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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… 

Jurgen Klopp decided to play an alternative midfield against Arsenal, giving another run-out to three players who have all had recent troubles with injury, Adam Lallana, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The decision likely pleased Liverpool fans, many of whom have been calling for Naby Keita to be given more game time, and though he has done well against Genk recently, with a Liverpool Echo rating of 7/10, he disappointed on Wednesday.

Like Keita, Lallana has struggled with his fitness in recent times as a result of several niggling injuries. He managed just six starts in 2018/19, with two this campaign, so had seemingly fallen down in the pecking order to the two aforementioned players.

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In contrast to the Guinea international, fans haven’t been too desperate to see Lallana involved, but given their respective contributions of late that seems quite puzzling.

The 31-year-old scored a valuable equaliser against Manchester United recently and played an important role in the win over Arsenal, whereas Keita seemed off the boil and was unable to get into the game.

He struggled for much of last season, too, and as a result started only 16 games in the Premier League, which would indicate that he is not living up to his reported £120,000 a week salary.

As the stats display, the performances of the pair were of polar opposites, and such were Keita’s failures that Klopp made the decision to haul him off early in the second half, youngster Curtis Jones taking his place.

Nothing came off for him and his failure to make an impact will likely be of concern to both fans and his manager alike.

According to WhoScored, Lallana outperformed him in several areas against the Gunners, and did have an influence on proceedings and the success of his team.

The England international adds more of a creative element to the Reds than Keita, summed up by his two key passes, but he also possesses quick-thinking and clever movement, and that is what allowed him to find the net against the Red Devils.

Klopp has always been an admirer of Lallana so it may just be a case of the player maintaining his fitness in order to slot back into the side, as he showed he is a useful player to get the front three going, with two accurate long balls.

As for Keita, it seems he is some way off being ready to challenge the regular midfield three, and the recent form and goals of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain likely means he is the most likely player to break into the 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…

La Liga is finally returning this weekend and Real Madrid will be travelling away to Mallorca for matchday nine. Even though every point matters, Zinedine Zidane should consider rotating his squad a bit considering the tough schedule ahead.

On the chalkboard

Currently, Los Blancos are sitting top of the table in La Liga and are two points ahead of their arch-rivals, Barcelona, and three points ahead of city rivals Atletico Madrid.

For the time being, things are under control but football is unpredictable and everything can change in an instant.

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With that being said, however, it would be wise of Zidane to actually try and look ahead and towards the end of the month.

Real have a midweek Champions League fixture and will then travel to the Camp Nou for the El Clasico the weekend after this one.

For that reason, rotating the squad for the trip to Mallorca could be a viable and recommendable option.

Planning ahead

If Zidane were to deploy a somewhat weakened lineup this Saturday, it still shouldn’t be seen as a form of disrespect.

Mallorca are, however, a newly promoted team that are currently sitting third from the bottom of the La Liga table and have only two wins to their names so far in the new campaign.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

Not to mention that prioritising and picking your battles is essential if you want to compete on all fronts.

Real Madrid still don’t have a win under their belts in the Champions League and winning against Barcelona next weekend is definitely a must for Los Blancos.

For that reason, this is the perfect opportunity to give some other players a chance, and also rest and preserve the key pieces of the puzzle for the tough schedule ahead.

In the worst-case scenario, points will be dropped against Mallorca but the team will still be fresh to tackle the bigger fish shortly after that.

And besides, Zidane has enough quality and depth on his bench to be able to get all three points on Saturday regardless of the lineup he deploys.

Leeds celebrated their centenary with a far from straight forward victory over Birmingham on Saturday afternoon.A solitary goal from Kalvin Phillips eventually proved to be enough as the Whites dominated the first half with 70% of the possession.Birmingham played a more attacking brand of football in the second half that eventually saw Marcelo Bielsa’s men muster 58% of the ball by the time the final whistle blew.But despite their dominance, they failed to put away their chances – something that’s beginning to become a familiar story this season.However, away from the negatives of the display, many fans appear to have been mightily impressed with the impact of substitute Tyler Roberts.The Welshman was hailed as the game-changer in the match, with one supporter suggesting the side looked far more threatening when he was in it.Roberts was described as intelligent and pacey by another individual as a further fan praised his aerial ability.

The 20-year-old was brought on for Mateusz Klich with just under half an hour remaining. In the time he was on the field he managed one key pass and two interceptions, via WhoScored.

Having had fluid drained from his knee over the summer, Roberts has only appeared from the bench four times in 2019/20.

Here’s the best of the debate.

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Lots of Charlton fans have taken to Twitter to moan about Jonathan Leko, after the south Londoners suffered a second consecutive defeat with a loss against Wigan.

The 20-year-old – who is on a season-long loan from fellow Championship side West Brom – was making his seventh start of the campaign – the youngster has a goal and two assists to his name so far this term.

But he turned in a below-par performance against the Latics.

Leko – who has six career goals in 105 appearances –  was starting in attack alongside Tomer Hemed but did very little to threaten Wigan’s goal.

He failed to have a single shot and was also dispossessed once while having one unsuccessful touch.

Lee Bowyer’s side as a whole are seemingly struggling without Lyle Taylor, but Leko in particular was extremely quiet without the Montserrat international alongside him.

Let’s take a look at what a lot of unhappy Charlton fans have been saying about Leko…

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Everton fans have criticised Lucas Digne for his performance against Manchester City on Saturday.

The Toffees lost 3-1 to the Premier League champions in a pulsating game at Goodison Park.

Digne has been something of a creative force from defence already this season, providing two assists in the Premier League, while also scoring and assisting in the Carabao Cup.

However, he struggled against City, winning just two tackles out of an attempted five, per WhoScored, while also being dribbled past on three occasions.

Digne also failed to complete a dribble and was also unable to win an aerial duel.

While he did complete two key passes, he was run ragged by Riyad Mahrez as Marco Silva’s men again went without a win – they have now lost three successive games in the league.

And fans on Twitter and social media certainly noticed his troubles.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continued the extraordinary turnaround of their season – save for the loss to PSG last week – with a 2-0 victory over top-four rivals Chelsea in the FA Cup 5th round, meaning that they progress to a quarter final clash with Wolves.

The win also meant that Solskjaer’s record at the Old Trafford helm extended to 11 victories in 13 games since taking over from Jose Mourinho in December and so the Norwegian’s case for remaining in the role beyond the end of the season grows, while the pressure mounted on his Chelsea counterpart, Maurizio Sarri.

On paper, the Blues have one of the strongest midfield’s in the league – few boast a World Cup winner or a Ballon d’Or nominee and Chelsea have both in N’Golo Kante, but the Frenchman was uncharacteristically dominated in the middle of the park as his side were knocked out of the FA Cup on Monday night.

A huge part of United’s 2019 success has been the incredible form of Paul Pogba, who, against Chelsea, scored and assisted for the ninth and sixth times, respectively, since the ‘Baby-Faced Assassin’ took the wheel.

It has long been clear that relieving the former Juventus man of his defensive duties would help him to become the free-roaming, game-controlling, all-conquering midfielder that United thought they were getting when they splashed a then-world-record £89m to bring the number 6 back to Old Trafford in 2016.

However, even with the likes of Nemanja Matic and Fred in the side – both were intended to give Pogba as much attacking freedom as possible – it still didn’t click with Mourinho in charge. Now, though, the whole camp seems a lot more comfortable with what is being asked of them and the 2018 World Cup winner’s teammates seem far more willing to work hard for him, as well as for Solskjaer.

The former striker has done in a matter of weeks what Mourinho failed to do in over two years and that is to get the best out of Pogba, but a huge part of the 25-year-old’s new-found ‘freedom’ can be attributed to the performances of those around him, a transformed Marcus Rashford included.

Rashford’s runs in behind have meant easy assists for Pogba, but the numbers put in by a different player show exactly why the midfielder was allowed to completely boss the Blues on Monday.

Ander Herrera put in an enormous shift alongside the giant Frenchman and his tireless defensive work meant Pogba could get up the field and into dangerous areas to, first, assist, then score.

The former Athletic Bilbao man completed an impressive 6 tackles and 5 interceptions as he made Kante look like Kevin McDonald and, while Pogba stole the headlines, Herrera took as many touches (58) and also got on the end of the number 6’s inch-perfect cross to nod the visitors ahead on the half-hour mark.

Often known for their eye for a pass, Spanish midfielders are rarely recognised for their physical presence but Herrera won the most aerial duels (2) in the United ranks and was only bested by compatriot Marcos Alonso (3) on the pitch.

If the 29-year-old can continue putting in performances like this, Pogba will rule the midfield for years to come.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

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Rangers’ mini injury crisis on the wings has led to manager Steven Gerrard hinting that there may be a return to first team action for Jamie Murphy earlier than expected, as reported by the club’s official website.

The 30-year-old is only just returning to something resembling full fitness following his unfortunate anterior cruciate ligament knee injury at the beginning of the 2018/19 campaign. He had only just been signed on a permanent deal in the subsequent summer after a successful loan spell.

Murphy was one of few highlights in the tumultuous 2017/18 season, arriving on loan in January and providing 5 goals and 10 assists in just 23 games. The born-and-bred Blue Nose settled immediately, only to be struck down by a season-ending injury on the infamous plastic pitch at Kilmarnock.

Self-inflicted injury to Jordan Jones and a niggling hamstring strain for Ryan Kent has left Gerrard with limited options in the wide areas for the coming weeks. With the games coming thick and fast now, Gerrard accelerating Murphy’s return has been warmly welcomed by Rangers fans.

Here’s a look at how they reacted to the news…

Flocking to Twitter, a number of West Ham fans have gone into meltdown following a deadline day update from Hammers insider ExWHUemployee.

The Athletic’s West Ham correspondent Roshane Thomas has reported that as it stands, the Hammers are not expecting to sign a player this window.

This comes following numerous transfer links, many of which have come in the past week, with a number of deals seemingly close to being agreed.

Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car was one deal fans expected to go through following multiple discussions between the two clubs. However, the negotiations came to a halt as an agreement could not be made regarding the structure of the deal. West Ham were looking for a loan deal with an option to buy, whereas Marseille were demanding a permanent sale.

Just today West Ham had a bid rejected for Benfica star Darwin Nunez, as the club looked to bolster their attacking options with a new striker. It was thought that the club were considering an improved offer, but it appears unlikely that this eventuality materialises.

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West Ham fans fume at Ex’s post

A Hammers fan shared The Athletic’s report on Twitter, asking popular insider ExWHUemployee for confirmation of the news.

Ex confirmed the news, saying: “That’s my feeling at this point yes. Unless something dramatic changes.”

Fans flooded the comments with hysteria, with many entering into meltdown following the club’s lack of transfer activity. Here’s what some of them had to say…

“I think this will be the final year of my season ticket until they are gone, if we don’t sign anyone”

Credit: @Jimlad66

“Never even come close to having a bid/offer accepted all month. Something seriously wrong with how we handle our business.”

Credit: @WestHamXtra

“Pathetic, oh well Declan knows the ambition now”

Credit: @tayloriw

“Thats Rice and Bowen leaving in the summer and us back to relegation battles”

Credit: @lynnfan99

“Only 6:20 but can we go to bed Ex?”

Credit: @Perkins_SZN

“We’re a joke.”

Credit: @HammerForLife

“It’s embarrassing now”

Credit: @andrewgreen1970

In other news: West Ham United: Fans fume at disappointing Caleta-Car news

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has revealed that right-back Josip Juranovic missed the win over Aberdeen in the week with an illness, The Scottish Sun report.

The Lowdown: Nervy win

The Hoops continued their winning run following the international break with a 3-2 win at Pittodrie on Wednesday.

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Jota and Matt O’Riley seemingly put Celtic on the way to another straightforward win, however, the hosts were level after scoring twice in five minutes in the second half.

Celtic netted a winner through Jota shortly after conceding a second, which keeps them top of the Scottish Premiership by one point ahead of rivals Rangers.

The Latest: Postecoglou’s comments

The Scottish Sun’s Ryan Rowe shared comments from Postecoglou on Thursday afternoon (16:15). Postecoglou admitted that Juranovic has ‘an illness’ and was hopeful he would return on the weekend.

The Celtic boss couldn’t guarantee that, though, revealing he will be available against Bodo/Glimt next Thursday should he miss a second consecutive game.

“He’s got an illness.

“He’ll be back at the weekend, hopefully, and if not he will definitely be back for the midweek fixture next week.”

The Verdict: Best to leave him out?

Anthony Ralston has started the last two games at right-back ahead of Juranovic, who was labelled as ‘excellent’ by Alan Hutton for his display against Rangers.

It could be best for the summer signing to miss a third game against Raith Rovers on Sunday, with Ralston potentially keeping his place.

That would give Juranovic, who has been a regular this season, the best possible chance of making Celtic’s Europa Conference League first-leg clash with the Norwegian side.

You’d expect that the Hoops should be able to cope without Juranovic against the Championship side, with Postecoglou possibly ringing the changes once again.

In other news: ‘Hatate has…’ – Potentially worrying claim on Celtic star after Aberdeen. 

Former Wolves defender Matt Doherty could still seal a return to Molineux in the January transfer window, according to journalist Michael Bridge.

The Lowdown: Doherty linked with Wolves return

The 30-year-old has had a disappointing time of things at Tottenham since joining from Wanderers in 2020, failing to score in 42 appearances for the north London club and not getting a single Premier League start this season.

Doherty has been linked with a move back to Wolves this month in order to end his Spurs nightmare and return to the club where he thrived for so many years.

There is still time for a move to happen in the next couple of weeks and it has once again been talked up by some in the media.

The Latest: Bridge backs up Doherty return claim

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Bridge said that he believes the transfer could happen before the end of January.

The journalist claimed: “I’ve heard about this Wolves interest and I’ve read in some places that it’s going to happen.”

The Verdict: Good business if it happens

Doherty may have celebrated his 30th birthday on Sunday but he is still a player who has plenty to offer, and he could be a strong addition at Wolves.

That doesn’t mean he would come in and oust Nelson Semedo from the team instantly, but the Irishman would increase the squad depth at Bruno Lage’s disposal, allowing for more rotation in the coming months.

Doherty has been hailed as ‘sensational’ by Match of the Day pundit Jermaine Jenas in the past and his tally of 69 goal involvements for Wolves (28 goals, 41 assists) speaks volumes about the quality he could add.

It’s quite pleasing to hear Bridge stating his strong belief that the 30-year-old could again be lining out in Old Gold before the transfer window closes.

In other news, some Wolves fans are delighted after an update on one player’s future. Find out who it is here.