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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… 

Just how do you solve a problem like Paul Pogba? The France World Cup winner’s protracted transfer saga over the course of the summer window hit the headlines on a daily basis, and it was a major surprise to see him remaining at Old Trafford after the deadline.

Since then, the midfielder has come under heavy criticism for his perceived role in the Wolves penalty debacle, and has spent the majority of the campaign out injured. The Red Devils have suffered a series of embarrassing results in the Frenchman’s absence, not least of which was the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle last weekend.

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

But when Pogba does eventually make his return from injury, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must change tack with the way he has deployed the 26-year-old so far. The question of where his best position is, has been the source of constant debate. But in the limited time he has played in the number ten role, the former Juventus man has emphatically delivered.

In his seven games in the role in the Premier League, Pogba has averaged a goal contribution every match, and yet for some reason continues to be played in various other positions instead. His 0.34 expected goals is the highest of anywhere he has played on the pitch, whilst his 0.27 expected assists is the most too.

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His last game in the attacking midfield role came away at Leicester in February of last season, and he provided the sublime through ball for Marcus Rashford to fire home for the winning goal. The Frenchman’s greater range of passing and incisive vision makes him a superb option for United to boost their creativity levels. He has provided 12 key passes in the seven matches he has played as a number ten, and registered 19 shots too.

The Red Devils’ complete lack of goals this season – they have managed to score just nine times in eight Premier League games – is evidence of a woeful strike-force, but a less than influential midfield too. Getting Pogba further forward in terms of his positioning on the pitch can help the Red Devils unlock doors with greater ease.

As former United man Paul Parker suggested, Solskjaer’s side could benefit greatly by a tactical tweak for the 6 foot 3 star.

“Pogba’s at his best when he can be creative and make things happen going forward. Remove the shackles and get him in positions where he can go at players one versus one, or has the freedom to run in behind and ask questions of the opposition defence that way.”

As the stats prove, it’s high time for United to unleash the full abilities of their midfield maverick.

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Jurgen Klopp has been named as the Premier League Manager of the Month for August and Liverpool fans believe it is no less than he deserves.

The German has overseen a brilliant start to the season, with Liverpool winning four from four, scoring 12 and conceding only three, a record no other team has been able to match. They currently sit atop the table, two points clear of reigning champions Manchester City.

Despite the notable success since his arrival in England, Klopp was won the award just twice previously, in March of this year and in December 2018.

He is already loved by Reds fans, and in winning a sixth Champions League title he has arguably elevated himself to icon status at the club, which would become even more substantial if he won the coveted Premier League title.

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And many fans are in awe of their manager and have used the occasion to heap praise onto him.

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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…

Nottingham Forest captain Michael Dawson has compared his current boss Sabri Lamouchi to the one that let him depart Tottenham Hotspur after nearly ten years at the club.

What’s he said?

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino allowed the popular centre-back to join Hull City despite holding the captaincy in North London.

After four seasons at the KCOM Stadium, Dawson returned to the Midlands to the side that gave him his first taste of professional football, Forest.

Lamouchi was surprisingly appointed manager of the club just minutes after the sudden departure of Martin O’Neill and the 35-year-old, who has started every Championship game this season, has said the Algerian boss reminds him of Pochettino.

Dawson said:

“I had a short spell with Mauricio at Spurs before I left, and yes, his thoroughness, his way of playing…

“That takes time. You’ve got to get the right players and the right blend – he’s doing that.

“He’s great to work with – his energy, his willingness to learn the league.

“I’m loving working with him.”

Have Forest finally found their man?

Any form of reasonable success at the City Ground has long escaped them – their last foray into the playoffs was back in 2011 whilst the club haven’t featured in the top-flight since 1999.

Lamouchi is their fourth manager since the start of the 2017 season having had Mark Warburton, Aitor Karanka and O’Neill all chance their arm in the east Midlands.

The last manager to enjoy a spell that was longer than just a year was Billy Davies between 2009 and 2011 – the man to give them that playoff season.

They’ve had 12 managers since then, including their current boss.

The Reds have been in desperate need of some sort of stability, and Dawson’s comments about the 47-year-old offers great encouragement considering the flack the club received following his peculiar appointment.

Ensuring he’s given time and that they continue this season’s run of form, Forest have every chance of a more successful campaign this season.

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

According to The Times, Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo is pushing for a loan move away from the club.

What’s the word?

Rojo’s time at Man United has been a topsy-turvy one and was rather summed up by what happened in the closing stages of the English transfer window.

The Red Devils refused to allow him to join Everton, a decision that has left the Argentine angry after his club valued him at £25m.

The 6 foot 2 central defender has moved further down the pecking order after the arrival of Harry Maguire and as a result, it looks as though he’s seeking a loan move away.

Per The Times, he’s pushing for a transfer to Turkish outfit Fenerbahce on a season-long loan.

United shouldn’t consider a loan

After not allowing him to join Everton, it’s clear United see some use for Rojo. What that role is, however, remains to be seen but the fact is they shouldn’t be thinking of sanctioning a loan.

At the age of 29, Rojo isn’t getting any younger and his resale value will only continue to plummet and they’d be in danger of not getting anywhere close to the £25m that they want.

United aren’t exactly strapped for cash, such is their meteoric size, but spending £80m on Maguire is sure to have ransacked them significantly.

The Argentina international rarely featured last term, starting just two games in the Premier League which provides an indication of how he’s thought of at Old Trafford.

Ole back at the wheel? Check out what Man Utd fans are saying in the wake of their 4-0 win over Chelsea in the video below…

Although a loan move would get him off their books for the time being, they’d surely only re-encounter more issues over the player’s future going forward.

For the time being, Rojo’s contract expires in 2021 so it’s either now or next summer that they have to sell him. If they want to maximise profits then shipping him on permanently now, rather than later would be beneficial.

Allowing a loan move at this stage seems somewhat foolish and shouldn’t be considered. Instead, they should be looking to get a fee for the defender.

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As reported on the club’s official website, West Ham have been handed a triple injury boost ahead of their game against Watford with the return of Felipe Anderson, Sebastien Haller and Mark Noble back available for selection.

What was wrong with them?

Haller – a £45m signing from Eintracht Frankfurt – and Anderson picked up small knocks in the 5-0 defeat to Manchester City in the opening game, missing the trip to Brighton as a result.

The Hammers drew that game against the Seagulls 1-1, and they were also without Noble who is yet to feature for the club this term due to an injury which he picked up in pre-season.

In their absence, Manuel Pellegrini selected Pablo Fornals for his first Premier League start and also handed Javier Hernandez a start in Haller’s absence – the Mexican scored the Irons’ only goal.

Who could be affected by their returns?

As aforesaid, Fornals was handed the opportunity to impress in Anderson’s absence, but the £24m summer signing failed to really light up the Amex Stadium despite a bright start.

Football London gave the Spaniard a rating of six, stating that he looked eager and got stuck in straight away, although he faded as the game went on.

His WhoScored statistics also don’t cover the 23-year-old in too much glory.

Watch the video below to find out how CR7 achieves some his best skills…

As an attacking midfielder, you would want to see Fornals test the keeper and thread some incisive passes through to the forwards.

Disappointingly, he played zero key passes and also had zero shots on target, on an afternoon where he failed to really have an influence on proceedings.

Given Anderson’s status at the club as a key first-team player – his 10 goals and five assists last term prove this – you would expect Pellegrini to bring back such an effective performer as soon as he possibly can.

If this is the case, then Fornals may be the unlucky man to miss out having been so ineffective against Brighton.

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After arriving from Plymouth back in 2011, Jack Stephens has spent a good few years learning his trade whilst on loan at various sides in English football.

Since making his Premier League breakthrough for Southampton in the 2016/2017 season, Stephens has endured a rather indifferent career at St Mary’s.

The centre-back has found himself in and out of the team, and has struggled to really nail down a place in the starting line-up under a number of Saints managers.

After getting the nod for the side’s opening Premier League clash of the season against Burnley, Stephens had a performance to forget and looked all at sea at Turf Moor.

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The 25-year-old didn’t complete a single tackle whilst on the pitch and registered a very measly 61.1% pass accuracy, before being hooked by Ralph Hasenhuttl in the 73rd minute.

Following the side’s disappointing 3-0 defeat, Southampton fans took to Twitter to voice their displeasure and many were furious with Stephens’ performance.

Many felt the defender simply “isn’t good enough” and had cost the side numerous points over the course of his Southampton career.

Indeed, some insisted Stephens is not of the required quality at Premier League level and urged Hasenhuttl to stop playing him in the first-team.

Check out some of the reaction of Southampton fans below:

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The team will drive to the chief minister’s office for a short felicitation before arriving at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium shortly after 5pm

Shashank Kishore04-Jun-20252:28

Aaron: Kohli has been king of the castle for 18 years

The celebrations following Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s long-awaited IPL triumph are set to reach a crescendo on Wednesday afternoon, as the franchise prepares to honour its beloved champions at home.Even as the franchise announced grand plans of an open-bus parade along a 2km stretch from Vidhana Soudha to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the evening, the city’s traffic police had already begun working overtime to manage crowds and traffic movements around the city’s CBD.As early as 10am, hundreds of fans had already begun descending at the Kempegowda International Airport to welcome the team. But the long commute from there towards central Bengaluru has forced a change of plan, with the team set to now touch down at the old HAL Airport then drive to the chief minister’s office for a short felicitation before arriving at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium shortly after 5pm.Related

• Virat Kohli: I've given this team my youth, my prime, my experience

• 'They deserve it as much as I do' – Kohli shares glory with de Villiers and Gayle

• Kohli, after all this time, just for this moment

• Krunal Pandya is an IPL great even if you don't think he is

The city’s police are in close coordination with the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), who are likely to throw open a number of stands for the victory lap that is now expected to take place inside the stadium’s premises. The KSCA is preparing for at least 10,000 fans to flock to the ground, but that number is likely to be a lot higher.On Wednesday afternoon, the city police had briefed various traffic units on elaborate plans to manage the weekday traffic, with the franchise and the government agencies making a plea to fans to use public transport and the metro service to prevent major traffic disruptions.The public had also been advised to avoid the CBD from 3pm to 8pm, around the time the team is expected to zip through the city for their engagements and post-IPL celebration. However, by noon, fans had queued up along the periphery of the stadium to get a glimpse of the team.Virat Kohli will expectedly be the centre of attention. Soon after winning the IPL, Kohli professed his love for Bengaluru and the franchise that “stood behind me”. It’s likely Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, who celebrated with the team into the early hours on Wednesday in Ahmedabad, will be part of the celebration.”I think I’m going to feel the real side of it when we get to Bengaluru,” he told RCB Bold Diaries. “And celebrate it with the city and fans who’ve stood by us through thick and thin. I’m just relieved. This is far more special than winning it with anyone else, because my heart is with Bangalore, my soul is with Bangalore. As I said, this is the team I’m going to play for till the last day I play the IPL. So, this one is absolutely right up there.”

“As a leader, I want to empower everyone to be the best version of themselves”

Valkerie Baynes13-May-2025Nat Sciver-Brunt hasn’t just been juggling life as a new working mum in recent weeks, but also an intensive rehab programme on an Achilles injury that means she will start her tenure as England Women’s captain playing as a batter only.Speaking publicly for the first time since her appointment as Heather Knight’s successor a fortnight ago and becoming a mum with wife Katherine in March, allrounder Sciver-Brunt said she had been battling Achilles tendinopathy “on and off for years”. But her maternity leave had allowed a clear six-week window to treat the injury – including painful shockwave therapy – which had her on track to bat during her first assignment as captain, when England host West Indies in two white-ball series starting on May 21.”For now I haven’t been bowling,” Sciver-Brunt said. “Just from an Achilles perspective to build up my workload through playing, batting is important in terms of the next step up. So certainly for the first part of the summer I’ll be playing as a batter.”My intention is to keep bowling. I mean, bowling 10 overs every 50-over match probably isn’t something that is sustainable for me. But I’d like to have a good role with the ball as well.”It just came to a head and was very sore during the winter, so I was really glad to have a chance to have a good period of rehab so that I can go through the summer more pain-free, obviously with a big 50-over World Cup after the summer. I’m on track, which I’m really happy about.”Related

• Charlotte Edwards banishes 'F-word' in bid to turn England's image around

• Charlotte Edwards: Lord's portrait unveiling caps 'whirlwind' month

• Nat Sciver-Brunt named England Women captain

• Sciver-Brunt must put England back in business

• Chinelle Henry to miss West Indies tour of England

Sciver-Brunt said she was still adjusting to “a new normal” since the arrival of son Theo, who will join Nat and Katherine on tour as England look to put their 16-0 Ashes drubbing at the hands of Australia in January behind them.”It’s been interesting, obviously doing everything I can to get back into cricket and whilst rehabbing my Achilles was important,” she said. “Doing all of that and then being at home and there for Katherine and Theo has been tricky at times, but looking after a newborn is really rewarding.”To be asked [to be captain] is a huge privilege and one that I didn’t want to turn down. Obviously that doesn’t come without its challenges in terms of where I’m at in my life and the changes that have happened outside of cricket, to becoming a mum and getting used to all of that, so it will be a new thing to get used to, but hopefully something I can take in my stride.”West Indies named their squad – without the injured Chinelle Henry and Deandra Dottin – on Tuesday and England were set to follow suit within 48 hours. During that time Lydia Greenway is expected to be confirmed as the national women’s selector, a new position created to work alongside head coach Charlotte Edwards, England Women’s managing director Clare Connor and director Jonathan Finch on a four-person selection panel.Unlike Knight, Sciver-Brunt won’t be part of the selection panel as captain, although she will have share her views in pre-selection meetings with Edwards and have a say in the starting XI for each match.England are yet to settle on a leadership group to support Sciver-Brunt and on whether they will have a vice-captain. In her role as deputy, Sciver-Brunt was called upon a number of times to lead the side in Knight’s absence, most recently midway through their T20 World Cup defeat to West Indies in October which resulted in England failing to reach the knockout phase of the tournament. Sciver-Brunt has a 9-3 win-loss record in the 12 matches she has captained for England – 11 T20Is, including at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and one ODI.”We’ve had some great success when I’ve stepped in to captain, but also lost a few games as well,” she reflected. “Just learning from those experiences and working out the best way to help everybody on the pitch stay level and in the best place to perform well, that’s the biggest learning, how to help people get back to their normal, which we’ve done a lot of as a group over the last year or so.”I’ll be having conversations with everybody just to work out the best way to work with them when we’re on the pitch and what they would need from me to help them best work.”As a leader, I want to empower everyone to be the best version of themselves, as a group I want us all to work really hard for each other and the team and themselves, and also making smarter decisions, with learning about the game and different experiences and using what we’ve done really well in the past and just tweaking it a little. We’ve got a great chance with a new coach, a new captain to start fresh I suppose, and look forward as a group. We’ll look to tweak a few things and hopefully we can win a few more games.”

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West Ham United fans have sent mixed messages to striker Javier Hernandez after the club commemorated the two-year anniversary of his signing.

The Mexico international joined the club in 2017 from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of £16m.

He has gone on to make 61 appearances for the Irons, scoring 16 goals and registering four assists.

Football FanCast sources said at the start of the transfer window that Hernandez was regarded as expendable, though he is now likely to stay after Andy Carroll, Lucas Perez and Marko Arnautovic all left the club.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Sebastian Haller has arrived to replace the Austria international for a fee that sources claim totals an initial £45m with a potential £5m in add-ons and some fans believe that the former Manchester United striker could be a fine strike partner for the Frenchman, though others remain keen to see him depart the London Stadium.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

Changes are coming to the USMNT, but which players should be in the starting XI? GOAL makes the picks

There will be changes to the U.S. Men's National Team starting XI. After a performance like the one against Canada, there has to be. The USMNT needs to do something different.

Following the 2-1 loss to Canada, Tuesday's clash with New Zealand in Cincinnati suddenly feels more urgent than ever. No, reported hire Mauricio Pochettino will not be coaching, which takes some of the energy out of this match, but the reality is the U.S. needs a response. Pochettino or no Pochettino on the sidelines, this team needs to show some fight.

But what changes are necessary? Which players are in the best position to step into the XI? Those are the two big questions interim coach Mikey Varas is staring down as the USMNT prepares to take on New Zealand.

"It's a delicate balance, and we're going to find a balance," Varas said. "We want to put on a winning performance. Anybody who plays, they will have earned it. At the same time, this is a September window with a new coach coming in, so it's also my responsibility to make sure that multiple players get a chance to showcase themselves, as long as they have also shown that they can earn it."

Ahead of Tuesday's match, GOAL breaks down who should start for the USMNT…

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  GK: Matt Turner

  Patrick Schulte did well against Canada, and is perhaps the only player that can actually say that. Varas hinted, though, that there would be a change at goalkeeper and, realistically, it makes sense.

  Despite his lack of club minutes, you can't write Turner off with the USMNT. He's still arguably the team's most reliable goalkeeper, and he's earned that title particularly when wearing a U.S. shirt. Because of that, he deserves the chance to fight for his spot as the national team No. 1 with a start here.

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  LB: Caleb Wiley

  We know that Wiley is a good player. He showed it in Atlanta and he's already shown it in a few games with Strasbourg. Is he a legitimate left-back option at the top levels of international soccer? Now is the time to find out.

  A New Zealand friendly under an interim coach won't answer that question, but it could provide us with some valuable data. And, either way, neither Wiley nor Kristoffer Lund, 22, are starting over Antonee Robinson any time soon so, with that in mind, Tuesday is another opportunity to see what Wiley can bring to the fold.

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  CB: Auston Trusty

  Trusty was, right or wrong, left out in the cold by Gregg Berhalter despite playing for Sheffield United in the Premier League. Now, he has a very real chance to prove why that shouldn't have been the case.

  A big move to Celtic this summer will help keep him on the USMNT radar, but the best way to do that is to deliver big performances in actual national team matches. Trusty hasn't gotten enough chances to do so, so it makes sense to give him this one to see what he's got.

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  CB: Mark McKenzie

  Much of what we said for Trusty could apply to McKenzie. Yes, McKenzie has been more involved, even making the Copa America roster. He didn't play, though. He's a fringe player, by his own admission, but he could soon become much more.

  Now at Toulouse, McKenzie is ready to push Chris Richards and Tim Ream for one of those starting center back spots. This is an audition. Normally, you wouldn't want to swap out both center backs, but it's fine here all considered. McKenzie and Trusty, former Philadelphia Union teammates, should bring some old chemistry to the table as they both look to make their case.