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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…

Liverpool eventually lifted the Super Cup after 120 minutes of football and a penalty shoot-out on Wednesday, but you can’t help but feel that Jurgen Klopp’s team selection in Istanbul could easily come back to bite him as soon as this weekend.

On the chalkboard

The German was in a catch 22 situation in Turkey – he obviously wanted to win another trophy but he would also have been well aware that a Premier League trip to Southampton awaited his side less than 72 hours later. And the top flight has to be a priority this term especially with Manchester City showing their strength with a 5-0 opening day win against West Ham United.

Despite losing a key player to injury against Norwich City last Friday in Alisson, Klopp was brave and went with an almost full strength side against Chelsea at the Besiktas Stadium, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gini Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino the only usual regulars to miss out on the XI, along with the absent Brazilian goalkeeper.

Of course, Klopp would have been hoping for a result one way or the other in 90 minutes against Frank Lampard’s men given the strong side he picked, but it didn’t work out that way as it went the full distance, before being decided on spot-kicks.

Tough situation

At this early stage of the campaign and following a quiet summer in terms of incomings, Liverpool have already been hit with injury issues – Naby Keita was ruled out against Chelsea having picked up a knock in training the day before the clash.

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While there may be a hope that it is a minor issue and he can return against Saints, the Merseyside outfit are suddenly looking a little precarious in the middle of the park.

James Milner left the pitch in the 64th minute to be replaced by Wijnaldum, before being shown holding an ice pack to his knee, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain still doesn’t appear to be completely match fit given his display.

Meanwhile, fellow midfielders Jordan Henderson and Fabinho were out on their feet by the end following their exerts at the start of 2019/20, with the latter worryingly pictured suffering cramp both during extra time and before the penalties – no surprise given he covered more ground than any other player on the pitch.

Given the lack of time between games it remains to be seen whether the duo will be ok to play from the start at St Mary’s, and with Milner and Keita potentially also doubts Liverpool supporters on Twitter are already suspecting that Adam Lallana could be asked to play in a defensive midfield role from the start.

That would be a huge leap of faith and risk for a Liverpool side that know they can’t afford to slip up too many times in the Premier League, and Klopp’s bold Istanbul call could come back to bite him if they drop points on the south coast.

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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 to BBC Sport, former Liverpool star Xabi Alonso has hailed Jordan Henderson and insisted he remains a “very important” part of Jurgen Klopp’s side.

What did he say?

The England international has had his critics over the years about his inclusion in the Reds’ line-up, but Alonso has leapt to the Liverpool captain’s defence.

He said: “Jordan Henderson has become a figure in the changing room. I think he’s so respected, so important for his teammates – that’s the sense I get from watching in the stands. For the way they play it’s very important, the energy he has.

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“He’s able to take that step forwards, not backwards to make that pressure a bit higher. The way he connects with the three players up front, they play very direct and the way Liverpool is playing is the Jurgen way – the way they played at Dortmund with him and the way they play at Liverpool now.”

Under-rated

People questioning whether Henderson should be included in the team almost implies a disagreement with Klopp’s methods. The German has been an unequivocal supporter of what the 29-year-old offers the side, and that quite frankly should be enough for those who seek to question it.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

Last season, the former Sunderland ace averaged an impressive 1.6 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game during the Reds’ run to Champions League triumph, and often did the dirty work for his side. The likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are always likely to take the plaudits going forward, but Henderson’s industry and willingness to put the team’s needs first are just as important. The perfect symbol of an under-rated player.

He may not fill Steven Gerrard’s shoes, but who on Earth can? The current skipper will leave big enough shoes to fill of his own.

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Everton’s Kevin Mirallas looks set for another move away from Goodison Park, and it is a prospect which is exciting Everton fans.

According to Belgian outlet Nieuwsblad, the 31-year-old is edging closer to a move to Antwerp, and was even photographed at their Europa League qualifier on Thursday.

The winger has featured only 13 times for The Toffees in the past two years, instead spending time on loan at Olympiacos and Fiorentina, which means he is still yet to play for Marco Silva.

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He has made a total of 186 appearances for Everton since joining in 2012 but, despite his service to the club, many fans will be happy to see him depart, with some suggesting that he has wasted his career.

The Belgian has previously stated whilst in Italy that he didn’t want to return to Everton and that could explain some of the hostility towards him.

As a result, the fans are pleased that he is leaving and are looking forward to confirmation of his departure, judging by the responses below.

Let’s take a look at what the Toffees faithful have said on Twitter…

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Manchester United fans have been on social media reacting to recent comments from James Maddison surrounding his future in the game.

Indeed, in quotes carried by The Mirror, Maddison revealed that he is desperate to play at the ‘highest level’ possible having worked his way up from League One.

The 22-year-old is currently with the England squad preparing for Tuesday night’s Euro 2020 qualifier with Kosovo.

The Leicester City attacker was not involved in the 4-0 win over Bulgaria on Saturday, but his call-up into the senior England squad will be seen as a huge positive.

And in response to Maddison’s quotes surrounding his future plans, a number of United supporters have urged the attacker to move to Old Trafford.

The Englishman has managed two assists in four Premier League appearances this season, and could be regarded as a replacement for Jesse Lingard at Old Trafford.

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A selection of the Twitter reaction from the fans can be seen 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…

Tottenham Hotspur might have won the transfer window.

Spurs headed into the market looking to refresh a squad that reached the Champions League final and finished in the Premier League’s top four.

Yet, their run to the final was achieved in spite of, instead of because of, their recruitment. They did not sign a single player in the summer transfer window of 2018 and followed it up by drawing another blank in January.

Their lack of squad depth was painfully evident as they embarked on a horrific run towards the end of the league campaign, winning just three of their final 12 contests. After all, they were focusing on that remarkable charge to Madrid.

But this summer, they bought Tanguy Ndombele for a club-record fee, acquired Giovani Lo Celso on an initial loan deal and also struck a deal to bring in teenager Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham. Jack Clarke was signed and then loaned back to Leeds United.

Spurs have also shipped out the deadwood.

Kieran Trippier was sold to Atletico Madrid after a season in which he made so many mistakes he was left out of the England squad for the Nations League finals.

Vincent Janssen finally found another club after a disastrous spell at Spurs as he was sold to Monterrey; Georges-Kevin Nkoudou moved to Besiktas; Josh Onomah was sent to Fulham in return for Sessegnon; Michel Vorm and Fernando Llorente were both allowed to leave at the end of their contracts.

And they’ve kept a few too.

Spurs headed into the transfer window with question marks hanging over Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld.

All three have contracts that expire at the end of the season and Eriksen had outlined a desire to move on following the Champions League final. No bids were forthcoming though, and he has remained with the club. He scored against Arsenal in the north London derby this weekend – it doesn’t get any better than that.

Vertonghen also returned to the team against the Gunners after a spell out and played well alongside his old partner in defence, Alderweireld, who had a £25m release clause in his contract throughout the summer.

It wasn’t triggered, and Spurs’ options now look remarkably strong. Not only do they have a strong Plan A that brings in the best of last season and their new signings, but they also have a strong and dynamic Plan B.

Plan A

Assuming everyone is fit, this is probably Spurs’ strongest XI.

The backline is strong and familiar with each other; Ben Davies is a better option defensively than Danny Rose.

The attack radiates positivity and, though it sees Eriksen being played out of position, it accommodates Lo Celso and brings in the opportunity for Spurs to interchange in a fluid, fluent manner. There is the option of adding Dele Alli here, too, but let’s assume Pochettino is going to give his summer acquisition a run of games.

Partnering Ndombele with Harry Winks makes the most sense, as it allies steel and silk in the centre of the pitch.

Plan B

This is another strong XI.

Admittedly, Spurs could do with another striker, as Kane features in both plans, but the rest of the team is completely different.

Paulo Gazzaniga is an efficient goalkeeper, while Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth both have excellent ball-playing abilities at centre-back.

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Rose is as experienced as the day is long, as is Serge Aurier at full-back.

Moussa Sissoko is a dynamic presence in midfield, and he can be paired with Eric Dier, who can carry the ball and also win it back.

This is also an exciting front three behind Kane, with Sessegnon and Lucas Moura both remarkably quick talents, and Alli a match-winning presence.

And while plan A is packed with technical quality and creativity with the likes of Lo Celso, Eriksen and Ndombele, the sheer pace and dynamism of the second XI’s attack, combined with the industriousness of the second-choice midfield duo, makes it a perfect counter-attacking set-up.

Finally, Spurs have options. No longer will they have to sacrifice domestic success for European ventures, or vice versa.

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Jadon Sancho scored his first England goals as Gareth Southgate’s side recorded a 5-3 win over Kosovo in Tuesday night’s Euro 2020 qualifier at St Mary’s.

And the performance of the 19-year-old has led to a number of Liverpool fans urging their club to make a move.

The Borussia Dortmund attacker netted twice in the latter stages of the first period before being replaced by Marcus Rashford in the closing moments.

Sancho arrived on England duty having scored three times and contributed four assists in five appearances for Dortmund at the start of the 2019/20 campaign.

And his performance against Kosovo could keep him in the team ahead of Rashford when the next set of international matches roll around.

The Liverpool fans were incredibly impressed by what they saw from the former Manchester City youngster in Southampton’s home ground.

And a number of the supporters have called for their club to attempt to sign Sancho as soon as possible.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Erik Lamela has been lucky enough to be a part of one of the most talented teams in Tottenham Hotspur’s recent history.

He’s played alongside top talents such as Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Aldeweireld. However, none of those players make his dream five-a-side team.

Indeed, the winger was asked to choose a team filled with footballers he has played with throughout his career, and despite spending six years at Spurs, only one Tottenham player makes the cut.

Lamela starts off well enough as he chooses Hugo Lloris as the goalkeeper, but from then on he neglects choosing any Tottenham players.

He goes with two defenders in the shape of Nicolas Burdisso and Marquinhos, both of whom he played with at Roma.

Nobody can argue with his next pick, as he chooses Lionel Messi up top.

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However, we suspect the next choice will infuriate a number of Spurs fans as the Argentine picks Sergio Aguero over Kane as his second attacking option.

For years people have debated which striker is the best in the Premier League, but the fact that a man loyal to north London, who has played with both of the main candidates, has chosen Aguero may just settle it.

[ad_pod ]Sheffield Wednesday were knocked out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening as Everton defeated them at Hillsborough.A Dominic Calvert-Lewin brace was enough to see the Toffees through with a 2-0 victory.New Owls manager Garry Monk was taking charge of just his third game and took the opportunity to look at some of the fringe players he has on offer by making eight changes from the team that drew to Fulham on Saturday.The south Yorkshire side certainly held their own which was evident in only conceding two goals – fellow Championship outfit Nottingham Forest had five stuck past them by Arsenal while Manchester City beat Preston North End 3-0.Wednesday actually recorded more shots than their top-flight opposition, though, the result hasn’t gone down well with some members of the Hillsborough faithful.One supporter called Monk ‘tactically inept’ while another added that he has to act fast in terms of team performance and tactics.’Woeful’ and ‘too negative’ were other words used to describe how the 48-year-old set up his side against Everton.You can read more of the reaction below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Expert Roundup feature, which provides three quotes from those in the know in order to illuminate fundamental strengths, weaknesses, quirks, stylistic comparisons and general observations of players, transfer targets and confirmed signings.

With all of the coming and going in the transfer market this summer the season-long loan deal that took 21-year-old centre-back Ben White from Brighton to Leeds barely caused a stir.

Seven weeks into the new campaign, however, and people are starting to retrospectively notice now with White an ever-present in a side that sit proudly atop the Championship table.

Continuity, though, is the least pertinent of the many reasons why the Poole-born defender is beginning to win plaudits. His performances at the heart of the Leeds back-line have been so impressive that he is presently in Whoscored’s team of the season, while the quality of his pro-active, progressive defending is said to have surprised Marcelo Bielsa, a man not known to underestimate anyone or anything.

