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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…

The agents of Tottenham Hotspur players are concerned that their clients should be paid more because of their participation in an upcoming Amazon documentary, per The Daily Mail.

What’s the word?

The club have signed up to the “All or Nothing” series, with cameras following their 2019/20 season.

Indeed, the documentary crew were reportedly in the Spurs dressing room following their 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side have struggled through the start of the 2019/20 campaign, winning just three league games, while they were also beaten 7-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League and knocked out of the Carabao Cup by lower-league Colchester United.

And agents of Spurs players, per the report, believe that their clients should receive extra money for partaking in interviews and on-camera activities.

A PR disaster

When Manchester City signed up for All or Nothing, they knew that they would be chasing the Premier League title throughout the 2018/19 campaign and, lo and behold, they won it.

Spurs, at this point, are treading water and sit 11th in the Premier League, with their only genuine hope of silverware coming in the FA Cup.

Now, certainly, they could win that; they could also repeat last season’s miracle and reach the Champions League final but that appears a 100/1 shot right now.

So what was the point of saying yes?

Amazon are surely paying for their access to the club and that money could well boost the coffers but all it has led to is stories like this.

Rightly so, too; as they are attempting to get back to winning ways and right the wrongs of the start of the season, cameras are poking around in dressing rooms and at the training ground.

This season has been an unmitigated disaster already and if this form continues, and Spurs fail to finish in the top four, one feels that the documentary could well be attributed a portion of the blame.

One thing is for sure: Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham fans will love that final product if Spurs’ form continues.

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

Marcus Rashford scored just his second goal from open play since March when he cut inside to smash home England’s opener against Bulgaria within seven minutes, and he should have sent Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a clear message as a result.

On the chalkboard

The United forward darted down the line to beautifully cut back inside and leave the Bulgarian defence on the deck, as he rocketed in a fabulous strike from the wing. It was indeed just Rashford’s second goal from open play this season after he slotted home against Chelsea on the opening day.

The 21-year-old put in what was probably his best performance since that clash against the Blues, and it’s not much of a surprise that it comes as he was playing from the wing. The Englishman put in an 8/10 display against Bulgaria and was able to make runs off of Harry Kane, dribble at defenders and once again prove his worth as one of Europe’s best young talents.

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This was opposed to when he plays centrally for United, where he often drops deep for the ball, suffocating his ability to attack defenders and make it tough for those around him to work to his strengths.

Were you taking notes, Ole?

Since Solskjaer took the helm at Old Trafford, he has experimented with the pacey forward as both a striker and as a left winger alongside Romelu Lukaku who took the central role. This season, Solskjaer has made it clear Rashford was going to be his striker after he scored five goals when he was deployed in the role in the Norwegian’s first two months in charge.

Back then, however, Rashford was helped by the incredible form of players such as Paul Pogba, who eventually provided 13 assists for forwards like him that season. Nowadays, the Frenchman’s form has dried up slightly and Rashford has since lacked any service and knowledge on how to adapt in the striker role, scoring just once from open play all season.

For example, on Monday, Kane effortlessly proved the striker role is his natural position, as he dropped deep and in the end provided three assists and a goal. This isn’t Rashford’s game and never has been, as he would not often bag a hat-trick of assists like Kane can do.

On the other hand, the Englishman proved in just seven minutes for his country that when he plays as a winger, he can take us back to the days where he shone as a teenager. The times where he would spin defenders in a rapid change of pace, cut inside and shoot, just like he did against Bulgaria.

In Solskjaer’s defence, the injury to Anthony Martial has perhaps forced Rashford to play centrally more often. However, when the Frenchman returns, the United boss needs to play these clips from Bulgaria on repeat and remember to play Rashford on the wings, and Martial down the middle.

Simply put, if Solskjaer wants the old days of a clinical Rashford back, the left wing is his spot.

West Ham’s consecutive defeats have led some fans to discuss the problems which have led to a drop in performances, and some believe the midfield is holding them back from success.

Players such as Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini were criticised after the loss to Everton but some think it is a wider issue, with one highlighting an inability to press as a factor which means they will never challenge the top clubs.

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Pellegrini failed to add a midfielder over the summer despite both Jack Wilshere and Carlos Sanchez failing last term, having made only 15 league appearances between them.

That means there is a reliance on Mark Noble and Declan Rice to perform to their highest level in every match, and therefore when they underwhelm, as they did on Saturday, it comes as a detriment to the team.

One fan is concerned by the lack of recruitment in the transfer window and believes it was something which urgently needed addressing, with other reactions discussing the current issues that exist.

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

Tottenham Hotspur will look to get their first Champions League win of the season when they host Bayern Munich on Tuesday night, and their hopes of doing that could rest in the hands of Jan Vertonghen in north London.

While Spurs will be focusing on producing a positive performance and result themselves following disappointment last time out against Olympiacos, but there is one man they will be need to be aware of.

Robert Lewandowski has become known as a prolific centre-forward throughout his career, and it has been no different this term with the Poland international scoring 12 goals in just nine appearances in all competitions prior to his side’s trip to the English capital.

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The 31-year-old will likely be leading the line for the Bavarian giants at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, meaning that Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld are likely to be the duo tasked with dealing with him.

In his first European appearance of the campaign against Red Star Belgrade last month, he had 10 shots – albeit he only found the net once – according to WhoScored.

He has also averaged 4.8 shots in the Bundesliga so far this term, which suggests that not only does he know how to get in the best positions, but also that he isn’t afraid to have a go when the opportunity presents itself.

Meanwhile, Tottenham looked defensively vulnerable with Vertonghen and Alderweireld at the heart of the backline against Olympiacos last time out, conceding two goals having taken a 2-0 lead in Athens.

The former gave a penalty away in that match in Greece as Mauricio Pochettino’s men collapsed, and the 32-year-old needs to be doing better than that when he comes up against the in-form Lewandowski.

Of course, there are also question marks hanging over his head with the north London outfit reportedly only willing to offer him a new one-year contract, so Tuesday could be the ideal opportunity to prove why he deserves longer than that by silencing one of the best centre-forwards in the world.

Many Leicester fans have shown their love for Ben Chilwell after he tweeted about being at the first Leicester City in the Community event.

The young left-back spoke of how he enjoyed meeting so many members at the launch.

According to the club website, Leicester City’s “new charitable arm” will work continuously to improve the lives of the people across Leicestershire.

Apparently, the newly-named organisation will implement a new strategy aimed to inspire and empower people from around the region, with the community’s first-ever hub being situated on Filbert Way.

Chilwell, one of Leicester’s own and one of their proudest products in recent years by going on to play for England, said he was delighted to unveil the first of several community hubs with the participants and the staff.

The 22-year-old told  LCFC TV: “I’m really enjoying coming out and getting to see the community and what they get up to because we don’t get to see a lot of it.

“We’re in our little bubble at the training ground and we’re very focused on our jobs, which is obviously the priority, but it’s nice to come down and see what the local community’s up to.

“The stuff they’re doing here is great. I was just talking to a few of the youngsters about their Young Leaders stuff they take on at school and it’s just wicked to see young people so involved.

“Just looking at the pictures around the side, it seems like a very good community and Leicester is known to be a community club, so it’s good to see that that is the case.”

Unsurprisingly, many Leicester fans only had good things to say about Chilwell and were clearly endeared at him taking the time to put effort into the project.

Here are some of the responses below…

What are your thoughts on Chilwell’s community involvement? Have your say by commenting below!

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been reflecting on their 0-0 draw against Bayern Munich, and they’re more than a little worried about a bad patch of form for Andy Robertson.

Robertson has been one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League since joining Liverpool in a deal worth an initial £8m, as the Scottish captain’s performance levels rarely drop below a seven out of ten.

That hasn’t been the case recently though, as he seems to have lost a little bit of the attacking spark that has seen him rack up eight assists in all competitions this season, and even more worryingly he has looked shaky at the back.

After a poor showing in the 1-1 draw against Leicester, it was the 24 year-old who needlessly gave away a free kick at the London Stadium, from which West Ham equalised, and he struggled massively with Bayern ace Serge Gnabry on Tuesday night.

That is now three games out of the last four that the all-action left-back hasn’t been at his best, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Football Insider, West Brom are keeping tabs on Coventry City left-back Sam McCallum after his start to this current campaign.

What’s the word?

The Sky Blues have started their season on fire, sitting second in League One having gone nine games unbeaten.

One player making the most of the opportunity available has been McCallum, filling in at right-back in his first start of the season against Gillingham before deputising on the other side in defence in Brandon Mason’s absence.

The 21-year-old picked up an injury in their Carabao Cup tie over Watford and only returned to the starting lineup last weekend versus AFC Wimbledon.

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McCallum’s performances have clearly caught the eye as reports suggest the Baggies are just one of the multiple clubs taking a look at the 19-year-old.

He joined Coventry after catching the eye in Jamie Vardy’s V9 Academy, which gives a shot to some of the most promising talents in non-league.

The former Herne Bay defender did no wrong even to be dropped upon Mason’s return considering in his last game he recorded a WhoScored rating of 7.28.

Time’s up?

If the Albion hierarchy are indeed looking at McCallum, it could signal a potential end to Kieran Gibbs’ time at the Hawthorns.

The former Arsenal ace has been out injured in recent times with Nathan Ferguson thriving there in his absence – averaging a rating of 6.88 per game, chipping in with an assist too.

Gibbs underperformed early in the season scoring just a 6.45 rating, so he faces a tough task in getting back into the starting lineup.

The 29-year-old still has over 18 months to run on his current contract, but having been signed by Tony Pulis in 2017, it’s not known how much the Croatian fancies him in his system.

McCallum joining the club surely wouldn’t be a move for their highly-rated academy considering the youngster has been playing first-team football at League One level, which is probably benefiting his development more than playing for an U23s side.

With Gibbs facing a battle to get back into the side, the addition of another left-back certainly wouldn’t his cause.

Celtic are still in discussions with Tottenham over a permanent deal for Cameron Carter-Vickers, John McGinley reports.

The Lowdown: Impressive loan

Carter-Vickers made the move to Glasgow late in the summer window and has been a near ever-present figure under Ange Postecoglou.

The centre-back, labelled as ‘quick’ by former Bournemouth boss Jonathan Woodgate, has missed just one Scottish Premiership fixture since becoming a Hoops player and has been the club’s best performing centre-back, as per WhoScored.

Reports at the beginning of January suggested that the club were working on permanent moves for both Carter-Vickers and Jota after including options in their respective loan deals. Full-time transfers failed to materialise last month, but it seems as if Celtic are still in talks.

The Latest: McGinley’s tweet

Celtic reporter McGinley took to Twitter on Saturday evening to relay comments from Postecoglou on Carter-Vickers and Jota.

He said that talks are continuing and are being led by CEO Michael Nicholson.

“Ange Postecoglou says discussions re: the purchase of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota are ongoing ‘over the next period’, led by Michael Nicholson and involving the players themselves. ‘It will take care of itself.’ No guarantees, of course.”

The Verdict: Needed

Carter-Vickers, on £22,000-a-week, has proven he can be a reliable and top member of Postecoglou’s squad, so making his move permanent appears to be a no brainer.

The option to buy fee reportedly stands at an initial £6m, a figure which is over twice his Transfermarkt valuation. Nicholson may be looking to bring that fee down slightly, however, there is thought to be no wriggle room on the overall price.

It could well be that talks continue until the summer, where Nicholson and Celtic may have to make a decision one way or the other on Carter-Vickers, but it would be disappointing if he isn’t a permanent Hoops player ahead of the 2022/23 season following his impressive temporary stay.

In other news: Kieran Devlin drops scary Reo Hatate claim from sources close to Celtic dressing room. 

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has made an exit claim regarding Celtic goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas, believing that it would be a ‘bonus’ if the Hoops can receive a fee for his services.

The Lowdown: Barkas ‘demands’ Celtic exit

The Greece international has made just two appearances under Ange Postecoglou this season, with his last matchday involvement coming against Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup in mid-February as an unused substitute.

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The 27-year-old had the chance to leave Parkhead during the January transfer window, but loan moves to Sheffield United and IFK Gothenburg fell through due to salary demands.

He has now ‘demanded’ to leave Celtic in the summer and looks set to join winger Ben Doak in heading out the Parkhead exit door, with the youngster closing in on a move to Liverpool.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments on Barkas

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern, O’Rourke said that Barkas is on ‘decent money’ in Glasgow, labelling the possibility of Celtic receiving a fee for the goalkeeper’s services as a ‘bonus’. The journalist stated:

“If Celtic can get him off the wage book, because he’s on decent money there, that’ll help save a bit of money. And if they can get a fee for him as well, that will be a bonus.”

The Verdict: Exit needed for Barkas

Postecoglou has Joe Hart and Scott Bain to call upon between now and the end of the season. Conor Hazard is on loan at HJK Helsinki and Tobi Oluwayemi is coming through at Lennoxtown, so Barkas doesn’t appear to be needed in Glasgow.

The Hoops paid £4.5m for Barkas in 2020, making him the most expensive goalkeeper in the club’s history.

His Transfermarkt valuation has plummeted to £1.35m during his time in Scotland, proving that his stint at the club hasn’t worked out. If Celtic can secure a £1.35m fee, it would be a ‘bonus’, as O’Rourke put it.

In other news: Update emerges for Ange on Celtic ace stretchered off during international duty

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been flocking to some comments which have emerged from Jermain Defoe.

Speaking on Sky Sports, the striker was talking about how he left club earlier this week and suggested that he wanted to stay and continue playing for them. He confessed: “Even at the age of 39 I still wanted to be involved. Towards the end it was affecting me, I was taking it home and I was a little bit down…”

Defoe was a wonderful servant to Rangers during his time at Ibrox, scoring 32 goals and supplying a further 10 assists in 76 games over all competitions across the last four seasons (title last term.

However, he has now left the Light Blues, and if he wants to continue playing football, he will have to find another club as a free agent. Nonetheless, many Gers supporters seemed moved by his admission.

Rangers fans on Defoe comments

These Rangers fans flocked to the striker’s comments as they were shared on Twitter, with one going as far as to claim that Defoe is a ‘phenomenal’ person:

“Phenomenal guy with a phenomenal attitude. @IAmJermainDefoe is always welcome back to Ibrox as a fan.”

Credit: @norrie9791

“Tears man… Absolute gem of a guy and fantastic player, wish we had him years ago, always welcome back JD”

Credit: @Rangers4life_

“Okay I wasn’t ready for this”

Credit: @RaviSood10

“Crying now! What a man”

Credit: @ClaireMackay19

“He gets it.”

Credit: @nrpsimpson

“Someone cutting onions somewhere”

Credit: @youngdavid85

In other news, find out what transfer update has had these Gers fans buzzing