Harry Redknapp is still looking for that first win as QPR and his side’s first Premier League victory of the season. You would not blame some supporters for thinking it may never come at this rate.
The R’s are currently in their supposedly easier run of fixtures and it is about to get a whole lot harder for them to pick up results very soon.
Martin Jol’s Fulham travel to Loftus Road looking to secure back to back wins for the first time since September.
Fulham have too been on the decline recently and a 2-1 victory over Newcastle on Monday to take them to 20 points was a welcome relief to halt the slide.
They secured nearly double the point’s return in the first eight games of 13 compared to the next eight games of just 7 points.
Redknapp still has to contend without two of his main strikers in Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora with both out for the long term till the New Year with knee and thigh injuries.
Julio Cesar still hasn’t been able to shake off his groin injury either which is why Robert Green is expected to maintain his place in the starting XI in goal.
Fulham have a few absentees too Bryan Ruiz (hamstring) and Simon Davies (neck) remain out till at least January. Brede Hangeland made a successful return from suspension on Monday and will retain his place in the side. A last minute decision is due on Mahamadou Diarra with the midfielder needing a painkilling injection to play, so the midfielder may not be risked ahead of a busy festive period.
The Cottagers have earned an average of 0.33 points per game without Hangeland in their team. With the Norwegian in the side, they have averaged 1.54.
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The return of the influential defender could prove pivotal to a Fulham revival as it did on Monday.
Sunderland fans are less than impressed about Paddy McNair’s international call-up, after the defender was included in Northern Ireland’s 24-man squad.
Fans in Sunderland haven’t had much to cheer about this season, and the injury problems their side has suffered have been a major part of that. Paddy McNair has missed most of the campaign, starting just five league games for the Black Cats.
McNair hasn’t featured for Chris Coleman’s side since the 3-3 draw with Middlesbrough last month, but has now been called up to play for Northern Ireland in the upcoming international friendlies.
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The Northern Irishman couldn’t possibly be worse than the performances from the players who have been playing, but has been missing for various injuries, most notably the cruciate ligament damage that meant his season didn’t start until late October.
The 22 year-old joined from Manchester United in 2016, but has managed just over 800 minutes on the pitch in two full seasons at the club.
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Fans have had plenty of reasons to be frustrated in recent weeks, and they’re all saying the same thing about the injured defender’s appearance in the national squad.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
West Ham’s famed ‘Academy of Football’ has developed some of the best English footballers to grace a football pitch. The likes of Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Glen Johnson and Jermain Defoe have all massively progressed in the Premier League, mainly thanks to former academy director Tony Carr MBE. Currently, the string of youngsters being fastracked into the first team set up has worryingly stopped but hopefully that will be for just a brief time. Mark Noble and James Tomkins are the current first team players that are playing on a regular basis, and have come through the youth ranks at Upton Park.
Many players from the Hammers set up that have been tipped to have a bright future ahead of them have failed to deliver the goods. Defender Jordan Spence and striker Freddie Sears are prime examples. Now plying their trade at League One sides MK Dons and Colchester United respectively, it’s safe to say that both Spence and Sears’ footballing careers have taken a stumbling block. Things need to change, considering that Premier League clubs are failing to develop homegrown talent, which is why the English national side is suffering. West Ham’s Academy director and Head of Coaching and Player development Terry Westley is looking to change that, and bring through another batch of youngsters that are on the same level as Ferdinand and Cole.
One player that has caught the eye is 15-year-old centre back Reece Oxford. The defender is tipped to be a future England international, and is already attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea after failing to agree a professional contract for the Hammers. With agreement over a new long-term contract for Oxford yet to be agreed, the Boleyn Ground outfit are doing everything in their power to keep hold of their brightest prospect. Offering a lucrative new deal is the first step, which could mean games in the first team by the time he is 16. Captain of the winning England U-17 side in the summer, the 6”3 centre half got a taste of what it would be like in a competitive match in claret and blue, sitting on the bench in the Capital One Cup second round tie against Sheffield United.
Now heavily involved in Nick Haycock’s Under-21 development side, Oxford is looking to go one step further with the first team. Whether that will be with West Ham is yet to be known, but the Hammers will not want to lose one of their brightest stars for minimal fee at the end of the season considering he is out of contract. For a player to be considered for a place in the first team by the time he is 16 just shows how much the youth coaches, and indeed, Sam Allardyce, believe that this player can become as good as Rio Ferdinand was in his prime. But if the Premier League’s big boys are lurking, Oxford could well be tempted in developing as a player at a bigger club, which is a real shame.
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Day 8 of the FootballFanCast.com Football Advent Calendar sees arguably one of the best prizes yet, especially if you haven’t done all your Christmas shopping yet, as we’re giving away a copy of Football Manager 2013!
Football Manager is the best-selling, most realistic football management series ever made. Football Manager 2013 celebrates 20 years of games from the people at Sports Interactive by introducing an array of new features.
This year’s version allows you to take control of any club in more than 50 nations across the world and includes all of Europe’s biggest leagues as well as database of over 500,000 real-world players and staff.
As well as some landmark new features in the Career Mode, there are now new ways to enjoy your Football Manager experience.
Fancy winning a copy of Football Manager 2013?
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To be in with a chance of winning click below to LIKE FootballFanCast.com on Facebook
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The winner will be announced tomorrow, when we will also be unveiling our football prize for Day 9. Don’t forget to come back to FootballFanCast.com then!
Few Premier League players divide opinion quite like Paul Pogba; to some, an incredible talent that Jose Mourinho continues to stifle, to others, an ill-disciplined and incomplete player who struggles to function as part of a team.
But essentially, the whole debate centres around trying to define what Pogba actually is and how his abilities can best serve the team. Should he be a box-to-box midfielder, a holding player or something far more offensive minded? Football FanCast lay out four suggested solutions to the conundrum of the French star’s best position…
Soccer Football – Premier League – Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United – Wembley Stadium, London, Britain – January 31, 2018 Manchester United’s Paul Pogba receives instructions from manager Jose Mourinho Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publ
Solution A – Left central midfield
It’s allegedly Pogba’s preferred position and arguably the one that strikes the best balance between what he thinks he can bring to the side in terms of dynamism and creativity, and what Jose Mourinho wants him to bring to the side in terms of physical presence and defensive protection.
It’s also where the France international produced his best form for Juventus alongside Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo, and where most would argue he’s provided his strongest performances in a United jersey as well. However, some believe Pogba can be utilised even further forward, while Mourinho clearly thinks he can have an impact in deeper roles as well.
Solution B – Deep-lying midfield
For all the controversy surrounding Mourinho deploying Pogba alongside Nemanja Matic in deeper midfield, he does possess the natural requisites for the role – at least on paper. Indeed, the 24-year-old has the natural power and brawn to soak up the kind of space opposing No.10s like to thrive in, alongside the passing quality and dribbling ability to protect the ball and give United a real platform to launch attacks from – similar to the service Mousa Dembele has so ably provided Tottenham with in recent seasons.
But it’s clear Pogba lacks the discipline and positional awareness to be a study and dependable option at the base of midfield, and it’s obvious that the role doesn’t appeal to his natural mindset. In any case, putting a leash on a player who can offer so much offensively seems a monumental waste of a talent that once demanded a world-record price-tag.
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Solution C – No.10
A few years ago, back when practically every side in the Premier League lined up using a 4-2-3-1 formation, Pogba would potentially have taken up the spot at the tip of midfield, where his defensive obligations are as limited as possible and the close proximity with the central striker allows his creativity and netting prowess to flourish.
At Manchester United, that would work out as Pogba regularly linking up with Romelu Lukaku to either play in the Belgium international or latch onto any second ball situations to rifle home from the edge of the box – in a similar style to Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard. But the fact is, 4-2-3-1’s popularity has waned in recent years and even during its hayday, more slender and technical playmakers were preferred to physically imposing types – think David Silva over Yaya Toure at Manchester City, for example.
Solution D – Supporting Forward
With Pogba – who Transfermarkt value at £81million – so offensive-minded, perhaps he should be more part of the attack than the midfield. Although it can be completely different to the midfield game at times, especially when you’re taking the ball with your back to goal, a supporting forward role either side of or just behind Lukaku would truly allow Pogba’s attacking instincts to flourish.
He’s got the power to hold off defenders, the aerial prowess to latch onto crosses at the far post, the finishing ability to shoot from distance and the quality when dribbling to burst through opposition lines, so the potential is certainly there for the Frenchman to move up a department, partnering Lukaku and Sanchez likely as the left forward in United’s attack.
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It would end all the debates over which midfield role gets the best out of Pogba, and give him the platform to impact games in the way a world-record signing should. It’s also reminiscent of what Liverpool once did with Steven Gerrard, playing him as a right winger and a second striker until the Anfield legend improved the more disciplined aspects of his game and became a deeper-lying midfielder.
Admittedly though, Pogba is untested in that position and playing him further forward would keep Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial out of the Red Devils’ first XI.
So, Manchester United fans, what do you see as Pogba’s best position? Let us know by voting below…
Arturo Vidal has played down talk of a move to Manchester United by insisting that his agent has not contacted him about a potential move.
The Red Devils chased the Chile international for most of the summer, but ultimately missed out on a rumoured late deal as Juventus held firm to keep their man.
Despite this, talk of a fresh raid when the January transfer window opens has been doing the rounds, with reports suggesting that Louis van Gaal is still desperate to add an orthodox defensive midfielder to his ranks.
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Yet Vidal has distanced himself from a switch by claiming that he and his family are happy in Turin and that no concrete contact with United was made during the last transfer window:
“The truth is I was relaxed and calm this summer, focusing only on my knee, I never once asked my agent or Juventus if something was happening.” He is quoted by The Express.
“I have a pact with my agent: if there is something concrete, then he alerts me. He did not alert me.
“I don’t know exactly what happened during the summer, but I doubt it was anything truly important, otherwise he would’ve warned me.
“I can only say that I am happy in Turin. I am happy, my wife loves Turin, Alonsito and the little one are happy here.
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“My family’s happiness is more important than money or anything else. At Juventus I am happy, it is my home. It’s always tough to leave your home, isn’t it?”
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Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs believes that the club’s rivalry with Liverpool is greater than that with their local enemies Manchester City.
The Red Devils face the Premier League champions this weekend in a top of the table clash, with some suggesting that the winner will have a clear advantage in the battle for the title.
Despite the sense of importance associated with the derby fixture, Giggs played down its prominence, claiming that their rivalry with Liverpool is greater:
“It doesn’t mean anything extra because it is City.” He is quoted by ESPN.
“There are different rivalries. Liverpool has always been the biggest rival for me. It has always been the biggest test.
“Arsenal were a brilliant team and we had some ferocious battles with them. Chelsea were also a brilliant team under Mourinho, and now City are a good team as well.”
United struggled against their Manchester rivals last term, losing 6-1 at Old Trafford and failing to claim points at the Etihad Stadium.
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Giggs believes the two matches were influential in the title race and hopes that his side can get an early advantage over City this time around:
“The two games against them were the difference last season. Hopefully we can get the right result and that will be the difference come the end of this season.”
Newcastle United are interested in signing Stoke City’s record signing Gianelli Imbula according to SFR Sport in France.The defensive midfielder has struggled to make an impression for the Potters from Porto since signing two seasons ago for what is still the club’s record transfer fee of £18.3million.He spent last year on loan at Toulouse and according to the report, he wants to stay in Ligue 1 but Crystal Palace and Newcastle are also interested in signing the Frenchman.Imbula made 28 appearances for Toulouse last season, scoring once and appears reluctant to return to Stoke now they have been relegated to the ChampionshipHowever, it appears the Toon Army are unhappy with reports linking the club to the midfielder valued at £5.4million on Transfermarkt.After struggling in recent signings at Porto, Stoke and Toulouse and failing to live up to his big money move, it is hard to disagree with what the Newcastle faithful have to say about the rumours.
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Newcastle United’s arch-rivals Sunderland slipped back to the bottom of the Championship table as they were beaten 1-0 by fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers at the Macron Stadium on Tuesday night, and Magpies fans were quick to mock their local neighbours.
Chris Coleman’s side had the chance to close the gap to the Trotters to just a point and significantly boost their survival hopes if they could pick up a much-needed win against Phil Parkinson’s men, but it didn’t happen as Zach Clough first-half goal proved to be the difference between the two teams.
Burton Albion’s 2-1 win away at Barnsley means that the Mackems are now three points from safety, compared to Rafa Benitez’s men this time last year who were well on their way to automatic promotion having been relegated from the Premier League the previous season.
Newcastle supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on Sunderland’s latest loss, and while one said “can we all just take a second to laugh at Sunderland”, another said the “funniest thing about 2018 so far is Sunderland Football Club”.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
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A 2-1 win over West Ham on Saturday afternoon gave Louis van Gaal some respite from an otherwise difficult start as Manchester United boss, but Wayne Rooney’s red card for an exuberant professional foul on Alex Song, deemed violent conduct by referee Lee Mason, typified how tensions are still high at Old Trafford.
Indeed, despite spending £150million in the transfer market this summer, the Red Devils find themselves in seventh place in the Premier League – the exact position they finished last season under van Gaal’s ill-fortuned predecessor, David Moyes.
Few United fans will be calling for the Scot’s return at LVG’s expense; after all, the former Everton boss recorded the worst title defence in the history of the 38-game Premier League season during his torrid ten months at Old Trafford.
But with both managers suffering from similar issues and undergoing paralleled stints of poor form, can we all agree that the problems at Manchester United stem far deeper than simply the man in the dugout? Furthermore, as David Moyes claimed in August; can we all agree that he should have been given more time – and money – to prove himself at Old Trafford?
Things admittedly looked bleak under Moyes, especially towards the end. The underlying logic behind his sacking – apart from a dramatic fall in United’s share price – was the lack of obvious progress in terms of performances; the absence of signs to suggest better times would be just around the corner. In fact, as the season dragged on, it felt as if United were regressing further.
But Moyes thought he was walking into a summer transfer window with a £150million cheque; the funds he should have been allocated twelve months earlier when it was clear Manchester United’s great era of dominance had come to an end for many of the players, as well as Sir Alex Ferguson. Should rumours be believed, he already had a deal in place to sign German World Cup winner Toni Kroos and we know that Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera were signings that van Gaal essentially inherited from Moyes.
Not that the former United gaffer was banned from spending big. The Red Devils outlaid around £65million in two transfer windows under Moyes, breaking the club’s record transfer fee to bring Juan Mata to Old Trafford last January. By no means small fries, but van Gaal was allowed to near-triple that sum and demolish that record transfer fee once again, this time on Angel Di Maria, after just a handful of first competitive fixtures as United boss.
There’s been a considerably higher sense of patience surrounding van Gaal too. Losses to Swansea City and Leicester City were disappointing but accepted as eggs broken in the Dutchman’s plans to revolutionise United’s philosophical roots. A shock 4-0 defeat to MK Dons in the League Cup was seen as an opportunity to focus more on other competitions – you can’t imagine David Moyes, even at the beginning of his short Red Devils career, being given the benefit of the doubt in that kind of manner.
And Moyes had to deal with arguably tougher circumstances last season. Granted, he inherited a side that strolled their way to a Premier League title the year previous, but it’s no secret that Ferguson’s immense quality as a manager had been paving over the cracks – particularly in regards to a lack of recruitment in defence and midfield – for several seasons.
Tellingly, only twelve players who recorded one or more league start for United during the 2012/13 campaign are on the club’s books for current season and some of them, such as Chris Smalling, Ashley Young and Anders Lindegaard, probably shouldn’t be.
Moyes’ limited reputation, having never won silverware at Goodison Park, gave United cold feet and they replaced him with a manager who, in dramatic contrast, boasts an incredible CV, featuring spells with Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and the Netherlands national team. Van Gaal’s Carrington arrival immediately followed an incredible World Cup campaign with Oranje, demolishing low expectations pre-tournament to mastermind their way to the third place play-off.
But that in itself epitomises why Moyes should have been given more time. LVG remains one of the most respected and qualified managers in world football, yet, like Moyes, he’s struggled with formations, selection policies and balancing out the new with old at United.
Some results have arguably been worse under the Dutchman; United never conceded five goals under Moyes as they did to Leicester City this month. They also beat Swansea 4-1 on the opening day of last season. Most troublingly, van Gaal is yet to face any opposition that finished above his side last year. In direct contrast, Moyes had faced Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal by mid-November.
Van Gaal’s ambition is to build Manchester United a new identity, a transition process that will inevitably lead to teething pains, but Moyes was never given that luxury; he was obliged to provide continuity from the previous regime. Perhaps with more time, money and distance from Ferguson, tacit consent would have naturally moved towards the Scot being allowed the freedom to create his own United.
Of course, it’s now all just hypothetical conjecture. One can easily claim David Moyes should have been given more time because it can never actually be proved or disproved. An argument of ignorance, as it’s known.
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Yet, in my opinion, a situation emerged where it became easier to make Moyes a scapegoat for many of the problems that still exist at Old Trafford, particularly a lack of long-term investment in a malnourished squad, a poor showing from chief executive Ed Woodward in summer 2013 and the fact Ferguson is virtually irreplaceable as a manager, than offer him the support LVG now receives.
With more time and money, Moyes could have been a success at Manchester United. Unfortunately, the club weren’t prepared to wait that long.