All posts by n8rngtd.top

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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…

Following an impressive demolition job of rivals Chelsea in their opening Premier League game of the season, Manchester United’s form has shuddered to a halt.

The early momentum that was gained from that 4-0 victory has well and truly disappeared, and now things seem to be going from bad to worse for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side. Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Norwegian confirmed the side would be missing several key players for the clash against Leicester on Saturday afternoon.

Taking all those injuries into account, below is a look at the kind of line-up Solskjaer may opt for when Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes come to town.

Whilst Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have nailed down the starting centre-back positions so far, the players tol partner them on either flank could change once more.

Solskjaer confirmed summer signing Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a doubt to face the Foxes, and with Diogo Dalot also out injured, make-shift defender Ashley Young could switch sides and operate as a right-back. At left-back, academy product Brandon Williams is unlikely to be thrust into the spotlight, and that could mean Marcos Rojo returns from the wilderness to start.

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In central midfield, Paul Pogba has been ruled out unless he stages a “miraculous recovery overnight”. That could mean a rare start for Nemanja Matic, who had little influence as a substitute in the 1-1 draw against Southampton, making no key passes or tackles. Ahead of both the Serbian and Scott McTominay, United’s front-line looks wholly different from the ones seen before this season.

Injuries to Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard (the latter some United fans may not be as fussed about) have severely dented the Red Devils’ already limited options going forward. Solskjaer name-checked Juan Mata as an experienced player who could make the step up, and he will likely take up the number ten role.

Daniel James’ career at Old Trafford has taken off with a bang, with the winger netting three goals in four Premier League games. Whilst his position in the team is secure, the same cannot be said however of Andreas Pereira. The Brazilian managed no key passes or dribbles in the 67 minutes he was on the pitch last time out, and that could mean the exciting prospect of Mason Greenwood making his first start of the season.

And with Anthony Martial still out, Marcus Rashford will once again lead the line, in a week where England boss Gareth Southgate specifically questioned his abilities as a number nine.

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It seems as though when it comes to former transfer targets, Leeds fans don’t forget they were once linked to the club.

Dan James, who nearly signed last January, was the topic of discussion last month but now another player who used to be the club’s radar has attracted their attention.

Erling Braut Haaland was once tracked by the Whites but according to Phil Hay in May, Red Bull Salzburg offered a better pay packet.

This new debate over why he didn’t sign arose after the 19-year-old scored a hat-trick for his side against Club Brugge in the Champions League on Tuesday night. The forward also netted three goals last weekend too.

During the discussion, one Leeds fan claimed it was fairly obvious why he didn’t sign at Elland Road as another suggested money talks for the teenager.

A further individual noted that his performance this week is likely to have many top sides now watching over him.

Haaland claimed when he was 16 that he once wanted to win the league with Leeds. The forward has scored an incredible 17 goals in just nine appearances this term.

Here’s the best of the debate.

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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…

Speaking to talkSPORT, former Manchester United man Paul Parker has revealed it is the “wrong time” for the club to be using their talented youngsters.

What did he say?

The Red Devils have endured a difficult start to the current campaign, picking up just eight points from their opening six Premier League games.

The likes of Mason Greenwood, Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes and Axel Tuanzebe, amongst others, have all been involved this season in various competitions, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to utilise his academy players.

However, Parker has now suggested the club currently don’t have the right environment or atmosphere for them to thrive in, and delivered a damning verdict on the kind of culture that exists at Old Trafford.

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He said: “There’s not enough men now, who I would come out and say, who have got anything about them to believe they can make something happen.

“I keep reading all the time about bringing through these young players, I think to myself, if you were a parent and your son was with Manchester United you would not want him to go on that pitch to make his debut with that team there in this moment in time.

“There are too many selfish players out there who are more concerned about their own issues than be concerned about looking after a young player out there who is looking to make his name in the game. It’s the wrong time to be using these wrong players.”

The truth hurts

Whilst Greenwood appears to be thriving in the current conditions with two goals in two starts, make no mistake about it, the drama that is beginning to engulf the club is not conducive to getting the best out of young players.

Look no further than the ruthless reaction from some United fans to Chong’s display against Rochdale on Wednesday night in the Carabao Cup. Should a teenager really have fans writing him off after just his second start? Would that happen if the club were on their perch winning games?

When things aren’t going your way, patience wears thin. There becomes no room for error, and factors like age and inexperience go out the window. At times like these, the senior pros need to step up and show the path forward. Instead, it’s the Red Devils’ most experienced players like Paul Pogba who continue to frustrate and disappoint – back in August, both Sam Allardyce and Dean Saunders urged him to cut out the fancy stuff and just stick to the basics.

So as Parker says, it does feel like the “wrong time” to be turning to the club’s academy.

You’ve got to be very careful about how you word things on social media these days.Misunderstandings happen all the time on these platforms, but when you’re tweeting on behalf of a massive sports team it’s important to get everything right.Watch Rangers Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Unfortunately for Rangers, they suffered a bit of a social media gaffe this week, as Steven Gerrard’s out of context press conference quote went viral.

“We can hurt Young Boys.â€

Without knowing the context behind it, you could be forgiven for thinking Gerrard had arranged for his team to go around Glasgow beating people up as a team-bonding exercise.

Fortunately, that isn’t the case, or at least we hope not.

Gerrard was, of course, talking about his team’s Europa League clash with the Swiss outfit Young Boys.

It’s nothing more than an unfortunate misunderstanding, but thatÂdidn’t stop the tweet from getting over 20,000 likes and more than 6,000 retweets

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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… 

When David Silva made the announcement he would be leaving Manchester City at the end of the current campaign back in June, there was a definite sense of this being the end of another era. Vincent Kompany’s departure earlier in the summer took away one of the club’s Mount Rushmore figures, and now Silva will be joining him out the exit door come next year.

The Spaniard has been an ever-present in the Citizens side since joining from Valencia back in 2010, helping the team to win four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four League Cups. It has been a trophy-laden Etihad career for the diminutive play-maker, and there would have been understandable despair when he confirmed his intentions.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

Despite making an impressive start to the season (he has managed four assists in eight Premier League games), his role in the shock 2-0 defeat to Wolves on Sunday left a lot to be desired. It was the performance of a man who is reaching the twilight stages of his career, and perhaps not able to consistently deliver week-in and week-out at the highest level.

As per Sofascore, his 6.2 overall match rating was the joint-worst of any player on the pitch on Sunday. The Spaniard struggled to match the pace and intensity of the game, and looked all at sea trying to keep up with the Wolves midfield. The 5 foot 8 star has never been one to physically dominate games, but he has always found a way of ingeniously using his body and positioning to ensure he remains almost impossible to tackle.

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But against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, Silva got bullied in the middle of the park, winning just three out of his ten duels in total. His famed ability to keep the ball also deserted him, and the 33-year-old lost possession a staggering 15 times over the course of the game. Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho overwhelmed him, and it was no surprise to see the former Valencia man commit three fouls in an attempt to stop the visitors from running riot in midfield.

It may have just been a rare bad day in the office for one of City’s most influential players, but the nature of the performance has raised serious questions. Guardiola has the exceptional talent of Phil Foden waiting in the wings, desperate to get his chance. After Sunday’s disappointing display, and knowing he will be leaving at the end of the season, it may just be the perfect time for Silva to ride off into the sunset.

AC Milan’s 2-1 victory over Genoa was as needed as it was eventful, with Pepe Reina’s 93rd-minute penalty save potentially helping Marco Giampaolo keep hold of his job.

However, playing a part in the game’s chaotic moments was not the only way to have an impact upon it, as Lucas Biglia showed by offering his side a foundation to build upon from the middle of the pitch.

The 33-year-old wasn’t extravagant or eye-catching in his performance, but he was an important player for Milan, helping to ensure three points were earned.

Biglia was reliable defensively, completing three of the four tackles he attempted during the game, while also making two clearances and one interception, as per WhoScored – it should be noted that he made more successful tackles than anyone else on the pitch.

The Argentinian was also efficient once he had the ball at his feet, completing the one dribble that he attempted and 91% of his passes throughout the match.

A sign of his influence with the ball, and how much he was trusted on it, is that Davide Calabria was the only Milan player to see more of the ball during the game.

This was an important victory for Milan, as it has pushed them up to 10th in the league – even though that isn’t good enough for a club of their stature, it is at least a start.

That Biglia was able to stay in control during the game highlights that he is someone who can be relied upon to help get results going forward.

Milan fans, what did you make of Biglia’s performance? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Denmark moved into the joint lead in Group D in Euro 2020 qualifying with a late victory over Switzerland.

The only goal of the game came from a moment of brilliance from Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen as he found Yussuf Poulsen with an outrageous through ball despite having his back towards goal, and the RB Leipzig forward burst forward and kept his composure when slotting the ball past Yann Sommer.

But head coach Age Hareide has his goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to thank for pulling off a string of world-class saves to keep his side in the match over the course of the 90 minutes.

Deep into injury time, the Leicester City man managed to stop a calamitous own goal by stretching to reach Thomas Delaney’s header, but two of the most stunning saves came in either half as the Dane tipped two efforts onto the crossbar.

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His performance was so outstanding that Swiss boss Vladimir Petkovic said after the game: “Only for their goalkeeper, we would have scored three goals.”

Schmeichel has also drawn plaudits from across Europe with one supporter claiming it was “one of the most ridiculous performances” he had seen from a goalkeeper in a single game while another labelled him the “most underrated goalkeeper in the world.”

Others described the 32-year-old’s display as “top class,” “immense” and “outstanding”.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

A report has emerged from A Bola which suggests Tottenham are still interested in Bruno Fernandes, and fans certainly haven’t give up hope that the Portugal international may arrive in January after The Last Word on Spurs Twitter account looked at his stats this seasson.

The midfielder was heavily linked with a move to North London over the summer before Spurs eventually landed an attacking midfielder in Lo Celso.

However, with Christian Eriksen seemingly on the way out and Mauricio Pochettino’s side in need of a lift, some supporters want further additions to be made.

The 25-year-old would likely have a key impact too, having scored seven goals and assisted five in ten appearances this campaign.

Signing him could, therefore, allow Pochettino to replace the creativity that could be lost through the departure of the Denmark international, with Fernandes averaging 3.2 key passes per league game last season.

Whether it is a realistic target for Tottenham is a different matter, as his asking price is a reported £64m. Despite that, Spurs fans remain keen, and their reactions show they are keen for him to be brought in.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

A question that has reared its ugly head in the past few months of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign at Manchester United, is the Norwegian good enough tactically? After all, the man who got Cardiff relegated, succeeded Jose Mourinho – the ultimate mastermind when it comes to setting teams up.

But against Liverpool on Sunday, the Red Devils boss more than held his own against Jurgen Klopp and sprung a major tactical surprise by opting to go for a 5-3-2 formation – a real change-up from the more traditional 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 set-ups we have seen from United since Solskjaer took over. If anything, it completely upset the visitors’ game-plan, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson in particular often being caught in no-mans land with their positioning.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

In the end, United could only hold on for a draw as Adam Lallana netted a late equaliser. But it was a performance that no doubt gave great encouragement to the players and the manager that they can compete with some of the best teams in the league.

However, the formation does come with a curse. Sunday’s approach was designed to stifle the Reds’ greatest attacking threats, chiefly from the wide areas. It didn’t particularly do much in the way of getting the likes of Marcus Rashford and Daniel James chance after chance – the duo had just two attempts on goal in the entire game.

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Anthony Martial’s return from injury gives Solskjaer a reinforcement in the number nine role, but in this system, where would the Frenchman fit? The success of United’s game-plan on Sunday revolved around Rashford and James doing the dirty work off the ball, and running into the channels and making life difficult for the Liverpool centre-backs.

Case in point, Rashford’s lung-busting chase of a long ball that eventually saw him bully Virgil van Dijk. For all of Martial’s technical quality, would he offer the same defensive output? It therefore leaves the United manager with the big conundrum of having to leave one of his most prolific strikers out. Because quite simply, how do you go away from a formation that served you so well against the reigning Champions League holders and a team that had gone flawless in the Premier League?

Essentially, Solskjaer’s own tactical masterclass has backed him into a corner. Whilst it may have solved a huge problem on Sunday, it now raises further questions that need answering.

Some Crystal Palace fans took to Twitter to express their displeasure after seeing Wayne Hennessey’s name on the teamsheet ahead of the game against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

The Wales international made his first Premier League start of the season the week before against Manchester City, stepping in for Vicente Guaita with the Spaniard out injured – his absence against the Gunners was also enforced, so Hennessey made his second league start of the campaign.

The former Wolves glovesman never seems to ooze much confidence, having previously lacked a command of his penalty area while also being guilty of making some glaring errors for the Eagles – an example of this would be his blunder away to Aston Villa in 2016, as well as a string of unconvincing displays.

Another example would be the two early goals conceded against the Gunners, as the Welshman looked to have zero control over his penalty area as Sokratis and David Luiz scored from corner kicks – those two moments somewhat back up the Palace fans’ frustrations.

Guaita arrived on a free transfer from Getafe in the summer of 2018 and looks to have wrestled the No.1 shirt from Hennessey, after starting the first eight league games of the current campaign.

After seeing Hennessey’s name in the XI once again however, some Palace fans on Twitter weren’t too happy…