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Tottenham Hotspur’s consistency issues have halted their pursuit of the Premier League title, which will come as a big blow for supporters who hoped that this was their year. 

Spurs have certainly impressed under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino so far this season, but their recent loss against Manchester United highlighted that improvements are required.

Indeed, with the January transfer window now here, perhaps Spurs should be looking to bring in a central midfielder after waving goodbye to Mousa Dembele recently.

So, perhaps the Lilywhites should take inspiration from their North London rivals as they search for a replacement, having seen Lucas Torreira’s rise to stardom in the Premier League since joining back in the summer months.

One player who could fit the mould for Pochettino is Celta Vigo’s Stanislav Lobotka. Torriera was a rising star during his time at Sampdoria and Lobotka is already receiving similar hype on the international stage and in the La Liga.

Chelsea have been linked (as per Calciomercato) with a move for Lobotka in recent times, and the 24-year-old has a £45 million release clause, so Spurs may have to beat their London rivals to the punch and could be forced to splash the cash in order to secure his services.

Of course, Harry Winks does a solid job in the middle of midfield for the Lilywhites, but a defensive midfielder could definitely cure their current weaknesses as Lobotka thrives in front of the defence. He is really starting to come into his own and is only 24 years of age, so the best is still to come from the Slovakian international.

The defensive midfielder is very similar to Torreira in many ways, as he adopts a dogged approach, has pace at his disposal, is strong in the tackle and has an incredible passing ability. He has established himself as one of Slovakia’s rising stars and is developing into a hot topic over in Spain, so Spurs should waste no time in signing him.

Tottenham Hotspur fans – thoughts on a potential move for Stanislav Lobotka?

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Newcastle fans have taken to Twitter to react after The Chronicle revealed that talks are underway over the signing of Benfica defensive midfielder Andreas Samaris, who would join the club on loan if a deal were to materialise.

The 29-year-old is a player of some pedigree, having played for the Greek national team for many years now, and would be a welcome addition to a squad in desperate need of fresh faces to give them a boost in their battle for survival. Samaris is an excellent passer of the ball and poses a threat from set pieces.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

The Tynesiders have until 11pm on Thursday to wrap up some deals that they desperately need, as well as ones that would ensure that their Spanish boss remains at the club having grown tired at Mike Ashley’s reluctance to back him in the market, as per The Daily Mail.

Let’s see how the club’s fans reacted to the news on Twitter…

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Tottenham welcome Leicester City to Wembley on Sunday afternoon, and they must learn from the mistakes of title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool.

On the chalkboard

Tottenham once again have the chance to keep pace with the title favourites on Sunday, but the visit of Leicester will be far from a walk in the park.

Claude Puel is under considerable pressure as the Foxes toil in 11th, far too low for a squad with such quality, but they have made life difficult for the big boys this season.

Manchester United had to work hard to squeeze out a 1-0 win at the King Power Stadium recently while Manchester City and Liverpool combined for just one point in their recent clashes with the 2015-16 champions.

So what can Tottenham do to avoid another Foxes upset?

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals what Lasagne-Gate was really like for Tottenham’s food-poisoned stars – Check out the video below…

Learning from title rivals

Tottenham should have no difficulty creating chances and troubling the Leicester defence, as the Foxes have not kept a clean sheet since New Year’s Day in a 1-0 win at Everton.

However, the Lilywhites must change things up at the back and start with a back three to avoid repeating the mistakes of both Manchester City and Liverpool, who were repeatedly exposed by wingers like Demarai Gray and overlapping full-backs Ben Chilwell and Ricardo Pereira.

Against Manchester City, Pereira and Marc Albrighton made Fabian Delph’s life miserable. Chilwell, together with James Maddison, did the exact same thing to makeshift Liverpool right-back Jordan Henderson in their 1-1 draw.

If Tottenham play a back four, both of Kieran Trippier and Serge Aurier, the two senior options at right-back, would leave gaps for Chilwell and whoever starts on the left-wing to expose. If Puel picks Gray in that spot, his pace will be a huge problem in the gaps left by Trippier or Aurier.

Tottenham simply must start a back three of Jan Vertonghen, Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld, which will limit the impact of any mishaps from the wing-backs or midfield.

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Brendan Rodgers appears delighted with the way one of his biggest January decisions has been vindicated.

Scott Bain arrived at Celtic 12 months earlier but it was January 2019 that he really made his mark with the former Dundee keeper poised to make his European debut against Valencia on Thursday night.

Craig Gordon was a key figure of Celtic’s Double Treble success but Rodgers has a ruthless side and won’t go on sentiment when it comes to making big decisions.

Scott Brown discovered that side to the Irishman earlier this season, and Gordon is now looking at an extended spell watching from the bench.

“What I love about Scott is his temperament, whether it was Ibrox in his first game, or at Hampden in the final, in front of 10 or 100,000 people,” Rodgers said as quoted by The Evening Times.

“He’s just one of those of those players who has a really good temperament for the game and he’s a fantastic goalkeeper.”

Rodgers has always placed a strong emphasis on having goalkeepers comfortable with the ball at their feet – capable of starting attacks rather than inducing panic.

Bain fits that description perfectly through the accuracy of his passing and willingness for team-mates to pop the ball back to him before a cultured ball to a free man.

Valencia will present a far tougher goal threat than any of Celtic’s domestic opponents have mustered this year but with seven shut-outs to his name, Bain couldn’t go into his European debut any more confident.

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Brendan Rodgers has told Armstrong Oko-Flex and Karamoko Dembele that age won’t hold them back from getting first team action.

On Sunday at Kilmarnock the former Arsenal kid was named as a substitute while Dembele will be eligible for reserve and first team action from Saturday when he celebrates his 16th birthday.

Rodgers started his coaching career at the bottom rung in the Reading Academy and has always shown an appreciation for emerging talent, leaving the door open to top team action.

Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Kieran Tierney have been central to his success at Celtic with Rodgers keen to get the next batch of young players fully involved in his squad.

Speaking to Celtic TV on Monday night, the Hoops boss said…

“Armstrong is still very young, he is only 16 but it’s important for the young players in the reserves to get a sense of what it is like to be in and around the first team.

“He still has a long way to go but he has come in and adapted. He has moved up from London, taken his life up here and there is always that transition period.

“Since the turn of the year he has looked very strong, we’ve had really good feedback from the guys working with the reserve team, Tommy (McIntyre) and Damien (Duff). That gives him a little taste of what it is like and he’s obviously been training with us.

“Young players all want to play for the first team but before that you’ve got to train with the first team. You have to have their intensity, you have to work and press then earn your right to be in the first team.

“It was nice for him to be on the bench, to sample it, to stay concentrated in case he was asked to come on and hopefully yesterday (Sunday) gave him extra motivation and commitment to one day being a first team player.”

With Dembele brought into the discussion Rodgers added: “Throughout my career as a coach, I’ve always shown that [if you are good enough you are old enough]. There has always been a number of young players in my teams, at 17, at 18 but that is up to them.

“Age is no barrier for me, if they have the qualities. Having come through youth development myself, I was 15 years as a youth coach, so I understand it.

“The players aren’t fully ready but you have to give them that little taste, especially if they are doing well but there comes a point where they continue to do well and if they don’t get the opportunity to do well it can go the other way for them.

“It is just about timing but they are big talents. They have to do well in the reserves and in training, at some point their chance will come later.”

While Oko-Flex was on the bench at Kilmarnock Stephen Welsh, Robbie Deas, Daniel Church, Kerr McInroy, Ewan Henderson and Jack Aitchison were on duty with Scotland’s u-19 squad at a training camp in Spain.

Celtic are back in Reserve League action on March 5 when they are away to Dundee.

Sky in Italy, via Sky Sports, have reported that potential new Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has been given reassurances that he will have freedom and a sizeable budget to spend in January.

Reports on Tuesday suggested that a deal to bring the 60-year-old was Goodison Park was all-but done, but according to The Daily Mail there are still a few teething problems to iron out.

Watch Everton vs Burnley Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

However, it appears as though the Merseyside outfit are trying to tempt the three-time Champions League winner to the Toffees with the promise of some sort of control over transfers if Sky in Italy are to be believed, which could potentially have an effect on current director of football Marcel Brands.

That is something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by some Everton fans reacting to the transfer claim, with many discussing what the future could hold for the Dutchman and one going as far as saying “hopefully that’s the end of Brands”.

It may seen quite a harsh statement but given their position in the Premier League standings, the failure of Marco Silva and high-profile signings such as Moise Kean not really working out, it isn’t exactly surprising either.

That said, not everyone was unhappy and one individual said that they hoped he didn’t get pushed aside should Ancelotti be appointed.

A lot of the focus may have been on Brands, but unsurprisingly others reacted to the report by discussing the possible players who could arrive at Goodison Park.

How much do you really know about the Farhad Moshiri era? Answer 25 simple questions below…

One fan suggested Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne who has 81 goals and 72 assists in 323 appearances for Ancelotti’s previous club, while another suggested they could now splash out £100m on 2019 summer target Wilfried Zaha.

In other Everton news, Moise Kean has reacted to a post on Instagram saying that Carlo Ancelotti has agreed to become the club’s new manager…

It was a good day out for Sheffield United at Brighton on Saturday.

The Blades won 1-0 thanks to a solitary goal from Oli McBurnie, and they are now up to fifth in the Premier League table. After being tipped to go the same way from which they came from before the start of the campaign, Chris Wilder and his men continue to prove their doubters wrong.

Having said that, they weren’t at their best at the Amex Stadium. They managed less than 35% possession during the 90 minutes, and had just two shots on target. They have the Scotland international to thank for their win and, although they did have two goals disallowed by VAR, they were far from dominant.

This match saw just a third start of the campaign for former QPR man Luke Freeman. The 27-year-old was purchased before the start of the season for a then club-record fee of £5m. However, it is days like this that indicate he is struggling to adapt to the top tier.

In this match, he was a passenger. He managed just 12 passes during the match – only Dean Henderson had less of those to start the match – whilst he also failed to play a single key pass. He also failed to provide any defensive cover either, completing zero tackles and interceptions.

When he was taken off with just 53 minutes on the clock, few will have been surprised. It was the latest poor performance during a season in which he has made next to no impact. In nine Premier League matches, he has not managed a single goal or assist.

Chris Wilder has not made too many mistakes since moving to Bramall Lane, and at £5m, Freeman is not exactly a costly one, but his arrival has been an error all the same. Whilst most of those around him have excelled as the Blades have climbed up the table, the ex-Bristol City man just doesn’t look like he can cut it at this level.

The game was in the balance going into the dying moments with Cheikhou Kouyate’s equaliser meaning the score was 1-1 between Crystal Palace and West Ham United.

That is before Jordan Ayew intervened in the 90th minute to take all three points for the Eagles at Selhurst Park.

Watch Crystal Palace Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Ghanan international danced through three West Ham defenders before dinking the ball over Roberto, producing a piece of skill that has got plenty of fans talking.

Palace fans have absolutely loved watching this goal back as they were left to drool over the attempt.

One has even stated that it is “genuinely one of the greatest individual goals ever scored”, while another has described it as “absolute perfection”.

This goal’s legacy will also be helped by the fact that it takes Palace up to ninth in the Premier League table, just three points behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

Did he really play for us?! No Palace fan has managed to name all of these obscure Eagles signings….

There have even been comparisons made between Ayew and Barcelona great Lionel Messi due to the intricacy of the skill involved.

The Argentinian is able to dribble his way through crowds of opposition players with incredible precision, something he has shown on his way to six Ballon d’Or awards.

Palace fans feel that the close control and cheeky finish of the Ghana international are reminiscent of that quality.

In other news, FFC has suggested another moment was match-defining against West Ham.

Leeds United face off against one of the fanbase’s most-hated figures on Saturday as they gear up for a clash with Garry Monk’s Sheffield Wednesday.

It’s no secret that United fans aren’t too fond of their former manager after he resigned from the Elland Road post following just one season, and to make matters worse they’ve struggled to get the better of him in recent years.

Monk did the double over Leeds with Birmingham last term, and the Whites could only muster a draw with the Owls earlier this season.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

It must be annoying for United fans to see their side face difficulties against their former boss time and time again, but it may be down to one tactic that the 40-year-old has consistently used against them.

Simple but effective

Monk’s recipe for getting the better of Leeds is incredibly simple and effective.

It’s not pretty and it’s not clever, but during his spells with both Birmingham and Wednesday, he has opted to play a route one style with a target man being the focal point of many attacks.

Last term, Lukas Jutkiewicz caused United many problems as he won 24 aerial duels across two games, and this season Steven Fletcher has already won six aerial duels in their first clash of the campaign.

Can’t happen again

Leeds need to make sure that this doesn’t happen again, but that’s easier said than done.

Marcelo Bielsa has previously been called the best coach in the world, but he’s not found a solution to this problem yet, but the fix could be a simple one.

It’s easy to say that it’s all about marking Fletcher tightly by sticking Liam Cooper on him for 90 minutes as he wins 4.4 aerial duels per game, but the Whites’ best bet could be to stop the issue at its root.

United need to press harder than ever before in order to stop the long balls coming in over the top or else it will be another long afternoon for the Whites’ backline.

It’ll be up to the likes of Patrick Bamford and the forward players to ensure the supply line is stopped efficiently.

In other news, fans of a Premier League club have urged their team to sign one Leeds man.

Several Tottenham Hotspur supporters are struggling to understand why Davinson Sanchez hasn’t been in the starting line-up recently.

The Colombian international has been dropped to the bench by Jose Mourinho of late and hasn’t started in any of their last three matches in all competitions against Norwich City, Southampton and Middlesbrough (Transfermarkt).

Instead, the Portuguese manager has opted to play Belgian duo Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen in the heart of defence, but it hasn’t exactly paid off.

Indeed, they have won none of the three fixtures with two draws and a loss and in that time they have shipped four goals (Transfermarkt).

Sanchez started the three games prior and Spurs’ results were better, beating both Wolves and Brighton either side of a defeat against Chelsea (Transfermarkt).

Fans have noticed that results were better with the 23-year-old in the team and as a result, many want to see him brought back for their next match against Liverpool.

Here is what some have been saying on Twitter…

Spurs fans, do you think that Davinson Sanchez should be starting more often? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…