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…

Speaking to talkSPORT, Paul Ince has name-checked Axel Tuanzebe and Harry Maguire as two potential leaders at Manchester United.

What did he say?

The Red Devils are currently in the midst of a major rebuild, and let several high-profile players go in the summer transfer window, including the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer named much-maligned figure Ashley Young as club captain earlier in the summer, and Ince has lambasted the lack of leadership at Old Trafford.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

He said: “They look out of all sorts, they look devoid of confidence and you’re not seeing any leadership and characters. Look, you’re not going to get the teams like United had under Fergie, those days are gone. They’re gone.

“You’re not going to get your Keanes, your Robsons, your Giggses and your Scholeses – you’re not going to get that anymore. What you’ve got to get is quality into the team and find one or two leaders, likes Harry Maguire and Axel Tuanzebe, who I like. You’ve got to try and grow these leaders.

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“When we were there and the likes of Beckham, Scholes and Giggs were coming in, we taught them what they needed to be to be a Man United player, in the same way Bryan Robson and Steve Bruce taught me – these kids haven’t got that!”

Worrying

Ince’s sentiment of the club trying to “grow” their own leaders is somewhat understandable, but his two choices of Maguire and Tuanzebe are certainly eye-brow raising. The former only joined Solskjaer’s side in the summer for a fee in the region of £80m, and is barely months into his United career. The latter meanwhile, is still just 21-years-old, and spent the previous campaign on loan at Championship side Aston Villa.

For Ince to suggest those two are the individuals United may be looking to in the near future as leaders of the side, is quite puzzling. As the former Red Devils ace says himself, when he was coming through, he had Robson and Bruce to teach him the ropes. But with his two picks for now, he’s asking a duo who are still in the early stages of playing for the club to act as the sources of inspiration for their teammates.

If anything, Ince’s comments really does shine a light on just how far the Manchester side have fallen.

علق رئيس نادي ريال مدريد، فلورنتينو بيريز، على انضمام برشلونة إلى بطولة دوري السوبر الأوروبي وكيفية إقناع، جوان لابورتا، ليكون ضمن المؤسسين للمسابقة الجديدة.

وأعلن برشلونة أمس، الإثنين، انضمامه الرسمي لبطولة دوري السوبر الأوروبي بجانب 11 ناديًا آخرين وعدم المشاركة مرة أخرى في دوري أبطال أوروبا وهو ما أثار غضب الاتحادين الدولي والأوروبي لكرة القدم.

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وتحدث بيريز عن لابورتا وانضمام برشلونة خلال حواره مع برنامج “شيرينجيتو” الإسباني، وقال: “لم يكن من الصعب بالنسبة لي، إقناع جوان لابورتا”.

وتابع: “دوري السوبر الأوروبي هو مساعدة لنادي برشلونة وبقية الفرق المشاركة به، لأن الجميع يمر بأزمة اقتصادية سيئة للغاية”.

وأضاف: “لابورتا شخص عاقل، لقد فهم مقصدي من هذه البطولة التي ستنقذ الجميع وتنقذ عالم كرة القدم”.

واختتم: “إذا رغب جوان في رئاسة دوري السوبر الأوروبي، سأرحل وسيصبح هو الرئيس بدون أي مشكلة”.

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…

England may have lost to the Czech Republic on Friday but Charlie Nicholas believes they are all but through to Euro 2020 and, as a result, he expects to see changes to the side.

What did he say?

England have looked almost faultless for the majority of Gareth Southgate’s tenure but it is fair to say they are still recovering from a disappointing UEFA Nations League defeat to the Netherlands in the summer.

Since then, they have won three out of four games but have conceded five times in that period, including three against Kosovo.

Nicholas, though, is not too worried about the defence and instead believes that Southgate needs to begin experimenting before the Euros come around, in order to be prepared for a scenario in which players like Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling are unavailable.

In his England vs Bulgaria prediction for Sky Sports, he wrote: “England are through, so Gareth Southgate would like to introduce Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount to these situations and so you will see a change in the England set-up, in case players are ever out with injury or illness.”

From his comments, it appears that he believes the Chelsea pair could start against Bulgaria, but given Harry Kane’s SofaScore rating of 7.1 was the second-highest rating in the England side against the Czechs, it would be a bold decision for Southgate to bring in Abraham.

Accommodating Abraham

With captain Kane unlikely to be benched, the only scenario in which Nicholas’ prediction could come true is if the England boss decides to alter his set-up.

However, it is very possible he will seek to change things tactically, admitting that he may go back to using three centre-backs, a system that could allow the Chelsea man to partner Kane up-front, with Raheem Sterling playing just behind them.

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Abraham is bang in form in the Premier League with eight goals and eight games, and will likely feel frustrated at only getting five minutes against the Czech Republic, but could use that drive to his advantage if he gets the nod against Bulgaria.

A change in system would help England in terms of flexibility and as Nicholas alludes to it would be vital to preparing for an eventuality where Kane can’t play, with Callum Wilson and Marcus Rashford rarely starting matches under Southgate.

Although he has watched him play, Southgate will need to build up his understanding of Abraham’s game, and he will only learn the positives and negatives about him if he plays him, and that could influence his selection against Bulgaria.

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

La Liga is finally returning this weekend and Real Madrid will be travelling away to Mallorca for matchday nine. Even though every point matters, Zinedine Zidane should consider rotating his squad a bit considering the tough schedule ahead.

On the chalkboard

Currently, Los Blancos are sitting top of the table in La Liga and are two points ahead of their arch-rivals, Barcelona, and three points ahead of city rivals Atletico Madrid.

For the time being, things are under control but football is unpredictable and everything can change in an instant.

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With that being said, however, it would be wise of Zidane to actually try and look ahead and towards the end of the month.

Real have a midweek Champions League fixture and will then travel to the Camp Nou for the El Clasico the weekend after this one.

For that reason, rotating the squad for the trip to Mallorca could be a viable and recommendable option.

Planning ahead

If Zidane were to deploy a somewhat weakened lineup this Saturday, it still shouldn’t be seen as a form of disrespect.

Mallorca are, however, a newly promoted team that are currently sitting third from the bottom of the La Liga table and have only two wins to their names so far in the new campaign.

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

Not to mention that prioritising and picking your battles is essential if you want to compete on all fronts.

Real Madrid still don’t have a win under their belts in the Champions League and winning against Barcelona next weekend is definitely a must for Los Blancos.

For that reason, this is the perfect opportunity to give some other players a chance, and also rest and preserve the key pieces of the puzzle for the tough schedule ahead.

In the worst-case scenario, points will be dropped against Mallorca but the team will still be fresh to tackle the bigger fish shortly after that.

And besides, Zidane has enough quality and depth on his bench to be able to get all three points on Saturday regardless of the lineup he deploys.

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

According to The Daily Star, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is weighing up the decision to send young goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher out on loan, with Preston interested in his services.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 20-year-old glovesman has made two appearances for the first-team this season, with both of those coming in the Carabao Cup.

Kelleher firstly kept a clean sheet in the 2-0 win over MK Dons, before saving a penalty in a shootout win over Arsenal to hand his side a 5-4 victory in the battle from 12 yards – the scoring had finished 5-5 before the shootout took place.

The report states that Klopp is weighing up the decision to loan the player who the club feel could be a first-team starter in the future.

Loan would make perfect sense for everyone involved

Loaning the Republic of Ireland U21 stopper out would be the best option for everyone involved.

That wouldn’t be the case if Kelleher was the only option behind Alisson Becker, but Klopp has Adrian to rely on for the cup competitions so he should feel comfortable enough to sanction a loan exit for the 20-year-old.

The former Borussia Dortmund boss has already described the academy graduate as a “sensational talent”, so in that respect, it would be unfair on the youngster to restrict his game time to a few cup appearances here and there – doing that will not see Kelleher make significant improvement anytime soon.

Furthermore, a loan to Preston seems like a good option given Alex Neil’s side’s form right now – they are flying high in the Championship and are on course to mount a genuine challenge for promotion.

Loaning Kelleher out would help the keeper’s development, while also allowing Adrian to make more appearances – it is a move that just makes too much sense for the European champions and is one that should be completed in January.

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 Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie Redknapp has written in his latest Daily Mail column that current Spurs man Dele Alli should have “a swagger about him” in training on Monday following his goalscoring exploits at the weekend.

What did he say?

Well, the 23-year-old rescued a point for Spurs at home to bottom-of-the-table Watford at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, as the north London outfit avoided another embarrassing defeat.

Alli had only played 30 minutes of Premier League football this term prior to the clash against the Hornets when he was named in the starting XI by Mauricio Pochettino, and he repaid the Argentine’s faith by getting on the score-sheet late on.

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Redknapp was clearly impressed with what he saw from Alli, writing in The Daily Mail: ‘Dele Alli does not turn 24 years old for another six months, yet this kid is already ahead of the rest when you think of those who graced England’s midfield before him.

‘Frank Lampard, for example, played 185 Premier League games before turning 24. In those, he managed 43 goals or assists. Steven Gerrard played 170 and got to 47. David Beckham played in 140 and got to 65. All great players, all big names.

‘Too many have been quick to judge Alli and I hope Saturday can be the start of him showing us what he is all about.

‘He should be walking into Tottenham’s training ground on Monday morning with a swagger about him, feeling ready to get to work.’

An important moment for Alli

Injuries and not being able to rediscover the form he has shown in the final third for Tottenham previously have really affected the England international over the course of the last 18 months or so, with his goals and assists record last season particularly disappointing considering what came before – 14 goals and 17 assists in 2017/18, for example.

The fact the 23-year-old started and scored an important goal could easily be a turning point for the former MK Dons man though, as Redknapp says, and it also comes on the back of him taking action off the pitch in terms of changing his diet and doing less commercial work.

Alli will hope to build upon that goal on Saturday against Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday if he is given the nod for the Champions League tie, and boy could Spurs and Pochettino do with having the confident player that has been so influential for them in the past back now with confidence still clearly low in north London.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Expert Roundup feature, which provides three quotes from those in the know in order to illuminate fundamental strengths, weaknesses, quirks, stylistic comparisons and general observations of players, transfer targets and confirmed signings.

According to a report published by Italian media outlet Calciomercato last month Liverpool have stepped up an interest in Ajax’s widely-coveted winger, David Neres, with a possible big-money summer move in the offering.

The 22-year-old Brazilian made headlines across the continent last season with a series of stand-out performances that helped take de Godenzonen to a Champions League semi-final while his pace and trickery helped his club to clinch a domestic double.

Should Neres light up the Premier League next season he will surely entertain and fascinate too with a direct style of player, so perhaps it’s high time we found out more about a player so recently chased by Manchester United and Everton. They were never going to catch him. He’s too quick.

Here’s what those in the know have had to say about him…

Erik ten Hag, Ajax coach

In 2017/18 an eye-catching 14 goals and 13 assists in his first full Eredivisie campaign immediately had many sitting up and taking notice but it was his consistent tormenting of full-backs in the following campaign that really confirmed that here was an elite talent deserving of closer inspection.

Speaking at the tail-end of a successful twelve months for player, manager and club, Ten Hag assessed his budding superstar, concentrating on his versatility. As per Goal.com:

“He already took steps forward last year. He was Ajax’s top scorer with 14 goals, but this season he has developed further. Not only in his favourite position on the right, but also on the left and as No.10. He may have played his best matches on the left, against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, where he was actually untouchable.”

Lucas Fernandes, former team-mate

As already alluded to, however, Neres’ self-assertiveness is not confined solely to the pitch. When Ten Hag complained about the winger’s hair his response was hardly respectful – “I told him to take care of his own hair and I’ll take care of mine” – while in interviews he is anything but boring.

Yet one of his best friends within football, the Brazilian under 23 international Fernandes, insists that perception is skewed. As per Bleacher Report:

“He’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever known. It’s a shame most people don’t get to see this side of him. He’s a bit reserved, quieter, a man of few words when he’s around strangers. But he is the sort of person who values friendship and you can always count on.

“How can you say anything negative of a kid who used to sleep with a teddy bear on his bed? It’s impossible.”

Steve Nicol, ESPN pundit

Should Liverpool take the plunge it will reportedly be at the second time of asking because it was not only Everton and United who were keen last summer but the Reds too. At the time though former Anfield hero turned pundit Nicol was sceptical after putting himself in Neres’ boots. As per ESPN (via Daily Express):

“If I’m Neres, I’m looking at Liverpool’s front three and I’m asking myself ‘Am I going to this team to start? Or am I going to this team as back up to begin with?’

“He’s certainly at a level of his ability and what he’s producing that he has to go somewhere and play. I think that rules Liverpool out.”

Verdict

While Nicol has understandable misgivings from the player’s perspective for Liverpool, this is a no-brainer with Neres capable of wrecking havoc anywhere across the front three.

أصدر نادي برشلونة الإسباني بيانًا رسميًا، أكد خلاله التواجد ضمن مشروع السوبر ليج “دوري السوبر الأوروبي، الدوري الأوروبي الممتاز”.

برشلونة أشار إلى أنه مستمر في السوبرليج مع أخذ الموافقات النهائية من الأعضاء والهيئات الاجتماعية، وأكد أن عدم المشاركة في السوبرليج سيكون خطأ تاريخيًا.

وشدد برشلونة في بيانه على أن محكمة العدل منحت المشروع الحماية القانونية المطلوبة، مؤكدًا أنه لا يوجد معنى للنقاش والحوار في ظل عملية الترهيب الغير مبررة.

وأفاد برشلونة في بيانه أنه يشارك في التحليل الذي أجرته معظم أندية كرة القدم الأوروبية الكبرى، وأوضح أنه بالنظر إلى الوضع الاجتماعي والاقتصادي الحالي، من الضروري إجراء إصلاحات هيكلية تهدف إلى ضمان الاستدامة المالية والجدوى لعالم كرة القدم.

وأوضح البيان: “في هذا السياق، وافق مجلس إدارة نادي برشلونة على سبيل الاستعجال، على أن يكون جزءً، بصفته ناديًا مؤسسًا في السوبر ليج، وهي مسابقة تهدف إلى تحسين جودة العرض وجاذبيته، يتم تقديمه لمشجعي كرة القدم وفي الوقت نفسه، وكمبدأ لا غنى عنه لنادي برشلونة، البحث عن صيغ جديدة للتضامن مع جميع أفراد عالم كرة القدم”.

وأضاف: “تم اتخاذ القرار على أساس الاقتناع بأن الاستقالة المزعومة من المشاركة في هذه المبادرة كنادي مؤسس كان من الممكن أن تكون خطأ تاريخيًا، بصفتنا نادٍ رياضي مشهور عالميًا، ندافع عن مهنة قيادة النادي، والتي تعد جزءً لا غنى عنه من هوية المؤسسة والروح الرياضية والاجتماعية والمؤسسية”.

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وتابع: “على أي حال، احتفظ نادي برشلونة، الكيان الذي كان وسيظل دائمًا ملكًا لكل فرد من أعضائه، بالحق في تقديم مثل هذا القرار المهم إلى الموافقة النهائية من هيئاته المؤسسية المختصة بعد دراسة ضرورية وعميقة”.

وواصل: “بالنظر إلى رد الفعل الاجتماعي الذي أنتجته المبادرة في العديد من المجالات المختلفة، لا يمكن إنكار أن نادي برشلونة يفهم أنه من الضروري فتح تحليل أعمق بكثير للأسباب التي أدت إلى رد الفعل هذا من أجل إعادة النظر، وعند الضرورة، النهج والصيغة المقترحة في البداية لمعالجة وحل كل هذه القضايا دائمًا لصالح المصلحة العامة لعالم كرة القدم، يتطلب التحليل المتعمق هذا الوقت والصفاء اللازمين لتجنب أي عمل متسرع”.

وأكمل: “نعتبر أنه من المهم بنفس القدر الإشارة إلى الحقيقة الموضوعية، وهي أن محكمة العدل قد منحت بالفعل الحماية القانونية المطلوبة، وهذا يؤكد ظهور المبادرة من قبل الأندية المؤسسة لمشروع سوبر ليج، وبهذا المعنى يرى النادي أنه سيكون من غير المناسب إنشاء عملية التفكير والنقاش الضرورية، في ظل معايير الضغط والترهيب غير المبررين”.

وأتم: “ورغم إدراكه الكامل للأهمية والاهتمام التثقيفي الذي يثيره هذا الأمر، وكذلك الحاجة إلى التصرف دائمًا بأقصى قدر من الشفافي، فإن نادي برشلونة سيتصرف في جميع الأوقات بمعايير حكيمة، ويدعو إلى أقصى قدر من التفاهم والاحترام والصبر تجاه المجتمع، ولجميع الرأي العام”.

Leeds United were held to a 1-1 draw by Preston North End in Tuesday night’s Championship affair.

The Whites actually fell behind in the 74th minute with Tom Barkhuizen finding the back of the net to spark huge celebrations inside the stadium.

Eddie Nketiah came off the bench to snatch a late equaliser, though, as Marcelo Bielsa’s side avoided suffering their fourth league defeat of the campaign.

Jack Harrison again featured for Leeds in a wide position, and it was actually the on-loan Manchester City attacker who provided the assist for Nketiah to register late on.

It was a tough night for Harrison overall, though, as he only managed one shot and his pass success rate was down at 73%, according to WhoScored.

The Leeds fans were active on social media throughout the 90 minutes and many were incredibly disappointed with what they saw from the 22-year-old once again.

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In the end, a point was a decent result when considering that the equaliser came late.

However, Harrison’s display upset a number of the supporters – as shown by the Twitter comments below:

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…

Conor Coventry has rejected West Ham United’s latest contract offer, meaning there is a very real fear he could leave, as reported by Football Insider.

The 19-year-old’s current contract comes to an end in the summer of 2020, but he has so far been unable to strike up a deal with the club on a new one.

This is due to the fact that he is holding out for £5,000-per-week, while the club are unwilling to pay that for someone who has rarely stepped out of the academy’s confines.

There is still time for negotiations, but if the Republic of Ireland youth international gets the sum he has demanded, or leaves London Stadium for pastures new, this could be seen as a glaring sign of the Premier League’s power shift regarding youngsters.

As discussed in our exclusive interview with Tony Cottee, a move abroad was rarely seen as a career enhancer for young talent in England during years gone by.

However, that has changed in recent times, with Jadon Sancho, Bobby Duncan and Ademola Lookman among the players who have walked away from the English game.

There was a time when perhaps players were willing to accept that senior opportunities take time to come around, but the aforementioned trio serve to prove that patience is wearing thin amongst the next generation.

The situation that is unfolding with Coventry is the embodiment of this process: he has played just 53 minutes of first-team football across two appearances, with both of those coming when a Carabao Cup result was out of reach for lower league opposition.

This comes despite the midfielder being captain for the U23s, while becoming one of their various top-level performers in Premier League 2, starting all of their league games this season.

Therefore, it can perhaps be seen as a double hit that West Ham don’t want to match his contract valuation because he hasn’t played enough first-team football, which is only the case because he hasn’t been given the chance to do so.

It would be easy to dismiss Coventry as a money-grabber who should be focusing on his football rather than the wage he receives in this scenario, but that knee-jerk reaction fails to take genuine and legitimate professional ambitions into consideration.

However, it can be argued that the sum of a contract represents more than just the money it demands: it shows how much the club values a player, how much they trust him and the role they are expecting them to play moving forward.

If Coventry was to accept a low offer, it could be seen as a sign that he is happy to kick it in the academy for the foreseeable future.

That isn’t a universal attitude among the emerging next generation of talent, though.

The option to go abroad becoming more accessible has given youngsters a foothold to do this and if English clubs aren’t willing to show trust in them from a very early age, it seems there are outfits overseas who will.