Fernando Llorente is not the most loved player among the Tottenham Hotspur fanbase.
The Spaniard has often disappointed in front of goal when he has been called upon by manager Mauricio Pochettino.
When Llorente signed for the North London outfit from Swansea City last summer, it was clear to everyone – probably also including himself – that he would have little game time.
Harry Kane will not be budged from the first-choice position anytime soon due to his scintillating form, which has earned him 35 goals in all competitions this season.
Llorente has had to settle for just one Premier League start and 13 further appearances off the bench.
Prior to this evening’s FA Cup fifth-round replay against Rochdale at Wembley, the 33-year-old has scored just two goals.
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Not many fans would have expected the striker to be the hero against the League One outfit, but in a VAR-dominated tie, Llorente emerged.
The former Juventus forward netted a hat-trick in 13 minutes, which left the majority of Tottenham supporters stunned.
According to Bild, Hamburger SV will look to sell Pierre-Michel Lasogga at the end of the season if the German club are relegated from the Bundesliga.
Hamburg are currently 17th in the Bundesliga table, and have just nine games to try and save their season.
It has been reported that Hamburg will attempt to sell Lasogga, who is valued at £2.3m by transfermarkt.co.uk, if they drop into the second tier, and the German team believe that Premier League clubs would be interested in signing the striker.
Lasogga has managed 10 goals in 23 Championship appearances for Leeds this season, but it would be fair to say that the 26-year-old has divided opinion for the most part.
It is currently unclear whether Leeds have the chance to make the deal permanent in this summer’s transfer window, but the club’s supporters are doubtful whether the Whites will be able to afford Lasogga’s wages, which are believed to be in the region of £50,000 a week at Hamburg.
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A selection of the Twitter reaction can be found below:
The Arsenal fans haven’t had much to talk about in the Transfer Tavern over the weekend due to their side’s break from action until after the international break on April 1st, so they’ve instead turned their attention towards the summer transfer window.
Arsene Wenger’s side were handed a break from first-team responsibilities last weekend following a hectic few weeks for the club. The Gunners successfully secured their place in the quarter-final of the Europa League last Thursday and were then handed a weekend off due to their lack of representation in the FA Cup. The supporters were keen to assess their rivals who were in action throughout the weekend, especially Manchester United who they are due to face at the end of April.
There wasn’t too much to talk about in the aftermath of United’s clash with Brighton on Saturday night, but our resident Gunners faithful were intrigued by Mourinho’s decision to withdraw Luke Shaw at half-time. In the early stages of 2018 it appeared that the 22-year-old, who is rated at £13.5 million by Transfer Markt, had finally been given an opportunity to prove himself at Old Trafford, but in recent weeks he has found himself playing nothing more than a bit-part role once again.
Shaw’s lack of first-team football will certainly make him a strong candidate to depart United in the summer, especially now that Ashley Young – his main competition for a starting berth – has signed a new contract with The Red Devils according to The Daily Mail. If Shaw does indeed become available, then Arsenal should consider salvaging his career by bringing him to The Emirates to replace Nacho Monreal.
When fit, Monreal has been an ever-present in Arsenal’s defence this year, but at 32-years-of-age it’s only a matter of time before his performances begin to decline. Although he is naturally a left-back, Monreal has played a large portion of the season as a centre-back for the club, which suggests Wenger is already is looking to move him into that position more permanently as his pace begins to decrease.
With that being said, Wenger will need a natural left-back to challenge Kolasinac for a starting berth and to fill the void left by Monreal next season, so he should do everything he can to secure Shaw’s signature. Shaw is crying out for a club who will enable him end his United nightmare and kick-start his stagnating career, and considering the level of potential he possesses, Arsenal would be foolish not to be that club.
Providing fantastic pace, dribbling and energy down the flanks, he’d be the perfect player to join Hector Bellerin on the flanks.
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Tottenham Hotspur will look to cement their top-four spot in the Premier League and increase the gap between them and fifth-place Chelsea when they face the Blues at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Four straight top flight wins have launched the north London outfit into the Champions League qualification spots, with a 4-1 win against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium previously coming despite the fact that they fell 1-0 behind and lost star man Harry Kane to injury in the first half.
The success kept them in fourth position and five points above their opponents this weekend, and they will be hoping to stretch that advantage to eight points with a win in west London, and they will be determined to do so given how they were knocked out Europe’s elite club competition at the last 16 stage by Juventus last month.
Tottenham’s form on the road is certainly one of the reasons why they find themselves where they are – only runaway leaders Manchester City have accrued more than their total of 27 points on their travels this season.
However, the odds are against them when it comes to picking up three points against Antonio Conte’s men when you consider that the last time they won at Stamford Bridge in a league match was in 1990 – two years before the inauguration of the Premier League – while they have only taken one point from a possible 12 on their last four top flight visits there.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino stuck with his trusted 4-2-3-1 system in the 3-0 win against Swansea City in the FA Cup last time out but chose to rest a number of players, and he will be thinking about making more alterations to his XI for this derby in the capital.
Here is how Tottenham must line up against Chelsea, ahead of Hugo Lloris in goal…
Pochettino went with a back five of Michel Vorm, Kieran Trippier, Davinson Sanchez, Jan Vertonghen and Ben Davies, and he should only be making one change against Chelsea.
Hugo Lloris, who made our combined XI of the two clubs ahead of Thibaut Courtois, must come back in between the sticks at Stamford Bridge, while Trippier and Davies must start ahead of Serge Aurier and Danny Rose respectively after establishing themselves as the club’s preferred full-back pairing in the Premier League.
Toby Alderweireld will also be fighting for a spot in the XI after playing 90 minutes for Belgium in their 4-0 friendly win against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, but the failed contract negotiations between him and the club is likely to mean he finds starts hard to come by between now and the end of the campaign unless injury strikes.
Pochettino went with a central midfield duo of Eric Dier and Moussa Sissoko at the Liberty Stadium last time out, with Mousa Dembele rested on the substitutes’ bench and Victor Wanyama not being risked at all by being left out of the 18 altogether.
However, it should be all change in that area at Stamford Bridge with Dembele partnering Wanyama in the middle of the park, with the latter marshalling the back four and trying to ensure that the likes of Eden Hazard and Willian don’t have too much of a say in proceedings.
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With Harry Kane facing a late fitness test that will likely only give him a place on the substitutes’ bench if he passes it – which Spurs fans are hoping is the case – Pochettino has some decisions to make as to who will be his front four at Stamford Bridge.
Son Heung-Min got the nod over Fernando Llorente up top against Swansea and with seven goals in the club’s last five matches he must start against Antonio Conte’s men as well.
Behind him, Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela both made the XI in south Wales with Dele Alli rested on the bench, but Pochettino should bring the England international back into the side against the Blues, and he should be joined by Christian Eriksen while Lamela should start over Lucas after scoring at the Liberty Stadium.
Writing in his column for The Evening Times, former Celtic striker John Hartson believes current captain Scott Brown can play for another half decade despite the fact he is about to turn 33 this summer.
What’s the story?
Brown was again in imperious form against Rangers on Sunday, dominating the midfield alongside Olivier Ntcham and showing he is more than up for the physical challenge that Scottish football offers.
Now, Celtic hero Hartson believes the captain can shine at the Bhoys for years to come.
Writing for The Evening Times, the BT Sport pundit said:
Scott Brown can play for the next four or five years at the top level.
The guy is a fitness fanatic, he is in the best shape of his life and we are seeing a player who is at the peak of his powers right now.
He dominated that game for Celtic on Sunday at Hampden and there was no-one from Rangers who could get near him. Celtic have a couple of guys like Brown who have character and leadership whereas there was just no evidence of that from Rangers.
Can Brown continue to show he is the top dog in Scotland as the club march towards a hallowed ten league titles in a row?
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How long does he have left?
Brown has been at Celtic for so long that this year he is set to be honoured with a testimonial in May, the proceeds of which will go to charity and the family of the late Liam Miller.
He’s been a fantastic servant for the club, winning an incredible 14 major trophies, 11 of which have been lifted when captain of the side.
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Closing in on 500 appearances in total though, Hartson is right, he’s rarely looked as good battling for the Celtic midfield as he does right now and appears to have put the injury problems that blighted his career behind him.
He never tires, plays almost every game to 100% commitment levels and is the beating heart of Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side. He is definitely a player that can continue for years to come, barring major injury.
Tottenham Hotspur failed to win in the English Premier League on Tuesday night, drawing 1-1 away to Brighton & Hove Albion.Given the Seagulls had failed to in five heading into the clash with Spurs, who had only been beaten by Man City recently, many expected last night’s clash to be a comfortable one for Mauricio Pochettino’s men.However, despite taking the lead through Harry Kane, they had to leave Brighton happy with a point after Serge Aurier conceded a penalty which was promptly converted.Fans were left disappointed with the result and overall performance, singling out Aurier for particular criticism after that mistake in the penalty box.[ad_pod ]Many have now had enough with the former PSG man, believing he simply isn’t good enough to play for Spurs as they aim to consistently be towards the top end of the Premier League table.Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his display…
Per The Times, Jose Mourinho is prepared to part with Anthony Martial this summer should the French forward decide he wants to leave Manchester United.
The 22-year-old has impressed in bursts since arriving at Old Trafford from Monaco in summer 2015, bagging 36 goals and 27 assists in 133 appearances, but he’s struggled to hold down a consistent role in the starting XI and has always seemed a poor fit for the United gaffer’s pragmatic philosophy.
So, is the timing right to move Martial on, or could a summer sale come back to haunt the Red Devils? Football FanCast take a look at three potential consequences – some positive, some negative – of United cashing in during the coming transfer window…
Marcus Rashford gets more game time
Although Man United will be saying goodbye to one promising youngster, that should ensure more game-time for another who is probably held in even higher regard by the Old Trafford faithful in the form of Marcus Rashford.
Following Alexis Sanchez’s January arrival, the England international now has two players to fight for a starting berth on the left wing, while Martial is arguably ahead of him in the centre-forward queue as well with Romelu Lukaku currently top of the pecking order.
But selling Martial should afford Rashford far more opportunities, as both a left winger and a centre-forward, and that’s probably a worthwhile sacrifice considering the huge potential the 20-year-old has shown during his short Red Devils career.
While it’s no guarantee of him becoming a top-tier talent, it could be what sees Rashford truly flourish and start competing with Lukaku and Sanchez for a regular starting berth.
Man United strengthen a rival
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There will no doubt be interest in Martial should United look to part with him this summer, and there have already been a number of potential suitors mentioned in the media – including Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur who were mooted by The Telegraph earlier this month.
The last time United allowed a promising young Frenchman to leave the club, they ended up buying him back for a world-record fee and while a return to Old Trafford for Martial seems far less likely, he certainly has the talent to make a similar impact as Paul Pogba at another major club.
After all, while he may lack consistency and suitability to Mourinho’s game-plan, the 22-year-old is clearly a huge talent, one that another club might even feel comfortable building their team around.
To some extent, United can control where Martial ends up next – the further away, the less he can directly hurt them – but whether it’s domestically or in Europe, there’s a strong chance one of United’s rivals will end up benefiting from the 18-cap international moving on.
Mourinho can improve other areas of United’s squad
“We are going to invest the basic to improve our squad. We are going again to touch our squad and believe that more than spend, spend, spend, is probably the evolution of our players. We have some young players that need to get, with both hands, opportunities with their evolution, so let’s see.”
Jose Mourinho made some curious comments about summer spending last weekend, suggesting the Red Devils will try to find other ways of competing with Manchester City than simply dedicating a blank cheque to the transfer market.
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But selling Martial would free up some funds for United and it’s clear this squad has too much value tied up in the wrong areas. Although United have copious options on the left wing, including Martial, they lack the same depth on the opposite flank, while the whole defence could do with some fresh blood. Mourinho’s spent the season relying on two former wingers at full-back, while no centre-back partnership has consistently convinced.
Using the funds Martial brings in – Transfermarkt value him at £45million – would allow Mourinho to remain committed to United’s mission of not spending their way to glory while making much-needed alterations to his squad.
The situation is pretty bad at West Ham United when considering that club captain Mark Noble is getting a lot of stick from the supporters.
The Hammers fans were unhappy with Noble’s comments following the Manchester City defeat last weekend, with the midfielder claiming that there was little that his side could have done due to the brilliance of the Premier League champions.
Noble has said in an interview that the team are desperate to give the travelling supporters something to cheer against Leicester City this weekend.
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However, it would be fair to say that the skipper’s comments have not been well received.
A picture of Noble sitting down was then posted by West Ham’s Twitter account on Friday afternoon, and that invited more jibes from the club’s supporters, who are becoming increasingly frustrated by what is happening at their football club.
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A selection of the Twitter reaction from the West Ham fans in relation to the £50,000-a-week star can be seen below:
According to the Daily Mail, West Ham United assistant manager Stuart Pearce scouted Anderlecht midfielder Leander Dendoncker against Club Brugge last weekend.
The Hammers have been linked with the Belgium international for some time, and it is understood that they have the option to sign him in this summer’s transfer window.
However, the London club are said to be unsure whether Dendoncker is worth £18m, which is the transfer fee that Anderlecht are said to be demanding.
Manchester United were linked with the 23-year-old in last summer’s transfer window, but the midfielder ultimately remained at Anderlecht.
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He has only managed one goal in 42 appearances for Anderlecht this term, but more than held his own in the Champions League.
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The West Ham fans have been offering their views on the latest transfer report, and it would be fair to say that it was a bit of a mixed reaction on social media.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Manchester United need a defensive overhaul after a trophyless season and the Manchester Evening News report that they are moving closer towards a deal for Tottenham centre-half Toby Alderweireld.
After a shaky performance from Phil Jones in the FA Cup final defeat against Chelsea and a season in which Chris Smalling failed to suitably impress England manager to earn a place in the World Cup squad despite the dearth of top centre-backs available, the Belgian’s undoubted quality would be a coup for Mourinho.
However, part of the appeal of signing Alderweireld is his as yet unresolved contract situation in North London, which United would hope to use to engineer a cheaper deal.
It does not appear that will be the case, as the report quotes £55m as the price Spurs want for the out of favour Belgian and that has not gone down well at all with the United fans…