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Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to prevent Mario Gotze from spearheading a successful attacking performance for Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday evening.

What’s the word?

Gotze will be one of the key danger men in yellow looking to score a vital away goal for the visitors when they take to Wembley for the first-leg of a hotly anticipated Champions League tie.

Ahead of the game, the 26-year-old has spoken of his admiration for the Premier League and discussed the significant absences of both Harry Kane and Marco Reus.

But it was also interesting to hear Gotze talk about comparisons with Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen, as his comments suggest that Mauricio Pochettino needs to look close to home to deal with the threat offered by the German World Cup winner, as per Goal.

“You could compare us.

“The positions he takes, the way he plays, the space he sees, the goals he scores… he’s an extremely important player for Tottenham.

“The continuity of his performances are clear too. I can see why his successes and his style of playing have similarities to mine.”

Stop the source of creativity

Gotze has been deployed as a centre-forward for much of the season so far despite his preference to operate in attacking midfield.

But his positional tweak has not instigated a huge transformation in his style of play; he remains creative-minded and eager to impact the game with his vision and guile.

With that said, Spurs must use his comments regarding his style of play and prepare to stop the supply into his feet and force him to chase down long balls and play with his back to goal.

Like Eriksen, Gotze can be a menace in the final-third when afforded time and space to play a killer pass, so Pochettino must ensure that his team set up to combat his threat, otherwise he could provide the likes of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Guerreiro with the quality service they thrive off.

Andre Green could become a key player for Aston Villa, should manager Dean Smith use him correctly and the first step towards that goal is to make him a regular starter.

Green returned from his loan spell at Portsmouth in January but missed two weeks worth of action due to a hamstring strain on his return.

He, however, made his first start again in Saturday’s defeat to West Brom at Villa Park and looked solid before he was replaced by Jonathan Kodjia with 20 minutes remaining.

The winger grabbed the headlines in the match against Sheffield United two weeks ago when he scored a stoppage-time equaliser after Villa had gone 3-0 down. Smith might find some consistency on the left-flank should he stick with Green for the remainder of the season.

The 20-year-old has shown in the past the potential he possesses and has a bright future ahead of him.

Getting more and more game-time at Villa would only do his game the world of good and under the guidance of Smith, he could develop into the prime attacker the club so drastically need.

Villa will have to do something truly special if they were to sneak into a playoff spot by the end of the season but, at the moment, Smith and the rest of his squad could start to look ahead to next season and explore the options they have.

Starting Green on a more regular basis will place a big amount of responsibility on his game and it could be exactly what he needs to excel as a bright young talent.

Villa travel to Stoke City on Saturday and Smith should consider giving Green a full 90 minutes to show his fitness and desire to attack with width against a Stoke team that has been vulnerable at the back the whole season.

With back-to-back 0-0 draws following quite a considerable gap in matches, Liverpool aren’t producing the thrilling football they did before the New Year. 

Indeed, it’s the first time this season that Jurgen Klopp’s men have played consecutive goalless draws in all competitions, as that fiery chemistry of their attacking trio just isn’t there anymore.

It doesn’t seem like the hot-weather training in Marbella’s worked in Klopp’s favour in reinvigorating his side’s momentum. In comparison, they’ve looked quite lacking in the attacking front and not been as sleek as they were in the first half of the season.

So much so that, against Bayern Munich, the Reds created a plethora of chances in front of a buzzing Anfield, but only had two shots on target.

Liverpool were even more frustrating against an injury-ravaged Manchester United at Old Trafford. Even after watching their rivals suffer three injuries, Liverpool were shallow going forward, with Mohammed Salah having yet another forgettable outing against the Red Devils.

They looked too predictable and one-dimensional against United, keeping on moving through the right and relying on James Milner’s crossing, which was extremely ineffective. After losing Roberto Firmino, Liverpool lost the drive in attack and even though Sadio Mane ran at United’s defence, they couldn’t break their resolve.

The fact that Liverpool only had one shot on target, a weak shot from Daniel Sturridge, against United proves something’s wrong with their confidence. Maybe the pressure from Manchester City’s catching up to them, but Liverpool seems to have run out of ideas and options at the wrong time.

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Liverpool are interested in signing Manuel Lanzini, Football FanCast reported on Tuesday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were eyeing the Argentina international last year, prior to his cruciate knee ligament injury that ultimately ruled him out of his country’s World Cup campaign.

