[ad_pod ]

Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a move for PSV Eindhoven ace Steven Bergwijn as they look to raid the Eredivisie side, according to TEAMtalk.

What’s the word?

Mauricio Pochettino failed to sign a single player to strengthen his Spurs ranks during the summer transfer window but it is highly unlikely he will adopt a similar strategy when the market reopens at the start of January.

The Lilywhites are looked in a fierce fight alongside arch-rivals Arsenal for a top-four finish in the Premier League and have been widely linked with players from Holland in recent weeks, the majority of which have come from Ajax.

However, TEAMtalk state that Spurs are also eyeing players from PSV Eindhoven and 20-year-old winger Steven Bergwijn is a player they are considering along with midfielder Jorrit Hendrix.

Should he sign?

Links between Eredivisie talents and Tottenham will always excite fans, as Spurs have a strong record of impressive signings from the Dutch league having landed the likes of Jan Vertonghen, Davinson Sanchez and Christian Eriksen previously.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”301458″ player=”12034″ title=”The Problem With Paul Pogba”]

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

However, Pochettino’s interest in 20-year-old Bergwijn should raise eyebrows as the Lilywhites are not short of options in the wide areas, already having Lucas Moura, Son Heung-Min and Erik Lamela in their ranks.

A move for defensive midfielder Hendrix is a more obvious choice for Spurs in the market, particularly with the expectation that Mousa Dembele will leave upon the expiration of his contract next summer, and Pochettino should prioritise a move for the 22-year-old over Bergwijn.

Nottingham Forest are historically one of the biggest clubs in English football. First Division winners in 1977/78, twice FA Cup winners, four-time League Cup winners and twice European Cup winners is certainly not an honours list that one would associate with a mid-table Championship side.

Unfortunately that is exactly what the club are right now, having finished 17th in England’s second tier last season.

At the start of the summer though there were signs of hope for the long-suffering Reds fans who remember the glory days. Spanish boss Aitor Karanka, who arrived in January this year, used his links with his former agent Jorge Mendes to secure the signings of Benfica duo Joao Carvalho and Diogo Goncalves, and Portuguese winger Gil Dias on loan from French side AS Monaco.

There is no doubt that these three bring quality to the Championship and record signing Goncalves has begun to show just why the Forest hierarchy spent £13.2m on an unproven 21-year-old. However Karanka, who had already made 10 signings in his first transfer window in January, brought in 14 more players over the summer – an approach that leaves him with an almost impossible job to keep everyone happy and to bed everyone in to the club.

Famously, Mendes has had a strong influence at Wolves over the past two seasons and with his client Nuno Espirito Santo managing the side they have reached the Premier League and started well thanks to their impressive Portuguese contingent.

Forest clearly saw this and jumped at the chance to work with Mendes, but things haven’t quite gone as smoothly for the City Ground outfit. The main problem for Karanka is although some of the signings are impressive, a good portion of them are simply not good enough to push the club to promotion from one of the most difficult leagues in world football.

Claudio Yacob, Michael Dawson and Jack Robinson all arrived on free transfers and it could be argued that none will be good enough to get a start so their wages could be better used elsewhere, and the same could be said for former Wigan man Ben Watson who joined in February.

Adding 27 new players to a squad within the space of six months is ludicrous and will not provide the short-term success that some at Forest must be hoping for. If Karanka is given time to work with this group of players for a couple of years, with one or two signings per window, then there could be something good to come at the City Ground.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

This season though with all the new faces, despite the reasonable start for Forest, it will be a huge task for everyone to adapt quickly enough for a promotion push. It could well be another season of mid-table mediocrity for the Reds.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”302569″ player=”12034″ title=”The Last Time Man Utd Started A Season So Badly”]

[ad_pod ]

One of Southampton’s most confusing transfer decisions of the summer was to sign Manchester City goalkeeper Angus Gunn in a deal worth £13.5m.

Not because he isn’t a good player, but because of the fact that they already had Alex McCarthy – who performed brilliantly in 2018 and picked up the club’s Player of the Year award despite not making his first Premier League appearance until the end of December 2017.

The 28-year-old played a key role in Saints’ survival under Mark Hughes with some crucial saves to help them narrowly avoid relegation to the Championship.

He has begun the current campaign in similarly fine form too – even if his team lie in 16th position in the top flight standings – earning a call-up into Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the previous fixtures against Spain and Switzerland and the upcoming UEFA Nations’ League matches against Spain and Croatia.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”304066″ player=”12034″ title=”Could Jadon Sancho Be England’s Neymar”]

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Despite being so highly-rated Gunn – whose distribution appears to be better than that of Southampton’s current number one – has so far had to settle for starts in the Carabao Cup, but he was one of the south coast outfit’s heroes and was heavily praised by his own supporters on Twitter as they beat Everton on penalties last week to reach the last 16 of the competition.

We at Football FanCast decided to ask Saints fans to vote on our poll to see who they think should be starting between the sticks, and while 54% would keep the faith with McCarthy, 46% have called upon Hughes to make the unthinkable decision to drop the St Mary’s fans’ favourite – as you can see from the results below.

Tottenham supporters have been pretty upbeat in recent times after seeing their side head into the current two-week break for internationals on a three-game Premier League winning streak.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men went into their encounter with newly-promoted Cardiff City on October 6 having beaten Brighton and Huddersfield Town in their preceding two league games, and thus full of confidence ahead of the visit of Neil Warnock’s Bluebirds. And while Spurs were far from their best at Wembley, they got the job done thanks to Eric Dier’s early goal to thus seal a 1-0 win at the national stadium, a result which moved Pochettino’s side to within two points of leaders Manchester City.

Thus, there have been many thrilled Tottenham fans up and down the country in recent times, several of whom have taken to Twitter recently to comment upon the rumours linking their team with a move for defender Nathan Ake, with many calling for Pochettino and the club’s hierarchy to indeed get a deal done for the Dutchman.

And given just how impressive the £13.5 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt) has been at Bournemouth in recent times, those Tottenham fans calling for his arrival are absolutely spot on, as the 23-year-old could prove to be an outstanding addition.

Ultimately, Pochettino’s side have been one of the best teams defensively in the Premier League over the last few years, conceding the fewest amount of goals in the 2016/17 season in their run to second place in the table, and shipping the joint-fewest alongside Manchester United the campaign before.

And much of that success has been down to the Belgian duo of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, who have conjured up arguably the best centre back partnership in the country in the last few years – yet the future of the former and indeed the age of the latter suggests that Pochettino may need to start thinking about reinforcements.

29-year-old Alderweireld may well have stayed at the club beyond the summer deadline, but with his contract up next summer, it’d be a surprise to see him in North London in 12 months’ time, while Vertonghen will turn 32 in April, and is another whose future at the club is uncertain given he is also out of contract come the end of the season.

Thus, Pochettino faces the very genuine prospect of losing the talented duo come the close season, and while he has already gone some way to preparing for that by landing 22-year-old Davinson Sanchez, the arrival of Bournemouth’s Ake would set them up brilliantly for the post-Alderweireld/Vertonghen era – it could prove to be a masterstroke.

The Netherlands international left Chelsea permanently for Bournemouth back in 2017 after enjoying a loan spell at the Vitality Stadium the season before, and he has since been an absolute revelation for the Cherries in appearing 60 times for Eddie Howe’s side, netting six goals in the process.

And in finishing a very respectable 12th in the Premier League last season, alongside a fine start to this campaign in sitting seventh after eight games, the 23-year-old is certainly contributing to a very impressive spell for the South Coast outfit, with he often one of their better performers on any given afternoon.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

And at the tender age of 23, Ake has a very bright future ahead of him, and under the guidance of Pochettino, who has improved and developed many young players already in his managerial career, he will surely only get better.

Thus, with the centre back ranks set to undergo something of a change in the coming years, Pochettino must seek to listen to those Spurs fans calling for a move for Ake, as it could turn out to be a Tottenham transfer masterstroke.

Tottenham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

[ad_pod ]

Manchester United were thoroughly outclassed by Juventus in their Champions League group stage clash on Tuesday night. The 1-0 scoreline, in favour of the Italians, does not tell the full story of what was, in fact, a largely one-sided affair at Old Trafford. 

Massimiliano Allegri’s men were in total control for the vast majority of the match, especially in the first half, when they claimed over 70% of the possession. They also managed a pass success rate of 89% – a sharp contrast to the Red Devils’ 80%. The Old Lady also mustered five shots on target, whereas the home side could only test the ex-Arsenal shot-stopper Wojciech Szczesny twice. Were it not for the heroics of David de Gea (as is so often the case), Cristiano Ronaldo would have marked his return to the Theatre of Dreams with a goal.

The Spanish goalkeeper is one of the few United players who can reflect upon Tuesday night’s clash with a great degree of pride. Paul Pogba also showed flashes of his brilliance and came closer than any of his teammates to scoring, whilst Ashley Young coped better at right-back than a 33-year-old converted winger has any right to. 

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”310054″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts Fake Madrid & Ross Barkley Emulates… David Ngog”]

It is not a great surprise that de Gea, Pogba and Young were impressive on the night, as they’re generally amongst the most reliable members of Jose Mourinho’s squad. Far more surprising, however, was Victor Lindelof’s greatly improved performance in the heart of the home side’s defence.

The 27-cap Sweden international centre-back has become a much maligned figure at Old Trafford since his arrival in England in the summer of 2017. The 24-year-old has struggled to adapt to the Premier League and has failed to find any kind of consistent form for his new club. However, with almost all of United’s defenders in dreadful form at present, the blame for Lindelof’s – and his teammates’ – woes must be attributed to Mourinho to some extent. 

United fans could be forgiven for having a lack of confidence in Lindelof ahead of kick off against the Turin giants, but come the final whistle they could look back upon his performance as one of the highlights of an otherwise miserable ordeal. 

Whilst he was a little caught out for Paulo Dybala’s goal, Lindelof otherwise held firm and strong in the face of top quality opposition. His tally of three interceptions and five clearances – in both cases he was more productive than any other United player – demonstrates that his positioning was largely exemplary. The centre-back was also able to block a single shot that might otherwise have doubled the visitors’ lead. 

On top of that, Lindelof managed to go the whole game without committing a single foul. Those beside him in Mourinho’s back four – Chris Smalling, Ashley Young, Luke Shaw – were guilty of eleven fouls between them. Given the danger that Juve pose from set-piece situations, United ought to be grateful for how clean Lindelof was in the challenge.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Aside from his essential defensive work, Lindelof was equally impressive in possession. With his side already under pressure, it was vital that the centre-back didn’t play United into any more trouble whilst he was on the ball. The Swede achieved a pass accuracy rating of 86.5%. Of all the United players, only Juan Mata was more reliable in his distribution than Lindelof.

After a turbulent first year in Manchester, the oft-criticised Lindelof showed on Tuesday night that he has what it takes to step up to the standard expected of United defenders. If he can now produce that performance level on a consistent basis, then he could yet come good for the north west club. 

Had each of Mourinho’s men at the back been as good as Lindelof in midweek, then the club may now be basking in the glow of a hard fought draw with the reigning Italian champions. 

[ad_pod ]

Hoffenheim and Lyon battled it out in a thrilling 3-3 draw in a Champions League group stage clash in Germany on Tuesday night. Both sides held the lead at one point or another and the result was only settled by home side substitute Joelinton in stoppage time. Ultimately, at the end of a pulsating affair, a draw was probably a fair result.

Amongst a litany of stand out performances, Bertrand Traore was one of the individuals who shone for the Ligue 1 side. The 23-year-old winger was a constant menace to the Hoffenheim back line and his goal and assist were, of course, vital in securing a point for the visitors.

On top of finding the back of the net, the winger’s only other shot on goal came off the woodwork.  The 48-cap Burkina Faso international also provided two key passes, including his assist. 

His end product contribution against the Bundesliga club ought to come as no surprise considering the blistering form Traore has begun the new campaign in. In thirteen outings so far this season, in all competitions, the attacker has already registered five goals and two assists. Last season, he racked up eighteen goals and seven assists in 43 appearances. 

As well as end product, Traore’s distribution and wing play is also impressive. Against Hoffenheim, the forward recorded a pass accuracy rating of 91%, which consisted of 42 passes and one accurate long ball. When the occasion arose, he was also able to beat his man and completed one successful dribble on Tuesday night. 

With a Transfermarkt valuation of just £16.2 million, Traore could represent a bargain acquisition for an elite level club looking to bolster their wide options with an exciting, pacy young winger. One club who fit that mould and ought to make a move for Traore before his value skyrockets out of their reach is Arsenal. The Gunners would be wise to offer Traore a second chance to prove his quality in the Premier League.

The Lyon No. 10’s only previous spell in England, with Chelsea, did not go according to plan. Aside from a brief spell in the Blues’ first team in the 2015/16 season – which saw him bag four goals in sixteen appearances – Traore’s time with the West London club largely consisted of a string of loan moves. Despite impressing during temporary stints with both Vitesse and Ajax, Traore never regained his place in the first team at Stamford Bridge.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”310054″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts Fake Madrid & Ross Barkley Emulates… David Ngog”]

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

In the summer of 2017, Lyon paid an initial fee of around £9 million to prise Traore away from Chelsea on a permanent basis. However, certain clauses included in the transaction could mean that the Blues receive first refusal upon buying the attacker back. 

However, that ought not to dissuade Arsenal from pursuing the explosive wide man. Traore is clearly an exceptional talent and the dearth of out and out wingers in Unai Emery’s squad makes the Emirates Stadium an ideal destination for the Lyon man. 

Chelsea have already seen both Mohamed Salah and Kevin de Bruyne depart the club only to develop into world class superstars for other Premier League outfits. Traore could become the next name on that list and the Gunners should do all that they can at this stage to ensure that they’re the ones who will enjoy the bright future ahead of the forward.

[ad_pod ]

Jurgen Klopp’s savvy business and effective coaching over the past couple of seasons means that Liverpool now boast the deepest and strongest squad that they’ve had in many years. All across the pitch they have top quality players able to play in each position. It is no wonder they’re being tipped as title contenders.

Having such a vast array of talent at his disposal does give the German manager plenty of decisions to make though, and with a tough clash with in-form Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on the horizon, Klopp can’t afford to get these big calls wrong.

Beating the Gunners will likely rely upon the Reds being able to win the midfield battle, so who the German selects to form his trio in the centre of the park will be crucial.

Between Fabinho, Naby Keita, Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Adam Lallana and Xherdan Shaqiri, the boss has plenty of options to choose from.

Of those available to him, a combination of Fabinho, Milner and Shaqiri would appear to offer the most well-balanced and in-form selection.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

What do you think, Liverpool fans? Vote below for your three first-choice midfielders to start against Arsenal.

Hugo Lloris may no longer be considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world and Tottenham should find a replacement.

The Spurs captain has been a mainstay in the side since joining from Lyon in 2012. The World Cup winner quickly established himself as one of the division’s top shot-stoppers at White Hart Lane but performances in recent seasons have been concerning. The 31-year-old has become more and more error prone which is starting to cost Tottenham valuable points.

With the title race set to be closer than ever this year, the Lilywhites can’t afford to drop needless points given the strength of their rivals. With little competition behind him, it could be argued the goalkeeper has never really been challenged for the number one jersey. Therefore, it could be wise for Mauricio Pochettino to sign another goalkeeper in the January transfer window.

One man he should consider is Lazio ‘keeper – Thomas Strakosha. Valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, the shot-stopper is one of the brightest talents emerging from Italy after becoming a crucial player for his side. His performances saw him linked with a move to Liverpool over the summer, but the Reds decided to spend a then world-record fee to sign Alisson Becker from Roma instead.

The 23-year-old has made ten appearances in the Serie A this season, keeping four clean sheets. The Albania international is a modern-day goalkeeper who excels with the ball at his feet. Capable of starting attacks from his own box with his excellent kicking, Strakosha also possesses fantastic reflexes which enable him to make superb saves regularly. His arrival in North London would give Lloris stiff competition and hand Pochettino the ideal long-term replacement for the Frenchman.

Still young and improving – this could prove to be an astute piece of business.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Spurs fans, thoughts?

According to The Star, Sheffield Wednesday manager Jos Lukukay has highlighted that there is still much more work to do after his side’s 0-0 draw against bitter rivals Sheffield United. 

The Owls were on a four match losing streak when they travelled to Bramall Lane on Friday, but withheld the high-flying Sheffield United to earn their first clean sheet of the season.

This was an inspiring performance from Luhukay’s men, as they looked infinitely more solid than they have in their previous performances, with a shakeup in formation which saw three centre-backs. However, the Dutchman has been quick to mention that the team still have plenty of areas that they need to address.

This is obvious, and Luhukay will know that his team still need to improve if he is to keep his job. It seemed very likely before the game that the manager would be fired should his team fail to pick up a point on Friday. Although he managed to do so, that in no way means that his job is secure. In reality, a loss at home to sixth place Derby after the international break could well see Luhukay lose his job. Should they fail to beat second from bottom Bolton at home the round after, it almost seems certain that Luhukay would go.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

However, if his team show the spirit that they showed against United, there’s no reason why they cannot beat Derby. Then the prospect of Bolton at home seems very enticing, as The Owls could start to build momentum. Wednesday’s season still hangs in the balance, and it may be a long time before Luhukay can feel secure in a job again.

There is one area of the pitch that Everton could do with some attention.

Manager Marco Silva strengthened the squad with a handful of new signings in the summer, but he opted not to bring in a new striker.

The club’s main striker options have been Cenk Tosun, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Oumar Niasse, but none of them have made a significant impact.

At the moment, winger Richarlison has been given a more advanced role in the team, but long term the Toffees will have to consider signing a new striker.

With the January transfer window edging closer, numerous names have been linked to the Merseyside outfit.

One of the latest is Nantes attacker Emiliano Sala, who according to the Daily Mail is wanted by Everton, as well as West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham.

Thogden witnessed Wayne Rooney’s final England cap. Check out his vlog here…

The report claims that Nantes are demanding around £25m for the forward, who has scored 13 goals in 14 matches in all competitions this season.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

He is clearly posing more of a threat in Ligue 1 than Everton’s current strikers in the Premier League, so should the Toffees make a move?

Let us know by voting below.