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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…Â

They say don’t fix what isn’t broken.

And whilst looking at the raw numbers might suggest that there is a problem, if you look deeper into the situation, you might just realise that he isn’t the problem that needs fixing.

Whilst it may seem that Mateusz Klich isn’t pulling his weight so far this year, with just the one assist and one goal so far in the league, it would be rather harsh to place all of the blame on him.

On the chalkboard

First, let’s take a look at the assists.

If you take a glance at the number of high-quality chances he has produced, he has clearly given his teammates fantastic opportunities to find the back of the net. That can then be followed up by the graphic below which shows just how much Leeds are wasting their chances.

This isn’t something that’s much of a secret amongst those who follow and report on Leeds on a regular basis, you can sort of put two and two together to work out that it isn’t really his fault that his assist numbers aren’t blowing people away so far this year.

However, there is one other concern and that’s his goal return, this is certainly something that you can put down to him.

This time last year he had already got four goals in the league, and whilst his numbers might have looked slightly better if he’d have converted his penalty against Derby County, the drop off should not be this bad.

It should really be a case of just presenting him with as many opportunities as he can to find the net and hope that as many of them go in as they can.

Marcelo Bielsa has spoken about how his side need ‘six chances to score’, so if Leeds put him in a more advanced position, perhaps as an attacking midfielder rather than a central one, he can still help create the chances for the rest of the team.

At the same time he can get in and around the box to get on the end of chances created by the rest of the team.

Klich has received criticism in recent times but it really isn’t all his fault. For now, maybe supporters should cut him slack.

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

Leeds United have dropped down to fifth in the Championship after results in recent games saw them register just one win in the last four. Defeats to Millwall, Charlton Athletic and a draw to Derby County have shown a slight concern in the goalscoring department recently, with just three goals in four games.

On the chalkboard

Although the Whites are the best defensive side in the Championship, they have the least amount of goals inside the top 11, scoring 15 times which puts them on the same amount as Luton Town in 18th.

As for the centre-forward role, Leeds are slightly undercovered in that department, with only Patrick Bamford and Eddie Nketiah the two usual candidates, as Tyler Roberts has played just 65 minutes of league action. Bamford has started every game so far in the Championship but has only netted four times in those 11 fixtures, whilst Nketiah has just two Championship goals, although he has played in only seven substitute appearances.

In theory, the Arsenal loanee has a much better goals per minute ratio than the former Middlesbrough man, with Nketiah playing 703 fewer minutes but still scoring twice. The 20-year-old has also scored another two in the Carabao Cup for the Whites and has so far proved to be a decent addition to Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

There was a debate last month on the two playing together up top, and fans seemed to love the idea. But is it really what is best for the club?

Why are Leeds fans the best in the country? Find out in the video below…

But who should be sacrificed?

As Bielsa alluded to earlier on in the season, if Bamford and Nketiah are to play together, a midfielder must lose their place in the side. This would be a tough call for the Argentine to make, considering the form of those in question.

Pablo Hernandez has continued his breathtaking form from last year, scoring and assisting twice, whilst midfield partners Mateusz Klich, Kalvin Phillips and Stuart Dallas have averaged a 6.93, 7.33 and a 7.02 rating respectively so far. In truth, every midfielder in Leeds’ line-up thus far does not deserve to be dropped, especially considering Nketiah only has two goals in the Championship anyway.

Dropping a midfielder would potentially tarnish what has been the league’s best defence, and some players like Phillips and Klich have been just as important as the strikers at times this year.

So, would Leeds’ attack improve if one of the midfielders switches for an attacker? Potentially. But it simply isn’t worth damaging their fantastic defence to accommodate another attacker.

Bielsa should stick to his guns and not drop a midfielder for the hope that it returns goals.

The international break is over and domestic football is set to be back in front of our very eyes.

Leeds have had time to reflect and analyse their defeat against Millwall last time out and they will be hoping to bounce back against Pep Clotet’s Birmingham.

The Blues travel to Elland Road at 3pm on Saturday but with a host of dilemmas and problems arising after Leeds’ loss at The Den, who will start and who could drop out?

Here’s the XI we’re predicting Marcelo Bielsa may go with.

One of the first changes to note is Pablo Hernandez returning to the starting XI. The Spaniard has been at the centre of contract talk this week but whether he puts pen to paper remains to be seen.

Hernandez has been out with injury recently but Bielsa said before the break that he could well make a return for the Birmingham game.

That means that the underperforming £15m man Helder Costa could be dropped. He failed to register a single goal or assist in his three starts since coming into the side.

Adam Forshaw might well be back as well but we reckon the Argentine will hand another opportunity to Stuart Dallas in the middle of the park.

Leeds being reduced to ten men last time out meant Bielsa only got 14 minutes to see him in that role. Putting the Northern Irishman there again will likely mean Luke Ayling starts at right-back.

Gaetano Berardi has come under fire from supporters over the break but we’re predicting he’ll be given the nod again.

Eddie Nketiah was in lively form for England U21s this week as he scored a hat-trick, although one had been ruled as an own goal previously. He also missed a penalty.

Despite that, we reckon Patrick Bamford will start upfront even though he hasn’t scored in six outings.

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…

Where on earth is Victor Camarasa?

Signed from Real Betis on a season-long loan deal, the man who won Cardiff’s Players’ Player of the Season last term arrived at Selhurst Park to some excitement from the Crystal Palace fans on Twitter, and rightly so.

In a Cardiff side similar to the Eagles, in the respect that they were well organised but shy of goals under Neil Warnock – the Bluebirds scored just 34 times in 38 games – Camarasa scored five times and also grabbed four assists, suggesting that he could potentially replicate such form under Roy Hodgson.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t had a chance to.

The Spaniard has played just five Premier League minutes so far this season, and just 95 in total having also appeared in the Carabao Cup against Colchester.

Intriguingly, the former England manager said that he thinks the fans will see more of the 25-year-old soon, but that was reported back on the 20th September – we are now over a month past that date, and Camarasa hasn’t played a single minute more.

“Will you see more of him? I think you will.”

This mystery had another chapter added to it last time out when the teamsheet was revealed for Palace’s game against Manchester City, where once again, Camarasa’s name could not be found in the starting XI or on the bench.

Rather tellingly, Jairo Riedewald’s name could be. Now, this is a player who Hodgson was happy to let leave for Paderborn back in the summer – the Dutchman reportedly even underwent a medical with the Bundesliga side, who allegedly had the No.6 shirt ready and waiting for him. However, a deal failed to go through.

If the former Ajax man – a player who Hodgson didn’t even sign – can get on the bench over one that the 72-year-old did, with no injury issues currently hampering the on-loan Real Betis midfielder, then something must be amiss.

One can only watch this mystery unfold in the coming weeks with eager eyes, for it is intriguing to say the least.

Wolves weren’t able to continue their recent upturn in form despite technically netting three against Southampton at Molineux on Saturday.

Raul Jimenez’s penalty just after the hour mark cancelled out Danny Ings’ opener, but Wolves’ main man did have two goals chalked off by VAR, so the afternoon could have easily been a different tale.

One of Nuno Santo’s biggest flaws this season has been through him playing Ruben Neves too deep in midfield, meaning he isn’t able to affect the game as much as he used to – this is something covered in more detail by Football FanCast here.

With reports continuing to linger surrounding AC Milan’s Franck Kessie, many supporters in the west Midlands believe the 22-year-old could be a viable solution if the club does indeed go for him in January.

Most recently, la Gazzetta dello Sport, via Calciomercato, claimed an offer had been received from Wolves for his services.

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

One fan claimed that the central midfielder ‘must be special’ because of all the transfer rumours linking him to multiple clubs while another added that more depth is certainly needed in Wolves’ squad.

Others said they ‘definitely’ wanted to see Kessie in an old gold shirt with one believing he would add more ‘pace and power’ to the heart of the pitch.

A further member of the Molineux faithful believed that he would provide ‘much-needed physicality.’

It remains to be seen whether the reports surrounding Kessie are accurate, according to Transfermarkt he is currently valued at £27m, so they’ll most likely have to pay a considerable chunk for him to make the switch from Italy.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

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

Scuppered at the last minute.

Ryan Yates finally gets back into the groove of things with his appearance last week against Hull City, then his chances of making his second appearance at the City Ground in a week were cut short when the Reading game was postponed before kick-off.

Writing in the matchday programme (via Nottinghamshire Live), the 21-year-old midfielder spoke about his frustrations at missing the whole of pre-season as well as the first couple of months of the campaign:

“I have had 12 weeks on the sidelines and to get back out there for 30 minutes is all I could have asked for. It has been frustrating for me, I had hardly kicked a ball then had my surgery and it was rehab from then on.

“A lot of hard work has gone in behind the scenes from all the staff trying to get me back out on the pitch and it finally happened. It felt good to get that reception from the fans for my comeback.”

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Having not been seen since last season, last Wednesday was his first chance to make an impression under Sabri Lamouchi. However, does he have a long-term future under the Frenchman?

On the chalkboard

Given Lamouchi’s desire to play a 4-2-3-1 formation this season, it would make more sense for him to be slotted into the defensive midfield role alongside Samba Sow, and help dictate play from deep.

The problem for him though, is that his numbers in terms of tackles per game are much lower than the incumbent for that role right now in 34-year-old Ben Watson.

The latter averages 2.5 this season but Yates only mustered 1.4 in 2018/19.

It’s possible that he’s seen as the long-term replacement for Watson, whose contract is up at the end of the season (via Transfermarkt), but until then it could be a very long time until he manages to nail down a place in the starting eleven.

Check out Matchday with Max’s latest Nottingham Forest vlog in the video below…

He could take his talents and push further up the field, potentially acting as a creative number ten behind a centre-forward like Lewis Grabban. However, he has only played that position three times in his career so it would be a bit unnatural to see him in that position any time soon.

Forcing himself into the team, therefore, will be tricky.

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 talkSPORT, Adrian Durham has suggested Marcus Rashford is “too good” for Manchester United, and would be “world-class” now were he at Manchester City.

What did he say?

The England international suffered a difficult start to the current campaign, going on a streak of just one goal in seven Premier League games. However, he has experienced a sharp upturn in form in recent games, and scored in matches against Liverpool, Norwich and Chelsea in quick succession.

Now, Durham has made a huge claim by insisting the 22-year-old could have developed considerably more had he been working under the guidance of Pep Guardiola.

He said: “I think we’re too harsh on Rashford and I think he’s too good for Manchester United. It’s hypothetical, but just imagine he was at Manchester City learning under Pep Guardiola over the last three or four years, can you image how good he might be then?

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“I think he’s already a terrific player, but imagine how much better he would be if he’d been at Man City where they’re settled and they’re learning from Guardiola? Look at how good Raheem Sterling has become… Rashford would be bordering on world class now. Rashford has had to go through different managers, he’s been in and out of the team, he’s played in different positions.

“Should Rashford be slumming it in the Europa League? I personally don’t think so, I think he’s a Champions League player, I think he’s that good. I think he’s selling himself short being at Man United.”

Hard to argue

It may not be prove to be a popular argument in the red half of Manchester, but Rashford undoubtedly would have made huge strides in his game had he been learning under Guardiola for a number of years. As Durham quite rightly points out, it’s difficult for a young player like him to constantly having to adapt to new managers and new styles of player.

With Guardiola, the England international would have been focusing on one streamlined approach, and that may have helped him enormously in realising his full potential much earlier. Sterling’s dramatic improvements in recent seasons – he managed 25 goals and 18 assists last year – proves the City boss is an excellent coach. So whilst it may be a difficult pill to swallow for United fans, it’s hard to argue Rashford would not have experienced a similar rise in form and ability had he been at the Etihad.

Everton fans are far from happy after London Evening Standard journalist Dan Kilpatrick revealed that Son Heung-min led out the warm-up for Tottenham Hotspur instead of Harry Kane in midweek.

This gesture was a show of support for the Spurs forward after his involvement in the horror injury to Andre Gomes.

Gomes will face many months out and almost certainly will not play until next season at the very least.

Son was visibly distraught after the injury to the Everton man and the situation has clearly taken a toll on him mentally. After his goal in midweek against Red Star Belgrade, the 27-year-old was seen to bow his head and clasp his hands rather than celebrate.

However, despite his touch of sincerity, Everton fans are not happy with the Spurs man at all. One fan said, “this is getting a joke”, as another supporter sarcastically praised him for his “full recovery” from the event.

Clearly this has had an effect on Son and the last thing he will want is to upset the Everton fanbase even more.

However, it seems he is doing just that, with many of them unhappy with the amount of sympathy he is receiving.

Here’s what some of them have had to say…

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

According to reports from Football Insider, Leeds United are in the hunt to sign Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara.

The Finland international would provide Marcelo Bielsa’s team with an extra element if he were to join the Elland Road outfit.

What’s the story then?

The report states that the Whites would be looking to make this move in the summer rather than in January as they’re only looking to bring bodies in at the start of next year if any of their loan players are recalled.

The article also claims that the Scottish outfit value the midfielder at over £8m, which may prove to be a bit of a hurdle for the club, but if they do sign him he’ll give them some much-needed depth in the middle of the park.

Added depth

Leeds do have a number of midfield options, but injuries have continued to plague their squad.

Jamie Shackleton and Adam Forshaw have both missed portions of the season already, and that has meant that Stuart Dallas has had to play out of position in the middle of the park.

With Mateusz Klich also looking like he’s needed a rest in recent weeks, the addition of another midfielder could certainly be what United need, especially when that player is a Europa League regular – featuring seven times in qualifying and four times in this term’s group stages.

Simply put, it certainly wouldn’t hurt Leeds to bring in more midfield reinforcements due to the problematic number of injuries their current players are sustaining.

Robbie Gotts and Mateusz Bogusz are coming through the ranks but it’s difficult to assess whether they’d be up to the standard right away. Therefore, adding someone with senior experience could be invaluable.

That being said, £8m is a steep fee and there may be other areas of the squad that need addressing before they think of splashing that type of money on the 24-year-old.

Arsenal found themselves 2-0 down against Leicester City, with a mere 14 minutes left of the game.

In an attempt to get back into the match, Unai Emery opted to bring Nicolas Pepe on for Rob Holding, changing the formation from the 3-5-2 that had been deployed from the start of Saturday’s evening clash.

And a number of Arsenal fans reacted angrily to the substitution, for a variety of reasons. Some were left wondering why the manager took so long to make it, others asked why the Ivorian wasn’t starting in the first place and a few seemed to have quite simply run out of patience with the manager.

The confusion around the decision to not start the summer signing and then bring him on so late is only enhanced by the fact Pepe has begun showing signs of good form recently, having got two goals and an assist in the two Europa League games against Vitoria de Guimaraes.

The 24-year-old was able to muster up 2 dribbles while on the pitch, but couldn’t manage to produce any key passes or shots, giving an indication of how limited he was by the time constraints.

A selection of Twitter reaction to the substitution, including posts from unhappy Arsenal fans, can be seen below: