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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…

Jamie Carragher has come out in defence of former teammate Michael Owen, who has been the target of criticism from some Liverpool fans.

What’s the story?

Former Reds striker Owen will release an autobiography on Friday detailing his career in an attempt to reveal some lesser-known facts about his time at Anfield, and his decision to leave the club.

Fans often point to his decision to join Real Madrid as the turning point, with many also unable to forgive the move to Manchester United. Now, they are rejecting his claim that he was desperate to return to Liverpool once he made the move back to England.

They’re not the only ones to lay into the former England international, with Alan Shearer also criticising his actions whilst at Newcastle, which resulted in a Twitter dispute between the two.

In Owen’s defence, Carragher told The Mirror: “I must say I think some of the stick from Liverpool fans is bang out of order considering what he did for the club and the reaction other players get who did nothing for Liverpool.

“It hurts Michael and his family, but hopefully this book will let people know the real story and why he came to these decisions.”

Time for redemption

Liverpool fans – as shown here – have been critical of players who have left Anfield to then find out that the grass isn’t always greener, and because it has been 15 years since he played for the Reds it is easy to forget the contribution he made.

He scored an incredible 158 goals in 297 appearances, won the Ballon d’Or in 2001, and in the same year single-handedly won the FA Cup final with two late goals against Arsenal, as well as contributing to UEFA Cup and League Cup victories.

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As Carragher suggests, not many Liverpool players can boast of such exploits, and therefore the vitriol aimed towards Owen is a little unfair.

His admission that he wanted to return to Anfield should be treated with appreciation rather than a ploy to win over fans. After all, it was the club he started at and where he played his best football.

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A number of Arsenal fans have lavished praise on Reiss Nelson after the youngster scored the winner for England’s Under-21 side against Turkey Under-21s.

The actual goal will not be up for any awards at the end of the season, but it was a hugely important strike from the youngster as Aidy Boothroyd’s side claimed a 3-2 win.

Nelson spent last season on loan in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim – scoring seven times in 29 appearances for the German club in all competitions.

The 19-year-old has been rewarded with a spot in the Arsenal first team this season – already clocking up 116 minutes of Premier League football for Unai Emery’s side.

And finding the back of the net against Turkey on Friday night would have done the attacker’s confidence no harm at all.

As expected, a number of Arsenal supporters have taken to social media to lavish praise on the academy product – a selection of which can be seen below:

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A large number of Liverpool fans have slammed James Milner’s performance in Tuesday night’s 2-0 loss to Napoli in the Champions League.

The Reds suffered their first defeat of the 2019/20 campaign in Naples with goals from Dries Mertens and Fernando Llorente handing the home side a two-goal success.

Jurgen Klopp’s side still have plenty of time to respond in Group E but suffering a defeat on the opening night is not what the club would have had in mind.

And it would be fair to say that a lot of the Liverpool supporters were particularly upset by what they saw from Milner during his 66 minutes on the field.

According to WhoScored, Milner won three tackles in Naples, but the midfielder’s pass success rate was only at 78% – not the best.

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The Liverpool fans did not hold back in their criticism both during and after the match, with a selection of their comments on Twitter available to view below:

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There may not be much for Everton fans to shout about in terms of their own team’s results, but they have found a crumb of comfort in the form of a familiar figure.

Ross Barkley is bearing the brunt of mockery from fans after he skied a late penalty on Tuesday which could have earned Chelsea a draw at home to Valencia.

The England international turned away teammate Willian, who wanted to take it, insisting he was capable of finding the net as the designated taker, and Everton fans are loving the failure of their former player.

It was a good night all-round for Toffees with Liverpool also losing on their visit to Napoli, and it provides some comfort for them having witnessed just two wins from five matches in the Premier League.

The lack of sympathy for their academy product may be because of his decision to join Chelsea, and it is fair to say he has struggled somewhat during his time at Stamford Bridge, with only five goals in 58 appearances.

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Here is some of the reaction from joyous Everton fans.

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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, John Hartson has said he expects Nicolas Pepe to become a “great player” at Arsenal.

The Ivory Coast international signed from Lille for a club-record £72m in the summer following two impressive campaigns with the Ligue 1 side, where he netted 37 goals in 79 appearances.

However, he has not been able to translate that to the Premier League so far, registering just one assist in his first five appearances.

Hartson, though, believes we should be patient with the 24-year-old, and he expects big things from him in the future.

He said, “We’ve not seen an awful lot of Pepe yet. I know it’s very early days but for £72m you want and expect big things from him.

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“We’ve seen what he can do in little tiny glimpses but we haven’t quite seen the best of him yet.

“I’m cutting him some slack because I’m expecting him to become a great player for Arsenal”.

Arsenal fans will no doubt be slightly disappointed with what they have seen from the winger so far, but there is no denying his talent. Last season, he bagged 23 goals and provided 12 assists in France.

He is not the first to take time to adapt to English football, and he won’t be the last. Of course, the Gunners will need him to step up sooner rather than later, but if his displays in France are anything to go by, their patience will be rewarded when he does find his groove.

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

Wolves managed to pick up their first win of the season on Saturday as they defeated rock-bottom Watford at Molineux.

The result saw them rise to 13th from 19th thanks to goals from Matt Doherty and Daryl Janmaat.

The right wing-back opened the scoring inside the first 20 minutes, meeting Pedro Neto’s driven pass across goal before turning provider for the second as his cross was met by Morgan Gibbs-White, whose header found its way in via the Watford defender just after the hour mark.

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Nuno Santo’s men have actually only lost two of their seven Premier League matches, but their position in the league told a different story considering it was a world away from their seventh-place finish last campaign.

On the Chalkboard

Over their last two domestic matches, Wolves have reverted back to the 3-4-3 system which saw them win the Championship in 2018.

Football FanCast have previously mentioned why the Portuguese boss should stick with it going forward, and even though he’s unlikely to have read the article, he’s done precisely that.

Their performance against Watford was defensively sound hence the clean sheet, but further details provide an insight into why they should again continue with a similar setup against reigning champions Manchester City.

As expected from a Pep Guardiola team, they dominate the league for possession percentage per game at 60%, and no club is higher for passing success either at 89.3%.

Therefore, it seems likely that Wolves will have their backs against the wall.

On Saturday, the west Midlands club sat back and looked to hit the Hornets on the counter – they recorded just 39.1% possession with a total of six shots in the match, yet came away with a 2-0 victory.

That gameplan matches up well with the test of City.

Obviously, there is a different level of quality on offer as Watford are the worst team in the league currently, but it bodes well for encouragement.

When Nuno deployed the 3-4-3 against them at Molineux last season they managed to earn a point with just 28.9% possession, so there’s no reason why it can’t work again – Norwich have already shocked them once, Wolves can make it twice.

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 has been clear for a few weeks now that Tottenham Hotspur have missed the presence of an out-and-out defensive midfielder in their team, and playing Moussa Sissoko at right-back against Brighton could provide a solution to the issue.

Mauricio Pochettino has largely preferred the Frenchman, Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Winks in the centre of the park so far this term, but it certainly hasn’t worked well when it has come to the team keeping the ball out of their net.

They have conceded at least two goals in all of their away fixtures to date – excluding the Carabao Cup clash against Colchester United – while Bayern Munich put seven past them at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday.

Despite being a regular in the past, Eric Dier has found first-team football hard to come by so far this season, and didn’t make his first Premier League outing until he made a 12-minute cameo appearance in the success against Southampton last weekend – his only previous call-up was against Colchester.

While he may have had a few wobbly moments last term – including against Bournemouth when he was criticised by his own supporters – he can provide that shield that this vulnerable Spurs defence really looks to need right now.

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Taking Sissoko out of the equation and starting him at right-back would certainly make it more likely for the 25-year-old to be able to come into the XI at the Amex, and Pochettino hinted that the France international is his preferred option to replace the suspended Serge Aurier on Friday.

If the 30-year-old does get the nod, Dier could come in to play with either both – or just one of – Winks and Ndombele against the Seagulls, as the visitors go in search of their first top flight win on their travels since January 20.

Giving the England international an opportunity has been long overdue, and now the Argentine manager has the perfect chance to do exactly that.

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

Isco had a pretty rough start to the new 2019/20 La Liga campaign and has only managed to tally three appearances to his name so far. But his talents are undeniable and Zinedine Zidane would be wise to find a spot for him in the team.

On the chalkboard

The 27-year-old Spaniard has been a part of the Real Madrid squad since 2013 when he joined the club from Malaga.

And despite some hiccups along the way, Isco became a key part of the squad and has accomplished great things with the Galacticos.

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In the 280 games he has played in a white shirt, he has managed to score 48 goals and assist a further 52 in the process. Those are pretty impressive figures but for all his talent and obvious qualities, he has struggled for continuity.

And unfortunately for him, he currently doesn’t have a clear role in Zidane’s team.

Wasted talent

Saying that it’s difficult to fight for your spot at Real Madrid would be an understatement.

Naturally, Zidane has a pretty stacked squad at his disposal and even big names like Isco are struggling to fit in.

Granted, his latest injury has kept him sidelined for six games and he is yet to get back on the pitch despite receiving medical clearance.

But with his primary role this season being that of a left-winger, according to Transfermarkt’s database, it’s difficult to see him thrive.

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

This is especially true considering Real’s purchase of Eden Hazard, who is bound to be their first-choice wide man on the left, leaving Isco on the bench.

But Isco is quite versatile, as well. For the games Transfermarkt have in their database, Isco has been played in five major positions – attacking midfield, central midfield, right and left wing and as a centre-forward.

If Madrid need creativity from the midfield, he could definitely be a solution to that problem. With that in mind, giving him enough time to find his footing and unleash his potential in that advanced role in the middle of the park could do Real Madrid a lot of good.

At the moment, Isco’s skill set is being wasted precisely because he has no real role within the squad and thus, no consistent game time to show what he can do.

But the competition is tough and no one gets a guaranteed chance.

Looking strictly at the player in question, however, Zidane would be wise to find a way to fit Isco into his starting XI; he’s simply too talented to be left out.

Winston Reid has been plagued with injuries since signing a six-year deal in 2017 and West Ham fans are beginning to think this is the beginning of the end of his time at the club.

Their reaction comes as a result of the centre-back once again failing to return from injury at the time anticipated, missing an under 23 EFL Trophy clash with Cheltenham Town that was meant to be his first appearance of the season.

The New Zealand international is sidelined with a knee injury he picked up against Swansea in March 2018, and despite a prolonged period out he is still not ready to return.

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It is a big blow for the 31-year-old, who had previously been a key player under managers such as Sam Allardyce and Slaven Bilic, making more than 30 appearances in five out of six seasons prior to 2017/18.

Now, even when he does return he will take time to reintegrate into the side, and with Angelo Ogbanna and Issa Diop the preferred options of Manuel Pellegrini, his Hammers career hangs in the balance.

West Hams supporters certainly think so and some have reacted with sympathy as a result, as seen in the reactions below.

Rafael van der Vaart stepped onto the pitch for one final time earlier this week as the midfielder played in his testimonial match to commemorate his incredible career.Of course, as with any good testimonial, the former Spurs man had a number of ex-teammates taking to the pitch with him.Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A couple of former Premier League stars took to social media to pay tribute to the former Netherlands international after his special game.

Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie both sent tweets after the game to wish their former international teammate well in his retirement.

It seems to be quite an emotional occasion for the two Dutchmen, as van der Vaart was a key man in an unforgettable era for the national team.

The former Real Madrid star played in the team that reached the World Cup final back in 2010 – coming off the bench in their defeat against Spain.