All posts by n8rngtd.top

Since stepping into the QPR hotseat back in May, Mark Warburton has had a lot on his plate.

The former Brentford boss had to oversee 14 new signings in the summer, work them into his squad and also coach fresh ideas into his new charges.

He seems to have done okay with his tasks, coaching a 4-2-3-1 formation and a 5-3-2 system into his players this season as they sit 9th, just three points off the top of the Championship table.

However, one issue that doesn’t seem to have found its natural conclusion yet is who Warburton trusts to start in between the sticks.

The 57-year-old named Joe Lumley as his No.1 for the first nine league games of the season, but after a handful of mistakes from the 24-year-old, summer signing Liam Kelly has started the last two games instead.

Who do the writers of Football FanCast think Warburton should trust in the long-term? Let’s take a look…

Billy Meyers

“In my opinion, the more mistakes a goalkeeper makes, the more unsettled the defence will get. 

“In Lumley’s case, he made a dreadful error against Luton in which he passed the ball straight to striker Harry Cornick, leaving his goal wide open for the forward to finish into an empty net. 

“Then, against West Brom, the 24-year-old allowed Nathan Ferguson’s long-range strike to dip under his body and squirm in. 

“Until Kelly makes a string of similar errors, Warburton should stick with his summer signing and leave Lumley waiting on the sidelines – it’s the only option that would be fair for everyone involved.”

Charles Jones

“QPR’s goalkeeping conundrum is a tricky one. Lumley was making a few too many mistakes while he was number one, but Kelly is still conceding a hefty amount of goals – he has shipped five in two games. 

“However, Kelly hasn’t made a costly error yet, and I think that it’s only fair for Warburton to continue giving him chances until he does something that warrants losing the spot.

“QPR’s backline aren’t giving him enough support – they allow over ten shots per game – and that’s where the issues mainly lie. If Lumley comes back in and continues to make the same errors it will surely cost the R’s points, whereas Kelly hasn’t shown a tendency to drop clangers during his stint in goal.”

Jonathan Radcliffe 

“Being a goalkeeper is often an unforgiving task, and Lumley will be only too aware of that. Granted, he didn’t help himself with some of those costly mistakes, but he cannot be blamed for all of the 14 goals that the R’s conceded with him between the sticks in the first nine games. “Kelly, meanwhile, has already shipped five in his first two Championship matches, which is not exactly fantastic despite his lack of obvious errors. It seems harsh from Warburton to remove Lumley from the starting line-up, but that is unfortunately the life of a shot-stopper. He is likely to get another chance at some point this term though, and when it arrives, he must be 100% ready to take it.”

Lewis Blain 

“Warburton does have a difficult dilemma between the sticks, but it is one he needs to come down firm on in order to benefit their season. I imagine there’s nothing worse for a defender than seeing the bloke behind you constantly changing, so that in itself causes a knock-on effect in terms of confidence.

“Whether it is Lumley or Kelly is just as tough a decision as you’ll get. Given he has gone with the latter in recent times, it would be wise to keep him there for stability – that, in turn, will only help their quest for a clean sheet.

“That dire run without keeping the ball out of the net also isn’t entirely the goalkeepers’ fault either – yes Lumley may have cost QPR a game or two – but it should instead raise further question marks about Warburton’s three-at-the-back system and why the opposition are allowed to frequently pepper the goal.”

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

Tottenham’s impressive victory over Red Star Belgrade may have been an eye-opener for Mauricio Pochettino, as the performance of Davinson Sanchez showed that he is deserving of a regular run in the side, starting at Liverpool on Sunday.

On the chalkboard

The Colombian has often found himself out of the team this season and has occasionally had to fill in at right-back, with Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen consistently being preferred ahead of him despite Spurs’ poor defensive record. Sanchez was even the one from the trio who was hauled off at half-time on Saturday by Pochettino, after starting as part of a back three with the Belgian duo.

They have conceded 22 goals in 13 games this term and the clean sheet on Tuesday was only their third of the campaign with Sanchez having featured in two out of three, and that means he should be pushing for a start.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Although Spurs dominated on Tuesday with 59% possession, it could have been a different story but for the centre-back’s two tackles and two interceptions, and his assuredness at the back is what the team has missed too often this season.

He has also been very effective on the ball in his last two games, with 93% and 94% pass accuracy against Red Star and Watford respectively, an aspect of his play which places him ahead of the other centre-backs in the squad.

Change in fortunes

The former Ajax man has proved that he should be in the starting line-up for the foreseeable future, particularly as Vertonghen and Alderweireld have looked susceptible at the back recently.

Against the Hornets the latter was responsible for the goal conceded, whilst his compatriot was fortunate not to concede a penalty, and was often caught out of position on Tuesday, too, with Ben Davies bailing him out too often.

That is another positive which should work in Sanchez’s favour, as he was a lot more convincing than his centre-back partner, with a WhoScored rating of 7.4 compared to Vertonghen’s 6.6, giving Pochettino plenty to think about.

As a result, he could be in line to start at Anfield on Saturday, as the Argentine may favour consistency in his team due to the positive result they picked up.

If he can show discipline on and off the ball once again, whilst keeping a close eye of Roberto Firmino, he will only help his chances of retaining a first-team spot, and if he manages to nail down a regular place it will be big turnaround from the previous 12 months, having started only 22 league games in 2018/19.

Charlton fans have taken to Twitter to reveal that they want to see Lyle Taylor and Macauley Bonne upfront together when the former returns from injury.

The south Londoners signed Bonne back in the summer, from what was then a Non-League side in Leyton Orient.

He was forced to bide his time on the sidelines as Taylor began the season up top in fantastic form, scoring five goals in six games before suffering an injury while on international duty with Montserrat.

In the 29-year-old’s absence, Bonne has netted five goals in six starts, scoring against some tough opponents along the way such as Leeds, Fulham and West Brom.

In Taylor’s case, the No.9 is now out of his knee brace and Lee Bowyer hopes to have his talisman back in the squad within the next couple of weeks.

However, it would be a real harsh move to drop Bonne after his recent heroics, so instead, Charlton fans on Twitter have been discussing the prospect of them up top together.

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

Well, it would be fair to say that the Liverpool fans are delighted that Michael Oliver will be the referee for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Manchester City.

There is simply no downplaying the importance of this weekend’s fixture.

Liverpool will enter the match with a six-point lead over second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League table, meaning that a victory for Jurgen Klopp’s side would place them in a very, very strong position at the summit.

We mastered the trick in the video below in 8 attempts… could you do better?

Oliver has been confirmed as the man in the middle for the Premier League affair.

And the Reds are actually yet to lose in the previous 18 matches at Anfield where Oliver has officiated, which stretches all the way back to 2008.

It remains to be seen what happens on the field this weekend as the much-discussed VAR could yet have a role.

However, for the time being, the Liverpool fans are pleased with the announcement, as seen by the messages on Twitter below:

Leeds United fans on Twitter seemingly aren’t worried about the prospect of Ben White being recalled by Brighton in January despite Beren Cross of Leeds Live suggesting it might be a possibility that the Seagulls could look to bring the 22-year-old back to the south coast.Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Indeed, the United fanbase seem to be very relaxed in this situation despite the fact that they’re facing the prospect of losing a man who they named as the Player of the Season up until this point.

The centre-back has been integral to Leeds having the best defence in the entire division, and his good performances have apparently caught the eye of some big clubs as Liverpool are reportedly interested in his services.

One supporter stated that he’s not worried as United fans were saying the same about Eddie Nketiah just last week, but that speculation was quickly put to bed by David Ornstein.

We won’t see if White returns to Brighton until January, but it seems that the club’s supporters don’t think that’s a likely possibility.

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…

Unai Emery has been speaking about Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe ahead of Arsenal’s match against Burnley, as reported on the club’s official channels.

What did he say?

During the press conference, Emery spoke about attacking duo Saka and Pepe, discussing the progress they have made under him this season.

He started off by complimenting the teenager for his performances: “We know we are taking one responsibility with the young players, but the young players need one process to achieve that responsibility and their performance in the team, but we are helping them.

“For example, it’s very good news for me about how we are improving Bukayo Saka, but he needs to play, play and play to take more confidence and experience to achieve his future we think he has.”

While there was also an appreciation for how Pepe has done, the comments seemed more reserved from the Spaniard when speaking about the record signing: “Pepe is coming, but with Pepe it’s also an adaptation that he’s doing little-by-little better, but also he needs more because it’s not easy for him.”

Comparison of the two

Pepe is the man who has had a greater impact of the pair, but the fact that Saka is being spoken about in a similar way to the Ivorian shows just how well the 18-year-old is currently doing.

While Pepe outdoes the Englishman in each of the above categories, it can be said that Saka is the one exceeding expectations.

Both players have been helped by the Europa League this campaign, with the teenager having got a goal and assist against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Pepe has 2 goals and 2 assists from the ties against Vitoria de Guimaraes.

There could eventually be a battle between the pair for places in the side, so it will be interesting to see who comes out on top if it does come to that.

The fact no fee was parted with for Saka alleviates the weight of pressure from his shoulders in comparison with £72m Pepe, and that could ultimately influence Emery’s assessment of the two players.

Indeed, the suggestion that Saka’s development is “very good news” suggests he is meeting or even exceeding his manager’s expectations.

With the Leicester game a must-win for Arsenal, by Emery’s own admission, it could be telling to see who he puts his trust into.

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…

Everton’s Jonjoe Kenny has set his sights on representing England in the near future as he looks to battle with other star names at right-back.

The Liverpudlian has also touched on how great his city rival, Trent Alexander-Arnold, is playing right now.

What did he say?

Kenny has been in fine form since he moved to Schalke on loan, scoring once and providing two assists. The 22-year-old has been a regular in the right-back spot for the German side and even claimed the Rookie of the Month back in August.

Kenny told schalke04.de: “My goal is to play for my country one day.

“Trent Alexander Arnold is playing really well at the moment and there are plenty of other quality wing-backs in England,” said the right-back.

“I want to play as many games as possible here and put in good performances for my team and the whole of Schalke.”

Kenny is aware of the strong competition for places in England but has explained that he would be “absolutely delighted” if he were to receive a call-up in the future.

“Until then, I’m going to do everything I can to keep improving,” he added.

Incredible competition

Currently, the right-back spot is so incredibly competitive at England with four huge names all putting forth an argument for the position. Right now, Gareth Southgate has chosen to go with Kieran Trippier, as the World Cup hero has resurrected his form at Atletico Madrid.

Elsewhere, the £72m-rated Alexander-Arnold has established himself as one of Europe’s best, whilst Premier League winner Kyle Walker can’t even get a call-up. There is also the prospect of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who has been in fantastic form for Manchester United this season – he also cannot get in the team.

In truth, there are four great names ahead of Kenny right now and two of them can’t even persuade Southgate for a call-up.

The Everton man may have to wait a while until the phone rings, but if his form continues he will have a great chance of playing his way into Marco Silva’s plans.

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…

Marcelo Bielsa isn’t one to stick around at a football club for very long.

There were concerns at the end of last season that the Argentine would leave Leeds United after just one year in charge at Elland Road, but he opted to stay on for an extra season.

However, he may not remain in Yorkshire beyond the end of this term as Phil Hay has outlined one thing that needs to happen for Bielsa to stay.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

What’s been said then?

The Athletic’s Leeds United correspondent was undertaking a Q&A session and he was asked about Jay-Roy Grot’s future under the Argentine.

Hay’s response about Grot wasn’t too eyebrow-raising, but there was another revelation within his response that will have made many supporters sit up and take notice.

“I very much doubt it. Bielsa will go if Leeds don’t go up. If Leeds do go up, Grot isn’t going to be the answer in the Premier League. He’s not exactly tearing up the Dutch league.”

Promotion is imperative

This just goes to show how important promotion is for Leeds United this season.

If Bielsa is to leave Elland Road if the Whites aren’t in the Premier League this time next year then it’s absolutely vital that they go up this season.

Being promoted to the Premier League will get a whole lot harder if United lose the services of the man once touted by Pep Guardiola as ‘the best coach in the world’, so they can’t afford to cut any corners in their quest for promotion this term.

It was perhaps surprising that the Argentine even decided to stay beyond last season, but another failed attempt means that could be it in terms of his stay in Yorkshire.

According to stats recorded by Transfermarkt, Bielsa has the second-best win percentage of his career at Leeds. In 69 matches, he’s claimed 1.78 points per game, which is only trumped by his time in charge of Argentina.

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 at a Sportsmail event, Martin Keown has revealed only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would make it into Arsene Wenger’s best sides out of this current crop of Arsenal players.

What did he say?

The Gunners have endured a difficult start to the season, going on a run of five games without a win, including a demoralising 2-0 defeat to top-four rivals Leicester before the international break.

Amidst their struggles however, Aubameyang has continued to shine for the north Londoners. He finished as the joint-winner of the Premier League’s Golden Boot award last season, whilst this year, he has already netted nine times in 14 games across all competitions.

And now, Keown has insisted that such is the Gunners’ plight, only the Gabon international would even make it into Wenger’s title-winning sides of yesteryear.

He said: “I know people say you need good players and yes you do, but when they need direction when they go on to the pitch, there needs to be good tactics, each player needs to be hungry for success, be determined. I think Aubameyang is the only player who would get in Wenger’s three title-winning sides.

[ad_pod ]

“Everyone was in touch at Arsenal during my time there. The work rate was unbelievable. (Fredrik) Ljungberg chasing back, Ray Parlour making tackles, (Patrick) Vieira, everyone is competitive, they are in there with a mindset where they believe they are winners. How do we get that back? The manager has to make the right decisions first. The current team is not in touch with each other. “

The bitter truth

Make no mistake about it, Keown’s dire declaration is difficult to argue with. Whilst Unai Emery’s debut campaign in charge at the Emirates had some promising signs – they reached the Europa League final and finished just one point off the top four in the Premier League – there have arguably been none this season. They are struggling to score goals in general with just 16 to their name in the top-flight, and are conceding plenty too (17).

Looking back to the last time Arsenal won the Premier League, back in 2003/2004 and the famous Invincibles, the Gunners were rock solid at the back, and devastating going forward. They scored 73 times and conceded just 26 – both were the best in the division. So for Keown to say only Aubameyang would make those successful sides of Arsenal’s past is a real tough pill to swallow. The north London side have regressed considerably, and their lack of quality is telling thanks to their former star’s harsh truths.

Manchester United staged an unlikely comeback against Sheffield United on Sunday before conceding late on to draw 3-3.

Their first goal came from an unlikely source – Brandon Williams – the 19-year-old left-back who was making consecutive starts for the club for the first time.

He fizzed in a fine strike first-time with his weaker foot, finding the bottom corner to claw the match back to 2-1 and give his side hope of victory, having been outclassed by the Blades for much of the game.

[ad_pod ]

His contribution was appreciated by many fans and several have taken the time to lavish praise on not only his goal, but his overall display.

He has certainly repaid the faith shown in him by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who left skipper Ashley Young on the bench in favour of the youngster.

As a result, if he continues to perform as he did at Brammall Lane then he could retain his place in the side, and such a prospect would likely appeal to Red Devils’ supporters.

Here is how they have reacted to William’s display.