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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…

Frenkie de Jong dropping a masterclass performance is hardly newsworthy at this point.

The 22-year-old Dutch star has taken the Catalan stage by storm ever since his arrival at the club in the summer.

De Jong has settled quite nicely at Barcelona and has been an important piece of Ernesto Valverde’s jigsaw throughout the 2019/20 season.

So far, he has played in all of the games, recording ten appearances across all competitions and managing to score and assist once in the process. But one thing was peculiar about the coach’s decision regarding his young midfielder.

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Back at Ajax, his former club, De Jong was predominantly used as a defensive midfielder or as a “pivote” as they would call it in Spain. For the 89 games Transfermarkt have in their database, De Jong spent 51 of them as the team’s defensive midfielder and only 16 as a more advanced, central midfielder.

This suggested that he might be the ideal Sergio Busquets replacement at Barcelona but Valverde had other ideas. So far, out of the ten games we’ve seen of young Dutchman in the Blaugrana kit, he was deployed as their central midfielder in seven of those while registering just three games as their pivote.

Even though it seemed rather weird deploying him in a position that doesn’t necessarily come naturally to him, De Jong seems to be thriving and embracing that role even for his national team.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

When the Netherlands faced Belarus, Barcelona’s star was deployed on the left of a midfield three in a more advanced role, just as Valverde likes it as well.

And unsurprisingly, he didn’t disappoint.

The Netherlands won the game 2-1 and De Jong deployed four key passes, created one big chance and warranted an 8.3 rating according to Sofascore. He also had 118 touches on the night, maintained 92% passing accuracy and completed four out of four long balls.

Not to mention that he was a real threat going forward, successfully dribbling past his markers on five occasions and winning eight ground duels.

But even in that more advanced role, he still mustered three interceptions and one tackle to his name in the process.

The great news for Barcelona, however, is De Jong’s ability to influence the game in a role that Valverde seemingly prefers the young Dutchman in.

It still remains to be seen if he can replicate that going forward.

Liverpool fans are stunned that Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne was not handed a red card after accidentally kicking Crystal Palace midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate in the face at Selhurst Park.

Of course, Reds star Sadio Mane was sent off during a game against City back in 2017, after a clash with goalkeeper Ederson.

Chasing a loose ball, the Senegal international collided with the Brazilian, with his boot catching the stopper in the head.

Ederson was stretchered off and Mane was shown a straight red card.

On Saturday, however, De Bruyne attempted to control a bouncing ball and caught Kouyate in the face in a similar (though slightly less brutal) manner.

He was not shown a card, however, to the chagrin of Liverpool supporters, with City going on to win the game 2-0.

One insists that Mane is the only player to be punished for such a challenge, and others are convinced that De Bruyne should have been given his marching orders as well.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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

Arsenal are eyeing a January bid for RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano, per The Sun.

What’s the word?

The Gunners reportedly made a £40m bid for the centre-back in the summer but were unable to get a deal over the line.

Upamecano, though, has a contract that expires at the end of next season and a new £40m bid, the report claims, could see him leave the Bundesliga.

The Gunners, of course, signed both William Saliba and David Luiz in the summer but The Sun claims that Upamecano is seen as a player who could potentially form the backbone of their defence for years to come.

The 20-year-old has made a total of 80 appearances for Leipzig, while he has won 13 caps for France U21s.

A bold investment

Upamecano is clearly a top-tier talent.

In 2018/19, he made a total of 15 appearances in the Bundesliga, making an average of 1.5 tackles, 2.2 interceptions, 2.9 clearances and a passing accuracy of 82.5%, per WhoScored.

At the age of 20, there is room for growth, and he has time to improve; he has yet to win his first senior France cap, for example, and has only made a total of 59 appearances in the Bundesliga.

Partnering him with the 18-year-old Saliba, another young player with room to grow, would perhaps cement the heart of Arsenal’s defence for the next decade.

Arsenal should do all they can to bring him to north London.

