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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

Barcelona struggled but still managed to overcome Celta Vigo at the Camp Nou last weekend with some Lionel Messi magic. But one player that didn’t really have the best of games was their now 17-year-old prodigy, Ansu Fati.

Snapshot

On the face of it and looking purely at the scoreline, Barcelona definitely dominated their visitors at the weekend as they surged to a 4-1 victory.

But that doesn’t really tell the whole story and Messi’s set-piece mastery was surely needed to secure the spoils of war.

Celta Vigo were brave and played well but they couldn’t cope with the little Argentine’s magic that was on display.

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Unfortunately for Ernesto Valverde, however, his decision to slot the young Fati into the starting line-up backfired and the 17-year-old had to be substituted off at half-time.

In came Ousmane Dembele and immediately made an impact. This begs the question: is Fati ready for such a big step-up?

A crucial decision

A lot has already been said about Fati and Barcelona’s decision to slot him right into the senior team without moving through the ranks properly.

Of course, his sudden emergence couldn’t really be ignored but ever since the first couple of games in which the now 17-year-old demonstrated all of his skill and quality, he went missing – both from the team and the scoresheet altogether.

So far, we’ve seen him in a total of 10 games across all competitions but he only managed to tally 388 minutes in the process.

That could indicate that Valverde doesn’t really seem to think Fati is ready to be a starter just yet, which brings the initial decision to slot him right into the senior team under question as well.

Without regular game time his performances are sure to dip which, interestingly enough, already happened against Celta Vigo.

The youngster was not really sharp or game-ready as he tallied no shots throughout the game, no successful dribbles and lost the ball ten times before being subbed off for Dembele.

He also maintained just 50% passing accuracy with only five passes to his name and was clearly not involved in the proceedings that much.

According to WhoScored, he was the worst-rated player of all the players on the team with 6.15 and while it might seem harsh to criticise a teenage kid, the fact remains that he doesn’t seem ready for first-team action.

Maybe Valverde should use him as a super-sub or just send him to Barcelona B where he can get some experience and necessary minutes before he steps up to the big league once again.

Either way, that feels like a crucial decision the coach will have to make and one that may very well impact the young prodigy’s future.

Arsenal fans have been blasting the club after the latest reports about a potential managerial change from David Ornstein.

According to the journalist from The Athletic, the club are rejecting suggestions that they are looking for a replacement for Unai Emery.

It was being reported that Raul Sanllehi had held talks with Luis Enrique and has dinner with Jose Mourinho over taking over from the Basque-born manager.

Emery has come under fire for the club’s current run of poor form after just two wins in 10 Premier League games. Indeed, there has been a suggestion from The Sun that Emery has until the new year to save his job.

His tenure at the club has seen him oversee a reported feud with Mesut Ozil and the fallout from Granit Xhaka’s substitution against Crystal Palace, as well as missing out on the Champions League last season and trailing the top four this time around.

Fans seemed to have had enough of the situation, launching a scathing attack at the hierarchy as they took to Twitter to react.

Fans are having a full on meltdown over the news on Twitter, with one suggesting they boycott the games, others placing Leicester above them as a more ambitious club and one simply admitting the club are hopeless…

Arsenal fans, what do you make of the reports from Ornstein? Let us know your thoughts!

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…

Of course, they would never say so publicly but it is hard to believe that Manchester City are not presently ruing their decision this summer to abstain in replacing their departed leader Vincent Kompany.

An early chasing of Harry Maguire eventually led to the Premier League champions baulking at the firmly-set price tag and while many observers expected subsequent targets to follow none were forthcoming. Instead City seemed content – or at least amenable – to going into the new season with what they already had.

There was Aymeric Laporte, a magnificent Rolls Royce of a defender. There was Nicolas Otamendi, an erratic loose cannon who only applied himself well when tethered to the calming presence of either Kompany or Laporte. There was John Stones, injury-prone and infuriatingly either imperious or a complete liability. And, for a fourth option, Fernandinho could be converted from a midfield 6 to centre-back in the same manner that Mascherano was reimagined under Guardiola at Barcelona.

A seismic long-term lay off for Laporte endured against Brighton in September changed everything, and since the loss of their most effective stopper City have been all at sea.

A calamitous defensive showing at Norwich resulted in a costly defeat while Otamendi’s shortcomings were ruthlessly exposed by Wolves at home. So far this term City have conceded 13 league goals, eight more than at this stage last year and the word is out that the formerly formidable Blues are decidedly shaky at the back.

It is not a crisis – not yet – but it’s certainly in the same postcode and a feeling persists that unless something is done about it City could very well slip from contention in the Premier League.

Here are three possible solutions to the growing crisis…

Sign Nathan Ake

A further complication to add to Pep Guardiola’s woes lies in the fact that the construct of his squad means that unless a ‘home-grown’ defender is sought it would require the selling of a ‘foreign’ player from his present contingent.

Having come through the Chelsea ranks, Nathan Ake qualifies as home-grown despite being a Holland international and with the club having already recently taken a keen interest in the Bournemouth star he is clearly someone who Guardiola admires.

The 24-year-old who boasts several years of top flight experience ticks every box but he comes at a price – a whopping £75m is what Bournemouth value him at, per Sky Sports.

Develop Eric Garcia

An alternative to a January transfer lies in the emergence of City’s teenage prodigy Eric Garcia. The accomplished La Masia graduate may only be 18 but his accomplished trio of first team performances have had City fans drooling over what is to come.

His innate reading of danger and excellent use of the ball has seen him compared to Gerard Pique and though his age unquestionably makes any fast-tracking a significant risk, would he be any less of a gamble than playing the unpredictable Otamendi?

Back three with Kyle Walker

Given the ease at which City cruised past Crystal Palace without fielding a single recognised central defender during a 2-0 win at Selhurst Park last month, it’s unlikely that Guardiola will be feeling compelled to make any drastic changes to his lineup. Fernandinho and Rodri marshalled the defensive unit with genuine authority while simultaneously allowing City to exert a frightening territorial advantage over the hosts.

But Palace’s meek resistance is not what City have to worry about and their most recent fixture against Liverpool laid bare some of their defensive frailties. Perhaps the solution, at least in away fixtures against some of the best sides in the division, is to revert to a system that incorporates three central defenders, with Kyle Walker dropping in to offer his physical prowess and previous experience.

The full-back thrived in a similar role during England’s route to the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup, and his familiarity with what’s required could help Guardiola implement a new system.

Everton are lacking depth in central defence and that is an area in which the club are aiming to strengthen according to Patrick Boyland.With football currently on hold due to the global pandemic, it is difficult to anticipate when the transfer window will reopen for business.However, that has not prevented speculation from rising in recent days.

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Indeed, Boyland recently posted a tweet regarding the Toffees’ plan for the future, revealing the player profile the club are targeting as a matter of priority.

The Athletic journalist claimed that the club will aim to bring a left-sided central defender into the club -Â a profile that they are currently lacking.

Michael Keane, Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate are all naturally right-footed and right-sided defenders, so it’s easy to understand the logic behind the transfer ambition.

Boyland also name-checked Lille’s Gabriel Magalhaes as a player who is high on the shortlist, and a recent report from the Telegraph adds further weight to that claim.

The report suggests that Everton are will compete for Gabriel when the window eventually reopens for business and they are confident of beating both Arsenal and Chelsea to the coveted signature.

The 22-year-old is expected to cost £30m and the Ligue 1 outfit are resigned to losing him.

It may be some time before Marcel Brands can get working on an agreement for Gabriel’s services, but it appears that, whatever happens in the mooted pursuit, the club will be bringing a left-sided centre-back to the club in the not too distant future.

In other Everton news, Danny Mills has suggested that Ancelotti’s presence could help the club pull off a major coup…

Leeds United fans have been left in a frenzy after The Athletic’s Phil Hay delivered a bold statement to Twitter on Friday afternoon.

The ever-reliable Whites reporter lauded Spurs and their new stadium following an article from one of his colleagues, Charlie Eccleshare, and accompanied the praise with a pondering Leeds moving into one of their own.

Elland Road has been the club’s home since forming 100 years ago in 1919 and is the 14th largest stadium in English football, and the third largest outside the top-flight behind the Stadium of Light and Hillsborough.

But given the recent links speculating a possible takeover of the west Yorkshire outfit by PSG powerhouses QSI, and their lofty ambitions to once again be a ‘great’ in the Premier League, are they restricting themselves with their 37,000-odd capacity?

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Supporters have been discussing the matter on social media with many wanting a redevelopment of their current ground rather than moving elsewhere.

Here’s what has been said…

AND in other news, Leeds fans react to Ben White transfer latest…

After being linked with a move away from Old Trafford for the whole of last summer, Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba ended up staying put at the club.

The Frenchman had publicly suggested that he would be open to leaving Manchester, with reports even claiming that the likes of Juventus and Real Madrid were keen to take him away from the Premier League.

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Since then, Pogba has struggled with injuries, keeping him out of action for a number of months – this season has seen him only make eight appearances for the first-team.

Now, The Daily Mirror claim that United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made plans to keep Pogba a key part of the club’s future, and that he’s told him he wants to ” build a midfield partnership with Bruno Fernandes to provide a pathway back to glory for United when football resumes”.

After hearing about the update on Pogba, United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

Some United fans in particular praised Solskjaer for potentially getting Pogba to stay, with one supporter claiming that he would rate him so much more if he could also sign Jadon Sancho too

A Pogba/Fernandes partnership is certainly a mouth-watering prospect.

The duo have yet to take to the field for United just yet, but it is certainly a tantalising thing for fans of the Manchester side to start dreaming about.

If they can keep hold of Pogba this summer, then the Red Devils could boast a formidable midfield duo for next season.

Meanwhile, Man Utd fans discuss a major update on their swoop for Kai Havertz.

A big question asked on Twitter is being debated by a lot of Crystal Palace fans about which one their academy products have had the better career out of Nathaniel Clyne and Victor Moses.

Both have had very successful careers since leaving the club, and even at the Eagles had great spells, but it seems like many believe Moses has done better than Clyne.

It is hard to disagree when you look at what has happened to the two since they left Selhurst Park. After making his debut in 2009, Clyne went on to feature at right-back for the South London side 137 times before moving to Southampton and then Liverpool, where he is in the final year of his contract, per Transfermarkt.

Injuries and the emergence of Trent Alexander-Arnold has meant that the fullback, who also featured for the Three Lions is struggling for game time. He also won the European Super Cup last season but didn’t play, and sadly missed out on the Reds’ Champions League title as he was on loan at Bournemouth.

Moses has enjoyed lots of success, starting off at Palace as a terrifying winger for opposition defences, making 69 appearances, and scoring eleven goals, per Transfermarkt. However when he ended up at Chelsea, after loan spells at West Ham, Liverpool and Wigan, the Nigerian international became a revelation under manager Antonio Conte as a right wing-back, and won the Premier League and the FA Cup as a regular in the team.

He won the Europa League twice with the Blues as well and the transformed defender has also lifted the African Cup of Nations with Nigeria, and it is clear that due to his success that Moses has had the better career.

Both have been great examples of how good the Palace youth academy can be, and fans will be hoping that the club continues to produce fine talent.

Here is what fans had to say following the post:

Palace fans, are you proud with the players that have come out the academy? Comment below!

According to RMC Sport, Lille’s sporting director Luis Campos has made a formal request to leave his position, via @TranSPURS. 

The French outlet claims Campos has asked to be released from his contract after becoming unhappy that he has not been involved with key decisions, amid links to Tottenham Hotspur.

Football reporter Alasdair Gold noted the Portuguese is only employed as a consultant, rather than being tied down to a normal agreement, and the current deal is set to expire in three years time.

The 55-year-old is close with Jose Mourinho, as the two worked together during his compatriot’s stint in charge of Real Madrid, and has recently made it clear he wants to work with an experienced manager again.

Although nothing is guaranteed, The Guardian claimed Spurs were eyeing up Campos as the club’s new director of football back in December, and this latest update may provide Daniel Levy with the boost he needs to make a move.

Predictably, plenty of Spurs fans raved over the “amazing” news, with one supporter tweeting it is a “match made in heaven,” and another cheekily adding “Dybala here we come.”

Scroll through some of the glowing reactions down below…

Tottenham fans, do you think Daniel Levy should bring Luis Campos to North London before the start of next season? Let us know in the comments section!

Shanghai Shenua are open to allowing Odion Ighalo to stay at Manchester United until next January and talks are ongoing over a loan extension, according to Sky Sports via @utdreport. 

Ed Woodward is currently in negotiations with Shanghai to extend Ighalo’s contract, which is set to expire on Sunday.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Sky Sports understands that border restrictions may prevent the forward from returning to China in time for the new season. Furthermore, if he is unable to return, they will have to find a suitable replacement.

This is quite a dramatic U-turn from his parent club’s original stance, after The Times reported they had offered him a new deal worth more than £75m spread over four years.

The Nigerian was initially brought in to cover for injured duo Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial but he has shone up until now, scoring four goals in eight games for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team.

Although the 30-year-old is yet to score in the Premier League this season, his workload will no doubt make him a valuable asset to keep on the bench, as he has averaged 2.7 shots, made two key passes and completed 1.7 dribbles per game on average in the Europa League (WhoScored).

Unsurprisingly, many United fans gushed over Ighalo’s “perfect” transfer update, with one fan tweeting “what a turnaround” in reference to Shanghai’s shock decision and another adding that an extension is a “no brainer” given his performances so far for the club.

Scroll through some of the glowing reactions to the update on the Nigerian:

United fans, do you think the board should sign Odion Ighalo and extend this stay at Old Trafford? Let us know in the comments section!

Noel Whelan believes Lyndon Dykes’ latest comments are a come-and-get-me plea to Glasgow Rangers.

The Gers have been linked with the Australian, who scored nine goals and provided eight assists in 25 Scottish Premiership matches last season. He recently told PLZ Soccer (via BBC Sport) that he believes he could make the grade at a club like the Ibrox outfit, which would indicate that a move away from his current club Livingston is on his mind.

Talking to Football Insider, Whelan believes that he is pleading with the Gers to take him to Glasgow. He said:

“His comments say come and get me to a lot of clubs.

“I am not sure if Livingston will appreciate the comments because he is still a Livingston player.

“You have got to love his confidence and you have got to have that confidence as a striker. You must believe in your own talent.

“He is putting out a come and get me plea to Rangers.

“Livingston did really well last season and they will want to keep hold of him but it is so difficult for the so-called smaller clubs to keep a hold of their ace cards. Dykes will be looked at by other clubs, not just Rangers and Celtic and money talks.”

You have to agree with Whelan – this does seem like Dykes wants a move to the Gers, otherwise why would he have name-dropped them? At this point, you feel it is up to Ross Wilson and Steven Gerrard to make a move for him if they feel he can add something to the squad. Livingston are reportedly looking for £2m for his services.

This could well be a saga that carries on throughout the summer.

Let us know what you think below!