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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… 

Newcastle have struggled going forward this season with new signing Joelinton still finding his feet and provide the level of ammunition you’d expect from a £40m striker, but the recall of Dwight Gayle to the side could provide a solution to their problems.

On the chalkboard

Steve Bruce has had a tough start to managerial life at Newcastle and a big reason for his return of only two wins from eight games is the fact his side have scored five times.

Their lack of success in front of goal is a consequence of a handful of intertwining factors, but Joelinton’s relatively slow start – with only one goal to boast from eight league games so far – is clearly a factor.

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The Magpies have pace in the squad with Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin on the flanks, but too often there are a lack of bodies in central areas and so the attack breaks down, as reflected by the fact both players are yet to complete a cross this campaign.

Whilst Joelinton is certainly a strong target to aim for due to his aerial presence, he is better suited to knocking the ball down to teammates and linking up play, as his average of 1.1 key passes this season and 1.5 key passes last term indicates.

Perhaps all he needs is a strike partner to get the best out of him.

Renewed chance

Newcastle’s goal threat looks devoid of quality with Yoshinori Muto, Andy Carroll and Joelinton scoring just two goals between them this season, but Dwight Gayle has proved his poaching instinct throughout his career and is deserving of another role of the dice.

Newcastle stood firm on their asking price of £20m in the summer, having impressed last year in a loan spell at West Brom in which he bagged 24 goals.

Check out the best reaction you’ll see to Newcastle 1-0 Man Utd in the video below…

In his season at the Baggies he built up a strong partnership with Jay Rodriguez, with the duo teaming up to score on eight occasions, and it is possible Gayle could do the same with Joelinton.

Joelinton, meanwhile, provided five assists last term but could have had many more due to the number of chances he creates, as evidenced above, helping his strike partner Andrej Kramaric on the way to 22 goals for Hoffenheim in 2018/19, with the pair playing with each other on 31 occasions.

Gayle should work well with him also, as he would be well-suited to playing just off the tall striker, pouncing on his knock-downs in and around the area to score in his classic poaching style.

Joelinton has been praised for his ability to hold the ball up and bring teammates into play, and with a strike partner to feed off in Gayle he might just begin to justify why the club broke their transfer record to secure his signature.

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…

Former Arsenal player Paul Merson has said that he believes Liverpool colossus Virgil van Dijk should win this year’s Ballon d’Or.

The Dutchman has had a sensational year for the Reds and has won multiple individual honours after helping guide his team to their sixth Champions League triumph in May.

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The 28-year-old started every Premier League game last season as he helped keep 21 clean sheets and his team only conceded 22 goals.

Merson spoke on Sky Sports’ The Debate (1:21) panel show and expressed how good van Dijk has been over the past year.

He said: “I think he should win it.

“I think he’s taken Liverpool to another level, in my opinion.

“Not single-handedly because other players have been around but if he wasn’t at the club, then I don’t think they [Liverpool] would be where they were.”

Like no other centre back

Merson is spot on when he refers to taking Liverpool to different levels. With his composure and the ability to make defending look so simple, he has raised the defensive bar to new gargantuan heights.

Van Dijk produced an incredible record which ran last season and ended during the Arsenal game during the current campaign. He set a 50-game benchmark where no player dribbled past him during that time, which was brought to an end by the Gunners’ forward Nicolas Pepe.

The Dutchman is not like other defenders in the modern football era as he continues to shine in the scrutiny of being the best defender in the world.

Watch the moment Adam Lallana broke United hearts at Old Trafford in the video below…

His manager certainly thinks so, after the Dutchman walked away with the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year gong, Klopp hailed him as the very best defender around.

Former Chelsea and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho also heaped praise on him and said that it would be unfair to compare other centre backs to the devoted Dutchman.

Liverpool find themselves with one of their best squads in the Premier League era. Echoing the words of Merson, it would be a worrying prospect to discover how the Reds played without Van Dijk.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes that John Stones’ omission from the Manchester City team that started against Crystal Palace on Saturday signals that “it really doesn’t look good” for the England defender at the club.

The 25-year-old, who came off the bench at Selhurst Park for his first appearance in five weeks following a muscle injury, was not risked from the start, with Pep Guardiola instead opting for defensive midfielders Rodri and Fernandinho in the centre-back positions against the Eagles.

The unorthodox centre-back duo restricted Roy Hodgson’s team to seven shots in that game and, as noted by @City_Chief on Twitter, Merson did say in his Sky Sports column that the pair played well.

However, he feels that Stones does not have the trust of Guardiola if the manager chose two defensive midfielders to start ahead of him in his natural position, even allowing for his recent injury.

Merson said: “A holding midfielder is not a centre-half. This lad is a £50m defender. It’s not like he was always there, and Pep just doesn’t fancy him as a player – a bit like Mesut Ozil and Unai Emery – it’s not like that at all.

“I would say that decision is the final proof that Pep just doesn’t trust Stones anymore. It really doesn’t look good for Stones.” [via Sky Sports]

These Manchester City fans on Twitter strongly disagreed with the pundit’s comments about Stones:

Do you agree with Merson’s opinion about Stones? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Ryan Edmondson was on the scoresheet as Leeds Under-23s drew 1-1 with Burnley Under-23s at Elland Road on Monday night.

And as expected, a number of the Leeds fans were on social media reacting to the strike, with many urging Marcelo Bielsa to hand the forward a first-team spot.

Edmondson has made two Championship appearances for the Whites but has not been involved in the first team in the early stages of the 2019/20 campaign.

The youngster certainly has time on his side having only turned 18 earlier this year.

That said, many of the Leeds fans feel that the York-born striker is ready to make the step into the first-team picture.

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Patrick Bamford remains Bielsa’s number one choice in the final third of the field, but the 26-year-old is without a goal in his last nine Championship appearances.

A selection of the Twitter reaction to Edmondson’s latest strike can be seen below:

QPR fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was revealed that Ryan Manning had received a maiden call-up to the Republic of Ireland senior squad.

The 23-year-old from Galway had previously earned seven caps for the Republic of Ireland U21 team, scoring three goals, although his fine form so far this season has earned him a call-up to Mick McCarthy’s senior squad.

Manning has been a key player for the R’s this term under Mark Warburton, scoring one goal and recording three assists in 14 Championship starts this season – the left-back has played every minute of the campaign so far.

The 5 foot 11 man’s performances have attracted interest from the Premier League, with Southampton reportedly keeping an eye on him ahead of a January move.

Newcastle are also believed to be interested in Manning, who has recorded 2.2 key passes per game as well as drawing 2.4 fouls per 90 minutes in the Championship this season.

Let’s take a look at how the QPR fans on Twitter reacted to his international call-up…

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.

Former Everton man Michael Ball has identified the club’s main issue as their inability to produce quality in the final third.

What did he say?

Everton have struggled both defensively and in attack this season, forcing them into an early relegation scrap as a result. The club’s 11 goals from 11 games in the Premier League currently puts them in 17th and has heaped immense pressure on the players and Marco Silva.

Ball told the Liverpool Echo: “We just need more quality in the final third, that’s what’s been letting us down when sometimes it seems like we run out of ideas a little bit.

“We’re okay at passing around the back and in midfield but if we can get it right more often in that final third, it can help get us back up that league table.”

Lack of quality and consistency

Som Everton players have proven to be a handful in previous seasons. The likes of Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson scored 13 league goals last season, whilst Alex Iwobi’s six assists with Arsenal last year prove he can be creative.

However, this season, Iwobi has not assisted at all and Richalison and Sigurdsson have just three league goals between them.

Part of this is also down to Marco Silva, who has constantly chopped and changed his side. The former Watford boss has often gone with Richarlison up top but then tried the Brazilian out on the wings as well.

Then there is Moise Kean, who Silva doesn’t seem to understand whatsoever. The Italian scored seven goals from a centre-forward position with Juventus last season, but Silva has resorted to playing him as a winger on a handful of occasions.

The 42-year-old needs to establish his strongest starting XI to transform Everton’s fortunes in the final third.

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

Federico Valverde is Real Madrid’s revelation of the season. The 21-year-old midfielder has suddenly become a crucial part of their squad but the latest triumph over Eibar uncovered one other aspect of his game that could take him to the next level.

On the chalkboard

By all standards, Real Madrid’s victory over Eibar this last weekend was a true statement clash.

Zinedine Zidane’s men steamrolled their opposition, forcing four goals into their net in the process and tallying important three points for their campaign.

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Valverde was once again part of that victorious squad, as he was so many times before. The Galacticos are not really the same team with and without the young midfielder, as we have already discussed on a previous occasion.

But against Eibar, the 21-year-old rattled the inside of the opposition’s net with a brilliant strike from around the edge of the box.

For all of his qualities, this was something we didn’t know he possessed. But if he can make that part of his arsenal, the sky could be the limit.

The missing ingredient

That goal was Valverde’s first one while donning the royal white shirt of Real Madrid, but they will be hoping it’s not nearly the last.

So far, the young midfielder has 35 games for the club under his belt and can also boast one assist as well.

But even though he has been mostly remarkable in everything else, considering the team’s results with him in the squad, shooting has never truly been a part of his repertoire.

In the 2019/20 La Liga season, Valverde registered 0.9 shots on average according to WhoScored, and for that reason it doesn’t really come as a surprise that he doesn’t score much, or at all.

Back in 2018/19, that figure was even lower with 0.4 shots per game but also suggests a certain growth that shouldn’t be disregarded.

Similarly, his expected goals output for that season was just 0.23 and it rose to 1.02 in the 2019/20 – again, a clear improvement is visible and it could indicate Valverde is getting more audacious in the final third.

At the moment, that seems to be the only real flaw of his player profile and if he can iron it out in the not so distant future, Real Madrid could be having a potentially complete midfielder on their hands.

That would be an incredible thing for Los Blancos.

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…

West Bromwich Albion are firing on all fronts this season.

The senior team sits atop the Championship table after 16 matches as the division embarks on the final international break of the season while their academy continues to hold up its acclaim of being one of the best around.

But that can often be counter-productive as the club are now finding out on a regular basis.

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In the summer, they lost two of their most promising talents in Louie Barry, who rejected a new contract to join La Liga giants Barcelona, and Morgan Rogers, who joined Premier League champions Manchester City for £4m.

Now the Baggies may be on the verge of similar happening as just this week Rico Richards and Jovan Malcolm have been linked to several top-flight teams following their impressive performances for the Albion U18 squad.

West Brom are quite powerless at this stage as neither player can sign a professional contract until they are 17-years-old so they are free to leave before then as whatever team signs them will only have to pay the west Midlands club a nominal fee.

Their decision on whether to stick or twist may well hinge on how Rekeem Harper has been treated this campaign.

The 19-year-old has always been regarded as one of the best prospects the club have ever had, and when manager Slaven Bilic took charge, one of the first things he sought out to do was renew his contract amid interest from Juventus and Liverpool.

However, the central midfielder hasn’t featured in a matchday line up since August and has played just six minutes in the Championship all season.

He must surely be regretting that decision now.

If you are either Richards or Malcolm looking at this situation, you will surely feel that similar may happen even if it is still a long way before they enter the senior fold.

The lure of being part of a Premier League standard academy on top of how harper has been treated may be enough to see West Brom lose more of their emerging starlets.

Qatar Sports Investment (QSI), who also own PSG, are a step closer to completing a takeover of Leeds United, according to ESPN.

Naturally, it has got supporters talking, but there has been a varied response, with some feeling excitement and others not believing any new update until it becomes fact.

Such a takeover would be monumental for the club and likely allow the Whites great capability in the transfer market, enabling them to bring in the players who could perhaps win them promotion.

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That is the aim of Andrea Radrizzani regardless of the takeover talk, and so far Marcelo Bielsa has done well to replicate last year’s success, with recruitment over the summer allowing Leeds to replace the loss of big players such as Pontus Jansson and Kemar Roofe.

However, with Victor Orfa suggesting that the January window promises to be a quiet one – which left fans puzzled – it is fair to assume that the club could do with additional investment.

A development like this could impact their chances of promotion, so it is of little surprise that some supporters are keen to see a takeover happen, as these reactions show.

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

Borussia Dortmund have joined the race to sign Troy Parrott, according to The Express.

What’s the latest?

The striker has shown his potential this season for the Spurs U23s and his talent isn’t going unnoticed by some of the biggest clubs in Europe, but Borussia Dortmund seem willing to challenge them.

Bayern Munich, Juventus and Real Madrid are amongst the other clubs interested in the 17-year-old, who only signed a new deal in February of this year.

However, that deal will expire in June 2021 and that means Parrott could be tempted away for a low sum, possibly viewing Dortmund as a good stepping stone – as it was for Jadon Sancho who joined the German club at the same age.

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Chance under Mourinho

Parrott is yet to make his Premier League debut for Spurs but his progression in the youth teams mean it is probably only a matter of time before he gets an opportunity, particularly as his new boss is reportedly willing to offer young players a chance.

The Republic of Ireland U21 international has scored seven goals in five games for Spurs U23s this term, and his skill meant former manager Mauricio Pochettino was a “great admirer” of the youngster.

Considering the interest from some big clubs it is important the club begins to make plans to keep him, and therefore a new contract offer should be tabled, as well as assurances of playing time, as that may be the most important thing for Parrott at this time.

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Pochettino leaving places greater doubt on that, too. The Argentine was responsible for handing several young Spurs players a first-team opportunity, such as Harry Winks, Dele Alli and Oliver Skipp.

Mourinho’s career shows he hasn’t often been a manager to hand game time to young players, though his admission that he is ready to learn from past mistakes could see a change in approach. With no other natural striker in the squad to act as back-up to Harry Kane there is a spot available in the squad, too.