All posts by z3u9t.icu

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As Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to continue his youthful rebuild of Manchester United, one prospect who is reportedly on the cusp of breaking into the first-team is James Garner.

The 18-year-old has captained the England U17s and helped the Young Lions reach the European Championship semi-finals back in 2018.

Having signed a new contract with United last summer, The Manchester Evening News now claim the teenager has been “promised playing time in the first-team” and that a “senior promotion is inevitable”.

After hearing the news Garner could be making the step-up from the academy side before too long, United fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the update.

Many Red Devils fans revealed they believe he is ready for action straightaway and that he is a perfect long-term replacement for Nemanja Matic.

Indeed, some supporters of the Manchester side felt he could take the Europa League by storm this season and insisted he is a “star in the making”.

Check out some of the excited reaction of United fans below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Heading into the 2019/20 season, Patrick Bamford would probably have felt a weight of pressure on his shoulders.

This was a player who had struggled last term, both with fitness and his discipline as he found himself playing second fiddle to Kemar Roofe.

Roofe scored 15 times for Leeds in the Championship but he is now donning the purple of Anderlecht, swapping England for Belgium.

An injury at the start of the season for the now-departed forward meant Bamford was going to have to become the leading light and indeed after his former strike partner left, he’s taken on the mantle rather well.

Before this weekend’s clash against Stoke, the 25-year-old is already a third of the way towards the goal tally he mustered last campaign.

Because of varying circumstances, he managed just nine but heading into the weekend’s action he had three.

Despite spurning three rather straightforward chances against Nottingham Forest, he bounced back against Wigan and found himself in the right place at the right time to notch two easy goals.

A striker will largely be judged on how regularly he finds the net but thanks to Eddie Nketiah’s flying start against Brentford last Wednesday, the pressure will likely be somewhat relieved.

However, as well as his goals proving vital, his fitness will also be crucial. In each of Leeds’ opening four matches of the term, he’s played 90 minutes, something that should serve as a huge encouragement to both Bamford and Marcelo Bielsa.

It’s clear his fitness levels have improved on that basis and his willingness to get forward alongside Nketiah for his goal versus the Bees proved that.

It was the 81st minute but the former Middlesbrough man kept running.

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Before that clash, Noel Whelan noted the following: “He is showing a turn of pace I never thought he had. He is doing impossible things like chasing down a defender when he is 10 yards behind and catching him up. That shows the fitness levels Bielsa drills into his players.”

This quote is a huge indication of the extra workload Bamford is taking on.

He’s managing to press from the front based on that evidence and for the way Leeds play, that is hugely important.

Last term, Bamford missed 22 games through injury because of two separate problems. This term, however, he is showing that those niggles may finally be beyond him.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas is ‘amazed’ that Crystal Palace have offered Christian Benteke a new contract.

Nicholas made the revelation in his Premier League predictions column for this weekend’s round of fixtures, in which he tips the Eagles to come out of their game against Aston Villa at Selhurst Park with a 1-1 draw.

Benteke has reportedly been offered a new deal along with James Tomkins, as the Belgium international has under 12 months remaining on his current terms.

What did he say?

Nicholas said: “I saw them win at Man United, but where did that come from? Jordan Ayew was so composed with the first goal, and they will always be well-drilled under Roy Hodgson.

“I am amazed that Christian Benteke has been offered a new contract.”

Has every right to be amazed

It looked like money well spent when Benteke hit 17 goals in his first season as a Palace player, following a club-record £27m move from Liverpool, although things have turned sour very quickly.

Since that campaign, the former Villa man has scored just four goals in red and blue, all whilst earning a reported salary of £120k-a-week to make him the south Londoners’ third-highest earner behind Wilfried Zaha, who gets £10k more per week, and Max Meyer who earns £125k-a-week.

Given his huge salary and minimal contribution over the last two seasons, Palace should probably just cut their losses on the forward and wave goodbye to him, even more so now that Jordan Ayew looks to have taken his place in the side – the Ghanaian was named ahead of Benteke for the win at Old Trafford.

To be in such dismal form – if you can ever call it form anymore, that is – and be rewarded with a new deal is a ludicrous move from the south London-based side, and Nicholas has every right to be amazed at their baffling decision.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Aston Villa might have been embroiled in one of the most controversial games of the season as they were defeated 1-0 by Crystal Palace, but in doing so, they found an unlikely rotation option – one they should lean on more as the season progresses.

It’s been well documented just how much the club have spent this summer – 12 players arrived following promotion for a total spend of around £144.5m.

Understandably, the sheer volume of incoming players, almost an entirely new starting XI, has put several of last season’s squad at risk.

In midfield, Henri Lansbury and Conor Hourihane now have Marvelous Nakamba and Douglas Luiz to contend with, on top of battling John McGinn and Jack Grealish too.

Against Palace, Lansbury made his first Premier League appearance of the season and could have been the hero that salvaged a late point had things gone the way they should’ve.

The former Arsenal midfielder stuck the ball in the net in stoppage time but only after referee Kevin Friend had blown the whistle for what he adjudged to be a dive on Grealish’s part.

Had that goal stood Lansbury would likely have been a very popular figure at Villa Park, walking away with a point having played the final half an hour with ten men.

The 28-year-old had direct involvement in three of Villa’s goals against Crewe last week, which must have impressed manager Dean Smith, so much so he was given five rare minutes in league action last weekend.

Check out the most insane fan meltdowns in the video below…

On another day, that’s a couple of assists and one goal for a player that hasn’t really had a look in yet this season.

It would be even more impressive to see him make his mark on Villa’s Premier League journey considering the amount of time he missed last season due to a series of injuries which meant he became somewhat of an outcast.

And having been a Championship player for most of his career, playing 258 times in the league, he would be an unlikely option in the top-flight – but he’s taking measures to dispel that.

Villa have more than enough options in defensive midfield, but should anything happen to either Grealish and McGinn then it’s a great job that Lansbury is still at the club; he’ll be able to slot right in when need be and still produce a goal threat.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Monthly Review series, which analyses what managers can learn from the previous month and what the coming month could have in store.

It was certainly a mixed start to the campaign for Southampton.

Having started off with a miserable 3-0 defeat to Burnley at Turf Moor, Ralph Hasenhuttl oversaw an impressive 1-1 draw against Manchester United in Southampton’s last Premier League outing – a definite contrast in results there, to say the least.

Sofiane Boufal has returned from his loan spell at Celta Vigo in inspired form, handing Hasenhuttl a headache as to how he involves the Moroccan in his lineup.

The Austrian has also used a number of different systems this season, including a 3-4-2-1 against the Clarets, a 4-2-2-2 against United and a 3-5-2 against Liverpool – there are definitely a couple of things the former RB Leipzig boss needs to address this month.

Deciding on a system 

Having just mentioned it, there’s no other place to start.

Pre-season should be the time for tinkering with your system, not the first four games of the campaign.

The Saints ended the month with four points having faced Burnley, Liverpool, Brighton and United, which isn’t terrible, although the least Hasenhuttl must do is settle his squad down and get them familiar with one formation.

The 4-2-2-2 reaped every single point the club have gained this season, with a win against the Seagulls and a draw with United, while three-at-the-back systems resulted in two losses against Burnley and Liverpool.

The former should be the way forward.

Deciding on who should start at left-back

This is a tricky one.

Hasenhuttl handed 20-year-old centre-back Kevin Danso his debut for the trip to Brighton, but strangely deployed him at left-back with Ryan Bertrand missing through injury – however, the Saints boss said that he would’ve made the switch regardless.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg also had a run-out at left-back in the Carabao Cup win over Fulham, before Danso returned to the position for the game against Manchester United.

It is unknown what exactly has happened between Bertrand and Hasenhuttl, but the Southampton boss must select a consistent choice to start at left-back if he isn’t going to reinstate the former Chelsea man.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Injury News series, which considers the impact of the latest updates on players’ fitness.

Tottenham Hotspur rather strangely described Eric Dier as a ‘versatile defender’ in an injury update on their official website on Thursday, and given their issues at right-back at the moment it may hint he could be in line for a rare start there.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Spurs were providing the latest on their squad prior to the visit of Crystal Palace to north London on Saturday, and said that Tanguy Ndombele, Ryan Sessegnon, Kyle Walker-Peters and Eric Dier are all back in training, but that Davinson Sanchez could be a doubt following irritation on his ankle.

The Colombian started at right-back ahead of the available Serge Aurier in Walker-Peters’ absence against Arsenal prior to the international break, and if he is ruled out it may leave manager Mauricio Pochettino with a bit of a conundrum if Walker-Peters also isn’t fit enough to start.

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While the latter was described as a right-back on the official website, the labelling of Dier was a little more confusing.

Dier set for right-back role?

Of those matches in which Dier’s position played has been recorded by Transfermarkt, the large majority of them show that he has either featured in a defensive midfield role or as a centre-back, so the wording of him being a ‘versatile defender’ rather than a ‘versatile defensive player’ is certainly notable and timely given their right-back issues.

According to Transfermarkt, he has played there on 25 occasions so he does have previous, and given the shortage of options there it wouldn’t be a total surprise if he was being considered, especially following on from potentially controversial comments from Aurier this week having already been left out against the Gunners.

Given you would think Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld would be guaranteed to play at centre-back if Sanchez is absent, that leaves right-back as the role the ‘versatile’ Dier could fit.

It may all be pure coincidence, but we for one certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see the England international selected there against the Eagles.

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Rangers host Feyenoord tonight in the Europa League in what will be an emotional atmosphere following the passing of former Rangers skipper Fernando Ricksen after a long battle against Motor Neurone Disease. But how will the Gers line up at Ibrox?

Steven Gerrard has sprung selection surprises before – Jermain Defoe picked ahead of Alfredo Morelos for the Celtic clash being the most recent – and could well do so again against a Feyenoord team currently sitting a lowly seventh in the Dutch Eredivisie.

There are four areas where he is likely to make changes from the weekend – left-back, centre-half, midfield and in attack – but we anticipate these will be done through just three switches in personnel.

Borna Barisic could replace Andy Halliday at left-back. Halliday has been poor this season, no more so than against East Fife, and isn’t a natural defender by trade anyway – so it makes sense for Barisic to come back into the side.

Filip Helander could also beat Niko Katic to a place at centre-half. Football Insider reports that Katic is facing the axe after coming under fire from Connor Goldson against Livingston and considering Helander’s experience with 84 Serie A appearances under his belt, the summer signing could be a crucial asset on the European stage.

With Ryan Jack’s availability still unclear, we’re tipping Glen Kamara to join Steven Davis to protect the defence, pushing Scott Arfield into a more advanced position where he can support the front-line. He notched up 12 goals and seven assists for Rangers last season, albeit just one strike coming in the Europa League.

That also solves the issue of Ryan Kent’s injury, with Arfield essentially taking his spot as part of the Rangers attack.

Overall then, three personnel changes are anticipated for tonight’s game.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.

Liverpool may be blessed in the goalkeeping department now with Alisson and Adrian amongst their ranks, but Loris Karius is looking to impress Jurgen Klopp whilst on loan at Besiktas.

It is the German’s second stint at the club in many years which suggests he impressed in the last campaign, although a record of 39 goals conceded in 30 league games is hardly the type of form that is likely to persuade his Reds manager that he deserves a place in his squad.

This campaign has followed a similar trajectory for the goalkeeper, although the 26-year-old has impressed on occasion.

He has one clean sheet to his name from four games in all competitions and three Super Lig games has averaged 1.8 saves per match, according to Wyscout.

If he is to work his way into contention for Liverpool then one area which will be just as important as shot-stopping is his work with the ball.

This term he has averaged 5.4 successful distributions per league game, showing that he can get his side up and running when called upon, and if he can improve that over the course of the season he could give Klopp something to think about.

He has also achieved a pass accuracy of 95% which, whilst impressive, falls behind that of Adrian, and in a Liverpool side which will look to compete in all competitions next season he will have to be at the top of his game in all departments.

Karius, therefore, cannot afford to continue making individual mistakes which cost his team goals, and if he does then he is unlikely to have a future at Anfield.

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Against Slovan Bratislava he made the rash decision to come way out of his box to head clear a long ball, only to misjudge the flight of the ball, missing it completely and instead colliding with his own defender, allowing the opposition to score.

Whilst Adrian cost the Reds a goal against Southampton he has otherwise been very impressive with brilliant saves against Napoli and Chelsea, while number one Alisson proved himself to be the best goalkeeper in Europe last season in what was his first on Merseyside.

Surely time is up for Karius, then.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

In what is a blow to Manchester United and their fans, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that Paul Pogba is a doubt to face Arsenal on Monday.

The France international made his return to the starting line-up against Rochdale in the League Cup on Wednesday and although he played the whole 90 minutes, he was not selected to take a penalty in the shootout following a 1-1 draw.

Now, the Norwegian boss has confirmed he picked up an injury at Old Trafford, saying: “The situation is he finished the game. 90 minutes, fantastic but he got a knock to his ankle which is very swollen so was better not to go there with the team and he’s in a race for Monday.

“Doubt? Yes, but that’s just the way it is.”

In contrast to those in the Red Devils bubble, this would initially look like good news for Arsenal. Pogba, on his day, is one of the top players in world football, no matter what the critics say. He scored 16 goals and bagged 11 assists in all competitions last season, which only goes some way to explaining his influence on the northern outfit’s team at his best.

Against Arsenal, though, his performances are somewhat of a mixed bag. To date, he has made five appearances against the north London team, being on the winning side on two occasions, drawing twice, and losing once.

In terms of his goal contributions, he has netted once and provided two assists, which isn’t bad going. However, those latter two came in the same game as when Pogba was given a straight red card, which added a blemish to his performance.

His displays against the Emirates side are just a microcosm of the 26-year-old’s time in the Premier League: marred by inconsistencies. Whilst he has continually showed flashes of the huge potential he has always had, it has never been regular enough for him to move onto the next level and become a true superstar.

Unai Emery, then, should have mixed feelings about his potential absence. The former Sevilla boss would likely rather avoid the possibility of him putting in a game-changing display, but that is far from guaranteed with the former Juventus man.

He is just as capable of being a passenger or making the headlines for the wrong reasons, and he has a track record of doing that against the Gunners particularly.

Barcelona’s La Masia is still very much full of talent.

Nowadays, maybe it’s not as popular as it used to be back when the likes of Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol were around, but their production line never stops.

One of the big talents emerging from the Catalans’ academy is the 20-year-old Alex Collado.

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The young talent scored a brilliant back-heeled goal for Barca’s B team recently, in the 89th minute, no less, and he seems to be getting much more attention now.

Or at least, he seems to be rather popular among the Barca fans, who were showering him with all sorts of compliments and praise in reply to his latest Twitter post, both gushing over his goal and his skill in general.

Words like “crack” were thrown around a lot, meaning star in English.

It still remains to be seen whether the 20-year-old will ever reach his potential and earn a promotion into the senior team but at the moment, he already seems to be a fan-favourite.

You can see some of the fans’ reactions and replies in the tweets below: