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Manchester United’s steady progress under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has come to a sudden and tumultuous halt in the opening weeks of the current campaign.

What’s the story?

The Norwegian tactician’s precarious position at the helm of the Red Devils has seen multiple managers linked with replacing him, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Mauricio Pochettino’s amongst the potential successors.

“Mauricio Pochettino also has admirers at Old Trafford but is under contract at Paris Saint-Germain until 2023 after signing an extension in the summer,” ESPN recently reported.

However, despite the 49-year-old’s commitments in the French capital, United’s hierarchy must consider an approach for the highly-regarded head coach if they want to get the club firing once again.

The Glazers can get Man Utd firing again

During his time at previous club Tottenham Hotspur, Pochettino was often lauded for his work in north London after helping them punch well above their weight during his five-year stay.

The South American arrived from Premier League rivals Southampton in July 2014 and guided Spurs to the League Cup final in his first full season in charge, while two third-placed finishes sandwiched by a runners-up spot in the Premier League in 2016/17.

However, Pochettino’s greatest achievement with the capital club was leading them to the Champions League final in 2019. Although they fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool, it was a remarkable feat under the circumstances. 

Pochettino was forced to contend with playing home games at Wembley for 18 months while the club’s new ground was built, and Tottenham also become the first Premier League side to make no new signings in a transfer window under its current format since 2003.

Therefore, his accomplishments at Spurs are all the more impressive, and current Everton winger, Andros Townsend, lauded his former manager as the ‘best in the world’ last season due to his work at the Lilywhites.

“Because it didn’t end with a trophy, for some reason, the general public don’t give him any credit for taking Tottenham from also-rans to the Champions League final,” he said on TalkSPORT.

“He’s one of the best managers, if not THE best manager in the world, name me one other manager who can do what he did in a five-year period with Spurs, taking them from mediocrity when he took over to the envy of Europe and to the Champions League final.

“I don’t think any other manager can do what he did so, for me, he is the very best,” Townsend concluded.

At PSG, Pochettino has broken his trophy duck, claiming the French Cup and French Super Cup last season, and his appointment should be one the Glazers carefully consider if Solskjaer is unable to turn things around in the red half of Manchester. Now with major silverware under his belt, he could certainly be the man to get the Red Devils firing again.

And, in other news…Journalist reveals big twist in Man Utd manager saga that’ll have fans buzzing 

Barcelona is going through a hard period in these past couple of years as the club is struggling to reach the peak form that it had during the 2010s. However, this isn’t something that should surprise football fans. Why? Because it is a well-known fact that all clubs go through a period of great success, then fall off and need a couple of years to recoup and get back to the top.

Ups and downs are part of the journey and that is what Barcelona is experiencing at the moment. After falling off in the Champions League, Barcelona is now set to compete in the Europa League, which is something that left many speechless as they are used to watching this club perform with the best in Europe.

Punters are fond of these developments, though. They consider Barcelona as the clear favourite to win the Europa League and earn itself a spot in the CL next year. After all, Europa League is still a trophy and it counts in the total tally.

The odds are also decent and this is a win-win situation for bettors. Not only will they be able to play a so-called safe bet, but they might end up earning a decent reward in the process. Of course, there are tons of other bet types and predictions in store and if you are thinking of placing a bet, feel free to take a look at the latest Europa League predictions from squawka.com.

Barcelona might even reap a few benefits from the fact that it is in the Europa League this season and these benefits mostly concern its young stars. Here’s why.

They Will Get Familiar With the Feeling of Playing in a Major Tournament

Many of the young stars in the club were thrown into the pit when they started competing in the Champions League. After all, the CL is the cream of the crop and there’s a chance that it may have been a bit too much to handle. After all, we are talking about young boys who are just experiencing what pressure means.

Europa League is the perfect competition where they can learn the importance of being in a major international tournament without the pressure and eyes on them. You always start small and gradually graduate and that is exactly what the transition from Europa League to the Champions League means.

A Chance to Develop

Europa League is a second-tier tournament. Now, we’re not saying that this competition features weak teams, but there’s no denying the fact that the teams that are competing in the Champions League are far better than the ones competing in Europa League.

This is a good thing for Barca’s young stars as it provides them with a great chance to develop and learn everything about them individually, but also how to play as a collective. After all, Barca is known for its team play and the so-called tiki-taka tactic.

Experimenting with new strategies against the calibre of Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City, PSG, etc., is not the best option, but many Europa League teams are below Barca’s standard and that provides the young stars with the perfect chance to learn something new. Plus, it is also a benefit for Xavi as he will be able to determine what are the strengths and the weaknesses of his players and thus, come up with the best tactics.

Barcelona Needs a Break from the Champions League

At the beginning of this article, we mentioned that Barcelona is not the team that it once was. However, everyone at the club is so keen on holding on to its former glory and that may have torn it apart. Trying to compete against the best even though you are not in their realm might have a negative effort on the team’s mentality.

In other words, a break is needed from time to time, and the entry to the Europa League might be a good thing for the young stars as they will start building up a winning mentality in an international tournament and build up from that point.

After a while, they will be able to use that mentality to achieve better results in higher competitions, such as the Champions League.

Photo from Pexels

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham have decided to sell Steven Bergwijn in the January transfer window, amidst interest from various clubs.

The Lowdown: Bergwijn has not secured himself in Conte’s 11

Since his arrival from PSV Eindhoven two years ago, the Dutchman has not yet reached the heights he would have hoped for when he agreed to his £27m move to the Premier League.

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The winger has started just once in all competitions under Antonio Conte and played a mere 100 minutes under the current manager. Overall, he has made 64 appearances for Spurs, but his returns leave something to be desired, having produced 10 assists and just five goals during that time.

The Latest: Tottenham have decided to sell

According to Romano on Twitter, Tottenham have finally concluded that they will sell Bergwijn this month, following interest from various European clubs.

Ajax are already thought to have submitted an offer to Spurs for the winger, which would see him join on a permanent deal. However, nothing is yet agreed between the two clubs, as talks are expected to continue to be held by Fabio Paratici.

Therefore, Romano claims that the pursuit of Bergwijn remains an ‘open race’.

The Verdict: Needs playing time elsewhere to flourish

Previous Tottenham managers have been complimentary of Bergwijn. Nuno Espirito Santo accentuated the 24-year-old’s importance to the squad, claiming that ‘he’s a very talented player’. Even Conte has been full of praise for the Netherlands international, highlighting his evident ‘quality’ and saying that ‘he’s quick and he can score goals’.

However, even accounting for some injuries, the 52-year-old has not given Bergwijn much chance to flourish at Spurs this season. If the winger wants to secure a spot in the Netherlands’ World Cup squad later this year, the best option may well be to secure first team football elsewhere, as it currently seems that he will receive minimal game-time at Tottenham with Conte at the helm.

In other news: Spurs beast seeking January exit; Mourinho said his ‘talent is amazing’

A number of West Ham supporters have hailed an official club tweet highlighting how memorable 2021 has been for the Hammers.

David Moyes’ side returned to winning ways earlier in the week, beating Watford 4-1 at Vicarage Road to give their Premier League top-four chances fresh hope.

It has been a superb 2021 for West Ham, who pushed for Champions League football in 2020/21 and still ended up sealing a spot in the Europa League.

This season, memorable 3-2 victories have been picked up at home to Liverpool and Chelsea, and there is a continued feeling that the good times have returned in east London.

The Irons coasted through their Europa League group, effectively sealing a ‘bye’ through the first knock-out stage of the competition.

Ahead of the turn of the year into January, the club’s Twitter account posted a statistic confirming that the Hammers have secured their most points (73), wins (22) and scored the most goals (73) in a calendar year since the Premier League’s inception.

West Ham fans love official club post

These West Ham fans took to Twitter to show their love for the current crop of heroes.

“Massive”

Credit: @FPLFella

“Football brought me so much joy this year, especially the vibes when Lingard joined”

Credit: @whuabz

“My club. Be the hammer not the nail!”

