Manchester City and Sonny Perkins from West Ham.

The Whites have also brought in midfielder Charlie Crew from Cardiff City, and it looks as if another U18s signing has been made.

The Latest: McFadden arrives

According to LUFC Youth on Twitter, Leeds have brought in McFadden on a two-year scholarship deal.

Transfermarkt appear to have confirmed a move as well and have the 16-year-old down as a member of Leeds’ U18 squad.

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The Verdict: Already caught the eye…

A move for McFadden appears to have gone under the radar, but he has already made his mark at Thorp Arch.

The midfielder featured for the U18s in their season opener at Stoke City and scored on debut in a 4-3 defeat. McFadden’s strike made it 3-1 to Leeds just before half-time and he was substituted at the interval.

Crew also made his first appearance for the club last week, so it’ll be interesting to see how the pair develop over the coming years, where they could potentially earn a professional deal in Yorkshire in 2024.

Manchester United are ‘interested’ in a move for Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, according to Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Trapp profiled

Trapp, labelled as ‘magnificent’ in this year’s Europa League final by journalist Josh Bunting, is 32 years of age and has been with Frankfurt since 2019. The Germany international, sponsored by Adidas, is under contract until 2024.

He has previously plied his trade with Paris Saint-Germain and has made 261 appearances for his current employers across two separate spells.

The Latest: United interest

Sky Sports provided an on-air update regarding United’s transfer business on Tuesday morning.

They said that the Red Devils are ‘expected’ to go back in with a new offer for Ajax winger Antony and added that the club are ‘also interested’ in Trapp but haven’t held formal talks or made an official offer so far.

The Verdict: Needed

Erik ten Hag could do with bringing in a new goalkeeper to rival David de Gea after allowing Dean Henderson to join Nottingham Forest on loan earlier in the window.

Trapp has plenty of experience in Germany and France, so providing he is willing to play second choice to De Gea initially, could be a perfect addition at Old Trafford.

De Gea hasn’t had the best of starts to the current campaign with a big error against Brentford, so Trapp could feel there’s a chance for him to get plenty of game time, especially with United in a number of different competitions.

Liverpool are continuing their search for a new midfielder but they haven’t tabled a bid for reported target Ruben Neves, according to renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: New midfielder needed

It is common knowledge that the Reds require a midfield addition in the final few days of the transfer window, with injuries and ageing, out-of-form players giving Jurgen Klopp a headache in that position.

Time is running out for Liverpool to do some business, though, with deadline day on Thursday edging closer all the time and some supporters perhaps growing impatient.

A new update has emerged regarding the situation, and it suggests that an incoming could be on the cards.

The Latest: Romano provides update

Speaking to Caught Offside, Romano claimed that no bid for Neves has been made from Liverpool, but that the focus is on a midfielder coming in before Thursday night’s deadline.

The Italian stated:

“Liverpool have not made proposals or started talks for Ruben (Neves) over the weekend, but Jurgen Klopp and the club board are looking for a last-minute opportunity with favourable economic conditions, not crazy.”

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The Verdict: Surely one will come in?

It would now be a big surprise if Liverpool don’t secure the signing of a midfielder this week, with speculation involving the likes of Jude Bellingham growing in recent days and the need for new blood clear to see.

With Thiago and Naby Keita frustratingly injury-prone, and Jordan Henderson and James Milner now well into their 30s, some fresh blood is required, both for squad depth and competition for starting places

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Neves may to remain at Wolves beyond the transfer deadline but there are plenty of good options out there who can help bolster Liverpool’s midfield.

Someone like mooted target RB Leipzig’s Konrad Laimer could be ideal, with the German averaging two tackles and two dribbles per game in the Bundesliga this season. Fabinho is the only Reds midfielder with a better tackling average, while none of Klopp’s current options in that role have a better dribbling return.

Liverpool managed to get some Deadline Day business done with the season-long loan signing of Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo, and a new update has since emerged on a potential permanent deal.

What’s the latest?

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has given a more detailed insight to the deal between the two clubs concerning the Brazil international, which includes a £32.3m purchase option.

The Italian journalist tweeted: “Liverpool will have €37.5m buy option clause for Arthur in June, not mandatory – LFC have negotiated with Juve the possibility of paying the clause in two years.”

“Arthur has already agreed the potential, future contract in case LFC will trigger the clause.”

It’s another Liverpool masterclass

Melo was brought in during the final hours of the transfer window after Jordan Henderson sustained a hamstring injury against Newcastle United last Wednesday, but the panic signing could turn out to be another Liverpool masterclass if the 26-year-old makes a positive impact in the team.

The Reds are currently experiencing a midfield injury crisis, with Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones and now the club captain all sustaining fitness problems over the season so far, and the acquisition of Melo couldn’t have come at a better time.

Liverpool will start their Champions League campaign after falling short in the final to Real Madrid last season and will be hoping that their poor Premier League form doesn’t leak into their European challenge against Napoli on Wednesday night.

Melo will surely be in contention to make his debut in the famous red shirt on the European stage this week after he was spotted on the bench and warming up in the Merseyside derby; and after a disappointing 0-0 draw at Everton, the 26-year-old could be exactly what Jurgen Klopp needs in the middle of the park against Napoli.

Although Thiago has reportedly returned to full training this week, it would be surprising to see him go straight back in the squad after just two days on the grass, so Melo could be the perfect player to replace the Spaniard’s incredible passing range in the midfield three.

The Brazilian ranks in the top 10% of positional peers across the top five European leagues for passes attempted and pass completion, whilst ranking in the top 20% for progressive passes and carries over the last 12 months, proving that he is somewhat of a pass master himself who can cover Thiago’s role in the team.

The signing of Melo could really pay off for Klopp, for if he can quickly integrate into the team, make a positive impact in midfield and thrive in the German’s system at Anfield, Liverpool could be onto a winner with their potential permanent agreement in place for next summer.

West Brom supporters ‘booed’ defender Kyle Bartley shortly after Birmingham City’s third goal on Wednesday, according to reporter Joe Chapman.

The Lowdown: Another defeat

The Baggies fell to a midweek defeat to their local rivals, making it five games in all competitions without a win.

Steve Bruce’s side have won just one of their first nine Championship fixtures, with Scott Hogan scoring a hat-trick at The Hawthorns. The result leaves West Brom in 20th place and only out of the relegation zone due to goal difference.

The Latest: Chapman’s post

Chapman provided updates from The Hawthorns on Twitter and described Bartley’s involvement in Hogan’s third goal as “properly bad”.

He then stated that the centre-back’s first touch after the restart was “booed by the Albion fans”, with Bruce taking him off after 76 minutes.

The Verdict: Evening to forget

You can see why a number of supporters were unhappy with Bartley, with SofaScore giving him a match rating of 6.3/10. He failed to make an interception or tackle all evening, lost possession on 12 occasions and also completed just one of six attempted long balls.

The defender has been one of the club’s worst performing players in the second tier, as per WhoScored, so it wouldn’t come as a shock if Bruce left him out of the side for this weekend’s trip to Norwich City.