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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

There have been plenty of calls for Nathan Holland to be called up to the first-team this season, and rightly so. He has put in various eye-catching performances, most notably against Valencia B and Brentford B.

However, with all of the hype surrounding the 21-year-old winger, Joe Powell seems to have been left in the shadows in regard to the prospect of earning first-team opportunities.

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In terms of his Premier League 2 form, Powell, 21, has managed 3 goals and 3 assists from 10 matches – with these numbers including the assists for both goals in a 2-0 win against West Bromwich Albion and a superb lob with his left foot to open the scoring against Stoke City.

Following that strike, Dmitri Halajko raved about Powell and the technical ability he possesses on the club’s official website: “That’s his second time this season where he’s lobbed the keeper from well near the halfway line. He did it in pre-season against Anderlecht, a little bit further out actually.

“He’s got that technical ability, so it wasn’t too much of a shock really because we know he can do it.”

The creative midfielder hasn’t just been doing it in the youth leagues though, as he showed that he has the quality to make an impact during the EFL Trophy loss against Exeter City last week.

His clever back-heel played an important role in winning the penalty that he eventually converted – he also scored from the spot in the win against Newport County.

All of this follows his spell on loan at Northampton Town during the second half of last season, in which he also impressed, getting 2 goals and an assist from 6 starts and 4 substitute appearances – which includes a wonderful half-volley to secure a 1-0 win against Newport.

Following the goal, Northampton defender David Buchanan praised the youngster, as reported by The Northampton Chronicle & Echo: “I’m not sure the goal deserved to be in that game because it was different class but he’s got that technique.

“He’s a young lad from West Ham learning his way and he’s come in, got his head down and integrated with the group fantastically well.”

The youngster also made his Hammers debut during that campaign, coming on for the final 28 minutes of the 8-0 Carabao Cup win against Macclesfield Town, setting up both of Grady Diangana’s goals on the night with first-time passes.

Considering how much he has impressed when he has been given an opportunity, it might not be too long before Powell begins knocking on the door for a chance in the first-team.

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 all started with a photo.

One post on social media and all of a sudden Birmingham City looked like they were going to be getting a new player in 26-year-old French forward Jeremie Bela.

The Blues have reportedly been interested in him for some time but just haven’t been able to pull the trigger on making the deal happen.

However, that changed on Wednesday evening when the club officially confirmed the acquisition.

Find out a how a world-record-holding freestyler got on with the worst football in the world in the video below…

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If you take a look at his career record (all via Transfermarkt), you can see that he has slowly been developing into a fine goalscorer.

Having started off slowly with goal returns of one, six, four and five in previous league seasons, he finally managed to break the ten goal barrier last year and score eleven.

As a player, he has predominantly played as a winger, but has also played a few games upfront, and that’s where he could find himself at St Andrew’s.

As we have discussed before on FFC, Lukas Jutkiewicz is in desperate need of some help up front and Bela could be the solution that the Blues have been looking for. Considering he’s 5 foot 8, a little and large combination could develop quite nicely between the pair of them.

With the 6 foot 1 frame of Jutkiewicz, a man who has won eight aerial duels per game in 2019/20, he could provide the knockdowns for his potential new teammate to run onto and finish.

Clotet has experimented with the likes of Kerim Mrabti and Alvaro Gimenez but to no real avail – the pair have scored just one between them. Now it looks as if they could be about to try a different approach with Bela.

What also adds substance to the belief he’ll play as a forward is that he hasn’t exactly been very helpful to his teammates throughout his career, only managing to chip in with six assists to far, so it’s best that they leave that role to the incumbent wingers like Dan Crowley and Fran Villalba.

Newcastle’s win over Manchester United has the potential to kickstart their season but they will first have to overcome a difficult trip to Chelsea, where they have only won once in the Premier League era.

One factor which could influence their chances of success is whether Steve Bruce decides to gamble on Matty Longstaff once again.

The youngster enjoyed a brilliant debut which culminated in the winner against United, and his captain Jamaal Lascelles backed him to play more often.

He said: “The hard work has recently paid off, he’s been thrown into the deep end like his brother. What you do know is that he is a young Geordie lad who is going to roll his sleeves up and play with his heart.

“Straight after the Leicester game we needed players to be like that, he was a prime example of what you can get from that.”

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However, he still only 19 and the United match was the only game he has played in the Premier League, and against an in-form side like Chelsea, who have scored 18 goals in eight league games, he could be found out.

A disappointing display could have the result of knocking his confidence, too, and Bruce may have to take that into consideration and think about the long-term.

So, with such factors at play, we asked our FFC writer’s for their views on whether Newcastle should stick with Longstaff or not, and here’s what they said.

Matt Dawson

“In the grand scheme of things, what else can really go wrong for Newcastle? Half the time Steve Bruce simply doesn’t have a clue, something that was seen with his substitution of Jetro Willems earlier in the season and their misunderstanding.

“Therefore, if you consider the bigger picture, working out whether to play someone Like Matty Longstaff is the last of their concerns and they should just go for it.

“As skipper Jamal Lascelles has stated, they need someone like him in the team because he rolls his sleeves up. The Magpies are lacking someone with grit and determination and they could really do with a young individual like Longstaff to provide a spark.

“His brother Sean provided a sense of expectation last season when he burst onto the scene under Rafa Benitez and Matty might well be able to replicate that after his goal and solitary key pass against United. It would be harsh to drop him this weekend.”

Lewis Blain

“Matty Longstaff may well have been the best player on the park against Manchester United, picking up WhoScored’s Man of the Match award, but the fact that Newcastle only managed to record one goal against a horribly out-of-sorts team speaks volumes.

“United still have the same defensive troubles as last season – Eni Aluko alluded to it being an issue of ‘lacking leadership’, and it’s hard to disagree, epitomised by the inexperienced Axel Tuanzebe partnering Harry Maguire.

“Coming up against Chelsea will offer a different test, one that maybe will require a more experienced head such as Jonjo Shelvey. He likes a goal against them too having netted this scorcher as his first for Liverpool back in 2012. The Blues’ midfield will offer up so much more flair and guile – you only have to look at Mason Mount’s breakthrough and the trophies Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovavic have won to see that.”

Billy Meyers “I think there’s absolutely no danger in playing him against Chelsea.“Longstaff was arguably the star of the show against Manchester United on his Premier League debut, and while you might argue that the Red Devils aren’t a fearsome side right now, the Newcastle academy graduate had no right to play as well as he did considering how inexperienced he is – even if he put the same level of performance in against a side such as Watford, it would still have been one to be proud of.“As mentioned, I can’t see any reason to drop him. He doesn’t appear to be the type of character to become cocky or complacent, and with his brother quite literally alongside him in the team, it feels as if Longstaff is in the perfect environment to keep playing and learning with no negative consequences.” Kealan Hughes

“Although Longstaff has had the international break to recover from the drama of the United match, playing in a such a big environment such as Stamford Bridge may be a step too far at the current time, and not the game for him.

“Considering the Blues’ goalscoring record, Bruce will likely set-up in a defensive manner akin to the displays against Liverpool and Spurs, and he will therefore need each of his players to show discipline and concentration in order to keep things tight at the back.

“As a result, Newcastle would be better suited playing with a more experienced figure such as Jonjo Shelvey, as he will provide the composure and know-how in periods when the visitors are under pressure.”

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Aston Villa sailed up the Premier League table into 11th with a 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon.

Dean Smith’s men went behind early on as Adam Webster headed home a Pascal Gros free-kick, but Jack Grealish became captain fantastic to swing the game in their favour.

On the stroke of half-time, the 24-year-old met Frederic Guilbert’s cross before turning provider in injury time.

Grealish slotted his onrushing left-back Matt Targett through on goal, and he duly dispatched from a tight angle to send Villa Park into raucous elation.

It’s now two successive victories for the west Midlanders as they face the reigning champions Manchester City next.

For all of Grealish’s exploits, there is one man that maybe doesn’t receive the credit he deserves.

Ever since making the switch across the English channel, Frederic Guilbert has made that right-back position his own, knocking one of Villa’s playoff heroes in Ahmed Elmohamady off his perch.

His role in the Brighton victory was no different, picking up a host of impressive statistics.

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Per SofaScore, the 24-year-old Frenchman recorded two interceptions, two clearances, and two successful dribbles.

This would suggest that Guilbert was an influence in both aspects of the game, defensively and in the attack – which is backed up through his assist for Grealish before the break and in him creating one other big chance.

During the recent international break, the club were linked with a move for Norway right-back Omar Elabdellaoui.

It remains to be seen how accurate these reports are, but you’d imagine after a performance like this, he might as well forget about returning to the Premier League as a replacement in that role simply isn’t needed.

The former Manchester City and Hull City man has next to no chance of being able to force his way into the side if Guilbert continues to perform in this vein of form – he ranks third overall in the Premier League for interceptions.

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.

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A man who will forever be remembered by Manchester United fans for his ‘seal’ dribble against Arsenal, Nani continues to make his mark in the MLS.

The Portuguese star spent several seasons at Old Trafford, and whilst he didn’t quite match the heights of his international teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, he enjoyed a trophy-laden career in his time at Manchester.

Since leaving United, the 32-year-old has been around the block in the footballing world, but has truly found his home at Orlando City in the USA.

Nani scored an impressive brace in his side’s thrilling 3-3 draw with New England Revolution, and the display saw Red Devils fans flood to Twitter to share their thoughts on their former star.

Many supporters of the Manchester side hailed him as a “baller” and admitted they may have gotten rid of him too soon.

Some fans even suggested Nani is still better than some of the players at the club now, and wondered whether he could make a return to Old Trafford.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

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أثار المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي بايرن ميونخ، هانزي فليك، الجدل حول إمكانية مشاركة الثنائي، مانويل نوير وكينجسلي كومان، في مباراة الغد أمام لاتسيو في إياب دور الـ 16 من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويستضيف بايرن ميونخ على ملعبه “أليانز أرينا” منافسه لاتسيو في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” بقيادة الحكم الروماني، استيفان كوفاكس.

وكانت نتيجة مباراة الذهاب بين بايرن ميونخ ولاتسيو على أرض الأخير هي فوز العملاق البافاري بنتيجة 1-4 قبل 3 أسابيع.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تقارير ألمانية تنفي اهتمام بايرن ميونخ بالتعاقد مع ساؤول نيجويز

وتحدث فليك عن المباراة أمام لاتسيو في تصريحات بمؤتمره الصحفي، وقال: “نريد الفوز في تلك المواجهة أيضًا، هدفنا هو الاستمرار في النتائج الجيدة خاصة على ملعبنا، نريد تعزيز ثقتنا بأنفسنا بشكل أكبر، المنافس يمتلك فريقًا جيدًا لذلك علينا أن نكون مستعدين”.

وكشف مدرب بايرن ميونخ عن إمكانية غياب نوير وكومان عن المباراة: “مانويل يعاني من نزلة برد خفيفة، بينما يعاني كينجسلي من مشاكل عضلية طفيفة لذلك علينا أن ننتظر ونرى ماذا سيحدث ولكننا نأمل أن يكونا متاحين غدًا ولا يزال أمامنا 30 ساعة قبل المباراة”.

وعن الجدال حول مستقبله مع بايرن ميونخ: “عندما بدأت مهمتي مع الفريق كانت هناك الكثير من التكهنات، كانت الصحافة تكتب كل يوم اسم مدرب مختلف لقيادة هذا النادي ومع ذلك كنا نركز على مبارياتنا وهذا شأن الفرق الكبرى، ولا أريد أن أعلق على هذا الموضوع بعد الآن”.

وبسؤاله هل بواتينج سيغادر بايرن ميونخ؟ رد: “لم يخبرني أحد بأي شيء عن ذلك، لذا لا يمكنني التعليق، لقد كان أداء جيروم مميزا في المباريات الأخيرة مثل جميع اللاعبين كما كان الحال في الموسم الماضي”.

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Loads of Liverpool fans on Twitter have unexpectedly called for the club to appoint Jose Mourinho as Jurgen Klopp’s successor following comments this week from the German in his home country which suggest he could leave the role in 2022.

That is the date when the 52-year-old’s contract with the Merseyside outfit is due to expire, and it would also take him up to seven years – the same time he managed at previous clubs Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.

In quotes from Bild, as translated by The Mirror, when asked what is next in his career he said: “I hope to continue like this, but in two, three years I don’t know what may happen.

“Maybe I’ll retire!

“It doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen, however, but if that were the case, you wouldn’t be surprised.”

Those words have obviously got Liverpool supporters talking about who could potentially replace Klopp when he does eventually go, and Mourinho was a surprise name on quite a few lips.

Given he has managed Chelsea and arch-rivals Manchester United – and been sacked by both in the previous four years following some poor performances and results – it is a surprise that the Anfield faithful would want him, with one even describing him as a “perfect fit”.

Of course in addition his style of play is seen as more defensive and conservative than Klopp’s sometimes gung-ho approach, although you can’t argue with his haul over honours over the years – including three Champions League trophies, one Europa League success and three Premier League titles.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Wolves completed the signing of Azerbaijan striker Renat Dadashov from Portuguese club Estoril yesterday, but he will not feature at Molineux this season.

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BBC reported that the Premier League club had signed the 20-year-old but he will instantly return to Portugal for a season-long loan deal with Pacos de Ferreira.

BBC quoted Wolves sporting director Kevin Thelwell as saying: “Renat is an exciting prospect. When working in the transfer window, we are not only focused on the present but also the future, and in Renat, I’m very hopeful we have secured a signing who will develop into a fantastic footballer in the future.”

Dadashov stands to make history as the first Azerbaijani player to feature in the Premier League, assuming he plays for Wolves upon the end of his loan move and they are still a top-flight club.

The Germany-born striker represented the country of his birth at underage groups but has since switched to the nation of his parents for senior level.

Having been a prolific scorer at underage levels for RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt, he joined Estoril in Portugal last summer and scored four goals in 27 games for the club. In total, he had 1,230 minutes of action last season, which works out at one goal per 307.5 minutes.

However, he only made seven league starts for Estoril and played just three 90-minute league matches, while also being sent off twice. Also, his most recent goal came last December against Farense, with 11 subsequent league appearances yielding zero return.

Wolves’ two main strikers Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota netted 17 and 10 goals respectively in 2018/19. Jimenez notched his tally in 3,550 minutes of game-time, one goal per 208.8 minutes, while Jota reached double figures with 2,630 minutes of action, one goal per 263 minutes.

Leo Bonatini scored once for Wolves last season in 291 minutes on the field, while on-loan strikers Bright Enobakhare and Rafa Mir ended the campaign with six goals in 1,674 minutes (one per 279 minutes) and seven goals in 1,650 minutes (one per 235.7 minutes) respectively.

The Azerbaijan striker’s goal ratio is not an altogether prolific one, especially when it came in the Portuguese second tier, and is inferior to all five forwards mentioned above.

Both Jimenez and Jota recorded much better goal ratios in the Premier League, which is ranked five places higher than Portugal’s Primeira Liga in UEFA’s association club coefficient.

Therefore, allowing Dadashov to spend another season in Portugal to further his development is a sensible move from Wolves, who will hope to get back a more prolific and disciplined striker next summer.

Wolves fans, do you think Dadashov could become a future hit at Molineux? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Leeds United certainly need a centre-back. The Yorkshire club have sold multiple defensive options already in this transfer window including Paudie O’Connor and Aapo Halme, but the man they will miss the most is undoubtedly Pontus Jansson.

The Swede has been a rock at the back for United ever since joining the club in 2016 and his good performances last term earned him a spot in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.

One name recently linked with the Whites is former Chelsea man Gary Cahill, but it was reported by The Mirror (12/07 via FLW) that Leeds are set to turn down the free agent this summer – and the statistics suggest that’s the right decision.

It sounds preposterous that a two-time Premier League winner and a Champions League winner isn’t as good as a Championship player in Jansson, but a look at Cahill’s stats from his last full Premier League season suggests that he isn’t at the level he once was and would arguably be a downgrade on the recent Elland Road departure.

It’s not always easy comparing two defenders who are playing in different leagues, but these numbers can tell us what each player does well, and what Cahill would need to do if he came to Elland Road.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that during these seasons both clubs were in relatively similar positions in their respective divisions – Leeds finished third while Chelsea finished fifth – so there is some similarity in terms of the pressure both defenders were put under by the opposition and the extent to which their own teams dominated games.

Based on these statistics, Jansson makes over double the number of tackles Cahill does per game. Of course, Cahill may have had less necessity to make challenges as he was covered by N’Golo Kante who made 3.3 tackles per game that season, but this shows that he would have a much increased workload if he signed for Leeds. It remains to be seen how he’d handle that.

And while that number may not be indicative of the 33-year-old’s ability to defend, his tackle success rate shows how often he is successful when going for the ball. Jansson’s numbers in that regard are also better than the former Chelsea captain, albeit against less gifted attackers.

Cahill is also dribbled past more times than the Swede, and he makes fewer interceptions. Surprisingly, the former England international is better in the air than the 28-year-old, but that is the only area he beats him in.

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Last season Cahill was completely ignored by Maurizio Sarri as he played only two games in the Premier League. The veteran most likely will have regressed even further since the 2017/18 season, and he will surely need to get his match fitness back given he has played such little football.

So bearing in mind it’s not even clear if Cahill would be better than a player the club have just sold, the Whites appear to have made the right call in not taking up the chance to sign the ageing defender this summer.