Tottenham Hotspur fans want Mauricio Pochettino to leave the club after their 1-1 draw with Watford on Saturday.
Spurs turned in yet another abject display against the Hornets and needed an 86th-minute equaliser from Dele Alli to earn a point against the team currently bottom of the Premier League.
Watford, indeed, have yet to win this season and were of course thumped 8-0 by Manchester City prior to the international break.
Pochettino’s side have been in dire form in recent months though, and have won just one of their last six outings in all competitions, a 2-1 victory over Southampton. That run includes a defeat by Colchester United, on penalties, a 7-2 thumping at the hands of Bayern Munich and a 3-0 loss at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Their latest poor performance comes ahead of a difficult run of games that will see Spurs play Red Star Belgrade twice, as well as Liverpool and Everton away from home.
And a selection of supporters have seen enough to believe that Pochettino should leave the club, be it via his sacking or his resignation.
In today’s Tottenham Hotspur roundup, we take a look at what news has been doing the rounds for the Lilywhites. Manchester United are set to try and steal Mauricio Pochettino away from the club, Noel Whelan believes James Maddison can replace Christian Eriksen, and former Spurs man Jamie O’Hara thinks his old side are becoming like Arsenal.
United target Poch
Report: According to The Sun, United are ready to meet Spurs’ £32m buyout clause for the 47-year-old manager, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continues to struggle reviving the Manchester club.
Verdict: The Argentine has become one of the most wanted managers around with Spanish giants Real Madrid also reportedly seeking his signature.
It is, of course, no surprise to see him so highly rated by the super clubs of Europe. After all, Pochettino has helped transform Spurs from a team challenging for a Europa League spot into Premier League contenders and Champions League finalists.
As for Spurs, it is hard to see where they will go post-Pochettino. Indeed, legendary coach Max Allegri has reportedly been ready to take the job, but transforming his title-winning days at Juventus to Spurs is a whole different kind of tough.
However, anybody who gets a hold of Pochettino would be getting a manager who could still be set to dedicate the next 20+ years of his life to the game and a man who is already amongst the elites of the sport. It is for this reason, Spurs should think carefully before letting him go.
Maddison the ‘perfect replacement’ for Eriksen
Soccer Football – Premier League – Leicester City v Arsenal – King Power Stadium, Leicester, Britain – April 28, 2019 Leicester City’s James Maddison gestures REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for fu
Report: Former Leeds United man Noel Whelan has told Football Insider that Maddison would be the ‘perfect replacement’ for Eriksen, with the Denmark international’s future still hanging in the balance. Whelan said: “James Maddison is good enough to replace Eriksen, absolutely. I saw him when he was breaking through at Coventry and Norwich, and he is a great player.
“He’s now part of the England set-up and you can see why – he’s technically excellent, quick-thinking, has a great passing range and hurts teams with his creativity.
“He’s a real gem who would be the perfect Eriksen replacement. The problem for Tottenham is there will be plenty of competition for his signature. You can see Liverpool, Man City, all the big boys wanting him.”
Verdict: Maddison has been one of the many breakout English stars over the last few years, becoming one of Leicester City’s best players, as they set their eyes on breaking down the barrier of the top six.
The 22-year-old scored against Spurs recently, netting a sublime strike from distance to hand the Foxes all three points. Throughout this season, Maddison has averaged a rating of 7.42 and also added two assists to his increasingly impressive resume. Subsequently, he has attracted much attention from English football’s giants, such as Manchester United.
It does eventually look like Eriksen will depart Spurs. His contract is due to run out at the end of the season, with no signs of a renewal over the horizon, as Real Madrid continues to loom. If the 27-year-old is to leave, Maddison would no doubt be a great replacement, not just for now, but long term.
Spurs becoming like Arsenal, suggests O’Hara
Soccer Football – Carabao Cup – Third Round – Colchester United v Tottenham Hotspur – JobServe Community Stadium, Colchester, Britain – September 24, 2019 Tottenham Hotspur’s Christian Eriksen reacts after losing the penalty shootout REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publicati
Report: Former Tottenham man O’Hara has suggested the club are becoming like their north London rivals, after letting valuable players run down their contracts. He told talkSPORT: “I think that is the biggest problem Spurs have got. You’ve got Vertonghen, Alderweireld and Eriksen who are going to leave; they are going to go for nothing and might even go in January if Tottenham feel they need to get rid of them and make some money.
“That is a big problem. I’m so surprised that we’ve allowed this to happen because, truthfully, this doesn’t happen at Tottenham.
“Knowing Daniel and how he works, he will always give an extension and add another extension two years down the line so you’ve always got these players, because they are assets to the football club.
“You are losing three huge assets for your football club who could truthfully fetch you, in the right market, £100million.
“I gave Arsenal a load of stick for this when they let Ramsey go and let others go for nothing, thinking how can they let these players’ contracts run out? But now Tottenham are about to let three of their biggest players go for nothing. It’s crazy!”
Verdict: During the summer, despite a lot of interest, Spurs managed to keep hold of Eriksen and centre-backs Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, who were linked with Bayer Leverkusen and Roma respectively. Still, reports are appearing very often, suggesting that Eriksen is set to move at the end of the season.
To let players leave on a free is never a good idea. Clubs lose money, as well as sometimes losing valuable assets to the team. In this case, Spurs could lose out on millions for the three aforementioned players, whilst also losing some of their best talents from years gone by.
Pochettino must do what he can to either tie these players down or cash in on them quickly.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
German football expert Kevin Hatchard has tipped Liverpool to be involved in the race for Jadon Sancho, per The Liverpool Echo.
What’s the story?
The Echo grilled Hatchard about the futures of Kai Havertz and Sancho in the Blood Red Podcast, and he anointed Havertz one of the most exciting prospects in Europe – Reds fans were begging to sign the German after his international display this week.
His comments on Sancho may really appeal to the Anfield faithful though, as he revealed that Borussia Dortmund know they won’t be able to hang on to the England international long-term.
He said: “Hans-Joachim Watzke, who’s the CEO, has already indicated that they don’t think they can keep Sancho in the long-term.
“So, if the money was right and Sancho was willing to come back to the Premier League I would expect Liverpool to be in that market.”
The perfect signing?
Hatchard went on to say that the difficulty for Liverpool will be convincing Sancho to join a club where he would undoubtedly begin as second-choice behind Mohamed Salah.
However, Sancho, valued at a whopping £90m by Transfermarkt, has played on both wings throughout his career, racking up no less than 55 appearances on the left and 48 on the right.
Jurgen Klopp rarely rotates his front three, but perhaps that is simply because the drop-off in quality is too big when the stakes are currently so high?
With Sancho, the Reds could comfortably compete on four fronts, knowing that they do not have to pray Xherdan Shaqiri or Divock Origi will step up to the plate every time Salah or Sadio Mane need a rest, but can instead turn to one of the most highly-rated prospects in world football – Sancho was ranked number one in NxGn’s top 50 wonderkids list.
With 18 goals and 30 assists in 66 games for Dortmund, there is no question the teenage sensation would be a big upgrade on Shaqiri and Origi, and by the time Salah and Mane hit their thirties he will be approaching his prime and ready to take up the mantle.
In one of the biggest deals of the summer, Arsenal fended off competition from European rivals to land the signing of Lille winger Nicolas Pepe.
The Ivory Coast international enjoyed a sparkling campaign in Ligue 1 by netting 22 league goals, and there was understandable excitement at the Emirates for pulling off the club-record £72m deal.
At Manchester United, the Red Devils were making shrewd business moves, with Daniel James arriving in a £15m deal from Championship side Swansea.
The Welshman has bagged himself three goals in his opening five appearances, whilst Pepe has yet to find the back of the net for his new employers.
After seeing the stat between the two, United fans flooded to Twitter to reveal their glee at seeing their man outshine Arsenal’s big-money arrival.
Many supporters of the Manchester side basked in James’ glory, and insisted they got the better of the two deals.
Some Red Devils fans insisted the stat showed “talent is everything” and “not the market price”.
Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:
This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Real Madrid had a great weekend.
They ran out 1-0 winners over Sevilla, a result worth celebrating, but Casemiro will have to be on top of his game if they are to follow that up with another three points against Osasuna.
On the chalkboard
The Galacticos travelled to Andalusia and faced a red-hot Sevilla last weekend in a venue that has been unkind to them over the years.
Indeed, Real hadn’t won at the ground since 2014/15, but Zinedine Zidane’s troops prevailed and grabbed all three points thanks to a 1-0 victory on the night.
The biggest takeaway from the Sevilla game, however, was the clean sheet – the first one they managed to keep in the ongoing 2019/20 La Liga campaign.
Replicating the same result at Santiago Bernabeu against Villarreal, though, will be key as Real look to keep their good form going.
With that in mind, one player who might play a key role in Los Blancos actually achieving that could be the 27-year-old Brazilian star, Casemiro.
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The midfield battle
Casemiro has been a regular presence in Real Madrid’s midfield for years now and as the team’s only natural defensive-midfielder at the moment, a lot of the work just might fall on his shoulders.
Zidane has been no doubt doing his research on Osasuna and Roberto Torres definitely stands out as one of their best performers.
Seeing how the 30-year-old is an attacking midfielder by trade, he is likely to find himself battling with Casemiro for supremacy.
So far, Torres has scored two goals and assisted one in the five La Liga games he has played and has tallied 3.8 shots, two key passes and 1.6 crosses per game. Casemiro can follow that up with three tackles, two interceptions and 1.8 clearances per game.
The Brazilian is also a better passer of the ball, registering 88.7% passing accuracy as opposed to Torres’ average of 72.2%. Casemiro is also not afraid of a tactical foul or two when needed as he has registered two fouls per game so far, and his counterpart has been fouled 1.6 times per game in La Liga.
If these stats are any indication, we might be seeing a fierce battle in the middle of the park and whoever ends up victorious just might propel their team to all three points.
Torres has already caused a lot of trouble for Barcelona – he scored twice against the Catalans on matchday three in Osasuna’s 2-2 draw with the Blaugrana.
Will he be the main protagonist at the Santiago Bernabeu as well?
According to The Evening Standard, Tottenham left-back Danny Rose has dismissed accusations that Tottenham are mentally weak, after they crashed out of the League Cup semi-final to Chelsea on penalties.
Tottenham, ravaged by injuries, held a slender 1-0 lead going into the second leg at Stamford Bridge, but that was erased by half time, as Chelsea led 2-0 at the break. However, a goal from Fernando Llorente made the scores level on aggregate, forcing the game to penalties. A miss from Eric Dier and a saved penalty from Lucas Moura meant Chelsea progressed to face Man City in the final in February.
Inevitably, the rhetoric surrounding Tottenham being bottle-jobs will emerge, as, after all, that was their third semi-final they have lost in a row, and the fifth in their last six.
However, since their first leg fixture, Spurs have lost Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Son Heung-min, as well as losing Ben Davies and Mousa Sissoko during the match. They have been ravaged by injuries and faced a Herculean task to get through. Furthermore, after going 2-0 down and being resoundingly outplayed during the first half, their task looked even greater.
To come back from the position that they were in is an indication that Spurs may slowly be losing their reputation of being bottlers. Of course, they did lose, but given the position that they were in, to force the game to penalties was a very impressive effort. What’s more is that they actually had a number of chances to win through Llorente and Moura.
Mauricio Pochettino will still hope that his side get over the hurdle of the semi-final the next time it arises, but this performance, more than most in the past, actually offers Spurs some positives.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Liverpool are monitoring Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze, according to Goal.
What’s the latest?
The Reds are believed to have sent scouts over to Spain to watch the 20-year-old in action, after he caught the eye having become a first-team regular last season.
He has maintained his place in the side at the start of the current campaign, too, and so far the winger has one goal in three La Liga games, adding to the five goals and two assists he got from 26 league matches in 2018/19.
Adrian was the only senior player to arrive at Anfield over the summer, leaving Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri as the club’s only experienced back-up options in the forward positions.
That could suggest that Jurgen Klopp is eager to add Chukwueze to the squad, but will first cast an eye over his performances to determine whether he will an effective addition.
Perhaps too early
Whilst the winger has done well to break into Villarreal’s side at an early age, his inconsistent performances – as highlighted by his goals and assists record – suggests he is not yet the finished article.
As a result, if he was to join Liverpool in the next transfer window he may struggle to make an impact, and certainly wouldn’t trouble players like Mo Salah or Sadio Mane for a first-team place.
If he found game time limited it could affect his development and it would therefore be a risk to bring him in now.
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Instead, the Reds should bide their time, keep tabs on him as they have so far, and if he develops into a more productive and consistent player they could then make a move for him.
Mane, Salah and Roberto Firmino arrived at Anfield when they were aged 24, 25 and 23 respectively, and have begun to hit their best form at the age of 26/27, which suggests the young Nigerian should be granted more time to develop given he is only 20 years of age.
Phil Hay has been reacting to Leeds United’s £15m bid for RB Salzburg attacking midfielder Brenden Aaronson.
The Lowdown: Aaronson links
Victor Orta has been busy when it comes to possible additions at Elland Road this month, with a defensive and attacking midfielder on the radar.
Multiple players have been linked with a move to Yorkshire, including Aaronson, who has contributed to 22 goals in 51 Salzburg appearances.
Reports over the festive period claimed that a move to Marcelo Bielsa’s side was unlikely due to Salzburg’s qualification to the last 16 of the Champions League, but that hasn’t stopped Leeds from launching a formal offer.
The Latest: Official bid; Hay reacts
Hay shared news of Leeds’ £15m bid for Aaronson on Twitter on Tuesday evening.
Unfortunately, the Austrian side have turned down the Whites’ opening offer, however, Leeds are intent on signing the American before the end of the month.
He then added his own personal view regarding Aaronson, saying:
“Like the sound of this one if it happens. Good age, operating at a high level already, playing in an area where Leeds need more resources.”
The Verdict: Exciting times
Leeds are yet to make a permanent central midfield addition with Bielsa in charge, but it seems as if that may finally change over the coming weeks.
As Hay mentions, Aaronson is already playing at a high level and has Champions League and international experience under his belt at the age of 21.
You’d expect that a swoop for the Salzburg man could benefit the club in both the short and long term. Should he arrive, he’d provide Bielsa with a much-needed attacking midfield option for the second half of the season, something Leeds currently don’t have.
And, should he continue his impressive form in Yorkshire, Leeds would most likely be in line to make a huge profit further down the line.
In other news: ‘Leeds have also’ – Journalist shares more transfer news after Aaronson bid.
Tottenham Hotspur are leading the race to sign Memphis Depay this summer…
What’s the word?
That’s according to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, who claim that several Premier League teams are eyeing up an English return for the Dutch international after slipping down the pecking order under Xavi at Barcelona, despite being their top goalscorer on ten goals.
Spurs are thought to top the list of potential top-flight suitors and are said to be interested in signing him. The report even goes as far as suggesting that a bid has been made.
French outfit Lyon, who he left to join the Nou Camp giants on a free transfer, are keen to bring him back, whilst there are plenty of Italian teams also interested, including AC Milan, Inter and Juventus.
It remains to be seen how much it would take to entice the Catalan side into a sale, though CIES Football Observatory currently value him in the region of €50m (£42m).
Conte’s next talisman?
Tottenham being on the lookout for another striker should surprise no one as manager Antonio Conte does not have sufficient options in his attacking department – it’s really only Harry Kane.
And if you look at the success he’s had more recently, with Inter, you’ll see that his tactical system was on the basis of two strikers being deployed in tandem.
One of which being Romelu Lukaku and the other being Lautaro Martinez.
There are some parallels to be drawn between the latter and Depay, so it’s a foreseeable situation that the Barca outcast could pair up with the England skipper to form a similar partnership in north London.
Once described as a “special talent” by Marco van Basten, the 28-year-old has earned a very respectable goalscoring record over the course of his career.
Now behind the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ferran Torres and Ousmane Dembele, he still leads the squad on 20 appearances, in which just 15 have been starts.
Back in Lyon, the former Manchester United ace provided 76 goals and 55 assists in 178 appearances, which included a career-best of 20 in the season prior to his departure, as per Transfermarkt.
Just like Martinez, Depay stands at 5 foot 9 and can act as the smaller forward that plays off a Lukaku, or in this case, a Kane. If anything, the Spurs striker’s ability to drop deep and be just as effective will only benefit the 28-year-old, should he make the move to N17.
In the search for a new frontman, sporting director Fabio Paratici could do little wrong in signing Depay this summer. He could well become Conte’s next Martinez at Spurs next season.
AND in other news, £68m down the drain: Spurs dud has stolen a living for over 130 weeks, he must be sold…
Celtic must ruthlessly axe Ismaila Soro in the January transfer window amid a recent update on his future…
What’s the story?
According to The Scottish Sun, the midfielder has emerged as a transfer target for MLS outfit New York Red Bulls, with the Hoops prepared to let him leave on either a loan or a permanent deal.
The report added that they are one of several American clubs interested in landing the Ivorian, and that having fallen out of favour under Ange Postecoglou, he is inching towards an exit from Parkhead.
Time for Soro to go
Dubbed as a player with “explosive power” by his former coach Ori Guttman, comparisons with Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante were also made as some tipped him to become a real star.
Guttman added: “Now he reminds me of N’Golo Kante at Chelsea. Kante maybe doesn’t look like he’s strong, but he is. He wins most duels and tackles. Soro does the same and wins the battles too.
“Both are good at dribbling with the ball. Neither of them score a lot of goals. They need creative guys alongside them in midfield, so they are alike in that way.”
Quite frankly, though, Soro hasn’t lived up to that potential. If anything, he has become somewhat of a liability with his tendency to fly into dangerous and ill-timed tackles – in fact, as per WhoScored, in the Scottish Premiership this season, the midfielder is actually making more fouls per game than successful tackles.
Also, his average match rating of 6.34 is the worst of any Celtic player who has featured more than five times this campaign in the league – a real indication of just how much his performances have fallen, and why selling him could be the right call.
It’s a potential decision which has also previously been backed by Celtic podcaster Patrick McGilp, who said just last month: “I think he’s one that you can try and move on.
“I would move Soro on, try and get something permanent if you can. I’m not too sure about a loan, because I’m talking about how many options we have, but you just never know when an injury crisis is going to hit. So if we can’t sell him, I would just keep him around the place, but if you can get money for him, I’d move him on.”
While at 23 he still has the time to grow and develop, he hasn’t shown enough to suggest that he will do so at Celtic; and even though it may be a ruthless call to get rid of him, it’s perhaps best for both parties to part ways.
The £12.5k-a-week earner simply needs to be moved on.
Meanwhile, Celtic are plotting a January swoop for this forward…