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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…

Unai Emery had a big announcement to make last week.

Many Arsenal fans had been waiting to see who would be given the captaincy officially, and they were finally put out of their misery as all was revealed by the former Sevilla boss. Once they found out who had been given the responsibility of leading the team, though, they may have wished they hadn’t been told at all.

Emery reportedly decided to bestow the armband on Granit Xhaka following a secret ballot amongst his teammates. The midfielder is one of the more senior players at the Emirates Stadium, having joined in 2016 from Borussia Monchengladbach, and he has experience as a leader, having captained his country, Switzerland.

How do football vloggers afford to watch their team week in, week out? Find out in the video below…

However, his display against Manchester United showed that it may be all a bit too much for him at club level. The 27-year-old put in a disappointing performance, ducking out of the way of Scott McTominay’s shot before it nestled into the back of Bernd Leno’s net. A skipper should be putting his body on the line, not trying to get out of the way when the ball is coming in his direction.

Of course, it is all well and good saying that someone shouldn’t have been given the captaincy, but it is pointless without suggesting an alternative. As such, there is a strong case to be made that Matteo Guendouzi should have been chosen instead.

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Yes, he is just 20 years of age, but the commanding performances he has put in so far this season show that he can deal with the responsibility of being one of the first names on the teamsheet.

He has started in all seven Premier League matches, playing the full 90 minutes in all but one game. Even at such a young age, he is already receiving big praise from some of the sport’s legends, such as Cesc Fabregas. On his Twitter page after the clash against Manchester United, the World Cup winner said, “gotta love Guendouzi. Can play good or not so good but always shows up in difficult moments at such a young age. Big future ahead of him at Arsenal”.

That is exactly why he should have been appointed. Very rarely does a game go by when the France U21 international is not involved in the action or does not have an impact on his team. Unfortunately for Xhaka, those occasions come too often.

There is one overriding factor as to why the former Bundesliga player is not the right choice though: his popularity. A captain is meant to lead his team, which doesn’t only mean the players on the pitch, but also the club’s fans. How can that be done effectively when the supporters don’t trust or like you? Guendouzi is already a player who has been suggested as a potential captain by the Emirates Stadium faithful. For Xhaka, it is quite the opposite, with one fan even claiming it was a “nonsense decision”.

Guendouzi has his whole career ahead of him, and appointing him would have sent a message to the players and the supporters that they are planning for the future.

Xhaka seems like a safe option, but, such is his relationship with the fans, it seems like it could all end in tears.

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

Liverpool face one of their toughest tests of the season so far against a high-flying Leicester side on Saturday, so what changes should Jurgen Klopp make from the win in midweek?

The Champions League scare against Red Bull Salzburg may have been the final confirmation to Klopp that Jordan Henderson is just not cutting it at the moment.

There is no doubt the former Sunderland man silenced all his doubters by lifting the greatest club trophy of them all last term, but he has now been taken off around the hour mark in each of his last two appearances.

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Fans slammed his performance on Wednesday as he completed no key passes, dribbles, tackles, interceptions or clearances (Whoscored), and we suspect he could drop to the bench as one of three changes on Saturday.

The back four pretty much picks itself after Klopp confirmed Joel Matip is still not ready to return during his pre-match press conference. And while Alisson is close to returning, it seems foolish to rush him back with a two-week break after this game.

Moving into midfield, Fabinho’s stunning consistency since breaking into the XI makes him pretty much un-droppable – the Brazil international has started six league games and both Champions League fixtures this term, forcing even rival fans to sit up and take notice.

And that’s where things get interesting. James Milner’s introduction during the week steadied the ship for Klopp’s side, and the 33 year-old’s experience could be perfect against an in-form team like Leicester.

The other spot is then up for grabs, but Naby Keita’s return to action over the last couple of weeks seems perfectly timed with Henderson’s loss of form, and the Guinea international’s quick feet and eye for a forward pass could be useful here.

Finally, with Roberto Firmino set to travel to Brazil for international friendlies against Senegal and Nigeria over the break, we suspect Klopp will rest his mercurial number nine, rewarding Divock Origi for his game-changing impact at Bramall Lane last week.

This would see Sadio Mane shift into a central position, a role he has grabbed seven goals in nine appearances in as a Red, with Mohamed Salah keeping his place on the right flank.

Liverpool’s 100% winning start to the 2019/20 Premier League season has rightfully seen them gain plaudits for reaching the summit of the league table, but one former Merseyside player has heaped praise on one of the club’s star performers in the current campaign.

Jamie Carragher, who made over 500 appearances for the Reds alongside winning the Champions League, has singled out Senegalese forward Sadio Mane for his performances so far in 2019/20 and has even stated that the 27-year-old is his favourite player at the club.

Carragher has also stated he believes Mane is amongst the elite in world football after the forward helped Liverpool lift the 2019 Champions League whilst also playing a crucial role in the club’s domestic campaign that saw them fall fractionally short to Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title.

Mane will be hoping to help his side go one step further in the league this year, and Carragher’s praise of the forward points to a player who is likely to continue to play a pivotal role in Liverpool’s domestic and European aspirations in the current campaign.

Arsenal fans have been reacting to a tweet from Dani Ceballos as the Gunners prepare to face Sheffield United on Monday.

Ceballos, 23, has had a positive start to life in north London since his move from Real Madrid on a season-long loan. The Spaniard has proved to be a creative influence in the middle of the park with Mesut Ozil in and out of the squad.

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With two assists and a passing accuracy of 89% in the Premier League this season, the Spain international is becoming a vital asset for boss Unai Emery in terms of controlling the play and getting the ball to the attackers.

Supporters have been full of encouragement towards Ceballos after he issued a rallying cry on Twitter, as he prepares for a busy schedule of matches with the Gunners.

Arsenal will play four games in nine days, with a trip to Anfield against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup being the final game of a testing period.

Below you will find some of the best responses from Arsenal fans, who seem delighted by the summer arrival’s attitude…

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…

Genk manager Felice Mazzu believes that his side may be able to get something from Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Liverpool, but only on the basis, that star man Mohamed Salah does not feature.

What’s the word?

The Egyptian missed the 1-1 draw against Manchester United on Sunday due to an ankle injury before the international break, and could be back in contention for the Reds’ third game of their European campaign.

The Belgian outfit has not had the best of returns to the Champions League after an eight-year absence. Blauw-Wit were thrashed 6-2 by RB Salzburg in their opening game and held to a 0-0 draw by group leaders Napoli at the Luminus Arena.

Find out why Manchester United vs. Liverpool is “no longer an elite fixture” in the video below…

Liverpool’s results haven’t been much better after only picking up three points in their first two games. A defeat to Napoli and a win against RB Salzburg put the Merseyside club in second place in Group E.

The Genk boss spoke in his pre-match press conference and believes that they have a chance if Salah is absent.

Quoted by TuttoMercatoWeb, he said: “We hope that Salah will not play, in that case, they will play a different style.

“If we play with the same conviction we had against Napoli, I think we can do something, even if Liverpool is even better (than Napoli).”

One eye on Tottenham

The Reds will not ignore the Premier League game against Spurs that awaits them on Sunday and may choose to rest the 27-year-old entirely, or risk aggravating his ankle further by playing him out in Belgium. However, having lost to Napoli already, they cannot afford to slip further behind Gli Azzuri if they manage to beat RB Salzburg.

The presence of a creative midfielder in the form of Naby Keita or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would reduce the need for Salah to play, and keep him fresh for the Tottenham game.

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Despite having a tricky first season at Anfield since his £48m move from RB Leipzig, Keita will want to show manager Jurgen Klopp why he should be starting regularly for Liverpool. His final season at the Bundesliga outfit saw him score six goals and provide five assists, as well as accumulate a passing accuracy of 81.4%. This illustrates the quality that he and what he can offer the team when the Guinea international is playing well.

His other option is to feature Oxlade-Chamberlain in the midfield trio. The 26-year-old put his name in lights at Anfield after a 25-yard strike against Manchester City helped the Reds beat the Citizens 3-0 in the Champions League in 2018.

During his first campaign in the Premier League, the Englishman scored three times and assisted on seven occasions before sustaining multiple cruciate ligament damage in his knee against Roma. The setback saw him miss the majority of the 2018/19 campaign.

The manager has alternatives that he can go to if he needs them. Regardless of Mazzu’s comments, this Liverpool side is more than capable of beating Genk, with or without Salah.

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

Reports from AS have linked Real Madrid star Isco to Manchester City, however, Pep Guardiola should take a look at his current squad before he splashes the cash again.

What’s the word, then?

It has been no secret that Zinedine Zidane is not a massive fan of Isco, as the Spaniard has once again struggled to get into his Madrid side of late.

This season, the 27-year-old has started just twice in La Liga, two seasons after he started only 18 league games in 2016-17 during Zidane’s first reign.

The AS report states that Guardiola sees Isco as a candidate to replace David Silva, who is set to leave the Etihad at the end of the season.

The news from Spain touches on how Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are also after the Madrid midfielder.

Trust in Foden

As much as Isco has proved to be an incredibly able player down the years, Guardiola has players residing within his ranks who are capable of stepping into Silva’s shoes.

Isco did score 10 goals and provide eight assists in 2016-17, but he has since bagged just 12 goals over the past two seasons and is not exactly seeing much game time this campaign.

On the other hand, Phil Foden has been making a lot of noise in Manchester over the years, to a point where Guardiola labelled him the “most talented player” he has ever seen in his career as a manager.

The Spaniard certainly knows a star when he sees one, having nurtured the likes of Sergio Busquets during his time at Barcelona. If Foden does indeed surpass the multitude of supremely talented individuals he has managed in Catalonia and Bavaria, City will have an almighty superstar on their hands.

And if his latest performance against Atalanta is anything to go by, there is no doubt he can become a regular in the starting XI following Silva’s departure.

He tallied 4 key passes in an all-action display which eventually saw him sent off under incredibly dubious circumstances, but the composure and exuberance on display was the most telling story of the evening.

Silva has given the Citizens 10 years of service and helped them to win 10 major trophies. However, with their academy graduate, they could potentially earn even more silverware. The Spain international was 24 when he first joined City and Foden is only 19, which could mean they can get more than 10 years of magic out of him.

Quite frankly, there is no need for Guardiola to chase Isco – he has a legend in the making under his nose and should use him instead.

Wolves extended their unbeaten run to eight games with a 1-1 draw at Newcastle, thanks in part to a man of the match performance from Adama Traore.

He impressed several fans with his attacking threat on the right-flank, with many pleased by the way he linked up with Matt Doherty to create numerous chances for the visitors.

The winger is often criticised for his lack of end product but in recent weeks he has shown how devastating he can be with goals against Manchester City and Slovan Bratislava.

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He added to that on Sunday with a cross that ultimately fell at the feet of Jonny, who was able to smash in an equaliser to ensure Wolves took something from the game.

Many fans are excited by his recent displays and believe he has improved a great deal under Nuno Espirito Santo, with some possibly believing the 23-year-old could become a key player for the side.

That would mark a big turnaround from last season, when he started only eight league games, and supporters are certainly thrilled by the way he has been playing.

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…

It seems the Scottish Premiership has a title race on its hands.

After years of Celtic domination, it looks as though Glasgow rivals Rangers are ready to take the fight to the Bhoys. Although they may currently lie second in the Premier League table, that is only on goal difference, with just one goal separating the two sides.

The Gers’ success has been helped by a trio of veterans who are all set to be offered new contracts with the club, per The Scottish Sun. Allan McGregor, 37, has conceded just six times in his first nine games of the league campaign, whilst Jermaine Defoe – also 37 – tops the division’s goalscoring charts with 10. Steven Davis, three years younger but still 34, has also played a part in 10 of the first 11 matches.

All three have contributed to the team’s success already this term, and it remains to be seen whether they can go all the way. However, they are just part of a short-term plan, and it seems to be a bizarre decision to attempt to keep them beyond the current campaign.

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Whilst a title is the first priority, there appears to be little planning for the future. The Ibrox outfit have the joint-oldest squad in the league, with an average age of 27.1. Others, such as Scott Arfield, are also approaching the end of their careers and could do with being replaced.

The issue is also their wages. Whilst former England international Defoe would surely take a pay-cut if he stayed in Scotland, his total annual salary of £5.38m would be well out of Rangers’ price range, and Allan McGregor and Steven Davis are likely to be amongst the club’s top earners considering their track records.

Financially, there are rumours the Gers are in trouble. Last year, they lost £14.3m, which was more than the rest of the league combined.

Surely keeping ahold of those three veterans is part of a path towards disaster, and brings back memories of the club’s collapse at the start of the decade. Yes, these players may be helping in the short-term, but in the long-term there is a danger their renewals could constitute a problem.

Perhaps the club should rethink the potential new deals.

