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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… 

Having really broken through during Jose Mourinho’s tenure as Manchester United manager, Scott McTominay has come on leaps and bounds in terms of his ability and role in the first-team.

The Scotland international played 31 times over the course of the Portuguese man’s reign, before really establishing himself as a key part of the current United set-up under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. This season alone, the 22-year-old has played 13 times, including featuring in every single Premier League game.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

He will no doubt be hoping to continue that run when the Red Devils travel to face Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth in the Saturday lunch-time kick-off, and the academy product will be coming up against a man-mountain like himself in Philip Billing.

The battle in midfield is always one of the key contests of any footballing clash, and when McTominay and Billing collide at the weekend, it could prove to be the decisive match-up in terms of who comes away with the win.

On the chalkboard

At 6 foot 4, McTominay is one of the most physically dominant midfielders in the Premier League, and he invariably casts a literal shadow over his opponents. But on Saturday, he will experience the rare feeling of not being the tallest man in the middle of the park, when he faces off against the 6 foot 6 Billing.

The Dane arrived at Bournemouth from Huddersfield, and has quickly established himself as a key component of Howe’s side. He has averaged an impressive 2.3 tackles and 2.6 interceptions per game in the Premier League, and his long, rangy frame helps him cover the ground in imposing fashion.

Similarly, McTominay has been defensively strong this season, and in a standout performance against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, made an incredible five tackles, five interceptions and eight duels won.

If McTominay can overpower his midfield counterpart, and continue his fine recent form, then United stand an excellent chance of muzzling Bournemouth on Saturday. In the land of the giants, the Red Devils will need their 22-year-old to dominate the occasion.

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…

England moved closer to Euro 2020 qualification on Monday night as Gareth Southgate’s side thrashed Bulgaria 6-0 with purpose after having to deal with shameful scenes of racism at the Vasil Levski Stadium.

The Three Lions are now three points clear at the top of Group A with just two games remaining in November.

Aston Villa centre-back Tyrone Mings earned his first England cap and repaid the national team manager with a superb showing, keeping a clean sheet while being faced with the brunt of the racial slurs from the home crowd.

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

His interview after the game showed his phenomenal attitude, only going to display his leadership qualities in further detail.

In doing so, Mings has undoubtedly cemented his name alongside last summer’s World Cup hero Harry Maguire in the heart of the England defence for the foreseeable future.

As a result, any hopes Conor Coady had of achieving a similar feat have surely just started to drift even further away.

Wolves supporters themselves have thrown the 26-year-old’s name into the equation at times this season, while The Daily Mail claimed earlier in the year that he was in serious contention to be called up after his role in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea.

Are Gareth Southgate’s Aston Villa roots the reason behind the Wolves player in the video below being overlooked?…

Per SofaScore, Mings won 100% of his aerial duels, registered a 95% passing accuracy, as well as recording one clearance, one tackle, and one interception.

Michael Keane was the man to make way for the Villa star, but after that showing, there’s surely no way Southgate goes back to the Everton defender – especially after fans and pundits alike blasted him for his role in the Czech Republic defeat.

If that’s the case, then it will be a mightily hard task for Coady to even get his name into the England fold. He hasn’t featured at international level since 2013 when he was part of Peter Taylor’s U20 World Cup squad.

It certainly gives Villa some bragging rights over their Midlands rivals too.

West Bromwich Albion are flying high in the 2019/20 Championship season, sitting at the summit of the table with 25 points.

The Baggies, under the management of Slaven Bilić, have made an excellent start in their bid to achieve promotion to the Premier League, but the performance of one particular player in the club’s 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough has got some fans singing their praises and highlighting the quality of their display.

Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, 26, put in a stellar performance in his team’s victory over Jonathan Woodgate’s side to give the West Midlands outfit just their second Championship clean sheet of the season, and the former Manchester United keeper’s contribution certainly did not go unnoticed by some of the club’s fanbase.

When asked for a potential man of the match, some of the Baggies’ fanbase were very clear on who they felt merited the accolade. Here are some of the best reactions to West Brom’s victory over Middlesbrough and Johnstone’s performance in particular.

[ad_pod ]Paul Pogba is no Roy Keane.Despite the Frenchman returning from injury to the starting line-up on Wednesday, the young and relatively inexperienced Axel Tuanzebe was handed the honour of wearing the captain’s armband against Rochdale (make of that what you will). But are we at all surprised?Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

At the beginning of the summer, Pogba announced his intention to leave Old Trafford in search of a “new challenge”, with Real Madrid widely tipped to be his ballooned ego’s next location. On what planet does that then mean he deserves greater rewards? The United planet, of course, where ineptitude is rife.

Rule number one in selecting a captain handbook: don’t give it to a player who doesn’t want to play for the badge.

As the window raged on, however, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insisted that Pogba wouldn’t be sold under any circumstance, it became increasingly apparent that fans would be stuck with another year of watching a caged exotic bird turn into a frenzied pigeon.

