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Manchester United’s history has been dominated by great captains. The Sir Alex Ferguson era saw the likes of Bryan Robson, Roy Keane and Nemanja Vidic to name just three.

But against Newcastle on Sunday, the Red Devils started off with Ashley Young leading the team out, before substitutions in the second-half saw the most unlikeliest of men taking over the leadership duties.

After Young was taken off towards the end of the clash against the Magpies, fans spotted Marcos Rojo wearing the captain’s armband, and it certainly didn’t seem to go down too well with the United faithful.

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Many supporters of the Manchester side took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the matter, and there was a definite sense of disapproval.

Red Devils fans insisted it is a sign of “dark times”, whilst a lot of fans suggested this simply proved the club has now entered the “banter era”.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

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 exclusively to Football FanCast, ex-Leicester defender Steve Walsh has suggested Ben Chilwell would be “silly” to leave the Foxes.

What did he say?

The England international has come through the Leicester academy, and made his senior debut for the club in October 2015 when he featured against Hull City in the League Cup.

Since then, the 22-year-old has established himself as the side’s first-choice left-back, playing in 36 of the 38 Premier League games last season.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

His impressive performances have seen him be linked with a move away, but Walsh has tipped the defender to remain at the club.

He said: “I think he’d be silly to move. Money talks, though, we’ve seen it with Harry Maguire. I think Ben Chilwell is happy here with his football amid rumours obviously of teams coming in.”

Building for the future

Could Chilwell make the move to one of the Premier League’s traditional big six? Most probably. His defensive numbers this season make for very impressive reading, averaging 1.5 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game from left-back. The big question however, is whether he feels confident in Leicester’s ability to break the existing monopoly at the top of the table.

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In fact, he needs to look no further than Harry Maguire and Manchester United’s struggles this campaign to know the grass isn’t always greener. At Leicester, Chilwell is an automatic starter, and the club appear to be heading in the right direction under the management of Brendan Rodgers. Fast, attacking football and getting winning results on the board too.

It may be worthwhile for the 22-year-old to simply stay on board the Foxes train and see where it takes him.

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…

Sky Sports pundit Danny Mills has claimed Everton midfielder Andre Gomes has been “a big miss” at Goodison Park since suffering a rib injury, with the Portuguese’s absence helping to show his true worth to the Toffees.

What’s he said?

Everton turned Gomes’ temporary stint on loan from FC Barcelona into a permanent arrangement this summer for £22million, per BBC, after the midfielder featured in 29 games across all competitions last season, assisting twice.

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The 26-year-old began the new campaign as a regular in Silva’s plans, as well, with a starting role in each of the Blues’ opening four games of the Premier League season, but has featured for just six minutes since, coming in his return appearance from the bench at Burnley.

His absence from defeats against AFC Bournemouth, Sheffield United and Manchester City through a rib injury has helped to show what Gomes brings to the table, in the eyes of Mills, who believes the 29-cap international often goes under the radar.

Speaking with Football Insider, Mills said:

“He’s one of those players you don’t always notice until he’s not there. A lot of people go: ‘Yeah, he’s alright, he does this, does that, but what does he really do?’ Then he goes missing and they go: ‘Oh yeah, that’s what he does.’

“He doesn’t have those outstanding performances where he’s bossing it and driving through the midfield, scoring and shooting and all those types of things.

“He has been a big miss. It’s no excuse, Everton have got strength in depth and some quality and they should have coped better without him, but if they can get him back fit and firing that’s a massive plus.”

Schneiderlin showed why Gomes was missed

Since featuring from the bench at Burnley, Gomes has had the international break to help finalise the closing stages of his rehabilitation in the hopes of earning his fifth start of the term against West Ham United on Saturday.

So long as Silva has no doubts over the 26-year-old’s fitness, the Everton boss will likely be keen to hand his compatriot that start, as Schneiderlin and Delph were not able to fill the void Gomes’ absence created, as Mills pointed to.

Particularly against Burnley last time out, Schneiderlin showed why Gomes was missed, as the Frenchman often tried to keep things simple and play it sideways or backwards at Turf Moor, rather than advancing play up the field.

The 29-year-old offered no defensive support, either, with no tackles attempted or interceptions recorded, while WhoScored registered his central partner Delph as making one of each.

Gomes was not statistically superior to his Everton teammates in his first four outings of the season, with both Delph and Schneiderlin recording more successful tackles, interceptions, and accurate short and long passes, but it is in the things you often do not notice, as Mills said, that saw Gomes prove himself as Silva’s first-choice midfielder.

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… 

Mauricio Pochettino’s experimentation at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium continued on Saturday as Davinson Sanchez was drafted into the starting line-up, only to be hauled off at half-time.

It was a strange call for the Argentine to make given Sanchez was Spurs’ best performing defender at that point, with Toby Alderweireld losing Abdoulaye Doucoure for the goal an example of his lack of form.

A change was necessary in order for Spurs to show more attacking intent, and Son Heung-min breathed fresh life into the attack, but the 23-year-old had barely put a foot wrong on and off the ball, and deserved to remain on the pitch.

Jan Vertognhen, like his compatriot, is not playing well, and he easily could have given away a penalty in the first half, but referee Chris Kavanagh gave him the benefit of the doubt in a clash with Gerard Deulofeu.

As a result, Sanchez should feel aggrieved that he was the man to withdraw, and in many ways it indicates a lack of faith in the centre-back.

His stats from SofaScore underline his effectiveness on the ball, with the biggest standout the fact he conceded possession on just four occasions.

By contrast, Alderweireld and Vertonghen gave the ball away 26 and 14 times respectively, and although they played the full 90 minutes it shows they were much more careless, and therefore the wrong man came off.

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Such a move could knock Sanchez’s confidence, as Pochettino has undermined his ability and any faith he once placed in him.

It is also a worrying sign of the Argentine, as it shows his continued misguided belief to trust players to perform who he has relied on in the past, even when they are clearly struggling – having conceded 10 goals in two games prior to Saturday.

The £65,000 a week player also got his team on the front foot through his long passes, with three out of four successful, and it is that active approach which Spurs lack currently, struggling to break down Watford and failing to score against the likes of Brighton and Newcastle.

Pochettino has to start being brave by dropping his previous favourites, starting on Tuesday against Red Star Belgrade, because only then may Spurs get back to their best.

Joe Powell scored a spectacular long-range effort as West Ham United’s U23 side recorded a 4-0 win over their Stoke City counterparts on Monday night.

A number of the London club’s fans took to social media both during and after the affair to comment on the performance of Nathan Holland, who netted twice.

And now the supporters have been reacting to Powell’s effort, with many calling for the 20-year-old to be handed the chance to impress for the first team.

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The midfielder has been with the Hammers since the age of eight – signing his first professional contact with the club in the early stages of 2015.

Powell made his debut for West Ham in September 2018 before ending last season on loan with Northampton Town in League Two.

The academy product is yet to feature for the first team this season but has been a key player for the club’s U23 outfit in the Premier League 2.

It remains to be seen whether Manuel Pellegrini hands Powell the opportunity to impress at first-team level but that is exactly what a number of the fans want to happen.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Southampton fans on Twitter have been vocal in their view that they don’t want to see Ralph Hasenhuttl sacked after they were beaten 9-0 at home by Leicester City.

It’s rather incredible to see some members of the fanbase come out in support of the manager after watching their team suffer the joint-biggest defeat in Premier League history, but nonetheless that’s where we are.

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Some supporters seemingly still have the utmost faith in the Austrian to steer them in the right direction.

It’s hard to agree with the Saints fans on this one though. The south-coast club moved to 18th in the Premier League after 10 games, and Friday’s performance was undoubtedly one of the worst in English top flight history.

Whether or not the former RB Leipzig manager remains at the helm at St Mary’s remains to be seen, but the fanbase certainly don’t want to see any brash decisions made.

Here’s what Southamption fans have been saying on Twitter…

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, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hailed Jack Grealish as “incredible”.

What did he say?

The Aston Villa captain was on the losing side on Saturday afternoon, as the reigning Premier League champions secured a 3-0 victory at the Etihad.

Despite consigning Dean Smith’s men to another league defeat, Guardiola was full of praise for Villa’s talisman after the game.

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He said (as quoted by The Daily Mirror): “He’s incredible. A top player. I’m happy he (initially) stayed in the Championship to defend his club. He’s a talented player who always creates something. An exceptional player but too expensive for Manchester.”

Ominous

Make no mistake about it, the longer the season goes on, the more likely further managers and teams are to become interested in finally luring Grealish away from Villa Park.

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The 24-year-old has long been linked with a move away from the Midlands, but has seen a deal fail to materialise on many a occasion. The midfielder has been the subject of intense transfer speculation over the years, with Premier League giants Tottenham constantly touted as a possible destination.

Whilst Smith and the Villa faithful will no doubt be proud at seeing one of their own receive such glowing words from an esteemed manager like Guardiola, it does open up a can of worms that threatens to end this connection between Grealish and the club in eventual heartbreak.

He has led the team from the Championship to the glitz and glamour of the top-flight, and he is essentially synonymous with Villa. Despite being just 24, he has already played 157 times for the club. If Guardiola’s words are anything to go by however, he may not significantly add to that tally over the near future.

A report from the Daily Mail has delved deeper into the role Kolo Toure is playing as first-team coach at Leicester City.

Adam Shergold’s story in the Daily Mail takes a closer look at the success Leicester are having this season, suggesting that they have a real chance of targeting a third-place spot.

When talking about Leicester’s defence, Shergold referenced Toure and the positive impact he is having on Caglar Soyuncu.

He said: “Soyuncu, 23, is one of the players who has benefited from the vast experience of Kolo Toure, the club’s de facto defensive coach who followed Rodgers from Celtic.

“Toure, the former Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool defender who has managerial aspirations of his own, conducts one-on-one analysis sessions with each defender after every match, passing on his knowledge.

“It goes a long way to explaining why Leicester have the joint-best defensive record in the Premier League, conceding just eight times in their 10 matches so far.”

Whatever Kolo Toure is doing with those defenders, it seems to be working. The attacking talent and flair were there for all to see last Friday when they annihilated Southampton in their own backyard, but let’s not forget about the fact they have only conceded eight goals in the league this season – the joint-lowest in the division along with Liverpool and Sheffield United.

And at the heart of that defence is, of course, Soyuncu and Jonny Evans. Any doubts over Soyuncu stepping up at the beginning of the season with Harry Maguire gone seemed to have evaporated after 10 performances of the highest calibre. Soyuncu has played every minute of the league season and has a really impressive 7.14/10 average – hugely impressive given it’s his breakout season in the Premier League.

There is clearly great work going on from Brendan Rodgers and his staff, as Leicester look a very assured outfit at the moment – miles away from when Claude Puel was sacked back in late February.

And a big part of that is Kolo Toure. If Shergold’s statement is true about the one-on-one sessions, they are clearly having a positive effect, as the squad looks to have great morale and spirit, as well as being very assured of what they are doing and how they need to do it.

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…

When Daniel James made his rather low-key arrival at Old Trafford earlier in the summer, perhaps nobody could have expected just how important he would end up being in the first few months of his Manchester United career.

Even the 21-year-old himself has admitted to being surprised by the sheer number of games he has already played for the club.

“I came to United maybe thinking I could be a fringe player. I wanted to try and get in the team as quick as I could but I thought it may take a bit more time. I got chucked in a lot earlier than I thought. But I was ready for it. I worked hard during the summer. It was about proving people wrong and showing what I can do.”

The Wales international has featured 15 times across all competitions this season, scoring three times and providing a further three assists. In what has been a hugely disappointing campaign for the Red Devils – they currently lie in tenth in the Premier League – James has been one of the bright sparks.

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And that is exactly why reports of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer planning on handing him a rest to avoid the risk of burnout simply cannot be facilitated. James has provided genuine pace, width and sheer energy to the United team whenever he has played, and according to Whoscored, has averaged 1.5 shots, 0.8 dribbles and 0.7 crosses per game in the top-flight.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Red Devils legend Rio Ferdinand paid a glowing tribute to the immediate impact James has had on the team.

“I don’t think they (United) expected what they have got from Daniel James so early on in his Manchester United career. You’re buying someone from Swansea who was probably brought in as someone who is going to flourish at a later date. However, he’s been forced to the forefront as their main man in the team at the moment.”

Resting the winger anytime soon when the side are in such a precarious position in the league would be waving the white flag. The Red Devils have a serious issue with scoring goals this season, netting just 13 times in their opening 11 league games, and taking away one of their main threats could do untold harm to their chances of going on a winning run.

So whilst the sentiment behind wanting to mollycoddle the Welshman is understandable, United quite frankly, are not in a position to rest a man who could hold the key to success this season.

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…

Did he do enough?

A lot of the talk going into the game was going to be about who would replace Blues captain Harlee Dean following his red card against Cardiff City in the previous week and the job fell to Jake Clarke-Salter.

The Chelsea loanee has found game time hard to come by so far this season, only making one appearance in the league, away to Wigan Athletic (via Transfermarkt).

If you take a look at his numbers, you’ll see that he did a relatively OK job. He certainly could have done better, particularly when it came to the aerial duels given that he is a central defender, but overall he didn’t disgrace himself, winning three duels in total.

There are also some things that you can’t necessarily put down as a number, most notably in the last couple of minutes when he chased down Aleksandar Mitrovic down the right flank and managed to stop the Fulham forward.

He also managed to do enough to put Aboubakar Kamara off when he was one-on-one with Lee Camp in the dying seconds of the match, forcing him to hurry his shot rather than be able to take it around the onrushing stopper.

It showed his work rate and a battling ability to compete, more than making up for the loss of Dean.

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With the captain set to be out for another two games once the international break is over, he has certainly earned himself the right to hold down that starting position as the interim defender.

It’s going to be hard for him to dislodge someone like Dean when he comes back in the starting line-up given that he’s the skipper, but that shouldn’t be a barrier for him making the first team on the whole. After all, this was a small statement made to his manager that he has what it takes if given the chance to actually perform.

As we suggested last week at FFC, lining up with three at the back could be a way for the Blues going forward, and even with Dean being brought back into the fold he could still find his way in alongside him and one of the other established centre-backs.