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In the past on FFC we’ve spoken about the goalkeeping position at St Andrew’s a number of times before.

Whether it be about Lee Camp making mistakes, David Stockdale and his slump down the ladder or the possibility of Connal Trueman and Moha Ramos earning their keep, they seem to be figures of the squad that draw natural debate.

So when Birmingham Live posted a story in which they discussed the goalkeepers that Blues manager Pep Clotet could be tempted to go for in the January transfer window, it naturally grabbed our attention as well as a few Bluenoses.

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However, it seems as if the article didn’t go down well with them, as many supporters were quite happy with the options they had at the club – that’s despite some of the clangers Camp has dropped this season.

They suggested they’d rather the club spend their money in other areas rather than the person who’s standing between the sticks each week.

Taking to Twitter, they gave their thoughts on the current situation that’s playing out regarding their ‘keepers, urging Clotet to stick with the dilemma he has, rather than invest in new faces.

There was one fan though who thought there should be some change at the club, although they could have used some slightly nicer words.

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

Manchester United remain interested in Jadon Sancho, according to the Manchester Evening News, but they should take careful consideration before submitting a concrete offer.

What’s the latest?

Sancho is hot property due to his form for Borussia Dortmund, but he hasn’t translated that onto the international stage as of yet, and that should be a warning sign to the Red Devils.

It is reported that the winger will cost upwards of £100m, a hefty price for a player with only 66 senior appearances for the German club, and though he has displayed his talent frequently with 18 goals and 30 assists, the standard of the Bundesliga is not quite on the level of the Premier League.

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As a result, he may take some time to re-adjust to playing in England, and he may not be afforded such a period at United, where immediate success may be needed after their worst start to a season in 30 years.

Sancho’s failure to deliver against the Czech Republic on Friday highlights the possible problem of the move and raises questions over whether he would be a good fit at United.

Not the solution

England underwhelmed as they lost 2-1 on Friday and that was partly due to a lack of inspiration in attack, with only three shots on target from open play.

As a player who should be providing a creative spark, Sancho failed in that aspect, whilst his pass accuracy of 72% underlined that his display didn’t meet the standard required.

Perhaps more of a concern, from a United perspective, was his failure to take up good attacking positions, with zero shots attempted throughout the match.

Although he has three league goals for Dortmund this term, it is sometimes a similar story at club level, with an average 1.4 shots taken per league game, and therefore he may be unable to address a key area of weakness for the Old Trafford outfit.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team scored only two league goals in September, yet Daniel James’ rate of two shots per league game and Marcus Rashford’s 2.6 are better than Sancho, which suggests he may not improve the team’s threat in the final third.

The 19-year-old is often recognised for his dribbling ability too, and the ease at which he takes the ball past opponents is likely one area of his game which appeals to the United hierarchy, but the fact that he had just one successful dribble against the Czech Republic raises doubts over his ability to perform against higher quality players in the Premier League.

The rising cost of supporting a Premier League club has been documented through studies such as the BBC’s ‘Price of Football’ investigation, yet some Crystal Palace fans have been venting their frustration at the price of tickets for the upcoming derby clash against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Palace have started the current campaign in strong form to rise to sixth in the table, but even that isn’t enough for some Palace fans to support their club’s stance on ticket prices, with Category 1 seats for the upcoming M23 derby clash against the Seagulls priced as high as £58 because the club have rated it as a Category A game.

Some Eagles fans took to Twitter to express their frustrations that the club are seemingly out-pricing fans from supporting them, particularly those without season tickets at Selhurst Park.

Here are some of the best reactions to the latest observations regarding Palace’s pricing of tickets for the upcoming December derby in the Premier League.

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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… 

Liverpool were not at their best but ground out a 2-1 victory away at Chelsea, and so Joel Matip’s contribution was vital to the win.

It was far from a vintage performance from the Reds but they showed they are able to roll their sleeves up and deal with whatever the opposition throws at them, although they also have Adrian to thank for maintaining their lead at certain points in the match.

Cleverly worked free-kicks brought Liverpool their two goals but they had only one other shot on target in the match, and their uncharacteristic mistakes on the ball led to large spells of Chelsea domination.

Jurgen Klopp’s side managed just 45% possession due to their pass accuracy of 73%, and the resulting pressure meant the backline had to stand up and be counted.

Virgil van Dijk is often the defender who receives the plaudits, but he was outshone by his centre-back partner in all defensive aspects, and Matip’s performance was rightly recognised as he picked up the Man of the Match award.

According to SofaScore the 28-year-old put in an accomplished performance in all areas of his game, and since he could do little to prevent N’Golo Kante’s goal, which came down Liverpool’s left, it is fair to say he didn’t put a foot wrong defensively.

He is now beginning to match the assured presence of van Dijk and that makes life much easier for both Adrian and the two full-backs, who like to get forward whenever possible.

Like his defensive partner he is a nightmare physically for attackers. He can be dominant in the air and impose himself on whoever he is marking, but crucially rarely concedes fouls, as his league record this season proves.

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What’s more impressive is that he is able to win duels on both the ground and in the air, acting as a robust brick wall against Chelsea he ensured his opponent never got past him, meaning the Blues were mostly reduced to long-range efforts.

If he continues this form it is very difficult to envisage him losing his place to Joe Gomez, which was a possibility at the beginning of the season when the 22-year-old started the first league game.

Matip handled one of the Premier League’s in-form strikers with ease, winning three tackles in the process, and his ability to dig in deep and lead from the back along with van Dijk could be vital to Liverpool’s success this term.

Amidst all the doom and gloom currently surrounding Manchester United, the one thing the Red Devils desperately need is a silver lining.

Someone who can be the small ray of hope for the Old Trafford faithful as they look to shake off their current miseries. And even in a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on Sunday afternoon, Axel Tuanzebe proved he could be just that.

Less than a week after some Red Devils fans slammed him for his mistake in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal, the young defender delivered a performance that got the supporters well back on side.

As per Sofascore, the 21-year-old completed 89% of his passes, made two tackles, two interceptions and one tackle too. The fact he also played at both centre-back and then at right-back simply added to the impressive nature of his display.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

After seeing the 6 foot 1 man impress, United fans flooded to Twitter to share their thoughts about the matter.

Many Red Devils supporters insisted he is a “shining light” in these testing times for the club, and admitted he is perhaps the only positive to take away from the game.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

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

Born and bred in Winchester on the south coast of England, Danny Ings is very much a Southampton native – the St Mary’s supporters clearly hold him close to their hearts and regularly serenade him with their “one of our own” chant.

With the upcoming south coast derby against Portsmouth, coupled with some interesting teams news, the underwhelming striker has a golden chance to reinforce that narrative on Tuesday.

What’s the word?

Well, Ralph Hasenhuttl recently revealed that Moussa Djenepo may be out for longer than first hoped, whereas Nathan Redmond may also be unavailable for the game against Portsmouth.

As a result, Ings could be handed a start, and the former Liverpool striker has work to do to get back on track and reinforce the fans’ narrative of him – there is no better chance to do that than with an impressive showing at Fratton Park.

The situation with Ings

Ings joined the Saints on a season-long loan last year with the club obligated to buy him for £20m in the summer, which they did.

Since joining the club he supports, Ings has scored just eight league goals and he has also started the last two league games on the bench.

Despite his poor goalscoring form in a red and white shirt, however, Ings could get his career back on track versus the League One outfit.

If he manages to find the net and help Southampton win their first meeting with Pompey since 2012 – a match that is expected to be a feisty one with Hampshire police deploying dogs and helicopters – then all will surely be forgotten in terms of Ings’ underwhelming form since signing.

This is a golden opportunity and one he can ill-afford to waste.

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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…

Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas is ‘amazed’ that Crystal Palace have offered Christian Benteke a new contract.

Nicholas made the revelation in his Premier League predictions column for this weekend’s round of fixtures, in which he tips the Eagles to come out of their game against Aston Villa at Selhurst Park with a 1-1 draw.

Benteke has reportedly been offered a new deal along with James Tomkins, as the Belgium international has under 12 months remaining on his current terms.

What did he say?

Nicholas said: “I saw them win at Man United, but where did that come from? Jordan Ayew was so composed with the first goal, and they will always be well-drilled under Roy Hodgson.

“I am amazed that Christian Benteke has been offered a new contract.”

Has every right to be amazed

It looked like money well spent when Benteke hit 17 goals in his first season as a Palace player, following a club-record £27m move from Liverpool, although things have turned sour very quickly.

Since that campaign, the former Villa man has scored just four goals in red and blue, all whilst earning a reported salary of £120k-a-week to make him the south Londoners’ third-highest earner behind Wilfried Zaha, who gets £10k more per week, and Max Meyer who earns £125k-a-week.

Given his huge salary and minimal contribution over the last two seasons, Palace should probably just cut their losses on the forward and wave goodbye to him, even more so now that Jordan Ayew looks to have taken his place in the side – the Ghanaian was named ahead of Benteke for the win at Old Trafford.

To be in such dismal form – if you can ever call it form anymore, that is – and be rewarded with a new deal is a ludicrous move from the south London-based side, and Nicholas has every right to be amazed at their baffling decision.

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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… 

Leeds United had started the season brilliantly, sitting top of the table after the opening stages of the campaign.

However, on Saturday that changed.

Their lack of ruthlessness in front of goal shone through as they spurned a succession of chances in a top of the table clash against Swansea.

They had 21 shots on goal, yet only three of them hit the target in a concerning afternoon for Marcelo Bielsa’s men.

For the first time in the league this term, they were defeated courtesy of a late strike from Wayne Routledge.

For all the opportunities they had, Leeds failed to get over the line and it may be days like this that they rue come next May.

But amongst the negativity, there was a positive from the loss. There weren’t many, but in Stuart Dallas they’ve found a player with almost unrivalled consistency in the side.

Stepping into the shoes of injured Luke Ayling, he’s become a revelation in a rather unfamiliar role of right-back.

Last weekend, he appeared in a position further forward but this time the 28-year-old was trusted defensively again.

Dallas’ capabilities going forward are rather unquestionable. After all, playing at left wing back in the playoffs, he notched two goals as the Whites eventually succumbed to Derby.

But Saturday provided a fine indication of his defensive qualities too.

Not only did he have two shots, but he was in the thick of the action when Swansea got on the ball as well.

Throughout the game, he completed three tackles and the same number of interceptions, per WhoScored.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

As he usually is, he was a regular threat in the final third, providing a fine cross for Eddie Nketiah in the second half that he headed wide.

On another day he might have found the back of the net but this was not Leeds’ afternoon.

A 1-0 defeat isn’t something to get carried away with but amongst the concerns going forward, Dallas was a bright spark once again.

So far in 2019/20, he’s been invaluable, averaging a match rating of 7.09.

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The Frenchman's fifth goal in four matches sent Enzo Maresca's side on their way to another European victory.

Christopher Nkunku and Mykhailo Mudryk got the goals as Chelsea kept their perfect Conference League record intact with a 2-0 win at Heidenheim on Thursday, but it was Jadon Sancho who deserved most credit for the victory.

Sancho created both goals with excellent crosses in the second half, overcoming a quiet start to tee up Nkunku and Mudryk for fine finishes as the Blues put the first blemish on the hosts' own record in the competition.

The German side had a few chances to hurt the Blues, in part thanks to some questionable displays from the likes of Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile, but they came up against a superb shot stopper in Filip Jorgensen. They were also frustrated to see two goals chalked off.

Chelsea had the upper hand for the majority of the game, with Marc Guiu showing a lot of promise early on but he failed to deliver. It was left to Nkunku to break the deadlock when his outstretched leg met Sancho's cross and the forward added a composed finish.

The game appeared to be fading out when a smart combination from Sancho and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall ended with the winger's excellent ball back to Mudryk to send it into the top corner.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from the Voith-Arena…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Filip Jorgensen (8/10):

  Pulled off some excellent saves to keep Heidenheim at bay.

  Renato Veiga (7/10):

  Was aways looking to get forward to add energy to Chelsea's moves.

  Benoit Badiashile (5/10):

  Booked right at the beginning of a shaky display for the centre-back.

  Tosin Adarabioyo (6/10):

  Made some passes to help Chelsea get forward but was a bit erratic at times.

  Axel Disasi (6/10):

  A bit of a hectic display as he gave plenty away, but made the challenge that kickstarted the move for the goal.

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  Midfield

  Mykhailo Mudryk (7/10):

  Tried his best to create some danger but failed to connect to his team-mates a few times before a lovely finish to make it 2-0.

  Cesare Casadei (6/10):

  Looked uncomfortable in his role and needed more support. Ended up being sent off with a second yellow late on.

  Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (7/10):

  Made some poor decision making and bad passes but had a role in the build up for both goals.

  Jadon Sancho (8/10):

  Kept quiet in the first half despite his efforts to get the ball forward, but got the assist for Nkunku and looked more dangerous afterwards. His excellent work created the second.

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  Attack

  Christopher Nkunku (7/10):

  Lively throughout and was rewarded with the goal after a fantastic first touch but he should have had a second.

  Marc Guiu (5/10):

  Had a bright start with good runs and smart positioning, but his finishing let him down.

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  Subs & Manager

  Joao Felix (5/10):

  Didn't have impact after replacing Guiu beyond a good pass to tee up Nkunku for a wasted effort.

  Carney Chukwuemeka (5/10):

  Put a good ball in but couldn't connect with a team-mate.

  Samuel Rak-Sakyi (N/A):

  Had no time to impact the game.

  Tyrique George (N/A):

  Came on in the final minutes.

  Enzo Maresca (6/10):

  His side got over the line but gave away too many chances and the coach will be concerned by some of his players' performances.

Jack Grealish has confirmed he's "back" in action for Manchester City after a spell on the sidelines that also saw him miss out on England duty.

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• Grealish pulled out of the Three Lions squad
• Had been nursing a groin injury since late October
• Has returned to training after successful recovery

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Grealish was notably absent from Manchester City’s Champions League squad in late October during their clash with Sparta Prague. Despite this, England interim manager Lee Carsley surprisingly included the 29-year-old in his final squad for the Three Lions' Nations League matches. This decision raised eyebrows, particularly as City manager Pep Guardiola had already stated that Grealish would not be fit until after the international break.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Following medical evaluations, Grealish became one of nine players to withdraw from Carsley’s squad to allow him sufficient time to recover. Now, after weeks of rehabilitation, Grealish has resumed training with his Manchester City team-mates, the midfielder revealed on Instagram. John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Kevin de Bruyne are also back in training along with Grealish in what will be a big boost to manager Pep Guardiola.

• WHAT GREALISH SAID

  Grealish shared a story captioned, “Finally back with the boys.”

  @jackgrealish Instagram

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

  City’s upcoming match against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday presents a significant challenge. The North London side eliminated City from the Carabao Cup and will look to repeat their heroics at the Etihad on Saturday. Guardiola will look to leverage the international break as an opportunity to reset and recalibrate his team’s strategy after an unprecedented run of four consecutive defeats. And Grealish’s return could play a crucial role in revitalizing the Cityzens.