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Manchester United have been warned transfer business is about to get “twice as difficult” as top players ask why they’d want to join the Red Devils.

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• Once the go-to choice for top talent
• Regressed badly since Ferguson's retirement
• Struggling to find value in testing market

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  There was a time not all that long ago, when winning 13 Premier League titles under legendary former boss Sir Alex Ferguson, that United were able to cherry pick the very best talent available in domestic and international transfer markets.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A humbling fall from grace has been endured since Ferguson retired in 2013, with the 2024-25 campaign seeing the Red Devils tumble as far as 14th spot in the English top-flight table. Enticing players of proven pedigree to Old Trafford is becoming increasingly tricky.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ex-United defender Gary Pallister fears those recruitment challenges are about to get even tougher, with a once dominant force threatening to fade into the background. A side now working under the management of Ruben Amorim are no longer a go-to option for the most sought-after of additions.

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  WHAT GARY PALLISTER SAID

  Pallister, speaking in association with , told GOAL when asked if United will soon be forced to shop in an entirely different market to the one in which they have grown accustomed to: “They are doing that right now.

  “Years ago, if you got the chance to sign for Manchester United you would move heaven and earth to try and get there. At this moment in time, people look at Manchester United as a club that is not in a comfortable position. I wouldn’t call it a crisis yet, but there is a lot of change going on.

  “There might not be European football, a lack of stability, so why would you go to Manchester United if you could maybe go to Manchester City or Arsenal or Madrid, Barcelona? We can’t really compete with those teams at the moment.

  “It makes it twice as difficult when your recruitment is so important to you and how the club moves forward. It’s becoming harder to get players across the line.”

An “excellent” Newcastle United player will be offered a contract extension at St James’ Park, according to a new update regarding his future.

Latest Newcastle news

Attacking reinforcements will be needed for the Magpies soon, especially if Callum Wilson brings an end to his time at the club, and Botafogo striker Igor Jesus has been linked with a move.

The 23-year-old is now a three-cap Brazil international, scoring once in that time, as well as netting eight times in 24 appearances for his current team. His spell at Shabab Ah-Ahli has caught the eye the most, however, with 43 goals and 20 assists coming his way in 88 outings.

Aside from Wilson, Newcastle will have concerns about star striker Alexander Isak moving on, and plenty of potential replacements have been lined up if he does find another club soon.

One such figure is Viktor Gyokeres, who continues to produce an astonishing level of consistency for Sporting CP, scoring a stunning 16 goals in just 11 Primeira Liga appearances so far this season. Victor Osimhen could also be an option, despite only moving from Napoli to Galatasaray on loan during the summer transfer window.

Newcastle will hand "excellent" player new deal

According to a new report from The Shields Gazette, Newcastle will give Sean Longstaff a contract extension, agreeing to add a year to his current deal, ensuring he stays put until at least the summer of 2026. The Magpies have decided to trigger the option to extend the £50,000-a-week midfielder’s stay by 12 months, continuing to see him as an important part of Eddie Howe’s plans moving forward.

Retaining Longstaff’s services for another 12 months makes complete sense for Newcastle, considering what a solid and experienced player he has become down the years. The boyhood Magpies supporter may not be the most flamboyant player at Howe’s disposal, but the manager clearly values him, saying last year: “I’m so pleased that he’s got the headlines tonight.

“The two goals were great finishes. His all-round performances this season have been excellent. He’s getting the rewards for what I saw last year. He didn’t play for me initially but behind the scenes, I saw a player that was really committed to his training, really wanted to improve, so I’m delighted now he’s getting the rewards for that.”

Now 27, Longstaff is in the best years of his career, possessing lots of experience but still being young enough to be an important figure over the next few years.

A decision will eventually need to be made, in terms of whether to hand the Englishman another extension at St James’ beyond 2026, but for now, giving him that extra year is a must, rather than losing him at the end of this season.

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Longstaff’s box-to-box quality continues to be an invaluable asset – he has averaged 2.4 tackles per game in the Premier League this season – not to mention his knowledge of Newcastle and his will to win for them, so this has to be considered good news for the Magpies.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has revealed why Dan Ashworth last just five months at Manchester United and admitted a new deal for Erik ten Hag was a mistake.

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• Ashworth left Man Utd after matter of months
• Ratcliffe says there was a lack of "chemistry"
• Admits to mistakes on Ashworth and Ten Hag

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ashworth left Old Trafford last December after just five months in his sporting director role. Now, United minority owner Ratcliffe has lifted the lid on his departure and that he made a "mistake" extending former manager Erik ten Hag's contract last summer.

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  WHAT SIR JIM RATCLIFFE SAID

  He told The Telegraph: “They were just mistakes. The Erik thing is slightly mitigating. There was quite a lot of debate about that time. He had just won a Cup final. The fans were clearly of the view that we’d like to stick with him and all that sort of stuff. They were both mistakes. I don’t think we can say much more than that. It’s a journey and there’s a lot of decisions that we have to make over the course of the journey and we’re not going to get them all right. I don’t think in the future we’ll get them all right either because we’re not perfect.”

  On Ashworth, he added: “We’re talking about our old industry [with Ineos]. I think we just have to say, ‘chemistry’. Really, I don’t want to go down that [road]. It is what it is, and it was our fault.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United are in a state of turmoil at present, with the club sitting 14th in the Premier League, widespread redundancies have occurred and fans are stepping up protests against the Red Devils' ownership. The fact that United chased Ashworth from Newcastle United for months, only to get rid of him soon and at great expense after is not a good look.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Ruben Amorim's United will hope for some good news when they host Real Sociedad in the last-16 of the Europa League on Thursday. The tie is level at 1-1 after the first leg in Spain.

Sunderland are now taking steps to prevent one of their young talents from leaving the club as they look to capitalise on a strong start to the Championship season under Regis Le Bris.

Sunderland holding on at top of Championship

Three consecutive draws have seen Sunderland’s early lead at the top of the Championship table eroded, but they still remain at the summit heading into the November international break.

After a third of the season, they sit ahead of Sheffield United on goal difference after the Blades picked up a narrow 1-0 win over city rivals Sheffield Wednesday, while Leeds United sit two points further back in third place.

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No one in the division has managed more than the Black Cats’ 24 goals so far this season, while Sunderland also boast the youngest squad in the division, making their table-topping feat all the more impressive.

However, they will be hoping to return to winning ways soon as they look to secure an automatic promotion spot come the end of the campaign – something that would represent a major success for a club that has not tasted top-flight football since the 2016/17 season, when they finished bottom of the pack.

However, their impressive form has not gone unnoticed, and there is plenty of interest beginning to build in the young stars powering their promotion push, with Chris Rigg firmly in the eyes of Manchester United and other clubs across the Premier League, while Jobe Bellingham is also a man in demand.

How Sunderland plan to keep midfielder

Now, a report from Football Insider has revealed Sunderland’s plan to keep hold of Jobe Bellingham for at least the January transfer window, if not longer.

The midfielder has been tipped to follow the path trodden by brother Jude, who swapped the Championship for Borussia Dortmund after impressing in England’s second tier with Birmingham City.

So far this season, Jobe has managed to find the net on two occasions, as well as grabbing an assist.

Now, Sunderland have responded to any potential interest, with the club ready to slap a “huge price tag” on the teenager in a bid to ward off suitors.

Fortunately, it is added that although Bellingham finds the interest “flattering”, he is rated as “unlikely” to move in the new year due to his side’s promotion push.

The Black Cats are also banking on Bellingham’s understanding that he is receiving “valuable first-team football” in the Championship – something that he may not receive were he to leave the north-east prematurely.

Though he is under contract until 2028, it is unlikely that Bellingham will see that out at the Stadium of Light given his clear talent and interest from elite clubs, but Sunderland are in a strong position to receive a hefty fee close to that which Birmingham netted for brother Jude.

Oscar-nominated actor showcases his love for French football while attending the BNP Paribas Open with girlfriend Kylie Jenner.

• Chalamet wears Adidas x Saint-Étienne collaboration jacket
• Actor's choice highlights his long-standing support for the Ligue 1 club
• Chalamet also supports Premier League giants Chelsea and the New York Knicks

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  WHAT HAPPENED

  Hollywood star Timothée Chalamet was spotted at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, wearing a green and white Adidas jacket featuring the AS Saint-Étienne (ASSE) football club logo. The actor attended the event with his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner on March 10, catching the attention of both sports and fashion enthusiasts. Chalamet's choice of attire at the high-profile tennis event highlights his long-standing support for AS Saint-Étienne, a French football club.

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• WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA CAPTURED

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Oscar nominated actor is a big fan of football and AS Saint-Étienne as he spent childhood summers near the team's hometown of Saint-Étienne. However, Chalamet's football interests extend beyond Ligue 1 as the actor is also known to support Premier League giants Chelsea FC. Not only that, he was spotted, in February, wearing a Columbus Crew jacket to the Berlin Film Festival although the actor never confirmed whether he supports the MLS side or was a fan of the attire.

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  WHAT’S NEXT?

  The Ligue 1 side have endured a tough time in the French top tier ever since their promotion back into the top flight at the end of the 2023/24 season. They currently sit 17th on the league table and are at risk of relegation with 11 games left in the Ligue 1 season. However, Saint-Etienne are two points from safety and face Montpellier next on the road before hosting league leaders PSG at the Geoffroy Guichard Stadium on March 16 and 29 respectively.

The England defender has arguably been the best performer in the Women's Super League this season, and she is now looking to replicate that in Europe

There was no more interesting duel in Saturday's Women's League Cup final than that between Millie Bright, the Chelsea centre-back, and Khadija Shaw, Manchester City's star striker. At the opposite end of the pitch, Mayra Ramirez's overwhelming success in her battle with Laia Aleixandri proved to be a big difference-maker in the Blues' 2-1 win – but Bright's ability to lock down Shaw, who managed just one shot on target all match, was perhaps just as significant.

While Bright didn't win every header and every little duel with Shaw (arguably no defender could), she limited her effectiveness massively, so often getting in the way to block shots and restrict her space in the box to prevent the Jamaica international from impacting the game. Combining well with Nathalie Bjorn to prevent City having many clear cut chances, Bright was one of Chelsea's best performers on the day, and her reward was the opportunity to lift the League Cup for the first time in four years.

However, the England star's display was simply a continuation of what she has shown all season. Now, after some real bad luck with injuries, the Chelsea captain is primed to be fully involved in the final stretch of the season again and, for the first time in four years, has the opportunity to make a real difference in their quest for that elusive Women's Champions League title.

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  Making up for lost time

  The last time a fully-fit Bright played a significant role in the knockout phase of the Champions League was way back in the 2020-21 season, when she helped Chelsea reach the final for the first time. After a difficult group-stage exit the following year, the Blues were in the quarter-finals again in the 2022-23 season, but it was in the first leg of their win over Lyon that Bright limped off with a season-ending knee injury.

  Last season, it was quite the opposite situation, with Bright sidelined for five months and actually making her return in the Champions League in late April, albeit only as an 84th-minute substitute in the second leg of Chelsea's semi-final loss to Barcelona. Thrown on as a makeshift centre-forward as the Blues desperately searched for a goal to keep them in the competition, she could not impact the tie as she would've hoped to.

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  In flying form

  But now, in her first campaign of full fitness since 2021-22, Bright has reminded everybody of her incredible quality. She has been immense all year long and should certainly be a strong contender for top honours when the end-of-season awards come around.

  Ranking among the top five players in the Women's Super League for most successful passes, aerial duels won and interceptions made, Bright is also among the top three Chelsea players for winning tackles, duels and possession, while leading the Blues' squad for blocks made and most successful long passes. Only Manchester United have conceded fewer goals than Sonia Bompastor's still undefeated side this term, and their captain has been a big part of the reason why.

  "Her performances have been great," Bompastor said of Bright on Saturday. "She's really having an impact on the team. I'm really pleased for her because she's a really good player, but also a good person. It's always positive when one of your leaders, and the main leader in Chelsea, is performing at that level. I think she just sets the tone for everyone else and as a captain, she shows the example."

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  Leader and a performer

  That's the other element of Bright's value that cannot be quantified. Her leadership is immaculate, as further evidenced by the fact she earned her the role of England captain when Leah Williamson was ruled of the 2023 Women's World Cup, and led the Lionesses to the final there.

  England have a lot of depth at centre-back and there are a lot of differing opinions among observers about who should be starting at this summer's European Championship. Many have long wanted to see Alex Greenwood in there regularly, owing to her world-class displays over the last few years, while Jess Carter has always been solid when she given the opportunity. Then there is Williamson, the captain and a player who has looked good for Arsenal in the second half of this season. Others, such as Esme Morgan, Millie Turner and Maya Le Tissier, will also hope to throw their hats in the ring over the next few months. It's one of the most competitive areas in the entire team.

  Right now, though, it's hard to argue against Bright being the most in-form centre-back at England's disposal. She has been the most outstanding player in that position in the WSL this term and Sarina Wiegman will certainly hope she carries that momentum into the summer.

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  Stepping up

  That's been especially important lately, too, as Chelsea have endured some serious bad luck in the position. Kadeisha Buchanan suffered a devastating ACL injury back in November, thus curtailing her season. When the January transfer window opened, the Blues strengthened in the position in the most emphatic manner possible, signing United States international Naomi Girma for a world-record fee. However, she arrived with a knock and has not played since limping off during her eventual debut over two weeks ago. Maelys Mpome has also been out since mid-February, leaving Bompastor with just Bright and Bjorn as her only natural centre-back options.

  Fortunately, both have been superb. "It's really important, especially having the chemistry between these two players in the back line," their coach noted at the weekend. It was no surprise that their strong understanding on the pitch was top of mind for Bompastor, given the comments came shortly after the pair had worked together to deal so well with Shaw's threat.

  There are other players who have deputised in the heart of defence when absolutely necessary, be it the incredibly versatile Sjoeke Nusken or England's Lucy Bronze, and Bompastor did admit she may need to think about those options in the coming weeks, if others do not return soon, in order to give Bright and Bjorn some rest.

  For now, though, neither look to be feeling any negative effects of the increasing importance of their top form and instead look primed to simply continue it as the big games come thick and fast.

Arne Slot’s men are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League. Eight points. Oh Jurgen Klopp, where for art thou? What the German would have given for that sort of a start to the season when he was at Liverpool.

Alas, the new regime with Slot at the helm is going rather well without the old boss. There were some hiccups on the road at St Mary’s on Sunday afternoon but just as they have done during the infant stages of the 2024/25 campaign, the Reds found a way.

Twice Southampton scored but ultimately Liverpool and indeed Mohamed Salah prevailed.

It took a succession of mistakes from Alex McCarthy and Flynn Downes that led to Dominik Szoboszlai’s opener before a neatly taken strike from Salah and a penalty from the Egyptian saw all three goals rather gift-wrapped a month out from Christmas.

It wasn’t plain sailing for the Merseysiders, far from it. Adam Armstrong scored before the break, following up on his spot kick that had initially been saved by Caoimhin Kelleher.

They did actually go ahead in the second period too when Mateus Fernandes fired home following an incisive break away by the hosts.

The inevitable Salah, however, rescued his side.

Salah's performance in numbers

Over the last few weeks, there has been a battle at the top of the league between two of the most prominent names in the Premier League; Erling Haaland and Salah.

It’s safe to say the Egyptian superstar has come out on top. Haaland has scored just twice in his last seven top-flight games while Liverpool’s star man has found the net on six occasions in his last five matches. He is a phenom. He is world-class. He could well be the man who determines where the title heads next May.

Salah might not have been at his fluid best in the first half against the Saints but he came alive in the second half and contributed with an excellent late showing on the South Coast.

His first goal was beautifully taken, latching onto a ball in behind from Ryan Gravenberch. The Reds winger needed just one touch to nudge the ball past McCarthy who was hopelessly out of position.

