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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… 

Over the course of the summer transfer window, Manchester United’s pursuit of Sean Longstaff hit the headlines. The Newcastle prospect had just enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, making nine appearances in the Premier League, and had earned huge comparisons with Michael Carrick.

But after reportedly being quoted £50m for his signature, the Red Devils walked away from a potential swoop, and failed to sign another central midfielder in the end. The man to benefit the most from that decision? Scott McTominay. The Scotland international has been an ever-present in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side this season, featuring in all seven Premier League games this season.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

On Sunday, the duo are likely to line up in the middle of midfield for their respective sides. And for McTominay in particular, it is a chance to really under-line why the Red Devils made the right choice not to replace him this summer.

Both Longstaff and McTominay make up one half of the midfield two for their respective sides, and there is an all-action element to their games.

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While their key passes and tackles per game are quite similar, it is in the other main categories outlined in the graphic however, that the United midfielder really has the edge.

The 22-year-old makes more than double the amount of interceptions as his Magpies counterpart, whilst he also registers 18 more passes per game too. The passing numbers are perhaps always likely to be skewed in the Red Devils’ favour however, due to their superior possession (they average 54.5% compared to Newcastle’s measly 37.6%).

If McTominay can use his 6 foot 4 frame to dominate the centre of midfield, then Longstaff will struggle considerably in getting a foothold in the game for the Magpies. The former displayed his attacking credentials with a fine strike against Arsenal on Monday night, and will surely be heading into the contest with a bounce in his step.

At St James’ Park this weekend, the Scot has the perfect opportunity to really hammer home that it was a blessing in disguise that United opted against a move for Longstaff. And if his start to the season is anything to go by, then he will do exactly that.

حث محلل شبكة قنوات “سكاي سبورتس”، جيمي كاراجر، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول، يورجن كلوب، على إجراء تغيير في تشكيل ليفربول الأساسي قبل مباراة ولفرهامبتون في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وعاد دييجو جوتا إلى المشاركة من جديد مع ليفربول بعد التعافي الكامل من الإصابة في الركبة والتي لحقت به في بداية ديسمبر من العام الماضي 2020.

كان البرتغالي أحد اللاعبين المشاركين مع ليفربول بمباراة لايبزيج في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا بعد ظهوره في مباراتي تشيلسي وفولهام، والتي فاز فيها الريدز بهدفين نظيفين وأكد على تأهله لدور الثمانية من المسابقة القارية.

ويرى كاراجر أن جوتا يجب أن يكون في التشكيل الأساسي لنادي ليفربول في مباراة ولفرهامبتون والتي تقام يوم، الإثنين، على ملعب “مولينكس” في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءًا بتوقيت “القاهرة”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. هيسكي: محمد صلاح ضمن أفضل لاعبي العالم بعد ميسي ورونالدو

وتحدث الإنجليزي عن وجهة نظره في تصريحات لشبكة “CBS Sports”، وقال الأمريكية: “لقد دعوت منذ فترة لمشاركة جوتا خاصة على حساب فيرمينو”.

وأضاف: “اعتقد أن فيرمينو كان محظوظًا لإصابة جوتا لفترة طويلة، لأن الأخير كان على وشك إنهاء شراكة هذا الثلاثي الهجومي المكون من محمد صلاح وساديو ماني بجانب البرازيلي”.

وتابع: “من المثير للاهتمام هو لعب جوتا في مركز المهاجم مثل فيرمينو أمام لايبزيج، خاصة وأنه كان أمام فولهام يلعب في الجناح، كان محمد صلاح كمهاجم صريح”.

وواصل تصريحاته: “جوتا يمثل تهديدًا كبيرًا على مرمى المنافسين لتسجيل الأهداف، وهنا ندرك أن فيرمينو يقدم إمكانيات فنية أخرى لصالح ليفربول”.

وأتم: “لكن عندما تفكر جيدًا، ترى أن ليفربول بحاجة إلى أكبر عدد من اللاعبين القادرين على تسجيل الأهداف على أرض الملعب لأن لاعبي خط الوسط لا يسجلون ومهمة الظهيرين هي صناعة الأهداف والفريق خسر فان دايك لذلك يجب أن يكون جوتا في التشكيل الأساسي”.

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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… 

Leeds suffered their first defeat of the season on Tuesday night, albeit on penalties as they exited the Carabao Cup.

The Whites went 2-0 down in the first half in what was a sluggish period out of character with some of their displays this term.

However, they fought back through Eddie Nketiah and Helder Costa before eventually losing 5-4 on penalties.

Jack Harrison was the unfortunate man to miss from 12 yards as Stoke went through to the next round.

But to have any chance of getting to penalties in the first place, Marcelo Bielsa had a large say on proceedings.

On the chalkboard

Leeds made eight changes to their starting XI to face the Potters on Tuesday night as a number of fringe players got their opportunity.

Alfie McCalmont was rewarded with his first start whilst Mateusz Bogusz earned his senior team debut for the Whites.

On top of that, Jamie Shackleton and Jack Clarke, more regular members of the side last season also played.

Despite that, three of those individuals were withdrawn at the break in what was a ruthless tinker from Bielsa.

He clearly wasn’t happy with the way things were going and as a result, he took off McCalmont, Shackleton and Clarke.

Making all three substitutes at the break is rather unusual but on this occasion, it paid off, even if they did lose on penalties as Harrison, Ben White and Adam Forshaw were introduced.

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The stats either side of the break demonstrate just how great an impact the Argentine’s methods had.

After the first half, Leeds had 64% of the possession, failing to have a single shot on target whilst they only played 199 accurate passes, per stats based Twitter account LUFC Data.

However, in the second period, they had 76% of possession whilst having three shots on target. Meanwhile, Leeds managed to play 295 accurate passes.

The comparison between the two was stark and that was largely down to the way Bielsa changed things.

Taking off three of your most inexperienced players was ruthless but it was ultimately the right call.

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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…

Crystal Palace are entangled in a transfer saga involving their star man Wilfried Zaha, with both Arsenal and Everton expressing an interest in his services, but it seems the club are holding out for their £80m-demanded fee.

Roy Hodgson and Palace have already lost one of their star players in Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who left for Manchester United in a deal worth around £50m, so it’s easy to understand why they’re reluctant to let another leave as well.

This transfer window has been a quiet one for the Eagles, who’ve only signed two players so far, but neither Jordan Ayew or Stephen Henderson are likely to have a profound impact on the squad next season.

Jason Puncheon and Bakary Sako have also left the club after their contracts expired, so reinforcements and depth are clearly needed in south London.

Watch Crystal Palace Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Missed opportunity?

Arsenal have reportedly agreed a deal worth £72m for Lille’s Nicolas Pepe, and if the deal does go ahead, one would assume that it would end the Gunners’ pursuit of Zaha, who had a bid rejected for him earlier this window.

Firstly, it’s important to point out that Palace are entitled to demand a huge fee for the Ivorian, however, they ultimately might regret setting the bar too high.

The reports are stating that there’s no way the south Londoner’s would agree to any deal below the demanded £80m, though Arsenal’s negotiations over a deal for Pepe suggest they might not get any deal at all.

In the video below, find out which Chelsea academy prospect is reportedly being lined up to replace Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Crystal Palace…

Having struggled to bring players in this summer transfer window, the extra funds accumulated from the sale of Zaha would have opened up so many more possibilities.

Yes, the money earned from the Wan-Bissaka deal helps but in a market in which Tyrone Mings is worth up to £25m, it’s clear that even a £50m sale isn’t enough to bring in a handful of quality players.

Selling Zaha could have kick-started a bigger rebuild and made the club less reliant on one star player, but their stubbornness over his price-tag may deprive them of the opportunity to perform the major surgery Roy Hodgson’s squad needs.

Palace may regret not being more open to negotiations with Arsenal, who look to be prioritising a different target in their search for a new wing-wizard.

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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…

Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the late 1990s. Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov in the late 2000s. And now, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Alexis Sanchez and Mason Greenwood in the late 2010s. How the mighty have fallen.

After the confirmation of Romelu Lukaku’s £73m exit to Inter on deadline day, coupled with Manchester United’s failure to sign a replacement, the Red Devils head into the new season with a set of forwards who arguably aren’t even recognised number nines.

Financially, off the pitch, the deal with Inter makes perfect sense. Inside those white lines however, it’s a total disaster.

All four of Solskjaer’s current options are essentially hybrid winger/forward players, and none have led the line up front on their own for an entire campaign. That is mind-numbing.

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That alone would have been a difficult prospect in the pomp of United’s years of success, but in this climate of disappointment and relative mediocrity, it just feels nigh on shambolic. Simply put, how have one of British football’s most successful sides ended up in this predicament?

Indeed, the situation feels far worse when considering the kind of attacking stardust the club’s rivals in the big six can boast.

Manchester City have Sergio Aguero. Liverpool have Mohamed Salah. Tottenham have Harry Kane. Arsenal have Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. And yet, quite conceivably, United may have to rely on a 17-year-old Greenwood to fire in the goals for the upcoming season if things really do go from bad to worse. It all speaks to a lack of forward planning and risk management from both Solskjaer and the Red Devils’ hierarchy.

It’s almost become the norm for the likes of Ed Woodward and the Glazer family to get hammered from pillar to post in recent years, but their failures in allowing a situation like this to fester is the height of incompetency. United’s total of 65 goals in the Premier League was only above Chelsea in the top-six, whilst their noisy neighbours smashed in a further 30 in comparison.

For all of Rashford’s potential, the England international has featured in just over half of his career matches as a central striker (101 in 184), whilst United’s now second-choice option up front, Martial, has played there just 87 times in 248 games. Not the kind of out-and-out centre-forward that United have been crying out for.

After the early arrivals of Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, this summer felt like it had the potential to really build a new era under Solskjaer. Instead, the Red Devils head into the new season with an ominous cloud hanging over them. A Manchester United side without a proper number nine will be a genuinely bizarre sight, and only further highlights how far they have fallen.

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Lots of Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to discuss Joe Gomez’s impressive start to pre-season.

The England international was entitled to a longer holiday after featuring in the UEFA Nations League this summer, but decided to return to Melwood early to ensure he got the maximum out of pre-season.

“It reminds me of a bus seat!” – Watch a damning verdict on Chelsea’s new kit in the video below…

In addition to returning to work earlier than expected, the 6 foot 2 centre-back proved how much work he has done on his fitness since the season ended by running James Milner all the way in the lactate test – a drill designed to assess the players’ fitness levels after their time off.

You can clearly see that the 22-year-old is determined to win his place back from Joel Matip. The Cameroonian took Gomez’s spot after the Englishman suffered a leg fracture back in December, an injury that saw him play just 12 minutes in the remainder of the campaign.

His impressive start to pre-season is certainly eye-catching, and it has got some Liverpool fans on Twitter talking…

أكد بدر بانون مدافع الأهلي، أن جميع لاعبي الفريق لديهم رغبة قوية في تحقيق نتيجة إيجابية أمام الدحيل يوم الخميس المقبل، مشيرًا إلى أن المواجهة ستكون صعبة.

ويلتقي الأهلي أمام منافسه الدحيل في افتتاحية مشوار الفريق بكأس العالم للأندية مساء الخميس المقبل.

وقال بدر بانون في تصريحات عبر الموقع الرسمي للأهلي: “الجهاز الفني يتحدث معنا بشكل مستمر عن أهمية مباراة الدحيل، و‏ضرورة تحقيق الفوز من أجل الذهاب لأبعد نقطة في كأس العالم للأندية، لدينا دوافع ‏كبيرة جدًا في المونديال، من أجل الظهور بشكل يتناسب مع طموحات وأحلام جماهيرنا ‏العظيمة في كل مكان”.

طالع | زبير بيه: الأهلي قادر على منافسة بايرن ميونخ في مونديال الأندية

وأضاف: “لا حديث بالنسبة لنا يعلو على مباراة الدحيل، ولا نفكر في شيء غيرها، نتحدث ‏كثيرًا عن المباراة والمنافس، ونشاهد مبارياته بشكل يومي، من أجل دراسة نقاط القوة ‏والضعف في صفوفه استعدادًا للمواجهة”.

وأشار بانون إلى أنه فخور باللعب في صفوف الأهلي الذي يمتلك شعبية طاغية في كل مكان، ‏وهو ما يدفع اللاعبين إلى القتال داخل الملعب لتحقيق الانتصارات والبطولات.‏

واختتم تصريحاته قائلًا: “شعرت بفخر كبير جدا عند استقبال جماهير الأهلي لنا ‏في الدوحة، كانت مشاهد مؤثرة للغاية ومنحتنا مزيدًا من الدوافع لتحقيق الفوز في مواجهة ‏يوم الخميس المقبل أمام الدحيل”.

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Arsenal’s players are already officially knee deep in pre-season training as the squad prepare for their first obstacles on the road in the new 2019/20 Premier League season.

The majority of the players are back on the grind and among the returning superstars was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Gunners’ prolific goal scorer.

The pacey forward from Gabon posted his first snaps on Instagram after returning to the proverbial office and, of course, it attracted some attention from fellow stars.

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Aubameyang also captioned it with “practice” and posted a series of hashtags after it, emphasising his great first touch of the ball.

Real Betis’ Marc Bartra responded in awe of the snap, suggesting that the former Borussia Dortmund man showcases great quality.

And the Spanish defender was not the only to express their admiration for Aubameyang, as others were also impressed by what they saw.

Aubameyang had a fantastic season with Arsenal last time out, scoring 31 goals and assisting eight in all competitions.

If Unai Emery is to enjoy any success in the forthcoming season, it’s more than likely that the £60m man will play a key role.

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Manchester United are set to target Eric Dier instead of Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, per TeamTalk, leaving Tottenham Hotspur fans in hysterics.

Ndombele has been a major target for Spurs this summer, with The Guardian reporting that the club are in talks with the French outfit over a possible deal.

The aforementioned TeamTalk report claims that United attempted to muscle in, however, by making an approach towards the France international.

Ndombele, however, is said to have told the Red Devils that he would prefer to move to Spurs, who finished five points clear of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side in 2018/19.

As a result, United are, ironically, instead set to target Eric Dier, of Spurs, as they look to reinforce their midfield in the summer transfer market.

And the latest developments have left Spurs fans in hysterics, with their top target seemingly keen to join them at the expense of their rivals.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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Tottenham Hotspur are monitoring James Maddison ahead of a potential summer bid, per the Daily Mirror, but fans have been left underwhelmed by the link.

Mauricio Pochettino is reported to be a big fan of the attacking midfielder, who has enjoyed an excellent season at the King Power Stadium.

Maddison scored seven goals and laid on seven assists during the 2018-19 campaign and his form was rewarded with an England call-up by manager Gareth Southgate; he was on the bench for UEFA Nations League clashes with Croatia and Spain.

He has yet to actually make his debut for the Three Lions and will be involved with the Under-21s European Championship campaign in Italy and San Marino this summer.

The Mirror report that Leicester will want to receive a major profit on the £22.5million they spent to secure Maddison’s signature from Norwich City.

And supporters are doubtful that chairman Daniel Levy will be willing to pay such a fee for the player, with several fans lukewarm on the possibility of signing the playmaker.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!