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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…

What a year it has been for Liverpool.

They may not have picked up the Premier League title they craved, but they finished just one point behind Manchester City and picked up the most points a second-placed team ever has in the division’s history. Quite frankly, there is nothing more they could have done.

Watch the moment Adam Lallana broke United hearts at Old Trafford in the video below…

In Europe, they managed to go one better, and were crowned champions of Europe for the sixth-time in their history as they beat Tottenham 2-0 in the Champions League final in Madrid.

This season, they have hit the ground running. They lead English football’s top tier by six points from the Citizens, winning 10 of their first 11 matches and drawing the other. Right now, at least in the league, they look unstoppable, and it has consolidated their place as one of the best teams in world football.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Well, according to the Euro Club Index, they are the best on the continent, jumping above Barcelona to take top spot for the first time ever. This stat shows just how far the Reds have come under Jurgen Klopp since the former Borussia Dortmund man took over in 2015.

Back then, the Anfield outfit were the 27th club on the list. Ever since the 52-year-old stepped into the dug-out, though, the Merseyside club has been steadily on the rise, and they have now taken a fully-deserved first place.

This incredible ranking shows the impact Klopp has had on the team, and how important it is that they keep hold of him for as long as possible.

With the German at the helm, Liverpool have returned to the pinnacle of the sport, where many of their supporters feel they truly belong.

Considering their trophy cabinet, it is hard to argue with them, and it is this kind of recognition that shows their current stock in European football.

Charlton started the season in fine form after winning the League One playoffs last term, winning four and drawing two of their first games back in the Championship.

In those games, Lyle Taylor – the Addicks’ talisman – was fit and firing, scoring five goals before going on international duty with Montserrat.

Unfortunately for the 29-year-old and for Charlton, Taylor damaged his knee ligaments, resulting in a spell on the sidelines for the No.9 and a chance for another striker to step into the limelight.

That man was summer signing Macauley Bonne. Having spent last season in the National League with Leyton Orient, the Addicks made the 24-year-old their first signing of the summer, and he has deputised for Taylor admirably.

Bonne has scored five goals in just six starts, netting against a decent level of opposition with strikes against West Brom, Fulham and Derby.

So, should the 1-cap Zimbabwe international keep his place when Taylor is back? Lee Bowyer has revealed he could be back amongst the first team in a few weeks, so how should the Charlton boss deal with this upcoming selection dilemma? Football FanCast’s writers give their verdicts below…

Billy Meyers

“I think it would be a truly harsh decision from Bowyer to drop Bonne, given the impressive nature of his efforts since stepping into the spotlight. The 24-year-old has started to prove himself at Championship level in Taylor’s absence, with his goals earning Charlton five points – he netted point-earning goals in the 2-2 draws against Fulham and West Brom, and also hit the winner against Leeds. Bowyer should, at the very least, play the pair up front together, or wait until Bonne hits a dry patch in front of goal before making the drastic decision of dropping Bonne.”

Charles Jones

“I think Bonne should keep his place in the team after such a good run of form. Taylor has been watching him score on a regular basis, and surely he will understand Bowyer’s choice if he perseveres with the former Leyton Orient man for a little bit longer.

“It could be a real morale killer if Bonne is dropped after playing so well during Taylor’s absence, so for that reason Bowyer should keep him in the XI.

“That isn’t to say that he should remain in the team for the rest of the season, but he certainly deserves to play over the next few weeks.”

Kealan Hughes

“It would be very harsh on Bonne if he was to lose his place in the squad, as he had to bide his time waiting for an opportunity and has now certainly taken it with both hands.

“The fact Charlton have barely missed Taylor and continue picking up points is a great testament to Bonne’s contribution, and therefore Bowyer should trust both to play together up-front.“They have both showed at times this season that they are able to score a variety of goals, using their head and poaching ability, so therefore their movement would create problems for most opposition defences.“Bowyer has occasionally operated with a diamond formation, too, so it is a system he shouldn’t be too adverse to utilising, and it could allow the Addicks to be even better in attack – with them currently ranked seventh for goals scored in the Championship.

VJ

“Having smashed in five goals in his last six Championship appearances for Charlton, Bonne is like a house on fire at the moment. The 24-year-old has been a revelation for the Addicks considering he was playing non-league football last year for Leyton Orient.

“Bowyer has a massive headache to deal with over whether or not a returning Lyle Taylor should come straight back into the side at Bonne’s expense. However, what kind of message would it send out to the striker and his fellow teammates if he is dropped despite his incredible form? Managing a squad is an art in itself, and so the Charlton boss simply has to keep faith in Bonne. The 24-year-old is riding a wave at the moment, and Bowyer would do well to avoid upsetting the apple cart.”

West Bromwich Albion returned to the top of the Championship table with a 2-0 victory over Stoke City on Monday night.

Slaven Bilic’s men cruised to all three points thanks to a goal from Matty Phillips, who bagged his sixth of the season and a penalty from super-sub Hal Robson-Kanu.

The Baggies also regained their two-point cushion at the league’s summit going into this weekend’s tie with Hull City.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It is also just the third time this season that they have kept a clean sheet, which has sparked quite a reaction from some of the Hawthorns faithful with centre-back Kyle Bartley drawing most of the glowing plaudits.

One supporter claimed the 28-year-old is more of a captain than Jake Livermore after his impressive leader-like showing from the heart of defence while another described him as ‘different class.’

A further member of the West Brom crowd was almost shocked by the fact that he had tweeted about how ‘awesome’ Bartley was with one more naming him the best player in the league.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

Lots of Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to react to a specific moment in their 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Old Trafford, and they quite clearly loved what they saw.

After Harry Maguire played a long ball up the pitch, Marcus Rashford chased it down with Virgil van Dijk keeping him company. The United No.10 then went shoulder to shoulder with Liverpool’s £75m man before knocking him to the floor, a moment that a lot of Red Devils supporters on Twitter seemed to love.

It was Rashford’s predatory effort from Dan James’ cross that had handed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side the lead midway through the first half, before Sadio Mane’s equaliser was ruled out for handball – Adam Lallana did eventually level things up in the dying stages of the game.

The United academy graduate has struggled at times this season, but hopefully, scoring against the European champions and also shoulder barging arguably the world’s best defender onto the turf will aid his confidence.

Let’s see what the United fans on Twitter were saying about the moment…

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…

Former Everton defender Michael Ball has backed Marco Silva to make tactical changes at Goodison Park as a good manager knows when to change his plans, with the Portuguese facing a run of games that could define the Blues’ season.

What’s he said?

Everton entered the October international break lingering inside the bottom three of the Premier League standings, as a run of four games without a win saw the Merseyside outfit plummet down the rankings after a promising start.

The opening four fixtures of the term saw the Toffees sit sixth in the table, joint on points with fourth-placed Crystal Palace, but were the only top-flight side without a point in the following four encounters, while also conceding the third-most goals.

Scoring has been a key plight of the Toffees efforts this season, as well, with only four men so far managing to break the goal line, while Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are the only to score more than once (WhoScored).

Everton have not failed to create chances with an average 12.8 shots per game, but only 3.8 of those have been on target.

Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

To solve the crisis developing at Goodison Park, ex-Everton left-back Ball has suggested Silva should consider a change of tack and move away from his traditionally favoured 4-2-3-1 by starting a second striker.

Silva has only used a two-up-top formation from kick-off twice since his arrival on Merseyside in 2018 (Transfermarkt), and started with a two-man strike force just once while at Watford.

If Silva is unable to orchestrate strong results in Everton’s next three games, Ball fears the implications could result in change at the helm.

Writing in his column for the Liverpool Echo, he said:

“Not many managers are going to change their philosophy, but if it’s not working, you need to find a way to get the best out of the players at your disposal. A good manager will listen to other people and tweak things.

“He might not want to do that, but if it works, everyone will give him plaudits for it. The fans are crying out for two strikers up front. Do we need to play with two deep-lying midfielders? We’ve still got time to turn the season around.

“There’s other teams around us struggling and we need to make the most of this and get on a run of wins. The next three games are crucial for Marco Silva. I’m not a fan of chopping and changing managers because I don’t think it gets you anywhere, but Silva will know this is not good enough.”

Silva can offer Kean greater freedom to express himself

By naming a second striker from the off, Silva could open his tactics to have a more direct central attacking option, rather than one tasked purely with holding the ball up and flicking it on for an overlapping winger or down to Gylfi Sigurdsson.

No player has won more aerial duels for Everton this season than Calvert-Lewin with 6.6 successful battles per ninety minutes, per WhoScored data, but the 22-year-old has not been a consistent goal threat despite his two strikes.

Moise Kean has not been able to demonstrate himself as a lethal finisher as of yet, either, but the Italian could be offered a greater opportunity to do so if he is free to express himself.

Against Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup, the Toffees’ summer arrival from Juventus showed great power and pace to be a direct threat on the break, and narrowly missed out on opening his Blues account when his thunderous effort crashed back off the post.

Add Kean’s fast-breaking nature with Calvert-Lewin’s natural target man abilities, and Everton could create a strike force that sees the Blues move back up the table and save Silva from the threat of being fired.

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

Sheffield Wednesday got back to winning ways last weekend as they defeated Wigan Athletic 1-0 at Hillsborough.

Summer arrival Massimo Luongo scored the only goal of the game in what was his first league start for the club since joining from Queens Park Rangers.

The 27-year-old accurately slotted home from an Adam Reach cut-back in the 57th minute to hand the Owls all three points, but aside from that one moment, the game was rather drab.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Neither side could muster up more than three shots on target as Garry Monk reverted away from the 4-4-2 that had proven to be successful against Middlesbrough just over a week ago.

As highlighted here, that’s a system that the 40-year-old needs to continually deploy, and Fernando Forestieri’s return could aid that substantially.

On the Chalkboard

The 29-year-old has missed their last six matches through suspension, but after the international break, he will be available for selection again.

According to reports, he is set to feature in a behind-closed-doors friendly with Rochdale this week, which will only bolster his match fitness ahead of a possible comeback.

His teammate Sam Hutchinson, who was on commentary duty while serving a suspension of his own on Saturday, claimed the forward was a ‘special talent’ that the team needs.

Forestieri is undoubtedly one of the most talented players amongst the Wednesday ranks, but over the last few seasons, he hasn’t managed to hit the heights he displayed early on in his Hillsborough career.

The south Yorkshire club reached the playoffs in his first two seasons where he netted 27 goals in 76 appearances, but since then, he hasn’t hit more than six in any one season, per Transfermarkt.

To some extent, injuries and disciplinary issues have hindered that.

But now under Monk, he has a fresh chance to dazzle once again – even more so if he opts for that 4-4-2 formation as Steven Fletcher needs a partner.

Despite playing the bulk of his career in the number ten role as shown by Transfermarkt’s recorded matches, his best performances have come when playing as a centre forward.

Since the 2016/17 season, Forestieri has averaged 3.2 shots or better when playing as a direct striker in a Wednesday shirt, which would go to great lengths to resolve one problem from the Wigan game.

He also recorded a minimum of 1.8 dribbles per game in a similar timeframe while the lowest average rating scored in any one year playing as a forward is 7.22 compared to the 6.78 overall rating he managed in 25 appearances last season, via WhoScored.

This demonstrates where his best role might be suited, it’s now up to Monk to take advantage of this.

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…

Manuel Pellegrini would have been looking for his first-team players to bounce back following a dreadful display by a largely second-string XI against Oxford United during the week.

There were changes aplenty at the Vitality Stadium, but one man who did keep his place in the side was summer addition Pablo Fornals.

The £24m man hadn’t impressed at the Kassam Stadium in a humiliating 4-0 defeat, and was handed a 3/10 rating by Football London for his performance – it was certainly concerning that he wasn’t able to make an impact against League One opposition.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Part of the reason the Spaniard got the nod again against the Cherries may well have been the fact that Manuel Lanzini wasn’t fit enough start on his return from injury, with the Argentine only named among the substitutes.

The former Villarreal man is taking time to acclimatise to English football, with no goals or assists to show for his seven Premier League outings to date.

He actually came under criticism from some Irons supporters on Twitter for his showing against Eddie Howe’s men, but the statistics suggest he did a much better job than they think he might have done.

For example, the 23-year-old completed all 26 of the passes he attempted, according to SofaScore, while he also made an impressive three key passes on the south coast.

Fornals also saw four shots blocked by the opposition, and showed that he is willing to put the work in from a defensive viewpoint as well by winning one tackle.

His positive display has certainly made Pellegrini’s life difficult ahead of the visit of Crystal Palace to the London Stadium this weekend, with the decision on who to pick in his midfield surely one of his hardest right now.

Felipe Anderson is clearly a quality player who can make a difference, Andriy Yarmolenko is in form, Declan Rice and Mark Noble are almost un-droppable, and Manuel Lanzini has been one of the Irons’ most talented individuals in recent times.

With Fornals showing signs he can be a Premier League success it may give his Chilean manager a headache, although it has to be seen as a positive one because after all he’d rather have more quality available than not.

Choosing between Lanzini and Fornals is tough, and one is sure to be left disappointed when the team-sheet is announced on Saturday.

West Ham remain interested in Sam Johnstone, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Irons were originally linked with a move for the West Brom goalkeeper during the summer transfer window, when Football Insider claimed that the 28-year-old was a firm target for David Moyes and he was “very keen” to join the east Londoners.

With his contract set to expire in the summer, the Scotsman could well plot to sign him once again.

“WBA and England goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is targeted by Tottenham. Southampton and West Ham are the other interested teams with the young keeper,” claimed verified Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur.

He added: “Johnstone will be free to negotiate with those clubs in January. His West Bromwich contract will expire at the end of this season.”

Bye-bye Fabianski?

The Hammers brought in Alphonse Areola on loan from Paris Saint-Germain instead of signing the England international, so this renewed interest could mean one of two things.

Either Moyes is not convinced by the 6 foot 5 loanee or he wants to replace the likes of Lukasz Fabianski, Darren Randolph and Dave Martin, all of whom are the wrong side of 30.

The latter scenario seems more likely and a goalkeeping department of Areola and Johnstone would be very competitive and something you’d expect from a Premier League side vying for a European spot.

West Ham’s new head of recruitment Rob Newman could seal a bargain in the Baggies shot-stopper, especially if he secures him for nothing.

Despite being relegated last season, Johnstone made Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2020, though that should come as little surprise as he was one of the more impressive options between the sticks. No goalkeeper made more saves (161) than the 6 foot 4 glovesman in the 2020/21 Premier League, as per FBRef.

Former Villa boss Steve Bruce lauded him as a “diamond” for his work ethic on the training pitch. “He’s a diamond – first in, last out. He’s a typical goalkeeper who wants to learn,” the 60-year-old said, via BirminghamLive.

The £7.2m-rated star is only thought to be earning around £32.5k-per-week at The Hawthorns, which further suggests that it would be an absolute steal to secure him, especially ahead of Spurs and the Saints.

Newman and co must look to replace Fabianski with Johnstone in 2022.

AND in other news, Signed for £18m, now worth 81% less: GSB endured nightmare with “special” West Ham dud…

Danny Mills has made a bold transfer prediction about Rangers right-back Nathan Patterson…

What’s the talk?

Former England international Danny Mills has suggested that Rangers could sell Nathan Patterson for an initial fee of around £4m in January.

The Sun reported that Everton are keen on the full-back, who is said to be valued at £10m by Rangers, with Mills now believing that a lower figure could secure a deal.

He told Football Insider:

“It’s big money for someone is yet to prove it.

“It could be one of those where it’s £4million or £5million then it rises to £10million if he does x, y and z. That’s the way I’d always look to negotiate a deal as a buying club.

“He’s obviously a decent talent but at 19, he’s still got a lot to prove.”

Fans would be livid

Rangers chief Ross Wilson must avoid an Ibrox nightmare over Patterson following these quotes from Danny Mills on the full-back’s future. Fans would be livid if the club opted to sell him for an initial fee of £4m, given that he is a promising young player who still has three years left on his current contract.

He is not a player who is coming towards the end of his deal and could leave on a free transfer. This means that Rangers have the power in the situation and can afford to fight back against interest from elsewhere, which is why fans would be furious if they conceded defeat with Patterson and allowed a team like Everton to sign him for such a low initial fee.

The club’s head of academy Craig Mulholland once lauded the full-back, saying: “Nathan has been fantastic for us this year.

“Again, we started the project five, six, years ago to get a level of player that we felt could go and compete in the Europa League, could go and compete in Old Firm games.

“And if you go and look at Nathan in the last 16 of the Europa League, if you look at him in the Old Firm game, it’s a great example for all the young players in here of what we’re trying to achieve.”

He made four appearances in the Europa League last season, averaging a solid SofaSore rating of 6.85 and managed a score of 6.86 in seven Scottish Premiership outings. This shows that the 19-year-old could have the potential to develop into a solid player for the club, as he has already shown signs of promise as a teenager.

Therefore, fans will surely be wanting to see him fulfill his potential at Ibrox rather than leaving to go to England with Everton, especially for an initial fee that is £6m less than the club’s reported asking price.

That is why Wilson must hold his ground and work hard to keep Patterson at the club unless his valuation is met in full.

AND in other news, 67% duels lost: Rangers lightweight let Gerrard down badly vs Motherwell…

Aston Villa have been handed a major injury boost over Ollie Watkins ahead of their Premier League clash against Chelsea later today.

What’s the story?

The England international had been out of action for Villa for the opening two Premier League games before coming on as a substitute late on in the draw against Brentford last time out.

Dean Smith’s side travel to Stamford Bridge to take on the reigning Champions League holders on Saturday, and via a tweet from the club’s official social media channels, Smith said: “We should be welcoming Ollie Watkins back. We’ve also got Leon Bailey back to full fitness now. Bertrand Traore has trained the last couple of days as well. John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey have recovered from their Covid-19 situations too.”

Villa fans will be buzzing

Make no mistake about it, while Danny Ings got his Villa career off to a decent start with a goal on his debut, missing Watkins for those opening couple of games would’ve come as a massive blow to Smith.

The striker led Villa’s charge up the table last term, bagging 16 goals in all competitions (including 14 in the Premier League alone) and netting in home and away fixtures against both Liverpool and Arsenal. Such were his impressive performances in his debut campaign in the top flight that reports even suggested that the Merseyside club were interested in signing him in the summer transfer window.

Indeed, former Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has even touted Watkins with winning the Premier League’s Golden Boot award, saying: “I think people might look at that statement and say ‘no chance’, but you look at last season, his first season in the Premier League, Watkins was scoring goals galore, he wasn’t even taking penalties and still got into double figures.

“I think if he is to win the Golden Boot he’d need to be on penalties, so we need to get El Ghazi off of them. But, he’s an outstanding striker, he’s got his England caps and he’s getting better and better with each game he plays in the Premier League.”

Dubbed a “machine” by Chris Deacon, programme editor at Watkins’ previous club Brentford, the £34m-rated star’s return is sure to have fans buzzing.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa had a transfer masterclass with this ace…