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Liverpool signing Tanguy Ndombele would certainly be one of the big talking points of the upcoming summer transfer window.

The Frenchman has endured a difficult debut campaign at Tottenham this season, making just 19 appearances in the Premier League, and struggling with both form and fitness.

It all came to a head back in Spurs’ clash against Burnley at Turf Moor, with Jose Mourinho unleashing on the midfielder in his post-match press conference.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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Reports in recent weeks had suggested Barcelona are keen on luring him away from north London, but now, French publication Foot Mercato claim Liverpool have joined the race to sign him.

And after hearing about their rumoured links to the midfielder, fans of the Merseyside club took to Twitter to voice their thoughts.

One Liverpool fan seemed to have issue with Ndombele’s questionable record with injuries and questioned whether the club are looking for someone to keep Naby Keita company in the treatment room.

Whether Spurs would even sell Ndombele is one thing, but why Klopp would consider a player like the Frenchman is another.

The Reds have built a side based on aggression, intensity and drive, and it’s helped them to Champions League success last season, and on the verge of lifting the Premier League title this.

Ndombele has shown himself to be none of those in his short time at Spurs, so the links with him are certainly eye-brow raising to say the least.

Wednesday 13th November 2019 marked the ninth anniversary of a classic fixture between Aston Villa and Manchester United (@avfchistory).

The two played out a high scoring match at Villa Park, which ultimately finished as a 2-2 draw.

It was actually a pretty dull game until late on. Indeed, the score remained at 0-0 after 70 minutes had been played.

However, it burst into life in the 72nd minute when Wes Brown brought down Ashley Young in the box, with the winger scoring the subsequent penalty (BBC Sport).

Just four minutes later Villa doubled their lead, with Marc Albrighton finding the back of the net (BBC Sport). It looked for all the world like the West Midlands outfit would go on to win from there, but that wasn’t the case.

Federico Macheda pulled one back with just nine minutes left to play, before centre-back Nemanja Vidic scored a dramatic equaliser in the 85th minute (BBC Sport).

Twitter account @avfchistory posted a video of the highlights from that match on Wednesday, and several Aston Villa fans responded by expressing their disbelief that they didn’t win that game, even though it was nine years ago…

Aston Villa fans, what are your memories of the 2-2 draw against Manchester United in 2010? Let us know in the comments below…

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… 

Birmingham City are reportedly preparing a January move for Nahki Wells in a potential deal which would threaten to derail QPR’s season.

The Burnley striker is in his second loan spell at the club in as many years and he appears to be enjoying life under Mark Warburton, playing alongside Jordan Hugill.

According to The Sun (03/11, p.61), as reported by HITC, the Clarets want £6m for the 29-year-old, a figure which likely puts him out of the west London outfit’s reach if they were to attempt a permanent transfer.

The club had to offload players in the summer in an attempt to reduce the wage bill, and therefore an approach by Blues would likely leave QPR in a position where they are forced to see Wells depart.

Mark Warburton will hold out hope that Burnley stay true to the season-long loan deal arrangement, and not recall him in a couple of months in order to move him on, as to lose him now would be a big blow.

Wells has become a key focal point of the attack and fitted in well with Hugill and Eberechi Eze, and his departure would likely mean that QPR can say goodbye to any hopes of making the play-offs.

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The Bermuda international already has seven league goals this term, equalling his total in the 2018/19 season.

It also means he is well on his way to bettering the totals achieved by the highest scorer in each of the past four campaigns, with Matt Smith’s tally of 11 in 2017/18 the highest in those years.

That underlines his importance to the team, while he has twice linked up with Hugill to participate in goals, allowing his strike partner to thrive in this QPR set-up as well.

According to WhoScored, he has averaged 0.8 key passes from his 13 league games, and that has played a significant part in QPR ranking joint-third for goals scored in the Championship, with a total of 24.

It is difficult to find all-round strikers such as Wells, particularly when the club is seeking loan deals due to budget constraints, and that means the club could easily fail to replace him sufficiently.

Losing his goals would increase the reliance on Hugill and Eze, both of whom face an uncertain future, with Hugill also on loan and Premier League interest in the latter.

As a result, QPR should do whatever they can to keep him at the club, as he could be an effective long-term servant.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast ahead of the London Football Awards, Tony Cottee spoke of how impressed he has been by Sebastien Haller’s start at West Ham after he was signed from Eintracht Frankfurt during the summer.

The Frenchman arrived after the tumultuous relationship between the Hammers and Marko Arnautovic finally came to an end, with the club’s two-sentence farewell offering an insight into how frustrated the Austrian had left everyone during the final few months of his Irons career.

Despite the sourness between player and club, Cottee felt that it was important he was adequately replaced: “Marko was a player who was developed into a centre forward and he played that role very well, he was pacey and he was a good player, I enjoyed watching him at the club.

“It was probably right for him to move on and the question for West Ham was how do you replace a player like that?”

The eventual answer was to make a club-record move for Haller, who was coming off the back of a season in which he had more goal contributions than starts in the league, amassing 15 goals and nine assists in 23 Bundesliga starts and six substitute appearances, as per WhoScored.

The hefty price tag meant there were also large expectations, but Cottee has indicated that he hasn’t been disappointed so far: “The early signs are good in terms of Haller, he’s got four goals so far this year in the Premier League, which is a good return out of the first nine games.

“He holds the ball up well, he’s good in the air, he’s a good finisher. He looks like a really good addition to the squad.

However, the former West Ham striker and England international feels Haller’s teammates can still do more to get the best out of him: “I think at times he’s been a little bit isolated up front, so he could do with a little bit of help, but I’ve been impressed.”

The signs are there that if players such as Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini get close the 25-year-old more often, he will be able to bring them into the game, as he is already averaging 7.1 aerial duels won and 1.1 key passes completed per game.

West Ham are in concerning territory, having now failed to win in their last five games in all competitions, but Cottee appears to have faith that Haller will be able to help turn things around for the team.

Tony Cottee was speaking as a judge on The London Football Awards, due to take place on 5th March 2020 at Camden’s Roundhouse. Tickets are available from https://

londonfootballawards.org.

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 is a difficult man to figure out.

The Argentine’s nickname is El Loco for a reason as that means ‘the crazy one’ in English, and Bielsa has more than earnt that moniker.

Whether he is delivering a powerpoint presentation to journalists explaining everything he knows about Derby County or admitting to listening to a tape of football tactics when going on a late-night run – and almost being arrested, nobody can predict what’s going to happen next in the life of Bielsa.

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Even the greatest minds in football can’t quite figure him out as Harry Redknapp spoke about the gaffer this week in an appearance at Leeds Town Hall.

What’s been said then?

In quotes relayed by Leeds Live, the former Tottenham manager seemed a bit bemused by Bielsa as he stated that he couldn’t quite figure him out.

“The manager is a strange one I can’t quite work him out. He’s supposed to be a genius and he probably is, his record is good, I’m not sure what will happen but I think they will get up – it is an open division.”

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

Don’t worry Harry

Redknapp shouldn’t be worried about the fact that he can’t figure Bielsa out, because seemingly nobody can.

Whether you’re a journalist with close ties to the club,  or a World Cup winner – nobody can crack the code of the Leeds United manager.

Phil Hay once described how he tried to offer him a lift in the rain but he refused it, claiming he liked the weather as it was.

It was a bizarre exchange of words but it shows what Bielsa is about. This is a manager who has openly disclosed his team selections in the past so there is certainly legs behind Redknapp’s comments.

Bielsa is a one of a kind, enigmatic genius and to be honest, there’s no point in wasting time trying to figure him out because he’s so unpredictable, and we absolutely love him for it.

