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

In one of the most surprising moves of the summer, Manchester City have confirmed via their official club website that they have signed Scott Carson from Derby on a season-long loan.

What’s the word?

Following the departure of 20-year-old shot-stopper Arijanet Muric on a season-long loan to Championship outfit Nottingham Forest earlier in the transfer window, Pep Guardiola’s side were left with just two recognised first-team goalkeepers in Ederson and Claudio Bravo.

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Reports then claimed Carson was on City’s radar as a possible back-up option for the upcoming season, and now the Etihad side have confirmed the 33-year-old has joined the club on a temporary basis.

The biggest surprise of the summer?

To think of all the illustrious names City have welcomed through the doors at the club since the takeover by Sheikh Mansour, and now seeing England’s Euro 2008 villain Carson be the latest man in. The veteran goalkeeper has enjoyed somewhat of a journeyman’s career, playing for a host of different clubs and different leagues, including the likes of Liverpool and Bursaspor.

But Carson’s signing is ultimately another damning indictment of City’s much-criticised attempts in integrating their youth players. A report from Sky Sports saw Guardiola’s side come bottom of the table when it came to giving minutes to homegrown players – just 371, compared to Manchester United’s 9,334 at the top.

Whilst loaning out Muric to Forest is understandable in allowing the Kosovo international to gain valuable first-team experience, could City simply not have promoted someone from their academy sides to the role of third-choice? Ederson and Bravo are likely to feature in every league and cup game for the upcoming season, so the chance of Carson making an appearance is minimal.

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Allowing a youth prospect to be in and around the first-team during training and match-days would have given them hope of eventually making it at the club, and potentially act as a reminder to some of the side’s fellow prospects that there is a clear pathway for them.

Instead, City effectively closed the door to any young ‘keepers at the club, taking the easy way out with a swoop for Carson.

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Manchester United’s start to the new campaign got off to a thrilling start as they claimed all three points against Chelsea in dominating fashion.

They were superb going forward as they put four unanswered goals past the Blues to get off the mark with a superb win.

Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Dan James all got on the scoresheet but despite an impressive victory, there was still room for negativity.

Jesse Lingard appeared to be berated by supporters on Twitter for his display as he was targeted on social media.

One fan told him to improve whilst another said that he needed to stay out of the starting XI. A further individual stated that he was terrible, suggesting United wouldn’t win anything with him in the team.

The 26-year-old was also branded as bang average by one supporter as they claimed he was running around like a headless chicken.

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Lingard played 86 minutes against Chelsea on Sunday, finishing the game with a pass success rate of 88.5%, per WhoScored. He managed one key pass and three dribbles too.

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Here’s how United fans responded to his showing at the weekend.

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After lighting up the Emirates against Burnley, Dani Ceballos appeared to have the world at his feet following his season-long loan move from Real Madrid.

The Spain international ran the show against Sean Dyche’s side, and his inclusion from the off against Liverpool at Anfield was understandable.

Unfortunately for the 23-year-old, the game seemed to pass him by and he struggled to impose himself on the Reds’ dominant midfield.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Spaniard was dispossessed four times and managed just 29 passes in the hour that he was on the field.

After seeing Ceballos’ struggles, Arsenal fans took to Twitter to voice their concerns about the midfielder.

Many supporters of the north London side questioned why Emery chose to select him in the starting line-up, and said that he should have known the game may have been “too quick” for him.

Indeed, some fans even suggested Ceballos was out of his depth at Anfield as he endured a really difficult evening against the Reds.

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Check out some of the reaction of Arsenal fans below:

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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…

Lucas Moura has explained how the hat-trick he scored for Tottenham Hotspur against Ajax has changed his life, per ESPN Brasil via Sport Witness.

What’s he said?

The Brazil international netted a barely believable treble in the Champions League semi-final last season.

Trailing 2-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate, Spurs needed a miracle in Amsterdam.

Lucas stepped up, scoring twice and restoring the club’s hope, before netting a brilliant goal in the 95th minute to send the club into their first-ever final.

And he has now lifted the lid on how his life has changed since.

