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According to The Nottingham Post, Lewis Grabban will regret a number of spurned chances for Nottingham Forest at the weekend in their goalless draw with Stoke. 

The striker, who already has nine goals this season in the Championship, wasted a number of second half opportunities as his side slipped out of the top six.

Grabban has been in marvellous form for The Reds so far this season, but his shortcomings on Saturday typify what is happening to Nottingham Forest so far this campaign. In the last eight games, Forest have picked up more points against Middlesbrough, Leeds and Sheffield United (three of the top four), than they have against Millwall, Blackburn and Stoke- two of which are in the bottom half of the table.

This sums up the inconsistency of Aitor Karanka’s men so far this season, or their potential complacency when it comes to the minnows of the league. The team are effectively wasting points when they slip up to teams like Stoke at The City Ground, something that they cannot afford to do in the race for promotion. Grabban’s performance on Saturday perhaps embodied that attitude more than anyone else. He is possibly the most lethal striker in the league when on song, which he has shown on a number of occasions so far this season, but he can’t go missing, otherwise Forest will pay the price.

After the international break, two of Forest’s next three games are against strugglers Preston and Ipswich. These are games that the club must win, and Grabban must show up.

The one thing that football fans worry about when it comes to international breaks is the potential for injuries.

A club’s domestic season could be affected if one of their key players hurts themselves while representing their country.

On Sunday, Everton suffered a scare when it was confirmed that Ademola Lookman had returned to Finch Farm for treatment after picking up a minor injury with the England Under-21s.

The winger, who has scored three goals and registered one assist in his Everton career, has spent the majority of the current campaign on the sidelines.

Lookman has started just one game and has come off the bench in a further six, but some fans have been keen for the 21-year-old to replace Theo Walcott.

The extent of the winger’s injury is unknown, but judging by the reaction from fans on Twitter, plenty hope that he will be fit in time to play a part in the Toffees’ Premier League match against Cardiff City on November 24.

Check out Playmaker FC’s Joe Street’s unfiltered take on Wayne Rooney’s England legacy in the video below…

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According to The Sun, Leeds United could move for Tottenham Hotspur forward Fernando Llorente in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Llorente joined Tottenham in the summer of 2017 off the back of a 15-goal season with Swansea City.

It has just not happened for the Spaniard in the English capital, however, with a return of just one goal in 18 Premier League appearances not quite what Spurs would have had in mind when they signed him.

The 33-year-old will see his current deal with Tottenham expire at the end of the season, and it had been thought that he would return to Spain.

However, according to The Sun, Leeds will have the chance to sign Llorente for £4m in the January transfer window.

Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa had Llorente at Athletic Bilbao, and the pair could now reunite at Elland Road in what would be a spectacular deal.

Should Leeds move for Llorente?

In short, yes. Llorente would want sizeable wages to drop down to the Championship, but it is the type of arrival that could help Leeds reach the Premier League.

For all of Llorente’s struggles at Tottenham, he has managed close to 200 club goals during his professional career, with 118 of those coming at Bilbao.

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Llorente, who won three Serie A titles at Juventus, played arguably the best football of his career under Bielsa, and the chance to reunite with the Argentine would surely appeal.

The experienced forward would provide a different option to the likes of Kemar Roofe and Patrick Bamford, and there is no question that his arrival would send out a big statement to the rest of the division.

Leeds would face strong competition for the striker if they were to make a move, but the signing could elevate them into the Premier League.

According to a recent report from Football Insider, Shane Long could be set for a move away in the New Year. The Republic of Ireland international currently plays his football at Premier League outfit Southampton and has done so since leaving Hull City back in 2014, although a lack of regular game time under Mark Hughes this season has called his future at the club into question.

And reports suggest that Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United are eyeing up a January move for the 31-year-old, as should Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United, as promotion would certainly be on for the Whites were they to land the man that epitomises their manager.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the Yorkshire giants have come on leaps and bounds under Argentine Bielsa following his appointment as Paul Heckingbottom’s successor during the summer, which is testament to the former Lazio and Lille boss given he didn’t bring a whole host of new players through the door during the transfer window.

Instead, he has drastically improved a number of Leeds players to play an exciting brand of attacking football, but also a team that works extremely hard off the ball in pressing and seeking to win the ball back – the sort of relentless work-ethic Long has shown in abundance over the years.

The 31-year-old appears to be some way down the pecking order at St Mary’s given he has managed just five Premier League starts this term, and with the Saints seriously struggling for goals, one would expect manager Hughes to go after attacking reinforcements in the New Year.

Yet Long still has plenty to offer, especially at Championship level given his last season in the second tier was a hugely lucrative one, what with the striker netting 21 goals in just 45 matches for Reading en route to helping them reach the play-off final under Brian McDermott, who of course had a spell as Leeds manager a few years ago.

Yes, Long has since struggled to be even remotely as prolific as he was back then for the Royals, but it’s also what he gives one’s side off the ball that could be hugely invaluable – he chases down lost causes and will always keep defenders on their toes.

And in the long, hard slog that is the Championship season, something which has arguably caught Leeds out twice in the last two years given the relative lack of depth in their squad, he is exactly the sort of player one would want heading into the second half of the campaign.

And given just how much he embodies what Bielsa’s teams are all about, the linked-away ace would be perfect for the Argentine’s Leeds side, and thus a huge asset in their push for a return to the Premier League.

Leeds fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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On-loan Rangers centre-back Joe Worrall returned to the starting XI for the crucial Europa League clash against Villarreal at Ibrox on Thursday night.

The 21-year-old had been an unused substitute for the Scottish Premiership clash with Livingston last weekend in which his team ran out 3-0 winners, but he replaced Gareth McAuley at the heart of the defence against the La Liga outfit.

As a result the Nottingham Forest man returned to play alongside Connor Goldson, with whom he produced a formidable centre-back partnership earlier in the campaign.

On the chalkboard

It was certainly no surprise that Steven Gerrard opted to go with Worrall in the Scottish capital because of how strong he and Goldson had been previously.

While Nikola Katic may have been unavailable because of injury, the Croatian may well have found himself on the substitutes’ bench at best anyway having been part of the 4-3 defensive disaster in Rangers’ previous European clash against Spartak Moscow last month.

Worrall may not have the vast experience that McAuley does, but Gerrard placed his faith in him as the Glasgow giants looked to pick up the three points they desperately wanted to boost their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages.

What happened?

The hosts may have kept a clean sheet even though they played the entire second half with 10 men following Daniel Candeias’ red card just before half-time, but Worrall was certainly shaky at points and his distribution left a lot to be desired.

Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor was key to keeping the game goalless with some brilliant saves, and Gerrard certainly has some thinking to do when he has all four of his centre-back options available.

While he may not have been at his best against Villarreal either it seems as though Goldson is first-choice, but Worrall should no longer be considered as the automatic starter alongside him for the big matches, with McAuley deserving of his chance having not conceded a goal in 136 minutes on the pitch for the club thus far.

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At the beginning of this season, Harry Kane was undroppable for Tottenham, despite the fact that he almost certainly needed to be rested after his summer exertions at the World Cup with England.

However, Mauricio Pochettino finally left the 25-year-old out of his starting line up this weekend away at Leicester, and the Argentine boss will have been pleased to find that he can rely on Heung-min Son to step up when his main man needs a break.

Son had an even busier summer than Kane, as almost straight after South Korea were knocked out of the main tournament in Russia, he was back on the plane to eventually win a gold medal for his country at the Asian Games.

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Since then though he has been eased back into action by Pochettino, and the 26-year-old now looks like he is back to his best form.

After a somewhat frustrating start, Son broke the deadlock for Spurs in added time of the first-half with a beautiful curling finish beyond the outstretched arms of Kasper Schmeichel.

Playing from the left-hand side with Lucas Moura up front, Son then turned provider in the second half as he put a cross on a plate for Dele Alli to head home and secure all three points at the King Power Stadium.

In total, the South Korean star made eight crosses in the win, whilst also having four shots as he was by far the greatest threat for Pochettino’s side.

His two key passes and 81 per cent pass accuracy also show an end product that is sometimes missing from his game when he’s off form.

Off form he is certainly not at the moment though, having netted three times in his last four Premier League games. With Fernando Llorente struggling, Tottenham have at least found their man who will step up when Kane is unavailable this season.

Jurgen Klopp is set to be given a considerable amount of transfer funds in January according to reports.

Liverpool have made a fantastic start to the season and look set to battle Manchester City until the very end for the illustrious Premier League trophy. Klopp strengthened his squad heavily in the summer to sign Alisson Becker, Fabinho, Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri and will be pleased to see his new signings have an instant impact on Merseyside. Despite his summer success, the German is adamant he is happy with his current crop of players with January approaching.

However, reports suggest that Fenway Sports Group will put serious money on the table to bolster his ranks further in the upcoming transfer window. FSG have tremendous faith in Klopp and Liverpool’s recruitment team meaning they would have no issue authorising another massive transfer in the New Year.

To take the squad to the next level, Liverpool should launch an ambitious bid for Real Madrid superstar – Marco Asensio. Valued at £81m by Transfermarkt, the Spaniard is a crucial player for Los Blancos after stepping into the shoes left by Cristiano Ronaldo who joined Juventus earlier in the summer. Asensio has started ten games in La Liga this season, scoring one goal and registering four assists for his team-mates. Like many of the Real Madrid squad, the Spaniard has failed to show his best form this season, and a move to the Premier League could help him recapture the form that made him one of the most coveted youngsters in the world.

Capable on either wing as the number ten, Asensio is a special talent who has often had to settle for a bit-part role at the Bernabeu. A pacey forward with excellent dribbling skills, the 22-year-old would thrive in Liverpool’s squad working with a world-class coach like Klopp. The Spain international has the vision to unlock defences, and Liverpool’s forwards would love to have someone of his quality behind them.

Prising him away from Spain could prove costly but might give Liverpool the edge over City in the race for the title.

Liverpool fans, thoughts?

[ad_pod ]According to Sky Sports News, Mason Holgate has been told that he will be allowed to leave Everton on loan during the January transfer window.Holgate was a regular in the early weeks of the 2018-19 campaign whilst Everton had defensive problems, but the Englishman has not been involved in any of the club’s last nine Premier League matches.News that the 22-year-old could be available next month has attracted the attention of the Leeds United fans, who feel that the 6ft centre-back would be a good signing.Holgate only signed a new five-year contract with Everton in 2017, but it seems likely that he will depart in search of regular football.The Leeds fans have been on social media discussing the England Under-21 international, and many have urged their club to make a move, with Holgate capable of covering in a number of defensive positions.A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Playmaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

Aston Villa’s thin defence has been a constant cause for concern this season as the likes of Mile Jedinak and Alan Hutton are deployed as makeshift centre-halves but, after a stoic performance agains Swansea, James Bree could be about to receive an unexpected run in the starting XI.

On the chalkboard

Dean Smith’s Villa revolution continues as his side now sit ninth in the standings and just three points from the precious play-off places, but such is the lack of depth at the back that the former Brentford boss resorted to calling on free-agent and former Villan James Collins, who is now sidelined himself.

Former Barnsley man Bree stepped in alongside captain Chester against the Swans and was impressive as he won 4 aerial duels and completed 5 clearances on the way to a first clean sheet in their last four games.

Naturally a right-back, Bree’s dominant showing at the heart of a back four begs the question as to whether he should continue in this role or be given an extended run in his favoured position.

Can’t make-do with makeshift

Smith has been forced into shoehorning many of his remotely defensive minded players into the centre of defence throughout the season, with Bree the latest to partner Chester – this cannot continue if the Midlands outfit are to seal a top six finish and the solution must be to splash some cash in January.

However, Bree’s form cannot be ignored – he should be slowly moving above Ahmed Elmohamady in the pecking order as the Egyptian has been poor in recent weeks and must be rested in order to give Bree the opportunity to play himself into a purple patch.

Having made just seven appearances in claret and blue last season, the 21-year-old is surely going to surpass that number this campaign with the best potentially still yet to come but, in order to allow him to make the best of his opportunity, he must be played where he is most comfortable.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Playmaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video above…

Off the back of a demolition of both Everton and Bournemouth in a matter of days, Tottenham found themselves well and truly part of the title race recently.

They hosted Wolves on Saturday with the hope of exerting more pressure on leaders Liverpool at the top, who played later that evening. However, the strings came undone for Mauricio Pochettino’s men at Wembley.

In amongst the furore of their good form and rampant goal scoring of recent games, pundits and fans alike seemed to forget the chatter that existed at the beginning of the season regarding Tottenham’s quiet summer transfer window and lack of new signings. But the second half against the newly promoted outfit unearthed that problem again.

The Lilywhites looked slow and lethargic and could not compete with the energy that their opponents maintained in the game.  The turning point could have been when Nuno Espírito Santo decided to bring on veteran João Moutinho in the midfield, as the Midlands club scored in rapid succession after that.

On the other hand, Pochettino could only turn to Lucas Moura on his bench as he clearly did not trust the members of his side. The bench had the likes of Kyle Walker-Peters, Oliver Skipp and Juan Foyth, who have all impressed in recent weeks but were perhaps not the personnel that Pochettino wanted to call upon.  With Érik lamela out with a calf injury, the manager had no one to turn to. With the additional absence of Eric Dier Mousa Dembélé and Victor Wanyama already out in the midfield, Spurs just seem to run out of gas.

Fortunately that loss could have been a great alarm bell to Daniel Levy prior to the January transfer window. It sent a clear message that Tottenham aren’t the finished article yet and may need to strengthen their squad ahead of busy schedules again. With Tottenham still competing in the League Cup, the Champions League and the FA Cup, squad rotation will be paramount in the coming months. New faces will be a breath of fresh air to Pochettino and will prevent disasters happening again.