Gareth Southgate has announced his England squad for the Three Lions’ upcoming game against Spain in the UEFA Nations League.

And, unsurprisingly, one player Southgate has decided to call up is Everton’s Jordan Pickford.

Pickford was outstanding for England in their run to the semi-final of this summer’s World Cup and is now undisputedly the Three Lions’ No.1 goalkeeper.

However, it has been a contrast in fortunes for Pickford’s Everton team-mate Theo Walcott, who has again been overlooked by Southgate.

£18m-rated (via Transfermarkt) Walcott missed out on England’s World Cup squad and looks to be far from Southgate’s thinking despite starting the season in good fashion.

The 29-year-old has netted twice in Everton’s first three opening Premier League fixtures and has looked like an overall threat in attack for the Toffees.

With that in mind and delving into Southgate’s complete selection, Walcott may feel hard done-by.

The likes of Liverpool’s Adam Lallana and former Arsenal team-mate Danny Welbeck have made little contribution to their side’s so far this season — especially in comparison to Walcott — and, in this moment of time, the Everton man surely has to be a better bet.

Walcott’s ability to play as a No.9 could also make him a valuable asset to Southgate now that Jamie Vardy has, in essence, announced his retirement from international football. And the implosion that is currently taking place at Manchester United under Jose Mourinho could have implications on Marcus Rashford’s playing time and form.

Quite frankly, Southgate has missed a trick by deciding against calling up Walcott, at a time where the ex-Arsenal man has plenty to offer.

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Liverpool have a strong enough team to challenge on all fronts this season, but there is one man who is struggling to hold on to a position in the squad.

Adam Lallana signed from Southampton in 2014, but in recent seasons, the midfielder has struggled with injury problems.

In the 2017-18 campaign, the England international made just 15 appearances in all competitions.

In the current season, Lallana has featured just once and his fight for a first-team place has taken another setback.

The 30-year-old was called up to the England squad for this week’s international friendlies after missing out on a World Cup place, but he picked up a groin injury during training.

It is unclear how severe the problem is and how long he will be on the sidelines, but it is unlikely that he will be starting for the Reds any time soon.

With that in mind, is it time for Liverpool to close the door and sell Lallana?

Let us know by voting below.

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Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson has revealed his delight that Bailey Peacock-Farrell has retained his first-team spot this season, in comments made to LUTV.

What’s the word?

After signing Jamal Blackman on loan from Chelsea, it was not clear where Bailey Peacock-Farrell would slot into Marcelo Bielsa’s plans at Leeds but the Argentine boss has retained the 21-year-old as his first-choice stopper.

Peacock-Farrell earned his international debut with Northern Ireland last week and has impressed between the sticks for the Peacocks so far, conceding just four goals and keeping three clean sheets in six Championship appearances.

His continued opportunities have delighted former Leeds stopper Paul Robinson, who told LUTV he was delighted to see Bielsa stick with a young goalkeeper that he believes can flourish in the years ahead.

What was said?

“I’m pleased that he’s stuck with Bailey in goal. I like what he did at the end of last year. He was given his chance last year and I’m really, really pleased.

“He brought the lad in from Chelsea but he’s not an obvious number one, but he’s given Bailey the number one shirt. I think he fully deserves it and I’d like to see him flourish.”

Long-term number one?

Peacock-Farrell’s biggest challenge is still to come as he will have to adjust to any negative performances that could affect his rise, which are unfortunately always inevitable for goalkeepers, and Bielsa must monitor that very closely.

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Having Jamal Blackman as competition for his first-team berth this season is crucial to the youngster’s development though as he cannot afford to get too comfortable in his role – and fans can be pleased by the progression he has shown this year.

His three clean sheets have come in the last four Championship matches, which should raise his confidence, and the fact he earned his international debut in the defeat to Bosnia last week is a testament to his rise.

Peacock-Farrell should certainly cherish the positive words said about him by Robinson too, and if he continues his upward curve he can become a club legend like the 38-year-old is, too.

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Following their superb start to the Premier League season, Liverpool fans will be wondering whether this might be the year the club finally wins a Premier League title.

Following the arrivals of Naby Keita, Alisson, Xherdan Shaqiri and Fabinho, Liverpool now have one of the best starting XI’s in the league, if not Europe. Liverpool have class in pretty much every position and so far this season, they’ve shown that they are City’s primary contender.

Despite signing Keita and Fabinho over the summer, Liverpool have apparently made contact with Adrien Rabiot’s agent over a potential move according to ESPN. The French midfielder is in the final year of his contract and has so far rejected all the offers of a new deal from PSG.

The Breakdown

Having progressed from PSG’s youth academy, Rabiot has turned into one of the best young midfielders in Europe.

