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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…

Danny Mills believes Alex Iwobi’s move to Merseyside has provided him with an opportunity to rejuvenate his career.

What did he say?

Iwobi had spent 15 years at Arsenal having joined at the age of eight, graduating from the academy under Arsene Wenger before going on to make 149 senior appearances for the club, although he did receive some criticism from Unai Emery last season.

The Turk was not as patient with the winger as his predecessor was, warning the 23-year-old earlier this year that he had to become more productive in the final third if he was to hold down a consistent place in the team.

Having failed to do so, the Gunners were more than willing to allow his move to Goodison Park, particularly for a price of £34m.

It is a quite surprising sum given he contributed only 15 goals and 27 assists during his time at Arsenal, but Danny Mills believes he has quality and perhaps only needed the chance to breathe fresh life into his game, which is what this move has provided.

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills said: “I think sometimes you can go a little bit stale at clubs, especially when you’ve been there as a kid, you’re maybe not as appreciated as you deserve. He’s been given a fresh chance and a new challenge and it seems that excitement and endeavour is back.

“He’s already got himself on the scoresheet, which was questioned of him, which is fabulous. It looks like he has that renewed energy and sometimes it’s very, very simple. He probably just feels a little bit loved, a little appreciated.”

Chance to shine

The Nigerian has seemingly already completed his first goal upon arrival – to gain a place in the first-team. Bernard had started the Toffees’ opening few matches but an impressive cameo appearance against Aston Villa allowed Iwobi to stake a claim for the first team.

In the two matches since he has started twice and got on the scoresheet on both occasions, and is starting to show his influence on the team.

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He is amongst the most creative members of Everton’s squad and his skill on the ball opens up chances and space for teammates, so he could be a key outlet for Marco Silva’s side.

However, if he is to become a key man he does need to work on his end product. His two goals so far will give him confidence and if he can continue scoring at such a rate then the move from Arsenal will be regarded as a highly successful one.

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[ad_pod ]Arsenal begin their Europa League campaign against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday as they look to eradicate the nightmares of their recent 2-2 draw with Watford.The Gunners made it to the final of the competition last term, and they will no doubt be looking to go one step further this year than their loss against Chelsea.However, they will have their work cut out against a strong Bundesliga outfit that made it to the semi-finals themselves in the previous campaign.The tournament usually brings around plenty of rotation too, and that should not be any different for Unai Emery.The club’s supporters clearly expect there to be changes, and they have been suggesting who should be included in the side.Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And it appears that many are pushing for Gabriel Martinelli to be named in the starting line-up.

The 18-year-old joined in the summer from Brazilian club Ituano, and the supporters are excited to see him in action despite little being known of him. He has already made his Premier League debut, of course, after playing six minutes in the 1-0 win over Newcastle United but fans want to see what he can do from the first whistle.

The Emirates Stadium faithful have taken to Twitter to call for Martinelli to start the game, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

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Oh Marcos Rojo. That’s exactly why you play at the back, my friend. The Argentina international probably grew up watching Diego Maradona tear things up with his skills and tricks, and thought ‘you know what? I’ll have some of that thank you very much’.

The 29-year-old was given a rare chance to start in Manchester United’s opening Europa League game of the season against FC Astana, and he made sure it was an occasion to remember for the tens of thousands in attendance.

Playing as a left-back, the former Sporting CP star cut inside on to his right foot just outside the opposition penalty area, and undoubtedly saw his name in lights. ‘This is it Marcos. Ballon d’Or incoming’.

Instead, the centre-back contrived to get his legs in a tangle, and saw his attempted rabona come cannoning off an Astana player. So much for that then.

After seeing the game’s true highlight of the evening (sorry Mason Greenwood), United fans flooded to Twitter to revel in Rojo’s genius.

Many Red Devils supporters took the proverbial mickey out of the Argentine, with one fan in particular suggesting he should re-name himself as “Rojodinho”.

Others showed him a bit more love, and insisted EA Sports give him five-star skills on the latest FIFA game.

Check out some of the hilarious reaction of United fans below:

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Some Celtic fans have taken to Twitter to fume over the referee’s decision not to award their side at least one penalty in the disappointing 1-1 draw against Hibernian.

The draw has allowed Rangers to make up some ground in the title race, and it seems as if some Celtic supporters think one man was the blame for their side dropping points.

Kristoffer Ajer’s own goal in the eighth minute gifted Hibernian an early lead, before Ryan Christie’s 11th goal of the season saw the Bhoys equalise.

It was a moment when Christie was brought down in the penalty area that Neil Lennon cited as one of two incidents in which his side should’ve been awarded a spot kick – Moritz Bauer was also upended in the area, but both claims fell on deaf ears.

One fan said that the referee was “shocking”, while another called him a “no good cheat” – as you can see, they’re not happy with the official’s work.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction…

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The go-to curio about Erling Braut Haaland is that he is the son of former Leeds and Manchester City midfielder Alf-Inge Haaland. Give it a couple of years however and the retired pro will be legitimately and entirely understandably boasting to all and sundry that he is the father of Erling.

Despite long being touted as a talent of real promise, the Red Bull Salzburg striker has rocketed into world football’s consciousness these past couple of weeks due to a scoring spree that amazes. Eleven goals in his first eight games in the Austrian Bundesliga – 17 in 10 across all competitions – equates to hitting the ground running and then some and is a tally that includes three headline-making hat-tricks. If that were not impressive enough, last week the teenage prodigy scored yet another treble in his Champions League debut as Salzburg thrashed Genk 6-2.

This staggering show of intent follows a highly successful spell in Norway where the domineering attacker scored 12 goals in 25 appearances during his introductory season with Molde. It was an opening declaration of his prolificacy that had then manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer compare him to Romelu Lukaku and inevitably it also led to interest forming from bigger clubs, namely and aptly – given his manager’s later switch – Manchester United.

It was to Salzburg he went, though, largely due to the club’s fine record in giving a stage to then selling on their youth, with Sadio Mane serving as a prime example.

Haaland’s feats of late have grabbed everybody’s attention but that is simply a continuation of the ripples he made in the summer when the Leeds-born hit man fired a jaw-dropping nine goals in a single game for the Norwegian under 20s in a merciless rout of Honduras.

That is what is most note-worthy about Erling Braut Haaland: his achievements are so stunning that his entire media presence seems to be based on the unbelievability of his goal scoring prowess.

In the summer, ESPN sources claimed that the Red Devils were scouting the teenage hitman but he eventually moved to Austria to ply his trade at a club that, as Mane’s example underlines, can be considered a stepping stone into one of Europe’s top four leagues.

Naturally, his latest salvos have induced a fresh round of transfer speculation and once again Manchester United are reportedly at the fore with this time Barcelona joining them for company.

While speaking to TV2 (via Daily Mirror), Haaland lauded Solskjaer and spoke of his admiration for the English game and those quotes are bound to fuel speculation regarding his potential to springboard into Europe’s elite.

Until recently it seemed somewhat far-fetched to surmise that Old Trafford could be a possible destination what with his father’s sour history with the club following Roy Keane’s infamous challenge and the fact that Haaland Jr is an avowed Leeds United supporter. Yet a statement this week from dad – who remains an influential presence over his off-spring – describing the interest as ‘nice’ suggests a door could now be open.

Furthermore, it is a move that makes a lot of sense with United actively seeking a replacement for the departed Lukaku because who better than the player their present manager believes is a younger equivalent?

Wherever he goes however the future looks extremely bright indeed for a teenage phenomenon who seemingly cannot stop scoring and scoring at a rate that astounds. He is a talent who has already been called “a beast” and even labelled “the manchild” at Molde at an age where most players just get called their surname but with a ‘Y’ on the end.

Occasionally – very occasionally – a footballer comes along who rips up conventional standards.

His name is Erling Braut Haaland.

Is there anyone more accomplished at getting nibbles than Piers Morgan?No one is safe from the outspoken journalist-turned-television-presenter when he decides he’s in the mood for a couple of bites from angry opposing fans, which we imagine help him sleep at night.Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It must feel like Christmas for Morgan at the moment; Spurs are in total decline, and while their neighbours aren’t exactly enjoying a fine run of form themselves, with just one win in five, they aren’t being spanked 7-2 by Bayern Munich.

Though, he’d do well to remember the Gunners have conceded 15 goals and scored just three against the Bundesliga champions in their previous three meetings. But perhaps that’s why his work is so masterful – he presses on regardless.

Morgan once again proved last night why he’s so utterly despised in the football community with a shot at Mauricio Pochettino…

Let’s all remember the day he was forced to wear a Spurs shirt by Peter Crouch. Ah, you love to see it.

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…

Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira has said that he is prepared to fight for his place in Unai Emery’s side after finding himself in a peripheral role, per Football.London.

What’s the word?

The Uruguayan middle man was a first-team regular for the Gunners during his first season after his £27m move from Sampdoria. In total, he made 50 appearances in all competitions.

Granit Xhaka has recently been selected as Arsenal captain and the consistent performances from Matteo Guendouzi and Dani Ceballos have seen the 23-year-old slip down the pecking order at the Emirates.

Torreira has only started two games this season and has admitted that his new role will take time to get used to.

Quoted by Football.London, Torreira said: “I don’t know whether I’d say it’s frustrating. All players want to play, they obviously want to be in the starting XI – that’s completely normal. But that’s not something that depends on me.”

“It’s down to the coach to make those decisions and really I have to respect that. Right now it’s about not giving up.

“You have to continue working hard and whether I’m playing in the starting XI or from the bench I want to give my all for the team. That’s the kind of player I am.”

A player with a good attitude

Arsenal supporters can feel reassured with the response that Torreira has given. Admitting that he has lost his place while also insisting that he does not intend to give up are great foundations.

As the Uruguayan midfielder is naturally a deep-lying midfielder, Emery’s preference of pressing the ball continuously may not suit his style of play.

If anything, Torreira is composed and controlled but there is not a great deal of tempo to his play.

During his first season, Torreira received heaps of praise from the likes of Ian Wright after a series of good performances as the former striker said that he was the sort of player that Arsenal have needed for years.

However, Matteo Guendouzi arrived at Arsenal at the same time as the Uruguayan and the £8m Frenchman has been the surprise package that has seen Torreira demoted to the bench this campaign.

Despite two goals and two assists in 34 appearances last season, it appears that Torreira may not play as many games this season.

However, if he continues with his current attitude, he is more than capable of winning his place back.

Republic of Ireland fans have ripped into Seamus Coleman after the Everton defender’s poor display and sending off for deliberate handball against Switzerland on Tuesday.

Although the subsequent spot-kick was saved by keeper Darren Randolph, the Irish fans are not letting Coleman off the hook after a quite blatant attempt at blocking the ball. His marching orders against the Swiss on Tuesday means the right-back will miss the key fixture against Denmark in Ireland’s final Euro 2020 qualifier next month.

It also means that the 31-year-old has picked up two red cards in the past two weeks for club and country after he was shown a second yellow for a bad challenge on Erik Pieters against Burnley.

Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Understandably so, the Irish fans are fuming at Coleman for his dismissal. Not just does it mean he misses the next game, but it also casts a doubt over the country’s automatic place at the Euro 2020 next summer. Mick McCarthy’s men are top of top Group D but have played a game more than Denmark and Switzerland, yet sit on the same points as the Danish and just one ahead of the Swiss.

Matt Doherty could slot straight in, but as Coleman is the captain, his presence on the pitch will surely be missed.

Here’s what fans have had to say after his dismissal…

Newcastle United fans have been reacting to former Magpies midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum being nominated for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award.

The Dutchman spent just one season at St James’ Park after arriving from PSV Eindhoven in 2015 for £14.5m, and featured in all 38 games of the 2015/16 campaign. Despite scoring 11 goals and conjuring up five assists, it wasn’t enough to stay in the Premier League and the North East side were relegated to the Championship.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Wijnaldum admitted that he deserved the criticism he received during his time at Newcastle but also said that the Magpies’ 6-2 win over Norwich City was one of the most “defining matches” of his career.

Supporters reacted in a mixed manner and took aim at some of the current players at the club as well as some individuals from their past. One fan even said that it shows how far football has fallen that Wijnaldum was nominated.

Here you will find some of the best responses from Newcastle fans:

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at a player who has disappointed since being signed, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to illustrate how ill-judged the transfer decision has been.

Manchester United did not hang around when it came to their summer 2018 transfer activity. The first week in June hadn’t even been completed when the club announced the signing of Brazilian midfielder Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk for £52m plus bonuses, as reported by Sky Sports.

The deal made him the Red Devils’ third-most expensive player at the time and came off the back of him being named in Brazil’s squad for the World Cup in Russia, although he did not get a game in the tournament.

Jose Mourinho, the manager who brought him to Old Trafford, said at the time of the signing: “Fred will complement our other midfielders’ qualities, which we need; his creative brain and passing vision will give us another dimension to our game.” [via Sky Sports]

Fred started United’s first three Premier League games of the 2018/19 season but would then endure several months of dipping in and out of the line-up, while his goal in a 1-1 draw against Wolves early in the campaign would be the only one he’d score all season.

Wolves also provided the opposition for his only assist of 2018/19 and, despite getting a sustained run of games in the final third of the campaign, his first year in England ended with just 13 Premier League starts – a rather subdued return for a player who cost £52m the previous summer.

There weren’t many signs of the “creative brain and passing vision” of which Mourinho spoke in June 2018. Fred averaged 45.2 passes and just 0.7 key passes per game last season, with a passing accuracy of 86.3%. Six United players had a better passing success rate, while nine played more key passes per game. [via WhoScored]

Some former Old Trafford stalwarts did not hold back in their assessment of the Brazil midfielder in his first season at the club.

Speaking after a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City last November, Gary Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast: “Does he change a game? Does it look like he’s going to defend your goal? Does it look like he’s going to connect back-to-front? At this moment in time, no.” [via Daily Mail]

After United again lost to their neighbours in April, Roy Keane fumed at Fred on Sky Sports [via The Independent] over letting Raheem Sterling run free of him for one of City’s goals, saying: “That’s cheating, what he’s done is cheating, letting the guy run off him.”

Things have not improved for the 26-year-old in the first few weeks of this season. He has started only one of United’s first eight Premier League games of the campaign, when he was booked inside three minutes in the recent defeat at Newcastle United. [via TransferMarkt]

Even allowing for his lack of minutes in the league, that he is 11th in the list of average passes per game in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad with 35.3 is damning for a midfielder who cost £52m, and he has continued to be hammered by pundits for his ineffective performances.

Neville said on Sky Sports after the 1-1 draw against Arsenal two weeks ago that “I’ve not seen anything in the 12 months that he’s been here to justify the price tag.” [via Daily Mail]

After United drew with AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League, Michael Owen said on BT Sport [via Daily Mail]: “He’s just a moderate player, isn’t he? That’s the bottom line. What can you say? We were discussing what’s his best position? I probably think it’s a six, Owen [Hargreaves] thinks it’s an eight, but then once you start arguing about it, you think is he that good? He can’t do either role that well and he cost, what, £50m?”

For an outlay of £52m the summer before last, Fred has paid back Manchester United with one goal and two assists in 32 appearances, having been pilloried by several former players at the club. That level of output has simply not justified the vast sum of money paid to him and his frequent absence from the starting line-up is a sign that Solskjaer doesn’t have much faith in him to turn things around.

Manchester United fans, do you feel that Fred has been an expensive flop at Old Trafford? Comment below with your views!