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…
For Leeds, Saturday was a tale of what-ifs and missed opportunities.
Typically, it wasn’t for the first time this season. Against Nottingham Forest they struggled to get over the line, drawing 1-1 as Patrick Bamford failed to score from six chances.
Versus Swansea, Bamford missed four shots as this time Leeds lost. They once again conceded a sloppy goal.
This is starting to become a theme for the Whites, even if we are just six matches into the new campaign. but both of those goals which caused Leeds to drop points came from corners.
It proves that concerns still lie defensively, but one of the main areas they need to improve in is going forward.
For Leeds, the stats prove rather damning and provides evidence of a side that will have to improve and become more ruthless if they want to achieve promotion.
On Saturday, they had 21 attempts on goal but only three of them were on target as try as they might, they couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.
At the final whistle, stats based Twitter account, LUFC Data said that Leeds’ expected goals from the game was 1.96. Swansea’s was 0.46.
Considering the hosts didn’t score, this should come as a massive concern to Marcelo Bielsa.
Letting Kemar Roofe go was somewhat of a gamble given his 15 strikes last term but despite Leeds scoring ten goals so far in 2019/20, the joint-third highest of anyone in the division, they need to get better after the international break.
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They have registered the largest number of shots per game in the Championship at this early stage, taking 17.7.
Top of the table, Swansea, have managed 12 goals but in only 12.2 shots per match. 11 goal Bristol City and Preston, meanwhile, have had 11 shots each outing in comparison.
This goes to show that for the number of efforts Leeds have on goal, they must start finding the net on a more regular basis.
This isn’t a trend that has carried over to his club career as he hasn’t actually scored the fourth goal for his team since the 2013/14 season with PSV against NEC Nijmegen.
He came close to changing that last season as he scored twice in Liverpool’s 4-0 win against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final at Anfield, but it was Divock Origi who had the honour of netting the decisive fourth goal in that game.
Many Liverpool fans will be hoping that Wijnaldum’s goalscoring form can carry over when he pulls on a red shirt, as he’s only netted seven times over the past two seasons.
It’s hard not to notice Harrison’s abs through his shirt in the image, but despite the fact that the Man City loanee had been working with a personal trainer this summer, some of his former friends from the MLS claimed that the image wasn’t all that it seemed.
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Richie Laryea and Kwame Awuah were quick to try and mug off the Leeds man.
Away from the attempts at banter from his friends, it’s quite incredible to see the shape Harrison is in after a summer of working hard on his fitness. Let’s be honest, he’s ripped.
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…
Casemiro faced the press after a disastrous 3-0 defeat to PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday and shared some sensible words.
What did he say?
Many things went wrong on that Wednesday night for Los Blancos and it’s naturally difficult to put a positive spin on such a heavy defeat.
But that’s exactly what Casemiro did in Paris.
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The Brazilian star acknowledged that there are no excuses for such a performance and that he and his team-mates could have done more on the night.
But he also emphasised that they are working hard to rectify the issues at the beginning of their European campaign; they also have to play Club Brugge and Galatasaray in the group stages.
Here’s what he said in full:
“We have to keep working hard because we still have a lot of games ahead. We had chances. We scored two goals that were disallowed, but I think there are no excuses now. We didn’t play well and it’s a delicate moment to speak. We’re working hard and we have time to put things right.”
Only the beginning
At the moment, everything seems rather dire for Real Madrid and their fans. The first four games in the 2019/20 La Liga season have not exactly been exceptional.
After all, they’ve recorded two wins and two draws so far.
Obviously, the Champions League did not start off on the right foot, either, but Casemiro is right that they have plenty of time to improve.
And that’s true for both the league and for Europe.
Real have been in these situations before and they’re also not the only ones. Elsewhere, Barcelona drew with Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool, the Champions League holders, lost to Napoli, while Tottenham Hotspur, last season’s runners-up, drew 2-2 with Olympiacos. Juventus and Atletico Madrid also played out a 2-2 draw.
The top teams still need to get up to speed and there are plenty of games to come.
We’ll have to wait and see if Real manage to turn their form around but Casemiro’s attitude is the right one.
A number of Manchester United fans have begged their club to sign James Maddison from Leicester City as soon as possible.
The 22-year-old, who has been linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent weeks, scored a stunner against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
Indeed, the attacker’s late goal decided the contest at the King Power Stadium, and a whole host of United supporters took to social media during the Premier League affair.
According to WhoScored, in addition to finding the back of the net, Maddison had four dribbles and managed four shots during an all-action performance.
The strike against Spurs was Maddison’s first in the Premier League this season, although he did net against Newcastle United in the EFL Cup late last month.
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The United fans are absolutely desperate for Maddison to move to Old Trafford, and a selection of the Twitter reaction from their supporters can be seen below:
In today’s Everton roundup, we take a look at what news has been doing the rounds for the Toffees. There is a growing concern in the injury to Andre Gomes, Darren Bent believes Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal scoring record is a ‘big problem’, and the club are reading to join Arsenal in the race for Donyell Malen.
Concern over Gomes
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Report: As reported by the Liverpool Echo, there is a worry at the club over the injury to Gomes. The 26-year-old has not played since picking up a rib injury in the victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. The ex-Barcelona man will miss the game against Manchester City on the weekend, with fears looming he may not be fit until after the international break.
Verdict: Unlike many other Premier League sides, Everton are quite alright in the injury department. However, the two in the physio room are both central midfielders; Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Gomes. This is a worry conceding it’s the visit of the champions next, but also because of the poor form from others in this position.
Tom Davies has played just 11 minutes of league action thus far, Morgan Schneiderlin received a 4/10 against Sheffield United, and Gylfi Sigurdsson has yet to threaten in front of goal after scoring 13 Premier League goals last year.
Gomes has had a topsy-turvy Everton career at times, but in general, the Portugal international has been a great signing for just £22m, and the Toffees will be hoping he is back sooner rather than later.
Bent rips into Calvert-Lewin
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Report: Speaking to Football Insider, former England international Bent was extremely critical of Everton forward Calvert-Lewin. He said: “I don’t quite understand, he had a tough (Under-21) European Championships, didn’t quite go to plan. It’s such night and day between him and Tammy Abraham at the moment because he was ahead of Abraham in the Euros.
“I think he’s (Abraham) scored more goals this season that Calvert-Lewin’s scored in any Premier League season. He might even score more goals now than Calvert-Lewin’s scored in total.
“Everton are in all sorts of disarray, they’re all over the place. (12 goals in 83 Premier League appearances) That there is a big problem, that is a massive stat. I like Calvert-Lewin, I think he’s a good player, works really hard, if you’re on his team, he’s one of those players you want but if you want someone to score you consistent Premier League goals, he’s not showing that.”
Verdict: Indeed, Abraham has scored more this season than Calvert-Lewin has in any other. The Everton forward bagged just six Premier League goals in 35 appearances last year, whilst the Chelsea forward netted seven in his first five games this season.
It is a worrying statistic for the former Sheffield United man, as he is now 22 and yet to establish himself at his own club.
As for the Toffees, they have put faith in their wide men for goals, with Bernard, Richarlison and Alex Iwobi all scoring for Marco Silva this season. These goals have been incredibly important, not just because of Calvert-Lewin’s poor form, but because Cenk Tosun has still yet to impress in Everton colours. The Turkey international has played just 35 minutes thus far after scoring only three times in 25 Premier League appearances last year.
Everton join Malen race
Report: As reported by the Daily Mail, Everton have joined the race for PSV Eindhoven star, Donyell Malen. It is believed the 20-year-old will cost a fee in the region of £50m, despite Arsenal initially selling him to the Dutch giants for just £500,000.
Verdict: The Toffees are lacking goals right now having scored only five times in the six games so far – the joint second lowest – and Malen could certainly be the answer to these concerns.
The forward has netted seven times in seven games in the Eredivisie and leads the way as the top scorer in the division, averaging a goal every 85 minutes. As alluded to, Calvert-Lewin and Tosun are yet to score this season, with the goals coming from the wide men, with Silva calling out for the man down the middle to pitch in on the goals.
