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Tottenham Hotspur are a long way off competing for silverware, let alone the Premier League title, on a regular basis, under Jose Mourinho.

The north Londoners do have a Carabao Cup final on the horizon, the very trophy of their last true success in 2008, but this fails to compare to that of the top-flight, the FA Cup or European success.

One of Spurs’ biggest problems lies in defence, where the ‘Special One’ simply cannot find a backline suited to his defensive nature.

In 2004/05, Mourinho’s title-winning Chelsea side conceded only 15 goals throughout the season – a Premier League record that still stands to this day. Given the way football is played now, it may never be beaten.

The Blues were incredible, even unbeatable, at the back. Arsenal’s Invincibles side conceded 11 more goals than that, even Liverpool with Virgil van Dijk spearheading the defence leaked 33 goals.

It was the colossal presence of Peter Cech between the sticks, with natural leaders in John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho in the middle, though one name was certainly an unsung hero – William Gallas.

The French defender was already at Stamford Bridge courtesy of a £6.2m deal conducted by Claudio Ranieri.

Then, 28 years old, Gallas slotted in anywhere he could in that backline. A serious injury to Wayne Bridge meant that he primarily played at left-back, but was a central option by trade.

That versatility was crucial for Mourinho that season and interestingly, the Spurs boss could take inspiration from that masterstroke now.

In academy product Japhet Tanganga, he has the perfect prototype to replicate that stroke of genius, as the 21-year-old has already played in all three positions at the back since making his debut against the Reds in January 2020.

His performance that day, at right-back, drew glowing praise from Jurgen Klopp, who dubbed him “very impressive” (via football.london).

Former Spurs striker Darren Bent was soon talking about him, too. He told Football Insider: “He’s a very, very exciting prospect and he’s not let them down.”

The £7.2m-rated gem has only featured ten times this campaign, but again, has shown immense versatility to play through the middle – keeping clean sheets against Lugogorets and Antwerp in the Europa League – and on the right, where he most recently stood out against Aston Villa in the absence of both Serge Aurier and Matt Doherty.

Dan Kilpatrick of the Evening Standard graded his performance an 8/10, whilst similarly, football.london reporter Alasdair Gold claimed the youngster was ‘very assured’ and made some ‘big blocks.’

At 6 foot in height, the “multi-functional” Tanganga is perhaps best suited at full-back, a position that Mourinho believes is his best, though the fact he can play centrally could prove to be a hugely valuable asset over the coming years.

Earning just £25k-per-week in north London, the young prodigy should thrive under the tutelage of assistant coach and club legend Ledley King.

Mourinho could certainly unearth his new Gallas in Tanganga if he hands over the reins to the emerging prospect.

AND in other news, Spurs’ next midfield gem: Jamie Bowden…

In a recent interview, the former Premier League centre-forward, Gabby Agbonlahor, discussed the interest in Glasgow Rangers centre-back, Filip Helander, ahead of the summer transfer window.

So far this season, Helander has been one of Steven Gerrard’s stand out performers in the Scottish Premiership, with the 27-year-old making an average of 1.6 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and 2.1 clearances per match over his 21 league appearances, culminating in an averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.11 – ranking him as Gers’ seventh-best performer in the Scottish top flight.

As a result of these impressive displays, it has been reported that a number of Premier League clubs, including teams such as Leicester City and Aston Villa, are keeping a very close eye on the £14,000-per-week defender ahead of the upcoming transfer window, with Rangers thought to be demanding a fee of around £6 million in order to part with the Sweden international.

And, speaking recently to Football Insider, Agbonlahor suggested that there will almost certainly be bids submitted for Helander this summer, particularly if he is available for as little as £6 million.

He said: “100 per cent – for that sort of fee, there will be a lot of Premier League clubs looking at him. It’s only £6 million, but money’s tight because of the pandemic. Teams will only go for him if they need him.”

