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After knocking out Chelsea in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, Manchester United may have been hoping to avoid some of the remaining Premier League big-hitters for the next round.

Arch-rivals Manchester City and Liverpool had similarly progressed thanks to wins over Southampton and Arsenal respectively, whilst Everton and Aston Villa were also in the mix.

Instead, in the draw for the quarter-finals on Thursday morning, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side received a massive slice of luck. The Red Devils were handed a home tie against Colchester United, with the winners heading onto the semi-finals stage.

After hearing of who they had gotten in the next round of the competition, United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the matter.

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Whilst there may have been an expectation that supporters of the Manchester side would have been absolutely delighted by what had transpired, that did not appear to be the case with some sections of the support.

A few Red Devils fans appeared to fear the worst, and suggested that they will now be heading out of the League Cup in embarrassing fashion.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

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…

Aston Villa managed to turn on the style in their final game before the international break as they thrashed Norwich City 5-1 at Carrow Road.

The west Midlands club were surprisingly rampant against the Canaries, considering they have managed just eight goals in the previous seven matches.

Club-record signing Wesley doubled his tally for the season by netting a brace while a trio of midfielders got their names on the scoresheet.

The Brazilian striker probably needed that to shut a few people up as doubts were beginning to creep in over whether he was a decent addition or much worse, a flop. The BBC even claimed he’d been slated by his own supporters.

This early-season criticism was quite harsh considering that the 22-year-old had never played in England prior to his move in the summer, so some time was definitely needed to adapt to such conditions.

The Premier League is barely comparable to that of the Belgian league, it’s more intense and physical compared to even some of the other top divisions around the world, which only emphasises the fact that a new player may need to be slowly integrated into it.

Now that the 6 foot 3 forward has hit four goals for the season, it would be wise to delve further into why the doubts were somewhat premature.

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In terms of the other ‘big money’ strikers that moved to the English top-flight this season, he’s actually outperforming the bunch.

Newcastle United signed Joelinton for a club-record fee in the region of £40m and he’s only returned one goal from eight appearances. Then there is Wolves’ Patrick Cutrone, who cost the club £16m and has also bagged just the one finish.

The list continues on, and on with Brighton’s £16m man Neal Maupay netting three, Sheffield United’s one-goal forward Oli McBurnie, who cost £20m and Everton’s goalless £27.5m arrival Moise Kean.

Therefore, if anything, it seems Wesley is doing exactly what he should be – four goals in eight appearances is a goal every other game, which tends to be a pretty respectable return for a striker at the elite level.

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…

At least he’s had a long time to think about it.

Having put an end to a bit of a bad run of form against Middlesbrough before the international break, it has given parts of the Blues squad the chance to reflect on how things have been going so far this season.

Blues stopper Lee Camp has been talking about the adjustments that the players have had to make under new management and how the team have been adjusting to all the changes:

“The Club’s obviously in a period of transition, the owners and the board want to play a different way and there are different demands on the team this year. There are going to be teething problems and a little bit of uncertainty when you are trying to change a style of play and it all takes time and practise and repetition.”

Later on, he spoke about the victory against Boro and what gave them the motivation to pull out the win:

“We were told it was one of the only games in the world being shown live so all eyes would be watching and at home you want to put in a performance and make the place as much as a fortress as possible.”

One thing that should be a concern about his words is the fact that he mentions the eyes of the world is enough to motivate them to put in an extra performance. Surely they shouldn’t need that sort of motivation to perform just because they are on TV.

If that is the only thing that is getting Birmingham players motivated and willing to perform, the fact that they don’t want to find themselves shown up on TV as it were, then there is a serious problem off the pitch that really needs to be addressed.

In the grand scheme of things, something as little as that shouldn’t have such a big say on the mentality of a player.

It’s also interesting to note that at no time during the interview did he speak about his own errors in the games against Derby County and Wigan Athletic.

As we have noted before on Football FanCast, they have started to creep into his game and he needs to sort them out before he can really start talking about the rest of his teammates.

In theory, Camp should be motivated by his mistakes alone. If we consider the goalkeeper in isolation, that should be enough to make him improve, not the mere presence of a TV camera.

It’s a classic mantra that some players often perform better when they’re on television but it’s perhaps a questionable statement from the ‘keeper.

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Following a late draw against Derby, Leeds fans were understandably angry.

They witnessed their team have over 60% of the possession, hit the post and miss a penalty before eventually conceding to Chris Martin in injury time.

The hosts had taken the lead through a fortuitous own goal but their luck beyond that point seemed to be non-existent as they drew with the Rams 1-1.

Much of the fan frustration was directed at Patrick Bamford at full-time, however, as he became the scapegoat from yet more dropped points at home.

One supporter labelled the 6 foot 1 striker a donkey as another determined that Marcelo Bielsa needed to drop him from the side.

A further individual said he should never start again while one suggested he couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat.

Bamford has scored four times for Leeds this term but has now gone three games without finding the back of the net, via WhoScored.

The 26-year-old hit the post on Saturday but he also had another four attempts, none of which he took.

Here’s the best of the reaction from Twitter.

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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…

Back in the summer, South American Twitter account De Primeira – whose biography states that they reveal exclusive content – reported that Crystal Palace were interested in signing Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos.

The Colombia international even retweeted the story himself on his official Twitter account, which turned the speculation up a few notches.

Another outlet named Rincon Escoces, which delivers Scottish football news in Spanish, also reported that the forward’s representative had ‘transmitted’ the Eagles’ interest in his client over to Rangers.

However, the interest failed to materialise into anything concrete from the Eagles, and Morelos remained with the Gers.

How has he done since?

Since the transfer window slammed shut, the 23-year-old has carried on his scintillating form from last season.

In the 2018/19 campaign, Morelos scored an eye-catching 30 goals in 48 games for the Scottish giants, while also recording 11 assists.

So far in the current campaign, the prolific marksman has found the back of the net 11 times in 14 games, with three assists also tucked firmly under his belt.

Crystal Palace should’ve made good on their interest

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that the south Londoners should have made good on their interest in the Rangers frontman, especially given their start to the season under Roy Hodgson.

The former England manager has seen his team score just four goals in six league games this term, the least of any side in the Premier League – Newcastle and Watford have also netted the same amount.

Out of their three strikers, only Jordan Ayew has scored for Palace this season with two strikes – Christian Benteke has once again been misfiring with zero goals so far and Connor Wickham has played just 15 minutes.

So, with that information in mind, coupled with the fact that Morelos has netted almost three times the amount of goals that Palace have scored collectively this term, it’s clear the Eagles should have tried harder to bring Morelos south of the border.

Perhaps he could have transformed their fortunes at Selhurst Park.

[ad_pod ]Loads of Aston Villa fans have been running the rule over Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Stoke City, and they’re delighted with Anwar El Ghazi.January signings Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause were both very impressive as the Villans came from behind to get a point on Saturday afternoon, but it was one of the summer captures that really stole the show.Dean Smith’s side fell behind in the first half when Sam Vokes smartly back-heeled a Sam Clucas cross past Jed Steer, and the performance was really poor before the interval.While the arrival of Smith certainly hasn’t helped the defence, he has instilled a never-say-die attitude in the squad, and they were far better in the second half.El Ghazi has managed just four goals and three assists so far this season, but he produced a moment of pure brilliance to make the equalising goal, sprinting past several Stoke defenders before drilling a smart ball for Albert Adomah to finish.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans are full of praise for the 23 year-old loan signing…

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Everton’s woes on the road continued on Sunday with a defeat to Bournemouth, as Eddie Howe’s men ran out 3-1 winners on the south coast.

The Toffees enjoyed 59% possession but were able to conjure just five shots on target, and it was a familiar feeling for the defence and Marco Silva as the Cherries scored from two set-pieces.

No side has conceded more from set-pieces than Everton in the Premier League since the start of last season, with 16 goals in 2018/19, and three goals so far this term.

Despite the defeat, there were some positives to take. Everton looked comfortable in possession for large parts against a Bournemouth side whose average of 359.4 passes per game shows they like to keep the ball.

A first goal of the season for Dominic Calvert-Lewin should be a big confidence boost for the striker, too.

His contribution was positive for Marco Silva, whose trust in the 22-year-old was repaid with an equaliser.

However, it was at the other end of the pitch where his team let him down, and not for the first time this campaign. The Toffees have now conceded seven goals in their last three games.

After falling behind for a second time the Portuguese brought on more attacking flair, but it was too little too late.

Everton had chances to claw one back, with Alex Iwobi coming closest in what would have been his third goal in three games, but it instead ended up a frustrating afternoon for the visitors.

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Everton may have picked up their first away goal of 2019/20, but it is now three defeats on the road. Such inconsistency is likely to hinder their hopes of breaking into the top six but they will look to get back to winning ways with the visit of Sheffield United to Goodison Park on Saturday.

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Having had a rather busy January transfer window so far in terms of bringing new players to the club throughout the month, it seems as though Aston Villa can cross one of their reported targets off their wish list for the time being.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke had his say on the chances of Villa signing Liverpool defender Joe Gomez, who has been mentioned with a move to Villa Park in recent weeks, before Monday’s transfer deadline.

He said: “Villa are trying hard, I know Steven Gerrard has been on the phone to Liverpool to see if there’s any possibility to get Joe Gomez, as centre-back is a position that Villa are desperate to do before Monday’s deadline, but as things stand right now, I think Joe Gomez will remain at Anfield.”

With a total of 133 appearances for the Merseyside club under his belt across all competitions, as well as a Premier League title and Champions League triumph, the 24-year-old could have been a very useful asset for the Villans.

With just four Premier League appearances to his name this season, each of which came from the substitutes’ bench, a move to Villa Park could have been particularly tempting for Gomez, especially if he has be able to play regularly under a figure like Gerrard.

However, despite the 41-year-old’s best efforts, it seems as though Liverpool will not be letting the defender leave this month.

Gerrard will be fuming

Gerrard will not be happy that Villa haven’t been able to bring Gomez to the club this month and now look unlikely to secure the 24-year-old’s signature. Indeed, the manager may well be fuming that this long-time target appears to have fallen away.

At least they’ve managed to bring in Calum Chambers from Arsenal in what would presumably have been a better deal for Villa from a financial point of view given how they signed him on a free transfer, whereas Liverpool would likely have wanted a sizeable fee for Gomez.

Moving forward, it seems as though the speculation surrounding the Liverpool man and a potential move to Villa can be put to bed with Gerrard now having four capable centre-backs in his squad to help the team end the season as strongly as possible.

In other news: Journalist claims £74k-p/w beast is “interested” in Villa move, fans would be ecstatic

Manchester United made no signings in the January transfer window and with a top-four race, FA Cup challenge and qualifying for the Champions League round of 16, Ralf Rangnick must look to his weakened squad to deliver success in the latter stages of the season.

The side currently sits fourth in the table during the winter break, with a game in hand over West Ham United who trail behind by just one point in fifth, so it is really important for the Red Devils boss to capitalise on the opportunity to break away from their competition by securing a run of winning form.

When it comes to form, there are certain players who have been unable to deliver on the expectations that were made of them when they joined the side in the summer, with Jadon Sancho a prime example.

The 21-year-old has been unable to emulate his success at Borussia Dortmund during his time at Old Trafford so far, with just 16 goals and 21 assists in 38 appearances, there has been a clear decline in his performances.

One player who has been a huge talking point during the transfer window is Jesse Lingard, who was tipped to go to Newcastle United or West Ham several times over the last month, but it was reported that the board blocked the move, and now the 29-year-old who was hailed “unique” by Manchester United legend, Michael Carrick, will see out the last five months of his contract at his boyhood club.

With that being said, it could be the perfect opportunity to unleash Lingard back in the team to assist with the top four race and multiple competitions still in sight for the club, especially when his attacking output is better than Sancho this season with two goals and one assist in just 273 minutes of game time, which is almost 1000 minutes less than Sancho so far.

We also saw the impact that the £80k-per-week maestro had on West Ham during his loan stint, helping the Hammers secure a place in Europa League football with nine goals and five assists in just 16 appearances in the final months of last season, and this consistent attacking output is something that Rangnick desperately needs to ensure he can end the season on a high for the club during his first eight months in charge as interim.

Manchester United will take on Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Friday evening, and it could be the perfect opportunity for the German coach to give Lingard the chance to shine and play a pivotal role in ensuring that the side can move into the next round with ease, giving the club a chance to pick up their first silverware in almost five years.

In other news: Rangnick must sign Antonio Rudiger

Leeds United are expected to submit a bid for Nahtian Nandez in the coming weeks and he would be the perfect signing for manager Marcelo Bielsa…

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb, the Yorkshire giants could soon ‘make a proposal’ to Cagliari for the 26-year-old midfielder before this month’s transfer deadline.

The Uruguay international has regularly been linked with a switch to Elland Road and is now thought to be valued at around €20m (£18m).

Nandez has not featured for the Serie A outfit since being withdrawn early with an injury during the Rossoblù’s heavy 4-0 defeat to Udinese before the winter break.

Dream Bielsa signing

It’s thought that the addition of a new central midfielder is amongst the Whites’ biggest priorities this window.

“To my mind, failing to add a midfielder [in the summer] was a mistake and it looks like the priority the club need to focus on in the coming window. You can go back to the interest in Michael Cuisance to see how long they’ve actually been after a player in that area,” recently suggested the reliable Phil Hay of The Athletic.

Indeed, Leeds have not bolstered Bielsa’s engine room with sufficient quality in several seasons now and with players like Mateusz Klich underperforming and Kalvin Phillips on the treatment table, the need for reinforcements in the middle could be key.

The Argentine would surely love a new midfielder and Nandez fits the bill immensely.

Standing at a diminutive 5 foot 7, the ball-winning powerhouse is still strong and would be capable of featuring in a high-pressing system.

“I think he’s only about five foot seven, but you wouldn’t know it if you just watched clips of him, he is a little bit of a machine. He’s so powerful but at the same time, has really, really good ball control,” Italian football expert Conor Clancy once told This is Futbol.

Meanwhile, during the current campaign, the Cagliari star is averaging two tackles, 1.5 dribbles and 1.1 key passes per game, via WhoScored, which merely goes to show his ability to win the ball and then drive forward to make an impact in the final third.

It is that sort of industrious presence that will surely excite Bielsa, so director of football Victor Orta and chairman Andrea Radrizzani could do little wrong in splashing out £20m for a midfield beast ready-made for the football on offer in west Yorkshire.

AND in other news, Leeds could sign Grealish 2.0 in £18m-rated “god-given” talent, he won’t cost a penny…