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…

As quoted by The Manchester Evening News, Paul Ince has suggested Axel Tuanzebe could develop into a “world-class player” at Manchester United.

What did he say?

Tuanzebe enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Aston Villa last season, and helped Dean Smith’s men earn promotion to the Premier League for this campaign.

However, following the arrival of Harry Maguire in a £80m deal, the 21-year-old’s opportunities have been rather limited, and he has played just three times in the Premier League.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

Now, Ince has suggested the Red Devils could save a tonne of money by helping him develop into a leading defender.

He said: “If United don’t want to dip into the transfer market again and want to look a bit closer to home, they could do a lot worse than keeping faith with Axel Tuanzebe.  I like him a lot and he could be one who could grow into the team.  Of all the youngsters currently at Manchester United, he looks like one who could step up and start playing every week and I truly think he could go on to become a world-class player.

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“He’s quick as well and he’s more than capable of paying out of the back which would make him a good partner for Maguire. United need to make sure they are getting the best out of him and that can be difficult when things aren’t going well, and they aren’t at the moment.”

Perfect foil

Whilst Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has appeared to favour Victor Lindelof as Maguire’s partner in crime at the back, Tuanzebe’s age and profile makes him a very worthy candidate indeed to replace the Sweden international. If United are intent on playing a high line and pressing from the front, then Tuanzebe’s extra pace and agility would help no end.

For all of Maguire’s abilities, he perhaps isn’t the quickest off the block. Having someone like Tuanzebe to cover for him would give the Red Devils a perfect blend of pace and power in central defence. It’s up to Solskjaer to nurture the 21-year-old properly and help him develop into the world-class player Ince believes he can be.

Many Liverpool supporters have taken swipes at Dejan Lovren after the Croatian took part in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Lovren started against Spurs in place of Joel Matip, who had missed the Reds’ last two matches with a knee problem (TEAMtalk). Joe Gomez was on hand to Klopp had the German wished to offer the 22-year-old a return to action, having played just one minute in the Premier League since facing Norwich City in August.

Gomez was only listed on the substitutes bench for the visit of Mauricio Pochettino’s North Londoners, though, with Lovren starting alongside Virgil van Dijk instead, but fans are hopeful that the Croatian does not retain his spot for much longer.

Watch the moment Adam Lallana broke United hearts at Old Trafford in the video below…

The 30-year-old was frequently caught out in the air up against England captain Harry Kane at Anfield, and struggled to contain the pace of Heung-Min Son (Liverpool Echo).

Lovren particularly struggled to contain the Spurs duo in the first-half, but would end the encounter with a higher aerial duel success rate than van Dijk, after winning 78% of the battles where he was not instantly beaten, per WhoScored data.

He also led Liverpool for clearances, with his five only bettered by Spurs trio Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez and Danny Rose, while Lovren’s two interceptions were only trumped by Fabinho’s three for the hosts.

The £18million-rated centre-back was also never dribbled past by an opposition player on Sunday, and later declared the result as a ‘massive, massive win’ having come from behind to secure all three points.

“We knew it would be a tough game, even though they didn’t have brilliant results in the last couple of games,” Lovren told Liverpoolfc.com. “We knew it would be tough and unfortunately they scored in the first minute, but we kept our nerve, played our game and we had many chances.

“We came in at half-time and the boss said: ‘Usually I never say this, but I am satisfied even though we are 1-0 down. But we need to continue like that and keep our nerve.’ We knew we would have another chance and we did it. It’s a massive, massive win.”

