All posts by h716a5.icu

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Jack Clarke played 70 minutes of Leeds United’s 3-0 win over Salford City in the first round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday night.

The 18-year-old has not been involved in the Championship this season but was named in the starting XI at the Peninsula Stadium.

Clarke is, of course, now only on loan at Leeds having completed a move to Tottenham Hotspur during the summer transfer window.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Indeed, the teenager has signed a deal with Spurs until the summer of 2023 but was immediately loaned back to the Whites for the 2019-20 campaign.

It will be very interesting to see how involved the teenager is this season when considering that he will be moving on next summer.

A number of Tottenham fans closely watched the attacker’s performance against Salford and there were some mixed views on how he performed on the night.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Spurs supporters can be seen below:

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

Leicester opened their Premier League account with a 0-0 draw last weekend, VAR saving them from a defeat at the hands of Wolves.

Leander Dendoncker had found the back of the net but the use of a hand in the build-up kept the scores level and eventually saw both sides play out a bore draw.

It wasn’t an ideal start to the campaign but ahead of a fixture with Chelsea today, there are positives.

One of which was the defensive attitude of those selected among Brendan Rodgers’ back four.

On the chalkboard

Leicester eventually succumbed to seeing Harry Maguire leave during the transfer window as Manchester United finally met their £80m asking price for the defender.

Without him, it was always going to be interesting to see how they coped.

However, with Caglar Soyuncu in their backline, he showed hugely impressive signs and perhaps displayed an unexpected level of performance.

An outing against Frank Lampard’s team, however, will be an altogether different proposition for the young Turk.

If he manages to produce another similar display then it will go a long way to softening the colossal blow of losing Maguire.

Per WhoScored, he won five aerial duels, completed three tackles and finished the game with a pass success rate of 91% against Wolves. He even made one dribble throughout the encounter.

Could it be “game over” for Kelechi Iheanacho at Leicester? Find out in the video below…

If he can conjure up something similar against a more attacking Chelsea side it’ll be quite something, especially for someone who was rarely afforded much of a chance in 2018/19.

The 23-year-old struggled to settle in and played just six times in the Premier League. The 6 foot 1 centre back was also linked with a move away in the summer but he’s now stepped up confidently.

Soyuncu and Filip Benkovic are two long-term solutions for Maguire but at the moment it’s the former who is proving himself the most as Jonny Evans’ partner.

Providing he can perform against Chelsea, there should be a strong sense of accomplishment around the football club.

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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…

The Champions League group stage draw has caused excitement for reigning champions Liverpool, and midfielder Fabinho is confident of his side’s chances of success once again this season.

What’s been said?

Liverpool claimed a sixth Champions League title last season whilst challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title until the very last day, but in the end they had to settle for just one piece of silverware.

It was a fine way for Fabinho to end a successful debut season, in what was just his second trophy win in an albeit relatively short career.

As the current holders, the Brazilian recognises the fact that the opposition will be more aware of their threat as well as their shortcomings this time around.

Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, Fabinho said: “The Champions League is a special competition and we’re the reigning champions, so there’s always going to be a lot of expectation about who we’re going to come up against. We’re relaxed about it.

“We’re fully aware that when we return from this international break there will be a more intense fixture schedule with midweek games, but that’s good – we like it.

“As we’re the reigning champions, all the other teams are going to focus much more on us, they’ll know more about our team.”

Liverpool have enjoyed a 100% record in their start to the season and there are already plenty of signs to suggest they will compete for the most coveted trophy in European football once again this season.

Competing on both fronts

The question of whether English teams suffer in league matches after playing in the Champions League mid-week has been widely discussed, and statistics indicate that over the last five seasons Liverpool have experienced this problem.

However, last season 12 of Liverpool’s Premier League games came directly after playing in Europe, yet the Reds dropped just four points in total – at home to Manchester City and away to Manchester United – which is no disgrace on Liverpool’s part.

That suggests Liverpool could be able to reach their high standards once again even if there is a lack of rotation like last season – when 11 players featured in 40 games or more.

The return of Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lallana will help with rotation, but there is a worrying lack of depth in the full-back areas and up-front, and an injury to one of the front-three could severely impact their chances of success this season.

However, Divock Origi has played a valuable role in European competition previously with goals against Barcelona and Tottenham in the latter stages, so Klopp should be able to maintain performances like he did last season.

If he does Liverpool will have a great chance of pulling off a magnificent Premier League and European double.

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Gaetano Berardi is a puzzling footballer and to suggest he can completely replace Liam Cooper would be overstepping the mark.

The Swiss defender has picked up six red cards during his time with Leeds in what can only be described as a hideous disciplinary record but last weekend against Stoke he was up to the challenge.

For obvious reasons, Berardi is a player who causes unrest and nervousness among Leeds supporters.

Before that clash with the Potters, Marcelo Bielsa revealed that Berardi may have to take Cooper’s place because of injury, a piece of news which left the Elland Road faithful concerned.

A knock to the ankle was Cooper’s downfall, a problem which caused him to sit out the Carabao Cup tie with Stoke as well.

He was missed in that outing, but in league action, the Whites managed to deal without him.

And they did so in impressive style as Berardi eventually ended up taking plaudits from the Leeds fan base.

It was quite a turnaround for a player who, alongside Cooper, took stick in pre-season too.

At 5 foot 10, Berardi isn’t your usual towering central defender and concerns over his height are understandable, even if he is adept at winning aerial duels.

But Bielsa made a key tactical tweak last weekend that paid dividends, especially for Berardi.

In the past, the Argentine has experimented with a three man defence which has seen Kalvin Phillips come into the middle but the majority of that was whilst Berardi was injured.

Last term he had two significant spells on the sidelines, missing six matches with a knee problem before returning but getting injured almost immediately. On that occasion, he sat out 21 games from October to February.

His fitness for the majority of last term was questionable but so far this season he’s come out firing, netting against Salford and putting in an assured and measured display versus Stoke in the league.

Playing in a three, he helped Leeds keep a clean sheet whilst winning five aerial duels in the process. His presence was crucial as he made six clearances and a further two blocks, finishing the encounter with a pass success of 85.9%, per WhoScored.

It’s hard to assess whether a similar impact would have been had in a back two but it proves that by losing Cooper, Leeds can protect both Berardi and their defence by opting for a three-man backline.

After all, in regulation time, Berardi is unbeaten when playing in this formation under Bielsa last term and this.

Conceding against Stoke in the Carabao Cup would have been alarming but the defender was playing alongside Leif Davis in defence, a player who isn’t used to playing in the middle on an all too regular basis.

As a result, a competent defender like Ben White, still needs to play his part. The Brighton loanee has been magnificent since arriving, winning 2.6 tackles and 3.4 interceptions each match prior to the Whites’ game against Swansea.

He is the real reason behind why Leeds have only conceded twice in the Championship heading into this weekend but Berardi can definitely have a say too.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 31-year-old has his shaky moments, no less so than in the playoffs when he was sent off. That, however, was when he only had one defender alongside him.

The fact he has defensive cover in a system like this is hugely beneficial to the whole team and the way he filled the Cooper void last weekend was an encouraging start.

It may take time for Berardi to truly work his way back into the hearts of Leeds fans but if Bielsa is ever missing Cooper again, he must play with a three-man backline.

It could just save them countless points.

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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…

Phillip Cocu has told The People he could have joined Arsenal during his career.

What’s the story?

The former Netherlands international replaced Frank Lampard as Derby County boss in the summer, but before becoming a manager, he had a successful playing career, winning four Eredivisie titles with PSV Eindhoven and La Liga with Barcelona.

He had been talking about those days as a defensive midfielder and said: “I was playing for my first professional club, Vitesse Arnhem, when Arsenal came for me.

“Then, halfway through my career, when I was about to sign a new contract at Barcelona, there was a second chance. But in both cases, the clubs could not agree.

“They have the bigger mentality” – Spurs fans come to blows after the North London Derby in the video below…

Cocu instead of Vieira?

The 48-year-old was with Vitesse between 1990 and 1995 before moving on to PSV and FC Barcelona. He would end up making 540 appearances between the two clubs and also earned 100 caps for his country. It is fair to say he was one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation.

Had he made the switch to north London, he would have no doubt improved the Gunners. However, his arrival may have prevented the signing of the legendary Patrick Vieira. The France World Cup winner joined Arsenal in 1996 just before Arsene Wenger was appointed as the club’s manager.

The two were defensive midfielders, and there is no reason to believe that Cocu wouldn’t have been able to produce the same level of performances in the Premier League as he did in the Eredivisie and La Liga. As such, Vieira’s signing may not have been needed at all.

What would Wenger’s reign look like without the former Juventus hard-man, or indeed the English footballing landscape as a whole?

Vieira had a huge impact on the Arsenal side, and was a part of the famous Invincibles. Would Arsenal have had the same success without him commanding the middle of the park?

Unfortunately, it is a question we will never know the answer to. But it is hard to imagine Arsenal fans crying over the comments. After all, in Vieira, they got their hands on one of the best midfielders in Premier League history.

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According to The Daily Mail, agents are ‘circling around’ Marcus Rashford in the hope of securing the Manchester United forward to their company.

The report reveals that the England international ‘leaves much of the management of his career’ to his mother Melanie.

However, it is alleged that the likes of Paul Stretford – who represents Wayne Rooney – are targeting the 21-year-old in the hope of reaching an agreement.

Rashford only signed a new long-term contract at Old Trafford during the summer – and he now has a deal until June 2023 with the option of a further 12 months.

The academy product has found the back of the net on two occasions in four Premier League outings at the start of the 2019-20 campaign.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Both of those strikes came against Chelsea on the opening weekend, though, and he has struggled for form since.

As expected, a number of United fans have been offering their views on the above claim – a selection of which can be seen below:

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

If history is anything to go by Liverpool are in for a stern test for their visit to Napoli, and their control of the ball will be key to their chances of taking something back to Anfield.

In their two trips the San Paolo the Reds are without a victory, with their most recent meeting ending in a 1-0 defeat in the Champions League group stage last season.

Since then Liverpool have been crowned European champions, but their away form in the competition still requires improvement, seeing as they lost four of their seven away matches last term against the Serie A outfit, Paris Saint-Germain, Red Star Belgrade and Barcelona.

Improving that record against Napoli is a daunting task, as Gli Azzurri make things difficult for any team due to their dominance of possession, and midfielder Allan is key to their system in both attack and defence.

He is in many ways their equivalent to Fabinho, and not because they’re both Brazilian.

The pair are assured on the ball, keeping composure whilst under pressure and able to break up play when out of possession. Limiting their infleunce will be the aim of both Carlo Ancelotti and Jurgen Klopp and, judging by their impressive starts this season, whichever team is more effective in doing so will have a great advantage.

According to WhoScored, Fabinho has averaged the highest number of passes per game of any Liverpool midfielder in the Premier League with 54, whilst Allan’s 51 ranks behind only Piotr Zielinksi in the same metric.

Alongside his midfield partner, Allan has been significant in Napoli’s average of 549 passes in Serie A, and if they are able to repeat their dominance of the ball in the same fixture last season – when they had 57% possession – then they could take an early lead in the group.

This time around, however, Fabinho will likely start. He only played 14 minutes in the same fixture last year and his influence could be the difference.

Not only is he able to break up play effectively, but he can also control the tempo of matches, and if Liverpool endure spells under pressure, which is likely at some point, he will provide a platform to keep things simple, or perhaps spark a counter – he has, after all, averaged four successful long passes per game this season.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

His pass accuracy of 87% shows he rarely puts a foot wrong, whilst his tackling and interception stats show the defensive aspect of his game.

Unfortunately for the Reds, the same can also be said of Allan. In fact, he has bettered Fabinho’s pass success rate with 94%, albeit having played two games less, whilst his Serie A statistics prove how efficient he is in dealing with the opposition.

There is clearly little to separate them, and it could therefore come down to who performs better on the night. Both teams can mix up their game due to the pace of their forwards so controlling the midfield is vital to creating attacks, and if Fabinho can provide Liverpool with a platform to play as he often does, then they could be well placed to better their result in the last campaign.

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Sheffield Wednesday have been through the motions already this season – and it is only the middle of September.

On the eve of pre-season, Steve Bruce ditched the club to replace Rafa Benitez at Newcastle then under caretaker boss Lee Bullen they started the campaign with back-to-back wins before slipping to three defeats in four games.

That led to the appointment of Garry Monk, and his first match in charge was a victory in a Yorkshire derby over Huddersfield.

One player that has started all seven of their league encounters is Kadeem Harris, a permanent arrival from Cardiff City this summer.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He’s scored two goals and picked up his first assist of the 2019/20 campaign on Sunday when he found Steven Fletcher with a cross for the opener.

The best part of Harris’ arrival was the fact that he didn’t cost a penny, which one supporter picked up on by questioning “how on earth did we get this guy for free?”

Another fan claimed the 26-year-old was in contention for the Player of the Year award already while one more labelled him a “quality player.”

Harris played 13 times in the Premier League last season for the Bluebirds, and he will surely be hoping that his contribution at Hillsborough can help fire Wednesday back to the big time.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

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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…

Ed Woodward’s latest claim about Manchester United’s transfer business shows beyond all reasonable doubt that he is completely out of touch with the fans’ ambitions for the club.

What’s he said?

After a summer of activity that left Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with just three striking options, two of which are now injured, Woodward has now claimed the club are doing the right things in the market.

In part of a long statement insisting the club are on the right path with their long-term strategy, he said, via talkSPORT: “Much of the speculation on this type of role (director of football) focuses purely on recruitment – an area we’ve evolved in recent years.

“As already mentioned, we feel that the players we’ve signed this summer demonstrate that this approach is the right one.”

Is this a joke?

“This approach is the right one.” Seriously Ed?

The club’s approach, if you can even call it that, as that would imply there is actual strategy behind it, has left Solskjaer in a situation where he had no choice but to throw Jesse Lingard on up front against West Ham.

That’s the Lingard. You know, the one that hasn’t registered a goal or assist in the Premier League since December 2018. Yeah, that one.

With Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford both injured, the gaffer has one recognised striker, and for all his undeniable potential, heaping the responsibility of one of the biggest football clubs in the world onto 17 year-old Mason Greenwood’s shoulders is a monumental risk and downright foolish.

The worst part? Romelu Lukaku – that bloke who has 113 Premier League goals at the tender age of 26 – is enjoying a great start at Inter, and for all his woes last season, would surely be getting plenty of playing time at Old Trafford right now given the current circumstances.

Is the Belgian any worse than Rashford? Probably not if the fans’ verdict on the Englishman is anything to go by.

“This approach is the right one.” Remember those six words next time Solskjaer is throwing teenagers on in the faint hope of claiming victory from the jaws of defeat.

For a fan base with ambitions of lifting trophies every single season, Woodward’s comments are a slap in the face, and show he is completely out of touch with reality. They have every right to be outraged.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

Barcelona beat Inter Milan 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday but they were largely indebted to one tactical change from manager Ernesto Valverde.

Snapshot

The Catalan giants welcomed Inter to the fortress of Camp Nou and after an exciting clash, the Blaugrana took all three points.

Still, the Nerazzurri caused them all sorts of trouble and they even got pretty close to returning home with at least some of the points on the night. After all, they ended the game with 11 shots compared to Barcelona’s 17.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The difference is there but so was Inter’s constant threat. And who knows, maybe the situation could’ve been different had Valverde not made the right call in the second half.

He decided to take off Sergio Busquets and send Arturo Vidal onto the pitch, and that substitution probably won Barca the game.

Ultimate game-changer

The 32-year-old Chilean midfielder only played a total of 37 minutes in the clash against Inter Milan but his presence was huge.

In that time, he made the crucial assist for Luis Suarez’s first goal that levelled things for Barca but he also brought in some much-needed energy and vigour.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

Once he was introduced, it was like Barcelona were a completely different team, pressing higher up the pitch, pushing for the win and showing the aggressive side that was needed to turn things around.

Vidal also tallied 95.7% passing accuracy, one key pass and three long balls, successfully making a big impact on the game and pulling his weight on the night.

Of course, Lionel Messi and Suarez will get most of the praise but the Chilean was definitely the one that made the wheel spin and started what ended up becoming a great comeback.

Now they have to take that momentum and ride the wave moving forward.

And if this game is any indication, Vidal is bound to be a big part of it all.