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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…

Confidence is massive in football.

When it’s low, a player may often feel like they can’t do anything right.

In Marcus Rashford’s case, that statement could be applicable to him.

The Manchester United forward hasn’t scored a Premier League goal from open play since the 4-0 win over Chelsea on the opening day of the campaign, with just two penalties contributing to his tally of three league goals this term.

To put it bluntly, he needs a reset.

He needs some time out of the side to think, to go back to basics.

With every passing game, the England international looks like he’s trying to do too much to force the issue, rather than the basics that allow you to do the extra bits afterwards.

Rashford, who is valued at £72m by Transfermarkt, isn’t moving towards the ball in the box, he isn’t making clever runs, and he isn’t able to lead the line effectively right now.

It isn’t entirely down to the 21-year-old.

It would help if he had more creative options behind him rather than Andreas Pereira and Juan Mata, but while he doesn’t have Kevin De Bruyne-esque players slotting him in, he has to ensure he does the basics when chances are coming his way.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer doesn’t have many options after selling Romelu Lukaku and allowing Alexis Sanchez to leave, but the pressure will continue to mount on Rashford’s shoulders with every passing game that he fails to deliver in.

Some time on the sidelines would presumably do him a lot of good, as it has been a while since this young player has been allowed any time out of the limelight – since his debut as a 18-year-old, he has always been involved quite heavily in the first-team.

Solskjaer may have to place some trust in Mason Greenwood or Anthony Martial when the Frenchman is back fit in order to do this, but he is surely damaging Rashford’s confidence more and more by playing him in every game where the academy graduate doesn’t look on top form.

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

Goals. Goals. Goals. Or in Manchester United’s case, a lack of them. The Red Devils have built their entire history around swashbuckling football, and throwing the kitchen sink at the opposition. These days, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side’s attack closely resembles a domestic cat lazily pawing at a passing fly. No intent, no ambition and no creativity whatsoever.

The fact that they haven’t scored more than one goal in a game since the 4-0 thrashing of Chelsea in the opening Premier League match of the season makes for worrying reading. Marcus Rashford has been the subject of much criticism for his perceived role in their attacking demise, but that only tells half the story. Against Newcastle last weekend, the England international looked starved of service and completely isolated up top on his own, registering no shots on goal.

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As one of the few genuine creators in the side, much would have been expected of Juan Mata. But games just appear to pass him by at the moment. What United desperately need to do however, is consider using the Spaniard in a more deeper position. Does Solskjaer really think they need both Fred and Scott McTominay in a midfield two? Talk about being defensive.

Getting Mata alongside the latter could well be the answer to getting more out of their attacking play. As per Understat, the 31-year-old has played in a central midfield 14 times over the course of his United career, and it is the position where he has the highest expected assists per 90 minutes (0.24). Allowing him to pick the ball up from the centre-backs, and immediately face forwards, rather than with his back to goal as he does in the number ten role, could make the most out of the side’s pacey attack.

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The likes of Daniel James and Marcus Rashford have the speed to get in behind opposition defences over and over again, but they simply don’t get provided with enough opportunities to do so. Currently, Mata averages just 22.6 passes per game in the Premier League – a total that is the lowest amount of any league season in his entire career as per Whoscored. It goes without saying that the 5 foot 7 man hasn’t contributed a single goal or assist this year either.

The Red Devils simply need to get more out of the play-maker, and changing up his position so he can see more of the ball may be the cure they desperately need.

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…

Looks like we’re fully into transfer rumour season now.

And former player David Prutton believes that the great start Nottingham Forest have made this season can act as a building block when it comes to any deals they want to do in January.

What’s he said?

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live ahead of the game against Wigan Athletic this weekend, the former Forest man said that if the club wanted to make a move in January they should be confident of getting players over the line.

He claimed the prospect of being so close to the Premier League will help them attract players to push them over the line:

“They’ll find themselves in a good position, and I’m not just being biased because I’ve played for the club. If Forest are in the top six and looking like they’re hunting down the top two in January, then with the stadium buzzing and the atmosphere being fantastic – it’s a great city, you’d be hard-pressed to not attract players of a certain standard to a situation like that.

“You’d come in and be playing in front of 30,000 people every other week at home, and it would just be (a great opportunity) to get that club into the Premier League.”

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Got to stay there though

Whilst Prutton may be right in believing that being so close will make them a tantalising commodity for any prospective player, it is now up to the Forest players and staff to make sure that they keep them there.

As the pundit suggests, doing so could just enable them to complete attractive signings, something that ultimately could propel them to the promised land of the Premier League.

Sabri Lamouchi recently stated that his main ambition this season is to stay in his job for one full season.

Whilst that may be the case, there is one way of making sure he stays in the job, and that’s to get promoted.

It’s something that makes these next couple of games so vitally important for Forest, not just in terms of this season and making sure they’re close to promotion, but also a long way in the future.

If they can bring in a couple of big names, not only will they be in a good position to contest this season, but if things don’t work, they’ll be in a great place to challenge next term as well.

Some Charlton fans have taken to Twitter to reveal that they want Macauley Bonne to start against Derby on Saturday.

The 23-year-old has had to make a big step, having been signed from the National League back in the summer, and has been a bit of a revelation after jumping up through so many divisions.

Bonne has started just three of Charlton’s eight Championship games this term, but has netted two goals in those three starts.

Impressively, the quality of the opposition he has netted against is eye-catching, and deserves praise given how many divisions Bonne has risen through.

The 5 foot 11 forward scored the winner against Leeds, and also netted a crucial goal against Fulham to help Lee Bowyer’s men to a 2-2 draw against a promotion favourite, making him a bit of surprise package this season – we doubt many fans expected their non-league signing to be bagging against some of the biggest clubs in the division.

As a result of his spirited showings, a number of Charlton fans on Twitter have called for the No.17 to start this Saturday’s game against Derby…

Leicester City midfielder James Maddison has seemingly marked himself out as one of England’s stars of the future, with many big names now trying to lure the Foxes star away from the King Power Stadium.

According to a report from The Athletic via The Sun, Maddison’s exploits for the Foxes have attracted interest from a host of top six clubs – including Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City.

United, in particular, are reportedly leading the race to sign Maddison – even after a gutsy performance against rivals Liverpool at the weekend where Marcus Rashford shined for the Red Devils.

The 22-year-old thoroughly impressed last season for Brendan Rodgers’ side, bagging seven goals and seven assists in a midfield bereft of star quality, as per WhoScored.com.

Maddison has continued in that same vain so far this campaign, most recently making the headlines with a stuffy equaliser at Anfield, putting his side in contention for a shock 1-1 draw – though James Milner’s last-minute penalty thwarted such efforts.

Nevertheless, the England U21 international has been a mainstay and crucial cog in Leicester’s system – and despite United’s perceived lack of success in recent years, they could still be the go-to destination for him.

An agent, speaking to The Athletic, hinted that Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s side still offer that pulling power – but not so much after these past two seasons.

“Everybody is wondering what Manchester United are about and where they are going,” explained the agent.

“Each situation is different and for some players United is still the destination of choice. But more generally players are less willing to go there than in the past.

“Agents will be asking for more because they know that for the first time in a long time Man United need players more than players need them.

“They used to be in the stronger position but they now have a weaker hand and players can use that to their advantage in negotiations.”

Other top Premier League clubs interested in acquiring Maddison’s signature appear to have at least one star attacking midfielder, with Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum, Spurs’ Christian Eriksen – not to mention City’s Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva – offering real creativity to each of their respective clubs.

Indeed, it appears Man United, if the reports are genuine, could potentially offer the Leicester starlet a freely available much-needed position to be filled – even if they aren’t as successful recently as other clubs in the running.

Still, though, Rodgers should be doing everything he can to keep the Englishman at the King Power – given his obvious talent.

Will Maddison be a Leicester player next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

A few Sunderland supporters have been reacting on social media to claims made by The Sun’s Alan Nixon regarding a potential investment in the Black Cats, after he alleged earlier this month that the American bidders interested in purchasing the Wearside club had opted to pull out of the deal.

He claimed at the start of October that MSD Partners, an American group led by Glenn Fuhrman and backed by Dell, had decided to walk away from negotiations to purchase Sunderland following discussions over the valuation of the Stadium of Light outfit.

It was alleged that they were unhappy with the plan put to them following due diligence, including the over-valued asking price, and had far too many unanswered questions to push on with talks.

Sunderland owner Stewart Donald was thought to have since looked for other investors ahead of the January transfer window, but Nixon has suggested the American bidders may be set to inject some funds into the Black Cats.

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He claims around £4m is coming in order to help the North East outfit with their current League One campaign, before the American bidders assess the situation at the Stadium of Light further down the line.

The Sunderland Echo’s Phil Smith has also discussed the takeover situation, and claimed over the weekend that ‘very positive’ conversations were had on Friday and that talks could conclude soon.

However Sunderland supporters are not getting their hopes up too soon, it would seem, as a few have taken to social media to share their thoughts on Nixon’s recent update.

One suggested the alleged funds would not be enough for the Black Cats to secure promotion, while adding that the potential investors do not believe that Championship football for next season can be secured.

Here are some of the messages shared…

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 England international Danny Mills believes Mason Holgate must leave the club if he wants to find more game time.

What did he say?

Holgate started the away defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion because of the injury to Yerry Mina, whilst he kept his place against Watford as Michael Keane was rested. The 23-year-old has not been a regular for Everton and has only been seen more recently because of injuries.

In fact, Keane has started every league game, whilst the trip to the Amex was Mina’s first time missing out in the league this season. As a result of his lack of minutes, Mills believes Holgate must leave Goodison Park.

When asked if Holgate has lived up to expectations, Mills told Football Insider: “No, maybe he needs another loan spell or whatever to get out and play consistently, week in, week out.

“There’s a lot of players at Everton, they’ve brought in a lot of quality, have they performed to their best? Have they performed under the pressures that they need to do? I’m not sure many of them could say yes.”

Not a youngster anymore

Holgate is 23 now and simply has to be playing on a consistent basis, whether that be on loan or at Goodison Park. The days of settling for a sporadic role in the side and playing in the domestic cup games to gain experience have passed.

As Mills suggests, at his age he must be playing on a regular basis, especially if he has any future dreams of  making a statement to Gareth Southgate for England.

For example, players such as Keane have been regulars for teams for a number of years. Prior to his move to Merseyside, the former Manchester United man was a big player for Burnley, missing just five league games over two seasons.

Now, Keane has found his way into the England setup and become a regular at the back for Everton. Holgate could do the same, as he has proven in the past two games he is a man with quality and potential to hold is own against Premier League opposition.

His assist against Brighton and his goal and a clean sheet against Watford prove that he can be a great asset, but he needs to continue playing on a regular basis to maximise his potential.

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…

Ben Davies was given the captain’s armband for Tottenham Hotspur’s clash with Everton at the weekend.

That’s the Ben Davies who had made three Premier League appearances prior to the game, with two of those adding up to 16 minutes of action.

Of course, one can argue that Mauricio Pochettino’s hands were tied. Hugo Lloris is injured and ruled out until 2020 while Harry Kane suffered from a virus that ruled him out of the game at Goodison Park.

Nevertheless, Davies’ pick shines a rather unfortunate light on the depth at the club and the lack of alternative leaders.

Paulo Gazzaniga has only just come into the team; Serge Aurier would have been a disgrace of a selection due to his spate of Spurs calamities; Davinson Sanchez is perhaps too young while Toby Alderweireld’s contract expires in the summer and handing him the armband could have been seen as a message of acquiescence; Tanguy Ndombele is a new signing; Moussa Sissoko is excellent but perhaps too erratic; Christian Eriksen hasn’t been at the races this term with just one goal and one assist to his name in the Premier League.

That leaves Heung-Min Son, Dele Alli and Lucas Moura. Son is the captain of South Korea and even wore the armband as his country beat Germany in the 2018 World Cup. He has worn that armband on 16 occasions, most recently in the 0-0 draw with bitter rivals North Korea.

Alli is an excellent player and has a mature head on his shoulders so he could well have worn the armband; so too could Lucas, who is 27 and has won multiple trophies throughout a storied career.

To pick Davies, though, is almost a dereliction of Pochettino’s duty. The armband is symbolic, of course, and this is not to say that a different selection could have changed the result as Spurs again dropped points on the road. They haven’t won away from home since January.

But picking Davies, a player who has never once captained either Spurs or Wales, ahead of someone like Son, a leader, a player who is also a game-changer, corrodes the meaning of the captaincy by suggesting anyone within the squad can wear the armband.

That could be seen as a meritocratic message but really, Pochettino has given the responsibility to a player who was woefully unequipped for it and it is little surprise that, as soon as Son was sent off after that horrendous injury to Andre Gomes, Spurs wilted.

Per WhoScored, Davies had 60 touches of the ball, had a pass success rate of just 50%, failed to win a tackle and was dispossessed on three occasions.

Spurs simply didn’t have a leader on the pitch; least of all Davies.

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…

Sebastien Haller has scored 4 goals and got 1 assist this season, as per WhoScored, but the feeling remains that West Ham United can get more out of him.

The main issue that has been cited so far is the lack of support he has had on the pitch, with Tony Cottee telling Football FanCast: “I think at times he’s been a little bit isolated up front, so he could do with a little bit of help, but I’ve been impressed.”

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A solution will need to be found for how to deal with this, and there is hope that the answer to the problem is already on the club’s books.

It has been indicated by The Athletic that the feeling within West Ham is that their club-record signing could improve once Michail Antonio returns from injury.

In a previous article by the same outlet, Antonio was quoted as saying: “It’s good that we have two people up there now who can play the big man game. We can both hold the ball up, we can both run in from behind, so we’ve had a nice little partnership going.”

If Pellegrini decides to switch to a 4-4-2, with Antonio alongside Haller, then it would certainly be very intriguing to see how that partnership flourishes.

With Haller winning 6.7 aerial duels per game this term, having someone with Antonio’s dynamism around him would certainly ease the isolation he has had to deal with in a claret and blue shirt thus far.

In addition, Antonio’s running in behind could give Haller more space to exploit, rather than being the main focus of opposition defenders.

There will have to be a bit of patience, with Antonio expected to be back following the international break, but when he is back the 29-year-old could be just what Haller has needed all along.

Leeds United fans have been laying into Helder Costa on Twitter after an influential fan account tweeted that they’d spoken to a Wolves fan who’d said that he’s never been the same since his injury.

Many United supporters agreed with that sentiment as they seemed to be very unhappy with how his life at Elland Road has started.

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You can understand why they’re not best pleased by him either. The Portuguese winger hasn’t scored in the league since joining the Yorkshire outfit and he’s only assisted one goal.

For a man who contributed to 29 strikes in his two previous seasons in the Championship that simply isn’t good enough, and unsurprisingly supporters have been voicing their discontent on social media.

One fan called him a major disappointment while another questioned his heart and determination.

The attacker will cost Leeds £15m when his loan deal becomes permanent in the summer, and if he doesn’t improve soon that will look like a poor piece of business.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…