A number of Manchester United supporters have been reacting to an Old Trafford update regarding a record-breaking season for ticket sales. 

The Lowdown: 2.3m+ sales

The Red Devils confirmed via their website on Saturday evening that a new record has been set for men’s games at Old Trafford this season.

More than 2.3m tickets have been sold for home fixtures, more than the previous record set during the 2016/17 season. All 19 Premier League home fixtures as well as the 13 domestic or European cup games have contributed to that number, with the scope for more to sell should Erik ten Hag’s side progress in the Europa League.

The Latest: Fans react

United shared the good news on their official Twitter page which led to plenty of positive interaction from supporters, with one labelling the update as ‘amazing’.

“Ten hag effect” – @awolowoayomide5

“Amazing” – @TheAyubAhmad

“Yeeeesss” – @tarainvestment

“Ten Hag making us believe again” – @MenjivarDave

“This is why Man Utd is the biggest club in England” – @r7cgoat

“In Ten Hag we trust!” – @magicfuel

The Verdict: Good to see

Ten Hag’s side going far in all cup competitions alongside a number of home draws has played a key part in the record-breaking campaign, and it’s safe to say he has brought the feel-good factor back to Old Trafford.

The Carabao Cup triumph was the first piece of silverware the club have won in six years and there is still potential for the club to lift more with the Red Devils going well in the Europa League and FA Cup.

Hopefully, the club will be able to sell more tickets for a Europa League quarter-final and then semi-final, and supporters may also be hoping to hear more on a potential takeover before the campaign comes to an end.

Leeds United head coach Javi Gracia has made the squad aware of their ‘responsibilities’ as he looks to guide the club to Premier League safety, according to Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Two promising displays

Gracia got off to winning ways at Elland Road last weekend with a 1-0 victory over Southampton. The result saw Leeds climb out of the bottom three, however, the Whites were dumped out of the FA Cup by Fulham on Tuesday.

Despite the result, Leeds played well once again and actually outscored Fulham on xG 1.53-0.19. A number of missed chances let Gracia’s side down in the end, with a trip to Chelsea next on the agenda.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Jones was talking to GiveMeSport regarding Gracia and shared what he’s been ‘told’ on his start to life at Thorp Arch. The reporter said the squad ‘been made aware of the responsibilities’ that they need to meet in their aims to remain a Premier League side.

“Yeah it’s really difficult for him to come in with no preparation and get a win, but he did it. I think the players feel ready to step forward now.

“I’m told that they’ve all been made aware of the responsibilities that they’ve got too within this project to stay in the Premier League. Everyone’s going to be given a fair chance and will get a role that they deserve.”

The Verdict: It’s worked…

Gracia’s comments to the first-team squad along with some tactical tweaks have certainly done the trick so far. Defensively, Leeds haven’t given their opponents a ‘big chance’ under Gracia, the first time that has happened in successive games since 2020.

He will be looking to improve on the club’s form in front of goal after Tuesday’s display in the final third, and if he can do that, you could say that Leeds will have a real chance of survival. There have been plenty of positive signs so far, and hopefully, Gracia will keep the feel-good factor going at Stamford Bridge.

The topsy-turvy nature of Real Madrid’s season continued on Thursday evening.Only a week on from a demolition job at Anfield, defeating Liverpool 5-2, they were humbled in the first leg of their Copa del Rey El Clasico with Barcelona.The final scoreline of 1-0 may not suggest they were too out of the game but the fact of the matter is that Barca were far the better team.Leading LaLiga by six points and now ahead in the tie, it is Xavi’s men who are undoubtedly having the better season.Even if they are out of the Champions League and indeed the Europa League, few would have bet they’d be ahead of their famous rivals at any stage of the campaign last summer.Embroiled in financial trouble and a mess behind the scenes, few gave the Catalan giants any hope of achieving success this term. Yet, they have defied the doubters and made another statement on Thursday.

Who was Real Madrid’s worst player v Barcelona?

There were a few candidates for Carlo Ancelotti’s worst player on the night with Eder Militao the unfortunate scorer of an own goal, Nacho dragged off shortly after the hour mark and Karim Benzema a lonely presence in attack.

However, the Frenchman’s lack of impact on the game was arguably because of Vinicius Jr.

The Brazilian has been the main creative presence of Los Blancos this term, scoring 18 times and registering eight assists, but had no such joy this time out.

Indeed, he was “eaten” up by titanic defender Ronald Araujo in the words of one Barcelona source on Twitter, while The Mirror’s Colin Millar stated that the 22-year-old was “totally locked down” on the night.

That clearly shone through in the stats with Vinicius losing possession a catastrophic 24 times throughout the encounter, completing just two out of his six crosses and ending with a pass success rate of 69% as a marker of his wastefulness in the final third.

With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that Benzema failed to exert much influence on the game with his usual partner in crime being bullied by Araujo and co.

In truth, the tone for Vinicius’ tricky evening began early on when a WWE-style scrap appeared to break out between the youngster and Barca midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

The pair grappled each other for possession of the ball before the former was shown a yellow card, his ninth of the campaign.

That caution means that no other forward has received more yellows across La Liga, the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España this season than the £222m-rated talent.

For all of the incredible trickery he can provide, that ill-discipline needs to be ironed out sooner rather than later.

It is hard to criticise the 5 foot 9 ace for much this term but in a colossal game, he undoubtedly let Ancelotti and his teammates down as they lost for the first time at the Santiago Bernabeu in 11 months.

It’s a night, therefore, that Madrid and indeed Vinicius will need to move on from swiftly.

Leeds United winger Luis Sinisterra is back in training alongside Rodrigo, Phil Hay reports.

The Lowdown: Lack of goals

Leeds have struggled in front of goal since returning to Premier League action following the World Cup, scoring just seven times in 11 top-flight games.

The Whites have netted only once in Javi Gracia’s first three games, with the manager without top scorer Rodrigo due to an ankle injury. However, it looks as if the striker could be back tomorrow, with Sinisterra also potentially set to return.

The Latest: Injury update

Hay took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to relay comments from Gracia regarding Rodrigo and Sinisterra’s condition.

The reliable reporter said that the pair have been working with the squad, with Gracia adding that they will ‘evaluate’ both ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Brighton.

The Verdict: Decision made?

You’d expect that with less than 24 hours to go, Gracia now has a good idea of whether or not the attacking pair could feature at Elland Road.

It looks like a positive update that they are back in training, with Hay stating earlier in the week that Rodrigo had been hopeful of returning this weekend.

It could get better with Sinisterra being back as well, with the summer signing described as “excellent” by journalist Leon Wobschal earlier this season.

The winger and Rodrigo would give Gracia more much-needed options in the final third, so hopefully, the pair can be passed fit.

Journalist Charles Watts has come to the defence of Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar amid past criticism from some supporters.

What's the latest on Edu and Arsenal?

It's been a pretty brilliant season so far for the Gunners. After all, they currently have a five-point lead at the very top of the Premier League with just 11 games to play.

With that in mind, Edu has every reason to be happy and in a recent interview with Sky Sports at the London Football Awards (where the Arsenal players won the big prizes), he reflected on how the club were doing.

He said (via 90min): "I think we are in the middle of it [the process], there’s still a lot of things to do, and carry on doing, but also, we are very happy and proud to see where we are at the moment as a club. I think Mikel [Arteta] is, of course, doing a great job."

Despite Arsenal's evident success. Certain sections of the fanbase haven't always seemed to trust Edu and when the club failed to land Mykhailo Mudryk in January, some supporters firmly made their unhappiness known.

While speaking about it on his YouTube channel, Watts defended the sporting director against the "crazy" criticism, saying: "Edu is an interesting figure, I think, at the club, because he gets a lot of grief.

"You look back to January, and again, you have to kind of separate, I want to almost say real life from social media, because you saw halfway through January, Mudryk goes to Chelsea, the [Moises] Caicedo deal doesn't get done.

"'Edu Out' is trending on Twitter, which is just bonkers considering the work he's done, where he's helped Arsenal get to along with Arteta and everything like that – it's just crazy, it's bonkers.

"But that's the way of social media. It's so reactive in terms of if something happens, something goes wrong, something Arsenal were hoping to do doesn't work out, suddenly it's 'Edu Out' and that's just mental. But he is that sort of figure.

"I think he still divides opinion a little bit in terms of what he's done and what he hasn't done, certainly when it comes to selling players, but when he talks, I think he comes across really, really well.

"He doesn't talk enough, for me. I think he should talk a little bit more, because I think he does come across really well when he talks and his ideas come across well."

Has Edu done a good job as sporting director for Arsenal?

Seeing as Mudryk has failed to score even one goal since moving to Chelsea, and has just one assist in his first seven outings for the club, it's safe to say he might not have been that great for Arsenal in the short term.

What's more, Edu managed to land Leandro Trossard as an alternative and the forward has made a great impact so far with one goal and five assists in the league since arriving.

With that in mind, while also noting that Arsenal are top of the league, it certainly feels as though the club's sporting director is doing a pretty good job right now.

What's more, at the London Football Awards, he also spoke well about how the club took on the January market, saying: "So we went into the winter period really, really well prepared and then we started to make some quick and important decisions. So far it’s helping the team and the team’s performing well, so that’s good."

He then dropped an insight for what could happen in the summer, adding: "It’s already started because you know what’s happening in the market everybody is doing stuff.

"You have to plan with people as well just to be prepared so when you go again in the summer you are very prepared."

Leeds United’s penchant for a risky purchase in recent years has backfired spectacularly, with the Whites having accumulated dead wood that is always a struggle to ship.

As such, they now find themselves firmly entrenched in a relegation battle once again, after only surviving the drop last season on the final day of the season.

That kind of drama is far too close for comfort for fans of the Yorkshire outfit, who have had to continue suffering one particular piece of dead wood due to a lack of depth in his role.

Junior Firpo was signed from Barcelona for £12.8m, yet the 26-year-old is yet to come even close to the immense potential that was once bestowed upon him.

Positionally unaware and not good enough offensively to offset this, perhaps Javi Gracia could look to cash in on the full-back who’s losing stock with each passing game week.

How much is Junior Firpo worth?

At the peak of his powers around 2019, whilst with Real Betis and later the Catalan giants, Firpo was rated at an impressive €25m (£22.2m). However, with his struggles to establish himself within that side, and his subsequent move to Elland Road, that figure has nose-dived dramatically.

Now the Dominican Republic defender has seen his value even out at just €12m (£10.6m), marking a stark 106% drop.

This is in no small part due to his disappointing performances in the Premier League, where he has outlined himself as a somewhat unreliable asset down the left flank.

Even commentator Juan Arango dubbed the £60k-per-week defender a “defensive liability” back in 2020 as he questioned his role within the Barcelona squad.

His debut season at Leeds saw him record a 6.6 average rating as he would record just two assists all year and was far from solid.

Just last month saw Paul Robinson lambast him for a particularly poor display against Tottenham Hotspur, as he told BBC Radio 5 Live (26/2, 12:52): “All the defender had to do was put in a simple tackle. It is terrible, schoolboy defending. Inexcusable.”

Then, despite being handed a transfer war chest in the summer, ex-manager Jesse Marsch neglected to find his successor and instead opted to play a natural centre-back in Pascal Struijk in his position, to no avail.

This has been one of many blunders from this campaign in particular, which has contributed to their abysmal league showing.

Perhaps now Gracia could see the light and finally ditch this underperforming dud before his value drops any lower.

Reporter Adam Pope has revealed that Rodrigo was left furious with his Leeds United teammate Brenden Aaronson at the weekend.

The Lowdown: Gracia will be desperate to get Rodrigo fit and firing

It will surely have filled many Leeds fans with hope and excitement when the team news dropped on Saturday afternoon as their top scorer Rodrigo was fit enough to take up a spot on the bench.

Javi Gracia felt Rodrigo was only fit enough to play 25 minutes, but it’s certainly better than not having him available at all, which had been the case for the past six games.

However, it appeared to show how long Rodrigo had been out of first-team action, as the Spaniard was left visibly frustrated by Aaronson’s inability to pick him on one key occasion, according to Pope.

The Latest: Leeds must provide Rodrigo with chances

While speaking on the Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet podcast, Pope spoke about Rodrigo’s anger towards Aaronson when he hung onto the ball for too long at one point during in Leeds’ 2-2- draw against Brighton.

He said: “[Gracia] clearly likes Harrison, doesn’t he? If it’s a choice between Harrison and Aaronson, I’m [going] Harrison, I know he hasn’t had a great few weeks, but Harrison’s got assists and he has goals. Aaronson has neither, I’m afraid – and that’s where it falls down, for me.

“He’s busy and he gives everything, but he doesn’t get his head up. He doesn’t get Rodrigo down the left side. Rodrigo was going mental, wasn’t he, at the end there. He was absolutely livid with that.”

The Verdict: Rodrigo’s key to Leeds staying up

Something that could well give Leeds an advantage over other teams in the battle against the drop is a reliable goalscorer this season, and Rodrigo could be that man.

Only eight players have scored more than Rodrigo in the division, with none of those at clubs in the bottom half of the league.

Goals are the hardest thing to come across in football, so the fact that Rodrigo appears to have finally found his feet in the Premier League will be huge for Leeds and Gracia if they are to stay up this campaign.

If Leeds can manage to keep Rodrigo fit for the rest of the season, they will certainly back themselves to avoid the drop, especially if others such as Wilfried Gnonto and Patrick Bamford can contribute with the odd goal here and there as the latter did on Saturday.

Wolves’ signing of Craig Dawson looks to have been something of a masterstroke in the short term, but the Englishman will soon turn 33, and he cannot be expected to be a long-term option in the heart of Julen Lopetegui’s defence.

Fortunately for the Spanish manager, academy talent Ollie Tipton looks to have all the attributes required to follow in the footsteps of Dawson at Molineux in the future.

How has Dawson played at Wolves?

Dawson made the move to Wolves from West Ham in the January transfer window, signing for the bargain fee of just £3.3m having established himself as a fan favourite during his time at the London Stadium.

He has gone on to make six appearances for the Old Gold in the Premier League, scoring in the 3-0 triumph over Liverpool and earning a strong 6.89 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This ranks him as the second-best performer at Molineux behind Ruben Neves, so it is clear the impact he has had in Wolves’ battle against relegation, with Lopetegui’s side now looking far too good to go down.

However, Dawson cannot be relied upon to be a regular starter forever and while Max Kilman and summer signing Nathan Collins could step up as his replacement, Lopetegui could turn towards the academy for his next leader at the back.

Who is Wolves starlet Ollie Tipton?

The Molineux boss could find the ideal heir in Tipton, who has established himself as a regular in the Wolves U21 side, despite being just 19 years old.

The centre-back, who can also play in midfield, certainly seems to possess Dawson’s goalscoring knack from defence, as he boasts ten goals in just 47 appearances for the U18s.

The youngster became the captain of the U18s when he was just 17 and earned a huge amount of praise from Scott Sellars after signing his first professional deal in 2020.

The club’s former technical director said: “He’s very focused and has a very professional attitude for a young boy, who shows every day a real consistency in his work ethic and trying to improve.

“He’s been a captain a lot from a young age, and shows very good leadership skills, but he’s got an extremely focused mentality and is a young man who is really keen to progress and learn.”

This season has seen Tipton make 18 appearances in the Premier League 2, contributing two goals and one assist, so he definitely seems ready for his first taste of senior football in the 2022/23 campaign, whether that be at Wolves or out on loan.

If he can bring his leadership skills into the first team, as well as his clear skill for scoring goals, there seems no reason why he couldn’t be the long-term heir to Dawson in Lopetegui’s side.

West Bromwich Albion return to Championship action tonight as they face a dogged trip to relegation-threatened Cardiff City.

The Baggies have enjoyed a fine return to form of late, having put aside their disappointing defeats to Birmingham City and Watford to win three of their last four, including an impressive victory over promotion-chasing Middlesbrough.

Their resurgence has left them just three points from the playoff spots, and tonight marks a fine opportunity to bridge that gap further with a trip to a struggling outfit.

Despite their league position however, the Bluebirds have also enjoyed a bout of good form themselves, having won three of their last five matches. Their home form is far more impressive than when they hit the road, having lost four fewer games. Carlos Corberan will be wary of this, as he seeks to set up his team to continue their fine defensive showings to thwart their run of five away losses on the run in all competitions.

With a recall for Tom Rogic touted as he returned from injury last week, Grady Diangana has now been sidelined for the rest of the season as he awaits surgery on his foot.

This throws the potential team selection into the air, with the Spanish boss seeking to rectify their troubles on the road without overworking his squad.

How will West Brom line up against Cardiff City?

Here is how Football FanCast expects Corberan to line his side up on Wednesday, with two changes from the side that started against the Terriers.

After another clean sheet last time out, Josh Griffiths is unlikely to lose his spot in between the sticks as he sits behind an unchanged back four.

Darnell Furlong and Conor Townsend will occupy the full-back spots, flanking a centre-back pairing that blends experience with a youthful vigour that has made them so solid. Dara O'Shea and Erik Pieters are unlikely to be parted at the heart of defence.

The first change could see Jayson Molumby drop out as the team is slightly rotated, allowing Tom Rogic to start after his cameo at the weekend. He will partner Okay Yokuslu at the base of a midfield three, spearheaded by last week's match-winner John Swift.

Despite impressing in his makeshift role, the second and final change is expected to see Marc Albrighton return for Adam Reach on the wing. The £45k-per-week loanee had made an impressive start to life at the Hawthorns, having previously been labelled an "unsung hero" by journalist John Bennett.

Given the lack of options, it would be unsurprising to see Jed Wallace and Daryl Dike also retain their spots on the wing and up front respectively. Their scoring exploits could prove crucial in sneaking a vital win tonight.

Aston Villa were named as the biggest net spenders in the entirety of Europe over a three-season period back in 2021 and have shown no signs of slowing down ever since with the club ambitiously spending in almost every transfer window.

Over the last two years the club – co-owned by billionaire duo Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens – has splashed the cash on Deigo Carlos (£26m), Phillipe Coutinho (£17m), Lucas Digne (£25m) and a club-record fee set for Emiliano Buendia (£33m) just to name a few.

However, despite the intentions to build a squad that can compete for European football in the Premier League, the Villans have struggled to make their presence known which has resulted in a rapid turnover in managers with Dean Smith replaced by Steven Gerrard in late 2021 and Unai Emery taking charge 11 months later.

With new managers come new expectations, perspectives and philosophies which can often lead to players once considered nailed-on first-team starters quickly becoming bench warmers and the squad at Villa Park have experienced a similar scenario upon the arrival of the former Villarreal boss.

The most drastic and unexpected alterations Emery quickly made just a few weeks into his managerial term was the sale of Danny Ings with the manager sacrificing the striker to allow Ollie Watkins the freedom to reprise his best role up top.

However, one tweak that has gone under the radar – albeit much-needed – has been the signing of Alex Moreno, who has replaced Digne on the left flank and for good reason.

How much has Lucas Digne cost Aston Villa?

The left-back's controversial January move from Everton to Aston Villa back in 2022 was met with high expectations as the former fan favourite at Goodison Park only parted ways with the club due to his fractured relationship with Rafael Benitez.

A fresh start at Villa Park is exactly what Digne was looking for, but has not been the fairytale resolution the player would've hoped for and has ultimately led to him becoming a fringe player.

Initially, the move looked like it was going to be ideal for the Frenchman with 90 minutes played in 13 appearances over the second half of the 2021/22 season under Gerrard.

However, things started to go downhill for Digne after sustaining an ankle injury in September which left the left-back sidelined for 40 days, subsequently seeing his game-time dwindle significantly upon the arrival of Emery in late October last year.

Digne has not completed 90 minutes since New Year's Day and on the pitch has been disappointing on countless occasions which has led to him becoming the ninth lowest-ranked player in the entire Villa squad, falling out of favour with newly-signed Moreno taking his place.

Over 20 Premier League appearances, Digne has been unsuccessful in 92% of his dribbles and has failed to win 49% of his duels, as well as averaging just 24.6 accurate passes and losing possession 11.6 times per game.

Believe it or not, the 29-year-old – who was dubbed "poor" by analyst Luis Miguel Echegaray – is the highest-paid player at Villa Park, earning an astonishing £160k-per-week.

When you combine that with his £25m transfer fee – Digne has cost £34.7m in total over his 61 weeks at the club whilst averaging just 67 minutes per appearance.

It has already been reported that the club could part ways with the player in the summer, despite the fact that his market value has drastically declined compared to what they paid for him just 16 months ago – now worth just £7m according to CIES Football Observatory.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Digne has rinsed Villa over his short spell so far and if the club can find a potential buyer for the player this summer they should jump at the chance to not only offload him but free up the wage bill.