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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…

Moha Ramos signed for Birmingham City this summer on a season-long loan from Real Madrid, but has so far failed to make his first team debut.

Given that both number one Lee Camp and backup David Stockdale’s contracts expire at the end of the season, however, Pep Clotet needs to set aside some time for Ramos to get games with the first team to see if he can cut it in English football.

Whilst the next opportunity to really ‘experiment’ with the team will come in the FA Cup Third Round during early January, that is still only a one-off game. There will have to come a point in the season when Clotet finds out whether or not he is good enough to make a run at things in the first team.

There have been a few mistakes creeping into Camp’s game recently, like against Derby County and Wigan Athletic, and whilst Clotet might seem eager to stick with him for the foreseeable future, if those mistakes are going to be a continuous thing going forward, then the manager’s hand may be forced to make a change anyway.

“Lee Camp spoke to the lads and everyone supports him, we are a team, we know inside the dressing room we are a team when we win and a team when we lose.”

Clotet after Camp’s mistake against Wigan

Should that day come, then Ramos should be the first person that Clotet goes to. As he’s only on loan, it would be a shame to see his time wasted in the U23 team without Blues fans getting a potential look.

Given that Ramos is the only goalkeeper Clotet has signed during his time as boss at St Andrew’s, and there haven’t been talks about new contracts for Camp and Stockdale, it seems pretty clear that there is the opportunity for him to take the number one jersey going into next season, or at the very least the role of chief understudy.

The only question is whether he’ll be able to take it, but Clotet won’t find out unless he affords the 19-year-old chances to impress throughout this campaign.

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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… 

West Brom continued their unbeaten run in the Championship with a 4-2 victory over league strugglers Huddersfield last Sunday.

The Terriers, who sit second from bottom, gave Slaven Bilic’s men a scare on the odd occasion by taking the lead twice.

But anyone who has followed the west Midlands club this season knows their ability to turn things around – it’s now 15pts from 16 that have been gained from a losing position.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A change at half-time saw Filip Krovinovic, starting his first league game since the 1-1 draw at Derby County last month, replaced by West Ham loanee Grady Diangana, who changed the course of the match entirely.

His two assists helped Albion fire three past Huddersfield without reply, having been 2-1 down at half-time.

And the first-half showing from the Croatian playmaker only showed why he had been cut from the starting XI in recent times and why he shouldn’t start this weekend.

On the Chalkboard

Krovinovic was swapped in the lineup by Matheus Pereira, earning his first start, for their next match against Blackburn Rovers and the Sporting Lisbon man assisted two of their three goals – highlighting how he could become a surprising option in the number ten role.

He moved centrally after the introduction of Diangana, and that’s when West Brom’s fortunes changed, allowing the young winger to thrive out on the wing. Pereira also impressed, and he assisted the fourth and final goal of the match.

Remember the ‘golden goal’ rule? Find out why some fans want it back in the video below…

The man he replaced was poor in the first half last weekend, recording a rating of just 5.96 after failing to register any key passes or dribbles.

That is undoubtedly the last we will see of him for the foreseeable future in that position as the Brazilian proved again just how good he is central, as mentioned above.

Bilic clearly saw that he was the issue in midfield and made a change as a result and it paid off as the Baggies came out on top in a 4-2 victory.

It just means that his Croatian counterpart faces the tough task of trying to get back into the side going forward.

This was a big opportunity for Krovinovic to stake his claim after being left out for a few weeks but he did himself no favours ahead of their next outing.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Even when Leeds lose or drop points, the Whites seem to have someone that continues to deliver on a consistent basis.

One of them is Kalvin Phillips, who recently earned a new deal at Elland Road, while Ben White is the other.

He has been a pillar of solidity, a player who has more than made up for the absence of Pontus Jansson.

The Swede left behind a colossal void during the off-season. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year for 2018/19 but left for pastures new as White was his replacement.

Concerns still lie at set-pieces, where Leeds have conceded three of their five Championship strikes, but White has still looked composed and was again one of their best players on Saturday.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

For one of the first times this term, Marcelo Bielsa’s men conceded relatively early – something that’s become somewhat of a rarity after late goals versus Derby, Swansea and Nottingham Forest.

Therefore, a different test presented itself, one where the Whites had to come back.

They ultimately failed to do that but it didn’t stop White from turning in another outstanding display.

Leeds weren’t exactly under the cosh but even during concerning times for Bielsa, the 21-year-old is his bridge over troubled water.

He continues to be the positive and someone that could well help Leeds to promotion, certainly if he carries on in the way he has been.

He won the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month for August and has won a mighty 3.6 interceptions per game.

That was one of his weakest aspects against Charlton, achieving just two, but he was imperious in the tackle and strong in the air – winning ten duels over the two combined.

In terms of successful challenges, he made just one less than the rest of the defence put together while only skipper Liam Cooper won more headed duels.

The Scot offered a sense of perspective after the game, claiming that this defeat wouldn’t define their season.

He is quite right too, especially with someone like White at the back.

[ad_pod ]Alfie McCalmont has had quite the start to the 2019/20 season.Only a matter of weeks ago he’d never played a senior match for Leeds. However, after earning his debut against Salford in the Carabao Cup, he’s now been capped for Northern Ireland too.McCalmont was initially in the U21 squad ahead of the international break but then got his chance with the senior squad instead.He came on as a substitute during their encounter with Luxembourg.Consequently, he was the topic of discussion among Leeds fans who took to Twitter to throw support towards the 19-year-old.One fan muttered that the Whites needed to sort out his contract quick as another said this season would be a big one for the midfielder.A further individual hailed him a calming influence whilst McCalmont was also described as tidy.

The promising youngster played in a role not too dissimilar to Kalvin Phillips and has featured twice for Marcelo Bielsa’s side this term.

He came on in the opening round of the League Cup and then started against Stoke in the same competition.

Here’s some of the reaction to his debut.

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[ad_pod ]Many Leeds United supporters will take any opportunity to get one over on Manchester United, and luckily for the Elland Road faithful, they’ve been gifted a chance to gloat by one of the long-standing symbols of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.Indeed, Gary Neville named his performance against Leeds in the FA Cup in 2010 as his worst ever individual display, calling it embarrassing.

United fans will love reading this from the Sky Sports pundit.

The former England international hasn’t been coy about the fact he hates Leeds United throughout his career, so for him to still be haunted by the 1-0 loss nine years ago will certainly satisfy a few members of the fanbase.

Of course, not a single Whites supporter will have forgotten that day. Jermaine Beckford scored the only goal of the game as the then League One side eliminated the reigning Premier League champions.

Neville clearly still has bad memories from that game, and that will cause a certain amount of smugness in Yorkshire.

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Whilst some clubs would absolutely love to bring in a striker like Charlie Austin, Aston Villa fans are all desperate to steer clear of the 29-year-old. The Telegraph has run a story that claims the striker could leave Southampton this month, and despite his Championship pedigree, the Villains want to miss out on this one.

In his career, Charlie Austin has proven to be a brilliant goalscorer at Championship level. In his time at both Burnley and QPR his lowest goal tally in a full season is 16 goals, which he managed in the 2011/12 season with the Clarets. However, whether he’s what’s needed at Villa Park is another question as entirely, as they already have the likes of JonathanÂKodjia and Tammy Abraham scoring the goals.

Instead, the Villains would rather go for a young player for the future who is preferably a defender. The fact that they already have goals flowing freely is brilliant, but stopping them at the other end is something that they’ve struggled with. Whilst Austin is no doubt a brilliant player, he wouldn’t be much use to Dean Smith as the Villa gaffer looks to tighten up his backline.

You can read the Villains’ verdict on Austin here:

The Villains are all in agreement that Austin is not what they need, although they’ll be keen to see maybe one more player come in before the end of the window.

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Yannick Bolasie has joined Sporting Lisbon on a temporary basis until the end of the season in what is his third loan spell since joining Everton.

The winger arrived at Goodison Park in 2016 but suffered a ruptured ACL injury which ruled him out for a year, and in his 32 games for the club he has failed to reach the same heights as he did with Crystal Palace in terms of goals and assists.

As a result, many Everton fans are happy to see him leave and don’t envision a future for him at the club, particularly with Alex Iwobi signing in the summer and beginning well, with two goals in two starts.

The 30-year-old will also be pleased at finalising a move, having taken to social media to suggest people were “playing with” his career, and he will know that the year abroad gives him a chance to play regularly and earn a contract, with his deal with the Toffees expiring next summer.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

As shown in the reactions below, some Everton fans are pleased to see him leave, and hope not to see him again.

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According to Portuguese television broadcaster SIC Noticias TV, as relayed by O Jogo, Sport Witness and Goal Point, there has been a big transfer update out of Tottenham involving FC Porto forward Luis Diaz.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing frontmen…

As explained by reliable sources, Tottenham transfer chief Fabio Paratici and manager Antonio Conte have their eyes on new forward additions this January transfer window.

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Indeed, the likes of Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic and Paris-Saint Germain star Mauro Icardi have been linked in recent months as well as more obscure names like Genk striker Paul Onuachu.

It is believed that a striker is among Conte’s priority signings for Spurs as he seeks an alternative to star frontman Harry Kane, with broadcast network SIC Noticias now sharing a big development in their hunt.

The Latest: Spurs table bid…

According to the Portuguese broadcaster, as relayed by O Jogo, Sport Witness and Goal Point, Tottenham have tabled a €60 million (£50.1m) offer to sign Porto star Diaz.

Indeed, this is apparently the only ‘formal offer’ they have received so far for their attacker, with the club swiftly rejecting Paratici’s advances.

If the Primeira Liga giants are to consider selling Diaz, it is claimed that it will take a bid closer to the player’s €80million (£66.8m) release clause to reach an agreement.

The Verdict: Big claim…

Diaz is turning heads all over Europe with his sensational form for Porto this season, attracting serious interest from the Premier League also as Liverpool are repeatedly linked.

It’s not hard to see why Tottenham have taken a serious interest either as they allegedly make an offer.

According to WhoScored, he’s outscored every Spurs player in terms of league strikes so far this season – finding the net 12 times for Porto whilst averaging an impressive 3.1 attempts per 90.

This is more than any Lilywhites man, including the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min (WhoScored), with Diaz’s teammate, Sergio Oliveira, calling him ‘extraordinary’.

It’s little wonder the Colombian is a sought-after player, but it appears Tottenham will have to smash their transfer record if they wish to seal a sensational January move.

In other news: Tottenham ‘working strongly’ for ‘phenomenal signing’ as reporter drops Twitter claim, find out more here.

Newcastle United grabbed themselves a vital 1-0 win at Leeds United on Saturday afternoon in their fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Jonjo Shelvey scored from a free kick in the second half in the only goal of the game after the visitors were left under the cosh at times, with the Whites dominating possession.

As such, some Magpies players struggled more than others, as The Transfer Tavern uses statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who Newcastle’s three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were on the day:

Ryan Fraser (6.8)

Admittedly tied with Jamaal Lascelles in terms of rating (6.8), Fraser ranks third here because he played the whole match, whereas the captain was substituted midway through the second half.

The Scotland international never managed a shot on target, successful dribble or key pass, while he was also inaccurate with three of his four crosses.

He also lost the ball 12 times and managed just 33 touches in total, highlighting his lack of impact at Elland Road.

Sean Longstaff (6.7)

Coming on as a substitute in the first half for the injured Joelinton, Longstaff was given a 6.7 rating.

The 24-year-old midfielder lost four duels and failed to record a single shot on target, dribble or key pass, losing possession nine times in total. Like Fraser, he also managed only 33 touches in the entire game.

Joe Willock (6.3)

Willock was ranked as Newcastle’s worst player on the day, as he was given a 6.3 rating.

The former Arsenal ace lost seven of his duels and was unsuccessful with his two shots and three of his dribble attempts, while he also gave the ball away 13 times.

He only managed 42 touches and was described as ‘anonymous’ by Daily Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards, along with Fraser.

In other news, find out what big NUFC transfer update has been dropped

It’s Christmas Day which means 2022 is soon on the horizon. And with the New Year comes a new transfer window.

Leeds United will surely be active given their struggles since the start of the season.

Injuries have crippled Marcelo Bielsa’s playing squad and the Yorkshire giants have found themselves sat in 15th place, just five points above the relegation zone and are at risk of being pulled into a relegation dogfight.

Second-season syndrome, perhaps?

The Whites notoriously do not operate much in the winter when it comes to transfers but you’d imagine that changes next month. It’s unlikely they spend big, though can you get 100% right in this quiz about Leeds’ most expensive signings?

Do you know your Rio Ferdinand from your Raphinha?

So sit back, enjoy your Christmas dinner and take on this not-so-very festive transfer quiz from us here at Football FanCast.

If you think you’re a die-hard Leeds fan, then you should have no trouble getting all of these right…