FFC understands that Liverpool have continued to monitor the 26-year-old and could make a bid in the summer, with his form last season convincing Klopp that he could make the jump to Anfield.

Lanzini scored five goals and laid on nine assists in all competitions in 2017-18 but his injury put paid to any chance of a big-money transfer. His comeback, however, took place on Friday as the Hammers beat Fulham 3-1.

Sources at West Ham have confirmed that Liverpool’s previous interest in Lanzini was genuine, while there is a fear at the club that the Premier League leaders’ recent lack of form and creativity could see them reignite that interest in the summer.

And it is surely a damning indictment of the Reds’ transfer strategy – and Sporting Director Michael Edwards – that they are considering returning for the attacking midfielder.

He is, of course, a highly talented player; technical, skilful, able to unlock any defence he is presented with.

But both Xherdan Shaqiri and Naby Keita should be playing in that role at Anfield. Shaqiri cost the Reds a relatively minimal £13million, but his team-mate cost a staggering £48m.

At the time, both signings seemed astute and were widely praised by Liverpool fans; Shaqiri was seen as an incredibly shrewd bargain – a masterstroke of an alternative to Nabil Fekir, while Keita, per Oddschecker, received more bets than any other Premier League star to win the Player of the Year award at the end of the season.

He has not settled at Anfield, though, and he was picked out for criticism by Reds legend Jamie Carragher after the recent 1-1 draw with the Lanzini-less Irons.

Carragher, per Goal, told Sky Sports that he “kept losing the ball,” while Chris Sutton told BBC Radio Five Live that “you expect more from Keita and that is the difference with Liverpool,” per the Daily Express.

Shaqiri, meanwhile, has played at No.10 just five times this season in the Premier League and for large parts of the campaign, Jurgen Klopp has even preferred to move Roberto Firmino back into midfield than deploy the Swiss international in his best position.

In two of Liverpool’s last three games – against Bayern and Watford – Shaqiri was left to watch from the bench.

Of course, Liverpool are trying to win the Premier League title and have lost just once this season.

They may well be champions but it will be as a result of their starting XI, and the trio of Mohamed Salah, Firmino and Sadio Mane; their bench will have very little to do with it.

Hence the interest in Lanzini, which dates back over a year.

That Klopp sees him as a potential upgrade on the two players who cost the club over £60m should say everything you need to know about their contributions. They have ultimately flopped and left Liverpool in need of a replacement.

That man may well be Lanzini.

Patrick Bamford has steadily been adding his value to the Leeds United team in recent weeks and his brilliant shift against West Brom on Friday night poses well for how the club’s season concludes.

The Whites moved back into second position in the Championship table for the time-being, thanks to two goals by Bamford which saw Leeds beat the Baggies 4-0 at Elland Road, while Sheffield United still have to face their rivals Sheffield Wednesday on Monday evening.

But, if manager Marcelo Bielsa continues to stick with Bamford up-front then Leeds could be in an excellent position come the end of the season to earn automatic promotion to the Premier League.

The Yorkshire club haven’t had the best of starts to the new year and many started to predict their decline in the league as the season draws to a close. However, the performances of Bamford, though, seems to be silencing those critics and could be the key factor to the club’s ultimate success.

The injury to Kemar Roofe a couple of weeks ago added to the club’s pressure and meant Bamford was the only natural goal-scorer.

But, the 25-year-old has relished the opportunity of leading the line of attack and has been brilliant in front of goal since making his long-awaited comeback from injury.

The way he casually fitted back into the system speaks volumes of the calibre player he is and the massive amount of determination he has within. Hence the sizable transfer fee it took to bring the youngster to Elland Road in the first place, after barely pulling up any trees elsewhere – representing something of a risk.

Four goals in six matches since his return from that knee injury have been a massive benefit to the club under the current circumstances and it is hard to see Bielsa leaving him out of any of his remaining starting lineups.

Together with the likes of Pablo Hernandez, who scored an absolutely brilliant goal on Friday evening, Bamford will need to use the pressures and responsibility to his advantage to perform above expectation and inspire the rest of his teammates to see the season out by getting promoted to the Premier League for next season.

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According to Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague, new Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane wants to bring Tottenham Hotspur attacker Christian Eriksen to the Bernabeu in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

On Monday, it was announced that Zidane had been reappointed as Madrid head coach, just 10 months after leaving the same role.

It seems likely that Los Blancos will spend big this summer as they look to improve on what has been a turbulent and disappointing 2018-19 campaign.

According to Balague, who posted a video on his official Twitter account, Zidane is keen to bring Eriksen to the Spanish capital in this summer’s transfer window.

The Denmark international will see his current deal with Spurs expire at the end of next season.

The Tottenham fans have recently questioned whether the 27-year-old wants to still be at the club and it is shaping up to be a very interesting summer transfer window.

What would Tottenham be losing?

It would probably be fair to say that Eriksen has not been at his best in recent weeks.

The playmaker has still contributed seven goals and 12 assists in all competitions this season, though, and his overall record for Tottenham is excellent.

Indeed, the Dane has managed 63 goals and 81 assists in 264 appearances for his English club in all competitions since a 2013 switch from Ajax.

It would not be a surprise if the reported interest from Real Madrid had turned his head, with the reigning European champions sure to spend heavily this summer.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he often received racist abuse after North London Derbies – Check out the video below…

Spurs need to be careful that Eriksen’s exit – if it indeed happens – does not start a trend of key players moving on in search of pastures new.

Indeed, teams will be closely monitoring the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli, particularly if the north London outfit fail to progress past the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

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The rise of player power is spiralling out of control. A rasping tornado of arrogance, self-indulgence and greed has effectively made the virtue of loyalty redundant during the Premier League era. Players seldom feel strongly about the badge and the colours they represent; instead the nearest and most lucrative pay cheque reigns supreme.

Marko Arnautovic’s January transfer saga served as an acute reminder of how public displays of loyalty, however regular they manifest themselves, are often futile acts of deceit in the modern economic climate. The Austria international was, up until the turn of the year, adored by the Hammers faithful and a talismanic figure at the club.

Arnautovic ritually celebrated goals with stout loyalism. First he would wheel away and hit the badge on his chest with passion rippling through his eyes, as if his devotion to the club was worth the years he was knocking off his ticker’s shelf-life with every vigorous slap. Once he was finished putting his heart through its paces, he crossed his arms to an x shape to bring West Ham’s iconic badge to life, transmitting his personal affection for the club, the supporters and its values with every passing goal.

This was, as the fans later came to find out, a facade. West Ham rejected a £35 million offer from Shanghai SIPG for the bulldozing powerhouse in January, but Arnautovic then attempted to force through a move away from the London Stadium.

Speculation was temporarily brought to an end with his decision to sign a new contract, but a hazy lack of detail regarding the terms of the deal hinted that January merely hosted the first instalment of a saga which is bound to resurface in the summer. The 29-year-old hadn’t found the net in the Premier League since January 2nd heading into this weekend. He has resembled a disenchanted and sulky schoolboy on the pitch, merely counting down the minutes until he is finally released of the manacles which are keeping him in east London until the end of the season.

This cliff dive from West Ham poster boy to bit-part underachiever symbolises a growing trend in football in which there is a direct correlation between professionalism and the prospect of moving to a more coveted club – regardless of whether the attraction is financial, footballing or a combination of the two.

Dimitri Payet simply refused to train when Marseille came calling in 2016, Alexis Sanchez went off the boil when Manchester beckoned, Philippe Countinho was sidelined with a back injury in the summer of 2017 amid interest from Barcelona before making a mysterious return when the window closed, and Ousmane Dembele was suspended by Borussia Dortmund when he skipped training after learning of Barcelona’s interest in his services.

However, there is an anomaly to the rule: Idrissa Gueye. Everton’s midfield anchor has been one of the most outstanding performers in the past two seasons, and he attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain in January. The Senegal international, like Arnautovic, submitted a transfer request to complete the transfer his heart desired, but his efforts were made in vain.

Yet, since news of PSG’s interest first began to emerge, he has conducted himself with a level of professionalism which puts the likes of Arnautovic and Dembele to shame. Gueye has continued to thrive at the base of Marco Silva’s midfield unit, breaking up play and playing percentage passes to keep Everton ticking over.

There has been no public fiasco, unexplained absence from training, dramatic dip in form or shift in body language. It’s been business as usual for Gueye. After the transfer market slammed shut at the end of January, Silva described the 29-year-0ld as a “good professional and a fantastic boy”, and the weight of substance behind that claim has been evident in the standard of his performances in the last five games.

The humble defensive midfielder often goes under the radar. Fundamentally speaking, the role is designed for a no-thrills, incredibly-reliable and steady footballer. It’s a selfless job which requires the player to sacrifice personal glory and recognition for the overall benefit of the team.

Those prerequisites for the role translate into a level of professionalism which Gueye has maintained amidst the lure of playing for one of Europe’s top clubs and living in one of the continent’s most desirable cities.

Message for Arnautovic: be more like Gueye.

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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to bemoan the club’s lack of squad depth.

A tweet from the official United account on Sunday quoted manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saying: “Every single player is going to have a say in us moving up the table and getting the results that we need.”

The likes of Tahith Chong and Mason Greenwood have played for the club this season due to a number of injury problems sustained by first-team players.

United are currently fifth in the Premier League, two points behind fourth-placed Arsenal and one ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea with eight games of the season remaining.

Solskjaer’s side have to play the likes of Manchester City and Maurizio Sarri’s men before the season is out as they look to qualify for the Champions League again next season.

Of course, United can also qualify by winning the tournament but they face Barcelona in the quarter-finals, perhaps the toughest assignment they could have been given in Europe.

And fans piled in to reply to the tweet, insisting that there simply isn’t scope to bring through a large number of players, as there is not a great deal of depth in the squad, with many calling for a summer of investment.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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The departure of Samu Saiz in January has left a gaping hole in Leeds United’s attacking midfield, and a recent report from Italian media outlet Calciomercato suggests that Marcelo Bielsa is scouting the market for a replacement.

What’s the word?

Justin Lonwijk, a 19-year-old who currently plays for PSV Eindhoven’s Under-21 side, has emerged as a target for Leeds.

The report from Calciomercato claims that Bielsa is ‘studying him’, but he will face competition from Eintracht Frankfurt and Roma for his signature.

The Bundesliga outfit have already made contact with PSV and Roma are described as being ‘in the initial phase’.

Lonwijk has been with the club since he was ten years old and the Dutch giants are reportedly eager to extend his current contract, which is due to expire in the summer window.

Roberts’ development would be catalysed

Bielsa’s latest transfer target is an attacking midfielder by trade, but he has also played as a centre-forward, a left winger, and in defensive midfield this season.

His versatile efforts have produced three goals and one assist from just nine starts, and the fact the Argentine is personally interested in his development suggests he could be a huge talent in waiting.

Standing at 6 ft 2, Lonwijk would offer a greater physical presence in the final-third to Leeds’ current regular attacking midfielder, Tyler Roberts, and that acknowledgement could stimulate another level of improvement from the Wales international.

Roberts has been one of the surprise packages of the season so far, showcasing a level of quality which few supporters would have predicted from him. His first-touch and ability to link the play between the lines of midfield and attack have been two of his most outstanding attributes, but further competition is needed to catalyse his development.

A shortage of options right the way across attacking midfield have made him the undisputed first-choice central option, while Pablo Hernandez has been deployed out wide.

Adding another exciting prodigy to the squad in Lonwijk, who would challenge Roberts for a starting berth, could provide the former West Brom man with the squad dynamic he needs to go to the next level.

[ad_pod ]Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Phil Hay has had a Twitter exchange with Leeds United fans after Marcelo Bielsa said he believes poor finishing has cost his side 10 points this season, and revealed that a move for reported summer target Phil Foden was “never happening”.

What’s the word, then?

Well, when Bielsa arrived at Elland Road in 2018 the Yorkshire outfit were quickly linked with a number of different players, with City Watch reporting at the time that they were keen on a loan move for City youngster Foden.

The link was of little surprise – and perhaps an easy one to make – given the Argentine and Pep Guardiola are well known to have a good relationship with each other.

Leeds still remain well in the automatic promotion hunt but after Bielsa’s latest comments about a lack of clinical finishing from his team, one supporter on Twitter suggested the Whites should have got deals for the likes of Foden and Dan James across the line.

Never happening

Hay was quick to respond to the comments on Twitter, saying any potential move for the former was never on the cards.

While the talented 18-year-old perhaps won’t have featured for the champions as much as he would have liked with his Premier League game time in particular limited, it always seemed apparent that Guardiola thought that the teenager had a role to play this term.

Was he needed

He certainly was.

While Leeds have generally done well in front of goal this season, there have been times when they’ve been missing that piece of magic needed in the final third, such as their 1-0 defeat against Sheffield United prior to the international break.

Foden has the ability to unlock defences, and they would have been even better off in the table had they managed to pull off a deal for him.