But Liverpool fans seemingly want Lovren out of the picture sooner rather than later. Here are some of the reactions shared in relation to his comments…

A selection of Newcastle United fans have been slamming Allan Saint-Maximin on social media after the Chronicle’s Mark Douglas claimed the winger could be the man to inspire a greater offence at St. James’ Park.Saint-Maximin is yet to score or register an assist in any of his six Premier League outings for Newcastle, and has not seen out a full game thus far.Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers saw the 5 ft 6 forward come close to marking his first full appearance of the term, but was withdrawn in the closing stages for Christian Atsu.The Wolves encounter also saw Saint-Maximin register one key ball while competing 77.8% of his 18 passes, as well as being successful with seven of his 11 attempted dribbles.Take a trip down memory lane to a time when Newcastle were giants on the European stage in the video below…Dribbles have been one area where the summer signing from OGC Nice has thrived, though, with Douglas referring to one stat claiming the Frenchman leads the way across Europe’s top five leagues for average number of successful runs per 90 minutes this season.However, WhoScored data suggests Saint-Maximin’s average of 5.7 per 90 is less than Lionel Messi, Alphonso Davies, Sada Thioub and Benjamin Goller have averaged of players to have featured more than four times.Toon fans are also seemingly hesitant to praise Saint-Maximin too much, as the £16.5million signing often fails to do anything once he advances into a forward position.The winger has played seven key balls for Newcastle this term as well as taking eight shots, only two of which have been on target.Despite that, Douglas feels Saint-Maximin will be the man who can give Newcastle an improved offence going forward, with Steve Bruce’s men currently boasting six goals from 10 Premier League games.Here are some of the messages shared in response to Douglas’ claim…

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…

Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan believes Jurgen Klopp is a better manager than Pep Guardiola and states that the Reds are “irresistible” right now.

What did he say?

Liverpool and Manchester City are set to clash this Sunday at Anfield. The European champions are currently six points clear of City and a win for the home side would put them a comfortable nine points ahead in the table.

Jordan told talkSPORT: “I debate the fact Pep Guardiola is the best manager in the world right now.

“I think Jurgen Klopp is a better manager because of the intensity and the irresistibility of Liverpool.

“Despite the beauty of Man City, and this is something I’ve already said and don’t care if fans like it or not, there’s something about Man City that resembles a Frankenstein club – they’ve just bought everything.

“There’s something about Liverpool’s style of play and attitude now that appeals to me personally. I look at Liverpool and I find them irresistible.”

Two of the greats

Klopp is slightly more experienced, as Guardiola is only 48 years old compared to Klopp who is 52. However, despite much less time in management, the Spaniard has certainly achieved a lot more than the German.

Guardiola spearheaded the great Barcelona side earlier this decade towards two Champions League medals, three consecutive La Liga titles and two Spanish Cups. To add to these incredible honours, the great Sir Alex Ferguson even stated that this Barcelona team was ‘the best team ever’ after losing to Guardiola in both of those European finals.

The 48-year-old would even surpass Klopp in his homeland by winning three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, compared to the German’s two league medals with Borussia Dortmund.

There will be the argument that the City boss has had a much easier time as a coach. The money at the Etihad and the already table-topping teams in Germany and Spain made life much simpler for him.

On the other hand, Klopp has built much of this Liverpool team by himself. Eight of Liverpool’s starting XI in the recent Champions League final victory were all recruited by him.

Regardless of whether you’re team Klopp or Guardiola, the Premier League is currently witnessing two of the all-time greats at their brilliant best, and that can only be good news for the division.

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…

Going into the international break on a high.

Nottingham Forest players deserve a little bit of a break after their hard work during the past few weeks, particularly after putting an end to their losing streak towards the end of October. And former player Kenny Burns believes that a change of scenery could be just what the doctor ordered when it comes to recovering from their latest batch of fixtures.

What’s he said?

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live after the victory over Derby County, Burns said that the Forest players deserved to have a bit of a break from their usual routine and how it could prove crucial to them going forward:

“The weather over here is rubbish, it’s cold, wet and miserable. Go and get some nice sunshine while you can because it’ll be a long slog from when they return for the game at Bristol City, until international breaks return in March – and they’ll need to be ready for it, unlike the last break for internationals. Once they’re back, it’s imperative Lamouchi and his players focus properly on Bristol City at Ashton Gate.”

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Time to see if he’s learned what to do

It’s a rare thing at FFC, but Burns is right on the money here when he talks about focusing properly on Bristol City.

The game at Ashton Gate will be a pretty important test for Lamouchi to see if he has learned his lessons from before, and that’s what this season is all about. Learning, adapting and implementing.

Forest have had two really big shocks when it has come to the international breaks this season, one of them good, the other one terrible. They beat Swansea City back in September despite being dominated in terms of possession and then came crashing down to earth with the loss to Wigan Athletic in the latest one.

The game against Bristol City when they come back from this upcoming break, whilst possibly too early to call it a ‘six-pointer’ in terms of the promotion hunt, certainly is going to act as an important benchmark going forward.

If Lamouchi doesn’t get things right, it could lead to them playing catch up for the rest of the season, and that’s when the pressure will really start to have an effect on the team. So what better way to put those fears to bed than by getting off on the right foot when the teams reconvene.

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…

QPR have hit a sticky patch in their form but Ian Holloway is full of praise for Mark Warburton and what he is trying to implement at the club.

What did he say?

During Holloway’s spell as manager it is fair to say the R’s were inconsistent at best, and lacked a direction which meant they finished 18th and 16th in 2016/17 and 2017/18 respectively, in what were his only two seasons at the helm.

Last season was also a period of struggle for the club, leading the board to appoint Warburton, who has appeared to turn things around in a short space of time despite losing Luke Freeman and not having much money to spend, relying on loans and free transfers.

They now sit 10th in the Championship, but the entertaining and passing style is a marked improvement – evidenced by their 26 league goals – and an aspect of Warburton’s management that hasn’t been lost on Holloway.

Speaking to the Brent & Kilburn Times, he said:

“It is about having an identity, we have a young team and the manager has done fantastically well. What he talks about with his tactics, you have to give it time to be put into practice.

“You have to find your identity and what you find with Mark is that he is not critical, he gives constructive criticism.

“They are open but I love it. It is entertaining and hopefully with the budget and what he has been given to deal with, it will work.

CEO Lee Hoos spoke recently about that same identity, and with the former Rangers boss in place the club seems to have a long-term plan, which should be a big advantage over the coming months.

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Open football

Holloway is encouraged by the new entertaining brand being played at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, and although some fans have likely warmed to the football, it is not a sustainable method of success.

Warburton seems to be aware of the team’s shortcomings, though, recently going back to a five-at-the-back system which could have proved effective against Middlesbrough if it weren’t individual errors.

Should QPR fix solve their weakness at the back they should be well-placed to move up the table. Warburton’s style is clearly getting the best out of his players going forward, with Nahki Wells, Jordan Hugill and Eberechi Eze all contributing on the goal front.

The latter is especially enjoying life under the new boss, and his joy playing in such a way could be a key factor in his upturn in form.

If Warburton can continue to get the best out of players like Eze then he should receive the board’s backing to bring in his own players, and with time the R’s can expect to progress.

Southampton fans have taken to Twitter to react with GIFS after it was reported by The Sun (via Gazette Live) that Tony Pulis is keeping an eye on developments at St Mary’s.

The former Crystal Palace and Stoke boss – who has been out of work since Middlesbrough decided not to renew his contract back in the summer – is believed to have rejected an offer to take over at Cardiff as he holds out in hope of either West Ham or the Saints parting ways with Manuel Pellegrini and Ralph Hasenhuttl respectively.

The Hammers haven’t won in six Premier League outings, whereas Southampton are 19th in the table having conceded the most goals in the division – it is very feasible that either of them could part ways with the man in charge.

However, what doesn’t seem as feasible is Pulis being appointed in either position. The 61-year-old hasn’t managed in the top-flight for two years since West Brom sacked him, and failed to guide an expensively assembled Boro side into the Championship top six.

As a result of the concerning news that Pulis is eyeing up Hasenhuttl’s job, a number of Southampton fans have taken to Twitter to react with GIFs in humorous fashion.

Let’s see what they’ve been saying…