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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… 

One of West Brom’s promising youngsters has been shipped out on loan for the duration of the season but it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Sam Field has joined fellow Championship side Charlton Athletic on a season-long loan after it was decided the player was in the tough spot of being too good for youth football but unlikely to solidify a regular spot within Slaven Bilic’s side.

The move means the 21-year-old is able to be guaranteed consistent game time whilst still playing in the same tier of football.

The Baggies hierarchy were also smart enough to ensure that a recall clause was in the deal so Field could be back at the Hawthorns as early as January.

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On the Chalkboard

The young midfielder has gone on to play 19 times in the blue and white stripes of West Brom since making his debut in 2016.

On the whole, the temporary move makes sense as the club have acted in cunning fashion to ensure they can regain his services should they need to, all the while he acquires much-needed experience at this level of quality.

Bilic does appear to lack a couple of options in the centre of the park with summer signings Romaine Sawyers and Filip Krovinovic pairing long-serving midfielder Jake Livermore in the victory against Nottingham Forest.

Aside from the trio – they currently only have Rekeem Harper, another academy graduate, to call upon so they could become very light in that area if any injuries arise. Though, Semi Ajayi could play there if absolutely necessary.

Veteran midfielder Gareth Barry is expected to receive a contract extension when he regains fitness – at 38 years of age he’s no long-term option so maybe it is a case of seeing how Field develops in this league before bringing him back to the first-team fold in January.

Thogden ranks all 24 Championship home kits in the video below…

Therefore, in terms of the rising star’s development, the temporary switch is the best for all parties involved.

Field will go out, get Championship experience and if he lights it up he will soon line up as a West Brom player again aiding the club in their quest back to the big time.

As Albion attempt to regain promotion at the second time of asking, having someone return to the club who is familiar with the surroundings could be key.

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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 The Evening Standard, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has assured his side that he will not make team selection decisions based on what their transfer and contract situations look like.

What’s the word?

The futures of the likes of Christian Eriksen, Toby Aldeweireld and Jan Vertonghen, amongst others, are uncertain, with all three having now entered the final year of their contracts.

However, The Evening Standard report that Pochettino has reassured his squad that he will not be deciding his team for upcoming matches based on their transfer or contract situations.

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The transfer window in other major European leagues remains open, but it is claimed the Spurs boss has promised his players that this will not play a part in his decision-making.

Smart move

Whilst it is not the most ideal situation for Spurs, the three players in question remain a key part of the north London side’s squad. Indeed, Eriksen’s cameo against Aston Villa in the team’s opening Premier League game of the season showed just how important stars of that calibre are.

Vertonghen and Alderweireld are quite conceivably Pochettino’s first-choice centre-back pairing, and so leaving them out of the team because of their contract situations would simply take too much out of the side.

Spurs are battling on multiple fronts once again this season and will be hoping to sustain a longer Premier League title challenge this year. Ensuring they have their best possible team out on the pitch for every game quite obviously produces a higher chance of success, and the boss is right not to let tiresome speculation affect his decision-making.

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It would be fair to say that the West Ham United fans were not too pleased with Robert Snodgrass’ performance in Tuesday’s EFL Cup clash with Newport County.

The Hammers booked their spot in the third round of the competition courtesy of a 2-0 win over the League Two outfit.

As expected, head coach Manuel Pellegrini made a number of changes from the team that started against Watford at the weekend.

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Snodgrass was one of those to come in – but the Scotland international struggled to make his mark in the final third of the field.

According to WhoScored, the 31-year-old had two shots, one dribble and made one tackle, earning him an overall rating of 7.6.

You can teach yourself 3 crazy football skills in the video below…

However, Snodgrass’ performance at Rodney Parade did not go down very well with a number of the West Ham supporters.

Indeed, many took to social media on Tuesday night to react to the Scot’s display – a selection of which can be seen below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.

Marko Grujic was loaned to Hertha Berlin for a second year in a row this summer, and for the most part he has continued where he left off.

How has he settled?

Having become familiar with the club, management and squad in the last campaign, it hasn’t taken the Serbian long to find his feet once again, and that has helped him start the season positively.

He knows what is expected of him from the staff and what the league can throw up, and such understanding has allowed him to express himself, which he will need to do if he is to impress Jurgen Klopp.

Grujic is now an important member of the squad. Last term he played 22 times, 20 of which were starts, but in this campaign he hasn’t missed a minute, and has a central role in retaining possession for his side.

