Crystal Palace have got off to a good start to the season but it is fair to say that Wilfried Zaha has gone under the radar by his usual standards.
Despite that, many fans have enjoyed what he has shown so far, including a great display of strength against Norwich last Saturday.
The match against the Canaries also brought Zaha’s first assist of the season, and the fact he is yet to find the target does suggest he hasn’t been as effective as normal – far from matching the ten goals and ten assists he got last term.
Despite that, his display of strength has earned him many plaudits from fans, some responding with tongue in cheek messages reflecting the fact that he is often accused of diving.
His strength is certainly a side of his game that is rarely seen compared to his flair and dribbling ability, but judging by the reactions from fans below it is something they wouldn’t mind seeing more of.
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…
Ben Woodburn’s future at Liverpool may have been called into question following a tough week.
The club confirmed on Monday that the winger fractured his metatarsal last weekend having been on the receiving end of a heavy challenge against Accrington Stanley, a tackle the club is believed to be unhappy with.
It is a big blow for the 19-year-old who was experiencing his first run of regular games at senior level, and he will likely be very frustrated by being unable to develop further, particularly as he likely harbours ambitions of making the Reds’ first-team.
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Since this is the latest in a line of injuries there is some doubt over whether he will break into Jurgen Klopp’s plans, particularly as there are several players head of him and other youngster coming through, whilst Woodburn is still yet to convince after bursting onto the scene with his record-breaking goal against Leeds in 2016.
The academy graduate still has more than two years remaining on his current contract, but his progression has stagnated in recent times and after a failed loan move to Sheffield United last term, which was cut short through injury, he seems to have gone backwards.
He failed to make an impression at the Blades with only two starts and didn’t win the trust of Chris Wilder, and though he has featured regularly for the U’s this campaign, he has only one goal from 12 games to boast of.
Woodburn’s injury record and frail stature could mean that he isn’t cut out for the Premier League, particularly with the Reds where there is a plethora of world-class talent in the side, with other top-quality internationals like Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi also struggling for game time.
Re-live the moment Sadio Mane robbed Leicester City of a point at Anfield through the eyes of the Foxes fans in the video below…
Added to that, there are positive signs from youngsters currently playing in the U23s team, with Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott recently impressing for the first-team against MK Dons, and therefore the Wales international faces an uphill battle to get into the first-team squad.
The Reds are now in a place where they are competing for the title and hoping for success in Europe, too, so there are limited opportunities for Klopp to blood youngsters, particularly players who are unable to show consistent performances like Woodburn.
As a result, it looks unlikely he will feature for the first-team in the foreseeable future and he may be better off moving on in order to find game time, stability, and hopefully for his sake, somewhere he can stay injury-free.
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…
It’s certainly been a fine start to the year for the Birmingham City academy.
With Jude Bellingham breaking the club record for both youngest player and youngest goal-scorer, followed by Odin Bailey scoring the winner against Middlesbrough a few weeks ago, who knows where the kids will end up taking the club. In fact the young players are something that is proving very important to Blues head coach Pep Clotet.
Speaking to BCFC.com, the Spaniard talked about how difficult it is to recruit players, and as a result how he has a ‘duty’ as first-team head coach to develop the young players at the club:
“It’s massively important for us because in football – the business side – it is getting very difficult to recruit because there’s a lot of competition, it’s never easy. Sometimes the young player, with a full career ahead of them, has that spark, that motivation.
“If they have the ability and achieve enough, then the chance comes. If they take that chance they become themselves players. I think we do have this talent here. Not only do I have a chance to use it, but it is my duty for them (the players) and the Football Club.”
Whilst Clotet might have his heart in the right place with these comments, he may be losing sight of the bigger picture.
A head coach’s job first and foremost is to win games, rather than placate fans by simply throwing in young players so they can sing ‘he’s one of our own’. If there is a young player who is coming through and is showing some talent, by all means let them play – but only if they bring something to the team and give you a chance of winning.
Whilst developing a young player is important, it should not come at the expense of three points on a Saturday just for the sake of it.
Given the flack that Clotet has come under in recent weeks for performances, just playing Jude Bellingham won’t be enough to get fans off his back altogether – he needs to get wins under his belt.
If they come with Bellingham playing well, on the bench or out of the team, it really shouldn’t matter so long as they get the three points.
So whilst he may see it as his duty to develop the young players, he also needs to make sure he does his main job first, and that’s making sure Birmingham don’t get sucked into the relegation battle too soon.
It’s a question of priorities, especially when you’re under this kind of pressure.
Back in the summer, Mark Warburton embarked on his first transfer window as QPR boss.
Amongst a barrage of 14 new arrivals, two loan deals overseen by the former Brentford manager have hit the ground running at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, and it’s hard to decide who the better fit is out of the two.
Jordan Hugill – on a season-long loan from West Ham – has scored six goals in 11 games, whereas Wells – who was on loan with the R’s last term and has been re-signed for the 2019/20 campaign – has also struck six times.
The Londoners are doing very well so far this season, winning six of their 11 games while currently sitting in 9th place, just three points off 1st-place West Brom.
The pair of them have been prolific inside the box this term, but which of the duo is better suited to Warburton’s style of play, and could potentially be a smart permanent signing in the future?We asked Football FanCast’s writers what they think…Billy Meyers“Although Hugill has been on fire in front of goal, I can’t help but feel as if Wells is better suited to what Warburton is trying to do with QPR right now.“The 57-year-old is seemingly trying to implement a more free-flowing, attack minded style of play with the R’s – the Londoners have had the fourth-highest average possession in the Championship with 53.6%, and they also have the fourth-most shots per game in the league with 13.9.“In that respect, with Wells standing at 5 foot 7 and possessing great pace, and Hugill a slightly more physical presence at 6 foot, the Bermuda international seems better suited to an on-the-floor, possession based style in which aerial presence isn’t required.”Kealan Hughes“It is a tough decision to make but Wells is the pick of the two, primarily because he fits better into the style of play that has been implemented this season, with an average of 20 passes per league game compared to Hugill’s 14.“Added to that, he is also more of a team player with 0.9 key passes per game, and that is crucial to linking up play and creating chances for the likes of Eberechi Eze.“He also has experience of promotion too from his time at Huddersfield, and is well aware of what it takes to grind out wins, which could prove hugely beneficial to QPR.“Whilst Hugill offers them an aerial threat with 3.2 aerial duels won per game, QPR have averaged 53.6% possession this term so it is clear that Warburton prefers a passing style, and therefore I have to opt for Wells over the West Ham man.”Matt Dawson “This is a difficult one to answer given their records this season. I don’t think many would have expected them to hit the ground running in the ways they have but that’s a testament to their abilities and willingness to never give up. Both Hugill and Wells were completely neglected figures at West Ham and Burnley respectively and struggled for minutes, so the fact they’ve netted 12 between them is hugely impressive. “If I had to pick between the pair of them, however, I’d suggest that Wells is the better fit for this QPR side. Mark Warburton spoke about wanting everyone’s first thought to be to play forward when he arrived at the club and the former Huddersfield man certainly suits the manager’s philosophy. “He has the ability to get in behind and is a tricky customer. With a pass success rate of 78.5% he’s slightly further ahead of his strike partner who has registered a measly 72.5%. This dictates that Wells is more likely to get them on the front foot and is undoubtedly the better fit.”Charles Jones“Both of these strikers are seemingly a good fit for QPR as they’ve both been finding the net regularly this season, but I’d have to say that Wells is the better of the two for what Warburton is trying to achieve.“Warburton has always appeared to be a manager who likes his teams to keep the ball on the ground and play it. His Brentford team ranked fourth in terms of the highest average possession during the 2014/15 season, and they were also right up there in terms of pass success rate – similar trends emerged during his short spell with Nottingham Forest.“Hugill’s main strengths come in his aerial ability as he wins 3.2 duels per game, whereas Wells is a player who thrives when the ball is on the ground as he can use his pace to get in behind defences.”
Tottenham Hotspur have certainly given us some wonderfully Spursy moments over the years on the pitch but what about off it and in the transfer market?
Well, things have been just as comical at times with the Lilywhites there too.
Here’s their 20 worst signings of the Premier League era…
Gilberto
Of the two Gilberto da Silvas to have plied their trade in north London, Tottenham certainly had the lesser one in Gilberto da Silva Melo.
The left-back turned up at White Hart Lane initially in January 2008 with some pedigree in the form of 30 Brazil caps and four strong years in Germany with Hertha Berlin but could never adapt to the pace of the Premier League and left in July 2009 a complete flop.
Sergei Rebrov
The first of a fair few strikers to feature on this list, Ukraine legend Sergei Rebrov managed a mere 16 goals in a depressing four-year spell with the Lilywhites.
What makes it worse is that Glenn Hoddle threw away a gut-busting £11m, we are talking in 2000, to bring him in based on his form with Dynamo Kyiv – although it’s far from the last waste of money we’re going to be looking at today.
Paolo Tramezzani
Tottenham new signing 14/7/98 White Hart Lane Pic : Andrew Budd / Action Images Paolo Tramezzani with new team-mate Nicola Berti Tottenham Hotspur
Speaking of foreign players who just couldn’t get to grips with English football, Paolo Tramezzani was a calamitous left-back if there ever was one.
Pictured above with fellow Italian Premier League failure Nicola Berti who’s bizarrely wearing a t-shirt from the Four Seasons hotel in New York to training, Tramezzani would make just six forgettable appearances in north London.
Bobby Zamora
Football – FA Cup – 3rd Round – Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace – 3/1/04 Tottenham’s Bobby Zamora is challenged by Palace’s Danny Butterfield Mandatory Credit : Action Images / David Jacobs
Bobby Zamora would go onto enjoy an accomplished Premier League career with the likes of West Ham United, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers, but not before his own sorry spell at the Lane.
The Lilywhites were the team to give the future England man his big break when they signed him for Brighton & Hove Albion for a lofty £1.5m in summer 2003, however, he would only contribute the one goal for Spurs before being shipped off as part of the deal that saw the legendary Jermain Defoe arrive in N17.
Mbulelo Mabizela
Football – Tottenham Hotspur Training – Spurs Lodge – 3/10/03 Mbulelo Mabizela – Tottenham Hotspur during training Mandatory Credit:Action Images / Paul Childs
Remember him? Honestly? No, we didn’t think so, we didn’t either – apparently he’s some South African bloke that played for Spurs for a bit.
Prior to the 2003/2004 season, the Lilywhites decided to sign ill-disciplined centre-back Mbulelo Mabizela, that wasn’t easy, based on a performance he put in for Orlando Pirates against them in a friendly, it worked out just about as well as it sounded it would.
David Bentley
What did David Bentley ever really do in a Spurs shirt apart from score THAT goal against his former club in the North London derby?
Well, you could list any number of hilarious off-field pranks and incidents.
But it’s what happens on the pitch that really matters and the ex-Three Lions star never really lived up to his potential or his £15m price tag at White Hart Lane before bizarrely retiring at the age of 29.
Bongani Khumalo
Football – Kaizer Chiefs v Tottenham Hotspur 2011 Vodacom Challenge – Pre Season Friendly – Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane, South Africa – 11/12 – 16/7/11 Bongani Khumalo – Tottenham Hotspur in action Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Felix Dlangamandla
The picture above more or less sums up Bongani Khumalo’s Tottenham career, as the former South Africa captain looked so out of his depth on loan at the likes of Preston, Doncaster and Colchester and in matches for the reserves that he somehow managed to not make a single competitive first-team appearance for the entirety of his four-and-a-half-year spell.
Spurs haven’t had much luck with South Africans, have they?
Roberto Soldado
A striker who doesn’t play too badly and works hard for the team but is also hampered with an uncanny inability to score goals, sounds odd, though Roberto Soldado was that very thing for Tottenham.
It will still send shivers down the spine of Spurs fans that their club flushed £26m of their Gareth Bale money down the toilet on the Spaniard for him to score 16 times in 76 games for them, need we say anything more?
Calum Davenport
When the Lilywhites beat others in the race to sign England under-21 international defender Calum Davenport from Coventry City in 2004, they would have thought they’d unearthed a real £1.3m gem.
However, the centre-half embarked on a bizarre career that would never see him get close to the level he was once thought to have the potential to reach – he appeared a mere 20 times for Spurs.
Paulinho
After an impressive 2012/2013 campaign for Corinthians in his native Brazil, Paulinho was noticed in Europe by Andre Villas-Boas and another chunk of the Bale money would be allocated to obtain his signature.