If Leeds end up going up, they won’t care how bizarre his behaviour has been.

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

Brahim Diaz has not really been a prominent part of Real Madrid’s squad. And if recent reports coming from AS are any indication, that’s not likely to change any time soon.

Los Blancos are reportedly pushing for the young talent to go on loan but so far, he’s been very reluctant to accept. That could be a big mistake on his part.

What’s the word then?

Ever since he was at Manchester City, the 20-year-old talent has been rather impressive.

Back then, he scored 11 goals and assisted ten for their U23 squad and even made 15 appearances for their senior team, netting twice in the process. For that reason, Real’s interest and eventual purchase were not really a surprise.

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What was a surprise, however, was their decision to completely freeze him out of the squad. It has been over 140 days since Diaz last featured for Los Blancos.

He made 11 appearances for them across all competitions in 2018/19 and then he was gone – just like that.

Seeing how that trend is unlikely to change any time soon, his decision to refuse to go on loan might cost him.

A chance to shine

The youngster doesn’t really have to look any farther than his on loan teammates to see the full benefits of such a deal.

Both Martin Odegaard and Dani Ceballos have decided to take a step away from Real in order to fully show what they have in store and what they are capable of.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

Now, both of them are thriving with their temporary clubs – Odegaard is excelling at Real Sociedad, making eight appearances in La Liga and Ceballos thriving at Arsenal, with 11 appearances in all competitions.

But if Diaz eventually decides to stay at Real, which is looking likely according to AS, he could put his whole career in danger.

Not playing is the worst thing that can happen to a young and developing player and if this continues in the future and Zidane remains reluctant to play him, his talents could truly go to waste.

And that would be a shame – for him, the club and all the fans.

Let’s hope he makes the right choice in the end.

Former Chelsea man Jason Cundy believes “trophy pig” Jose Mourinho still has a role to play in the game and would “probably” win a trophy for Tottenham Hotspur if they decided to recruit him in place of struggling Mauricio Pochettino – but at a price.Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 56-year-old has been without a job since he was sacked by Manchester United in December last year, but has been mooted as a potential replacement for Pochettino with Spurs languishing in ninth place.

Mourinho won the Europa League and League Cup with the current Premier League strugglers during his three-year tenure and also claimed achieving 2nd place was one of his finest achievements in management.

Judging by the current state of the club and squad, that doesn’t surprise us at all.

Tottenham have won just one trophy, the League Cup, since the turn of the century. Last season’s Champions League run returned some semblance of joy, but ultimately no reward and their current form suggest it might be another year painfully absent of silverware.

Would things be different with Mourinho in charge, though? Check out Cundy’s thoughts below…

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…

Everton returned to winning ways for the first time since early September when they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers after the 2-0 win over West Ham United. It means the Blues have moved into 15th and eased the pressure on Marco Silva ever so slightly.

Many players put in fantastic displays in the game, but it seems that Silva left Goodison Park praising Alex Iwobi more than most.

The former Watford manager said: “Alex Iwobi understood where the space was and did everything we planned.”

Following a promising opening to his career at Everton, he played in the number 10 role behind Richarlison for the first time in the Premier League, dethroning Gylfi Sigurdsson and giving his manager plenty to ponder over ahead of the trip to Brighton this weekend.

As well as making two key passes in the game, Iwobi registered two shots on goal as well, whilst he made one tackle and completed three out of four long balls for his team, per Whoscored.

Sigurdsson was Everton’s joint top scorer in the Premier League during the last campaign (13), and he finally got his first of the season with a typical Sigurdsson-esque screamer into the top corner.

However, moving forward, the Iceland international may be forced to vacate his space in the starting lineup for Iwobi.

The two offer very different abilities in the role. The former Arsenal man may not have the natural ability to rifle home a beauty like Sigurdsson did, but what he does offer is a blend of creativity and speed to create opportunities in the final third.

Iwobi’s most recent outing will most likely force Sigurdsson to improve and create a healthy dynamic between two players vying for the number ten position.

The playmaker’s goals over the years have proven he is tough to replace in the role, but the versatile Nigerian is beginning to suggest he will provide a stark threat to his place in the XI.

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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…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, John Hartson claimed that Dominic Calvert-Lewin could be the answer to Everton’s problems in attack.

The Toffees have struggled on the goal-scoring front so far in the Premier League with five goals in six games, and much of that is due to the rotation of the 22-year-old and Moise Kean, according to the Welshman.

Calvert-Lewin has one goal so far in the league – a towering header against Bournemouth – but he struck twice against Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday – a sign that his confidence may be beginning to grow.

Hartson has suggested what Marco Silva needs to do to get the best out of the 6ft 2 striker.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “He needs to play all the time. It’s very difficult being in and out of the team all the time. There’s chopping and changing.

“Get him in the side, make him a focal point, tell him to master the art of playing between the 18-yard box, he doesn’t really need to be running down the channels doing this and that.

“Just be a number nine, get Moise Kean to play off him, get the ball into them, work on the training ground as a partnership, and get something going.”

The method put forward by the former Arsenal striker is one Silva hasn’t implemented yet this season, instead preferring a lone striker to fit into a 4-2-3-1 system. But Hartson’s suggestion could be a suitable solution.

His point about the striker playing regularly is key. After his goal against the Cherries, Calvert-Lewin was left on the bench for the following game against Sheffield United.

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That means neither he nor his teammates are able to find a rhythm or a run of form, and goals dry up as a consequence.

On the rare occasion Kean started for Juventus last season, he often found his best form as part of a two, scoring four goals in five starts alongside a strike partner.

With Calvert-Lewin strong in the air and able to hold up play, he could be able to use Kean’s pace in a way which exploits the opposition.

As a result, Silva’s side would have more variety in attack, and with more support for the front two they could be more likely to get amongst the goals.

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.

Grady Diangana burst onto the scene last season and played his way into Manuel Pellegrini’s thoughts, impressing the Chilean enough to make 21 appearances.

Over the summer West Ham bolstered their attacking options with the addition of Pablo Fornals, whilst the return from injury of Andriy Yarmolenko meant Diangana would have found his game time limited had he satyed.

Instead, he chose to go on loan and play under Slaven Bilic, and it has so far proved to be an inspired decision.

Bilic would have been aware of the winger from his time in East London and the pair have proved a suitable match for one another, with the 21-year-old not taking long to make an impression at the Hawthorns.

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He has three goals in six league games, but his trickery and eye for a pass – best evidenced when he assisted Matt Phillips’ second goal against Huddersfield in late September – shows that he is a well-rounded winger.

As alluded to, the Hammers currently have a plethora of wide players to choose from, and Yarmolenko has made the right-wing spot his own in recent weeks, with Felipe Anderson a mainstay on the left.

However, one man who finds his place in the squad under even more pressure due to Diangana’s form is Michail Antonio.

The 29-year-old has had mixed fortunes since signing in 2014 and injuries have limited his impact in recent years, and since they look likely to persist it is possible that Diangana could be his long-term successor.

He may be playing in a lower division, but the Hammers academy graduate has two assists to show for his average of 1.6 key passes per game so far, which shows he is a winger who looks to get the best out of his teammates as well as going trying to find the net himself.

Added to that, he has proved a constant menace to Championship backlines with 2.5 successful dribbles per game and a pass accuracy of 81%, a respectable return for a player who spends a lot of time in the opposition final third.

He still has a lot to learn, but a year of regular game time should aid that.

In particular, his average of 0.5 successful crosses per game leaves a lot to be desired, and until he can raise his consistency in the final third he could remain on the fringes at West Ham.

Despite that, he has good coaches and teammates to learn from at the Hammers, so it may not be long until he pushes both Antonio and Yarmolenko out of the side.