Tottenham Hotspur: Fans furious after seeing footage of Tanguy Ndombele v Wolves

Loads of Tottenham Hotspur supporters were left fuming with midfielder Tanguy Ndombele after footage emerged on social media of him during their game against Wolves on Sunday.

In the video posted by @fullback03, Pedro Neto is on the ball and running forward. As he gets to the halfway line, Ndombele makes a half-hearted attempt to tackle him but gets nowhere near. He then jogs back behind the Portuguese, showing minimal effort to properly track the runner and eventually, the forward manages to get a shot away.

The French international joined Spurs from Lyon in the summer, with the club paying a record fee of £53.8 million for his services (BBC Sport). However, he has so far failed to live up to his price tag, starting just 11 times in the Premier League due to a string of fitness issues (Transfermarkt).

It is fair to say that plenty of Spurs fans were absolutely livid with the 23-year-old after seeing the video of his ’embarrassing’ lack of effort to try and get the ball from Neto.ÂHere is what some had to say about it on Twitter…

Spurs fans, what are your thoughts on Tanguy Ndombele? Let us know below…

Celtic’s biggest casualty from Griffiths’ turnaround

Not too many players at Celtic would have been displeased about winning 5-0 at the weekend.

The Bhoys were at their best as they overcame St Mirren in devastating circumstances but the result should have meant bad news for one man in particular.

On the chalkboard

After drawing 2-2 with Livingston in midweek this was the ideal result for the Hoops as they bounced back from that tough encounter.

It’s not often Neil Lennon’s side drop points – they’ve failed to win on just four occasions – so this was a test of their resolve as they looked to open up their advantage over Rangers.

A 5-0 win showed their dominance over Scottish football but Leigh Griffiths was particularly bright, netting a hat-trick.

Those goals meant the forward has now registered seven strikes in 2020 alone, turning the page following a break from the game where his future in football looked in doubt.

Alongside Odsonne Edouard, Celtic once again have two strikers they can rely on to grab the goals on a regular basis. Although that’s good news for the club, it doesn’t bode well for Mohamed Elyounoussi.

The casualty

Griffiths’ hat-trick should be a dagger to the heart of Elyounoussi who has done very little wrong in his time at Celtic Park, scoring seven and assisting six.

However, the Southampton loanee has been the victim of the system Lennon now gets his team to play with.

The Norwegian is a winger by trade but the Celtic boss has preferred to set his team up in a manner that accounts for three central defenders and two wing-backs. Among that, Lennon plays with two central strikers.

With Elyounoussi not naturally gifted when it comes to defending, it’s meant that he’s had to sit on the bench since returning from injury or play out of position up front when Griffiths hasn’t been favoured. The second aspect has been a rarity, however.

The 25-year-old was deployed on the wing against Copehagen a few weeks ago but even then he spurned a tremendous opportunity in the first half to score. He isn’t a man in form, failing to contribute to a single strike since returning.

However, with the system change and Griffiths now bang in form playing in attack, it seems difficult to envisage Elyounoussi getting into the side. It also feels tricky to see him arriving for a fee once his loan expires.

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Southampton value the player at £10m and could move to Glasgow in the summer on a permanent transfer but at this moment in time, it would be foolish to spend that on someone who doesn’t play regularly.

Griffiths should be putting any potential plans Nick Hammond and Lennon had for Elyounoussi to bed. After failing to score in midweek and then being dropped to the bench last weekend, he could well become the biggest casualty of his teammate’s good fortunes.

In other news, loads of Celtic fans SLAMMED one man who “couldn’t beat an egg” on Saturday…

Grealish climbs into world’s top 20 attacking midfielders

Aston Villa star Jack Grealish has developed into one of the Premier League’s hottest properties over the course of the 2019/20 season.

The promise shown by the youngster who thrived at Wembley against Liverpool in 2015 looks to have been realised, and his performances have deservedly commanded esteemed praise throughout the campaign.

And it appears his development has been recognised by Transfermarkt.

The popular football website recently updated their valuations of players worldwide, including the 24-year-old playmaker.

Grealish moved from £31.5m to £34.2m, which represents an increase of £29.7m from September 2017 and £11.7m from June 2019.

The market move sees him rise into the world’s top 20 most valuable attacking midfielders, leaving him marginally adrift of Nabil Fekir and James Rodriguez, who are both worth £36m.

Naturally, it must be considered that Transfermarkt generally low-balls valuations and Grealish’s ranking is relative to the marketplace.

Villa’s golden boy is beginning to get the credit which his talent deserves, and with his market rise in mind Football FanCast take a look at three landmarks and themes which define his rise in valuation.

Premier League promotion

Grealish played an instrumental role for Villa in the 2018/19 season as Dean Smith led his side to the top-flight via the playoffs.

A significant injury setback suffered midway through the season limited him to just 31 starts in the Championship, but his return coincided with an upsurge in form that led them to the Premier League.

Villa had not won in five league games before Grealish returned against Derby County on March 2nd 2019 and that game proved to be the turning point in the club’s season.

Wearing the captain’s armband, Grealish inspired a 4-0 rout against the Rams at Villa Park in a game that signalled the beginning of a ten game winning streak.

If any period in his career could underline his importance at Villa then this was it.

Stunning Premier League form

The question on everyone’s lips at the start of the season: can Grealish make the step up in class?

The answer to the question: he’s even better at the elite level.

Bagging a total of seven goals and six assists in 26 Premier League appearances, the budding England international has been in scintillating form at times.

Only seven players in Europe have averaged more key passes per game this season, per Whoscored, and it’s fair to say that without his presence Villa would have long been cut adrift at the foot of the table.

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Links with Manchester United

Manchester United were linked with a move for Grealish in January, per The Independent, but they eventually brought Bruno Fernandes to Old Trafford instead.

That the 24-year-old was even under consideration for a move to one of world football’s most prestigious clubs speaks volumes about his rise to prominence.

It seems inevitable that Grealish will move to one of Europe’s elite clubs should Villa drop back into the Championship – if and when the season reaches its conclusion, of course.

Giovani Lo Celso footage sparks reaction from Spurs fans

As the Premier League enter a third week without any action, Tottenham Hotspur’s media team have tweeted home footage of what midfielder Giovani Lo Celso has been up to during this prolonged period of downtime, and it has got loads of fans talking in north London.

The Argentine can be seen playing ping-pong with what is presumably his wife as they are cooped up at home with no training or matches occurring anytime soon.

Lo Celso is donning his Spurs training kit barring the boots, and that is something supporters have picked up on…

In what has been a shocking season for the Champions League runners-up, the 23-year-old has perhaps been the one shining light in Jose Mourinho’s squad.

Spurs have crashed out of all cup competitions and have sunk seven points adrift of the top four in the Premier League with only nine games remaining this term.

Lo Celso was putting up massive numbers on the elite stage, averaging 2.8 dribbles, 1.6 shots and 1.4 key passes a game per WhoScored, showing fans just a glimpse of what he has to offer them long-term.

The support for the midfield maestro is emphasised in the above reactions with some members of the Spurs faithful brandishing him an “immense baller” as well as a future “legend” at the club.

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It remains to be seen when they’ll be able to see their number 18 on the pitch once again with the current suspension set to end on April 30th at the very earliest.

And finally, in other Spurs news,  one ace who was touted as a new MESSI and Pochettino SOLD is THRIVING elsewhere…

Eccleshare thinks Foyth should start for Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur should be giving more of an opportunity to centre-back Juan Foyth, that’s the claim from The Athletic correspondent Charlie Eccleshare this week.

What’s he said?

The 22-year-old has been an outcasted figure in north London for quite some time now. This season alone, he’s only managed to rack up seven appearances with just 65 minutes coming from Premier League action.

Foyth was signed by ex-manager Mauricio Pochettino in the summer of 2017 and has barely been trusted with a regular berth in the first-team setup.

He started just one match in their historic Champions League run last season and had to settle for the bench in the final against Liverpool.

But Eccleshare believes he is a ‘talented player’ who needs further chances to develop. Speaking in a recent Q&A, he said…

Any harm in it?

Jose Mourinho’s Spurs side rank as the joint-worst for goals conceded in the top ten of the Premier League, so why shouldn’t a defender be given the opportunity to prove his worth to the side?

Foyth may be a Pochettino cast-off, but Jan Vertonghen will soon depart the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium while Japhet Tanganga is far from the finished article, meaning it is only really Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld left.

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It’s quite harsh on the Argentine youngster to be omitted entirely ever since a mistake against Norwich City back in December, that’s only going to blow his confidence and prove detrimental long-term.

After all, Foyth is going to remain under contract in north London for at least another 24 months unless he can secure a move elsewhere in the summer.

Spurs’ season is over – no cup competitions and some way off the top four in the Premier League. There can be no harm in giving the centre-back a run out in the remaining nine games, almost as if it were a last chance saloon trial to decide his future.

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Therefore, Eccleshare is onto something with these bold claims.

AND in other news, Spurs fans react to Jose Mourinho footage…

Somerset boss looking for the owners of great grandfather's lucky Somerset cap

Somerset chief executive Peter Anderson received an interesting picture postcard in his mail earlier this week.The picture postcard had been sent to the Somerset boss by a London based family who were holidaying in Greece, who had written to say how thrilled they were that Somerset had won their recent Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy semi final encounter with Kent.The card went on to say that one of their great grandfathers had played for Somerset back in the 1880’s and that they were still in possession of his county cap.The great grandfather’s Somerset cap occupied pride of place in the family home on top of the television set, and the couple attributed the Cidermen’s amazing victory over Kent to it’s presence above the screen.Great grandfather’s cap had brought Somerset good fortune in the semi finals and it was their intention to leave it in place for the final on August 31st in the hope that it would act as the lucky omen again.Mr Anderson told me: "Great grandfather’s cap is now well into it’s second century, and it would be interesting to know who he was and how many times that he played for the county back in the years before we were granted first class status."He continued: "The only trouble is that I can’t read the signature on the card, and even if I could it wouldn’t tell us who great grandfather was."The Somerset boss would be very interested to hear from the couple who sent the card to him from Greece, and just like all Somerset supporters hopes that the cap brings the county good fortune in the Lord’s final against Yorkshire.

Liverpool’s pursuit of Soumare a dagger to Keita’s heart

Liverpool’s quest for a first title in 30 years may come crashing down very soon. If the Premier League follows in the direction of the National League then the season will be null and void.

It would be disastrous for the club who have worked so hard to open up a 25 point advantage at the top of the league.

However, in times like these, there are more important matters to consider – the health of everyone.

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When football does begin again, we may well have experienced a transfer window. One of the names to be linked with bolstering Liverpool’s ranks in the last week or so was Lille enforcer Boubakary Soumare.

The midfielder has been a rock in the middle of the park for his side this season, so much so that he’s been touted with numerous moves to England, as well as being compared to Paul Pogba.

Manchester United and Spurs were reportedly in the hunt for the £50m-rated man previously.

However, it appears as though the Reds are now pursuing him. One Spanish report suggests they’ve been in negotiations for a long period of time over a potential deal for Soumare.

This is particularly bad news for one man in particular at the club – Naby Keita, a player already linked with a move away.

The Guinean has been a neglected figure in recent weeks and the way he was left out of the squad for Liverpool’s defeat to Atletico raised huge question marks. Journalist James Pearce suggested he wasn’t even injured – this was strange for an individual that was brought in for £48m.

Though, this wasn’t the first setback Keita has had to overcome in his time at the club. The 25-year-old has played just nine times in the league this term, missing certain games through injury but also failing to impress when he has stepped onto the field.

So far this calendar year the midfield man has failed to score or assist and the fact Klopp left him out a few weeks ago spoke huge volumes.

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Another midfielder, especially one with defensive qualities such as Soumare – he has 1 tackle per game – could put the final nail in Keita’s tightly closed coffin.

He should be scared at such a prospect.

Meanwhile, one Liverpool target could USURP Shaqiri at Anfield…

Two unsung Liverpool players who have impressed from under the radar this season

Liverpool are having the season of their lives as they inch ever closer to lifting their first-ever Premier League trophy.

Jurgen Klopp will be overjoyed with the performances superstars like Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané have put in, but what about the rest? Here’s a look at two players who have been quietly grafting away in 2019/2020…

Joe Gomez

Like almost any other centre-back in the world, if you’re paired up with Virgil van Dijk in defence, you’re going to slip out of the limelight a little. But the Dutchman’s new deputy has been stellar this season, stepping in during the absence of Joel Matip and putting himself on a pedestal above Dejan Lovren.

In comparison to Manchester City’s Nicolas Otamendi (0.8), Gomez is dribbled past less times on average (0.4) per match and averages more passes (67.1) than the Argentinian’s 63.1. In fact, Liverpool’s 22-year-old completes an average of 1.3 interceptions per 90 minutes, higher than that of van Dijk (1) and fellow Englishman Trent Alexander-Arnold (1.2), according to WhoScored.

It seems it’s been easy to overlook the talent and work-rate of Gomez who operates across a back four worth a combined £248.8million, to which Liverpool’s No.12 makes up just £30m of. But pound signs aren’t everything and the Reds arguably wouldn’t be in this insanely strong position without the consistency of Gomez this season.

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Liverpool’s midfield has been a conundrum as Klopp seems to still be working out which combination is the key to success. Before suffering an ACL injury, Oxlade-Chamberlain tallied three goals and seven assists in the Premier League which was far more than midfield teammate Georginio Wijnaldum (one goal, two assists).

The Merseyside outfit have plugged plenty of holes with the money from Philippe Coutinho’s mammoth sale, but are still yet to bring in an attacking midfielder of the Brazilian’s variety. A fit and firing Chamberlain might be the answer to these problems.

The best thing about the Ox is his willingness to shoot from range and more importantly, hit the target. His wonder-goal against Man City in the Champions League oozed Coutinho/Gerrard standards and that’s what Liverpool have been missing against tough, defensive opponents.

Unless Liverpool recruit someone else in the summer transfer window, Oxlade-Chamberlain needs to be operating in the heart of the midfield at every possible chance.

What do you think, Liverpool fans? Do you agree with the above or have there been better unsung heroes this season?

Liverpool: Fans baffled by Bruno Fernandes claim

Liverpool have been the best team in England so far this term.

The current pandemic has put a stop to their procession to the title, but before professional football on these shores, and indeed across the continent, was suspended, they were just two wins and six points away from being named champions. As it stands, they are 25 points clear at the top of the table, which is the biggest such margin in the history of the division.

Manchester United, meanwhile, are 37 points behind the Reds and are fighting for a Champions League spot. Bruno Fernandes has had a massive impact since he joined for £47m in January – the Red Devils are unbeaten in the nine matches he has played – but in the long-term, you would expect them to need more recruitment to fight for the title.

Not if you are Twitter page The United Stand, though. They say that the Old Trafford outfit would be 30 points better off if the Portugal international had been at the club since the start of the campaign, which would have them just seven points adrift at this stage.

As you can imagine, this has tickled the Liverpool supporters. They have taken 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!

Lara dedicates Hall of Fame honour to father

Brian Lara, who was inducted into the ICC’s Hall of Fame at the awards ceremony in Colombo on Friday evening, dedicated the honour to his late father Bunty Lara, who died before his son played a Test. Lara also credited his brother Winston and sister Agnes during the function at the Water’s Edge Resort, saying they’d played important roles in his development as a cricketer.”This person you see today before you accepting this Hall of Fame honour is someone he [Bunty Lara] moulded. He ensured that I had everything I needed to succeed as a cricketer and in life, even in trying times,” Lara said. “He made a special effort to make sure everything was there.”I had to work hard … but I knew I had strong support. My biggest pain was that he did not see me play a Test match, but having the West Indies team in Trinidad at his funeral was a special tribute to the man who made sure I was given the tools to play this glorious game and make such a lasting contribution.”Lara ended his 17-year international career as Test cricket’s leading run-scorer, with 11,953 runs at an average of 52.88 in 131 matches, a record that has been beaten since. However, he still holds the record for the highest individual score – 400 against England in Antigua in 2004. He had held it before as well, when he scored 375, also against England in Antigua in 1994, to go past Garry Sobers’ 365. He also holds the record for the highest first-class score: 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham* in 1994.In the 299 ODIs that he played, Lara scored 10,405 runs at an average of 40.48. In 2004, when captaining West Indies, he led the team to victory in the Champions Trophy against England at the Oval.”As a boy, you never really thought of Hall of Fames, you never really thought of records. Growing up in the ’70s my heroes were Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and Roy Fredericks as a left-hand batsman. I am happy I was able to spend 17 years in the West Indies and was able to contribute in a way worthy of this honour,” Lara said. “It is nice to share it with my family.”Tonight I had my brother and my sister here with me. Agnes is the one who took me to my first coaching clinic when I was six, and Winston was a role model as a stylish right-handed batsman … so to have them here is very special.”Lara said his most memorable series was the four home Tests against Australia in 1999, when he scored 213 in Jamaica and 153 in Barbados to help West Indies draw the rubber 2-2.”The 213 against Australia in Jamaica is definitely my best innings,” he said. “You have to understand the climate at that time. Going into that match, landing in Jamaica and knowing that everything was on the line – your captaincy, the series, respect and adoration by your fans. The mental strength I mustered during that week was something that when I looked back, it was very hard to measure anything against that.”The performance was something I cherish and the fact that we won the match to level the series, after we were bowled out for 51 the week before in Trinidad, felt great. I thought the way I handled it was special. It is something I will never ever forget … it’s a day’s cricket I will be talking about for a very long time. The 153 in Barbados the following week was rated higher by Wisden and the cricketing gurus but the double century in Jamaica was my best effort.”Lara, 43, joined 16 West Indian cricketers – Lance Gibbs, Gordon Greenidge, George Headley, Michael Holding, Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Malcolm Marshall, Viv Richards, Andy Roberts, Garfield Sobers, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes, Frank Worrell, Courtney Walsh, Joel Garner and Curtly Ambrose – in the ICC Hall of Fame.*1000GMT A correction was made to change “for Durham against Warwickshire” to “for Warwickshire against Durham

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