Transfer Tavern Take

Considering the fact that Gers signed Helander from Bologna for £3.02 million just under two years ago, should Gerrard’s side indeed go on to sell the centre-back for the £6 million figure quoted, it would appear to represent a great piece of business from the Ibrox side.

However, despite the financial gain, losing a player whom Gerrard has previously dubbed a “leader” in the Rangers dressing room will undoubtedly be a blow for the Gers boss, who will have to ensure he reinvests the money wisely in his search for a potential replacement for Helander this summer.

In other news: this ‘superb’ £6.2k-p/w star lifted the lid on talks with the Rangers hierarchy – find out more here!

With Celtic’s season as good as done, they can start preparing for next term.
It will be a vital summer for the Hoops, one where they’ll welcome a new manager, a new CEO and a director of football.

What’s the word?

Crucial to Celtic’s future will be the upcoming transfer window. A mass 12-man exodus could occur if you take on board The Athletic’s predictions but they have already signed Liam Shaw on a pre-contract.
Another player who could arrive is Motherwell’s Allan Campbell. Speaking on the latest episode of A Celtic State of Mind podcast, Colin Watt said:
“Someone I’d love to see us pick up – and I believe he’s actually available right now to sign a pre-contract – is Allan Campbell at Motherwell. I think the guy’s got a really big future ahead of him.
“He’s obviously played alongside [David] Turnbull before. And I think he could be the next Scott Brown in that position. He plays a sort of box-to-box the way that Brown did in his younger years.
“And I think as he develops, he’ll drop deeper and deeper into the pitch and he offers a lot. If you had the choice between him and Ferguson, for me, it would be Allan Campbell.”

Imagine him and Soro

If Celtic do indeed end up pursuing the 22-year-old, it would be great news for supporters.
Campbell has been one of the most consistent members of the Motherwell side this term and is incredibly highly rated in various circles.
The midfielder has been capped 24 times by Scotland U21s and although he is yet to get a senior call-up, the chances of achieving that would surely be elevated if he moves to Parkhead.
Though, there’d be plenty of positives for the Bhoys too. That’s because as Watt describes, the 22-year-old plays in a similar way to Brown did when he was younger. Furthermore, he also plays a bit like a certain Aston Villa and Scotland midfielder.
“John McGinn has obviously progressed really quickly but there are definite similarities. I remember playing against him and Kenny McLean and thinking that the two boys could go somewhere,” Motherwell assistant Keith Lasley once said.
Possessing plenty of energy and athleticism, he could create a scintillating partnership with someone like Ismaila Soro.
[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-transfer-news-onuachu-edouard-dembele-turnbull” title=”The latest Celtic news and views!”]
The Ivorian had to wait patiently for his chance at Celtic once he got time on the pitch, he was exceptional. The midfielder is a tough tackler and made as many as ten successful challenges in the club’s win over Lille in the Europa League.
Campbell is very much cut from a similar cloth. He’s made two tackles per game in the SPFL this term, a tally that’s coincidentally identical to Soro’s.
With the two of them playing in the same midfield, Celtic would undeniably be a tougher team to break down. For a unit who have conceded 14 more goals than Rangers in the league, this should be music to the ears of the Green Brigade.

AND in other news, Forget Brown: Celtic must unleash never-seen 19 y/o, he’s a “breath of fresh air”…

Derby face Huddersfield Town at Pride Park on Tuesday night and Wayne Rooney will be desperate to pick up three points against a side who are also at threat of relegation to the third tier.

Following the defeat against Watford last time out, Derby sit in 19th position in the Championship table, just five points clear of the relegation zone.

Huddersfield, meanwhile, moved ahead of the Rams after an impressive 4-1 win against promotion-chasing Swansea City, so will be full of confidence ahead of their trip to Pride Park.

However, form at Derby has drastically improved since Rooney was made permanent manager, with the former Manchester United forward having registered five wins from seven games since then.

If they can continue that form with a win against the Terriers on Tuesday, then it will put some distance between themselves and the relegation spots, but it seems as if changes are likely after failing to register a shot on target last time out.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Rooney to set his side up against Carlos Corberan’s side, with three changes from the side that started against Watford…

David Marshall unsurprisingly keeps his place in goal, and will be hoping to continue Derby’s recent strong clean sheet record with another shut out against Huddersfield.

There’s one change in defence, as Teden Mengi comes in for George Edmundson at centre-back, with the on-loan Manchester United man having been given little chance to impress so far.

In midfield, Kamil Jozwiak comes in for Patrick Roberts, who struggled at Vicarage Road last time out on what was his first start for the club since arriving in January.

Finally, Louis Sibley gets a rare start in attacking-midfield, replacing Jason Knight, and he supports the in-form Colin Kazim-Richards up front in what is arguably a must-win game for the Rams if they want to put relegation fears behind them this season.

Southampton confirmed earlier this week that Josh Sims has rejoined League One side Doncaster Rovers on loan until the end of the season, in what was a baffling transfer decision for a number of reasons.

The 24-year-old spent time with Darren Moore’s side earlier in the season and impressed, contributing three goals and seven assists in just 14 appearances for the club, before returning to Southampton in January.

As a result of his excellent performances, QPR were reportedly interested in signing the 23-year-old on a permanent deal earlier this month, but instead he has been sent back on loan to the League One club.

Sims’ contract with Southampton is set to expire at the end of the season, which makes it surprising that he was loaned out, as you would now expect him to depart the South Coast club on a free transfer at the end of the season when they perhaps could have collected some sort of fee for the £1.44 million-rated winger this month.

It is even more surprising that Sims was allowed to depart on loan when you consider the injury problems that have beset Ralph Hasenhuttl this season, especially on the wing.

Nathan Redmond has only just returned to the first-team after spending time on the sidelines, whilst Moussa Djenepo has been out injured, meaning that the Austrian manager has been extremely short of wing options.

Youngster Will Smallbone featured there against Leicester City before picking up a long-term injury of his own, so it was confusing why Sims didn’t even feature on the bench for Southampton in recent fixtures when we have seen a plethora of much less-experienced academy talents.

Considering his strong form with Doncaster this season, he surely would’ve been a useful option for Hasenhuttl to have, at least while Djenepo and Redmond get back to full fitness.

Therefore it could definitely be considered something of a disaster by Martin Semmens to allow Sims to leave on loan, from both a footballing and financial perspective.

And, in other news, Southampton must make £9.9m-rated beast January priority after Arsenal disaster…

Some West Ham United fans were left blasting the display of Aaron Cresswell despite their 1-0 win over Burnley in the Premier League yesterday afternoon.

Although there were certainly some standout performances for David Moyes’ team, including Michail Antonio who scored the winning goal inside the opening 10 minutes on the day, the performance of Cresswell flattered to deceive some members of the London Stadium faithful.The 31-year-old did put the ball in his own net only for VAR to rule the goal out for an offside in the build-up, and he was also guilty of losing possession of the ball no fewer than 17 times in the game, the joint-third most out of any of his teammates (Sofascore).He also lost out on three of his duels, and failed to record a single dribble, tackle, key pass or accurate cross (Sofascore).

West Ham fan reaction to Cresswell display

These Hammers blasted his performance on Twitter, with one Iron even going as far as to claim that the Englishman is ‘awful’:

“Everyone other than Cresswell playing well”

Credit: @RiceSZN_
“Cresswell just looks uncomfortable completely going forward and defending”

Credit: @Callumfitzer_
“Cresswell having a typically Cresswell game. Not at the races”

Credit: @Mdp_coyi66

“Cresswell is unbelievably bad”
Credit: @Zayd__Beitar

“It comes with a heavy heart that I have to announce Aaron Cresswell has used up all his ability for this season, look forward to seeing him back to his best in August”
Credit: @chanceig

“Cresswell having a shocker”

Credit: @riley_holt_
In other news, find out who else was slammed for his display against the Clarets here!

Leeds United have been linked to a move for Reading midfielder Michael Olise but they face fierce competition from new favourites Crystal Palace, according to the print edition Sunday Mirror (via HITC). The Eagles are now reportedly leading the race to sign the rising French talent after the Whites initially had a bid rejected in the summer.

Olise has had an impressive season in the Championship so far, notching four goals and seven assists in 20 appearances, as per Transfermarkt. These are the types of numbers that Leeds are crying out for in their engine room, after their return to the Premier League has somewhat exposed their lack of creativity.

Olise would be an ideal fit for Leeds

Even with their successful summer transfer window, Leeds are still relying mainly on Patrick Bamford to find the back of the net. Raphinha and Rodrigo have been stepping up a lot more recently, but Marcelo Bielsa still has a rather weak attacking set up.

If the club reignites their interest in Olise, he could be the ideal January recruit to support Bamford going forward. The French youth international would take the place of forgotten midfielder Adam Forshaw, who last appeared for the Whites back in 2019. He has been out of action with a hip injury and in fact, has just two assists to his name for his entire Leeds career.

Forshaw’s contract runs out in 2022 and it looks unlikely that the club will offer him a new deal given his poor match fitness. Plus, he is 29-years-old and Leeds would likely benefit from signing someone much younger. Indeed, teenage sensation Olise has shown how he could be a great asset for Bielsa after seriously impressing his Championship peers.

Earlier this year, Reading striker Sam Baldock lauded his attacking teammate as a “real talent” after he started to really make a name for himself at the Madejski.

Victor Orta must consider placing another bid for the £40m-rated midfielder before he, inevitably, is snapped up by another Premier League side.

In other news, Kemar Roofe form will have Victor Orta kicking himself…

Leeds United have let go of many top talents over the years but one player who will have Victor Orta kicking himself is Kemar Roofe.The striker left the club in 2019 after three years in Yorkshire to join Anderlecht before making a £20,000 per week move back to the UK for his current chapter at Rangers. Since being snapped up by the Glasgow outfit, he has seriously impressed with his clinical performances in front of goal.This season, he has scored six goals and provided one assist in ten Scottish Premiership appearances. He has suffered a small setback though as his niggling calf problems continue to cause an issue (via Transfermarkt). But despite his injury, he is still in fiery form under Steven Gerrard, who looks set to lift the league trophy at the end of the campaign.Roofe is the Gers’ second highest scorer of the season across all competitions, behind only James Tavernier (via BBC Sport).Whilst Leeds have one of the strongest strikers in the Premier League in Patrick Bamford, they lack threat in other areas of the pitch. The Englishman cannot be expected to carry the attack on his own and this is where Marcelo Bielsa will wish he still had someone like Roofe at his disposal.Kevin Phillips recently lauded the 27-year-old as being a “smart signing” for Rangers, which is already proving to be a true statement. Indeed, Roofe scored a wonder-goal in the Europa League back in October against Standard Liege, lobbing a stunning 55-yard shot into the back of the net.

Whilst it was not eligible for this year’s Puskas Award, it is a piece of art that had many professionals and fans talking.

It’s moments like this that would hugely benefit Leeds this season. The Whites are in need of a fresh approach when it comes to scoring goals and having a player who makes easy work of scoring from distance would make them an even bigger threat.

In other news,ÂRaphinha could cause Alex Telles a lot of problems on Sunday…

Liverpool were heavily linked with a move for Sevilla centre-back Diego Carlos during the summer and the Reds will definitely regret not signing the Brazilian considering their defensive injuries this season so far.

Both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez have been ruled out with long-term injuries, whilst Joel Matip has struggled with injuries in the past and has missed sporadic games throughout the season through injury problems.

This has meant that Fabinho has been forced to fill in at centre-back for most of the season, usually alongside youngsters Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams.

Whilst all three have done a superb job when relied upon by Jurgen Klopp, the Reds will surely want to avoid having to play the rest of the season with their current centre-back options, as any more injuries could seriously harm their chances of retaining the Premier League table.

The Merseyside club returned to the top of the table with a dramatic 2-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night, but with just three clean sheets to their name in the top-flight so far this season, their defensive vulnerabilities could be exploited later in the season.

Therefore, it could be argued that the Reds made a mistake in not securing the signing of Carlos during the summer, with it suggested that they were unwilling to match the defender’s release clause of £67.6 million.

Whilst this would have been an expensive deal for the club, the 27-year-old has been solid for the La Liga side since joining from Nantes, averaging a 6.90 rating for his performances last season, whilst also helping Julen Lopetegui’s side win the Europa League, as his overhead kick led to the Spanish side’s extra-time winner.

He has averaged a strong 6.81 rating for his performances this season and with WhoScored suggesting that the Brazilian’s main strength is passing, whilst he has no significant weaknesses, implying that he could’ve been a superb replacement for Van Dijk while he recovers from injury.

Perhaps we will see the Reds reignite their interest in Carlos in next month’s transfer window, with his release clause perhaps not seeming so bad now that Klopp is so short on senior defensive options.

And, in other news… Klopp must sanction January exit for LFC liability with “a taste for the big games” 

Brandon Taylor had proven himself ready for first-team football a year ago. Well, that was according to Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson after an FA Cup First Round replay against Gillingham.

The Black Cats gaffer had been forced to promote Taylor from the Under 23s for the biggest match of his budding career last November after injuries and an international break ravished the squad available at the Stadium of Light.

Parkinson believed Taylor stepped up to the task more than admirably, feeling the academy graduate was Sunderland’s Man of the Match despite a 1-0 loss after turning in an excellent display in a three-man defence.

Opportunities in the first-team have been thin and far between ever since, with the Gateshead-born centre-half starting just three EFL Trophy ties – the latest of which coming on Tuesday night, as the Black Cats suffered a 2-1 defeat at Fleetwood Town.

Taylor was unable to replicate his efforts from 12-months before as Sunderland lost at Highbury, with the young stalwart far from the visiting side’s Man of the Match as efforts from Barrie McKay and Mark Duffy overturned James Hill’s early own goal.

Parkinson was full of praise for Taylor after his performance against Gillingham in 2019, noting via quotes by the Chronicle: “I was very pleased with Brandon. I thought he was probably our best player on the night.

“He loved every minute of it, but it was a tough game to play in because Gillingham play a certain way where they get the ball forward very early, long throws coming into the box, a lot of set-plays, and that’s a totally different type of game to the ones he has experienced at U23 level.

“But I don’t think he could do a lot more to show that he can play. Brandon and Jack [Bainbridge] are in that category and all they can do is take their chance when they get it, and Brandon certainly did that over the full 120 minutes – he played like a man.”

Parkinson would have hoped to see Taylor fare far better at Fleetwood on Tuesday night knowing how infrequent opportunities in the first-team have been over the past 12-months but, unfortunately, did not see the Black Cats product make good use of Sunderland already securing their progression through to the EFL Trophy Round of 32.

Over his 90 minutes on the field, the 6ft centre-half managed just a single successful tackle and two clearances, while not registering any interceptions or blocked shots, per SofaScore.

He further lost two of his three ground duels, two of his five aerial duels, turned over possession 16 times, committed two fouls and found teammates with just 28 of his 41 attempted passes for a 68% completion rate.

Of Taylor’s incomplete passes, 10 were long balls having attempted 16 but only completed six. Centre-half partners Jordan Willis and Ollie Younger, meanwhile, completed three of four and one of two respectively, as they sought to play the ball out from the back.

Taylor will now return to the U23s feeling he needs to prove himself once more, with Sunderland out of the FA Cup and set to contend the EFL Trophy Round of 32 in a month’s time.

AND in other news, Phil Parkinson has confirmed a major blow for a Sunderland gem he begged to “let his football do the talking”.