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Eddie Nketiah has taken well to life at Leeds so far.

In his first four games in all competitions, he has scored three goals, which is all you can ask for from your striker. He has also taken advantage of the starts offered by Marcelo Bielsa, scoring in both games when he was included from the beginning in the Carabao Cup.

However, he is yet to start in the Championship and has only featured twice in the league. He did score the winner against Brentford after being introduced from the bench, but clearly his manager at Elland Road does not feel he is yet ready to lead the line.

“They have the bigger mentality” – Spurs fans come to blows after the North London Derby in the video below…

That responsibility has been handed to Patrick Bamford and as such, that is who Nketiah will need to dislodge. So far this term, Bamford has hit the ground running, bagging four goals in six starts for the Yorkshire side as well as one assist. He has taken 3.7 shots a game.

Whilst it is hard to take too much from this season’s 58 minutes he has played, we can look at the England U21 international’s performances in the Europa League last season, where he started two matches. Across those two games, he had two shots per match, but averaged 4.5 dribbles.

That doesn’t appear to be something Bielsa will want too much of. The most frequent dribblers for the Whites this term are Jack Harrison and Pablo Hernandez, with just two each a match. Instead, Leeds have averaged 61.2% possession. That does not leave too much space for solo runs, but rather requires players to move the ball on quickly.

On the other hand, Bamford has not completed a single take-on in those six games, which is obviously lower than Nketiah’s 0.3 this term despite him not yet starting a league game. To feature more frequently this term, this is something that he will have to remove from his game. Should he do so, we can expect to see him more often at Elland Road.

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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…

While it was always going to be a tough game against Belgium, Scotland international Robert Snodgrass looked to have the perfect opportunity to prove to West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini why he should be starting on the right wing in Michail Antonio’s injury absence.

He may have got the nod against Brighton, but it was Andriy Yarmolenko that featured in the XI there in the subsequent wins against Watford and Norwich City, scoring against the latter.

Snodgrass therefore could have done with a positive showing on Monday to stake his claim for a spot in the east London outfit’s side that looks to be firmly up for grabs, but he failed to take it and was even slated by Scotland fans for his display.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

While you can never question the £10.2m man’s endeavour and high work rate, he does often leave a lot to be desired when it comes to showing some actual quality.

Granted, he did have an impressive passing accuracy of 93% against Roberto Martinez’s men, as per SofaScore, but he also came up short in many other areas.

For example, he committed five fouls – more than anyone else on the pitch – and lost possession on 14 occasions – more times than any of his teammates.

He failed to impress from an attacking sense either when his country needed him, with just one of his eight crosses proving to be accurate on a day when Scotland needed to be at their best to get anything.

As we mentioned previously, Snodgrass has some attributes that make him an attractive proposition for a manager – and one that Pellegrini has heavily utilised in the past – but his latest international display was just another sign that he should be a fringe player and nothing more at West Ham from here on in.

If the Irons really are serious about breaking into the top six in the Premier League, they need players on the pitch with proven quality, and the 32-year-old simply doesn’t cut the mustard any longer.

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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…

Having made a high-profile move to Liverpool back in May 2010, there were undoubtedly high hopes for the kind of career Jonjo Shelvey would go on to enjoy.

After breaking into the Reds’ first-team as an 18-year-old, former Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson remarked he was very impressed with the kind of progress the midfielder was making.

“What is good to see is that a young player we have invested money in is proving to be worth his money and is proving to be the future prospect we think he is. He is a confident young man but he’s modest and he knows there is a lot of work to be done before he can hold his hand up and say ‘Look at me, what a good Premier League player I am’.” Roy Hodgson, December 2010

Fast forward almost a decade later and Shelvey has failed to match the kind of potential many thought he had. Now in a Newcastle shirt, the Englishman featured in the Magpies’ opening two Premier League games of this season, but was dropped to the bench following the side’s successive defeats.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Sean Longstaff’s untimely injury however gave Shelvey the perfect opportunity to stake his claim once more on Saturday. The stage was set for him. An away game at his old stomping ground of Anfield and the chance to silence the doubters – his former boss at Swansea, Garry Monk, infamously slammed him for being “lazy”. Unfortunately, the six-cap England international fluffed his lines and proved Monk right.

A game against the European champions is never easy, but the 27-year-old really didn’t help matters for his team. Per SofaScore, he lost possession 12 times and was dribbled past twice as Liverpool’s midfield overwhelmed him and Isaac Hayden.

He made zero tackles in the entire game despite the Magpies being on the back foot for the majority of the clash, whilst his trademark long passes went awry too – just three out of the eight he attempted were successful.

Shelvey’s miserable afternoon was best summed up when he frustratingly tried to lob Adrian from inside his own-half, thus meekly surrendering possession. It spoke of someone who still hasn’t matured at the highest-level, and when Longstaff makes his comeback from injury, it could mean a place on the bench yet again for the once promising prospect.

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Understandably, Tottenham were the most well represented side in the XI after they dismantled Crystal Palace.

Son Heung-min scored twice and he gets in the team alongside Serge Aurier, who was a constant attacking threat, and Toby Aldeweireld, who put in a solid shift.

Other sides that were well represented were Norwich, Liverpool and Southampton.

Sadio Mane gets a spot after netting a brace, while Roberto Firmino starts up front after his Man of the Match performance.

Jamal Lewis and Emi Buendia get in after their heroic performances against Man City, while Angus Gunn and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg get spots after Southampton overcame Sheffield United.

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Following a late draw against Derby, Leeds fans were understandably angry.

They witnessed their team have over 60% of the possession, hit the post and miss a penalty before eventually conceding to Chris Martin in injury time.

The hosts had taken the lead through a fortuitous own goal but their luck beyond that point seemed to be non-existent as they drew with the Rams 1-1.

Much of the fan frustration was directed at Patrick Bamford at full-time, however, as he became the scapegoat from yet more dropped points at home.

One supporter labelled the 6 foot 1 striker a donkey as another determined that Marcelo Bielsa needed to drop him from the side.

A further individual said he should never start again while one suggested he couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat.

Bamford has scored four times for Leeds this term but has now gone three games without finding the back of the net, via WhoScored.

The 26-year-old hit the post on Saturday but he also had another four attempts, none of which he took.

Here’s the best of the reaction from Twitter.

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

According to Italian publication Calcio Mercato, Liverpool are interested in making a move for Ajax forward David Neres.

What’s the word?

The Brazilian has been a key performer for the Dutch side since joining the club from Sao Paulo in January 2017. Last season, the 22-year-old scored twelve goals and provided a further 15 assists in 50 appearances across all competitions, with two of those strikes coming against Real Madrid and Juventus in the Champions League.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The forward was reported to have had an offer to leave the Eredivisie giants during the summer, but a deal failed to materialise. It was then confirmed he had penned a new deal with the club. However, Calcio Mercato now claim Liverpool are eyeing up a swoop for Neres as they look to strengthen their attack.

Potential

At just 22, the Brazil international has a lot of room for growth in the future. But that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be able to contribute significantly for Liverpool were he to join anytime soon. Ajax’s fairy-tale run to the last four of the Champions League last season gave him incredible exposure to football at the highest level, and that should stand him in good stead at Anfield.

As someone who can operate both on the left and right flanks, Neres would give Klopp real strength in depth in the wide areas. Both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have shared a lot of the goal-scoring burden – they were joint-winners of the Premier League’s Golden Boot last season – and so signing the Ajax starlet would ease the pressure on them considerably.

Whilst his start to the current campaign hasn’t really taken off yet with just two goals in total, his under-lying numbers still shows he is continuing to be an influential player for Ajax. In the league, Neres has averaged 1.3 shots, 1 key pass and 1.6 dribbles per game.

If the Reds make a swoop for the 22-year-old, they would be getting a player in the mould of some of their key attackers – direct, pacy and with an eye for goal – and thus someone who could quite comfortably ease the work-load on Salah and Mane.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Things have gone pretty well for Nottingham Forest so far this season.

On Friday evening, their win over Stoke City saw them take a temporary stand at the top of the Championship table having only lost one game this season, and that came on the opening weekend.

But some tough tests lay ahead due to the injuries picked up throughout September.

In that Stoke game, captain Michael Dawson was withdrawn early, meaning he is set to be out for the next couple of matches barring any major update on the medical front.

Watch Nottingham Forest Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

While Carl Jenkinson’s absence has forced Matty Cash back into the right-back role to deputise just like he did before the arrival of the former Arsenal man.

To be fair to the 22-year-old, he’s done a fantastic job there as he has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.36 in that position and has also picked up a goal and two assists.

But after all, his natural position is in attack. Consequently, he can be lacking defensively sometimes as his 1.1 tackles per game suggests – Jenkinson averaged 1.7 per match when he was fit.

Therefore, it would make sense to utilise the other defenders at Sabri Lamouchi’s disposal, and their academy has produced many a fine player over the years – none more so than the aforementioned skipper along with his defensive partner Joe Worrall.

Alex Mighten and Brennan Johnson have been given a taste of the first-team this season, though, both are attacking players and right now, the cause for concern is in defence.

So maybe it is time to give right-back Jordan Gabriel a go.

Former caretaker boss and academy manager Gary Brazil called the 21-year-old an ‘exceptional talent’ with the official Forest website also describing him as a ‘fast and tricky’ full-back.

He was first brought through the ranks around three years ago, but a serious injury hampered his chance of fully taking that opportunity.

Gabriel was introduced against Arsenal last week with 15 minutes left, and despite being four goals down, the 21-year-old displayed an impressive work ethic which left the team only conceding one more goal.

The youngster also recorded a 100% passing success rate and one tackle, per WhoScored.

Back in 2016, then U21 coach Jimmy Gilligan praised Gabriel, he said: “He has a great physique for a full back and is a very receptive learner. He has all the attributes to do well.”

Lamouchi has hinted that he may need to call upon the academy in light of this week due to the lack of options at his disposal.

With so many injuries to defenders, the electric right-back could well be one of those in line for an opportunity.

Phil Foden made an instant impact from the bench in Manchester City’s 2-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb with a goal in the 95th minute on Tuesday night. Indeed, the Stockport-born creative midfielder has been talked up by his club manager since carrying England’s under-17s to World Cup glory and, judging from the reaction below, a lot of City fans are right behind him.

Still, it’s been a frustrating season for Foden so far, who has had to bide his time at the Etihad Stadium amid the glittering array of talent on offer. In fact, he’s played just 10 Premier League minutes all season, as per WhoScored.

Furthermore, pundits such as talkSPORT’s Tony Cottee have claimed he needs to be sent out on loan, but it seems the 19-year-old has complete faith in Pep Guardiola to bring him into one of the strongest, if not the strongest, team in Europe as he remains on the sidelines.

If he does breakthrough, he’ll be the first player from City’s new £250m academy to fully establish himself in the starting 11 and, for a lot of City fans, the fact he’s from Greater Manchester should make it all that much sweeter.

After the performance, Foden posted a photo of himself hugging Raheem Sterling with the caption ‘Things you love to see’, and City fans showed just how much they’re backing the youngster.

You can see some of their reactions to the tweet below:

Should Phil Foden leave Manchester City? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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

In recent reports from The Daily Mail, Newcastle United are looking to lure back Lewis Gibson, who they sold to Everton in 2017 for a reported fee of £6m. The reports suggest he could be tempted to return to Tyneside now that U23 boss Peter Beardsley has left.

What has he done on Merseyside?

Gibson moved to Merseyside when he was just 16 and has certainly made a name for himself amongst the many young English talents around the country. In 2017, weeks after moving to Everton, Gibson played a role in helping the England U17s win the World Cup, which earned him a regular spot in the Premier League 2 side, playing 17 times in his first campaign.

This season, the defender scored his first goal for the Toffees and has played just twice thus far. Throughout his time at the club, the teenager has mainly stayed with the U23s, meaning he has played above his age group for some time, considering he joined the club at 16 and is still only 19.

Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

As demonstrated by Transfermarkt, Gibson is also known for his versatility, playing predominantly at centre-back, although he has stepped in as a left-back and even as a left midfielder.

Also, last season, the former Newcastle man played a role in helping the U23s win the Premier League 2 alongside the likes of Mason Holgate and Fraser Hornby, both of which are also struggling for first-team action with Everton.

Gibson may need to leave

As mentioned, Gibson joined the Toffees at just 16, as he believed he saw more of a future with the club. Back in 2017, he told Everton officials (as quoted by Chronicle Live): “The reputation has long been there that Everton brings through young players. You only have to look at the likes of Tom Davies, Kieran Dowell, Jonjoe Kenny”.

However, it has been anything but this for the youngster. Since moving from Tyneside, the centre-back has not yet stepped out for the first-team, despite playing a huge role in the Premier League 2 triumph and proving his worth with England’s successful youth sides.

This year, young stars such as Holgate have found only 17 minutes of Premier League action all season, while Tom Davies has featured for just 20 minutes in the top flight in 2019/20, whilst Jonjoe Kenny has had to move to Schalke on loan to get the game time he needs. Even at 26, left-back Luke Garbutt has had to pack his bags for another loan spell, just to get the minutes he craves.

In truth, Gibson’s plan of moving to Everton to break into the first-team has not happened at all, and if he wants to play senior football soon then perhaps moving back home to Newcastle will be his best idea.

One or the other, you can’t have both.

That seems to be the rationale when it comes to team selection in the eyes of former Forest player Colin Barrett.

He says that there is only room for one of either Tiago Silva and Joao Carvalho when it comes to the starting eleven.

What’s been said?

In an interview with Seat Pitch, Barrett said that both players offer something different to the game, and that it is hard for Lamouchi to pick between one or the other:

“It’s an interesting one because they are both quite different. Tiago has the box-to-box aspect, the graft and the eye for a pass. Joao has the flair and the ability to take risks – he’s the luxury that you simply have to cater for. Ultimately though as the season progresses they will fight for one shirt.”

It’s not impossible

Whilst Barrett may seem to think that it’s a case of one or the other, it’s not impossible for the two to work together.

In the 4-2-3-1 formation, as previously discussed, Samba Sow will be the predominant defensive midfielder because of his ability to protect the back four.

It’s then left to the two of them to be responsible for the attacking aspect of midfield.

Going back to what Barrett said there’s an argument for them both to operate in the same team. That is something that could be done by having Silva alongside Sow in front of the back four.

You’d then be able to push Carvalho forward to act as the more creative player fashioning chances for the likes of Lewis Grabban and Joe Lolley in and around the penalty area.

Both Silva and Carvalho have high pass completion percentage rates of 78% and 81.8% respectively, so they both keep the play ticking over.

Therefore, instead of sacrificing one over the other why not let both of their talents shine in the middle of midfield and create as many chances for the attacking players as possible?

Something like this would definitely boost their desires of securing a promotion or playoff place.