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Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos was unlucky to be slammed by Marca as having a night to forget against Mallorca, as the Iberostar Stadium natives recorded a shock win over Los Blancos on Saturday.

Marca ripped into Ramos for his efforts over the weekend in their player ratings, where they described the Galacticos captain as being brought back down to reality after breaking records with the Spain national side.

Ramos became Spain’s most-capped player of all time during the October international break (BBC), when he earned his 168th appearance in a 1-1 draw in Norway to surpass Iker Casillas’ haul of 167 outings and pull further clear of former FC Barcelona men Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

Los Blancos supporters have seemingly agreed with Marca’s claim that Ramos was one of the worst-performing players against Mallorca, too, with fans voting the centre-half as their side’s ninth-best performer.

However, Ramos fared no worse than the alleged third-best man Eder Militao, and in some aspects performed relatively stronger than the Brazilian making his first start for Madrid away from the Santiago Bernabeu.

As AS Diario noted, Ramos had little to do with Mallorca coming out on top, with the £22.5m-rated defender (per TransferMarkt) instead unfortunate not to decide the encounter in his side’s favour when he came close to getting on the end of several set-pieces.

Defensively, Ramos matched Militao for tackles won, as well, with both attempting and winning three each, which only Casemiro could lay claim to more of on both accounts, per WhoScored data.

Ramos also registered more clearances than his central-defensive partner with two, as well as one interception, two successful aerial duels, and penned a 95% pass success rate.

No player for either side played more passes than Ramos, either, with the veteran centre-half attempting to find a teammate 78 times as Madrid were beaten for the first time in La Liga this season.

Had it not been for Lago Junior scoring in the seventh minute, or had Ramos connected with one of the several set-pieces he came close to netting from, fans – and Marca – could easily have been praising the defender for his performance rather than slamming the Sevilla-born centre-half.

Madrid fans, where did the Saturday night encounter with Mallorca go wrong for Ramos to warrant Marca’s damning assessment? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

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So it appears being 19 doesn’t give you a free pass. Tahith Chong has been tipped to enjoy a bright career by some, and featured prominently for Manchester United during the club’s pre-season tour.

The teenager is amongst a clutch of Red Devils youngsters looking to make their mark at Old Trafford, and was handed the chance to start against Rochdale in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

The Dutchman however failed to grab his opportunity and struggled to impose himself on the game. Before being subbed off in the 59th minute, Chong managed no shots on target, dribbles or accurate crosses.

After seeing the 19-year-old’s display, United fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the former Feyernoord man.

Many supporters of the Manchester side insisted he simply isn’t good enough to make it at this level, with one fan in particular describing him as a “poor man’s Stewart Downing”.

Some Red Devils fans hammered his end product, and labelled him as “atrocious”.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

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…

Barcelona have seen some better days in their incredibly rich history – the days of Pep Guardiola picking up Champions League honours particularly coming to mind.

And precisely because of that history, it’s unusual to see them have a bad or a slow start to the season. Sure, even the biggest of clubs fluff their lines here and there and even the champions can fall in an upset or two.

But seven games into the new domestic campaign and one into the Champions League group stage, and we’re still waiting for Barcelona to fully announce themselves to the world. Only four wins, two defeats, and a mere one game in which Barca have scored more than twice.

With Lionel Messi’s ongoing injury problems, it’s not really a surprise that we haven’t seen the Catalans’ full power and their final form just yet. But what’s even more concerning is that one of their best performers has been their goalkeeper.

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Marc-Andre ter Stegen is very much Blaugrana’s first-choice goalie and has his place set in stone. But he has warranted that status within the squad by saving his team on numerous occasions so far.

If you look at Barcelona’s record in 2019/20, you might question that statement. After all, the lads from the Catalan capital had conceded a goal in every single league game until their latest bout with Getafe. It’s not really a defensive record of champions and it doesn’t really say anything hugely positive about their goalkeeper.

But had it not been for Ter Stegen, who knows how many more would have rattled their net.

So far, the German has averaged two saves per game in La Liga and four saves in the Champions League, alongside a penalty save.

This does put these words into perspective a bit more but it was actually the game against Getafe that’s somehow the crown jewel of his contribution.

Barcelona were struggling to break down the organised defence of their hosts and then Ter Stegen announced himself properly.

The German first ran out of his box to intercept a pass, only to chest it down and after a brief glance at his forwards, he lofted a pinpoint long ball into the feet of Luis Suarez who finished it with a chip over the goalkeeper.

With that, he became the first goalkeeper in the 21st century to tally an assist for Barcelona.

Right now, he just might be their most important player, especially with a certain Argentine wizard still being sidelined by injuries.

And if he continues performing on that level, it will be just a matter of time before the world recognises him as such too.

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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…

Danny Mills believes Alex Iwobi’s move to Merseyside has provided him with an opportunity to rejuvenate his career.

What did he say?

Iwobi had spent 15 years at Arsenal having joined at the age of eight, graduating from the academy under Arsene Wenger before going on to make 149 senior appearances for the club, although he did receive some criticism from Unai Emery last season.

The Turk was not as patient with the winger as his predecessor was, warning the 23-year-old earlier this year that he had to become more productive in the final third if he was to hold down a consistent place in the team.

Having failed to do so, the Gunners were more than willing to allow his move to Goodison Park, particularly for a price of £34m.

It is a quite surprising sum given he contributed only 15 goals and 27 assists during his time at Arsenal, but Danny Mills believes he has quality and perhaps only needed the chance to breathe fresh life into his game, which is what this move has provided.

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills said: “I think sometimes you can go a little bit stale at clubs, especially when you’ve been there as a kid, you’re maybe not as appreciated as you deserve. He’s been given a fresh chance and a new challenge and it seems that excitement and endeavour is back.

“He’s already got himself on the scoresheet, which was questioned of him, which is fabulous. It looks like he has that renewed energy and sometimes it’s very, very simple. He probably just feels a little bit loved, a little appreciated.”

Chance to shine

The Nigerian has seemingly already completed his first goal upon arrival – to gain a place in the first-team. Bernard had started the Toffees’ opening few matches but an impressive cameo appearance against Aston Villa allowed Iwobi to stake a claim for the first team.

In the two matches since he has started twice and got on the scoresheet on both occasions, and is starting to show his influence on the team.

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He is amongst the most creative members of Everton’s squad and his skill on the ball opens up chances and space for teammates, so he could be a key outlet for Marco Silva’s side.

However, if he is to become a key man he does need to work on his end product. His two goals so far will give him confidence and if he can continue scoring at such a rate then the move from Arsenal will be regarded as a highly successful one.

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Very observant. We’re guessing that’s a clever little crossover with Iwobi’s name and Brazil legend Ronaldinho. Well done, Kelechi.

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According to The Sun, Man United and Chelsea are set to battle it out for Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen in the summer. 

This comes after Spanish giants Real Madrid have pulled out due to Tottenham’s valuation of the midfielder.

Now the debate surrounding Eriksen at Tottenham will seemingly endure for the rest of the season. On one hand, if the Denmark international is not going to sign a new contract at Tottenham, they will want to sell him at the end of the season. With a year and a half remaining on his contract, they will definitely not want him to leave for free.

Moreover, with the money that comes from the sale of Eriksen, the club could invest in bringing in a number of players to plug holes elsewhere on the field. Seeing as this could be quite a large sum, this means Tottenham could seriously bolster their team.

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However, as the weekend’s result against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup showed, Tottenham seem to be completely lost without Eriksen in attack. Of course, there were a large number of stars absent against The Eagles, but there is a correlation between Eriksen’s absence and how turgid Spurs’ attack looks. His ability to find space and transition play from defence to attack is like no other at Tottenham, and they simply do not have a player like him at all.

Unless they manage to replace such a unique and crucial player, Tottenham could be hurt by his departure. With every game that passes, it looks like Tottenham need Eriksen more and more, and the club should think about giving him the bumper contract that he desires.

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Manchester United are ignoring a major attacking weapon.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men may have beaten Chelsea 4-0 on the opening weekend of the season but that was a game that was out of keeping with the statistics and, really, a freak.

BBC Sport reported that United had 11 shots on goal at Old Trafford. Chelsea had 18.

They followed that up, though, with a dour 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers and, in the second half, Solskjaer’s men were outplayed.

A Ruben Neves stunner from range earned Nuno Espirito Santo’s impressive side a point but it felt on the day as though United had missed a trick.

The following weekend, Crystal Palace delivered the type of reality-checking sucker punch that serves to expose fragility and deeply-entrenched problems.

One of those problems lies within the defensive unit but the decision to lavish a world-record fee on Harry Maguire will not resolve that overnight.

But is there another characteristic to Maguire – a centre-back who is a genuine menace at corners and free-kicks – that could bolster United’s proficiency at both ends of the pitch?

In his career, he has scored 13 headed goals compared to five with his feet. Of the latter, he netted one in injury time against United after ghosting past the defence, and also earned Leicester City a point against Liverpool at Anfield last season with a sweeping volley into the bottom corner.

This is a defender by trade, of course, but he is a talent and a multifaceted one at that. At Leicester in 2018/19, per WhoScored, Maguire averaged one shot on goal per game, as well as 0.5 dribbles, 0.4 key passes, a pass completion rate of 85.6% and 1.2 interceptions.

It should be clear to see that Maguire can make an impact in the final third of the pitch as well as at the back and not solely at corners. United should still try to improve those as well.

Of course, Sheffield United’s promotion to the Premier League has placed central defenders under a microscope. Chris Wilder’s side utilise overlapping centre-backs, bringing the defenders forward in a bid to create overloads in the final third.

It works for them because they have defenders with the attributes to make it work and also adds an element of surprise; most backlines don’t expect to suddenly be marking the centre-half instead of the centre-forward.

One feels that this could be expanded to bigger clubs with better players, too, and Maguire is ideally suited.

He can bring the ball out of defence and has done it repeatedly for both Leicester and England; his rampaging runs were a highlight of the Three Lions’ run to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup.

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An excellent distributor of the ball, he is quick, too, and has the ability to slip into midfield and then further forward as United look to break down opposition backlines.

They have a functional midfielder in Scott McTominay who could drop into defence to cover him, and it could add an extra dimension to their forward play.

This isn’t to say that Martial should be slipping Maguire into a one-on-one situation, but the latter’s mere presence in the final third can bring the Frenchman into play and also confuse the opposition by being a spare man in the box.

It is a difficult tactic to master and Solskjaer would have to work at it on the training ground but one feels that Maguire could play a major role in transforming United’s attack this season.

It is an idea that the Norwegian should be exploring; it could make all the difference as United look to produce more performances of the Chelsea ilk, as opposed to the Wolves or Palace ilk.

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It ‘doesn’t look like’ Aaron Ramsey’s next club will be Crystal Palace, according to BBC Sport football reporter Alex Howell. 

He took to Twitter on Sunday to pour cold water over any realistic chance of the 31-year-old moving to Selhurst Park, claiming: “I understand that there aren’t any talks happening with Aaron Ramsey and Crystal Palace. Juventus manager Allegri said ‘he’s an outgoing player’ but doesn’t look like it will be to #CPFC”

This contrasts substantially with a previous report from Italian outlet Calciomercato which suggested that Palace were in ‘pole position’ to land the Welshman and that negotiations were ongoing.

While Ramsey does look set to move on during the January transfer window, it now seems a near-certainty that Selhurst Park won’t be his next destination.

What could Ramsey have offered to Palace?

Amidst a succession of injuries, Ramsey has been limited to just 97 minutes of Serie A action this season.

However, he did showcase his quality at last summer’s European Championship, with Wales team-mate Joe Allen hailing him as ‘world-class’ and ‘incredible’ after his goal in a crucial group stage victory over Turkey.

Ramsey also played for Arsenal before joining Juventus, and he commendably racked up 130 direct goal contributions (65 goals, 65 assists) in 371 appearances for the Gunners.

Here’s how some Palace fans reacted to Howell’s tweet, with opinion divided as to whether or not the latest development is a good thing.

Crystal Palace fans split on Ramsey news

“Could cry, there’s a weird idea that he’s washed and average. The guy would walk into our team so easily it’s embarrassing. Injuries and wages are the issues”

Credit: @cpfc_samh

“And just like that our hopes and dreams were dashed”

Credit: @pnm1979

“Disappointed”

Credit: @cpfc_sean

“Could cry”

Credit: @callum_cpfc_

“Thank god for that”

Credit: @cemtuna88

“Great news”

Credit: @PatrickEagles15

In other news, Jamie Carragher ripped into this Palace player against Brighton

Writing for The Guardian, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has lifted the lid on a fresh bid being prepared as Tottenham Hotspur grow ‘increasingly confident’ of signing Wolves star Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Spurs getting closer?

After being in negotiations for a while, with Matt Law of The Telegraph even claiming there was an attempt to agree a loan move, Spurs appear to edging closer to the signing of Traore.

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Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte has apparently mapped out a key role for the Spaniard in his squad as he aims to re-mould Traore into a right-wing-back, akin to how he transformed Victor Moses at former club Chelsea (The Athletic).

Reliable reporters Alasdair Gold of football.london and Tim Spiers of The Athletic both believe that Tottenham could strike an agreement for the 25-year-old, and this news is now backed by Romano.

The Latest: Romano shares big Traore update…

According to the Italian journalist for The Guardian, Tottenham are ‘increasingly confident’ of landing Traore and are ‘preparing a new bid’ for one of Conte’s top targets.

This comes after ‘fresh talks were held on Friday’, with Wolves apparently accepting that he will not renew his current Molineux deal, which as it stands is set to expire in 2023.

Discussions are now aimed at a breakthrough after the north Londoners’ initial £15m offer was rejected.

The Verdict: Brilliant potential first signing…

As all signs continue to point to Traore’s arrival in north London before January 31, we believe that he may well be a brilliant potential first acquisition for Conte. Once valued at a sky-high £100m, Spurs could now sign a very exciting player for much less than that, as reports claim that his current club will sell for around £20m.

Football Insider pundit Noel Whelan certainly believes that the 25-year-old is the ideal capture for Tottenham transfer chief Fabio Paratici, claiming that Traore is a ‘game-changer’ and ‘match-winner’ with a real ‘excitement about him’.

Averaging a brilliant 4.2 successful take-ons per game in the Premier League this season, far more than any current Spurs player (WhoScored), it’s hard to disagree with Whelan’s assessment.

In other news: Spurs also reportedly ‘edging closer’ to signing ‘massive’ £15m defender, find out more here.

Everton writer for The Athletic Patrick Boyland has revealed the latest information in the Toffees’ pursuit of signing a right-back in the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the story?

In The Athletic’s ‘Transfer Mailbag’ series, Boyland responded to a question from an Everton fan regarding the possibility of signing a right-back to challenge Seamus Coleman by saying: “That’s certainly our understanding currently — right-back is still an area of priority.

“They know it needs to be addressed and that they’re currently putting too much strain on Coleman.”

Boyland also revealed that they “continued to track Rangers’ Nathan Patterson even after the failed summer move” who “is the favourite as it stands.” Everton have also tracked “Aberdeen’s Calvin Ramsay and Metz’s Fabien Centonze” as well as Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles being mentioned.

Everton fans will be buzzing

Seamus Coleman, now 33 years of age, is approaching the 13th anniversary of when he first signed for the Merseyside club and is still their first-choice right-back by some margin with Jonjoe Kenny making just two Premier League appearances this term.

The Irishman is still a key player for Rafa Benitez’s side having played 13 league games this season. However, with the right-back approaching veteran status, it may be wise for the Everton hierarchy to start seeking out an eventual replacement.

After 13 years of loyal service, Coleman will certainly go down as a fan favourite at Goodison Park. That said, it’s no secret that he’s is approaching the end of his lengthy spell in the royal blue.

Performances this season have largely been under par, earning a SofaScore match rating of above 6.2 just twice in his last five matches. That highlights the club’s need for a replacement with it clear that Benitez doesn’t much fancy Kenny as Coleman’s long-term successor.

The 33-year-old’s contract expires in June 2023, meaning that the Irishman will go into the final year of his contract next season, should he still be an Everton player.

This should act as an alarm bell of Everton’s hierarchy who will surely opt against handing an ageing full-back a contract extension in six months’ time.

Therefore, the news that a right-back is a priority for Benitez and Moshiri should leave fans elated.

AND in other news, Benitez heading for unforgivable EFC transfer disaster on “cold” £40.5m-rated machine…