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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…

There’s only so long you can keep hold of someone before they become a burden.

With the preparations for the January transfer window seemingly in full swing across the country, journalist Paul Taylor believes that there’s set to be a number of departures from the City Ground, although there may not be much money coming the other way.

What’s been said?

Speaking during a Q&A for the Athletic, Taylor noted that the three players who are asked to train away from the first team, Costel Pantilimon, Claudio Yacob and Zach Clough all look to be on their way out of the City Ground sooner rather than later:

“Expect the club will work hard to move them both on in January. Did ask Lamouchi about this yesterday. But the dynamic is different at Forest under the current set-up. As head coach, this is really not part of his remit.

“His job is to work with the first team squad he has – and he does not regard Pantilimon, Yacob or Clough as being part of it. They remain within FFP limits by some distance, but there is no point in paying players who are not involved, if you can help it, is there.”

Check out Matchday with Max’s latest Nottingham Forest vlog in the video below…

Cut your losses?

Whilst obviously it would be better for them to get a fee for them, the writing should really have been on the wall when they couldn’t get rid of them during the summer window despite making it really clear for quite a while that they simply weren’t part of the plans.

They managed to do so with the likes of Daryl Murphy and Liam Bridcutt letting them go to Bolton Wanderers, but apart from Yacob claiming that he wants to go back to Argentina one day, there hasn’t been many hints that any of them are likely to leave.

Taylor makes a very interesting point in the latter stages of his comment, and that concerns FFP.

If Nottingham Forest are comfortably within the realms of what is allowed under the system, then they need to at least consider making a clean break, wishing them well and just letting go.

At the end of the day it’s better for both the club because it means they aren’t stunting the growth of the U23 players that they’re training with, and the players get the satisfaction of having a little more freedom when it comes to their futures because they won’t be burdening the next club they go to with a transfer fee.

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… 

When you’re consistently playing first-team football for Manchester City, particularly in the truly competitive midfield position, you know you must be one decent player.

Since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2016 for a fee around £20m, Ilkay Gundogan hasn’t exactly enjoyed the same kind of adulation or accolades as some of his other high-profile teammates. The likes of Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Bernardo Silva, amongst others, have understandably been more prominent in the spotlight, but that doesn’t mean the 28-year-old is significantly worse than any of them.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

In fact, City boss Pep Guardiola has publicly revealed he values the former Dortmund man incredibly, and paid the most remarkable of compliments about the midfielder.

“You cannot believe how good he is. He is an exceptional player. He can play in different positions, with his work ethic. I missed him a lot in our first year here when after a few months an ACL ruled him out for more than six months. He is exceptional. He is one of the best signings in this club’s history.”

After the side’s shock 2-0 defeat to Wolves in the Premier League last time out, some City fans voiced their frustrations over Gundogan, and Guardiola’s continued insistence on playing him (the 28-year-old has featured in every game barring the 8-0 thrashing of Watford this season).

However, whilst away on international duty, the midfielder delivered the type of performance that well and truly silenced the haters, and vindicated Guardiola’s continued faith in him.

Coming up against Estonia in EURO 2020 qualifying action, the 5 foot 11 ace ran the show for Germany from the first minute to the last. What made the performance just that more impressive, was that Emre Can got himself sent off after 14 minutes of the contest.

Watch Manchester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Despite the side being down to ten men, Gundogan controlled the tempo of the match from the middle of the park, registering a truly incredible 181 touches, and 148 passes. To put that into context, that was both double the amount that any Estonia player managed. But perhaps most intriguingly, the 28-year-old came up with two goals and an assist as he made more runs further forward.

In contrast at City, he has managed just one goal and one assist this season. Whilst Gundogan will undoubtedly be pleased with his own performance, it will be Guardiola who will be grinning from ear to ear. He may just be getting the best of the German maestro at the time his team most need it.

Manchester City claimed a much-needed 2-0 victory at the weekend against Crystal Palace in their bid to keep pushing Liverpool at the top, with ‘keeper Ederson putting on a monumental display. 

Pep Guardiola’s men, thanks to first-half strikes from Gabriel Jesus and David Silva, were well on their way to victory – but shot-stopper Ederson was called upon a few times to save City from a nervy second period.

The Brazilian, when needed, was always on hand to palm away stinging efforts from the likes of Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha – with this spectacular stop from the former prompting huge praise.

Mid-way through the second half, Benteke rose for a Palace corner and headed a spectacular effort towards goal – forcing the former Benfica star to tip the ball on to the crossbar with a magnificent outstretched hand.

Understandably, City supporters are grateful for the moment of heroism, describing the keeper’s save in one word as per the club’s official tweet:

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All summer long we have been waiting for Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane to fully arrive on the scene.

And so far, five games into the new 2019/20 La Liga season and with the Champions League opener behind us, it’s safe to say that we still haven’t seen them properly. Los Blancos have dropped points in two out of their five games in the Spanish domestic league and have suffered a rather embarrassing defeat in Europe, at the hands of the mighty Paris Saint-Germain.

By all accounts, the Real Madrid revolution has definitely been put on hold, at least for the time being.

But despite the early hiccups, it took Zidane just one game to once again plant the seed of hope into the Madridistas and wash away the outcries of a crisis that were brewing beneath their feet.

The Galacticos’ visit to Sevilla last weekend seemed to have been everything the doctor ordered and more as the merry little squad from the Spanish capital not only managed to avoid defeat at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan but they also snatched away all three points with a clean sheet on top of it.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

That victory was more than just your ordinary league win, one that Real Madrid would put into their books without breaking a sweat, just like back in the day when they were getting them for fun. Of course, nowadays, and especially this season, every point they tally feels well earned and definitely more important than ever.

And precisely for that reason, that Sevilla clash should definitely be Zidane’s blueprint, his guiding star for the upcoming fixtures that are bound to give Los Blancos a run for their money. First up is Osasuna, and while the newly-promoted side could look like someone Real Madrid can bully and take all the three points from rather easily, looks can definitely deceive.

We don’t have to look much farther than the Galacticos’ arch-rivals, Barcelona.

The Catalans visited Osasuna in Pamplona back on matchday three and after a real rollercoaster of a game, the two sides shared the spoils of war in a 2-2 draw. If anything, Real Madrid must not underestimate their Wednesday opposition. But that’s not the key thing Zidane has to take into that clash. It’s important, of course, but not key.

The key is in Real Madrid riding the Sevilla wave, sticking to their guns and doing what they now know works.

Whether it was a change in tactics, a different kind of pep talk before the game or simply the players finally coming as one and playing on the same page, understanding their coach’s instructions and applying them, something clicked in Andalusia.

For those 90 minutes, even though they were far from perfect, they looked like a team that wanted to win and more importantly, that knew how to.

In the past, this wouldn’t be a surprise. After all, if anyone knows how to win then that’s Real Madrid, right? And having won everything there is to win, it’s also not a surprise they’re experiencing a slight dip.

That game against Sevilla, though, showed that they are a disciplined team that work had in defence, attack with vigour and can stay consistent and focused throughout the whole game.

Interestingly enough, those are some of the exact things that they were struggling with at the very beginning of the campaign and even before that, in pre-season. But now we know they are working on it and they are improving, and it’s already showing in the results.

So the most important thing is to keep the momentum going and not tamper too much with a system that has given Zidane one of his big breakthroughs of the ongoing campaign.

It may not definitely be his perfect formula, considering there are still some players out of commission and some are only just returning to action, but it seems to be rather close to it.

Now he has to stick with it and polish it as much as he can. It all starts with Osasuna on Wednesday.

Let’s see how they do.

Olivier Dacourt revealed he had turned down an offer from Newcastle United to join them and opted for a move to Leeds United, which has sent a number of the Whites’ fans on Twitter into overdrive with the news.

Speaking in an interview with The Athletic’s Phil Hay (subscription required; via the Shields Gazette), the former midfielder admitted that he had a choice that he could make when moving to England, but it appeared to be a rather simple reason (or two) as to why he chose the switch to Yorkshire.

“I was sure they would become what Manchester United had become,” he said.

“It was a record signing and that meant something to me. It told me how much they wanted me. But more than that, it was the players. So many crazy players. No one says too much about him but the best player I saw? Stephen McPhail. His left foot… it was so good. You ask me who I want to play with most, it’s him.”

Indeed, Dacourt became something of a cult hero for everybody at Elland Road (Yorkshire Evening Post) and rightly etched his name into the history books as he played a significant role for the club during his time in Yorkshire.

According to data collected by TransferMarkt, the former France international went on to make 81 appearances for the Peacocks, scoring three goals and providing his teammates with two assists. Although his goal contribution was not something for which he was exactly famed, his tough-tackling manner was what got fans out of their seats (per Yorkshire Evening Post).

Fans loved hearing that he turned down Newcastle for them and took to Twitter to share their instant reactions to the news, with many singing his praises and remembering his time at Elland Road fondly.

Here are just some of those reactions…

Leeds fans, do you share the same views as your fellow supporters? Let us know your thoughts by sharing them in the comments section below!

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BBC Football pundit Mark Lawrenson has been giving his thoughts ahead of Manchester United hosting Premier League title hopefuls Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday, saying players keeping their discipline will be key, and Naby Keita should take note.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Reds legend was delivering his weekly predictions – 1-1 in this case – for the upcoming matches in the English top flight, and he unsurprisingly had plenty to say about the clash at ‘The Theatre of Dreams’.

The visitors are looking for a positive result in their battle with Manchester City to win their first-ever Premier League trophy, while the Red Devils are a side reborn under the leadership of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in recent months.

With a big rivalry between the two, Lawrenson issued a warning via the BBC: “They have to deal with the history of the whole Manchester United-Liverpool rivalry, and everything that goes with it, as well as United’s recent revival. The atmosphere at Old Trafford will be white-hot.

“To come away with anything, the Reds will have to keep their heads.

“I know from playing in this fixture myself that the tackles will be flying in, so discipline is vital. No-one can afford to make a stupid lunge at someone early on because they will get sent off for it.”

Who needs to take note?

In one word, Keita.

While teammates Jordan Henderson and James Milner are guilty of losing their heads at times – see their dismissals this season – they both have the experience of playing at Old Trafford and know what they need to do to stay on the pitch.

It isn’t the same with the Guinea international, who will be making first appearance away against United and is still in a transitional period where he is looking to prove that he should be a regular starter in the Liverpool midfield.

He hasn’t picked up a single booking in 19 Premier League outings this season, but he has committed 21 fouls and was also sent off on three occasions for Red Bull Leipzig last term.

When you are a player looking to make an impact on the biggest stage, he could be in danger on Sunday of letting his enthusiasm get the better of him.

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Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas has made his latest round of Premier League predictions ahead of the weekend, and has made a big claim by saying Tottenham Hotspur left-back Danny Rose isn’t happy.

What did he say?

Well, speaking ahead of Spurs’ trip to Leicester City on Saturday, the former Arsenal player has had his say on the north London outfit and the England international, who was omitted from the squad that faced Olympiacos on Wednesday night along with fellow full-back Serge Aurier.

Nicholas said via Sky Sports: “Tottenham, we were told, have calmed down after the Crystal Palace game. Christian Eriksen stays put and they have their private chat, but I don’t think that is the case. I don’t think Danny Rose is happy – how long will it be until he comes out and says he is not happy?”

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Is he right?

It’s difficult to say.

While the 29-year-old may not have been best pleased to have been left at home when his teammates travelled to Athens, Mauricio Pochettino did say he was going to rotate his squad and it appears likely that he is saving Rose and Aurier to start at the King Power Stadium this weekend.

In addition, he didn’t travel with the side on their pre-season tour of Asia in July either with a view to him being sold, but an exit failed to materialise even though a deadline day exit to Watford looked to be on the cards at one stage, as per The Sun.

Following a summer of speculation, the Englishman has established himself as Tottenham’s first choice left-back ahead of Ben Davies, and said in an interview with The Mirror earlier this month that he was “very happy” and that he was ready to fight for his spot.

In that respect him being unhappy would be a little strange, although Rose has always worn his heart on his sleeve and been honest.

An interesting few weeks ahead, then.

West Ham have asked to be kept informed about Divock Origi’s situation at Liverpool as the club plot a late bid, according to a Football Insider source.

The Lowdown: Striker struggles

Michail Antonio is the only recognised senior centre-forward at West Ham. Unsurprisingly, he is the club’s top scorer in the Premier League this season, having netted eight times.

However, due to his vast injury history and the failure to replace Sebastien Haller, fans will no doubt be desperate to see a new name arrive before Monday’s deadline.

As it stands, were the Jamaica international to suffer a serious injury or enter a significant slump in form, it may be the nail in the coffin of any hopes of securing Champions League football.

The Hammers were reportedly pursuing Benfica starlet Darwin Nunez, but this has seemingly been put to bed by Sky Sports’s Transfer Centre, who report that the Portuguese side have rejected the Irons’ bid for the player.

As a result, West Ham have been exploring alternative attacking options.

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The Latest: Irons make contact with Liverpool

According to a West Ham source at Football Insider, the Hammers have their eyes on a late bid and have asked Liverpool to keep them informed about Origi’s situation.

The outlet’s source claims David Moyes ‘is personally overseeing the club’s late search for a forward and Origi is firmly on his radar’.

Liverpool are open to a loan, loan-to-buy and permanent bids for the striker, following the arrival of Luis Diaz from Porto.

Origi has entered the final six months of his contract at Anfield, but there is a 12-month extension clause in his deal.

The Verdict: Origi a solid option

With 103 Premier League appearances under his belt, Origi could prove to be a fantastic choice for Moyes and the club. Despite his limited game-time, the Belgian striker has scored 40 goals for the Reds, many of which have come during the most important of occasions.

This includes two goals in their infamous 4-0 win over Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semi-final, which was further topped by scoring the winning goal in the final against Spurs, leading Jurgen Klopp’s side to the club’s sixth UCL trophy.

Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has said that ‘Divock is one of the world’s best finishers’, so it’s not hard to see why Moyes is interested in him. If the club can get this deal over the line before the deadline hits, this could prove to be a fantastic signing for the Hammers.

In other news: Jesse Lingard keen on Hammers move

Aston Villa are now in talks with Barcelona over a permanent deal for Philippe Coutinho, according to 90Min’s Graeme Bailey. 

The lowdown

In January, Coutinho moved from Catalonia to the Midlands on a short-term loan. Under the agreement, Villa reportedly have the option to buy the Brazilian for £33million at the end of the season.

Coutinho has scored four goals and provided three assists in his first ten appearances in claret and blue.

Only two players – Danny Ings (ten) and Ollie Watkins (eight) – have recorded more goal involvements over the entire season for Villa.

The latest

Bailey wrote on Twitter that ‘Aston Villa [are] in talks’ with Barcelona as they bid to sign Coutinho long-term.

In his attached story, he writes that the player’s form has caught the eye of ‘rival Premier League clubs’ but Villa are ‘optimistic’ that they can overcome any hurdles and win the race.

Those hurdles include Coutinho’s near £500,000-per-week salary (including bonuses) – the 29-year-old apparently knows he’ll have to take a pay cut if he’s to secure a move to Villa Park.

Villa are looking to wrap up a deal in advance of the summer so they can move on to other priorities.

The verdict

Gerrard called Coutinho ‘magical’ during their time together at Liverpool, which lasted two and a half years.

His 54 goals for the Reds included one against Villa in the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley, though Tim Sherwood’s side did go on to win the game 2-1.

To this day, Gerrard continues to fawn over the attacking midfielder, recently describing him as both a ‘quality footballer’ and ‘a great human being’, so you’d imagine that he’s pushing the club very hard to clinch the deal and see off any competitors.

The 41-year-old will also be well aware that Villa will be an even more attractive proposition for future targets if they have the former Ballon D’Or nominee on their books – players may relish the chance to link up with him.

In other news, Villa have been linked with this audacious free agent swoop.

An exciting claim has been made regarding Rangers’ potential revenue for the 2022/23 campaign…

What’s the talk?

Finance expert Kieran Maguire has reacted to claims that the Gers could make £20m from Champions League qualification by revealing that the figure could actually be much larger than that.

Rangers will qualify for the group stage of the competition if they win the Premiership title, rather than heading into the qualification rounds and potentially dropping into the Europa League.

Maguire told Football Insider: “Pre-[pandemic], they were making about £60m.

“So that is increasing your revenue by a third. That is transformational. When he talks about £20m, that’s a worst-case scenario. You get €2.7m for every victory and €900,000 for every draw. A few good results for Rangers and that £30m becomes £40m.

“Then, if you manage to make the knockouts, £40m can become £50m and so on. That’s enormous. It also has an impact on your UEFA coefficient, so it becomes a virtuous circle.”

Wilson will be buzzing

Ross Wilson will surely be left buzzing by this claim from Maguire as it directly relates to his role at Ibrox. He is tasked with making key decisions on the football side of the club, and having an extra £20m to £50m to spend would have a major impact on his job.

Not only would it broaden his horizons in terms of the level of player he could look to attract to Rangers, it would also mean that more funds are available to retain key players and to improve the club’s facilities. They could provide further funding to the academy and the first team training ground to give Giovanni van Bronckhorst the best possible tools to get 100% from his squad.

Wilson could afford to spend an extra million or so when attempting to seal a transfer, whereas he may be forced to give up on a deal for the same price in current circumstances. It would give him extra leeway in his negotiations and potentially raise the bar on the calibre of signing he can make as a result of the added finances, which could be exciting for him and for Van Bronckhorst.

The Ibrox chief will now be hoping that the Dutchman is able to see the team through to Premiership glory between now and the end of the season to clinch qualification for the group stage of Europe’s top club competition. Wilson will be elated as the prospect of having another £20m to £50m in the bank, while supporters will surely be excited for Champions League football to return to Ibrox…

AND in other news, “Rangers keen”: Jordan Campbell drops exciting transfer claim which will delight Van Bronckhorst…