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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…

He just can’t seem to get out of his own way.

It’s the debate that will seemingly go on longer than the Brexit negotiations. Patrick Bamford v Eddie Nketiah, and who should lead the line.

Speaking in his press conference yesterday, Leeds head coach Marcelo Bielsa broke down exactly why he prefers to start games with Bamford rather than Nketiah, and his words didn’t paint a flattering picture on the young Arsenal loanee:

“What I’m looking to achieve is that Eddie feels the needs of the team. If he doesn’t put the metres in for both things he’s going to have less chances to score.”

This may be the cynical view of looking at the situation, but that comes across as Bielsa saying Nketiah is rather lazy and selfish. Someone who is only interested in scoring goals rather than helping out the rest of the team.

But surely, scoring goals does help out the rest of the side.

This is something that is becoming more and more prominent in the modern game too.

At Manchester City, Sergio Aguero previously didn’t do enough defensively but he has since embraced that side of his game. In other words, he wasn’t doing things aside from putting the ball in the back of the net, and that’s the situation that Nketiah finds himself in now at Elland Road.

If the 20-year-old is beating the ‘keeper and scoring, does it really matter if he doesn’t track back every once in a while?

Why being the away goalkeeper at Leeds is the toughest job in football in the video below…

Plus it’s not as if it’s all down to Bamford that Leeds have got the best defence in the division. He is averaging just 0.5 tackles per game (via WhoScored) so is he really doing as much defensive work as Bielsa claims he is? Arguably not.

As previously discussed on FFC, Bielsa has a stubborn inability to adapt his style, insisting that his methods will prevail despite the fact that Leeds are 12 points off where they should be in the league table (via Experimental361).

This is why these comments about Nketiah and his perceived lack of effort carry not just a hint of irony, but a rather large dose of it.

Whilst Bielsa talks about putting the team first in Nketiah’s style of play, perhaps it’s time that he took a leaf out of his own book and start putting the club first rather than insisting on a system which is clearly holding Leeds back.

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

When in doubt, go back to the place you know well.

That seems to be Chris Wilder’s plan as he makes starts putting together his plans for the January window

What’s the story?

According to a report from The Sun On Sunday (27/11, page 61), Sheffield United are interested in bringing in Swansea City defender Joe Rodon.

This wouldn’t be the first time the two teams have done business together, as Ollie McBurnie made the move from South Wales to South Yorkshire this past summer.

Whether or not his injury sustained in the South Wales Derby will have any impact on the deal is yet to be seen.

Watch Sheffield United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Building for the future?

The 22-year-old Welsh defender has certainly developed well at the Liberty Stadium, so much so that he has managed to gain the trust of his national side.

Having made his debut against Azerbaijan back in August, he has been an ever-present in Ryan Giggs’ side since, keeping more experienced players like Ashley Williams out of the starting line-up.

There have been some reports that have gone so far as dubbing him ‘The Welsh John Stones’, and his career statistics would back up those claims, averaging 53 passes per game for an average of 86.1%.

Whilst they’re a little bit short of the Man City defender’s numbers of 59.7 and 92.9%, it’s still a respectable amount, especially when you consider the division he is in.

Do you remember Chris Wilder’s first ever game in charge of Sheffield United. We look at the players that played that day and what became of them in the video below…

Whilst he may be in a position to help Chris Wilder’s side out right now, bringing in someone at the age of 22 means that he can be of great benefit for the Blades not just in this season, but also going forward as well.

If you take a look at the current crop of Sheffield United centre-backs, half of them are over the age of 30, Richard Stearman, Phil Jagielka and Chris Basham, and they’re all going to need replacing at some stage.

Although given what he’s managed to do so far in his young career, it’s fair to say he’ll be able to command a role in the starting eleven straight away.

If he doesn’t, then at least they’ve got someone capable of playing a star role when the elder statesmen move on.

