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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…

Outside of east London Mark Noble is often a much-overlooked figure, but his presence on the pitch has undoubted importance for West Ham, and not just because of his leadership qualities.

He has been a central figure to the Hammers since breaking into the first team and despite the comings and goings of various players and managers, he is always a key cog in the team.

For onlookers, they may judge him by his low return of goals and assists, but he doesn’t base his game on that, and instead acts as a valuable asset to Pellegrini in another capacity.

In his two seasons under the Chilean he has achieved a pass accuracy of 85% in 2018/19 and 86% this term, and that makes him a dependable figure to his manager and the passing philosophy he has implemented – evidenced by their average of 8.6 key passes per game in their last three league matches against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Manchester United.

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Central to creating chances in the final third is the role Noble fulfils, as without him many of West Ham’s attacks wouldn’t get going.

He is the lynchpin and though at times he seems to just be keeping things ticking over, he often provides a decisive pass to set the attack on its way, launching the more creative players upfield to work their magic.

In fact, such is his effectiveness, he ranks fifth in a list of Premier League players’ build-up contributions.

Build-up contributions are an ideal scope at looking at the players who start moves from deep, and highlights how efficient the 32-year-old is in picking the ball up from his defenders and finding a teammate further forward.

The 24 he has made this term places him ahead of several top-six players, many of whom often receive plaudits such as Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum, whilst Winks is seen as a very effective midfielder but has made only one more contribution than the Irons man.

Also important to note is that no other West Ham player comes near to him, and it is likely that his absence could lead to a downturn in results, or at least the number of chances they produce.

As a result, Noble is a significant contributor to the team and one of the first names on the teamsheet not just because of his leadership attributes, and without him the team would be considerably worse off.

Liverpool’s defence was rather shaky on Wednesday evening.

Indeed, the Reds uncharacteristically conceded three goals in the space of about 20 minutes to Red Bull Salzburg, and understandably questions were asked about their back line.

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One thing that was noted was that Joel Matip was replaced by Joe Gomez on Wednesday due to an injury problem the Cameroon international had picked up, and this led to some fans wondering if they were missing the 28-year-old, criticising the England international.

Steve Nicol was asked whether or not he thinks Liverpool were missing the defender on Wednesday evening, and he delivered a very straightforward verdict.

“They didn’t miss him when it was 3-0.”

Rather than placing the blame solely on the absence of Matip, the Liverpool legend stated that the Reds simply took their foot off the gas in the game against the Austrian outfit, and rather brutally smacked down the question from a fan.

He wasn’t willing to buy into the theory that Liverpool missed Matip, and he laughed at the idea that he had been better than Virgil van Dijk so far this campaign.

Loads of fans have been praising Rangers ace Glen Kamara after he dropped a midfield master-class for Finland on Thursday evening.

The Eagle Owls have made a fantastic start to Euro 2020 qualification, winning four of five, and their latest victory came courtesy of a Teemu Pukki penalty, beating Greece 1-0.

It wasn’t everyone’s new favourite fantasy football bandwagon that really impressed spectators though, as Kamara, who won the decisive penalty, was dominant in the middle of the park.

The Gers ace, signed in January, started in central midfield in a 4-4-2. He completed five dribbles, as well as the effort that led to the spot-kick, per SofaScore.

He also made two tackles and two interceptions, winning the ball back seven times all together, and fans have been heaping praise on Steven Gerrard’s midfield maestro.

The Liverpool legend has quite the selection to choose from in the centre of the park, but if the reactions down below are anything to go by, Kamara may have just moved up to the top of the pecking order…

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Declan Rice has faced criticism from England supporters following his performance against Bulgaria, as reported by The Daily Star.

He was also given a rating of 6 by The Telegraph, who added: “Possibly a surprising selection ahead of Harry Winks, Rice does not offer the quality of passing of the Tottenham man but he is a disciplined performer.”

However, the statistics provided by FootballTalentScout dispel some of the things claimed, showing how instrumental he actually was:

It was also added that Rice made the most tackles and interceptions of any England player, though what will be most surprising to the doubters is that he made more forward passes than anyone else.

There weren’t many Hammers fans who were doubting him, so it is good to see this backed up with hard statistics – impressive ones at that.

As well as FootballTalentScout’s statistics, his performance was backed up by WhoScored, who had him down as the fourth-best player on the pitch with a rating of 8.1, behind Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley.

A selection of Twitter reaction to the statistics, including posts from supportive West Ham fans, can be seen below:

West Ham fans, how integral is Rice for club and country? Join the discussion by commenting below…

It’s quite an image to see these two great world champions standing side by side. The footballer was memorably triumphant with France in the last World Cup, while the boxer has overcome some of the biggest names in the sport to hold his title for four years.

The Manchester United man once again made a stand against racism as he captioned the picture: “Keep fighting till this day …till this day! @bronzebomber same energy same vision same fight.”

This is in reference to Wilder’s famous outburst ahead of his clash with Tyson Fury last year, as he took a stand against racism in his pre-fight press conference.

The Bronze Bomber and Pogba are two of the most influential black sportsmen in the world, and their recent statements against discrimination will hopefully take a big step towards ending the horrific issues that plague our favourite sports.

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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…

Georges-Kevin Nkoudou was, amazingly, included in Tottenham Hotspur’s squad for the Audi Cup tournament.

The Frenchman, a flying winger, has struggled to adjust to life at Spurs and it is of little surprise that he has yet to find himself a move away from the club.

Signed from Marseille in 2016, Nkoudou has roundly failed to make a tangible impact in north London.

But what happens if he doesn’t leave this summer?

He has made a total of 26 appearances for Spurs and has scored one goal – in a Champions League tie against APOEL Nicosia. He has also registered two assists, with one of those coming last season, as he crossed for Harry Winks to score an injury-time winner in a 2-1 win over Fulham.

Across his Spurs career, he has made four starts. None of them came in the Premier League.

Indeed, the most he has ever played in the top-flight came in a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in 2016; Nkoudou played a total of 17 minutes.

It is not just Spurs who have struggled to see his talent, either. A loan spell at AS Monaco last season drew three appearances in Ligue 1, though injuries played a major role in his lack of outings in France.

At Burnley in 2017/18, Nkoudou played eight times. He didn’t score, nor did he provide an assist.

Indeed, that sample size is the biggest one can find since his move to Spurs and the statistics do not make pretty reading.

Per WhoScored, in the Premier League, Nkoudou averaged 0.5 shots per game during his time at Turf Moor and was dispossessed 1.6 times per game.

He also averaged a mere 0.1 key passes per game and a pass success rate of 79.5%. He crossed the ball 0.1 times per game.

Just two of those eight appearances were starts, but the statistics don’t get much better when you look at per 90-minute metrics either. 0.4 key passes, 1.6 shots, 5.2 times dispossessed.

2.4 successful dribbles would be more encouraging, were it not for the 3.6 unsuccessful ones accompanying them.

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For a winger, those are genuinely execrable stats and one has to wonder why on Earth Spurs actually decided to bring him in.

Nkoudou is quick, yes, but he does nothing with that pace and has never been a deciding factor in the final third, apart from that one cross against Fulham.

His contract does not expire until 2021 and it would be a surprise if another club decided to make a move for him, particularly one with a semi-competent scouting department.

Spurs, then, may well be stuck with him. They are unlikely to be happy about it.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Arthur Masuaku has signed a new contract at West Ham United.

The Hammers left-back has committed himself to another five years at the London Stadium after a season in which he emerged as the club’s go-to left-back.

He was not ever-present in the Premier League but he made a total of 23 appearances in the top-flight and played every minute of the club’s final five games; the Irons lost just one of those outings.

Masuaku is 25 and is approaching his peak, having enjoyed a superb season in 2018/19.

In his 23 outings, per WhoScored, Masuaku averaged 2.5 tackles per game. That’s exceptional for a player who has to combine attacking thrust with defensive assiduity.

Add to that his 1.6 interceptions per game and the picture looks a little clearer; the left-back is equally at home in possession as he is out of it.

Indeed, his 0.6 key passes per game does not appear all that impressive on the face of it but it suggests that he will be creating a goalscoring opportunity at least once every two games; no mean feat for a defender. His 1.6 dribbles per game is exceptional, too, as he routinely looks to carry the ball up the left flank.

Masuaku also averaged 38.3 passes per game at an accuracy of 83.3%, with 2.2 long balls included.

The DR Congo international makes 2.4 clearances per game and, while he could be better at winning the ball back – he is dribbled past 1.1 times in each match – this is a supremely talented defender.

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Indeed, sources at West Ham have confirmed that Manuel Pellegrini believes that Masuaku has all the talent required to be the club’s first-choice full-back for the next few seasons and is delighted he has penned new terms.

Having signed a new deal, one feels that Masuaku will only improve as his playing time continues to grow.

In 2019/20, he is likely to be placed ahead of Aaron Cresswell in the club’s pecking order and it makes sense; he was excellent last season and can surely pick up where he left off next term.

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يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي لمواجهة نظيره الدحيل القطري في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية.

واستأنف الأهلي تدريباته اليوم دون الحصول على راحة عقب خوض مباراة بيراميدز أمس، والتي انتهت بالتعادل السلبي بين الفريقين.

ومن المقرر أن تغادر بعثة الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي القاهرة بعد غد الجمعة ،في طريقها إلى العاصمة القطرية الدوحة استعدادا لخوض منافسات كأس العالم للأندية التي يستهل مشواره بها بمواجهة الدحيل القطري يوم 4 فبراير المقبل. موسيماني يحاضر اللاعبين:

عقد بيتسو موسيماني، المدير الفني بالنادي الأهلي، محاضرة مع اللاعبين قبل انطلاق مران صباح اليوم الأربعاء على ملعب التتش بالجزيرة.

شهدت المحاضرة الحديث عن بعض الأمور الفنية الخاصة بمباراة بيراميدز أمس ، بالإضافة إلى الحديث عن المرحلة المقبلة التي تشهد الاستعداد لمنافسات كأس العالم للأندية. موسيماني يجتمع مع بيكهام:

حرص بيتسو موسيماني، على عقد جلسة مع أحمد رمضان بيكهام لاعب الفريق من أجل الحديث معه عن بعض الأمور الفنية الخاصة بتجهيزه وتحفيزه للمرحلة المقبلة.

وشارك أحمد رمضان بيكهام أمس بديلا أمام بيراميدز في الشوط الأول بعد تعرض محمد هاني الظهير الأيمن للفريق للإصابة بشد في العضلة الخلفية بعد دقائق من انطلاق المباراة. موسيماني يجتمع مع بواليا:

عقد بيتسو موسيماني، جلسة مع والتر بواليا مهاجم الفريق على هامش مران الأهلي صباح اليوم.

وحرص المدير الفني خلال الجلسة، على دعم  وتحفيز والتر بواليا؛  من أجل تقديم أفضل المستويات خلال الفترة المقبلة التي تشهد خوض الفريق الأول منافسات كأس العالم للأندية في العاصمة القطرية الدوحة. وليد سليمان ونيدفيد يواصلان التأهيل:

استكمل الثنائي وليد سليمان وكريم نيدفيد تنفيذ برنامجهما التأهيلي للتعافي من الإصابة.

ويعاني وليد سليمان من الإصابة في العضلة الخلفية، في حين يعاني كريم نيدفيد من الإصابة في الركبة.

وخاض وليد سليمان تدريبات قوية تحت إشراف طارق عبد العزيز إخصائي التأهيل في حين أدى كريم نيدفيد جلسة في الجيم أعقبها تدريبات الجري حول الملعب في إطار تجهيزه للمرحلة المقبلة. مشاركة أكرم توفيق:

شارك كرم توفيق، لاعب الفريق الأول، في مران الأهلي الجماعي صباح اليوم الأربعاء بعد سلبية المسحة الطبية التي خضع لها مؤخرًا.

مسحة طبية:

أجرى الفريق الأول مسحة طبية صباح اليوم الأربعاء استعدادا لرحلة قطر المنتظرة بعد غدٍ الجمعة.

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It took Tottenham 517 days after signing Lucas Moura to capture their next arrival. However, Jack Clarke has now been joined by another new face in North London. Today’s Spurs transfer roundup including the failed pursuit of a Danish defender, Championship interest in one of the club’s midfielders, and updates on a star playmaker.

Andersen joins Lyon

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Lyon have completed the signing of Danish defender Joachim Andersen from Italian club Sampdoria. Tottenham had been interested in the centre-back, but now the Ligue 1 club have completed the move and will reportedly pay €25m (£22.4m) + €5m (£4.5m) in bonuses.

Wednesday interested in Onomah

According to the Sheffield Star, Sheffield Wednesday are interested in Josh Onomah. The 22-year-old was on loan with the Owls last season, and it seems that the Yorkshire-based club would like him to return to Hillsborough. They have held discussions with Spurs in regards to the player.

Eriksen’s agent meets Real

Christian Eriksen’s agent Martin Schoots is to meet with Real Madrid to discuss the potential signature of the Dane according to Spanish outlet Marca. Eriksen has already told Tottenham that he wishes to leave the club this summer.

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The date is 22 September 2018. The venue is Villa Park and Sheffield Wednesday’s Daniel Pudil has just headed the ball away from what he thinks is impending danger.

Standing 25-yards from goal is John McGinn. Just take it and down and work another opening would have been the rational thought.

But McGinn isn’t rational. The Scot unleashes a remarkable volley on his left foot into the top corner and the Villa faithful erupt. The rest, they say, is history.

That was the 24-year-old’s first goal in the famous claret and blue strip and it’s highly unlikely he’ll ever score a better one in his entire career.

After arriving from Hibernian last summer, the midfielder has been a revelation. In many ways, he’s been even better than Jack Grealish.

The latter was named in the Team of the Year, but arguably his midfield partner would have been more deserving.

Steve Bruce was the man to bring him to the Midlands and, as a result, the Villa fans still owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to their former manager.

He didn’t get too much right during the first half of the season. The fact he played an out of sorts Mile Jedinak at centre-half proved his thinking was off the mark.

However, what he did get spot on, was the decision to bring McGinn to the Championship.

Looking back at it, it seems a masterstroke, especially given the injury that Grealish picked up midway through the campaign.

Therefore, without the former Hibs man, it’s unlikely Villa would be on the verge of securing a place in the Premier League.

On Monday they take on Derby at Wembley in the play-off final. It’s a game which needs no introduction. The result means everything for both clubs and their midfield general will again be crucial.

McGinn’s quality this season indicates he can make the step up to the Premier League. He has too much quality not to, and if Villa win, he’ll have the platform to finally show what he can do at the highest level.

In total, Villa’s number seven has found himself involved in 15 goals this term, playing a crucial role both in terms of finding the net himself and laying on chances for his teammates.

But what is arguably most impressive, barring his creativity and attacking nous, is his energy.

McGinn is an absolute engine in midfield and this compliments Grealish to perfection. Villa’s skipper has a tendency to get caught forward but the former is able to cover the ground in midfield with great tenacity.

His 14 yellow cards this term shows his willingness to get stuck in but his poor disciplinary record is nothing to be concerned about, even if there were fears a possible 15th booking would keep him out of the play-offs.

“Fair play nonsense!” – Watch one fan’s astonishing defence of Leeds’ controversial goal against Villa on Sunday in the video below…

When assessing what you want from a midfielder, McGinn has it all. Even with Bruce now gone, he’s left a lasting impact that could still prove telling in the club’s promotion charge.

Dean Smith has done a wonderful job since being appointed and will rightfully take the plaudits if Villa secure victory on bank holiday Monday.

Yet, in amongst that, there should still be light applause for Bruce. Without one of his signings Villa would have been a lot worse off.