It would take the Lilywhites two seasons to work out the Brazil man just wasn’t up to Premier League standard after he was only able to register nine-goal involvements in 45 matches and he was disposed of by Mauricio Pochettino in one of the early lucrative Chinese Super League transfers.
Members of the Tottenham faithful will most recently remember him being oddly brought back to the continent in 2017 by Barcelona.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Zinedine Zidane made a bold choice and decided to start Rodrygo in a must-win game against Galatasaray on Thursday.
The young forward embraced the chance with open arms and mustered a great performance and that should be incentive enough for the Frenchman to give him more game time.
On the chalkboard
For all of his obvious qualities, the 18-year-old Brazilian hasn’t really been utilised often enough.
So far, we’ve only seen him feature twice in La Liga, tallying just 43 minutes in the process, and once in the Champions League just recently in that victory over Galatasaray.
But whenever he’s been given a shot, he hasn’t disappointed.
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After all, we’re talking about a player that scored a goal within minutes of being subbed on against Osasuna on matchday six and a player who was among the most proactive troopers on the pitch against Galatasaray.
The same cannot really be said for his compatriot, Vinicius Junior, who has been blowing hot and cold.
Maybe it’s time for a change.
A big step up
Vinicius is a year older than Rodrygo and so far, at least until now, he has been higher on Zidane’s priority list.
After all, he has nine games under his belt already, and despite scoring once and assisting once along the way, Rodrygo very much feels like the more mature of the two.
Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…
Vinicius is very unpredictable and chaotic, and while that can also be a good thing for the team, it also means he’s not exactly reliable and consistent.
At the very beginning of the season, this poor run of form was evident and we’ve already seen alarm bells ringing in the media and concern over the player’s future building.
Rodrygo, on the other hand, was silently waiting for his opportunity but whenever he has actually had one, he has impressed.
For that reason, Zidane should reward him with a bigger role in the team.
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…
Once again, Arsenal showed themselves up defensively against Crystal Palace.
They were 2-0 up after nine minutes against the Eagles, and they really should have pushed on from there to put the game to bed. However, their defensive frailty prevented them from doing so.
In the end, Roy Hodgson and co earned themselves a 2-2 draw thanks to goals from Luka Milivojevic and Jordan Ayew.
Arsenal fans have started to turn on Unai Emery, find out who they’d rather have in charge in the video below…
Ironically, it was the centre-back pairing of David Luiz and Sokratis who put the Gunners ahead.
However, they should be more occupied with keeping out the opposition, which is something they have struggled to do so far this campaign. In the nine games they have played together, they have conceded 14 goals. In terms of the Premier League table, only Chelsea have shipped more in the top 10.
Unai Emery clearly sees this as a problem position for him, and it is being reported that the north London outfit are interested in signing Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez. It is a move that makes perfect sense, especially next summer, as it would complete a backline that would be able to stay together for years to come.
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It has been a difficult time for 22-year-old Gomez since aggravating his ankle injury and needing to have surgery last December.
However, before that, he was looking to be the perfect partner for Virgil van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool’s defence. He started 12 of the first 14 Premier League matches, with the Reds conceding just five during that time. He even played 90 minutes for England in both of their UEFA Nations League fixtures against Spain and Croatia.
His time on the sidelines means he has appeared to have lost his place to Joel Matip, which explains why he is considering leaving the club. He would be a fantastic addition for most sides in the Premier League though, including Arsenal.
They already have one centre-back to come in next summer in William Saliba. The 18-year-old has spent a good portion of time out too, but since returning to the action for Saint-Etienne, Les Verts have kept two clean sheets in his three starts in Ligue 1.
Before that, they conceded in all of the seven league matches he missed due to a hamstring injury.
On the flanks, the Gunners have Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin, two young full-backs who have looked promising so far. A back four of those two, Saliba and Gomez would have a combined age of 86. They would, therefore, have a backline that could stay together for the foreseeable future, and could be the base of the side.
Arsene Wenger built his first successful team on a solid and settled four of Lee Dixon, Tony Adams, Steve Bould and Nigel Winterburn, and the addition of Gomez would allow Emery to rest easy as he goes in search of success.
Valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, a huge rise on the £3.5m Liverpool paid to Charlton in 2015, he would not come cheap, but he would be worth every penny. Such a talented player does not come around too often. The Emirates Stadium team’s hierarchy should jump at the opportunity.
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 Sky Sports, former Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin has opened up on his exit from the club.
What did he say?
The Frenchman joined the Red Devils from fellow Premier League side Southampton, but struggled to nail down a consistent position in the first-team – in his time at Old Trafford, the 29-year-old made just 47 appearances across all competitions in total.
Having since made the move to Merseyside to join Everton in a £24m deal back in January 2017, Schneiderlin has featured a bit more regularly under Marco Silva this season, making eight appearances.
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Now, the former Saints man has opened up on his failed career at United, and admitted he perhaps should have stayed and fought for his place.
He said (as quoted by The Manchester Evening News): “I had a week before the season started (after EURO 2016) so I didn’t have a proper pre-season. Mourinho said to me he likes me as a footballer but he knows some players in my position more because he had a pre-season with them. I was a bit too impatient when I wanted to leave.
Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…
“Maybe I should have said to myself, keep working and it will come. For example, Ander Herrera, under van Gaal he doesn’t play for four months, but he kept passionate and he played under Mourinho. Then he gets his move to Paris-Saint Germain so sometimes in football you need to keep passion.”
Commitment
When Schneiderlin first made the move to Old Trafford for £25m, it felt like United were getting one of the top holding midfielders in the Premier League at the time. As per Whoscored, the Frenchman averaged an impressive 3.7 tackles and 2.6 interceptions per game in his final league season at St Mary’s. But in Manchester, he failed to hit the ground running, and never really looked like establishing himself as a key presence in the team.
As he alludes to, perhaps he should have taken a leaf out of Herrera’s book and refused to take no for an answer and just showed his dedication and commitment to the cause by seizing any opportunities he was given. Even still, there may not be too many tears of regret on the part of the Red Devils that Schneiderlin is no longer with them.
It’s seemingly becoming a regular occurrence for West Ham fans now to see Declan Rice called up to the England squad, and the 21-year-old midfielder is again back with the Three Lions this month.
The 6 foot 1 West Ham star was called up yet again to Gareth Southgate’s England squad for their upcoming international games against Montenegro and Kosovo (per the FA’s official website), with Rice retaining his place in the team despite the Hammers suffering some fairly poor form in October that saw the east London side fail to win a single game (per BBC Sport).
And it is because of this form that made West Ham fans on social media confused as to why Rice still kept his spot in the England team, with the defensive midfielder playing every minute in October, as stats from Transfermarkt show, that saw the Hammers slip to 13th in the Premier League table (per the Premier League’s official website).
Here’s what some West Ham fans had to say about Rice’s England call-up on Twitter, with a few supporters confused as to why the defensive midfielder had been named in the Three Lions squad for this month…
West Ham fans, was Southgate wrong to call up Rice for this international break? Let us know!
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…
When Manchester United slipped to an embarrassing 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on October 6, the writing appeared to be on the wall for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Reports in the aftermath of the game suggested that he was fighting for his long-term future at Old Trafford, with claims that a heavy defeat in their next outing against Liverpool could prove to be the final nail in the coffin.
Crucially however, the clash against their arch-rivals was preceded by an international break. And boy did United need it. The Red Devils had the chance to regroup, get back to basics and quite simply for those selected by their respective countries, be far away from the turmoil surrounding Old Trafford. The time away from the spotlight and pressure no doubt proved to be the tonic to a lot of the side’s cures, and their subsequent run after that certainly showed that.
After halting Liverpool’s flawless run to the Premier League campaign with a hard-fought draw, Solskjaer’s men rattled off five wins in six games – with their only blip coming in a 1-0 reverse to Bournemouth. Four of their five victories saw them score more than one goal – something they couldn’t do since the opening match of the season.
So after beating Brighton 3-1 on Sunday afternoon, the last thing United would have hoped for is another international break. The last one seemed perfectly timed for them; this one just feels like a completely unnecessary nuisance. When you’re on a run of form and the confidence is flowing back as a result, you just want to keep on going, playing games and picking up wins.
This latest round of internationals essentially dissipates some of the feel-good factor, and could lead to the Red Devils coming back on November 24 against Sheffield United with none of the momentum that they had desperately gained.
Where before the stars seemed aligned for United, now the club could suffer contrasting fortunes to what they previously enjoyed.