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It certainly has been a month to remember if you’re a Forest fan.Well, that is in terms of the league campaign, the less said about the loss to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, the better.However, Forest have maintained their ten game unbeaten run in the league and are spending the international break sitting pretty in the automatic promotion spots.Whilst they haven’t exactly been blowing teams away in recent weeks, with each of their victories coming by virtue of a single goal, that doesn’t mean that there wasn’t plenty for the Forest fans to enjoy in the meantime, as this month’s Goal of the Month competition proves.

Although perhaps it would have been better if they had turned a couple of those victories into more convincing wins because it left the club with not a lot of options to choose from.

It says something when every goal you scored gets featured and you didn’t have to leave any out. It makes you wonder if they could have included a great goal from training just to spice it up a little bit more.

Regardless of all that, the lack of choice certainly didn’t stop fans from debating which one deserved to take home the award.

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 on ITV Sport, Roy Keane has slammed Danny Rose’s performance for England on Friday night.

What did he say?

The Tottenham man had an evening to forget against the Czech Republic, and looked all at sea at left-back. As per SofaScore, he produced no tackles or accurate crosses, and lost possession 15 times over the course of the 90 minutes. His match rating of 6.1 was the worst of any England player who started the game.

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

And, speaking after the Three Lions’ 2-1 defeat, Manchester United legend Keane delivered a damning verdict on Rose’s defensive credentials.

He said (as quoted by The Evening Standard): “Rose’s performance tonight, my goodness. Someone’s got to get hold of that guy. He was shocking! Abysmal! I think he will be the same in another three or four years. Some players do not learn from their mistakes at the highest level. You will suffer from it.”

Ruthless

After watching his disastrous outing for England, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino must be wondering whether he really should have been more ruthless with Rose this summer. According to reports, the north London side rejected a bid from Watford for the left-back, whilst he also missed the club’s pre-season tour in order to “explore” a move away.

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A deal however, failed to materialise, and the 29-year-old has somehow worked his way back into first-team contention for both club and country. It has been quite the remarkable turnaround, but in truth, his displays simply haven’t been up to scratch. Compared to last season, Rose has made less tackles (1.6), less dribbles (0.9) and committed more fouls (1.9) per game in the Premier League this year.

It all points to someone who is declining in ability, and more worryingly for Spurs someone who isn’t learning with experience. As Keane alludes to, the defender’s mistakes are essentially basic in nature, and at 29, you would hope those kinds of errors would have been stamped out long ago. Instead, by not giving the green light for him to leave, and now including him in his first-team, Pochettino is facing a campaign where he knows he will quite simply be let down.

If he was deemed not good enough last year, then he’s arguably much worse now. And Pochettino and Spurs are likely to encounter similarly disappointing showings as the one Rose produced for England on Friday.

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

Odin Bailey announced himself to the Championship prior to the international break, with a last-gasp header sealing all three points for Birmingham City against Middlesbrough, but he still isn’t quite ready for a start.

On the chalkboard

Bailey was playing in just his fourth game for the Blues when he netted the winner against Boro, and the 19-year-old has now registered 59 minutes of game time for his boyhood club at senior level. What made the goal all that more special and memorable for the youngster, was the fact he bagged just two minutes after Middlesbrough thought they had snatched a point.
In the games where his position has been recorded by Transfermarkt, the teenager has shown to be a versatile asset for whoever he plays for. Bailey predominantly occupies the attacking midfield role but has shown he is comfortable playing either side on the wing, as a centre-forward and even as a central midfielder.

Soccer Football – Championship – Birmingham City v Middlesbrough – St Andrew’s, Birmingham, Britain -October 4, 2019 Birmingham’s Odin Bailey scores their second goal Action Images/Andrew Boyers EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
The Englishman, who has played for his country at U16s level, spent two months on loan in the National League South with Gloucester City, playing 12 times and scoring twice for the Non-league side.

Not quite ready

The teenager picked the perfect time to score against Boro both in the game and for his club. His winner meant the Blues moved up to 12th in the table as Pep Clotet’s side endure another topsy-turvy start to the season.
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However, despite goals out on loan and the memorable winner last time out, a start for the talented academy graduate might be a little too soon, considering the upcoming fixtures. Up next for Birmingham is a trip to Elland Road, with the visit of Fulham and away journey to Cardiff City to come soon after.
In amongst these tough challenges for Clotet’s side, the Blues do host Blackburn Rovers and Luton Town, and playing in these fixtures off the bench might be the best time for Bailey to earn a little more game time before he is thrust into a starting role.
Indeed, Ivan Sunjic is in need of a midfield partner, as both Gary Gardner and Jude Bellingham have failed to hold down a starting role. However, Bailey is often deployed further forward, despite his abilities to play in the centre of the pitch.
Upon signing his professional contract at Birmingham in 2016, U23s manager Steve Spooner told Birmingham Live:
“He’s a forward player that plays down the middle or off the side, a number 10 type player. He’s very talented and has got good close control and a good variation of finishes.”
With Spooner’s comments in mind and the fact Clotet often sets up in a 4-4-2 with two holding midfielders, perhaps it makes sense for a role later in the game when the tie is more open and his young, fresh legs can get to work.

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…

Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas believes Everton will lose the “must-win” game against West Ham United today, as he states in his weekly predictions.

What did he say?

Goodison Park hosts the London side this afternoon with the Toffees in desperate need of a win to save both Marco Silva’s future on Merseyside and to get the club out of the relegation zone.

Silva’s men have not picked up a single point in the Premier League since they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers almost seven weeks ago. Also, considering West Ham’s current form – in which they have lost just once since the opening day – the Blues will be up against it yet again.

Nicholas said for his weekend’s predictions: “This is an interesting game. Marco Silva is still there and has a thumbs up from owners. West Ham are a dangerous side, and I expect them to finish in the top half and Everton to finish in the bottom half.

“Their home record has been the reason Silva is still there. The Man City game was a game which was nothing to lose. This is a must-win I think – we don’t have the authority or power to say that but it looks like it is getting close,” the pundit added.

“Everton fans will think they should beat West Ham, but there is a shrewdness about a Manuel Pellegrini team and they are dangerous up front with Sebastian Haller.”

Nicholas believes the game will finish 2-1 to the away side.

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A must-win in every sense

The Blues have been disastrous across the pitch this campaign, which has put Silva under immense pressure. After the Burnley defeat, and with Everton on just seven points from eight games, majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri reportedly handed the former Watford boss the next three games to try and save his job.
As a result of this ultimatum, Silva simply cannot lose this game, making it a must-win for both the club and for his future on Merseyside. It is fair to say that because of this three-game trial, the Portuguese must take all six points in the league, considering it is Brighton & Hove Albion up next after the Hammers.
The other game is the Carabao Cup clash again Watford, which again is all but a must-win as it is a knockout competition and one in which Everton should target for silverware this season.
As for the West Ham tie, three points for the Blues could mean they rocket out of the relegation zone, and potentially as high as 11th, should other results go their way.
Considering a loss could potentially throw Everton into 19th, should Norwich City beat Bournemouth, it is extremely tough to see how Silva would continue in his role as manager.
A must-win in every sense for Silva.

Some Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter in pessimistic mood after they saw Michy Batshuayi score a late winner for Chelsea against Ajax in the Champions League.

The Belgium international struck in the 86th minute of the group stage tie to hand the Blues all three points, and following his European exploits, some Palace fans don’t seem too confident of re-signing him when the January window opens.

Batshuayi is reportedly a target for the Eagles in January as the south Londoners look to be reunited with the 25-year-old, who scored five goals in nine Premier League starts for them while on loan in the second half of last season.

The former Marseille striker has made just one start under Frank Lampard this term, which came in the Carabao Cup – despite that, he has still scored an impressive four goals in all competitions.

The Europa League winners are believed to want £22m for their Belgian forward in January, although after his late winner in Amsterdam, some Palace fans on Twitter aren’t confident of a deal going through.

Let’s take a look at some of the tweets…

Leeds United fans on Twitter are far from happy with Marcelo Bielsa after Liam Cooper seemingly picked up an injury while playing for the club’s U23 side.

The club captain has only just returned from an injury issue, but it appears as though he’s sustained another problem while playing for the youth side.

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Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time that such a thing has happened to Leeds in recent weeks as Pablo Hernandez picked up an injury in similar circumstances not too long ago.

Fans were critical of Bielsa’s policy of allowing players who are recovering from injury to regain some match sharpness while playing for the U23s, and you can understand why.

If Cooper is injured for a number of weeks due to this incident Leeds will be without one of their most important players due to a rather meaningless U23s fixture.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

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…

We’re not quite in ‘pinch yourself’ territory just yet.

But if Sheffield United can keep up the pace that they’re on right now, we might be approaching that stage soon enough.

They’ve made a great start to life back in the top flight, taking the scalp of Arsenal last week, pushing Liverpool all the way at Anfield and currently holding the joint best defensive record in the division.

And whilst they may have started well, Blades boss Chris Wilder has been quick to temper expectations amongst his staff and hopes that his message will make its way through to the supporters.

Sheffield United bagged a superb win over Arsenal last night but find out the one bad habit fans should fear in the video below…

What’s he said?

Speaking ahead of his side’s clash with Burnley on Saturday, Wilder did his best just to calm people’s expectations and remember that this side is still very much punching above their weight in this division.

He told reporters:

“I still have to keep reminding people that that’s the situation. We weren’t this ridiculously powerful Championship club that has an unbelievable amount of money to spend who were getting set for the Premier League.

“There’s still a long way to go and our feet are on the ground but we are delighted with the start we’ve made, but as I’ve said before it is only a start and the challenge is to continue and be consistent in performances.”

Keeping away from the two extremes

Wilder is right to try and manage expectations somewhat.

Whilst he has overseen a remarkable transformation at the club, taking them from near the bottom of League One to the Premier League in the space of three years, there does come a point where the club will reach its limit and the good fortune is going to pay off.

We saw back in 2008/09 how Hull City were flying high near the top of the table, only to then find themselves having to fight off relegation on the final day of the season. Therefore, it’s not as if there aren’t precedents for promoted sides to start quick and then end up falling off a cliff.

So this season is all going to be about consistency, just as Wilder says.

If they can avoid going through peaks and troughs through the season where a run of defeats gets them looking towards relegation or a streak of victories that gets fans ramping up their expectations only to be disappointed yet again, they should be fine.

Tottenham will be absolutely kicking themselves after their match against Everton at Goodison Park.

After three Premier League games without a win, it looked as though they might be on the way to picking up maximum points against the Toffees when they were 1-0 up with less than 15 minutes to go. Dele Alli had opened the scoring following Son Heung-Min’s assist.

However, the South Korea international was then sent off for a foul on Andres Gomes, which ended with the former FC Barcelona man being taken off the field of play on a stretcher.

The 27-year-old was clearly upset with his tackle and the pattern of the game hinged on that ghastly and unfortunate moment, with Cenk Tosun equalising in the last minute for the hosts.

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The Spurs fans were particularly upset with one man’s display – Lucas Moura. The £36m-valued Brazil international – as per Transfermarkt – started up front in place of the ill Harry Kane, but he was largely ineffective as Mauricio Pochettino’s side could only come away with a 1-1 draw.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Football fans on Twitter seem to be in agreement with Gareth Southgate after he left defender Michael Keane out of the England squad.

The recent news has had plenty of fans expressing their opinions on his poor season so far.

As reported by The Times journalist Paul Joyce, Southgate said on Keane’s omission: “He has had a couple of difficult games for us and I felt this was a good moment for him to get a break from it.

“It is a chance for him to work on his game.”

The Blues defender has had a torrid season up until this point and was even dropped by Marco Silva for Mason Holgate against Tottenham Hotspur.

Prior to this, Keane had played in every Premier League game this season and struggled to impress during his stint in the starting XI.

The former Burnley man is also out of the squad based on his performances last time out for the Three Lions. Keane was pointed at for the shock defeat to the Czech Republic, which had the England fans fuming.

Plus, there is also the return of John Stones, which has further put the 26-year-old’s spot in jeopardy.

Keane’s position at both club and country is starting to come under serious threat.

Unless he starts to rapidly improve, Holgate could become a mainstay at the heard of Everton’s defence, leaving Keane’s Euro 2020 dreams in tatters.

Here’s what the Everton fans have had to say…

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting on social media after Jurgen Klopp called for changes in how the Video Assistant Referee systems currently in place are used.

The German was speaking at a manager’s summit at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on Monday, where a host of Europe’s leading club chiefs were in attendance, including Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola.

VAR had played a big part in Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Guardiola’s Sky Blues on Sunday, where the system was used to decide whether Trent Alexander-Arnold had handled the ball in the build-up to Fabinho’s opening goal.

Guardiola was left irate on the touchline at the incident not going in his favour, with his side also denied a later penalty shout, and while Klopp benefited from those decisions, feels changes have to be made.

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As quoted by Sky Sports, Klopp said: “VAR can be improved, it can. It will never be 100 per cent accurate, everybody knows that. But there are a couple of things that are not right,” Klopp told the conference.

“With VAR, handball, offside, it is clear we have to keep on improving. There were good ideas from UEFA [on] how we can sort things from the referees, so everybody is in on it.

“There is still space for mistakes. These things are done by human beings and none of us is perfect. Nobody is asking for perfection, you just want to have the right decisions.”

Liverpool’s win over Manchester City was not their first Premier League game to be effected by VAR decisions, as their victory at Aston Villa was also interrupted throughout as Stockley Park checked over some of the on-field calls.

The Villa Park affair saw two goals inside the opening half hour, but only the Villans’ opener through Trezeguet was allowed to stand despite some of his teammates standing in an offside position when John McGinn’s free-kick was taken.

Klopp’s Reds then saw an equaliser chalked off the board, when Martin Atkinson adjudged Roberto Firmino’s armpit to have been beyond the last man.

Here are some of the messages shared in response to Klopp’s call for action…