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…

Tottenham Hotspur’s participation in Amazon’s “All or Nothing” documentary is a tinderbox waiting to explode.

The Daily Mail reports that the agents of Spurs players are pushing for pay increases because their clients will be asked to contribute to interviews and on-camera activities.

And one feels that this has been a disastrous decision from the club’s powerbrokers.

Of course, Spurs came into the season on a high. They reached the Champions League final last term and finished in the top four despite a relatively disappointing run of form in the latter half of the season.

This could have been seen as a season of growth, improvement and rebuilding, particularly if new signings were brought in who could have a tangible impact on the starting XI.

Unfortunately, the opposite has happened. While Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, Ryan Sessegnon and Jack Clarke were signed in the summer, only Fernando Llorente and Kieran Trippier, of last season’s starting XI, were let go. No replacement for the duo was signed.

The season has started in genuinely terrible fashion. Spurs have won just three games in the Premier League, have been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Colchester United and have won just one of their opening three European games; one of those games was against Bayern Munich. Spurs lost 7-2.

It is not known if cameras were present in the dressing room there but they were on Sunday, per the Mail, as they lost 2-1 to Liverpool in a game in which they actually took the lead.

And all of this feels like a dangerous distraction.

Spurs have built a new stadium at the cost of almost £1bn and simply cannot afford to miss out on qualification for the Champions League.

At this stage, though, they are 11th in the league, eight points behind both Chelsea and Leicester City, and anything that can sap the focus of the players is unlikely to be welcomed in north London.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino is said to have okayed the project and yet, here we are, with reports claiming that players have expressed their own concerns about the access being granted.

This is a tinderbox for the simple reason that dirty laundry is rarely best aired in public.

Imagine the scenes in May if Spurs limp to a sixth-placed finish, qualify only for the Europa League and the documentary premieres, painting a picture of a disappointed, disenfranchised squad.

It is, of course, speculation. Spurs could well rally. The last few episodes of the documentary could show their progress into the top four and their FA Cup run.

At this point, though, that feels remarkably unlikely; one has to ask questions about the decision to let the cameras in, and whether this could all blow up in the club’s face.

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

According to The Chronicle, Newcastle remain in a deadlock over contract discussions with Sean and Matty Longstaff.

What’s the word?

The duo have been one of the bright spots of a mixed season at St James’ Park this season, with the brothers establishing themselves at the heart of the Magpies midfield in recent weeks.

Older sibling Sean has been the subject of intense transfer speculation linking him with a move to Old Trafford, whilst Matty’s current deal with Newcastle expires at the end of the current season.

Now, The Chronicle claim Steve Bruce’s side are yet to make a breakthrough in negotiations with the pair in respect to extending their deals, and the Newcastle boss admitted in his pre-match press conference that they are working to get them done.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He said: “It took Martin Dubravka the best part of three months. I keep saying conversations are ongoing – the two Longstaff brothers are there for everybody to see. That will keep on going.”

Priority

Make no mistake about it, more than anything else this season, Newcastle simply have to convince the Longstaff brothers to put pen to paper on new long-term contracts.

Anything else would be a major travesty. The pair have brought the heart and passion back to St James’ Park amidst difficult times, and losing them would just rip the soul out of the club.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

Their iconic post-match comments after the victory against Manchester United earlier this season was a special moment. Speaking on Sky Sports, Gary Neville remarked just how significant it was.

“I said before the game that the life has been sucked out of this ground but that sort of moment today, that will give a spark to fifty thousand Newcastle fans that there is something there. That’s why they turn up because one of their own has gone out there today and grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.”

If they can get the duo to commit their futures to the club, the Magpies faithful know they can rally behind a couple of players who will give it their all no matter what and represent the local community. After all, they’ve come through the academy, and as Neville says, they’ve been a spark for the Toon Army.

As fans continue to understandably protest against Mike Ashley’s tyrannous regime, the Longstaff brothers are the key to restoring a sense of identity at St James’ Park.

Sunderland succumbed to defeat to Leicester U21s on Tuesday night in the EFL Trophy, and some fans are already frustrated with Phil Parkinson.

The former Bolton manager took over last month but the midweek reverse was the fourth loss from his six games in charge to date – double the amount of Jack Ross this term, and only seven short of the total amount of games he lost during his spell as manager.

Watch League 1 Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Some supporters are concerned about the ability of the team to mount a promotion push, despite the fact it was very much a second-string side put out against the Foxes in the Leasing.com trophy, and therefore their rush to criticise the boss is a little uncalled for.

It is early days for Parkinson, and he is still getting to grips with his squad while trying to instil his own methods and values, and that will likely take time for a squad used to the previous manager.

Despite that, a few have questioned the decision to bring Parkinson to the club in the first place, with others suggesting that he won’t last long judging by his current record.

He has a good chance to return to winning ways against Gillingham in the FA Cup this weekend, and should he do so it could be likely that such frustrations will be put at ease, and perhaps even forgotten about.

Here are some of the reactions from fans criticising Parkinson following the surprise defeat.

Some Liverpool fans have been defending Raheem Sterling for his efforts against the Reds on Sunday, after a selection of the Manchester City winger’s stats were shared online that painted a negative view of his performance.

Sterling did not manage to record any shots on target or create any key passes on his latest return to Anfield, in what was the England international’s 12th appearance against Liverpool following his £49million transfer in 2015.

A selection of Reds supporters felt Sterling managed to cause Jurgen Klopp’s side problems throughout the contest, though, as he put on a display worthy of being described as the best individual performance by a Man City player.

While he could not direct any of his efforts on target, Sterling did register the joint-most shots by a Citizens player on Sunday, as he and Kyle Walker both recorded four efforts on Alisson Becker’s goal.

Sterling also won two aerial duels, completed a game-high eight dribbles and was successful with 81.6% of his 38 passes, according to data collected by WhoScored.

Of the 55-cap Three Lions attacker’s 38 passes, two were crosses into the box, although neither managed to connect with a teammate. Sterling did win 11 of his 18 ground duels, though, and lost possession on fewer occasions than Kevin de Bruyne and Sadio Mane, per Sofa Score figures.

Here are some of the messages shared from Liverpool fans defending Sterling for his efforts against the Anfield outfit even if not all the stats showed how influential he truly was…

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…

Christian Eriksen and Mesut Ozil’s struggles appear intertwined.

The two No.10s have struggled throughout this season as they look to win back the trust of their fans and their manager.

Of course, one has played more than the other. The Tottenham Hotspur star appears to retain the support of his manager and has made 14 appearances in all competitions whereas Ozil has made just five.

The German, though, is less multifunctional than Eriksen. He has only been played as an attacking midfielder this term; the Dane has played on the left, the right and in the centre of the pitch.

And perhaps that speaks to a confluence of their destinies and one irrefutable fact: The No.10 role is dying.

Only seven players, classified as attacking midfielders, have made more than four appearances in the role this season according to Whoscored.

One is Erik Lamela, at Spurs, who is now injured; another is Eriksen; then we see Chelsea’s Mason Mount, Manchester United’s Andreas Pereira; Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse; Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdsson and Norwich City’s Marco Stiepermann.

How many of those players are absolutely vital to the way their teams play?

You could make the argument for Eriksen but his form this season has been such that you’d probably be inclined not to. Pereira is still young and learning.

Only Mount feels integral to Chelsea and even he has featured out wide this season, while the rest are disposable if the manager wants to change formation.

Of course, there are are many other No.10 type players employed in the Premier League, the likes of James Maddison and Jack Grealish, but their managers have preferred to use them in capacities other than the tradition central playmaker position.

And that is a key point. Ozil is not able to switch to the wings at will, though Eriksen does have that ability and it is utilised at Spurs.

In the modern game, No.10s need to be more than just the players who thread the eye of the needle. They have to be able to press, tackle, drop into central midfield and occasionally drift to the wings.

They need to be more than a playmaker alone and both Ozil and Eriksen have struggled this term – between them, they have two goals and two assists – during a time in which No.10s are being asked to adapt and influence from other positions.

Unless they can find a way to move away from their No.10 role and find a new niche, one has to believe that their current struggles will only continue.

Nicolás Gaitán could potentially be heading for the Premier League, with a number of potential suitors interesting in signing the 31-year-old, including Aston Villa, according to reports from the Guardian.

What’s the word?

Gaitan, who is currently with MLS outfit Chicago Fire, is set to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of December.

The likes of West Ham and Sheffield United are also, as reported by the Guardian, interested in signing the Argentinian, and a battle of Premier League sides could ensue in chasing the services of the forward ahead of the January window, with Villa likely to be attracted by the prospect of Gaitan’s availability on a free transfer.

Is Gaitan what Dean Smith’s side need?

The forward has impressed during his time in the USA, scoring four goals and registering 11 assists in 27 league appearances, but Villa owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris will have to ensure they don’t jeopardise their long-term vision for the club with acquisitions that align to short-term gains.

At the age of 31, Gaitan would be joining Smith’s squad towards the latter stages of his career, and given the club’s youthful transfers policy in the summer window – with 10 of Villa’s 12 summer signings aged 24 and under – this would represent an alteration in the newly-promoted side’s philosophy in the market.

The only player Villa signed this summer above the age of 30 was Tom Heaton (33), and if Gaitan was to arrive in B6, he would have to make a considerable impact in order to earn a starting berth.

If a short-term contract was to be tabled – perhaps till the end of the season – this could work in Villa’s favour. But Gaitan’s age and the reduction in competitiveness he will have been experiencing over the last two years – in both the MLS and the Chinese Super League – could make this a transfer worthy of caution for Smith and the club’s owners ahead of the January transfer window.

Alisson has arguably been one of Jurgen Klopp’s best signings since joining the club.

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The Brazil international was purchased last summer from AS Roma for a then world-record fee for a goalkeeper of £67m. Yet he has repaid that money fantastically, and it may even ending up being a bargain. He was recently named by ESPN as the best shot-stopper in the world, and he also won FIFA’s best goalkeeper’s award. With a save percentage of 76.8% so far at Anfield, he has shown himself to be a rock between the sticks.

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His signing came after troubles with the other goalkeepers at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal. Both Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius failed to convince the former Borussia Dortmund manager, with the former being sold to Club Brugge and the latter being shipped out on loan to Besiktas.

Now, according to Fanatik the Super Lig club want to sign the 26-year-old on a permanent deal, and they are willing to pay €8m (£6.9m), albeit in four installments. Considering the Reds spent £4.7m to sign him from Mainz, that would represent a profit of over £2m.

The club’s supporters, it seems, are delighted with the news, and it is Michael Edwards who is receiving a lot of praise. They have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

In other news, one Liverpool star turned down Manchester United and Manchester City before joining the Reds.

We are still waiting to see the first moves Jose Mourinho makes in the upcoming transfer market as the brand new Tottenham Hotspur manager.

Of course, since the Special One is quite a big name himself, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that he’s bound to turn some heads and have big pulling power for any potential new signing.

And interestingly enough, Bleacher Report have come out with a new update stating that Daniel Levy would be open to the prospect of getting none other than Gareth Bale back to the club.

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The Welshman’s future at Real Madrid is still very much in the dark and with Mourinho at the helm, anything is possible.

And upon seeing that update, many Spurs fans were simply delighted and would seemingly take their former player back in an instant.

Some, however, feel he’s a bit old and injury-prone but the prospect of having him alongside Harry Kane and Son definitely sounds good.

You can see some of their reactions to the report down below:

In other news, many Spurs fans were all making the same joke about Harry Kane after Gary Lineker’s tweet…