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Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has been handed another major blow after Japhet Tanganga was ruled out of the Premier League clash with Manchester United.

According to an exclusive from The Telegraph, Tanganga has sustained a stress fracture to his back and he will miss the match against the Red Devils as a result.

Last week, BBC revealed that Spurs star Dele Alli has been banned for the game against Mourinho’s old club following a post on social media about coronavirus. As it stands, this latest development spells further bad news for Mourinho.

It is fair to say that Tanganga has been one of the very few success stories in an otherwise difficult period for the Lilywhites. After impressing the manager in his debut against league leaders Liverpool, he has been deployed in a number of different positions across the back.

Having been handed his competitive debut by former boss Mauricio Pochettino in the Carabao Cup, the 21-year-old has played six games in the Premier League so far, making 2.8 tackles per game, averaging 1.8 interceptions and completing a staggering 4.8 clearances per game on average (via WhoScored).

Alasdair Gold recently revealed that he is now part of the club’s plans for the future, despite the fact he was only given a one-year-deal last summer. Indeed, Spurs have reportedly activated an option in that agreement to keep him in north London for at least another year.

Nevertheless, he suffered an injury during training ahead of the Premier League’s return next week, at a time when Mourinho arguably needs him the most.

Mourinho has been plagued by persistent injury setbacks, with Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Moussa Sissoko and Steven Bergwijn all missing a large chunk of the season so far.

At the moment, the Lilywhites sit in eighth in the table, four points behind his former club Manchester United, who are now managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Spurs have lost the last two meetings between the teams, which could be playing on Mourinho’s mind, as they must win on Friday to keep their chances of a top four finish alive.

Adding insult to injury, Tanganga will be unable to play and the manager may be forced to use Jan Vertonghen instead. The wantaway veteran has fallen out of favour with the head coach in recent months and Mourinho may have to swallow his pride just weeks after calling off talks with Vertonghen’s representatives.

Although it can’t be helped, the Englishman’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for the club as they enter the crunch stage of the competition.

Tottenham fans, do you think Tanganga will be sorely missed against Man United? Let us know in the comments below!

Former Sunderland player Stephen Elliott has slammed Charlie Methven for his actions in the second series of Netflix’s Sunderland ‘Til I Die.While Luke O’Nien comes out like an absolute star and Jack Ross appears to have been hard done by, the one man who has got everyone talking in the second series of the hit Netflix show is Methven.

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The former executive director, who was appointed by Stewart Donald back in 2018, left the club in December 2019, per The Chronicle, but plays a leading role in the show, leaving Elliott unimpressed.

Indeed, the former director rants at the club staff on several occasions even just within the opening couple of episodes, and the David Brent comparisons have been flying around Twitter.

While the replies to Elliott’s tweet suggest some supporters are behind Methven, saying he was right to call out the shambolic business behind the scenes, the former Black Cat’s comments on the language involved are certainly true, as many of the scenes are more like an argument in a pub than a workplace.

Sunderland fans, what did you make of the Methven and the series as a whole? One former player has already come out in support of Jack Ross…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Sunderland’s results are continuing on a downward spiral and that shows no sign of stopping soon, unless Phil Parkinson changes things significantly.

The former Bolton boss has realised that things aren’t working and to his credit he has tried a variety of possible solutions without success.

A key problem is the lack of threat in attack and Parkinson has altered both playing personnel and formations in a bid to fix that, playing two up-front against Gillingham but only seeing three shots on target in return.

Jack Ross’ similar struggles would hint that the squad simply isn’t good enough, yet players like Aiden McGeady, Chris Maguire and Will Grigg have previously proven themselves very good players at this level or higher, so their underperformance is puzzling.

However, an inspection of their attitude reveals the big problem that is acting as a thorn in Parkinson’s side, and until he addresses it his failures in the north-east are likely to continue.

For example, McGeady and Maguire were captured tucking into McDonald’s after the defeat to Gills, which shows a disregard for their own fitness and shows that their minds aren’t focused on the right thing.

It is a signal of disrespect for the manager and a lack of care that they have lost another game, being left on the bench despite their obvious talent.

Parkinson should be worried by such a development. It shows a flagrant disregard for what he’s trying to build with the club and if they aren’t on board then he must cut them adrift despite any qualities they may have.

Both McGeady and Maguire consistently failed to live up to their ability this term and the time has come for Parkinson to say enough is enough.

If he does that he will show that he is taking no prisoners nor making any more excuses for underperformers, and that should motivate the rest of his squad to play better, as their livelihoods are perhaps more dependant on playing for the Black Cats than the above pair.

With the rate things are going some fans think relegation is more likely than promotion under Parkinson, and therefore he needs to make significant changes immediately.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Marco Silva has been under immense pressure all season and it feels like the sack is inevitable after this torrid start.

The Toffees now sit 17th in the table, scoring just 11 goals and conceding 17. Now, with two must-win games against Southampton and Norwich City up next, Silva simply has to pick up at least three points in one of these fixtures.

A loss to the Saints this weekend would likely put Everton on the brink of the relegation zone, and it’s impossible to escape the feeling that Silva could be pushed out the exit door if they are convincingly beaten.

Then will come the fixture against Norwich, a side who have impressed in fleeting bursts since coming up from the Championship but one that Everton ought to be getting the better of.

After these two must-win games, the former Olympiakos boss has a torrid run of fixtures. Within the space of a month, Everton will battle with Leicester, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City. If the Toffees cannot beat Southampton and Norwich, it is hard to see how Silva picks up anything from those brutal fixtures.

Before his Everton stint, he also endured difficult periods elsewhere in England.

The 42-year-old impressed at Hull City despite the fact he failed to keep them in the Premier League, where he averaged a points per match record of 1.23 from 22 games, and he has effectively been living off the reputation he established with the Tigers ever since.

Then came the Watford job, a position he was sacked from after only 26 games in charge. At the Hornets, Silva averaged even fewer points per match, with just 1.12 per game.

If Silva fails to pick up at least one win from these vital next two games, perhaps it could be a watershed moment in his career.

A man who was once compared to Jose Mourinho has had a significant fall from grace and with little to show from his time in English football so far, it wouldn’t be a surprise if his dismissal from Goodison Park marked the end of his flirtation on these shores.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

A lot of things can be considered when discussing the reasons for Southampton’s wretched campaign so far.

Things have been clouded in uncertainty at boardroom level, with Director of Football Ross Wilson leaving for Rangers a few weeks ago while Gao Jisheng’s reign at St Mary’s hasn’t yet had the desired effects.

The set-up hasn’t been ideal for Ralph Hasenhuttl, although the Southampton boss also hasn’t helped himself at times with some pretty strange decisions in terms of team selection.

Let’s take a look at three of the Austrian’s most peculiar decisions so far this term…

Starting Moussa Djenepo at left wing-back

After arriving from Standard Liege for £15m back in the summer, following a 2018/19 campaign in which he scored 11 goals and made six assists, Moussa Djenepo has proven to be an attacking starlet capable of a game-changing moment at just 21 years of age – his wonder-goal away to Brighton was evidence of that.

So, when Hasenhuttl stuck the attacker at left wing-back away to Sheffield United, and then again in the second half against Everton on Saturday, eyebrows may have been raised at to why the former RB Leipzig boss would put one of his most potent forwards as part of the backline.

Placing Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg at left-back 

Whilst putting Djenepo at left wing-back against Sheffield United was odd, playing a centre-midfielder in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg at left-back – up against Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker – was arguably even stranger.

That’s exactly what Hasenhuttl did in the recent 2-1 defeat away to Manchester City, and while the end result was a fairly respectable one, it was nonetheless a baffling move from the Saints boss when he had Kevin Danso and Maya Yoshida on the bench.

Deploying Stuart Armstrong at right wing-back

Last time out against Everton, Hasenhuttl made yet another mind-boggling move when playing a midfielder, Stuart Armstrong, at right wing-back, when he had both Cedric Soares and Yan Valery fit and available.

The Scotland international’s ability to play at right wing-back is not recognised by Transfermarkt as one of his natural positions, nor was it one that he took to like a duck to water as Richarlison’s winner came on Armstrong’s side of the pitch.

If he had any sense about him, Hasenhuttl wouldn’t do this again.

One of Manchester United’s most consistent performers this season, Scott McTominay has well and truly established himself as a cornerstone of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side’s midfield.

The Scotland international has featured in every single Premier League game this year, and as per Whoscored, has an impressive average match rating in the top-flight of 7.07 – a tally that puts him in fourth in the Red Devils’ entire squad, only behind the likes of Marcus Rashford, Paul Pogba and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

However, after picking up a knock in the clash against Partizan Belgrade in the Europa League on Thursday, Solskjaer confirmed the 22-year-old is a doubt to face Brighton Sunday afternoon.

After hearing the injury update on the midfielder, United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation, and demanded the Red Devils boss hand a chance to James Garner.

The academy product has only made fleeting appearances for the first-team this season, playing just eight minutes of Premier League football.

But with McTominay potentially ruled out, supporters of the Manchester side clamoured for the 18-year-old to be given a rare start in the middle of the park.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

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

Leeds United have been linked with a move for West Brom’s 19-year-old full-back Nathan Ferguson this week as Football Insider have reported that the club are compiling a dossier about the defender.

The Baggies man has started 11 matches for Slaven Bilic’s side already this term, and with West Brom losing just one game so far this campaign it’s fair to say that he’s had a good start to life in the senior team at The Hawthorns.

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Makings of a top player

The defender has all the makings of a top player. The fact that he’s reportedly being watched by Juventus and Atletico Madrid tells you all you need to know, and his manager has been full of praise for him this season.

“Nathan is talented: he reminds me of Declan Rice, ” Bilic said. “He is only 18 on paper but his head and mind is like he’s 25 or 27. He’s a kid in a positive way in that he is not afraid to play.

“That’s the good thing about being young because he is thinking positively. It’s our job, and his family’s, to keep him humble and then there is no doubt that he has an extremely bright future and great career in front of him.” the Croatian manager noted.

Dilemma

Of course, signing a player with so much touted potential is an exciting prospect, but it will leave Marcelo Bielsa with a dilemma if he were to join the club.

Why are Leeds fans the best in the country? Find out in the video below…

Full-back is a position where Leeds have a lot of cover with Barry Douglas, Ezgjan Alioski, Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas all capable of playing that role to a high standard.

It’s already tough enough for the Argentine to choose between those four players on a weekly basis at the moment, but if you add Ferguson to the equation, it becomes an almost impossible task.

After all, Ayling’s return to the side has seen Dallas have to move into the middle of the park, such are their options in wide defensive roles.

The teenager would be a great addition to the squad, particularly if they beat some of the names in for him, but if Bielsa wanted to incorporate him into the team right away, he would have a very tough decision to make.

Arsenal fans have been reminiscing over the Gunners’ last-minute goal against Leicester City that saw the Foxes lose 2-1 at the Emirates in 2016.

Arsene Wenger’s side were in hot pursuit of the east Midlands outfit in the race to win the Premier League title as the victory brought them within two points of the champions in waiting.

Despite the result, Leicester went on to win their first Premier League title in one of the greatest sporting stories of all time.

The tweets came about as playmaker Mesut Ozil celebrated his 31st birthday on Tuesday, with his assist for Danny Welbeck’s winning goal labelled as a “now or never moment for Arsenal” by the commentator on the day.

Fans were full of nostalgia as they posted their memories of the day.

One supporter said that he thought his side were set to win the league after the match, while another said that he remembers screaming his lungs out when Welbeck’s effort hit the back of Kasper Schmeichel’s net.

Here you will find some of the best comments from Arsenal fans:

[ad_pod ]Southampton played Portsmouth for the first time in eight years on Tuesday evening, and the latest instalment of the south-coast derby went exactly how the Saints would have wanted.Indeed, Southampton ran out 4-0 winners at Fratton Park, and even though many the current crop of players haven’t experienced a derby match before, they still took to social media to share how much it means to them.

You can see from the captions that the squad were buzzing to get one over their rivals in such emphatic fashion.

Of course, references were made to the atmosphere in the stadium, and due to the bitter hatred between the two clubs, Fratton Park was rocking on Tuesday.

It’s been so long since the Saints played Pompey that even their longest-serving player has never experienced this fixture.

Watch Southampton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Maya Yoshida took to Twitter to share his thoughts after playing in his first south-coast derby after seven years with the club.

Naturally, he was just as excited as the rest of his team-mates, having recorded a famous victory.

[ad_pod ]Alisson Becker has been named UEFA’s Champions League Goalkeeper of the Year, leading many Liverpool fans to declare him the best in the world.The Brazilian only signed for Liverpool last summer but didn’t take long to make a name for himself. He finished the Premier League season as the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets and his performance in European competition was arguably even better.Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Alongside Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen, the former Roma man kept the most clean sheets in last season’s Champions League with six, including a crucial shut-out against Napoli in which an astonishing late save ensured Liverpool’s progression from the group stage.

Liverpool fans know the impact Alisson has made on their team and are pleased to see him recognised with an award, an accolade which has caused them to suggest that not only was he the best in the Champions League last season, but overall the best keeper in the world.

Here are some of the responses from Liverpool fans to the announcement.

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