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Although Southampton’s summer transfer window saw the club sign Che Adams from Birmingham City in a £15m deal, the form of another striker at St Mary’s is driving forward Ralph Hasenhüttl’s vision for the Saints in 2019/20.

Danny Ings, 27, arrived at the club on loan in 2018, but injuries have curtailed the striker’s ability to regularly start, with the former Liverpool man making 24 league appearances in the 2018/19 campaign.

Although Ings scored seven goals and registered three assists during his debut season on the south coast, so far in 2019/20 the striker has scored four goals in just nine Premier League appearances, whilst also registering an assist.

This impressive form has led to Hasenhüttl dropping summer signing Adams, with the former Birmingham man resigned to the bench for the last three games.

Yet pleasingly for the Saints’ Austrian boss, Ings has justified his manager’s decision to start him for three successive league games – the first time he has done so in 2019/20, and three consecutive goalscoring appearances alongside a brace in the Carabao Cup against Portsmouth points to a striker who is in imperious form and is consequently repaying his manager’s faith.

Although Jurgen Klopp’s decision to let Ings leave Anfield was more than understandable given the quality of the Reds’ frontline in the form of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, the 27-year-old is currently displaying the qualities that sparked Liverpool’s interest in acquiring his services from Burnley in 2015.

With injuries such a well-documented pitfall of the striker’s career to date – with two spells out of over 200 days – if Ings is able to maintain his fitness levels and continue both starting and scoring for the Saints, then Liverpool may just rue letting go a forward who presently looks an upgrade on the attacking replacements at Anfield such as Divock Origi.

The 2019/20 campaign will be vital for Ings in ensuring he can rediscover the form that saw him earn a senior cap with England in 2015, but for now, Hasenhüttl will be delighted at the goalscoring performances that his striker is delivering; even if it is at the expense of the club’s summer signing Adams.

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… 

Eddie Nketiah was presented with a real opportunity on Saturday against Sheffield Wednesday as he was handed his joint-longest league outing of the season.

Indeed, he was brought on at half-time rather than his usual late introduction. However, he didn’t grasp this opportunity to prove himself.

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There have been a number of calls for the 20-year-old to start in recent weeks, and an extended appearance against the Owls was a real chance for him to show that he has more to his game than just goals, but his stats from that game show that he didn’t have the required impact.

Of course, scoring goals is a key thing for any striker, and Nketiah failed to find the net against Wednesday.

However, with Bamford unable to score in any of his last nine appearances, a 45-minute barren spell for the Arsenal loanee can be forgiven.

What can’t be forgiven though is his wastefulness on the ball.

Despite only playing the second half against the Owls, the striker was dispossessed the second-highest number of times of any Leeds United player as he lost the ball on three occasions.

On top of that, he had more unsuccessful touches than any other Whites player, and that may be down to his tendency to dribble.

Ever wondered how modern day skills would cope with the world’s oldest football? Find out in the video below…

Indeed, Nketiah completed three dribbles in his appearance against Wednesday – three times more than any other Leeds player – a marginal positive to take from a shoddy cameo.

In comparison, Bamford completes just 0.2 dribbles per game, and while more dribbles may seem like a good thing – losing the ball over and over is the last thing that Bielsa wants from his strikers.

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…

A one-off event, or the start of something?

Leicester City stunned the footballing world on Friday night as they thrashed Southampton 9-0 on the South Coast, and one former Premier League defender believes that this could just be the beginning for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

What’s he said?

Speaking on Match Of The Day (26/10, 10.30pm onwards), Keown took the opportunity to praise the Foxes boss and the squad he’s starting to put together.

He also admitted that he’s not feeling confident that his former side Arsenal will be able to get a result when they take on the Midlands outfit.

“This team’s going places, Brendan Rodgers I think is an outstanding ambitious manager, with lots of really good young players. They thoroughly deserved that, they play Arsenal in a couple of weeks and I’m going to be hiding behind the sofa.”

Putting the league on notice

Leicester have got off to a fantastic start this season, having only lost twice this season, with one of those defeats coming in heartbreaking fashion in the last minute at Anfield against league leaders Liverpool.

However, a result like this and the ruthlessness that it showed is the kind of thing that has given the rest of the league something to think about.

When Manchester City put eight past Watford, it made a few ripples around the Premier League, but because of the number of times Pep Guardiola’s side have put large numbers past teams, it wasn’t really a big shock.

This result on the other hand was.

Check out the best fan reaction from Southampton 0-9 Leicester in the video below…

Whilst it was only against a relegation-threatened side like Southampton who were down to ten men, if Leicester can show the same level of intensity going forward, the big teams could have a hard job on their hands keeping them at bay.

But will they be able to keep it up throughout the season, or will they run out of steam eventually? Whether their nearest rivals can perform will also have a say.

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

When Sebastien Haller made his big-money arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer, Manuel Pellegrini would no doubt have been hoping for the £45m to start firing right away for West Ham.

