Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson has said that Mauricio Pochettino “harmed” Eric Dier by limiting his game time, in an interview with Football Insider.
What did he say?
Dier struggled for game time under Pochettino towards the end of the Argentine’s spell at Spurs, managing just 20 Premier League appearances last season.
However, he has become a key part of new boss Jose Mourinho’s plans and is set to be offered a new contract that will keep him at the club beyond 2021.
Asked why Dier has been struggling for game time in recent years, Robinson said the England man had been harmed by Pochettino.
“He had a lack of game time under Pochettino and that has harmed his season,” Robinson told Football Insider.
“Also if anyone was going to get moved about it was Eric Dier due to his versatility but maybe that works to his detriment.
“As he gets older I see him more as a centre-half. I think Dier is best deployed in a back-three.
“There was a time under Pochettino where you thought he was going to be leaving because he was not even in the squad. I hope he can get back to that and kick on after the new contract.”
Quick turnaround
There has been a quick turnaround in fortunes for Dier, who is now back in favour and looks set to earn a new deal.
The England international is versatile and has proven himself as a quality player when given the trust of his manager, and this appears to be what he has with Mourinho.
With Spurs now willing to offer him a new deal it shows how much he is valued and perhaps the fact that Pochettino was willing to phase him out shows why his time at Spurs came to an end.
Everton are keeping tabs on Newcastle United midfielder Matty Longstaff, according to Football Insider.
What does the report say?
Carlo Ancelotti is looking to strengthen his Everton squad this summer and 20-year-old midfielder Longstaff appears to be an option.
Since his first-team debut earlier this season the youngster has made seven Premier League appearances, scoring twice.
According to Football Insider, his contract is due to expire this summer and talks over a new deal at St. James’ Park have stalled.
As a result, Everton are keeping a close eye on the talks along with a “legion” of clubs from around Europe.
Alongside his brother Sean, Matty has been impressive in midfield for the Magpies this season but has not yet been tied down to a long-term deal.
Risk free
Longstaff has impressed since his debut in 2019 and really announced himself with a goal at Old Trafford in December.
However, it looks as though the club have dropped the ball in the negotiations with him and with clubs circling, they are in danger of losing him.
With the current talks ongoing with regards to the club’s ownership there remains the chance that a deal is done, but if it does not transpire, the 20-year-old would represent a risk-free move for Everton, who will be getting a promising youngster for nothing.
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…
Leif Davis signed a new contract with Leeds United on Monday evening, much to the joy of many supporters.
Amongst the replies on social media reacting to Davis’ new deal there was an emerging trend.
Indeed, dozens and dozens of Leeds fans flocked to Twitter simply to say ‘very good Davis’.
At one point the phrase was actually trending on social media.
For those out of the loop, this stems from Marcelo Bielsa’s tendency to shout that very phrase at the young left-back whenever he does something positive on the pitch.
However, the meme has now taken on a life of its own, and it’s become something of a running joke.
To be fair, it is funny, Bielsa is a great character and this little quirk of his is worth a laugh, but this trend could be dangerous.
Indeed, the teenager can’t really do anything these days without being showered with ‘very good Davis’ comments, and that may serve negatively for his development going forward.
Now, we’re not saying that one meme can ruin the 19-year-old’s career, but it’s certainly not going to be helping, especially if it ends up dominating his playing days.
In any job, positive reinforcement is quite important, and if fans are going to give this type of response every time he does something, regardless of it being ‘very good’, that could do one of two things.
It’ll either give him a massive ego and lead to complacency as he’s consistently being praised, or it’ll start to seem disingenuous and the plaudits he receives won’t have the positive impact that it should have.
Although that doesn’t seem like a huge thing, the feedback a footballer gets from supporters and their manager can have a real impact on their mind when they step onto the pitch.
Davis could end up being in a grey area where fans are praising him without it being warranted just for the sake of an online joke.
It may all be tongue in cheek, but a footballer is more than a meme. It’ll be down to him to prove so now he’s signed a new deal.
In our latest instalment of theÂFlashbackÂseries, we take a look back at a certain moment and look at how things might have changed those initial reactions.
Last Sunday, Celtic’s official Twitter account @CelticFC noted that it had been 21 years to the day since Lubomir Moravcik came to the club.
To say that there was scepticism about the 33-year-old Slovakian when he was brought to Glasgow by fellow countryman Dr Jozef Venglos for £200,000 from Duisburg in October 1998 (as per the Daily Record) would be an understatement.
As noted by These Football Times, numerous journalists scoffed at the manager’s decision to sign him. The Sunday Mail’s Hugh Keevins wrote: “I don’t know what I find more laughable; the fact that Celtic cannot find £500,000 from their biscuit tin to sign a proven talent like John Spencer, or the fact that they then spent £300,000 on one of Dr. Jo’s old pals, the unknown Lubomir Moravcik!”
Meanwhile, journalist John Traynor wrote that the signing of Moravcik has “merely caused [Celtic] further embarrassment”. [via These Football Times]
Within a month of joining Celtic, the Slovakian midfielder had given those critics plenty to mull over, scoring twice in a 5-1 hammering of league leaders Rangers. [via BBC]
He may have been approaching the twilight of his career, having represented the former Czechoslovakia at the 1990 World Cup, but Paul Murphy of These Football Times described him as “one of those players who seemed to have more time on the ball than those around him”, adding that he “dribbled superbly despite limited pace and scored many spectacular goals from distance with both feet”.
After Venglos left Celtic in the summer of 1999, Moravcik frequently found himself out of the team under John Barnes at the expense of Eyal Berkovic, who as the club’s then-record signing of £5.7m was often preferred by the manager but not by many Hoops supporters. [via Celtic Underground]
Once Martin O’Neill came to Parkhead a year later, though, the Slovakian’s fortunes rose rapidly. In the 6-2 drubbing of Rangers in August 2000, Moravcik set up two goals in the opening 11 minutes (as per BBC) to set Celtic on their way to an emphatic victory.
He again caused the ‘Gers nightmares later that season, scoring twice in a 3-0 win at Ibrox, Celtic’s first success at the home of their Glasgow rivals in seven years. [via The Guardian]
The 2001/02 season would be Moravcik’s last for the Hoops but he again came to the fore in memorable wins. He set up two of Celtic’s goals in the 4-3 win over Juventus in the Champions League in what BBC’s match report described as a “virtuoso performance” from the veteran.
Upon departing the club in the summer of 2002, the Slovakian had won two league titles, two Scottish League Cups and one Scottish Cup. He scored 35 goals in 129 appearances for the club (as per Soccerbase), a tremendous return for his paltry £200,000 transfer fee.
Celtic legend Henrik Larsson (a man dubbed the King of Kings by many supporters) picked him in a best XI of footballers with whom he played, testifying to Moravcik’s excellence at the club.
The Slovakian midfielder’s many magnificent displays at Parkhead ensured that the initial sceptics’ scathing remarks 21 years ago would subsequently appear very foolish.
Celtic fans, what are your favourite memories of Moravcik? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
This is how it should be done.
It just goes to show that there are better ways of handling things than simply throwing money at the problem. Nice to see that someone is showing some level of restraint in the matter, and doing things because he has to rather than because he wants to.
What’s he said?
Speaking during his press conference, Rodgers gave some clues as to how the club intends to attack the January transfer window:
“It’s just constant, it’s continual. I’m very happy with the squad, knowing where we’ve taken them in the past eight months. If there’s someone available and we can strengthen, then the club are keen to look at. Boils down to availability and affordability of players. Can’t afford what other clubs can.”
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Taking the pragmatic approach
This upcoming window is going to be absolutely crucial for Rodgers and Leicester. They may never get a better chance of finishing in the top four, although I’m pretty sure we said that their last trip to the Champions League was ‘once in a lifetime’, so perhaps they will further down the line.
The rest of the big clubs in England like Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur might not go through their respective crises for a while, so while they’re here they need to take advantage.
The Foxes could finish this weekend as many as nine points clear of the team in fifth place, a defeat could leave them only three points ahead, so they need to make sure that they keep up this sort of pace throughout the entirety of the season. That’s why January is so crucial, one wrong move and they could end up tumbling back down the league.
Whilst things might look OK right now for the Foxes, if Rodgers were to bring in someone that would make them change their style of play, or interrupt a good partnership, then it could have a serious knock-on effect on the team’s performance.
Judging by his comments, it looks as if he’s happy with the squad he has right now, and that’s a good thing. Leicester’s title-winning campaign showed that you don’t need a large squad to compete at the top end, just one that’s big enough.
Liverpool fans have been discussing the potential signing of Timo Werner as the German’s impressive form continues.
he Reds faithful seem desperate to bring in the 23-year-old as a backup for Roberto Firmino, with some believing they can get him fairly easy.
Werner has been in sensational form this campaign and now has 15 goals for RB Leipzig as the Bundesliga side sit second in the table.
11 of the striker’s 15 goals have come in the Bundesliga, which further proves his incredible worth to the side, as Leipzig have scored 29 in total.
The Germany international has been on the scene for a while, but his rise into an elite striker has accelerated in the past year as he bagged only 16 league goals last season.
Now, it seems as if the Liverpool fans are enticed enough by the £58.5m-rated star’s red-hot form to suggest their club should sign him.
One supporter said it’s a “no-brainer” to bring him in, whilst another fan alluded to Jurgen Klopp’s track record with young German stars.
Here’s what some fans have had to say on the prospect of signing the in-form forward…
Throughout the Premier League era and especially after the takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, Manchester City have made some wonderful signings.
Just think about the likes of Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Sergio Aguero, but what of the lesser remember names that represent some of City’s not-so-successful business in the last 27 years?
So we’ve recalled the Citizens’ 20 worst signings of the Premier League era so far -agree?
Maicon
First up is Brazil legend Maicon who would have perhaps have gone down as a completely different signing had the Sky Blues captured him four or five years earlier.
When the right-back arrived at the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2012 for £3m, still a fair sum of money back then, he was the wrong side of 30 and beginning to battle with repeated injuries.
He would only appear 13 times before being shifted onto Roma a year later.
Bernardo Corradi
Would it be fair to say that Man City’s current Bernando (Silva) was inspired by his club’s Bernando from a decade before (Corradi)? No, probably not.
The hot-headed former Italy international striker was signed by Stuart Pearce prior to the 2006/2007 campaign and lasted just one term in Manchester before his loaning out to Parma and subsequent departure the following summer, scoring just three goals and collecting two red cards.
Nolito
Britain Soccer Football- Huddersfield Town v Manchester City – FA Cup Fifth Round – The John Smith’s Stadium – 18/2/17 Manchester City’s Nolito in action with Huddersfield Town’s Joel Coleman Reuters / Andrew Yates Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account
Pep Guardiola’s Cityzens forked out the best part of £15m for a Spanish centre-forward in his pomp in the summer of 2016, Nolito – a year later the Spanish international was to return to his homeland with Sevilla.
In reality, the former Barcelona man who impressed at EURO 2016 never adapted to the English game or way of life, infamously commenting not long before his City exit that he and his family had changed colour due to the lack of sunshine in England’s climate.
Roque Santa Cruz
Early in the reign of what is now known as the City Football Group the east Manchester outfit were like a teenager after just receiving their first pay packet, splashing their cash on any old thing just because it’s their money and they can.
£17.5m acquisition Roque Santa Cruz is certainly an example of that having been purchased based on a half-decent scoring record at Blackburn Rovers and for the grand total of four goals for the Etihad side goes down as one of their worst PL era signings.
Christian Negouai
How could we not include in this list the only player in Premier League history to have been sent off in his only match in the league?
The great irony here is that Christian Negouai only made 11 appearances in total for the club but he somehow managed to get himself sent off on three occasions, with the other two coming in the League Cup and the FA Cup.
Wait, actually this is the best part, they paid £1.5m to bring him in from Charleroi in the first place, a lot of money in 2001.
Jack Rodwell
Last seen refusing to give up his extortionate contract on the Sunderland documentary on Netflix, Jack Rodwell was one of the rising stars of English football when he swapped Merseyside for east Manchester in 2012 for £12m.
But injuries limited the ex-England central midfielder to just 15 outings in his first season with the Citizens and even fewer the following term meant he was offloaded to the Stadium of Light after just two years, leaving the Etihad in a downward spiral in such contrast to the way he had arrived.
Laurent Charvet
The story of Laurent Charvet is rather similar to that of Rodwell, captured for big money after a couple of impressive terms at a fellow English team and moved on after two campaigns having barely made 25 appearances.
The right-back was simply never up to the task, utterly woeful, and the fact that he was deemed not even good enough to play for Sochaux in the year after his City exit says it all really.
Gerry Creaney
Manchester City v Charlton Athletic Nationwide 1st Div. 3/9/96 Pic: Tony O’Brien /Action Images
Manchester City’s Gerry Creaney celebrates his 87th minute winner
Members of the Blue Army might well want to look away for this one.
Imagine swapping one of your best players and fan favourites in Paul Walsh for someone as ineffective as Gerry Creaney and also paying £500k for the pleasure, well that’s exactly what City did in 1995 and three years and four outbound loans down the line Creaney was released – shocking move.
Jo
Talking of shocking moves, this one is up there with one of the worst transfers of all time in world football, let alone just for City and just in the Premier League era.
Striker Jo, who’s somehow played 20 times for Brazil and scored a few goals as well, signed for a fee believed to be a club-record £19m from CSKA Moscow in the summer 2008 transfer window just and the Sky Blues certainly got value for money, if you count that as a miserly six goals in 42 games.
Jerome Boateng
On paper, Jerome Boateng was a huge waste of money for Man City but in reality, the move could have paid off if they were a little more patient with him.
Roberto Mancini saw his potential whilst he was playing for Hamburg though the centre-back only remained under his reign for one injury-affected season and played out of position at right-back for most of it.
Nowadays we, of course, know Bayern Munich’s Boateng as the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League and seven-time Bundesliga-winning global star.
A whole host of West Ham United fans took to social media on Saturday afternoon to lavish praise on Robert Snodgrass for his performance against Sheffield United.
The 32-year-old made the breakthrough in the 44th minute of the Premier League affair before Lys Mousset struck in the second half as the points were shared.
Snodgrass was a late, late substitute in his team’s 2-0 win over Manchester United on September 22, but the midfielder was not actually used at all against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace or Everton.
Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini shuffled his pack for the clash with Sheffield United, though, and Snodgrass started with Manuel Lanzini and Pablo Fornals on the bench.
It was just the 28-time Scotland international’s second Premier League start of the 2019/20 campaign.
And there is no question that he made a positive impression – boasting a 86% pass success rate, according to WhoScored.
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A selection of the Twitter reaction to Snodgrass’ outing at the London Stadium can be seen below:
This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.
Generally, a football club would only normally purchase a player to try and help improve their squad and would likely give them at least an opportunity within the first team. That would appear to have been the plan for Chelsea when they signed Michael Hector from Reading in 2015.
The Jamaica international was brought to the club from the Royals in a deal worth around £4m to bolster Jose Mourinho’s options at the back as there were concerns about how leaky the defence had become, although the centre-back did remain at his previous employers on loan for the remainder of the season (BBC).
Perhaps, there was a belief that if Hector managed to perform well with Reading in the Championship that year, he would be able to make the step up and become an important member of the Blues’ squad. Well, it would seem Chelsea never actually got to find out.
Despite being a member of the Stamford Bridge roster for four years, the now-27-year-old has featured exactly zero times for the west London outfit in competitive fixtures.
Indeed, Hector would spend time at Eintracht Frankfurt, before coming back to England and playing for Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday as he continued to get on with his footballing career away from Stamford Bridge.
On the face of things, it certainly would not appear to have been £4m well spent by Chelsea. However, that all changed in September, as the Blues somehow managed to double their money with the centre-back as they managed to sell him to neighbourhood rivals Fulham for £8m (although he cannot play for them until January 2020).
That appears to have been a massive sum of money to be handed over considering, arguably, his career at SW6 was stagnating and hardly going anywhere as clubs would, perhaps, look to cut their losses and look to shift them on.
The fact that the Blues managed to get £8m is also astonishing considering his market value (as per Transfermarkt) was one that was not considered to be anywhere close to the value he was sold at.
When Chelsea purchased him, Hector was estimated to be worth around £675k, although that quickly shot up to £2.7m and then £3.6m following his time in the Bundesliga with Frankfurt. However, since returning to England, he went back to £2.7m and never moved from that valuation despite his loan spells at Hull and Sheffield Wednesday.
Gaining £4m profit and never having to play him in a competitive match whilst on the books, the Blues did extremely well to double their money on what appeared to be a flop of a transfer.
Chelsea fans, how well did the Blues do to make a profit on Hector? Let us know your thoughts by sharing them in the comments section below!
This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…
Wolves have seemingly found their feet at long last as they head into the international break on the back of three consecutive victories in all competitions.
Last time out, Nuno Santo’s men recorded the surprising scalp of reigning Premier League champions Manchester City to sink them further behind league leaders Liverpool.
While the west Midlands club themselves moved up to 11th in the table, so maybe the short interval from the domestic season comes at the worst possible time.
One Wolves fan thinks he’s pinpointed the moment when they went from EPL strugglers to “peak Barcelona 2011” in the video below…
Though, it does seem an excellent opportunity to delve into the club a little further to take a look at the next crop of youngsters that could stake a claim at Molineux in the future.
Just this week, the Guardian selected the ‘best young players’ at each club who were born between September 2002 and August 2003.
The ‘Generation Z’ talent they have picked for Wolves is Chem Campbell, who has been at the club since he was 12.
Campbell is a Wales youth international, having been capped three times for the U17s.
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The 16-year-old’s potential has certainly already caught the eye of the Portuguese boss as he was invited on the senior team’s pre-season training camp.
He is described as a ‘skilful, direct dribbler with a knack for bursting forward from central midfield’ which makes it easy to understand why Nuno wanted to take a look at him during the off-season.
Given the reports surrounding a potential exit for Ruben Neves this week, Wolves could well be in need of a midfield option, and even though it remains unlikely that someone of his age gets fast-tracked into the starting XI, movement from those above him in the pecking order could mean he is pushed closer to that chance.
There’s also the age of Joao Moutinho to consider too.
At 33 he is entering the twilight of his career, and it’s hard to predict how long he will last at the top of his game. While he may replicate the likes of Iniesta and Xavi in terms of playing on, he could quite easily be overrun by fitter and younger opposition as he gets even older.
Campbell edging towards the senior fold would even match the ambitions of the club’s owners Fosun, who want the club to start providing from within. That’s slowly starting to pay dividends as seen with Morgan Gibbs-White over the past 18 months, the midfielder has gone on to play 63 times for the old gold.
Having scored four times for the U18s and subsequently moved into the U23 squad since, the teenager could easily follow suit in due course, especially with potential gaps opening in midfield. It’s now over to Nuno to find room for him to get a chance.