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One of the hottest properties in European football, Erling Haaland has lit the footballing stage alight. The Norway international has struck an incredible 26 times in 18 games this season, and that form has seen the likes of Manchester United, Juventus and Barcelona, amongst others, continue to monitor his progress.

With such intense competition for his signature, trying to be the team that eventually seals his signature will undoubtedly be a tall order. And in an update from Norwegian outlet Dagbladet, United are the side that are currently “far ahead” in the race to sign the 19-year-old.

After hearing the development on their pursuit of the starlet, fans of the Manchester side took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

Many Red Devils supporters revealed their absolute delight at the update, with one fan in particular claiming that he would be the perfect replacement for Romelu Lukaku, who left the club earlier in the summer.

Another fan insisted that they simply cannot miss out on a potential superstar like Haaland, claiming that he is a “generational talent”.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

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… 

And with that, the first main part of qualifying for Euro 2020 is over.

20 teams have secured their places at the tournament next summer, with four spots still up for grabs. A mixture of third-place teams, as well as nations who won their UEFA Nations League groups, will fight it out for the remaining few slots.

All of the big, traditional European powerhouses have secured their place at the competition already, though. Including the Netherlands, who finished second in their group behind Germany. On Tuesday, they played their last match of the year against Estonia, who they thrashed 5-0.

It was a special night for Georginio Wijnaldum. The 62-cap Liverpool midfielder put in a fantastic performance and even bagged a hat-trick. It was one facet of an outstanding offensive display.

Those three goals came from just five shots throughout the match, four of which were on target. Not only that, but he managed to pick up a pass accuracy of 92%, landing 61 passes. In terms of key passes, only Calvin Stengs and Quincy Promes managed more for the Oranje than Wijnaldum’s two. He also won one aerial duel and lost possession of the ball just nine times.

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The 29-year-old was able to display all of his offensive ability, and it continues an impressive run in front of goal for the former Newcastle man at this level. This is his eighth goal of the qualification campaign, which makes him the Netherlands’ top scorer.

This is a stark contrast to his record for Liverpool. From the start of last season, he has managed three goals more internationally than he has for the Reds, which is a rather incredible stat considering how well Jurgen Klopp’s side have performed in the last 18 months or so.

For his nation, he is given far more of an attacking role than he is for the Merseyside club. For example, during the qualifiers, he has averaged three shots per game compared to 1.3 in the Premier League this term, whilst he has one dribble compared to 0.8 and 1.6 key passes compared to 0.2. There really is no comparison in regards to the way he plays for each side.

And it appears to be working out for him. Which does beg the question, why does Klopp limit his offensive ability so much? Granted, the Reds do manage a lot of goals – they have the third-most in the league so far this season, and had the second-most in the previous campaign – but surely giving the £45m-valued man more freedom would give Liverpool an extra threat. Maybe it is something for the former Borussia Dortmund boss to consider in the future.

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…

West Brom defender Nathan Ferguson has come in for severe criticism this weekend after a rather shocking performance culminated in the 19-year-old being sent off.

Following the Baggies’ 2-2 draw with Charlton Athletic, Joseph Masi of the Express & Star handed the youngster a 4/10 while giving his showing a damning review.

What’s he said?

Albion remain top of the Championship despite drawing a second game in the space of just a week as Josh Cullen’s spot-kick in injury time clinched a point for the visitors.

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The referee deemed that Semi Ajayi made enough contact to bring Naby Sarr down inside the area in the 94th minute much to the anger of Slaven Bilic and the whole of the Hawthorns.

Earlier in the match, the official did himself no favours by wrongly attempting to send off Grady Diangana for Ferguson’s rash challenge.

Masi of the Express & Star gave his thoughts on the academy graduate’s performance, he said:

“The teenager has enjoyed an outstanding start to the season. But he was way off his best here.

“After Ben Purrington whipped in a cross, he fell asleep allowing Chris Solly to volley over.

“Ferguson was also turned by Gallagher in the build-up to Johnstone’s double save.

“Deservedly given his marching orders for what was a poor challenge on Solly. 4″

Must do better

Ferguson was handed a harsh lesson on Saturday afternoon, but it is one he probably needed at this stage of his career.

Everything up until this point had been rather rosy, he had won two Man of the Match awards in front of the Sky Sports cameras and displayed his versatile ability to an outstanding level by playing at both right-back and left-back.

His performances have been so good this campaign that he’s been linked with moves to some European heavyweights like Atletico Madrid and Juventus, while Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace are two other teams rumoured.

Maybe it is a case of it all coming too quickly for the England U20 international as since these rumours have surfaced, he’s put in two successive performances that have been some way off his usual level as seen by WhoScored rating him no higher than 5.80.

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…

The scoreline may have only been 2-1, but don’t be fooled – Liverpool dominated their match against Genk in the Champions League and fully deserved their victory.

Once the game had finished, they had 71% of the ball compared to their opponents’ 29%, whilst they had 28 shots to six. It was as straightforward a victory as one can expect in this most elite of club competitions, and the Belgian side can be thankful that the Reds were not in more clinical form.

Jurgen Klopp rang the changes to his side for this clash – six to be exact, whilst he also used some players in different positions. One of those was James Milner, who appeared here at left-back as Andrew Robertson started on the bench.

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It is a position he has played in just 44 times – as per Transfermarkt – but he looked comfortable there against the Belgian champions.

Going forward, he proved to be a constant threat to De Smurfen, creating a game-high five chances for his teammates. Only four crosses were landed throughout the match, but the 33-year-old landed one of them. He also made 86% of the passes he attempted.

Defensively, he also proved to be solid, winning two tackles and making one clearance. Also, he was not beaten even once by the visitors’ players, whilst he also prevailed in six of the seven duels he contested.

Considering he is seen as Mr. Reliable, we perhaps shouldn’t be surprised that he excelled in an unfamiliar position, or at least less familiar than elsewhere.

However, with Robertson needing to be fresh before the huge Premier League match against Manchester City, Klopp used the only real alternative he has in that position.

That is why, even at his age, £13.5m-valued Milner – as per Transfermarkt – is worth his weight in gold.

It is hard to think of a more versatile player in England, and there is surely nobody who will play in a different role with minimum fuss and such competence. As the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah grab headlines, the former England international goes about his game calmly and professionally. Although he is not a guaranteed starter, he is amongst the most indispensable players in the whole squad.

Preston North End Police and Leeds United have set a perfect example of how things should be done on a matchday.

As a sport, we’ve taken big strides from the days of weekly riots, crowd troubles and ritualised violence in the terraces. All that remains of our “casual” past are Stone Island jackets, polos, the iconic ‘three stripes’ and that drunk bloke who sounds like he’s playing Green Street bingo with the opposing fans.

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Following the ugly scenes in the away end at Elland Road during Leeds’ match against Birmingham City, which resulted in ten arrests, Preston Police have set a model example of how to treat fans, and in turn, be treated.

According to FSA Fair Cop, an advisory service for ‘fans in trouble,’ their approach was simple but effective: engagement with the travelling support started early, match categorisation was ‘reduced from B to A,’ 35 per cent fewer officers were working the game, and ‘fans were policed on behaviour, not reputation.’

The result? No arrests, no pyrotechnics, no beer throwing and no disorder.

FSA Fair Cop were quick to tweet about the peaceful nature of yesterday’s match, leading to much response from Leeds fans who praised the policing on the night…

Arsenal supporters have their doubts about Unai Emery’s team selection ahead of their clash with Sheffield United on Monday night.The Gunners find themselves third in the Premier League table after only one defeat from eight matches. However, not everything is rosy at the club.

They currently have a goal difference of just +2, after conceding 11 goals so far, more than the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion and Burnley, while Mesut Ozil’s situation remains unclear. He has played just once in the league this term.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, thus, has been something of a saviour. His seven goals in eight Premier League games have helped the Gunners climb the table.

However, it appears that supporters are slowly starting to lose faith in the manager’s tactical approach to games.

A tweet from an Arsenal fan account has urged the Gunners not to be “overly negative” as they go into the game at Bramall Lane but the majority of respondents do not seem too hopeful.

One fan accused the manager of being a “stubborn coach” with a vision that fans don’t seem to understand.

Here you will find some of the best responses from Arsenal fans:

Since being sacked from his position as manager in December of last year, Jose Mourinho has remained a divisive figure for those associated with Manchester United.

Some fans have admired his brutal honesty and even called for him to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recently, the man who succeeded him upon his departure in December 2018.

But his bullish ways when talking about Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw while serving as Old Trafford boss have unlikely been forgotten – his treatment of the latter reportedly left the United players stunned, believing Mourinho was bullying the left-back.

The football was also fairly dire at times, too.

His exit left a bad taste around Old Trafford, and the many contrasting emotions surrounding the former Real Madrid, Inter and Chelsea boss presumably leave many wondering what the general consensus on the Portuguese boss actually is.

While it is by no means a concrete barometer of that, the image below shows that a portion of the Red Devils supporters, at least, still hold their club’s former manager in fond regard.

Mourinho was a pundit for Sky Sports at Sunday’s game between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford, and a few United fans sat below the box were photographed waving and applauding the 56-year-old.

He duly returned their fond greeting by waving back, and while this doesn’t entertain any kind of narrative that the entirety of Old Trafford adores the man who was sacked last year, it does show that at least a handful of them still enjoy the sight of the divisive character.

From Mourinho’s perspective, if he still feels anything towards the Red Devils, he will have been presumably annoyed to see them throw away a 1-0 lead with just five minutes left on the clock against Liverpool, although at least he got a nice reception from the fans below him.

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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… 

Having signed Joelinton from Hoffenheim, Newcastle’s deadline day signing of Andy Carroll certainly raised a few eyebrows.

Yes, he had been a hero during his first spell on Tyneside, scoring 33 goals in 91 outings, but his miserable luck with injuries underlined his status as a major gamble; he missed 24 games in total in 2018/19. There is also the question of whether the Englishman can play second-fiddle to the club’s record signing.

But, after catching a brief glimpse of the pair playing together towards the end of the Premier League clash against Brighton last weekend, Steve Bruce may find it worthwhile to get the duo into the starting line-up at the same time.

The Premier League has often shied away from the old-school 4-4-2 combination in favour of a more continental, possession-based approach.

What Newcastle have on their hands, however, is a pair of centre-forwards who are unlike anything in the division. And that could be the secret to their success this season.

On the chalkboard

Both standing at over six feet tall, Joelinton and Carroll could provide a real throwback to the strike partnerships of yesteryear.

The latter’s bread and butter throughout his storied career has been throwing himself into battle with the opposition’s centre-backs, physically bullying them and dominating them in the air – look no further than the fact he has won 6.2 aerial duels per game as a career average.

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The man he could partner, Joelinton? Well, the Brazilian has won 4.2 aerial duels per game this season, and playing the two of them up top would give Newcastle a platform to build from. The Magpies aren’t blessed with an abundance of nimble, tricky players who want to engage in intricate passing.

What they do have, however, is some wide-men who have a real penchant for getting deliveries into the box.

The likes of Allan Saint-Maximin, Christian Atsu and Matt Ritchie could provide incredible service from the flanks – the latter two, in particular, have both averaged more than a cross per game this campaign. Atsu has 1.3 and Ritchie has 1.7. Saint-Maximin has played just 57 minutes but has yet to have his crossing statistics recorded by WhoScored.

So what could a potential line-up with both Joelinton and Carroll in it look like?

More than anything, having such a physically dominant duo up top would give opposition teams something else to think about.

Going more direct, winning headers and second-balls in and around the box would cause havoc, and it would give Bruce’s side a far greater attacking threat.

It may be old-school, but it could be exactly the new approach Newcastle need.

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…

Aston Villa have been faced with a bit of a lull spell as the international break has taken over for the best part of two weeks, so it seems like an ideal time to take a dip into the goings-on within the club itself.

Their academy has several promising youngsters in its ranks with much of them being loaned out this season as seen with Callum O’Hare at Coventry City, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy at Tranmere Rovers and Jake Doyle-Hayes at Cheltenham Town.

Those that remain could be lucky enough to feature in their Carabao Cup campaign as Dean Smith’s men eased into the fourth round with a 3-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.

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Jacob Ramsey was one player who managed to earn some game time in that match, someone Football FanCast have previously tipped for greatness.

The England U19 international has a knack for scoring goals from midfield, bagging 16 in 37 appearances for the U18s, before surpassing his age group to feature for the U23s, where he has already scored three goals in six matches in the Premier League 2 this term.

But he also has two brothers in the academy ranks with Aaron being named in the Guardian’s ‘Next Generation 2019’ list, which is their take on the best young players at every Premier League club born between September 2002 and August 2003.

Aston Villa’s summer signings’ performances so far this season are rated in the video below…

He is described as a ‘technically gifted attacking midfielder’ who has ‘the ability and vision to create chances for others.’

These two could well emulate past links to brothers that have played in the claret and blue, like Bruce and Neil Rioch in the early 1970s, or Stefan and Luke Moore in the early 2000s.

Craig and Gary Gardner are another pair to play for the club, but they both featured at different times during their career.

The Ramsey’s are certainly an exciting duo and could well be next in line if they continue to progress at this rate.

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Nottingham Forest continued a run of fine form by ending Swansea City’s unbeaten start to the Championship season at the weekend.

It is a sixth straight league game without defeat for Sabri Lamouchi’s men as substitute Alfa Semedo tapped home Lewis Grabban’s cross from the byline with just five minutes remaining at the Liberty Stadium.

The Reds boss made five changes for the game, which saw Jack Robinson and Joe Lolley surprisingly dropped to the bench as both players had started at least five of their seven games this season.

But the latter did play some part in the match as he came on in the 59th minute.

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His work ethic and team-first mentality were displayed when he risked jumping in with what could have been a rather reckless tackle.

Several supporters at the City Ground reacted to this moment in the match.

One claimed it was ‘cracking defending’ while another praised his commitment and passion.

Lolley was one of Forest’s most influential players last season, recording the most assists in the side with 11 while also scoring the same number of goals, per WhoScored.

The 27-year-old is yet to fully hit the ground running this season having laid on just one assist in six league appearances.

A further fan said that ‘Psycho’ (a.k.a. Stuart Pearce) would have been proud of that tackle with one supporter believing the club were lucky even to have Lolley.

Here’s the best of the reaction: