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Many Crystal Palace fans have responded on Twitter to a tweet from the club about out-of-form striker Christian Benteke.

The @CPFC account tweeted a picture of Benteke playing on Saturday night in Palace’s 2-0 loss to Manchester City with three angry emojis.

The Belgian international didn’t start for the seventh league game in a row for Palace but came on with 14 minutes to go against Man City while they were 2-0 down. With his first touch of the football, his powerful header was excellently saved by Ederson and touched onto the crossbar.

Many Palace fans replied to the tweet with a variety of responses. The main response seemed to be one of confusion, with many Palace fans not really working out why the club tweeted this and what it exactly means. You could assume that it could have been about his header being narrowly denied, or potentially just his frustration about the result – but it isn’t particularly clear.

Here are some of the responses from Palace fans below…

After having to sit through Marcus Rashford’s woeful display against Arsenal, it’s little surprise to see Manchester United fans looking on with envy at some of European football’s best strikers.

In a truly forgettable performance at Old Trafford on Monday night, Rashford saw none of his three shots find the back of the net, whilst his most most memorable moment of the match came when he managed to get his legs in a tangle whilst clean through on goal.

While the Red Devils may not be involved in the Champions League themselves, that didn’t stop some United fans tuning into Bayern Munich’s ruthless demolition of Tottenham on Tuesday night.

The Bavarian giants ran out 7-2 winners, and Robert Lewandowski underlined his credentials as one of the world’s most feared marksmen with two goals.

The Poland international was reported to have been of interest to United earlier this summer, but a move to Old Trafford failed to materialise.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

After seeing the 31-year-old’s display in north London, Red Devils fans flooded to Twitter to share their thoughts about the striker.

Many supporters of the Manchester side urged the club to sign the Polish striker, and insisted he would be a far better option than what they already have at the club.

Some fans even bemoaned how they missed out on him previously, with one fan in particular suggesting they should have gone for him instead of Romelu Lukaku back in 2017.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

Despite missing out on the popularity contest that is the FIFA World XI, it’s becoming patently clear to all those of sound mind and without a nose smelling suspiciously of Real Madrid, that Andrew Roberson is one of the most gifted left-backs in the world.He won the Champions League last season, provided 11 assists in the Premier League and featured in the most defensively sound backline.Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Arriving from humble Hull City at the turn of Liverpool’s fortunes, the Scotland international marked the end of a nightmarish period that saw the likes of Alberto Moreno and Aly Cissokho feature on an all too regular basis. And by that we mean they made more than one appearance.

Robertson bagged his first Champions League goal on Wednesday night during Liverpool’s blockbuster game against the impressive Red Bull Salzburg. Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch, who had a catchy little chant dedicated to him during his time at Anfield, posted a simple but accurate assessment of Robertson during the game…

It only took four words from Crouch to say exactly what we were all thinking.

Robertson and the rest of the backline’s defensive performances were uncharacteristically poor, but they can take some solace from the fact that they were competing against a side who have already netted 40 times in nine games in their respective league.

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An artist who often takes to the streets surrounding Elland Road and Leeds’ stadium to paint tributes to the club has had their work vandalised.

Earlier this week Andy McVeigh took to Twitter to reveal his disappointment that most of the boxes he’d painted had been ruined including one dedicated to Gary Speed.

The colourful paintings can often be seen in the areas close to Elland Road and according to McVeigh, would take hours each.

As a result, he met with Managing Director Angus Kinnear and James Mooney to discuss what happened. He revealed that the club issued their full support and were contacting the council to legitimise his work.

The response was praised by various members of the Leeds faithful who were also fully in support of McVeigh.

One member said it was a great gesture whilst another said it was fantastic news. A further individual hailed the club by saying the management team had really brought into the ethos of the fans.

The artist suggested that Kinnear and Mooney were 100% behind him.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

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This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.

Chelsea paid around £25m to sign Oscar back in 2012 from Internacional in a deal that had then-boss Roberto Di Matteo appearing to jump for joy regarding the possibility of bringing him to Stamford Bridge (BBC).

Indeed, the former Brazil international appeared to take to life rather well in SW6 as he managed to record some rather remarkable figures in his debut campaign. Having signed as a 20-year-old, the midfielder managed to net 12 goals and provide a further 12 assists for his team-mates in his 64 appearances (Guardian).

However, that was, perhaps, as good as it got for the South American, as he saw his contributions (and appearances) dwindle as each year passed by.

Oscar made 41 times the following season (with a contribution of seven goals and nine assists).

He played another 11 more appearances (with one assist) before deciding to leave Chelsea for the Chinese Super League.

That meant he would end his time at Stamford Bridge with a respectable record of 38 goals and 37 assists in 203 appearances (Transfermarkt), although it might not have been one that was worthy of the fee that was understood to have been paid for him.

It was reported that Shanghai SIPG had decided to splash an alleged £52m on signing the now-28-year-old, therefore handing the Blues a profit of just over 100% on the original figure they spent on him.

Oscar, though, appears to have repaid that huge transfer fee back with his performances for the Chinese outfit, as he has totalled 117 appearances that has seen him contribute with 36 goals and 60 assists.

Having moved to the Far East after thinking about the future security of his family (Guardian), it would appear Chelsea managed to cash in on him at the right time, as his figures were starting to be on the decline in the high-intensity style of football that the Premier League brings.

Chelsea fans, what did you make of Oscar during his time at the club? Let us know your thoughts by sharing them below!

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Harry Kane could return for Tottenham Hotspur against Borussia Dortmund, per The Sun.

Kane sustained ankle ligament damage against Manchester United in December but could now make an ahead-of-schedule return.

What’s the word?

Kane was initially ruled out until March when he sustained his injury.

However, the aforementioned report claims that Spurs’ medical staff are confident he could make an early return.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

The England international, who won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup, could return in next week’s crucial Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund, though he is certainly set to miss this weekend’s game against Leicester City.

If Mauricio Pochettino opts against risking the striker versus the German giants, he could instead play against Burnley.

The report will be music to the ears of the Argentine, with Spurs facing games against Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool, as well as the return leg against Dortmund, before the end of March.

Worth the risk?

Pochettino would be well advised to tread carefully surrounding Kane’s injury. Spurs cannot afford to rush the striker back and see him sustain another injury before the end of the season.

He has already played 309 senior games in his club career – 244 of those coming with Spurs – and has also won 35 caps for England. All in, at the age of 25, he has played 344 senior games since making his debut.

He has sustained two ankle injuries already but, nevertheless, was an integral part of England’s World Cup squad.

Since the beginning of last season, quite simply, he has not had a break.

But he has been so important to their season – scoring 20 goals in 31 games in all competitions – that it would not be a surprise if he started against Dortmund next week.

If Kane is fit, he will want to play, and Pochettino will surely not want to say no. However, he may have to take the decision out of the striker’s hands – for the good of Kane’s own career.

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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… 

Marcelo Bielsa has made a habit of playing some of the rising stars within the Leeds United squad.

By last January, he’d handed first-team debuts to ten players under the age of 21.

That number has since risen with Mateusz Bogusz and Alfie McCalmont earning minutes in the first team this term.

That being said, there are still a number of young individuals banging on the door.

One of which happens to be Ryan Edmondson, a teenager who must be on the verge of gaining an opportunity.

On the chalkboard

Only this week Leeds saw Callum Nicell walk out of the exit door after his contract was mutually terminated.

Formerly an Academy Player of the Year at Thorp Arch, it may have been somewhat of a surprise that he left having not made a first-team appearance.

Featuring in squads under Garry Monk and Paul Heckingbottom, he didn’t actually receive minutes.

It’s worrying that he was allowed to seep through the net so easily but it’s a poignant reminder. If you don’t play your best young prospects, they’ll search for opportunities elsewhere.

For someone like Edmondson, this is unlikely to be too different.

He is one of the rising stars from Leeds’ academy and it’s a little bizarre he hasn’t been seen under Bielsa in 2019/20.

Leeds have a lack of depth in attack with Patrick Bamford and Eddie Nketiah so it’s certainly not out of the question that he could play second fiddle.

After all, the 18-year-old is making all the right noises.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Against Tadcaster Albion in pre-season alongside a team that featured Ben White and Helder Costa, he netted a hat-trick.

The opposition may not have provided much quality during a 5-1 defeat but it provided evidence that he knows where the net is.

More recently, however, he’s earned his debut for England’s U19 side. Last Thursday he was given a flavour of international youth football as he netted in front of Gareth Southgate against Greece.

It was yet another loud knock on the door of Bielsa who must surely be casting his beady eyes on the promising striker who played once under the Argentine in the Championship last term.

Football Insider revealed this week that Leeds turned down loan offers for Edmondson in the summer. On that evidence, they must have plans to utilise him this season.

If that is the case, the Whites should start giving him chances to show what he can do, even if it’s just from the bench.

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Manchester United have not been making much progress in terms of incoming players during this transfer window so far, but that could all be about to change with a fee reportedly agreed with Ralf Rangnick to bring a star player to Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

The Mirror have reported that interim manager, Rangnick, has verbally agreed a £33m fee with RB Leipzig for Amadou Haidara, who is currently away at AFCON representing Mali.

According to the report, Manchester United are not the only club chasing down the Bundesliga star, with Newcastle United interested in securing his signature by the end of the transfer window.

With that being said, Rangnick is reportedly keen to sign the player from his former club and is high on his wish list, as the German coach remains keen to bolster his midfield options at Old Trafford this month, according to The Mirror.

However, the Premier League giants are yet to make an official bid for Haidara, and as a result run the risk of losing the player to another club.

Fans will be buzzing

The fact that any progress, even a verbal agreement, has been made for new players to join Manchester United this month will come as a huge relief to fans of the club, with the side dropping points in their last two games that has now made their race for a top four spot seem even further out of reach, with West Ham United currently five points ahead in fourth and if they win this afternoon, the Hammers could go eight points clear of them.

Fans have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the potential signing of Haidara, with many desperate to welcome the 23 year old to the club, one fan tweeted: “Haidara is such a beautiful talent man. Man United need him I swear.”

Haidara offers versatility in his position which is something Manchester United desperately need from their players, especially in Rangnick’s 4-2-2-2 formation.

From his defensive midfield position, he offers fantastic offensive attributes, scoring two goals in 13 appearances, and has been successful in 72% of his dribbles this season so far in the Bundesliga, proving that he is effective in being progressive in his play, which is essential for the pressing style Rangnick adopts at Man United.

With Newcastle also reportedly keen to sign the young Malian midfielder, it is imperative that Rangnick moves fast to secure his signature at Old Trafford during this transfer window. Should he move then fans will be delighted.

In other news: Offer rejected for Andreas Pereira from Flamengo

As a football betting enthusiast, you have the opportunity to bet on football matches all year round if you want it. Yes, professional soccer league betting is always available somewhere in the world. As you might know, that could be a good thing or a bad thing.

If you have complete control over your football betting activities, there is nothing wrong with betting on matches regularly. The term “control” refers to you not allowing any form of gambling to interfere with your life. That typically means restricting your football betting bankroll to your discretionary money, money that remains after your bills are paid. Then, it’s all good. If there would ever come a time that you would lose control over your football betting, you will hopefully seek help getting things back in order.

One of the first things you should do if you suspect you might have a gambling problem is seek out some form of self-exclusion resource. By finding and using a self-exclusion resource, you would make it clear to the people in your life that you want to be responsible about the way you live your life.

The rest of this article is going to focus on two self-exclusion resources you will immediately have at your disposal. Those resources are GamStop and Gamban.

GamStop Self-Exclusion Program

If your football betting activities are focused on online sportsbooks in the UK, you should have access to the GamStop Self-exclusion scheme. This would especially be true if your online bookmaker of choice is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. If that’s the case, it’s very likely that your online bookmaker has subscribed as a member of GamStop. For information about GamStop, you can look for the GamStop logo or speak with a customer service representative.

Once you get access to the program, you can register for free. As part of the registration process, you will have to provide a lot of important personal information (full name, phone number, cell number, email address, etc.). This is the information that the GamStop program will use to block your access should you try to open any new sports betting accounts after your self-exclusion period starts. By the way, all of your active accounts will immediately be suspended.

Since the program is strictly voluntary, you get to decide how long you want your self-exclusion to last. Your options would be 6 months, 1 year, or years. Once it goes into effect, member UK gambling sites are supposed to deny you access to their gambling websites.

Of course, no program or system is perfect. GamStop is only available for online gamblers through online operators that are licensed with the UKGC and have subscribed to the GamStop scheme. As you can imagine, there are a lot of ways you could get around your self-exclusion.

The most obvious option would using non GamStop UK sites for online betting. Indeed, there are plenty of UK licensed operators that have been able to avoid GamStop membership because while it has been deemed mandatory as part of the licensing process, enforcement has been slow. Other GamStop-avoidence options would include:

Football betting through offshore sportsbook Using Bitcoin only gambling sites Betting through retail bookmakers Opening accounts under other identities The Gamban Option

If you feel committed to staying away from online football betting sites, you might want to consider using a self-exclusion software solution like Gamban.

Gamban is a downloadable software program that you can download on all the devices you use for your football betting activities. Once the program has been downloaded and activated, your devices will not be able to interact with any websites that can be identified as gambling sites. The self-exclusion is permanent as there is no way to remove the software from a hard drive.

Once again, no program or system is perfect. It should be pretty obvious that Gamban is a device-specific solution. If you were to be motivated to resume your football betting activities, you would just need to buy a new device or borrow one from a friend or relative.

Since neither of these self-exclusion programs offers you complete protection from problem gambling issues, we would recommend you use both options at the same time. While Gamban will cost you a little money, GamStop registration is free. The combination of these two programs would still not offer absolute protection, but it could be enough to keep you from betting football until you have your life back in order.

Image from: unsplash.com

Tottenham Hotspur chief Fabio Paratici is said to hugely admire Adama Traore ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

In recent weeks, the north London outfit have been linked with a move for the Wolverhampton Wanderers winger, with the Telegraph’s Matt Law first revealing their interest.

The ever-reliable Alasdair Gold of football.london has since provided another claim in a recent Q&A with supporters.

“Paratici likes Traore and wanted to sign him at Juventus in the past and he’s got 18 months left now on his contract. I’d imagine a deal next month though would be difficult to do and still pricey.

“Personally, I said in the summer that while Traore scares defences with his running and strength, his end product is mostly dreadful. Since then he’s recorded a total of zero goals and zero assists in his 19 matches in all competitions this season. My opinion, not that it means much, obviously hasn’t changed.”

However, according to ESPN, the Old Gold are willing to accept as little as £18m for him, despite being valued at £25.2m by Transfermarkt.

Sign him up!

The 25-year-old’s poor end product should be the least of Conte’s concerns, after all, that’s why he has Heung-min Son and Harry Kane at his disposal. It’s the havoc he can create that’ll allow the duo to thrive even more.

Just like he did last season, the Wolves attacker leads the division for dribbles per game (4.7). That’s way more than players like Mo Salah, Wilfried Zaha and Spurs’ Lucas Moura.

He is also averaging 1.1 key passes per game, which suggests he’s more of a creative talent than one that needs to find the back of the net.

His brute strength and physicality is surely something that Conte would love to have in his squad, especially as he’s a perfect fit for his system as the Spain international can play right-wing, as an inside-forward, up top and at right wing-back.

“He’s a machine. I was watching him pre-game and he could be a powerlifter or a cruiser-weight boxer – he’s huge,” Rio Ferdinand once told BT Sport (via BirminghamLive), whilst Southampton forward Che Adams dubbed him a “monster” to the Premier League’s official YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has often deemed him to be “unplayable”, which is rather telling of his ability in the big games and would suggest that his lack of end product isn’t hindering to his overall talent.

On the above evidence, Traore would be a fine addition to Conte’s unbeaten Spurs side. If Paratici and co really want him, then £18m isn’t a stretch, especially in January.

AND in other news, Conte can finally axe Spurs’ “freak of a talent” by signing “explosive” £27m-rated gem…