Despite grabbing a goal and putting in one of his finest performances to date, Marcus Rashford found himself on the wrong end of a Graeme Souness tirade after Manchester United’s 1-1 draw against rivals Liverpool.

Souness’ main point of contention is that the 21-year-old, who made his way through United’s academy system, simply doesn’t cut it as a world-class no.9, which is probably a fair assessment given he’s recorded just two goals in open play so far this term.

Two of the four he’s scored in 2019/20 have come from the penalty spot.

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“He’s not the finished article right now,” the former Liverpool manager said. “He’s not scored enough goals in the Premier League to say Man United can hang their hat on him being the man who’s going to take them back. He needs help.”

Neville, on the other hand, is quick to point out the development of Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane as examples of what can happen if a club show some faith in their talent.

United made the decision to not recruit replacements for Inter Milan-bound Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku in the summer transfer window, opting instead to stick with Daniel James, Anthony Martial and our man in question, Rashford.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have netted an average 0.72 goals per game in all competitions since they battered Chelsea on the opening day of the season.

Following Sunday’s game, Gary Neville and Souness got into a heated debate over Rashford’s future at Old Trafford…

Poor Solskjaer has to deal with this nightmare debate every time he goes to make a team selection.

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…

Charlton have enjoyed an excellent start to life back in the Championship.

Lee Bowyer oversaw an unbeaten start to the campaign in which the Addicks won four and drew two of their first six games, and have won five and drawn three of their 11 Championship games in total.

The south Londoners sit just four points off the Championship summit, and everything seems to be going fairly well at The Valley.

There are, however, two players who should probably be doing a bit better…

Tomer Hemed

The Israel international is a player who knows where the back of the net is, having scored 17 goals in 38 games for his country.

In addition to that impressive record, the 32-year-old has scored a decent amount of goals at Championship level before, so why has he not netted for Charlton yet? It’s not like he can argue that he isn’t familiar with the division.

Hemed notched 17 goals for Brighton in the 2015/16 season, and went on to hit 11 the following year – he does know how to score goals in the Championship, and it is down to him to rediscover his goalscoring touch for the Addicks.

Chuks Aneke

Having scored 17 goals in League One last season, Charlton fans would’ve been forgiven for thinking they were getting a striker who knows where the goal is when Chuks Aneke arrived back in the summer.

Disappointingly, the 26-year-old has scored just once in eight appearances this term.

You might argue that we’re being harsh given the fact Aneke has moved up a division, but if Macauley Bonne – a player who Charlton signed from Non-League back in the summer – can deliver the goods with two goals in five appearances, then Aneke can step up a bit.

If these two players could turn it up a notch, Charlton could potentially fly up the table.

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

It’s certainly no secret the one thing holding Leeds back this term – their inability to score goals.

A controversial red card and penalty certainly played its part in a defeat against Millwall last weekend but it wasn’t their first warning when it comes to failing to take their chances.

Before beating West Brom, Leeds had 73 shots in their previous four matches but only scored three goals in the process.

It was a run of games that raised question marks over the Whites. Before that clash against the Swans, they were unbeaten and sitting pretty at the top of the Championship.

Things may be tight at the top of the division but they now sit fifth after that 2-1 loss at The Den.

On the chalkboard

Patrick Bamford has been Leeds’ biggest goal threat in the league this term and is their joint-top scorer with four strikes.

Despite that, he’s now gone goalless in six matches, something that is understandably holding Leeds back. He’s working hard but that shouldn’t stop him from being under pressure.

After all, Leeds lack someone capable of finding the back of the net on a regular basis and sit tenth for goals scored.

But it’s Gjanni Alioski’s role within the team that perhaps provides the most damning indictment of Marcelo Bielsa’s side and why they could end up being left behind by their promotion rivals.

The above graphic courtesy of Experimental361 shows Leeds’ biggest goal threats and it has the North-Macedonia international sitting in second place.

Considering he’s been playing the vast majority of his football at left-back this should be a huge concern.

Alioski is a dynamic full-back and scored seven times last term so it’s evident he’s capable going forward. However, it says an awful lot about the lack of impact those in the attack are having.

He is above Pablo Hernandez and Mateusz Klich who netted 22 times between them in 2018/19 while his number of goals scored per 90 minutes this season is only fractionally smaller than Bamford’s rate.

This graphic demonstrates just how poor Leeds have been this term in front of goal, sitting towards an ‘energetically wasteful’ category.

Fulham and West Brom are more of a ‘constant threat’ and that’s indicative in the fact they’ve scored five and six more goals than Leeds respectively.

It’s incredibly alarming that the west Yorkshire side have just over 12 shots taken per goal. They also average nearly 17 shots per game.

If they’re having to rely on someone like Alioski, who was involved in the goal against West Brom and then also scored against Millwall, it’s damning.

Leeds had five players who scored over a handful of times last term but it appears they could struggle to match that this campaign.

It’s something that could just prove vital in their quest for promotion.

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

Real Madrid are seemingly not yet done reinforcing their squad for the future. And if the latest reports coming from El Desmarque are true, Los Blancos have their eyes set on N’Golo Kante, and they are willing to invest heavily in him.

What’s the word, then?

Real Madrid need a midfielder and they need one badly.

At least that’s the verdict the Spanish media is going with and looking at their squad, nothing should be more urgent than securing a worthy Casemiro replacement.

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And yes, Luka Modric is slowly getting on and Toni Kroos can’t be expected to pull the strings by himself but the more worrying fact is that the Galacticos only have a single natural defensive midfielder in their whole squad.

If Casemiro were to get injured, Zinedine Zidane would have a major problem on his hands.

For that reason, and if these reports are true, Kante could be the ideal solution to most of their problems.

A perfect replacement

The same source claims that this pursuit, if it were to go through, would not be a cheap one.

Chelsea value their midfielder quite highly and for that reason, Real Madrid would reportedly be willing to fork out €100m (£86.7m) and add James Rodriguez into the bargain as well.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

Of course, Kante is very much worth every penny, especially considering how badly Zidane needs him.

Looking specifically at the stats, however, we can see that he offers pretty much exactly the same things Casemiro gives to the team at the moment.

The Brazilian has averaged 2.8 tackles, 2.6 interceptions and two clearances per game in the 2019/20 La Liga campaign and Kante is not really far behind. The Frenchman has tallied 2.3 tackles, 2.3 interceptions and 1.3 clearances in the Premier League so far.

But they also have a similar playstyle overall – both Casemiro and Kante have averaged two fouls per game in their respective leagues, emphasising how they are often the ones disrupting the opposition’s attacks.

And not to mention that Chelsea’s man is really tough to dribble past.

So far, he’s only been dribbled past 0.8 times per game as opposed to Casemiro’s two.

By all accounts, the Frenchman seems like an ideal replacement and even if Zidane wanted to play them alongside each other, we know that Kante has a good offensive skill set and can be deployed higher up the pitch.

After all, he already has two goals to his name in just four appearances in the ongoing campaign, and he scored and assisted four last season in the Premier League as well.

Of course, this would take a major chunk out of Real’s budget but, really, this is a deal that has to be completed by Los Blancos.

Mesut Ozil was excluded from Arsenal’s squad for the sixth time this term ahead of last night’s Europa League clash against Vitoria SC prompting Ian ‘Moose’ Abrahams to claim he may as well ‘just leave.’It’s not looking good for Ozil, at the moment. Once a cherished piece of footballing art, Unai Emery appears to have made it his life’s mission to freeze the German out from his squad, affording him a meagre two appearances and 142 minutes of football.And while he’s sat on a cool £350,000 per week deal, at 31-years-old we’re fairly positive he doesn’t want to spend the remaining years of his football career collecting dust.Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Gunners only narrowly beat their Portuguese foes last night thanks to two freekicks from summer signing Nicolas Pepe. Had they failed to register a win, which was entirely possible given that Vitoria took the lead on two occasions, serious questions would have been asked of Emery, whose decision to play Ainsley-Maitland Niles in one of his attacking midfield roles backfired spectacularly.

The 22-year-old recorded a lowly 5.3 rating on WhoScored and was hauled off at half-time after making the error that led Vitoria’s second goal.

The Moose was straight to the point prior to kick-off…

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…

Phil Parkinson suffered his second loss as Sunderland boss against Shrewsbury on Saturday but he is confident that his style can produce a winning formula.

What did he say?

A big issue for Sunderland under Jack Ross was their inability to score goals. Last season, that resulted in too many draws which meant they had to settle for a play-off place, but it appears that it is an issue that has stuck with the squad since his departure.

The Black Cats drew a blank in Parkinson’s two defeats, which meant that Tuesday’s thumping of Tranmere likely came as a welcome relief for fans, many of whom enjoyed the attacking display of Duncan Watmore in particular.

That is the style Parkinson is looking to implement at the Stadium of Light, and suggested that dominant performances like the one on Saturday would lead to points for his side more often than not.

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Speaking in his post-match press conference, as reported by SAFC.com, he said: “We have totally dominated the game and the one attempt from them has resulted in a goal.

“In terms of the way we wanted to set out I couldn’t have asked for anymore but as everyone knows it’s all about sticking the ball in the back of the net.

“We have completely dominated the game – if we keep playing like that then we are going to win a hell of a lot of games at this level.”

Change in approach?

Parkinson’s success in taking Bolton up shows he knows how to manage a big club playing at a lower level than they are typically accustomed to, but his comments indicate he will alter his methods.

That could be a worry, as it creates a risk that his new strategy may be less effective. However, it may be a necessary one.

His promotion-winning Wanderers team scored only 68 goals in 2016/17, 12 less than the Black Cats managed last year, and therefore his achievements there were built on a solid defensive foundation, as his side conceded only 36.

As a result, his desire to move towards a style with more attacking intent and dominance of the match is of a significant contrast to his tried-and-tested method, though he may feel he has quality attacking players at his disposal.

One of those could be Will Grigg, who has 101 League One goals in his career, and if Parkinson can instil that clinical edge into his players, and Grigg in particular, then Sunderland should be able to gather some consistency.

It will be interesting to see if the manager continues to set his team out in a similar fashion, as if the Black Cats’ midfield imposes itself onto the opposition they should be a handful, as the display against Tranmere suggested.

أعلن المدرب الفرنسي، زين الدين زيدان، المدير الفني لنادي ريال مدريد، تشكيل فريقه الرسمي، لمباراة برشلونة في كلاسيكو الأرض، بالدوري الإسباني.

ريال مدريد يستقبل برشلونة، على ملعب “ألفريدو دي ستيفانو”، ضمن لقاءات الجولة الثلاثين من الليجا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تعرف على معلق مباراة ريال مدريد وبرشلونة اليوم في الدوري الإسباني

وقرر زيزو، الاعتماد في الهجوم، على الثنائي، كريم بنزيما، وفينيسيوس جونيور، بينما يجلس ماركو أسينسيو على مقاعد البدلاء. تشكيل ريال مدريد اليوم ضد برشلونة

حراسة المرمى: تيبو كورتوا.

خط الدفاع: ميندي، ناتشو، ميليتاو، فاسكيز.

خط الوسط: كاسيميرو، مودريتش، كروس، فالفيردي.

خط الهجوم: كريم بنزيما، فينيسيوس جونيور.

مقاعد بدلاء ريال مدريد

لونين، ألوتيبي، أسينسيو، مارسيلو، أودريوزولا، إيسكو، ماريانو، رودريجو.

📋✅ ¡Nuestro 𝗫𝗜 inicial para #ElClásico!@Liberbank | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/zFOCScHrkw — Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 10, 2021

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

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are monitoring the progress of Bolton Wanderers winger Dennis Politic ahead of a potential January move.

What’s the word?

Those reports suggest that Dean Smith has taken a keen eye on the 19-year-old after he was fast-tracked into the first team this season.

Politic was one of the several youth players that were drafted into the side as the club faced major uncertainty over its long-term future with them very nearly going out of business.

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The Trotters were saved at the 11th hour and as a result, appointed Keith Hill as the manager who then signed an array of players before the transfer deadline closed.

Nine of which were signed on deadline day alone, but the young winger was one player to keep his place amongst the senior fold.

Politic has featured in nine matches already this campaign, playing both on the left and right of midfield, scoring just the one goal against Rochdale in the EFL Cup, per Transfermarkt.

Strength in depth is needed

Although it remains to be seen whether the reports hold any truth, it could still signal Smith’s intentions as the January transfer window approaches.

The Villa squad is awash with talent both defensively and in midfield – for instance, behind Tyrone Mings and Bjorn Engels there are three other centre-backs while aside from John McGinn and Jack Grealish, there’s Marvelous Nakamba, Douglas Luiz, Conor Hourihane and Henri Lansbury all fighting for that one additional spot.

Summer signing Wesley has been the only fit senior striker for the last few weeks with just three wingers to chose from for the two spots either side of him – therefore, it would make sense for the Villa boss to target an addition in that position.

Politic has barely been exposed to the men’s game for long at all, aside from his appearances this season, he’s only enjoyed a short loan spell at Salford City as they gained promotion from the National League Premier last season.

In front of co-owner David Beckham, he scored a goal reminiscent of that famous strike against Wimbledon, as he lobbed the opposition goalkeeper from inside the centre circle.

Given the considerable step up in quality from League One to the Premier League, this move would probably be seen as one for the future.

Comments from his Bolton coach Julian Darby should offer further encouragement though, saying the following about Politic: “Dennis is a talent. When he gets on the ball, things happen.”

That certainly bodes well.

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

QPR welcome Brentford to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on Monday evening, where Mark Warburton will presumably be looking to get one over on his former employers.

The Bees have had an average start to the 2019/20 Championship campaign, currently sitting 12th on 18 points with five wins from their 13 games.

In QPR’s case, the Londoners are performing above expectations and currently find themselves in the playoff places before the weekend’s action kicks off – they are just three points off league leaders West Brom at the time of writing.

If Warburton is hoping to get a result against his former side, then there are two Brentford players who could prove to be a thorn in the 57-year-old’s side…

Said Benrahma 

The Algerian attacker is an exceptionally gifted player who has been a lively presence in the Championship this season.

Benrahma hit an impressive ten goals and recorded 14 assists in the 2018/19 season, and has proven to be a useful outlet in the current campaign with one goal and two assists in 11 appearances.

The 24-year-old averages an impressive three shots per game, 3.1 dribbles per game and 2.5 key passes per game – he has also won the WhoScored Man of the Match award in his last two league games, against Millwall and Swansea.

Ollie Watkins 

The 23-year-old has started this season on fire.

After scoring ten league goals in the entirety of last term, Watkins has already hit eight in just 13 appearances this season.

Brentford’s No.11 also averages three shots per game, while registering 1.5 key passes per game.

Additionally, Watkins is fouled by the opposition 1.2 times per game in the Championship, and he really has been a lively attacking presence in the centre-forward role so far this season.

It is no wonder that clubs like Crystal Palace are interested in the striker, and Warburton has a job on his hands to contain two of his former side’s most dangerous players.

Leeds United returned to the summit of the Championship table on Saturday afternoon with an excellent 2-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers at Elland Road.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side secured all three points thanks to goals from Tyler Roberts and Jack Harrison.

The latter was the provider for the first as he teed up the 20-year-old with an accurate pass on the edge of the area before he pounced on a defensive mistake in the visiting backline to slam home an effort of his own eight minutes from time.

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Roberts was starting his first game of the season, having been restricted to five substitute appearances to date, and fans appear to be delighted with his impact.

One member of the Whites faithful believes the forward being back is like having a new signing at the club, claiming that he will only get better as the season goes on while another labelled him a ‘class act.’

A further supporter stated that the youngster was exactly what Bielsa has needed since Samuel Saiz left the club.

Here’s the best of the reaction: