defender Jan Vertonghen has admitted that his side must start Premier League games better if they want to finish in the top four this season.
The north Londoners were beaten 4-2 by Chelsea on Saturday at White Hart Lane, with the Blues going into half-time 1-0 up.
The Belgian international has stated that it has been the case that Andre Villas-Boas’ men have started poorly on a number of occasions this term, and that they must come out of the blocks running from now on.
“At home we seem to play better after half-time. We need to think about how to put two strong halves together,” he confessed to The Sun after the Chelsea defeat.
Vertonghen also came to the defence of under-fire defensive partner William Gallas, who found the going tough against the current Premier League leaders on Saturday.
“William is our captain and an important player.
“He always wants the best for me, even though we are both centre-backs. I really appreciate him,” he concluded.
Andre Villas-Boas has also admitted that his side are disappointed after losing a 2-1 lead, but that they would bounce back with positive results in the near future.
“Everyone is disappointed because we wanted to go nearer to the top and this was a good chance to bring them down, but we have 30 more games ahead of us and we have to be focused and ready for them,” he told the club’s official website.
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“We have to bounce back from adversity and improve our results again.”
The Tottenham Hotspur that Gareth Bale left behind in 2013 almost could not be further removed from the current incarnation under Mauricio Pochettino.
The Welshman was the team’s superstar in his final season at White Hart Lane, scoring a series of spectacular and often late goals for a side that ultimately failed to usurp Arsenal, finishing fifth to the Gunners’ fourth.
A squad that included Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Clint Dempsey, Tom Huddlestone and Steven Caulker, among others, was being hauled along by Bale and Andre Villas Boas’ willingness to indulge him, moving his star turn into a free role in the centre of the pitch.
The current Spurs side is not only plainly a much better outfit but its values are different now.
Pochettino has emphasised the importance of teamwork, togetherness, work ethic and adaptability to create a brilliant team, without any dominant egos and Tottenham are approaching the status of Champions League regulars.
Yet, more is needed. Last season marked ten years without a trophy and allowing Manchester United to come back from 1-0 down to snatch the FA Cup semi-final 2-1 at Spurs’ temporary home stung Pochettino. Badly.
The Argentine has made it clear that his priority is winning either the Premier League or the Champions League and yet the brilliance of Manchester City and the wiliness of Juventus meant that those ambitions did not come close to fruition.
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Spurs are moving into a new and improved stadium, which they hope will allow them to sustainably attract more elite players and reward the ones they already have handsomely enough to keep them away from the clutches of clubs currently higher up European football’s foodchain.
Yet, they are also coming home. Wembley and Tottenham always felt like an awkward fit, so it was vital that, unlike at bitter rivals West Ham, they could upscale their current home as opposed to moving away and having to become settled in new surroundings.
Bale, in some ways, is a perfect metaphor for how moving away in pursuit of greater riches and success – even if it works – can still leave something missing.
For him, Madrid has never felt like home. For Spurs, read Wembley.
Imagine a double homecoming in North London this summer. Spurs have just finished above Arsenal for the second straight season, Arsene Wenger has finally departed across town and Unai Emery is a slightly underwhelming choice to lead the subsequent revolution.
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Tottenham, in a new and improved White Hart Lane, could signal their intent to attract one of the game’s greatest players, by bringing him back home, where he would find that nearly every facet of the club has greatly improved.
Just as Bale has elevated his game in his five seasons away – winning four Champions Leagues in that time and now valued at £81m by Transfermarkt – Pochettino has taken Tottenham to another level.
A vastly improved Bale joining a vastly improved Tottenham as they move into a vastly improved stadium. A double homecoming. There really aren’t too many better ways to kickstart a new era than that.
Despite Jose Mourinho stating that there would not be any more movement in the transfer market from Manchester United, an Italian journalists tweet has suggested otherwise.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Daley Blind could be on his way to Roma, after the Italian club sold their starting left back, Emerson Palmieri, to Chelsea.
Blind, who is valued at £18million on Transfermarkt, hasn’t enjoyed the most fruitful season at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman has featured in just five league games for United. And while he has been an ever present in the Champions League, Blind will be searching for more regular football, something that Roma are ready to offer him.
While there is no transfer figure being touted as of yet, Manchester United will likely want to recoup all of the £13.8million that they used to sign the Dutchman in 2014.
Upon hearing the news, United fans took to Twitter and were surprisingly happy to hear that the versatile defender could leave the club in the next 24 hours…
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Liverpool assistant manager Colin Pascoe has leapt to the defence of Luis Alberto and Iago Aspas, following the duo’s difficult start to life at the club.
The Spanish pair were signed for a combined £14m from Sevilla and Celta Vigo during the last window, but have only managed a combined five Premier League starts.
There are already rumours circulating that Aspas may be sold this month, while Alberto has also been linked with a loan move to gain more experience.
However Pascoe says that both players are adjusting to life and football in England, and that they will soon start to show why the Merseysiders spent heavily for them:
“Luis has found the pace of the Premier League hard but he and Iago are working well in training and the more they get used to the Premier League the better they get.” He is quoted by the Daily Star.
“Alberto can play in a couple of positions. He can play wide or up front as a nine or as a 10 and if you asked him he would say a 10.
“We can tweak things if we have to and push him up there but we’re not going to put him at nine as we have Luis (Suarez) up there.
“Iago started the season well and obviously had his (thigh) injury. He has been working hard; he has to wait his turn like all the strikers do.
“He did well the other day (against Hull) and with the way he is training he is getting better.
“It is like any player, if they are British or foreign, you hope they gel together quickly but sometimes you need time to adapt to the Premier League.
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“They know themselves sometimes they have to be patient.“
Aspas and Alberto are expected to play some part in Liverpool’s FA Cup clash with Oldham this afternoon, with Brendan Rodgers likely to make numerous changes to his squad after a demanding festive period.
The company who are proposing to take over Leeds say they have almost completed negotiations with the club.
The investment bank Gulf Finance House (GFH), who are based in Bahrain, say they are hopeful they will seal the deal within three weeks.
David Haigh, GFH Capital’s deputy chief executive officer and chief operating officer has explained the current state of the process to the Sun. He described the club as “a young Pamela Anderson”, saying, “It’s in great shape with superb assets and a great future ahead of her.”
“Like any big acquisition we have to be thorough and that’s the process we’re going through right now. We’re almost there and, hopefully, within three weeks it could be done . We are working incredibly hard to get the deal done but there are procedures and rules which must be followed.”
GFH started negotiations with Leeds chairman Ken Bates in June. The chief executive of GFH, Hisham Alrayes said: “We are excited by our intentions for Leeds United and remain fully focused on the specifics of this deal, hoping to conclude a positive outcome as soon as possible.”
In an official statement from GFH, they make it clear that taking Leeds from the Championship back into the Premier League is a priority for them, saying they want to do this “as quickly as possible.”
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Last month, the Leeds United Supporters Trust welcomed news of a possible takeover at Elland Road.
Everton fans are praying they can get a deal for Hirving Lozano over the line, after reports in Spain claimed they now face competition from Valencia.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Everton and Valencia are leading the pack to sign Hirving Lozano this summer.
The report from Spain claims several clubs are keeping an eye on the Mexican international, but Valencia and the Toffees are “the most attentive” to the situation.
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Everton are of course looking to rebuild their squad with more attacking impetus, and the 22 year-old Lozano, who grabbed 19 goals in all competitions this season, would be an excellent starting point.
The versatile winger averaged over three shots, two key passes and two successful dribbles per game this season, and isn’t afraid to get stuck in on the other end either, averaging over a tackle per game.
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His close relationship with Marcel Brands could help Everton win the race for his signature, and fans are clearly hoping this is the case, as they all agree they should move for the winger.
You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
Toni Martinez has been the name on the majority of West Ham United fans’ lips this season, despite the 20-year-old not being part of the first team.
The Spanish forward caught the eye quickly by excelling in the club’s development side.
The youngster only joined the Premier League outfit in 2016, but supporters have been calling for a first-team start for a while.
This season, former manager Slaven Bilic opted against giving the forward a chance, while current boss David Moyes seems to be taking a patient approach with youth.
Over the weekend, though, Martinez eventually made his debut when he came on as a substitute in Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie against Shrewsbury Town.
The Spaniard replaced Javier Hernandez in the 71st minute, but he was unable to affect the scoreline as the match ended in a goalless draw.
Even though fans were frustrated by the result, many were pleased to see Martinez get some minutes.
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Some, though, are baffled that it has taken this long for the youngster to be given an opportunity.
David Beckham has admitted he still pines for Manchester in an interview at the National Football Museum in Manchester, where he also opened up about the his red card in the 1998 World Cup, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The former Manchester United and England midfielder is now one of the most famous men in the world, and has homes in London and Los Angeles.
However, Beckham has revealed he still gets bleary eyed whenever he heads north, and admits he will always miss the place where he enjoyed the best time of his career.
The 38-year-old was chatting to an enthralled audience at the National Football Museum in Manchester, and revealed he regarded his spell with the Red Devils as ‘the best in his career’ and held fond memories of the city, adding: “I will always miss it.”
Beckham went on to discuss his departure from United in 2003, and could not disguise his hurt over the incident and the famous falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson.
He told the audience: “You never know when it’s going to end. I never expected to leave Manchester United. I never wanted to leave Manchester United but I had to come to terms with that. They were the team I wanted to play with my whole career.”
Beckham also opened up about his famous red card against Argentina in 1998, and revealed how the support of the United fans got him through the torrent of abuse he was receiving across the country.
“Coming back to England was the hardest thing for me.
“I was expecting a hard time, but for my family to get it, for my grandparents, for my parents that was the hardest thing for me.”
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“I had Manchester United, I had Sir Alex Ferguson, and most of all I had the Manchester United fans. I blocked out all the noise from the away fans and all I could hear was the United fans saying my name and standing up for me when I took a corner.”
Liverpool forward Fabio Borini has stated that he is confident that he will end his goal drought in the near future.
The Italy international moved to Anfield in the summer, and along with Luis Suarez is one of only two recognised forwards at the Merseyside club.
However, the diminutive attacker has not lived up to goalscoring expectations as yet, but feels that it is only a matter of time before he starts to hit the net.
“It’s just a matter of time for me. The same thing happened last season,” Borini explained to The Telegraph.
“I scored one goal before October, then got injured for three months and after that I scored my second goal in January. From January until March I scored ten goals. I know from past experience that the goals will come.
“In Swansea I scored six goals from March until May. I am always late. The position I have been playing at Liverpool has been different as well. It hasn’t been as the main striker.
“I know I have been bought to score goals but I don’t feel the pressure. I don’t need to rush my performances. I’m working hard every day in training and the goals will come. I feel good. I’ve settled in quickly and everything is going well for me. It has probably been easier for me to settle in because I’ve had so many different clubs in the last few years.
“I’ve moved a lot so I know what it needs to settle in quickly. You can’t wait for things to happen, you have to make things happen quickly for yourself,” he concluded.
Liverpool face Udinese in the Europa League on Thursday night.
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Tottenham fans are absolutely loving the latest transfer links, as Geoffrey Kondogbia is reportedly on the list of midfield targets this summer.
According to a report from Sky Sports, Kondogbia is one of four midfielders the North Londoners are targeting, as all three of Mousa Dembele, Victor Wanyama and Moussa Sissoko could leave this summer.
The report from Sky claims Lille enforcer Yves Bissouma, Red Bull Salzburg’s Amadou Haidara, and Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure are all being monitored ahead of a busy summer for Mauricio Pochettino and Tottenham.
Bissouma is young and inexperienced, Doucoure has only had one season performing at a high level, and Haidara has been superb recently but in an inferior league, which just leaves Kondogbia.
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The giant Frenchman has spent this season on loan at Valencia, where he has found his niche as a box-to-box midfielder.
The 25 year-old has typically always been an out and out defensive enforcer, but he has added more balance to his game, on top of his typically impressive defensive stats.
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The colossal Kondogbia averages 2.8 tackles and two interceptions per game this season, but is also pitching in an average of four long balls per game, and completing passes at an impressive rate of 87 per cent.
Fans clearly like the links to the Frenchman, and some of the best Twitter reactions can be found down below…