This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Southampton weren’t one of the busiest clubs in England this summer having moved to secure the signatures of just three new arrivals, although the most recent of those captures may have a big part to play against Liverpool this weekend.
Who are we talking about?
Kevin Danso. The Saints managed to bring the centre-back in on deadline day having previously signed Che Adams and Moussa Djenepo, with the 20-year-old being the latest new arrival to the Premier League having signed a whopping 17 hours after the deadline had passed.
The man on loan from Augsburg has already achieved a lot in his short career. Danso was named as the 2017 ‘Rookie of the Year’ in the Bundesliga, whilst he has already amassed six caps for the Austria national team.
He was originally a striker in Reading’s youth ranks, as well as a midfielder in MK Dons’ academy where he played alongside Dele Alli.
Why must Danso be handed his debut?
The 6 foot 3 defender possesses raw pace. Frightening pace even for a man of his size.
Last season in the Bundesliga, Danso hit a top speed of 21 miles per hour and it is this particular component of his game that will be crucial against Liverpool.
The Reds will presumably have Mohamed Salah and former Saint Sadio Mane in their starting lineup, two players who are absolutely rapid and often cause chaos with their runs in behind.
We saw in the embarrassing opening day defeat to Burnley that even Ashley Barnes can run onto a long ball over the top and cause issues for Jannik Vestergaard, so imagine how the Dane will fare against Salah and Mane.
The tactics in football nowadays can make it a complicated game, to say the least. However, it can sometimes be boiled down to sheer athleticism and being able to compete physically with your opponents.
If Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson and Barnes can run riot and stick three goals past a backline of the fairly slow Vestergaard and Jan Bednarek, Danso’s raw pace must be utilised against Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Manchester United left Molineux on Monday night disappointed, as Paul Pogba’s missed penalty prevented the Red Devils from maintaining their 100% record, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be confident his side can restore the form they showed on the opening day.
Ultimately, it has been a positive start for Solskjaer who has already managed to get the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial firing, whilst his defence has kept things tight, conceding just one goal from their opening two Premier League fixtures.
Indeed, after a rather frustrating night last time out, how will the Norwegian set up his side this Saturday?
Aaron Wan-Bissaka could be set to face his old side for the first time, and the former Crystal Palace man has made a strong start this season, leading the way for tackles (as per WhoScored) at Old Trafford. Elsewhere in defence, the world’s most expensive defender, Harry Maguire, will surely continue to grow his partnership with Victor Lindelof, one praised by the Telegraph’s James Ducker.
In midfield, despite his penalty miss, Paul Pogba has been pulling the strings for United, producing two assists in his opening two Premier League appearances, so he should keep his place alongside Scott McTominay.
Perhaps the only change from Solskjaer will come in the no.10 spot, with Jesse Lingard only receiving a 5/10 (as per Manchester Evening News) for his performance against Wolves last time out. As a result, Andreas Pereira could come in to change things up after producing an assist on the opening day of the season.
Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial practically pick themselves these days because of their goals and the departure of Romelu Lukaku, whilst Gary Neville has stated that Daniel James will strike fear into the opposition after his opening couple of performances, so Solskjaer should opt to go with the Welshman and his fear factor.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Liverpool could set a club record for consecutive wins if they beat Burnley on Saturday, but they will have to keep a certain Ashley Barnes quiet if they are to achieve that.
On the chalkboard
Jurgen Klopp’s side have, for the most part, continued where they left off last season and proven too much for their opponents in the Premier League, winning all of their games thus far.
The Clarets, though, promise to be stern competition for Liverpool and have got off to decent start themselves – only a 98th minute penalty against Wolves denying them two wins from three games.
Victory on Saturday would be Liverpool’s 13th in a row in the Premier League, stretching back to last season, but there will be concerns for Klopp despite the ease in which his side dispatched of Arsenal last weekend.
Liverpool have allowed key chances in each league game so far. They have conceded once per match and according to their expected goals against, they are fortunate to not have conceded one more during that time – a far cry from last term when they chalked up just 22 goals against.
One reason for Liverpool to be optimistic is Burnley’s home form. Since their promotion from the Championship in 2016 the Clarets’ home record has got progressively worse with six, seven and ten league defeats at home in the three seasons since.
Not all plain sailing for Liverpool
Whilst Liverpool have been typically dominant in possession so far this season and lethal going forward at times, underlined by their nine goals in three Premier League games, there is an area for concern for Klopp.
Due to the nature of his attacking style and the propensity for his full-backs to take up offensive positions, there is often space out wide.
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Barnes has four goals in three games this season and his strikes have shown why he is such a threat. From a long-range effort at Wolves to a lethal volley against Southampton, he has proved he can put away a variety of chances, and with Erik Pieters and Dwight McNeil already providing three assists from the left-hand side, they’re in the form to pounce if too much space is surrendered on the flanks.
Considering the scoring run Barnes is on, just one well-delivered ball from the flank could be enough for him to find the net and once Burnley are on the scoresheet, the prospect of beating Sean Dyche’s infamously resilient team inevitably becomes that bit harder.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…
There was a surprise name on the bench for Aston Villa’s Carabao Cup tie with Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday evening as young prospect Cameron Archer claimed a place.
He was even given a little eight-minute run out with the game at 5-0.
Villa have somewhat a striker crisis with club-record signing Wesley being the only senior option available. Although he didn’t feature, Keinan Davis did – the young striker netted his fourth goal for the club in 46 appearances, which isn’t the greatest of returns.
Jonathan Kodjia is currently on the sidelines with an ankle problem whilst Scott Hogan and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy are both out on loan at Stoke City and Tranmere Rovers respectively.
This has opened up the door for the young prospect to make his mark on Villa boss Dean Smith with a scenario where he needs to be called upon not completely out of the realms of possibility.
He began training with the west Midlands club from the age of six, Birmingham Mail describes his football skills at the time as ‘far superior to other children his age.’
It is believed he is one of the most highly-rated youngsters at the club and they do have an abundance of talent coming through with Jacob Ramsey and Callum O’Hare often being spoken about in the same bracket.
The 18-year-old has been brought into the U23 squad and very quickly became their leading number nine.
He’s only netted three goals in nine appearances in Premier League 2 but it’s a promising start for a player who will now look to capitalise on Villa reaching the next round of the League Cup.
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One game, in particular, stood out and that was a 1-0 victory over Wolves where he ran them ragged. His performance was described as ‘extremely bright throughout.’
Having had the opportunity to impress Smith in training, the young star was rewarded with a place on the bench on Tuesday night so it’s clear to see the manager is keen to have prospects come up through the academy.
Villa’s academy seems a far cry from the team that won the NextGen tournament in April 2013 but with players like Archer, they are certainly back on the right track.
Following his cameo against Crewe, it wouldn’t be a great surprise if he was handed another opportunity.
After all, Villa’s desire to be a young and exciting team has been documented by Christian Purslow in the past. Archer certainly fits that profile.
TalkSPORT’s Danny Murphy has compared Virgil van Dijk and Sergio Ramos, leading some Liverpool fans to claim their defender is the better of the two.
Van Dijk is in the form of his career right now, as evidenced by a Champions League win, a Ballon d’Or nomination, and the award for UEFA Men’s Player of the Year.
Former Reds player Murphy has suggested Ramos is a level above the current defenders around because of what he has won, which includes four Champions League titles as well as the World Cup and La Liga.
He also referenced his 87 club career goals, an astonishing record for a centre-back, and described the Spaniard as the type of player van Dijk wants to be.
That has caused some backlash amongst the Anfield faithful. Whilst acknowledging the great career the Real Madrid skipper has had, some argue that he has never reached the same level of performance that the Dutchman is hitting currently.
As a result, they believe the Netherlands skipper is the better of the two despite winning fewer accolades.
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Here are some of the reactions from Liverpool fans to Murphy’s claim, with some pointing out the way has turned around his team’s defence.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…
Everton squandered a chance to break into the top four in the Premier League following a 3-1 defeat at the hands of AFC Bournemouth on the south coast.
Callum Wilson reminded everyone of why he was called up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad by scoring a brace, while Ryan Fraser’s free-kick somehow found its way into the net from an awkward wide position.
The Toffees’ only goal of the game came on the stroke of half-time when Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed home an equaliser, but aside from that one moment, Marco Silva’s side looked remarkably ineffective on Sunday afternoon, mustering up just five shots on target.
Their inconsistencies could be the difference between mounting a serious challenge on the top six and failing to qualify for Europe for a second successive season.
One player that potentially epitomises that is Alex Iwobi, who came with European experience from Arsenal – playing 11 games in the Europa League last season – yet he failed to live up to his £34m price tag with his latest showing.
Silva lined up with a lone striker, so it was important for his wingers to make some sort of impact – on one side, Richarlison did so by setting up their only goal of the game with a delicately accurate cross onto the head of Calvert-Lewin.
But on the other side, Iwobi struggled to make his mark despite having a fair amount of the ball – managing 44 touches.
The 23-year-old managed to get just one of his three shots on target and recorded five unsuccessful touches, more than anyone else in the Everton side.
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Everton’s lack of threat from out wide was only emphasised by the fact that Iwobi attempted just one cross, which also turned out to be unsuccessful.
They were poor all over the pitch, especially in defence as Yerry Mina allowed Wilson to bag the game clincher, but if Everton want to get results in the future, they’ll need to be more effective in using their wide options to create chances.
After spending six years at Liverpool it must be quite strange for Reds supporters to see Sturridge in another kit.
For some fans it could be quite emotional seeing the attacker playing for another club as it serves as a reminder of the potential he once showed but never fulfilled.
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This is a man who netted 21 Premier League goals in a single season five years ago, but despite only just turning 30, his career seems to be fizzling out.
He played only 20 minutes for his new side on his debut, as he still needs to get fully match fit after joining the club towards the end of August.
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
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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.
On paper, a draw with a team who finished seventh last term isn’t a bad result, but Cahill isn’t happy with anything less than a win.
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This post shows exactly what Cahill brings to the Eagles’ squad. He has a winning mentality that many players in the bottom half of the Premier League won’t have, and this can only have a positive impact on the rest of the side.
Fortunately, Cahill and his teammates have an excellent opportunity to put things right next week when they face off against Norwich City, who sit four places below them in the table.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.
Amidst all the drama surrounding the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez this summer, one man who also headed out the Manchester United exit door – but to little fanfare – was Chris Smalling. The England international’s departure was rather more low-key than some of his former Red Devils teammates, not least because the club secured the big-money signing of Harry Maguire.
After a less than stellar debut that ended in a defeat to Atalanta, Smalling produced an assured display for AS Roma in the 1-0 win over Lecce on Sunday. The 29-year-old looked as solid as a rock at the heart of the defence, and his numbers in the game are certainly something for United fans to take note of.
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One of the big questions surrounding Smalling has always been with the ball at his feet. Jose Mourinho once quipped United didn’t play out from the back in the Europa League final against Ajax due to the centre-back’s shocking technical ability.
“Everyone said Ajax played beautiful football and that the beauty of the game matters. I told my players that, for me, beautiful is not giving our opponents what they want. I even joked with Smalling – ‘With your feet, we’re for sure not playing out from the back!”
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But on Sunday, the 29-year-old was cool, calm and collected, registering 81 touches and completing 92% of his passes. He also showed an impressive quality of being able to stretch the play from deep, completing both of his attempted long balls.
But what’s a centre-back’s main job? To defend of course. And Smalling did that with consummate ease against Lecce. He won seven out of seven duels in the air, and won a further three on the ground too, per SofaScore.
Equally, the Englishman didn’t attempt anything too silly, and when the ball needed clearing, he was happy to do that too. The United loanee showed a great defensive balance in starting off attacks from defence, and playing safe when needed.
Add that to the fact he wasn’t dribbled past once, and the Red Devils bore witness to a virtually flawless display from a player constantly derided by the Old Trafford faithful. He may not have proved them wrong in Manchester, but Smalling is beginning to send a clear message to his parent employers from his new home of Rome.