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Manchester United are ready to face Tottenham Hotspur away on Friday as the Premier League is set to restart this week.

The Red Devils are currently fifth in the table, four points clear of Spurs, who are now managed by former Old Trafford boss Jose Mourinho.

United have won the last two games between the teams, which could give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side an advantage as both sides must win in order to boost their hopes of a top four finish. Marcus Rashford, who is the club’s top scorer this season, bagged a brace in December to condemn Mourinho to his first defeat as Spurs’ head coach.

Earlier this week, the Premier League announced that Jonathan Moss will take charge of the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Moss qualified as a referee in 1998 and has often been on the receiving end from the Old Trafford faithful over the years. Indeed, he endured the wrath of supporters for his decisions during the match against Burnley last season (SportBible).

It is worth pointing out the Red Devils have lost three of their past five games Moss has refereed. He also handed Rashford a red card in the 2-0 win over the Clarets back in September 2018.

Unsurprisingly, many United fans slammed the “atrocious” decision, with one fan tweeting “Spurs W incoming” and another adding “we’ve lost then”.

Scroll through some of the scathing reactions so far…

United fans, do you think the Red Devils will beat Spurs? Let us know in the comments section below!

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been discussing their Harry Winks on social media this week after one Twitter account asked fans for their opinions on the midfielder and his future at the club.

And many in north London took the opportunity to take fire at the Englishman with them believing he’s simply not good enough for Spurs.

The 24-year-old came through the academy system at the club and made his first-team debut back in 2014, coming on as a substitute in the Europa League against FK Partizan.

Winks has since gone on to make 134 further appearances and has also picked up six national team caps.

This season, he has been a regular presence in Jose Mourinho’s starting XI, featuring 33 times without a goal or assist.

Cameo Clubs: Which obscure teams did these football legends play for?

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The young playmaker was once likened to Iniesta and Xavi by former boss Mauricio Pochettino whilst he has seen his value increase to £28.8m as per Transfermarkt.

However, much of the Spurs faithful aren’t impressed by his performances in recent times as evident below.

Here’s how they have been reacting…

AND in other news, Spurs fans react to “dream” 7-goal transfer target…

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

Could the writing the on the wall for this Foxes forward?

Leicester could be on the verge of making a move for Club Brugge’s 21-year-old Nigerian forward Emmanuel Dennis, according to reports by French football journalist Manu Lonjon.

Dennis made headlines recently when he scored a brace against Real Madrid in a Champions League game, but in addition to that, he boasts an impressive goal record with 25 goals in 86 appearances (via Transfermarkt) for the Belgian side.

As discussed previously when the news first came through, it’s a move the Foxes need to think about making, because at the moment they are somewhat limited when it comes to their attacking options.

But whilst they are short, bringing in another forward would have a significant impact on Kelechi Iheanacho. In fact, it could possibly spell the end of his time at the King Power Stadium.

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On the chalkboard

As outlined on FFC, Iheanacho is being somewhat stifled at Leicester, not just under the current boss Brendan Rodgers but also during previous regimes.

Bringing the £8.5m-rated Dennis in will mean that his days of possibly taking over as Jamie Vardy’s replacement will take a significant blow as he’ll most likely be the main challenger at that point.

That means he’s got two options if he is to ‘save his career’ as it were.

He can either try to redevelop himself as a winger, as he has dabbled in throughout his career making seven appearances (via Transfermarkt), or he can go to Rodgers’ office and demand that he leaves under the assumption his opportunities will be limited even further.

The problem with trying to reinvent himself as a wide man, is that he faces the same problem but with different faces, this time with the likes of Harvey Barnes and Ayoze Perez blocking his path.

If his track record is anything to go by when he does venture wide, the 23-year-old is going to need to make some vast improvements if he’s to stand any chance of doing that. When the Nigeria international plays out wide he’s only been involved in one goal, and that was an assist (via Transfermarkt).

Long story short, this move will more than likely mean that Iheanacho’s days of making something of himself at Leicester will more or less be over.

Thus, he’ll be hoping, for his own sake more than anything else, that there’s some hiccup along the way.

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…

As the Championship embarks on a third international break of the season, it hands us a good opportunity to see where things currently are ahead of a hectic Christmas period.

West Bromwich Albion head into the two-week hiatus sitting on the league’s throne in first position.

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The west Midlands club have lost just one of their 16 matches, picking up nine victories on their way to 33 points, which is averaging over two per game.

If they keep this up, then they will hit at least 92 points, and that has been enough for automatic promotion in four of the last five seasons, although that metric only accounts for one variable.

FiveThirtyEight, a statistical analysis website, has provided their own predicted table, which looks something like this:

They suggest that one of the chasing pack, Leeds United, will catch up and then eclipse the Baggies to the title this season.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side currently sit just two points behind Albion, and they are the only team to have conquered them this season.

FiveThirtyEight have constructed this through the use of multiple factors, from a club’s value to projected results to the strength of the league. This is all explained in more detail here.

