Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has told Emmenuel Adebayor that he will have to wait for first-team football.
The Togo international started Saturday’s Premier League tie against Chelsea on the bench as Jermain Defoe was chosen to lead the line.
The man signed on a permanent deal from Manchester City in the summer has been growing frustrated by his lack of playing time this term, leading to speculation that he may look for a move away from White Hart Lane.
However, AVB has insisted that the centre-forward will have to be patient and wait his turn:
“Obviously, every player wants to play, at the moment we are using the structure of one striker and Defoe has been doing extremely well,” Villas-Boas is quoted as saying by The Metro.
“I think Ade has done extremely well in the games where he has come in for the squad, certainly he is in contention for games where we play with two strikers.
“At the moment we haven’t found the comfort in that formation yet, but in the future when we use it, when we rotate the strikers, he will be back in contention.”
The 28-year-old was a key first-team player under former boss Harry Redknapp last season, which tempted the club to secure a £5m permanent deal.
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However, AVB’s system appears to favour the skills of Defoe whose mobility make the team a greater threat on the counter-attack.
Paul Heckingbottom was unable to reverse the downward trend that had set in at Leeds United under Thomas Christiansen and he paid with his job in the weeks following the conclusion of a Championship season that saw his side’s play-off hopes peter out completely.
It was a campaign of regression after Garry Monk took Leeds within touching distance of the play-offs in 2016/17 and the club is in need of genuine star quality, stability and someone to generate a feel-good factor again.
That is much, much easier said than found however, but the man who has reportedly emerged as a genuine contender to take over at Elland Road is 62-year-old former Argentina manager Marcelo Bielsa.
On the face of it, the move looks like a madcap manager being linked with a madcap club, but we’ve decided to take a closer look at the genuine potential consequences if the move did go through…
Leeds would play attacking football
There is a lot of snobbery around defensive football these days but if it got Leeds back into the Premier League, you’d be hard-pushed to find a fan at Elland Road who gave a hoot.
However, it has been a while since the club’s fans were treated to an adventurous style of play but Bielsa would change all that.
His approach to strengthening sides is to embolden them with confidence to play expansively, making chances and utilising smart tactical systems to put opponents on the back foot.
This Leeds squad is currently very workmanlike, which is something of a hangover from the Monk days when results were as good as they’ve been for a while but it wasn’t pretty at times but Bielsa would try to squeeze every last ounce of attacking intent from them. It would certainly be entertaining.
Abel Hernandez would score for fun
The departure of Chris Wood was a hammer blow to Leeds’ chances of promotion last season and in the club’s attempts to keep him or wrangle a larger fee out of Burnley, they didn’t leave themselves enough time to replace him.
That means that securing a genuine goalscorer must be a priority this summer and reports linking them with Hull City striker Abel Hernandez should be music to the ears of Leeds fans.
He has had his injury problems, but when fit, he is more than capable of scoring goals for fun in the Championship.
We’ve touched on above how Hernandez would get no shortage of chances due to Bielsa’s aggressive attacking style, and over a whole season that should see him bag 20 goals, if he and Bielsa both arrive.
A play-off push is on the cards
Obviously, Bielsa and Leeds are two such combustible elements that their relationship could all end in tears and come to a very premature close but imagine that the 62-year-old manages a whole season at Elland Road.
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With his attacking style of play, managerial nous and profile to attract quality to one of England’s biggest clubs, a genuine play-off push should not be ruled out.
Leeds flirted with the top six in the opening part of last season and should have made it the season before; they are not a million miles away and Bielsa has more than enough quality to help them bridge the gap.
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Despite a positive start to his time in charge at the club, recent poor results have seen Sam Allardyce’s popularity among Everton fans disappear somewhat.
Having picked up just one point from their four Premier League games so far in 2018, it seems that the Blue half of Merseyside are in for a real end-of-season slog.
The arrivals of Theo Walcott and Cenk Tosun have certainly strengthened the ranks at Everton but Allardyce has now conceded that the squad is “too big” and departures are likely.
One of these departures, according to latest reports is Ademola Lookman, who the club are happy to send out on loan for the remainder of the season.
The 21-year-old, who is valued at £6.3million by Transfermarkt, has impressed in cameo appearances this season but now looks set to move elsewhere until the summer.
Upon hearing the news of a potential loan-deal for Lookman, Everton fans took to Twitter, and it’s safe to say they were not impressed…
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers feels that his team are capable of battling for the Premier League title after their 3-2 win over Fulham.
The Reds trailed twice at Craven Cottage against the rock-bottom Cottagers, but managed to steal all three points courtesy of a Steven Gerrard penalty-kick in injury time.
The result came on the back of a stunning 5-1 demolition of Arsenal at Anfield over the weekend, and moved the Merseysiders to within four points of leaders Chelsea after they could only draw at home with West Brom earlier this week.
