VIDEO: Wrong kind of fight! Sheffield United players Jack Robinson & Vinicius Souza scrap among themselves in Premier League relegation battle – but avoid red cards

Sheffield United players Jack Robinson and Vinicius Souza showed the wrong kind of fight against Wolves, as they scrapped among themselves.

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  • Blades locked in scrap for survival
  • Emotions have boiled over at times
  • Feuding team-mates escaped punishment
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The Blades, who are battling to avoid relegation out of the Premier League, fell behind at Molineux to an effort from Pablo Sarabia. They have leaked goals at an alarming rate of late, with emotions understandably boiling over at times.

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    Rather than take that frustration out on opponents, with the right brand of spirit being shown, Robinson and Souza squared up to each other in the West Midlands. Words were exchanged as Sheffield United moved into position at a goal kick.

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    DID YOU KNOW?

    After some finger pointing, the pair then get into each other’s face, with Souza the first to throw his arms out in the direction of a club colleague. Shoves were then shared, before Blades captain Anel Ahmedhodzic stepped in.

Predicted Southampton XI vs Man United

Southampton will take on Manchester United in their first home game of the new Premier League season on Sunday afternoon, with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side looking to bounce back after their 3-1 defeat against Everton on the opening day of the campaign.

Saints fans won’t need reminding what happened when they faced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side last season and given the way the Red Devils played last weekend, it’s clear that Hasenhuttl’s side will have to be at their very best if they are to avoid defeat at St Mary’s.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Hasenhuttl to line his side up, with five changes from the team that started in the defeat at Goodison Park last time out…

After a disappointing return to the side at Everton, Alex McCarthy is relegated to the bench for this one, with Fraser Forster returning in between the sticks.

There are two changes in defence, as Kyle Walker-Peters provides a more defensively secure option than 18-year-old Tino Livramento at right-back, whilst Jan Bednarek partners Mohammed Salisu at centre-back, with Jack Stephens missing out.

Theo Walcott, who reportedly earns £75k per week at Southampton, was one of the poorer performers against Everton last weekend, so Stuart Armstrong replaces him on the right-hand side.

Moussa Djenepo is replaced by the exciting Nathan Tella on the left, with the youngster deserving a start after his performances in pre-season.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Adam Armstrong and Che Adams keep their place up front, with their performances last weekend two of the few bright sparks at Goodison.

And, in other news… Saints dealt decisive transfer blow with “exceptional” beast, fans will be gutted

Inter Miami starlet Diego Gomez the next MLS export to Europe? Paraguayan's agent reveals attacker has 'no clause or price' heading into summer window

After scoring the second goal for Inter Miami Wednesday evening, Diego Gomez's agent has revealed he has "no price" heading into the summer.

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  • Diego Gomez touted for Europe move
  • Scored winner for Inter Miami Wednesday
  • Led Paraguay squad to Paris Games
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    According to in Paraguay, Gomez's agent Renato Bittar has revealed that the 20-year-old has a dream to move abroad this summer. He added that he would be "surprised" if the Paraguayan stays in MLS and does not move to Europe this summer.

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  • WHAT BITTAR SAID

    The player's agent revealed: “There is no clause. He is not a player to stay in Miami for a long time…. It will not be a surprise if we have an offer in the European summer and it can leave. The club is not going to put a price on him.”

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    Gomez has impressed for both club and country in 2024, netting the second for Miami in their home-opener against Real Salt Lake Wednesday evening, but also on the international stage for the Paraguay U-23 Olympic side.

    He had five goals and two assists in the CONMEBOL pre-Olympic tournament across January and February that saw him lead his country to the top of the table and qualify for the Paris Games this summer.

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    WHAT NEXT FOR DIEGO GOMEZ AND INTER MIAMI?

    The Herons take on the Los Angeles Galaxy Sunday evening in a cross-conference clash. The Western Conference club will host Inter Miami in their season-opener.

'How we forced the red card was brilliant!' – Oliver Glasner praises Crystal Palace for 'attacking and fighting' as new manager gets off to winning start against Burnley

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner was thrilled with his side's 3-0 win over Burnley and how their attack "forced" their opponents to go a man down.

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  • Palace beat Burnley 3-0
  • Brownhill sent off for Clarets
  • Glasner thrilled with victory
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    WHAT HAPPENED?

    The Eagles got Glasner's tenure at Selhurst Park off to a winning start thanks to second-half goals from Chris Richards, Jordan Ayew, and Jean-Philippe Mateta. Their pressure eventually told after Josh Brownhill was sent off in the 35th minute, with former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Glasner praising the performance and the way their attack led to the midfielder's dismissal.

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  • WHAT OLIVER GLASNER SAID

    He told : "Sometimes the players forget about keeping the balance in the game but how we forced the red card was brilliant and we attacked very high. It was really nice to see. We had a great spirit from the beginning and the players tried to do everything that the analysts prepared for them. Also thank you to my staff because we were only here for three days. My feeling was the fans were happy to see the players attacking and fighting, they were very loud, this is what we want. They had a great afternoon and now they can go somewhere in a pub and enjoy one or two beers."

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    Ex-Wolfsburg manager Glasner replaced Roy Hodgson as Palace boss earlier this month after the latter agreed to step down from his role following a health scare and a poor run of results. While this win over relegation-threatened Burnley will not solve the club's issues, it does put them eight points clear of the bottom three. Conversely, Clarets boss Vincent Kompany will be under intense pressure to keep his job as they are 19th and eight points from safety.

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  • WHAT NEXT?

    Glasner's Palace side, who are up to 13th in the table, travel to London neighbours Tottenham in their next Premier League outing on March 2 whereas Kompany's Burnley host Bournemouth in the English top-flight a day later.

Pundit not surprised Ipswich didn’t re-sign Troy Parrott

David Norris isn’t surprised that Ipswich didn’t try and re-sign Troy Parrott on loan again this season.

Following an uninspiring spell with Millwall during the first half of the 2020-2021 campaign, Parrott dropped down to League One in January to join the Tractor Boys for the remainder of the season.

And whilst the 19-year-old managed to score his first professional goal for Ipswich, and netted in his last appearance on the final-day, those two strikes were the only two he managed in the blue shirt.

It wasn’t without the want of trying, though, with Parrott featuring 18 times in League One.

He ended the season with two goals in 32 outings, which wouldn’t have been even close enough to convincing Nuno Espirito Santo that he’s worthy of a place in his first-team squad.

With that in mind, Parrott was loaned out for the third time in just under 12 months when he joined MK Dons last week.

And Norris wasn’t surprised that he didn’t return to Portman Road for another spell. He exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“Not so much, it didn’t go badly for him, but he didn’t light it up either. It was maybe the wrong club at the wrong time. So, I’m not surprised [Ipswich didn’t go for Parrott].”

Is USMNT star Josh Sargent injured again? Fitness update amid more ankle issues for in-form Norwich striker

Josh Sargent is back among the goals at Norwich, but the United States international is having to be managed carefully amid more injury concerns.

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  • Serious injury suffered early in the season
  • Recovered to enjoy personal purple patch
  • No risks will be taken on striker's fitness
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The 23-year-old forward sat out 20 games early in the 2023-24 campaign after picking up an unfortunate knock. He has returned to action with a bang, finding the target on four occasions through his last five appearances – taking him to eight for the season.

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    Norwich are understandably keen to avoid taking risks on Sargent’s fitness and gave him just 56 minutes against Watford last time out as the USMNT began to limp. He has not trained since, with the Canaries hoping that another setback has been avoided.

  • WHAT WAGNER SAID ABOUT SARGENT

    Norwich boss David Wagner has said when asked for an update on Sargent: “Josh didn't train (on Thursday). We have to see how it looks. This will be, for sure, a late call. Obviously Josh already was limping in the first half. So we had the same dilemma. The medical department decided, ‘No, let's try it again’. But when he was limping further it was clear that we had to take him off quite early. Most of this relates still to his ankle, but not to the joints. I think your whole aesthetic changes after you have such a such surgery and, fitness-wise, with more load you have to be quite careful with him. This is why we've done everything, and he has done everything, to protect him as good as we can while building him up as well. This is the first time hopefully he can be involved in three games in a week. This was not the case in recent weeks. We will see how it looks. And where we go from there.”

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    WHAT NEXT FOR SARGENT?

    Sargent was on target against QPR last weekend and again in a meeting with Watford on Tuesday. He will be eager to play some part in a home date with Cardiff on Saturday, as Norwich sit on the fringes of the Championship play-off places with 14 games left to take in.

Wolves fans react to Dendoncker quotes

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Leander Dendoncker thinks the squad could do ‘with some more experienced players’.

Dendoncker noted that ‘there were a lot of young players’ on the bench in Wolves’ final pre-season friendly against Celta Vigo and whilst that’s ‘good for them’, he does have concerns (via Birmingham Mail).

With the new season about to begin, the Belgian thinks Bruno Lage’s side might require ‘more depth’.

What business have Wolves done so far this summer?

The Midlands outfit have spent £23.67million up to this point, having shelled out £74.52million in last year’s transfer window.

They’ve struck a permanent deal for Rayan Ait-Nouri, replaced Rui Patricio with Jose Sa, snapped up 20-year-old Colombian centre-back Yerson Mosquera and brought in Francisco Trincao on loan from FC Barcelona.

They were expected to sell either Ruben Neves or Adama Traore to raise funds for further moves, but both players now look set to stay (via The Athletic).

Fan feed Talking Wolves relayed Dendoncker’s comments, and here’s what supporters made of them.

Wolves fans express concerns after Dendoncker’s call for depth

“Oh dear. Internal conflict”

Credit: @xGJHP

“Dendoncker speaks the truth. 3 experienced players still needed. One each on defense, midfield and forward.”

Credit: @JaredKelsey

“If its bad enough that even the players are calling it out then it really isn’t a great sign”

Credit: @Andyrewjw

“I always found The Donk to be the wise one who would give out advice and guidance to all those who seek it. The man is not wrong on this one”

Credit: @JBanks_cake

“When the players start saying it then it’s a massive sign that we need help quickly…”

Credit: @Sean77B

“So everyone can see it but Fosun?”

Credit: @RealJamesCroft

In other news, fans were buzzing over this transfer update.

Wrexham fume at ‘ridiculous’ ban for star striker Paul Mullin as Phil Parkinson slams ‘too eager’ referees & new yellow card directives

Wrexham are fuming at the “ridiculous” ban being served by Paul Mullin, with Phil Parkinson hitting out at the new EFL yellow card directives.

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  • EFL looking to cut down on time wasting
  • More cautions handed out as a result
  • Welsh outfit see key men pick up bans
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The Football League has implemented new rules for 2023-24 that are intended to keep the ball in play for as long as possible and cut down on time wasting. Dragons striker Mullin has been a victim of those protocols, with the prolific frontman currently serving a suspension after collecting five cautions.

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    WHAT THEY SAID

    Wrexham are not happy at how cards are being dished out – with James McClean also banned – and Parkinson has told after meeting with the EFL’s head of refereeing, Mike Jones: “A lot of bookings I discussed were the ones for delaying the restarts and that was a directive to get the ball in play more – anyone delaying the restart would get a yellow – but they've just gone too far. The Mullin booking, when he ran to take a throw-in against Sutton was ridiculous. He ran to pick the ball up to take the throw – George Evans had just passed the ball off the pitch and it was never a booking. But once refs get it in their mind that they've been told to clamp down, certainly in the first third of the season, they go overboard and I think that's what you're seeing and it's not just us.

    "Of course within those bookings there are ones that can be avoided, but equally there are ones which, if you look at James McClean against Sutton – where he's got fouled and in the action of him getting fouled James clears the ball and he books him for time wasting – never in a million years. It's something we've got to deal with. Every manager has got frustrations with officials at the moment.”

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    Parkinson went on to say of an issue that has clearly annoyed him: “It's a big discussion point at the moment. I think there's work to be done for the powers that be. We prided ourselves on not getting too many bookings last year and we were top of the fair play league across the divisions apart from the Premiership. But it's so easy to get booked, it really is.

    "The refs are giving out (too many) yellow cards. I went through a lot of the yellows with the head of the referees, Mike Jones, and he agreed with me that a lot of them shouldn't have been given. So I think the refs have been too eager at times and there has been an inconsistency, that's not just at this level, it's the Premiership level as well.”

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    WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

    Wrexham have fared admirably this season despite collecting cards on a regular basis, with an unbeaten run across all competitions that has reached 10 games helping the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney co-owned outfit to third place in the League Two table and a shot at back-to-back promotions.

Casemiro has become Man Utd's weak link: Erik ten Hag must consider dropping ex-Real Madrid man to get Red Devils' season back on track

The Brazilian enjoyed an impressive debut season at Old Trafford, but his powers appear to be on the wane in 2023-24

Casemiro is one of the best midfielders of his generation – a status he cemented after bringing the curtain down on his illustrious Real Madrid career to join Manchester United. He was the driving force behind United's run to a third-place Premier League finish and Carabao Cup glory in 2022-23, with club legend Gary Neville describing his impact as "devastating".

There was a caveat to Neville's assessment, though. "£70 million ($85m) and £20m-a-year [contract] for five years is a £170m investment," he said on back in March. "That is a massive investment. It’s not a smart or shrewd signing when you look at it from a [big picture] point of view."

Casemiro, who will turn 32 in February, is contracted to remain at Old Trafford until 2026, and there is an option to extend that agreement by an extra year. The man described as "the cement between the stones" by Erik ten Hag was supposed to be United's long-term midfielder enforcer.

It should be a cause for great concern, then, that Casemiro's body seems to failing him just 11 games into the new season. The Red Devils have lost six of those matches, which is why they are now languishing down in 10th in the Premier League table and in real danger of exiting the Champions League at the group stage.

There is plenty of blame to go around, but Casemiro's decline has created the biggest problem for Ten Hag, who may need to take drastic action if he is to revive United's fortunes in the coming weeks.

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    'I wanted more football'

    United were on course for a third-successive home defeat against Brentford on Saturday, with Mathias Jensen giving the visitors a half-time lead. There were poor performances across the pitch for Ten Hag's side in the opening 45 minutes, but Casemiro was the worst of the bunch.

    It was his misplaced pass to Bryan Mbeumo that set Brentford on their way to the opening goal, but he was also guilty of wasting possession on numerous other occasions. The Brazil international was equally poor without the ball as United were overrun and outfought in midfield, leaving Ten Hag with little choice but to make a change.

    Casemiro was taken off for Christian Eriksen at the interval, which led to an improvement from United in the second period. Ten Hag continued to ring the changes as the match wore on, with Scott McTominay eventually making the decisive impact after replacing Fiorentina loanee Sofyan Amrabat.

    The Scotland midfielder scored two stoppage-time goals to give United a crucial victory – and Ten Hag a selection dilemma. McTominay showed more heart in 10 minutes than most of his team-mates have all season, and has made a strong claim for a regular starting berth after the international break.

    Dropping Casemiro would have been unthinkable last season, but there is now a genuine argument to say that United look a stronger side without him in the starting XI. Ten Hag himself suggested as much post-match, telling reporters when asked why he brought on Eriksen: "I wanted more football. Someone who brings passing and link-up play."

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    Concerning statistics

    Casemiro has always been a rough tackler, and often goes to ground when trying to stretch to win the ball back from the opposition. That wasn't an issue in his younger years, but he looks far slower this season, and thus the risk of him committing fouls has gone up.

    But more concerning is the fact he is no longer attempting as many tackles, going in for just 2.91 per 90 minutes so far this season – down from 3.77. The former Real Madrid talisman can no longer keep up the same pace that made him such a feared ball-winner.

    He has also won fewer than 50 percent of his individual duels – as per statistics – and is making just 0.69 interceptions per game compared to 1.43 in the 2022-23 campaign. Casemiro simply isn't doing the job he was signed to do.

    Indeed, Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk admitted that his team targeted Casemiro after their surprise 3-2 Champions League victory at Old Trafford last week. Andre Onana was most at fault for the midfielder's red card in that clash, but his tackling had been rash all night as he once again struggled with his timing and covering ground.

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    Exposed too often

    The Brentford game was the first this season that Casemiro has not been asked to operate as the sole holding midfielder in Ten Hag's line-up, as Amrabat slotted in alongside him in a 4-2-3-1 set-up. Before that, Casemiro was the one sitting in front of the defence, with Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount given license to push forward and support Marcus Rashford or Rasmus Hojlund.

    The flaws in that approach were clear to see on the Premier League's opening weekend, as United limped to a thoroughly unconvincing home win against Wolves. A late Raphael Varane header gave the hosts all three points, but Wolves were the superior side across the 90 minutes and wasted a hatful of chances.

    The midfield was bypassed time and time again, as Neville noticed while covering the game for . "Casemiro got absolutely torn to shreds tonight," the former United defender said. "Man United’s midfield were non-existent and they were absolutely ripped apart. Wolves were absolutely fantastic. Manchester United’s midfield emptied."

    It was no surprise when United started losing games, with Casemiro looking equally sluggish against Tottenham, Arsenal, Brighton and Crystal Palace. Amrabat's arrival was supposed to ease some of the pressure on the £70m man, but they showed no signs of developing a potential partnership against Brentford.

    Casemiro did not benefit from being given extra freedom to attack as his passing let him down once again and he was generally guilty of being way off the pace. United cannot afford to keep carrying the Brazilian if they hope to get their season back on track.

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    No excuses

    Incredibly, Casemiro won United's September Player of the Month award, and is currently their top goalscorer across all competitions this term, with four to his name. But that is more of a damning indictment of the squad as a whole than it is a feather in Casemiro's cap.

    Two of his goals came late on in the 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich on matchday one in the Champions League, but they papered over the cracks of another ineffective display, as did his effort in a 3-2 comeback win against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

    Casemiro's only truly decent showing of the campaign to date came in United's 3-0 win against Crystal Palace in the third round of the Carabao Cup, which he capped with a brilliant headed goal. But the Eagles fielded a much-changed line-up that night, and got their revenge against the Red Devils at Old Trafford in the Premier League a few days later.

    It's fair to say that Ten Hag has not managed Casemiro particularly well in recent weeks, often leaving him isolated with his formation tweaks and failing to grant him adequate rest between matches. There is no excuse for how low the Madrid legend has let his standards drop, though, and he doesn't deserve to be an automatic starter anymore.

    Despite their win over Brentford, United are a club in crisis. There is very little margin for error left in any competition if they are to salvage their season, with Ten Hag now very much fighting for his job. Taking Casemiro out of the firing line, even just on a temporary basis, would give the Dutchman a better chance of turning things around quickly.

West Ham: Irons in pole position to sign Tammy Abraham

West Ham United are in pole position to sign Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham following reports from Football Insider that they have overtaken Aston Villa in the race for his services.

The Lowdown: West Ham gear up for exciting 2021/22 campaign

Moving into 2021/22, it will be fascinating to see how West Ham juggle the task of competing in both the Premier League and Europa League.

Making inroads in the transfer market, the Hammers have tied up a permanent deal for Craig Dawson as well as bringing in Armstrong Oko-Flex as they build towards the forthcoming campaign.

Could they now be set for a third London Stadium summer arrival following recent developments?

The Latest: West Ham now front-runners to sign Tammy Abraham

West Ham are said to be the front-runners to acquire centre-forward Abraham, according to a recruitment source at Football Insider.

The Irons face competition from Premier League rivals Aston Villa and Wolves for the 23-year-old’s signature, who is also attracting attention from Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund [Football Insider].

While the England international has been valued at around £40m by the Champions League winners, an offer of £35m could well be enough to finalise an agreement [Football Insider].

The Verdict: Abraham would be an astute signing for the Hammers

Upon reflection, the 23-year-old would be an astute piece of business in an area which desperately needs bolstering for David Moyes’ side – the injury-prone Michail Antonio is currently the Irons’ only natural senior striker.

Abraham enjoyed a productive 2020/21 campaign, registering 18 goal contributions in 32 appearances as he registered 12 goals and six assists [Transfermarkt]. Showing his ability to bring others into play, he won 1.8 aerial duels per game across the season [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘unbelievable’ by former Aston Villa teammate Jack Grealish [The Chelsea Chronicle], the England ace could be the perfect marquee signing for the Hammers going into 2021/22.

In other news, West Ham have lodged an offer to sign this La Liga ace.

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