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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…

Gareth Southgate announced a 27-man squad for his side’s upcoming games against Montenegro and Kosovo, and although reports have suggested that Jack Grealish’s fitness have played a part in the Aston Villa midfielder’s exclusion from selection, even if the 24-year-old had been fit, the England boss would have been right to omit him from his squad.

Much has been made of Grealish’s start to the 2019/20 campaign after having captained his boyhood club to promotion via the Championship play-offs and granted, the skilful playmaker has impressed at times, scoring two goals and registering three assists.

But when you consider that these numbers are a replica of Anwar El Ghazi’s attacking output so far this season, has Grealish really been impressing for Dean Smith’s side?

The midfielder’s ability to weave past players and contribute in the final third is well documented, with Villa having scored more goals this season than any other side in the bottom nine.

But when assessing where Grealish would fit within the complexion of the Three Lions’ squad, there is arguably no room for a player whose abilities are not directly aligned to producing attacking output.

The likes of Mason Mount and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be looking to secure themselves a starting berth in England’s midfield options, and when compared to the recently selected duo, it is difficult to state that Grealish offers more within the attacking spots.

Mount has already bagged four goals in 2019/20 while amassing a considerable 2.6 shots per game, via WhoScored. Oxlade-Chamberlain, on the other hand, has also scored four times. That’s from just six starts in all competitions.

Those at Villa may feel that any suggestion Grealish is ill-qualified for international duty is an unreasonable suggestion, given his influential role in his side’s ascendancy over the last two seasons, but the playmaker is not contributing with enough vigour and regularity to be considered a definite selection for England.

Whether Villa’s captain will make the cut for Euro 2020 remains to be seen, but on the basis of current form in the 2019/20 campaign, regardless of fitness, Southgate has made the right call in not selecting Grealish for November’s international break.

To be considered, he needs to do more.

West Bromwich Albion’s quest to return to the promised land of the Premier League is looking more and more likely under Slaven Bilic.

The Baggies currently occupy top spot going into the final international break of the calendar year, and they do so holding a two-point cushion over the chasing pack of Preston North End and Leeds United.

At their current rate, the west Midlands club should surpass a points total of 92, which has been enough for automatic promotion in four of the last five Championship campaigns.

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Integral to their season so far and their future ambitions is Matheus Pereira, who joined the club on deadline day on loan – he has since gone on to score three goals and provide six assists in 11 starts, per WhoScored.

Some of the Hawthorns faithful have been describing his season to date on social media this week.

One supporter claimed he was the best player in the league while another believed he was a better version of Cristiano Ronaldo, even though this was more than likely said tongue in cheek, both players did come through the academy system at Sporting Lisbon.

A further fan of the Baggies stated that Pereira was ‘a must signing’ in the January transfer window with one more calling the 23-year-old ‘very exciting’ on his day.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

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…

Things just took a turn for the worst.

It looks as if Leeds United are going to be facing a whole lot of competition to keep hold of Eddie Nketiah, according to Darren Bent.

What’s he said?

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League man Bent suggests that it’s not just Championship clubs like Bristol City that will be taking an interest in the young man’s form, but also clubs in the top division as well:

“Leeds need to be careful, I’m telling you now, because a lot of other Championship teams, if not lower-end Premier League teams, are going to be looking at him and going: ‘You know what? We’ll take him.

“He’s scoring goals at international level, he’s scoring goals for his club side when he gets the minutes so people will be going we’ll take him. Leeds might go: ‘We want to keep him,’ but I can see Arsenal going: ‘No, because he’s not getting enough game time.’

Will Bielsa heed Bent’s warning?

The former top-flight striker is right on the money here.

There are no concrete links yet to suggest a club in the Premier League are going to make an offer, if Nketiah keeps performing the way he does, it’s only going to be a matter of time before heads start to turn.

He’s scored five goals for the Whites this term and sits as their top scorer despite only starting twice. It’s quite remarkable, especially considering he’s netted nine times for club and country since Patrick Bamford last found the back of the net.

Whilst clubs in the Premier League may be awash with money, they will always be on the lookout for a couple of bargains, and bringing in someone like Nketiah on loan would be an easy way to go about it.

Unai Emery has admitted his parent club Arsenal aren’t concerned about a lack of minutes just yet, you’d like to think that a move to a Premier League club might be better for his development than playing at a lower level.

This puts the ball squarely in Marcelo Bielsa’s court, because the more Nketiah impresses in his brief appearances, the less likely they’re going to be able to keep hold of him – that’s unless they begin to start him from the off.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Football Insider, there is a strong possibility that West Brom’s loan star Grady Diangana is recalled by his parent club in January.

But Slaven Bilic may already have his replacement lying in wait at the club.

What’s the word?

Reports claim that Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini is ‘increasingly attracted’ by the prospect of recalling the 21-year-old in January.

Diangana does indeed have a clause as part of his loan deal that would allow the manager to do so.

Pellegrini has been kept up-to-date with his performances at the Hawthorns, but he will only be able to act on that option during the first two weeks of January.

A source told Football Insider that the chances of that happening are “genuine” given West Ham’s struggles in front of goal – they have netted just 12 goals from 10 matches this term.

Willock in wait

Diangana has been emphatic for Bilic’s Baggies this campaign, scoring four goals and providing three assists, per WhoScored, so there’s no doubting that his departure would put a huge dent in their promotion hopes.

However, the effect will be less severe once they realise that they already have his replacement lying in wait in Chris Willock.

The former Arsenal graduate has been in red hot form for the U23s this campaign but is yet to taste senior football up in the west Midlands, he has netted two goals and laid on four assists in the Premier League 2, via Transfermarkt.

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It seems daft to have brought someone in on deadline day only to force him to play youth football.

Bilic has claimed that the 21-year-old has to wait for his opportunity while his youth teammate Jack Fitzwater believes it is only a matter of time before we see Willock line up on a Saturday.

Albion reportedly want to keep hold of him despite the lack of senior game time, so they can boost his prospects by allowing him to thrive in Diangana’s absence.

Some Southampton fans have taken to Twitter to react after Wesley Hoedt revealed what Mark Hughes told the squad ahead of a game against Manchester City.Hoedt – who the Saints spent £15m on when signing the centre-back from Lazio – currently finds himself out on loan with Belgian side Royal Antwerp, and his revelation doesn’t cover Hughes in much glory.

The 25-year-old revealed in an interview with Voetbal International how Hughes told his Southampton players to ‘play like Liverpool’ ahead of their trip to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City.

The former Stoke and QPR manager’s master-plan didn’t quite turn out how he would’ve hoped, as his Saints side lost 6-1 to the Citizens.

“I played twice at that Etihad Stadium. Once, a very good match, [which finished] 2-1 in the ninetieth-minute. [We were] wiped out a second time 6-1. How they walked over us then was not normal.

“We always played with three in the back, but the day before the game, we were told that we had to play like Liverpool: 4-3-3 and with high pressure. Without training, that was not the right choice.”

Hoedt outlines how Hughes decided to make a drastic change with little time to implement it thoroughly, on the eve of a match against arguably the best team in the Premier League – that is a pretty ludicrous decision from Hughes, to say the least.

Let’s take a look at how some Southampton fans on Twitter reacted to the revelation…

England fans have been discussing the problems which contributed to the Three Lions’ defeat against the Czech Republic, with many pointing to the defence as an area of concern.

In particular, Everton’s Michael Keane has been singled out as a player who shouldn’t be near the side due to his lack of form for both club and country.

He has played a part in England’s previous three matches, in which they have conceded five goals, whilst for the Toffees he hasn’t fared much better, with 11 goals conceded in his past five matches.

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As a result, many believe other centre-backs are in better form, and Gareth Southgate has a number of options to choose from.

Some think Joe Gomez deserves to start ahead of him, but the Liverpool defender has rarely featured this season, with 390 minutes played, excluding the Community Shield, and his last outing saw the Reds concede three times against RB Salzburg in the Champions League.

Tyrone Mings has also been included in the squad while Burnley’s James Tarkowski is another who could replace Keane having featured previously, especially considering his current form, with a WhoScored average rating of over 7 and three clean sheets in eight games.

Here are some of the reactions from England fans discussing Keane’s place in the side.

You have to say that the Instagram caption makes you realise just how well Chambers has been performing lately.

The Gunners rarely keep clean sheets these days, but the fact of the matter is that on the three occasions that they have managed to keep the opposition out – versus Eintracht Frankfurt, Newcastle United and Forest – Chambers has started.

Alongside that, the 24-year-old has also proven that he can have an impact up the other end of the pitch.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Indeed, the defender assisted three goals against Nottingham Forest, and he netted the equaliser against Aston Villa in the last Premier League outing.

It remains to be seen whether or not Emery looks towards Chambers as a starter, but his Instagram post shows that he’s been in fantastic form.

Ever wondered how the Neville brothers were so successful? We imagine it doesn’t cross your mind all that often, but you’re about to find out anyway.

Phil and Gary Neville were members of the iconic Class of ’92, a band of players that were developed at Manchester United and went on to win the treble seven years later.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Although the pair were eventually split up in 2005, when Phil exchanged Manchester for Merseyside and joined Everton, who were managed by future United manager David Moyes at the time, they won ten major trophies together including the Premier League (six times), the FA Cup (three times) and the Champions League. Gary would go on to finish his career at Old Trafford.

Indeed, to be so successful there has to be a formula, a level of desire, passion and support that constantly surrounds you for all the ups and downs fledgling pros will undoubtedly experience on their journey towards stardom, and by the sounds of it, that’s exactly what the Neville brothers enjoyed…

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Liverpool CEO Peter Moore has spent time in hospital with a fan who was injured after being attacked by Napoli fans on Tuesday.

Moore tweeted that he would stay with the fan until he knew that he was okay, and many supporters have responded by sending him thanks and praising him for the compassion he has shown.

One of the reactions came from former Reds player Robbie Fowler, who suggested Moore’s actions epitomised the Liverpool philosophy of ‘You’ll never walk alone”.

The fan in question, Steven Allen, was allegedly ambushed by Napoli fans prior to kick-off, leading to his collapse at half-time as a result of blood loss.

His friend had posted a message on social media pleading for someone to visit Steven to check on his condition, and that fact that the Liverpool CEO stepped up to the task is really quite something.

In response, fans of the Merseyside outfit have admired the action he took, as seen in the reactions below.

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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.

18 points from 18? You certainly wouldn’t put it past them. Manchester City’s Midas-like touch with the Champions League draw continues to amaze, and this time, they really did outdo themselves.

Some big hitters like Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund were eerily waiting for Pep Guardiola’s side in pot two, but instead, out came Shakhtar Donetsk. How the Ukrainians must be sick of the sight of the Etihad side.

After that piece of luck, pots three and four didn’t bring out any potential banana skins, and it all makes it look relatively straightforward for a safe passage into the last 16 for the Manchester side.

Watch Manchester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

But perhaps City should not start celebrating too soon. They were handed favourable-looking draws in the past couple of seasons too, but have yet to see it all the way through in the Champions League. Guardiola will undoubtedly point to many factors as being the cause for their failed runs in the competition, but perhaps a lack of competition may be the underlying reason behind it. Indeed, even some City fans appear to think so too.

As the saying goes in football, sometimes you learn more from a difficult defeat than a comprehensive victory. Beating the likes of Shakhtar, Dinamo Zagreb and Atalanta 5-0 may boost the egos and feeling of invincibility, but does it actually help prepare City for the business stages of the tournament, when defensive resiliency is just as important as attacking verve?

Having breezed through the group phase and knocking out Schalke 10-2 on aggregate in the last 16 last season, City came unstuck at the first real hurdle. Mauricio Pochettino’s side clinched an all-important 1-0 victory at home, before scoring three away goals at the Etihad to knock them out in the quarter-finals.

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

Guardiola’s men may rue the intervention of VAR, but in the grand scheme of things, they folded against the first ‘big’ team they faced in the competition. The season before that, they waltzed on through to the last eight and then were comprehensively beaten 5-1 on aggregate by Liverpool.

Again there was a feeling amongst some that they were hard done by, but you can’t complain when you give up goals at home in two-legged ties.

So whilst the initial feeling may be one of relief that they once again avoided a potentially troublesome group, City may just be looking back in a few months time with a feeling of regret that they weren’t sufficiently tested.

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