Yes, Moise Kean could be the answer, but the Italian has not yet had a chance to prove his worth just yet. Furthermore, Malen has also scored in the Europa League for PSV and even bagged on his first call up to the Dutch national team in the European Championship qualifiers.
There is little doubting this man’s goal scoring ability, and Everton should seriously consider bringing him to Merseyside.
However, £50m is an almighty amount for a man who has only just broken onto the scene within the last 12 months.
Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood has not been included in the 24-man Republic of Ireland squad ahead of their October international fixtures.
Instead, Mick McCarthy has opted to call up Middlesbrough stopper Darren Randolph, Bournemouth’s Mark Travers and Kieran O’Hara, who is spending the season away from parent club Manchester United on loan at Burton Albion.
Westwood has been a regular in the Irish squad since making his debut in 2009. He has played 21 times for his country, although his most recent cap was back in 2017.
He was included in the squad to play Switzerland back in September, but pulled out with injury.
Speaking about leaving Westwood out, manager McCarthy said: “Keiren’s not going to start if Darren Randolph’s there and the other two lads (Mark Travers and Kieran O’Hara) were brilliant in training.”
The 34-year-old has been a regular for the Owls this season, and has conceded just nine times so far as well as keeping two clean sheets.
His absence from the Ireland squad has left plenty of Sheffield Wednesday fans baffled, with many of them claiming he would be a better choice than current number one Randolph.
However, some are also quite happy that Westwood has been overlooked as it means there is no risk of him picking up an injury on international duty.
Here is how some Owls fans have reacted to the news that their goalkeeper has not been included in the Republic of Ireland squad…
What do you make of Westwood’s omission from the Republic of Ireland squad? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
West Ham United prospect Nathan Holland has yet again been impressing for the Hammer’s youth sides, and some fans are making a case for the 21-year-old to be included in Manuel Pellegrini’s first-team squad.
Holland is yet to break into the senior team despite being 21 years old, though he was given a 57 minute run out against Oxford United last month.
His lack of involvement, however, suggests that Pellegrini is reluctant to integrate him.
The winger has been in impressive form this season, bagging two goals and providing three assists for the U23 side.
Despite a 4-3 defeat against Cheltenham Town earlier this week, Holland was in excellent form against Michael Duff’s side, and ExWHUemployee called for the academy prospect to be given a “proper chance” in the first-team picture shortly after the game.
Whilst Pellegrini’s side are currently in impressive form in the Premier League having risen to eighth in the table, some West Ham fans believe Holland should be given an opportunity beyond the U21’s.
Check out some of the best reactions below to the latest performance from the club’s highly-rated prospect…
Former Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has been bemoaning his lack of game time for Juventus this season.
The 25-year-old has failed to make a single start for the Turin-based club in Serie A so far this term, and has managed to play a total of just 78 minutes (via Transfermarkt).
Added to that, the German was also left out of Juventus’ UEFA Champions League squad so it would be fair to say that things are not going too well for him in Italy.
He has now admitted that he is unhappy at the club, and speaking after his appearance for Germany on Wednesday, he said: “I’m not happy [at Juventus] right now. I don’t play much at the moment,”
“Last season I played a lot. Especially in important games for Juventus. And I also played well there. I haven’t had a chance this season.”
Can left Liverpool on a free transfer in 2018 to move to the Italian champions, claiming that he was doing so in the “pursuit of silverware” (via Liverpool Echo).
However, since he has left Anfield, Jurgen Klopp and his side have won the Champions League and are now in pole position to win the Premier League, whilst Can is failing to play any part for Juventus.
That proves that sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and it would be fair to say that most Liverpool fans have no sympathy for their former player’s situation after he walked away from Anfield.
Here is how some Reds fans reacted after reading Can’s comments that he was unhappy at the Allianz Stadium, with one supporter even claiming that he’s Philippe Coutinho 2.0 after witnessing the Brazilian’s fall from grace at Spanish giants Barcelona…