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Lots of Manchester United supporters have been remembering Red Devils flop Nick Powell, following his latest comments in an exclusive with the Manchester Evening News. 

Speaking to Dominic Booth, Powell opened up about his time at Old Trafford. The 26-year-old revealed he only signed for United because of Sir Alex Ferguson, and admitted: “I remember waking up from my back operation and he’d announced his retirement. So I had no idea, woke up and then he’d retired.

“I remember saying before that I didn’t want my op, as United had pretty much won the league by then and you needed 10 appearances to get a medal – I was on two or three. I made a couple of bench appearances and I was really enjoying the time, even though I wasn’t playing. He [Ferguson] told me exactly what I was getting into and I didn’t mind that.”

Powell acknowledged “it was always going to be different when Sir Alex retired. If he wasn’t there and I didn’t have a phone call and meetings with him, I probably wouldn’t have gone to United. So it was always going to be a downhill spiral for me as soon as he left.”

After arriving at the Theatre of Dreams from Crewe Alexandra all the way back in the summer of 2012 for £6.75m, the Englishman flopped and only made 9 appearances for United in all competitions, scoring just 1 goal, before departing Manchester for Wigan Athletic on a free transfer.

While it is safe to say things didn’t quite work out during his time at the club, Powell now plies his trade at Championship side Stoke City, where he has netted 4 goals and produced 4 assists for Michael O’Neill’s Potters in the English second division (Transfermarkt).

UtdReport posted his thoughts on Twitter, prompting plenty of replies from the United faithful. One fan remarked the midfielder was “never good enough” and another simply asked “where is he now?”

Have a read through the different reactions down below…

United fans, do you think Nick Powell was Sir Alex Ferguson’s biggest failed signing? Let us know in the comments!

Argentina and Uruguay faced off just the other night in a match that saw old friends, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, lock horns.

After a fierce battle, the teams settled for a 2-2 draw, courtesy of late Messi penalty kick that saved the game for Albiceleste.

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And even though Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero was actually on the scoresheet that night, many Barcelona fans simply weren’t impressed by Kun’s overall performance.

The Argentine did miss a couple of clear-cut chances throughout the night and it seems that they don’t think he is good enough for the national team, unlike his spell for the Citizens under Pep Guardiola.

Many were saying he’s finished on the national stage and were even relieved the Blaugrana never signed him in the past – they reportedly wanted him in 2014 – as he is making Luis Suarez look good at the moment.

You can see some of their replies and comments down in the collection of tweets below.

Check them out…

Many Liverpool fans have been voicing their thoughts on what must change with the Premier League’s use of VAR after several key incidents from the latest round of fixtures, including their encounter with Aston Villa.

Jurgen Klopp’s Reds fell behind in the 21st-minute at Villa Park through a tap-in at the back post by Trezeguet, after the Virtual Assistant Referee deemed there to be no offsides in the build-up to his strike, despite several Villans standing beyond the last defender when the free-kick was taken.

The Anfield natives also saw a goal of their own chalked off the board before they would go on to equalise, with Roberto Firmino adjudged to have been in an offside position through his armpit, as the Brazilian’s outstretched arm appeared to edge marginally ahead of Tyrone Mings’ knee.

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Everton’s meeting with Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park on Sunday also put the spotlight on the VAR protocol in place by the Premier League, with Toffees boss Marco Silva demanding a review after several controversial decisions.

Play was stopped for around three minutes to review a potential penalty for handball in the second-half, but no spot-kick was given after it was decided that Dele Alli’s arm did not make illegal contact with the ball.

VAR had already been called on several times at Goodison Park for checks to be carried out, too, with one incident for a potential Spurs penalty being reviewed twice.

The current procedures in place are dividing fans around the country, and some Liverpool supporters have been debating what can be changed to improve VAR – with some suggesting to outright get rid of it!

Here are some of the messages shared…

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…

As quoted by The Daily Mirror, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has ruled out making an incredible move for Paris Saint-Germain sensation Kylian Mbappe.

What did he say?

The France World Cup winner has often been linked with a move to Real Madrid to join up with Les Bleus legend Zinedine Zidane, but reports in recent weeks have suggested Liverpool may enter the race to sign him in the future.

However, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Reds’ titanic clash against Manchester City on Sunday, Klopp played down speculation that they could pounce for the 20-year-old.

He said: “OK, from a sporting point of view, there are not a lot of reasons to not sign Mbappe, what a player he is. But it is about the money of course. No chance. Absolutely no chance, sorry for killing that story.

“I don’t think there is a club in the world that can buy Kylian Mbappe from PSG. And we are involved in that too. We cannot do it, it is as easy as that. We have nothing (more) to say about it to be honest, but (buying) this calibre of player is difficult.”

Anfield lure

Make no mistake about it, if PSG were to make Mbappe available, then Liverpool would be right up there in terms of being one of the most attractive propositions in European football for him to join. The Champions League holders may not have the financial resources as Klopp alludes to, but they have certainly built up the reputation and profile to be a destination for some of the game’s best players.

Money does talk of course, but if the French starlet was considering his options, then looking at joining Liverpool and playing under Klopp must surely be appealing. The chance to play in the Premier League, for a team that has already achieved major European success, sounds like the perfect job description for a player. So whilst the Reds manager may be distancing the club from a potential move, it may not be too big of a stretch as he thinks.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.

The last thing Leeds United need is a disruptive force in the dressing room.

Reportedly, Pontus Jansson’s attitude off the pitch is what saw him depart the club this summer, so it’s clear that Marcelo Bielsa has no patience for any troublemakers in his squad.

With reports circulating this week that Jay-Roy Grot has been involved in a training ground bust-up while out on loan in the Netherlands, there may be a worry that his future at the Whites could be affected by this incident, but that shouldn’t be the case.

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The fact of the matter is that Grot’s altercation with Riechedly Bazoer at Vitesse’s training session has been misreported in certain places.

The original source states that it was Bazoer who kicked off the altercation by threatening the Leeds loanee after they had a coming together in training.

The midfielder then stormed off while aiming a foul-mouthed tirade at his manager.

Ever wondered how modern day skills would cope with the world’s oldest football? Find out in the video below…

This shows that Grot wasn’t the man at fault, and as such, his role in the incident should be downplayed. Is reports are to be believed, he wasn’t the man who started it so if his mentality is to be questioned, it shouldn’t be.

Bazoer’s temper and attitude problems have been documented for quite some time now, and Grot doesn’t seem to be the one at fault here.

Hopefully, his parent club are understanding enough to realise that he’s not the one who has been causing trouble here and this doesn’t affect any future he may have at Elland Road.

After all, his performances on the pitch should dictate what happens. He initially got off to a promising start in the Netherlands too.

Grot netted and assisted a goal in his first five starts, only dipping below an average match rating, via WhoScored, of 7 on one occasion.

Rather than focusing on off-field matters that weren’t his fault, Leeds should analyse his ability with the ball at his feet.

Eden Hazard missed Real Madrid’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to RCD Mallorca on Saturday afternoon due to the birth of his fourth child, but he is now available for the club’s trip to Galatasaray in the Champions League tonight, per Marca.

Los Blancos fell to their first league defeat of the campaign on Saturday and now slip to second in La Liga, behind rivals Barcelona by a point.

Hazard’s career in Spain is yet to take off, with the Belgian finding the net just once so far – in the 4-2 win over Granada prior to the international break – but has been unfortunate with injuries, missing three games at the start of the campaign with a hamstring complaint (via Transfermarkt).

The 28-year-old will be looking to open his account in the Champions League for Real, having featured in both of the club’s European matches against Paris Saint-Germain and Club Brugge to no avail.

Los Blancos are still awaiting their first win in the UCL this term, so they desperately need to register something against Galatasaray – the only other side in the group with just a single point to their name so far.

Zinedine Zidane’s men are currently rock-bottom of Group A but could overtake Gala by defeating them and would move into second place if they did, should Club Brugge get beaten by current leaders PSG in the group’s other fixture.

Having Hazard back will serve as a huge boost to Madrid. The ex-Chelsea playmaker has started slowly at the Bernabeu but did score a goal and register an assist against Granada before the international break, so he will be keen to build on that performance with another solid display in Turkey.

Madrid fans, do you think you’ll beat Galatasaray? Let us know below!

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

Aston Villa ran riot last weekend to pick up just their second win of this Premier League season as they defeated Norwich 5-1 at Carrow Road.

The result saw them rise out of the relegation zone and into 15th by close of play on Sunday evening.

Summer signing Wesley bagged a first-half brace, but we could easily have been writing about a hat-trick as his penalty was saved by the Canaries’ goalkeeper.

Villa midfielders Jack Grealish, Conor Hourihane, and Douglas Luiz also got on the scoresheet to make it a fabulous five in Norfolk.

Norwich were able to capture a meaningless consolation goal three minutes from time when Josip Drmic capitalised on a Tyrone Mings blunder to slot home into an empty net.

The west Midlands club have clearly had a change in fortune in attack as prior to the game, they only managed to score eight goals in seven matches.

On the Chalkboard

One player, in particular, has made a phenomenal impact since being reintroduced to the starting line up, so much so that he could be one of the key reasons behind their upturn in goalscoring form.

Hourihane bagged his first goal of this Premier League season, meaning he has scored in every division from League Two onwards – but anyone keeping an eye on his Carabao Cup exploits would know that he’s already bagged three in that competition, taking his total for the season to four.

But it’s not just goals that the 28-year-old offers.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Football FanCast previously suggested that Jack Grealish should play further forward – that’s something that has been allowed to happen because of Hourihane’s introduction to the starting line up.

The captain’s last two games from left-wing have seen a 7.39 rating vs. Burnley followed by a goal and a season-high 8.76 rating vs. Norwich, per WhoScored.

An important thing to note is just how far forward Hourihane plays – he was actually the furthest ahead of any of the Villa squad against the Canaries, so it’s no surprise to see that he also notched up an assist on top of the goal too.

The Republic of Ireland international started the season in midfield against Tottenham Hotspur, but was unfairly dropped to allow summer arrivals Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba to settle in – he had played defensive midfield six times last season, per Transfermarkt’s recorded matches, so that made him an obvious choice.

But maybe Dean Smith has found his best position and role over the last week or so – he would be very wise to continue allowing it to pay off after the international break.

Angel Gomes scored twice as England’s Under-20 side drew 2-2 with Italy Under-20s on Thursday, while James Garner scored and captained England’s Under-19s in a 3-1 loss to their France counterparts in the Marbella Cup on Wednesday.

Garner has now netted seven times for club and country this season, but the midfielder is yet to be involved with the Manchester United first team in the early stages of the 2019-20 campaign.

The same cannot be said for Gomes, though, as the 19-year-old has already made four appearances for the Red Devils this term.

And after learning that the teenage pair had been starring for England, a number of United supporters took to social media to urge head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to start using the pair on a regular basis.

Next up for United – who have made their worst start to a top-flight campaign for 30 years – is a home game against runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool.

And surely Gomes and Garner will be in the thinking of Solskjaer as his experienced players are not exactly firing on all cylinders at the moment.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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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…

West Brom boss Slaven Bilic has acknowledged his team’s defensive problems, but he isn’t too worried about it keeping him up at night, per quotes from Express & Star.

What’s he said?

The Baggies have started the Championship season unbeaten after eight matches; the only side in the league to do so.

On Sunday afternoon they were given a scare as rock-bottom Huddersfield twice took the lead at the Hawthorns with poor defending the root of both goals.

Kyle Bartley was the epitome of that when his wayward pass led to Karlan Grant bagging the Terriers’ second goal.

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Albion may well be without a defeat, but they too are without a clean sheet this season.

Bilic even knows it is an issue amongst his squad, though, it doesn’t appear to be that much of a concern to him, he said:

“I wouldn’t say I’m concerned.

“Concerned means I wouldn’t be sleeping because of it.

“Clean sheets aren’t just defending well – there’s an element of luck, the game is 90 minutes, the opposition is strong.

“I’m not going to be obsessed with clean sheets, clean sheets, clean sheets.”

Cause for concern

The Croatian’s nonchalant attitude towards his team’s poor defensive record is a cause for concern, even if he says otherwise, especially if they genuinely have ambitions to return to the top-flight in the immediate future.

There are obviously plenty of positives to being undefeated as of yet, as well as having the ability to fight and come from behind to pick up points – 15 of their 16 have actually come from a losing position, per Transfermarkt.

However, it’s not entirely perfect. Albion are not top of the league after all.

West Brom sit fourth, one point behind both Leeds United and Swansea City in first and second.

Check out the most insane fan meltdowns in the video below…

Had the Baggies not conceded first in some of their draws they could well have been clear at the top with some sort of gap starting to build.

On the other hand, it could quite easily have gone the other way as they have twice needed last-minute penalties even to salvage a point – but again, that only emphasises the fact that their defence is a significant issue.

Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the greatest ever domestic managers, once said ‘attack wins you games, defence wins you titles’ – he did win 13 Premier League titles in 21 seasons at Manchester United, just maybe he knows a thing or two that is worth taking on board.

There is only so long Albion can go neglecting their shoddy defensive record.

[ad_pod ]Tyrone Mings hasn’t been covering himself in glory as of late.Indeed, the Aston Villa defender has been under fire in the media this week for his sensational bust-up with Anwar El Ghazi in the Midlands club’s 0-0 draw with West Ham last Monday.Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

You would expect that the pair patched things up before their next game against Arsenal, but the wider footballing world hasn’t forgotten the incident.

Mings was partially at fault for Arsenal’s equaliser on Sunday, and Matt Le Tissier wanted to see El Ghazi extract a little bit of revenge on his teammate after last week’s incident.

The Sky Sports pundit went on to say that he would have been tempted to cause some trouble it if he was in the same position as the Dutch winger.

Fortunately for Villa, things didn’t escalate on the pitch for the second game in a row, and we have to say this is all rather bizarre from the Sky Sports pundit.