Rodgers says that his side are reliant upon their rivals slipping up between now and the end of the season, but that they have a chance of lifting the league trophy later this year:
“We knew this was important,” he told Sky Sports.
“I said to the players these are the games where you arrive in the Champions League – games like this here. You’re playing a team who are fighting, trying to stay in the division.
“We’ve come off the back of a brilliant performance at the weekend and tonight we’ve again got another three points in a different way.
“So it really shows that this team has improved in every facet of the game.
“Seeing Steven (Gerrard) take off his shirt and show off his muscles was great.
“We’re just going to keep pushing and I think we’ve shown enough times that we’re a very good side. We’re chasing, but we need some of them (the teams above) to drop points before anything else can happen.
“We know we have Chelsea and Manchester City to play at home which we’ll look forward to because we’ve been outstanding at home but we’ve just got to take it game by game.
“I’m enjoying watching the team improve and develop as a coach.”
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Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho twice pulled Liverpool back from behind after a Kolo Toure own goal and Kieran Richardson effort had put Fulham in the driving seat.
But a mistimed challenge from Sascha Riether on Sturridge gave Gerrard the chance to convert from the spot late on.
QPR manager Mark Hughes has stated that Samba Diakite’s red card was a key factor in his side’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Monday night.
The Loftus Road club fell behind to an early Matt Jarvis strike, before Ricardo Vaz Te struck a second before half time.
Despite Adel Taarabt pulling one back for the hosts, QPR are still looking for their first win of the campaign and are rooted to the bottom of the table.
African midfielder Diakite replaced Ji-Sung Park on 55 minutes, but was dismissed 20 minutes later after two bookable offences; Hughes feels that the sending off was decisive.
“We were very poor, certainly first half where we were second to every ball, didn’t really get anywhere near the level that we need to get near to get positive results in the Premier League,” he told Sky Sports.
“First half we were just off the pace for whatever reason. Second half we made a better fist of it.
“In fact when Adel scored a great goal that got us a little bit of momentum and at that point I could see us getting a second goal.
“But obviously the sending off has completely killed that momentum and that point it was very, very difficult for us.
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“We’re desperately disappointing on the basis of the first half performance because we’ve been much better than that,” the Welsh trainer confessed.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will hope to bring in talent that will take the club to the next level.
The Merseyside outfit had a positive season as they secured a top-four position in the Premier League and reached the final of the Champions League.
The campaign ended in a low note, though, as the team were beaten 3-1 by Real Madrid in the Kiev showpiece.
Two new faces have already been secured, with Naby Keita joining from RB Leipzig, while Monaco midfielder Fabinho was a surprise recruit last week.
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Liverpool’s attack is already strong, with Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane leading the way, but some fans think that it would be boosted even further if Timo Werner joined the clan.
In an interview with Die Welt, the Leipzig forward, who is valued at £54m by Transfermarkt, admitted that he is a few years away from being world class.
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The 23-year-old did, though, suggest that his teammate Keita will make it to the top level while playing for the Reds.
Twitter account Empire of there Kop claimed that Werner is not right for Liverpool at this moment, but plenty of fans disagree.
As reported by The Daily Mail, Arsenal are interested in signing Bordeaux winger Malcom during the January transfer window.
What’s the story?
Arsenal are again struggling to make the top four of the English Premier League this season and with star man Alexis Sanchez on the brink of leaving the club, they badly need some attacking reinforcements to give Arsene Wenger’s squad a boost.
One man said to be high on their list of Sanchez replacements is Brazilian youth international Malcom, currently plying his trade in Ligue 1 with Bordeaux.
That’s according to The Daily Mail, who say the French side are looking for a £45m transfer fee if he is to move in January.
The paper say that rivals Tottenham Hotspur are set to drop their interest in the winger, giving the Gunners a clear path to his signature should they match his valuation.
Good enough?
Malcom isn’t close to Alexis Sanchez’s ability or experience yet but is certainly catching the eye in Ligue 1 after a series of impressive performances over the last couple of seasons.
So far this term he has seven goals and five assists in 19 appearances for Bordeaux, the kind of attacking contribution that would go some way towards helping Arsenal out after the Chilean departs the Emirates.
With the ability to play on each flank, possessing plenty of pace and having a ruthless streak in and around the box, he appears destined to make a move to a bigger club sooner rather than later.
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Still just 20 years of age, he has every chance of developing into an elite player and investing in that future early could work out perfectly for Arsenal at a time they need more creativity and a spark in the final third.
With all of the World Cup play-offs decided and the 32 teams revealed for next summer, attention really can start to shift towards England’s chances in Brazil. Although expectation surrounding Roy Hodgson’s men is expected to be slightly reduced when compared to the hysteria that met the ‘Golden Generation’s’ campaigns in 2002, 2006 and, to an extent, 2010, there is still a real sense that England have to show at least a glimpse of being one of the planet’s elite footballing sides.
Defeats to Chile and Germany have revealed the extent to which fans and the media can jump on the team in the face of disappointment, so Hodgson will be aware of just what is needed when he flies his side to Rio De Janeiro to take on the very best sides the sport has to offer.
It may be slightly cliché, but games are often won and lost in midfield, with the players in the engine room often dictating possession and they general flow of the tie. Despite having had some illustrious names occupying the centre of the field in recent years, England have rarely had a man that can calm the play and build a game in which the ball is kept. But, Jack Wilshere’s emergence on the international scene really looked to have ended that quest, with the Arsenal ace a genuine top class talent who is comfortable in possession and able dictate games.
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However, with the prospect of the biggest tournament there is looming, the 21-year-old hasn’t been quite at his best. At club level he is currently struggling to force his way into Arsene Wenger’s midfield-heavy starting XI, while on the international stage he was fairly ineffective against Chile and Germany – although he, arguably, wasn’t England’s worst performing player in either tie.
It would be foolish to suggest that one player has the whole nation’s hopes pinned on him ahead of the World Cup, but Wilshere is already just as important to Hodgson’s side as skipper Steven Gerrard and the talismanic Wayne Rooney. The Mersey duo may grab the headlines if England perform well, but the Arsenal number 10 well be crucial in seven months’ time.
For the first time in his career, Wilshere looks to be getting clear of injury. Despite being nearly 22, he has often struggled to get a run of performances together, with a series of fitness problems often curtailing any momentum gathered. Now, he has the ability to play regularly, which could be just what is needed to get his rocky form back on track.
Although Wilshere has been far from disappointing for Arsenal, he has often been rotated around Wenger’s midfield, with the ever-impressive Mesut Ozil holding down the spot at the point of the midfield, while Aaron Ramsey, Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta have all been fighting for the two deeper roles. Perhaps a victim of his versatility and ability, Wilshere has often been deployed in a wider position to cut in and link with Olivier Giroud. This worked excellently to produce, according to some, the goal of the season so far, as the Londoners’ attack played their way through Norwich’s defence at the Emirates Stadium with a dizzyingly accurate string of short passes before the midfield man fired past a bewildered John Ruddy. Even in a period where he is being described as ‘below par’, Wilshere has the ability to link the play and finish off moves, demonstrating the level of his ability.
With the media circus surrounding ‘cigarette-gate’ now depleting and Arsenal playing the best football they have for a while, it’s only a matter of time before Wilshere returns to the form the fans have grown to expect of him. Fitness issues aside, he is virtually guaranteed to play a key role in most of the Gunners’ fixtures between now and the end of the season, including their Champions League campaign.
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Although his performances may be causing a slight amount of concern as it stands, there is a lot of time between now and the big kick off in Brazil next year. WIlshere is undoubtedly a key man for England, and will almost certainly make the squad and feature alongside Gerrard in midfield. As the old adage goes, class in permanent and form is temporary. As it stands, England don’t have many classier footballers at their disposal than Wilshere, who is sure to return to his best in the build-up to the tournament.
Bolton striker Marvin Sordell took to Twitter to report that he was racially abused, along with numerous team mates, at Millwall on Saturday, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Sordell also said that the Police would have heard everything but decided to do nothing about it as the two clubs and the FA are set to investigate the claims.
“It’s 2012 in England and people are still shouting racial abuse at a football game!?” Sordell said on Twitter.
“Chungy, Pratts, Benik and I had all sorts of things said to us. The police were standing yards away and did nothing …”
“Funniest thing is, if had come on and scored and gave them some back, I would be the one who got fined.”
Millwall released a statement last night declaring that they would be looking into the claims as a matter of priority.
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“Millwall and Bolton Wanderers are investigating allegations made by Bolton player Marvin Sordell that he was subjected to racial abuse by an individual whilst warming up as a substitute during Saturday’s Championship clash at The Den.
“The two clubs remain determined to do everything in their power to ensure that racist behaviour will not be tolerated.”
According to a report by Portuguese media outlet A Bola, Newcastle United have joined Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton in the race to sign FC Porto attacker Yacine Brahimi, and Magpies fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.A Bola says that the player has a release clause of €60m (£53m), but with just a year remaining on his contract he is likely to be available for a lower amount this summer – Transfermarkt value him at £22.5m – should the Portuguese giants choose to sell him to avoid risking losing him for nothing next year.The 28-year-old left winger has enjoyed another impressive season for Porto, scoring 12 goals and providing a further 10 assists, and he could be a potential replacement for Kenedy who has returned to Chelsea following the end of a successful loan spell.Newcastle supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the Brahimi link, and while one said “I can see this happening if Rafa really wants it to”, another said “we can’t compete with the likes of Southampton or Watford which is where he will end up”.Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…