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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 after the match (as quoted by The Independent), Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hailed Anthony Martial as a “top striker”.

What did he say?

The Frenchman has been out of action for the Red Devils since picking up an injury in late August, and only made his return to first-team football in last week’s clash against arch-rivals Liverpool.

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

Having started from the off against Norwich in the Premier League, Martial had a rather mixed afternoon, scoring one, but also missing a penalty. But having seen the 23-year-old help inspire United to a 3-1 victory at Carrow Road, Solskjaer made it clear how important the forward is to the team.

When asked of the importance the former AS Monaco man holds, the United boss said: “It’s vital for us. He’s a top striker and to have him back fit, smiling, enjoying his football – that’s a big thing for us. He’s clever in his movement.

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“We feel Anthony is an important player for us and we’ve felt the effect of him not being there so of course, I’m pleased to have him back and scoring goals.”

The return

They often say a player can become better whilst waiting on the side-lines than if he were actually on the pitch. And in Martial’s case, United’s struggles with goals this season, and Rashford’s own relatively cold form, has seen the France international turn into a bona-fide world-beater.

But ultimately, there can be no question that the 23-year-old offers the Red Devils such added potency to their attack. He started the campaign in fine fettle with two goals and an assist in three games, and on Sunday, showed he carries a great threat offensively from the number nine role. As per Sofascore, he fired off four shots on target, completed two successful dribbles, and registered one key pass too.

Whilst it may be too early to see the forward can completely transform United’s fortunes over the coming weeks and months, he has certainly gotten off to a good start in his comeback.

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…

There have been plenty of positives, for once, at West Brom so far this season – top of the table going into the international break; the exciting brand of football on display; the chances given to youth.

Wait, what?

When Slaven Bilic was appointed as their new manager in the summer, sporting and technical director Luke Dowling said these words:

“We want to return to what West Brom have been good at – unearthing some gems that people might not know too much about.”

To some extent, this has come true.

No one will have heard of Grady Diangana or Matheus Pereira before they joined on deadline day, but now they certainly know all about them considering they have been two of their most valuable players to date – scoring six and assisting seven between them, per WhoScored.

But on the other hand, their actual youth setup has hardly been given a whiff of opportunity.

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Sam Field and Jonathan Leko have been sent to Charlton Athletic on loan to garner some valuable game time, as Bilic knew they wouldn’t be able to feature as much as they would have liked this campaign.

Though, the same can’t be said for Rekeem Harper, who despite encouraging comments in August, hasn’t received a look-in whatsoever.

He picked up just six minutes as a substitute against Nottingham Forest on the opening day and hasn’t been seen since – the 19-year-old hasn’t even been named in a matchday squad in any of their last nine fixtures.

Considering the lack of options behind mainstay duo Jake Livermore and Romaine Sawyers, who have started every Championship game – it’s all quite baffling.

Either way, it’s not affecting their league progress, so it’s not a widescale problem.

But that doesn’t mean the Croatian boss shouldn’t think about things over a longer stretch – this lack of exposure to men’s football is only going to seriously impact the career of what appeared to be one of their most promising youngsters in recent history.

In the summer, he was linked with moves to Serie A giants Juventus and even the Champions League winners Liverpool, yet he stayed in the west Midlands and signed a contract extension.

In order to limit further damage to his career, Bilic must send Harper out on loan in January – Field and Leko are showing it can work at the right club as both have featured in at least seven games this term.

All three could come back in the future and make a serious impact as homegrown stars.

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

West Brom will be looking to resume service this weekend as the Championship season gets back underway following a two-week hiatus for international duty.

The Baggies currently sit top of the table following the 11 matches that have been played with just one defeat to their name, which was handed to them by Leeds United.

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Days later, Slaven Bilic’s side responded perfectly to see off Cardiff City 4-2, so there should be no concerns about their character as the season goes on.

Now they face a trip north to face Middlesbrough and the Croatian will want more breathing room at the league’s summit with only three points separating first to ninth.

On the Chalkboard

The Albion boss can give his side the best chance of success if they exploit one of Boro’s key weaknesses going into this fixture.

Defensively, Jonathan Woodgate’s side haven’t been up to scratch, especially over the last few games having conceded seven goals in three matches – four of which were dealt by Garry Monk’s Sheffield Wednesday.

One cause of this could be down to the absence of club captain George Friend after he required surgery on a ruptured tendon earlier in the season.

Boro sit precariously in 20th, just two points off the drop zone, so the 32-year-old’s absence has clearly been felt harshly.

While at left-back, they have an inexperienced man in Marc Bola, who was hugely exposed by Wednesday during their thrashing and it appears to be a troublesome area – even when he wasn’t on the pitch last time out against Birmingham, they still had the same problems, according to TeessideLive.

West Brom’s wingers have been their most significant threat so far this season with them on track to surpass last season’s goals per game total – clearly an area of strength.

Grady Diangana and Matt Phillips have four goals apiece and will surely be relishing this weak-looking defence – Bilic has to set let them loose to gain those vital three points.

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Some Tottenham fans have taken to Twitter to reminisce about their former midfielder Mousa Dembele, following a 2-1 defeat to Leicester at the King Power Stadium.

The Belgium international left the north Londoners back in January for the Chinese Super League, citing his desire to try something different and his ‘open-mindedness’ as reasons for his departure.

Dembele’s contract was due to expire in the summer, so Spurs sanctioned the £11m deal in order to recoup a transfer fee.

However, since his exit, Mauricio Pochettino’s side haven’t won an away game in the Premier League, and currently find themselves outside of the top four having won two, drawn two and lost two in their first six games of the season.

One fan below said that he’s “convinced” Spurs would’ve won the Champions League if the 32-year-old stayed, while another simply said that they “miss him so much”.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction…

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… 

Roberto Firmino quietly dropped another master-class on Wednesday evening in the Champions League, including accomplishing something he has never done before at Liverpool.

The Reds suffered quite the scare at the hands of Red Bull Salzburg, surrendering a three-goal lead in the second half. Of course, Mohamed Salah popped up with the goods like he always does, but he couldn’t have done it without Firmino.

Liverpool’s mercurial ‘false nine’ has been lauded by fans and pundits alike this season, and it seems like he is finally getting the recognition he deserves.

For all the talk of the crazy Salzburg comeback, Virgil van Dijk finally looking human and Salah’s brace though, the Brazil international’s two-assist display has somehow flown under the radar.

In typical Firmino fashion, the 28 year-old set up the two most important goals of the game with inch-perfect passes. First, he linked up with Sadio Mane to open the scoring, and then he helped decide the match with a lovely dinked ball for Salah’s winner.

Of course, Firmino is more than just goals and assists, and he fired in two shots of his own, provided an extra key pass that was not converted, and also danced his way past a defender on one occasion, per Sofascore.

The spearhead of Liverpool’s pressing machine did his part defensively too, winning four duels, completing one tackle and making one clearance.

Perhaps most surprising of all, this was the first time Firmino has assisted both Mane and Salah in a single match, per Andrew Beasley.

Considering how often the Brazilian is the glue that holds the front three together – he has assisted both wingers three times each already this season – it seems scarcely believable that he hadn’t managed this feat before.

That said, this has us wondering if there is anything else the enigmatic forward can break his duck on this season. A scorpion kick? A one-two with himself? Rounding the goalkeeper while doing kick-ups? We wouldn’t put it past him…

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Tottenham Hotspur are scouting a number of Serie A players as they prepare for the summer transfer window, per Tuttomercatoweb.

Spurs have not signed a player in the last two transfer windows but appear ready to dip into the market at the end of the season.

What’s the word?

Spurs last signed a player in January of 2018, when they secured Lucas Moura from PSG.

But the aforementioned Tuttomercatoweb report claims that they are stepping up preparations for the summer by sending scouts to watch a number of players in action in Italy.

Representatives from the north London outfit watched AC Milan beat Atalanta 3-1, with midfielder Franck Kessie and winger Suso both on their radar.

Per Tuttomercatoweb, Spurs also took in Inter Milan’s match against Sampdoria, looking over Ivan Perisic’s performance for the Nerrazurri.

Sampdoria defender Joachim Andersen was also on their shortlist, but according to Tuttomercatoweb the interest in him depends on Toby Alderweireld’s future.

Early preparations

Spurs are clearly readying for a frenzied summer of transfer activity.

Alderweireld has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave if a bid of £25million is tabled this summer, while Christian Eriksen’s future remains up in the air amid reported interest from Real Madrid.

Spurs are in need of reinforcements, particularly if both players depart, and it makes sense that they would be scouting top leagues, particularly for players with the right profile to play under Mauricio Pochettino.

Andersen is just 22 while Kessie and Suso are 22 and 25 respectively, and all three have the ability to grow under the Argentine’s management.

Perisic, of course, is 30, with that deal surely more of a long shot for the north London club.

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

Virgil van Dijk is a target of both Real Madrid and Barcelona according to AS, who also suggest that they may need to appoint Jurgen Klopp if the Dutchman is to be persuaded by a move away.

What’s the word?

AS report that neither Zinedine Zidane nor Ernesto Valverde are particularly comfortable in their current roles after slow starts to the season, and have pointed to Klopp as a man who would be well-suited to either role.

Both teams are said to like the centre-back, who is amongst the favourites for the Ballon d’Or and considered one of the best defenders in the world after being named UEFA Men’s Player of the Year.

Big club mentality

Klopp, who has built his team into world-beaters and likely views a Premier League title as a crowning glory on his time on Merseyside, is showing no desire to leave Merseyside anytime soon.

The German has suggested he wants to stay at the club and has even hinted that he will take a sabbatical at the end of his Liverpool contract – which expires in 2022.

With that in mind, it’s unlikely that either of the Spanish giants will be able to lure him away from his current role anytime soon.

Meanwhile, the fact van Dijk joined the Reds in a deal worth £75m in 2018 is telling. Spanish clubs have showcased their prowess and desirability in the transfer market before, securing deals for the likes of Xabi Alonso, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho, but it seems that the landscape is changing.

Those three players were signed by Liverpool for £10.5m, £22.7m and £8.5m respectively, fees that were small enough to lend rival clubs reason to believe that they could be acquired; those suspicions, clearly, were based on solid grounds.

But the gargantuan size of van Dijk’s initial transfer fee combined with the perpetual rise of his standing in the game and Liverpool’s recent Champions League win will collectively serve to push his valuation into astronomical territory.

Barcelona and Real Madrid have showcased a willingness to spend huge figures for the right players in the past but, with the prospect of a first Premier League title a genuine possibility for van Dijk, it’s difficult to envisage a scenario in which he is willing to walk away from Merseyside.

It’s impossible to conclude by stating that two of Liverpool’s most integral – if not the most integral – figures will definitely remain at the club, but the current circumstances hardly lend themselves to a stunning double swoop.

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Leeds United fans won’t want to hear what The Athletic’s Phil Hay has to say about deadline day at Elland Road…

What’s the word?

Speaking on Twitter, the ever-reliable reporter delivered a gutting claim about the likelihood of the Whites conducting any sort of business before the 11pm deadline.

“As for incomings at Elland Road, still expecting a quiet day,” he revealed.

In just 11 words, Hay has surely ruined the hopes and dreams of many supporters around west Yorkshire with just a few hours left to go.

Gutting news

Much of the Leeds faithful have been desperate to see Marcelo Bielsa handed some reinforcements to his decimated squad this month but it appears as if it just isn’t going to happen.

Their attempts to bring a new midfielder to the club have fallen short after seeing bids of £15m and £20m rejected by RB Salzburg for their star maestro Brenden Aaronson.

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That’s a deal that is expected to happen in the summer instead, meaning Leeds haven’t signed anyone for the engine room for four years now when Adam Forshaw joined from Middlesbrough in January 2018.

That area of the pitch has been a pressing need with influential England international Kalvin Phillips, who was subject of interest from West Ham United in the past few days, absent through injury until March at the earliest.

He along with skipper Liam Cooper and last season’s leading talisman Patrick Bamford have been huge absentees for the Yorkshiremen.

There have been times where Bielsa has been without as many as 11 first-team players in the Premier League, leaving him to fill the bench with academy players who simply aren’t ready for a crack at the big time.

This latest bombshell from Hay will leave many around Elland Road absolutely furious, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Enquiry made: Leeds submit last-ditch “offer” on deadline day, Bielsa badly needs him…

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side have been dealt a fresh injury setback concerning Stephen Welsh ahead of their Scottish Premiership meeting with Old Firm rivals Rangers this weekend.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who revealed that the centre-back was withdrawn shortly after half-time in Scotland U21’s 2-2 draw with Kazakhstan on Tuesday afternoon, with the 22-year-old looking to be holding his groin upon his substitution.

Postecoglou will be fuming

While it would appear unlikely that Welsh would have been handed a starting berth at Ibrox this Sunday, considering just how impressive the youngster has been so far this season, the news that the defender looks to have sustained an injury on international duty that could well rule him out of contention for the Old Firm fixture is sure to have left Postecoglou fuming nonetheless.

Indeed, over his nine Premiership appearances this term, the £1.35m-rated academy graduate has been rock solid for the Bhoys, helping his side keep three clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 2.2 clearances, 85.9 passes and winning 5.1 duels – at a success rate of 59% – per game.

These returns have seen the £10.5k-per-week starlet average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Postecoglou’s joint 11th-best player in the top flight of Scottish football.

As such, while the 56-year-old manager’s first-choice pairing of Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers are both more than likely to be selected in the XI on Sunday, should either player pick up a knock in the run-up to the fixture, or even in the game itself, the loss of an incredibly reliable backup option in Welsh is sure to hit Celtic hard.

Indeed, with the chance of leaving Ibrox six points ahead of Rangers in the league standings – something that would all but confirm Celtic’s reclamation of the Premiership title – it is certain that the Greek-Australian manager will be hoping to have as many as his first-team squad fit and firing by the time Sunday rolls around.

AND in other news: £10.5m and counting: £23.5k-p/w “monster” should have played his final game for Celtic

Keith Downie has revealed that Newcastle United are now eyeing other central defenders whose names have not yet been reported.

The Lowdown: Who’s been linked so far?

Following the arrivals of Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood at St. James’ Park, it looks as if the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium are now looking at bringing in a new centre-back as their third signing in the January transfer window.

The names that have been linked the most seem to be Sven Botman, Diego Carlos and Benoit Badiashile, but as the window ticks down it may be that the new owners now look at other targets to bring in, with crucial games against both Watford and Leeds United in the Premier League coming up.

The Latest: Alternatives eyed

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern, Sky Sports journalist Downie has revealed that the North East club are now eyeing alternative targets in the centre-half position, outside of the names already reported:

“I think they’re just juggling a few names at the moment.

“I mean, if I’m honest I was given two other names yesterday that I have not reported yet, because I’m trying to stand those up.”

The Verdict: Get one in now

Whoever the player is, the Tyneside outfit simply need to get a central defender in now.

They currently have the second-worst defensive record in the top flight, and so freshening up the backline would really help Eddie Howe and his team going forward.

Looking at their current options, Ciaran Clark is currently rated as the division’s worst centre-back (to have played at least five games) so far this season, while Federico Fernandez, Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles all rank inside the worst eleven (WhoScored).

It is clearly an area that needs improving, and so a new centre-half must now be the priority for the Magpies.

In other news, find out which six-foot-one ‘phenom’ NUFC are now ‘most interested’ in signing here!