If he keeps this up a bright Premier League future – either with parent club Brighton or promotion-chasing Leeds – surely beckons with possible international honours to follow so perhaps it’s long overdue we discovered more about a player whose timely tackles, composure on the ball, and shrewd distribution make him a thoroughly modern enforcer.

Who is White and how good is he?

Football Fancast gathered the views of those who know him best to find out…

Mike Flynn, Newport manager

Having come through the Seagulls academy, White’s loan spell at Newport County in 2017/18 proved to be the making of him with the teenager eventually winning the club’s Player of the Year award by a landslide.

Indeed, so impressive were his displays that the Exiles’ coach Flynn described him as the best loan signing the club had ever made and below he details why, as per the Yorkshire Evening Post:

“Straight away we could see, he held his own in League Two and not just in League Two; he held his own against very good players, ie when he played against Leeds in the cup and when we played against Tottenham.

“He was marking Harry Kane for a lot of that and you could see nothing fazed him, he had confidence in his own ability.

“He can handle himself physically, he can handle himself technically. If he made a mistake he’d be the first one to hold his hands up and try not to do it again. He’s a very intelligent footballer.”

Watch the likes of Harry Kane, Virgil van Dijk and Neymar react to their FIFA 20 ratings in the video below…

Steve Evans, former Peterborough boss

Still deemed too callow for top flight combat – and with Brighton’s defensive partnership of Duffy and Dunk too established to break up – a second loan move followed, this time up a division to Peterborough. At London Road he set about wowing his new temporary gaffer as much as his first, as per Peterborough’s official website:

“I first became aware of Ben when he joined Newport County on-loan last season. I watched him on a number of occasions and he was outstanding in the games that I saw.

“I have also taken the opportunity to watch a number of games he has played for Brighton under 23s and he was one of two or three that stood head and shoulders above and ready to further their career.

Liam Cooper, Leeds defender

It would be naive to analyse a central defender’s performances without considering how their partner has fared. In White’s case, he has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Liam Cooper and their natural understanding has contributed towards the former’s rising reputation.

And Cooper has certainly been impressed with how the loanee has bedded in at Elland Road, highlighting the maturity of his approach as a defining feature, per Yorkshire Evening Post.

“It’s a pleasure to play alongside him.

“I have had a lot of people say to me how good is he and I have said he is top, he is going to be unbelievable.

“He’s 21 years old and he plays the game as if he has played 600 league games.

“He’s so calm on the ball and it helps us.

“It oozes confidence through us and he’s been unbelievable so far but it’s a 46 game season and he’s got to keep his head right and keep his attitude right and he’ll go on to have an amazing career.”

Verdict

White can play on the right side of defence as well as in the centre so versatility is also a plus. But much more encouraging is the fact that he has bowled over previous managers.

Will Graham Potter be next? Don’t bet against it.

Roy Keane and Sir Alex Ferguson aren’t friends, that much is for certain.The pair fell out in 2005, ultimately leading to the iconic captain’s mid-season departure to Celtic, and it seems the relationship hasn’t improved much since, either.“I wouldn’t forgive Ferguson,†Keane toldÂOffTheBall.com as he reignited the feud in September. “The media spin, how I apparently upset everybody, it was all nonsense.â€He added: “Ferguson came out afterwards and said he always did what was best by Manchester United. Nonsense.“People said [Ferguson] always had the best interests of Manchester United at heart. Darren Ferguson [his son] won a medal. He was very lucky.“[Alex Ferguson’s] brother was the chief scout for Manchester United for a long time. I’m surprised his wife wasn’t involved in the staff somewhere.â€But that isn’t to say there isn’t a certain degree of admiration felt between the midfielder and his former boss. After all, the pair worked together for just over 12 years at Old Trafford and had a hand in winning seven Premier League titles and one Champions League medal.Indeed, if there’s one thing you’re guaranteed from the footballer-turned-manager-turned-pundit it’s honesty. And while he’ll happily admit his “friendship†with Ferguson is over, and will never be returning, he’s equally quick to acknowledge that the Scot was one of the greatest at his job.Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Away from the typical pantomime act we’re so used to seeing, Keane treated us to an insightful review of his relationship with the Manchester United legend on Monday Night Football…