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Jose Mourinho must realise that time is up for Eric Dier in the Tottenham Hotspur defence after he won just one duel in England’s UEFA Nations League defeat away to Belgium on Sunday night.

Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate awarded Dier a starting role against the top-ranked men’s international side as part of a raft of changes to the line-up which beat the Republic of Ireland, marking the 26-year-old’s 44th cap since 2015.

Dier was unable to help prevent England succumbing to a second defeat of the campaign, ensuring the Three Lions can finish no higher than third in Group A2 following October’s 1-0 loss to second-placed Denmark at Wembley.

Mourinho has entrusted Dier with regular minutes in Spurs’ 2020/21 campaign thus far, with the £19.8m-rated enforcer opening all six Premier League fixtures to have been available to him at centre-half.

But the Portuguese tactician must realise that Dier’s form is on the decline, after earning the second-lowest match-rating by an outfield England player at 6.4 out of 10, per SofaScore.

England’s hope of reaching next year’s Nations League Finals was ended on Sunday through goals from Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans and SSC Napoli’s Dries Mertens in the opening 23-minutes, despite the Three Lions registering twice as many efforts on goal and enjoying 55% of the possession.

The Red Devils were pegged back in their own territory for much of the second half, too, but when called upon, the England defence could not be relied on to prevent Southgate becoming the first Three Lions manager since Sven-Goran Eriksson to lose 10 games in charge.

Dier played a key role in the result edging in the host’s favour, having failed to register a single successful tackle or block a shot, while making just one interception, two clearances and one duel.

His sole duel of the night came in the air, which he won, but Dier did not contest a single ground duel and lost possession 13 times, misplaced 17% of his 72 passes – including six of 11 long balls – and offered zero efforts on Belgium’s goal.

Dier’s futile performance for England was not his first of the season, either, as Mourinho claimed he committed a crime by fielding the 26-year-old at centre-half in September’s narrow shoot-out win over London rivals Chelsea in the EFL Cup.

“In this moment, we can face a team that has different systems and it doesn’t matter how they come, the players know what to do, they know the differences and what they have to adapt,” Mourinho said, via quotes by HITC.

“So, the team is getting in conditions to play. Yesterday was not really strategic, it was more trying to build a team with the players that we had, let’s say available for the game, trying not to commit crimes and I only committed one and that was to play Dier.”

Mourinho may find himself committing another crime if he entrusts Dier with starting for Tottenham in Saturday’s Premier League clash with Manchester City, with a win at home to Pep Guardiola’s side enough to move top of the table before Liverpool host Leicester on Sunday.

AND in other news, Tottenham can unearth their new Dembele in a youth prodigy who can play five positions.

Many Aston Villa fans have reacted to a latest report claiming French defender Frederic Guilbert has been ‘pushed’ towards an exit from the club as talk continues.

After securing their top flight status last season with a final day draw against West Ham United, Villa are now preparing for the new season.

Boss Dean Smith is expected to make several changes to his squad and utilise the transfer window, and one deal has already been completed with Matty Cash arriving from Nottingham Forest.

Cash was arguably one of the most in-form players in the Championship last season, holding down the right-back role in Sabri Lamouchi’s side whilst also chipping in with three goals and five assists. Paying an initial £14m, it is expected that he will go straight in to Smith’s starting eleven.

That has left Guilbert’s chances of finding first team football at Villa Park significantly reduced and a latest report from L’Equipe has now claimed that the Frenchman has been ‘pushed’ towards an exit by the club.

Guilbert joined up with Villa from Caen last summer and made 25 Premier League appearances in his first season.

Reacting to the report which was shared by Twitter account @AVFC_News, Villa fans gave their opinion on the defender’s future at the club with the majority hoping that he stays.

Do you think Guilbert should have stayed at Villa Park? Let us know in the comments section below…

Ruben Loftus-Cheek could be looking at a fringe role with Chelsea as Frank Lampard plans for the future.

The England international missed almost the entirety of last season due to an achilles injury. He made a mere ten appearances overall, with one coming from the reserve league (via Transfermarkt).

Loftus-Cheek started Chelsea’s first match of the season against Brighton, but had little impact on the game. After making just 11 successful passes and losing ten of his 13 duels attempted, he was substituted off for Ross Barkley slightly after the hour mark (via Sofascore).

The 24-year-old could be dropped to the bench once Hakim Ziyech and key player Christian Pulisic return from injury. Gary Neville also believes this is the case and thinks Chelsea should cash in sooner rather than later.

“I thought he was really disappointing. I don’t think Loftus-Cheek can complain. He’s been given games,” the Manchester United icon told Sky Sports (via Independent). “I don’t think he’s ever grasped his chance yet. There’s going to come a point when they’re going to cash in and get £25million for him.”

As a product of the Chelsea academy, Frank Lampard may be reluctant to let Loftus-Cheek leave the club. Despite a loan move to Crystal Palace in 2017, the midfielder has never played for another side. However, at 24, he should be playing regular football, if not being the focal point of the team.

Lampard defended the player’s performance and role at the club following their win over Brighton on Monday.

“We certainly have to give him a bit of time on those fronts. It’s a position that Ruben can play for us,” he said in a post-match interview.

It certainly seems as though Lampard values Loftus-Cheek as a senior member of the team. Only the season will show whether he is strong enough to be included ahead of some of Chelsea’s best players.

Do you think Chelsea should keep or sell Loftus-Cheek? Have your say in the comments below…

Ex-Spur Alan Hutton insists “fans don’t understand” the important role Harry Winks plays at Tottenham Hotspur.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Spurs defender believes supporters do not appreciate why Winks is in the side as his performances are usually understated.

Winks has started the past four Premier League games in a row and played a key part as Tottenham thumped Newcastle United 3-1 at St James’ Park. 

Hutton praised the Spurs academy product for his displays in recent weeks and believes fans expect too much from him.

He told assistant editor Russell Edge ““I think he gets, I wouldn’t say bad press but people don’t understand his qualities and what he’s good at, what he’s there for.

“He keeps the ball ticking, he keeps the ball moving, he never takes too many touches on the ball. I think probably what people want to see is him do more – as in more forward passes because he’s got the ability to pass, let’s see him do those type of passes.

“He’s not really there for that, he’s there to keep the team moving, keep it going and essentially give it to the players like Lo Celso, Begwijn, Son to go and do a little bit of magic.

“It’s a position where sometimes fans don’t understand – they look at it and think I want more from you – but he’s an integral part of the team.”

It is hard to argue with Hutton here, as Winks has featured in every game during the Lilywhites’ latest unbeaten run.

Spurs have suffered a mixed start since the Premier League restart, which raised questions over whether or not Jose Mourinho knows his best side, but they have begun to turn things around.

He was an unused substitute in the shock defeat at Sheffield United, but bounced back with two strong performances against Everton and Bournemouth.

While his style will never set the world alight, Winks is an efficient distributor who picks his passes to keep the ball moving.

He played the full 90 minutes against Newcastle, taking 74 touches, providing 5 long balls, and finishing the game with a staggering pass accuracy rating of 98% (via SofaScore).

Mourinho’s decision to start the 24-year-old has started to pay dividends, as it has allowed him to push Giovani Lo Celso further upfield.

With Winks involved, Lo Celso is playing in a more advanced position, which has given Kane and Son Heung-min the creativity they have been craving.

The Englishman has become the man supplying the supplier, although he does not get the credit he deserves for Spurs’ recent resurgence.

Tottenham fans, do you think Harry Winks deserves more credit? Let us know down below!

According to A Bola, Tottenham have made contact with Benfica over a potential summer move for Pizzi.

What’s the word?

Spurs have had a busy start to the transfer window already, bringing in the likes of Joe Hart and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in particular to boost their first-team squad.

Now, Portuguese publication A Bola (via Sport Witness) claim that Pizzi is on a list of potential recruits for Jose Mourinho’s side this summer, and that the right-winger could be available for around €20m (£18m).

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

The report claims that the price tag has alerted Spurs and Mourinho, and that it has prompted them to make contact with Benfica – however, an official bid has not been made just yet.

A major upgrade on Erik Lamela

Despite playing on the right-hand side for Benfica, Pizzi enjoyed an extraordinary season in front of goal for Benfica during the 2019/2020 campaign.

He scored a quite incredible 30 goals, and provided a further 19 assists in just 51 games across all competitions, and it’s the kind of numbers of that really puts Spurs’ own Erik Lamela to shame.

The Argentine, who played the most of his 35 games last season from that right flank (18), scored just twice and set up only two more from that position. Most of Spurs’ attacking quality came from the opposite side, with the likes of Heung-min Son often outshining him.

Pizzi could offer the Lilywhites a genuine goal-scoring threat, and lighten the burden on the likes of Son and Harry Kane to score the bulk of Spurs’ goals.

And as a fellow Portuguese native, Mourinho would surely love to work with one of his country’s finest attackers. The Benfica star’s ability to not just play on the right, but all across midfield and even as a number ten is the kind of versatility that would no doubt appeal to the current Tottenham boss.

Wolverhampton Wanderers appear set for a busy January transfer window.

A couple of months ago, BirminghamLive reported that the club wanted to make central additions in both midfield and in defence and just last week, manager Nuno Santo pretty much confirmed this by revealing his intentions to bolster his squad.

The latest player to be linked is Hwang Hee-Chan, who is a striker for Austrian outfit RB Salzburg. The Telegraph believe that the Korean has become one of the club’s prime targets next month, although, there’s a possibility that he’s loaned back to his current club for the remainder of this season.

It is also thought that he has a release clause with figures between €20m and €25m being touted (£17m-£21.2m) but is it a wise move? or the wrong one?

Wolves currently have just two senior strikers amongst the first-team setup, Raul Jimenez and Patrick Cutrone, the latter of which they signed in the summer from AC Milan for £16m and has rarely featured this season, starting just three Premier League games.

Here’s what the writers at Football FanCast believe…

Matt Dawson

“While Wolves don’t necessarily need Hwang Hee-Chan in January, possessing Patrick Cutrone and Raul Jimenez at their disposal, it could be incredibly shrewd to sign the South Korean and then loan him back with a view to finally playing him in 2020/21. 

“Nuno’s men need to build on the quality they have and signing a player who has continuously delivered in the Champions League is a no-brainer, regardless of the players they already have in their squad. The forward has netted three goals and also registered three assists in his six European outings this term. Two of those goal involvements also came against Liverpool, so he’s got a prior history of performing against Premier League opposition. 

“The main positive for Wolves would be his creativity. Having laid on seven assists in the Austrian Bundesliga, he could be someone that gets even more out of Jimenez. No one in the current squad at Molineux has created more goals this season. He’d be a very smart signing.”

Viji Jeevathayalan

“It’s a real testament to how brilliantly Raul Jimenez has settled into life at Wolves, that the club’s £16m summer signing of Patrick Cutrone has barely started in the Premier League season. The latter has played just 12 minutes of football in the Molineux side’s last seven games in the top-flight. So why on earth should the club be thinking about signing yet another striker in Hwang Hee-chan? Jimenez is the undisputed number one option for Nuno Espirito Santo, and Hwang’s arrival would simply see him rot on the bench. It would be a tragic waste of money. The RB Salzburg forward has shown that he is a good player through his displays in the Champions League this year – he has scored three times and provided five assists. But Wolves have no need for him at the moment, and they should just keep the faith in Cutrone.”

Danny Lewis

“This would be a pointless signing for Wolves to make, considering Patrick Cutrone hasn’t really had that much of a look in, despite getting seven goal contributions from eight starts and 14 substitute appearances across all competitions. Hwang Hee-chan has shown that he is a talented player through his performances in the Champions League, but even so, it would be a waste of money and quality to have him fighting with Cutrone to be the main back-up striker to Jimenez. Wolves would be much better off spending that money on a centre-back or centre-midfielder.”

Lewis Blain

“This move should be a no-brainer for Nuno Santo and Wolves. The Korean’s record, as mentioned above, speaks for itself. If the club truly want to become regulars on the European stage and at the top end of the Premier League for years to come, then they need serious strength in depth, and that will only come with additions like this. Currently, the Portuguese boss heavily leans on Raul Jimenez with Patrick Cutrone suffering from a lack of game time, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t add Hwang Hee-Chan to his armoury. He brings Champions League experience and the sort of dynamism that no other player has at the club – you only have to look at the way he span Virgin van Dijk into next week earlier this season to see that. Pull out all the stops, Fosun.”

Can you score at least 80% on this Ultimate Premier League Quiz? Test your knowledge now…

In other news, Wolves should cut ties with this flop who has struggled to impress in England this season…

Glasgow Rangers have had their problems with the SPFL in recent weeks and months.

It all started following the resolution proposal, after Dundee’s vote was first not registered, then changed. The Gers, who were adamant that the season should be finished on the pitch, accused the governing body of corruption, and then put together a 200-page dossier in an attempt to prove as much. They even pushed for an independent enquiry into the authority. That was eventually quashed, but the Ibrox outfit had already made their point.

They are not the only side who have been questioning the SPFL, though – Hearts and Partick Thistle are currently in court to contest their premature relegation to the Championship and League One respectively. On Thursday, the second day of the proceedings, the court was told that the public must hear about the governing body’s conduct and the Dundee vote during the case.

That has attracted the attention of the Gers supporters, and they have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts. You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have hailed the ball boy that proved integral to the club’s Champions League victory over Olympiacos earlier this week.

Teenager Callum Hynes, 15, showed some quick thinking against the Greek side, quickly receiving a new ball at a throw-in and giving it to Serge Aurier, whose early throw led to Son Heung-min crossing for Harry Kane to score.

That goal was Spurs’ equaliser, as they had fallen 2-0 behind in north London, and it proved critical in the turnaround, as they went on to win 4-2.

So impressive was young Callum’s intervention that manager Jose Mourinho gave him a high-five and a hug after the strike, even attempting to invite him to the dressing room after full-time.

And the schoolboy told the club’s official website: “It’s all a bit surreal. I was just doing my job and I still can’t quite believe what happened.

“I didn’t even see the goal! I was busy getting the ball that had come off and then I heard the cheer. I turned around and Harry was celebrating.

“I looked at the replay on the screen and watched exactly what happened. You can see from my smile it was just unbelievable. Jose didn’t have to do that. It was really nice of him to come over to me. It’s made my day, my life, really! I love Spurs and it was an amazing moment I’ll never forget.”

Spurs fans have subsequently taken to Twitter to hail the kid, who spent the journey home from the stadium revising for his maths exam the next morning!

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

Meanwhile, a Spurs star’s future may have been decided.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Maurizio Sarri is still very much trying to complete his squad and get the best out of the players he’s currently got.

But despite Juventus’ long-lasting dominance in Serie A, it seems that if things don’t change for the better and they don’t change quickly, the Bianconeri might have trouble collecting silverware by the end of the campaign.

Inter Milan are looking like formidable opponents in the domestic league and Europe has been a sore spot for the men from Turin for a long time now.

But Sarri is still fresh at the helm and despite having a great squad with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the line, he’s still not there yet when it comes to team building.

One area he will have to address sooner rather than later is the striker position.

Currently, his only two real options are Gonzalo Higuain and Mario Mandzukic but the former is 32 – with his contract expiring in 2021 – and the latter is 33 and yet to play a single minute in the 2019/20 season so far.

Quite clearly, there’s a problem just waiting to emerge and despite the Argentine scoring five goals and assisting five across all competitions, they will have to upgrade their front line if they truly want to compete.

Interestingly enough, they have been linked with RB Salzburg’s prodigy, Erling Braut Haaland, the young forward who’s slowly but surely setting the stage ablaze.

What do you really know about the Premier League’s greatest managers? Find out below…

The 6 ft 4 colossus has already bagged 28 goals in just 21 games across all competitions in 2019/20 and Corriere dello Sport claim Juventus will try to land him to address their issues up front.

Needless to say, Haaland could indeed finally complete Sarri’s squad and would address most of their needs.

We’ve already discussed how Juventus have recently shifted their transfer policy to hunt for more developed players who can bring them the Champions League crown, but the 19-year-old Norweigan talent ticks both boxes – he’s a bet for the future and a bet for the present.

The only issue might be Manchester United’s heavy interest in the player, with the club reportedly ready to launch a bid in January.

From Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s point of view, that transfer also makes every bit of sense.

After all, the Red Devils have never truly replaced Romelu Lukaku in their attack and a bright young talent who can bang in the goals for fun might help them get back on track.

Still, Solskjaer has been steadily improving as of late, and the scalps of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur can attest to that.

Maybe adding Haaland into the team could be the missing link that propels them back to the top.

Only time will tell how this transfer saga plays out.

In other news, Inter Milan might be on the prowl for Chelsea’s fringe man…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Matteo Guendouzi doesn’t appear to know what kind of midfielder he wants to be.

On the chalkboard

Arsenal fell to a dispiriting 2-0 defeat to Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, leaving them on a four-game winless run in the Premier League.

There are numerous issues with the club but one that stuck out like a sore thumb against the Foxes was Guendouzi.

The Frenchman, it must be said, has been ever-present in the league thus far this term, making 12 out of 12 starts.

He is just 20 and is clearly trusted by his manager, Unai Emery.

Yet he was caught between a rock and a hard place versus Brendan Rodgers’ side.

Per WhoScored, he had 69 touches of the ball, the third-highest of any Gunners player. He clocked a pass completion rate of 94% and completed two dribbles.

Yet he was not played in an attacking midfield role. That was reserved for Mesut Ozil, who played in the hole behind Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Partnered with Lucas Torreira, Guendouzi appeared to be given licence to carry the ball forward but he did not do it with any confidence.

Indeed, he was dispossessed three times, did not complete a tackle, was dribbled past on three occasions and failed to have a shot on goal.

A victim of muddled thinking

This is a problem for Emery to solve.

Lucas Torreira, the defensive-minded player in that midfield, made only one tackle throughout the 90 minutes as Leicester’s power and flair overwhelmed the Gunners.

He was also dispossessed twice.

Thus, making Guendouzi the roaming midfielder, the player able to pick the ball up and run, driving his team forward, seems reckless at best.

He has not been given the proper support network to be able to do it effectively and, really, he needs more help.

Either the youngster is played further forward – probably at the expense of Ozil – or he is coached into a defensive midfielder.

He is young enough and malleable enough for that to be a possibility but, right now, he is neither an attacking nor a defensive midfielder. He must make a decision in the future on what he wants to be.