As of right now, West Brom have a less than 50% chance to gain promotion this season despite sitting atop the Championship table while Leeds have a much stronger outlook at 69%.

This would suggest that manager Slaven Bilic still has plenty of work to do, even despite the table offering up the strong possibility that they will still indeed gain a return back to the promised land of the top-flight.

It just cannot be taken as gospel, and given that it took the side nine matches to even pick up their first clean sheet against a ten-man Queens Park Rangers side, and the fact that Matty Phillips has the same number of goals as all of their strikers combined, per WhoScored, there’s still so much room for improvement.

Ultimately, they want to be the team sitting at the top of that predicted table as it would show there are fewer weaknesses to be unearthed at this stage of the season.

Many Arsenal fans have lauded Joe Willock as being a regeneration of Gunners legend Patrick Vieira, after the midfielder struck from range against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.

Willock must have thought he had scored his side’s winning goal in spectacular fashion in the 70th-minute, when the 20-year-old picked the ball up just inside the Liverpool half, glided past Adam Lallana and unleashed a fierce, whipped strike into the top-left corner.

Caoimhin Kelleher could get nowhere near to save his shot, but the Anfield outfit pulled themselves back level when Divock Origi secured his brace by pulling away from his marker to volley home a stoppage-time equaliser.

Find out who is each Premier League club’s biggest bargain in the video below…

Arsenal had overcome an early own goal by Shkodran Mustafi to hold a 3-1 lead over Liverpool approaching half-time, but found themselves initially pegged back minutes before the break when James Milner tucked home from the spot.

The Gunners rallied on with Ainsley Maitland-Niles restoring their two-goal lead, only for Jurgen Klopp’s Reds to fight back and snatch their first equaliser through Origi, following Alex Oxlade-Chamberlin lashing home an effort Mustafi ducked out the way of.

Willock’s goal, though, left a lasting impression on many Arsenal fans despite their side going on to lose on penalties, with supporters lauding the 5 ft 8 youngster as a regeneration of Vieira.

The French icon famously struck a similar strike against Newcastle United at Highbury in April 1998, as the North London side went on to win the Premier League title.

Vieira would win the World Cup that summer, and added a further two English top-flight crowns and four FA Cups to his trophy cabinet during his time with Arsenal.

Willock’s appearance vs Liverpool was his 30th first-team game for the Gunners, while his strike was his seventh in senior football.

Here are some of the messages shared…

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…

Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan has launched an impassioned defence of his teammate Adam Reach as he believes the 26-year-old is underappreciated, but fans have been right to criticise as he’s been underperforming this season.

What’s he said?

The Owls face a tough trip to West Brom on Saturday afternoon, and with a potential points deduction hanging over their head, every result is going to matter until a confirmed outcome is reached.

Garry Monk’s side currently sit three points outside of the playoff zone and had they not thrown away a couple of results in recent matches, they could have been a lot closer to their upcoming league-leading opposition.

Wednesday midfielder Reach has often been a target for fans to vent their anger when things don’t go their way, which has led to Bannan defending him in a recent interview.

He said:

“I think he gets a lot of bad criticism. A lot of people forget you are not going to be 100 per cent every game, and scoring.

“Adam scored a lot of unbelievable goals last year, which most players wouldn’t be able to do. He’s not going to be like that every game, or he wouldn’t be here, he would be somewhere else.

“A  lot of people forget about his work rate and what he does off the ball. He is a wise head, has a lot of experience.

“He gets bad press, but that’s probably because he was scoring all these ‘worldie’ goals last season. There are not many players capable of scoring all those goals he scored last year. We appreciate him as a team-mate and in the changing room.

Reach must do better

As vice-captain, Bannan is only doing his job here. He isn’t going to throw his teammate under the bus publicly, but as paying customers, fans have every right to criticise Reach when he underperforms.

The Owls ace has been a marmite figure ever since joining the club as a then club-record £5m signing as seen when fans blasted him after the Blackburn defeat last month.

If you were to search for a showreel of Reach, you wouldn’t be disappointed, the 26-year-old has only ever scored bangers at the club, but aside from that, he’s done very little to warrant persistent selection.

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Per WhoScored, he averages 1.7 unsuccessful touches and just 0.8 crosses per game, which is particularly poor for a player deployed out on the right-wing.

He’s also gone five games without a goal or an assist to his name, so fans are justified in wanting him to do much better.

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 on BT Sport, former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has admitted he feels sorry for the club’s youngsters.

What did he say?

The Red Devils have endured a poor start to the season, registering just nine points from their opening seven Premier League games. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men also produced a disappointing display against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Thursday night, and Hargreaves has now revealed he sympathises with the situation surrounding the club’s academy prospects.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

He said (as quoted by The Manchester Evening News): “I actually feel sorry for some of these young kids because they have to carry the burden of one of the biggest brands in the world at 18-years-old.

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“Mason Greenwood, he is good, but he shouldn’t have to be in that position at 18-years-old. Even Rashford you could put into that category as well. These guys aren’t ready to carry the brand of one of the biggest clubs in the world and it’s not really fair on them.”

Sign of the times

Whilst Hargreaves’ comments are entirely understandable, United simply don’t have any choice at the moment but to turn to their numerous academy products. The mess they have created in recent transfer windows has essentially forced them to use the likes of Greenwood, Angel Gomes and Tahith Chong, amongst others.

It is absolutely a sink-or-swim moment in their careers. If they can ride out the storm and come out the other side, then the experience they will have gained of playing under such intense pressure will stand them in good stead. If they crumble under the weight of expectation, then so be it. The Red Devils have no one but themselves to blame for getting into this position.

Liverpool fans have been reacting to Brendan Rodgers’ revelation on James Milner, and they aren’t exactly buying what their former boss is claiming.

Domestic dominance or kings of Europe. Which would you prefer?

According to Rodgers, James Milner is heavily in the latter camp, and that was the reason for his move to Liverpool back in 2015.

The Reds veteran allowed his contract to run down at the Etihad before moving to Anfield on a free transfer, and Rodgers has claimed it was down to his ambitions in Europe.

Via The Liverpool Echo, the now Leicester boss said: “It’s really, really interesting because he wanted to come to Liverpool. He had won the Premier League, he had won cups. His whole ambition was to win the Champions League and he felt that he would have a better opportunity to win it at Liverpool.”

Of course, the Liverpool team that Milner joined was nothing like the one we see today.

There was no Virgil van Dijk. There was no Alisson Becker or Mohamed Salah, and most importantly there was no Jurgen Klopp.

The German was brought in a couple of months into Milner’s first season, and the Reds finished 8th, behind West Ham and Southampton.

Take a look at some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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

Little by little he’s forcing his way back into the picture.

Tyler Roberts has sort of become the forgotten man at Elland Road this season.

There has been plenty of talk surrounding who should lead the line between Patrick Bamford and Eddie Nketiah, meanwhile, Roberts has been coming back from a knee operation that he undertook during the summer.

As a result, his contributions from last season, and what he can offer in this campaign have been pushed aside. Speaking after the Birmingham City game, Roberts spoke about his recovery so far and how important it is for him to be getting back into the swing of things:

“Coming on in the second half and getting some minutes it was great, it’s been a long summer, so I’m glad to be back and helping the team get up the table.”

On the chalkboard

Roberts is the perfect man for a Marcelo Bielsa team, because whilst he has predominantly spent his career as a centre-forward, he can play in so many positions across the front line as well as an attacking midfielder.

Bielsa has spoken about his preferences to carry a small squad, so for him to be able to fill in multiple roles makes him crucial.

He’s also very effective on the pitch as well, if you take a look at his record from last season, even though it was only three goals and six assists, he spent large parts of the campaign either on the bench, not in the squad or forced out wide (where his assists came from).

Whilst Bielsa has stated that the team will be unchanged for the game against Preston North End, he really needs to consider using Roberts a lot more going forward.

Whilst the 20-year-old may be the perfect utility man to bring off the bench if there is an injury to anyone in the front-line, it shouldn’t necessarily rule him out to start games either, especially when supporters loved his cameo so much last weekend.

After all, he did start 20 games under Bielsa last season, so it’s not as if he hasn’t had the chance to prove himself. Although his numbers weren’t amazing, perhaps if he got a more consistent run in the side, he might be able to get those numbers up and help the team like he’s talked about.

Either way, he’s returning at just the right time if you consider Leeds’ struggles in front of goal. Bamford has failed to find the back of the net for seven games so they definitely need an added attacking threat.

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This weekend presents a chance for Leeds to bounce back from two dropped points against Derby last weekend.

At home, the Whites had over 60% of the possession and even missed a penalty but Chris Martin popped up with a late equaliser.

It was punishment for Leeds’ failure to take their chances as even Marcelo Bielsa was hounded by supporters on social media after the game.

But versus Charlton, his side can cement themselves at the top of the table as they travel to the Valley.

Calls have been made in recent weeks for Helder Costa and Eddie Nketiah to start, but will they? We know for certain that one definitely will.

Bielsa confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Pablo Hernandez had a muscular injury and that Costa would come into the side. Our predicted XI tips the 64-year-old to make one other change though.

That sees Jamie Shackleton drop out of midfield with Adam Forshaw returning.

He has missed the last two outings through injury but the manager noted on Thursday that they know they can count on him.

Patrick Bamford has been the subject of criticism and praise this term but we think he’ll start again up top over Nketiah.

He is goalless in his last three matches but hit the post and won the penalty last week. However, another game without finding the net could have him under real pressure.

The backline should have a familiar look to it, one that includes Ben White and Liam Cooper. The west Yorkshire club have conceded just four goals in eight matches in the league this term.