His second was far simpler, executing from the spot much to the delight of the travelling support. Salah darted over to the away end, tore away his shirt and bellowed loudly into the night sky. This was his moment, yet again.

The attacker was a constant nuisance throughout and hit the post late on with one of his seven shots throughout the contest. He also completed two of his three dribbles and supplied a key pass during another mightily impressive display.

He was perhaps let down by the man next to him; Darwin Nunez.

Darwin Nunez's performance in numbers

With Diogo Jota out with an injury, Nunez has had an excellent chance to showcase to Slot exactly what he’s all about. Sadly, beyond his goal against Aston Villa last time out, he’s only showing his negative side so far.

We’ll let Jamie Carragher sum things up. Speaking during commentary of the game on Sky Sports he remarked that the striker “wasn’t involved in one thing in the game”.

The stats rather sum that up too as Nunez registered just one shot on target and failed with his one and only dribble attempt.

The 25 touches the Uruguayan managed were also one fewer than goalkeeper Kelleher while his tally of ten passes (67% success rate), was the worst of any Liverpool starter on the field at St Mary’s.

Liverpool really needed an out ball and they did get that in Salah but Nunez did little to assert himself on the likes of Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Downes who was playing out of position at full-back.

That point of view was echoed by GOAL’s Tom Maston who handed the forward a 4/10 and wrote that he ‘struggled’ against the out-of-position Downes and ‘cut a frustrated figure at times’.

Hounded for an “embarrassing” moment by BBC reporter Jim Spence in the first half where he went down too easily, that was perhaps one of the most memorable moments of the game from the former Benfica ace. It’s safe to say he was saved by Salah on Sunday afternoon.

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Robert Lewandowski believes Barcelona are being hindered by La Liga referees allowing teams to play "dirty" against them.

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• Lewandowski says La Liga losing attacking style
• Argues referees allow 'excessive' tackles
• Barca looking to beat Madrid to league title

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Barca sit top of La Liga, leading fierce rivals Real Madrid due to their head-to-head record, and are aiming to win back the title this season, but the Polish striker feels their job has been made more difficult due to the "excessive" challenges their opponents are allowed to commit.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lewandowski also believes Spanish football is going through a transformation, with more defensive football becoming popular in a league once famous for prizing technique and an attacking style.

• WHAT LEWANDOWSKI SAID

  "I understand that teams try to hinder us in some way, but sometimes referees allow it too," he told . "They always tell us there are limits, but they use them in strange ways; you never fully understand where those limits are. I think they should promote more attacking football. Sometimes referees allow us to play not so much in a harsh way, but in a more dirty way. Those fouls that are grabbing… If someone plays hard, it's acceptable, but if they grab you, stop you, or throw you to the ground, it's a bit excessive in my opinion."

  Taking aim at the change in style, Lewandowski added: "I expected to find a more technical league, but after a few games, even a few months, I realized it couldn't be compared to years past. Now there are many teams that play very defensively, that try to commit fouls, disrupt players, and that attacking style of play has disappeared a bit. Before, a lot of goals were scored, not just by the big teams, but in general. I've noticed that La Liga has become more physical."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

  Despite his trouble with the physicality of other teams, Lewandowski has netted an impressive 22 goals in 26 appearances in the league this season, making him the division's top scorer. He will hope to improve on that record when they take on Osasuna next week.

Arsenal are interested in signing a winger who has been impressing in the Champions League this season, according to a report from Sky Sports.

Arsenal improving

After a rocky start to the season, amidst injury woes and suspensions, the Gunners have now won their last three games on the spin in all competitions, capping off a good week with a 5-2 Premier League victory against West Ham United on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been prolific in front of goal as of late, with Bukayo Saka once again putting in a top performance, while Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard were also on the scoresheet, showcasing the depth of the attacking talent.

That said, Arteta will be well aware of the importance of having a strong squad, given that his side struggled to play their best football before Odegaard’s return from injury, so the manager may be keen to bolster his options in attack.

The north Londoners have recently been linked with a move for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, while Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo has also been touted for a move to the Emirates Stadium.

As such, it is evident that Arteta feels he is a little short on top-quality back-up options in attacking areas, meaning he may enter the market in the upcoming transfer window.

Arsenal targeting Gittens

According to a report from Sky Sports, Arsenal are interested in signing Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens, and discussions may have already been opened to talk about a potential deal.

The report states that rivals Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham are also interested in the winger, with some clubs already opening initial talks to position themselves for a transfer.

However, a move may not be on the horizon anytime soon, as Gittens is said to feel at home in Dortmund, having extended his contract until 2028 a little over a year ago.

That said, the 20-year-old does see his long-term future in the Premier League, meaning a move to the Emirates Stadium could be on the cards at some point in the future.

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The youngster has most commonly been utilised as a left-winger during his time with Dortmund, meaning he could be brought in to provide competition for Gabriel Martinelli.

There are indications the Englishman could be ready to take the next step in his career, given that he is performing very well in the Champions League this season, having scored four goals in five games up to this point.

Former Dortmund boss Edin Terzic has also spoken very highly of the starlet, saying: “He’s a game-changer in the truest sense. He’s just so explosive.”

As such, it seems as though Gittens could be a quality long-term addition to the squad, but given that he is unlikely to be available this winter, Arteta may want to turn his attention to other options as he vies to win the Premier League title.

Tottenham Hotspur’s recent run of bad form was extended in Glasgow last night.

Ange Postecoglou returned to the city where he made his name in British football, but instead of facing his old club, Celtic, an intense Europa League clash with Rangers awaited him and his side.

The hosts looked the far better of the two teams, and while Dejan Kulusevski managed to salvage a point for the North Londoners, it was another display that has only cast more doubt on the Australian’s project.

There were poor performances all over the pitch for the visitors, but there were two that perhaps stood out, with one of them being Timo Werer.

Timo Werner's game vs Rangers

It would probably be fair to say that even going back to when he first arrived at the club midway through last season, Werner has been an underwhelming, boarding-on poor addition to Spurs’ squad, and last night showed that yet again.

The former Chelsea flop started off the left, and aside from a shot he sent miles over the bar early on, he offered pretty much no attacking threat whatsoever, which made life incredibly easy for Rangers’ right-hand side.

Moreover, the RB Leipzig-loanee seemed unable to track back either, so Destiny Udogie was left to deal with the marauding Václav Černý and James Tavernier all alone at times.

It was such a dire display that Postecoglou hooked him at half-time and told the press his performance “wasn’t acceptable” in his post-match comments, which makes the 3/10 match rating he received from the Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick look almost too kind.

While this all could sound hyperbolic, it’s entirely backed up by his statistics, as in 46 minutes of action, the Stuttgart-born dud amassed a combined expected goal plus assists figure of 0.09, failed to take a single shot on target, failed in 100% of his crosses and dribbles, lost 100% of his duels, lost the ball 18 times was unable to play a single key pass and only completed 69% of his passes.

In all, it was an abysmal showing from the 28-year-old, although one of his teammates was arguably as poor on the other flank.

Pedro Porro's game vs Rangers

Yes, the player we are talking about is Spanish right-back Pedro Porro, who put in yet another dreadful performance for Spurs last night.

Like his German teammate, the former Sporting CP ace was utterly hopeless going forward, with the only meaningful contribution he made being a shot midway through the second half, which was saved by Jack Butland.

However, the biggest issue with his game last night was the same problem that’s been singled out multiple times this year: his defensive fragility.

For example, he lost Hamza Igamane for the opening goal and was constantly being attacked as Rangers could sense he wasn’t up to the battle, making Kilpatrick’s 4/10 match rating feel more than justified.

Unsurprisingly, his statistics from the game were also poor, as in 93 minutes of action, the defensive “horror”, as dubbed by journalist Mitch Fretton, amassed an expected goal plus assists figure of 0.08, was dribbled past four times, lost six of nine duels, lost the ball 20 times, committed one foul, misplaced seven of eight long balls and two of three crosses.

Ultimately, it was a night to forget for the entire Spurs team, but Werner and Porro were particularly woeful and must be dropped for some time.

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