General Football News
Virgil van Dijk Injury: How Liverpool can cope without the Dutchman
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk picked up a knee injury against Everton over the weekend and he is set to undergo surgery now that will keep him out for several months. It seems that the Dutch international could miss the remainder of the season with ACL damage. pic.twitter.com/rpdxFZViwq — Virgil van Dijk (@VirgilvDijk) October 18, 2020 Van Dijk has been ever-present for the Reds since joining the club from Southampton and his absence will be a massive blow to Liverpool’s title hopes. The 29-year-old is the best player in the world in his position and he is irreplaceable. Liverpool will struggle to find someone of his quality in the market even if they decide to sign someone in January. Virgil van Dijk will undergo surgery on the knee injury sustained during Saturday’s 2-2 draw at @Eve...
What should Kalvin Phillips do amid Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool speculation?
According to The Mirror, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Kalvin Phillips from Premier League rivals Leeds United in the summer of 2021. It has been reported that both Liverpool and Tottenham are ready to make a £50 million move for Phillips next summer and are also willing to double his £30,000-a-week salary. The report has added that Spurs head coach Jose Mourinho and Reds boss Jurgen Klopp have been impressed with the displays produced by Phillips so far this season. The case for Kalvin Phillips leaving Leeds United Leeds are a massive club, but Liverpool and Tottenham are bigger and regularly challenge for top honours or the Champions League places. The Reds won the Premier League season last season and the Champions League the campaign before, while Spurs are ...
Match preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United
Tottenham Hotspur host West Ham United later today and the London derby is expected to be a feisty one after both sides headed into the international break on the back of impressive victories. Spurs blew Manchester United away in a 6-1 demolition while the Hammers shocked Leicester City 3-0 at the King Power Stadium. Both teams will be keen to continue from where they stopped, but Jose Mourinho’s side are favourites given their form so far in 2020-21. Tottenham haven’t lost across all competitions since suffering defeat at the hands of Everton on the opening weekend of the campaign, and they have had their squad bolstered with some quality additions during the closing stages of the summer transfer window. They added Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joe Hart, Matt Doherty, Sergio Reguilon andGareth B...
Match preview: Chelsea vs Southampton
Chelsea host Southampton today and will look to continue from where they stopped prior to the international break. The Blues handed Crystal Palace a 4-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge last time out, but the Saints are a different side after securing back-to-back Premier League victories and clean sheets over Burnley and West Bromwich Albion. Those wins came following a poor start to 2020-21 that saw them lose against Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea will have to be on top of their game if they are to pick up all three points at the expense of Southampton. Frank Lampard’s side are also looking to secure their third league win of the season having drawn against West Brom and lost to Liverpool after their victory on the opening weekend over Brighton and Hove Albion. They will have...
Preview: Newcastle United v Manchester United
Newcastle United and Manchester United will return to action in the Premier League this weekend when they face each other at St. James’ Park. The match is slated to kick off at 8pm on Saturday, and it promises to be an intriguing game of football. Newcastle United Newcastle have made a good start to their 2020-21 Premier League campaign and are ninth in the table with seven points from four matches. The Magpies won 3-1 against Burnley at home in the league before the two-week international break and will be looking to pick up maximum points against the Red Devils. Steve Bruce’s side will be aiming to push for the top 10 in the Premier League table this season after finishing 13th in 2019-20. It is not going to be easy, but a win against United at home could enhance their chances and boost ...
Transitioning Teams and Europe
Why the failure to qualify for Europe for a transitioning team could be a blessing in disguise. European qualification in many footballing leagues and cultures is considered one of the more realistic targets at the start of a season. While the league title is there to be taken by an elusive team, there are six to seven teams that get to play in the European competitions namely, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. The fans of every team with a decent top-10 caliber squad expect their teams to be in the mix to achieve the said target. The traditional ‘Top’ teams are by nature expected to have that level of consistency every season they grace the pitch. This very expectation and excitement turn into rage and criticism when their respective teams can’t manage to ch...
‘Not surprised’ – Some West Ham fans react after hearing £25m transfer might not happen
Crystal Palace could make a late move for the Brentford winger Said Benrahma. West Ham had agreed a £25 million deal with the Championship club for the Algerian winger but it seems that the move is in danger of collapse now. Apparently the 25-year-old has fallen out with the Championship club’s hierarchy over broken promises. The attacker was all set to undergo a medical with West Ham after returning from international duty but the deal appears to be off now as per Mirror. Benrahma scored 17 goals for Brentford last year and he would have been a sensational signing for West Ham United. It will be interesting to see if Palace can agree on a deal with the Championship outfit and sign the Algerian before the window closes. The 25-year-old has the quality to improve most midtable clubs in the ...
Memphis Depay’s three-word reaction after seeing clip of Ndombele in Spurs training
Tottenham Hotspur added six players to their first-team during the international summer transfer window, and they could still make one more signing before the EFL transfer deadline on Friday. While those players will no doubt help boost the quality of the Spurs squad, the club-record signing is also starting to live up to expectations after struggling last term. Tanguy Ndombele appears to have forced himself into the plans of head coach Jose Mourinho this term, featuring in seven games across all competitions and weighing in with two goals. The 23-year-old wasn’t called up by France for this month’s international break, and he has used that opportunity to continue working hard at Hotspur Way. Ndombele shared a clip of one of his training sessions on social media, and it left Lyon star Memp...
‘Leeds fans obviously would be gutted’: Talksport pundit has advice for Manchester City
Jamie O’Hara suggested on talkSPORT (9:40am, October 13, 2020) that Manchester City should consider appointing Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa as their manager in the future. The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder and talkSPORT pundit believes that if Pep Guardiola leaves City at the end of the season, then the former Premier League champions should consider appointing Bielsa as his replacement. O’Hara said on talkSPORT (9:40am, October 13, 2020): “I know he doesn’t sign long-term contracts, I know Guardiola’s coming to the end of his contract. “If they don’t win it this year and Guardiola decides that he wants to do something else, we talk about Pochettino, but Bielsa for Man City for me is a manager that they should seriously have a think about. “I don’t want to put something out...
Journalist claims how much Norwich want for Leeds United target Todd Cantwell
The Sun journalist Alan Nixon has claimed on Twitter that Norwich City want £25 million as transfer fee for Todd Cantwell amid interest from Leeds United. The well-known and well-respected journalist has suggested that Premier League outfit Leeds do not want that much for the Championship midfielder. According to The Daily Star, the West Yorkshire club are expected to complete the signing of the 22-year-old from Championship side Norwich before the summer transfer window in England closes on Friday. The Whites’ director of football Victor Orta has told The Yorkshire Evening Post that the club are interested in the youngster. NORWICH. Want 25 for Cantwell. That’s keeping LEEDS at bay for now. — Alan Nixon (@reluctantnicko) October 13, 2020 Todd Cantwell Stats Cantwell has played ...
Journalist claims Derby County want Liverpool 23-year-old this week
The Telegraph journalist John Percy has claimed on Twitter that Derby County, Nottingham Forest, Cardiff City and Norwich City are interested in signing Harry Wilson from Liverpool before the summer transfer window in England closes on Friday. The well-known and well-respected journalist has stated that Championship clubs Derby, Forest, Cardiff and Norwich all want to secure the services of the Wales international winger on a loan deal. The 23-year-old winger is away on international duty with Wales at the moment. #lfc winger Harry Wilson is a loan target for a number of Championship clubs before Friday’s deadline. #dcfc – who had him on loan for the 2018/19 season – are keen to re-sign him but face competition from #nffc, #Cardiff and #Norwich. Wilson currently with the Wales squad — John...
Report: Tottenham confident of signing £15m-rated target by Friday
Tottenham are confident of signing Joe Rodon from Swansea before the transfer window closes on Friday. The Premier League side have had a bid rejected for the 22-year-old defender on deadline day and they are now optimistic about getting a deal done in the next few days. According to Football Insider, the two clubs have held extensive talks over a transfer in the recent days and they have made some progress. The 22-year-old is highly rated in the Championship and he could prove to be a useful addition to Jose Mourinho’s defence. Tottenham have had an impressive window this summer and a centre back would complete their squad for the foreseeable future. It will be interesting to see if the two clubs can secure an agreement in the coming days. Apparently, Swansea want around £15 million for t...