So far the young Frenchman has been a constant part of Thomas Tuchel’s three-man midfield. He was also a constant part of the PSG side that took the Ligue 1 title off Lyon last season.

Valued at £45 million, the potential of agreeing a pre-contract agreement for the Frenchman to join on a free next summer seems to be too good to be true. Although the club do have Fabinho, Keita, Milner, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain – when he returns – and Lallana, adding someone of Rabiot’s undoubted quality would give Klopp arguably the best side in Europe.

If Liverpool can pull this off, the glory days might just be around the corner.

What do you think Liverpool fans?

Tottenham Hotspur were beaten 2-1 by Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on Saturday in a match that the Reds dominated throughout. A number of Spurs players performed poorly, and Jurgen Klopp’s side could, and probably should, have scored more than they did.In fact, both of the goals that the home side did concede could have been prevented. In goal, Michel Vorm struggled to claim crosses and demonstrated poor handling and, to differing extents, was responsible for both of Liverpool’s goals.[ad_pod ]The ‘keeper, who has been capped fifteen times by the Netherlands, usually plays a back up role to the currently injured Hugo Lloris. Against Liverpool, in the absence of the club’s captain and No. 1, Mauricio Pochettino gave the Dutchman another chance to prove his quality. Vorm was not able to do so and third choice shot-stopper, Paulo Gazzaniga, may now come in for the side’s next game.After the final whistle on Saturday, many Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their frustrations with the underperforming goalie.Â

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Aston Villa signed John McGinn from Hibernian during the summer transfer window, with the midfielder penning a four-year contract at Villa Park.

Villa have had their issues this season, but McGinn has been very impressive.

Indeed, the 23-year-old has managed two assists in seven Championship appearances, and was outstanding in Villa’s 2-0 win over Rotherham United on Tuesday night.

It would be fair to say that McGinn has already made a serious impression on the Villa fans.

And many have been on social media paying tribute to the Scotland international.

It might well be that Villa have to earn promotion to the Premier League in order to keep hold of the 5ft 10in ace, who was also linked with Celtic during the summer.

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Villa picked up a much-needed win over Rotherham during the week, but the majority of the club’s supporters still want head coach Steve Bruce to leave.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Villa fans can be seen below:

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Mateo Kovacic has consistently impressed since his summer loan move from Real Madrid, serving as a partner in midfield for Jorginho to link up with and dictate the flow of Chelsea’s attacking play.

But the Croatian international didn’t give a great account of himself at Anfield in midweek and it appears he hasn’t convinced all Chelsea fans that he’s worthy of holding down a spot in the starting XI for Liverpool’s trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Indeed, with Jorginho and N’Golo Kante almost certain to start every Premier League game they’re available for this season, we asked Blues supporters earlier this week to vote for who should be fielded alongside them against the Reds this weekend.

And while Kovacic still proved the most popular choice with 39% of the vote in our poll, the playmaking midfielder failed to obtain a winning majority. Ross Barkley polled at just 3% less, while Cesc Fabregas took a quarter of the vote.

So, Chelsea fans, with this debate seemingly unresolved, how would you field Maurizio Sarri’s side this weekend? Let us know by commenting below…

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Brighton are plotting a January swoop to land Callum McGregor from Celtic, according to The Scottish Sun.

What’s the word?

After record-breaking campaigns and numerous successes in recent years, Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic have found things more challenging this term and face a fight to retain their title after falling six points behind Hearts.

Keeping the Bhoys squad intact will be crucial to improving in the months ahead but Celtic could be set for a stern battle in the market, as The Scottish Sun states Brighton are eyeing a swoop for midfielder Callum McGregor in January.

McGregor has often gone under the radar compared to his team-mates at Celtic but he has established himself as an important member of Rodgers’ side in recent campaigns, featuring seven times in the league this season.

Should he be sold?

Capable of playing across the midfield, McGregor is the sort of player who is invaluable to a squad fighting across numerous fronts over the course of the season and links to Brighton should be a big concern to Brendan Rodgers.

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No player has appeared more times in the league this season for Celtic and replacing the 25-year-old Scotland international in the mid-season window would prove to be a difficult task for the Scottish champions.

Unlike Moussa Dembele, McGregor would also not hand Celtic a huge lump of cash if he was sold and there is, therefore, no need for the thought to even cross Rodgers’ mind when the window reopens.

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Ross Barkley could have earned legendary status at Everton given that he was a young fan who came through the ranks at Goodison Park.

However, his move to Chelsea last January left a bitter taste in the mouth for a large number of Toffees fans.

The midfielder instigated the switch after spending the first half of the 2017-18 season on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

Since moving to Stamford Bridge, not many Everton supporters have been willing the midfielder to succeed.

It is certainly taking some time for Barkley to find his feet, but he has made eight appearances in all competitions so far under Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri.

Earlier this week, Barkley opened up about his situation while speaking to the media, and some of his comments have not gone down well with Everton fans.

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As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the 24-year-old claimed that he has not been “coached much” over the last few years, which some supporters took as a dig at the Merseyside outfit.

Barkley, who scored 27 goals for Everton, also added that he decided to leave Goodison because the club’s ambitions of becoming a “massive” club “didn’t go that way”.

On Reddit, plenty of Everton supporters let rip at the midfielder.

Comment from discussion Ross Barkley believes he wasn’t ‘coached much’ at Everton.Comment from discussion Ross Barkley believes he wasn’t ‘coached much’ at Everton.Comment from discussion Ross Barkley believes he wasn’t ‘coached much’ at Everton.Comment from discussion Ross Barkley believes he wasn’t ‘coached much’ at Everton.Comment from discussion Ross Barkley believes he wasn’t ‘coached much’ at Everton.Comment from discussion Ross Barkley believes he wasn’t ‘coached much’ at Everton.Comment from discussion Ross Barkley believes he wasn’t ‘coached much’ at Everton.Comment from discussion Ross Barkley believes he wasn’t ‘coached much’ at Everton.Comment from discussion Ross Barkley believes he wasn’t ‘coached much’ at Everton.

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A poor start to the season saw Aston Villa take the decision to be the first club in the English second tier to part ways with their manager, sacking Steve Bruce.

A poor run of form is what cost Bruce his job, after so nearly being the chosen one that got the Claret and Blue side back into the big time last season. Instead, his next attempt saw Villa pick up just 15 points from the opening 11 games, winning just three times.

The final nail in Bruce’s Villa coffin was a 3-3 draw with bottom of the table Preston North End, where the Birmingham side were outplayed at home. Bruce’s night failed to start well, either, when a fan threw a cabbage at the Manchester United legend along with a tirade of abuse.

So, what happens next for the Villans? Football FanCast look at three potential consequences of the change in management at Villa Park…

Thierry Henry gets his managerial debut

Before Villa’s board took the decision to part ways with Bruce, they had publicly backed their man following mounting speculation that Thierry Henry was to take charge in the summer.

But from being “absolutely delighted” when the new owners gave him their backing to a run of form that has left them seven points adrift of joint-top Leeds United and Middlesbrough, the tables turned on Bruce and Henry is once again in the frame for the job.

The Arsenal icon that turned down Bordeaux in the summer returns to the list of potential suitors. Other possible candidates include Dean Smith and Paulo Fonseca, while John Terry is also being tipped for a potential return having captained Bruce’s side to the Championship play-off final.

The possibility of Henry taking over would mean the French World Cup winner would be getting his first taste of being a manager.

Henry would likely bring a taste for the attack to Villa Park, having been one of the top strikers in Europe and one that played in flowing, offensive sides, bringing his own adaptation of Wenger-ball to the West Midlands.

To round off the coaching set-up, Terry has been rumoured to follow up his recent retirement as a player to be a part of Henry’s dugout staff. Terry captained Villa to Wembley last year but left in the summer when his one-year deal expired and has since hung up his boots.

Bringing the talent from paper to pitch

Aston Villa’s squad is on paper a talented group, with Jack Grealish a Premier League target in the summer for Tottenham Hotspur before signing a new five-year deal with Villa.

Getting Grealish and the rest of the team firing again on all cylinders must be the key priority for whoever gets the job, with the 23-year-old yet to score in any of his 12 Championship appearances this season and only setting up a single goal.

Micah Richards may also be in line to be brought in from the cold as the new boss look to add experience to the side in their quest to get results.

Richards, now 30, has played just two games for Aston Villa since the start of the 2016/17 season following his part in the club’s relegation from the Premier League.

Drawing on the experience of a player who has simply been a drain of the club’s finances will certainly help put the player back in the shop window if nothing else.

Changing Villa’s fortunes

Aston Villa have been in a sorry state ever since losing out on Premier League promotion at the hands of Fulham. With Bruce gone, and a new man coming soon, Aston Villa can look to change the club’s fortunes and re-establish itself amongst the league’s big hitters as it looks to turn the tides and fight for promotion.

The Championship has often been an unpredictable league with form sides slipping and surging all the time, and Villa fans will be hoping their team will be climbing rather than sliding.

Should Henry and Terry come on board as a coaching double act, expect to see Henry look to reignite the fire in the bellies of the offence and Terry sure up the backline that has kept one clean sheet in the league.

An immediate target for the new gaffer will be to rival what Leeds United have been able to do under its new boss Marcelo Biesla.

Biesla joined Leeds in the summer and brought a fresh spark to the club with a radical approach that has proved successful so far as the Whites sit joint top of the table.

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