Is handing Pogba the captaincy the best way to free him? TalkSPORT hosts Ally McCoist and Alan Brazil had their say on the midfielder’s Carabao Cup snubbing and whether he should be made captain in the future…

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

It’s not often that Marcelo Bielsa takes a gamble. His squad is thin and he prefers familiarity, making few changes to his side this term.

He’s used a league-low 17 players in the Championship and he’s predominantly only made changes because of injury.

It took a blow to Barry Douglas for Gjanni Alioski to earn his place while the same can be said for Jamie Shackleton who stepped into the shoes of Adam Forshaw.

Helder Costa has since replaced Pablo Hernandez on the right-hand side as well.

Injuries again will force the manager’s hand this weekend as the aforementioned Shackleton and Liam Cooper are set for a spell on the sidelines.

On the chalkboard

Bielsa hasn’t been shy in revealing his team news ahead of fixtures and before a clash with Wigan, he essentially disclosed his full XI.

He was also far from secretive on Thursday as he detailed the switches to his side he might make when they travel to Millwall today.

Speaking in his press conference, the following was noted:

It will be interesting to see just how the 64-year-old lines up but taking the decision to move Dallas would be a strange one.

The Northern Irishman has arguably been one of Leeds’ best players this season and has started in all ten league outings so far.

He ranks four-highest for average match ratings according to WhoScored and even popped up with a goal against Stoke. He’s been effective on the right and manages 1.7 tackles and 1.5 interceptions on average each outing.

Why are Leeds fans the best in the country? Find out in the video below…

The 28-year-old was brilliant at left-back in the dying weeks of last term and scored twice against Derby in the playoffs.

A winger by trade, he’s been moved into both full-back positions and taken on the roles with great professionalism.

There is no doubting he’d do the same in a central role but he’s played the majority of his football in wider spaces, suggesting he might struggle if moved inside.

After all, he’s only played through the middle three times in his entire career. Even if Bielsa thinks he has the qualities, it’s a risk, particularly when the midfield has struggled at times in 2019/20.

They’ve only been involved in two goals between them in the Championship and those are both courtesy of Mateusz Klich.

Dallas’ strong work ethic and ability to get up and down as he does in a full-back role should lend itself to the box-to-box style he’ll have to bring on Saturday but it’s still hugely unfamiliar.

Having made 1.1 key passes he has an eye for a pass but Leeds’ midfield was overrun when Shackleton went off last Tuesday.

They’ll have to ensure the same doesn’t happen with Dallas occupying his role as he did in the final quarter. Perhaps someone more familiar in the middle would be a better option.

Manuel Pellegrini is surely expected to strengthen his options at right-back during the summer transfer window.

The Hammers signed Ryan Fredericks from Fulham in the summer but the Englishman has struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League. Instead, Pellegrini has used Pablo Zabaleta on the right flank for the majority of the season. However, his long-term future at the club remains unclear with the ex-Manchester City man fast approaching the end of his career.

The 34-year-old has reportedly (as per Claret and Hugh via City Watch) been offered a coaching role at the London Stadium but is yet to confirm whether he will retire from the professional game. Nevertheless, Pellegrini must bolster his options on the right side of defence. Reports from the Daily Mail suggest West Ham are lining up Manchester United veteran Antonio Valencia on a free transfer.

Instead, the Hammers should make a move for Strasbourg flyer – Kenny Lala. Valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, the 27-year-old has proved to be a fantastic addition since signing on a free from Lens in the summer of 2017. Lala has been one of the most consistent performers in Ligue 1 this season which should make the West Ham scouts sit up and take notice.

The Frenchman has been a constant threat from the back, scoring an impressive four goals as well as registering nine assists from defence. His blistering pace and dribbling ability make him a nightmare to deal with and would cause plenty of headaches for Premier League defenders. Not only does Lala excel offensively, he doesn’t neglect his defensive duties, averaging an impressive 2.5 tackles per game in Ligue 1 this season (WhoScored).

With his contract set to expire in the summer, West Ham should grab themselves a bargain.

West Ham fans, thoughts?

[ad_pod ]Sheffield Wednesday were knocked out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening as Everton defeated them at Hillsborough.A Dominic Calvert-Lewin brace was enough to see the Toffees through with a 2-0 victory.New Owls manager Garry Monk was taking charge of just his third game and took the opportunity to look at some of the fringe players he has on offer by making eight changes from the team that drew to Fulham on Saturday.The south Yorkshire side certainly held their own which was evident in only conceding two goals – fellow Championship outfit Nottingham Forest had five stuck past them by Arsenal while Manchester City beat Preston North End 3-0.Wednesday actually recorded more shots than their top-flight opposition, though, the result hasn’t gone down well with some members of the Hillsborough faithful.One supporter called Monk ‘tactically inept’ while another added that he has to act fast in terms of team performance and tactics.’Woeful’ and ‘too negative’ were other words used to describe how the 48-year-old set up his side against Everton.You can read more of the reaction below:

Paul Robinson has now dropped a big Newcastle United claim involving Ciaran Clark.

The Lowdown: Clark’s indiscipline

The Irishman has come under the spotlight recently due to his indiscipline, as footage shared last month showed him punching an opponent in a friendly against Al-Ittihad, which resulted in him being sent off.

This comes after he was given a red card just nine minutes into their 1-1 draw at home to Norwich City in the Premier League in November, and with the signing of Dan Burn from Brighton on Transfer Deadline Day, the 32-year-old’s future at St James’ Park will have to be questioned.

The Latest: Robinson reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson – who regularly appears on Sky Sports – has now claimed that Clark may have even played his last game for Newcastle, saying:

“You don’t know what has gone on behind the scenes but that was the perfect example of how not to perform in an audition in front of your new bosses.

“You don’t get sent off in a friendly game in front of your new owners when you’re on a training camp.

“He has played in quite a few games this season. If the manager sees him as surplus to requirements I’m surprised we didn’t see him move on before the deadline.

“Given his recent disciplinary record, this could be the end for him at Newcastle.”

The Verdict: Get rid

Following the arrival of Burn on Tyneside, Newcastle can now afford to get Clark off of their books.

The Republic of Ireland international is currently ranked as the fifth-worst player in the top flight at the moment, and the worst out of his teammates (WhoScored), so he would not be a big loss should the Magpies decide to get rid.

Nonetheless, he should at least be frozen out by Eddie Howe for his indiscipline until such time that a suitable buyer comes in for him.

In other news, NUFC are interested in this £83.3m-rated ‘engine’

Paris Saint-Germain are interested in signing Wolves winger Pedro Neto in the summer, according to a new transfer rumour which has emerged during the international break.

The Lowdown: Neto a prized asset

Bruno Lage has a number of talented players at his disposal but Neto is arguably the most prized asset at Molineux currently, perhaps along with Ruben Neves.

The 22-year-old has already scored 10 goals and registered 11 assists for the Wanderers and he is now back in the fold after a long-term injury absence, recently penning a new deal to keep him at the club until 2027.

A worrying rumour is now doing the rounds regarding the Portuguese starlet’s future, though, as the summer window slowly edges closer.

[freshpress-poll id=“388780″]

The Latest: PSG keen on move

According to The Daily Mail, PSG have added Neto to their list of potential signings at the end of the season, with the Ligue 1 giants ‘monitoring his progress’ between now and May.

Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele are also thought to be options.

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The Verdict: Can’t afford to lose him

At 22, Neto still has so much time on his side that it would be a disaster for Wolves to lose him this early in his career, having been hailed as a ‘huge talent’ by Premier League legend Alan Shearer.

The youngster can be the attacking star of the team for Lage for a number of years, making the left-sided role his own and maturing into an even more formidable player as he regains fitness and earns more Premier League experience.

Should Neto suddenly demand a move, however, that new deal does at least run until 2027, meaning PSG or other suitors would likely have to pay an extortionate amount for his services, generating funds for replacement signings at Molineux.

In other news, a journalist has dropped a claim regarding one Wolves player. Read more here.

With the halfway point in the 2022 January transfer window approaching, the only incoming transfer deal that Wolves have managed to pull off is a move for Japanese midfielder Hayao Kawabe.

However, he is apparently going to spend the remainder of the season on loan back at the club Wolves signed him from, Grasshopper Club Zurich.

Though, it seems as though the Midlands club could be about to get involved in another January deal that would not only see a new player come in but see a current one leave Molineux at the same time.

It has recently been reported by Spanish outlet Sport (via Daily Express) that Barcelona are willing to make a swap deal for Wolves winger Adama Traore that would see Ousmane Dembele make the move to Molineux this month.

Before joining Barcelona back in the 2017 summer transfer window from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth a reported fee of £135.5m, the winger had racked up ten goals and 22 assists in 50 appearances for the German club.

During his time in Spain, the 24-year-old has made 129 appearances for Barcelona across all competitions in which he has managed to score 31 goals and provide 23 assists along the way.

With previous reports of Traore’s unhappiness at Wolves and reluctance to sign a new deal at the club, perhaps making this reported swap deal with Barcelona would be a good way of not only getting the Spaniard out of the club but also getting an immediate replacement for him as well.

Furthermore, it would keep him out of the hands of another Premier League team like Tottenham Hotspur who are reportedly interested in him too.

However, with Dembele’s significant injury record during his time at Barcelona, this will have to be taken into account by Wolves if they are willing to discuss a potential swap deal between the £27m-rated Frenchman and their flying winger before deciding whether or not it would be beneficial to have him in Bruno Lage’s squad.

Previously labelled as a player that “offers something different” to the team by former Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman, Dembele’s potential move to Molineux could blow the Wolves fans away.

A major plus point would be an immediate Traore replacement but promisingly, he’d also surely be an upgrade. After all, Joan Laporta once said: “For me, Dembele excites me, he is better than Mbappe.”

Pep Bartomeu, meanwhile, added: “Dembele is better than Neymar. He’s at Barca and he is better.”

Considering the France international’s knack for scoring and creating goals, he could certainly more than the current Wolves winger who hasn’t been particularly consistent during his time at the club with just ten goals and 18 assists in 152 appearances.

In other news: Wolves “interested in” signing “strong” £14.4m-rated beast, Lage would be thrilled – opinion