Jack Clarke has had a turbulent 12 months to say the least.

This time last year he was bursting onto the scene with some incredible performances for Leeds United, scoring against Aston Villa at the turn of the year.

His good form for the Whites earned him a £10m move to one of the biggest clubs in the country as Tottenham Hotspur acquired his services.

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He was immediately loaned back to the Yorkshire outfit, but for one reason or another, he’s completely fallen out of favour at Elland Road.

Indeed, the winger hasn’t played a single league minute this term for United and that doesn’t look like it’ll improve with Pablo Hernandez now back in the fold.

Leeds haven’t exactly missed the 18-year-old though as they’re still within touching distance of the top two, and with a decent run of fixtures coming up it may not be long until they’re in the automatic promotion spots.

However, having a player of Clarke’s talent and not utilising him seems like a massive waste. With chances still slim on the ground, the possibility of being recalled by Spurs seems incredibly likely. But do our writers think he should get another shot at Elland Road or is he destined to leave again in January?

Lewis Blain

“The old saying is, ‘if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’ and that’s very much a mantra that should be applied at Leeds at the minute. They are unbeaten in four matches and they possess the accolade of being the division’s best defensive side having conceded just eight goals all season, per WhoScored.

“Everything may not be going to plan in attack with Patrick Bamford and Helder Costa, two possible underachievers, but they are still picking up results, so they must be doing something right. 

“Calls for Jack Clarke to garner some game time seems a little reactionary to their inability to score hatfuls of goals, especially considering the 18-year-old only started four Championship matches last term with 20 others coming from the bench. Maybe that is where Marcelo Bielsa should start, instead of simply throwing him into the starting XI to merely please some sections of the Elland Road faithful.”

Harry Sherlock “Jack Clarke has been dealt something of a bad hand but one feels that Spurs made a mistake in sending him back to Elland Road. “He didn’t exactly rack up starts last season either and they do say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. “Nevertheless, you have to feel sorry for the kid. He’s 18 and hasn’t played a single minute of league football this season. If he is going to grow and improve, Bielsa has to embed him into his squad and start utilising him, even if it as an impact sub. “If he doesn’t, then Spurs are going to grow impatient and will surely recall him in January, leaving Leeds without a potentially valuable asset. “It would be a win-win for the Leeds boss to bring him in and let him off the leash; what’s the worst that could happen?” Vijievan Jeevathayalan

“To go from joining Tottenham, to not making a single appearance in the Championship this season, is quite some doing. But Jack Clarke has managed to do that – and arguably, through no fault of his own. The talented starlet was deemed good enough to be a signing for last season’s Champions League finalists, so surely there cannot be any questions surrounding his quality.

“In the 2018/2019 campaign, he averaged 0.8 shots and 0.7 key passes per game – impressive numbers when you remind yourself that he is just 18 and rarely started. With Leeds struggling to score goals this season – they have managed just 19 goals in 15 games in the Championship – Clarke could provide the bit of creative magic that Marcelo Bielsa’s side desperately needs.”

Charles Jones

“Personally I think that Leeds should be keeping Clarke on the bench. Their wide areas don’t need any tinkering as Jack Harrison is hitting incredible form, assisting four goals in his last five league games, while Helder Costa was a £15m addition and Pablo Hernandez is a two-time Player of the Year winner.

“Marcelo Bielsa would only be playing Clarke for the sake of it, and that can’t happen when the Whites are knocking on the door of the Premier League.

“The Spurs loanee will either have to wait for injuries to hamper the players rivalling him in his position or just continue to warm the bench as there’s no reason for him to replace any of the aforementioned players just yet.”

A number of West Ham United fans have claimed that central defender Angelo Ogbonna does not get the credit he deserves.

The 31-year-old captained the Hammers against Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this season, whilst he started and finished eight Premier League games between August 17 and October 19.

The centre-back has been an unused substitute for the club’s last three league fixtures, though, and they have conceded seven times in his absence.

A fan account on Twitter pointed out that Ogbonna’s presence in the XI seems to have a big impact on the amount of goals that the team concede.

And many supporters have questioned why head coach Manuel Pellegrini has altered his stance on the central defender by putting him behind Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop in the pecking order at the London Stadium.

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It will be very, very interesting to see whether the 13-time Italy international is in the XI for the clash with Tottenham Hotspur after the international break.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below: