The misery may just be coming to an end sooner rather than later. Manchester United have endured a torrid time this season, finding themselves in 12th place in the Premier League, and just two points off the drop zone.
Speculation has begun to mount over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s long-term future at the club, whilst they have suffered some truly shocking results on the pitch – not least their 1-0 defeat to a struggling Newcastle just before the international break.
And with a huge clash against a rampant Liverpool coming up, the Red Devils are in desperate need of some good news – and they may just have gotten it.
According to The Daily Mirror, Solskjaer could welcome back Paul Pogba, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw from their respective injuries, whilst the report adds Anthony Martial could also make his long-awaited return.
After hearing the positive update on the injury front, United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.
Many Red Devils supporters appeared to be in dreamland over the news, and suggested they would now go on to beat their arch-rivals when they meet on Sunday.
Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
The Daily Star is reporting that Manchester United are interested in Tottenham’s Lucas Moura.
What’s the story?
The 27-year-old only signed a new five-year deal in August, but Lucas is said to be unsettled as he continues to struggle to receive regular playing time.
As such, he is believed to be high up on United’s list of transfer targets over the next 12 months, and there is a suggestion that the Red Devils could make a move for the Brazil international as early as January.
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Deserves more action
There is plenty of talent in Spurs’ squad going forward. Harry Kane is a phenomenal goalscorer, having scored 169 goals in 260 games for the north London outfit, whilst the likes of Christian Eriksen and Heung-Min Son provide him with invaluable support.
Lucas deserves his fair share of credit too however. In the second leg of the Champions League semi-final last year against Ajax, the Lilywhites were 2-0 down in the match, 3-0 down on aggregate and seemingly on their way out of the competition without so much as a whimper. However, the former PSG man had other plans, scoring a second-half hat-trick to save his side and keep their hopes of silverware alive.
Yet, despite those heroics, he is unable to find a regular spot in Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI. In the final against Liverpool, Lucas had to make do with a place on the bench, while he has only started two of the first five Premier League matches this term.
It is not as if that display in Amsterdam was a one-off. In 45 starts for the club, he has 18 goals and seven assists, which is not bad for a player often utilised from the bench. The importance of those strikes is also worth noting. Along with that trio previously mentioned, he netted a vital equaliser against Barcelona in Europe last term, was on hand to level the score against Manchester City this season and also bagged at Old Trafford in a 3-0 win last year.
The forward deserves to be playing more regular football, it’s that simple. He is wasted as a bit-part player at Tottenham, and United could be in a better position to offer frequent action. At Old Trafford, the competition for attacking places is not as strong, with just Marcus Rashford, Dan James and Anthony Martial as the realistic attacking options on the flanks and up top. Lucas, therefore, would be a welcome addition to the squad, and he would finally be able to show his true worth week-in, week-out.
What a difference just three days make. Only at the weekend, Leeds fans were concerned with Marcelo Bielsa and the way their team was playing.
Yet, flash forward to Tuesday evening and they were defeating previously unbeaten West Brom.
It was an ideal way to bounce back from a loss against Charlton, hitting back to return to the top of the table.
The goal came courtesy of a driven effort from Gjanni Alioski as for once, Leeds were the team that perhaps didn’t deserve to win.
They had the least possession but still came out on top against an Albion team inspired under Slaven Bilic.
This was a different performance from the Whites. The frailties and lack of focus that was there against both Derby and Charlton were eradicated as a steely nature and attitude was shown at Elland Road.
There were plenty of positives to take from the win but it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows in west Yorkshire.
Jamie Shackleton had to go off injured but the biggest concern should lie with Liam Cooper.
The image above shows the Scot trudging off the pitch on Tuesday evening as he paints a picture of discomfort and negativity.
Cooper appeared to pull up with a muscle problem and was consequently replaced by Gaetano Berardi in the first half.
Leeds did go onto keep a clean sheet but it will be a big negative that one of their most influential team members and club captain faces up to six weeks out.
The Whites are already missing Adam Forshaw and Pablo Hernandez to injury so to lose two more of their squad is far from ideal.
After all, Leeds had used just 17 squad members this season before Tyler Roberts and Luke Ayling appeared on Tuesday – a league-low for the Championship. Bielsa will have to dig deep into his reserves to ensure results are still attainable.
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…
The international break may have come at the worst possible time for Nottingham Forest.
Following an opening day defeat against West Brom, they’ve now gone unbeaten in five straight matches which sees them sit tenth in the Championship and two of their last three results had been nothing short of spectacular.
Forest downed playoff occupying Fulham at Craven Cottage before trouncing arch-rivals Derby in the Carabao Cup, so they may have wanted to keep that run going, but September’s international matches have put an end to that.
Though, it shouldn’t be considered a bad thing at all. In fact, it could be game-changing for their playoff hopes.
Manager Sabri Lamouchi was appointed at the end of June, rather suddenly as Martin O’Neill was sacked, so the time he had available with his team before the start of the 2019/20 campaign was minuscule.
Eight matches in a month quickly followed, so the former Ivory Coast manager probably relished the opportunity for some further time with his squad away from the intensity and pressures of competing within a match.
It gives the chance to implement further the way he wants his side to play, the styles, the tactical nuances that just can’t be filtered through when games come quick and fast.
Another key benefit is the fact he has pretty much all of his squad available to train – only Aro Muric (Kosovo) and Brennan Johnson (Wales U21) are away on international duty so that will only help instil his philosophy even more.
It also means Joao Carvalho is able to fully integrate his place back amongst the starting line-up following an injury that kept him out for the start of the season and has restricted him to just two substitute appearances.
Even Joe Lolley missed a game through injury, so it gives enough time to ensure that his problem has fully settled too.
That tedious and timely annual ritual is finally out the way.
Fans, players and journalists rejoiced as club football returned at the weekend, marking the conclusion of that ever-frustrating first international hiatus of the season.
And what a cracking return to action we were treated to. The team at Football FanCast have been hard at work reacting to the weekend fixtures and, in some cases, analysing how recent results could impact the return of European football this week.
There were plenty of themes to dissect from the action, and our team of regional correspondents and website editors have collectively come together to round up some of the major talking points, ranging from the title race in La Liga to Nottingham Forest’s shock win away at Championship pace-setters Swansea City.
Here’s what the team have had to say…
[snack_break title="Real and Barca return to form"] Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - FC Barcelona v Valencia - Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - September 14, 2019 Barcelona's Luis Suarez celebrates scoring their fourth goal with Antoine Griezmann REUTERS/Albert Gea
Both Barcelona and Real Madrid returned to winning ways at the weekend as the Catalans netted five against a crumbling Valencia and Real Madrid put three past a courageous Levante. The clash at the Camp Nou was mostly a one-way street, with Barcelona dominating from start to finish, while Los Blancos had a brilliant first half and a horrible second.
Obviously, the pair of La Liga titans have stuttered during the early stages of the season but signs that order is being restored were there for all to see during the course of the weekend.
Ernesto Valverde and Zinedine Zidane have endured difficult starts but the weekend proved that you can’t keep them down for too long.
Despite the early hiccups and injury woes, the Blaugrana and Los Blancos have began their ascent back to the top.
Let’s see how they continue.
Domagoj Kostanjsak – La Liga correspondent
[snack_break title="Eddie the eagle"]
The main talking point from a Leeds perspective this weekend was Eddie Nketiah. The forward helped himself to yet another late goal after quickly becoming an Elland Road hero following a strike against Brentford a few weeks ago.
He repeated that against Barnsley on Sunday as he got on the end of Kalvin Phillips’ free-kick to prod home, with the provider instantly vindicating the club’s decision to agree terms on a new contract.
Marcelo Bielsa has teased the idea of playing Nketiah and Bamford in a two up top but with the latter now going goalless for two matches, it may be that their loan man earns a start in the coming weeks. After all, his manager hailed him a complete player after the game.
The 20-year-old continues to get into the right place at the right time, something that bodes well for the Whites’ promotion dreams.
Matt Dawson – Leeds United correspondent
[snack_break title=”Guardiola longs for Laporte”]
Well that was quite the turn-up for the books wasn’t it? The Manchester City juggernaut was stopped firmly in its tracks on Saturday afternoon by a side who had already shipped seven goals against Chelsea and Liverpool this season.
There was every expectation the Citizens would sweep aside Daniel Farke’s men, and the real question revolved around how many goals they would score on their way to victory. Instead, in one of the biggest shocks in recent memory, the newly-promoted Canaries exposed the Etihad side’s defensive weaknesses and made a mockery of the team that has won back-to-back league titles.
Pep Guardiola’s side already find themselves five points behind leaders Liverpool, and Aymeric Laporte’s lengthy lay-off looks all the more decisive now. If the City boss can’t figure out a way to paper over the cracks until the Frenchman’s return, the Premier League trophy will no doubt be heading to a new home at the end of the season.
Vijay Jeevathayalan – Manchester correspondent
[snack_break title=”Reality check for Hodgson”]
Having started the season so well from a defensive point of view – just two goals were conceded in the first four games – Crystal Palace came crashing back down to earth with a mauling at the hands of Tottenham.
Patrick van Aanholt was genuinely awful, whereas Joel Ward lost his battle with Son Heung-min in miserable fashion.
In the centre of defence, Mamadou Sakho was seemingly rushed back to start after injuries to Scott Dann, James Tomkins and Martin Kelly, and the Frenchman really didn’t look fit as he was run ragged by Son, Erik Lamela and Harry Kane – Sakho had played just 11 minutes of the campaign prior to Saturday’s game.
Roy Hodgson can only pray that he gets a few more bodies fit soon, although it must be taken into account that his side were facing a Champions League finalist.
Billy Meyers – South London & south coast correspondent
[snack_break title="Set-pieces down leaderless Toffees"]
In Everton’s visit to Bournemouth it was a case of staring familiar mistakes directly in the face, and there are worrying signs for Marco Silva if he intends to improve on last season’s eighth-placed finish.The Toffees are now winless in three on the road in the league this term and they’ve conceded five goals in that time. Everton conceded the most from set-pieces in the league last season and two more against the Cherries prove it is a detrimental problem that requires immediate attention.A first goal of the season for Dominic Calvert-Lewin was one minor positive to take.There is a lack of leadership throughout the team, and that is particularly a concern in defence. If that continues, their fragility from set-pieces is likely to continue, as is their tendency to roll over when falling behind – having never won from a losing position in the Premier League under Silva.Kealan Hughes – Merseyside correspondent
[snack_break title="Maguire silences boo boys"]
After a disastrous turn in form since the 4-0 mauling of rivals Chelsea, Manchester United were in dire need of a pick-me-up against Leicester. The Foxes had been flying high in the Premier League, and with that dangerous combination of James Maddison and Jamie Vardy, an upset was no doubt on the cards.
Instead, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were impressively resolute, and didn’t allow the visitors to generate much in the way of opportunities. Key to that was the performance of Harry Maguire, who was coming up against his old club.
The England international was an immense presence at the heart of the United defence, shackling Vardy with consummate ease. A target of incessant boos from the Leicester faithful, the 6 foot 4 powerhouse silenced the travelling contingent tucked away in the corner at Old Trafford with an assured display, proving exactly why the Red Devils forked out a world-record fee for a defender to prise him away from the King Power Stadium.
Wolves’ Premier League woes continued but this time at the hands of Frank Lampard’s Chelsea, who stuck five past them with only two in return.
Nuno Santo’s men had taken Europa League qualification by storm, winning all six of their matches to earn a spot in the group stages which they’ll begin later this week though their form domestically has faltered as a result.
They sit second-bottom without a victory in five games, so something has to change pretty quickly if they want to reach similar heights of last season where they finished seventh in the Premier League.
Striker Raul Jimenez has played over 40 games for both club and country in this calendar year, which in itself epitomises the added strain the west Midlands club have faced to date.
Lewis Blain – Midlands correspondent
[snack_break title="Comical Krafth"]
The biggest takeaway from Newcastle’s trip to Anfield is that Emil Krafth may just be the most Mike Ashley signing of all time.
Fans have already slapped the “bargain basement” tag on the Sweden international, as he was out of position on several occasions from a defensive standpoint and missed a golden opportunity to get the Magpies back in the game.
The 25 year-old has now started four times for the club, and only in the win at Tottenham was there even the smallest sign he may actually have what it takes to play in the Premier League, though that was partially thanks to the tireless running that Miguel Almiron provided in front of him.
Then again, what can you expect from a £5m arrival who has only played for Osters IF, Helsingborgs IF, Bologna FC and SC Amiens?
WhoScored list no strengths (seriously, none) and weaknesses in passing, crossing and tackling – nothing important then! If ever a signing summed up Ashley’s regime, Krafth may just be it.
Ben Goodwin – Editor
[snack_break title=”Awesome Aurier”]
Serge Aurier raised more than a few eyebrows last week when he was asked whether he was concerned about being on the bench for Tottenham given the competition he has for his position, replying: “What competition? There isn’t any.”
So, when Mauricio Pochettino named the Ivory Coast international in the starting XI for the first time this season, the pressure was undoubtedly on him to perform.
The 26-year-old did exactly that and firmly put his money where his mouth is by providing one assist for Son Heung-min, while another cross of his from the right was directed past his own goalkeeper by Patrick van Aanholt – all within the opening 45 minutes.
On this showing and if he can maintain that form, he will be Tottenham’s undoubted first-choice right-back ahead of the likes of Kyle Walker-Peters, Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth, and could prove to be a key player in the final third for the remainder of the campaign.
As usual with Aurier though, it is all about whether he can find that consistency that has been missing ever since he joined Spurs from PSG.
James Beavis – Editor
[snack_break title=”Lamouchi silencing critics”]
Nottingham Forest put the league on notice this weekend by defeating unbeaten league leaders Swansea City on their own patch.
Lewis Grabban fed substitute Alfa Semedo from the by-line to allow the midfielder to score an easy tap-in for the game’s only goal – Forest are now unbeaten themselves since losing the opening match of the Championship season against West Brom.
There were a lot of doubts heading into the current campaign after Martin O’Neill’s sudden sacking and to replace him with what was considered a ‘nobody’ only raised further questions, but Sabri Lamouchi is starting to prove critics wrong and could well be what the City Ground have been longing for.
‘Stability’ is the crucial thing needed in the east Midlands, and that victory over Swansea encapsulated that entirely. Encouraging.
Jefferson Montero finalised a loan move to West Brom from Swansea on deadline day as Baggies boss Darren Moore made multiple additions to his promotion-pushing side – the Swans, meanwhile, must have forgotten to put out the welcome mat and made zero signings, instead letting four leave.
The Ecuadorian has bags of pace and a decent end product but hasn’t started a game under Graham Potter this season, making all of his league appearances off the bench.
Entering the fray just before the hour mark against Birmingham on Tuesday, the winger teed up Oli McBurnie for his side’s second but just days later he’s no longer a Swansea player.
Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…
The 29-year-old arrived at the Liberty Stadium in 2014 from Mexican outfit Morielo and has gone on to make 84 appearances for the Welsh outfit, chalking up two goals and 14 assists.
Despite that pretty dismal return, the 64-cap international offered a different dimension to the Swans attack and the decision let him go, particularly to a promotion rival, seems a bizarre one.
Swansea have also offloaded Wilfried Bony and Tom Carroll for the remainder of the season, who will join Al Arabi and Aston Villa respectively.
Here’s how the Liberty Stadium faithful reacted to Montero’s exit…
Kieran Tierney is expected to be back in full training by September despite previous reports stating that he would not be back until October.
What’s the word?
The 22-year-old joined Arsenal from Celtic during the transfer window for an eventual fee of £25m after the Gunners had targeted the left-back throughout the summer.
However, he has so far been unable to appear for the Emirates outfit due to injury. At the end of the last campaign, Tierney needed to have a double-hernia operation and, whilst the procedure was successful, Neil Lennon revealed back in July that he was struggling with a groin problem.
Arsenal knew this when signing him, and they initially expected him to return in October. There is good news though, as it looks like he will now be back in full training a month earlier.
Check out fan reaction to Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal in the video below…
Too big a risk for an injury-prone player
There is no doubt that Tierney is a talented player. He was part of the treble-treble-winning Bhoys side and is also a Scotland international. And, with Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac as the only options on the left side of the defence, a new arrival in that area was paramount this summer.
However, the north London team’s hierarchy have taken a risk by bringing him to the Emirates Stadium. These injury problems are nothing new in the youngster’s career. So far, he has missed 51 games during his time as a footballer, and his hips have been a regular source of discomfort.
There are clearly issues surrounding the medical treatment of the squad at Arsenal too. Between the start of 2011/12 and almost the end of 2016/17, Gunners players missed 10,285 days to injury, which was the most of any side in the top flight. It wasn’t much better last season, either; the 35 separate injuries they suffered put them in the top six in the league. All of these stats point to more issues on the horizon for Tierney and his new physio team.
A number of West Ham supporters are ecstatic after centre-back Kurt Zouma was pictured training outside on Friday.
The Hammers have enjoyed another excellent season to date, proving that last term was no fluke as they look to finish in the top four in the Premier League.
David Moyes has been tested in the injury department of late, however, with Zouma and Angelo Obgonna both out injured, having been the go-to centre-back pairing.
While Obgonna is expected to miss the rest of the season with a serious knee problem, Zouma’s situation looks far more positive, acting as a big boost for West Ham.
On Friday, the club’s official Twitter account shared images of the Frenchman back on the training pitches, suggesting his return to the fold is not too far away.
West Ham fans love Zouma latest
These Hammers fans reacted in delighted fashion to the news on Twitter.
“ZOUUUUUUUUUUUMA”
Credit: @connorahumpage
“Things you love to see big Zouuuuuu is back let’s go lad”
Credit: @DannyMeates8
“TITLE CHARGE IS BACK ON!”
Credit: @billy_grimmel
“What a sight”
Credit: @samthomas97_
“Never needed a player as much as we need Big Zou rn”
Credit: @yshealthyv2
“Zouuuuu I’m so happy we got our main man back”
Credit: @JackSeaward69
In other news, some West Ham fans are excited over a transfer claim that has emerged. Read more here.
Aston Villa have made an approach for Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.
That’s according to Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett, and a number of Villa fans have been reacting to the news on social media.
Villa have already brought in three senior players this month in Philippe Coutinho, Lucas Digne and Robin Olsen, along with one for the academy in Kerr Smith, but it seems as if they are not done yet.
Steven Gerrard and Johan Lange now want a holding midfielder and a centre-back before the end of the month, and it seems as if Bentancur is their next target.
The 24-year-old has made 180 appearances for Juventus and is primarily a central midfielder who can also play in a defensive role. He has been a regular during 2021/22, and according to Dorsett, negotiations are ongoing between the two clubs, with the Uruguay international valued at around £16m.
Villa fans react
@villareport relayed Dorsett’s claim on Twitter, and here is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with many excited by the update and one labelling the midfielder as ‘quality’.
“Get it done and we are laughing next year”
Credit: @J_Villan17
“WOW!”
Credit: @rs_sangha
“Quality player, exactly the type we need to go for if we’re to gatecrash those European spots.”
Credit: @DanEvans90
“this isn’t reality man, what is happening”
Credit: @tomadamsavfc
“Only seen him play for Uruguay at the last World Cup, but he looked fantastic. Just what we need. Be a coup to get a starter for both Juventus and Uruguay to come here.”
Credit: @AVFCOliver
“Would be a brilliant signing”
Credit: @VitalVilla
In other news: ‘Crazy to sell’ – Lots of Villa fans flock to update as Newcastle swoop for Gerrard regular
Antonio Conte is reportedly very keen on signing Adama Traore for Tottenham Hotspur.
The Lowdown: Off the boil
There is no doubt that Traore has gone off the boil this season after his six goal and 12 assist haul in the 2019/20 term, with no goals or assists so far this campaign (Transfermarkt).
He can still be a right menace on his day, as Jurgen Klopp even went as far as to claim that he is ‘undefendable’ after an impressive display against Liverpool at Molineux back in March, and he still averages the most dribbles per game (4.7) out of any player in the Premier League.
Nonetheless, Traore is a unique asset despite his lack of numbers in terms of end product, and so it is no surprise at all to see Spurs interested in his signature.
The Latest: Conte keen
As per The Daily Telegraph, Conte is very keen on a move for Traore, and is a long-term admirer of the Wolves machine.
They cite that the North London club tried to get him on loan in the summer transfer window when Nuno Espirito Santo was still in charge, and now Conte wants Daniel Levy to table an offer that would make the Wanderers think about selling him.
Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold has also claimed that Fabio Paratici is ‘a fan’ of Traore, and so it is a move that certainly looks possible.
The Verdict: Makes sense
Given that Traore is used to playing in a preferred formation should be natural to him.
He is a player that Conte likes, and so the Italian manager will surely already have plans to get the best out of him and suit his style of play, perhaps in the right-wing back role that Victor Moses thrived in at Chelsea.
Nonetheless, with his superior dribbling ability, Traore would offer the Lilywhites something different and more direct going forward, and at 25 years of age, still has a lot of room for improvement.
Of course, he needs to work on being more ruthless in front of goal, but it is no less exciting to see what Conte could do with him on and off the field.
In other news, find out which THFC player Conte is particularly in awe of here!