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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…

QPR welcome Reading to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on Tuesday evening, where the R’s have a tremendous chance to continue their fine form.

Mark Warburton’s side are sitting pretty in 5th place, and are just three points off the top of the table – the former Brentford boss has done a superb job at the helm so far.

On the contrary, the Royals have endured a miserable campaign and find themselves 20th – they have lost seven of their 12 games this season.

Their form cost Jose Gomes his job, before Sporting Director Mark Bowen was then appointed as his replacement – the trip to London will be the new man’s second game in charge.

Given their opponents’ dismal form, QPR may be feeling optimistic about this game, although here are two Reading players they cannot afford to be complacent around…

John Swift

The Royals No.10 has been a rare glimmer of light for the club this season in an otherwise disappointing campaign.

Swift has scored two goals and registered four assists in 11 Championship appearances this season – another set-up in the Carabao Cup included a sensational ‘rabona’ cross for Lucas Boyle against Wolves.

Impressively, the 24-year-old averages 3.5 key passes per game, while also completing 1.5 dribbles and 1.7 shots per game in the league this term – the R’s must watch out for the attacking midfielder.

Ovie EjariaÂ

The former Liverpool man has scored two goals in 10 league appearances this term, proving to be a tricky customer in the final third of the pitch.

Ejaria, 21, loves a dribble having completed 3.3 per game on average this season, while also taking 1.9 shots per game.

The youngster also draws 1.2 fouls per game, suggesting that he could be a player who the R’s struggle to contain on Tuesday night.

QPR are still yet to keep a Championship clean sheet in 2019/20 – the only team in the league not to record a shutout – so their backline must be especially wary of these two Reading danger men.

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Nottingham Forest reached the summit of the Championship on Friday night as they defeated Stoke City in Staffordshire.

That would only last half a day as the rest of the league were in action on Saturday afternoon, although it was their highest position for five years.

The home side took an early lead as Lee Gregory slotted home from 12 yards out just ten minutes into the match, but an error from Jack Butland allowed the Reds back into the game as Joe Lolley made them pay before half time.

By the hour mark, Sammy Ameobi had powered home a header before Lewis Grabban handed Forest a two-goal advantage.

It wasn’t to be without a nervy finish as James McClean managed to grab one back for the Potters, but the home side weren’t able to salvage anything from the match.

The performance from Ameobi, in particular, drew plenty of praise on social media from sections of the Forest faithful.

One supporter wanted the winger to be offered a contract extension in January with another adding that he offers something completely different to the rest of the squad.

The 27-year-old joined the club on a free transfer during the summer from Bolton Wanderers and has now scored and assisted one goal in six starts for the east Midlands club.

‘Excellent,’ ‘fantastic,’ and ‘perfect’ were some of the superlatives to describe Ameobi after his goalscoring showing.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

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.

Wolves have refound their magic touch after securing three straight wins in all competitions with the latest being an outstanding shock victory up in Manchester.

Nuno Santo’s men travelled to the reigning Premier League champions and did a job on them, coming away with all three points and a clean sheet.

Adama Traore’s brace inside the final ten minutes was enough to snatch a victory and sink Pep Guardiola’s side even further behind Liverpool in the table.

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

One of their key players, Diogo Jota, has been absent for much of this little winning run, which means there has been an opportunity for other players to stake their claim amongst the starting XI.

Pedro Neto originally looked to do exactly that with an excellent performance against Watford, but he wasn’t even named in the squad against City.

Patrick Cutrone was given a rare start alongside Raul Jimenez and put in a woeful showing that included a 6.34 rating from WhoScored as well as two unsuccessful touches.

Meanwhile, over in the Championship, another one of their contracted players seems to be lighting up the league as Ivan Cavaleiro bagged his fourth goal of the season.

That’s on top of his three assists and three Man of the Match awards too.

The 25-year-old played a considerable part in their Championship-winning campaign back in 2018 by scoring nine times and assisting 12, and he’s well on track to surpass that for Scott Parker’s Cottagers.

He was hardly given a chance in the Premier League last term, starting just six matches, but he still netted on three occasions.

Cavaleiro could have been the man to fill the void left behind by the absent Portuguese winger.

One Wolves fan thinks he’s pinpointed the moment when they went from EPL strugglers to “peak Barcelona 2011” in the video below…

Also this season, the ex-Monaco man is averaging 2.2 key passes and 2 dribbles per game, which would put him first in the Wolves squad for the former and third in the side for the latter.

So, maybe Nuno is regretting the decision to have sent him out on loan because he’s certainly playing like a guy with a point to prove.

Considering Wolves have lacked depth, he may have still been a useful member of the side.

You can decide for yourself by voting in this poll:

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Trent Alexander-Arnold earned his seventh cap for England on Wednesday and his performance has drawn praise from Liverpool fans.

The Three Lions ran out 5-3 winners, though the full-back was not as defensively solid as usual, whilst his normally effective crossing – as evidenced by his nine assists from crossing last season – was below par, with his four attempts failing to reach a target.

There is significant competition for the right-back spot in Gareth Southgate’s squad, with Kieran Trippier starting the previous match against Bulgaria, and Kyle Walker and Aaron Wan-Bissaka also strong candidates for the role.

That means there is competition for places, and so far in a Three Lions shirt, Alexander-Arnold has underperformed in a key aspect of his game – creating chances – as he is still yet to register an assist at international level.

Despite that, fans are impressed with what they saw last night, with some just relieved to see him get through the 90 minutes injury-free, alongside teammate Jordan Henderson.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Here are some of the reactions from fans wishing him well and praising his display against Kosovo.

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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 to Het Nieuwsblad, Kevin De Bruyne’s former coach at Genk, Hein Vanhaezebrouck, has revealed the midfielder may need to leave Manchester City to win the Ballon d’Or.

What did he say?

The Belgium international has established himself as one of the Premier League’s best players, registering 25 goals and providing a further 53 assists in just 126 appearances in the top-flight.

Despite being a key part of City’s recent success, De Bruyne has not figured amongst the top three for the coveted Ballon d’Or. And now, Vanhaezebrouck has suggested the 28-year-old may be better off playing for a team like PSG where he can win the big titles and accolades on both a personal and collective level.

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He said (as translated by The Daily Mail): “He has never won anything internationally. No Europa League, no Champions League, no World Cup – and these are the things that are always taken into account.

“As soon as he wins one of these prizes I have no doubt that he will be in the running for the FIFA player of the year award and the Ballon d’Or trophy. He could yet do it with City – but with the defence they’ve got I am not convinced. I’m not saying that it would be easier for him to win the Champions League with Barcelona or Real Madrid.

“But to my mind it would be if he played for Paris Saint-Germain. Get De Bruyne to feed Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe with his pinpoint passes, and you have a team that is virtually impossible to play against.”

Illogical

To win the Ballon d’Or, surely you have to be considered the best player on your team first? If De Bruyne were to take his coach’s advice and join PSG, he would have both Mbappe and Neymar as teammates who could quite conceivably make their claims to be the star attraction.

The latter even took the decision to leave Barcelona in part to get away from Lionel Messi’s shadow, so why on earth would City’s mercurial midfielder intentionally become a team’s number two or number three option?

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

At the Etihad, the road to becoming the world’s best player is far more smoother. Yes the likes of Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva offer tough competition, but De Bruyne’s influence on the side is second to none. Already this season, the Belgian has scored two goals and picked up seven assists in just six Premier League games. The Ballon d’Or is perfectly within his grasp at City, he just needs to prove it by helping City to major European success.

Swansea City could be set to face a truly devastating transfer deadline day with Leeds United edging closer towards a deal for Daniel James, while Leroy Fer and Jefferson Montero are both likely to depart.

Marcelo Bielsa has been in hot pursuit of James in the second half of the transfer window and it looks like his persistence is set to pay off.

Leeds United supporters may not have been feeling completely optimistic about their chances of clinching a deal first thing this morning, but their prayers appear to have been answered.

Indeed, according to Guardian journalist Stuart James, Daniel James is set to sign for Leeds, with the player personally expressing his desire to depart before the deadline.

The respected journalist revealed the news via his Twitter account and he poured more misery on Swansea by suggesting that there is a strong possibility both Leroy Fer and Jefferson Montero will follow James out of the exit door.

Oh dear, oh dear. Swansea supporters will be feeling absolutely incensed by the scenario they could be facing, as the aforementioned trio represent three of the most integral players residing within Graham Potter’s squad.

To lose them at this stage in the season without ample time to source replacements would be deflating to put it lightly, but Swansea’s loss could well be Leeds’ gain.

The Whites are short of strength in depth and the injection of a fresh dynamic in midfield could provide them with a priceless boost ahead of the final months of the season.

Samu Saiz’s departure will guarantee a regular role for Pablo Hernandez in the number ten role, thus paving the way for James to battle with the likes of Ezgjan Alioski, Jack Harrison and Jack Clarke for a place in the starting eleven.

The form James has demonstrated on his maiden Championship campaign hints that he could offer an extra burst of pace and touch of flair in the final-third to unlock sturdy defensive units when they need it most at the business end of the season.

It appears that Leeds’ interest has turned James’ head towards Elland Road, and the 21-year-old prodigy looks more than likely to be on his way to Yorkshire to conclude a deal today following Stuart James’ Twitter update.

Leeds fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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…

Former Scotland and Aberdeen manager Craig Brown has heaped huge praise on Celtic star Ryan Christie, claiming he thought he is better than emerging England star James Maddison.

What’s the word?

Maddison finally got his England call-up this week, and the Leicester City ace certainly deserved it.

He racked up seven goals and seven assists last season, and was also the Premier League’s best chance-creator, leading the way with a remarkable 100 chances created, two more than Real Madrid superstar Eden Hazard.

Brown though, who managed the pair while they were both on loan at Pittodrie, believes Christie is right up there alongside the Foxes man, if not even better.

Watch Celtic Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Per The Scottish Sun, he said: “Ryan has been outstanding at Celtic. At Aberdeen we had Ryan on loan and we also had James Maddison on loan.

“Maddison went for around £20m to Leicester City and now he’s in the England squad.

“But when Ryan was at Aberdeen, my feeling was that he was the better of the two players.”

He continued: “So it’s no surprise how well he’s doing at Celtic now. Ryan can be a big help for Scotland and can become a key player.”

Deserved praise

After Leicester splashed out £20m and handed Maddison a five-year deal, he could have ended up on the endless list of overpriced English talent who simply don’t cut it in the Premier League.

Instead, he blossomed into the top-flight’s best playmaker and earned a place in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad.

And while Brown’s comparison may seem a bit bold, Christie has enjoyed a similarly meteoric rise.

After his fantastic loan spell at Aberdeen, the Celtic star directly contributed to 20 goals for the Hoops last year on route to a domestic treble, and has started this campaign even better.

The 24 year-old has eight goals and five assists in 12 appearances in all competitions, and you can certainly forgive Brown for his confidence in Celtic’s young star.

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Tottenham are ‘confident’ of signing Wolves winger Adama Traore this month, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Conte transformation

The 26-year-old has made the majority of his appearances during his career as a right winger for the likes of Barcelona, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and now Wolves.

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However, should the Spaniard move to north London, it seems as if Antonio Conte has a specific plan in mind. According to The Athletic, the Italian is looking to mould Traore into a right wing-back, in a similar way to how he redeployed Victor Moses at Chelsea.

Spurs are yet to make any first team signings this month, but it appears as if that may change with Traore.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano took to Twitter on Monday morning to provide an update regarding Tottenham’s pursuit of the Wolves speedster.

He revealed that Fabio Paratici and co are now ‘confident’ of completing a deal, outling: “Tottenham are prepared to push on Adama Traore deal starting from today. Talks will re-start with Wolves to enter into final details & reach the agreement. Club confident to complete the new signing.”

Sky Sports added later in the day that a £20m transfer is moving closer.

The Verdict: First of many?

It seems as if it could be a busy final few days for Conte and Paratici, and Traore could be the first of several through the door.

The Spurs boss wants three players signed in the final days of the month in what could be a pivotal week regarding his future at the club.

Should he get what he wants, the second half of the season could be viewed as a building block ahead of a successful 2022/23 campaign. However, if Conte doesn’t get his wish, he could start to lose faith in the project, which may spell the beginning of the end for him despite only being at the club since November.

In other news: Spurs now ‘considering’ new attacking target in 18 y/o prodigy – journalist. 

During his post-match press conference following the victory over Burnley, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was full of praise for midfield general Ilkay Gundogan. 

The lowdown: A Pep favourite

Signed for £21million from Borussia Dortmund (Sky Sports), Gundogan was the Spanish manager’s first signing when taking over at the Etihad.

Since then the experienced German has made an astonishing 244 appearances for the Citizens, scoring 43 times and providing 33 assists in that time.

Therefore, it’s perhaps of little surprise that Guardiola would hold the midfielder in such high esteem after he became the highest-scoring German in Premier League history on Saturday.

The latest: record-breaking exploits

Gundogan volleyed home City’s second goal on the afternoon, overtaking Mesut Ozil’s previously tally of 33 English top-flight strikes.

Speaking after the comfortable 2-0 success at Turf Moor, Guardiola sang the praises of the 31-year-old’s display.

As quoted by City Xtra on Twitter, the Spanish boss stated: “Wow! He’s an exceptional human being first. So intelligent, you can talk with him about everything, and it’s nice to have players like him. I’m so glad, happy he could make this record.”

The verdict: High praise indeed

Receiving such high praise from any manager, let alone Guardiola must be music to the ears of any player.

In truth, goal aside this was another performance right out of the top drawer from the £31.5million valued Gundogan (Transfermarkt), who completed 5/5 long balls, 50/55 passes and made one successful tackle in an all-important victory for the Sky Blues (Sofascore).

This latest strike took the German to eight goals for the season, combined with another six assists from 34 appearances across all competitions, as the once defensive midfielder continues to defy conventional wisdom with his goalscoring prowess in recent seasons.

In other news: Man City linked with move for La Liga star. Find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are said to be confident of signing Adama Traore this month…

What’s the word?

The north London outfit were linked with a £20m move for the Wolverhampton Wanderers star by The Times over the weekend as manager Antonio Conte seems him as the solution to his right wing-back problems.

And now transfer insider Dean Jones of Eurosport has provided a fresh update on the situation.

“Adama Traore is a genuine target. They’re trying to negotiate terms and a deal with Wolves right now. Chelsea are also interested in signing Adama Traore though,” he told The Football Terrace.

“They haven’t gone particularly far with it, certainly not as far as down the road as Spurs are yet. Tottenham are reasonably confident they will complete the deal though.”

Conte would love him

Spurs are seemingly edging closer to their first signing of the January transfer window and one that the Italian head coach is surely going to be thrilled with.

During his time at Chelsea, he won the Premier League and FA Cup, having converted out-of-sorts winger Victor Moses into an exceptional and reliable wing-back.

You could argue that Traore is way ahead of his level.

Not only has he previously played the wing-back role many times before but he is also built like a brute force and has rapid acceleration that will not only stop the opposition’s attack but also prove to be a menace in the final third for the club – something that Emerson just does not offer.

The Spain international leads the division for dribbles (4.5 per game), even ahead of players like Mo Salah and Spurs’ very own Lucas Moura, via WhoScored, whilst he has previously been dubbed a “monster” by Southampton forward Che Adams and a “machine” by BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand.

It’s a move that also seems like an absolute steal at the price. Spurs may only have to pay £20m for a £25.2m-rated player.

You’d imagine that if sporting director Fabio Paratici and co can pull this off in the near future, Conte will be a very happy man. It could well be the start of a big transformation to this struggling Spurs squad.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano issues update on Tanguy Ndombele’s future at Spurs…