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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…

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be coming to the end of a cycle.

Mauricio Pochettino saw his side draw 1-1 with Sheffield United on Saturday and they are left with 14 points in 12th-place.

That’s 12 behind Chelsea and Leicester City, who beat Crystal Palace and Arsenal respectively on the same day.

Spurs’ performance was poor.

Son Heung-Min scored their goal after a major defensive mix-up and, while they had over 60% of possession, per WhoScored, they only had one more shot on target than Chris Wilder’s impressive Blades.

Where Sheffield United were well-organised, well-drilled and disciplined throughout, Spurs appeared lackadaisical and ponderous on the ball. Harry Kane, at the tip of the spear, had just two shots on goal throughout.

That speaks to a lack of chances created and an inability to properly support the England international.

But this is not the first time this has happened.

Spurs last won in the Premier League in September, when they beat Southampton 2-1. Since then, in domestic competition, they have been thumped 3-0 by Brighton & Hove Albion, drawn with Watford, lost to Liverpool and drawn with Everton, thanks to a 97th-minute Cenk Tosun header.

In five games, they have taken three points. It must be said, as well, that they have not won away in the league since January.

Since beating Fulham 2-1 at Craven Cottage, in 12 games, with 36 points available, they have taken just three – in draws with Manchester City, Arsenal and Everton. At home, they have taken 31 points from a possible 45 in 15 games. Their only defeats since January have come against West Ham United and Newcastle United.

This is not sustainable, this double standard. As it stands, Spurs are averaging 1.1 points per game. If this run continues, they will finish the season with 44 points. That would have seen them finish 15th last season, joint-11th in 17/18 and joint-12th in 16/17.

The message here is clear: Spurs are playing like a mid-table club, desperately scratching for points wherever they can find them.

Pochettino, of course, oversaw a near miracle last season as Spurs reached the Champions League final but, for quite a while now, the league form has been dipping.

Already, it appears a massive task for Spurs to be able to reach the top four. Leicester, Liverpool and Manchester City all look well set and then there are a few teams fighting for fourth.

One has to ask the question: Are Spurs even in that question anymore?

It remains to be seen how much damage missing out on qualification would have on the club and on the squad next season.

First of all, though, the responsibility ultimately falls on Pochettino, the man who picks the team and makes the decisions.

If Spurs go another month in this form and continue to fall further away from those at the top, a change may have to be made.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Arsenal are set to use Granit Xhaka as bait to sign Denis Zakaria from Borussia Monchengladbach, as reported by The Mirror.

What’s the story?

Xhaka has not played for Arsenal in the three games since he reacted to being booed by Gunners fans when being substituted against Crystal Palace.

Having been stripped of the club captaincy and replaced by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the 27-year-old put in a masterclass performance for Switzerland against Georgia, however, that won’t bother many at the Emirates, as he is unlikely to represent the club again.

Use has now been found for the Switzerland international, as the Gunners are looking to utilise him as bait to bring countryman Zakaria to north London. Any deal would depend on Arsenal having first refusal on the midfielder if the German outfit decide to cash in next summer.

Good deal all round

Xhaka would likely be very pleased with this deal, as it would allow him to go back to a club he has already played for 140 times for.

From Monchengladbach’s point of view, they are currently top of the Bundesliga table, so will be looking for players they know can be relied upon to help maintain that position, with Xhaka surely fitting this profile, having already represented them so many times.

In addition, they would not be losing Zakaria this season as part of the deal, so the 22-year-old would be able to continue leading their charge from midfield.

The Gunners would also do well to get the Switzerland international out of the deal, as he has averaged 2.4 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 2.1 dribbles per game, completing 84.2% of his attempted passes – indicating how useful he can be both on and off the ball.

Zakaria could be seen as a beneficiary of this deal as well, as it would allow him to take the step up to the Premier League.

If the deal does come off, it could see all parties involved in it come out better off.

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…

Prior to his sacking, Ray Parlour expressed his surprise that Tottenham Hotspur did not back manager Mauricio Pochettino, per talkSPORT.

What’s he said?

Pochettino was officially sacked on Tuesday evening.

And Parlour, a former Arsenal midfielder, believes that the Argentine should have been given greater support in the transfer market.

He said: ““I’m surprised they haven’t backed him, I really am, by saying ‘right, what do you need? We got to the Champions League final, amazing season for Spurs last year, let’s kick on, let’s try and move closer to Liverpool and Man City, we’ve got a great stadium now.

“‘I know a few players will be leaving but we’ve got to try to get players in, with the quality to keep us up there, with the likes of the top two.’”

Not done enough

Daniel Levy didn’t do enough for Tottenham during Pochettino’s tenure.

That doesn’t just include the summer, but also the transfer windows that have come before it.

Spurs became the first club in Premier League history not to buy a single player in the summer transfer window last year and were then inactive in January, too.

The solution to that in the most recent window was to buy three first-team players in Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon. Only the former has made more than one start in the Premier League so far this season.

It simply doesn’t add up, especially when one includes the departures of Kieran Trippier and Fernando Llorente; neither player was directly replaced.

And so the Spurs squad is weaker now than it was as it headed into the Champions League final which, really, is unforgivable.

Pochettino is a manager, not a miracle worker, and managers, like carpenters, are only as good as their tools.

Levy hasn’t been providing them as he should have been and he is as culpable as anyone for Pochettino ultimately losing his job.

Loads of Crystal Palace fans have been reacting on Twitter after fan account CPFC News HQ relayed a report by Golsmedia on Friday, which suggested that Valencia have joined Premier League giants Manchester City in being interested in signing goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.

The report says that the La Liga outfit’s sporting director Cesar Sanchez wants a new stopper at the Mestalla for the 2020/21 campaign, and the Spaniard is on his list of options.

Golsmedia also claims that City are watching developments, with the 33-year-old expected to make a decision on his future when the current season finishes – if and when it does.

Cameo Clubs: Which obscure teams did these football legends play for?

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His current contract at Selhurst Park is due to expire in 2021, meaning he has little over 12 months remaining on the deal.

It is no surprise therefore that there is interest in him, obviously helped by his impressive displays for the south London side.

Guaita has only conceded 54 goals in 51 matches for Roy Hodgson’s men having joined them in 2018, keeping 19 clean sheets.

Given all of that he would have to be seen as a big loss for Palace, and that is clearly reflected with their comments below.

One fan simply said “please no”, while another urged chairman Steve Parish to give the goalkeeper a new contract.

Here is the reaction…

In other Crystal Palace news, loads of Eagles fans have been reacting to an update on a former hero, with one saying “bring him back to the club immediately”…

West Ham have had their fair share of glory days as well as seasons to forget, but which moments across the years have really made the Irons supporters’ blood boil?

Paul Ince in the Man United shirt

Once a popular player amongst West Ham fans after he rose through the academy ranks, Ince quickly became loathed by almost the entire fanbase.

Although the situation wasn’t really Ince’s fault (as explained by the Englishman himself), West Ham fans let loose on him for what was viewed as massive display of disloyalty.

The former England international joined Manchester United in 1989, but a snap of him wearing his new jersey was published whilst Ince was still on West Ham’s books and all hell broke loose.

The damage has seemed to be irreparable and it’s safe to say that the Hammers still haven’t forgiven him to this day, with Ince now only known as Judas amongst the East London faithful.

West Ham expert? Prove it by naming these obscure Hammers players 

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Frank Lampard’s move to Chelsea

One club’s hero is another club’s traitor, and Frank Lampard definitely has a story of this kind to tell. Despite his father being a West Ham legend and Lampard Jr. himself featuring in almost 200 games, the fanbase gave him hell after he went in search of pastures new.

In contrast to his ‘Super Frank Lampard’ nickname that Chelsea fans can again belt out during games, the Blues manager has another less endearing name that has been dubbed by supporters. The Hammers branded him ‘Fat Frank’ and utilised any chance they had to lash abuse at him in his playing days.

No doubt it stings, even more, to see how much Lampard went on to achieve with Chelsea, knowing he had the capability to help West Ham find greatness as well.

Jermaine Defoe’s transfer request

Jermain Defoe has been a cult hero in many of his clubs, but any high status he had at West Ham was washed away after he handed in a transfer request just 24 hours after the Irons were relegated.

The Englishman started his professional career with the London outfit, but really did the dirty with his transfer request and the season that followed. The club denied his wish to move away, which resulted in Defoe refusing to sign a new contract and getting sent off three times in the 2003/04 campaign before West Ham had had enough and sold him to Spurs.

He was a young player at the time but nothing excuses the audacity of opting to leave your club as soon as the ride gets a bit rocky. Hammers fans certainly won’t forget how much Defoe shafted them.

The current lockdown means that football fans and clubs across the globe have plenty more time on their hands, and it is no different with Glasgow Rangers.

During this period, video games such as FIFA and Football Manager appear to have been put to good use. There have been a number of tournaments organised, like the Ultimate Quaranteam Cup, for example. The Gers have also been competing, most recently in the eScottish Cup, which was played on Football Manager Touch.

82 teams initially took part in the competition, but there could only be one winner – and it was the Ibrox outfit who took home the trophy. They beat their fierce rivals Celtic in the final 2-1 to do so.

Of course, this cannot replace the feeling of getting your hands on a real piece of silverware, but the club’s supporters seem happy all the less. They have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

Some Newcastle United fans hate the latest takeover update coming from Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope after he shared his article on his official Twitter page.

As per the report, the writer claims that the Premier League are set to revamp the owners’ and directors’ test in light of the moral, political and legal difficulties presented to the top flight by the proposed £300 million takeover backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The deal is awaiting approval from England’s highest division as the process is understood to have been held up given the complexity of broadcast piracy allegations against the Saudi state.

The outlet has been told that the likelihood remains that the deal will be approved, in part because the Premier League tests are badly drafted and do not take issues like piracy specifically into account.

However, judging by some of the comments, members of the Toon faithful are becoming increasingly frustrated with added delays and this is yet another obstacle that the Tyneside club may have to face in order for the deal to go through.

These Magpies in particular hated the update:

Geordies, what do you make of the update? Comment below!

Newcastle United’s takeover is all done and dusted, according to The Sun’s Neil Custis, who has also given a hint to when it could be officially announced.

The Premier League are thought to have given the green light over the £300m deal to take control of the northeast giants with the transferral of funds the final step.

There had been a delay to proceedings as the top-flight prioritised their ‘Project Restart’ plans but with teams returning to training this week, it appears as if they have now ratified the move at long last.

Custis wrote:

“SunSport understands the League’s owners and directors test found no barrier to the takeover.

“Financier [Amanda] Staveley, who is fronting the bid, is expecting official word next week.

“Then once the funds and paperwork are sorted an announcement will be made on or around June 1.”

There’s still another full working week before we enter June, which will be approximately two months after reports first emerged suggesting that tumultuous Toon owner Mike Ashley would finally sell up.

Premier League experts will get full marks: The ultimate quiz on top flight transfer flops…

Custis claims that the announcement will be ‘made on or around June 1st’ which is also a Monday and start to a new week.

AND in other news, Newcastle fans react over Steve Bruce takeover comments…

Name: Mungo Bridge

Club: Aston Villa

Date of Birth: 12 September 2000

Position: Centre-back/Full-back

Mungo Bridge – his career so far

At the age of 19, Mungo Bridge is slowly but surely getting ready to make a potential step up into the senior world of Aston Villa’s football over in England. The talented centre-back has penned his first professional contract with the Villains in 2019 as the club managed to fend off the interest from abroad and some big European names.

The kid with the dreadlocks has, however, been a huge part of both their U18 and U23 squads, even captaining the latter one despite his struggles to stay fit throughout the campaign.

Bridge can boast with 24 appearances for the youngster squad and with 16 for the older team. Naturally, since he’s a centre-back by trade, he is yet to tally a single goal or assist for the club but that is also not expected from him in the first place.

Given Aston Villa’s defensive troubles throughout the campaigns, the 19-year-old centre-back could very well get his opportunity sooner rather than later. He’s been already seen training with the first squad on numerous occasions despite never actually tallying a first-team appearance (as of yet).

The Daventry-born youngster was interestingly enough put through his paces by John Terry and even reportedly used as a makeshift forward against Tyrone Mings and Bjorn Engels during the team’s final training session, as Dean Smith encouraged the youngster to become acclimatised to the first-team setup just prior to football being put on hold due to the recent outbreak.

And some reports even suggested the 19-year-old was more than just able to hold his own against some of the senior players in the squad, which is definitely a great sign and fantastic Aston Villa news for the fans.

Maybe when football resumes in the near future, we finally get to see Bridge get his Premier League bow.

Transfer latest

The biggest piece of Aston Villa news surrounding Bridge was undoubtedly the little scare they got prior to the youngster actually penning his first professional contract with the club. Back in early 2019, AC Milan were reportedly very interested in the centre-back but he ended up deciding to stay put and develop at Aston Villa.

Since then, there were no concrete transfer rumours on the topic and Bridge seems to be on a steady course towards the first team, having already trained with the seniors on various different occasions, which we’ve pointed out earlier.

The next thing on the agenda, however, would be to tie him down with a new and improved contract so that they can ensure he will not be lured away by other European giants who might come snooping around.

With the exposure he’s getting with the seniors and the sheer talent under his belt, that one would be a given despite the lack of any real transfer rumours surrounding him at the very moment.

Player profile

Bridge has recently become the U23s’ captain and is slowly but surely moving up in the world due to his sheer talent and ability. Even though he’s still just 19 years of age, the classy centre-back is solid defensively but actually stands out for his attacking attributes as well.

In many aspects, you could say that he’s definitely not your everyday traditional defender but fits the mould of the modern centre-back perfectly. Apart from doing his defensive duties quite admirably and having the ability to time his tackles perfectly and win duels, Bridge also has a keen eye for a killer pass.

One of the issues he’s faced throughout his early years have been sloppy mistakes, however, and this is an area that may still need some polishing if he is to step up to the senior team. But the 19-year-old is also quite quick and agile, which gives him an opportunity to rectify his errors and put out the fire before it’s too late.

He might, however, still be a bit too slim for Premier League football and his injury record does show he’s had some fitness issues in the past. But even with that being said, the talent is certainly there and Aston Villa will have to keep their eyes peeled for this youngster.

Norwich City take on Brighton & Hove Albion at Carrow Road on Saturday in a match that could be crucial in the battle for Premier League survival.

The Canaries have been on a wretched run of form of late and sit bottom of the table with just six matches to play, and will be in desperate need of a win.

Brighton on the other hand have established a healthy buffer between themselves and the bottom three, with a six-point gap now separating the South coast outfit from 18th-place Bournemouth.

Daniel Farke’s side lost 4-0 against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, while Brighton suffered a chastening 3-0 defeat to Manchester United a day prior.

Form

Only fellow strugglers Aston Villa and Bournemouth have endured a worse run of form than Norwich in recent weeks, and with the Norfolk side now six points adrift at the bottom, they need to start winning fast.

Their only points from their last six matches came against Leicester City prior to the suspension of football and they are yet to score a point following the Premier League’s resumption.

Brighton meanwhile have picked up five points from their last four matches, with a last-minute Neal Maupay goal sealing a valuable win over Arsenal in their first game following the resumption of football.

They have also picked up valuable points against difficult opponents including Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester, but will have been disappointed with their defeat at the hands of United.

Team news

Norwich are in the midst of a defensive crisis and were forced to field Alex Tettey at centre-back against Arsenal on Wednesday, in a move that certainly did not work out.

Grant Hanley, Christoph Zimmermann and Sam Byram are once again out of Saturday’s match, but Timm Klose could return from suspension.

Brighton, meanwhile, continue to be without long-term absentees Jose Izquierdo and Steven Alzate, both of whom are unlikely to feature this season.

Adam Webster though could return from his thigh injury and is being monitored ahead of Saturday.

How to watch

The Premier League festival of football continues on Saturday with five televised matches, much to the joy of fans.

Norwich vs Brighton itself kicks of at 12:30 UTC at Carrow Road and will be shown live on BT Sport 1, while you can also follow the game online via football live streams.