Manchester United were linked with a number of players over the course of the summer transfer window, but only three new signings were made by the end.
One man who was heavily touted over a move to Old Trafford, was Newcastle’s Sean Longstaff. The 21-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last season, making nine appearances in the Premier League under Rafa Benitez.
Reports had suggested United were very keen on signing him, and a swoop appeared to be in line with their approach to signing young, promising British-based players.
However, a deal seemed to fall down over the price the Magpies were quoting for the midfielder, and now, BBC Sport claim Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side opted to walk away after hearing about the £50m asking price.
Having heard the reason why the club failed to sign Longstaff in the summer, United fans flooded to Twitter to share their thoughts on the matter.
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Many Red Devils supporters suggested they are glad the Englishman didn’t arrive, and insisted they didn’t need another “average” player on their books.
Some fans even remarked the news represented the “only good thing” they have heard in a while, and backed the club over their summer approach.
Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:
Conor Hourihane was on the scoresheet in Aston Villa’s 5-1 win over Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
The midfielder netted Villa’s fourth of the match at Carrow Road, and his performance led to a number of the club’s fans calling for him to start more matches.
Hourihane actually only played 24 minutes of Premier League football for Dean Smith’s side between August 17 and September 22.
The 28-year-old was handed the full 90 minutes against Burnley last weekend, though, before playing for 77 minutes against Norwich on Saturday.
Operating in a midfield three, Hourihane, who has also featured twice in the EFL Cup this season, had an 85% pass success rate, according to WhoScored.
And his outing against the Canaries impressed a whole host of the Villa supporters, with some calling for him to be used more frequently from the start of matches.
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A selection of the Twitter reaction is available to view below:
This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Statistics can play as much or as little part of your life as you desire them to in football.
They can either mean absolutely nothing if you believe that ‘the result is all that matters’, or they can give you a great excuse to point and say ‘this is why we’re doing terribly’.
We’ll let you make your mind up on what you make of this latest one.
On the chalkboard
The website Experimental361 has detailed how the Championship table should look based on the expected goals ‘xG’ of the teams and their games so far this season, and it makes for some rather interesting reading.
For those of you who don’t know how ‘expected goals’ work, it is essentially a way of working out how many goals a team should be scoring based on the difficulty of a chance, such as the angle of the shot, how good the assist was or what the type of opportunity is.
What the figures show, is that Forest have essentially been incredibly lucky with how the season has played out so far.
If you look at how Sabri Lamouchi’s men have done, they should be much further down the table than they currently are and remarkably sit in 17th place for expected goals.
It just goes to show how you need to be clinical whenever you are presented with your chances but also that good fortune goes a long way.
Take Lewis Grabban for instance, who may take a lot of shots on goal (4.4 per goal), but at least he buries them every now and again.
Compare that to Patrick Bamford at Leeds United for example who needs almost double the number that Grabban does (8.5 per goal).
Although what it does also indicate is that Brice Samba and the rest of the defence have been leading an incredibly charmed life if they have kept so many of the opposition’s efforts at bay. They’ve kept three sheets so far this season and boast the second-best defence in terms of goals conceded in the division.
The question is though, will they be able to keep it up for the rest of the campaign? We’ll have to see.
Throughout the history of La Liga, there have been multiple champions sitting on that coveted throne.
But even though the underdogs certainly do get their chances under the sun, the Spanish top-flight has largely revolved around three biggest fish in the pond in modern times: Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
And despite there being three highly regarded competitors for the trophy almost every single year and season upon season, there can only be one true king.
When we look specifically at the statistics and the history behind this illustrious competition, one club always comes out on top – Real Madrid.
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Los Blancos are the undisputed champions of La Liga, having won the competition 33 times in the past as opposed to Barcelona’s 26 and Atletico Madrid’s ten.
The latter two clubs are sitting in second and third respectively and even though the Catalans are getting closer and have been reducing the gap in recent times, Real Madrid are still standing strong.
The situation is similar when we take a look at the eternal league table of La Liga – Real Madrid are sitting comfortably at the very peak of the mountain with 5,655 points to their name and have once more left Barcelona, who have 5,499, and Atletico Madrid – 4,491 – in their rear view mirror.
Not to mention that the manager with the most league titles under his belt is actually a former Real Madrid player and their former boss, Miguel Munoz, who has managed to take the crown for a total of nine times, five more than the second-placed Johan Cruyff for Barcelona.
Ajax Amsterdam and Holland footballer Johan Cruyff takes a break from training as Ajax prepare for the European Cup Final against Panathenaikos at Wembley June 1971
Taking all of that into consideration, there’s only one possible winner in this debate and it’s not even close – the Galacticos reign supreme in all of the aforementioned categories and are still, for that reason, officially the most successful team in Spain.
But recently, however, there has been a shift in power in La Liga.
For all their dominance and success in Europe, Real Madrid have somewhat disregarded the importance of maintaining their supremacy in the domestic competition.
This is even further emphasised by the fact that Barcelona have clinched eight titles in the last 11 years, completely taking the spotlight from their eternal rivals.
With Atletico Madrid taking one in the 2013/14 season, that leaves Los Blancos with just two to their name in that same period.
Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…
For a team that has been a dominant force in the competition for years, this is a pretty disappointing statistic.
And sure, while Barcelona were busy taking over Spain, Real Madrid were cementing their names as the most successful team in the Champions League, winning an unprecedented three crowns in a row.
But even with that being said, Spanish teams usually hold La Liga as the most important trophy there is to win and it only serves to emphasise how Real Madrid have slightly taken their eyes off the prize.
Currently, however, they have a chance to turn their fortunes around once again.
It is still pretty early in the ongoing 2019/20 campaign but the Whites are sitting top of the table while Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are playing catch-up in second and third respectively.
And since both of their direct rivals to the crown are going through turmoil themselves, Barcelona still trying to find their groove and settle properly and Atletico Madrid going through their transitional period, now might be the ideal time to strike and retake the title.
The last time they were champions was in 2016/17 and before that, in 2011/12.
Clearly, that record does not mirror their stature and ambition, so the sole focus of their ongoing season should be to reclaim what has been lost for so long.
Of course, they will be hoping to compete on all fronts but priorities can and should be set by Zidane himself.
Many would value the Champions League over La Liga but, quite frankly, Real Madrid cannot afford to be ignored anymore.
The time has come to bring La Liga back to the Santiago Bernabeu by all means necessary.
And if other competitions get sacrificed along the way, so be it.
Their legacy in Europe is unparalleled but their status in Spain is under threat.
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…
Time to show us the gamble was worth it.
A lot of the talk coming out Nottingham Forest’s defeat to Wigan was the decision by Sabri Lamouchi to rest Lewis Grabban, with some media outlets even going so far as saying that the decision to drop him could have ramifications when the January window rolls around.
When Lamouchi spoke after the defeat, he mentioned how he had to be rather careful with how he handled Grabban with so many games coming up in such a short space of time:
“With Grabban, it was clear that I needed to think about all games. not just this one. I took some choices and I have this responsibility; I don’t have any problem with that.”
So with all that in mind, there can be no excuses for Grabban not to show up tonight.
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Whilst it was understandable for there to be some rotation given the fact Forest are playing three games in the space of six days, if you are going to rotate players in that way, you have to be able to show that the decision was the right one further down the line.
Grabban does not necessarily have to score a hat-trick or even contribute an assist for the decision to be justified, if he bullies defenders, holds up play for the rest of his teammates and creates opportunities for his team to get the win, it would have been the right call.
But at the same time, he can’t simply hang off the rest of the team’s coat-tails and let other players pick up the slack.
To put it bluntly, they need to win the game because of him, rather than in spite of him.
Not only should he want to perform to justify the manager’s decision to drop him on Sunday but also because he really needs to get back his goal-scoring form that has really been on the decline recently.
He’s gone from four goals in the first five games to one in the last seven, form that should be rather worrying for a team that is near the top of the table.
Failure to perform tonight, and those questions about bringing someone in during the January window are going to start getting louder and louder.
Aston Villa take a break from league action later this evening as they welcome local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers to Villa Park in the Carabao Cup.
Both teams know that a victory would advance them into the quarter-finals of the competition and to within a touching distance of a shot at silverware – but will that influence team selection?
Dean Smith’s men go into this one on the back of their first defeat in three matches, handed to them by Manchester City, who Wolves beat before the international break. It ended a run of back-to-back victories for the first time this campaign.
We already know that skipper Jack Grealish will be absent through injury, so here are the changes the 48-year-old is likely to make…
Smith has rotated his starting XI in both ventures into this tournament when thrashing Crewe Alexandra 6-1 and beating a youthful Brighton & Hove Albion.
So it seems plausible that he’ll do the same with only three players expected to remain.
Those will be goalkeeper Tom Heaton, who has been talking about this tie in the media this week, Douglas Luiz and Trezeguet.
With no Grealish or Jota, Anwar El Ghazi is sure to be recalled to play while Keinan Davis gets an opportunity to lead the line, considering he’s quite highly-rated amongst the Villa staff with assistant coach Richard O’Kelly claiming ‘he’s got some potential.’
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Luiz is another who keeps his place as John McGinn earns a well-deserved rest having been called upon late for that Brighton game due to Henri Lansbury’s injury, but the 29-year-old should be fit to play this one.
The entire back four is likely to change with several of Smith’s fringe players getting a start with the likes of Tyrone Mings and Bjorn Engels getting a rest in favour of Ezri Konsa and Kortney Hause.
In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast ahead of the London Football Awards, Tony Cottee has sung the praises of Jamie Vardy, naming him among the best forwards in the Premier League.
The former Leicester striker, who also represented England during his time as a player, spoke highly of what Vardy has managed to do during his career: “If you look at what Jamie’s achieved since he arrived from Fleetwood, he’s been absolutely fantastic.
“I think he’s got 100 goals now for Leicester, he’s got goals in the Premier League, they won the Premier League title, he’s played for England and scored for England.”
Vardy is now 32 years old, but there is no sign of the striker slowing down in front of goal, with his hat-trick in the record-breaking 9-0 victory over Southampton taking his total to nine goals in 10 Premier League games this season, which puts him top of the scoring charts.
As a fellow goal-getter, Cottee has shown plenty of appreciation for what Vardy has done this campaign, as he has played an integral part in the Foxes reaching their current position of third: “I’ve really enjoyed watching him this season, some of his goals have been excellent.
“I know he’s announced his retirement from England but he’s still banging the goals in for Leicester and Leicester have got a genuine chance of getting into the top six this year.”
Cottee was wary of going as far as to call Vardy world-class, but confidently named him among the Premier League’s best: “It’s hard to judge a player and say they’re a world-class striker because you’re comparing them with various players like Messi, Ronaldo, Lewandowski and people like that, Harry Kane, but, Jamie for me is one of the top strikers in the Premier League and has been for the last four or five years.”
In 281 games for Leicester, Vardy has now amassed 116 goals and 46 assists, so it is easy to see why Cottee rates him so highly.
Tony Cotteewas speaking as a judge on The London Football Awards, due to take place on 5th March 2020 at Camden’s Roundhouse. Tickets are available from https://
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to The Daily Star, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is weighing up the decision to send young goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher out on loan, with Preston interested in his services.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the 20-year-old glovesman has made two appearances for the first-team this season, with both of those coming in the Carabao Cup.
Kelleher firstly kept a clean sheet in the 2-0 win over MK Dons, before saving a penalty in a shootout win over Arsenal to hand his side a 5-4 victory in the battle from 12 yards – the scoring had finished 5-5 before the shootout took place.
The report states that Klopp is weighing up the decision to loan the player who the club feel could be a first-team starter in the future.
Loan would make perfect sense for everyone involved
Loaning the Republic of Ireland U21 stopper out would be the best option for everyone involved.
That wouldn’t be the case if Kelleher was the only option behind Alisson Becker, but Klopp has Adrian to rely on for the cup competitions so he should feel comfortable enough to sanction a loan exit for the 20-year-old.
The former Borussia Dortmund boss has already described the academy graduate as a “sensational talent”, so in that respect, it would be unfair on the youngster to restrict his game time to a few cup appearances here and there – doing that will not see Kelleher make significant improvement anytime soon.
Furthermore, a loan to Preston seems like a good option given Alex Neil’s side’s form right now – they are flying high in the Championship and are on course to mount a genuine challenge for promotion.
Loaning Kelleher out would help the keeper’s development, while also allowing Adrian to make more appearances – it is a move that just makes too much sense for the European champions and is one that should be completed in January.
According to Claret & Hugh, West Ham United have no intention of sacking Manuel Pellegrini as head coach despite the recent poor run of form.The Hammers are without a win in any competition since recording a 2-0 victory at home to Manchester United in the Premier League on September 22.Since then, they have been beaten by Oxford United in the EFL Cup and drawn with Bournemouth and Sheffield United in the Premier League, in addition to losing to Crystal Palace, Everton and Newcastle United in England’s top flight.Find out what happened when a world-record-holding freestyler attempting skills with the worst pair of boots available on eBay in the video below…However, Claret & Hugh claim that a source has told them that “sacking the manager is out of the question”.And it would be fair to say that the club’s fans have differing views on the situation.Whilst some of the supporters believe that Pellegrini deserves to be given time, others are seemingly of the opinion that a change should be made as soon as possible.A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
England will contest their landmark 1,000th international match on Thursday 14 November when Montenegro are the visitors to Wembley in qualifying for the 2020 UEFA European Championship – it could be a memorable night as the hosts look to secure their place at next summer’s groundbreaking tournament.
And if they do, Three Lions supporters will be looking forward to the possibility of lifting the Henri Delaunay Trophy on home Wembley soil on Sunday 12 July 2020, after coming so close at Russia 2018.
Ahead of what promises to be a special night of celebrations at the home of Gareth Southgate’s men, we’ve taken a look back at 20 of the most memorable contests in England’s history so far.
They’re all here, from glory in ’66 to heartache in Turin in ’90.
Cameroon 2-3 England (AET), 1 July 1990
Copyright: MirrorPix
Bobby Robson’s England came so close to a shot at adding a second FIFA World Cup to their collection at the iconic Italia ’90 tournament and quarter-final victory over Cameroon that year has lived long in the memory – a match that included five goals, three penalties and a period of extra-time, it’s no surprise.
The Three Lions were in trouble when the African minnows went 2-1 up in the 65th minute but Gary Lineker saved the day with a pair of spot-kicks in the 83rd and 105th minutes.
England 2-1 Portugal, 26 July 1966
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England’s thrilling 1966 World Cup final victory over West Germany will forever be remembered in the game, however, Alf Ramsey’s men’s semi-final triumph in that tournament was enthralling in its own right.
Close to 95,000 fans crammed into the Old Wembley to see whether the Three Lions could reach their first-ever major final and it looked as if they were going to after Bobby Charlton’s strikes either side of the break, but Eusebio would make it 2-1 eight minutes from time to set up one of the all-time England nail-biting finishes.
Denmark 0-3 England, 15 June 2002
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There would be no such nervy final few minutes 36 years later at the 2002 World Cup in Asia when England met fellow Europeans Denmark in the round-of-16.
Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side produced one of the best Three Lions World Cup performances to down the Danes by three goals, all of which came before half-time through Rio Ferdinand, Michael Owen and Emile Heskey.
England 2-2 Greece, 6 October 2001
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Who could forget the match that gave David Beckham arguably his finest moment with the Three Lions on his chest? Certainly not us.
With England needing only a point to secure a place at the 2002 World Cup but trailing Greece 2-1 deep into stoppage time in the final game of qualifying, Beckham stepped up to a 93rd-minute free-kick at his home ground and whipped it into the top left-hand corner to send his nation to South Korea & Japan.
England 3-1 France, 16 June 1982
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The 80’s was not the best time in Three Lions history with only one appearance in the knockout rounds of a major tournament recorded.
However, it did yield one of the more impressive results for the nation when Ron Greenwood’s team met the strong French in the opening match of Spain ’82. Bryan’s Robson’s fastest goal in World Cup history was followed by a second for the midfielder and a Paul Marriner effort, France no match for England.
England 0-0 Portugal (1-3), 1 July 2006
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One of the more infamous World Cup moments occurred during England’s penalty shootout defeat to Portugal at the 2006 World Cup – and as much as Three Lions fans will want to leave it in the past, it’s hardly forgettable.
A theatrical reaction from Ronaldo to a stamp from Wayne Rooney on his teammate Ricardo Carvalho led referee Horacio Elizondo to show the Manchester United legend a red card with Ronaldo winking in the direction of his team’s coaching staff as Rooney was forced to trudge off the field.
Spain 0-0 England (2-4), 22 June 1996
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Penalty shootouts and England on the major international stage are two things that haven’t tended to mix well for the English throughout the past.
Although there was one occasion where things panned out a little differently and it’s remembered with pride. The 4-2 penalty glory over Spain in the first knockout round of EURO 96 held in England, although penalties would come back to bite the Three Lions in the semi-finals that year.
England 1-2 Iceland, 27 June 2016
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We hope Roy Hodgson isn’t reading this, if he is he may want to look away now as this one probably still keeps him awake at night. Yes, the final match of his England tenure will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
His players were expected to dance past Iceland and into the quarter-finals of the 2016 European Championship in France, instead and despite Rooney’s early penalty, the Icelandics pulled off the shock of all shocks – the upset of the tournament.
England 1-2 Brazil, 21 June 2002
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Our next memorable England matchup recalls another exit from a major tournament but in much more respectable fashion this time around.
This match will be remembered for Eriksson’s budding team pushing the best side in the world all the way before just falling short. Oh, and of course, David Seaman bowing out in an England shirt at major tournaments by being audaciously lobbed from 30 yards by the great Ronaldinho.
Scotland 0-0 England, 30 November 1872
Scotland 1-2 England, Home International Championship match at Hampden Park, Mount Florida, Glasgow, Saturday 2nd April 1927.Starting lineup: Goalkeeper John Brown, Right Back Roy Goodall, Left Back Herbert Jones, Right Half Willis Edwards, Wing half Syd Bishop, Half back Jack Hill (Captain), Outside left Arthur Rigby, Outside right Joe Hulme, Centre forward Dixie Dean (top row centre), Forward George Brown, Forward Louis Page, Trainer J. H. Hulme.
Copyright: MirrorPix
How could we not include England international number one on this list, even though it’s far from the most entertaining of the Three Lions’ 999 internationals thus far.
It featured an England side against bitter rivals Scotland on a field in Partick that’s now a cricket ground.