He said: “At the time we had no comprehension of what we did.

“In the street, fans always come to talk about that game.

“Today I see a lot more fans with my shirt, and it also greatly increased my followers on social media!

“It’s very satisfying to know that you’re loved at the club where you play.”

A hero

Loved?

Lucas Moura is an icon in Tottenham now, a legend from a campaign in Europe in which Spurs fans dared to dream that they could become European champions.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

His goals, but, really, that third goal, are forever etched in Spurs folklore.

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Shorn of Harry Kane, injured and watching in the stands, Lucas stepped up to drag Spurs back from the brink of elimination, completing perhaps the greatest comeback in their history.

He will be loved forever and a day in north London.

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The new 2019/20 La Liga season has barely begun and Real Madrid are already facing the same old issues they’ve been facing these past few years.

But the entrance to the new campaign hasn’t been all that bad for Los Blancos.

So far, they have tallied a win and a draw in La Liga and even if they wanted or had to do better since they did draw at home to Real Valladolid who finished last season in 16th place, there still must have been some positives to take from their first two bouts.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Be that as it may, the fans seem to have identified a player who they view as part of the problem.

Judging by their recent social media activity, that player is none other than last year’s acquisition, Thibaut Courtois – who has started both of their league games so far this season.

The Belgian goalkeeper found himself harshly criticised by the fans on his recent Twitter post.

Below, you can see a collection of their responses either asking Courtois to leave their club, simply rinsing him for his apparently bad goalkeeping abilities or demanding the return of Keylor Navas.

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Check them out…

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Leeds witnessed a rather big clear out on Monday as the transfer window closed for clubs around Europe and lower down in the Football League.

One of the names to depart Elland Road was Vurnon Anita, a man who rarely played after signing for the club in 2017.

The Dutchman joined from Newcastle but leaves a free agent after he and Leeds came to an agreement to mutually terminate his contract.

It’s a move that is unlikely to have any sort of impact on Marcelo Bielsa’s side and that was evident in the reaction from supporters on Twitter.

There appeared to be a sense of relief in some responses as one said it was a transfer that should never have happened in the first place. Another noted his exit had to occur.

A further individual claimed he came with so much expectation and it was a shame that things didn’t work out.

Anita played just 22 times for the Whites in all competitions but ultimately never really stamped down a place.

He spent last season on loan at Willem II.

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Here’s the best of the reaction.

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The 16-year-old said that it’s a pleasure to lift some silverware with England, and many supporters all over the country have to be hoping that this becomes a regular sight over the next few years.

Perhaps this Syrenka Cup win will give him a taste of what’s possible at international level and push him to achieve great things when the time comes for him in the senior side.

He signs off the post by saying that it’s time to get back to work with Liverpool, which is a message a number of Liverpool fans will enjoy reading as it shows he’s committed to working hard for his new club despite not being a part of the first-team.

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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…

After a summer in which Manchester United’s only signings were Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire, the club are naturally on the look-out for further reinforcements.

Already speculation has suggested the Red Devils are readying themselves for a big-money swoop for Borussia Dortmund sensation Jadon Sancho next year, and reports in recent weeks have claimed Maguire’s former teammate at Leicester, James Maddison, is also on United’s radar.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side got a first-hand look at the midfielder on Saturday, and the 22-year-old’s all-action display proved exactly why United simply have to pull out all the stops to bring him to Old Trafford.

When you think of Maddison’s natural position, it is easy to think of him being a central attacking midfielder. After all, out of his 38 games last season, 18 of them came in that number ten role. But this season under Brendan Rodgers he has operated more from the left-hand side.

The England U21 international lined up in front of Ben Chilwell on the flank, and no doubt the idea behind that was for him to drift inside and play balls in behind the United defence for Jamie Vardy to latch on to. Whilst the Red Devils’ rearguard held firm, Maddison still had a highly influential game for his side.

Per Whoscored, his 11 crosses were a game-high (and seven more than any other player on the pitch), whilst his five dribbles were also the most of anyone during the game.

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The former Norwich man embraced the responsibility of being Leicester’s key provider, and when things didn’t appear to work out too well in that regard, he tried to take matters into his own hands by registering three shots.

Off-the-ball, the 22-year-old was equally as effective. Solskjaer’s intent on implementing a high-intensity approach that revolves around pressing from the front requires players who are willing to put the work in. Maddison showed he is perfectly capable of buying into that philosophy by making four tackles – the joint-second highest of any of his teammates.

All in all, the midfielder highlighted everything he has in his locker. If Saturday’s game was a transfer audition for a future switch to Old Trafford, then he undoubtedly passed it with flying colours.

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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…

When you’ve just been promoted from League One into the Championship, you’ll always find yourself up against it when competing against those recently relegated from the Premier League.

Indeed, Fulham, West Brom and Cardiff City have all benefitted from the Parachute Payment scheme this season, with a windfall of around £40m.

In Charlton’s case, however, the uphill battle has only been made harder by owner Roland Duchatelet’s financial restrictions.

The Belgian is still looking to sell the south London club, and Lee Bowyer recently opened up to The Daily Mail on what life under the Addicks chief is like in terms of finances.

“I get that he wants to sell and wants to reduce costs so our budget is bottom by a long way. Of course I’d love a £20m budget like some of our rivals.”

It is this aspect of life at The Valley that makes another part of Bowyer’s interview with The Daily Mail so pivotal, and invaluable, at this current time.

“We have built good relations in the loan market with West Ham, Chelsea and Arsenal in particular. Other Championship clubs can afford to pay a higher percentage of wages but we can still get the players because they see us as the best place to learn.”

The 42-year-old cites Krystian Bielik’s time on loan at Charlton from Arsenal last term as a key example, stating that the Pole would definitely not have been worth the £10m he was sold to Derby for this summer before his loan spell in south London.

Charlton also have the impressive Conor Gallagher – who has four goal involvements in eight Championship games this term – on loan from Chelsea. The 19-year-old recently won the EFL’s Young Player of the Month award.

The Addicks have also signed West Ham youngster Josh Cullen on a season-long loan deal twice across the last two summers – the midfielder set up Patrick Bauer’s League One play-off final winner at Wembley last season with a great cross.

Since replacing Karl Robinson in the Charlton hotseat, Bowyer has spent a grand total of £203,000 on new signings – the entirety of that figure was lavished on Macauley Bonne back in the summer.

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Duchatelet’s restrictions make Bowyer’s life as manager of a newly-promoted club even harder than usual, but his strong relationship with Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham, in particular, are currently proving invaluable.

Charlton, after all, are currently eighth in the Championship, just one point off the play-offs and three behind leaders Leeds United.

It remains to be seen if Bowyer can keep it going, but the acquisition of promising youngsters is only going to stand them in good stead.

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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 Express, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Everton are paying close attention to Jack Clarke’s unhappy situation at Leeds, with Tottenham seriously considering recalling the winger.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Spurs signed the 18-year-old from Leeds in a deal worth £10m back in the summer, before loaning the teenager back to Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

However, the Argentine boss has given Clarke the cold shoulder since his return to Elland Road, restricting the Leeds academy graduate to just two appearances in the Carabao Cup.

As a result, the north Londoners may activate their recall option in the deal before finding a new temporary home for the winger.

In Palace’s case, the Eagles saw their interest knocked back having enquired about Clarke in January, so it’s safe to say the winger is someone who is definitely on their radar.

Depth and DNA

For a while now, Roy Hodgson has had only Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend as his options on the wing, with Jeffrey Schlupp – a sporadic appearance maker in wide attacking areas, per WhoScored – becoming more of a left-sided centre-midfielder under the former England manager.

Even Bakary Sako, a man who was released in the summer of 2018 before West Brom snapped him up, was brought back to the club in January of this year on a short-term contract to amend the situation.

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Fast, direct wide men are a part of Palace’s DNA, and signing Clarke would allow the Eagles to finally have a bit of depth in what is a key area in terms of the way Hodgson’s side operate.

They should do all they can to win the race for his signature.