Instead, the Frenchman has had a bit of an inconsistent start to life in the Premier League, scoring three goals in the space of two games back in late August, before going on a run of just one in the next six. Pellegrini has so far appeared to favour the one striker formation for the Hammers, but could getting the best out of Haller come with giving him a strike partner for him to work with?

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At Frankfurt, the Frenchman’s partnership with Luka Jovic was something to behold, with the latter even remarking that the key to their success was because they had “chemistry” on the pitch. The duo could share the goal-scoring burden and feed off each other.

So, with reports from Football Insider suggesting the Hammers could be interested in a January swoop for Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud, could that be the signing that truly unlocks their summer signing’s full potential?

On the chalkboard

Whilst Haller and Giroud on first glance appear to be two of the same, in terms of their physical profile, they could forge a dominant relationship together. The latter has made a career out of being a battering ram with a delicate touch – think back to the 33-year-old’s involvement in Arsenal’s impressive team goals against Norwich and Sunday respectively.

Haller has been starved of real service this season, and can often get isolated on his own up front. As per Sofascore, in the Premier League this season, he has averaged just 45.1 touches and 1.6 shots per game, and that is directly as a result of West Ham struggling to maintain control. They have averaged less than 50% possession this season in the top-flight, and that only increases the pressure on their star striker to try and create something out of nothing.

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

For a target-man centre-forward, Giroud has got a career average of 0.9 key passes per game, and that little bit of ingenuity when it comes to creating chances for his fellow teammates could be the key to getting to his fellow Frenchman, Haller, more chances to score.

Arsene Wenger’s concluding years with Arsenal were certainly divisive amongst the club’s fanbase, but comments from the Frenchman regarding decisions from the Arsenal hierarchy relating to Aaron Ramsey have got many of the club’s fans talking.

Wenger departed north London after 22 years at the helm, with the veteran manager winning three Premier League titles and a record seven FA Cups.

However, his former side have failed to adapt to the new regime of Unai Emery, having won just four of their first 11 league fixtures.

Since leaving the club, Wenger has made a number of television appearances offering footballing insight, but the 70-year-old’s comments regarding former midfielder Ramsey and his departure to Serie A giants Juventus on a free transfer have got these fans criticising the club whilst praising their former boss for his honest insight. 

Some also reflected on the Welshman’s time at the club after he scored in the Champions League.

Have appeared as a guest on beIN SPORTS, here are some of the best reactions to Wenger’s comments regarding Ramsey’s exit from The Emirates.

One of the best holding midfielders the Premier League has seen this decade, it’s fair to say Nemanja Matic’s career in the past couple of seasons has taken a sharp decline.

In his highly successful time at Chelsea, the Serbian was a complete animal in the middle of the park, breaking up play and protecting the back four as good as anyone in the division. As per Whoscored, in the Blues’ title-winning campaign in the 2014/2015 season, Matic recorded 3.6 tackles, two interceptions and 2.2 dribbles per game.

Contrast that to his numbers last season, and it really does paint a picture. The 31-year-old averaged just 1.8 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and one dribble per game over the course of the Premier League season, and it’s therefore been little surprise to see Ole Gunnar Solskjaer move away from using him this year.

He has played just five times across all competitions, and now, The Telegraph report that he is eyeing a move away from the club – possibly as early as the upcoming January transfer window.

After hearing the update on Matic’s future, United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the midfielder.

Many Red Devils supporters revealed both their delight and relief at potentially seeing the £40m man finally go, with some fans hailing Solskjaer for clearing out the “deadwood”.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

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

According to Sky Sports, Manchester City are considering a move for Leicester City star defender Caglar Soyuncu.

What’s the story?

The Turkey international has been making a lot of noise for the Foxes this season, helping the club into second in the table after 12 games.

The reports from Sky Sports tell how Pep Guardiola wanted to sign former Leicester man Harry Maguire, but the defender went to Manchester United instead. Now, City are monitoring the club’s new centre-back hero Soyuncu and his defensive partner Jonny Evans.

Could be the difference

After the defeat to Liverpool, City have dropped down to fourth in the table and trail the league leaders by nine points. The main cause in their slight demise early on has been their struggles at the back ever since Aymeric Laporte got injured.

The Frenchman is still not expected back for a while after undergoing surgery on his knee. Now, with Soyuncu, they may have found a good enough replacement to patch up their shaky defence. The 23-year-old has been one of the Premier League’s best defenders so far, as Leicester boast an incredible eight goals conceded in just 12 league games – the best in the division.

The £18m-rated man has started each of these 12 games and proved to be a vital addition to the squad this season after starting just four league games last year. He was even named in The Guardian’s team of the season so far earlier this week.

In reality, Guardiola shot himself in the foot by not signing a centre-back in the summer. It was known since May that Vincent Kompany was leaving and the club’s failure to find a replacement for the legendary Belgian has been a thoroughly regrettable oversight.

Now, with the January window soon upon us, Guardiola must sign at least one centre-back to bolster his options and that man could be Soyuncu.

His time in England so far suggests he could be a valuable addition and City can’t afford to go any longer with their makeshift defence if they want to clinch a third consecutive title.

Everton fans have reacted to the reports from The Athletic that the club had the chance to sign Andy Robertson, Erling Braut Haaland and Harry Maguire.Each one of these players have gone on to become successful in their own right. Robertson has become one of Europe’s best left-backs, whilst Maguire broke the world record for a defender when he signed for Manchester United for £80m.As for Haaland, the 19-year-old has bagged an incredible 26 goals in just 18 appearances for Red Bull Salzburg this season and would no doubt be useful for Everton right now.Over the past couple of years, the likes of Sandro Ramirez have signed for the club and gone on to score just one goal in 16 appearances. So, as you would expect, some Everton fans are not best pleased about this recent report.One fan said it “reeks of Everton” as another supporter simply stated, “it doesn’t surprise me”.However, not all fans are furious with the news, with some followers happy with the likes of Yerry Mina and Lucas Digne.

Here’s what a select few have had to say on the reports…

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…

Egypt’s U23 coach has said he will take his time in deciding whether to select Mohamed Salah for the Tokyo Olympics next year, after the Pharaohs qualified for the tournament.

What did he say?

The north African nation qualified for the Olympic games after reaching the final of the U23 African Cup on Nations on home soil.

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Now, Shawky Gharib has said that is too soon to confirm whether he will select the 27-year-old, but it is a decision he will think about. He explained: “As an Egyptian, I’m so proud of what he [Salah] is doing with Liverpool, he is an amazing player and makes the whole nation proud.

“But it is too early to be talking about whether I will pick him to be with us in Tokyo 2020. I will think about the players that my team will need and then I will announce.”

Common sense must prevail

From an Egyptian point of view, there must be a huge temptation to include the former AS Roma man in the squad next summer. The Olympics, after all, is amongst the biggest sporting events on the planet, and Salah is easily the most famous Egyptian sportsperson. Not only that, but his presence in the team would surely be a boost for the players surrounding him.

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In regards to the 67-cap man himself, though, it would be dangerous to take him to Tokyo. Over the past two seasons, Salah has barely stopped. Since the start of the 2017/18 campaign, he has played in all but four Premier League and Champions League games, whilst he has also appeared for his country both in the World Cup in 2018 and in the African Cup of Nations a few months ago.

He has been suffering with an ankle injury since the match against Leicester City in October, and is a doubt to face Crystal Palace. It appears that the amount of football he is already playing is catching up with him.

If the £135m-valued winger – as per Transfermarkt – were to play next summer, that would mean starting his campaign at the end of July, and would also mean he would miss half of pre-season with Liverpool as well. At what point will common sense prevail? When will Salah be given the rest he needs to continue performing at the highest level?

2020 would be the only summer when he could have an extended break until 2024, providing Egypt qualify for both the African Cup of Nations in 2021 and 2023, and the World Cup in 2022. That is not beyond the realms of possibility.

It would be careless to take him to Japan next summer. Let’s hope his condition and well-being is taken into consideration.

In other news, one man will make a milestone appearance for the Reds against Crystal Palace, and he deserves legendary status that he often isn’t credited with.

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

Crystal Palace may need to look elsewhere in their hunt for a right-back this January after reported target Matty Cash signed a new three-and-a-half year deal with Nottingham Forest on Thursday.

What’s the word, then?

Well, according to The Sun (print version, November 15, page 74), the 22-year-old had been scouted by the south Londoners this season as Eagles representatives flock to the City Ground to watch the right-back in action.

Cash has enjoyed an excellent season so far since Sabri Lamouchi transformed him from a midfielder into a full-back upon taking over the squad back in the summer, and the switch has worked wonders.

Impressively, Cash has scored twice and assisted twice from right-back this term across 16 Championship appearances, with his form earning him a fresh contract at the side where he rose through the academy ranks into the first team.

Transfer blow means Steve Parish might have to look elsewhere

It is a well documented fact that the Eagles didn’t replace Aaron Wan-Bissaka back in the summer following the England U21 star’s £50m move to Manchester United, and now they may have to look elsewhere in their hunt for a replacement.

The fact that Cash has signed a new deal makes it either extremely unlikely that he will leave just weeks after putting pen to paper, or it will mean his transfer fee rockets up as Forest now have a stronger negotiating stance against Premier League sides interested in him – Everton and Southampton have also expressed interest in the Forest star, as per the aforementioned report.

There is still plenty of time for the south Londoners to adjust to this news and identify a different target, but it can certainly be considered a significant transfer blow for Palace given the added security Forest now have over the player’s future.

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In other news, Crystal Palace are seemingly keen on a full-back who could be the next Matt Doherty…