[ad_pod ]Liverpool’s first-choice left-back, captain of the Scotland national team and a Champions League finalist, but it hasn’t always been this easy for Andrew Robertson. Released by Celtic as a 15-year-old, the energetic full-back ended up at Queens Park, whereÂGardner Speirs, who now oversees the academy at the Tartan Army’s Hampton Park, was taken aback by a teenage Robertson.“We were due to go down to Largs on the Clyde coast to play a couple of matches inside four days but we didn’t have a left-back,†Speirs said. “Andrew was just finishing a season with the under-17s, so we took him and that’s how it happened.“Andy’s response was to say, ‘I’ll prove you wrong.’ He played in the first warm-up game at Largs and I don’t think he went out of the team again until he left us.”It is this attitude that has endeared him to the Liverpool supporters after some had written him off before his career on Merseyside had even begun.

Some of the Anfield faithful wanted a marquee name, but in truth, almost anyone would’ve been an upgrade on Alberto Moreno, so Robertson had a chance to make the left-back position his own.

But Robertson would’ve been somewhat of a hit even if he never set foot on the hallowed turf of Anfield, as a result of his selfless charity work and commitment to the community around him – that is an ethos that Liverpool hold dear to them, and one that Robertson does too.

“He might be from Glasgow originally, but everything about him screams Liverpool”, said Jurgen Klopp, and luckily for the German and those associated with the club who aren’t as interested about his work off the pitch, the Scottish international is one hell of a footballer to boot.

Robertson currently has eight assists in all competitions, more than any other defender in Europe, and that tiny initial £8m spent on him back in the summer of 2017 is looking like small change – it could even be argued that the 24-year-old is probably worth five times that figure now if not more.

His relentless play up and down that left flank is hard not to cheer on, even if you aren’t a Liverpool fan.

One foray up the left flank and over to the right wing saw Robertson mount a one-man press against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the 4-3 win at Anfield last season, a moment which drew cheers similar to those heard after a goal and almost saw the Reds score, but for the referee’s intervention.

“I am still tired just looking at Robertson. He makes 100-metre sprints every minute, absolutely incredible, and these are qualities,”Âsaid Jose Mourinho after his Manchester United side were humbled by three goals to one earlier in the season – Mourinho didn’t get much right during his time with the Red Devils, but that statement is spot on.

The scary thing about Robertson is that he has time on his side, time that he doesn’t even need given just how phenomenal he is right now. If there is an improved version of the hungry Scot waiting for us in the future, opposition forwards might as well not bother.

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Manchester United have confirmed that Marouane Fellaini has left the club to join Shandong Luneng Taishan FC, via a statement posted on their official website.

The Belgium international joined the club in 2013 under David Moyes, with United paying £27.5million to Everton to secure his signature, per BBC.

Per Transfermarkt, Fellaini made 177 appearances for the Red Devils, winning the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, the Community Shield and the Europa League.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

He fell out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, however, after the Norwegian replaced former boss Jose Mourinho.

Fellaini’s last United appearance came in December as he played three minutes in the 5-1 thumping of Cardiff City.

He was subsequently on the bench for wins over Huddersfield Town and Bournemouth but was left out of the squad for games against Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Burnley – missing the latter three due to a calf strain.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Everton earned a hard-fought three points against bottom-of-the-table Huddersfield yesterday at the John Smith’s Stadium. 

It was a result that was perhaps not pretty at times, but it was a great chance for manager Marco Silva to try out a number of players that have been struggling for game time so far this season.

Tom Davies was given his seventh start in the league this season, filling in for the potentially departing Idrissa Gueye. Likewise, Leighton Baines was brought in from the cold for a rare appearance, and looked very impressive until he came off injured in the second half.

However, the most important addition to the team was striker Cenk Tosun, who was making his first league start since early December. Many Everton fans would have expected the Turkey international to leave Goodison Park this month, but it is looking increasingly likely that he is going to stay and fight for his place.

While the 27-year-old did not score, he put in very encouraging performance and was a handful for the Huddersfield defence. Unfortunately, he was taken off in the second half after Lucas Digne’s red card, which would have bitterly disappointed him.

However, the key here was not to necessarily bag a hat-trick and impress manager Silva, it was about earning another starting berth for the visit from Wolves at the weekend, and it is fair to say that he has done that. The striker can now hope to build upon that performance, string together a run of games and try and win over the Everton fans.

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Toby Alderweireld has marked himself out as one of the finest ball-playing defenders in Europe in recent seasons.

His long, raking passes have been a key weapon in Spurs’ attacking arsenal and it is high time that he is considered for a role further forward.

On the chalkboard

Spurs have struggled immensely with injury issues this season.

At one point, Mauricio Pochettino could call on Harry Winks and 18-year-old Oliver Skipp as his senior central midfield options. Eric Dier, Victor Wanyama and Dele Alli were all on the treatment table.

Alderweireld, then, should be considered as a potential emergency option in midfield.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

He has been almost ever-present in the Premier League this season, missing just two games – against Newcastle United and Arsenal.

He is a Rolls-Royce of a defender, repeatedly winning tackles and keeping possession, but his passing is such that he can be an excellent asset in midfield.

Indeed, in his last 10 games, his passing accuracy has never dipped below 85 per cent and peaked at 96.1 per cent in the 3-1 defeat to Wolves.

Such is his reading of the game, he can easily sit in as a defensive midfielder, and allow Winks to move further forward – he has been playing in a more withdrawn role but deserves the freedom to affect the play in the final third.

Emergency measures

Of course, Pochettino would rather have every midfielder available to him in his squad.

Moussa Sissoko and Winks have been in excellent form thus far this season but Spurs have struggled to get Dier or Wanyama fit for any period of time.

Alderweireld offers an excellent option, with Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez able to fill in in defence in behind him.

Both players are so good defensively that they will be able to mop up any potential mistakes made by the Belgium international but it is, naturally, nothing more than a fall-back option.

Nevertheless, it should be kept in Pochettino’s back pocket, in case another injury crisis befalls his midfield.

علق أحمد كشري المدير الفني لأسوان بتصريح طريف على ارتدائه اليوم، ثيابًا مشابهة لما كان يظهر به الفرنسي باتريس كارتيرون المدير الفني الحالي للتعاون السعودي أثناء قيادته لفريق الزمالك قبل رحيله.

وانتصر أسوان على الزمالك اليوم بهدفٍ دون رد في إطار منافسات الجولة 28 من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وقال أحمد كشري لـ بطولات مازحًا على ارتدائه ثيابًا مشابهة لكارتيرون: “هذا القميص ينتصر دائمًا سأرتديه في جميع المباريات القادمة”.

واختتم مدرب أسوان تعليقه: “كارتيرون هو الذي يقلدني”.

يذكر أن كارتيرون رحل عن تدريب الزمالك خلال الأسبوع الحالي، وقاد طارق يحيى الفريق بشكل مؤقت.

[ad_pod ]Chelsea defeated Tottenham 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, as Maurizio Sarri’s men bounced back from the disappointment of their Carabao Cup final penalty shootout defeat to Manchester City.The performance was one of fire and brimstone, with the Blues setting up to play at a high tempo, while also looking to limit the chances created by Spurs.A low block was set up which stifled the attack of Mauricio Pochettino’s men, with Harry Kane, still apparently half-fit, forced to drop deeper and deeper in search of the ball.Indeed, per Opta, Spurs did not manage a single shot on target for the first time under Pochettino’s management.

The stat is all the more remarkable when one considers that, at Wembley, Tottenham ran riot, beating Chelsea 3-1 and having nine shots on target. Clearly, Sarri has learned some lessons since then.

Spurs marginally shaded the possession at Stamford Bridge, but their slow, methodical build-up ultimately played into Chelsea’s hands, with the Blues favouring quick bursts in attack.

Due to their sluggishness on the transition, Pochettino’s men could not find a way through Chelsea and failed to create a truly clear-cut chance.

Per WhoScored, Spurs had 546 passes compared to 480 for the home side, while the Blues were forced into 15 blocks and 37 tackles. It is hard to feel that this was not by design.

Pedro, playing on the right flank, embodied this strategy, routinely collecting the ball from deep and sprinting at the Spurs defence, with a similar passage of play resulting in Chelsea’s first goal.

Cesar Azpilicueta took the ball in on the halfway line and surged forward, playing in Pedro, who beat Toby Alderweireld and fired between Hugo Lloris’ legs.

Spurs, of course, did not help themselves. Their performance after going a goal down was one of desperation; Pochettino threw on Fernando Llorente, abandoning his 4-2-3-1 formation in favour of moving two up top. Son Heung-Min was subsequently shunted out wide, and the South Korea international’s influence waned as a result.

Kane, meanwhile, began dropping even deeper, to accommodate the aerial threat posed by the Spaniard.

It didn’t work – Chelsea were well-equipped to deal with an aerial bombardment and did so with aplomb, before Kieran Trippier and Lloris conspired to kill Spurs’ hopes stone dead.

After a long ball forward, there appeared little danger as Trippier looked to play the ball back to his goalkeeper. Lloris, however, had charged out of his area in an attempt to sweep up, and the England international simply passed the ball into the back of his own net.

It is difficult, of course, to account for such monumental stupidity from two seasoned professionals but Pochettino’s tactics from the start failed to take advantage of the tiredness in Chelsea’s legs.

Whereas at Wembley, Spurs were at full throttle and took the Blues by surprise, this was the opposite.

Watching on, few would have been forgiven for thinking it was Spurs who played 120 minutes of football on Saturday; Sarri, ultimately, masked those flaws with clever planning, a low defensive block and explosive phases of attacking play.

Spurs had no answer, and are now surely out of the title race.

There is no hiding the fact that Christian Eriksen is a Real Madrid target. The Danish midfielder has been one of the best players in both the Premier League and the world for the last few seasons and interest from the best is inevitable. However, as Los Blancos consider how to lure him to Madrid, Marca claim a Gareth Bale loan deal is on the cards.

The article claims that whilst Manchester United, Chelsea and Spurs are the clubs who hold an interest in Bale, Real Madrid are more interested in letting the Welshman leave for either of the two London clubs. At Chelsea, there’s Eden Hazard whilst Tottenham have Eriksen, who are both players the Spanish giants want. Although Chelsea’s recent transfer embargo may have given Tottenham the lead.

Whilst this all sounds peachy, the fans don’t want to lose their Danish magician, even if it means bringing back one of White Hart Lane’s greatest players of recent years. The Welshman’s exit this summer is looking more and more likely seeing as he’s lost his place in the Madrid squad to the 18-year-old Vinicius Junior, and Tottenham fans would love to welcome him back, but would never do so if it meant seeing the back of Eriksen.

You can read the Lilywhites’ verdict on the touted part exchange deal here:

Tottenham fans are all pretty clear on where they stand on this deal and whilst they’d love to welcome Bale they won’t do so if it means losing Eriksen.

Leeds United have been flying in the Championship this term, but find themselves looking over their shoulders now as they see the likes of Norwich and Sheffield United threaten to ruin their promotion hopes.

Marcelo Bielsa’s men will be hoping to get back to winning ways this weekend though, and with the January window now behind them, the club will be hoping to simply focus on footballing matters between now and May.

However, despite the window being a relatively successful one for the club in terms of not losing some of their better players, we here in the Tavern feel that young winger Jack Clarke could well be on the move if they don’t win promotion.

Clarke has been superb in his sporadic appearances for Leeds so far, and his exciting wing play, raw talent, and ability to change a game on it’s head is something which will be catching the attention of plenty of clubs in the top flight.

And we feel Clarke might not be able to resist a move to the top flight if one comes along, with any young player no doubt wanting to cash in on the riches of the Premier League as well as test themselves at the top level.

Clarke’s talent is obvious, and Leeds will no doubt be hoping to keep their star youngster, but money can often talk at this level.

Leeds will be desperate for promotion, but the pressure is now firmly on, and they’ll want to ensure they do indeed get out of the division to stop players like Clarke jumping ship.

Leeds fans, what do you think? Could you lose Clarke if you don’t go up? Let us know in the comments!

Reports from the Daily Mirror suggest that Arsenal are set to appoint Roma’s Monchi as their new sporting director.

The Gunners have reportedly lined up the Spaniard to replace the recently departed Sven Mislintat at the Emirates. Monchi has a world-class reputation following his work at Sevilla and would be considered a real coup if he was appointed. The 50-year-old enjoyed plenty of success in Spain working alongside current Arsenal boss Unai Emery.

One of his priorities in the summer transfer window will be to sort out the Arsenal back four. Despite adding the likes of Sokratis and Bernd Leno to their squad, their defence has let them down constantly throughout the campaign. Monchi could raid the Italian club in order to find a solution.

The ideal addition could be Roma superstar – Konstantinos Manolas. Valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, the Greece international has established himself as one of the top defenders in the Serie A since leaving Olympiacos back in 2014. Now approaching the prime of his career, there is no better time to lure him to the Premier League.

The 27-year-old is a fantastic defender who would add some much-needed stability to the Gunners backline. Manolas is extremely quick for a centre-back and loves to get stuck into a challenge. The Greek reads the game superbly and is dominant in the air meaning the physicality of the Premier League shouldn’t faze him. He also excels with the ball at his feet thanks to his excellent range of passing – he would be a perfect fit for Emery’s system in north London.

Having been linked with a move to the Emirates in previous years – with the Gunners said to have had a bid snubbed a couple of years ago (from Sport FM via Goal) – Emery should lean on Monchi to lure the enforcer over from the Italian capital at long last.

With international experience as well as a host of Champions League appearances, Manolas knows how to succeed at the highest level.

Arsenal fans, thoughts?

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Tottenham Hotspur have enquired about the possibility of signing Franck Kessie from AC Milan, per TuttoMercatoWeb.

Spurs are reportedly making plans for the summer after going two transfer windows without signing a single player.

What’s the word?

Per the aforementioned report, Spurs have initiated contact with Kessie’s representatives to discuss the possibility of a move.

Kessie joined Milan on an initial two-year loan deal from Atalanta in 2017 but Milan hold an obligation to buy him at the end of the 48-month period this summer. TuttoMercatoWeb claim that the price stands at €20million (£17.56m).

However, the report states that Milan now value Kessie at €40m (£35m), opening up the prospect of the Italian club turning a healthy profit by securing his signature and then selling him on.

TuttoMercatoWeb also claim that PSG are monitoring Kessie’s progress in Serie A, where he has become an important member of Milan’s starting XI.

The 22-year-old has made 21 appearances in Serie A this season and has a total of 81 games to his name for the Rossoneri.

The end of Wanyama?

Victor Wanyama has struggled immensely with injuries at Spurs and is still on the sidelines this season.

The Kenya international has made just 10 appearances in all competitions this season, five of which have come in the Premier League.

Wanyama’s questionable fitness, coupled with Eric Dier’s injury woes in 2018-19, have regularly left Spurs thin in midfield, with Harry Winks the only senior option in the squad at one stage.

However, signing Kessie would solve that problem at a stroke.

The young defensive midfielder fits the profile of Pochettino signings perfectly, as he has the ability to improve under the Argentine’s management and also has the pedigree to instantly command a place in the starting XI in north London.

An investment of €40m is not cheap, but chairman Daniel Levy will surely see the value of it too, such is the resale potential if Kessie follows in the footsteps of the likes of Son Heung-Min and Dele Alli and becomes a star due to the Spurs boss.