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With The Sun reporting that Ryan Jack has been sent home from international duty, it could lead the way for Glen Kamara to play a more prominent role in the Rangers midfield. The Ibrox club face Livingston at home this weekend and with Steven Davis involved with Northern Ireland, Kamara could start in the Rangers engine room.

Kamara the obvious choice?

Gerrard has already shown he is keen to rotate his midfield but Ryan Jack, so far, has played the most minutes – 940 in total. Davis has been rested, when possible, to ensure his availability for key matches and it has been Kamara that, so far, has been his replacement. Gerrard only playing Davis, Jack and Kamara together once this season – in the 2-0 defeat to Celtic, Rangers only defeat of the season.

Davis is deployed as the deepest midfielder, being available to receive the ball off the centre-halves and play passes from deep. Jack although he is seen as more of a defensive midfielder is transitioning into a more traditional number eight, playing a box-to-box role. Gerrard will want Kamara to replicate Jack’s work rate if he is to replace him in this role.

Change to the attack

Gerrard now has another option at his disposal though. The £7m signing of Ryan Kent means that Scott  Arfield can be deployed in a deeper role if it is required. This could benefit Rangers in the long run as his goal scoring return would suggest he is a decent finisher, albeit he has started slowly this term with two goals and one assist in ten games.

Rangers fans may now see Gerrard go with Davis-Kamara-Aribo in key games and Kamara-Aribo-Arfield in games that Rangers will dominate. Kamara playing the deepest midfield role. This will give Gerrard the chance to rest Davis and play both Sheyi Ojo and Ryan Kent. Rangers have rarely played with two wingers or inside-forwards this term preferring to have one narrow forward and one slightly wider in an asymmetrical pattern. The flair and goal threat of Ojo (four goals and three assists in ten games) and Kent could persuade Gerrard otherwise.

Enter the King

The final option that Gerrard has is to bring in Andy King, the on-loan Leicester player has only just arrived and has had playing time restricted so far. King would bring a greater goal threat than both Jack and Kamara and an altogether different dynamic to the side. He is experienced and a proven winner. Leicester’s all time leading goalscoring midfielder and capped international no less. Qualities that may see him edge Kamara and negate the absence of Davis or Arfield from midfield.

With Rangers looking to regain momentum after the recent Old Firm loss, replacing Ryan Jack will be a key decision over the coming games for Steven Gerrard’s men. Who Gerrard picks will demonstrate how attacking he wants his men to be, such is Jack’s importance to the team. Kamara is the safe choice and given Gerrard’s recent pragmatism in the Old Firm game, it’s the most likely decision he’ll make.

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You know what they say, class is permanent. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may have retired from the game a few years ago, but the Norwegian appears to have lost none of his technique and ability.

The Manchester United manager looks like he can still hang in the modern game, and judging by training ground footage picked up by Sky Sports, that really might be the case.

Ahead of the Red Devils’ Europa League clash on Thursday night, Solskjaer and members of his coaching staff appeared to be trying their hands at a ‘bin-shot’. The United boss stepped up to the plate, chipped the ball off the back walls of the training pitch, and saw it bounce into the bin.

After seeing the Norwegian’s trick-shot, United fans flooded to Twitter to share their thoughts about just how good the 46-year-old is.

Many Red Devils supporters called for him to be given a chance against West Ham in the Premier League this weekend, and insisted he is more than good enough to play.

Some fans even suggested Marcus Rashford would probably have skied his effort over, and that Solskjaer is still the most “accurate finisher” at the club.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

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

Liverpool’s 100% Premier League record may still be intact but an underwhelming second-half performance against Chelsea almost ended their run, and much of that was due to their deficiency in possession.

On the chalkboard

The Reds have had the majority of possession in all but one of their league matches so far – Chelsea – but in each of those matches they have failed to use the ball effectively in the final third.

Last Sunday’s game was a fine example of that. They had a pass success rate of just 63% in Chelsea’s final third, so it is not surprising that they were unable to produce their usual free-flowing style in open play, instead resorting to goals from set-pieces.

Whilst an effective avenue of goals for Liverpool, with 20 goals last season, set-pieces will only go so far, and against teams more organised than Chelsea they will struggle to find a breakthrough if failings in the final third continue to occur.

In fact, they were uninspiring with the ball in all areas. A pass accuracy of 73% led Chelsea to dominate the ball with 55% possession, and but for a strong defensive display from Joel Matip and fine goalkeeping by Adrian, the Blues would have turned that pressure into an equaliser.

Using the ball effectively

Jurgen Klopp’s side are often so effective with the ball because of the care his midfield trio take when in possession, but in recent games Jordan Henderson has faltered slightly.

The Reds skipper started the season well but performances in his last two away league games against Burnley and Chelsea, in which his pass accuracy was 72% and 59% respectively, show that he is in need of improvement.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A solution could be more patient play, with Liverpool often frantic and turnovers happening frequently, a combined total of 135 recoveries in their trip to Chelsea is evidence of that.

That is partly due to Liverpool’s effectiveness on the press which often means they dont have to rely on intricate play in the final third, but over the course of the season they will face a variety of opponents, and they will need to be effective in all aspects of their game like Manchester City are – with their rivals boasting a pass success rate of 89% compared to Liverpool’s 82%.

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

When Leeds take on Derby this afternoon the game will be filled with narrative.

Not only will the Whites be looking to ram home their advantage at the top of the table but they’ll also be hoping to get their own back.

Derby had the measure over Leeds in the playoffs last term whilst the infamous ‘Spygate’ incident will likely intensify things once more.

On Saturday a new rivalry could begin between two fellow countrymen. Krystian Bielik will likely hold the key for Derby in the middle of the park and if he’s on his game, Mateusz Klich might be made to look sheepish in what is a physical battle.

On the chalkboard

Klich has been a creative hub for Leeds over the past year and finished last season with 19 goal involvements in the Championship.

It was a fabulous campaign from the Poland international who will be facing off against his international teammate, Bielik, on Saturday.

The midfielder began to show what he was truly capable of for the first time this term at Oakwell as he put in a star performance, creating four chances and scoring a goal.

But his battle against the former Arsenal man in the middle of the park this time around could be far more taxing.

One of the main issues for Leeds this season is discovering freedom at home.

In their last outing at Elland Road, a 1-0 defeat to Swansea, Klich and Adam Forshaw effectively operated in the same space as inroads were few and far between.

Playing alongside Jamie Shackleton last weekend, that issue was overcome as they were spread out. That, however, was an away match where things were open.

Derby aren’t the free-flowing attacking side that we saw knock four past Leeds at this very ground in the playoffs and have only scored seven in as many games under Phillip Cocu.

A more defensive approach may be required and if Bielik starts in a holding role, Klich and his team could struggle to carve out openings once again.

The 21-year-old is a towering presence in a central area, winning 5.2 aerial duels per game as opposed to Klich’s 0.9 each outing. On that evidence, it could be a mismatch.

But it’s Bielik’s reading of the game which could have the biggest say on proceedings.

Klich makes a massive three key passes every match on average but his countryman has been on hand with 2.2 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, according to WhoScored.

With that in mind, one of the lingering issues at Elland Road could be there to halt Marcelo Bielsa’s men in their tracks again.

The former Leeds forward stated that his debut was a dramatic affair, and he wasn’t wrong.

Anderlecht struggled to get past second-tier outfit Beerschot Wilrijk, but in the end they overcame them, winning 3-2 in extra time.

Roofe didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet on his debut, but he was victorious.

The forward is seemingly still friendly with a few of his ex-Leeds teammates, as Tyler Roberts took to the comments section to congratulate the attacker on his return from injury.

Some Leeds fans are bound to feel emotional seeing the youngster interacting with Roofe on Instagram after his debut.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, John Hartson said that Tony Adams is “one of the greatest leaders of men” he has ever worked with.

Former Wales international Hartson played with the former Arsenal leader between 1995 and 1997. That period of time also coincided with Arsene Wenger’s arrival in north London too. Whilst the Gunners were trophyless during those two years the striker was at the club, the 44-year-old has lauded the influence of the 66-time England player.

He said, “Tony Adams is one of the greatest leaders of men I’ve ever worked with. Captain of England, captain of Arsenal at 25 years of age, they (great leaders) don’t come around too often.”

There is little wonder why there is a statue of Adams that now stands outside the Emirates Stadium. Quite frankly, few have ever had an impact on the Gunners quite like the now 52-year-old.

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Appointed captain at Highbury aged 21, he led the team to the title in his maiden season in the role, and he would go on to wear the armband for another 14 years. During that time, he would win 10 major trophies, which included four league titles, three F.A Cups and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994.

Overall, he made 669 appearances for the Gunners, and has now gone down in folklore. Even with the arrival of Frenchman Wenger, who revolutionised not only Arsenal but also English football, Adams remained a constant and was continually trusted to be the leader of the dressing room.

He had his problems, of course – who hasn’t? – and he has struggled to convert his playing prowess into the managerial world, but Arsenal fans won’t care.

The word legend gets thrown about an awful lot these days. Adams, though, embodies everything that it means. In north London, he will never be forgotten.

Plenty of Liverpool fans on Twitter got a great kick out of a viral video on the social media platform showing Virgil van Dijk speaking with two children.

The clip, which was shared by @TheRedmenTV, shows the Reds defender being quizzed by two youngsters, one supporting Liverpool and the other an Everton fan.

The Liverpool fan asked Van Dijk how happy he was after winning the Champions League, with the 28-year-old replying “I was very happy” and asking if the boy shared those sentiments, which drew a positive reply.

When the other boy said that he wasn’t so happy to see the Reds conquering Europe, Van Dijk asked him if he was an Everton supporter and, upon hearing of the affirmative reply, he quipped: “Tough, isn’t it? Must be very tough.”

While Liverpool have started the season with eight consecutive wins in the Premier League to establish an eight-point lead at the top, their crosstown rivals are languishing in the relegation zone after four straight league defeats. [via premierleague.com]

These Liverpool fans on Twitter absolutely loved Van Dijk’s reaction to the young Everton supporter in the video:

What did you make of Van Dijk’s interaction with the two youngsters in the video clip? Have your say by commenting below!

James Milner has had a long and storied career filled with ups and downs, but we can’t imagine he’s felt much worse than after the 2018 Champions League final.

It’s a game that every Liverpool fan will remember forever (unless they’ve blanked it out of their memory intentionally of course), as the Reds lost 3-1 to Real Madrid due to a couple of costly errors from Loris Karius.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

As you can imagine, Milner felt pretty dejected after the Merseyside club lost in the final, but what happened to him a few weeks after the match is nothing short of comedy gold.

The midfielder explained the hilarious situation on the latest episode of BT Sport’s What I Wore.

The 33-year-old revealed that in an attempt to get over the heartbreak from that day in Kiev he went on a golfing holiday to Spain.

Unfortunately, when he arrived at the course his tee time was right after Gareth Bale’s – the man who had scored the goals that condemned Liverpool in the final.

At the time it must’ve been heartbreaking for Milner, but he can look back on that and laugh now after the Reds beat Tottenham in Madrid – we wonder if Harry Kane ran into his compatriot in similar fashion this summer!

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

Leeds United host Birmingham City on Saturday in a vital Championship clash, and the individual battle between Mateusz Klich and Ivan Šunjić may well decide it.

On the chalkboard

The two midfielders have become extremely important to their respective sides, and the midfield battle will naturally go a long way to determining which way Saturday’s clash will go.

Šunjić has cemented himself as an extremely important part of Birmingham’s first-choice XI, starting 10 of their Championship games so far in 2019/20 whilst also scoring once.

The Croatian is completing an average of 2.3 tackles per game – 25 in total – whilst also committing 2.2 fouls per game – 24 in total – highlighting his role in the Birmingham midfield in breaking up play and preventing the Blues’ opponents from playing out into the final third.

Given the 23-year-old’s importance to Birmingham, Klich is set to come up against an in-form holding midfielder during a period of time in which the Poland international is currently struggling to discover his mojo.

In 11 Championship games so far this season, Klich has made less tackles (1.6) and interceptions (0.5) than his Croatian counterpart, though the disparity can be explained by the role he plays in Bielsa’s system.

From an attacking perspective, the 6ft midfielder has managed to complete 2.5 key passes per game this season and fire 2.4 shots on goal, but those efforts have equated to just one goal and one assist thus far. Šunjić, always the strong tackler, is unlikely to be tested by Klich’s dribbling ability given he has completed just 0.5 per game this season. 

The enterprising midfielder’s endeavour to find space in the final-third and dissect Birmingham’s defence will depend upon how sharp Šunjić is, with the season so far suggesting a stern challenge lies ahead.

Beyond Klich, Leeds strikers Patrick Bamford and Eddie Nketiah will pose a strong threat and Šunjić will have to be at his best while marshalling Birmingham’s midfield to minimise the number of attacking opportunities for Leeds.

Everton announced on Tuesday afternoon that teenage attacker Rafael Garcia had signed his first professional contract with the Premier League club.Garcia, who only turned 17 earlier this month, has put pen to paper on a deal that will run until the end of the 2021/22 campaign.The Under-18s forward has been with the Toffees since 2017 – making the move to Goodison Park from London club Fulham, who are now in the Championship.Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The attacker will actually miss the remainder of the campaign with a serious knee injury having damaged his ACL during pre-season.

However, the fact that Everton have been prepared to hand Garcia his first professional contract shows that they have high hopes for the former England Under-16 international.

We mastered the trick in the video below in 8 attempts… could you do better?

A number of the Merseyside club’s fans have been on social media offering their views on the contract update and many are delighted with the news.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below: