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Jordan Rossiter is yet to showcase his ability at Rangers, despite the fact that he signed for the club two years ago.

The 21-year-old moved to the Glasgow-based club from Liverpool after failing to break into the first team at Anfield.

Rossiter is still at a young age to be a regular starter, but in two years at Rangers he has only made 11 appearances.

It must be noted that injury has played a major role in the midfielder’s lack of progress at Ibrox, and he suffered another blow earlier this month.

Rossiter was left out of the Europa League squad for the group stages by manager Steven Gerrard, who has not selected the youngster at all since he took over the team in the summer.

With that being said, we asked you if it was the end of the road for the midfielder.

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Some believe that Rangers need to sell, while others have backed Rossier to come good.

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As Manchester City look to cement a second successive Premier League title, the pressure is already building, with Liverpool and Chelsea seemingly ready to challenge for the throne.

Pep Guardiola’s men are still well within the collection of challengers at the top end of the table, and they still have the squad on paper to better most of their rivals in the Premier League.

However, Pep will not want to stand still, and despite a quiet summer window in general for a club like City, the January window in a few months time represents a big chance for the club to go out and capture one or two more new names for their squad.

One man we at the Tavern think should be on the radar for City is £13.5m-rated Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who has got himself into the reckoning for his country this year following some fine performances.

Paqueta has really seen his star rise in the last couple of years, and he looks to be one of the next players from South America who appears destined to make a move into Europe.

City have done well with the South American market in the past, and Paqueta has all the ability in the world to make it as a success in England.

While there will be interest from others, City are still a top draw, and Paqueta would be hard pushed to turn down a move to the Etihad if Pep and co show an interest.

City fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!

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Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina produced another disappointing display in his side’s 2-0 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, and the south coast outfit’s priority in the January transfer window should be to offload the Gabon international.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Saints would have been excited when they completed the signing of the Juventus man in the summer of 2016 just months after he had come on as a substitute in the Champions League final.

However, while Lemina clearly has plenty of talent, there are also plenty of questions marks over his attitude and his consistency, and he has perhaps only produced a handful of performances for Southampton, who should sack Mark Hughes and look to bring in a 43-year-old former Saint who would improve their defensive record, that show the quality that he does have in his locker.

One of those certainly didn’t come at Molineux at the weekend, where he often went missing and gave the ball away cheaply in key areas, while he made just one tackle compared to the six by his central midfield partner Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Why do they need to sell?

It seems apparent that Lemina is a player that can be brilliant when the team is in form but will go missing when the going gets tough, and unfortunately for Southampton it appears as though their season is likely to reflect the latter more than the former after winning just one of their opening seven Premier League matches this term.

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Both the 25-year-old’s on-pitch and off-pitch demeanour will have been questioned previously given he is a big social media user, and if he continues to not be influential on a regular basis then Saints would be better off with another battler in Oriol Romeu alongside the impressive Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the centre of the pitch.

Despite his issues, you would think that the south coast outfit should also be able to get a decent fee for Lemina in the New Year, and it could allow them to either strengthen at the heart of their backline or their attack – two areas that still look to need some attention.

Tottenham supporters have been in fine voice in recent times after seeing their team record a second successive Premier League victory at the weekend.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men went into their encounter against struggling Huddersfield Town off the back of beating Brighton 2-1 in their most recent league clash, before edging past Watford on penalties in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. And the North Londoners recorded yet another victory on Saturday as a brace from Harry Kane sealed a routine 2-0 success at the John Smith’s Stadium, in turn moving Pochettino’s side up to fourth place in the Premier League table.

Thus, there have been many thrilled Tottenham fans up and down the country in recent times, several of whom have been heaping praise on striker Kane for his double in Yorkshire at the weekend.

The England international hasn’t looked at his absolute best so far this season, but he showed a sharp edge in the attacking third on Saturday with a fine header from Kieran Trippier’s cross for the opener, before brilliantly dispatching of a penalty 11 minutes before half time.

And while the 24-year-old produced the goods at the weekend, centre back Davinson Sanchez was arguably their unsung hero against David Wagner’s Terriers for his assured efforts in the heart of their backline.

The 22-year-old made the move to North London in the summer of 2017 and was certainly a shining light in Pochettino’s side last season – not many can keep Toby Alderweireld out of the team as long and as frequently as the Colombian did.

Yet he hasn’t always been a regular starter this term with just three Premier League starts to show for their opening six matches, but he returned to the line-up on Saturday to great effect with a commanding display at the heart of Pochettino’s back three.

The centre back touched the ball on 67 occasions over the course of the 90 minutes with only Trippier (68) touching the more ball often from a Spurs point of view, yet Sanchez attempted more passes than any other Tottenham player (51) to underline his comfort on the ball and willingness to get involved in proceedings.

Remarkably, Pochettino’s men actually finished with less possession than the hosts come the end of the clash, and while Huddersfield didn’t create loads of opportunities in front of goal, much of that was down to the defensive efforts of Colombia international Sanchez.

The 22-year-old won a team-high seven aerial duels over the course of the encounter and made three interceptions to stop the hosts in their tracks, but significantly he made a team-high ten clearances to underline his alertness to danger, but also his capability at dealing with those moments – it was a fine display.

Yes, Spurs and Sanchez will face tougher tests this season, but the 22-year-old was a rock in the heart of Pochettino’s defence on Saturday, with the £60,000-a-week defender (as per Spotrac) arguably the unsung hero in their win at the John Smith’s Stadium at the weekend.

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

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Arsenal extended their winning run to eight matches by beating Qarabag 3-0 in a Europa League group stage clash in Azerbaijan on Thursday evening.

The Gunners saw three new names on the scoresheet as Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Emile Smith-Rowe and Matteo Guendouzi all opened their accounts for Unai Emery’s side in a routine victory.

Emery has now tasted victory in both of his European matches as Arsenal boss and the Gunners look set to ease their way into the knockout stages, but not everybody impressed supporters with their performance in the clash.

Midfielder Mohamed Elneny faces a fight for regular action against the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Granit Xhaka, Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira, but he earnt a rare start against Qarabag having failed to force his way into Emery’s plans.

Fans took to social media to criticise the Egypt international, who was signed from FC Basel under Arsene Wenger, with many making it clear they do not believe he is good enough for their club.

We have gathered some of the best reactions below.

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FootballFanCast.com’s Fixture In Focus coverage is brought to you by 5p0rtz. Try 5p0rtz’s Free Croatia vs England Predictor for your chance to win in the £250 guaranteed giveaway! Click here to play.

It may not quite qualify as revenge should England beat Croatia this Friday in the Nations League, for UEFA’s new competition inevitably lacks the importance and gravitas of a World Cup semi-final. But the behind-closed-doors clash in the Balkans does give the Three Lions the chance to right some wrongs, to show they’ve learned the tough lessons of their exit from the tournament in Russia, and perhaps even grown since then.

That won’t be easy without a full-strength side, but tactically at least Gareth Southgate should be a lot better prepared to take on Croatia counterpart Zlatko Dalic this time around. So, where will the encounter be lost and won? Football FanCast take a look at the key dynamics that will decide Friday’s 7.45pm kickoff…

The Key Battle – Ivan Perisic vs Kyle Walker and Joe Gomez

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With Mario Mandzukic retiring after the World Cup, something to be discussed in more detail imminently, Ivan Perisic is now the most fearsome member of Croatia’s forward line and could consequentially become a far greater focal point in this team.

The Inter Milan midfielder ran riot against England in the World Cup semi-final too, scoring Croatia’s first before setting up Mandzukic for the winner, and his wide forward role seemed to cause the Three Lions’ formation real problems – he wasn’t properly marshalled by the right wing-back or right centre-half, picking up difficult positions just between the two.

We’re tipping Kyle Walker to start out wide this time, with Joe Gomez looking almost tailor-made for the right centre-back slot in a back three, and that’s naturally a little more sturdier than the Manchester City defender playing inside of Kieran Trippier. They’ve certainly got more pace than Perisic, but technique and cleverness are his biggest strengths and that can make him a lot tougher to deal with.

The Key Dynamic – Midfield Dominance

Midfield dominance was the key when Croatia beat England in Russia, Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic controlling the game by putting the ball on the deck and retaining possession. England’s unique 3-1-4-2 setup ended up becoming a far less expansive 5-3-2, and that’s exactly what happened in the Three Lions’ last Nations League game against Spain as well – after a blistering start, the visitors controlled the engine room at Wembley and England didn’t manage to recover their foothold in the game until the latter stages.

In some respects, you have to question Southgate because he failed to change things up as Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard were pushed back into increasingly defensive positions. But it could be a little different this time out with both of those midfielders injured and replacements Ross Barkley and James Maddison bringing other characteristics to the roaming No.8 roles. Barkley’s at his best when driving at the opposition on the ball in central areas and while Maddison is by no means a playmaker of Modric’s calibre, he does have a defence-splitting pass on him. England just seemed to lack that from midfield in Russia.

The Deciding Factor – Can Croatia score goals without Mario Mandzukic?

Many were surprised when Spain hammered Croatia 6-0 during the last international break, but there have been significant changes to the team since the World Cup in arguably the two most important positions – goalkeeper and centre-forward. Danijel Subasic has hung up his gloves which has probably had an effect on a previously sturdy defence, but the biggest loss is Mandzukic leading the line.

Not only is he Croatia’s second all-time leading goalscorer, but he was also the focal point of the attack as well, giving the Balkan side the option to go direct rather than relying purely on Modric and Rakitic’s technical qualities in midfield and presenting them with a potent aerial target for deliveries from out wide. Against Spain, Anderlecht’s Ivan Santini lead the line instead but failed to have an impact anywhere near what Mandzukic brought to the side, while it was up to Perisic to find the net in the 1-1 draw with Portugal.

The Impact Subs – Andrej Kramaric vs Jadon Sancho

Premier League fans familiar with his short spell at Leicester City will be wondering why Andrej Kramaric isn’t taking Mandzukic’s place in the starting XI, especially as he has ten goals for Croatia under his belt already. But the former Foxes forward tends to be at his best when operating off a main striker rather than leading the line himself, and that’s the way he’s been utilised for much of his international career as well.

Accordingly, it becomes a choice between Kramaric playing in the hole or Croatia’s quality-laden midfield three, and thus the Hoffenheim man seems likely to start on the bench against England. But he’s a fantastic substitute option for Croatia, someone who adds extra goal threat and changes the shape of the attack.

For England, meanwhile, there’s one name on everybody’s lips heading into this game – Jadon Sancho. Not only is he an incredibly exciting young player whose reputation at Borussia Dortmund is growing by the game, but he’s also proved himself to be incredibly potent from the bench with five of his seven assists this season coming as a substitute.

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Unai Emery inherited a huge job when he took over from Arsene Wenger as Arsenal manager this summer.

After 22 years at the helm, Wenger left the North London club outside of the Champions League and with a squad in need of major improvements. Anyone would have forgiven Emery a slow start given the enormity of the task he faces at the Emirates Stadium in returning the Gunners to the amongst the contenders for the biggest prizes in Europe.

However, the Spaniard – after a stuttering start – has seen his side go on a remarkable fun of form and expectations have subsequently been raised amongst a portion of the fanbase. 

A top four finish – and consequently, Champions League qualification – would mark a brilliant first term in English football for Emery. A title triumph would, frankly, constitute a miracle.

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Yet, many Arsenal fans are backing Emery to pull off a major shock league win, with 22% of Gunners supporters predicting a first-place finish for the club this season in our poll. Overall, 94% of voters were behind Emery securing a top four finish. See the full results below.

When you think of Chelsea under Maurizio Sarri, it’s hard to look past the change in the style of play under the Italian. Last season, Chelsea’s style was characterised by defensive work and counter-attacking, but that’s had 180-degree flip this season.

Under Sarri, the Blues are far more concerned with fast, pass-heavy offensive movement, and they’re yet to sit back and defend this season – regardless of the opposition.

That, without a doubt, is a huge change at Stamford Bridge – but is it the biggest or, indeed, the most influential?

Certainly, it’s up there, but the change in personnel at Stamford Bridge is also playing a part – and the Chelsea midfield, you could argue, highlights the growth under Sarri at Chelsea more than anything else.

Simply by looking at the options available to Sarri, the picture is clear. It wasn’t unusual for the Blues to line-up with a trio of Danny Drinkwater, Tiemoue Bakayoko and N’Golo Kante last season. On paper, that’s not a terrible collection of players; but are they, together, really good enough for the highest level?

In truth, only Kante out of those players would get close to any of their rivals’ midfield, and that says it all.

This season, though, Sarri’s midfield of choice has included Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic. With Kovacic handling the offensive flair, Jorginho handling the playmaking and Kante doing a bit of everything, that’s a midfield capable of competing with anyone in the world. Not to mention, all three of those players are up there with the best in Europe when it comes to their own craft.

In fact, Chelsea’s reserve options are arguably better than the best that Conte could offer last season. Between the likes of Ross Barkley, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea have a midfield to compete with anyone in Europe sitting on their bench on any given week, and that’s simply remarkable.

Sarri, then, has a bit of an embarrassment of riches in the midfield, and more than anything else, that highlights the growth under the boss.

Thoughts?

It has not been a good month in the Premier League for Fulham with the west London side falling into the relegation zone after their 4-2 loss against Cardiff City at the Cardiff City Stadium last Saturday.

Fulham supporters, however, could be in for a more positive development in the coming weeks with the Daily Mail reporting the club are set to open contract talks with Ryan Sessegnon.

Should Sessegnon decide against putting pen to paper on a new deal, though, while it would come as bad news to the Craven Cottage faithful, it could open up the door for another outfit in London who would almost certainly jump at the opportunity to sign the 18-year-old.

The Breakdown

In the past, Tottenham have been linked with Sessegnon on numerous occasions (via Evening Standard), and the club must do all they can to bring the England U21 international to White Hart Lane now that he has only 18 months to run on his current contract.

Capable of playing at both left-back and further up the pitch, Sessegnon would prove to be a great addition to the Tottenham squad given Danny Rose’s troubles with injuries while his pace and directness down the flank could give Mauricio Pochettino’s side another dimension in attack if he opts to play him in a more advanced position.

From Sessegnon’s perspective, the chance to work under a coach like Pochettino whose track record when it comes to developing young English players is fantastic, is one that he cannot turn down.

The likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Harry Winks to name a few, have all progressed significantly as footballers thanks to Pochettino, and there is no doubt the Argentinian’s tutelage could have the same impact on Sessegnon.

For both parties, a move to Tottenham for Sessegnon makes so much sense.

Reading between the lines, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho seemed to suggest in his pre-Bournemouth press conference (via Sky Sports) that the club would not spend big in January to turn their current fortunes around.

What did he say?

“At this moment we have to focus on ourselves and do better. Until the end of December we have to focus on ourselves – in the potential we have, in the problems we have and in the qualities we have – and try to go.

“In this moment we are outside the top four and we have to push hard and work hard to improve and try to get into this top-four position.”

What did he really mean?

United are currently eighth in the Premier League table, five points off fourth-placed Arsenal and nine points behind leaders Manchester City, and there are clear problems with the Red Devils.

However, after coming from behind to beat Newcastle things have improved slightly and, despite the loss to Juventus in the Champions League, the mood around the club seems to be generally improving.

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This may be the reason then that Mourinho is starting to accept the problems and the Portuguese boss has finally admitted that they can be worked on in training, rather than just buying a replacement player.

For example, the Manchester giants were linked with a number of centre-backs in the summer including Harry Maguire, Yerry Mina, Jerome Boateng and Diego Godin as Mourinho decided his current options – the ones he is now left with – were not good enough.

He may have said that this work needed to happen before the end of December and the subsequent transfer window, but this could hint that Mourinho is starting to accept that he may not get his wishes in the winter window either.

No success, no funds?

With United’s lowly position in the table and Mourinho’s insistence that they must make the top four by the end of 2018, the manager’s new outlook on developing the players he has may suggest that the United board will not open their chequebooks at all if the club are underperforming.

United spent £73m in the summer on Fred, Diogo Dalot and goalkeeper Lee Grant and may now be forcing their manager to work with the squad he has.