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This Saturday, La Liga finally returns back to the Santiago Bernabeu as Real Madrid will host a tricky opponent in the form of Levante.

After the first three clashes, the general atmosphere within the team and among the fans has been rather mixed, to say the least.

Los Blancos have recorded a victory and two draws so far, tallying five points, which was just enough to get them to the fifth spot in the table. By their huge standards, that is surely not enough.

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And many fans swarmed Twitter and demanded Real Madrid to win the next match at the Santiago Bernabeu, warning the club that they mustn’t disappoint them again and that nothing less than three points on Saturday will be accepted.

It seems that the Galacticos will definitely have to start racking up those wins in order to keep their fans happy.

You can see some of their replies in the collection of tweets down below:

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A number of Leeds players were on international duty over the last two weeks as the Championship took a back seat for a small period.

The Whites suffered defeat in their final outing before the break commenced as they lost 1-0 to Swansea.

Creating 21 opportunities, they failed to score and then succumbed to a rather sloppy goal late on.

As a result, Marcelo Bielsa’s men will have to be much-improved if they have desires of jumping from third in the table.

But how could they line-up on Sunday afternoon at Oakwell?

Bielsa hasn’t favoured changes this season and at times he’s even disclosed his team before his side have set foot at the ground.

It was a strange tactic from the Argentine who before a game with Wigan said he wouldn’t name his XI but then did.

Who plays this weekend remains to be seen but we’re tipping the 64-year-old to make just the solitary change against the Reds.

That comes at left wing where a poor performance from Jack Harrison last time out could see Helder Costa earn his first league start after arriving on loan in the summer.

Harrison managed to complete just 76% of his passes whilst he only registered one dribble and was dispossessed four times according to WhoScored.

There should also be a place for Ezgjan Alioski who earned an assist for North Macedonia last week and the 27-year-old has been in good form, not dipping below a match rating of 7 in his last three outings.

Barry Douglas was fit against Swansea but wasn’t preferred from the off and was on the bench.

Eddie Nketiah is likely to have to settle for a place among the substitutes once more as Kalvin Phillips, Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas all start.

The former earned a new deal at the beginning of the week whilst Cooper and Dallas also signed new terms.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

Everton were left frustrated in their match against Sheffield United on Saturday, but Marco Silva made things worse for his side by making the wrong substitution early in the second half.

Decision-making

The Portuguese manager is yet to name the same starting XI in consecutive matches in the league as yet, and though that is partly due to injuries, it is not helping the squad to get used to one style of play nor allowing new signings to gel, hence why they have conceded nine and scored just five in six league matches.

For much of the game the Toffees had control of possession but failed to create any openings against a very narrow and compact opposition, as evidenced by their three shots on target.

Bernard and Moise Kean had been recalled to the starting line-up and aside from some nice touches they were mostly ineffectual, although the latter did create a great chance for Richarlison to score after crossing from the right.

As a result, Silva was right to haul of Bernard when he did, with the removal of Morgan Schneiderlin at the same time indicating a more direct approach, which was needed.

However, the fatal mistake came in bringing on Cenk Tosun, rather than Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Off the bench

It was a change which, at the time, may have appeased some of the fans who have been calling for the Turk to get more game time, but he was the wrong man for the situation, as underlined by his six touches in 36 minutes.

By contrast, Calvert-Lewin would likely have had a much more significant impact as he offers an alternative to the Everton attack due to his ability in the air.

In a tight and compact area he may have been able to provide a knockdown or score himself, and at the very least provide a challenge to the Blades defenders who found life all too easy.

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His average of 4.6 aerial duels won per game this season shows he is capable of that, whilst seven of his 18 Everton goals have come via his head, and therefore he could have made a difference in the aerial battle which was dominated by Sheffield Untied, with 24 aerial duels won compared to the Toffees’ 19.

More to the point, Silva’s side attempted 40 crosses throughout the match, only seven of which were successful, but if they had a more dominant striker like Calvert-Lewin to get on the end of them, then they would likely have had more luck in front of goal.

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Wolves progressed into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup to set up a fierce tie with local rivals Aston Villa after they defeated Reading in a penalty shootout.

Debutant Bruno Jordao handed Nuno Santo’s men the lead in the 27th minute with a powerful strike from range before his game ended through injury just before half-time.

The visitors managed to find their way back into the game during a thrilling finish, topped off by John Swift’s assist for their late equaliser.

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Lucas Boye headed the 24-year-old’s rabona cross past John Ruddy in the 99th minute to take the game to penalties.

But the two Royals protagonists both missed their resulting spot-kicks to hand Wolves the victory.

Patrick Cutrone was given a rare opportunity to lead the line having made just one start in the Premier League since joining in a £16m move from AC Milan this summer.

Several fans have been talking up the Italian after his recent actions with one labelling him a ‘hero.’

Another supporter claimed Cutrone reminded him of a young Steve Bull, who is a club legend at Molineux after making 561 appearances over 13 years.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

Ryan Bennett’s FIFA rating has caused a bit of a stir this week.The defender was far from happy when he saw his Ultimate Team card – to the point where he actually reacted aggressively after seeing his 73 rating.Are Wolves set to become the new Man City? Find out why in the video below…However, it wasn’t just his overall rating that caused a bit of an uproar on social media.The Englishman has only been given 35 pace on the latest instalment of the long-running EA Sports title, and Wolves’ official Twitter account attempted to prove that this rating is wrong.

The club’s official Twitter account attempted to prove that his pace rating was wrong by posting a clip of his tackle against Chelsea last season.

The video shows the centre-back running at great speed to catch up with Willian who is seemingly through on goal.

In the end, Bennett makes a great challenge and the ball goes out for a corner.

It’s as good an argument as Willian’s pace rating is above 80 while Bennett’s sits at a measly 35, and on this evidence, the defender is just as quick as the Brazilian.

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 to TV2, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s former Norway teammate Stale Solbakken has slammed the performances of Jesse Lingard.

What did he say?

Lingard has endured a frustrating calendar year, and has yet to open his goal-scoring account for this season. A section of the Manchester United support have criticised him for his poor form, and now, Solbakken has further poured salt on the wounds.

The former Wolves boss said (as translated by The Daily Mirror): “I can’t remember the last time I saw Jesse Lingard playing a good match, I actually can’t. He is truly an Achilles heel for this United team.

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“He is almost invisible, and when he is subbed out you wonder, did you even see him? And this is not the first time. I don’t see him, I don’t see his personality, I don’t see what he brings to United.

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“Seriously I think he is a direct liability to the team because in the position he plays you have to either be good with the ball so you can play in small spaces, otherwise you have to be dynamic and go behind the opponent’s back four from a slightly deeper position, get on second balls on from crosses for example, be a threat round the opponent’s box, have goal nose. I don’t see that he has anything.”

Damning

Talk about kicking a man when he’s down. Solbakken’s brutal verdict on what Lingard offers United is a fresh reminder of just how far the England international’s stock has fallen. As an academy product, the 26-year-old should be the poster boy of the Red Devils’ revolution. A player who has come through the youth sides and gone on to form the heartbeat of the midfield.

Instead, his off-the-pitch activities have pretty much symbolised everything that has gone wrong for him in recent months. A lack of focus and dedication to his craft, and quite understandably, on the receiving end of criticism from some of his own fans. And with players like Angel Gomes and Mason Greenwood waiting in the wings, Lingard’s time is perhaps over.

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

Sheffield Wednesday appear to have made the right appointment in Garry Monk – the 40-year-old has guided his side to ten points from a possible 15 which sees them sit just one point outside of the playoff picture.

After being appointed in early September, the former Swansea City man has had to work with a squad assembled by his predecessors, namely Steve Bruce and then caretaker boss Lee Bullen – the latter’s familiarity would have helped to an extent as he still remains as part of the backroom staff.

Some of their signings like Julian Borner and Kadeem Harris have been spot on, they are averaging over a 7.00 rating by WhoScored this season as both have made an impact at either end of the pitch.

But not all of the arrivals have gone swimmingly – Moses Odubajo has been particularly poor on the right-hand side of defence.

Against Everton in the Carabao Cup, he struggled with the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, and then fans slammed his performance in the Hull City defeat last week.

On the Chalkboard

Dealing with Odubajo’s inconsistencies over the course of the season isn’t something Monk can afford to do if they are truly a playoff contender.

The Wednesday chief has options in that role too, so it can’t hurt to shake things up.

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Maybe he opts for Dominic Iorfa with Tom Lees lingering closer towards a return from injury. However, that’s not a move that seems likely given how well the 24-year-old has performed at centre-back alongside Borner.

How about playing Liam Palmer in his actual position?

The Scotland international has been at the Owls his entire career and is primarily a right-back.

But since the start of the season, he’s been playing on the left-hand side to allow Odubajo to feature in the starting line up.

When comparing his eight games at left-back this term to those played on the opposite side last season, you’ll soon see where he’s more comfortable.

And it’s no surprise that it’s in his more natural position – recording better figures for tackles, clearances, and dribbles per game on top of his crossing ability – all via WhoScored.

Monk should shift Palmer back across to the right, especially as he can call on Morgan Fox to instantly come in and fill the resulting void left behind at left-back.

That way, Wednesday can shore up the one weak spot in their defence.

Scotland got back to winning ways on Sunday, thrashing minnows San Marino 6-0 at Hampden Park.

It was a routine evening for Steve Clarke’s side, who never really had to get out of second gear against the lowest ranked country in the world.

You can never read too much into games like these, but one thing that will have pleased Clarke was the performance of midfielder John McGinn.

The 24-year-old has made a brilliant start to life in the Premier League with Aston Villa, netting three times and creating one assist already after just eight matches (via Transfermarkt).

He certainly took his club form to the international stage and was superb on the evening against San Marino, scoring his first career hat-trick.

All of his goals were in the first half of the match, which meant that he became the first player to score a first-half treble for Scotland since Lawrie Reilly back in 1952.

McGinn’s excellent form for both club and country are earning him plenty of plaudits, and he has even been linked with a move to Manchester United.

It would be fair to say that the Aston Villa faithful were not surprised at McGinn’s performance for Scotland given how well he has been doing for them. There was plenty of love for him after the game, and here is how some Villa fans reacted to his hat-trick on Twitter…

Everton fans have hit out at the club after The Athletic reported youth star Lewis Gibson could leave, with heavy interest for the 19-year-old from clubs in England, Scotland and Germany.

Gibson switched Newcastle for Merseyside at 16 years of age for a reported fee of £6m back in 2017. The teenager has since made a name for himself as one of English football’s brightest young talents after helping the England U17s win the World Cup, just weeks after he left Tyneside.

His performances for England earned him a regular spot for Everton’s Premier League 2 side, playing 17 times in his first campaign at the club. The following season, Gibson stepped out 10 times and registered one assist for the U23s as they were crowned Premier League 2 champions of that year.

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The centre-back is out of contract at the end of the season and has yet to make his senior appearance with the Merseysiders. First-team chances have been far away for the former Newcastle man, mainly because of Yerry Mina and Michael Keane’s long stints in the side, whilst Mason Holgate has been there for backup on the bench.

Situations as such shed a light on Marco Silva’s lack of attempts at bringing in young players through the system. Silva has handed Holgate just 17 minutes of league action this season and Tom Davies just 20 minutes, whilst no other academy graduate has come close to the first-team so far.

If the Portuguese continues on in this manner, he and Marcel Brands are going to lose many potential future stars and therefore, force them into the transfer market to spend even more money.

Here’s what Toffees fans have been saying…

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…

It’s fair to say that one of the biggest talking points around the Leeds United fanbase at the moment is the Eddie Nketiah vs Patrick Bamford debate.

Both men have their fans, and despite the fact that Bamford hasn’t scored for eight games, at this point there are supporters who still defend him due to other aspects of his game.

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Of course, the arguments erupted once again after the former Middlesbrough man’s wasteful performance against Preston – a game that was capped off by a late equaliser by his understudy.

Leeds fans have been calling for Marcelo Bielsa to operate with a two-striker formation for a while now, and with the 20-year-old saving the Whites’ skin on Tuesday evening you’d think he’d get a starting opportunity.

However, if Nketiah is handed a start it likely won’t be alongside Bamford as Bielsa made it clear that he’s not had time to experiment with the pair playing together in training.

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“We have never proved this kind of combination in our training,” said the Argentine.

“In the international break, Nketiah is not with us, because we play twice a week and when we prepare in the week there are few spaces to try these kinds of things.”

It seems as if the youngster’s England U21 duties are getting in the way of Bielsa attempting this partnership.

Bamford will remain in training with Leeds during these breaks, but he won’t be able to trial playing alongside Nketiah as he’ll be away with the Young Lions.

Considering he could be on the cusp of being dropped unless they operate as a pair, it doesn’t bode well for the former Middlesbrough man.

While the Arsenal loanee is away with his country he has a chance to impress by scoring goals, which he’s been doing plenty of, something Bamford obviously can’t do when matches aren’t being played at club level.

But because Nketiah isn’t there when they do have increased focus on training, it only leaves Bamford in the lurch even more.

This is yet another obstacle he’ll have to overcome going forward.