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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…

You’d think after the start the team have made this season that he’d be able to relax a little bit more.

Sabri Lamouchi has masterminded a near-perfect start to the season for Nottingham Forest, barring the slight blip during his first game against West Bromwich Albion.

Despite all that though, it appears as though his first aim as Forest boss is to make sure that he is still in the dugout at the City Ground at this time next season.

Speaking to Sporting Life, Lamouchi noted the high turnover of managers at Forest and how he isn’t trying to get ahead of himself when it comes to what he can achieve:

“The last five years, they have changed 11 managers here. The last one to do a full season it was close to ten years ago. I just want to make one season, one full season, and we will see where we finish. It just needs stability. I am not a magician. I am just a manager.”

Whilst it is good to see that Lamouchi isn’t coming across as arrogant in what he’s saying, very much the polar opposite of Jose Mourinho when he first came to England, you wonder if perhaps he is being too cautious.

It’s all about getting the balance right, but at the same time if consider the start that Forest have had, if all he is aiming for is stability, then it essentially means that he’s not 100% focused on promotion to the Premier League.

That’s something that stands to be a real possibility for Forest this term too.

Perhaps he’s not really telling us his true feelings and is trying to be ‘diplomatic’ with how he comes across, but is that really being honest with the fans if that’s his response.

If you are setting your expectations that low, why should they get excited by what you’re offering?

It’s one of the oldest motivational sayings in the book, but it applies here. “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

He doesn’t have to go promising that they’ll go the rest of the season unbeaten, but if his main concern is just staying in the job, he could himself out of it if things start to go wrong.

As he said, there’s a high turnover rate at the City Ground, so the owners won’t be hesitant to make a change.

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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…

Speaking on talkSPORT, Harry Redknapp has delivered a damning verdict on the state of the current Manchester United squad.

What did he say?

The Red Devils slipped to a disappointing 2-0 defeat against West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday, and the poor performance saw many ask questions being asked of where the club currently stands.

Now, Redknapp has insisted the players available to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are the worst of the Premier League era, and revealed United are in for some long-term pain.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He said: “It’s a long way back for Man United, the team is nowhere near good enough. You looked at Man United before that game and you thought, ‘what an average looking team’. West Ham looked a better team, that’s where United are, they’re a very average bunch at the moment I’m afraid.

“The fans are going to have to suffer that unless they go and buy another four or five good players over the next year or two. That’s where they are, they are just not good enough.

“Fergie never had a bad team in all his years in the Premier League. All of his teams were amazing, so yes, this current team probably is (their worst side of the Premier League era). The players they’ve got now, they will struggle. I don’t know about making the top four, they could even fall out of the top six if they’re not careful.”

Fall from grace

Anyone still remember United’s 4-0 win over Chelsea in their opening Premier League game of the season? No? Neither do we. The Red Devils’ dominant victory over the Blues feels like it happened in another universe never mind another season, and both the performances and results since that day have been unacceptable.

Whether Solskjaer is the right man for the job is up to debate. But there can be no question he didn’t receive the full support of the board over the summer, and is attempting to make do with what he has been given. No easy feat by any stretch of the imagination. Just like the flu, it appears it will have to get worse for United, before it gets any better.

In our Transfers that shook the club feature, Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at deals that many may not have seen coming and the impact that they had during their time by using statistical data and pundit remarks.

When Rangers signed Tore Andre Flo from Chelsea for a reported transfer fee of £12m (The Guardian), it was not only for a club-record but a Scottish transfer record as well and one that, to this day, still has not been smashed (Daily Record).

That record currently stands at 18-years-old, and although Old Firm rivals Celtic almost smashed it with their coup of Odsonne Edouard with a fee said to be around £9m (Sky Sports), neither of the two clubs have ventured close to it.

Rangers made their second-most ever expensive signing last month, though, when they managed to acquire Ryan Kent from Liverpool on a permanent transfer, although that was only thought to be worth just over half of what the Light Blues had paid Chelsea for their Norwegian striker – a deal of £7.5m was allegedly struck for the 22-year-old (Sky Sports).

Indeed, Flo’s arrival was a deal that appeared to rock Scottish football in terms of records, however, did he manage to shake the club as well once he started to play for the Ibrox outfit.

Dick Advocaat had admitted to trying to bring the tall forward to the club for a significant period of time and was delighted to finally bring him to Scotland.

“I’ve tried many times to get him,” he said. “The last time was in June when I phoned him, but he was still involved with Chelsea. I have been watching the Chelsea side since, and he has not been a regular. But I think he will gel very quickly here.”

There was plenty of expectation on the former Chelsea man’s shoulders when he arrived in Glasgow, as Jim Duffy put the pressure on him almost immediately by stating that he needed to be an instant hit for the Bears.

Speaking to the BBC in 2000, he said: “He needs to be an instant hit. Everybody likes time to bed into a new club, but he won’t get that time. But I would not be surprised if he scored his first goal on Sunday.”

Well, he started off in fine fashion as he netted a goal on his debut, which came in an Old Firm derby, and helped the Light Blues to a 5-1 trouncing of their arch-rivals in front of a packed out Ibrox crowd (BBC) and appeared to thrive under the expectation to do well.

Although he only spent two seasons at Rangers, the Scandinavian had a rather enjoyable time in front of goal for the Gers, as he managed to net 29 times in his 53 appearances for the Light Blues (per Soccerbase), helping them to a Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup in the 2001/02 campaign – despite the Daily Record appearing to state he was a ‘big-money flop’.

Indeed, with the way that transfer fees have sky-rocketed in the football world now, it is surprising a figure of £12m could still be the record within Scottish football for a club to purchase a player after almost two decades.

It was clearly a deal that shook Rangers at the time, however with Gerrard being given significant money to sign Kent last month and the likes of Alfredo Morelos possibly being able to command a figure north of £20m (per Football Insider), maybe it’s just a matter of time before that record is smashed to pieces and, perhaps, allowing him to follow in the footsteps of Advocaat.

Rangers fans, what were your reactions when the club signed Flo? Let us know your thoughts by sharing them in the comments section 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…

In a Manchester United Q&A on The Athletic, journalist Laurie Whitwell has revealed he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side go back in for a striker this January.

What did he say?

The Red Devils sold Romelu Lukaku to Serie A giants Inter, before giving the green-light for Alexis Sanchez to also join the Nerazzurri on a season-long loan.

Despite being light on options up front, United failed to sign a replacement, and have just Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood as strikers at the club.

Now, Whitwell has suggested the Red Devils could revisit their interest in a striker they originally pursued in the summer transfer window.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He said: “Martial will definitely be given a proper run. He has wanted the role since being pushed out by Zlatan and Lukaku. But there was certainly a striker Ole wanted in the summer, but United couldn’t get. Who that is I don’t know but I wouldn’t be surprised if they go for it again in January, albeit that is a difficult month to do business.”

Priority number one

Make no mistake about it, United’s number one priority in the January transfer window should be looking to secure a first-choice striker. Lukaku and Sanchez’s struggles last season have masked the fact the duo were proven Premier League goal-scorers over several years.

Rashford and Martial on the other hand have shown little sign so far that they can score goals on a consistent basis for the side. Aside from the pair, United’s reliance on a 17-year-old Greenwood to act as the club’s third-choice option up front speaks of either incredible trust or ridiculous delusion.

The teenager has no doubt caught the eye with his performances in pre-season, but it is certainly asking a lot to expect him to deliver the goods at Premier League level at such a young age. If Solskjaer did have a target in mind this summer, he must simply do whatever it takes to sign him in January.

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Liverpool shared a photo on their official Twitter channel @LFC which showed Sadio Mane enjoying a FaceTime conversation with team-mate Naby Keita at Napoli’s Stadio San Paolo ahead of tonight’s Champions League encounter in Italy.

As reported by liverpoolfc.com, Mane is among the squad of 20 players brought by Jurgen Klopp to Naples for the match, but Keita has not travelled as he continues to recover from a hip injury which stemmed from a training session prior to the UEFA Super Cup with Chelsea in mid-August, according to the Liverpool Echo.

Senegal forward Mane comes into the Napoli match on a high after scoring twice for Liverpool in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Newcastle, which took him to six goals in as many games so far this season. [via TransferMarkt.co.uk]

By contrast, Guinea midfielder Keita has not played for the Reds since the Community Shield against Manchester City more than six weeks ago, and even then he only appeared for 23 minutes as a substitute. [via TransferMarkt.co.uk]

These Liverpool fans on Twitter enjoyed seeing the photo of the two African players chatting with one another over FaceTime:

What was your initial reaction to the photo of Mane and Keita shared by Liverpool? Let us know your views by commenting below!

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According to reliable journalist Alan Nixon on his official Twitter account on Thursday, Southampton want £10m if they are going to sell Charlie Austin before the transfer window slams shut at 11pm.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl once confirmed in his Burnley pre-match press conference on Thursday that while the club don’t necessarily want to get rid of the player, they are willing to do so if a deal can be found that suits all parties.

In quotes, as reported by The Daily Echo, the Austrian said: “We don’t want to send him away.

“If there is an option that he can make a good step and we get someone else in then it can be that this works.”

Nixon believes that the south coast outfit are asking for £10m for the 29-year-old having turned down four loan approaches from Premier League clubs, as per Sky Sports, with the player having less than 18 months remaining on his contract.

Will he go?

It seems unlikely unless Southampton are willing to drop the reported asking price.

While Austin has proven in the past that he can get goals at this level, the injury issues that he has suffered from in recent years, as well as the fact that he isn’t the most mobile striker around, mean that they are being overly ambitious with their demands this late in the window.

Given they are still interested in signing Che Adams, as per Sky Sports, who is more suited to fitting into Hasenhuttl’s style than the experienced centre-forward, it is strange that they aren’t willing to sell the 29-year-old for a smaller fee so they can get the in-form Birmingham City man.

It all stinks of the Saints hierarchy losing the plot, and it could mean that they are left with a player who won’t be of much help to them for the remainder of he campaign.

Check out the video below for Emma Conybeare’s rundown of which clubs need what in the January transfer window…

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After finishing sixth in the Premier League last season, Manchester United knew they would be facing a campaign in European football’s second-tier competition.

The prospect of having to Google teams to find out who they are, the long and demanding away trips to far-off places, and the oh-so troublesome Thursday-Sunday night game combinations make it a real difficult competition to embrace.

And it’s fair to say that after the group stage draw on Friday afternoon, the Red Devils will know they are fully involved in the rigours of Europa League football.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will take on Kazakhstan’s FC Astana, Serbia’s Partizan Belgrade and the Netherlands’ AZ Alkmaar as they look to progress into the last 32 of the competition.

After hearing about who they will be facing, United fans took to Twitter to voice their opinions on the group stage draw.

Many supporters of the Manchester side felt the draw perfectly encapsulated what Europa League football means, and insisted the teams involved in their group just made the competition “even more boring”.

Some Red Devils fans however even suggested they would probably finish bottom of the group and get knocked out at the first stage.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

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Now that Southampton are under new ownership after Sport Republic, backed by Serbian media mogul Dragan Solak, recently bought Gao Jisheng’s 80% stake in the club, this could pave the way for some potential January spending to take place in the coming weeks.

With that in mind, one potential deal that the Saints could look to complete this month would be to sign Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo, who the club have been linked with in recent weeks.

Aribo, who is currently valued at £9m according to Transfermarkt, joined Rangers on a free transfer from Charlton Athletic back in the 2019 summer transfer window.

Since then, the 25-year-old has gone on to make a total of 123 appearances for the Scottish champions across all competitions in which he has managed to score 23 goals and provide 20 assists along the way, showing how much of a bargain he has been for them.

During his time at Charlton, Aribo was likened to former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure by his former Charlton teammate and current Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, who also described Aribo’s “languid style” on the pitch as “unique.”

Judging by that, this could be a great first piece of transfer business under their new owners to bring in a midfield operator that can score and assist goals, which is something that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side could do with having.

For context, they’ve only managed to score 20 times in 19 league games this season, fewer than the likes of Watford, Brentford and Leeds United.

Given how Saints captain James Ward-Prowse has five goals and one assist under his belt in 17 league appearances this season, it could be incredibly exciting for Southampton to have him and Aribo in the same team that can score and create in equal measure from midfield.

However, with Aribo having appeared in all but one of Rangers’ games across all competitions so far this season, racking up six goals with five assists, the Ibrox club could be quite reluctant to let him go halfway through the season given how important he is for them.

Despite that, Southampton should still make an approach to Rangers to see if they would be willing to negotiate a deal for the player and see if he would be willing to make a move to the Premier League.

In other news: Solak could blow Saints fans away with swoop for “magnificent” £4.5m-rated sensation – opinion

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly amongst a handful of clubs interested in signing Derby County captain Tom Lawrence as the January transfer window approaches its final week.

What’s the latest?

According to TEAMTalk, Bruno Lage’s side are keen on bringing the Welsh winger to Molineux before the window slams shut, with the likes of Brighton, Burnley, Newcastle and Fulham also interested.

Despite all of Derby County’s off-field struggles this season, the Rams skipper has had an impressive campaign so far, netting eight goals and contributing three assists in 24 Championship appearances.

Wayne Rooney’s side look destined for relegation to League One this season, which could prove a factor in the 28-year-old’s potential departure.

Valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, the Welshman could prove to be a bargain for Wolves, as well as provide Derby with some much-needed funds.

Wolves should swoop for Lawrence

With winger Adama Traore looking increasingly more likely to swap Wolves for Tottenham this window, Lage could certainly do with an extra option on the flank.

Predominantly a left-sided winger, Lawrence hasn’t played in the English top-flight since the 2014/15 season when with Leicester City but has bags of experience in the Championship, playing 230 second-tier matches since 2015, including a play-off final with Derby in 2019.

Moreover, the 28-year-old has already surpassed his appearance tally from last season this campaign and has almost tripled his goals tally; he has certainly stepped up to the challenge this term and led by example.

Labelled as “bright” by former Derby correspondent for The Athletic Ryan Conway, the Welshman certainly has quality that Wolves could certainly do with.

According to SofaScore, Lawrence currently averages 2.8 shots per game whilst maintaining an 83% passing accuracy. The Welshman’s defensive contribution has been decent too, making a tackle per game as well as 0.6 interceptions and clearances.

Wolves haven’t been blessed with goals from out wide this season, with the potentially departing Traore the West Midlands outfit’s only winger who has scored in the Premier League this term.

Daniel Podence has been prolific in cup competitions, scoring four goals across the EFL Cup and FA Cup, whilst Francisco Trincao’s only goal in amber and gold came in the League Cup against Nottingham Forest.

Granted, Lage does still have Pedro Neto to welcome back from a long-term injury as well as the recently acquired Portuguese youngster Chiquinho.

However, Lawrence could prove to be a shrewd acquisition for a low fee that gives Lage another option, until the end of the campaign at least.

In other news: Lage offers update on the future of 25-y/o gem, Wolves fans will be delighted

Wolves have been making headlines with a number of rumours already circulating on the expected incomings and outgoings in the January transfer window, and now journalist, Luke Hatfield, has had his say on one particular rumour.

What’s the word?

Hatfield has spoken to GIVEMESPORT giving his opinion on the rumours of a move away from Molineux for Wolves defender, Rayan Ait-Nouri, he said;

“I’d be surprised if that one happens. I think we’ll see him as a key part of the squad.

“Considering Marcal isn’t going to get a game and Jonny still coming back from injury, he’s the first kind of port of call in that position. And I think he’s done well and is improving. So, I’d be surprised if they let him go.”

According to reports from El Nacional, the £13.5m-rated gem was rumoured to have interest from Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid in recent weeks, but there have been no further fresh claims that any of the European giants are interested in stealing the signature of the 20 year old, as of yet.

Fans will be delighted

Ait-Nouri has become a crucial part of the Wolves team, with the attacking left-back proving he can step up for his side and has played his part in Wolves impressive run of form in the top half of the table this season so far.

He has won an impressive 35 tackles in his nine Premier League appearances so far, and according to InfoGol, the young player is averaging 38 passes per match with a pass completion rate of 74%.

If these statistics are anything to go by, Bruno Lage would do well in January to keep the young left-back in the squad to continue the consistency in performances Wolves have been experiencing, utilising his confidence on the ball to push on for a higher finish in the Premier League.

Fans will be delighted that the £33k-p/w player could be staying with the side, as they have taken to Twitter this season to praise the 20-year-old for his individual performances for the side.

One Wolves fan praised his confident performance against Liverpool back at the beginning of December: “Ait Nouri was unbelievable today” Another fan took to Twitter to question how Jonny Otto would get back into the team over Ait-Nouri: “Interesting thing that I haven’t seen many people speak about is are LB/LWB situation. With Jonny back soon we have 3 first team quality LB’s and I think it’s fair to say Ait Nouri is probably first choice so what do we do with Jonny cus he is too good to be on the bench.”

Lage has spoken out on the upcoming transfer window at length in the past and we expect that there will be a few changes made during the first month of 2022, with the club setting their sights on a spot to secure European football next season.

In other news: Lage could replace Dendoncker with Renato Sanches