Credit: @goodinmike_

“It’s been a wonderful, exceptional, unbelievable and entirely enjoyable year to be a Hammer for the first time in a long time! Long may it continue into the new year!”

Credit: @MartinSRoberts

“Special team, special club”

Credit: @samdruiff

“What a year”

Credit: @abdu_mata

In other news, some West Ham fans have erupted over one transfer claim. Read more here.

Celtic have been dealt a late injury blow concerning Kyogo Furuhashi ahead of their upcoming Premiership clash on Monday evening.

What’s the latest?

According to a report by The Scottish Sun, the 26-year-old centre-forward, who suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury in Celtic’s 3-1 victory over St. Johnstone on Boxing Day, looks set to be ruled out of action until at least next month, missing tonight’s clash with Hibs as a result.

The report claims that the Japan international is a doubt for the Old Firm clash on February 2 – despite the fact that Ange Postecoglou claimed after the St. Johnstone win that the striker’s injury was “nothing major,” leading us to believe he could return after the break.

The report went on to state that Kyogo will not link up with the Japanese national team for their World Cup qualifiers against China on January 27 and Saudi Arabia on February 1 due to his fitness concerns, as well as revealing that the forward has not been training with Celtic upon their return to Lennoxtown after the winter break.

Postecoglou will be fuming

Considering just how important a part of the Celtic side Kyogo has become since his £4.6m move to Parkhead last summer, the news that the centre-forward looks set to miss the fixture against Hibernian, as well as a number of other extremely important games in the coming weeks, is sure to have left Postecoglu fuming.

Indeed, over his 14 Premiership outings so far this season, the £4.95m-rated man has already scored eight goals, registered two assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.1 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/?post_type=web-story&p=664142″ title=”Check out the latest Celtic news!”]

These returns have seen the £18k-per-week striker average a SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as Postecoglou’s 11th-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football – of the players who remain in the Greek-Australian manager’s first-team squad.

The Japan international has also bagged a further two goals and three assists over his five Europa League appearances, three goals over his four Europa League qualifying fixtures and three goals in three games in the League Cup – taking his total to 16 goals and five assists over just 26 appearances for the Hoops.

As such, being without Kyogo for any extended period of time will undoubtedly come as a huge blow to Postecoglou and his side, who will need to keep the 26-year-old fit and firing over the second half of the season if Celtic are to have any chance of going on to reclaim their Scottish Premiership crown come next May.

In other news: Ange must unleash Celtic’s £1.44m-rated “dream” on Hibs, he’ll give Maloney nightmares

Loads of Everton fans have been left flocking to an exit rumour involving Lucas Digne.

As per The Athletic, both Juventus and Inter Milan are looking at potentially signing the left-back after he had a row with Rafa Benitez.

Digne was left out of the squad that beat Arsenal 2-1 at Goodison Park on Monday night, casting some doubt over his future at the Merseyside club.

While he may not be on his best form, having recorded no assists in the Premier League so far this season compared to the seven that he managed in the last campaign (WhoScored), he still remains the Toffees’ only senior left-back available in the squad, and so it would be strange to let him go so suddenly even despite rumours of unrest behind the scenes.

Everton fans on Digne transfer news

These Blues flocked to the transfer news as it was shared on Twitter, as they seemingly do not want him to go, while one EFC supporter even went as far as to claim that he is still ‘class’ on his day:

“Hope this is not us getting rid, he’s been out of form but he’s still a class LB on his day”

Credit: @daleando86

“Get Rafa out immediately”

Credit: @jay_smith190

“Wow. Rafa has decided to shun our *only*, not to mention *quality*, LB instead of improving and/or building around his skill set.”

Credit: @jlogn_efc

“And so it begins”

Credit: @LeighTGilbery

“Sigh….”

Credit: @bobmarl03974950

“But somehow he’s not good enough for Rafa…”

Credit: @dtaylor334

In other news, find out what transfer news has Evertonians fuming here!

Rangers have been hit with a worrying injury setback over Ibrox central defender Filip Helander…

What’s the latest?

Gers boss Gio van Bronckhorst has revealed why the towering centre-half was forced off on Sunday, as Leon King came on for him at half-time in the 4-0 rout.

Kemar Roofe scored a hat-trick and Joe Aribo found the top corner with a stunning strike as the Light Blues moved back to within six points of their rivals at the top of the table, but they now have an injury concern to deal with.

The head coach told the Daily Record: “Helander fell a bit awkward so he is having a scan now.

“Hopefully in the next few hours or by tomorrow we’ll know the extent of his injury.”

Van Bronckhorst will be gutted

Van Bronckhorst will surely be gutted with this setback as it potentially leaves him without another strong option heading into a busy period of matches.

Rangers are still competing in the Premiership, the League Cup and the Europa League, for now, and will need as many players available as possible to share the load. The head coach will want to rotate the team, as he did against St. Mirren to ensure that he is not overloading players and this blow to Helander could leave him with one less player to pick from.

Van Bronckhorst is not blessed with natural centre-back options as it is, with Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun the only senior players aside from Helander. Calvin Bassey, who is a left-back by trade, can play there, though, and he has academy prospect Leon King waiting in the wings.

However, the boss will not want to put too much pressure on the youngster so soon into his career with huge matches coming up this week against Braga in Europe and Celtic in the cup. This could be a season-defining week and not having the Sweden international available is, therefore, a big blow as he could be needed in the cup if any injuries are sustained in the European clash.

Last season in the Premiership, Helander averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.10 for the Gers across 22 appearances. This shows that he does have the quality to be a top performer for the club and that is why losing him over the next few weeks would leave van Bronckhorst gutted, with the head now surely now praying that it is not a serious injury for the defender.

Fingers crossed…

AND in other news, Forget Roofe: Rangers ace with 5 key passes showed GVB he’s no longer “useless” today…

Rangers have the chance to make it three wins in a row under Gio van Bronckhorst as they prepare for Premiership action on Wednesday night.

The Gers travel away to play Hibernian in the top-flight, shortly after their 3-1 defeat to them in semi-final of the League Cup prior to the Dutch manager’s official arrival at Ibrox.

They have beaten Sparta Prague and Livingston in his first two games in charge, with the latter coming in the form of a 3-1 win on Sunday.

Time to shine

One change van Bronckhorst could make to the starting XI is unleashing central midfielder John Lundstram, who is yet to make his first appearance for the Dutchman.

The summer signing from Sheffield United has not hit the ground running in Scotland and has been unable to secure a regular place in the side. However, the arrival of van Bronckhorst offers him a clean slate and a chance to show what he is truly capable of at this level.

Therefore, it could now be his time to shine for the Gers. He can use the frustration of his season so far to motivate him further to put in an excellent display against Hibernian and help the ex-Feyenoord coach to win his third game in succession.

Last year, former Blades manager Chris Wilder claimed that he is ‘exemplary’ with his attitude off the pitch. 

He told The Sheffield Star: “The way he has been in the changing room when he hasn’t played has been exemplary. And then he comes back in and plays like he has.

“I think that’s a fantastic example of how you should be as a professional footballer.”

This shows that the £6.3m-rated beast has the mentality required to come in from the cold and be ready to perform, as Wilder pointed to his professionalism.

He has shown signs of promise in the Premiership this season, with a 91% pass completion rate over the course of the campaign. The midfielder has also won 56% of his duels, showing that he has the strength to go along with his impressive passing.

However, his goal contributions from midfield could be unlocked by van Bronckhorst. He managed five goals and three assists in the 2019/20 Premier League campaign for Sheffield United, but only has one goal contribution in 11 league matches for Rangers.

By unleashing him against Hibernian and showing faith in his ability, the 46-year-old coach could give Lundstram the confidence to show off his full potential as a Rangers player. This is why he should be offered the opportunity to start in central midfield.

AND in other news, Gio could unearth Goldson 2.0 in “superb” Rangers teen who is “going to be massive”…

An update has emerged on Sunderland’s pursuit of Linfield defender Trai Hume, regarding their efforts to sign him this month…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the Black Cats have placed a bid in excess of £200k for the youngster and are now in advanced negotiations to bring him to England.

The report claims that he is expected to complete a switch to the Stadium of Light, having visited the ground to take in a game against Sheffield Wednesday.

Masterclass

Kristjaan Speakman is on course for a masterclass with this deal for Hume. £200k is a pittance and they could be landing a player with the potential to be a first-choice player for the club for years to come, which could make that fee look like a bargain in the future.

At the age of 19, he has already made 62 senior appearances and has played in a multitude of roles. He can play at centre-back, defensive midfield or on the right wing, but his main position is as a right-back and right wing-back.

Carl Winchester, who is a midfielder by trade, has been deployed at right-back to great effect this season, averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.84 in League One. However, the signing of Hume could allow him to fight for minutes in the middle of the park, providing Lee Johnson with more flexibility across his squad.

Retired midfielder Barry Johnston once lauded Hume’s talents, saying:

“He has played every game at Under 21 level at right wing-back, and he just has a bit of everything. He is talented, and he is tactically and technically very good. He understands the game and is magnificent in the air considering he is not a big 6ft-plus player.

“He is good going forward, you saw that with his goal against Glentoran. He wants to get in the box and get on the end of things. he also scores headers and is tough in the tackle.

“He wants to be a footballer, and he is a dream to have in a team and I am delighted there are clubs recognising his talent and hopefully it is good for our game.”

These quotes highlight some of his strengths and illustrate the potential he has as a player. At the age of 19, he has impressed enough at senior level to warrant this praise and that is why this deal could be a masterclass from Speakman if Sunderland are able to bring him in.

The Black Cats could be bringing in a player with the scope to improve further and build his value as the years progress. This means that he could be a transfer investment for the future, whilst potentially making an impact in the short-term at right-back.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has some big decisions to make ahead of this weekend’s clash with Burnley at St James’ Park.

The Magpies remain the only team in the Premier League yet to win a single match in 2021/22 after their 1-1 draw with Norwich earlier this week and are in desperate need of a positive result against the Clarets.

Sean Dyche’s side could move six points clear of Newcastle in the table with a win, whilst the Canaries would do likewise if they pick up three points against Tottenham on Sunday, and that would leave Howe’s team in a dire situation.

Unleash Almiron

One change that the 44-year-old could make in order to secure his first win in charge of the club is unleashing attacking midfielder Miguel Almiron from the start on Saturday.

The Paraguayan came on for 13 minutes against Norwich in midweek and looked sharp in his short cameo. As per SofaScore, he won three of his four duels, won one tackle and completed 100% of his passes. He was also fouled twice as he alleviated pressure for his team and showed his value in and out of possession with his work rate.

Last year, his former boss Steve Bruce lauded him as ‘bright’ and said that he is a dream for a manager with the way he trains. 

The ex-Magpies coach said: “Almiron is a manager’s dream. He’s bright, he’s tough, he trains every day and he’s been carrying a thigh injury but doesn’t want to tell anybody.

“The last 20 minutes on Sunday (against West Ham United) he was limping about the pitch. In 18 months he’s proved to be a really top, top player.”

Along with his showing against Norwich, this summary from Bruce highlights what Almiron contributes off the ball for the Magpies. He is willing to put in 100% on the pitch and play through injury to give his all for the club, which could be useful in what could be a physical battle against Burnley due to it being a relegation scrap.

The £15.75m-rated gem has 13 goals and five assists during his time at Newcastle. Whilst this is not an incredible record in 104 matches, it does show that he has the capabilities to make a contribution in the final third and it could be worth the gamble in this huge match.

Therefore, he should be unleashed by Howe from the start against Burnley. His energy, work rate, and ability on the ball could help the Magpies to pick up three points and finally kickstart their season as they attempt to stave off relegation to the Championship.

AND in other news, NUFC must seal move for “extremely gifted” £35k-p/w gem with a “real football brain”…