Although operating in a deeper midfield position at times, he has a goal and an assist from his opening four games, but so far his side has been unable to retain the ball compared to their opponents, with an average of 45% possession.

Becoming more productive

The 23-year-old has made a positive start this year in helping his team score goals, but he will have to become efficient in all aspects of his game if he is to return to Anfield and rival first-team players for their place.

A pass success rate of almost 80% is not bad for a player of his age still learning his trade, but in the fast-paced Premier League where he will be put under pressure he will have to improve that rate, as he could otherwise cost the Reds points.

Last term he contributed five goals in 20 league games, an impressive tally considering it was his first year playing at the top-level, and that instinct and know-how could serve him well at Liverpool.

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However, the defensive side of his game needs work and partly explains why Hertha Berlin are yet to win in the league this season.

Although an average of two interceptions per game is respectable, Grujic has to reduce his amount of fouls per game – currently three – as it could end up costing him a place in the team, whilst one tackle per game won’t allow his side to win the ball back at a high enough rate.

If he can make those improvements to his game over the next year it should be a successful spell for him, and one which he will hope will give him the platform to challenge for a first-team role.

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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…

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has praised the performances of teammate Jordan Henderson and picked him out as a midfielder he admires.

What did he say?

The former Arsenal player has made a return from injury this summer after more than a year out with a ruptured ACL, and is excited to be back inolved for both club and country.

He is keen to get back to playing in the no.8 role for both teams – the position which saw him thrive at Anfield prior to his injury.

In an interview with The Times’ Henry Winter, he was asked about midfielders he looks up to, and listed Andres Iniesta and Steven Gerrard, as well as his current club captain.

He said: “Hendo [Jordan Henderson] has stepped forward into a more advanced role [at Liverpool] and he’s doing it really well. It has brought a sense of life out of him, a sort of energetic pulse.”

The two could pair up together for England over the international break with games against Bulgaria and Kosovo, and the 26-year-old will certainly hope for the opportunity to play his way back into Gareth Southgate’s plans.

Cementing a legacy

There is no doubting that Henderson has come a long way in the last few years in terms of his character and the leadership qualities he has displayed, but he has also become instrumental for the Reds on the pitch.

Jurgen Klopp now views him as a vital part of his team and to contribute to a side which won the Champions League and gained 97 points in the Premier League suggests he is a special midfielder – perhaps even better than Gerrard.

It says a lot when his fellow teammates look up to him in the way Oxlade-Chamberlain does, and if he continues in a similar vein over the next few seasons he could be remembered for years to come.

The ultimate for fans is to win the Premier League, and if the boy from Sunderland can make that dream a reality he will certainly write his name into the Anfield history books.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Michael Keane was presented with the ideal opportunity to stake his claim for a regular place in the England side over the international break but has failed to make the most of his chance.

The Everton defender started both games against Bulgaria and Kosovo alongside Harry Maguire, and although the first match went to plan, he was at fault for Kosovo’s opening goal on Tuesday as the Three Lions won a crazy game 5-3.

He made up for the way he gave away possession by rising highest to assist Raheem Sterling for England’s equaliser, but the fact the Three Lions conceded three goals against a team ranked 120th in the world does not reflect well on the Toffees centre-back.

Prior to the Kosovo game, he had three clean sheets to boast of in six matches for club and country, and in his last ten Premier League matches had contributed to a defence that conceded only six goals.

Gareth Southgate, therefore, picked him on merit, but he could have doubts over his reliability after Keane passed straight to Vedat Muriqi in the opening minute, leading to Valon Berisha capitalising on his subsequent gilt-edged chance.

Overall, it was a game to forget for the former Burnley man despite his contribution going forward, with his statistics from SofaScore highlighting his underperformance in several key areas.

Keane can consider himself somewhat fortunate that he made such a poor error in a match where England had too much quality for the opposition and simply overwhelmed them.

Despite that, it could hinder his chances of becoming Southgate’s first-choice centre-back, as will the fact that he failed to win a single tackle despite playing the full 90 minutes.

Such a performance could also be a worry for Marco Silva, with the Toffees playing Bournemouth on Sunday and therefore coming up against the pace of Josh King and Callum Wilson, who will look to take the ball past Keane and exploit him with the ball on the floor.

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The fact the 26-year-old made three interceptions will provide a reason for optimism, as will his two clearances, which is a good return considering England had 58% possession, although the opposition’s level of quality is lower than what Everton will face in the Premier League.

The Kosovo game proved that Keane has to improve his ability on the ball, though.

Not only did he gift a goal to Kosovo but he also lost possession on ten occasions, which is simply not good enough for a defender.

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There’s no knowing how Bellerin will perform upon his return, but Arsenal’s Europa League tie against Standard Liege should be a pretty good test – should he be available.

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Real Madrid lost 3-0 to PSG in their opening game of the Champions League group stages earlier this week.

Mundo Deportivo have already posted an update regarding Zinedine Zidane’s future after the defeat – stating that Florentino Perez, Los Blancos’ president, likes the prospect of Xabi Alonso leading his team after the Frenchman’s departure.

Needless to say, this idea of a brand new project with Alonso at the helm has many of the Madridistas divided.

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Many of them seem to think Alonso is still far too inexperienced to take over at Santiago Bernabeu – the likes of Jose Mourinho and Mauricio Pochettino have been suggested as potential alternatives – while some would have anyone just as long as it’s not Zidane.

Then there’s the third group that doesn’t want to change coaches and would rather stick with their current one, despite a very mixed start to the season.

Of course, nothing is set in stone just yet and Zidane is very much still Galacticos manager.

You can see how many of the fans felt about that latest update down in the collection of tweets 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…

Crystal Palace’s start to the season has been a mixed one, to say the least.

Impressive wins over Manchester United and Aston Villa have been slightly stained by a drab defeat to Sheffield United and a disappointing draw against 10-men Wolves, but one thing has remained constant – their lack of depth at full-back.

As it stands, the south Londoners have just one senior left-back and one senior right-back in Joel Ward and Patrick van Aanholt – if you decide to see Jeffrey Schlupp as a midfielder now, of course.

However, a recent transfer target could help add depth to both of these positions.

The Sun (print version, 22 September, page 61) reported earlier this week that Crystal Palace are interested in signing West Brom youngster Nathan Ferguson as they look to add cover to their full-back positions.

The 18-year-old is an encouraging target for the south Londoners due to his age and potential to improve – we have previously detailed the problems that come with Palace often signing older players, who end up leaving the Eagles in a problematic position in terms of failing to make a profit on their investments.

Ferguson has shown plenty of signs so far this season to suggest that he is a promising young player whose value will only grow as he learns his trade in the game – he has started seven of the Baggies’ Championship games this term, grabbing one assist while making 2.6 tackles and 2.6 clearances per game. Decent beginnings.

With just Ward and van Aanholt available, those areas of the field are problematic for Palace – even more so after the latter’s worrying display against Tottenham, which did not go down well with some supporters.

Roy Hodgson was recently forced to play academy centre-back Sam Woods and centre-midfielder Jairo Riedewald at right-back and left-back respectively in the Carabao Cup, after injuries to Ward and van Aanholt – the 72-year-old later said he felt “sorry” for the makeshift duo. Indeed, Palace lost the game on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

Significantly, Ferguson can actually play in both full-back positions, having appeared four times on the right of Slaven Bilic’s backline so far this term, as well as three times on the left. That could make him an incredibly important member of Hodgson’s squad, even if it’s primarily from the bench.

He does lack a little going forward, averaging just 0.3 key passes per game this season, but the trade-off appears to be greater defensive solidity, and that only fits the Hodgson mould after his side finished up with the sixth-most clean sheets of any Premier League side last term.

Ferguson, then, appears to tick some crucial boxes in terms of the type of defender Palace need – defensively sound, versatile and offering genuine resale value. We’ll have to see whether that’s enough to convince the Eagles to make a concerted effort for his services.

John McGinn has adjusted well to life in the top-flight and Aston Villa fans continue to admonish him with praise.

He has three Premier League goals and one assist to his name from seven games but his tireless energy, skill in possession and determined nature hasn’t gone unnoticed, and was epitomised in his performance against Burnley.

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Aston Villa’s official Twitter has put together some of his highlights from the match against the Clarets, and it underlines why the Scottish international is so integral to Dean Smith’s side.

He was vital in promotion last season with six goals and ten assists after arriving for only £2.7m in summer 2018, leading some to suggest he is a bargain.

Due to his form and all-round effective play, a number fans believe there will be interest in him from top-six clubs, with some hoping they don’t make a move for him in January.

McGinn staying at Villa could be integral to their chances of survival, and if they manage that he will be worth more than the £50m price tag being alluded to by one fan.

Here is some of the praise fans have been giving to the midfielder.