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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…

Jamie Redknapp has suggested that Marco Silva has every right to be furious after the controversial VAR decision that led to a goal for Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend.

What did he say?

Everton lost for the sixth time in the Premier League on Saturday, but the game was overshadowed with a debatable VAR call on Michael Keane. The Englishman was seen to step on Aaron Connolly’s foot, but it looked completely accidental as he watched the ball come down from a pass to the Brighton forward.

The decision to rule it a foul resulted in a penalty, which brought the Seagulls level. 14 minutes later, Lucas Digne would smash the ball in his own net and hand the home side all three points as a result.

Redknapp said in his Daily Mail column: “Silva should be seething with VAR.

“Marco Silva has every right to be angry with the decision of VAR to award Brighton a pivotal penalty in their 3-2 defeat of Everton at the Amex Stadium.

“Michael Keane did step on Aaron Connolly’s foot, but let’s be honest, that was extremely harsh. Especially when you think of some of the other calls which have not been given, like when Bournemouth’s Jefferson Lerma stood on David Silva’s foot at the Vitality Stadium in August. Where is the consistency?”

What’s the point if it’s not consistent?

As Redknapp alluded to, there is currently no consistency in VAR. There have been instances throughout the season so far which have made the technology look worthwhile, but this seems to be outweighed by the constant controversy it brings.

For example, VAR overruled the penalty decision for Callum Hudson-Odoi against Burnley this weekend, when Michael Oliver initially pointed to the spot. Replays showed that the Chelsea man went down without contact, and VAR rightfully so ruled it out.

However, then there are instances such as Keane’s on Connolly. This was similar to when Lerma stood on Silva’s foot in August and it was not given as a penalty, which then makes it tough to justify the means for Keane’s contact with Connolly to be a foul.

It’s beginning to feel like VAR is simply adding an extra layer of controversy to decisions that are subjective by nature and, as Redknapp says, Silva is well within his rights to feel aggrieved by weekend events.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has admitted that he is open to a move away from the Emirates as he looks for more first-team football.

What’s the word?

Having been at the club for nine years, the Argentine stopper has found his opportunities limited.

He has made a total of 17 appearances for the club, with six coming in the Premier League.

And Martinez has now told Clarin that he may leave unless he is not offered more first-team chances, and insists he was told by Arsene Wenger that he would be first-choice, prior to the Frenchman’s departure.

“He [Wenger] always trusted me,” the goalkeeper said.

“Beyond his departure, people stayed in the club that already knew me. When I renewed with Wenger, he told me that I was going to be the number one at Arsenal.

“Unai Emery, the current coach, wanted to see me and was very surprised with me. In fact, I stayed because I knew I had real chances; otherwise, I would have gone to play somewhere else.

“London is very nice, I’m comfortable, but I’m not staying in comfort. And if I had to go somewhere else to play, I would do it.”

End of the road

Martinez has not found himself as Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper at any stage during his time at the club.

Since joining from Club Atlético Independiente in 2010, the 27-year-old has only played Premier League football during two out of the nine seasons he’s spent at the Emirates and has had six respective loan spells in that time with various Championship and European clubs.

The Argentine has never played more than four Premier League games in a season, during the 2014/15 campaign.

Despite a good performance during Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in September, it appears that Martinez has been led down the garden path due to the change of management in 2018.

As a result, it would be best for both parties to part ways.

With the quality at Martinez possesses, he is more than capable of playing in one of the top European leagues.

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…

So after falling to an embarrassing 1-0 defeat to Newcastle last time out, Manchester United restored their sense of pride with a hard-fought 1-1 draw with arch-rivals Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

It was the kind of performance that showed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side do have something promising to build upon, winning tackles, going into 50/50 challenges and stopping one of European football’s feared attacks from scoring until the 85th minute.

But once again, the Red Devils showed they simply can’t hold onto victories. It is quickly becoming an Achilles heel of theirs, and one key stat really puts things into perspective.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

According to OptaJoe, no side has dropped more points from winning positions than the eight United have given up this campaign – a tally only level with newly-promoted Aston Villa. Whilst of course the following is only hypothetical, had United converted all of those games into victories, then they would currently be lying only one point behind Manchester City.

Their inability to close out games is costing them precious points in a period where they simply need every last one. The Red Devils’ injury crisis means any win they can take would be hugely important, and failing to either shut the opposition out, or scoring that decisive goal themselves, is shooting them in the foot.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

If anything, it speaks to a mentality that shows they are lacking in confidence – an almost resignation that the other side will eventually get themselves back into the game. The more points they drop like this, the more encouragement it gives opposition teams that they can never rule themselves out from claiming a result against Solskjaer’s side.

Going too defensive as the United boss did in the second-half against Liverpool clearly isn’t the answer. It simply invites too much pressure on, and the Red Devils’ defence can’t cope. The onus therefore should be on trying to kill the game off by scoring a second or third, and forward-thinking substitutions and progressive in-game management will be the key to doing so.

If they can’t hang on to wins, they can kiss their chances of finishing in one of the European spots this season goodbye.

In today’s Leeds United roundup, we take a look at what headlines are doing the rounds for the Whites. Danny Murphy believes the club will lose Kalvin Phillips if they don’t return to the Premier League next season, manager Marcelo Bielsa discusses the striker debate, and reports suggest Mateusz Klich and Luke Ayling are set for new deals.

‘I’m surprised he’s still there’, says Murphy

Report: Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy worries that Leeds could lose star man Kalvin Phillips, should they fail to earn promotion. Murphy told talkSPORT on Monday: “I’m surprised he’s still there. I like him a lot. He’s a great passer, tenacious… If Leeds don’t go up this season, and I really hope they do for their sake, he will leave.”

Verdict: Phillips has been one of Leeds’ more consistent players in recent times averaging a performance rating of 6.98 on WhoScored last season. The 23-year-old has risen through the ranks with the Whites and after scoring on his home debut in 2015, Phillips has gone onto make 151 appearances already and subsequently attracted attention from other clubs, including Aston Villa.

This season, as Phillips continues to prove his importance, the Englishman has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.42. However, in relation to Murphy’s concerns, Football Insider reported that Phillips’ new deal includes a release clause that can be triggered if the club does not return to the Premier League.

Bielsa discusses Bamford and Nketiah partnership

Report: Bielsa has touched on the dilemma of playing both Patrick Bamford and Eddie Nketiah, telling reporters: “I think that your question is linked with the presence of Nketiah and Bamford together because maybe we can be more efficient with those two players in the team, two goalscorers are in better condition to take advantage of 10 chances.

“My answer is, if we play with two goalscorers, maybe we take Forshaw, Klich or Shackleton out, I think that one centre forward without two midfielders behind him is going to worsen the building of the attack.

“So if you have two centre forwards in a team that doesn’t create a lot of chances, you cannot take advantage of the resource that you have.”

Verdict: Nketiah has yet to start a Championship game for Leeds since joining on loan from Arsenal, but his two goals in just 89 minutes of play have certainly put forth a strong argument that he should start. However, it would be tough for Bielsa to drop Bamford based on the fact he has four goals in eight games and is the league’s joint-second top scorer, therefore forcing the Argentine to drop someone else.

It could also be a risky decision to leave out a midfielder, with Adam Forshaw averaging a performance rating of 6.83, Klich scoring 7.03 and Phillips boasting 7.42. So, although Nketiah clearly has the goalscoring touch, to sacrifice a consistent midfielder could spark defensive worries due to less bodies being in the engine room, and reduce their ability to actually get the ball to the centre-forwards.

Klich & Ayling expected to sign new deals

Report: As reported by Leeds Live, both Luke Ayling and Klich are ‘expected’ to sign new deals ‘imminently’. The club expects Polish international Klich to sign a long-term deal, whilst Ayling will follow shortly after.

Verdict: As the Whites continue to lead the way at the top of the Championship table, it is essential that Bielsa gets certain players wrapped up in their march for the Premier League. Currently, Ayling is on the verge of a return from injury after playing 42 times for the club in all competitions last year, scoring twice and assisting six times.

However, Stuart Dallas has turned in some excellent performances at right-back in Ayling’s absence, scoring a 7.13 rating thus far. But, with games coming thick and fast in the Championship, tying down players in such a frantic league is important for squad depth.

As for Klich, the Pole has played every game this season and has bagged a goal and an assist thus far, but his current contract is due to expire at the end of the campaign. It make sense, then, that Leeds are looking to secure his stay at the club for beyond the summer.

Lots of Liverpool fans have been reacting to the announcement of a new coach, as former Porto man Vitor Matos has joined the club.

Matos’ new title is ‘elite development coach’, the Reds confirmed on their official website on Tuesday.

The 31 year-old was previously an assistant coach for Porto’s B team, who play in Portugal’s second tier, and before that he was a scout for the club.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The role is designed primarily to smooth the path from the academy to Melwood, making it easier for young players to break into the first-team setup.

This is presumably fantastic news for young players like Harvey Elliott, as Matos has worked with some impressive young talents, like Ruben Neves and Diogo Dalot.

Fans are excited by the addition, though we suspect there is a hint of sarcasm in the tweets below.

One member of the Anfield faithful hailed Matos as “the best elite development coach in the world” while another simply celebrated with a gif of Jurgen Klopp manically reacting to a goal.

Take a look at some of the best reactions down below, where a couple of Reds even suspect it will help them land a certain Portuguese playmaker…

[ad_pod ]West Ham fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was revealed on the club’s official website that there may potentially be a few changes taking place at the London Stadium.Those Hammers fans who sit in the lower tier of the Sir Trevor Brooking stand and the Bobby Moore stand could find their section squared off to resemble a more traditional football stadium, whilst their seats may also be moved four metres closer to the pitch.The space between the stands and the field of play has been one of the main talking points since the Irons’ move into the stadium back in 2016, with some fans sitting further back perhaps needing binoculars to see what’s going on most of the time.The potential of making such changes is currently being explored, but fans of the east London-based club are excited by the news, and the fact that they are finally being listened to by the owners…

[ad_pod ]

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

Aston Villa have struggled to adapt to life in the top-flight so far this season and several of their players’ performances have contributed to that.

The west Midlands club are outside the relegation zone after five matches purely on goal difference alone with just one win to their name.

Defensively, they are one of the top sides in the Premier League having kept two clean sheets which ranks first, tied with six other clubs.

However, it is in attack where their problem lies.

On Monday evening, Villa struggled to secure three points against a ten-man West Ham with Wesley proving focal to their struggles, as Football FanCast mention here.

But the players around him just haven’t been up to scratch either.

Between their three wingers, there has only been one assist and one goal with Anwar El Ghazi registering the highest average rating at 6.62, per WhoScored.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

On the Chalkboard

Villa boss Dean Smith poached Jota from arch-rivals Birmingham City, but he’s yet to show the form he displayed just three miles down the road.

Last season, the Spaniard was vital to the Blues’ season, scoring three goals on top of laying on 11 assists. The majority of which would have contributed to Che Adams’ goal-laden spell in front of goal as he netted 22 in the Championship.

Now at Villa, he has quite clearly regressed in such a short space of time – his average shots per game has gone from 1.6 to a measly 0.4 while a similarly drastic drop is seen with the number of key passes he registered going from 2.1 to just 0.8 this campaign – all per WhoScored.

With the current system clearly not quite working in the Premier League, perhaps it would be wise to test Jota centrally, a position Smith deployed him in on a few occasions when the pair were both at Brentford.

Width is quite clearly an issue, so the 28-year-old’s qualities may be better served in the middle where his awareness and nous would be allowed to thrive closer to the striker.

His assist for Wesley’s first and only goal of the season could provide further proof as to why it would work out as he came inside and then fed a delightful ball into the area.

As per reliable reporter Alasdair Gold, writing for football.london, there has been an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of yet another Juventus player in USA international Weston McKennie.

The Lowdown: Tottenham’s Serie A shopping spree?

Over these final days of what has been a dramatic January transfer window at Spurs, it appears transfer chief Fabio Paratici has set his sights on raiding former club Juve.

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The Lilywhites are apparently in advanced talks over moves for both Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur, meanwhile the Old Lady’s on loan striker Alvaro Morata has also been linked with a north London move.

Tottenham boss Antonio Conte is running out of time to improve his squad and make necessary adjustments as he aims to propel his new side back into the Champions League.

As such, Gold has now shared news on another Juve man who Paratici has made contact for.

The Latest: Tottenham talks held for McKennie…

According to the football.london journalist, the Spurs managing director has ‘also held talks’ in January with the entourage of their midfield maestro McKennie.

However, as explained by Gold, this potential move is deemed ‘unlikely’ despite Paratici being a ‘huge admirer’.

Turin boss Massimiliano Allegri is believed to be resistant over losing McKennie, who has starred for the Old Lady this season.

The Verdict: Blow for Spurs?

McKennie would have undoubtedly been a shrewd addition with the versatile 23-year-old possessing an abundance of desirable traits.

The Texas-born ace can play in a variety of roles across midfield including defensive, box-to-box, on either flank and even at centre-half – killing many birds with one stone.

It’s little wonder Juve reportedly value McKennie at around £35m, and if his plaudits are anything to go by, you could argue they’re within their rights to demand a greater fee.

Called an ‘outstanding talent’ by former Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner, who managed the player at Schalke, McKennie also lifted the lid on how his old coach in the States branded him a ‘little tank’.

Perhaps he is one for Spurs to revisit in future, but with the window nearing it’s closure, it appears the starlet is out of bounds for now.

In other news: Romano shares late Saturday night development as Spurs table ‘official’ bid for another player, find out more here.

Aston Villa will return to action in the Premier League on Wednesday at Villa Park against Leeds United, and Steven Gerrard will be hoping to pick up where he left off before the winter break by continuing to climb the table in his first few months in charge at the club.

The Villans have been picking up 0.54 more points so far under their Liverpudlian manager since he joined in November, taking 16 points from their last ten games in the Premier League, and there is now opportunity for the side to comfortably secure a top half finish, or even exceed expectations by securing European football next season if they continue at the rate they are going.

With that being said, Gerrard will be wanting to gain momentum as soon as possible as the side return after a few weeks off, especially with the club out of all cup competitions, they really have an opportunity to focus on getting ahead in their Premier League campaign as the new manager has now settled in and completed four new signings in his first transfer window last month.

One player who must be unleashed on Leeds United is Ollie Watkins, who has been a consistent and key player for Aston Villa since he signed in 2020 from Brentford, bagging 21 goals and six assists in just 59 appearances with a goal involvement every 2.1 games so far, as former manager Dean Smith dubbed the star “one of the best” in his position.

After signing Philippe Coutinho, the Villa manager could really boost the striker’s prolific finishing further by surrounding him with experienced creative players who can provide him with more chances, and the Brazilian winger could form a great partnership with Watkins, something the manager should be keen to establish as soon as possible with the Leeds United game a perfect opportunity.

Danny Ings has struggled to find consistent form in the side, with the initially planned partnership between the 29-year-old and Watkins clearly not working as the former Southampton man has only scored once whilst playing with his striking partner out wide on the left.

The 26-year-old who has been hailed a “machine” by Chris Deacon, must seize the opportunity to prove he should start over his competitor in the centre forward role by putting on an outstanding performance against Leeds, as Gerrard will be keen to quickly work out which players are going to fit into his already crowded forward line to squeeze out every last point in the remaining months of the season.

In other news: Lange could repeat mistakes by signing Lacazette

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a move for Jesse Lingard in 2022…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports journalist Mark McAdam, who delivered an intriguing update on the situation live on air on Thursday morning.

“This will get Tottenham fans excited, they’ve been screaming for a creative midfielder, someone to replace Christian Eriksen, someone who can score goals, set up goals, and be really dynamic in that front three.

“And Tottenham fans will like this one, because potentially, Jesse Lingard is on their radar,” he said.

“Tottenham are keen to sign Lingard and they have approached his representatives over the course of this window, potentially with a view to a move in January, possibly, maybe more likely, the summer.

“There has been dialogue opened between Jesse Lingard’s representatives and Tottenham.”

Exciting news?

Indeed, it does appear as if many around north London would love to see Spurs make a move for the Manchester United outcast, and it’s easy to see why.

In reactions sourced by This Is Futbol, several members of the Lilywhites faithful expressed their delight in previous links to the England international.

“Get it done Don Fabio,” claimed one, whilst another said: “yes, a midfielder who scored goals”. A further fan even pointed out that he fits the homegrown quota.

Meanwhile, 73% of over 340 supporters polled by Football FanCast were fully behind the arrival of Lingard.

Lingard has struggled for minutes at Old Trafford this season, being restricted to 272 minutes in all competitions but it was only last season that he proved his credentials during a loan stint at London rivals West Ham United.

He delivered nine goals and five assists across 16 appearances to fire the Irons into the Europa League. This included a goal in their win over Spurs in the Premier League, too.

Those at the London Stadium were desperate to keep him following the spell, with assistant manager Stuart Pearce lauding him as a “special lad” to talkSPORT during the summer.

A career average of 1.4 key passes per 90, including a high of 1.9 during the 2016/17 league campaign, does indeed suggest that Lingard could be the man to fulfil that Eriksen role in N17.

Therefore, McAdam is right – there is plenty to be excited about if you’re a Lilywhites supporter. As evident above, many would love to see him join, either this month or in the summer.

AND in other news, Worse than Ndombele: Conte must axe shocking £70k-p/w Spurs flop, he’s stolen a living…