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

Eddie Nketiah’s injury will hurt Leeds United in a lot of ways.

Of course, there’s the obvious point that the Whites will be without their top goalscorer for three weeks, but there’s also another way in which this setback hampers Marcelo Bielsa’s plans.

Indeed, the Arsenal loanees injury could see one of the Argentine’s plans set back even further, and many Leeds fans won’t be happy to hear it.

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Two up top

United supporters have been clamouring for the manager to play both Patrick Bamford and Nketiah upfront with each other, and it looked as if we were moving towards that eventuality.

Indeed, Bielsa had said in one of his press conferences that he could get both in the team by playing one behind the other, and it seemed as if he was considering using that tactic in the near future.

However, the 64-year-old has previously complained that he’s not been able to see how the pair would work together in training due to Nketiah’s England U21 duties as well as fixture congestion.

It seemed as if Leeds would have had a perfect opportunity to work on playing both strikers together this week, but that simply can’t happen now that Nketiah is injured.

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

Tactical setback

With Football Insider reporting that Nketiah will be out for over a fortnight, that means Bielsa won’t be able to experiment with a two up top tactic in training.

They say that the striker will have to convince the staff of his fitness after the upcoming international break, but even if he does there may not be a chance to train this new style for another couple of weeks as the Whites have to play three games in eight days after the break is over.

If Leeds are to use this new formation it won’t be for a little while, and that’s partly down to the injury Nketiah has suffered.

Not only is this a setback for the 20-year-old, it’s also a huge one both tactically and in terms of the potential of their attack.

After all, Bamford is now ten games without finding the back of the net.

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

Tottenham Hotspur defender Danny Rose has confirmed that he intends to leave the club when his contract expires, per The London Evening Standard.

What’s the word?

The England international says that Spurs attempted to sell him in the summer – he was spotted at Watford’s training ground on transfer deadline day – after being told that he would not be given a new contract.

And Rose now says that, with his current deal set to expire at the end of next season, he will not be committing to fresh terms.

He said: “It’s pretty obvious what happened (during the summer). People upstairs at Tottenham were trying to do what they were trying to do. I’ve said, I’ve got 18 months left on my contract and I’m not going anywhere until my contract has ­finished.

“In January, you’re probably going to hear something (regarding a possible departure). I’m telling you right now that I’m not going anywhere until my contract is finished.

“(Spurs chairman) Daniel Levy told me in the summer there was no new contract for me at Tottenham, which is fine. I respect that. We move on.

“My contract is up in 18 months’ time and I’ll leave the football club then. People can save their time ­trying to get stuff ready for January about me being sold.

“Because I can tell you now: it ain’t happening. I know what people were trying to do in the summer… There were no bids — that was rubbish.”

The worst possible timing

Spurs haven’t won a league game since September.

They haven’t won away from home since January.

The club are currently 14th in the Premier League and 11 points behind the top four.

This is not the time for personal revelations about the transfer window.

Admittedly, Rose is currently on England duty so he is technically freed from his club responsibilities but, surely he knows that this comes at the worst possible time.

Spurs need to be presenting a united front, a togetherness that speaks to the supporters and tells them that they are working as hard as possible to steady the ship and come out of a slump that has led to reports that Mauricio Pochettino could lose his job.

Instead, Rose is in the press, talking about how he was nearly pushed out of the club and how he is likely to stay for at least another season essentially against their wishes.

This is despite a decline in form that has seen Rose collect an average rating of 6.61 from WhoScored thus far this season. He has already collected five yellow cards in just nine games.

He has no real right to open his mouth in the manner he has and this is unlikely to endear him any further to the fans who are paying to watch him, and the rest of the Spurs team, struggle on a weekly basis.

West Ham United suffered a disappointing defeat at the hands of Everton in the Premier League on Saturday, going down 2-0 at Goodison Park (via BBC Sport).

The Hammers were not at their best at all, and goals from Bernard and Gylfi Sigurdsson secured a much needed three points for Marco Silva’s side.

It would be fair to say that none of the West Ham players played well, but one player who came in for specific criticism from fans was Pablo Fornals.

The Spaniard really struggled in Merseyside, and managed to play no key passes and made no successful dribbles, whilst also having two unsuccessful touches, being dispossessed twice and also finishing with a poor passing accuracy of just 73.7%. He was ultimately dragged off by Manuel Pellegrini after 62 minutes and finished with a match rating of 6.15 (via WhoScored).

Fornals only joined West Ham from Villarreal in the summer, but it has been a tough start to life in English football for the 23-year-old. He has so far failed to register a single goal or assist in the Premier League, with his only contribution of note being a goal against Newport County in the League Cup (via WhoScored).

The fans are already beginning to grow impatient with the midfielder, and were extremely critical about his performance against Everton with some failing to even see any potential in him.

Here is what some Hammers fans had to say about Fornals’ display at Goodison Park…

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… 

Virgil van Dijk is often a dependable figure for Liverpool, but he showed on Thursday just why he is captain of his country with an assured performance against Northern Ireland.

He didn’t have a lot to do for most of the night from a defensive perspective, with Northern Ireland opting to contain the Dutch attack, but he put in a convincing display nonetheless.

As well as dominating Kyle Lafferty, he also led by example, and when he found his team trailing with 15 minutes remaining he stood up and led by example.

His manager, Ronald Koeman, described his players as “fighting machines” pre-match, and van Dijk epitomised that sentiment, battling to win the ball for his side throughout whilst motivating his players to earn a crucial win.

Without his influence it is possible the Netherlands wouldn’t have found the goals needed to maintain their place at the top of Group C, with Northern Ireland and Germany breathing down their necks.

In typical van Dijk fashion, he was adept with and without the ball, making good use of his wide range of passing to try and put his side on the front foot.

According to SofaScore he completed 11 long passes, finding his teammates in good positions which allowed his teammates to mount pressure on the visitors, which ultimately wore them down and allowed the Dutch to score three late goals.

Watch a Liverpool fan discover the internet and get a nasty surprise in the video below…

His pass accuracy was of high quality throughout which was important given the amount of possession and territory his team had.

It is an aspect of his game which has been consistent for the Reds and fans will likely be pleased by the fact he has maintained his performance, with a big trip to Old Trafford coming up next.

Defensively he was a colossus as always, and but for some lapse concentration by his defensive partner, Matthijs de Ligt, Northern Ireland wouldn’t have got a look in.

His 17/19 duels won epitomised his dogged attitude but also his brilliant execution in making sure he won the ball, with two tackles won underlining his ability to retrieve the ball.

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…

Alan Shearer has backed Steve Bruce and believes he could do well with Newcastle this season.

What did he say?

Bruce has been the target of much criticism during his tenure at Newcastle having only picked up eight points from eight games, leading the Magpies legend to suggest he was very happy that the team picked up an important win against Manchester United.

As well as winning, the performances of the Longstaff brothers was a huge positive, and could be a sign that Bruce might be able to turn things around, and Shearer certainly believes so.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The former striker acknowledged there has been some disappointing moments, but is choosing to look on the bright side. Speaking at the opening of the Wallsend Boys Club, as reported by Chronicle Live, he said:

“There’s something in there to work with. If you can keep the majority of the squad fit, then I think they’ll do alright.

“Then if you look at investment in January, and hopefully that’ll come as well.

“I think it was a huge relief to everyone, including Steve, who I was delighted for, because he’s had to put up with a lot of **** over the last couple of weeks.

“They’ve had a hammering, and rightly so, but you always get a right to reply as a footballer and football manager. If you get a result like that (against Man United), it certainly gives you something to go and build on.”

Surprising outlook?

It seems like the majority of Newcastle fans are against Bruce with many unhappy at Rafa Benitez’s departure and some boycotting matches, yet Shearer is willing to give him his support.

The former England international also supported the Spaniard but was happy to criticise him for a lack of “entertainment”, yet Bruce has continued the same style – with five goals in eight league games – and Shearer hasn’t mentioned it.

Worse still is the fact Newcastle are currently not picking up points with the same consistency, with Bruce’s average of one point per game below that of Benitez in his three Premier League seasons at Newcastle – including the one in which they were relegated.

Performances in the 5-0 defeat against Leicester and winning only one home game in four is a poor return, and though he mentioned it briefly, he has not addressed the concerns that came from those displays, and instead thinks any problems could be ironed out by supposed strengthening in the transfer window.

For a keen Newcastle fan one would think he’d be more ruthless in his verdict and question the set-up from the Magpies boss, which saw his side have just four shots on target and 29% possession against Brighton.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Celtic striker John Hartson says he doesn’t expect the Bhoys to cash in on Odsonne Edouard anytime soon, after Football Insider reported earlier this week that Lyon are set to keep tabs on the 21-year-old centre-forward.

What did he say?

In an exclusive interview with FFC, Hartson reacted to the rumour saying: “I don’t think Celtic will be in the market in selling Odsonne Edouard any time soon and I personally expect him to be at the club for two or three years.

“Money does talk but he won’t be offloaded by the club. 

“Whilst I certainly don’t welcome Lyon’s interest, you have to accept that good players will always be linked with moves away unfortunately.”

Is he right?

You would hope so, because 39 goals in 92 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish Premiership holders shows just how important the Frenchman can be for them in their bid to win a ninth top flight title in a row.

However, it would probably also be fair to say the 21-year-old hasn’t quite hit the heights that compatriot Moussa Dembele did at Parkhead, with the France international scoring 12 more goals in just two more appearances than Edouard has made, before his own departure to Lyon in 2018.

The two or three-year stay prediction could be realistic in that case with the striker still young and with that ceiling to improve, but if that improvement does happen quickly history suggests that when the big bids arrive, Celtic are powerless to prevent their top players from leaving Paradise.

Dembele and Kieran Tierney are just two of the players who have gone in recent times after an acceptable offer was tabled, and it is impossible to rule the same situation out with Edouard if his scoring rate improves dramatically.

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

Nottingham Forest will be looking to continue a rich vein of form as they host Barnsley at the City Ground later this afternoon.

Sabri Lamouchi has steered his side to six straight games without defeat, leaving them ninth in the Championship table.

They’ve had some tough-looking fixtures in that run too, namely West Brom, who are the only side to pick up all three points against the Reds this season.

Now they face one of the league’s basement boys as the Tykes sit in 22nd having won just one match all season.

And there’s one area of the pitch that could bring them success.

On the Chalkboard

Forest winger Sammy Ameobi will be coming up against a rather inexperienced full-back in Toby Sibbick and that could swing the game in the home side’s favour before a ball has even been kicked.

Before this season the 20-year-old had only featured 26 times at League One level for Wimbledon before earning a move to Oakwell in the summer.

He’s played every minute of their Championship campaign so far, five times at right-back where he has only averaged a rating of 6.68.

His key attribute is in the tackle, where he has made 3.3 per game this season, but the rest of his game falls short defensively. This is where Ameobi has the potential to dominate.

The former Newcastle United winger wins 2.6 aerial duels per game whereas the Barnsley defender has just one all season.

Watch Nottingham Forest Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Ameobi has nearly five inches on Sibbick, so that’s quite clearly a mismatch in height.

The young right-back needs to be careful in the tackle as Forest’s wide man is fouled 1.1 times per game probably as a result of the marauding runs he makes, averaging 1.4 dribbles per game.

Furthermore, 43% of Forest’s attacks come on the left side of midfield meaning Ameobi is likely to be in the thick of it.

If you consider that aspect of Forest’s play and the disappointing defensive stats Sibbick boasts, Ameobi has an excellent chance of adding to his one assist this season and putting in a good performance.

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Leeds were particularly busy on deadline day for European and Football League clubs below the Championship.

They saw four players depart in various capacities as both Vurnon Anita and Callum Nicell both had their contracts mutually terminated. Conor Shaughnessy and Laurens De Bock also left on loan deals for the rest of the season.

The latter agreed on a temporary transfer to Sunderland, although plenty of Leeds fans aren’t too upset that he’s gone following the announcement of his exit.

Their response to the left-back leaving was full of sarcasm as they took to Twitter to have their say.

One supporter joked that there was no ambition from the club, demanding Andrea Radrizzani left. A further individual implied that relegation was now on the cards for Leeds.

Another fan claimed that promotion was cancelled as a result of De Bock leaving.

The Belgian joined Leeds in January 2018 from Club Brugge but only made seven appearances during his time at Elland Road.

He spent last season on loan at K.V. Oostende but clearly wasn’t in Marcelo Bielsa’s first-team plans.

Here’s some of the reaction from Leeds fans.

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

West Brom were dominant in their 1-1 draw with Millwall on Saturday but ultimately in front of goal they looked rather lacklustre with the visitors scoring both goals in the game.

The Baggies, aided by a piece of misfortune on Alex Pearce’s part, took the lead just before the hour mark as the defender headed a Matt Phillips cross into his own net before striker Matt Smith slammed home an effort from close range which really could have been avoided.

Albion enjoyed 72.5% possession and heavily controlled the game but failed to really get going in forward areas.

The problem seemed to lie with £8m summer signing Kenneth Zohore failing to have much of an impact on the game – he recorded just 12 touches in his 57 minutes which was one less than his substitute Hal Robson-Kanu, who played just over half the time of the 25-year-old.

Zohore also fluffed the best chance of the game in what was his home debut – probably one to forget.

On the Chalkboard

The season is only two games deep but Albion are showing signs of encouragement – they look more cohesive and more organised but lack that cutting edge up top.

During spells last season, even when looking particularly poor, they’d be able to get by thanks to goals from the likes of Jay Rodriguez and Dwight Gayle, who netted 46 in total.

It’s been the absolute contrast of that so far this campaign but their solution could lie in £4m deadline day signing Charlie Austin.

Manager Slaven Bilic brought in four new names on deadline day but none were able to feature on Saturday. therefore the best of West Brom might be a couple of weeks away.

The Croatian will be hoping he can get the former Southampton striker up to speed as soon as possible – a particularly hard task given the lack of a pre-season he’s had on the south coast with Ralph Hasenhuttl seeming to freeze out the 30-year-old.

Thogden ranks all 24 Championship home kits in the video below…

Austin’s record in the Championship is impeccable having netted 66 goals in 129 appearances across spells with Burnley and Queens Park Rangers, where he became a playoff winner in 2014.

Zohore may well be Albion’s number nine for the time being but that won’t last long if this current level of performance continues.

Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup opener against the very same team they faced at the weekend, Millwall, presents an ideal opportunity to give Austin and the other signings much-needed game time.

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Some Tottenham fans have taken to Twitter to joke that Daniel Levy was responsible for the attempted robbery of £1.9m from Amiens’ cut of the Tanguy Ndombele money, after it was reported that hackers had tried to steal from the French club.

Amiens were entitled to £12m of the £65m fee paid by Spurs to Lyon for Ndombele as a result of a sell-on clause.

Some Spurs fans have joked that Levy was the man behind it all due to his usual stinginess when it comes to dealing with transfers – Fulham owner Tony Khan recently shed light on just how difficult Levy is to negotiate with.

Thankfully for the Ligue 1 side, the attempted transfer of the money was blocked and the authorities have since been alerted, but this quite serious incident hasn’t stopped some supporters from having a bit of fun.

One fan said that Levy was ‘up to his old tricks’, whilst another said that the Spurs supremo ‘wants his £1.9m back’.

Let’s take a look at what some more of the Tottenham fans on Twitter have been saying…

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