Loads of fans have been reacting to Scotland’s abysmal performance against Belgium, and Celtic’s Callum McGregor is getting plenty of criticism for his part in the 4-0 defeat.
Few would have picked Steve Clarke’s side to take points off Belgium in their Euro 2020 qualifying clash on Monday night, but the manner of the defeat has left fans fuming.
The hosts were completely dominated by a Belgium side containing world-class talent Kevin De Bruyne, who had an absolute field day against the Scottish midfield.
The Man City star was playing on the right of Belgium’s attacking trio, and Scotland just couldn’t cope with his sheer quality as he grabbed three assists and a goal.
McGregor, who was perhaps the man tasked with keeping De Bruyne in check, did no such thing, and SofaScore gave the Celtic man a measly 6.3 out of 10 for his display.
Take a look at some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where some fans have suggested they didn’t even notice ‘CalMac’ was on the pitch…
This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
There remains some uncertainty at Rangers over who their first-choice left-back is.
It is the only real position that doesn’t appear to have a guaranteed starter, with Borna Barisic, Jon Flanagan and Andy Halliday all aiming to make the berth their own.
With Rangers playing Feyenoord on Thursday, manager Steven Gerrard must make a decision and Barasic should be selected.
On the chalkboard
Andy Halliday is not a left-back for a start – he is a central or left-sided midfielder that has been filling in on the left side of defence, with 74 of the 118 Rangers outings Transfermarkt have recorded a position for coming in defensive midfield. He was rated as the worst player on the pitch against East Fife while lining up at left-back – just 4.85/10 on the BBC Sport website.
There remains a romantic opinion of Halliday; Rangers fans want him to do well for the club given his fierce loyalty – he has stood in the same stands as a fan – but being a supporter in itself is no longer enough.
He has made a number of mistakes in recent weeks, including against Livingston as he allowed a chance that hit the crossbar, while he also misjudged a delivery against East Fife, with goalkeeper Wes Foderingham sparing his blushes.
Those mistakes could have been costly.
Barisic must play
Barisic started both games for Croatia in the recent international break, the most likely reason for Halliday getting a run out against Livingston.
With Flanagan out injured for the next few weeks, Barasic is the only real choice at left-back.
He has been creating chances and has one “official” goal to his name – being robbed against St Joseph’s of another sublime free-kick – and two assists.
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He has improved his physicality and is pressing high up the pitch, while he is making a marked improvement in his recovery runs when tracking back – all evident from watching him play.
If Rangers are to continue to improve, Halliday must only be played when Barisic needs a rest and against weaker opposition until Flanagan is able to deputise.
Gerrard should make the Croatian his first-choice; he is the most sensible option.
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…
Jamie O’Hara has told talkSPORT (via The Daily Express) that Tottenham’s decision to sell Kieran Trippier was “strange”.
What did he say?
Despite making 26 Premier League starts for Spurs last season, the Lilywhites decided to let the right-back leave north London. In the end, the 29-year-old joined the Liga giants Atletico Madrid.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side lost 2-1 against Leicester City on Saturday, and O’Hara bemoaned the departure of the former Burnley man. He said: “I think the problem you’ve got is that if [Christian] Eriksen goes, people will start questioning where the ambition is with the football club and they’re going to be like ‘are we going to kick on here? Are we going to get players in?”
“The biggest one for me is the Trippier one [which] I found strange.”
“That’s where they’re struggling, Tottenham can’t hold onto a lead at the minute.”
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Sold too soon
Last season was not Trippier’s best in a Tottenham shirt. After a fantastic World Cup, he failed to re-adapt to life with his club and struggled to reproduce the form he displayed for his country.
Despite that, he still played eight European matches as Spurs reached the Champions League final, and also managed to provide three assists in all competitions. He was a victim of his own success, and therefore any drop in the quality of his showings was exaggerated.
In Madrid, he is proving that he still has plenty more to give. In six games for his new side, he has already registered two assists, and he continues to provide the offensive threat that earned him a place in Gareth Southgate’s starting XI in Russia.
He has created 1.8 chances per game in the Liga, whilst he made a huge seven key passes against Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday. In defence, too, he has been solid, with Los Rojiblancos keeping four league clean sheets with him in the side.
So far this term, Pochettino is still unsure of who to play in his place. Serge Aurier and Kyle Walker-Peters have started two and three games respectively, whilst the former Argentina international even decided to use Davinson Sanchez there instead against Olympiacos.
Trippier’s form in Spain, as well as the lack of a quality replacement, clearly shows that Tottenham were too hasty in moving him on. It is a decision that could continue to haunt them as they struggle this term.
Liverpool fans have been left baffled by some comments from former midfielder Danny Murphy, who picked two Manchester United players he believes Jurgen Klopp would take at Anfield.
In case you’ve been living under a rock since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Liverpool are good and Manchester United are bad now.
The Reds have started the new Premier League campaign in electric form, taking 21 points from seven games, following on from a season in which they suffered just one league defeat.
The Red Devils meanwhile have been resigned to Thursday night football in Europe’s second-rate competition, and before the clash against Arsenal on Monday night they sit just three points away from the relegation zone, but a whopping 13 points from the top of the table.
Murphy though, believes Klopp would take Marcus Rashford and Daniel James on Merseyside, writing in his column for The Daily Mail: “United need more quality to catch up to their rivals but that doesn’t mean they don’t have any at the club.
“I think Jurgen Klopp would take Marcus Rashford and Daniel James all day long, they would fit in with his philosophy very well.”
Unsurprisingly, the Anfield faithful don’t agree with their former player on this one, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
Leicester are currently enjoying a tremendous start to the season under Brendan Rodgers.
The Northern Irishman has the Foxes playing some of the most entertaining football in the division and they head into this weekend’s clash against Liverpool sitting in third place, just two points behind Manchester City.
This week Football FanCast caught up with one of their former defenders, Steve Walsh, to talk about their star men and what the future might hold.
Walsh was speaking on behalf of GentingBet as he revealed whether he thinks those that have attracted interest in the past might depart, as well as providing his thoughts on a number of other talking points.
James Maddison has been one of the stand out performers for Leicester and last season he created 100 chances for his teammates. It was a tally that eclipsed some of the best in the league and understandably he’s been linked with a move away.
One of the clubs reportedly interested in him are Manchester United but Walsh thinks that if they came calling, he wouldn’t go. He exclusively revealed to FFC: “I think he’d stay. He’s a grounded lad who understands the loyalties in the game. I think he’s one of those that will definitely stay at Leicester for a few seasons.”
He also expressed the following: “James Maddison could fit into any of the top six teams. I believe that he is thankful to Leicester that they’ve given him a chance from Norwich and he’s really set the season alight. There’s always rumours that a team is interested in James Maddison but I believe that he’s happy here and he’s showing that in games.”
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Another player to be linked with a move away during the summer was Ben Chilwell.
The young left-back caught the eye of Manchester City but Walsh echoed similar thoughts about whether he’d stay or not: “Ben is going from an academy into a first-teamer at Leicester and then into England so his progression and his pathway is determined by Leicester at the moment.
“I think he’d be silly to move. Money talks, though, we’ve seen it with Harry Maguire. I think Ben Chilwell is happy here with his football amid rumours obviously of teams coming in.”
The ex-defender did suggest he’d command a large fee, though: “They know what the players are valued at. I think that Leicester know what figures would come in and that from a financial point of view there does have to be a lot of money for Ben because he’s a young up and coming player and he’s with England.”
Leicester have a number of players who are in form at the moment, not least Ricardo Pereira who now has two goals in his last two outings. He’s carried on where he left off last term when he won the club’s Player of the Year award.
Speaking about him, Walsh explained: “He’s been outstanding, he really has. He’s a top top player and when you’ve got ability that he’s got, interest will show. I think all the players at Leicester are fairly happy. They’re happy with the style of football and the manager and they’re settled.”
Moving onto a player who’s just joined, Dennis Praet is someone who looked neat and tidy against Newcastle last Sunday as he completed over 89% of his passes. He stepped into the number ten role ahead of Maddison who was injured.
If the young midfielder is fit to face Liverpool, then a dilemma could be on Rodgers’ hands over who might play where. The Man United target has already played out on the wing this term so could play there.
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Giving his verdict on the situation, Walsh expressed: “It’s a bit of a headache for the manager at the moment with what he does. He’s [Praet] done himself a lot of good in that performance.
“There’s tough competition and we’ve got a game at Liverpool coming up so it’s all geared for that game. He’s definitely in the picture and he’ll definitely be in the manager’s thoughts without a doubt.”
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Someone else that’s caught the eye since Rodgers walked through the door is Hamza Choudhury.
The midfielder was impressive in two games against Chelsea last season but has only been a bit-part of his plans in 2019/20 after playing at the European U21 Championships.
That being said, Walsh told FFC that he’s destined for big things.
When asked if he could challenge for a spot in the England set-up, he exclaimed: “Yes, he can. Hamza has come through the academy and it’s great to see homegrown players. He’s a player with great tenacity, he reads the game well and he’s an up and coming star for Leicester.
“He’s threatening to start every game at the moment so again it’s a good option for Brendan Rodgers.”
Are Leicester just a stepping stone for their talented manager? Lee “Chappy” Chapman discusses in the video below…
The 22-year-old is one of a number of players who could play a key role in the project Leicester are building at this moment in time. Whether that includes European football or not remains to be seen but there is a real chance bearing in mind the fortunes of some of the regular top six.
Walsh was quick to pick up on just how big a chance Rodgers’ men have: “There’s an opportunity this year – with Man United, you’ve got Arsenal at the back who are a little bit suspect and Chelsea’s embargo.
“There’s a great opportunity for other teams and Leicester that could challenge for the top four, let alone the top six. Leicester would be happy with a top-six place if they could but there’s a long way to go.”
He did admit, however, that it would be a chance missed if they didn’t end up in a Europa League spot at the very least: “I believe that if they miss out, it will be an opportunity missed amid that group of teams, but you’ve got Wolves there too and West Ham. These are all teams that will be pushing week in, week out and Leicester are among those.”
Just where Leicester finish this season will be intriguing to see but they certainly have a tremendous chance of breaking into the top six. For that to happen they’ll have to keep their best players, something Walsh seems confident they’ll do.
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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…
Danny Mills has questioned Liverpool’s midfield, raising concerns over their lack of creativity and goal threat.
What’s he said?
Speaking to Sky Sports (October 2, 11:26am), the former Leeds United and Manchester City man questioned the lack of attacking prowess in Jurgen Klopp’s favoured midfield trio.
“That three as it stands at the moment, with Henderson, Fabinho, and Wijnaldum, is there enough creativity in that?
“Is there enough goals in that? Wijnaldum might get a few, we’ve seen that. Henderson I don’t think is going to score too many. Fabinho is not going to score too many, and also they’re not going to create.”
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Thanks Sherlock
It’s hard to disagree with Mills purely from a factual perspective – Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Fabinho combined for just five goals and five assists last season in the Premier League, or ten direct goal contributions.
To put that into perspective, Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne already has two league goals and eight assists this campaign from a position on the right side of the Citizens’ midfield three, matching the Reds trio’s output from all of last year.
However, Liverpool are not designed to get goals and assists from midfield. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson produce most of the chances with 23 league assists between them last term, while the front three do all the goalscoring.
Combining the last two seasons with the beginning of this campaign, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane have scored a truly ridiculous 124 top-flight goals. That’s the equivalent of having two 30-goal strikers each year who have then grabbed two each at the beginning of this season.
So, while Mills is correct, Klopp’s workhorse midfield is poor at creating and scoring goals, that simply isn’t what they are in the team to do, nor do they need to do it to be successful.
Maybe it’s because he’s a former Man City player or maybe he simply hasn’t watched Liverpool enough, but this seems a really pointless and somewhat bizarre observation from Detective Sherlock Mills.
Lots of Charlton fans have taken to Twitter to wax lyrical over midfield general Darren Pratley.
The 34-year-old played a key role in the Addicks’ promotion campaign last season, scoring two goals and grabbing an assist in 27 League One appearances for the south Londoners in 2018/19.
Pratley also scored a goal of great significance in the playoffs, netting in the second leg of the semi-final tie against Doncaster as Lee Bowyer’s men progressed to Wembley via a penalty shootout – they later beat Sunderland 2-1 in the final.
The 6 foot 1 midfield general has continued to star for the club, making seven Championship starts so far this season as the Addicks sit 10th, just four points off the summit.
Pratley has averaged three clearances, 1.9 interceptions and 1.6 tackles per game this term, and is proving to be a key cog in Bowyer’s midfield.
Quite rightly, lots of Charlton fans on Twitter have been waxing lyrical over the veteran…
This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Sheffield Wednesday have been handed the honour of playing the first match back after the international break as they face a trip to the Welsh capital on Friday evening.
England’s top-two tiers have enjoyed the best part of two weeks off as players embarked on their respective national team duties.
It also marks the first month, if you like, of Garry Monk’s reign at Hillsborough as he was appointed during September’s international interval.
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The 40-year-old has steered the south Yorkshire club to ten points from a possible 15 to leave them sitting just one point outside of a playoff position, which is good going considering he inherited the entire squad from former boss Steve Bruce and caretaker manager Lee Bullen.
Monk is now left with a couple of tough decisions to make ahead of Friday’s trip to the Cardiff City Stadium.
On the Chalkboard
One dilemma is in midfield as Owls regular Sam Hutchinson is available for selection following his one-match suspension, which he served last time out against Wigan Athletic.
The 30-year-old has played in all ten of their other Championship matches this term.
However, he now doesn’t have a guaranteed route back into Monk’s starting line up after Massimo Luongo’s performance in his absence.
It was the Australian’s first league start of this season, and he took the opportunity with both hands by scoring the winning goal. That has duly given Monk something to think about ahead of the weekend.
That’s because Friday’s opponents offer a more physical test, one in which they could do with the former Chelsea man being involved – possibly at the expense of Luongo.
Cardiff rank third for aerial duels won in the league this season at an average of 30.5 per game and are also in the top-five for fouls per match, averaging 13.5, via WhoScored.
Hutchinson would offer some strength in combatting that as he’s one of the more experienced members of Monk’s squad at 30 years of age, while this season, the defensive midfielder is averaging 2.1 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game. That puts him second in the Wednesday squad for both statistics.
The only players ahead of him – that have played more than two matches – are actual defenders, so it’s clear to see why someone of Hutchinson’s presence could be needed.
It also doesn’t mean Luongo needs to be dropped as Monk could be true to his word of being ‘adaptable’ and play a three in midfield system with Hutchinson sitting deeper behind the 27-year-old and Barry Bannan.
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…
Before Leeds took on Charlton last month, Jack Harrison was a frustrated figure.
He looked like someone that was never going to be capable of helping a team towards a promotion charge.
He’d managed just one accurate cross from a possible 31 all season and his lack of creativity was extremely damning.
The 22-year-old would often get in promising situations and fail to pick out a man or he’d simply do nothing with possession.
Harrison came under heavy fire from supporters, many were criticising him for his displays, particularly after a clash against Derby. He also took flack for his general inability to cross.
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However, there has been a stark upturn in fortunes for the Manchester City loanee this season, showing form that’s finally displaying why he was worthy of praise from Pep Guardiola in the summer of 2018.
The enigmatic winger has gone from failing to have an impact on a game to effecting things to a match-winning level.
In his last four games, Harrison has been superb and Marcelo Bielsa’s faith in the young wide player is finally paying dividends.
Despite suffering a defeat to Charlton, he was one of Leeds’ better players and during that loss he registered a massive seven dribbles.
That was just one less than he’d managed in his last four matches combined. But it was in the crossing department where a big improvement was witnessed.
Harrison managed to end a torrid run of six straight games without providing one accurate delivery. Since his visit to The Valley, he’s managed four in four outings, via WhoScored.
Why are Leeds fans the best in the country? Find out in the video below…
That shows there have been signs of an improved end product but his general assist tally is where he’s been truly superior.
The youngster has now managed to supply two goals in two games, registering his first assists of the term. He also claimed the initial assist for the winning strike at West Brom before it went down as an own goal too.
From the clash against the Addicks onwards, Leeds’ number 22 has completed 11 key passes. That’s as many as he registered in his first eight outings of the 2019/20 campaign put together.
At last we are starting to see better signs in the final third from Harrison and in doing so, he’s proving his doubters wrong.
He’s hit back in brilliant fashion and has proven to be one of their most consistent performers in recent weeks. Long may it continue.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Barcelona are travelling away to the Czech Republic on Wednesday to face Slavia Prague in the Champions Leauge.
And even though it’s difficult to see him starting the game, Ernesto Valverde simply has to find some minutes for Ousmane Dembele.
On the chalkboard
The Blaugrana are definitely improving.
After all, they have tallied five successive victories across all competitions and even managed to keep two clean sheets in the process.
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As a result, they are now top of the table in La Liga and are level on points with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. But this clash could be huge for Dembele, in particular.
The 22-year-old Frenchman has been struggling with fitness issues this season and his game time has diminished drastically.
Not to mention that his recent suspension and the postponement of El Clasico won’t really help his cause. For that reason, it’s crucial Valverde gives him a shot tonight.
Aching to play
Dembele is talented and one has to feel that he has what it takes to make it on the biggest stage but he is struggling due to various external reasons.
Injuries, for one, are a big part of that struggle.
The young Frenchman has already missed six games in the ongoing 2019/20 campaign due to various fitness setbacks and has, for that reason, only tallied three games under his name in the Spanish top-flight.
Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…
And then when he finally got the chance to play, he got sent off in the clash against Sevilla with a direct red card from referee Mateu Lahoz, which resulted in a two-game ban for the forward. That suspension, however, is only valid in La Liga which means he can still play in the Champions League.
But it may be his only chance for a long while.
After all, not only did he miss the last game against Eibar in the domestic league but Barcelona will also miss out on playing this weekend with the Clasico being moved to December 18th.
That gives the Catalans a weekend off and when they do return to action next Tuesday, guess who won’t be in the squad due to his suspension? Dembele.
With that being said, if Valverde keeps him sidelined against Slavia, that would mean that he would have been without any football from 19 October until possibly 2 November, missing out on three games in the process.
For a young footballer who is struggling with game time as it is, that is far too much.
Seeing how the clash with Slavia Prague could be his only chance to tally some minutes, Valverde absolutely has to utilise him.