All posts by n8rngtd.top

Tottenham Hotspur ace Serge Aurier is set for a shock exit from the club this summer.

Just days after his brother Christopher was murdered outside of a nightclub in Toulouse, recent reports have suggested that the defender is expected to push for a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer.

According to the Evening Standard, Spurs didn’t receive any approaches for the Ivorian last year but they are more likely to listen to offers when the transfer window opens.

Aurier, who was signed by former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, has entered the last two years of his contract and has shown no interest in agreeing a new deal.

The Ivory Coast international hasn’t had it easy in the past few weeks, following the news that his younger brother was tragically shot dead in France, not long after the Spurs player was forced to apologise for breaking UK government guidelines during the nationwide lockdown for a third time.

Jose Mourinho is short of options at right-back, as Aurier is the only natural player in that position who is still at the club while Kyle Walker-Peters is out on loan at Southampton.

If Aurier leaves, this could open up an opportunity for Japhet Tanganga to stake his claim in the starting lineup. Tanganga has been one of the few success stories in a difficult season for Spurs. His versatility has enabled him to play across the back line and he impressed Mourinho in his debut against Liverpool.

The 21-year-old could save the club millions if he is given the chance to prove himself on the flank. The Englishman has developed a reputation for putting his body on the line, as is evident by his characteristics, and this physicality is exactly what Mourinho has been seeking in his players at Tottenham.

Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy let Serge Aurier leave? Let us know in the comments below!

The 2018-19 Premier League campaign was an impressive one for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side, with the Reds falling just short of champions Manchester City.

Despite losing just once in the league all year Klopp’s team finished one point adrift of City, with a total of 97 points.

Their one defeat came to City themselves on January 3 and after starting the 2019-20 with eight consecutive wins, talk began about them perhaps going for the record of most league matches in a row unbeaten.

A 3-0 defeat to Watford in February put an end to that incredible run though, five matches short of the record, while also dashing hopes of the club become the second to go an entire Premier League season unbeaten.

With that in mind, we looked back into the archives with a view to some of the longest unbeaten runs in the Premier League era.

Here, we look at the longest unbeaten runs embarked upon by all of the current Premier League sides…

20. Brighton & Hove Albion – 5 games

Brighton have twice gone on five match unbeaten runs, with both coming in their debut campaign under Chris Hughton.

19. Watford – 6 games

Surprisingly, Watford’s longest unbeaten Premier League run came this term following the appointment of new boss Nigel Pearson.

18. Bournemouth – 7 games

Bournemouth’s Premier League story has been something of a fairytale and it is only fair that their longest unbeaten run included wins over Arsenal and Chelsea.

17. Burnley – 8 games

A side that have been difficult to beat under boss Sean Dyche, with their best run to date coming last season as they looked to avoid the drop.

16. Crystal Palace – 8 games

Crystal Palace have established themselves as a Premier League mainstay under Roy Hodgson and it was the former England boss who oversaw their longest unbeaten run in 2017/18.

15. Sheffield United – 8 games

The Blades are enjoying a brilliant season under Chris Wilder but there best run goes back to 1994 when long-standing boss Dave Bassett was still in charge.

14. Southampton – 9 games

The Saints longest unbeaten run came during the 2002-03 season, the same year they reached the FA Cup final, while they were under the management of Gordon Strachan.

13. Norwich City – 10 games

Norwich City may be bottom but after their promotion to the Premier League in 2011 they went on a 10 match unbeaten run under Paul Lambert.

12. West Ham United – 10 games

Perhaps a club that has not quite achieved what it has set out to in recent years, the Hammers’ best run came in 2016 as they secured a place in the Europa League.

11. Everton – 11 games

Despite being in the Premier League since its inception, Everton have only twice managed an unbeaten run of 11 games. Both came under David Moyes in 2010 and 2012 respectively.

10. Wolverhampton Wanderers – 11 games

A side that have grown in stature in recent years, their best run came this term under current boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

9. Leicester City – 12 games

Despite their success this season, it is no surprise Leicester’s best run came during the title campaign in 2015-16 under Claudio Ranieri.

8. Aston Villa – 14 games

Villa’s longest unbeaten run came back in 1998 when they briefly led the league table.

7. Newcastle United – 14 games

Alan Pardew saw an unlikely upturn in results as he guided Newcastle to a fifth-place finish in 2012.

6. Tottenham Hotspur – 14 games

Perhaps surprisingly for a side that have seen such success in recent seasons, Spurs best run is 14 matches unbeaten which they achieved in 2015 and 2018 under Mauricio Pochettino.

5. Manchester United – 29 games

Considering United are the most successful side in the Premier League era, it is surprise to them fifth on this list. However, Sir Alex Ferguson achieved the feat twice in 1998-1999 and 2010-11.

4. Manchester City – 30 games

A club that has seen huge success in recent years, their 30 match run came in 2017-18 under Pep Guardiola, only to be ended by Klopp’s Liverpool.

3. Chelsea – 40 games

This immense run came during a period of domination for the club under Jose Mourinho which saw them win consecutive league titles in 2005 and 2006.

2. Liverpool – 44 games

An incredible run that came to an end earlier this year, Klopp’s side looked like they could go a whole season unbeaten but fell foul at Watford, losing 3-0.

1. Arsenal 49 games

The crowning glory of Arsene Wenger’s career, this run straddled three seasons and included an entire unbeaten Premier League season in 2003-04.

Another day, another layer added to the Scottish football saga of which Rangers are at the very centre of.

The latest news in that respect is that, after the Gers requested that another investigation be commissioned along with Hearts and Stranraer, the SPFL have organised an Emergency General Meeting that will be held on May 12th, in which there will be a vote to see if another investigation will take place.

Not only that, the governing body north of the border have sent an open letter to all clubs in Scotland, effectively saying that another investigation would be a waste of time – quite frankly, you cannot take your eyes of what is happening.

Now, Graham Spiers of The Scottish Times has had his say on the issue. Whilst he admits that Rangers may have proof of wrongdoing, he said he hopes that Gers managing director Stewart Robertson is not playing up to the fans’ feelings of conspiracy against the club. He even called him the “weakest man in football”.

As you can imagine, the club’s supporters were far from happy with his comments – one even called him “the weakest man in journalism.”

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Marcelo Bielsa made an eye-opening claim about Eddie Nketiah during his press conference on Thursday, but that wasn’t the biggest takeaway from that statement as it seems that the Argentine has dropped a hint about his future plans.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

What’s been said then?

The quote we’re interested in is actually what he said about Nketiah in his press conference.

“I hope he will still be here and I hope he wants to stay with us,” said Bielsa.

“I think it’s important he solidifies his integration into Leeds and it would be good for that if he stays after January and one more year so that he and Leeds are able to show the confidence we’re looking for in each other.

“That (returning next season) would be ideal to allow him to be a success at a club, like Leeds.

“It’s clear that Leeds consider Nketiah to be a good player for us.

“We’re trying to make him feel that Leeds is the proper place for him to develop.”

[ad_pod ]

Dropping a hint

The fact that Bielsa is thinking ahead to next season and saying that he wants to have Nketiah at the club next year hints that the Argentine wants to stay beyond the current term.

The 64-year-old has never been one to stick around at a club as he’s never managed more than 113 matches at one club since the turn of the millennium, and even then his stint with Bilbao was an anomaly as his next highest tally is actually with Leeds where he has managed 71 games.

However, the fact that he’s planning ahead to next season indicates that he may be planning on staying at Leeds, and if that hint is proven to be true that’s great news for the club given where he’s taken them.

The Whites were a club in mid-table mediocrity but now they sit comfortably in the automatic playoffs.

Meanwhile, one hurdle may be denying Leeds the chance to sign Matej Vydra, but they shouldn’t let that stop them.

Tottenham fans have taken to Twitter to discuss the latest update on rumoured transfer target Baptiste Santamaria.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding football at the moment, and whether seasons will end up getting finished, that hasn’t stopped clubs being linked with whole hosts of players ahead of the summer transfer window.

And one man who Spurs have been linked to in recent weeks and months has been Angers midfielder, Santamaria.

Now, according to Italian publication AreaNapoli, he could now be available for just €10-€15m (£8.6m-£13m) this summer, with a switch to England still remaining his “first choice” ahead of potential moves to Italy or Spain.

After hearing the latest update on Santamaria – who has also been heavily linked with Everton and Leicester – Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on a possible swoop for the 25-year-old.

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Spurs discussion going on in the Vital Tottenham Forum! Click here to get involved!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Jose Mourinho is desperate to keep Harry Kane at Tottenham Hotspur, per The Daily Telegraph.

What’s the word?

Mourinho was appointed Spurs manager on Wednesday morning.

And the report states that the former Manchester United and Chelsea boss is adamant that the striker must not be allowed to leave the club in the coming transfer windows.

He is said to have told Daniel Levy that he will not need to spend huge sums of money in order to win trophies at the club, but is adamant that Kane must be kept at the club.

He rates the 45-cap England captain as one of the best strikers in world football and

A report from Spanish outlet El Desmarque earlier this week had claimed that Real Madrid had entered into talks over a deal for Kane that would see Karim Benzema go the other way, but the Telegraph reports that chairman Levy values the Spurs star at £250m and is also determined to keep him.

An intriguing link-up

It remains to be seen how this will work.

Mourinho has worked with some top forwards throughout his career, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Didier Drogba.

But, as Football FanCast has previously detailed, only two players have ever scored more than 22 league goals in a single league season under his management.

Thus, he may have to change his approach to bring the best out of Kane, though this report will be encouraging for Spurs fans.

[ad_pod ]

The signs are there that Mourinho believes Kane can be a key player for seasons to come as he bids to bring silverware to north London, in order to maintain his record of winning a trophy at every single club he has managed since Porto.

He will need the England international to hit the net with regularity in the coming weeks and months if he is to have any chance; the pressure is on for the forward but he has been so prolific in recent seasons – winning back-to-back Golden Boots in 2015/16 and 2016/17 – that it is difficult to imagine him wilting.

This could be an ideal partnership for Spurs.

Tottenham Hotspur currently face a big issue with their squad. Both Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are slowly but surely entering the last phase of their contracts and according to the Daily Star, they are likely to let their deals expire next summer.

If that ends up being true, Spurs would be in dire need of a new centre-back to reinforce their backline. With that in mind, here are three options Daniel Levy should pursue in the not so distant future should they end up losing both Alderweireld and Vertonghen at the same time.

Daniele Rugani – Juventus

Rugani is currently not enjoying his best days at Juventus with only one game under his belt in the ongoing 2019/20 Serie A campaign. But Rugani is still a player that has attracted a lot of attention from the Premier League in the past, with the likes of Arsenal and Everton linked in the past.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

At 25 years of age, he is yet to enter the prime years of a defender but already has some experience on his side, having mustered a total of 89 games for the Bianconeri in his career, even bagging seven goals and one assist in the process, and represented his country on seven occasions.

His £19.8m Transfermarkt valuation puts him in a reasonable price range and even though Juventus declined a reported sum of £25.5m in 2016, the reluctance of Maurizio Sarri to actually use him could play right into Levy’s hands.

Lewis Dunk – Brighton

Brighton & Hove Albion’s captain is a well-known name to most Premier League fans and the 27-year-old could definitely be an option for Tottenham Hotspur if they wanted someone who’s experienced, well-rounded and also familiar with the English league.

Dunk ticks all the boxes and has been solid this campaign as well. A quick look at his stats suggests as much as he’s averaged 1.3 tackles, 2.2 interceptions and only 0.8 fouls per game, while completing 87% of his passes and even grabbing two assists.

Having been previously linked with the likes of Leicester for a reported sum of £40m, Dunk could prove to be a pricey option but one worthy of replacing Vertonghen or Alderweireld.

Samuel Umtiti – Barcelona

Finally, probably the biggest name on this list is Barcelona’s out-of-favour French defender, Umtiti.

Even though he used to be a rather important piece of the Blaugrana puzzle, recent injuries have unfortunately dropped the 26-year-old down the pecking order behind Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet.

Nonetheless, he has continued to provide strong performances this season when given the chance to play.

And with big-stage experience, World Cup and La Liga crowns on his CV, Umtiti would be a name that pleases the fans as a direct replacement who is already established at the top level.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Martin Keown has been speaking on talkSPORT about Arsenal manager Unai Emery and the expectations he faces.

What did he say?

Emery is a man under plenty of pressure regarding his job security, with many Arsenal fans wanting him out of their club.

The Gunners’ current run of five games without a win in all competitions has certainly not helped Emery garner support for his tenure.

There may be some people who feel sympathy for the Arsenal manager’s current situation, but Keown is not one of them, as he said on talkSPORT: “He’s just being reminded that if Arsenal don’t reach their objectives, which is to make it into the Champions League, then he’ll be without a job. That goes with the territory.

“Arsenal are striving to get back into the big time, to be in the running to win Premier League titles and to get into the Champions League, and it’s fallen by the wayside.

“Emery’s remit when he came in was to make Arsenal no longer a soft touch, to be more solid, to be stronger. But he’s been there 18 months now and the problems that were there before he came still exist.”

Meeting targets

Arsenal have failed to reach the top four in each of their last three campaigns, but Emery will be expected to change that due to the importance of Champions League football to the club.

When speaking with The Independent, Santi Cazorla had said: “He needs time, it’s a new generation and it’s very difficult to compete against teams like Man City and Liverpool.”

However, Keown, who represented Arsenal 393 times throughout his own playing career, has taken a far more ruthless approach in judging Emery’s job security.

The upcoming period will be vital for Emery if he is to keep his job, as the next four league games will see the Gunners come up against Southampton, Norwich City, Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United, who are all currently in the bottom half of the table.

With Arsenal already eight points off fourth place, they can’t afford to fall too much further behind if Emery is to keep the fledgling support he has.

According to The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a £50m swoop for Lyon attacker Memphis Depay, who has impressed since leaving Manchester United in 2017.

The Netherlands international only managed seven goals in 53 games for United, which is hardly a great return for a player in the final third of the field.

Since moving to Lyon, though, the 25-year-old has registered 50 goals in 130 appearances, in addition to contributing an impressive 42 assists.

This season, the Dutchman has 11 goals in 14 matches in all competitions, including seven in 10 outings in France’s top flight.

According to The Mirror, Spurs are weighing up a £50m bid for Depay, but it would be fair to say that the club’s fans are not interested in a deal.

Indeed, a number of the supporters have taken to social media to express their views on the transfer claim, and not too many are in favour of the attacker arriving at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

A selection of the Twitter reaction is available to view below:

He may not be getting much of a look-in in the Manchester United first-team at the moment, but that hasn’t stopped Mason Greenwood showing the world exactly why he is a highly-regarded prospect.

The 18-year-old struck twice in his first two senior starts for the Red Devils earlier this season against FC Astana and Rochdale respectively, but has been kept away from the limelight by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, playing just 102 minutes of Premier League football.

On Tuesday night, Greenwood was playing for United’s U21s against Doncaster in the EFL Trophy, and with the scores locked level at 1-1 deep into injury-time, the 18-year-old stepped up to the occasion to fire home a dramatic winner.

After seeing the forward’s latest goal, United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the teenage sensation.

Many supporters of the Manchester side revealed their excitement at his incredible potential, and insisted he could be a big player for the first-team in the years to come.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below: