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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…

Speaking on episode 67 of Yorkshire Evening Post’s Inside Elland Road podcast, journalist Graham Smyth has given his thoughts on Luke Ayling’s comeback and his competition alongside Stuart Dallas.

What’s he said?

Leeds returned to winning ways last weekend as they went top of the Championship courtesy of goals from Mateusz Klich and Eddie Nketiah.

The U23s were then in action on Monday night as they thrashed Watford 6-0. Featuring in that encounter was Tyler Roberts and Luke Ayling, fresh from injury troubles.

The latter underwent ankle surgery over the summer and has yet to feature for the first team in 2019/20. However, after scoring and assisting for the youth team earlier in the week, he looks ready and raring to go.

Despite that, Smyth has suggested it would be a travesty if Dallas lost his place for the newly returned defender. He told the Inside Elland Road podcast:

“As of last night [Monday], Luke Ayling can once again play football. I don’t think anyone would suggest that he comes straight in for Dallas because that would feel like a travesty because of the way Dallas has played. Ayling is back and that’s another great option off the bench.”

Fierce competition

Considering Dallas’ performances a rivalry between the pair could be about to ignite at Elland Road. The competition will be healthy and it’ll be a welcome dilemma to have by boasting two accomplished full-backs.

Ayling was a key player for the Whites in 2018/19, appearing 40 times and racking up six assists along the way.

But Dallas has stepped in confidently and via WhoScored, he’s achieved an average match rating of 7.16 in the opening weeks of the season.

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He scored against Stoke, showing he has the capabilities going forward while he’s also been consistent at the back.

The Northern Irishman has made 1.9 tackles per game and has also managed 1.1 interceptions each outing.

With Leeds conceding just three goals so far it’s difficult to see why he would be ousted and as a result, Ayling might have to bide his time before coming back into the starting XI.

It would certainly seem harsh on Dallas if he wasn’t suddenly picked.

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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… 

Nottingham Forest finally got their first win of the season last weekend, seeing off fellow Midlands outfit Birmingham City at the City Ground.

Joe Lolley capitalised on a quickly taken free-kick to open the scoring before a brace of headers from both Lewis Grabban and Michael Dawson meant that Forest boss Sabri Lamouchi picked up his first Championship victory.

The Frenchman was quickly drafted in as their new boss following the sudden sacking of Martin O’Neill in June whilst the club made no fewer than 12 new summer signings to accompany their new man.

One of which was Carl Jenkinson from Arsenal in a £2m move on deadline day, though, the 27-year-old is yet to feature for his new team in the Championship – he did play 90 minutes in their 1-0 Carabao Cup victory over Fleetwood Town.

On the Chalkboard

The man keeping Jenkinson out the side is Matty Cash – who in the past has primarily played in midfield either on the right-hand side or through the middle.

His performances this season have been the best in the squad if his WhoScored rating is anything to go by, averaging 7.45 for the three Championship matches – the highest of any Forest player.

From the right-back position, he’s yet to record a foul this season, is averaging the most clearances per game at 5.3, is third for dribbles per game at 1.7 and is averaging 1.3 key passes per game – you’re not dropping a man in that sort of form.

That means Jenkinson is going to have to be patient, something he may not be willing to do after making just 70 appearances for the Arsenal first-team in eight years – an average of under nine games per season.

Thogden ranks all 24 Championship home kits in the video below…

Cash’s latest showing against Birmingham was arguably his best yet as he recorded more passes than any other Forest player with 59 in the game. He also made four clearances and four blocks as well as winning five aerial duels – the same as central defender Michael Dawson.

The position is surely Cash’s to keep with the 6 ft 1 natural right-back likely to only feature in cup games going forward.

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Aston Villa are searching for a goalkeeper ahead of their first season back in the Premier League, with Mohamed El Shenawy the latest stopper they are interested in, according to Read Aston Villa.

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Arsenal are considering him as a backup option, with the expected fee to be paid by whoever signs the ‘keeper being £2.5 million.

Villa will be hoping the prospect of regular first-team football will be enough to persuade the 30-year-old he should move to Villa Park.

According to Birmingham Live, Dean Smith was in attendance at the African Cup of Nations this summer – he would have been impressed by what he saw of El Shenawy during the tournament.

In the four games the Egyptian played, he only conceded one goal, while he was also named Man of the Match in a 2-0 win against Uganda, having made five saves throughout the game (via WhoScored).

At club level, he played 30 matches across the Egyptian Premier League and CAF Champions League, conceding just 18 goals and keeping 17 clean sheets (via Transfermarkt).

While it is very unlikely he would be able to get near these numbers in a Villa shirt, due to the strength of the Premier League compared to its Egyptian counterpart, it is surely highly encouraging to have a goalkeeper who has become accustomed to keeping the ball out of the net.

It can be argued it would be a risk to bring in El Shenawy, especially if he was to be the only acquisition in goal, due to the fact he has never played in a major league before.

Villa haven’t been afraid to take that risk this summer though, having signed Wesley from the Belgian Jupiler Pro League among other names from outside the top divisions.

This could see them get great value, which would be the case should El Shenawy go on to be a success at Villa Park.

Aston Villa fans, should Smith take a punt on El Shenawy this summer? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!

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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…

Jan Vertonghen was one of Tottenham’s best players last season, if not the best.

The Belgium international was simply heroic as Spurs reached the Champions League final and finished in the top four – his form was good enough to prompt our very own Harry Sherlock to dub him the club’s signing of the decade.

Vertonghen is a key cog in Mauricio Pochettino’s team, but for reasons yet to be officially confirmed, the Argentine left the defender out of his squad entirely for the Premier League opener against Aston Villa.

Spurs still went on to get the win – albeit whilst making hard work of it – and when asked about the situation, Pochettino said: “I am going to play the players who I believe deserve to play.”

As aforesaid, Spurs still got the win but not without trailing 1-0 for 73 minutes after John McGinn capitalised on some poor defending.

Pochettino and Vertonghen have to put their differences aside for one reason – there is simply too much competition at the top of the Premier League to be leaving your best players out.

Last season, Spurs finished in the top four by just a single point, and missed out on third place also by a single point having had a superior goal difference to Chelsea – the margins are so fine that there isn’t any time to weaken yourself by not playing a star performer.

Who knows, if the former Ajax man had been playing against Villa then Dean Smith’s side might not have even scored their goal – what if Spurs fail to make the top four by a single goal come May?

Entirely hypothetical, sure, but when the top two dropped just 16 and 17 points each last season, there really is no room for mistakes.

The fact of the matter is that even at this early stage of the season, the points that are won and lost are the same points that are up for grabs in the business end of the season.

Spurs cannot allow themselves to potentially miss out on even just a single point by leaving their best defender on the bench.

Pochettino and Vertonghen must make amends soon.

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

In what is probably the most bizarre Newcastle story of the summer so far, the Magpies are being linked with a move for Fabio Borini.

What’s the story?

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Nicolo Schira, Borini is not in Milan’s plans this season.

The 28 year-old currently earns a ridiculous €2.5m (£2.2m) salary, says Schira, which the San Siro outfit are trying to offload.

He mentioned two clubs as possible landing spots for the ex-Sunderland striker – Newcastle and Bordeaux.

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

Downright ridiculous

There’s no question the Magpies need a striker. Salomon Rondon’s loan spell from West Brom has ended and Ayoze Perez left the club this week.

According to Newcastle Stats, the departed pair combined for 53.5% of the side’s goals last season, leaving them in desperate need of more firepower.

However, there is absolutely nothing in Borini’s past to suggest he is the man to provide that missing spark up front. In fact, his goalscoring record is so bad this feels downright ridiculous.

He flopped at Liverpool, scoring just three times in 38 senior appearances, before finding the net 17 times in 93 games for Newcastle’s Wearside rivals, per Transfermarkt.

His goal output has declined too since leaving the North East, bagging just eight goals in 73 appearances in Milan.

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Given that Borini is an ex-Sunderland player with limited goalscoring ability, on a salary far outweighing his talents, as well as the fact that no one even knows who Newcastle’s owner or manager will be next season, this is surely the most bizarre transfer link of the window so far, a non-starter if there ever was one.

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Thursday’s Liverpool transfer roundup consisted of a confirmed new contract for a Belgian international, a goalkeeper looking for an exit and interest in a 15-year-old. Today’s edition brings you a La Liga enquiry for a Dutch superstar, Bundesliga eyes on a Reds forward and Jurgen Klopp’s transfer window admission.

Barcelona make van Dijk enquiry

According to The Mirror’s John Cross, FC Barcelona have made enquiries into to the potential signing of centre-back Virgil van Dijk. However, the 28-year-old’s representatives quickly told the Catalan club that they had no chance of bringing in the former Celtic defender.

Bundesliga sides eye Duncan

The Daily Mail is reporting that there is foreign interest in Liverpool’s Bobby Duncan. A number of Bundesliga sides, including Borussia Dortmund, have their eyes on the 18-year-old. The forward scored in the Reds’ pre-season friendly against Tranmere Rovers on Thursday.

Klopp makes transfer admission

Jurgen Klopp has been speaking about Liverpool’s transfer activity and does not expect it to be a busy summer for the Merseyside outfit. Following his team’s first pre-season match, the German said, “The transfer market is open until August 8… We will see what we do but I don’t think it will be the biggest transfer window of all time.”

Leeds United will obviously be looking to improve on an impressive but ultimately fruitless first season under Marcelo Bielsa and Liverpool’s wing wizard Ryan Kent may just be the answer.

Indeed, the Whites are set to wave goodbye (at least for now) to current Premier League loanee Jack Harrison, who joined at the start of the season from Premier League champions Manchester City.

The Whites won’t be the only ones pursuing the player’s signature, with Steven Gerrard – his boss this term – also said to be keen on bringing him back as his Rangers side look to tackle their own domestic problems.

According to Yorkshire Evening Post’s Phil Hay, Leeds have made contact with Liverpool and made them aware of their interest, and perhaps the hope is that Jurgen Klopp will have taken inspiration from the performances of Harry Wilson in the Championship, who has 15 goals and 3 assists to his name this term.

There’s a certain kind of dynamic talent about Ryan Kent that has made Rangers fans believe that “anything is possible” when he’s in the side. What isn’t there to like about that?

It’s no secret that one of the major concerns in the Leeds camp is the problems they faced in the offensive department towards the business end of the season. Bielsa himself even said the club would have won the Championship if it were for some better finishing, after all.

From the very point they lost out to Sheffield United, the Whites netted just 11 times in eight games, while promotion rivals Norwich City and Sheffield United registered 17 and 15 goals, respectively (not to mention the fact that neither side lost five of their remaining ten games).

In step Ryan Kent.

The Liverpool youngster has provided excitement in abundance this season at a rate of 4.7 dribbles per game, which is considerably more than the 0.8 Harrison has offered  – not to mention the greater goal-scoring output of seven compared to four (not huge amounts, but as we’ve shown earlier, small margins can make all the difference).

You need only look at his performance against Celtic in Rangers’ 2-1 defeat at Parkhead towards the end of the season to appreciate the kind of player he is; quick, intent and brave.

Leeds fans, from what you know, do you consider Kent an upgrade on Harrison? How essential is it that you sign a new forward? Let us know in the comments below…

يلتقي فريق الكرة الأول بالزمالك مع نظيره المقاولون العرب ضمن منافسات الأسبوع الأول من الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وكان الزمالك قد احتل المركز الثاني من جدول ترتيب الموسم المنقضي للدوري، بعد حصوله على 79 نقطة خلف الأهلي حامل اللقب.

طالع | موعد مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في الجولة الـ4 من دوري الموسم الجديد

ومن المقرر أن تقام مباراة الزمالك ومصر المقاصة على أرضية ملعب استاد الجيش ببرج العرب. موعد مباراة الزمالك والمقاولون العرب

تقام مباراة الزمالك والمقاولون العرب يوم 12 ديسمبر الجاري في تمام الساعة الـ07:30 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

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Loads of West Brom fans have been reacting to some transfer news, as Burnley are reportedly interested in Craig Dawson.

According to The Sun, Burnley are ready to make a whopping £15m bid for Dawson.

The Clarets made a combined bid of £25m for both Dawson and Jay Rodriguez last summer, but both players remained at the Hawthorns.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he often received racist abuse after North London Derbies – Check out the video below…

And while Rodriguez proved exactly why the Baggies kept him on board with a fantastic season in the Championship, Dawson was less convincing.

The 29 year-old did start 42 league games, but tends to split opinion amongst the fans.

Now, with Burnley seemingly ready to flash their Premier League riches once more, the Hawthorns faithful are urging the club to cash in on Dawson.

Mason Holgate and Tosin Adarabioyo both being at the club only on loan means selling Dawson would leave any potential new manager with a massive job to overhaul the defence, but nonetheless that is what the Twitter reactions down below are crying out for…

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West Ham are set to trigger Salomon Rondon’s £16.5million release clause as they attempt to sign the West Bromwich Albion striker, per the Northern Echo.

What’s the word?

The 29-year-old scored 11 Premier League goals during a loan spell with Newcastle United in 2018-19 and is now a man in demand.

The aforementioned report claims that the Magpies would like to sign him permanently, but that the Hammers are hoping to steal a march on their domestic rivals.

Indeed, the Northern Echo state that there remains uncertainty over the future of manager Rafael Benitez and that there will be no transfer activity until that is resolved.

Rondon’s clause is active after West Brom failed to win promotion to the Premier League.

And Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini is keen to sign an experienced striker this summer as he looks to build on his club’s 1oth-placed finish in 2018-19.

The first of many

West Ham need more than just one striker this summer.

Football FanCast understands that Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic is also a target, with the Hammers trying to ascertain whether or not his contract contains a release clause that has been activated by the Cottagers’ relegation to the Championship.

And FFC has also reported that Javier Hernandez, Andy Carroll and Lucas Perez are all likely to depart the club this summer.

Only bringing in Rondon, then, would leave the Hammers with just the Venezuela international and Marko Arnautovic, whose future is far from certain, given the £45m release clause in his contract.

This deal, if completed, then, cannot be the last for Pellegrini’s men, as they look to push on and attempt to qualify for Europe next season.