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Nothing quite like a bit of nostalgia is there?

A look back at the past just to warm the heart and give you a chance to reminisce. Although thankfully you didn’t have to be too old to think back and take part in this debate.

As Chris Wilder pointed out the other day, the Blades have gone on a quite remarkable rise in the past couple of seasons. From near the bottom of League One to the top half of the Premier League in the space of three years.

Find out which Premier League newcomer is a future England boss in the making in the video below…

And it was those promotions that caused quite a bit of debate on Twitter. Famed Sheffield United YouTuber @IngoodNick17 asked the fans which of the two promotion seasons they enjoyed better, from League One to the Championship or from the Championship to the Premier League.

It was a close run affair, with the poll showing that 54% preferred the step up to the big time in the Premier League, but that doesn’t mean that those who preferred the first one didn’t put up any less convincing an argument.

Although both sides could agree on one thing, taking the opportunity to laugh at their Yorkshire rivals along the way.

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

Let’s not write this guy’s obituary just yet.

Having started the first eight league games of the season, David Davis has since been reduced to a substitute. With the emergence of Ivan Sunjic into the fray as a defensive midfielder and other options further up the field, that spell could be about to get longer.

That doesn’t mean that his time at St Andrew’s should come to a grinding halt though, he still has a role to play.

Watch Birmingham City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

On the chalkboard

Pep Clotet has stressed the importance of defensive football, and playing defensively has been Davis’ forte.

With an average of 2.6 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game, he’ll come in use when they need to ‘park the bus’ as it were.

There will be games this season where Birmingham City will need to be very much on the defensive and that is where Davis comes into play.

Even if he doesn’t start the game, there will be occasions where the Blues will need to see out a game, although ideally, they won’t leave it as late as they did against Middlesbrough before the international break.

Much like in baseball where they have a ‘closing pitcher’, someone to bring in when the game is safe and to simply see out the game, Davis can act in that role but in a footballing sense.

He can be someone to sit in front of the backline and snuff out attacks before they have a chance to get started.

With a passing accuracy of 79.7%, he’d also be able to help start a counter-attack if the opportunity presented itself.

So even though he might not be a regular right now, he can still find himself with a vital role to play, even if it isn’t one that you see every week.

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

Real Madrid have an incredibly important match this Tuesday, as they go in search of their first Champions League win of the season against Galatasaray.

But they face a tall task and for that reason, Karim Benzema may once again have to put the team on his shoulders.

On the chalkboard

It is not often that we see Los Blancos in such a difficult situation as this one.

Their first two games in Europe ended in a 3-0 defeat and a 2-2 draw against PSG and Club Brugge respectively, leaving Zinedine Zidane’s troops with no wins to their names just yet.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And quite frankly, anything other than a victory over Galatasaray on Tuesday night would make the situation that much worse for the giants from the Spanish capital.

Seeing how it’s a do or die game, Benzema, who is currently their best-rated player in the squad according to Whoscored, will have to step up and save the team once again.

But that also means outperforming the man on the other side of the pitch, Ryan Babel.

A tight battle

The Champions League has always been Real Madrid’s bread and butter throughout their history.

After all, they are the team with 13 European trophies to their name and Zidane played a major part in that success, winning three consecutive ones in his last tenure with the club.

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

But times are tough and the Galacticos will now have to fight to even stay afloat in the competition.

Seeing how Benzema has been one of the only consistently good players in the squad, Zidane’s hopes will likely hinge on him once again.

After all, the big French forward has already scored six goals in La Liga this season and has done so with 3.6 shots and 1.5 aerials won per game. Other than that, he has also tallied one dribble, 1.5 dispossessions and 2.4 unsuccessful touches per game as well.

But his counterpart on the other side is the versatile Babel.

Even though he can be deployed as a midfielder, the 32-year-old is often slotted up front to lead the line for Galatasaray. For that reason, he already has three goals to his name in the domestic league and has done so with 2.3 shots and 1.5 aerials per game, which is pretty close to Benzema’s own tally.

But this experienced Dutchman is also a great dribbler as well as he has recorded 2.3 dribbles per game in the Super Lig and fewer dispossessions and unsuccessful touches than Benzema with 1.4 and 2.1 respectively.

This is bound to be a great matchup and considering Real Madrid’s poor form in Europe, it could well come down to which forward provides the most firepower on the night. Benzema may be the obvious candidate, but don’t write off Babel just yet.

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Aston Villa lost to Arsenal 3-2 on Sunday, and if you wanted to sugarcoat it, there were a lot of positives to take away from that game for the Midlands outfit.

Indeed, the Villans led twice against one of the top sides in the country, and for the majority of the game they looked the better team.

However, one player who is unwilling to give himself or his team any credit after the loss is Wesley, as he delivered a brutally honest opinion on Aston Villa’s YouTube channel.

It would be all well and good for Wesley to say that the performance was encouraging and that the results will follow, but the reality is that Aston Villa sit 18th in the Premier League, and they need to start winning games, especially ones they are winning against ten men in.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The striker’s message was loud and clear. They weren’t good enough against Arsenal and they need to work harder in order to start winning games. Exactly the type of attitude fans will love to hear from their star striker.

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, former Leicester defender Steve Walsh has hailed Ricardo Pereira for his performances for the Foxes.

What did he say?

The Portugal international arrived from Porto in the summer of 2018, and firmly established himself in the Leicester first-team. The right-back made 37 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals and providing a further seven assists in his debut campaign for the club.

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

Now, Walsh has paid a glowing tribute to the instant impact the 25-year-old has made, and suggested his form may lead to transfer interest from other sides.

He said: “He’s been outstanding, he really has. He’s a top top player and when you’ve got ability that he’s got, interest will show. I think all the players at Leicester are fairly happy. They’re happy with the style of football and the manager and they’re settled.”

Shrewd business

As the Premier League’s big sides continue to spend shed loads of money on signing the very best players available, Leicester’s coup in signing Pereira is certainly something to shout about. The full-back enjoyed an impressive first season for the club, proving himself to be quite the offensive weapon.

Watch Leicester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Portuguese man averaged 0.7 shots, 0.9 key passes and 1.9 dribbles per game last year in the Premier League, and this season, he has maintained that same level of attacking efficiency, with his dribbling numbers even going up to 2.3 per game.

Such was his success, Pereira bagged both the the Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season awards at the end of the last campaign, and is consistently showing why he is amongst the best right-backs in the division.

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BBC Football pundit Mark Lawrenson has tipped Premier League strugglers Southampton to lose 2-0 when they face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, but that isn’t the only piece of bad news he has for the club.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Liverpool legend was once again providing his weekly score predictions in the English top flight, but he doesn’t believe that Saints will bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 defeat against lowly Cardiff City last time out, a result which saw them slip into the relegation zone.

Predicting a 2-0 scoreline for the Gunners, the 61-year-old also added that he believes the south coast outfit are going to find themselves in a lot of trouble for the foreseeable future.

According to BBC Football, Lawrenson said: “Southampton dropped into the relegation zone after losing to Cardiff last time out, and I think they might stay there for a while longer.

“Arsenal have got some issues they need to sort out – Mesut Ozil’s future being one of them – but their home record is very good and they should still be too strong for Saints.”

Is he right?

While his comments won’t be great reading for Southampton supporters or manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, he may well be correct in his thinking.

The south coast outfit face Unai Emery’s men, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in their next four Premier League fixtures, while they have fellow bottom-three outfit Fulham at St Mary’s on Wednesday night.

The clash against the Cottagers may be more winnable on paper than the other three, but the south coast outfit showed by taking just one point at home to Crystal Palace and the Bluebirds that they don’t always have the quality to get wins against the teams around them in the table on their own patch.

Even if they beat Claudio Ranieri’s side and lose the other three, they will be in big trouble in the final eight games.

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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…

QPR star Nakhi Wells has been speaking to the media following the R’s fine run of form.

The Londoners have won their last four games in the Championship under Mark Warburton, who was appointed at the end of last season.

Wells was one of his first signings as QPR manager, re-signing the Bermuda international on a season-long loan deal from Burnley – the former Bradford striker also spent last season on loan at the club.

What did he say?

Wells told The Kilburn Times: “Last year I would be the first to admit that I under-performed at times, I gave everything I had.

“I had to be a lot more clinical to score a lot of goals because there was a lack of creativity in comparison to this season.

“Now I have the confidence that if I miss one, maybe I’ll get another one but maybe last year I felt I had to take that one chance or I had to wait till another game to get it.”

A testament to Warburton’s transformation

Since arriving in the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium hot seat, Warburton first used a 4-2-3-1 formation before switching to an extremely effective 5-3-2 system – a move which has yielded the aforementioned four consecutive league wins.

The fact that Wells feels there is more creativity on offer is a testament to Warburton and the way in which he has gone about making QPR a more complete unit.

The former Brentford boss has signed Jordan Hugill, who himself has been in fine form with five league goals, whereas Eberechi Eze is also thriving in the system – the 21-year-old has earned a maiden England Under-21 call-up and has five goal involvements in just eight league games this term.

Warburton deserves credit for this transformation, and Wells is reaping the rewards with five league goals already this season, having scored just seven in 2018/19.

It remains to be seen, of course, if his scoring run will continue but Warburton has a system in place that suggests it just might.

The Athletic’s Sam Lee has given his verdict following the news that Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo has signed a contract extension.

The Lowdown: Cancelo’s rise at City

The Portuguese defender became the most expensive full-back of all time in 2019 when he signed for Manchester City from Juventus in a deal worth £60m, with Danilo heading the other way for £34m.

Since arriving at the Etihad Stadium, the 27-year-old has played an integral part in Pep Guardiola’s side, having totalled 106 appearances for the Citizens. That includes 22 Premier League outings this season, where he has amassed one goal and five assists in becoming one of the team’s best performers, according to WhoScored metrics.

Cancelo signed a six-year deal when he joined the Sky Blues, keeping him at the club until 2025.

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The Latest: Cancelo signs contract extension

Despite having three years left on his contract, City have been looking to tie down Cancelo on a long-term deal. On Tuesday morning, the club announced that the full-back has signed a two-year contract extension, which will keep him at the Etihad until 2027.

The Athletic’s Man City reporter Lee shared this news on Twitter along with a link to his corresponding article, beaming that it is ‘a fitting reward’ for the 27-year-old’s impressive form.

He proclaimed: “New deal for Joao Cancelo, a fitting reward for his emergence as a key City player and his phenomenal form over the past few months in particular”.

The Verdict: Great business

Cancelo is currently one of the most valuable full-backs in world football, with Transfermarkt estimating his value at a cool £54m.

When the initial lockdown happened, the defender struggled to adapt to life in England and thus wanted to leave the club. However, he overcame this to duly become one of the key components of Guardiola’s side.

Former City midfielder Nigel de Jong has offered some effusive praise of the 27-year-old, saying: “We can have a healthy discussion and debate on who is the best right-back in the world and Cancelo is certainly up there for me. It’s not only his versatility but also the fact he is as strong defensively as any right-back or left-back in the world.”

Taking everything into account, this seems like a brilliant bit of business by City, and it’s no wonder that Lee has voiced his firm approval of Cancelo’s contract extension.

In other news: These Manchester City fans approved of one prospective successor to Pep Guardiola

Celtic centre-forward Giorgos Giakoumakis has been in exceptional form of late for the Hoops and is finally making a name for himself at Parkhead.

The Greece international has scored nine goals in his last seven matches for the club in all competitions, including two Premiership hat-tricks against Dundee FC and Ross County respectively.

He joined Celtic from VVV-Venlo for a reported fee of £2.5m last summer, and Ange Postecoglou explained why he hit his peak late in his career, saying:

“Giako had a disrupted time in the first few years of his professional career.

“Sometimes when that happens it just means they blossom a bit later and hit their peak a bit later. Hopefully his best years are well ahead of him, not just in the next couple. He had a great season in Holland last year and that brought him to the attention of a lot of clubs, not just us.”

Dynamic duo

No… not Batman & Robin but Postecoglou can form his own defence-fighting duo by unleashing Kyogo Furuhashi and Giakoumakis alongside each other before the end of the season.

Whilst the Greek attacker has been thriving on his own at the top end of the pitch, he could hit another level by forming a partnership with Kyogo upon the Japan international’s return from injury.

He is currently sidelined with a knock but the head coach has hinted that he will back for “the run-in” and this means that he could be available in the final weeks of the campaign. This will be a huge boost for the Hoops, as he scored 16 goals in 24 matches in the first half of the season.

The forward, who was brought in for £4.6m last summer, previously earned high praise from ex-Celtic striker John Hartson. He told The Sunday Post [05/09 print edition, via 67HailHail]:

“There is no doubt Celtic have landed someone quite special in Kyogo. His movement is outstanding.

“It was a pity he couldn’t get more involved against Rangers, but when he moved into the central role, he was an absolute menace to their defence.”

The pair were brought to Parkhead for just over £7m combined and Postecoglou must play them alongside each other up front before the end of the campaign. They have both proven that they can score goals on a regular basis for the club, so imagine what they could do to the opposition when they are both poaching in the box and attempting to get on the end of crosses in the Premiership.

It will give defences two hitman to concentrate on and that could, in turn, mean Celtic creat more chances, leading to confusion and gaps opening up. Instead of being able to focus on marking one deadly striker out of the game, teams will need to deal with two of them and that would result in defenders being dragged around and run ragged if Kyogo and Giakoumakis are on their top form.

AND in other news, Celtic now handed major boost ahead of Old Firm clash, Postecoglou surely buzzing…

Pundit Kevin Phillips has been reacting to Leeds United’s interest in Blackburn Rovers midfielder John Buckley, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Midfielders wanted

Victor Orta is thought to be ‘busy’ when it comes to searching for midfield reinforcements at Elland Road, with the Whites after RB Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson.

Leeds have had a £15m bid turned down for the American but are intent on signing the 21-year-old before the end of the month.

Buckley is another player of interest to Leeds, with Burnley also keen on the 22-year-old, who can play as a central, defensive or right midfielder.

The Latest: Phillips reacts

Phillips, who regularly features for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding Leeds’ interest in Buckley.

He labelled Buckley being versatile as a ‘bonus’ and labelled a possible deal as ‘big’.

“Blackburn have been in great form this season and he’s been a big part of that. If you get a good player from a club that is flying in the Championship midway through the season you’ve done well.

“He’s a centre-midfielder which is a position Leeds desperately need to strengthen in. He’s versatile as well which is a bonus, so it’s a big signing if they can do it.

“At the end of the day though, it’s always a gamble signing a player from the Championship. It’s a jump to the Premier League. It could be a signing that pays off though.

“From Blackburn’s point of view, there is no way [Tony] Mowbray will let any of those players go on the cheap.”

The Verdict: Shrewd move?

It seems as if Leeds will need to spend big on Aaronson after having a £15m offer rejected. Should they manage to bring the American to Elland Road, then perhaps funds will be limited when it comes to the club’s search for a deeper midfielder.

Buckley could be the perfect addition then considering his £720,000 Transfermarkt valuation, but you’d expect Leeds may have to pay way more than that figure given he has been a regular in an impressive Rovers side this season.

A fee under eight figures could still be a shrewd move in the long run, with Buckley possibly Marcelo Bielsa’s dream player after already playing in eight different positions in 27 games in 2021/22.

In other news: Positive Leeds injury claim regarding two players emerges.