[ad_pod ]

Spurs host Arsenal on Saturday where they will be hoping to make a big improvement on performance standards having lost to both Burnley and Chelsea in their last two games, but it seems they may have to take on their bitter rivals without Jan Vertonghen and Harry Winks.

The pair have been two of Spurs’ most consistent players this season but both are doubts for the north London derby due to injuries and will be assessed ahead of the 12:30pm kick-off.

Winks has been the Lilywhites’ breakout star of the 18/19 season and the 23-year-old has filled the void left by Moussa Dembele capably, while Vertonghen has been typically solid at the heart of defence or at left-wing-back – see his man of the match performance versus Dortmund.

Who have been the biggest title race bottlers? Liverpool? Spurs? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

The duo may join Dele Alli (late stages of rehab) and Eric Dier (rebuilding fitness after illness) on the sidelines and Spurs fans on Twitter were, once again, cursing their luck ahead of the highly-anticipated clash…

[ad_pod ]

Everton fans have been on social media debating whether Jordan Pickford is good enough to be the club’s long-term number one goalkeeper.

And it would be fair to say that there are a lot of mixed opinions on the subject.

Pickford has made 79 appearances for Everton since a 2017 move from Sunderland.

The 25-year-old, who is very much England’s number one, has conceded 42 times in the Premier League this term, keeping just nine clean sheets in 31 appearances.

The Everton fans have been debating whether the Englishman is quite good enough as there have been some dodgy displays from the stopper this term, including recently against Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

Whilst a number feel that Pickford will only get better in the coming seasons, other believe that he will never be good enough to be the long-term first-choice stopper.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Everton supporters can be viewed below:

There’s suddenly a lot of excitement around Newcastle United again.

The Magpies are playing attractive, attacking football and have won three out of their last five Premier League games. Rafa Benitez has clearly weaved his magic, with a tinker here and there producing a winning combination.

While there’s a lot of talk about Salomon Rondon lighting up their attack or youngsters like Sean Longstaff playing their part, defender Fabian Schar’s involvement is as vital. The Swiss defender’s been like a breath of fresh air in the Magpies’ defence, with his involvement going forward getting the lions’ share of attention.

Schar’s not only been rock-solid defensively but shown admirable ambition going forward, getting rewarded against Burnley with a pile-driver to score Newcastle’s first. He also fulfilled his defensive duties superbly against a physical Clarets side, making seven clearances, four aerial wins and eight ball-recoveries, adding to his hero status on Tyneside. (stats via Fotmob)

He’s played a big part, helping solidifying Newcastle’s defensive strength, hence resulting in vital wins over the past few weeks. Schar’s helped them to back-to-back clean-sheets and formed a strong partnership with Jamal Lascelles. Ever since his blitz against Cardiff City, where he scored two stunning goals – including one where he danced past multiple men before finishing beautifully- his confidence’s gone up.

Schar’s now operating freely and using his intelligence to tighten up the Magpies defensive structure. If he keeps up his impressive work at the back and scoring world-class goals, it won’t be long before bigger sides come hunting for his services.

[ad_pod ]

Celtic loanee Timothy Weah has been speaking about his time at the club, and it certainly sounds like he is open to extending his stay in Glasgow.

Celtic fans have been largely underwhelmed by their club’s transfer business in recent windows, but the Bhoys secured two excellent loan signings in January.

Oliver Burke has scored four times in 14 games for the club while Weah has grabbed three goals in 12 appearances.

Now, Weah has spoken out about his happiness with the move to Parkhead and in doing so has opened the door for Peter Lawwell to make his move.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

What has he said?

“The players and the coach accepted me very quickly,” the 19 year-old said.

“The integration was easy, because I speak English although I continue to speak French with Odsonne Edouard, Dedryck Boyata and Olivier Ntcham.

“The people are really very nice. It’s easy for me there. I live incredible things through football right now.”

And the wonderkid even admitted there is something special about Paradise that he can’t get in Paris: “There is an amazing atmosphere at the stadium. In Paris it’s similar, but there’s something different at Celtic Park, which is an old stadium.

“I have never seen this. The team are playing well. I’m happy to be there, it’s a very good choice.”

In reference to his father, George Weah, he added: “In Glasgow, it’s not the same with my father. I am known as Tim Weah, the player. My dad did not play here, so people do not talk about that much.”

He’s fallen in love

Indeed, it can’t be easy following in the footsteps of the 1995 Ballon d’Or winner, so it’s fantastic to hear the teenager say he can forget about such ridiculous expectations and just focus on his football for the Hoops.

He has also clearly fallen head over heels in love with the atmosphere at Parkhead, something the customers that occupy most of PSG’s Parc des Princes on a weekly basis could only dream of matching.

While Weah made no direct reference to extending his staying green and white, this is about as close to a come-and-get-me plea as it possibly could be.

The American international is an immense talent, even if it is mainly down to his father that he is so well-known internationally, and was included on GOAL.com’s NxGn list of teenage talents, coming in at number 17 on their top 50.

Whether it be another loan move, which is the likely option, or a pricey permanent deal, Lawwell and the club must use Weah’s infatuation with Paradise to their advantage and secure at least another year of his services, because players like this don’t come around too often.

كشفت صحيفة “لاجازيتا ديلو سبورت” الإيطالية، كواليس غضب كريستيانو رونالدو مهاجم يوفنتوس، ومغادرته النادي بعدما رفع صوته على بعض مسؤولي السيدة العجوز.

رونالدو كسر قواعد الإجراءات الاحترازية بفيروس كورونا المستجد، كوفيد 19، وغادر مقر النادي، من أجل اللحاق بمباراة إسبانيا والبرتغال الودية.

يوفنتوس قرر إخطار الصحة العامة بأسماء اللاعبين المغادرين لمعسكره وسيقومون بإبلاغ مكتب المدعي العام، ليخلوا مسئولية النادي من إصابة أي لاعب منهم بفيروس كورونا (طالع التفاصيل).

وقالت لاجازيتا إنّ رونالدو كان أول لاعب غادر صفوف يوفنتوس، حيث كان غاضبًا للغاية ويرى أنه ليس من العدل ألا يكون قادرًا على التواجد في المباراة.

وأكدت الصحيفة أنّ رونالدو لم يوافق على البقاء لعدة أيام في إيطاليا قبل السفر، لأن ذلك كان سيمنعه من خوض مباراة البرتغال وإسبانيا الودية، التي أقيمت مساء أول أمس الأربعاء وانتهت بالتعادل السلبي.

وأوضحت الصحيفة أنّ رونالدو “رفع صوته” أمام مديري النادي وزملائه وقرر مغادرة غرفة ملابس أليانز ستاديوم، مساء الأحد، ثم عاد لمنزله وسافر في اليوم التالي إلى البرتغال.

رونالدو كان أجرى اختبارين كورونا والنتائج جاءت سلبية، ولكن وفقًا لـ بروتوكول الاتحاد الإيطالي، فإن رونالدو كان بحاجة للبقاء ليوم آخر، لعمل اختبار ثالث، وهو ما رفضه البرتغالي، ثم يسافر إلى ماديرا لخوض المباراة.

[ad_pod ]

Under the terms of Toby Alderweireld’s current Tottenham Hotspur contract, clubs will be able to sign the centre-back for £25m in this summer’s transfer window.

That is not a big price when considering the quality of the 88-time Belgium international.

There will surely be a number of takers for the 30-year-old unless Spurs can sign him to a fresh deal before the end of the campaign.

Alderweireld is now back in favour under Mauricio Pochettino, having made 38 appearances in all competitions during the 2018-19 season.

Spurs’ form has not been the best in recent weeks, though, and the Belgian might well decide to move to a club with a more realistic chance of securing regular trophies.

It is certainly one to watch ahead of the summer window, but the Tottenham fans are still hopeful that the defender will pen a fresh deal.

Indeed, many of the supporters have recently taken to social media to urge the former Atletico Madrid ace to commit his future to the club:

[ad_pod ]

Tottenham Hotspur fans on Twitter have been laughing off their club’s latest transfer link, connecting them with Fiorentina and Italy winger Federico Chiesa.

According to The Sun, Spurs are considering a bid of £70million for the exciting wide man who’s scored 21 goals in 102 appearances for his current club and has over ten Italy caps in his locker, with some fans believing that chairman Daniel Levy will not splash out so much money on just one player.

The North Londoners may be looking for a new winger in the summer transfer window to bolster their hopes of claiming a maiden Premier League title next season.

However, some supporters believe that other positions, such as right-back and centre-back, need to be strengthened first, although there’s a chance that Levy will fail to dip into his pockets once more, as with the last two transfer windows.

Now just three points ahead of Manchester United in fifth, Mauricio Pochettino’s men are in danger of missing out on the top four and their best chance of securing Champions League football next season, something Chiesa is understood to be craving, may be winning this campaign’s competition, having reached the last eight.

Check out some of the best reactions to the rumours from supporters on Twitter below…

West Ham United fans certainly have something to look forward to when it comes down to the future of the club and the young talent that they have available to them. The likes of Declan Rice and Grady Diagana have both made real impressions, whilst the likes of Nathan Trott and Ben Johnson could make an impact in the first-team soon.

However, it appears the club are keen to add further talent to their youth ranks and could be about to raid a Bundesliga side’s academy for one of their rising stars.

What’s the News?

According to a report by Turkish-Football, West Ham have been keeping tabs on Mainz 05’s Erkan Eyibil.

It is claimed the 17-year-old has been dubbed as the ‘New Mesut Ozil’ by some sections of the Turkish media and his performances would make it hard to disagree with the nickname bestowed upon him.

Eyibil has been sensational for the Under-19 side this season, having registered 12 goals and five assists in his 18 matches this season for the Bundesliga outfit, which has also led to interest from Newcastle United.

The teenager, who can represent both Germany and Turkey at international level – which seemingly makes the Ozil comparison easier to make – has just one year left on his contract and is yet to commit to a new deal.

The Verdict:

West Ham have had a knack of picking up some talented youngsters over the past few years and Eyibil could just be one of the latest to join them at the London Stadium.

The 17-year-old, who can play as an attacking midfielder or out in a wide position, is believed to be rated as one of Germany’s brightest prospects and is already thought to be close to earning a place in the country’s senior National Team.

And, with a manager like Pellegrini, there is no doubt that the teenager could develop further and truly show why he has been dubbed as the ‘New Mesut Ozil’.

Although he would be unlikely to play in the first-team straight away, he would be able to bring the added creativity the club have been lacking from the central midfield areas at times this season, whilst his eye for goal would surely be something West Ham would look to take advantage of in the future.

With the player having just one year left on his present contract, Mainz could be prepared to allow him to leave for a cut-price fee and if he turns out to be anything like the Arsenal man he has been compared to, it could be a real bargain coup for the Hammers.

West Ham fans, what do you make of Eyibil? Do you think the club should look to sign him in the summer? Join in with the discussion below by sharing your thoughts with us.

[ad_pod ]

Derby County manager Frank Lampard has admitted via The Derby Telegraph that both he and his players dwelt on the crushing 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday post-match, but now he is encouraging them to be positive when they host Wigan Athletic at the Pride Park Stadium on Tuesday night.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Rams’ defeat at Villa Park came after Lampard made six changes to his starting XI, but it ended with a fourth defeat on the bounce in all competitions.

They have also failed to find the net in the previous three but despite that, they could go level on points with sixth-placed Bristol City with a win against the Latics to keep them well in the promotion hunt.

Improvement is needed at both ends of the pitch however, and Lampard admitted in an interview, as published by The Derby Telegraph, that he and his players did analyse in their heads thedifficult performance that saw them trail 4-0 at half-time against Dean Smith’s men.

The Chelsea legend said: “We dwelt on it (Villa) after the game, I did and the players did.

“I don’t think it was one to absolutely analyse in the short turnaround before the Wigan game. I think it is one to know we were below par generally and it is more about confidence and motivation now.”

Can they bounce back?

Playing a struggling side at home on paper looks a great opportunity to get back to winning ways, but Paul Cook’s visitors won’t make life easy for County.

They have drawn their previous four league fixtures to show they are difficult to beat despite their lowly league standing, and the hosts will need to show a lot more than they have done in recent weeks to get the three points.

The loss to Villa may well act as a wake-up call for Lampard and his players however, and it would be no surprise if they did react well on Tuesday and do what they need to do.

[ad_pod ]Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Phil Hay has had a Twitter exchange with Leeds United fans after Marcelo Bielsa said he believes poor finishing has cost his side 10 points this season, and revealed that a move for reported summer target Phil Foden was “never happening”.

What’s the word, then?

Well, when Bielsa arrived at Elland Road in 2018 the Yorkshire outfit were quickly linked with a number of different players, with City Watch reporting at the time that they were keen on a loan move for City youngster Foden.

The link was of little surprise – and perhaps an easy one to make – given the Argentine and Pep Guardiola are well known to have a good relationship with each other.

Leeds still remain well in the automatic promotion hunt but after Bielsa’s latest comments about a lack of clinical finishing from his team, one supporter on Twitter suggested the Whites should have got deals for the likes of Foden and Dan James across the line.

Never happening

Hay was quick to respond to the comments on Twitter, saying any potential move for the former was never on the cards.

While the talented 18-year-old perhaps won’t have featured for the champions as much as he would have liked with his Premier League game time in particular limited, it always seemed apparent that Guardiola thought that the teenager had a role to play this term.

Was he needed

He certainly was.

While Leeds have generally done well in front of goal this season, there have been times when they’ve been missing that piece of magic needed in the final third, such as their 1-0 defeat against Sheffield United prior to the international break.

Foden has the ability to unlock defences, and they would have been even better off in the table had they managed to pull off a deal for him.